READ ME: You may have noticed this by now, but I'd like to make it somewhat official; The Casting of Shadows is somewhat AU. The history of the Ronins has been altered slightly to account for the storyline, and some of the characters have been changed to help with difficulties later on in the plot. I understand that this may upset some people, which I don't want to do. So please, I love the Ronin Warriors as much as the next person, but if you can't be tolerant about seeing new things, don't read this! Its not a bad story, its just...different. ^.^;;
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The Casting of Shadows
Chapter 4 - History Lessons
By Phoenix Cubed
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Steam hung in the air, leaving its dusky print on the freshly painted walls and newly hung mirrors. The saccharine notes of long since composed symphonies drifted among the heated air, creating an atmosphere of total relaxation. With the lights dimmed, the tiger turned out, and everyone gone until later that evening, Mia was in heaven. A very warm heaven that involved her brand new, elevated bathtub that she was finally able to try out for the first time since its installation three months ago. The boys and Cye had done it as a birthday present, remodeling and cleaning her entire household to her specifications. Of course, two weeks later it had been impossible to tell what they had previously done, but it was the thought that counted.
That, and her Jacuzzi style bathtub.
The music shifted to a work of Beethoven, one of his more famous, high beat pieces. She relaxed and sank deeper into steaming water as she soaked away the sore feelings her muscles had achieved while re-cleaning the house, top to bottom. Everything was clean. She regretted not being able to work in her garden, but it had started to rain, and there was no sense in tracking all the dirt and mud she would collect into her nice, clean house. No, better to just lie here and relax, letting all the tensions of watching after her exotic charges just soak aw--
CRASH!
"Mia! We're home!"
"Kento! Quiet, she might be sleeping!"
"But I'm hungry!"
"When are you NOT hungry!"
"Hey!"
BANG!
"NO! White Blaze, not in here! You're all muddy!"
"AAHH! Rowen! No arrows in the house!"
"Step away from the fish, Kento!"
The insinuating noises continued to heave and shake the house, rocking the very foundation as Mia sighed. The last notes of Beethoven's famous work drew to a close, the strings heralding her sorrowful epiphany.
The boys were home.
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"That's the last of it." Ryo sighed and pitched his rag into the awaiting bucket, glad that his tumultuous task was finally over.
Kento sighed and fell back onto a nearby couch, "finally! I thought we were going to be at this all night!"
"We would have been," Rowen looked over and shot his friend a glare, "thank goodness Mia only said we had to clean the downstairs."
"Guys, please," Sage held his head, slowly massaging his temples, "no more fighting."
White Blaze, now clean from his previous excursions in the mud, gave a sympathetic growl towards Sage, holding his massive paws over his ears. Mia had insisted he get a bath as well as the rest of the house. After hurling herself from the tub she had rushed downstairs to minimize the damage that was occurring. But upon seeing what was already done, she had immediately gone into an apocalyptic fit, calmed only by Cye leading her into the kitchen for some laced tea and the promise that the mess would be completely cleaned.
Four hours and thirty-six buckets of water later, the house was back to its original state, and Mia wasn't feeling quite as homicidal as she had been originally. But the Ronins weren't taking any chances. Mia might not have the mystical abilities they coveted, but that didn't make her any less dangerous or fearsome.
Cye stuck her head into the living room where the boys were recuperating. "Dinner's ready guys, if you're hungry."
Rowen made a face, "I think I'll just head to bed, Cye. Thanks anyway."
Torrent wrinkled her nose, "you've gotta eat sometime, Row, and when you do, I'll be waiting."
"Oh, the threats! The threats!" The tall boy laughed and headed up the stairs, "good night, guys."
Sage's one visible eye followed his friend up the stairs before turning to Cye, "I think I'm hungry, what's for dinner, oh mighty mistress of the kitchen?"
"Stew and cumber sandwiches."
There was a loud whoop as Kento launched himself from the couch and ran into the kitchen, nearly toppling Cye over as he whizzed past her. Then there was a loud crashing and a warning yell from Mia to use a bowl before she threw a spoon at him. Cye groaned and shook her head.
"If you're really hungry, I suggest you hurry."
Ryo pushed himself off the floor and exchanged a look with Sage before grinning at the sprightly cook. "Not a bad idea, Cye. Thanks for bothering."
"You're just lucky I managed to calm Mia down, she sharpened the knives today."
Sage winced as he walked into the kitchen, "that could have been messy."
Cye chuckled and turned to supervise the meal that was rapidly disappearing down a single throat. "Kento! Do you mind?"
The ashen head paused from his eating as eyes of similar color looked up from between bites, "nope, don't worry 'bout me, Cye!"
Ryo chuckled once more and moved to dish some stew for his own appetite, before sitting down at the rustic wood table with the others. Though Mia's house was large, and a separate dining room had been in the original makeup of the house, it was expansive, and none of them liked the formal feeling that came over them while seated at the giant table and its lavish furnishings. So Mia had scurried about until she found a table large enough for five growing teens and one guardian, but small enough to fit in her kitchen without making them feel uncomfortable. She was extremely grateful she had, with all the banging and abuse the kitchen went though every day, she doubted that her antique dining set up would have held up a week, much less the year and a half the Ronins had been with her. She had extended her invitation to stay when they had first arrived, battle hardened and homeless. Though she was happy to have them around, and would never dream of letting them loose to the world before they were ready, she often wondered why they never went to see family, or at least, what they considered home before they had come to her.
Kento leaned back in his chair and let out a rumbling belch before excusing himself and scooting out of the kitchen. He wasn't about to get caught with dishes after all that house cleaning. Cye looked forlornly at the pile by the sink and what had yet to make its way over to the stainless steel basin. Halo studied her for a moment, something had been eating at her since the fight, and it was finally starting to show. She looked tired; maybe she just needed some rest. Expending her abilities like she had earlier couldn't have helped any.
"Why don't you get some sleep, Cye?" Sage suggested, "Ryo and I can clean up here."
Torrent looked over to the Ronin of Light with a crooked smile, "yes, so in ten minutes I can come tearing down here at the sound of a dish avalanche."
"Nah," Ryo got up and pushed the cinnamon haired girl from the kitchen. "We'll keep Mia in here to supervise us. You go to bed and relax for once."
Cye gave a small yawn and a tired smile, "you don't mind?"
Mia shook her head and made a shooing motion, sipping her tea, "I can watch them."
"Thanks guys." Cye gave one half-hearted wave before heading up the stairs and to her room, shutting the door firmly behind her.
Mia looked to Sage, "since when did you acquire a taste for dishes?"
"I didn't," he replied, making a face. "I just thought she needed some rest without having to worry about something."
Ryo looked at the sink and made a face of his own, "nice that you included me in this, Sage."
"Anytime, fearless leader."
"You're washing."
"What?"
