A Promise Forged in Blood

Amadeo brushed out the tangled mass of curly hair on Tara's head as they sat in his room and listened to the Russian music that was coming out of the speakers of the small stereo. Jared sat on the bed and waited for the teacher to come in with their last test scores. Suddenly, a loud scream alerted the group and they all caught a fright as the door to the room burst open to reveal a very hyper Ian and a solemn faced Tala.

"That's the seventh one you guys have made quit teaching." The red head said lightly. "I don't know what to do with you but you're not going to get lazy on me now."

"Can we teach?" Jared asked as he gave the pinwheel he was holding a flick. The brilliant colors flashed and Alex tried to wrestle the little toy from his friend. "Lex, get off—oof!" The girls giggled as the two boys fell off the bed and onto the floor.

"I wouldn't mind giving half the people here a run for their money." Tara said matter-of-factly. "Now I get to brush yours, Deo."

"Sure," Eliena stared out the window as one of her favorite songs came on the radio. The beat giving her eyes a golden moment of pure, unadulterated focus as the words tumbled past her lips in swift collaboration. "Besides," Amadeo continued. "What do they know that we don't?"

Tala sighed- these kids were in serious need of some excitement for a few days. They were so bored they were content on driving the teachers of the Abbey crazy! "I know you guys want to, but how would that make the other students feel?"

Ian snorted. "Well, they can't possibly think that they know everything like they say they do if their teacher is a seven or eight year old child who has the mental capacity of a fifteen year old and the abilities of a fully grown adult now can they?

"Duh," Jared replied as he finally handed the pinwheel over to Alex: "Happy now?"

"Very," the little blond grinned ear to ear as he sat crossed legged on the floor and watched the multicolored wheel spin around. "I don't see any particular problems arising if we do teach. It might even give Jared a basis for his future career."

Tala's eyes widened, "Eliena? Are you against me as well?"

"Not in the sense of actually being against you, Master Tala, it's just that we are now more content to teach then we are to actually sit and be bored out of our craniums in a classroom full of people who are of no real competition for us." The little brunette replied as she flicked off the stereo. "Its seven-thirty, people, and the training rooms are empty."

"Cool," Amadeo squealed as Tara struck a knot in his mass of black-blue hair. "That means its training time!" Tala gave an agitated sigh as he slouched down on the bed as the kids left for the basement rooms.

"What are we going to do with those five, Ian? They're way too smart to be left bored like that- things could go wrong for many people including us."

Ian nodded, "especially if they manage to get under our skin. If they're left bored like that we may all end up in Tyson's shoes- pranked for everyday until we let them teach."

"I know. And these test scores prove that they really are ready for such a grown up task, too. I mean, did you hear the way that they were talking? They're so smart it scares me."

"Brains, brawns, beauty; we should have called the team The Masterminds, but it's a little late for that now."

"Hey now, let's not forget how good they are at blading, with a combination of their looks, abilities, and smarts…" Tala's voice trailed off as he picked up the pinwheel that Alex has recently discarded onto the floor. He let out a frustrated breath sending the colored wheel spinning.

"No doubt in my mind, love, that they will be the next world champions." Ian sighed.

"No, no doubt at all." The red headed Abbey Master agreed solemnly.

Unknown to the five children, Kai sat in the booth where the monitors were and watched them. He had checked the clock when Amadeo and the others ran into the room: 7:30 on the dot as always. Their routine was pretty simplistic, but there was a spark of power behind the kids as they readied themselves at one of the hardest bey dishes in the room-the spiked dish- and let their blades do the talking for them.

"Wow," the slate haired man said as Amadeo ripped through the girls and Jared knocked Alex out of the dish altogether.

"Final battle is for us, J-man." Amadeo said as he circled Jared.

"This one's mine, Deo," the concentrated reply from the other boy echoed in Kai's ears. Kai watched them intensely- one circling and the other staying still; each boy giving off a power that was all their own and not wanting to give up.

"Tyson…" Kai said as his memory slipped back to the battle with his blue haired friend when they literately blew the roof off the stadium. The power they both emitted was unlike anything that Kai had ever felt before and it filled him with a sense of delight and energy that he never knew was there. He and Tyson were in a league of their own and neither wanted to give up the chance to battle the other. It was something that had made the older man feel so alive and free and for the first time in his life he felt as if nothing else mattered.

