The Price for Freedom

Rumble of the Thunder King

Page 10, post 248

Indra and Shane watched as the Moguls had fled from the village, having received a proper beating from the two wizards. Though of opposing ways of life and natural enemies-- they had agreed to work together in their own way for the sake of the Panda people they had met and saved them from being marooned on the island.

Kage and Tailong-- Indra's Exceed and tiny dragon companions had emerged from the hiding place of the shack to look and saw the enemies flee. Happy by the sight, Kage cheered and hopped up and down happily, while Tailong gave a pleased flight in the air.

Slowly, other pandas began to come out of hiding-- speechless and shocked at what they saw. Both mages stood proudly for what they did, to defend the village and stand up against this so-called Thunder King's minions.

For Indra, it was a part of pride now. He desired one thing now... to take on the Thunder King and prove he was the only person worthy of such a boastful name. That and he had a personal agenda he didn't share with Shane just yet.. and when he did, it would be an eye-opener.

The pandas began to gather around Indra and Shane. Indra would of thought they would of been grateful but...

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" the Pandaren elder shouted, waving his cane in outrage. "You have doomed us all!"

Hopping out, Kage came next to his master and tilted his head. "Wait... What?" the cat meowed.

Indra looked at them, a bit irritated for not having any thanks or gratitude for helping spare their village. Instead, the villagers glared at them with scorn and dismay.

Tailong flew up overhead and spiraled in the air to express his confusion. "The heck? We just saved your fuzzy butts!"

Indra just glared up at the little dragon-- considering the beast had not done anything. Still, the elder looked to them crossly. "YOu fools! You have no idea what you have done..." the panda elder spoke and shook his head. "Do you think our problems were merely at the hands of those 3 soldiers. They were collectors. Soldiers sent to collect our dues to the Thunder King and his forces. We survive because we complied," he explained, "And now that you have attacked them, they will be furious. They will demand retribution, be it by blood or as slaves, like many of our villagers when we defied them years ago. We finally have some measure of peace-- until you shattered it!"

Whatever pride Indra had was replaced by irritating confusion. The panda continued to yell at them, and he would of treated him like a football if he had not sheltered them. "Now he will come. The Thunder King's wrath will rain down on all our heads, if not by his army, then by the monsters in his keep-- or by using the very heavens to burn our village to the ground."

WC: 543

Shane was equally as taken aback as Indra when the villagers turned upon them. Like the Dragon Slayer, he had thought of it as a minor victory, a stepping stone towards the defeating the Thunder King that the elder spoke of. He gritted his teeth, fists clenching and unclenching as Indra continued to confront the villagers. He even saw the couple that had taken care of Indra when he was out, but they were torn between trying to join the wrath of the other villagers or to be keep their silence. And for that moment, the realization hit him like a fist to his face.

These were a village of peaceful creatures, seeking only for days of peace. To them, if the issue could be resolved by giving up a portion of their resources, even at the cost of going hungry by a little each and every day, it was worth it. They sought not greatness in life, nor immense wealth. What they only wanted was a comfortable life. And despite their good intentions, Shane and Indra had come and destroyed the peace that they had paid for all this while, the peace that they had been content to live with for the rest of their lives.

Heaving a deep breath, Shane walked up to Indra and lightly touch the man on the shoulder.

“They won’t understand, Indra. There’s a difference between our definition of peace and theirs. They have been oppressed so long, this has been what peace means to them. And we wrecked it for them, so to speak. Let’s just get out of here,” Shane said to Indra in a lower tone, the villagers’ angry shouts helping to mask what he was saying to the Lightning Dragon Slayer. Adding as an afterthought, worried that the indignant Dragon Slayer might make things worse, “We are still going after the Thunder King though. That’s not changing.”

To the villagers, Shane then stepped forward and in the best apologetic tone he could muster, “Thank you for taking care of us this whole time. We are sorry that we have stepped into your fragile situation. Rest assured, the least we would do is absolve you of the blame. Indra and I will surrender ourselves to the Thunder King.”