Mia laughed and sipped her tea. After a few minutes of extensive bickering, it was agreed that Ryo would dry and put away the dishes, while Sage actually did the dishes and swept the floor afterwards. They meant well, Mia mused, but the results could be disastrous if their efforts were somewhere besides the battlefield.
A comfortable silence descended upon the kitchen, broken only by the sound of running water and the clink of cups and plates. Ryo held a towel in his hands, meticulously drying every dish before adding it to the growing stack of clean ones waiting to be put away. Sage wrestled with the soap, not adding enough at some points, too much at others. He let out a low frustrated growl as a spoon slipped from his hands and shot back into the soapy depths of the sink.
"You've got too much soap in circulation, Sage," Ryo commented.
"Dishes were not included in my training Ryo," Sage snapped at him while trying to locate the elusive spoon.
Mia looked up from her laptop that she had been transferring files on, "On that note, Sage, would you mind answering a question for me? You too, Ryo."
The boys turned to the older girl. "Sure Mia, ask away."
Mia fiddled a bit, "this is more of a multi-part question, but how were you trained?" She looked at them individually, "I mean, who were you trained by, what was it like-did you train separately or together?"
Ryo picked up a ladle and wiped it dry, "a very multi-part question. What they hey, its only ten thirty."
Sage turned halfway back to the sink, "I don't suppose you've got any files on our training."
She shook her head, red bangs falling over her curious eyes. "Nothing. Here and there it starts to look as if it'll mention something, but the files never do."
"Not surprising," Ryo remarked, finishing the ladle and moving on.
Sage nodded. "Its worked out to be that way, we can tell you Mia, but--"
"We can't tell you too much," Ryo shot his Sage a look, giving him an unspoken warning. "Everyone's training was different."
Mia hadn't missed the silent exchange between the warriors, but she thought to ignore it, and readied herself to record what she could. "Why don't you start with your orbs."
The eternal depths of the Wildfire swirled slightly in the Ronin leader's eyes. In his hands, he began to bundle the dishtowel into a tight ball before throwing high into the air. The mass of the towel was light, and quickly unfolded itself as it reached the peak of Ryo's toss. As it parachuted down to his hands, it flattened out even more, revealing the fiery Orb of Wildfire. Both objects tumbled back to earth and landed safely in the Ronin's hands.
Sage smirked and started on a plate, "show off."
"Not half as bad as you, Blondie. Anyway, every armor has an orb, even the warlords." Ryo began to toss the small ball back and forth between his hands. "The main reason for the orbs is simply to recognize and bring out the potential in every possessing warrior. After that, it simply forms the sub armor." To accentuate his point, Ryo fisted the orb and smacked it into his left hand. Immediately, a light erupted from his clenched hands and consumed his body. It soon faded away, but left the red and white sub armor in its place. He opened his hands wide, but the orb was gone, "see? Simple."
Mia wrote furiously on her computer, "so do you find the orbs, or do the orbs find you?"
"Depends on the situation, usually. This is something that's older than most, and not just anyone can use it. For the most part, the orbs are passed down through family generations. There would often be several children in one family, and the orb would pick who best suited it. Not necessarily the oldest, and not necessarily male, either."
"So once the orb picks you, do you immediately start training?"
Sage shook his head. "Some orb bearers probably never even picked up a sword. It really depended on the times. The Ancient One, who originally handed out the orbs, wanted them to stay hidden, and only used when truly needy threats arose. So the orbs would often pick people who didn't show any special abilities at all, favoring those that could keep them safe over those who would most likely end up in the battlefield at the wrong time."
Mia looked confused, "I thought the orbs were just inanimate objects."
"Nothing with magic is truly inanimate. If it was, than any one could control the object, and that would make a very dangerous situation."
The guide shook her head, "all right, for the sake of argument, lets skip a few generations and get to you. The orbs chose you, right?"
Both Ronins nodded.
"And obviously you were going to be needed, so how did your training come about?"
Sage looked over to Ryo, obviously motioning for him to answer the question. The bearer of the Inferno hesitated a moment before answering. "We...we're a special case, so I don't know if what happened to us happened to our predecessors as well. Once we discovered our powers, we became endangered, and if we weren't taken away, we would have been captured by Talpa, and been in the same position as the warlords."
"Taken away?"
Halo hesitantly took over for Wildfire, "usually a warrior is trained by the head of the family or village. But, there hadn't been a need in such a long time that no one, besides my family and Kento's, had done anything but general interest training in generations. My father didn't even know we had an orb until one day when I was very young, and as a punishment sent to the basement of our cellar."
Mia wrote some more, "I think I'm getting all of this. So who took you away?"
There was a long pause as the two boys considered how to tell Mia about the most trying part of their childhood and training. Finally, Ryo let out an explosive breath, "she's called the Phoenix, like the bird from the Egyptian legends. That's not exactly who she is though, but it's the closest that one can come in explanation. The Phoenix, or the Fire, I guess you could call her, is the original creator of the armor that Talpa once wore. The Phoenix gave it to Talpa's family to care for and keep safe until she had use of it again. However, somewhere along the line, the family became corrupted, and Talpa usurped the armor for his own vile purposes, which is where the story that you know of kicks in."
"Why didn't she just come and take it back?"
"Who knows, there's a reason, Rowen knows it, but good luck trying to get it out of him."
Mia sighed and paused to flex her fingers. "This is getting complicated. Did she ever come back?"
Ryo nodded, "when she did, it was a bit late to undo what the Ancient did. I guess the story is she wasn't entirely happy with the results, but she didn't have much choice. Finally, she added a twist to what the Ancient One did to the separate armors by joining them to the orbs and human families instead of more magical creatures."
"Magical creatures?"
Sage raised his eyebrow in an elegant fashion, "would you care to call Talpa human?"
"I suppose not, go on Ryo. Why did she take you away?"
Ryo nodded, "I think this is going to answer another one of your questions, Mia."
The girl looked perplexed, "which is that?"
"Why we never go to our families. The answer is simple really, we can't; they live in a different plain than us now. Once we bonded with the orb and accepted the power that came with it, we became very dangerous weapons. Our families knew nothing on how to handle our training or power, and the Dynasty was scouting around looking for any potential warriors. So the Fire took us from our homes and brought us to a different realm, where we trained by others and ourselves to defeat the Dynasty."
Keys silently clicked away as Mia contemplated and wrote the Ronin words, "So you're not from this world or the Dynasty?"
"The Dynasty is a big exception to a normal rule, Mia." Sage picked up the story for Ryo, "for life, there are two different places to live, the mortal world and the nether realm. On young planets, there's only one place to live, because magic is still tightly woven within the fabric of all existence. But as the planet gets older, and the inhabitants evolve, magic often becomes redundant for some species, but even more necessary for others. So slowly, over time, two worlds shape themselves, until a barrier is erected that can never really be torn down. On earth though, Talpa tore that barrier the first time he tried to take over. When the Ancient defeated him, he called upon the Fire for help, knowing that he couldn't send Talpa back with his tainted ways to infect what was still a normal realm. So she created another plain to trap him in, and the Ancient sealed it off."
