* Guardians of The Sacred Orb

[zepherion]

Mia nodded. "Oh!" Mia narrowed her eyes at Katan. "You'd better not dare to use this information against them....but, anyways, since we're at the dinner table..." Mia picked up her utensils and stuck her fork into the lamb. "Let's eat!" Mia started eating. She was starving for some reason but maybe the lamb just looked much too inviting.

Mia stared at the empty spot. Mia turned her head to the woman. "So, your husband is a....rancher?"  

[NakhtiChaos]

Nakhti reached down into his hip sack and pulled some of the dried meat he considered to be his trail rations. Rideing closer to Tiger he tossed some into her lap.

"Eat. If things go bad its best not to have an empty stomach."

Nakhti took another strip of meat and offered it to Natsu. Natsu's eyes lit up and he grabbed the meat and began to gnaw on it quickly.

"Thk' ooo' 'ister!"

Nakhti smiled gently to himself as he spoke.

"Hey slow down kid I got plenty for everyone."

Nakhti chuckled as the ice spells impacted the top ridge of the second mountain. The snow leapords fired the second spell thirty feet away again and within seconds they went through the first frozen ground again to emerge at the second one going rapidly down the side of the second mountain range. These beasts were used for scouting and rescue for thier ability to teleport through ice. How ironic really. Still i will hold my promise to the brat. I won't hurt him or his companions. Unlike that pirate I got some honor.

(meanwhile.....)

High above the small town further up the side of the fifth mountain range. A mercenary sat in the trees watching with a telescope the house the pirate was in. Reaching down to a faint glowing stone around his neck the mercenary spoke.

"They have been in there a while now with thier new member. Still no movement..... why do we got to be covered in animal urine again man?"

Softly the stone spoke back.

"Because idiot its to cover our scent from thier dogs. We have been here for a while now. Have the dogs barked at us yet?"

The other man spoke softly still.

"Not yet no........"

The stone spoke back softly.

"Then its working make sure to cover yourself again just to be sure remember we want this to go off without a hitch."

The man kept watching through the telescope again as he covered himself again in animal urine since he knew what was at stake.

"Disgusting."

Now the stone began to speak softly of its own accord.

"Animal team are you in position yet?"

"Not yet. We are keeping well within the trees to avoid detection."

"How are the archer teams?"

"In position sir they don't suspect a thing as of now."

"And the horse teams?"

"Yeah we are here and we managed to sneak the opening attacks close enough to use. This better be worth it these horses cost a fortune for these barbarians to use."

"Look shut it we went over this. This will pay back the horses and then more. We will have enough to live like kings. Remember. We get a thousand gold per villager killed. Five hundred thousand per pirate. That lead pirate though is worth a whopping one million. Do not let him live to get away."

"Got it."

"How are my magic men?"

"Ready."

"Okay. Remember we will strike at sundown."  

[Tiger Tales]

Tiger hangs tight to the leopard and angles her wings to make her seem lighter. She gulps down the meat snake style and looks around. "Pretty handy your friends are, how's the kid holdin' out?" Ty calls over to him. "I will repay you for the snack when I get a chance to look into my pack again."  

[NakhtiChaos]

Hearing Tiger ask about the child Nakhti poked the kid who was still busy eating the meat like it was the only food he ever had. Meanwhile the snow leapords had already launched thier next ice spell at the third mountain range.

"Kid you ok? Hey slow down! I mean it i got plenty more if your still hungry kid geeze!"

Natsu looked up at Nakhti and grinned.

"This is fun! The food is good too mister! Mabey your not such a meanie after all!"

Nakhti rolled his eyes. Oh great the kid is starting to like me.

The spells impacted the third mountain range quicker this time since the second and third range were so much closer together. This time whene the leapords jumped over the third mountain range Nakhti caught the faint lingering of a scent. Thats Mia's scent! Nakhti stuffed his portion of the dried meat into his mouth and ate it quickly. All the while the sun was halfway under the skyline.

"The kid is fine Tig."

(Meanwhile.....)

The ridge above the village was silently busy this time a long haired mercenary was walking through the horses making sure the nomadic barbarians were saddled right. The horses themselves were silent and hidden very well in the trees. Higher upon the ridge though hidden behind a massive ammount of tall trees finishing touches were being done upon ten catapults. Up here were two more mercenaries very silently bickering.

"Why couldn't the cataputls have wheels man?"

