Life and Soul
By Cypher
Chapter Three
Demons, while part of the Nether World, had never been a part of Talpa's reign. He hadn't even sought out the ones on Earth, not trusting them to follow him unquestioningly as the Warlords had. As a result, demons had been hunted out of the mainland of the Nether World and pushed to its borders. Those that dared to go beyond the set borders without permission were killed on sight by the guards. Over the first two hundred years of Talpa's rule, dozens of demons were slaughtered for no reason other than they crossed a line on a map.
With Talpa's defeat at the hands of the Ronin Warriors, Kayura dismantled the Dynasty army, but debated whether she should keep the ones guarding the demon borders around. In the end, she voted to release the spirits in the armors, opening the borders between the Nether Realm mainland and the Demons for the first time in a thousand years. But after a millennia of being boxed up, the demons hadn't even noticed the change, and remained in their corners of the world.
Thus, when Cale's wolves breached the now defunct borders to deliver the message, many were skeptical, wondering if this was a trick to wipe out demons for good. Until they heard that Earth demons would be joining the summit as well, they were going to refuse the invitation. In an uncharacteristic display of diplomacy they even let the messengers live after the message had been announced. Teleportation wasn't a part of every demon's powers, but those that couldn't teleport could reach the Dynasty castle fairly quickly. It was a small realm, after all.
Sehkmet was still dealing with the armors in the dungeon, and Dais had vanished into the night, leaving Cale to guide the demons around the castle and to the throne room. It was difficult. The Earthly demons were wary, but had kept their powers in lockdown. The Nether World demons, though, the ones that were formed of their powers, were far more rowdy. The worst were the fire demons, melting as much ice they could. Those not at war with that faction had huddled near them, to help keep warm.
By noon, Dynasty time, every demon faction known had sent a representative, and the throne room was beginning to feel crowded. Cale crossed his arms and leaned against the now closed doors, his eyes darting around to make sure there wouldn't be too much trouble. He doubted Touryuki could contain these creatures, but then again, he had frozen an Ancient. Not even Talpa had achieved that.
The weakest of the demons, Chryseoi, were standing to the right of the throne, conversing softly. One would never be able to tell that they were demons, as they looked completely human. Except for the fact that they had powers and, every now and then, their eyes glowed, they could blend in perfectly with humanity. That ability to hide came at a high price, and while they had powers, they were no match for any of the other demons in the room, at least, not in a one-on-one match.
Near them, a little closer to the throne, was an Einalioi, a water demon. Cale's messengers on Earth had let him know that there were no water demons to be found on that plane, only this one living in exile in a small corner of the Dynasty. While basically humanoid in appearance, its legs were closer to that of a frog, and both its toes and hands were heavily webbed, though the fingers seemed to have an extra joint to allow the fingers to extend beyond the webbing. On its back was a rocky shell, similar to a tortoise Cale had once seen, and a small tail peaked out from the lower end of it. Its ears were built right into its head, which ended in a point that resembled a newt. Two black eyes, beady and partially raised from the skin, scanned the entire room. Cale didn't think that one would be much of a problem. It seemed almost timid in posture, but that could also be the impression being given off by its aqua skin.
Argyreoi--better known as ogres--were demons with power over the Earth. They were also small in number, only a couple in the Dynasty and less than a dozen left on Earth. They had a gray skin that was rumored to be made of a very dense stone, one that no weapon could penetrate. Cale wasn't about to test it. Unlike the water demon, these wore some clothes that were very similar to the Ancient's robes, though they were brown in color and jewels had been sewn into the collar. Their necks, which could easily extend twice as far as Cale's height, were contracted and folded together. This gave a deceptive appearance that they were very dwarf-like in size. Their eyes were also a bit unnerving, large emerald-like orbs that, for all Cale could tell, were made of that very crystal.
The Argyreoi were very close to the Chthonioi (the demons who controlled fire), showing they were at peace at the moment. Wars between those two classes had been legendary, but for the last couple hundred years they had formed some sort of alliance. The Chthonioi themselves made up the majority of demons inhabiting the Dynasty fringes. The most powerful of demons, they were the second most human-looking of the lot. Each demon in the group had three horns extending from their foreheads, though the lengths varied. They all had black hair, and their eyes, rather than round, were square in build, with large dark pupils surrounded by a bronze corona. They also had two sets of fangs, and they obviously had no problem showing them off, Cale noted it even appeared to be a sign of dominance.
Few of them had traveled to the Earth realm in a long time, and it was obvious why. In addition to those physical characteristics, they also had Wildfire-red skin, with black, sharpened nails on their hands. Still, it was evident that they had influenced a number of Earth-based beliefs. While Halo had been captured during the second war he had managed to touch the warrior's mind, to help Dais find images to torment him with. What humans called the Devil and Vampires had surprised him, as both were variations of fire demons, though vampires were technically a bastard class of demon, spawned from the loins of fire demons and human-looking demons. Cale noted that no vampires were present, and he had to wonder if they even existed anymore.
The most interesting of the group, though, were the wind demons commonly referred to as Ouranoi. They were another majority in the Nether Realm, though there were quite a number on Earth as well. While also human in appearance, their skin was covered by a veil of feathers, the majority of which were black. Two wings sprouted from the shoulder blades, though currently they were folded back and looked too small to actually lift their massive frames. The most interesting aspect, though, was how the human body merged seamlessly into a raven's head. They had no real neck to speak of, though they could twist their heads are surprisingly large angles. They had a beak instead of mouth, and the eyes, a solid azure, were located on each side of the skull. They had their own language, which was almost identical to the sounds of birds, but they could also speak other languages.
Dais suddenly faded into existence to the left of the throne, wearing only his plated sub-armor. He scanned the crowd, then cleared his throat. The Argyreoi glanced at him, but the others ignored the subtle attempt to get their attention. They're demons. They don't understand subtle. Dais seemed to figure that out, as his next act to get their attention was to pull out a dagger and hurl it at the nearest Chthonioi. Uh oh.
The demon grunted as the blade struck his arm, and as a group all demons faced the throne, some sneering at Dais. The one-eyed man simple crossed his arms. "Presenting the new Lord of the Dynasty, Touryuki."
Cale stood at attention, and his eyes widened as their new master stepped out from behind the throne, not wearing his armor, but his sub-armor. It was designed similarly to his and the other Warlords, plates that had been fused together once donned. Unlike theirs, the base plate was ribbed, like the Ronins' sub-armor from the first war. It was even white, and Cale wondered briefly if this man was once a Ronin. No, the Ronins would've searched for him if he were one of them. Besides that, the platted aspect of the armor was a glacier blue, glowing even in the dim light of the room.
