Return of Ryo of the Wildfire
By Mardrena
A thick claw moved through the rocky soil, tracing angular symbols into the ground. Bronze-scaled lips moved close and pursed, and bits of soil bounced in place as the mighty form exhaled-gently at first, then more forcefully. Water slowly welled up in the deepest lines then bubbled up, spreading over the carved runes. The Norwegian Thunder Wyrm Vaughisdrough pulled his spine-crowned head back to survey his work as the spring produced potable water for the unexpected arrivals in the Nether Realm.
"An impressive display of Elder Futhark!" Kaosu complimented. A group of Nether Soldiers carried a stonework fountain and placed it above the spring to contain the waters and channel it into a pool. The fountain filled up quickly and water cascaded down the ornate spire in the middle. Lord Mabu's chamberlain floated alongside Kaosu, similarly delighted.
"A very good show, I must say! Would that you so desire, you will find a place of honor among Lord Mabu's court!" the chamberlain praised. Vaugh turned to glower at him sharply.
"I have no need of flattery from one such as you!" the Thunder Wyrm bared his teeth and hissed in warning, causing the chamberlain to flinch nervously. "Still...it is good you possess a healthy respect for dragons. The miserable wretches in the Vortex Realm clung to their delusions of conquest even after their punishment. Ultimately, I grew tired of their incessant warmongering and departed the realm for good. Without my power to safely manifest and stabilize the Great Vortex, they have no means of traversing worlds, and so they shall wallow until the end of time," Vaugh snorted derisively.
"It is good then that our paths happened to cross, for our errand proved one and the same," the Chinese lung Dragon Master stated.
"I must admit this is the first time I myself have entered the Nether Realm. Did dragons ever dwell here?" Kaosu asked the chamberlain.
"Yes, long ago before Talpa seized control. Nether Dragons blotted out the sun with their wings. When he declared himself Emperor, an upstart Nether Lord who styled himself a lord of dragons drew them all under his banner and vied with Talpa for mastery of the Realm. Before Talpa could launch his first campaign against the Mortal Realm, he first needed to put down this contender in a terrible war that permanently scarred the land. He ultimately proved victorious and slew his rival, but the conflict left all the dragons dead. None remained, even in the farthest reaches of the Realm."
"The Realm is all the poorer for it without their splendor," Dragon Master lamented and reared his head back, gazing beyond the glittering wetlands and grassy plains and spying in the distance the shattered rocky landscape dotted with twisted stone spires. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon.
Danaetanera reclined on a wooden garden bench cradling her newborn baby boy and gazed out upon the glittering waters of the harbor. She looked up and smiled appreciatively when Ita Tarmvun arrived carrying a tray of soup and tea. The two of them looked up, startled and amused when Koi Udsarrin showed up carrying a large parasol he'd raided from somewhere and planted it into the ground, unfurling it to shelter Danae. The Pegasi that had accompanied them to the Nether Realm currently enjoyed feed provided from Lord Mabu's personal stables.
Little Ryu snoozed on his back between Whiteblaze's great paws. WILDCAT and Blackblaze likewise kept vigil. Most of the Thunthen remained on the deck of the Argonauth or inside the bridge with Bak Thraplek hobbling along the rail with the aid of a cane and followed close by Miz Paufan. A heavy bandage covered the wound above his knee. Even with a heaping helping of Richtho leaves, the phergon burn had been slow to heal, but he preferred to remain active.
The Twins Ph'li and Ko'li pelted through the halls of the royal palace accompanied by Drega and Kayli, drawing glances from Nether Soldiers standing on duty. Razzunshagigknoph lay sprawled on the tiled roof sunning her delicate wings. Whisker padded alongside one of the garden koi ponds, teasing fish that strayed too close to the edge. Yulie Yamano stood beside the mage Konomi and introduced her to the mystics Lady Kayura, Shannon O'Connor, and Michelle Lonely Coyote.
