Chapter 4

The attacks engulfed Karala, who hadn't flinched as she watched them approach. When the dust cleared the Ronins saw with astonishment that she was unharmed.

"What! This is impossible! You should have died!" Syren screamed.

"Guess I decided not to." Karala shrugged.

The Warlords all looked a bit nervous now, especially Charaka.

Karala smiled.

"My turn." she said. "Fury of the Ancient!" she yelled.

A beam of white light shot from her swords, smashing into the Warlords, who all screamed in pain. When she stopped the attack, the Warlords had disappeared.

"They're... dead?" asked Cye.

"No, they teleported back to the Dynasty before they were destroyed." Karala answered.

Kayura turned to Karala, obviously angry.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do."

Later, back at Mia's house

"What do I have to explain? It seems pretty obvious to me!" Karala protested.

"You lied to us. You knew who we were, you knew you could tell us. Why didn't you?" Dais answered back.

"Maybe I did know who you were, but how the hell was I supposed to know that I could trust you? For all I knew you were in with them!"

"I thought you said you were the Ancient's descendant. He could have told you." Kayura returned.

"He's dead, and he didn't see fit to come back and tell me."

"Maybe you should just have trusted us." Mia said quietly.

Karala's expression turned bitter.

"I don't trust anyone anymore."

"Why not?" Sekhmet asked.

"Because I lost the ability to trust easily when Charaka and the Warlords murdered my family!" Karala said.

"The police said they died in a fire..." Cye looked horrified.

"The fire was just a cover-up. They didn't want anyone to know that they were murdered." Karala turned and walked out of the room. After a pause, Ryo followed her.

"Why are you following me?"

"Just making sure you were OK."

"And incidentally to make sure that I can't walk in on them while they're trying to decide whether or not I can stay."

"How did you know?"

"I didn't. I guessed."

When they came back into the house, they were pounced on by everyone else.

"We had a vote, and it's a tie. Kayura, Kale, Sekhmet, Dais and Mia think you should go, and Rowen, Cye, Kento, Anubis and I think you should stay." Sage said. "It's Ryo's decision."

Ryo didn't hesitate.

"She stays." he announced.

Those who were against Karala's staying began immediately to protest.

"She's dangerous. If she stays, she'll be a danger to the team." Kayura asserted.

"If she goes, we lose a valuable advantage in this war." Ryo answered.

"But this is Mia's house. She really should decide." Kale tried.

"And I say she leaves." Mia put in.

"But you agreed to go by my vote, didn't you? I say she stays, and that's final."

Karala was amazed.

'Why's he protecting me? He doesn't even know me that well!'