Chapter 6
"You're sick," Rowen was saying to Sage who was shaking his head and insisting that he wasn't, "You're sick," Rowen repeated.
"I'm not, it's just something I ate," Sage was saying in a weak voice as he moved the trash can from his face.
"Something Cye cooked could not make anyone sick.."
"Maybe I'm allergic to something," Sage was tying up the disgusting trashbag and heading out in the hall to the bathroom to rinse out his mouth. Rowen followed him, "You've eaten it before and didn't puke."
"Maybe he added a different spice," Sage said filling the sink with water.
Rowen looked at Sage doubtfully, "I think you should face it buddy, you are sick." Rowen tried to lay his hand on Sage's forehead, but Sage shrank away, "Leave me alone Rowen, and I'm not sick. And I don't need you going and telling the others what you think!"
"Sage, why are you being so stubborn about this? You're going to make yourself worse if you go on like this!" Rowen followed Sage out of the bathroom. Sage walked quickly with his head down running into Kento. Sage rebounded off Kento back into Rowen grabbed Sage by the shoulder and Sage struggled to shake him off.
"What the hell is going on?" Kento eyed the two roomates.
"Nothing," Sage snapped glaring at Rowen and breaking away. He went back to their room and slammed the door.
"Well?" Kento looked at Rowen expectantly.
"He's sick," Rowen said flatly, then he went into the room to and closed the door.
"If they're the mature ones then I'd sure hate to know what the others think about me," Kento snorted.
Rowen sat crossed legged on his bed reading his biology text, every now and again he would glance over at his roomate who was doing homework of his own. "Sage, you can take the extra blanket folded up on the foot of my bed if you're cold." He hated watching him shiver like that.
He saw Sage's face twitch, "Thanks..." Rowen waited a few minutes, "Sage, look I'm sorry if I was a little pushy before, but you're my best friend and I worry about ya."
Sage nodded, "It's ok Rowen. I shouldn't have gotten so mad either..." He stood slowly and made his way over to Rowen's bed and sat down beside him, "I...I think I'm running a fever. Can you tell?"
Rowen put down his book and pressed his hand to his friend's forehead, right when Ryo was cracking open the door, "Hey guys... Mia has some stuff for us to look over... What's wrong with Sage?" Ryo frowned and came further into the room.
"You are burning up," Rowen told Sage touching his cheeks and confirming the heat, "He's running a fever."
"Oh man, of all the times!"
Rowen's eyes blazed with heat, "Well geez Ryo, he's sorry his illness is interfering with your plans."
"No, I mean... We have a new enemy...." Ryo said approaching the bed and touching Sage's face as well, "Damn... you do feel pretty warm."
Sage let his head droop forward, "Great...I haven't been sick since I was a little kid!"
Rowen chuckled at him, "Come on," he cast a glare at Ryo, "Fearless Leader needs us downstairs."
Ryo's mouth dropped open, ok, he guessed he deserved that. He walked behind Rowen and Sage as they left their room and headed for the stairs.
"Ok, according to my research, the familiar that you saw was not of a witch...It was also not of this world," Mia said sitting before the five Ronnin Warriors, "There seems to be a lot of research done in the area of the paranormal dealing with the category of Witches. It appears that there haven't been any natural born witches in our world for a long time now, the ones we have are visitors from other realms... not like the Nether Realm, more like alternate dimensions, or worlds that lie parallel to our own. There are 7 not including our own and the Nether Realm, according to Norse Mythology. Um, Vanaheim, which is the world of primal water and plenty. Alfhiem, world of light and air, Jotunheim, the world of primal storms, Muspelheim, the world of primal fire, Hel, which is the underworld, Svartalhiem, the subterranean world, and Niflhiem, land of ice and shadows. Well most witches dwell on Alfiem with the light elves and other benevolent spirits and elemetals, and then there are the ones that come from Niflhiem. There are two breeds of Witches that originate there, Witch and Warlock, or Darkling. The Witches are primarily good in nature, and can live among humans without problems if they so choose, and most do, because being from Niflhiem they are usually shunned from the other 7 worlds. Witches from Niflhiem are generally good, but there is a darkness about them that can errupt at anytime, a ruthlessness, in anger, in sadness... Now the Warlocks or Darklings, are evil. Their evil is not by choice, their primary purpose for being created, is to wipe out the Witches, all of them. They want the Witches gone so that they may rule their dimension and have no interruptions or interference in the attempts to cloud all of the worlds. Being from the same world the Witches and Darklings can match power so the Witches are the Darklings' most dangerous rivals."
