Chapter Three – Falling In with the Same Old Crowd
The car had stopped. Any and all awe Kage had felt for the plush accommodations of the car were instantly dashed to pieces as he took in the impressively decrepit old temple he stood in front of, almost demanding a lopsided smirk to cross his face. It was nothing but a worn sanctuary, with barely visible architecture and reminiscent callings of a once prominent building, now laying in ruin from centuries of neglect. It was a wonder that the main building was even intact, with a roof to cover it and walls that vainly fought to stay standing. The plant life had overrun the walls and structures, making it look more like a lewd garden rather than a shrine, and the very thought of stepping out of such luxury into the decrepit old place made Kage snort a snide remark. "What a shit hole," he said purely for their benefit. While the subordinates seemed severely offended by the chide remark, the leader simply stepped out next to Kage and locked his shoulders back, chuckling in his cool manner.
"My dear boy, it is not what you see that is important, but rather what you do not see," he replied, waving his hand through the air like some kind of mystic.
When the massive stone doors began to part, Kage's eyes shifted back to the temple and widened behind his dark glasses, for he hadn't expected to see what lay beyond the crumbling exterior of the ancient temple. Past the dull brown and gray stones of ancient construction was something entirely different; a beautiful hall of implicitly clean metal lay inside, a great reflective belly of an otherwise listless beast. Every cut and corner of the hallway, and even the floors and ceilings, were planes of flawless metal, casting a maddening display of reflections into this vortex of dimension. Truly, if one were to stare into the room from too long, it was likely their mind would fall useless into the endless planes of reflections and he predicted it would be entirely too easy become disoriented among the endlessly progressing doppelgangers cast from one surface to another. Kage was careful not to let his eyes linger in one spot.
As the others entered before them, Kage stayed a moment to dwell upon the words that had been spoken, for the man had not parted with them lightly and Kage felt that could have some greater meaning. Unfortunately, Kage was never one to use his head for anything but breaking an opponent's nose, so he gingerly shrugged it off and started into the hallway, idly admiring the endless reflections of himself as he did, each one seeming to stare away into the countless others, as if trying to seek guidance from yet another ponderous source. As he followed, the amusing thought ran through his mind that before, when he was torn within himself as to his fate and his power had spun out of control while tethered to his mind, he had felt divided within himself. That feeling paled in comparison.
Kage had come to a stop in the middle of the hall and glanced about with no small sense of awe at just how impressive a thousand reflective surfaces swallowed you and made you feel almost aloft. It became no less impressive with every passing moment, and there was a sneaking suspicion growing in his mind that his intuition about these figures was indeed correct. The construction and design of the bowels of the temple were not by any terrestrial means, for the metal itself seemed to flow about the room and fuse with itself, rather than simply come to an end where the next plane began, almost like some great tranquil lake that surrounded him at all sides. This was, indeed, like the belly of some great beast – organized and laid out in methods known by no mere human.
While he had been distracted, the five figures took places opposite him in the grand hall and the doors came to a shuddering stop as they closed. Now some unknown source of light was keeping the hall illuminated by means of the panes and threw impressive shadows across the figures, drawing Kage's attention to them. The first to speak was one of the subordinates, and she stepped timidly and nervously wrung her hands together, her head partly shrouded by a massive hood that was attached to the coat the covered her. She was obviously someone very shy the prying eyes of others, but she did not appear too out of place in terms of dress. Kage had noticed earlier that she seemed a step apart from the others, as if she really was not the same creature. When she spoke, her words came in meek, shuddering tones that strained Kage's ears to fully grasp them, something that further annoyed him. "We are instructed to introduce ourselves. Forgive the imposition. M-My name is Yau Jui Lin. I am…"
"Cut the bullshit," Kage interrupted harshly and adjusted his bag over his shoulder. It was an abrupt outburst and the woman that had been speaking was obviously very timid indeed, for it caused her to wince and step back, as if she feared more than she breathed. It only further raised his suspicions about her.
