Feathered Conflict: Discovering the Reason

Introduction
The next day Markus had gather the team who would explore the Drake-Lord's Hut. Gathered around the table was Markus and Cynteria of course along with Itachi, Motoko and Chloe.

"Ok the plan is simple i'll take our guest up to the hut and let her find what she needs." Said Markus as he looked at the ground the twins looking dejected. "I'll take you two on the next job......Besides this'll be quick and easy."

The twins nodded as they walked off to find someone to prank. Meanwhile Chloe and Ellena went off to get a drink at the bar.

"You don't mind do ya Cynteria?" Asked Markus looking at his fellow Slayer.

"Um sure, sounds good, though what exactly will we be finding in that hut?" She said looking over to Chloe as she got up and walked over to her godchildren and picked them up before running towards the outside.

"Death.....The Drake Lord was also a necromancer....A bad one at that....Alot of his first attempts are still there so rotted and messed up they've fused with the inside of the hut itself." Said Markus clenching his fists. "It's the reason nobody goes up there....."

"Are you sure you'll be okay with going up there? If you rather, just give me a map and I'll head up by myself" Cynteria said as she could tell the mention of that hut was causing Markus to shiver with anger.

"I'll be fine....I just dislike necromancers....As does everyone on this island they go against our ideals and beliefs." Said Markus as a smirk came across his face. "Hence why your the only one going in there."

Markus then picked up his bag then started to walk to the back door.

Cynteria just scoffed at his remark, she didn't know what crawled up her butt, but it was annoying her as she grabbed her gear and followed him.

The two walked through the dense forest climbing over fallen trees leaping over rivers and streams. Also avoiding afew dangerous beasts knwon for their poisons. They evenutally came to an area that looked like the remains of a village covered in moss and new trees.

"This is....Was the town of Oddelberg.....It's where The Drake-Lord got his victims for his necromancy." Said MArkus as he walked slowly through the ruins. "Women, Children, men.....Even the pets all were taken one at a time for him to test new necromatic spells on."

"I could only imagine how much pain there was here" She said looking at an old doll as she picked it up, only to see it covered in dried blood.

"Hence why my great great grandfather personally executed him infront of the entire city......A warning to future enemies" Said Markus holding his hand out for the doll. "May i have that...I'd like to bury so the little girl who owned it can have her friend back."

Cynteria looked down on it before looking back up to Markus, she smiled and reached into her backpack, ripping off some cloth of a cloak she had as she wrapped it and gave it to Markus, "I thought that would be appropriate for when you went to go bury it" She said with a smile.

"Thank you...." Markus took the dool bowing his head slightly. He then walked over to a clear untouched spot and dug a small hole placing the wrapped up doll in it and putting the dirt back over it, he then began a prayer for the girl and those who died in the village. "Honoured gods i pray that you ahve taken these souls into your world and allow them to live in peace.....I pray that you take this doll to the girl who lost it.....I also pray for the strength to finish my goal and bring peace to my home."

Markus then got up walking on silently he however was stopped by a large mass of trees and vines. This presented the perfect moment to let out some agression, Markus smirked and used his Phoenix Shriek spell to open a path.

"Lets go...." He said walking at a normal pace.

"Sounds good to me" Cynteria said with a smile as she followed Markus through the broken and beat up path, despite his annoying remarks at times, she saw him as a good person.

The two evenutally reached the top of the path where the nut was located, Markus sat down on a rock and looked at the hut.

"There ya go....See what you can find." Said Markus pointing to the hut. "Don't be too long....I've been given permission to destroy this place after your done....The king's aide jsut send me a message via his telepathy."

"Sure" She said slamming her fist into the ground, causing strong vibration to go throughout the area to make sure that no one else was around or in hiding. "Alright, no one around, I'll be back soon" Cynteria said making her way to the hut. When she entered, a sudden chill ran down Cynteria's spine, making her shake a bit in fear. The darkness in there was unlike anything she ever experienced, making her see images of chaos and destruction along with the horrible screams of every victim ever done there.

She was unware of her surroundings as she had found herself outside on her knees, panting heavily as Markus had come towards her.

"Told ya it was bad...." Said Markus kneeling down next to her. "I doubt you'll find anything here anyway."

Markus helped her up and led her away before turning around and readied a massive blast to vaporize the hut.

"I... I just... I've only ever felt fear like that when I was training with my father" She said looking over to Markus.

Markus then let out a hugely powerful lightning botl from his hands that vaporized the hut leaving nothing but a burnt trail of earth.

