Masu Empire History 1

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The grand Empire of Masu stretches all the way from Sourin Kingdom in the north, to the grand desert that stretched across the central part of the continent. The Masuens all carry blades, and in this country, a persons blade is akin to their soul. The central government of Masu is a good government, the emporers for the past five generations have all treated the citizens well and any attack against Masu was quickly thwarted before the enemy could get to the central city placed at the base of an extinct volcano. In the volcano there is a shrine which people use to talk to their god which stands for honor and courage.

In this country there are three dragoons, two per border and one that wanders through the country keeping peace at the tip of his sword. A sword that has yet to be beaten.

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Morning Time

The Dragoon was up and had already eaten in the inn's dining area before the sun even came up. She was talking with Hachen waiting for Takato and Saru outside. They were going over what was happening on the continent he was going to, pig was even paying attention as well.

Saru pounced on pig like a horsey. "Woot! riden em cow boy!"
Takato sauntered down the stairs rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. "I hate beds, should have made a hammock."

The pig just fell under the weight right away. "Well, I said I'd see you off in the morning." Hachen said to Takato and Saru. "And now that I saw you, I now say goodbye." Hachen waved goodbye as he headed toward the harbor with pig. The dragoon didn't have her armor today either. She looked from one to the other and said, "Well lets go, don't want to lose daylight. Hmm... Hey Takato, how are we going to find you in a crowd without your giant sword?" She said with a giggle as she walked away before he could respond.

"Eh how are we gonna find you..." He mocked out of earshot and followed her down the street, his katanas clicking against each other as he walkd. Saru busied himself by poking and exploring evry little curiousity on the street side along the way.

After an hour the dragoon turned and said to them both, "Welcome to Masu Empire, the land of honor and courage held at the tip of a sword. With that she made a sword appear in her hands and a sheathe at her hip. She sheathed the sword and smiled. "Now I fit right in."

"Hey girl, is the ones i want to talk to here? I have some unpaid debts." Takato grunted uncharacteristically. His face still like stone since the fair.

The smile disappeared when she saw his face. "I'm sorry to say that if you're only here to talk, then you'll be sorely disappointed. I'd be surprised if the general so much as gives you a word." She turned around and took a deep breath and put a smile back on. "Anyway his fortress is in the capital and won't be easy to get to. Besides that though we have a long way to go to get there. I'd say it'll be four, maybe five days. So instead of being gloom and doom the whole way there, how about lightening up a bit aye?" She turned back to him with a smile and she walked backwards on the road to the first town. They were going to pass through that town to the next before calling it a night.

Saru pounced on takato's pulling on his cheeks. "Smile gloomy!" He Laughed trying to pry Takato's face into a smile. The next thing the dragoon saw was Saru flying overhead.
Takato wiped his hands. "Talk my foot."

"He's got a point." The dragoon said in a huff. "There's no point to be grumpy now. If anything you can at least fake having fun. Who knows you might actually have some by accident." She finished by turning around to walk forward towards the cloud of dust that had risen from Saru's crash landing.

Takato managed a smile seeing the tangled and bruised saru. Saru sprang up and did a jig. "Anything for a laugh!" He jested.

When the dragoon saw Saru hurt on the ground she shrugged and moved on. In the first town people were off doing their daily routines. There were dozens of people in the rice fields and wheat fields close by. The children were dueling with each other with bamboo swords on a grassy gnoll, watched over by their sensei. The dragoon took in the scene as they walked through the town but she didn't stop, they needed to keep moving to get to the next village before night fall. When the second village was in sight though the sound of clanking swords was brought to their ears. It was coming from the forest to the right, and it wasn't the sound of sparring. The dragoon turned to Saru and Takato. "We'll definetly make it to town by night, wanna see what that is. Sounds to me like three on one." She smiled a sweet smile, a little more persuasion never hurt her before.


Saru polished off an apple core and flashed a wicked smile, one kanine obviously larger than the other. He swung his arms, "I hope one of them wants to spar!" He then dove headlong into the gowth following the sounds. He loved competition and there was none other like fighting. He had a eye for finding trouble and a nack for getting into it.

Takato sighed and reached for his massive sword...only to find it wasnt there. He shook his head the grasped hi hilt staying close to the dragoon. "What are we gonna do with monkey boy?"

The dragoon shrugged. "As long as he fights unarmed, with a sword, or with a staff, nothing. The way he acts its almost seems like he was born here. He'll fit in fine." 

In the forest three men, obviously bandits, were fighting against one man. He seemed to be about twenty and he wore simple clothes, they were covered in soil which would tell people he was a farmer, but the way he handled his sword would tell people he was Masuen. He was doing quite well against the three bandits but the equal ground was lost when he lost his footing tripping backwards over a rock and receiving a gash in his right shoulder. His yell of agony was accompanied by the laughter of the bandits. He got back up holding his sword shaking in his hands facing the three when a strange man emerged from the forest. He came out so fast in fact that he ran into a bandit and they tumbled off into the brush, the bandit now unconscious, the other's condition unknown. Before the other bandits could go check their friend the man slashed the stomach of one bandit. When he tried to strike the last one he was blocked. 

Two more figures emerged from the forest, only a black silhouette showed though. Neither the bandit nor the man knew who they were but when the bandit panicked for a single second, the man was able to quickly make the decisive blow across the mans chest. The man stabbed the bandit in the heart to finish him and turned to the two people still silhouetted before him.

The dragoon turned to Takato and whispered, "Not sure what transpired but what do you make of him friend or foe?" As she whispered the man studied the forms of both. He could tell they were armed and he could sense that both had far greater power than he did. However his eyes showed an unwavering determination, behind which stood a quest that he would not fail... no matter what happened.

"He slaughtered them without mercy...either an assasin or simple a ruthless fighter." Takato noted. He couldnt sense malice in the air though, only the contageous sense of unwaverind determination that seemed to surround the pesant.

The tree line exploded. "Ki,Ki,Ki!" Saru erupted into the clearing immediatly siding with farmer. "Hello, whats the issue?"

