JEZZY PAAAAANCH! -Punches her 6-month Writer's Cinderblock and grins as it crumbles away- After trying everything to get past this slump, chapter 91 is finally done. I'm sorry it took so long, and thank you to those of you who sent encouragement. It gave me the motivation to keep trying (even if the process was unbareably slow). I really don't have much else to say, except thank you to those of you who still care, and I hope that this chapter provides at least some entertainment.

A Gift of Love – Chapter Ninety-One: The Taste of Carnage

From that day on, Ren stood beside his wife as their children came through the front door, welcoming them home from school with a hug or a pat on the head, depending on how he felt that day. His children were at first surprised by the change, but soon accepted it with a smile and a reciprocated hug.

He had delivered one of the wishes – his son's desire to be hugged. Still, one remained, and he had seemingly forgotten about it. As her brother spent the next few days smiling about how his wish had come true, Lien waited for hers to be fulfilled as well. Finally, she cried to her mother, wondering why the gods had ignored her when she felt she wasn't asking for much.

Pin-Mei held her tight. "Sometimes, wishes need a little coaxing. They can't all happen on their own. Did you wish for him to offer to spend time with you, or would it be enough for him to simply agree if you asked?"

Lien soon decided to try asking her father outright. Her mother walked with her to the study, reasoning that while Ren valued his quiet reading time, if he felt it was important enough, he would be willing to leave the book behind to attend to other matters. She gave her a soft push on the small of her back, and after a nervous glance, the little girl entered the large, quiet room.

She tiptoed in, trying to come up with a plan to capture her father's attention. Her body shook, trembling at the prospect of being rejected. She looked down, still in thought. Then, she remembered her mother's tactics. While she was much too small to rip the book away, she felt that she had a good chance of at least being able to pull it out of his line of vision.

Confident in her plan, she ran and popped up over the arm of the chair on which the book was resting near.

"BOO!"

Her father twitched with minor annoyance. "Yes?"

The tone of his voice wiped the smile off her face immediately. "H-Hi, Papa…"

He raised his eyebrows for a moment. "Hi." He began lifting the book out from under her. "Now, if you don't mind…"

She let go, allowing him to take it back. He resumed his position. "Um…"

"Do you need something?"

She cringed. "Y-Ye…No…"

"Alright then."

She waited.

"Papa…why do you smile when Mama interrupts you but you act like you're mad when I do it?"

He turned a page. "Because when you're married, you are excused for terrorizing your partner from time to time."

"Tower…rice?"

"In this case, it means to annoy and bother someo-,"

He cut himself off, suddenly realizing what he was saying. He looked at Lien, whose eyes were wide with hurt. The doorway caught his eye, and he saw Pin-Mei standing there, an intense look on her face. She didn't care about this special freedom he admitted she had. The only thing she cared about in that moment was the little girl about to fall apart in front of him.

He glanced down at her again, a vision of his much younger self flashing for a few moments. He had wanted attention at Lien's age. Loving attention. Something he only received from his sister in sparse amounts until he was sixteen. He had silently vowed on the first night he had tucked his children into their crib that he wouldn't be like his father, that he would rise above that and give them all the love he possibly could.

He closed the book, not caring about losing his place, and got up. As he approached her, his daughter looked up at him, then cringed.

'Lower yourself to their level whenever you can. They won't be as intimidated that way.'

He knelt down in front of her, but his mouth refused to let out a single sound. Not to a child. He would never submit to a child. But an apology seemed like the only logical thing to say.

Lien suddenly ran and clamped onto his purple shirt, sobbing into it with wild abandon. Confused, he looked up at his wife, but she had moved away from the door, allowing him to make his own decisions.

"N-Next time I won't annoy you, Papa. I promise," she whispered. Still clutching the rich fabric, she looked up at him, as if it would prove that her words were true. "I'll try not to be a bad girl anymore."

For a few moments, he could only stare back at her. Then, as if moving on its own, his right hand came up to stroke her bangs from her eyes, wiping her tears away with his thumb, then resting it on the back of her head.

"It's alright. You weren't doing it maliciously," he said quietly.

"M-Mariscus..lee?"

"You…weren't trying to be mean to me. You weren't being a bad girl."

She tugged on his shirt harder, then broke down even more. He tried to stiffly pick her up so he could carry her to the chair, but she clung to him, immovable. In the end, he simply scooped her up by seating her on his arm and took his seat.