This was the first time he had seen the Warlord without his helmet, and was surprised to see that he looked every bit as human as his companions. His face was just as pale as it was before, a sickly color of someone that had been in the snow too long. The icy eyes were as he remembered them, and went attractively with the silver hair that adorned his head. It was short, and remained unkempt, giving it a wild look.
It shocked Cale enough that he took a step back. He's human. Completely human. The demons feared Talpa because he had lost his humanity, had transformed into a being of evil energy held together solely by an armor. There's no reason for them to fear him. He reached over his shoulder and gripped the handle of his no-datchi. This could degenerate fairly quickly.
"Demons, welcome." Touryuki took a seat on his throne and rested his hands on the armrests. "I'm glad you decided to join me, rather than face utter obliteration at my hands."
"You? Obliterate us?" One of the Chthonioi let out a snort and stepped forward, its tri-horned head raising above the others as he formed a sphere of fire in its hand. "You're mortal, like the weaklings Talpa employed!"
Touryuki calmly stared are the demon and folded his hands in front of him. There was no obvious change, no signal that he would call his power, but Cale saw the ice Warlord's eyes harden, cutting the demon down with his sight. This is going to be trouble. Though for whom, Cale wasn't sure.
"Mortal? You think mortals are weak? Who was it that beat you back? Who was it that slaughtered your minions when you were isolated all those centuries ago?"
Cale felt some angered gazes fall on him, and saw even Dais take a step away from the horde. Thanks for diverting their attention to us, master. The grip on his weapon tightened.
"That was then. Now," the demon sneered and raised its hand, "we can destroy you!" He hurled the fireball at the throne.
Dais made no move to shield Touryuki, and Cale wondered briefly if he should teleport in front of his leader to try and protect him. It turns out his worry was unneeded, as the attack stopped a mere foot from its target, eliciting a startled and enraged look from the Chthonioi. The fire turned into a ball of ice, then was released from its invisible hold and shattered on the ground. Touryuki stood up and kicked the ice shards off his dais. "Destroy me?" The ice warrior narrowed his eyes. "Don't be so sure."
Cale instinctively ducked as a spear of ice appeared and flew from Touryuki's side and pierced through not just the attacking fire demon, but the one standing behind it. Both of them let out a quick wail as their crimson skin went pale just before they vanished in a flash of flame. How'd he do that?! Not even the Warlords could kill demons in one blow. Chthonioi were among the strongest demons there were, and nothing short of a sure-kill could destroy them.
The attack caused an uproar of activity among the higher demons. Another of the Chthonioi, obviously enraged by the murder of its brethren, let loose an arc of fire directed at Touryuki's head. An Argyreoi joined in the attack, pulling chunks of rock from the wall, floor, everywhere, bringing the stones through the ice and hurling them at Touryuki as well.
Touryuki, for his part, kept a calm look on his face, and executed a back-flip, dodging the flame. Some of the rocks narrowly missed him, but with a wave of his hand the stones iced over and fell to the floor. Purple flashed across the Warlord's eyes, indicating a summoning of Nether spirit energies. This time daggers of ice appeared in the air, and rather than just fling them with his mind, Touryuki grabbed two of them and waved at the two demons to come forward.
Dais stepped away from the impromptu battle arena, hanging out near the amphibious Einalioi, which was huddling near the Chryseoi demons of Earth. All of them were concentrated on the fight taking place just a few feet away. Touryuki wasted no time, and once the two demons were before him he launched into an attack, slicing the knives across the ogre's golem skin. Instead of chipping, the weapons actually sliced through the naturally armored surface. The creature howled and crumbled to dust as the Warlord slammed one weapon through its throat.
The Chthonioi kept his distance, but flung fireballs at the daggers still floating in the air, trying to melt them. It snarled as its partner fell under Touryuki's hands, and released another arc of flame. Touryuki didn't dodge this time. Instead, he placed his palm against the approaching flame, and ice traveled over the elemental attack back to the demon, creating a small explosion against the demon's palm that threw it to the floor. Before it could get off its back, an icicle jutted up from the ground through the demon's chest and he, like the two before him, burst into flame and vanished.
The remaining Argyreoi got antsy, and this time Cale did draw his weapon. The remaining demons were enraged, or were afraid, and both emotions in such a confined space would bode ill. The Ouranoi were already beating the wings, preparing to get an advantage in the air. Without warning, though, a multitude of energy spheres hit the ceiling, and everyone, minus Touryuki, turned to face the Chryseoi. All of them held more blue spheres in their hands, showing that they were ready to use them.
The leader of the group, a graying man dressed in a business suit, raised his voice above the grumblings. "If you're all quite through, can we get back to the matter at hand?" The sphere in his hand vanished. "We interrupted a rather busy day to be here, and I, for one, would like to leave. Anyone who would rather fight than hear what this emperor has to say will face an onslaught from us." He jutted his chin out. "Alone, our powers would do little to you, but the six of us could easily vanquish any one of you. Any challengers?"
Cale kept his weapon raised, but the other demons seemed to accept the man's terms. The Ouranoi snapped their beaks in the lesser demon's direction, but landed and folded their wings back. It made sense that the leader of the Chryseoi would hold sway here. While weak compared to Dynasty demons, he was the strongest one on Earth, and his faction had conquered and united the lesser demons of that realm centuries ago. The peace he brought lasted even today, though the demons were well hidden and rarely got to use their abilities.
"Well done, Lucretius." Touryuki faced the older man. "You are as forceful a leader as you were when I first met you."
Cale tried to hide the shocked look he was sure he had, and finally willed his facemask closed to prevent anyone from seeing it. He knew this man? No one in the Dynasty had learned the name of the demon leader. The fact that Touryuki knew it simply enhanced his power in this meeting.
"I am here only in the official capacity as leader. If I could I would march all demons at my disposal against you." The bitterness in Lucretius' tone let not just Cale, but everyone know how much the man distrusted and disliked the ice Warlord.
Touryuki shot Lucretius a look, but declined to say anything, or even kill the man. Makes sense. If he kills the leader now he would plunge the demons on Earth into a civil war and would never win their loyalty. Instead, the Dynasty master stepped in front of his throne and put a hand on his hip.
"I hope that I won't have to dispense with the rest of you." No one stepped forward, even the Chthonioi failed to meet Touryuki's challenging gaze. "Good. The offer is simple. Submit yourselves to me, or be destroyed."
Lucretius and his group immediately started talking quietly, and Cale saw the wind demons spread their wings to give them some privacy as they conferred. The Einalioi tapped its webbed foot, but having no one to confer with, simply watched the proceedings. The remaining Argyreoi stomped their feet, some sort of communication that Cale couldn't translate. As predicted, though, the tempers of the Chthonioi were the biggest obstacle.
The new leader of their group stepped forward and growled, an angry glow radiating off his skin. "What makes you think you have the power to make us bow to you. You may kill us, but you could never kill all demons, and they would rise against you." A smirk crossed the demon's face. "What power do you have to make us your servants?"