With that, Shane turned around and walked towards the entrance of the village, his head inclined towards a mountain that stood in the middle of the island. The mountain peak to be more specific, where the storm clouds brewed the darkest, arcs of lightning striking with a vengeance. He was looking forward to it, but he was wary as well. The Lightning Dragon Slayer might not think he knows of it, but Shane was definitely aware that the dark guild leader was planning on usurping the throne of the Thunder King. What he was thinking about was, how it would be beneficial to him. Allowing the Dragon Slayer to be the “king” of the Pandarens wouldn’t bring any effect to Fiore in any way after all. And it would confine him to this uncharted island.

[512 words]
[Total WC: 1055/7000]

Indra probably would of caused a crack of thunder to lash out at the ungreatful furballs-- had Shane not stepped in to express his interest to explain why. Indra was impulsive, but not an idiot. He got it... these people treasured peace rather than freedom, but it was a coward's choice. A choice no one in their right mind would of easily accepted. To live under the thumb of a tyrant was not peace or freedom... and he couldn't stomach the thought of anyone being enslaved like this.

He thougt they would put their fears at ease and storm the castle-- but then the knight decided to show 'penance' and say they would turn themselves in. "What?! Like hell we are! " the dragon slayer growled, wanting to punch the knight in the head. "I knew you knights were a bunch of pansies! "

Just as the pandas were about to become a full fledge mob to chase them out of the village-- till a whoos of wind blew past them like a gale, followed by a loud voice.

"Fools! Do you not see you owe your lives to these strangers. Even as disgraced as we are-- you would condemn those who fought for your safety. !" a voice boomed.

The southern hill soon loomed above them to reveal a lone, round figure standing with a bamboo staff in his hand, a 'goard' of sake hanging from it. The sun grew less intense to find it was another panda-- wearing a straw hat and dressed in a black outfit-- much akin to a monk's attire. He quickly made his way down the hill, though slow as most pandas were-- each step taken boasted an impact of strength.

Though he appeared no bigger or important as any other panda person Shane and Indra had met-- the other villagers stopped and their attention was focused on the bear. "Now, I know no matter what hardships our people endured, our noble compassion and wisdom has not faltered. Have you clung to false peace so long you would lash at those who defend you? "

The majority of the mob, including the couple that took in the strangers, quieted down in shame for their actions and confusion... but the elder did not so easily. "This business does not concern you, wanderer," the elder said firmly, "You are no better-- no, your worse! You rebel and cause trouble to the thunder king's forces left and right for years. It is no wonder they are so aggressive to our people."

The bear merely walked past him as he spoke. "The Thunder King has taken our people and abused us for generations-- long before I sought a different path. I cannot force you to raise arms to defend your homes, but I would choose a peace that is real, than one bought with the blood and tears of our own."

The crowd began to disperce, worries among them of what would happen. However, the stranger in the straw hat made his way over to Indra, Shen, Tailong and Kage before him. The bear stopped and looked up and down at both of them-- the bear clearly smaller than them if not rounder. "Greetings. Please, do not hold their agression personally. For too long, they abandoned the hope of freedom-- let alone to realize true kindness when they see it. I thank you for coming to their defense, before I could." he said and bowed with paws placed together in humilidy.

Indra just cocked his head at the bear, while Tailong fluttered up and landed on his wild unkept black hair. "Aaaaand... you are? " the dragon asked.

"Ah, please to meet you. I am Chen Stormstout. Lorewalker, teacher, and maker of many brews. " he said with a bow of his head. "I understand you two are... strangers in these lands? This is a welcomed surprise. I have explored much of Pandaria... and i longed to learn of the outside world beyond the mists. " he said with a smile on his fuzzy face.

WC: 702

[WC: 441 words]
[Total WC: 2198 / 7000]

"Again-- pansies." Indra growled at Shane, pretty much willing to pick a fight and not apologize to this. However, the presence of the Panda-monk seemed more interesting than the scardy-knight.

