PROLOG II

Ceruze was still in chaos and the situation was rapidly worsening. More and more battles erupted throughout the city as the situation spiralled out of control. By midnight, more than half the city had been consumed by flames as the skirmishes increased in number and intensified. 

The northern part of the city was entirely consumed, the conflict gradually encroaching on the still peaceful south. Giving no mind to the safety of the hapless ordinary civilians having been consumed by a barely perceptible wave of bloodlust that had been pulsing throughout the city for almost an hour, the city guards and the gangs fought, all sorts of battle techniques flying around chaotically.

 The civilians fled in a desperate bid to escape the chaotic city and secure their survival. Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets leading to the currently peaceful southern zone of Ceruze, heading towards the three main southern gates of the massive city. 

 Shortly after midnight, enraged shouts resounded from the various gang hideouts throughout the city. 

 "We've been robbed!"

 "Crap, our treasury has been emptied!"

 "Some bastards are taking advantage of the chaos to rob us blind!"

 "It's got to be those City Guard dogs. Shameless bastards! First, they falsely accuse is of murder, and now they dare to rob us."

 Shortly after these shouts from the gang bases throughout the city, similar cries sounded from the main storage depots across the city.

 "The city storages have been emptied!"

 "Bloody deaths! Some people have taken advantage of the chaos to clean us out!"

 "It's either these unruly gang members or some thieves who wish to fish in troubled waters!"

 Just as there seemed to be a slight lull in the conflict as both sides gradually seemed to be reducing the intensity of their conflict, the thefts that happened sent both sides into a frenzy once again. The discoveries of evidence that proved the guilt of both parties only served to add more fuel to an already raging inferno of chaos.

 At the Bloody Oaks gang hideout close to the north-eastern exit of the city… five burly men stood at the entrance of the gangs' hideout looking the fifty corpses scattered across the mossy lawn before them. 

"So, it was the City Guards who were behind these robberies eh," the burliest of the five men growled, his face dark with fury.

"Che. All high and mighty, always acting righteous. But look! Scummy thieving rats. We should kill them all," another one snarled.

"Kill!" they roared as they stormed out of the yard.

Practically at the same time in the Central City Storage… Rahma Battatiste, the commander of the city guard army stared at the hundreds of corpses scattered across the central hall of the storage, his eyes smouldering with barely restrained fury. The soldiers standing in the room with him were enraged.

A stout, heavyset man with an extremely pale complexion, clad in golden armour soaked in blood stood beside him, a huge black-bladed bastard sword resting against his massive frame. He fixed his gaze on Rahma, "Rahma, we can't let this go unpunished. Daring to rob us, these ruffians deserve death," he growled.

"Yes, Vice-Commander!"

"We've definitely gotta make em' pay Rahma!"

"Exterminate those annoying pests. Disrespectful bastards!"

"Let's slaughter em' Rahma!"

The soldiers in the room were consumed with fury as they urged Rahma to give the order for an intensified assault on the gangs.

Rahma gritted his teeth, struggling to stay level-headed to assess the situation calmly. There had to be some kind of foul play at work, perhaps someone stirring things up from behind the scenes. His efforts however, were for naught as the enraged roars of his subordinates fanned the flames of rage within him into an uncontrollable blaze. "Kill!" he roared, as leading his men out of the city storage into the streets, to war.

Shortly after Rahma stormed out of the room with his men, a smallish figure wearing a hooded black cloak emerged from the shadows, surveying the now empty room, radiant golden eyes slowly dimming beneath the cloak's hood as the figure moved straight toward the large doors at the back of the room

As the figure moved, its form distorted slightly and split into three. Three replicas of the original figure, one melting back into the shadows from which the figure had emerged, while the second replica was wreathed in a veil of shadows which faded away almost immediately to reveal the exact image of Rahma. The figure turned to face its transformed clone, the hood falling of its head to reveal a face quite similar to that of Wolfe. 

 "You already know where the fluctuations came from. It's rather close to the Syanean temple, so I guess this would be a perfect disguise to get you past the guards, if there are any. Go see if there really is one of us in this place and if possible, find out why and try to bring them back to the rendezvous spot… Be careful, don't screw this up."

 'Rahma' grinned, "how can I screw this up," he scoffed, turning away from Wolfe. He disappeared in a flash of golden light. "I'm you after all" his cocky words echoed in the huge room.

