Chapter VI: Evil Undead Warrior Kidnaps Woman in Bid for Revenge, Film at 11
Sekhmet found Cye, four blocks away from the hospital. The Ronin pair was in a narrow alley between two skyscrapers, on the outskirts of the business district. There, slumped against a blue dumpster, Cye had been trying to bandage the nasty gashes on Ryo's back. The cast on his arm had cracked, and grown soggy in the rain. Ryo was fading in and out of consciousness, and Cye's green eyes were troubled.
Torrent nearly jumped when he saw his counterpart, a black shadow at the end of the alley. "Is he...?"
"He's done, for now." Sekhmet limped into the alley, some of the blood on his face washed off by the rains. "But he will return."
"He kidnapped Kayura, didn't he?"
Sekhmet nodded, putting a hand against the wet brick. Ryo's breathing became labored, as he strove to speak.
"Quiet, Ryo. Save your strength."
"He-He said he... killed.. Kayura.." Ryo murmured, his eyes glazed over. The pain was unbearable. Why hadn't they sent Sage after him? At least the blonde could have healed his injuries. "Anubis.. he's...evil... why...?"
Torrent and Venom wore matching looks of alarm and terror. "Is that true?" Sekhmet blurted. But Ryo was out of it again. "Come on." He pulled Ryo to his feet, holding the warrior tightly, but not tight enough to further annoy his injuries. "No rest for the weary." Cye snorted in disgust, as Sekhmet closed his eyes, threading his way back to the Nether Realm.
When the mental link was secured, he instantly felt a voice carry through.
"Sekhmet?" It was Dais. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. I have Wildfire, and some bad news." Sekhmet debated over telling him here and now, and then having to repeat it to the entire group. "But wait until we arrive. Ryo was attacked, and he is in need of Halo's attention."
"The Ronins are here. I will tell Sage to prepare."
Dais cleared the link, allowing Sekhmet to teleport he and his two charges to what had been the Dynasty castle.
Sekhmet carried Ryo down the corridor, Cye trailing behind him. The Ronins and Warlords were assembled in Kayura's study, talking quietly when he slid the door open. Sage leapt up the instant he laid eyes on Ryo, taking him from Sekhmet and laying him on Kayura's unfolded futon. Ryo grit his teeth, but didn't protest to the movements.
The burden of the Ronin taken from him, Sekhmet nearly collapsed. He dropped to his rear end near the bookshelf, a hand to his face, as he tried not to weep. Cale was over him in an instant.
"Selfless bastard. You're injured too." Cale muttered, motioning for help. Rowen appeared beside him. "Get me a basin with water, and a cloth." The archer nodded, and went off.
Sekhmet could see that he was holding back his questions. They all were, until Ryo and he were taken care of. Rowen returned, and Cale took to cleaning the worse of the cuts he had sustained. A gash above his right eye, from a punch he had failed to block, refused to stop bleeding.
"Here, ass. Hold this at the wound until it slows." Cale grumbled. Cale didn't like for people to know what he was thinking, but Sekhmet could read him like a book. Cale, to most people, came off gruff and inconsiderate. But underneath, there lay a kind soul.
"Thank you..." Sekhmet grumbled, holding the dripping cloth to the cut above his right eye. He bowed his head, looking Cale over. Cale's eyes were hooded, his eyes dark and weary. He had been fighting his own demons, and it was evident on his tired face. Did Sekhmet have the heart to repeat what had been said to Ryo? That Kayura was dead?
A wave of residual energy flowed through the spacious room, as the Halo Armor healed Ryo's injuries. Ryo groaned once, and sat up slowly. Sekhmet craned his neck around the bookshelf to see him leaning forward, a hand to his head. There were smiles of relief all around, as Sage stepped back, banishing his Armor.
"Guys..." Ryo sighed, leaning heavily on his bent knees. "Something's going on." Ryo turned his gaze to Sekhmet, who looked down in near embarrassment. "Something freaky."
"We... we know who kidnapped Kayura." Cye whispered, sitting beside Sage on a tatami mat.
Cale jerked to life, almost dropping the water basin, and spilling out the blood-tainted water onto the reed-mat floor. He bit his tongue, however, using all his control to leave the room, empty the bowl, and return, kneeling on another mat. The 7 Armor bearers sat in a semi-circle around Ryo, who sat on his futon, against the wall. Sage and Cye were on Ryo's right, followed by Dais, Rowen sitting on the edge of the desk, the only modern piece of furniture in the room, Kento in the desk's chair, Sekhmet now infront of the bookshelf, and Cale on Ryo's left, by the door.
Every member in the room held their breath. Most in anticipation, others in hesitation. Ryo looked at his hands, as they rested in his lap. His eyes burned with tears. "It.. It was Anubis."
