Katiyana was impressed by Horam. The town boasted a variety of dojos, from the acclaimed Blue Dragon to the... well... not so acclaimed ones. Katiyana knew the town was relatively new, put together by those who wanted to trade secrets of martial arts and various weapons, and various philosophical ideas. Although how 'Bunny' was included, she would never know...
"Where to, fearless leader?" Sapphire asked, smiling.
Katiyana thought. The Blue Dragon dojo was too exclusive, and some of the dojos were too inappropriate, but maybe the Tiger one would do. They taught martial arts, the single sword, and the staff. She had learned that all mages were required to learn a modicum of staff fighting, for when their magic was used up. It would work.
She led the mages on, noting the various dojos. It also made her homesick. Horam was newer, more roaring, and lacking in Zen's tranquility, but it was so close to home...
"Katiyana?" Myra asked gently. Katiyana realized a single tear had trailed down.
"I'm sorry, it's just... it reminds me of Zen," the swordswoman replied, wiping the tear away. "I'll be all right." She sighed, and set her mind on her mission.
Luckily for the women, Master Shulin, the leader of the Tiger dojo, was in. Katiyana greeted him, remembering his visits to her own dojo. He stared, mouth agape. "Katiyana? Katiyana Neva?!" he asked. "Oh, what a wondrous day! How did you survive the tournament?"
"Lord Restar McCloud was present, and saved me. Master Shulin, we need your help to overcome the monsters that killed my family and destroyed my home," Katiyana started, then explained her errand.
Shulin listened carefully. "Hmmmm, I understand," he remarked slowly. "Yes, I would be more than happy to loan your friends uniforms. I could be of service, if you like."
"You don't mind? These guys are crazy!" Sapphire protested.
Shulin looked at the mage sadly, explaining, "I know this already. They have taken the lives of many of my friends, and some of my students. I became a martial artist to help protect myself and others. Also, I am a local."
"Thank you, Master Shulin," Katiyana replied, bowing politely. Shulin waved it off, then led the group to the women's locker room to change.
Katiyana had to fight off more tears in donning a dojo uniform. The colors were different, but the style of the shirt and pants was so similar... She managed only a sniffle as she tied the sash tightly around her hard waist. Sapphire, Myra, and the other mage Robyn tried to puzzle out the outfits, used to flowing robes. Shulin also gave the mages Tiger staffs, instructing them to leave their magical staves behind.
"What if we get in a fight?" Robyn demanded nervously.
Shulin looked her over. "What if nothing happens because you did not take care?" he asked quietly. Robyn thought about this, then dropped her ice cane by the others.
After all was ready, Shulin led them out into Horam proper. The group spent a long morning listening to gossip, talking to warriors and dojo leaders, and asking travelers if they had seen anything. No one had seen anything related, although most had heard of Zen's demise. Katiyana had to work hard to control herself.
After a light lunch, they continued. Shulin and Myra were questioning a Blue Dragon warrior, Sapphire and Robyn were scanning the crowd for people they hadn't talked to yet, and Katiyana was listening to the conversation. A small group of warriors she hadn't noticed before walked by, led by a tall red-haired woman. Suddenly, Katiyana blinked and looked again. Human, but... those eyes! That expression! "You!" she screamed.
The woman whipped around, eyes flashing from blue to red and back again. They widened. "You little brat! How did you survive my spell?" she snapped.
The others turned. "Katiyana, who is this?" Sapphire asked, fingers clenched around her staff.
Katiyana drew her sword and got in a ready stance. "This is that monster Selenidae, that destroyed my town!" she replied, "I guess they can take human form now."
Selenidae grimaced. "For emergencies. You humans are so blasted ugly," she retorted, shedding the illusion. She uncoiled the whip at her side and got ready. The other warriors followed suit. Shulin came up by Katiyana, fists ready. The mages got in back, ready to rumble.
