Ronin Warriors: Next Generation
Part 5
Lady Ancient
I do not on Ronin Warriors in any way, shape or form, so there!!
"Is there anything that can be done for her?" Laban asked his sister.
Amarantha sighed, "I've done what I can, brother."
"Maybe I can help," Calisto offered.
"How?" Sebek asked.
Calisto went to Selket's side and knelt down. Her head was shaking from side to side as she was sweating. "The blood is what hurting her isn't it?" he said, "well, I can buy her a little more time if I drink some of it." Calisto was the eldest and the wisest of the Neo Dark Warlords and also half vampire.
"Calisto, wait!" Amarantha warned.
"Don't worry, child," Calisto nodded, "I know it could be dangerous," grasped Seleket's chin and pushed her head to the side, "I won't swallow it; just taste it." He leaned forward as his fangs grew and then he bit Selket's neck, drew some of the blood and sat back to spit it on the ground. "Most bitter blood I've tasted in all my years," he muttered, wiping his lips. "Well, I've done what I could do. We'll just need to get her some poison and fast."
"Let's find the animal that did this to her!" Boris growled. "There's nothing else for us to do!"
"For once, I agree with Boris," Laban sighed. "Let's go, maybe we can find an antidote in its claws."
"Yes," Sebek nodded, "it's better than just watching her suffer like that."
Gail couldn't sleep after hearing what Yuli said about his dream. He couldn't either. He just lied in bed, trying to figure it out. Gail was outside petting the tiger, Whiterain (if you've got a better name, I'd like to hear it!). She started hearing thunder. She looked up at the sky and saw some kind of ice temple within a ice cave in a world full of ice and snow and nor the sun, stars neither the moon shone. It was dark and foggy.
"The Snow Dynasty," she grumbled. Gail hopped onto the railing and stood with her fists clenched, held above her hips and right below her breasts. She breathed in deeply, "come on, Snow Tulpa, I'm not afraid of you!" she shouted into the clouds. "Bring it on! Yeah, I'm talking to you! Nothing you can do or say will make us give our armors away!"
The sky thundered again. "You're not scaring me, Snow Tulpa!" Gail hissed. She then heard screams from the city. Gail didn't have to second guess that it was the Neo Dark Warlords and the Snow Twins. Gail jumped from the railing and into the house. "Wake up everybody! Wake up now! Hurry, it's an emergency! Get up, get up, get up!"
"What, what's going on?" Mia demanded.
"This better be good!" Akira barked.
"Hey, I was sleeping!" Kento whined.
"I wasn't," Yuli groaned, "what's the matter, Gail?"
"Yuli, look!" Gail grabbed Yuli's arm and brought him outside. "It's them, the warlords! We must stop them now!"
"Gail's right," Ryo said, about to call everyone to arms, "Ronin Wa--"
"Ronin Warriors, to arms!" Yuli cried, interrupting Ryo, "I've always wanted to say that!"
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"Do you mind?" Akira demanded, reaching for his staff, "innocent people are trying to sleep!!"
"If I'm not mistaken," Calisto muttered, "I'll put you right to sleep."
"Oh, get a tan!" Akira grunted, "Earthquake Smasher!"
"There's the animal!" Sebek shouted, "destroy it!"
"No, Sebek!" Amarantha gasped, "if we destroy it then we might not be able to save Selket!"
"Will that be so bad?" Gail demanded smartly.
Amarantha sneered but couldn't respond.
"Get the armors," Laban said, "Master Tulpa is angry enough!" he looked to his sister and they nodded to each other. "Ready?"
"Let's do it," she loaded an arrow to her bow, "Snow and Ice…."
"Forever!" Laban shot a wave of ice and Amarantha's arrow pierced Kento.
"Huh--whoa--!" Before Kento could react, he turned to a statue of ice.
"Kento!" Sai cried, then shook his head to Laban and Amarantha, "Super Wave---"
Amarantha fired an ice arrow at his water attack. It freezed the water, his weapon and Sai. The attack from his spear broke and fell to the ground.