The faint sound of takato face palming himself was barely audble from the bushes.

The man turned, his sword ready, towards Saru but lowered it a little at the question. "Nothing, just a few bandits." The dragoon walked up and when she stepped on a twig the man turned with his sword raised at her neck. Even without her armor she still felt a sword wouldn't penetrate her skin. 

She used two fingers to lower the weapon, the man fought with all his strength to keep his weapon up but it was no use. "Now now, we aren't here to fight. She turned a bit to see Takato out the corner of her eye. "Well most of us anyway." She said with a sly smile.

The man stopped trying to lift his weapon back up and when he stopped so did she. He sheathed his sword, "That's good, My name is Karu." Even though his sword was sheathed he was still ready for an attack. He kept from treating his wound until he was absolutely certain they wouldn't attack. Last time his people trusted foreigners it led to where he was now.

Saru jumped up and down. "Karu!?!?! Im Saru! Cool!" He pounced shaking the mans hand viciously. Takato emerged from the woods and slid closer. "Takato." He nodded.

Karu nodded to each of them then turned to the dragoon. "and your na..." She cut him off before he could finish, "So who were these three?" She said poking one of them with her foot. "They were bandits, I tracked them down to get some information. They refuses though, so... well you saw what happened." Karu responded before kneeling down and looking through the bandits pockets to see if he could find anything. "They took something important to me and I need to know where they hid it."

Takato steeped foward. "What did they take?" He asked, his interest perked.

Karu stood back up with a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. "They took my village. Every last person, kidnapped." He said it while looking at the paper keeping his eyes from meeting anyone elses. He opened the paper up and smoothed it out so he could read it. It was a map to the bandits hideout. "Although appreciated, I don't expect your help with the rest of them." He said turning towards where he had to go next. The dragoon rolled her eyes and smacked his wound, he fell to the ground in pain. "Your not going alone, especially with a wound like that." She knelt down and ripped off a bit of her dress to use as a bandage. Karu let her work on the wound and when she was done he got back up and said, "Thank you." He started walking off into the forest, when out of ear shot the dragoon turned to Takato and Saru, "Any objections, because if there is you won't get any of the hero's feast we'll get for helping an entire village of people." She said with a wink before turning back and catching up with Karu.

Saru twitched. "I get to beat up a band of thugs? IM SO IN!!!!!!" He cut a flip in anticipation. Takato shrugged. "Sounds fine to me. We would rid the world of a some scum. Ill help out." Saru sprinted off and was practically cartwelling around the pair.

The hideout was only a few minutes away after leaving the forest. It was a deep tunnel system and the map only showed how to get to the hideout, not the layout of the tunnels. When they entered the torches on the walls were all lit and burning brightly. For about a mile it was just a narrow hall but at the end the tunnel split four ways. It was obvious what everyone had to do. Without saying a word the dragoon and Karu each picked a tunnel to go down, leaving Takato and Saru to fight over the other two pathes. The dragoons path led down a long path and ended at a wooden door. When opened she discovered it was a rather large library which contained detailed maps of the whole Masu empire, the maps even showed dozens of tunnel systems the went deep under Masu. Karu's tunnel went deeper into the ground, and he found himself in a dungeon like room, it seemed this place was under a lake because water was dripping from somewhere above. Takato's path will lead him right into the bandits living quarters, he could either sneak around and kill all the bandits, or go toe to toe with all thirty of them. Saru's tunnel will lead to a giant metal door with three complex opening mechanisms.

Saru toed down the tunnel flattening himself to the wall evry now and then. He reached the end and scratched his head. "Oh puzzle." He set to work instantly fiddling, more playing with it than anything else.

Takato heard voices up ahead and began to slow. He peaked through the darkness to see twenty...no thirty burly thugs. He took a deeop breath and strolled right into the room like he was ment to be here.

When Saru pushed in a buttom in the wall something like a rubic cube slid out of a square opening and fell to the floor. It was a five by five cube and it was already mixed up, ready for someone to solve.

When Takato entered the room the bandits looked at him and examined him for a minute before taking out their swords. There were all kinds of swords, from longswords to scimitars. They could tell he wasn't one of them because they all had one thing in common, a blue bandana on their right arms. One of them, most likely one of higher command, stepped forward with his sword pointed at Takato. "What are you doing here?"

Karu traveled through the dungeons and found holding cells but no matter where he looked he couldn't find his village, although there were many passages and stairwells.

Saru picked it up. "I love these things!" He cracked his fingers and picked up the device with a grin. "Ok first line up the green and make a cross with the colors lining up on the sides, then corners, line up the bottom, down, left up right, repeat until each corner is right....." He went about the cube like a master.

Takato grinned. "I have been called the angel of death, so ill leave the what im doing here up to your imagination." He cross gripped the katanas and waited for the first one to come foward. He wanted to try a quick draw technique his grandfather tried to beat into him, even though it never sank in.

Saru made all of the sides the same color, and it was obvious to put the cube into where it came from. When Saru put it in, a green light shown above the opening. Then from an opening under that, several wooden pieces tumbled out of the opening. The idea was to return the pieces assembled as a crystal with eight protrusions.

When Takato explained who he was the men all laughed. "You, the angel of death. Oh please, we've seen the angel of death, she killed our former leader. You are definately not her." With that, instead of all of them charging they got into a formation and three men charged first. They were cut down by Takato's quick draw but while Takato's quick draw was still finishing its arc more men charged at him with weapons swinging.

Karu reached the furthest depths of the dungeons and finally found his village, all in one giant cell. Karu held up his finger for silnce, then held up sword to slice the lock. Someone shouted to look behind him and when Karu looked he had just enough time to dodge a giant iron ball throw at him. A large man wielding a ball and chain appeared from the darkness swinging the ball around. Karu sighed and got into a fighting position. "Get to the back of the cell." He told his village members, before charging forward, watching for the time to counter attack.

