Chapter Ten: Robyn's Rescue

(Robyn)

I awoke the following "morning" to our capture. I felt weak and helpless. Rowen was pacing back and forth, like he was waiting for something to happen. He looked over at me and smiled.

"Glad to see you're up and about," he said.

"Up, but not about," I said.

"Well, the guys will come for us," said Rowen with a sly grin on his face. "I know they will."
I sighed heavily. I didn't know "the guys" as well as Rowen did. He was one of "the guys", I wasn't, and the only one I knew remotely well was Cye. I knew I like him, I knew he had a daughter from when he was sixteen, I knew he'd lost his virginity through a rape and the rapist was the mother of his child, and a few other things, like his major. But I found myself wanting to know more about Cye Mouri. Why, I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling I had romantic tensions for the guy.

Suddenly, the clicking sound of someone at the door to the cell could be heard. Rowen stood just outside of the door, sending me a wink. A guard walked in and Rowen immediately pummeled it. "Robyn! Go! Get your staff!"

I ran out of the cell. The world could depend on my getting that staff. I concentrated on it, feeling where it was located. Don't ask me how, I just, knew. I ran as hard as I could. Stairs, flew up them. Hallways, practically was shot out of a cannon down them. Time seemed to pass in a second, but last an eternity. Was Yuli on my side here? I respected that kid, despite his rather severe punishment and age. The boy was still twelve, physically, at least, but who was to say how much knowledge the boy had gained in the Chronos?

But, this was something I needed to do myself. Yuli couldn't take my hand and walk me through the whole thing. I had to learn the staff's powers myself. Yuli had a much more important job; guarding the Time Gateway. My job was important, but I couldn't pull him from his responsibility more than I already had. This was my own way. This was my destiny.

Finally, after what felt like a cruel eternity, I found Talpa's throne room. There, lying on a table in the center of the room, was my staff. I ran over and picked it up, practically hugging the darn thing. I don't think I'd felt so secure in my entire life. The world wasn't in as much danger anymore.

Sadly, I still was.

"Crystal Maiden, I'm so glad you've decided to come here and tell me how your petty little staff here works."

I gasped as I turned to see the Dynasty Master himself staring me down. I held my staff out at him. Talpa laughed heartily. "That didn't work last time, now did it?" he said coldly. I kept the staff up anyways. He had to have a weak spot. But where!? I didn't know, and I didn't like not knowing. Talpa scared me.

Slowly, the demon advanced on me. I backed away. That was when I heard the doors shut. "I WAS planning on bringing in Strata with us, but he's gotten away and is hiding somewhere. Then I could torture him until you told me about the staff. But not it appears as if you'll just have to tell me now."

"Never!" I said. "You can't have my powers! I won't let you take them!"

"You WILL give me your powers! I COMMAND you to!" yelled Talpa.

I glared at him. "You don't control me! I'm NOT one of your Dynasty puppets! And I never will be! So lay off! You'll get no where with me!" I said. I finally got fed up and tried to hit him with the staff. No effect. If he felt it he didn't show it.

"Leave Robyn alone!"

"What the-" said Talpa, but before he could react a flash of light blue and auburn stood in front of me.

"Cye!" I cried.

Cye turned around to smile at me. "Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here in one piece," he said. "Stand back. ARMOR OF THE TORRENT, DAO SHIN!"

I had to close my eyes as Cye was consumed in a bright flash of white. When the flash was down, I saw him armored up and ready in the Armor of the Torrent. He held a deadly looking yari in his grip. A tall bladed helmet was on his head. He stood almost protectively infront of me.

I felt really safe in that spot.

Talpa's eyes began to glow their infamous red glow. "Well, well, well, Torrent, we meet again."

"I don't know why you didn't die before, but I can assure you you'll die now," said Cye. His yari was pointed at Talpa. He pushed the head up and back swiftly, and I saw the two large claws close in. A man gripper. Amazing. That Ancient guy came up with some pretty cool toys.

I had a pretty cool toy, too. I stepped out from behind Cye and stood next to him. I was going to fight with him or die trying. "Do you know his weakness?" I asked.

"You need a really powerful blast to get his guard down, then he gets a little easier. Also, he's a rotting corpse inside of the armor. Get a piece of it off and if you can hold your lunch he's gone for," said Cye.

Rotting corpse? Lovely. Sounds like a blind date I went on once- never mind.

"You two will both die at the hands-" Talpa started.

"-of the Evil Dynasty," Cye and I finished in unison.

Talpa's eyes glowed. "DON'T DO THAT!"

Eventually, we were backed all the way to the door. Cye stared down Talpa for a second, then slammed into the wooden door, taking it down. I fell. He threw his yari on his back, picked me up and started to dart down the hallway. Talpa went after us. The one disadvantage Talpa had as far as being a walking army went was that all those weapons weighed him down by a LOT. Way more than Cye's armor, weapon, and I weighed him down. We easily got away.

We hid in a sort of storage room. There were bags of different grains all around, as well as beans, nuts, and dried berries. "A pantry," I casually stated.

Cye had taken time to armor down into subarmor. "You all right?"
"I'm fine, thank you," I said. "You?"

"All right. Whatever shield that's shielding me from my emotions toward the rape is working," he said. "And that'll be good since I just know Sheila and I are going to go into battle."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"The Venom and Torrent armors are always adversaries. The rape, Ariel, and our relationship towards each other just adds to the already thick tension. She tried to blame Ariel's birth on me, you know," he said.

I sighed heavily. "I don't want to make a comment since I don't know enough about that yet, but I do understand that there is tension between the two of you. How did she get at you, you know, this time?"

"Got to me before I could get my armor orbe. Teasingly she dangled it above my head a few times, but with my hands tied like they were, it was almost as bad as the thing itself," said Cye. "I can only guess she was very ticked off when her chew toy got away."
I nodded. "Well, I don't know what to say."

"Mind keeping watch while I catch a few Z's?" asked Cye with a stiff yawn. "There wasn't much sleep for any of us last night."

"Go ahead. But you're going to wake up the instant something comes in here, got it?" I said.

"That's what I hoped you'd say," he said. I rested his head on a sack of grains and was soon peacefully sleeping. Quietly, I snuck over and gently ran my fingers through his hair. So soft, so silky. I smiled. Then, quietly and gently, I kissed his forehead, then went back to watch the door.