Talpa felt the shudder that ran through the palace, it was as if the entire realm was groaning under some sort of pressure. It passed as quickly as it cama, and was followed by a deadly silence. Something about the shudder worried Talpa, and worry was not an emotion he was used to. It angered him, and he cleared it from his find quickly. But it returned with Shymal, who appeared in a flash of smoke in the center of the room. Her face was covered as always, and her grey eyes were narrowed with hatred and cunning. She eyes Talpa, who waited to hear what she had to say.
"It has begun," Shymal said. "The child will be born is one week, Earth-Realm time. The world within which Ryo and the girl have escaped moves both faster and slower than the Earth. Faster in the fact that months there count only as hours on Earth. The child will grow within two days and it will be as if she has aged five years. But then she will not age at all until she truley does turn five, and then it will be a normal aging growth. Neither Ryo nor the girl will age, but their powers will grow."
"Are you sure, witch? I will make no moves hastily."
"Yes, I am sure. You felt that shudder as I did. So did the Ronin Warriors, and that blasted Ancient, Kayura. Power has shifted against us, we must shift it back."
"Very well. Dais! Prepare the Army for invasion. We attack in one week. The minute this brat is born we will attack the earth."
Shymal's eyes widened with surprise. Talpa was daring to risk his Empire by moving against the earth so close to this child's birth. Did he really think that she was lying? This child would have the power to destroy everything, and he was taking it as if it didn't matter! Well, when he was destroyed she would be left to pick up the pieces. She would see just how long Talpa lasted this time. Shymal vanished once again, this time without Talpa noticing.
If Kye-Ren was nervous about giving birth to this child, Ryo was more so. She had never seen his act so protective in the past ten months that she had known him. Ten months...it felt like ten years to Kye-Ren, waiting for this baby to come. Thæn had told them about the time differences in his realm, and how only one week had passed on Earth. That eased up Kye-Ren's mind a bit when she worried that her brother might think her dead. Thæn was very helpful as well, he had traded places with Ryo and Kye-Ren, letting them have his room and moving to the loft when it became to difficult for her to get up the latter. And Ryo was careful not to let her do to much, and that included her fighting excercises. She protested, but Ryo was firm. So she gave in, especially when Thæn took Ryo's side for once.
Ryo had regained much of his strength in the past ten months, and he was learning some fighting skills from Thæn, and remembering ones that he knew himself, though he still couldn't remember where he learned them from. He hadn't remembered too much more in the time in this Realm, just a few images of a large house and a lake, which could have been anyplace in Japan. Not that they worried much about it. They had their own life here to worry about.
When Kye-Ren went into labor that evening, Ryo was by her side until the other Khsenu(that was what Thæn's people were called) came. They were the people who lived around the mountain and river, just as Thæn do, and Ryo and Kye-Ren knew most of them well. One of them was a Healer, just as Kye-Ren was, and it was her who made Ryo leave the room, much to his detestment. But there was no arguing with her, or any of the other women that had come to help. It was clear that birthings were a woman thing, and they would not allow Ryo to break that tradition. So he was forced to wait outside with the other men, who were laughing at him in a friendly fashion. They teased him, but he had no heart to listen. He was waiting for Kye-Ren, and the minute he could rejoin her.
The hours seemed to go on forever, and he could hear nothing from outside, where they were waiting. Whenever he tried to go into the cabin either on of the other Khsenu men held him back, or the women refused to let him enter. It wasn't until the dawn that he heard the first tiny wail, and felt the wave of energy that shook the entire ground! He didn't wait to see what had caused the shaking, he just ran into the house, and this time no one stopped him. He ran into the bedroom to find Kye-Ren holding a tiny child that was the source of the wailing. The tiny child was wrapped in a blanket that Kye-Ren had made, waving her tiny fists in the air as she cried. Ryo could see from the door that she had a head full of thick black hair, just like both his parents.
