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[SL the Pyro]

(That's fine, Jordan.)

Z stumbled backward a bit, partially from Jordan's uppercut, and partially from the surprise that he was still able to continue. "Grr... I detest people like you, always trying to fight even if the battle is hopeless..." he spat before seeing Ken come at him. Not wanting to deal with this wolf right now, he just grabbed Ken in mid-leap and threw him away. "And this battle is no exception!"

With that said, Z flexed his muscles. Dark energy began to issue forth from the darkness of the night around him. A two purple rings started to spin around him. At this time Shadow got to his feet, having absorbed some of the dark energy that Z threw at him, trying to lighten the blow on both him and XI. The young pirate was over his shoulder. "Damn... what the hell is that bastard doing here?" he muttered.

"You must've forgotten that I'm a sorcerer of darkness, Jordan, or perhaps Shadow didn't tell you that... anything that is dark gives me strength, including the night." Z said as the rings collapsed on him, embueing him with a purple aura for a moment before it dissipated. He then picked up his sword, which he'd dropped from the lightning attack.

Shadow struggled to stand; despite that he absorbed some of the dark energy, it still took a physical toll. He said to Jordan,"What he doesn't say is that this makes him weak to light, pure light... trouble is, none of us can use light magic... I hate to admit it, but we're at his mercy at the nighttime..."

"Now get this thing out of my foot!" Z howled as he charged up dark energy into his free hand, attempting to deliver a considerably more powerful punch to Jordan's face this time.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan already knew he couldn't win. He had taken too many hits, and if it weren't for the lightning, he'd be feeling a lot of pain right now. Or at least more than he was now. He had no magic for himself, warriors have no use for it. But was this situation really as hopeless as Jordan thought. XI and Shadow were both watching from the sidelines and Ken wasn't getting up. If it weren't for Ken, Jordan would definitely be in a lot more pain than he was now. Z's fist made contact again, this time it hurt. Jordan was thrown off his feet and would have lost balanced if he weren't holding the spear that was impaling Z's foot.

Jordan's vision became fuzzy, his breaths were heavier as well. "Damn it. . ." he thought to himself. "Am I really this pathetic? I thought I could do more damage than this." Jordan's body was beginning to make unfamiliar noises, perhaps it was giving up on him. All Jordan could do at this moment though, was smile. Whether it was madness, smugness or just plain happiness, Jordan kept a smile on his face.

"Please, I've watched quite enough of this."

That voice. Jordan turned to find the cloaked man standing right next to him. He didn't have a smile on, which made Jordan incredibly nervous.

"Jordan, I thought so highly of you. Why would you let this person beat you down like this? It's truly saddening."

The cloaked man pulled the spear out of Z's foot and handed it back to Jordan. Jordan stumbled around a little, but was too scarred to think of what he was going to do next.

"I'm going to be the one to kill you, so please don't be such a fool and die."

"Don't interfere!"

Jordan took his stance, still intending to finish his fight.

"It seems that you already are a fool."

The cloaked man rose his hand from robes. A ball of light formed around his hand, particles of energy gathering towards a single point. A beam of light hit Jordan's leg, right where Z intended to strike him. The blast went right through his leg. Jordan screamed in pain and dropped to the ground. The cloaked man turned to Z.

"I should warn you young one, attack that man again and I will show you your death. I've existed for hundreds of years and I had amble time to master some light magic, so I could be more than a challenge to you and your pathetic followers."

The cloaked man turned and began to walk away.

"You might as well leave them be now. I've already located the Key of Water that is said to inhabit the Forsaken Fortress and I'll have no trouble of taking it away from you. Now, I wonder which one is more important to you, these people's lives or the key that leads to ultimate power."

That eerie smile returned to the cloaked man's face as he vanished into the darkness that surrounded everyone. Jordan managed to stand up using his spears as walking sticks.

"That man doesn't joke." Jordan said, breathing heavily.

Edited by JRPomazon, 21 August 2007 - 01:34 PM.

[SL the Pyro]

Z could do nothing. He was far too infuriated to even move. Whoever this cloaked person was, he not only knew where the Key of Water was, but could also wield light magic. "Wonderful... he's cruel, magic-wielding, and has issues with Jordan... he must be the one that Koran told me about... so much for a new recruit..." he thought. He was not pleased to see all of his plans for the night fall apart just like that.

He really wish the cloaked man would've stayed behind so he could kill him, instead he's thrown a monkey wrench into his plans. He was worse than Shadow since he knew what he was after.

Z looked down at Jordan, really trying to resist the urge to cave someone's skull in. He growled and said, "You're lucky that he came along when he did, or I would have been rid of all of you..." He then turned around and stormed off. "If you know what's good for you, you'll forget all about what he said about the Key of Water. Otherwise, I might just forget about his threat..."

Z then vanished into the night. This whole situation wasn't sitting well with Shadow. "Sheesh... this world going to hell in a hand basket..." he began to say. "A cloaked man with the ability to summon monsters, a civil war, and now Z knows how to get that so-called ultimate power? This is bad..."

Shadow then realized that he was still carrying XI. He set the child down before speaking again.

"Well... I guess I'll be staying here a little longer. I'm not going to let Z get this 'key' thing."

[JRPomazon]

Jordan had begun to walk slowly, still using his spears as walking sticks. He only lasted a few steps before he fell on his face. He was all but spent. He raised his head up from the sand and managed to find a reasonably comfortable position to lay in.

"Hey Shadow and XI. Nice to see you guys. I hate to be a bother, but can I ask you guys for a favor? Could someone check on Ken?"

With that being said, Jordan passed out. The sky was beginning to clear up again.

-------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, the shadows opened up once more and the cloaked man appeared once again. He had warped to a rock tunnel, surrounded by discarded spades and rock walls. It appeared at one time that this place was once used in excavations of valueble ores and stones, but such information was not useful to him at this time. He began to walk down the pitch black tunnel, as if he could see clearly down the path. After a minute or so of walking, he stopped his pace and reached a dead end. He placed his hand on the rock wall. A spark illuminated the cave for just a moment. The was silence.

