Midnight Shadows
Part 8
By Mieren
Cye and Mia froze in cooking breakfast when Kento's groggy voice rose from behind them.
"Hey, what's for breakfast?"
Cye threw an irritated look across his shoulder. "You could have told me that you two succeeded last night in instructing him," he grumbled.
"Why? You found out soon enough, didn't you?" Ryo asked sweetly, elbowing Sage in the arm and grinning.
A muscle in Cye's cheek twitched. "Go get Rowen up."
Ryo paled slightly. "Um, Kento, go get Rowen up."
Kento snorted. "Hell no. Sage, go wake Rowen."
Sage blanched. "Um, Mia…"
"Don't even think it," she snapped.
Licking his lips slightly, he stood up to carry out his suicide mission when a thought struck him. He grinned and darted into the living room.
"Hey Dais. Dais, you up?" Sage's voice drifted in from the next room.
Cye grinned, eyes shining happily. "He's in for a surprise if he thinks he can wake Dais," he murmured. "I tried to wake him a little while ago. He sleeps just as heavy as Rowen."
"Is that possible?" Ryo mumbled.
To get their answer, they all quieted down and tried to listen to what was going on in the living room.
"Hey Dais. Dais! Get your ass off of that couch before I release Mia on you!"
Dais darted into the kitchen, a thick blanket hugged around him and a haunted expression on his face. Cye pursed his lips thoughtfully.
"I never thought of that," he drawled slowly.
Sage trotted in behind him triumphantly, a wide grin splitting his face.
"Hey Dais, go wake up Rowen. He's upstairs in the second room on the right."
Dais stared at him blankly. "You got me up so that I could wake Rowen?"
"You got it."
Grumbling loudly, he stumped up the stairs. Mia and the Ronins listened expectantly, grins already forming on their faces.
There was a loud pounding from upstairs. "Hey Rowen, get your lazy ass up." There was a moment of silence followed by a soft creaking as a door was opened. "Do I have to drag you out of bed?" Another moment of silence followed. "What the hell…" Dais's confused voice drifted down the stairs, so soft that the Ronins could barely hear it. Glass crashed loudly from upstairs, followed by a bloodcurdling scream.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I think that you need a new window, Mia," Ryo gasped out, staggering towards the front door to let a very angry Dais back into the house.
"Rowen's up," he snapped, sending the guys into convulsions.
"We gathered as much," Kento chortled.
"Are you still wondering why I got you up just to wake Rowen?" Sage snickered.
"I think I've figured it out," Dais spat sarcastically, scowl darkening at their continued chuckling. "You could have at least told me that the girl was up there too."
"We thought you knew," Sage smirked.
"Would you like breakfast now?" Cye asked, trying to mollify the furious former Warlord glaring angrily at all of them.
* * *
Halfway through breakfast, Sage began eyeing Mieren thoughtfully. Noting his watchful expression, she reached across the table and snagged his hand, snowy flames surrounding them both for a moment as she finished healing his ribs. Blinking in confusion, Sage poked himself in the side experimentally before smiling slightly.
"Thanks, but that's not what I was thinking about," Sage murmured.
Then what?
He began bluntly, "Would you care to explain a few of those spells you were throwing around in the city?"
Spells? Mieren asked innocently.
"You know. How you were drawing so much energy when trying to heal Kento, and how you managed to make it look like you were decapitated."
Oh, those spells, she grimaced.
Noticing that Kento was paying strict attention to what she was saying, she snagged his plate of waffles out from under his nose. Kento blinked, the realization that his favorite food had been stolen from him taking a moment to register. In the small war that ensued, Dais chuckled softly.
"Tell me this doesn't happen every morning," he snickered.
"Just about," Mia muttered.
"Mieren, would you stop tormenting Kento?" Cye asked softly.
"I'd like to know why Kento is acting so nice this morning considering what happened to him yesterday," Dais murmured.
"You'd have to bring that up, wouldn't you," Sage snapped.
Kento grimaced, momentarily forgetting that he was supposed to be fighting for his breakfast. "It was the only way they could save me," he said softly, throwing a halfhearted glare at Sage.
I would have done it myself had they come up with nothing else. I was hoping they would figure out something so I wouldn't have to ask Turriv such a thing. I must admit I was rather shocked when Halo suggested it.
Dais scowled darkly. "With as old as you are, and I know you're old because you won't tell me your age, you could have done something."
Not really. I did what I did because I would rather have all of them hate me for the rest of their lives than to stand back and watch one of them die knowing perfectly well that I could have saved him.
Dais flinched as though struck, shrinking back in his chair and growing silent. He noticed that all the others had gone silent as well, only Rowen meeting Mieren's gaze. Kento ceased trying to reclaim his plate of waffles and shuffled across the kitchen to get another plate for himself.
Sage cleared his throat. "Now, about the spells?"
With the one where I was trying to heal Kento, I said that I was cheating. I had a spell going that summoned energy and I had tied my life force into what I was doing. That is where I was getting all of that energy that you couldn't account for.
Sage nodded slowly. "And the other one?"
Without answering, Mieren extended one hand directly over the center of the table, closing her eyes and concentrating fiercely. Clenching her fingers into a fist, she set her hand down gently on the table, horrifying everyone when she pulled her arm back, leaving her hand on the table, her wrist separating as though it were runny taffy. Looking at her stump of a right arm, Mieren grinned slightly, holding it up for all to see before reforming her hand out of her arm. Looking around, she decided that Dais and Sage looked decidedly ill. Mia looked ready to faint.
Holding her new hand above the fist she had left on the table, Mieren resumed her spell. The fist on the table melted into a rough spherical shape under the glowing strands of light surrounding it, slowly taking shape before seven sets of incredulous eyes. A tiny white dragon with teal eyes rose to a sitting position on the table, small enough to fit comfortably in someone's palm.
