Vanity of Gods

Why do We Fight?

mission link

Suijin descended upon the quarry like a deity from the heavens, but he was in no way an angel. Far from it. He was just as duplicitous and crooked as Indra was. He too, bore the Rakshasa guild mark on his chest and had a menacing aura about him, despite the elegant beauty his body portrayed. Much like his magic, nothing was to be taken by mere appearances. He now stood inside his own bubble-- while he kept the slaves in others around him, having used them to get them out of harms way.

"Suijin Azurestorm, you smug bastard..." Indra chuckled. "Always making a dramatic entrance."

Suijin smirked as he looked to Indra and the man named Shane. "Heh, you're one to talk." He then gave a soft snap of his fingers.

At that time, the stray bubbles still lurking on the ground swelled-- and released a violent explosion! They blew up right around the remaining Mogule forces and guards. Including the slave master for that fact as a bunch blew up in his face, no similar to land mines.

Indra grinned at the explosions in the mists. Unlike him, Suijin was a user of Water Magic-- a God Slayer, so he learned and much like him, he had turned their backs on the Kamigawa clan to achieve their own goals. As such, he was one of the few other men he actually looked to as a brother, and vise versa. Though Suijin was a late comer to Rakshasa, he proved his worth to him.

With the rest of the Mogule defeated, Suijin lowered himself and the other slave pandas back to the ground. Upon reaching the ground, his bubble popped, revealing himself to Indra and Shane. "Figure you two would be lost without me." Suijin replied.

As the bubbles for the Pandaren popped, letting them go, Kage ran over to Suijin. "Suijin, its you! How did you even get here? This Island is completely cut off." he asked curiously.

A good question, and Suijin merely turned to the Exceed with a smile. "True. THe storms surrounding the island were not easy. When you two didn't return, I went to try and find you. Anyway, i couldn't travel easily so I tried swimming under the surface to get here. The current wasn't easy but it was better than fighting the winds and waves above." he explained, recalling how he used his bubble shield to travel in while in the ocean.

For the moment, Suijin didn't pay much mind to the man Shane-- or the fact he was a knight of FIore. If he did know, he probably would of drowned him. But he was unaware of the situation that transpired on this island. It would take time to bring him up to speed, beyond what he just witnessed.

Now that the Pandaren were free, Chen turned to his people. "Do not fear! We have come to free all of you. Please, come with us back to the Valley of the Four Winds. Your family and friends await you." he announced,

While some murmurs came from the pandas, they slowly began to gather and follow Chen and Indra, grateful to have been saved... but their troubles were still far from over.

WC: 541

From his view within the bubble as it rose to the same height as the one who had cast it, a blue-haired man who resembled Indra, Shane watched without a change in his expression as the bubbles exploded simultaneously, laying waste to the mines and the Mogul warriors. The multiple blasts cleared the mist away with the shockwaves, giving them a closer view of what laid beneath them as they were lowered to the ground.

Shane put a hand to the bubble wall, pushing on it slightly and not surprised to see the bubble resisting against the force. The familiarity between Indra and Suijin was cause for concern, Shane watching quietly from the side. It was highly possible that the newcomer was from Rakshasa as well, allowing Shane to wonder if he would be able to hold his ground against two Rakshasa members. He had gotten stronger significantly, but taking two on one was stretching it a little too far. For now.

Shane released the spells that he had used to enhance his physical strength, putting a stop to the white steam that had been continuously emitting from his body. Conserving his mana at the moment was crucial, for the upcoming fight against the Thunder King, and possibly the two Rakshasa members. He could just activate his spells at just a thought of his mind anyway, allaying any concerns of getting caught by a surprise attack.

The Rune Knight listened to Suijin, as Kage had addressed him, explaining how he had managed to enter the island by an underwater route, a very similar way to how Shane had braved the storms through the cloud onto the island. Shane kept his silence, seeing no reason to introduce himself as well. Shane was just as happy to sit on the sidelines and watch the two Rakshasa mages do all the heavy lifting involving the Thunder King.

