Chapter 6
Hope let a deep breath out slowly, when she saw the manor didn't exist her first reaction
was to panic but she remembered what her uncles taught her and fought that panic. She
was now in the trees, hiding and trying to think.
"What is wrong with this place?! The manor should be here, and yet it isn't. Yet, from
what I remember before I came here, the manor was here. Maybe I should hit the library,
as Sage would suggest, and see what I can find out." She said to herself.
Hope jumped into the tree, powering down to street clothes, for some reason she was very
tried, drained in a way. She jumped from tree limb to tree limb because faster and quieter.
As Hope reached the library, she was surprised to see that it was damaged!
It looked like the place had been caught in the middle of a major fight, and recently. "Oh
boy, this just keeps getting better and better!" She said as she walked around but stopped
and tited her head hearing something: footsteps of armor. Dynasty soldiers!
Hope shook her head. *What are Dynasty troops doing in this town! The Ronins should
had sent the Dynasty packing, so what was going on here!* She thought. *Oh course the
Seasonals seem to be Warlords again!* Hope thought to herself as she ran.
*This is crazy! I should be fighting the soldiers! Not running from them!* Hope thought
then shook her head. "Now I'm thinking like Ryo and the others! I'm not an Elemental,
I'm a Seasonal. But still, this is very weird." She muttered to herself.
Hope kept running, she knew the soldiers had either caught sight of her or was just
coming down the same alley she was. She be caught in a matter of moments if she didn't
think of something fast!
Suddenly she heard someone say. "Move over here if you want to live!" She quickly
moved over to the place, and was shocked to see Cye in the armor of Torrent! "Cye?!"
She asked before she could stop herself. "Be quiet, and get down." He snapped. That
threw Hope for a loop! Cye was always the most polite and best mannered of the
Elementals. Hope snapped out of her shock and did as told.
Soon the soldiers passed. "That was close, those tin cans really are getting to be pains."
Hope said. "Tell me about it. We've been on the run from them for three months now.
Most people know better than to come outside when they show up." He remarked.
"On the run? Uh Cye have you forgot how to use your armor or something? You and the
others are suppose to be fighting those ..." Hope trailed off as she saw the look on Cye's
face. *Uh oh, I just said too much.* She thought. "How do you know about the armors?
Are you a servant of Talpa? You better give me some answers and give the right ones, or
else I'll turn you into a drowned rat!" He hissed.
Hope backed off, she never, since she became a Ronin, EVER heard Cye talk like that.
*He is not Cye! He can't be!* She wanted to yell as she turn to go. As she turned, she felt
a blast of water go by her. "That was a warning shot. You better answer my questions, or
next time, I won't miss!" He hissed angrily at her.
Hope turned and looked at him. "IF I was with the Dynasty then why would I have saved
you earlier Cye? Or don't you remember the blue eyed bearer of Cruelty that saved you
from the Warlords." She said remembering what happened only hours ago. "You still
need to do something else to prove that you aren't working for the Dynasty. You could be
a plant, working for them." he said, staring at her. Hope just shook her head and bolted
again. Running flat out, not caring if he came after her or not.
She heard Cye yell something she couldn't make out but she just ran faster. Finally she
stopped became she couldn't breath, run and not cry at the same time. She leaned against
a wall try to catch her breath. "He is not Cye, this can't be happening. None of this." She
said as she slammed the palms of her hands against the wall angrily. "This shouldn't be
happening!" She shouted to the sky.
"Foolish child. Do you not know that one cannot escape from the hand of Master Talpa!
You will serve the Dynasty, or die!" Hissed a voice from behind. Hope didn't need to turn
around to know who that was: it was Anubis! Hope bolt again but as she did .... "Armor
of Cruelty!" She called her battle armor and jumped up into the roof of a building.
"You want me you sorry son of a %*#$? Then come and get me!" She yelled. *I got to
get him away from ...Torrent.* She thought not able to call the young man Cye. "How
can it be that you bear my armor? There can be only ONE bearer of any armor at any one
time!" Anubis snapped. "Come after me and preharp we will see. Lest you fear your
defeat!" She called down to him.
"I will get you, when I have more time. Until then, little one." He sarcastically remarked,
as he headed after other humans. "You yellow belly, demon serving, wuss of a scum
bag!" She yelled. *If that doesn't insult that stubborn pride of his nothing will.* She
thought to herself. That caused Anubis to stop. "What did you call me?" he asked, glaring
at her.
"I called you a 'yellow belly, demon serving, wuss of a scum bag'! You four hundred year
old loser!" She called down to him. "How dare you insult the Warlord of Cruelty! For
that, you will pay!" he hissed, drawing his weapon. "Then proof it! And stop stalling!
You coward!" Hope yelled. *I just hope I know what I am doing or I am a dead Ronin.*
She thought to herself, she was playing a dangerous game insulting him like that but she
knew that was the only way to distract him.
*And speaking of distracting, I got to get the people away from this area but since I can't
do it .....* Hope thought. Cye of Torrent! Get the people away from the south side of the
city! Anubis is here and I bet you the other Warlords will soon follow their comrade to
me. She called to him thorough the armor link, praying it get thorough.
And it did. "How can she use the armor link? That only works with armor bearers." Cye
muttered to himself. Please Cye, you got to trust me! I can't hold Anubis off forever, and
if the other Warlords show up then I am done for if I can't keep my attention on them.
Now act like a Ronin and help the people you have swore to protect! Hope called to him
as she jumped to another building know Anubis would follow.