"For the last time too much noise would have come from those accursed wheels just make sure they are held in place by enough stone so they will not slide down the mountain when we bloody fire them."

"What if they see us?"

"Fool with us having the high ground here we could put the catapults further away then normal. With our extra heigt we get extra range thats why we hid behind the biggest trees we could find remember that."

(meanwhile still on the slope even with the village.)

On both sides the archers watched as the sheep herders were coming in for the day. Softly a stone around one mercenaries neck spoke.

"Keep the fires smokeless. Remember you guys fire with the catapults when the horse and animal teams make it to village border you move in and kill at close range."

The elder mercenary with gray hair and rotten teeth spoke quieter back into the stone.

"No problem it is a good thing we taught these barbarians how to fire multiple arrows. Many will die before the foot soldiers even hit the village."

(Meanwhile still on the sloped below the village.)

The barbarians had thier work cut out for them keeping the attack dogs quiet as the mercenaries lead the way far below the village. A female mercenary spoke to a rather tall and thick mercenary.

"I would hate to be on the reciveing end of those dogs teeth tonight. We starved them for one day for this and they sound nasty about it."

The bigger mercenary spoke in barely a whisper.

"Aye that be true but remember we canna let them be eatin the villager's heads we be needen em to prove our kills."

(meanwhile up in the tree where the mercenary with the telescope sat)

The mercenary int the tree spoke ever so softly into the stone.

"An old herder who just got done putting his flock away is approaching the pirates house. Otherwise the other herders are almost done putting thier flocks away."

The stone spoke back again.

"Excellent."

The stone spoke quietly by its self again.

"Necromancer."

"Yes?"

"Did you set the spells?"

"Why yes i did before we moved out this morning. When the barbarians die thier corpses will reanimate and keep attacking."

"Good. Infernomancer and lightning mage you ready?"

"I am. The fires of destruction will burn freely tonight."

"Yes I'm ready there need not be one cloud in the sky for lightning to strike."

"Good."

"Earth mage and water mage you guys ready."

"I am tis gonna be some nasty shockwaves tonight."

"This mountain has a natural spring of water running through it. I'm ready."

"Good. The time is close at hand."

(I switched mancer with mage cuz it just sounded wierd i mean 'lightningmancer'? ick........ sweatdrop )  

[zepherion]

Mia finished her lamb and tried to sit normally so as not to look like a slob or pig 'cause she was stuffed. Mia smiled.

"Wow, I've never tasted lamb as good as this before...do you mind if I have the recipe? It would be nice to serve it to my mom and sis when I get back home." Mia sniffed.

"Um, does anybody else...smell..." Mia sniffed again. "Ugh...animal urine?" Mia could never mistake the smell of animal urine. In Etheros, she had to walk by a lot of animal farms and grazing areas, also, she had a neighbour who was a rancher. So, almost everyday she could smell that odor, but it became a habit.  

[NakhtiChaos]

Nakhti kept sitting up with Mia's scent fresh in his nose. The snow leapords had already fired thier next spell at the top of the fourth mountain range. With the impact of that spell the snow leapords once again teleported from ice to ice. Nakhti, Natsu, and Tiger exploded over the fourth mountain range and were riding down the slope fast. Squinting Nakhti saw the village in the distance.

"Mia's scent is coming from that village!"

Nakhti yelled to Tiger as the leapords kept within the woods. To prevent detection as they now rapidly approached the village.

(On the lower slopes below the village.)

Everyone laid flat as several great snow leapords went past thier position several hundered yards ahead. The female mercenary spoke very quietly.

"What the hell? More pirates?"

To this a mercenary cloaked from head to foot in a pitch black robe spoke.

"No my friend that was a bounty hunter. We have had.... entanglements in the past."

"What kind of entanglements?"

"He is the reason you nick named me crispy."

"He is the one that tried to burn you alive?"

The hood of the black cloack was pulled back to revealed a man with severly scarred skin.

"Yes he is and its time for pay back. That it is."

(Meanwile..)

The archers ignited thier arrows on both sides of the village. The nomadic barbarians had two arrow strung per bow. Hideing behind the trees to hide the light they awaited thier signal.

(Meanwile..)

The catapults were secured with heavy stone and loaded. One mercenary waved his hands and all of the loaded jars in the catipults ignited.

"Ready...."

(Meanwile..)

The final horses were mounted. A few mercenaries checked thier weapons before mounting thier horses.

"Wish we coulda got thes' ba'ba'ians mo'e decent weapons then thie' axes and clubs."

