It was dark and gloomy, so Ranma's eyes had to get used to it first. But then he realized he was standing in the middle of a deep forest, whose branches were swaying in the chilly wind...
When he looked up, he could the the black night sky, with only a few stars and a cold moon illuminating it.
"So this is Ja'an..." he murmured after getting up from the ground and patting the dust off his clothes. "Looks a bit gloomy... but then, every forest looks kinda gloomy at night."
Just when he was going to choose a direction in which he could go, he heard the clopping of hooves approaching him.
He looked down the dirty forest path and saw a black horse that was coming his direction. On the big animal's back sat a tall man, entirely dressed in a black armor. On his side, Ranma could see the blade of a long sword.
A knight, Ranma realized. A Black Knight...
Hopefully, not all Black Knights are evil, just like in the stories...
The rider stopped his horse and looked down at Ranma, through the narrow slits within the mask of his helmet.
"Mylord, do you carry, by any chance, the name 'Ranma Saotome'?"
Ranma was on edge, but what if this knight really was a scout of the good guys?
"Yeah, I am," he finally responded. "Who are you?"
The knight dismounted from his dark steed and took off his helmet. "My name is Koan... Baron Tawakee Koan!"
Ranma stared when he saw the dark rider's face. It looked just exactly like that of Tatewaki Kuno.
Then he remembered Kasu's words, that many of Ja'ans habitants would look like people from Nerima. So, this Baron Koan had to be one of them.
Koan came a step closer. "I am here to bring you to our lady," he said.
"Did Kasu send you?" Ranma asked.
Koan seemed to hesitate a bit, then he nodded. "Our lady has ordered us to escort you to her domain, so she could welcome you accordingly."
"Us?" Ranma asked.
Koan raised his hand, and from behind the trees, many more knights in black armors were appearing. One of them was holding the reigns of another, smaller horse, that obviously was meant for Ranma.
The baron gestured towards the horse. "Please, mylord... allow us the honor of bringing you to our lady... these woods can be dangerous."
Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea, Ranma decided. Those black knights might look somewhat scary, but he wasn't really afraid. And besides, if they should really lead him into a trap, he could always fight them off. They didn't look like they were able to resist a well-placed Moko Takabisha, or even a Hiryu Shoten Ha.
So he nodded and mounted the second horse, which seemed to be pretty tame.
As soon as Ranma was sitting in the saddle, Baron Koan turned around his own steed and raised his hand. Instantly, the other knights got ready to leave.
Ranma wasn't such a good rider, but the horse was obviously well-trained... it walked quietly, without making it difficult for him.
"So, umm..." Ranma asked as he rode next to Baron Koan. "Did Kasu say anything about my fiancee? How should I rescue her?"
"I know nothing about that," the baron replied. "I was only instructed to escort you."
It didn't look like Koan wanted to tell Ranma more, so he just stayed silent and waited.
A little while later, they left the forest and stepped onto a wide, empty plain... which looked kinda bleak in the darkness of the night.
And when Ranma looked directly ahead... he saw the fortress! An enormous building made of black stones, with towers and pinnacles that reached up into the clear night sky. It was sitting atop a massive boulder of a mountain, and it looked like no force in the universe would be able to conquer its walls.
Koan gestured up to the fortress. "Yokot Fortress," he said. "There, our lady is waiting for you!"
Ranma had a bad feeling about this. This castle... it didn't look at all like the one Akane had drawn. Instead of looking majestic and magnificent, it only made the impression of being a bastion of war.
Koan seemed to notice Ranma's uneasiness, as he leaned over in his saddle and asked: "Is something the matter, mylord?"
"I don't know..." Ranma mumbled. "It's just so... different from what I expected."
"That is understandable," the baron nodded. "But keep in mind, Yokot Fortress is not a city or a royal castle... it is a fortress, a mighty stronghold against our enemies."
Ranma was ready to believe that. As he had thought before, he didn't believe that any living being would be able to take it down, no matter how many of them would come.
Silently, they continued their way and rode over the empty plains and up a narrow mountain path. Finally, they stood in front of the massive portcullis of the fortress gates.
A deep rumble seemed to come out of the earth, as the huge gate was being pulled upwards by some invisible mechanism. As soon as Ranma and his escort had entered the courtyard, it got closed again.
Ranma looked around. Everywhere, he could see people getting ready for a war. Soldiers and knights, squires and stable-lads.
A man helped Ranma dismounting his horse, and shortly after, he was being lead inside the fortress.
They were walking through long corridors and empty halls, with walls that looked like they were made of black obsidian.
And finally, Ranma stood in front of a massive double door, guarded by two of the biggest knights he had ever seen.
Koan nodded towards the door. "The lady is waiting for you, mylord. Please, enter!"
Ranma's uneasiness was growing even more when he entered the big hall behind the door, but he kept telling himself: 'I can always fight or flee, I'm one of the best martial artists in Japan...'
Koan gently pushed him forward, and Ranma approached the massive black throne in front of him.
With wide eyes, he stared at the girl sitting atop the throne, watching him with a smile.
She looked exactly like Akane. She had the face of Akane, the body of Akane and the hair of Akane.
But it wasn't Akane...
Suddenly, it all made sense to Ranma: The gloomy forest, those dark knights, the scary-looking landscape outside, and this fortress that looked out-and-out like the residence of an evil warlord...
He must have known it all the time, but for some reason, he wasn't able to make the connections... the darkness of this country has shrouded his mind like a black cloud.
"You are not Akane," he finally said.
The girl stayed silent for a moment. "That's correct," she then said. Even her voice sounded like Akane's...
Ranma took another step forward. "You're not Akane," he said again. "You're Ekana!"
The mistress of evil leaned back in her throne and grinned maliciously. "You're right, Ranma: I'm Ekana! And this is my fortress! Welcome to Na'aj... the Realm of Shadows!"
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(Posted Mon, 30 Oct 2006 17:23)
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