by tantan
of the Afterlife, where water falls like rocks."
"They aren't there either," Hearthoff muttered.
"Well then," Akio glared at Hearthoff, "wherever the search takes us."
Just then, they heard explosions coming from the battlefield, where Peter's team was wreaking havoc on the enemy.
"Mages!" Akio hissed. "I think perhaps Peter needs our help."
They rushed to the sounds of the battle and dying men.
They were just in time to see two girls throwing fire balls all around them, creating a field of corpses.
"Female mages. Even worse," Akio shouted running towards the figures of the two girls, his sword drawn.
As Akio was about to slash at the one of the girls Peter swooshed out of nowhere and gave Akio a hefty push out of the way.
"Mary," Peter said softly.
"Peter?" she asked faintly, and hugged him.
Peter's face turned a bright beetroot red. "I've brought Lambkins. She's at headquarters. And it's ok, you being a witch and all. I don't care," he mumbled.
"Snow White, you mean," she said beaming at him. "Merlin said you'd bring her."
Shorty ran forward "Mary, Anne… you girls all right?"
The girls ran forward and hugged him. "Oh, we knew you'd come," Mary cried, letting out all the tensions of the past few days. On seeing Mary cry, Anne started crying as well.
"There there," Shorty mumbled, not knowing what to say. He had never had to deal with crying girls before. It was a little similar to dealing with a nuclear reactor accident(which he had dealt with before), he grimaced at the thought, hoping this wouldn't turn out like Chernobyl. "It's all right now. There there."
He-Xiangu came forward. "I saw you use Chi-Kung," she said to the girls. "You should not attempt it unless you are fully trained."
"Can't this wait?" Shorty asked He-Xiangu. I don't think they're in the mood right now to hear anything, except that there's food and a comfortable bed waiting for them."
"All right," He-Xiangu said. "I shall speak to you girls later. But remember not to use it. It's dangerous."
The girls nodded and followed the rest of them back to headquarters, where a good meal and a comfortable bed (which had been conjured up by He-Xiangu) awaited them, just like Shorty had said.
The Midgard Serpent doesn't like Fish
Sayonara waited in the shadows. Soon another figure joined him, so enmeshed in the shadows that only the bare outline of the figure could be made out.
"So you want to join my force. I have received reports of you, you know. People say that you are a madman. You annihilated the Kotomara fishing village, killing every single inhabitant. A few escaped your net, however, to bring me the news."
"I know," said the silhouette. "They escaped precisely to bring you that information".
"Ah. I see," the silhouette's voice was giving Sayonara a chill. "Then tell me. Why should I hire someone, who by all accounts is a madman?"
"I am not mad," The silhouette said calmly. "I just didn't like their fish. Rotten for the most part."
"Ah. Yes… There is excuse for your behaviour then." Kill him, kill him now, his impulses urged him. "Tell me. How would you serve me?"
"As long as you pay my fee I will do whatever you ask of me," the voice oozed calmness, but with an underlying madness that made Sayonara quake in his boots.
"And what is your fee?" he asked, not giving in to his fear and leaving the silhouette in his dust.
"Five men every day, for sport… And Thor, when he comes here."
"I take it that I will not see the five men alive again after giving them to you," Sayonara said trying to keep his voice calm.
"That should be obvious," the voice drawled.
"And who or what is a Thor?"
"You need not concern yourself with him. He will soon be dead, anyway. Just remember that he is mine!" the voice said, this time with an anger that almost made Sayonara run away, as far as his legs could carry him.
"Very well," Sayonara said, amazed at himself for uttering those three syllables. "What shall I call you."
"Oh. The name doesn't really matter. Serpent will do."
"Very well Serpent," Sayonara said, fighting desperately for calmness, "report to the barracks in Ogon No. I shall let them know you are coming."
"Very well," said the Midgard Serpent, and strode away into deeper shadows.
Sayonara was soon left alone. This man is a devil, he thought. But perhaps with him on my side I could conquer the entire Empire. Sayonara laughed wickedly, taking reassurance of his decision in this thought, and rode away to Ogon No.
That Mocking Bird has Rotten Luck!
"So…" Hearthoff said, after all the introductions had been made, and dinner picked clean away. "We are all together at last. Finally our quest begins…"
"And what is our quest?" Anne looked at Hearthoff questioningly. "Merlin didn't tell us."