While the two reminisced, Chen Stormstout addressed the freed slaves, catching their attention as they were stunned by the events that had transpired. It hadn’t struck them that they would one day be saved. Shane looked forward to their return to the Valley of the Four Winds, with hopes that this small victory would be monumental to gaining the support of the other Pandaren villages and be able to rally them into the same cause of bringing down the Thunder King. The Rune Knight tagged along at the end of the group, taking the rearmost position as they made their way back to the Valley of the Four Winds through the Jade Forest.

[427 words]
[Total WC: 968 / 14000]

Several hours later....

After the long treck there and the fight, they were now on their way through the valley to return to the Pandaren village. Chen and Shane tended to any wounded while the rest traveled forward with Suijin and Indra leading the charge, in case any more mogules would get smart. If the attack defending the village caused any question of resistance, this more than qualified. They had raided and destroyed a mining facility of the thunder king-- and now liberated the slaves that were once part of the village.

As they marched over the hill, the villagers saw the strangers returned. At first the expressions were cold and troublesome... but that soon faded when the first of the slaves were seen. Their eyes light up with relief and hope as they saw their loved ones. Fathers, mothers, sons and daughters returned home that the villagers came running to them.

The elder looked in surprise to find not only was there one more human among them, but that they did what they sought out to do with Chen's aid and saved their people. Even so, this victory wouldn't be a long lived one... as no doubt the Thunder King would not be pleased to lose his 'possessions'.

As the group of adventurers-- Indra, Kage, Shane, Chen, Suijin and Tailong returned, the elder greeted them with a mixed look of reluctance and shame. "As I may regret this sooner than later.. I..." he stopped and bowed his head to the strangers, "YOu have our deepest gratitude for saving our people... and my sincerest apologies for how we treated you before..." he said humbly.

"Ha! That's what you get for underestimating us! We are bad-ass ninjas, after all. Mreow!" Kage boasted, stroking his whiskers proudly.

Suijin chuckled as he glanced to Indra. "I see your Exceed friend is as lively as ever. THough now do you think you can bring me up to speed about what the hell is going on this island? " he asked.

Needless to say, Indra gave as much information as he could to bring Suijin up to speed. Indra gave the water mage a general incline of what happened, how they got there, the mogules running the land and the Thunder King himself who ruled this island. He also briefly touched on that they had to work with Shane-- who Suijin gave a mild glance.

"This quirt is trouble? Pfft... Getting soft on me, Indra?" Suijin teased.

"Shut up, water boy or I'll cut up that pretty face of yours so much no girl will sleep with you, human or otherwise..." he returned in mild jest.

Still, Suijin clearly didn't like Shane any more than Indra did-- but they would work together. An enemy of my enemy is my friend, was as simple as Rakshasa got at times. Either way, liberating people under a tyrant's thumb was as worthy a cause Rakshasa would happily take on, those who believed in chaotic freedom.

Finally caught up, Suijin regarded Shane and the others around him. "So what is our next step? We freed the slaves, great but that is only a temporary solution in the end..." The water mage said.

"Indeed. While I would gladly love to storm the Thunder King's palace, he controls an army... one of which will no doubt be impossible for 3 mages, a nekoninja, a mouthy dragon and one panda monk to take on..." Indra said, showing a rare moment of prudence in his actions.

WC: 584

Shane gave a smile so fake that it looked like a grimace when Suijin gave him a glance. The Rune Knight was controlling his emotions, despite all the insults that had been thrown in his direction. In his mind, Rakshasa was now currently blaring loudly with sirens and red lights, going off like crazy. If he ever had his way, launching an attack on Rakshasa was the first thing he was going to do. Sadly, he knew it would take some time to get the approval from the Field Marshall and Generals to put something as major as taking out a dark guild. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to entertain himself with that thought while the two Rakshasa members were going about their conversation.

The Rune Knight kept his quiet, as the two slayers bantered back and forth, until they finally arrived at the key point of the entire meeting. Shane continued with his silence for a while, going over the plan once more in his head. He had thought of it earlier, on the way back, of all the possible ways they would be able to pull this off. With the gratitude of the village secured, they now had a base of operations from which they could plan.

What they needed now was an army. The Pandarens they had rescued were insufficient and they were malnourished. Even if Chen could train them into proper fighters within a short time, they had to factor in the recovery period before they could even get into fighting shape. They needed an army.

