Chapter Four – Kage Comes to Dinner
"What's your purpose here, Obi?"
At one point in his life, Kage had what was generally considered a very tactful mannerism about him, a set of rules imposed upon him by the society in which he lived in and, more important, demanded of him by the monks of the temple that had taken him and his sister in. The young boy was looked upon highly for his behavior, whether it be a courteous bow or a held tongue in moments of sheer aggravation. All who beheld him revered his great progress in the martial arts, but also the fact that he embraced the older customs and traditions of Japan's history as was prominent in the monastery's code. It was where he picked up his usage of older words, making him sound like an older man sometimes. The monks were gleaming with pride at all instances, for Kage was once on a path to becoming an enlightened soul.
Slouched back in his chair slightly, Kage now patently pecked through the bowl of rice he was given with his fingers, searching for some random item such as an eyeball or infant newt or whatever else it was that aliens ate. This uncouth young man had come completely around from that image of himself, now paying nearly no one an inch of respect, save they earned the only way possible with him – by their fist. Whatever perverse power that ruled existence had taken from him the only thing he cared for, so he repaid as best as he could by snubbing the rules and expectations of him. It also slandered his speech, piercing his once dignified way of talking with a more vulgar tone that came out almost comically when an older word or phrase would jump out here and there. The meshing of these two souls now constituted Kage's existence, and it always left those around him trying to understand what possibly was going through his mind.
After finding that the rice was seemingly safe to eat, he slung his bag into the table with a crash, knocking over quite a number of dishes and foodstuffs, but paying it little mind as he attacked the rice with his pair of chopsticks. Since they had positioned the food only near him, he guessed they didn't eat human food all that often. All of it looked civil enough, though he was starting to tire of this Chinese cuisine. He wanted a nice charred mackerel on a stick, maybe some miso to flavor it. Yes, he missed Japan greatly, but he had lived through worse. He had lived through Suteki's cooking.
Oberon had leaned heavily into his chair and weighed the insolence of this boy to the usefulness he presented, for no one had ever dared speak to him with such disrespect or tone and lived to tell the tale. Being called 'Obi' grated his nerves, but he was a patient mind and a patient temper that desired, more than personal reverence, his attaining the objective the boy pressed him about. For that, he would allow this human to express himself in the way he had done so. It would be tolerable to a point. "My purpose?" he inquired, watching with a slight frown as to the way the human was eating.
"Yeah. Why're you poking around here? It can't be for the food," Kage replied and tossed a plate of something he had never seen before, but had tried and was repulsed by it, onto the table and searched for something new. In all honesty, he was rarely rude to this extent, but seeing as Flute was nearly boiling off the metal scales on his head, it was reason enough to act like a verifiable bastard. Not once did he look at Flute, for it seemed to just infuriate him more that he was ignored. That pleased Kage. "I didn't know Earth was the hot exile spot for rejected former commanders of impatient armies or whatever," he noted, making sure he informed them that he had noticed the 'rightful commander' title in Oberon's winded speech.
Oberon didn't at all seem pleased by the remark, and another tremor rumbled through the foundation of the temple, though he didn't seem to lose his cool exterior that had been the hallmark of his character since Kage had first laid eyes on him. As much as he wanted to bring this human into his grand scheme, he was forever cautious and further delayed the inclusion of this unknown variable into his well-schemed equation. "Are you a snake or a dragon, young Kage?" he asked.
The question caught Kage a bit off guard, and he paused with a mouthful of rice and stared at Oberon through his dark lenses. "Eh?" he said through a mouthful of kernels, so that it came more as a grunt rather than an interrogative.
"It is a very simple question. You see, a dragon is a very noble creature indeed, according to your history. It is dignity at its finest. This creature fears no other, and quakes the very land it prowls, causing fear and terror to overcome all that look upon it. Yes, the dragon is a great creature, but also greatly misunderstood," Oberon said, tonguing each word delicately from his lips as though a lover would. "In it lies pure power, utter strength and undeniable ferocity that forever embalms it to the realm of fear. No other creature may conquer it, and like so many other unconquerable things, it is looked upon as a great terror," he continued. This embodiment of the mythical dragon did turn Kage's gears, for he threw aside his brash skit for Oberon and his cronies to ponder the depth of the namesake behind his eyes. Eyes of the Dragon. The Ryuugan. These were harsh truths in his life, and the one that might save him, the Keeper of the Dragons, was yet another reason to consider these words and not respond as his smart assed-self.
