Hey, new chapter! C&C welcome.

-D

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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: RP05.txt
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Ranma the Patryn 

Disclaimer: Read the previous chapters. It's there.

Author's rant: Well, here's another chapter of Ranma the Patryn! It
feels good to be working on this, believe you me!

-WD


Chapter 5 - Xar-Drax
by Wanderer D (wandererd@hotmail.com)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma dreamt. The air was alight with fire, he could see the other
elements in the distance as hurricanes, tidal waves and earthquakes
tore the mountains, forests and cities into nothing. The fire around
him didn't burn him. He was part of it.

He felt as the pine-needles burnt into ashes as he grazed them. He
felt the sensation of being fed as the wood splintered and smoked and
burst into flames under his caress.

The world disappeared, and the elements stayed apart, floating in
nothing. Then a light called them all and they became a swirl of color:
freezing water twirling with burning fire; with biting air and with
solid earth. Mixing under the command of that light. Giving themselves
into this new world that was being born.

And as fire became sentinent he could see down into a huge jungle that
extended beyond his sight. And entering this jungle were creatures.
Weak creatures that walked on their hind legs, and had painted their
bodies with magic.

Ranma extended his red, ruby-like wings with a roar. There was only
one feeling that invaded his senses as he took to the air, a feeling
that seeped from the ground, air, water and fire of this very world.

Destroy them!

***

Ranma sat up with a start. He looked around, trying to get his bearings
and then noticed the tattooed arm around his waist. Looking around he
breathed calmly as he took in the sight of Rue sleeping next to him.

Rue mumbled and opened her eyes, looking up at him and smiling. He
smiled back, starting to forget his dream when suddenly he felt his
heart beat so strongly that he fell to the side with a cry, hugging
his chest in an attempt to control the pain.

"Ixar!" Rue shouted, jumping down from the bed and kneeling next to
him as he greeted his teeth and cried out in pain.

***

Ambereye smiled, opening his eyes and looking up into the night sky.
He could feel it. Ranma was about to die.

For a moment he regretted the fact that the boy would die. He would
have enjoyed fighting him and killing him in combat. Ranma had
outsmarted him after all, and he was strong enough to prove a worthy
opponent.

All that he had to do was to wait now.

***

"No!" Urd shouted looking down at the lake. "If he dies... my world...
his home world will..."

A look of resolve crossed her face, and she fell into the lake. "I
will help him. He has much to do yet!" Urd declared as she went
through the waters. The lake lit up and she felt a sudden pang of
conscience. She hadn't even stopped to think... if the boy's destiny
was to die...

***

Rue tried to take Ranma's hands in hers to try to heal him, but her
lover's arms were tight around his body as he convulsed. It was
unlike anything she had seen. Before her eyes his runes started to
glow and unravel, earning another shout of pain.

Rue gritted her teeth. She wanted to call for help, but she couldn't
leave him alone! Why hadn't anyone come here, anyway? Surely someone
had heard him shout!

She tried again to take his hands.

"That won't work." someone said.

Rue turned around and confronted Urd just as Ranma gasped in pain
behind her.

"Who are you?! Did you do this?!" Rue shouted, jumping to the side
and taking her knife in hand.

"I didn't do this, and the name isn't important now." Urd said warily.
She pointed to the convulsing Ranma. "That is happening because of the
Blood Dragon's blood that he drank. It is destroying him because it
was meant to destroy Patryns."

Rue lowered her knife a little. "Then what do I do?"

"You do nothing. There's nothing that Patryn or Sartan power can do
for him. If he were a Patryn he'd be dead by now. A Sartan wouldn't do
much better." Ranma convulsed yet again.

"What do you mean?" Rue asked warily, remembering that she didn't know
this person.

"Nothing, really. If you want to know, ask him." Urd said as she looked
at the writhing young man. "I think he will survive... but..."

"But?" Rue growled.

Urd sighed. "If you want Ixar to survive you and your friends must give
him a little blood. Just a drop each will be enough. Drop each into
this vial," she gave a small green crystal flask to Rue. "and make him
drink it."

Rue took the vial. "Why should I trust you?" she asked.

Urd looked at the convulsing Ranma. "Because he might die."

Rue nodded but had one last question. "And what's in the vial?"

"Something that will make your blood much more powerful and help him
regain control. Otherwise, Ambereye might be able to control Ixar."

Rue shuddered. When she looked up the woman wasn't there.

***

"Are you sure that is wise?" Haplo asked his daughter. 

