Chapter Eight
Vash was leaning against a tree staring at the ground "and so on what will you have me do to the Stone-ray girl? There was a tall man standing across from him then gave a grim smile as his voice was deep and bold "do not kill her, we will have her join us and if not, we can get her to use this collar and we will make her a weapon to my liking and see how she will like being a servant just like how her clan did to the beaver tribe"
Vash then smiled "well that sounds good, but what's in it for me boss man" the tall man then takes off his mask, he was missing an eye and had scars all over his face and he was bald "well anything you want my good lad" Vash then had an evil smile "then say no more, it will be done"
Mean while back at the Cloudstone village
Alastair then glance at Gabriel laying on his bed "what had happened to you Gabriel?" Gabriel looks over at Alastair and tried to get up but then laid back down "I don't know what came over me Alastair, I swear I didn't mean to do all these things back then before our ceremony, it was like someone was taking over my mind and my thoughts that had blind me"
Alastair then held his friends hand "I knew something was up, but why haven't you told anyone from the start before thing's were becoming worse?" Gabriel then sighed "it wasn't easy for me to break way from what was controlling me Alastair"
Damon then nods "well you should get some rest Gabriel okay, as soon as you get better, we will talk some more" Alastair then nods "I'll send up some medicine people up and aid you, so this won't happen again"
Gabriel then nods "Wait before you guys go, look on my desk I have a journal of what was going on with my mind and there was this voice, I had no idea what the heck was going on, but please read it carefully" Damon went to the desk and grabs the book "okay we will see you later Gabriel, take it easy" Alastair and Damon then left Gabriel's room
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Eskai was over the training arena with Silver and ace they were sparing in a battle with weapons Silver had a hunting knife, Ace had a bow with arrows, as for Eskai he had two daggers shaped like saber teeth they were quite shape as they were sparing Mori was pasting back and forth then he pops the question "Eskai can you tell me what kind of food Ranko likes?"
Eskai then jumps in the air and lands next to him "While she loved the way you cook the way I see it, but don't give here potatoes she will break out in hives again"
Mori then smiled "okay thank you Eskai" Ace then yelled "you should make a huge platter of food for a picnic for all of us while we go see how far Ranko is with her work" Mori then nods and waves at Ace "don't worry I will this time, I'll see you guys later" Mori leave smiling towards his mother's inn
Silver then sighed then looks over at Eskai "Eskai, don't you think Mori is being too nice to Ranko?" Eskai then tilts his head his direction "what do you mean?" Ace then smile at them "Is silver getting jealous?" he thought to himself Eskai then thinks for a moment "what's wrong with being nice to a good friend?"
Eskai then glance at Silver lunging at him "well let's put some training in then go see Ranko" Silver then stood his ground and blocks Eskai lungs and kicks him in the air "if you insist Eskai".
Meanwhile with Ranko's work
Ranko was half ways done the bridge, it looks very nice and it was leveled down great she had sat down near the ledge of the bridge staring at the distant the sky was the color of bright oranges and pinks and sort of dark purple from the clouds from the morning sky the air was warm in the breeze the wind blew in, she let her hair down it was quite wavy since she had her braid on for a few weeks,
she then thought to herself "well it's been a week and a half guess I'll go back to the village and get more supplies and take a hot long bath" Ranko then got up and started to walk back to the Cloudstone village.
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Damon was in Alastair's room he glances at his friend "Alastair so if Gabriel was being controlled, could it be another special ability that was used on him, to do all this damage?"
Alastair was reading the book that Gabriel told him to take "well it was starting again whatever was trying to control my body was something I have never seen, I thought it just a legend, but now I know, he still lives among us, he had no eye's his lips were chewed off his hair was long and braided down with feathers his clothing was made out of the animal's fur he smelled like death"
Damon then shivers then stares at him "this sounds familiar we should talk to our elder's and tell them what happen to Gabriel and this book otherwise this creature like thing will do the same thing to one of our tribes people" Alastair then got up and nods at him "your right we shall go"
Mori then walks in "Alastair I've been meaning to ask you something" Damon and Alastair then look over at Mori as mori then stares at him "um, since we followed Ranko and dis obeyed the laws are we cast out?" Alastair then nods "well no, I haven't told the elders what so ever about what was going on with you guys and that's including Ranko"
Mori then nods "okay that nice to know thank you sir" Mori had run off as Damon then smiled "so Alastair who you think will win Ranko's heart?" Alastair then sighed "I don't even want to think about it, my baby sister will not settle down to easily" Damon then smiled and thinks to himself "we will see about that"
Ace then walks towards the trail that Ranko was working on "well I really want to see the bridge right now" Silver then nods "well I'll be at the Cloudstone Inn near the café I'll see you later" Ace then nods and walks away from silver.
