Author: MarieAmethyst

Title: Daughter of the Ancient: Chapter Five

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: violence

Author's Note: An 'old' idea I've had. The Ancient has always intrigued me, so I've decided to expand his background a little more…^_~

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They ran for what seemed hours, though in reality they knew it was perhaps an hour at the most. The windless air and dry glare from what passed as the sun combined to make it hot and uncomfortable. But the thought of the pain Ayanna must be feeling made them press on. Nearing the castle, the found that a maze blocked their path. At regular intervals guards could be seen, spears held across their chests, barring way to whatever it was they were watching.

"Now what?" Cye asked, his voice betraying a hint of defeat. How were they going to get through the maze? He asked himself. The thing was huge!

Kento had obviously been thinking along the same lines. "Ryo, you can't expect us to get through that," he said uneasily, staring at the maze like he expected guards to all jump out at once.

"We are the Ronin Warriors. The Ancient wouldn't have sent us here if he didn't believe we couldn't do it," Sage said quietly.

Ryo nodded, "Sage is right. We can do it." To prove it, he took a running leap and landed on the outer wall. After a quick glance revealed no soldiers in sight, he dropped down and landed in a crouch. The sound of another landing behind him made him glance back, finding a pair of pale blue eyes staring back. He was quickly followed by Rowen, Cye, and Kento.

"You think we're going to let you two here have all the fun without us?" Rowen asked in a whisper, a grin crossing his lips. Ryo gave him a thumb's up and grinned back.

They ran through many twists and turns, dodging the guards most of the time, fighting their way through when they ran into them. As they rounded another turn, all of them stopped in surprise. The castle rose up before them in malicious majesty, black power radiating from it. The two tall doors loomed like a dark promise, tempting them to enter.

"Woah," Kento said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah," Cye breathed, "the place is huge!"

Ryo glanced around warily, "Can you feel the energy?"

Sage nodded, "It's powerful."

A scream cut through the still air, startling them. The bearer of Halo glanced at the others, then ran toward the doors.

Ryo chased after him, "Sage, wait!"

"I can't! That was Ayanna, I'm sure of it!" He reached the doors, and was about to use his strength to try and open them when they parted silently. Sage, in mid-push, stumbled in before quickly regaining his balance. Ryo skipped to a halt behind them, just within the door's shadow.

A huge room was revealed to them by flickering lights, cast off by the torches lining the walls. An uneasy silence resided over the room, as if the very walls were afraid to breath. There was a chill in the air, and yet a fierce heat competed. The presence of evil was apparent, radiating in waves from all things.

They had entered Talpa's castle.

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Author's Note: Part Two: Sorry for the short chapter! I'm traveling for the next few days, and didn't have time to finish it like I would have.