Chapter 8: A Rescue and a Rebirth
Sage went running down the hill to wake the guys and explain what was going on. Mean while up in the clearing, Rowen and Serenity were standing together. Serenity was trying to concentrate on the volcano so they could get there safely.
"Got it" Serenity said looking at Rowen and grabbing his hand. "Hold on"
She closed her eyes and pictured the volcano where she had the dream. As she did so Rowen saw everything around him start to get black and he thought he was passing out but a split second later in felt like his body was in a vacuum. His eyes were forced shut as his body felt air moving all around him, then it stopped and he felt like getting sick. He opened his eyes and was attacked by an over joyous Serenity.
"I did it I made it here in one try"
The excitement was broken by a cry for help.
"Please somebody, the ledge is slipping."
"Oh Celine" Serenity ran to the edge of the volcano. "We'll be there soon, just hold on."
She looked at Rowen as he called forth his armor, and created a sphere to levitate himself to Celine. He made his way down to her slowly so not to disturb the rocks. When he got close enough to her, she jumped despite the pain that made her scream out. He put his arms out and caught her hands as the ledge broke apart. As she hung from his arms blood started to drain from the wounds on her arms. Celine looked up at Rowen tears running down her face.
"Rowen I can't hold on!"
"Yes you can just a little more"
He slowly brought her to the edge of the volcano, but before he got her close enough one of her hands slipped.
"Rowen" She screamed
"Celine don't let go"
She slipped out of his grasp because of the blood leaking from a wound on her hand.
"No Celine" Serenity yelled as she watched from the volcano's edge.
As Celine fell Rowen released the sphere he was in and headed straight toward the lava passing Celine in the air, then catching her around the waist. He immediately created the sphere, stopping them a foot away from the molten lava. Celine wrapped her blood coated arms around his neck as he levitated up to safety, where Celine was greeted by the tear stained face of Serenity.
From over their shoulders a voice hollered "Hey, did you get her Rowen" it was Sage as he and the others climbed up the side of the volcano.
"Yea, hurry up."
The rest of the guys ran up the hill to where Celine lay on the ground. Sage took one look at her then was kneeling down next to her, his hands slowly moving over her injuries and erasing them. After five minutes or so he was done.
"Ok Celine, your wounds are all healed but your blood volume is still low, so don't rush anything."
As Sage stood up Ryo sat down next to her in his place.
Grasping her hand "I'm so sorry Celine. I didn't mean…"
Celine stopped him in mid sentence. "Ryo it was not your fault so don't worry about it, besides I found Beauty"
"Really?"
Celine looked at Serenity who looked at Sage.
"I tried to tell them but as soon as they knew Celine was hurt they were all out the door and in the car" Sage explained
Celine started to stand along with Ryo, but when she stood all the way she collapsed and was caught by her blue haired rescuer.
"Thank you."
She stood again, Rowen by her side giving her a sturdy support, so she could walk. She walked to the edge of the volcano and pointed. Her pointing gave Ryo the instruction he needed to walk to the edge and look at the opposite wall, of the volcano.
"See the phoenix engraved on the wall?"
"Yeah, but why didn't I see it before?"
He thought back then looked at the level of the molten lava. "The lava was higher that day it covered half of the engraving."
"So then all you need to do now is to use your power and release her."
"Ok" He called forth his armor of wild fire, and then he took his stance for his power strike. "FLARE UP NOW!"
As he called forth the power, flames shot from his blades straight at the engraving. When he was done the engraving started to glow white hot, then it crumbled revealing a young women, her hands and feet were still bound by the volcano wall. Ryo immediately after seeing her jumped off the ledge, throwing himself out into the center of the volcano. He landed in the lava protected by his armor; he swam to the other side sticking his swords into the wall one at a time, slowly pulling himself up the wall to where she was suspended. When he reached her, he saw a perfectly flat ledge indented in the wall, where the phoenix engraving fell out, for him to stand on.
As Ryo climbed on to the ledge, the rest of the gang had made their way around the mouth of the volcano in about the same amount of time Ryo did, except for Celine who went a little slower till Rowen picked her up and carried her.
Ryo stood in front of Beauty and all he could think of was "wow a real Sleeping Beauty." She had long black hair with dyed red streaks, which was pulled back into a ponytail. He took his hand and put it under her chin and lifted her head so he could see her whole face, only to see a large scar that looked like a burn scar running across her cheek and down her neck into the collar of her black armor with red trim. As his eyes took in the site of her scaring, he face became sad and his eyes glazed over revealing the ancient.
"I'm sorry my darling descendant, it seems that my horrible mistake has been passed down through history to you, I will explain it all to you and the others when I awaken my wife's power within you. But not here, it is too dangerous for them."
With that Ryo blinked and he didn't notice that anything had happened; he just thought he blinked really long. As he let her chin fall back to where it had been and started to tear through the stone that kept her bound, she woke up and looked at her rescuer.
"Thank you" she whispered as he moved to the other hand and she revealed the other side of her face but the scar was gone.
"Where did your scar go?"
"What! You saw it?" she looked down
"Yeah well you were still asleep." He looked at her "There's nothing wrong with it."
She looked up and smiled. "Most people are afraid of me. They call me a monster."
"I've seen monsters and you're not one." He freed her feet and helped her off the wall. He turned away from her and asked "can you climb?"
"No, but I can fly."
He turned around to see her burst into flames and turn into a phoenix.
"Wow" Ryo was stunned.
As she flew out and up, Ryo climbed up and out of the volcano's mouth. All the others looked at the sky to watch Beauty land. When she landed they all greeted her and introduced themselves. Then they all decided to go home and to rest, even though it was sometime in the afternoon.
Meanwhile:
Tulpa made his way to one of the caskets, looking at the cover he read cruelty and knew it held Anubis inside. He pushed the lid off the casket, letting it crash to the rock supporting the casket. Anubis lay inside, clothed in his armor. When the light hit Anubis' face his eyes opened, he sat up and stared at Tulpa.
"Why have you woken me?" Anubis growled and looked around "And where am I?"
"Don't speak to me that way, your still under my rule. This" Tulpa gestured to the barren waste land behind him "Anubis is where we will get stronger than the Ronin's and take them by surprise."
"Where are the others?"
"In the caskets over there" Tulpa pointed to the caskets on the rocks a few yards away.
"Then let us get to work and wake them up."Anubis said with an evil grin that spread across his face. e h eh