"Mia, watch out!" Ryo pushed Mia out of the way but he wasn't able to save himself.
"Ryo!" before she was able to get to him and thaw him out with her sun powers, she was a statue too.
"Stop them!" Yuli cried, "they're, they're turning everyone into ice sculptures!!"
"Would you like to join them?" Amarantha demanded. She fired her arrow at him.
"No! Hurricane Flare!" A gust of wind moved her arrow away and it struck Boris.
"Gah--you foolish child--" Boris began, but he froze before he could finish.
"Boris!" Amarantha cried. "Forgive me!"
"Don't fret about it, sister," Laban said, "we'll thaw him out when we return back home."
Amarantha hissed and Laban used their powers together to freeze the rest of the Ronin Warriors until only Yuli and Gail were left.
"They're all frozen," Gail whispered.
"You're not taking us!" Yuli shouted. Yuli and Gail were back to back.
"Wanna see what happens when the storm twins combine their attacks?" Gail demanded, "let's kick it, Yuli!"
"Yeah--" he crossed his katanas.
Gail took her sword and twirled in a full circle.
"WINDS N' RAIN!!!" A strong wind came from Yuli and Gail, followed by rain falling hard and fast.
"This is unbelievable!" Amarnatha cried.
"It is time for us to take our leave," Calisto said, "we'll save you two for last!" They left with the Ronin Warriors, locked in ice.
When they left and the storm cleared, Yuli dropped his katanas to the ground. "I don't believe it," he mumbled, "they're, they're gone! Mia! Akira! Rose! Ryyyyyooooooo!" he started calling everyone by name, "come back! Ronin Warriors, come back!" Yuli grabbed his helmet and threw it to the ground. "We'll never see them again."
"Come on Yuli, sure we will," Gail said, "all we have to do is…"
"Find a way into the Ice Netherworld, yeah, but how?" he demanded, turning to her, "Gail, the Ronin Warriors are in another world! We don't know where the heck it is or how to get there!"
"Yuli, don't talk like that!" she snapped. "Just stay positive, okay!"
"How do you expect me to react when all my friends are in another world? They're probably torturing them with poisoned icicles or something! C'mon Gail, my best friends are in trouble and I can't do anything about it! If there was some way to get there, I'll jump to the chance but we're, we're stuck here!!" Yuli freaked in anger. "I feel like a helpless little kid again!"
."We'll find a way, alright?" Gail said, "come on, I'm sure this happened to you before, didn't it?"
"Yeah," Yuli groaned, "Mia and I were able to get to the Netherworld because Anubis helped us," Yuli explained, "but Anubis is dead and there's no one, no one, Gail, that can help us!"
"Hey, do you hear that?" Gail asked, signaling for him to stop. She put her finger to her lips, "Shh, listen."
"Hear what?" Yuli asked.
"That noise…it sounds like rings clanging or something."
"Wait, I know that sound," Yuli said, "it's the Ancient's staff!"
Whiteblaze cocked his head at the noise. He remembered it too.
"Yuli, look, down there!" Gail pointed down the street. "See it?"
"It's a person, Gail," Yuli said, "with the staff."
Whoever it was walking to them, wearing a long blue robe and a long brimmed hat that hid the person's eyes. Wearing the same sandals and the wrappings on the arms and legs, the figure continued to walked to them. The person stopped a few feet in front of them and tilted the hat.
"Lady Kauyra!" Yuli gasped, "you're, you're alive."
Lady Kauyra smiled and nodded, "yes Yuli. Good to see you again. My, you've grown since the last time I saw you!"
Yuli blushed, "yeah, well…um, I'm sure you know my sister."
"Come with me, Storm Twins," Lady Kauyra turned around, "I will take you to the Ice Realm
"Lady Kauyra, could you tell us what happened?" Yuli asked.
