Legends of Belariath
Ryuki
The Battousai Once More
Part One
Carefully he made his way through the forest of Elves, laying at the base of the mountain in which the kingdom of Zalin rested. As he approached the base of the mountain he saw three knights there arguing about something. He tried to listen to what they where saying without getting to close. But he was having little luck in hearing there argument.
"Grrrr... I can't make out what they are saying..." He said quietly to himself. So he moved a little closer until he could hear them, hopefully without being seen.
There were three guards each speaking in turn to one another about an elderly man, or so it seemed.
"I don't see why we have to kill that old man." The first man seemed to be saying, his visor covering any part of his face that might have been seen to another soul.
"We have no choice you fool. It's either him or us understand!" A larger and more muscular man replied in a hushed but almost rage-filled voice to the first.
"Look if we don't kill him it will be our heads! After all he has been causing trouble for the
King and his court.. Let just get this over with.." muttered the last guard who looked to be in his thirties, helmet off and running a hand through his long greying brown hair.
Sighing deeply with what sounded like regret and hope at the same time, "Yeah your right. But what if the old man is right and Captain Cecil is still alive?"
"That's nonsense. The Captain is dead.. The mage killed him along with the king.." Pale eyes looked down from the overly large man, all the rage gone from his body now as he spoke of the man with great respect and a deep almost over-powering sadness.
"...." The greying guard said nothing but he turned his head and looked off into the night like he was remembering.
They all seemed to have fallen silent now as if they truly did not wish to carry out their orders, but more afraid of losing there own life--that they valued--more than the life of another or even a friend. Ryuki stood there as if waiting for them to leave so he might follow them. They stood there a few moments longer before they processed to move. Ryuki followed them as closely as possible without revealing his presence.
He followed them for awhile until they arrived at a small cabin in the woods. Ryuki knew this cabin it was his uncles. The men knocked on the door but no one answered it so they force there way into the small place and a struggle seem to have broke out once they entered. Suddenly a scream was heard. Ryuki could no longer stay there. He rouse from his spot and moved into the house quickly.
The sight he saw within there was not one he wished to see.. A young woman was pinned down and his uncle lay there with a sword impaled through him. The soldiers had already begun the stripping of the woman of her clothing but for one, the one who truly did not wish apart of this. Ryuki shivered at the sight as he was yet unnoticed standing in the doorway. But this sight awoke something else in the knight, something he had buried far within his mind and heart. He felt the memories and pain resurface instantly and yelled out at the soldiers
"Damn you nameless dogs! I'll have your heads for this!"
The soldiers turned quickly knowing that voice they released the woman and their eyes went wide..
Soldiers: "It can't be.... He's dead.."
Ryuki drew his sword and without so much as a second thought he darted at one of them, impaling them upon his katana and then kicking him from the blade. The second drew his sword, but the last soldier who did not wish any of this did not and stood aside.. He spoke.
"So I was right. My Captain was alive.. " Tagert's voice quivered lightly.
The other guard tried to attack Ryuki with his sword, but to no avail. Ryuki simply vanished when he swung his blade in a cross body slash. Forming behind the man he slammed his blade through him placing his left hand on the soldiers shoulder and pulled him a bit as he twisted the katana. Then pushed him from it..
Ryuki, with a look of disgust would speak coldly. "You all have disgrace me." Slowly he turned to look at the one solider who hadn't moved and blinked a bit remembering him...Speaking softly he would utter his name. "Tagert..."
The solider Tagert looked at Ryuki and smiled, "I've been waiting, I knew you were alive.. There’s not much time left Captain."
Ryuki looks at him kind of puzzled. "I don't understand what you mean."
Tagert looked at Ryuki, "I'll Explain it the best I can."
Tagert and Ryuki spoke in the cabin for awhile. Ryuki, realizing after being told about what was happening that he did not manage to kill that Mage.. This made Ryuki's blood boil. Tagert knew what ran through Ryuki's mind and sighed..
Speaking quietly and solemnly, "Your going to go after him aren't you?"
Ryuki only nodded as he slowly stood, his eyes seem to hold an great amount of anger that could not be surpassed. He slowly walked for the door thinking to himself about heading right for the castle.. But his arm was suddenly grabbed and he turned to look seeing Tagert had a grip on his arm.
Tagert looks at him when he turns around and says, "Alright. I'll lead you to him.."
Ryuki blinked a little then nodded to Tagert. "Thank you old friend."
Tagert lead Ryuki through the town and towards the castle without notice, or so it seemed. But as soon as they entered the castle court yard there stood men waiting upon both of them. Ryuki and Tagert both just stopped knowing something was wrong.
The General, who had been waiting for them spoke, "So the lost soul has returned to finally die at Lord Novicas hands.."
Ryuki blinked a few times just before he and Tagert was bum rushed by the waiting guard. They knocked Ryuki and Tagert both unconscious, then took them to the lower levels of the castle deep down into the Dungeon.. Ryuki awoke chained to the wall, with his armor and weapons missing no less, as he wondered what happened.
Ryuki was held there against the wall, not knowing how long it had been since he was taken. He just remembered the screams he kept hearing and knew they where keeping him alive somehow for some reason.. But they where beating him and keeping him weak as well. Then one day the General came to speak with Ryuki.
"A pathetic a weakling that’s all you are.. Cecil everyone that was and is loyal to you shall soon be dead.. Unless, of course, you tell us what happened to the Princess.."
Ryuki, even in his weakened condition, only smiled before spitting into the man face. "I wouldn't tell slime like you even if I did know.. And if there all dead or about to be.. I'll just have to kill you.." He could only smile but the General smiled as well and spoke cruelly to the bound Ryuki.
Speaking snidely and smartly the General said, "Haven't you noticed there were no screams today?"
Ryuki, knowing something was wrong, looked at the man and he was right there were no screams. "So what does that have to do with this?"
"Everything. You little friend Tagert is now in the land of the dead, just like your uncle."
The man said this all to happily, as if taunting Ryuki. He couldn't bare to hear that. His eyes suddenly went wide with rage....then they changed. His eyes became a yellow as he chanted, a spell seeming to make him fade away from the place where he was chained, he appeared outside the steel bars and in the hallway laughing..
The General turns swiftly thinking "how did he do that". This worried the man, far to much, as he never saw anyone with this type of magic but for Lord Novica. "Who the hell are you!?"
Ryuki turned his head, smiled and spoke as if he felt no pain and had not in a matter of fact. "I am the Battousai."
With those words Ryuki vanished again appearing down the hallway, and in front of the room where his weapons where held. He busted his way into the room, but at the cost of injuring his left hand. Moving into the room and collecting the long sword and katana he then moved back outside with the katana drawn. He knew it would not be to long before the guards arrived and then he would have to fight.
Soldiers poured into the dungeons main hallway and blinked as they only saw one man standing there. They tried to rush at him in the small corridor, but as soon as one got to him that man fell lifeless upon the cold dirty floor. This continued for awhile and the soldiers seemed endless. But Ryuki noticed light from the outside pouring down into the dungeon. His eyes looked over to the small window and he chanted leaving himself unguarded against an oncoming attack, as he faded away and appeared outside.
He quickly used the spell again to make his retreat into the forest once more.