Shane shifted his head up to look at Chen.

“I don’t believe that there hasn’t been any form of resistance at all towards the Thunder King’s rule. He wouldn’t have that army of Moguls, if this island was that easy for him to take down. You need to level with us, Chen. Is there any other rebel forces on this island that would give us the numbers to fight against the Thunder King?

“Indra is correct. There’s no way we could get to the Thunder King as long as his army is unoccupied. Suijin’s addition to the team is very much welcomed, but his powers still need mana to run, and we have no idea if we have enough mana to hold off the Thunder King’s army until Indra can successfully take him down.”

Chen Stormstout opened his mouth to reply, but failed to find his voice. Closing it again and then lowering his head for a bit, the Pandaren then turned to look at Shane again. He took a deep breath before speaking once more.

“There is. Or rather, was. There was once a monastery, their Pandaren monks deeply trained in the arts of martial combat, their mastery of weapons unrivalled throughout Pandaria. They were the guardians of the island, and when the Thunder King had first made his appearance, they had been the first to take up arms, taking up the responsibility as their own to restore peace to the island. However, the Thunder King wasn’t just invading this place alone. With a group of his elite warriors by his side, he had merely sent out one of them to repel the warrior monks and push them back into their monastery.”

“And what happened?” Shane pressed on.

“Cursed. They were cursed, worse than being killed. The warrior monks were cursed by an ever-present darkness that seems to snake around the monastery, warning anyone that strayed close enough to the monastery to stay away. The warrior monks were all turned to stone, living statues within their own stronghold. If we ever want to gain their assistance in our cause, we will need to remove this darkness that haunts the castle.”

“And what is this group of warrior monks called?”

“Shadow-Pan. The martial monks of Pandaria. Guardians of Pandaria.”

With a hint of a smile on his face, Shane turned to look at Indra and Suijin.

“What say you? Seems like our plan from here is simple enough. We break the curse on the Shadow-Pan and storm the Thunder King’s castle. Naturally, as the lightning slayer, Indra stands the highest chance of defeating the Thunder King. Suijin might want to assist him in the fight, since no doubt he will have some formidable subordinates beside him as well. Chen and I, will lead the main force and keep the rest of the army distracted while you two focus on the big fish. Sounds good?”

[743 words]
[Total WC: 2295 / 14000]

Just as Indra and Suijin were thinking of the best angle to find any kind of aid-- Shane was the one who rose his voice and spoke to Chen. It seemed he was right on the money and Chen shared the details of the ancient order of monks who were in fact an Army for the Pandaren People. The Shadowpan. Kage's ears perked up at the mention, sounding very much like ninjas to him.

"Are the Shadopan ninjas? Oooh i'd love to meet them!" the cat meowed happily, his eyes almost twinkling.

Indra rolled his eyes as Suijin just pondered. It seemed Shane wasn't a Rune Knight for nothing and clearly had a sharp intelligence, more so than most Rakshasa would have. As Chen explained it, Suijin smiled. "It seems there is a solution here after all. " he stated.

Then there was the mention of the curse.

Kage would have gone pale if his fur wasn't so dark. The zest in the Exceed faded at the mention of the curse and evil that kept the Shadowpan captive. "C-cursed...?"

A sigh escaped Indra as he folded his arms against his chest. "Oh gods, here we go..."

"What?" Suijin asked.

"Kage becomes a scardy cat at the mention of ghouls, ghosts and curses. hehe..." Tailong commented, snickering a bit in the air.

"Shut it, Gecko!" Kage snapped, but still his fur was on end.

Suijin paid it no mind as he tried to focus on what to do. "So to be frank, these Shadow-pan first opposed the Thunder King, and somehow he managed to curse them by something... What exactly is this curse?"

Chen turned to the blue-haired man. "The Sha... malevoluent spirits of darkness that feed on the negative energy of the living. Fear, Doubt, Gluttony, Anger... these sins or vices of life feed the ever present darkness with a life and will of its own. It is those same traits that gave them strength and forced the Shadow-Pan to become cursed. As formidable and honorable as they were, no one is immune to all of the vices of life. " the Panda told this to all of them. "If you are attempting what I think you are considering, you must be strong of body and mind. To give in to these feelings will only fuel the fire this curse has caused. It would be your own doom to give in to these impulses."

