Chapter 7

Ranma bent his dark head and kissed the breathless princess in his arms, his braid slipping down his shoulder to brush her cheek.

He was enjoying himself thoroughly, unaware of the slight thread of blue light that hummed between their bodies.

"You're welcome," he murmured, between kisses.

Akane pushed him away, her heart-shaped face flushed and rosy, her eyes wide. "For what?" she asked, looking discomposed.

"For helping you with the apples, of course," he said, his blue-grey eyes still trained on her mouth, glittering with some strange light that made them unfathomable, hard to read.

Akane squinted up at him, aware that she was still caught in the cradle of his arms, her tattered skirt riding dangerously high.

It was an impossible situation.

"Put me down," she commanded.

In her father's palace, commands had not come easily to her. Her ladies-in-waiting usually only gave her haughty stares, attending to her only if the Queen or Kuno was paying attention. But here, she barely noticed how easily commands fell from her lips. If she had, self-consciousness would have made her stumble.

Yet her present circumstances were so undignified that Akane found only dignity could get her through them.

She stared imperiously at Ranma through narrowed eyes, silently demanding.

He smiled, and acquiesced, lowering her to the grass before allowing her to stand on her own feet.

Akane, of course, lost no time in moving as far away from him as she could comfortably get.

Ranma had to grin as he watched her make a quick circumvention around the fire so that now he'd have to jump over the flames to get at her. She'd even managed to snag an apple on her way, and now sat crunching the red fruit with relish, avoiding his gaze.

But now that he wasn't holding her, was no longer in physical contact with her, Ranma's head began to clear slightly. He frowned, rubbing his forehead. Why was he suddenly so attracted to her? It had to be the geas…. Just two days ago he'd been pushing her underwater with no compunction whatsoever….the memory made him wince. And THAT made his naturally suspicious mind take note. Surely his feelings hadn't changed that quickly! The magic, Mousse's magic, was working on endearing her to him, somehow.

Ranma scowled. This wasn't good. If he continued to spend time with the princess, his loyalties would begin to get subverted.

He would never betray his master, of course. Kulloden's geas on Ranma predated any other spell laid on him. But if Mousse's spell continued to invade his mind and fill it with Akane, he was going to be useless to his master. And himself. Just the idea of becoming a mindless slave to Akane made Ranma sweat.

Best to stay as far away from her as possible.

Best to high-tail it to the castle!

There was a crashing in the bushes not too far to his left, and all thoughts of Akane immediately left Ranma. On his guard, he turned, summoning a simple defense spell to his hand before his mind had registered any visible danger.

Akane paused in mid-chew, then set her apple aside. She'd been busy listening to Madame St. Paul lecture her inside her head. "This is what comes of consorting with young men of no birth or breeding! As soon as they get a chance, they grope you and kiss you and before you know what's happening, you're tumbling in the grass like one of those loose women! What would your mother think? What would the King think? Most importantly, what would Prince Kuno think?!"

Akane closed her eyes and chewed her apple as she imagined Madame St Paul's long index finger moving up and down as she scolded. One of these days, the old bat was going to poke someone's eye out, and then where would she be?

Akane laughed at the image, trying her best not to look at Ranma. Trying her very best NOT to think of being kissed by Ranma, because that only made her thoughts get incredibly muddled, and this…Akane looked around at the forest….this was NOT a good situation for muzzy thoughts.

Leaves rustled loudly, and there was the sound of footsteps, thudding closer and closer. Akane immediately glanced at Ranma to check his reaction, then was annoyed with herself for doing so.

Ranma stood like a warrior, his rain-tinted eyes alert, small blue flames beginning to lick at his fingertips. All his formidable focus was trained on the sound coming out of the forest, making Akane even more aware that she herself was quite unprepared for any attacks.

A young man raced out into the clearing, looking over his shoulder. He turned, saw them, and came to an abrupt, dust-raising stop. He looked to be about their age, Akane saw, perhaps fifteen or sixteen. He wore a rough fur trimmed jacket and trousers, and he carried a backpack. A bandanna was wrapped around his forehead, keeping his hair out of his eyes.

He stared at Ranma, then at Akane, who watched him with the numb eyes of one who had met one too many strangers already and couldn't be bothered to be surprised by one more.

"Hail, travelers," he said, raising his hand in a half-hearted traveler's greeting.

Ranma released the hold on his power, letting his hand drop to his side, though his demeanor stayed wary.