Hope let a deep breath out slowly, when she saw the manor didn't exist her first reaction
was to panic but she remembered what her uncles taught her and fought that panic. She
was now in the trees, hiding and trying to think.
"What is wrong with this place?! The manor should be here, and yet it isn't. Yet, from
what I remember before I came here, the manor was here. Maybe I should hit the library,
as Sage would suggest, and see what I can find out." She said to herself.
Hope jumped into the tree, powering down to street clothes, for some reason she was very
tried, drained in a way. She jumped from tree limb to tree limb because faster and quieter.
As Hope reached the library, she was surprised to see that it was damaged!
It looked like the place had been caught in the middle of a major fight, and recently. "Oh
boy, this just keeps getting better and better!" She said as she walked around but stopped
and tited her head hearing something: footsteps of armor. Dynasty soldiers!
Hope shook her head. *What are Dynasty troops doing in this town! The Ronins should
had sent the Dynasty packing, so what was going on here!* She thought. *Oh course the
Seasonals seem to be Warlords again!* Hope thought to herself as she ran.
*This is crazy! I should be fighting the soldiers! Not running from them!* Hope thought
then shook her head. "Now I'm thinking like Ryo and the others! I'm not an Elemental,
I'm a Seasonal. But still, this is very weird." She muttered to herself.
Hope kept running, she knew the soldiers had either caught sight of her or was just
coming down the same alley she was. She be caught in a matter of moments if she didn't
think of something fast!
Suddenly she heard someone say. "Move over here if you want to live!" She quickly
moved over to the place, and was shocked to see Cye in the armor of Torrent! "Cye?!"
She asked before she could stop herself. "Be quiet, and get down." He snapped. That
threw Hope for a loop! Cye was always the most polite and best mannered of the
Elementals. Hope snapped out of her shock and did as told.
Soon the soldiers passed. "That was close, those tin cans really are getting to be pains."
Hope said. "Tell me about it. We've been on the run from them for three months now.
Most people know better than to come outside when they show up." He remarked.
"On the run? Uh Cye have you forgot how to use your armor or something? You and the
others are suppose to be fighting those ..." Hope trailed off as she saw the look on Cye's
face. *Uh oh, I just said too much.* She thought. "How do you know about the armors?
Are you a servant of Talpa? You better give me some answers and give the right ones, or
else I'll turn you into a drowned rat!" He hissed.
Hope backed off, she never, since she became a Ronin, EVER heard Cye talk like that.
*He is not Cye! He can't be!* She wanted to yell as she turn to go. As she turned, she felt
a blast of water go by her. "That was a warning shot. You better answer my questions, or
next time, I won't miss!" He hissed angrily at her.
Hope turned and looked at him. "IF I was with the Dynasty then why would I have saved
you earlier Cye? Or don't you remember the blue eyed bearer of Cruelty that saved you
from the Warlords." She said remembering what happened only hours ago. "You still
need to do something else to prove that you aren't working for the Dynasty. You could be
a plant, working for them." he said, staring at her. Hope just shook her head and bolted
again. Running flat out, not caring if he came after her or not.
She heard Cye yell something she couldn't make out but she just ran faster. Finally she
stopped became she couldn't breath, run and not cry at the same time. She leaned against
a wall try to catch her breath. "He is not Cye, this can't be happening. None of this." She
said as she slammed the palms of her hands against the wall angrily. "This shouldn't be
happening!" She shouted to the sky.
"Foolish child. Do you not know that one cannot escape from the hand of Master Talpa!
You will serve the Dynasty, or die!" Hissed a voice from behind. Hope didn't need to turn
around to know who that was: it was Anubis! Hope bolt again but as she did .... "Armor
of Cruelty!" She called her battle armor and jumped up into the roof of a building.
"You want me you sorry son of a %*#$? Then come and get me!" She yelled. *I got to
get him away from ...Torrent.* She thought not able to call the young man Cye. "How
can it be that you bear my armor? There can be only ONE bearer of any armor at any one
time!" Anubis snapped. "Come after me and preharp we will see. Lest you fear your
defeat!" She called down to him.
"I will get you, when I have more time. Until then, little one." He sarcastically remarked,
as he headed after other humans. "You yellow belly, demon serving, wuss of a scum
bag!" She yelled. *If that doesn't insult that stubborn pride of his nothing will.* She
thought to herself. That caused Anubis to stop. "What did you call me?" he asked, glaring
at her.
"I called you a 'yellow belly, demon serving, wuss of a scum bag'! You four hundred year
old loser!" She called down to him. "How dare you insult the Warlord of Cruelty! For
that, you will pay!" he hissed, drawing his weapon. "Then proof it! And stop stalling!
You coward!" Hope yelled. *I just hope I know what I am doing or I am a dead Ronin.*
She thought to herself, she was playing a dangerous game insulting him like that but she
knew that was the only way to distract him.
*And speaking of distracting, I got to get the people away from this area but since I can't
do it .....* Hope thought. Cye of Torrent! Get the people away from the south side of the
city! Anubis is here and I bet you the other Warlords will soon follow their comrade to
me. She called to him thorough the armor link, praying it get thorough.
And it did. "How can she use the armor link? That only works with armor bearers." Cye
muttered to himself. Please Cye, you got to trust me! I can't hold Anubis off forever, and
if the other Warlords show up then I am done for if I can't keep my attention on them.
Now act like a Ronin and help the people you have swore to protect! Hope called to him
as she jumped to another building know Anubis would follow.