Chapter 21 - Nazca's Elite Sentinel Division

Niro had disappeared and the sky had slowly grown darker are afternoon turned into evening. Twilight had replaced the sun, and the sound of crickets chirping had begun.

The fire still flickered wildly on the plains, each of the Force members gathered closely around it. Orin had fallen off again into sleep, allowing the healing powers of the seeds he had eaten to take affect. Duran was up and about after Vahn had gained enough power again to heal him fully. Sye and Jo both strayed from the talking group around the fire. Jo had gone off in search of food, seeing as how she was adept to hunting and her new comrades had eaten very little during their travels. Sye, on the other hand, stood away from the rest of them, his hood draped over his face as he gazed blankly in the direction the Exiles had come earlier that day.

'Coward.' thought Sye as he remembered Niro and his lies. 'Hell is too good for someone who slaughters people so willingly and without compassion…'

Sye's eyes tightened and he spoke softly aloud.

"I am no better." was all he murmured as he fixed his eyes onto the grass.

His continuing thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of wings flapping in the distance. Jo was returning, and Sye's nose perked.

"Blood." he said, as he turned toward the campfire and approached slowly and silently, almost as if he were floating.

Jo landed a few yards from the fire, each of her hands gripped tightly around two dead hare, four in all. Keith glanced over at her and caught immediate sight of her bloodied hands, and his eyes lit up.

Jo smiled somewhat evilly, baring a single fang that made her look strangely like a cat. She held up her catch as she approached the group, and they all looked at her intently.

"Eat." she said, and she tossed three of the hare to the ground next to them.

Keith grabbed them all up and pulled held his hand out to Tess

"Dagger…?" he said grinning, and she pulled her dagger out and handed it to him.

Keith began to skin each of the hares, as the rest of them looked on. Vahn seemed a bit less fond of all the blood, but the rest of them, including the ever sensitive Ikara, stared at the fresh meat hungrily.

Jo tore her food in half and tossed one half to Sye as he approached her. He caught it quickly, but she was not surprised in the least.

"Raw…?" he asked, as he felt the lower half of the hare's body that he held.

"You like it that way, right? I'm not a brainless fighter, you know." she said, as she grinned again.

"Ah. I wasn't sure if you understood what I meant when I said we were similar." he said, as he looked directly to the ground, his face now completely invisible.

He said something softly under his breath, and shoved the hare into his mouth, as blood spattered downward onto the ground. At this, Jo's eyes did grow wide.

"How…" she said, surprised and almost frightened.

Sye looked up at her, his face bloodied and his eyes fixated on hers.

"I'm not the same during the day." he said.

His voice had gone rough and scratchy, almost as if he had suddenly gotten sore.

Jo simply stared into his eyes, as they both began to go from gray to a dim yellow.

"What's wrong with you…?" she said, as she took a step back.

He lowered his head so his eyes were no longer visible, and he wiped the blood from his face with his hand.

"Nothing. It's not a concern at he moment." he said, his voice still rough.

He walked away from her and toward the area he had been standing before she arrived. Jo watched him, her eyes wide and her mind confused. She backed away, and turned toward the group, who had started cooking the meat.

The sky was now completely dark, and they had all eaten their fill of Jo's catch. Both Tess and Ikara had fallen asleep early, and everyone else sat around the fire talking.

"Where'd you get that thing from anyway?" asked Duran, as Jo had pulled her ruby from her satchel and showed it to them.

"I found it a long time ago. It was lying outside of the cavern one day when I started out from breakfast." she said, as she looked at it, the firelight shown through it to make it look alive.

"What does it do?" asked Keith, as he leaned closer to it.

"Nothing. It's just…" she said, as she rolled it around in her hand. "…it looks so nice."

"It'd probably catch a heavy price at market." said Vahn. "But I take it you're not willing to part with it."

Jo simply shot a look at him that made him cringe.

"It must do something." said Duran. "Nothing could glow red like that if it didn't have some sort of power."

"It could just be the forging." said Vahn. "If it was dug by a magician and he perfected it magically, it may have just taken on his attributes."

Both Keith and Duran stared at him blankly.

"Never mind." said Vahn, as he shook his head.

Orin had since awoken, and he sat listening to them talk. Duran caught sight of him moving, and called to him.

"Orin!" he said happily. "You're awake, finally."

Orin only nodded and stood weakly, his wound still sore, though it had grown much smaller.

"Come sit with us." said Vahn, his eyes on the fire.

Orin walked over and sat down between Vahn and Keith.

"Where are we going tomorrow?" asked Keith.

"Where we've been going. If we can find a proper place to stop in the mean time, we'll go there." replied Orin.

"And….we're have you been going?" asked Jo.

