Chapter 8
Ryo blew his warm breath into his cold hands. He could actually feel it getting colder and see the light fading into pure night, a starless pure night. He supposed he should head back. He had wandered far enough away from the manor. He had only needed to clear his head, and that he had. He stopped his journey into the woods and turned back to head for home when there was a noise. A twig snapping? Footsteps...? He decided to quicken his pace and he heard the crunching of leaves and twigs behind him growing louder and more rapid. He broke out into a run, not really caring to look behind him; he just wanted to get the hell out of there. It grabbed him... whatever it was, it didn't have hands... it had claws. Ryo did a complete about-face as the creature ripped him around. Ryo gasped. The creature was a good 2 feet taller than him, and it resembled a strange hybrid of a frog and a wolf. Frog on the bottom, and wolf on top, snarling fangs, claws and all. Its eyes flamed orange as it licked its teeth hungrily watching Ryo, waiting for him to make his next move.
Another familiar... Ryo thought, four of us had barely been able to deal with one. I'm alone. If he wanted to survive Ryo knew he had to get out of its clutches. He took a deep breath, he had to get into his subarmor, at least that would give him a fighting chance. Shit, no time. He felt the claws tightening around his shoulder and going for his throat. He could kick it in its unmentionables... assuming it had unmentionables. He prepared his leg for the kick, and as soon as his kick was delivered he could do a back-spring and get on his subarmor. He brought up his leg for a kick and delivered a blow that was more painful to himself than to the creature. His exoskeleton was like steel. I'm going to die.. Ryo thought, struggling wildly, futily to get away. He just needed a simple distraction.
"RYO!"
Kento? "KENTO!"
"RYO!"
"ROWEN!"
"He should be... WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?"
Sage... "It's gonna kill me!"
Ryo could feel its claws tightening around his throat as he tried to turn his head to see his friends. Bam! The creature was struck in two different places by Cye and Kento's twin flying kicks. It backed off, releasing Ryo to go after Cye and Kento. Ryo fell back and sank to the ground rubbing his raw throat, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, get back in the battle and keep your eyes on that thing," Ryo instructed Sage, who had never seen or fought a familiar like the others had. Sage nodded leaving Ryo's side to join Rowen's.
Ryo stood up and changed into his red subarmor, Now it was time to play. He cracked his metal knuckles and smiled grimly.
They surrounded the beast in a tight circle and began their attacks. The beast fought back viciously. After being knocked to the ground for the millionth time and favoring his right leg Ryo announced, "RONNINS TO ARMS!"
"TO ARMS!" his group chorused after him. They each leaped back from the monster so that he could not make any immediate attacks while they changed. Battle cries were heard from five different corners of the woods.
"ARMOR OF WILDFIRE! DAO JIN!"
"ARMOR OF STRATA! DAO INOCHI!"
"ARMOR OF TORRENT! DAO SHIN!"
"ARMOR OF HALO! DAO CHI!"
"ARMOR OF HARDROCK! DAO GI!"
Five fully dressed Samurai warrior appeared from the five boys that once stood in front of the familiar. The familiar cocked its head in confusion.
"Hey ugly," Kento cried out to the beast, "This one's for you! IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" He spun his staff high above his head and then brought it down with a devasting blow to the grassy floor of the clearing. The ground shook violently and began to split and crack towards the familiar. The familiar was blown back and knocked to the ground.
Not to be undone, Rowen followed Kento in his attack, "ARROW SHOCK WAVES!" Rowen aimed his golden bow at the crumpled dark form and released his golden arrow barrage in the creature sending him rippling back into a tree. It roared in pain and anger. It struggled to bring itself to its feet and came at them once again for attack, "Oh no you don't!" Cye pointed his trident at the creautre, "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"
With a final scream the familiar vaporized into a black formless gas.
"What the hell?" Sage looked thoroughly confused, he removed his helmet and gazed at the scorched spot the creature once stood on, "Did that happen the last time too guys?"
"No," Ryo was shaking his head, "We didn't kill that one.. But this one... What is it? What's wrong Sage?"
"That noise..."
Everyone was silent as they strained to hear what Sage was hearing.
"I don't hear anything Blondie," Kento said, "You feelin' light headed?"
