~~~AN: Okay, spare me the flames about my spelling. For some reason my Word program has stop checking my spelling mistakes and I'n doing my best to catch them. As for the spelling of Kento's name…you night as well start flaming the hell out of everyone else who does that cause I've seen a lot of people spell Kento's name differently. I haven't been to Theria's in a long time, but that doesn't matter. And so far, I've only used the YST names once for Sage encounter's Nararko. Until I can fix the settings on Word, there maybe some spelling mistakes I've missed.

Scroll Ten, Open Combat

"I heard that you study a religion?" Miroku asked.

Cye shrugged. "It's nothing much. None of us really cared for it until things got really bad, and we had no choice but to kill our enemy. A few here and there would be okay…but when it came to doing it all the time…even to survive…" Cye trailed off.

"I see." Miroku nodded. "So you don't follow it very well then?"

Cye shook his head slowly. "No. Some of the time we visit a chruch to confess…without spilling out the whole truth. Have you ever felt guilty about killing someone?" Torrent asked.

Miroku frowned. "A few times." He answered. "All of you I take it?"

Cye smiled a little. "It took Ryo the longest."

"Really!" the monk turned his head to the red headed man. "Why?"

Cye shrugged as he kept pace with the group. "I don't know. I personally think it was the idea he didn't want to look weak. I mean, Ryo is our leader, and you know leaders had this feeling of trying to look just a little stronger."

Miroku nodded. "So how did you all come to finding out?"

Cye laughed a little. "I was out of the town with Kento, going clubing. Ryo had gone out earilier, Lea had gone with him. We stumbled by a church when the two of them walked out. It was quiet funny, then we all went out for drinks and stuff…It was the first time in a week Ryo was joking and laughing again."

The monk soberly asked, "What was the one battle you wished you could go back too?"

Cye took a deep breath as he thought, flexing his hands as he did. "Uh…Oh christ…It would have to be the one my sister was nearly killed in." Torrent whispered. "I was attacked on my family's skipper by the Dynasty. My mother was safely locked in boiler room with a family friend…my sister came out into the open when I was try to handle the situation myself…she got hit in the head and knocked into the water."

Miroku smiled a little before asking, "Is she pretty?"

Cye got him a look. "I heard from Sango you are a bit of a pervert."

The monk held up his wrapped hand. "Hey, I might not have long to live. I need a wife to bear my child so that my battle with that monster that put this void in my family's blood line will be stopped." He whimpered in mock fright. "It's all I have left to live for…"

"Yeah. Right." Cye scoffed and hurried ahead to Rowen.

Kagome smiled as she came to stand by Miroku. "Nice try. But I don't think you're going to have much luck with these guys."

"Ah," Miroku said proudly. "There is still that dashing young woman Lea. I have yet to try my charms on her."

Kagome paled. "Uh…Miroku…I don't think that is a good idea."

But the monk was already speeding ahead to catch up with the raven haired guardian.

Inuyasha frowned a little. "He's gonna be sore tomorrow."

"Who do you think is going to beat him up?" Kagome asked.

The dog knight snuffed. "Feh…"

*******

Climbing up the tree had been a nice change from walking. Lea decided against using her armor's super human skills and scaled the tree the way a little kid would. She reached the first branch and sat down, with on leg handing off the limb and her hands wrapped around herself.

The lake glittered in the evening moon light. It vaguely reminded the Guardian of the Ronin Manor. In fact…the more Lea looked, she confrimed the feeling that they were standing on the grounds of the Koji Estate 600 years before it would ever be built.

An owl hootted distantly, followed by the howl of some wolves. She smiled a little, knowing that Whiteblaze was out hunting down his meal for the evening and would steal whatever the wolves were chasing right out from under them.

"Well, hello little bird."

Lea blinked in surprise and looked down to see Miroku smiled at her from the ground. The monk frowned a little as he studied the height Lea was at. "How did you get up there?" He asked.

"I didn't use my armor's high jumping skills, if that is what you wanted to know." She rolled over and fell from the branch, landing lightly on her own two feet in front of the monk. "Comes in handy when you want to get down though." She smiled.

Miroku grinned. "So, why so far from camp?"

Lea crossed her arms and shrugged, looking back to the lake. "I had a feeling this is the grounds of the house we all live in back in our time."

