New Blood
by Saber Alexander McConnell
Rated PG13

CHAPTER 20: Dog Days

The youths' next goal was to find a place they could practice their fighting without being seen. They could practice anywhere without armor, and they did, but it took them an entire week to find a place they could use their armor and not be spied upon.

There was a large stretch of beach about five miles away from where Nohano lived that was blocked off by a large crag of rock that reached out several meters into the ocean. The beach was rocky and unappealing, and far enough from the main parts that it was never occupied.

At first, Nohano protested the location, until Killian told him it would be good therapy to practice with so much water nearby. "I'd never let you drown," he'd said sincerely. "Ever."

Nohano trusted Killian enough to relent, though he point blank refused to swim around the crags of rock to get to the enclosed cove-like area. Instead he found a low bit of cliff and climbed it, sliding down a steep rock incline on the other side. (Now that, he admitted, was fun.)

For the first couple of training sessions, Nohano slid down the rock and stood, shaking, as he stared out at the water. Gazing at the ocean from a distance was fine. Looking at it in pictures and movies was fine. Even gazing from a building that was a safe distance from shore was fine.

This, however, was not. Nohano was struck by a sudden shock of panic, wondering what would happen if a large wave hit the area. It was surrounded by rock, wouldn't they all be washed away?

Killian's presence eased into Nohano's mind. Easy, he said softly. Just watch for now. We'll work you up into joining in practice in a couple of days.

That was a good idea. Nohano nodded and pressed himself up against the cliff wall, his wary eye on the ocean, while Amaya and Rashida began taking the others through basic martial arts moves. Nohano, the only one not armored up, was able to tear his eyes from the enemy of the sea to watch every once in a while, tensing whenever a small wave washed onto the beach. How he'd let Killian talk him into this--!

He relaxed the smallest bit as the practice went on, and nothing horrible happened. Still, he couldn't get the image of the awful tsunami out of his head, and was quite thrilled when it was time to go home.

It took nearly a week before Nohano could make himself practice with the others, staying very close to the cliff face as he armored up and joined in the exercises. As the days wore on, he became more and more sure of himself in their sheltered cove, though he never would let Killian coax him into the water. Nohano wasn't quite ready for that.

---

No Quarter began performing at the San Francisco Renaissance Faire the week after, though all of its members were tense. Killian and Nohano were tense, expecting another Dynasty attack, and most of them were missing Robert quite badly.

Gregory had suggested that they sing Bartholomew Roberts for their first song, explaining that it had been Robert's favorite, and it would be a good way to honor him. Though at first wanting to protest, Nohano really couldn't argue. He knew it would be more fitting than the psalms they sang at his funeral. Still, he almost had Killian take his singing part, but didn't in the end, not wanting to chicken out on the song that would honor his friend.

For their first performance at the fair, Gregory began by announcing to the crowd why they were missing a member of their group. "Robert Tiller was killed a few weeks ago in Irwindale, by the terrorist attack."

That's what the news had called it: a terrorist attack. People with stolen lasers and new technology had attacked the fairegrounds, killing several people. Nohano was relieved because it meant his group were under no suspicion, but still irritated that some people refused to accept what they see in front of their eyes.

At least half the audience gasped, or made some other kind of noise of surprise, and Nohano stood quietly, his floor drum sitting before him on the stage. He began to silently cry as Gregory finished, introducing Killian, and explaining that he had been invited to the group by Robert a week or so before his death, and had been a great asset to No Quarter.

"Finally," said Gregory, "our first song will be Bartholomew Roberts. It was Robert's favorite, and the last one that he ever sang. We sing it now to honor him."

'I'm not gonna be able to sing,' Nohano thought furiously, wiping tears. A sudden tide of strength from Killian's direction made him look up and give the other boy a grateful look. Killian was sitting this one out, feeling it wasn't appropriate for him to join in, and stood of to one side to listen. Nohano watched Gregory for his cue, then bent over his drum and began the song.

Nohano made it through, but it wasn't entirely easy. He wept, but the strength and support Killian lent him allowed him to belt his part out fairly steadily. He finished out the song and stepped back, wiping at his face with the loose end of his headband, as the audience before them stood up, almost all at once, and applauded them. Nohano closed his eyes and set the drum down as Killian came over, and rested his face on the Australian boy's shoulder.

The applause lasted quite longer than normal, which gave Nohano time to get a grip on himself. He ducked behind the stage to grab a tissue, blowing his nose and wiping at his eyes. When he came back out onto stage, most of the audience had sat back down, and No Quarter was ready to move on to the next song.

It had been strange to practice without Robert there, but it was ten times stranger to perform without him. Killian sounded well with the group, and Gregory had taken the lead guitar parts, but it was still very strange. Nohano knew it would take a while to get used to.

---

As the weeks began to add up to a month, and then two months, there was no sign of the Dynasty. Several times it clouded over, and the threatening green tinge had barely tainted the clouds, but Nohano never saw anything of it. Rashida was of the opinion that they were biding their time or strengthening their forces. "Or both," she'd said glumly. She was probably right, too, but Nohano didn't mind. It gave him a chance to begin learning to fight.

In fact he rarely had any free time, having rehearsals with No Quarter most morning, and battle practice most afternoons. On the weekends he and Killian were at the faire all day, and when the faire was over, they practiced yet more.

Nohano wanted to take a break, but he was almost afraid to. He wanted to learn as much as he could, and get as used to his new armor and weapons as he could. He hadn't read his books in weeks, and Killian had not challenged Xan on the Nintendo Centurion they'd bought a few weeks before in at least five days.

