Guardian Souls
By: Ghost of the Dawn
Chapter Five: A New, Old World
Ryo turned his head as he heard sirens in the distance. That sound meant the police, the fire department, or the American FBI for all he knew. No doubt the media would be showing up as well. A small war breaking out in such a little town would definitely spark some interest. Somehow, the bearer of Wildfire didn't think appearing on the nine o'clock news was such a good idea.
"We need to leave," he reiterated what the new woman called Myune had just said.
"What about Rowen?" Robyn worried. She was now cradling the unconscious Strata against her. The said Ronin wasn't looking good at all. His face was pale and covered in sweat with a pained expression painted over it. "What if he needs a hospital?"
"No hospital existing in this realm could cure what he has," Myune announced, causing everyone to give her their attention again.
"Do you know what's going on with him?" Sage asked. He still had some hesitant feelings about this woman who just claimed his title. However, right now his concern for his best friend came before any suspicions he might be having.
"I do. But first, we must move out of sight. We cannot be found by anyone until we are finished. Come, into the bushes."
'Finished with what?' Kento wondered. Nevertheless, he obediently looped one of Rowen's arms around his shoulder and began to carry him off to where the new Priestess of Halo was leading. Cye took the other arm, wondering the same thing his friend was. Robyn was close behind with her worries more on Rowen than where they were going and why.
Miniko was near the back, wondering a lot of things. Most of all, if she should be worried about Rowen, too. She didn't really know him personally other than what they had exchanged in words these past two or three days. He was now her partner of sorts. Did that mean she was automatically part responsible for his welfare? Were they supposed to look after each other? Were there consequences if one of them got hurt or even died?
Myune led them all into, not quite a forested area, but one with enough shrubs and bushes than the group could all hide in and not be spotted for a while.
"Your name is Japanese, isn't it?" Ryo asked Myune as they all crouched together. "How did you get here?"
"I have been aware of who I was for several years now," Myune replied, not really answering the question. "I know somewhat of why the Guardian Spell has been activated and I know where you all must go from here. I was sent to find you all and bring you there. We will also be able to get help for Lord Strata as well."
"Well, let's do it then," Kento agreed, never one to beat around the bush. "Are we going to need more plane tickets?"
Myune gave him an empty smile. "No plane could ever get you there."
In this, the Ronins finally understood where they were going.
"You're going to take us to another world, aren't you?" Cye accused.
"Yes, Lord Torrent. A world you have never been to, but one that you will find you are undeniably connected to. I will take you five warriors and you, my two fellow priestesses with me." Myune's gaze then turned to Mia. "I'm afraid you cannot become involved."
Mia's eyes went wide at the thought of being left behind; of coming all this way just to be left alone in an entirely different country. Robyn was freaking out, too. Mia was the only female around she felt comfortable with. There was no way she was going to be left alone with this super model warrior and her high school enemy. She quickly latched onto Mia's arm before anyone could protest.
"Mia IS coming," she stated with finality.
Funny, Miniko was thinking the same thing Robyn was. All the Ronins looked relieved that she would be staying with them, too. Upon seeing this, Myune agreed to taking one extra passenger along.
"I see. As you wish, my Lords. Now, we don't have much time before we're found," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a deep purple stone. It was shaped like half a sphere, about the size of a baseball and hung on a gold chain.
"This talisman was made for only one purpose," Myune explained. "To reunite with its other half which resides in Falnan, the reflective world of this. Concentrate on its power and on those you wish to take with you and it will bring us all there safely."
'If I don't think of Min, will she get left behind?' Robyn wondered. But out loud she protested "Wait! What about my cat? I just left him at a neighbors. What I can't leave him there!"
"The cat will be fine," Cye told her. He couldn't believe she was worried about that thing at a time like this.
"Hurry!" a man's voice sounded in the distance. "Check everywhere! Look through those bushes."
"We must do it now," Myune urged. "Reach out to the stone. You don't have to touch it, just concentrate and try to feel its power and its desire to go home."
Most felt stupid about reaching out to a rock, but did it anyway; simply out of fear of being caught by the cops while hiding in the bushes very suspiciously.
The stone was starting to glow when Mia remembered something very important to her.
