Reia woke up early; the sky was just beginning to turn pink with the dawning sun. But when she looked around the room, she saw she wasn't first up; Lys was already gone from her bed.
She shivered as she pulled on her clothing. That dream she had had last night... do vivid, so terrifying...
She closed the door to the room behind her, leaving Kawai to sleep a little longer. She literally ran into Cye as she headed into the bathroom and he was coming out at the same time.
"I'm sorry," She stammered, stepping backwards, her cheeks turning pink.
"It was my fault," He assured her.
"I... I didn't really need to go anyway," Reia muttered, spinning on her heels and walking swiftly down the hall towards the stairs.
"Reia... Reia, wait," Cye hissed, jogging after her. They were on the stairs by the time he caught her. "Reia, talk to me!"
"I don't want to!" She snapped. Cye appeared taken aback.
"Is that true?" He asked, his sea blue eyes boring holes into her sky blue ones.
"Please, Cye..." She almost pleaded with him. "I have so much on my mind..."
"When you're ready," Cye said with a nod. "I have to get started on breakfast," He added, nudging past her and heading down the stairs. She had not missed the somewhat icy tone his voice had taken.
Reia stood on the stairs a moment before turning to go back down. Xanthe's voice stopped her.
"What was that all about, Reia?" He asked. He was leaning against a nearby door frame, his light brown hair still in a sleepy disarray, and his hazel eyes still cloudy with weariness.
"Nothing, Xanthe," She said, turning to walk away.
"Why do you lie to me, Reia?" He asked. "I thought we were friends," He added with a smile at the site of Reia's shocked face.
"We are," She said, squeezing his hand. "I just don't feel like talking with anyone about this right now."
"All right, I've got it. Perfect henchmen!" Arcane floated across Talpa's former throne room, now his throne room, and picked up a thick book. The Ronin Warriors' powers lie in ten great virtues of humanity: Life Force, Justice, Wisdom, Trust, Loyalty, Piety, Serenity, Obedience, Love, and Absolute Virtue... What I need is ten warriors that are the opposite of these things. Arcane laughed at his own genius. "Those Ronin Warriors won't know what hit them!" He shouted.
I shall create my Dark Ronin Warriors, of Death, Injustice, Ignorance, Suspicion, Treachery, Indifference, Chaos, Rebellion, Hate, and Absolute Sin... But who shall become my Dark Ronins? Certainly none of these ordinary soldiers will do... I will have to go to the arena in the Nether realm... perhaps there will be gladiators worthy of the job there.
Junichi breathed in the serenity of Jewel Lake as he walked along the shore, unknowingly on the same route Cye and Reia had taken a few nights earlier.
"I could stay here forever," He said to himself. Looking out on the perfect blue water, sparkling with the morning sun, his tranquil moment was suddenly seized with painful memories. It had been at a lake as pure and perfect that had it's perfection stained by violence and terror eight years ago, a terror that followed him for most of those eight years.
He shuddered involuntarily and pulled his jacket tighter around him.
"Come on, Junichi!" Kinaka called to him from the water.
"No!" Junichi shouted. "It's cold!"
"Be a baby then," His twin sister sniffed, making a face at him. "You can just stay here on shore with mama and baby Akio!"
"I'm not a baby!" He shouted, plunging into the water after his sister.
"Don't you fight!" Their father shouted.
At some point his sister left the lake for some more sun screen, leaving him in the water alone. Looking around, Junichi saw they were the only family there... odd... and it was silent, no birds, only the water lapping. He couldn't even hear his parents, or the baby fussing...
Then Junichi turned and found they weren't even there.
"Mama?" He called, looking around. "Mama? Where are you? Papa?!" He was beginning to become afraid. A dark mist settled over the lake.
"Mama!" He screamed, scrambling out of the water. He heard his sister, Kinaka, scream.
A tall, dark man had picked her up and was carrying her down the beach.
"Kinaka!" He shouted, throwing a rock at the bad man. "Put my sister down!"
He heard his mother scream and saw many more dark men. He saw a long black sword raised and brought down on his father, who crumpled like a doll, his blood staining the perfect white sand black. His mother screamed and clutched his baby brother to her chest, crying for his father and also calling to Junichi and Kinaka. Four arrows pierced his mother, and when her cried of agony died, so did his brother's.
His throat was hoarse from screaming and crying. He wanted to run, but he also wanted to save his sister.
