Chapter II: The Early Bird Gets the Guardian
The rain continued on through the night, a downpour that was bordering on torrential. Mia's lake was slowly filling over, the pier already awash. The sun wasn't to be seen that morning, when Sage awoke at 5 am.
He stood at his bedroom window, arms crossed over his chest. There was a slight draft leaking in through the window, making Sage shiver in his flannel pants and white T-shirt. "If it keeps up like this..." Sage began.
"We'll get flooded out."
Sage spun on his heel, singular eye darting around the room. "Who's there?" He demanded. A low, familiar chuckle sounded from the far corner of his bedroom. Sage recognized it immediately. "Bah... Cale."
The former Warlord of Corruption smiled from his shadowy corner. "As if it would be anyone else?" Cale was nestled in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest loosely.
"You're the only Shadow Rat I know." Sage taunted. "What in the name of Bhudda are you doing here?" Out of habit, he checked the bedside clock.
"I know that we aren't supposed to be here for another several hours. But it is important." Cale's words were grave.
"And how long were you planning on slinking around in the shadows before you decided to speak up?"
Cale shrugged.
"What's so important that you--"
A loud scream tore through the hallway, coming from Kento's room. Sage rolled his eyes. "And Dais..."
"BLOODY HELL!!" A groggy Cye yelped from two doors down.
"And Sekhmet.." Sage groaned. "Lovely. The whole crowd is here..." He muttered under his breath. "What's so important that all of you are here so damned early?"
"Kayura's gone."
The reply was simultaneous.
"WHAT?!?!"
The four Ronins were downstairs in a flash. Mia was wide awake, scurrying around the kitchen, making tea and something substantial for Kento. Those assembled sat at the table, the three Warlords on one side, the Ronins on the other. Rowen was on his feet, surprisingly very awake, given the current hour.
"Strata. Sit. Down." Dais said, accenting every word. The archer had been pacing the room, making Dais rather dizzy.
"I CAN'T." His palms slammed down on the table, china and silverware jumping nearly as high as the people. "Kayura's been abducted, and you're telling me to sit down? What are we sitting around for?"
Kento looked over at Cye. "Uh... is it just me, or has Rowen lost it?"
"He never had it. He's been fooling us all along. ...Rowen, you're thinking irrationally. We need a plan." Cye watched the blue eyebrows knit together. Perhaps it was the surroundings that was making him so jumpy. "I'm surprised that you're the one up and shooting off like a bloody lunatic." Cye's voice lost its soft English accent for the briefest of moments. It was a hard commanding tone. "Calm down." Torrent was just as worried over Kayura's disappearance as anyone, but it would be impossible to get anything accomplished with the so-called brains of the outfit running around like he was daft.
"Cale... did Kayura's abductors take the staff as well?" Mia asked, as she poured tea for Sage.
Cale nodded his head gently. "Yes."
"That means whoever has taken her knows of the powers it possesses." Cye murmured, looking at his reflection in his cup.
"But what about Kayura? What purpose does she serve?" Rowen asked, sitting down finally.
"Hostage." Sekhmet said quietly.
This made the hairs on the back of Rowen's neck stand on end. Cye shivered delicately out of the corner of his eye. "Then they're after something bigger."
"Our Armor." Sage murmured, taking a small sip of the steaming beverage.
"Probably." Dais nodded. He glanced up at Mia, who was moving around the table. "None for me, thanks." the Spider whispered, raising a pale hand. Mia moved on, pouring Cale his tea. Sekhmet also declined. Kento was munching contentedly on a muffin, working on his third glass of chocolate milk.
"There is... something else." Dais said, his lips pursing together for a moment.
"What?" Sage's brow furrowed.
"They have the Ogre Armor as well."
Kento nearly choked. "What?!"
"Yes. Anubis' Armor sphere was missing from Kayura's study."
"Wondrous." Rowen flopped down in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "So it's affirmative that they're after our Armor, already have one, and using Kayura and possibly the staff as ransom?"
"Your friend Ryo may be in danger as well." Dais shrugged off-handedly.
Sage's head whipped to the left. It was still raining bus-loads outside. There'd be no way to get to Ryo, unless Armor-power was involved. "How do you know?"
"There is some darkness approaching us. I saw it last night in my sleep." Cale scowled. He stood abruptly, leaning hard on the table. "It was my own neglect that caused Kayura's kidnapping. I knew something was going to happen to her." Cale's head dropped in shame. "And I let it."
