10 Chapters ^^. Well, eleven if you count prologue, however, still only an ok chapter lol. =/ Enjoy ^^.
Hammer and axe worked furiously in his hands, dispatching another ninja with each strike. Dancing around his opponents, gradually nearing their leader, he threw a single axe into the sky, sending it so high that it was nearly invisible. A giant hawk swooped down from where the axe once was, it?s great, curved wings literally slicing through the ranks of the ninja and finally swooping under its master. Now in the air, he stood atop the hawk, his face and voice, calm but threatening all the same. Ominously, he looked over the others, all standing on the pasture-like land in front of their peaceful village, all of it seeming so lifeless and terrifying with the mere presence of this man. The surrounding rain only added to the fear of them all.
?I ask you again,? he said, the ninja he once was battling now staring up at he and his massive hawk, their faces awe-stricken, ?From my understanding, a young boy recently left. Where is he??
The person who appeared to be the leader of the village, rather large for a ninja with a broadsword hung across his back stepped up, ?That remains none of your business. Leave this place!?
Snickering, the man stood on top of his hawk, ?Do you really think that you?re in the position to make such demands and decide what is and isn?t ?my business??? he rhetorically asked as he reached behind his back, a scroll now in his hands where the axe once was, flicking the scroll so that it revealed his contents, he willed jumped down from the hawk in front of their leader, ?Where is he!?? he roared, putting emphasis on each word and practically shoving the scroll in his face.
Looking at the scroll, Braig, the village?s leader, recognized the face immediately, though he already knew who the man was searching for.
?Who are you?? Braig questioned, the curiosity of this powerful foe searching for this boy, yet having an absence of a certain red-cloud cloak.
Seeing no need to avoid the question, he smiled, stepped back away from Braig, and answered, ?Syrus, by name. Bounty hunting by profession. Executioner, by style,? he said, adding a wry smile with the last part.
Braig, at first shaken not by the statement itself, but the truth behind it, thought for a moment. Bounty hunter... why would anyone be hunting him? Shaking the thought away, Braig focused back on Syrus. He couldn?t put the village in danger, especially not at a time like this with a dangerous organization watching them and their most powerful village behind.
Braig, without a second thought, revealed the whereabouts of Riku.
~
Riku walked slowly, turning the map and his head at different angles. He had a map, but had almost no idea where he was. His clothing, consisting of Konoha-like ninja wear, concealed only by a closed cloak that went down to his knees, making him seem as if he were a ghost to others, drifting by their homes, as well as hiding Soul Eater, a blade that would undoubtedly create at least a chorus of murmurs.
Mumbling to himself, he suddenly found himself running into a thick arm. Looking up, he suddenly found himself facing a giant mountain, and at the bottom was a small checkpoint
around a hollowed out tunnel in the mountain.
?Excuse me sir, your rather large arm seems to be stopping me from?? he started, but was quickly cut off.
?You?re not from here,? he said, jabbing his fat finger into Riku?s forehead, apparently indicating the absence of a headband, ?Turn back.?
Riku stepped back, ?Well, where is ?here? anyway? I find it hard to believe that any of you are literally from a mountain.?
Ignoring his sarcasm again, the man explained, ?This is the mountain range that separates this land from farther places, such as the Hidden Cloud Village, the village the lies within the area beyond it. However, in order to access passage through the tunnel, permission is needed. Have you that permission??
Riku sighed, not because he didn?t have permission, but simply because he would have preferred not to say this until later, ?Look, I?m with Shinru. Ya know, the great master who can kick your butt??
Instead of growing annoyed, the guard simply laughed aloud. He had heard of Shinru of course, the man?s reputation preceded him, but not of this kid, ?You know of Shinru? Impressive kid, but really, run along now.?
Riku, growing annoyed, moved in closer to the guard with a stern look, and then turned around casually walking away, ?Alrighty, but trust me I?ll get over the mountains one way or another, and I?ll see the Raikage. From what I know, him and my master are pretty good buddies. I?m sure he?d be thrilled to find out that one of his guards turned away his ?friends? apprentice in his hour of need,? the boy threatened, making his voice louder with every step he walked away to be sure that the guard heard him.
