Chapter 1
Mia looked at the exchange student sleeping in the back of her jeep. She wondered how the guys would react to her. Loren was smart, studious, and deserved to come here, especially after looking at her grades, but she had one thing that could make the stay tense: other than her dirty-blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail, straight eyebrows, and earrings, Mia was looking at a feminine version of Anubis. Mia briefly wondered if Loren had some of Anubis' personalities; if she did, then Loren's stay would not be quiet or peaceful. Mia felt a churn of emotions in her stomach; it had only been four months since Anubis died, but now she feared that Loren's presence would bring back painful memories, not just for the five Ronins but her as well. Something in the back of her mind scolded Mia for just thinking about the Ronins and herself; the Warlords might be affected as well. Mia prayed they didn't do something stupid, like try to kidnap Loren. As Mia drove up the driveway, Loren rubbed her eyes. Mia looked at Loren's eyes through the rear view mirrior, they were the same vivid blue-green color that Anubis had, and the same fierce light that the former Warlord of Cruelty had when he looked at you. "Are we home?" Loren asked.
"Yes we..." Mia started to say, until she heard the sound of metal clashing.
Loren heard the clash, "What's going on?"
"Stay here," Mia ordered.
Mia ran out of the car, but Loren followed close behind, "Mia, wait up."
"Loren, get back in the car," Mia yelled.
"I know what I'm doing." Loren yelled back as she ran toward the battlefield.
As Loren ran closer to the fighting, she heard what could only be a sure kill, "Thunder Bolt Cut!"
The next thing Loren heard was, "Black Lightning Slash!"
Loren ran faster, knowing someone was in trouble. When she got to the scene, five young men in armor were battling three older men in armor. Loren ducked into the shadows.
'Cruelty, what's going on?' Loren asked.
'Those are the other eight armors,' Cruelty informed her.
'You have got to be kidding me,' Loren said in amazement.
'No,' Cruelty laughed.
As the battle continued, Loren noticed that a red armored warrior who was fighting a serpent-looking armor had gotten something in eyes.
'That was venom,' Cruelty told her.
'Cowardice,' Loren hissed
'Are you going to do anything about it?' Cruelty asked.
'Of course,' Loren laughed.
Running as fast as she could, Loren found a green armored warrior and a brown armored warrior. The brown armored warrior prepared to use an underhand tactic, until he heard Loren's laughter, "You call yourself a warrior, but you use an underhand tactic. That's pure cowardice. I'm sure you can do better than that," she scoffed.
"Is that a challenge, girl?" The brown armored warrior said, pointing his sword at her.
"I'm supposed to be afraid of a coward?" Loren said in a mocking tone, as she stepped out of the shadows.
The brown armored warrior dropped his sword in horror. He turned to the other two warriors who looked at Loren in horror. "You were hiding the Warrior of Spring," the spider-armored warrior accused the five young men.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the dark blue warrior said. "We don't even know who she is."
"It's okay," Loren said to the five young men as she put her right hand into her right pocket. Then she looked at the three older men, "If you want me so bad, come and get me."
Loren withdrew her blue orb and yelled, "Armor of Cruelty, Tao Chu."
Chains encircled Loren's body, blowing her clothes off. She stood calmly in her blue sub armor as the full armor encased her body. When the transformation was complete, Loren stood in the Armor of Cruelty minus the helmet. In her hands was her weapon of choice, a Kursari-gama. Loren looked at the three men, "Are you ready?"
The three men began to encircle Loren, 'the oldest trick in the book,' she thought. The brown armored warrior used his claw-like gauntlet to attack, Loren moved to the right, but Loren's sixth sense told her that she had just fallen in a trap. Loren barely missed the webs shot out by the spider-armored warrior. She rolled to the left only to see the serpent armored warrior bringing two swords down onto her in slow motion. Loren brought her chain to block the swords, but an energy blast was created. The blast pushed her backwards, and to keep from falling to the ground, Loren did a back flip and jumped into the air. She slammed the weighted end into the ground and yelled, "Quake With Fear!"
The weighted end hit bedrock and chains popped out of the ground. The three warriors were too slow and they became entangled in the chains. Loren looked at the three men and walked over to the brown armored warrior. "I want some answers."
The warrior looked at her with shocked eyes, Loren pressed her question as she grabbed the warrior's neck and started to apply pressure. "Who are you three? What are trying to do to my host family? And why did you call me the Warrior of Spring?" She demanded.
The brown armored warrior looked at her and smiled, "I see Anubis in you, girl. You won't escape us next time."
A bright red light flashed around the three men and they disappeared.
