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hhh h h kolok ko kko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko ko
The Great Dragon King " Too Wong "
THE GREAT DRAGON KING “TOO WONG"
BY BRIAN RAINS
Description of the title name.
The meaning of the title..The Great Dragon King of course, is that the dragon is over all the other dragons, their King, and great, as in not to mess with.
Too Wong is no different...Too, meaning, too much, overwhelming, out of reach, far too powerful, and great is another.
The name Wong, meaning in China,King, it also can mean yellow, and another name for waung, but not what I was going for.
Too Wong name, also meaning the same thing as in Great Dragon King, Too Wong means...Great King
So, The Great Dragon King, Too Wong, is the title I came up with, for this story.
Introduction.
The universe has always been known by some to be the deep black sea of unknown and uncertainty, and our world rotating in its mist, is just as mysterious. Through generations of time, stories have been told of people long ago through myths and legends.
These stories, usually from rumors or exaggerations from claimed historian documents, seem to catch our interests, though unbelievable un-logical as they are.
Also through time, it seems, each culture has its own version of the beginning of our existence, and of renowned heroes defeating the odds to place a foundation of peace, for their future remnants.
However, the uncertainty of our existence, and the world and space, keeps us hoping for an explanation, and if other worlds in other galaxies, if they exist, wonder the same thing? Myth, though ironic, seems to be the only sources of historical explanation.
They speak of mythical creatures, of magic used by people, Gods, and demons, of good and evil, and of the possibility of impossible existence.
Our imagination that has the ability to conjure up stories of non-existing places, people, and myth, is in fact a wonder. Nevertheless, I wonder how imagination from the depths of our mind can create impossible events, or maybe it is impossible to say our minds are unable to do such.
Can you conjure anything out of thin air by speaking or using your mind? I would have to say if it never existed, or will never exist, then it is impossible for your mind to imagine such impossibilities.
Although, we know are minds do imagine impossibilities. If it is impossible to do the impossible, but, possible to imagine the impossible, then imagination by default is reality, by creating such possible impossibilities.
Chapter 1
Strange Noises
The year was 2036 and a 67-year-old man was on a small private plane, on his way to Australia to visit some relatives of his. He was flying over the Indian Ocean, when he drifted off to sleep, to the sounds of the plane, and a vivid image of a continent rising from the depths of the Ocean, swam in his thoughts, as his mind went into the influencing world of dreams.
It was during the time of the awakening, though the date is uncertain, on a continent that was lost through time and history. The continent laid in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, directly south of Asia, west of Australia.
The continent was half the size of Africa, with volcanic and non-volcanic mountains, hills, and deserts, forests,{from tropical to evergreen}, rivers, lakes, and plains. Creatures from around the world seemed to have found a home here. The continent was a paradise of unknown myth and culture.
The only means of route to the continent during that time was by ship. The ships had nowhere to dock, except in the town of Zanga, so they came ashore from the beaches that surrounded the continent. Also there were no lighthouses to guide the ships to shore, which made navigating at night almost impossible, so most came ashore by day.
The sailors learned that the place was called “Lemeyoko” from the natives of the continent. The natives called the place “Lemeyoko,” which meant the people far from home in their language, from where they hailed, the sailors never knew, for they were never told.
The people of Lemeyoko, to the sailors surprise, spoke every language, and the sailors told stories to the people of their homeland, that the people of Lemeyoko were so advanced in their cultural, that they had a tall library full of books, scrolls, and stone tablets, dating back as far as the Jewish bible, and that of the Samaritans.
The sailors told of how the library was guarded by over 1000 soldiers, and the only one allowed in the library was the librarian himself. This story, as well as others, drew the attention of some good and bad adventurous outsiders.
Bandits, were always testing their might against the continent of Lemeyoko, in search of treasure, and a way to dominate the
mysterious land. The place of Lemoyoko during that era was a place of mystery to all outsiders, as it would be in any era.
Lemeyoko was made up of four provinces, Lemeyoko which is the capital, stood on the northern east side of the continent, in the flat plains, near where the Zanga River ended, and the volcano Akando resided.
Zanga, of the Zanga people, which meant the place of deserts, in Lemeyoko language, stood to the south of Lemeyoko, in the southeast part of the continent surrounded by desert, and the Zanga river running through the center of the city.
Troyak, once called Hymrako, meaning place of huge rocks hills, lakes, and mountains in Lemeyoko language, now belonged to the bandits of the Troyakians, which was west of Lemeyoko, in the northwest part of the continent.
Lastly Monzuku, which meant the forest which brings peace to the heart, in Lemeyoko language, was south of Troyak, on the southwest of the continent, had huge tropical and evergreen forests, hills, and plains. The province of Monzuku was a place for peaceful farmers and herders, not warriors.
Peace though, seems to come with harsh hardships, but peace was finally becoming a realization for Monzuku. The people of Monzuku , which was caught up in the war with the Troyakians two years ago, that lasted seven years, was able to get back to their daily herding, and farming routines.
The Troyak’s, which were a murderous bunch of bandits, fought and claimed a piece of Lemeyoko’s land during that war, through a peace treaty. The war which took so many Lemeyoko’s people, including so
many from Monzuku, ended finally with an sign agreement from the high king of Lemeyoko and the leader of the Troyak’s, declaring a deed of land to the Troyak’s, in exchange for no further wars.
So with the agreement signed, and wars dispersing, the felling of un trust, as well as suspicion; can never be signed on as an agreement to disperse.
Spring came early on the continent of Lemeyoko, in the small village called Monzuku, which resided in the province of Monzuku. Most of its inhabitants were getting ready for dinner with their families.
Half a mile west of the village stood a little lone house by the Monzuku forest. A man in his middle twenties, with short light brown hair, blue eyes, and average built for his size, was sitting alone in his little home drinking a cup of tea.
He was sitting at a little round white table, which had three chairs to match. The man was wearing black cloth clothes, and a hooded silk mask to cover his face, which was called, ninetjas, in the native tongue, but the bandits called them ninja outfits for simple brute conversation.
Ninetjas meant armor against nine deaths, and protection from the seen. Its name came from the stealthy cat Tja, and the nine representing the folklore of cats having nine lives.
With his mask lying on the table beside his right arm, though most Monzuku’s residents wore traditional Monzuku silk robes, ninja clothes were only worn, when going into battle, he was in deep thought, sitting at his table, and reminiscing about the good times with his father and mother.
Bandits kidnapped and murdered his mother, Sanyen Habuku two years back during the Trayak war. His father, Kyun Habuku, had just died with a heart attack three weeks before this time.
The house, which he had just inherited from his father, as well as a sword , a key, that his mother used to wear around her neck for an necklace, was willed to him 2 days ago, when he had to endure the Monzuku town hearing, that was costume in their village when someone has passed. This would be the second time he had to go through this; the first was with his mothers passing.
The key, which his father always wore too, he now wears around his neck, bores a symbol on it with some writings that he could not decipher, for it was in ancient Monzuku writings. A chest lay in his parent’s room in which the key belonged too.
The chest was old and contained ancient Monzuku symbols and Monzuku writings on top of it as well, but he never had the nerve to open it. These past few weeks to him seemed to be the most awful weeks he ever had to endure. The memories seemed to be more than he could bear at times, and opening a chest full of memories did not seem inviting.
Still sitting at his table and sipping his cup of tea, which bore his name, Ryu Habuku, that his mother got him one birthday, Ryu Habuku was glancing every now and then out his window. With the sun going down and the moon and stars approaching, Ryu seemed to be waiting for something.
For three nights now, Ryu has heard some strange noises, a scream and growl outside around his house. When suddenly, he heard the
sounds coming through his window again, as if they were being carried in by the wind.
This time Ryu was prepared, he quickly put on his black ninja mask, grabbed his sword that once belonged to his father, which was carefully standing against the edge of the table, and jumped out of his chair.
The sword, which belonged to his father, was a unique one-handed sword, sharp edge on both sides, while the sharp edge curved inward and outward on both sides of the blade, toward the handle, making two sharp points at the top of the blade, and close to the handle. The color of the blade was glimmering green, and the sharp edge tips colored silver. The handle, which was shaped like a red dragon with a yellow face, was looking upward toward the blade with a silver point at the bottom.
While ignoring knocking over his cup of tea, Ryu ran to the front door and dashed suddenly outside. He rushed to the left corner of his house, stopped suddenly, and froze like a stone statue. Ryu then peered around the corner of his house, looked onward out on his land hoping to catch a glimpse of something.
Just then, a figure ran across the pastures toward a big boulder fifty yards from Ryu’s house, where Ryu's father used to train him in martial arts. Grabbing his sword tighter, Ryu started jogging toward the boulder, but cautiously, and at the same time nervously.
When he got half way, Ryu stopped dead in his tracks so suddenly that he almost tripped. What seemed like a dream, Ryu noticed a huge red serpent that had one huge horn sticking out from the back of its head, gliding across his pasture, towards the boulder where the passing figure had ran to.
The serpent, which Ryu suddenly realized was a dragon, with purple eyes and green scales on top of its body, was sticking its tongue out every few seconds, as if it was tasting the air. It also had two sets of tiny wings, one set was on what looked like his shoulders, and the other set was behind its back legs closer to its tail.
The sight of this made Ryu’s stomach squirm just a little. Ryu watched this unnerving sight as it glided up and down in the direction of the passing figure.
This cannot be he thought, the stories his grandfather had told him were only ancient myths, but here was the myth in plan sight as if you had to be blind to have never seen it before.
Standing there in shock and watching the serpent in amazement, Ryu did not notice that the dragon, which changed his direction in a split second, stopped pursuing the figure by the boulder, and was now coming his way.
When Ryu finally noticed the change of direction that the dragon suddenly took, he froze in fear. Heart pounding and body shacking, Ryu almost fled back into his home out of fear, but found that his legs locked on him.
Using his training, as was taught to him by his father before engaging any fight, Ryu closed his eyes, and attempted to block all fear and thought from his mind, by means of meditation. So he closed his eyes, but suddenly his mind went into a uncontrollable semi-trance.
In this semi-trance Ryu was seeing memories through his minds eye, and Ryu found himself as a child, laying on his bed at his grandfather’s house, and listening to his stories, of dragons, and other myths.
Automatically, Ryu remembered from one of his grandfather’s stories that dragons could speak. Just as quickly as Ryu went into the semi-trance, Ryu quickly came out of his semi-trance.
Ryu opened his eyes, saw the dragon still yet gliding in his direction, and thought to himself what did he have to lose. So he attempted to speak to the hideous beast, which was ten feet away now, and not stopping, Ryu raised his right hand and said,
“Please stop, I mean you no harm, what is it you seek?”
The red dragon paused for a moment, then glanced at Ryu’s sword and continued on, not stopping for a second; it hissed and glared at Ryu’s sword, and seemed convinced that Ryu was out to hurt him. The dragon glided toward Ryu even faster, and the dragon opened his considerably large mouth that had two giant fangs, as wild animals do to strike fear in their prey.
The fangs did not look ordinary; they also looked like they had tiny fangs all around them. Ryu was freighted even more at this sight, and went numb. He had no choice he thought; there was no avoiding this fight with the creature.
The dragon was inches away now, and Ryu raised his sword to defend against the beast. However, his eyes closed on him as if by their own, and his mind went into an uncontrollable semi-trance once more.
Again, his mind took him back to his childhood. This time he remembered that he was playing with his grandfather by the pond behind his grandfather’s house.
Ryu was the helpless peasant and his grandfather was the vicious dragon. While his grandfather approached him from behind, Ryu had to turn around and say, ‘TOO WONG’, before his grandfather touched him. Then right when his grandfather was about to touch him, he suddenly snapped out of his semi-trance and opened his eyes.
The dragon was now pushing forcefully against Ryu’s sword, which Ryu still had it up in defense, determined to sink its fang into Ryu, and he felt the hot breath from the dragon’s mouth. Ryu suddenly bursts out without knowledge of it, adrenaline rushing through him, and said,
“TOO WONG!”
Alarmingly, the dragon rose back from Ryu’s sword, which he had his fangs wrapped around, and dropped to the ground almost instantly. The dragon landed on his two hind legs, which looked far too separated from its front legs, and gave him an awkward almost comical position. The dragon stood there for a moment looking dumbfounded and bewildered at Ryu, but then it spoke.
“Hsss, how do you know that name, TOO WONG?”
Never hearing a dragon speak before and it sounding more as a snake, Ryu had some trouble understanding him at first.
“TOO WONG?” Repeated Ryu, with a hint of uncertainty that he heard him right.
“Hss, Yess, ‘TOO WONG’, Confirmed the dragon.” Do you know him?”
Ryu answered with out even thinking and said,
“Yea I know him.”
“Then why do you wield hss, the Sscreaming dragon?”
“The screaming dragon?” replied Ryu in questioning.
“Hss, yess, that ssword you have wass carved from a dragon that wass murdered by a ground walker ssuch asss you, are you him?”
“Him who?”Ryu asked.
“The infamous hss, dragon sslayer, Ryozomo Habuku.”
Ryu almost fell over after hearing this, he heard but did not believe what was being said.
“Th…Th…That was my grandfather’s name but how do you know him?”Ryu said to the dragon looking confused.
The dragon did not answer, but stuck out his tong instead, wiggled it around, tasting the air as he did before , and said,
“Hss, yess you have only part of hiss sscent.”
Glancing back at Ryu’s sword, which the dragon called the “screaming dragon”, the dragon hissed and then continued interrogating Ryu.
“Ssso the grandsson of Ryozomo, the great dragon sslayer, hass decided to follow in hiss footsstepss, hss, and become a dragon sslayer alsso hmm.” Hissed the dragon.” After my blood like that coward behind the big rock, hsss?”
Ryu plum forgot about the person that took refuge behind the boulder. Lowering his sword thinking maybe this will calm the beast and maybe give him some assurance that he was no dragon slayer, Ryu said to the dragon.
“I’m not in company with that coward and I'm no dragon slayer nor was my grandfather.”
Hoping that this cleared any misunderstanding, Ryu stared directly into the serpents purple eyes, without blinking just incase.
“Enough talk!,” shouted the dragon, and then with no warning the dragon started to make the most painful hissing sounds that made Ryu’s ear’s bleed. Ryu grabbed his ear’s and fell to his knees and yelled out in agony.
The dragon finally stopped the hissing sounds, and then reared back as to strike at Ryu, who was still on his knees. The dragon took a deep breath and smoke was coming out of its nostrils. However, Ryu was in a daze, and could not act quick enough to defend against the dragon.
Ryu tried to get is barring to dodge the dragon’s fire breath, but did not know which way to dodge for still being in a daze. At that moment, Ryu quickly acted on instincts and covered his face, though he knew all was lost, as the dragon started to lean his head back farther.
Just then, the figure from behind the boulder leapt out and threw a smoke bomb on the ground in front of the dragon. Though the dragon was in the process of spitting fire out of its mouth, the stranger picked up Ryu with ease and dodged the fire just in time, with astonishing energy.
The stranger tossed Ryu onto his shoulders, and then sprinted to a nearby tree. With the dragon still clouded with smoke, that was making him choke and eyes burn, the stranger stopped at a huge tree and gently put Ryu down on the ground. The stranger looked at Ryu, who was still holding his ears and said,
”Climb there’s no time.”
Wiping the blood from his ear’s, which was still ringing in pain, Ryu looked up at the stranger. The stranger was in his late forties, tall and muscular, and wore red ninja clothes. He was looking down at Ryu with a blank expression, but suddenly reached down to help Ryu up from the ground. When Ryu was finally standing up the stranger said,
“Hurry before the smoke bomb wears off.”
Ryu glanced where the dragon was still covered in smoke, then looked up at the tree, and said with an uncertain expression,
“We are going to hide in a tree?”
“Yes now hurry,” replied the stranger, who was already climbing up the tree.
Thinking how hiding in a tree would help, when the dragon could easily float where they are, Ryu did as was suggested in confusing anyway.
“Shhh, no sound,” said the stranger, when they reached a somewhat desired height. Ryu was three feet under the stranger, clinging to large branch, and the dark made it difficult to see the stranger when he tried to look up at him.
With the smoke finally gone, the dragon blinked his watery eyes, then rose up off the ground, and dashed in their direction. The dragon glided right to the tree where they were hiding at, stopped, and paused for a moment.
The dragon then looked up in the tree, right at the very spot where Ryu and the stranger were crouched. The dragon hissed, and stuck his tongue out, as to taste the air for their scent.
The dragon looked around once more and then decided to float off in the opposite direction of Ryu’s land and the tree, where Ryu and the stranger were hiding in. Silence lasted for only thirty seconds then Ryu whispered to the stranger,
“Why didn’t the dragon see us?”
The stranger never let up his stare in the direction where the dragon had just left, and said nothing. Ryu, taking in the situation, also decided to say no more. After what seemed like twenty minutes, the stranger decided that things were clear, and said to Ryu,
“We are protected by the tree spirits is why the dragon did not see us or taste our scent.”
Ryu looked up in the direction of the stranger, but could not see him, as seeing through the dark made it difficult he thought, like he was completely nuts, and wondered if he would have been safer with the dragon,
“What?”Ryu asked in a sarcastic tone.
Catching this tone the stranger replied,
“Look, tree spirits give protection from dragons, for the element of dragons destroys the life of all plants and tree’s.”
Looking confused, Ryu said sarcastically to the stranger,
“So if I climb a tree I’ll be safe from dragons?”
Thinking fire is the element of dragons and over powers earth, again Ryu said sarcastically again,
“So I suppose I’m safe from the dragon’s fire breath in a tree?”
Angrily the stranger replied,
“No!!” the stranger then cleared his throat as he was calming down,” listen, the dragon’s fire breath is stronger than any tree; you have to invoke the tree spirits before they will offer their protection.” Demanded the stranger.
Tree spirits did not exist thought Ryu; course neither did red dragons for that matter. Trying to come up with a rational explanation to this situation, Ryu asked the stranger,
“But I don’t see how…,”
However, Ryu was cut off, and the stranger interrupted Ryu in an irritated tone, and said.
“Look at your hands, feet, and body.”
Ryu did not see how this would help by looking at his body, but thought it best to humor the stranger as to not anger him any farther. Therefore, he did with no complaints.
Ryu almost fell out of the tree when he looked at his body and could not find his hands, feet, or any part of his body, but only saw the tree. Starting to get alarmed, and trying to figure out how he was invisible, is when the stranger spoke again, as if reading Ryu’s mind.
“Your body is part of the tree, well more camouflaged with the tree.”
Ryu, then moved one of his hands, but only saw part of the tree move. Though when he looked closer, Ryu saw that his hand was merely just camouflaged with the tree, as the stranger said, so that it looked like only part of the tree was moving. Still astonished at how he was one with the tree, Ryu was testing this new ability, and was moving his arms and legs now. Looking at Ryu with annoyance, the stranger said,
“Let’s move out of this tree before that dragon decides to back track, and we get stuck here.”
Coming back to his senses and the reason why he was in the tree in the first place, Ryu acted on instinct and started climbing back down the tree. Jumping out of the tree and getting his regular form back, and now able to see the stranger, Ryu looked at the stranger in an interrogating way, and asked,
“I’m sorry, I thank you for your help, but I haven’t gotten your name yet?”