Kento looked to his counterpart, puzzled at Cale's reaction. Dais raised a slender eyebrow, his remaining eye twinkling in a way to indicate an affair d'amour between the reformed Demon General and the descendant of the Ancient's clan. Kento's look was memorable, his blue eyes wide in shock. Cye bowed his head to hide his small smile.
"It's not your fault, Cale. The fault rests with all of us." Sekhmet murmured under his breath. "We are her protectors, and yet she has been taken captive, right out from under our noses."
"The fact still remains," Came the quiet reply from Dais, "That she is still missing. No matter whose fault it may be, we must find her. Quickly."
Rowen and Sage exchanged pained looks. Where to start? The Dynasty was the best place, obviously, to search for clues. But nothing could be done without their leader present.
"Cye, Sekhmet." Rowen's words were hard and determined. "You two go and get Ryo. If it comes down to a battle, odds are we'll need the Inferno."
Cye and his counterpart stood, nodding at each other. "By water?" Cye asked quietly.
"Yes. It will be much faster." Venom nodded. Robes and pajamas were replaced by the Venom and Torrent Armor, respectively.
"When you get him out, meet us at the Nether Realm." Rowen said as the pair clunked to the front door, and opened it, letting in a rush of cold damp air, and the roar of the rains outside.
"Right. Be careful." Cye warned, looking at Strata over his left shoulder.
"You too. We don't know if Ryo's part of a trap."
Torrent and Venom swam as fast as they could, through one of the underground streams that fed from Mia's lake into the aquifer underneath Toyama. Torrent glanced only once at his companion, the orange visor on his faceplate serving to clarify and somewhat illuminate the pitch black world. Sekhmet's eyes were narrow and determined from behind his serpentine face guard, as he put all his effort into swimming.
Suddenly, Sekhmet stopped, his hands to his head. "What is it?" Cye nearly yelled, holding firm to Venom. The current here was strong, and if one of them didn't keep fighting it, they'd be swept backwards.
"Evil. Close to Wildfire. We may be too late."
Cye's eyes went wide, and they locked with Sekhmet's, horror smashing whatever hope he had left. "We can't give up. Ryo needs us." Cye's strength doubled, the need to help his friend giving him a powerful adrenaline rush.
"Just pray that Ryo is strong enough to fend for himself."
The rain continued on through the night, a downpour that was bordering on torrential. Mia's lake was slowly filling over, the pier already awash. The sun wasn't to be seen that morning, when Sage awoke at 5 am.
He stood at his bedroom window, arms crossed over his chest. There was a slight draft leaking in through the window, making Sage shiver in his flannel pants and white T-shirt. "If it keeps up like this..." Sage began.
"We'll get flooded out."
Sage spun on his heel, singular eye darting around the room. "Who's there?" He demanded. A low, familiar chuckle sounded from the far corner of his bedroom. Sage recognized it immediately. "Bah... Cale."
The former Warlord of Corruption smiled from his shadowy corner. "As if it would be anyone else?" Cale was nestled in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest loosely.
"You're the only Shadow Rat I know." Sage taunted. "What in the name of Bhudda are you doing here?" Out of habit, he checked the bedside clock.
"I know that we aren't supposed to be here for another several hours. But it is important." Cale's words were grave.
"And how long were you planning on slinking around in the shadows before you decided to speak up?"
Cale shrugged.
"What's so important that you--"
A loud scream tore through the hallway, coming from Kento's room. Sage rolled his eyes. "And Dais..."
"BLOODY HELL!!" A groggy Cye yelped from two doors down.
"And Sekhmet.." Sage groaned. "Lovely. The whole crowd is here..." He muttered under his breath. "What's so important that all of you are here so damned early?"
"Kayura's gone."
The reply was simultaneous.
"WHAT?!?!"
The four Ronins were downstairs in a flash. Mia was wide awake, scurrying around the kitchen, making tea and something substantial for Kento. Those assembled sat at the table, the three Warlords on one side, the Ronins on the other. Rowen was on his feet, surprisingly very awake, given the current hour.
"Strata. Sit. Down." Dais said, accenting every word. The archer had been pacing the room, making Dais rather dizzy.
"I CAN'T." His palms slammed down on the table, china and silverware jumping nearly as high as the people. "Kayura's been abducted, and you're telling me to sit down? What are we sitting around for?"
Kento looked over at Cye. "Uh... is it just me, or has Rowen lost it?"
