Chapter Thirteen: Coming
(Dais)
I stared around at the six faces, familiar yet strange. No flurry of rage controlled Hardrock's features, but he sat quietly, stuffing his face. No look of precious concentration motivated Halo into an attack, but he mildly chatted with Mia and Sada while he ate. Torrent wasn't pressing his lips together, fixing his sure kill aim, but placing sushi on my plate.
However, no matter how well they hid it, Strata and Wildfire watched me carefully. Wildfire's eyes didn't hold their normal fiery rage, but a smoldering hatred, which Strata's eyes conveyed suspicious, trusting his dead on accuracy.
"Lovely," I turned as Sada spoke to Mia. Wonder of wonders, the women were chatting like old friends. "This meal us delicious."
"It's nothing, really," Torrent blushed slightly at Sada's comment. "I usually cook, or else it's Mia."
"He's a good cook, and he should be a chef," Mia smiled politely. Sada nodded in return.
"Well, we're busy at the moment," Wildfire stared at his plate, eating as he spoke. "Or else I'm sure Cye would. You know, dared . . ."
"Schedule, and schooling," Halo cut into Wildfire's rant. "It's hard stuff."
"I see," Sada frowned, looking up at me. She wasn't dumb, and knew perfectly well what Wildfire and Strata were getting at, but something else shown in her eyes. It wasn't love, but something else, something different, and it took me a while to place it.
She was afraid. "What's wrong?" I spoke directly to her, although everyone silenced to hear what I was saying.
"Clouds are coming," Sada whispered, her eyes staring off into space. "A black storm rides the wind."
"The Dynasty," Halo rose from his seat.
"Of course," I moaned. I'd pushed it out of my mind, the fact that they'd be coming, until this last moment. "You have to be kept safe."
"Yes," Mia took Sada's hand, frowning when she realized there was no place to go but the house. We were trapped, in the house, and they were coming. A peel of thunder echoed across the lake outside. The door banged open with a burst of wind.
"We'll need the armors," Torrent pushed the door shut, shoving the table against it. "Ryo? Rowen?"
"What?" Wildfire burst out. "You want me to give him his kanji! Even if I could, I don't think I would!"
"They're down a warlord," Halo frowned. "It'll give us an advantage."
"No," Wildfire spat out. "Sage, he could turn on us! What makes you so sure that he'll fight with us!"
"I'm right here!" I hated being ignored. "I think I should be part of this conversation."
"Hell no," Hardrock was geared for battle now, dressed in his sub armor. "I'm with Ryo."
"I need to protect Sada," I shouted.
"We'll do that fine," Wildfire stared into my face, eyes burning with that untamed fury which he'd defeated the Dynasty with. I locked my good eye with his eyes. I would protect Sada.
"We don't have time!" Mia shouted as a window banged open. Mia slammed it shut, putting a chair in front of it. "Dais, where is your kanji?"
"No idea," I turned away from Wildfire. "After the river, I don't know."
"That stupid river," Halo muttered. "What did it do?"
"It's the river of healing," I sighed. "Talpa sealed it up because it's the original pathway to the mortal world, but using it means you'll be purified, so he made sure no one would escape through it."
"Ah," Halo nodded. "Good, that explains a lot. Sada, what can you do? You mentioned you warded off Talpa before."
"A chant, but that won't help," she frowned, staring up at me. "I might be able to perform a ritual on the house if you board up all the windows and door, and every gap you can think of."
"Done," Strata ignored me with Sada's plan. "I'll do the attic, Ryo, Cye and Mia, the upstairs, and Sage, Kento, and Dais can do the first floor."
I took the chairs, stacking them against the windows. Rain had begun to beat down outside, and Halo stuffed any cracks with paper towels and cloths. Hardrock piled furniture against the sliding glass door, moving what ever he could towards the doors and windows. I began to seal up around the windows in the den, stacking cushions and anything Hardrock didn't use against them.
"It looks good," the other four came from the above floor. I stared at Sada, who had seated herself on the bottom step. She remained in deep meditation.
"Don't move," she whispered. She closed her eyes, and four beams of light shot out, one to each of the Four Corners of the house. "Done."
"That's it?" Hardrock gaped. "I mean, it was that quick?"
"Yes," Sada nodded. "The Four Corners are protected, and that's protecting the whole house. The only way to get in would be a gap, but you sealed all those up."
"How long can we last in here?" Strata frowned. "They're going to lay siege to this place."
"A couple days, unless they brake through, or does the ritual wear off?" Torrent frowned at Sada.
"No, the ritual shouldn't wear, and I can't imagine how they'd break it," she frowned. "But it's a good possibility. Armor yourselves, if they do, because this might make them angry."
"Angry will be a mild description," I frowned. "Just hope they decide another time is better to attack."