 The boy sighed and pushed open the doors revealing the pitch darkness that lay behind the doors, darkness that swallowed all light. "That's exactly why I'm worried," he muttered as he walked into the darkness. He glanced back at the empty central hall, briefly hesitating before he disappeared into the darkness, a hint of mockery flashing through his golden eyes.

 A few minutes later, a golden-haired youngster with deathly pale skin emerged from behind a massive pillar opposite where Wolfe was previously hiding. He stared at the dark hallway Wolfe had entered into, curiosity and hesitation in his glittering green eyes, 'he couldn't have possibly noticed me, right?'

He walked toward the entrance of the hallway and paused, staring blankly into the darkness. Some minutes later, he shook his head fiercely and slapped his gaunt cheeks. "Does it even matter?" he whispered as he strode confidently into the hallway, "after all, he's no match for me."

The large doors swung shut behind him as he disappeared into the darkness.

Rahma had just burst out of the Central City storage with his men when they almost immediately encountered a large troop of enraged gangsters charging at them. Refusing to be cowed by their imposing momentum, his troops drew out their weapons and met the charge of the gangsters head-on. Weaving his way through the brawling crowd, he targeted their leader, a tall and stocky man standing behind the gangsters, aiming to take him out first to weaken the opponents. 

The stocky man noticed Rahma's approach and charged at him. "Rahma, you backstabbing tit, you dare to break the treaty? You think we're so easy to bully?!!" he roared as he swung his massive battle-axe at Rahma's head. His powerful strike was blocked by Rahma, who then proceeded to punch the battle-axe out of his hands before bringing him down to his knees with two swift punches to his gut. He quickly rolled out the way to avoid a follow-up axe kick from Rahma which would have sliced his head off and yanked the chain attached to his battle-axe. The battle-axe flashed through the air, appearing behind Rahma's head in the blink of an eye.

Rahma smirked and disappeared from the spot before he was struck. He reappeared behind the spinning battle-axe and slugged it heavily with his fist, sending it hurtling toward the stocky man who was knelt on the ground staring at the incoming battle-axe with disbelief.

Just when the battle-axe was about to smash into his face, a huge, lion-headed idol fell from the sky and smashed it into the ground. "Indeed, you live up to your reputation 'Indomitable Fist' Rahma Battatiste. Defeating little Kovui without utilising any techniques is definitely a feat worthy of admiration."

Rahma quickly retreated, looking around to see who had spoken. A bead of sweat slid down his face as his eyes darted around cautiously. The attack was too sudden, coming out of nowhere. Had it been targeted at him, he probably would have been severely injured, if not outright killed. The brawling soldiers and gangsters ceased the conflict, looking around nervously as an oppressive sense of heaviness filled the air.

Kovui, the stocky, gangster leader who had been saved by the attack from the idol came back to his senses and looked at the elegantly curved image before him. "Thank you for your grace, ancestor," he said, bowing down respectfully.

"Ancestor?" Rahma questioned, looking at the prostrate gangster leader with a quizzical look on his face.

"My disciple is a bit of a disappointment but, should you be wasting your time on such a pointless conflict?" a gravelly, aged voice said from atop the idol. All eyes immediately focused on the top of the idol where an old man with a thick mane of grey hair had suddenly appeared, sitting cross-legged, his bright black eyes focused on the group of youngsters below. 

Dark skin, extremely muscular, a chain and bracelet made of cowries, a skull-topped staff, plus a massive idol. "Deadwood Shaman, why are you poking your nose into business that is of no concern to you? Do you think this is your territory or something?" Rahma snarled.

"So temperamental, so unreasonable, so deaf. Young Rahma, did you not hear what I said? The person you are trying to kill is my disciple. Is that not enough reason for me to take action?" 

Rahma clenched his fist, glaring at the old man who looked at him with a benevolent expression on his face. "Your disciple, attacked the Central City storage. A crime punishable by death and I definitely am going to take the life of this dog. Now get out of my way before I end you."