(meanwhile..)

The man in the tree spoke now looking at the almost comletely set sun.

"One more minute."

(Back at Nakhti.)

Nakhti dismounted his leapord and took Natsu off before sending the snow leapords back. Turning around and putting his long black jacket back on Nakhti pointed at one house in the village.

"Mia's scent is there. Lets go."

Nakhti walked out into the village holding Natsu on his hip. Looking behind him Nakhti smiled at Tiger. Smelling faint sulfer Nakhti looked up to the sky. Strange it dose not look like its gonna rain........ Natsu tugged on Nakhti's jacket.

"Mister can i have some more food? I kinda missed lunch today."

Nakti smiled gently and extracted more dried strips of meat.

"Of course i told you i have plety."

Natsu the briefly went back to eating while Nakhti held hin on his hip still.He is like a fungus. He is growing on me.

(The man at the tree again.)

Speaking into the stone the man looked at the village.

"We got more people headed to the pirates house. Thirty seconds left."  

[Tiger Tales]

Tiger dismounts and pets the leopard's head for a second. She takes a sniff and nearly gags. "Glad the kid is alright. Mia is here alright... What is with the urine? Its so strong! The place doesn't look all that bad, put the smell... Ugh." Ruffles her wings and presses them tight to her back.  

[NakhtiChaos]

Nakhti's nose did wrinkle at Tigers mention of the urine. As they continued to the house with Mia's scent.

"Well considering the strong smell of sheep I just figured that was normal by product. What I don't like is the smell of sulfer... I mean the sky is clear. Though these chimneys are busy so its probably just me."

Stopping just outside the house Nakhti smiled.

"Hey kid whats the guys name again?"

Natsu paused eating just long enough to awnser.

"Katan mister. Now remember you promised not to hurt him."

Nakhti snorted lightly back at the kid.

"Yeah and remember if he or his friends attack me you don't get the gold."

Nothing like a direct approach. Nakhti's hand went up to the door of the building Mia was in and Nakhti knocked as he called out.

"Hey Katan. I lied I'm gonna keep annoying you untill i get my friend back! Now give us back Mia!"

Nakhti winked at the kid he stil held on his hip.

"See I'm not hurting him."

The last rays of the sun were just now beginning to vanish behind the sky line.

(Meanwhile...)

In the tree where the mercenary with the telescope sat the stone spoke the final count down.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,.........."  

[Tiger Tales]

"Is that the smell of sulpher? I never knew, but now i do. Hey, the kid should try some of Mia's cooking later. He would love it..." She suddenly falls silent and looks around, a frown apprearing on her face. "What..."  

[Dartmoor]

Hearing the door receive the rapping of knuckles, he couldn't believe just whose voice he was hearing. "Twenty-four hours.... a pathetic liar." Getting up and storming over to the door, it opened to reveal the very brat he didn't want to see. Just before he could speak though, the outside air hit him. There are way too many breathing this close to the village.

Katan roughly grabbed ahold of Nakhti's collar. "I swear I'll kill you if you brought that f*cking army with you." Cocking his head back to the inhabitants of the house, he was very alarmed. "INVADERS!" he shouted at everyone. "Aitai, forgive me... Unleash your pets. There will be bloodshed tonight."

"Katan, she's never killed anyone before. She's just a child!"

Aitai looked at her two companion pirates in confusion. The sudden haste caught her severly off-guard.

"Shut-it, Fukumi! There's practically a legions worth of people and they're inside your wards!"

The ninja became alarmed as well. She hadn't sensed any of the wards alerting to trespassers, and there wasn't any smoke pillars of ones being set off. "Sh*t..." Getting out of her chair, she lifted up some floor planks to reveal the ground. Crouching close to the earth, she melted into the very land itself.

"Aitai, summon the Brothers first, and then every other denzien of the nether." Katan turned back to the brat he still had in his hand. "And you, cowl, show an inch of cowardice and your not surviving the night." That's when he noticed the boy that Nakhti was holding. "If that child is so much as hurt by the end of this, pray for quick mercy as you struggle for breath."  

[NakhtiChaos]

Nakhti growled feraly at the pirate.

"Army? What in the hell are you talking ab-"

Nakhti was silenced as ten distinct thumps out in the distance and many smaller twangs. Then the sky was alight as over three hundred flameing arrows fell from the sky on either side of the village. Nakhti struck out with both of his hands knocking three arrows down that were about to hit him with needles of frost. Nakhti looked up just in time. Rushing forward Nakhti pulled Tiger and Natsu into the house tackleing Katan just as the doorway exploded into flames. Nakhti snareled viciously at Katan.

