"Ronin Warriors: The Final Victor"
By Onikage
Scroll Three: Map-less Journey
Tori grumbled to herself as she watched Anubis put everyone's suitcases in the trunk of her grandfather's car. She had been looking forward to this trip for a long while; now she wished she wasn't going. Great, just wonderful. There goes my vacation... Why does he have to come along? It's not like he lives at the place where we're staying, she thought.
The storm had finally let up, but the rain clouds still lingered overhead, making the sky appear dull and dreary. "'Ri-san!" Kiku tugged on her sister's shirt, "Granpa says that there's no more room in the van for you an' me... We have to ride with the man with red hair." Tori looked down at her little sister in disbelief, "What?!"
"We have to ride with him," she repeated, and pointed at Anubis. He looked up as he overheard his name. Kiku waved and smiled. Tori gulped as he smiled at her and her little sister. "Kiku? Are you sure that's what 'Jiisan said?" Tori asked.
"Uh huh!" she replied excitedly. "Granpa says that if we're good, that there will be a surprise when we get there!" Tori sighed. She could only imagine the lame story or promise her grandfather had made yet again for her little sister. She picked Kiku up and sighed again, "Come on, Kiku. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get our big surprise."
"Yay!"
"Tori? Are you ready to go?" Kaos came outside. In his hand, he had a staff Tori had thought she had never seen before. She raised her eyebrow, "'Jiisan, what is that you're holding? Is it a magic staff?" she chuckled. Kaos cleared his throat nervously,
"It is a gift for a friend of mine..." he replied carefully. Kiku struggled in Tori's arms until she put her down. "Granpa? Is that for Kay?"
"Why, yes my little flower!" Tori studied the staff for a moment,
Odd... I think I've seen that staff somewhere before. Oh, maybe it's one of 'Jiisan's old relics that he collects. He has so many so it must be-
"Quite an interesting weapon, don't you agree?" Anubis said into her ear. Tori jumped and let out a yelp, "Eek! Wha?... Don't do that!" Anubis smirked,
"Forgive me, Little One. I have to break away from that habit..." Tori frowned,
"It's all right... Don't call me that!"
"Kaos? Shouldn't we be heading out?" Anubis asked. Kaos looked at his watch.
"Yes... It's getting late. I want to get ahead of this storm if I can. It will be a mess if we don't hurry... Girls!"
"Yes, Masaki-san?" They simultaneously poked their heads out of the van door and windows. "Are you all ready to go?" he asked.
"YES!" they smiled.
"'Jiisan? Is there really no more room for me in the van?" she asked in a whisper. Kaos turned to her, "... I'm sorry, but you'll have to ride with Anubis."
"But 'Jiisan I don't even know him-"
"Then this will be a lovely opportunity for you to get to know each other better. And after yesterday's incident, I hope that things will go better than before. Do I make myself clear?" Tori looked down at the ground and nodded, "Yes sir..."
"Little One are you ready to leave? Please hurry. We don't have a lot of time and it will be a long trip..." Anubis said. Tori frowned,
"Yes, I'm ready... And don't call me Little One!" she snapped. "Come on, Kiku. Let's get you in your car seat," she said and picked her little sister up.
She walked over to Anubis' red sports car and stared at it for a moment. "Ooh, it's shiny!" Kiku smiled. Anubis took her from Tori's arms and smiled,
"I'm glad you think so! Now where do you want to sit? In the back or the front?"
"Umm... back." Tori watched as he strapped Kiku into her car seat.
Why is he being so nice? Even after what I was to him, he's a perfect gentleman!
"Now where would you like to sit, Little One?" he asked with a laugh. Tori turned on her heel and stepped into the front seat of the car, "Can we just go, please?"
"... As you wish..." This woman is trying my patience...
*****
Talpa sat on his throne and gazed into the vision flame. Images of past events of the Human world appeared within its roaring blaze. This is too much! he mused to himself.
"AHHH!! Cale you numbskull! It says 'DO NOT USE NEAR OPEN FLAME'!! Gods Lady Mia will have our heads if she sees that her favorite linens are scorched!!"
"Shut it, Dais! If you hadn't carelessly left the stove on HIGH... Half the kitchen wouldn't be covered in smoke!"
"TORRENT!! GET THE HOSE!!"
Talpa began to chuckle loudly at the scene before him. The vision shifted and another appeared. "Whoa, Kayura! Have you been working out?"
"EEK!! SEKHMET YOU LECHEROUS PIG!! GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM!!"