"This is Konomi Paige, from the Dream World. Lady Kayura is a very powerful priestess, Shannon is a druid, and Michelle is a shaman. The three of them make up the new Mystic Alliance," Yulie explained. Konomi beamed with excitement and clapped her hands together infront of her chest.
"Ahh! I see! The traditional Triad!: The Maid, the Mother, and the Crone!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, who are you calling the 'maid'?" Michelle made a face.
"And who are you calling the 'mother'?" Shannon raised an eyebrow.
"And who are you calling the 'crone'?" Kayura demanded and narrowed her eyes. Konomi grimaced and chuckled awkwardly while Yulie stammered and averted his gaze.
The brawny feline-featured Barr'al glanced over his shoulder and smiled, amused at the sight of Harlann Wallhanger and Pauline Yama helping him offload supplies from Blue Isis. Harlann held a small container at arms length above his head while Pauline hefted a much larger container with relative ease. Quartermaster Ker Barzduk took a brief inventory of stores while the serpentine Paco darted to and fro over the hull, tinkering and making minor repairs. First Mate T'Brandon paced off to the side, monitoring the crew.
Gravel crunched underfoot as Captain Caroline Wendell surveyed their surroundings: the sprawling city on one side, the massive harbor on the other with the Argonauth resting in the still waters. The captain held both arms folded over her chest before letting one arm hang loose and resting her knuckles on her hip. "So this is the game plan then? We chill out here with the rest of the B-Team until we get the all-clear from Earth?" she asked and turned around.
"Pretty much. That's about all we can do at this point, at least until we can figure out what happened to the guys," Roxi Hirochner replied from where she and Brianna Johansen lounged on a picnic blanket spread over the ground.
"Welp," Captain Wendell shrugged and seated herself cross-legged on the blanket, resting one arm across her lap and pressing her knuckles against her cheek. "Nothing to it but to do it, I suppose," she sighed. Just then, Harlann decided to take a break from his "labor" and scampered over, plonking himself down opposite of the captain.
"Are you a real live space pirate?" he asked, wide-eyed.
"I sure am!" Caroline replied with a grin and braced her palms against her knees.
"So do you, like, make people walk the plank and stuff?"
"Now walking the plank kind of hard to do in zero-g. Even with a tether, folks tend to float right off the damb platform," Caroline frowned and tented her fingers infront of her chin before making a rising motion with one hand. "And magnetic boots kind of defeat the purpose. Now gravity towing, that's the real fun! Find a nice big gas giant or a black hole, the gravitational pull from the event horizon makes them poop their pants!" Caroline wiggled her eyebrows and flared her fingers with a smile.
"Wah ha ha howww!" Harlann giggled in awe.
"Normally I'd be worried about someone like her being a bad influence, but given our current situation I suppose we can't really complain," Mia Koji commented from where she stood beside Renee Sanada. "Do you think the guys made it through safely?" she asked the elderly-looking woman.
"I feel in my heart they still live, but we really can't be certain from our end. All we can do is have faith they prevailed," Renee commented and raised her palm. Mia nodded solemnly and gazed back upon the makeshift staging camp by the harbor between Argonauth and Blue Isis.
"Lord Mabu," the round-faced Nether-Regent glanced down from where he stood on a balcony overlooking the gardens upon hearing Kayura's voice. "I wanted to thank you for agreeing to host us on such short notice. In any other situation we would have taken refuge on Thanged, but the nature of the peril faced by the Ronin and the isolation of the Nether Realm made it relatively more secure."
"Think nothing of it, Lady Kayura. There is no undue imposition from you and your entourage. I am not only glad to be of assistance but for the company. As you can imagine we do not get many visitors."
"I noticed you've done some remodeling since I left with the Elders...the palace looks less...ominous," Kayura remarked as she walked over to stand alongside Lord Mabu.
"Indeed. I've taken a more industrious stance than militant, and the Realm has prospered for it." In the streets of the city proper ghostly ladies and phantasmal lords with pale blueish-green skin milled about in the market. A portly-looking shopkeeper laughed merrily as he floated up from his stall to the second level of his dwelling to fetch a requested item. Apparitions carried on with the day to day in facsimile of mortal life. "In the not-too recent past, such wayward souls would have been readily conscripted into service under Talpa's rule. Now at least they can enjoy a measure of tranquility."
