The shadows slowly steals the light as the sun begins to set, the lone traveller had left the last village of this road behind her for almost five hours. The Inn Keeper had warned her about travelling on the rough and somewhat deserted trail up the wilderness of the mountains. The seemingly ageless silver hair traveller thanked the Inn Keeper for his kindness and headed out as planned. 

Her task is too important for her to be distracted by the wolves skulking amongst the trees. Looking up at the sky she could see that the rays of fiery light were slowly eaten away by the foreboding darkness. 

To her left beyond the cliffs she could see that the fiery red orb was nearly drown by the dark cold sea. She had only travelled this far north about nine months ago and now she is making the same trek again. 

She didn’t like the way the sun burned up the sky leaving a trail of blood red clouds in its path. It felt strangely ominous for the forest trail was silent when it should be fill with the sound of birds returning to roost. The creatures of the night were silent too. 
  

No motion, no nothing as if that something had frightened them. She decided against stopping for the night and continues on her way. Only an hour’s trek left to go. Maybe then she’ll feel better when her journey is done. She then sensed something flying above head as the leaves rustled 

Looking up she could see a shadow speeding past her towards the destination she was heading as well. She smirked knowing that somebody else was more impatient than she was.  Then she felt it too. It was a dark foreboding presence. The silver hair woman mumbled a few curses and sped up her trek. another unexpected visitor had made its presence known. 
  

The bushes rustled, the woman drops her backpack and unsheathes her sword, the muscles on her back tensed, as her cold blue eyes remained fixed in the direction of the noise. The bushes parted and a woman in dark brown kimono stumbled out with a bundle in her arms. The silver hair woman ran over to her as she sheathes her sword. 
  
  

“Miyuki!! What’s going on?! Shouldn’t you be resting?!!” she shook the woman gently. The Japanese woman seems to be quite shaken as she was in a panic. Her dark brown hair framing her oval shaped face that glinted with perspiration. 

“Zannah….” Her voice weakened, she thrusts the bundle into the older woman’s arms. Looking within the bundle Zannah saw that it was a baby boy about 12 hours old, sleeping comfortably where he was. He hardly made a sound at all. 

“Take care of my Baby dragon. Go! Go now!! Don’t let Gouki find him until he’s ready! Go Zannah!!!” Miyuki was on the verge of screaming. 
  

“He found you?! Take the child and hide in the village. I’ll go help Sho handle him!!” Zannah said, but Miyuki kept pushing her on. 
“No! Just take him and go!!! Please Zannah! For the sake of my baby if not for us!!” She pleaded. 
  

“Zannah!!! Do you want me to beg you??!! If you wish you could take it as calling upon a favour. Just take my baby dragon and go!!! We’re all responsible for our own decisions!!!” Miyuki was near hysterics she kept looking in the direction where she had came from. 

"What about you and Sho?!" Zannah didn't like the idea of leaving her friends in danger. 
"GO!!! Our lives is of no consequence. JUST GO!!!!!" 

“What about Gouki?!” She turned. 
“Sho and I can handle him! Zannah!! Don’t stop moving till my baby is either with Gouken or back to the Island Sanctuary!!!” Miyuki started head back up to trail. 
“GO!!! Zannah! Take my baby and go!!!!” she turned and screamed. 
  

“Forgive us for leaving you this way. Baby Dragon….May the Powers that be brings us together if our family is meant to be reunited……” She whispered watching the silver hair woman descended the mountain. Miyuki wiped the tears from her eyes and made the trek back up the mountain. 
  
  

When Miyuki reached her little cottage, she gasped seeing the way the battle was. Being a non fighter she remain hidden behind the outcrop of rocks. Her husband Sho in grey gi seem badly injured and beyond sanity. A familiar shadow by his side facing the red hair demon. 
  

“Where is the child.” The red hair demon asked. 
“You’ll never find him!” Sho scrowled as the blood trickled down his forehead blurring his vision. 
“Give me that book!” The red hair demon by now stood in front 
“Over my dead body!” 
“Then it shall be done.” He warped aside avoiding the shadow’s sneak attack. 

“Tsk tsk….You think that it will allow you to master the skills with that book!” Gouki sneered. 
“It’s using you. Dear brother.” Warping in front of Sho then out again before his punch connected. 
“Shut up!” 
  

“I will find the boy regardless. It will be a waste to end your family line that way. I will trained him personally then.” Gouki sneered as he easily fought the two at once. 
  
  

Although it’s a bit one sided for the shadow fought with only half of its potential without the aid of it mortal shell. All it could do for Sho was to slow Gouki down. And Gouki being more of a martial arts zealot than Sho, could easily pounded his younger brother but he was toying with him. 
  

“Give me the book!!!” 
“I don’t have it!” 
“The old fool Goutestu didn’t pass it to the gentle fool Gouken. It has to be with you!” 
“I had never seen the book!” 
“If you value the lives of your wench and your whelp. You will hand it to me!!!” 

