_Part 5: Ron’s Spiritual Enlightenment_
 


_Chapter 1: The Battle _



          Ron stood overlooking a lush valley.  He was standing on a bluff,
facing the sun as it sat just above the craggy mountains on the horizon. 
Whether he was observing sunrise or sunset, he could not tell.  
          Below him, the valley was bathed in a soft mist, just enough to
soften the edges of the buildings.  A stream meandered lazily through the
glen, lending a soft murmur to an otherwise silent atmosphere.  The fragrance
of lilacs wafted up from the fields below, filling his nostrils with their
perfume.  This was Kumiko’s world.  
          But not all was stillness.  Suddenly, he heard it.  The flapping of
giant wings from somewhere nearby assaulted his ears.  He looked left, right,
all around to no avail.  Finally, he looked up, and just in time, for the
creature was diving on him.  He flung himself out of its way, landing hard on
the ground.  He felt the ground beneath him shudder as the beast landed,
turning to face him.  
          It was a winged dragon, the size of a school bus.  Its body a
mottled reddish-brown, its underbelly a pale tan.  The head was lined with
spikes, and adorned with a set of sharply curving horns.  A set of ridge
plates ran down its back, fading into the tail.  The talons on its front limbs
were definitely sharp, and about six inches long.  
          Ron did not have long to consider the beast, as it lunged at him,
slashing with its claws.  He rolled away, avoiding the brunt of the attack,
but getting scratched even so.  The dragon gave him no quarter, hounding him
round and round the bluff.  Ron successfully rolled, dodged, and ducked the
attacks, but he was wearing down.  
          *I’ve got to think!  This isn’t real.  What do you fight a dragon
with?  *In less time than he could have verbalized it, a sword and shield
appeared in his hands.  He had little experience with sword-fighting, but
figured now would be a good time to learn.  *Must go for the underbelly.  *
          On the dragon’s next attack, Ron rolled inside, landing on his feet
right under the dragon.  He took hold of the sword with both hands and plunged
upward.  The sword stuck, and the dragon screamed in anger.  Ron, momentarily
stunned, was nearly trampled by the beast.  He moved to the side, but not fast
enough.  The creature’s whip-like tail caught him in the midsection, throwing
him thirty feet away before he landed, roughly, in a bush.  
          Ron scrambled to his feet to find the dragon had managed to dislodge
the sword.  It was bleeding, but not badly.  He had not inflicted enough
damage.  *This bastard’s just too big!  *Ron’s thoughts were interrupted by
another charge.  Ron rolled away, but the dragon caught him on the back,
gashing him deeply.  
          The dragon reared up, flapping its wings.  Rising from the ground,
it flew in a great loop, now diving at its quarry.  Ron ran for dear life, and
jumped off the bluff onto a ledge.  He was trapped now, and knew it.  He
didn’t have time to climb back up to the bluff.  *So fly yourself, you idiot! 
*The situation had Ron so disoriented, he’d forgotten about his Ability.  He
raised himself back to the bluff, but had to duck immediately to avoid another
onslaught by the dragon.  *What do you use to stop a dragon?  *
          The dragon advanced again, and Ron rolled away.  As he did, he felt
something sharp in the small of his back.  After getting up, he looked down to
see a jagged stone lying on the ground.  He got an idea.  
          The dragon was still in the air, and Ron needed him on the ground,
so he began to taunt him.  "Hey, you wimpy-assed mythical lizard!  What, you
afraid of a fair fight?  Come on down here and fight me like a real monster!”
This had the desired effect of infuriating the beast, who flew down and landed
with a resounding *thud*.  The beast advanced, the ground shaking as he
came….  
          But the shaking wasn’t from the beast.  Not this time.  The shaking
became severe, and the dragon lost its footing.  As the shaking reached its
peak, the ground split open.  An eardrum-shattering scream filled the valley
as the dragon was run through by a sharp spire of rock, lurching up from the
ground.  In the end, the dragon was skewered, like a bug in a collection.  
          *That’ll teach ya to fuck with me.  *But Ron knew the battle was
just beginning.  He had a long way to go, and only a little while to lick his
wounds.  
          As Ron headed down the bluff towards the valley, his attention was
focussed on trying to heal his wounds.  He found it more difficult in this
world than in reality, for here his wounds were truly mental, and his
confidence had been shaken by the dragon.  He was unsure, now, of his ability
to face a being of great strength head-on.  
