Ryo heard the cry, and it struck his heart like a dagger. Dais had DawnFire. All at once his actions were a blur. He dropped his swords and leapt into the air, smashing into Dais! All three of them fell to the ground, but Ryo was the first to recover. He grabbed DawnFire and held her protectively. Within seconds more soldiers appeared, forming a circle around Ryo and DawnFire.
"Give me the brat," Dais hissed. "Now."
"Forget it, Dais. DawnFire isn't going anywhere with you."
"Oh? What are you going to do to stop me?"
:DawnFire, call Thæn: Ryo told his daughter silently.
DawnFire nodded and called out silently for her friend who was worlds away. He had promised that he would hear her no matter where they were, now it was time to see if he would keep that promise. Until then Ryo had to do something. But he didn't dare put his daughter down, not with so many soldiers waiting to snatch her.
"Face it, Ronin pest, you have no choice. Hand her over."
"Never!" Ryo shouted back.
"Then you shall die and I will take her anyway!"
Dais charged forward, only to meet a huge fur-covered paw! The force of the blow sent him flying backward into some of the Dynasty soldiers. Thæn stood up at his full height, a huge tower of muscle and fur. His roar was like something from the depths of hell. It was a roar that was answered by several others. Out of the shadows came the other Khsenu that had been with Thæn when they had left the other realm. All of them were growling at the Dynasty soldiers.
That was all it took for Dais to retreat, for the time being. He knew that he couldn't beat both the Ronin Warriors and this new foe. He disappeared, and so did the Dynasty soldiers. Ryo sighed with relief and held DawnFire close to him. She clung to him like a shipwrecked sailor clung to a piece of driftwood. She was not happy.
Thæn and the others gathered together, forming a very funny looking herd of shaggy human-beasts. They no longer looked threatening, something Ryo was grateful of. He didn't need his friends attacking them, thinking they were enemies. Within seconds Kye-Ren was at Ryo's side, taking DawnFire from his arms. Kayura, WhiteBlaze and Mia had recovered and came outside to join Ryo. The other Ronin Warriors approached as well, looking both wary and curious. The Khsenu all bowed their heads in respect to the warriors.
"We heard your call and came, as we promised. Those men, they were from the Realm of the Dead?" Thæn asked.
"Yes," Ryo replied. "They're after DawnFire."
A low growl came from all of the Khsenu. It sounded like there was only one huge beast, and the sound echoed and vibrated through the ground. Just as quickly as it came it stopped. The Khsenus' ears were flat against their heads in a clear sign of distress. Again Thæn spoke.
"Then it is as I feared. The Demon-Master is trying to gain the power to attack all the Realms in existence. To do this he needs a great power, and he sees this in DawnFire. He will not stop until he captures her or is destroyed."
"Then we'll Destroy him," Kento growled. "We've beaten Talpa before."
Thæn nodded. But he did not look convinced. "Strong you are, but your threat does not lie in the Demon-Master. It lies in the Spirit at his side, the Unnamed One. It is she that brought the Demon-Master back, and it is she that gives him the strength to exist. Without her, the Demon-Master will vanish from existence. It is the Unnamed One you must destroy, and she will be difficult to get to."
"You've fought this, Unnamed One before?" Sage asked.
"Once. Many, many years ago. It was with the spirit of the Great Mother that our people drove the Unnamed One to the Realm of the Dead. It was the Great Mother that sealed our world from that Realm to keep us safe. Now we return to help fight this battle once more."
"Thæn, why is this Unnamed One after DawnFire? We know she is strong, but what makes her so special to the Dynasty?" Ryo asked. "What is it that makes them want her?"
"They seek DawnFire because they cannot seek you," Said a silvery-grey Khsenu that stood near Thæn. "I am called SilverMist, the Seer. I speak for the Great Mother, or rather, she speaks through me. Ryo, it is you who truly has the power they need, but You would be able to fight the Unnamed One. You are too dangerous for her to capture. DawnFire is you, easier to frighten and badger. So they seek her."
That gave Ryo an idea. It was a dangerous one, but it was a plan that just might work. If he went to the Dynasty willingly, without his armor, and convinced this Unnamed One that he wanted to serve the Dynasty, then he could buy the other Ronin Warriors time to destroy her. He voiced the plan out loud. The Ronins weren't the only ones to protest. Thæn and SilverMist didn't like the idea of him being unprotected in the Nether Realm, and the others thought it was too risky.
"Unprotected you would be easily harmed. The Warriors need your help, and you daughter needs you with her. It is not a good plan," SilverMist said. "I do not think it wise."
"I never said the plan was a wise one," Ryo replied. "But unless anyone else has a better idea of drawing this Unnamed Spirit out without endangering DawnFire, it's the best plan we've got."
"As much as I hate to say it, you are right," Kayura said. "This is the best plan. I will take you to the Nether Realm myself, Ryo."
"Then we shall go as well," Thæn said.
"No," Ryo argued. "If you're seen the Spirit will know what we're planning. You'll have to wait and attack with the others."