The guard watched Riku walk away, beads of sweat rolling down his face, ?You?re not really
his apprentice...? he said, assuring himself more than actually saying to Riku.
Riku came to a halt, and allowed his voice to drop ominously, ?Are you sure you wanna take the chance??
Beads of sweat now turning into bullets, the guard considered the threat. He knew what the boy was hinting at, the Raikage was a short-tempered man as is, if the boy wasn?t lying and this really was an apprentice of Shinru, who was indeed a friend of the Raikage?s, then...
?Wait!? the guard called after him, making Riku fully turn around with a fake surprised look on his face, ?Uh... go ahead sir. Sorry...?
Riku walked back, a broad smile on his face, ?Good choice,? he said, tapping the man on the shoulder as he passed.
Riku, done toying with the guard, who looked as though he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, looked around at the encampment. Not much more but traders and travelers. Most of the commotion was centered around a small fire that was a few yards away from the tunnel. Looking farther, he noticed several other encampments. Since he had been paying so much attention to the map, the path must?ve branched off somewhere without him noticing, leading to these other tunnels. He thought of the inside of the mountain, hopefully it wasn?t the labyrinth it seemed as though it would be.
Riku walked through the large group and finally came to the entrance, yet another guard, however, this one did not block the way, apparently assuming that he had already maintained clearance from the previous guard.
Despite this, the boy still stopped, wanting to ask a few questions, ?Sir? How long would it take me to get through the mountain??
The guard, at first, was startled by the sudden voice, due to the fact that there were many others entering this tunnel at the same time, ?Oh, uh, shouldn?t be too bad. There?s a ton of guards lined in the tunnel, they?ll point you in the direction out of there.?
Riku nodded, ?Thanks,? he said simply, and then followed the rest of the crowd who walked in.
The inside of the mountain was simply amazing. Sapphires and emeralds alike gleamed through the tunnel, reflecting light off of each other filling the cavern with a light bluish green radiance. There were other pearls so clear that simply by looking into them you could see nearly everything in the tunnel, all of them reflecting reflections, it was simply true beauty. The tunnel was pretty straightforward and very wide, with only slight turns that were obvious due to a wall being in your face. Near the sides of the tunnel were large heightened areas. Where the guards were perched atop, all seeming alert.
But not quite alert enough, for what was going to happen.
~
After a few minutes, or that?s how it felt, Riku found out that he was half way through the tunnel. He was almost sad that he?d have to leave such a natural wonder, but was more than happy that nothing had gone wrong, not a cloud in sight. He almost got the feeling it would be smooth sailing all the way to the Cloud Village.
If only it could ever be quite that simple.
Suddenly hearing a guard yelp, Riku?s eyes shot up. Seeing no one, he shook his head, trying to regain focus. Hearing another sound as though he were choking, and seeing several others amongst him as well as the other guards along the side of the tunnel look in the direction of the noise, Riku was convinced something was up, something that undoubtedly had to do with him.
Suddenly, the entire ground was shaking. All of them, even the guards, ran in separate directions, some back the way they came, and others intent on completing their journey, except for Riku. Standing, waiting for whatever it was to come out, he awaited until all left. The shaking stopped, and for a moment all was quite.
Suddenly, two walls slammed up from separate directions of the tunnel, blocking off any hope of escape for Riku, not that he expected to be able to just run.
A figure suddenly emerged from the ground, crystallized at first, and then he suddenly reverted into a human state, revealing brown, unkempt hair that went over his face, covering his ominous features. Besides that, he wore a tan cloak, similar to Riku?s. In one hand he held a one-handed axe and in the other a hammer.
?Riku, right?? the man asked, his voice a bit higher pitched than Riku expected.
Riku unsheathed his blade, allowing it to be put in a defensive position across his body, ?As if you didn?t know. The question is, who might you be??
The man laughed, ?True enough,? he said, indicating the first statement, ?Syrus?s the name, pleased to meet you.?
Just as the words left his mouth, Riku lunged forward, his wonderment and amazement of the cavern suddenly morphed into sheer rage.
