Chapter 3: Strangers like me

"He is gone again."A woman with black hair and green eyed woman

said coming into a room, she was Kayura the last of the Ancient clan.

Kayura spoke to three men sitting or standing not far from her. One

with short dark blue hair and black eyes with a scar over the left, he

was Cale the Ronin of Darkness. Another had short wild green hair

and black eyes, he was Sheckmeht the Ronin of Vemon. The other

one had long red hair and sea green eyes, he was Anubis the Ronin

of Cruelty.

"Dais is gone again?" Cale asked. " Yes." Came Kayura's reply,

Cale looked at Sheckmeht. "First you, now him." He muttered and

Sheckmeht shook his head. "There is a difference Cale, I was looking

for a reason to go on, Dais is looking for something else and what

that is I don't think even he knows. But since all of us felt that disburtance

two days ago he been acting like these." He said drawing the

attention of his seventeen year old son and daughter.

William or Fox as he was know and Leonardo, Leona for short

looked at each other. "So they felt it too huh? But what is going

on with Dais?" Leona asked her twin brother. "I don't know,

but what ever it is I hope he fixs it or finds someone who can

help him." Fox whispered back not wanting Kayura and the

three Seasonals to know they was listening in.

Cale glanced at the door and elbowed Seckmeht. "Your childern

need to improve their spy skills." He muttered, Seckmeht looked

up. "Fox, Leona." He called and the two teenagers looked at each

other. "Rats." Fox muttered as he and his sister came into the room.

"You need to learn to be quieter if you think you going to get the

jump on us." Cale said smirking some and wisely the two kept slient.

"After Dais returns we need to go to the Ronins, I believe Leona

and Fox have some training to do and I need to speak with Mia."

Kayura said. "Actually, I think I heard Dais saying something about

going over there this morning." Leona said. "Why? Dais has no reason

to go." Cale questioned.

"Why does Dais do what he does?" Leona repiled with a shurg. "Dais

does what he pleases and doesn't explain himself to anyone, you know

that." She answered. "Hmmm, she may be right. Come on, we will go to

the Ronins, if Dais is not there perharps he will meet up with us later. But

Leona, Fox, you two stay here, you'll be safer."

"Ah but Kayura." Leona started but Seckmeht shook his head. "Not this

time Leona, you and your brother are to stay here. Pactice using your abilites,

strenghten them. We don't know when the Warlords and their leader may

attack again." He said, the two teens relcuntly agreed and the three Seasonals

and Lady Kayura left for the Koji manor.

Meanwhile at the Ronin Manor ..... "Shane, can you come here a mintue?" Mia's

voice called Shane into the kicten. "Yea Mia?" She asked looking as Cye was

keeping Kento away. "You want to help?" Mia asked indicting the cooking.

Shane shook her head. "Sorry my friend but you do not want me to help." She

said to her colleage friend. "Why?" Mia asked confused at what Shane said.

"Because I don't know how to cook, I never learned." Shane answered

plainly, her studies was focused on any and all type of fighting and things

that would be useful, lauganges as well as normal schooling, it was the

only thing Shane didn't fight aganist, knowing the information would

prove to be of use to her. Though right now it didn't seem to do any

good.

Mia was surpised. "You're kidding." Shane shook her head. "'Faird not."

She answered. "Okay then get out of the kicten. If you can't cook then

you are banned from the kicten. Out." Mia said giving Shane a friendly

shove out of the kicten.

Shane smiled inspite of herself, in the last two days she and Mia

picked up on the friendship they was froced to break and though

she was still cautious around the others Shane felt some acepptance

from the others of the household.

But Shane looked up at the door suddenly. *Somebody is

coming.* She thought and only a few moments after the bell

rung. "Shane, can you get that?" Mia called. "Yea Mia."

Shane answered as she walked to the door and opened it

slowly looking before she opened it fully to make sure it was

not someone that she didn't want to be found by. She was took

back a bit at the three men and woman that was there, for a

moment they seemed oddly famliar, like a distant memory but

as she tried to garb for it, the feeling of dajvu was gone.

"Is Mia here?" The woman asked, remembering her manners

Shane nodded. "Yea she is here, please come in." She said as

she stepped side way to let them in but she looked at them as

they turned their backs to her, like with Ryo, Sage, Cye, Kento

and Rowen they had a sense of power among them but it was

older in the boys, more developed and felt ...

*Tainted. These men and that woman have faced evil, have

been touched by it. Like me.* She thought to herself as she

shut the door. "Shane who is ...." Mia asked with Kento and

Sage coming in but stopped seeing the three men and the

woman. "Oh Kayura, what is the dorp in for?" She asked in

a friendly tone but from the way Kento and Sage stood Shane

could see some tension in them.