"The snake, however, is of equally impressive fortitude. It possesses neither the strength nor the ferocity of the dragon, but wields power such is equal to the dragon. No, my young friend, the serpent utilizes cunning and speed to seduce its prey. A snake strikes out from the dark when no one realizes its there. It is an assassin – a dark eddy that pulls in the victim due to fear and hesitation. It is the power without the passion, a perfect predator that prizes the moment rather than the outlook," Oberon said smoothly, his eyes glowering upon the image of Kage in them, as if they sought to swallow him whole. The entire mood of the room had changed, from the jocular antics of his taunting Flute to this entirely dreary conversation about what kind of person Kage was. Oberon was impatient for an answer, and he rest his knit fingers to his chin in speculative form. "Which is, young Kage? Are you a passionate dragon or a cunning snake?" he repeated with no shortness of tone.
Kage leaned back into his chair further, eyeing the creature named Oberon. Why was he asking him these stupid questions? Did Kage look like the type that continuously pondered the questions of the universe? Did it look like he gave a damn about the intensity of some distant god breaking wind and the effect it had on the souls of the damned? He was a person, not a damned reptile! Had it been posed by another person, he would have flung it back at them as some inane drabble that the weak-willed forced upon the world to secure their own pathetic views of where they stood. However, because Oberon was a creature of majesty and not to be taken lightly, Kage lightly tread upon the criteria for both.
"A snake," he replied after some thought, for he felt the name fit him better. Despite having the namesake eyes of the other, he denied himself as having any of those noble aspects. Dignity was something he threw away. Ferocity had been perverted into madness. Whatever small measure of his unconquerable soul survived his soul-wrenching tragedy, it had all but been wiped away when he had aided the very evil that had broken him; aided it in attacking those that cried for him. In the cries and screams of dozens of innocent souls, Kage resigned himself to the cold, callous striking of the snake. He was a shadow, after all. Try as he would to regain his birthright, his soul was marked with one great black spot, a spot that would never subside beneath the surface.
Oberon was now silent, turning over the answer in his head. A snake. This boy considers himself a snake. He is this great polar opposite of me, the noble dragon. Like the others I have tamed, this snake may be coiled about my hand and made to strike as I see fit, for no serpent has ever conquered the dragon. Yes, it was as I thought. This boy will make a fine consort. "Then I shall tell you of our plans here. However, I shall give you the benefit of understanding that beyond this point, you are no longer of your own free will. After this, you are now part of our crusade, a working hand that will bring destruction upon our foe. There is no return," Oberon said with no more inclinations of humor in his voice. It was obvious he was laying down the laws as they would apply to him in the future. "I shall not insult you by informing you of your fate should you not comply," he added and, as if appeased by the very thought of it, Flute let out a deep, rumbling laugh that echoed in the room.
"Tch, I get it. I'm in or I'm dead. Let's hear your grand story and where I fit in," Kage replied and kicked his boots up onto the table, slinging his arms back behind his head and waiting for that wonderful information that would allow him to judge just how much of a threat these creatures were to his lover's peace and safety.
"Avalon is a planet so far away, your scientists have yet to witness its majesty. Indeed, our planet is so great that an entire confederation of worlds have sought our leadership and protection. With endless oceans of the purest water, lands so rich with life that one could hardly dare tread upon them and skies of the deepest emerald hue, our home is the pride of the galaxy. It is even legend that once, in times countless before time was counted, the great Sailor Galaxia was born on our soil. Yet it is that very soldier that brought the storm upon our beautiful lands. At the time, the beautiful Queen Solace ruled our world, for she had been the most powerful and most benevolent soul to be gifted upon the monarchy. She was a devout pacifist, vibrantly against any type on conflict, and welcomed the Golden Queen to our world with open arms.
"Yet the Golden Queen was not as benevolent as she. Some great power had possessed her, and as our defenses lay silent, something precious was taken from our queen. Declaring Avalon a servant to her will, the Golden Queen dispatched her wicked soldiers to oversee our compliance, then simply left us in agony. Our great queen fallen, her wrists clad in some lewd restraints, she was simply a shell of herself, a silent creature that had lost all of her willingness to live. Because of this, our queen was put in a guarded place and remains there to this very day, silent and oppressed by some great evil.