"The air definitely feels more lively. As long as I've lived, I do not remember such vibrant energy."
"Well, the Nether Realm was not always such a dreary place as you recall. I am old enough to remember better days before Talpa's reign. Too weak and feeble to enlist in his army alongside other Nether Lords, too pathetic and unworthy for Lord Sabrestryke to challenge to a duel. Well they are all dead now...and I...I am the last," Lord Mabu commented as he surveyed his domain.
"Lord Mabu," Kayura and the Nether Regent turned around when they heard a newly-arrived Nether Soldier speak. Kayura's eyes widened in surprise as it seemed the soldier had run afoul of one of the more mischievous guests: likely Harlann or the Twins. "There are storms coming in off the Bone Plains," the soldier stated, either not noticing the crude, goofy scrawls on his face plate nor caring.
"Errm….duly noted!" Lord Mabu replied crisply while Kayura had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stifle a fit of laughter. Her eyes watered with mirth.
"Can you tell us a story?" Harlann asked from where he still sat opposite of Caroline.
"What do I look like to you? Mother Goose?" Caroline grumbled. Other members of the Neo Ronin stopped by to take a seat on the ground and Roxi and Brit scooted around, likewise interested in whatever she had to say. "Ugh...fine. AHEM! Eh heh hem!" Caroline made a big show of clearing her throat dramatically before raising her hands. "'Gather round and listen well, for I have a tale to tell: of the Traghdoash who reached too far and scarred the stars where they fell. Nexxus full of pride thought the universe was his to save. No songs are sung, no statues stand, naught remains but a starless grave. Shed no tears for the Traghdoash, lost in days of yore, mourn not Nexxus full of pride who dwells in darkness forevermore'."
"A thousand years ago there lived a highly advanced race known as the Traghdoash. They once occupied one of Thuruk's neighboring solar systems, and their greatest mind was a fellow named Nexxus. By that point in time the Traghdoash had pushed themselves to the very pinnacle of development. They'd plumbed the secrets of deep space, eradicated any and all disease on their world. They even stopped reproducing entirely, instead relying on a complex cocktail of drugs and therapies to prolong their lifespans indefinitely."
"You mean they didn't even make any babies?!" Harlann asked, wide-eyed and shocked. By then more passengers from Earth stopped by and sat down to listen in on Caroline's story.
"Not. A. One. They didn't even establish colonies in other systems. They obsessed with keeping their 'footprint' to a minimum. Instead of displaying a little razzle dazzle to 'lesser races' or even dropping in to say hi, they largely kept to themselves. Not much is known of their culture aside from what's turned up on scattered ruins on the fringes of their old system, and even that is precious little.
"Now, no one knows exactly what drove Nexxus to do what he did: some theorize he used illicit technology to peer into the future and glimpsed Ander destroying the Roaring Mountain during the Battle of Banguk. Newer theories suspect it wasn't Ander, but in fact the original Ronin Warriors when they took the Totalitary behind the woodshed. For mortals to wield that level of power alarmed him: We were the primitive dirt people, you see?
"Immeasurable quantities of ambient energy flow through outer space: The Thangiens refer to this as the Fabric of Being, and the most skilled of their fighters are able to tap into this energy. You know them as the Metraind; those who achieve the rank of Metraverse. There's some debate as to who exactly Metra was. Some believe she pioneered the discipline of Rait'chian thousands of years ago; the first to achieve a Metra Wave. Others believe she is the literal Mother of Roth, that when someone says 'Blessed Mother of Roth', they're referring to her. Battle is a religion to Thangiens. Each battle cry is a hymn, each sword stroke a prayer.
