Ishizu stepped out of the taxi that had taken her and her brother to the house that now stood before them. It was a plain building with white walls and a purple door. White drapes hung in the windows to conceal what went on inside.
"I hate Canadian weather." Marik uttered miserably as he turned and paid the cab driver. "It's summer in Japan, but here's it's almost winter." As the taxi drove off he tucked his hands into the pockets of his black coat. "And it's so damn cold."
Ishizu sighed. "Come on." She ordered as she opened the iron gate that blocked off the path. Her brother followed, eyeing the house as he did.
"Have I been here before?" He asked. "Something about this house seems familiar."
"No." Ishizu said plainly. "But, you have met the person who lives here."
"Who?"
"Sani Greychick." His sister replied as she stepped onto the first of the porch's steps.
"Old Sani?" Marik said, a bit surprised. Now that he thought of it, he could feel the old shawoman's Shadow Magic lingering on the building. "I never knew she lived in Toronto."
Ishizu smiled. "She does."
Before they reached the door it opened and a small boy about seven appeared. His skin was bronze in color and his ear length hair was dark brown. His eyes were almost like black holes. The cold breeze plucked at his dark blue T-shirt and red shorts. He smiled warmly at them and waved a hand for them to follow him. He didn't speak until the door was closed and Ishizu and Marik were within the house.
"Grandmother said you were coming." The boy said in English. He grinned at them. "She always knows when people are coming."
"Where is Sani?" Ishizu questioned, also in English, as she took off her coat. She doubted such a young boy would know Japanese. The young boy took her coat and Marik's and began to walk through the house. After slipping off their shoes, the siblings followed him.
"Grandmother's in the basement." Was the reply. "You know her. Once something bad happens, she tries everything to fix it."
"So, she already knows about the Gem Keeper gone array?" The woman asked as the boy put their coats in the closet.
To this he nodded. "She sure does. And ever since Takoda was taken, well..." His voice trailed off, a soft lit of sadness in his eyes.
"Someone was taken?" Ishizu asked.
The boy opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by a hoarse shout that radiated from the basement. "Chayton!" It barked. "Bring them down already." Chayton sighed and said no more, only led Marik and Ishizu to a door that stood open and descended into the room below.
The air of the lower level smelled of many different burning herbs. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling and the banister of the stairs. Jars of who-knows-what sat on shelves and on small tables. On the walls hung tapestries and other ceremonial decorations. In the center of it all was a large steel bowl with a fire burning in it.
Before the fire was an ancient woman with a blanket draped over her shoulders. Her wiry grey hair was pulled back to reveal her wrinkled face. Heavy brows hung over eyes even darker than Chayton's. But the creases in her face seemed deeper with worry and sleep deprivation as well as age. She was about to throw a handful of power into the fire when Ishizu rushed over to her and grabbed her hand.
"Sani, what are you doing?" Ishizu asked, slowly pulling her hand back. The older woman was much shorter than Ishizu, her head only reaching Ishizu's chest.
"Oh, bugger off." Sani told her. But Ishizu, with the help of Marik, pulled the old woman away from the flames and sat her onto a chair in the corner. There Ishizu knelt down to see eye to eye with her.
"You look like you haven't slept for days." Ishizu uttered, a hint of disappointment in her tone. "What have you been up to?"
"I've been busy trying to retrieve what is mine." The old woman barked back, then broke into a fit of coughs.
Ishizu turned to Chayton who had a worried look on his face. It vanished as soon as he realized Ishizu was looking at him. "Water. Now." The boy turned and rushed back upstairs.
"I'm fine." Sani assured her through coughs. Ishizu gave her a skeptical look.
"What could you possibly have been doing?" Ishizu asked. "And how long have you known about this Gem Keeper?"
"She didn't know until last night about the Gem Keeper." Chayton uttered. He had already returned with a glass of water in which he handed it to Ishizu. "But for almost three days she's known about something bad. She's been putting protection spells on the house day and night. And when Takoda was taken last night, she's been trying to find her location."
"You've been casting spells for three days without rest?" Ishizu snapped at Sani who was giving a dirty look to her grandson. "That's almost suicidal! You should know better, Sani." She forced the elder to drink the water.
"Who's Takoda?" Marik asked, still looking at the boy.
"She's my granddaughter." Sani uttered. Her coughing had subsided. "And I know that such magic could be fatal, I wasn't born yesterday. But I knew my family was in danger, and I wouldn't allow it. But that Gem Keeper, he's a tricky one. Got right through Takoda's protection spell and snatched her up from right outside our own home!" She began to cough again. Ishizu offered the water and the elder took it, drinking what remained in the glass.
"So, Takoda's the Ojibway Gem Keeper?" Marik asked, leaning against one of the walls.
"No." Sani croaked.
"Then who is?"
Chayton looked guiltily at the ground. "I am."
"You?" Ishizu mumbled, a bit startled. "But, then why was Takoda taken?"
The guilt in Chayton's eyes deepened. "Takoda asked if she could borrow the band with the Shadow Gem on it, but I said no. So she took it without me knowing. I guess the other Keeper thought she was the Gem's Keeper because she was wearing it."
"So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to finding my granddaughter." Sani said crisply.
"Sani, you're in no condition to be casting anymore spells." Ishizu told her. "And your granddaughter is the only person who has been taken by this Keeper."
"There's more?" Sani whispered in disbelief. "How many?"
"We don't know exactly." Ishizu admitted. "But we do know there are others, and there may be more growing by the hour."
Sani sat silently. She grabbed Chayton and pulled him closer to her as she uttered a prayer in Cree.
"Sani," Ishizu uttered gently. She placed her hands on the old woman's shoulders, making her look at her. "We're already going after this guy. When he's stopped, I promise we will bring Takoda back to you."
The elder stared at her for awhile, then turned her gaze to her grandson. She whispered to him in Cree. He nodded and left up the stairs.
"Alright..." Sani whispered with a tone of defeat. "Just, please, bring her back. My grandchildren are all I have left since their parents passed away."
Ishizu nodded her understanding. Carefully she and Marik took the old woman upstairs and allowed her to sit in the living room. Ishizu disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, then reappeared with a cup of a herbal brew. She handed it to Sani who drank it without a fuss.
"I'm ready." A voice said from the hall. Marik looked to see Chayton standing there, a bag on his shoulder and a coat on.
"Where do you think you're going?" Marik questioned.
"He's to go with you." Sani explained. "He knows the power of his Shadow Gem better than anyone else. It might be useful."
"She has a point." Ishizu admitted. She then turned her gaze to the old woman. "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?"
"I'll be fine, I'm not that old." Sani barked, her spirit coming back. Ishizu smiled in spite of herself and arose from her seat beside Sani.
"Then we should be going." Ishizu told her brother. "If we leave now we can be in Greece by tomorrow afternoon."
"Greece?" Chayton asked, his eyes going wide. "What's in Greece?"
"An old friend that can help us." The woman explained to him. She then glanced at Marik. "Not to mention another Gem and Keeper."
"Unless they've been taken already." Her brother added.
"Then go." Sani advised. After a few minutes of good-byes they stepped out of the house and slowly went down to the street.
Chayton stopped and glanced back at his home. "I hope this isn't the last time I see it."
Ishizu gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "It won't, I'll make sure of it." She told him. He smiled weakly and followed the two siblings down the street.