Hi-de-ho. ^.^;; Yes, another chapter of this crazy story. Its long, so
grab a cup of tea and enjoy.
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The Casting of Shadows
By Phoenix Cubed
Chapter 5 -- Slumber Party or Tea for You
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It was quiet and cool where he floated, meditating his thoughts into a
semblance of normalcy. A light fog floated all about; obstructing his
vision in some areas, letting him see nothing in others. Sage knew this
place. It was between here and now and somewhere just beyond then. For
a mind, it was the ultimate place of relaxation. Usually it took him
hours to achieve such a state of peace or concentration. Sage wondered
how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was the horrible
screeching and lightless terror of his room.
Through the fog, a ringing could be heard. An echoing jingle that was
almost consistent. The sound died out, and for a moment, all was silent.
Sage went back to his meditation. Then the sound struck again and jarred
his senses, rousting the young man from his protective bliss.
Sage opened his eyes.
The Ancient's Staff.
Through the fog the noise came, accompanied now by a shadow that slowly
took the shape of a young girl. Flowing ceremonial robes and long silky
hair could distract a stranger from the danger and power the being before
him radiated.
He smiled at the girl, "Kayara."
Her young face crinkled into a smile. "Hello, Sage."
Sage stood slowly, he hadn't realized he was sitting until he caught himself
looking up at a girl normally a foot shorter than himself. "What are you
doing here?"
"This is a meditation field." Kayara spread her hands wide, the rings of the
Ancient Staff clinking together musically. "On a subconscious plain, it is
open to anyone who can achieve it."
Halo blinked, "meditation fields are huge! How did you find me so quickly?"
She laughed. It was musical and flowing, with hints of promises untold.
Sage had hated that laugh once; it meant she had been winning and he and
his friends had been losing, dying. Now it could be beautiful, but still
deceptive. Her laughter stopped and Kayara's face became alight with humor.
"You've been unconscious for nearly a day. Your friends called me all a panic
to save you from an eternal sleep."
Sage shook his head, "a day? It feels like I've only arrived."
The girl nodded. "Meditation fields will do that. Time is deceptive here,
reality is left at the gate."
"That still doesn't tell me how you found me."
"I'm experienced at this, Sage. I spent much of my time here when the amulet
I wore under Talpa was too much of a strain on my mind." Kayara closed her
eyes softly, "please don't ask for further explanations. It is enough to know
that I can find you, me, or anyone that can enter this plain." She opened her
eyes suddenly; chipper and cheery as she had been when she first arrived.
"Shall we go, Halo? Your friends are a bit worried. Rowen forfeited sleep,
thinking it was his fault for not ushering you all from the room before releasing
that, well, whatever it was."
Sage stretched a bit, shaking his head to try to relocate the troublesome locks
that forever obscured his eye. "I suppose. But you'll have to teach me to come
back here faster." He looked around slowly, turning his body to watch the fogbanks
roll quietly by. "This is a very interesting place."
She nodded once more and extended her hand, "indeed it is. Now come."
With little hesitation, the tall teenager placed his hand into the Lady of the
Ancient Staff's smaller one. The mists stopped their mindless drifting and
enclosed their bodies. He could feel himself pulling away from the timeless
banks of nothingness . . .
. . . and into a wakefulness he wished he didn't have to experience. His body was
sore and protested as he lifted his arm to allow his hand to rub his eyes open.
His lids fluttered open and he began to make out the forms of people gathered about
him. Focusing, Mia came into light to the left of him, her face pinched with worry.
To his right, Kayara sat in a lotus position, her own baby blues fluttering to the
natural light of reality. The rest of the Ronins were positioned about the bed
with various expressions of relief etched on their features.
"Sage!" Cye pounced from his left, attempting to give him a stiff hug, her own
sore body not letting her be as lithe as she usually was.
"Buddy!" Kento attacked from his right, forgetting everyone was soar and crushed
his friend in a large bear hug. "You're not supposed to sleep that long man,
that's Rowen's job."
The Ronin in context glared across the bed, "this comes from the hibernating bear
in the bed next to the tiger."
Ryo simply smiled at his waking friend, "evening, sleeping beauty."
Sage sat up and gave a smile to his friends, "hey guys. So why am I the only
one still down?"
"You're too sensitive, Halo," a shadow moved within a shadow, "you should learn
to keep a better cap on your abilities."
"Hello, Cale," Sage identified the shadow, defining it into the shape of a man.
Next to the shadow, a web slowly spun itself into existence, "we all responded
to your friends' call, it was very loud."
Kento looked grumpy at that. "Cut the complaints, Dais. We don't much practice
long distance calls, okay?"
"Kento," Cye scowled at her friend, "behave. They were very nice to help us out."
"Sure," Hardrock sighed and propped his elbows against his thighs, his chin resting
in his hands, "thanks Dais."
The web dissolved into the shadow, and the two warlords stepped into the room
proper, the third, Sekhmet, had stood in the doorway, fearing neither the
concept of light nor its reality. "Be sure to thank Kayara as well, Hardrock,
for bringing back your friend from his nap."
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks all around."
Kayara laughed, "It sounds as if we should have left you sleeping, Kento."
The big Ronin yawned, "got that right, Lady. Can I go back to sleep now?"
Sage laughed, a gesture quickly picked up by the others. It could always
be a little tense when the enemies gone friends came to visit. True, there
was nothing evil or wrong about them now, but memories were much easier
forgiven than they were forgotten.
"So, Ronins." Dais spun a quiet web and sat down, preparing to enter the real
discussion. "Care to tell us how you came about such an interesting defeat in
your own home without our benefit?"
Ryo grimaced and squirmed into a more comfortable position. "We're not entirely
sure, it happened pretty fast."
Dais laughed, "The hand is quicker than the Ronin."
"Quicker than the Warlord as well," Rowen shot back.
"Rowen." Sage admonished his friend. "Behave yourself. No one knows where
it came from."
Rowen snorted. "When in doubt, blame her."
"Her? Whose her?" Kayara looked at the bickering boys curiously, "me? Or,
don't tell me you've found a girl and not told us?"
The horrified look Rowen gave Kayara was enough to send Cye's hand shooting to
her mouth to cover the oncoming giggling fit and Sage's hand to shoot over to
Rowen's mouth to block whatever scathing insult was brewing in his head.
Kayara blinked at Ryo. "Wrong thing to say?"
Wildfire nodded vigorously, "yes. Definitely the wrong thing to say."
Cale was becoming impatient. "Then who is this 'her' person?"
"Oh, come on Cale." Kento leaned back in a relaxed position, "you can't tell me
that you don't know 'her'."
Smack!
"Ow! Cye!"
"Kento!" Cye's hand was quicker than anything, "don't bait the Warlords!"
Mia, who had been quiet up until then, rubbed slowly at her temples. "Children,
children. Why must they be children?"
Halo silently agreed with the red haired guide. "The 'her' is someone called
the Phoenix, Cale."
The Warlords' and Kayara's eyes widened. In a hushed whisper, Sekhmet looked
about before settling his uneasy gaze on the Ronins, "you mustn't say her
Ladyship's name out loud, Ronin. You might attract her attention."