The gasps of alarm and disbelief were overwhelming. Dais' eye nearly shot out of his head, Rowen smacking his palm against his forehead hard enough to leave a red mark. Kento's eyes shut, his whole body shaking with a mix of anger and sorrow. Sage was unfailing in his arms crossed, eyes closed, head bowed display of stoicism. Sekhmet and Cye's faces showed no change of emotion.
Cale, however.... well he nearly lost it. He lunged for Ryo, gripping the teen's shoulders painfully. "WHAT?! Is this true?!?!" He cried, shaking Wildfire. It took Sekhmet and Kento to pry him off their leader. The pair were poised on one knee, on either side of the distraught Warlord, holding him tightly. Cale tried to break free, but the two held firm. "It.. was...Anubis?" Cale's voice nearly broke.
Ryo nodded mutely, unable to speak around the lump in his throat. He didn't have the nerve to finish the grave news.
"It's not true." Dais words were harsh. "It couldn't be Anubis."
"It is. I saw him with my own eyes. Sekhmet stopped him while I escaped with Ryo." Torrent whispered meekly. He didn't budge, his head bent to hide the tears that threatened to fall. "He's returned from the dead, and he wants to kill us all."
"But... why..?" Cale nearly sobbed.
"Perhaps he still held some sort of malice in his heart before he died." Rowen mused, speaking through his right hand, which was curled in a fist, pressed to his lips. "Although I don' see why... he was the Ancient's Pupil. I didn't think the staff would reside with someone unless their heart was pure."
"Or it could be resentment at his death." Sage's voice was low, gentle. "Perhaps there was enough anger there to bloom into this loathing he feels for us."
Suddenly Rowen snapped. "That explains Kayura! She was the reason for his death, right? He used his strength to free Talpa's hold from her!"
"But he did it of free will, did he not?" Dais asked, looking from Strata to the rest of the group.
"I don't think so." Sage said. "I think that it was his destiny to die. That was why the Ancient One chose him. He was an intermediary for the staff. He was indeed the Chosen One. Chosen to sacrifice himself, that is."
Sage's words sent chills down the collective spines of those assembled. Cale seemed to go limp, Kento and Sekhmet glancing at each other, worry on their faces.
"We have to find him." Ryo seemed to growl. "We have to find out where he's hiding Kayura." Cale, still slumped on the floor, now freed from Kento and Sekhmet's restraint, whispered quietly.
"And we have to kill him."
Sekhmet found Cye, four blocks away from the hospital. The Ronin pair was in a narrow alley between two skyscrapers, on the outskirts of the business district. There, slumped against a blue dumpster, Cye had been trying to bandage the nasty gashes on Ryo's back. The cast on his arm had cracked, and grown soggy in the rain. Ryo was fading in and out of consciousness, and Cye's green eyes were troubled.
Torrent nearly jumped when he saw his counterpart, a black shadow at the end of the alley. "Is he...?"
"He's done, for now." Sekhmet limped into the alley, some of the blood on his face washed off by the rains. "But he will return."
"He kidnapped Kayura, didn't he?"
Sekhmet nodded, putting a hand against the wet brick. Ryo's breathing became labored, as he strove to speak.
"Quiet, Ryo. Save your strength."
"He-He said he... killed.. Kayura.." Ryo murmured, his eyes glazed over. The pain was unbearable. Why hadn't they sent Sage after him? At least the blonde could have healed his injuries. "Anubis.. he's...evil... why...?"
Torrent and Venom wore matching looks of alarm and terror. "Is that true?" Sekhmet blurted. But Ryo was out of it again. "Come on." He pulled Ryo to his feet, holding the warrior tightly, but not tight enough to further annoy his injuries. "No rest for the weary." Cye snorted in disgust, as Sekhmet closed his eyes, threading his way back to the Nether Realm.
When the mental link was secured, he instantly felt a voice carry through.
"Sekhmet?" It was Dais. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. I have Wildfire, and some bad news." Sekhmet debated over telling him here and now, and then having to repeat it to the entire group. "But wait until we arrive. Ryo was attacked, and he is in need of Halo's attention."
"The Ronins are here. I will tell Sage to prepare."
Dais cleared the link, allowing Sekhmet to teleport he and his two charges to what had been the Dynasty castle.
Sekhmet carried Ryo down the corridor, Cye trailing behind him. The Ronins and Warlords were assembled in Kayura's study, talking quietly when he slid the door open. Sage leapt up the instant he laid eyes on Ryo, taking him from Sekhmet and laying him on Kayura's unfolded futon. Ryo grit his teeth, but didn't protest to the movements.
The burden of the Ronin taken from him, Sekhmet nearly collapsed. He dropped to his rear end near the bookshelf, a hand to his face, as he tried not to weep. Cale was over him in an instant.