The rock wall began to fall to pieces. He had transformed all of the rock that formed the wall into small rock-like crabs who scurried away from their creator. After they had all dispersed, A room was revealed that not even the pirate miners couldn't reach. It was a stone room with an arched ceiling. The was a hole in the middle of the roof, letting in natural moonlight to illuminate the chamber. The whole room had a blueish tint to it, fitting for what it supposedly held. The floor was a shallow pool of clear water with several steeping stone that lead to the the center of the chamber. He slowly walked across them one by one and reached the center of the room. On a stone pedestal laid what appeared to be a blue colored light. The cloaked man reached out to it, causing the brilliant light to complete cover the entire room. After the light had faded, the blue light had become an blue orb. The cloaked man took it into his possession. The sounds of footsteps began to echo from the tunnel. The cloaked man turned around to find Z had followed him to the chamber.

"Well, you are quiet the tracker. Impressive."

He raised the blue gem, showing his prize to Z.

"Now, shall we begin negotiations for this wonderful trinket?"

The smile on his face was more demented and sickening than ever. Was he going to give the key of water to Z?

---------------------------------------------
OoC:

Wow, this has been the most eventful part of the story so far. Allow me to explain a few things before continuing.

These Keys originate from the Shadow's/Z's side of the story. There are 8 of them in total. Each one houses the power of a specific element and they are all scattered across the world. Z wishes to obtain them for gaining what he believes is the "Ultimate Power". Clearly it means trouble for the good guys if this happens.

However, I'd like to jump back to the main story for now. We'd need to start a new story altogether if we where going to focus on the Shadow/Z story. Although, little cross overs like this are more than welcomed.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken just laid there on his side in the darkness of the night, heaving loud, panting breaths. He whined as his human mind crept back -- the primal veil that had distrorted vision was replaced with another one, a veil of dizziness and pain from knocked around by Z. A little blood seeped from his mouth because of the injured he suffered.

Damn... he thought to himself, I hate being weak...

He rolled over to try and bring himself up onto his legs, but they collapsed from the strain. The sword, which had once been hovering before, had now dropped to the ground.

Damn...

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow and XI had to be the least hurt out of everyone there, mainly due to Shadow absorbing some of Z's energy from his Dark Wave attack before. He walked over to Ken and picked him up over his shoulders. "We'd better get them to the medical wing of this place... you think you can carry Jordan?" he asked of XI.

----------

Z looked on in awe at the blue jewel that the cloaked man held. For some reason, the light from it didn't hurt him. And the power he could feel from it... he couldn't even think of a word to describe it. How unfortunate that the Key was in the wrong hands.

"Now, shall we begin negotiations for this wonderful trinket?"

Z's eyes glared at the cloaked man. "If I recall, you said you wouldn't take the Key as long as I didn't steal your kill." he annunciated from before. "That's fine, but promise me this... that you will kill the four of them, and soon..." He looked at the key again, kneeling down to look closer at it. Still, the light from the jewel didn't harm him. "Because if they dare to interfere with my plans in obtaining the Keys and the Ultimate Power, it will be hard to avoid killing them. That, and I have no problem with my followers doing so for the same reasons."

He then looked at the cloaked man with fury.

"Of course, none of this would be a problem if you hadn't mentioned the Key of Water right in front of them!"

Edited by Shadow_Link, 22 August 2007 - 07:55 AM.

[JRPomazon]

The cloaked man smiled deviously.

"Well, I had to get your attention one way or another. Besides, why shouldn't I tell them? Or at least, tell them what you want them know."

The cloaked man looked down at the orb in his hand.

"Now you or I could say anything and they would believe it. All they know is that there is a key and there is some power. Perhaps this power was only a rumor, or maybe the key was destroyed in a fight between you and I. The possibilities for deceit are endless, and if you intend the survive you must use all the tricks you can."

The cloaked man walked over to Z and handed him the gem.

"Listen, you can attack the others. I won't stop you. But leave Jordan alive, that is my only condition. As for my role in our sick little deal, I will kill whoever I feel like killing. However, I'll make sure to keep my eye on Shadow for you."

The cloaked man began to walk from Z and waled towards the entrance of the tunnel.

"Seth, perhaps it would be better if you took the time to think about how useful Shadow could be to you. Wouldn't victory be perfect for you to know that Shadow helped you gain the power you want? Learn to manipulate his position against you to your advantage. For example: you give him the key of water by "accident" and have him hold on to it for you. Then, take it back from him when the time is right. "

He looked over to Z.

"Well, it's only advice, take it if you want. I couldn't care less what you do."

The cloaked man vanished from view.

"Have one of you subordinates spoon feed them lies and then kill him. Death makes everything believable."

Edited by JRPomazon, 22 August 2007 - 08:54 AM.

[SL the Pyro]

Z began to think about what the cloaked man had said. "Well... at least he won't be so much of a bother as I thought... good to know he's on my side." Z thought. "Although I can't really agree with his idea to let Shadow and friends get the gems for me. Every time that wretched thief stole something from me, I've never seen it again."

He then looked down at the gem in his hand. The power he could feel from it was so intense that it could almost burn a hole through his hand. Good thing it was the Key of Water and not the one of Fire.

"That's not a chance I can take with the eight Keys... perhaps the time has come to mobilize my army." he thought with a sadistic smile. Over the years he had been recruiting various bandits and sorcerers who were either afraid of him or wanted to share his power, and those people in turn recruited others. Between himself and the other Sins, he'd gathered an army that could rival the powers of the Alliance. He laughed evilly and vanished into the shadows, his destination the Sin Sanctuary.

What could be a better time than the present to use his new army? After all, the people currently at war wouldn't be expecting a new force to enter the chaos at such a bad time for them...

