In Search of the Oracle
By Mardrena
"According to Kayura, the next artifact from the Mystic Alliance can be found in North America," Anubis began and pulled up a map of the Gulf of Mexico. He and Ryo stood next to the console. "Specifically the Yucatan Peninsula. She described an orb of pure obsidian suspended by ten twisted talons of volcanic stone. The artisan specialized in divination."
"So it's sort of like an oracle? If Kayura sensed it, it's still intact and hidden. That's good. Something like that would come in handy with what's been going on lately…" Ryo commented.
"Kayura continues the search for more artifacts, so she is unavailable to help us narrow down the exact location. She said only that the artisan hailed from the ancient Mayan civilization. They were cunning craftsmen and scholars, but like all ancient civilizations, fell prey to decadence."
"Ryo? Do you have a moment?" Mia asked as she entered the chamber carrying a red leather-bound case slung over her shoulder with a strap. Ryo glanced at her.
"Oh, mornin' Mia. Gimme a sec, Anubis and I are busy…" Ryo replied. Mia wrinkled her mouth in a pout and put a knuckle on her hip.
"I wouldn't have come down here if it wasn't important. I just got back from the university and thought you'd want to take a look at this…" Mia unslung the case and set it on the console.
"Mia, I'm sorry! I don't mean to blow you off or anything, but this is important. Kayura found another artifact and we're trying to find it before Talpa or anyone else gets their mitts on it," Ryo apologized and turned his attention back to the screen. Anubis blinked when he saw Mia roll her eyes and open the clasp on the red leather case. His eyes widened when she pulled something out of the cushioned interior and held it up for them to see. Ryo heard the sound of Mia clearing her throat and glanced up at her. "What?" Ryo asked, slightly annoyed. He blinked and looked down at the small object Mia held cupped in both hands.
It looked like cooled lava sculpted into a gnarled base curling up into ten tendrils that looked like grasping claws. Ryo stared at the object several seconds, blinking dumbly. "W-W-Where did you get that?" Ryo stammered, bewildered.
"Ever since Kai's attack on the university, I've taken the liberty of going through our records and pulling out any files on artifacts dating from the heyday of the Mystic Alliance. Kayura's helped me identify valid artifacts and I've gotten Dais to help me smuggle them out of storage."
"YOU WHAT?!" Ryo exclaimed, startled and horrified at the thought of his wife committing what amounted to a severe criminal offense.
"Oh don't be so dramatic," Mia rolled her eyes and set the base back in its cushioned cavity. "Dais is a professional. He knows not to get caught. Besides, I enlisted Danae's younger sister, Australa, to make copies of the artifacts to replace them in the university's collection. The university doesn't have to know they're magical, just that they look authentic. Yulie offered to act as a courier between here and Thanged, and I've been paying him a little for his efforts. You might've noticed the vault has a few more additions lately-" Ryo in fact hadn't noticed the presence of old tomes and trinkets taking up previously-empty pedestals in the vault.
"M-Mia! How could you? What if you get caught? You could get fired!"
"Pfft, what's my job when it comes to the safety of the Mortal Realm?" Mia scoffed and sealed the case and slung it over her shoulder again. "I'm going to go stash this in the vault for the time being. Unfortunately it's only half of the actual artifact. The orb itself is missing. I'll be back shortly," Mia turned to leave the chamber but paused and peered up at the screen. "Looking at this...I don't suppose you two know where to find the other half of the artifact? The Yucatan Peninsula is a lot bigger than you think. I certainly hope you don't plan on scouring every inch of the peninsula on foot…" Mia placed a hand on her hip and glanced at Ryo.
"Um…well…uh…Anubis and I were…um…consulting…about that…" Ryo fumbled and glanced at Anubis for support, who glared back at him and shook his head in warning.
"Well, maybe I can help in that department. I asked Miz to do a scan on the base earlier, and assuming the base and orb originated from the same source, I can narrow down possible locations." Mia leaned over the console, having gained an understanding of Thunthen Highscript some time ago. "The interesting thing about volcanic stone such as obsidian is that its mineral composition is unique to the volcano that produced it, and can be traced to that same source. Now, there are no volcanoes in Yucatan, but in ancient times there was a system of trade that operated across the Gulf Coast. Researchers dubbed it the 'Obsidian Road'. That's how the Mayan people obtained precious stones and materials not normally found in the peninsula." Mia continued typing away while a bewildered Ryo and impressed Anubis observed.
"According to the analysis, the base originated from a volcano located at the southern end of the Sierra Madre mountain range, right about here. Now, comparing that data with the recorded trade paths of the Obsidian Road, your best bet on finding the divination orb would be…here." Mia pressed a key and a highlighted portion of the southern peninsula flashed brightly. "I've read that there are isolated tribal communities descended from the ancient Mayans themselves, and that many of them still practice the old traditions. If the orb is hidden anywhere, they'll know where to find it. Oh, I completely lost track of the time! I should be going. I'm supposed to meet with Yulie for his next delivery in a few minutes." With that, Mia exited the room.
Ryo stood there with his arms hanging at his sides, utterly speechless.
"That woman's resourcefulness never ceases to amaze me. You were most fortunate to have secured her hand in marriage," Anubis commented and smirked. Ryo chuckled weakly.
"Yeah…Kayura, Shannon, and Michelle might have their special powers, but Mia's like a Priestess of the PC," he smiled, imagining the three Mystics standing together wielding their respective talismans, and Mia standing with them with her trusty laptop. "So…the Gulf of Mexico…that's a long ways away. Talpa will send his goons after us no matter what, so we'll need more than just the two of us to go on the search."
"It might be more difficult than you think to find anyone available. Most of the others are otherwise engaged in various tasks or personal endeavors," Anubis brought up and shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Ryo raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.
"Cale overheard members of the Neo Ronin criticizing my rather mild training regimen, referring to it as 'Samurai Boot Camp'. He took offense to that-"
"Lemme guess; He decided to put them through actual boot camp?" Ryo grinned.
"And Tanya chose to assist him."
Outside, a dozen figures jogged alongside the lake shore. "MOVE IT YOU SLUGGARDS! Come on; pick up the pace!" Cale barked loudly at the head of the pack. Behind him, Emma Coburn and Archibald Archer jockeyed for first place. Being seasoned runners, they knew how to control their breathing. Both of them blinked in surprise and frowned in dismay when little Harlann Wallhanger scurried past them energetically, giggling merrily. Pauline Yama trailed a few feet behind Emma and Archie, used to chasing stray chickens at her farm. Crystal Hacker and Harold Holmes kept roughly even pace with each other near the middle of the pack.
Rock up ahead. Thanks for the heads up, Snow, Colby Taylor silently thanked his companion bounding alongside him. Snow ran half in a trance, lending her spirit sight to Colby to warn him of impending obstacles. Colby didn't think so much of it as cheating; rather he didn't want to bang his toes or anything. Behind him jogged David Osmond, who maintained a relaxed but efficient pace, content to remain towards the rear.
"Well lookie who's bringing up the rear besides me," Conan Bauer grinned from where he ran towards the very rear of the column.
