Consequences of Capture

By Dixxy

Chapter Nine: Healing

This is SOOO bloody BORING! Cye thought to himself as he laid stretched out on his bed. It had been a week since his attack (or at least that's what Sage and Kento had told him) and he was still recovering from the injuries he'd sustained. Though his friends were both doing a superb job at making sure he was comfortable, it wasn't fun being confined to be a bed.

After waking up the afternoon after the ordeal, Cye had found himself in Sage's bed with Kento asleep across the foot and Sage flopped down in a chair a few feet away. Confused, he'd tried to get out of the bed and failed miserably. The "thud" produced when he'd hit the floor had been enough to wake his friends up and tell him what had happened. He was crippled.

Temporarily, thank God, Cye reminded himself. Of course the first sight of his legs should have told him THAT- both legs were bright, tomato red with only a thin lair of skin covering his veins and muscles. In addition, they were out of shape and far too thin to walk on. They looked something like half-eaten apple cores dipped in red paint.

Sage had examined his currently useless legs a few times before he came up with the conclusion that he COULD heal him back to normal, even to a point where any signs of the attack would be gone or in the form of very light scars. It would take several sessions, but it was doable. None the less, Cye wasn't happy with the situation. But at least it was only temporary.

Much to his surprise, Trulpa was FURIOUS when she found out he'd nearly been killed and demanded that any gargoyle gremlin found in the castle was to be killed on sight. No one was told WHY this was so, but her servants listened to her. Already over one-hundred of them had been killed.

That bothered him. Evidently Trulpa wanted at least HIM alive, but for what reason? Cye wasn't overly sure about Kento and Sage. Trulpa had spoken to the blonde several days earlier and he'd tried to kill himself, after all, but was that her intent? Was she trying to drive them all crazy or something? There was also the possibility Trulpa planned to dispose of them in another way, which wasn't a horrible stretch of the imagination.

Though both of the demons could use magic and conduct rituals, Trulpa seemed to be better at sorcery than Talpa had been. Though Talpa certainly used rituals from time to time, he had an odd feeling that his sister was fonder of them than he was. In fact, he was almost certain Trulpa was preparing some rituals to use against the Senshi.

Rituals that might involve US, Cye thought miserably. He really didn't want to hurt any of the Senshi, especially now that he had seen what they all looked like and knew a little about them. He'd told Kento and Sage about his discovery after his attack, letting them know that Trulpa was at least beginning to make plans. None of them could say if Talpa engaged in similar activities, but that, too, wasn't too hard to imagine.

It wasn't as if they were defenseless, however. Somehow, Kento and Sage had been able to convince Trulpa to let them move from their old rooms into a multi-bedroom "apartment" of sorts. Cye guessed that her panicky reaction to his attack had been a factor, but none the less their situation seemed a LITTLE safer. Were they still the prisoners of a madwoman in a realm where flesh-eating gremlins roamed about? Yes, but at least they were all in a more collected space, which in itself made them all feel safer. Now if something happened backup would be right there to help them.

Speaking of backup, the Ronins had no explanation as to who, or what, had saved Cye the night of his attack. Oh sure he'd be dead had it not been for Sage's healing powers all right, but SOMETHING had knocked the creatures away so Sage could get to him and SOMETHING had woken Halo up. Cye didn't think it was Trulpa, but he'd been so disoriented and distracted that night that he didn't remember what the aura felt like. He did, however, remember enough to know that it wasn't their captor. So then what was it? Could it have been the Ancient One's magic, or maybe even the Senshi's magic?

"No. . . they don't know we exist. . ." Cye said to himself. Or at least it didn't seem likely that they did. If they did, however, they would probably only have a very vague understanding that there were more armors out there and the thought that Trulpa had three of them captive wouldn't cross their minds just yet. He was sure that at one point or another they'd figure out Trulpa had SOMETHING this out of the ordinary up her sleeve, but as to how long that took was another question all together.

"Hey, Cye!"