"Anubis!" she cried. "What about him? We just found out "
"If you wish it, he will be there," Myune nodded.
A bright searing light tore through the shadows of the underbrush, catching the attention of many authorities who were roaming the area. But, upon inspection of the source, nothing was found aside from several pairs of footprints in the dirt and no trail telling where they had gone.
For the ever growing group, the solid earth beneath them gave way to a distinct feeling of motion. They were moving as if being sucked through a tube of space and time. It almost felt like the motion rides at Disney Land when you got to ride in a space ship or go back in time with the Back to the Future cast. The chair beneath you moves and so does the screen which gives you the feeling that you're really flying around. But when it was all over, everyone was still in the same spot and position as when they had started. Now, only the environment they were in had changed. It was enough to make them wonder exactly how far they had traveled or if they had even traveled at all.
The group was now in a spacious room with high walls made of large, dark stones. There were a few tapestries here and there and the place was lit with torches systematically adoring the walls. It looked like the inside of a real medieval castle. In truth, it was.
"We are here," Myune announced as everyone looked around, completely baffled with their surroundings. "This is Kutou Castle, home to the Queen of Falnan."
"Wow, that was fast," Kento marveled as he looked around. "No pillars of light, hoards of armies or anything. We're just...here. I'm impressed!"
"Lady Halo," a new voice greeted.
Myune turned to where an aged man in colored robes was standing in a large, decorated doorway. He carried a staff with him, brightly ornamented and looking quite reminiscent of those used by wizards in fantasy movies. He used it to walk as he slowly made his way into the room.
"You have come back Lady, I trust your search was successful."
"It was, Honored One," Myune bowed. "I have brought them all back: the five Armor Bearers and the two priestesses."
"Wonderful!" the old man replied. "Just as we predicted, once the Guardian Seal was broken, they all began to search each other out." On closer inspection, his face slightly reminded the Ronins of Badamon. Though this man looked far friendlier and much older. White hair grew long from his chin as he stroked it.
"Yes," Myune agreed. "But sadly, Lord Strata was injured and infested with a locking spell and must be taken care of immediately."
"Yes, of course!" The old man stamped his staff on the stone floor and within the span of a few minutes, three men dressed in lesser robes entered the room, bowing to the old man.
"One of our Lords has been wounded, take him to the infirmary immediately. We must see to him right away."
"Yes, Honored One," the men bowed and moved to retrieve an unconscious Rowen from Cye and Kento.
The two warriors, however, were a bit reluctant to leave their friend with strangers.
"We can carry him, if you like," Cye insisted. "May we go with you?"
The old man smiled a kind smile at them as Rowen was carefully carried away. "Do not worry, my Lords. He will be safe with us. You may come visit him after he has had a chance to be treated. In the meantime, let us get you acquainted with the task at hand. First of all, you must get cleaned up from your battles and we will get you new clothes before you are presented before the Royal Court."
At the mention of not being presentable as they were, just about everyone in the group started to feel self-conscious. Sage was still in his full Halo armor which probably made him look gigantic compared to everyone else. The other Ronins looked tousled and were in dirty sub armor. None but Cye had time to shower that morning and would be back in their pajamas if they called their armors away. Robyn tugged at the hem of Cye's shirt, wishing for some pants instead of her tiny Batman shorts.
Also, at this time, several servant girls entered the room as the robed men left. Most of the girls were dressed the same in pale greys and greens in simple patterns. One woman appeared to be a bit more older and decorated. It was she who addressed the older man while the others stood humbly in the doorway.
"Honored One," she knelt while addressing him. "We have come to assist our Lords and Ladies. Please leave it to us. We will make them ready to meet Her Highness in time."
The old man nodded. "Then I will leave things up to you and attend to Lord Strata."
The woman bowed, as did the rest of the servant girls as the old man left. Once gone, the woman turned to the group and bowed again.
"My Lords and Ladies, please follow me."
She turned to go and Myune was right behind her, obviously knowing where she was going and what was expected from this point on. The rest followed blindly, very unsure of themselves. All they knew was that they would be okay if they stuck together. They would do whatever was expected of them here and then get back to Rowen as soon as possible.