However, despite how the woman reacted, one of the others, a larger, more brutal looking man, stepped forward in a tirade of anger and could barely contain his fury. "What did you say!" he snarled viciously. He was a colossus of a man, huge in stature and big in presence. Kage had noted him also, for he eyed him so viciously in the car that Kage had almost reached over and slapped him. However, now it seemed that the man was stepping out to stand at issue with whatever he thought off about Kage. The only thing that held him back was a glance from the leader, but he was almost too livid to heed it. His fists were aching with how tightly they had become and an unknown, feral part of him was pushing against his limits, threatening to break out and consume his disciplined rank.
Kage just kicked his weight to the side and joined his endless reflections in casting a cool candor upon them all. He had a knack for being frank. "I already forget dopeshit names two seconds after I hear them, so throwing around some fake names you use to get around will only prove your forgetability. Huh, I wonder if that's even a word," he continued, cocking his head to the side to ponder the weaknesses of his vocabulary. This only proved to infuriate the colossus even more but once the leader stepped forward, he was quelled enough to step back and seethe inwardly about this arrogant human. Kage just resumed his threadbare interest in their names and waved his free hand about his face, as if waving away some foul smell, as he continued, "If you're not going to tell me who you really are, then how can I believe that you really know where this guy is?"
The leader was beside himself in delight. This human was very amusing and even made him laugh, two very good reasons why he didn't simply arrest the boy under a pile of death and bones. Pushing back some of his long black hair, he simply gleamed with interest over the boy and his smile showed it. This Kage had truly piqued his interest. "You are a bizarre and interesting young man, Yamamori Kage. I am confident in my judgment that you are not afraid of monsters," he replied.
Kage grinned wickedly. "After the shit I've been through, fella, there ain't nothing that scares me," he quipped and let his memories roam back to his jaded past.
Most men fear those things that cause harm, the terrible creatures that saunter in shadows and reach out with claws or fangs. A quivering hand was only as fearful as the eyes that bore it, yet Kage had lived terrors beyond the imagination of normal humans; he lived the nightmare of being a monster himself – a monster of personal creation and self-propulsion. Fear had no definition when the source of all your sin could lay no further than your own outstretched hand.
Seeing a monster staring back at him upon every puddle or fear-streaked eye of the innocent had tempered him to a point where no claw or fang could ever again cause fear to shake him. He had been more of a monster than any in lore.
Still, Kage's eyes did react when the aura around the leader began to morph, to change into a completely different creature. Although outwardly the figure altered very slightly, his clothes becoming a bizarre form of dulled metallic material and his skin taking on a definite pastel tone, what intrigued Kage was a form of energy he had never seen before, through Ryuugan or no. His hair, which had once been long and black, with a silkiness that defied conventional belief, now soaked through in a deep crimson hue, as if it had been dipped in the richest blood. It somehow retained all of its silkiness. The man's eyes also changed, becoming more vicious and reflecting the light in tones of orange. In every aspect, this figure became more and more then personification of some terrible demon that had pierced the centuries by cast and tome, lingering at the back of men's minds and at the tip of men's trembling spears. Yet, this creature was not simply frightening; he was radiating a sense of nobility and pride that Kage rarely saw in the ranks of his fellow man, and instantly he was aware that this creature was no random monster or cretin, but rather an intimidating foe worthy of his weary complexion. In a transition that seemed to last only a moment, the leader had changed from a compelling human to something not at all from this world - a creature of nobility, determination and impressive power. His foil-like robes resonated in tones that almost seemed too melodic to be natural and he seemed to move even as he stood still, if only due to his completely altered aura that now almost burned Kage's eyes. Long, dignified fingers curled at the outset of his power and the leader seemed instantly more at ease in his true form, though perhaps only because Kage's smug expression had dulled slightly at the truth of him, as if it appeased his desires to be feared.
Still carrying that cool air, he settled nicely into his natural robes and glared at Kage through his alien eyes, delighted even more that the human did not even react to the sudden change of creature before him. "Perhaps you will remember this then. I am Oberon, High Baron of Alloria and rightful Supreme Commander of the Imperial forces of Avalon," he said with an air of royalty that echoed in the hall for many moments after his voice fell away. He was indeed impressive, for not only did he glow with the presence he put on, but his aura was also visible even to someone not bestowed with the Ryuugan. Kage, having such a gift, was awed by the image around Oberon; a great winged serpent coiled around him and radiating a pulse of energy that caused Kage's brow to sweat. He had never felt a power like this and even found a moment to compare it with the pulses of energy he felt coming from Yamito, though he could instantly tell they were different. It was the sheer maginitude of the power that caused him to worry, worry that this was going to present a problem far into the future. Oberon was a shiver that ran through Kage's body, defiling his strict sense of fearlessness and making even most resolute fighter hesitate to lift fists.