Indra and his band of pets listened while Shane asked who he was and how that he was possibly a spy for the Thunder King? Kage looked to Shane, an irritated look on the Exceed's face. "For real? Wow you knights must really be struggling on your detective skills. Why would he thank us for saving his own people, if he was working for the bad guys? This is why we ninjas are smarter than you knights. " Kage boasted.

Indra rolled his eyes, but agreed with the cat. He focused on the bear as he answered. "The reason my people-- in this village anyway-- dislike me, is cause I have rebelled and openly opposed the oppression of the Thunder King for many years now. I, along with a hand full of others have fought to hinder their efforts, but we have been ineffective-- and we often been picked off. I fear I am the last one of the 'resistance'. " he explained, "And I am a bear of many hobbies and talents. I am a teacher-- of kung fu, mind you."

Kage's whiskers perked up at the thought. "We should spar sometime, Master Panda!" the cat said excitedly.

"Simmer down, tiger," Tailong hissed sarcastically to the Exceed.

Indra was otherwise quiet as he listened. "The Thunder King's forces have colonized most of Pandaria, very few pockets of our people are not under their thumb. The Thunder King-- is named Lei Shen, an ancieng Mogul like the others-- but unlike the others, it was said he tore out the heart of the Mogul god. And from that hateful act, he gained dominion over Wind and Storm. His citadel dwells on the far west of the island, beyond the mountains. However, he has more than mogul on his side. HE has allies of trolls, ancient reptilian beasts and others beasts and creature he amassed under his power. And if you two truly thought you could take Lei Shen down alone, you won't even make it past the first gates. Nothing short of an army will prevail against them."

"A lightning dragon slayer vs a lightning god and an army... I like those odds,"INdra said, swelling with pride.

"Easy, sparky!" Tailong quipped.

Chen shook his head as he heared Indra's boast. "If anything I should be questioning you-- but how about this. Help me with a small favor that will weaken the THunder King's grip, then we can talk about such aspirations." the bear asked.

WC: 481

Shane rolled his eyes as the words came out of Indra’s mouth, knowing that it would be futile to continue arguing with the numbskull. Was his guild entirely composed of likeminded people? His pets are already so similar to their master, the Rune Knight thought to himself as decided to ignore the cat. The silver-haired Rune Knight kept thought aside, promising himself to dig up whatever he could find about the Rakshasa guild when he returned to headquarters. If this notorious fledgling dark guild could be stripped of its claws and fangs before they fully grow into a beast led by the Lightning Dragon Slayer, it would be a good thing for Fiore.

But Shane still kept his eyes on the prize. To get rid of the Thunder King and to escape from this isolated place. The man took in everything Chen said like a sponge, distilling the information provided and focusing only on the key points. It was fortunate that he was speaking in a more normal way, compared to when he had introduced himself. He glanced over at Indra when the Dragon Slayer contemplated the idea of going solo against the Thunder King and his army. An arrogant thought, laying bare a foolishness not expected of a guild leader. Shane turned back to the Pandaren when he asked for their help, a way to weaken the Thunder King’s grip over the island.

“Please speak your mind, Chen. As long as its involved with dethroning the Thunder King and dispelling the cursed storm surrounding this island, we are open to all ideas. We have a lightning rod here to absorb all the lightning that the Thunder King can throw at us anyway,” Shane said, pointing casually with his right thumb at Indra. “And let’s get this over with as quickly as possible. I would like to reduce the time spent beside this Dragon Slayer and his pets here. His stupidity might be infectious.”

[324 words]
[Total WC: 3003 / 7000]

Indra didn't hesitate but gave Shane a 'zap' -- nothing fatal. Nothing hindering, but a swift reminder who the knight was dealing with-- enough to make his hair stand on end for hours. He growled at the insult, not wise to piss off a Dragon-anything.

Kage, on the other hand, fell to the ground laughing and rolling from side to side at Shane's 'new dew'.

