Dead Or Alive Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Ninja Gaiden: Fiendish Imprisonment ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[A/N]: Standard disclaimer: I don't own Ninja Gaiden. Here's chapter 3.

 

 

 

CHAPTER 3

 

Ryu awoke some time later; feverish and sweating bullets. He struggled to rise from where he lay, but his arms gave out before he could even raise his head. He managed this defeat in stride and took in his surroundings. He was wrapped in a thick blanket atop a decrepit-looking little mattress. A platter of what appeared to be food lay beside him. The room was stark; wooden floors and walls with a single glass window. Now more focused, Ryu steeled himself and rolled out of the bed. He found that he was no longer wearing his leather combat armor and now sported a ragged pair of sweat pants. Ryu wrapped the blanket around his bare torso and slowly opened the door. He stepped out and he cautiously made his way down the hallway. He was still feverish and dizzy; his head was pounding and his vision focused in and out, making his headache all the worse.

 

The hallway led to what appeared to be a large dinning room. Tables and chairs were set up throughout the room and the left wall supported a large glass window that looked out over the barren white landscape.

 

“`Name's Benjamin. You're moving around pretty well for a guy who just spent the last four nights at death's door,” a deep voice laughed as Ryu stepped into the dinning hall. Ryu spun around too quickly, however, and swayed on his feet before nearly falling to the floor. “Careful,” the large man warned. “You won't be one hundred percent for a little while. I'm actually surprised that you're even alive -never mind moving around- after your ordeal.”

 

Ryu regarded the man in silence. He was a grizzly of a man, standing a full head taller than Ryu himself. He had a thick brown beard and long shaggy-brown hair. The man was large; not unlike the “mountain men” and lumberjacks of the Americas, Ryu noted. He was dressed much the same as Ryu, except this man wore a thick wool sweater as well.

 

“Ryu Hayabusa,” Ryu introduced himself quickly. “What is this place?” Ryu questioned; business always comes first. “It isn't the mortal world and it is not the Fiend Realm either. Yet there are both Fiends and humans here. Where are we?”

 

“We're in a prison,” the man answered easily. “This is where those who oppose the rule of the Holy Vigoor Emperor are sent for punishment. It's a barren wasteland of endless snow and blizzard. There are a few more outposts like this set up throughout this hellhole and each of them holds about two dozen `inmates'.”

 

“And what of those Fiends?” Ryu asked. “Are they your guards?”

 

Benjamin shook his head with a sigh. “No,” he answered. “The Vigoor Emperor figured that it would be impossible for us to escape from this realm so he just threw us in here and left us to our own devices. There are food and supplies stockpiled here that are supposed to last us the rest of our lives.”

 

“It's a lifetime imprisonment?” Ryu gasped.

 

“What do you expect?” Benjamin retorted. “All of us here know about the Emperor's secrets; his Fiendish heritage. Do you think he would let us leave?”

 

Ryu nodded his understanding. “But why are the Fiends here, then?”

 

Benjamin shrugged. “We don't really know,” he answered honestly. “Some people believe that this realm is a sort of bridge between the Fiend Realm and the mortal world used for transporting large numbers of Fiends. But…”

 

“'But' what?” Ryu urged.

 

“I don't think that's the case,” Benjamin muttered darkly. “If you ask me. The Fiends are in here for the same reason we are; they rebelled against the Holy Vigoor Emperor.”

 

“I didn't think that was possible,” Ryu said cautiously. “As far as I was aware, the Fiends were totally loyal to the Emperor.”

 

“Doesn't seem to be the case then, does it?” Benjamin asked rhetorically. “The Fiends were probably thrown here for the same reason we were. And now that they're in here they hunt us for sport. Because they have nothing better to do.”

 

“And there's no way out of here?” Ryu asked.

 

Benjamin looked Ryu over for a moment, studying him; it seemed he was checking to see if Ryu was worthy of his answer. He smirked before answering. “Well,” he began. “Now that you mention it, there are a few of us that have been working to decode the hieroglyphics from some of the ancient ruins not too far off. From what we've been able to determine, there is a gateway that allows for passage out of this realm. The gateway calls for the activation of seven statues; six of which rest on mountaintops while the last is located at the bottom of a deep ravine.”

 

“You'll probably need tablets to activate the statues,” Ryu stated absentmindedly.

 

Benjamin smirked. “You catch on fast,” he said. “Luckily we already have two of the seven tablets necessary, but the other five are scattered all over this hellhole in god-knows how many pieces.”

 

“Then we should probably get to work,” Ryu declared. Benjamin stared at him for a moment before breaking out into a wide smile and clapping him on the back.

 

“That's what I like to hear,” the large man laughed. Ryu smiled in return. “As soon as you're back to one hundred percent you can join us.” Benjamin rose from his seat and turned to leave but stopped. “You know, Ryu, you coming here almost seems like fate. All these Fiends -as horrifying and terrible as they are- they're all afraid of you. This is the break we've been waiting for.”

 

The next day, Ryu accompanied Benjamin and the dozen other men out into the harsh whiteness…