"We wanted to ... speak with you." Kayura said glancing at Shane,

Shane knew she wasn't souppse to be hearing what Kayura wanted

to talk to Mia about. "Mia, if you don't need me I have to go out. I

will return in a while." She said, Mia nodded. "Be careful." Shane

smiled but the smile didn't quite touch her eyes. "Careful is my middle

name." She said as she walked out the door.

After the woman left Kayura looked at Mia. "Who is she?" She

asked. "Her name is Shane and she is an old friend of mine from

colleage back in America." "Does she know....?" Mia shook her

head at Anubis's unfinished question.

"No, she doesn't know anything about the Ronins other then the

legend. And she keeps to herself so she probaly won't be in the

way." Mia said, Kayura looked a bit thoughtful but nodded. "Of

crouse. Now I believe you said some more of the disk been

translated?" She asked.

Meanwhile ..... Shane looked at the daggers in her hands, it was

a mircale getting them thourgh security at the airports but somehow

she managed to do so. She sighed shaking her head as she began

a workout, in the two days she been at the Koji manor she found

out thourgh the guys that they had an area set aside for pacticing

and pyshical training so she came here to work.

Shane began her workout at a slow pace so the movements was

compelte and then worked at a qiucker pace; putting a bit more

of a strain on her muscles as she focused on making each strike

though she was very aware of the fact that she was being wacthed.

Dais wacthed the red haired woman, at first he came to the training

area because, hearing someone there, he thought preharps the others

was there but instead he found the woman and it was the way she

moved that kept him wacthing. She moved like liqud, carefully drawned

out at a slow speed before she did so again at a much qiucker pace,

some of her movements even hard for him to cacth.

*The mark of someone who done this for very long time.* He thought

to himself as he wacthed, he knew he should go seek out the others

but he was a bit surprised by this stranger, ovbiously she was not

here three days ago when he last came, so he stayed to see if he

could find out who she was though he kept out of sight.

Shane sighed to herself as she wipped the light sweat from her

brow, she had hoped the stranger would leave her be but since

he was still there .... "Alright, you might as well show yourself."

She said dryly as she turned to where she knew the person was.

"I know you are there."

Dais was surprised, he thought, knew he hadn't made a sound.

So how could she have known he was there? But when the

woman called out again, sounding more annoyed he stepped

into sight. "You are very aware of your surroundings to have

heard me." He said.

Shane was slighty taken back by this but smiled to herself,

she hadn't heard him rather she had sensed his presence otherwise

she won't have known he was wacthing her. "I pactice." She

said as she studied him for a moment. "Now, why you

wacthing me?" She asked not even attempting to hide

the supusion in her voice.

And that supusion was not lost on Dais. "I was passing

by and I saw you practicing. You've been at this for a

long time haven't you?" He asked smoothly. "You mean

training?" She asked looking at her daggers. Dais nodded

as he looked the woman over again. "Yes. I do a bit of

training myself. Would you care to join me in a workout?"

The former warlord of Illusion asked.

"No thank you." Shane said, her supicon and cautious of

everyone coming to the fornt. "I think my mother advised

me never to train with a stranger." Dais smirked. "I thought

it was never to talk to strangers." He corrected. "Too late

for that." Shane answered. Dais laughed lightly at her comment.

"Well, if you ever want a partner to work out with, just ask.

There will be someone around who can direct you to me."

Dais offered. "I might need to know who you are for me to

contact you." Shane said decieding to humor the stranger though,

despite the feeling of hidden power that he held like Mia's

friends she was at ease with his company.

Shane shook herself mentally she couldn't be at ease with

anyone, that would only get her hurt and them killed. Even

though Shane felt his power was like the woman called Kayura

and the other three men, touched at one time by something

evil or, like her, had a darkness in his past.

"The name is Dais. Ask Mia Koji or any of those that are

around here on a regular basis. They can tell you where to

find me." He said. Shane nearly choked as she swallowed

and breathed sharply at the same time. "You know Mia?"

She asked raspy as she coughed some. Dais nodded.

"We've known each other for a while. We're friends you

could say." The former Warlord of Illusion stated.

"Hmmm that sounds like the girl." Shane said, Dais looked

at her. *So I was right, she lives here.* "I presume you

know her?" He asked. "You *presumed* correctly." Shane

said some what mockingly of his tone. "She and I met

at colleage a few years back on Canada - American border.