"Selfless bastard. You're injured too." Cale muttered, motioning for help. Rowen appeared beside him. "Get me a basin with water, and a cloth." The archer nodded, and went off.
Sekhmet could see that he was holding back his questions. They all were, until Ryo and he were taken care of. Rowen returned, and Cale took to cleaning the worse of the cuts he had sustained. A gash above his right eye, from a punch he had failed to block, refused to stop bleeding.
"Here, ass. Hold this at the wound until it slows." Cale grumbled. Cale didn't like for people to know what he was thinking, but Sekhmet could read him like a book. Cale, to most people, came off gruff and inconsiderate. But underneath, there lay a kind soul.
"Thank you..." Sekhmet grumbled, holding the dripping cloth to the cut above his right eye. He bowed his head, looking Cale over. Cale's eyes were hooded, his eyes dark and weary. He had been fighting his own demons, and it was evident on his tired face. Did Sekhmet have the heart to repeat what had been said to Ryo? That Kayura was dead?
A wave of residual energy flowed through the spacious room, as the Halo Armor healed Ryo's injuries. Ryo groaned once, and sat up slowly. Sekhmet craned his neck around the bookshelf to see him leaning forward, a hand to his head. There were smiles of relief all around, as Sage stepped back, banishing his Armor.
"Guys..." Ryo sighed, leaning heavily on his bent knees. "Something's going on." Ryo turned his gaze to Sekhmet, who looked down in near embarrassment. "Something freaky."
"We... we know who kidnapped Kayura." Cye whispered, sitting beside Sage on a tatami mat.
Cale jerked to life, almost dropping the water basin, and spilling out the blood-tainted water onto the reed-mat floor. He bit his tongue, however, using all his control to leave the room, empty the bowl, and return, kneeling on another mat. The 7 Armor bearers sat in a semi-circle around Ryo, who sat on his futon, against the wall. Sage and Cye were on Ryo's right, followed by Dais, Rowen sitting on the edge of the desk, the only modern piece of furniture in the room, Kento in the desk's chair, Sekhmet now infront of the bookshelf, and Cale on Ryo's left, by the door.
Every member in the room held their breath. Most in anticipation, others in hesitation. Ryo looked at his hands, as they rested in his lap. His eyes burned with tears. "It.. It was Anubis."
The gasps of alarm and disbelief were overwhelming. Dais' eye nearly shot out of his head, Rowen smacking his palm against his forehead hard enough to leave a red mark. Kento's eyes shut, his whole body shaking with a mix of anger and sorrow. Sage was unfailing in his arms crossed, eyes closed, head bowed display of stoicism. Sekhmet and Cye's faces showed no change of emotion.
Cale, however.... well he nearly lost it. He lunged for Ryo, gripping the teen's shoulders painfully. "WHAT?! Is this true?!?!" He cried, shaking Wildfire. It took Sekhmet and Kento to pry him off their leader. The pair were poised on one knee, on either side of the distraught Warlord, holding him tightly. Cale tried to break free, but the two held firm. "It.. was...Anubis?" Cale's voice nearly broke.
Ryo nodded mutely, unable to speak around the lump in his throat. He didn't have the nerve to finish the grave news.
"It's not true." Dais words were harsh. "It couldn't be Anubis."
"It is. I saw him with my own eyes. Sekhmet stopped him while I escaped with Ryo." Torrent whispered meekly. He didn't budge, his head bent to hide the tears that threatened to fall. "He's returned from the dead, and he wants to kill us all."
"But... why..?" Cale nearly sobbed.
"Perhaps he still held some sort of malice in his heart before he died." Rowen mused, speaking through his right hand, which was curled in a fist, pressed to his lips. "Although I don' see why... he was the Ancient's Pupil. I didn't think the staff would reside with someone unless their heart was pure."
"Or it could be resentment at his death." Sage's voice was low, gentle. "Perhaps there was enough anger there to bloom into this loathing he feels for us."
Suddenly Rowen snapped. "That explains Kayura! She was the reason for his death, right? He used his strength to free Talpa's hold from her!"
"But he did it of free will, did he not?" Dais asked, looking from Strata to the rest of the group.
"I don't think so." Sage said. "I think that it was his destiny to die. That was why the Ancient One chose him. He was an intermediary for the staff. He was indeed the Chosen One. Chosen to sacrifice himself, that is."
Sage's words sent chills down the collective spines of those assembled. Cale seemed to go limp, Kento and Sekhmet glancing at each other, worry on their faces.
"We have to find him." Ryo seemed to growl. "We have to find out where he's hiding Kayura." Cale, still slumped on the floor, now freed from Kento and Sekhmet's restraint, whispered quietly.
"And we have to kill him."