Magic

Chapter Fourteen: Links

Kayura set a pitcher of lemonade on the small table in the backyard. She knew that the Ronin Warriors would start arriving anytime now for the training they all had started doing. Things had changed so much for them over the last few weeks and now it was almost a routine to have them over like this. So much so that she could almost time when they would arrive, this would start soon.

Sitting down on one of the four chairs that surrounded the small table, Kayura closed her eyes and just focused on the sounds she could hear. This form of simple meditation was something Sage had taught her during the first week of real training. Listening to the surroundings made one more aware of the area they lived or worked in and less likely to be attacked, he had told her. Kayura could not argue with that anymore than she could argue with Dais on seeing past what was already there.

The wind began to dance around the dark blue locks of her hair when the sound of footsteps brought her out of her thoughts. She didn't have to look up to tell who it was, "All three of you came today."

"There wasn't much else to do in the Nether Realm." Sekhmet took a seat beside the young girl.

Dais said, "We found nothing in the records about this Keitaro fellow, so I believe it is safe to say he is not part of the Dynasty. More likely he is from this realm than any of the others."

"What makes you say he's from this realm?" Kayura opened her eyes. "I don't really see evidence of that."

"Simple, so far he can only control the basic elements and has yet to summon anything or name his attacks."

Cale leaned against the railing of the house, "If he was from another realm then his attacks would be named. Also I doubt he'd be the only one sent here to do dirty work, no master has that amount of confidence in their minions."

"As Rowen has said, this would be the ideal time for an enemy to attack them." Dais looked out across the lake, admiring how beautiful it looked in the mid-morning sun, "With things as uncertain as they are, they are unpredictable when in their armors. They have no idea what they are fully capable of and that leaves them out in the open."

He looked back at Kayura and his two friends, "However that also questions the motives Keitaro claims to have."

"Questions his motives?" Kayura gazed at her white-haired friend. "In what ways?"

Sekhmet shook his head, "We are waiting for the Ronin to arrive before we go into that. It is a new basis of theories that we have come up with over the last few days."

Kayura nodded, "They should be arriving soon."

"Has Keitaro gone after Rowen or Ryo yet?" Cale asked.

"No. He hasn't been seen since he attacked Cye and Kento in the same day." Kayura looked at the road in search of the Ronin. "He's probably waiting to attack when they least expect it."

Cale scoffed, "I wish him luck with that. We can't even sneak up on them anymore because they are so alert."

"That is not funny." Kayura glared at the blue haired man.

"It wasn't supposed to be."

"You forget Kayura that Cale doesn't joke well, nor gets humor." Sekhmet reminded her.

She let out a sigh and shook her head.

Silence settled over the group for a few minutes until Dais said, "Should we really be doing this?"

"Doing what?" Sekhmet asked.

"Teaching the Ronin to speak to each other with their minds."

"We have to now." Kayura said. "A week may have passed since Cye and Kento got attack but that doesn't mean they aren't still in danger. Keitaro waited a few days before he attacked those two."

"Don't get me wrong I understand why they need to know this, we can't avoid it any longer. I am just not sure they are really ready for a step like that. We all had our blunders learning this and I worry that if they step too far into each other's thoughts that rude surprises await them."

"They are strong," Kayura insisted. "I'm sure they will understand how this can be an… invasion of privacy so we will tell them to be careful."

"True enough but they are still children. Given the right argument I can see them prying into each other's minds or, gods forbid, ours."

Everyone cringed at that thought. There were some areas of their minds they didn't even allow each other to look into.

"Then there is also a chance they can't all talk to each other." Cale pointed out.

"Well they won't be able to for a while." Kayura said, "I'm sure they'll figure it out."

"We better tell them all we can," Sekhmet gestured over by the lake. "I can see White Blaze coming this way, the Ronin must not be that far behind."

Kayura squinted her eyes and sure enough the large white tiger was running full speed back to the house. "So today's lesion should be about mind communication."

"It will have to be," the green haired man let out a long sigh, "despite our doubts we all did know it would come to this eventually."

"First thing is first; when they all arrive we will talk about Keitaro." Cale said.

Sekhmet nodded, "Agreed."

"Ah I see the car." Kayura stood up to get a better view of the old beat up Nissan than Kento said his grandfather loaned them.

Sekhmet shook his head, "I will never understand the draw to cars."

Cale chuckled, "It's a mode of transportation."

Sage raised his visible eyebrow, "What do you mean by that?" He asked Dais.

"I'm saying that this Keitaro may have other motives that he will not share." Dais leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand he continued, "At first Rowen's assumption that Keitaro is simply testing skill sounded right to me. However after hearing what you, Cye, and Kento did while fighting him I'm starting to think there may be more."

Rowen looked at the one-eyed man, "Such as?"

