Chapter Three

"Joseph, are you okay?" A concerned soldier asked riding beside Joseph.

"Yeah, I'm fine . . . , why do you ask?"

"Because you haven't spoken to me since we left the camp."

Joseph sighed heavily and halted Shadow Blade. "I guess I'm just worried about Morgan. . . Kyo is taking her to a village she has ever been too."

"Then why don't you go back and take her from Kyo?"

"No,"

"Why?" the soldier asked in confusion.

"Because Jung-Woo's army could attack at any minute and I don't want to put Morgan in that type of danger."

"But . . . ,"

"Besides, she'll be safer in the Defender's Realm." Joseph sighed as Shadow Blade continued walking through the dense forest.

The soldier remained silent and followed Joseph.

Lost in thought Joseph wondered to himself why he was not turning back and heading back to the camp to go and get Morgan. He cared about this young female more than he has cared for anyone else

As night fell Rick and his troops continued to glide through the dense forest with only the moonlight to light their way.

The weeks passed and finally Kyo, Rick, Jesse, and Joseph all reached the Defender's Realm.

". . . Yes, that could be true, but we can't conclude everything until we have all the facts." Arashi the griffon lord said as he ran his claws through his bangs. He had jet black hair and blood red eyes; he also wore a jet black kimono. His dark blue colored wings twitched, as the entire council turned and looked at him.

Joseph shrugged. "No telling what that son of a bitch is doing to Rika."

Rick glanced at Joseph. "I'm surprised Kuroi-Ryu hasn't appeared yet."

Joseph glared icily at him. "Watch yourself Rick. I personally am happy that bastard has not appeared. I'm hoping he doesn't. Besides, I haven't been in any full raging battles yet . . ., ones that I know I can't live to see the end of unless I switch places

"If we're all done here I'm heading to bed." Jesse said as he yawned.

"Yeah we should all go to bed; it's been a long day for all of us." Arashi concluded as he himself left the room and retired to his suite.

Joseph looked at Kyo as they headed to their rooms. "Which room is morgan in or do you not know?

Kyo growled, "Why the hell should I care where that wench is roomed at?

"My lord the Defender's Realm is under attack!" a soldier interrupted.

Joseph snarled at Kyo and raced down the hall with every intention to find the only woman who he was falling for.

Jesse was in the shower letting the water hit his face as Alex continued to sleep peacefully in her bed snuggled up into the blankets.

Joseph reached her room; bursting through the door Morgan tackled him. He held her close and looked down at her, "Are you okay? Did they hurt you in any way?"

"No . . . , they were all very nice to me." She replied smiling into his kimono.

"Go assemble the men, we're going to give Joseph a little visit . . . , it's time Kuroi-Ryu showed himself after six years." Jung-woo said after heading back towards camp after sending Rika away back to China

Kavon nodded and began to shout out orders to all the troops. The men all assemble on their horses or in line if they were a foot soldier.

Jung-woo got onto his black Clydesdale and waited for his men. His eyes were ice cold and full of hatred for everyone and everything, "Enough screwing around! We will get Japan and Jesse and his minions will fall by the hands of the Chinese demonic army!"

The men all cheer and follow Jung-woo as he made his stallion bolt off down the dirt path.

Weeks later Morgan was sitting up in a cherry blossom tree when Jung-Woo's army showed up and grabbed her.

She screamed

Joseph appeared in front of her the men dead on the ground.

"What do you want Jung-woo?!"

"I'm sorry brother but you need to be taught a lesson." Jung-woo said as he in a flash had Morgan in his grasp, his glaive pointing to Joseph. "Do you love her?"

Joseph snarled, his eyes flaming in anger.

"I'll ask again, do you love her?!"" Yes . . . , I do love her."

Jung-woo smirked and made Morgan look at him; she looked at him fear in her eyes as he put his glaive into her torso, twisting his glaive and pulled it out.

Morgan cried out in pain and fell to her hands and knees holding her bleeding torso. "Joseph!" she cried as tears formed in her eyes.

Joseph snarled angrily his fangs blurred as his eyes began to flash a blank red color. "You son of a bitch!" lunges at Jung-Woo

Jung-woo smirked and vanished. "Not today my brother."

Joseph cursed and rushed over to Morgan and picked her up. "Oh god . . . Morgan Please hold on!"

She winced as her breathes became short and shallow. "J-Joseph-kun . . . I can't breathe . . ." Morgan whimpered.

Several hours passed and Joseph stormed out of the healer's tent his eyes a blank reddish color with the lust to kill Jung-Woo.

