The Choice Chapter 4
The Prophecy
By Chris Homer
Humphrey waited patiently outside his new base in the Dragon Knight's kingdom. His comrades would hopefully be here soon.
Since leaving the Liberation army, Humphrey's quest to avenge Odessa had been complete. And he and Futch had led quite a happy life, as they left. They had raised new spawn of the dragon's, thanks mainly to Milia whenever she had time from the Dragon's Den to help.
They had fun, and Humphrey's once quiet self was becoming much more open.
However......
2 months after they had left, Futch got a disturbing call from Joshua and Kreutz. Apparently, the dragons of the Den were slowly losing their natural abilities, such as the powers of fire, ice and lightning that the dragons could be born with, plus their ability to fly. But that wasn't all.
Joshua was been overpowered as leader of the Den by some unknown warriors calling themselves the 'Acolyates.' Their attack was strong, their defence inpenetrable. Luckily, Futch escaped and he and Humphrey ran.
Since then, they have recruited old members of the Liberation army to try and defeat this force, who have captured Joshua and Kreutz. However, the members they had recruited were not the most reliable.......
"'Bout time, thief!" Humphrey shouted as Krin entered.
Krin walked in with his smug look. "Heh...heh....sorry, sir!"
"Have you found him?" Humphrey questioned, his impatience shown clearly in his voice.
"Heh...heh....yes." And in walked Juppo.
Humphrey sighed. Things were getting that desperate to rely on thieves and tricksters for their plan. He wanted to find Kasumi and Kage, but Krin flatly refused to work with Kasumi, and Kage was practically off this earth.
"So, hows the trick business?" said Humphrey, expected a smart-ass answer.
What he got surprised him.
"To be honest, my inventions are booming quite well, I've have many accessories which I have been working on." And out plopped a bag with god knows what in them.
Juppo talked about what had been going on since he left. He originally wanted to just find a bigger trick, but then went to Teien and had been working with Gen and Kamandol. He destroyed his trickster image in favour of tricks which could be more useful, particularly in a fight. Juppo not the strongest of fighters, may have to rely on his inventions from now on.
Humphrey listened with intent, realising that he could be very useful now. His members included Futch, Milia, Krin, Juppo, himself, plus his secret weapon.....currently on spying missions.
Humphrey's prophescy was that a certain lady had returned, and his weapon had gone through a series of tests after he disappeared from the Army. He was now a much leaner fighter than he had ever been, and would be more than a match for anyone. But it still wasn't enough. He needed fighters.
He reached for the stone in his pocket and concerntrated.
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Lepant was in Kouan, finally able to get some relaxation. In his 40's, despite his brilliant swordsmanship, he would just like to get some rest, and spend more time with his family, his lovely wife Eileen, and his gossipy son, Sheena.
His sword now lay in Sheena's sheeve, as he was hoping to follow in his father's footsteps. After seeing him and other members of the Liberation Army fight bravely for their lives for no financial or female purpose (bar Tai Ho) he wanted to have that feeling as well. Giving the earth rune as well, he would follow the Hero as the greatest warrior after Teo McDohl.
Lepant smiled as he sat by the fire, Eileen somewhere nearby, his life couldn't be more perfect.
That was shattered with one scream.
That was Eileen's scream by hell or high water.
Lepant ran out of his house as fast as he could, listening for the trace of that voice. It was by the woods in Kouan, and he felt sure he could hear battle going on as well.
His sight confirmed that.
About 8 men, all dressed in black, like a ninja wear, were forcing their way to Sheena. 2 were down, most likely by Sheena's blade, but he wouldn't hold out for long. The leader by the looks of things, was holding Eileen with a knife by her throat. Sheena had a cut in his left arm, and was making his swordsplay much more difficult. He had cast a stone warrior like spell on himself, and was basically relying on that to protect himself.
Lepant knew he couldn't do anything without a weapon, but they hadn't seen him yet, they were focused on Sheena. He couldn't stand there and watch some bozo's destroy his wife and son.
Suddenly, Sheena was disarmed by one of them with a flick of his wrist. The sword lay 10 feet away from Lepant. On sheer adrenelin, he ran, rolled, and grabbed the sword.
The ninja guys focused now on Lepant, who had equipped a fire rune. He blasted them with flaming arrows, but it seemed to do little. He tried a stronger spell, an explosion, and that certainly did damage, but 3 of the 7 remained. Damn! His strongest spell and they had survived. The leader, (the 8th) still had Eileen. With a blow to the head, knocked her unconscious, whilst Lepant was now fending them off with the sword, giving up on his magic.