"The queen's brother, Prince Paragon, is a great man. He is second only to her majesty in power, yet is otherwise untouched by any other on our world. At the arrest of his sister, he became ruler of our confederation and, as those wicked soldiers paraded about in our lands, plundered our resources and denied our sovereignty, the mighty prince bided his time, waiting for the opportunity to free our world of this golden leash upon us. For, you see my young friend, although these soldiers upon on world were of no great threat to us, it was that Golden Queen that we feared. Never had such power touched our lands, and not even our strongest caste could dare to oppose her. My prince knew this, and he spent every moment of sunlight to try and free Avalon from the clutches of this wicked soldier.
"How long our world festered in the grip of that creature, I know not. However, as abruptly as this occupation had begun, it came to an abrupt end. As if some great event had happened some million miles away, the soldiers that had been left on our world were struck, altered somehow as the same bracelets that imprisoned our queen fell from their wrists. And they were changed, oblivious as to how they had come to be and penitent to their actions. Upon hearing this, our highest hopes were whispering, as the prince sought his sister. However, solemnly stepping from her sanctuary, we were informed that no change had come to her, and though our world had been freed of its shackles, Queen Solace's yet remained. A servant of the Imperial house was assigned to attend our queen, and the prince continued his rule, resigning his rule to finding the reason for our queen's continued bondage."
Oberon took a moment here to close his eyes, obviously weighted by the story he was telling and seemed to hold it all in the utmost reverence. It was obvious that these facts explained why he was there, and the climax to his story was up and coming behind his tightly pressed lips.
Kage yawned, rubbing his head sleepily while the story unfolded before him. Instead of paying attention to the stories that had so far held no relevance to him as the their purpose their or the effect it would have on his loved ones, he was eagerly waiting for Oberon to pass along this moving story through his lips like a bowel movement, hoping it would be much less reverent and much more violent. He had always had a short attention span for the politics of history. Only change by war interested him.
"Now comes to our purpose. Upon learning of the Golden Queen's last movements and finding she had met a power on this planet that had defeated her, it at once became of great interest for Prince Paragon. If such a power could change the Golden Queen back into her benevolent self and send shockwaves through the entire galaxy, then such a power could not be left to spread like a disease, to infect and alter all of those sovereign planets that have once again found freedom. We also suspect that the source of this power is keeping our queen retrained. For these reasons, I was dispatched to this place, deferring my command of the Imperial forces, to assess this power and destroy it," Oberon continued, his voice becoming grave as he opened his eyes upon Kage. There was hesitation in his intent. It was duty to fulfill the orders of his prince, and thus was the reasons for his presence on Earth.
At once, Kage was much more interested in the story, if only because there was threats of death and destruction, two things that he were well-known to him, being held in the air like great birds ready to feed. Yes, he knew that it would come down to that. That dumpling head was always in the attention of the worst kinds of people, for they all seemed to want to destroy her or crush her or do something else to her. Not that he could blame them. Most of the time, he wanted to kick her as well, but mostly because she was an annoying little brat that defied his reasoning when it came to understanding power. Makoto had told him a bit about that story, the one with the Golden Queen and how Usagi's pure heart was able to remind her and face against Chaos. That brat had a knack for doing that to the wickedness of the greedy. Yet, knowing what he did about it know, and that Oberon's purpose here was not beneficial to those soldiers that had battled the Golden Queen, he leaned forward onto the table and stared at Oberon through his dark glasses, his Ryuugan fixed intently on his brooding visage. "Destroy it?"
"Yes," he replied, "destroy those soldiers that were able to defeat the Golden Queen and that still have a hold on our Empire. It is my purpose to kill each of them until the hold is broken. For the sake of the galaxy, Sailor Moon and her subordinates must not be allowed to grow in power." Oberon was resolved to achieve this, and the boy sitting across from him seemed to flourish where the light was fleeting. Before, he had been curious as to the nature of the boy's knowledge, but seeing his candor change at the mention of their names, Oberon was sure that he had previously heard of them before and was, for good or for bad, more aware of these things than any normal human. Producing angular discs of thin metal, he began tossing them onto the table one after the other, and each held the image and an extensive biography of each of the Sailor senshi. "What say you, Kage, my boy? Help me kill them all – Sailor Moon; Sailor Mercury; Sailor Mars; Sailor Jupiter; Sailor Venus; Sailor Uranus; Sailor Neptune; Sailor Saturn and Sailor Pluto," he said finally, throwing the last one before him and watching his reactions.