By that point, each of the others had stepped up as well, shedding their human masks and revealing their true nature as beings unknown to Earth. Whether it was the platinum hair or the violet eyes, they each portrayed characteristics unlike any human, yet all retained a semblance of the beast. And all of them were impressive in power, though none seemed to rival that of the cool lethality of their leader. However, he was quick to notice that this observation fell short by one – the timid woman barely appeared any different than before, yet her aura remained equally as elusive. Kage had the feeling that this was not a good thing. With an entire chorus of power and potential brimming before him, he had hardly one moment to focus on any one figure, save Oberon and his furious power, but it would not slip by him that this woman was a different shade, a different hue from the others. It was also troubling that she had been the figure that had stirred in the car and sent Kage on his guard.
"You react very smoothly. Perhaps you have witnessed such things before?" Oberon asked lightly and brushed back the scarlet hair from his inhumane face, those blazing orange eyes locked on the human with a greed that caused Kage's inward musings to cease and his mind to come to terms with his situation. He had been greatly appeased by the boy's change in demeanor when he revealed himself, and thus felt more inclined to pursue this matter further. Seeing the boy through his unaltered eyes only stirred more interest in him and he was almost giddy with joy at this new opportunity that had presented itself.
However, outwardly, Kage just regained his smirk, shrugging expressively with his free hand and shaking his head to the rhythm of his pathetic life. "Like you said, some amazing things happen in Tokyo. You didn't want me to tremble in fear, did you?" he asked.
Once more the others reacted to his brash mannerisms but Oberon just gleaned, tilting his head back slightly to show his fanged grin. Any human that could stand in his pure presence without shaving one sweat demanded his attention. This boy had the potential to be everything he wanted. The thought of that made a shiver of covetousness to jingle his metallic robes.
As if beckoned by some unseen master, the hall suddenly became crawling with creatures resembling something out of those comic books Suteki had liked reading before the war that shattered their world. They were genderless beasts, each having a mask that covered their faces but had no other defining characteristics, save the long hanging arms and the hunkering postures that barely made them recognizable as humanoid. Their skin, if one were to call it that, slightly resembled the fabric of burlap, though it was of a dull brown, metallic material that proved them as part of this realm. Like drones in some great hive, they doubled their numbers in every moment, first moving like feral beasts before then standing upright and sauntering forward like some nameless point in an unbroken line. They lumbered and swayed like hunkering animals but came to a halt around Kage, each seemingly mindless until given the decision to move. With a sea of brilliant masks, some smiling, some screaming and some distorted in pain, this great army of the hive swarmed and stayed in one great circle around Kage – this one invading wasp to their home.
Kage had instantly gone on guard when they had moved in, but little showed it on the outside. They seemed to come right out of the corners of the walls and surfaces where two reflective fields met, thus making their entrance without sound and source. Also, and it was very apparent to him as he tried to count the number of opponents, that the countless reflective panes denied any measure of assurance as the difference of real and reflection, for each drone seemed to have a thousand other partners moving along with him, yet none seemed at all like the adjacent neighbor. The beautiful infinity of the hall had once awed him, but now only lingered as a hindrance to his new situation. Three distinct mask designs were discernable and a corresponding glow around them respective to each design, telling him they all probably had different purposes and abilities. All while taking in as much information as possible about the drones, he let his smile stay loose across his lips and shook his once more, this time in the thoughts of how predictable life had become. He knew that Oberon was interested in him, but giving him a pop quiz in the subject of hard knocks? It was fine. Kage was good at that kind of test. "Well, at least I had a warm-up first," he said coolly and lifted the bag string from his shoulder, letting it slip from his hand and the bag fell to the floor. As it was falling to the floor, Kage's stance was slipping wider and his weight shifting in anticipation of the assault. When it came to fighting, his instinct rarely failed.