Now saru was a bit lost. He picked up the pieces and inspected each one for straightness and used one to scratch his butt as he tried to figure this one out. He began to stick them together, first ending up with the eiffel tower, a swastika, the mona lisa, an airplane......

Takato laughed. "I keep hearing of this braud and its ticking me off." He shot foward blades out to his sides, charging and simply slicing like a midevil chariot.

Karu was able to maneuver around the ball the next time it was thrown but when he got close to the jailor the ball was already pulled back and nailed Karu square in the back and the impact hit him into the nearby wall. He was a little dazed but he still stood back up and held out his sword ready for battle as blood fell from his forhead, stopped by his eyebrows.

Eventually Saru was able to find the right form and to signifiy the right shape the pieces magically locked into place. When put back where it came a green light shown from the receptical. Then on the other side of the door a loud metalic thud sounded. When observed Saru would find a black stone with a chain around it. The chain has no definitive beginning or end, although it could be slid off. The black stone has nothing on it, it is just a smooth black stone, obviously not hallow. If the chain is slid off, nothing would happen.

Two men died before the bandits adapted and formed a new ranking. The were able to attack him from the sides, dodge the chariot blade technique, and exploit the slightest weakness if it presented itself.

"Er..wrong choice" Takato pivoted on his toe spinning, the twisting his wrist to slice back in the opposite direction like an elongated infinity symbol.

Saru climbed on top of the ball inspecting every inch. He licked it, looked at it from centimeters away, even thumped it to listen to the sound. He sratched his head trying to figure this one out.

Although caught off guard Takato only cut some of the bandits clothes. They were able to jump back quickly enough. Some tried to keep his attention while others started slowly going to the cieling or hiding under the beds waiting for a good chances to attack Takato from below.

Nothing happened no matter what Saru did. There was only that stone, the chain, and a torch on the wall. The torch though was bolted to the wall only there for light and that light showed nothing on the stone. When held up to the light the color of the stone wasn't exactly black, like the black coloring was swirling across the surface. Before Saru could even think of anything else though footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. A bandit was coming down to the door to make sure what was inside was safe.

Saru instantly shot up the wall. His nimble fingers and toes finding secure cracks and crevices. He settled in the top most corner of the room hidden in the shadows and watched the bandit, hoping for a lead.

Takato's eyes flashed and his smile turned malicious as his thrustes and movements became faster. "Dance of the mongoose." His movements becam sporadic and wild, his thrust were untimed, each blade flowing smoothly into the next blow like a wild dance. He would slice low turn and thrust high, slash down, then pivot with a double side sweep, all random movemnts.

A man in robes walked up to the door and inspected the first side. He saw the green lights on and shook his head. To himself he said, "Those stupid bandits still don't understand. Can't open this door without..." He walked over to the stone, put the chain back on, and then a shot of electicity hit the chain and made the stone glow. "a bit of magic." He put the stone where it came from and a green light showed. The door opened a crack and he got in quickly. Then the door closed and the lights turned off. The door opened and closed too quickly for Saru to get in though.

Many bandits fell quickly until the last few bandits switched to defense and deflected his attacks. Each attack Takato made they defended it better and eventually they started making suprising counterattacks. They may have been bandits but it was obvious that they could adapted.

Saru dropped to the floor. "Magic? Great every tom dick and harry on the team has some but no, the black sheep gets the in this situation. Hell i only have the power of love. Wait!" He lept foward and hugged the ball and waited.....epic fail. He sighed and was about to turn away when his staff struck the ball, the only thing on him that was somewhat magical. It glowed and creaked open enough for saru to slip in. "See it was the power of love."

Takato smiled. "We arent so different. Anything to complete a job." He kicked a chair up into the air and diced it sending shard and splinters at the group. He went low with sweep strikes hoping to lop some knees while they protected their faces.

Saru entered the treasure vault. There was piles of gold and silver, jade statues, famous art pieces, and in the middle of the room there was a scepter. The scepter floated in mid-air, suspended by magic. There was no barrier, from what anyone could tell there was no trap, it just floated there, begging to be taken. There were footsteps coming from the other side of a gold pile, obviously the man that had come in before. He was walking back to get out after checking a couple things in the vault.

The bandits jumped back from the splinters dodging them, and in effect the sweep strike. Then they all rushed Takato at once.

Saru instantly adourned some jewlery and gold laden robes, expertly immatating a buddah. He stood stock still aiming to pass for a peice of loot and go unnoticed.

Takato laughed. "Looks like rain." His personal katana which he formed exploded into a cloud of senbon.

The magic bandits stopped as he was passing Saru. He got closer to Saru to inspect him. Then he backed up and said, "Hmm... a buddah with a tail." Saru had his tail out and it was clearly attached to him, "They'll make anything these days won't they." He shrugged and walked away. At the door there was a robe from the cieling to pull to open the vault and leave. There was no sign of anyone else in the vault, Saru had free reign.

The senbon shot all over the room and impaled all of the bandits except one, it was the leader. Although he held no shield or anything to block the senbon, it seemed more like the senbon went through him. He smiled at Takato and as he walked closer his ragged garb changed into emerald full plate armor, with a gold cape that extended to the floor below him. He stopped before Takato and said, "Well, it seems like peons really can't kill you, and here I thought shadow warriors were strong. They were so adaptable and strong, too bad. Oh right, I believe introductions are in order. I am the man you wish to kill," He moved his head closer and his nose was only centimeters from Takato's, "The General!"

Takato smirked. "Really i expected you to be more impressive." His personality was back in full swing. He went into a full headbutt cutting the formalities short.

The General burst into a black fog where Takato headbutted and the fog moved a bit back before reforming back to The General. "A headbutt, oh this will be easier than I thought. Too bad there is more to come before our fight, otherwise I'd kill you now." He had a sly smile. "However certain events have yet to transpire. He looked Takato straight in the eye, "For instance, you haven't even found out my little traitors greatest achievement." He turned his back towards Takato and started to walk towards the wall. When he reached it he looked over his shoulder and said, "You should ask about it, more specifically about what happened to your clan. I'm sure it will be... interesting." He laughed as he walked through the wall leaving Takato in an empty room, even the bodies of the bandits were now gone.