Cye looked confused, "You know her? How?"
Ryo blinked, then blinked again. "You're afraid of her."
"You would be too, if you knew what was good for you," hissed Cale. "The light
is an awesome power, as Halo can testify, but she takes it to an entirely
different level."
"We have crossed the Fire once," Dais's web quivered slightly, "we do not wish
to do it again."
Rowen looked slightly amused. "Its almost impossible to get the Phoenix mad
enough to attack, what did you do?"
Sekhmet bowed his head; "we went freely to Tulpa. Tricked by his abilities of
deception, but we still went freely."
"But that was your choice, it shouldn't have mattered."
Cale looked closely at Rowen. "You seem to know much of her tendencies."
Rowen shrugged. "I know much about a lot of things. So what did you really
do to get her mad?"
Dais coughed, embarrassment seeping into his voice. "That is perhaps something
better left unsaid. It is enough for you to know that it didn't end very well,
the end result an extremely angry Phoenix."
Rowen had seen the Phoenix angry only once, and it had been magnificent.
Beautiful, deadly, and sight he would never forget. For so many reasons, he
would not forget.
Sage cocked an eyebrow; he was getting good at that. "And you're alive because...?"
"She couldn't destroy us," said Cale simply. "If she had, it would have
caused a great disturbance within the force behind the armors, affecting
not only us, but you five as well."
Kayara, knowing the subject to be touchy, wisely moved the conversation on.
"So tell us, Ronins, how did you all manage to become unconscious in your
own home?"
Ryo perfected a look of blank confusion. "Our kanji orbs went nuts. One
minute they were sitting quietly, the next thing we knew, they were swirling
over Rowen's bed making horrible noises. Worse than Kento when he's hungry,
even. Then Rowen goes and throws some type of energy into it, and the thing
explodes, taking just about everything with it."
The hereditary Ancient looked to the Ronin of Strata. "What did you do to it,
Rowen?"
Rowen scratched his head, "I'm not entirely sure. I know what the little black
fireball was that the orbs were trying to form, and I thought I knew how to
make it work, but I guess I was slightly off on my calculations. I think our
orbs intercepted a message of some type, we don't know if it was to us or not,
and its almost impossible to tell. We'll probably never know though. Just as
it started coming through, another message interrupted the first and gave out
a warning that was definitely for us. Whoever sent it was obviously not
playing around; blasted an energy at us that could match the Inferno."
Dais rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "and that was your downfall? Interesting."
"Rowen," Kayara inquired. "What did this message look like?"
"It didn't look like anything. I had to shape it."
Cye looked over to Strata, "shape it?"
"The energy ball that I threw at the orbs. When it hit them, it manifested
the message into something that I supposedly could handle and understand."
"Ah."
Kayara nodded, "what happened after you shaped it?"
"It went completely dark, like someone had sucked all the light out of the
room except for what was comin' from the orbs."
Cale nodded in approval. "Then the Tieran Yaw, or one of his kind, sent
the message."
Rowen rubbed his temples slightly, "I figured as much."
Ryo looked at Rowen and Cale. How did they know that?
Dais shifted once more on his web. "What does this mean? What did this
message say, Strata?"
The Ronin of air and space shrugged his shoulders, for once not knowing an
answer. "The thing was all garbled and half formed. Either I didn't have
enough energy put into the receiver, or, that was all that could get through
before our new friends interrupted."
"Some friends," Kento snorted, "at least they coulda said 'hello' or, 'my
name is John.'"
"John?" Cye asked, "why John?"
Kento shrugged, "cause it sounds better than Fred."
Sage closed his eyes, using well-intoned relaxation techniques not to reach
over and strangle his friend. Mia looked at her blonde charge and then to
the rest of them. "All right, I think that's enough of that. You five--"
she said, pointing at the Ronins, "-are going back to bed, for a long,
natural sleep."
"Ah, Mia!"
"Just because--"
"No arguing!" Mia pointed a stern finger to sleeping bags and pillows
piled in the corner, "you can all sleep in the same room if you want, just
rest! I don't want anymore scares for at least five hours, understand?"
Feeling very much like chastened children, the four that were not already in
beds bowed their heads and headed to collect their sleeping gear. For a
moment, Sage watched them quietly through slitted eyes, as if calculating an
answer to an unspoken question, before opening them fully once more to the
light and resting them on Mia's still concerned look. He gave her an
encouraging smile, the wisdom of Halo sparkling within him.
"We'll be fine Mia, why don't you take Kayara and the Warlords down for some
tea? They haven't been over in a while." He turned to Kayara and gave her
a roguish wink; "maybe they'll stay the night so we can talk in the morning."
Sekhmet shook his head, "will he ever change?"
"All light has its shadow, Sekhmet," Cale stirred from his corner, "and
darkness never changes."
"Unlike the illusions of life." Dais's web disappeared from under him,
and he gracefully fell to the floor. "Real tea, an invitation I'll take,
if our hostess would be so kind."
Mia began to walk to the door, "come to the kitchen then, and I'll put the
water to boil."
The door closed behind them and the already too quiet footfalls faded down
steps located at the far end of the hall.
"Sleep," Cye selected a light blue sleeping bag and matching pillow, "does
she really expect us to?"
Sage pushed back the blanket he was under and slowly tested his feet. Steady
enough to walk with, but he had to be careful. "I think as long as we rest
and are quiet, she won't mind, Cye."
Ryo watched the shaky empath as he walked over to collect the green sleeping
equipment. "Was quiet ever taught to us?" He had already collected his gear,
a crimson blanket and an oversized tiger, which was settling down to act as
a pillow for his lifetime friend.
"Tch, who needs quiet anyway," Kento murmured as he settled his ash and orange
trimmed blankets next to Cye, scooting them close to her in an unconscious gesture.
Rowen, who had been quiet most of this time, merely snorted at his friends'
comments. Preoccupation was evident in his features; he was thinking very
hard about something. Ryo and Sage exchanged looks--they wanted in on his
thoughts.
Ryo pushed himself deep into his blankets, White Blaze settling down so that
he could offer his warmth and protection to all his human charges. He scratched
the tiger between the ears as he looked to Rowen. "I'd give you a penny for each
of your thoughts Rowen, but I don't have access to gold mines."
Rowen lay down slowly, easing his battered muscles onto the soft, dark blue
sleeping blankets. "That's fine Ryo, I was never much into money anyway."
"Oh, so you won't mind spilling them for free?" Cye looked at her tall friend
with wide blinking eyes, just as intent at getting the information as the rest
of them.
Rowen sighed, "vampires, all of you."
Kento chuckled as he settled into his sleeping bag, "and very hungry to boot,
Row."
Sage put a steady, seeking gaze on his friend. "So tell us, Rowen. What's
the new dream, and what was that thing that screamed at us?"
Strata flinched, "how did you know about the dream?"
"I didn't, I guessed."
Ryo laughed at Rowen's stunned expression. Sage was getting better at that.
Rowen looked rather sullen, "that wasn't nice, Sage."