"But for the Traghdoash? Energy simply existed to be used-and exploited- as they saw fit. And Nexxus thought 'lesser beings' such as Thangien, Thunthen, and even Human simply couldn't be trusted to use it properly. He took it upon himself to harvest as much energy as he could get his mitts on and stash it away for safekeeping. He directed the Traghdoash to construct an immense superstructure around their entire star, postulating he could use it as a sort of battery to hold infinite amounts of energy. Their star was showing its age and needed a bit of a pick-me-up. This way he could kill two birds with one star."
"You're talking about a Dyson Sphere, right?"! Edward Connolly piped up.
"A Dyson Sphere would look like Lincoln Logs compared to what Nexxus had devised…"
"What the heck are Lincoln Logs?" Conan Bauer whispered. Caroline ignored him and continued.
"One fateful day, Nexxus activated his device and began pulling in untold amounts of power. He took, and took, and took," Caroline made pulling motions with her hands. "It is said eventually the universe itself rebelled against such wanton abuse. The resulting backlash set off a chain reaction that consumed the entire system before anyone knew what happened. Not a single ship managed to evacuate. Neighboring systems only saw a bright flash in the sky that lasted for years. Aside from the shattered remnants of the outermost planets, all that remains of the Traghdoashin system is a swirling, seething scar which to this day bears Nexxus' name: an eternal monument to his folly.
"And so the morale of the story is: you got it, you flaunt it. Power is meant to be used, for good or ill, you use it! The universe operates on formation and decay, chaos and stasis, ascension and decline. If I ever went full-on pirate, I'd expect some goody two-shoes to rise up and stop me. It's the way of things," Caroline finished. Harlann raised one hand and wiggled his fingers and Caroline threw him an awkward glance before tilting her chin.
"So, you mean, like, 'with great power, comes great responsibility'?" he asked. Caroline stared at him, puzzled and exasperated, glancing from side to side.
"Who talks like that? Seriously…" Caroline rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"You know so much about outer space….what was it that almost hit Earth?" Roxi asked.
"Well I can tell you this much: it wasn't a regular old spacequake, that's for sure. The last time a spacequake tore through Sol, it knocked Uranus on its side." Conan burst out giggling through his nose. "I'm being completely serious," Caroline narrowed her eyes at him and he immediately quieted down.
"I must apologize for the interruption," Lord Mabu stated as he arrived along with Kayura. "But I must insist everyone take shelter for the time being. We are in for some inclement weather," he cautioned and looked to the horizon where storm clouds rolled across the city.
"That's not all we're in for," a voice spoke from off to the side.
"It wasn't enough for Dhr to seize control of the ship, he wanted to maroon us wherever we happened to arrive." Two of the Apprentices, Vud Wyherer and Tuv Anarach sat infront of a mobile console with the guests from Earth along with Lord Mabu gathered around. Outside the colonnade, water cascaded from the edge of the roof as heavy rain pelted the city. "He used a modified power siphon to redirect energy from the closed fusion drives to the artillery turrets, but the siphon continued drawing power even after we landed. Only recently did we discover the sabotage, and the drives are currently offline. The focusing rods for the turrets burnt out completely without an outlet for all that energy. They will need to be replaced eventually, but the engines are effectively dead. It's a miracle we were able to land safely when we did."
"He was so hellbent on taking the Argonauth back to the Mortal Realm, but why? Did he want to attack Mal Daggur's fleet? Even Argonauth couldn't match one of the supercarriers," Bak argued.
"I think I know what he planned…" Bak glanced to the side at Sul Phathrax, the self-styled senior-most of the Apprentices. A square of gauze still covered where Dhr had struck him on the head. "I think he intended to send Argonauth on a suicide course with the Vyerrdeklagn and fire the artillery turrets point blank. In their overcharged state they could have torn both ships asunder."
"With all of us on board? How ghastly!" Brit protested.
"Well he's pushing up metaphorical daisies so we don't have to worry about him," Roxi snorted.
"Indeed. Our primary concern is repairing Argonauth's engine cluster and getting it airborne to make the return trip to the Mortal Realm," Tuv stated.
