Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronins. I don't own Sunrise. I do own this
story.
A/N: Thank you to all of you who reviewed my story. I was a little frustrated when I first published it, seeing as everyone who had written a Ronin Warriors story decided to publish them at the same time. Seeing as it was winter break, I should have anticipated that. I'd like to thank all of you who possessed enough patience to continue encouraging me. This chapter starts off with a new character that will be vital to the story. I hope to work on the next chapter soon.
"Fair is the ice that forms into bells Chilling the murky mane Driving the elegant toward power Making the slaves insane Glazing fully the forbidden skin That withers under shadowed light The blessed find comfort in committing sin And they receive kismet from the night Two forces, both but wrong and right Each voice, taking pride In the other's plight"
Detrimentus ceased his chant. His appetite for strife felt complete- for the moment, at least. The withered creature tugged at the rags that covered his body. They chaffed his scales and pulled at the small hairs covering his arms and legs. But Talpa had assured Detrimentus that the deal would not be called off. There were riches waiting for the emaciated demon- it was power that he truly craved, but Talpa had offered fortune, not almighty omnipotence. Detrimentus knew that riches could buy allegiance from the desperate.
A cackle filled the endless night. It echoed through the crumbling walls of the dungeon. "Talpa, you fool!" Detrimentus spat. "I will play your games, but I shall not abide by the rules." Rolling over to lay on his back, he looked over to the shafted grid that let a small bit of moonlight into the cell. His eyes swelled with darkness and he sneered at the light. "The spell has been set, and the boy is yours, Talpa. But do not think that you will not engage in my game. My rules, my amusement, and then, you will know fear. It will clench you like an iron glove. It will slap your face and spit in your eyes! By then, you would have had your warrior under your gaze. Under my spell, he will give his tears to you. You would have had him slice his fragile human skin, just so you can be pleased for your own means. Talpa, I will stand by and watch you accept his offer for blood! I will be there to watch you smile, as the boy draws nearer to destruction. I will place my gaze upon your eyes as he does your will. I will be there, Talpa, when your mind reaches out to his hallucinations. I will place schemes under my skin while you turn his heart to hollowness."
"I will be waiting, just for you to enrapture a trophy from your glorious hunt. But none will be so glorious as my role of the hunter."
Bitter. Rage. Falling. Breath. Dancing. Coiled. Doom. The Apocalypse was nearing.
His right hand was gone. His wrist abruptly ended. His arm- his wrist- a small stub. Blood oozed from the wound. He remembered looking at it, as though he couldn't believe it was... gone. He had recalled petting something soft. It had moved up and down, radiating warmth. It had flinched at the touch of a hand, and its head retracted. The soft thing had pounced. His right hand was gone.
Wistful reality slapped Ryo like an icy gauntlet. His body jerked violently. Squeezing his eyes shut, Ryo's left hand felt for his right - fingers, a palm, and flesh and bone connected to a wrist. Had it really been a nightmare? It had seemed so real to him. Fragments of a dream scattered around in Ryo's brain. He had been in the city, near the old toy store. It was cold outside. He could see his breath when he exhaled. The streetlights had not come on yet, the sun had winked its last ray and sank. No one said a word as they walked on the sidewalks, each individual wrapped up in their own dream, hugging themselves for warmth. The cold stung Ryo's face, but he stood there by the toy store, looking in at the window display. He had never seen swords for sale at a toy store. He wondered who would ever buy weapons for a child. The thought scared him. After a few moments, Ryo pulled himself away from the toy store window, disturbed by the swords. Out of habit, the boy turned to tousle White Blaze's mane.
That's when it happened. White Blaze's teeth sank into Ryo's flesh and bone. The hand was gone. White Blaze had looked calmly into Ryo's distraught eyes. Blood dripped from White Blaze's muzzle, and the hand was wedged between the tiger's jaws. Ryo cried out in agony, his face a mask of confusion and fear. After his cry waned, he heard the tiger growl. It was low, deadly, angry sound; and that was the only sound Ryo heard as the tiger pounced.
The Ronin Warriors stood in the bedroom, crowded together. Their armors were wide and thick, making it difficult to move around the cramped room.
"Well, now that we've suited up," Kento began, "What should we do?"
He was answered with silence. He threw his arms up in frustration only to hit Rowen in the eye and righthook Cye in one swift motion. Rowen shouted in pain and Cye managed to yell something in British slang before instinctively putting his hand to his face.
"Kento! What the hell is wrong with you?" Rowen shouted furiously.
"Wha di ye pawn me? Ye noh betta en 'at." Cye muffled, while cradling his jaw.
"Let's move it in the living room before Kento tramples Ryo." Sage said, motioning to the bedroom door.
"Did I say I was sorry yet?" Kento asked.
"Noh, ye din et." Cye answered, as he was making his way out of the bedroom.
"Then, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just pissed, man. We don't know what the hell is going on, and I'm..."
"Hun gee?" Cye offered.
"Yeah, I'm hungry, but there are more important things to worry about. I hate sitting here, not being able to do anything about Ryo," Kento said, looking down at the ground in shame.
"Kento, this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now," Sage began, "But I've got to be honest with you. There's nothing we can do."
Kento opened his mouth to say something, but closed it after a moment, knowing that Sage was right.
A/N: So, there you are. Detrimentus is intriguing, to say the least. I'll grammar-check this story later, seeing as I wanted to publish this as soon as possible. Next chapter, I hope to focus wholly on Ryo, or at the least, his part of the story will be the majority of the text. As always, review, please.