Orin looked at her. He had forgotten she was even with them.

"Nazca, a city to the east." said Orin.

Jo said nothing. She gave him a strange look, though, and it made Orin feel a bit uneasy. He ignored her and looked back to Keith.

"Where is…Sye…" Orin asked, his eyes fixated sternly on Keith's face.

"I'm not sure. He went off that way." replied Keith as he pointed to the east, where Sye had been standing earlier.

"I have a bad feeling about him." said Jo.

"Well most of us don't hold much trust in you, either. I'd hold my tongue if I were in your position." snapped Keith angrily. "He has obviously seen what Niro is doing is foolish. I don't have a problem with him."

Jo stood immediately and exposed her fangs, her claws outstretched.

"Stop it." said Orin, as he stood too. "Sit back down, now."

Jo looked at him, a bit surprised, and her eyes grew a bit wide and she lowered her lips to hide her fangs again. She then sat somewhat obediently.

Orin walked off in the direction Keith had pointed him, his eyes searching for Sye's silhouette in the darkness. He caught glimpse of him standing with his eyes to the ground.

"Sye…" said Orin when he had gotten closer to him.

Sye didn't respond much. He turned his head to the side and lifted his gaze to the sky, as if he turned his eye to hear Orin coming toward him more clearly. He turned back to the fields and looked back to the ground.

"Is it like you to stray from others…?" asked Orin, stopping a few feet behind Sye.

"Yes." said Sye gruffly.

Something in his voice made Orin shiver.

"Will you come with…" started Orin, but Sye cut him off.

"No. I leave on the first sign of morning light." Sye replied before Orin could finish.

"What have you got to go back to?" asked Orin, as he moved a step or to closer.

"Nothing. I never had anywhere to be to start with." replied Sye. "I've no reason to stay, though, either. You have your own troubles."

Orin said nothing. His mind was still cloudy from the annoying pain in his chest. Sye moved slightly, and it jarred Orin. There was something in Sye's voice and ghostly stillness that put fear into Orin.

"Troubles…?" asked Orin finally.

"You seem to be confident and stern only when you're in battle, but you're still a child with too many questions." said Sye, his voice becoming more loud and gruff, and he sounded as if he was becoming annoyed.

Orin was silent again. They stood for a while, completely silent, as it grew slowly later.

"You should be off to bed now. You'll end up worse off than this afternoon if you don't sleep." Sye said.

Orin walked off silently, and Sye listened to his footsteps until they became silent.

Orin laid back down in his cot, only slightly tired since he had rested all evening. The moon was high in the sky, and it was late in the evening. Keith and Duran had already dozed off in their beds by the time Orin returned, and Only Vahn and Jo sat by the slowly dimming fire now. They talked softly about something Orin couldn't quiet hear, and soon afterward, Vahn crept into his bed and fell into sleep. Finally, Jo smothered the flames of the fire and curled up near it to sleep.

Orin couldn't manage to fall asleep, though. His eyes kept shut, but his mind was racing. Sye never came back even after Orin had been laying for some time. He finally opened his eyes and peered into the dismal purple sky, which was dotted by but a few stars. He threw off his sheet and stood up from his bed as quietly as he could, but apparently it was not quiet enough. Jo's ears perked and she lifted her head to see him creep off in the direction he had left Sye earlier.

'Where is he going so late…?' she wondered.

She stood quietly too, and was suddenly enveloped into a shadow, and then she took to the sky to follow Orin.

Orin roamed out into the fields quietly, and when he was far enough away from the camp, his footsteps became more heavy.

"Where are you…?" he asked himself aloud as he looked about.

The only sound that could be heard was the chirping of the crickets and the soft breeze that whisked through the fields. Orin tried to focus his eyes in the dark, aided only by the dim light of the silver moon. Finally, something became visible in the night, but it was not what he expected to see. The figure he made out stood about 50 yards ahead of him, its back hunched and its arms hung to his feet. The darkness made it hard for Orin to identify what it was he was looking at, but it didn't take him long to figure it out.

A memory came to him of something he'd seen only a week before. A creature that stood hunched over and fed on a dead man, the red eyes that pierced his mind with fear and forced him to have nightmares.

'Werewolf...' he thought as his eyes slowly widened. 'How…'

He tried to back away as quietly as possible, but the creature heard him, and it looked back over its shoulder at him. Its red eyes stopped him dead, and it was exactly as it had happened before. The creature spun full around, and stared at him dead on, but it did not attack. Its fangs hung down over its jowls and it moved a foot swiftly forward. It sniffed the air, and Orin looked at it in fear.