"I say we go back, relax then find out who posted the job in the first place. The Drake-Lord infomation is relativly unknown outside the archipelago so it had to be an inside job so to speak." Said Markus as he picked up his bag and looked at his handywork. "Not bad if i do say so myself."

Cynteria nodded as she shook her head and tried to get the images out of her mind.

"Don't worry you should forget about that later...." Said Markus as he led her back down the path.

They eventually returned to the mansion and saw the usual things happening, various mage training for just relaxing with friends.

"Hmmm seems Zero woke up at last....." Said Markus seeing Zero training with Yamatora. "You can join the others with training or relax by the pool....We got some spare bathing outfits in the pool shed."

"Huh.. oh yeah, sounds good" Cynteria said walking over to the pool shed and closing the door behind her to change into something that would fit her.

Markus went off to get Zero to help him find the fake job posters. "Zero! We need to dig in the underworld abit!" Shouted Markus which got Zero's attention at the wrong moment causing him to be hit by a shockwave knocking him flying. "Ohhh sorry dude...."

"I dislike you Markus...." Said Zero sitting up with a huge red mark on his face.

The doors opened as Cynteria came out wearing a bikini top and bottom that showed her very large endowments as she went towards the pool and dipped her feet into it, simply looking at the passing water.

As Cynteria watched the water Alice and Ellena appear sitting next to her wearing their own bikinis.

"Something up Cyn?" Asked Alice poking her in the arm. "Did you see the hut?"

"Yeah we saw a massive blast up in it's area....What happened?" Asked Ellena putting her hand on Cynteria's shoulder.

"Huh.. oh I'm sorry, yes we were there, but it's just... What I saw in there was horrible, the pain and sorrow of everyone that was hurt by that being. I can honestly say that I'm glad he's dead...." She said looking down at the water.

"Yeah i've been there as well....It's not nice..." Said Ellena as she hugged Cynteria. "Don't worry we'll help you deal with it."

"I ain't been there kinda glad i haven't but i'll help as much as i can!" Smiled Alice as she gave a really corny thumbs up. "Right now lets get wet!"

Alice dived into the water splashing Cynteria and Ellena as well as other mages sun bathing near by.

"How can a girl so small cause such a splash?!" Said Becca shocked at the size of the wave created by the smaller Hotaru.

"Must be the cleavage...." Said Ellena moving her hair out of her face.

"I had that trouble before when I used to bath in the river, the trick is to have your swim suit tighter so they don't bounce around too much" Cynteria said moving her hair away from her face.

Alice's head appear out fo the water smiling at the number of people splashed. "It's a simle martial arts trick i learnt.....By focusing my physical energy down i can increase my weight.....Makes dropkicks and axe kicks all teh more dangerous." She said proudly. "All cos of my mastery of Red Fist Kenpo!"

"You know Red Fist Kenpo?!" Ellena said slightly shocked. "I thought the last master of that was killed."

"Nah my old mentor taught me!" Smiled Alice not really knowing the history of the martial art she so proudly uses.

"Ya do know some of the most deadly and uncontrolable assassins used that right?" Said Ellena smirking alittle.

Alice shrugged at the question before pull Cynteria into the pool and hugging her.

Cynteria blushed a bit from the sudden hug, but chuckled as she hugged back, "You're very friendly aren't you?" She said with a smile on her face.

"Yeah but the fact your hot helps as well." Smiled Alice giving Cynteria a peck ont eh cheek before swimming into the deepend of the pool.

Suddenly MArkus appeared with a scroll in one hand and some blood stains on his armour. "Yo Cynteria!" He said taking his mask off. "We got a lead...."

She gave a wink to Alice before swimming over to the steps and getting off while wrapping the towel on her waist, "What did you find out?" She said looking over at Markus.

"A local gang known as The Long Poles, might've been hired by a Dark Guild under a known enemy of the archipelago in hopes of getting some outsiders to cause problems here." Said Markus reading the scroll. "Zero and Yama will meet us at their underground MAge Brawl ring in afew minutes....We can have some fun while we're there."

"Underground Mage Brawl?" Cynteria said moving her wet hair back as she looked at him, confused about what exactly he was talking about.

"Yeah illegal underground fighting....We have legal versions but the illegal ones make much more money for people so normally gets ignored." Said MArkus handing her a towel. "THey're a good place to get some active training and infomation."

"Well that sounds interesting, let me just go grab my gear and a quick shower" Cynteria said with a smile as she wrapped the second towel around her hair and walked inside the guild to her room.