Suijin and Indra exchanged looks, clearly sensing a problem there. Shane probably would poke fun and see it as plainly as any sane person could. Dark Mages acted on such impulses. IT was the form of life they choose. Most of them anyway. No doubt Shane would see them as a liability facing a curse that grew stronger from sins.

"Gluttony... well that rules you out, Tailong," Indra commented.

"Well, I-- Hey!!" The dragon said, offended.

Suijin gave a hum as he thought about this carefully. "Despite the risk this curse has, we need these Shadowpan to mount an effective attack on the Thunder King's forces. Let alone defend the village here. Even with my power over water with the nearby streams, I couldn't fend off an entire army. ." he explained. "We should have a backup plan, just in case this Shadowpan thing goes south."

Indra turned to Suijin and smiled, glad to know his old monastery friend and fellow rogue was so sharp. "Well said... While the Shadowpan are nessisary, that isn't the only problem here. In the end, even with their loved ones rescued, the Pandaren People are a mess."

As they talked, they could see the fear and anxiety in the Pandaren. Even as familys hugged their missing loved ones and were in joy tto have them back, the fear in them was clear. They lived in opression so long, they didn't have a prayer to defend themselves. Even if the Mogule came by in a small force, they would easily take them back if they weren't there. They needed more than an army.

"We should train them," Indra stated, urging Chen to look at him with surprise. "I am well aware a few villagers holding farmtools is never going to dissway an army, but they need to learn how to defend themselves. Even if only a dozen or so are willing to fight and join us, it is better than nothing. More importantly, they need that fire for freedom again. And what better job do us Rakshasa know how to do than light fires under people's behinds. Especially if its for their own freedom."

Needless to say Shane might have mixed feelings about it... but the idea was clear. Teach them how to fight, while another group went to remove the curse from the Shadowpan.

WC: 795

Shane listened to the discussion between the members of Rakshasa after he had said his piece, taking in their opinions as well. The Rune Knight had to give the newcomer some credit as he seemed to be more rational out of the two Slayers. He couldn’t help but wonder if the elemental power that had been bestowed upon them had somehow shaped a little of their personalities. As a former Sky Demon Slayer, Shane knew that it had changed the way he fought, unsure if his personality had changed. However, with the two slayers, Shane could find the volatility of lightning within Indra and the overbearing force of the ocean within Suijin.

The discussion took a very interesting turn when Indra proposed the unthinkable. For him, at least. Indra had always struck him as the impulsive type, always the first to charge into trouble. And yet, he was proposing to stay back, to train the Pandaren villagers into a fighting force, if that was even possible. Still, it was reason enough for Shane to respect him a little bit.

“I don’t have any objections to the plan. Chen will lead the way, with Suijin and myself following to break the seal on the Shadowpan,” Shane said as he then looked at the pets, shaking his head slightly. “You guys decide which of your pets to join.”

The Rune Knight got up from his seat, hands folded across his chest. The road ahead was going to be tough, but it was at least more clearly defined now. When they had returned to the village, it had almost been sundown, and night was only an hour away from shrouding the entire island in darkness. There would be no better way to move unhindered, and for him, the sooner they got over this, the better. He had been missing for a few days without any communication back to HQ. The last thing he would want was to have them write him off as MIA.

“Let’s move out in an hour,” Shane remarked, and he waited for any response from the Pandaren and two Rakshasa members before walking away to the village entrance. There was nothing he needed to prepare, since all the weapons he would need was already stored within his storage dimension. As he walked away, the circular shield that Shane had grown to use as his main weapon, a versatile piece of equipment that he could effortlessly convert between offensive and defensive measures.

The rest of the time was spent just closing his eyes and engaging in a controlled breathing exercise. The upcoming fight would be against malevolent spirits, not mages, thus prompting Shane to want to make sure that he was going to be in the best condition.

[WC: 458 words]
[Total WC: 3548 / 14000]

As Shane was more than ready to mark it was clear not a single moment should be wasted. By now, the Thunder King must of gotten word about the siege on his foundry and the insurance coming for him. As he marched for the village gates, it left SUijin, Raijin and their other companions a moment.