The monk blinked in surprise and looked around. "Really? Is it still this pretty?"

Lea nodded. "You can see cannos and fishermen on the lake during the day. We have a small dock built off the banks with a small row boat and swimming gear." She tried to picture the wooden planks streaching into the water. It was strange to think that in a few centueries that she would be diving off them trying to save Ryo from drowning just a week after she joined the Ronin Warriors.

"This is all just really strange to be standing here." She said quietly. "To see this all in raw natural beauty of it all. Sage would be utterly amazed if he was here."

"Would he now?" Miroku asked.

Lea nodded. "Knowing him, he'd go look for that tree he usually meditates in." She frowned. "It's a pretty old tree too."

Miroku smiled a little. "Want to try and find yourself?"

The Guardian shook her head. "No. It's been a while since I've been at the Manor. I was in fact leaving for New York when Sage disappeared. We had flights to cancel and everything before we came looking for him, or else we'd have been here sooner and on a fresh trail."

The monk nodded, taking a step forward to stand a little closer to her. "You're not afraid of those monster that are following us?"

Lea shook her head. "Let them come. We did a pretty good job last night holding one down in the swamp. Too bad it couldn't help us."

Miroku drapped and arm over her shoulders. "Don't worry. There has to be more around that might help us."

The Guardian reached up and removed his arm. "I'm picking up some strange energy close by that might be one. I keep sensing the jewel in three different locations. Kagome, Inuyasha, and another that is just a little ways off."

"You look really pretty in this light." The monk whispered.

Lea shot him an amused look. "Okay, what the hell do you want?" She asked.

"Oh…maybe you're company for the evening?"

The Guardian's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Miroku took a step forward and tried to kiss her. Lea ducked down and flipped him onto his back, her foot at his neck. "Woah!" The Guardian held his staff at his chest as she moved her foot away. "Don't think about doing that again."

"I hate to ask now…but are you even single?"

Lea scoffed, "Single? I haven't been single in four years."

"Then who is the lucky man that's cast his spell on you?"

"Knock it off with the sweet talk." The Guardian ordered. "It's—"

"Me." Ryo's voice said sternly. "And for your own sake, don't touch her again. I have a tendancy to pound the snot out people who do."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "Ah, sure!" He got up, dusting himself off and was starting to walk away when he noticed Lea still had his staff. He flashed a nervous smile as Ryo came from the shadows to stand next to Lea with a dark, yet amused look in his eyes.

The monk too a few daring steps towards Lea, quickly grabbed his staff. He was about dart off when he planted a quick kiss on her cheek and bolted like the wind as Ryo shouted a curse and threw a stick at the running monk.

Lea laughed. "Oh god Ryo, his is harmless now." She patted him on the chest as she held him back from prosuing the escaping offender. "Come on, lets find that spot on the lake you like so much."

Ryo huffed in a threat to Miroku's life, and turned to look out at the water. "You know what, I think it's fine right here." He whispered, kissing Lea to silence when she started to ask a question.

Miroku sighed in dismay from the bushes up the hill as he rubbed his sore shoulder. Ryo had good aim when it came to throwing stuff at people. Cye was suddenly next to him laughing. "You idiot."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You only asked about my sister. Not Lea." Cye smiled sweetly. "I suggest you stay really low when Ryo and Lea get back to camp."

Miroku gulped. "It was a harmless kiss!"

Cye would just stared at him.

"Ah…" Miroku whispered. "Well…so much for this. I'd better get back to working out my problem's with Sango again."

Cye raised and eye brow in surprise. "You are after her too?"

"Yeah…and Kagome. If she ever gives up on wanting Inuyasha."

Cye blinked. "No!" He whispered. "Really?!"

Inuyasha stuck out his tounge, coughing as if he was going to gag.

Sango gave him a swat over the head. "I think that was sweet, knock it off!" She hissed as they marched back into camp. Kagome was still a little out of it as she followed them.

"See? I told you they were a couple!" The dog knight growled. "Yuck. Just how in the seven hells do you see that as romantic!"

Sango growled. "If you would stop basting romance for a minute and think like a human being…you'll see that love is a very important thing to us!"

"You're a woman. It only matters to you." Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome looked up. "What about your parents. They loved each other enough to have you."