Jesse stopped him and knocked him unconscious. "Hello again . . . Kuroi-Ryu. . ."

Rick and Kyo took Joseph to his room and shut and locked the door.

"Damn I didn't expect Joseph to flip so soon . . . , "Kyo said as he and Rick headed back to go tell the others.

Rick sighed, "Well we can't exactly blame him, and he just lost Morgan I can understand."

"Yeah, I would go insane too if I just lost the female that I'm in love with Kyo added as they reached the Meeting Hall.

"No way Kuroi-Ryu has returned?!" Kavon exclaimed completely baffled.

Jung-woo smirked evilly a glint of a plan shining in his eyes. "Yes and now Kuroi –Ryu is here and now I can attack the Kingdom Of Shadows and now we have Jesse's advantage to take over JapanKavon blinked in confusion. "How is Joseph going to be Jesse's advantage?"

"Jesse was already planning to kill Morgan to bring Kuroi-Ryu out so I decided to help him in the process."

Kavon shakes his head. "I thought Jesse was the good guy . . .

Jung-woo shrugged.

Josh walked over to Jung-woo that night and stood next to him. "You wanted too see me

Jung-woo nodded, "I need you to do me a favor. . ."

"Go on."

Jung-woo led them to his tent and over to the map. "Look Kavon is stationed at the Defender's Realm he's leaving shortly. I want you to go to the Hidden Village, I'll send Shadow with you, and he knows the way."

Josh nodded. "Isn't the Hidden Village deep in the caves of Chaos?"

"That's why I'm sending Shadow with you so he can guide you through the winding pathways.Your task is to convince the ancient black mage Zander to fight on our side."

"Black mage Are you kidding?! You're crazy!"

Jung-woo growled, "If you want your castles you have to go get Zander and convince him somehow to join the war on our side!"

"What kind of demon is he?"

"Fox . . . , his black magic is more powerful than mine and yours combined."

"Could he defeat Kuroi-Ryu?"

"They are both equally matched in battle and since Kuroi-Ryu is back we'll have no problem defeating Jesse."

"Alright I'll go. . ."

A silver saber-toothed demon cat whimpered and leaned her head into her master's hand.

A man shrouded in darkness pets her, a smirk appeared on his face. "Don't worry Rayne . . . I'll let josh in . . . . But he'll deeply regret ever coming to the cave of Chaos."

1 month later

Shadow led Josh into the forest of No Return. "Keep close . . . , no telling what Zander will throw at you." he blinked at seeing Rayne as soon as they had entered the cave

"Come, my master Zander awaits your arrival." Rayne said as she led Josh and Shadow towards the cave of Chaos. She led them down many caverns; all you could hear in the barren caverns were the jingling sounds of the bracelets Rayne had on all four of her paws, the dripping sound that the water made and the hoofs of Josh's Friesian as it walked through the forever winding tunnels. An hour later they reach two large set doors, they opened and Rayne raced in and over to the man behind the shrouded black aura.

Shadow growled as he and Josh enter Zander's throne room.

"Well Shadow it's been a long time." the voice from within the black aura cackled as Shadow bared his fangs.

"I'm not your servant anymore Zander, I won't fall for your manipulations anymore!" Shadow snarled.

Very well, what is it that Jung-woo desires now?" Zander asked looking towards Josh's direction."He wants you to help him in taking down Jesse." Josh dismounted his stallion and bowed on one knee in front of Zander. "So my lord will you help in the elimination of Lord Jesse?"

"Nope, my war is with Kuroi-Ryu."

"Jung-woo tell me you where defeated by Kuroi-Ryu," Josh pointed out as he looked up at Zander who was now stood in front of him

Zander snarled and grabbed Josh around the throat, "You wish Kuroi-Ryu had defeated me! That stupid idiot . . . , never mind it are all in the past and for reminding me of such a past now the chances of me ever helping Jung-woo are slim to none."

Josh snarled and kicked Zander away," I'd think twice before touching me!"

Zander smirked and in a flash had his glaive through Josh.

He gasped and coughed up blood sinking to his knees he held his chest wound. "B-Bastard. . ."

Zander removed his glaive and wiped it off with a rag.

Josh got to his feet swaying slightly.

Zander smirked and flung Josh across the room into one of the rock walls.

Josh cried out in pain and fell to the ground blood pooling around his limp body.

Zander walkedback over to his throne and sat in his place.

Josh staggered over to the throne. "I'm not leaving here until I know I have your assistance in this war. . . "

Zander shrugged. "I refuse to help Jung-woo defeat Jesse. I have my own problems to worry about, and they don't include that bastard."