Selenidae struck first, snapping the whip at the young beastwoman. Katiyana dodged, slashing back hard. Suddenly, a blast of power filled Katiyana. She smiled a thanks at Sapphire for the Power Drive, and got back to work. The mages were working on the other warriors.
Katiyana was fighting a double battle, trying to keep her rage and anger at this monster who had destroyed her life away from the sword. Absalom's face appeared in her mind, and she nearly lost it. Then, Katiyana remembered the children playing in Meribia and Vane. She thought of them growing up happily in families, safe and content. She knew that if she fought hard enough, they could be spared her pain. Justice and determination shoved out revenge, and she thrust at Selenidae with confidence.
Selenidae suddenly lunged at Shulin, who jumped back. Katiyana realized that Shulin was having trouble, trying to avoid the whip and get a blow in. She dashed up, trying to be bait. The demon took it, and Katiyana suddenly caught the whip on her sword. Shulin took advantage, coming in with an uppercut and tacking on a roundhouse kick. Selenidae faltered, then struck again. Sapphire blasted her with fire, trying to burn up the cursed whip.
"You'll have to do better than that, worms!" Selenidae snarled, then lashed her whip nastily at Katiyana. Katiyana ducked, the whip catching her on the back instead of her face. She yelped, then countered.
Shulin was circling, using the distraction of Selenidae's hatred for the beastwoman. He nodded to Katiyana, and the two warriors charged simultaneously. Selenidae fell, and Katiyana tried to knock the whip out of her hand. Selenidae hung onto it, twisting, then had to block a drop kick from Shulin. "You little pests! But, I guess enough is enough. I'm outta here!" the demon snarled, and vanished.
Katiyana clenched her fists angrily, then sighed. "There will be another day," she murmured.
The mages were dusting themselves off, and Shulin was looking with admiration at the young swordswoman. "Katiyana... the tales are true, it seems," he commented.
Katiyana blushed. "I've been working for a long time, that's all," she replied modestly.
"It shows. I would like to accompany you to Serak Palace, and meet Lord Restar if I may," Shulin said sincerely. "If things go well, I may bring some of my former students to join the cause."
Katiyana gaped, then smiled. Shulin was a master martial artist, and highly respected. He would bring others to the Palace, she was sure. "Welcome aboard," she replied with a grin. This was good. She wondered if Restar had any new recruits yet.
Restar was intrigued to see Joaquin. A beautiful city, built of the timber from the Illusion Woods. Even better, this was Justin's hometown, and he was glad to talk of it to the curious mage.
"Joaquin was founded about seventy years ago, by a group of monks, actually. They were unique from the martial arts masters that founded Horam, believing that a different path was needed to succeed in their art. They came to this spot, and vowed to live a life of serenity with the forest, to live with the earth as one," he explained.
"Whoa, so you guys are a bunch of tree-huggers?" Brock asked, grinning.
Justin smiled. "Perhaps," he admitted, "but, it's a good life. I love Meribia and all, but Joaquin will always hold my heart."
"So, we have Joaquin's philosophy to thank for Justin's level-headedness," Jonah suggested. Justin just smiled good-naturedly.
"Who would you recommend talking to first?" Restar asked.
"Easy. My grandmother is the gossip leader of Joaquin. If anyone has heard anything, she'll know who and maybe even what," Justin replied confidently. He led the knights and mage through the city, greeting a lot of neighbors on the way. Restar smiled to see how close Justin was to his people, then his thoughts turned to Katiyana. These monsters had stolen this from her.
"Restar? Restar? Lunar to Restar, man!" Brock called.
The mage roused himself. Justin had knelt by a chair which held an elderly, yet regal woman. She was kissing the knight, talking softly, with a huge smile on her face. "Nana, may I present Commander Jonah, Lord Brock, and Lord Restar. My lords, this is my grandmother, Lily Marigold."
"Just Nana, that's what I am to everyone," the woman insisted, smiling. "So, what's this handsome bunch of young lads want with an old woman like me?"