          As Ron entered the glen, the mist enfolded him.  Visibility was cut
to less than two hundred feet.  He could barely see his surroundings, and the
farther in he went, the denser it became.  He tried to stay alert, to beware
of the things that might be around him.  His wounds required too much
attention, though, and he was, once again, caught off-guard.  
          They came silently, appearing as shadows out of the night.  Garbed
all in black, and wielding the weapons of their craft, Ron was surrounded by
four of the most feared warriors of the orient: the warriors of shadow, of
stealth.  They were Ninja.  
          *Oh, shit,* thought Ron, but immediately a bo staff formed in his
hands.  It was the martial arts weapon he was most familiar with, and it had a
good long reach.  
          His first attacker advanced, wielding a sword.  Ron sidestepped and
swept his feet from under him.  He turned to face his other attackers.  One
was also carrying a staff, another was brandishing nunchucks.  The last didn't
seem to be carrying a weapon at all, but Ron knew that not all weapons were
easily visible.  
          The ninja to his right, with the chucks, was closest.  Ron stepped
toward him and swung his staff in an uppercut.  The ninja back-flipped onto
his hands to avoid the swing.  Ron attempted a sweep at the ninja's hands, but
he just completed the move, and landed safely a foot out of Ron's reach.  The
ninja then swung his weapon in a wide circle.  Ron blocked it once, and the
second swing as well.  He pivoted for a forward jab, but the ninja took his
chucks and parried Ron's thrust downward.  He then swung his weapon towards
Ron's head.  Ron moved into a reverse stance to avoid the move, then stepped
forward and connected with his opponent’s head with an overhand strike. 
Before he could even take a breath, he realized the third attacker was on
him.  He felt the strike coming, and raised his staff over his head to block
the overhead strike.  Ron brought his staff down towards his attacker's head,
but the ninja parried his strike to the side.  Ron pivoted and swung again,
but the ninja once more blocked his attack.  Then the attacker swung an
uppercut, and connected solidly with Ron's chin.  Ron was thrown onto his
back, and got the wind knocked out of him.  He quickly recovered, however, and
struck at the ninja's ankles.  Caught off guard, the ninja was felled to the
ground.  Ron vaulted himself back to his feet.  His fourth attacker was
waiting for him, though, and Ron found a throwing star deep in his arm.  The
pain was intense, but he had no time to dwell on it.  The sword-fighter was
back up now, and Ron was faced with him again.  Ron parried his first slash,
and caught a glancing blow, but it had little effect.  The ninja came again,
and this time Ron was not fast enough.  The sword cut him across his side. 
Ron was fast enough moving out of the way that the cut was not deep, but it
was very painful.  Wounded, angry with himself, Ron pressed on.  He stepped
in, parried the sword attack, and connected soundly with the ninja's neck,
snapping it cleanly where it met the shoulder.  The ninja slumped to the
ground, dead.  
          Ron felt the impact of yet another throwing star in his arm, and
winced in pain.  The momentary distraction caused him more problems, however,
when the nunchuck ninja took Ron's knee out from under him.  He toppled to the
ground again, and rolled out of the way of an axe kick to the head.  He swung
himself to his feet, ready to do battle.  However, it was now a two-on-one, as
both the nunchuck ninja, and the bo staff ninja charged at once.  In the nick
of time, Ron once again remembered his Ability, and he flipped himself into
the air, landing behind his opponents just as they reached his previous
location.  Ron swept the nunchuck ninja off his feet and brought his staff
down onto the ninja's skull.  A loud crack announced the death of the second
ninja.  Ron felt it coming this time, and rolled out of the way of the third
throwing star, which embedded itself into a tree twenty feet behind him.  Ron
squared off against the staff ninja.  
          Neither one was willing to make an error as they circled around each
other.  Suddenly, the ninja lunged with a side attack.  Ron stepped inward to
a sideways block, parried the staff downward, then swung around and thrust his
staff towards the ninja's face.  The thrust was so hard it actually penetrated
the skull.  The third ninja was history.  
          Ron was faced now with only one more ninja.  This one pulled out a
chain whip.  One of the few weapons with longer reach than the staff, the
ninja swung at him from safety.  Though Ron attempted to parry and block, the
whip is a very flexible weapon, and Ron was lashed several times in the face
and upper body.  