"He didn't tell you for good reasons lass," Hearthoff grinned at her. "You'll find out soon enough."
He- Xiangu looked at Shorty. "Can I tell them of the deadly dangers of using Chi Kung, now that they're comfortable and at their ease?" she asked him, sarcastically.
"Go ahead, lady." Shorty gave He- Xiangu his winning smile.
"I have surmised that Merlin gave you girls some elementary training in Chi-Kung, or magic as you westerners call it. Magic!" she scoffed.
Mary nodded. "Well, not exactly. He taught me some of the basics. Showed me how to make a portal to the living world too," she said proudly. "I taught Anne how to do the fireballs."
"Did he teach you nothing on energy conservation, and the toll this magic takes on your spirit?" He- Xiangu asked incredulously.
"Umm. No… Well… He said that I shouldn't strain myself."
"These westerners," He- Xiangu nodded disdainfully, "think brute strength is enough for everything. That method might work for men. But we women find it is better to make maximum utility of every particle of spirit force we contain. That method you employed during the rescue was a criminal waste of spirit energy. Let me show you how that could have been done with greater efficiency."
He- Xiangu made a movement with her hands. The girls nodded looking at things only the three of them could see. He- Xiangu then created a fireball and sent it towards the sky.
"Why you ******* ********, I oughta …"
"It's that damn mocking bird again," Hearthoff sighed, gazing upwards. "I'll go get rid of it." Hearthoff flew into the sky, shouting "Tally Ho," and was soon hidden by a smug looking cloud.
"Yes I see," Mary nodded at He-Xiangu. "We could've made fireballs all day if we had done it that way."
Anne nodded and said "He- Xiangu will you teach us more?"
"Why of course," He- Xiangu smiled at them. "That was my intention. I cannot let you be drained away like …"
"Like?" Mary asked.
"Nobody," He-Xiangu said huskily, turning away. "Next lesson will be at dawn tomorrow. Sleep well. We will be riding the clouds to Penglai Shan by mid-morning."
Akio's First Encounter with a Feminist
He- Xiangu left the cave and walked out into the forest.
"Little Blossom," she whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks, "if only I could have saved you as well."
Akio wandered through the woods. "Sayonara," he said to himself, "always look behind you. For when you least expect it I shall strike. The sword by my side shall stab you multiple times, making you helpless. Each wound shall be in honour of each of the people you have taken away from my life. You shall beg me for mercy, for death. I shall give it eventually, do not worry."
He wandered on through the woods absorbed in his thoughts until he bumped into He-Xiangu.
"Foolish Japanese boy," He- Xiangu hissed. "Watch where you are going."
"Sorry," Akio mumbled. He gazed at her face. "You are crying," he said, feeling ashamed at seeing her so helpless.
"It is nothing," He-Xiangu moved on.
Akio followed her. "I see the look
of vengeance in your eyes," he said softly. "Perhaps I can help."
He- Xiangu looked at him and said, suddenly coming to a decision, "Vengeance is not what is needed. I do not seek an eye for an eye. I have found that in the cosmic scale of things there is no place for petty things like that."
Akio nodded suddenly understanding. "Perhaps it is because you are a woman that you feel no need for revenge. But anyone who knows simple arithmetic can tell you that an eye for an eye can only be right."
"Woman he says," He- Xiangu scoffed. "Well… maybe it is because women are more intelligent than men that I feel no need for revenge. Trust what I say, vengeance will get you nowhere. Give it up and move on with your life."
"You say these things," Akio said in a low voice, "yet in your mind you know, that only by giving in to it can you live in peace again. You cannot give up your need for vengeance He- Xiangu. I see it in your eyes. They burn with the need for it."
"Perhaps," she said looking sadly at Akio. "Every being is tempted time and time again. But the righteous do not give in to their temptation. I am not driven by vengeance as you are Akio. And I never shall be. These occasional bouts of melancholy are bearable enough. I even have a prescription for Prozac if it gets worse. Give up your need for vengeance Akio. It will destroy you."
"I will see that justice is served, and that Ko's tyranny is ended with Sayonara's headless corpse below my feet."
He- Xiangu sighed and went away into the moonlight leaving Akio in the darkness.
Seperated Again. The Shy Boy's Dilemma
The next day the girls got up at dawn and started on their Chi-Kung training. He-Xiangu used her magic lotus blossom to wipe away their mental and physical weariness.
"Woah," Anne looked at the lotus blossom