"Cross-country…really…isn't…my thing…" Edward Connolly panted laboriously. "I'm more…of a sprinter…" Edward struggled to keep from staggering to a halt from exhaustion.
"This is a new one; someone's even more out of shape than I am," Conan smirked.
"Hey! Move it Pork Rind!" Tanya slapped Conan in the shoulder with the back of her hand, drawing an annoyed glare from the boy. "Less yappin', more trackin'!" she growled.
"You kids got MILES to go before I let you sleep!" Cale shouted. The Neo Ronin groaned in collective complaint.
"Oh man, those poor kids…" Ryo chuckled heartily. "What about Kento and Dais?"
"They headed north, along with Bau and the Apprentices. Azuro required assistance in expanding the current dwellings at the Mount Dojo garrison…"
"Bah, must you Thunthen use stone in all your architecture? We could easily import lumber from the homeworld," Metraind Geiro sneered contemptuously as the Apprentices hauled polished tiles and small slabs into newly excavated chambers.
"Stone is enduring. Stone is everlasting. Thananagreia has stood for thousands of years in pristine condition thanks to the high-quality marble used in its creation. Marble-I might add- was procured from what little stable rock exists on our homeworld…" Bau Daophyn drawled mockingly. Geiro snorted and folded his bulky arms over his broad chest. Fellow Metraind Phaeryn suppressed a chuckle. "Thunthen built structures that preceded Thananagreia by millennia more, garnering envy from the Lady of Flames. What is it humans say about imitation and flattery?" Bau added as he directed the Apprentices in the construction.
"Too bad the Pegasi can't help out with all this heavy lifting…" Dais commented as he set down a load of thick tiles. "But Bau has them clearing out more chambers on the lower level." He paused for breath and wiped the sleeve of his thermal jacket against his forehead. "Hey, why don't you use your other form? It might make things go quicker."
"Look, I don't do that just for the heck of it," Kento growled and shot Dais a glare over his shoulder as he hauled a short polished column. "It's just supposed to be for emergencies."
"Okay, I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it. I was just…well…" Dais trailed off feebly. Kento huffed irritably and turned his back to Dais, who grimaced apologetically. Evidently the matter of Kento's "Inner Self" remained a touchy subject.
"Cye departed to visit his family near the coast. He hadn't seen them in some time, I gather. Rowen answered a request by Azuro to accompany a scouting party in space. One of the scouts claimed he had seen what looked like explosions several days ago and suspected Mal Daggur's fleet had returned, but they have seen no trace of any of the capital vessels…"
Man, all this wreckage…looks like a battle took place here. Definitely Thunthen ships…but who attacked them? And why? Couldn't have been the Thangiens. Azuro didn't authorize an attack, and if the scouts DID attack, he would've known about it… Rowen thought as he flew through space amid a field of drifting wreckage. Hmm? What's this? Rowen reached out and grabbed hold of an oblong object with a pale mottled surface.
Doesn't look like any weapon I've seen…almost looks like an eg- Rowen frowned and turned the object over. GYAAAAH! he recoiled upon seeing the tiny frozen form within and tossed the object away reflexively, sending it spinning into the lonely cold. His skin under his facemask looked white as a sheet and his eyes widened in horror. Inside his chest his heart beat wildly and sweat ran down his brow. The object struck a drifting bulkhead and shattered into tiny fragments that glittered from the distant sunlight peeking around the curve of the Earth, but the tiny frozen form remained intact for any to see.
"That doesn't leave a lot of options…what about Sage? He's always been a nature buff."
"Sage volunteered to help Mia go through the university records and corroborate them with Kayura's findings," Anubis stated.
"He…volunteered? Oh…that's…awfully nice of him…" Ryo muttered and frowned. Not that he wanted to spend hours at a time poring over old files, but for some reason that statement made him feel uneasy if not irked. "I guess we could ask one of the Thunthen to come along…either Miz or Rgn, the others are too big to fit in the cockpit…" Ryo paused when he heard a peculiar sound. Anubis cocked his head and walked over to the archway. The sound apparently originated from the residential hall.
"IIIIII just wanna tell you how I'm feeeeling, gotta make you understaaaand…" The melodic voice echoed from the thermal pools at the end of the hall. Anubis leaned to the side and peered into the hall, raising an eyebrow. Ryo leaned at a sharper angle and blinked in surprise.
"Huh…he's actually got a pretty decent singing voice…" Ryo commented and nodded approvingly. Anubis glanced at him and rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
"There a particular reason we're using this thing when it's supposed to be our super-secret weapon against Mal Daggur?" Sehkmet complained from the rear seat in Raider's cockpit.
"Fleet hasn't been sighted in months, not since they booked it after we shredded the Maw of Flame. Azuro says none of his scouts have seen any of the big guns or even troopships, and he'd know if any of them entered the atmosphere," Ryo informed from where he sat in the middle seat. Sehkmet snorted irritably and glanced out the canopy at the rushing ocean.
"I don't see why we couldn't have hitched a ride with Danae and Pegasus…"
"Danae is currently with child. You can't possibly expect her to exert herself for our convenience," Anubis chided from where he sat at the controls. "Besides, this is the fastest way to travel, straight as the crow flies."
"What happened to your teleport ability? You forget how to do that?"
"Even with the satellite we couldn't get an exact reference point. The canopy's just too dense, and unless you want us to port to one of the coastal villages where we'd have to answer a lot of questions…" An image came to mind of the three of them wearing very flimsy disguises over their sub-armor. "Or in the forest itself where we'd probably end up somewhere above the canopy…" Another unpleasant image presented itself in Sehkmet's mind of the three of them materializing several meters above the rainforest before plummeting through the trees screaming. "Yeah, this was the best we could come up with on such short notice. We'll be there before you know it. C'mon, Sehk, I thought you'd be excited to go out on a mission for a change. Where's that bold, fierce fighting spirit you used to have?" Ryo teased.
"You mean the one that blinded you and left you for dead in the Pinnacles?"
"Yeah, that one." Ryo's chipper attitude didn't do anything to warm Sehkmet's disposition.
"We're fast approaching the Sierra Madre Occidental. We'll be at the peninsula soon enough, Anubis informed over his shoulder. Sehkmet flicked his gaze back to the rushing landscape below. It looked too blurry, he couldn't even appreciate it.
"See? We'll find the orb and be back at home just in time for your next bath," Ryo grinned, knowing Sehkmet had an affinity for thermal soaks.
"I'd rather have stayed in the tub…" Sehkmet grumbled.
"We have arrived at the peninsula. Hrm…landing might be problematic…" Anubis leaned from side to side, peering down through the cockpit canopy. Sehkmet heard the beeps of several buttons being pushed and glanced up when the canopy hissed and hinged open. "Wait right here," Anubis said and unbuckled his harness, standing up and stepping out onto the left wing. Before Sehkmet could voice his protest, Anubis tensed and leapt off the wing.