"Well...does it have to actually fly for us to return?" Brit asked suddenly, drawing awkward glances from the Thunthen and Mystics. "I mean, I'm no expert on mysticism or engineering, but couldn't you simply create a portal on the ground and loop it around the Argonauth?" Brit cycled her arms and waved one hand by her wrist.
"Hrmm…." Vud scratched his beard before shaking his head. "It sounds good in theory, but there are too many unknown variables. The slightest miscalculation and we could risk shearing off part of the hull entirely, or conversely pull a piece of the Nether Realm back through with us." Vud tilted his head up at the Nether Regent, who glanced down at him. "And I doubt our gracious host would appreciate losing a chunk of prime real estate."
"It'd be cramped quarters, but everyone could fit in the Blue Isis. One of those stars up there must lead back to Earth. I don't suppose you guys have been able to successfully reverse-engineer burst drives, have you?" Captain Wendell asked the Thunthen, who exchanged awkward looks. "I thought so… But that'd mean leaving Argonauth behind, and it's far too big an asset to simply abandon."
"A closed fusion drive never actually 'dies', it simply goes dormant. With a large enough influx of power, they could be coaxed back online."
"Don't look at me! Blue Isis can't possibly put out that kind of power. It'd take thirty Hoover Dams to even come close," Captain Wendell argued.
"Well...we wouldn't exactly need that much power…just enough to kick-start the drives."
"So you need a giant car battery and a pair of jumper cables: sounds easy enough…" Caroline muttered. Tuv and Vud straightened up in their seats suddenly and glanced at each other before glancing in Caroline's direction. "Hmm?" she blinked in confusion before she realized they stared past her. She turned to the side and looked over her shoulder outside at a distant building roof where Vaughisdrough currently lounged. He shifted his great forearms beneath his chin, knocking loose some tiles. He tilted his head back slightly and yawned mightily before settling once more for a nap.
"I know not what else to say, Mal Daggur! I executed my plan flawlessly! The Ronin's might lies broken, their mightiest Armor failed. The Planet is there for the taking. I have kept my promise!" Phitdaitiarona hissed as she stalked about the bridge.
"The arrangement was to extinguish all life on the Planet. Clearly, your efforts failed on that front. Until we can confirm the deaths of the Ronin Warriors, any attempt to invade would be fruitless!" Mal Daggur bellowed irritably. The Empress of Night whirled on him, eyes flashing with anger.
"You dare doubt me! You question my might!"
"If first you don't succeed, then simply try again. It should be easy enough for one such as you. With a flick of your wrist and a twitch of your nose?" Bru Ranir mocked from beside the command chair. Phitdaitiarona turned a baleful gaze to him, but he held himself straight, refusing to cower like a hatchling. He saw it again; the barest flicker of her form as she appeared not as the imposing Empress of Night but a withered old woman, sickly and spent. Phitdaitiarona drew herself up, apparently struggling to maintain the illusion.
"So, this is how you repay my generosity! After all I have done on your behalf!? What fickle hearts you possess, full of petulant spite! Thankless! Thoughtless! Treacherous worms!" Mal Daggur said nothing and instead wove his claws together. He tilted his head to the side, noticing her voice had lost her usual triple echo. Her formerly regal attire seemed bedraggled and dingy. Again her form flickered: this time anyone could see it.
"….Milady….it seems...you have over-exerted yourself," Mal Daggur drawled. Phitdaitiarona's eyes widened in shock at his impertinence. "Perhaps you should take your leave and ….recuperate your strength. Now." Phitdaitiarona flinched as if struck and clenched her fists.
"If my blessings count for naught, then so be it! I hereby withdraw all aid I have rendered! All of it!" Phitdaitiarona held her hand out to the side and clenched her fingers. A barely perceptible ripple coursed through the air. "I gave you my love and only asked for love in return! Clearly your kind cannot appreciate the gifts of a God! My favor, once lost, is difficult to regain! I bid you farewell, Mal Daggur!" and with that, the Empress of Night vanished from the bridge in a flash of green light.