"Well the Darklings have an advantage over the Witches being that they are evil and utterly ruthless, so they have succeeded in killing a lot of Witches, in fact, the Witch number is very dwindling, and with the appearance of that familiar you say you saw... it was a Darkling's familiar, it can be identified by its disfigured appearance... I believe that the last of the Witches are here in hiding, and the Darklings have tracked them down and are seeking them out."
"So are they of any concern of ours? It seems like their task is just to annihilate the Witches... The only reason they attacked us is because we got in the way," Kento shrugged, "So our vacation isn't over."
"Kento, I don't care if they're not from our dimension, any innocent bloodshed is our fight!" Cye was arguing, "Why should they die for a stupid territorial reason... and in case you weren't listening Kento. These Warlocks are taking these Witches out because they seem to be the only ones who can stop them from conquering other worlds.. Including ours! It sounds like our fight to me."
"But if they are only a few left what can they do to stand against them?"
"Well if these Warlocks, Darklings, or whatever are so dead bent on getting the last of the Witches than it is very obvious that there must be something these Witches can still do against them in their sparse numbers," Rowen said, "Maybe they're trying to repopulate or something?"
Kento snorted, "Well if the Witches are the only ones who can do something against these Darklings, even in their 'sparse numbers,' what makes you think we can help oh genius?"
"I don't know Kento, maybe we can delay them or something!" Rowen said beginning to sound annoyed with Kento's attitude.
"Or maybe... may we could find the Witches before they do," Sage spoke up for the first time. He sat on the couch beside Rowen looking patient and serene.
Ryo blinked, "That's an idea. We can tell the Witches they're on to them and maybe help them do whatever they need to, to get rid of the Darklings."
"Hey, if it's repopulation..."
"Kento!"
"What, I was just saying if they're cute I'll gladly help out," Kento said with a smile, hoping to amuse the others and improve their sour attitudes with him, "But seriously, what if these Darklings have no intention of harming us, and our interference changes their minds and they start messin' up our stuff!"
"Kento that's selfish," Cye started.
"It is not! If they have no intent of destroying and taking over our world, then why give them one!" Kento said folding his arms over his chest.
"Ken.."
"He's got a good point," Ryo said rubbing his chin, "We have to think about our world Cye."
"Ryo...!" Cye sat back looking anguished, "These are lives..."
"The lives of 5 or 6.. Compared to the lives of billions Cye," Ryo said with a sigh, "I know it sounds bad, but Cye, we have to think statistics and about our own safety."
"It..."
"It is about our own safety Ryo..." Sage said in a small voice, "These things are bad, and what makes you think that they're just going to pass on through after their done with the Witches? Their darkness is great, and they'll destroy everything it touches." His eyes had fixed themselves beyond them, to the window at the dark swirling clouds outside.
Ryo glanced at him, and frowned, "How do you know?"
Sage blinked and looked back at Ryo, snapping out of his daze, "I feel it now. I've been feeling it all week, but I...never really noticed it, until now." He looked sheepish.
Ryo groaned, "I knew it!"
"Knew what?" Kento was confused.
"Sylvia again?" Rowen questioned, "Damn Sage, she has you so whipped she clogs your senses too? Damn, I need a woman." Rowen slouched back on the couch, "Sylvia got friends, sisters, cousins?"
Sage raised an eyebrow, "I don't think she does..."
"Guys! Serious discussion going on here!" Ryo snapped them back to attention, "Sage, you're gonna hate me, but no more Sylvia."
"Come again?" Sage looked at Ryo, his grey eyes swirling with his pent in rage.
"I tried to be nice about it... but you're no good to us while you're with her, and until this thing is over, you can't see her," Ryo said, he sounded apologetic, but he had to think of the group first. Sage this distracted could get them all hurt or killed...and also kept valuable information from them.
"Just who the hell do you think you are? Who died and maid you my monarch?! You can't tell me what to do, and when to be involved with someone! You've lost your mind!"
"No, you've lost yours!" Ryo countered, "I'm trying to help you reclaim it! You're a certified air-head as long as she's in your life! Air-heads can get themselves hurt, and get others killed. You're a Ronnin Warrior Sage, we talked about this. You told me that you know that this is your calling, and that your duty as a Warrior comes before anything else. It is your destiny."