"What did you just do?" Sage whispered without tearing his eyes away from the beast on the table.
I performed the same spell I did early yesterday morning.
"Which is?" Ryo prompted.
A little trick I learned a few centuries ago. I can split myself and my attention in several directions at once, effectively creating more warriors running around. I was taught the trick by someone who stumbled upon it by accident. All of the separate selves are controlled by the original. If one of the copies dies, nothing really happens, but if the original dies, then all die.
"So it's basically a second set of eyes and ears?" Dais asked slowly, watching with interest as the tiny dragon climbed into her outstretched hand, reabsorbed immediately as Mieren closed her fingers around it.
Just about. But I believe that if I altered the spell slightly and used a second person, I could reproduce.
Rowen choked on a bite of waffle, face aflame. Sage swatted him on the back to help him out, laughing uproariously at his friend's expression. Even Dais began chuckling at his burning face.
Mieren made a face at Rowen. We could do it the old fashioned way if you prefer.
At the suggestion, everyone except Rowen went into another fit of laughter. Rowen's face deepened from pink to crimson to purple before he darted out of the room, his retreating form followed by peals of laughter.
"That wasn't very nice," Cye snickered, tears rolling from his eyes.
Wasn't true either. What's your point?
"You mean you can't cast that spell?" Ryo hiccuped, beginning to tremble slightly as he tried to suppress his laughter when Mieren shook her head.
No, but I say we have some fun with him. Who's with me?
No one in the room had to say anything. Their laughter answered for them.
It's settled then. I'll be back in a minute, Mieren said as she trotted out of the room, her footsteps disappearing up the stairs.
Sage was about to suggest that they follow her to see what she would do to Rowen, closing his mouth slowly as Mieren sauntered back into the room, a pleased expression on her face.
"Well?" Ryo asked, eyes dancing.
I just surrounded him with flames and told him that we'd have a kid soon.
"How'd he take it?" Mia snickered.
He fainted.
Laughter erupted around the table again. Sage bent over, gasping for breath, tears streaming from his eyes. He noted that no one was in much better shape than he was.
Now, we just need someone to play the part of our kid.
The laughter instantly died, six appalled expressions regarding her in horror.
"You can't be serious," Kento mumbled, shifting slightly to put more distance between them.
"Why can't you use your little trick?" Sage asked carefully, edging away from Mieren. She only grinned and shrugged.
That wouldn't be as much fun, now would it?
"I nominate Dais," Cye said quickly, ignoring the murderous glare thrown in his direction but the mortified former Warlord. He was seconded by all the remaining Ronins and Mia immediately.
Won't work. He's too ugly to pass for my kid.
"Gee, thanks," Dais muttered, relieved all the same. An evil grin spread across his face as he looked up from the table. "I nominate Cye. He'll be cute enough, right?"
Cye blanched, backing away slowly from the room, eyes wide.
He should work fine.
Cye yelped and bolted, landing face first on the floor when Ryo tackled him, laughing hysterically.
"I got him!" he cried out happily.
"Ryo!" Cye wailed, struggling to get up. Turquoise flames surrounded him for a moment before a milky shield slammed around his mind, preventing him from fighting back as Mieren moved over to him slowly.
Now, let me see. Your eyes need to be a bit darker. Hair needs to be blue as well. I'll just heighten your cheekbones a little, add some baby fat, and resize you a bit.
Cye wailed pitifully as the world grew larger around him. Mieren froze when he stopped shrinking, running one finger gently over one of his ears, eyes narrowing. Cye made a face a tried to pull away from her, knowing that she was staring at the slight points tipping his ears, a feature that he had thankfully grown out of by the time he was five. Shrugging, she tapped the tips on his ears gently, smoothing out the delicate points before holding him up to show to everyone in the room.
He tried to spit out a curse, only to discover that Mieren had done something to his vocal cords to prevent him from talking and giving away the game. Kento picked him up roughly and held him out at arm length, face split by a grin.
"You look just like a tiny Rowen," he snickered, laughing at the murderous scowl that darkened his friend's face. He began to tremble with mirth when Cye threw him the finger and tried to kick his arm.
"I think he gets that from Mieren," Sage choked out around his laughter.
"Do you people do stuff like this all the time?" Dais cried, eye widening when he got a good look at Cye.
"Not this exactly, but we like to have fun at each other's expense," Ryo explained to the baffled man staring blankly at Cye and Kento.
Dais looked at him carefully for a moment, lips twitching. "I say we present Rowen with his new son."
Kento hooted merrily at the idea, tucking Cye under his arm as he started for the stairs, earning himself a mortified wail from his friend.
"Better yet, lets bring Rowen down here. More room for us to watch," Ryo said merrily, eyes dancing.
* * *
Rowen woke slowly to a variety of torments, finally being drawn into the land of the conscious when a glass of cold water was thrown in his face. He looked up blearily from the floor of the living room where they had apparently deposited him, making a face at the guys standing around him.
Sage pulled him to his feet, grinning merrily. Before Rowen had a chance to spit out something that would have made even Dais choke, Kento held up something in front of him that nearly made him faint again.
Ryo steadied his friend as Mieren walked over to him, looping one arm around a very pale Rowen.
Rowen watched, mortified, as Kento handed a tiny version of himself to Mieren, who immediately passed the bundle to him. Looking down at the tiny replica of himself, he felt his face turn several shades lighter, creating snickers around the room.
His jaw worked for a moment with no sound coming out. The infant in his arms made a growling sound. Swallowing uncertainly, he headed for the kitchen, the others following in his wake, Mieren still hanging on him.
Handing the baby back to Mieren, Rowen began rooting around in the fridge and pantry, coming up with a variety of things that no sane person would feed an infant. Sage choked when he realized that Rowen apparently intended to mix those things together into some unearthly concoction. He made a face when he saw half the things on the counter. What in the hell did Rowen think he was doing? The milk, Sage understood, but the mayonnaise, horseradish, and eggs nearly made him gag.