Again, a memory came to his mind. He remembered how Sye had sniffed the air before him and sensed the blood smeared across Jo's jewel. His eyes widened even more. It suddenly made sense to him what had happened, but he almost couldn't believe it. Sye's blind eyes and adept senses were so powerful, and this creature reminded Orin of him. The werewolf's eyes were outlined in scars, Sye had been moving toward Granseal on Niro's orders the night he and his team had encountered the wolf on the fields outside the village. And here, again, the creature appeared.

"Sye…" whispered Orin, and he couldn't help but step away once more.

The werewolf needed only to hear Orin's foot meet the grass as he moved away, and it raced forward toward him. Orin would have run, but he was stunned. He looked on as the creature flew in his direction, and reached him within a few seconds. A claw lifted back over the creatures head and ran through Orin's already soar chest, and he was sent barreling backward almost ten feet. He did nothing but yell out with pain as he began to bleed. The creature rushed forward again, but didn't get even halfway to Orin this time.

Someone had appeared, and Orin lifted his head in pain to see who it was, but he couldn't recognize the figure in the darkness. The werewolf stopped for but a second, and then began its charge again, now toward the figure that had appeared before him. Orin was surprised again to hear the werewolf yelp, and see it tumbling out onto the field, unconscious. Something had swooped down and sent the werewolf flying, but what was it? Whatever had attacked landed quietly next to the first figure, and they both turned to face Orin, whose sight was beginning to blur.

"Orin…!?" said the first figure, sounding alarmed. "What are you…! Get him up!"

The second figure moved up next him, and pulled him up onto something. He realized as whatever it was he had placed on was the back of a horse.

"Wha…" moaned Orin, but he couldn't finish.

"Shush. We're gonna get you somewhere safe. Just hang on!" yelled one of the two.

Orin looked forward, his body draped over the horses back, and he could make out the head of a man that seemed to be riding the horse, but he must have been sitting strangely, because his legs where not hanging over the sides of the horses body.

"Who are you…?" Orin managed to ask as he trotted along.

"We'll tell you later. Just be quiet and save what strength you've got left." said the man riding the horse.

Orin couldn't keep his focus any longer, and he blanked out suddenly.

Orin's eyes opened and he peered back into the night sky as he had done earlier. The pain in his chest had disappeared completely, and he felt completely rejuvenated. He lifted his head slowly and peered around. He was laying in a cot under the stars, surrounded by several tent-like structures. A fire sat blazing close by him. He could hear the sound of people talking somewhere, and two men stood only a few yards away from him talking about something. One of the men caught sight of him, and walked in his direction immediately.

"Orin! You're okay! How do you feel?" asked the man.

His body was clad in a dark blue armor, and he was only about 5 feet tall. There was a grated helm upon his head, and a thin blue hood was draped over it.

"Where…" asked Orin, as he looked around nervously.

"Don't worry. You're safe here…" said the man. "Don't you remember me…?"

Orin looked at him strangely. He didn't remember his voice, and he wouldn't have been able to tell either way who he was because he had his helm on.

"Oh, sorry!" he said cheerfully as he pulled of his hood and slowly removed his helmet.

The man had a large red nose and a thin and very short beard. He had kind eyes and a jolly expression on his face as he looked at Orin intently. His face reminded him immediately of a man who had left the castle for good some 7 years earlier, but he couldn't place his name. All he remembered was that he and a centaur had left Bowie behind in Granseal castle, and Bowie was really never the same person afterward.

"I…I remember seeing you…" said Orin quietly, embarrassed that he couldn't place the man's name.

"Ah, it's okay. I haven't been in Granseal since you were a kid." said the man. "It's no wonder you don't remember."

Orin said nothing.

"I'm Jaha." he said simply. "I was one of your dad's closest friends."

"You're…part of the Shining Force, right?" asked Orin.

"Wow, how'd you find out about that kid?" asked Jaha, as he scratched his face. "Your dad made sure you wouldn't know for a long time."

"Are you?" he asked again, sounding more serious.

"Calm down. Yeah, I am. It's been a long time since I've heard anyone mention me as part of the Shining Force, though."

"You have to get out of here!" yelled Orin, as he jumped up from his bed.

"Orin!! Calm down!!" yelled Jaha, as he grabbed Orin's shoulders and forced him to the ground. "What's the matter with you…?"

Jaha let go, but Orin stood again. He explained the story as quickly as he could to Jaha, and every detail left Jaha standing with his mouth agape.

"What…?" he asked, when Orin had finished. "That's not right. Not all of them could be…"

"Who else do you know that could be in trouble…?" asked Orin.

"In trouble…?" asked Jaha.

"These spirits. They're only going after those who are part of the Shining Force." Orin explained.

"Chester, Randolf." said Jaha, and he turned away from Orin.

"Where are they?" Orin asked. "We have to tell then as soon as possible."