'What did I get myself into?'

Lien murmured something. He gently pushed her back so he could look at her again.

"What?"

She sniffled and trembled, her grip on him tightening still.

"I love you, Papa."

He stared at her. He had made her cry this much, and she was still saying she loved him?

"I…love you…too," the words slowly dribbled out.

Lien froze, then smiled brightly. She fell back against him, this time trying to reach her small arms around to embrace him.

"Yay," she said quietly.

"What did you want in the first place?"

She jerked up to look at him, then bowed her head. "I don't want to bother you."

"You won't. I won't get mad this time, either."

She looked up at him sheepishly. "Papa…When will my wish come true?"

He studied her. "Your wish?"

She looked slightly hurt. "Ren's wish came true. I want mine to come true too."

'Wish…? I don't even-,'

"'I wish Papa would spend time with me like take me for walks and read to me.'"

It had been raining for the last week. Truthfully, he'd had all the intention in the world of taking her out for the simple walk she so desired, but the weather had not allowed it. Regretfully, after being put off for so long, he had forgotten about it. He locked eyes with her. She was looking at him, hopeful, almost pleading.

Finally, he bowed his head and gave a small smirk. "Alright. What would you like to do?"

Her face lit up and she looked around. Spying the window, she jumped from his lap and ran to it, peering outside.

"It's sunny out!"

"Well, I suppose that decides things." He got up. "After your change out of your uniform, we'll go." He walked toward the door.

She tapped her feet on the floor in excitement, then ran after him, clutching his hand as they entered the hall. He didn't object.

She looked back to see her mother standing near the entrance of the study, her hands clasped together under her chin. Lien was still astonished, but Pin-Mei quickly nodded a few times, letting her know that it was all true.

Lien smiled brightly and turned back to continue walking with her father.

Ren's eyes tensed. There was no way he could jump high enough to evade the flames. If he stayed where he was, however, he would suffer the same fate as Sheng.

Dammit…There has to be a way out of this! I have to save Lien!

A chill whisked over him and he saw tall blocks of ice on either side of him crystallizing and guarding him from the twin assaults. Over his shoulder, HoroHoro's heavy breathing ghosted against his neck. The Ainu's eyes were frantic. After all, Ren was one of the few precious things that remained.

Parrying both attacks, his stance weakened, his knees bent as he tried to catch his breath.

Ren put on a mask of annoyance. "You fool! You just wasted all that furyoku! You shouldn't have done such a moronic thing like that!"

HoroHoro weakly lifted his head, looking at him with only one eye open. "Shut up. Don't you think I know that? I also know," – he looked to Lien – "that that girl is one of the most important things to you in the world, and I have to make sure you save her." He turned back to him. "Don't fucking tell me what to do. Besides…" His head dipped. "I'm not going to allow Seta to lose one more woman he cares about."

Ren held his glare for a little longer. "Fine. Make all the rash decisions you like." He turned away.

His friend smiled. "You're welcome."

The Tao looked over his shoulder at him, a barely visible smile on his lips. But his eyes shot open. He fully turned, his over soul raised. HoroHoro stiffened, then glanced behind him.

Before either man could appropriately react, the Spirit of Fire grabbed the Ainu and imprisoned him in a hot, smoldering fist. Hao seated himself on the spirit's shoulder.

"You relaxed far too quickly," he taunted. "I'm not about to allow you fools to best me and rob me of the sacrifice that was so painstakingly prepared for me."

His eyes narrowed and his grin widened as the Spirit of Fire began heating its hand. HoroHoro could feel his skin burning, and he silently tried to use an oversoul to cool himself down, but it was futile. Kororo alone wasn't enough against a spirit so beyond her level. The Ainu desperately tried to ignore the urge to wail in pain. He wouldn't give Hao the satisfaction.

Ren dashed up to him. "HoroHoro!"

The man opened a pained eye and chuckled weakly at him. "Guess it was a foolish thing to do – to let my guard down, I mean."

Ren clenched his fists. "No, that's not what I-!"

"HEY!"

The Tao silenced himself. HoroHoro gave him another grin.

"If I don't make it out of this, take care of Seta for me. I know he's old enough that he should be taking care of himself, but I'd feel better knowing that someone else is looking out for him."

"Dad!"

He looked down to see his son staring at him, terrified. The boy grabbed his weapon once more.

"S-Stop it!" he screamed. "Stop it! Stop hurting my family!"

