Oleiriset scowled miserably and flung his pillow across the room. He
had only one day left to complete his mission. The Inferno's plans moved
rapidly, more so than Oleiriset prepared for.
Forlorn, he exited his room to find Sekhmet. He hated having to align his plans with both Naga's plans and the Inferno's plans. He hoped he could quickly convince Sekhmet to reenter Naga's castle. Unfortunately, he found the former warlord of Venom thoroughly intoxicated and mumbling lyrics in his sleep on the floor with the other two former warlords.
Oleiriset almost screamed in frustration. His plans were ruined! He had no idea when the rice wine would leave Sekhmet's system. Agitated, he decided to attempt to make the best out of the situation; he went to visit Kayura.
Unfortunately, when Oleiriset knocked on Kayura's door, he received no answer. He waited in silence for a few moments. He quickly felt impatient. Then he opened her door, but she was not there. The staff, however, rested nicely against the wall.
Oleiriset grinned. His fingers itched to touch the staff. It contained so much power yet should be so harmless to him. In his wildest childhood dreams, he always wanted to control the staff. Impulsively, he ran towards the staff and caressed it gently. Then, he slowly placed his hands around the base of the staff and grabbed it tightly.
The ball of the staff glowed instantly; the Ancient One awoke, disturbed. Sensing the spirit, Oleiriset panicked and forced his own spiritual energy onto the Ancient One to subdue the monk's soul. When using special items, the hands were the most valuable in channeling energy and therefore were the most fragile. The Ancient One targeted Oleiriset's hands, which were on the staff. The conflicting energies of Oleiriset and the Ancient One exploded upon contact. The blast shoved Oleiriset onto the ground, tearing his hands away from the staff.
Oleiriset gasped through clenched teeth from the shock. He stared in horror as the staff spun around a few times by itself and then rested against the wall. His hands shook and burned with pain. Trembling, Oleiriset lifted his hands to his face. Fear closed his throat before he could scream. He glanced again at the harmless-appearing staff. With a startled cry, Oleiriset dashed out the door.
A few feet in the hallway, Oleiriset immediately bumped into Kayura, who returned from the library. Still suffering from shock, the minor contact knocked him down. Oleiriset believed he was safe, but he realized how much he underestimated Kayura's mental abilities at spiritual communication when she demanded, "What were you doing with the staff?"
"Staff?" Oleiriset tried to back away while on his seared hands and his knees.
Her muscles tightened angrily. "I sensed you and the staff against each other in a little battle! I am listening to the Ancient One right now about what happened."
"And you believe him?" Oleiriset said without thinking. Then he realized his error, "Oh, of course you believe him."
"I want to know why and how you were able to attack the staff like you did," Kayura demanded an answer.
"I- I, um, I was curious."
Kayura approached him irritably. "Any better explanation?"
Oleiriset sighed defeatedly, "No." He considered his next actions while Kayura contemplated the situation. Circumstances essentially ruined all of his plans. He did not have much time before the Inferno completed it mission so he had to wrap up his own plans in a hurry.
Oleiriset chose the quickest and riskiest means of escape. Wincing slightly, he slammed his hand, palm open, onto the floor. Bright tendrils of energy shot out of his hand, filling the cracks on the stone, towards Kayura.
The attack was too fast for her to react. Kayura skidded back as the energy beams jumped up repeatedly and exploded upon contact with her bare feet. She could not notice the pain on her scarred feet; she was busy dodging the energy attack. She gasped once from shock as the energy struck the vulnerable slopes of her feet. When the attack stopped, Kayura started to chase fleeing Oleiriset.
"Wait!" the Ancient One's spirit called out. "Kayura, come get the staff. You will be stronger with it."
Scowling, she obeyed with a slight hesitation. She turned briskly into her room and picked up the staff.
The Ancient One continued speaking, "You also need to think clearly. Oleiriset angered you, and fighting in anger is simple carelessness."
"Of course," Kayura replied with a sigh.
"I never noticed Oleiriset's aura until now. His aura and his power were very familiar."
"I know, but why is that?"