Oberon still marveled how the human reacted to the most extreme circumstances and even chuckled lightly, watching the bag fall from his hand and hit its reflection in the floor.
Instantly, a wave of creatures flooded the floor towards Kage and proceeded to swarm like that great hive it had become. Each moved like a feral beast, yet somehow they all moved in a great fluid motion like a sea of talons, all bearing down on the casually smirking Kage. The first creature to attack did so lightly, simply diving forward to cause some great physical harm to the human, yet it was also the first creature to feel the strike and was sent tumbling back into the ranks of the others with a single, beautiful kick. The sprawling beast disrupted the swarm long enough for the five figures to glimpse Kage fully, his striking foot setting gracefully back to the ground after the kick and the look of utter pleasure on his face. It was a moment that seemed to last forever, if only because it revealed Kage's true nature and his pure, unaltered beauty. Each marveled, then promptly watched another creature dive in and meet the same fate. This time, however, many others tried an attack in succession of each failure, making the scene almost comical as creatures flew here and there like wayward leaves blowing in an autumn breeze.
In the middle was a perfectly balanced form sending fanning kicks in all directions to repel these creatures. Kage's form had indeed returned to its full grace, finding its way back from the dark and dismal destiny of neglect that had almost robbed him of his prized Ryushuuken style. Yet now, with each lunging creature, Kage's footwork looked almost artificial, each step placing his feet and body into perfect succession with the next move, his feet slicing through the air with high pitched whistles and howling drones to meet each attacking creature and send them spiraling away once more. His whole body became the machine, his torso bending and twisting to place his next kick, his arms providing counterweights to his spinning and his hands planting to the ground as he moved around in his safety area, his form taking an almost liquid appearance as he twirled and spun like a flowing tornado of flying feet. Wave after wave of creatures lunged in at him and wave after wave were thrown aside. Not one struck a blow to him, no matter how hard they tried.
After several dozen had tried their deed, one of the five figures would no longer let his anger be subdued. Hearing this dirty human speak out of status was one thing, but to let it put on this bawdy show was more than he would stand for. Without waiting for approval, the colossus stepped forward, throwing a wild hand through the air and howling out in a disturbed rage that shook the very room itself. "Enough exhibition! Remove this piece of garbage from Commander Oberon's sight!" he yelled.
A new wave of sounds moved through the creatures and a new wave moved in, in numbers doubled to ensure a kill of this elusive fighter. Moreover, each mask began to glow a different color respective to the design, proving Kage's theory of the purpose for the differences. One set of creature's hands became long, blade-like claws the reflected the light as brightly as any of the mirroring surfaces of the room. Yet another set presented a set of powerful metallic tentacles bursting from a place at the wrist, whipping and slashing around to snare and sever any careless limb. The last set of creatures grew large bulbs on the backs of their shoulders; bulbs that soon disconnected from their bodies and swung forth connected to heavy chains like massive hammers to crush and smash their victim. All of these creatures now set forth to mince, strangle and squash the insolent human, and that pleased the figure that had sentenced Kage to a horrific death. Even Oberon held back his indignation at being disobeyed to see just how powerful this human was, faced with an overwhelming force of superior enemies, though he seemed poised to spare this human at a moment's notice, for he greatly feared the meaningless waste of such potential.
Despite how feverishly the creatures were bearing down on him, Kage simply grinned all the more delightfully and slowly raised his arms up in a tilted cross over his chest, his hands fanned out and waiting like a carnivorous trap to devour unsuspecting victims. Even as the creatures pounced and came down to their final intended target, all Kage offered in terms of expression was that calm, cool grin. It was a joy to be able to try his newly acquired technique in such a worthy arena.