As the Panda gave a wry look at Indra for his impulsive attitude, he addressed Shane and the Dragon Slayer. "One must learn to run before one can fly. The task I ask is nothing short but salvation for my people taken by the Thunder King. He forces them into slave labor in the Minds to the north, east of here. They force them to mine Jade and precious stones, and when they are not, they are building statues. This must stop, and by freeing them, it will lessen the work force of the Thunder King and remove the leverage of using my people as shields. Won't you consider aiding me in freeing them? " Chen asked humbly.

Dropping the electrifying air of arrogance and overconfidence, Indra listened at the idea of breaking his people out of captivity. He smirked at the idea, definately not afraid to use this excuse to stick it to the Thunder King's fortune. "Removing his slave labor force would definitely help make things rougher for him and all his men who benefited. Besides... we do owe these villagers for helping us." Indra stated matter-of-factly. He liked it, and was all in for this.

"Mrrrow! Count me in. " the Exceed cheered, "Breaking pandas out of jail sounds like a blast. Tee-hee!"

Despite the cat's exciting nature, Indra did consider this. Targeting the Thunder King would indeed be easier if they weakened their initial forces, and got back the slaves they had taken from this village. And probably others. If they could bring them back, not only would they be more grateful but also be in better spirits to resist the tyrant of the Thunder King.

Chen clearly had a point here.

"I have no objection to this. Knowing Mr. Goodie-two-shoes here, you can bet he will help too, " Indra replied with a glare back at Shane. While Indra clearly had his own agenda in the end and supported this all around, those knights would gladly jump into a furnace for any noble cause without hesitation.

WC: 428

Shane’s face darkened after recovering the zap, eyes burning as the veins in his muscles bulged. His very first instinct was to all out on the Lightning Dragon Slayer for his impertinence. He didn’t care about his hair, which was now spiked up, as he normally had it in that style anyway. It was his dignity and the impudence that the dark guild master showed him. Shane had no doubts that a Hargeon Smash pulled off at the right position, could send the Dragon Slayer flying back into the center of the village, but as always, he allowed his rationale to win. Taking in a deep breath, Shane merely gave Indra an indifferent look.

It was still too early. He would need the Lightning Dragon Slayer’s natural immunity to lightning to win the fight with the Thunder King. Revenge was often a dish best served cold, at the least unexpected of times. And nursing a grudge was definitely within his personality. He was just undecided if he should release the grudge on just the Dragon Slayer himself and his pets or his entire guild. Shane’s temper simmered and receded when he thought of that, taking back control of the entire situation.

Shane returned Chen’s wry look with an eye roll of his own. Indra’s reply was quick, barely any hesitation at all as long as it would to an easier road to dethroning the Thunder King. The Rune Knight merely raised an eyebrow despite Indra’s name-calling.

“As long as it helps for the final fight, I don’t really care,” was the Rune Knight’s reply as he folded his arms across his chest. Ridding the Thunder King of one of his armies would definitely be beneficial, but Shane wasn’t entirely sure if the benefits would be huge. Based on what he had seen so far, the Pandarens obviously weren’t of the warrior caste while the Thunder King had more than just the Moguls under his command.

If the Pandaren slaves they were going to rescue later on were purely slaves, it would be akin to throwing an egg at a rock. Although, it would serve as a rather good distraction.

[359 words]
[Total WC: 3790 / 7000]

"I do know of how we can fight against the THunder King. But still, my people need me. On my own I have only rescued one or two, or at least hinder their efforts. But I wish to free my people. That is my truest desire. Can I count on you? " Chen asked.

"Damn straight!" Kage said proudly and stuck out his little chest. "Those stone-faced mongrels won't know what hit them! Nin-nin!" he said excitedly, making a small ninja pose with his little paws.

Tailong hung from Indra's head, leering at the Exceed. "Fuzzball is getting way too excited about this." the dragon replied.