"I remember that when I trained Jiguro, he occasionally lost control, and his attacks became wild and forceful. Oleiriset's attack reminded me of those occasions when I was training Jiguro. In fact, Oleiriset's aura and Jiguro's aura are very similar. Their powers are almost identical."
Oleiriset stopped running when the hallways grew more convoluted and twisting. Terrified, he clasped his hands over his pounding heart. He pressed down on his chest to control his rapid breathing.
What could he do? His entire plan collapsed completely.
One of Naga's messengers soon appeared from out of the nearby trees and tall grasses.
Oleiriset hissed with a thick dialect, "Tell the small platoon of soldiers waiting nearby to come here! The attack must begin immediately!" He then motioned to the person to hurry and to go without him.
The messenger left quickly.
Oleiriset sighed miserably and slumped against the wall. "I must distract Kayura and prevent her from following the former warlords into Naga's kingdom." Then, he hissed angrily, "Naga, you coward! You hate your cursed culture so you choose death to escape from it!" Scowling, he located Kayura and the others with his mental sense. Then, he reentered the castle.
Dais groaned as he awoke. Finding himself suddenly sober, he sat straight up. His mind felt strangely clean as it usually felt after a spiritual training session with the Ancient One. Dais blinked a few times to wake up the muscles in his eye. Then, he glanced up and saw Kayura standing in front of him with her arms crossed. She held the staff tightly.
"What happened?" Dais asked her.
Kayura replied disapprovingly, "First of all, the Ancient figured that drunken warriors would be ineffective in a crisis so he removed all of the alcohol from your systems."
Stretching, Kale commented, "That makes sense."
Kayura then told them the real problem, "While you were napping, Oleiriset tried to take control of the staff and then, he attacked me."
Sekhmet was the only one not surprised. "You are keeping something secret from us."
Kayura said softly, "That is between Oleiriset and me."
Suddenly, they heard projectiles hitting the walls outside the castle. Kale sprang to his feet. His muscles tensed. Was someone attacking?
Kayura sighed and told the former warlords, "You can deal with the problem at the gates. I'll handle Oleiriset."
They nodded and ran off, donning their armors.
Forlorn, he exited his room to find Sekhmet. He hated having to align his plans with both Naga's plans and the Inferno's plans. He hoped he could quickly convince Sekhmet to reenter Naga's castle. Unfortunately, he found the former warlord of Venom thoroughly intoxicated and mumbling lyrics in his sleep on the floor with the other two former warlords.
Oleiriset almost screamed in frustration. His plans were ruined! He had no idea when the rice wine would leave Sekhmet's system. Agitated, he decided to attempt to make the best out of the situation; he went to visit Kayura.
Unfortunately, when Oleiriset knocked on Kayura's door, he received no answer. He waited in silence for a few moments. He quickly felt impatient. Then he opened her door, but she was not there. The staff, however, rested nicely against the wall.
Oleiriset grinned. His fingers itched to touch the staff. It contained so much power yet should be so harmless to him. In his wildest childhood dreams, he always wanted to control the staff. Impulsively, he ran towards the staff and caressed it gently. Then, he slowly placed his hands around the base of the staff and grabbed it tightly.
The ball of the staff glowed instantly; the Ancient One awoke, disturbed. Sensing the spirit, Oleiriset panicked and forced his own spiritual energy onto the Ancient One to subdue the monk's soul. When using special items, the hands were the most valuable in channeling energy and therefore were the most fragile. The Ancient One targeted Oleiriset's hands, which were on the staff. The conflicting energies of Oleiriset and the Ancient One exploded upon contact. The blast shoved Oleiriset onto the ground, tearing his hands away from the staff.
Oleiriset gasped through clenched teeth from the shock. He stared in horror as the staff spun around a few times by itself and then rested against the wall. His hands shook and burned with pain. Trembling, Oleiriset lifted his hands to his face. Fear closed his throat before he could scream. He glanced again at the harmless-appearing staff. With a startled cry, Oleiriset dashed out the door.