All spectators were silenced as a flash of light surged from the center of the attacking creatures, then a shower of writhing enemies burst suddenly all over the room like a grand firework exploding, with shrieking bodies denting and twisting the reflective surfaces of the mirrors instead of breaking them. Every creature that had lunged was now raining down around them, and the five figures had just enough time to see the human coming to a stop from a spinning point inside the center of the dome of the expelled beasts, his arms held up in different positions in front of him with his fingers clenched like blades. At that last moment, a small sparkle of light was just fading from the tips of his fingers and dulling to a natural skin tone once more. Looking down from above, a spiraling pattern was scorched into the flooring expanding away from Kage like a blooming flower and slowly fading as it reached the very closest of the now incapacitated creatures. Each of the figures took a moment to marvel at the sight they did not see and at the array of creatures now forming a boundary of fallen enemies around the human rapidly becoming more and more interesting to Oberon.
Instantly, the figure that had ordered the attack had turned to Oberon, bowing deeply and offering deep apologies in deep, fearful tones. "Forgive me, Commander. This human is too lowly to be in your presence. Please allow me to..." he began but a beckoning whistle from the center of the room caught his attention and drew furious eyes upon that insolent young human.
"Hey, kiss-ass, over here," Kage cooed and twisted his wrists so that the backs of his hands faced them, then he curled the fingers tauntingly. Seeing the reaction on the creature's face, he grinned that much more and continued his sweet talk. "I just love a big talker. They always cry the loudest when I sink a boot in their ass. Seems they got good pipes for it," he said though a wry grin.
The figure faced him gruffly and pounded a hand across his chest, sending a metallic pang through the room from his resonating breastplate. Kage was able to get a very good look at him and made sure to employ his attention to detail to its fullest. Getting a good look at this colossus was of utmost importance, for he was on a perilous course of taunting the monster and it would invariably lead to a confrontation. However, from what he saw of the beast, Kage was not too concerned.
A rippling form of muscle and strength was somehow packed into an impressive display of armor, armor that seemed to actually be a part of his body, like great metal scales that had grown right from his skin. The colossus had no hair, but rather a scaly covering of metal plates as well. Even the creature's eyes seemed metallic, making this one the most intensely rooted in the metallic theme out of the five. It was obvious by the armor and brandishing of it that he was a decorated creature, obviously of some importance that he could command the legion of creatures as he did, and also held an air of command about him that slightly annoyed Kage. Once, at long time ago in a passing story told to him on his own Earth, it was revealed Kage had once been a prince and of royal blood. However, he did not hold himself is such high regard as this colossus did. That irked him. Vanity of birthright beyond action annoyed his industrious heart.
Furthermore, the intense fighting aura around the creature did send a shiver of foreboding through Kage, because his aura was now like Oberon's, scorching to his Ryuugan. The colossus was very intimidating. There was very little to judge weaknesses and strengths by, aside from Kage's innate ability to do so, for his Ryuugan had yet to break this elusive code that had been obscuring his abilities. This blinding aura that surrounded most of them made it difficult to see anything in detail, so fighting one them seemed like a very troublesome business and, despite how efficiently he was provoking them, it would be a troublesome matter to fight them. Regardless of that fact, Kage still desired that battle, if only to truly test his newly proscribed powers.
As much as Kage's mind had been wandering and focusing, the bellowing voice accompanying the pang of metal plates ripped him back to reality and he smirked widely at the creature's banter. The colossus once more banged a massive fist over his breastplate to further gather the attention of his puny villain and howled out in all of the passions of his station. "Human scum! I am General Flute of the Imperial Grand Army! No single creature has ever put a dent in my armor or broken my flesh! A piece of raw sewage like you isn't even worth..."
Once more, the figure was interrupted, though not by any spoken words. There was nothing more than a slight flash of light, and it felt like nothing more than gust of wind had brushed against his face, but soon Flute was silent in surprise when he felt the warm drizzle of his own blood creeping down his cheek, making its way silently across a shocked face in careless, meandering directions. Oberon and the others were staring also, for all they had seen was the human lower his arms through the air abruptly, casually slashing them like invisible blades and setting his stance once more to the casual state. Yet, a single drop of mercury-like blood rolled down Flute's cheek and drew his brows down into absolute fury. Yet, he did not move. Oberon had already raised a hand to stop him and watched the human with eyes alight with interest, simply giddy with the find he had made.