The others were quite busy, also. Tarun attended school starting the beginning of August, and was entering the fourth grade, which had considerably more homework than the third had. Suisei found another job in a hangar, working during the day and training in the evening.

Xan continued his job with the grocery, working part time, as his age would allow. Demetrius and Rashida had also gotten jobs, Rashida as a dishwasher, and Demetrius with a construction crew. Neither job required knowledge of English, and for Demetrius, it was an ideal job. He loved to build things, and was stronger than most of the adults he worked with.

Amaya, who stayed with them, did not work. Being fourteen, with no papers saying she was allowed to work, it was not legal. But her family sent her money each month, knowing that she was destined to be a Ronin and knowing she would need help away from Japan. And so she was able to help Demetrius and Rashida with rent, though it left her with the most spare time. She looked after the apartment, cooking and cleaning. She considered it her duty, as she could not contribute as much as she liked to the monthly rent, and the others worked during the day.

Aside from their training, work, and school, the Ronin were beginning to figure out how the weapons of their armor worked. With Amaya and Rashida both working on it, they found that their weaponry could deliver a powerful surge of energy, a special attack. With the exception of those who bore the newly-made armor, the secret to the weapons' powers was in their battle cry. It wasn't easy to find the cries, but once learned, they understood just how powerful their weapons were.

As for Amaya, Tarun, and Xander, theirs worked a little differently. The ammunition Tarun used with his sling was already charged, ready to let fly at an opponent. Amaya's nunchaku extended to the length she needed, blasting with energy anything they hit. Xander, oddly, had no weapon with his armor, so Amaya had begun teaching him how to use a simple bo staff. Xan speculated that having shield powers meant he had no weapon. And as powerful as his shielding skills were, Nohano wasn't really sure he needed a weapon!

As their skill grew, he began to think they just might have a chance.

---

As August came to a close in a blaze of heat, Gregory asked the group all once again if they wanted to take the gig at The Jolly Roger, the pirate-theme restaurant, and everyone voted "yes". Gregory made the arrangements, and was told they would start at the end of September. It was good timing, because the current faire ended in the middle of the month, which left only two weeks between jobs.

A horrible thought struck Nohano during those two weeks, on the weekend he choose to be his days off from practicing and rehearsal. He had chosen those days to coincide with the others' days off, so they could hang out together and not worry about training, work, or school.

"What if the Dynasty's already attacked?" he asked as they lounged around Killian, Xan, and Nohano's studio apartment. "But somewhere else? They might not even be planning on striking here in the U.S.!"

A startled silence met his question before Amaya reminded him that they'd all gotten visions or outright instructions to meet in California. "Besides," she said. "An attack that bad, we would see it on the television news, right?"

"That's true," said Nohano, relaxing a little. "And it'd be all over the newspapers, even if it wasn't in this country."

Still, said Demetrius through the mental link they'd all managed to forge among one another. I have been feeling uneasy.

"Say that in English," said Nohano suddenly. He did that often, out of the blue suggesting he or Rashida repeat what they'd said in English. It was good practice.

Demetrius sighed with exasperation, but was unable to hide a smile as he thought for a moment, then repeated his statement in very slow, cautious English.

"Hey, that was good!" said Killian with a grin. "You speak it better than Nohano does."

Everyone laughed at that, and Nohano rolled his eyes. "Brats," he muttered with a laugh. "Uneasy. How?" he asked of Demetrius. He wasn't entirely sure he liked the sounds of that; Nohano had felt uneasy, too. That's why he'd thought of the Dynasty attacking elsewhere.

"We haven't had much time to breathe, must less notice subtle, creepy crap," said Xan. "But now that you mention it, it's been pretty dingy out. And that damned green haze has hung around."

"But no sign of the warlords," said Nohano, frowning.

I've felt as if I'm being watched, said Demetrius.

That wasn't good news. "You think we are being watched?"

I think the Dynasty has ways to see...magical ways. But I do not think we would feel that watching. I wonder if there are warlords who are sent to watch us?

"Oh, fantastic," muttered Killian. "Just what I wanted to hear." He sighed, leaning against the nearest wall. "How would we find out?"

"We don't," said Nohano disgustedly. "We have a vague idea of what their armor looks like, and I'd recognize that spider-looking dude. But otherwise we have no clue what they look like! I don't even remember that other one that was with the spider dude. And most of them had masks on the armor."

"There's nothing we can do about it, is there?" said Tarun, scowling with indignation. "I don't like being watched by those--"

"Jackasses," Xan offered.

"Yeah!"

Nohano sighed. "Listen. Let's try and keep a lookout. I know we're all busy, but..." He frowned and looked around the circle; every one of them was alone in the evenings, either at work or school, except for Killian and Nohano. "You all carry your armor orbs everywhere, right?"

Everyone nodded, and Tarun said, "Yeah! I take it everywhere, except in the bath. But I keep it in the bathroom!"

Nohano had to laugh. "Okay, good enough," he said. "I don't like the idea of being spied on. But all we can do is keep an eye out. Those guys feel creepy as hell. You meet anyone like that, remember what they look like. We can go from there."

"In the meantime--" said Demetrius.

"We should go for ice cream!" Tarun finished. Suisei clapped a hand to his forehead as everyone else either laughed or agreed.

"It's hotter than the ninth level of Hell," said Killian, making Nohano snort and Tarun giggle. "Ice cream sounds great to me."