chapter four

Ryu was a collector. He had somehow managed to get his hands on several different objects that he never should have known existed, much less owned. Among these things was an enchanted mirror that had once belonged to Enmah, one that allowed him to see wherever he needed to. Ryu, being who he was, used it to keep an eye on his prisoners. Right now he was watching his two newest arrivals. He seemed tense. "Why would two demons risk such a thing?" He reached out and almost touched the glass. "Partners I understand, but this? It's a weakness they cannot afford to have." Ronin, who stood by his side, simply shrugged.

"Perhaps they didn't think this through." he said. "I didn't get enough information before the little one shut me out completely. He's stronger than he looks." His gaze flickered to the redhead. "That one worries me. He shouldn't have known about Kali's poison, but he did. For a half-breed, he's remarkably strong. Perhaps we underestimated them."

"It's a possibility." Ryu relented. The two prisoners had finally fallen into a fitful sleep, the little demon pressed securely against his taller companion's side. The air around them rippled with heat. The fire apparition was trying to keep his companion warm. Ryu smirked. "I wonder just how deep their bond goes?"

Ronin cast him a glance. "Meaning?"

Ryu's smirk morphed into something frightening. "Wake our guests. Give one of them to Kali. I want to know what will happen to the other if we torture one." Ronin nodded and left the room. Ryu continued to study the mirror. He was looking forward to this.

Hiei woke just before Ronin opened the door. He could feel the foul ogre's mind enter his as he spoke. Get up, half-pint. Time to go. Ronin jerked his head towards the door. Hiei simply glared at him. If the ogre thought he was going to move just because he demanded it, he had another thing coming. Hiei made a show of deliberately closing his eyes once again, though all his senses were honed on Ronin. He was aware of Kurama starting to wake, but he chose to ignore that for the moment.

Ronin snarled silently. I said move!

Hiei raised one hand and made a rude gesture. Ronin's snarl turned into a growl as he lunged forward, grabbing hold of Hiei's arm and forcibly starting to drag him away. Hiei's eyes snapped open in shock, his aura automatically flaring in response.

Kurama was jerked into awareness by the loss of his source of heat. The air went from pleasantly warm to cold to boiling in about thirty seconds. Before he had the chance to fully wake, his instincts kicked in. Hiei was only mildly surprised when Kurama leapt to his feet, grabbing Hiei with one hand and lashing out at Ronin with the other. The fire apparition fell back against Kurama's chest. Ronin stumbled backwards as Kurama's fist connected with his nose. Kurama was keenly aware of only two things – that Hiei was safely away from Ronin and that Ronin himself was starting to approach once again.

His free hand shot out in front of him, a small seed held between his fingers. It wasn't as visually impressive as his rose whip, but it would do the trick. Hiei reached up and placed a hand on Kurama's outstretched arm, and Kurama could feel warmth spread into the seed. A slight smirk twisted his lips.

Ronin froze. "Killing me will only make your situation worse." he hissed. Kurama's smile turned feral.

"Ask me if I care."

Hiei spoke up. "Killing you would make our day. Killing Ryu, on the other hand, would make our week. You could make us happy and move, or you could make us ecstatic and let us kill you. Your choice." His voice was rough. Neither of them were in any condition for an extended fight, but they'd be damned if they didn't try.

Ronin sneered and took a step forward. "You wouldn't –"

Kurama flicked the seed. It erupted into flames even as it sprouted into Kurama's favorite blood-sucking plant. The flaming monstrosity latched on to Ronin and started sucking away even as Kurama dragged Hiei out of the cell. They leaned against the hallway wall, breathing heavily.

Hiei smirked. "That was a fast reaction."

Kurama snorted. "I get cranky when someone takes my space heater." he shot back. "Unseal your Jagan. Without our weapons, we cannot fight."

"Yet, fox." Hiei corrected, but he undid his headband anyway. His third eye opened. "We aren't getting out of this one easily." he admitted. "I can't see beyond one level. I know we need to head up." Kurama nodded.

"Good enough for me." He motioned down the hall. "Lead the way." Hiei nodded sharply and took the lead, guiding Kurama through the hallway and back into the arena. Now that the arena was clear, they could tell the place was really a circular chamber with seven hallways leading off in different directions. Another maze, with no time left to waste. "Now what?" Kurama murmured.

"Don't tell Kuwabara I said this," Hiei muttered, "but we could use the idiot about now."

Kurama studied the hallways. "Only one chance to get it right." he mused aloud. "But which way?"

"Do I look like I have a map?" Hiei snapped. Still, he hesitated. "Forward. We'll have to take our chances." Kurama nodded and followed him without protest. Moving the wrong way was less dangerous than standing still. A moving target was always harder to hit than a stagnant one. They both understood this. They kept moving.

They made it a dozen yards into the hallway and had come to a four-way intersection when Kurama suddenly grabbed Hiei's shoulder, bringing the fire apparition to a sudden halt. "Kurama?" He turned to study the fox with his Jagan and nearly flinched. They were both moving on pure willpower, but he hadn't realized just how depleted Kurama's spirit energy was. The fox was lucky to be standing at all. Kurama smiled reassuringly at him even as he struggled to keep the room in focus.

"I'm fine." he assured his partner. "The plant just took more out of me than I had anticipated." The room finally stopped spinning and he straightened, standing on his own once again.

Hiei gave him a look. "You are a horrible liar." he announced as he resumed walking, this time heading left. Now that the hallways were perpendicular to each other, simple logic could possibly get them out. Always heading left would get them out, even if they had to go through the entire maze. Assuming they had picked the right direction.

Kurama chuckled. "Au contraire, I am an excellent liar." he replied easily. "You are simply unusually suspicious of everyone, including me." His voice took on a gentle mocking tone. "I'm hurt."

"Shut up, fox." They took another left turn and froze. "Ah, hell."

Standing not ten feet down the dead end hallway, Kali smirked. "Little demon, hell doesn't even begin to cover it."