Looking over to her 'Father', Sheila growled out in annoyance. This was just too deeming.
"Father, why do I have to be the... 'child'.."
Gar, in reality Sheila's brother but currently playing the part of her 'Father', answered, "Because you're the only one out of us that looks so..." when Sheila glared at him, a subtle threat that if he said the word 'child' he was going to get a KAPOWIE were the sun don't shine, ".... cute..."
Sheila lessoned on her glare some. At least it wasn't a total loss, even if she was reduced to playing the part of a 'child'. Looking over to her 'Mother' she repressed the insane desire to collapse in a fit of giggles. "Mother dear, you look so beautiful in that dress. You should wear those high heels more often!"
'Mother' took on look at Sheila, and smacked her upside the head. "Don't talk to me like that, young lady! Why, I might have to send you to bed with out dinner if you keep this up missy!"
Sheila supressed an overwhelming desire to kill her 'Mother', and swore inwardly that once this mission was over 'Mother' was going to get the biggest meanest Kapowie she had ever given 'her'.
Sheila's 'Mother' grumbled to herself as the trio walked along, shadowed silently by Onoli and Thorpan. Looking over at 'her husband', 'Mother' forced 'herself' to ask in the girliest voice 'she' could make, "Gar, dear, tell me why I'm the wife again?"
Gar rolled his eyes before slapping his 'wife' on the rump. He wouldn't tell anyone, but this mission had him cracking him up inside. "Because my delectable jelly bean, you're the only one who can grow their hair out like a woman." the he grinned insanely, "And you have the best 'assests' out of all of us."
If you couldn't guess the identity of the 'Wife' by now, let me tell you.
Tigra growled and glared balefully at 'her husband'. There was going to be hell to pay for this shit.
Sheila and Tigra kept quiet from that point out, brooding on how to better inflict pain on these bandits once they showed themselves. No one makes them dress up like a child/woman and expects to get away with it unharmed.
Gar had to force himself not to collapse in a fit of giggles. True this was a serious mission, but seeing Tigra in a dress was beyond anything he had come to expect from his best friend, eer... 'wife'
It was a whole thrity minutes later of their endless march through the wilds until the bandits showed up. Sheila and Tigra's joy at being able to 'vent' their frustrations were cut short, however, when a huge fireball ripped through the air singing and knocking the three Police officers to the ground.
Gar groaned, struggling to his feet as the fire danced about the area. He didn't need to be a precognant to realize they were in serious trouble. Who would have guessed this bandit group would have a mage?
***
"I don't see them Moe."
"Shhh Larry. I gots mah sources. Theres gonna be a trap set for wittle old us, some edge guard fools actin all high and mighty disguise as simple travelers."
"Dude, this is the Edge Guard were talking about here. Not some common city folk with no fightin mind sets. Why don't we grab our loot and move huntin grounds? It'll be betta than stayin here and fightin these guys."
"Dude, we aren't runnin. Think about it man, we've gotten a name for ourselves, else they wouldn't be sendin out these top dogs to deal wit our little rabble. Think of the cool points we'll get if we bring em down! Dude, we aren't missin this chance!"
Larry gazed with half lidded eyes at his compatriot, "And how do ya expect our ragtag bunch to beat these guys? Most of em don't really know how ta use a weapon right, don't see how yah expect them to beat those veterans."
Moe grinned smugly, "Bro, neva fear. Guess who showed up last night? Heheh. Can ya guess? huh? Huh? Huh?!"
Larry looked thoughtful for a moment, his mind focused on the question. "Hmmmm...." a few more moments passed, "Hmmmm...." yet another few more moments passed, "Hmmmmm...."
Moe smacked Larry on the back of the head, finally becoming to impatient with the moron, "Dumb ass. Curly dude!"
Larry blinked, not recognising the name. "Eh? My horse?"
Moe ignored Larry, "Our long lost balding brother Curly! Remember when momma tried to drown him for being 'Ugly as hell'? Well, seems Curly was found by a travelin mage who took the idiot and taught him some of that magic crap. He'll be what we need to kick those Edge Guard members asses."
