Chapter Ten

Rowen sighed deeply to himself as the guys and Mia were starring at him now, he assumed they were looking for some sort of answer. He had nothing for them except his anger at Sage, and his concern for Hoshi's silence.

Ryo broke the silence, "so what are we supposed to do? Pretend she's Talpa's daughter?"

Mia shook her head instantly, "no, I mean what would Talpa's daughter do if she went back to the nether realm? Take his place? Doesn't that seem like we're replacing an enemy that we just defeated. Do we even find this person? I mean..her yojimbo was powerful enough!"

"Why don't we kick this monsters butt that's coming," Kento smiled, he was so excited at the prospect of a new battle. "It's been a while since I had a punching bag from the nether realm!"

"There you go again, rushing into a fight," Cye said sadly, he really didn't like his enthusiasm over the situation. "We don't even know what full extent of what this being is!"

"I agree," Rowen said, he really wanted to follow Hoshi but he needed to help his friends figure out their plan. "Maybe this Raleigh person understands."

"We're getting somewhere," Sage said and sat down with them. "Now why did she look like Suzunagi?"

Ryo snapped to attention, "Suzunagi?"

"She looked a lot like her," Rowen said, "but it wasn't that she was identical or anything, she was different. Same red hair, but she was mute and scared from mouth to jaw, like someone tried to pull her jaw off." He motioned to where the scars located and he saw Cye shutter.

Mia cringed, "her armor was beautiful and silver! I recognized her crest though, they said she was a child of Fenris."

"Which is," Ryo asked as Mia went over to a book shelf. She pulled a book out, it wasn't one of her grandfather's.

"Kayura said the Old Ones were gods, what if she meant these gods," she said holding open a book. It listed all the old world religions. "Fenris sounds like Fenrir, and she was wolf. Her crest was a wolf biting a chain. Fenrir, the Norse wolf god of the apocalypse was sealed away because he would eat the sun. They bound him by a chain made of things that did not exist, the sound of cat's paw, a woman's beard...etc."

"Wait, whoa," Kento said and his excitement seemed to vanish. "We're talking god gods? Like Zues?"

Mia shrugged, "I'm lost, grandfather never mention any of this. Nor have I read anything about it. We're going on guesses here."

Rowen sighed, the room got silent. He did not miss the silence that had been accustomed to their frustration with the nether realm and he decided it would be the perfect time go and see how Hoshi was doing.

Hoshi wondered how things were going with Rowen inside the house. She had taken off her shoes and place her feet in the cold water. White Blaze laid next to her, still softly purring. He was really an affectionate beast.

She smiled at the tiger, "who are you?"

Perhaps just a tiger.

"Perhaps," she mumbled with a small sigh. "you'll tell me in time, won't you?"

He purred for her and she sat lost in her own thoughts. She loved Rowen, although it was really soon, she was sure of that. The events were complicated for sure. She was on a supernatural hit list because of some mistake for who she looked like. She looked at her hand. She wished she had that sort of power. The power to redefine her life, to be something more but even with the new parts of her life. She was still just human.

They boys were too though.

Humans fighting some endless supernatural dilemma. She was angry. She loved Rowen, but realized that his and his friends negligence of what that entailed had brought her into it. She was content though, she would stay with him. Stay in his arms. Stay and hold him close. It was a burden she was willing to hold on to for him.

Do you wish for power, little one?

Hoshi looked up and saw a dark figure in the water

The music had returned.

I can give you power.

White blaze growled but she shushed him.

Hoshi shook her head, "I don't need any power. I have all that I need."

I figured you would say that. You will regret that you have not taken my offer, but alas, it is not you who I really need.

Hoshi dared to ask, "who?"

The light, I must find the light. Only the light can give me control of the Nether Realm, will you help me find the the Light?

She heard the door open, she looked back and saw Rowen, but the shadow person was gone. How long had she been out there. She didn't know, but blaze was still upset, because he purred against her leg.

Rowen sat down next to her, "you should come inside."

She smiled at him stiffly, "I've made up my mind."

He looked at her seriously, "about?"

She laid her head against his shoulder, he smelled good. "Well, this whole thing has sent me for loop," she mumbled as he put his arm around her. She shook her head, "I could very well walk away from here, and pretend that none of this exists."

He feared she would say something like that, it was for her best if she left, but he also felt very confused by her declaration earlier. She said she would stay with him.

"But..." she paused and gave him a kiss. "I would give up the best person to ever come into my life, for the convenience of forgetting something I always new the truth of."

He looked at her with the same confused look, "the truth of?"

"I said before that everyone said I was crazy for believing in the wolf who saved me," she sighed deeply as she remembered back. "They told me I was in denial, schitzo, ptsd, whatever, but they put me on meds. Put in me institutions. But it was real, but I felt unfulfilled for giving up that belief. I knew it deep down inside, Raleigh was real. She was my Cheshire, and I guess you will be my White knight."

"Alice in Wonderland?"

"Yup, now if we can avoid the jabberwocky and find the red queen" she laughed and gave him a kiss. "One may deal with a world full of demons, for the kiss of an angel."