Before Shane would leave, he felt a tug behind him. "A moment, Sir Shane. Take this with you," Chen asked, handing him a scroll. "It contains info on the Shadopan temple and possibly can be of use dealing with the curse..." the bear said solemnly and handed it to him.

Meanwhile, SUijin and Indra were ironing out the final details. "Then it is settled. Chen and I will stay and help these fuffballs train to fight... while you go to the temple and try to free these Shadopan." Indra said plainly.

"Yeeeeaaaah... I think I'm gonna help you too, Indra-sensei," Kage said sheepishly, unable to hide the twitch in his whiskers in fear of ghosts.

"HAH! Told you he's a fraidy cat!" Tailong snickered.

Suijin looked between the animals as they all bickered, Kage being the most reluctant. "I'm sorry but what part about fighting undead, cursed things doesn't scare you?! The undead cannot be dead by definition. What's the point in that stupid redundancy?!" the Exceed fumed.

Suijin exchanged a glance at Indra, who in turned sighed and went over to his cat companion. "Kage, I need you to go with them. Remember, a Ninja knows no fear. Besides, SUijin needs you and this place will require stealth and cunning above all else. THis is a mission for a true ninja. You do want to be a ninja, don't you?" the Lightning Slayer said to the cat, whose back was turned. Kage still trembled, but more out of stubborn anger than fear. "I know I trained you well to handle whatever comes your way there."

The cat's tail flicked a bit in the air, then finally the cat hopped around. "Alright... I'll do it, Master. At least I know I won't be stuck alone with the knight alone." Kage turned to Suijin, a bit bothered. "Raijin-sensei must have a lot of faith in you, Suijin. Let's not let him down!

Suijin snorted in amusement and shook his head as he rested his hands on his waist. "Whatever you say furball. Let's get going. NO rest for the wicked..." he said.

Before long they reached Shane at the edge of the village-- Suijin and Kage while, Tailong chose to stay behind. Even as Kage now flew with his wings, they had a long journey together...

"So, how did a Washed-Up Knight end up out here?" Suijin said in a tease to SHane-- his source of amusement as they made the long hike up the mountain side.

Even though night had come-- they knew something was coming for them soon. Up in the sky above, they saw the forming of storm clouds and the ominous echo of distant thunder in the distance. It clearly was not the work of Indra who summoned those clouds, but the Thunder King-- his awareness upon the valley growing. A bad omen for the future to come for the travelers.

Kage cringed at the thunder, more nervous at what was to come...

***

THe journey continued long into the night, but they covered ground fast as they reached the mountain top, well past midnight. If day would come-- none would know it as the clouds overhead made the land unkindly dark. Even as they reached higher, they soon saw it... snow on the ground and a chill in the air. They now ventured so high it was no different than Mt. Hakobe.

Despite the chill-- shirtless SUijin paid it no mind. He gladly pressed on and made his way through the wind and flurry. "HOw far are we from this temple? " Suijin asked over the winds.

WC: 658

Shane was already fully prepared when Suijin and Kage finally joined him, forming a trio. The round shield that was slowly becoming his trademark weapon was secured to his back while a large calibre handgun, Night Hawk, was holstered to his right thigh. The Rune Knight gave an appreciative nod when the two of them joined him, especially Kage after knowing how terrified he had been earlier about this venture. The cat had gained his respect during the fight in the Jade Forest and with it now overcoming his fears to do the right thing, Shane began to feel that the cat might not be such a bad creature after all.

Based on the directions that Chen had given them, Shane led the way towards the mountain on which the Shadowpan Monastery stood.

“I literally got washed up here,” Shane replied with a hint of humour in his tone, replying Suijin’s question without turning around to look at him. His eyes were kept in front, where the terrain was quite unforgiving. Any lack of attention would either cause him to slip backwards or trip forwards.

“What about you? Did Raijin send out a beacon of help?” the Rune Knight asked back. As he spoke, a combat knife appeared within his right hand and Shane used it to cut through the tall grass that was hindering their progress as they moved. A stroke to the left, a stroke to the right, severing the grass and some branches with each strike as he opened up a path for them to traverse.