Cye looked up to see Kento coming towards him with a tray of food- from the smell of it, his friend had managed to find the ingredients his mother used in her homemade cooking. Cye could feel his mouth begin to water as he sniffed at the air. "Kento, that smells wonderful!"

"Your favorite- pork lo mein and sweet and sour chicken," he said, sitting next to Cye on the bed. Torrent pulled the tray closer and made good use of the chopsticks to feed himself. "So, how goes life in the confines of Casa de Ronin? Boring as all hell I can imagine."

"Yeah," said Cye. "But Sage seems to think I'll be walking in a few days. Maybe not running a marathon, but I should be good enough to do that much. The tendons and muscles are healing nicely and I might even have normal looking legs after this!" He stifled a forced laugh.

"If not, you could always wear baggy pants for the rest of your life," Kento mused.

"Kento!"

"I was kidding!"

Cye grumbled. "You'd better be, mate. Or else I'm going to smack you with a tidal wave so big you won't know up from down!" He smiled, gave a quick nod, and continued on with his meal. Kento burst of laughing, taking the joke in good humor as he always did.

Somehow, Kento had emerged as a pillar of strength for both him and Sage during their capture. Though Halo was their unspoken leader of sorts, it was the Warrior of Earth whom they turned to when they needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to vent to. Though they couldn't explain how or why, he seemed to be the most stable of the entire group. Sage had easily succumbed to whatever trash talk Trulpa had thrown at him and Cye had been horribly shaken by the attack.

Then again, nothing's happened to Kento yet- it almost seems like it's a matter of time before something happens to him, too. Oh God, Kento, Cye thought as he looked forlornly at Kento, who was now staring at his lap, twiddling his thumbs with mild interest.

"Kento?"

"Huh?"

"You seemed quiet."

"Just thinking, that's all."

"About what?"

"You'd laugh if I told you."

"Kento. . . you've told me some pretty strange things before and I've kept a very straight face no matter how much I may have wanted to laugh. If you need to talk to me about something, just spit it out," said Cye. He smiled and leaned closer. "So tell me what's troubling you."

"Girls."

Cye was taken aback by this. Out of all the things that Kento could have been worried about, "girls" wasn't one he'd expected. Aside from the Senshi, the three hadn't thought very hard about the opposite sex. After all, it didn't seem very likely they'd be involved with any in the near future, so why waste their thoughts on it? They had bigger problems to deal with.

"I keep having this dream," Kento said. He shrugged and turned his head to look at Cye. "Well, maybe not a DREAM, but I'm asleep and I hear this girl's voice. I've never seen her, though. I know she's talking to me, and. . . well. . . I like it. She's always so nice and gentle and, you know, girl talk."

"Oh?" asked Cye. "Is it like when the Ancient talked to you-"

"No! Not like that!" said Kento. "The Ancient spoke to me like I was a student and he was the teacher. She was speaking to me like I was a friend. . . or. . . well. . . maybe even a. . . a. . . love. . . er. . . lover. . . or. . . something." He paused, blushing. He cleared his throat, then continued. "And I can always feel this aura around me, and it makes me feel safe and happy. But I'm not sure if this is one of Trulpa's tricks or something."

Cye was unsure of what to say. Kento was rarely this. . . wistful. . . and it was strange hearing him talk about this mystery voice. He wouldn't put it past Trulpa to lull them into a false sense of security, but this didn't seem like her style. None the less, Kento seemed very serious about this, as farfetched as it sounded.

"Well, I don't know what to say."

"I didn't think you would," he said. Kento snorted. "Who am I kidding? Face it, Cye- this girl probably doesn't exist. What girl- aside from my mother- would want a guy like me?" He stood up and gestured at his body. "I'm not very tall or slender like Sage is- I'm kinda short and stocky."

"Kento, you're taller than I am!" Cye countered, surprised at Kento's concern over his physical appearance. "And your frame is solid muscle. Don't girls like that? Kento, you're not fat or something if THAT'S what has you all worked up." He sighed. "Is this about Sage?"