----------

It was quite a trek, seeming longer since he had to carry Ken, but Shadow finally got him to the infirmary. XI followed him in, carrying Jordan. Shadow then took the time to inspect Jordan's wounds that he got from his fight with Z. "Man... Z put a lot of power into that wave and punch... one on it's own would've killed a normal person. Good thing Jordan is strong..." he said.

Edited by Shadow_Link, 22 August 2007 - 08:03 PM.

[31-Year-Old-From-Georgia]

"You mean Jordan's some kind of superhuman?" a grinning XI responded to Shadow's analysis.

XI observed this infirmary with great interest. Judging by the lobby, it was very clean. This was unheard of in the Forsaken Fortress. It managed to keep the dim lighting aspect, however. The seemingly sterile lobby was crowded with a few chairs, a small table with some amazingly rare age-appropriate magazines, a fresh-looking potted plant, and the recent addition of two people carrying unconcious bodies. The loaction of this freakishly cleansed was almost hidden from view, located in a small hut on the ledges above the craggy beach. Going uphill had taken a lot of strain, especially with the bodies of Ken and Jordan in tow.

"How did you find this place anyway?" XI inquired information from Shadow.

Before Shadow could answer, a frail-looking middle-aged woman appeared in the doorway on the opposite side of the room. XI thought for a moment she could have been a child by the size of her. The woman was dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans with an old nurse's apron over both of them. Despite the odd sight of a bunch of weapon-wielding teenagers before her, the woman remained unfazed.

"Oh, they look bad," the woman announced. Her voice was almost as pleasing as nails on a chalkboard. Without another word, the woman simply walked a few steps foward, grabbed both Ken and Jordan by their clothes, slumped them over her shoulders with ease, and went back from where she came.

Amusement crawled through XI's body. He also kept up the silence and followed her through a small hallway, where the woman dissappeared behind an empty doorway. XI managed to poke his head in just in time to see the sight of her carelessly dropping Ken and Jordan into two of the room's empty beds.. Figuring it best to leave her be, XI started to retreat back to the lobby.

"I won't ask any questions," the rough-voiced woman said simply, "Stupid boys, clowning around. I've seen it all before. Leave or stay, I don't really care. Just come up with enough money and I'll do as I see fit."

"M-money?" XI stammered.

"You think I live off of nothing?" the woman playfully asked.

"Uh..." XI muttered, "You don't have anything on you, do ya, Shadow?"

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the sack of gold from way back when. He counted it up... around 75 gold coins were left. "This won't be enough to pay for first aid, not even close... I guess I'll have to give her one of my gems." he thought.

Back in his days as a thief, Shadow stole all sorts of valuables, mostly the shiny stuff. He'd collected a lot of rare gemstones as a result. Although as much as he didn't want to part with one of them, Ken's and Jordan's safety came first.

He reached into his tunic and pulled out a blue jewel, shaped like a diamond. "Will this do?" he asked.

The nurse's face seemed to light up at the sight of the jewel. "Y-yes, that'll work nicely." she said in a surprised tone which, coupled with her frail voice, hurt Shadow's ears. She snatched the jewel and proceeded to tend to Ken and Jordan.

Shadow retired to a chair in the lobby and thought aloud, "Z must be getting stronger... normally I can absorb his dark magic, but his wave attack still hurt me..." He looked down to the floor with dispair. "By now, that cloaked person probably fulfilled his end of the bargain by giving Z this 'Key'... what could it mean?"

[JRPomazon]

"It means that young Z is trying to gain power and I gave him a hand." The cloaked man appeared right between Shadow and XI. It was like he was there the whole time and just popped out of no where. His smile was waning, just about to become completely eclipsed with a solemn look. "I wonder why people gain power. Is it because with power, you have fewer limitations or perhaps you can obtain anything you want? It varies from person to person, why they want power, why they seek it. Some times it is for noble and just purposes and most times it is for domination and glory. But for Z, it isn't like either of those things. All I see in him is a tormented soul, a being who is merely lost to everything and everyone. What he wants, what he truly wants is to feel alive and recognized by the world."

The cloaked man began to walk towards Jordan's bed. "However, even if by some divine prank he obtains the power he seeks, his heart will remain barren and lost. He will be known as the warlord of the world, but his heart will remain locked within the darkness he shrouded himself around. A tragedy, is the word I would use to describe the Dreadlord Z." He turned over back to Shadow and XI. "I'm sure he will be focused on other things for awhile, so don't fret about your safety. He asked me to kill you for telling you about the Key of Water. He doesn't want to have to deal with you if you have certain knowledge." There was silence, even the old nurse was quiet. However, a smile returned to cloaked man's face, a lighter and kinder smile. He started laughing as well. He tried to regain some composure, attempting to finish what he was going to say.

"Hahahaha. . . Like I'd ever take orders from someone who hasn't a fragment of the experience and skill I have. What a joke!" His laughing continued for a little while longer, but faded away. His expression returned to the small smirk that he had on before. He looked over and Jordan and looked at him for a moment. "I wonder why I don't kill him now. He escaped my mind hack on the Vanadiel ship from before and survived his brush with Z. Perhaps I'm too fascinated with this man and his ability to survive the most dangerous of situations. He was a fun one to watch, always exciting to see what he'd do next." He reached out his hand a grabbed Jordan's throat. "Sweet dreams, Jordan of the Whirlwind Spear."

Just when his grip tightened on Jordan's neck, the cloaked man's arm began to glow and slowly fade away. He didn't show any signs of agony or pain, he merely looked over to his arm and noticed it was morphing into nothingness. He released his grip quickly on Jordan and took a step back. Half his arm was missing, appearing as though it had been burned off like paper. "It seems I can't kill him in the condition I'm in after all. I must rethink a new strategy to deal with this." He walked over to Shadow and XI, his demented smile returning to his face. "Until next time, gentlemen. And remember that if you get in the way of me killing Jordan, I'll be forced to do away with you as well. Take care now. He walked right by the two and the old nurse and headed out the door of the infirmary.