"Young Yuli, you've always enjoyed stories, haven't you?" she teased.
"I well," he blushed, "just want to know where Snow Tulpa came from."
Lady Kauyra told them the story as she led the way. "The Netherworld became peaceful after Tulpa was destroyed. Then not long after his death, the Netherworld became very cold. It would snow for days and days. We searched for the answer and found it in the mountains. There was a portal there that took us to the Ice Realm.."
"You mean," Yuli muttered, "that the world that Snow Tulpa is from is different than the Netherworld?"
"Yes," she said, "the Netherworld was peaceful. Until Snow Tulpa came a long. After he found power in his own world, he sought power in Tulpa's. We went through the portal and we found Snow Tulpa. We fought him and he took Cale, Sehkmet and Dais prisoner."
"Did you ever see them again?"
"No." Lady Kauyra said, "I ran away after he captured them. He turned them all into ice statues and they told me to get myself out of there."
"But how were you able to make our armors?" Yuli asked, "the ancient made the Ronin Armors from Tulpa's body."
"I managed to cut his arm off before he left. It grew right back because he can heal fast, but his first arm fell on the snow turned to ice."
"You made nine armors just from his arm?" Gail asked, surprised, "He must be pretty big!"
"No, not all nine," she corrected, "I only made four. I did not have the power to make them all."
"You think that maybe Cale, Sehkmet and Dais made the others?" Yuli asked, "if they're alive, that is?"
"It's possible. If they have found a way to thaw themselves, I suppose."
"So, which ones did you make?" Gail asked.
"I made yours," Kauyra stopped and turned, "Mia's, Rose's and Amarantha's."
"Amarantha--but she's---!" Gail grunted.
"I didn't know she would side with Snow Tulpa. The armor of Avalanche was meant for someone with Benevolence."
"Benevelonce?" Yuli mumbled, "Lady Kauyra, she turned everyone into ice cubes!"
"Remember, she's controlled by Snow Tulpa," Kauyra told them.
"What are the other traits?" Gail asked.
"For Typhoon, courage," Lady Kaurya smiled, "and dear Gail, I know of no other young woman worthy of wearing it!"
Gail smiled, "Yeah--well…"
"Brave? Yeah, right!" Yuli teased, laughing. "You're just crazy, Gail!"
"Oh be quiet, Yuli!"
"Generosity for the armor of the Sun. Mia is a very generous person and I knew it would be perfect for her. Nobility for the armor of Volcano and Benevolence for the armor of Avalanche. The armor of Stars is mine, but you will see that later."
"Stop," Lady Kauyra ordered, stopping immediately while holding the staff to her side to keep them from stepping in front of her.
"What's wrong, Lady Kauyra?" Yuli asked.
"I sense evil," she said, "over there!"
She was right. A few feet away from them came crazy, insane laughter. One from a woman and another from a man. They stepped forward, dressed in armor.
"Who are they?" Gail asked, "I've never seen them before!"
"They are called the twins of Insanity." Lady Kauyra informed, "Mora of Havoc and Xzar of Chaos."
"I'm glad you recognized us," Mora said, cackling. Mora wore armor called the armor of the Hyena. It was a bit like Selket's of the scorpion, bigger than the armor of Stars or Sun. It was black and brown and her armor looked to have ears on the side. She hand claw-like gauntlets, four long curved spikes were above each knuckle.
"Been quite a while, hasn't it?" Xzar laughed. His armor was called the armor of the Grizzly. He was a big man and his armor made him look twice as big. His gauntlets were like Mora's, only bigger. His armor and Mora's looked a lot like Kale's armor of the jackal.
"I do not have time for your impudence!" Lady Kauyra grunted.
"On the contrary," Mora hissed, "we have all the time in the world! Wrath Claw Scratch!" (I'm soooo sorry if they sound cheesy! I just thought that a warlord of 'havoc' and 'chaos' would be interesting!)