"Did he-did he just-did he seriously just do that!?" Sehkmet exclaimed and peered over the cockpit rim. "I don't suppose you know how to fly this thing?" Sehkmet asked Ryo, who shrugged innocently. The two of them looked down when they heard a groaning crack and saw a tree move to the side. Something beeped from the front seat and the Raider abruptly began descending towards a newly-exposed clearing. The pre-programmed landing path set them down fairly gently in the clearing and Ryo and Sehkmet undid their harnesses and stood up to see Anubis standing with one hand braced against a tree he'd pushed out of its original position.
"What happened to 'save the trees'?" Ryo remarked when he saw the exposed root mat. Anubis glanced at the tree then moved around its girth and braced both hands against the trunk. He grunted and with fairly minimal effort pushed it back to its original position, leaving several feet of clearance between the Raider's retracted wings and the trunk.
"It'll be fine. The rainforest is surprisingly more resilient than people give it credit for," Anubis shrugged and clapped his hands together. Ryo and Sehkmet jumped out of the cockpit onto the squishy loam and the Raider canopy clicked shut as security systems sealed it tight.
"Gyaagh, feels like a locker room…" Ryo grimaced and tugged at his armor collar. Sehkmet glanced up at the thick forest canopy and the faint bits of sunlight leaking through.
"Hmm…this actually isn't so bad…" he commented softly.
"Mia's findings indicated the presence of a small village at the shore of a river not far from here. Such bodies are scarce in the peninsula, and an isolated tribe would need a source of fresh water. We are fortunate this part of the rainforest yet remains intact," Anubis commented. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Ryo had taken loose fronds off the forest floor and draped them heavily over the Raider, concealing it from prying eyes.
"Allright, everyone remember where we parked," he chirped and sprang onto the ground. The three took off on foot through the thick underbrush. Overhead, native wildlife observed with curiosity. Soon after the three Ronin had left the general area of the parked Raider, birds took flight abruptly and small animals scampered off into hiding.
A group of towering bulky forms stomped out from a blob of shadow that formed in the underbrush, and in the middle of them strode a petite figure with long black hair.
*zzzzzzzzz* *WHAP!* "Man! I don't think there's a square inch of my face that hasn't gotten bitten by something!" Ryo hissed as he caught the offending mosquito. "Hey Anubis, I haven't seen you swat one so far. How come they haven't been going after you?"
"They know better than to dare," Anubis replied as he led the team through the forest.
"What about you Sehk? You gotten any bites?" Ryo glanced over his shoulder. Just then a lone mosquito settled onto Sehkmet's pale skin and stuck its proboscis into his flesh in search of a capillary. Its abdomen swelled with fresh blood. It went rigid then fell off Sehkmet's skin.
"None that lived to tell the tale," Sehkmet replied with a grin.
"I hear the sound of running water. We're close to the river," Anubis declared. Sure enough, after much shoved branches and snapped twigs underfoot, they arrived at the muddy shore bordering swift-moving waters. The current kept most of the sediment pressed against the bed, and bits of dead vegetation clumped onto half-buried branches. "The village is on the other side, I believe…ah, how fortuitous…" Anubis commented upon spotting a felled tree that served as a natural bridge over the river. The three began walking towards the upended trunk.
They had barely reached the exposed root mat when an energy blast tore the trunk in half, sending the ruined bridge sliding into the current. The three glanced behind them to see a quartet of Destroyer-class troops lumbering towards them with raised weapons.
"Blast it Talpa, must you hound our every move?!" Anubis growled.
"Let's armor up and crumple these bucket heads!" Ryo shouted and splayed his fingers.
"No! We can't! These are Dark Elites: Lord Tchnetun's twisted legacy!" Sehkmet warned, sensing the residual Dark Power emanating from the empowered constructs.
"Let me handle this then. LION!" Ryo raised his AnimArmor ring and called upon Lyor. The glowing outline of a lion appeared briefly before exploding and reforming as armor plates on Ryo's body. Ryo reached down and retrieved the specialized darts the Thunthen had crafted for just such an occasion. While he equipped the cartridges to his normal darts, the Destroyer Droids opened fire with their arm cannons. Senkmet and Anubis hunkered down near the forest floor, but the blasts set the underbrush afire. Ryo shot off the triggered heat rounds too late to stop the Destroyers' wanton destruction. By the time the chest cavity of the last standing Destroyer melted into slag, the surrounding trees had already erupted into flame.
"Can't you do something, Ryo? Fire is your domain!" Anubis argued.
"I can't tell it to just turn itself off! Best I can do is contain it! It'll have to burn itself out," Ryo shouted above the crackle of tinder and held his hand out at the fire, concentrating.
One tree already had its branches alight and looked ready to topple over and spread fire to other trees. Sehkmet noticed the strained look on Ryo's face and glanced around for a solution.
Remembering Anubis' earlier tactic, Sehkmet moved around the tree and pressed hard against the trunk. The strength of his sub-armor proved sufficient enough to topple the tree into the nearby river, dousing the flaming canopy. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled; pleased when he saw the flames hadn't spread to the rest of the tree tops.
He didn't see it in time when a limp vine fluttered towards the ground and draped over his shoulder. One end of the vine snagged onto a drowned branch that snapped under the powerful current. The vine went taught around Sehkmet's neck, and he could only gag and flail his arms as the force dragged him into the river and under the current. Sehkmet struggled to untangle the vine from his neck, but it had caught him just above the armor collar and dug into his skin painfully. He lashed out with one arm, and as he did so the band of his wrist-com caught onto a buried branch and slipped off his wrist entirely. The current dragged him further away, and water slowly seeped into the screen panel of the wrist-com. It flickered briefly before going dark.
"What a waste…" Ryo sighed as he surveyed the smoking cinders as the fire had eventually exhausted itself after several minutes.
"It was either this or the entire forest, you know that," Anubis reminded. "We should not linger. We must continue our trek and find another way to cross the river before the Dynasty redoubles its efforts to thwart our quest." Anubis blinked and looked over his shoulder. "Where…where is Sehkmet?" he blinked and turned around.
"I swear I just saw him a moment ago…" Ryo muttered and powered down into Lion sub-armor. He raised his arm and tried to bring up Sehkmet's com signal. "I'm not getting any readings…either the heat damaged our coms or his got destroyed."
"He's not dead, otherwise we'd sense it."
"ArmSig shows him in this direction, but it's not giving me a specific location. It just says he's in the general area. It means he's allright at least…" Ryo said and peered at the blinking dark green dot on the screen. "I guess we'll run into him eventually if we keep following the signal." Ryo moved to step forward but Anubis abruptly raised an arm to block him. "Whoa, what gives? I thought you were worried about him too?" Anubis hissed for him to be quiet. Ryo blinked.
"We are being watched…" Anubis muttered and glared into the underbrush.
"Mmmph…" Sehkmet groaned softly and opened one eye to find himself mostly face-down in wet leaves and loam. He thought he heard some sort of singing or humming and slowly pushed himself to hands and knees. He felt as if the river itself surged through his skull.
A girl of about nineteen knelt several feet from the shore. Deep shiny chestnut hair flowed down her back and shoulders and brightly colored feathers hung from a polished wooden clip in her hair. She wore what looked like a weathered pair of denim shorts, heavily frayed along the edges. A vest of intricately patterned woven wool covered a gray tank top. Worn sneakers covered her feet, protecting her tanned brown skin from the forest floor.