Hao turned to give him a passive glance. "Hnnn? And what will you do if I continue?" On cue, the Spirit of Fire clenched its prey's body.

Seta quivered, his own body tensing more and more for every second that he watched his father hold in his screams. He wanted to charge in. He wanted to save the only immediate family member he had left. Before he could move, Ren stood in front of him.

"Sheng leaving her post is something I've unfortunately come to expect, but you, Seta, I expected much more loyalty and obedience from."

"W-What?"

Ren gripped his weapon tightly. "Didn't you say you were going to protect Lien? If so, then why is she behind you, defenseless and completely vulnerable if Hao decided he wanted to take the rest of her soul at this exact moment?"

Seta froze, then looked behind him. Lien was leaning against a tree like a porcelain doll, her face still pale and her body lacking any sign of life.

"I…I'm sorry." He looked up again. "But-!"

"Seta!" HoroHoro called down in a strained voice. "Do what Ren says. You already said you'd protect Lien, so that's what you have to do. Don't worry about me."

'Don't worry?' DON'T WORRY? How could he not worry? He had been the first to happen upon his sister's corpse. He had left his mother's side just before she was dealt a fatal blow. He had stood back as his cousin charged into battle and was quickly disposed of, becoming as barely recognizable as his sister. Now, with his father at the mercy of Hao and the Spirit of Fire, he was desperate. His father was all he had left. If he lost him…

"NO!" he yelled. "I'm sick of watching my family die! I can't stand it anymore!"

HoroHoro stared down at him with pitied eyes.

Ren, tired of the insolent distraction, turned and punched the boy. Seta fell to the ground, holding his cheek as he looked up at the Tao.

"If you're not going to heed the words of your own father, much less mine, then stay out of the way. This fight is no place for an insufferable brat like you." He turned. "And…No."

The boy's eyes widened, realizing what he was referring to. "But…I…"

"If you love her that much, then go protect her."

Seta quickly stumbled to his feet, half tripping his way back to the comatose girl. He surveyed her, as if placing her into the equation of the fight and accounting for his losses. Then he gently held her in his arms again, cradling her. He paused for just a moment before allowing his worried gaze to return to the fight.

She feels…warmer…

Meters away from him, Ren bent his knees slightly, then leaped up, his oversoul ready to slash the fist and free his friend. But as he executed his attack, a burst of flames arose and captured him. Reluctantly abandoning the rescue attempt, he allowed the attack to push him back to the ground. It was only when he looked up at the spirit in disdain that he realized where the flames had come from.

HoroHoro's screams could be plainly heard over the fire that roared around him. Ren leaped up once more, this time paying the pyre no mind as he unleashed a fierce attack on the clawed fist.

He never made contact. Hao had parried him, his eyes carrying a mixture of annoyance and sadistic triumph. The warriors' persistence was clearly whittling at his patience.

As much as I'm beginning to dislike this body, the circumstances won't allow me to fully assimilate into it just yet. Until I'm in complete control and have regained my full power, I'll have to make do with this wretched whelp's techniques.

Ren frantically whipped the weapon around, using the bo section to ram Hao in the ribs, landing a kick to push him further away. The demon's anger spiked, landing on his feet in the mud in such a way that it appeared his spite gave the means to do so effortlessly. Instead of pursuing him, he looked up and watched Ren's attempts to free his friend, a smirk on his lips.

Ren cut through the fire, slicing the hand squeezing the life out of his fellow warrior. The spirit roared and the fire dispersed for a few moments. He wasted no time pulling HoroHoro from the death grip, slinging him over his shoulder before jumping to the ground.

"Took you…long enough…" his voice came in a raspy whisper.

Ren couldn't even counter the snarky comment. The sarcastic remark had been mere reflex. Just as Sheng, Xue, and Rong before him, the Ainu was going down in flames.

Dammit! I can't let him die!

Seta's eyes didn't leave his father's burnt face. "No…Dad…Don't leave me alone…Please, Dad…" He closed his eyes and continued holding Lien. As he opened them and looked to his left, a light bulb went off in his head.

He stood and leaned Lien against the damp bark behind them, then paused. He touched his cheek, then picked the heiress up and threw her onto his back. Glancing around quickly to make sure he was being paid no mind, he made a mad dash for his cousin's corpse.

The fire was hot enough to burn her skin off, but…

"A top with bottles in it? Wouldn't they break if you fell on your stomach or got hit there?"