Alice's face tooka twisted grin before she became frozen in the ice by Becca. "Thank you Becca!" Said Markus chuckling as he walked off.

"No worries boss!" Smiled Becca as she went to lay down on a deckchair.

After showering and putting on new clothes with her cloak on, she walked to the front of the guild with her bag, looking around as she was searching for Markus.

Markus appeared from a quick flash of lightning. "You won't need your bog it should be a quick stop." Said MArkus landing gracefully next to her and started to walk towards the industrial quater.

"You never know" Cynteria said with a smile as she followed Markus.

"Touche but still it'sll be a quick....chat with them...." Said Markus as he walked through the crowded city towards the smoke and dirt of the industrial quater.

Cynteria started coughing a bit from some of the smells that the industry buildings were producing, "Ugh, how could anyone handle this kind of smell?" She said with a groan before pinching her nose to try and keep the smell from coming in.

"Thats the smell of coal...Earth being used to make weapons, armour, jewelry and parts for the ships that go from this island." Said Markus exmining a sword and making an order of trainign swords in the same style. "Plus you get used to it.....If you use your sense fo smell right you'd be able to smell the food they bake here using the hot coals."

"Well either way, I've never smelled earth like that before" She said looking around, "So where exactly is this underground mage brawl?"

"Let me find out...." Said Markus as he spotted someone and dragged them into an alley. He then proceded to beat the infomation out of him. "Ok follow me...."

"Well that's one way to get information I suppose"  Cynteria said with a sweatdrop down the side of her face as she followed Markus to a shady location in the city.

"Well that or waste time talking to him." Said Markus as he openned the door to a large tavern with a pit in the middle. "Now all we do here is enter the fights and win....Then they'll talk to us..."

"You sure you want me to fight alongside you?" Cynteria said looking over to him with a worried look on her face, she knew he was powerful and she didn't want to do anything that held him back.

"One on one fights only....So we need to enter seperatly unless i can arrange a special match." Said Markus looking around for the organizers. "Keep an eye out for soem fat guy with half his face burnt off."

"Alright, you can count on me" She said signing up in the tournament as she went to the waiting spot until her name was called.

Markus signed his name and spotted the guy he was after at that moment. After several minutes talking to him he came bak to Cynteria.

"Ok we've got out two on two match......And i was right the guys we need to talk to work for Daimon...A couple of his top assassins and manipulators in this region.....We need to be careful." Said Markus as he waited with Cynteria noticing a familiar scent entering the building. "You gotta be joking...."

She looked around trying to pinpoint the smell, making her look around until she suddenly felt someone grab up behind her and hug her tightly. She turned around and found Alice's smiling face staring at her's.

"Why are you here sis?" Asked Markus flicking a nut at Alice's forehead. "I thought the ice would hold you for atleast a day."

"Well Zero got me out....I decided to follow you guys using some tracking tricks i learnt." Said Alice looking at Markus.

"Well now that you're here, we can at least have another person to watch our backs" She said smiling at Alice, causing her to blush.

Just then the announcer on his raised platform above the pit announced the special match Markus and Cynteria were entered in. The two slayers lept into the pit followed by the two men they were after.

"Becareful of the big one....He uses Magma Magic.....Very difficult to counter with earth magic as he can convert it into magma.....The other one uses Ice and Wind Magic, not too difficult." Said Markus requiping his armour and mask. "good luck Cyn....You'll need it in here."

"This isn't my first fight ya know...." She said as she landed next to Markus and looked to her opponant who matched Markus in height and build, but lacked his natural imposing precense.

"Ok remember there aren't many rules in here....Just don't kill thme." Said Markus firing a botl fo lightning directly at the Magma Mage who blocked it with a wall of magma made from a swipe of his arms. Markus then vanished appearing behind him landing a lightning infused elbow to the back of his head.

Cynteria attempted to follow up by shooting out rocks at him using Earth Magic, sending multiple slabs at him with ease.

The Ice Mage countered by turning the slabs into ice and shattering them with his fist. The mage smirked before lanuching a blast of ice shards aimed at Cynteria.

"Oh forgot to mention he's a former Red Dragon Monk....They're some of the best fighters in the archipelago...." Said Markus as he broke through the Magma Mage's lava barrier hitting him with a barrage of lightning infused fists.

The earth began to merge with her hands, creating wings of rock that sent out rock feathers that broke through the ice shards and pummled the mage. "I'm not exactly a weak person myself" She said with a grin on her face as one of her wings shaped itself into a fist as she slammed it into the ground, creating a fissure that was aimed right at the person.

