Chapter Nine: Decision
"Dais!" Cale met me in the hallway. "Where have you been? Did you open the casket?"
"Yes, she's ready," I pushed past Cale. Numb insides kept me from doing much. I obeyed her. I sent her to her death, but I couldn't kill her. No, evil failed to claim a small speck of my soul. I shut the heavy, wooden door that led to my bedroom, staring at my reflection. I took off my sub armor, staring at the faded green star with the blue outline and simple yellow center with a red morning lily fixed in it. The eternal symbol marriage among our people refused to die on my skin.
"Fool!" I threw my silver blade at the mirror. Silver shards rained across the dresser, a couple found my skin. They rained down upon the wood as my tears rained down upon my cheeks. "You're responsible for her death!"
The truth whispered its way out of my mouth. I swallowed the knot in my throat, fingering the star. Sada would be a blood sacrifice any moment now. I threw on my sub armor as Talpa summoned me. I dried up my eyes quickly, putting on my full armor to hide my facial expressions. "Yes, Master?" I mumbled half-heartedly as I appeared last in Talpa's throne room.
"Well, the champion has returned," Sekhmet growled. "Any victory songs for us?"
"Dais, Cale," Talpa snapped. "The Ronin warriors are pestering us along the outer gates. Go make sure they don't interfere with this. Sekhmet, go get the girl ready for sacrifice. I'm going to perform it tonight before there are any major set backs."
With that, I dumbly bowed, following Cale to the outer gates. I swallowed hard, an unwilling feeling in my gut. I didn't want to fight. I didn't want any of this any more, but before I knew it, I stood on the wall above the outer gates. I could see the five of them below, banging their way over to us, but I didn't care.
Cale commanded an attack, but as soon as Strata turned up to attack me, I jumped away. Sada lingered on my mind, and I felt no fighting urge. Hardrock joined in to help Strata, but I dodged their attacks, vomit rising up from my stomach. What the hell was I doing, serving Talpa? Revenge? Why the hell hadn't I taken revenge in four hundred years? Was fighting the Ronin Warriors revenge?
"Damn this," I turned away from the battle, disappearing into the castle. I raced down the halls, going straight to find Sekhmet. I turned into the room, busting through the door where Sekhmet stroked a very naked Sada. I struck him before he realized.
"We're leaving," I turned to Sada. She gasped, putting her red dress back on. Her eyes narrowed at she looked at me. "I don't care what you say, but you're not staying here anymore, and neither am I."
(Cye)
"Man, where'd he go?" Kento yelled. I knocked out another Tin Can on the head, turning around to see what Kento was talking about.
"Who?" I went over to Kento.
"Dais! We were kicking his butt, but he just up and left!" Kento fumed. "The girly boy just ran away from us!" I looked around, but only Cale remained by Ryo and Sage, and they seemed to be handling him quite fine. Then, Cale disappeared.
"What's up with this?" Ryo fumed. "We came here to fight, and they run off!"
"I think we're in the wrong place," Rowen frowned. "The Dynasty just doesn't let anyone walk through the door."
"Maybe she's not in there," Sage frowned. "Maybe they took her to a special spot. Let's go home and ask Mia if she found anything else out." Kento grumbled out something about having our chance to kick their butt.
"Well, Sage, you're the authority on sacrificial priestesses as offerings," Ryo poured on the sarcasm, but we ended up sitting back in the living room, staring at Mia that afternoon, stuffing our faces with TV dinners. The sun began to set over the lake behind the manor.
"You think she's somewhere else?" Mia mused. "I can't honestly think of any where she would be, but I don't know much about her."
"The star!" Sage slapped his forehead. "She had a tattoo. It's a green star. I drew a picture of it after I saw her in my dream. I'll go get if for you." Sage came back down with a sketchpad, handing it to Mia. She frowned, studying the star.
"I don't know what good this will do, but I'll see if I can find anything like this in records. See you boys tomorrow." Mia grabbed her purse and left the house. I sighed, staring at everyone else.
"That was a weird one today," everyone nodded.
"Yeah, I've never see the warlords just turn tail and run away," Rowen bit his bottom lip. "I've never seen anything like it before, you know, they usually fight until we absolutely kick their butts, but Dais didn't do anything at all."
"Maybe they had to go sacrifice the girl." I stared at Sage's worried eyes. "What if they've begun the sacrifice?"