"Fufu – who said they were made of ordinary glass? The Wei family didn't settle for such inferior material. It wasn't indestructible, but it could stand most anything I encountered. They're not your run-of-the-mill vials. It took a lot more than a simple blow for them to break."

If I can just make it over there and take the right bottle, I might be able to save him!

He practically flopped onto Sheng's body. Lien threatened to fall off his back, and he tried to slide her back into place. He one-handedly opened the guard's top and began to quickly examine the vials.

There must be one here that can help him!

Some of the medicines had indeed broken in their bottles, but that didn't stop him from checking them anyway. He finally found one that said, "Antipyre".

This should work!

He turned to secure Lien before standing, but a blade was suddenly against his throat. With wide, quivering eyes, Seta gazed up at Suo.

"I had previously decided not to intervene, but when it comes to the whelp of that pathetic ex-guard, I have few qualms about stepping in."

He tried not to show more fear than he had already. Sweat ran down the side of his face as his mind raced, trying to figure a way out of this. He spun around, giving his neck a small scratch, but turning Lien away from the bladed fan.

"You needn't mind her, boy. She's not my concern right now."

All the same, he began inching away from the woman, his eyes never leaving her.

She tilted her head. "Come now, child. Where will you go? Will you run away and become lost in the woods? Or perhaps you will lead me straight to my granddaughter?"

Seta extended his bo staff and tried to rise and take a stance that would allow him to still carry Lien on his back. Suo seemed mildly amused at his effort, but then stiffened and glanced over her shoulder. She leaped out of the way to reveal Ren trying to attack her from behind. She scowled, then sneered when she saw the burn on his ribcage.

Seta realized that his father wasn't beside him. Frantic, he looked around before spotting him lying against a tree. He made sure the attention was away from him, then ran over to him.

His eyes quivered. He reached out to touch his father's face.

"D-Dad…"

His skin was just as dry and charred as his sister's was. Seta fumbled with the vial and dumped it on him, trying to spread it over the areas that he believed would be the most benefited from it.

"You'll be okay now...right? RIGHT?"

When his greatest fears were validated, he clutched the bottle and crumbled. Suo spied him out of the corner of her eye.

"It's not easy fighting by yourself, is it, Ren?" She paused, taking satisfaction in his silence. "Could it be that you need your wife in order to fight me?"

He flinched, then charged with another slash. She dodged and swung her closed fan. He blocked it, and they entered a deadlock.

"After all, Ren, you didn't actually fight me. You fought Pin-Mei. And that apparition fought me in your place, and he knew my maiden family's fighting techniques. But you…no, you and I have never even come close to crossing swords."

He didn't react. "I've fought you enough to recognize the tactic you're trying to use right now."

She smiled. "But does that mean that it isn't working?"

His eyes narrowed.

"I simply don't want to believe it either, Ren, but really, is it possible that a proud, traditional man such as yourself really needs a woman's help to win a fight?"

"I DON'T!" he yelled, pushing her away.

She immediately countered by quickly lining her fan with tags and sending a powerful wave at him. Ren tried to shield his eyes from the unnaturally torrid wind, knowing that his senses would be at her mercy if he took it head on.

When it faded, and he lowered his arm and set his eyes on Suo once again. "Parlor tricks aren't going to work, Suo. You'll have to do better than that." He pointed his weapon at her.

She fanned herself, smiling behind the weapon. "I'm simply stalling for you, giving your beloved wife a little more time to catch up with us. You should be grateful. At least if she were to show up she could act as a distraction to keep me busy. That way, you could fight Hao one-on-one and not have to worry about a sneak attack."

"I TOLD YOU – I DON'T NEED HER! I CAN HANDLE THIS BY MYSELF!"

"...I-Is that true, Ren?"

He stiffened as he registered his wife's voice. He couldn't speak.

"Do I really hinder you that much, Ren?" The voice was quivering slightly.

His eyes were wide, struggling to keep himself from glancing back to where the voice was coming from. He was trying to calculate approximately how much time had elapsed, and if it was a mathematical possibility that she could have found her way there. While it was safe to say that she would have wandered around for a while without an exact location in mind, it was possible that she could have had another guide. All involved had used quite a bit of furyoku during the battle, but sensing it had never been one of Pin-Mei's strong points...

"She's not there."

He jerked his head up to see Seta glaring at him from behind Suo. The boy looked enraged, and Ren couldn't tell if he was crying or the rain had simply dripped off of the leaves above.