The clicking sound stopped altogether and Mia looked to the boys who stood calmly by the sink, dishes forgotten. "You mean to tell me that you're from the netherworld? But--you're human."
"Not all humans rejected the mystic arts, we're simply from families who chose to accept the original lifestyle and stayed with the nether realm. All creatures originally had use of magic, its just the ones that stayed here have forgotten and erased it from their minds."
"This is getting really complicated," Mia stood and made herself some more tea, which by now was cold and beginning to form skin.
Sage smiled a bit, "you asked."
"I guess I did." She sat down and poised herself for more information, "all right, continue. Where did she take you for training?"
They both chuckled, "right under the demon's nose." Ryo answered, "she dropped us off in the Dynasty with bodyguards, blade masters, and martial arts instructors. Telling us to study hard, because our lives depended on it, along with everyone else's."
Blonde hair was flicked back before it fell straight into Sage's eye once more, "I think we averaged six years of training each, but our instructors wanted us to have at least twenty. Around year four they realized that twenty was wishful thinking, fifteen was dreaming, and ten was really pushing it."
Mia's jaw had dropped open after Ryo had determined their place of study, and hadn't shut, even after Sage had begun to talk. He paused for a moment waiting for the red haired guide to recover.
"The Phoenix sent you to the DYNASTY? *Why?*"
Ryo shrugged, "why not? After some thought, its really the best place to be. Talpa never suspected where we were, and if he were to try and escape, we were there to stop him. Unfortunately, he was a great deal more cunning than what was originally thought. He'd been picking at a loose thread in the barrier erected to hold him in the Dynasty for years, and finally had opened it enough to send soldiers through. At different times, we all discovered it and went through, hoping to catch him before he did any real damage."
Sage shook his head, "we never got any training as a group. It was all solitary."
"Except for Rowen and Kento."
"There's always an exception."
For a while, the granddaughter of Koji mulled over the new information. "I suppose that explains quite a bit about you all, but it also raises more questions."
"Like?"
"None of you are particularly fond of this Phoenix being?"
"Would you be fond of someone who uprooted you from your home when you had barely finished learning to talk, to throw into a war and never see your family again?"
"No, I see your point. But what I don't understand is why of all of you, Rowen seems to have such a deep hatred for her."
Sage glanced at the clock, "that Mia, is a story for another night. It's a quarter to three, and I'd like to get some sleep this weekend."
"Oh," the guide blinked owlishly, "I didn't realize it was that late. Ryo, are you planning on sleeping in that?"
"Huh?" The tiger eyed boy glanced down and realized he was still in his red and white sub armor. "Oh, guess I forgot." Placing a hand on his chest, he closed his eyes and quietly concentrated, until the magmata light overtook him once more, replacing itself with the clothes that he had been wearing earlier. Unclenching his fist, Ryo raised his arms above his head and stretched, the orb gone.
"Goodnight Mia, we'll be seein' y'ea in the morning."
She smiled at the two boys who were slowly making their way through the dining room and up the stairs. "Good night you two. Sleep well."
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The dreams, they just wouldn't stop. He had to admit though, that this one was rather pleasant. He was in the garden in the back of the school. The Fire must have really dug into his memory for this one. It was so realistic. But it was very nice. The birds were singing, the sun was out, the path was freshly manicured and everything had a healthy, living glow to it. Rowen sighed; for once, a relaxing dream. Maybe it wasn't from the Fire. Maybe it came from his own mind for once. He took the left path at the great Oak in the center of the gardens and headed towards his usual spot, to relax and enjoy the dream.
But when he arrived at his favorite Oak, he suddenly realized that this was not his dream, and that relaxing was the last thing he would be doing.
The Oak, usually large and leafy with thick, friendly branches, was now bare and rotted. The bark, where he could see it, was stripped and fell from the trunk and branches like the skin of a peeled fruit. The leaves were a sickly brown color and a good portion of the way through decomposing, complete with a variety of insects and worms that helped the process along, crawling in and out of the pile that they had formed. No leaves were left on the branches, but the tree limbs were not bare. Instead hung the coatless husks of creatures no longer among the living. Tight cords bound the legs of many animals on the lower branches. He recognized raccoons strung up by their five fingered paws, mink, beavers, deer...in the higher branches, the carcasses became indecipherable. Heads had been removed and the innards of many were beginning to fall from the gaping holes. Still higher were many species of birds, plucked of their feathers and robbed of their bills and beaks. Once glittery and curious eyes were now lifeless and dull, or simply not there at all. A cold breeze stirred, picking up the dead air and bombarding Rowen's senses. Whoever had taken care of the killings certainly hadn't done a decent job. Nothing seemed to be cured, as the stench of rotting flesh and mildewing hides was thick about the air.
Azure eyes widened in astonishment and Rowen's stomach churned. It was all he could do not to wretch out his very existence. What had happened here? Who had done this?
A small, hoarse cry came from his left. Looking over, a cage had been erected of vines and tree limbs around a tree he had never seen before. Where gaps came between vines and limbs, he could see a creature trapped within. Flashes of feathers and bright light gave away the identity of the captive. Rowen backed away quickly, instinctively wanting nothing to do with the captured firebird.
A mad cackling came from behind. Rowen looked back towards the tree. The very top branches were swaying with the sickly wind, rocking the lighter carcasses of birds until the ropes that held them snapped, and the rotting bodies fell heavily to the earth, landing in the decomposing pile of leaves. Crimson drops of blood spattered upon impact, spraying across him and the nearby trees. Disgusted, he backed away further and wiped off the startling hot liquid away with the backs of his hands. The cackling came again, louder this time. From the path that he had taken hyenas and jackals stepped carefully, approaching him with feral grins and blood-flecked muzzles. Black eyes glittered at him, sizing him up.
The first of the hyenas looked directly at him and licked his bloodied chops.
*We have yet to taste Ronin Blood.*
With a startled oath, Rowen reached into his mind for his orb, wanting some physical protection in his nightmare. As he groped however, the usual place where he could feel his power and call upon it was empty. Uncertainty gripped him, what now?
*Run, run little Ronin. Leave us to our business, and we shall leave you to yours.*
A heavy gust of wind knocked the bearer of Strata backwards, pushing his body to the familiar path. The tree swayed again, threatening to drop more of its contents. He moved out of the tree's trajectory and further onto the path. The vine-encased creature shifted slightly, her hoarse cry barely audible. For a brief moment, Rowen wondered if he should help her. Then the hyenas cackled at him and lunged, nearly latching onto his legs. He had read that hyenas were capable of compressing nearly two thousand pounds per square inch with their jaws. He jerked his body back and ran down the path; this wasn't a way to test that knowledge.