"Least he is better at being a ninja than you, Gecko." Indra replied curtly. He put his feelings with Shane to the side now, more interested to see this mission through. "You don't have to worry. I'll personally enjoy breaking Mogules and the Pandaren's chains."

A kind smile spread on Chen's face as he bowed before them. "Thank you, kind strangers. May Pandaria bring us fortune..." Chen said.

And so they began to make their plan to free the Pandaren...

***

The trek through the Jade forest was a good afternoon's walk as they soon left the rolling hills and fields behind them to the thick, beautiful green woods. Bamboo and thick trees stretched high into the sky as small mountains marked each patch along the hills. The three-- five if you counted Indra's talking animals , were able to treck through the roads without any trouble as they made their way past a few ruins and old worn down homes.

As they passed a large dragon statue, covered in moss, Chen turned to them with a firm look on his face and a tap of his Bamboo staff. "From this point on, the Mogule will be beyond here. We must be cautious and keep to the trees. Even though the quarry is a ways away, soldiers still patrol the roads. Be on your guard. " he said.

Indra nodded his head and kept his senses on high alert. His eyes now turned their unsettling yellow irises so he could see sharper and through objects. He wasn't sure if he could detect the Mogule with his bioeletrical senses. He didn't try before but the trick was-- if these stone creatures had no real 'nervous system' as many organic creatures had, they wouldn't be detectable by his eyes. However, his sense of smell and hearing did come with better options for him to cover that. Luckily, no enemies were nearby on the roads or hiding in the surrounding areas.

"The way is clear for now. I'll let you know where they might be... but so far no signs. I am detecting sounds from ahead . You're quarry I presume," Indra asked, glancing in the direction they were heading.

Having been fluttering in the air all this time, Kage hopped down to the ground and made his wings vanish. "I'll scout the road ahead. I'll keep an eye on you guys too. Smell you later." Kage said and scampered into the thicket of bushes for cover-- like a sneaky little forest animal.

They were able to now go off the road, following the grass and hiding behind the trees. Kage was well ahead, but soon they would approach the quarry-- unless something else caught on to them.

WC: 603

“Sure, you have our full support on this issue. We are seeking to resolve this ASAP as well,” Shane answered to Chen’s question as he laid out his plans. Upon closer inspection, Shane could see that the Pandaren carried a number of scars on his body, hidden by his fur but still visible enough if scrutinized. Chen never noticed Shane’s observation of the Pandaren, his attention focused on the near simultaneous exhilarated replies of Indra and his pets. Shane could hear the conviction in Indra’s voice, and was deeply relieved that the Dragon Slayer had a goal to keep him focused throughout this ordeal.

The walk through Jade Forest, aptly named for the luscious green shade of the bamboos and tall trees that formed a thick canopy. Sunlight was filtered through the leaves, reaching the forest floor through various beams of light. As they journeyed deeper into the Jade Forest, the group of five passed by some ruins and dilapidated homes, ravaged by the elements as plants grew over the structures. Some even had walls that had clearly broken apart but still held in place by the thick vines growing around and through them. There was even half a house entirely lifted four feet off the ground by a large tree’s coursing roots.

A tap by Chen with his bamboo staff on an ancient looking dragon statue, entirely covered in green moss, came along with a verbal warning. They were going deeper into enemy territory and there would be hostiles soon. Shane nodded to his warning. His red eye seemed to glow slightly brighter in the gloom of the forest as he perked up, the magical eye capable of picking up even the slightest of movement within his sight.

And for all the stupidity that Kage had shown, Shane finally saw a bit of sense in the creature as it withdrew its wings and melded into a bush, acting as a scout for the group. The entire group kept their progress steady and moved in and out of the grass and trees, making sure to keep themselves hidden. However, even despite their best efforts, the patrolling Moguls proved that numbers make a difference when covering large areas.

A roar that sounded like a cross between a dog’s bark and grinding rocks caught them from behind. The same roar was reciprocated five more times from different directions, echoing slightly in the dense forest, preventing them from pinpointing the source of the roars accurately. The entire group was instantly on high alert, as they felt a rumbling on the ground that could only mean they had incoming.