"It's just another stupid trick," he said, his voice full of anger. "Auntie Pin-Mei's not there, so stop waiting! Just...Just end all of this before anyone else dies!"

Ren hesitated a second more before he saw Hao's attack being reflected off the blades of Suo's fan. He leaped out of the way, leaving Suo to divert the flames on her own. She glared at Hao, who seemed entirely apathetic.

"I told you that you could have that woman to yourself. I never said anything about allowing you to have Ren as well." The hag seemed as though she were about to protest, but he glared at her. "Silence yourself, step aside, and wait for your prey as I finish with mine."

Clearly frightened, Suo stepped back to stand near Tadashi. Satisfied, Hao turned back to Ren, who quickly raised his weapon to ready himself. Hao smiled.

"You're the last one standing in my way of regaining my full power. Do you still think you have any hope at all?"

A drop of sweat rolled down the Tao's face. "That doesn't have any bearing on how I'm going to fight you. I'm not going to let you have Lien."

The grin widened. "The way she is now, she's about as mindless and comatose as those kyonshii of yours. I'm the only one she's of any use to. If you were wise you would just give her up."

Ren clenched Houraiken tightly, trying to disregard the comment. Hao was only trying to rile him up, tricking him into faltering so he could deal a lethal blow.

Don't pay any attention to what he says. Just concentrate on winning.

"BASON! GIANT OVERSOUL!"

I should have done this from the beginning.

But he had little time to lament. Hao had taken the appearance of the robot-like oversoul as a cue for him to jump back onto the Spirit of Fire's shoulder. He smirked as he noticed Ren's attempts to hide some heavy breathing.

"This is your last stand, isn't it? You've used most of your furyoku making this oversoul, and all I need to do is destroy it, yes?"

Ren replied by launching a Chuuka Zanmai at his foe. Hao gracefully dodged the attack and diverted the blade with a single claw.

They went back and forth, fire and furyoku crossing in a brilliant display. Seta watched, his heart dropping with each passing minute. Ren was holding on as long as he could, but even his furyoku couldn't last forever.

Hao threw a large stream of flames at him, but he was unable to fully dodge. Bason fell to his knees, apologizing. His master's mind was too muddled to reply.

"My Lord!"

Ren slowly looked up to see the Spirit of Fire's large hand positioned over them. There was no chance for them to escape. As Bason became engulfed in the flames, Ren pushed himself off his servant's shoulder, landing on the ground with a sickening crack.

Get up…Get up! You're the only one left who has any chance of stopping him!

"I believe I already told you that you have no chance," Hao said tauntingly. He now stood on the ground, knowing that the proud man was now no more threatening than a kitten.

Ren's body wouldn't move at first, but with much coaching, he finally stood, his left arm dangling. His eyes were dulled, but he still tried to take a stance.

"If you want to beat me, you'll have to burn me up and tear me to shreds."

Hao tilted his head. "How touching. A father ready to die for his child." He swung the Kwan Dao back and began charging.

Ren weakly positioned a blocking maneuver, but it was easily brushed away. Now exposed, his chest was slashed, causing blood to spurt everywhere. He hit the ground, his eyes wide.

No…I can't…let this…happen…!

Hao watched with a dark grin as his prey slowly got to his knees. With little effort, he thrust the blade through the Tao's chest. "Not only that, but a father ready to die by his child's hand."

Ren slowly looked up at him, as if suddenly remembering that it was his son's body he had been fighting. He had tricked himself into creating a hologram of sorts to conceal that fact, choosing to see Hao's body instead his son's. With his consciousness quickly fading, he couldn't run from it anymore. Controlled or not, his son had the blood of at least four people on his hands. It was the heir he had groomed since before the boy could hold a toy weapon that was dethroning him.

Satisfied, Hao used his foot to push Ren's body off the blade. It fell to the ground, landing on its back.

Misty rain fell upon him, and he looked up through squinted eyes at the dark clouds above.

Ren…

The emotional and physical pain was leaving him, something he was both appreciative and regretful of. He had wanted, if nothing else, to make sure that his daughter was safe, but that was now completely out of his hands.

Lien…

He hadn't found his lost child. For all he knew, he could already be dead.

Níu-Năi…

His mind blanked. After a few moments of concentration, he could see his wife's sleeping visage – knowing she would most likely find herself the only one left when she awoke. The look on her face when she would become aware of it, how upset she would be, how she would cry.