"Why?" Strata asked cynically. "What can you tell us, Dais?"
"Talpa thinks Sada is his," I scowled. "He'll be pissed we're using her against him, and I'm a traitor."
"Can it be broken from the inside?" Wildfire glared at me.
"I'm a traitor," I repeated the line slowly for him. He scowled, but Halo stepped in once again.
"Dais needs his armor," Halo spoke with force, making sure everyone understood what he wanted. "If Dais is right, we'll be in for hell if Talpa can break this. Any suggestions? Rowen?"
The intellectual Ronin frowned, looked at Halo, and began frown as he racked his brain. "Well, he might not have the armor any more."
"Where did it go, then?" I asked, bewildered at his statement. Not have my armor?
"Or, maybe, you just need to call it," Strata frowned. "Try it." I closed my eyes, focusing on the symbol for serenity. I screwed up my brain in concentration, visualizing it clearly.
"Nothing," I groaned. "I think it might be gone."
"Well, how about Sada? Maybe she should try summoning it," Strata frowned.
"No, I don't think a priestess has those abilities, but I'll try," Sada's faced became relaxed as she meditated. "No, I'm not a warrior."
"But we are," Halo snapped his fingers. "Five Ronin armors might do it. Form a pentagram, put Dais in the center, and we'll call his armor."
They arranged themselves around me, each closing his eyes, Wildfire closing his last. He frowned staring at me, knowing this might be against his better judgement. As he closed his eyes, I felt I might want to do the same and meditate again on serenity. I felt their powers flow around me, all their elements swirling in a circle. They made the symbol of serenity that I'd pictured in my mind burn and twirl with color, and I felt part of them flow into it as they each concentrated on it.
My eyes flew open, and I felt the glow go directly to my forehead. They'd done it, and it was strange, knowing they'd all helped me, who'd been so awful to them. I uncurled my hand to see my kanji.
"Sage saves the day," Cye laughed. "Good thing two of us have brains."
"Whatever," Kento snorted. "Dais, put on your armor, and let's get ready."
Several cracks of lightning exploded outside, followed by thunder, and the house shook, the lights flickering off and on. Mia screamed as the trees exploded with electricity as the sky lit up brighter than day. I gazed out at two forms standing on the far side of the lake.
This took longer than I thought, but here it is. Thanks for the reviews, they were appreciated. Thanks (always reading and writing) MorganRay.
(Dais)
I stared around at the six faces, familiar yet strange. No flurry of rage controlled Hardrock's features, but he sat quietly, stuffing his face. No look of precious concentration motivated Halo into an attack, but he mildly chatted with Mia and Sada while he ate. Torrent wasn't pressing his lips together, fixing his sure kill aim, but placing sushi on my plate.
However, no matter how well they hid it, Strata and Wildfire watched me carefully. Wildfire's eyes didn't hold their normal fiery rage, but a smoldering hatred, which Strata's eyes conveyed suspicious, trusting his dead on accuracy.
"Lovely," I turned as Sada spoke to Mia. Wonder of wonders, the women were chatting like old friends. "This meal us delicious."
"It's nothing, really," Torrent blushed slightly at Sada's comment. "I usually cook, or else it's Mia."
"He's a good cook, and he should be a chef," Mia smiled politely. Sada nodded in return.
"Well, we're busy at the moment," Wildfire stared at his plate, eating as he spoke. "Or else I'm sure Cye would. You know, dared . . ."
"Schedule, and schooling," Halo cut into Wildfire's rant. "It's hard stuff."
"I see," Sada frowned, looking up at me. She wasn't dumb, and knew perfectly well what Wildfire and Strata were getting at, but something else shown in her eyes. It wasn't love, but something else, something different, and it took me a while to place it.
She was afraid. "What's wrong?" I spoke directly to her, although everyone silenced to hear what I was saying.
"Clouds are coming," Sada whispered, her eyes staring off into space. "A black storm rides the wind."
"The Dynasty," Halo rose from his seat.
"Of course," I moaned. I'd pushed it out of my mind, the fact that they'd be coming, until this last moment. "You have to be kept safe."
"Yes," Mia took Sada's hand, frowning when she realized there was no place to go but the house. We were trapped, in the house, and they were coming. A peel of thunder echoed across the lake outside. The door banged open with a burst of wind.
"We'll need the armors," Torrent pushed the door shut, shoving the table against it. "Ryo? Rowen?"
"What?" Wildfire burst out. "You want me to give him his kanji! Even if I could, I don't think I would!"
"They're down a warlord," Halo frowned. "It'll give us an advantage."
"No," Wildfire spat out. "Sage, he could turn on us! What makes you so sure that he'll fight with us!"
"I'm right here!" I hated being ignored. "I think I should be part of this conversation."