She's letting me stay till I find a place of my own." Dais

nodded in understanding. "She is a bright and caring

person. Just don't abuse her hospitality." He told her.

"I don't plan on staying long." Shane said as she knelt

to sheath her daggers but Dais noticed she wacthed

him as she did and it arouse his cirousity more, it was

ovbious she had training and was catious of all but

who was she? Deciding to try a little something Dais

sent a illusion of a ninja toward Shane, to see her reaction

and to get an idea of her level of training.

Shane didn't say anything as she felt it. Magic. But for

some reason she couldn't pin point who was doing it

and that worried her as she looked around. "Dais, I

think we better go." She said calmly, almost pleasently

but she had every sense on high arlet. "And may I ask

why?" he said, as he put himself in the illusion, ducking

the attack of the illusionary ninja.

Dais wasn't even sure when he saw Shane moved as

she did. *I've never seen that qiuck a reaction other

then with the other Ronins!* He thought as Shane

shoved him side ways to the ground as she also dogded

out of the way of the illusion. Dais quickly moved and

made the illusion disapper so it seemed he ran off.

"Are you all right?" he asked the firery red head woman.

"I'm fine." Shane said as she walked over to him but

there was a wariness in her eyes when she looked at him.

"What was that about?" She asked, she knew it wasn't the

doing of Zaide or his lackeys. It was a more fine tuned then

she seen with cult but at the same time seemed more reckless,

of someone who was a bit overconfident of their ability or was

doing it for fun.

"It seems as though we have a pest problem around here. If you

would like, I will escort you to Mia's and then contact a few friends

to assist me in the pest removal." The white haired, one eyed man

told Shane. "What century was you born in? You act like someone

from the 13th century, lighten up!" Shane snapped abesently, without

thinking as she started back to the house.

*If only she knew.* Dais thought to himself. "Actually, my friends and

I are involved in a group that does recreations of 13th centuary events.

You might want to look into it sometime." Dais suggested as they

approached Mia's.

Shane nodded as she walked into the house, nearly walking into Cale

but she lightly moved out of his way. "We meet again." She muttered

under her breath as she looked at Mia as her friend came downstairs.

"So Shane, I see you met Dais." Mia said and looked at Kayura and

the other three Seasonals. "Oh and this is Kayura, Anubis, Seckmeht

and Cale." She introduced the four.

Shane nodded her head in hello to the four but got to buniness. "Mia,

at the training ground someone came at Dais and I." She said calmly

but in a no - nonsense tone of voice. Mia quickly turned toward Dais.

"I understand. I'll take care of it from here. You go and get some rest."

She told her friend, taking a long look at the former Warlord.

Shane clenched her fists some, she knew her friend meant well but the

insult of being weak got her goat. "No need." She said briskly, her tone

borderline cold. "I am unharmed." She said as she turned and without

another word went back outside. Mia then turned toward Dais. "Ok

Dais, what did you do?" She asked the former Warlord.

Dais didn't answer her for a moment. "Who is she?" He asked nodding

to the open door Shane went out of. "A friend. A friend who just come

to Japan, I offered to let her stay here until she finds a place of her own.

Anything more than that, you will have to try and get from her." the lady

reffered to as the Ronin Den Mother stated.

"What don't know her name?" Dais asked with a scarasm he had recently

adopted, Mia glared at him. "Can the sarcasm Dais, or I'll have White Blaze

bury you in a hole in the ground for the night. Shane has had some rough times

and I intend to leave it at that until she decides to tell me." She told the former

warlord in no uncertain terms.



Dais raised an eyebrow. He knew Mia well but the protectiveness over Shane

in her voice was new. Still he didn't say anything, only nodded as the group

separated but Cale smirked as he looked at Dais. "So why the questions Dais?

It seems interesting that you walk in with the woman and start asking questions

once she is gone. Very interesting." "Shut up Cale." Dais snapped. "It is none of

your concern." He repiled.

And outside ..... Shane leaned aganist the wall looking at her daggers and sighed

as she sheathed them again. It felt strange, being alone of her own will. Back in

clench of Zaide she was left alone other then when in training or when she was

being punished. She pulled the hem of her sleeve more over her right arm to hide

the scar left on her, she had few but that was the one she hated the most, the scar

of ownership, part of her belonging to Zaide and his cult.

But as she did she remember Kayura and the four men, who, despite a short meeting

seemed famliar to her. Seemed to share something though she couldn't understand what.

*Its seems that they are strangers like me.* She thought to herself.

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Author's Note*

Sepical thanks to my friend and brother Harry for helping me with the conversation

between Dais and Shane since I was under writer's block right.