The journey took them many hours and when the mismatched trio finally arrived at the top of the mountain, midnight had already past. The clouds overhead was ominously dark, covering up the moon and restricting the amount of light that hit the ground. And in contrast to the tropical climate of the island on ground level, the very terrain at the peak was snow-covered and chilly. Every breath was icy, floating away visibly on the winter-like breeze that seemed to steal the warmth from their bodies.

Shane’s increased metabolism had no trouble keeping up with the changes in the temperature and likewise, Suijin seemed to be unperturbed. It was probably linked to his affinity as a Water God Slayer, but Shane knew better than to ask.

“We’ve already arrived,” Shane said as he stopped in front of the other two, his right index finger pointing forward to a cliff overhanging the peak of the mountain, with the large monastery built on it. It seemed like a precarious place to build a monastery, but Shane barely even felt like questioning. Where else would the mystique be if not perched dangerously over a mountain?

“We’ll need to make our way in. There’s no way we can make a camp out here in the cold anyway,” Shane said as he began making his way up the stone steps carved into the mountain side, leading towards the monastery.

[493 words]
[Total WC: 4699 / 14000]

The trail up the mountain became colder, and soon Suijin set foot on a snowy patch as Shane announced they arrived. It seemed that his sense of vision was better than Suijin's, as he soon saw it himself and looked up. The snow now began to fall from the cloudy sky as they saw the monastery in the distance. The air was steady with the winter winds, but lifeless as it carried no other sound over the ominous peak. Even though the snow was white, the dark clouds cast a shadow over all before them, showing this place was indeed cursed and dangerous.

Suijin looked into consideration and contempt for what he saw. Like the legends said, this place was indeed left to the more malevolent spirits as he could feel the air around him trembled with the torment of the spirits. He didn't respond to the knight's suggestion, neither agreeing or disagreeing. The fact was, if this place was indeed cursed, setting up camp or resting inside wasn't the brightest of ideas. They would disturb what spirits or creatures that lurked within. The Sha, if he recalled correctly, that Chen Told them.

A small chatter rumbled next to them. At first, Suijin would of thought it could of been a nearby ghoul or spirit come to 'greet' them. However, the sound of a small 'meow' made him realize otherwise. He turned to find Kage nervous, shivering out of fear. "Scardy Cat..." Suijin said with a mild bit of humor.

The cat's fear turned to a scowl at the half-naked man in the snow. "I-I'm not scared! Ninjas have no fear-- it's just chilly here!" the cat argued and pulled up the 'scarf' he wore over his neck to cover the bottom of his face. "And why the hell are you not shivering your butt off half-naked? No one here is impressed , ya know!"

"If you're that cold, then let's go inside," Suijin agreed, and nodded to Shane to let them proceed. Despite his frustration, and bitterness to go into the haunted monastery... Kage reluctantly followed and kept close. This was probably the only time he didn't poke fun at Shane either... as the knight probably didn't have such a silly fear of ghosts.

The treck towards the remaining distance of the monastery was against the frigid winds of the falling snow. Each step forward they met with the snow crunching beneath their feet and the eerie wind start to pick up, carrying scary sounds with it. Kage would pause a bit... and every time he did, snow began to blur his black fur. A couple of times, Suijin wiped the snow off the Exceed and pushed him to press on.

After about a half hour, they arrived. They stood before the massive gates to the monastery, They soon reached the two large doors that towered overhead, showing the true size of the monastery. Even from the walls that surrounded it, it was hard to imagine it was indeed at the summit of a mountain. The more they hesitated however, the colder they would become.

"We going in or what?" Suijin suggested as he reached for the door.

"Wait!" Kage suggested. "M-Maybe the door is the wrong way to go. I bet if we look aroudn we can find a window or a place to scale over the wall. We don't wanna draw attention to ourselves right? Right?" the cat said.

"Kage... its a haunted monastery. Not a fortress..." Suijin said, and soon opened the door.

The wind crept in and almost as if the building breathed, pushing them inside. The dark halls were covered in cobwebs and dust, left to the silent passage of time. However, for the moment... nothing stirred. Only darkness loomed in the halls of the once proud and majestic monastery.

WC: 637