Realm Remix
Chapter 14
Cosa smiled as he put his hand in the bowl of water, making the surface turn glassy and mirrorlike. "Aw, look at Doste, playing with the big boys," he drawled.
Shiree came and stood behind him as she worked a knot out of her hair. She frowned pensively as she watched the mirror. "Shouldn't you go and help him out?"
"Oh, let's have them teach him a lesson. He's getting too cocky for his own good."
"No. I don't like it," Shiree stated, glaring down at the reflection. "Those warriors outnumber him, and even though we're on our own turf, I don't want to risk losing one of us. Even if it is Doste. Grab an armor and go rescue him."
"I can't manage the armors," Cosa argued, turning away from the mirror. "After about five minutes it's impossible to wear them."
"So? Beat them in five minutes," Shiree said carelessly as she began unrolling a tatami mat. "I'm going to have a nap. I'll need to be rested for the ceremony tonight." She stretched and lay down on the mat, closing her eyes.
"Come with me." Cosa folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her with raised brows.
"No. Go away." In the classic fashion of people trying to sleep, Shiree grabbed a random pillow and clutched it over her head.
"Coward."
"Get out of my room!"
"Come on, don't you want to see what the tiger armor is like?" Cosa wheedled.
Shiree opened one eye in interest. Cosa held up the silvery armor sphere. She watched it with narrowed eyes. He could practically see the gears whirring inside her brain.
Her decision made, Shiree grabbed her pillow and threw it at him. "All right all right. Help me up."
========================================================
"All right, Tigermoon, that's enough chattering from you," Doste growled. He held out his hand and blasted her with bright blood red light. The girl made a strange meeping noise like a strangled parakeet and dropped to the floor. The Warlords, as one, knelt down around her and spat several incredibly rude curses at Doste.
"Hey, let her alone, she didn't do anything to you," Kaye said angrily, trying to get to her feet. "Ah, pain. All right, shorty, come over here so I can slap you... because I don't feel like getting up," she finished, sitting back down and holding her side.
"SHORTY?"
Sage and Kento quickly got in the way before Doste could strangle Kaye.
"Look, we don't really want to fight you." Cye stepped between them with his best 'Trust-Me-On-This' eyes. He couldn't bring himself to hurt someone who looked as small and childlike as Doste. (Although Doste looked like he was going to go for Sage's neck with his bare teeth alone.)
"Yes we do Cye, there's this little matter of him having the rest of our armors."
They were interrupted by the arrival of two armored figures. Cosa had chosen to try out the armor of Strata, but apparently the armor was rejecting him. A glowing golden-green force field surrounded him and the armor, keeping it firmly around his body.
Kaye gritted her teeth as Shiree leaned on her - Kaye's - bo staff. Bearing the Tiger armor, Shiree had a look on her face like a cat that swallowed a canary, a cheeseburger and someone else's parakeet. In short, Shiree looked way too pleased with herself.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Doste whined. "I thought you were going to let me--"
"We got bored," Shiree said indifferently. She flicked him a glowing green kanji orb. "Here, try out Venom..."
Doste caught the armor with a gleam growing in his eyes, like a pyro in a fireworks factory.
"So, Strata, want to know what your surekill feels like?" Cosa began, nocking an arrow to his bow.
"Not really, no," Rowen shot back.
"All right, everyone, get in a defensive position around Kaye," Ryo said, looking at their injured comrade. "Where's that Tigermoon--" He cut himself off as he looked around, noticing the lack of certain people.
"Where'd the Warlords go?" Rowen asked angrily.
"Looks like they took Tigermoon and left, or the other way around," Sage replied calmly.
Kento said several things under his breath, most of which included swear words that no one had ever heard of before, none of them flattering to the Warlords. The Ronins surrounded Kaye and got into fighting stances.
Kaye decided that injury or not, she wasn't going to let them fight alone. She stood up, got into a back stance, and fell into Kento. "I'm fine," she insisted as he helped her back up.
"Well, you did just have your armor ripped away..." Kento began.
