Immortal Destiny

Ch 37

The cold, crisp water crashed down upon the rocky plateau below where a troubled soul tried to wrestle with his heart. Sage frowned deeply from his emotional turmoil. To everyone who knew him, the green Ronin was able to control his feelings until now. The anger and sadness twisted the heart so tight it would have torn in two. He clutched his chest, his eyes snapped open, and his breathing labored. Never in his life had he felt the loss of this much control. A familiar voice yelled out. He did not even flinch when he listened for the voice again, closer than before.

"Sage, why didn't you answer me?"

"Who sent you, Kento? Ryo, Cye, or Kaye?"

"Kaye told me you took off, so I was asked to bring you back. Be glad it wasn't Ryo and Rowen doing this instead of me."

"I hate this, not knowing what to do, how my emotions are overtaking my judgment."

"Hey man, you can't give up like this, Mia wouldn't want you to. So why are you?"

Kento's question tensed the atmosphere even more. Sage reflected on what his friend asked him while he looked towards the orange Ronin. The memories of Mia when she showed her courage in helping to get Kento free from the rock flooded back, and the fighting spirit reborn. He finally realized he had to dig deep within himself, the spirit of his armor and the knowledge of the bond with his friends was the fuel he needed in order to bring the fight to half breeds one way or another. A sense of renewed confidence and conviction had been restored. He took to his feet, his eyes narrowed when he glanced up towards the top of the falls.

"Kento, we have company."

"Can you tell who? Where are they?"

"They're the same ones Kaye sensed that night when the bear attacked."

"What! You mean those half breeds?"

"No, not them, the other ones, pure bloods. They're standing at the top of the falls watching us, and more in likely listening too."

"Can you tell how many, Sage?"

"I sense at least five."

"Why don't you come down here and face us, or are you cowards?"

"Watch what you say, human, or they will be your last words."

Kento growled as he glared up towards them with clenched fists. "Oh yea? Come down here and say it again to my face! I'm not scared of you!"

"IF that is what you wish, then it will be granted foolish human."

The orange Ronin's eyes gleamed. "Bring it!"

Sage gripped his friend's arm tightly as he glanced at him. "Kento, stand down, do not get over your head. Think, remember what happened last time."

"Sage, I'm tired of just standing around and doing nothing. I say we take them out before they do the same to us."

"Kento, I know you are, but you have a wife and a baby on the way. Kaye is going to need you now more than ever."

"Why do you think I want to fight? I'm fighting for them, for us, for our future!"

As they were arguing, the clouds pitched day into night as they blocked the sun. This gave the pure bloods the opportune time to vanish from the top of the falls and within a blink of an eye encircled the two Ronins. Kento and Sage willed their sub armors to them. The pure bloods smirked at the two of them but made no advance.

'Whoa man that was fast,' Kento thought to himself.

"Better listen to your friend, human, unless of course you want to get killed. You are over your head in this fight."

Kento growled deep in his throat, his eyes narrowed. "You're pushing it, pal!"

The pure bloods glanced at one another and focused on Sage. "We have a common goal."

"You mean the half breeds?"

"Yes, we want them destroyed as much as you humans do. We have been fighting them ever since Akea formed her house. They are less than us, they are even less than humans even though they believe to be a higher life form than you."

Sage studied the pure bloods carefully. "Why do you involve the human race? Since this war is between your kind and theirs, why are we and our friends involved with this?"

"It is not our place to tell you why."

"Who's place is it?"

"The lord and lady's, not ours."

"Why are you here talking with us?"

"We were instructed to bring you back with us, Sage of Halo."

Kento had more than enough and his anger erupted. "No way! I won't allow you to take him to your masters! We already have two friends taken, and Sage won't be the third! ARMOR OF HARDROCK DAO GI!" Within a split second of calling his full armor, the orange Ronin launched into an attack.

As quick as lightning the pure bloods blocked and countered every move the orange Ronin had made. Kento could not believe how fast and hard these vampires were going, and he knew he had to figure out some kind of weakness, a way to slow them down in order to get a decent shot otherwise he would be toast. The pure bloods kept retreating backwards and up, with each movement they inched closer to the top of the falls. Half way up, Kento glanced back and saw Sage still standing there. He frowned deeply and wondered why he did not armor up yet.

"Sage get your ass in gear and armor up already!"

"Something is not right, Kento! Stop fighting them!"

"What! Are you out of your mind, or do you not remember what happened the last time?"

One of the pure bloods hissed. "You might want to listen to your friend, human. Fighting against us is impossible."

"Listen here, we have fought against others who were as bad or worse than you so do not try to scare me, it will not work!"