Restar smiled, feeling an instant affection for the spicy woman. "My lady- Nana, we are here for information," he began, and described the events since Zen.
Nana listened gravely, waiting until the mage was finished. "Hmmm, more of these morons trying something stupid," she mused. "Well, I can't say I know for sure, but a mage friend of mine WAS complaining about... oh, shifting magical fields, or some nonsense like that. I'm old, too late to learn all this magical jargon."
"We knew you would know something, and you're not old. Who was this, Nana?" Justin asked.
Nana grinned. "You always were a smart boy, and a smooth talker. It was Howard, who was complaining. Go see him, and he'll tell you more than you want to know," the woman replied, eyes twinkling.
Justin smiled and kissed his grandmother. "Thank you, Nana, I love you," he replied. "I'll try to come see you soon. We gotta take care of this."
"Course you do. Hurry up now, Nana won't be getting any younger," the old woman said, smiling. "Love you, Justin. Don't work too hard." The other men bid good-bye to the woman, and Justin led the way to another house.
"Justin? Hey, Justin! Been a while!" A grinning older man was sitting on his porch. Justin made the introductions, then asked about the magical fields.
"Restar, you're a mage, correct? Well, as you know, the magical field that blankets Lunar is affected by a lot of magic being used in one place," Howard began. "Strange magic being used makes a bit of a ripple effect occur in the area surrounding the site, more so when a lot of strong magic is used in one place. Think of a stone thrown in a pond. I have detected such a ripple, quite a large one, coming from the-" the old man broke off with a cry, a nasty-looking arrow buried in his chest.
Restar whipped around. There stood Astroyanax, lowering a crossbow. The demon sneered. "Look at that. If you would've minded your own business, he'd still be alive," he taunted.
Restar shifted his staff, looking at Howard. He had slumped forward, and moved his mouth. What was that, south? Jonah and his boys drew their swords, getting in front of Restar.
"What do you monsters want, anyway, to kill innocent people?!" Justin spat.
Astroyanax smiled grimly. "You have no idea of what it means to suffer in a dead world, do you? Lunar is a ripe fruit, and we're here to pick. We just have to flick off the bugs. Me... and all my army," he answered, waving his hand. Restar recognized the black cloud, and suddenly threw a rope of magic out to analyze the cloud. He picked up a quick trace of the ripple. South.
The army was huge, as big as the one in Zen. Restar did some mental calculations. It didn't look good. Boy, did he wish for some of Maralise's catapults!
"Now!" Astroyanax commanded. The bulk of the army got to work, burning houses and killing innocents. Most of the citizens were screaming and trying to flee. Some mages and martial artists tried to fight back. Restar began raining thunder, and the knights went to work with their swords. They were severely outnumbered.
Restar wished fervently that Katiyana and Sapphire were here to help, but they had to do what they could. He yelled in fury as another house caught fire. It was Zen all over again. He had to think, had to plan to prevent another massacre. Angrily, he blasted a Thunder Bomb at a clump of the killers, trying to burn another house.
Brock and Justin had plunged into the mass of green soldiers, fighting back to back. Restar was impressed at their skill and teamwork, and threw spells when they got overwhelmed. Jonah was by himself, a whirlwind of steel and movement, taking out the enemy in stride. But, it was too small an effort.
Jonah was an expert at figuring odds, one of the traits that made him a master commander. He knew that they were outnumbered, horrifically, and that many would die this day. He had a plan, a desperate and crazy one. "Parley!" he yelled.
Astroyanax looked at him. "What, is that a new fighting move or something?" he asked.
Jonah shook his head. "I'll make a deal with you. Leave the town alone, now, and I will go willingly as a hostage," he proposed.
"What?! Jonah... my lord..." Brock yelped.
"No! Jonah, we can find another way!" Justin protested, unwilling to let his good friend do this, even for his town.
"I know what I'm doing," Jonah snapped, then turned to look at the demon.
