Ebony Lion

Ch 5: Hunting Party

The sun was beginning to set.  Ebon was bent at the knees in what is called a horse stance, holding a fairly large vase filled with water off of the ground with only his wrists.  Taifu walked slowly around him, occasionally throwing pecans at Ebon's head, attempting to break his concentration.  Taifu had instructed Ebon hours ago not to drop the water.  Ebon's biceps were reaching their breaking point, his arms felt like they were about to fall off, and Taifu pelting him with random pecans was not helping.  "Why you think you are here" Taifu asked Ebon.  "To... train" Ebon replied, straining to get the words out. "Hmm, what you train?  You already big muscle, so why you train?" Asked Taifu.  "Be-cause... You.. told me to."  Ebon managed to say, his legs visibly shaking.  "I give you water, I say no drop.  I no say you can't put down.  That why I throw nut at you like dumb monkey. You no train with brain." Said Taifu.  Ebon sat the water vase down and collapsed on the ground.  Taifu walked over to Ebon lying prone on the floor, he picked up the vase and emptied the contents onto Ebon's exhausted body.  Ebon shot up, gasping from the water he had unintentionally swallowed.  "Up up, no rest for the stupid" said Taifu.  "No disrespect Taifu but what is the point of this? You basically just told me I wasted the last three hours, and before that you had me sitting in a corner trying not to think."  Taifu shook his head sadly, closed the distance between himself and Ebon and in three lightning fast strikes touched Ebon on his left and right temple and the center of his forehead. A blinding blue light flashed in Ebon's mind.  His body immediately began to feel lighter, all his fatigue was gone and his adrenaline was pumping.  He felt like he could run a marathon.  "What the hell!?  What did you do to me Taifu?"  Ebon said looking himself over in disbelief.  " You too slow, I open chakra channel for you. You must learn to do alone.  Remember, mind body and soul must be one."  said Taifu as he began to walk to the center of the room gesturing for Ebon to follow.  Taifu opened the gate to the octagon and told Ebon to go in.  Then he called over the two women that had been going through drills on the cargo net.  The women walked into the cage and introduced themselves.  " Hi, I'm Shade and this is Kris." "It's nice to meet you, I'm Ebon." He said shaking their hands in turn.  "Enough talk, show him his true potential." said Taifu to Shade and Kris.  "Yes Taifu." Said Shade and Kris in unison as they immediately dismissed all pleasantries and lunged at Ebon. Shade threw a high kick that Ebon barely had time to put his guard up for. While at the same time Kris executed a perfectly timed sweep that took Ebon off his feet.  Stunned, Ebon rolled just as Shade was about to land a devastating downward stomp aimed directly at his head.  Ebon regained his footing, and with his back to the cage he yelled. "Wait!  Just hold on a minute.  Don't I get a say in this?" And Shade replied. "Say what you must, with your actions not words." "Your words have little value in this cage, unless they are the words of your surrender." Kris confirmed.  "You're women for God's sake!  I can't fight you." Said Ebon as the two women circled him like leopards closing in on prey.  "You insult us...big mistake." Said Kris as she closed the distance between them at blinding speed and shoved Ebon back and into the waiting arms of Shade, who jumped onto Ebon's back and wrapped her arms around his neck squeezing his carotid artery as she coiled her legs around his waist like a python.  Ebon struggled to free himself from her clutches, but to no avail.  He couldn't breathe and his vision was beginning to fade.  Just then an extremely loud alarm began to blaze throughout the compound accompanied by flashing red lights.  Dante's voice boomed over a loud speaker. "All present personnel there has been a breach on the southeast fairgrounds.  Engage and detain or destroy the intruders at once."  Shade relinquished her hold on Ebon as she and Kris sprang from the cage and headed towards a bulk door at the rear of the facility.  "What matter, you no hear?" Taifu said to the discombobulated Ebon, who was still trying to pull himself together.  "What...what happened?" Ebon said as the blaring alarm stopped, though the lights continued to flash.  "You go.  Follow Shade.  Don't die on first day."  Taifu said pointing Ebon in the direction of the bulk door.  Ebon shook off the cobwebs and made his way in the direction that Taifu had instructed.  As he reached the door he saw Shade and Kris grabbing weapons from a rack.  "Arm yourself newbie, if you want to make it back alive." Said Shade.  "What's going on?" Ebon asked.  "Bad things are on the horizon.  Looks like it's time for some on the job training." Said Shade.  Ebon looked at the wall off weapons, still not sure what was really about to happen, and decided to go with his gut.  