Larry had long since tuned Moe out, instead opting to play with a yoyo as his brother continued his inane lecture.
Moe growled, noticing Larry not paying attention to him.
Insert alot of slapping, eye poking, head thumping, and punching fun here.
***
Curly frowned, coming upon his two long lost brothers in the middle of a... bonding ritual... yeah, why else would they be kicking the shit out of each other.
Having long since positioned the troops into the best place to lay in wait for the ambush, he had come up here to join his brothers to better direct the ragtag band of bandits below. It was here he realized his brothers were too stupid to be allowed command of this situation, so instead of stopping their fight he turned around and let them be.
Finding a perch to better watch the path, Curly laid in wait for the fools.
It was 10 minutes later he spotted them.
Focusing on the Etheral Stream, Curly grinned happily as he was once again immersed in with awesome power it had to offer. Taking the power it freely gave him, he focused his minds eye in preparation for his attack.
"Lets try and end this in one feel swoop... heh... Fireball."
And the battle to decide wether or not the Edge Guard would live the day had begun.
***
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Ranma jumped to his feet, where he had been drinking from a stream. The sound of an explosion nearby had brought his senses to bear - throwing them in overdrive.
Being what he was, a Lycanthrop cross type between Cheetah and Sabretooth Tiger so unused to his new form and its inherint abilities, he was momentarily stunned by the onslaught of sensations he was recieving. Since he wasn't the target of whatever that explosion was, compiled with that fact he was realitivly safe and didn't have to worry about being hunted down - yet - on this new and strange world, he could actually take the time to notice such things rather than acting totally by instinct.
The explosion wasn't exactly close, but it sure as hell wasn't that far away either. Less than a mile - and thanks to the black smoke marring the clear blue skies Ranma knew exactly where he had to go.
He only hoped it wasn't anything serious, or people that would try and kill him.
***
Sheila gasped, jumping back as a bandit slashed at her stomach, the red ichor of her life beinging to seep out slowly. She had been to slow to dodge, and the sad fact of the matter was she knew they were going to lose this battle.
Sheila summoned her will and focused it in ice. Her scimitar radiated a aura of blue ice as it complied with the will of its user. With a shout of "ICE KAPOWIE" a fist of ice flew from the very tip of her scimitar flying straight for a group of gathered bandits who looked about ready to zerg rush her.
"Flame."
The fist of ice melted immediatly, a conflagaration of raging fire appearing out of no where to do tis grisly work. Sheila eeped, following the voice to its owner.
A human male from appearances, draped in robes the color of midnight black. She couldn't see much more beyond that, his head concealed behind the hood of his robe. She could, however, see the pearly white teeth of the Mage as he smiled a sinister smile, sending a shiver up her spine. She watched in morbid fascination as the mage raised his hand, a sphere of shimmering motes of angry lights coalesing in his hand with streamers of flames raging across its surface.
"Fireball."
Sheila gasped, planting her feet in the ground and bringing her scimitar to bear as she summoned every last bit of will to form a sheild of ice to protect her from the blast.
Like a banshee screaming its sorrowful cry the ball of deadly energy left its masters hand, traveling thru its deadly arc. As the ball of energy gained ground Sheila could only watch in fear, her mind freezing up. It was as if she was looking death in the face, the sound of the fireball drowning out all others - Even the sound of her brother who was screaming hysterically for her to dodge.
Gar could do nothing to intercept the blast heading for his sister, being hardpressed just to keep himself alive. It was clear they had underestimated these bandits. Already he was tiring, having expending so much energy with little to no results against their mage.
Contact.
The ball of raging flame struck the sheild of chilling ice, both battling to destroy the other. Their battle continued for an eternal moment, and much to Gar's relief it ended in a tie.
Sheila's ice sheild may have absorbed most of the force that fireball held, but combined with her waning strength and blood loss from the various wounds she had yet to regenerate caused her to buckle at the very end - the Fireballs inertia blasted her back, and much to Sheila's dismay her grip on her scimitar was lost.