They were all standing around Ranma�s bed as he cried out and
convulsed. Haplo, Marit, Alfred and his two kids, Usha, Jorel and
Aghathar had all given one drop of blood for the vial. Now all that
remained to be done was to give it to him. But no-one knew this woman
that had appeared. How could they trust her?

"His skin burns to the touch. He calls for water and drinks all he can
in one gulp, then asks for more. His tattoos are unravelling. We have
no choice." Rue said through gritted teeth. "And if this doesn�t
work... that woman will have to face my revenge." She promised solemnly.
She felt someone�s hand on her shoulder and looked at Aghathar.

"And mine." The Sartan said, grimly.

"And mine." Rena added.

"And mine." Hugh said.

"And ours." Haplo said for all the others.

Rue forced a smile. She really was grateful, but she hoped they all
had sworn for nothing. She held up Ranma�s head and poured the liquid
from the vial in.

Ranma drank it up greedily and slumped back, suddenly he gritted his
teeth and screamed in pain, his muscles tightened and his eyes flared
open, staring at nothing.

Rue cried out. "That bitch! She was lying!"

But Merit grabbed her arm. "No... look!" she pointed at the tattoos
on Ranma�s body as they started to unite again into their proper order.
One by one the unravelled runes became legible once again, glowing
slightly, after a few tense seconds that seemed like hours Ranma eased
back, asleep, into the bed. The tattoos slowly stopped glowing the
angry red.

"Incredible..." Alfred said, studying the tattoos. "They are all
blood-red now."

***

Ambereye was amazed. The kid had survived. His link to him let him
know that his opponent was still alive, if nothing else. He smiled to
himself. It was good. He would get the chance to kill Ranma after all.

It was then that he noticed the Patryn that had walked into his new
lair. He regarded the creature for a moment before speaking.

"You are no Patryn. Who are you? And what do you want?" he growled
menacingly.

The 'Patryn' smiled in a very reptilian way. "You are sharp, Ambereye,
just as I had heard."

The dragon didn't answer.

"My name is Xar-Drax." The Patryn impersonator said. "And I have an
offer for you. A new war, and a new chance to escape the Labyrinth."

Ambereye had already deduced the creature's nature by its
impersonation of a Patryn. The runes were backwards, as if he were
looking at a Patryn in a mirror. And the name. A mixture of the names
of the two most feared masterminds to ever set foot on the worlds.

"And what do I gain from that, besides the obvious?" he asked the
Dragon Snake.

"You will lead the Blood Dragons into war. Most of the spoils will be
yours. And you will be able to fight the Patryn boy that destroyed
your last lair: Ixar. And the best part of all... it will be in the
world as it was before the Sundering."

***

Ranma slowly woke up. It was morning, and he was alone. The curtains
were closed, but there was enough light coming through for him to
know it was late morning.

"Good. You're awake." Someone said.

He looked around the room until he noticed a glowing sphere
materializing over him. It turned into a small amulet with something
akin to runes on it.

"If you want to know why and how this all happened. Your coming here,
you surviving the cat-fist training, and also surviving the Blood
Dragon's kin test... use that amulet to guide you there." The voice
said. He noticed it was a female voice and somewhat familiar to him.

"How do I use it?" Ranma asked.

"Just say: 'I want the truth'." It will guide you there.

"Who are you?" he asked, but no one answered.

Rue came a few minutes later with breakfast, finding Ranma looking 
at a strange amulet in his hand. "Ixar? What is that?" she asked.

***

Urd drifted down on the side of the huge lake, settling down on the
shore as the images on it disappeared. She had done what she could.
She could feel that anymore would cause great displeasure from
Kami-sama. But it gave her hope.

***

"I'm going." Ranma said.

Rue and the others from his group nodded.

Ranma had received various stares from the people around when he
emerged with the dark-red runes. Some had even thought he was an
impersonator, but Haplo and Alfred had already told many that it was
a result of surviving the poisoning from the Dragon Blood.

So, even as he received stares, he had received small cheers and
slaps on the back. Still, he didn't have time to delve on that. So,
he had rounded Aghathar, Hugh, Rena and Rue up and told them about
the amulet and that they would have to go on without him until he
found the truth.

"I can understand how you feel, Ixar." Rue said. "But it is going to
be dangerous, you should let us go with you."

Ranma sighed. "Listen guys, I have already thought this over, there's
no point in all you going, I mean, this may just lead up to nothing..."

"It doesn't matter, Ixar." Hugh said. "We're a team, we go together."

"Besides, we don't want to face your mother and father and try to
explain why we let you go alone." Aghathar said with a smile.