Talk in the room ceased at the demon's challenge, all eyes on Touryuki. It was a valid question, and even Cale didn't know the answer. What power does he have?
Touryuki took a slow step forward. "I have power over you," he took another step, "because Talpa granted me that power," he took half a step down and looked the demon in his eyes, "when he forged me and my armor." A silver light appeared on Touryuki's forehead, a kanji.
Cale felt himself gasp, and did a quick check to make sure no one else had noticed. Dais seemed just as surprised, and while he remained where he was, his one eye widened. The light was bright, but Cale could make out the kanji of Taiyoku. Avarice. On Earth, the term was commonly associated with greed, but in its most basic form, in the kanji style he was looking at, it translated into the subjugation of lives and taking sadistic pleasure in depriving people of power. It fit Touryuki, and what he was doing to both the Warlords and the demons.
As for the demon, he seemed to be wincing in pain, as if the light was hurting him. Then, with a grunt of pain and a yelp of indignation, the Chthonioi fell to one knee and bowed his head. Touryuki met the eyes of the other demons present. "I hold power over you, and I control whether you live," he grabbed the demon's head and in one swift twist pulled it from its body, "or die." He tossed the head to the middle of the throne room and turned back to his chair, ignoring the corpse lying just a yard away from him.
The other demons looked at each other, and showing some backbone, the Einalioi spoke up. "How is it that a simple mortal gained power over demons? Not even Anubis of Cruelty could do that."
Touryuki sat down and looked towards the ceiling. "I said Talpa forged me, and I meant it in the literal sense. The demon woman, the one who controls all snow and has wandered Earth from the dawn of humanity."
"The legends on Earth refer to her as the Snow Woman," Lucretius contributed. "Said to be a spirit that's condemned to search the snow tops of mountains for her lost love."
"She was real. Talpa had her brought to the Dynasty, and infused her essence into that of a dying man." Touryuki's mouth turned up in a small smirk. "I was spawned from the fusion of a human and a Nomioi demon. He had made a Proseous. Created to defeat the legend of Inferno, he still wished to subdue the demons of the realm. It was only after he gave me the virtue of Avarice that he realized his error."
Cale looked to Dais. As the eldest Warlord, he would be the only one who would've been around when this occurred. Instead, he found the illusionist listening to the story just as intently as he and the demons were. Talpa had the armors by then, Badamon needed their power to see into the future. That meant Touryuki was Talpa's first true Warlord, one he had hoped would expand his powers into the demonic domain.
"He sent Saber Stryke to dispense with me, as I would not bow to his whims. Even the swords forged for the strongest Ronin armor chipped against my power. I was still young, though, a mere seventy years old, and he managed to trick me into entering a trap of Nether Spirits. I tried summoning you," his gaze flicked over to Chthonioi, "but my power couldn't reach your territories, and he sealed me away on Earth."
"Talpa's gone. How did escape your prison?"
Touryuki shot the Einalioi a dangerous look, warning him he was stepping over his bounds. It was Lucretius, however, that picked up the story.
"Touryuki had visited the Earth Realm. He and I did battle numerous times, and when I heard he was imprisoned, I sent a sentry to watch over him for eternity." Touryuki's smirk returned, and Cale realized that the sentry probably fell to the Warlord's wrath. "We knew he could sense us, all demons for that matter, but could do nothing to influence us, to try and force us to break him free. But six months ago the sentry reported the appearance of multiple Nether Spirits, all converging in his prison.
"They merged into one great spirit, and began undoing Talpa's spell. We tried to stop it from freeing him," Lucretius glanced to his left, where one of the younger Chryseoi was looking at the floor. "It cost us a number of lives, all of which fueled the spirit's power. In the end, it broke through the ward and joined its essence with him."
"You were expecting this summit, then."
Lucretius crossed his arms. "I expected you to come after us, not offer an alliance."
"I offered to take you into my empire. Never make the mistake of assuming you're equal to me. Any of you." He cast his gaze across the room. "Declare your allegiances now. The time for discussion is over. All who will serve me, step forward."
Lucretius and his group, though begrudgingly, stepped forward. The Einalioi also stepped forward, even bowing his head and placing a fist over his heart. A small fire bristled around the Chthonioi, but in the end they knelt to one knee, not wanting to near the colder atmosphere that had surrounded Touryuki.
The Argyreoi were having difficulty deciding what to do. Cale knew that there were only a few of their kind left, and while they feared Touryuki, most of them could be affected by the armor of Hardrock, even summoned to its power. They don't know who to follow. After a minute, they also stepped forward, but unlike the others they had a worried look on their face. The Ouranoi were the most hesitant, making chirping noises as they spoke in a language only they could understand. Eventually one of them floated forward, but the neither bowed nor looked towards Touryuki. Cale figured their people were divided on the issue.
"Excellent. Dais, show Lucretius and the Chthonioi to the war room. I have specific instructions for them." Dais bowed and, looking at both set of demons, faded out of the room with them. Touryuki looked towards the Argyreoi. "Your people are few and their powers weak against the Ronins. But no one realizes you're around because your element is everywhere. Go among Japan and find the families of the Ronins."
The larger of the ogres spoke up. "We are to be hunters?"
"Spies. For now, find the families."
"Yes, Lord Touryuki." They turned and walked towards the exit, and Cale, after a nod from the emperor, stepped aside and opened the doors for them. So he's going to strike the Ronin families. He had to admit, that was a rather brilliant plan. It would deliver a psychological blow that the Ronins would probably never recover from.
"Ouranoi-"
"We wish to serve you, sir, but cannot."
Touryuki's eyes narrowed, and Cale got ready to shut the doors again, to prevent their escape.
The demon bravely stood her ground. "We are in the midst of a war. We cannot take part in yours until we complete our own."
Touryuki released a growl, but made no threatening moves. "The sprites."
"Yes."
Sprites? Cale looked between the Warlord and the bird-like demon, trying to understand what was going on. He of course knew the myth of sprites, but was clueless about any war. Does this mean sprites are real? And why are the demons fighting them?
"You're right, it's too risky at the moment. When I have executed my other plans and taken down the one threat to me, I will send you reinforcements. Once your enemy has been vanquished, you will join my army."
The demon looked back at the others, then turned back to Touryuki and bowed. "Yes, my lord."
"Until that time, keep the sprites busy. I don't want them helping the Ronins. Now leave." The words were barely out of Touryuki's mouth before the Ouranoi took to the air and flew out the door, escaping. "And you," Touryuki's eyes flashed as his gaze settled on the sole water demon, "you are the last of your kind. I have no need for you."
Cale unsheathed his claws and locked his eyes on the final demon. If Touryuki didn't need the demon, he might have to block the creature's escape route. The last of his kind? That was an interesting fact, though now that he thought about it, it made sense.