This did not make the Khsenu or the Ronins happy. But it was the only option they had for the time. Ryo took off his armor and gave the crystal to Kye-Ren. He had a feeling that if push came to shove she'd be able to use it to protect DawnFire. Now completely weaponless, Ryo went with Kayura to the Nether Realm.
"Give me the brat," Dais hissed. "Now."
"Forget it, Dais. DawnFire isn't going anywhere with you."
"Oh? What are you going to do to stop me?"
:DawnFire, call Thæn: Ryo told his daughter silently.
DawnFire nodded and called out silently for her friend who was worlds away. He had promised that he would hear her no matter where they were, now it was time to see if he would keep that promise. Until then Ryo had to do something. But he didn't dare put his daughter down, not with so many soldiers waiting to snatch her.
"Face it, Ronin pest, you have no choice. Hand her over."
"Never!" Ryo shouted back.
"Then you shall die and I will take her anyway!"
Dais charged forward, only to meet a huge fur-covered paw! The force of the blow sent him flying backward into some of the Dynasty soldiers. Thæn stood up at his full height, a huge tower of muscle and fur. His roar was like something from the depths of hell. It was a roar that was answered by several others. Out of the shadows came the other Khsenu that had been with Thæn when they had left the other realm. All of them were growling at the Dynasty soldiers.
That was all it took for Dais to retreat, for the time being. He knew that he couldn't beat both the Ronin Warriors and this new foe. He disappeared, and so did the Dynasty soldiers. Ryo sighed with relief and held DawnFire close to him. She clung to him like a shipwrecked sailor clung to a piece of driftwood. She was not happy.
Thæn and the others gathered together, forming a very funny looking herd of shaggy human-beasts. They no longer looked threatening, something Ryo was grateful of. He didn't need his friends attacking them, thinking they were enemies. Within seconds Kye-Ren was at Ryo's side, taking DawnFire from his arms. Kayura, WhiteBlaze and Mia had recovered and came outside to join Ryo. The other Ronin Warriors approached as well, looking both wary and curious. The Khsenu all bowed their heads in respect to the warriors.
"We heard your call and came, as we promised. Those men, they were from the Realm of the Dead?" Thæn asked.
"Yes," Ryo replied. "They're after DawnFire."
A low growl came from all of the Khsenu. It sounded like there was only one huge beast, and the sound echoed and vibrated through the ground. Just as quickly as it came it stopped. The Khsenus' ears were flat against their heads in a clear sign of distress. Again Thæn spoke.
"Then it is as I feared. The Demon-Master is trying to gain the power to attack all the Realms in existence. To do this he needs a great power, and he sees this in DawnFire. He will not stop until he captures her or is destroyed."
"Then we'll Destroy him," Kento growled. "We've beaten Talpa before."
Thæn nodded. But he did not look convinced. "Strong you are, but your threat does not lie in the Demon-Master. It lies in the Spirit at his side, the Unnamed One. It is she that brought the Demon-Master back, and it is she that gives him the strength to exist. Without her, the Demon-Master will vanish from existence. It is the Unnamed One you must destroy, and she will be difficult to get to."
"You've fought this, Unnamed One before?" Sage asked.
"Once. Many, many years ago. It was with the spirit of the Great Mother that our people drove the Unnamed One to the Realm of the Dead. It was the Great Mother that sealed our world from that Realm to keep us safe. Now we return to help fight this battle once more."
"Thæn, why is this Unnamed One after DawnFire? We know she is strong, but what makes her so special to the Dynasty?" Ryo asked. "What is it that makes them want her?"
"They seek DawnFire because they cannot seek you," Said a silvery-grey Khsenu that stood near Thæn. "I am called SilverMist, the Seer. I speak for the Great Mother, or rather, she speaks through me. Ryo, it is you who truly has the power they need, but You would be able to fight the Unnamed One. You are too dangerous for her to capture. DawnFire is you, easier to frighten and badger. So they seek her."
That gave Ryo an idea. It was a dangerous one, but it was a plan that just might work. If he went to the Dynasty willingly, without his armor, and convinced this Unnamed One that he wanted to serve the Dynasty, then he could buy the other Ronin Warriors time to destroy her. He voiced the plan out loud. The Ronins weren't the only ones to protest. Thæn and SilverMist didn't like the idea of him being unprotected in the Nether Realm, and the others thought it was too risky.
"Unprotected you would be easily harmed. The Warriors need your help, and you daughter needs you with her. It is not a good plan," SilverMist said. "I do not think it wise."
"I never said the plan was a wise one," Ryo replied. "But unless anyone else has a better idea of drawing this Unnamed Spirit out without endangering DawnFire, it's the best plan we've got."
"As much as I hate to say it, you are right," Kayura said. "This is the best plan. I will take you to the Nether Realm myself, Ryo."
"Then we shall go as well," Thæn said.
"No," Ryo argued. "If you're seen the Spirit will know what we're planning. You'll have to wait and attack with the others."
This did not make the Khsenu or the Ronins happy. But it was the only option they had for the time. Ryo took off his armor and gave the crystal to Kye-Ren. He had a feeling that if push came to shove she'd be able to use it to protect DawnFire. Now completely weaponless, Ryo went with Kayura to the Nether Realm.