"WHO IN THE HELL DID YOU PISS OFF?"

Shoving off of Katan Nakhti blasted the door way with ice and noticed that the fire was very resistant. In seconds the reason was revieled as frozen gel clung to the doorway.

"s**t whatever the hell that is it will not be put out by water."

Reaching into his pouch Nakhti fumbled a second before pulling a knife out and pushed it into Natsu's hand.

"Know how to use this kid?"

Another set of ten thumps went off. Natsu shook his head.

"Simple kid stay by me. If I cannot kill before it gets too close stick it with the pointy end till it stops moving understand!"

Natsu nodded.

"Y-yes mister..... Is Katan gonna get hurt?"

Nakhti glanced at Katan before grabbing the kids hand.

"You tell me kid hes the great hero you told me not to hurt but to talk to."

With that Nakhti pulled Natsu out of the house behind him knowing the houses were the main targets for now. Damnit i'm used to fighting alone! Need to locate the weakest point in this attack! Nakhti blocked another burning arrow and covered his body in frost. Natsu was never more then a foot from Nakhti.

(Top of the ridge.)

The third round of ammo was spent with all mighty thumps. The Inferno mancer laughed as the fires he lit on the catapults impacted the village and he saveored the sweet sounds of the screams coming from the village now.

"Beautiful........ KEEP LOADING BARBARIANS THEY WILL BE FINISHED IN NO TIME!"

(Lower but still above the village.)

A great cry went up into the night from a single mercenary.

"CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!"

Then the voices of over six hundred men raised high into the night as they came down upon the village all on horse back. The mercenary whom ordered the charge then barked right before chargeing through the village.

"LEAVE NONE ALIVE"

(on the ridges level with the village.)

The old mercenary chuckled at the beautiful sight. On his side The mercenary nodded to another mercenary whom promptly raised his hands into the air. Lightning crackled in the sky before raining down hard upon the village. The old man spoke loudly into the stone now.

"Mages now!"

The other two mages went to work. The ground began to split under the houses of the village weakening the already endangered structures. Meanwhile water began to erupt from under the fires started by the catapults rapidly spreading the damage.

(Below the village)

The massive ammount of dogs were released and men charged up behind the frenzeied animals closeing off any hope of retreat. Only one mercenary did not charge with the barbarians. He paused casually and assembled a scyth before slowly walking up to the burning village a sadistic smile on his face.

(Back at Nakhti)

Nakhti cussed as he heared the call for a charge and the dogs nearly simaltaniously as the lightning began to strike. Nakhti ripped the third scar on his shoulder back open through his jacket. Summoning back the five snow leapords. Coughing hard in thier tounge and giving an abnormal yowl at the end the snow leapords charged off to the high ridge to meet the riders head on. Nakhti spun around and slammed his hands to the ground looking at the dogs with his now briliantly glowing silver eyes. Nakhti spoke darkly enough to make Natsu look at Nakhti in fear.

"Dodge this."

A line of ice spikes began to explode out of the ground infront of the dogs angled to impale the animals.

(Just a note there are around sixty mercenaries in this attack force of barbarians think of them as commanders. wink You know what we do to commanders eh? wink )  

[zepherion]

Mia quickly got up as the battle begun. She drew her sword and ran outside.

"Guys, it's great to see you, I just wish we didn't have to meet under such circumstances. Oh, and don't worry about Katan and his pirates, they actually aren't such bad guys." Mia stepped away from the house and closed her eyes. She sensed some presence on the ground away from the village, on elevated ground but hidden behind trees. Mia turned around with her eyes closed to face the direction and lifted her hand. By the catapults, thick vines launched out of the ground beside each catapult and came down on them, destroying the catapults.

Mia saw the charge of the cavalry and elevated the ground in front of their charge to stop as many of them from entering the village. A bit more than half made it through but the rest got caught behind the wall.

Mia looked to the others. "We should really split up. Someone should work on evacuating the villagers."  

[NakhtiChaos]

The dogs ran full force into Nakhti's ice spikes a quater of them being impaled while the other three quarters continued to charge up the steep incline. The men themselves were slowed down as they carefully manuvered through the spikes.

"Sonovabitch!"