Inside the Mountain
Hammer and axe worked furiously in his hands, dispatching another ninja with each strike. Dancing around his opponents, gradually nearing their leader, he threw a single axe into the sky, sending it so high that it was nearly invisible. A giant hawk swooped down from where the axe once was, it?s great, curved wings literally slicing through the ranks of the ninja and finally swooping under its master. Now in the air, he stood atop the hawk, his face and voice, calm but threatening all the same. Ominously, he looked over the others, all standing on the pasture-like land in front of their peaceful village, all of it seeming so lifeless and terrifying with the mere presence of this man. The surrounding rain only added to the fear of them all.
?I ask you again,? he said, the ninja he once was battling now staring up at he and his massive hawk, their faces awe-stricken, ?From my understanding, a young boy recently left. Where is he??
The person who appeared to be the leader of the village, rather large for a ninja with a broadsword hung across his back stepped up, ?That remains none of your business. Leave this place!?
Snickering, the man stood on top of his hawk, ?Do you really think that you?re in the position to make such demands and decide what is and isn?t ?my business??? he rhetorically asked as he reached behind his back, a scroll now in his hands where the axe once was, flicking the scroll so that it revealed his contents, he willed jumped down from the hawk in front of their leader, ?Where is he!?? he roared, putting emphasis on each word and practically shoving the scroll in his face.
Looking at the scroll, Braig, the village?s leader, recognized the face immediately, though he already knew who the man was searching for.
?Who are you?? Braig questioned, the curiosity of this powerful foe searching for this boy, yet having an absence of a certain red-cloud cloak.
Seeing no need to avoid the question, he smiled, stepped back away from Braig, and answered, ?Syrus, by name. Bounty hunting by profession. Executioner, by style,? he said, adding a wry smile with the last part.
Braig, at first shaken not by the statement itself, but the truth behind it, thought for a moment. Bounty hunter... why would anyone be hunting him? Shaking the thought away, Braig focused back on Syrus. He couldn?t put the village in danger, especially not at a time like this with a dangerous organization watching them and their most powerful village behind.
Braig, without a second thought, revealed the whereabouts of Riku.
~
Riku walked slowly, turning the map and his head at different angles. He had a map, but had almost no idea where he was. His clothing, consisting of Konoha-like ninja wear, concealed only by a closed cloak that went down to his knees, making him seem as if he were a ghost to others, drifting by their homes, as well as hiding Soul Eater, a blade that would undoubtedly create at least a chorus of murmurs.
Mumbling to himself, he suddenly found himself running into a thick arm. Looking up, he suddenly found himself facing a giant mountain, and at the bottom was a small checkpoint
around a hollowed out tunnel in the mountain.
?Excuse me sir, your rather large arm seems to be stopping me from?? he started, but was quickly cut off.
?You?re not from here,? he said, jabbing his fat finger into Riku?s forehead, apparently indicating the absence of a headband, ?Turn back.?
Riku stepped back, ?Well, where is ?here? anyway? I find it hard to believe that any of you are literally from a mountain.?
Ignoring his sarcasm again, the man explained, ?This is the mountain range that separates this land from farther places, such as the Hidden Cloud Village, the village the lies within the area beyond it. However, in order to access passage through the tunnel, permission is needed. Have you that permission??
Riku sighed, not because he didn?t have permission, but simply because he would have preferred not to say this until later, ?Look, I?m with Shinru. Ya know, the great master who can kick your butt??
Instead of growing annoyed, the guard simply laughed aloud. He had heard of Shinru of course, the man?s reputation preceded him, but not of this kid, ?You know of Shinru? Impressive kid, but really, run along now.?
Riku, growing annoyed, moved in closer to the guard with a stern look, and then turned around casually walking away, ?Alrighty, but trust me I?ll get over the mountains one way or another, and I?ll see the Raikage. From what I know, him and my master are pretty good buddies. I?m sure he?d be thrilled to find out that one of his guards turned away his ?friends? apprentice in his hour of need,? the boy threatened, making his voice louder with every step he walked away to be sure that the guard heard him.