Kage watched Flute reigned by Oberon's mere gesture and grinned, shrugging his hands through the air in an exaggerated gesture meant only to infuriate him more. "Imagine that, all talk. You got a low opinion of humans, General Kiss-ass. Anytime you want, snap the leash around your neck and I'll adjust that smug attitude of yours," he quipped viciously through a grin.
Although Flute was entirely beside himself in rage, he made no more daring pushes against Oberon's patience, even though every fiber of his being cried out to crush the mouthy human so impetuously taunting him. His previous boast was only true to a point, for even his infallible armor was simply no match for the sheer might of Oberon's rule. If this human became too wild, Flute cooled down knowing that he would soon witness Oberon's power first-hand.
Oberon idly began to clap his hands together, surveying the scene of his creatures tossed about so effortlessly by this human. He was curious indeed to know how he did it, since not even he could see exactly what had happened in the center of that circle of swarming foes. The mystery only fueled his desires for the human. Simply, his eyes just glowed with interest as he looked down at Kage. "Marvelous. You are a rare find indeed, my dear boy. Forgive my subordinates and their creatures. You understand that we simply wanted to assess your abilities further, yes?" he coaxed.
Kage was idly crouching and picking up his bag, slinging it back over his shoulder as he adjusted the glasses on his head and replied, "I ain't your new puppy and I don't do tricks. You gonna take me to this guy or am I gonna walk outta here?"
Kage obviously had little patience, but Oberon was not willing to play his hand yet. In contrast, he was very patient and willing to wait just a bit longer to find the Dracos Speculum. Information was the key to his entire operation here. It was the reason he was still positioned so far away from his intended target and the reasons he had been so immaculate in his planning and actions. Only when he was sure of his victory over the guardians of this world would he move, and the information he required was right at the tips of his fingers. That thought made Oberon curl his fingers in anticipation and gesture to a newly opening door, leading into a hallway that moved off into the lair. "Please, will you not stay for dinner? We can discuss our mutual interests then," he suggested. However, Kage seemed to snort in disinterest and pivot on his heels, heading back towards the entrance that was now sealed up. Obviously, this boy was not like the others Oberon was associating with, for his brows dropped in frustration and a timid rumble pulsed through the entire structure. The other four figures stepped away slowly from him, as if anticipating some great event, yet Oberon regained his composure and considered an alternate way to seduce this wily human. He was shrewd, if not persistent. "You must have spent quite some time searching for this man. There must be a very important reason you are seeking the Keeper of the Dragons," he said and waited for the reaction that would bring this human closer to his flock.
Hearing something that tweaked his ears, Kage stopped, lingering a moment to consider the fact that Oberon seemed to know exactly what to say to interest him. A great rift had formed inside of him, for his instincts warned him of great peril in staying too long, not only to him but the ones he had grown to care for, but his mind and soul were demanding that he face that peril and the fear it instilled in him in order to better serve the very images that he feared to lose. The fact that he fought so stubbornly against that fear out of sheer ignorance to its purpose was a pity all in its own. If he was going to find Lui Kuan Yin, then his instincts told him that this was the place to do it and that sparring with the bony clutches of the reaper may be a small price to pay for his continued sanity and potential bliss. Knowing that the man was the fabled Keeper of the Dragons intrigued Kage enough to humor Oberon further, though he was keenly aware that something else entirely was going on in this place. He had no basis for comparison when it came to the amount of alien creatures living on Earth, though if the stories about Tokyo that he had been told were true, then it was not so far-fetched to assume that others parts of the world were also used by the inhuman. Still, they had seemed very interested in the fact that he was from Tokyo and, judging by these creature's auras and characters, he assumed that whatever their interest was, it was not going to be beneficial to those war-weary soldiers of Serenity. If he could save the girl of his attention some suffering by kicking this problem in the bud, then maybe he could be just a little bit closer to her - to earning his place beside her; even if that meant he might lose any chance of every going back to her arms while his heart still beat for her.
With that thought in mind, Kage lowered his bag to his feet with a thump and resigned himself to pursuing this course a little bit longer. It seemed he would endanger his future once more, though this time in the hope that such a future would be brighter, not darker, due to his efforts. Twisting slightly, he caught the brooding figure in his dark glasses and flashed a smug grin.
"Alright, what're we eating?"