"Follow me." said Jaha, and he walked off toward a large tent.

When they both got inside, there stood a centaur and a short armor man with an axe. The centaur had green hair and wings, and was clad in blue and silver armor. The shorter man was very old, at least in his late sixties, and he was covered in a yellowish armor, and there was an axe strapped to his back. Orin immediately remembered Sir Gyan when he caught a glimpse of him.

"Orin." said Jaha. "Meet Chester and Randolf, commanders of the Nazcan Elite Sentinel Division."

Chester and Randolf looked at Orin. Chester's eyes lit up, and Randolf just stared at him strangely.

"Who…?" asked Randolf, his bad memory plaguing him. "Orin…"

"Bowie's son." said Jaha with a smile.

"I'm glad you're okay, kid. I wasn't sure if you'd make it after that thing attacked you." said Chester with a smile.

"We have something to discuss." said Jaha, his face stern. "Something important."

Chester looked at Jaha strangely. It was obvious that neither of them would ever act so serious unless something dire had occurred.

"Bowie…he…" said Jaha, sputtering as he spoke. "He's been possessed."

"What!?" cried Chester and Randolf together.

"That's why Orin has come this far. He's…looking for him." said Jaha, as he looked over at Orin.

Orin said nothing. He simply stood with his eyes fixated on both Chester and Randolf.

"And they aren't they only ones. According to Orin, Kazin and Slade where taken, too. I doubt Sarah could hold them off alone in that cottage so far from anyone of help." said Jaha, who was beginning to sound almost angry. "And Gerhalt runs wild across the plains, he couldn't be safe without some kind of warning…"

"I've told Gerhalt to hide already. I met him on the way here." said Orin suddenly.

"Good. And what of Gyan?" asked Randolf.

"He was injured when the devil's invaded Granseal." said Orin.

"Invaded!?" gasped Chester. "Their haven't been devils around here for 25 years."

"My father was possessed during the invasion. They were probably just a decoy for Sarah and Gyan, since the both of them strayed from the castle to fight the attackers." explained Orin.

"So Gyan may have been possessed as well if he is still weak from the attack. I can't help but worry about Sarah if she's there on her own…" said Chester, as he looked at the ground sadly.

"No time to worry. We have to do something about this. We can't let Orin go after Bowie alone." said Jaha.

"I'm not alone." Orin said, as he looked at Jaha.

"Then…why were you…" started Jaha, but Orin cut him off.

"A…friend of mine wandered from our camp, so I went looking for him." said Orin. "But…"

"Well, we're still coming with you whether you have comrades or not." said Chester.

"No. You'll just be more vulnerable if you come with me. You have to find someplace to hide." said Orin.

"We're sentinels, watchmen, elite soldiers, Orin. We don't hide." said Randolf. "We fought Zeon knowing what could happen, and we made it out alive."

"Kazin came with me, too, but he's not here anymore, right?" said Orin. "You can't come with me."

"Orin, listen." said Chester. "Your dad isn't just some guy I used to know. He's my good friend, almost like a brother…"

"Same here." said Jaha.

Randolf simply nodded and smiled weakly.

"If you won't let us come with you, we'll look for him by ourselves." said Chester.

Orin stood looking at him for a moment. Where they really so loyal that they would go in search of him? They led new lives now, they had not seen their friend and leader for many years, and yet they were willing to risk death for him.

"I guess I have no choice…" said Orin.

Chester and Jaha both smiled. Chester grabbed up a blue spear that was lying on the ground in the tent, and Randolf stood from where he was sitting. Jaha grabbed his sheathed blade and scabbard and hooked it quickly to his belt, and the four of them came out from the tent.

"I've got to inform the rest of the men, and put someone in charge for a time." said Jaha.

Orin nodded but said nothing. Would it be worth it to take them along when they were in such danger, or would it be more trouble then it was worth? He hoped that, maybe because they, three members of the Shining Force, would be much more formidable against the spirits that had come to possess a portion of the Shining Force.

Jaha came out from a tent, and walked toward them calmly.

"All set. Were do we head, now?" asked Jaha.

"I don't really know were we are. Can you lead me back to were you found me?" asked Orin.

"Sure." said Chester, who took the lead. "Try and keep up."

Chester smiled and flapped his wings, and then took off to the skies and flew in the direction of Orin's camp. They all ran to keep up with him, as he was flying very fast and far ahead, and it was hard to see him in the dark. As they ran, a shadow followed them, a shadow that had hidden atop the tent and listened to the four of them discuss the happening and possessions.

"So, that's why you're so driven, Orin." said Jo to herself as she flew a few yards behind Chester, keeping herself hidden. "Thoughts of your father…keep you moving so persistently. How…noble."