Kage was struck. His eyes fell immediately upon the image of Sailor Jupiter, and the invasion it represented upon their lives. For a moment, he allowed himself to be in love with her again, gently looking over her image with a soft look hidden behind his sunglasses. However, he also felt the sting of that love. This wicked proposition made his blood boil under his skin, but Kage was trying to keep his own relationship with these soldiers under his hat for now, for Oberon would hardly be as cordial should he learn that the ones he intended to destroy were the very ones that had saved Kage from an ultimate doom what would have dragged down his wretched soul. Still, her image was reflected in his glasses, and he could hardly look away. If these inquisitors were gathering information on them, then it was entirely possible that Kage's identity would be revealed far sooner than was convenient. "I know the media in Tokyo would love to have these. How did you take them?" Kage asked innocently, gritting his teeth in lieu of potential bad luck.
"Our methods exceed that of your primitive planet. Observation was almost immediate after our arrival. Currently, some new developments have demanded more resources than usual, and we are only catching up with the last revolution around your star. However, recently our detection equipment registered startling readings and I am quite eager to assess these new entities," Oberon continued, producing a new slab and tossing it onto the others. It came to a stop a bit slanted to him, but Kage was instantly able to recognize the figures. There were four of them, taken from a strange angle and from a great distance, but it was undeniably obvious who the new figures were. On the disc, Kage's own maddened eyes were cast aside out of annoyance, for the proximity of Yamito was particularly agitating for him then. Fortunately, apparently due to Yamito's insane power and the particular effect it had on Oberon's images, a strange aura slightly masked Kage's face and, with any luck, it would be a tricky thing to identify him by his old self. After all, he was an entirely new beast now.
However, that was an inevitable fact and, knowing now that Oberon sought to destroy the one he loved, Kage's course was clear. His fist smashing down onto the table startled all of them, for it sent a metallic echo through the hall that lingered like a singing note. The image had been fractured, with the corresponding force making the metal plate damage the others that had been under it, and long cracks spread like a web out from his fist, jarring the images of himself and those that he looked after. Inwardly, he wondered if that was a bit too blatant, but it didn't matter. Slipping back into his chair once more, Kage lost his impish grin at the threat to his beautiful Makoto. "All this because you want my help with that? You want to destroy those soldiers that protect Earth? You think you can? I've heard some pretty bad ass monkeys have tried and, if I recall, that Sailor Moon girl is still sitting pretty. They ain't ever done anything to me," he said with a bit of a sharp voice.
Oberon had been a bit shaken by the reaction, but even more so by the way his object of desire was acting. Even to the alien, it was obvious the boy was not offended by the reason, but rather ruffled by something else, possibly having to do with the images that he had just shown him. His eyes had fallen to the broken images and his resolved now more than ever to assess them, but for now he was still hopeful that this boy, with his outstanding ability and unknown affiliation, would join him. "What bizarre boy you are. But perhaps I could assuage your temper. Your assistance in this matter would be quite appreciated. Should you choose the alternative to an untimely demise, you would certainly advance handsomely through the ranks of the Imperial forces. I assure you, one sight of Avalon and this pathetic planet would seem like a grave," he said, not bothering to dwell on memories of his beloved Avalon. "As to your concerns about our ability to execute these plans," he continued, his hands falling to the table before him with a dull thud. The swelling of Oberon's power was almost instantaneous, and it not only affected the very air Kage was breathing, for it suddenly became very difficult to breath or even tolerate the prickling sensation on his skin, but also the aura that had thus far been scorching to his Ryuugan now became a torrent of pressure, with great whipping tendrils of energy reaching out in all directions, threatening to consume him should he underestimate them. Outwardly, Oberon showed nothing, but a low, deep rumble pulsing through the lair proved that this manifestation of power was real, and Kage had a genuine reason to react how he did.
He was sweating. This swell did more than dampen his arrogance to the matter, but it nearly defeated him. Kage had never felt such a force, for it was much different than Yamito's, though similar in magnitude. Yamito's power had always been reserved and subtle, mostly because the frail young man was fearful of his own power and, as any fearful boy would do, resisted it will all his might. Oberon's power was free, at liberty to exhume all depths of its splendor in order to fulfill his design. As some sort of homage to his former friend that yet remained unforgiven, Kage judged that Oberon's power, however vast, did not measure up to that entity that had been entombed in Yamito, and he was grateful for that. Had anyone that same power coupled with the desire to use it, the world would shudder at their coming. It was one point he was thankful for, though he still judged his chances against Oberon to be very slim at best in terms of absolute strength.