Seeing the mortified expression on Cye's face, Sage relented and decided to show a little pity for his friend, but not much.
"Rowen!" he snapped. He continued when Rowen turned around to look at him blankly. "You can't feed a baby that kind of stuff," he scolded, trying not to grin at the relieved expression on Cye's face. "Mieren needs to feed him," he managed to choke out, unable to keep a strait face when he saw Cye pale and redden by turns.
Rowen sat down numbly as Mieren nodded agreement, pulling open the front of her buttoned shirt. Rowen blinked in confusion as the infant wailed pitifully, trying to draw back, face burning. He looked around blankly when the others tried to choke back fits of laughter.
"Man, would I love to be that infant right now," Sage murmured wistfully, snickering at the irritated look Mieren threw him.
"I don't think he's hungry," Kento supplied, reaching out his arms.
Mieren looked at him for a moment before shrugging and handing the baby to him, buttoning her shirt quickly when she noticed Dais and Sage staring.
Kento tossed his head slightly, heading into the living room with Cye in his arms. Curiously, the other guys followed, Rowen still staring numbly at the baby in his friend's arms. Once everyone was in the living room, Kento moved a half a dozen paces away from the others and turned to Ryo.
"Hey, Ryo! Catch!"
Rowen froze as the baby let out a shriek as Kento launched him across the room, Ryo snagging him out of the air deftly. Rowen's face purpled and he moved forward to take the infant away from his friend, turning murderous when Ryo threw him to Sage.
A game of keep-away ensued, Rowen growing furious when even Dais joined in, Mia doing nothing to stop the child's torment, only laughing as tears streamed down her face, leaning on Mieren heavily. Beginning to tremble furiously as the guys continued to toss the baby across the room above his head, he snagged the infant out of the air with ropes of blue flames. The baby clung to him, panting heavily, fueling his rage.
The infant in his arms looked up at him, blinked, and pointed to the guys where they had gathered behind him, congratulating themselves, and let out a loud wail before clinging to him more tightly, trembling slightly.
Rowen's features turned absolutely murderous as he looked up from the child clinging to him for dear life. He noticed that they had stiffened and were now looking around the room fearfully for places to hide. Rowen never gave them the chance.
Cords of power shot around the room, thoroughly whipping all four of the apparently suicidal people trying to hide. When all of them were satisfactorily cowering on the floor, he spun to leave the room, blinking in confusion when the baby clinging to him began to chuckle softly to himself.
Retreating to his room and locking the door behind him, Rowen looked down at the child in his arms, not exactly sure what to do with him. Sighing loudly, he sat the baby on his bed, wrapping his comforter around him awkwardly. The boy looked up at him, making a face before snorting and pointing to his shelves of books, making an odd sound that seemed slightly demanding. Blinking uncertainly, Rowen began searching through his books, doubting that there would be anything in his collection suitable for a child. A soft noise caused him to turn his head. Rowen blinked confusedly when the infant pointed at the books again before folding his pudgy arms across his chest.
Picking up the infant boy, Rowen wandered back to the shelves, running his finger slowly down the row of books while watching the child's expression. The baby grinned and nodded suddenly. Stopping his finger instantly, Rowen turned to look at what his hand was on.
"Marine biology, huh?" Rowen murmured, snagging the book from the shelf and plopping down on his bed with the baby in his lap.
The infant pinched him viciously to get his attention before pointing to the book and then himself. Rowen blinked in confusion.
"You want me to start reading, huh?" he asked softly, baffled when the pudgy little version of himself shook his head and repeated the gesture.
Rowen blinked down at him, not understanding what the child wanted in the slightest. He wondered idly just how much this child understood. He was about to guess again what he was supposed to do when he was pinched a second time. Looking down, he nearly jumped out of his skin and dropped the baby when his eyes abruptly shifted to a brilliant ruby. Squinting at him, the baby pointed to the book and to himself again.
Rowen's eyes narrowed when he looked at the crimson gaze holding him. "You most certainly didn't get that from me," he muttered.
The child made a face, gave him the finger and pointed demandingly to the floor. Rowen set him down before he was pinched again, watching curiously as the infant scrambled awkwardly across the floor, snagging up a loose pen in his tiny hands. Yelping softly, Rowen took the pen away from him, unwilling to endanger his books.
The child made a demanding sound, pointing to the pen in his hands and looking around for a moment before gesturing towards a notebook.
"Well, I guess that'd be alright," he murmured, handing the pen to the infant and opening the notebook to a blank page. He plopped down on the floor, watching as the child popped the cap off of the pan and began scribbling on the paper with the pen clenched in one fist. After a moment, he looked up at Rowen, pointing at the paper demandingly. Rowen leaned forward curiously.
"What the hell…" he muttered, blinking in shock at the clearly scrawled words on the page. "Hmm, 'I'm Cye, you idiot.' Why the hell didn't you say something?" Rowen grumped, looking up from his notebook with a sour expression on his face.
For an answer, the tiny Cye tapped his throat, scowling darkly.
"And I suppose that you want me to do something," Rowen said sarcastically, earning himself an irritated nod.
Rowen sighed, summoning a small amount of energy to him as he prodded at the shields around his friend. Making a face, he slashed one of the simpler spells.
"Thank you!" Cye gasped out. "That was getting beyond annoying."
Rowen grinned at him for a second before starting again, poking a second snowy strand, noting wryly that the spells were hidden quite well. In a sudden flurry, Cye's hair grew longer, falling halfway down his tiny back in reddish brown waves while his eyes lightened from sapphire to a light sea blue.
"We're getting there," Rowen murmured to Cye's impatient expression.
"You realize that we're going to have to do something to them for this," Cye hissed angrily.