More cackling, then a howl of triumph echoed throughout what he once thought as his safe haven. *Run, Ronin. For all the good it will do you; run.*
It was the only thing he could do. So he did, with the echoes of maniacal laughter in his ears until he sank back into the darkness of his subconscious.
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Sage quietly tiptoed up the stairs and into the room he shared with Rowen, though he wasn't quite sure why he was making the effort to be soundless. Trying to interrupt Strata from a sleep was like trying to interrupt an earthquake, both being very near impossible. He yawned slightly; that talk had gone on longer than he had expected. He hoped Mia remembered it, because he wouldn't be in any mood to repeat it in the near future. At least she wouldn't realize she hadn't actually typed anything until well after sunrise.
The Ronin of Light stripped off his shirt and sleepily headed towards his bed, catching his reflection in the mirror as he passed. He allowed himself a quick glance and grimaced. Did he always look like road kill this late at night? He continued past the mirror, and then did a double take. What the-
Was there any reason that, in the middle of the night, in a supposedly dark room, that he could see his reflection? Briefly, an old quip from Kento flashed through his mind before he chased it away for more serious thoughts. This had nothing to do with a sunny disposition...
There, by Rowen's bed, his orb was levitating just to the right of his head, blazing a magnificent shade of blue and illuminating the room. The sign of Life flickered violently within. Rowen himself was a mess of sweat and tangled sheets, again. Sage shook his head, and then ducked out of the way as his own orb came flying past him. Only his well-honed reflexes and finely tuned senses saved him from a smart rap on the head when three other orbs came hurtling into the room as well. All four stopped and slowly began to orbit Rowen's orb, which had gradually moved to his rapidly moving chest, slick with sweat and glittering in the different colors radiated from within each of the small, but powerful balls.
"What's goin' on Sage?" Sage turned around to see Ryo carefully stick his head inside the door, obviously wary of any more fast-moving projectiles.
"I don't know, Ryo. I think Rowen's dreaming again, and our orbs are reacting to him."
"It must be a real bad one this time, then. They've never reacted before."
Sage nodded, but didn't say anything. A moment later, two more heads poked their way through the door, jostling their leader out of the way to get a better look at the strange happenings. Cye looked fascinated with the circling events, and inched closer to her fellow Ronin until a pair of teeth hooked her nightgown and pulled her quickly backwards. White Blaze then proceeded to push all of his charges back, a throaty growl emphasizing his point. Ryo tried to squat down and talk to his longtime friend, but the tiger shook himself and kept the bearer of Wildfire well away from the happenings on the bed.
Frustrated at the white cat, Ryo gave out his own growl. "What's wrong, White Blaze?"
The tiger gave a huge snort and turned to Rowen, once more letting out a low, menacing sound. The orbs began to pick up their pace, revolving faster and faster around Rowen's symbol of life. Very quickly, the individual balls were lost to one solid colored ring. White Blaze gave an ear-splitting roar, and the light shot up to Strata's orb, creating a conical shaft of light that quickly turned to a blazing fire. Great piercing shrieks suddenly filled the room, and the fire began to turn cold and lose its light, but it still burned with an intensity the Ronins had never seen before. The forceful cries continued, drowning out White Blaze and forcing the humans to cover their ears in pain. All light seemed to have been sucked out of the room, blanketing them in darkness more complete than any Dynasty trick. The lightless fire, however, continued to burn its cold light and be seen. What was happening?
The noise began to die away, its intensity replaced by a soft whining. It was still harsh on the ears, but they were able to uncover their abused organs and be heard by one another.
"What is it?" Kento asked in a hushed whisper.
Before that could be answered, the sound was interrupted once more. Static began to seep through the high cry, punctuating its interruption with bursts of ugly light. The light became more frequent, the high cry could no longer get through the static, and a dark sense of foreboding swept over the Ronins.
Cye cocked her head, focusing on the noise. "Listen," she said.
They did, straining to catch what Cye was hearing. Then Ryo caught it, the static wasn't just common white noise that came from electronic devices; it was more defined, clearer, and with a little imagination, Ryo could have sworn he heard whispers.
Wildfire looked to Halo, "Sage, could you--" he made a small wave of his hands, indicating what he wanted the blonde to try. Sage appeared to think a moment before carefully moving forward towards the now pulsating light and gathering his power about him to--
A hand reached out from the darkness, grabbing Sage's wrist and firmly pulling him back. Startled, Sage reached instinctively for his sword, but found it not to be there, and his other wrist to be caught while his body was pushed up, so that his head was forced to look at his captor. "Rowen!"
"You can't use the light for this one, Sage." Rowen dropped his friend from his grip and walked to White Blaze's side, who was still standing protectively in front of the Ronins.
Kento blinked, "Row, how did you ... never mind."
The rapidly flickering light showed Rowen's grim complexion. "Even I'll wake up from a calling. Now stand back guys, I don't know what's going to happen next." Everyone took a step back, even White Blaze, though he didn't look too happy.
Taking a deep breath, Rowen closed his eyes and held his hands in a small half circle in front of his body, hoping that his idea worked. After a moment, the familiar pull of a Ronin siphoning his power could be felt, and a small sphere of dark blue energy encompassed the concentrating Strata's hands. Above the bed where he had slept, what were once their orbs, then a fire with no light, was now an ugly gray and flickering energy concentration that resembled a compressed dead star. Rowen gritted his teeth. If he could help it, it would get smaller. The static noise was becoming dangerously loud again, and in what was almost a background, the original wailing shrieks could be heard. The room was lighted no more than three feet from every direction next to the small pulsar, but every now and then, a sharp cry would come out and illuminate the room. Strata could see the concerned faces of his friends in those small punctuations. He wished they would back up further. He didn't want to take them with him if he did this wrong. Rowen pushed more of his special energy into the ball at his fingers; it had become such a dark blue that it had almost disappeared from sight. He hoped that meant it was ready, because he couldn't hold it anymore. With a grunt of effort, Rowen extended his fingers full force and threw the energy ball at the pulsing screech light. With screaming force, the two spheres collided, shaking the house and rocking the Ronins to the floor. A blinding flash ensued; reminding Rowen briefly of the first dream he had been sent, before plunging them all into darkness once more.
Through the darkness, the noises had stopped, but a new sound came through; whispers. Small voices, high pitched, unsteady. They filled the room, echoing about.
"Ivor-can yo-hea-me?"
"Loo-finding fr--"
The static burst through with such sudden force that the fallen warriors jumped, colliding into each other as they did. Close together, they listened as it overrode all the broken voices and strengthened until itself became a whisper.
"... beware... beware. Beware... BEWARE . . . BEWARE--"
Laughter mingled with high yips and sorrowful cries as the whisper became louder and louder--
Wind whipped about the bodies of the huddled Ronins, threatening to toss them to the air like rag dolls. The laughter became louder, the words faster; pressure within the room was dropping quickly. A scream that could come from no human throat shattered the senses of cowering Ronins.