The Einalioi took a step back, bowing his head. "But I am at your command, my liege. The power over water, the eldest and most powerful of my kin-" He choked as his throat froze over.
"I have no need for your kind, demon." Touryuki raised an arm and ice began to grow over the demon's legs. "You are untrustworthy. Your kind were the first to betray the will of evil, and I can't risk that, not now."
The demon clawed at his throat, and croaked out the word, "Seer."
Cale frowned, not understanding what he meant, but Touryuki obviously did, as the ice traveling up the creature's body stopped. The ice around the throat vanished, and the demon took a couple deep breaths. "What of Seers?"
"You need one. I have the power of water scrying." The demon's eyes were wide, pleading, and Cale had to feel a little sorry for how pathetic it looked. "If you kill me, the art will be lost, and none of the others can see the future."
Cale could hear Touryuki grind his teeth from across the room, and furrowed his brow. Thinking back to his early days, he did recall Dais referring to Badamon as a Seer. Water scrying usually deals with seeing into the future--of course! Like a high priest. None of the Warlords could fulfill that role, and there were no Nether Spirits that could do it. Badamon was one of a kind. A blessing and a curse, in some ways.
Touryuki kept the demon in ice a few more minutes, then let it shatter, causing the aquatic creature to lose its balance and fall to the ground. "I shall see how you do as a Seer, but I warn you, I have a low tolerance for tricks. You will have no second chances."
The demon nodded and got to its knees, prostrating itself before the Warlord. "I understand, my lord."
Touryuki walked towards the door, ignoring the kneeling creature. "Take him to Badamon's chambers. Perhaps he can find the Cruelty armor using some of the ghost's tricks."
Cale bowed his head as Touryuki passed him and left the room, presumably to go to the war room. So Cruelty is still lost. That was an interesting bit of information. He waited until he no longer heard Touryuki's footsteps before standing up. The demon was already up, watching the doorway. Perhaps Touryuki's desire to eliminate him was well founded. The gaze he was receiving unnerved him, though he couldn't quite place why. "Follow me."
"Of course, Lord Cale."
Cale's steps faulted a moment at the honorary title. "What do we call you?"
"Seer, but I'm also known as Seleucus…"
()
Richard's head jerked back and forth as he tried to sleep, his body twisting in an attempt to escape. His sheets and blankets had long since fallen to the floor, and sweat was soaking his hair. It wasn't so much a nightmare as it was an empathic jump. He hadn't had one since seventh grade, when his abilities had jumped from passive empathy to active, allowing him to feel not just people around him, but people he was no where near. He struggled to wake up, nearly crying when he couldn't escape his dreamscape prison.
He didn't know what sort of empathic leap this was, but he didn't want it, any of it. He was picking up the dreams and nightmares of people all over Kyoto, but that wasn't the worst of it. Images were flashing through his mind, images that terrified him. An elderly man defeating an ugly armor and breaking it into nine, one of which he recognized as Rowen's. A ghostly figure floating in the middle of a room of ice, shrieking as it exploded and the room collapsed. Old writings with a depiction of a white armor that was resting with a jewel on one side, and two swords on the other. A man surrounded by ice, flinging crystal shards into a crowd of people, slaughtering them and painting the ground with blood.
He not only saw it all, but he was broadcasting his feelings, and he knew it. He tried not to, tried to spare the people of the city from the terror he felt, but he'd lost control. He couldn't stop the broadcast, he couldn't prevent other people from suffering his nightmare. Another image appeared before him, one of the old man again, the monk, casting some spell on the body of a man. Energy came from the night sky, gathering around the body, before striking the man right in the chest and enveloping him in a blanket of pain. This time he could cry out, and his back arched as he let out a howl of pain, channeling the scene he was watching in his dreams.
And then, it was gone. The images, the pain, everything. He still couldn't wake up, and the terror was still there, but he was in a plane of white. No ground, no sky, just a white glow all around him. Am I…dead? He always assumed his power would kill him. It had once before, and that incident had always haunted him. Panting, he curled up and put his arms over his head, waiting to see if this was heaven or hell.
"You're safe now."
Richard shook his head, cringing at the soft voice. He didn't care how nice it sounded, he was scared. "I'm not safe. I'm dead…" He choked on a sob, feeling a pain in his chest at the realization he'd met his brother again only to die right after.
"You're not dead." Two arms wrapped around Richard's shoulders and lifted him into a sitting position, pulling his arms down and wrapping him in a hug. "It's not death. It's just…you're awakening."
"A-awakening?" But he was sleeping, how could he be awakening?
"You're unique, not like the others. Yours will come to you, force itself on you. It will not be handed to you with a guiding hand. It will be difficult, and possibly painful, but you must understand it has to be done. For the good of the world."
Richard's breathing increased, and he tried to turn, to face who was holding him. "What…what are you talking about? Good of the world?" If this was a dream he had no idea what it meant, but if it was real…he wasn't sure what to think if this was real. He caught a glimpse of bright green eyes, but the figure was being shadowed by the light around them.
The man released his tight hug, but kept his arms there, slowly rubbing Richard's arms to help calm him down. "You'll understand soon enough. In the meantime, do not push away your gift, embrace it, and its advancements. Your full potential is beginning to emerge, and you must accept it, otherwise it will only cause you pain, and doom not just you, but all you hold dear."
"Why…why me? I'm…I don't want the responsibility, I'm…I'm scared. Of what I've seen, of what y-you say I have to do…" Richard settled back against the man, trying to get his heart back to its normal pace.
"It's alright to be scared, Richard. But don't worry. You won't be alone. I can promise you that."
"Y-you'll be here for me?"
"Sometimes. But there's someone else, someone who will stand by you no matter what happens."
Richard said nothing for a while, letting the green-eyed stranger rock him a bit. He wasn't sure what was going on, but Rowen's armor had been among his visions. Why? Is…is he the one that will be with me? Or maybe…maybe he knows what's going on. He banished that thought immediately. Rowen loved him, and he'd never want his little brother to suffer like this alone. If Rowen knew, he'd have said something, or been here. Besides, his armor was destroyed. He said so. He didn't think Rowen would lie to him, not about something so serious.
"I have to go now, I'm still healing."
Richard immediately stiffed and grabbed onto the man's arms, only to grab nothing. "Wait! I-I-I can't return to…to…that horror! Please don't leave me alone!"
"You don't have to worry. You shouldn't have any more problems tonight. Let sleep return to you. You won't be haunted any further."
Richard had his doubts, but the man was pulling away, leaving him, and he was intangible. He couldn't do anything to stop him. "Please…"
"Trust me, Richard. Just go back to sleep. You'll need it for the battle ahead."