Kinaka kicked the man holding her and he dropped her in surprise. She screamed and started to run towards Junichi's outstretched hand, but from nowhere a sickle blade sped into the air. He heard a sickening slash as his sister fell to the ground, screaming and covering her face. She had been so close that her blood splashed on him... where it hit him it burned.
The soldiers rushed at him next. Screaming more, he tried to run... a sickle blade whirled in front of him and he felt severe pain on his face, he fell to the ground, blood mixing with his tears.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a white tiger leapt from the bushes and landed in front of him, serving to terrify him even more. But the soldiers stepped back from the beast. A monk stepped from the bushes. Removing his hat, his long red hair flew in the breeze.
"Be gone, demons," The man said. "The Ronin Warrior of Trust will not be yours. He has the blessing of the ancients to grow strong and restore peace to this order, like warriors before him!" The soldiers vanished, so did the man and the tiger.
"Mother... Father..." Junichi whispered. A tear slid down one of the scars on his face. The Dynasty certainly had many things to pay for... a trembling hand went up to his face to touch the scar and he brought it down in an angry fist. They took away his family, and his dignity... he was damn lucky he managed to retain his sanity, but he still had to go to counseling. The newspapers had said wild dogs had attacked them, but he knew it was the blades of swords that killed his childhood that day and not the fangs of dogs.
"Junichi! Sage says there's a dojo we can go practice at, you coming?" Xanthe called.
"Um... sure, yeah, coming!" Junichi shouted as he looked at the water one more time before turning back to return to the house.
Arcane materialized at the gladiator's arena, where all being of the Nether Realm went to prove their strength a superiority.
At the moment, a tall, muscular man was battling a large lizard like creature. He was very bulky, and his long dark blonde hair was tied in a long braid that fell down his back. He was dressed in a jet black suit of ordinary armor and wielded two very long, curved blades. Smoky gray eyes blazing with power.
The lizard shrieked and tried to snap at him, only to have the two blades slice his head off.
He has skills, Arcane thought. He stood and pointed at the man. "You!"
The man looked up at Arcane in shock, unaware that he had been watched.
"I don't suppose you'd be interested in power and immortality?" Arcane asked. He was pleased at the dark smile that crept along the man's face.
"Swear allegiance to me, and become one of my Dark Ronin Warriors! We shall become the rulers of the light world and the universe!"
The man bowed and put his fist over his heart.
"Very good. What is your name, warrior?" He asked.
"Balin, My Lord," The man responded.
"Come to me, Balin, embrace the darkness and become my Dark Ronin Warrior of Sin!"
Arcane held his hands up and a dark mist encircled the coliseum. Balin knelt at his feet and when the mist cleared his ordinary black armor had become a very good suit of still black armor, and he had finer swords.
Over that afternoon at the coliseum, Balin helped Arcane pick out some of the other Dark Ronins.
A large muscle bound man, even larger than Balin called Trox was selected to be the Dark Ronin of Ignorance. A female with long red hair who seemed very adept with throwing knives was selected to become the Dark Ronin of Injustice. She was Osa Terapir, a renowned expert mercenary. Arcane convinced her that swearing loyalty to him would be a very profitable venture. She reproved her expertise with knives when Trox went so far as to imply a woman couldn't do the job as well as a man and she let a knife come within a hair's width of his face, adding curtly that she doesn't miss unless it was at will.
There was a warrior called Fiian who was very good with a sword, and then they watched as he swindled another warrior out of a purse full of coins. Arcane thought he would make a perfect Dark Ronin of Treachery, although Balin, Trox, and Osa all prickled inwardly at Fiian. But the red headed man seemed perfectly willing to cooperate with Arcane, and even more willing to stand beside Osa.
A woman called Celtia with short blonde hair took down four opponents at the same time with a whip and destroyed several targets with devastating magical attacks. She was a mage of the first degree, and even though she could only use a whip and no other weapon, her magic was more than enough to convince Arcane that he had found his Dark Ronin of Chaos.
There was a man who had his dark purple hair pulled back in a ponytail and sported a pair of glasses on his face, sitting off to the side, inspecting a rack of swords.
"Who is that?" Arcane asked.
"That's Jiquar, My Lord," Balin answered. "He knows more about weapons than any weapons master."
"And how is he with a blade?" Arcane asked.
"Adequate, Sir," Osa spoke up, "But I hear he is the one of the best weaponless fighter in the Nether World."