"Come say hello to your daughter," Kye-Ren said.
Ryo darted across the room to the bedside and knelt down next to Kye-Ren and his daughter. She opened her eyes, the color of them a bright blue, brighter than any blue ever seen. Again Ryo felt that strange wave of power, and the ground shaking beneath him. But it wasn't a dangerous shaking, nor was the power anything bad. Instead, it seemed as if the earth itself was welcoming the tiny child. Ryo's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the screams from outside! Both Kye-Ren and Ryo looked to the window, and saw the cause of the screams. It looked at if the entire sky was on fire! Sure, the sun was rising, but there were literally flames dancing in the sky! Then, just as abruptly as they had come they vanished, and the sky was normal again.
"Thæn! What just happened?" Ryo shouted across the yard.
"I don't know, Ryo. It would seem the Great Mother was telling us something."
"Yes, and I know what it is," Kye-Ren said, getting out of the bed, her baby in her arms. She moved to the window to stand next to Ryo, and also so that everyone could see their daugher. "She was giving our child her name. And her name is DawnFire."
DawnFire grew quickly, as Thæn had told them she would. It was only a matter of days in Thæn's time before DawnFire looked - and acted - like a five year old. She learned quickly, and it was clear that she had a great deal of power in her, what Thæn called Gifts. She had quite a few of them, too. She could mimic anything, from attacks to building things. All she had to do was watch it being done a few times, and she was able to learn it. She didn't speak much, instead she chose to use her hands to speak, or spoke telepathically. Ryo and Kye-Ren could hear her mind-speak quite clearly, and could talk to her that way as well, and Thæn could hear her sometimes, but not always. So DawnFire made it a point to try and talk outloud around him. In short, DawnFire was a very special child.
And not three days after she was born (though she looked like she'd been born 5 years before) Ryo woke up from a bad dream, suddenly able to remember his past. Kye-Ren was glad, because it meant he had finally healed, and now he was able to tell her about the names, and why the Realm of the Dead had sounded so familiar. But that part wasn't very comforting. He had indeed been one of those warriors that Thæn and his people had seen, the Ronin Warriors, and they had defeated the Great Demon, Talpa, but Ryo had a feeling that Talpa wasn't gone. And he had to return to the Earth to make sure it remained safe.
They explained this to Thæn, who agreed with Ryo. They packed their belongings and saddled up Naaki and Big Black before waking DawnFire up. She wasn't please with that, and said so very loudly until Ryo was certain the entire Khsenu population would hear her. But Thæn, as usual, had a remedy for this in the way of a pepermint stick, which DawnFire took happily from his hands. She was placed up on Big Black in front of Ryo, who mounted next. Kye-Ren road on Naaki once again.
"If ever you need my help, you need only shout my name," Thæn told them. "No matter where you are, I will hear it, and I will come."
"We'll remember that," Ryo said, then kicked Big Black into a run. Kye-Ren followed close behind, until the cabin was out of sight. Then Kye-Ren used her magic to open a gate to the Earth-realm, which they quickly rode through. Then the gate closed, leaving behind the world they had come to know and love so well, and Thæn vanished with it.
The four Ronin Warriors had felt the wave of energy clearly, and it alerted them to Talpa's attempt pf an attack on the Earth. They had spotted the gate as it had opened, and had attacked with all of their strength. Talpa's soldiers came pouring out, desptie their best attempts, only to retreat again when Lady Kayura showed up with the Ancient's Staff, forcing them all back. Now they were at a stale mate. Talpa was planning what to do next, and the Ronins were waiting to fight against him.
Kayura was now waiting with them, and Rowen quickly told her about Ryo. Kayura shook her head in dispair. "Without him we cannot defeat Talpa. And I fear he is much stronger than before."
"So what do we do?" Kento asked. "We can't just sit here!"
"Calm down, Kento," Sage said. "We have no choice but to wait."
"Wait for what?" called out a familiar voice.