"Dais!" Cale met me in the hallway. "Where have you been? Did you open the casket?"
"Yes, she's ready," I pushed past Cale. Numb insides kept me from doing much. I obeyed her. I sent her to her death, but I couldn't kill her. No, evil failed to claim a small speck of my soul. I shut the heavy, wooden door that led to my bedroom, staring at my reflection. I took off my sub armor, staring at the faded green star with the blue outline and simple yellow center with a red morning lily fixed in it. The eternal symbol marriage among our people refused to die on my skin.
"Fool!" I threw my silver blade at the mirror. Silver shards rained across the dresser, a couple found my skin. They rained down upon the wood as my tears rained down upon my cheeks. "You're responsible for her death!"
The truth whispered its way out of my mouth. I swallowed the knot in my throat, fingering the star. Sada would be a blood sacrifice any moment now. I threw on my sub armor as Talpa summoned me. I dried up my eyes quickly, putting on my full armor to hide my facial expressions. "Yes, Master?" I mumbled half-heartedly as I appeared last in Talpa's throne room.
"Well, the champion has returned," Sekhmet growled. "Any victory songs for us?"
"Dais, Cale," Talpa snapped. "The Ronin warriors are pestering us along the outer gates. Go make sure they don't interfere with this. Sekhmet, go get the girl ready for sacrifice. I'm going to perform it tonight before there are any major set backs."
With that, I dumbly bowed, following Cale to the outer gates. I swallowed hard, an unwilling feeling in my gut. I didn't want to fight. I didn't want any of this any more, but before I knew it, I stood on the wall above the outer gates. I could see the five of them below, banging their way over to us, but I didn't care.
Cale commanded an attack, but as soon as Strata turned up to attack me, I jumped away. Sada lingered on my mind, and I felt no fighting urge. Hardrock joined in to help Strata, but I dodged their attacks, vomit rising up from my stomach. What the hell was I doing, serving Talpa? Revenge? Why the hell hadn't I taken revenge in four hundred years? Was fighting the Ronin Warriors revenge?
"Damn this," I turned away from the battle, disappearing into the castle. I raced down the halls, going straight to find Sekhmet. I turned into the room, busting through the door where Sekhmet stroked a very naked Sada. I struck him before he realized.
"We're leaving," I turned to Sada. She gasped, putting her red dress back on. Her eyes narrowed at she looked at me. "I don't care what you say, but you're not staying here anymore, and neither am I."
(Cye)
"Man, where'd he go?" Kento yelled. I knocked out another Tin Can on the head, turning around to see what Kento was talking about.
"Who?" I went over to Kento.
"Dais! We were kicking his butt, but he just up and left!" Kento fumed. "The girly boy just ran away from us!" I looked around, but only Cale remained by Ryo and Sage, and they seemed to be handling him quite fine. Then, Cale disappeared.
"What's up with this?" Ryo fumed. "We came here to fight, and they run off!"
"I think we're in the wrong place," Rowen frowned. "The Dynasty just doesn't let anyone walk through the door."
"Maybe she's not in there," Sage frowned. "Maybe they took her to a special spot. Let's go home and ask Mia if she found anything else out." Kento grumbled out something about having our chance to kick their butt.
"Well, Sage, you're the authority on sacrificial priestesses as offerings," Ryo poured on the sarcasm, but we ended up sitting back in the living room, staring at Mia that afternoon, stuffing our faces with TV dinners. The sun began to set over the lake behind the manor.
"You think she's somewhere else?" Mia mused. "I can't honestly think of any where she would be, but I don't know much about her."
"The star!" Sage slapped his forehead. "She had a tattoo. It's a green star. I drew a picture of it after I saw her in my dream. I'll go get if for you." Sage came back down with a sketchpad, handing it to Mia. She frowned, studying the star.
"I don't know what good this will do, but I'll see if I can find anything like this in records. See you boys tomorrow." Mia grabbed her purse and left the house. I sighed, staring at everyone else.
"That was a weird one today," everyone nodded.
"Yeah, I've never see the warlords just turn tail and run away," Rowen bit his bottom lip. "I've never seen anything like it before, you know, they usually fight until we absolutely kick their butts, but Dais didn't do anything at all."
"Maybe they had to go sacrifice the girl." I stared at Sage's worried eyes. "What if they've begun the sacrifice?"