"Your sword," Arcane said, holding his hand out to Fiian, who blanched then handed it over.
Arcane silently hurled it at the man with the glasses. All five of the Dark Ronins held their breath. Just as it was about to him, he whirled around and knocked the sword to the ground, a purple shield glowing on his arm.
"He knows chi magic," Celtia breathed. "Very impressive."
"You there!" Arcane shouted. "I could use a man like you."
Jiquar looked up, slightly annoyed. "Did you throw that?" He asked, pointing at Fiian's sword. He picked it up and hurled it back with equal strength as Arcane's throw. Fiian caught it and began coddling the blade, scrubbing the dirst off it with his tunic.
"How about it? Power, riches, immortality, women, they can all be yours," Arcane said as a Dark mist surrounded them.
"Someone has to make sure you keep your weapons in a good condition," Jiquar said as his eyes came to rest on Osa and Celtia.
"You will be a perfect Dark Ronin of Indifference," Arcane chuckled as Jiquar fitted spiky gauntlets onto his arms and his eyes flashed purple.
"Could I make a recommendation, Master?" Trox asked. Arcane nodded. Trox pointed a thick, meaty hand at a man with long brown hair who was doing some fancy shots with a long bow. Watching him, Arcane discovered this man was blind, his eyes were one uniform gray. And he never missed a shot. He wondered why.
"I see the target through the eyes of the people around me," The man called.
"Mind magic," Jiquar grumbled, Celtia gasped.
"And yes, I am perfectly willing to work for you," The blind man added. Arcane prickled a little at his callousness.
"What is your name?" Arcane asked.
"Yormo, at your service," He replied, bowing. "Or should I say, Yormo, Dark Ronin of Rebellion?"
"It would be wise on your part not to read my mind again, Yormo. The only reason you are not twitching in agony right now is I let you inside," Arcane snarled menacingly. The other Ronins seemed more afraid than Yormo at this threat.
Arcane and his Dark Ronins stayed at the coliseum the rest of the afternoon, but saw no other warriors worthy of becoming Dark Ronins. Sitting on his throne, he eyes the seven recruits bowing at his feet. He was still missing his Dark Ronins of Death, Suspicion, and Hate.
The candles in the room flickered as a woman wearing a purple cape and hood entered the room.
"Kaori," He said without turning around.
"Father," She said, greeting him. She pulled back her hood and let her brown hair, which was tied up in two braided loops on either side of her head and fell in pig tails to her shoulder. "I want to help you with your cause."
"Are you certain, Daughter?" Arcane asked, using the term loosely.
She nodded, her violet eyes flashed behind the mask she wore over them. "I thirst to annihilate the Ronin Warriors," She hissed with a fervor that made the other Dark Ronins look up.
"Well, then," Arcane chuckled. "You have that position you ask for, my dear. Join the ranks as my Dark Ronin of Suspicion!"
Well, now he was missing only Death and Hate. And he had a very good idea who those two could be...
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that the room grew cold. Deathly cold in fact. The Dark Ronins all shuddered and hugged themselves desperately, iot felt as if the air was literally drawing the heat away from their bodies.
"Persephone," Arcane grumbled. "Winter Witch. What can I do for you?"
"I think the question is, My Lord, what can I do for you?" The witch responded, her raspy voice making the other warriors cringe. The blonde girl beside her said nothing.
"What do you want?" Arcane asked.
"Only to serve you," She said, "You are a powerful man, Arcane. I want to be on friendly terms with you when you take over the world."
Arcane glared at Persephone. "Who is she?"
The girl beside her appeared to be about 15, but Arcane sensed she was much older than that. Her feathery blonde hair fell over sparkling silver eyes and pointed ears.
"I want to see the human race wiped from Earth, with you as the new ruler," The girl said, bowing low. "I am Jessira."
"Very well," Arcane said with a nod. "You, Persephone, are my Dark Ronin of Death, and Balin's second in command!" Persephone smiled, Balin's jaw dropped open and Trox looked horrified. "Jessira, use your powers as Dark Ronin of Hate!"
Arcane looked down on his ten Dark Ronins, very please with his recruits.
"Osa, is it?" He said, looking down at the red headed woman.
"Yes, Sir?" Osa asked, looking up.
"I am sending you out-" He held up his hand to cut off protests. "Relay a message to those Ronin Warriors. Take Jiquar and Yormo. You can have a little fun with them if you wish, but don't hurt them too badly, only humiliate them."
