Chapter 48
Minutes turned to hours, hours into days, and days into weeks, until two weeks had passed since the first attempt by the nether spirits had failed. Everyday, the Warlords spent time with their partners, and practiced. Anubis, who always made good on his promises, began to teach Jazalyn how to use a Katana. The Warlord of Cruelty was impressed; Jazalyn had quickly acquired the discipline and skill to wield a sword and finally, after a small, private initiation ceremony, his partner had become a full warrior. 'Now she is a true Samurai,' Anubis smiled.
At the ceremony, Anubis gave Jazalyn a new Katana, signifying that she was now a warrior. The blade was made out of a lightweight, sharp metal, while the black handle was easy to grasp. The leader of the Warlords was proud of his partner's skills, but that wasn't enough to distract him from the problem that was eating him up inside: his partner's nightmares.
Anubis closed his eyes as he felt his heart tie itself into a knot. He knew that his partner was having nightmares, but when he tried to confront Jazalyn about them, she refused to give him an answer. The fact that she couldn't trust him enough to tell him her nightmares really hurt him.
There were more attempts by the Ronins to retrieve the three girls, but they had ended in failure. However, these wins were not flawless victories. Many times, Dais had come back from a fight with wind knocked out of him or kicked in the lower region. Even Anubis wasn't immune to the punishment the two remaining partners could dish out. Several times he had come back to the castle after being punched in the throat by that bitch Sarah, or had been stabbed by that annoyance Brian. The leader of the Warlords sighed; he would take care of those two "problems" in his own good time.
Walking down the one of the many castle hallways, the Warlord of Cruelty bumped into the Warlord of Venom and the Warlord of Illusion. "Dais, Sekhmet, what are you two doing here?"
"We need to talk," Dais began.
"Okay," Anubis replied, a little worried.
"Not here," Dais gestured, "in the library."
"Fine," Anubis replied.
When Dais, Anubis, and Sekhmet got to the library, the Warlord of Illusion motioned for the remaining two Warlords to sit down. Dais lost no time in getting to the point, "I think we may have to let our partners go."
"WHAT!" Sekhmet yelled.
"It's the nightmares, isn't it?" Anubis replied, "They fear that their loved ones will be harmed if they stay here."
"Hai," Dais said sadly, "Melissa's afraid for her father, her mother, and her four siblings"
Sekhmet lowered his eyes, "I don't want Melody to go, but these nightmares… when I see her having them… it tears me up inside."
"Is there another reason?" Anubis asked the Illusion Warlord.
Dais nodded, "Cale found out about the Partnership. He's threatening to tell everything he knows to Talpa."
Sekhmet hissed, "When I get my hands on him…"
"Then we have to give them back," Anubis swallowed. "It's the only way they'll be safe."
"NO!" Dais yelled, "I WILL NOT LET THAT HYPOCRITICAL CHILD HAVE THE FINAL VICTORY!"
Anubis' eyes narrowed, "I don't like Torrent's partner either, but it's come to the point where we're going to have to look past our pride and think about what's best for our partners. And if that means we have to give them back to those Ronin brats, then we have to do it."
"How can you be so unattached to your partner?" Sekhmet hissed angrily.
"If you think that I want to willingly give up my partner," Anubis began, "then you are sorely mistaken. But if we keep them here, then they'll go through more pain and suffering. We have to do the right thing, and if that means letting them go, then that's what we have to do."
"I can't" Sekhmet replied, "For the first time in my life, I've found someone who will accept the real me. You just can't decide to take her away from me."
"That may be true," Anubis sighed, "but would you rather see Melody in pain? I know the nightmares she keeps having frighten her, but keeping her here will only make the problem worse." Then Anubis looked at the other two Warlords, "if we truly care about them, then we may have to let them go."
"No!" Sekhmet shouted, "I will not let her go! She'll choose to confide her fears and dreams to her brother Chase. And when she does, she'll forget all about me! I can't give her up!"
Anubis looked at Sekhmet straight in the eye, "you may not have a choice."
Anubis walked into his room only to find Jazalyn asleep in her bed; clutching the Katana he had given her. 'I hate this so much,' Anubis thought as he ran his hands through her hair, 'but I only want to do what's best for you.'
NOTES:
1. The ceremony that Jazalyn went though is based on the ceremony all Samurai boys went thorough at age 15. At that ceremony, boys were given their adult name. Jazalyn did not recieve a new name.
