Chapter Seven

Rowen found Sage leaning against a pillar at the mall. It was hard to miss his friend, even in the crowded mall. His friend was beautiful, not pretty, but beautiful and over the years his cute looks got him more attention than all five had ever gotten in their life. Girls leered at his friend as they passed by and Rowen chuckled under his breath, some things never changed and that was one. Sage didn't glorify it, in fact he had a peeved look on his face. Sage didn't like the attention the girls gave him and malls were filled with those kind of girls.

"About time," Sage grumbled as he looked up at his friend, flicking his blonde hair out of his lavendar eyes.

Rowen grinned, his friend didn't realize how many girls probably just fainted, "sorry for being a bit late. The subway is always packed at this time of day, I forgot."

"Yeah, well," Sage paused as he started to walk, he was definitely uncomfortable. "Where did you say we were meeting your girlfriend?"

"The second floor," Rowen paused to smile. They had talked about everything that night they spent together, there was very little sleeping between their conversations and their romps. "She likes the ice cream shop up there."

Sage rolled his eyes, "wow, you even know her favorite ice cream place? How long have you known her?"

"Sage, be nice," Rowen said softly and avoiding the question. "She's a little sensitive, but she wont put up with your attitude either. Look I actually wanted to talk to you first."

"About, obviously you haven't felt need to seek out my opinion thus far," Sage grumbled, he was actually a little worried about Rowen though.

"Well, that's the thing,"Rowen said softly. "I feel like she's the one..."

Sage stopped and starred at his friend, "wait...what? You just met her!"

"I know it sounds silly, but ..."

"I don't need to know details," Sage replied quickly. "I mean none of us have had meaningful relationship outside of well...you know... because of the Dynasty. It could be your just really infatuated..."

"I don't think so," Rowen smiled brightly. Sage had known Rowen to be the skeptical one, and now he was smiling ear to ear like Kento. He felt he should be more worried, but then again it was a refreshing change.

"Have you been replaced by some Dynasty spirit," Sage said sarcastically.

"Nope."

"Well, Damn," Sage grumbled in response. Well, there went his theory.

They took the escalator up, Rowen remained smiling and Sage scowled. The ice cream place was some place from America that offered a variety of flavors and add ins. They even sang a little song for the tips and such. Sage found it annoying.

"So where is she," Sage asked as they sat down with their ice cream.

"She's just heading this way, she was delayed from work," Rowen said looking at his phone. "Sage just be nice please?"

"Why would you even ask," Sage replied. Now he was curious. Was she some airhead? That would be ironic, and hilarious, if Rowen was in love with an airhead. Or maybe she was a crybaby, he didn't care for those either.

Hoshi skipped up puffing and sat down at the extra chair. "Sorry for being late!"

Sage looked at the girl, and he noticed the scars on the right side of face neck, and hand. This was why he had asked him to be nice. Thankfully, Sage had more common sense than Kento and it didn't really matter to him that what she looked like. He wanted to know what was in her head, she had already scored ten points because she wasn't drooling over him at first sight.

Sage held out a hand, "I'm Sage Date."

She shook awkwardly with her left hand, "Hoshi Hikaru Stratin."

"American," he asked and she nodded.

"I was born there, but I only stayed til I was about eight." She giggled and then said to Rowen, "are all you guys so hard to read? I mean even Cye."

Sage raised an eyebrow at Rowen who said, "I guess it's just us."

Sage then asked as Rowen gave her a spoon for the ice cream he got, "what do you mean?"

"I mean I have only met three of you, and all of you act the same way when I first meet you," she replied as she tried the ice cream. "Not a single ounce of shock, morbid curiosity, or even disgust. Are you guys all gentlemen, or born without those emotions?"

He frowned, but Rowen shot him a look. Sage laughed, "I don't know, maybe we're not judgmental as some people in this world?"

She looked at Rowen, "he said the same thing. Are you twins?" She laughed again, "I like him too. He's not as sweet as Cye, but he's more honest in some weird way."

Rowen bit down a laugh and Sage frowned. All this over a few scars the girl had, she was still pretty despite all that. She was confident, and smiling, and Rowen made her feel beautiful. So he was happy that his friend could make a girl feel so full of life. It was all of a sudden that all that life drained from her and she went pale and she dropped the spoon. Rowen went to her side, but she was frozen still starring at something straight in front of her. Sage turned his gaze in that direction, and saw a peculiar sight that alarmed him. A red wolf as large as White Blaze, was clad in silver armor. The wolf was starring at them with deep green eyes, and it almost seemed to be grinning, Rowen turned to look at it as well. No one in the mall noticed the wolf besides them.

The wolf grinned and in a voice they could only hear, Power only replaces power Ronins.

In an instant it vanished and Hoshi yelled. They turned their gaze back to her, she was holding herself and shaking terribly. She was pale, clammy, and covered in sweat. A woman nearby asked if they needed to call an ambulance, but Hoshi was already was grabbing for a bottle of medicine in her purse. Rowen and Sage walked with her a few moments until she stopped to sit down elsewhere and they sat down next to the water fountain.

Hoshi swallowed a few pills, and her tremors began to steady.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she lowered her head to her hands, "this medicine is messing with my mind. I bet you think I'm crazy as well as a freak."

Sage and Rowen starred at each other, she didn't realize they had seen the apparition as well. Sage placed a hand on her arm, and felt a buzz of energy coming of her skin. He said softly, "we saw the wolf."

She looked up at them both quickly and a tremor started in wrist. She looked down at her wrist with the bandage that Rowen had put on it. Rowen took her hand and it seemed to settle down.

"Then it was real," she mumbled and shook her head in disbelief, "but you saw it! Then it can only be real."

"You've have seen the wolf before," Rowen asked in concern.

"I didn't fall Rowen, I was knocked down," She said with a pause. Sage was starring at her as well, they knew something about the wolf. "I saw it on the roof when I was walking to your place the other nigh, I thought it was going to lunge at me, but I noticed another beast in my peripheral. A black tiger..."

"Black Blaze," Sage whispered and Rowen nodded.

"You know of the beast," Hoshi gasped as she looked at them. "Wait, is this why you say your friends have been through a lot together?"

Sage glared at Rowen who answered, "yes, Black Blaze is a friend. It probably chased off the wolf to keep from hurting you."

"How are you friends with a tiger," she mummbled in disbelief to herself. "I don't get this..."

"This might be easier if we have Mia explian it," Sage suggested softly.

"Mia Koji? Is that why she came to visit me earlier," she asked angrily but both rowen and Sage only gave each other a look of concern.