The guard watched Riku walk away, beads of sweat rolling down his face, ?You?re not really
his apprentice...? he said, assuring himself more than actually saying to Riku.
Riku came to a halt, and allowed his voice to drop ominously, ?Are you sure you wanna take the chance??
Beads of sweat now turning into bullets, the guard considered the threat. He knew what the boy was hinting at, the Raikage was a short-tempered man as is, if the boy wasn?t lying and this really was an apprentice of Shinru, who was indeed a friend of the Raikage?s, then...
?Wait!? the guard called after him, making Riku fully turn around with a fake surprised look on his face, ?Uh... go ahead sir. Sorry...?
Riku walked back, a broad smile on his face, ?Good choice,? he said, tapping the man on the shoulder as he passed.
Riku, done toying with the guard, who looked as though he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, looked around at the encampment. Not much more but traders and travelers. Most of the commotion was centered around a small fire that was a few yards away from the tunnel. Looking farther, he noticed several other encampments. Since he had been paying so much attention to the map, the path must?ve branched off somewhere without him noticing, leading to these other tunnels. He thought of the inside of the mountain, hopefully it wasn?t the labyrinth it seemed as though it would be.
Riku walked through the large group and finally came to the entrance, yet another guard, however, this one did not block the way, apparently assuming that he had already maintained clearance from the previous guard.
Despite this, the boy still stopped, wanting to ask a few questions, ?Sir? How long would it take me to get through the mountain??
The guard, at first, was startled by the sudden voice, due to the fact that there were many others entering this tunnel at the same time, ?Oh, uh, shouldn?t be too bad. There?s a ton of guards lined in the tunnel, they?ll point you in the direction out of there.?
Riku nodded, ?Thanks,? he said simply, and then followed the rest of the crowd who walked in.
The inside of the mountain was simply amazing. Sapphires and emeralds alike gleamed through the tunnel, reflecting light off of each other filling the cavern with a light bluish green radiance. There were other pearls so clear that simply by looking into them you could see nearly everything in the tunnel, all of them reflecting reflections, it was simply true beauty. The tunnel was pretty straightforward and very wide, with only slight turns that were obvious due to a wall being in your face. Near the sides of the tunnel were large heightened areas. Where the guards were perched atop, all seeming alert.
But not quite alert enough, for what was going to happen.
~
After a few minutes, or that?s how it felt, Riku found out that he was half way through the tunnel. He was almost sad that he?d have to leave such a natural wonder, but was more than happy that nothing had gone wrong, not a cloud in sight. He almost got the feeling it would be smooth sailing all the way to the Cloud Village.
If only it could ever be quite that simple.
Suddenly hearing a guard yelp, Riku?s eyes shot up. Seeing no one, he shook his head, trying to regain focus. Hearing another sound as though he were choking, and seeing several others amongst him as well as the other guards along the side of the tunnel look in the direction of the noise, Riku was convinced something was up, something that undoubtedly had to do with him.
Suddenly, the entire ground was shaking. All of them, even the guards, ran in separate directions, some back the way they came, and others intent on completing their journey, except for Riku. Standing, waiting for whatever it was to come out, he awaited until all left. The shaking stopped, and for a moment all was quite.
Suddenly, two walls slammed up from separate directions of the tunnel, blocking off any hope of escape for Riku, not that he expected to be able to just run.
A figure suddenly emerged from the ground, crystallized at first, and then he suddenly reverted into a human state, revealing brown, unkempt hair that went over his face, covering his ominous features. Besides that, he wore a tan cloak, similar to Riku?s. In one hand he held a one-handed axe and in the other a hammer.
?Riku, right?? the man asked, his voice a bit higher pitched than Riku expected.
Riku unsheathed his blade, allowing it to be put in a defensive position across his body, ?As if you didn?t know. The question is, who might you be??
The man laughed, ?True enough,? he said, indicating the first statement, ?Syrus?s the name, pleased to meet you.?
Just as the words left his mouth, Riku lunged forward, his wonderment and amazement of the cavern suddenly morphed into sheer rage.