Edited by JRPomazon, 26 August 2007 - 10:42 PM.

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow was going to make a move on the cloaked man for grabbing Jordan. He was planning to impale him with his sword, but then he started to disappear. All he left him and XI with was his threat that he'd kill them if they protected Jordan.

"That guy... is crazy." Shadow said. "I'm not sure what makes him more insane, that he practically gave Z power or that he's just plain psychotic."

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

ooc: For the sake of progress, I'm going to do a time jump.

Ken woke up to the morning, a light shining into his eyes. He squinted, his sight trying to adjust to the waking world.

What happened? I remmber turning into a wolf, and then that fight... Wait, what???

Ken tried to bring himself up, but went right back down with a sharp intake of breath through his teeth. He brought himself up again gently, looking over himself. He was definitely human again, but he spotted bruises throughout his body. They were going away for the most part, but they were quite painful. He mulled himself over, thinking about last night. It was strange; he had felt as though his conscious mind slipped and gave way to instinct, a most peculiar sensation.

What happened to Jordan? And Shadow and XI, they were there too...

Ken looked around and saw Jordan as well. He tried to pull himself out of bed, but ended up falling out onto the floor.

Damn...

The old nurse noticed the noise and came over, forcing Ken back up onto his bed.

"You trying to kill yourself boy? I swear, you kids seem to think yourselves immortal." her voice cracked.

"Sorry..." Ken coughed out.

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow had fallen asleep in his chair, to be woken up by the "thud" sound of something falling to the floor. He looked into the other room to see that Ken was awake.

"Well, at least one of you woke up." Shadow said as he walked in from the other room. "Just be thankful you didn't get beaten up as badly as Jordan... he'll be alright, but he got the worst of the fight."

[31-Year-Old-From-Georgia]

When XI had left to go retrieve his sandals and lock his room's door, last night, he hadn't expected the trip to last until dawn. By the time he had gotten out of there, managed to realize where exactly this clinic was in comparison to his room, and actually voyage through to his room, it was incredibly late. What started as a brief moment to lie in bed and reflect on what the current situation was had morphed into that night's sleep. At least it was more comfortable than sleeping in an arm chair.

"Good morning," XI announced his presence as he emrged through the clinic's front door. He was wearing a fresh outfit, dagger dangling from a belt loop as always. Slighly annoyed to have no one greet him, XI made his way to the other room.

"Took a lot longer than I thought it would. No more of these cloak mystery people appeared after I left, right?" XI chattered away as he strolled down the hallway. Poking through the doorway and seeing Ken concious, XI added, "Good to see you awake, wolfy."

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow shook his head and chuckled. "No, no one else showed up. I'm assuming Z and the other guy left a while ago." he said to XI.

He heard a crashing sound. He turned around to see that the nurse had dropped some various medical tools. "The Dreadlord was here again?" she asked Shadow.

"Unfortunately..."

"Well, I'm surprised you four are even alive!" she said, picking up what she dropped. "I remember the last time he came here; killed over 20 of us pirates in no time at all..." After shuddering a bit, she resumed her normal duties.

[JRPomazon]

Everything was a bit fuzzy. From seeing gray, colors began to take definite tones and from colors came shapes. Before long, Jordan's vision had returned to him as he started to wake up. He moved his body slowly and eventually shifted himself to the side of the bed. He turned himself and sat on the edge, his body beginning to wake up one piece at a time.

"Hey."

Being morning, Jordan really wasn't the conversationalist and kept his words brief. He began to notice his surroundings and eventually got the idea that he was in a hospital of sorts. Everyone else was awake already, carrying on a conversation. He looked at his armor, noticing it wasn't removed the night before. The greenish color it had was mostly faded off, and the metal was warped by the force of the lighting that struck him. It had taken too many hits and seemed to be too weak to continue using. Jordan took off his front plate, raising it over his head and placing it to his side. The shoulder guard he had came next, vaguely resembling it's previous self. His forearm protectors were still in good shape, so he decided to keep them on. All that he had on now was a long sleeved brown cloth shirt with some chain mail woven into it. The chain mail in his shirt was still in one piece and still usable.

Jordan looked over to the others with a weary expression.

"Breakfast anyone?" he asked curtly.

[SL the Pyro]

(I'll be doing a time-skip if this isn't replied to soon. In other words, *bump*.)

[SL the Pyro]

(Alright, time-skip time! No one is posting in here, so...)

It was around the afternoon; everyone was sitting down to lunch. XI and Ken were up and active, and Jordan was at least moving. It boggled him how he'd recovered from Z's beating so fast; he'd heard of grown warriors dying at his hands. Perhaps Jordan might be a help against him after all...

Shadow was sitting atop one of the walls, looking out of a telescope in his boredom. He looked out to see yet another ship entering the dock, only this one was fairly small... and not a pirate ship. Shadow did a double take, and looked on as two individuals came out of the ship, wearing clothed disguises similar to his. Something about this seemed suspicious; he jumped down the wall and intercepted them.

"Ah, there he is now." said one of them; he was referring to Shadow. "Do you know how hard you are to keep track of?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow in confusion until both people flashed badges from under their robes; they were Uradiel soldiers. "Ugh, what the hell is wrong now? I have stuff to take care of here..."

"Sorry kid, orders." the other man said. "The Labyrinth has become active in this war; they're attacking Van'Duras as we speak."

Shadow felt his heart go up into his throat in surprise; this reminded him of the picture that the cloaked man gave Jordan. The other man handed him an envelope which looked oddly like the ones he recieves his missions in.

He opened it and read it; apparently he was to do espionage at Van'Duras to find out what reasons the Labyrinth had in their attack, and if possible, assist them in taking out Vanadiel.