The group followed their new hostess through several large corridors, each one just as fascinating as the next. Robyn was awe struck at the sight. She still couldn't believe this was happening; that she was actually here in this place when she was hiding behind some bushes in Oregon just a few minutes previous. Everything was going so fast for her, it was hard to even decide what she was supposed to feel about all this right now.
A firm hand on her wrist caught Robyn's attention. She looked over at Cye who was pulling her along to keep her up with the rest of the group. At first she though he was just trying to get her to stop lollygagging around, but a further inspection on his face said something quite different. He hadn't said anything to her and that on its own spoke much. Now she knew what it was. Though his face was stone, deep down in his eyes, Cye looked scared. Of course, considering the circumstances, it was natural to be so. In fact, Robyn felt she wasn't quite in her right mind for not being likewise. So she squeezed his hand back and smiled. She never knew what was in her future, but she had learned that as long as she and Cye and their friends were together, it would turn out okay.
"Here is where we must split up," the older servant woman announced when they came to a junction in the hallway. She motioned to a girl standing on her left.
"My Lords, this is Caska. She will lead you to the men's baths."
The girl bowed low. "Please follow me, My Lords."
"My Ladies, you will follow me," the older woman then said as she started off in the opposite direction.
Cye and Robyn looked at each other simultaneously. Cye did not look ready to part, but Robyn let go of his hand.
"We'll be fine," she smiled. "See you guys on the other side. Be good, okay?"
"Hey, we'll try, but no promises," Kento called as he headed the other way.
"Don't worry about us," Ryo chimed in. "See you soon." He waved them off as they were led around the corner. Robyn was the last to go, glancing back at them one more time before she was gone.
Now, just the remaining four Ronins walked together, being led by the servant girl introduced to them as Caska.
"What do you suppose they want us to do now?" Kento whispered to Cye as they went.
"They mentioned something about baths. They probably want us to clean up and look respectable. And from the smell of you, Kento, you need it."
"Har har, Cye."
Kento was about to introduce his friend's face to his armpit when they were taken through a door to a large, spacious room. The sight of it made everyone momentarily forget what they were thinking. The room was possibly as big as Mia's whole house. The ceilings towered high above them with intricate paintings of warriors and magic gazing down at them. The walls were decorated lavishly in deep silks of blues and purples trimmed with gold. The air was warm and damp with several large steaming pools. There were a few young boys with short robes and bare feet running around and taking care of the place. At first glance, it looked like a piece of heaven.
'Now all it needs is a few hot babes lounging around,' Kento thought to himself. Too bad Rowen wasn't there. He would have appreciated that comment the most.
"Marcus, come here," Caska called. A young boy with sandy blond hair and a greyish yellow robe ran up to her.
"Here is where I leave you, My Lords," Caska then told them as she put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "If you need anything, call on the young caretakers. They will help you get ready to appear before the courts." She bowed and then left them in their little paradise.
The Ronins momentarily weren't sure what to do until the little boy called upon as Marcus bowed to them.
"My Lords, you have no idea how long we have waited for you." There was a certain awe and admiration in Marcus' voice as he spoke. "We are grateful for your presence, please follow me."
They were let to an area separated by a thin curtain. Two other boys were waiting for them and stared at the four Ronins with fascination.
"You may undress here and over there are robes and towels for you."
The Ronins, now used to just doing what they were told, started to undress until they realized there were all still in sub armor (Sage had called off his main armor shortly after they had first arrived.)
"Hm...I guess we forgot all about it," Ryo grinned.
They called off their sub armors and were instantly received with some snickers from the servant boys. Once again, Cye was the only one dressed and not too well dressed at that. The others were now in their pajamas and feeling quite a bit foolish for bringing them to such a place.
Upon seeing their embarrassment, Marcus realized he had done something terribly wrong. He instantly sobered and dropped to the ground, kneeling with his face to the floor.
"Forgive us, my Lords," he pleaded. "We had never seen such thi I mean, we didn't mean it!"
Now the four were baffled. The child did nothing wrong. Why did he look so scared?
"Hey, don't sweat it, kid," Kento assured him. "A man's got a right to be comfortable when he sleeps right? Don't worry about it."