Not at all showing that he was intimidated by the display, though not one visible spark had admonished him, Kage attempted as best he could to shrug it off and replied with a wide, gaping yawn that once more sent a flurry of anger through Flute. Kage needed some time to estimate his position. This was achieved by feigning his disinterest and sliding his chair back with a long, screeching tone. "I'll think about it. You tell me about other planets and queens and Sailor girls and expect me to jump into bed with you like that?" he asked, snapping his fingers to break the mood that had settled over the hall. The others were, as always, off balance by his behavior, but Oberon sat meekly as he listening to the script. "Story time always made me sleepy. I want to nap on it. Where's the sack?" he continued and yawned once more, though inwardly cursing and berating his own bad acting ability.
Oberon seemed displeased at the abrupt conclusion, yet his patience remained untested. Waving his free hand through the air, two more figures appeared into the hall and approached Kage, though these were of a different animal than he had encountered. They were human. They were only human. Obviously utilized as the labor force for his operation, Oberon seemingly retained quite a force of humans, all of which having proved a minute potential of usefulness. Kage had noticed the breaking auras before and now he was satisfied with the explanation. After all, it was only logical that, on a planet packed with a work force, Oberon should make use of the abundance. However, as these two guards gestured for Kage to follow, it was blatantly obvious that despite having shed their false exteriors for their proposition, the other humans were not able to see Oberon and the others as Kage was. Oberon probably appeared as human as before to these simple men and women.
Perhaps, Kage guessed, all of the power and intent laid potent in Oberon and his crew were merely looked over by the greedy fare, as most blinding terrors were only as obvious as the eyes that chose to notice them.
After Kage had disappeared into the lair, leaving Oberon and his minions at the empty stalls before them, an enraged Flute pounded his fists upon the table and rose, fully prepared to give his delegation of the matter in passionate, agitated moans. However, Oberon, seemingly ignoring the general's general state of mind, turned his head to the side, his eyes passing the silent, reverent woman beside him and staring harshly at the recluse figure that had been so efficiently intimidated by Kage's banter. "You will tell me all I wish to know about that human, Andromeda. Touch his mind, taste his memories and, when you have found his core, you will tell me. You have no other task but to this single desire," he said, causing all eyes to fall on the hooded woman sitting so disturbed.
Despite the fact that she had already grazed over a fraction of his mind, and that she had felt tremors through her soul that resonated her doom so vividly that she swore she saw a black mask settling over her face, the timid woman conceded with a simple nod, not daring to let her eyes fall upon the mighty and noble Oberon. It was her fortune to obey, and never to raise her eyes in protest or consent.
Oberon sat back deeply in his chair and let his eyes settle upon the metal plates that had been jarred by the ambiguous fist of his prize, and at once he knew that whatever doubts and troubles stirred in his strange, unknown heart, the answers lay there in cracked descriptions and the few telltale remnants of blood that had been paid by the boy in his fit of illusion. The human drew further as he laid out his prey.
Oberon wanted to know why.
The vast, interlocking corridors of the lair provided quite the labyrinth for any poor soul that would be careless enough to wander about with no frame of reference or no purpose to speak of. The hallways were deceptive bellies of some great beast that wanted nothing more than a thousand helpless souls to wander about in its reflective innards and waste away into dust, only to be blown as dust across the defiant lenses of the thousand reflective mirrors at head, foot and hand, dulling them as a sort of revenge. It was impossible to imagine the temple, even when standing in its bowels, that the outside, so decrepit and colored, was nothing but a skin that hid its true terror – the universe of analogous images that followed every step, yet never once moved in the same direction. Had this been some premonition as the to future, where perfection was the depthless progression of simple planes, then it was better, perhaps, to revel in the throes of ignorance, for no man was as lost as when he looked about and saw nothing but himself in all directions. That was true chaos.
The timid woman, a displaced creature by the name of Andromeda, had been set upon a very arduous task. Like the countless before, this task was to invade the essence of a sentient creature and violate the only sanctuary offered by the design; to see things left uncovered and hear things left unsaid. It was never an easy task, yet this time she had been professedly wearier of the mark.