The dragoon was the first to come back to the main hallway and not long after Karu and his village arrived, although there were two people on either side of Karu to keep him standing. The dragoon told them to go one, she would wait for the others. When the village left the cave the dragoon felt a familiar presence, it felt like it was surrounding her, enveloping her, suffocating her. She was slowly getting sucked in but an image flashed before her eyes, an image she'll never forget, and she snapped back shaking The General's mind control away from her and went back to watching the tunnels for Takato and Saru.

Saru was shoveling heaps of gold into his folds of clothing, dancing and skipping like a prospector. He lifted each gem, inspected each armement, and plundered the most valueable. That is until the scepter caught his eye. It floated on its own, suspended. He paced foward stars in his eyes, curosity pwning his common sense. He slowly reached out for it...

Takato's eyes blared, he bashed foward with a round gouse finish smashing the wall. It crumbled..only to reveil another room. "Crap.." He grabbed as many senbon as possible to reform his katana.

When Saru grabbed the scepter the largest gem detached and floated in front of his staff. No matter where he would move it the gems would still float in front of it, waiting to see if it was allowed to attach to Saru's staff or not. When the gem detached the scepter did fall to the ground, now a powerless gold stick.

Nothing else happened to Takato as he went back towards the entrance. The dragoon waved to him with a smile on her face. "Hey, how was it?" She asked, "All that's left is Saru, that monkey must have stumbled across something good." She said smiling, not knowing what transpired with Takato and The General

Saru scampered back on all fours, the gem over his shoulder. "its following me!!!!" Gold coins shook from his folds as he sprinted. "i dont know what it is or what i did but it likes me...and its creepy."

Takato walked right up to her without a response. "Cut the shit. Whats your angle? Why did you join us? What is your history with the dragoons? What do you know about my clan?" The vein in his forehead pulsated.

The dragoon took a step back from his rough approach. "Woh, what's up with you?" Her attention was fully of Takato now. She knew what he was talking about but didn't know how he knew.

"You said in our fight that you were once a dragoon. What changed your mind? What happened?" His eyes flickered as he controlled his emotion. Takato was keeping in mind her recent friendliness but his rage still boiled.

"I'm still a dragoon, I still have the powers. That's really strange that he's letting me keep my powers... but I digress. I changed my mind, when I heard a tale from an old man. You see, everytime we go to another world we have 100 years to live as normal people. During that hundred years I found an old man who told me of a man from the Nakini that would clash with the leader of armies. I believe the story talked about you because..." She hesitated about to divulge her secret but continued, "you're the only one left."

All the color drained from his face. The last hope that his father or mother had survived sputtered out. Takato forgot the rest of his interogation. He seemed in shock as his eyes focused off. "Wha...at..?"

Saru looked away awkwardly and started to poke the gem with curiosity.

"As far as the dragoons at base know though there aren't any left. They don't even know you are still alive for that matter." The dragoon explained. "Not only that, but to survive during the attack on the Nakini shows that fate is definetly swirling about you. Ethrin did order the attack on the Nakini... but the general gave him the dragoons that did all of the dirty work, but you have to realize that if you are serious about killing the general then there are more opponents than you think. He's only 1 of 10 officers directly under the masters dominion, a dragoon like me is as powerful as a butterfly in their eyes. Especially in Raven's eyes." The dragoon said looking back at her encounter with the so called "Angel of Death", Raven. She shook the memory out of her head and grabbed Takato's shoulders to make him look her in the eyes. "You can defeat them though because you hold the feelings and dreams of your clan in you soul, something that the general lacks. You have a reason to fight for, but do not mistake this for revenge, otherwise the master will have you."

Takato was dazed. This was all to much. Brought his hand to his face in disbelief. His eyes glazed, body stock still. Then without notice he hugged her, "I understand." He let go and half turned to face saru with a new resolve in his eyes.

She lets him hug her and then turned to Saru as well. She bent down to lok at the strange floating gem. She tried to touch it but it gave her a small shock, at the moment Saru would be the only one to touch it without getting shocked. "It looks like its waiting for something. She put her hand in between the space between the staff and gem. "It wants to connect with your staff... with you permission of course. This could boost one of your abilities, although I'm not sure which one." The gem, if accepted, would make Saru physically stronger.

Saru poked the gem, instantly it erupted into a burst of blinding light. The blazing light centered by an unknown force receding into the staff. The staff then glowed softly until it gently faded to nothing. Saru looked bewildered and completly confussed, other than that nothing seemed different. "Well that was anticlimatic."

"Do you feel any different? Look deep into your soul and reach out for something new." The dragoon waited for Saru to do that and asked, "Anything?"

Saru went blank easing his body. He gently breathed deep relaxing breaths. His mind draining. He could feel every inch of himself, the ground below, the very air around him. His skin tingled as he searched the recesses of his soul. His brow creased in concentration. His mind ventured into the locked cavities within, every memory, every reflex, every instinct. He suddenly opened his eyes. "My inner soul.....wants a bannana." He sighed as his stomach released a echoeing growl.

"Hmm, I guess it doesn't do anything." The dragoon said with a shrug. When they exited the cave the sun had just finished setting, the only way they could tell was by the pink sky retreating into the mountains as the black night slowly crept up from the east. "The town isn't far away. Just a few miles through this forest an wwe should be there." When they entered town the people were holding a festival and all three of them were taken away by the villagers and put on seats of honor for what they did, there was a fourth seat which Karu was currently sitting in. Karu had a cast around his leg and his chest was bandaged but he was having a great time as people brought them food and danced around the bon fire in the town square. The dragoon motioned for someone to come to her, she whispered something in his ear and he bowed a bit before walking away. He came back later and placed a tray full of bananas in front of Saru.