Ranma grinned at them.

***

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaseeee, Mythtril?" Rena asked
going all puppy eyed.

The Dragon of Pryan tried not to sigh. She was trying her darnest
 but he had seen her battle like a true warrior before and he wasn't
buying it. "Listen, Rue, I would be glad to take you guys into a
mission, but under no circumstances am I allowed to take you out just
like this!"

"Oh, come on, Mythril, we really need to go there." Rue added.

The dragon looked down at the assembled group, as he was about to
speak someone interrupted him.

"It is a nice day for an uncharted flight, isn't it?" An old man in a
gray robe with a crumpled, over-abused hat said to his companion, an 
imposing man, dressed all in black: black breeches, black velvet coat,
black silk stockings; white hair, tied in back with a black ribbon.

"It is, indeed, Sir." The gentleman answered.

The Dragon snapped his mouth shut.

"I wonder, what does the vast Labyrinth have in store for those brave
and adventurous enough to fly in?" the old man said dreamily.

"I imagine quests of certain importance might find closure there, sir."
The gentleman said.

"Yes, that is true. Reminds me of what's his name half-elven and his
group, of friends." The old man said looking up into the air. "I think
if he hadn't given Goldilocks a chance they might have never met me,
eh?"

"I think her name was Goldmoon sir, and no, they wouldn't have met
you. But I do believe it is time we left sir, you had a meeting to
attend." The white haired man said, looking at some device on his left
fore arm.

The old man snapped to attention. "Ah, yes, we had to meet Mr. Jones
about that Arc thing, didn't we?"

The gentleman took the old man's arm as he guided him out of the
Dragon caves. "No sir, Mr. Jones already managed to control that 
situation."

"Ah, then it must be Mr. Quincy that I was going to meet?" the old man's
voice slowly faded.

Mythril didn't hear what the other answered.

"Mythril?" Rue asked again, and the dragon blink-blinked.

"What?" he asked, a little confused.

"You zoned out on us for a moment there." Ranma said.

"Zoned out?" Rue asked. Ranma just smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"Ah... yes, what were we saying?" the dragon asked.

"You were about to tell us if you were taking us or not?" Hugh
prompted.

Mythril sighed. He would get in trouble for this, he just knew it.
But then again, his group of Rescuers was always getting into trouble,
it was time their dragon lived up to their fame. He gave his consent
with a nod.

***

"Oh, here you are, lass." The old man said, as he and the gentleman
walked towards Urd.

The latter was looking gloomily at Ranma's group as they jumped on
the back of the Dragon of Pryan and started their journey.

"You!" Urd said, jumping up and pointing at him.

Startled, the old man turned around and then faced the gentleman.
"She seems to have a problem with you." He said.

"Not him!" Urd growled. "YOU! Mr. Bond!"

The gentleman's eyebrow twitched. He looked at the old man. "Bond?"

The old man stood up straight and nodded. "Quite right, old chap."

"Sir... this young lady deserves to know your real name." the
gentleman said.

"You think?" The old man asked, a little embarrassed. "But I like her
calling me 'Mr. Bond'"

"Ha! I knew you were not James Bond! What is your real name?" Urd
asked, with a gleam in her eye.

"See what you've done?" the old man asked the gentleman, glaring at
him.

The man in black didn't answer, just gave him a stern look.

The old man sighed. "Well, my name is... uh..."

Urd pulled out the blue letter. "Here it says that it begins with an
'F' and that you're 'The Magnificent'" she said venomously.

The gentleman looked a little amused as he regarded his aged companion.
"'The Magnificent'? Shouldn't that be 'The Fabulous'?"

The old man looked downcast for a moment. "But last week I was 'The
Most Amazing'... I really wanted to change that one, you know?"

Urd wasn't hearing though, something had sparked her memory. "The
Fabulous... the fabulous..." her eyes opened wide and she pointed an
accusing finger at the old man. "FIZBAN!"

The old man whirled around, looking behind him. Hat falling down,
eldritch energy glowing on his staff he looked around. "Where?! Where
is he! Damn him! He's always following me!"

Urd blinked, a little confused.

"She means you, sir." The gentleman in black clarified.

"Oh..." the old man said. The eldritch energy on his staff puffed out
and he turned around to face Urd. "I guess I'm Zifnab, then." Fizban
said.

"Fizban." Urd said, arching an eyebrow at the man in black, who
nodded back at her, confirming her suspicions.

"Zifnab, Fizban, what's the difference?" The old man said, sounding a
little fed up with the whole deal.

"But... but... weren't you... gone?" Urd asked.