          Suddenly, the ninja lashed his whip and caught Ron's staff.  He
jerked, and Ron was now weaponless.  Ron circled, rolled, and dodged, but was
still caught many times by the sting of the whip.  He was cut, bleeding, in
pain, and his energy was fading.  He had only one shot left.  
          He formed his staff again.  The ninja kept lashing at him until he
caught the staff once more.  This time, however, Ron was ready for it.  Ron
stepped in and pulled, hard.  The ninja, unprepared for the attack, was pulled
into range.  Ron swung his staff with all his might, connecting with the
ninja's right temple.  The ninja was thrown six feet away, and did not move
again.  
          Ron limped away from this "victory".  He was unsure just how much
more he could take.  He sat for some time near the stream, allowing his body
to heal, mostly.  His blood had been replaced, and his body was as ready as he
could make it.  His confidence in himself, however, was badly shaken.  *If I
can’t even beat a group of normal fighters, can I really face Mordreon?  Sure,
I’ve won both battles, but the cost has been very high.  I’m feeling weak, and
a good deal of my energy has been drained.  What will happen next?  And will I
be able to handle it?  *
          Ron traveled on through this world of unreality.  Eventually, he
found his way into a small village.  People in it were going about their
business, completely ignorant of the struggle he faced.  Or, most of them
were.  
          As Ron walked his way slowly up the main street, he was approached
by an incredibly beautiful woman.  She stood 5’ 10" tall, with flowing black
hair to her lower back, and piercing green eyes.  Her chest was more than
ample, at least a D-cup.  Her face shone with innocence and concern.  She
moved toward Ron immediately upon noticing him.  
          "Pardon, sire, but you appear to be injured.  Would you care for
rest, and some food?” 
          "Yes, m’lady, I would.”  *M’lady?  Where the hell did *that* come
from?  *"What is your name?” 
          "I am Constance, sire.  Please, come to my home, and I will tend
you.”  She led him down a side street, towards a modest home.  She led him in,
and invited him to sit.  
          "I’m afraid all I have is some thin stew, but I hope that you will
partake of it.”  She placed a bowl in front of him.  Wary, he sniffed at it,
but could sense nothing wrong with it.  Tasting it, he realized how hungry he
really was.  He ate as quickly as manners allowed.  
          After finishing the meal, Ron thanked his hostess.  As he rose to
leave, she placed a hand on his arm.  
          "Please, sire.  You are not ready to travel.  You need time to rest,
and recover from your wounds.”  
          "I appreciate your concern, but I must be traveling on.  I am on a
quest of some import.”  
          Constance leaned closer.  "Please, sire.  It has been so long since
I have had company, and truly you are in need of caring for.  At least lie
down and rest a while before journeying further.”  
          Ron saw the wisdom in her words.  He was very tired from the
fighting, and weary from the walking.  "Very well.  Thank you, m’lady, for
your kindness.”  She led him to a small bedroom, where she directed him to lie
down.  
          Upon lying down, he closed his eyes.  When he heard the swish of
cloth, he opened them again to see what was up.  He found Constance standing
before him now, utterly naked, except for a silk scarf around her neck. 
Without a word, she removed his pants, with only minimal help from Ron.  
          Her mouth engulfed his cock.  Her tongue slid smoothly along its
underside, and her teeth grazed it lightly as she moved her mouth up and down
along its length.  She managed to take his entire length into her mouth, and
Ron felt the back of her throat caress the head of his dick.  
          Constance continued this action until Ron was good and hard.  Then,
almost reluctantly, she let his cock slip out of her mouth.  Rising, she
straddled Ron, and impaled herself on his shaft.  A soft hiss escaped her lips
as she sank fully onto his rock-hard dick.  As she began a slow rhythm, Ron
reached up and fondled her breasts.  They were firm, with no sag.  Her nipples
were hot points against his palms.  He kneaded them gently, rolling them
around on her chest.  
          Constance’s pace grew faster, and her tits were bouncing merrily. 
Ron was grunting and thrusting, meeting Constance’s stride.  He could tell she
was building to a big climax, and he knew his was not far off.  
          As she reached her peak, her hands flew up behind her head.  Ron had
almost no warning before he saw the glint of steel.  Her moans of pleasure
turned into a howl of rage as she brandished the dagger above her head, poised
to strike.  The moment could not have lasted more than a half-second, but as
their eyes met, it stretched into an eternity.  
          Before she could strike, Ron used his telekinetic extension to throw
her off him.  She flew across the room, striking the wall and slumping to the
floor.  The knife dropped from her hand, and she seemed unconscious.  
