Chapter 4
Dais rushed from the commons area to his room. He didn't want to see the people giving out condolences, he didn't want to see the body, and he didn't want to deal this. Dais entered his room and slammed the door shut. "DAMN YOU ANCIENT ONE!" Dais screamed, "WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM FROM US? WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO TELL US?"
Then Dais thought of the being that snuffed out Anubis' life, "Damn you Talpa!" Dais whispered in a string of heartbreaking sobs, "You bastard, you took Anubis from us. You got exactly what you deserved!"
When Dais couldn't hold his weight anymore, he sank to his knees. Why did Anubis have to die? He had started the whole chain of events, so why didn't he pay the ultimate price? Dais's thoughts became morbid as he thought of the deaths, pain, and heartache he had caused. In the end, Dais had written Anubis' death certificate when he had originally brought Anubis to Talpa so he would never die. 'Did Talpa kill him?' Dais thought, 'Or did I kill him?'
Dais wanted to commit ritual suicide. The ex-Warlord of Illusion believed Anubis' soul would have justice if Dais' blood and body were offered. However, only three things were stopping him from doing the ritual. First of all, who would help Sekhmet and Cale survive two funerals? Second of all, he knew that the Ronins would stop him. Wildfire, Strata, Halo, Hardrock, and Torrent lived in a different world, a world where suicide is considered a sign of mental weakness and despair, not a means of an honorable death. The final reason was that Anubis wanted him to live. 'If it weren't for those three things, I'd be dead already.' Dais thought.
Kento heard Dais' ranting. He knew Dais was in pain, and for some odd reason, he wanted to comfort his old enemy. He knew about how Anubis became a Warlord, and he wanted to be angry with Dais. But Kento couldn't find a way to bring out his anger. Anubis had forgiven them, so Kento and the other Ronins should also forgive the other Warlords as well. "Dais," Kento asked as he knocked on the ex-Warlord of Illusion's door, "Can you let me in?"
Dais opened his door, "What do you want, Hardrock?" He asked in a flat, defeated voice.
"I think you need to talk about your feelings with someone." Kento replied, getting right to the point.
"Why should I?" Dais asked.
"Because, if you don't, your emotional health will suffer." Kento replied.
"That sounds stupid for someone who wants to commit ritual suicide." Dais said flatly.
"What! Are you out of your mind? You can't kill yourself. More people will suffer if you do." Kento argued.
"Anubis' soul will have justice." Dais responded, avoiding his former enemy's eyes.
"No, it won't." Kento began, "Justice for him is respecting his wishes. And that means that Anubis wanted you to live, be happy, go for your dreams, and most importantly, BE HUMAN. He would not want you to kill yourself, he would want you to have a better life."
"But how can I live with the guilt?" Dais glared.
"Maybe Anubis wanted us to take each others hand and grieve together," Kento replied, "I know the Seasons and Elementals are two independent groups of the same soul, but now we need each other. Cale and Sekhmet need you because you are part of the grieving circle. If you see Anubis' death as a failure to do your duty, then you must also realize that it is your duty to see him into the next world."
Dais smiled, Hardrock was smarter than he looked. He was right in a sense, he did have a duty to see Anubis to the next world. Suicide was not the answer; he had to be alive to perform his duties. He was also needed in this realm.
"You're smarter than you look Hardrock." Dais smiled.
"Thanks," Kento blushed, "Just don't tell the others, okay. I have a reputation to keep."
"I'll be sure to keep this secret." Dais grinned.
Rowen stared at Anubis' body. He was in the commons room that was illuminated with many candles, symbolic, Dais said, of the light he gave to all eight armor bearers. 'You were the light,' Rowen thought, 'but you were snuffed out so cruelly. I wish you had known how much you meant to us.'
Rowen just looked at the body with a blank look on his face. He had discovered that Anubis was human, and he knew he had to protect him, so why couldn't he save him? He knew what everyone else would say, "Just because you found out the truth about a person, doesn't mean that you have a moral obligation to free that person." Maybe they were right, but Anubis had become a good friend, and he would have done anything to protect them from harm.
"Ryo," Rowen said as his leader walked into the room, "I failed him."
"Don't blame yourself," Ryo began, "I share in the responsibility for failing to keep him alive too."
"I let one of my friends down, Ryo. How can I ever forgive myself?" Rowen questioned.
"He did what he had to do, Rowen," Ryo replied, "I hate it just as much you do, but even if we weren't trapped in those towers and we tried to stop him, would he have made sure that we wouldn't interfere?"
"He deserved much better than this Ryo," Rowen began, "he deserved much better than what Talpa gave him."
"I know," Ryo said sadly.
Cale walked into the room, "Do you two want to come and get some incense with me?"
"Sure," Rowen replied as he shrugged his shoulders, "Anything to get out of this place."
"I'll come too," Ryo said.