"I'm getting multiple alerts coming in…heavy damage being sustained by the Vyerrdeklagn...It seems it is reverting to its prior state before her….intervention…" Bru Ranir announced. Outside in space, the launch rails and hatches of the Maw of Flame broke apart, appearing as they were after Anubis' surprise attack. "And now I'm receiving burst-wave transmissions that the rest of the fleet enroute has suddenly found itself further away than they were previously. Lovely…"
"We were fools to put our faith in the hands of a God, however powerful! We were only ever a means of amusement to her. It would have only been a matter of time before she grew bored and discarded us. She easily could have destroyed the fleet with a thought: that she didn't shows she taxed her strength far greatly than even she anticipated. Begin repairs on the Maw of Flame immediately! We will show her we need no 'blessings'! We shall rely on our might as we always have!"
Vaugh soared through the thick storm clouds, arcing up into the sky before extending his wings and letting himself coast down towards the ground. Lighting periodically streaked through the clouds, striking him on his back and sides. Vaugh didn't flinch one bit and his bronze scales crackled with energy as he beat his wings and arrowed up for another arc. "That doesn't hurt him?" Shannon remarked as the guests from Earth along with Lord Mabu observed the Thunder Wyrm in action.
"There are simply not enough livestock alive to satisfy the appetite of dragons. Dragons of his caliber must supplement their diet with additional sustenance. Dragon Master is able to limit his intake through meditation and discipline. If you've ever noticed, Raurgoth spends an inordinate amount of time sunning himself," Kaosu explained.
"So those shiny scales of his turn him into one big solar panel? Cool! And this big guy acts like a giant lightning rod, able to metabolize electricity directly!" Edward beamed. Out in the harbor on the deck of the Argonauth, Vud and Tuv set up their apparatus while inside the engine room Naz Dassyr and Rgn Chorrez monitored instruments.
"We'd get laughed out of academy for attempting this on the homeworld…" Tuv Anarach muttered as he dragged the large heavy cables-each as thick around as his arm-out onto the deck. The two cables ended in a pair of circular metal clamps.
"They don't have dragons like this on the homeworld: you forget, we're the ones who get called 'dragons'," Vud Wyherer chuckled. The heavy rain had subsided for the most part with only electrical thunderstorms rumbling overhead.
"Heh, I know, right?" Tuv commented and shook his head. He looked up and frowned. "He's coming in for a landing…" he scrambled to his feet as they saw Vaughisdrough gliding towards the Argonauth. Vaugh spread his wings and veered up at the last second, hovering above the ground briefly before alighting beside the docked air platform. He walked over and stretched his neck over the deck, bringing his tusks close to the two Nobles. Vud and Tuv couldn't help but cower in awe: a dragon was still a dragon to them. They knew better than to try the patience of a wyrm and hurriedly lifted up one large clamp apiece and attached them securely to the jutting tusks. The two stepped away and gave Vaugh's head a wide berth. After a brief check of the connection, Tuv flashed Vaugh a thumbs up. "Let'er rip!" he shouted. Vaugh snorted and pulled away from the deck, dragging the cables out above the ground and turning to the side until he faced the harbor. Nether citizens gathered along the walkways overlooking the bay and activity in the city came to a standstill.
Vaugh shifted in place before planting his legs and squaring his shoulders. He worked his jaw and shook his head slightly then shuddered as if letting out a mighty hiccough. A deafening *POP!* echoed through the area as electricity flashed around his jaws. A ripple of excitement coursed through crowds of spectators as Vaugh tilted his head up then stretched his neck out towards the harbor. Any barges had the sense to clear the area earlier. Vaugh opened his jaws once more then let out a terrific rumbling bellow. Electricity surged out from the tusks, streaking out above the water like a river. The guests from Earth observed with awe as the Thunder Wyrm channeled a tremendous amount of energy into the clamps and along the cables, roaring lightning and breathing thunder.
"Would you have ever imagined seeing such a thing?…If only Dhr were still alive to see this….Dhr, you poor, stupid fool…" Vud whispered. Inside the engine room, Naz watched bewildered as power levels of the engine cluster rose dramatically.