"The Labyrinth is actually behind this? Man... this can't mean anything good..." he thought. "Okay, I'm in... just... let me take care of one last thing here..."

"Make it quick." the second man said sternly.

----------

Shadow snuck into XI's room and took some letter-writing supplies. It read,

"Hey guys.

I guess I won't be around to see how this turns out. I'll be honest with you... I'm not just some travelling warrior with a grudge on Z, I'm actually a Uradiel soldier. Special Ops, actually. My mission was to blow up a Vanadiel encampment hidden in that town that we were at way back when... it was those Vanadiel soldiers that were running the armored ship we found before. Running into that was a stroke of luck I guess... I'd like to thank you for your help, and I'm sorry for any trouble I've caused.

The reason I'm telling you this now is because I've just been called out to a mission, and go figure, it has to do with that picture that the cloaked man gave Jordan. Apparently is was the Labyrinth that did that, and I'm going there to find out why. And help with their attack on Vanadiel if possible. While I would appreciate your help... I can't get you guys involved in the war.

I wish you luck in getting your memories back, Ken. XI, try not to get into too much trouble. Jordan, get well soon. I promise that we'll meet again...

~Shadow"

Shadow put the letter in an envelope and decided to get going; he found his way back to the medical ward, snuck in and put the letter with Jordan's stuff. Satisfied, he snuck back out and boarded the Uradiel soldiers small ship. Apparently they were getting some things before they left. "Bah, and they tell me to hurry up..." he muttered. He went up on top of the mast and sat down, waiting for departure.

(You can join in on this if you want, but if you want to get on with getting Ken's memories back, then that's fine too.)

---------

EDIT: (I've added onto this post.)

Shadow peeked down and, finally, saw the two soldiers boarding the ship. He himself was sitting atop the mast like usual. "Are we ready to go now?" he asked with a hint of impatience.

"Yes, let's set sail." one of the soldiers said. Shadow hopped off of the mast to allow the sails to unravel and catch the wind. When they were far enough out to sea, all three men discarded their disguise cloths. The soldiers were donned in their normal Uradiel Special Ops uniforms, while Shadow was back in the black jacket he'd bought back at XI's grandfather's shop. "Souvenir?" one of the soldiers asked, tugging on the jacket.

Shadow batted his hand away and said, "It's hard to blend into dark places with white clothes showing." He was referring to the white sleeves of his undershirt and his white pants. Shadow looked out ahead towards the sea, thinking about this mission. "The Labyrinth's attack was so sudden... I don't think even boss Zan expected this. I guess I should be glad it wasn't Uradiel that they went after... but if we leave it alone, then we probably will be the next target."

Shadow looked up to the sky.

"Will this war ever end?"

Edited by Shadow_Link, 23 September 2007 - 08:34 AM.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan and the others returned from breakfast to the infirmary. Over the meal, XI explained to Jordan and Ken what happened after they passed out and were taken to the infirmary the night before. The idea that his life was almost taken while he was sleeping absolutely terrified Jordan, although he kept his fear to himself. Both Ken and Jordan were still regaining their basic motor functions and took walking slowly, while XI lead the way by unintentionally walking too fast for them. Once they arrived, Jordan greeted the old woman and continued to pick up his things. He sat down on the bed he was laying on and began to organize his belongs slowly. He grabbed his pouch and placed it around his waist. An unfamiliar object stuck out of the satchel's opening and caught Jordan's eye. He plucked it out and discovered that it was an envelope. He looked around the room for a moment, wondering if either this occurrence had happened with anyone else or if it was some sort of joke. He shrugged off his suspicions and opened the envelope with his fingers.

He pulled out the letter, the paper folding out in front of Jordan. He eyes scanned each word as he began to read it. He spent a few minutes reading, sitting on the bed as the others continued to pack their things. Jordan finished the letter and placed it back into his pouch. He resumed his packing, reequipping the sling that held his weapons on his back and placing said weapons in said sling. Each spear was kept in it's own separate holster, protecting the blades at the end with leather and cloth. Jordan looked over at his scrapped armor and picked it up with his arms. Tiny shards began to fall to the wooden floor, which appeared to be meticulously mopped and cleaned. He began to walk outside, followed by XI and Ken and said goodbye to the old woman who cared for them.

The party traveled back through the beach, scarred by the battle that had taken place last night with blackened sand and shattered rocks. Jordan ignored the battlefield and continued on. They walked the sandy shores and eventually reached the cobblestone streets of the Forsaken Fortress. The stone and wood gave the city a faint blueish glow as pirates lay sleeping or hungover from the night before. Jordan passed by the old blacksmith shop where he had fought Ezra and reached XI's residence. The door was open, but nothing appeared to be missing. Jordan took a seat on the ground under the window. He pulled out the letter. He handed to XI, who began to read it as Ken looked over his shoulder to read it as well.

After the two had finished, they looked over at Jordan who was still sitting.

"I just want you to know that I have no intentions of getting involved in a war, even if the Labyrinth is involved. As you can all clearly tell, Shadow will no longer be joining us in our travels and I hope he survives the battles that await him."

Jordan stood up.

"Ken, I'm afraid your memories will have to wait for a little while longer. I'd like to reach Sornaiid as soon as possible. Maybe then we'll understand the situation we are all in a little better. "

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

ooc: better late than never right?

Ken nodded to Jordan slowly.

"I understand. I can wait a little while longer. Besides, maybe I will find another part of myself in Sornaiid."

So they would be off again. Ken took a short while to think before recognizing a distant feeling in his heart; he had to move on, he had to move forward to what he did not know.

"Let's go. I feel as though I have not moved in week, and I do not wish to stay in this infirmary." he spoke adamantly, "I refuse to stand still."

Ken forced his still numb body into movement, walking over to his sword.

[31-Year-Old-From-Georgia]

"Hmm... ah... uh... hrmm... yes..." XI stammered. He hadn't quite known what to say or do in quite a while. "Well, okay! Let's go gallivanting off then!"