Sage was shaking his head and silencing Kento. He strained to make out something in the night, he was whirling around in mad circles trying to pinpoint the location of... "Ryo LOOK OUT!"
Ryo was struck from behind with the force of being by an eighteen wheeler. His body flew into a tree and slid down, he moaned in pain.
"What in the world was that?" Cye demanded, he saw nothing. He only saw Ryo going airborn. He stared at Ryo who was sitting up and rubbing his head, his gaze traveled to Sage, who had put back on his helmet and was in a fighting stance... he clearly was seeing something Cye was not... and when he looked to the others, he could tell they weren't seeing it either. Oof, something struck him from behind. He hit the ground with such force he could have sworn that he bounced. When he looked up to see his attacker.. He saw nothing, "What hit me?"
Rowen was launched into the air and he screamed in terror at the sudden rush of air and nothingness below his feet. He hit the ground with a metal crash and groaned in pain before springing back into immediate action. "Sage what's going on?" Sage looked like the only one of them that had a clue in the situation. He watched as Kento was helpless struck by some unseen force and tossed aside like a rag doll. Sage was backing away from something, his grey eyes wide in astonishment, "What are you?" he asked.
"Sage what are seeing?!" Ryo was demanding trying to get closer to the bearer of Halo, but felt something strike him, the searing pain harpooned from his side into his chest, he fell back from the shattering blow feeling something crack beneath his armor... beneath HIS ARMOR!
Sage slashed at some unvisible creature his sword of light flashing at every swipe made, he blinked at the reaction of his sword, but kept slashing. It was doing nothing against this creature... the creature that appeared to made of shadow and gloom... a wispy yet solid monster with no face that kept approaching him.. There were many, and they were surrounding his friends... his friends who acted as if they saw nothing and heard nothing. The creatures whispered, they said things in an odd language that Sage did not understand. Another creature came to aid his friend in his attempt to thwart Sage. Sage fought to hold them off, but they were too strong, his sword passed clean through them like butter, but it never seemed to cause any harm...
Kento had been tossed for the last time.. He didn't care if he couldn't see what force was doing this to him, they were going to wish they had never been born! "THAT'S IT!!"
"Kento no!" Ryo started to shout.
"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!!!" Kento cried bringing his staff down with all his might. He would get them, he would get them even if he couldn't see them. He watched the ground rising around him, heard his friends yelling in surprise and pain. Oh no! Kento realized he may have gotten the monster.. But he also got his friends as well. "Dammit Kento," Sage was snapping as he carefully avoided the chaos, his grey eyes were wide and alert, his no-datchi lit up and he struck out at an invisible... huh?
"Sage, light that sword of yours up again," Kento requested as he was struck square in the jaw. He felt the blood tricking, but he didn't care to wipe it away.. He needed to see what he thought he had seen before. Sage looked puzzled by Kento's request, but a sudden motion by his arm lit the long sword up again, and in that flash Kento could see them... Tall shadowy black creatures with no faces... They loomed over them, there had to be 20 of them. Kento felt his fear rising, these were no normal demons.. They faded as the light of Sage's sword dimmed, "Sage! I could see them when you lit your sword up!" Kento cried, sounding excited, now they could fight, now they may stand a chance...
"Sage!"
Sage nodded, understanding the message, "Protect your eyes, pull down your visers!" Sage yelled hoping his warnings would reach everyone. He shut his eyes breifly and focused his energy, his light, and felt the brightness swirling around him, pouring itself into the darkness.
Ryo looked through the shade of his viser and now saw what was in front of him, what had been beating him. A stocky smoke-like creature with no face stood in front of him flinching away from the light. Ryo took that distraction and charged it. He ran straight through the creature feeling the liquid cold permeate his armor and his body, "Aaaahhh!!" Pain, pain erupted from his back as the creature struck him from behind, "We can't touch them!"
"The light, they don't like the light!" Rowen was yelling, he had also unsuccessfully tried to pummel the creature.. But he did notice them cringing from Sage's brightness. He turned his eyes to face the beacon of light that was Sage to see that no creatures were bothering him directly, they instead hung back and circled him like vultures that were doomed to the ground. Sage whirled around slowly not keeping his back to any of them for long. Rowen could see his nervous trembling at having so many surrounding him knowing that if any of them chose to attack he wouldn't be able to defend himself from the blows... But that was not what fascinated Rowen, what was fascinating was the creatures' hatred of the light, the way they cringed and backed away when Sage turned to their side and the light reflected would be brighter. "Sage! TRY YOUR ATTACK!" Rowen yelled to Sage. Sage barely acknowledged Rowen as Rowen jumped for cover, dodging the creature to his left. He saw the others running to cover themselves too.
