New Blood
by Saber Alexander McConnell
Rated PG13

CHAPTER 8: Information

Talpa was not pleased. Their progress in seeking out the Ronin was slow, and he had let his displeasure be known. While his warlords, both new and old, had never exactly sought him out, now they avoided him as much as possible. So when Dais and the boy Moral returned from their scouting mission and informed Talpa that they had information, he was not too hopeful. He expected they had perhaps narrowed down their search yet further, but found out nothing useful.

He received the both of them in his throne chamber as always, and nodded impatiently as they knelt before him. "Report."

"We've located Torrent, Master," said Dais, a pleased grin on his face. "And Wildfire."

Talpa's eyes flashed red, as he stood, looking down on Dais with sudden eagerness. "Located, Dais?" he asked quietly. "You know exactly where they are?"

"Yes, Master," said Dais, smiling yet wider. "Moral, here, I must admit was a great help. He blends in a great deal better than I do. He was searching at a local festival, and happened to spot the two of them, only just catching sight of one of the armor spheres. He reported it to me, and I caught sight of them a few days later. They're in a town called Irwindale."

Talpa laughed, the terrible sound echoing in the vast chamber. "Excellent," he hissed, clenching a fist. "You both have done well."

Moral beamed, never having earned the praise of his master before, and Dais looked inordinately self-satisfied as well. "What are your orders, Master?" Dais asked.

"Inform Kale," Talpa said. "And tell him to choose those among the lesser warlords who will best fit in among the mortals. I want an eye kept out. If the others Ronin are not there now, they will be soon. We can destroy them one by one. Did it seem as if they knew the secrets of their armor yet?"

Dais did not answer this time, instead looking to Moral, who spoke up tentatively. "I--it didn't seem so, Master," he said, his American accent sounding strange to Talpa, as it always did. "When I saw them at the faire, they seemed pretty fascinated by the spheres."

"Excellent," murmured Talpa. "Keep a watch on them, see where they live and where they go. If they run, make sure their location is kept track of. We will gather our forces and attack then, kill them before they become a threat!"

"Yes, master!" said Dais, clenching a fist in anticipation.

"Go now, then. We will attack in three days."

Dais and Moral left the chamber, grinning at each other as they did, their enmity lessened by their joint success.

Kale was outside the palace, leading a weapons drill with several of the others. Seeing the look on Dais's face, Kale signaled a stop and went to meet him, silently asking what had happened. Dais told Kale that two of the future Ronin had been identified, and that the Master planned to attack them in three days.

Kale's eyes widened, eagerness etched suddenly in his expression. "Which two?" he asked.

"Torrent and Wildfire. Two boys, perhaps fifteen years old each. From what little I saw, each was true to his element; Wildfire had a temper like a torch, and the other one avoided open conflict. I'd know them again if I saw them."

"Do you think I'll be allowed in the attack?" Moral asked.

"The master will decide that," said Kale firmly, giving the boy a stern look, silencing him effectively enough. Moral had been disciplined too often for impudence or outright defiance enough that he didn't want to risk pressing the matter. Kale turned back to Dais. "And the master's orders?"

Dais relayed Talpa's wishes, for Kale to choose some of the lesser warlords to keep an eye on the Ronin to be. "Ones who will escape notice among the mortals; we three do not easily blend in," he added ruefully.

Kale nodded in agreement, casting a critical eye over the lesser warlords. "The foreign ones will not blend in, either," he said. "I'll send four in. Moral, Cade, Heath, and Vittorio—he's foreign also, but ordinary enough to fit in." He looked at Dais and allowed himself a brief, triumphant grin. Dais knew Kale quite well enough to know that he was just as excited as Dais was, whether or not they admitted it aloud.

When Kale put a hand on Dais's shoulder and said he'd done a good job, Dais grinned back. "Moral helped," he said. "He's beginning to learn."

Kale nodded, giving Moral a sideways look. "Yes," he said. "He is. Well then. I will gather those four and give them instructions. You get together with Sekhmet and begin preparing the others for battle. Make sure they know what to expect."

"Hai," said Dais, and left the group, heading back inside the castle, where Sekhmet was likely playing with his poisons. Venom's poison weapons were vile, but Dais had to admit they were one of their biggest assets.

Sekhmet was just as excited about the upcoming battle as Kale and Dais had been; none of them had fought a battle for decades, except for the sparring that was part of their training routines. It had been years since Sekhmet could sink his poisoned blade into the flesh of an enemy, and listen to him scream. Years since Dais had used his illusions to terrify and humiliate his foes, or since Kale had cast his soul-deep, icy attack of Corruption. It would be good to get back into battle.