"Aye, M'lord," She said, bowing as the three vanished.
At the Date Dojo, run by Sage's father, Sage, Kento, and Ryo were sparring with Lys, Xanthe, and Kasukio.
Sage was surprised at how good Lys was with the sword. Even though they were using wooden practice swords, her skill was formidable. Ryo found the same to be true with Kasukio and two swords, and Kento with Xanthe and a staff.
~ Why were we expecting the future Ronins to be soft? ~ Ryo asked himself. ~ Of course they'd have to be good to be Ronin Warriors... ~
Junichi was leaning against the wall, watching the event while Cye retrieved practice spears from the back room. Just as they were about the begin, the lights in the room went out.
"What the-" Ryo exclaimed. They looked around nervously.
A chilling female laugh filled the air. "Greetings, Ronin Warriors..."
There was a flash of light and a woman with long red hair appeared in the center of the room. She stood on one foot and held three knives in each hand. She had several other blades on her belt. She was wearing loose white clothing, but they could see black armor peeking at the shoulder line, midriff, and her legs. To her right a man with startlingly blank gray eyes and long brown hair, dressed in reddish orange armor and holding a long bow appeared at her left, and a man with dark purple hair tied in a ponytail and glasses at her side. He wore what appeared to be only high quality leather armor, but he had impressive looking spiked gauntlets on and his eyes seemed to be glowing oddly.
"I am Jiquar, Lord Arcane's Dakr Ronin Warrior of Indifference," The man with the glasses introduced himself.
"I am Yormo, Dark Ronin of Rebellion," Yormo said, firing an arrow that just barely missed Lys's head.
"Why you...!" Kasukio snarled, readying to attack. Jiquar's eyes flashed an strange purple energy surrounded Kasukio. "I... I can't move!" He cried.
"And I," the woman said, her green eyes flashing, "Am Osa, Dark Ronin of Injustice!" She threw a knife that landed in the wall just above Junichi's shoulder, so close it had pierced the leather of his jacket but it did not touch his skin.
"We deliver a message," Osa laughed.
"What would that be?" Ryo asked in a challenging manner.
"Surrender, or die," Osa replied simply before throwing two knives at Ryo's head...
She shivered as she pulled on her clothing. That dream she had had last night... do vivid, so terrifying...
She closed the door to the room behind her, leaving Kawai to sleep a little longer. She literally ran into Cye as she headed into the bathroom and he was coming out at the same time.
"I'm sorry," She stammered, stepping backwards, her cheeks turning pink.
"It was my fault," He assured her.
"I... I didn't really need to go anyway," Reia muttered, spinning on her heels and walking swiftly down the hall towards the stairs.
"Reia... Reia, wait," Cye hissed, jogging after her. They were on the stairs by the time he caught her. "Reia, talk to me!"
"I don't want to!" She snapped. Cye appeared taken aback.
"Is that true?" He asked, his sea blue eyes boring holes into her sky blue ones.
"Please, Cye..." She almost pleaded with him. "I have so much on my mind..."
"When you're ready," Cye said with a nod. "I have to get started on breakfast," He added, nudging past her and heading down the stairs. She had not missed the somewhat icy tone his voice had taken.
Reia stood on the stairs a moment before turning to go back down. Xanthe's voice stopped her.
"What was that all about, Reia?" He asked. He was leaning against a nearby door frame, his light brown hair still in a sleepy disarray, and his hazel eyes still cloudy with weariness.
"Nothing, Xanthe," She said, turning to walk away.
"Why do you lie to me, Reia?" He asked. "I thought we were friends," He added with a smile at the site of Reia's shocked face.
"We are," She said, squeezing his hand. "I just don't feel like talking with anyone about this right now."
"All right, I've got it. Perfect henchmen!" Arcane floated across Talpa's former throne room, now his throne room, and picked up a thick book. The Ronin Warriors' powers lie in ten great virtues of humanity: Life Force, Justice, Wisdom, Trust, Loyalty, Piety, Serenity, Obedience, Love, and Absolute Virtue... What I need is ten warriors that are the opposite of these things. Arcane laughed at his own genius. "Those Ronin Warriors won't know what hit them!" He shouted.