"But other than that, good to fight," Kaye announced, standing up on her own, but wobbling a bit.
Since Cye and Ryo still had their armors, they drew their weapons. "All right, let's see what you've got," Ryo challenged.
"Pity your friends ran away," Shiree smirked as she charged at him. "Pity for you, that is."
Ryo's katanas clashed against her bo staff as they met in battle.
Doste looked down at his hands, which were covered in the dark green metal of the Venom armor. The armor was fighting him very strongly, it was all he could do to keep it bound to him. He concentrated and created a force field around it, similar to the one Cosa was using to keep Strata. "All right, who goes first?" he asked when he had finished.
"Cheers," Cye replied in a very British way, pulling out his yari.
Meanwhile, Rowen, Sage, Kento and Kaye were in the worst trouble of all. Cosa had the archer's advantage; he could hang back from the battle and pick them off with arrows before they could attack him. Luckily Cosa was paying little attention to his aim; Strata was fighting him very fiercely and he had to keep up the force field.
"So, anyone got any bright ideas?" Sage asked the others hopefully as he ducked out of arrow range.
"Uh, no -- aah!" Kaye cried suddenly as she fell to the floor. An arrow whizzed past just where her head had been.
"Very graceful, tigress. Now was that dumb luck, or did you actually mean to fall over?" Cosa snerked.
Kaye glared at him from where she was kneeling, trying to pretend that she wasn't that badly hurt. She reached for a rock that was lying near her and flung it at him in true pitching style. It hit the force field around his armor with an odd gong-like sound.
Kento grabbed a rock that had crumbled out of the wall. He pulled his arm back and threw it at Cosa. The rock rebounded off the force field, but it left a definite crack, and the golden green field flickered for a minute.
Rowen's eyes lit up. "Target practice. Fun." He grabbed a handful of rocks and started chucking them wildly.
"Careful, Rowen, you don't want to scratch your armor," Sage warned. But he bent down and picked up his own rock, pitching it with perfect accuracy at Cosa's head.
"I always knew it, one day softball practice would come in handy," Kaye cheered as she grabbed another rock.
Cye was holding his own against Doste very well. The new bearer of Venom had barely half the skill Sekhmet did, and the armor was fighting him all the time. Cye knocked Doste's swords out of reach and forced him to the ground.
Doste looked up at him. "You wouldn't really kill me, would you?"
Cye faltered for barely an instant as he looked at Doste's childish face. Then he was jerked backwards by the back of his neck. Siren looked down at him with cold pale green eyes. "Payback time," he hissed.
"Cye!" Kaye called out as she saw him go limp. His armor vanished into Siren's palm, and the Guardian held up a light blue orb in triumph.
That was when Cosa suddenly vanished. He reappeared behind her, grabbed her around the neck and waist and pulled her back, using her as a shield. "Go ahead, keep throwing rocks. I dare you."
Ikari appeared. "Guess what?"
"Don't interrupt, Ikari, it isn't polite," Shiree spat back, locking weapons with Ryo.
"Forget politeness, it's time, we have to act now," Ikari retorted.
Shiree growled angrily as Ryo's sword just missed her cheek. "Well then, make yourself useful so that we get there on time," she answered.
Ikari pulled out her naginata. "Two fights in one day. Things are looking up."
"I am really getting sick of you," Kaye muttered as Cosa took several steps backward, still using her as a shield.
"Well, don't worry, you won't have to put up with me much longer."
"What do you mean?"
"The last Ronin has just fallen," Shiree answered for her, holding up a bright red armor sphere. She bowed mockingly towards the last remaining fighters. "You fought bravely. I salute you." She held up her hand commandingly. Doste, Siren, Ikari and Cosa walked towards her. Doste banished the Venom armor with obvious relief, wiping sweat from his face. Ikari licked her finger and rubbed away some of Ryo's blood that had gotten on her cheek. Cosa still held a struggling Kaye in front of him, and Siren looked very weak and tired.
"Guardians, you've done a good job," Shiree told them. "Now we've got to do our job. Time to take back our world."