"S-Sorry Lady Kayura!! Ow! Watch where you're aiming!...
"GET OUT!!"
The evil emperor would have had to wipe away his tears of laughter if he had any eyes, he was laughing so hard. "HAHAHAHA!!" What a fool I was! How could I have appointed those four bumbling idiots as Dark Warlords?!
"... Master?" A snow-white longhaired warrior, arrayed in a dark red ceremonial robe, kneeled before the giant throne with his right fist clasped over his heart. He looked up at his emperor with a worried look. It was not normal for the ruler of the Nether Realm to suddenly explode with amusement. "Master?" he called again.
"Y-yes, Fou-Lu... What is it?"
"... Sire... What may I ask was so... amusing?" Talpa beckoned him forward toward the pedestal of dark fire. "Have a look for yourself..." Fou-Lu peered into the flame with curiosity. Inside he saw a young woman and a man with red hair talking, bickering to be exact. The man looked like he was about to lose his temper and throttle the younger girl. Fou-Lu smirked at this interesting scene that played out before him.
"Will you please stop and ask someone for directions? Why is it that all men have the know-how to find there way to the nearest strip joint, but can't even remember where his own house is?!"
"Hey! I am not that kind of person at all! And we are not lost for the hundredth time! I am just taking a short cut! Now calm down!"
"... Ah... Is this the infamous, former Warlord of Cruelty thou speak with much regret?" Talpa rested his masked chin on his hand, "Aye... What a waste he was. Him and those three other worthless excuses for warlords. Lady Kayura was the only one who could actually do something right!.." Fou-Lu peered once again into the flame of darkness and smiled,
"And... what of this frail being?" he asked softly, never taking his eyes from her.
"... One of the warriors that that damned monk has found to fight against me. It seems that he knows of my plan to be reborn into the Human world as the 'Beginning of the End'... Let him try to stop me!" Talpa cackled. Fou-Lu smiled and looked back over at the other three Dark Warlords. His eyes fell on the feral demon, Raiko. "... Raiko..." he called.
The warrior dressed in dark green robes, cocking a superior smile upon his handsome face, stood, and stepped towards the pedestal. "Yes, milord?" he asked.
"What dost thou make of this fair... little bird?" Fou-Lu asked with a grin. Raiko looked into the flame and smiled; his tail lashed about excitedly, "... Hmm... It's been centuries since I've... Mmm... had a human woman... Is she-"
"Like a new borne babe.." Fou-Lu grinned. He then froze as he got a better look at the man beside her. He then grinned evilly at his sudden epiphany, "... Master Talpa?"
"Yes Fou-Lu?"
"Thou means to win this war by any means necessary?"
"Aye... What do you have in mind, Fou-Lu?"
"... Thou shall see in due course, Sire... May I hath permission to take leave on a mission?" Talpa leaned back in his throne and sighed.
"... If it shall benefit your 'idea'... then do as you wish. Take Raiko with you... I shall hear from you anon."
"Ye shall have it..."
*****
"Are you sure you are reading that map correctly?" Anubis asked, glancing over at Tori. He was trying so hard not to lose his patience with her. Tori frowned, "Of course I am! It says so right here that Toyama is supposed to be about forty kilometers from where we are".
"... You said that twenty minutes ago," Anubis said with a clenched jaw.
"I did not," Tori said flatly.
"Look at the top of the map where the numbers are".
"There aren't any numbers there are letters". Anubis gripped the steering wheel and growled, "... Forget the map. I've got a better idea". He then turned the car sharply to the right across the median of the rural highway. Tori scrambled to put her seat belt on, "Wh-what the hell are you doing?! You'll get us killed, you maniac!!"
"Shortcut. Now shut it," he snapped in a calm voice. Tori raised her eyebrows and looked out her window, keeping silent. She saw an endless forest along the old, quiet highway and sighed. A fine trip this turned out to be... I wonder when we'll get there, if we get there alive, she thought. She turned in her seat and looked back at her little sibling. Kiku had fallen fast asleep a few hours back; Tori yawned. You know, a nap may not be a bad idea. She then fell back against the seat and shut her eyes.
A number of minutes passed before Anubis noticed that Tori had fallen asleep. He looked over at her, "Tori?... Heh, sleeping soundly," he chuckled under his breath. Maybe now there will be some peace and quiet. Now might be a great time to use that 'shortcut' Kayura taught-
"... -top. Stop... No..."