"Later, Cye, unless you want to go out there looking like that."
Cye shook his head violently, motioning for Rowen to continue working. Rowen immediately began again, wishing he had half Cye's skill in working with things like this. Growling a few words that caused Cye to blink in shock, he slashed at one of the final two spells, watching triumphantly as the weave shattered and his friend suddenly began to expand rapidly, clutching the comforter off of the bed to cover himself.
"One more," Cye muttered, tapping the side of his head.
"Just a minute. You know I'm not very good with stuff like this."
Cye nodded impatiently. Rowen leaned forward, studying the last weave and making a face before shattering the final shimmering strands. An inferno of turquoise flames immediately shot up around his friend, who grinned happily as he began rooting around through Rowen's clothes for something that might fit him.
"I can't believe that it took you that long to figure it out," Cye grumped as he dressed quickly.
"In my defense, I was distracted," Rowen muttered. "I'd like to see you do better under similar circumstances."
"Didn't you even notice that I was missing?"
"I just thought that you had too much sense to join in the torment."
"Gee, thanks."
Finished dressing in clothes that were far too long and baggy for him, Cye jumped up and darted out of the room, motioning for Rowen to follow. Rowen didn't hesitate before trailing his friend, several spells halfway woven and ready to throw. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he almost ran over Mieren on the way out. She grinned happily at him, eyes sparkling.
Took you long enough.
"You realize that you're dead," Rowen grumbled.
Come now. Is that any way to treat your assistant in chaos?
"Whose side are you on?" Cye snapped, seconded by Rowen's scowl.
Whoever's on the offensive.
Rowen looked at Cye for a moment before grinning merrily and nodding. Cye regarded her sourly for a moment, face growing red, before deciding that she had a great imagination and nodding acceptance.
* * *
Sage nursed his bruises, wishing fervently that he wasn't the only one in the room to be able to heal wounds, Mieren having vanished in a fit of laughter. Ryo and Kento were exchanging an occasional blow, arguing over who was to blame for being pounded, occasionally throwing a punch at Dais, who only grinned and kept out of their way. Mia still snickered fitfully, watching as Kento cracked Ryo on the back of his head with an open-palmed slap.
"Having fun, guys?" Cye said sweetly. Too sweetly.
Everyone in the room stiffened instantly, turning slowly to face Cye leaning against the doorframe, Rowen and Mieren standing behind him, all three wearing identical vicious smirks. Mieren walked a pace forward, raising her fist towards the ceiling. Everyone immediately stepped back.
Turquoise cords pinned Kento and Dais to the ground suddenly as sapphire cords circled Sage and held him in check. Ryo looked around at the others, abandoning them to their fates as he tried to dart out of the room, falling to the floor painfully as Mieren careened into him. The two grappled with each other for a moment before Mieren lashed Ryo to the ground with snowy ropes of power.
What should I do with him, Torrent?
"The same thing you did to me," he growled, throwing her a feral smile.
Ryo whimpered and bucked as the world suddenly grew larger, his clothes becoming baggy and enveloping him. Released suddenly, he struggled with his clothes before scrambling out of the room on all fours before they decided to do something further to him. Darting by Cye and Rowen, he scrambled through the door, running face-first into Mia. Mia looked down at him for a moment in shock before she began to laugh uproariously, plucking him off of the floor.
"Ryo, is that you?" she snickered. She hooted at his reluctant nod. "You make such a cute puppy," she called out loudly as she walked back into the living room.
Sage stared in partial horror at the winged puppy that Mia was holding, almost snickering at his friend's plight. Almost. He began to buck furiously when he realized what Mieren was about to do to the rest of them. He paled when she moved over to Kento, shimmering white flames enveloping them both for a moment before holding up a tiny cougar kitten, a grin splitting her face.
Sage whimpered miserably when she moved over to him, milky flames licking her slender form gently. He felt something in him shift, tearing slightly, as the world began to expand. He scrambled to his feet when Mieren stood up, blinking numbly when he found himself reaching her mid-thigh. Looking over himself quickly, he discovered that he was now in the form of a tiny centaur colt, to the infinite amusement of Mia, Cye, and Rowen. He looked up at Dais's furious shout.
"Don't you dare!"
Why not?
"I'll kill you if you even think about turning me in an infant!"
I could turn you into a woman if you prefer.
Dais blanched, trying to squirm away. "Have pity," he whimpered.
And what do I get out of this?
"Anything you want," he wailed.
Pathetic, a grown man sniveling to escape harmless revenge for a practical joke. Ah well, so be it. I'll call upon you for a favor later, and you had better do it. Agreed?
Dais nodded quickly, willing to do anything to evade Cye and Rowen's fury.
"That is NOT fair," Sage snapped in a high soprano, creating a few snickers around the room.
Quit bitching! You got it easy, Ryo snapped, struggling in Mia's grip.
"I just don't see why Cye's so mad. After the scenery he got to see," Sage sighed.
Cye reddened. "Mieren," he called out darkly. "Do something else to Sage."
Sage squeaked and tried to dart out of the room, landing heavily on the floor when a cougar kitten darted beneath him, tangling his legs.
"Kento!"
Hey! You did get it easier than us. I'm only trying to make this fair.
Mieren looked at the two of them carefully for a moment. When did you learn to speak through your minds like that?
Watching Sage while trying to teach him to shapeshift, Ryo growled.
Just now, Kento snapped, trying his hardest to take off a few of Mieren's fingers when she bent down to move him out of her way. She only grinned at him.
"In desperation to talk to Ryo," Sage spat, trying to squirm out of her grasp.
Mieren grinned down at him. Hey Dais.
"Yea?" he asked carefully, inching closer.
Go upstairs and give him a bath, Mieren said, dropping Sage into his arms.