From behind the trees, the Mogul warriors similar to the ones that had attacked the village earlier began to appear. The canine-like stone creatures numbered up to fifteen, armed with a variety of weapons with some in the back holding crossbows. They were approaching in three groups of five from different directions. For each squad, their line-up was similar. Two warriors wielding large hammers or maces, one wielding a spear, one more wielding a sword or two, and the final one was the archer. From the looks of the crossbow held, Shane could see that the design would probably allow the archer to fire off three consecutive shots before he had to reload.

“Five each, boys,” Shane called out as he charged over to his group of five, leaping high into the air and thrusting his fist out into the first one that charged at him. His reinforced fist slammed into the monster’s chest, and it quickly blew the Mogul warrior away, cracks appearing on its chest as it fell back against one tree.

“Let’s see how tough you guy are," the Rune Knight growled as he eyed the other warriors.

[626 words]
[Total WC: 5019 / 7000]

THe quarry had a few members of the groups disperced. Many of those said guards were armed-- but while initially they were on guard, many were keeping an eye on the slaves around them. The Pandarens were dressed in ragged clothing, miserable and slow as they used picks and shoves to clear out stone and harvest the jewels embedded in the stone around them-- Jade, very much like the namesake to the jungle around them.

However, all hell broke loose as Shane was the first to make a move.

Indra snickered with amusement as he saw the knight charge in. For a goodie-two-shoes, he was just as impulsive as any other Rakshasa member. Indra made a note of it to rub it in his face later on. For now, he decided to let Shane have his moment. "Fine by me... Can't say you aren't up for this." Indra replied.

"Please be careful-- " This time it was Chen who warned them. "Do not put the hostages in line of fire or they will get hit too. "

Indra took a breath and smiled. "Don't worry. I won't risk singing their fuzzy butts." he said . Aware of the archers, Indra waited.

The archers with their crossbows took this chance to aim at Shane-- intending to strike till Indra clapped his hands together and pressed them into the ground. Just as the arrows went flying, a giant wall erupted from in front of Shane, protecting him and surging with electricity in front of it. The electric surge from the shield shot right into the arrows, and fired them back. That simple move not only protected Shane-- but also sent the arrows back, stunning and striking the archers with their own assault.

"INtruders! South of the quarry!" the mogule shouted, raising the alarm.

It was then that Kage jumped into action. OUt from the trees, the little Exceed had taken on his battle form. With a tiger roar, he pounced on one of the guards with vicious claws and fast speed, taking one down-- and startling a few of the pandas who had been guarded by him.

It was then that Indra crossed his arms and focused, lightning pulsing from his body. "Raijuu!" he growled, causing his entire body to electrify with a cloak of lightning. His famous, Raijuu cloak increased his speed and strength with fast lightning attacks.

In a flash, he jumped right out of the cover of the lightning and struck down two of the mogules he was tasked with. His movements were so fast the mogule didn't even have a chance to defend themselves. One was literally punched a hole in his stone chest-- the other was sent flying from a vicious upper cut.

By the time Indra ran for his next target-- he dashed right past Shane with a wicked grin. A mild flow of electricity would be felt by him as Indra left a small taunt to him.

"Try to keep up," he said and was gone in a shot. His next target was in front of him as he inhaled sharply.

"LIGHTNING DRAGON-- ROAR!!" he roared, a vicious lightning strike tearing out of his maw and right into the lone soldier.

As the chaos continued, the slaves paused, but didn't move. They had no clue what was going on. The larget of the Mogule-- the leader-- snarled. "What is going on over there? I want reports. ANd get these whimps working again! We don't have all day!!"

WHile the boss was well far in the quarry-- something else was happening. A mist had begun to roll in, unknown to anyone and slowly began to move in to the quarry.