Sekhmet said, "On top of the questions regarding his origin and if he has a master, we must question his motives again."

"Keitaro said he was doing this for his amusement." Cye repeated.

"If he is then this is a different way to do it. Look at what he has done so far while he attacks, forced you two," Sekhmet pointed to Sage and Cye, "to fight, used children to get you to do it and he left when you launched a new attack."

He gestured at Kento, "Then he attacks Kento hours after Cye, and from what Kento told us Keitaro knew that Kento had been told of the attack on Cye. Not only was Kento angry but very willing to fight, because Keitaro hurt Cye and put Yuli in danger after, Kento struck him twice he vanished. If he was really testing skill he would have worked through that injury, or the attacks you all threw at him."

"If he is not testing us, and you don't think he's doing this for his amusement then what do you think?" Rowen asked.

"We're not sure." Dais said.

"And we could easily be wrong, but the way he is attacking you guys makes very little sense to us." Cale shrugged.

Ryo stroked White Blaze's head as he listened to what the Warlords had to say. "So then we need to corner him and get him to explain a few things."

"I'm game, let's get him out here." Kento said.

"Now hold on Kento, we can't just call and he'll come." Rowen pointed out. "Keitaro hasn't been seen for a week and the only sure chance we'd have of seeing him right now is if Ryo or I played that bait."

No one liked that idea.

"So then what should we do?" Kento looked at his tall friend, "Wait for you and Ryo to get attacked then ambush him?"

"Since the three of you are stalking us I don't think Keitaro will easily get us alone." Ryo said.

"You know we are just doing that because we don't want you two attacked."

"We know that Sage." Rowen looked at his roommate.

Kayura handed Cye a glass of lemonade, "The way I see it is that we don't have options for any kind of real plan right now. Even if we did resort to using Rowen and Ryo as bait we still don't have any guarantee that Keitaro would take the bait. He's not a fish looking for worms."

"Kayura is right." Rowen said.

"I don't like this," Cye looked at Rowen, "You're saying all we can do is wait for you and Ryo to be attacked and hope he goes away?"

"I'm not saying that all we can do is sit and wait. What I am saying is that it will happen and it's all we have to go on." Rowen crossed his arms, "Besides I'd hardly say we've been doing nothing."

"Rowen's right." Ryo said looking at the other three, "In any case, say we do somehow capture Keitaro, then what?"

Kento formed his hand into a fist, "We find out why he's so interested in fighting us. Then we send him packing!"

Sage shook his head; "He might vanish like a mist if we catch him."

Kayura blinked, "Vanish like a mist?"

"When the three of us fought him the one thing that really didn't change was how he leaves." Kento looked at her, "He vanishes into thin air like he's made of mist."

"Sounds like a ghost." Cale said.

Kayura thought for a moment, "To vanish like that he must be very powerful."

"Not really, that doesn't take much power." Dais and Cale said almost in unison.

Sekhmet looked at the group, "For now let's just focus on getting as far with training as we can. I really doubt that Keitaro's just interested in the Ronin."

"You think he will come after us?" Kayura stared at the green-haired man.

"I would be very surprised if he did. Keitaro knows who we are and as it stands we are no stronger than the Ronin."

Ryo glanced at Kayura; right now she was the most vulnerable sine she couldn't remember how to fight like she did under Talpa's control. Unless she went back to the Dynasty she'd be in real danger after he and Rowen fought Keitaro. Looking at Dais he said, "You mentioned that you had something else to tell us."

Dais looked at Ryo for a moment or two before answering, "Yes. We have decided to teach you how to communicate through your minds."

Everyone looked at Dais with a mix of an 'about time' and a shocked expression.

"However before we tell you how there are a few things about it you have to understand." Cale paused before, "You may or may not be able to talk to each other at all, and I don't mean just because you are new at this. It deals with what elements you control."

"There is also a risk that you won't just talk to each other, you might accidentally hear thoughts you shouldn't, or see memories if you are not careful." Sekhmet gestured to Cale; "I saw an old memory from his childhood once because I got careless."

"And it's one thing to play mind games as to invading the mind itself." Dais said offhandedly.

Sage nodded, "So we need to be really careful until we get the hang of things."

"Correct."

"What do you mean by we might not be able to talk to each other because of the elements we can control?" Kento asked, though he had a vague idea why.

"Yeah would you guys care to explain that?" Rowen looked at them.

Kayura answered, "It's an old basic rule of magic and of the planet." She began, "Elements have opposites and complements in which they can work with gently or rough with. The best-known example would be fire and water; they are opposites on the element scale because they cancel each other out. Water puts out the fire but if fire boils water enough it becomes vapor."