He grabbed a set of matte black Tonfu, and a pristine Damascus Katana that appeared to almost call to him.  He hung the Tonfu from his waist then tested the weight of the sword in his hands, it felt right.  They stepped outside as Dawn pulled up in a black SUV, followed by Dante in one of his own.  Dante was accompanied by three men that reminded Ebon of the security guards at the Windsor international building.  "Ebon, you three shall accompany Dawn.  I and my party shall take the road directly to the southeast grounds while your group will come around from the southwest.  If you spot the intruder radio me at once."  Said Dante.  "Yes father." Said Dawn.  "Yes sir." Replied Ebon.  With that Dante sped off.  "Shall we go?" Dawn said to Ebon.  "I'd follow you anywhere lady." Ebon replied.  "Augh!  Gag me with a spoon.  Can we go already." Said Kris, whose excitement was growing while her patience was wearing thin.  " Hate does not look good on you." Said Dawn as she floored the pedal and the SUV roared away from the building.  About four minutes later as they were rounding a bend Shade said,  "Everyone keep your eyes open, we still don't know exactly what we're looking for."  "What's that smell, rotten eggs?" Said Ebon.  Everyone smelled the air.  "Sulfur." Said Shade and Kris in unison.  "Get down!" Yelled Dawn as Ebon looked over to see a large boulder flying straight towards them.  The boulder struck the vehicle on the driver side as Dawn lost control and the vehicle rolled onto its side.  Ebon opened his eyes and looked around.  Dawn was hanging from her seatbelt beginning to stir. He couldn't see Shade and Kris from the position he was in but he could hear their groans. Ebon unfastened his seatbelt and began to kick out the shattered remains of the front windshield.  By this time Shade was fully conscious and so was Kris. Shade was trying to open her door which was now above her but the boulder had damaged it to badly.  "Just climb through the front, it's clear.  I have to get Dawn out.  Dawn are you alright?" Asked Ebon.  "Yes but my arm... I think it may be broken."  "Don't worry, I'm gonna get you out of here."  Just as Shade and Kris where crawling through the front windshield Ebon heard a loud snap and pop like trees being broken and falling.  "Ebon hurry up and get Dawn out of there we've got company." Said Shade.  "Hold onto me Dawn, we've got to go." Said Ebon taking Dawn into his arms, moving as quickly and carefully as he could.  As they exited the wreckage of the vehicle, Ebon saw Shade and kris about fifty yards away engaged in battle with what appeared to be a ten foot tall Troll.  Dark grey in color, the beast had stringy black hair a bulbous nose, huge arms and wore tattered shorts.  "Ebon radio master Dante, let him know we have found the creature." Said Kris as she fired off another arrow from her bow at the Troll.  Ebon placed Dawn on the ground behind the wreckage of the SUV.  "Dawn I need you to call your father and tell him what's going on, I have to go help them." "Ebon...be careful my love." Said Dawn as she caressed Ebon's face and kissed him gently on his lips.  With that Ebon turned, removed his Katana from it's Scabbard and went to assist Shade and Kris.  Shade was dodging left to right running semi-circles around the Troll.  Picking her opportunities to throw her kunai at it.  Several had hit their mark but had done little to slow the beast.  Kris was perched atop a small hill using Shade's distraction to continually pepper the monster with arrows.  Ebon ran up to the scene sword drawn.  Looking for an opportunity to engage.  "Come on you beast, is that all you've got!?" Said Shade as she dove into a forward roll barely dodging the Trolls massive strike.  She came out of the roll whizzing past the Troll's leg leaving him with a deep gash for good measure.  The Troll let out a ferocious growl as he turned to her and spoke in an a most insidious tone.  "I will kill you and devour your soul"  "Well that's not creepy at all." Said Shade as she jumped back tossing another kunai.  The Troll pulled a small tree from the Earth with ease.  Then charged Shade using it's branches as a shield from her kunai.   Shade retreated but the Troll was faster than it appeared.  The tree made up the distance between them as he swung it sending Shade flying as he connected.  Her body hit another tree twenty yards away with a sickening thud.  "Shade!" Screamed Kris as she ran to her.  The Troll laughed. "No more running around for you."  He said as he began to close in on Shade.  Before Ebon realized it he was running towards the Troll.  He blew passed Kris, leaving her with her jaw dropped.  The monster reached down to grab Shade and stopped just short, as his head fell to the ground by his feet and his body toppled over.  Ebon landed in a crouch next to Shade as blood dripped from the sword in his hands.