A/N: Thank you to all of you who reviewed my story. I was a little frustrated when I first published it, seeing as everyone who had written a Ronin Warriors story decided to publish them at the same time. Seeing as it was winter break, I should have anticipated that. I'd like to thank all of you who possessed enough patience to continue encouraging me. This chapter starts off with a new character that will be vital to the story. I hope to work on the next chapter soon.
"Fair is the ice that forms into bells Chilling the murky mane Driving the elegant toward power Making the slaves insane Glazing fully the forbidden skin That withers under shadowed light The blessed find comfort in committing sin And they receive kismet from the night Two forces, both but wrong and right Each voice, taking pride In the other's plight"
Detrimentus ceased his chant. His appetite for strife felt complete- for the moment, at least. The withered creature tugged at the rags that covered his body. They chaffed his scales and pulled at the small hairs covering his arms and legs. But Talpa had assured Detrimentus that the deal would not be called off. There were riches waiting for the emaciated demon- it was power that he truly craved, but Talpa had offered fortune, not almighty omnipotence. Detrimentus knew that riches could buy allegiance from the desperate.
A cackle filled the endless night. It echoed through the crumbling walls of the dungeon. "Talpa, you fool!" Detrimentus spat. "I will play your games, but I shall not abide by the rules." Rolling over to lay on his back, he looked over to the shafted grid that let a small bit of moonlight into the cell. His eyes swelled with darkness and he sneered at the light. "The spell has been set, and the boy is yours, Talpa. But do not think that you will not engage in my game. My rules, my amusement, and then, you will know fear. It will clench you like an iron glove. It will slap your face and spit in your eyes! By then, you would have had your warrior under your gaze. Under my spell, he will give his tears to you. You would have had him slice his fragile human skin, just so you can be pleased for your own means. Talpa, I will stand by and watch you accept his offer for blood! I will be there to watch you smile, as the boy draws nearer to destruction. I will place my gaze upon your eyes as he does your will. I will be there, Talpa, when your mind reaches out to his hallucinations. I will place schemes under my skin while you turn his heart to hollowness."
"I will be waiting, just for you to enrapture a trophy from your glorious hunt. But none will be so glorious as my role of the hunter."
Bitter. Rage. Falling. Breath. Dancing. Coiled. Doom. The Apocalypse was nearing.
His right hand was gone. His wrist abruptly ended. His arm- his wrist- a small stub. Blood oozed from the wound. He remembered looking at it, as though he couldn't believe it was... gone. He had recalled petting something soft. It had moved up and down, radiating warmth. It had flinched at the touch of a hand, and its head retracted. The soft thing had pounced. His right hand was gone.
Wistful reality slapped Ryo like an icy gauntlet. His body jerked violently. Squeezing his eyes shut, Ryo's left hand felt for his right - fingers, a palm, and flesh and bone connected to a wrist. Had it really been a nightmare? It had seemed so real to him. Fragments of a dream scattered around in Ryo's brain. He had been in the city, near the old toy store. It was cold outside. He could see his breath when he exhaled. The streetlights had not come on yet, the sun had winked its last ray and sank. No one said a word as they walked on the sidewalks, each individual wrapped up in their own dream, hugging themselves for warmth. The cold stung Ryo's face, but he stood there by the toy store, looking in at the window display. He had never seen swords for sale at a toy store. He wondered who would ever buy weapons for a child. The thought scared him. After a few moments, Ryo pulled himself away from the toy store window, disturbed by the swords. Out of habit, the boy turned to tousle White Blaze's mane.
That's when it happened. White Blaze's teeth sank into Ryo's flesh and bone. The hand was gone. White Blaze had looked calmly into Ryo's distraught eyes. Blood dripped from White Blaze's muzzle, and the hand was wedged between the tiger's jaws. Ryo cried out in agony, his face a mask of confusion and fear. After his cry waned, he heard the tiger growl. It was low, deadly, angry sound; and that was the only sound Ryo heard as the tiger pounced.
The Ronin Warriors stood in the bedroom, crowded together. Their armors were wide and thick, making it difficult to move around the cramped room.
"Well, now that we've suited up," Kento began, "What should we do?"
He was answered with silence. He threw his arms up in frustration only to hit Rowen in the eye and righthook Cye in one swift motion. Rowen shouted in pain and Cye managed to yell something in British slang before instinctively putting his hand to his face.
"Kento! What the hell is wrong with you?" Rowen shouted furiously.
"Wha di ye pawn me? Ye noh betta en 'at." Cye muffled, while cradling his jaw.
"Let's move it in the living room before Kento tramples Ryo." Sage said, motioning to the bedroom door.
"Did I say I was sorry yet?" Kento asked.
"Noh, ye din et." Cye answered, as he was making his way out of the bedroom.
"Then, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just pissed, man. We don't know what the hell is going on, and I'm..."
"Hun gee?" Cye offered.
"Yeah, I'm hungry, but there are more important things to worry about. I hate sitting here, not being able to do anything about Ryo," Kento said, looking down at the ground in shame.
"Kento, this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now," Sage began, "But I've got to be honest with you. There's nothing we can do."
Kento opened his mouth to say something, but closed it after a moment, knowing that Sage was right.
A/N: So, there you are. Detrimentus is intriguing, to say the least. I'll grammar-check this story later, seeing as I wanted to publish this as soon as possible. Next chapter, I hope to focus wholly on Ryo, or at the least, his part of the story will be the majority of the text. As always, review, please.