This fanfic came about after watching Dungeons and Dragons, playing
Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9 back to back as well as Chrono Cross, and
watching The Slayers, Slayers Next, Slayers Try, Record of Lodoss war,
Dragoon ... I think you get the idea. It's Ranma 1/2 set in a fantasy
world, using the characters but not the story line. This will replace
Ranma Xero, mostly because I went back and read it and was far from
satisfied from what I saw. I may do a rewrite of that fic someday, but
not for a while.
The story itself was written to orchestrated music mostly. The D&D
soundtrack, All the Star Wars films, The Indiana Jones Trilogy,
Escaflowne, Slayers. I could go on for a while, but these are the major
musical influences in this tale.
The first part is a bit dark, so you've been warned.
The Dragon Ghost.
Prologue
Deep in the mountains near the ancient kingdom of Joketsuko...
He had been running through the dark forest all through the night.
Somehow they had found him despite his best efforts over the past few
months. Twin moons lit the sky over his head; one a gigantic orb of
golden yellow that looked as if it would scrape the mountaintops in it's
passing as it slowly rolled across the night sky. The other was a light
red, it's orbit much higher in the sky above, and it seemed as small as a
mere coin in the starlit night. Mist rolled across the valley as he
struggled through the brush, shoving wiry branches out of his way as he
passed, somehow not disturbing the young boy who lay sleeping on his
back. A small ponytail lay draped across the eight year old's shoulder as
he slept.
He looked back at the innocent face of the child and smiled slightly.
"Just stay quiet boy, I won't allow them to find us."
Howling pierced the silence of the night as his pursuers closed the
ever-shortening gap between them. The pound of horse's hooves floated
through the fog towards him and he quickened his desperate pace.
Finally he broke from the thick growth around him and pushed his way
into a clearing. He paused with a sudden fear welling up inside him as he
saw the valley below him. Various pools of water dotted the land and he
swallowed as the mist only allowed a few of them to be seen. "Where?" He
turned towards the sounds of his pursuers and moved forward with
determination on his features again. Without a moment's thought he
vanished into the thick fog.
"Blast this cursed fog!" snarled the dark figure as he rode through the
forest. He was clad in the black armor of the samurai. A golden mask
covered his face and a single gold blade protruded from the front of his
helmet curving to almost a foot above his head, the cape across his
shoulders was a deep purple and draped down the horses side reaching the
animal's knees. In his hand was a long serrated pike that remained tucked
under his arm as he rode in search of his prey. His giant jet-black steed
wore similar armor as well, and had a great red flag with a black dragon
embroidered in its center within a great circle.
All around him men in similar armor, if a little less flamboyant,
glanced around nervously as they combed the forest for the man who had
eluded them for so long.
Another figure rode up on a reptilian steed that almost looked like a
horse itself. A dark power seemed to radiate from him and an arrogant
smirk rested on his lips as he turned to face the dark warrior. His long
white hair seemed to drape down his back with a splotch of color in his
bangs. He was dressed in brown cloak with the hood pulled down. His
clothing was expensive looking with a gold and purple woven pattern
featuring a coiling dragon, he sported light armor and shoulder guards
with teeth like spikes jutting from them.
"This man is elusive, but hardly a threat."
"That is not for us to decide," snapped the armored warrior sternly
without giving the man a glance. "The Emperor want's him dead, that is
enough for me."
"As you say," commented the man lazily.
The armored figure snorted distastefully. "We must kill him and the boy,
he cannot be allowed to live."
"The Emperor's greed knows no bounds, he will see all of them
destroyed?" The white haired man seemed almost amused by this.
"Conquering them would not be enough it seems."
"Damn you Herb. Don't just sit there! Do something about this blasted
fog!" snarled the armored man angrily.
"No. No doubt it hinders him much more than us. He is on foot, with a
child in his care. I am not here to give you and your men comfort, merely
to see that the job is done. The Emperor does not trust you completely
with this task."
"As well he shouldn't," commented the warlord as he rode forward again.
Herb smiled and narrowed his eyes. His pupils slimmed down to two small
slits in the center of his golden irises. A small cry of alarm floated
out through the air. "We have them!"
The fugitive fell onto his face and stumbled onto the ground roughly as
his foot caught a root on the mud-covered ground. The boy on his back
cried out in alarm as he was thrown from his back and slid across the
ground jarring him awake suddenly. The man heard a small splash and
struggled to his knees. He crawled forward and pulled the boy's
half-submerged body from the small spring where he had landed. The child
was shaking with fear, but remained silent.