"Neither is your attitude when you hold out on us, Row. So tell."
Enlightened Strata wasn't feeling so enlightened as he blew out a frustrated
sigh. There was no getting around it, however. His friends were relentless,
and they needed to know, so he told them about the dream, explaining what was
needed, generalizing what wasn't.
When he was done, Ryo leaned back on White Blaze and frowned, "I'm beginning
to dislike hyenas."
Kento was looking a bit green. "Why would all those animals be," he searched
for a proper word in his mind, "mutilated like that?"
"It's a warning, Kento." Sage's eyes were closed in thought, rolling ideas
about his head. "We're getting too close to something, even though we're not
entirely sure what that is. I believe the hyenas represent the faction
suppressing the Phoenix, and they're afraid that we might try to help her.
They want to keep us subdued." He opened his eyes, "but still, they're only
going through you, Rowen. Why?"
Rowen shrugged, "I supposed because the Fire's going through me, they're just
riding her channels, not using any more energy than they have to. Though I
don't know why they bother, all I do is run away, or the Phoenix keeps pulling
them back from me."
"She pulls them back?"
Studying his hands, Rowen answered in an odd voice; one mixed with contempt
and pride, sadness and emotions unexplored. "She's always been a bit odd.
Those she takes under her wing are given a protection like no other. Though
she never says anything, she prides herself on her ability to place everything
above her own needs. If she's about to die of starvation, and you're just
getting hungry, she'll give away her bread to make sure your needs are taken
care of. In a way, she doesn't even know the meaning of selfishness." His
tone turned suddenly sharp, "I don't know why she tries sometimes... she's
such a scatterbrain, never keeping track of her priorities. But what she
sees as important, she never quite lets go of, I guess I'm just one of those
things-when its convenient for her."
Cye looked to her friend, sadness swam silently within the aqua depths of her
irises. "She sounds as if she loves you very much, despite her faults. She
protects you, drives you away, despite her own pain. Are you sure, Rowen,
that it is not you who are calling her?"
Ryo's tiger-eyes suddenly swirled, an idea brewing quickly. "There's something
to that, Cye. Rowen, how connected are you to the Phoenix?"
"We're all pretty well connected with her, considering our abilities ultimately
come from her. But then, I guess I'm a little more sensitive because I spent
a few years around her."
"So if she were within a certain range of you, you'd be able to tell."
The memory of the forlorn girl in the rain with the odd pack of teenagers came
to Rowen's mind. Five years with the Phoenix in a human's most impressionable
time; he could almost always feel the Fire if she was near. He didn't say any
of this however, just nodded his head.
Ryo's eyes swirled a little faster in excitement. "So what if your mind is
recognizing her? Your dreams being the way it does? She feels you, and she
wants to keep you safe, but the bad dudes aren't sure what's goin' on, and
they're trying to threaten us through you, thinking she's calling for help!"
Sage nodded in approval. "Makes sense, Ryo. What do you think, Row?"
As much as he hated to admit it, the theory did explain things. No matter
how much he'd love to deny it, the Fire was a potent figure in his life,
and his power would naturally want to respond to her presence. "Fine.
So I'm looking for her, she's not looking for me, now what?"
"We do the only logical thing-find her." Cye's eyes held a steely
determination. "Look Rowen, she needs help, and we don't have these orbs
for fun and pleasure. Who else but us can help her if we don't?"
"The Tieran Yaw for starters. That broody bodyguard should be doing his
job and watching her back. She's got a court of seven, plus the Yaw's
court of seven, plus her own little army."
"But what if they're all trapped like her?"
"Don't scare me, Kento." Rowen's eyes widened a bit. "If there were
enough groups out there to subdue both the Phoenix and the Tieran Yaw
at the same time..." he shuddered. "I'd rather face a thousand Tulpas
all at the same time than think of that."
"Then why hasn't he come yet?"
Sage reached up and pushed back a lock of blonde hair, "what if he did?"
"Sage?"
"That dark fire, the message. Cale said it came from the Tieran Yaw; he
seemed very firm about it. What if it was something meant to find the
Fire, but it came to you by accident because you're connected to her?"
Rowen rubbed his chin in thought. His logical side was sorting out this
conversation with rapid speed, scanning through possibilities and coming
up with solutions at a furious pace. His emotional side, however, was
screaming. *Why bother? Why help her, just so she can give no thanks
and abandon you again? What help has she ever given you, what has she
ever done for you to deserve your aid?*
*She gave me Life.*
"Then it means she's extremely close, if it landed with me. The accuracy
of those messages is within a few miles. It goes to the addressee, even
if the sender doesn't know where she is."
"So if they can, they'll follow it?"
Rowen nodded, "if they can. It may take some time, but they'll trace it,
and if they don't get an answer they like, they'll come."
"But until they come, she still may be in danger." Ryo's lips were pursed,
his eyes still swirled. Wildfire was itching for a fight. The armors had
gone too long without use. So Rowen gave another nod in response, knowing
the ultimate conclusion to this conversation.
"Then, until they can come, we'll find her, and make her safe if we can.
I'm not an idiot Rowen, so don't look at me like that. The brushes I've
felt of the Phoenix's power has been plenty enough for me; and to think
that there are people out there that can take her down scares me a whole
lot more than I'm going to admit. But she's helped us before, and even if
we're not quite grateful for it, we owe her at least an effort."
Strata sighed, "You're the boss."
Ryo nodded, "even if I don't like it, yes I am. So let's buckle down and
do this gang. It's a dangerous job, and we're gonna do it."
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"I apologize for the crudeness of the kitchen, but the guys are a bit rough
with the rest of it." Mia was pouring hot water in porcelain mugs for Kayara
and the Warlords, as well as one for herself. Various kinds of tea set in
small filter bags were strewn about the table for the guests to choose from.
"Its fine, Mia, we appreciate your hospitality," Kayara smiled at Mia, then
turned to glare at the Warlords, "don't we?"
"How do they make the tea grow in these small bags?" Cale picked one up and
smelled it carefully. "There's no soil in here to make the herbs grow. Are
you sure this is tea, Mia?"
"Idiot," Sekhmet snorted, "of course its tea. Just different from ours,
be thankful you're getting variation."
Dais turned his good eye to Sekhmet, "don't you like the tea we grow, Sekhmet?"
"Boys," Kayara's voice was vaguely threatening. "Behave yourselves."
Mia laughed, the conversation was just too familiar. Kayara smiled at her
once more, not failing to see the resemblance of her warriors and Mia's.
"So tell us, how go things with the main bulk of orb bearers?"
The guide sipped her tea carefully, setting it down between her hands to
keep them warm. "It's been as well as it can be, I suppose. They're finally
settling down to a somewhat normal lifestyle. Or, as normal as it can be
with mystic armors and gigantic tigers. When they first came, I was so
confused--they knew so little about life, yet they were so wise; like you.
They've got technology down pat now, but I'm just starting to learn about
them. Now, though, things are getting tumultuous again and..." Mia wasn't
sure how to finish.
"And you have very little to fear, friend Mia, because the armors are no
longer divided."