Saru about fainted. "OH MY GOD! I LOVE this place." He already had four bananas striped and devoured between words. "Sake?" He laughed enjoying the festivities and paty. He was so caught up he had forgatten all about the preceeding events. Takato eyed saru even though he himself was having fun. "Sake might not be a good idea." Saru pihped. "My body runs clean ill be fine." He found a bottle and instead of traditionally sipping from a cup he swigged from the bottle.

At least three of them were having a good time, but looking into the fire the dragoon remembered exactly what happened years ago. She looked over to Takato and saw the grown version of the one she let get away. She had slaughted so many that day, but something held her back. She turned to Takato with a smiled before going back to eating.

Takato slapped saru's back in a drunken stupor after smiling back at the dragoon. "O..o..ne thingsh for shure your nn.not meek." He stumbled over his words. The laughung saru suddenly stoped. His face hardened. "Wha..what? Did, didi you jj...ust calls me weak?" He face erupted into a scowl. "Ish that..what you shaid?" Takato flinched. "no ..man i lovesh ya." Saru's staff started to glow "You cant shweet talks me now punk!" The staff suddenly vanished into his back as his robes stretched, his body expanding. Where once a lean limber fighter stood, a nicely toned, though not super ripped, fighter stood with a long mane of hair. "A..Ape mode!" He let off a devastating hay maker that left a ditch where his push off foot was. The hit connected sending takato through the near wall and skidding up to a half mile down the road.

Unlike other places people in Masu didn't run in danger. When they all saw this their hands instictvely hovered around their swords. The dragoon though walked right over to Saru and said, "Okay mister." She reached up and grabbed Saru's ear like a mother would to a child. "Your going in the corner."

"No! ish no wantsa go to the cornnner." Saru shook his head his neck muscles twitcheing, almost swinging her around as his ear rotated. He started to stomp his feet leaving six inch indetions were he connected.

"Fussy little child." The dragoon said before stomping her feet into the ground and shooting a sword out from her hand and through Saru's ear. The sword looped around so she could grab the blade and handle and use the blade to keep hold of him. The she pulled down to Make Saru stop thrashing around. "If you want this to stop than stop whining and do as I say."

Saru grabbed the blad with his fore finger and thumb snapping it like a twig. "No!" He grabbed her by the waist, and accidentally threw his arms up, along with her, icdeally she would have sailed up to the low clouds.

"Ugh, this is gonna be a long night isn't it." She said while going up through the air. Then a sword appeared abover her and when she hit it she did so with her feet on the blade. Using the blade as a hoverboard she flew just a few feet over Saru, out of harms way, to see what Saru would do with the villagers, all of whom man, woman, child, and elder were ready to draw swords.

Saru threw his head back beating his chest like an animal. Takato suddnly charged through the crowd blade drawn. He lept up with lightening fast strikes at sarus arms hoping to incapacitate him. Saru met it with a downward punch, slamming takato into the ground. He screeched then continued to throw punches into the ground putting takato a good six feet below the soil in a crater. He grabbed the nearest cart and spin hurled it faster than a jet toward the dragoon. His final act, he threw his head back to howl again but instead burped. "Thanks for the bananas..." ANd collasped back incapacitated, his body shrinking back to its original size and his staff appearing from a ball of light beside him.

The dragoon simply stopped the cart with one hand. Then she floated down holding the cart and placed it safely by Saru. "This is why I don't condone drinking." She said stepping off the sword. She walked over to Takato and pulled him out of the ground, "You look thinner." She said with a smirk.

"shut up...i was just pounded into my own grave by a drunk baboon." He huffed shaking dirt from his hair.

She picked the passed out Saru in her arms and said, "Well you did call him weak." She said with a laugh before carrying him to a place where he could sleep. She walked out and said, "He's gonna have one heck of a hangover."

Takato slapped his forehead. "I said he wasnt meek! Jeez its not even close!"

The dragoon stuck out her tongue to show she was kidding and walked off to bed. In the morning she was the first to get up. She stretched her back while she watched to sun peak over the hills. She looked over at the house the guys slept at and thought, They are going to have huge hangovers. She smiled, This'll be fun.

Takato was out front already repping out push ups. He showed no obvious signs of discomfort. However a groan could be heard from the window.

The dragoon walked over to Takato, "Good to see your up and it sounds like the monkey is up as well." She said turning to the door waiting for Saru to come out.

Takato huffed as he directed what was left of the molecular alcohol in his system out through his pores. The iron in his system attached and guided the atoms out. With that he was up and walking through strikes with his dual katanas. "Morning to you to."

Saru emerged outside looking fine, but when he approached he winced with every step. "Why is it so loud this morning? OH morning." He plugged an ear the other to his forehead.

The dragoon had a wicked smile and walked up to Saru on the uncovered ear and yelled, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOUD!" She giggled before taking a few steps back and bumping into Karu. After she bumped into his he moved around her and said, "I see you are about to leave.

Saru was laying on the ground, eyes spiraling, blood gushing from his ears. His body went into comical spasms.

Karu looked at the convuling monkey and shrugged. "Anyway, I wanted to thank you Takato, Saru, and..." He looked at the dragoon but before he could ask she said, "Oh no problem we were happy to help." She picked up Saru giving him a shoulder to walk with, "Well lets go." She seemed to want to leave quickly.

"It was our pl.."Saru quickly brought his hand to his mouth. "Grungh.." He let out a sigh and turned his face to her. "What happened ast night?"

Takato smiled at karu, he guinuenly liked the man and his courage. "Thank you karu, this little excursion brought me back to my senses." He offered his hand.

Karu shook Takatos hand, since Saru and the dragoon were already on the move he took a step to whisper to Takato, "Be careful of that woman, I do not doubt her comraderie with you and the strange monkey, but I feel she is still hiding something... did you notice she dodges giving away her name. The last demon with power over names died centuries ago so there must be a secret to it."

When Takato was done talking with Karu the dragoon was waiting with the hungover Saru held up only by her arm. "Come on Takato, we've got a few more days travel ahead." She bit her lip thinking, "I think we might have to set up camp today, not enough time to get to the next town I'm afraid."

"Sounds good to me." Takato smiled. He stayed pace with saru who was now using his staff as a walking stick.