The Deadwood Shaman sighed, his gaze toward Rahma now bearing traces of disappointment, "is the renowned prodigious captain of the Ceruze guard so muscle-headed? What a shame." He jumped down from the idol and glanced at the still prostrating Kovui, "rise up boy," he said. Turning to face Rahma who was rushing toward him, he pointed his finger at him and chains burst out of the ground, ensnaring him and instantly rendering him immobile. "Allowing yourself to be used as a pawn without even trying to figure out at the very least, who seeks to manipulate you, how disappointing," he said as he watched Rahma struggle desperately to free himself from the chains. Looking up, he noticed Jarrhod quickly approaching, "your subordinate is approaching. You will realize how foolish you have been once he arrives."

"Subordinate?" Rahma wriggled around till he was able to take a look back and saw Jarrhod rushing towards him. "Jarrhod, get rid of this old man and help me!" Rahma roared. 

Jarrhod heard Rahma's command and looked up at the old man who stood beside the bound Rahma, watching him with a small smile on his face. He frowned and quickened his pace once he recognized him. How did Commander Rahma end up provoking such a malignant star? He bowed slightly as soon as he arrived in front of the Deadwood Shaman and greeted him in a greeted him with a tone that was slightly humble, "Jarrhod greets the esteemed sage Deadwood Shaman." He ignored Rahma's piercing glare and maintained his slightly bowing posture as he waited for a response.

The Deadwood Shaman observed Jarrhod for a short while then smiled with satisfaction. "Rise up. I am impressed by your ability to break free from the influence of the web. Such an admirable feat. I did not teach you in vain," he praised. Immediately after, his smile disappeared, replaced by a very stern look, "however, you still are responsible for the tragic state of this city. All the destruction, the lost lives., the blame for all this falls squarely on your shoulders."

Jarrhod sighed, "I don't know what came over me. As soon as I saw the city lord's corpse, I was enraged and gave orders to search for the perpetrator and kill all who resisted. After I left to come inform milord of the disastrous event, everything became hazy. When I regained consciousness, I was in the midst of a slaughter and I immediately rushed over to see the Commander."

The Deadwood Shaman's gaze softened, "Do not blame yourself. You were just a small fry caught in the middle of a confrontation between powerhouses. The fact that you managed to break free from the influence of the bloodthirst is great. Perhaps the weaver of the web let you go since you had already served your purpose."

"Web? Weaver? Confrontation of powerhouses? Are you telling me that all of this chaos and death is because of some powerful people fighting? And we're just collateral damage?" a barrage of questions from Rahma interrupted the Deadwood Shaman's words.

"Oh, you have broken free as well," the Deadwood Shaman glanced at Rahma and nodded approvingly. He gestured and the chains binding Rahma sank back into the ground, freeing him. Looking at Rahma who quickly distanced himself from him with a hint of amusement in his eyes, he answered, "indeed, the predicament your city finds itself in is because of the conflict between powerhouses. You just happened to get caught up in it since this city is their battlefield." Ignoring the indignant looks on the faces of Rahma and Jarrhod, he looked at the Central City storage behind them, "that old thing is about to make a move," he muttered, "I have to break this web before he floods this city with blood."

Rahma and Jarrhod, hearing the Deadwood Shaman's muttering looked at him curiously. What was he going to do? Before they could question him, he made his move. He waved his hands and a large staff appeared in his left hand as he chanted some incantations. He held the two staffs together and raised them toward the heavens, his incantations growing louder and more aggressive. Then with a powerful shout he slammed the two staffs together and let go of them. They watched in awe as now floating staffs melted together and burst out with a blinding light which quickly disappeared, revealing an exquisitely carved wooden image of a woman of great beauty wielding a spear and shield. 

The Deadwood Shaman reached out and gently took the statue, cradling it in his hands as he continued to whisper incantations. Finally, he raised the statue above his head, "Asantewaa destroy the spider's web!" he roared. The statue flew out of his hands and hovered in the air before him, growing bigger till it became massive, towering over the Central City storage. It raised its massive spear and thrust it into the air, striking a certain point above the storage building. There was a sound of shattering glass and the sky above began to fracture, shards raining down on the earth. 

Rahma stared at the shattering sky in a daze. Heavens, what level of power was this? To be able to shatter the sky with the power of a summoned being. Just how strong was this Deadwood Shaman. Recalling how he had rashly sought to challenge him while under the influence of whatever web the old man spoke about, he wished he could go back in time to slap some sense into his irate self.