"Battle?" Richard's eyes snapped open and he let out a gasp, rolling to the edge of his bed. His body hurt, especially his chest, and he was bathed in sweat. "Hello?" He looked around, trying to sense the figure that had come to him while asleep. He picked up terror and fear, general upset around him, and felt guilt eat at him. He had caused that, or more accurately, his power had. Maybe…maybe I should just go back to the apartment. Only that wouldn't help, as his powers had struck the entire city, or what felt like the entire city. He was probably extra sensitive, so he couldn't accurately guess.
Just go back to sleep. Right. His bed was soaked with his sweat, and he felt about as good as it looked. Groaning, he got up and began stripping the sheet off. He'd have to steal the sheets off another bed, but at least there was no one else rooming with him at the moment, so no one would complain. Shower. I could use a shower. It was late, but everyone on his floor was already awake. Maybe if I meditated…or something… The man had said it was finished for tonight. He took that to mean it would happen again, and again he'd strike terror into the city. I can't let that happen.
Throwing the dirty sheets aside, he pulled on some jeans and grabbed a towel, moving quickly out his room and down the hall to men's room. Maybe…maybe I should just leave the city for a while. It was possible. The school year hadn't started yet and he was registered. He wasn't needed here officially for another two weeks. But where would I go? Any city I go to will be hit with the terror. Stripping, he turned on the shower and climbed in, letting out a quiet moan as the warm water rushed over his body. He leaned against the wall and shut his eyes. I could forego sleep, try and stave it off. He had done it before, though the final backlash was so bad that an entire classroom had passed out.
To do that to an entire city… Images of mass pandemonium sprang to his mind and he opened his eyes , letting the water spray his face. If he fell asleep with thoughts like that he was practically guaranteeing a nightmare. He slicked back his hair and rested his hands on the tiles. Maybe…maybe Rowen could help me? His friend has empathy. Maybe he knows how to block the power. It was a small hope, but it was the best he could come up with.
Scrubbing himself down quickly, he shut the shower off and stepped out. It didn't take him long to dry off, and within ten minutes he was back his common room, heading not for his room but for one of the empty ones. I'll change the sheets tomorrow. The man was right, he did need sleep. Whether it was the fear induced adrenaline leaving his system or the jump in his empathic abilities, he was exhausted. Collapsing on top of the bed, he tucked his head into the pillow and shut his eyes. Part of him cried out to Rowen, yearned to have him here and hold him. He didn't dwell long on the thought, as the oblivion of a dreamless sleep overtook him.
()
Rowen knocked on the door to Anubis' guest room, not wanting to startle Sage by just barging in. The bearer of Halo was trying to use his mental abilities to wake up the ex-Warlord, or at least find out what had happened in the Nether World. At his knock, the blond let out a sigh through his nose and glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, Sage. How's it going?"
"Not well. Whatever's going on, it's beyond my ability to help." Sage unfolded his legs and stood up, grabbing the back of his neck as he stretched it. "It's like he wants to stay comatose, almost as if…he's doing some soul searching."
"Maybe he is." Rowen sauntered over to the bedside table and waved his hand over the orb of Cruelty. They had found it this morning, just laying by Anubis' head. No one knew how it got there, but they weren't about to remove it from his person. Ryo had tried using his influence with Inferno to get it to don Anubis, but it hadn't so much as flickered at the Ronin leader. Through some experimentation, they had discovered that, while they could feel the armor's power, they couldn't touch it, like they could with the old armors. "Ryo says the Ancient would meditate for days at a time, and nothing would wake him. This could be a variation on that."
"Maybe." Sage looked at his watch and rubbed his eyes. "When do we have to be at the school?"
"Soon, but no rush. Classes were pushed back a few hours." Sage gave him a questioning look, and he lowered his voice. "I haven't told Ryo, but apparently the entire campus, and half the town, woke feeling terrorized."
"The Dynasty?"
Rowen shook his head. He had a suspicion of what the cause was, but until he talked to Richard, he wouldn't know for sure. "I think it's something else." His eyes went to the window, spotting a few clouds forming on the horizon.
"What?"
"I'll…explain later." He offered Sage a tight smile before looking back out the window. "What do you think of this enemy?"
"Touryuki?" The book from the Dynasty was very thorough, and this morning, after everyone had had enough sleep, Mia and Cye had sat them down and explained that they had found Talpa's Warlord of Ice. A powerful man that even Talpa regretted creating. He was sealed away in a prison of his power, but that was about as far as the narrative went. "I think we're missing something. This guy was a big threat to Talpa. He must have some power that the book hasn't mentioned."
Rowen nodded. While the book had said the man had control over ice, it hadn't specified the full extent of his power, or even if he had a kanji. "Cye said that it's one of the oldest legends from Talpa's reign, and after Touryuki was imprisoned, almost all records of him were destroyed."
"His legacy carried on in myth." Sage crossed his arms and looked to the floor. "This isn't going to be an easy battle, Rowen. Are you sure you want to risk going to school?"
"Yes." Rowen wasn't going to back down, not now. At the very least he had to tell his brother why he wouldn't be around. I owe him that much. And if he didn't, there was a chance Richard would try and find out himself, and that could drag in his mother, and following her, the mass media. The last thing they need to know is that we have new armors. Pushing up his sleeves, he stepped towards the window, the black mesh of his sub-armor appearing with barely a thought. "Speaking of school, I'm ready to go, when you are."
Sage nodded and stood beside his friend, grabbing his wrist. "Try not to rush too much today, would you?"
Rowen smirked a bit as he opened the window, and pulled Sage with him as he transformed into wind. He would try and keep it slow, but to be honest, speeds never really bothered him in this form. Sometimes he wondered if he could reach relativistic speeds, though in theory time would slow down as he approached the speed of light. Might be an advantage in battle. It was something he'd have to test.
A few minutes later he reformed himself in the shadow between a dorm building and a library. His sub-armor vanished as soon as Sage solidified beside him. He was a bit pale, but wasn't on the floor heaving as he was yesterday. "Better?"
"A little." Sage put a hand on the nearest wall and steadied himself. "A few more times and I might even be able to do it without the world spinning for five minutes afterward."
Rowen shook his head and patted Sage's shoulder. "You do your scouting bit, keep an eye out for Dynasty, and ping me," he tapped his head, "if you sense anything. I'll be in the library for a bit, then in that building over there," he pointed, for Sage's benefit. He doubted his friend knew the names of the buildings.
"Alright. Good luck."
"Thanks." He stepped out of the shadows and made his way to the library, nodding to a couple students he recognized. They all had stressed out looks on their faces, dark circles under their eyes and yawns escaping them every few minutes. Study mania. Normally he'd be one of them, but with everything going on, he couldn't. He had to be on alert. Fortunately, he had a very good memory, and studying wasn't too high a priority. Should still cram, though. Hence the trip to the library.