Turning and walking away from the tree, the stranger motioned at Ryu to follow him and said,
“I'm an acquaintance of your father, and that’s all you need to know for now.”
Thinking this answer was not good enough, Ryu was following the stranger and started to say something, but the stranger took off in a run. Ryu then took off in a run after him, and when he caught up with the stranger, the stranger was standing in the pasture, on Ryu’s land.
Staring at Ryu’s home, the stranger turned and looked at Ryu and said,
“Your house should be safe for tonight, let’s log there till morning.”
Gesturing his approval, Ryu followed the stranger towards his house, only a few paces behind him.
The night seemed darker outside now, and the only light sources were the stars, companied by the moon, and the light coming from Ryu’s home. Finally arriving at Ryu’s house, and standing right outside the doorway, Ryu could not hold back his questions no longer. Therefore, before entering his house, he turned to the stranger and said,
“Why were you here by my house, and why were you running and hiding from the dragon and how come the dragon knew my grandfather and…?”
The stranger interrupted Ryu and said,
“Slow down, there will be plenty of time for each question in turn when we are inside your cozy home,” smiled the stranger.
Ryu did not return the smile, but entered his house instead. Noticing the cup of tea shattered on the floor that he knocked over earlier before these incidents, Ryu was looking rather embarrassed, and mad at himself at the same time, for the cup was sentimental, being a birthday gift from his mother.
Trying not to look embarrassed, or upset, and not saying anything to the stranger, Ryu ran to the kitchen, and opened up a long cupboard where he kept his broom and dustpan. Quickly grabbing the broom
and dustpan, Ryu started cleaning up right away, and forgetting about the stranger.
When Ryu finished sweeping the last particles of the shattered cup, Ryu left the cup remains on the dustpan, and put both broom and dust pan back into the cupboard, hoping to repair the cup later. When completed with the cleaning, Ryu turned towards the front door of his home, and noticed that the stranger was still standing at the open front door.
The stranger was watching Ryu with an uninterested stare, and a notion of complete irritation, with a frustrated look on his face. Ryu was wondering why he was still just standing there, and said,
“You can come in you know.”
Not moving the stranger replied,
“I can’t just barge into any home I please you know.”
Thinking this was all just stupid, Ryu retorted,
“It was your idea to come here in the first place.”
Still not moving the stranger retorted back,
“It is a custom to invite someone in your home if you knew any manners.”
Scolded and insulted Ryu said in a sarcastic tone,
“Would you like to come in?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” smiled the stranger, regarding Ryu’s tone as if it could not have been politer, the stranger then finally stepped inside
the house. Ignoring Ryu, the stranger started walking around the house taking in Ryu’s little home.
Ryu’s home was quit smaller inside compared to looking at it from outside. The front room was small with hard wood floors, and was connected with the dinning room.
The dinning room that was connected to the kitchen, was just a little larger than the kitchen, and had the white table and three chairs, with one small window.
The front room walls on the right were decorated with only a few paintings, which were comprised of wolves hunting deer in the snow, and of regular landscapes of rivers and mountains. The front room also had one couch in the middle of the room, and on the right side, close to the dinning room, was a fireplace in the wall and one chair by the fireplace under the paintings.
The fireplace was across from the hall, which leads to the two bedrooms and bathroom. After Ryu closed the front door and returned to the kitchen, that had black and white diamond shape tiles, a small kitchen sink sticking out of the wall with amateur plumbing, copper pipes from the kitchen sink running down, and through the wall and out into the ground.
On the right side of the kitchen sink was the long cupboard, and between them, a shelf full of different kind of plates and cups. Ryu grabbed two ordinary cups from the shelf and poured tea into them. When finished, Ryu went to the table, in the dinning room, positioned the cups onto the table, and stood watching the stranger in suspicion for a moment. Then Ryu said,
“Would you like to sit down? Also here is some tea if you’re thirsty.”
The stranger looked over at Ryu, smiled and said,
“Yes I would, thank you.”
At this, Ryu swelled out his chest and was looking proud of himself. For this act, Ryu thought, it showed the stranger that he did not need any more reminders of his manners.
The stranger then, walking into the dinning room, walked up to the table, nodded towards Ryu, and they both took their sits. Once they were in their sits the stranger took off his ninja mask, which completed his red ninja outfit, and gave Ryu a good look at his face.
The stranger had coal black hair, with brown eyes, and a piece of his right ear missing. Ryu stared at his ear for a second, then noticed that the stranger saw him staring at it, and quickly looked away. At that time, Ryu, who was trying not to look at the stranger’s ear, decided to take his mask off too, so he took his mask off, and laid it on the table.
Ryu and the stranger kept glancing at each other, sipping their tea, and then quickly looking away, as if they were waiting on the other to speak first. With the awkward silence, Ryu conjured up some courage and decided to jump in with his questions, but before he could say anything, the stranger quickly said,
“Chanzo.”
Startled and confused Ryu said,
“Chanzo?”
“Yes, that’s my name, and you I presume are Ryu Habuku, correct?”
“Correct,” replied Ryu.
“Nice to meet you” said Chanzo.
“Same here.” said Ryu.
Then they shook hands, parted, and continued sitting staring at each other in silence for a few more moments. Then Ryu broke the silence again and asked,
“So Chanzo, why exactly were you running from a dragon on my land?”
“Not running but distracting the dragon from what he is after,” explained Chanzo.
“And what exactly is he after?” asked Ryu.
“I believe the dragon is convinced that your father hid something of value on his property, and is searching for it.”
“What would be of value that my father possessed?”
“That I don't know, but let’s just say your father’s death was no accident.”
At these words, Ryu straighten up a little in his sit.
“My father’s death, what does that have to do with anything?” demanded Ryu.
“Well, I knew your father quit well, and he was too young, and too good in health to have died from a heart failure don’t you agree?” Asked Chanzo.
“Are you saying my father did not have a heart attack, but was murdered by that dragon?” Asking Ryu in disbelieve.
“That's what I believe, for your father told me that a dragon was searching around his property a month before his death.”
At this news, Ryu clinched his fists, and had to bit his lip to calm his anger, then shouted,
“Yea, that’s right you knew my father, and he confided in you, but you decide to show up now, instead of when my father needed you, and why didn’t my father tell me of this, could I have not helped, explain!”
Disregarding Ryu’s anger and looking a bit guilty for what Ryu said, Chanzo continued.” I was away on orders and could not have been there to help your father,” claimed Chanzo.
Still angry and wondering how much this stranger knew, Ryu demanded more answers,
“Orders, who gave you orders, and how exactly did you know my father?”
Looking as if it were going to pain him to speak Chanzo said,
“We were in a secret group together called S.M.A.A.C.”
“Smack?” questioned Ryu.
“No not the word smack, S.M.A.A.C., capital S period, M period, A period, A period, C period, it’s an acronym.”Chanzo said irritably.
“My father told me nothing about this. How come I did not know anything about it?”Ryu said absentmindedly.
Giving Ryu a look of irritation of his lack of commonsense Chanzo sarcastically said,
“If you did know about S.M.A.A.C. then it wouldn’t be a secret now would it? Besides it’s the reason your father never told you anything. There are other organizations on the continent of Lemeyoko. For instance L.A.C.E.. ”
Ignoring this remark Ryu asked Chanzo,
“What does…S.M.A.A.C., stand for anyway?
“It stands for Secure Monzuku At All Cost,” explained Chanzo.” Just like L.A.C.E. stands for, Lemeyoko's Appointed Cutting Elite.
“Secure Monzuku, secure it from what?” Demanded Ryu.
Looking frustrated again, Chanzo mockingly said,
“From what? Were you not outside with me earlier with that dragon or was that someone else?”
Looking scolded again, but brushing this off quickly, Ryu replied,
“So this S.M.A.A.C. protects the people of Monzuku from dragons?”
“That's right,” said Chanzo
Ryu shifted around in his chair, his mind still swimming with questions, he started talking out loud to no one in particular.
“First a mythical creature appears, and now you’re telling me my father’s death was no accident, and that you and my father were in a secret society. I mean this has just happened way to fast and...”
“And you’re just trying to catch up.” interjected Chanzo.
Ryu looked at Chanzo with a look of desperation to find out what is going on and said,
“Yea to put it like that. I mean this is like the scary stories old people tell around the campfire, but in this case it actually comes true.”
Noticing Ryu’s reaction to these revealing news, and looking at the candle clock on the kitchen wall, used as similar to a sun dial, a device not known to outsiders at that time, for the Monzuku people, well as the whole continent of Lemeyoko, where well known for their advanced technology with mysterious devices. Chanzo decided it was getting late and said,
“Listen you seem exhausted and upset, plus we have had quit a night, so why don’t we save these questions till morning, besides its one fifteen in the morning, and I’m tired my self.”
Looking behind him at the clock on the wall in the kitchen, Ryu head gestured to Chanzo in agreement. However, his mind still swam with questions and with confusing, though Ryu knew sleep would be the best at this time. Rising up from the table and walking to the front room, Chanzo said,
“I’ll sleep on your front room floor if that’s ok?”
Sitting at the table with his head down and not looking up, Ryu said,
“Yea that’s fine.”
“Where do you keep your blankets?”
Asked Chanzo, as he was searching the front room, and looking around as if he had missed some space where the blankets might be. Still in deep thought Ryu pointed toward the hall without looking up and said,
“Down the hall first door on your right, by the bathroom.”
Chanzo walked to the hall, and saw Ryu’s family portraits on the wall’s, which he noticed by a signature in a corner of one of the paintings, was drawn by the famous Monzuku painter, Jinn Dunn.
One in particular caught Chanzo’s stare that had the whole family in it including Ryu’s grandfather. Chanzo never seen what Ryu’s grandfather looked like and only heard stories from Ryu’s father. Ryu’s grandfather looked exactly like Ryu, but with an older grey hair face.
Looking away from the portraits, he found the closet door, opened it, and grabbed enough blankets and a pillow.
Walking back to the front room after finding the blankets, Chanzo spread the blankets on the front room floor in a fashion he thought seemed good enough.
Finished spreading out his pallet and laying in it comfortably, Chanzo looked over at Ryu, who was still sitting at the table with his head down,
“Go to sleep, I promise all your questions will be answered tomorrow.”
Acting as if he did not hear Chanzo, Ryu sat at his table for another thirty minutes in complete silence and in deep thought.
All my questions will be answered tomorrow he thought. A red dragon; my grandfather; Chanzo, and my father are all connected some how, he kept thinking to himself.
This was all too much he was saying in his mind. Will the answers he receive tomorrow be what he can handle? Finally rising from his sit, Ryu walked to the wall that connected the hall and kitchen, and flipped a switch on the wall that had a string attached to it.
When he flipped the switch up, the string went lose which dropped a cover over the openings of the chandeliers hanging from the front room and kitchen ceilings. When the covers dropped on the openings of the chandeliers, which had wax candles inside, the lights died out from lack of oxygen. A unique device his grandfather made when he was a kid.
Then Ryu walked toward his bedroom, down the hall to the only door on the left, and called out to Chanzo who seemed to already be asleep, and said,
“Goodnight.”
Walking into his bedroom then turning out his bedroom lights, in the same fashion as he had done with the front room and kitchen, Ryu crawled into his on bed, and fell instantly asleep.
Chapter 2
Mountain gnolls
Morning seemed to come early the next day, and Ryu Habuku woke up to the smell of spring coming in from his bedroom window. Stretching and yawning, Ryu got out of bed, and walked to the window to get a better whiff of the refreshing smell. Ryu opened the window wider and took a deep breath.
He stood there for a moment watching two squirrels running up and down a nearby tree. Watching and admiring how the squirrels were so quick and agile the way they moved around the tree. Ryu could not help to think of the strict training his father used to give him when he was younger.
It was around evening time in early January, and snow covered the grounds. A tall and slim man in his early twenties stood in front of a huge boulder, fencing with a young boy.
The man was wearing blue and white Monzuku traditional robes, which the males wore, and had, long dark brown hair, which he wore in the back, in a ponytail. The man’s face had scars on it, and was rough, which made him look older than his age. In a low and grumpy voice, the man said to his twelve-year old boy.
“You move to slow Ryu, dodging isn’t about how strong or quick your body is, but how focused your mind is.”
“Now you come at me and swing your sword anywhere you like.” Said young Ryu’s father.
The young Ryu was skinny and small for his age. He was also wearing Monzuku robes, but colored green and white for younger males. The young Ryu had the same light brown hair, but it was longer, and shaggier.
Ryu, who raised his sword, stood in a fighting position, and just stared at his father. His father, Kyun, then stood upright with his arms at his sides, and with his sword in his right hand, hanging down touching the ground. Kyun took a deep breath and then closed his eyes. Ryu, who took this opportunity, charged at his father.
His father, who did not move or even budge, just stood there, eyes still closed.
When Ryu got three feet away from his father, he raised his sword even higher, and started to swing at his father’s stomach. Suddenly
opening his eyes, Kyun made one quick movement in the opposite direction of Ryu’s swing.
The next thing Ryu knew was that he was lying on the ground, and looking up at a sword, pointed directly at his face.
Kyun, who was looking disappointed at Ryu said,
“You see, I dodged your blow because I saw where you were going to strike. I kept my mind focused, and your movements revealed themselves.”
Kyun then put his sword back into his sheath, which hung on his left side, and fastened by his belt around his robes, and told Ryu, before heading back into the house,
“We will continue this tomorrow.”
Kyun then pointed to the boulder and said,
“Before you come in for supper, I want you to run twenty minutes around that boulder. After that, sit in silence for another ten, and practice clearing your mind through meditation.”
When Ryu’s flashback stopped, he noticed that the squirrels decided to abandon the tree they were playing around and jump to another tree.
At that time, Ryu heard some noises in the front room, and remembered he had a guest. With last night’s occurrences coming to his attention, Ryu quickly walked to the front room.
Chanzo was in the process of putting up his pallet, when Ryu walked into the front room.
“Good morning” said Chanzo, as he was in the process of folding a blanket.
“Morning” replied Ryu.”You know the coach would have been more comfortable than the floor.”
Smiling Chanzo said,” the floor helps straightening out the back you know.” Still smiling Chanzo stretched and twisted his body left and right, and implied,” bones become old when you yourself become old.”
Ryu watched Chanzo for a second then he walked towards the dinning room. After Chanzo finished stretching, twisting his body, he folded his blankets, and he sat them on the couch with the pillow on top, then walked too the dinning room.
Chanzo then turned toward where Ryu was, who was now sitting at the table and said,
“I made some breakfast while you were sleeping.”
“No thanks, not hungry” replied Ryu, sitting at the table with his head down. Chanzo then pulled out a chair across from Ryu, and sat down.
“You sleep ok last night?”
Ryu with his head still down said, “Yea, just fine.”
Ryu who then looked up at Chanzo with an anxious expression on his face said,
“What about last night, you said my questions would be answered today. There is so much I need to ask you?”
Chanzo then got up out of his chair, walked to the front door and said,
“Well I was going to wait till you ate, but since you’re ready now we better be heading out.”
Ryu rose up out of his chair and gave Chanzo a blank stare.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a three day hike from here so make sure you bring what you need. I’ll be waiting outside when you’re ready.”Chanzo said, rising from his chair, and going to the front room door, then walked out the door.
Ryu wasted no time, and ran to the kitchen sink, reached underneath to a shelf, which was attached to the sink, opened a small door, then grabbed a water canteen from inside.
Filling the canteen with water from the sink, Ryu then reached inside a small bread cupboard on the contour, left of the sink, and pulled out a half loaf of nut bread.
With the nut bread and water filled canteen in hand, Ryu ran to his room, searched his closet and found a large pouch on the floor. Picking up the large pouch, Ryu put the nut bread into the large pouch in haste, trying to hurry as he was grabbing a belt hanging on a wooded beam inside the closet.
After returning from his bedroom with the belt, Ryu attached the canteen and the pouch to it, and secured the belt with the contents hanging on his right side.
He grabbed his sword, which lay by the table where he left it last night, attached it to the belt, with the sword inside its sheath, on his left, fastened the belt around his waist once more for comfort, and then dashed out the door where Chanzo was.
Coming out side and spotting Chanzo, who was sitting on a nearby stump, Ryu walked up to him and said,
“I’m ready when you are.”
Chanzo, did not say a word, he stood up from the stump and started walking in the direction of the white hills, toward the northeast, past the Monzuku village, on a road that ran through Monzuku village. Ryu followed his example, and walked behind Chanzo.
Traveling on the road through the Monzuku village toward the northeast, which lead them straight to some open fields, Ryu and Chanzo walked side by side through the wide-open fields with the sun beaming down merciful on their faces and the atmosphere getting warmer.
As they were walking Ryu, was looking at the white hills on the horizon, when they passed a sign post that pronounced, “No trespassing”.Ryu then had to ask,
“Why are we heading in this direction, hasn’t the hills been off limits for two years now after the Troyak war, for the occasional bandit raids, and the peace treaty that was made between high king of Lemeyoko and the Trayak king?”
“Yes, but that is where we need to go,” replied Chanzo.
Ryu who did not understand why anyone needed to go this way asked,
“What is in the white hills that are so important, that we need to see? I mean it is on the border of Trayakian land.”
Chanzo who seemed calm said,
“That is the direction where S.M.A.A.C. headquarters is located at.”
Ryu was a little uneasy about this news and said to Chanzo,
“S.M.A.A.C. headquarters is located in that bandit infested place?”
Ryu who could not help but think of his mother who died from the hands of those cold-hearted killers two years ago felt squirmish. Chanzo who noticed Ryu’s tension, and knew about his mother, told Ryu reassuringly,
“Ha-Ha, those brutes have been chased off a year ago. We just use that story to keep people away.”
“So where were the bandits chased off to?”Ryu asked, as he was looking around as if one might jump out from one of the nearby bushes.
“On the other side of the hills into the mountains of fog, close to Trayak, and I say let those Troyakian bastards deal with them, for they are just as treacherous.”
After hearing this, Ryu was a little calmer but was still a little uneasy. Ryu was recalling the dragon he saw last night and asked,
“What about dragons? Will we have trouble from them?”
“Dragons? Well dragons could come out during the day if they wanted too, but they prefer at night. I think there are no worries about them till night fall, but even then they stay hidden out of the fear of man.”
Ryu was looking confused and said,
“What about that one last night, it didn’t seem to be afraid.”
“That one was desperate and was on orders to find something, for they fear the great dragon king more than us, and with good reason from what I heard.”
Ryu was then recalling the conversation he had with the dragon last night. He told Chanzo about how the dragon called his grandfather a ‘dragon slayer’, and about his sword, that the dragon called the ‘screaming dragon’.
“Yes your grandfather was the best, and he is the reason S.M.A.A.C got started.”
Ryu looking surprised said,
“My grandfather is the founder of S.M.A.A.C?
“Yes, if it wasn’t for your grandfather, me, your father, or my comrades would have never known about the dragons. For that matter we wouldn’t have known about any of our powers as you saw in the tree.”
“Power, dragons, Too Wong” Ryu repeated to himself distractingly.
Chanzo looked at Ryu for a moment wondering if Ryu was asking him whom Too Wong was and said,
“Too Wong, you asking me what, or who Too Wong is?”