WC: 621

Shane could hear the Pandaren shouting for them to careful, not wanting to get the hostages involved. As he had landed from the preemptive attack to the first Mogul warrior, blowing the rock monster back among the trees with a single punch, the archers had taken the chance to aim and released arrows in his direction, covering for their melee comrades. He would have activated his shielding ability but Indra had his back this time. A wall of electricity erupted out of the ground between Shane and arrows, the surging current managed to reflect the arrows back at the archers, adding an electrifying twist to the attack as well. The Rune Knight could feel the hair on the back of his neck and his arms standing up just from being near to the lightning wall itself.

Their element of surprise was completely blown when one of the Mogul warriors roared out a warning to the quarry. Another roar followed, distinctly different and very primal. Shane only caught a flash as a tiger exploded from the canopy above. It was a majestic sight, even when Shane realized that it was Kage in a different form, to see the Exceed pouncing upon one of the Mogul warriors. Sharp claws and lightning speed combined completely destroyed the warrior, never even standing a chance against the beast.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer was also diving straight into the action, and as he shouted the name of his ability, lightning began to pulse through his entire body and surround him in a cloak of lightning. A hint of a smirk appeared on Shane’s mouth as the lightning-coated dark mage dashing past him after taking down two more warriors with single hits, taunting him. Steam began to rise from Shane’s body, as two of his favorite spells, feeling the energy coursing through every fiber of his being.

Shane decided to take care of another area as he leapt forward, covering a wide distance with a single jump. When he landed, it was in front of another Mogul guard, and before the guard could even respond, Shane sent both his palms into the living rock’s chest, striking with the heel of his palm. The guard flew backwards, crashing into another Mogul warrior who had been coming up from behind to assist, the two of them carried backwards by the momentum. The Rune Knight chased after them, a trail of white steam behind him, reaching them just as they landed on the ground, clenching his fist and send it straight into the second Mogul’s head, smashing his entire face in.

Looking around for the next target while a few more Mogul warriors tried to surround him, the silver-haired Rune Knight finally caught a glance of his target. It was the leader of the Mogul warriors, the one overseeing everything in the quarry. Smirking again, the Rune Knight charged forward. Two Mogul warriors tried to stop him with their weapons but the former simply used his enhanced strength to deflect their swung spears, leaping into the air and then smashing his heels into their face with absolute precision. He landed as they fell away to the ground as broken messes, and continued on towards the leader.

“Shirotsume Smash!!” heralded his approach as Shane flew forward with his right knee leading the way towards the Mogul leader. Growling in response to the challenge, the Mogul leader crossed his arms in front of his chest and took the blow head-on, the momentum and strength of Shane’s attack pushing him back. The Mogul leader’s feet dug deep into the ground, causing long pits in the ground before finally stopping and threw his arms out with an angry roar.
Shane was sent up into the sky and used the momentum to flip himself around in the air before landing.

“Not bad, mutt,” Shane called out as he prepared himself for the following clash.

[649 words]
[Total WC: 6289 / 7000]

The battle lingered as Indra used lightning to mow down slavers. Between claws and blasts of lightning, he was defeating the numerous enemies that got in his path. The insect workers too, the stone beasts and the Mogule slavers themselves. As he dashed by-- whenever he found a chain that tied the Pandaren in place, he used his fast lightning to slash right through the hard iron. Despite their efforts the pandas were still frightened by the chaos that erupted around them. The whimper and fear stunk to Indra's nose and his ears could hear it. It was not the sound he wanted to hear.

Finishing his share of Mogule-- having struck so hard he had a gaping hole of stone in his chest and he fell down like a lamp. He came to a stop, lightning still crackling wildly around him. Indra literally was the embodiment of what these pandas feared , but here he was fighting for their sake. He tried to ignore their fear but it was hard to not take offense to it, like the other pandas showed in the village.

"Hold it right there!" a voice boomed.

Indra stopped as he looked to the source of the voice. Kage, who had just smashed a few of the insect creatures apart with his claws, stopped and looked.