She hummed to herself in a language Sehkmet didn't understand and seemed to be shucking seed pods of some sort, discarding the hulls and placing the clean seeds into a satchel. Sehkmet pushed himself to stand, and the sun at his back cast a shadow towards the girl, who looked up, noticing him for the first time. Her eyes widened, for she didn't see a brown-armored man with pale skin and wild green hair, but a column of earth that rose up from the forest floor itself, framed by golden sunlight. The girl gasped and staggered to her feet, eyes wide in shock.
Sehkmet still felt dizzy from having nearly drowned, but could still see clearly enough the girl's awed expression and how she backed away from him. He saw something slithering on the ground behind her and opened his mouth to shout a warning. Too late, however, to stop the girl from backing up and stepping on the slender form hiding in the grass behind her.
The girl cried out when the snake swept its head up and sank its fangs into her calf. Sehkmet cried out in alarm and sprang forward, catching the girl in his arms as she toppled backward onto the ground. He reached down and grabbed the venomous snake, briefly studying the pattern of its scales and hissing in dismay when he recognized its species. He tossed the snake away into the underbrush, where it landed on a mat of leaves and slithered away about its own business.
"Go on! Shoo!" Sehkmet scolded. The girl sobbed uncontrollably and spat off something incoherent to him. "Of course it was gonna bite you. What'd you think would happen? How would you feel if someone stepped on you?"
"Ay Dios Mio! Estoy Muerto!" the girl gibbered, tears running down her cheek.
"No, you're not going to die. Stop fussing already," Sehkmet scolded, even though the girl most certainly would die without a trip to a hospital, of the like that could not be found for miles around. "Hold still," Sehkmet patted her on the shoulder then placed one hand on her leg and leaned down. The girl went rigid, either from terror or onset of paralysis, and watched bewildered as Sehkmet placed his lips against her skin around the puncture marks from the fangs. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and the girl slowly relaxed. Sehkmet leaned back up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, taking a deep breath. He studied the skin around the wound and saw no further discoloration. "There, all better now. Here, I'll help you stand…"
"You did not spit…" the girl spoke, and he understood her clearly. He blinked in surprise.
"Uh, what? Oh, the venom you mean. Well, um, I sort of have a tolerance for that sort of thing…" Sehkmet offered weakly and rubbed the back of his head.
"You…you…are a Scion of Kukulkan!" the girl exclaimed and clasped her hands together.
"…excuse me?" Sehkmet asked in a tiny voice, blinking several times.
"The Serpent of the Sky, the Solar Saint! You rose from the Earth to save me!" The girl scrambled to her knees. "I am Layna Mendez. I will serve you, Scion of Kukulkan!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, you got me all wrong. I'm not a snake god or anything… I'm a Ronin Warrior…from Japan? Please tell me you've seen a globe, or a map at least…"
"I must bring you to Oruro, the tribal elder. He will wish to meet you. You fulfill the prophecy of the Armored Gods!" Layna bounced to her feet and clasped her hands happily.
"Armored Gods? Wait a minute…your elder, he's Mayan, isn't he? Was his ancestor a member of the Mystic Alliance? Does he know the Ancient? Um…" Sehkmet fumbled to remember the proper word. "Kaosu?" he recalled the Ancient One's truest name.
"I don't know, but he would. Oruro keeps safe all the old lore and teaches us, even those from outside…" Layna trailed off and Sehkmet saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes. She smiled, regaining her peppy demeanor and tugged at his arm. "I can lead the way. Follow, and they'll honor you, Scion of Kukulkan!" she insisted.
"Okay okay, but seriously. My name is Sehkmet. You don't have to go through so much pomp and-" Sehkmet stiffened when he heard a distant rumble and looked skyward, spotting the clouds through the open canopy over the river. Dark crackling lumbered overhead. "That's not a good sound. That's not a good sound at all…" he grimaced. Bolts of black lightning struck the soil not far from the two of them. "We have to go, now!" Sehkmet scooped up the girl in his arms and took off running. He ducked in time to avoid a hail of gunfire from a Dynasty Droid. Layna pressed her face against her chest, looking terrified by the sound. Sehkmet glanced around for any way to cross the river. He spotted a thick hanging vine just low enough to reach.
"Hold on!" he shouted. Layna wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes as Sehkmet crouched and sprang up, grabbing the vine. It held their weight and he swung over the rushing water, landing safely on the shore. He set Layna down behind a tree and turned to face the pursuers on the opposite bank. They didn't look like Elites, but he didn't want to risk it.
"Do you think us so weak that we fear water?" one soldier snorted.
"You are not Torrent to command the waves against us," another sneered and the soldiers waded into the water, the current coming up to their hips. They didn't see the scaled forms dipping in and out of the water. Sehkmet flicked a glance at them then at the two soldiers.
"No…but I command something else," Sehkmet smirked. "I'd turn back if I were you." The soldiers trudged on, their heavy metal bodies weighing them down against the current. "I really…wouldn't do that…if I were you…" They ignored his warning, raising their weapons.
Two large scaled forms burst out from the river and coiled around the bodies of the Dynasty Droids. The soldiers grunted in surprise and thrashed their arms, but the two boa constrictors wound tightly enough to avoid their line of fire. Their thick powerful bodies crushed the arm, neck, and leg joints of the Dyansty Droids, sending the wrecks toppling into the river. Sehkmet chuckled merrily and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"I'm sorry they're not edible, but I owe you one!" he shouted as the boas took their leave. He turned around and blinked, surprised to see Layna kneeling on the ground with her forehead close to the soil. She uttered prayers in a different language than what he'd heard before from her. Sehkmet blinked several times then sighed in dismay and shook his head.
"Hnngh!" Anubis cocked his head to the side and caught the arrow shaft. He glanced at it and saw not a crude bolt, but precise craftsmanship with a sturdy wood shaft, elaborate fletching, and an arrowhead made of pure obsidian. He blinked when he felt something and reached up, rubbing two fingertips against the bleeding cut on his cheek. Obsidian, when properly worked, could yield an edge sharper than any forged blade.
"We're not here to fight you all! We're not enemies!" Ryo argued, trying to reason with the dozen or more armed native warriors arrayed against the two Ronin. Some of the warriors lowered their bows but instead lifted what looked like reed shafts and inserted feathered darts into one end, raising them to their lips. "Oh, you wanna play?" Ryo raised both clawnchers.
"Ryo, stay your aim!" Anubis shouted and held his arm to the side. Ryo blinked when Anubis blocked his line of fire. "These warriors use darts laced with a potent toxin that could drop us where we stand. They are not ignorant savages to be trifled with, but proud defenders of their ancient heritage. They are to be respected and yielded to," and with that, Ryo saw Anubis do something he'd never seen him do before: stand down. Anubis raised both hands near his chest, palms forward, then lowered his arms. Ryo glanced from him to the warriors then reluctantly lowered his clawnchers and mimicked Anubis' gesture.