"THUNDERBOLT CUT!!!" Sage's cry was heard for miles. The lightening poured from the pitch black sky into Sage's no-datchi, and Sage seemed to harness the light, he wielded the lightening in a small circle before unleasing it onto his cringing prey. The screams.. Sage wanted to cover his ears. The monsters fled back away from him, trying to get away from the accursed light. They shrank back towards the trees, but much to Sage's and the others'disappointment, they did not leave. They simply hung back, "MORE LIGHT!"
"FLARE UP NOW!!" Ryo had risen from his haven behind a boulder and had called up his attack. It was no lightning, but it was bright.. Anything was worth a try to drive these creatures, whatever they were back into the night!
"ARROW SHOCK WAVES!!" Rowen called his own power into play. The brightness of the two attacks together made the creatures receded even more, "Do it again!" Ryo was ordering when Cye cried out, he was rushing to Sage's side to stop what he was seeing and had been thrown aside, the creature hadn't even approached him and had thrown him aside! Ryo turned to see a dark creature directly in front of Sage, holding out one smoky hand, Sage stood stiffly staring at the creature, his kanji shone clear through his helmet. Sage looked to be in a trance, The creature reached for him, "SAGE SNAP OUT OF IT!!!" Kento had appeared from the darkness grabbing Sage and pulling him to the ground from behind. Ryo made eye contact with Rowen, "ARROW SHOCK WAVES!!!"
"FLARE UP NOW!!!"
The screams were terrible, Sage clutched at his ears in vain through his helmet. His no-datchi lie on the ground useless to him, "Sage, get up. We need your attack again... Sage NOW!"
Sage trembled, but listened to Kento's rough voice. He nodded and felt around for his sword finding it in the dirt and gripping it. The creatures had started to move in on them again, now that his armor wasn't lit up like a Christmas tree. He climbed to his feet, watching the creatures moving back in as the light receded from both Ryo and Rowen's attacks, he drew in his breath and willed all his energy together for this play, "THUNDERBOLT CUT!!!"
Once again the lightening came from the sky in a thicker flood than before. It tingled and crackled in his every pore, he hurled it in every direction lighting up every part of the forest within a 100 mile radius. It was minutes before the light from his final attack faded.... He stood in solitude breathing hard, he let his arms fall to his side and let his sword clamber into the dirt.
"They're gone..." Cye said in a shaky voice, "They're gone."
"What the hell were they?" asked Kento, he was standing still dusting himself off from Sage's attack.
"The Darklings..." Sage said in barely a whisper, his knees gave way beneath him, and Kento was there to catch him and lower him to his knees on the ground, "Are you ok, man? That last attack you did was awesome. Didn't know you could do that much damage."
Sage was still panting, "I'm tired..."
Rowen was helping Ryo up from the ground, slowly, stopping when Ryo cringed and clutched his side, "What's wrong?"
"Ow... I think I cracked some ribs," Ryo was muttering, "I'm ok." Rowen frowned with concern, but continued to help Ryo up, "Lean on me," he instructed. Ryo obeyed greatfully, his side felt as if it were about to burst. Rowen and Ryo made their way over to the others, who were kneeling.
"Are you alright?" Cye was asking Sage, removing his helmet. The blond hair was matted to his forehead with sweat, and his face was deathly pale, "I'm alright. Ryo, are you alright?"
Ryo bit his bottom lip, "I'm fine..." he eyed Sage curiously, "Why do you say that those things we just fought were Darklings...and what was happening to you back there?"
Sage looked over at Ryo with glassy grey eyes, "I... I... I just know that's what they were..." He lowered his head again swallowing hard, "I don't... feel so well."
"That's right!" Cye said wanting to smack himself, "Lets get home, ok?"
Rowen placed his cool hand on Sage's forehead and grimaced, "Yeah, lets get home."