Pin-Mei…Don't…

He replaced the image with a smiling one, her eyes full of love and admiration. He could see her jumping into his lap as he tried to read, how she would sit and watch him train while their children were at school. He could even see how she would look up at him as they lay in bed together. His mind was put slightly at ease as he heard her voice.

'I love you.'

...u…too…

He couldn't keep his eyes open. One last thing came to mind.

"If either of you…can somehow use it…it's yours…"

His eyes closed.

A few meters away, Seta watched, trying to swallow the sick feeling of hopelessness and fear. "Ren-san! REN-SAN!" He dashed over to him, piggybacking Lien. He shook the body frantically as if trying to wake him up. "Ren-san! C-Come on! You can't die! Auntie Pin-Mei will be really upset if you do! Get up! GET UP! PLEASE!"

Hao watched the boy as he fell apart, trying to hold the girl on his back steady while still allowing reality to sink in.

I'm the only one left. If…If I die, Hao wins. He'll take Lien's soul and regain all his power. No one will stand a chance against him! He stopped. Yeah…Yeah, if I can just stall—

"—for Pin-Mei?"

Seta looked up at him, horrified. Hao smirked. "If that's what you want, I'll even go intercept her if you have such faith in a weakling like her. She's weaker than Ren, and you can see how successful he was in opposing me. How absurd of you to think she of all people could defeat me."

The boy's body was shaking uncontrollably. He squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. "Auntie Pin-Mei can't beat Hao either? Th-Then what do I do?"

Ren's look of disgust flashed in his mind. Seta's eyes shot open.

What am I doing? Ren-san trusted me to protect Lien, but I'm just sitting here like a crybaby. What would he say? What would my family say?...What would Lien say? No. My dad didn't run. Neither did my mom. Another thought crossed his mind. How can I even hope to be considered worthy enough for the Wei devotion ritual if I run away now? No. I won't. I can't. I'm not running!

He bowed his head and stood. Hao's eyes carefully followed his movements.

"Getting ready to run? Run to Pin-Mei and lead her back here to die?"

"No."

He raised his eyebrows at the dark tone. "Oh? Then what is it you plan to do?"

Seta didn't reply. Instead, he turned his back to Hao completely. Without a word, he lowered Lien to the ground and leaned her against the trunk of a tree. He looked at her, at first with anxiety, then with softened eyes. He reached into his bag and pulled out the lemur plush, then placed it in her lap. Then he pulled out the plastic bag that held the unfinished bear and set next to her.

"I was hoping that I could give these to you myself, that I could see the look on your face, but things just didn't work out like that."

His eyes didn't leave her. As the feelings of love and fear built up inside, he clenched the knees of his pants.

"I don't think I'm going to make it back, so…" His eyes shifted away, almost as if Lien were looking at him with curious, innocent eyes. "I just want you to know…"

A blush covered his face.

"I love you."

He hung his head, then looked up at her. She gave no reply. A small, self-derogatory chuckle escaped him.

"Of course not…"

Looking up, he paused, studying her once more. He leaned in, his stare now on her lips. At the last second, he halted and planted the kiss on her forehead instead. He sat up again with a nervous grin.

"Looks like I'm still just a chicken after all…"

"I'll ask once more; what do you plan on doing if you're not going to run away?"

Seta rose and took out the wooden cylinder once more. With a flick of his wrist, it extended. "Isn't it obvious?" he replied, stone-faced. He pointed the staff at Hao. "I'm going to kill you for what you've done to my family and Lien's! No matter what it takes, I won't let you get away with any of this!"

Hao let out an amused sneer. He strolled up to the fresh cadaver and pilfered its weapon. With Houraiken extended, he pointed it at the boy. "Alright, then."

Seta clenched the staff to keep from trembling. He swallowed. Part of him was still hoping that he would wake up. Maybe this was all just a dream, and if Hao killed him, he would simply jerk awake and be in his bed. Either way, he couldn't run. Whether he was going to live, die, or wake up; in less than one minute, he would be crossing weapons with his best friend once again. He would be up against the person responsible for the carnage surrounding him.

His eyes shifted to look over his shoulder. He had to make sure Lien wouldn't be stolen in a moment of weakness.

"I'll protect you."

Resolute, his gaze returned to Hao.

I'll protect you…

He took his stance.

I promise – for now and forever!