"It is quite rare to see such a learned man at a young age, but I suspect your countenance hides much wisdom," a voice spoke from the side. The warriors lowered their weapons and Ryo and Anubis turned to greet the newcomer, an elderly man with lean features clad in cotton robes woven with intricate designs. "We saw the smoke and at first worried that outsiders once more sought to ravage our homes, but I am glad to see that is not the case."
"We were attacked by adversaries of ours en route to your village," Anubis explained.
"Since my father and his father and his father's time, we have awaited the arrival of Kaosu's charges, or as we took to calling them; the Armored Gods. I am Oruro, the elder of our village. There is much to be discussed, but such things would be said best under shelter. The Gulf brings much rain, as you know, and as you can see," the elderly man nodded skyward where rumbling thunderclouds rolled overhead, bringing with them the moisture of the sea rather than the darkness of the Dynasty. "Our village is not far, if you will follow me." The warriors arranged themselves in two columns escorting their elder and the two Ronin down the path.
Rain sheeted all around them, with only the tiny patch of ground they sat upon remaining dry. Sehkmet sat with his knees pulled to his chest and his arms resting atop, while Layna sat huddled beside him. She glanced up all around at the canopy then smiled at Sehkmet. "You have a keen sense to have found the one safe shelter amid the storm."
"Oh…it's nothing, really…" Sehkmet shrugged and averted his gaze. Layna had not craned her head far enough back to have spotted the glistening scaled mass twined through the branches far overhead. Sehkmet had appealed to a nearby nest of snakes and they had latched their tails onto branches and pressed their bodies together, forming a scaled roof that diverted rainfall away from the two humans below. Layna giggled and rest her head against Sehkmet's shoulder.
"Mi heroe," she sighed. Sehkmet's cheeks turned slightly pinkish but he didn't protest. Layna drifted off to sleep despite the clap of thunder overhead.
While the storms continued outside, Ryo and Anubis seated themselves cross-legged on the packed dirt floor of one of the thatched long houses of the village. Candles flickered in high-walled pots arranged in the middle of the room. "We are not so isolated that we hear nothing of the outside world. When I received word of your awakening in Japan as well as your journey to North America, we knew the time would soon come when you would seek our legacy. We have kept it safe for many centuries. At times we worried Death Moth would find us first."
"'Death Moth'?" Anubis raised an eyebrow.
"He means Kai. The smug bastard used to be Talpa's hitman," Ryo explained.
"There was another member of our party. He is armored as we are-" Anubis began.
"Ah, the Scion of Kukulkan!" Oruro raised both eyebrows and smiled.
"Cuckoo-what?" Ryo blinked and made a face.
"Kukulkan…if I recall correctly, a feathered-serpent god, said to be a divine messenger. Sort of a cousin to Quetzalcoatl," Anubis commented and scratched his brow.
"What is it with people mixing Sehk up with gods…" Ryo grumbled. "He's not a god or anything. He's a Ronin Warrior, same as we are."
"I see you take little stock in divine intervention. We have long held that while the gods themselves may have withdrawn from the world, they have on occasion lent their power to mortal champions who fight in their stead," Oruro chuckled.
"A rather interesting concept, one I've heard mention of before," Anubis remarked.
"Your friend was last seen in the company of another member of our village, but my scouts dared not follow further. They travel into dangerous lands, and we have not the strength to protect what we once held so many years ago. The reliquary housing our legacy remains untouched for now, but outsiders grow ever more aggressive, destroying heedlessly.
"Layna came from a simple farming village where her family grew only what they needed. However, they stood in the path of the outsiders and the lumber they coveted. In most such situations, the villagers will simply flee. Sometimes they are defiant, and proud, and brave…and for their impertinence, they are slaughtered. Layna was the only survivor of her family. My scouts found her as a child, bloody and frightened. We took her in and treat her as our own, but she is still very young, and needs very much to believe in god-heroes…"
The rain had stopped hours ago and Sehkmet and Layna had fallen asleep on their sides huddled close to each other. Sehkmet's eyelids fluttered and he grunted when he heard a loud sound; not gunfire, but something else very familiar. Sehkmet pulled himself up in a crouch and raised an eyebrow, finally recognizing the sound; saw blades against wood. He heard loud cracks and could see parts of the forest collapsing. Layna had also awoken and sat on the ground, eyes wide in dread. The tree infront of them collapsed to the side, revealing a swath of ruin. Sehkmet raised his arm to shield himself from spraying wood chips and lowered it to study the intruders.
A group of four men accompanied a dingy truck hauling a trailer stacked high with freshly cut logs. Two of them held chainsaws and the others held shotguns. One of them stepped forward and laughed, exposing hideous yellowed teeth. A scar ran from under the left eye down to the chin. Sehkmet glanced down when he heard Layna whimper and saw her hiding behind his legs. Her hands wrapped around his armored thigh tightly and she looked terrified by the sight of the scarred man. Sehkmet frowned and glanced back up at the men, rising to his feet.
"Gentlemen! Mind if I ask what you all are doing?" He folded his arms over his chest.
"Whassit look like we're doin'," the leader snickered. Sehkmet glanced at the truck, which bore no markings of any sort indicating that it belonged to a legitimate company.
"…something illegal?"
"Yeah? So what if we are? Wut ya gonna do about it?"
"I dunno…stop you maybe?" Sehkmet made a pouting expression and shrugged. The leader cocked the hammer back on his shotgun and took a step forward, grinning.
"Oh yeah? You an wut army?" he sneered. His companions brandished their weapons.
Sehkmet's lips peeled back in the biggest, toothiest, warlordiest grin ever.
"Okay, I'm only gonna say this once, so I hope you clowns are listening and listening good," Sehkmet growled from where he stood on a high branch holding the scarred man and another man by their ankles over the river. The two boa constrictors who'd assisted him earlier leaned up from the current, tongues flicking in anticipation. Dozens of venomous snakes twined around the arms and legs of the other two thugs, bringing their noses close to their exposed skin. "You're not going to set foot in this forest ever again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Sure man! Wuteva you say! We'll find sumwhere else to cut trees!" the scarred man bawled.
"No, you're NOT! I don't want you cutting any trees! You're going to find something a lot less destructive and a lot more productive to do…like knitting…or pottery…" Sehkmet flicked his glance sideways then glared back down at the men he held. "If you so much as touch a twig, I'll find out about it! I have eyes and ears everywhere, you see?" The twin boas hinged their mouths open eagerly and the venomous snakes brandished their needle-sharp fangs. "There's not a place on this planet without snakes…except Antarctica…and the Arctic Circle…" Sehkmet glanced to the side again and pouted. "So unless you want my little friends to feast on your meaty bits, you'd better watch yourselves from here on out. GOT IT!?" Sehkmet bellowed and flung the two men he held onto the ground near the truck. The snakes binding the other two unwound and the men scrambled away. All four of them took off running down the path they'd broken through the forest, screaming hysterically and cringing away from anything green.