The weather was getting warmer as they traveled although it felt like a usual summer in Elftown. There was also a nice breeze coming from the east which made traveling all the more pleasant. After a few hours the sen was starting to set but the next town wasn't even in sight yet. The dragoon stopped and stretched her back before saying, "I think we should set up came." All around them was plains with a few trees around so they walked over to the nearest tree and since no one used a tent setting up camp only consisted of a fire to cook any small animals they found. After dinner the dragoon stayed awake for a while looking up at the stars, even after one hundred and some odd years the stars still facinated her.

Saru scampered up into the nearest tree and fell aslepp in the branches instantly. He sbore gently with the swaying limbs. Takato sauntered over and collasped in the grass beside her. He stretched placing his intertwined hands behind his head. "Beautiful isnt it?"

"Ya, its amazing, even after all these years I can still be facinated by such small lights." She responed still looking up at the stars.

Takato reached out his hand sweeping across the sky, as if grasping the stars. "Each one a different light, a different star with a different story. Each unique and unlike the ones next to it like the people of elftown. Whats yours?"

She looked around and with her finger she circled a cluster of stars. "One of them, they're all very similar from this point of view. This world is rather from from the rest of the stars."

"I ment your story." Takato chuckled.

"Oh," She sighed and said, "I'm sure you don't want me talk about the five hundred some years I've lived so far, but before that I was in a much nicer body than this." She tugged at her skin in disgust. "To put it in this world's perspective, I was a praying mantis with eight arms." She said remembering how beautiful she looked, well in her society anyway. "I lived a rather normal life and when I was offered these powers and immortality I signed up. I've always thought what I was doing was right, helping the master to survive, but something changed that."

"And that was?" Takato edged it on.

"My eyes were opened." She said still staring up at the stars. "An old man told me something he prophesized... and then I found the child and couldn't bring myself to kill him. I knew I should have, because he would help kill the thing I've protected for years." She paused for a second and stretched out her hand, examining it, and finished, "I just couldn't kill him though. Although if I had niether of us would be here." She said looking at him for a second and then casually turned back to the stars. She didn't know if he would get the message but wether he did or not, he would learn eventually.

"Oh?" Takato puzzled, knowing she was insinuating something. He looked back at the stars, his hands behind his head. He stretched then placed one palm on the ground. After a second he grinned as four bars exploded from the ground attaching and binding her to the ground. Two seperate ones encircled her hands to prevent her magic.

It took her by suprise but she could have escaped if she wanted. Even though she was pinned she was still able to summon an manipulate swords just by thought, but seeing as this was Takato's doing she figured she would just see where he was going with this. She looked around with a puzzled expression and asked, "Okay, what's with the restraints?"

Takato's iridium blade ran up his arm forming a shell. He stood expressions blank. His other sword mencingly pointed at her throat, his stare unwavering. The stars silouted his figure. "Why?" was the only word to escape his lips.

She looked up right at his eyes and stared at him for a few seconds silently. She sighed and said, "I could lie here and say I don't know why, honestly I don't know what stopped me. However I choose to use a different method." Sword appeared out of no where spinning as fast as saws and broke her restraints in seconds. She stood up and held up her hand to show she meant no harm. Then with the other she made a circle in the air and it opened a portal into her memories. The portal expanded so they could walk in and there they could see as the dragoons stood infront of the village of the Nakini. They were all in full battle armor and behind them the general stood with his arms crossed. He held up his hand and all dragoons shot off toward the village. The dragoon turned to him and said, "These are my memories," She pointed to one of the dragoons, "That was me. Let's fast forward a bit." Then the scene shifted to the back of the town, an elderly man and a child were huddled behind a rock looking for a time to escape and all looked clear but the past version of the dragoon burst down the door. She walked forward with a sword in her hand and pointed the sword at the two. She had death in her eyes but she couldn't kill them, she couldn't even move. She gritted her teeth as she tried to break through whatever had a hold of her but she couldn't get through this strange feeling. She dropped the sword and held her head in agony. She was so confused, she didn't know what was going on, she felt like she needed them to live, but she was taught to kill them all. She turned her head to them and said, "Run, now!" She didn't know why she said it, and she closed her eyes from the pain in her head as the two slipped away, the last two Nakini alive. The scene faded and the dragoon and Takato stood in the field. She turned to him awaiting a response.

Takato watched, his arms limp. The blood had seemed so real, his grandfather...himself. He dropped to his knees and all he could do was hug hers. "Who wanted this done?"

"Well there is a man named Ethrin, he would say he ordered the general to kill them, but even Ethrin has his influences." She looked up at the stars and said, "The master told Ethrin to strike the Nakini and then told the general to assist Ethrin, although the general grew impatient with Ethrin's procrastination so he took his dragoons and struck. Ethrin was disappointed that he didn't get to fight, but he took the claim as sending the dragoons." She looked down at him and knelt down, "The master ordered it, but we take down the general first." She looked him right in the eyes when she said that, then smiled and hugged him.

He sheathed his sword and stood up restraingin his resolve. His eyes no bright set on the stars. "Alright." He pumped his fist to the sky. After a silent moment he looked back at her. "So what is your real name...and what lead you to the general?"

"The general, he has a way with words for one." She thought back to why she joined so many centuries ago. "He also offered my immortallity, the chance to visit different worlds, and then there was the swordmancing." Five swords appeared instantly and simply floated around her. "I wasn't born with this power... in fact none of the dragoons are born with their powers, the general found a way to take any power, duplicate it, and put it in another person. Just think of the greatest power in this world, and it along with immortality and anything you could dream of is yours. All you have to do is sign your allegiance to the master, and detach yourself from your world. The swords vanished and she looked up at him, "We dragoons were greedy enough to sell our souls and homes to the master, to the general. That is why they must be stopped." She avoided the name question as much as she could, she really didn't want him to know. She let out a yawn and said, "Looks like I'm a little tired, maybe we can continue this in the morning."