Ryu then stopped and said,
“No, I mean, that dragon last night stopped attacking me for a moment when I called out the name Too Wong.”
Not looking surprised Chanzo said,
“Yea so, like I said before the dragons fear man, and their dragon king, so when you said Too Wong the dragon must have stopped out of fear.”
Laughing Chanzo added,
“He He, he must have thought another person was behind him or something.”
Ryu looking frustrated, said,
“No, I mean- uh well it’s kind of hard to explain.”
Chanzo looking a little frustrated himself said,
“What is it boy, come on spit it out, we have to keep moving.”
“Well me and my grandfather used to play outside his house. My grandfather would be the dragon, and I had to yell out, Too Wong, before he tagged me.,” explained Ryu.
Chanzo who then looked at Ryu in complete sympathy said,
“You know I too used to play with my grandfather, so I don't see how this has got to do with anything.” Then Chanzo started to keep walking, but Ryu grabbed his shoulder and said,
“Listen, the stories my grandfather used to tell me about dragons, and Too Wong. Well I think my grandfather was trying to tell me some kind of code or something.”
Chanzo who disregarded this said,
“Nonsense, I think your grandfather was just old and liked to tell you stories about his glory days.”
Chanzo then pushed Ryu’s hand off his shoulder and started walking again. Ryu didn’t follow he just stood there for a moment looking at the ground, Chanzo yelled back and said,
“Come on! We wasted enough time as it is.”
Therefore, Ryu followed Chanzo in his wake. The remainder of the day, neither of them spoke, for they decided to enjoy the beautiful spring day.
With dust approaching, and the sun going down at their left side. Ryu was getting tired and was going to suggest camp but he noticed some horses and a wagon in the distance. Alarmingly Ryu stopped in his tracks.
“I thought you said that the bandits were chased off to the mountains of fog, by the Trayakians?”
Chanzo kept walking and calmly said,
“That’s not a bandit camp, that’s one of our scouts camp, and where we will be staying for tonight.”
Ryu, whose stomach was growling, did not appose of this decision. When they got five feet away from the camp, Ryu saw two men sitting in wooden chairs by the wagon, drinking out of bottles and caring on loudly.
Another man he saw was brushing one of the horse’s manes. Suddenly one of the people sitting by the wagon rose up out of his
chair, and started walking towards them. The man then pulled a dagger out of small sheath by his side and demanded,
“Who goes there? This camp is off limits to any strays, and we will not hesitant to prove it.”
Just then the man who was brushing one of the horses looked up and said,
“Chanzo, you old dog is that you?”
Chanzo was waving at them.
“Aye, it’s me, and it would take more than you three lazy drunks to dispose of me.”Chanzo then took off his ninja mask so they could get a good look at him.
At that moment the three men came, rushing out to greet Chanzo. The three men looked like they where in their early thirties, and seemed to be in green and red robes that Ryu never seen before.
One of them, that was taller and fatter then the others, with a smooth child like face, which Ryu recognized as the one with the dagger said,
“Chanzo me ole buddy, what are you doing here, last we heard was that you were on a mission on the Habuku land.”
Chanzo who shook their hands in turn excitedly replied,
“Well as of matter of fact Bruma, I’m still on it.”
Chanzo then pulled Ryu to his side and said,
“Let me introduce you to Ryu Habuku.”
Ryu, who looked a little awkward, stood there and gave a quick short nod to his new acquaintances.
“Blimy.”Said the man who was sitting in the chair next to Bruma earlier and looking surprised. The man was stocky, and was four inches shorter than Bruma.
“So this young lad here is the son of Kyun?”
“That is correct Omar.” Replied Chanzo.
“Take off your mask boy so we can get a good look at your face.” said the man who was brushing the horses before. The man was two inches shorter than Bruma and skinnier than Omar, which made him, look, as a twig compared to Bruma. So obligingly Ryu took off his mask. The man then said,
“Your right Chanzo, there is no doubt that he is Kyun’s son.”Chanzo was then shaking his head yes to the man, and patted Ryu on the shoulder, and said
“Splitting image of Kyun when he was younger, don’t you agree Donta.” All three of the men stood there shaking their heads in agreement, staring blankly at Ryu. Chanzo, then put his arms around Bruma and Omar, guiding them back to the wagon, he said,
“Enough of the introductions, what do you guys have to drink around here?”
Bruma whose eyes widened with excitement, ducked out of Chanzo’s arms. He went inside the wagon for a moment, then emerged, holding a whisky bottle and said,
“Fire whisky, been saving it for a special occasion such as this.”
Bruma handed the fire whisky to Omar, who then reached back in the wagon, and pulled out four glasses. He then climbed off the wagon, looked at Ryu with a big smile and said,
“Boy, I hope you can handle your liquor, cause if not, this is going to be a night I promise you will forget.”
The three men, including Chanzo, started bursting out laughing. With the moon and stars trading places with the sun, the three men, Chanzo, and Ryu sat around a campfire drinking merely.
Ryu, whose first time ever drinking, got drunk after only two glasses full. Ryu listened to the others stories, trying to keep his composure with his eyes squinted, and stared at the fire.
Two hours passed, and Ryu passed out after his fourth glass, Donta looked at Ryu, and said,
“He is bit more of a light weight then me.”
Chanzo who then looked at Ryu replied,
“Yes, are little friend isn’t a guzzler like his father. Maybe should have let him eat something, since he didn’t eat this morning.”Bruma, Donta, and Omar looked at each other and seemed to think this was funny for them, then they busted out with laughter. Chanzo then joined in the laughter, and after downing his glass said,
“Well, I think I should turn in myself. I think the lad will be alright where he is.”
Chanzo then went into the wagon, and grabbed a blanket and sleeping bag. Chanzo put a blanket over Ryu, then walked around by the wagon, got in his sleeping bag, and went to sleep.
That night, seemed to not last long for the camp inhabitants was visited early by some outsiders. Ryu woke up five hours later after he went to sleep, with the sounds of yelling and swords tinkling. It was still dark out, and his eyes were blurry and he was trying to adjust, plus the swords tinkling sounds was making his head hurt.
At that time, an unknown figure hosted up Ryu by his collar dramatically. Ryu was trying to focus his eyes on it. Then with out warning the figure let go of his grip on Ryu’s collar, stumbled backwards, and fell over.
When Ryu’s eyes finally came into focus, he saw a creature lying on the ground screaming in agony. Ryu never seen a creature like this before, it was the color brown with fur all over its body and it looked like a overgrown dog that walked.
The eyes, which were red, were the only visible feature on its face. The creature was holding a flail in his right hand and a shield on his left hand.
Chanzo, that was pulling his sword out of the creatures back said,
“ Quickly Ryu, grab your sword and go help Donta, who is by the wagon.”
Ryu swiftly pulled out his sword, that was still sheathed, and attached to his belt around his waste, and ran to where Donta was.
Donta, who was trying to defend against four creatures, got knocked down by one of them. Ryu, then plunged at the creature that knocked Donta down, and stabbed it in the back of his neck.
The other creatures turned towards Ryu in surprise, and gave a loud growl then started charging at him. Ryu then dung his feet into the ground, and kicked at the closes one, which had dust fly into his eyes.
The other two creatures both swung at Ryu, and Ryu ran forward and front flipped over the top of them. When he landed, he swung his sword around, cut one of its head off, and lunged his sword in the gut of the other.
Donta at that time, rose off the ground, came running over, and swung his sword at the creature that had dust in his eyes, still trying to rub it out.
The creature rubbed the dust from his eyes, saw Donta swinging his sword, blocked his blow with his shield, and slashed at Donta’s leg. When Donta fell to his knees and screamed in pain, the creature raised his flail with an ugly expression.
Ryu who was pulling his sword out of the second creatures stomach, saw this, and quickly reached inside his ninja outfit .Reaching into his ninja outfit, Ryu pulled out a small dagger.
With dagger in hand, Ryu then threw the dagger at the creature’s head that was about to s***h at Donta. The dagger landed right above its right eye, which made it drop his flail. Then Ryu ran over, grabbed the dagger still stuck in the creatures head and plunged it into his head deeper.
Ryu then looked at Donta, who was holding his leg where the creature had slashed, and held out his hand and said,
“You alright?”
Donta took Ryu’s hand, got up and said,
“Yea, thanks mate thought I was finished there for a minute.”
Ryu then looked over where Chanzo, Bruma, and Omar was and said,
“Come on lets go see if the others need help.”
When Ryu and Donta reached the others, Omar had just crushed one of the creature’s foreheads, with his giant mallet, and Bruma was chasing one off. Chanzo was hovered over one of the dead creatures, and seemed to be examining it. Ryu came over to where Chanzo was ,and said,
“What were those things?”
Omar then walked over with his mallet on his shoulders and said,
“Mountain gnolls and nasty little creatures they are.”
Ryu then gave Omar a dumbfounded look and said,
“Mountain gnolls?”
“Aye, and they must have been disturbed by something, for they hardly ever leave their dwellings, unless they ran out of food and are hunting. Even then, they rarely attack, least some fool happened to wonder upon their cave.”
Astonished at how much he did not know about all that was happening Ryu asked Omar.
“You know, how come I have never heard about gnolls or knew that dragons existed? Am I the only one in the dark here?”
Omar looked at Chanzo, whom was still examining a dead gnoll, then looked back towards Ryu with a blank stare.
“Look boy, there are many things in this world that S.M.A.A.C. keeps hidden from the public eye. So no, you are not the only one boy.”
Chanzo who stopped examining the gnoll rose up, stuck something inside his ninja clothes, and turned around towards Ryu,
“Like I said before Ryu, S.M.A.A.C protects the people of Monzuku.
Ryu gave Chanzo a confused look and said,
“Yea, but you said from dragons, you said nothing about hiding the truth that dragons existed, or anything else from them. How is keeping them in the dark suppose to help them?”
Bruma, who was back from chasing the last gnoll off, joined in the conversation.
“Which would be better, a life of peace, or spending a life in your home out fear?” He then pointed around at the dead gnolls and added,” Protection, that boy is what S.M.A.A.C provides the people of Monzuku. We fight against the unseen forces so they won’t have to.”
Then Ryu walked right up to Bruma, looked him straight in the face and said,
“Yea, that’s all good and all, but your not the only one that is willing to protect his home.”
Chanzo then got between them and said to Ryu,
“Listen Ryu, people like security and going around telling them they need to be on there guard 24-7 doesn’t give them that.”
Ryu who then turned his stare to Chanzo replied harshly.
“So I suppose S.M.A.A.C gives them this security by not telling them everything and its all ok. I mean how do you keep the public from knowing anyway?”
Chanzo then put his hands on Ryu’s shoulders as to calm him down and said,
“That is S.M.A.A.C’s business and you have to be a member before we can tell you. Besides your father and grandfather acknowledged how important this secrecy was. That is one of the reasons why your grandfather started this organization.”
Ryu pushed Chanzo’s hands of his shoulders, then walked to the wagon, and leaned on it,
“Yea well, I’m not my father or my grandfather, so I don't have to agree.”
Chanzo, and the others watched Ryu for a minute with no expression on there faces as he was leaning on the wagon, then Chanzo turned to Bruma and pulled something from the inside of his ninja clothes.
“Listen Bruma, I found this on one of the gnolls, and I think I know why they were disturbed. Can I burrow two horses from you guys; need to get to the headquarters sooner than I thought?”
Bruma who was looking bewildered at Chanzo said,
“Yea, no problem, just makes sure you tell them to bring them horse’s right back. Can’t wait around for ever without transportation you know, with those gnolls deciding to attack.”
Chanzo then hopped on one of the horses then motioned towards another horse to Ryu and said,
“Ryu get on that horse.”Chanzo looked over at Bruma and the others, and said,” you guys be careful, don’t want to come to your graves next time I decide to visit you.”
With Ryu finally on his horse, reluctant as he did, him, and Chanzo waved farewell to the three men who waved back. They kicked their horses on their sides and took off towards the white hills.
Meanwhile deep in a cave inside the mountains of fog to the north, and the reason why it is called “mountain of fog”, for fog stayed around the mountains all year long, two dragons were arguing. The bigger dragon was in front of a passes way, which led to two huge doors, blocking the smaller ones path.
“I told you Krackle, without it you can not ssee him, hss.”Said the larger one.
The smaller one gliding left and right, was trying to squeeze pass the bigger one and replied.
“Yess, I know that SSerian, hss, I give you part of my goat and you will still not let me through, but I musst give him my reportss about what happened lasst night.”
Serian who did not move just said,
“Hss, the majessty is bussy at the moment, and what ever it iss you need to report can wait.”
Krackle blew smoke out of his nostrils, and looked as if he was going to attack Serian, but decided not to out of fear, and glided off down the opposite corridor. Krackle was blowing smoke in a rage and was mumbling to himself.
“Sstupid SSerian, what doess he know what can wait. Hss, hehe, when the great dragon king hearss what I got to say, SSerian will be ssory. Yess, hss, hehe he’ll be ssory indeed.”
Riding as fast as their horses would allow, and the sun-beaming strait down on them, Ryu and Chanzo was making good time. They just passed the second scout camp, but did not stop, and were coming up on the third.
When they got parallel with the camp, Ryu noticed that the camp was under attack, by three huge gnolls. He saw a man lying on the ground with his arm stretched out towards them. Ryu suddenly pulled the reigns wrapped around his horse.
He jerked the reigns in the direction of the man, and started running his horse towards the camp. Chanzo stopped his horse, and yelled at Ryu.
“There is no time to help them out, we have got to hurry and get to the headquarters as fast as possible.”
Suddenly, Ryu stopped his horse and yelled back at Chanzo.
“What are we just going to let them die?”
Chanzo looked at Ryu blankly, he looked over at the camp, gave a sigh, then started towards the camp.
“Come on then let’s make it quick.”
They rode as fast as they could, but when they got there, it was too late. A gnoll just got through thrusting his flail into the man’s back lying on the ground. Ryu, Chanzo, both jumped off their horses, and both charged at the gnoll.
The gnoll did not even have time to pull his flail out of the man’s back, when Ryu sliced one of its arms off and Chanzo stabbed him in his throat.
When the other two gnoll’s seen this, they ran away out of fear. Ryu bent down where the man was laying on the ground and who was now coughing up blood, from where the gnoll stabbed him in the back, and calmly said,
“I’m sorry friend, your wound looks pretty deep,”Ryu put his hand on the man’s shoulder, which was now shivering,” I don't think there is anything we can do.”
The man laid there staring at Ryu; as if he was not even aware of Ryu, then the man’s body went limp, and stopped shivering. Therefore, Ryu slowly closed his eyes mournfully. Chanzo was standing
behind Ryu, observing in silence, then looked around the camp and said,
“The others didn’t make it either.”Chanzo then got back on his horse,” Come on, there is nothing we can do here, they died in honor, and are now in a better place.”
Ryu still with his hand on the man’s shoulder, looked around the camp, which was ram sacked, he let go of the man’s shoulder, and stood up slowly.
Ryu walked to his horse, got on, gave another glance back to the camp. In addition, with out saying a word he kicked his horse on the sides with extra force, which made the horse take off alarmingly. Chanzo then followed.
Chanzo and Ryu rode for another two hours through the open fields. They could now see the small outlook of the white hills only five miles away in the distance. At the base of the hills, a small forest surrounded the hills.
Coming up to the edge of the small forest, after riding for another hour, Ryu stopped, and waited on Chanzo. When Chanzo finally caught up to Ryu, he stopped his horse right be side Ryu’s, and leaned over to pat the horse on its neck.
After patting the horse, Chanzo got off his horse, grabbed the reigns, and started walking the horse inside the forest. Ryu jumped off his horse, grabbed his horse’s reigns, and followed Chanzo.
The small forest that surrounded the hills was thick of trees. The forest also had thorny vines, and bushes that covered the ground, and most of the trees were so close together, which made it seem darker.
Ryu was having a hard time maneuvering through the small forest without getting thorns stuck to his clothes and body.
About ten paces inside the forest Ryu’s horse stopped and started to rare back, and was neighing loudly as if in pain, which made it difficult for Ryu to hold on to the reigns. Ryu trying with his might to hold on to the reigns shouted at Chanzo, who was not far up ahead, and said in a frustrated tone,
“How are we supposed to get these horses through this thick briary forest without scratching them up like this?”
Chanzo then stopped, turned around to look at Ryu, sighed and without saying a word he walked up to the tree, gently put his hand on it, closed his eyes, and started mumbling something.
Just then, the forest seemed to act in response to Chanzo, and was opening up a path. The thorny vines started detangling themselves from the bushes and trees, and were moving out of the way to make a clear trail on the ground.
The horse Ryu was holding on to, got back on all four legs, and stopped neighing. Ryu gave his horse a stroke on its jaw, looked back at Chanzo, who now was following the trail the forest just made, gave a little sigh of relief, but still had a look of astonishment of Chanzo’s magic ability, and continued behind Chanzo.
Back at the mountain of fog, Krackle was chewing on a b****y goat head, and pretending that it was Serian’s head instead, in one of the caves of the mountain.
Just then, Krackle heard some whining noises coming from the mountain cave entrance, down the corridors. Ignoring his goat head and dropping it on the ground, Krackle decided to go and investigate what these whining noises where about.
Gliding up the corridors towards the entrance, Krackle noticed that the whining stopped, but now there were barking sounds instead. Instantly Krackle recognized these barking sounds of the mountain gnolls, that lived and shared the same mountain as they did, but had their own cave further east.
The barks where now getting louder and intense, and Krackle also heard the dragon guardsman’s at the entrance of the cave, shouting as well.
As he was gliding up to the caves entrance, but keeping out of sight, Krackle saw two dragons arguing with a mountain gnoll. Not being able to understand gnoll language, Krackle was trying to gather what was going on by what the two dragons, that guarded the cave entrance, where saying.
“Hss, calm down gnoll and tell uss who killed your comradess.,” said the dragon guard on the right.
“Yess, give uss the desscription of the culprit, sso we can relay your message to the great dragon king.” said the dragon guard on the left.
“Grrr, grrrowl rarf grrr.”Barked and growled the gnoll.
“Sso your attempt of an ambussh on the firsst camp wass a failure, and you where the only one that ssurvived, but wass chassed off.” Replied the dragon guard on the left.
“Baark, grrrrr grrrowl, growl grrrr.”Barked and growled the gnoll once more.
“Hss, sso there were two otherss there, that we did not know about.” said the dragon guard on the right.
“Grroowl grrr growl grrr.”
“I ssee, a man in red ninja clothess, which can only mean Chanzzo, and a man in black ninja clothes. Umm, interesting, your information will definitely be revealed to hiss majessty.”Said the dragon guard on the right, then he opened up his mouth toward the gnoll, that showed his fangs, and hissed.
“Hss, now be gone before I decide to make you one of my midnight ssnackss.”
The mountain gnoll got on all four paws, lowered his head and whined, then dashed out through the entranceway, and ran off towards his own caves further east.
The dragon guard on the right told the other dragon guard to stand post, has he brought these news to the great dragon king. At that time, Krackle abounded his hiding spot, and was now gliding down the corridors, looking exceptionally pleased with himself and quoting Serian in a mocking voice.