Everyone spun around to see Ryo on top of a giant excuse of a horse, with a tiny child riding in front of him, and another horse behind him with a young woman on it. Both Ryo and the woman had swords with them, and the child, to everyone's surprise, had a dagger on her belt, well within easy reach, and from the way the child was looking at them, she had been trained as a warrior. But no one was paying any attention to that right then. They were all too happy to see Ryo again.
Ryo swung down off Big Black and ran over to greet his friends, and was promptly knowcked down by White Blaze. No one noticed Kye-Ren or DawnFire until DawnFire spoke, and it was telepathically. She hadn't thought that the other Ronins would hear, as in all her so far short life, only her parents could hear her.
::Mother, who are all these people? They know Father?::
It was a simple question, and one that brought everyone's heads swinging around to look at DawnFire. She saw everyone's gaze upon her and stared back just as firmly, her blue eyes looking as though they were made of liquid fire. There was a challenge in her eyes, daring for anyone of them to deny that Ryo was indeed her father.
"Uh, guys, meet my wife Kye-Ren and my daughter, DawnFire. I have a lot of explaining to do."
"Yeah, well it will have to wait," Rowen said, still looking at DawnFire. "Talpa's back."
As if to prove that statement, a large force of Dynasty soldiers, lead by Sekhmet. The now reunited Ronins called up their armors and stood ready to fight. Much to Kayura's and the other four Ronins' surprise, so did Kye-Ren and DawnFire. DawnFire stood up on Big Black's saddle and took out her dagger, aiming very carefully as Sekhmet. Just as he got close to the Ronin Warriors she through the blade screaming, "Flame Dart!" The knife came close to Sekhmet's face, making him loose his balance. The Ronins were caught in battle against the Dynasty soldiers, and didn't see it happen. But Sekhmet did.
"So that is the brat Talpa wants us to destroy! Well, get ready to die, child!"
"I think not!" Kye-Ren shouted, charging straight at the Warlord!
Sekhmet dodged and pushed her aside, but she spun back around, hitting him with her sword. It shattered into pieces when it struck his armor. Sekhmet laughed at her as he drew his own sowrds.
"So, you want to play rough, do you? Well try dodging this! Snake Fang Strike!"
The swords shot out at Kye-Ren, and she could smell the poison on each on as she jumped into the air out of harms way. This was a dagerous foe, more dangerous than anything she had faced before. She had to protect DawnFire from him. Kye-Ren Landed in a tree and jumped down in front of DawnFire, who had watched the entire scene from Big Black's back. Sekhmet's swords returned to his hands, and he got ready for a second attack, only to be stopped by the Ancient's Staff. Kayura stepped in front of Kye-Ren and her daughter, a determined look on her face.
"Stand down, Sekhmet," Kayura said, her voice ringing through the air. The Ronins ran to help her, having beat the Dynasty soldiers.
"I think not," Sekhmet hissed at them. "The child must die."
"You can't beat all of us!" Ryo shouted.
"Want to bet!"
DawnFire watched the adults fight, and noticed her dagger on the ground near her feet. Making sure that no one was watching, especially the snake-man, she bent down and picked it up. She stepped away from her mother so that she could see the snake-man clearly. She held the dagger out in front of her, mimicking the move he had used a few minutes ago. Her voice rang out small and clear, silencing the fight going on.
"Snake...Fang...Strike!" DawnFire shouted!
The tiny dagger became about six long swords, each one filled with energy, not poison. It was a burning energy, and the swords shot through the air, burning everything they touched! She heard her father shout "Duck!" as the swords shot over their heads, then heard the snake-man scream as he was burned. But she saw nothing of it. Only a bright light. Then that faded, and she was sitting on the ground, a dazed look on her face. Ryo was getting up off the ground and scooped her up in his arms, and she wrapped her own tiny arms around his neck, trembling slightly. That was the first time DawnFire had actually used a mimic attack in a real battle, and it scared her. But her father's reassuring voice was all she needed to calm down, and the stares pf amazement that the other warriors were giving her didn't bother her in the least now. All she knew was that the snake-man would be back, and she had to be ready. They all had to be ready.
