Sakura stepped into the circle drawn into the dirt, her bare feet leaving new tracks where it had been swept smooth in preparation for the event.
"Now you shall see why I am the undisputed leader of the Twelve Terrible Thieves!" said her opponent, making a couple of gestures to show off his thick muscles and many scars.
"You guys are just petty thugs, hardly even worth my time," said Sakura in reply. "My father is Tsun Ten'ou - the famous swordsman. My mother is the Lady Himiko, ambassador of the Shou. I am the Heir to my mother's style of Shotokan Karate."
"Fancy fighting is no good against me," insisted Brutica. "My punch can kill a bull!"
"So can your body odor," remarked Sakura.
"I will defeat you and you will change your tune, and dance for my pleasure, little one." Brutica growled and slammed one fist into the ground. "Come at me!"
Sakura moved forward. Brutica swung.
Sakura vaulted, using the extended arm as a balance beam as she pivoted and her kick lashed out into the big guy's head.
True to his reputation, Brutica was staggered but didn't go down under the force of that blow. Sakura continued her momentum, landing inside the big guy's reach and punching hard into the throat.
Sister, return home. Father summons you for a family meeting of great importance.
Sakura ducked down as Brutica tried to grab her, then rolled clear and delivered a punch to the side of the gut. "It's over."
"I will see you... dance..." said Brutica, falling down.
"Listen up, punks," said Sakura, dusting off her hands. "I've finished up here but if I hear you're still operating in this area I'll be back. Next time I won't be so ladylike and gentle with ya."
Looking down at the discoloring and swelling lumps where their leader had been hit, the thieves all nodded their agreement.
Morrigan stirred herself from sleep and wondered why an alu-fiend like herself had to attend a family meeting.
Don't get her wrong. She loved her family. They mostly accepted her and she had grown up in a loving home. It was simply that her nature was one of passions and the entire idea of "taming it down" to visit the old homestead was hardly what she really wanted to do.
Oh well, it would be nice to see if Sakura was any better at fighting and could give her big half-sister a better run for her money yet.
Chun Li Zhang-Ten'ou was a taut and muscular young woman. She stood tall and strong and could move like the wind.
Currently she moved like an old woman.
"Never never never attend one of Morrigan's little parties," Chun Li reminded herself. "Even when it is your honor for returning from a successful adventure. What was in that drink anyway?"
Sister, return home. Father summons you for a family meeting of great importance.
"Not so loud, please. Not so loud," whimpered Chun Li.
Tsun Ten'ou remembered his adventuring days. Tsun the Swift Sword, who had trained under the ghul Havvisuhr along with his dear friend Genna The Mountain. Alas, after they had made a pledge (and incidently buried the ghul) to marry their children, Genna had died without leaving an heir.
Tsun himself had had eight wives at one point, and six of them had borne him daughters. As the master swordsman he had some land and a small castle, and raising his daughters had been both a joy and a task. Here in Al Qadim he had been blessed by Fate, and was now might be prosperous except for one thing. No male child had been born to continue his line.
Then had come this Genma and one of his wives had brought up the whole thing about Analogues. Genma was the very image, mostly, of the thief and fighter Genna. His son was exactly what Tsun had sought. Marry at least one of his daughters off to the boy and things would be set perfectly. Fate had again provided for him.
His wives had drifted off, as had most of his daughters for different reasons. It was a curse laid upon him by his former Master from his imprisonment, and it had picked up in later years - strengthening as it aged. By the time he'd realized what was going on, it was beyond the strength of his wives to completely remove. He'd sent to the Caliph to beg a favor that it be removed, but as yet no reply had been sent.
Most of his wives were still married to him, but only sent word back that they still sought a cure for the curse that had left him bereft of the pleasures of the marriage-couch. Only with a new partner could he rise to the occasion.
Once this boy was engaged though, the line would live on despite the curse and his daughters would be provided for.
Aoi came as quickly as she could. Which was very quickly indeed.
While Kasumi was a skilled Sorceress, Morrigan was a Fighter with some natural talents and inherent magical powers, Chun Li was a straightforward Fighter, and Sakura was a Monk. Aoi, on the other hand, walked her own path as a Weaver - aided in this by her mother's heritage.
The call had reached her while she was contemplating the ice on the mountain top, reading the wind and weave, the complex relationships of magical forces necessary for such a magic.
There were Mages in the West or farther to the East who could cast spells like Overland Flight. Her carpet, woven herself after great effort, was faster and wouldn't tire her during its operation. It required long times to put together the spells, months in many cases, but it had its uses.
Such as when one skimmed through the air a thousand feet above the burning desert sands, travelling faster than a hawk flies.
Aoi knelt serenely and let the carpet find her way home.
Tsun had six daughters. Kasumi, Morrigan, Chun Li, Sakura, Aoi, and one other. That one was:
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Wed, 21 Jul 2004 09:35)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.