Inuyasha stilled a little. He was unprepared for such a statement. He growled a little. "I don't know what the hell she sees in him!"

"I do." Sango smiled as she closed her eyes and sat down. "I think Ryo is awefully hansom."

Inuyasha replied, "Blah…"

Kagome shurgged. "I don't know. I think Lea hated him at one point. Four years is a really long time to be together." The young girl said quietly. "And with all they've had to live through it must be really hard."

"Yap, yap, yap." Inuyasha snarled. "Love reeks." He climbed to his feet and santered off to work it out of his system. Kento was standing on the edge of the clearing with a load of fire wood, appearantly surpried at the topic of debat.

He smiled sheeplishly. "I take it that prevert Miroku tried flirting with Lea?"

Sango nodded. "And he finally got what he desevered too." She glared at the monk as he came out of the woods the join them by the fire. "I hope you learned a lesson, you freak. And since Lea is now a part of the group for the time being, I'll garentee if you snoop around us and Ryo will break both your arms!"

"He'll pound you to a pulp." Rowen muttered. "And so will the rest of us." Strata spoke as he dropped out of the trees with a hand full of fresh rabbits and two birds. "And if Sage ever finds out there is gonna be hell to pay."

"That over protective, huh." Miroku asked.

The three Ronins nodded together. "We're one big family, we look over for each other."

Miroku leaned over to Sango. "So what is my lovely lady making tonight?"

Sango was choosing to ignore the question when she felt some hand on her backside.

"MIROKU YOU PREVERT!"

The camp burst into laughter as Sango slapped the monk and sent him flying into the hedge. "You can sleep with the wolves tonight!" She roared, throwing sticks and stones in his wake.

********

"This place is really creepy." Shippo whispered from his pearch on Rowen's shoulder guard.

Rowen nodded. "I now." He held his loaded bow ready as they walked further into the cave. Kento was still flexing his grip on his staff as it hung in it's chained pieces. Every once in a while he would spin one just to be sure he was still ready for an attack.

Miroku held his hand ready to be released. "Not a very comfortable place to be held captive in." he muttered.

"I'm more worried about the fact Sage could get sick again." Strata hissed. "It had only been two weeks since Sage came out of this horrible illness that nearly killed him."

The monk nodded. "Now I see why you're despreate to find him."

"Gotta hope he has been able to armor up." Kento sighed. "He might be alright if he had."

Rowen entered a large open area in the cave, taking to the walls as he walked around the room studying the shackles lying on the cold damp floor. "He was here alright." Strata whispered. "I can still sense his armor."

"Yeah…and his favorite aftershave." Kento flashed a broad smile.

Miroku blinked a few times as Rowen shot Hardrock a dark look before motioning out. Cye meet them from down a tunnel that forked the path. "It looks like someone left in a real hurry."

"By the looks of those cuffs, Sage escaped." Rowen informed. "At least we know he can still move. He might have gotten into his armor…but I'm not really putting my hopes on that yet."

Kento sighed in a little. "Sage esacped, and was prusued…where did he go and if he is still moving…we don't know then. Right?"

Miroku scratched his head. "And those demons will know nothing if we catch them because most of them have been tracking us."

"Let's luck out and chase everyone down until we find out which way he went!" Cye growled. "This is getting annoying. Sage would have used the armor by now to contact us!"

"He's right." Rowen whispered. "We maybe bonded to each other, but ours to Ryo's is the strongest. And he is getting really edgy."

Inuyasha's roar of outrage was followed by Ryo's command to arms.

It hit the group in the caves like a –

*******

SLAP!

Sage had no time to duck as Jassaya stormed into the room, her face red with fury as she drew back her hand and smacked the blonde Ronin Warrior with all her might.

She had a pretty good arm on her, Sage noted as he swallowed a mouthful of his own blood.

"You idiot! You just had to run to Naraku!" Jassaya growled. "Thanks to you, I now have to deal with him! He has you and I have this damn marble that seems to be of some importantance to his cause for you!" The brown haired woman held the Halo orb in her fist.

She drew back her arm to hit him again.

Sage was ready this time. He caught her wrist as it flew for his already red cheek. He squeezed until her fingers slackened. "Don't touch me again!" He hissed in a deadly voice.

Jassaya flashed her fanged teeth at the Ronin of Light. "You baka! Naraku is by far worse than me when he is cross! If it wasn't for your powers he'd have killed you on the spot!"