Sage rose to be face to face with Ryo, "I said that Ryo... I know what I'm supposed to do. I know where my priorities should be... But dammit Ryo I need a life! I've heard the whispers, I've seen the way you all look at me sometimes, like I'm cold, heartless... You think I don't care about anyone. You think I'm here and friends with you because I have to be. You think the armors are the only thing that holds us together," he looked to Mia, and she shivered. How in the hell did he know?
"Well I'm not! I'm not good at showing it, but I'm not a heartless son-of-a-bitch so quit thinking it about me!" Sage's chest heaved in and out and his face was red, he looked at all the shocked faces in the room.
"Sage..." Rowen was beginning, reaching out to calm his friend, Sage pulled back, "You know, I never thought that."
"You didn't.. But they did, they all did," Sage was shaking his head, "I...I can't take this anymore. I'm going home! I'm packing up my stuff and I'm freakin' going home!"
"You can't do that! I know you're upset with us, with me, but this is our world we're talking about! You're acting like a child!" Ryo was shouting grabbing Sage by the arms and restraining him from moving any further toward the stairs.
"So you want me to be the heartless cold bastard again?" Sage asked in a quieter voice, only quieter in volume, but not in fury, "You only seem to like him when it's battle time, eh Ryo? I'm who you depend on to be the one with the level head and straight forward manner. I'd take down my own mother to get to the enemy. That's how you view me, or did view me."
"Sage..." Ryo's voice was pleading as he struggled to hold him.
No one refuted any statement he had made except Rowen, meaning it was all true. He had known, he could feel it, but he never let it get to him. In fact, it fueled him to be even more distant sometimes... but he couldn't stand it any longer. He couldn't help it if he was brought up in a dojo and that was the way he was instructed to behave himself. His own mother hated that he was so serious at times, but she knew his heart. She knew he wasn't cold or heartless. She knew his sense of humor, his insecurities...
"Ok, ok buddy, calm down," Kento was helping Ryo restrain him now. Together they were able to pressure him back into a chair, "I don't know how you knew all that stuff. I guess it's that sixth sense of yours, but I'm sorry. I just thought you were a little high strung, Sage, honest. And I was a little jealous of the female favoritism thing.... but I never ever thought ill off you. I love you, and all of the guys. I feel a bond with you all, and it's not just the armors. We've fought side by side and trusted one another with our lives. That builds brother-ship, and that's a bond that can never be broken. I was never as close to you or Rowen as am with Cye or Ryo. You two are simply different from me and we don't have much in common, and that's not bad at all, I respect you for it." Kento never felt as guilty as he did looking into those watery grey eyes, "I'm sorry Sage, I never thought... I never meant to hurt your feelings."
"Your aloofness has always managed to stun me Sage, sometimes you acted as if you didn't want our company. Maybe, we bothered you, or something. You always seemed preoccupied in meditation, or thinking..." Cye began, "But you know that I care for you, and I would never think that horribly about anyone that I care about. Yes Sage, I did think you're cool and impersonal. That maybe you would put a fight before anything, but you never gave me reason to think otherwise, until I see you with Sylvia. I always knew you were a dreamer Sage, I've seen it in you, and I see it even more now. I know my sense isn't as strong as yours and never will be, but I know. And you should never doubt our friendship. Kento's right, we've been to hell and back together, it's hard to break a bound like that, and I never want to attempt to break it either."
"Sage.." Ryo was trying to get Sage to look at him, to take his hands away from his face, "I'm sorry. I'm a leader, and leaders tend to put strategy first. I have to size you up as a Warrior, and your attitude for battle is the best thing we have sometimes. You remind us that there's a greater good and help us to keep trying. You'll stop at nothing, and for no one sometimes, until the enemy is eliminated. You have a true warrior instinct inside of you, and you're a valuable player on this team as is everyone else. So when I think of you in that way, I'm thinking of you as a warrior... I've... kind of assimilated that warrior image on you when you're just Sage again, not the Ronnin Warrior of Light. I guess I expected you to be that way all the time Sage... and you do act as if it is. Seeing you suddenly behaving so differently is going to take some getting used to. And I will get used to it, but Sage. You gotta pull yourself together man. I know you're going through a rough patch right now... but there's another battle to be fought, and we need you. We need you at 100%, and we can't have that when your mind's constantly on Sylvia. Something's going to have to change Sage."