The four of them smiled at their hostess. She wasn't entirely sure who had
spoken, but it didn't much matter. Whoever had spoken, had spoken for all
of them. Tulpa's war was over; new tests would be presented and passed,
but they would no longer be divided.
In that moment, the fear seemed to drain from her body and reassurance
settled firmly into her soul. "Thank you," she said, knowing that would
and would not be enough to fully show her appreciation to her once feared
enemies, now turned trusted friends.
Cale rumbled quietly, "Think nothing of it. Keep us supplied with this tea
and we'll all call it even."
There was laughter all around the table as any last tension drained away,
and casual conversations began. They talked about nothing and everything
as they usually did when the Warlords and Lady came to visit. The Dynasty,
as Mia had now come to realize, was a solid and different dimension that the
bearers of the four seasonal armors called home. Whether they came from
the realm where the elemental armor bearers came from or not was moot.
Despite their looks, they were all so old that the only family they had left
was each other. The time distortion of the other realms combined with the
rejuvenating quality of the armors gave orb keepers near immortality. She
wondered if the Ronins would live long lives as well, so she asked.
"What?" Came the intelligent answer from Sekhmet, not quite ready for the
conversation shift from indoor plumbing to immortal workings.
"Its an odd question, I know," replied Mia. "But I've been thinking. Ryo,
Sage, and I had a talk the other night. They were doing dishes for Cye,
and volunteered me to watch them to make sure they didn't break anything.
We talked a bit, and they mentioned their homes-how they weren't really
from this world but a different one, yet the same-and how the Dynasty came
to be. I know in the Dynasty realm, there's some time distortion, and you
live longer naturally because of it as well as your armors. But then, I
wondered if the guys would live as long as you have because they're living
here, though they also have their armors."
Kayara blinked a few times, trying to gather her thoughts from the words
that had just tumbled from Mia's mouth. "Not for the first time," she said
finally, "do I wish for Anubis's return. He was more of the scholar among
us, and would more than easily answer your question. Though I think the
answer is, Mia, they will live a long time. Perhaps not as long as us, perhaps
longer, it's hard to say, but not just because of the armor they wear. The
Phoenix they spoke of will come one day to take them home, where life spans
are longer for humans."
There was a sudden wrenching in the vicinity of Mia's heart, as if something
very necessary had been ripped from her without concern or warning. The
sudden and unexpected pain that she felt must have showed on her face, because
Dais coughed slightly and spoke up.
"It most likely won't happen for a while, Mia, but it will happen. This isn't
reassuring, I know, but I don't believe that even the Ronins themselves realize
that they cannot stay in this world. They, just as we do or Tulpa, dwell in
magic, a substance that this world does not handle well at all. It's been
absent too long from the soil; which is why they fought in the first place--to
keep the dimensions separate and safe from each other."
Sekhmet nodded in agreement. "This is why we stay in the Dynasty, Lady Mia.
We enjoy our visits with you immensely, though they must stay visits. Our
presence reminds the worlds of their past, and they often ache to rejoin.
That, as you can imagine, would be very, very bad. Magic must stay where
magic is meant to be.
"Even the Dynasty trembles a bit with us. It must be decided very soon if
the Dynasty should be rejoined with the other realm, or left as it is. It's
been over a thousand years now, and has developed with Tulpa as its main
source of power and life. The only thing that would allow the joining to
happen is us, our four armors have been and always will be connected to
the five others who were kept in the original magic realm."
Mia took a sip of her tea, feeling as overwhelmed with this conversation as
she had with Sage's and Ryo's. "I wonder if I should be writing this down."
Kayara looked at Mia curiously. "Did you write down your conversation with
Halo and Wildfire?"
Mia nodded, "I stored it in my Grandfather's files. I'd like to think I'm
keeping the record updated. His files are quite extensive and I haven't
gotten through it all yet; but I'm adding things nearly every day. And I
have a feeling that with this Phoenix character, the files will only get larger."
A look was exchanged between the guests.
"You wrote down what the Ronins said about the Phoenix?"
"Of course."
"Mia, could you retrieve a copy of the writings you took on the Phoenix?"
The red haired guide nodded, "of course, its on the computer, I'll be right
back."
A few moments later, Mia returned to the kitchen with her new laptop. It
had been a gift from the Ronins their first Christmas with her. She hadn't a
clue where the money came from; none of them worked, and they hardly ever
asked for cash. When she had asked, they simply shared knowing looks and
said, "Just one of the perks of being a Ronin."
Whatever that meant.
"Here it is." She said, laying the portable computer on the table and turning
it on.
Sekhmet looked interested in it. "Is that what they call a computer?"
"Hm-mmm. If I didn't have this thing, I'd have hundreds of books or scrolls.
It would take days to find the information I needed. This way, I can access
it in seconds."
Highlighting her words, columns of data passed rapidly over the screen,
searching for the most recent entry. It stopped, the cursor finding what
she wanted. With a few deft keystrokes, she had called up the file to be
displayed on the screen. "This should be it," she said. "Wait, maybe not.
This one seems to be empty." She backtracked and sent the data scrolling
once more. "This can't be right."
Dais watched the technological wonder with mute interest. "What is the matter?"
Mia typed furiously, looking for what she was rapidly beginning to realize
was no longer there. "Its not here. But, it has to be. I typed up at
least five pages! It was on a disk, why didn't it save?"
Kayara gently pulled the laptop around so she could see it. Rowen would
sometimes explain the idea behind the machine to her, letting her understand
it on her own level. "Mia, did you by any chance, while writing information,
name the Phoenix?"
"Yes, of course. I was planning on giving her an identification file, since
the guys said she was an important element involving the armors. It was all
right here!"
"They didn't tell you about the rule then."
"What rule?"
Cale shook his head, "we grew up with tales and legends about the great, fiery
raptor known as the Phoenix. At night, our mothers would come in and tell us
not to fear the dark, for the Mistress of Light would always make sure the sun
rose in the morning. She was a great part of our history, as our village was
a broken branch of the village where she dropped her original armor off for
safe keeping."
"But," Kayara picked up, "they were only stories. Tales told around the fires
at night. Passed from generation to generation, because of the rule. There
can be no solid documentation of the Lady of Light's existence. Anything that
is written down about her is erased. We don't know why, but just that it is."
"So your saying that even if I wrote down a hint of her name, it would be gone,
and there'd be nothing I could do about that?"
Kayara and the Warlords nodded.
"And you have no idea why."
"It's an odd measure of safety that protects her from those that might seek to
cause her harm, though we feel it is a bit extreme."
"A bit?" Mia clutched her head as though a fierce ache had just attacked her
temples. "Now what am I to do?"
Her eyes crinkled once more as Kayara smiled a wise and reassuring curve of
her young face. "Why, you simply ask us, we tell you, and you remember.
Then one day, you shall pass it to your children, who will pass it to theirs,
so that the cycle may be continued as it has been for as long as it has been."
"Kayara," Sekhmet looked at the Lady, "must you make even the simplest of
answers complicated?"
"Yes," she said simply, "what else am I to do with my time? Be useful?"
