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Gung Ya city was enormous. Almost three miles wide, filled with noise and smells, most of them repulsive to the more wealthy inhabitants. The majority of the citizens were accustomed to to the many odors that the hundreds of different creatures gave off, but it was obvious that there were a few who did not choose to be a part of it.

Rising above the city, like the mast of a sailing ship, was the Tower of Infinite Strength. The palace from where the masters of the martial arts governed the city. Where they were separated from the filth and the stench by a lake of pure, blue water. The only thing that connected the two worlds was a narrow bridge, barely wide enough for a cart to pass over.

Visitors were not encouraged. Guards at the gate to the bridge gave looks of disdain to any grubby villager that approached, and that usually turned them away. Usually.

Today, however, the glares of the two gorilla guards were completely ignored by the traveler with the wide brimmed hat. As he walked, the tip of the bamboo umbrella clicked in unison with his right foot, hinting at the heavier weight hidden within the folds of wood and cloth.

A bell rang softly over the water. A warning to the tower that a vagrant was coming, disguised as a ship's departure bell. The traveler smiled as he knew he was in for a show.

Sure enough, as he neared the gates to the Tower, the sounds of combat could be heard, and the thick wooden doors swung open slowly. As the black furred fox stepped through, he could feel a dozen eyes fixed on him, and his own dark gaze quickly fixed on the spectacle before him.

Two bodies whirled and danced, a well choreographed ballet of martial arts skill. A spotted leopard, wielding a jagged edged sword, was dueling a lumbering rhinoceros, weaving between the heavy swings of its stone hammer. Behind them stood a graying dalmatian, shrewd eyes pretending to examine the fight in front of her.

The stranger knew it was all an act. Masters rarely fought each other, mostly for tournaments, or to test a new member among their ranks. They also fought each other to show their superiority to travelers, and to make it obvious strangers were unwelcome.

Smiling at the pathetic display before him, the fox stepped forward and hefted the umbrella. "Good afternoon, gentlemen." he said with a smile as the two fighters paused to look at the intruder, "My apologies for forcing you to change your daily routine. This...display, while impressive to beginners, was rather less so to one like me." He shrugged, "Perhaps you should actually try next time, and gain some experience."

The rhinoceros snorted in anger, "And you are?"

"Oh, where are my manners." The fox said with mock humility, "My name is Faust, and I must say that this is going to be less fun than I had hoped."

"I've heard that name before." the dalmatian said, eyes focusing on the fox now, "Although, it's usually followed by a title. Faust the Thunderer. Is that you?"

Shrugging, the fox said, "I prefer to be less ostentatious. While I do deserve the title, I like the simple things. Unlike you, Dala Stone Fist. I see gold rings must be on sale this week. So many must have cost a fortune."

Hand unconsciously reaching up to touch the ten shinning hoops that hung in her ears, the dalmatian said, "If you are truly who you say you are, then you must know we cannot let you leave here alive, assassin."

Making a clicking sound through his teeth, Faust said, "I was sent for only one of you. But when I saw this city, and the state you have let it slide into," He shook his head, "I couldn't bring myself to let it go on. A good choice, I believe. Having to take down only one of you would have been...disappointing."

Letting out a snarl, the leopard twirled his jagged sword and said, "I've had just about enough of your tone. If we're all such disappointments, then lets get this over with quickly." With that, he leapt forward, blade flashing in a pattern designed to disorient the target.

Not at all distracted by the obvious ploy, the fox took a step back and opened the umbrella and gave it a twirl. The blue lines turning into waves that twisted and spun, drawing the leopards eyes in to its whirling pattern. As the cat came down, the fox closed the umbrella and stepped away. The heavy blade clanged into the stone flooring, and was stuck for a moment as the leopard blinked away the hypnotic image of Faust's umbrella.

That moment was far too long, and his breath was forced from his lungs as the tip of the umbrella was driven into his chest. The cat flew backward with the force of the impact, and his grip slipped from the sword's pommel. The entire exchange took only a couple of seconds, but it was enough time for the rhinoceros to react.

Unable to enjoy his first victory, Faust was forced into complex acrobatics to avoid the hurtling head of the stone hammer. It was like a storm, moving a quickly as the wind, with the force of a bolt of lightning, all precisely swung by a lumbering rhinoceros.