"I won't stop seeing her," Sage said in a clipped voice. His head was down, his blond hair shone, "But..."
Ryo looked at him, "But?"
"I'll get focused. I'll stop daydreaming," Sage sat up slowly wiping his eyes and looking at Ryo with a shrug, "I'll be 100%."
"Sage.."
"I'll do it ok," Sage said firmly, he looked pale and serious.
Ryo stared at him long and hard before finally saying, "Ok. I trust you Sage."
"Thank you," Sage said, his gaze fixed out the window again and he said nothing else.
"So..." Rowen decided to presume the previous discussion and take the spotlight off of Sage, "How would we go about finding the Witches?"
Mia almost jerked when she realized the question was directed at her, "Um... well.... I don't know. The Witches cover their tracks well... they've survived this long without the Darklings finding all of them, so they must be good at hiding."
"But the Darklings still found them, so that means there must be a way to trace them," Cye pressed.
Mia sighed, "I guess this means back to the library for me, huh guys?"
"Yup," Kento said with a chuckle, "Send us a rope when ya get back."
Mia smiled, "Funny..." she sighed as ran a hand through her hair.
"Does anyone want a snack?" Cye was standing up and heading for the kitchen, "I was about to pop some brownies in the oven.."
"Brownies?" Kento was up in a second, "You need some help with that, huh Cye?"
"No, Kento, I DO NOT need you eating all the brownie batter out of the pan before I can put it in the oven," Cye said with a roll of his eyes. He disappeared into the kitchen.
Kento stuck his tongue out at him, "Mature, Kento," Cye commented from the kitchen door.
"Are you ok?" Rowen was asking Sage as Kento, grumbling to himself, took a seat on the couch beside Rowen. Sage nodded slightly. He was sitting in the same chair Kento and Ryo had put him in with his knees drawn up to his chest and his head resting on them.
"You still mad?" Kento questioned, leaning over Rowen to nudge Sage with his hand. Sage groaned and made no response.
"He's sick," Rowen supplied to Kento.
Kento frowned, "Didn't you tell me that earlier?"
"You're sick," Rowen was saying to Sage who was shaking his head and insisting that he wasn't, "You're sick," Rowen repeated.
"I'm not, it's just something I ate," Sage was saying in a weak voice as he moved the trash can from his face.
"Something Cye cooked could not make anyone sick.."
"Maybe I'm allergic to something," Sage was tying up the disgusting trashbag and heading out in the hall to the bathroom to rinse out his mouth. Rowen followed him, "You've eaten it before and didn't puke."
"Maybe he added a different spice," Sage said filling the sink with water.
Rowen looked at Sage doubtfully, "I think you should face it buddy, you are sick." Rowen tried to lay his hand on Sage's forehead, but Sage shrank away, "Leave me alone Rowen, and I'm not sick. And I don't need you going and telling the others what you think!"
"Sage, why are you being so stubborn about this? You're going to make yourself worse if you go on like this!" Rowen followed Sage out of the bathroom. Sage walked quickly with his head down running into Kento. Sage rebounded off Kento back into Rowen grabbed Sage by the shoulder and Sage struggled to shake him off.
"What the hell is going on?" Kento eyed the two roomates.
"Nothing," Sage snapped glaring at Rowen and breaking away. He went back to their room and slammed the door.
"Well?" Kento looked at Rowen expectantly.
"He's sick," Rowen said flatly, then he went into the room to and closed the door.
"If they're the mature ones then I'd sure hate to know what the others think about me," Kento snorted.
Rowen sat crossed legged on his bed reading his biology text, every now and again he would glance over at his roomate who was doing homework of his own. "Sage, you can take the extra blanket folded up on the foot of my bed if you're cold." He hated watching him shiver like that.
He saw Sage's face twitch, "Thanks..." Rowen waited a few minutes, "Sage, look I'm sorry if I was a little pushy before, but you're my best friend and I worry about ya."
Sage nodded, "It's ok Rowen. I shouldn't have gotten so mad either..." He stood slowly and made his way over to Rowen's bed and sat down beside him, "I...I think I'm running a fever. Can you tell?"
Rowen put down his book and pressed his hand to his friend's forehead, right when Ryo was cracking open the door, "Hey guys... Mia has some stuff for us to look over... What's wrong with Sage?" Ryo frowned and came further into the room.