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Hope you enjoyed it! Comments?
grab a cup of tea and enjoy.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
The Casting of Shadows
By Phoenix Cubed
Chapter 5 -- Slumber Party or Tea for You
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
It was quiet and cool where he floated, meditating his thoughts into a
semblance of normalcy. A light fog floated all about; obstructing his
vision in some areas, letting him see nothing in others. Sage knew this
place. It was between here and now and somewhere just beyond then. For
a mind, it was the ultimate place of relaxation. Usually it took him
hours to achieve such a state of peace or concentration. Sage wondered
how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was the horrible
screeching and lightless terror of his room.
Through the fog, a ringing could be heard. An echoing jingle that was
almost consistent. The sound died out, and for a moment, all was silent.
Sage went back to his meditation. Then the sound struck again and jarred
his senses, rousting the young man from his protective bliss.
Sage opened his eyes.
The Ancient's Staff.
Through the fog the noise came, accompanied now by a shadow that slowly
took the shape of a young girl. Flowing ceremonial robes and long silky
hair could distract a stranger from the danger and power the being before
him radiated.
He smiled at the girl, "Kayara."
Her young face crinkled into a smile. "Hello, Sage."
Sage stood slowly, he hadn't realized he was sitting until he caught himself
looking up at a girl normally a foot shorter than himself. "What are you
doing here?"
"This is a meditation field." Kayara spread her hands wide, the rings of the
Ancient Staff clinking together musically. "On a subconscious plain, it is
open to anyone who can achieve it."
Halo blinked, "meditation fields are huge! How did you find me so quickly?"
She laughed. It was musical and flowing, with hints of promises untold.
Sage had hated that laugh once; it meant she had been winning and he and
his friends had been losing, dying. Now it could be beautiful, but still
deceptive. Her laughter stopped and Kayara's face became alight with humor.
"You've been unconscious for nearly a day. Your friends called me all a panic
to save you from an eternal sleep."
Sage shook his head, "a day? It feels like I've only arrived."
The girl nodded. "Meditation fields will do that. Time is deceptive here,
reality is left at the gate."
"That still doesn't tell me how you found me."
"I'm experienced at this, Sage. I spent much of my time here when the amulet
I wore under Talpa was too much of a strain on my mind." Kayara closed her
eyes softly, "please don't ask for further explanations. It is enough to know
that I can find you, me, or anyone that can enter this plain." She opened her
eyes suddenly; chipper and cheery as she had been when she first arrived.
"Shall we go, Halo? Your friends are a bit worried. Rowen forfeited sleep,
thinking it was his fault for not ushering you all from the room before releasing
that, well, whatever it was."
Sage stretched a bit, shaking his head to try to relocate the troublesome locks
that forever obscured his eye. "I suppose. But you'll have to teach me to come
back here faster." He looked around slowly, turning his body to watch the fogbanks
roll quietly by. "This is a very interesting place."
She nodded once more and extended her hand, "indeed it is. Now come."
With little hesitation, the tall teenager placed his hand into the Lady of the
Ancient Staff's smaller one. The mists stopped their mindless drifting and
enclosed their bodies. He could feel himself pulling away from the timeless
banks of nothingness . . .
. . . and into a wakefulness he wished he didn't have to experience. His body was
sore and protested as he lifted his arm to allow his hand to rub his eyes open.
His lids fluttered open and he began to make out the forms of people gathered about
him. Focusing, Mia came into light to the left of him, her face pinched with worry.
To his right, Kayara sat in a lotus position, her own baby blues fluttering to the
natural light of reality. The rest of the Ronins were positioned about the bed
with various expressions of relief etched on their features.
"Sage!" Cye pounced from his left, attempting to give him a stiff hug, her own
sore body not letting her be as lithe as she usually was.
"Buddy!" Kento attacked from his right, forgetting everyone was soar and crushed
his friend in a large bear hug. "You're not supposed to sleep that long man,
that's Rowen's job."
The Ronin in context glared across the bed, "this comes from the hibernating bear
in the bed next to the tiger."
Ryo simply smiled at his waking friend, "evening, sleeping beauty."
Sage sat up and gave a smile to his friends, "hey guys. So why am I the only
one still down?"
"You're too sensitive, Halo," a shadow moved within a shadow, "you should learn
to keep a better cap on your abilities."
"Hello, Cale," Sage identified the shadow, defining it into the shape of a man.
Next to the shadow, a web slowly spun itself into existence, "we all responded
to your friends' call, it was very loud."
Kento looked grumpy at that. "Cut the complaints, Dais. We don't much practice
long distance calls, okay?"
"Kento," Cye scowled at her friend, "behave. They were very nice to help us out."
"Sure," Hardrock sighed and propped his elbows against his thighs, his chin resting
in his hands, "thanks Dais."
The web dissolved into the shadow, and the two warlords stepped into the room
proper, the third, Sekhmet, had stood in the doorway, fearing neither the
concept of light nor its reality. "Be sure to thank Kayara as well, Hardrock,
for bringing back your friend from his nap."
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks all around."
Kayara laughed, "It sounds as if we should have left you sleeping, Kento."
The big Ronin yawned, "got that right, Lady. Can I go back to sleep now?"
Sage laughed, a gesture quickly picked up by the others. It could always
be a little tense when the enemies gone friends came to visit. True, there
was nothing evil or wrong about them now, but memories were much easier
forgiven than they were forgotten.
"So, Ronins." Dais spun a quiet web and sat down, preparing to enter the real
discussion. "Care to tell us how you came about such an interesting defeat in
your own home without our benefit?"
Ryo grimaced and squirmed into a more comfortable position. "We're not entirely
sure, it happened pretty fast."
Dais laughed, "The hand is quicker than the Ronin."
"Quicker than the Warlord as well," Rowen shot back.
"Rowen." Sage admonished his friend. "Behave yourself. No one knows where
it came from."
Rowen snorted. "When in doubt, blame her."
"Her? Whose her?" Kayara looked at the bickering boys curiously, "me? Or,
don't tell me you've found a girl and not told us?"
The horrified look Rowen gave Kayara was enough to send Cye's hand shooting to
her mouth to cover the oncoming giggling fit and Sage's hand to shoot over to
Rowen's mouth to block whatever scathing insult was brewing in his head.
Kayara blinked at Ryo. "Wrong thing to say?"
Wildfire nodded vigorously, "yes. Definitely the wrong thing to say."
Cale was becoming impatient. "Then who is this 'her' person?"
"Oh, come on Cale." Kento leaned back in a relaxed position, "you can't tell me
that you don't know 'her'."
Smack!
"Ow! Cye!"
"Kento!" Cye's hand was quicker than anything, "don't bait the Warlords!"
Mia, who had been quiet up until then, rubbed slowly at her temples. "Children,
children. Why must they be children?"
Halo silently agreed with the red haired guide. "The 'her' is someone called
the Phoenix, Cale."
The Warlords' and Kayara's eyes widened. In a hushed whisper, Sekhmet looked
about before settling his uneasy gaze on the Ronins, "you mustn't say her
Ladyship's name out loud, Ronin. You might attract her attention."