Ryo blew his warm breath into his cold hands. He could actually feel it getting colder and see the light fading into pure night, a starless pure night. He supposed he should head back. He had wandered far enough away from the manor. He had only needed to clear his head, and that he had. He stopped his journey into the woods and turned back to head for home when there was a noise. A twig snapping? Footsteps...? He decided to quicken his pace and he heard the crunching of leaves and twigs behind him growing louder and more rapid. He broke out into a run, not really caring to look behind him; he just wanted to get the hell out of there. It grabbed him... whatever it was, it didn't have hands... it had claws. Ryo did a complete about-face as the creature ripped him around. Ryo gasped. The creature was a good 2 feet taller than him, and it resembled a strange hybrid of a frog and a wolf. Frog on the bottom, and wolf on top, snarling fangs, claws and all. Its eyes flamed orange as it licked its teeth hungrily watching Ryo, waiting for him to make his next move.
Another familiar... Ryo thought, four of us had barely been able to deal with one. I'm alone. If he wanted to survive Ryo knew he had to get out of its clutches. He took a deep breath, he had to get into his subarmor, at least that would give him a fighting chance. Shit, no time. He felt the claws tightening around his shoulder and going for his throat. He could kick it in its unmentionables... assuming it had unmentionables. He prepared his leg for the kick, and as soon as his kick was delivered he could do a back-spring and get on his subarmor. He brought up his leg for a kick and delivered a blow that was more painful to himself than to the creature. His exoskeleton was like steel. I'm going to die.. Ryo thought, struggling wildly, futily to get away. He just needed a simple distraction.
"RYO!"
Kento? "KENTO!"
"RYO!"
"ROWEN!"
"He should be... WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?"
Sage... "It's gonna kill me!"
Ryo could feel its claws tightening around his throat as he tried to turn his head to see his friends. Bam! The creature was struck in two different places by Cye and Kento's twin flying kicks. It backed off, releasing Ryo to go after Cye and Kento. Ryo fell back and sank to the ground rubbing his raw throat, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, get back in the battle and keep your eyes on that thing," Ryo instructed Sage, who had never seen or fought a familiar like the others had. Sage nodded leaving Ryo's side to join Rowen's.
Ryo stood up and changed into his red subarmor, Now it was time to play. He cracked his metal knuckles and smiled grimly.
They surrounded the beast in a tight circle and began their attacks. The beast fought back viciously. After being knocked to the ground for the millionth time and favoring his right leg Ryo announced, "RONNINS TO ARMS!"
"TO ARMS!" his group chorused after him. They each leaped back from the monster so that he could not make any immediate attacks while they changed. Battle cries were heard from five different corners of the woods.
"ARMOR OF WILDFIRE! DAO JIN!"
"ARMOR OF STRATA! DAO INOCHI!"
"ARMOR OF TORRENT! DAO SHIN!"
"ARMOR OF HALO! DAO CHI!"
"ARMOR OF HARDROCK! DAO GI!"
Five fully dressed Samurai warrior appeared from the five boys that once stood in front of the familiar. The familiar cocked its head in confusion.
"Hey ugly," Kento cried out to the beast, "This one's for you! IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" He spun his staff high above his head and then brought it down with a devasting blow to the grassy floor of the clearing. The ground shook violently and began to split and crack towards the familiar. The familiar was blown back and knocked to the ground.
Not to be undone, Rowen followed Kento in his attack, "ARROW SHOCK WAVES!" Rowen aimed his golden bow at the crumpled dark form and released his golden arrow barrage in the creature sending him rippling back into a tree. It roared in pain and anger. It struggled to bring itself to its feet and came at them once again for attack, "Oh no you don't!" Cye pointed his trident at the creautre, "SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"
With a final scream the familiar vaporized into a black formless gas.
"What the hell?" Sage looked thoroughly confused, he removed his helmet and gazed at the scorched spot the creature once stood on, "Did that happen the last time too guys?"
"No," Ryo was shaking his head, "We didn't kill that one.. But this one... What is it? What's wrong Sage?"
"That noise..."
Everyone was silent as they strained to hear what Sage was hearing.
"I don't hear anything Blondie," Kento said, "You feelin' light headed?"