"Hm?" Anubis looked back over at Tori. She had begun to murmur in her sleep.
"Help... Don't! Bastard!" Anubis swallowed hard as her cries intensified. He slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road. "Tori? Tori! Wake up!" he said, shaking her gently. She awoke with a scream, "NO!"
"Little One, are you all right? You're face is as white as a sheet!" He touched her arms; they felt suddenly cold, and she was trembling. She jerked away from Anubis, looking at him as if she did not recognize him. She pulled her arms up to her chest, and stared intently at him in a dreadful silence; it was like she had fallen under a spell. Anubis pulled back slowly, gazing at her for the longest time, wondering what was going on inside of her that made her cower back the way she did. "... Tori?" he began after a long while. "Are you feeling all right?"
As soon as her name left his lips, she broke from her trance-like state, "... Wh... what happened?" she asked softly. Oh no... I had that dream again...
"You fell asleep and then you had a nightmare... Are you all right?" he asked again. Tori slipped her jacket around her and looked straight ahead. "I'm fine..."
"Are you sure? We can stop and rest for a while..." Tori shook her head,
"No. Let's go. It's getting l-" Suddenly, something large and metallic slammed into the side of the car, causing it to fly towards the trees. The car flipped twice and the top of it partly caved in when it smashed against a large tree. Anubis' head slammed against the car window, shattering it as the car rolled along the ground. Tori felt the back of her head connect with the window, then her seat jerked forward, smashing her forehead against the dashboard when the car landed up against a large tree. "Aw darn it! Darn it!" she hissed, clutching her forehead. She looked around the inside of the car. Almost nothing remained undamaged; the windshield was shattered as well as the windows and doors. Immediately, she looked behind her seat at Kiku. "KIKU! Are you all right?!" Her little sister sat in her car seat, which was still fully intact, perfectly unharmed; a grin was played upon her face as if nothing happened. "That was fun!!" she chimed. Tori heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Anubis. His head was leaning against the steering wheel with his arms and hands on it. Tori shook him gently, "Anubis... Hey can you hear me?"
Slowly, the Ronin of Loyalty stirred with a groan. "Mmm... Dammit... Wh-what happened?" He lifted his head and touched his forehead, feeling a warm, sticky fluid trickle down his face. "... Lovely. Blood," he mumbled as he looked at the crimson fluid on his fingertips. Tori unbuckled her seat belt and moved closer to him. "No, don't touch it! Let me see..." He flinched when she brushed the hair out of the way, groaning a bit. "... Just a small cut. You could have a concussion, though," she said.
"Is the child all right?"
"She's fine..." Anubis looked his car over,
"... Shit... Lady Mia will be furious. I haven't even had this for a year yet, and this happens!..."
"... Well, now what?" Anubis made an attempt to unbuckle his seat belt. It was jammed; he frowned, and grabbed the belt in one hand. With a snarl, he ripped it apart with ease. Tori's eyes went wide, "How the hell..."
"I'll explain later. Now, we have to get out of here, immediately," he advised as he forced open the door with his shoulder. Tori frowned, "How? Do we walk?"
"No... I have a much better idea. Get your sis-'
"Going so soon, Loyalty? Come! Stay for a while!"
Tori let out a short shriek as she saw a lion-like man sink his claws into Anubis' shoulder, and throw him from the car and onto the pavement. Kiku began to wail loudly. Tori felt a sudden surge of anger, and turned to her sister. Hearing her sister's cries, and the expression of terror upon her face, she knew that she could do nothing for her. With much regret, she ducked through the shattered windshield and onto the hood of the car. There she saw Anubis still on the pavement, struggling to stand. The lion-man was nowhere to be seen. "Anubis?! Are you all right?!"
"... I'm... fine." He swayed on his feet for a moment and lifted his head. His shirt hung in shreds where he had been struck, blood trickling heavily from the openings. Tori looked around for the strange, animal-like man before moving to help Anubis. "What was tha- Oh god! Your shoulder!"
"It's... nothing." He smiled weakly at her. Tori gasped when she looked at his forehead. The kanji for loyalty flashed wildly from beneath his red bangs.
"Your... your forehead!!" Anubis shut his eyes for a moment before being engulfed by a golden light. What was left of his clothing, was torn away by tendrils of golden light, revealing his hard, bare body for a brief second. As the light intensified, smooth, dark-blue, metallic metal slid over his muscular body. Tori stood wide-eyed for a moment as the light subsided, staring at Anubis' new form. "What on Earth?"