"It has begun," Shymal said. "The child will be born is one week, Earth-Realm time. The world within which Ryo and the girl have escaped moves both faster and slower than the Earth. Faster in the fact that months there count only as hours on Earth. The child will grow within two days and it will be as if she has aged five years. But then she will not age at all until she truley does turn five, and then it will be a normal aging growth. Neither Ryo nor the girl will age, but their powers will grow."
"Are you sure, witch? I will make no moves hastily."
"Yes, I am sure. You felt that shudder as I did. So did the Ronin Warriors, and that blasted Ancient, Kayura. Power has shifted against us, we must shift it back."
"Very well. Dais! Prepare the Army for invasion. We attack in one week. The minute this brat is born we will attack the earth."
Shymal's eyes widened with surprise. Talpa was daring to risk his Empire by moving against the earth so close to this child's birth. Did he really think that she was lying? This child would have the power to destroy everything, and he was taking it as if it didn't matter! Well, when he was destroyed she would be left to pick up the pieces. She would see just how long Talpa lasted this time. Shymal vanished once again, this time without Talpa noticing.
If Kye-Ren was nervous about giving birth to this child, Ryo was more so. She had never seen his act so protective in the past ten months that she had known him. Ten months...it felt like ten years to Kye-Ren, waiting for this baby to come. Thæn had told them about the time differences in his realm, and how only one week had passed on Earth. That eased up Kye-Ren's mind a bit when she worried that her brother might think her dead. Thæn was very helpful as well, he had traded places with Ryo and Kye-Ren, letting them have his room and moving to the loft when it became to difficult for her to get up the latter. And Ryo was careful not to let her do to much, and that included her fighting excercises. She protested, but Ryo was firm. So she gave in, especially when Thæn took Ryo's side for once.
Ryo had regained much of his strength in the past ten months, and he was learning some fighting skills from Thæn, and remembering ones that he knew himself, though he still couldn't remember where he learned them from. He hadn't remembered too much more in the time in this Realm, just a few images of a large house and a lake, which could have been anyplace in Japan. Not that they worried much about it. They had their own life here to worry about.
When Kye-Ren went into labor that evening, Ryo was by her side until the other Khsenu(that was what Thæn's people were called) came. They were the people who lived around the mountain and river, just as Thæn do, and Ryo and Kye-Ren knew most of them well. One of them was a Healer, just as Kye-Ren was, and it was her who made Ryo leave the room, much to his detestment. But there was no arguing with her, or any of the other women that had come to help. It was clear that birthings were a woman thing, and they would not allow Ryo to break that tradition. So he was forced to wait outside with the other men, who were laughing at him in a friendly fashion. They teased him, but he had no heart to listen. He was waiting for Kye-Ren, and the minute he could rejoin her.
The hours seemed to go on forever, and he could hear nothing from outside, where they were waiting. Whenever he tried to go into the cabin either on of the other Khsenu men held him back, or the women refused to let him enter. It wasn't until the dawn that he heard the first tiny wail, and felt the wave of energy that shook the entire ground! He didn't wait to see what had caused the shaking, he just ran into the house, and this time no one stopped him. He ran into the bedroom to find Kye-Ren holding a tiny child that was the source of the wailing. The tiny child was wrapped in a blanket that Kye-Ren had made, waving her tiny fists in the air as she cried. Ryo could see from the door that she had a head full of thick black hair, just like both his parents.
"Come say hello to your daughter," Kye-Ren said.