Sage was shaking his head and silencing Kento. He strained to make out something in the night, he was whirling around in mad circles trying to pinpoint the location of... "Ryo LOOK OUT!"
Ryo was struck from behind with the force of being by an eighteen wheeler. His body flew into a tree and slid down, he moaned in pain.
"What in the world was that?" Cye demanded, he saw nothing. He only saw Ryo going airborn. He stared at Ryo who was sitting up and rubbing his head, his gaze traveled to Sage, who had put back on his helmet and was in a fighting stance... he clearly was seeing something Cye was not... and when he looked to the others, he could tell they weren't seeing it either. Oof, something struck him from behind. He hit the ground with such force he could have sworn that he bounced. When he looked up to see his attacker.. He saw nothing, "What hit me?"
Rowen was launched into the air and he screamed in terror at the sudden rush of air and nothingness below his feet. He hit the ground with a metal crash and groaned in pain before springing back into immediate action. "Sage what's going on?" Sage looked like the only one of them that had a clue in the situation. He watched as Kento was helpless struck by some unseen force and tossed aside like a rag doll. Sage was backing away from something, his grey eyes wide in astonishment, "What are you?" he asked.
"Sage what are seeing?!" Ryo was demanding trying to get closer to the bearer of Halo, but felt something strike him, the searing pain harpooned from his side into his chest, he fell back from the shattering blow feeling something crack beneath his armor... beneath HIS ARMOR!
Sage slashed at some unvisible creature his sword of light flashing at every swipe made, he blinked at the reaction of his sword, but kept slashing. It was doing nothing against this creature... the creature that appeared to made of shadow and gloom... a wispy yet solid monster with no face that kept approaching him.. There were many, and they were surrounding his friends... his friends who acted as if they saw nothing and heard nothing. The creatures whispered, they said things in an odd language that Sage did not understand. Another creature came to aid his friend in his attempt to thwart Sage. Sage fought to hold them off, but they were too strong, his sword passed clean through them like butter, but it never seemed to cause any harm...
Kento had been tossed for the last time.. He didn't care if he couldn't see what force was doing this to him, they were going to wish they had never been born! "THAT'S IT!!"
"Kento no!" Ryo started to shout.
"IRON ROCK CRUSHER!!!" Kento cried bringing his staff down with all his might. He would get them, he would get them even if he couldn't see them. He watched the ground rising around him, heard his friends yelling in surprise and pain. Oh no! Kento realized he may have gotten the monster.. But he also got his friends as well. "Dammit Kento," Sage was snapping as he carefully avoided the chaos, his grey eyes were wide and alert, his no-datchi lit up and he struck out at an invisible... huh?
"Sage, light that sword of yours up again," Kento requested as he was struck square in the jaw. He felt the blood tricking, but he didn't care to wipe it away.. He needed to see what he thought he had seen before. Sage looked puzzled by Kento's request, but a sudden motion by his arm lit the long sword up again, and in that flash Kento could see them... Tall shadowy black creatures with no faces... They loomed over them, there had to be 20 of them. Kento felt his fear rising, these were no normal demons.. They faded as the light of Sage's sword dimmed, "Sage! I could see them when you lit your sword up!" Kento cried, sounding excited, now they could fight, now they may stand a chance...
"Sage!"
Sage nodded, understanding the message, "Protect your eyes, pull down your visers!" Sage yelled hoping his warnings would reach everyone. He shut his eyes breifly and focused his energy, his light, and felt the brightness swirling around him, pouring itself into the darkness.
Ryo looked through the shade of his viser and now saw what was in front of him, what had been beating him. A stocky smoke-like creature with no face stood in front of him flinching away from the light. Ryo took that distraction and charged it. He ran straight through the creature feeling the liquid cold permeate his armor and his body, "Aaaahhh!!" Pain, pain erupted from his back as the creature struck him from behind, "We can't touch them!"
"The light, they don't like the light!" Rowen was yelling, he had also unsuccessfully tried to pummel the creature.. But he did notice them cringing from Sage's brightness. He turned his eyes to face the beacon of light that was Sage to see that no creatures were bothering him directly, they instead hung back and circled him like vultures that were doomed to the ground. Sage whirled around slowly not keeping his back to any of them for long. Rowen could see his nervous trembling at having so many surrounding him knowing that if any of them chose to attack he wouldn't be able to defend himself from the blows... But that was not what fascinated Rowen, what was fascinating was the creatures' hatred of the light, the way they cringed and backed away when Sage turned to their side and the light reflected would be brighter. "Sage! TRY YOUR ATTACK!" Rowen yelled to Sage. Sage barely acknowledged Rowen as Rowen jumped for cover, dodging the creature to his left. He saw the others running to cover themselves too.