Minutes turned to hours, hours into days, and days into weeks, until two weeks had passed since the first attempt by the nether spirits had failed. Everyday, the Warlords spent time with their partners, and practiced. Anubis, who always made good on his promises, began to teach Jazalyn how to use a Katana. The Warlord of Cruelty was impressed; Jazalyn had quickly acquired the discipline and skill to wield a sword and finally, after a small, private initiation ceremony, his partner had become a full warrior. 'Now she is a true Samurai,' Anubis smiled.
At the ceremony, Anubis gave Jazalyn a new Katana, signifying that she was now a warrior. The blade was made out of a lightweight, sharp metal, while the black handle was easy to grasp. The leader of the Warlords was proud of his partner's skills, but that wasn't enough to distract him from the problem that was eating him up inside: his partner's nightmares.
Anubis closed his eyes as he felt his heart tie itself into a knot. He knew that his partner was having nightmares, but when he tried to confront Jazalyn about them, she refused to give him an answer. The fact that she couldn't trust him enough to tell him her nightmares really hurt him.
There were more attempts by the Ronins to retrieve the three girls, but they had ended in failure. However, these wins were not flawless victories. Many times, Dais had come back from a fight with wind knocked out of him or kicked in the lower region. Even Anubis wasn't immune to the punishment the two remaining partners could dish out. Several times he had come back to the castle after being punched in the throat by that bitch Sarah, or had been stabbed by that annoyance Brian. The leader of the Warlords sighed; he would take care of those two "problems" in his own good time.
Walking down the one of the many castle hallways, the Warlord of Cruelty bumped into the Warlord of Venom and the Warlord of Illusion. "Dais, Sekhmet, what are you two doing here?"
"We need to talk," Dais began.
"Okay," Anubis replied, a little worried.
"Not here," Dais gestured, "in the library."
"Fine," Anubis replied.
When Dais, Anubis, and Sekhmet got to the library, the Warlord of Illusion motioned for the remaining two Warlords to sit down. Dais lost no time in getting to the point, "I think we may have to let our partners go."
"WHAT!" Sekhmet yelled.
"It's the nightmares, isn't it?" Anubis replied, "They fear that their loved ones will be harmed if they stay here."
"Hai," Dais said sadly, "Melissa's afraid for her father, her mother, and her four siblings"
Sekhmet lowered his eyes, "I don't want Melody to go, but these nightmares… when I see her having them… it tears me up inside."
"Is there another reason?" Anubis asked the Illusion Warlord.
Dais nodded, "Cale found out about the Partnership. He's threatening to tell everything he knows to Talpa."
Sekhmet hissed, "When I get my hands on him…"
"Then we have to give them back," Anubis swallowed. "It's the only way they'll be safe."
"NO!" Dais yelled, "I WILL NOT LET THAT HYPOCRITICAL CHILD HAVE THE FINAL VICTORY!"
Anubis' eyes narrowed, "I don't like Torrent's partner either, but it's come to the point where we're going to have to look past our pride and think about what's best for our partners. And if that means we have to give them back to those Ronin brats, then we have to do it."
"How can you be so unattached to your partner?" Sekhmet hissed angrily.
"If you think that I want to willingly give up my partner," Anubis began, "then you are sorely mistaken. But if we keep them here, then they'll go through more pain and suffering. We have to do the right thing, and if that means letting them go, then that's what we have to do."
"I can't" Sekhmet replied, "For the first time in my life, I've found someone who will accept the real me. You just can't decide to take her away from me."
"That may be true," Anubis sighed, "but would you rather see Melody in pain? I know the nightmares she keeps having frighten her, but keeping her here will only make the problem worse." Then Anubis looked at the other two Warlords, "if we truly care about them, then we may have to let them go."
"No!" Sekhmet shouted, "I will not let her go! She'll choose to confide her fears and dreams to her brother Chase. And when she does, she'll forget all about me! I can't give her up!"
Anubis looked at Sekhmet straight in the eye, "you may not have a choice."
Anubis walked into his room only to find Jazalyn asleep in her bed; clutching the Katana he had given her. 'I hate this so much,' Anubis thought as he ran his hands through her hair, 'but I only want to do what's best for you.'
NOTES:
1. The ceremony that Jazalyn went though is based on the ceremony all Samurai boys went thorough at age 15. At that ceremony, boys were given their adult name. Jazalyn did not recieve a new name.