In slow, progressing steps, she walked through the hallway, accompanied only by herself and a thousand others like her, each walking in a separate direction with the same purpose. The metallic robes she wore were laden with many ardent frills, as if to try and offset her fearful disposition. Indeed, her attire could have been described as quite beautiful though the creature herself was confined by the expressionless gaze she wore and those deep, gunmetal grey eyes that stared forward with no purpose but to stare forward. Indeed, the entire presence of the woman was that of mediocrity and conflict, for even as soft as her steps fell, they moved with perfect synchrony; no matter how interlaced her dress may have been, her blank demeanor robbed her of any real chance at magnificence, yet with her long aluminum hair that nearly touched its rising reflection at her feet, framing the softness of her pallid skin and the doll-like innocence of her countenance, she patented her own sense of beauty that radiated despite the cold, empty presence in her eyes.
At least, that's what Kage put together in his head as she came around the corner to find him perched on an outcropping of metal, eagerly watching her approached through the thousand other eyes yet hidden behind his sunglasses. "Nice day for a stroll, huh? The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom…" he started and she started, making him grin at her visible display of fear at his presence. "Of course, even if all those things were visible, who knows if people from other planets appreciate that sort of shit like we do, eh?"
Andromeda was trembling under her robes, her delicate hands drawn up to her chest in front of her at the appearance of this wily human and her eyes drawn downwards slightly at the force of habit of her station. "K-Kage-sama? Why does Kage-sama not retire to his room and consider Master Oberon's proposal?" she stuttered, her voice once more held back at her discomfort and causing Kage to angle his head to accommodate her failing.
"Huh, ain't you a strange little talking doll? Ya know, if you don't talk louder, I'll have to come closer to hear you," he said, sliding down from his place and planting his feet on his reflection with a loud pang. Andromeda winced at the sound, and further tried to retreat as he approached with blatant, heavy footsteps. Grinning wildly, Kage now towered over her dainty frame and leaned down giving her an intimate introduction with her alien reflection in his sunglasses. At her trembling, and the obvious desire she had to move away, Kage offered a satiated laugh that bounced deeply in his throat. "Are you afraid of me? Eh?" he asked.
"I…I…" she stuttered in return, her dull eyes wide with fear and desire to retreat to her safety in Oberon's might. Yet even that prospect had been dimming lately. No, she had to stand her ground, for Kage gave the impression that should she turn away to flee, then he would certainly maul her for her cowardice, or at least her insult. Many others had felt this before, and Andromeda felt this now.
Kage laughed a bit more, as if satisfied that she could not answer, for as noble as his character might have been, he still gorged himself on the tremors of the fearful when faced with his unprecedented viciousness. "You should be. I'm a bad person. If you think Obi there is bad news, then you ain't but heard the stroke of ten. But," he said, reaching his hand up as if to caress her trembling cheek, but lingered just far enough away to remain mysterious and unnerving. The same mood settled over him as when he had once worn the mark of the wicked, and it was all too practiced in him. "You're not quite the same as Obi and the others. You don't have the same aura. So I think to myself, 'What could this lady do for Obi to make up for her obvious lack in power?' The answer, I think, is very – scandalous," he continued, running his hand the length of her slowly while his smile spread.
By the time his hand had come to her stomach, Andromeda stepped back abruptly and held her trembling hands tightly to her chest, her voice now quivering greatly as she valiantly tried to battle this monster. "W-what do you wish of me, Kage-sama?" she asked passionately to stave his movements.
Kage watched her impishly, all the while grinning, and lowered his hand to his side. Oh, the things he knew because of his Ryuugan were luscious, and he felt more enlightened than the great commander himself. Still, throwing his hands in his pockets, Kage turned from her and shrugged, only offering her a response over his shoulder. "Whatever you tried to do in the car, don't try it again. In me, there is an entire world of pain and suffering that no one else could manage. If you dig up the volcano, knowing it's a volcano, and you get incinerated, that's called being a dipshit. Don't be a dipshit, lady, or the next time you start digging," he said and turned his head with a single, ominous smile, "I'll kill you."
And with that, Kage left Andromeda in the hallway, still trembling, still wondering and, most of all, still dreading the task demanded upon her by her master to enter that place that, as she had witnessed it, was a pit of flame, fiend and fatality. And, oh how, she feared that smile. Sincerely, and without question, she feared Yamamori Kage.