Mystery of the Soul
Ch 11
"Alright, you heard what the mistress said, as soon as they start fighting go for our prey." Balin reminded them as a glint of danger went off in his eyes.
"You don't have to tell us how to do our jobs Balin." Javas replied in slight annoyance as they kept their eyes open for their opportunity.
"Would you two be quiet? Or do you want the fire bird's attention drawn towards us?" Rajak asked as he glanced over at them.
The two deities stared each other down. Just hovering in the air, waiting for one or the other to make the first move. "Now I understand why and how your so called race died out so easily. They couldn't adapt to the world, so they'd thought they would force their way through it." the fire bird taunted with an evil smirk.
"What do you know? You never been outside of this realm!" Dark Harpy asked angrily.
"How I know is none of your concern. There's more to me than what you realize. Now, are we going to settle this, or are we going to bore each other with meaningless talk?" the fire bird asked back. Without another word the two deities attacked each other directly.
The three spirit hunters watched vigilantly as the two deities were fighting fiercely amongst each other. "Now, when the fire bird is distracted." Balin ordered when he saw the flaming prison holding their prey.
"Kento, we're going to fall!" Kaye exclaimed as a sense of urgency rushed through her spirited form.
"We're not going to fall, I'm going to try something. So, just hang on to me ok." Kento replied as he saw her nod and then they readjusted their holds on each other.
'Man, I hope I know what I'm doing.'
Kaye looked up towards him. At that moment, as the flaming prison was dying out more, Kento's eyes changed from their warm blue-gray to orange. 'Come on, come on, I know you're somewhere in there. Help us out already!'
"Balin, look, what does he think he's doing?" Rajak asked as he brought their attention to what Kento was attempting.
Balin growled, and narrowed his eyes angrily. "Come on! We have no time to waste! We do this now or we risk losing them, and I for one, don't want to face Dark Harpy's anger for losing them a second time."
The other two spirit hunters looked and each other and gave a slight nod. They saw what happened to the last pack that failed their mistress. The horror was embedded into their minds. Their comrades' screams still echoed within their minds, forever haunting them.
The fire bird and the Dark Harpy were so engaged with each other, they didn't give notice to the flaming prison as it finally burnt out. Kento's eyes flickered for a brief moment, his concentration was broken as soon as he saw that they weren't encased in fire any more. Kento and Kaye started to fall. "No! I'm not going to let us fall!" Kento cried out as his eyes switched back to full orange.
"Now! Get them now!" Balin ordered as he and the other two spirit hunters swooped underneath them, and then soared up with an open net ensnaring them inside.
"No! you liar! You have no honor Dark Harpy! You said you wouldn't try anything while we fought!" the fire bird seethed angrily as her flames erupted. Dark Harpy laughed, amusement gleamed in her eyes. "So I lied, there's nothing you can do about it anyway. Goodbye."
"Come back here! We're not finished yet!" the fire bird roared as she hovered and watched them fly away.
Dark Harpy flew up beside the ensnared Kento and Kaye. Amusement could be clearly shown on her face as she looked at them. "It seems that I finally got my prey, after all this time."
Kento glared at her. "You won't have us for long. We'll figure a way to free ourselves and then we'll deal with you."
Dark Harpy laughed, "Believe what you will. But what I have planned for the two of you will be beyond anything you could possibly imagine."
"Mistress, we're almost there." Rajak informed her as they climbed higher into the horizon.
Dark Harpy looked ahead and then smirked dangerously as she looked back at her prey. "There it is. The place of your eternal pain and suffering. My home."
Kento and Kaye looked ahead and saw four floating castles. The lead one was Dark Harpy's, the other three castles belonged to her spirit hunters. The floating castles formed a wide semi-circle formation. Each castle was staggered just a half of a building higher than the other. The outsides of each one had their own dark and dank characteristics about them.
But that's not what struck fear into their hearts. The main thing that they was a huge tapestry with a battle that was bathed in blood. And souls that were trying to leave the battle field, but were being pulled into the Dark Harpy herself. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Armor of Halo, Tao Chi!"
"Armor of Wildfire, Tao Jin!"
Maverick and his fellow thieves backed away from Ryo and Sage. They've seen armor before, but nothing like the ones Ryo and Sage dawned. Oni hissed as he slowly backed away. Sage drew up his nodachi and glared at Maverick. "This has gone on long enough. Ryo passed your gauntlet. He came close too many times just to get some ruby so you could just take it back!"
Maverick brought his hands up. "The two of you don't seem to understand what's really going on here. Do you?"
Ryo narrowed his eyes, fire flared inside as he could feel his temper rise. "No, you don't seem to understand! We are getting out of here with the Dragon's Fire.
And we'll find the other two items we need in order to not only get back to where we belong. But also, get our friends back before our world and the spirit nexus merge! So, I'd suggest you let us pass."