Mia looked at the exchange student sleeping in the back of her jeep. She wondered how the guys would react to her. Loren was smart, studious, and deserved to come here, especially after looking at her grades, but she had one thing that could make the stay tense: other than her dirty-blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail, straight eyebrows, and earrings, Mia was looking at a feminine version of Anubis. Mia briefly wondered if Loren had some of Anubis' personalities; if she did, then Loren's stay would not be quiet or peaceful. Mia felt a churn of emotions in her stomach; it had only been four months since Anubis died, but now she feared that Loren's presence would bring back painful memories, not just for the five Ronins but her as well. Something in the back of her mind scolded Mia for just thinking about the Ronins and herself; the Warlords might be affected as well. Mia prayed they didn't do something stupid, like try to kidnap Loren. As Mia drove up the driveway, Loren rubbed her eyes. Mia looked at Loren's eyes through the rear view mirrior, they were the same vivid blue-green color that Anubis had, and the same fierce light that the former Warlord of Cruelty had when he looked at you. "Are we home?" Loren asked.
"Yes we..." Mia started to say, until she heard the sound of metal clashing.
Loren heard the clash, "What's going on?"
"Stay here," Mia ordered.
Mia ran out of the car, but Loren followed close behind, "Mia, wait up."
"Loren, get back in the car," Mia yelled.
"I know what I'm doing." Loren yelled back as she ran toward the battlefield.
As Loren ran closer to the fighting, she heard what could only be a sure kill, "Thunder Bolt Cut!"
The next thing Loren heard was, "Black Lightning Slash!"
Loren ran faster, knowing someone was in trouble. When she got to the scene, five young men in armor were battling three older men in armor. Loren ducked into the shadows.
'Cruelty, what's going on?' Loren asked.
'Those are the other eight armors,' Cruelty informed her.
'You have got to be kidding me,' Loren said in amazement.
'No,' Cruelty laughed.
As the battle continued, Loren noticed that a red armored warrior who was fighting a serpent-looking armor had gotten something in eyes.
'That was venom,' Cruelty told her.
'Cowardice,' Loren hissed
'Are you going to do anything about it?' Cruelty asked.
'Of course,' Loren laughed.
Running as fast as she could, Loren found a green armored warrior and a brown armored warrior. The brown armored warrior prepared to use an underhand tactic, until he heard Loren's laughter, "You call yourself a warrior, but you use an underhand tactic. That's pure cowardice. I'm sure you can do better than that," she scoffed.
"Is that a challenge, girl?" The brown armored warrior said, pointing his sword at her.
"I'm supposed to be afraid of a coward?" Loren said in a mocking tone, as she stepped out of the shadows.
The brown armored warrior dropped his sword in horror. He turned to the other two warriors who looked at Loren in horror. "You were hiding the Warrior of Spring," the spider-armored warrior accused the five young men.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the dark blue warrior said. "We don't even know who she is."
"It's okay," Loren said to the five young men as she put her right hand into her right pocket. Then she looked at the three older men, "If you want me so bad, come and get me."
Loren withdrew her blue orb and yelled, "Armor of Cruelty, Tao Chu."
Chains encircled Loren's body, blowing her clothes off. She stood calmly in her blue sub armor as the full armor encased her body. When the transformation was complete, Loren stood in the Armor of Cruelty minus the helmet. In her hands was her weapon of choice, a Kursari-gama. Loren looked at the three men, "Are you ready?"
The three men began to encircle Loren, 'the oldest trick in the book,' she thought. The brown armored warrior used his claw-like gauntlet to attack, Loren moved to the right, but Loren's sixth sense told her that she had just fallen in a trap. Loren barely missed the webs shot out by the spider-armored warrior. She rolled to the left only to see the serpent armored warrior bringing two swords down onto her in slow motion. Loren brought her chain to block the swords, but an energy blast was created. The blast pushed her backwards, and to keep from falling to the ground, Loren did a back flip and jumped into the air. She slammed the weighted end into the ground and yelled, "Quake With Fear!"
The weighted end hit bedrock and chains popped out of the ground. The three warriors were too slow and they became entangled in the chains. Loren looked at the three men and walked over to the brown armored warrior. "I want some answers."
The warrior looked at her with shocked eyes, Loren pressed her question as she grabbed the warrior's neck and started to apply pressure. "Who are you three? What are trying to do to my host family? And why did you call me the Warrior of Spring?" She demanded.
The brown armored warrior looked at her and smiled, "I see Anubis in you, girl. You won't escape us next time."
A bright red light flashed around the three men and they disappeared.