"Hitomaro, are you alright?" Nazaka asked, not knowing anything
better to say.
"Do you think I feel fine?" the lord snapped. Tears fell impulsively from his eyes. The agonizing pain transformed into a deadened weight that held him in place. "I. I cannot move my arms," he admitted. At first he cried out of pain, but now he cried out of sorrow.
Idoju informed the lord, "The Ancient One is searching for your attacker."
"Good," Hitomaro grumbled sadly, "Now he can go through the trouble of killing him."
The threat was unseen but clearly heard scurrying across the roof and jumping from building to building. Familiar with the layout and roofing of the village, Kaosu kept pace with the more agile and quicker person. The smell of smoke touched his nose and obscured the stranger even more. Whatever the attacker was, it didn't come from the netherworld.
Ashura and Morhiko directed the traffic of frightened villagers towards where the Ancient One and the Ronin warriors once resided. Ashura smelled smoke and knew the few huts and the temple were ineffective shelters if the fire persisted yet he needed Morhiko to be with him if Hariel showed up. He was still weak from the earlier attack.
Finally, he saw Jiguro and Shiro arrive with Keiko and Yuki. "Morhiko, douse the fire around the village."
Shiro overheard Ashura's orders and said to him as Morhiko ran off, "You should help him."
"How? Water is the only thing that can extinguish the fire."
Shiro rolled his eyes in annoyance. Was he the only one with common knowledge? "Dirt also puts out fires. Now, get over there and put out that fire, Hardrock!"
The battle was not going like Hariel's expectations of it. He never imagined that the ronin warriors would find him so quickly and evacuate the village and he never imagined that they would be so strong. He was protected, however. He knew he would be protected. Hitomaro was now a cripple. Yet, Wildfire was noisy again in the usual metaphysical sense.
The armor was yearning for something. Hariel ignored the armor and casually walked towards the village refugees. He was still in complete control. He enjoyed feeling how calm and composed he was when in the midst of battle. People were panicking and terrified yet he was calm through everything. Smiling to himself, he turned around a few corners. Hariel never desired fights or power solely for those actions. He loved the challenge of testing his strength against an equal or slightly stronger force. He hated things too easy like an assassination or too difficult like breaking through lord Mitoma Hitomaro's numerous guards. Hariel stopped suddenly and scowled, looking scornfully at the scene in front of him. When he relaxed his mind, Wildfire took control and made Hariel walk towards Hitomaro and those other Ronins.
The Ancient One chased the attacker onto the roof of deceased Sumasei's building. Sumasei was a lesser noble who moved to the village for a quieter life and his fanciful building fell into severe neglect after his death. The entire forest waited hungrily against the walls to devour Sumasei's forgotten home. A person could almost walk on top of the dense foliage.
The smell of smoke was thicker but fortunately, the Ancient One successfully caught up with the attacker. Sumasei's roof and the roof of the next home were within striking distance. The attacker jumped onto the next roof, spun around, and swung his wooden bo staff at the Ancient One's feet to knock him off balance. The Ancient One jumped away from the blow, but the attacker then slammed his wooden bo into Sumasei's roof. The top of the neglected building collapsed instantly, depriving the Ancient One of safe footing as he fell into the ruins.
Dust instantly clogged his nose when the ground broke his fall. The fire was already eating up the building. If he did not escape soon, he would be burned alive by Hariel's misuse of Wildfire. Fortunately, he was close to the exit. He fought down the nearly overwhelming nausea and ran towards the door. The door opened and there stood the attacker. The stranger's eyes gleamed in the darkness, reflecting the moonlight. The attacker thrust the wooden bo straight at the Ancient One's chest. The Ancient One blocked with his staff but he couldn't force the attacker away from the exit. Slowly, the attacker began forcing him near the fire and all the Ancient One could do was to summon his power to shield himself from the flame.
Hariel was bored. The battle was not what he expected and he was tired of it. The Ronin Warriors seemed suddenly unimportant and he sensed that his mysterious protector mutually agreed with him. Yes, the Ronin Warriors were unimportant, insignificant. He could do better things than waste his time. With an exasperated sigh, Hariel slinked off, undetected in the darkness.
The village was destroyed and the next day greeted everyone with a general feeling of ill will. No one knew why the Hariel and the stranger left suddenly when those two appeared to be winning. Jiguro regretfully informed Keiko and Yuki of what had transpired since leaving to retrieve the stolen Wildfire.
Nazaka summed up their situation, "We still don't know why Hariel stole Wildfire and we don't know what he's planning to do."
"What we do know," Shiro sighed, "is that we are in a buttload of trouble and this is the buttiest-"
"Shiro!" Idoju snapped, getting the Ronin's attention.
Jiguro whispered to the Ronin, "Watch your language."
"Gah!" Shiro exclaimed. "This is pathetic! If Hariel's plannin' something, then we need to plan also! And we need a much better plan cause he's a lot stronger than us!" Then, he frowned thoughtfully in deep silence. He knew nothing about the new threat and making a plan on nothing was impossible.