She flew back and crashed to the ground. She was a trooper though, and would refused to admit defeat, no matter the unbeatable odds they seemed to be up against.
Curly smiled smugly. His plan was working. Granted he hadn't been expecting those two additions, that .. what were their names? Thats right, Onoli and.. eh.. Thor something.. to show up. Luckily Moe and Larry had come to an understanding, both being the only actual members aside from himself with any actual skill. Those two were managing those two very well.
The woman were-tiger had taken the brunt of his initial fireball, and wasn't looking to be getting up soon. Curly chuckled inwardly - She wouldn't be getting up ever again if he had his say in the matter.
The male jagwere was proving to be the most difficult out of the lot, but even Curly could see he was tiring way to fast trying to defend himself from their numerous cronies and his own magic.
Now, the child was at his mercy. The girl had been a slight challenge, mainly because of her wicked magic sword - which Curly had every intention of stealing once this fight was over. A few blasts put her in her place, and now here he was. Watching the petite Jagwere push herself up off the ground, looking ready to die from exhaustion and all the damage she had sustained in this fight.
Taking slow, methodical steps Curly approached the girl. At about 7ish or so yards Curly stopped and watched the soon to be dead girl.
Sheila struggled, oh how hard she struggled to get to her feet. She was too damn tired! She hurt all over. Raising her eyes she nearly cried at seeing the mage in black standing there, that sinister smile back in fool force. She watched once again in morbid fascination as another ball of meanacing energy formed in his upraised hand.
"Any last words, tool of the oppressor?" Curly snarled. Not that he was really oppressed, he had just always wanted to say that.
Sheila snarled and tried to spit on him, but being 20 - 21 feet away it didn't quite make it. "Go to hell.." she managed to sound off defiantly, though it was alittle on the weak side.
Curly grinned. This was perfect! He'd got to say a snazzy little 'Last Words' statement, and she just gave him the perfect chance to end this with a dramtically cool evil statement! Oh happy day!
"You first." And then Curly launched his fireball.
***
The sounds of combat had reached his ears early into his run. It took him all of 3 milliseconds to realize that whatever was happening, it wasn't a training excerise or anything of the short. The scent of blood was strong in the air. Thankfully, Ranma noted with some relief, the tell tale scent of death had yet to me detected. Not that he knew what that smell was persay, but some instinct told him this was true.
Sooner than he would have expected he arrived at the scene of a gruesome melee raging across the wooded area.
Ranma's eyes narrowed, his eyes darting too and fro as his mind fell into focus. Twenty, thirty men attacking a band of four to five. Three men, and two women. The men looked hard pressed and had many many wounds. One of the woman laid motionless, and from his quick inspection it looked as if she had been knocked down during one of those strange explosions he had heard earlier.
The last woman, child actually from appearances, was on her hands and knees and looking extremly tired and wounded. A man that just screamed 'Dangerous' to his senses stood alittle bit away from her, a ball of strange energy dancing in his grasp.
Ranma frowned greatly as he took all this in quickly. A group of men, a woman, and a CHILD getting attacked? That was something he wouldn't stand for.
"You first." and then Curly threw the fireball.
Ranma heard those words and was already in motion. As he neared the child he realized grimly he wouldn't be able to save her and some how get himself out of the way before whatever attack that guy had thrown actually hit. Taking a moment to think on this, he decided to summon his Aura.
***
Sheila closed her eyes as the ball of flame left the Mage's hand. She was to tired to move, and knew deep down there would be no escape from this attack. It was rather sad, now that she took the time to consider it. She had lived her life, never knowing many of the joys it had to offer. She had always assumed she'd have the time, but now... did she have any regrets?
Sheila flinched, the screeching sound of the fireball all she could hear. She waited for the flames to hit, to spread and engulf her form and end her life. Curious... why was she only feeling intense cold?
Ranma had made it just in time, his aura spread out to the maximum as his mind and very being was incased in ice. The blast of strange energy connected with his Aura, an immediate power struggle between his cold iron will and whatever source of energy this attack derivied its power from.