A few feet in the hallway, Oleiriset immediately bumped into Kayura, who returned from the library. Still suffering from shock, the minor contact knocked him down. Oleiriset believed he was safe, but he realized how much he underestimated Kayura's mental abilities at spiritual communication when she demanded, "What were you doing with the staff?"
"Staff?" Oleiriset tried to back away while on his seared hands and his knees.
Her muscles tightened angrily. "I sensed you and the staff against each other in a little battle! I am listening to the Ancient One right now about what happened."
"And you believe him?" Oleiriset said without thinking. Then he realized his error, "Oh, of course you believe him."
"I want to know why and how you were able to attack the staff like you did," Kayura demanded an answer.
"I- I, um, I was curious."
Kayura approached him irritably. "Any better explanation?"
Oleiriset sighed defeatedly, "No." He considered his next actions while Kayura contemplated the situation. Circumstances essentially ruined all of his plans. He did not have much time before the Inferno completed it mission so he had to wrap up his own plans in a hurry.
Oleiriset chose the quickest and riskiest means of escape. Wincing slightly, he slammed his hand, palm open, onto the floor. Bright tendrils of energy shot out of his hand, filling the cracks on the stone, towards Kayura.
The attack was too fast for her to react. Kayura skidded back as the energy beams jumped up repeatedly and exploded upon contact with her bare feet. She could not notice the pain on her scarred feet; she was busy dodging the energy attack. She gasped once from shock as the energy struck the vulnerable slopes of her feet. When the attack stopped, Kayura started to chase fleeing Oleiriset.
"Wait!" the Ancient One's spirit called out. "Kayura, come get the staff. You will be stronger with it."
Scowling, she obeyed with a slight hesitation. She turned briskly into her room and picked up the staff.
The Ancient One continued speaking, "You also need to think clearly. Oleiriset angered you, and fighting in anger is simple carelessness."
"Of course," Kayura replied with a sigh.
"I never noticed Oleiriset's aura until now. His aura and his power were very familiar."
"I know, but why is that?"
"I remember that when I trained Jiguro, he occasionally lost control, and his attacks became wild and forceful. Oleiriset's attack reminded me of those occasions when I was training Jiguro. In fact, Oleiriset's aura and Jiguro's aura are very similar. Their powers are almost identical."
Oleiriset stopped running when the hallways grew more convoluted and twisting. Terrified, he clasped his hands over his pounding heart. He pressed down on his chest to control his rapid breathing.
What could he do? His entire plan collapsed completely.
One of Naga's messengers soon appeared from out of the nearby trees and tall grasses.
Oleiriset hissed with a thick dialect, "Tell the small platoon of soldiers waiting nearby to come here! The attack must begin immediately!" He then motioned to the person to hurry and to go without him.
The messenger left quickly.
Oleiriset sighed miserably and slumped against the wall. "I must distract Kayura and prevent her from following the former warlords into Naga's kingdom." Then, he hissed angrily, "Naga, you coward! You hate your cursed culture so you choose death to escape from it!" Scowling, he located Kayura and the others with his mental sense. Then, he reentered the castle.
Dais groaned as he awoke. Finding himself suddenly sober, he sat straight up. His mind felt strangely clean as it usually felt after a spiritual training session with the Ancient One. Dais blinked a few times to wake up the muscles in his eye. Then, he glanced up and saw Kayura standing in front of him with her arms crossed. She held the staff tightly.
"What happened?" Dais asked her.
Kayura replied disapprovingly, "First of all, the Ancient figured that drunken warriors would be ineffective in a crisis so he removed all of the alcohol from your systems."
Stretching, Kale commented, "That makes sense."
Kayura then told them the real problem, "While you were napping, Oleiriset tried to take control of the staff and then, he attacked me."
Sekhmet was the only one not surprised. "You are keeping something secret from us."
Kayura said softly, "That is between Oleiriset and me."
Suddenly, they heard projectiles hitting the walls outside the castle. Kale sprang to his feet. His muscles tensed. Was someone attacking?
Kayura sighed and told the former warlords, "You can deal with the problem at the gates. I'll handle Oleiriset."
They nodded and ran off, donning their armors.