Chapter Twelve: Dais's Story
(Dais)
The warmth seeped into my skin as I vaguely floated between consciousness and oblivion. Was this real? Could I actually be in heaven? Had I been redeemed at the last minute? Had my prayers been heard?
No, I watched the ceiling of a house swirl above me. A house, no, that's not right. There were no little cozy cottage houses in the Netherworld. Where was I? I waited, before getting up, letting the images of swirling neon colors stop.
I slowly sat up in my bed. It was a comfortable bed with soft, clean sheets that smelled of flowers. I blinked, trying to adjust my view better. I stared around at posters of various people of impotence hanging on the wall, idols of some kind in the mortal world. I paused, looking across the room, jumping when I saw a second figure.
I reached for my kanji, but it wasn't there. No, I needed my kanji because Rowen of the Strata sitting on the bed next to me couldn't be a good sign.
"Well, finally woke up?" His voice laid on sarcasm. "I see you've brought us a priestess. Gee, so, when did you plan to kill her?"
"Shut up," I quickly told the Ronin. He smirked, rapping on the door that led to the room. The door opened ushering in Halo, Torrent, and Wildfire. They looked over at me, stiff looks on the faces of Wildfire and Torrent, but well, I didn't expect anything else of them.
"What can you tell us about her?" Halo sat down across from me on the other bed, and the others followed suit. "We need to know."
"Why?" The idea of the Ronin Warriors knowing a lot about Sada didn't appeal to me. "What makes this your business?"
"Sage has seen her in a dream, dick," Wildfire unleashed his tongue. I grinned. Well, I hadn't expected anything less.
"A dream about my Sada?" I choked, realizing I had told more than I wanted to let them know.
"Sada, is it?" Strata grinned. "Oh, so you're on a first name basis? Like to get to know your victims before you take their life? I'd let you interview me, but I'm not planning to become one of your victims, too."
"You're very sarcastic," I told Strata. He rolled his eyes. Sage frowned.
"Listen, I think you don't understand how much we need to know this information about Sada. Tell me all you know." Halo protested strongly, brushing off the comments of his companions.
"It's none of your business," I said frankly. "Sada is my concern."
"Bull crap!" Torrent exclaimed. "We have just as much right to know as you! Sage saw her in a dream! We've been trying to save her!"
"You've been doing a good job, haven't you?" I responded sarcastically. "You can't save her. She's probably dead by now."
"Dead? Really? That's too bad, because I think we found her with you, washed up on our lake shore," Strata leaned across, meeting my eyes. "What do you think about that?"
"She's alive! How did she, she shouldn't have, I mean, why is she alive? Why am I alive? Neither of us should be alive!" I stopped, feeling the realization wipe over me.
"She found the river!"
"What the hell?" Rowen rolled his eyes. "What river?"
"Sada's here, and where is she? I need to see her! You don't understand I need to talk to her! I need to know how she lived," I looked at all their faces, totally unrelenting.
"Can't do until you tell us more," Sage shook his head. "I might consider it, but I'd like to hear more of this story. Start with that stupid star on your chest."
"Did you take my kanji?" I asked them, remembering I was defenseless and naked. This wasn't a good position.
"No, but it makes it easier for us if you don't have it," Wildfire smirked. "So, answer Sage's question."
"What will you do I refuse? Torture me?" I felt trapped between a wall and the edge of a cliff, with no way out but to answer something about Sada. No, she's my love, and my business is absolutely none of their concern.
"You're at our mercy," Strata stood up, towering over me. He certainly was taller than the rest, even taller than I was. "Naked and defenseless, so that means I don't even need any kind of armor to take a couple cheap shots."
"Down," Torrent grabbed Strata's hand, pulling him down on the bed. He scowled. "Just talk to Sage. He pulled you out of the lake, anyway."
"So, feeling sorry for me, are you?" I couldn't believe that sappy, girly Halo had pulled Sada and me to safety. He probably had no idea we washed out from the Dynasty. "Do you know where my kanji is?"
"Answer my questions, first," Sage gazed into my eyes. His lavender eyes looked slightly ticked, but more confused than annoyed. Well, he mostly wanted answers, which made me grin slightly, but also, confused me. Why didn't they just torture me to death? Didn't they hate us?
"Why am I not dead?" I asked quietly.
"Well, we need answers," Wildfire rolled his eyes. "Everyone isn't a dick like the Dynasty."
