Chapter 9
'I'm so excited about my first performance,' Loren told Cruelty.
'I know you'll get the crowd riled up,' Cruelty laughed.
'Can you warn me if one of the Warlords decides to show up?' Loren asked.
'Sure,' Cruelty said, 'if anything happens, I'll warn you. It's a good thing we have a private mind to mind communication.'
'Do you sense the five elemental armors here?' Loren asked.
'All five of them are here, including Mia,' Cruelty informed her.
'Good, I'll talk to you after the performance,' Loren told her armor.
'Good luck,' Cruelty said as the link was cut off.
Loren climbed the stage with Arisu, who was the keyboard player for the band, Masa, the guitarist of the band, and Ai, the drummer of the band. "Ready?" Loren asked.
"Yes," Ai said.
"Then let's get started," Loren smiled.
After Midnight Serenade had been introduced, the music began. Loren fell into the rhythm of the song and began to sing:
Verse:
You always make me smile, when I'm feeling down
You give me such a vibe, I is totally bonfide, mmm
It's not the way you walk, and it ain't the way you talk
It ain't the job you got, that keeps me satisfied
Chorus:
Your love it feels so good, and that what takes me high
Higher than I've been before, and your love, it keeps me alive
Thought I should let you know, that your touch it means so much
When I'm alone at night, it's you I'm always thinkin' of
Oh oh baby
Verse:
Oh won't you understand, how I feel yeah, deep inside
Uh huh, you made feel, all the love I need to feel
Yes, in my heart
Chorus:
Your love it feels so good, and that what takes me high
Higher than I've been before, and your love, it keeps me alive
Thought I should let you know, that your touch it means so much
When I'm alone at night, it's your love I'm always thinkin' of
Oh oh baby
Final Chorus:
Your love it feels so good, and that what takes me high
Higher than I've been before, and your love, it keeps me alive
Thought I should let you know, that your touch it means so much
When I'm alone at night, it's your love I'm always thinkin' of
Oh oh baby
(Sonique, "It Feels So Good")
The crowd burst into a thunderous applause, Loren smiled as she heard the crowd's vivid approval. Loren presented the band as Ai, Arisu, and Masa took their bows on stage. Then Loren bowed to the crowd and the four members of Midnight Serenade left the stage.
"That was wonderful," Mia told Loren after she had gotten off stage.
"Thanks," Loren blushed, "but it was really a group effort."
"I think you did a wonderful job," Sage smiled.
"Yes, she did," a voice said from behind the group
Loren, Mia, and the five Ronins turned around to see a young man standing behind them. The young man looked no older than 17. He had wild brown hair and vivid emerald eyes. Loren noticed that he was wearing a tight brown short-sleeve shirt that showed off the muscles in his chest, a pair of black jeans that hugged every part of him, and a pair of black boots. Loren also noticed that there was a snake tattooed on the young man's right wrist. Loren had bad feeling about this young man, but she couldn't place the reason why, "What's your name?" Loren asked in a shaky manner.
"Naotoki," the young man replied.
'Cruelty,' Loren asked mentally, 'are you getting any strange feelings from this man?'
'I can't tell if he's an armor bearer or not,' Cruelty replied.
'What can you tell me?' Loren asked.
'I know he has serpent blood in him,' Cruelty stated.
'Is he a later generation half-breed child?' Loren asked.
'I don't know what generation he is,' Cruelty replied, 'all I know is that he has serpent blood in him.'
'This isn't good,' Loren told Cruelty, 'why would a young man with serpent blood take an interest in an American girl?'
Rowen looked at his watch. In fake concern with time, Rowen looked at Naotoki, "We have to be somewhere else, I hope you enjoy the club."
'I owe him one,' Loren thought.
As the five Ronins and Mia left for the jeep, Loren told her band members that she was going home. They said okay and that practice was going to be on Monday. Loren left with the Ronins, still feeling chills going down her spine.
Sekhmet watched them leave, he had watched Loren perform on stage, and somehow became more entranced by her. Loren clothing was tasteful, but her best asset was her beautiful singing voice. He had never heard a singing voice like hers, it remind him of his mother's voice. For some odd reason, memories of his long dead mother resurfaced when Loren sang. He tried to block out the night she had been murdered; she died so violently that it left a deep impression on him at 14 years old. Sekhmet had good memories of his mother, but pushed them away when she was violently killed. Now this girl that spring had chosen to be its new warrior was bringing back feelings and emotions that he buried deep within himself when he lost his mother and joined Talpa. Sekhmet needed to push these feelings aside and bring Loren into the Dynasty so they could cycle as the seasons again, but while he masqueraded as Naotoki, Sekhmet could forget about his job and just enjoy the company of Loren's musical voice.
When the crowds got to big for his comfort, Sekhmet teleported from the club back to his room in the castle. When he got inside, he walked to the piano in his waiting area, and began to play. While Sekhmet played the piano, he imagined Loren singing with him.