The Ice Mage countered by creating a wave of ice spikes to charge at Cynteria deflecting her attack and freezing anything in it's path. Markus however was holding his opponant back obviously holding his own attacks back so he can savor the fight abit.

Cynteria used another Quake fist to shatter the ice in front of her, while at the same time lifting up into the air and sending another barrage of stone feathers.

The man blocked it with an ice shield and began to prepare a technique that caused Markus to throw his partner into him. "Change of plan Cyn....You deal with the Magma i got him....I know his fighting style." Said Markus leaping voer and kicking the Magma Mage towards Cyn while driving forward at the Ice Mage landing a flying knee to his face.

Cynteria nodded as she used her quake fist once more, slamming it hard into the magma mage's stomach as he was sent flying right into the wall while she flew down to the ground to absorb some more earth.

"Very well i shall fight you Infamous...." Said the Ice Mage taking a fighting stance and coating his fists with ice knuckle dusters.

"Lets see if you've mastered the 55th technique...." Said Markus placing a foot down at a 10 degree outward angle and vanishing.

"I know your route Storm....You'll appear at my left!" Said the mage confidently throwing a punch intended to intercept Markus' apparent left side attack. "You a fool!"

Markus however appear on his right and landed two lightning infused pokes to his side and arm. "Wrong i'm attacking from the right....I took your 25th technique and modified it." Said Markus smirking behind his mask. "You need to adapt for more than just what you know."

Meanwhile the mage fighting Cynteria was fighting on the defencive something he obviously didn't like. He movements were sloppy compaired to Cynteria's attacks.

Cynteria started flapping her wings as it sent out more earth shards that peeled off from her wings, sending them all flying towards her opponent.

The mage barely manages to defend himself taking two hits to his left leg and right arm. Markus however was fighting his opponant to a standstill. The ice mage managed to land some good strikes but not strikes that would impead Markus' fighting abilities.

Cynteria decided to end the battle as she flapped downward, sending her towards the man once more as she charged her fist once again to deal the finishing blow.

The mage got flattened by Cynteria's attack causing Markus to smirk at the result. "Cyn grab him and sit ont eh rail up there....I'm gonna finish my guy with a new trick."

Cynteria nodded as she used her wings once more, grabbing her defeated opponent as she flew up to the rail and dropped the guy on the otherside, looking down on the field to see what kind of attack he was talking about.

Markus used his Wind Mover spell to move his opponant into the middle of the arena. He then telelported behind him, the mage tried to counter Markus teleported again and kept teleporting again and agian all around the mage before teleporting one final time above him and landing a rapid flipping axe kick to his head ending the fight.

"Well that was fun..." Said Markus picking his fallen enemy fromt eh ground and leaping up next to Cynteria. "Now we find out why they posted the fake job and who they did it for."

"Sounds like a plan" Cynteria said as she followed Markus as they both left behind the unconsious mages while they went to go find the person who was in charge.

Markus then kicked in a locked door and walked through. "Benny! Long time no see ya worthless peice of trash!" He said ina friendly tone as he knocked out the two guards in the room. "Tell me who hired you to post that fake job and i won't cut ya other arm off."

"Hey hey what the hell ya doing?! You come into my establishment knock around my people and threaten me and my only arm?!" Shouted Benny standing up behind his desks grabbing a wakazashi in his only hand.

"Benny, Benny you remeber the last time you pointed a blade at me?" Said Markus sitting down in a casual manner. "Now tell me what i wanna know or i will get really very angry at you...."

"I'd tell him really soon there, otherwise he get's itchy and the only scratch is you getting cut up like sushi" Cynteria said sitting down on the ground as she started to absorb some of the rock on the floor, waiting for the man to come to his senses.

"Ok! Dark Storm did it.....He said he's trying to get some in-fighting going amoung the Phoenix Slayers so he can take advantage of who's left." Said Benny sweating like a pig and panicing greatly. "Thats all i know! I swear!"

"Benny if your lieing about that being all you know i'll be back...." Said Markus standing up before re-knocking out one of the guards. "Come on we need to hunt down Dark and it won't be easy.....He thinks alot like me....."

"Try Blue Stone Island.....Rumour has it he's hanging out there undercover." Said Benny before ducking under his desk.

"Thanks for the info Benny" Cynteria said getting up as she followed Markus out of the room and out of the area as they made their way towards a ship that was heading to Blue Stone Island.