Lady Kauyra kept the staff in front of her and Mora's attack backfired, giving Xzar a moment to try his attack.
"Grizzly Swipe!"
Kauyra blocked the next attack. "You crazy fools crawl back into the hole you came from!" she beat the crap out of Mora and Xzar while Yuli and Gail watched, wincing in agony, as though they were getting the beating.
Mora and Xzar remained on the ground unable to move as Lady Kauyra walked past them. "Ignore them," Lady Kaurya minded, "they used to work for Snow Tulpa and then when he found Laban and Amarantha, he cast out Mora and Xzar. They were too insane and did not mind him at all."
"But, he let them keep their armors?" Yuli asked, "why? Wouldn't he take them a way?"
"I'm just as confused as you are, Yuli." Lady Kauyra said. "I suppose he just wants the ones I made." They kept walking, "come, we must hurry. There's not much time."
"I hope everything's alright," Gail whispered to Yuli.
"Gail," Yuli whispered back, "If I know the Ronin Warriors--and I do--they'll handle whatever Snow Tulpa throws at them. I've known these guys half my life and they're toughest group of guys I've ever known."
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The first five Ronin Warriors were in a different dungeon than Akira, Rose and Mia. The remaining three dark warlords were in a secret room. Trapped in ice, the ronin warriors became weaker and weaker. Even Ryo's powerful armor of wildfire could not melt the ice. If he could call upon the power of Inferno, he might have a chance. But as much as he hated to admit it, Ryo was getting older and he was not as strong as he used to be. (Just how old would the Ronin Warriors be now?)
The fire may burn out,
No matter how hot it roared and it's virtue flared.
The water may run dry,
Even though it trustingly flowed since the beginning of time.
The earth may become barren,
When yesterday it's soil served justice,
The light may grow dim,
Even if its wisdom kept us near,
The sky may become polluted,
As we once breathed in it's life-giving air.
The world may become over grown with gloom, darkness and cold and there may be nothing left of our world. And Piety, Loyalty, Serenity and Obedience may be silenced forever.
But, the sun, the sun will always shine it's generous glow upon us. If there is still virtue, trust, justice, wisdom and life, our world will be saved. The sun will always be in the sky and nothing can stop its glow. The phoenix, though caged once, will sing again and rise above the ashes.
A bird of fire cannot be caged.
A bird of fire will always soar free.
A bird of fire cannot break its wings.
And a bird of fire will always sing.
Hearing these words in her head, Mia felt immense power from her armor. She felt so hot and the ice started to melt away. The phoenix bird of fire appeared behind her, melting the ice away and Mia screamed as she threw her arms up, breaking all the ice away and shaking her damp hair. The phoenix bird disappeared, but stayed within Mia forever. Mia coughed and wiped her face.
"Where is everyone?" she asked herself and looked behind her to see a frozen Akira and Rose. "Akira, Rose! Where's, where's the others? Ryo! Ryo!"
Ryo heard Mia calling for him, but he couldn't melt the ice. He wanted to shake his body, blink, scream, but he couldn't do anything; he was frozen solid. There was nothing he could do. Only his heart kept beating. I hear you Mia. I hear you, but I can't get to you. My armor is weakening--so help me--I can't get out!
Mia placed her sun swords on both Rose and Akira. The ice melted from their bodies and they fell to the ice floor, shaking and coughing.
"I--I'm so cold," Rose stammered, shaking.
"Get up," Mia said, "we have to find Ryo and the others."
"Yeah," Akira nodded, "I need to get my blood flowing so I can get warm!" he shivvered as he rubbed his arms.
"Oh, it's useless, don't you see?" Rose snapped with purple lips, "we're donefor, Akira. Don't you understand? We are in temple of ice here! In a ice cave in a world full of ice and snow and cold! Not to mention that the world belongs to Snow Tulpa and he'll freeze us to death!"
"Quiet!" Mia snapped back, sheathing her sun swords. "Do not forget that Yuli and Gail are still out there! They'll come for us and we still have our armors. If we believe in our armor's power then we will be saved."