"Is that the favor?" he asked incredulously, eyeing the incredibly furious fifty-pound centaur squirming in his grip.
Not a chance. I just thought that it'd piss him off.
"You're not going to do something else to him?" Cye wailed.
You do something to him. I don't feel too good at the moment.
And you don't deserve to after what you did to us, Kento spat.
Ryo blinked. What do you mean, 'don't feel too good'?
"Don't tell me you're actually worried about her!" Sage cried out as he struggled with Dais, managing to get in a good kick to the man's groin. Dais groaned and nearly dropped him, his eye looking as though it was crossing slightly.
I mean that I cast too many complicated spells and my head is killing me.
"Tough," Sage muttered. His sentiments were immediately seconded by Ryo and Kento, to the great amusement of Cye and Mia. Rowen frowned worriedly.
"You okay?" he asked, looping one arm around Mieren's waist. She nodded slightly, all of the blood draining from her face. Rowen pushed her onto the couch when she began to wobble unsteadily, her face taking on a decidedly greenish tinge.
Mieren's eyes rolled back into her head before she was even properly seated on the couch, slumping limply in Rowen's arms. Dais let out a startled wail followed by a pained grunt just as Ryo let out a mortified shriek. Rowen glanced around, unable to decide whether to laugh at his friends or turn his attention to Mieren.
Kento had expanded to his full size, shifting human immediately as the spell holding him in the form of a cougar dissipated, quietly slipping out of the room with what little shred of dignity remained to him.
Sage had regained his full size at an alarming speed, effectively squashing Dais under his enormous bulk before the second spell wore off, leaving him sitting completely naked in the older man's arms for a moment before darting out of the room after Kento, face aflame.
Ryo had the worst of it, Rowen immediately decided. Both spells having worn off of him at approximately the same time, he hung precariously from Mia's arms, not wearing a stitch of clothing. He squirmed frantically, face redder than his yoroi, as he struggled to get away from Mia, who was laughing hysterically and refusing to put him down as she called for someone to get the camera. Naturally, Cye complied immediately, snapping a few shots of the two of them before Ryo managed to escape.
Rowen turned back to Mieren, amusement forgotten as he studied her pale cheeks. He softly called her name, shaking her gently when she didn't respond. Mia and Cye wandered over to where she lay, eventually joined by Dais once he managed to peel himself off of the floor.
"What's wrong with her?" Dais asked slowly, nursing his bruises.
"I'm not sure. She's never done this before," Rowen whispered, studying her the best he was able with his limited skills. "I don't see anything wrong with her."
Mieren's eyes snapped open suddenly, crimson orbs darting around the room before shifting to a liquid jade. Her mouth tightened.
Who the hell warded this room against magic? she snapped, eyes blazing.
"Warded?" Rowen asked, worry replaced by confusion.
Interesting. None of you have the skill required to do such a thing, she mused, pushing herself off of the couch. Someone else is, or was, here. Call the others.
"No need for that," an amused voice came from behind them.
"Sehkmet!" Dais hissed, calling his subarmor. Rowen and Cye followed suit immediately, Mia darting out of the room to get the others.
Mieren raised herself to her full height, towering above Rowen by almost half of a foot as she straitened her back. That was pathetic, Warlord. An infant can set a better warding than that. Who trained you, a senile drake?
Sehkmet raised his hands and stepped back, banishing his armor to stand only in his subarmor, hoping they wouldn't pulverize him before he could explain. He immediately wished that he had at least kept his helmet when he was greeted by a round of horrified stares.
"What the hell happened to you?" Dais breathed as he took in the man's half-melted flesh and damaged subarmor.
"Torrent's spell was stronger than you can imagine. I only set up the warding hoping to talk to you without you killing me on the spot," he said quickly, still backing away warily.
"What do you want?" Rowen snapped.
"Just to talk to Dais for a minute."
"Why?" Cye growled venomously, not waiting for an explanation. "Turning against the light, an angel falls from the earth. He has been banished by the light of the world…" Sehkmet swallowed and stepped back, eyes bulging.
NOT IN THE HOUSE!!! Mieren shrieked in his mind, cutting him short.
Rowen blinked. "What in the hell were you saying, Cye? I don't even recognize the language."
That was the Exodus spell in my language. I assume that's what he did to the Warlord of Venom during our last battle judging by the way that this idiot is freaking.
"Damn straight," he muttered, watching Cye warily. "That thing melted my armor to me. Hell, my armor just finished repairing itself enough where I could get out of it. I'm going to be stuck in my subarmor for awhile, though."
"Why do you want to talk to Dais?" Rowen growled, sapphire flames appearing around him in a small inferno.
"What in the hell is he doing here?" Sage snapped as he darted into the room in his subarmor, Ryo and Kento following immediately behind him.
"Let me talk to him for a minute," Dais murmured, looking at the others. "Alone, if you don't mind."
I'll stay here. Everyone else will leave, Mieren said firmly, looking around at the others demandingly. Reluctantly, all of the Ronins wandered into the next room, throwing warning glares at Sehkmet as they left.
"Isn't that the girl that's been terrorizing us?" Sehkmet asked slowly.
Dais nodded immediately. "Why?"
"Isn't she still trying to kill you?" Dais shook his head.
"She didn't even really fight me in that last battle. She just talked."
Sehkmet looked at her uncertainly, deciding to get to the point while the Ronins weren't in the room. "You know why I'm here."
Dais nodded slowly. "I know. They sent you to bring me back with more hollow promises, right?" he growled sourly.
Sehkmet flinched, scrubbing one hand through mostly melted hair roughly. He opened his mouth to say more when the girl watching him snagged his head in her hands and began studying him carefully. He gasped as his entire body began to tingle, struggling to pull free of her grasp, astounded by her strength.