I shall create my Dark Ronin Warriors, of Death, Injustice, Ignorance, Suspicion, Treachery, Indifference, Chaos, Rebellion, Hate, and Absolute Sin... But who shall become my Dark Ronins? Certainly none of these ordinary soldiers will do... I will have to go to the arena in the Nether realm... perhaps there will be gladiators worthy of the job there.
Junichi breathed in the serenity of Jewel Lake as he walked along the shore, unknowingly on the same route Cye and Reia had taken a few nights earlier.
"I could stay here forever," He said to himself. Looking out on the perfect blue water, sparkling with the morning sun, his tranquil moment was suddenly seized with painful memories. It had been at a lake as pure and perfect that had it's perfection stained by violence and terror eight years ago, a terror that followed him for most of those eight years.
He shuddered involuntarily and pulled his jacket tighter around him.
"Come on, Junichi!" Kinaka called to him from the water.
"No!" Junichi shouted. "It's cold!"
"Be a baby then," His twin sister sniffed, making a face at him. "You can just stay here on shore with mama and baby Akio!"
"I'm not a baby!" He shouted, plunging into the water after his sister.
"Don't you fight!" Their father shouted.
At some point his sister left the lake for some more sun screen, leaving him in the water alone. Looking around, Junichi saw they were the only family there... odd... and it was silent, no birds, only the water lapping. He couldn't even hear his parents, or the baby fussing...
Then Junichi turned and found they weren't even there.
"Mama?" He called, looking around. "Mama? Where are you? Papa?!" He was beginning to become afraid. A dark mist settled over the lake.
"Mama!" He screamed, scrambling out of the water. He heard his sister, Kinaka, scream.
A tall, dark man had picked her up and was carrying her down the beach.
"Kinaka!" He shouted, throwing a rock at the bad man. "Put my sister down!"
He heard his mother scream and saw many more dark men. He saw a long black sword raised and brought down on his father, who crumpled like a doll, his blood staining the perfect white sand black. His mother screamed and clutched his baby brother to her chest, crying for his father and also calling to Junichi and Kinaka. Four arrows pierced his mother, and when her cried of agony died, so did his brother's.
His throat was hoarse from screaming and crying. He wanted to run, but he also wanted to save his sister.
Kinaka kicked the man holding her and he dropped her in surprise. She screamed and started to run towards Junichi's outstretched hand, but from nowhere a sickle blade sped into the air. He heard a sickening slash as his sister fell to the ground, screaming and covering her face. She had been so close that her blood splashed on him... where it hit him it burned.
The soldiers rushed at him next. Screaming more, he tried to run... a sickle blade whirled in front of him and he felt severe pain on his face, he fell to the ground, blood mixing with his tears.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a white tiger leapt from the bushes and landed in front of him, serving to terrify him even more. But the soldiers stepped back from the beast. A monk stepped from the bushes. Removing his hat, his long red hair flew in the breeze.
"Be gone, demons," The man said. "The Ronin Warrior of Trust will not be yours. He has the blessing of the ancients to grow strong and restore peace to this order, like warriors before him!" The soldiers vanished, so did the man and the tiger.
"Mother... Father..." Junichi whispered. A tear slid down one of the scars on his face. The Dynasty certainly had many things to pay for... a trembling hand went up to his face to touch the scar and he brought it down in an angry fist. They took away his family, and his dignity... he was damn lucky he managed to retain his sanity, but he still had to go to counseling. The newspapers had said wild dogs had attacked them, but he knew it was the blades of swords that killed his childhood that day and not the fangs of dogs.
"Junichi! Sage says there's a dojo we can go practice at, you coming?" Xanthe called.
"Um... sure, yeah, coming!" Junichi shouted as he looked at the water one more time before turning back to return to the house.
Arcane materialized at the gladiator's arena, where all being of the Nether Realm went to prove their strength a superiority.
At the moment, a tall, muscular man was battling a large lizard like creature. He was very bulky, and his long dark blonde hair was tied in a long braid that fell down his back. He was dressed in a jet black suit of ordinary armor and wielded two very long, curved blades. Smoky gray eyes blazing with power.
The lizard shrieked and tried to snap at him, only to have the two blades slice his head off.
He has skills, Arcane thought. He stood and pointed at the man. "You!"
The man looked up at Arcane in shock, unaware that he had been watched.
"I don't suppose you'd be interested in power and immortality?" Arcane asked. He was pleased at the dark smile that crept along the man's face.