Seeing the perfect opportunity to put distance between himself and his new opponent, Faust turned in the air and planted his feet on the swinging hammer head. Pushing off, he went hurtling backwards, flying away from the attacker like an arrow.

Landing smoothly on his feet, the fox laughed mockingly, "I thought you were masters of fighting. Surely a single foe, armed with an umbrella should be no trouble at all against the mighty Rihan, slayer of the bandit legion."

Replying only with a roar, the rhinoceros charged, calloused hands bringing the hammer around in a deadly arc. Ducking beneath it, Faust landed two quick blows with the umbrella's point, then twisted to avoid another wild swing. They continued like this for a time, the fox narrowly dodging every strike, any one of which would have shattered bones, and always landing a hit with the umbrella.

Soon, the creature was swinging wildly, desperate to smash his opponent into mush. But the fox kept slipping by, a hairs breadth from the hammer head. Rage began to build in him, and his vision turned red.

Smiling, Faust flipped backwards, then thrust the tip of the umbrella forward, directly into the forehead of the wild master. With a sharp intake of breath, the beast collapsed, motionless onto the ground.

The fox surveyed his handiwork. A great master of kung fu lay dead at his feet, heart stopped by precise manipulations of his inner energies to bring him to the height of physical exertion and then a single, precise strike to bring it all to a crashing halt. Faust had done it before, but to complete the technique on such a highly regarded master said much about either the fox's skill, or the rhinoceros's lack of it.

Turning to the last opponent, Faust smiled, breathing calmly even after his exertion. "These are the greatest masters of kung fu in all the world?" His eyes wandered over to where the spotted leopard was trying to rise up on his elbows, but collapsing again onto the ground, "I can't help but feel a little...disappointed."

"How dare you." the dalmatian said, eyes burning with hatred, "How dare you come here and attack us, without provocation. What gives you the _gall_to think we will take this laying down?"

Cocking his head to one side, the fox said, "Gall? I prefer to call it confidence. I was paid quite a bit of money to kill you, Dala Stone Fist, and they will be glad they gave every coin." Twisting the handle of the umbrella, he drew out a thin blade, and gave it a practice swing. The air seemed to curl around the sword, and the sound it made as it cut through the air was distant, like it were only an echo.

Flexing her battle worn hands, the dalmatian said, "You have done enough damage this day. I will not allow you to do any more." Raising her head, she let out a howl that echoed through the courtyard. In an instant, the clattering of footsteps sounded, and the fox's sensitive ears heard the drawing of bowstrings.

So she was not quite foolish enough to face him alone. It would have been more interesting had her reinforcements been more physically combative, but archers would provide at least some challenge. Dropping the sword's sheath, Faust said to Dala, "Have you ever wondered how I earned the title, thunderer?" When she gave no reply, he merely shrugged and continued, "It's an interesting story. About three hundred miles out to sea are the stormy isles, a name give quite aptly for their propensity for terrible thunder storms. Nine months out of the year it rains, and with each rain comes lightning. I trained there for a year, learning the style of the wind and rain. Of the crashing surf, and the roiling clouds." His smile darkened, and he drew back the sword, "Of the storm itself."

Like a bolt of lightning, the black furred fox charged forward, sword pointed directly for the heart of Dala Stone Fist. The distance that separated the two was more than thirty feet, but he crossed it in an instant, thrusting the sword out in front of him.

The dalmatian moved almost as quickly, bringing up her spotted hands to trying and avert the blow. But the blade was never intended to reach the woman. A foot in front of her, Faust's arm reached full extension, and the air that was twisting around his body blasting outwards in rings of destruction. With a deafening 'crack' the ground bucked, and the stones shattered.

A cloud of dust erupted, and the wave of destruction engulfed Dala and continued on to obliterate the nearest side of the tower. Rocks flew in all directions, and the once well polished courtyard was reduced to rubble.

The reinforcements that had been called could only watch in horror as their master was wiped away. When the dust cleared, they could only drop their bows when the fox was gone. All that remained was the litter strewn ground and the dust covered forms of the two other masters.

The students quickly rushed to them, calling for the healer to see to the leopard. Master Rihan, though, was dead. His eyes were glazed over, and they heard no heartbeat. Hoping desperately to find Dala, they dug at the rubble, pulling away boulders and pieces of their once proud tower, that now leaned harshly to one side.

