Zorra Reed: Thank you for the first review! And darn! I thought I had corrected that and hit save. I'll have to remember to go back and make that correction.
CHAPTER TWO
A few days later, Ryo's injuries had healed thanks to the power of Wildfire. With a heavy heart, he had purchased some groceries and stocked the cabin. It had taken everything he had to not break down in the middle of the produce. He had started training to keep his mind off his friends' deaths.
Today, he was on a trail jogging. White Blaze was out and about doing his own thing. Ryo stopped at a large rock to catch his breath. He was sweating hard and breathing just as hard. Suddenly, a bone-chilling laugh filled the air. Ryo leapt to his feet and spun around looking for someone.
His eyes finally fell on another large rock. A woman stood with long, flowing black hair with silvery streaks and an evil glint in her eyes. Her eyes glowed an abnormally bright orange. Ryo glared.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
She smirked.
"I'm the end, Ryo of Wildfire. You'll soon be joining your friends in the afterlife," she taunted.
Despite not being up to full strength, Ryo summoned his armor and drew his swords from their sheaths. He pointed them at the woman. She threw her head back and filled the air again with her horrid laugh.
"This isn't a war you will win, Wildfire."
He was surprised when she threw her hand out and a wild-looking staff appeared. Launching herself off the rock, she hurled herself at him. He threw up his katanas to form an X and block a hard hit from the staff. He tried to fend her off as best as he could, but his body took several hard blows.
He jumped back away from her, attached his katanas, and drew in the power of Wildfire.
"FLARE UP N-!"
Suddenly, the woman struck hard and struck fast. Her staff whipped across the air, stirring up bright purple lightning across in front of her. It flew up from her staff and the bolts ripped through his body. Ryo hit the ground so hard his armor and subarmor disappeared back to his street clothes. He tried to get up, but found his body forced flat to the ground.
The woman grinned as she knelt over him. She laid her staff on the ground beside him. She dug a knee into his stomach with her other leg bent beside her body. She rested her hand on his chest.
"This is going to hurt…just a lot."
That was the only warning he got before her hand plunged down through his chest. The center where her hand was dug in turned red, but no blood poured from it. Excruciating pain filled his body. Throwing his head back, he let out a blood-curling scream. The woman patted him on the cheek with her free hand.
"There, there. Just a few seconds more and it'll all be over. Then you won't have to watch your precious realm turn to dust," she cooed softly.
His eyes were wide open yet his vision was white. His body shook violently and he started coughing roughly. A thin line of blood dripped down his cheek from his mouth. She leaned down close and whispered in his ear.
"I intend to take over the Mortal and Nether Realms. To do that, I need all five armors. And you bear the final one I need for my collection. Now be a good little ronin and give it to me," she hissed.
Ryo's eyes closed as his body shuddered harder. He slammed them back open when he heard a sound far away. Suddenly, a white and black blur tackled the woman. It flung her off and away from him. His ears were still ringing, but he managed to hear the familiar roar.
White Blaze, Ryo thought.
"Damned cat! I'll take care of you first then!" the woman snapped.
Ryo's body trembled with uncontrollable shakes. He could barely hear the fight going on. He was so distraught he didn't hear the arrival of someone new. He gasped in surprise when a cool armored hand touched his cheek.
"He's alive!"
"Get him…of here! We've got…!"
Ryo coughed. More blood sputtered from his mouth. His body was starting to feel cold.
"…help…! …body…out…!"
Another armored hand touched his forehead. It was the last thing he knew before he was forced into unconsciousness.
/…/
His body weak down to his core, Ryo drifted in and out. His body ached, especially from his chest. He couldn't tell where he was, but wherever it was he was laying in a warm bed with a thick comforter tucked over him. His rescuers were constant visitors. He had enough awareness to able to tell there was more than one.
"How is he?"
"She did a number on him."
"It's going to take time for him to recover."
"Shh. Let him rest."
The cold washcloth on his forehead was changed out. All he could manage was to move his head. His eyes occasionally opened, but all he could see was darkness and none of the rescuers were ever there during those times.
One of the rescuers would come and sit with him often. He heard the voice enough to determine it was a male. Sometimes, the man read from a book. Sometimes, he talked quietly to Ryo about this or that. Sometimes, he just sat there holding Ryo's hand simply to let him know he was there.
"What about his companion?"
"The tiger? That damn thing nearly took my arm just trying to get it here!"
"It may help him."
Heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll get the cat."
/…/
Errr-mm. Errr-mm. Errr-mm.
Ryo felt soft fur under his hand. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. For the first time in a while, he could see something other than darkness. He could see the beams above him. He could see the room he was in, the bed he laid on, and the comforter.
With a quiet groan, Ryo pushed himself to a sitting up position. The blanket fell away to reveal bandage wrapped around his chest. Looking around, he found himself in a simple room with a few doors and a window. White Blaze lay beside his bed and lifted his head to lowly grumble at him.
"Hey, boy," Ryo murmured.
Ryo strained his ears for the familiar voices he had been hearing. All was quiet except for the low motor rumbling from his tiger. His gaze fell on the window.
"Where are we, Blaze?" Ryo asked.
The tiger's growl grew in volume a tad. It was almost like he was trying to tell Ryo something. Wincing at the short jab of pain to his chest, Ryo pulled back the covers and swung his legs over the bed side. With White Blaze's help, Ryo staggered to his feet and over to the window.
He wished he hadn't when his gaze down below. He stumbled back with a gasp. He caught himself against White Blaze.
"That's impossible," he gasped.