Curly frowned, spotting the strange looking were-creature intercept his fireball attack while glowing brighter than the annual armsmaster celebrations. Needless to say he wasn't.. pleased... by his appearance, nor was he exactly calm about it either. He was pumping out so much energy Curly could whoever this guy was, he just had to be dead. No one could focus THAT much energy with out burning themselves out... or.. unless they were of the highest order of Mages - Either possibility left a bad taste in Curlys mouth.
Ranma grinned, the energy from that strange attack dissappating. He was surprised he hadn't actually needed to put that much effort into forming a protective sheild. Which was strange in and of itself. He estimated that blast had been at least equivalent to the power of one of Saffrons fire blasts.
Ranma shook his head at those thoughts, shelving them away for later. Now was not the time to ponder such stupid things! There was a child in danger. Focusing his mind, Ranma cupped his hands and summoned his Ki. He was pleasantly surprised when his Moko Takabishi formed extremly easy, considering it generally took a helluva lot more effort than this did.
Little did he know, now that his powers were awakened he was inadverntally accessing the heridtary energy and strength granted to his kind. Add in the fact he was a mixture of the fastest and strongest of were-creatures, this made for some serious power.
Curly gasps, unconsciously taking a step back as the ball of unknown energy formed in the unknowns hand. Despite the fact that ball of energy screamed 'HELL COME HITHER' in terms of power, it was the fact he got a good look at WHAT he was facing. Never before had he seen such a creature.
"Wwhat THE HELL ARE YOU!" Curly screamed.
Ranma grinned, unknowing how that infuriating grin was causing great feat in the mage before him. All those sharp teeths glinting in the pale lumiance of his aura made for a VER intimidating sight.
"You're nightmare." Ranma growled.
***
The bandits morale were all general high. While Moe and Larry were decent leaders, this new guy Curly raised the bar up a few notches. Why, they felt like they could take on the world at the rate they were going. Hell, these Edge Guard members were suppose to be some of the most fearsome fighters in the world - Barring of course the various weapon masters, Arch Mages, and of course the Armsmaster herself.
Thus it came as quite a surprise when Curly, the mage who practically assured them their victory, came running past them all gibbering in absolute terror. His clothes were burnt off, as was his remaining hair. Small cuts outlined his entire body.
Gar was very thankful for the break in fighting. He had been close to collapse, and feared if he had fallen his death would be immeinate. When that mage ran by crying and screaming for them to retreat, he wondered why on Jade he would do such a thing. Sheila, as far as he knew, was down and unconscious - as was Tirga. That left three versus thirty or so, and that wasn't good odds at all. He knew there weren't any reinforcements coming, none were close enough to get here in the amount of time that had passed since the begining of this fight.
"Hey Bob.."
"Yeah Joe?"
"What the... HOLY MOTHER OF FUCKING GOD! NINE HELLS WHAT IS THAT!"
Gar whipped his head in the direction that nameless cronie had screamed at, and fell to his knees at the sight before him.
Ranma wasted no time. While the bandits were stunned at his appearance, he lept into the fray, savagly beating them down as quickly as he could.
"ITS A DEMON!!!"
"MY BALLS! HE STEP ON MY BALLS!"
"HELP HELP! SOME ONE PULL THIS STAFF OUT OF MY ASS!"
Gar looked very very green.
***
Watching the last of the bandits run off, at least the ones still able to stand, Ranma finally let his battle aura seep back into his body. While the fight had been pretty one sided - since he showed up anyway - he was quite tired. He had noticed halfway through the battle he had been burning through his energy reserves faster than Akane blowing through her 'anger restraints'. It was a good thing she had been getting much much better lately, but still...
Shaking his head out of his memories, he reminded himself he had left their world. At the moment he had no way of going back, and at the moment he didn't think going back was really a good idea.
Turning back to the people he had saved, he offered a friendly smile and waved jovially - which made him look intimidating considering the teeth and all.
"My names Ranma Saotome... sorry about this."
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(Posted Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:34)
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