The Ancient One spoke up, "We need a new bearer for the Jewel of Life."
"No!" Jiguro shouted vehemently, springing to his feet. "Impossible! I won't allow it!"
Everyone stared in shock. Jiguro, serene and respectful, never defied the Ancient One or even questioned his orders. What was wrong with the Jewel of Life? What exactly was the Jewel of Life?
The Ancient One replied calmly, "I would never suggest a new bearer unless the threat was extreme. The new threat has a violent, malicious instinct. Talpa wants to dominate, but this new threat only wants to destroy. We need to rely on all the help that is available."
"I don't want her life to be in danger," Jiguro said defensively.
There was a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Then you will protect her and White Blaze will protect her and I will protect her and everyone else will protect her."
"We aren't strong enough to defeat the threat so how could we protect her?"
"We aren't strong enough so therefore we need her assistance."
Jiguro scowled. "What if the Jewel of Life fails in its purpose?"
"It never has failed in the entire history of its existence."
"I don't believe that."
"I know."
Jiguro sighed defeatedly and stared at the Ancient One imploringly, "Please, don't."
"The new threat is an evil that is much stronger than Talpa."
Morhiko asked meekly, "What exactly is the Jewel of Life and what's going on?"
Jiguro pointed at the Ancient One, "He wants to kill Yuki!"
Trying to be calm and impartial, Keiko spoke to the group, "The Jewel of Life is a talisman that can destroy any evil, however only a person with a heart of pure good and innocence can properly wield the Jewel of Life."
"And Yuki is the youngest," Shiro muttered, "Usually the youngest are the most innocent."
"But how could we protect her if we cannot protect ourselves?" Toshiten wondered, remembering the terrible injuries caused by the attacker.
Hitomaro replied, "Obviously, her life would be more valuable than our own."
Morhiko asked Keiko and the Ancient One, "Is the Jewel of Life more powerful than the Ronin armors?"
The Ancient One answered, "It can be if in the right hands."
Jiguro protested, "We don't know if Yuki is the right person!"
Nazaka snapped at him, "We don't have much time to look, do we?"
No one could think of anything else. The Ancient One gave Yuki the Jewel of Life and informed her of its purpose. Keiko cried and Jiguro was unhappy, but what else could they do? The Jewel of Life was one of the most powerful items in existence and Yuki was the only person capable of using its power. Despite the glum mood that they encountered that morning, they were stubbornly optimistic as they continued the seemingly futile search for Hariel.
"Do you think I feel fine?" the lord snapped. Tears fell impulsively from his eyes. The agonizing pain transformed into a deadened weight that held him in place. "I. I cannot move my arms," he admitted. At first he cried out of pain, but now he cried out of sorrow.
Idoju informed the lord, "The Ancient One is searching for your attacker."
"Good," Hitomaro grumbled sadly, "Now he can go through the trouble of killing him."
The threat was unseen but clearly heard scurrying across the roof and jumping from building to building. Familiar with the layout and roofing of the village, Kaosu kept pace with the more agile and quicker person. The smell of smoke touched his nose and obscured the stranger even more. Whatever the attacker was, it didn't come from the netherworld.
Ashura and Morhiko directed the traffic of frightened villagers towards where the Ancient One and the Ronin warriors once resided. Ashura smelled smoke and knew the few huts and the temple were ineffective shelters if the fire persisted yet he needed Morhiko to be with him if Hariel showed up. He was still weak from the earlier attack.
Finally, he saw Jiguro and Shiro arrive with Keiko and Yuki. "Morhiko, douse the fire around the village."
Shiro overheard Ashura's orders and said to him as Morhiko ran off, "You should help him."
"How? Water is the only thing that can extinguish the fire."
Shiro rolled his eyes in annoyance. Was he the only one with common knowledge? "Dirt also puts out fires. Now, get over there and put out that fire, Hardrock!"
The battle was not going like Hariel's expectations of it. He never imagined that the ronin warriors would find him so quickly and evacuate the village and he never imagined that they would be so strong. He was protected, however. He knew he would be protected. Hitomaro was now a cripple. Yet, Wildfire was noisy again in the usual metaphysical sense.
The armor was yearning for something. Hariel ignored the armor and casually walked towards the village refugees. He was still in complete control. He enjoyed feeling how calm and composed he was when in the midst of battle. People were panicking and terrified yet he was calm through everything. Smiling to himself, he turned around a few corners. Hariel never desired fights or power solely for those actions. He loved the challenge of testing his strength against an equal or slightly stronger force. He hated things too easy like an assassination or too difficult like breaking through lord Mitoma Hitomaro's numerous guards. Hariel stopped suddenly and scowled, looking scornfully at the scene in front of him. When he relaxed his mind, Wildfire took control and made Hariel walk towards Hitomaro and those other Ronins.