Josh just stood there in the middle of the throne room his vision blurred.

"It's Koji!"A woman shouted from outside the hotel building.

Everyone rushed out of their houses to greet there great warrior.

"Koji-sama!" a young woman shouted.

"My, my, little sister you've gotten big." Koji chuckled as he ruffled the hair of his ten year old sister.

A young girl about nineteen raced over to Koji and tackled him to the ground crying into his chest.

He blinked then smiled down at her, "I know I for surely missed you my dear." Koji said as he held her close.

Shiro yawned as he continued to work on his paperwork, when Ayame walked in holding a two month old baby wrapped in a silver blanket.

"I've come to say Goodbye . . .

He looked up at her. "Where are you going and whose pup is that you're holding?" He asked setting down his pen.

"Doesn't matter . . . It was just a one night standhe doesn't want me. Don't worry I'm leaving further away from you so that you don't have to worry about a stupid silver dragon that isn't wanted

The boy whimpered

"For granting this demon dragon the pleasure he desired I became pregnant with his pup." tears formed in her eyes as she continued to look down at the pup. " I am not worthy of being his wife, even if I were to tell him he had a pup I highly doubt he'd care. He'd probably tell me to leave him alone or he'd kill me."

"Right, do you love him?"

She nodded. "I love him very much . . . but he hates me more than life itself."

"Why don't you go tell him?"

"Like I just said he hates me more than life itself and he's refused my love anyways. Besides he broke a promise he made to me when we were just small pups ourselves."

FLASHBACK

"Shiro!" Ayame screamed as a spider demon attacked her, sending the small girl flying into the forest.

A seven year old picked her up and disappeared with her.

He set her down once they reached a good distance away from the demon.

"Thank you Shiro!"

He laughed. "You're my future mate right? I have to take care of you."

She blushed and nodded. "Do you promise that when we are older you will make me your wife and we'll have pups of our own and be one happy family?"

He nodded. "I promise."

END FLASHBACK

"But I was a fool to believe him . . . he forgot all about the promise he made and the love he once held for me . . ." she ran out of the room the boy securely in her arms.

"I've missed you so much Koji, I was scared that you were dead for sure since nobody has heard anything from you for over five years."

Koji laughed and spun her around as he held her tightly in his arms. "I'm sorry my dear, I promise not to do that to you again." he said as he set her on her feet and ruffled her hair. "So my love tells me all that you have been up to these past five years."

Both Koji and Tsuki sit on a bench next to a pond and begin talking about what they had been through for the past five years. It made Koji happy that Tsuki always waited for him no matter how long he was gone, when ever he returned home she would always greet him with her loving sweet smile that always brought out the best in him. She had blonde hair and an aqua-green colored eyes. As she spoke he listened to her words with such joy he had wished he had been here for her through the times where she was treated badly he would have taught those villagers a lesson.

Alex stared off into space as she waited for Jesse to return from the council meeting that was scheduled for the late afternoon, she had made Jesse a plate of dinner and she had set it nicely on the table. She loved making Jesse happy, that is all she wanted from her life now. As the hours dragged on she was lost in thought as she stared out into the stars from the roof top right above their room. In previous years Alex had been beaten, raped, and sold off into slavery. Having Jesse take her in like he did made her happy so she had to repay the favor to him by remaining all but loyal to him and she was. Around the time of the middle of the night Jesse came into the room and blinked at the plate of food that had been set out for him on the table, and sleeping on his futon in the corner of the room was Alex she had fallen asleep several hours prior to his return. He smiled at this and sat at the table and ate the food that Alex had made for him, it may have been cold but it was the food only an angel could make.

Jung-woo went over to his map and looked at it carefully, he blinked when his candles suddenly went out, and he turned around and smirked devilishly. "So . . . , you've finally come have you Kuroi-Ryu?"

Kuroi-Ryu stood in the entrance way his eyes livid. " If you're planning on having me join your little army and help you defeat Jesse you better get your story straight because there is no way in hell I would ever help a scum like you. You Jung-woo hide behind your armies and expect even Zander, the great fox warlord to help you hide behind your forces. Well I've got a little present for you brother." he tossed a limp body to Jung-Woo's feet and vanished in a black whirlwind.

Jung-woo blinked and looked at the body and snarled angrily his eyes flashing red in anger as he revealed Rika. Jung-woo had to admit his brother was good but not good enough for the spell that he had placed on Morgan before she had died was one that you could never revive this one specific demon.