“Touch my family and your life won’t be enough to pay back nine times over!” Sho leapt back. 
"You're welcome to try." The side of Gouki's lip twitched. The creature leapt in to restart the fray again Gouki turned his back to Sho as he defended himself from it. 
  

Sho began mumbling a certain incantation and his hands moved in a certain way while the shadow kept Gouki busy. To Gouki the shadowy creature was more of an irritation than anything. But that made Gouki curious to know what it would be like to fight the creature in the flesh. 

"SEIRYOKU ARASHI!!!!!" Sho yelled as he sped towards Gouki. 

Gouki smirk once more knowing now that Sho had betray his own secret. The red hair demon watches as man that had being envelope in the wispy blue energy sped to him. At the very last second Gouki teleported to a safe distance away. 
  

Too late, too late now that all is set in motion. Miyuki watches in horror with her hand over her mouth to keep herself from making a sound. Two screams of pure pain were heard as Miyuki saw her husband colliding into their shadowy ally. 

Once set into motion the Seiryoku Arashi began to draw the pure qi of the creature. But instead of strengthening Sho it continued taking in qi not only from the creature but the surrounding environment as well. Gouki raised his eyebrows as he noticed the way his qi was being pulled as well. 

"No point staying." He mumbled and teleported away. 
  

The point was that Sho and the creature are two different beings. And the fact that the Seiryoku Arashi was never meant to be used on the creature. A huge ball of pure energy began to build up around them as they both scream in pain. 

There was a limit to how much energy was present. Miyuki ducked behind the outcrop of rocks as the concentration of pure power exploded…… 
  

------------- 
  

Two weeks later, Late evening. 
Shotoken Dojo, Japan 
  

The silver hair Zannah had taken a combination of sea and land route to make her journey as short as possible. She didn’t stay in one place for too long a time. And now she dreaded the idea of going back to the dojo only to hand the child over to Gouki. 
  

As was his evening chore to sweep the fallen leaves on the dojo ground. From where he stood, Gouken thought he saw someone coming. But then who would come here. His sensei was murdered by his brother who is more demon than human. His other brother a young man with great potential was missing after Sensei Goutetsu handed him a book. 

And then he saw her. Her silver hair burning red as illuminated by the setting sun, like a fiery goddess she came towards him. He recognised her of course, for she had trained with them in Shotoken arts for a short time. He hadn’t seen the tall Caucasian woman for quite a while. 
  

“Well sister where you being?” Gouken asked. 
“Almost to hell and back.” She said, shaking her head. She followed Gouken into the dojo. 
“Would congratulations be in order?” Gouken asked as he place a cup of tea in front of her and pointed to the little bundle she was carrying. 

“No the poor baby dragon is not mine.” She sighed as she place him on the floor. 
“He’s the son of Sho and Miyuki.” 
“Adorable little one.” Gouken said as the little child grabbed his finger, he smiled taking a liking to the child. 
  

“Gouki found them.” 
“Can we help them?” 
“I do not know. Miyuki wanted me to take their child away, I intend to go back and see what had happened. Can you do me a favour?” 
“Say it then.” 

“Take care of this child for me. Hs parents will be devastated if we failed to hid him away from Gouki.” 
“But should Gouki return here?” 
“Take him to the lake at the foot of the mountain or the beach at the other end. Dip this into the water and they will aid you.” Zannah handed an oddly carved jade pendent on a chain. 
  

“They?” Gouken observed the pendant. 
“The Inner Circle. Mutual friends.” She handed the baby boy over the Gouken and an envelope dropped out from the folds of the cloth that cover him. 
“Curious indeed….” Zannah mumbled. Opening the envelope she found a tattered page and a note. 
  

@@@@@@@@@@@ 
  

“…..Brother Gouken. If you are reading this note then we beg you to take care of our son that Zannah brought to you. That page which accompanies this letter is from the dreaded Volume seven. 

As for the whole book it is in the care of an old friend in Shadowlaw. I had failed in keeping the secrets that Sensei had entrusted to me. And thus I believe that my life is the payment that Gouki had taken. 

Please help us raise our son in the art of Shotoken. When he learns to handle the dark side of the arts well enough, give him that last page. Do not tell him anything about us. We would not want his life to be tainted by the notion of revenge. 

Once again we thank you from the bottom of our hearts to trouble you to take care of our son….” The letter was signed off by Sho. 

@@@@@@@@@@@ 
  

“It’s a big risk. But I’m going back there now.” 
“What is his name?” 
 “…hmmm..” 

“His mother kept calling him Baby dragon. Let's call him Ryu then.” Zannah said. 
“So it shall be then. I will do what I can. Be careful when you go back there Zannah.” 
“I will.” She said and headed out again. Leaving to the sound of wind chimes in the night breeze. 
  

--------- 
  

When Zannah had finally reached the cottage on the mountains of Wakkanai in Hokkaido Japan all she found was a large crater that had engulfed the cottage as well. All that stood was an outcrop of rocks and nothing else but silence. Even as she searched the area that had being no clues whatsoever of had happened after the explosion. With a heavy heart she made her way down again.