"Hell no," Hardrock was geared for battle now, dressed in his sub armor. "I'm with Ryo."
"I need to protect Sada," I shouted.
"We'll do that fine," Wildfire stared into my face, eyes burning with that untamed fury which he'd defeated the Dynasty with. I locked my good eye with his eyes. I would protect Sada.
"We don't have time!" Mia shouted as a window banged open. Mia slammed it shut, putting a chair in front of it. "Dais, where is your kanji?"
"No idea," I turned away from Wildfire. "After the river, I don't know."
"That stupid river," Halo muttered. "What did it do?"
"It's the river of healing," I sighed. "Talpa sealed it up because it's the original pathway to the mortal world, but using it means you'll be purified, so he made sure no one would escape through it."
"Ah," Halo nodded. "Good, that explains a lot. Sada, what can you do? You mentioned you warded off Talpa before."
"A chant, but that won't help," she frowned, staring up at me. "I might be able to perform a ritual on the house if you board up all the windows and door, and every gap you can think of."
"Done," Strata ignored me with Sada's plan. "I'll do the attic, Ryo, Cye and Mia, the upstairs, and Sage, Kento, and Dais can do the first floor."
I took the chairs, stacking them against the windows. Rain had begun to beat down outside, and Halo stuffed any cracks with paper towels and cloths. Hardrock piled furniture against the sliding glass door, moving what ever he could towards the doors and windows. I began to seal up around the windows in the den, stacking cushions and anything Hardrock didn't use against them.
"It looks good," the other four came from the above floor. I stared at Sada, who had seated herself on the bottom step. She remained in deep meditation.
"Don't move," she whispered. She closed her eyes, and four beams of light shot out, one to each of the Four Corners of the house. "Done."
"That's it?" Hardrock gaped. "I mean, it was that quick?"
"Yes," Sada nodded. "The Four Corners are protected, and that's protecting the whole house. The only way to get in would be a gap, but you sealed all those up."
"How long can we last in here?" Strata frowned. "They're going to lay siege to this place."
"A couple days, unless they brake through, or does the ritual wear off?" Torrent frowned at Sada.
"No, the ritual shouldn't wear, and I can't imagine how they'd break it," she frowned. "But it's a good possibility. Armor yourselves, if they do, because this might make them angry."
"Angry will be a mild description," I frowned. "Just hope they decide another time is better to attack."
"Why?" Strata asked cynically. "What can you tell us, Dais?"
"Talpa thinks Sada is his," I scowled. "He'll be pissed we're using her against him, and I'm a traitor."
"Can it be broken from the inside?" Wildfire glared at me.
"I'm a traitor," I repeated the line slowly for him. He scowled, but Halo stepped in once again.
"Dais needs his armor," Halo spoke with force, making sure everyone understood what he wanted. "If Dais is right, we'll be in for hell if Talpa can break this. Any suggestions? Rowen?"
The intellectual Ronin frowned, looked at Halo, and began frown as he racked his brain. "Well, he might not have the armor any more."
"Where did it go, then?" I asked, bewildered at his statement. Not have my armor?
"Or, maybe, you just need to call it," Strata frowned. "Try it." I closed my eyes, focusing on the symbol for serenity. I screwed up my brain in concentration, visualizing it clearly.
"Nothing," I groaned. "I think it might be gone."
"Well, how about Sada? Maybe she should try summoning it," Strata frowned.
"No, I don't think a priestess has those abilities, but I'll try," Sada's faced became relaxed as she meditated. "No, I'm not a warrior."
"But we are," Halo snapped his fingers. "Five Ronin armors might do it. Form a pentagram, put Dais in the center, and we'll call his armor."
They arranged themselves around me, each closing his eyes, Wildfire closing his last. He frowned staring at me, knowing this might be against his better judgement. As he closed his eyes, I felt I might want to do the same and meditate again on serenity. I felt their powers flow around me, all their elements swirling in a circle. They made the symbol of serenity that I'd pictured in my mind burn and twirl with color, and I felt part of them flow into it as they each concentrated on it.
My eyes flew open, and I felt the glow go directly to my forehead. They'd done it, and it was strange, knowing they'd all helped me, who'd been so awful to them. I uncurled my hand to see my kanji.
"Sage saves the day," Cye laughed. "Good thing two of us have brains."
"Whatever," Kento snorted. "Dais, put on your armor, and let's get ready."
Several cracks of lightning exploded outside, followed by thunder, and the house shook, the lights flickering off and on. Mia screamed as the trees exploded with electricity as the sky lit up brighter than day. I gazed out at two forms standing on the far side of the lake.
This took longer than I thought, but here it is. Thanks for the reviews, they were appreciated. Thanks (always reading and writing) MorganRay.