Fizban smiled, a little conspiring smile that edged on being manic.
"As a visitor once answered when I asked him the same question said:
That is a secret!"

Urd sighed. "If you�re here it means you're not gone."

"Oh, sure, spoil it for me, will you?" Fizban said, annoyed. "It
sounded cool when he said it."

Urd just shook her head. "Anyway, what are you doing here, sir?"

"Don't 'sir' me, young girl." Fizban said, and the crazed look left
his eyes. "I came to tell you that you did the right thing. Ranma
would have survived, but you have given him the strength of friendship
and love to help him survive the trials ahead. Kami-sama is not angry
with you. He knows you love the earth."

Urd sighed in relief. And Fizban continued. "However, you are not to
continue intervening, the amulet has sped things up, for the good, I
hope." When he saw Urd droop a little he smiled gently and patted her
shoulder. "I'm sure it will work out fine. Your sisters have each one
opportunity of intervening, but of their own free will and as they
see fit."

Urd sighed, feelings of gratitude seeping from her heart to the Elder
God from a distant universe.  "What makes you think it will be
alright?" she couldn't help but ask as the two visitors started
walking away.

Fizban turned around, with a faraway smile on his face, and the goofy
looks back. "I made a bet with Kami-sama and a demon! So it'd better
be alright!" He said, pulling his hat back a little to let him see her
from under the brim.

The gentleman in black frowned for the first time. "Sir, what had we
agreed on betting?"

Fizban cringed a little, but smiled encouragingly to Urd. "That I
shouldn't bet the fate of the universe with God." He answered the
man in black in a sing-song tone and winked at her from under the
brim of the hat.

The two visitors walked away from the coast of the lake, leaving a
much relieved Urd behind.

***

"Ixar, we have already passed the Fifth Gate." Mythril informed
everyone on his back. "We are well into enemy territory now. You know
that patrols stop by the Seventh Gate."

Everyone was nervous about the whole situation. Ranma's amulet pulled
them towards the other end of the Labyrinth. At first it felt like a
normal mission, except that they hadn't gone past the Sixth Gate
before. Ambereye's lair had been partially hidden in the mountains of
the Seventh Gate, close to the Sixth, but not in it. And now, they
were flying over the Fourth Gate. The farther they were from home the
harder it would be to get back, even on a dragon.

Of course the Labyrinth would make it easy for them to get in. Ranma
thought gloomily. The scariest thing about the Labyrinth was that it
was sentinent. It knew when someone was in it and it would do it�s best
to stop them from leaving.

"It keeps pulling forward." Ranma said aloud while holding the amulet
up and feeling the small tug in the direction of the First Gate. Ranma
already feared that it was there that he would find his answer.

Mythril nodded slightly and kept on going. They still had a few hours
before night.

It happened when they crossed over the Second Gate. A sudden screech
was all the warning they had when a group of Griffons swerved out of
the trees below and attacked the Dragon of Pryan.

Mythril swore and let out a huge flame from his open maws managing to
burn one Griffon out of the sky. However there were still around
fifteen!

Ranma and co used their magic, trying to bring down the fast moving
predators, but the Griffons were already used to fighting Patryn and
avoided most of their spells.

"Ixar!" Mythril shouted. "I will have to drop you off in the forest
to take care of them! Carry on to the first gate!"

Ranma shouted back that he understood and looked at his companions.
Everyone was pale but they nodded bravely.

When Mythril made a low swoop, they jumped and landed hard on the
ground. They ran into the forest just as the Griffons swooshed past
their landing spot.

Ranma spied Mythril from the shelter of the trees. The dragon was
gaining altitude, trying to lose his pursuers.

"Mythril will be alright." Ranma said to the others. "We will meet
him in the First Gate." He added, pointing towards a huge range of
mountains.

"Should we leave him, like that?" Rena asked. "What if he needs our
help?"

Ranma was torn. Mythril was their friend, after all. But he shook his
head after a moment. "If we stay here were in danger. Mythril will
probably try to lose the Griffons rather than fight them all, and he
will look for us in the First Gate."

Hugh nodded. "He's right, sis." He said, giving an angry glance at
Aghathar as the latter put his arm around her shoulders, but bit back
his angry comment. "Mythril is a good warrior, and Dragons of Pryan
are much more powerful than Griffons. He'll meet us at the First Gate."

He couldn't help it when his voice cracked a little at the mention of
the First Gate. They knew how hard it was for anyone to survive all
the way back into the Nexus.

Rue nodded. "Let's go then."

***
End Chapter 5 



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