"BEWARE RONINS . . . BEWARE!"
Their nerves overloaded, their bodies beaten by the wind, the screech hit one final note, and then everything went mercifully silent. Death could be no kinder.
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Comments?
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The Casting of Shadows
Chapter 4 - History Lessons
By Phoenix Cubed
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Steam hung in the air, leaving its dusky print on the freshly painted walls and newly hung mirrors. The saccharine notes of long since composed symphonies drifted among the heated air, creating an atmosphere of total relaxation. With the lights dimmed, the tiger turned out, and everyone gone until later that evening, Mia was in heaven. A very warm heaven that involved her brand new, elevated bathtub that she was finally able to try out for the first time since its installation three months ago. The boys and Cye had done it as a birthday present, remodeling and cleaning her entire household to her specifications. Of course, two weeks later it had been impossible to tell what they had previously done, but it was the thought that counted.
That, and her Jacuzzi style bathtub.
The music shifted to a work of Beethoven, one of his more famous, high beat pieces. She relaxed and sank deeper into steaming water as she soaked away the sore feelings her muscles had achieved while re-cleaning the house, top to bottom. Everything was clean. She regretted not being able to work in her garden, but it had started to rain, and there was no sense in tracking all the dirt and mud she would collect into her nice, clean house. No, better to just lie here and relax, letting all the tensions of watching after her exotic charges just soak aw--
CRASH!
"Mia! We're home!"
"Kento! Quiet, she might be sleeping!"
"But I'm hungry!"
"When are you NOT hungry!"
"Hey!"
BANG!
"NO! White Blaze, not in here! You're all muddy!"
"AAHH! Rowen! No arrows in the house!"
"Step away from the fish, Kento!"
The insinuating noises continued to heave and shake the house, rocking the very foundation as Mia sighed. The last notes of Beethoven's famous work drew to a close, the strings heralding her sorrowful epiphany.
The boys were home.
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"That's the last of it." Ryo sighed and pitched his rag into the awaiting bucket, glad that his tumultuous task was finally over.
Kento sighed and fell back onto a nearby couch, "finally! I thought we were going to be at this all night!"
"We would have been," Rowen looked over and shot his friend a glare, "thank goodness Mia only said we had to clean the downstairs."
"Guys, please," Sage held his head, slowly massaging his temples, "no more fighting."
White Blaze, now clean from his previous excursions in the mud, gave a sympathetic growl towards Sage, holding his massive paws over his ears. Mia had insisted he get a bath as well as the rest of the house. After hurling herself from the tub she had rushed downstairs to minimize the damage that was occurring. But upon seeing what was already done, she had immediately gone into an apocalyptic fit, calmed only by Cye leading her into the kitchen for some laced tea and the promise that the mess would be completely cleaned.
Four hours and thirty-six buckets of water later, the house was back to its original state, and Mia wasn't feeling quite as homicidal as she had been originally. But the Ronins weren't taking any chances. Mia might not have the mystical abilities they coveted, but that didn't make her any less dangerous or fearsome.
Cye stuck her head into the living room where the boys were recuperating. "Dinner's ready guys, if you're hungry."
Rowen made a face, "I think I'll just head to bed, Cye. Thanks anyway."
Torrent wrinkled her nose, "you've gotta eat sometime, Row, and when you do, I'll be waiting."
"Oh, the threats! The threats!" The tall boy laughed and headed up the stairs, "good night, guys."
Sage's one visible eye followed his friend up the stairs before turning to Cye, "I think I'm hungry, what's for dinner, oh mighty mistress of the kitchen?"
"Stew and cumber sandwiches."
There was a loud whoop as Kento launched himself from the couch and ran into the kitchen, nearly toppling Cye over as he whizzed past her. Then there was a loud crashing and a warning yell from Mia to use a bowl before she threw a spoon at him. Cye groaned and shook her head.
"If you're really hungry, I suggest you hurry."
Ryo pushed himself off the floor and exchanged a look with Sage before grinning at the sprightly cook. "Not a bad idea, Cye. Thanks for bothering."
"You're just lucky I managed to calm Mia down, she sharpened the knives today."
Sage winced as he walked into the kitchen, "that could have been messy."
Cye chuckled and turned to supervise the meal that was rapidly disappearing down a single throat. "Kento! Do you mind?"
The ashen head paused from his eating as eyes of similar color looked up from between bites, "nope, don't worry 'bout me, Cye!"
Ryo chuckled once more and moved to dish some stew for his own appetite, before sitting down at the rustic wood table with the others. Though Mia's house was large, and a separate dining room had been in the original makeup of the house, it was expansive, and none of them liked the formal feeling that came over them while seated at the giant table and its lavish furnishings. So Mia had scurried about until she found a table large enough for five growing teens and one guardian, but small enough to fit in her kitchen without making them feel uncomfortable. She was extremely grateful she had, with all the banging and abuse the kitchen went though every day, she doubted that her antique dining set up would have held up a week, much less the year and a half the Ronins had been with her. She had extended her invitation to stay when they had first arrived, battle hardened and homeless. Though she was happy to have them around, and would never dream of letting them loose to the world before they were ready, she often wondered why they never went to see family, or at least, what they considered home before they had come to her.
Kento leaned back in his chair and let out a rumbling belch before excusing himself and scooting out of the kitchen. He wasn't about to get caught with dishes after all that house cleaning. Cye looked forlornly at the pile by the sink and what had yet to make its way over to the stainless steel basin. Halo studied her for a moment, something had been eating at her since the fight, and it was finally starting to show. She looked tired; maybe she just needed some rest. Expending her abilities like she had earlier couldn't have helped any.
"Why don't you get some sleep, Cye?" Sage suggested, "Ryo and I can clean up here."
Torrent looked over to the Ronin of Light with a crooked smile, "yes, so in ten minutes I can come tearing down here at the sound of a dish avalanche."
"Nah," Ryo got up and pushed the cinnamon haired girl from the kitchen. "We'll keep Mia in here to supervise us. You go to bed and relax for once."
Cye gave a small yawn and a tired smile, "you don't mind?"
Mia shook her head and made a shooing motion, sipping her tea, "I can watch them."
"Thanks guys." Cye gave one half-hearted wave before heading up the stairs and to her room, shutting the door firmly behind her.
Mia looked to Sage, "since when did you acquire a taste for dishes?"
"I didn't," he replied, making a face. "I just thought she needed some rest without having to worry about something."
Ryo looked at the sink and made a face of his own, "nice that you included me in this, Sage."
"Anytime, fearless leader."
"You're washing."
"What?"
Mia laughed and sipped her tea. After a few minutes of extensive bickering, it was agreed that Ryo would dry and put away the dishes, while Sage actually did the dishes and swept the floor afterwards. They meant well, Mia mused, but the results could be disastrous if their efforts were somewhere besides the battlefield.