---

The library was nearly deserted when Killian and Nohano burst inside, panting for breath, and looking behind them as if they were expecting something horrible to be after them. Nohano, for one, did expect something horrible to chase them, and it was a great relief to learn that he was wrong. Still, the feeling that he was either being watched, followed, or about to be attacked would not leave, and he didn't like it.

He took a big breath and stopped, forcing himself to walk slowly, catching the dirty look of one of the library workers, and the odd looks the few patrons were giving him. He managed a weak smile their way before turning to Killian. "How do we even start?"

"I say we look up the terms," said Killian. "The words he used. Torrent, and Wildfire...all one word like that, it seemed. Wildfire."

"Yeah," said Nohano, looking around for a computer terminal. "Maybe spheres or orbs, too."

"There," said Killian, pointing.

The two boys crowded at the same computer terminal, and Nohano typed the terms on the keyboard. Instantly, dozens of entries sprawled across the large monitor screen, and not a one of them seemed to have anything to do with the other.

"I think the words are too vague," said Killian. "Try..." He sighed with frustration. "Try 'Wildfire Sphere', but put it in quotes."

Nohano tried that, and got a far smaller collection of books. Three of them seemed to be on some rock group in Kenya, and he was fairly sure that wasn't what they were looking for. There was a book on racing, and one on movie special effects. But none of them looked like it would be of any help with what Nohano and Killian were looking for.

"Somehow," said Killian glumly a half-hour later, after they'd found absolutely nothing, "I don't think we're going to be battling a mad special effects man."

Nohano laughed, but it was distracted and short. "Probably not. Those ones we saw today, though. I think we'll be fighting them."

Killian seemed about to reply, when he looked up, and immediately clammed up. He smacked Nohano lightly on the arm, and he, too looked up.

He saw why Killian had quieted, a girl was watching them from the next terminal, watching them with an intensity that made Nohano nervous. He thought she was Japanese, but didn't know enough about the Asian people to be able to identify the specific countries. She looked familiar, which made him uneasy. Could she be one of them? Allied with the white-haired man and his friend from earlier? 'No,' he thought, frowning as the girl stood. 'She looks even younger than I am. There wouldn't be a kid among the bad guys...would there?' Well, why not? There were kids among the good guys, why not among the bad guys?

Nohano was tense as the girl approached, but oddly enough, Killian had relaxed.

"Good afternoon," the girl said awkwardly, bowing to them.

On hearing her voice, Nohano's eyes widened in sudden recognition--she was no enemy. She was one of them.

"Hello," said Killian, smiling at the girl, imitating the bow she had given them. Nohano was not sure how to reply, but a nudge in the ribs and a "well?" gesture from Nohano made him also bow, looking awkward and a little embarrassed.

The girl's voice was soft, and it was clear that while she understood English, she did not speak it often. "Thank you for return of my custom. I heard you speak," she said to them, smiling. "You know me."

"Yeah," said Nohano, a little awkwardly. Aside from not having a whole lot of experience with other adolescents, he certainly had none in dealing with girls. "We, well I did, I dunno about Killian, but I had a dream about you." His face suddenly grew hot, hot even for him, and he hastily added, "Wait, that didn't sound right—I mean--"

Killian's snickering didn't help matters, and he shot the other boy a dirty look. But the girl did not look offended, she only chuckled softly. "I know," she said. "I have dreamt of you both."

"Guess we're in the same group, huh?" said Nohano, glad the girl hadn't made a big deal about it.

"Yes. And I have much to teach you. Perhaps we go to a place of less people?"

Killian and Nohano exchanged uncertain glances. "Guess we should," said Killian finally, glancing at the few people around them. "Hate to say it, but if those two are after us, inside or out won't matter much."

What a miserable thought. "Okay," said Nohano, biting his lip. "I know a park nearby."

The three youths were silent as they walked the streets, and Nohano figured that either the girl had had her own experiences, or Killian and Nohano's jittery paranoia was contagious. Nohano expected to be ambushed at any time by that creepy man and his friend, but when they reached the park, they had not even looked at, much less attacked.