"NO! I wouldn't ever ask for THAT much attention," Kento thought. "But it isn't just that- I'm loud and brash and I have a temper. . . you'd get a girl sooner than me. You're so. . . sensitive and easy to talk to. Now girls LOVE that- if you wanted to you could get laid within a week."

Cye blushed at the mention. "Even with my legs?"

"They'll get better. At worst you might have a few light scars here or there, but Sage is taking great care of you," said Kento. "Still, that girl in particular probably doesn't exist. I mean, she's a voice in my head! I must be going crazy or something, because I. . . I hate this place."

"So don't we all. Things are getting worse much faster than they're getting better," said Cye. "It's been nearly two months- why, your birthday is in just a few weeks! It kind of puts things into perspective. You probably weren't even thinking about that before we were kidnapped, yet here it is right around the corner."

"That's a depressing thought."

"Your birthday?"

"No, the fact that it's already been this long," said Kento. He shrugged. "But I guess the birthday would count as a depressing point. Look at what happened to Sage on his sixteenth birthday- he tried to kill himself because Trulpa pushed some buttons that made him go psycho on us."

"I still wish I knew why he did that," Cye said.

"Why who did what?"

Both Ronins nearly jumped out of their skin. Kento turned to Sage and shot him a dirty look. "I hate you, Sage. Sometimes, I REALLY hate you." Sage smiled, slapped Kento on the back, and shooed the Ronin of Hardrock off the bed. "Time to try and heal Cye a little more?"

"Yup," said Sage. He turned to Cye. "I should have enough energy to finish the whole process right now, but I will warn you- walking won't be easy. Even if I had all the power in the world my powers can only go so far. You're probably going to look like you funneled a bottle of tequila or two for a while."

"So then wouldn't it be best to just wait until I'm fully healed?" asked Cye.

"No, it's not that- it's your legs themselves. You've been off your feet for so long that you might need some time to get back into it," said Sage. He took Cye's tray of food, placed it on the bedside end table, and pulled the sheets back to reveal his patient's limbs. Deciding to give the two some privacy, Kento bid them farewell and headed into his own room.

~

Yawning, Kento fell backwards onto his bed. He'd spent the remainder of the afternoon studying the next section of his spell book, which was on changing metals into different kinds of metal and rocks into precious gems. He'd practiced with a piece of lead and a rock from his training area to create a topaz and gold pendant.

Placing the jewelry on his bedside dresser, Kento stared at the ceiling with disinterest. After Sage had finished with Cye, both had decided it was bed time. Such a serious injury was taking its toll on both of them, which he couldn't blame them for. Still, they were going to try and get Cye on his feet the next day and hopefully back to normal by the week's end.

Kento sat up again, contemplating whether or not he should take a bath. Deciding it couldn't hurt, he stripped clean of his clothing, threw on his bathrobe, and proceeded to head towards the bathroom Trulpa had provided them in the apartment. Both of his roommates were sound asleep, which comforted Kento. At least they were resting well.

The bathroom was more like a spa than anything. It was a comfortable room done over in reds and greens, giving it an almost Christmas like atmosphere. There was no shower, but there was a huge marble tub that all three of them could have shared if they chose to. Located near the edge of the tub was a row of tassels, each one controlling the water flow, temperature, and even bubbles for a Jacuzzi type effect. Sage was considering using the Jacuzzi as part of Cye's recovery which made Kento guess that it wasn't there as a luxury item.

Once in the bathroom, Kento began to search through the small cupboard where they kept their soaps and towels. Once he found the desired materials, started to fill the tub with a shot of hot water. He discarded his bathrobe, sighed, and grasped his hand onto the edge of the tub.

Kento would have gotten in if he hadn't been interrupted. Before he could react, someone was behind him, ready to clamp their hand over his mouth and press a dagger to his throat. Startled, Kento tried to struggle against the intruder, stopping only once he realized how sharp the dagger was and how strong his attacker was in comparison to his own strength.

