Chapter 9

Buka couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. Ryo was unconscious and bleeding heavily from the new cuts on his back. She wanted to help him, but couldn't do anything since she was tied to the chair.

Meanwhile, Sage, Sakura, Sugoshi and Joey were making their way to the castle when they came around more Dynasty Soldiers standing around something.

"I wonder what they're guarding." Sakura asked as they approached.

"Let's take them out and find out," Sage said and they nodded.

Joey stood back as they donned their armors and started attacking the soldiers. Ryou, who was in the pit they were guarding, glanced up at the sound of fighting and knew someone was there to rescue him. Before long, the soldiers were gone and then he saw Sage's face appear on the top of the pit.

"What are you doing down in that pit?" Joey asked appearing next to Sage and then Sakura and Sugoshi showed up.

"Oh, just hanging around," Ryou kidded. "Would you like to get me out of here?"

They got Ryou out of the pit and started once again for the castle. In the throne room, Talpa came up with an idea to really get the Ronins wound up.

"Go to the house and bring Torrent here," Talpa said to Anubis and Sekhmet.

"Yes Master," they said and left to do his bidding.

At the house, Mia left after Cye had fallen back asleep and was heading downstairs when she heard a crash from the living room and she knew it couldn't be good. She went over to the railing and looked down in time to see both Anubis and Sekhmet both in armor, walking toward the stairs. She hurried to Cye's room and locked the door. Cye was awakened by that and looked over at her.

"What's wrong, Mia?" he asked trying to stand up, but almost fell.

"Anubis and Sekhmet are heading upstairs," Mia said. "They're probably after you, since you're hurt."

"Help me up," Cye said, grabbing his kanji ball off the dresser.

"You're too weak to fight them off," Mia said walking over.

"I need to protect you," Cye said.

She helped him to his feet and he donned his armor. He laid his hand on the post of the bed to steady himself. In the hallway, Anubis and Sekhmet were trying every door until they found one that was locked.

"And they think this will keep us out," Sekhmet said.

They both rammed the door and sent it flying open to show Cye standing at the bed with Mia behind him. They also noticed his hand resting on the bed post and knew he was still weak. Cye pushed Mia toward the bathroom that went into Ryo's room.

"Get out of here Mia," Cye said. "I'll take care of these two."

Mia rushed out of the room and the Warlords didn't follow her and he knew they were only after him. He ran over to the balcony and leapt down to the ground, almost losing his footing as he landed and rushed away from the house. The Warlords followed right him and ran toward him.

"Quake with Fear!"

"Snake Fang Strike!"

Cye didn't even have a chance to fire his sure-kill as he was hit with both attacks and sent flying backwards where he laid, unmoving, his armor disappearing.

"That was way too easy," Sekhmet said as they approached him.

Anubis slung Cye over his shoulder and was about to teleport back to the Nether Realm when White Blaze tackled him from behind, making him drop Cye on the ground. Then White Blaze stood over Cye's prone form daring the two Warlords to try something.

"We'll come back for him," Sekhmet said to Anubis and they disappeared.

Mia rushed out of the house and over to him. She was able to get Cye on White Blaze's back and they made their way back into the house and upstairs to his room where she was able to get him onto the bed.

She knew he was hurt worse than before and she couldn't do anything for him without Sage there. He was starting to sweat and knew Sekhmet's poison was starting to work. She felt his forehead and found he was burning up. She went to the bathroom and put water in a bowl and grabbed a washcloth and returned. She sat down next to the bed and placed the wet cloth on his forehead.

At the castle, Talpa was furious when Anubis and Sekhmet returned empty handed.

"How dare you fail me," he shouted. "Get out of my sight."

They left and Talpa strolled over to his chair and once again picked the whip. Buka and Ryo both winced at the sight of it, knowing what was coming. Not wanting to see Ryo suffer again, she kept her eyes closed as Ryo's scream filled the room and then silence.

--To be continued--