CHAPTER ELEVEN

Leo blocked an overhead slash and responded with a chop at his opponent's legs. His opponent leapt over the attack only to realise that he had been fooled with a diversion. Leo's real attack came from his left fist and it was a punch to the gut. He reeled and collapsed to the ground. Leo stood over him; sword pointed at his throat, and said, "Yield." From the ground, Kai grinned.
"What else am I gonna do?" he asked cheerfully, "Now help me up." He took Leo's offered hand and stood up, gasping for breath. "You did not have to hit me that hard," he complained, rubbing his midsection. He turned to Damon. "You're turn," he said. Damon's eyes widened.
"Ah thanks but no thanks," he said, "I'd rather do uh... anything else than that. Anything that includes me keeping the same amount of blood that I currently posses."
"Does the blood have to be inside your body?" Leo teased.
"Yep."
"You're no fun at all." Leo turned to Kai. "So, how's your shoulder," he asked.
"It's fine," asserted Kai, "There's not even a mark there. So can everyone stop acting like I'm made of glass?"
"Sorry," apologised Leo, "I just have to check."

The three men sat down, the four hour workout finally getting to them, the sweat darkening their clothing.
"So," said Damon while attempting to fan himself with a sparring cushion, "About last ni-."
"No," Leo cut him off, "Nothing about last night. New topic please."
"You're not gonna tell us anything?" he asked incredulously.
"I am not having this discussion," said Leo, "It just happened, that's it, end of story."
"Spoilsport," he murmured under his breath, just loud enough to be heard.
"So anyway," said Kai who wanted to change the topic, "What's our plan."
"I'm not sure," said Leo, "Right now I've got Maya sorting through some scrolls that Hayate, the original Green Ranger, wrote. It's written in Mirinoian so she's the only one who can make head or tail of it. I mean come on, why is it written backwards? Kendrix is looking at some papers that match the script in the galaxy book. We're really clutching at straws."
"Anything else?" asked Damon, "We need to do something before this war escalates any further than it already has."
"I know," replied Leo, "I was thinking that you could try using your powers unmorphed. I know it's a little difficult at first but trust me, it increases your strength threefold. Also, we need to get into contact with Mike and find out if he knows anything."

"Nothing, nothing, nothing, ancient recipe for waffles, nothing," intoned Maya before hurling the scrolls across the room. "This is getting me nowhere!" she said dramatically. Kendrix grinned at her friend's outburst. Maya noticed the look and groaned. "I preferred when you moping around after him," she said while retrieving the scrolls, "You were more bearable."

Kendrix sighed.

"And you weren't sighing all the time either," she said.
"I wasn't sighing," protested Kendrix quickly.
"Then what were you doing, pray tell?" she asked.
"I was uh, exhaling," replied Kendrix, "Yeah, that's what I was doing." Despite herself, Maya smiled. It was nice to see her best friend looking so happy. Kendrix deserved it, especially after the past few days of worrying over Leo's Red Ranger only mission. The day's that she had abandoned her friends to go and attack civilians. Move on, she commanded herself.
"So," she asked, her eyes glowing wickedly, "How was he?"
Kendrix blushed a shade that matched her shirt. She opened and closed her mouth several times before producing a quiet, "It was nice." Typical Kendrix thought Maya. She can go on for days about how small amounts of chloride in the water can affect the growth of plants yet only has three words on the good stuff."So question time," she asked, "How did you two end up together? I mean, you make small glances at each other for two years, I leave for three days and you're in bed together or couch in this case. That was the first time right?"
"I don't know. It just happened," said Kendrix softly, "One minute, I'm slapping him for leaving us and the next we're kissing and well, the guys walked in." Maya grinned.
"They said something about that," said Maya.
"I love him," she said simply, "I completely adore him. And he feels the same way about me and even more importantly, I now know he feels the same way." She looked at Maya, who had a strange look on her face. "What," she asked.
"Nothing," replied Maya, "It's just... You're smiling. It's a good look for you."
"We should get back to work," said Kendrix.

Mike ducked under a low hanging branch and used a machete to clear the unavoidable ferns and shrubberies. Thirty soldiers followed him, all armed to the teeth. Mike was very nervous. He didn't know if Sherran and her brother had made it in time to warn the village. If they had not, he had absolutely no idea what he would do.

Could he follow orders?

Thankfully, he never found out.

The village was completely abandoned. The entire place had been entirely stripped of any practical item. No useful thing had been left behind. Mike risked a small grin. She had done it. They were safe.