"They're just two people and how to you expect them to find us?" Rose demanded, "I-I I am just not cut out to be a Ronin Warrior! I should have stayed in Italy I--" she placed her hands over her eyes and began sobbing.
Akira immediately took her in his arms, "now you listen to me, if I know Yuli--and I do--he'll come and rescue us."
"Oh Akira, do you mean it?" Rose asked.
"I speak the truth, Rose."
Rose sniffed, "alright, alright. Let's see if we can find the others. I just want to get out of her and go home!"
Mia walked past them and searched for a way out, "follow me," she said. Akira followed her with his hand clenching Rose's. Mia cocked her head at a wall. The ice was glittering like diamonds and she had to touch it. She smiled. "interesting." Once she put her hand on the wall, it absorbed her and pulled her through, "what the!? Hey!!"
"Mia!" Akira cried.
"Where'd she go?" Rose asked. They ran after her.
"The wall, it like, took her away." Akira grunted, "hmm." He took Rose's hand, "hold on, Rose."
"Akira, wait!"
Without answering her, Akira walked through the wall and into another room of ice. "Mia, where are you? Man, it's dark in here." They walked forward and they heard soft sobs coming from the center of the room. "Mia?"
"I'm over--" her voice came shakily with soft sobs, "over here."
"What's wrong Mia?" Rose asked, dropping Akira's hand to run to her voice. "Are you…Aaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuugggggggggghhhhhh!"
"Oh my--oh my gosh!" Akira shouted, "who, wha, who?"
"It's alright," Mia said, reaching her hand to the frozen shoulder of Kale. "They won't hurt you."
"Who are they?!" Akira demanded, "I mean, who were they?"
"They were the Dark Warlords that worked for Tulpa. I thought they all died," Mia explained.
"You mean, they were bad guys?" Rose asked, getting over her shock.
"Yes. There used to be four of them but," she sniffed, "Anubis was killed."
"But why, why are you crying? Are you sad?"
"No, not really. I'm happy." Mia smiled and cupped each of the warlord's faces, "I was afraid they were killed by Snow Tulpa and that we wouldn't see them again. I guess Snow Tulpa wants to make them his slaves. But it was bad enough for Tulpa to control them. He didn't give his warlords a chance!"
"Maybe we should find the others," Rose commented, "let's just leave them, they look scary!"
"Yeah, especially that guy!" Akira said, pointing at Dais, "I mean, he look like he's not even there!"
"No!" Mia shouted, turning around and tightening her fists, "we are not leaving them here! The ancient made their armors too. I know they look scary but you must believe me, they are good inside." She turned back to the three frozen warlords and touched each of their shoulders as she said their names, "Dais, Warlord of Illusion. He wears the armor of the Tarantula and he was Kento's worst enemy. I don't know why he wears this eye patch. I never was this close to him to find out." She smiled at Sehkmet, "Sehkmet, warlord of Venom and he's Sai's worst enemy. I always didn't really like this warlord, you know why?" she turned her head to Rose and Akira. They shrugged and shook their heads. She turned her head back to Sehkmet and her smile disappeared. "He murdered my grandfather. But it wasn't his fault. Tulpa ordered him to do it." She stepped past Sekmet and to Kale, "Kale, Warlord of Corruption. He was the warlord of darkness and so it made him the worst enemy of Sage of Halo. I don't have much to say about Kale and I don't know where he got the scar from his face."
"What scar?" Rose asked.
"Oh, it's headen from his helmet." Mia answered. She stepped to the side of Kale and held her hand out to the three remaining Warlords, frozen in ice. "The Anceint made their armors too because they had the virtues to wear them. And you want to just leave them here to be frozen forever?" Mia asked in disgust. "I am not leaving them here, understand!? They don't deserve to be in this temple of Snow and Ice anymore than we do!"
"What are you saying, Mia?" Akira asked nervously.
