There was flame and heat, snow and cold. Smoke billowed forth out of the massive temple, a gaping hole marring one of it's smooth, ivory walls. From within came shouts and cries, and the tramping of many, many mail clad boots. The acolytes of the temple surged too and fro in a frenzy of activity, simultaneously attempting to douse the flames and search for the escapee. The wickedly hooked axes that they all bore rested at their belts however, for their prize could be allowed to come to permanent harm. As the flames died, a new sound came, urging their efforts to new heights. The wailing was the very noise of madness; it touched on skin like a viscous oil, rattled the bones with a deathly chill.
The ancient God-being that dwelled within, known as Mahk Tohl, had been denied it's destiny yet again. Soon, all too soon it would have had it's revenge and freedom to visit horrors upon the world the like of which had long been forgotten in the dread beasts absence. Fortunately for the world at large, the last bearer, as all bearers before her, had not the necessary strength, and was unable to bring forth into the world that which would have freed the Prisoner. The new bearer, though, was strong. Strong enough to escape Him. Strong enough to bear the might of it's seed. And now she was denied to him. The Dark God's frustrated moans echoed out from the temple that was it's tomb, squatting at the base of a black mountain, containing the evil that had lurked within as it had for countless millennia.
And in response, it's followers sallied forth, to return that which doom the world to unending darkness and despair.
––––––––––
The robe clung to the fleeing girl alluringly. The white, nearly transparent silk hugged tight to her generous curves, fitting like a second skin. It failed utterly in hiding that which clothing normally hid from view, though it lent the girls tanned skin a ghostly hue. It hung from her neck, leaving her upper back bare, and was slit high up the sides to display her long, well toned legs. The burgundy trim, though not even remotely see-through, did nothing to detract from the mobile display.
The girl, however, was not particularly concerned with matters of her appearance; indeed, it was far down on her list of concerns. At the moment, two thoughts echoed over and over in her head. The first was simple: 'I've got to keep running. I can't let them catch me.' The second was also simple: 'It's too damn cold for this stupid robe.'
Above her, the night sky was filled with alien stars, which glimmered in the frosty air. A few scattered clouds lingered here and there, tearing their way across the sky as great winds blustered them about, a wind which swooped low, catching at her inadequate clothing and flapping the hems of her robe in the air. She slowed, shivering, but her run continued unabated. She began to regret not grabbing something sturdier during her escape, but the recrimination was pointless; she could not possibly go back.
Even freezing to death would be better than what she'd faced back in the temple of her former captors. She knew they would be hunting for her; possessing her was vital to their twisted beliefs. Fortunately, stealthy passage had long since become old hat to her, since long before they had stolen her from her home, and she passed over the frozen grass leaving almost no trace of her passing.
It wasn't fair, she bitterly mused. She'd just started to get her life together, and then this happened. Taken away to a strange world by a cult of deluded lunatics who demanded she mate with their sick god, pop out a 'holy' child child and then 'join' with her so-called divine mate in a manner that might best be described as hideously painful, bloody, and decidedly lethal, which was more than adequately demonstrated on the beast's last 'wife.'
Quite naturally, she decided she wasn't going to stick around, and the immediate violence which followed the grotesque display, and at which she was so skilled, quite amply displayed her displeasure. A lingering feeling of regret remained, though. She had failed to save her predecessor, and the girls agonized screams echoed in her skull. She shook her head vigorously, trying to force the memory down, her red hair whipping in the wind, as she darted into a copse of trees.
She slowed up a little, wiping at her eyes. In the shelter of the trees, the wind had largely abated. But though the chill of the air had lifted somewhat, her memories of the events just hours ago left her shaking. "D-damn it... that freaking monster..." She shook her head again, her red mane flying about in a tangle. Brushing the stray hairs out of her face, she continued, trotting along, deeper into the wood seeking a more permanent shelter from the cold. Her sojourn came to a sudden halt as she topped a rise, windmilling her arms as she teetered at the edge of the sudden drop before her.
The crevasse almost certainly shouldn't have been there; it was almost as if the gash in the earth had been ripped out by a tremendous hand. Trees tilted crazily at the brink as the ground supporting them slowly fell away into whatever was below. She frowned slightly, and looked up. The moon, she knew, was out, and bright enough to reach into the pit, but her fears of magical interference faded as she notice that it had merely been eclipsed by a passing cloud.
As the silvery light of the orbiting body returned, Ranma Saotome released a soft gasp of air as she looked down into what the crevasse below contained...
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Mon, 28 Nov 2005 05:12)
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.