Having not suffered terrible wounds from a criminal overlord the previous night, XI sprung into action. He gallivanted past Ken and rushed for supplies. With a somewhat built up frenziness, XI stocked up on finances and a few snacks for the road. The road from the living areas to the docks wasn't that far, so only a few stale crackers were needed.

XI glanced over at Jordan and Ken, both of which were still a bit worse for wear. Shrugging as he equipped the freshly plated dagger, XI tenatively asked, "Want a cracker? ...or maybe a bone?" He examined Ken for a bit before simply blurted out, "Yeah, something I've been wanting to ask before we all get on a crowded ship together for an unknown amount of time... Do you, er, remember exactly what happened last night?"

[JRPomazon]

Jordan headed towards the door as XI gathered supplies.
"Answer the question the way to the ship, I'd like to move as soon as possible." he said as he passed by Ken and XI.

It was unclear whether or not the war's after effects would reach the Forsaken Fortress. If it turned out that there was going to be trouble and turmoil in this area, Jordan wanted to get out before it started. His body was moving better and the soreness was leaving his joints. He could fight if the situation called for it, but he'd be fighting without any chest armor. The idea of having a huge opening didn't sit well with him. He would have to replace it once he got to Sornaiid. Pirate armor just wouldn't get the job done. Jordan leaned on a wall outside, waiting for the others with his arms crossed.

OoC: If anyone missed this before, Jordan's armor was totally scrapped after his fight with Z. For a mental picture, he is wearing a short sleeved brown shirt with chain mail under that. That is all.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

"Last night? Well..."

Ken paused. He knew this was worrying XI, but he had to tell it straight.

"I remember most of it... the transformation, the being a wolf... But for awhile, when I fought, felt as though I had no control, that I was acting purely on impulse. I could only think of getting rid of my enemy..."

Ken turned his head to XI.

"I do not why that rush of instinct happened, but I do not think it is dangerous."

[JRPomazon]

Jordan pushed off the wall his was leaning up against and poked his head through the open door.

"C'mon, are you guys ready or what?"

The sound of broken glass resounded in Jordan's ears. Never a good omen around the Forsaken Fortress. He swiftly walked through the door and grabbed both XI and Ken by the collars of their shirts.

"Ok, you're all set. Let's go."

As Jordan dragged the two them through the door, he made sure XI closed the door behind him and locked it. The three travelers made their way to the docks by the main roads of the Fortress. The sun began to reach noon; the blueish glow of the Fortress beginning to take a golden color. Some pirates began to wake up from their previous hangovers and began showing some life. Before either of the three realized it, they had reached the main dock of the Fortress. To their surprise, a fairly large ship was finishing up last minute check up and preparing for departure. It was perfect. Jordan had long since let go of his companions and walked towards one of the deck hands. A man about Jordan's age give or take a year with twice the muscle.

"Excuse me, but does this ship takes travelers?" He asked.

The sailor just reached out and opened his hand.

"100 per passenger." He said calmly.

"100!?" Jordan exclaimed. It was highway robbery, no doubt about it. Jordan begrudgingly reached for his pouch and grabbed a handful of the gold he took from the Vanadiel ship raid. He counted them quickly, using his fingers as best as he could to count. He had found the 300 he needed and placed it in the sailors hand. Jordan's expression reflected his feelings, giving the deck hand a very annoyed look.

"Don't hate me mate, I don't make the prices." He said calmly.

Jordan, XI and Ken then walked aboard the ship. It was filled with pirate-type sailors who all noticed Jordan and the others walk on board, as though seeing other humans besides themselves was a a rare occurrence. Jordan quickly realized that he was on board a pirate ship.

"Well, at least we found a ship." he said to XI and Ken. He then let out a large sigh, knowing full well that this wouldn't be a relaxing boat trip.

[SL the Pyro]

It wasn't too long at all before Shadow was far out to sea; this boat may have been small, but it was sure faster than normal Uradiel ships. That was one of three things that seemed quite wrong about this; Uradiel never had ships this fast.

The second thing wrong was that these soldiers knew where to find him; how did they even know? The only evidence he could've left behind was that Vanadiel ship he and his friends had sunk, and he highly doubted that it just came up out of the sea and shouted "SHADOW IS HEADING FOR THE FORSAKEN FORTRESS!" to the pepole at the nearest Uradiel dock.

But the third thing wrong, the most notable and clinching of the three, was that the people who picked him up were soldiers. Soldiers. A normal Uradiel soldier wouldn't have been sent to the heckhole that was the Forsaken Fortress if their life depended on it, because it would probably be where it ended. That, and the soldiers had their hands on his mission file, something only the general or another Special Ops was supposed to even lay eyes on.

The more he thought about it, the more this smelled like a setup. Shadow, who had been steering the ship, removed his hands from the wheel and decided to ask the soldiers about these things. As he approached the cabin, he heard them talking and decided to listen in.

"--doesn't even suspect a thing, I don't think."

"Good, then now we polish him off."

"Hehehehe, the Dreadlord will give us a handsome reward for this..."

Shadow's head listened to and repeated that word: "Dreadlord." That explained everything; it was a trap, set by Z. "These aren't Uradiel soldiers, they're Z's henchmen! And they're out for my head!" he thought, his mind racing with thoughts of how to kill these two liars. As tempting as it was to blow their ship to pieces, that wouldn't do him any good because he was on the ship. Anything other than armed combat would probably result in him joining their watery grave.

He heard the footsteps of one of the men approaching the door, so he quickly hid behind it. The two men ran out, one with a sword, one with... a fireball in his hand? Apparently a sorcerer of some sort, but not a Sin; Shadow didn't sense nearly enough magic power for that to be possible. "Hey, where'd he go!?" said the warrior, both of them looking around.