Sage growled a little, throwing Jassaya's arm back at her. "You want the hell out of this mess so bad? Give me my crystal and I might just save you."

Jassaya shook her head. "No." She placed the marble in her coin bag. "If you want you're worthless trinket, you would have to earn it."

"How?" Halo asked, most certainly regreting he ever asked.

"I'm sure Naraku told you I'm looking for a mate." Jassaya informed, crossing her arms in annoyance. "And after much consideration, since you are not that presitess's worthless pet Inuyasha, you make a prefect replacement."

Sage snarled for once. "In your dreams."

"Then this rock is mine." Jassaya informed sweetly as she marched pass Sage.

Sage clenched his fists as he tried to think of some way to deal with this problem. He looked around, just in case there was any guards watching as he spun around and tackled Jassaya.

He pinned her down to the floor with all his might, careful not let his guard down.

"I may not have a weapon…but I'm very skilled with my bare hands." Sage hissed as he pinned Jassaya to the floor with his lavender glare. It was painfully cold, like ice, as he made the threat.

"Is that an offer?" Jassaya smiled up at him.

Sage blinked in surprise at this woman's audacity to even think in such a way when he had the upper hand. It was odd she could fear that man Naraku, yet laugh in the Ronin's face when he was seething in rage.

Jassaya manged to pull free, using Sage's shock to her advantage. Halo landed on the floor with a voilent smash, splinters and wood chips diging into his dark blue and green tunic as he rolled across the floor.

She jumped into the air and landed hard on Halo's chest, knocking the air from his lungs. Sage slumped under her, gasping for a second wind, as well as wincing to the pain the impact had on his ribs.

The demon reached down and held up one of Sage's hands, letting the fabric fall from his arm to reveal his mangled wrist from her imprisonment. A normal wound like that would still be raw and bruised at this stage in healing. Her eyes narrowed a little, they were still red, and the last traces of bruises were slowly disappearing.

"Naraku either used his powers to heal you…or you have powers of your own."

Sage winced. "What makes you think that?" He wheezed.

"You came out of that coma far to quickly…and you were physically able to break free." Jassaya glared down at Sage. "I'm starting to think that trinket you want so much has something to do with this."

Sage pulled his hand away, but it resulted in pulling Jassaya down. He clenched his teeth in annoyance, as the same time startled the Ronin Warrior of Grace. He wished for a second that he could litterly fall throught the floor and out of reach of this woman.

"I'm going to personally speak to Naraku." Jassaya informed in a cold whisper. "Thanks to you I have to bargain with this demon…who has enough power to kill us both. If I have to give up you're powers, I want one thing in return."

Sage took a sharp breath, he tried not to wince since Jassaya's knee was buried into his gut. He hated to ask more questions, only to get answers he didn't want to hear.

"What is that?"

Jassaya leaned down, sealing her lips over Halo's. It took all of Sage's free will to keep from turning his head away. Maybe, just maybe he could get his armor back if he endured this just a little bit…but he couldn't bring himself to return the kiss.

The demon woman finally decided she needed to get back to business. She pulled back and climbed off Sage, leaving him on the floor to dust himself off and dig splinters from his skin and clothes. She stopped in the door way that lead out of the room they had fought in.

"Well, at least you're getting the point." She said darkly. "Now if only you'd respond willingly and not fight me, this won't be as painful as it already is for you." Jassaya growled and left.

Sage sat up, running his hand through his hair to get it out of his face. He had just had his rear handed to him on a silver plater over some stupid comeback and had committed himself to more hell.

Guys, you've got to get me out of this mess. Sage thought as he remained sitting on the floor, left to himself in his thoughts.

What the hell was he going to do now.

*******

"Kento! LOOK OUT!" Kagome shouted.

Hardrock dodged aside as snarling demon wolf tried to snap his head off. He fell to the ground as he neared the fallen log that Kagome was firing arrows from behind, giving her a clear shot of the demon's flank.

She was using the bow with the looser cord, taking careful aim and firing. The young girl watched as her arrow sailed threw the air and stuck the beast, but bounced harmless away.

"His fur is like armor!" Miroku shouted. "We're going to need something stronger.

Cye and Ryo stood ready on the edge of the clearing. "He has to have a soft under belly…" Torrent whispered.