Cye looked confused, "You know her? How?"
Ryo blinked, then blinked again. "You're afraid of her."
"You would be too, if you knew what was good for you," hissed Cale. "The light
is an awesome power, as Halo can testify, but she takes it to an entirely
different level."
"We have crossed the Fire once," Dais's web quivered slightly, "we do not wish
to do it again."
Rowen looked slightly amused. "Its almost impossible to get the Phoenix mad
enough to attack, what did you do?"
Sekhmet bowed his head; "we went freely to Tulpa. Tricked by his abilities of
deception, but we still went freely."
"But that was your choice, it shouldn't have mattered."
Cale looked closely at Rowen. "You seem to know much of her tendencies."
Rowen shrugged. "I know much about a lot of things. So what did you really
do to get her mad?"
Dais coughed, embarrassment seeping into his voice. "That is perhaps something
better left unsaid. It is enough for you to know that it didn't end very well,
the end result an extremely angry Phoenix."
Rowen had seen the Phoenix angry only once, and it had been magnificent.
Beautiful, deadly, and sight he would never forget. For so many reasons, he
would not forget.
Sage cocked an eyebrow; he was getting good at that. "And you're alive because...?"
"She couldn't destroy us," said Cale simply. "If she had, it would have
caused a great disturbance within the force behind the armors, affecting
not only us, but you five as well."
Kayara, knowing the subject to be touchy, wisely moved the conversation on.
"So tell us, Ronins, how did you all manage to become unconscious in your
own home?"
Ryo perfected a look of blank confusion. "Our kanji orbs went nuts. One
minute they were sitting quietly, the next thing we knew, they were swirling
over Rowen's bed making horrible noises. Worse than Kento when he's hungry,
even. Then Rowen goes and throws some type of energy into it, and the thing
explodes, taking just about everything with it."
The hereditary Ancient looked to the Ronin of Strata. "What did you do to it,
Rowen?"
Rowen scratched his head, "I'm not entirely sure. I know what the little black
fireball was that the orbs were trying to form, and I thought I knew how to
make it work, but I guess I was slightly off on my calculations. I think our
orbs intercepted a message of some type, we don't know if it was to us or not,
and its almost impossible to tell. We'll probably never know though. Just as
it started coming through, another message interrupted the first and gave out
a warning that was definitely for us. Whoever sent it was obviously not
playing around; blasted an energy at us that could match the Inferno."
Dais rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "and that was your downfall? Interesting."
"Rowen," Kayara inquired. "What did this message look like?"
"It didn't look like anything. I had to shape it."
Cye looked over to Strata, "shape it?"
"The energy ball that I threw at the orbs. When it hit them, it manifested
the message into something that I supposedly could handle and understand."
"Ah."
Kayara nodded, "what happened after you shaped it?"
"It went completely dark, like someone had sucked all the light out of the
room except for what was comin' from the orbs."
Cale nodded in approval. "Then the Tieran Yaw, or one of his kind, sent
the message."
Rowen rubbed his temples slightly, "I figured as much."
Ryo looked at Rowen and Cale. How did they know that?
Dais shifted once more on his web. "What does this mean? What did this
message say, Strata?"
The Ronin of air and space shrugged his shoulders, for once not knowing an
answer. "The thing was all garbled and half formed. Either I didn't have
enough energy put into the receiver, or, that was all that could get through
before our new friends interrupted."
"Some friends," Kento snorted, "at least they coulda said 'hello' or, 'my
name is John.'"
"John?" Cye asked, "why John?"
Kento shrugged, "cause it sounds better than Fred."
Sage closed his eyes, using well-intoned relaxation techniques not to reach
over and strangle his friend. Mia looked at her blonde charge and then to
the rest of them. "All right, I think that's enough of that. You five--"
she said, pointing at the Ronins, "-are going back to bed, for a long,
natural sleep."
"Ah, Mia!"
"Just because--"
"No arguing!" Mia pointed a stern finger to sleeping bags and pillows
piled in the corner, "you can all sleep in the same room if you want, just
rest! I don't want anymore scares for at least five hours, understand?"
Feeling very much like chastened children, the four that were not already in
beds bowed their heads and headed to collect their sleeping gear. For a
moment, Sage watched them quietly through slitted eyes, as if calculating an
answer to an unspoken question, before opening them fully once more to the
light and resting them on Mia's still concerned look. He gave her an
encouraging smile, the wisdom of Halo sparkling within him.
"We'll be fine Mia, why don't you take Kayara and the Warlords down for some
tea? They haven't been over in a while." He turned to Kayara and gave her
a roguish wink; "maybe they'll stay the night so we can talk in the morning."
Sekhmet shook his head, "will he ever change?"
"All light has its shadow, Sekhmet," Cale stirred from his corner, "and
darkness never changes."
"Unlike the illusions of life." Dais's web disappeared from under him,
and he gracefully fell to the floor. "Real tea, an invitation I'll take,
if our hostess would be so kind."
Mia began to walk to the door, "come to the kitchen then, and I'll put the
water to boil."
The door closed behind them and the already too quiet footfalls faded down
steps located at the far end of the hall.
"Sleep," Cye selected a light blue sleeping bag and matching pillow, "does
she really expect us to?"
Sage pushed back the blanket he was under and slowly tested his feet. Steady
enough to walk with, but he had to be careful. "I think as long as we rest
and are quiet, she won't mind, Cye."
Ryo watched the shaky empath as he walked over to collect the green sleeping
equipment. "Was quiet ever taught to us?" He had already collected his gear,
a crimson blanket and an oversized tiger, which was settling down to act as
a pillow for his lifetime friend.
"Tch, who needs quiet anyway," Kento murmured as he settled his ash and orange
trimmed blankets next to Cye, scooting them close to her in an unconscious gesture.
Rowen, who had been quiet most of this time, merely snorted at his friends'
comments. Preoccupation was evident in his features; he was thinking very
hard about something. Ryo and Sage exchanged looks--they wanted in on his
thoughts.
Ryo pushed himself deep into his blankets, White Blaze settling down so that
he could offer his warmth and protection to all his human charges. He scratched
the tiger between the ears as he looked to Rowen. "I'd give you a penny for each
of your thoughts Rowen, but I don't have access to gold mines."
Rowen lay down slowly, easing his battered muscles onto the soft, dark blue
sleeping blankets. "That's fine Ryo, I was never much into money anyway."
"Oh, so you won't mind spilling them for free?" Cye looked at her tall friend
with wide blinking eyes, just as intent at getting the information as the rest
of them.
Rowen sighed, "vampires, all of you."
Kento chuckled as he settled into his sleeping bag, "and very hungry to boot,
Row."
Sage put a steady, seeking gaze on his friend. "So tell us, Rowen. What's
the new dream, and what was that thing that screamed at us?"
Strata flinched, "how did you know about the dream?"
"I didn't, I guessed."
Ryo laughed at Rowen's stunned expression. Sage was getting better at that.
Rowen looked rather sullen, "that wasn't nice, Sage."
"Neither is your attitude when you hold out on us, Row. So tell."