The park was not deserted, but there were plenty of niches and pockets among the trees where they could talk. Nohano led the others two into a little place he'd found the other day, a sort of mini gorge, with a tiny stream cutting through it. There were plenty of smooth patches of soft soil, and trees obscured it all. It was a popular spot for lovers, as he had once found out by mistake, but this early in the day, there was no one there. Nohano tried not to think of what other things various lovers might have done on this same soil.

The first thing was a round of introductions. The girl's name was Amaya, a name she said meant "night rain." Nohano wondered briefly what his own name meant, but didn't waste too many brain cells in speculating.

The information that Nohano and Killian got from her was frightening. They were what were called "Ronin Warriors", a group of fighters and heroes from the legends of Japan. She said that there have been many groups of Ronin through the centuries, people who have been chosen to bear the "yoroi", or mystical armor. Nohano protested that, saying that he was neither a warrior, nor Japanese, so there must have been some kind of terrible mistake.

Amaya laughed softly. "No mistake," she said quietly. "Not needed to be Japanese. Have all been before, but now the fight is to be here." A horrid chill went down Nohano's spine. "But you are a warrior. Have not learned yet, maybe. But your heart is a warrior."

Nohano was not entirely convinced. He sang pirate songs at Renaissance Faires—he wouldn't know the first thing about fighting!

"You will learn," promised Amaya, still smiling. "I can teach you. But now, please listen to the story."

Nohano nodded, looking around in case someone was deciding to eavesdrop, then turning his attention back to the girl.

He did not interrupt again, but with each word the girl spoke, his chest seemed to get tighter. She described a demon lord and a "Nether Realm" that sounded terrifyingly close to his nightmare, and to Nohano's horror, Amaya said it was indeed he that they would fight.

"He seek to rule this earth," said Amaya, frowning. "We are only ones who can stop it."

Nohano stared at her, unable to speak. They were the only ones who could stop it? Them? A group of people whose oldest member was not out of his teens and whose youngest couldn't be more than ten? Unless the others showed some extraordinary powers or skills, Nohano couldn't see how it was possible! Maybe the girl was wrong—maybe she was just crazy! It was so fantastic, so dire and unbelievable. But...

Nohano reached into his pocket and drew out his sphere, gazing at the red swirls within, and started to shake. Mystical armor—of course it wasn't riot gear, it was armor! 'I'm no warrior!' he thought desperately. 'I'm no warrior, and I'm no hero! I can't save the earth, not even with help!'

"You have the Wildfire armor," said Amaya, her smile widening. "You bear the armor my ancestor bore."

Oh, perfect, that was just peachy. As if he hadn't enough to think about, now he had someone's honored ancestor to live up to! "But he was an adult," said Nohano, his voice surprisingly steady.

A laugh was surprised out of Amaya, and she looked at Nohano with mild amazement. "Why you say that?" she asked. "When first he fought the Dynasty, he was fourteen."

"Fourteen?" Nohano sputtered in disbelief. "Fourteen—but—but was he, I mean, did he know he was a-a Ronin Warrior?"

"Not at first," said Amaya, her eyes shining with amusement at Nohano's astonishment. "The man who gave my armor said the armor must be discovered. It form a bond with the one to bear it. Only certain ones can bear each armor, and the armor must fit with that one."

"So it's almost sentient," said Killian softly, gazing down at his own sphere. Nohano had almost forgotten he was there. "Your mind's got to be one with it, form a relationship, for it to be able to work with you."

Amaya smiled. "Yes!"

"It makes sense," said Killian, putting the sphere back into his pocket. "I've always loved the water. Learned to swim as an infant, on my own, and my mum and dad..." Killian stopped talking abruptly, his jaw clenching. Nohano bit his lip and put a tentative arm around him. "Can't believe I forgot them," whispered Killian in horrified astonishment. "Can't believe I forgot that I don't even know if they're alive!"

"A lot's happened," said Nohano quietly. "The human mind can only handle so much at a time."

Killian said nothing, and Nohano glanced at Amaya, hoping she wasn't offended at being ignored all of a sudden, but her gaze showed nothing but sympathy. "Am sorry," she said softly.

Killian managed to nod, ducking his head to swipe angrily at his eyes. Nohano kept his arm around him until Killian straightened up again, taking in a big breath. "That kinda thing catches you by surprise sometimes," he said unhappily.

"Yeah, it does," said Nohano, frowning then looking back up to their new ally. "Amaya...does this...Ronin legend...mention anyone else but the demon dude?"

By the brief frown that flashed across Amaya's face, Nohano guessed that "dude" hadn't translated too well. "No," she said. "But it say of warlords, who have other armors, that are very like animals."