"We're at capacity! We're at capacity!" He shouted into his com. Tuv raised both arms and began waving at Vaugh to stop. The Thunder Wyrm tilted his head up sharply and closed his mouth, cutting off the flow of electricity. He stepped back from the harbor and tilted his head down, shaking loose the clamps which slid from his tusks and landed with metallic thuds on the ground.
"A trivial matter," he snorted and spread his wings before springing into the air, heading back into the thunderstorms to replenish the energy he'd expended.
"Closed fusion drives coming back online...power levels holding steady…" Rgn stated as he went through several safety procedures. Naz carefully activated the auxiliary helm controls. Outside, the water on either side of the Argonauth churned and boiled as thrusters fired. The air platform rose slightly, shedding water from the hull. Steam billowed as the thrusters cleared the waterline.
"Aaaand…..we have sustained lift!" Naz crowed over the open channel broadcast over Bak's personal com. The guests from Earth cheered ecstatically.
"Now that we have the means to return home, we should let Tar know we're on our way," Bak said and turned towards Kayura, who had already set up a scrying basin on a small table. She used the same method she normally used to contact the Nether Realm to "dial out" and instead contact Tar Uhnin back in the Roost. "Tar! Old friend! How fares the Oldworld?"
"Captain! I am glad to hear your voice! The Oldworld prevails, but I have seen no activity from either the Ronin Warriors nor Mal Daggur's forces. The fleet has made no move to attack thus far."
"And the Ronin? Have you been able to determine their whereabouts?"
"Residual energy from the spacequake is interfering with the ArmSig system. It...erm...well you'd have to see for yourself..." Tar said cryptically. Bak and Kayura exchanged confused glances.
"You're certain the fleet has made no move to attack? Not even the Maw of Flame?"
"Vyerrdeklagn hasn't moved an inch. Local sensor arrays remain intact, and not so much as a troopship has landed."
"Why wouldn't Mal Daggur attack? The planet is a sitting duck without the Ronin Warriors. Surely he wouldn't have been foolish enough to get caught by the spacequake," Mia argued.
"You mean we went through all the trouble of coming here for nothing?" Harry Holmes whined.
"It is better to have erred on the side of caution. In lieu of the Ronin Warriors, the Neo Ronin may find themselves called into service as little Ryu is not yet of age as an Armor Heir. But it is still a mystery as to why Mal Daggur has not capitalized on the Ronin's absence. It is unlike him…" Bak muttered. Miz Paufan folded his arms over his chest and stroked his scant beard thoughtfully.
"What if a third party attacked the Vyerrdeklagn? Like with what happened to the Nsenagvvik?" he suggested. "If the Thangiens had counterattacked, they would've said something."
"In any case, I am grateful to have heard from you all and look forward to your return. Tar out." With that, the connection closed and Kayura dismissed the scry-smoke.
"He said ArmSig couldn't find the Ronin...I thought ArmSig was supposed to operate off of their armors and find them anywhere?" Kayura glanced at Bak.
"That is a mystery we'll have to pursue once we return...speaking of…"
"I'm already ahead of you, Bak. I can take care of that just fine, but we'll need a dimensional fault to act as a focus for the bypass."
"I know of such a place," Lord Mabu spoke up and stepped forward. "The foundations of the Tower of Pain: the ruins of Talpa's failed conquest and petty ambition. The point at which the former Emperor attempted to inexorably link our two worlds. The veil between Realms is thinnest there." Warding ropes and wooden fences blocked off the broken foundations.
"We'll wait for the storms to pass before taking off." The refugees from Earth began collecting supplies and cleaning up the staging camp they'd used since they arrived days ago. "Vaugh's offered to stay behind in the Nether Realm: this keeps his power out of the hands of any overly-ambitious types and adds an extra layer of protection to the Realm. Dragon Master will use his power to redirect his portal in the bay and link it up with the bypass, replicating the effect of the Transgalactic Gate on this end." Dragon Master flew in a ring high above the foundation ruins. Vaughisdrough reclined on a corner of the royal palace observing the lung's efforts.