Finding a copy of his astrophysics textbook was fairly easy. While he was a lower classman, he had an advanced status that allowed him into the higher level courses. He was grateful that college was nothing like high school, and rather than receiving scorn for being so smart, his peers were impressed by his knowledge, and often offered him money to tutor them. It cut in with his study time, but he needed the money.
Speaking of studying… All the desks looked full on the first floor. No problem. He headed for the stairs and worked his way up to the fourth floor. Officially, it was the floor for people working on their PhD thesis. Unofficially, anyone could go up there and study. It was a quiet floor, and while there were fewer desks, there were a lot less people that knew all of the nooks and crannies of it. Unlike him, who had spent an inordinate amount of time exploring every inch of the library.
Heading to a little corner in the northwest of the building, he almost overlooked the blue head resting on a table. Almost. He moved back to the table and looked down. Yep, it's Richard. His brother was sleeping over a book; one on interpreting dreams, if he was reading the part not caught under Richard's arm right. Odd. Then again, terror had struck the city. And if it wasn't Richard… Grabbing the chair on the other side of the table, he took a seat and nudged Richard's arm. "Hey." Richard simply buried his head further into his arms. Rolling his eyes at the familiar Hashiba maneuver, Rowen shook his brother this time. "Richard."
"M'uh?" This time Richard raised his head, his hair a mess, and stared at Rowen with bleary eyes. "Hu?"
"Methinks it's time to introduce you to the wonderful world of caffeine." He reached over and ruffled Richard's hair, a badly hidden way of straightening it out. It's got the Hashiba craziness, too. "You okay?"
"No…uh…huh?" Richard dropped his head into his palms and rubbed his eyes. "God, wha'time isit?"
"It's nearly ten." He rested a hand on Richard's wrist. "Are you okay, bro? I heard about the mass nightmare last night." Rowen's suspicions were confirmed when Richard not only looked away, but began fiddling with his hands. He tended to need to do something with his hands when he was uncomfortable. "What happened?"
"I…I'm not sure." He started turning the pages in the book unconsciously. "I…I think they're growing again. But…" Richard looked visibly shaken, and Rowen detected a small wince of discomfort when the younger teen sucked in a deep breath. "I don't know…I…I'm scared, I want to stop this, but I can't." He finally left the book alone and instead wrapped his arms around himself.
Rowen sighed, but he wasn't dumb enough to overlook the coincidence. The Dynasty was returning, and his brother's empathy was evolving. A defensive measure, perhaps? Or something more…sinister? He prayed it wasn't some Dynasty influence. He wanted to keep Richard as far away from the upcoming battle as possible. But if he's terrorizing half the city…the Dynasty will be lured here. It was a catch-22. He could remove his brother from the city and the terror that would ultimately attract the enemy, but his brother was causing the very thing that the Dynasty fed on. There's no where safe I can take him.
That thought unnerved him, but he pushed it down. Maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion. Maybe it really is just coincidence, a natural evolution of his abilities. He took in Richard's hollow gaze, how he was holding himself for comfort and hunching in a slight form of protection. Yeah right. The question was, then, what could he do? If he brought Richard back to the mansion he'd find out not only about the armors, but the new war. On top of that, whatever had caused the fear to spread last night would spread through the Koji residence instead. Not a good idea when there were six people present that could level the house with a word or three.
"Do…do you want me to stay with you tonight?" Inside, he winced. Ryo would be furious, but he couldn't abandon his brother. Not for something like this. Besides, if they know he can instill terror just by thought, the Dynasty would take him and use him.
Richard used the side of one hand to rub his eyes again as he shook his head. "I-I shouldn't impose. You have a life, and finals, and-"
"And you need me. Richard, you're my brother. We may not have been close physically for a while, but I've always been there for you when you needed me, and that's not going to change no matter how far or close we are to each other."
Richard remained quiet a minute, obviously thinking it over. Then, in a soft voice, he spoke, what Rowen assumed was, his real fear. "I don't want to hurt you, scare you like…like I did everyone."
Rowen raised an eyebrow. "You don't think you affected me last night?"
Richard shook his head. "You…you would've figured it out, tried to contact me. You didn't feel it last night."
Damn, good point. So much for the 'You can't affect me again' speech. He watched Richard shift in his seat, eyes drooping a bit. Looks like he didn't get much sleep afterwards. "Regardless, I will be there for you, if you want me to. I could even bring my psychic friend. Maybe he could stop the fear from escaping your mind." Sage wouldn't be happy about it either, especially about the whole 'brother' aspect, but he'd deal with his friend later. His brother needed him first and foremost.
Again, Richard was silent, but after a moment he gave Rowen a short nod, not meeting his eyes. "Thank you."
"You're my little brother. It's my duty to protect you, even from nightmares." He got up and moved behind Richard, enveloping his sibling in a hug. "And I love you, even if your powers do cause people to be frightened." He felt Richard shudder a bit, but if his brother was going to cry, he wasn't going to do it here. Instead, Richard turned in his seat and returned the hug, resting his head against Rowen.
"I'm scared…"
"It's alright to be scared. I'll be here for you, no matter what. And we'll get through this, I promise."
Richard nodded against his chest, and Rowen rubbed his back in soothing circles. The Dynasty's approaching, the guys are just finding out I have a brother, his powers are going nuts, and finals. The old saying was right. When it rained, it poured.
()
"He wants to what?!" Ryo threw his arms up and started pacing the room. "I can't believe him! Why don't we just tell the Dynasty to strike now and get it over with! The longer we're apart the more vulnerable we are! He knows that! Just what the hell does he think he's doing?!"
"Ryo, calm down." Mia set a tea tray on the table and began pouring cups for the Ronins. "I'm sure he wouldn't stay without good reason."
Cye nodded and pushed a cup towards Ryo. "Sage will be with him, and he's got a good Dynasty detection system. Assuming they don't want to strike in crowded areas, the university might just be the safest place for him."
"What makes you think they won't strike? This is the Dynasty! They thrive on fear!"
"The old Dynasty did." Cye tapped the leather-bound book resting just to his right. "This Ice Warlord, Touryuki, he could be after something completely different. Assuming he's as powerful as Talpa was, why hasn't he already created a foothold in this world? What's holding him back?"
Ryo fumed silently, glaring at Cye.
"I think he's trying to avoid a direct conflict with us, at least for now."
Kento took a bite out of a cookie. "Yeah, Ryo. I bet he thinks we'll kick his ass before he even has a chance to establish himself."
"The instant he learns we're divided he'll attack. It's well known that we're weakest when we're split up."
"In the old armors. You guys have new armors, now. The Dynasty doesn't know their capabilities." Mia opened a journal and fingered through a few pages. "Even what I've got isn't much," she creased down a page and scanned through it, "and I had you to interview. What does he have?"