A comfortable silence descended upon the kitchen, broken only by the sound of running water and the clink of cups and plates. Ryo held a towel in his hands, meticulously drying every dish before adding it to the growing stack of clean ones waiting to be put away. Sage wrestled with the soap, not adding enough at some points, too much at others. He let out a low frustrated growl as a spoon slipped from his hands and shot back into the soapy depths of the sink.
"You've got too much soap in circulation, Sage," Ryo commented.
"Dishes were not included in my training Ryo," Sage snapped at him while trying to locate the elusive spoon.
Mia looked up from her laptop that she had been transferring files on, "On that note, Sage, would you mind answering a question for me? You too, Ryo."
The boys turned to the older girl. "Sure Mia, ask away."
Mia fiddled a bit, "this is more of a multi-part question, but how were you trained?" She looked at them individually, "I mean, who were you trained by, what was it like-did you train separately or together?"
Ryo picked up a ladle and wiped it dry, "a very multi-part question. What they hey, its only ten thirty."
Sage turned halfway back to the sink, "I don't suppose you've got any files on our training."
She shook her head, red bangs falling over her curious eyes. "Nothing. Here and there it starts to look as if it'll mention something, but the files never do."
"Not surprising," Ryo remarked, finishing the ladle and moving on.
Sage nodded. "Its worked out to be that way, we can tell you Mia, but--"
"We can't tell you too much," Ryo shot his Sage a look, giving him an unspoken warning. "Everyone's training was different."
Mia hadn't missed the silent exchange between the warriors, but she thought to ignore it, and readied herself to record what she could. "Why don't you start with your orbs."
The eternal depths of the Wildfire swirled slightly in the Ronin leader's eyes. In his hands, he began to bundle the dishtowel into a tight ball before throwing high into the air. The mass of the towel was light, and quickly unfolded itself as it reached the peak of Ryo's toss. As it parachuted down to his hands, it flattened out even more, revealing the fiery Orb of Wildfire. Both objects tumbled back to earth and landed safely in the Ronin's hands.
Sage smirked and started on a plate, "show off."
"Not half as bad as you, Blondie. Anyway, every armor has an orb, even the warlords." Ryo began to toss the small ball back and forth between his hands. "The main reason for the orbs is simply to recognize and bring out the potential in every possessing warrior. After that, it simply forms the sub armor." To accentuate his point, Ryo fisted the orb and smacked it into his left hand. Immediately, a light erupted from his clenched hands and consumed his body. It soon faded away, but left the red and white sub armor in its place. He opened his hands wide, but the orb was gone, "see? Simple."
Mia wrote furiously on her computer, "so do you find the orbs, or do the orbs find you?"
"Depends on the situation, usually. This is something that's older than most, and not just anyone can use it. For the most part, the orbs are passed down through family generations. There would often be several children in one family, and the orb would pick who best suited it. Not necessarily the oldest, and not necessarily male, either."
"So once the orb picks you, do you immediately start training?"
Sage shook his head. "Some orb bearers probably never even picked up a sword. It really depended on the times. The Ancient One, who originally handed out the orbs, wanted them to stay hidden, and only used when truly needy threats arose. So the orbs would often pick people who didn't show any special abilities at all, favoring those that could keep them safe over those who would most likely end up in the battlefield at the wrong time."
Mia looked confused, "I thought the orbs were just inanimate objects."
"Nothing with magic is truly inanimate. If it was, than any one could control the object, and that would make a very dangerous situation."
The guide shook her head, "all right, for the sake of argument, lets skip a few generations and get to you. The orbs chose you, right?"
Both Ronins nodded.
"And obviously you were going to be needed, so how did your training come about?"
Sage looked over to Ryo, obviously motioning for him to answer the question. The bearer of the Inferno hesitated a moment before answering. "We...we're a special case, so I don't know if what happened to us happened to our predecessors as well. Once we discovered our powers, we became endangered, and if we weren't taken away, we would have been captured by Talpa, and been in the same position as the warlords."
"Taken away?"
Halo hesitantly took over for Wildfire, "usually a warrior is trained by the head of the family or village. But, there hadn't been a need in such a long time that no one, besides my family and Kento's, had done anything but general interest training in generations. My father didn't even know we had an orb until one day when I was very young, and as a punishment sent to the basement of our cellar."
Mia wrote some more, "I think I'm getting all of this. So who took you away?"
There was a long pause as the two boys considered how to tell Mia about the most trying part of their childhood and training. Finally, Ryo let out an explosive breath, "she's called the Phoenix, like the bird from the Egyptian legends. That's not exactly who she is though, but it's the closest that one can come in explanation. The Phoenix, or the Fire, I guess you could call her, is the original creator of the armor that Talpa once wore. The Phoenix gave it to Talpa's family to care for and keep safe until she had use of it again. However, somewhere along the line, the family became corrupted, and Talpa usurped the armor for his own vile purposes, which is where the story that you know of kicks in."
"Why didn't she just come and take it back?"
"Who knows, there's a reason, Rowen knows it, but good luck trying to get it out of him."
Mia sighed and paused to flex her fingers. "This is getting complicated. Did she ever come back?"
Ryo nodded, "when she did, it was a bit late to undo what the Ancient did. I guess the story is she wasn't entirely happy with the results, but she didn't have much choice. Finally, she added a twist to what the Ancient One did to the separate armors by joining them to the orbs and human families instead of more magical creatures."
"Magical creatures?"
Sage raised his eyebrow in an elegant fashion, "would you care to call Talpa human?"
"I suppose not, go on Ryo. Why did she take you away?"
Ryo nodded, "I think this is going to answer another one of your questions, Mia."
The girl looked perplexed, "which is that?"
"Why we never go to our families. The answer is simple really, we can't; they live in a different plain than us now. Once we bonded with the orb and accepted the power that came with it, we became very dangerous weapons. Our families knew nothing on how to handle our training or power, and the Dynasty was scouting around looking for any potential warriors. So the Fire took us from our homes and brought us to a different realm, where we trained by others and ourselves to defeat the Dynasty."
Keys silently clicked away as Mia contemplated and wrote the Ronin words, "So you're not from this world or the Dynasty?"
"The Dynasty is a big exception to a normal rule, Mia." Sage picked up the story for Ryo, "for life, there are two different places to live, the mortal world and the nether realm. On young planets, there's only one place to live, because magic is still tightly woven within the fabric of all existence. But as the planet gets older, and the inhabitants evolve, magic often becomes redundant for some species, but even more necessary for others. So slowly, over time, two worlds shape themselves, until a barrier is erected that can never really be torn down. On earth though, Talpa tore that barrier the first time he tried to take over. When the Ancient defeated him, he called upon the Fire for help, knowing that he couldn't send Talpa back with his tainted ways to infect what was still a normal realm. So she created another plain to trap him in, and the Ancient sealed it off."
