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The Mystic Ring - Part Eight
By: Lady Genrou

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The sun was beginning to sink down into the horizon in the distance, tinting the once blue sky and range of brilliant warm colors from a light lavender, to a bright pink or red orange. The early evening breeze was chilly as it whispered through the treetops of the forest, causing stray leaves to float gracefully to the ground in scattered piles. The past day or two since their escape from Kiyoshi's palace had been very enjoyable. Sadako shivered as she wrapped her around around herself, her stomach emitting a low, hungry rumble. Tasuki glanced over to her, smirking lightly. "Hungry, eh?"

"A little, yes."

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll come across something soon," he replied, taking off his black trench coat and slipping it around her shoulders.

Sadako blinked and looked to him, surprised at his actions, but gratefully held his coat around her to keep out the cold. "Thank you..."

It wasn't long before the two of them came across a small cottage in the woods. The lights on the inside were turned on; indicating that someone had to be home. "You wanna see if we can crash there for the night? It'll be better than sleeping out here in the woods."

Sadako nodded stifling a drowsy yawn and followed him to the front door.

Tasuki knocked lightly on the door, then took a step back, waiting for someone to answer. After a moment, he knocked again, then waited. Another beat of silence went by. Tasuki sighed and looked to Sadako. "C'mon. Let's get outta here. No ones home."

Just when they were about to leave, the sound of the front door creaking open made them turn back around. A tall man with shaggy blonde hair was standing in the threshold. His once blue eyes, now fogged over and stared out to nothing, in particular; he was blind. "Yes? Who's there?"

Tasuki blinked, then glanced at Sadako a moment before answering. "Hi there, buddy. The lady and me here are travelers and we were wonderin' if maybe you can put us up for the night."

"The lady? But of course. Do come in," the man said with a smile, stepping aside to let them enter and closing the door behind them. "My name is Kouske Ueno. I was just about to make some supper. Are you two hungry?"

"Oh, yes! Starving!" Sadako responded quickly.

Kouske chuckled softly and made his way around effortlessly through his home as he began to prepare supper. "Please, sit and make yourselves at home and tell me all about your travels. It's been such a long time since I've had company."

Tasuki sat at the large wooden table after pulling a chair out for Sadako. "Well, I come from Mount Reikaku. It's not too far away from here actually. Oh, and my name's Genrou."

Kouske nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you. And how about you, miss? Where have you come from?"

"I'm from the land of Kejuti. It's quite a long way from here."

"That it is. Mind if I ask what has brought you all the way out here?"

"Business. I have a high social status there."

"I see..." Kouske came around and set down a bowl full of warm stew in front of them. "It's nothing special, but it will warm you up and fill your stomachs." He sat down as well with his own bowl and continued the conversation. "Genrou, you say that you're from Mount Reikaku? Isn't that supposedly where a bandit hideout is?"

Tasuki looked up from slurping his soup and grinned. "You hear of me and my men then?"

Kouske's kind expression suddenly turned cold. "Unfortunatly, yes."

Tasuki was shocked at that for a moment, but collected himself and glared at Kouske. "What do ya mean by that?"

"It was your men, Genrou, that ransacked my old village. It was because of you and you're men that my blindness was caused and why I live all the way out here on my own."

The room was filled with a tense silence. Neither Sadako nor Tasuki knew what to say to that at first, but Tasuki felt his quick temper begin to surface. "Well, a man has to make a living some how. So what I do may not be the most honest kind of job, but I really had no choice."

"I don't believe that," Kouske retorted sharply. "You had a choice."

Tasuki slammed down his fist on the table angrily and rose to his feet. "And how the hell would you know that, wise guy?! You don't know a damn thing about me! How dare you shoot yer mouth off at me like that! I oughtta toast yer stupid ass for it!"

"Genrou! Please, calm down! Both of you stop!" Sadako interjected frantically, fearing the worse in the back of her mind. The two men ignored her pleading.

Kouske stood calmly and picked up his bowl of untouched soup, then casually made his way around the table, acting as if he were going to pick up the dishes, but dumped the bowl over Tasuki's head. Enrage, Tasuki grabbed a hand full of his shirt and pulled him roughly forward. "What the hell do you think yer tryin' t' pull here!? You just want to die, dontcha, buddy!?"

"Where is it?"

Tasuki was taken aback by that sudden question, but his anger didn't fade in the least. "Where's what!?"

"I know its here... I can feel it."

Tasuki let out a cry of surprise and released Kouske as the foggy film over his eyes rose open like a second eyelid. Seeing this too, Sadako got up fast and backed away from the table. "What the hell are you!?" Tasuki demanded, standing protectively in front of the princess.

"Sadako.... Don't tell me that you have forgotten about your dear friend, Roya."

Kouske's body began to shudder violently as his flesh melted away, revealing a reptile-like monster underneath. Sadako's hands flew to her mouth in sheer surprise. "Roya!"

"You know this thing!?" Tasuki exclaimed, bewildered by everything that has happened so far.

"Thing? Now that's not very nice. I haven't done anything to deserve to be called names...yet," Roya let out a hiss of a laugh after that sentence. Tasuki drew his tessen and prepared himself to attack.

"Yeah? Well, I'm not gonna give ya a chance to do a damn thing!"

"Oh, you brought a toy too? It's very nice, but I think that you should see mine!"