"Ranma, you must keep silent, the enemy is near!"
"No, the enemy is here Saotome."
Genma turned slowly around and his eyes went wide with terror as he saw
the imposing figure standing before him. His eyes searched around for an
escape and saw men all around him on horseback.
"I am sorry old friend, it is over. You and your son will die."
"Tendo," growled Genma angrily.
"It is not my wish, but I will allow you to die like a man at least.
Stand and face me."
Genma balled his fists up and took up a stance in front of his son's
prone form, the boy had passed out again from exhaustion.
"Finish him quickly Tendo," said Herb as he rode up from behind the
pair.
"Silence!" commanded Soun as he gave his companion a passing glance.
"You have betrayed me Tendo. We have fought together many times, our
children were to be married one day, and now you have betrayed everything
we stood for!"
"Genma, when will you understand? I have a family to worry about."
"What do you think that is Soun?" snarled Genma angrily as he pointed
back at his son.
"I take no pleasure in your death," said Soun calmly as he rushed
forward and thrust his pike forward. It went deep into Genma's belly
sending the man to the ground as he screamed in pain. Somehow the words
did not make him feel any better. He twisted the spear and backed away
leaving it in place. Finally he withdrew a small kodachi from his back
and stalked towards the sleeping child. He raised the blade over his head
and paused. "What is this?"
He lifted the child up by his neck and stared into his face. After a
moment he pulled the loose silk pants down in a single motion and dropped
him on the ground with a look of shock on his face. He turned towards his
men and screamed in anger.
"This is not Saotome's son!"
Herb dismounted from his steed and frowned. "What are you talking about?
Are you trying to betray our Emperor Tendo? To save some part of your so
called friend?" He walked over to the child and fell silent, an angry
glare fell upon the exposed child's crotch and he snorted. "Clever."
A golden light appeared in his hand and he pulled the spear from Genma's
belly before placing his hands on the wound, the man had passed out long
before from his injuries. It healed instantly and he stepped away from
the fallen man. Soun walked over to his side and frowned.
"Pick him up and bring some rope."
Ranma Saotome woke up and shielded his eyes from the light of the sun
above him. He glanced around and saw a blue sky. He staggered to his feet
and shook off the annoying pain in his head. He felt weak and nauseous.
He staggered around for a moment taking in his surroundings. "Where am I?
Pop?" After a moment, his vision cleared up and he noticed the pools of
water around him, he frowned and noticed his pants were around his ankles
and pulled them up allowing himself to walk again. The chutes of some
kind of plant rose from the water high into the air above him. He frowned
and glanced around in search of his father. He ambled off in a random
direction and came to the edge of the spring, drawn by a small murmuring
noise that had caught his attention. His eyes went wide with shocked fear
at the sight he found.
Between two small scraggly dead trees hung his father. His arms and legs
were spread and his old dogi hung off of him in tatters. He was bleeding
freely from the hundreds of scars that covered his body and face. It
looked as if he had been sliced to pieces almost. The man glanced up
painfully and looked at the small child before him from his suspension.
"My son."
"Pop!" screamed the boy as he rushed forward and pulled desperately at
the ropes.
"No son. I am already dead."
"No Pop! We can get help! Don't leave me!"
"Silence boy!" The words had been meant to sound forceful, but came as a
mere whisper. "I am not long for this world, but I have much to tell
you."
"Pop?" muttered the boy sadly.
"You have a great destiny boy, never forget that. Inside my gi is a
scroll. I want you to take it; it will help you survive to fulfill that
destiny. Never forget the art, or your training boy. I will be watching
you from the hall of the gods." Genma coughed and a trickle of blood fell
from his lips and poured onto the ground. "Listen, never forget what I
have taught you my son. Now leave this cursed place boy."
"Pop! Who did this?" screamed the boy as a sudden rage filled him. He
stared into his father's eyes pleading with him. All that met him was a
dead stare. "Pop? Pop no. No! NOOOOOOOO!"
Ranma Saotome's cries echoed through the valley for many hours after
that. He screamed and pleaded with his father's dead body until his
throat was raw and he could no longer speak.
Herb frowned as he rode along side Soun. "Your friend was far stronger
than I had anticipated."