The Ancient One chased the attacker onto the roof of deceased Sumasei's building. Sumasei was a lesser noble who moved to the village for a quieter life and his fanciful building fell into severe neglect after his death. The entire forest waited hungrily against the walls to devour Sumasei's forgotten home. A person could almost walk on top of the dense foliage.
The smell of smoke was thicker but fortunately, the Ancient One successfully caught up with the attacker. Sumasei's roof and the roof of the next home were within striking distance. The attacker jumped onto the next roof, spun around, and swung his wooden bo staff at the Ancient One's feet to knock him off balance. The Ancient One jumped away from the blow, but the attacker then slammed his wooden bo into Sumasei's roof. The top of the neglected building collapsed instantly, depriving the Ancient One of safe footing as he fell into the ruins.
Dust instantly clogged his nose when the ground broke his fall. The fire was already eating up the building. If he did not escape soon, he would be burned alive by Hariel's misuse of Wildfire. Fortunately, he was close to the exit. He fought down the nearly overwhelming nausea and ran towards the door. The door opened and there stood the attacker. The stranger's eyes gleamed in the darkness, reflecting the moonlight. The attacker thrust the wooden bo straight at the Ancient One's chest. The Ancient One blocked with his staff but he couldn't force the attacker away from the exit. Slowly, the attacker began forcing him near the fire and all the Ancient One could do was to summon his power to shield himself from the flame.
Hariel was bored. The battle was not what he expected and he was tired of it. The Ronin Warriors seemed suddenly unimportant and he sensed that his mysterious protector mutually agreed with him. Yes, the Ronin Warriors were unimportant, insignificant. He could do better things than waste his time. With an exasperated sigh, Hariel slinked off, undetected in the darkness.
The village was destroyed and the next day greeted everyone with a general feeling of ill will. No one knew why the Hariel and the stranger left suddenly when those two appeared to be winning. Jiguro regretfully informed Keiko and Yuki of what had transpired since leaving to retrieve the stolen Wildfire.
Nazaka summed up their situation, "We still don't know why Hariel stole Wildfire and we don't know what he's planning to do."
"What we do know," Shiro sighed, "is that we are in a buttload of trouble and this is the buttiest-"
"Shiro!" Idoju snapped, getting the Ronin's attention.
Jiguro whispered to the Ronin, "Watch your language."
"Gah!" Shiro exclaimed. "This is pathetic! If Hariel's plannin' something, then we need to plan also! And we need a much better plan cause he's a lot stronger than us!" Then, he frowned thoughtfully in deep silence. He knew nothing about the new threat and making a plan on nothing was impossible.
The Ancient One spoke up, "We need a new bearer for the Jewel of Life."
"No!" Jiguro shouted vehemently, springing to his feet. "Impossible! I won't allow it!"
Everyone stared in shock. Jiguro, serene and respectful, never defied the Ancient One or even questioned his orders. What was wrong with the Jewel of Life? What exactly was the Jewel of Life?
The Ancient One replied calmly, "I would never suggest a new bearer unless the threat was extreme. The new threat has a violent, malicious instinct. Talpa wants to dominate, but this new threat only wants to destroy. We need to rely on all the help that is available."
"I don't want her life to be in danger," Jiguro said defensively.
There was a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Then you will protect her and White Blaze will protect her and I will protect her and everyone else will protect her."
"We aren't strong enough to defeat the threat so how could we protect her?"
"We aren't strong enough so therefore we need her assistance."
Jiguro scowled. "What if the Jewel of Life fails in its purpose?"
"It never has failed in the entire history of its existence."
"I don't believe that."
"I know."
Jiguro sighed defeatedly and stared at the Ancient One imploringly, "Please, don't."
"The new threat is an evil that is much stronger than Talpa."
Morhiko asked meekly, "What exactly is the Jewel of Life and what's going on?"
Jiguro pointed at the Ancient One, "He wants to kill Yuki!"
Trying to be calm and impartial, Keiko spoke to the group, "The Jewel of Life is a talisman that can destroy any evil, however only a person with a heart of pure good and innocence can properly wield the Jewel of Life."
"And Yuki is the youngest," Shiro muttered, "Usually the youngest are the most innocent."
"But how could we protect her if we cannot protect ourselves?" Toshiten wondered, remembering the terrible injuries caused by the attacker.
Hitomaro replied, "Obviously, her life would be more valuable than our own."
Morhiko asked Keiko and the Ancient One, "Is the Jewel of Life more powerful than the Ronin armors?"
The Ancient One answered, "It can be if in the right hands."
Jiguro protested, "We don't know if Yuki is the right person!"
Nazaka snapped at him, "We don't have much time to look, do we?"
No one could think of anything else. The Ancient One gave Yuki the Jewel of Life and informed her of its purpose. Keiko cried and Jiguro was unhappy, but what else could they do? The Jewel of Life was one of the most powerful items in existence and Yuki was the only person capable of using its power. Despite the glum mood that they encountered that morning, they were stubbornly optimistic as they continued the seemingly futile search for Hariel.