"You are burning up," Rowen told Sage touching his cheeks and confirming the heat, "He's running a fever."
"Oh man, of all the times!"
Rowen's eyes blazed with heat, "Well geez Ryo, he's sorry his illness is interfering with your plans."
"No, I mean... We have a new enemy...." Ryo said approaching the bed and touching Sage's face as well, "Damn... you do feel pretty warm."
Sage let his head droop forward, "Great...I haven't been sick since I was a little kid!"
Rowen chuckled at him, "Come on," he cast a glare at Ryo, "Fearless Leader needs us downstairs."
Ryo's mouth dropped open, ok, he guessed he deserved that. He walked behind Rowen and Sage as they left their room and headed for the stairs.
"Ok, according to my research, the familiar that you saw was not of a witch...It was also not of this world," Mia said sitting before the five Ronnin Warriors, "There seems to be a lot of research done in the area of the paranormal dealing with the category of Witches. It appears that there haven't been any natural born witches in our world for a long time now, the ones we have are visitors from other realms... not like the Nether Realm, more like alternate dimensions, or worlds that lie parallel to our own. There are 7 not including our own and the Nether Realm, according to Norse Mythology. Um, Vanaheim, which is the world of primal water and plenty. Alfhiem, world of light and air, Jotunheim, the world of primal storms, Muspelheim, the world of primal fire, Hel, which is the underworld, Svartalhiem, the subterranean world, and Niflhiem, land of ice and shadows. Well most witches dwell on Alfiem with the light elves and other benevolent spirits and elemetals, and then there are the ones that come from Niflhiem. There are two breeds of Witches that originate there, Witch and Warlock, or Darkling. The Witches are primarily good in nature, and can live among humans without problems if they so choose, and most do, because being from Niflhiem they are usually shunned from the other 7 worlds. Witches from Niflhiem are generally good, but there is a darkness about them that can errupt at anytime, a ruthlessness, in anger, in sadness... Now the Warlocks or Darklings, are evil. Their evil is not by choice, their primary purpose for being created, is to wipe out the Witches, all of them. They want the Witches gone so that they may rule their dimension and have no interruptions or interference in the attempts to cloud all of the worlds. Being from the same world the Witches and Darklings can match power so the Witches are the Darklings' most dangerous rivals."
"Well the Darklings have an advantage over the Witches being that they are evil and utterly ruthless, so they have succeeded in killing a lot of Witches, in fact, the Witch number is very dwindling, and with the appearance of that familiar you say you saw... it was a Darkling's familiar, it can be identified by its disfigured appearance... I believe that the last of the Witches are here in hiding, and the Darklings have tracked them down and are seeking them out."
"So are they of any concern of ours? It seems like their task is just to annihilate the Witches... The only reason they attacked us is because we got in the way," Kento shrugged, "So our vacation isn't over."
"Kento, I don't care if they're not from our dimension, any innocent bloodshed is our fight!" Cye was arguing, "Why should they die for a stupid territorial reason... and in case you weren't listening Kento. These Warlocks are taking these Witches out because they seem to be the only ones who can stop them from conquering other worlds.. Including ours! It sounds like our fight to me."
"But if they are only a few left what can they do to stand against them?"
"Well if these Warlocks, Darklings, or whatever are so dead bent on getting the last of the Witches than it is very obvious that there must be something these Witches can still do against them in their sparse numbers," Rowen said, "Maybe they're trying to repopulate or something?"
Kento snorted, "Well if the Witches are the only ones who can do something against these Darklings, even in their 'sparse numbers,' what makes you think we can help oh genius?"
"I don't know Kento, maybe we can delay them or something!" Rowen said beginning to sound annoyed with Kento's attitude.
"Or maybe... may we could find the Witches before they do," Sage spoke up for the first time. He sat on the couch beside Rowen looking patient and serene.
Ryo blinked, "That's an idea. We can tell the Witches they're on to them and maybe help them do whatever they need to, to get rid of the Darklings."
"Hey, if it's repopulation..."
"Kento!"
"What, I was just saying if they're cute I'll gladly help out," Kento said with a smile, hoping to amuse the others and improve their sour attitudes with him, "But seriously, what if these Darklings have no intention of harming us, and our interference changes their minds and they start messin' up our stuff!"