"Swear allegiance to me, and become one of my Dark Ronin Warriors! We shall become the rulers of the light world and the universe!"
The man bowed and put his fist over his heart.
"Very good. What is your name, warrior?" He asked.
"Balin, My Lord," The man responded.
"Come to me, Balin, embrace the darkness and become my Dark Ronin Warrior of Sin!"
Arcane held his hands up and a dark mist encircled the coliseum. Balin knelt at his feet and when the mist cleared his ordinary black armor had become a very good suit of still black armor, and he had finer swords.
Over that afternoon at the coliseum, Balin helped Arcane pick out some of the other Dark Ronins.
A large muscle bound man, even larger than Balin called Trox was selected to be the Dark Ronin of Ignorance. A female with long red hair who seemed very adept with throwing knives was selected to become the Dark Ronin of Injustice. She was Osa Terapir, a renowned expert mercenary. Arcane convinced her that swearing loyalty to him would be a very profitable venture. She reproved her expertise with knives when Trox went so far as to imply a woman couldn't do the job as well as a man and she let a knife come within a hair's width of his face, adding curtly that she doesn't miss unless it was at will.
There was a warrior called Fiian who was very good with a sword, and then they watched as he swindled another warrior out of a purse full of coins. Arcane thought he would make a perfect Dark Ronin of Treachery, although Balin, Trox, and Osa all prickled inwardly at Fiian. But the red headed man seemed perfectly willing to cooperate with Arcane, and even more willing to stand beside Osa.
A woman called Celtia with short blonde hair took down four opponents at the same time with a whip and destroyed several targets with devastating magical attacks. She was a mage of the first degree, and even though she could only use a whip and no other weapon, her magic was more than enough to convince Arcane that he had found his Dark Ronin of Chaos.
There was a man who had his dark purple hair pulled back in a ponytail and sported a pair of glasses on his face, sitting off to the side, inspecting a rack of swords.
"Who is that?" Arcane asked.
"That's Jiquar, My Lord," Balin answered. "He knows more about weapons than any weapons master."
"And how is he with a blade?" Arcane asked.
"Adequate, Sir," Osa spoke up, "But I hear he is the one of the best weaponless fighter in the Nether World."
"Your sword," Arcane said, holding his hand out to Fiian, who blanched then handed it over.
Arcane silently hurled it at the man with the glasses. All five of the Dark Ronins held their breath. Just as it was about to him, he whirled around and knocked the sword to the ground, a purple shield glowing on his arm.
"He knows chi magic," Celtia breathed. "Very impressive."
"You there!" Arcane shouted. "I could use a man like you."
Jiquar looked up, slightly annoyed. "Did you throw that?" He asked, pointing at Fiian's sword. He picked it up and hurled it back with equal strength as Arcane's throw. Fiian caught it and began coddling the blade, scrubbing the dirst off it with his tunic.
"How about it? Power, riches, immortality, women, they can all be yours," Arcane said as a Dark mist surrounded them.
"Someone has to make sure you keep your weapons in a good condition," Jiquar said as his eyes came to rest on Osa and Celtia.
"You will be a perfect Dark Ronin of Indifference," Arcane chuckled as Jiquar fitted spiky gauntlets onto his arms and his eyes flashed purple.
"Could I make a recommendation, Master?" Trox asked. Arcane nodded. Trox pointed a thick, meaty hand at a man with long brown hair who was doing some fancy shots with a long bow. Watching him, Arcane discovered this man was blind, his eyes were one uniform gray. And he never missed a shot. He wondered why.
"I see the target through the eyes of the people around me," The man called.
"Mind magic," Jiquar grumbled, Celtia gasped.
"And yes, I am perfectly willing to work for you," The blind man added. Arcane prickled a little at his callousness.
"What is your name?" Arcane asked.
"Yormo, at your service," He replied, bowing. "Or should I say, Yormo, Dark Ronin of Rebellion?"
"It would be wise on your part not to read my mind again, Yormo. The only reason you are not twitching in agony right now is I let you inside," Arcane snarled menacingly. The other Ronins seemed more afraid than Yormo at this threat.
Arcane and his Dark Ronins stayed at the coliseum the rest of the afternoon, but saw no other warriors worthy of becoming Dark Ronins. Sitting on his throne, he eyes the seven recruits bowing at his feet. He was still missing his Dark Ronins of Death, Suspicion, and Hate.
The candles in the room flickered as a woman wearing a purple cape and hood entered the room.