Oni chuckled as he started at them. "You're too late Wildfire. The merging has already begun. While the two of you have been wasting your time here. A merger has started to open. By the time you get back with the items you're searching for, both realms will be one. The spirits and demons will walk along the Earth freely.
No more portals or barriers keeping them back. Different realms will open on their own free will, wherever they choose."
"You lie! Kento and Kaye will..." Sage started to object angrily.
"They will do nothing! Especially with the Dark Harpy still ruling the realm. Not to mention her spirit hunters and also the fire bird. You see, once the Dark Harpy captures the two that are in the spirit nexus. Believe me, it won't be pretty." Oni replied with an evil grin. "So, all of your efforts would be in vain! Why don't you just give up and hand over the Dragon's Fire to me?"
Ryo and Sage stepped back in disbelief. Could what they're doing be all for nothing? No! They couldn't believe it, they wouldn't! The demon was only stalling for time. Besides, what did he want with the Dragon's Fire anyway?
Ryo's body shook with anger, he could feel his powers rise along with his anger. "Shut up Oni! Just shut your mouth! We don't want to hear it! We'll find a way to defeat you! Kento and Kaye will also find a way to defeat the Dark Harpy and whoever else would stand against them! They'll come back to us! Count on it!"
Oni just laughed at them. "Look, you and I know in order to even come close in defeating me. You'll need the Inferno Armor. But you can't call it unless if all five of you are together and alive. So, that kind of leaves you in a pretty bad position now, doesn't it?"
Ryo's eyes flared, he could feel his sure kill wanted to be released. He took both flat ends of his katanas and connected them. Leaped up into the air, his eyes narrowed, as his power enflamed. "Flare up now!"
Sage leapt out of the way, as Ryo finally released his sure kill upon Oni. All the thieves in the guild ran for every secret exit that they knew of in order to get out of the consuming flames. Sage looked around with a deep frown to see if he could spot the demon.
Ryo look over towards him, "Any luck?"
Sage shook his head, "No, I can't seem to find him anywhere. Sorry Ryo, I think he escaped."
Ryo cursed under his breath as he continued to look around, and then he got a sudden sinking feeling. "Sage, watch out!"
"What!? Hey!" Sage exclaimed in surprise as he felt Oni's claws against his throat.
Oni smirked, "Halo, I'm surprised that you would lower your guard so easily." The demon laughs and then looks at Ryo. "Wildfire, give me the Dragon's Fire, or watch me slit your friend's throat. Which will it be? Forfeit Halo's life, or hand over the Dragon's Fire?"
"Alright, you heard what the mistress said, as soon as they start fighting go for our prey." Balin reminded them as a glint of danger went off in his eyes.
"You don't have to tell us how to do our jobs Balin." Javas replied in slight annoyance as they kept their eyes open for their opportunity.
"Would you two be quiet? Or do you want the fire bird's attention drawn towards us?" Rajak asked as he glanced over at them.
The two deities stared each other down. Just hovering in the air, waiting for one or the other to make the first move. "Now I understand why and how your so called race died out so easily. They couldn't adapt to the world, so they'd thought they would force their way through it." the fire bird taunted with an evil smirk.
"What do you know? You never been outside of this realm!" Dark Harpy asked angrily.
"How I know is none of your concern. There's more to me than what you realize. Now, are we going to settle this, or are we going to bore each other with meaningless talk?" the fire bird asked back. Without another word the two deities attacked each other directly.
The three spirit hunters watched vigilantly as the two deities were fighting fiercely amongst each other. "Now, when the fire bird is distracted." Balin ordered when he saw the flaming prison holding their prey.
"Kento, we're going to fall!" Kaye exclaimed as a sense of urgency rushed through her spirited form.
"We're not going to fall, I'm going to try something. So, just hang on to me ok." Kento replied as he saw her nod and then they readjusted their holds on each other.
'Man, I hope I know what I'm doing.'
Kaye looked up towards him. At that moment, as the flaming prison was dying out more, Kento's eyes changed from their warm blue-gray to orange. 'Come on, come on, I know you're somewhere in there. Help us out already!'
"Balin, look, what does he think he's doing?" Rajak asked as he brought their attention to what Kento was attempting.
Balin growled, and narrowed his eyes angrily. "Come on! We have no time to waste! We do this now or we risk losing them, and I for one, don't want to face Dark Harpy's anger for losing them a second time."
The other two spirit hunters looked and each other and gave a slight nod. They saw what happened to the last pack that failed their mistress. The horror was embedded into their minds. Their comrades' screams still echoed within their minds, forever haunting them.
The fire bird and the Dark Harpy were so engaged with each other, they didn't give notice to the flaming prison as it finally burnt out. Kento's eyes flickered for a brief moment, his concentration was broken as soon as he saw that they weren't encased in fire any more. Kento and Kaye started to fall. "No! I'm not going to let us fall!" Kento cried out as his eyes switched back to full orange.