"Oh, well," I considered what to tell them. "What do you want to know first?"
"The star," Halo stated calmly. "Just tell me about the star and what it means."
"It's the star of my..." my people? No, not quite right. "Of an ancient culture. The green part is sketched into your skin after taking an oath when you're young, and everyone has them."
"The flower?" Halo nodded, pleased that we were getting some where.
"The flower and center coloring are placed there when you're married," I answered dryly. Halo paused, eyes widening. He looked up at me, and I couldn't help grinning. "I hope that clarified everything for you."
"No, but..." Halo held up at hand to Wildfire.
"That's good for now. We'll sit here to Dais tells us more," Halo propped himself up against the wall, staring curiously at me. Damn, I shouldn't have told me. This boy was smarter than I thought.
(Kento)
"So, she's sleeping?" I asked Mia dumbly. She nodded, walking out of the girl's room. "Can't I go pound Dais?"
"No," Mia rolled her eyes. "Kento, I can't county how many times you've asked that! Could you just stay here, and maybe check up on the girl? I have to go out, and I don't want you near Dais, got it? Ryo, Rowen, Sage, and Cye have that one covered. Now, walk in that room and sit on the chair by the room and watch that girl, so when she wakes up, she won't be completely alone."
"Fine," I muttered, opening the door, about to walk into the room.
"Poor thing," Mia sighed, looking in at her before I shut the door. I frowned, feeling sorry for the girl who washed up on the shore with Dais. What crappy luck she had, being washed up naked with him.
The dark hair cascaded around her pale, peaceful face. She was really beautiful, I couldn't deny that one. How comes Sage got to see her in his dreams? If I could see hot chicks in my dreams, I'd NEVER wake up, for sure.
I plopped down on the chair, watching her. I got bored about two seconds after I sat down. Beating Dais would be fun, but in their 'infinite wisdom' everyone forbade me to go near Dais.
"You got the girl," I spoke to myself. I grinned, staring at the sleeping beauty. She mumbled something, suddenly, and I bolted in my chair, wondering if she was awake.
"Hey, girl, you awake?" I asked her. She rolled over a little, but no sound came from her lips again. I shrugged, starting to count ceiling tiles. I hadn't ever been in Mia's room before, but it seemed stylish and very clean. Violets decorated everything, and purple was the pervading color. I stared at Mia's dresser and all the pictures she kept framed there. There were photos of Mia and her grandfather, parents, siblings, and us on the dresser, all smiling and looking very cheerful.
I stared at the soft, beige walls, and the simple leaf border. Mia had good taste, and everything fit perfectly into place. Her beige and light pastel purple and green bed comforter lay over the girl again.
I stared back at the main attraction. She slept on, and this was getting old, fast. I walked over to her, staring down at her, squinting to see if maybe she'd look different if I did.
Brown eyes with a tint of yellow around the edge stared up at me. A shocked look ran through her face. "Oh my god!" She jumped up, and I jumped back, falling over Mia's nightstand.
"Who are you?" The girl looked over at me. "Where am I?"
"Whoa, you scared the crap out of me!" I stood up, laughing now. She frowned, giving me a curious stare.
"Where am I?" She asked again with less tenseness.
"You're in the humble home of the Ronin Warriors, in Mia Koji's bedroom," I waved my arms around. She smiled slightly. "I'm your gracious host, Kento Muan Fei, and you are perfectly safe in my awesome company."
"That is very nice to know, but I'm not quite sure what's going on," the girl frowned.
"Well, you're in the home of the good guys, and that bad ass demon that wanted to kill you won't touch you," I grinned at her, and she stared at the wall, smile fading.
"Where's Dais? I need to talk to him," she looked back at me, more urgent than before.
"Oh, that jerk is fine," I waved my hand. "You're fine now, and he won't touch you."
"No, you see, I think you don't understand what's going on either," the girl frowned, a look of sadness in her eyes.
"Of course I do," I walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You got kidnapped by the evil Dynasty, washed up with Dais some how, and we're going to save you."
"No, Kento, you don't understand."
She took my chin and turned my face directly towards hers. Her eyes were solemn, but still very beautiful. Something about her seemed...upset?...confused?...unhappy? Man, this girl showed so many emotions at one time, it boggled my mind how she could do that.
"Do you know Dais?" She asked quietly.
"Well, I've fought him and kicked his butt a couple times," I smiled. She shook her head, frowning deeper. Oh yeah, that helped.