"Hello," Akane said, taking in the stranger's appearance. "What are you running from?"

"Oh!" The young man smiled, abashed. "I scared myself, that's all. Thought I heard noises. Suppose it was you? Think I misheard…." He smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his neck in some consternation.

"Must have," Ranma said shortly. "Well, now that we know none of us are attacking each other today, I guess you'll want to be on your way?"

The stranger shuffled his feet and looked longingly at the fire.

"Do join us," Akane said cordially, doing her best to TAKE CHARGE as royalty should.

Ranma scowled at her for making so free with their hospitality.

"But if you've gotta be on your way, we'll understand," he said.

The stranger grinned cheerfully. "Not at all!"

He arranged himself in front of the fire with sinuous grace, tucking his limbs in neatly.

"Thank you, lady," he said to the princess. "I'm Ryouga."

"And you may call me Akane."

"Thank you, Akane. I would be honoured if you'd share some of my food."

Ryouga began to bring out a loaf of bread, a round of cheese and a leg of meat out of his knapsack without waiting for permission. Ranma watched him.

The leg looked to be venison, he noted, while Akane tried politely not to salivate at the sight of food.

"You've been hunting in the forest," Ranma said with interest. Deer weren't easy to catch in this forest.

"It's better than apples," Ryouga replied with a glance at the scattered fruit lying on the ground.

Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that. Ranma couldn't help slanting a look at Akane, who was blushing.

"Actually," Ryouga continued, with a sideways glance at Ranma. "I've been searching out travelers as I go. I'm looking for someone."

Ranma and Akane tensed. Was Ryouga looking for Akane by some odd chance? But no, he hadn't reacted to her name. Akane was still his prisoner, and Akane's smouldering glare at Ranma told him that she didn't like the idea of being either his or Ryouga's prisoner.

"I've heard there's an apprentice of Kulloden the sorcerer in the forest," Ryouga said, still looking at Ranma. "I'm searching for him." His eyes said he recognized what Ranma was.

Akane looked at Ranma, who felt a chill go through him. Why on earth would someone actually seek out Kulloden?

"Seems an idiotic thing to do," he grunted, and sat next to the fire to warm his hands. "Sorcerers are dangerous."

"I have no choice," Ryouga said shortly, hunching his shoulders. "I need his help."

"People think that, until they meet him," Ranma said. "Then they only worry about how to get as far away from him as possible."

"I have nothing to live for," Ryouga said sadly, looking into the fire. "Even if he gives me death, it's better than my present existence."

"Geez, how melodramatic," Ranma mocked.

"Quiet, Ranma," Akane admonished him from her seat behind the fire. "Why are you looking for the sorcerer, Ryouga?"

Ryouga hung his head."I'm cursed, Akane, cursed horribly, irreversibly. Only the sorcerer can help me."

"He's dead." Ranma's reply was terse.

Ryouga's head came up in shock. "You're lying- No sorcerer dies that easily."

Ranma made no reply.

Ryouga looked up at the darkening sky, and Akane silently followed his gaze, surprised that the day had withered so quickly. Night was approaching on swift wings, and she could see the moon beginning to rise, pale and ethereal.

Ryouga stood, anger darkening his face, and he came to stand before Ranma.

"Tell me, apprentice! Yes, I know who you are! All the forest knows it! Tell me where he is! I need his teaching, his magic! Tell me, before my curRRR…" Ryouga's head fell back, and he screamed in pain. His hands came up to claw at his eyes, and he fell to his knees.

Akane watched in shock as his body began to bulge and change….his face lengthened. He dropped to all fours.

Ranma and Akane leapt to their feet.

"What's happening to him?" Akane wanted to know. "Is he a mononoke- a spirit or something?"

"Stay there," Ranma ordered. "This is gonna get awkward." He was puzzled. This wasn't a Jusenkyou curse. Those were instantaneous. So why was Ryouga looking for Kulloden? "Don't move," he continued.

Akane barely heard, watching Ryouga turn into some sort of beast from legend, wondering what he would turn out to be. She recognized his final shape- the doughty, bristled body, the short, sharp feet, the gleaming foot-long tusks.

"Ranma?" She said softly. "What you said earlier, about how none of us are attacking each other today- I don't think that counts anymore."

The were-boar snorted and turned her way, red eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

Frightened, Akane screamed, and Ranma's warning completely slipped from her mind. This was the stuff of nightmares. This was a real and true monster! Akane ran for the cover of the trees. Heedless, she crashed through bushes and bounced off tree trunks in her fear, trying to put as much distance as she could before the creature (monster!) pounced on her.