Astroyanax considered. This could work. He could get all the information he needed, right here. He had expert interrogators, and the knight would be weak against magical approaches. This man might even know who the prophecy referred to. "Agreed," he hissed. "Throw down your sword, and step up here."
Jonah looked at his comrades, smiled sadly, and obeyed. Brock retrieved the sword, and stood by helplessly. Astroyanax grinned, waved his arm, and transported them to their base. Restar threw his magic after it, trying to latch on or something, but his magic fell through. No good whatsoever!
Justin looked down. "He... he sacrificed his freedom to save my town," he murmured, "Why?"
"He wanted to prevent Zen's massacre," Restar explained, sad and moved by the heroic knight's display. Sharion would have done the same, he knew. The Knights of Meribia were highly respected, and they earned that respect from their honor and duty.
The day was finished helping the wounded, and aiding in the repair of the city. The people were grateful to the brave commander, and promised to help in whatever way they could. The offer was touching, though it could not remove the heavy iron burden on the hearts of Jonah's comrades. After doing all they could, the saddened group returned to Serak Palace.
Katiyana and Pearl were showing Shulin around Serak Palace, admiring the reinforcements that Restar's people had added. The local red stone was very beautiful, and several mages were talking about installing portals for quick transportation. They had sat down to supper when Restar and the two knights returned.
Katiyana sprang up to welcome her friends and introduce them to Shulin, then noticed the sad eyes of the group. "Wh-where's Jonah?" she asked nervously.
Restar looked at the knights, then quietly told of Joaquin's near massacre. Katiyana felt tears slip down at Jonah's bravery, and determination to protect the people. She then reported her success in Horam, and introduced Shulin around.
"It is an honor to have such a famed martial artist grace my home," Restar said sincerely.
Shulin shook his head. "Truly, the honor is mine to be invited to the home of such a brave and stubborn alliance," he replied modestly. "Katiyana has told me of your hopes to eradicate this new threat. They have caused the loss of many students and friends of mine, as well. Know that I shall fight at your side until peace returns."
"Speaking of peace and all, how do we get Jonah back?" Brock asked suddenly.
Silence reigned, then Restar began, "According to the mage Howard and my own investigations, it seems that a huge source of magic was being used south of Joaquin. Transportation requires a lot of magic, especially for an army. Therefore, it is likely that their base is also south of Joaquin."
"So that's either the Illusion Woods, or the desert?" Sapphire asked. "Geez, they can't even pick a good base."
"On the contrary, they picked well," Justin argued. "Think about it. We only gather timber and supplies from the edge of the woods. What with the Plantellas and other creatures of the forest, it's mostly avoided. The desert only has a port for restocking on the Minea, although there's been talk of forming a fishing village. Some fellow named Dalton."
"So, we just scout both areas, yes? I mean, we can't track their magic directly or anything," Myra commented.
"Our people will help with the woods, especially to help get Jonah back," Justin offered.
"I have spent much time in the desert in my travels. I will volunteer to aid in that search," Shulin added.
Sapphire sat up, suddenly. "Wait, wait, wait! Their magic... if it's not from here, they must have a source! Especially if they draw on it enough for the ripple effect!" she yelped.
Restar gasped, realizing. "If we find it..." he began.
"They'll be stripped of it! Besides, this magic is holding them here. The only way they could get here on their own is with a looped spell, with power from their world, since they can't draw on our magic," Sapphire declared.
The knights stared at her. "What?" Brock asked, confused.
Sapphire sighed. "Bust the source, they're outta here," she translated.
"All right! Let's go scouting!" Brock cried out, excited.
Restar smiled, looking at Katiyana. They were getting close, he knew it. Katiyana knew it too, returned his smile, and volunteered for the woods team.
Selenidae was furious at another defeat. She wished she had insisted on taking near all the army to Joaquin instead of that stupid reconnaissance in Horam. If that bratty little beastgirl hadn't had a copper sword, she would swear that she was the pesky green-eyed bearer of the silver sword. She was certainly causing enough trouble!
