Immortal Destiny

Chapter 38

Disconcerted. That was exactly how Sage felt as he followed Merrick down an elaborate hall decorated with aesthetics of pot-planted foliage, renaissance paintings from Botticelli Sandro. Sandro was famous for his painting the Birth of Venus and the Madonna with her child and an angel. There was Donatello's statute of St. Mark, David, and the prophet Habukuk. He paused for a moment to study Titian's painting of Christ carrying the cross.

"The suffering of one man, greater than any other man," Merrick said as he too stopped to look at the painting.

"I am surprised you have human artistry," Sage said.

"It fascinates us," Merrick said. He turned and headed further down the hall. "Come."

Sage followed him as they entered a separate foyer. Merrick's office was on the right. Inside it wasn't anything Sage had expected, no coffins, no executive desk, even the window was open to allow a light breeze in. Just a normal office. No dead bodies or maggots. But there wasn't even a telephone. Just an ordinary office without technology.

At least he didn't sparkle.

Merrick sat down behind his desk, nodded toward a chair for Sage to sit, and said, "Let's get down to business, Ronin Warrior."

"Kento…."

Kento's eyes fluttered as the gentle whisper of his name flowed into his ears breaking through the darkness. He moaned and winced as consciousness returning to him caused him to realize his ribs were aflame with agony. It rippled through him with sharp edges when he tried to move, and further awareness warned him that if he dared to move further he would feel it again.

Soft, cool hands brushed his brow soothingly, forcing him to relax. He wasn't alone. Someone was here with him. He opened his eyes.

"Kento."

Blue eyes met blue eyes as Kento stared into his wife's face. Tendrils of her blond hair swept over her shoulder as she knelt before his head. He started to reach up to touch her face but once again pain gripped him and he muffled a scream by biting his tongue.

"Kento, don't move!" Kaye said, startled. She frowned at him. "You're badly hurt. Ryo thinks you have broken ribs."

"Damn it," Kento said. "No wonder I feel like shit. Where are the others?"

Kaye looked over her shoulder for a moment and toward the upper ridge of the cliff. Up above, she could see Ryo's back and his arm waving in the air, a signal. She looked back down at Kento. "They're up above us. They had to make a gurney for you because it's too risky to carry you any other way. They should be down here soon."

"Good. I have to tell them about Sage."

Duncan watched the two Warriors who had been left behind with him as if there were something to untrustworthy about them. Just a half hour ago, the red Ronin had felt something was off, and all he had said was Kento before he ran out the door with the other three and Kaye following him. That left these two behind with him. So far they hadn't moved from the other couch, but he wondered. Were they there to guard him? Or to ask questions? Perhaps it was both.

"Heh. Surprising you two don't seem to fear me considering what I am," he said, breaking the silence.

"You helped us, remember?" Scorpio pointed out. "Which means we're allies."

Duncan leaned back against the couch and stared directly above them to the opposite wall. Hanging on it were various framed photographs of the Ronins, a woman he guessed was Mia and an older man with serious eyes. "I helped you only because of the call. For that I have nothing else to assist you with except what the High Council has ordained me to."

"And that would be?" Flash asked.

"Your assistance in destroying the two houses Anata and Devi. You both know that the house of Anata are the pure bloods and that they seek to revive their master soon. I shudder to think of the consequences that will arise if he is brought back. Akea will rage war with him, and anything felt in the Dynasty will be felt here." Duncan looked back at the two Warriors with his expression more serious. "Akea will try to become with child which will save her from getting killed. This is partly why she has your friend as her concubine. It is know that your friend cannot be killed by force, thus making him somewhat immortal. Because of his blood-line he is the only one capable of producing an offspring with Akea."

"Great," Scorpio muttered as he tugged on his left ear. "My best friend is being forced to become a teen parent. Talk about pedophilia." He stopped tugging on his ear and glared at Duncan. "Is there any way we can get him out? I don't like the idea of Thunder being stuck there with those animals."

Duncan curled his lip at the insult but let it slide for now. "I don't see how you will be able to," he said. "It is known that despite the House of Anata, Akea rules the Dynasty."

"I thought Cye was the rightful heir?" Flash questioned. She frowned. Where were the Ronins at? They should be here too to hear this. She glanced toward the door but no one came through, and not even the sound of a vehicle was heard. She turned her attention back to Duncan.

"Cye is the heir but even he could not go against Akea to stop her. And with House of Anata wanting the slayers to revive their master, well, we're all in deep shit." Duncan crossed his arms.

Flash and Scorpio fixed him with an intense gaze of perplexity. "What slayers?"

Duncan pointed at Flash. "You and Kaye."

Thunder stared at the bowl of hot soup that Tanak carried toward him on a bed tray. It had been over a couple of hours since the incident, and momentarily he still did not feel very well. Akea had taken his innocence and had threatened to kill his friends. Even if she had promised to think about not touching them, it was difficult to believe her.