Shadow quietly drew his sword, then said, "RIGHT HERE!" He hacked the door off its hinges and threw it at the sorcerer, who incinerated it with his flaming hand. Shadow tried to use the moment of distraction to strike down the warrior, but his attack was blocked just as quickly as the sorcerer stopped the door and jumped back. "Whoa. These guys certainly aren't like soldiers... they're better-trained." Shadow thought, then smiled; at least this would be fun.

The warrior dashed at Shadow with the intent of impaling him on his sword; Shadow parried this manuvuer and kicked the man behind him and into some empty supply crates that hadn't yet been put away. He then turned his thoughts to the sorcerer; that fire of his could burn the ship, so he had to be the first to go. Shadow lunged at the sorcerer, who now had both his fists blazing, and went on the attack. For someone who was reliant on magic, he was quite agile for being able to evade Shadow's sword. He eventually retaliated with a punch of his flaming fist, which Shadow blocked with the flat of his sword, even though he was almost knocked back. He had some serious power in those flames.

This was when Shadow heard the warrior charging at him again; he used his magic boots to jump out of the way in the hopes that his two foes would collide with each other, but apparently the warrior wasn't that stupid. He stopped just short of him. "Damn! They're not just better-trained, they're well-coordinated. Z trains his henchmen well. Shadow thought. He needed some way to trip these guys up that wouldn't wreck the ship. He thought of the perfect solution; a flash bomb. Quickly he pulled one out of his tunic and lit it, then threw it up high. He covered his eyes as it exploded, saving him from the blinding light. The other two weren't so fortunate from what he could tell from their screams of pain.

Shadow didn't waste on second of this chance; he dashed at the sorcerer and sent his blade for his neck. He wasn't without skill as Shadow saw that even blinded he tried to block it, but he was too late. After only a second, his head was rolling on the deck and his body fell limp. "DAMN YOU!" yelled the warrior; he certainly recovered his sight quick.

This 2-on-1 battle then became a heated swordfight. The warrior was every bit as skilled as his sorcerer counterpart, his moves gracefully flowing into one another. The steel of his sword clashed and clanged with Shadow's black sword for the better part of five minutes; this random fighter was almost as good with a sword as Shadow was. This "almost" is what saved him; Shadow found an opening when he lunged at him, so he jumped up and landed right on the flat of his sword, pinning it to the ground. The warrior looked up in shock as Shadow smiled deviously. He introduced the warrior's face to his boot, making him fly a foot and drop his sword. Shadow wasted no time when he landed, grabbing the enemy's dropped sword and running at him. He drove the two swords into the deck, dangerously close to the warrior's neck; not close enough to kill, but enough to make him slit his own throat if he moved.

"Damn..." the warrior said, breathing hard, but then laughing. "You're every bit as skilled as the Dreadlord said you were..."

Shadow narrowed his eyes and said, "Start talking. What would Z want with normal fighters like you? I thought his only had the Sins."

"He's been building up an army..." the warrior said. "He's getting ready to take the ultimate power by force."

Shadow's heart grew cold; what he heard about the Key of Water back at the Fortress must've been true. Z really did know what he was after. That was bad, very bad.

"He's been sending people like me and my brother to get rid of those who get in his way..." he said, pointing to the fallen corpse of a sorcerer; apparently that was his brother. "Now I can see why he wants you gone so badly..."

Shadow was quite confused; a few moments ago this man had the intent to serve his head on a plater, but now it looked like that murderous intent was gone from him. "You don't seem like such a bad guy... what's someone like you doing with Z?"

The man looked depressed. "My family was killed during the war..." he said, a tear falling from his eye. "One of the Sins came and offered me and my brother shelter... in exchange for your head..."

Shadow couldn't help but feel for this man. "You had good lives... you just fell in with the wrong crowd..."

There was silence for a moment when the man suddenly asked, "Kill me..." Shadow's eyes widened. "I only lived for my famly and my brother, and now I've lost both... I don't want to live as a filthy bandit and suffer Z's punishment, so please... finish me..."

If it were an earlier time, Shadow would've hesitated much longer and cried for this poor soul. But those days were gone; Shadow slowly nodded and swung the blades, his head now rolling on the deck alongside his brother's. Shadow gave them a proper burial at sea, pushing their bodies off and letting them sink. He hoped they'd be reunited with their family.

Shadow's fist shook in anger. It made him sick; Z and the Sins toy with the lives of these people and feel no guilt or remorse for it. As far as he was concerned, they were just seven more demons that needed to be slain.

"Well... now what am I gonna do?" Shadow wondered, going over to the wheel. "If I'm not actually needed in Van-Duras, then... maybe I should get back with the others. At least I know where they're going... Sornaiid."

Shadow checked the Sea Chart that the men were following, and used it to change his boat's course for Sornaiid. He only hoped that he could make it there before the party was over.

[SL the Pyro]

*bump* (I'm getting tired of doing this...)

[JRPomazon]

OoC: Leave it to Shadow_Link to save a story.

IC:

Jordan and the others had been traveling for sometime now. The sky was a rouge color, as it usually was while the sun began to set. The pirates on board the ship were surprisingly docile, not making attempts to kill or loot Jordan, XI or Ken. They might have been nice people if he got the chance to know them better. It was a peaceful trip for a change; a good change. Jordan walked around the deck of the ship and spotted the man that had let him and the others on the ship earlier.

"Hey, how much longer until we reach our destination?" Jordan asked frankly.

The man looked at him for a moment.

"We don't have a destination mate."

Jordan froze for a second, holding himself back from face faulting onto the wooden deck.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE A DESTINATION!" He screamed, surprised in the sailor's answer.

After screaming, the seafarer took his finger and cleaned out his ear with it.

"We don't have a destination, we sail around the sea doin' random tasks for people aboard other ships we meet on the sea. It could be anything from mailing letters to nearby locations or killing someone. We do whatever."

Jordan gathered his composure and took a deep breath.

