Chapter Two: Prelude to War
'So here we all are again,' Ryo thought, setting his bags down in what was to be his room. During their fights with Arago, the mansion Naste's family owned had been their strategy base, so they had decided to return to it. Preparation for the anticipated attack was to start that day.
"You mean we hafta share rooms again?!" he heard Shu exclaim from the next room over. "How come Ryo gets on of his own?!"
"Because White Blaze sleeps in here with me!" laughed Ryo. Sure, he enjoyed his privacy, but it felt wonderful to be back with his comrades.
"So you heard a voice," Shu scoffed, stuffing a rice cracker into his mouth. "Big deal. It could just be a trick."
Ryo shook his head. "No, it was Shiten. I could tell it was his voice and he knew…he knew things about me that no mortal could know."
"What was it he said?" Shin questioned thoughtfully. "'Fight alongside friend and foe alike?' What d'ya think that means?"
"Well that's easy," Toma replied, a superior look lighting his face. "It means us plus Kayura and the Warlords are gonna fight this new threat together."
"I agree," Seiji murmered. "But does anyone know how to contact the Nether Realm?"
"I don't think we need to worry about that," Shu grinned. "If Shiten spoke to Ryo, he'll probably go to Kayura too."
"Now why didn't I think of that first?" Toma said thoughtfully.
Shu smiled smugly. "See? I'm not as dumb as I appear to be."
Shin chortled softly. "Then why d'ya fail all your classes?"
"I want to keep everyone's expectations low," the stocky Chinese youth informed them. "That way they're really surprised when I do good."
"Well, Shu, it's do well, not 'do good.'" Toma corrected him.
"Yeah, whatever," he sighed, reaching for another cracker.
"Hey, lay off Shu," Seiji scolded. "You're gonna make yourself sick.'
"Yeah, leave some for the rest of us!" Shin grabbed at Shu's hand. Tired of listening to the others bicker, Ryo abruptly stood from the table, and made for the door.
"Hey Ryo, where ya goin'?" Shu asked through a mouth full of food.
"For a walk," he replied almost sarcastically. "I need to clear my head."
"But what about that capturing thing Shiten spoke of?" Seiji demanded.
"I doubt it'll happen this soon," Ryo told them as he closed the door behind him.
"Someone should go after hi, just in case," Toma whispered, as if afraid Ryo could still hear them.
"I'll go," volunteered Seiji, already on his feet. Bolting out the door, he was gone.
Seiji found it hard to track Ryo. The warrior left few tracks, and the very crunching of a dry leaf would alert him. Growing bored, Seiji was about to turn around when a burst of violet light erupted before Ryo, four shadows coming forth.
'So here we all are again,' Ryo thought, setting his bags down in what was to be his room. During their fights with Arago, the mansion Naste's family owned had been their strategy base, so they had decided to return to it. Preparation for the anticipated attack was to start that day.
"You mean we hafta share rooms again?!" he heard Shu exclaim from the next room over. "How come Ryo gets on of his own?!"
"Because White Blaze sleeps in here with me!" laughed Ryo. Sure, he enjoyed his privacy, but it felt wonderful to be back with his comrades.
"So you heard a voice," Shu scoffed, stuffing a rice cracker into his mouth. "Big deal. It could just be a trick."
Ryo shook his head. "No, it was Shiten. I could tell it was his voice and he knew…he knew things about me that no mortal could know."
"What was it he said?" Shin questioned thoughtfully. "'Fight alongside friend and foe alike?' What d'ya think that means?"
"Well that's easy," Toma replied, a superior look lighting his face. "It means us plus Kayura and the Warlords are gonna fight this new threat together."
"I agree," Seiji murmered. "But does anyone know how to contact the Nether Realm?"
"I don't think we need to worry about that," Shu grinned. "If Shiten spoke to Ryo, he'll probably go to Kayura too."
"Now why didn't I think of that first?" Toma said thoughtfully.
Shu smiled smugly. "See? I'm not as dumb as I appear to be."
Shin chortled softly. "Then why d'ya fail all your classes?"
"I want to keep everyone's expectations low," the stocky Chinese youth informed them. "That way they're really surprised when I do good."
"Well, Shu, it's do well, not 'do good.'" Toma corrected him.
"Yeah, whatever," he sighed, reaching for another cracker.
"Hey, lay off Shu," Seiji scolded. "You're gonna make yourself sick.'
"Yeah, leave some for the rest of us!" Shin grabbed at Shu's hand. Tired of listening to the others bicker, Ryo abruptly stood from the table, and made for the door.
"Hey Ryo, where ya goin'?" Shu asked through a mouth full of food.
"For a walk," he replied almost sarcastically. "I need to clear my head."
"But what about that capturing thing Shiten spoke of?" Seiji demanded.
"I doubt it'll happen this soon," Ryo told them as he closed the door behind him.
"Someone should go after hi, just in case," Toma whispered, as if afraid Ryo could still hear them.
"I'll go," volunteered Seiji, already on his feet. Bolting out the door, he was gone.
Seiji found it hard to track Ryo. The warrior left few tracks, and the very crunching of a dry leaf would alert him. Growing bored, Seiji was about to turn around when a burst of violet light erupted before Ryo, four shadows coming forth.