Nohano wondered briefly if she meant the warlords were like animals, or their armor was. But then he remembered the impression he'd gotten from the older man, the impression of a spider, and felt as if someone had punched him. How could he not have made the connection? The feeling he got from them, how they'd known the name of his sphere before he did, and how it was clear that they were not on the same side—how could he have not known he was from the nightmare realm he'd dreamt of? "We met one," he said, turning his gaze back to Amaya. "Two, really, but I didn't notice much of the younger one."

Her expression suddenly intense, Amaya asked him to tell her of the encounter.

Nohano and Killian related the story of what had happened on their way to the library, of how the man had identified them and taunted Nohano, and of how they had left. Nohano mentioned the clouds and the sick, greenish cast they shed on the landscape, and Amaya took a big breath. "They are close to attack, I think," she finally said, running a nervous hand through her hair.

She'd seemed to confident a moment before, it was odd to see this sign of unease; though Nohano should have realized she would be intimidated by the whole thing, too. Daughter of a Ronin or not, she wasn't much older than Nohano was. He asked her age. "We're both fifteen," he said, indicating Killian.

"I am fourteen," said Amaya.

Nohano did not have high hopes for the world. "You said you had things to teach us...did you mean this information?"

"Part," said Amaya. "But I have learn to fight since being a child. If you do not know how to fight, I can teach you."

Fighting lessons? It wasn't something that had ever occurred to Nohano; he had no particular interest in martial arts or firearms or anything like that. But if all of this was going to happen to him, if he had no choice but to fight to save the earth... "Yeah," he said finally, swallowing hard and taking a deep breath. "Yes, please...I think...I think that I don't have a choice. I don't know the first thing about warfare, and if..."

"I think we'll both be needing lessons," said Killian grimly. "But what of the others we're to join up with? Are we supposed to be looking for them?"

"I don't think so," said Nohano. "I don't know for sure...we can't, though. We don't know where to start."

"The way will show," said Amaya, standing.

The boys stood also, and Nohano glanced at his watch, wincing. "It's a lot later than I had expected; Robert's gonna be wondering about us. Amaya, do you want to meet here tomorrow? We can exchange contact information, and work on planning, or...or whatever it is we're supposed to be doing?"

"A good idea," said Amaya. "Perhaps one after noon?"

"One in the afternoon?" clarified Nohano. "Yeah, that'd work. We got rehearsal in the morning, anyway." He smiled at Amaya, and after a moment extended his hand. She obviously knew of Western customs, for she grasped it and gave it a gentle shake.

"Thanks for telling us all that," said Killian. "Me and Nohano were kinda in the dark about it all." He cocked his head. "What sphere do you have?"

Amaya pulled a dark orb from her pocket, an orb so dark blue it was nearly black. "Night," she said. "I know not what it can do yet, I can only summon my armor."

At the blank looks both Killian and Nohano gave her, Amaya explained that the "riot gear" they'd figured out how to use was not the armor itself. It was a sort of sub-gear, a protective suit that was the base for the real armor, which was far more protective. It also gave the bearer a weapon to use, and powers beyond those of normal humans.

"How do we get that to show up?" asked Nohano, frowning.

"For me, I must stand in the night. But it can be called any time by its name. I do not know the name of mine. I have tried 'night', in Japanese, but it not right. I think we will know the names when we need to."

"For now, maybe we should concentrating on getting ready for this bloody battle," said Killian, looking strangely angry. "And it's not gonna be just a battle, is it? It's a whole, bloody war. Just like Australia. Just another war."

"Yes," said Amaya, her tone at its softest. "Always are those who will attack others."

"Always," Nohano agreed glumly. "Well...guess we'll see you tomorrow. Some spot here, right?"

Amaya nodded. "Be careful. If the demon's warlords have seen you, you must be on guard for them. If the clouds come again, if you feel when you feel near them, be ready." Nohano agreed, though he didn't know what he could do if he was attacked. The mere idea scared the hell out of him.

The three youths parted, Killian and Nohano headed back home, and Amaya departing to wherever she was staying.

They made it back just in time for supper, earning some teasing from the guys about being fashionably late. Nohano made himself joke and laugh along with the others, but his mind was on the Dynasty, as Amaya had called it. Weapons, demons, magic, warlords... It was almost too much for a sane mind to handle. 'Guess it's a good thing I'm insane,' he thought wryly. 'And if I wasn't, I'd be by now!'