Scroll Five, Power Mistaken

The cave was cold and damp…the constant drip of water from the ceiling into cool green tinted pools was the only soothing thing Sage's mind could focus on, once the pounding headache was gone. He had come around to some odd scraping noise, which passed just after he managed to open his eyes. The Warrior of Light was still too groggy to even comprehend the nature of his situation.

His back was killing him…Sage winced at the jab of rock that pressed painfully into it. He was shackled down to the floor, in cold rusted iron cuffs. And much to Halo's dislike, his back was arched over a step bump in the floor, with his head resting just over the crest of the stiff mound. The tight cuffs made it impossible for him to even shift into a comfortable spot.

Sage had been under all sorts of torture before…

This was just a little bit worse.

He kept lapsing in an out of consciousness, the effect of the monster's venomous bite was still taking it's toll on him. Sage knew it was because he was still recovering from being horribly sick. His power was still incredibly weak…there was little Sage could do to neutralize the bane, besides letting it run it's course naturally. It was one small luxury that it wasn't going to kill him.

Sage has once again passed in a stupor, hanging on to what little consciousness that remained, when foot steps fell lightly on the cold stone floor.

His captor had finally come.

The young man seemed too daze to realize she was even there. It brought a small smile to her lips. It was one reason she liked to use the Tahaki demons' venom. It rendered victims helpless for days with out treatment.

She was a some what average woman, mostly in height and size. She was dressed in a faded purple komo, with the hem torn a mid thigh and slit up to the hip on her left leg. Her calves were patted in leather and armor sheets, and so were her sleeveless arms.

The only difference she bore to the people of this land, was her short brown hair…and acid green eyes.

The woman walked over to Sage's body, studying it from afar before nearing any closer. Her eyes followed the curve of his rising chest, rising slowly and steadily under the fabric of his tunic. It was a surprise that he was dressed like some of the people of this time. She had heard of the girl who passed through wells…and dressed nothing like them.

The woman crouched down and spider walked over to her catch like a forest nymph. She touched Sage's arm, receiving no response. A wicked smile crossed her face as she swung a leg over him and straddled Halo's waist.

She leaned over his body, sniffing the air like a cat. The smell of Sage's blood, from the stain on his collar to the two small holes in his neck was alluring. He's face was graced in a cold sweat, one of the conditions that usually followed with venom.

Her body could feel the power radiating off him. It was a perfect match to the power of the one item every demon and wicked human wanted.

The Jewel of Four Souls.

It was odd it was in this man's body…that such a power resided there. But every minor demon in forest had picked up on it and tried to take for themselves. She had fought them off for two days with no rest. She hadn't even had a chance to study the stranger her Tahaki had brought back.

And now that she had…

She liked more than the power he practically glowed with.

With both hands she tore the front of Sage's tunic from under his belt and opened it. The soft silk fell back from Halo's chest, exposing his deeply toned upper body.

The woman reached out with a cold finger tip and traced the groves of Sage's muscles. Halo lurched suddenly into consciousness.

She leaned back, blinking in surprise as the man winced against the cool air of the cave, and the added weight at his waist. Sage forced his sore neck up so he could see the cause.

If he could have moved, Sage would have bolted.

"Wha…" Halo gasped, suddenly short of breath. "Who—"

"Questions can be answered later." The brown haired woman said in a calm and cool voice. She was captivated by the color of Sage's eyes. They were the softest shade of lavender she had ever seen.

Halo winced, "No…now. What are you…doing…" Sage shivered.

That wicked smile came to the woman's face again. "I'm taking a much needed break…it's not easy to keep all those power hungry demon's from taking you away from me."

Sage took that as a sure sign that this woman was not on his side.

"Let me go…" Sage said in a dark voice. He pulled on his cuffs as a sign that he was dead serious.

The woman laughed. "No. I like you right were you are."

Halo winced and shifted his shoulder from the same gnarled rock that it rest on. "Look…fine then! But I'm cold…this flood is damp and my back feels like it's breaking in two. If you want me to stay in this cave and under irons, at least let me get off this floor." Sage knew he would have never given in if there wasn't the risk he could get sick again.

The green eyed woman smiled slyly. "I know a way to keep you warm…"

Sage's eyes narrowed as the woman's fingers brushed into his limp blonde hair. She leaned forward, making Sage crane his neck back, as much as he didn't want to expose his throat anymore than it was. She had to press completely against his chest to follow him down, sealing her lips over his in a deep and bitter sweet kiss.

Sage winced and pulled his head away. An action he quickly came to regret as the woman pressed against his chest and forced his back against the uneven mound he was shackled against. Halo's lips parted in a silent cry, giving the woman the chance to kiss him again, just as deep and powerful as the first. Her hand in his hair clasp a weak fist full of honey gold strains to hold the fighting warrior still.

Sage moaned in protest, closing his eyes against the attack. He finally twisted away again, this time avoiding the pain in his back from opening him up to another touch of lips.

That didn't bother the woman at all. She kissed the curve of Halo's jaw, tasting the sweat that graced every inch of exposed skin. Her lips moved downward, barely caressing the warrior's neck. It sent chills through Sage's body, unable to stop the green eyed woman from ravaging his body.

Sage hissed in repulsion through clenched teeth as a warm, wet tongue licked the dried blood on his neck. His breathing was becoming erratic and heavy…adrenaline in his veins was heating his skin, shaving away the chill that consumed his body.

"Stop it!" Sage winced. A set of soft lips touched the crest of his chest. "Sto—" His command was cut off as a cold hand pressed to his side, against heated flesh. It felt like fire. Sage rolled his head back and forth, unable to lash out, even kick his assailant off.

"Lady Jasseya!" A gruff voice shouted. "A band of demons are coming! We need your assistance."

Jasseya shot up quickly, a look of utter outrage on her face. "Damn it all!" She punched her fist into the rocky floor, not wincing as she drew blood. She glared at the tunnel that lead out of Sage's crude cell.

"Curse those who seek nothing but power!" She growled and looked back at Sage, who could only stare back in something between fear and shock.

"We're going to finish this later." Jassaya whispered. She leaned over Halo once more, catching his chin in her hand and kissing him again, a soft, sweet kiss that momentarily stunned Sage into submission.

She withdrew reluctantly, folding the front of Sage's tunic shirt back over his chest and then slipped away with a angry march to kill whom ever had interrupted her.

Sage sighed in sweet relief, letting his head fall back…but no matter how munch he tried to forget, he could still feel the woman's lips against his neck, and her hands on his skin.

God damn…how the hell can Ryo take this kind of treatment? Halo wondered, recalling every horror story the Ronin leader had told him and the others about his encounters with power, lust hungry women.

Sage found himself smack in the middle of one of those nightmares.

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AN: More info on Ryo's encounters later. I know this doesn't completely look like Sage bashing. Trust me, he usually gets beaten. Even though in the year that this story has been alive, my buddy Thundera isn't a sage fan like she use too…but she'd get a kick out of this. Please…for those who can figure this story out, don't give it away. And ask questions ppl! I love to know what you are thinking if you are confused. Once again: don't give away the story if things are clicking together. Read and review everyone! You are the lifeline saving me from a writer's block!!!