"Oh? I think you are wrong, human," a pure blood replied as the six of them were now to the top of the falls. "I can think of something that will put fear in your heart."

Kento glared at them heatedly as he glanced behind him and realized he was close to the edge. "I doubt that, blood sucker!"

"What about this, Kento of Hardrock, you being helpless as you witness your wife and unborn child being killed right in front of your eyes by some dirty half breed? I think that will definitely put the fear in your heart."

In that moment, Kento's face went pure white. He lost concentration when the very thought of what the pure blood said struck him hard and fast. It was right then and there the pure bloods took their shot. They lifted the orange Ronin from the ground and threw him over the falls.

By this time Sage was finally at the middle and stopped when he watched his friend falling to the cold waters below. "KENTO!" The green Ronin leapt out towards him with outstretched hands and hoped he would be able to get to him in time. Once, twice, three times their hands almost latched onto one another s. Sage tried one more time, but on this try one of the pure bloods knocked him off course while two other ones grabbed onto him from the other side and secured him.

A giant tidal wave cascaded and started to settle after a giant splash was heard. Kento hit the water hard and went under for a few moments. The cold water pricked the skin like new sharpened needles. He winced internally from the pain as he tried at the same time to figure out where the surface was before he ran out of air. Figures standing on the river bank helped find the way to the surface. He broke through breathing heavily, his eyes were still blurred but he could still make out shapes at least. The sound of a relieved friend's voice reached his ears. His vision was clear now, he growled deep in his throat when he saw Sage being held by them.

"We could have killed you if we wanted, but we decided to keep you alive so you can go back and tell your friends of what happened here today."

"Kento, I am sorry I did not fight back, but I feel something different from them this time around. I told them I would go with them as long as they gave me their word they would leave you alone."

"Really? Why are they holding you like that for since you gave yourself up to them?"

"We just do not trust humans, plain and simple. So now go before we change our minds." The pure blood stated as he and the rest of them disappeared with Sage.

Kento slammed both of his fists into the water, and after he collected himself he swam to the bank and pulled himself out. He lied on his side as his armor reverted back to his regular clothes. He winced as he grabbed his side and breathed hard. The orange Ronin was not sure if his ribs were bruised or broken, but either way it didn't matter because he had to get home and tell the others what happened.

The five pure bloods escorted their "guest" to where their lord and lady waited for them to return. Sage glanced around at first he thought the decor would have been like in the movies, instead of torches, real lights hung from extravagant chandeliers. Ancient tapestries hung within the walls, lavish French styled chairs and benches as well as tables littered each room they passed. He looked up ahead and beheld a room with an extremely long table in the center of the room. A chair on each end as well as a single one in the center. On either side he caught sight of who he presumed were the lord and lady the vampires talked about.

"You five did well. You may leave," Merrick said as he dismissed them. He looked toward Sage. "I am Merrick and this is my wife Layla. Please sit, Sage of Halo."

"How do you assume who I am?"

"As you imagined, our kind been around for centuries. Little we do not comprehend."

"Am I a prisoner?"

"No, you are not."

"Why was I brought here?"

Layla gestured for Sage to take his seat. She observed him finally take her offer as he sat down.

"You were brought here to talk."

"Oh? What if I may be so bold was I brought here to talk about?"

"An alliance between you, your friends, and us against those dirty half breeds."

The two vampires acknowledged the shock and confusion in their guest's eyes. Sage tried to wrap his thoughts around what they proposed. An alliance with them against the half breeds? What was the angle? He started to second guess his surrender and wondered if Kento was right and he should backed him up at the falls. Merrick and Layla glanced at one another and then back at him. He realized they were trying to wait patiently for his answer.

"So what say you?"

"I am confused about this. Why would you want to obtain an alliance with us? We are human. I thought vampires want nothing to do with us because we are suppose to be below you."

"We are making an exception in this case, Merrick said. This alliance will not only help get rid of Akea and her brother as well as all of the half breeds, but it will also get your friends back. Or is that not the case any more?"

Sage caught himself from flinching back to the question. "Of course we want our friends back, and we will. What is your stake in this? What makes us believe you will not turn on us in the end?"

"You are bold in your choice of words. I would suggest you be careful on how you speak to us. I will answer your question. We want the half breeds forever gone from the Dynasty so we can claim the realm for our own. To the other question, I will answer it with another. How do we presume you and your friends will not turn on us? You understand what power, speed and agility we possess considering all of you experienced our strength first hand."

"I guess it looks like we are at a stand still. Neither of us assume if we will be able to trust the other in this truce. I sense something else you are hiding from me."

Layla glanced over towards her husband, and back to Sage, "I suppose we could tell you. We also need the grand master, my father to be risen from his slumber, and the only way to do so is from the blood of the two female slayers. Akea is gathering power through the immortal-healer named Thunder. Once she completes this then she will be unstoppable.