Chapter 14
Cosa smiled as he put his hand in the bowl of water, making the surface turn glassy and mirrorlike. "Aw, look at Doste, playing with the big boys," he drawled.
Shiree came and stood behind him as she worked a knot out of her hair. She frowned pensively as she watched the mirror. "Shouldn't you go and help him out?"
"Oh, let's have them teach him a lesson. He's getting too cocky for his own good."
"No. I don't like it," Shiree stated, glaring down at the reflection. "Those warriors outnumber him, and even though we're on our own turf, I don't want to risk losing one of us. Even if it is Doste. Grab an armor and go rescue him."
"I can't manage the armors," Cosa argued, turning away from the mirror. "After about five minutes it's impossible to wear them."
"So? Beat them in five minutes," Shiree said carelessly as she began unrolling a tatami mat. "I'm going to have a nap. I'll need to be rested for the ceremony tonight." She stretched and lay down on the mat, closing her eyes.
"Come with me." Cosa folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her with raised brows.
"No. Go away." In the classic fashion of people trying to sleep, Shiree grabbed a random pillow and clutched it over her head.
"Coward."
"Get out of my room!"
"Come on, don't you want to see what the tiger armor is like?" Cosa wheedled.
Shiree opened one eye in interest. Cosa held up the silvery armor sphere. She watched it with narrowed eyes. He could practically see the gears whirring inside her brain.
Her decision made, Shiree grabbed her pillow and threw it at him. "All right all right. Help me up."
========================================================
"All right, Tigermoon, that's enough chattering from you," Doste growled. He held out his hand and blasted her with bright blood red light. The girl made a strange meeping noise like a strangled parakeet and dropped to the floor. The Warlords, as one, knelt down around her and spat several incredibly rude curses at Doste.
"Hey, let her alone, she didn't do anything to you," Kaye said angrily, trying to get to her feet. "Ah, pain. All right, shorty, come over here so I can slap you... because I don't feel like getting up," she finished, sitting back down and holding her side.
"SHORTY?"
Sage and Kento quickly got in the way before Doste could strangle Kaye.
"Look, we don't really want to fight you." Cye stepped between them with his best 'Trust-Me-On-This' eyes. He couldn't bring himself to hurt someone who looked as small and childlike as Doste. (Although Doste looked like he was going to go for Sage's neck with his bare teeth alone.)
"Yes we do Cye, there's this little matter of him having the rest of our armors."
They were interrupted by the arrival of two armored figures. Cosa had chosen to try out the armor of Strata, but apparently the armor was rejecting him. A glowing golden-green force field surrounded him and the armor, keeping it firmly around his body.
Kaye gritted her teeth as Shiree leaned on her - Kaye's - bo staff. Bearing the Tiger armor, Shiree had a look on her face like a cat that swallowed a canary, a cheeseburger and someone else's parakeet. In short, Shiree looked way too pleased with herself.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Doste whined. "I thought you were going to let me--"
"We got bored," Shiree said indifferently. She flicked him a glowing green kanji orb. "Here, try out Venom..."
Doste caught the armor with a gleam growing in his eyes, like a pyro in a fireworks factory.
"So, Strata, want to know what your surekill feels like?" Cosa began, nocking an arrow to his bow.
"Not really, no," Rowen shot back.
"All right, everyone, get in a defensive position around Kaye," Ryo said, looking at their injured comrade. "Where's that Tigermoon--" He cut himself off as he looked around, noticing the lack of certain people.
"Where'd the Warlords go?" Rowen asked angrily.
"Looks like they took Tigermoon and left, or the other way around," Sage replied calmly.
Kento said several things under his breath, most of which included swear words that no one had ever heard of before, none of them flattering to the Warlords. The Ronins surrounded Kaye and got into fighting stances.
Kaye decided that injury or not, she wasn't going to let them fight alone. She stood up, got into a back stance, and fell into Kento. "I'm fine," she insisted as he helped her back up.
"Well, you did just have your armor ripped away..." Kento began.