Grinning, the boy stood up and bowed before fleeing the area with the other two. After they left, Sage wandered over to where five sets of robes and towels were hanging, all in their respective colors. At first, Sage was a bit surprised to see the color coordination, but then he wondered why he was surprised. Next, he looked at the dark blue set and worried a moment about his friend. How he wished like mad Rowen was all right and could join them.
"Well," he then announced. "I guess we're supposed to put on these."
They set about taking off their current clothes from their previous world. Cye and Sage each gathered up their clothes and folded them neatly. Kento left his tank top and shorts in a pile on the floor. Ryo, after wondering what he should do with his, ultimately let his drop to the floor as well. Sage frowned at the two. With them being roommates in college, they were just bad influences on each other.
The four later emerged from behind the curtain with the towels tied around their waists and then their robes wrapped over them hoping that was how it was expected to be. Marcus was outside waiting for them and looked once again to be ecstatic to help. As it turned out, there were five large pools, one reserved for each of them. Oddly enough, each one was decorated with the sign of their respective armors. A lightning bolt for Sage, a helmet for Kento, and four diamonds in a pattern for Ryo. Cye was the last to be led to the pool with a yin-yang carved on the entrance.
Once left alone, Cye disrobed and slowly stepped into the pool's soothing warm water. He let out a heavy breath as he sat down on the smooth marble bottom of the pool, leaning against the side. The water went almost up to his collar bone and the whole atmosphere was very relaxing. Or was it?
Cye looked around, suddenly feeling like he were the only man in this world. The other pools were far apart and could not be seen through the clouds of steam that billowed everywhere. It was quiet all around. Quiet and lonely.
"COWABUNGA!"
Cye took back his last thoughts as there was a giant splash and he was drenched in a wave of warm water.
"Kento!" Cye cried as he rubbed the water out of his eyes. He didn't even have to look to know who it was.
"You miss me?" Hardrock chidded. "Being in that big tub all alone is SOOOO boring!"
"Can I join, too?" Ryo asked. He stood on the edge above them in just his towel.
Kento grinned at him. "If you want to. But I just peed in Cye's pool."
"You did not!" Cye screeched, though he still looked like he was going to jump out.
"Settle down, guys," Sage told them as he got in without Cye's invitation. He sat himself down next to Torrent. "We're guests here, remember? We need to behave."
"Yeah, yeah," Kento sulked.
"You might as well come in, too, Ryo since everyone else is here," Cye breathed out.
Soon, the four Ronins were lounging happily together in each other's company. It wasn't so bad. It reminded them a lot of the public bath houses found in Japan. Still, each couldn't deny that there was something that was preventing them from fully enjoying their surroundings.
"Too bad Rowen couldn't be here," Kento voiced it out loud. "It's just not the same without him."
"Yeah," Cye agreed. "I hope he's doing okay."
His best friend raised an eyebrow at that. "YOU'RE worried about Rowen?" Kento questioned.
"Hey, we may fight a lot, but he's still my friend, too," Cye defended.
"Hey guys, you think the girls are alright?" Ryo asked, seeming oblivious to the previous conversation.
"I bet they're just fine," Sage replied. "They're probably doing the same thing we are."
Ryo swallowed. "You mean taking a bath together...naked?"
Wildfire blushed at the thought and Cye gawked at the sight. Sage, too managed to look surprised at Ryo's reaction. Kento just laughed.
"That's right, our little Ryo has finally discovered girls!"
"Really now," Sage chuckled as Ryo continued to turn crimson.
"Oh yeah," Kento confirmed. "These days, we can't go anywhere without lover boy here flirting with some girl in our dorm or from one of his classes. It's getting bad."
"It's about time," Cye added with amusement clearly written on his face. "With those few girls who were looking after you in high school that you never noticed, I was beginning to wonder about you, Ryo."
Wildfire's eyes widened. "There were girls after me in high school? Why didn't anyone TELL me?"
The other three groaned. Ryo had been so clueless about everything back then. Even when they did try to tell him, he never really got it. But now that he had been off on his own, living the normal life of a growing young man, Ryo was beginning to open his eyes to the regular world.
"So, you got a girlfriend then?" Cye asked.
Ryo laughed sheepishly. "Not yet. I'm still not sure what I'm looking for exactly."
"Just anything that's female will do for right now," Kento quipped.