"Cale knows about Sage's empathy, and that I can go into the Netherworld."
"But not about any of the others." Cye sipped his tea. "We have the advantage at the moment."
Ryo mulled over that for a few minutes, staring at the wisps of steam coming out of his cup. "What if I have to form Inferno? They'll be defenseless."
"Actually," Mia looked up from her book, "I'm not sure if you can form Inferno." That caught everyone's attention, and she ducked her head. "Well, being that these weren't designed from one armor. When you formed it with Suzunagi, it was to heal her. But when you tried to form it during the tests…"
Ryo cursed under his breath. He had forgotten that he hadn't formed it more than the one time.
"Maybe it needs a danger near you, to sense that it's needed. Sage said these armors have even more of a personality than our last ones."
"So it's some sort of failsafe? To prevent him from misusing the power?"
Cye rubbed his chin. "That's probably it. Sage would have a better idea, but I bet he'd agree with your theory."
Mia dug in her pockets for a pencil and started writing notes. "When the week's over, we'll have to test it out. It's obviously immune to the Warlord armors."
"Though maybe when our armors are fully donned they can influence them more-"
"Hello! I'm still here!" Ryo took in the blank faces of the Koji couple and sighed.
"Hey, how is Anubis doing anyways?" Kento glanced to the stairs. "He still hasn't woken up?"
Cye shook his head, leaving Mia to her writing. "No. I've tried rousing him since this morning, but nothing's working. At this point, I think we have to give up and just wait for him to do it on his own. If there's an attack, we'll just have to hope we can keep him protected."
"Him and Mia, and Yulie-hey, where is the little guy?" Kento looked around, trying to find the youngest of their clan.
"He wanted to play with White Blaze." Ryo jerked his thumb towards the back door. "I made them promise not to go too far."
Cye crossed his arms. "So you trust White Blaze to protect Yulie from the Dynasty, trust that he'll be safe even though neither of them are very powerful?"
Ryo opened his mouth, then shut it as his mind drew the parallel Cye was trying to make. "That's completely different!"
"You're right. Yulie doesn't even have an armor to defend himself. Or the ability to teleport out of harm's way, or able to heal himself and others-"
"Alright! I'll stop harping on Rowen! Geeze." Ryo pushed away from the table and stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"To keep an eye on Yulie." Ryo gave Cye a quick dark look before striding out of the dining room towards the back door.
"Well, his temper certainly hasn't changed."
Cye lightly punched Kento's arm. "I was just making a point. Truth be told, I don't like them so far away either, but I'm not going to deprive Rowen of his life. He's had a hard enough one, and he's earned the right to try and finish his schooling. When this war starts, who knows how long it'll last."
Mia rested her chin on her hand, a pen waving back and forth between her fingers. "I just wonder why he wants to stay. It's not like he needs to study there, and I doubt it's a final requirement."
Kento shifted in his seat. He had an inkling of why Rowen wanted to stay, but the question was, did he have the right to tell the others. Sure, Rowen had made him promise, but the others were going to ask at some point. No, not my place. Though if Sage was staying over, he'd find out. And Sage probably wouldn't be quite as understanding. He and Rowen had formed a bond during the war, but while strong, it wasn't as cemented as his and Rowen's was.
Besides, he's probably just helping his brother with his disability. It couldn't be a physical condition. He had appeared healthy when Kento had seen him earlier. Maybe he's got some mental problem? He'd heard of it before, with other families. One kid got all the brains, and the other was basically retarded. No doubt Rowen's helping him settle in. It's what Kento would do for any of his siblings.
"Right. So, Kento, you want to spar in an hour or two? Mia and I are going to look up a few Dynasty wards, see if there's anything we can use to protect the house, but after that I'll be free." Cye rubbed the back of his head. "And I have to be honest, I'm kind of rusty."
Kento grinned and picked up another cookie. "I'd be more than happy to reacquaint you with the art of kicking ass."
()
Demons. The stakes were just raised. He couldn't help the Ronins covertly anymore, he couldn't try to sabotage the Warlord's attacks. With demons, there was always the chance one of them was around, or one was watching. The water one, the Seer, that'd be his hardest obstacle. His training would help keep him hidden, but if he wasn't careful, he'd be caught by the demon's magic sight.
That meant less trips to check on Kayura.
He didn't like the thought of that, or leaving her alone for so long, but she was trapped in a block of ice. It's not like she could see or hear him, but it was as much for him as it was for her. He'd just have to accept the fact that he was trapped, that his options were even more limited than before. There was nothing he could do about it.
At least the demons wouldn't find Kayura, not with the shielding around her temple. Only the Chryseoi would have the power, or lack of it, to enter, but they hated the Nether World. Once their meeting with Touryuki was over, they'd be gone. He'd have to keep an eye out for one or two of their spies, though. They've been known to use those quite a lot, and if one caught him, he'd be dead. Literally.
At least the Ouranoi wouldn't be joining in the battle yet. The war between them and their sprite counterparts had been going on for centuries, and it wasn't going to end any time soon. Sprites. Maybe they could help him help the Ronins. He couldn't bring any here, Touryuki would sense their presence immediately, but maybe, just maybe, he could contact one on Earth. He'd just have to tell them to help the Ronins.
Of course, he had no clue how to contact them. Maybe it'd be best if he just focused on cutting down the demons on this end. Again, the Seer was his biggest problem, but he recognized the arrogance, the self-confidence in the creature. If he waited long enough, the Einalioi might just bring about its own untimely demise. Then he could really start helping again. Until then, he could only hope that Anubis was getting better, and that he'd be able to help the Ronins.
()
Ryo wasn't sure what he was doing here, sitting by Anubis' bed. He couldn't wake the ex-Warlord, he knew that. After Kento had come out and agreed to watch Yulie, he had felt a calling up here. Or was it a calling? He wasn't sure. He just needed to be near the man. Like when I was younger. When the Ancient was still around, Ryo had always felt a calling, an urge to sit near the man, just to be in his presence. Maybe that's it. Because he's our new Ancient.
Well, not so new, but it was something familiar. It seemed to be the only familiar thing around here. Yulie had matured since the last war, a skilled fighter and field medic. He doesn't need me so much anymore. Cye and Mia were still awkward to him. During the war, he had thought for sure there was an attraction with the university professor. Later, Sage had the same feeling, and the two of them had gotten into a small rivalry about it. But once the second Dynasty war was over, it wasn't Ryo or Sage Mia had gone to, but Cye. And shortly after the ordeal in Africa, they solidified their relationship with marriage.
Ryo tried to tell himself that he wasn't jealous of Cye, but for a few weeks he was. There was no denying it. Now, of course, he could see how it would've never worked out. Cye and Mia had similar temperaments and interests, Ryo had none of them. It was just simple attraction. Sage had come to that realization a lot sooner than he had. That's when he decided to return home to Sendai.