“Hss, the majessty iss bussy at the moment, and whatever it iss you need to report can wait. Well thiss can’t wait now can it Sserian. No thiss can’t wait, and neither can it wait for me to watch you ssquirm in front of the dragon king.”
Krackle then continued towards the room of the dragon king, where serian guarded the doors to the great dragon kings chamber. Krackle followed the dragon cave guardsman up through the corridors and hissing in what seemed like a happily whistling tune.
Chapter 3
S.M.A.A.C. HeHeadquarter
Walking down the forest path with their horses behind them, Ryu and Chanzo finally came out of the dark forest and found themselves at the edge of a clear stream.
With the humidity and the long ride on the fields, and the walk through the forest, the horses did not hesitate to take this opportunity to drink some water from the stream.
The stream was bordering some massive rocky hills, almost mountains, which were covered with snow on the tops. The bottom of the hills were rocky and had just a few trees here and there.
Ryu also decided to take this opportunity and started to fill his water canteen in the stream. At that time, Chanzo was walking up the stream a little ways and holding something in his hand.
He kept looking up at the sun and then at the hills, then finally at the thing he was holding. Suddenly he stopped walking, looked over at Ryu and said,
“Ryu, quick come here for a sec.”
Ryu just finished filling up his water canteen, and put the lid back on and hurried over where Chanzo was standing. When he reached where Chanzo was, he looked at the thing he was holding.
The object was round with four holes in the middle, with the same Monzuku symbols his mothers key has. Chanzo then held up the object toward the hills where the sun shined through the four holes and made four tiny bright dots on the hill.
Ryu stared at the four bright dots and wondered why, when the dots started to get brighter, so bright, it almost blinded Ryu. Ryu held up his hands to block the brightness, and suddenly he heard a loud cracking sound. Ryu put his hands down slowly, and the brightness was gone, but there were four Monzuku symbols in their place.
The symbols then started to separate into four directions and made a shape of a door. Just when the symbols stopped into a door shape, it started to open, and something was coming up out of the water of the stream that looked like a bridge. Chanzo then put the object back into one of his pouches and said,
“Grab your horse, we are here.”
Ryu went and grabbed his horse’s reigns, and followed Chanzo into the opening, that was just made into the hills. When they were inside the hill, which was a cave inside the hills, the opening suddenly closed back on them, which made everything dark.
Then as if someone had cast a spell for the sun to shine inside the cave, everything became bright. With light back to aid his eyes, Ryu could now see inside the cave.
However, looking all around Ryu was in disbelief, the inside of the cave looked like a small little island was placed inside it. Fresh grass and wild flowers covered the floors of the cave. Healthy trees of pine and oak, and even some fruit trees of apples and peaches where growing inside the cave. Looking up he could see a bunch of holes from atop the cave ceiling, letting light shine through them onto the caves ground. Still an amazing wonder with just limited light source for all the greenery in the cave, Ryu thought to him himself.
Looking further up ahead he noticed a stable for horses on the left side of the courtyard inside the cave. On the right, there seemed to be some green houses set up in rows.
Suddenly stopping and glancing forward, Ryu noticed a huge building, and looking more like a castle, it seemed to be connected to the cave walls. This sight was one of the most amazing things he had ever seen he thought to himself. The building looked as if it was carved right into the cave itself.
Still observing these wonders in awe, Chanzo snapped Ryu back to his senses when he said,
“Ryu, come on, will take the horses to the stables, and then I want you stay there and wait for me.”
“But I want to see inside the building.”
“I SAID!...I said… wait for me by the stables. Besides, you cannot come inside unless you are a member. I will not be long ok.”
Ryu who was taken aback by this outburst, and did not say a word; instead, he shook his head in agreement, and started toward the stables with his horse.
At the stables, Ryu and Chanzo found two empty stalls to home their horses. With the horses finally secure inside their stalls, Chanzo started walking back out to the courtyard out of the stable entrance, but turned suddenly around and looked at Ryu, raised his right hand, and waved it at him unenthusiastically , at the same time shaking his head.
“Stay here,” turned once more to the stables entrance, but stopped suddenly again, turned back around towards Ryu again and added,
” And don’t wonder off.”
Giving Ryu a stern look, Chanzo finally walked through the stable entrance and continued toward the big building.
Ryu stood there and watched Chanzo the whole way, up until he vanished inside the building. Once Chanzo was inside the building Ryu sat down and leaned against the stall he put his horse in, and picked up a twig lying on the ground and started fiddling with it.
Inside the big building Chanzo was greeted rather quickly, by an unexpected very old and wise looking man with white hair and a long white beard.
The old man was short, and had a characteristic quality that could be mistaken as comical, and his eyes is what gave away his experience of an old powerfu,l knowing veteran of S.M.A.A.C, but the years had finally caught up to him.
He was having trouble walking down the stairs with a cane in his right hand, and his left holding on to the rails of the stairs. He was wearing the old blue and white Monzuku traditional robes and what looked like a blue kippa hat on top of his head.
Chanzo did not wait till the old man came down the stairs, but instead went up to help him. Chanzo put his right arm around the old mans left and helped him the rest of the way down.
The old man seemed to be surprised of Chanzo at first, but then realized that was why he was coming down the stairs in the first place.
When the old man came to his awareness of the situation, he finally spoke to Chanzo in a slow soft voice, as if he was talking to his grandson.
“Ahh, Chanzo my boy, how nice of you to help a poor old man. What brings you back to the headquarters so early?”
“I have some interesting news to bring to the council of S.M.A.A.C.”
The old man whom seemed to be enjoying his help from Chanzo, replied in a softer voice,
“News you say, umm what kind of news?”
“Well sir, first of all our camps has been attacked by the mountain gnolls to the north, this morning.”Chanzo then looked at the old man for a reaction or reply, but the old man just stared blankly down at the stairs, still in effort to get down the stairs, so Chanzo continued. ”Second is, I think I know why the camps were attacked.”
Coming down off the stairs finally, Chanzo released his arm from the old man’s arm then pulled out a piece of paper, out from one of his pouches inside his ninja clothes, and showed it to him. The paper was
a letter that was addressed to the mountain gnolls to the north, from the Trayakians, reading,
Great leader of the gnolls, Snarl,
We are most grateful that you have decided to join are cause. We could not have been able to pull this off without your help. The great dragon king is very pleased as well. These raids on the camps will proof most effectiveness in our favor. Our next meeting will be held one week from this time that you receive this letter.
Humbly Grateful
King Trayak IV
The old man was eyeing over the letter in great concentration, and then he folded it back up, handed it to Chanzo, and said,
“I see so the Trayakians are planning to start another war I see, and this time they are getting extra aid. How did you come to acquire this letter, if you don't mind me asking?”
Chanzo put the letter back into his pouch and said,
“I found it on one of the gnolls that attacked the first camp earlier today.”
The old man was looking at Chanzo in suspicion and said,
“So you happened to be at one of the camps today when it was attacked. Why were you not at your post stationed at the Habuku place? I sense there is more for you to tell me am I correct.”
“Yes Master Lakus, there was an unexpected change of occurrences that happened at the Habuku lands.”
Master Lakus looked at the entrance of the building that lead outside and said,
“Change will happen unexpectedly. So Chanzo, the boy at the stables is then a Habuku, Ryu Habuku correct?”
Chanzo looked surprise for a moment at how he knew about Ryu and he replied in astonishment,
“Yes, I was making my rounds around the Habuku lands and…”
“No need for details Chanzo, I knew that this day would come when we would have the pleasure of our founder’s grandchild to bless us with his appearance.”
“But how did you know he was out there?” asked Chanzo.
“An old mans wise deductions. If he was not here, neither would you, would you not still be at your post?”
Chanzo was taken aback, and went to continue with the conversation, but was cut short by a small crowd of S.M.A.A.C members coming out from one of the rooms down the hall, from the left of the stairs. One of the members, a tall very wrinkle looking old man with white hair and beard, that was just as long as he was, caught notice of Master Lakus and Chanzo.
The man was wearing golden robes that had ancient Monzuku symbols all over it, which most of the S.M.A.A.C elders wore, came walking up to Chanzo with a stern look on his face.
“Chanzo! What are you doing here you are suppose to be positioned at the Habuku place.” Then he turned toward Master Lakus and grabbed his arm and bent down to reach his height and added,” Master Lakus,I am so sorry if you were disturbed by Chanzo, it will not happen again.”
He then looked back at Chanzo and said,
“Go, wait in my quarters; I will discuss whatever it is you’re here for in private.”
Master Lakus then grabbed the old mans hand, and started patting it patronizingly,
“Come now Jaraal, Chanzo was not bothering anyone; in fact Chanzo was just telling me some interesting news so I’m calling a meeting for tonight as of right now. So if you want to know why the reason Chanzo is here I suggest you come to the meeting.”
Master Lakus looked at Chanzo and winked at him, then turned back to Jaraal and added,” Also prepare the ceremony that we have for new members, I have a hunch that we will have one more added to our ranks tonight as well.”
Jaraal was in total shock, but bowed never the less to Master Lakus, turned toward the hall on the right side of the stairs, never looking at Chanzo or Master Lakus, and said,
“I’ll be in the ceremony room if anyone needs me,” then he walked off.
After Jareal departed to the ceremony room Master Lakus gave Chanzo a big smile and said,
“Let’s go out to the stables so you can introduce me to Ryozomo’s grandson.”
Outside in the stables Ryu was still sitting against the stall that had his horse in, but was asleep. Being woke up early by attacking gnolls after a night full of drinking, and soon after, taking a horse ride to the white hills, was exhausting. So catching a quick nap despite his uncomfortable position by the stalls was just to easy.
A brown and white mutt was l*****g his left hand but it did not seem to phase Ryu. There were some talking in the cave grounds coming towards the stables and the mutt abandoned l*****g Ryu’s hand and took off in the opposite direction of the voices.
When Master Lakus and Chanzo came inside the stables, they saw the display of Ryu sleeping against the stalls. Master Lakus leaned against his cane and simply said,
“Yes I recognize that deep sleep anywhere. Spliting image of his father sleeping like that.”
Chanzo could not help but chuckle a little. Master Lakus walked slowly over to where Ryu was sleeping and nudge him with his cane. Ryu only shifted his position a little and gave a little snort. Master Lakus did not seem amused and nudged him harder with his cane that made Ryu tip over onto the ground. Ryu then jumped up in shock,
“WH…what…who is it.”
“Ahh, finally awake.”
Ryu looked at Master Lakus than at Chanzo with a dumbfounded expression.
“Ryu, this is Lakus Chinn, the leader of S.M.A.A.C, and one of the original members when your grandfather first founded the organization. We call him Master Lakus around here.”
Master Lakus extended out his small right hand toward Ryu, Ryu accepted it with his own right hand, that swallowed Master Lakus’s, and they both shook hands.
“Nice to meet you Lakus, I mean Master Lakus, I am Ryu Habuku.” Then they both departed their hands.
“Nice to meet you as well Ryu Habuku, it’s been awhile since one of Ryozomo’s kin has stepped on these grounds.”
” Did you know my grandfather quite well?” Asked Ryu.
Master Lakus eyes lightened up at this question and he replied in an exited voice,
“Yes, I knew your grandfather Ryozomo, really well, and” Master Lakus’s exited face turned sad and he lowered his head a little and added,” as I’ am regretful to bring up and which I’m sorry for your lost, knew your parents as well.”
Ryu then put his right hand on Master Lakus’s shoulder.
“I thank you for your condolences.”
Ryu, Master Lakus, and Chanzo stood there in silence for a moment. Then Chanzo broke the silence and said,
“Ryu, Master Lakus and I our attending a meeting tonight and would...”
“Would be honored if you joined us.” Interjected Master Lakus.
Ryu retrieved his right hand from Master Lakus’s shoulder.
“A meeting? Don’t I have to be a member to join these meetings, or even enter the building?”
Master Lakus smiled.
“Not honored quests. And I do not think anyone will go against my decision of having you as an honored quest.”
“Yes and you have been with me when all these occurrences was going on.” Added Chanzo.
“Ok, I’ll come.”
Master Lakus’s face brightened up, ”wonder full, then its settled. Ryu will join us in the meeting tonight.” He said gleefully.
With that decided all three of them walked out of the stables and back to the building. Coming a few yards to the building, Ryu was asking Master Lakus about the cave and the huge building.
“Sir, Master Lakus, how was all this possible, the inside of this cave and that huge building?”Ryu was gazing up at the building.” Must have taken centuries to complete it.”
“Ha-Ha, yes, well that is a long and historical story. You see Monzuku’s history goes further back than our archives in the library. And that building you see there and the cave itself was founded by some miners, and then excavated around me and your grandfather’s time.”
Master Lakus then stopped to gaze also up at the building.” So, we really do not know exactly when it was constructed, or who for that matter.”
Ryu and Chanzo both stopped beside Master Lakus.
“But if S.M.A.A.C. did not create all this then why is it being used as your headquarters? Would not the high king of Lemeyoko, or king of Monzuku, have kept this place for himself for some kind of secret defenses?” Asked Ryu.
“It is used by the high king for secret defense, and S.M.A.A.C is its secret defense.” Explained Chanzo.
Ryu was looking at Chanzo bewildered.
“Your grandfather and I used to be in the high kings royal army before.” Master Lakus said as he was looking at Ryu’s expression.” And your grandfather was a captain, and before we both retired, the high king asked him to do one last favor.”
“Start a secret organization. ”Interrupted Ryu.
“Precisely. And that's how your grandfather is known to be the founder of S.M.A.A.C. ”Continued Master Lakus.
”You see back then the high king was having trouble with the public getting out of control. The fear of the Trayakian bandits appearing and starting wars, and the rumors of mythical dragons and other creatures on their side, put them in a rebellious panic.”
“But that wasn’t a rumor.” Claimed Ryu.
Master Lakus, who did not mind being interrupted, was getting a little impatient towards Ryu, but calmly continued.
“No it wasn’t a rumor, but the high king had his hands full with the Trayakian bandits on the verge of starting a war, and dealing with the uprising public was getting to much to handle.”
Master Lakus paused for a moment, as to give Ryu an opportunity to say something. When Ryu did not say anything, he decided to continue.
“So by starting S.M.A.A.C., as well the other secret organizations from each province, the king was then able to concentrate more on the Trayakians, while S.M.A.A.C dealt with keeping the information controlled to the public and keeping peace.”
Chanzo, who was idly standing beside Master Lakus’s right side, joined the conversation and said,
“We have been fighting against the dragons and other unknown forces for the king in secret, and when the people of Monzuku saw something out of the ordinary, we claimed—,”Chanzo cleared his throat nervously,” we claimed it was the trickery of bandits.”
Ryu stepped a few paces back at these words, and was shaking his head in disbelieve. Master Lakus was looking at Ryu sympathetically then pointed at Chanzo’s right ear that was now only half of an ear and added.
“Listen Ryu, see how much we had to endure, and sacrifice to keep this peace. You see Ryu, we are always at war. We have had many losses, but far less than the ones we saved.”
Ryu was looking where Chanzo’s right ear was sliced off at the top and at the same time thinking metaphorically, about how his mother, who was supposedly killed by bandits two years ago, was also sliced off from her life. He turned toward Master Lakus and said,
“I understand about losses and also about sacrifices, what I don’t understand is the significance of an organization, who’s sole purpose is to hide the truth, just to relieve a kings burden.”
Ryu’s face was turning blood red and he was shouting now and he looked over at Chanzo.
” The people of Monzuku are being underestimated, to think that the truth would make them angry or even run out of fear. I believe the rebellion was more on if they had a good king they could trust and to rely on! My mother—I mean the people of Monzuku might have had a better chance, if they knew that more caution needed to be practiced if she—they knew the truth.”
Ryu then reached around inside his collar and pulled out a small key, that was attached to a chain that hung around his neck. He held it up so Chanzo and Master Lakus could get a good look at it.
“Did you know this used to belong to my mother? I keep it as a reminder of how some people can not be trusted,” then he stepped closer to Chanzo,”and how some can be cowards.”
Master Lakus and Chanzo, both looked at the small key that had ancient Monzuku writings and symbols, that when Master Lakus saw it, his eyes widened.
He put the key necklace back inside his collar not noticing Master Lakus’s reaction when he saw it, and said.
“I suppose my father knew about the cover up too?”
Chanzo also did not pay attention to Master Lakus’s reaction and said,
“Listen Ryu I’m sorry that you feel betrayed by us and your father, but these things had to be done. Like I said before your father and grandfather knew the importance of this secrecy, it is and was a sacrifice that they chose to make.”
Ryu’s fists clinched so tight his fingers where in danger of being cut off from circulation.
“Tell me Chanzo, can you sacrifice from being a coward and tell me the truth? What really happened to my mother, and why is it so important to hide the truth, when you know damn well it’s hurting people than helping, do you have no shame?”
Chanzo looked at Master Lakus, who nodded his head, replied with a nod back,
“The truth you deserve, and the answer,” he head gestured towards the building,” is behind those doors.” Are you ready to know why these things were done? We members of S.M.A.A.C can only reveal these answers to other members. Are you, Ryu Habuku, ready to make some sacrifices of your own?”
Evening was coming to a close for the day, and Omar, Bruma, and Donta were sitting around a camp fire, at the first scout camp, thirty miles west of the white hills, eating super and unaware that they were being watched by something, in one of the nearby bushes.
After a tedious morning of brawls with gnolls, and burning the corpses, the day seem to pass by rather quickly for the three scouts.
“I hope they made it without any trouble,” said Omar to a stuffed face Bruma.
“Aorf kourse daye, gulp, did.” Replied Bruma.
Donta handed Bruma a handkerchief, who had some rice stuck to his face,
“No worries mate those horses are the fastest in these parts.” he looked over where the horses once stood tied up,” which they have forgotten to bring us back.”
“Leave it to Chanzo to neglect our needs. Probably didn’t even bother to tell the stable master that the horses needed to come back here. Guess he figures we would have no trouble if we were surrounded and out numbered.” Said Omar sarcastically.
Bruma was in the process of handing Donta back his handkerchief, when a loud crunch sound came to the left of them.
“What was that? Said Donta jumping to his feet alarmingly.
Omar was helping himself to some more rice and said reassuringly,
“Calm down, you scare to easy. It was probably rabbit.”
Nevertheless, paranoia had already taken over Donta’s reason and he said nervously,
“That did not sound like a rabbit.”
Ironically, at that same moment, an owl swooped down onto a tree by the wagon, and hooted, and a loud howl could be heard in the distance.
Omar then jumped up in the same way Donta had done and repeated Donta’s previous actions,
“Did you hear that?” He then winked at Bruma,”That sounded like coyotes. What are we going to do now?”
Bruma almost choked on his food. He managed to swallow just in time and bursted out laughing, with tears watering up his eyes.
“Har, Har you’re a riot Omar, a down right dirty riot.” claimed Donta.
“Come on Donta, we have been on these plains for awhile now and I have never seen you this spooked before.”
Donta sat back down, but still looking around and over his shoulders nervously.
“It’s just the gnolls earlier this morning really got me thinking. If Chanzo happened to not be here, and woke us up in time to see them coming, we would have been murdered in our sleep. I just think we need to be more cautious.”