This is why we need them."

Sage felt his anger increase but kept himself in check. "You get the picture from the last encounter. No way we will hand them over to you or anyone else. We will fight to keep them safe."

"Then I guess the half breeds won and your two friends will be doomed to be with Akea and her brother for eternity."

"This is not my decision to make! I cannot and will not sacrifice them! There has to be another way."

"We already possess the vile with the previous slayer's blood in it. That one will be the first to wake the grand master from his slumber. Then he will drink from the other two enough to regain his powers to full strength. They will not die, only weaken."

"How can you be sure he will not go too far?"

"My father understands when to stop, he did not become the grand vampire without estimating what he was doing."

Merrick stood and walked in a casual manner towards their guest. Sage eyed him closely, his throat tightening a bit. The head vampire stopped and gazed into his eyes. The green Ronin was not able to pull his gaze away.

"Do not worry, I will not compel you to do anything, I am looking into your soul."

"Why, what does my soul have to do with this?"

"Your heart is in turmoil over a woman you love. She is already the wife of Akea's brother. You want her to be free of him and be human once again so you two can be together."

Sage tore away from Merrick's gaze, closed his eyes tight, and frowned deeply.

"Husband, you should not torment the poor boy like that. It was not nice."

Merrick chuckled and walked casually back to his chair and sat down. "As you wish. Now Sage, what say you? Will you reconsider what was offered?"

The green Ronin slowly opened his eyes and stared down at the table. "I need to talk to my friends. This is not going to be an easy decision. How do I trust in what you are saying will work and none of our friends will be sacrificed for this cause?"

"A pure blood's word is their bond. Providing of course the ones they are entrusting themselves with are honorable as well. Are you and your friends honorable, Sage of the Halo? At what cost will any of you pay in order to regain peace once more?"

Of all the times of being a Warrior, he witnessed and experienced both the good and the bad. This time, Thunder, the Warrior of Storm had been through the worst. The torturing of Talpa and Jakada in the past were horrible enough, but what Akea did tore at the very core of his being and forever burned bright in his mind. He felt her hands along his chest as her tongue dove deep into his mouth. Her fangs pierced both of his ears. Blood trailed down the side of his neck. She punctured the area between his neck and shoulder. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours. Thunder was no longer a Warrior. All he was now was nothing more than a broken soul.

The queen of the half breeds knew from over the centuries the perfect specimen eluded her until now. Akea staked her claim on the ultimate prize. Laying up against him her hand rested on his warm, bare-chiseled chest. She felt it rise and fall in a slow and even pace. The sound of his heart reminded her for a brief moment the time she had with Merrick before he turned her. A second memory flashed into her mind. It was of her first kill. The adrenaline mixed in with the fresh blood enticed her senses and made her feel alive once more, even if it was for a brief time.

Soft crying brought her attention towards her concubine. Akea grinned when they briefly locked eyes with one another and she laughed when he whipped his head away in shame.

"Do not be like that. You are now mine."

"I never wanted this."

"I did not ask if you wanted this or not, Thunder. It is what I wanted, which is what truly mattered."

"How can I face them now?"

"Who? Oh, your friends? I do not think you will need to be concerned about them. They will be taken care of when the time is right."

Thunder's eyes snapped open. Fear and concern for them encased his heart. "Do not hurt them!"

Akea cocked her brow as she raised her hand and seized his hair. "Did you demand something from me?"

Thunder winced. "No...Not demanding...I was...requesting."

"It did not sound like a request to me. Shall we try again?"

"Please please do not...hurt my friends."

Akea loosened her grip as she returned to stroking his hair. "Much better. To your request, I will consider what you said for the time being."

"Of all the men in the world, why me?" Thunder asked quietly several minutes later.

"Because my concubine, you and I are the closest to being immortal. You with your Elven blood, and me a half-breed, queen no less, deserves the best the world can offer. Also

knowing you are to be by my side for all eternity makes it all worth while."

"You were human once. Why would you choose a life like this?"

"I hunger for power. Turning into a half breed gave me what I wanted. But as time passed, my hunger for power grew even more as well as my disdain for human kind.

Humanity my dear Thunder is nothing more than a poison. The humans must be purged from the Earth in order for my kind to rule."

Thunder slowly turned his head to face her. "I pity you. For you only believe in the darkness of the human spirit."

Akea narrowed her eyes at him as she raked her nails across his face. "I never asked for your pity! If I wanted it then I would have asked you for it!" She became even more

enraged. Standing up from her bed she whipped on her red satin robe, tied it around and stormed out of the room while she left Thunder chained to his bed.