"I see," she sighed, looking out the window. "Let me tell you a story, Kento, since all your intentions are pure."
"Listening," I replied, watching her space off. She turned back to me, a small smile on her face.
"Four hundred some years ago, I was to be married. My wedding day was beautiful. I got the star completed with the flower in the center to be identical to my husband's star. Kento, I married Dais," she looked out the window again, smile still on her face.
"WHAT?" I finally reacted. "You did what?"
"I married him," she sighed, a looked of sadness coming over her face. She faced me again, telling the story. "The night of our wedding, Dais was called off to battle. Our village was raided and sacked, and I became badly injured. Apparently, my love mistook me for dead. However, I obviously wasn't dead, and was preserved as the last priestess of our clan."
"Whoa, that's messed up."
"Yes, and Dais pledged himself to a demon because he thought me dead."
"That's crazy, I mean, come on, you're pretty and all, but I don't think I'd pledge myself off to serve Talpa if some girl died," I snorted. She tried to smile, but just shook her head.
"I've not been dead, though, and I've seen things in dreams over the years I must have rested. I woke up with my love, how long ago, I don't know, in the castle of his demon master, and found all of this out."
"How did you get out of Talpa's castle?"
"Dais took me from his master's other servants and took me to a secret exit. It's deep under the castle, and when we reached it, my love passed out. Is he alive?"
"Yeah, Dais is here," I watched her smile slightly.
"Well, that is good, for I thought him dead, but the river he took us to, it emanated healing power. I grabbed Dais and threw us both into the water. Then, I woke here," the girl frowned at me.
"Well, that's odd," I was dumbfounded. She jumped into a river and lived. "I mean, the thing with the river, not the rest of the story, how Dais went all psycho and all."
"I need to talk to him, find out why we're alive." She frowned. "Where am I, again?"
"In the Koji manor, with the Ronin Warriors, and you're safe in the mortal world." She nodded.
"Where was I?"
"You were in Talpa's castle, with a demon and his army, in the Netherworld," I answered quietly to the confused girl. She nodded.
"Thank you, Kento, but I need to see Dais, now, no matter how much you may dislike him."
Please review, thank you, MorganRay.
(Dais)
The warmth seeped into my skin as I vaguely floated between consciousness and oblivion. Was this real? Could I actually be in heaven? Had I been redeemed at the last minute? Had my prayers been heard?
No, I watched the ceiling of a house swirl above me. A house, no, that's not right. There were no little cozy cottage houses in the Netherworld. Where was I? I waited, before getting up, letting the images of swirling neon colors stop.
I slowly sat up in my bed. It was a comfortable bed with soft, clean sheets that smelled of flowers. I blinked, trying to adjust my view better. I stared around at posters of various people of impotence hanging on the wall, idols of some kind in the mortal world. I paused, looking across the room, jumping when I saw a second figure.
I reached for my kanji, but it wasn't there. No, I needed my kanji because Rowen of the Strata sitting on the bed next to me couldn't be a good sign.
"Well, finally woke up?" His voice laid on sarcasm. "I see you've brought us a priestess. Gee, so, when did you plan to kill her?"
"Shut up," I quickly told the Ronin. He smirked, rapping on the door that led to the room. The door opened ushering in Halo, Torrent, and Wildfire. They looked over at me, stiff looks on the faces of Wildfire and Torrent, but well, I didn't expect anything else of them.
"What can you tell us about her?" Halo sat down across from me on the other bed, and the others followed suit. "We need to know."
"Why?" The idea of the Ronin Warriors knowing a lot about Sada didn't appeal to me. "What makes this your business?"
"Sage has seen her in a dream, dick," Wildfire unleashed his tongue. I grinned. Well, I hadn't expected anything less.
"A dream about my Sada?" I choked, realizing I had told more than I wanted to let them know.
"Sada, is it?" Strata grinned. "Oh, so you're on a first name basis? Like to get to know your victims before you take their life? I'd let you interview me, but I'm not planning to become one of your victims, too."
"You're very sarcastic," I told Strata. He rolled his eyes. Sage frowned.
"Listen, I think you don't understand how much we need to know this information about Sada. Tell me all you know." Halo protested strongly, brushing off the comments of his companions.
"It's none of your business," I said frankly. "Sada is my concern."