"Genma always was stubborn, and foolish."
Herb turned to face the men. "We've got a lot of work to do. I want
every male child in our path dead. Anywhere Saotome could have hidden
him!"
Soun looked at him for a moment and said nothing. He slowly turned to
face the soldiers and sighed deeply. "You heard him," he said with a
sudden icy chill to his voice.
As the moons rose into the sky again, Ranma stood before the pile of
stones that marked his father's grave and stared at the scroll in his
hands. He had been taught to read from the time he uttered his first
words, but his father's handwriting made things more difficult despite
his age. "Father, I will master this. I will make you proud, and I will
avenge your death, as well as mother's." His tears fell to the freshly
dug ground and he hung his head as sadness swept over him again,
weakening his legs and forcing him down again. After a time he rose from
his knees and started walking towards the west.
The Dragon Ghost
Part 1
The Horse and the Dragon
Eight years later...
Ranma walked through the crowded streets of the large city and smirked
to himself as he casually tossed a small bag of coins into the air. He
had just lifted the purse off of a well off merchant a few hundred yards
back and was feeling quite smug with himself. He paused for a moment and
looked towards the sky with a contented smile on his face before
continuing on is way.
His clothing was drastically different from that of his youth. The loose
black pants were similar enough, but the white shirt and brown leather
vest were a drastic change for him that he acquired after traveling to
the city when he was only nine. He made a decent living at his trade and
rarely used the simple katana that was strapped across his back. In fact,
he couldn't remember a single time he had ever needed to draw it in
battle.
The city's name was Alura. It was typical of the western side of the
continent. Dirty hovels and alleyways, large busy marketplaces full of
street merchants; peasants wandered through with the occasional mercenary
passing through with the traders. They liked to work security for fast
easy money as the richer merchants traveled across the country selling
their wares. Most of the men in the city were armed with a broadsword or
a dagger at least, many of the women carried knives as well.
Ranma wandered through the market street and gazed up at the castle that
rested in the center of the city. It rose far into the sky above seeming
to scrape the bottom of the clouds, in fact, he could remember days where
the top of the tall tower in the center could not be seen because of the
clouds. He smiled as he passed a gruff looking dwarf pedaling an
assortment of pots and pans in a small booth. Dwarves and Elves were rare
in the city, but occasionally one would see them running a booth in the
market. The portly dwarf snorted at him in disgust and ignored him in
favor of a customer that walked up. He continued on his way and frowned
as a cloaked figure stood in his way.
"I see much turmoil in your soul young man," commented a feminine voice
from within the shadows of the cloak.
"Not today all right?" muttered the boy halfheartedly as he attempted to
pass by.
"You are tainted by the stench of magic boy. Are you a mage?"
Ranma paused and looked at the woman with a small frown. "I don't need
no stupid magic."
"I see. We'll meet again soon boy," said the woman with a hint of
amusement in her voice.
"Go sell your fortunes to someone else elf," snorted the boy as he
continued on his way.
The figure within the cloak paused and looked up from the shadows of her
hood. Her youthful features contorted slightly and she frowned. "He has a
good eye to see that past all of this clothing."
Ranma turned into a dark alley and stopped cold in his tracks. "Are you
going to quit following me or what?"
All at once a pile of refuse seemed to burst to life as a shadowy figure
emerged and charged him. Ranma sidestepped the skillful punch and smirked
as he sent his knee up towards the attacker's abdomen. It was easily
blocked and the pair jumped away from each other and faced off for a long
moment without moving an inch.
"You're mine!" screamed the man as he rushed forward again and kicked.
Ranma pushed himself over the man's leg and landed behind him. He turned
to attack, but the man was already gone. "You're getting better. Are you
done fooling around Kumon? We've got to get back soon."
The boy stepped from the shadows and snorted. He was dressed in light
brown pants and a dark blue shirt, a heavy looking broadsword hung off of
his hip as he strolled up to Ranma casually. "Right, I saw you take that
guy's wallet, took your sweet time getting here too. What the hell do you
call that?"
"Buying dinner," replied Ranma with a shrug. "Come on, we've got to get
to the guild and unload some of this junk."
"Which you left me to carry!" said the boy as he picked up a sack from
the ground.
"Fine, I'll pay for you too," said the pigtailed boy as he started
walking again.
"You'd better!"