"OK, are you going near Sornaiid?" he asked in hopes of getting a positive response.

"Hmm. . . I guess. It would be about a few hours, maybe half a day."

Jordan began to have hope.

"Can you take me and my friends there?" He asked.

The sailor reached out his hand.

"100 per passenger." he said curtly.

Their was a moment of silence. Jordan was doing everything in his power not to loss his temper.

"B-But we already paid you." he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The sailor's face remained unchanged and emotionless.

"You paid to get aboard, you never paid to get to a location."

Jordan just about had enough, but still reached into his pouch and gave the man the gold.

"FINE! HERE! TAKE THE DAMN MONEY! SEE IF I CARE! JUST GET US TO SORNAIID!"

He was panting heavily after screaming and stormed off. The sailor grinned in delight while the boat enjoyed peace on the sea.

[31-Year-Old-From-Georgia]

How freakin' long are we going to be on this ship!? XI roared in his mind.

This voyage was taking ages. The few hours that had passed were torturous. Rusty nailds dangerously perturbed the floor upwards as if forming a carpet. One's sense of smell could burn away within minutes on the ship with all the unknown, vile scents floating around. The living conditions weren't the healthiest; XI felt his health degrading every moment. Deciding that he had enough of the potentially fatal circumstances on the ship's interior, XI went to the deck to meet the potentially fatal curcumstances out there instead.

Crimson painted the sky already. It was a beautiful sight, one that contrasted the rickety old boat XI was on. The kid finally realized the ship wasn't moving. Wondering how he hadn't realized this before, XI peered his head to look where they were docked. A rather familiar landscape greeted him. It was nothing but your standard small island. Lights forests and a town of buildings all sizes surrounded a small mountain. The town seemed peaceful, but a large number of pirates were probably raiding at that moment.

"Oh, hell," XI moaned under his breath. For a moment, he bagn to retreat back inside. Yet, despite knowing he should just ignore the situation, XI stayed on deck. He had to find out how things were here. Sense wasn't directing him, but curiosity. As XI pondered what exactly he should do, a rather clean pirate pranced by. He looked like a nice sort in comparison to his companions.

"Hey," XI greeted.

"...Yeah?" the man asked. His voice was considerably softer than the others, but still rather crusty.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it, shrimp?"

XI glanced around the deck for a moment. Almost immediately he caught sight of Ken and Jordan on the upper deck. They weren't hard to find amongst the scallways.

"You see this guys? The ones that look totally out of place?" XI asked.

"Yeah."

"Could you tell them I'm leaving? And... that I'll try to make it up to Ken someday for saving my ass?"

"Sure, why not?"

With that, the pirate sturtted off. For a second it looked like he was just going to ignore XI's request, but he ended up heading towards the short staircase to the upper deck. Xi shifted his view to the dock. A birly man was standing guard as if watching for stow-a-ways. XI figured that even if he tried to get off the ship peacefully, he would be charged for it just as Jordan was pressured for money earlier. Money was something XI didn't quite have at the moment. It was time to wing it.

"Kid," the gruff pirate growled.

"Adult," XI replied chipperly.

"How'd you get on here?"

"I got on at the Forsaken Fortress."

"I bet you did."

"You'd win that bet."

"What do you want with me?"

"I want to get off."

"Hundred coins."

"What about them?"

"Give me them."

"I would, but that guy over there took my money."

"What guy?"

"That one."

"Skipper?"

"Yeah, him. That guy's got a huge mouth, doesn't he?"

"What?"

"Yeah, he told me about you a little while ago."

"Oh, did he now?"

"Yeah. Something about how you're a pansy."

"Tough talk for a guy on the seas."

"You... don't care?"

"I don't. Let him say what he wants to say."

"Oh. He also mentioned doing your mother."

"....yeah?"

"Yup. According to Skipper, she'd be all over anything with balls."

The resulting brawl between Skipper and the hefty man was a sight to see. Unfortunately for XI, he didn't have time to enjoy the show. Running quickly through the town, XI felt mornic. Here he was ditching Jordan and Ken on a whim. That was the way for him, to just be an ass and leave whenever he felt like it. Utterly hating himself, XI simply continued getting the hell out of there.

ooc: Mmmmmm. Sorry for dropping out like this, guys. I'm just too dog gone uncreative.

Edited by 15-Year-Old, 28 September 2007 - 06:39 PM.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken just leaned on the rail, staring out at the sea. His thoughts drifted, wondering what was out there. The commotion that had risen from Jordan's dealing with the Skipper and the brawl XI initiated faded into the background as his thoughts went to other things.

How much further must I wander? What must I do to move on, to grow?

It was after a little that Ken swore he felt something graze over his shoulder. The feeling triggered a reflex, and the young man whipped around to have his hand rest on the hilt of his sword.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Take it easy I'm not gonna kill ya or anything, I'm just here to give ya a message!" came the pirate's voice.

Ken remained stiff for a few moments before he relaxed.

"What is the message?" he asked.

"The kid, he told me to tell you he was leaving. Oh, and he told me to tell uh... Ben? No, Ken. Whichever of you is Ken, he said he owed ya one."

With that, the pirate turned and walked away. Ken laid his back against the railing, heaving a sigh. He wished XI had stayed, but each had their own path to take. He turned back to sea--but nary a second past when that feeling came back again.

< " Past the nation of rebellion, the forest awaits, waiting for you exorcise the corruption of blood that stems from your family, that stems from your past life. " >

Time seemed to stop as those words spoke directly into Ken's ears. He swore he saw silver fur out of the corner of his eyes, that he felt a moist breath upon him. His reflex engaged again, and he spoun around only to see nothing. All of the sailors had gone to work, or finishing up the fight.

"Who...?" Ken thought aloud. He turned to Jordan, "... Did you not hear that?"

000000

Upon the walls of the fortress, a wolf with silver fur watched the ship disembark.

Soon, young one, you will know the story of your soul...