With that, Roya launched several ninja star-like disks at Tasuki, which caught on his clothing and drug him across the room and right into a wall, pinning him there. Sadako gasped and started forward to help him, but was caught roughly by the arm by Roya. "I don't think so, my dear. This is not a fight for ladies to get involved in."

"Get yer dirty hands off her!" Tasuki demanded, using all his might to pull his arm free from the wall. Roya smirked and watched as he did so.

"Impressive, Genrou. You're not that weak after all."

With another burst of strength, Tasuki pulled himself completely free from the wall and aimed his tessen out with both hands at Roya. His shoulder heaved from labored breathing, and his clothed tattered from where the sharp weapons had ripped through and pierced his skin as they did so. "I said, let her go!" Tasuki growled, his voice hoarse from anger.

Roya drew Sadako close to him, that annoying smirk still on his lips. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I've grown quite...attached to Princess Sadako."

"Roya...How have you managed to come back?" Sadako asked, trying to push away from him.

"It seems that your guards failed to do a good job of killing me when you so kindly exiled me for Kejuti. I was able to come across Kouske before dying and possessed his body. But I wasn't able to turn to my natural form until now when he let his hatred for Genrou consume him. I thrive off hatred."

"This can't be happening!"

"Oh, but it is, my dear...It is..." Roya replied in a whisper, sticking out his red, forked tongue and slowly licking her cheek.

"Rekka shein!"

Tasuki used his tessen to launch a small fireball at him, making it small so it wouldn't hurt Sadako in any way. Roya let out a loud, high pitched, raptor like scream as the fire singed his arm. He snapped his head back forward and bared his razor sharp teeth at Tasuki before pushing Sadako out of the way and charging him. Being naturally light footed and quick, Tasuki was able to jump over the attack and swing his fan around, catching the creature in the back of the head. Roya wasn't even fazed by the blow and rounded again in a
second attempt to pounce on him, clawing and biting like a mad animal.

Tasuki was able to block most of the attacks from Roya and his claws with his tessen, but was caught off guard when Roya whipped his tail around and knocked him against another wall with a force strong enough to knock the wind out of him. Roya's claws sprouted out and he trapped Tasuki by the neck to
the wall with them. "You are a good fighter, Genrou. It's a shame that I'm going to half to kill you now."

Roya drew back his other hand to strike Tasuki with a blow that would be powerful enough to knock his head right off his shoulders. "Roya! No! Please!" Sadako screamed, still in the spot where she had fallen when Roya pushed her to the ground where she watched the entire fight helplessly. Tasuki had been too close to the enemy for her to use the ring's power. She didn't know how to control the size of the blasts yet, and didn't want to take a chance of wounding him.

Tasuki closed his eyes tightly as Roya began to swing his arm at him, bracing for the worst, but nothing happened. Tasuki opened his eyes as Roya let out another of his shrill, animal shrieks and found himself surrounded in a haze of red light, the wing symbol on his right forearm glowing brightly. Sadako
watched in awe as the strange read light blew Roya away from Tasuki and encircled him and slowly shrunk ins size, constricting the monster. Suddenly the light grew to such an intense brightness, Tasuki and Sadako had to look away and shield their eyes. Roya screamed one last time before exploding into millions of little pieces that faded away with the red light.

Sadako opened her eyes when all was quiet. They were alone now in the cottage. Not knowing what to make of the scene, she turned quickly to Tasuki for an explanation.

Tasuki was just as bewildered as her though. He remained against the wall, his eyes wide, and slowly sank to the floor in disbelief. Frightened, Sadako quickly went to his side and took hold of his arm. "Genrou! Are you all right!?" she ask frantically. Tasuki kept starting forward, unblinking, but managed a small nod. "What was that light!?"

"I-I don't know..." he stammered, finally blinking and looking down at his arm where his character was still glowing a little.

Sadako looked down as well, confused. "What is that?"

"Its a mark of Suzaku..." Tasuki replied after collecting himself. "I-I had no idea that it had that much power..."

Sadako was even more confused. "Suzaku?"

Tasuki nodded and began to explain. "Legend has it that a chick from another world will come and gather all of her seven seishi. Each of 'em has a special mark some where on their body. After we're all gathered, the chick will be able summon some sort of God. I belong to the God Suzaku. Each God: Suzaku, Seiryuu, Byakko, and Genbu have seven warriors of their own too. The mark on my arm, the wings symbol, is also my star name, Tasuki..."

Sadako shook her head gently, trying to register all that the told her. "So, your star name is Tasuki, and you belong to a group of seven seishi of Suzaku?"

"Pretty much ... yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

Tasuki shrugged. "I dunno... I guess I didn't want you to get freaked out or somethin'. And I really don't think its that big of a deal. So I got a special mark and belong to the Suzaku Seven. The miko chick hasn't come and I don't think she ever will. And I've yet to meet others that are celestial warriors too."

Sadako remained silent, not knowing what to say or to think of this whole ordeal. She had only heard little pieces of the Genbu seven who's land was not too far from her, but she always thought it was a myth. But right before her was a flesh and blood warrior of the God Suzaku! Too tired to worry about it at the moment, she sighed and bowed her head a little. "Can we just get out of here? I'm thinking that perhaps sleeping on the forest floor is safer that in this house..."

Tasuki stood slowly, hurting a little from his injuries, and reached down to help her up; the symbol on his arm fading. "Yeah... Let's get outta here."

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To be conintued...