Omar was shaking his head at Donta and said,
“We were just caught off guard that’s all. We were celebrating and had too much to drink.”
“Yea, but you said it yourself that gnolls don't normally come out of their caves, so what the hell provoked them to act strangely like that?”
“I don't know but whatever it is I’m sure Chanzo has told the S.M.A.A.C counsel by now and is getting some members to check into it.”
Donta was watching Bruma, who was holding his stomach from eating to much, crawl into his sleeping bag.
“Yea I suppose your right.” He said.
Then he crawled into his own sleeping bag, while Omar, put out the campfire for the night. Omar then walked to the wagon, climbed inside, where he had his sleeping bag, and fell asleep.
Once they were asleep, the noise they had heard earlier was revealed, when a creature that was hiding in the nearby bushes emerged from behind it, and was now sneaking around the camp.
The creature, which was well blended with the night, and only had two brightly yellow eyes visible, seemed uninterested in Donta, or Bruma, who were fast asleep around the burnt out campfire.
Instead, the creature paused and was staring intensely on the ground where the horses once stood. It bent down and started sniffing as dog would on the ground, where horse tracks lead to the east, and where the white hills are located, then instantly took off in that direction.
Fists still clinched, Ryu turned around to the caves exit, where he was in the process of debating on if he could trust S.M.A.A.C any longer; walk out on his own to find answers, or find out what they were going to tell him behind the building doors.
Just then, a young servant boy came barging through the doors and running down the steps out onto the courtyard, of the cave, almost bumping into Chanzo, but twisted his body, with his right leg extending out in front of him, slid, and came to a stop right in front of Chanzo.
The young servant boy looked well groomed and healthy, and wore grey robes that Ryu noticed the high kings servants also wore. When the servant boy came to a stop, he was looking up at Chanzo with
frightened eyes as if waiting to be scorned by him. Chanzo on the other hand did not say anything but just starred blankly at him.
“Is there something that you need Saul?” Said Master Lakus.
“Yes sir, sorry sir, Jaraal sent me to tell you that the ceremony room is ready.”
“Thank you Saul for relaying the message. Now go tell Jaraal to wait in the meeting room and I will be there shortly.”
Saul seemed to not have been listening to Master Lakus, but stood there staring at Ryu perplexed, which was making Ryu feel uncomfortable.
“Saul, did you get that?” Asked Master Lakus catching him staring at Ryu.
Eyes still fixed on Ryu and unaware at what he was doing Saul did not move and answered unconcernedly.
“Yes sir, go tell Jaraal to wait in the meeting room.”
Master Lakus steeped in front of Ryu to block Saul’s view, which made Saul jump back a little, and come out of his daze, when Master Lakus said,
“Well, what are you waiting on then?”
“Right, sorry Master Lakus.”He said quickly, then took off up to the doors, opened them, and went inside the building.
Keeping his back toward Ryu, Master Lakus said,
“Ryu, I promise that you will not regret what will be revealed if you decide to give us a chance. But venturing off on your own with anger
and revenge, especially with out the facts is only going to get you killed.” He grabbed Chanzo’s left arm,” We will be inside and I hope you will also. If you need time to think it over, I understand, just know that which ever path you chose the other path will be closed shut on you.”
He and Chanzo then went inside the building with out even looking back at Ryu. Leaving Ryu to decide on what action he was going to choose, Ryu stood there for the longest starring at the doors to the building, as if they were doors to another world.
Chapter 4
A new member
Thoughts of his mother and father, and the lies of how they died where uncontrollable hard to shake out. The thing is he wanted to know more than anything what really happened. His heart was
pounding and it was almost as if his heart was telling him, that it would be the right choice to trust them.
Thinking of the long journey on his own, with the knowledge of what he knows now, was not a pleasing thought.
He made up his mind, he slowly walked up the steps leading to the doors of the building, looked over his shoulders and glanced back at the cave exit one last time, gave an reassuringly shake of the head, then went inside the building.
Entering the building, Ryu did not see anybody, and he just stood there looking down the halls to the left and right. He looked up at the stairs that was in the middle of the huge room he was in, that went up and split into two different set of stairs leading, to the left and right.
Ryu, who was looking around at the place, and was afraid to venture off on his own in the risk of getting lost, noticed that the building had no floor, but was solid ground.
The walls and ceiling, which were solid ground also, connected together into an oval shape down the halls inside the building. Ryu then realized he wasn’t standing inside of a building, but still inside the cave, and that there was no building at all, and that the carvings around the doors outside gave the illusion of a huge building.
Still standing there and wondering where everyone could be, is when Jaraal came out of his office down the hall to the left, reading a piece of paper. He walked right pass Ryu never looking up from the paper and unaware of Ryu’s presence. Ryu took this opportunity, which startled Jaraal and made him ruffle up his paper that his was reading, and asked,
“Excuse me, can you tell me where to find Master Lakus?”
Jaraal turned around quickly toward Ryu, looked at him up and down, replied harshly,
“And who are you to be asking where Master Lakus is. This is private property and I would like to know how you got in here?”
“My name is Ryu Habuku, and I came in with Chanzo.But I seem to have lost him.”
“Chanzo!” Jaraal said with nostrils flaring. “Figures, should have known he would not care to bring unwanted riffraff’s to our secret and sacred place.” He continued and still eyeing Ryu suspiciously.”Ryu Habuku you said your name was...,now where have I heard that name before?”
Jaraal paused for a moment, looked up to nothing in particular, and started rubbing his chin.
“Umm, no matter who you are, you are still not welcome here and I want to know why Chanzo brought you here?”
Ryu ignored Jaraal’s rude interrogations and said,
“Listen, I know this looks suspicious, but I really need to find Chanzo and Master Lakus.”
“Yes, as do I, we need to get this cleared up.”Jaraal then pointed at Ryu with one hand, and down the right hall with his other hand, that still clutched the piece of paper, at the same time.” You start walking that way and I will take you to them. Keep you in front so as you don't get any ideas.”
Walking in front of Jaraal, Ryu was feeling degraded at how he was be treated. Looking down the oval shaped hall as they walked, which rounded around to the right, had only one door on its right, and where Jaraal stopped him.
“That's far enough.”Jaraal said as he grabbed Ryu’s arm.
Ryu stood there in silence while Jaraal knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Came a familiar voice that Ryu recognized as Master Lakus’s soft voice.
“It’s me Jaraal!”Shouted Jaraal.
“Come in.” Said Master Lakus.
Upon entering through the door, Jaraal making Ryu go in first, Ryu saw a long rectangular shape table in the middle of the room, with chairs all around it that had red cushions on their sits. At the very end of the table, that was across from the door, stood a wooden pulpit, and where Master Lakus, Chanzo, and a man, who was another member of S.M.A.A.C , where standing around in conversation.
The man who was talking to Master Lakus and Chanzo was in his upper thirties, with short brown hair and beard, and as tall as Chanzo, wearing the same kind of S.M.A.A.C golden robes as Jaraal. At the sight of Ryu, Master Lakus abandoned the conversation he was having with Chanzo and the other member, and started walking toward Ryu beaming.
“Ryu, so you have decided to stay with us?
“Stay with us?”Reapeted Jaraal.
Ignoring Jaraal, Master Lakus pointed to an empty chair closest to the pulpit and said.
“Come and sit here, we were just discussion a few minor details before the meeting started.” Master Lakus, in which case had plum forgot Jaraal was standing there looked over at him, who was watching Master Lakus greet Ryu as he would his own son in confusing, said,
“Oh, Jaraal I’m sorry, what was it again, that you wanted?”
“I—well,”Jaraal pointed at Ryu,”I saw him standing by the entrance doors, and he looked suspicious, since I did not know who he was, and he said he knew you and Chanzo, I brought him here to confirm it.”
“Yes he knows us, and I thank you for your concern for keeping an eye out for suspicious characters, but as you can see he is not, and I presume you have brought the meeting records?.”
“Yes, here they are, all in order.” as Jaraal handed the meeting papers to Master Lakus.
“Thank you.” said Master Lakus Jaraal, who nodded, then Master Lakus turned and beckoned to the man, who was standing next to Chanzo.
“Ryu this is Winn Young, one of are youngest elders in the S.M.A.A.C council. ”Winn Young gave a courtesy bow to Ryu and Master Lakus continued.
“Winn let me introduce you to Ryu Habuku, the son of Kyun, and Ryozomo’s grandson.”
“Really?” Winn said in a disbelieve tone and Jaraal’s jaw dropped as he gasped in shock.” So you’re the one Kyun use to complain about
how you rather go fishing then do your chores and study.” Continued Winn, then Jaraal, closed his jaw back, blinked at Ryu, and said with a hoarse voice,
” I’m sorry Ryu I did not know who you were.” who was being ignored again, as if he wasn’t there.
Winn Young then patted Ryu on his back,” Though he complained about you, you really could see how much you meant to him. I suppose all fathers are tough like that.”
“This is all just embarrassing, and an honor to meet our founder’s grandson,” r***d on Jaraal with no one listening.
“But look at you now, all grown up.” Carried on Winn.
“And I promise in the future I will not act so hastily. ”Finished Jaraal and he held out his hand for Ryu to shake.
Everyone turned to look at Jaraal dumbstruck, finally acknowledging he was still standing there, with his hand extended toward Ryu, and trying to talk to him. Ryu took his hand doubtfully, and in a half daze shook it, and said,
“I’m sorry what was it again you were saying?”
“I said I'm sorry about before and that it is an honor to meet you.” Said Jaraal summarily.
“That's ok Jaraal we all make mistakes.” Interjected Master Lakus.”By the way has that note been sent off to the high king yet?”
Jaraal looked down at his other paper that was not given to Master Lakus, and was still holding in his hand,
“Right, on my way to get it sent off now.” Then he bowed to Ryu and left out of the room hurriedly.
“Well we better take our sits and get everything in order; the meeting is going to start soon.” Said Master Lakus.
Chanzo came over and sat in a chair next to Ryu’s.
“Ryu I’m glad you’ve made the decision to give us a chance to explain everything.”Chanzo then smiled at Ryu.”You will soon come to trust us and see how this was for the better cause, heck then me and you can go on some more adventures like when we first met with that dragon, and those gnolls, right buddy.”
Ryu did not return the smile and said smartly,
“”I’m only here for the truth Chanzo, and that’s all.”
Thirty minutes later, around ten o’clock, the meeting room was filled with S.M.A.A.C elders, and members, who took their sits around the long table, and a few standing against the walls.
Master Lakus stood in front of the pulpit with Winn Young standing right behind him. The whole room was buzzing with the debates about the letter Chanzo found that was sent to the gnolls by the Trayakians.
“But I thought the gnolls were agnostic in this cause and only kept to themselves.” Said a short member standing against the wall on the left of the room.
“Yea and I thought the dragons hated them.” Said another member two members down from the short member.
“And you know how cleverly nasty those gnolls can be. They are worse than the Trayakians.”A third member claimed. He was standing against the right wall with his hands casually crossed over his head.
“People, calm down. We have fought against the Trayakians with dragons on their side before; these gnolls should cause no threat.” Said Winn Young.
“Ha, cause no threat. Do you even actually know anything about the gnolls Winn? My father told me stories about them through his father and they out number dragons and the Trayakians by the thousand.” Said a young member sitting across from Ryu.
“Your right that I don't know much about them, but it has been centuries since the gnolls have been left alone and kept to themselves, so who here really does? I mean the records in the library said they were almost wiped out to extinction in their last evasion on Monzuku ten centuries ago.”
“Did you not hear yourself Winn; they have had years to themselves, more than enough time to repopulate? ”Repeated the young member.
Wham! Wham!
Master Lakus was hitting the top of the pulpit with his gavel in his hand.
“Order!” Bellowed Master Lakus.
“Listen, the high king has been notified of this situation, and we will need some volunteers to check in why the gnolls have decided to side with the Trayakians.”Master Lakus then eyed around the room, which no one gave in return, and continued.” People we know now that the
Trayakians are scheming up for another war. We best be prepared for what lies ahead. We will have another meeting when the high king gives us a reply on what actions to take next.”
Members around the room started shouting.
“That's it! We are just going to wait!”
“Who is going to check in with the gnolls?”
“And what about the scout camps that was attacked today! Chanzo said one was destroyed, shouldn’t we tell the other camps to abandon post!”
Wham! Wham! Wham!
Master Lakus hit the pulpit with extra force and energy despite his age. His face was now angry unlike his calm, and charming old face. His voice seemed to echo forcefully around the room as he shouted.
“Order! Order!
The room fell instantly silent, and Master Lakus’s face turned back to normal, and he said softly,
“All of these matters will be taken care of. Now its getting late and we have a lot to plan. So if you would please just go back to your sleeping quarters, and get some rest.”
The meeting lasted for an hour, and the meeting room emptied, with the S.M.A.A.C members and elders chattering amongst themselves.
With sits emptied, all except Ryu’s, Chanzo’s, and Jaraal’s, Master Lakus told Winn Young good night, put the gavel and some papers inside the pulpit’s drawer, locked it with a skeleton key he had in his
pocket, then walked slowly over to Jaraal, opposite of Ryu and Chanzo,and sat down beside him.
“Intense meeting tonight, but I have seen it get worse.” Said Master Lakus conversationally. He looked over at Ryu and added,” What did you think Ryu?”
Ryu had never been to a meeting, and did not know what to think, replied,
“Yea pretty intense…I guess.”
“Well, you get my age nothing surprises you.” explained Master Lakus.
“Sigh…, well the meeting is over, and it is,” Master Lakus pulled out a small round mechanical clock, attached to a chain, Ryu had never seen before,” ten—forty five, which brings us to the last agenda.”
Jaraal pulled out a scroll from inside his robes, and slid Ryu the scroll across the table with Monzuku symbols all around it.
“What is this?”
“That is a contract that we need you to read and sign to make your membership official.” Explained Jaraal.
Ryu picked up the scroll and unrolled it. The parchment contained large ancient Monzuku writings Ryu did not understand, and said irritably,
“I can’t read this.”
“You have to roll the scroll down further. Those are just there for tradition.” Said Master Lakus patiently.
Ryu rolled the scroll down further and he could now see the legible writing.
S.M.A.A.C
membership
Being as it may , this day forth on this very day. That whatever hardships that come your way being, pain or death, whatever sacrifices that have to be made,. The secrecy of your membership and the members thereof and the secrecy of the location of this place Will remain with you even till your death. Not abiding by this contract is punishable by death.
Signature_______________.
Ryu finished reading the contract, looked up at Master Lakus, who was also looking at him, but anxiously, and said,
“This is the only way to know the truth?”
“Listen Ryu the truth has to stay with us, and by wanting to know the truth you have to become one of us.” Said Master Lakus.
Ryu glanced at the scroll one more time then held out his hand.
“Ok I’ll sign it.”
Jaraal then pulled out a ink bottle and a quill and handed them to Ryu. Ryu took them and opened the ink bottle and was dipping the quill into the ink bottle when he noticed Jaraal pulling something else out of his pocket. It was a needle and a cloth, and when Ryu saw this, he said,
“What are you going to do with that?”
“Oh, this. Well we also need a drop of your blood.”Jaraal said casually.
“A drop of my blood” Ryu said astonished.
“Yes nothing serious I assure you,” explained Master Lakus.
Therefore, though hesitate, Ryu signed the contract, and with a drop of his blood added that was just a peck on his middle finger, Master Lakus rose out of his chair delightedly, while the others rose out of their chairs also, and with Ryu getting out of his chair last.
“Now Ryu if you would follow us there is one last thing you need to do before your answers are revealed.” Master Lakus looked at Ryu, eyes widened; looking more crazed than exited and said,
“Your initiation.”
With the assumption of S.M.A.A.C members bustling around to go to sleep inside the building cave, Master Lakus, Jaraal, Chanzo, and Ryu headed off toward the ceremony room.
The four reached the door leading into the ceremony room and entered, with Master Lakus in the lead. The room was empty except
for a small fire surrounded by rocks in the middle of the room, where a man dressed in black robes with a black hood, that covered his face, stood holding something long in his hand, and another door on the other side.
Walking closer to the hooded man, Ryu noticed that the hooded man was just a statue holding a silver metal rod that penetrated into the fire straight into the ground, but never made the metal hot. Stopping ten paces from the fire, Master Lakus turned toward Ryu and said,
“This is the ceremony room where you as a new member of S.M.A.A.C will come to know the secrets of our organization, and have an opportunity only few could dream of.”
Looking over at Chanzo and Jaraal, he said,
“Now Chanzo, Jaraal if you would proceed to the chambers through the door there, we can get the initiation started.”
After Chanzo and Jaraal departed into the chambers behind the door, Master Lakus and Ryu were left standing in front of the statue and fire.
“Now Ryu, I'm sure you were told of the elements that keep nature into balance and governs our world, but as procedures go we must do this traditionally.” Said Master Lakus in a businesslike manner, while Ryu listened in curiously.
“There are four elements, earth, fire, water, and wind, and it is here in this ancient cave that we have discovered that we humans can use their power by means of invoking.” Master Lakus continued as he was pacing in front of Ryu.
“Invoking, how does one invoke an element?”Interupted Ryu.
“Yes well if you would let me proceed I can explain.” Said Master Lakus calmly. “Now each of these elements as you know has its own unique aura, power if you will, that can only combine itself with a creature with the same aura.” Said Master Lakus pacing in front of Ryu again.
“Here in this room we can discover what aura you posses simple by you, Ryu, touching the statues rod.
The rod then will change to the color of the element, which is brown for earth, red for fire, dark blue for water, and last, light blue for wind, which is compared to your aura.”
Master Lakus then stopped pacing, and walked to the side of the statue, where he stood motionless by the statue, and said.
“Ryu, now is the time for you to see which element is going to aid you further as a S.M.A.A.C. member, so if you would be so kind.”
Ryu seemed hesitant at first while Master Lakus was motioning him toward the statue.
It wasn’t that he was scared, but more anxious to find out that made Ryu pause just for a moment. This all seemed so unrealistic; three days ago, he would have thought himself insane to be this exited about which aura he has to invoke a certain element.
Approaching the statue slowly, Ryu took deep breathes, and was concentrating hard on the metal rod, as if that would help the determination of which color it would turn to, though he did not know which color he wanted it to change too.
Arriving in front of the statue, Ryu took an even deeper breath, slowly stretched out his right arm, and squeezed his right hand around the metal rod very tight, then closed his eyes. The metal rod was icy cold at first, but got warmer with each passing second.
“Ryu, whatever you do don’t let go.” Said Master Lakus, as he was watching Ryu twitching nervously.
Determined not to let go, Ryu put his left hand tightly around his right, and squeezed them both as hard as he could, though the metal rod only seemed to get warmer instead of hotter, some how he assumed it was still burning his hand.
After a minute passed, and eyes still closed, Ryu’s hands were getting numb, and was wondering how long he had to hold on to the metal rod when Master Lakus finally said,
“Oh dear…, that’s odd. Never have I…Ryu sorry you can let go now.”
Ryu let go of the metal rod quickly in relieve, opened his eyes, and instinctively looked at his hands to see how bad they were burned. Astonishing there were no burns on his hands, so Ryu, heart pounding, looked quickly at the metal rod to see what color it was.