'I'm so excited about my first performance,' Loren told Cruelty.
'I know you'll get the crowd riled up,' Cruelty laughed.
'Can you warn me if one of the Warlords decides to show up?' Loren asked.
'Sure,' Cruelty said, 'if anything happens, I'll warn you. It's a good thing we have a private mind to mind communication.'
'Do you sense the five elemental armors here?' Loren asked.
'All five of them are here, including Mia,' Cruelty informed her.
'Good, I'll talk to you after the performance,' Loren told her armor.
'Good luck,' Cruelty said as the link was cut off.
Loren climbed the stage with Arisu, who was the keyboard player for the band, Masa, the guitarist of the band, and Ai, the drummer of the band. "Ready?" Loren asked.
"Yes," Ai said.
"Then let's get started," Loren smiled.
After Midnight Serenade had been introduced, the music began. Loren fell into the rhythm of the song and began to sing:
Verse:
You always make me smile, when I'm feeling down
You give me such a vibe, I is totally bonfide, mmm
It's not the way you walk, and it ain't the way you talk
It ain't the job you got, that keeps me satisfied
Chorus:
Your love it feels so good, and that what takes me high
Higher than I've been before, and your love, it keeps me alive
Thought I should let you know, that your touch it means so much
When I'm alone at night, it's you I'm always thinkin' of
Oh oh baby
Verse:
Oh won't you understand, how I feel yeah, deep inside
Uh huh, you made feel, all the love I need to feel
Yes, in my heart
Chorus:
Your love it feels so good, and that what takes me high
Higher than I've been before, and your love, it keeps me alive
Thought I should let you know, that your touch it means so much
When I'm alone at night, it's your love I'm always thinkin' of
Oh oh baby
Final Chorus:
Your love it feels so good, and that what takes me high
Higher than I've been before, and your love, it keeps me alive
Thought I should let you know, that your touch it means so much
When I'm alone at night, it's your love I'm always thinkin' of
Oh oh baby
(Sonique, "It Feels So Good")
The crowd burst into a thunderous applause, Loren smiled as she heard the crowd's vivid approval. Loren presented the band as Ai, Arisu, and Masa took their bows on stage. Then Loren bowed to the crowd and the four members of Midnight Serenade left the stage.
"That was wonderful," Mia told Loren after she had gotten off stage.
"Thanks," Loren blushed, "but it was really a group effort."
"I think you did a wonderful job," Sage smiled.
"Yes, she did," a voice said from behind the group
Loren, Mia, and the five Ronins turned around to see a young man standing behind them. The young man looked no older than 17. He had wild brown hair and vivid emerald eyes. Loren noticed that he was wearing a tight brown short-sleeve shirt that showed off the muscles in his chest, a pair of black jeans that hugged every part of him, and a pair of black boots. Loren also noticed that there was a snake tattooed on the young man's right wrist. Loren had bad feeling about this young man, but she couldn't place the reason why, "What's your name?" Loren asked in a shaky manner.
"Naotoki," the young man replied.
'Cruelty,' Loren asked mentally, 'are you getting any strange feelings from this man?'
'I can't tell if he's an armor bearer or not,' Cruelty replied.
'What can you tell me?' Loren asked.
'I know he has serpent blood in him,' Cruelty stated.
'Is he a later generation half-breed child?' Loren asked.
'I don't know what generation he is,' Cruelty replied, 'all I know is that he has serpent blood in him.'
'This isn't good,' Loren told Cruelty, 'why would a young man with serpent blood take an interest in an American girl?'
Rowen looked at his watch. In fake concern with time, Rowen looked at Naotoki, "We have to be somewhere else, I hope you enjoy the club."
'I owe him one,' Loren thought.
As the five Ronins and Mia left for the jeep, Loren told her band members that she was going home. They said okay and that practice was going to be on Monday. Loren left with the Ronins, still feeling chills going down her spine.
Sekhmet watched them leave, he had watched Loren perform on stage, and somehow became more entranced by her. Loren clothing was tasteful, but her best asset was her beautiful singing voice. He had never heard a singing voice like hers, it remind him of his mother's voice. For some odd reason, memories of his long dead mother resurfaced when Loren sang. He tried to block out the night she had been murdered; she died so violently that it left a deep impression on him at 14 years old. Sekhmet had good memories of his mother, but pushed them away when she was violently killed. Now this girl that spring had chosen to be its new warrior was bringing back feelings and emotions that he buried deep within himself when he lost his mother and joined Talpa. Sekhmet needed to push these feelings aside and bring Loren into the Dynasty so they could cycle as the seasons again, but while he masqueraded as Naotoki, Sekhmet could forget about his job and just enjoy the company of Loren's musical voice.
When the crowds got to big for his comfort, Sekhmet teleported from the club back to his room in the castle. When he got inside, he walked to the piano in his waiting area, and began to play. While Sekhmet played the piano, he imagined Loren singing with him.