Looking at Ryo and Cye, "So because of that you two may or may not be able to talk to each other with your minds for a long time. The same goes for Kento and Rowen."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Air and earth are opposites too." She told them, "I think Sage might be the only one who can talk to all of you right off since light can be found somewhere in the other elements."

Sage blinked.

Kento chuckled, "Guess you'll be the telephone for a while Sage."

"Yeah you'll be charged extra."

"Hey! That's that supposed to mean?"

"How about you guys?" Ryo looked at the Warlords and Kayura, "Could we talk to you?"

"That will probably have its limits too." Cale said.

Dais nodded. "Since we don't really rule elements we aren't sure who we can talk to out of you five, but we can freely talk to each other."

"Then there is a chance that you four can't communicate with the five of us." Rowen said.

"That's true." Kayura admitted.

Cye sat up, "So how do we go about talking to each other with our minds?"

Further into forest and high above the ground, Keitaro looked at the shimmers of the lake which guarded the house he knew the warriors where at. His wounds had healed days ago, and thanks to his observations in their training he had slowly been forming plans. However there were problems concerning his last two opponents.

During the last week Keitaro had discovered that the Ronin finally caught onto the pattern in which he attacked. Only now was he sure that he could get them to fight him willingly. There was no longer a need to force Sage, Cye, and Kento into fighting on the spot when the next rounds with them.

But there was still Rowen and Ryo to worry about.

Confronting those two was going to be difficult. After asking around he had discovered that Rowen was considered the clever one while Ryo was heartfelt. Both of them had gained a little more experience on the battlefield too, thanks in large part to Talpa capturing the other three Ronin a few years ago.

Still Keitaro was sure he could get them both to fight him now with little effort. He had deduced that Rowen would fight him simply to analyze him and give any information he found out to his friends, especially Ryo. And Ryo would accept fighting because all four of his friends would be injured one way or another. No, getting them to fight him would not be a problem at all.

The problem would start when the battle did. By now the Ronin knew that Kento had been able to hit him twice and injure him. To add small insult to injury, fighting a skilled archer or someone who wields two swords was going to be very difficult. In the past Keitaro never fought a warrior with those skills. These next two fights would have to be quick enough to get them attacking him but long enough to keep them guessing.

"This may not be a good idea to strike tonight though." Looking over to the sun as a flock of birds flew by, he added, "I only have a few months left. If these warriors are going to be ready for the assault that is coming, after this round is over I will have to make things nasty." Closing his eyes he lowered his head. "If I do not push them as far as they can go then they will die in the late weeks of fall."

"Now that you know how why don't you give it a try?" Dais suggested.

The Ronin looked at each other for a long time until, "Alright I'll go first." Sage said.

"Just remember to imagine yourself whispering. Talking directly to the mind makes things sound louder than they really are." Cale warned the Warrior of Light.

"I really don't need you to tell me that." Sage looked at Cale then closed his eyes. It took him a few minutes until he felt was he was ready.

If anyone can hear this, raise a hand. Sage opened his eyes to see that just about everyone had their hand raised.

Kayura couldn't help but smile; Sage was a little more powerful than she thought. She was even able to hear him. She clapped her hands, "Right so who wants to go next?"

Ryo opened his mouth to say something when the phone started ringing inside.

"Hm?" Kento looked at the window. "I wonder who that is?"

Kayura stood up and ran inside.

"I think its Mia." Dais looked at the others, "She called last night to tell Kayura that she and Jack may be coming home early. One of Jack's older sisters and his nephew, where hit by a drunk driver yesterday in Kobe."

Cye frowned, "Oh no. Are they okay?"

"They were hit pretty hard, I think Kayura said the words Mia used where't-boned and sent into the next intersection.'"

"They're in bad shape then." Sage said, "Probably in the ICU which means Jack and Mia will put the honey moon on hold so they can come back here."

"Head to Kobe first to make sure his family will pull through." Kento added.

Ryo nodded. I hope they will be okay.

"Okay that was weird." Kento looked at Ryo.

Blinking Ryo tilted his head.

"I heard what you though." Kento said, "That was weird because I was looking right at you but your lips didn't move, obviously. It was weird…"

Kayura walked back out and looked at the others, "Mia and Jack are going to catch an early flight tomorrow. They are going to Kobe for three days to see his sister and nephew, and then they are coming back here."

"I think we should dust off the house a little before they get back." Sage looked up at the mansion.

"Mia'd like that." Kento agreed.

Kayura nodded, "Well Mia did say that if we've made too big of a mess in the yard or by the lake that she would like it cleaned up before the weekend."

"Alright we should all come here on Friday to clean then." Cye said.

Ryo nodded.

Rowen closed his eyes; "I have to work Friday even so I can't stay long."

"Just pull double while you're here then." Kayura put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Let's get back to training." Sage said.