Ryo nodded. "Cover me." The Ronin leader informed as he dashed for the demon. Kagome began to fire again, this time drawing the monster's attention to her as Kento held up a good defense in case it charged.

The Ronin Warrior of Wildfire dropped down on his side as he skidded across the ground, going under the demon. He moved to stab his sword up when he stabbed upward. It buried itself deep into the thing's belly, spilling dark blood across Ryo's red armor. It oozed down his blade and arm. When the monster roared in outrage it gushed, splattering liquid black scarlet all over him.

Then the monster kicked.

Ryo heard Kento shouting for him to get out of there. The wolf demon began to spaz, kicking it's legs and trying to dig the Ronin leader out from under him.

A claw caught Ryo's shoulder, ripping a gash into the armor and exposing bare flesh. The warrior of Virtue was so startled that he froze right up, giving the monster enough time to snag Ryo with it's other foot and pitch him clear into the air while tearing three holes into his side.

Ryo smashed into a tree as he landed on the ground. He forced his eyes open to see the blurry battle field around him. The monster was turning to the smell of it's own blood, spotting him.

"Oh damn!" Cye shouted. "RYO GET OUT OF THERE!" He yelled.

Kagome screamed in horror as the monster roared and started to charge for him. Kento and Cye began a mad dash to cut the beast off when Rowen's arrows began to fill the air.

"KAGOME! I can't get a good shot from here!" Rowen yelled from across the clearing. "Go for it's head!"

Kagome gupled as she realized what she had to do. As fast as she could she grabbed up her tighter bow and loaded with a long arrow. She pulled back with all her might and fired.

The monster dropped dead on the ground with an arrow protruding from it's ear.

Cye rushed over to Ryo. "Ryo! Talk to me!"

The Ronin leader groaned as he finally gave in to the pain that was filling his body. "I wish the hell Sage was here…" He choked, coughing up blood. Rowen jogged in, dropping his bow on the the ground and removing his leader's weapons, and helmet.

"You have to take this armor off." Strata ordered. "We can only hope there is no internal bleeding."

Ryo winced as he willed away his armor, then his sub armor. The Ronin Warrior now sat on the ground in his street clothes, some of it coveredin blood and torn in the areas that the monster had broken through his armor.

Kento hissed. "Oh man…now we really need Sage."

Kagome shook her head. "Why? What can he do?"

"Sage's armor allows him to heal wounds. He's our field doctor if you think about it." Hardrock whispered. "That looks real nasty."

Inuyasha and Miroku staggered through the hedge, both covered in blood as well. Most of it appeared to be the second wold demon's own. The monk fell down on a log, wincing as he touched his blood soaked cloak over his arm. "That bag of Kaede's…" He muttered.

Cye removed the strap from around his neck. "Where is Lea and Sango?"

"Cleaning up." Inuyasha snuffed, watching as Rowen tear apart Ryo's shirt to see the damage. "They did more of the dirty work."

"Not hurt are they?" Kento asked.

"No." Inuyasha turned sudden as Ryo yelped.

Rowen pulled back his hand from the side of Ryo's chest that had bee hit. "You've got some cracked ribs." He muttered. "Jesus Ryo, haven't you learned yet that what Lea can do, you can't?"

Cye was busy wrapping Miroku's arm when he spoke up. "My idea. I should have done it."

And you'd still be was torn up as Ryo." Rowen growled. "There are days I wished you had a sixth sense so you'd stay out of this kind of trouble!" He began to wrap what was once Ryo's shirt around the area that he cracked his ribs. "The sooner we find Sage…the better. At least you're not bleeding internally.

Inuyasha turned his head to Kagome. "You alright?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. They kept me a safe distance away from all the fighting." She was startled when Rowen called for her canteen. The young girl rushed back to her items and brough the water carrier back. She watched as Rowen handed it to Ryo and then got up to smile a little at her.

"Good shot. Couldn't have been any better."

Kagome smiled a little. "Thanks."

"I'm going to find the girls…I also left Shippo in a tree somewhere." Strata turned and walked off.

Inuyasha looked at Ryo. "Hey, do yourself a favor and don't get in our way next time we fight."

Ryo glared at him from the ground. "Shut up." He said in an annoyed voice, taking a long drink from the canteen.