"Kaori," He said without turning around.
"Father," She said, greeting him. She pulled back her hood and let her brown hair, which was tied up in two braided loops on either side of her head and fell in pig tails to her shoulder. "I want to help you with your cause."
"Are you certain, Daughter?" Arcane asked, using the term loosely.
She nodded, her violet eyes flashed behind the mask she wore over them. "I thirst to annihilate the Ronin Warriors," She hissed with a fervor that made the other Dark Ronins look up.
"Well, then," Arcane chuckled. "You have that position you ask for, my dear. Join the ranks as my Dark Ronin of Suspicion!"
Well, now he was missing only Death and Hate. And he had a very good idea who those two could be...
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that the room grew cold. Deathly cold in fact. The Dark Ronins all shuddered and hugged themselves desperately, iot felt as if the air was literally drawing the heat away from their bodies.
"Persephone," Arcane grumbled. "Winter Witch. What can I do for you?"
"I think the question is, My Lord, what can I do for you?" The witch responded, her raspy voice making the other warriors cringe. The blonde girl beside her said nothing.
"What do you want?" Arcane asked.
"Only to serve you," She said, "You are a powerful man, Arcane. I want to be on friendly terms with you when you take over the world."
Arcane glared at Persephone. "Who is she?"
The girl beside her appeared to be about 15, but Arcane sensed she was much older than that. Her feathery blonde hair fell over sparkling silver eyes and pointed ears.
"I want to see the human race wiped from Earth, with you as the new ruler," The girl said, bowing low. "I am Jessira."
"Very well," Arcane said with a nod. "You, Persephone, are my Dark Ronin of Death, and Balin's second in command!" Persephone smiled, Balin's jaw dropped open and Trox looked horrified. "Jessira, use your powers as Dark Ronin of Hate!"
Arcane looked down on his ten Dark Ronins, very please with his recruits.
"Osa, is it?" He said, looking down at the red headed woman.
"Yes, Sir?" Osa asked, looking up.
"I am sending you out-" He held up his hand to cut off protests. "Relay a message to those Ronin Warriors. Take Jiquar and Yormo. You can have a little fun with them if you wish, but don't hurt them too badly, only humiliate them."
"Aye, M'lord," She said, bowing as the three vanished.
At the Date Dojo, run by Sage's father, Sage, Kento, and Ryo were sparring with Lys, Xanthe, and Kasukio.
Sage was surprised at how good Lys was with the sword. Even though they were using wooden practice swords, her skill was formidable. Ryo found the same to be true with Kasukio and two swords, and Kento with Xanthe and a staff.
~ Why were we expecting the future Ronins to be soft? ~ Ryo asked himself. ~ Of course they'd have to be good to be Ronin Warriors... ~
Junichi was leaning against the wall, watching the event while Cye retrieved practice spears from the back room. Just as they were about the begin, the lights in the room went out.
"What the-" Ryo exclaimed. They looked around nervously.
A chilling female laugh filled the air. "Greetings, Ronin Warriors..."
There was a flash of light and a woman with long red hair appeared in the center of the room. She stood on one foot and held three knives in each hand. She had several other blades on her belt. She was wearing loose white clothing, but they could see black armor peeking at the shoulder line, midriff, and her legs. To her right a man with startlingly blank gray eyes and long brown hair, dressed in reddish orange armor and holding a long bow appeared at her left, and a man with dark purple hair tied in a ponytail and glasses at her side. He wore what appeared to be only high quality leather armor, but he had impressive looking spiked gauntlets on and his eyes seemed to be glowing oddly.
"I am Jiquar, Lord Arcane's Dakr Ronin Warrior of Indifference," The man with the glasses introduced himself.
"I am Yormo, Dark Ronin of Rebellion," Yormo said, firing an arrow that just barely missed Lys's head.
"Why you...!" Kasukio snarled, readying to attack. Jiquar's eyes flashed an strange purple energy surrounded Kasukio. "I... I can't move!" He cried.
"And I," the woman said, her green eyes flashing, "Am Osa, Dark Ronin of Injustice!" She threw a knife that landed in the wall just above Junichi's shoulder, so close it had pierced the leather of his jacket but it did not touch his skin.
"We deliver a message," Osa laughed.
"What would that be?" Ryo asked in a challenging manner.
"Surrender, or die," Osa replied simply before throwing two knives at Ryo's head...