"But other than that, good to fight," Kaye announced, standing up on her own, but wobbling a bit.
Since Cye and Ryo still had their armors, they drew their weapons. "All right, let's see what you've got," Ryo challenged.
"Pity your friends ran away," Shiree smirked as she charged at him. "Pity for you, that is."
Ryo's katanas clashed against her bo staff as they met in battle.
Doste looked down at his hands, which were covered in the dark green metal of the Venom armor. The armor was fighting him very strongly, it was all he could do to keep it bound to him. He concentrated and created a force field around it, similar to the one Cosa was using to keep Strata. "All right, who goes first?" he asked when he had finished.
"Cheers," Cye replied in a very British way, pulling out his yari.
Meanwhile, Rowen, Sage, Kento and Kaye were in the worst trouble of all. Cosa had the archer's advantage; he could hang back from the battle and pick them off with arrows before they could attack him. Luckily Cosa was paying little attention to his aim; Strata was fighting him very fiercely and he had to keep up the force field.
"So, anyone got any bright ideas?" Sage asked the others hopefully as he ducked out of arrow range.
"Uh, no -- aah!" Kaye cried suddenly as she fell to the floor. An arrow whizzed past just where her head had been.
"Very graceful, tigress. Now was that dumb luck, or did you actually mean to fall over?" Cosa snerked.
Kaye glared at him from where she was kneeling, trying to pretend that she wasn't that badly hurt. She reached for a rock that was lying near her and flung it at him in true pitching style. It hit the force field around his armor with an odd gong-like sound.
Kento grabbed a rock that had crumbled out of the wall. He pulled his arm back and threw it at Cosa. The rock rebounded off the force field, but it left a definite crack, and the golden green field flickered for a minute.
Rowen's eyes lit up. "Target practice. Fun." He grabbed a handful of rocks and started chucking them wildly.
"Careful, Rowen, you don't want to scratch your armor," Sage warned. But he bent down and picked up his own rock, pitching it with perfect accuracy at Cosa's head.
"I always knew it, one day softball practice would come in handy," Kaye cheered as she grabbed another rock.
Cye was holding his own against Doste very well. The new bearer of Venom had barely half the skill Sekhmet did, and the armor was fighting him all the time. Cye knocked Doste's swords out of reach and forced him to the ground.
Doste looked up at him. "You wouldn't really kill me, would you?"
Cye faltered for barely an instant as he looked at Doste's childish face. Then he was jerked backwards by the back of his neck. Siren looked down at him with cold pale green eyes. "Payback time," he hissed.
"Cye!" Kaye called out as she saw him go limp. His armor vanished into Siren's palm, and the Guardian held up a light blue orb in triumph.
That was when Cosa suddenly vanished. He reappeared behind her, grabbed her around the neck and waist and pulled her back, using her as a shield. "Go ahead, keep throwing rocks. I dare you."
Ikari appeared. "Guess what?"
"Don't interrupt, Ikari, it isn't polite," Shiree spat back, locking weapons with Ryo.
"Forget politeness, it's time, we have to act now," Ikari retorted.
Shiree growled angrily as Ryo's sword just missed her cheek. "Well then, make yourself useful so that we get there on time," she answered.
Ikari pulled out her naginata. "Two fights in one day. Things are looking up."
"I am really getting sick of you," Kaye muttered as Cosa took several steps backward, still using her as a shield.
"Well, don't worry, you won't have to put up with me much longer."
"What do you mean?"
"The last Ronin has just fallen," Shiree answered for her, holding up a bright red armor sphere. She bowed mockingly towards the last remaining fighters. "You fought bravely. I salute you." She held up her hand commandingly. Doste, Siren, Ikari and Cosa walked towards her. Doste banished the Venom armor with obvious relief, wiping sweat from his face. Ikari licked her finger and rubbed away some of Ryo's blood that had gotten on her cheek. Cosa still held a struggling Kaye in front of him, and Siren looked very weak and tired.
"Guardians, you've done a good job," Shiree told them. "Now we've got to do our job. Time to take back our world."