"Bull crap!" Torrent exclaimed. "We have just as much right to know as you! Sage saw her in a dream! We've been trying to save her!"
"You've been doing a good job, haven't you?" I responded sarcastically. "You can't save her. She's probably dead by now."
"Dead? Really? That's too bad, because I think we found her with you, washed up on our lake shore," Strata leaned across, meeting my eyes. "What do you think about that?"
"She's alive! How did she, she shouldn't have, I mean, why is she alive? Why am I alive? Neither of us should be alive!" I stopped, feeling the realization wipe over me.
"She found the river!"
"What the hell?" Rowen rolled his eyes. "What river?"
"Sada's here, and where is she? I need to see her! You don't understand I need to talk to her! I need to know how she lived," I looked at all their faces, totally unrelenting.
"Can't do until you tell us more," Sage shook his head. "I might consider it, but I'd like to hear more of this story. Start with that stupid star on your chest."
"Did you take my kanji?" I asked them, remembering I was defenseless and naked. This wasn't a good position.
"No, but it makes it easier for us if you don't have it," Wildfire smirked. "So, answer Sage's question."
"What will you do I refuse? Torture me?" I felt trapped between a wall and the edge of a cliff, with no way out but to answer something about Sada. No, she's my love, and my business is absolutely none of their concern.
"You're at our mercy," Strata stood up, towering over me. He certainly was taller than the rest, even taller than I was. "Naked and defenseless, so that means I don't even need any kind of armor to take a couple cheap shots."
"Down," Torrent grabbed Strata's hand, pulling him down on the bed. He scowled. "Just talk to Sage. He pulled you out of the lake, anyway."
"So, feeling sorry for me, are you?" I couldn't believe that sappy, girly Halo had pulled Sada and me to safety. He probably had no idea we washed out from the Dynasty. "Do you know where my kanji is?"
"Answer my questions, first," Sage gazed into my eyes. His lavender eyes looked slightly ticked, but more confused than annoyed. Well, he mostly wanted answers, which made me grin slightly, but also, confused me. Why didn't they just torture me to death? Didn't they hate us?
"Why am I not dead?" I asked quietly.
"Well, we need answers," Wildfire rolled his eyes. "Everyone isn't a dick like the Dynasty."
"Oh, well," I considered what to tell them. "What do you want to know first?"
"The star," Halo stated calmly. "Just tell me about the star and what it means."
"It's the star of my..." my people? No, not quite right. "Of an ancient culture. The green part is sketched into your skin after taking an oath when you're young, and everyone has them."
"The flower?" Halo nodded, pleased that we were getting some where.
"The flower and center coloring are placed there when you're married," I answered dryly. Halo paused, eyes widening. He looked up at me, and I couldn't help grinning. "I hope that clarified everything for you."
"No, but..." Halo held up at hand to Wildfire.
"That's good for now. We'll sit here to Dais tells us more," Halo propped himself up against the wall, staring curiously at me. Damn, I shouldn't have told me. This boy was smarter than I thought.
(Kento)
"So, she's sleeping?" I asked Mia dumbly. She nodded, walking out of the girl's room. "Can't I go pound Dais?"
"No," Mia rolled her eyes. "Kento, I can't county how many times you've asked that! Could you just stay here, and maybe check up on the girl? I have to go out, and I don't want you near Dais, got it? Ryo, Rowen, Sage, and Cye have that one covered. Now, walk in that room and sit on the chair by the room and watch that girl, so when she wakes up, she won't be completely alone."
"Fine," I muttered, opening the door, about to walk into the room.
"Poor thing," Mia sighed, looking in at her before I shut the door. I frowned, feeling sorry for the girl who washed up on the shore with Dais. What crappy luck she had, being washed up naked with him.
The dark hair cascaded around her pale, peaceful face. She was really beautiful, I couldn't deny that one. How comes Sage got to see her in his dreams? If I could see hot chicks in my dreams, I'd NEVER wake up, for sure.
I plopped down on the chair, watching her. I got bored about two seconds after I sat down. Beating Dais would be fun, but in their 'infinite wisdom' everyone forbade me to go near Dais.
"You got the girl," I spoke to myself. I grinned, staring at the sleeping beauty. She mumbled something, suddenly, and I bolted in my chair, wondering if she was awake.