Ryo's reply was a large splash in Kento's direction. This quickly turned into a water fight involving all four of them. However, the small battle didn't get a chance to go very far when it was interrupted by a startled cry. They all stopped and looked up at the young servant boy, Marcus who was staring down at them, horrified.
"Hey kid, what's the matter?" Kento wondered.
"My Lords, what are you doing?" Marcus demanded, his voice cracking. "Those pools were made specifically for each of you only. You you can't all..."
The little boy started to look panicked. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't tell such great warriors what do to. But this wasn't the way! Would he be punished for this? What would happen to him?
"It's alright, young man," a voice said as a figure moved towards them through the steam. It was the old man who had taken Rowen earlier. "They come from far away and are not aware of how we do things here. It will be fine for this time."
Once settled, Marcus bowed before the old man and then scampered off to do more chores.
"Hey, how's it hanging, old man?" Kento waved happily.
"'Hanging'?" the old man repeated, confused.
"Kento," Cye shushed him. "Don't be rude!"
"How's Rowen?" Sage changed the subject.
"Ah, Lord Strata. He will be fine. A nasty poison has worked into his system and was left for a long time untreated. Luckily it takes about a week at least before it becomes deadly. Still, I'm afraid he will need a few day's bed rest, but he will fully recover."
"That's good," Sage said, relief clear in his voice.
"May we ask," Cye then spoke. "Who you are?"
The old man nodded. "Yes, forgive me, My Lords. There wasn't much time to introduce myself earlier. My name is Shinsetsu. I am the high mage of Her Majesty's court. Most people must refer to me as 'Honored One'. As bearers of the Sacred Mantles, you are one of the few people in the entire kingdom who have the right to call me by name."
"Sacred Mantles?" Kento wondered. "You mean our armors, right?"
"Of course our armors!" Cye spat. "Really Kento, are you not learning anything at that college?"
Shinsetsu chuckled again. "Forgive me for asking, my Lords, but could I possibly get each of your respective titles so that I may address you properly?
"We were in our sub armors earlier," Ryo offered, trying to be helpful. "They all have our respective colors so you can tell from them."
Shinsetsu gave him a tight smile. "I'm afraid that is of no help for a person with my condition."
Ryo looked confused for a moment, then his eyes went wide when he realized his mistake.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were blind!"
"It's alright," Shinsetsu assured him. "Now, if you four wouldn't mind indulging an old man..."
"Of course. My name is Sage and I bear the armor of Halo."
"I'm Cye. I have the armor of Torrent."
"Kento of Hardrock right over here!"
"I am Ryo of Wildfire."
"Yeah, our fearless, clueless leader!"
"Shut up, Kento!"
"You all seem to be very close," Shinsetsu said. "It wasn't so with the original bearers of your armor. They had never met each other until they were first called to bear the mantles."
"Well, that's a little like us," Kento explained. "Cye and I kind of grew up together. So did Rowen he's the one with Strata and Sage. But other than that, we never met each other until right before our first battle with Talpa's Dynasty Soldier. And that was, what, four or five years ago? We were about fifteen then and we're nineteen now."
"I just turned twenty," Cye added.
The old man stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You were that young when you received your armors AND you fought against Talpa?"
"And totally kicked his butt!" Kento added.
"Really?" The old man sounded very interested now. "You KILLED Talpa?"
"He is gone," Sage confirmed. "Ryo saw to that with help of the Inferno armor."
"Inferno?" Now Shinsetsu was looking very surprised. He had not expected such a history from these new armor bearers.
"You know about Talpa?" Sage then asked.
"Yes, of course. He was, after all, originally from this world."
That got all of the Ronin's attention.
"Really? Can you tell us more about him and what's going on?" Ryo asked.
"I would also like to know about the paintings on the ceiling," Sage added.
The other three Ronins blinked and then looked above them. They had never really taken the time to see what they were about. Indeed, Sage's curiosity was understandable. Several figures in the murals distinctly resembled that of their armors. It was an odd feeling to go from a world where the armors were considered an old legend, by the few who had even heard of it, to this world where it seemed everyone knew more about the armors than they did.