"So, Kento of the Hardrock. . . are you prepared for your doom?"

~

I'm such an evil bitch sometimes, aren't I?

Anyways, as a special treat for you, this chapter of Consequences of Capture includes a special bonus mini story featuring what YOU all wanted!

~

You Asked For It!

SPECIAL BONUS STORY

By Dixxy

"Oh. . ."

At that moment, Sage was a number of things. One, he was confused, which was not a state of mind he enjoyed being in. Two, he and Rowen were in a vast nothingness with a large bottle of tequila. Three, he was ashamed of Rowen for downing half of the tequila. And four, he was stark naked.

"Oh, Mishta Tequila. . . I LOOOVE YOU!!!" Rowen cheered, raising the jug high above his head from his position on the "floor", or at least the equivalent to a floor in the vast nothingness. Already his shirt was soaked with the liquor and his eyes were somewhat glazed over from the effects of the alcohol. Grasping at his foot, Rowen tried to stand up, only to find he wasn't having much luck.

"Rowen. . . you need to put Mr. Tequila down before you pass out and choke on your own vomit," Sage said bitterly, trying to hide his nudity with his hands. "You're making a complete ass out of yourself and there are people reading this on the Internet right now. HAVE YOU NO SHAME!?"

Still very drunk, Rowen looked at Sage, then his eyes widened as he gasped and pointed at the blonde. "OH MY GAD! SAGE, YER STARK NEKKID! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CLOTHES!" Rowen turned to the bottle of tequila. "Mishta Tequila, he'sh STARK NEKKID!" The bottle of tequila didn't say anything, but Rowen did put the open mouth of the bottle between his lips.
"Rowen! Shut up! You're drunk! Stop drinking that stuff!"

"Yer shtill nekkid. Ya hafta put some clothes on."

"I KNOW THAT! AND YOU NEED TO PUT THE DAMN BOTTLE OF TEQUILA DOWN BEFORE YOU DIE FROM ALCOHOL POISONING OR ASPHYXIATION BY YOUR OWN DRUNK VOMIT YOU STUPID DRUNK!!!" At this point Sage was loosing his cool.

Rowen looked at Sage through half-open eyes, took another drink, and belched.

Sage screamed at the top of his lungs.

~

The above was written on impulse in under ten minutes, so if you found it stupid, that's why. There was really no point to it other than to jab at the fact that there are people anxious to see Rowen get wasted and get more naked Sage. So that should tide you over for a little while.

Okay, now that we've had our daily dosage of drunk Rowen and naked Sage, let's continue.

For any Weiß Kreuz fans out there, I'm contemplating some ideas for that series. Also, I've recently delved into MARS (a manga series), Dragon Knights (another manga series), and FAKE (yet another manga series plus an OAV that focuses on the fifth story in the series- probably won't write for this one despite how much I love Bikky). Don't forget I'm also into Magic Knight Rayearth (manga and anime are both under my belt) as well as both Lunar games and Kingdom Hearts.

Crystal Cat-chan: Still have no friggin' clue what that was all about. *laughs* I don't like to consider myself a god or goddess, but yeah, you're right, Cye can't die. What the HELL is a Gimp??? Mmm. . . I think they're all beyond therapy. We actually had a discussion about this at a message board I practically live on (though it started with Yuli and progressed into other things).

Firestorm: Thanks! Well. . . if you found your friend half-dead on the floor what would YOU do? Meh. I deleted most of that fic, too. Well, I might have to, though it'll probably be darker than what it was originally gonna be. Why? Because I'm turning into a darker writer. Think I should go into full-blown horror/thriller fiction (a la Stephen King, Dean Koontz, ect.)?

Harry: You're welcome, Harry. Me? A teacher? Well, I've tried my hand at writing editorials before, though I probably won't post them here. Hell, none of 'em are even finished yet!

~Dixxy