The inside of the guild was rather like a cross between a bar and a
market. Men ate and drank at tables around the room and several booths
lined the walls along one side of the room. Two large heavy doors stood
atop a small staircase that led to the guild master's quarters. Several
of the men and women inside turned to face the pair as they entered, but
quickly turned away as nothing of interest could be seen.
"Come on, let's get rid of this stuff now. It's heavy," snorted Kumon as
he shifted the load on his shoulder uncomfortably.
"I guess we can eat afterwards," commented Ranma. His face told that he
wasn't too pleased with the idea.
The pair walked up to one of the shadier and smaller looking booths. A
small old man leered at them as they put the bag on the counter. He
stroked his long beard lazily as he greeted them. "Ah, Ranma and Ryu, it
has been some time! How have you been? Out of town again?"
"That's right, Myuten this time," said Ranma cheerfully. Ryu remained
silent and turned away from the conversation.
"Oh, they have a nice magic guild there!"
"Why do you think we went?" said Ranma lazily.
"What have you got for me then?" said the old man with a chuckle.
"Couple of elemental rods, a crystal ball with a seal on it, some black
dust, a few bottles of potions, and a dagger with a light enchantment on
it."
"No dragons teeth?" The man gave a heavy sigh.
"They aren't in season," commented Ryu casually.
"That's why I want them so badly," said the man cheerfully as he poked
through the bag.
"Don't think you're getting this stuff any cheaper cause we don't have
any either. I know a few shops that would kill to get some of this
stuff." Ranma crossed his arms and smiled at the man looking confident as
usual.
"I wouldn't think of it," said the old man with a nervous laugh. It was
obvious that he was going to attempt to bargain down because of it.
"I can give you six," said the old man with a serious look suddenly
crossing his features.
"Ten thousand," said Ryu.
"Well..." started the old man carefully.
"Ten thousand or we leave right now." Ryu's voice was as calm as ever.
"All right," said the old man as he gave in. He chuckled inwardly; ten
thousand was a steal for some of the things they had brought back. He had
been doing business with them for some time now. It seemed as if they
either didn't know or didn't care how much the stuff was really worth.
Probably the latter considering how much the pair traveled around. They
would often visit the cities in the surrounding country, but they always
ended up back in Alura. It was funny really; two of the most wanted men
on the continent, and no one even had a clue what they looked like.
Ranma collected the money and turned towards his partner. "Come on,
let's eat."
Ryu merely grunted and nodded his head in response.
She entered the small dark hole inside of the alley and smiled at what
she found. She wasn't really surprised, after all, most thieve's guilds
were notoriously lavish inside. After a moment she removed her hood
letting her long violet hair flow down her back. She pushed her way
through the crowd and smiled as she walked around several tables. A young
red haired girl was having a rather physical argument with a large gruff
looking man beside her. Her companion was sitting back and drinking a mug
of ale with a calm and board look about him. Nearby another group was
swapping stories about death defying escapes from various adventures they
claimed to have had. Men spoke loudly about trolls they'd killed and
ogres as well. A few goblins roamed about the room serving tables with
some of the rougher looking women. Hanging from the rafters whores waved
at the men who entered lazily and hung off of their patrons.
"Disgusting."
"Hey little elf girl, how much for a night with you?" slurred an
oversized and drunken oaf as he lumbered towards her.
The woman narrowed her eyes and pushed past him without a single word.
She made her way to the bar and leaned on the counter knocking her hand
on the dirty wood surface. A middle aged man turned towards her with a
look of disinterest, until he noticed how she looked. Elves were prized
as whores and wives; they didn't age much in the course of a human life.
"Looking for a job cutie?"
"Stop being foolish. I'm looking for someone," said the woman
impatiently.
"That'll cost you," said the man with a shrug. He backed off a little
bit when he noticed the armor under her cloak. Most elves were pretty
passive and easygoing, but crossing one wearing armor was not a good
idea.
"I'll decide that on my own thank you. I understand a man named Dragon
Ghost operates within this city."
The man looked at her blankly and shrugged his shoulders. She placed a
single gold coin on the table and he took it. "Yeah, I've heard rumors.
He's not a member of the guild. If he is, it's a big secret to be kept
away from me."
"I need to speak with the guild master then."