"Keep an eye on them until they get back to civilization, will you?" Sehkmet nodded at the venomous snakes. They swarmed through the brush after the quartet. Sehkmet leapt down onto the ground next to the truck and noticed a large plastic cooler in the back. He opened it up and saw it packed full of beverages and wrapped sandwiches, along with ice to keep them cold. He unwrapped several of the sandwiches then flung them at the boas. "It's not warm, fresh meat, but it's all I got for now. Enjoy!" The boas reached up and caught their prizes in their mouths, greedily devouring the meals. Sehkmet pulled out two drinks and two more sandwiches and walked over to where he'd left Layna. "Here, you could do with a snack yourself…"
He found Layna once more kneeling on the ground, praising his divine might in the ancient Mayan dialect. Sehkmet sighed and hung his shoulders, shaking his head.
He'd eventually coaxed Layna into accepting his offering and after they'd both eaten, they took off walking through the forest once more, this time headed away from the river.
"We're actually close to the reliquary my tribe guards. Oruro says when the Armored Gods appear, the reliquary will be opened and the treasure it guards released into their care."
"Knowing Ryo and Anubis, they probably already met your elder and are on their way. I suppose we can chill out at the reliquary until they arrive." Sehkmet paused when he spotted something and reached up, pulling at a mass of vines and roots covering what looked like worked stone. He exposed a carven pillar that crudely resembled a serpent; his divine namesake, he assumed. Long grasses and roots likewise concealed the remnants of a stone road beneath their feet. Layna smiled at him and they continued walking. They hadn't moved away from the pillar more than a few feet before something struck it and sent stone showering in all directions. Sehkmet cried out and used his body to shield Layna from the debris. He looked over his shoulder and saw more Dynasty Droids and Destroyer-class troops.
"You have our thanks, traitor, for guiding us ever closer to the treasure Master Talpa seeks. There is no escape for you this time, and your scaled allies are of no use against our numbers!" Sehkmet urged Layna to take shelter behind another intact pillar and turned to face the enemy.
"I just noticed something: you're not Elites!" Sehkmet remarked cheerfully. "ARMOR OF VENOM! TAO KO!" Layna watched amazed as energy enveloped Sehkmet then scattered, revealing him in all his armored glory. Sehkmet drew two Snake Fang Swords and readied them.
"You're not a Scion of Kukulkan…you are Kukulkan!" she whispered in awe.
"Die, traitor!" The Destroyers opened fire with their cannons, but Sehkmet had trained under T'plaureth same as Ryo, Tanya, Sage, and Cale had, and he caught and deflected the energy blasts back at the Destroyers before they had a chance to strike any trees. The blasts sent the Doom Lords staggering and Sehkmet used the opportunity to hurl the two swords he held into the plated chests. Despite the reinforced armor and anti-corrosion coating, the blades dug deep enough to begin melting away at the core processors. Sehkmet recalled his swords into his hands as the Destroyers began disintegrating into black dust.
The rest of the Dynasty Droids opened fire. Layna had to press her stomach against the ground and clamped her arms over her head, but she flicked her gaze up enough to see Sehkmet employ various techniques to deflect gunfire. Each slash of his blade left a lingering crimson mist in the air, and while it burned away the grass beneath him, it also melted any incoming bullets. "It's time to end this! SNAKE FANG STRIKE!" Sehkmet drew out all six swords and linked them together in a crackling whip of light. He lashed to the side and cut through the remaining Dynasty Droids, slicing through their cores and sending black dust scattering spectacularly. Two of the swords flew back into Sehkmet's grip and the other four slid neatly into their scabbards at his hips. Sehkmet surveyed the area before looking over his shoulder to make sure Layna remained safe. He saw her gazing at him happily, and the look on her face in turn gladdened him.
Sehkmet's eyes widened when a dark pulse wracked his body. W-W-What? His arms rose of their own accord and his legs moved jerkily, turning to face Layna.
Kill her. Flay her flesh… he heard the sinister childish voice in his mind.
NO! How could I have forgotten-! "L-L-Layna…r-r-run!" Sehkmet croaked as he took another step towards the girl, swords raised. "S-Something's w-wrong! This isn't me!"
Run your swords through her fragile flesh… Fingers in the shadows moved lazily, and glistening violet threads seemed to extend from the fingertips to Sehkmet.
"You are Kukulkan. I believe in you…" Layna whispered and knelt on the ground, apparently leaving herself to his mercy. Venom dripped from the blades and onto the ground, sizzling.
This isn't time for hero worship! RUN! RUN! Wait a minute... Sehkmet blinked in sudden realization. Why am I telling her to run? This is my fight! I'm supposed to be the warrior here! Sehkmet's hands shuddered and he managed to open his fingers, dropping his swords.
Oh? What is this? Eyes narrowed in the shadows, observing with interest as Sehkmet shakily curled his fingers in a gesture. He pulled his hands close to his chest with great effort and cried out from the pain of forcefully shedding his armor. The violet strands shattered abruptly. He's stronger than I thought…interesting.
"We need to get out of here!" Sehkmet-now in sub-armor- scooped up Layna and took off running. He sprang up into the trees and dashed along the branches. Out of nowhere came a small spike attached to a thin cable that wrapped around his ankle and yanked roughly. Sehkmet yelped and rolled himself around in time as he landed back-first on the ground, still holding Layna close. He shook his leg free from the cord and tried to spring away but halted when a petite form landed in his path. He set Layna down and put himself between her and Kylyra.
"You are the first to have ever broken free of my control. I applaud you, Sehkmet, but I cannot allow you or the girl to live at this point…" Kylyra stated and smiled drawing her own swords. Sehkmet didn't have an AnimArmor like Ryo, and without his com he couldn't call for help. He blinked and glanced to the side when he noticed something slithering along a tree trunk. He reached out and grabbed it around its midsection. The snake hissed in protest as Sehkmet flung it at Kylyra. Its mouth hinged wide and Kylyra grunted in annoyance as it plunged its fangs into her cheek. The fangs couldn't pierce the black stone underneath, and Kylyra swatted the snake away, snorting in disgust. "Throwing snakes? How juvenile…" she sniffed.
Sehkmet looked worried at first, but then his lips pulled back in a grin and he straightened himself confidently. "Hey Kylyra, ever hear of a Lancehead Viper?"
"No. Should I?" Kylyra chuckled softly.
"Yes, you should, especially if you're traveling in these parts. See, the interesting thing about Lanceheads is they're some of the most dangerous snakes in the world. Their venom is so potent, some species can literally melt flesh from bone," Sehkmet explained.
"Well, it is fortunate I lack flesh in that case," Kylyra replied, smiling.
"But you have skin." Kylyra blinked in confusion. "And that venom has to go somewhere, right? Now where could it possibly go…" Just then, Kylyra heard a curious rasping sound and looked down at her arm. Her eyes widened in worry as some of her pale skin seemed to dry up and wrinkle like paper. She reached up to her cheek where the snake had bitten her and rubbed the skin with her fingertips. She heard a crackling and much to her horror saw bits of her skin had flaked off into her palm. She pulled off her gauntlet and saw her skin shriveling all along her hand and fingertips. Bits of white skin began peeling away, exposing the black stone that composed her body. Kylyra wailed and clutched at her face as more of her skin peeled.
"AAAH! AAAAH!" she cried and shook her head. Swirling petals flew up around her and she vanished. Sehkmet threw his head back and let out a hearty triumphant cackle.
