Chapter Thirty

"I'm coming along," said Bastet said stubbornly. Ruby and Rowen looked concerned at her insistence.

"Look," Ryo paused, he was grouchy first thing in the morning. So was Rowen, but he hadn't slept much considering what the days task required. Could he count on himself to make the right decision. Ryo continued, "we already have Leea coming along, I don't know how we can protect two of you."

"You don't have to protect me," she growled. "You forget I'm an Old One, I just happen to be stuck in a human form. I still can fight, besides Wolfy is here to protect me."

Raleigh frowned, Wolfy?

Ruby looked at Rowen then back to them, "I don't know about you guys, but I think she's being truthful. She needs to be in the nether realm so she can switch souls, and we can have Hoshi back."

Rowen nodded, pretending to agree. What was Ruby up to? He trusted her to get Hoshi back, and she trusted him to make a decision. Bastet glanced at them both suspiciously, and smiled at Ryo. She wrapped her arms around his neck, "Oh please, great ronin master!"

He shoved her off, "you're annoying, Bastet."

Sage walked into the living room and put his opinion in, "they have a point, how are we supposed to get Hoshi's soul back if we have no where to put it?"

Kento looked at Bastet, "Geez, can you even fight?"

She smacked him upside the head, and he fell over, "I may be stuck in feeble human body, but I can still fight like a God."

Leea finally came down stairs with White Blaze. She was wearing a denim outfit with a white tshirt. "So how do we get there?"

"Ugh don't ask me," he said looking to ruby.

Ruby smiled, "I can open the gateway easily."

Cye came in with Mia holding a tray of sandwhiches, "we should eat first, either way."

They demolished the sandwiches pretty easily and Ryo said, "well, I guess we have to. I mean she's probably the only one who knows her way to the Old Ones."

"That too," Bastet beamed and looked at Rowen. "Aren't you glad, we get to spend some more time together."

He smirked slightly at her.

Ruby smiled, "well, can we go now that's all settled?"

"And I thought I was itching for a fight," Kento said with one final gulp. She rolled her eyes silently and she walked out to the lake, Raleigh and Bastet quickly following her.

Mia sighed, "look guys, I've been reading through some of the other books on mythology. There are some nasty monsters you might have to face. Just come back alive in one and in one piece."

"We will,"Ryo grinned with White Blaze roaring. "Tell Yulie not to worry okay, I know you've been trying to keep him away because you were worried about all of this."

She blushed, "okay, Ryo. You take care of Leea, alright. She can be a bit obnoxious, but sounds to me like she won't give up til she finds Hoshi."

"I'm right here, Mia," Leea winked and then said, "I told you, I won't let anyone hurt my bestie!"

"Let's go," Ryo said walking towards the back.

Sage hung back with Rowen, "are you okay."

"I'm fine, buddy," he said with a wink. "I'm just determined is all."

"How did the talk with Ruby go," he asked.

He thought about the conversation with the princess, "she's determined to get Hoshi back, even if its for my sake."

"That's dedication," Sage said. "You don't have to worry, Rowen. She made that deal with Bastet, I guess, so she knows whats shes doing right?"

"I can only hope Sage," Rowen said. Softly. He kind of felt like he should tell Sage what Ruby had told him, but he didn't say a thing. He just gave Mia a soft hug before they left.

Ruby looked up at the sky with melancholy, "well, boys and girls...this is going to be a bumpy ride."

"Why," asked Ryo as she raised a hand in front of her.

She winked at him, "I was never good at opening up rifts."

A small ball of fire appeared in her hand and she threw it into the lake. It lit up with dazzling light and a vision of a war torn castle appeared. It was being besieged by Hecatones, they could see Cale, Dais, and Sehkmet ushering troops and leading attacks around the fortress. Kayura was surrounded, when a warrior clad in a crystal armor carrying a large ax. The ax wielding warrior smashed a group of Hecatones and picked up the bleeding girl.

Ryo looked at the others summoning his sub armor, "out of the frying pan, into the fire guys!"

Leea blushed as the others transformed as well even Raleigh. She could have sworn she saw a glimpse of flesh from each of them. Bastet nudged her, "boy, I wish I was human."

They jumped into the lake one at a time and a light sealed the portal behind them.