---

From where he stood in Gung Ya City, Faust could see the shadowed outline of the Tower of Infinite Strength, which now leaned even harder to one side. The floors within also tipped at such a precarious angle, that the interior was no longer habitable. The rest of the tower grounds had been cleared of debris, but everyone had been evacuated when they feared the tower would fall.

A mass exodus of trainees and monks had crossed the narrow bridge, and were now staying with the wealthiest of Gung Ya's citizens. Faust had his own house just outside the city, and he had rested there after his exertion two days prior before returning to meet with his employer.

He had been waiting for almost an hour now, umbrella tip pointed over on shoulder, awaiting the deluge from the heavy clouds that hung above his head. Sadly the soft sound of padded feet landing on the rooftop behind him told Faust that it would not rain before their meeting began,

Not turning to face him employer, Faust said, "You're late." Feigning impatience, but knowing that all this waiting would be well worth it.

Panting at the exertion, and trying to hide the pain of his cracked ribs, the orange and black spotted leopard shuffled over to stand next to the fox on the roof's edge. "My apologies." He said quietly, trying to sound confident, "I'm grand master now, and it can be difficult to sneak away from my people. And this injury doesn't help."

The fox shrugged, "You asked to be convincing, and to not draw attention to you. If you were the only master to survive my assault, all the attention would be on you. Honestly, I did you a favor. You'll be a victim. A lucky survivor of a vicious, heartless murderer. They'll sympathize with you, and be more likely to follow your instructions."

Faust sighed, "Not that this conversation is not stimulating, but I have other business to attend to. My payment, if you please."

Nodding, the leopard pulled a heavy pouch from his clothes and handed it to the fox, "Of course, of course. One-hundred silver pieces, as requested." Faust snatched the sack and hefted the weight. It felt right, but he would be sure to count it when he got back to his home. Smiling nervously, the leopard said, "I, uh, hope that we might be able to repeat our, uh, transactions in the future?"

Slipping his payment into a pocket, Faust said, "Sadly, I don't believe that will be possible. You see, you aren't the only master to request my services, and quite frankly, she pays more. And in advance."

Eyes wide, the leopard took a step back and said breathlessly, "She?"

"That's right, you sniveling coward. I caught onto your scheme." Stepping out from a darkly shadowed wall, Dala Stone Fist glared daggers at her former companion. "I can't believe you went to this scum because you knew you couldn't beat me alone."

Becoming defensive, the leopard said, "No, I could not defeat you, not yet anyways. But I could not wait any longer. We have abandoned the people of this city, and set ourselves up in our ivory tower. You weren't going to change that, and Rihan was exactly like you. The only way to bring any change was to get rid of you."

Snorting, Dala said, "So naive. No wonder your hired sword turned on you."

The other master was about to open his mouth in a rebuttal, when his breath caught in his throat. The tip of Faust's sword was sticking out of his back, and the fox was looking at him with a blank expression. "It's business." He whispered, as he pulled out the blade. With a soft thud, the leopard fell to his knees, then face down onto the hard ground.

"What are you doing?" Dala shouted, rushing to the dying man's side, "You weren't supposed to kill him!"

Examining one of his paws with disinterest, the fox replied, "That was never the agreement. You paid me to show you where I was meeting the one who hire me. You asked me to pretend to attack, and then leave when it looked like you died. The only stipulation was that I could not kill_you_. If you had wanted both your companions to be spared, Dala Stone Fist, you should have said so."

He paused as a few drops of rain fell from overhead. Opening the umbrella, Faust continued, "You assumed that you and he were the only one to seek out my services against the masters of kung fu. In fact, I have three agreements to kill him and Rihan, and you. But, because I have an agreement not to kill you, I can't quite complete them. At least, not for six months, when our contract expires. When that time comes, we'll see if anyone still want, or needs, you to be killed."

Turning a furious look at the fox, Dala said, "You'll pay for this, assassin. You and all your kind."

Stepping the very edge of the roof, Faust smiled as a roaring wall of rain hurtled down from the clouds. The fox shouted over the sound, "I look forward to your efforts." Then took a step back and fell.

The dalmatian rushed over to the edge and she snarled in rage. Below her on the street were hundreds of umbrellas, many patterned similar to the fox's. There was no way she could find him down there.

Faust the Thunderer was gone.