"Kento that's selfish," Cye started.
"It is not! If they have no intent of destroying and taking over our world, then why give them one!" Kento said folding his arms over his chest.
"Ken.."
"He's got a good point," Ryo said rubbing his chin, "We have to think about our world Cye."
"Ryo...!" Cye sat back looking anguished, "These are lives..."
"The lives of 5 or 6.. Compared to the lives of billions Cye," Ryo said with a sigh, "I know it sounds bad, but Cye, we have to think statistics and about our own safety."
"It..."
"It is about our own safety Ryo..." Sage said in a small voice, "These things are bad, and what makes you think that they're just going to pass on through after their done with the Witches? Their darkness is great, and they'll destroy everything it touches." His eyes had fixed themselves beyond them, to the window at the dark swirling clouds outside.
Ryo glanced at him, and frowned, "How do you know?"
Sage blinked and looked back at Ryo, snapping out of his daze, "I feel it now. I've been feeling it all week, but I...never really noticed it, until now." He looked sheepish.
Ryo groaned, "I knew it!"
"Knew what?" Kento was confused.
"Sylvia again?" Rowen questioned, "Damn Sage, she has you so whipped she clogs your senses too? Damn, I need a woman." Rowen slouched back on the couch, "Sylvia got friends, sisters, cousins?"
Sage raised an eyebrow, "I don't think she does..."
"Guys! Serious discussion going on here!" Ryo snapped them back to attention, "Sage, you're gonna hate me, but no more Sylvia."
"Come again?" Sage looked at Ryo, his grey eyes swirling with his pent in rage.
"I tried to be nice about it... but you're no good to us while you're with her, and until this thing is over, you can't see her," Ryo said, he sounded apologetic, but he had to think of the group first. Sage this distracted could get them all hurt or killed...and also kept valuable information from them.
"Just who the hell do you think you are? Who died and maid you my monarch?! You can't tell me what to do, and when to be involved with someone! You've lost your mind!"
"No, you've lost yours!" Ryo countered, "I'm trying to help you reclaim it! You're a certified air-head as long as she's in your life! Air-heads can get themselves hurt, and get others killed. You're a Ronnin Warrior Sage, we talked about this. You told me that you know that this is your calling, and that your duty as a Warrior comes before anything else. It is your destiny."
Sage rose to be face to face with Ryo, "I said that Ryo... I know what I'm supposed to do. I know where my priorities should be... But dammit Ryo I need a life! I've heard the whispers, I've seen the way you all look at me sometimes, like I'm cold, heartless... You think I don't care about anyone. You think I'm here and friends with you because I have to be. You think the armors are the only thing that holds us together," he looked to Mia, and she shivered. How in the hell did he know?
"Well I'm not! I'm not good at showing it, but I'm not a heartless son-of-a-bitch so quit thinking it about me!" Sage's chest heaved in and out and his face was red, he looked at all the shocked faces in the room.
"Sage..." Rowen was beginning, reaching out to calm his friend, Sage pulled back, "You know, I never thought that."
"You didn't.. But they did, they all did," Sage was shaking his head, "I...I can't take this anymore. I'm going home! I'm packing up my stuff and I'm freakin' going home!"
"You can't do that! I know you're upset with us, with me, but this is our world we're talking about! You're acting like a child!" Ryo was shouting grabbing Sage by the arms and restraining him from moving any further toward the stairs.
"So you want me to be the heartless cold bastard again?" Sage asked in a quieter voice, only quieter in volume, but not in fury, "You only seem to like him when it's battle time, eh Ryo? I'm who you depend on to be the one with the level head and straight forward manner. I'd take down my own mother to get to the enemy. That's how you view me, or did view me."
"Sage..." Ryo's voice was pleading as he struggled to hold him.
No one refuted any statement he had made except Rowen, meaning it was all true. He had known, he could feel it, but he never let it get to him. In fact, it fueled him to be even more distant sometimes... but he couldn't stand it any longer. He couldn't help it if he was brought up in a dojo and that was the way he was instructed to behave himself. His own mother hated that he was so serious at times, but she knew his heart. She knew he wasn't cold or heartless. She knew his sense of humor, his insecurities...