Taking a deep breath when she released him, he absently pushed a lock of dark green hair out of his face, freezing before his hand had cleared his ear. Experimentally running his hands through his hair, he realized in shock that his hair was back and that his face hadn't stung when he touched it. Banishing his subarmor, he studied his skin, half expecting it to still be charred. Blinking slowly, he looked up from the pinkish skin covering his hands to the girl regarding him carefully from where she had claimed a seat on the couch.
"Why did you do that?" he mumbled into the still room.
Do you want me to undo it? I just thought it was unnecessarily cruel to see you running around barbecued like that. Torrent shouldn't have been casting that particular spell anyway.
Sehkmet nodded numbly. "I see why you wouldn't want to leave," he murmured.
"Yea. It's kind of nice here, assuming you can get used to the insanity."
I resent that.
"You would, being the source," Dais muttered.
Gee, thanks.
Sehkmet grinned at the interchange between the two, trying to remember the last time they had joked around like that. He sighed. "If you're not coming, I have to be going before someone is sent after me."
You could stay here, Mieren offered, beating Dais to the offer by a heartbeat. She watched the Warlord expectantly as he struggled with himself, obviously loath to leave his friend. She idly wondered how long the two had known each other. Both she and Dais watched, disappointed, as Sehkmet shook his head and stood to leave.
"Why not?"
"I told you, they'll just send someone to bring us back."
If they do, do you not think that seven armored warriors and one demon could take them? Surely you remember how dangerous we are in battle.
Sehkmet paused in rising from the floor. "It would be nice to stay for awhile," he murmured, eyeing the room as though lost.
Best friends, huh? Mieren asked, not really needing to see the answering nods. They shouldn't have sent you to reclaim him then. Exactly how stupid is your leader anyway?
"Very, apparently," Dais said slowly, grin twisting his lips upwards at the corners.
"Talpa isn't going to like this," Sehkmet sighed as he lowered himself to the floor again. "Neither is Hardrock or Torrent."
Talpa? Mieren's horrified thought drifted to them, catching their attentions. Light incinerate my mind and soul, please tell me that you're joking.
Dais blinked in confusion. "Didn't you know that's who ruled the Dynasty?"
No! They didn't tell me! They've talked about fighting the Dynasty before but they never mentioned your leader's name!
"Then how do you know of him?" Sehkmet murmured.
Without giving them an answer, she let out a shrill ululating cry that resounded through the house, bringing all of the Ronins running.
"What the hell is going on?" Rowen demanded, being the first to dash into the living room, the others following immediately behind him.
Why in the hell didn't you tell me that Talpa ruled the Dynasty? Mieren all but shrieked at them.
"We thought you knew," Ryo said slowly.
"What's going on?" Sehkmet asked carefully, trying to ignore the furious glares thrown in his direction.
Listen closely. I think it's time to tell you a few things, Mieren sighed, settling back onto the couch with a haunted expression on her face. First off, I believe that we have a new Warlord taking up residence here.
"He switched sides?" Sage asked incredulously, reaching out with one hand to restrain Kento from slamming the man's skull into the ground. Dais nodded quickly. There was no further conversation as Mieren began speaking softly.
A bit of past for the new people. Over three thousand years ago, there was a war in my home dimension between the sorcerers. In the last battle, two final demons of incredible power were created, the warrior of the Clan of the Starlight and the warrior of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows. They nearly destroyed the dimension in their battle. I am the warrior of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows.
"What!" Sehkmet and Dais cried out at the same time.
Shut up and listen. There's more and it's worse. Talpa is the warrior of the Clan of the Starlight. I blasted him from my dimension into the Dynasty. I understand now that it is he that created the armors. I recognize the energy signatures as those from my dimension. The armor is fascinating. He used all of his energy to create it, so if it is used as a single unit, it will be his match. With the added powers of the Ronins, we are the stronger of the two forces.
"You're over three thousand?" Sehkmet stammered.
Get over it. Here's one for you. Did you know that those critters in the tunnels below the Dynasty are of his making?
Dais nodded numbly, staring at her in a stunned silence.
The control spells he used to keep them in subordination did not work, so he imprisoned them in the dungeons. They broke loose and dug the tunnels. Did you know he's been casting the same control spells on the lot of you?
Sehkmet jumped, eyes wild. "What?"
I guess not. How do you think he got you under control to fight against your home dimension? He never figured out the control spells entirely. The demons in the tunnels won't obey him because their magical energies cancel out the control spells. Recently, Talpa made a mistake by awakening your magical energies, allowing you break free of his controlling spells. Why do you think that all of a sudden, you are all starting to switch sides?
"My God," Dais breathed, paling further by the second.
"What about Cale and Kayura?" Sehkmet asked, voice barely above a whisper.
The spells holding them will unravel as they continue to use their new energies. It shouldn't take them too long to break free. You know, I have an even better one for you guys. Would you like to hear it?
"I'm not sure we want to know," Ryo wailed, sinking to the floor.
"I'm afraid to ask, but what?" Sage said in a slightly frantic voice.
Well, I should make sure I'm right about this first. Your last names are Mouri, Hashiba, Date, Sanada, and Fung. Yes?
"How in the hell did you know that?" Sage cried out.
"You can't even get out first names right!" Ryo seconded.
"And we've never even told you our last names!" Cye chimed in.
I thought so. Hey, Halo. Remember when I told you that you looked familiar? Mieren paused as she waited for his answering nod. You also remember when I told you that the sorcerers of the Clan of the Midnight Shadows accused me of not killing all of the sorcerers of the Starlight Clan, right?
Sage blanched. "I don't want to hear this," he breathed, stepping back.