Astroyanax looked pleased with himself, and he whistled as he came to fetch his still-glowering sister. "I have a surprise for you, Sel," he said happily. "Come look what we caught in Joaquin!" Curious, the demon followed her brother to their jail cells.
Jonah sat quietly on the bench in his cell, heavily chained. He had not spoken, and appeared to be thinking hard. Selenidae let out a whoop of delight. "Excellent, my brother! One of the two is ours!" she cried out.
"Ahhh... no, not exactly," Astroyanax admitted. "He has brown eyes. But, he's a commander in the Meribian Knights! Plus, he was with that cursed mage that keeps interfering, the one from Zen. He can give us all the information we need to stamp out that little lot of troublemakers!"
Selenidae's eyes gleamed with anticipation, like fire-hearted rubies. "Excellent," she hissed with a sly grin. "By all means, let's get started."
One of the members of their organization was a skilled interrogator. He specialized in truth magics, torture magics, and psychic magics for the uncooperative. He bowed politely to his prince and princess, then scrutinized the commander with fiery red eyes. "Well?" Astroyanax asked.
The mage shrugged. "I think it will be difficult, but we will break him," he answered coolly, "He is a military man, so he is strong-willed, but my expertise will overcome." Selenidae nodded in approval, and opened the cell door.
Jonah rose with a calmness in his eyes. He loved his land, and the people he had sworn to protect. If he had to give his life, he would do so. But, he didn't intend to make it easy for them.
The mage walked in slowly, gazing at the commander. "Welcome to our home, human," he began. "You know that Lunar will be ours. Work with us, and we can spare people that you care about."
"Liar," Jonah replied quietly. He knew that it was important to keep his head, and think carefully.
"Really," the mage sneered. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. We'll get what we need either way. You can choose how much pain you want." Jonah didn't answer. "Where are the mage and swordswoman?" Jonah was silent. "You asked for it!" The mage touched Jonah's chains, and they began to glow with heat. Jonah grimaced, but made no sound.
"That was a touch, human. Answer now, and this will be all," the mage threatened. Jonah shrugged. The mage touched the chains again, and they glowed white with heat. Jonah let out a low moan, looking at the ground, but said nothing. He was fighting from the inside, and managed to overcome it.
"Time to up the punishment, human!" the mage snapped. He let out a psychic blast, and Jonah screamed, clutching his head in agony. Images swam through his consciousness like a river- houses burning, people dying, screams of pain and pleads for mercy. He knew it wasn't true, that it wasn't real, but it was so vivid. He felt like he had plunged into a world of pain, despair, and fear. He slammed a lid on his fury, remembering his hope with Restar and Katiyana.
The mage was shocked. He had seen many succumb to this spell, his specialty. He released more magic, trying to draw on Jonah's memories to make it more personal. Jonah was bent over, the images in his head assaulting his heart like spears of fire. He fought, fought with all the strength he possessed, clenching his teeth tightly. He would not give in! Not now, not ever!
The mage glared at him. How could he fight this?! This couldn't be! Well, he had a reserve. He threw out another rope of magic, searching for the information himself.
Jonah shrieked, feeling the pain of an invasion in his mind, and remembered what he had learned. The best defense against a psychic magic probe was unconsciousness. He would cut off the mage's path to his knowledge. Straining against the chains, he slammed a crucial nerve in his neck, and fainted away.
The mage gasped. The little...! Well, his leaders needed him, so breaking the man's neck was out. It would be so satisfying, but his allegiance to his leaders overcame his personal vendettas. He had, however, grabbed one little piece of information.
"Well?!" Selenidae demanded, impatiently, as the mage exited.
"Your Highnesses, the man was very strong-willed and knew how to block himself. However, I learned one useful piece of information," the mage remarked. He smiled to himself.
"Have you heard of Serak Palace?"
Back to the Shrine to Ghaleon.