Wow, thank you everyone who was still so supportive of my story. It really means so much to me even when I let you all down by not updating. I promise now that I'm not going to let that happen again. I will try and keep the chapters coming even if it's not once a week. But it WILL NOT be another year before chapter four comes out. Thank you again. Here's chapter three. I'll shut up since I kept you all waiting long enough.

Chapter three: The Act of Being Tricked

Cold; it was defiantly cold. Chiriko's eyes fluttered open slightly to be greeted in darkness. He could feel his clothes sticking to him. They were completely soaked drizzling little trails of water across his exposed skin. Had he been in the rain? Hard; the ground under him was solid stone jutting into him slightly. Lightning flashed, illuminating the area around him. It was some sort of cave and he was near the entrance. The wind howled in, chilling the boy and piercing his leg. 'What?' Chiriko's head buzzed slightly, glancing down his body. The pulse of his heart smashed into the appendage numbing it more and more in the cold. A bandage with a dark crimson smear wrapped his leg in a secure splint. It wasn't broken but defiantly injured. 'A bite mark,' the thought, or was it a memory, crossed his mind. Can't move; his hands were bound at the wrist behind his back and his good leg had a shackle on it. The chains led to a welding on the stone wall. Chiriko was defiantly a prisoner.

Whispers; behind him, faint voices wisped across his ears. He couldn't turn his head far enough to see; closing his eyes, Chiriko focused his chi and sent it out towards the murmurs. Brushing the closest one, he began quivering in fear. It was a dark blue aura, a Seriyuu life force. It was Nakago's chi.

Suddenly, the one thing Chiriko was afraid to hear came across his ears.

"I feel that our guest has finally awakened." Nakago's boots echoed throughout the cave as he came closer to the boy. He didn't even have to turn around to know that the general was behind him. Nakago was one of their greatest foes; Tamahome had been beaten by him and even Chichiri had troubles against his might. Three other forms appeared out of the darkness. 'The Seriyuu Seishi,' Chiriko thought, trying to come up with a plan, 'Damn, why can't my symbol light up now?'

"What should we do with him?" Tomo's slithering voice rubbed across the Suzaku warrior.

"For now he's just a prisoner," Nakago smiled turning Chiriko onto his back, "Let's see what his fellow warriors will do… Do you know who I am, boy?"

"You're Nakago," Chiriko glared the best he could in his frightened state, "my enemy. How did I get here?"

Suboshi smirked, "Don't you remember? Geez, I thought he was supposed to be the smart one!"

Closing his eyes, the memories slowly began to crawl back into the Chiriko's head.

…

Pulling his ryuuseisui from its strap on his side, Suboshi crouched low as if he might pounce any minute, "You murdered my brother and I will make you pay!"

Yanking his tessen from its pouch, Tasuki smirked, "And how the hell are ya gonna do that?"

As the balls on the end of the ryuuseisui began to float above his palm and spin quickly, Suboshi smiled a devious smile with revenge coating his gaze, "By taking the life of your Miko and draining all of her blood!" Using his telekinesis, he shot one of the balls forward straight at Miaka. A silver blade clicked out of the top of the object as it flew towards her. Grabbing Miaka, Tamahome leapt out of the way as the rest of the Suzaku Seishi scattered. The ball smashed into the ground sending mud flying everywhere.

A piece hit Chiriko's eyes blinding him for a second. Tomo shot one of the feathers towards him in the boy's blindness. Narrowly missing his throat, Chiriko fell to the side and scrambled out of the way. He was not a fighter nor knew what to do. Any second Tomo would attack him again and all he could do was dodge and run.

Suddenly, someone grabbed him by his shirt as another feather pierced the ground he was on moments ago, "Don't just sit there, kid!" It was Tasuki. Flames ignited from his tessen, spiraling towards the feather fiend. Tomo simply jumped out of the way. Tasuki sped over to Miaka, who was beside Mitsukake and Hotohori.

"Listen carefully," Hotohori was watching the battle as he talked, "In my throne room is a secret door. My adviser will be able to show you. It will lead you to an underground passage out of the castle. Mitsukake, take Miaka and protect her. We'll come get you when we're done here."

Miaka's eyes were wide with freight, "But Hotohori-!"

"Here, take the kid with ya!" Tasuki put Chiriko down and turned back to the melee. He rushed back towards the fight, Hotohori close behind him. Mitsukake took Miaka's hand and began running back to the palace. But Chiriko followed more slowly watching his friends fight. Chichiri and Nakago were dead even with magic, lashing at each other with their chi. Ashitare was becoming a handful for Nuriko and Hotohori, while Tamahome was hand to hand with Suboshi. Tasuki just smirked as he pointed his tessen at Tomo. His mouth was moving but the scholar couldn't make out his words. Chiriko finally picked up his pace to catch up.