"He never had it. He's been fooling us all along. ...Rowen, you're thinking irrationally. We need a plan." Cye watched the blue eyebrows knit together. Perhaps it was the surroundings that was making him so jumpy. "I'm surprised that you're the one up and shooting off like a bloody lunatic." Cye's voice lost its soft English accent for the briefest of moments. It was a hard commanding tone. "Calm down." Torrent was just as worried over Kayura's disappearance as anyone, but it would be impossible to get anything accomplished with the so-called brains of the outfit running around like he was daft.
"Cale... did Kayura's abductors take the staff as well?" Mia asked, as she poured tea for Sage.
Cale nodded his head gently. "Yes."
"That means whoever has taken her knows of the powers it possesses." Cye murmured, looking at his reflection in his cup.
"But what about Kayura? What purpose does she serve?" Rowen asked, sitting down finally.
"Hostage." Sekhmet said quietly.
This made the hairs on the back of Rowen's neck stand on end. Cye shivered delicately out of the corner of his eye. "Then they're after something bigger."
"Our Armor." Sage murmured, taking a small sip of the steaming beverage.
"Probably." Dais nodded. He glanced up at Mia, who was moving around the table. "None for me, thanks." the Spider whispered, raising a pale hand. Mia moved on, pouring Cale his tea. Sekhmet also declined. Kento was munching contentedly on a muffin, working on his third glass of chocolate milk.
"There is... something else." Dais said, his lips pursing together for a moment.
"What?" Sage's brow furrowed.
"They have the Ogre Armor as well."
Kento nearly choked. "What?!"
"Yes. Anubis' Armor sphere was missing from Kayura's study."
"Wondrous." Rowen flopped down in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "So it's affirmative that they're after our Armor, already have one, and using Kayura and possibly the staff as ransom?"
"Your friend Ryo may be in danger as well." Dais shrugged off-handedly.
Sage's head whipped to the left. It was still raining bus-loads outside. There'd be no way to get to Ryo, unless Armor-power was involved. "How do you know?"
"There is some darkness approaching us. I saw it last night in my sleep." Cale scowled. He stood abruptly, leaning hard on the table. "It was my own neglect that caused Kayura's kidnapping. I knew something was going to happen to her." Cale's head dropped in shame. "And I let it."
Kento looked to his counterpart, puzzled at Cale's reaction. Dais raised a slender eyebrow, his remaining eye twinkling in a way to indicate an affair d'amour between the reformed Demon General and the descendant of the Ancient's clan. Kento's look was memorable, his blue eyes wide in shock. Cye bowed his head to hide his small smile.
"It's not your fault, Cale. The fault rests with all of us." Sekhmet murmured under his breath. "We are her protectors, and yet she has been taken captive, right out from under our noses."
"The fact still remains," Came the quiet reply from Dais, "That she is still missing. No matter whose fault it may be, we must find her. Quickly."
Rowen and Sage exchanged pained looks. Where to start? The Dynasty was the best place, obviously, to search for clues. But nothing could be done without their leader present.
"Cye, Sekhmet." Rowen's words were hard and determined. "You two go and get Ryo. If it comes down to a battle, odds are we'll need the Inferno."
Cye and his counterpart stood, nodding at each other. "By water?" Cye asked quietly.
"Yes. It will be much faster." Venom nodded. Robes and pajamas were replaced by the Venom and Torrent Armor, respectively.
"When you get him out, meet us at the Nether Realm." Rowen said as the pair clunked to the front door, and opened it, letting in a rush of cold damp air, and the roar of the rains outside.
"Right. Be careful." Cye warned, looking at Strata over his left shoulder.
"You too. We don't know if Ryo's part of a trap."
Torrent and Venom swam as fast as they could, through one of the underground streams that fed from Mia's lake into the aquifer underneath Toyama. Torrent glanced only once at his companion, the orange visor on his faceplate serving to clarify and somewhat illuminate the pitch black world. Sekhmet's eyes were narrow and determined from behind his serpentine face guard, as he put all his effort into swimming.
Suddenly, Sekhmet stopped, his hands to his head. "What is it?" Cye nearly yelled, holding firm to Venom. The current here was strong, and if one of them didn't keep fighting it, they'd be swept backwards.
"Evil. Close to Wildfire. We may be too late."
Cye's eyes went wide, and they locked with Sekhmet's, horror smashing whatever hope he had left. "We can't give up. Ryo needs us." Cye's strength doubled, the need to help his friend giving him a powerful adrenaline rush.
"Just pray that Ryo is strong enough to fend for himself."