The clicking sound stopped altogether and Mia looked to the boys who stood calmly by the sink, dishes forgotten. "You mean to tell me that you're from the netherworld? But--you're human."
"Not all humans rejected the mystic arts, we're simply from families who chose to accept the original lifestyle and stayed with the nether realm. All creatures originally had use of magic, its just the ones that stayed here have forgotten and erased it from their minds."
"This is getting really complicated," Mia stood and made herself some more tea, which by now was cold and beginning to form skin.
Sage smiled a bit, "you asked."
"I guess I did." She sat down and poised herself for more information, "all right, continue. Where did she take you for training?"
They both chuckled, "right under the demon's nose." Ryo answered, "she dropped us off in the Dynasty with bodyguards, blade masters, and martial arts instructors. Telling us to study hard, because our lives depended on it, along with everyone else's."
Blonde hair was flicked back before it fell straight into Sage's eye once more, "I think we averaged six years of training each, but our instructors wanted us to have at least twenty. Around year four they realized that twenty was wishful thinking, fifteen was dreaming, and ten was really pushing it."
Mia's jaw had dropped open after Ryo had determined their place of study, and hadn't shut, even after Sage had begun to talk. He paused for a moment waiting for the red haired guide to recover.
"The Phoenix sent you to the DYNASTY? *Why?*"
Ryo shrugged, "why not? After some thought, its really the best place to be. Talpa never suspected where we were, and if he were to try and escape, we were there to stop him. Unfortunately, he was a great deal more cunning than what was originally thought. He'd been picking at a loose thread in the barrier erected to hold him in the Dynasty for years, and finally had opened it enough to send soldiers through. At different times, we all discovered it and went through, hoping to catch him before he did any real damage."
Sage shook his head, "we never got any training as a group. It was all solitary."
"Except for Rowen and Kento."
"There's always an exception."
For a while, the granddaughter of Koji mulled over the new information. "I suppose that explains quite a bit about you all, but it also raises more questions."
"Like?"
"None of you are particularly fond of this Phoenix being?"
"Would you be fond of someone who uprooted you from your home when you had barely finished learning to talk, to throw into a war and never see your family again?"
"No, I see your point. But what I don't understand is why of all of you, Rowen seems to have such a deep hatred for her."
Sage glanced at the clock, "that Mia, is a story for another night. It's a quarter to three, and I'd like to get some sleep this weekend."
"Oh," the guide blinked owlishly, "I didn't realize it was that late. Ryo, are you planning on sleeping in that?"
"Huh?" The tiger eyed boy glanced down and realized he was still in his red and white sub armor. "Oh, guess I forgot." Placing a hand on his chest, he closed his eyes and quietly concentrated, until the magmata light overtook him once more, replacing itself with the clothes that he had been wearing earlier. Unclenching his fist, Ryo raised his arms above his head and stretched, the orb gone.
"Goodnight Mia, we'll be seein' y'ea in the morning."
She smiled at the two boys who were slowly making their way through the dining room and up the stairs. "Good night you two. Sleep well."
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The dreams, they just wouldn't stop. He had to admit though, that this one was rather pleasant. He was in the garden in the back of the school. The Fire must have really dug into his memory for this one. It was so realistic. But it was very nice. The birds were singing, the sun was out, the path was freshly manicured and everything had a healthy, living glow to it. Rowen sighed; for once, a relaxing dream. Maybe it wasn't from the Fire. Maybe it came from his own mind for once. He took the left path at the great Oak in the center of the gardens and headed towards his usual spot, to relax and enjoy the dream.
But when he arrived at his favorite Oak, he suddenly realized that this was not his dream, and that relaxing was the last thing he would be doing.
The Oak, usually large and leafy with thick, friendly branches, was now bare and rotted. The bark, where he could see it, was stripped and fell from the trunk and branches like the skin of a peeled fruit. The leaves were a sickly brown color and a good portion of the way through decomposing, complete with a variety of insects and worms that helped the process along, crawling in and out of the pile that they had formed. No leaves were left on the branches, but the tree limbs were not bare. Instead hung the coatless husks of creatures no longer among the living. Tight cords bound the legs of many animals on the lower branches. He recognized raccoons strung up by their five fingered paws, mink, beavers, deer...in the higher branches, the carcasses became indecipherable. Heads had been removed and the innards of many were beginning to fall from the gaping holes. Still higher were many species of birds, plucked of their feathers and robbed of their bills and beaks. Once glittery and curious eyes were now lifeless and dull, or simply not there at all. A cold breeze stirred, picking up the dead air and bombarding Rowen's senses. Whoever had taken care of the killings certainly hadn't done a decent job. Nothing seemed to be cured, as the stench of rotting flesh and mildewing hides was thick about the air.
Azure eyes widened in astonishment and Rowen's stomach churned. It was all he could do not to wretch out his very existence. What had happened here? Who had done this?
A small, hoarse cry came from his left. Looking over, a cage had been erected of vines and tree limbs around a tree he had never seen before. Where gaps came between vines and limbs, he could see a creature trapped within. Flashes of feathers and bright light gave away the identity of the captive. Rowen backed away quickly, instinctively wanting nothing to do with the captured firebird.
A mad cackling came from behind. Rowen looked back towards the tree. The very top branches were swaying with the sickly wind, rocking the lighter carcasses of birds until the ropes that held them snapped, and the rotting bodies fell heavily to the earth, landing in the decomposing pile of leaves. Crimson drops of blood spattered upon impact, spraying across him and the nearby trees. Disgusted, he backed away further and wiped off the startling hot liquid away with the backs of his hands. The cackling came again, louder this time. From the path that he had taken hyenas and jackals stepped carefully, approaching him with feral grins and blood-flecked muzzles. Black eyes glittered at him, sizing him up.
The first of the hyenas looked directly at him and licked his bloodied chops.
*We have yet to taste Ronin Blood.*
With a startled oath, Rowen reached into his mind for his orb, wanting some physical protection in his nightmare. As he groped however, the usual place where he could feel his power and call upon it was empty. Uncertainty gripped him, what now?
*Run, run little Ronin. Leave us to our business, and we shall leave you to yours.*
A heavy gust of wind knocked the bearer of Strata backwards, pushing his body to the familiar path. The tree swayed again, threatening to drop more of its contents. He moved out of the tree's trajectory and further onto the path. The vine-encased creature shifted slightly, her hoarse cry barely audible. For a brief moment, Rowen wondered if he should help her. Then the hyenas cackled at him and lunged, nearly latching onto his legs. He had read that hyenas were capable of compressing nearly two thousand pounds per square inch with their jaws. He jerked his body back and ran down the path; this wasn't a way to test that knowledge.
More cackling, then a howl of triumph echoed throughout what he once thought as his safe haven. *Run, Ronin. For all the good it will do you; run.*
It was the only thing he could do. So he did, with the echoes of maniacal laughter in his ears until he sank back into the darkness of his subconscious.