Takato nodded a little befudled. He managed to make it to the hammock befor epassing out in its hold, thoughts racing. Information still processing through his concious. His swords proped against the tree, eyes on the branches and split stars beyond, his senses still trained on the dragoon.

Nothing else happened that night, the morning was quiet as well. The next village came up quickly and on the way there they found a man dressed in black dragoon armor standing in the middle of the road. He put up his hand to signal halt and when they stopped the good dragoon squinted and realized who it was. "Tommy!" She said walking up about to give him a hug but bumped into something she couldn't see. She put down her arms and with a solemn face said, "Your not here for a friendly visit are you?" He shook his head and she took a step back. A sword appeared in her head and she said to Saru and Takato. "Guys, watch out for shadows." There were a few clouds in the sky but they were moving slowly and casting small shadows across the plains.

"Eh?" Saru looked about excitedly, he was itching for a fight. The whole night the two had been doing god knows what, he had been trying out his new form riping trees out of the ground and such. Takato held his swords at the ready.

The dragoon struck her sword into the ground right next to her foot and jumped back a foot so Takato and Saru could see Tommy's shadow, detached from him and caught by her sword. "He's what's called a shadow dancer. Gives him a scary strong power but at the price of his voice. Oh... and he has more than one shadow." After she said that twenty shadows shot out of every cload shadows across the plains and started zooming towards them. "Takato, hold off on the senbon shower, you'll need it for later with him." She said before forming swords and shooting them at shadows. When they hit the shadow would burst into dust. In the meantime Tommy simply stood there calmly, not at all scared of his opponents and not phased at all that he was sent to kill one of his friends among the dragoons.

"He needs a shadow right?" Saru Slammed the staff into the ground propelling him high above the group. His change was instant as his form shifted in mid air. "Gorrilla Mode!" His manged hair sweeping in the wind, as he decended right above tommy drawn back in a haymker punch.

Takato busied himself stabbing into the ground at the slightest movment on the surface. He looked much like a whack amole game.

Saru going into the air made a large shadow around Tommy and from that shadow shot physical shadow spikes that, if not killed, would either injure or stop Saru from the attack. The spikes were the same color as the shadows so it would be a miracle if Saru saw them from his perspective. The dragoon was too busy with the shadows swarming around to notice Saru's dilemma. She was creating many swords so she could stab at the swarming shadows. Just to make things worse the dragoon was chanting a spell to summon a thunderstorm with plenty of clouds to shadow the area.

Saru's iron fist met the unkown spikes head on, puncturing his hand but shattering the other assaulting spikes. He howled in pain hand seeping blood.


The spike broke from Saru's weight and snapped off inside his fist, the shadow spike in Saru's hand disappeared though. Tommy then simply jumped back from where Saru would land, he now had his own shadow again. The shadows stopped going after the dragoon and Takato although the shadows were slowly gathering.

Takato grinted his teeth. "I dont like this one bit."

"Like hell I'm letting this happen." The dragoon said before a sword appeared for her to ride. She flew up to the clouds to start fighting them off with her own magic, while Tommy was using hand signs to make them form. It seemed that the dragoon was able to hold off a wide area around Saru and Takato, large enough for them to react if shadows attacked again. Tommy looked at both of them with cold disregard as his hands flipped through each sign as if they were born to do so. Tommy's shadow was darker than the shadows of the clouds above him and it wasn't doing the same actions as he was. It was doing completely different hand signals and shadow being were forming under the cloud cover and they weren't just shadows, they were actually 3 dimensional enemies unlike what they fought before. They ran at the two and they were able to step out into the light without consiquence.

Saru sprang foward hands flying crashing into enemy after enemy. His emmense strength propelling his fists like wrecking balls.

Takato immediatly took and defensive stance and waited for the forms to get close. He then sprang foward dual slashing from eachside and follwing with a turk and down slash.

The shadow creatures fell with each hit, it didn't even seem like they were trying to dodge. The creatures kept forming though, and behind Tommy it seemed like a large shadow creature was forming, although it wasn't humanoid, it was beast like but exactly what beast was unclear at this point.

Takato shot foward aiming a series of lightening fast strikes at tommy. A down, with a following backslash, pivot and double side slash.

Before Takato got close enough Tommy sunk into the shadows like they were water and emerged elsewhere deeper into the shadows, his niether his not his shadow's hand signs stopped and the clouds were getting harder for the dragoon to battle, making the area of light smaller. Around Takato six shadow being formed and started throwing punches or kicks and in the shadows they would be hard to see. The large shadow beast was still taking shape as all this happened as well.

Takatos hard skin took the surprise blows well, the hidden blows vieled from his eyes.

Saru launched into a sprint drawn back in a massive haymaker. He charged right through to the beast in an attempt to stop it before it forned.

The shadows kept beating on Takato relentlessly trying to make him fall to the ground and kick him to death it they can. When Saru reached the beast it burst into like a black cloud and flew around the light spot and reformed on the other side. Then the clouds were too hard to contain and they converged. 

The dragoon flew down to the ground again depressed that she couldn't fight it and seeing Takato getting beaten up by nothing she knew Tommy's trick. She threw sword all around Takato and they burst into black clouds that disappeared. The dragoon positioned herself so that Saru, Takato, and herself made a sort of equilateral triangle. "Crap... Tommy don't do this!" Tommy stood infront of the forming shadow beast and stood there examining his enemies, showing no emotion. Niether he nor his shadow were doing any hand signs now.

Takato glanced about, a few bruises here and there but not to much done, a broken rib maybe he had been through worse. "Shadows....wait." He smirked and idea coming to mind. "Im going to need yaminia for this." He wioed a trickle of blood from his lip and slammed the hand into his chest, penetrating, and began to pull back...first a hilt, then the guard and finally his signature massive sword appeared emerging from his opwn chest leaving no evident harm. "Now then saru would you mind some arobics?"

Saru looked quizzically at Takato but simply nodded and started to hop and rubb his hands in what looked like anticipation but kept the stare off at tommy equal without making an advance.