In the clearing, Ranma watched with irritation as the were-boar Ryouga chased Akane. Hadn't he told her to stay put, he asked himself. It would serve her right if he left her to be ripped to pieces by Ryouga.

He thought of something else then. Of course! That's why Ryouga had been able to see him. The traveler was cursed by magic. And it explained why Rouge could see him, too.

Furious, he forgot the power of the magic. He closed his eyes and sent out a silent command, even as he imagined the geas as a blue rope that tied Akane to him. In his mind's eye he could see it, the strong, shining blue cord. He looped it around his arm like rope, loop over loop, and then he yanked.

There was a scream and a crash from somewhere deep in the forest. Ranma smiled grimly. The geas had worked on Akane just like it had on him, and had brought her up short. The were-boar was somewhere in the forest too, following Akane most likely.

So before the boar could catch her, Ranma brought Akane's face to mind, used the power of the geas, and stepped forward.

He nearly tripped over Akane's prone form where she lay in a tangle of bushes, unconscious. The were-boar was close. He could hear it sniffing them out carefully, moving in the undergrowth.

Glancing around, he spotted a handy tree. It was tall and heavy, just what he needed.

He lifted Akane's supine body and quickly made his way up the lower branches, drawing on his childhood spent scaling the cliffs on Kulloden's island to climb the tree.

The boar caught his scent quickly, but arrived at the foot of the tree too late. It roared, pounded uselessly with its tusks at the base of the tree and stamped its feet, glaring up at Ranma out of tiny garnet eyes.

The commotion woke Akane. She sat up groggily on the branch where Ranma had placed her.

"What happened?" She asked dazedly. The tree shook from yet another blow from the boar, and when Akane looked down, recollection came rushing back.

"Oh, no," she moaned, putting her head in her hands. "I'm stuck inside some giant nightmare. I wish I was back home safe in bed." She looked up. Maybe some kind forest spirit was listening? "I wish I was back in the PALACE," she said carefully, spelling it out for whatever unseen deity might be out there. "Right NOW."

Ranma was looking at her oddly. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Did you hit your head when you fell?"

Akane suddenly remembered the last forest spirit they'd encountered. The flesh-eating one. "Never mind," she sighed.

"Relax," Ranma comforted her. "We'll be safe for tonight."

"Are we really staying up here all night?" Akane demanded.

"Do you see another choice?"

So Akane made herself as comfortable as possible in the tree branches, and didn't even object too much when Ranma made her use his shoulder as a pillow.

You shouldn't be touching her, Ranma's inner voice reminded him. The geas likes physical contact…Ranma? Hello? Damn, he's asleep.

Neither of them noticed when soft blue energy began to gather around their bodies. Only the were-boar below was awake enough to notice the soft humming that began to envelop the sleeping Ranma and Akane, and HE definitely didn't care.

The humming increased.

Akane was on the beach. The waves were rolling up the sand not too far away and she could hear the cries of hunting seagulls. She discovered the she was holding a long stick. She looked down at her feet, where she had drawn various magical symbols into the sand. One of them wasn't right, she knew it. She stared hard at it, but no matter what, the word simply wouldn't come right in her head.

"Haven't you finished yet?" A harsh voice demanded.

Looking up, Akane was horrified to see that it was the sorcerer who had kidnapped her. Kulloden. He looked exactly the same, his long black hair shining like black wings down his shoulders.

"You're incredibly slow, and very stupid," Kulloden stated in a voice like ice, "but even YOU should be able to correct this simple, simple equation! Shampoo of course has already finished."

Akane felt hot tears fill her eyes at this. She wanted to get the stupid equation right, but…

Then the beach blurred, and everything went black. Akane awoke with a start. What was that about, she wondered. But because she knew nothing about how magic worked, she was not half as frightened as Ranma would have been. Instead, she simply went back to sleep.

In the morning, Ranma called down to an abashed and naked Ryouga, "Okay, you convinced me...You can probably find Kulloden on one of the islands just off the coast. I'm not sure which one, though."

"Er…thanks...."Ryouga gave the sleepy Akane an embarrassed bob of the head. "So sorry about last night, lady Akane! Please forgive me if you can!"

He rushed off.

Ranma and Akane looked at each other.

Tbc…

AN: Okay, um, please review! :) The more reviews I get, really the more likely I am to finish a story…usually…hmmm…….