"Now! Get them now!" Balin ordered as he and the other two spirit hunters swooped underneath them, and then soared up with an open net ensnaring them inside.
"No! you liar! You have no honor Dark Harpy! You said you wouldn't try anything while we fought!" the fire bird seethed angrily as her flames erupted. Dark Harpy laughed, amusement gleamed in her eyes. "So I lied, there's nothing you can do about it anyway. Goodbye."
"Come back here! We're not finished yet!" the fire bird roared as she hovered and watched them fly away.
Dark Harpy flew up beside the ensnared Kento and Kaye. Amusement could be clearly shown on her face as she looked at them. "It seems that I finally got my prey, after all this time."
Kento glared at her. "You won't have us for long. We'll figure a way to free ourselves and then we'll deal with you."
Dark Harpy laughed, "Believe what you will. But what I have planned for the two of you will be beyond anything you could possibly imagine."
"Mistress, we're almost there." Rajak informed her as they climbed higher into the horizon.
Dark Harpy looked ahead and then smirked dangerously as she looked back at her prey. "There it is. The place of your eternal pain and suffering. My home."
Kento and Kaye looked ahead and saw four floating castles. The lead one was Dark Harpy's, the other three castles belonged to her spirit hunters. The floating castles formed a wide semi-circle formation. Each castle was staggered just a half of a building higher than the other. The outsides of each one had their own dark and dank characteristics about them.
But that's not what struck fear into their hearts. The main thing that they was a huge tapestry with a battle that was bathed in blood. And souls that were trying to leave the battle field, but were being pulled into the Dark Harpy herself. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Armor of Halo, Tao Chi!"
"Armor of Wildfire, Tao Jin!"
Maverick and his fellow thieves backed away from Ryo and Sage. They've seen armor before, but nothing like the ones Ryo and Sage dawned. Oni hissed as he slowly backed away. Sage drew up his nodachi and glared at Maverick. "This has gone on long enough. Ryo passed your gauntlet. He came close too many times just to get some ruby so you could just take it back!"
Maverick brought his hands up. "The two of you don't seem to understand what's really going on here. Do you?"
Ryo narrowed his eyes, fire flared inside as he could feel his temper rise. "No, you don't seem to understand! We are getting out of here with the Dragon's Fire.
And we'll find the other two items we need in order to not only get back to where we belong. But also, get our friends back before our world and the spirit nexus merge! So, I'd suggest you let us pass."
Oni chuckled as he started at them. "You're too late Wildfire. The merging has already begun. While the two of you have been wasting your time here. A merger has started to open. By the time you get back with the items you're searching for, both realms will be one. The spirits and demons will walk along the Earth freely.
No more portals or barriers keeping them back. Different realms will open on their own free will, wherever they choose."
"You lie! Kento and Kaye will..." Sage started to object angrily.
"They will do nothing! Especially with the Dark Harpy still ruling the realm. Not to mention her spirit hunters and also the fire bird. You see, once the Dark Harpy captures the two that are in the spirit nexus. Believe me, it won't be pretty." Oni replied with an evil grin. "So, all of your efforts would be in vain! Why don't you just give up and hand over the Dragon's Fire to me?"
Ryo and Sage stepped back in disbelief. Could what they're doing be all for nothing? No! They couldn't believe it, they wouldn't! The demon was only stalling for time. Besides, what did he want with the Dragon's Fire anyway?
Ryo's body shook with anger, he could feel his powers rise along with his anger. "Shut up Oni! Just shut your mouth! We don't want to hear it! We'll find a way to defeat you! Kento and Kaye will also find a way to defeat the Dark Harpy and whoever else would stand against them! They'll come back to us! Count on it!"
Oni just laughed at them. "Look, you and I know in order to even come close in defeating me. You'll need the Inferno Armor. But you can't call it unless if all five of you are together and alive. So, that kind of leaves you in a pretty bad position now, doesn't it?"
Ryo's eyes flared, he could feel his sure kill wanted to be released. He took both flat ends of his katanas and connected them. Leaped up into the air, his eyes narrowed, as his power enflamed. "Flare up now!"
Sage leapt out of the way, as Ryo finally released his sure kill upon Oni. All the thieves in the guild ran for every secret exit that they knew of in order to get out of the consuming flames. Sage looked around with a deep frown to see if he could spot the demon.
Ryo look over towards him, "Any luck?"
Sage shook his head, "No, I can't seem to find him anywhere. Sorry Ryo, I think he escaped."
Ryo cursed under his breath as he continued to look around, and then he got a sudden sinking feeling. "Sage, watch out!"
"What!? Hey!" Sage exclaimed in surprise as he felt Oni's claws against his throat.
Oni smirked, "Halo, I'm surprised that you would lower your guard so easily." The demon laughs and then looks at Ryo. "Wildfire, give me the Dragon's Fire, or watch me slit your friend's throat. Which will it be? Forfeit Halo's life, or hand over the Dragon's Fire?"