"Hey, you allright back there?" he looked over his shoulder. Layna had fallen to her knees once again, worshipping her god-hero. Sehkmet blinked and scratched the back of his head.
"So, this is the reliquary? Seems kind of big just to hide one little artifact…" Sehkmet commented as he and Layna stood at the foot of a vine-choked ruin. Chipped stairs led up the shallow pyramid and the stone visage of Kukulkan marked the foot of the stairs.
"The ancients wanted to ensure no one but the Armored Gods could open the way," Layna said as she and Sehkmet ascended the stairs. They arrived at the top where a large stone slab covered the entrance of the temple. Sehkmet leaned close and noticed the presence of what looked like small tiles covering the slab. He reached out and pushed one with a fingertip, and much to his surprise, it sank slightly. He withdrew his hand and the tile moved back into place. He took a step back and studied the surface. The tiles seemed arranged in a series of patterns.
"There is a riddle Oruro taught us to remember our duty," Layna began and sat down on the top of the stair. "'Fire clears the way for spring growth; a cruel necessity. Blooms cover the earth in summer's peak; Brilliant illusions hiding hazards. Hurricanes bring water to cleanse the soil in autumn; washing away poison. The green sleeps under light in winter; cold corruption withering weakness. Into the air rise seeds carried far along the wind; bringing hope to the next year. Thus the cycle repeats.'" Layna finished while Sehkmet continued studying the huge wall.
"Hang on a minute!" he gasped as he recognized something in the design of the tiles, remembering the elaborate security measures Leonardo da Vinci had created in the glacier in Iceland. "It's not a riddle! It's a code!" Sehkmet turned around and put two fingers into his mouth. Layna watched, confused as Sehkmet let out a long shrill whistle followed by three short whistles. She blinked when she heard a strange sound and gasped softly when something scooted underneath her, lifting her up from the stone briefly.
Garter snakes! Hundreds of them! They arranged themselves at the head of the stair and peered up at Sehkmet, awaiting his command. He pointed at the slab and they slithered up along the surface. Sehkmet traced the outline of four squares arranged in a diamond in the air with his fingertips; Ryo's insignia of Wildfire. Fire clears the way for spring growth… The snakes used their bodies to depress the tiles, and a click could be heard from the stone. a cruel necessity… He traced the outline of a horned demon with a flaring mane: Anubis's Cruelty emblem.
The tiles comprised the image of all ten of the Ronin Warriors' insignias overlapping each other. Each time the garter snakes pressed the tiles in the proper design, the stone clicked again. Layne watched as Sehkmet conducted the snakes like a hissing orchestra as he traced the emblems for Hardrock, Illusion, Torrent, Venom, Halo, Corruption, Strata and finally Typhoon. The snakes held their position until the stone slab shuddered and began sliding down into a newly-opened cavity. The snakes promptly peeled away from the stone and slithered back down the stairs, passing under Layna briefly. Sehkmet shielded his face with one arm as air undisturbed for centuries wafted out of the reliquary. He took a step forward and entered the dark.
"We are nearly there. I will help you open the way, but I will need assistance…" Oruro stated as he and his warriors led the way through the forest. They exited the dense undergrowth and arrived at the foot of a stone pyramid. Oruro began walking up the stairs but halted when he saw the absence of the tiled slab. "NO! The reliquary has been defiled!" he gasped in horror.
"NO IT HASN'T! I'M RIGHT HERE!" an annoyed voice hollered. Oruro, Ryo, and Anubis walked further up the stairs and saw Sehkmet perched atop the temple. His legs dangled over the edge lazily and he rested his cheek against his fist and held something in one hand. "Ryo, I found what we've been looking for!" Sehkmet held up the polished obsidian orb for them to see.
"I can rest peacefully now that our long watch has ended," Oruro began as he held open a padded wooden case identical to the one Mia had used to hold the stone base. Ryo carefully placed the orb inside and Oruro closed the case and held it out to him. "Though our duty to this forest remains, our legacy is now yours to guard. May it serve you well."
"Thanks for all your help, Oruro. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask," Ryo promised and pulled off his wrist-com and handed it to the elderly man, who accepted it gratefully. Ryo prepared to bow in respect but paused when Oruro walked over to Sehkmet. Layna followed close behind and Oruro grabbed her wrist gently.
"As for you, Son of Kukulkan, I offer you Layna's hand. She is yours to take as a bride as a sign of gratitude from my people," Oruro stated and grabbed Sehkmet's wrist, putting his and Layna's hands together. Sehkmet's cheeks turned bright pink, not quite Wildfire red, but close.
"Um…I don't really deserve such praise. I mean, I'm not exactly a Solar Saint or whatever she called me…" Sehkmet stammered and rubbed the back of his head.
"Just take the compliment for what it is…" Anubis growled and rubbed his brow while Ryo wrinkled his nose. Sehkmet glanced from them to Layna, who looked up at him hopefully. He didn't want to outright refuse her, but he couldn't see himself tying the knot, at least not so soon.
"Uh…well…things…aren't really so good right now. With the Dynasty and all…it's too dangerous for me to take you across the sea. You'd be safer staying here in the village…" Sehkmet's breath caught in his throat when he saw Layna frown sadly. "But, I assure you I will return one day, and from now on the entire village has my protection!" he added hastily. All around on the trees slithered snakes of various species. "I will not forget," Layna's face lit up as Sehkmet stooped forward and kissed the back of her hand. "And…I look forward to that day."
"Come on mister god-hero. Let's get back to the Roost," Ryo grumbled and slung the red case over his shoulder. The three of them turned and took off walking towards the Raider.
"I will think of you every day Senor Sehkmet!" Layna waved. Sehkmet looked over his shoulder and waved back, smiling. "And I look forward to bearing you many sons!"
Upon hearing that, both Ryo and Anubis fell over.
"I don't know what else to tell you! I can't sense any magical energy from either the base or the orb!" Kayura sputtered as she stood near the console.
"So the Ronin Warriors flew halfway around the globe to track down a centuries-old paperweight?!" Bak Thraplek snapped, holding the obsidian orb in one hand while the stone base rested atop the console. Ryo and Anubis leaned against the wall, observing the exchange.
"You're welcome to see for yourself with your devices," Kayura shook her head and waved.
"I think I will, matter of fact," Bak snorted and carefully set the orb atop the stone base where the ten spikes seemed to fit into cavities carved into the obsidian. "Perhaps, milady, you are not as skilled in detection as you make yourself out to be! Miz, run a full scan," Bak ordered. Miz Paufan, who sat at the chair, typed away and a grid of glowing lines slid over the orb.
The main screen flashed bright red and bold characters in Highscript appeared in the center of the screen. Miz went rigid in his seat and his eyes darted over the readout. "Captain! Something just got uploaded into our systems!" he gasped, horrified.
"What? How? From where!?" Kayura took a step back as Bak moved to Miz's side, leaning over the console. Miz stammered and glanced from the readouts to the scanner.
"From…from that!" Miz stated in an awed whisper. All eyes in the room turned to the volcanic stone base and the polished obsidian orb.
"Tell me, what do you see?" Bak asked as he held the orb in one hand and one of the Thunthen's thin computer tablets above it with his other hand. Ryo studied the image.