"Miaka!" Nuriko cried as Ashitare leapt over his head bolting towards the priestess. The beast vaulted foreword, but Mitsukake wrapped his arms around Miaka's tiny frame. Slashing across his back, Ashitare slide across the mud. He smiled a brutal grin as he licked the healer's blood off his claws.

Bringing himself to his knees, Mitsukake pulled Miaka behind him wincing in pain, "If you want her, you have to get through me first."

"That's fine," the voice growled as Ashitare crouched down, "You'll taste good."

'This is bad!' Chiriko looked behind him. Nuriko and Hotohori wouldn't make it in time to help. 'I have to do something!' That something caught his eye. The bow and quiver from earlier were a few feet away from him. Snatching the weapon and loading the bow, Chiriko lined up his shot. 'Speed isn't everything, Chiriko, but neither is power,' Chichiri's words echoed in his head as the scholar took an extra moment. Ashitare launched himself at the Priestess and her warrior as Chiriko released the arrow. It pierced the wolf man's shoulder as he landed just feet in front of the two whimpering slightly. Grabbing Miaka's arm, Mitsukake pulled her along towards the corridor.

"They're safe," whispered the boy as his friends made it to the steps.

"MOVE CHIRIKO!" Tamahome cried snapping Chiriko's attention back to the battle. Ashitare was a few feet in front of him when Chiriko jumped out of the way of the claws. Running was all he could think of now. 'No! I have to stand and fight!' Notching another arrow to the bow, he whipped around to face his enemy but Ashitare was brawling with Nuriko once more.

"Good job Chiriko-chan!" Chichiri called over, his gaze never left Nakago, "Go after Mitsukake!"

The blonde general rushed forward drawling his sword slashing down at the monk; Chichiri's staff appeared in his hand blocking the attack.

"We're not letting you get Miaka," Chichiri said forcing the blade off his staff.

"Tsk tsk… Chichiri, why do you always assume that we're after her?"

"What?"

Before Chichiri sensed it, Nakago sent a chi blast whizzing by him towards the smallest member of their group. It slammed into Chiriko throwing him into the ground hard.

A soft moan escaped his lips; the rain pelted his face as his mind tried to real what was happening. He could hear people calling his name, but who were they. 'Oh yea, we're fighting the Seriyuu Seishi and I'm Chiriko of Suzaku. I'm not just Ou Doukun anymore.' Something moved to his right. It was a large creature of some sort but his eyes were still fuzzy. Slowly, it came into view.

"ASHITA-!"

The wolf man dug his fangs into the boy's leg causing his to cry out. He was being dragged across the mud, blood trailing on the lawn behind him. 'Oh my god! What's happening? Is that my blood? It is my blood! Someone help! Who's picking me up? Are you trying to save me?'

Nakago lifted Chiriko off the ground, draping him over his shoulder. But Chiriko didn't struggle; he was to weak. Hearing his friends call his name one last time, he succumbed to the darkness and the hard armor of Nakago's shoulder.

…

'I was taken prisoner,' Chiriko realized turning his gaze back up to the people who now held his life in their hands, 'Without me, we can't summon Suzaku and being the smallest, I would be the easiest to take.'

"Good job, Nakago" the boy smiled weakly as Suboshi forced him up, "Your plan worked out well. Making us think that you were after Miaka was flawless. I congratulate you."

The general smirked down at him, "I get it now, when your symbol is lit, that's when your abilities kick in." He was right; the 'cho' symbol on Chiriko's left foot was glowing brightly. It was warm as if Suzaku was trying to comfort him.

"So are you going to kill me?" the question was firm surprising the Seriyuu members. This little kid was glaring at them with the fierce eyes any samurai would posses. He wasn't afraid anymore.

"No, not yet," Nakago turned away, "You're needed for more… important thing other than death. Suboshi, untie him and give him some water and bread. We don't want him to die."

"Untie him? Is that smart?" The green hair boy glanced at his leader questioningly.

Nakago was standing over a fire farther back in the cave. Chiriko could hear him chuckling; a rumble of thunder ripped through the sky out side as the blonde man spoke:

"Even if he did leave, he wouldn't get far if Ashitare was after him. Trust me, that creature is hungry enough to make the mistake of killing a small child."

End of chapter 3

Ooooo…. I wonder what will happen next! Well I know but the rest of you don't! I'll give you hint; the Suzaku group isn't just going to sit around and have tea. Chapter four: Strike back! is going to be coming soon! Thanks again everyone! Onwards and Upwards, no da!