Tears of Twilight
Chapter 20.
Cye stared at Kaye for a long time, thinking of all that she had said. He wasn't quite sure if he did understand, but then again he felt as if he did. To him that didn't make much sense at all. How do you not understand someone, but you do? He looked down at the floor, wondering exactly how to tell her what he was thinking, but he worried he might upset her. She had been through so much it wasn't funny.
Kaye continued to watch Cye with almost troubled eyes. She kept wondering what he was thinking, but felt hesitant to ask him. So instead she stood up and stretched a little, then looked over at the doorway. "You know what? I'm bored. Why don't we walk around the castle for a while?"
At once the two boys readily agreed. So all three checked the area in the hall as they poked their heads out the doorway. Seeing no one, they ventured out and began to walk down the hall. Kaye had no idea where they would walk around to, but at the moment she didn't care. Just as long as it was far away from Jakada or Talpa. The two boys followed along with her, and every once in a while one would look behind his or her shoulder in case someone would come along and stop them from going anywhere.
Of course it was stupid, Thunder decided to himself. They couldn't escape even they were to try. Once the collars were activated they were pretty much motionless. They got down to the end of the hallway and saw it split into two different directions, one going left, the other going right. All three stopped in the center and stared at it. Which way should they go?
"Well?" Cye asked Kaye.
Kaye shrugged. "I don't know, Cye. You know this castle better than I do."
"That doesn't mean I know where everything leads to," Cye replied dryly.
"Then I suggest you find out, Torrent, because you three will be here for a very, very long time," Talpa's voice came from behind the three. They whirled around to face him, and instantly they glared up at him.
Talpa smirked. "Glare at me all you want, it makes no difference to me. I heard the two of you talking earlier," he told Cye and Kaye. That gave them both an uneasy feeling as they both cast each other an uncomfortable glance, before forcing themselves to look back toward him.
"In answer to your questions, Torrent," Talpa began, "yes, I was there when you were born and when you were growing up. I would have taken you when you were first born, but I didn't want the responsibility of raising an infant. Though now I admit I wish I had taken you back then. You would have made a powerful warlord with great training. But know this, since you know I'm your father, you will do exactly what I say and when I say it. I have authority over you, like it or not, and I am now raising you. And you will address me as father or dad, whichever word you mortal children use now adays."
Cye looked horrified. There was no way he was going to call him Talpa! And who cared if he fathered him, that didn't give him parental rights! He lifted his chin and stared at him firmly in the eyes, his own eyes burning with animosity. "Why should I call you by that title? You don't even deserve it! You never raised me, or help mom care for me! You've kidnapped my sister, our friend, and me, and don't even care if we're suffering in this place! I won't call you by that title! Ever!"
Talpa's eyes flashed red and then suddenly, he smacked Cye right across the mouth, causing his head to fly to one side. Instantly Cye and Kaye yelled in pain in unison, and Thunder glared at Talpa.
"Stop it!" he shouted at him.
Talpa turned to Thunder and pointed at him. "You are in enough trouble already, boy! Don't push it any further!" He turned back to Cye. "You will call me by that title, Torrent, or there will be hell to pay!" And with that he stormed away.
Cye was holding his mouth and shaking a little. When he pulled his fingers away there was a little blood on them. Worried his teeth might have been cracked, he carefully checked them. All seemed to be fine, just his mouth itself was injured. He glanced over at Kaye and mumbled, "I'm sorry."
Kaye shook her head, staring hard into his eyes. "No, Cye, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have stopped him."
"You shouldn't start blaming yourself now, Kaye. None of us knew that Talpa would do that to me," Cye replied.
Kaye sighed. Inside she felt much anger, but what could she do? Any attempted attack would automatically be halted. It just wasn't fair!
"Cye, hold still. I'm going to heal you," Thunder said. Cye nodded and relaxed as Thunder healed his mouth of the pain. When he was finished, he thanked him, and the three continued on their way down the hall, with Cye remembering every word that Talpa had said to him. Inside he couldn't help but shudder with fear and disgust.
Jakada was pacing back and forth in the room he slept in, his hands clasped behind his back as he thought about the possible places where the Ronins and their two friends, and those two tigers could be at. The soldiers had checked every possible place, but it seemed as if they were either hidden by a magic spell, or they kept changing their positions once they took out the Dynasty soldiers. Of course he did know a way to find him, and the thought made him grin. It was time to show them just how powerful he could be. He closed his eyes and begin to search the entire Dynasty, probing minds of anyone who might have been a Ronin Warrior or a friend of Storm. He would find them, even it took him all night long to do so.
Ryo was feeling a little hungry and he was cursing himself for not bringing any food with him. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, but all he could think about besides rescuing the others from Talpa, was a mouth watering double deluxe cheeseburger.
Sage was sitting against the cave wall, with his eyes closed, but he wasn't meditating. Instead, he was deep in thought, thinking of how awful it must be for Cye, Kaye, and Thunder. This would be Cye's second imprisonment there, and he couldn't help but worry of how Kaye and Thunder would take it.
Flash was rummaging in her back pack that she had brought with her. She hadn't spoken for about two hours or so, but neither did the two boys. White Blaze was laying down, but was steadily watching the mouth of the cave, alert for any signs of danger.