In the center of the quarry was one Mogule, with a large axe docked on his shoulder. He was significantly taller than the other mogule were, a head above them and much larger features. He also wore armor that made him stand out more as a leader figure. But more importantly, a glow below him caused their attention to drift there.

Cracks formed in the ground that glowed with energy-- earht magic that pulsed as the cracks quickly spread. At first, Indra was about to take off and fly, but the cracks didn't move his way. They all spread out like spider veins--, encircling points of the quarry and around rocks, making them glow brighter.

More importantly, those cracks easily encircled around the pockets of slaves that they were trying to save.

Indra quickly caught on as he looked to the pockets of slaves and he haulted. Even Kage was near one of the cracks-- and some began to move their way to Shane and Chen.

Chen was quick as he used a bow staff he wielded to polevault himself up into the air, avoidng the growing cracks . However as he jumped up, the stick caught the crack-- and exploded. The blast only added to the bear's valt overhead, but it was a close one as he flipped and landed on the far end of the quarry.

"Stop right there!" the slave driver warned and sneered at the intruders. "I got a pretty good idea what you freaks came here for... but if your smart, you will stay put. One move, and I blow all of them into fuzzy little pieces!"

The pandas quivered, some sobbed as they were stuck, surrounded by explosive earth magic. Despite how easy these foes were for Indra to stop, he finally began to sweat.

The mogule grinned wickedly, visibile to Indra. "You may be fast, but I'm willing to bet your not fast enough to save all these Pandaren at once." the leader growled, his hand aglow to trigger his magic. "Now... lose the lightning, and stand down... or Kaboom."

Indra bit the inside of his mouth in detest. He hated this situation, and with a glance at Shane- no doubt even he would comply. THe mission was to save the pandas. If blown to bits, the mission failed.

For now, Indra took a reluctant deep breath and with it-- his lightning aura dispelled. Not a single crackle or bit of static came from him, now in his default form. Kage also transformed in a puff of smoke, returning to his Exceed form too with a reluctant meow.

However, as he did take that breath-- he caught the smell of something. Something familiar. As he did, his eyes also tracked something. A mysterious mist that now grew thicker.

"It couldn't be..." he breathed, realizing he recognized the scent.

It was then that the mist had eclipsed the quarry. It became eerile quiet as now the mist began to obscure some of the visibility. Now becoming aware of it, the Mogule soon caught on to the mysterious mist. "What is going on?! Where this fog come from?!" he shouted.

The glow of his magic veins in the earth illuminated most-- but was odd now was what appeared now in the air. From above, several bubbles began to descend like snow in the winter. They soon drifted lazily down into the air. All the while, everyone was still in their stalemate with hostages all around.

As the bubbles littered the air before them, some were bigger than others. Slowly, a few of them approached the pandas. One panda, curious let his nose come into contact with the bubble-- and in an instant on contact, he was pulled in with a bear-like grunt of surprise. The bubble had expanded instantly, and pulled in the slave on contact. The bear now floated freely inside the bubble and was lifted up.

Slowly, each bubble touched a panda, and took them inside becoming a floating device that lifted them free from the ground. One by one, each one was picked up, almost silently and lifted them into the air, out of the earth mage's range. Even Kage gave a small gasp as a bubble came behind him and picked him up, now looking like a cat in a snow globe.

"What is this?! " the Mogule roared, furious to the reversal of fortune.

A smile appeared on Indra's face. "Well, i didn't think to see you here... Suijin Azurestorm," Indra commented pleasant.

As the bubbles floated up in the air, among them was a figure standing leisurely in one bubble, obscured by the mist till now. It slowly descended among the other bubbles with the slaves inside, safe. There stood a man dressed in light blue pants and sandals-- shirtless not unlike INdra was, Unlike Indra, he had less scars and lighter skin but his body was as strong looking as his, if a little thinner. He had long, cascading blue hair behind him and elegant features that made him devilishly handsome.

Talk about an entrance.

WC: 1075