Enlightened Strata wasn't feeling so enlightened as he blew out a frustrated
sigh. There was no getting around it, however. His friends were relentless,
and they needed to know, so he told them about the dream, explaining what was
needed, generalizing what wasn't.
When he was done, Ryo leaned back on White Blaze and frowned, "I'm beginning
to dislike hyenas."
Kento was looking a bit green. "Why would all those animals be," he searched
for a proper word in his mind, "mutilated like that?"
"It's a warning, Kento." Sage's eyes were closed in thought, rolling ideas
about his head. "We're getting too close to something, even though we're not
entirely sure what that is. I believe the hyenas represent the faction
suppressing the Phoenix, and they're afraid that we might try to help her.
They want to keep us subdued." He opened his eyes, "but still, they're only
going through you, Rowen. Why?"
Rowen shrugged, "I supposed because the Fire's going through me, they're just
riding her channels, not using any more energy than they have to. Though I
don't know why they bother, all I do is run away, or the Phoenix keeps pulling
them back from me."
"She pulls them back?"
Studying his hands, Rowen answered in an odd voice; one mixed with contempt
and pride, sadness and emotions unexplored. "She's always been a bit odd.
Those she takes under her wing are given a protection like no other. Though
she never says anything, she prides herself on her ability to place everything
above her own needs. If she's about to die of starvation, and you're just
getting hungry, she'll give away her bread to make sure your needs are taken
care of. In a way, she doesn't even know the meaning of selfishness." His
tone turned suddenly sharp, "I don't know why she tries sometimes... she's
such a scatterbrain, never keeping track of her priorities. But what she
sees as important, she never quite lets go of, I guess I'm just one of those
things-when its convenient for her."
Cye looked to her friend, sadness swam silently within the aqua depths of her
irises. "She sounds as if she loves you very much, despite her faults. She
protects you, drives you away, despite her own pain. Are you sure, Rowen,
that it is not you who are calling her?"
Ryo's tiger-eyes suddenly swirled, an idea brewing quickly. "There's something
to that, Cye. Rowen, how connected are you to the Phoenix?"
"We're all pretty well connected with her, considering our abilities ultimately
come from her. But then, I guess I'm a little more sensitive because I spent
a few years around her."
"So if she were within a certain range of you, you'd be able to tell."
The memory of the forlorn girl in the rain with the odd pack of teenagers came
to Rowen's mind. Five years with the Phoenix in a human's most impressionable
time; he could almost always feel the Fire if she was near. He didn't say any
of this however, just nodded his head.
Ryo's eyes swirled a little faster in excitement. "So what if your mind is
recognizing her? Your dreams being the way it does? She feels you, and she
wants to keep you safe, but the bad dudes aren't sure what's goin' on, and
they're trying to threaten us through you, thinking she's calling for help!"
Sage nodded in approval. "Makes sense, Ryo. What do you think, Row?"
As much as he hated to admit it, the theory did explain things. No matter
how much he'd love to deny it, the Fire was a potent figure in his life,
and his power would naturally want to respond to her presence. "Fine.
So I'm looking for her, she's not looking for me, now what?"
"We do the only logical thing-find her." Cye's eyes held a steely
determination. "Look Rowen, she needs help, and we don't have these orbs
for fun and pleasure. Who else but us can help her if we don't?"
"The Tieran Yaw for starters. That broody bodyguard should be doing his
job and watching her back. She's got a court of seven, plus the Yaw's
court of seven, plus her own little army."
"But what if they're all trapped like her?"
"Don't scare me, Kento." Rowen's eyes widened a bit. "If there were
enough groups out there to subdue both the Phoenix and the Tieran Yaw
at the same time..." he shuddered. "I'd rather face a thousand Tulpas
all at the same time than think of that."
"Then why hasn't he come yet?"
Sage reached up and pushed back a lock of blonde hair, "what if he did?"
"Sage?"
"That dark fire, the message. Cale said it came from the Tieran Yaw; he
seemed very firm about it. What if it was something meant to find the
Fire, but it came to you by accident because you're connected to her?"
Rowen rubbed his chin in thought. His logical side was sorting out this
conversation with rapid speed, scanning through possibilities and coming
up with solutions at a furious pace. His emotional side, however, was
screaming. *Why bother? Why help her, just so she can give no thanks
and abandon you again? What help has she ever given you, what has she
ever done for you to deserve your aid?*
*She gave me Life.*
"Then it means she's extremely close, if it landed with me. The accuracy
of those messages is within a few miles. It goes to the addressee, even
if the sender doesn't know where she is."
"So if they can, they'll follow it?"
Rowen nodded, "if they can. It may take some time, but they'll trace it,
and if they don't get an answer they like, they'll come."
"But until they come, she still may be in danger." Ryo's lips were pursed,
his eyes still swirled. Wildfire was itching for a fight. The armors had
gone too long without use. So Rowen gave another nod in response, knowing
the ultimate conclusion to this conversation.
"Then, until they can come, we'll find her, and make her safe if we can.
I'm not an idiot Rowen, so don't look at me like that. The brushes I've
felt of the Phoenix's power has been plenty enough for me; and to think
that there are people out there that can take her down scares me a whole
lot more than I'm going to admit. But she's helped us before, and even if
we're not quite grateful for it, we owe her at least an effort."
Strata sighed, "You're the boss."
Ryo nodded, "even if I don't like it, yes I am. So let's buckle down and
do this gang. It's a dangerous job, and we're gonna do it."
*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"I apologize for the crudeness of the kitchen, but the guys are a bit rough
with the rest of it." Mia was pouring hot water in porcelain mugs for Kayara
and the Warlords, as well as one for herself. Various kinds of tea set in
small filter bags were strewn about the table for the guests to choose from.
"Its fine, Mia, we appreciate your hospitality," Kayara smiled at Mia, then
turned to glare at the Warlords, "don't we?"
"How do they make the tea grow in these small bags?" Cale picked one up and
smelled it carefully. "There's no soil in here to make the herbs grow. Are
you sure this is tea, Mia?"
"Idiot," Sekhmet snorted, "of course its tea. Just different from ours,
be thankful you're getting variation."
Dais turned his good eye to Sekhmet, "don't you like the tea we grow, Sekhmet?"
"Boys," Kayara's voice was vaguely threatening. "Behave yourselves."
Mia laughed, the conversation was just too familiar. Kayara smiled at her
once more, not failing to see the resemblance of her warriors and Mia's.
"So tell us, how go things with the main bulk of orb bearers?"
The guide sipped her tea carefully, setting it down between her hands to
keep them warm. "It's been as well as it can be, I suppose. They're finally
settling down to a somewhat normal lifestyle. Or, as normal as it can be
with mystic armors and gigantic tigers. When they first came, I was so
confused--they knew so little about life, yet they were so wise; like you.
They've got technology down pat now, but I'm just starting to learn about
them. Now, though, things are getting tumultuous again and..." Mia wasn't
sure how to finish.
"And you have very little to fear, friend Mia, because the armors are no
longer divided."
