Sakura rushed home as fast as she could. She had a lot to tell her father and even more to ask. "If those guys had sub- armor then they must have the actual battle armor. And that must mean that their armor is part of the armor that once belonged to my father, but if all of this is true, why hasn't father said anything to me about it?" She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. It seemed as though the more she found out, the more she saw that her father was keeping things from her. Her face saddened. It was a very unsettling feeling to think that he was hiding something from her. But the main question was why?
Once home Sakura rushed to the throne room where she was sure her father was. She halted right before she reached the door, slowed her breathing, and calmly walked into the room. Not only was her father in the room, in his floating head form, but everyone else was there also. They all turned looking expectant as she opened the heavy wooden doors.
"Ah, my daughter has returned." Talpa said when he noticed her. "Tell me, when is our new ally coming to join us?"
"Well, I'm afraid that we don't have a new ally." Sakura said weakly, steeling herself for the yelling that she knew what coming.
"What!?!" cried Talpa along with everyone else. "How could you not have failed?" Cale demanded. "He was a griffon!"
"Griffons are naturally on our side!" Sekhmet added.
"Well, I probably could have if it wasn't for that stupid Ryo of the wildfire!" Sakura replied in defense hotly.
Talpa's eyes glowed brighter red with anger. "Who?" his voice low and serious.
"Ryo of the wildfire," Sakura repeated thinking of his face again, not noticing the change in her father's voice. "He and some other guy, I think his name is Sage of the Halo, they attacked the guardian before I got a good chance to talk to him, and father, they have armor, like me!"
Talpa was silent for a while; he knew he had been caught in his lie. He had conveniently forgotten to mention to her about the other armors and of the existence of the Ronins. He only hoped he could play it off as necessary for her well being as he spoke in a low tone, "Sakura, my daughter, there is much I must now tell you."
Sakura was shocked. She hadn't expected a response like this. She had expected him to be mad at her failure. She had seen what he did to those who failed him, and if often scared her.
"Do you remember when I told you that one day I would tell you about the Ronin lands?" Her father asked.
"Yes sir," Sakura replied nodding slowly.
"It is time for you to know, the owner of the Ronin lands is a man know as the Ancient One." Talpa began.
"He has assembled a band of rebels to fight against us, using five of the armors that belong to Lord Talpa." Sekhmet said.
"Starting tomorrow, you will be educated about the Ronin warriors and help us fight them." Talpa said.
"You know I will always do as you ask of me father, but there is one thing I do not understand. Why haven't I been told of the Ronin warriors till now?" Sakura inquired.
"We all thought it best to keep it from you unless we knew we were going to need your help." Anubis answered.
Realization suddenly dawned on Sakura. "The Ronin warriors have been who you guys have been fighting against this entire time, haven't they?" She had for the past few months seen the others hard at work, training. And leaving sporadically, and then coming back as her father yelled at them and their incompetence.
"Yes, but we are not strong enough, and it is now apparent that we will need your help in defeating them," Sekhmet said.
Sakura's face changed to one of interest to determination. "Father, I will do everything I can to help you defeat those Ronin warriors!" Sakura stated loyally.
"Excellent!" Talpa said. "Your lessons on the Ronin warriors will start tomorrow!"
"Oh no!" Sakura complained. "Not more lessons."
Sakura's lessons suddenly became the top priority in her life. Her father refused to let her even think about challenging the Ronin warriors until he thought she was ready. Sakura studied and trained harder than ever before. In addition to her magic lessons, which were progressing very well, and her lessons in weaponry she also had to memorize all the information that they had on the Ronin warriors. She learned them by name and picture, special attacks, and styles in fighting.
"She is coming along well," Dais commented to Anubis one day. The two were watching her weaponry lessons from an overhead station and shouting out advice and pointers when needed.
"Yes," Anubis replied. "She is becoming an excellent fighter. She seems to be a natural with a sword and a fairly good shot with an arrow. She lacks strength but her small frame and speed makes up for it as it makes her a hard target to hit in combat.
"Her magic also is a good tool, although she does lose control of it a few times when she is angry." He rubbed his head, she had lost her temper and levitated a chair and hurled it at him when he pinned her in swordsmanship.
Anubis smiled at the memory but made no answer to Dais's comment. He did, however, notice the softened look in Dais's eyes when he spoke of her. 'It seems, ' Anubis thought. 'That a certain warlord is falling for our little Sakura. He smiled. 'I bet Talpa is thrilled. Having his only child marry one of his warlords, what better way to ensure loyalty.'
Along with all her new training Sakura still found time for herself. Besides Kero, who was now a full grown tiger and fiercely loyal to only Sakura, she had gained the friendship of many of the animals surround the castle. They ranged from birds all the way up to a dragon whom she affectionately called Draco. There was only one thing that bugged Sakura, Ryo. She couldn't get him off of her mind, no matter how hard she tried. Dais also noticed her seemingly sudden lack of interest in him and tried to bring the attention back on himself, but every time she looked at him she found her mind wandering and Ryo's blue eyes always popped into her head along with the way he had looked at her that day. Sakura was attracted to Dais and she fought hard against her thoughts about Ryo, but it wasn't easy.
"He is the enemy!" She told herself in the mirror as she stared at her reflection. She wanted to talk to Anubis, but she knew what he would say. And if word got out that she was having feelings for the enemy then her father would never let her out of the castle. "No, I won't think about him anymore!" Sakura promised herself. "I like Dais, a lot. Besides he isn't fighting against my father." Sakura worked harder to made good on her promise not to think about Ryo anymore, but little did Sakura know, her promise was about to get almost impossible not to break.