Nakhti's mind raced. Ok the leapords are already here. I got only four other summons i can pull off. Wolves would be nice in a little bit. Hawks should be summoned around the end so we can locate enemy strays. Golems might be nice. Baby ice dragon.......... not now too risky. The giant..... only if this looks hopeless. Nakhti grinned a** another arrow came down this one at Natsu but it was blasted back by his frost.

"Oh this is gonna be good."

The snow leapords were halfway through the village with ice spells already in thier mouths waiting for a clear shot at the calvary.

(On the highest ridge.)

The infernomancer screamed in rage as the catipults were being destroyed.

"YOU IDIOTS CUT THE VINES! CUT THE GOD DAMNED VINES!"

The infernomancer watched as the precious catipults were torn to pices. As soon as the catipults were in piles of rubble the infernomncer snarled as he set the vines ammunition and all barbarians that were left to tend the catipults into flames.

"If you want to burn people alive you got to do it yourself then!"

The infernomancer began to run quickly down to the village throwing vireballs down at the houses now.

(In the calvery charge of barbarians.)

The charge was broken in half as a giant earthen wall rose up. a majority of the back half of the charge avoided collideing with the wall but twenty horses and thier rides slammed painfully into the wall for an instant death. The earth wall crumbled to the ground in a matter of seconds letting the rest of the men charge into the village.

(down on the slopes level with the village)

The archers continued to fire steadly into the village two arrows at a time. The earth mage growled.

"They be with an earth magician i just had to break an earthen wall that was about to stop our men."

The water mage snarled back her voice shard as steel.

"Then find the magic caster and kill him. We need to get rid of the major pains in the asses early or this attack will never work."

(on the otherside of the village)

These archers also continued to fire thier arrows two at a time. All the while the old mercenary watched and spoke into his stone.

"We move in now the riders have reached the upper boarder of the village."

The lightning mage spoke while he contined to cause lightning strikes upon the village.

"I'll stay here to draw the kunoichi(female ninja) out and kill her as is my job."

The old man nodded.

"Very well."

Loudly he yelled into the stone.

"ARCHERS ADVANCE!"

(on the lower ride below the village and below the ice spikes.)

The necromancer chuckled.

"So many of ours dead....... perfect."

Tightening his hand on his scyth death magic went courseing through the ground. and upon the battle field that was this mountain range the dead men from the calvery charge and the infernomancer's fit and even the dead dogs began to arise along with the occupants of the village's cemetary. These now walking corpses began to advance on the village even though thier pace was slower it was still just as menaceing.

(Back at Nakhti.)

Nakhti cringed as the smell of death magic rolled past him. Great just great The men had already past the spikes and Nakhti stood up and raised both of his hands.

"Hope you like going down!"

Nakhti froze the ground across the entire line of men whom began to slip and slide upon the ice slowing the charge coming from the bottom of the village even more. Now what did that death magic d- OH s**t! Nakhti made a second row of ice spikes explode up infront of the remaining living dogs as he looked past the falling and slipping men and saw the dogs on the first set of spikes were moving and very much undead. A necromancer who can raise zombies is out there absolutely frickin perfect. Can anything else go wrong? Natsu saw the dogs on the spikes to and grabbed Nakhti's legs.

"M-mister? H-ow are th-they still m-moving?"  

[zepherion]

Mia looked at her wall. It had been broken down and the dead riders arose. "Great, it's happening all over again!" Mia saw a family evacuating their home when the awning was about to collapse as they exited. Mia ran towards them raised a huge leaf from the ground to shield them from the burning awning.

Some zombies were about to attack them until Mia slashed them in half with her sword. "Oh, I wish Marcus was here. His magic would be very useful, I'm sure." The family behind her started running and Mia turned to them.

"Wait! Here! Follow me!" Mia ran back to the group with the family following behind her. On the way, Mia slashed away a few barbarians. "Where's a safe place for the villagers? I'm going to go around the village and look for any other villagers."  

[Tiger Tales]

Tiger pushes the water back into the ground. "Mia, go that way! I will clear it for you!" She says as she creates a tunnel of dense, muddy water. "There should be more of what you need to make a shelter! Take my pack! There is alot in it, but it isn't heavy!" She says as she pulls all of the water out of the nearest zombies, making them crumble into dust. Ty slightly and slowly adjusts her form back into that of a stormwing. "Nakhti! watch your arse!" She says as she jumps behind him and slices a zombie in half with her wing and pulls the liquids out of it, all while keeping a hand up to maintain the tunnel.