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Sage quietly tiptoed up the stairs and into the room he shared with Rowen, though he wasn't quite sure why he was making the effort to be soundless. Trying to interrupt Strata from a sleep was like trying to interrupt an earthquake, both being very near impossible. He yawned slightly; that talk had gone on longer than he had expected. He hoped Mia remembered it, because he wouldn't be in any mood to repeat it in the near future. At least she wouldn't realize she hadn't actually typed anything until well after sunrise.
The Ronin of Light stripped off his shirt and sleepily headed towards his bed, catching his reflection in the mirror as he passed. He allowed himself a quick glance and grimaced. Did he always look like road kill this late at night? He continued past the mirror, and then did a double take. What the-
Was there any reason that, in the middle of the night, in a supposedly dark room, that he could see his reflection? Briefly, an old quip from Kento flashed through his mind before he chased it away for more serious thoughts. This had nothing to do with a sunny disposition...
There, by Rowen's bed, his orb was levitating just to the right of his head, blazing a magnificent shade of blue and illuminating the room. The sign of Life flickered violently within. Rowen himself was a mess of sweat and tangled sheets, again. Sage shook his head, and then ducked out of the way as his own orb came flying past him. Only his well-honed reflexes and finely tuned senses saved him from a smart rap on the head when three other orbs came hurtling into the room as well. All four stopped and slowly began to orbit Rowen's orb, which had gradually moved to his rapidly moving chest, slick with sweat and glittering in the different colors radiated from within each of the small, but powerful balls.
"What's goin' on Sage?" Sage turned around to see Ryo carefully stick his head inside the door, obviously wary of any more fast-moving projectiles.
"I don't know, Ryo. I think Rowen's dreaming again, and our orbs are reacting to him."
"It must be a real bad one this time, then. They've never reacted before."
Sage nodded, but didn't say anything. A moment later, two more heads poked their way through the door, jostling their leader out of the way to get a better look at the strange happenings. Cye looked fascinated with the circling events, and inched closer to her fellow Ronin until a pair of teeth hooked her nightgown and pulled her quickly backwards. White Blaze then proceeded to push all of his charges back, a throaty growl emphasizing his point. Ryo tried to squat down and talk to his longtime friend, but the tiger shook himself and kept the bearer of Wildfire well away from the happenings on the bed.
Frustrated at the white cat, Ryo gave out his own growl. "What's wrong, White Blaze?"
The tiger gave a huge snort and turned to Rowen, once more letting out a low, menacing sound. The orbs began to pick up their pace, revolving faster and faster around Rowen's symbol of life. Very quickly, the individual balls were lost to one solid colored ring. White Blaze gave an ear-splitting roar, and the light shot up to Strata's orb, creating a conical shaft of light that quickly turned to a blazing fire. Great piercing shrieks suddenly filled the room, and the fire began to turn cold and lose its light, but it still burned with an intensity the Ronins had never seen before. The forceful cries continued, drowning out White Blaze and forcing the humans to cover their ears in pain. All light seemed to have been sucked out of the room, blanketing them in darkness more complete than any Dynasty trick. The lightless fire, however, continued to burn its cold light and be seen. What was happening?
The noise began to die away, its intensity replaced by a soft whining. It was still harsh on the ears, but they were able to uncover their abused organs and be heard by one another.
"What is it?" Kento asked in a hushed whisper.
Before that could be answered, the sound was interrupted once more. Static began to seep through the high cry, punctuating its interruption with bursts of ugly light. The light became more frequent, the high cry could no longer get through the static, and a dark sense of foreboding swept over the Ronins.
Cye cocked her head, focusing on the noise. "Listen," she said.
They did, straining to catch what Cye was hearing. Then Ryo caught it, the static wasn't just common white noise that came from electronic devices; it was more defined, clearer, and with a little imagination, Ryo could have sworn he heard whispers.
Wildfire looked to Halo, "Sage, could you--" he made a small wave of his hands, indicating what he wanted the blonde to try. Sage appeared to think a moment before carefully moving forward towards the now pulsating light and gathering his power about him to--
A hand reached out from the darkness, grabbing Sage's wrist and firmly pulling him back. Startled, Sage reached instinctively for his sword, but found it not to be there, and his other wrist to be caught while his body was pushed up, so that his head was forced to look at his captor. "Rowen!"
"You can't use the light for this one, Sage." Rowen dropped his friend from his grip and walked to White Blaze's side, who was still standing protectively in front of the Ronins.
Kento blinked, "Row, how did you ... never mind."
The rapidly flickering light showed Rowen's grim complexion. "Even I'll wake up from a calling. Now stand back guys, I don't know what's going to happen next." Everyone took a step back, even White Blaze, though he didn't look too happy.
Taking a deep breath, Rowen closed his eyes and held his hands in a small half circle in front of his body, hoping that his idea worked. After a moment, the familiar pull of a Ronin siphoning his power could be felt, and a small sphere of dark blue energy encompassed the concentrating Strata's hands. Above the bed where he had slept, what were once their orbs, then a fire with no light, was now an ugly gray and flickering energy concentration that resembled a compressed dead star. Rowen gritted his teeth. If he could help it, it would get smaller. The static noise was becoming dangerously loud again, and in what was almost a background, the original wailing shrieks could be heard. The room was lighted no more than three feet from every direction next to the small pulsar, but every now and then, a sharp cry would come out and illuminate the room. Strata could see the concerned faces of his friends in those small punctuations. He wished they would back up further. He didn't want to take them with him if he did this wrong. Rowen pushed more of his special energy into the ball at his fingers; it had become such a dark blue that it had almost disappeared from sight. He hoped that meant it was ready, because he couldn't hold it anymore. With a grunt of effort, Rowen extended his fingers full force and threw the energy ball at the pulsing screech light. With screaming force, the two spheres collided, shaking the house and rocking the Ronins to the floor. A blinding flash ensued; reminding Rowen briefly of the first dream he had been sent, before plunging them all into darkness once more.
Through the darkness, the noises had stopped, but a new sound came through; whispers. Small voices, high pitched, unsteady. They filled the room, echoing about.
"Ivor-can yo-hea-me?"
"Loo-finding fr--"
The static burst through with such sudden force that the fallen warriors jumped, colliding into each other as they did. Close together, they listened as it overrode all the broken voices and strengthened until itself became a whisper.
"... beware... beware. Beware... BEWARE . . . BEWARE--"
Laughter mingled with high yips and sorrowful cries as the whisper became louder and louder--
Wind whipped about the bodies of the huddled Ronins, threatening to toss them to the air like rag dolls. The laughter became louder, the words faster; pressure within the room was dropping quickly. A scream that could come from no human throat shattered the senses of cowering Ronins.
"BEWARE RONINS . . . BEWARE!"
Their nerves overloaded, their bodies beaten by the wind, the screech hit one final note, and then everything went mercifully silent. Death could be no kinder.
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