The four of them smiled at their hostess. She wasn't entirely sure who had
spoken, but it didn't much matter. Whoever had spoken, had spoken for all
of them. Tulpa's war was over; new tests would be presented and passed,
but they would no longer be divided.
In that moment, the fear seemed to drain from her body and reassurance
settled firmly into her soul. "Thank you," she said, knowing that would
and would not be enough to fully show her appreciation to her once feared
enemies, now turned trusted friends.
Cale rumbled quietly, "Think nothing of it. Keep us supplied with this tea
and we'll all call it even."
There was laughter all around the table as any last tension drained away,
and casual conversations began. They talked about nothing and everything
as they usually did when the Warlords and Lady came to visit. The Dynasty,
as Mia had now come to realize, was a solid and different dimension that the
bearers of the four seasonal armors called home. Whether they came from
the realm where the elemental armor bearers came from or not was moot.
Despite their looks, they were all so old that the only family they had left
was each other. The time distortion of the other realms combined with the
rejuvenating quality of the armors gave orb keepers near immortality. She
wondered if the Ronins would live long lives as well, so she asked.
"What?" Came the intelligent answer from Sekhmet, not quite ready for the
conversation shift from indoor plumbing to immortal workings.
"Its an odd question, I know," replied Mia. "But I've been thinking. Ryo,
Sage, and I had a talk the other night. They were doing dishes for Cye,
and volunteered me to watch them to make sure they didn't break anything.
We talked a bit, and they mentioned their homes-how they weren't really
from this world but a different one, yet the same-and how the Dynasty came
to be. I know in the Dynasty realm, there's some time distortion, and you
live longer naturally because of it as well as your armors. But then, I
wondered if the guys would live as long as you have because they're living
here, though they also have their armors."
Kayara blinked a few times, trying to gather her thoughts from the words
that had just tumbled from Mia's mouth. "Not for the first time," she said
finally, "do I wish for Anubis's return. He was more of the scholar among
us, and would more than easily answer your question. Though I think the
answer is, Mia, they will live a long time. Perhaps not as long as us, perhaps
longer, it's hard to say, but not just because of the armor they wear. The
Phoenix they spoke of will come one day to take them home, where life spans
are longer for humans."
There was a sudden wrenching in the vicinity of Mia's heart, as if something
very necessary had been ripped from her without concern or warning. The
sudden and unexpected pain that she felt must have showed on her face, because
Dais coughed slightly and spoke up.
"It most likely won't happen for a while, Mia, but it will happen. This isn't
reassuring, I know, but I don't believe that even the Ronins themselves realize
that they cannot stay in this world. They, just as we do or Tulpa, dwell in
magic, a substance that this world does not handle well at all. It's been
absent too long from the soil; which is why they fought in the first place--to
keep the dimensions separate and safe from each other."
Sekhmet nodded in agreement. "This is why we stay in the Dynasty, Lady Mia.
We enjoy our visits with you immensely, though they must stay visits. Our
presence reminds the worlds of their past, and they often ache to rejoin.
That, as you can imagine, would be very, very bad. Magic must stay where
magic is meant to be.
"Even the Dynasty trembles a bit with us. It must be decided very soon if
the Dynasty should be rejoined with the other realm, or left as it is. It's
been over a thousand years now, and has developed with Tulpa as its main
source of power and life. The only thing that would allow the joining to
happen is us, our four armors have been and always will be connected to
the five others who were kept in the original magic realm."
Mia took a sip of her tea, feeling as overwhelmed with this conversation as
she had with Sage's and Ryo's. "I wonder if I should be writing this down."
Kayara looked at Mia curiously. "Did you write down your conversation with
Halo and Wildfire?"
Mia nodded, "I stored it in my Grandfather's files. I'd like to think I'm
keeping the record updated. His files are quite extensive and I haven't
gotten through it all yet; but I'm adding things nearly every day. And I
have a feeling that with this Phoenix character, the files will only get larger."
A look was exchanged between the guests.
"You wrote down what the Ronins said about the Phoenix?"
"Of course."
"Mia, could you retrieve a copy of the writings you took on the Phoenix?"
The red haired guide nodded, "of course, its on the computer, I'll be right
back."
A few moments later, Mia returned to the kitchen with her new laptop. It
had been a gift from the Ronins their first Christmas with her. She hadn't a
clue where the money came from; none of them worked, and they hardly ever
asked for cash. When she had asked, they simply shared knowing looks and
said, "Just one of the perks of being a Ronin."
Whatever that meant.
"Here it is." She said, laying the portable computer on the table and turning
it on.
Sekhmet looked interested in it. "Is that what they call a computer?"
"Hm-mmm. If I didn't have this thing, I'd have hundreds of books or scrolls.
It would take days to find the information I needed. This way, I can access
it in seconds."
Highlighting her words, columns of data passed rapidly over the screen,
searching for the most recent entry. It stopped, the cursor finding what
she wanted. With a few deft keystrokes, she had called up the file to be
displayed on the screen. "This should be it," she said. "Wait, maybe not.
This one seems to be empty." She backtracked and sent the data scrolling
once more. "This can't be right."
Dais watched the technological wonder with mute interest. "What is the matter?"
Mia typed furiously, looking for what she was rapidly beginning to realize
was no longer there. "Its not here. But, it has to be. I typed up at
least five pages! It was on a disk, why didn't it save?"
Kayara gently pulled the laptop around so she could see it. Rowen would
sometimes explain the idea behind the machine to her, letting her understand
it on her own level. "Mia, did you by any chance, while writing information,
name the Phoenix?"
"Yes, of course. I was planning on giving her an identification file, since
the guys said she was an important element involving the armors. It was all
right here!"
"They didn't tell you about the rule then."
"What rule?"
Cale shook his head, "we grew up with tales and legends about the great, fiery
raptor known as the Phoenix. At night, our mothers would come in and tell us
not to fear the dark, for the Mistress of Light would always make sure the sun
rose in the morning. She was a great part of our history, as our village was
a broken branch of the village where she dropped her original armor off for
safe keeping."
"But," Kayara picked up, "they were only stories. Tales told around the fires
at night. Passed from generation to generation, because of the rule. There
can be no solid documentation of the Lady of Light's existence. Anything that
is written down about her is erased. We don't know why, but just that it is."
"So your saying that even if I wrote down a hint of her name, it would be gone,
and there'd be nothing I could do about that?"
Kayara and the Warlords nodded.
"And you have no idea why."
"It's an odd measure of safety that protects her from those that might seek to
cause her harm, though we feel it is a bit extreme."
"A bit?" Mia clutched her head as though a fierce ache had just attacked her
temples. "Now what am I to do?"
Her eyes crinkled once more as Kayara smiled a wise and reassuring curve of
her young face. "Why, you simply ask us, we tell you, and you remember.
Then one day, you shall pass it to your children, who will pass it to theirs,
so that the cycle may be continued as it has been for as long as it has been."
"Kayara," Sekhmet looked at the Lady, "must you make even the simplest of
answers complicated?"
"Yes," she said simply, "what else am I to do with my time? Be useful?"
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Hope you enjoyed it! Comments?