"Ok, ok buddy, calm down," Kento was helping Ryo restrain him now. Together they were able to pressure him back into a chair, "I don't know how you knew all that stuff. I guess it's that sixth sense of yours, but I'm sorry. I just thought you were a little high strung, Sage, honest. And I was a little jealous of the female favoritism thing.... but I never ever thought ill off you. I love you, and all of the guys. I feel a bond with you all, and it's not just the armors. We've fought side by side and trusted one another with our lives. That builds brother-ship, and that's a bond that can never be broken. I was never as close to you or Rowen as am with Cye or Ryo. You two are simply different from me and we don't have much in common, and that's not bad at all, I respect you for it." Kento never felt as guilty as he did looking into those watery grey eyes, "I'm sorry Sage, I never thought... I never meant to hurt your feelings."
"Your aloofness has always managed to stun me Sage, sometimes you acted as if you didn't want our company. Maybe, we bothered you, or something. You always seemed preoccupied in meditation, or thinking..." Cye began, "But you know that I care for you, and I would never think that horribly about anyone that I care about. Yes Sage, I did think you're cool and impersonal. That maybe you would put a fight before anything, but you never gave me reason to think otherwise, until I see you with Sylvia. I always knew you were a dreamer Sage, I've seen it in you, and I see it even more now. I know my sense isn't as strong as yours and never will be, but I know. And you should never doubt our friendship. Kento's right, we've been to hell and back together, it's hard to break a bound like that, and I never want to attempt to break it either."
"Sage.." Ryo was trying to get Sage to look at him, to take his hands away from his face, "I'm sorry. I'm a leader, and leaders tend to put strategy first. I have to size you up as a Warrior, and your attitude for battle is the best thing we have sometimes. You remind us that there's a greater good and help us to keep trying. You'll stop at nothing, and for no one sometimes, until the enemy is eliminated. You have a true warrior instinct inside of you, and you're a valuable player on this team as is everyone else. So when I think of you in that way, I'm thinking of you as a warrior... I've... kind of assimilated that warrior image on you when you're just Sage again, not the Ronnin Warrior of Light. I guess I expected you to be that way all the time Sage... and you do act as if it is. Seeing you suddenly behaving so differently is going to take some getting used to. And I will get used to it, but Sage. You gotta pull yourself together man. I know you're going through a rough patch right now... but there's another battle to be fought, and we need you. We need you at 100%, and we can't have that when your mind's constantly on Sylvia. Something's going to have to change Sage."
"I won't stop seeing her," Sage said in a clipped voice. His head was down, his blond hair shone, "But..."
Ryo looked at him, "But?"
"I'll get focused. I'll stop daydreaming," Sage sat up slowly wiping his eyes and looking at Ryo with a shrug, "I'll be 100%."
"Sage.."
"I'll do it ok," Sage said firmly, he looked pale and serious.
Ryo stared at him long and hard before finally saying, "Ok. I trust you Sage."
"Thank you," Sage said, his gaze fixed out the window again and he said nothing else.
"So..." Rowen decided to presume the previous discussion and take the spotlight off of Sage, "How would we go about finding the Witches?"
Mia almost jerked when she realized the question was directed at her, "Um... well.... I don't know. The Witches cover their tracks well... they've survived this long without the Darklings finding all of them, so they must be good at hiding."
"But the Darklings still found them, so that means there must be a way to trace them," Cye pressed.
Mia sighed, "I guess this means back to the library for me, huh guys?"
"Yup," Kento said with a chuckle, "Send us a rope when ya get back."
Mia smiled, "Funny..." she sighed as ran a hand through her hair.
"Does anyone want a snack?" Cye was standing up and heading for the kitchen, "I was about to pop some brownies in the oven.."
"Brownies?" Kento was up in a second, "You need some help with that, huh Cye?"
"No, Kento, I DO NOT need you eating all the brownie batter out of the pan before I can put it in the oven," Cye said with a roll of his eyes. He disappeared into the kitchen.
Kento stuck his tongue out at him, "Mature, Kento," Cye commented from the kitchen door.
"Are you ok?" Rowen was asking Sage as Kento, grumbling to himself, took a seat on the couch beside Rowen. Sage nodded slightly. He was sitting in the same chair Kento and Ryo had put him in with his knees drawn up to his chest and his head resting on them.
"You still mad?" Kento questioned, leaning over Rowen to nudge Sage with his hand. Sage groaned and made no response.
"He's sick," Rowen supplied to Kento.
Kento frowned, "Didn't you tell me that earlier?"