Later on
Ranko was in a room at the Cloudstone Inn, taking a hot bubble bath in scented oils of pumpkin spice Ranko then thought to herself "I can feel my all my energy coming back" As Ranko was about to get out of the tub Eskai then barges in and yells "Ranko lets go!" Mori then turns red as Ranko stares at them as Mori then grabs Eskai's arm shutting the door and yelled at him "Eskai you pervert, why don't you knock before entering a lady's room!"
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Ranko then sighed "Eskai never changed one bit since I left but at least mori pulled him out before he could see me, like gosh can't I get some privacy"
Ranko thought to herself" As Eskai then crossed his arms "well my bad I didn't think she would be slacking and doing this and that here"
After Ranko was done drying herself and putting clothes on in the bathroom, she then came out drying her hair "I can take a break if I wanted too, Eskai what is with you all of the sudden" Eskai then cross his arms "you tell me Ranko, when will you make up your mind about settling down and getting married like everyone else has?"
Ranko then glance at him "well there is no point in rushing, I'm young after all" Mori then sighed "Come on Eskai you're not yourself today after Silver beat you in a spar" Ranko then looks over them A spar?"
Eskai then raised his voice at them "it's not about the stupid spar I had with Silver" Eskai then walks away from them as Mori blushed looking away from Ranko noticing that she was only using a pantie and a tank top "Um I think I should" Ranko then shuts the door and looks at Mori going closer to him "What's the matter Mori?" Mori then starts to sweat looks at her "Um"
Ranko then moves closer to his face "are you that shy of me?" Mori then nods and gave a nervous look in Ranko's eyes he then hugs her and kisses her Ranko then shuts her eye's as she lets his kiss melt on to hers while she holds him tightly,
mori then broke the kiss and smiled "I should really be heading to work Ranko" Ranko then smile and rubs her nose with his "I will see you later once I'm done the bridge, I'm nearly done with it, so you can assist me once again with the maps" Mori then blushed as he kissed her on the fore head "for sure I will" Mori had left as Ranko was getting her stuff ready and she left as well
While Ranko left Gabriel came out of his room with his long robe on he then stared at Ranko "Hey Ranko when did you get back?" Ranko then glance at him then sighed "About a week ago, why?" Gabriel then looks around "I need you to get Alastair and Damon here immediately" Ranko then Nods her head "For sure sir Gabriel" Ranko then had ran off "See you later" Gabriel then nods and walks back into his room sitting down on an arm chair "I sure hope my Friends and family will forgive me, but once I am better, I know they will see the different"
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Later on, at the café Mori was very chipper as he was handing cups of coffees and snacks to Damon and Alastair, they had both look at him then Damon sighed "you are pretty happy today Mori" Alastair then smile "did my future brother-in-law see my little sister today?"
Mori then had a light blush "um no, it's" Before Mori could say anything Ranko had ran towards them "Brother Alastair and Damon, Gabriel requested you two, to come up to his room Right away"
Damon then sighed "Let's take our things to go and get another meal for Gabriel" Mori then turn red then nods "I will have your things sent to my brother dorm, okay" Ranko then blushed and smiled "well I'll see you guys later" Ranko ran off out the café then Alastair looks over at mori "did you guys do something?"