"Eventually," Shinsetsu nodded. "There is much you warriors must learn about this world, what happened here, and about your powers and your duties. I will do my best to teach you all you need to know. But some things require patience and readiness, my young Lords. Everything will be revealed in their own due time."
'And meanwhile,' he then thought to himself. 'I, too have some questions that need to be answered as well. These young men are not what I expected them to be.'
The women's bath, though not nearly as extravagant as what the Ronins were experiencing, was still very nice. There were white silk drapes everywhere and the air smelled of sweet lavender. The woman who had led them there was named Kalia.
"I am the head handmaiden here," she explained upon their arrival. "I will soon assign personal handmaidens to each of you, but until then, please feel free to call upon me personally if you need anything."
From there, the four women were given white robes and towels and led to a large hot tub where all four of them could sit and still have plenty of room.
Robyn hugged her towel to her self-consciously as they all got in the water. With all the servant girls around helping her undress and pin up her hair, it made her feel uneasy. She wasn't used to people helping her with such things. She could easily do this all herself. It was almost embarrassing how these girls were treating her like she was so much better than them when Robyn knew it couldn't possibly be true. One of the servants had gasped when they saw the pale scars Robyn had on her back. Old memories of a rough childhood. It was then that Robyn just grabbed her towel and fled to the bath.
But even there, she still didn't feel very comfortable. As the other three got in with her, Robyn let herself slump deeper in the water. She knew it was a silly thing to feel self-conscious about especially when all of them were women, but she was. Robyn couldn't hold any kind of light to the three beautiful women that were sitting around her. Sure, she looked a lot better than she had a year ago. But she was still far behind her present company.
Miniko, of course, was still as gorgeous as she was in high school. Even more so now that she was without her flashy teen make up and clothes. She had a more mature beauty about her now. The other priestess, Myune who claimed to be Sage's partner with Halo was off the charts. She looked as though she had stepped out of every man's fantasy. Her thick hair was a greenish pastel shade that went perfectly with her toned, olive skin. Her hair was so long and thick, it didn't all fit in the thick bun on top of her head, several ringlets still spilled down to decorate around her neck.
'Probably a natural curl, too,' Robyn thought bitterly. It seemed natural that Myune would be Sage's partner. Both were supreme specimens of their respective genders.
Even Mia looked like she belonged there more than Robyn did. Mia was older than them, but not by much. She still had a young, beautiful face, healthy hair, and a great figure. Indeed. Even though Mia was the one who would have been left behind, Robyn was very much feeling like the odd one out.
"How long have you known," Miniko broke the silence. "That you were a priestess, Myune?"
The beautiful woman gave a sad, empty smile. "Several years. I actually realized my powers and who I was far before I should have. Because I was so young then and not ready for them, I had to be taken from our world and brought here. I would not have been able to cope if I were left alone." She paused. "I'm sorry, I never got your names."
Miniko nodded. "Yes, too much going on. My name is Miniko. I found out who I was this summer. It hasn't been easy, but I'm been training hard for it. This is our friend Mia. She knows a lot about the armors and their legends in our world. She's been helping the Ronins and us through all this."
Myune nodded, accepting Mia's presence. She then turned her attention to Robyn.
"I'm Robyn."
"And how long have you had to train for the role of priestess?"
Robyn suddenly felt very small. She answered in a weak voice. "Um...I just found out this morning."
Myune raised her eye brows at this. She certainly had doubts when she saw this small timid creature presented to her as one of her fellow priestesses. But this explained a lot. If she had just found out today, then the girl was probably still going through shock at the idea and wasn't at her best. Still, she was the farthest behind of all of them. She would have to work the hardest to keep up.
A silence fell over them again. Within this silence, Robyn had a startling revelation. Before they had been transported here, Myune had addressed her and Miniko both as her 'fellow priestesses' without being previously introduced. If she knew they were priestesses already, then did she also know of which armors they were sealed to? Robyn was dreadfully curious. Rowen and Sage had now received their Guardians which meant she could now be paired with either Ryo, Cye, or Kento. Her brain had been on overdrive, testing the possibilities of each one. It was quite hard to guess too much into the future since she still didn't know what she was supposed to do once she did find out who she was partnered with.