"Hey, girl, you awake?" I asked her. She rolled over a little, but no sound came from her lips again. I shrugged, starting to count ceiling tiles. I hadn't ever been in Mia's room before, but it seemed stylish and very clean. Violets decorated everything, and purple was the pervading color. I stared at Mia's dresser and all the pictures she kept framed there. There were photos of Mia and her grandfather, parents, siblings, and us on the dresser, all smiling and looking very cheerful.
I stared at the soft, beige walls, and the simple leaf border. Mia had good taste, and everything fit perfectly into place. Her beige and light pastel purple and green bed comforter lay over the girl again.
I stared back at the main attraction. She slept on, and this was getting old, fast. I walked over to her, staring down at her, squinting to see if maybe she'd look different if I did.
Brown eyes with a tint of yellow around the edge stared up at me. A shocked look ran through her face. "Oh my god!" She jumped up, and I jumped back, falling over Mia's nightstand.
"Who are you?" The girl looked over at me. "Where am I?"
"Whoa, you scared the crap out of me!" I stood up, laughing now. She frowned, giving me a curious stare.
"Where am I?" She asked again with less tenseness.
"You're in the humble home of the Ronin Warriors, in Mia Koji's bedroom," I waved my arms around. She smiled slightly. "I'm your gracious host, Kento Muan Fei, and you are perfectly safe in my awesome company."
"That is very nice to know, but I'm not quite sure what's going on," the girl frowned.
"Well, you're in the home of the good guys, and that bad ass demon that wanted to kill you won't touch you," I grinned at her, and she stared at the wall, smile fading.
"Where's Dais? I need to talk to him," she looked back at me, more urgent than before.
"Oh, that jerk is fine," I waved my hand. "You're fine now, and he won't touch you."
"No, you see, I think you don't understand what's going on either," the girl frowned, a look of sadness in her eyes.
"Of course I do," I walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You got kidnapped by the evil Dynasty, washed up with Dais some how, and we're going to save you."
"No, Kento, you don't understand."
She took my chin and turned my face directly towards hers. Her eyes were solemn, but still very beautiful. Something about her seemed...upset?...confused?...unhappy? Man, this girl showed so many emotions at one time, it boggled my mind how she could do that.
"Do you know Dais?" She asked quietly.
"Well, I've fought him and kicked his butt a couple times," I smiled. She shook her head, frowning deeper. Oh yeah, that helped.
"I see," she sighed, looking out the window. "Let me tell you a story, Kento, since all your intentions are pure."
"Listening," I replied, watching her space off. She turned back to me, a small smile on her face.
"Four hundred some years ago, I was to be married. My wedding day was beautiful. I got the star completed with the flower in the center to be identical to my husband's star. Kento, I married Dais," she looked out the window again, smile still on her face.
"WHAT?" I finally reacted. "You did what?"
"I married him," she sighed, a looked of sadness coming over her face. She faced me again, telling the story. "The night of our wedding, Dais was called off to battle. Our village was raided and sacked, and I became badly injured. Apparently, my love mistook me for dead. However, I obviously wasn't dead, and was preserved as the last priestess of our clan."
"Whoa, that's messed up."
"Yes, and Dais pledged himself to a demon because he thought me dead."
"That's crazy, I mean, come on, you're pretty and all, but I don't think I'd pledge myself off to serve Talpa if some girl died," I snorted. She tried to smile, but just shook her head.
"I've not been dead, though, and I've seen things in dreams over the years I must have rested. I woke up with my love, how long ago, I don't know, in the castle of his demon master, and found all of this out."
"How did you get out of Talpa's castle?"
"Dais took me from his master's other servants and took me to a secret exit. It's deep under the castle, and when we reached it, my love passed out. Is he alive?"
"Yeah, Dais is here," I watched her smile slightly.
"Well, that is good, for I thought him dead, but the river he took us to, it emanated healing power. I grabbed Dais and threw us both into the water. Then, I woke here," the girl frowned at me.
"Well, that's odd," I was dumbfounded. She jumped into a river and lived. "I mean, the thing with the river, not the rest of the story, how Dais went all psycho and all."
"I need to talk to him, find out why we're alive." She frowned. "Where am I, again?"
"In the Koji manor, with the Ronin Warriors, and you're safe in the mortal world." She nodded.
"Where was I?"
"You were in Talpa's castle, with a demon and his army, in the Netherworld," I answered quietly to the confused girl. She nodded.
"Thank you, Kento, but I need to see Dais, now, no matter how much you may dislike him."
Please review, thank you, MorganRay.