The leader grabbed Sheena and said "Go on, hit me."
Sheena with his good right arm swung once, twice, three times, missing every time as the ninja avoided it.
The fourth swing, the ninja ducked and drove an open palm into Sheena's chest, before hitting him unconscious with an elbow to the back of his skull. He grabbed both Sheena and Eileen and called out.
"That's enough! Lepant, if you want to see your family again, I suggest you go to place where you used to call home." With that, the leader with his remaining ninja's, glowed in a blue light and then vanished.
Lepant gasped after fending them off, but the veins in his head caught a reddish colour. He was fuming. By hell, he would destroy those bastards who caught his family.
He decided to find out where Kage was. Once a ninja, always a ninja, and he could be put up to it, the price being right of course.
He grabbed a stone from his pocket, concerntrating at Rokakku, home of the ninjas, or more likely, Kasumi. And where she was, he put a bet, Kage was.
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Sonya Shulen looked ahead at the huge sea ahead of her. The sunset just pouring down, fountains next to her, and aquatic marine life leaping in front of her. This sight she had visited since leaving the Liberation army, and loved it every time. It gave her a sense of peace and freedom.
Sonya sighed, couldn't help but divide at her conscience, once again. On one hand, she was loyal to the Republican Army, she was loyal to Barbarosa, and her fellow Generals, Kasim, Milich, Kwanda........but on the other side, she felt that she had been trapped in a warrior world for ever, despite her young age of 24. In contrast, she felt the opposite way that Cleo felt.
She and Cleo had developed a bond since joining up, and the only General who had a real friend, although she didn't really want to join the Liberation Army. However, when she saw Gremio resurrected, she was glad she did. Her final presence was enough to give life, to bring back life, and it was thanks to her.
She liked Gremio, but no way. They would never match, the loyal friend to The Hero and the head General, no way. Sighing, she sat down in her home, looking over planning for new Naval battle commands.
To be brutally honest, she was pissed off that the other Generals were asking her to build warships, submarines, speedships and loads of other crap that she didn;t want to do, but without it, she couldn't afford the lifestyle she currently had.
Yet, did she want it? Was she cut out for the high life, or did her noble blood make her want more, like her adventuring wannabes?
The phone rang.
And again.
Sonya was trying to make a decision and wished to hell that the phone would cut off by itself.
It rang again.
She picked it up.
"Hello?" she said.
"It's Milich. Are the plans for the naval battleship with the M320 explosive parts ready yet?"
Sonya sighed. He had phoned about this a mere 3 HOURS AGO! She was tempted to say "No, now bugger off and leave me alone!" but just said "No." From this a barrage of angry gestures came, increasing her rage and 'piss' level.
Then he said "By the way, you woman might as well help us with the next project. About new submarine warhead weapons. You can do it, of course you ca...."
"No, I can't." Sonya had had enough. It was time to make a decision.
"Of course you can. You've got all the resour...." Milich started.
"Try this then. No I won't!" she said.
"Eh?"
"I won't do them. I've had enough of this damn work life, even if it making me rich. You guys are only interested in my looks and my know-how, otherwise it's slag the bitch! Well, two words. F$£! you!" And she slammed the phone down.
She stepped out back at the sunset. "Man, that felt good!"
But what to do now?
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Luc, Leknaat and Hellion were on the Magician's Island. Hellion was now seer, but more urgent business was occuring.
Leknaat had recently keeled over and fell ill. Not physically ill like us, but mentally ill, as if her mind was being poisoned by thoughts coming into her brain.
Luc and Hellion had tried every healing spell known to them but to no avail. Hellion had just concerntrated her energy on various parts of the body to discover what was wrong. When she came to the brain, she struggled as well. Luc had to help her in concerntration.
The energy was dispursing at an alarming rate and the pain was excruitating. But Hellion had reached one conclusion.
"Luc, we had better be ready." was what she simply said.
"What?" the young magician inquired.
"They are back, and have brought what I fear is the ultimate end." she finished.
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So, who is the secret weapon of Humphrey's? And what is Sonya going to do now without her fellow General's to back her up?
This chapter basically finishes my original goal of the main characters being used. However, as you've realised, many of the other characters are being used, such as Hix, Teneggar, Maas, Krin, etc.
These Acolaytes, Windy's creations? Or just some hell bent mentals intent on world domination?
Wait and see.
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