Tough, you need to know. Approximately a dozen of the sorcerers of the Starlight Clan survived my furious raid that one night. I was never able to find all of them. The five strongest of the sorcerers that escaped were Mouri, Hashiba, Date, Sanada, and Fung. Well, that's what they eventually changed their names to anyway. They were originally Masayuki, Nagateru, Hideaki, Hiroshi, and Ikuto. Mouri was the most skilled sorcerer I have ever encountered, the damn elf spending every waking hour practicing the arts. Hashiba was the strongest sorcerer in the dimension, but he had no idea what the hell he was doing. Date was the healer of the group and a brilliant tactician. Fung was unmatched when it came to spells of strength. Sanada was dangerous from his unrivaled temper alone, not to mention his unnerving fighting abilities both physically and magically. I was never able to find out where they went, until now that is. Some of the similarities and matches in appearance, skills, and temperament to your own are astonishing.
"My God," Rowen whispered, eyes threatening to roll out of their sockets.
"An elf?" Cye cried out, running over what Rowen had been about to say.
Yes, an elf. The only elfin sorcerer in existence at the time, to my knowledge. You look much like him, although you are a bit taller. You seem to have inherited the slender frame and delicate features. Do you have any idea how long you'll live with just a little elfin blood running in your veins? Probably a good two centuries.
Cye paled considerably, Kento gripping his shoulder reassuringly when the younger boy began to tremble slightly. Only Mieren noticed when he began fingering one of his ears gingerly.
Hadn't you ever wondered why your armors chose you? Didn't you wonder why you were able to use your armor after having learned that they were from my dimension? How those idiots Torrent and Rowen knew spells in my native tongue, and appeared to understand them no less? This is why they could control those energies in the first place. Your sorcerer heritage is what allows you to use your armor. This heritage is the reason that your armor protects you from harm, activating your innate abilities whenever the need arises.
"How long have you known all of this?" Kento asked softly.
Quite a while. I only figured out where Talpa fit in just now. I never imagined that he would be using his original name after all of these years. I knew he was in the Dynasty, but I had no idea that he ruled there.
"Tell me she's joking," Dais whimpered when he noticed that Sehkmet looked as though he were about to faint.
"I don't think so," Rowen said softly, wilting to the floor.
Warlord of Venom, I have a favor to ask you.
Sehkmet swallowed nervously, eyes growing wider. He nodded quickly.
Take Dais back with you. I want the two of you to bring your friends here.
"Why are you dragging me into this?" Dais wailed.
A few minutes ago, you promised to do any favor I asked without question. I ask you now to follow through with that promise. We need as little opposition as is possible.
"One last question," Sehkmet mumbled. "You compared me to a senile drake. What is a that?" Mieren snorted at the unexpected question.
A drake? A dragon-like critter and one of the worst magic handlers in any dimension I've ever seen. When they start casting, it's best to run. No telling what'll be blown up. Not the nicest thing in the dimension to be compared to.
Sehkmet nodded and backed away slowly, eyes glazed. Deep forest green flames surrounded him for a moment before he vanished. Dais followed him hesitantly, disappearing in a swirl of violet fire.
Mieren sighed and curled into a fetal position, eyes welling with tears. She snapped herself out of her desperation immediately, rising smoothly to her feet and rounding on the stunned Ronins watching her.
We have little time, Ronins. We must train.
Unsurprisingly, for the first time ever, no one objected to training with her.
* * *
Dais followed Sehkmet through the halls of the Dynasty, trying his best to maintain a chastised expression. Shortly after arriving they had decided that it would be easiest to talk to Cale first, Sehkmet in his full armor and Dais in his subarmor. They had both agreed that it would be suicidal for Dais to run around the Dynasty fully armed and that they didn't want anyone to see that Sehkmet had been healed just yet. Sehkmet believed that if all three of them approached Kayura, it would be easier to get her to come with them.
"So the traitor has returned," Cale snarled, stepping out in front of them and fingering his no-dachi meaningfully.
Sehkmet looked back to Dais, who closed his one eye and nodded slightly. They hadn't expected Cale to greet them with open arms and had come up with several courses of action to deal with any situation that might come up.
"I want to show you something," Sehkmet said, trying to keep his voice cold as he spun on his heels to find a place where they could speak somewhat privately. Cale growled out something that might have been an acknowledgement before following them with the hilt of his no-dachi gripped tightly in one hand.
Stepping into his room, Sehkmet sighed and motioned for Cale and Dais to sit down. Dais sank down onto the bed immediately, watching Cale warily out of the corner of his eye as the man made a face and opted to remain standing. Deciding that it was best to begin bluntly, Sehkmet banished his armor and subarmor to stand wearing nothing but an old kimono.
"But I thought you were…" Cale trailed off.
"Fried? Melted to my armor?" Sehkmet asked softly, sinking onto the bed beside Dais and scrubbing one have through his dark green hair. When Cale nodded numbly, he continued. "I was when I left to get Dais."
"Then what happened?" he hissed suspiciously.
"You know that girl that's been pulverizing us?" Cale nodded slowly. "She said that it was unnecessarily cruel to leave me fried like that. She fixed my armor and myself all in one stroke."
"Why were you talking to her?" Cale snapped, stepping back and fingering his no-dachi.
"Dais was at the Ronins' household. When trying to talk to him, I ran into the girl and the Ronins. When they found out I only wanted to talk to him, they all left me alone. The girl stayed in the room with us. She healed me without asking when she saw how badly I was hurt from that spell that Torrent cast."
Cale blinked, trying to absorb everything that the other man was telling him, sinking into one of the chairs in the room slowly. "Why are you telling me this?"
"You asked."
He made a face. "You know what I mean."
Dais decided to join in at that moment. "I didn't want to come back. I liked it there," he said softly, waiting for it to sink in.
Cale jumped to his feet and leveled his no-dachi with the other two men in the room, realizing suddenly what they were asking. He didn't get a chance to say anything as the others continued.
"You know the spells that Talpa tried to use to control the demons in the tunnels?" Sehkmet began, waiting for recognition to dawn in his friend's eyes. "He's been casting the same spells on the four of us, to keep us under his control."