          Ron redressed, and walked over to her.  She was stirring by now, and
he knew the fight would be renewed.  He was in no mood to deal with this
crazed lunatic.  He took her head gently between his hands, and looked into
her half open eyes.  The fight had left her for the moment.  She merely looked
back at him and said, "You know you have to do it.”  Then she closed her
eyes.  
          Quickly, before his resolve left him, he grasped her head more
firmly, and twisted violently.  The "snap!” of her neck was the most
disgusting sound he had ever heard.  Without looking back, he got up and left
the home.  
          Ron nearly ran out of the village, not stopping or looking around. 
He was unsure of where to go now, but his senses told him to keep heading
toward the mountains, toward the sun.  
          Ron walked on for what seemed like hours, or even days.  The sun,
strangely, never moved.  It remained transfixed in the sky.  Ron stopped from
time to time to rest, to and try to recover from his attacks.  *I can’t even
count on the kindness of others here.  This mission is not going as well as
I’d hoped.  *
          Finally, Ron saw something in the distance.  He instinctively knew
it was his ultimate destination.  It reminded him of Stonehenge, though the
work was more modern, and more elaborate.  As he entered the stone circle, up
marble steps, he saw a fountain pool in the center.  Across the circle from
him he saw Kumiko, chained to one of the stone pillars.  The look in her eyes
was terror, but Ron knew the terror wasn’t only for herself, but for him as
well.  
          And well it should be.  Out from behind one of the pillars stepped
Mordreon.  Twelve feet tall, he towered almost to the tops of the pillars.  He
was black all over, but not as if that were his color, but more as if he had
been charred in an immense fire.  His face was covered in open blisters, along
with the horns and spikes that protruded from it.  His hands were immense, and
had claws instead of fingernails.  His body was armor-plated, and he had the
tail of the dragon.  Though he wasn’t breathing fire, Ron wouldn’t have been
surprised if he did.  
          "So, the weakling wishes to challenge the great Mordreon?  You puny
mortal!  You are no match for a demon of my caliber!” Mordreon’s laugh boomed
throughout the gallery.  
          Ron stood silently, attempting to prepare himself for what was to
come.  Mordreon clapped his hands together, and thunder resounded across the
sky.  Lightning crashed just outside the arena.  
          "Neat trick," replied Ron.  He elevated his mental shield strength
to maximum.  If this battle took more than a few minutes, he was toast.  
          It would not, however.  Mordreon drew his hands together, and a
massive ball of psionic energy formed.  He released it at Ron, who thought he
was ready.  Instead of passing around him as expected, however, the energy
ball crashed right through his shield.  Ron was flung back fifty feet, and
crashed into a column.  Ron slid down the column into near unconsciousness. 
He stumbled to his feet, and prepared an attack of his own.  
          This was not to be, however.  Mordreon, laughing in a mocking tone,
charged Ron, picked him up high over his head, and flung him into the
fountain.  Ron plunged fifteen feet down under the water before hitting his
head on the bottom.  Though painful, it didn’t knock him out.  Ron thrust
himself skyward, rising fifty feet above the water, and blasted down a
full-force energy strike of his own.  Mordreon brushed it aside as if it were
a mosquito.  
          The demon issued forth a blast of scalding wind.  Ron was blown off
balance, and began to fall.  He caught himself before hitting the ground, but
could not prevent Mordreon from delivering a kick into his side.  Once again
Ron found himself hurtling through the air towards a large stone edifice.  He
crashed against the pillar and slumped to the ground.  Ron had almost no
energy left.  He realized that all the previous fights had drained him more
than he thought.  
          Mordreon advanced, and Ron knew he was finished.  He didn’t even
have the strength left to rise to his feet to meet the attack.  He had only
enough strength to raise his head to look at Kumiko and whisper, "I’m sorry.”  
          Mordreon was towering over him now.  Ron looked up at him, though
his vision was blurring.  Mordreon cackled at the man-child before him.  "You
were no match for me, whelp!  Now, you will die here!” 
          As Mordreon raised his hands for the final assault, lightning
cracked.  But this bolt was not outside the arena.  It struck Mordreon full
force, zapping him a good hundred feet away.  Ron blessed his luck as he
closed his eyes and laid down his head.  Just before passing out, he felt soft
hands lifting him from the ground.  
          *Whatever it is, it’ll wait.  *