The priestess's face rapidly alternated between shock and outrage. Ranma gulped audibly as it finally settled on rage. "What exactly do you think you're doing here?" she asked furiously.
Ranma was not a dishonest person. In fact, he could hardly lie to save his life, despite his father's many efforts at teaching him that skill. Still, even he was certain that telling the truth would do nothing but make his situation worse. "Um... err..." He unthinkingly reached behind his head, scratching nervously. "Just... passing through? Yeah, that's it! Just passing through!"
Shock once again displaced anger on the young woman's face. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" she asked, her voice growing louder with every word. "That you were... 'just passing through'?"
Ranma let out another gulp, his eyes beginning to dart around for exits. "Yes?" he ventured, taking a step back toward the only exit he had located - the way he came in.
The priestess blinked several times at that response, and Ranma took advantage of her momentary confusion to inch closer to the exit. Perhaps he moved a bit too quickly, for the woman's eyes soon snapped up the glance. "Oh, you aren't getting away that easily!" She uttered a harsh, almost unpronounceable syllable, and the doors behind Ranma slammed shut. Ranma didn't need to test the doors to know that they had almost certainly locked themselves.
"Well? Have you any explanation for this?" The priestess stalked toward him, not noticing that she once again exposed herself as she emerged from the water. Ranma's gaze unthinkingly lowered, and a snarl appeared on her face as she noticed where he was directing his attention.
She extended her hands, and almost instantly Ranma could feel a prickly sensation on his skin, a sensation he recognized from the few times his father had been unwise enough to run afoul of a mage. Magic. He took an unthinking step back, searching all his father's lessons for a tactic to use.
"Fire..." A ball of flame began to form between the priestess's hands as she spoke.
Before she could finish the incantation, Ranma hit upon what he had to admit was the perfect tactic to use. He had never seen the use of it before, and he made a mental note to apologize to his father for the struggle he'd put up before agreeing to learn it.
Ranma flung himself to his knees, raising his hands in supplication. The priestess took a step back, the fireball between her hands fading away as her concentration faded. "What?" she said in surprise as Ranma launched his attack.
"Oh, forgive me, mighty sorceress! I mean no harm! I'm just a poor wanderer! Please, have pity upon me!"
The woman's eye twitched. "Sorceress? Sorceress?! I'm a priestess, you idiot!"
Ranma didn't dare let his assault slacken. "Forgive me, holy one! I meant no offense! Please, have mercy upon this poor sinner!"
"Forgive you?" The woman seemed to think for a moment before continuing. "That is for the Goddess to decide, not for me."
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Aaron Nowack
(Posted Sun, 15 Feb 2004 08:41)
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.