Robyn was very tempted to ask Myune about it, but also very intimidated by her. She was Robyn's superior in every way. She was more beautiful, posed, graceful, better learned in the way of what her duty was and proved to be a good fighter. All in all, she was of infinitely more use to Sage than Robyn would be to whomever was her pair.
This worried Robyn. She couldn't do anything that would be of any help. She definitely couldn't fight and she had no extra powers. She would only be capable of holding her friends back. What were they going to expect of her? How was she going to pull this off?
"Myune," Mia spoke. "What is going to happen from here?"
"You'll be dressed in the finest robes of this kingdom and then presented before the Queen and her court. When that time comes, there are a few rules of protocol that must be followed. This kingdom has a very strict set of titles that you must remember. The way you address others shows your status in the kingdom. This shall be practiced at all times especially when addressing those higher than you."
Robyn furrowed her brows at Myune's instructions. This sounded hard.
"First off," Myune announced. "When addressing the queen, always respond with 'Your Majesty' and do not speak unless first invited to. You met the queen's high mage earlier. He is advisor to the queen and is one of the most powerful and enlightened men in the kingdom. He has a few different titles, but we usually refer to him as 'Honored One' because of his power and his age and wisdom.
"As for the five warriors, they must be addressed as 'Lord' and then the name of their armors such as Lord Halo or Lord Torrent."
Robyn bit her lip. She didn't like the sound of that. "But what if--"
"This will be used EVERY time," Myune cut her off sharply. "Though the title of Priestess is very high, the bearers of the mantles, or armors, is a position above our own. We must also bow whenever entering their company or of the queen or her advisor or anyone who is higher than us.
"Mia, as simply a guest, you will be expected to acknowledge all of us. We as Priestesses actually have a staggering number of different titles that we can be called, but merely addressing any of us as 'My Lady' is fine."
Mia nodded humbly. She was lucky to even be there, she would not put up a fight and submit to what they wanted her to do. Robyn felt bad about it all. In her opinion, Mia had no business whatsoever bowing to someone like her. If the world was any kind of fair at all, it would have been the other way around. She certainly wasn't going to make Mia do any of that bowing and title stuff around her if she could help it.
Apparently, the others were having similar thoughts and it showed on their faces. Myune nodded in understanding.
"I know how you must feel. I had a hard time with it as well when I first came here. But we must realize that we are guests in this world. This is how they did things here and we must respect that."
Robyn's shoulders sunk. Putting it that way made her feel like some ungrateful brat for thinking those things earlier. Still, it didn't feel right somehow. She knew she was going to have a hard time doing it. But if this was what her friends needed her to do, she would give it a shot.
After a second water fight this one being started by Kento throwing Sage in the pool that was meant for Strata the Ronins were lead to another area. This place had five curtained areas where each could dress privately which was what they were doing now in the new clothes they were given.
"If Kento keeps acting like he's doing, we're going to get thrown out of here and they're going to give the armors to someone else," Sage grouched from his own private space.
"Come one Sage, I did it for Rowen," Kento argued from his corner. "You know he would have done it himself if he were here. This is just so he knows we didn't forget him."
They all stepped out and looked at each other. The new clothes they were given, while each was slightly different than the other, all shared qualities of both old eastern and western styles. The dominant color of each of the Ronins outfits matched with the color of their respective armors.
"If everyone else isn't dressed like this, I'm going to be so embarrassed," Cye quipped.
Kento laughed. "Hey, it will either be this or our pajamas."
"Shinsetsu," Ryo greeted as the old man walked in.
"Are you ready, My Lords?"
"Yeah, but do you think we would have time to see Rowen before we have to go?"
The old man smiled. "I think that's possible. Come."
He led them out of the bath area and down another large corridor. Kento was very impressed with the old man saying he was blind and everything. He moved around as if he could see as well as everyone else. It wasn't too far away when Shinsetsu led them into the small hospital held within the castle.
The place appeared to be quite clean for looking like something built in the middle ages. There were a few beds in what was the smallest of the large rooms the Ronins had seen yet. In one of the beds lay Rowen and he wasn't alone. There was a young girl at his bedside. She had bright blue eyes and freckles. She couldn't have been much older than twelve or thirteen. Her hair was pulled up in a loop on either side of her head and decorated with yellow ribbons which matched her dress.