Despite that thought, Ryo walked back to the window. He blinked hard.
"I'm in Hell."
That was the only explanation for seeing the four dark warlords outside sparring. Ryo's breathing started coming out in large, raspy gasps. Squeezing his eyes shut, he held clumps of White Blaze's fur to try to ground himself.
If they're here, then I'm in the dynasty. If I'm in the dynasty, then that means Talpa. I can't stay. I can't stay here. Not safe. Not safe, notsafe, notsafe, Ryo words started blending together in his head.
His thoughts were all jumbled. They centered, however, on the fact that he wasn't as safe as he had believed. He didn't even wonder why he was in a room instead of a dungeon. He startled slightly when he opened his eyes and found himself back in the cabin.
"Did…Did I…teleport?"
Ryo shivered. It was an ability he didn't know how the warlords did and the ronins had never attempted before. Ryo bit his bottom lip until blood came rushing into his mouth.
Maybe if we had tried…the guys would still be alive, Ryo thought.
Meanwhile, back in the dynasty, the warlords had finished sparring and were wondering back inside.
"I'm taking a shower!" Sekhmet called over his shoulder.
Dais smirked. "Why don't I join you?"
Cale chuckled as Dais chased after his lover. He glanced at his own lover who was downing a glass of water.
"I think they got the right idea," Cale hinted.
Anubis chuckled as he put his glass down.
"As tempting as that is, it'll have to wait," Anubis replied, turning to walk down a different hallway.
Cale rolled his eyes. "He's going to check on the ronin."
"I'm going to check on the ronin," Anubis called over his shoulder.
Anubis chuckled with the shake of his head. He could hear Cale mumbling curses. It was true he spent more time checking on the ronin than the others. He tended to be the more nurturing of the four. Whenever someone was sick, they came to him to be nursed back to health.
When he got to the room they were keeping the ronin in, Anubis was shocked to find the tiger and ronin gone. Upon closer inspection, he found traces of armor teleporting.
"Shit."
[The ronin's gone!] Anubis hollered down the mind link.
Three confused replies came back to him.
[We have to go find him!]
[The little ronin can handle himself while we shower, Anubis.] Dais replied.
[We have to get to him before Sabine does.] Anubis reminded him.
The othree three grudgingly agreed. Everyone quickly showered and returned to the Mortal Realm in search of the injured ronin. Dais and Sekhmet tried the local hospital; they had noticed previous damage to the ronin's body and hoped he may have gone there.
Cale went into town, trying to sense the ronin out from where he was. Anubis took a different approach. He found a quiet place where no one would disturb him. He went into a meditative stance and opened the ronin mind link only to Wildfire.
[Wildfire, where are you?]
At first, he heard no responses to his call. Finally, one came.
[…leave me alone.]
The response was so quiet Anubis had to strain to hear it. He didn't know if the ronin was quiet, far away, or he was still weakened from his injuries.
[Wildfire, tell us where you are. We only want to help.]
The next reply came back in a sharp, clearer tone with a few curse words mixed in. Anubis sighed. He didn't blame the mortal for the distrust. He knew the warlords should have acted sooner and revealed to the ronin warriors they were back. He thought of reaching out to Cale and telling him to check the house for the others. Wildfire's friends might know where he could be or could be hiding him themselves.
[Wildfire, we-]
[GO AWAY! YOU'RE BACK, TALPA'S BACK, AND MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD! LEAVE ME ALONE!]
Anubis nearly fell out of his meditative stance. The voice had come in loud and clear. He understood why Wildfire would think Talpa was back. He didn't understand, though, what the younger male meant by his friends.
Suddenly, flashes from the other end went through the link. He saw mail. He saw the ronin's woman. He saw and heard the explosion. He felt Wildfire's pain and despair. He heard of the deaths of the woman and the other ronins. He saw Sabine.
He understood now.
He knew who to blame for all this, too.
[Her name is Sabine.]
Anubis felt confusion filter along their connection. So he continued on before the ronin could sever the link.
[The woman who attacked you isn't human. Not entirely. Sabine is Badamon's experimental child. She's half-human, half-spirit. Badamon kept her a secret for years. Badamon never told Talpa, but we discovered her presence. Badamon was punished and Sabine was sealed away.]
Silence continued so Anubis continued.
[The chamber she was kept in collapsed inward shortly before Talpa first appeared in the Mortal Realm. She was assumed dead. She has the power to control the armors. If she gains your armor…We can help, if only you let us.]
By their connection, he could track the ronin to his location. But he wanted the ronin to accept the help.
[I know you have no reason to accept help from the others, but have you forgotten the Ancient One opened my eyes? I rebelled against Talpa.]
Anubis held his breath. The longer the ronin was in the Mortal Realm, the faster Sabine could discover his location. If she gained his armor like he suspected she had done to the other ronins, then the warlords wouldn't stand a chance.
[…there's a cabin…]
Anubis smiled as his eyes opened. He opened the link the other way and sent the others home. He followed the directions Wildfire gave him. The ronin was waiting inside. He was curled up in an armchair with the tiger lying on the floor in front of him.
To Anubis, the ronin couldn't look any smaller. Wildfire must have told the tiger he was coming, for the large feline stood and moved when he approached. When Anubis stepped closer, he could see how exhausted the ronin was. He suspected most of it was physical exhaustion, but a good deal of it could be emotional and mental.
Wildfire allowed him to help him to his feet and he leaned heavily against Anubis. The tiger stepped closer to lean on Anubis' other side. Clearly, the feline was going too.
END OF CHAPTER TWO