Dais rushed from the commons area to his room. He didn't want to see the people giving out condolences, he didn't want to see the body, and he didn't want to deal this. Dais entered his room and slammed the door shut. "DAMN YOU ANCIENT ONE!" Dais screamed, "WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM FROM US? WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO TELL US?"
Then Dais thought of the being that snuffed out Anubis' life, "Damn you Talpa!" Dais whispered in a string of heartbreaking sobs, "You bastard, you took Anubis from us. You got exactly what you deserved!"
When Dais couldn't hold his weight anymore, he sank to his knees. Why did Anubis have to die? He had started the whole chain of events, so why didn't he pay the ultimate price? Dais's thoughts became morbid as he thought of the deaths, pain, and heartache he had caused. In the end, Dais had written Anubis' death certificate when he had originally brought Anubis to Talpa so he would never die. 'Did Talpa kill him?' Dais thought, 'Or did I kill him?'
Dais wanted to commit ritual suicide. The ex-Warlord of Illusion believed Anubis' soul would have justice if Dais' blood and body were offered. However, only three things were stopping him from doing the ritual. First of all, who would help Sekhmet and Cale survive two funerals? Second of all, he knew that the Ronins would stop him. Wildfire, Strata, Halo, Hardrock, and Torrent lived in a different world, a world where suicide is considered a sign of mental weakness and despair, not a means of an honorable death. The final reason was that Anubis wanted him to live. 'If it weren't for those three things, I'd be dead already.' Dais thought.
Kento heard Dais' ranting. He knew Dais was in pain, and for some odd reason, he wanted to comfort his old enemy. He knew about how Anubis became a Warlord, and he wanted to be angry with Dais. But Kento couldn't find a way to bring out his anger. Anubis had forgiven them, so Kento and the other Ronins should also forgive the other Warlords as well. "Dais," Kento asked as he knocked on the ex-Warlord of Illusion's door, "Can you let me in?"
Dais opened his door, "What do you want, Hardrock?" He asked in a flat, defeated voice.
"I think you need to talk about your feelings with someone." Kento replied, getting right to the point.
"Why should I?" Dais asked.
"Because, if you don't, your emotional health will suffer." Kento replied.
"That sounds stupid for someone who wants to commit ritual suicide." Dais said flatly.
"What! Are you out of your mind? You can't kill yourself. More people will suffer if you do." Kento argued.
"Anubis' soul will have justice." Dais responded, avoiding his former enemy's eyes.
"No, it won't." Kento began, "Justice for him is respecting his wishes. And that means that Anubis wanted you to live, be happy, go for your dreams, and most importantly, BE HUMAN. He would not want you to kill yourself, he would want you to have a better life."
"But how can I live with the guilt?" Dais glared.
"Maybe Anubis wanted us to take each others hand and grieve together," Kento replied, "I know the Seasons and Elementals are two independent groups of the same soul, but now we need each other. Cale and Sekhmet need you because you are part of the grieving circle. If you see Anubis' death as a failure to do your duty, then you must also realize that it is your duty to see him into the next world."
Dais smiled, Hardrock was smarter than he looked. He was right in a sense, he did have a duty to see Anubis to the next world. Suicide was not the answer; he had to be alive to perform his duties. He was also needed in this realm.
"You're smarter than you look Hardrock." Dais smiled.
"Thanks," Kento blushed, "Just don't tell the others, okay. I have a reputation to keep."
"I'll be sure to keep this secret." Dais grinned.
Rowen stared at Anubis' body. He was in the commons room that was illuminated with many candles, symbolic, Dais said, of the light he gave to all eight armor bearers. 'You were the light,' Rowen thought, 'but you were snuffed out so cruelly. I wish you had known how much you meant to us.'
Rowen just looked at the body with a blank look on his face. He had discovered that Anubis was human, and he knew he had to protect him, so why couldn't he save him? He knew what everyone else would say, "Just because you found out the truth about a person, doesn't mean that you have a moral obligation to free that person." Maybe they were right, but Anubis had become a good friend, and he would have done anything to protect them from harm.
"Ryo," Rowen said as his leader walked into the room, "I failed him."
"Don't blame yourself," Ryo began, "I share in the responsibility for failing to keep him alive too."
"I let one of my friends down, Ryo. How can I ever forgive myself?" Rowen questioned.
"He did what he had to do, Rowen," Ryo replied, "I hate it just as much you do, but even if we weren't trapped in those towers and we tried to stop him, would he have made sure that we wouldn't interfere?"
"He deserved much better than this Ryo," Rowen began, "he deserved much better than what Talpa gave him."
"I know," Ryo said sadly.
Cale walked into the room, "Do you two want to come and get some incense with me?"
"Sure," Rowen replied as he shrugged his shoulders, "Anything to get out of this place."
"I'll come too," Ryo said.