"Grandpa," the girl sang. "I've been watching his fever. It's starting to go down already."
Upon hearing the girl's voice, Shinsetsu looked stern. "What are you still doing here? You should be off getting ready. There isn't much time left."
"But I wanted to help," the little girl insisted.
"And you have been a great help. Now, I'm sure Lord Strata will be fine for a few hours without you. He needs his rest."
The little girl nodded as she jumped up. "May I come back when it's over?"
Shinsetsu nodded graciously. "Of course."
Happy with that, the girl ran out of the room to another part of the castle. The old man chuckled.
"She didn't even acknowledge the rest of you, did she? She's so impulsive that way; like a baby chick when it first breaks from its shell and imprints the first thing it sees. I think she has already decided who her favorite is going to be."
"I'm sure Rowen will be thrilled," Cye said with a crooked grin.
Sage was already at his friend's side, checking for himself to make sure Rowen really was okay. His fever did indeed seem to be breaking and Rowen was sleeping peacefully. These were good signs so Sage was finally satisfied.
"What exactly happened to Rowen?" Ryo asked. "Myune, er, the Priestess of Halo said he was under some kind of 'locking spell' earlier. What does that mean?"
Though interested to hear about it, Sage frowned at the mention of his new partner. He had been impartial to the idea of sharing the armor title with a woman in the beginning. Now that he actually had his, he wasn't too sure he liked the idea. He had hardly even had a chance to speak with Myune. He had no idea who she was at all or what they were expected to accomplish together. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, every time he thought of her he felt uneasy.
"First of all, My Lords," the Shinsetsu began. "You must realize that your armors are not unknown in this world. Everyone from the highest member of the court to the lowest beggar knows about them and knows what they can do. However, while everyone knows about the armors, no one has been able to duplicate them. We have had many enemies try, but no one has been able to summon enough magic to create something as powerful as what you young men possess. The Sacred Mantles were created by the Gods and only they have the power to make more.
"Despite this, it hasn't stopped those who would want the armors defeated from trying to find weaknesses. During the first generation of the armor bearers, a few spells were developed to use against them. Since no amount of mortal magic is strong enough to defeat the armors once they have been called, a few different "locking spells" were created which, if cast on a warrior who has not yet called upon his armor, would seal the armor away for a time and prevent its wearer from using it."
"That's what happened to us earlier," Sage recalled.
"Oh yeah, that dust stuff," Ryo scrunched his nose as he remembered it. "As soon as I got hit with that it was like Wildfire couldn't hear me calling it."
"That was a weaker spell," the old man continued. "Soon after this method was developed, the Guardians were given to each Lord. With the two together, they have enough power to break the spell if only one of them is hit. If both have been struck with the locking spell, they cannot break it alone. It usually takes a day at least of some heavy magic to take it off."
Sage nodded. It was just like when Myune first appeared. Her presence was what had allowed him to call upon Halo when he had been hit with the locking spell.
"As for Lord Strata, he has suffered from a far stronger spell. This one could have only been placed on him without any protection from his armor whatsoever."
"Yeah, that's Rowen," Kento spoke up. "They got him before he even knew what was coming."
Cye smacked him in the back of the head to silence his loud friend.
"By enchanting an arrow and then embedding it in his body, they were able to cut him off from his armor completely without any defense at all. And, left unchecked he would have eventually died for the spell also prevents the wound from healing and releases a toxin into the system. It will take myself and my highest mages several dispelling sessions before Lord Strata is totally broken from it. Still there are far more deadly spells out there. Some can kill a man in a day. Lord Strata was very lucky."
The Ronins were silent for a moment. This was indeed a lot to think about. If they were expected to fight in this new world, this was definitely a different challenge for them. They had never had to worry about being cut off from their armors before.
"Shinsetsu," Cye then asked. "Who exactly are our enemies and why have they been attacking us?"
The old man was about to reply when an armored guard came to the doorway.
"Honored One, the court is almost in session. The presence of yourself and the Lords are required before we can begin."
"Very well," Shinsetsu replied, standing up. He could almost feel the Ronins' frustration at being interrupted. "I am sorry My Lords, but we must do this first. I will be happy to answer more questions later. But right now is the time we present you to her Highness the Queen."