Chapter Thirty Four

Baroness wasn't too happy to see that Ryo had found Ruby. She didn't like the warrior anymore than she liked the warlords. Of course she, Rowen, and Dais had returned long before even Ryo had left. She found Rowen intriguing at best, humans were all intriguing, she told herself. Why did this one seem anymore interesting than the others? She didn't know.

Ruby slunk low against the wall, and Leea just about pounced on the girl.

Leea hugged her tightly and Ruby growled, "stop doing that!"

"Running off during the scariest part of the whole thing," she replied and smooshed Ruby to her. "I can't have my best student get hurt while I'm on duty..."

"I'm older than you..."

"Nonsense," Leea grinned with a wink, but the girl shoved her off. The girls frowned at each other and started laughing.

"You're stupidity is infectious."

Baroness rolled her eyes. She could feel the anxiety in the air. She was back in her armor, she didn't much care to be around any of them without it, including the warlords. Kayura was busy sending them to gather what remaining soldiers remained of the dynasty anyways. Bastet was still another story, she knew the possessing spirit knew what she was there for. She couldn't figure out why she was okay with her being there, she hadn't even told the warriors that she was her assassin. Where was the Oracle's original soul anyways? She shrugged, it didn't matter to her much. Oracle blood worked one way or the other with or without the original soul. How she knew that she couldn't say. She assumed one of her Elders had told her. The warriors who weren't helping Kayura were training, and she was impressed with each of them. They worked like a well moving clock, they even knew exactly where to press each others weaknesses. They invited Baroness, but she waved off the offer politely and sat next to White Blaze and Raleigh. Bastet was napping against the tiger, who seemed okay with her being there.

Baroness said mentally to the two, they are a lot stronger than I gave them credit for.

They are, Raleigh said as she shifted her head to look up at her, I know when warriors are being assessed. Please tell me, you are on our side?

I never said I wasn't, Baroness answered politely. I am merely assessing our own strengths and weaknesses.

That's noble of you, the old tiger said. They don't need your assessment though.

I know you, Old One, and so do they. Do you intend to fool them forever, she said as she stroked his fur.

I am what I am, he said smugly and looked to Raleigh. Aren't I dear girl.

If she hadn't been a wolf already the shade of crimson, she would have said the wolf was blushing. Raleigh answered, And so much more, my lord.

Baroness sighed and looked up at the warrior approaching them, what was his name? Torrent? He grinned a familiar smiled, "do you want to join our training, Baroness?"

Hardrock joined in, "yeah, you seem pretty strong!"

Bastet opened an eye to look at her, "I would pay to see that one."

"I don't think that's wise," Baroness asserted.

Sage shrugged and said sarcastically, "she might not think we're worthy of her."

"Sage," Rowen snapped silently at the man who was just trying to goad her on.

Ryo who had just returned, "don't listen to them, they embarrass themselves."

Rowen looked at her, she trusted him for whatever reason, and he said, "just a little while?"

"It won't be fair," she assured him as she dropped the full suit of armor to just her sub armor. The other four ronins had stopped their movements as they saw her half lioness form.

Ruby gasped almost instantly, even giddy almost, "why you're a Trickster!"

"Indeed," she smiled softly as she summoned the ax still. "I do like to play games, though mine are far more serious."

Leea leaned forward to ask Ruby as Baroness walked towards the group of smiling men, "what's a Trickster?"

"I've never seen one, they're not like the Old Ones. See before the Old Ones, there were the Elders. No one has ever met an Elder," she paused to think, "some say it's just a story that the Old Ones tell to make themselves seem insignificant, but the Tricksters were the Old Ones 'pets'. They were sentient beings sent to humans in different ways. They say that Ra's family was descendant of a Trickster who rebelled against the Elders."

Bastet looked at her, "hm, nice to know some of that information still thrives. She's not a true Trickster though. She relies on armor. Tricksters don't need armor."

Ruby glared at the girl, "how would you know?"

"How do you think?"

Leea shushed them and smiled, "anybody wanna bet anything?"

Bastet smile at her, "my kind of girl! I bet Cye's virginity."

"You can't bet something you don't own," Ruby growled and the girl pouted.

Baroness smiled, "all five against me. I won't fight, I just bet that not one of you can touch me in five minutes."

"The arrogance," Sage snickered with delight, he liked a challenge.

"Awesome," Kento agreed as he noticed the girls betting. "I bet their money is on me."

"Or me," Cye teased and looked at her solemnly. He had never seen such a being before. She must have been from deep within the nether realm.

Rowen winked at her, "don't let us intimidate you too much!"

"I think she'll be just fine," Ryo grinned as he joined them.

She smiled as the five boys charged at her, it was Kento who reached her first. She noticed he would charge in head first at her, so she stepped nimbly to the side and tripped him with her tail. He slid into Cye who lost his momentum and fell as well.

"That was a cheap trick," Sage said as he came at her.

"All tricks are good in war, Halo," she said as used her ax as counter balance to whirl out of the way. "When I was young, I almost lost my head because of trick like that. Some enemies don't fight with honor."

Rowen leaped at her with a kick, but she dodged and he hit Ryo instead. The five minutes quickly passed with her using her ax as a counter weight to dodge them, it was either the most ridiculous dance or the funniest slap stick. Ruby was annoyed, so she grabbed a dagger that was stuck in one of the walls and threw it. It sliced through the thin skin of the soft rounded ears of her lion head and seeped a silver colored blood. The looked at Ruby with a frown, and Baroness laughed, "you're so called coward understands what I mean! Hahah you win by default ronins."

Kento frowned, "well that sucked! Rub,y don't butt in next time."

"Next time it'll be a real fight," she said smugly. "And then that dagger would be aimed for enemies head not their ear."

"She has a point, Kento, if she can hit an ear, she can hit a head," Rowen said and Kento just grumbled.

"I win," Bastet cheered and then pointed at the boys, "pay up chumps!"

"We didn't even bet," Rowen replied to them.

"You boys owe me a dinner," she grinned.

"Like hell we do," Rowen grumbled and walked off. Leea sighed and chased after him, she couldn't let him be upset.

"Oh, brother, you got lover boy upset again," Kento groaned. "He's been a real downer..."

Cye nudged him in his ribs, "Kento..."

Sage gently hit him in the shoulder, "lay off man."

Bastet grinned, "I really get under his skin!"

Raleigh snarled at her, I don't really think its necessary.

Baroness walked past her, "you don't have to worry about her much longer."

Ruby glared at her as she walked past. She stood up, and mumbled softly so she knew only Baroness would hear, "don't you dare touch a hair on her head..."

Baroness just walked on she placed a hand on her ear and it healed instantly. She smiled back at Ruby, and the boys shuttered at the look. It was ice cold.