“Light blue…no brown, wait, it keeps changing color. Did I do it wrong sir.”Ryu said watching the metal rod change colors.
As Ryu looked at the metal rod, Master Lakus was on the other side stroking his beard and examining the metal rod intensively.
“Master Lakus sir?”
“Umm…, yes, yes, well Ryu this is very odd.”
“What is sir?”
“It seems you have the ability to invoke all the elements; never seen this happen before, umm…”
“Is that why it keeps changing color like that?”
“What...Oh yea, that is why, but there are two more colors appearing I have never seen before…very strange.”
“What does it mean sir?” Said Ryu staring at the metal rod, with a look of confusing on his face.
Master Lakus did not answer right away but continued stroking his beard as if hoping to find a clue. Then he gave a little smile and walked around to where Ryu was standing and said, in his businesslike manner again,
“It means we have something new to look into in the archives, that’s all. Now at the moment we must continue your initiation.”
Master Lakus then took one-step back and hand gestured toward the door that lead into the chambers where Chanzo and Jaraal were.
“After you Ryu and we will continue to the invoking chambers.”
Walking pass the statue toward the door that lead to the invoking chambers, with Master Lakus right behind him, Ryu could not help but glance at the metal rod when he passed, which now was back to its original silver color.
Thinking how things could get any stranger, was revealed when he and Master Lakus walked through the door to see four round luminous
globes floating above four different colored fires fixed into a straight line in the middle of the chamber.
Like the room before this, the chamber was empty, and the fires were the only occupants, except for Jaraal. Jaraal, now wearing a hooded black robe, was standing in front of the fires, apparently in deep thought. Not noticing Ryu and Master Lakus walking towards him, Jaraal stood transfixed to the spot mumbling something under his breath.
“Don’t understand…weird…wonder what is going on…don’t understand it.”
“Well Jaraal it seems our young friend here has the aura of all four of the elements, but that’s not all…I will explain later.” said Master Lakus before Jaraal could start asking questions, when Jaaral noticed Master Lakus and Ryu walking up to him, and turned to say something, but instead Jaaral gestured his head in agreement at Master Lakus.
”Ryu this is the invoking room where you will be able to join your spirit with the elements and become one.”Ryu simple nodded his understanding. “Right, ok Ryu, all you have to do is stand in front of the fires and say these three ancient incantations…repeat after me…Boakes sha Raem.”
“Boakes sha Raem.”Repeated Ryu. “Are these words in ancient Monzuku language?”
“Oh no.” Piped up Jaraal, looking high-spirited to share his knowledge. “This language was discovered in an old book that was found in this temple cave, amongst all the other interesting books and objects.” Looking at Ryu more intensely he said.
“The language is that of a demon race that lived in the world long before man. I mean its not dangerous, or something that was used against anyone for evil. No, it was used by them for protection, even though demons are evil themselves. Anyway, Boakes sha Raem translated into our language, means bringer of death to one self, the elements is death to your old self, and by invoking them, you are anew. These elements come from the very creator himself, for that’s how are world is created.”
Jaraal then chuckled. “The demons, well there outlet on things were a little different than you or I”. Continuing on as if pleased with himself Jaraal added,” I prefer terminate one self instead of death to my old self.”
“Yes, Yes, thank you Jaraal for that anecdote, but please let us continue. Now Ryu, after you say Boakes sha Raem you say Ba Ra shee Ta Kalam, which means, I give myself to you. Got it?”
“Got it.” Answered Ryu.
Ryu slowly walked over in front of the four fires, ready to say the incantations.
“Ryu, after you say the incantations, you will feel disoriented for a moment, as a flash of light will temporarily blind you.” Stated Master Lakus.
Ryu then took a deep breath and repeated the ancient demon tongue, “Baoakes sha Raem”; but nothing happened. So he continued with the last incantations, ”Ba Ra shee Ta Kalam.
”As Master Lakus predicted, a flash of bright light struck Ryu’s eyes. Ryu felt his body cold, and could swear goose bumps were producing rapidly all over his body, but then as if some distant yelling, he could hear voices.
“Hey, why are we being awaked again? Are demons calling us again; has the time finally arrived yet for us to sleep eternity?” said the first voice.
“No, look, it is a human that invokes us,” said the second.
“But humans invoke us all the time unknowingly, and I have never been disrupted from my slumber from them before…then is this human child the very…”continued the first voice.
“No,” interjected the second voice,” This invocation is knowingly and the demons still stay hidden, this human is a warning that the extinction of our kind will soon began, and when the time comes we will sleep un-disturbed until another time begins. At which point, we will be summoned one last time before our everlasting sleep.”
“Yea, you are right, true I sense greatness from him, but I see now that it is his descendants from the future that we are being awaked by. We must aid him to fulfill this fate of ours…we will see to it that he survives, so the one from him can give us our peace.” claimed the first voice.
“So it is true then, that it is through this human’s child bloodline that will bring peace to the universe and calm the flow of time?”
“No, that is another; it will be through his remnants that the knowledge will be revealed of the truth lost to future inhabitants. Far
too long has the demons from old, called for us from their dark dwellings, and controlled us, let us begin our tribulation, and welcome our fate for a new beginning.” replied the second voice.
“From this day forward, we will be with you and your descendants till the last summoning. The plague of wars, and the destruction of knowledge that will be lost to the future, it will be risen through your bloodline with our help.” proclaimed the first voice.
“Human child our power is your power, we our now in unison, we our one. For we are light, and we are darkness, the elements of time,” said both voices at the same time.
Suddenly, with a loud snap, Ryu opened his eyes, without remembering the conversation that had just took place in his mind, and found himself laying face down on the ground, and felt a rush of overwhelming power surge through him.
He rose up looking around curiously, and when he caught sight of Master Lakus, and Jaraal, he could not stop himself from smiling. He somehow now knew, knowledge, purpose, and how to use his new power. Therefore, he knew, that this was what he was suppose to be doing all along, and how right it felt.
“I understand now.”
“What’s that boy?” asked Master Lakus.
“I said I understand now…I did not see it before…if the cause is greater than the few, then the many will see that the unjust, and just alike, will justly be justified.”
“What?”Jaraal asked confusingly.
“Well it is like this, I understand your position now, and I understand mine, your actions were only acted because we strife for the greater good, even if it is done by our unknowing, but as some seem to strive for destruction. Even though we assume it’s for our on gain, and cause.”
“I wish he would stop talking like that, and just give it to us straight.” Whispered Jaraal to Master Lakus.
“I want to continue, Master Lakus, so you can tell me everything that has happened, with the colors of the metal rod, and what needs to be done.”Ryu said seriously.
Chapter 5
Dawning of a new birth
“Yes, you have had a rebirth and our now ready for the final initiation. ”Said Master Lakus, and under his breath and unnoticed by Ryu, Master Lakus told Jaraal to wait here in this room for they had much to talk about. With Jaraal waiting behind, Master Lakus and Ryu continued onward through the next door toward the last chamber.
As if the dark came alive two yellow glowing eyes appeared in the room where Jaaral is, in the dark right corner, but as soon as they appeared was as soon as they disappeared.
The chamber through the next door was shaped like the ones before it. Chanzo was waiting in the middle of the chamber, also with a black hooded cloak, and with a scroll in his hand.
When they approached Chanzo, and stopped in front of him, he spoke without looking up from the scroll.
“With the contract signed, and invoking complete, now comes your final act to become an S.M.A.A.C. member, the swearing in. Witnesses present.”Chanzo lowered his head toward Master Lakus. “Now, future member, being you Ryu, will repeat after me with your hand of oath, that is to say the hand that we took the blood from for the contract,…”Ryu raised his hand of oath, and Chanzo continued,
“I, state your name,”Chanzo said pointing at Ryu, “who has just received my element,”
“I, Ryu Habuku, who has just received my elements,” Repeated Ryu.
“Err…yes…has become a new person by this force, and with new power,”
“Has become a new person by this force, and with new power,”
“Comes responsibility, to only use for the defense of my high king, country, and fellow countrymen.”
“Comes responsibility, to only use for the defense of my high king, country, and fellow countrymen.”
“I swear this by my hand of oath.” continued Chanzo.
“I swear this by my hand of oath.” finished Ryu.
“Excellent,” started Master Lakus, “Excellent, Ryu your initiation is now complete, so…oh terribly sorry Chanzo I forgot the last bit, “chuckling to himself, “old age showing again.”
“Right, well Ryu this is a key to enter this cave,”Chanzo said as he handed Ryu a round amulet with four holes in the middle and Monzuku writings around it, “When you reach the hills and that amulet starts to sparkle by the sun, is when you hold it up towards the hills to reveal the entrance, got it?”
“Got it,” replied Ryu, “just like the one you used when we first arrived here.”
“Pricisly.”Stated Chanzo.
“Righty O then,” interjected Master Lakus, clapping his hands together, “well like I said before Ryu, your initiation is complete, so now we can get you started on your first assignment, but first…,”
“But first I have some questions. ”Interrupted Ryu, finishing Master Lakus’s sentence.
“Yes, of coarse, as I was going to say, first we give you your answers,” stated Master Lakus.
Another glance back at the mountain of fog, Serian was being intimated by one of the cave guardsman.
“Sserian, we have some newss from the gnollss that need to be addresssed to the great dragon king.” announced the cave guardsman.
“a*s I have told otherss, the great dragon king shall not be interrupted.” said Serian.”How many more shall I remind this too? Sticking his tongue out in disgust.”Hsss.”
“Hsss, If you don't let me in sserian, then none. Dont think the great dragon king would be pleased knowing it wass you who had this message delayed.,” argued the cave guardsman.
“Ss fine, but it will be your head not mine.”
Serian opened the two giant doors leading into the great dragon kings chamber, echoing as the doors were being pushed opened, through out the chamber. The chamber was enormous in size; you could fit three S.M.A.A.C headquarters inside it. with huge stalagmites surrounded the outer walls of the chamber, like barriers.
At the very end of the chamber, a huge dragon, the size of four bandit ships, with shimmering green scales, two muscular legs , with two small muscular arms that didn’t seem to fit right for his size, with two gigantic wings resting on its side, and a silver colored belly, was sleeping on top of two bandit ships, crushed into a flat wooded bed.
Apparently trophies of victories he had won, with bones of human, and animal remains piled around the ships. Among these bones, you could clearly see dragon bones as well, which is clearly why the two dragons approached the great dragon king with caution.
“Hsss, grave news from the gnolls oh great dragon king.,” hissed the cave guardsman, nervously.
“Or this interruption would not be occurring, great dragon king.” claimed Serian.
As Serian, and the cave guardsman was trying to relay their message, Krackle snuck his way through the stalagmites closer to the great dragon king, luckily unseen by the two of them, and hid behind a huge pillar behind the great dragon king.
Silence remained in the chamber with the interruption of loud snoring from the great dragon king, echoing in the chamber every few seconds.
“Hsss, grave news from the gnolls great dragon king!” Shouted the cave guardsman, finding the courage, but making him weak, when glancing at the dragon bones at his feet. Still the great dragon king kept on snoring with not even a twitch of a muscle, and when it seemed the two dragons was about to give up, is when Krackle breathed a small fire onto the great dragon kings side.
Now the snoring echoes that broke the chambers silence were replaced by a deafening roar that made a hundred lion roars sound like pussycats, and literally shook the chamber itself. The great dragon king stood on its huge muscular legs, with astonishing speed and agility, wings spread out firmly on both sides, which made the two small dragons run to the chambers entrance in fear.
Krackle stayed hidden behind the huge pillar shaking, and smirking at the sight of serian and the cave guardsman running in fear. The great dragon then turned towards the cave entrance and said with a thundering voice,
“Have I conducted a suicide mission with you two, or do you like playing with death! Why would you scorch my side, is life in my
service that bad you would test your faith. WITH ME!!”The great dragon king coiled his wings and snuggle them to his sides, advancing the cave entrance slowly, and cocky.
“Well, are either of you going to spill your guts, or am I going to do it for you?” said the great dragon king in a sinister voice.
Serian was the first to speak, if you call squeaking, followed by high pitch hissing a way to speak.
“Hsss, the cave guardsman says he has grave news from the gnolls oh great dragon king….hssss.”
“So grave that it required scorching me did it?” Sad The great dragon king staring at the cave guardsman,” and you serian, my brothers eggling, or though it seems doubtful now, so retarded that simple tasks are beyond your understanding? What part of make sure i'am not disturbed, just sink out of your lizard like brain?”
“The scorching on your side oh great dragon king was not done by us, but the gnolls claim that not all the camps were a success. The first camp had two otherss with them from that…that organization….that you know who started hsss.”Said the cave guards man in a hurriedly voice, bowing with his face inches from the ground.
“Yesss, the same two who I lost at the habuku…I mean his place oh great dragon king,” came the voice of krackle behind the huge pillar.
With a mighty swing from the great dragon kings tail, that had sharp spikes sticking out all around it, the pillar was nothing more than dust, as krackle now stood perplexed with only dusty air now between him and the great dragon king.
“Failure it seems has begun a plaque in my ranks, and if I hear you saying the name of the dragon slayer again krackle, ill banish you where you have nowhere to hide. Let the organization find you, and deal with you.” Proclaimed the great dragon king.
“Hssss, but I would rather die oh great dragon king.” said krackle nervously.
With a roaring laughter the great dragon king said,
“I know that krackle, but I am not so merciful as to grant you want you want on a failure such as that,” the great dragon king walked to his wooded bed made out of two ships and sat down, as dragons do sit down, the same as a human, laying down, and now calmly said,
” So tell me, who were these two that has disrupted our missions, that way we can kill them, and get back to ambushing the camps for the Trayakians, and you krackle can get me the dragon slayers key.”
Serian and the cave guardsman still crouched behind the chambers entrance walls, finally had the nerve to come inside the chamber closer to the great dragon king, heads bowed, and stood in front of the great dragon king. Krackle, came around and stood next to the two, all looking at each other, hoping the other would answer before himself.
Krackle was the one who spoke, and said,”Chanzo from the organization, and….hsss….the dragon slayers grandson.”
Krackle almost didn’t make it when serian ran at an alarmingly speed, towards the chamber entrance, the cave guardsman at his wake, and closed the chamber doors. Krackle’s tail was missing part of its tip, but it was better than missing his head.
While the great dragon king roared louder than he roared before, that even shook the foundation where the gnolls dwelled. The gnolls, half a mile east from the great dragon kings liar, jumped up and down alarmingly.
Chanzo, and Master Lakus were still in the last initiation room, listening to Ryu as he asked his questions.
“The first thing I would like to know is what really happened to my parents. Also, why the dragon I saw at my place the other night, called my grandfather a dragon slayer?” asked Ryu.
“Firstly it is true your mother was killed by bandits, the Trayakian bandits. Which is why your father, joined S.M.A.A.C in the first place. You see the Trayakians, and the dragons, along with other veil creatures are all allies.” explained Master Lakus.
” The war that the Trayakians created caused not only your father, but also many others to take up arms to protect what was dear to them. Not just for what they lost, but what they might lose, which is why your father was strict with you Ryu? Your father died by a dragon attack, which is why Chanzo here was ordered to watch your place, best to say you. Your father you see hoped that you too would join the cause in case something happened to him, just like your grandfather was strict to your father, and hoped for the same, for him.”
“I never doubted my fathers, or grandfathers’ way,” claimed Ryu.
“For the dragon calling your grandfather, a dragon slayer,” Interjected Chanzo,” Is also true; he killed the great dragon kings brother in the first war with the Trayakians. The high king granted him a title, ”The Dragon Slayer”, that sword your carrying made from Lemeyoko’s
blacksmiths, from the dragons remains, and asked him to start this organization.”
“So that is why the dragon called him that, but he called my sword the screaming dragon.” Said Ryu aloud unknowingly.
Master Lakus confused at what Ryu was asking said,” what was that, screaming dragon you say?”
Ryu realizing he spoke out loud said,” oh yea, the dragon the other night at my house called my sword the screaming dragon.”
“Well, the dragons know your grandfather, and probably have a lot of made up names for him, and his sword. Nothing really to worry about I say.” said Master Lakus reassuringly.” Is that all that you wanted to ask, or is there more you would like to discuss?”
Ryu thought for a moment, and then turned sharply to Master Lakus, and said,” yea, actually there is another thing. “Too Wong”, is that the name of the great dragon king?”
Ryu shifted, and turned his body to be parallel with Master Lakus, and continued,” my grandfather taught me that name, and when I spoke it to the dragon, the dragon stopped dead in its track, as if out of fear.”
"Well I don’t know if that being the name of the great dragon king now. "explained Master Lakus,” but I do know that in the archives of ancient Monzuku language, a great dragon king in their age was called “Too Wong”. Archives claimed he fought and protected their village against the evil dragons, that were called the ragonds, for they were of human and dragon blood. Dragons r****g human women, and producing unnatural offspring.”
Master Lakus shivered at the thought. ”Anyway, ”continued Master Lakus, ”Too Wong supposedly killed most of the ragonds, before he fell by a very powerful ragond, doesn’t go into detail how he fell though,” said Master Lakus now stroking his beard in deep thought.
“And,” Chanzo said, egging Master Lakus on to continue. ”What of the ragonds? They still exist?”
Turning his attention back to Ryu, and Chanzo, Master Lakus finished up his story. ”Yes, the ragonds according to the archives were wiped out a century later by high king Tyfudd of Lemeyoko and a 7 thousand army. A lot is missing from those old books, and scrolls. Interesting though now I think about it.” said Master Lakus now looking in Ryu’s direction, but not at Ryu directly.
His attention was more to the necklace that laid around Ryu’s neck, that had the key his mother gave him, attached to it. Ryu, and Chanzo both looked in the same direction as Master Lakus, then Ryu said,” are you interested in my necklace, Master Lakus?”
“Ummm, actually, yes now that you mentioned it,” as if it was a shock that Ryu even asked him, and trying to act like it was insignificant, though his eyes gave him away.
”yes, you see that necklace belonged to your grandfather, before he gave it to your father, which in turned gave it to your mother as a wedding gift, and now your inheritance. The key is actually an old sacred Monzuku key that opens, chests, locked books, or anything with the same symbols. Your grandfather used it to study old Monzuku books in the archives, that has some valuable information, on our
history, and as well as the great dragon king Too Wong, and many more information.”
Ryu pulled out the key from under his ninja clothes and looking at the key with ancient Monzuku symbols on it, remembered the chest in his parents room with the same symbols, and said.” That reminds me, there is a chest in my parent’s room with these symbols, but I have never opened it.”Ryu told Master Lakus.
“Also in my room, your father gave me small chest with the same symbols, and said give it to you Ryu when you became a member of S.M.A.A.C.” declared Chanzo.
“Lets discuss all this tomorrow when we had more rest and time to let things settle in our thoughts,” demanded Master Lakus.”Besides I have further things to discuss with Jaraal about tonight’s occurances, which I have not purposely left in the second initiation room.” Said Master Lakus, winking at both Ryu and Chanzo.
Ryu, and Chanzo both agreed, so they both went towards the barracks area of the S.M.A.A.C headquarters, with Chanzo showing Ryu his sleeping quarters, while Master Lakus walks towards the second initiation room to greet Jaaral, who has been waiting patiently. Up on entering the second initiation room, Master Lakus found Jaaral pacing back in forth, impatiently.