Cale shook his head forcefully. "The spells don't work!"
"They don't work on beings with magical abilities," Dais said firmly, catching Cale's gaze resolutely in his own. "The abilities that we've been given are dissolving the spells holding us."
Cale's shoulders thumped into the wall. He blinked slowly. He hadn't even been aware that he had been backing away from the others.
"What has Talpa ever done besides ordering us around and punishing us?" Sehkmet continued, watching the indecision appear slowly on his friend's face.
"And what have the Ronins and that wretched girl ever done?" he countered weakly, voice beginning to tremble as he realized the truth behind their words.
"The Ronins didn't fight me when they saw I just wanted to talk, and the girl granted me the privacy to do so. She healed me without asking when she saw I was hurt, only because she thought it was cruel to let someone run around fried like that."
"They took me in. The girl even protected me in the last battle until the others understood that I wasn't fighting back," Dais added, his one eye closing slowly. "They reminded me what it was to have a sense of humor and friends to force it upon you."
"Tell me," Sehkmet continued before Cale could open his mouth to say anything. "When was the last time you were truly happy?"
Cale sighed and sheathed his no-dachi, eyes troubled. "You guys don't fight fair," he muttered, staring intently at the floor. "Now what?"
"Now we find Kayura," Dais said as he rose slowly from the bed. Sehkmet scrubbed his hands through his hair one last time before he called his armor, praying that they would have at least half as easy a time forcing reason upon Kayura.
* * *
Kayura sat in her room, carefully mixing vials of various liquids, grinning viciously at the thick goop in one of the vials as she thought of the extraordinary explosion that would result when the slender glass tube was broken.
"Kayura? Can I come in?"
Kayura scowled darkly. "I already told you Sehkmet, you'll live. You're not getting one of my healing potions."
"I don't want one. We just want to talk to you for a minute."
Kayura blinked. "We?"
"Myself and Cale."
Kayura growled deep in her throat, setting down the batch of the goop that she had just started to transfer carefully into the delicate glass vials. Opening the door, she glared angrily at the two Warlords standing in the hall. Cale immediately pushed past her into the room, Sehkmet following more slowly.
"I didn't say you could come in," she hissed, trying to push them out into the hall.
"You didn't say we couldn't," Dais murmured as he slipped past her while she was struggling with the others.
"I thought you switched sides," Kayura snarled. Dais shrugged, seating himself comfortably on the bed.
"Yea, well…"
"Why the hell haven't you two killed him?" she yelled angrily, calling her Starlight Swords to her hands.
"Well, as to that," Sehkmet murmured, banishing his armor to display his newly healed skin, brandishing it before Kayura's stunned eyes. "The girl is kind of nice if you aren't trying to kill her."
"You too?" she hissed, backing away from him. "Cale?"
Cale shrugged slightly. "The spell Talpa was using to control me finally shattered when they pointed it out."
Kayura blinked. "Spell?"
"Long story," Dais murmured, grinning at her ruefully. "He's had spells on us since the beginning, but they're breaking because of our new magical abilities."
"How can you be sure?" she growled, moving away from all of them to push herself into the corner of the room defensively.
Dais called forward a gentle flickering swirl of violet flames to one hand and reached out towards her slowly. "I can show you if you'd like."
Kayura's expression turned murderous, but she didn't say anything. Taking that as an acceptance, Dais moved forward and placed one hand on the side of her head, watching her swords warily. Kayura whimpered in pain as he pulled his hand back slowly, something in her head tearing slightly. She rolled her eyes slightly to view the opaque black threads that were stretched tightly in Dais's hand, eyes bulging as she realized what those strands had to be.
She opened her mouth to tell him to cut the threads, whimpering instead when a crippling pain shot through her skull followed by a blind fury. Lashing out with one sword, she grinned viciously as she felt the blade slice cleanly through armor. Dais cried out loudly, falling back and clutching his stomach. Chaos ensued.
Dark blackish flames shot around Kayura as she jumped towards the other two Warlords, Cale barely getting his no-dachi up in time to block her. Deep indigo flames rose around him as he continued to parry her furious slashes, Sehkmet joining in the fray quickly in a flash of deep forest green flames, swords flashing in untraceable maneuvers as he knocked aside her blows. As one, green and blue flames lashed out, pinning Kayura to the wall for a moment before her answering slashed of black energy freed her.
Dais squinted at her from the floor, struggling to recall the spells that the demonic girl had been throwing around. Violet flames surrounded him for a moment as he lashed out, slamming a shield around Kayura's mind.
"Pin her! She can't fight back!" Dais cried out.
Cale and Sehkmet didn't question him, forming cords of energy around her desperately, slumping to the floor in relief when she stayed bound where they had placed her. Sehkmet moved over to Dais quickly, grimacing at the deep slash in the other man's midsection. He didn't waste any time in closing the trench.
"Sorry, but it's going to leave a scar," he mumbled.
"Like I don't have enough of those already," Dais grumbled good-naturedly.
"Do either of you know how to unravel spells?" Cale called out as he prodded at Kayura with indigo flames, gagging her when she began to scream obscenities at him.
"I think so," Dais murmured, struggling to his feet weakly and swaying slightly. Sehkmet immediately steadied him and helped him over to Kayura. Violet flames surged around him for a moment as he snagged the black cords with his mind, grinning when he was able to snap them with surprising ease. Kayura ceased bucking and looked up at him in consternation for a moment before relaxing patiently.
Cale and Sehkmet released the cords holding her, moving back warily lest she try to jump them again. Dais didn't bother to move, grinning at her from his newly acquired seat on her bed.
"So now what?" Kayura asked slowly.
To Be Continued…
Sorry. Evilness of midterms attacked me and caused the delay. I'm back now, for a bit. R&R.