Ryo darted across the room to the bedside and knelt down next to Kye-Ren and his daughter. She opened her eyes, the color of them a bright blue, brighter than any blue ever seen. Again Ryo felt that strange wave of power, and the ground shaking beneath him. But it wasn't a dangerous shaking, nor was the power anything bad. Instead, it seemed as if the earth itself was welcoming the tiny child. Ryo's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the screams from outside! Both Kye-Ren and Ryo looked to the window, and saw the cause of the screams. It looked at if the entire sky was on fire! Sure, the sun was rising, but there were literally flames dancing in the sky! Then, just as abruptly as they had come they vanished, and the sky was normal again.
"Thæn! What just happened?" Ryo shouted across the yard.
"I don't know, Ryo. It would seem the Great Mother was telling us something."
"Yes, and I know what it is," Kye-Ren said, getting out of the bed, her baby in her arms. She moved to the window to stand next to Ryo, and also so that everyone could see their daugher. "She was giving our child her name. And her name is DawnFire."
DawnFire grew quickly, as Thæn had told them she would. It was only a matter of days in Thæn's time before DawnFire looked - and acted - like a five year old. She learned quickly, and it was clear that she had a great deal of power in her, what Thæn called Gifts. She had quite a few of them, too. She could mimic anything, from attacks to building things. All she had to do was watch it being done a few times, and she was able to learn it. She didn't speak much, instead she chose to use her hands to speak, or spoke telepathically. Ryo and Kye-Ren could hear her mind-speak quite clearly, and could talk to her that way as well, and Thæn could hear her sometimes, but not always. So DawnFire made it a point to try and talk outloud around him. In short, DawnFire was a very special child.
And not three days after she was born (though she looked like she'd been born 5 years before) Ryo woke up from a bad dream, suddenly able to remember his past. Kye-Ren was glad, because it meant he had finally healed, and now he was able to tell her about the names, and why the Realm of the Dead had sounded so familiar. But that part wasn't very comforting. He had indeed been one of those warriors that Thæn and his people had seen, the Ronin Warriors, and they had defeated the Great Demon, Talpa, but Ryo had a feeling that Talpa wasn't gone. And he had to return to the Earth to make sure it remained safe.
They explained this to Thæn, who agreed with Ryo. They packed their belongings and saddled up Naaki and Big Black before waking DawnFire up. She wasn't please with that, and said so very loudly until Ryo was certain the entire Khsenu population would hear her. But Thæn, as usual, had a remedy for this in the way of a pepermint stick, which DawnFire took happily from his hands. She was placed up on Big Black in front of Ryo, who mounted next. Kye-Ren road on Naaki once again.
"If ever you need my help, you need only shout my name," Thæn told them. "No matter where you are, I will hear it, and I will come."
"We'll remember that," Ryo said, then kicked Big Black into a run. Kye-Ren followed close behind, until the cabin was out of sight. Then Kye-Ren used her magic to open a gate to the Earth-realm, which they quickly rode through. Then the gate closed, leaving behind the world they had come to know and love so well, and Thæn vanished with it.
The four Ronin Warriors had felt the wave of energy clearly, and it alerted them to Talpa's attempt pf an attack on the Earth. They had spotted the gate as it had opened, and had attacked with all of their strength. Talpa's soldiers came pouring out, desptie their best attempts, only to retreat again when Lady Kayura showed up with the Ancient's Staff, forcing them all back. Now they were at a stale mate. Talpa was planning what to do next, and the Ronins were waiting to fight against him.
Kayura was now waiting with them, and Rowen quickly told her about Ryo. Kayura shook her head in dispair. "Without him we cannot defeat Talpa. And I fear he is much stronger than before."
"So what do we do?" Kento asked. "We can't just sit here!"
"Calm down, Kento," Sage said. "We have no choice but to wait."
"Wait for what?" called out a familiar voice.
Everyone spun around to see Ryo on top of a giant excuse of a horse, with a tiny child riding in front of him, and another horse behind him with a young woman on it. Both Ryo and the woman had swords with them, and the child, to everyone's surprise, had a dagger on her belt, well within easy reach, and from the way the child was looking at them, she had been trained as a warrior. But no one was paying any attention to that right then. They were all too happy to see Ryo again.