Jarrhod gasped when he saw what was revealed by the shattering 'sky', a densely woven dome of ghostly white spiderwebs covered the entire city of Ceruze. "Just what in the heavens is going on here," he heard Rahma whisper. He turned to the Deadwood Shaman, to ask him about the dome of webs and saw Asantewaa thrust her spear at the dome.

Before the spear could strike the dome, a massive pillar of flames pierced its way through the Central City storage, ripping a massive hole in the spiderweb dome and setting it ablaze. A scorching wave of heat swept through the city instantly, searing the skins of the dazed guards and gangsters who had been freed from the influence of the wen due to its destruction. Before Rahma and Kovui's men who were now resting nearby as they awaited orders from their superiors could flee the vicinity, several explosions ripped through the building, the force of the explosions blasting them several hundred meters away. 

"Get over here dirty little thief!" an enraged roar came from within the blazing pillar as a small figure clad in a black hooded cloak burst out of the flames and sprinted away. Barely a second after, a bare-chested hulking giant of a man wielding a giant axe emerged from the flames in pursuit of the figure. A tiny snow-white fox wrapped in a cloud of icy mist materialized in the air behind the fleeing figure and spat out several icy spheres at the pursuing man. "Petty tricks," he growled as he swung his axe at the rapidly approaching icy spheres. The fleeing figure suddenly came to an abrupt halt and turned to look at the pursuing man, a contemptuous grin on his face. 

"Guardian Rai be careful!" Jarrhod yelled. Alas his shout, and Rai's realization that something was wrong came too late. Before Rai could react and try to avoid hitting the icy spheres, they accelerated and smashed into his axe, exploding and filling the entire street with a silvery mist that dampened everyone's senses. The force of the explosion blasted Rai back, sending him smashing into the pillar of flames from which he emerged.

"Open a portal quickly," the figure instructed the fox, not daring to let down his guard as looked around warily. The suppressing mist would disorient the soldiers and gangsters, but it lacked the potency to keep them blinded for long. The fox yipped in response and focused, a 'serious' expression on its face. The space in front of it began to distort and soon a small flickering portal formed. "Good job," the figure said, rubbing the fox's head affectionately, "let's go." The fox quickly entered the portal and he also went in afterward.

"Do you think you can just ruin my plans and escape as you please?" a sinister voice mocked just as the figure stepped into the portal. 

"Damn it!" the figure swore as he dove into the portal, which rapidly closed after he went in. but he wasn't fast enough. A wooden spear wrapped in cobwebs and brimming with ominous energy flew into the portal just before it closed, piercing into the figure's heart from behind.

A slender man wearing a white robe descended from the sky and landed at the spot where the portal closed. "Tch, lucky brat. He managed to escape," he grumbled as he poked the air in front of him with his finger. "The spatial fluctuations are all messed up too. Looks like it will be nigh impossible to find out where he went." He turned to face the Deadwood Shaman who had silently approached and stood behind him, watching him expressionlessly. The statue of Asantewaa behind the Deadwood Shaman stared at the man with blatant hostility. "Now what do you want from me Old Man?" he asked. His six eyes shone with a mysterious light as he glared at the statue of Asantewaa, unfazed by her hostility, before fixing his gaze on the Deadwood Shaman.

"Anani, leave this city, before I make you leave. I did not interfere when you were harvesting the life force of the mortals and warriors here. I did not even intervene when you attacked the little boy, even though you clearly perceived my interest in him. However, if you dare pursue him, I would not mind sending your corpse to Anansi." The Deadwood Shaman enunciated each word slowly, his emotionless gaze fixed on Anani's face.

Anani frowned, a trace of malice flickering in his eyes as he silently stared at the Deadwood Shaman for a few minutes. Finally, he turned away and walked away, his figure slowly growing blurry in the fading mist. "I'll give you face this time Old Man. Next time however, I won't mind showing you that your era is past. That boy you wish to protect… humph."

The Deadwood Shaman glanced back at Rahma and Jarrhod who were recovering from the effects of the mist, then he looked at Kovui who approached him slowly, a hesitant look on his face. "Come here boy, the farce is over. We are leaving." He gestured at the statue of Asantewaa which shrank till it became a small effigy once more and floated into his grasp. An open door of light formed in the air before him as he retrieved his idol as well. Once it appeared, he stepped in and left. Kovui quickly hurried after him before the door disappeared.