“Sorry to keep you waiting Jaaral, questions do seem to take time, when a lot of things are revealed all at one time,” said Master Lakus apologetically, as he was walking towards Jaaral.
Jaaral stopped dead in his tracks and told Master Lakus, in a frustrated whinny voice,” I’ve been here for hours waiting on you
Master Lakus, I was afraid that you have forgotten about me, just like the other times you had me wait, and never showed up.”
Master Lakus beaming at Jaaral, with a red face, not from embarrassment, but from trying to hold his laughter, said,” you can forgive an forgetful old man cant you Jaaral?”
“Senile more like it.” whispered Jaaral low enough for Master Lakus not to hear.” so Master Lakus, are you going to explain to me why Ryu was able to invoke all the elements?”
Master Lakus arriving at Jaaral’s side at last replied,” of coarse, but it wasn’t just four of the elements, two other colors was present that I only seen in the ancient Monzuku writings. White and black.”
“White and black,” blurted out Jaaral, ”I thought those elements were a myth; light and dark, good and evil, that is both revealed and concealed, together it makes past and the future, a flowing time of reality for the present. Which I have yet to understand.”
Master Lakus explained to Jaaral that,” well from the ancient Monzuku writings it is said that each time period, past, and the future, has an effect on the other, which also effects us now.”
Jaaral was not taking in any of this, which Master Lakus seemed to read his mind, by the expression on his face, and tried to simplify.
“Meaning,” continued Master Lakus,” as of right now, the future, and the past, is thinking of us, as we are thinking of them, at this moment in time. Saying, we may learn from are mistakes, from the past and the future, to try and be better now. In addition, by learning from our mistakes, by looking back and forward, we make the present a flowing time of past and the future. Light is the knowledge we know already, which most knowledge comes from the past, darkness is the
unknowing which is the future, while the present, is a time flowing with the uncertainty of both unknowing knowledge, and knowledge, and taking these elements and uniting them, but I’ am not sure, this does not revel that is what is concealed to us.”
“So what you’re getting at is that you need me to spend my working hours in the S.M.A.A.C. library pouring on any books with information, on this subject.” Jaaral said, and added,” cause I’ am still only understanding half of what you said.”
“No,” said Master Lakus,” I don’t need, I want you to go to the great library in Lemeyoko and pour into those books on the subject. What i have told you is what I have already read from the S.M.A.A.C library, and I have a fraction of knowledge from those books. My knowledge is only how I perceive it, which translate into are daily lives, but I believe there is a hidden knowledge that is still concealed with the two elements. For you and I both know that in the beginning of time, light and darkness were the only elements in the universe. Before the beginning of time, I do not know, but the ancient Monzuku said they were called alpha and omega, light and dark, beginning and the end.”
Looking at Master Lakus, Jaaral asked with a hint of uncertainty “if by invoking both elements, does that mean you receive knowledge of the beginning and the end? Was not the world created, and fabricated from all the elements, by the creator? How do the elements, light and dark, protect anyone?”
“Let’s wait until you have brought more information from the Lemeyoko library. Then we can make a conclusion.”
At those last words spoken from Master Lakus, Jaaral took his queue and went to his sleeping quarters to get a good nights rest, so he can wake up tomorrow for a fresh start towards, Lemeyoko. Master Lakus
headed towards his private quarters, and stayed up another hour contemplating the events, and of the newfound knowledge of the day.
Chapter 6
How beautiful thou art
The next day, the morning was being greeted by a punctual sun, while the birds serenaded it with songs, and the wild life danced to it by going about their happy daily chores.
It was a peaceful morning, that would have followed up into a peaceful day, were it not for the sounds coming from 2000 Trayakian bandits, shouting in unison,” Praise to King Trayak IV!”, as he gave his soldiers a motivating speech.
The Trayakian bandits were of different origin and races from all around the world, a bunch of pirates that came together to seize a common goal, dominating Lemeyoko.
High king of Lemeyoko, and king Troyak IV of the Troyakians, made a peace agreement two years ago, that promised the Troyakians a deed of land in the continent of Lemeyoko, in exchange for no more wars.
Little does the high king of Lemeyoko know, at this time, king Troyak IV had other intensions.
“Are we so low, that we get shunted out from the rest of the world, and have to settle with a peace agreement, from a high king, to call a place of our own? Are we no more the common rats, that others see us as a disease to their precise society? Do we not deserve the same as they do?!”
“AYYYEEE!!!” shouted the 2000 Trayakian soldiers.
“The people of Lemeyoko treated us as outsiders from the beginning. Sure they made us believe that we were welcome, making trade routes for us, letting us come and go as we please they said, even talked about setting up a docking city close to the shores for easier trading access, but what happened when we, how did they say it, settled to long in their lands. Claiming it was not right for us to take their daughters and marry with out their consent. They told us to leave and said we were no longer welcome. Called us brutes! Are we brutes?!” Carried on king Trayak IV, smiling contently as he was looking at the fire in his soldier’s eyes.
“NOOOO!!!” shouted the 2000 Trayakian soldiers once again to king Trayakians IV inspiring words.
King Trayak walked in front of his 2000 soldiers, from one end of the formation, to the other. The 2000 Trayakian soldiers formed up in the Trayak castle courtyard.
The Trayak castle was built by the first Trayak’s a century ago, from the European continent. The architectural construction of the Trayak castle had a look that was a cross between Spanish, and Great Britain design, from the middle ages, despite that this time period is yet unknown.
The Trayak land was a vast plain with rocky hills that surrounded the Trayak castle. The rocky hills were covered with black and white stones, that ventured all the way to the water shores on the west, to the mountains on the east, called mountain of fog, that separated Trayak and the city of Lemeyoko, that settled by the volcano Akando.
King Trayak IV, who dressed more so like a pirate captain, continued to walk from one end of the formation to the other, when he suddenly stopped right in front of the middle of the formation, turned and faced his soldiers and continued his speech. While the 2000 soldiers stood motionless at an attention position, watching their king walking back and forth, only with their eyes.
“Soon with a brand new alley at our side we will seize what we have came for so long ago. This land has been unconquered and unclaimed from anyone. "King Trayak IV abruptly stopped. Faced his soldiers and said with a malicious glare. "By my fathers we will not fail this time. I
will not have it. "He came to an attention and said with an authoritative voice.
"Dismissed!".
King Trayak IV turned towards his castle and walked in its direction to go inside. With an eerie short period, a yellow glow came from his eyes. Then the glow vanished just as quickly as it came.
Jaaral was busy in his room at S.M.A.A.C headquarters this fine day, gathering everything he could possibly think of for his journey to the castle that resided in the capital of Lemeyoko and the library that was in Zanga. He checked things twice to make sure he was prepared.
It was getting close to the afternoon and the headquarters was full of other members going about their duties.
In the barracks of the headquarters Chanzo was in his room with Ryu opening the chest his father left, excitingly. He opened the chest and there inside was an ancient document. Ryu picked up the document and looked it over.
"Well?" asked Chanzo.
"It is knowledge of the world it says. The darnest thing is though "Ryu showed the document to Chanzo and pointed a word. "I have no idea what this word is or means or even some other words. I mean I have some what of an understanding of what it means.”
"C o m p u t e r s?"Chanzo tried to pronounce the word out. "I have no idea either. Maybe Master Lakus will know. We can ask when we see him."Chanzo stated at the documents so more and asked, "What other words does it have?"
Ryu glanced at the documents so more and said, "I n t e r n e t",
"S o c I a l M e d i a", and "N e t w o r k". Weird words. "proclaimed Ryu.
"It says these are communicating ways of getting knowledge to the world. "Just then a white glow came over Ryu and understanding took over.
"Ahh I see now what they are. I understand what this documents mean".Chanzo wide eyed looking at Ryu asked,
"What, what does it mean?"
The white glow leaving Ryu and then he glanced at Chanzo, said in a serious tone, "That knowledge is not yet time to be revealed."
Raising up from the floor, where he was kneeling to look at the contents in the small chest Chanzo had, with the ancient Monzuku writings on it, he finally said, "I must get the other document from my home, and others so I can safe keep them for my future remnants."Ryu rushed to the entrance of Chanzo's room and ordered Chanzo to follow.
"Ok we are a bit late in leaving but if we leave now we can still get to Lemeyoko before night fall."Jaaral told Saul, his accompanied partner on the journey, but more of servant to Jaaral."Yes sir, I’m ready sir. "Saul told Jaaral.
With everything that they thought needed, both Jaaral and Saul left the S.M.A.A.C headquarters towards Lemeyoko castle to the northeast on foot.
Krackel now armored up, standing with five hundred more dragons along side with six hundred gnolls in a huge cavern inside of the
mountain of fog, was standing at attention and listening intently to the Great dragon king, explaining the upcoming endeavor.
"I feel good! ROAR!!""the great dragon spread his huge wings and looked up and waved his head side to side as fire shot out of it. "I Frakul, no, I The Great Dragon King Frakul, have been waiting patiently for this opportunity. "
He was eyeing his subjects intently but did not move, and with a murderous intent he went on addressing and explaining his happiness to his subjects. "Ever since the fall of my brother I have nothing but revenge on my soul. Therefore I will have my taste of satisfaction. It will be a sweet beautiful mouth watering satisfaction. "grinning maliciously to himself.
The great dragon king Frakul's subjects never moved, twitched, or spoke, the whole time their king gave his revengeful talk.
"As we all remember from the beginning of this world, and our lands handed down from our mothers and fathers since our hatchling from the egg. Since the first barking, howling, cry of a new born gnoll pup. "Said The Great Dragon King Frakul, still only eyeing his subjects.
"We were the first creatures created and this world is rightfully ours, not man. From the creators fiery furnace was hatched a Mighty dragon from a fiery egg, Too Wong, the mightiest dragon king of all.
Ahh, how beautiful thou art, was, and ever will be. The creators first creation. "The Great Dragon King Frakul bowed his head in acknowledgement to Too Wong, and shifted a little, then continued his speech. The 1100 subjects did the same and bowed their heads in acknowledgment to Too Wong.
"When the dark creatures was our companions and friends, we took wives’ from the people of Lemeyoko, and the dark ones helped to create the ragonds. They were an abomination, though, Too Wong heavily hearted destroyed them, least one. His son.
"Great King Frakul now moved in closer to his subjects. "Too Wong can be the creator himself with his power, and we all agree it should be such. One day as long as Too Wong lives, with his son, and he does in the middle core of earth with the dark ones, he will be, the Creator.”
Moving even closer though he could have licked the small dragon subject in front of him. The Great Dragon King Frakul proclaimed, in a whisper as if only to the small dragon in front of him, “ He will be the Creator.”
"Nonetheless, as for now we have to claim this land with Trayakians and I must eat a dragon slayers grandson. "
Hastily did Jaaral and Saul walk to the castle of Lemeyoko, with the sun on the horizon. No encounters of any creature on the way seemed odd to them but they were relieved just the same.
The capital of Lemeyoko was massive with stone buildings connecting as paved brick roads ran through them at intervals, and the castle residing to the left of the city. The town square was always busy with locals buying and selling at the stalls of merchants with every kind of items around the world at that time. No time for sight seeing or shopping, Jaaral and Saul was on their mission and headed straight for the castle.
Turning left down a guarded road, one guards man on either side at every 20 meters, they reached the outer gates of Lemeyoko's castle. Two guardsman’s guarded at the base of the gate and a third guardsman on top of the gate, with bow and arrow at the ready for any danger.
"State your business" said the guardsman on the right of the gate.
Jaaral looked at the guardsman and walked towards him saying, "Ahem, yes I, or should I say we, meaning me and my servant Saul, have come to see your king on S.M.A.A.C important official business from Master Lakus himself."
Without warning the guardsman shouted, "Open the gates!", and the gates flew open shakenly. "Proceed", demanded the guardsman without looking in Jaaral or Saul's direction.
Taking heed and entering the grounds of the castle Jaaral and Saul continued on to the castle. Once inside they were greeted by castle servants asking their business so they could relay the message to the king for an audience.
Jaaral and Saul was also escorted to a lobby on the right that looked more like a small cramp library. "Please wait here your majesties", said one of the castles servants. "I will see if the king will see you soon."
"Make it quick.", demanded Jaaral in an impatient tone,as he found a chair to sit in, and Saul mimicked his moves and done the same sitting in a chair opposite of Jaaral.
"Yes of course, by your leave your majesties "and the servant left them in the lobby heading to the kings chamber.
The castle was damp and cold, for as most castles are, it was old. There were torches around the walls which were the only light and heat sources present. Tapestries hung on the walls as well with the Lemeyoko crest.
The Lemeyoko crest, was a light and dark orbs which went into circles as if chasing each other. The orbs circled each other in a half dark, very bright moonlight landscape, and very bright sunny day landscape.
Jaaral and Saul waited patiently in the lobby, but not for too long, because a servant was now there stating that the king will now see them.
Getting up from their chairs and checking themselves over from their clothes and hair, as to make sure to look presentable to the king, they followed the servant to the kings chamber.
Finally arriving at the kings chamber the king told them at once to approach the throne. Guards around the room two at the entrance, two by the kings side and five spread out around the throne room on either side
Approaching the kings throne, both Jaaral and Saul kneeled before the king of Lemeyoko.
"Arise! I have been told that you have important information from S.M.A.A.C headquarters?" asked the king of Lemeyoko formally.
"Yes your majesty" claimed Jaaral.
Jaaral went on telling the king of Lemeyoko about the events that has taken place this far. The betrayal of the Trayakians, of the gnolls, and the dragons involvement. He also told his king of the new member to S.M.A.A.C, about Ryu Hubuku, Ryozomo Habuku's grandson. Then he told about the invoking Ryu endured and how there was something new that they did not know much about, and how he needed entrance to the library in Zanga far to the southeast, to recover this knowledge.
"Your majesty we have never seen these two elements invoked before. Must mean an omen perhaps. "stated Jaaral."This new rebellion from the Trayakians has a stir at the headquarters.” finished Jaaral.
"I see. Well I will send my scouts to look into the Trayakians rebellion further. As for the Library in Zanga you have my permission." proclaimed the king.
The king of Lemeyoko looked towards a guardsman to his right and said, "Fetch my cousins daughter at once." Turning back towards Jaaral and Saul the king told them not to let anything happen to his cousins daughter.
"May nothing befall her in your care or S.M.A.A.C’s care understand? She is my family, and like a daughter to me after all."
Both Jaaral and Saul bowed before their king in recognition towards his concern for his cousins daughter.
At that moment when their heads were bowed a young woman and the guardsman that fetched her came into the throne room from behind the throne, which the entrance was from a stairway that went up to the upper chambers of the castle, on the throne's left.
Noticing their arrival, the king of Lemeyoko pronounced her arrival to Jaaral and Saul.
“This is Stiery Rieum, my cousin’s daughter, who is now in my service. She will accompany you to Zanga, to receive the key to the library from her father, and to S.M.A.A.C headquarters, to join your ranks. ”said the high king of Lemeyoko to Jaaral, who still kept his bow, and eyes down at the ground.
When Jaaral looked up to get a glimpse of Stiery, he noticed how young she was, around the same age as Ryu. Stiery was very pretty, light brown skin, with an air of sweetness to her face, even though she had no expression, on her face, with a athletic fatigue, long dark brown hair, and brown eyes. Jaraal, who was in a mesmerized stare looking at Stiery, had to force his eyes back to looking at the ground when he heard the high king of Lemeyoko continue.
“She has been taught well in the martial arts, and will prove very valuable. She also was a member of L.A.C.E.” Clapping his hands together two guardsman came forward. "Take our quests to the guests room so they can rest for tomorrows journey to Zanga. I will have a courier sent out to my cousin at the library to announce their coming."
High king of Lemeyoko bowed his head towards Jaaral and Saul and raised his hands at the guardsman, and said abruptly, "please follow these guards and rest well and wish you a safe journey tomorrow. As of now I have some business upstairs so if you will excuse me."
Jaaral and Saul bowed once again too the High king of Lemeyoko and followed the two guardsmen out from the kings throne room too their sleeping quarters.
Ryu and Chanzo was making good time, and even managed to drop off the horses they borrowed from Donta and Omar. Donta and Omar thanked them and told them they were done at this camp, and was going to head back to headquarters.
Be careful Chanzo warned them, then him and Ryu continued onward towards Ryu's home.
Back on Habuku land Chanzo and Ryu was inside Ryu's house opening the other chest with Monzuku ancient symbols on it.
With a glance at the document contained inside Ryu announced that it had other unfamiliar words as well.
"Plane, cars, trains, and other transportation methods are written down."Ryu explained to Chanzo.
"Transportations? What type of transportations are these and where are they? asked Chanzo.
"A matter of when my friend. Now is not the time."Ryu told Chanzo.
Chanzo shrugged his shoulders in a airy way and asked Ryu another question. "These documents make as much sense to me as when I made as much sense to you on our first visit with my knowledge. So what is our next course of action?"
Ryu stores the document inside his ninjas clothes and replied, "To the library in Zanga. Maybe we can catch up with Jaaral."
Looking outside and knowing it was dark Ryu decided they needed to waste no time.
"Let us leave at once. "He said to Chanzo.
Chanzo agreeing, they both went out the door of Ryu's house and headed east to Zanga.
Chapter 7
Has it come to this
The next morning, Stiery, and Jaaral, accompanied by Saul, set off on their journey towards Zanga, in the desert far to the southeast.
Backpacks full of rations to last their 2 day journey, was strapped to their backs, while the servant boy Saul was carrying Jaaral’s load, and looking rather grim about it, the three walked towards the Zanga river, that had a wagon trail leading straight to the city Zanga.
Two caravans was waiting by the Zanga river, for the three, with some weapons, shields, and armor, which was being sent to Zanga’s blacksmith for repairs, were loaded on them.
One of the caravans was being transported by middle age woman, with three young kids, a twelve year old boy, and two seven year old twin girls, sitting by her side, while her husband drove the other.
"We should make good time to Zanga. I have not seen a creature yet, which though is kinda of worrying me a bit. "told Jaaral to Saul and Stiery.
Stiery was talking to the woman and two twin girls while Saul was putting Jaaral's backpack sneakily onto the wagon of the woman’s husband, to lighten his load.
Stiery stopped talking to the woman and twin girls and looked at Jaaral and said curiously, "What do you mean you have not seen a creature?"
"Our journey to the castle on foot yesterday was very peaceful. I just thought it strange. "claimed Jaaral.
Stiery gave only a moment thought with a curious expression and then climbed onto the caravan, that the woman was driving, with the twin girls helping her up.
Jaaral went to the caravan the woman’s husband was driving and climbed up onto the seat in front where Saul was already planted and sat beside him on the outside of the seat, with Saul sitting between Jaraal and the wagons driver.
"Well cant argue with a rush of good luck from our creator now can we." said the woman’s husband, as he head nodded to his wife and they both took the reigns and gave a light snap on the horses pulling the caravans.
Horses now pulling the wagons forward the woman’s husband thought it polite to introduce his family to Jaaral.