Ryo swung down off Big Black and ran over to greet his friends, and was promptly knowcked down by White Blaze. No one noticed Kye-Ren or DawnFire until DawnFire spoke, and it was telepathically. She hadn't thought that the other Ronins would hear, as in all her so far short life, only her parents could hear her.
::Mother, who are all these people? They know Father?::
It was a simple question, and one that brought everyone's heads swinging around to look at DawnFire. She saw everyone's gaze upon her and stared back just as firmly, her blue eyes looking as though they were made of liquid fire. There was a challenge in her eyes, daring for anyone of them to deny that Ryo was indeed her father.
"Uh, guys, meet my wife Kye-Ren and my daughter, DawnFire. I have a lot of explaining to do."
"Yeah, well it will have to wait," Rowen said, still looking at DawnFire. "Talpa's back."
As if to prove that statement, a large force of Dynasty soldiers, lead by Sekhmet. The now reunited Ronins called up their armors and stood ready to fight. Much to Kayura's and the other four Ronins' surprise, so did Kye-Ren and DawnFire. DawnFire stood up on Big Black's saddle and took out her dagger, aiming very carefully as Sekhmet. Just as he got close to the Ronin Warriors she through the blade screaming, "Flame Dart!" The knife came close to Sekhmet's face, making him loose his balance. The Ronins were caught in battle against the Dynasty soldiers, and didn't see it happen. But Sekhmet did.
"So that is the brat Talpa wants us to destroy! Well, get ready to die, child!"
"I think not!" Kye-Ren shouted, charging straight at the Warlord!
Sekhmet dodged and pushed her aside, but she spun back around, hitting him with her sword. It shattered into pieces when it struck his armor. Sekhmet laughed at her as he drew his own sowrds.
"So, you want to play rough, do you? Well try dodging this! Snake Fang Strike!"
The swords shot out at Kye-Ren, and she could smell the poison on each on as she jumped into the air out of harms way. This was a dagerous foe, more dangerous than anything she had faced before. She had to protect DawnFire from him. Kye-Ren Landed in a tree and jumped down in front of DawnFire, who had watched the entire scene from Big Black's back. Sekhmet's swords returned to his hands, and he got ready for a second attack, only to be stopped by the Ancient's Staff. Kayura stepped in front of Kye-Ren and her daughter, a determined look on her face.
"Stand down, Sekhmet," Kayura said, her voice ringing through the air. The Ronins ran to help her, having beat the Dynasty soldiers.
"I think not," Sekhmet hissed at them. "The child must die."
"You can't beat all of us!" Ryo shouted.
"Want to bet!"
DawnFire watched the adults fight, and noticed her dagger on the ground near her feet. Making sure that no one was watching, especially the snake-man, she bent down and picked it up. She stepped away from her mother so that she could see the snake-man clearly. She held the dagger out in front of her, mimicking the move he had used a few minutes ago. Her voice rang out small and clear, silencing the fight going on.
"Snake...Fang...Strike!" DawnFire shouted!
The tiny dagger became about six long swords, each one filled with energy, not poison. It was a burning energy, and the swords shot through the air, burning everything they touched! She heard her father shout "Duck!" as the swords shot over their heads, then heard the snake-man scream as he was burned. But she saw nothing of it. Only a bright light. Then that faded, and she was sitting on the ground, a dazed look on her face. Ryo was getting up off the ground and scooped her up in his arms, and she wrapped her own tiny arms around his neck, trembling slightly. That was the first time DawnFire had actually used a mimic attack in a real battle, and it scared her. But her father's reassuring voice was all she needed to calm down, and the stares pf amazement that the other warriors were giving her didn't bother her in the least now. All she knew was that the snake-man would be back, and she had to be ready. They all had to be ready.