Kenny looked over the tests a third time. No, there was no doubt that the kids were ready to teach their own classes at Demolition Abbey. Tala gazed at him in wonder as the brunette laid down his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Well, what do you think of that Ken? Are they ready?"

"Willing to risk anything to keep them busy?" Kenny answered. "If you are, then let them teach grades Kindergarten to six because those are the only grades they are ready for."

"I was hoping you would say that." Kai said as he entered the room. "But I want Amadeo to teach the Bey Blade courses." Ian groaned.

"Why is that, Kai? I mean I know that your son is good, but is he really that good?" Spencer asked.

"I know he's ready for that because the final battle was between him and Jared." Kai replied. "They knocked the other three out, but even their battle didn't last long and because Jared slipped up, Amadeo won." The slate haired man look reproached as he stared out the window of the fourth floor window at the thick, wet snowflakes that fell from the darkening sky. The way things were going, he was sure that his only son would soon request the very battle that would give him the title of being the captain of the Demolition Angels.

From behind him, Kenny sighed heavily. He as well knew the consequences of leaving a highly trained and extraordinarily smart young teen with nothing to do. It meant trouble in a big way because there was no longer only one to deal with but five exceptional children of unspeakable power in the palm of their hands that would soon be a massive amount of demanding pleading. "They need something besides blading to keep them busy, Tala. You may even want to give into the ideas they have and let them become teachers." The small brunette whispered knowing that the man in question would hear him. "Oh, I received a letter from Sanquinix earlier today. He's moving to Russia with Lupinex and his young adopted son so that he can aide you in watching over Deo's power if and when it becomes a problem for you."

"You mean the vampire and the werewolf both are coming to aide us and not challenge us?"

"There will be no battles because they want to be as hidden as possible. They merely want to watch over the child they help bring into this world."

"Fine," Tala replied curtly. "I'll go tell the kids that they start training to be teachers in two days time."

Amadeo paced in his room as Jared barked out a laugh. The others had long since one to bed leaving the two boys alone in their own little trains of thought. The slated haired boy growled under his breath at the lunacy of the instructions they were given hours before. Suddenly, Jared let out a sigh that made him jump.

"Tell him; tell our Dark Angel how you really feel about all his attention and your secret blushes when you think no one's looking." The dark haired boy scowled at his best friend as the blond smiled darkly from under Amadeo's scorching gaze.

"And what exactly would that accomplish, J-man? Would it get me the same results as my father or you and Tara- if and when you tell her? And what if he rejects me- what then?"

Jared sighed as he bit back a hail of giggles. "It would stop the burning ache I know you have for him. Besides, I'm the only one who knows you swing in the homosexual way right, Night Child? Damn, we need to seriously consider our options if we're going to put a balance back into our nearly screwed-up lives." Amadeo stared at the blond in shock. The length of Jared's red-black bangs receded over his pale green eyes hiding the slightest glint of praise.

"If Master Tala or any of the other adults heard you talk like that they'd tan your hide till you couldn't walk or sit you know."

"I know," the answer came simply in a small, sing-song voice as the dual haired boy walked over to the bedroom door. "By the way, I love what Master Ian did to your ceiling, Deo, it suits your style perfectly." Amadeo grinned as the door shut while leaning back to admire the painted stars and three constellations that Ian had gotten painted onto the boy's ceiling.

Yes, very soon the five of them would begin an adventure that would test the limits of their friendship as well as the nearly unbreakable Blood Bond that Jared had conjured to help them adapt to the various dangers of betrayal. The Blood Bond…. It was its namesake for on easily identifiable reason: it was a bond created by the blood of the five friends. The bond's only way of breakage was for one or more to defy the Rites of Kinship formed when the blood was shared between them, yet, to betray a friend of the group was to inflict a severe burning pain that seemed never ending on the betrayer. Now, because of the bonding, they were able to share thoughts and relish in the findings of their inner power without failure.

Amadeo gave a short throaty laugh. The Masters of the Abbey were about to face the trial of a lifetime against five very powerful preteens. They would be the next generation of fear, power, and hope.

Well, sorry to say that this is goodbye for the first book in a series of three. The next book is: Absence of Fear: Hearts of Fire and the first chapter should be ready to post by the middle of September. The third book is known only by one other.