"I'm not seeing anything…" he shook his head and shrugged. Bak tapped the tablet with his thumb and the image magnified. Ryo squinted and leaned forward. "Nope…still nothing…" Bak snorted in exasperation and tapped the screen several more times, increasing the magnification level. Ryo peered close and frowned. "All I'm seeing is a bunch of lines and dots…" the marks had been etched carefully across the entire surface of the orb which he'd initially assumed to be entirely smooth. The artisan had to have gone blind from the effort.
Bak leaned close, and if Ryo hadn't known him for so long and trusted him as a friend, he would've feared for the safety of his head as Bak's lips peeled back in a giddy toothy grin. "It's binary!" he hissed with glee and held the orb out to Ryo. "The language of computers set in stone centuries before the first circuit board. A program so advanced, it could not be realized until the rest of technology caught up with it! The orb is actually comprised of multiple layers, painstakingly polished and etched, each layer containing another piece of the program. Only a thorough scan of the kind we utilize could have revealed the truth. When placed atop the base properly and subjected to a comprehensive scan, the program effectively extracts itself into the associated system and self-installs!" Ryo took the orb from Bak and turned it over in his hand.
"'Written in a special language…and cast by those learned in the art'…" he muttered, recalling a comment Reiou had made concerning the link between technology and magic.
"The wonders capable of your ancient artisans…there are no words…" Bak whispered hoarsely, looking on the verge of tears. Kayura had her arms folded over her chest and a smug smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but she retained her composure.
"Captain, the program itself remains unnamed in our system. What should it be called?" Miz asked over his shoulder. Bak glanced at him then at Ryo, who grinned and chuckled.
"What else? Call it Oracle." Miz nodded and name ORACLE appeared on the screen.
"Well congratulations. We flew thousands of miles to fetch a five-hundred year old diskette. Big whoop! Now that that's all over with, I'm going to go to my room and milk my snakes," Sehkmet grumbled from where he stood in the archway and waved a hand over his shoulder. Ryo blinked at that remark and Anubis raised an eyebrow. Sehkmet paused and turned around, noticing the awkward silence. "For venom! Sheesh, what did you think I meant?"
"Uh…what did I think I thought he meant?" Ryo grimaced.
"It's best not to dwell upon it…" Anubis muttered under his breath.
Sehkmet approached the door to his room. It slid open and he moved his foot to one side to catch something that almost slithered out. "Hey, you trying to make a run for it? How'd you get out?" he stooped down and picked up the snake in one hand then entered the room, the door sliding shut behind him. Just as Dais had decorated his and Danae's room to look like Thanged, Sehkmet had made a little piece of rainforest inside his room with troughs full of thick plants and glass tanks housing dozens of snakes. "Oh silly me, I left the lid open this morning. Sorry, my bad," he laughed and placed the snake inside its tank. "You hungry? Want a mouse?"
Sehkmet reached into another tank and pulled out a small squirming white-furred mouse by its tail. The mouse stared at him nervously and twitched its whiskers. Sehkmet stared back, smiling then lowered the mouse into the glass tank. "Here you go!" He withdrew his now-empty hand from the tank and slid the lid shut. "Okay, whose turn is it today? Michi? What about you?" Sehkmet walked over to another tank and reached inside, grabbing hold of a writhing snake.
He walked over to a desk and pulled out a small glass jar covered in a taut membrane then closed his hand around the snake's neck and pressed his thumb against the top of its head, forcing it to bare its fangs. He picked up the jar with his other hand and pushed the snake's fangs into the membrane. "Come on, don't be stingy…" he scolded. Yellowish fluid dribbled from the tips of the fangs into the jar. Once no more venom flowed, he carefully removed the snake's fangs and set it back into its tank and shut the lid. He retrieved a cap from a drawer in the desk and screwed the cap onto the jar then took out a black marker, scribbling the date and time on the jar before setting it in a small cold case.
After the Plague on Thanged, he'd made an arrangement with Charles O'Connor to provide venom for medical use. Sehkmet chuckled to himself as he mused over Layna's comments about Kukulkan. Only more modern religions demonized snakes. Indeed, in most ancient cultures, snakes were considered benevolent with roles either in fertility or healing.
Sehkmet closed the case and walked over to his bed and laid down, clasping his hands under his head. Not all poisons are bad… he smiled, remembering the young girl who adored him.
Author's Notes
This chapter ended up being much harder to work on than I previously intended. The original version involved the introduction of the "Children of the Negaverse", characters tied to the discontinued Ronin Warriors/Sailor Scouts Unite crossover. However redoing this chapter wasn't so easy as just replacing x name with y character. It required redoing almost entirely from scratch, as well as copious amounts of research to try and ground it in reality as much as possible.
Fight Alone is meant to see each individual Ronin placed in a sticky situation, and being this is Sekkie's chapter, I wanted to build more on his character outside of armor as well as his interaction with Layna Mendez. The endgame of Age of Defiance revolves around seeing each of the Ronin paired up with someone, and Layna is intended to be Sehkmet's love interest, albeit several years down the road. Don't snakes give birth to multiple babies…?
Sekkie didn't receive a great deal of characterization in the original series. Anubis was a brutal badass, Dais a manipulative douche, Cale gleefully sadistic, but Sehkmet? Sure he had his rivalry with Cye, but he rarely started off the battle on his own. Usually he'd work from the shadows, letting minions or his venom work on his behalf. Like a snake, he'd deliver a crippling bite then close in to feed once his prey had weakened. His armor when purified is capable of healing, as is true with snake venom in that it can be used to treat serious illnesses beyond merely snake bites.
While there are some ancient depictions of monstrous snakes such as the Hydra and Typhon, there are more instances where snakes act as divine envoys, bestowing blessings or being blessed. Snakes are used to this day in the modern symbol for healing thanks to the story of Asclepius. In another ancient myth, a man cared for baby snakes after their mother was killed, and in return they cleaned his ears so thoroughly he could hear the speech of animals. It's a common gag in fandom that Sehkmet's name is derived from a goddess, but at the same time said goddess was considered the right hand of God and the personification of vengeance and destruction. It fits, all things considered, and again in Egyptian myth, snakes were seen as symbols of divine status.
I used to love watching Bones, but the Pelant arc pretty much killed what otherwise was an enjoyable series. Originally, the Oracle displayed images pertaining to the subject when asked a question. One element I thought noteworthy among Pelant's absurd skillset was how he created a virus using numbers taken from library coding tags. When rewriting this chapter I decided to rework the Oracle with this in mind, as well as taking inspiration from other elements of the Ronin universe, in particular the Mad Scientist's remarks in Gaiden about ancient symbols giving rise to modern computer languages, as well as Mayan mathematical achievements.
In Age of Defiance we've seen the line between science and sorcery become increasingly blurred. Originally technology was portrayed as being inferior to magic, as witnessed with Talpa's subversion of the Mortal Realm, then later Shikaisen employs technology in tandem with magic to nefarious ends. With the introduction of the Thunthen, who insist that they are one and the same, the Ronin find themselves dealing with situations in increasingly unconventional ways.