"Nice to make your acquaintance. My name is Noah Hurly and that is Sara Hurly my wife, driving the other wagon, and the boy in the back is Joshua Hurly, tending the armory, while the to twins are Rebecca and Beth Hurly." looking at Jaaral hoping for an introduction from them.
Noah continued on saying, "We are of Jewish descent, but we hijacked on a ship not knowing where it my go, for the Roman's was, well let's say we needed to leave abruptly. That is how we ended up here in Lemeyoko."
Jaaral just nodded his acknowledgment and mumbled something back to Noah looking out in the distance of the Zanga river "Uh uh, nice to meet you too."
"Well dont you worry Mr. we will get you safe to Zanga for we have done this trip many o'times." Declared Noah whipping the horses again to keep them pulling forward.
Time pressed on that day as the small caravan convoy headed in it's right direction and Chanzo and Ryu on their path to Zanga as well. The king of Lemeyoko sending scouts out to gather information of the Trayakians. Master Lakus preparing the headquarters for any sudden change of news or attack.
A meeting was about to take place that night in the mountain of fog. The 2000 thousand Trayakian soldiers entered the mountain with their king, and was greeted by the dragon and gnolls and their king and leaders.
King Trayak the IV, Great dragon king Frakul, and Snarl the gnoll leader was standing in front of their army conversion to one another
"So it has come to this my friends "king Trayak the IV said to the other leaders.
"Our time has come once again."
"Yes it has and my Cubs have been itching to fight along your side." claimed Snarl.
"My friends," announced the great dragon king Frakul,"Are victory is only inevitable, because I have a surprise to bring to you all." The great dragon king told them as Snarl and king Trayak the IV looked at each other in anticipation.
"Well what is it Frakul?"asked king Trayak the IV.
The great dragon king Frakul smirked at the other leaders and said with a happy tone, "This time we have new recruits from my father."
King Trayak the IV looking confused asked, "What new recruits? And I thought your father was dead."
"Not that father, no my very first father. Great Dragon King Too Wong is sending some dark creatures to help. Dark creatures of old that the humans call demons."
At that moment a black darkness overwhelmed the cavern in mountain of fog, and the lands and dwellings of Lemeyoko, and the entire world. Strange shadow figures with glowing yellow eyes emerged from every darkened place in the world.
A huge dragon like figure also emerged from the shadows in the mountain of fog. He spoke to the habitats of the cavern, and as if every other creature in the world also heard, but more less felt the words that came from this figure, with no means of blocking him out.
"I was the first creation, by fire I emerged and with a mockery I was sent to this world as if I was no more common than any other creation. I who command the demons of old and my fellow dragon brethren, I who has as much power as the creator himself will no longer be denied my right. "The dark figure continued on with everyone forced to listen.
"I Great Dragon King Too Wong, will conquer here in Lemeyoko and then i will conquer the very creation and creator himself in the future. I am the one the humans call the devil, the one they call Lucifer, the fallen one."
Then he vanished and darkness subsided as most of the demons went back to their dark dwellings. Everyone who heard now has just forgotten Too Wong’s words spoken to them moments ago. All except the habitats at mountain of fog. To everyone else those moments when darkness consumed them never happened at all.
Furthermore some of the demons who stayed behind possessed the Trayakians, even though King Trayak the IV was already possessed with no knowledge of it, and every other creature who did not have a decent heart in the world. This long battle that will last until the final battle that is called Armageddon.
"Come let us march!!!"Demanded great dragon king Frakul to his army. "To Lemeyoko castle!"
The rebellion army marched that night towards the capital of Lemeyoko in determination, and without a warning to the king of Lemeyoko.
Arriving at Zanga the night before the two days was up, Jaaral, Saul, Stiery, and the Hurly's bid their farewells and gave their thanks, then went about their business.
The province of Zanga was a dirty, sandy place. The buildings we’re made from brick,wood,and mortar. A few palm trees here and there, and the people of Zanga wore turbans and light desert clothing. The town usually was busy with the Bazaar happening in the middle of the town.
The Zanga river ran through the center of town and out into the Indian ocean, and was there only water source. The people of Zanga would gather water, mostly the females, to use as bath, laundry, and drinking water.
Coming up to the library, which stood in the middle of Zanga, Stiery, Jaaral, and Saul was surprisingly greeted by Chanzo and Ryu.
"What are you two doing here," demanded Jaaral."This is my mission."
Just then as if cupid himself gave them a personal visit, Ryu and Stiery saw he each other for the first time. If you could see fireworks going off this would be that time and if any was going off only they would be the ones to see the fireworks.
"Jaaral it does not matter who does this mission as long as it gets done. Besides Ryu needs to look at those documents as well and it
could not have waited. Right Ryu?"asked Chanzo slapping Ryu's shoulder.
Ryu however was not listening and was in his own world still starring at Stiery, and Stiery was starring back with the same expression on her face.
Chanzo, Jaaral, and Saul all saw this love disgusting sight, and looked at them in amazement.
"Ryu, Ryu!"shouted Chanzo at Ryu and it snapped him back to reality.
"I was telling Jaaral here that we need to see those documents too." declared Chanzo.
Ryu looking at everyone and now remembering where he is at and why he was there he said,"Yea, that is right I need to see those ancient documents."
"Well far be it for me to shoo you guys away. If you must tag along then so be it."Jaaral huffed
"Stiery,if you would be so kind and ask your father to let us in so we can get this over with, please." snorted Jaaral.
"Yes, of course. Let me just go ask my father real quick. If you gentlemen would excuse me."Stiery walked passed the S.M.A.A.C members towards the library, and was careful not to catch Ryu's eyes, for it seemed to have an distracting effect on her that she did not need at this time.
Stiery passed the 1000 stone soldier statues, that decorated the grounds of the library. The statues creation were a means to scare off intruders trying to enter the library. Reaching the door to the library,
she did a secret knock, and her father answered, saw who she was, and let her inside.
Without their knowledge, the capital of Lemeyoko was engaged in a horrific war with the Trayakian rebels.
Yesterday the Trayakian rebels made it to the city and was now fighting in the castle courtyards. Scouts who was on there way to scout out the Trayakian land saw them coming and ran back to tell the king, but it was not enough time for the king to get prepared and they were caught off guard.
Nevertheless,at this time while Ryu and the others were at Zanga, the king did order one other scout to go and warn the S.M.A.A.C headquarters and another to go and warn Jaaral, Stiery, Saul, and to try and bring reinforcements.
The scouts went in their ordered ways, riding horses and hurrying as fast as they could. One of the scouts finally made to S.M.A.A.C. headquarters the same day of the attack on Lemeyoko.
Master Lakus was on his office looking over some notes that he had written to remember things that had transpired when he heard a knock on his door.
"Who is it?" Master Lakus asked.
"Sir, a scout from the castle is here to see you." came a voice through the door.
"Oh, please come in." replied Master Lakus.
The scout came inside and hurriedly told Master Lakus about the happenings at the castle.
"Quickly, run to Zanga and warn them! "Master Lakus demanded the scout.
"The king has already sent another scout to warn them sir "said the scout.
"Please then, hurry, help me gather the S.M.A.A.C members so we hastily go to our kings aid."
Master Lakus and the scout rushed out the door of Master Lakus's room and gathered the members of S.M.A.A.C and set forth towards the capital of Lemeyoko as fast as they could.
"If we do not hold them off till reinforcements arrive, all will be lost." proclaimed the king of Lemeyoko.
"But my liege, in history of war never have a seen a small army destroy with ease." reported the captain of the guards. "It is as if the Trayakians have super human strength, and the gnolls as well as the dragons, have gotten stronger." looking out at the bloodshed battlefield that was taken place in the castles courtyard.
"It will be no time before they are upon us your majesty." The captain of the guards turned towards his king and said in horror, "We are not going to live this day. We are unable to hold them off until the reinforcements arrive. Not that it would have helped."
The king of Lemeyoko looked back at his captain, his friend since childhood, in terror,
"Oh God Richard, what has befallen us."
Even the S.M.A.A.C members who made it to the castle yesterday was being wiped out easily by the Trayakian rebels. There was no stopping the attackers this time and The Great Dragon King Too Wong made sure of this. Soon the Trayakian rebels will be marching there way to Zanga.
"We can go inside now" declared Stiery to the group.
The group followed Stiery inside the massive library that was at least five stories high and including a basement. Books rested on every wall on every floor locked inside tall cases that played against the walls of the library.
Jaaral pointed towards the basement and explained that it is where the old ancient Monzuku documents were residing.
"Come this way, the documents are in the basement."
The rest of the night the group looked for every ancient Monzuku document, and gathered around a table to discuss their findings.
"More information on how things will soon be." claimed Ryu looking at one of the documents.
Stiery, Chanzo and Saul was unable to read the texts on the documents, so they passed the documents that they have found along to Jaaral and Ryu, while they listened to what was being said.
"Ah. oh, yes," rambled Jaaral pouring over one of the documents.
"This is it. This is the passage to the elements of light and dark."Jaaral's eyes got wide eyed, "It is true that light is alpha and dark is omega." The rest of the group came closer to listen.
"Listen to this" continued Jaaral.
"The two elements light and dark were the first elements and they will be the last, whatever that means. Ahem, the elements seem to only have the power to protect the information of the world and the universe. Time itself, so it goes on to say."
Moving the candle closer to the documents Jaaral read some more. The group still listening intently.
"ok, here we go, the information will be protected by a family who will soon in the future, give the world that knowledge, so as to prepare for the last battle. Then it goes to say, once the knowledge is known by all, a boy from another family will summon, invoke I am assuming here, the two elements and save mankind."
Jaaral shifted in his seat a little and looked up at the group. The group now all trying to understand it. Ryu however understood and beckoned Jaraal to continue.
"It also says the two family's, though it fails to specify which family’s, the ones with the knowledge and the family who will have a hero, but it says savior here, have always been connected and will always be so till the very end.
The group sat in silence for a good moment and the sun was rising up to shine its light on the Lemeyoko lands, and through the basement windows of the library in Zanga, when suddenly Zanga town alarms was sounding off.
Chanzo arose quickly and said, "Why are the towns alarms going off? That only means there is an attack in progress."
"Let us go up and see what is going on." demanded Ryu.
As the group were reading the documents in the library's basement, the Trayakian rebels miraculously made it to Zanga in a short time, and was now on the verge of an attack.
The group ran outside just in time to see pedestrians running and screaming in all directions. The Zanga docs were being over run by people trying to get on boats and ships setting sail to get away from the town and its attack from the Trayakian rebels.
A loud monstrous voice could be heard from the horde outside the city.
"People of Zanga, this is the day you see death up-close. I am the great dragon king Frakul, and my revenge is not bitter sweet, but just sweet. Sweet, hsss, Sweet."
The people of Zanga did not care what the dragon king had to say and they were running towards any place that had an escape.
The group still standing in front of the library was contemplating on what to do next, as they watched the people of Zanga run for their lives, and the Zanga guards rushing out to meet their deaths.
The great dragon king Frakul pressed on with his speech, "Your capital Lemeyoko, the castle,and,"Frakul laughed, "Your king has been annihilated. He he ha ha.Wait!"
The great dragon Frakul paused, and then sniffed the air with his forked tongue.
"I smell you, no I smell your kin. Ryu Hubuku are you not here and can hear me? Your soul is mine!" With a disgusting look on his face Frakul commanded his army to charge.
"Attack!" burst out the great dragon king Frakul.
The situation at hand had just turned to worse for the group, and it looked like they were going to have to fight when suddenly the Hurly family showed up.
"Hurry my friends, come with us, we have a ship waiting for us and you guys can come along." Noah Hurly was motioning them to follow him to the Zanga docs.
"Please my friends, it is suicide to stay and try to fight, or run and hide. They will destroy this continent, I feel it in my bones.
Ryu and the others looked at the Hurly's then at the Zanga city and finally agreed that it was best to follow. This war was not a war but a m******e from Trayakian rebels and there would be no way to win it.
Setting sail for who knows where, the group and the Hurly's stood close together on the boat, and watched as the Trayakian rebels destroyed Zanga city in dismay.
They have gotten away but at the cost of abandoning their comrades and homeland.
Was this suppose to happen this way Ryu thought to himself.
Ryu started to remembered all those memories in Monzuku, of his family, and how sad it was that now it will all be destroyed.
The rest of the group could not stand watching the bloodshed any longer, so they went inside the boat to the sleeping quarters, all except Stiery who stayed by Ryu's side.
They spoke to each other for the first time and it was Stiery who started the conversation.
"My family and home, murdered right before my eyes, is not something your prepared for "explained Stiery.
They both looked at each other with comfort expressions towards one another.
"I know of your loss as well Ryu. My family spoke all the time of the Hubuku family."
Ryu then put a consulting hand on Stiery's shoulder, and gave her a serious look.
"Our family and home will not be forgotten as long as we have that knowledge."
Ryu then took his hand off her shoulder and looked at Zanga once more and added, "Besides, with all of the refugees and us, we can always start a fresh. We can always start a new family."
"That is correct young friend." sprang in Noah Hurly interruptedly.
Noah was walking by and over heard Ryu's and Stiery's conversation.
"The name is Noah Hurly, would you be so kind as to tell me your names." said Noah teaching out his hand to shake Ryu's and Stiery's hand in return.
Stiery shook Noah Hurly's hand and told him her name. Then Ryu got his turn and he too shook Noah Hurly's hand.
"And my name is Ryu Hubuku, nice to meet you."
As if by faith this was meet to be, both Ryu and Noah felt this, as well as Stiery for Ryu and Stiery would soon be wedded in marriage with kids of their own in the future.
They stood smiling at each other with some strange relief that it was going to be ok.
The ship that Ryu and the others was on sailed for a month before it had finally found land. When they arrived at the new continent, it took them weeks to get their baring’s of the new kind of life they were going to have with the new surroundings and natives of the land.
It was primitive compared to what they were used too, but at least they were safe and sound. After a year passed by on the new continent, a baby was being conceived and Ryu stood outside the hut waiting in anticipation with Jaaral, Saul, and Noah's family along with some new found friends off the ship.
You could hear Stiery screaming from inside the hut with labor pains. A new life being born from a new place, with a new set of surroundings, only seemed natural to how things sometimes go.
With the baby born Ryu and the rest lived out there days on the new continent and never looked back on Lemeyoko, or spoke of it to the natives, when they finally came around to befriend them. They were content and no more creatures from that land ever bothered them
there, nor did they ever see a war again. It was like that place became only a magical imagination in their thoughts.
Almost as if that place never existed.
"Please fasten your seatbelts for landing" was heard on a intercom from the captain of the plane that the 67 year old man was on.
The old man yawned and stretched from coming to from sleep and his dream, as the co-pilot went about checking him to make sure he was bulked and secured.
The dream stayed vivid in the old mans mind as if branded there for life. Nevertheless images of his family came rushing through and pushed those thoughts aside. How long has it been since he has seen his three grandchildren, son, and daughter-in-law.
They arrived at a private air field near the largest city of Australia, Sydney. His family was waiting for him in a red mini-van patiently.
The plane finally landed and the old man gracefully emerged from the plane, his three grandchildren climbed out of the mini-van and rushed towards their grandfather cheerfully.
"Grandpa!! the three shouted."
The oldest of the three grandchildren was a boy of eleven while the other two was twins of a girl and boy at the age of seven.
The twins were of white skin with brown hair, blue eyes and average height for their age. The oldest boy had silver hair with rare green eyes.
When they reached their grandpa, that was now walking towards the van, a cane in his right hand that was made of maple wood and a
metallic silver dragon with green eyes ornate on top and a small luggage in his left ,from the private plane, all three thrashed themselves around him into a group hug.
"Ahh my babies" bellowed out the old man whose name is Joseph Hurly, as he hugged his grandchildren back tightly.
"You kids like Australia and the school here compared to America?" asked Joseph Hurly curiously to his grandchildren.
Both the twins jumped in by replying with a disgusted look on their faces,"Naw, school is school no matter where you are at. It sucks no matter what." Joseph Hurly chuckled at this reply.
"Well I’m sure it is still a fine education none of the less." said Joseph Hurly.
"Come now Heather and Carl" demanded their father to the twins who was now at the hugging scene with a beam towards his father. "let your grandpa get towards the van so we can head back home for something to eat."
Joseph's son who was about 5'10 with brown hair and medium build took Joseph's luggage out of his hand with no complaints from the old man.
"Come on father, Rachel is waiting in the car." declared David Hurly Joseph's Hurly's son.
They all obliged and got in the van, with Joseph Hurly greeted sweetly by Rachel Hurly. David Hurly drove off towards their home from the private air field.
Finally arriving at the Hurly's brick four bedroom home that stood on 3 acres on the outskirts of Sydney, the Hurley's were catching up on
each others life from last they were together, while Rachel fixed an lasagna dinner with mash potato and French style green bean sides for the family to eat.
Laughing, eating the good dinner, and talking at the table troubles, worries, and time itself seem to have no place at this table except for the Hurly's family.
About eight o'clock that night with their bellies satisfied and contempt a knock on the door came as a shock.
"Well who could that be" asked David Hurly to himself startled as he got up and went towards the door to see who it was.
A brief moment and David came back towards the table with a Asian man with the family looking at them in confusion.
"Sorry for the intrusion on your family's reunion" said the Asian man towards the rest of the Hurly family, as he was walking behind David and bowed to them.
"Yea real sorry guys" added David. "My associate here has told me that something important has come up." he motioned towards his associate, from global communication in Sydney for the government, who was holding a small box with symbols on them."Mr. Habuku here says he has recently found something that could change our knowledge of our planet."
Mr. Habuku raised his small box so the Hurly family could see.
"Old ancient paper documents are here in this box" claimed Mr. Hubuku.
At that moment the silver haired boy who was sitting perplexed at the table and staring at the box, rose up and walked towards Mr. Hubuku.
He was glowing as if he had a inhumanly, calm, powerful white fire about him. He looked out towards nowhere and said with a thunderous voice that shook nations and the very fabricated time and space itself that all could hear with hearts and ears.
"Nigh is time!!!"
At that moment in time, as well as in the past and in the future also in the distance through space, and time, two other voices could be heard, not only with ears, but also with their hearts.
"Nigh is time!!!The one has come to save mankind."
“I am light, alpha, the beginning.”
“I am dark, omega, the end.”
“May the next light shine, and guide you, as you start afresh.”
“Let the next darkness, not be hidden from you, or give you fear, as time slowly goes forward, to come to an end.”
“For the time is nigh, for are end, are slumber, as another beginning begins, to end, for now is another beginning which will not be a beginning and that will have no end”
"We served time honorably which grants us our eternal slumber. Time from now on will be served by the freedom of every creature. We are no longer needed.
Farewell!!"
The End
But one last thought,
Though I still wonder what other creations my mind can come up with. Is it possible to do that very impossibility. This was nothing more than a thought from one's mind. Or was something intervening in the mental lexicon of my brain. I will never know that answer in my opinion, or do I want to know. Truths are anything and everything that has an existence, and any other fact on it to make it true. In my opinion, there are truths, obviously of course, truth is everything, and there will always be truths, as there always has been truths. I see life, the universe, the very existence of everything you can imagine as truths, therefore I do see one impossible imagination, that there is, or ever will be no truths at all.
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