Tommy held up his hand and the surreal forms of the shadows stopped their advance. The only thing moving was his shadow who was once again making hand signs to finish forming the shadow beast, its form was ten times their size now and it was beginning to take a more difinitive shape. There were definately tusks, its barrel shapped body was well muscled, and its legs were strong looking even in the unfinished form.

Takato planted the blade into the soil. "Saru grab the blade!" The monkey man reached out, his pent up static from his fur connected with the blade. The massive lightening rod sparked and arced up drawing a massive bolt from the clouds turning drakness into blinding daylight.

When the lightning started to come down Tommy seemed uncaring. He just started making hand signs. The shadow minions were burned away by the light but Tommy's shadow leapt out of the ground and spread itself wide in front of the beast to act as a shield from the light.

The dragoon pressed her hand to her chest and her armors formed around her. Then she walked over to Yamina and touched it, before Takato could object, taking to lighting into her and making her glow brightly. She walked forward chanting something to make her light shine brightly, at the same time Tommy's hand signs sped up to protect his shadow. They were both one foot from each other trying their hardest not to mess up, they were completely focused on each other and their magic. The dragoon didn't think she would have to tell her two friends that she was making the perfect striking oppurtunity.

Takato picked up his massive sword and tossed it into the air to where it would come point down right over tommy. He dashed foward with a series of strikes with incredable speed because of his light blades.

Tommy's shadow saw the blade coming through the air and caught it with a third hand. It looked down at Tommy with concern and he nodded while making hand signs. Then the shadow dropped the blade and curled around Tommy and they sunk into the ground before Takato could make it to them. The shadow beast slowly burned out of existance from the dragoons light and the clouds started to break up rather quickly. The dragoon stopped the chant seeing no more reason to keep the light and when the cloud cover was back to normal again Tommy rose out of the ground and started more hand signs. The dragoon put her hand up to make sure Takato and Saru didn't attack and started to sign back to him. They started to have a conversation through signing and she turned to the two and said, "Apparently he too has confidence you'll be able to help defeat the General."

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Um ok?"

"It was a test for all three of us. To see if we can fight well together." The dragoon said with a smile. The dragoon turned to Tommy and he started using sign language again and she said to Takato and Saru, "Tommy is one of the strongest of the dragoons, what he did is a portion of his power. Luckily he was stationed in Masu, there are two others here, one is on the other side of the nation and the other is in between us and the General's lair. I'm not going to lie, the dragoon Kardian is the third strongest dragoon, and she's not as willing to help. We're going to try to avoid her and the top two who live in the General's lair, but if we find ourselves in a fight her any of the three. We want you and Saru to keep going." She took off her helmet and turned to him. "Tommy, two other dragoons, and myself are putting our lives on the line for you. We need you to keep going so you can kill the General. If any of us tell you to keep going, then you have to do it." Her face was serious, although deep in her eyes she was scared for his safety.

Saru shrank staff emerginr from his arm. He scrambled up onto takatos shoulder. "Shoot the two of us can take on the world and then some."

The dragoon looked up at Saru with the same expression, "This applies to you too monkey boy. When we say it, run." Tommy patted his leg to get their attention and when the dragoon looked two more wearing dragoon armor were walking towards the group. "Laina, Kari!" She put her hand to her chest and her armor faded away, the other three followed suit. "Glad to see you could make it. Did you send word to the non-dragoon." One of the girls replied, "Ya, he said he's busy with some dragon business but he'll try to make it." The dragoon smiled and said, "Okay, he'll probably meet up with us there. Tonight we can stay at the inn, tomarrow we set off for Marinamay City, Capital of Masu Empire!" The dragoon turned to Takato and Saru, sound like a good plan?"

Takato had been kicking at a rock, before he turned at the comment and gave a sarcasrtic expression. "Wait we had a plan?" He looked sincerely flabbergasted.

"Ya, kill the General. Although how we go about it has been in the making along the way." The dragoon said with a cute smile. Later that night in the inn the dragoon went to bed early but the other three dragoon stayed down in the tavern area of the inn. They were done eating and now just talking... and Tommy signing.

Takato felt alittle uneasy, i mean he wsas breaking bread with those who killed his family. "So...um whats your stories?" He had started getting the gist of signing from what tommy had been 'talking' about earlier.

"The name is Kari." One of the dragoons said. "My is the same as all other dragoons... power and immortality, I was tempted into this." The other two looked down at the table nodding in agreement. "However I after the attack on Nakini. I personally wasn't involved, Laina and I were on a different assignment, However Tommy was there, he doesn't talk about it though. We were all cold-hearted killers until we saw her personallity... oh what's her name again. Well you know, the other dragoon, come to think of it I never got her name." Laina chimed in and said, "I traveled with her once, she used five different names and always avoided the question of what her real name was." They both turned to Tommy and he held his hands up in confusion. The three turned to Takato, "Do you by chance know her real name?"

Takato shrugged feeling a little more at ease, even chuckling a bit at the tommy joke. He scratched his chin. "No she always seemes to dodge the question to be honest."

Tommy knocked on the table to get everyone's attention and started signing away. When he was done Laina and Kari were both nodding in agreement. Laina turned to Takato and said, "Oh, sorry, your probably not as used to sign language as we are. He said that she just has that personality that lets her avoid questions."

Takato chuckled to himself a bit. "Agreed."

"The only person I could think of is that guy that's coming tomorrow, those two have such great chemistry." Laina said, Kari nodded. "Too bad, I kinda like him... but I guess its just fated." She sighed and stood up. "I'm off to bed. Laina stood up and yawned, "Not a bad idea." They left to go to bed leaving Tommy and Takato... and maybe Saru wherever he was. Tommy signed slowly if there were any questions left for him?

Saru was among the rafters snoring and scratchinfg hid belly in his sleep.

Takato shuffled uneasily. "So um, i guess ill be off to." He sauntered up the stairs and off to bed.

Tommy shrugged and walked into a shaded corner of the room and delved into the darkness, it would seem to someone that he walked through the wall though.

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