Chapter 20.
Cye stared at Kaye for a long time, thinking of all that she had said. He wasn't quite sure if he did understand, but then again he felt as if he did. To him that didn't make much sense at all. How do you not understand someone, but you do? He looked down at the floor, wondering exactly how to tell her what he was thinking, but he worried he might upset her. She had been through so much it wasn't funny.
Kaye continued to watch Cye with almost troubled eyes. She kept wondering what he was thinking, but felt hesitant to ask him. So instead she stood up and stretched a little, then looked over at the doorway. "You know what? I'm bored. Why don't we walk around the castle for a while?"
At once the two boys readily agreed. So all three checked the area in the hall as they poked their heads out the doorway. Seeing no one, they ventured out and began to walk down the hall. Kaye had no idea where they would walk around to, but at the moment she didn't care. Just as long as it was far away from Jakada or Talpa. The two boys followed along with her, and every once in a while one would look behind his or her shoulder in case someone would come along and stop them from going anywhere.
Of course it was stupid, Thunder decided to himself. They couldn't escape even they were to try. Once the collars were activated they were pretty much motionless. They got down to the end of the hallway and saw it split into two different directions, one going left, the other going right. All three stopped in the center and stared at it. Which way should they go?
"Well?" Cye asked Kaye.
Kaye shrugged. "I don't know, Cye. You know this castle better than I do."
"That doesn't mean I know where everything leads to," Cye replied dryly.
"Then I suggest you find out, Torrent, because you three will be here for a very, very long time," Talpa's voice came from behind the three. They whirled around to face him, and instantly they glared up at him.
Talpa smirked. "Glare at me all you want, it makes no difference to me. I heard the two of you talking earlier," he told Cye and Kaye. That gave them both an uneasy feeling as they both cast each other an uncomfortable glance, before forcing themselves to look back toward him.
"In answer to your questions, Torrent," Talpa began, "yes, I was there when you were born and when you were growing up. I would have taken you when you were first born, but I didn't want the responsibility of raising an infant. Though now I admit I wish I had taken you back then. You would have made a powerful warlord with great training. But know this, since you know I'm your father, you will do exactly what I say and when I say it. I have authority over you, like it or not, and I am now raising you. And you will address me as father or dad, whichever word you mortal children use now adays."
Cye looked horrified. There was no way he was going to call him Talpa! And who cared if he fathered him, that didn't give him parental rights! He lifted his chin and stared at him firmly in the eyes, his own eyes burning with animosity. "Why should I call you by that title? You don't even deserve it! You never raised me, or help mom care for me! You've kidnapped my sister, our friend, and me, and don't even care if we're suffering in this place! I won't call you by that title! Ever!"
Talpa's eyes flashed red and then suddenly, he smacked Cye right across the mouth, causing his head to fly to one side. Instantly Cye and Kaye yelled in pain in unison, and Thunder glared at Talpa.
"Stop it!" he shouted at him.
Talpa turned to Thunder and pointed at him. "You are in enough trouble already, boy! Don't push it any further!" He turned back to Cye. "You will call me by that title, Torrent, or there will be hell to pay!" And with that he stormed away.
Cye was holding his mouth and shaking a little. When he pulled his fingers away there was a little blood on them. Worried his teeth might have been cracked, he carefully checked them. All seemed to be fine, just his mouth itself was injured. He glanced over at Kaye and mumbled, "I'm sorry."
Kaye shook her head, staring hard into his eyes. "No, Cye, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have stopped him."
"You shouldn't start blaming yourself now, Kaye. None of us knew that Talpa would do that to me," Cye replied.
Kaye sighed. Inside she felt much anger, but what could she do? Any attempted attack would automatically be halted. It just wasn't fair!
"Cye, hold still. I'm going to heal you," Thunder said. Cye nodded and relaxed as Thunder healed his mouth of the pain. When he was finished, he thanked him, and the three continued on their way down the hall, with Cye remembering every word that Talpa had said to him. Inside he couldn't help but shudder with fear and disgust.
Jakada was pacing back and forth in the room he slept in, his hands clasped behind his back as he thought about the possible places where the Ronins and their two friends, and those two tigers could be at. The soldiers had checked every possible place, but it seemed as if they were either hidden by a magic spell, or they kept changing their positions once they took out the Dynasty soldiers. Of course he did know a way to find him, and the thought made him grin. It was time to show them just how powerful he could be. He closed his eyes and begin to search the entire Dynasty, probing minds of anyone who might have been a Ronin Warrior or a friend of Storm. He would find them, even it took him all night long to do so.
Ryo was feeling a little hungry and he was cursing himself for not bringing any food with him. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, but all he could think about besides rescuing the others from Talpa, was a mouth watering double deluxe cheeseburger.
Sage was sitting against the cave wall, with his eyes closed, but he wasn't meditating. Instead, he was deep in thought, thinking of how awful it must be for Cye, Kaye, and Thunder. This would be Cye's second imprisonment there, and he couldn't help but worry of how Kaye and Thunder would take it.
Flash was rummaging in her back pack that she had brought with her. She hadn't spoken for about two hours or so, but neither did the two boys. White Blaze was laying down, but was steadily watching the mouth of the cave, alert for any signs of danger.