They're getting on with their lives, they have a future. Both Kento and Sage had no formal college training, but both of them were major business figures. Sage was taking over the family dojo, and Kento owned his own small company. And where am I? No college education and just wandering around doing small jobs to get by. He'd washed dishes, cleaned yards, did whatever he needed to when he ran out of money. Even Rowen was getting on with his life. He didn't have a job, but he was a full time student; and it was so important that not even Ronin duties would pull him away.
So what's wrong with me? Why haven't I found a way in life? He wasn't college material, unless he was just doing soccer and martial arts. Those were his only real strong points, other than leadership. Maybe that's why he was so on edge about Rowen. He was worried about being split up, but he hated--no, hated was too strong a word--disliked the fact that his friend was doing better than him, and he was younger to boot. All he'd been trained for as a kid was to be a Ronin. He couldn't even follow in his father's footsteps; photographers without degrees weren't in much demand.
That's why he liked visiting the Nether World, chatting with Kayura and the Warlords. There were changes going on there, but like him, they were stuck in their situations. He was born to be a Ronin, and he lived for it. He couldn't move on, didn't know how to. Anubis understood more than any of the others. He had lived the part of the Warlord for so long, and then he had to fulfill the role of the Ancient. In the end, though, he ended up with neither role, and like him, was stuck in some sort of living limbo.
"So what should we do, Anubis? When this fight is over, what will happen to us?" He picked up the Cruelty armor orb and rolled it between his hands. "You can probably go back to being a Warlord, if Kayura doesn't want the armor back, but you'll still be as lost as me without an enemy to fight." Of course, the comatose man gave no response, but it was nice to voice his questions. "What happens to us soldiers that can't return to a normal life? Hell, we've never had a normal life."
That was the problem. Ryo had been trained as a kid. He didn't have Rowen's experience in sciences, or Kento's social training, or Sage's family structure, or Cye's adult perspective. He was just a warrior, a man that had lost his father and any hope at a normal life. "So we just get left in the dust, eh? Maybe I'll come and live with you in the Nether World. I'm sure you could use my help cleaning it up after this war." And still, silence was his answer. "Or I could go into coaching. You don't need much training for that." Not that soccer coaches made any money, but it'd be a start.
"I guess it's not really important right now, is it. I mean, until this war's over, we're going to be warriors, and nothing else." He set the orb down and patted Anubis' arm. "Get well soon, friend. We're going to need your help soon." It'd be nice to have someone who understands me around, too. Sighing, he got up and headed out of the room. He was the leader. He had to shut away these feelings, at least until the fighting was over. Then…well, he'd worry about his life when there was time to start living it again.
()
"Do you think Ryo's okay?"
"I'm sure he's fine, Cye."
Cye sighed and looked over at his wife. "Are you?" His sixth sense, the one that told him when his friends weren't doing so well, was telling him otherwise.
Mia reached over and squeezed the Ronin's shoulder. "You can't help all of them. You all faced personal demons over the past few years. Sage in New York, you in Africa, and the others during Suzunagi's attack. All except Ryo."
Cye rubbed his eyes and rested his arms on the table. "Because he was busy saving us, busy being the leader."
"And this time, I think it's hitting him. He's still the leader, but the dynamics have changed. Rowen wouldn't have stood up to him in the past, not like that. That, plus everything going on in everyone else's lives, it probably just struck home."
"And like all of us, he needs time." Cye folded his hands together and stared at the finish of the table. "It's hard just letting him do it alone. He's always been the most passionate of the group, always the one letting his emotions override his common sense."
"He's grown, just like you and the others." Mia got up from her seat and stood behind her husband, rubbing his shoulders. "You're still the oldest, Cye, but neither you or I need to be caretakers anymore. They're adults now, too."
"Yeah…" He relaxed as she kept working on his muscles, finally letting his head hang loosely. "I guess so. It's just a difficult thing to accept."
"Don't I know it. Kento and Rowen cooking breakfast? Yulie taking care of Anubis' wounds? It's not the Ronin family I remember. But things can't stay the same forever."
"Mmhmm." Cye blinked, then looked over his shoulder. "Is that your subtle way of telling me…something?" Mia's cheeks turned a shade pinker, but she shook her head. Cye wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. "Alright." He patted the tabletop. "What're we studying again?"
"I was going over that manuscript Rowen found, the one before you got the new armors." Mia retook her seat and flipped a few pages. "I've found references to the armors, Inferno, the Black Inferno. But towards the end there's some notes I think might be important."
Cye moved his chair closer. "Notes?"
"Another armor. The kanji's obscure, and the pages are slightly damaged, so I'm having trouble translating, but I think it's about Inferno."
Cye nodded. He knew the relevance of that. Inferno was undoubtedly going to be a big part of this war, and they'd need all the information they could get. "Any chance our earlier theories were right?"
"It's still too early to tell." Mia tapped her fingers against the pages. "It's too bad Suzunagi isn't here. She could probably tell us everything we want to know."
"She had to move on. At least she didn't take the manuscript with her."
"Yeah."
Cye stood up from his chair. "So what reference books do you need?" He exchanged a grin with his bride. They'd done this plenty of times before. Cye was good at research, but when it came to translations, he was just an errand boy.
"Masami's third edition. And Takeshi's Obscure Dialects." Cye nodded and headed for the house library. "Oh, and some green tea, when you get the chance."
"Righto." Cye's grin faded a bit as he searched for the books. He could help Mia, try and keep things normal, but he still worried about Ryo. He'll make it, though. He's stronger than any of us. And when all was said and done, they'd be there for him, just like he was always there for them. Good luck, Ryo. I'm sure you'll find your way. After all, it was Ryo of the Wildfire, and he always came out on top.
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Author's Prattle: Sorry this one took so long to get out. I actually had it finished a while ago, but studying for finals took priority, then I had to move (which meant I couldn't really work on ANYTHING), and then not only did school start, but my sister graduated from high school (so we had a lot of relatives). SO…I finally edited and got it ready to post. My beta's computer got fried so I can't have her look over the final draft…but I think you've waited long enough. So…voila!
Disclaimers. I don't own Yoroiden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors. They belong to Sunrise, Nagoya TV, and Sony Music Entertainment. The art book and CD info belong to their respective artists (which I believe is still Sunrise and Sony). Richard IS mine, though, as is this plot.
I have no idea when chapter four will be out. I have to get a second job (and maybe a third) to help pay for this place, and I'm way behind on all my other fics as well (yes, Gi7H fans, I'm working on it! I am!). On top of all of this…I'm actually trying to edit a book to be published, and writing another. So my time is pretty well eaten up…but I WILL get this one finished one day. I have great plans for this. As always, reviews are welcome, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!