"What do you want with the likes of him anyway? If you're looking to
hire a thief, there's lots of able men here. If you're a bounty hunter,
I'm afraid this place is more dangerous than you think. Not that many of
'em care about that; most of 'em don't walk out of here though. "
"How do I get in touch with the guild master?" said the woman as she
placed down another coin.
"I'll tell him you want to speak with him," said the man as he pocketed
the money and walked into a door behind the bar.
After a few moments he returned and nodded to her casually. "Go through
those two doors up there." He pointed towards the large heavy doors that
took up most of one of the far walls.
She nodded and walked away.
Ranma grumbled as she ate her meal lazily. The large dumb oaf sprawled
out across the floor unconscious had spilled a sizable amount of his ale
on her. Now she smelled. Ryu pretty much ignored the situation; it was
all too familiar. Ranma had never spoken about where he picked up the
unusual curse and he didn't press the information. He didn't really care
anyway.
The redhead tore at the large leg of meat in her hands with a small
amount of anger. "Sometimes I hate this stupid curse."
"You should relax more," commented Kumon as he kicked his feet up on top
of the table.
"Yeah, whatever," said the girl as she tore into another portion of
meat.
A small lizard like creature with tiny leathery wings landed on the edge
of the table and hissed. It glanced at the pair for a moment before
turning to Ranma. "The guild master wishes to speak with you."
"Now?" she said with surprise on her face.
"Yes." The creature fluttered away.
"Well, looks like we're getting a little extra work again," said Ryu as
he watched her stand and walk away.
The guild master smiled to himself as he fingered his curly beard. He
wore a rather loudly colored shirt and an odd looking round hat on his
head. "I am Guild King. What do you want the Dragon Ghost for anyway?"
"To the point are we?" I wish to hire his services. Can you allow me to
speak with him?"
"No."
"Why not?" said the woman with her eyebrow arching slightly.
"I do not allow anyone to speak with him. Tell me what it is you want
and I'll tell him, then you can come and pick up whatever it is you want
from me later."
The elven girl smiled and pulled out a small medallion from the folds of
her cloak. "I really think I should speak with him personally."
The Guild King's eyes narrowed at the sight of the necklace. He sighed
and shook his head. "I shall allow it."
Ranma entered the room and frowned when she saw a young elf sitting on
the Guild King's throne. The man was nowhere to be seen.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
The girl stared at her for a moment and giggled to herself. "This is the
famed Dragon Ghost? I heard he was a man!"
Ranma narrowed her eyes at this and snorted. "He is."
This got the elf a little more than surprised. "Who are you then?"
"I'm his manager."
"I see."
"What do you want?"
"I have a job for him," said the woman as she pushed back her hair
lazily.
"What is it that you want?" snorted the redhead lazily.
The girl on the throne paused slightly and leaned forward. "You!?"
Ranma backed away with a cautious look about her. "What?"
"An elf? You're an elf? How odd," the girl leaned back in her chair and
smiled. "I suppose that will make this easier."
"What of it?"
"If you weren't I couldn't show this to you."
Ranma narrowed her eyes at the small crystal the woman pulled from her
cloak. She held it in her palm and an image appeared above it, the image
of a golden staff with a red crystal above it. It's design was simple and
it had almost no ornamentation at all, save the two dragon wings that
held the crystal in place at the tip of the staff.
"Is that?"
"Yes, the staff of the elders. I want it." The elf girl's eyes narrowed
carefully as she watched the girl's reaction.
Ranma shrugged her shoulders. "That will cost you."
"I can pay," replied the girl with a shrug. She tossed a huge bag of
gold at Ranma's feet. "The other half when you get me the staff."
"That staff is one of the most guarded secrets of the elven tribes. It
won't be easy to get."
"No, but if you want to steal from a wizard, everyone knows that you
must summon the Dragon Ghost. He must have powerful magic in order to
steal from such men. Even the most powerful of wizards have fallen prey
to him. They are unable to understand how he does it. Do you know?"
"It's a secret." Ranma turned away with the bag of gold in her hands. A
light smile crossed her lips as she exited the room.
The woman paused as the redhead opened the door. "Aren't you going to
ask who I am? Or why I want it?"
"Why? It's just a stupid staff. I don't recall it having any powerful
spells on it from legends, so I don't really need to know what you need
it for do I?"
Ranma walked out and chuckled as she slung the bag over her shoulder.
"Ryu's gonna love this one."
To be continued...
C&C to Carrotglace@juno.com