"THUNDERBOLT CUT!!!" Sage's cry was heard for miles. The lightening poured from the pitch black sky into Sage's no-datchi, and Sage seemed to harness the light, he wielded the lightening in a small circle before unleasing it onto his cringing prey. The screams.. Sage wanted to cover his ears. The monsters fled back away from him, trying to get away from the accursed light. They shrank back towards the trees, but much to Sage's and the others'disappointment, they did not leave. They simply hung back, "MORE LIGHT!"
"FLARE UP NOW!!" Ryo had risen from his haven behind a boulder and had called up his attack. It was no lightning, but it was bright.. Anything was worth a try to drive these creatures, whatever they were back into the night!
"ARROW SHOCK WAVES!!" Rowen called his own power into play. The brightness of the two attacks together made the creatures receded even more, "Do it again!" Ryo was ordering when Cye cried out, he was rushing to Sage's side to stop what he was seeing and had been thrown aside, the creature hadn't even approached him and had thrown him aside! Ryo turned to see a dark creature directly in front of Sage, holding out one smoky hand, Sage stood stiffly staring at the creature, his kanji shone clear through his helmet. Sage looked to be in a trance, The creature reached for him, "SAGE SNAP OUT OF IT!!!" Kento had appeared from the darkness grabbing Sage and pulling him to the ground from behind. Ryo made eye contact with Rowen, "ARROW SHOCK WAVES!!!"
"FLARE UP NOW!!!"
The screams were terrible, Sage clutched at his ears in vain through his helmet. His no-datchi lie on the ground useless to him, "Sage, get up. We need your attack again... Sage NOW!"
Sage trembled, but listened to Kento's rough voice. He nodded and felt around for his sword finding it in the dirt and gripping it. The creatures had started to move in on them again, now that his armor wasn't lit up like a Christmas tree. He climbed to his feet, watching the creatures moving back in as the light receded from both Ryo and Rowen's attacks, he drew in his breath and willed all his energy together for this play, "THUNDERBOLT CUT!!!"
Once again the lightening came from the sky in a thicker flood than before. It tingled and crackled in his every pore, he hurled it in every direction lighting up every part of the forest within a 100 mile radius. It was minutes before the light from his final attack faded.... He stood in solitude breathing hard, he let his arms fall to his side and let his sword clamber into the dirt.
"They're gone..." Cye said in a shaky voice, "They're gone."
"What the hell were they?" asked Kento, he was standing still dusting himself off from Sage's attack.
"The Darklings..." Sage said in barely a whisper, his knees gave way beneath him, and Kento was there to catch him and lower him to his knees on the ground, "Are you ok, man? That last attack you did was awesome. Didn't know you could do that much damage."
Sage was still panting, "I'm tired..."
Rowen was helping Ryo up from the ground, slowly, stopping when Ryo cringed and clutched his side, "What's wrong?"
"Ow... I think I cracked some ribs," Ryo was muttering, "I'm ok." Rowen frowned with concern, but continued to help Ryo up, "Lean on me," he instructed. Ryo obeyed greatfully, his side felt as if it were about to burst. Rowen and Ryo made their way over to the others, who were kneeling.
"Are you alright?" Cye was asking Sage, removing his helmet. The blond hair was matted to his forehead with sweat, and his face was deathly pale, "I'm alright. Ryo, are you alright?"
Ryo bit his bottom lip, "I'm fine..." he eyed Sage curiously, "Why do you say that those things we just fought were Darklings...and what was happening to you back there?"
Sage looked over at Ryo with glassy grey eyes, "I... I... I just know that's what they were..." He lowered his head again swallowing hard, "I don't... feel so well."
"That's right!" Cye said wanting to smack himself, "Lets get home, ok?"
Rowen placed his cool hand on Sage's forehead and grimaced, "Yeah, lets get home."