Mori then yelled turning redder "No, it not like that" Damon then Laughs "by the way did you see Eskai?" Mori then calms himself then stared at Damon "Yes I have but, he is been acting strange, you know how my brother was" Alastair then got up and ran towards the dorms "Damon you find Eskai while I go see Gabriel this is now an urgent matter!" Damon then nods "Okay Mori you're coming with me, for the day" Mori then nods and thinks to himself "Oh crap I forgot about the picnic with the guys and Ranko"
Mean while
Eskai then head his head and curled into a ball while he was at the tow keeping watch, but since he was disorientated, he wasn't able to keep track on anything Eskai starts to sweat as the voice he heard had said "Your weak and pathic, young man, why don't you give me your powers and drop dead"
Eskai then starts to breath hard and nods his head "I will never give in, whoever you are leave me alone" the voice shrieks into the wind "If you don't do as I say I will hurt those you cared for, let me in and take control to show you real power" Eskai then thought to himself "I wish someone will come and save me from this dreadful voices in my head"
suddenly there was a yell "Eskai? Did you want to come with me for the day at the bridge?" Eskai then widens his eye��s?" Ranko then walks in and see's fear in his eye's and tears ran down his eye's "Ranko, help me" Ranko drops her thing and rushes to him grabbing him into her arms "what happen Eskai?" Eskai then shivered "I keep hearing these voice, if I don't do what they say then they'll hurt the people I care for" Eskai then shed some tear's and then held on to Ranko tight"
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Suddenly Damon and Mori then rushed in seeing Ranko and Eskai on the ground, Eskai was crying,
as Ranko looks up at them "Damon? Mori?" she thought to herself as mori then sneered at them as Damon shrugged "what has happened" Ranko then looks down on Eskai "Damon he is saying that he is hearing voices"
Damon then sat next to them "Whatever these voices are saying to you, ignore them, It's the witako trying to take over your body" Ranko then looks at Damon then at mori "what do we do?"
Mori then sighed "we have to take him to the elder and the medicine man or women, before he ends up like my brother Gabriel" Ranko then gave a puzzled look then nods "Okay" Damon then picks up Eskai "I'll take him in, okay Ranko you just force on the bridge and wall"
Damon then vanishes with his brother Eskai as Mori then glance at Ranko "so why were you holding on to Eskai?" Ranko then got up and looks at him "I was going to see if My best friend was alright before I went to work Mori"
Mori then had a shadow over his face looking towards the village "I sure hope so, because every time I see you with another guy alone. I do get jealous just so you know" Ranko then walks up to him pressing up against him "oh really now?" Mori then widens his eyes then got fluttered "Hey Ranko come on, you know I get worked up when you do these things"
Ranko then smiled and gave a peak on his lips "look I only have eyes for you Mori, try to understand" Mori then turns red and smiled as Ranko runs off, mori then watched her leave and he had held his chest "I'm really starting to fall more in love with her every time we spend time with each other even if it's only for a short period of time"
Ace was sitting down on the stump looking through the view there were many birds and animal below the cliff he had smiled "I wonder if these guy's will still have that picnic still?" Ace thought to himself he then got up from the stump and turns towards the trail he then shook "and who are you?" Ace then sneers at the person who wore a long leather brown cloak and he had a mask gleaming at ace with terror in his eye's "I'm the one that going to kill you, if you don't tell me where Ranko is My good lad" Ace then pulls out his bow and arrows "Stay back if you don't want to lose your eye old man" Ace then aims for him as the man Laughs "Those can't possible harm me, let me show you what I can do"
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The man then ran swiftly towards Ace with his razor-sharp blades ace shot at this mystery man his arrow slightly then slices half his face, but as for ace it was too late.
The man had killed Ace with one blow, Ace drop to the ground as the man gave an evil grin "So let this be a lesson, to learn from the next time you don't obey me little tribe boy" the man had left taking the body of Ace away from the area and Vanished,
Meanwhile Ranko was walking towards the area with more lumber and supplies not knowing what had happen she continued to build the bridge and completed within the next few days Silver then came up to Ranko with a stern look "Hey Ranko did you see my friend Ace anywhere near here?"
Ranko then looks up at him then nods "not even There was no sign of anyone coming here when I got here today" Silver then looks around then searches the area "Can you help me find, he said he was coming to see the bridge work you were doing three days ago"
Ranko then nods at him "Okay silver, I'll help you" Silver and Ranko began to search around the cliff Silver then seen something shining at the corner of his eye, he then turns towards the edge of the cliff where a stump is "Ranko did you look around here when you got here?"
Ranko then looks over at silver then walks to him "no I haven't there was nobody here once I came here, so I don't normally look around while I'm on work duties" Silver then walks near the stump looking around he then widens his eye "Ranko there is blood here and..."
Silver picks up Ace is broken bow "and his bow" Ranko then looks around the area where silver was at "there is clay tracks over here of someone else is foot size" Silver then glance at the ground "We have to inform the leader's and our leader's and even the claw tribe this disturbing news" Ranko then nods "lets hurry back then" Silver and Ranko rushed towards the village. Silver thought to himself giving a grim look "Please be alright my dear Friend"
Ranko then looks over at Silver "silver don't worry yourself to much, we will et to the bottom of this, you'll see�� Silver then nods and had gave a half smile "okay" the two continued running.
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