Why was she interested in ruling the Dynasty though? Did she truly want that much power? Or did she want to have the respect and fear of everyone that Talpa once held before he and the Tao spirit were killed? And why were he and Mia at their favor?

Tanak placed the bed tray on top of the bed, released him his chains that kept him on the bed for the particular reason, and stared at him . "The queen commands you to eat. I would do so quickly before you are forced." He turned and headed back to the door and allowed himself out. The door shut and clicked.

Thunder sat up more and pulled the tray toward him. The soup smelled of parsley and he smelled the aroma of beef noodles and chunks of beef with vegetables. He wasn't hungry. The rape had caused him to lose the previous appetite he had before. Still, he would rather force himself to eat and not one of Akea's lackeys.

He took a bite and his eyes widened a bit. This soup was actually pretty good. He took another bite. Better than he thought. And another. But still it didn't change the fact that he had been forcibly taken in more ways than one. There had to be another reason though. It couldn't have been her physical attraction to him, because he sensed she was after something else. What was it though?

He looked down at the half empty bowl of soup and sighed. Somehow there had to be a way out of this mess. He set the tray aside and stood up off the bed. For a moment he did nothing but stand there. Stand there as more thoughts wandered through his mind. Too much had happened, and so far no one had come for him and Mia. And even when they could, getting Mia back would not be easy. Not because of Faros and his own house fighting to keep her, but because Mia herself would make it impossible without a fight of her own. If only there was a way to reach through to her.

And Thunder did not know how to.

"Well Sage, have you decided?" Merrick asked. "Will you ask the slayers for the right for the grand master to use their blood to strengthen himself?" He folded his hands neatly on the desk as he regarded Sage.

Sage felt troubled. This couldn't be right. Not at all. To ask him to ask Kaye and Flash… Kento would be furious and against it from the start, Rowen would ask him if he were delusional…Cye would be hurt if he agreed. Ryo wouldn't go for it either, and Flash would punch him in the mouth for even mentioning it. There was no telling what Scorpio would do which made him feel even more nervous

"I understand what you say," he said carefully after thinking it through. "However I cannot ask Flash and Kaye that. There has to be some other way for your master to gain his power back without their blood."

"Sadly, there is not. At least not that we're aware of. You realize without his strength none of us, that includes this house, you Ronins, the two slayers, and that Warrior will stand a chance against Akea?" Merrick let it settle through Sage, hoping to see a changed reaction in his face.

But Sage's expression did not change. He only stared at Merrick with that cold violet eye of his. "We're not afraid to go up against her, and we do know the consequences. You don't know us well, Merrick, nor have you seen all of our wars that we've come through. And Flash isn't just a slayer. She's one of the Warriors. And their captain. However, that is a moot point beyond correction. But I do know there is a way beyond letting your grand master take blood to just become stronger."

Merrick sighed and unclasped his hands. "I see that you have made your decision then."

Sage nodded his head. "Yes. And the answer is no."

"Easy guys. Steady." Ryo's directions permeated through the air as Rowen and Cye carefully carried the makeshift gurney between them with Kento lying on it. Ryo walked along one side to make sure Kento didn't fall off and Kaye walked on the other side. She had been warned not to help carry it, because doing so might harm the baby. So she walked where she was, smiling at Kento, happy to see that he was going to be all right despite his injuries. Yeah, her man was pretty tough.

But her mind deflected away, Earlier today she had asked Kento to find Sage and talk to him on Ryo's request. But there was no Sage. And Kento had said he needed to talk to them about him. And yet he hadn't. Well maybe he hadn't the time, or maybe the pain made him forget. She glanced back down at him with worry. It wasn't like Kento to say one thing then hold off on saying it. And right now he looked like he had plenty to say.

'So why doesn't he just come out and say what's on his mind?' she wondered as they headed up the path Rowen had found a half hour ago. 'I get he's in pain, but it's never stopped him before'

Perhaps she was being too straightforward. Perhaps she was just too impatient with concern. That was always one of her biggest flaws. Too much concern which kept her constantly worrying about others. Cye had once told her that always worrying about someone meant you didn't trust them to care for themselves. But sometimes it was hard not to be concern. Showing concern meant you care, didn't it? So how could she not care? She frowned as she looked down at Kento again. His eyes were closed, his face still scrunched up in pain. Every jolt of the makeshift gurney made him gasp. How she hated to see him like this.

"Not too far to go, Kento," she said. "We'll be to the jeep soon."

"Good," came his answer.

"Rowen, when we get to the jeep call in the paramedics," Ryo said. "There's no way we'll be able to lay Kento down in the backseat like this and still have room."

Rowen nodded. "Any of us going to the hospital with him?"

"I am," Kaye announced. "He's my husband after all."

"I'm going too," Cye said. "But I think you two should return home. In case Sage comes home."

"Oh man…" Kento said with a tight grimace.

"What's the matter, Kento?" Ryo asked. Was he in more pain?

"It's about Sage," Kento said as he opened his eyes to look at them. "I got to tell you about Sage!"