"I'm saying that I'm going to thaw them out, that's what!" she turned her back on them and walked close to the warlords. Sekhmet right in front of her, Kale to her left and Dais to her right.
"But, Mia!" Akira cried.
"Don't try to stop me!" she reached for her sun swords and pulled them out. Shhhk, Shhhk. She looked into the troubled, pleading, frightened eyes of each warlord. It was ironic that they were once her sworn enemies and they tried to kill her and the other warlords and here she was, setting them free from their frozen existence. Don't worry, warlords, I'm gonna let you out. It won't be any longer now. She held the swords up parallel from her shoulders, pulled them down straight across and outward in an "L" shaped movement.
"Oh my gosh, look!" Akira pointed above Mia.
The phoenix bird rose out of Mia, consuming her as she was the guardian of the great bird of fire. Mia did not have a burn on her skin. The warmth from the great phoenix went through her and to the three warlords, melting the ice. The wings were where Mia's hands were, as if Mia had grown great wings of fire. Mia clenched her teeth, feeling the power of her armor to be too much for her to handle, but she stood until the job was done. Mia was not going to stop until the warlords were free from their frozen prison. The ice started to melt, first at the warlord's heads and down their necks, to their shoulders, down their arms and bodies and to their toes. They gasped and blinked their eyes as they fell to their feet. The pheonix bird disapeared and Mia hunched forward, dropping her swords.
"Mia, are you alright?" Rose asked, rushing to her side, "wow, that was incrredible! Goodness, you're sweating. You probably wont' be able to that again, won't you?"
"Of course I will," Mia said, "I have to free the other Ronins too. I can't just leave them there. It wouldn't be right."
"But Mia, it took a lot out of you! Give your body some time to rest before you do that again."
Mia ignored her and stood up, "hey, are you three okay?" she asked.
Sehkmet was the first to look up. He blinked and removed his helmet. "Mia?"
"Yes, Sehkmet, it's me."
"What are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his head.
"It's a long story," Mia smiled, crouching down to his side, "Are you arlight?"
He nodded and groaned, "but I feel so cold and I have such a headache."
"You were just a statue." Mia explained, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "do you know how long you were in ice?"
"Too long," Dais groaned, removing his helmet and shaking his long, wet white hair.
"Who thawed us out?" Kale asked, removing his helmet.
"I did," Mia replied.
All three warlords gasped. Sekhmet looked at her with his black eyes, trying to find something to say, "you did? But why? I--"
"Forget about what happened back then, Sekmet," Mia said with a smile, "that's all over now. I just couldn't leave you guys here."
"Thank you, Mia," Sekmet thanked, forcing himself to smile, "I owe you a life."
"We will forever be in your debt." Dais muttered.
"You can all thank me later," Mia laughed. "Let's just get you out of here." She nodded to Rose and Akira, "well?"
"Oh, right," Akira blushed and helped up Dais, "Hi, I'm Akira of the Earthquake."
Dais blinked and almost laughed, "you look like Kento of the Hardrock," he groaned, "oh, I've been the Warlord of Illusion far too long."
"I'm Rose of the Volcano," Rose said, taking Kale's arm. The rose from her hair fell down. "Ooops."
Kale picked it up with his sword, "I think I know how you got your name."
"Do you know the shortest way out of here?" Mia asked.
Sekmet groaned, "I can't really remember."
"Let's just find the others and stop Snow Tulpa before he destroys everything," Akira said.
They began to leave the dungeon and Dais looked back to where they were standing. He used what he could with his power to make an illusion of himself and the others, just incase Snow Tulpa came back to yell at them. If Snow Tulpa found out that they were gone, he would be very angry and might do more destruction than what Tulpa did. Dais smiled. It was the first time he ever used one of his illusions for a good purpose. He only wished that what happened to himself and the others was an illusion. Too bad that it wasn't. It was real. Very real and they didn't know if they would be able to get out alive.
To Be Continued…