"Vacation's over," Conan grumbled as he and the other Neo Ronin boarded the Argonauth. Danae carefully walked up the ramp carrying her newborn in her arms. Mia and Shannon walked alongside her for support. Kayura remained out on the deck as everyone took their seats inside.
"Um, hi, Kayura?" Kayura blinked and looked to the side when she heard the timid voice and saw Brit. "Can...can I talk to you about something?" Kayura gave an assuring nod. "I know I've never really been of any use to the guys. I'm not a crack shot like Roxi or a druid descendant like Shannon-" Kayura opened her mouth to argue that Mia had contributed a great deal to the Ronin's cause despite being a mortal civilian herself. "I've always felt like something of a fifth wheel, but...well, this happened a long time ago, back on Thanged before the Black Unicorn started rampaging about. Cye and I were spending time in the city gardens...and I...I saw something, something I can't quite explain, even with everything I've seen so far between Thunthen and Thangiens and the Nether Realm!" Kayura listened quietly, offering a sympathetic ear to the obviously distraught girl.
"I've never told anyone about this before, not even Cye, and he was there with me that night! But...I saw…eyes! Eyes in the night sky staring down at us. They looked so full of hate, as if we'd committed a crime somehow just by being happy! They looked so bizarre too: black with green pupils. The Black Unicorn first appeared not long after. I know there has to be a connection! During the Blood Dawn celebration, I overheard Azuro talking about a 'evil goddess', and I got to thinking: Is all this connected somehow? Is there some 'being', some 'power' out there that attacked the guys not because of anything they ever did, but just because they exist?"
Kayura said nothing and bit her lip, her eyes roving about. She'd heard references to "Phitdaitiarona, Empress of Night" in the past, but she'd always attributed it to superstition and myth, the green-eyed monster spoken of only as a cautionary tale. Kayura pursed her lips and looked at Brit. "I'm not sure how to answer that...there's so much that's happened recently even I'm having a hard time processing, and I've lived over a thousand years! Don't keep your thoughts to yourself, Brianna. Mortal insight has more value than you might think. You should head inside the cabin, now. I'm about to open the bypass," Kayura insisted. Brit nodded and walked towards the entrance. Kayura watched her leave and rubbed her thumb along the shaft of the Staff. She glanced up at Dragon Master then walked over to the rail and peered down at Lord Mabu.
"I feel terrible, like I'm keeping you imprisoned, but the wards must remain in place for the time being. As long as Talpa remains at large, the Nether Realm cannot be left unguarded."
"As long as Talpa remains at large, no realm is truly safe," Lord Mabu lamented. Kayura frowned and nodded grimly before walking out to the center of the deck. Nether citizens watched the Argonauth rise into the air to join Blue Isis and Dragon Master. Kayura didn't need the protection of a pressure suit this time and held the Staff aloft as she channeled her power. Dragon Master circled faster and faster, his scales giving off tendrils of vapor, creating a swirling cloud disc high above the air platform. A gap formed in the center of the disc and shimmered like the surface of water. Dragon Master vanished into the mist, followed by Blue Isis then the Argonauth. Vaughisdrough and Lord Mabu bid silent farewells as the travelers departed the Nether Realm completely.
Beachgoers dotted the shore, enjoying a sunny day by the bay. Everyone remained so engrossed in play and relaxation no one noticed one of the whirlpools began churning in reverse, slowly at first, then with greater speed and intensity. Triangular shapes poked out of the water, like large dorsal fins. A long serpentine shadow circled just under the surface of the waves. With a spectacular splash and crashing of water, an enormous Chinese lung erupted from the whirlpool. A smaller winged craft darted out of the water. Civilians pointed at the sight, but what followed proved even more spectacular.
A colossal rectangular shadow appeared beneath the water. A boxy structure emerged first from the whirlpool. Water rolled away in great cascading sweeps as the deck emerged from the waves. Motorists driving on the bridge looked to the side and saw what appeared like an enormous black cliff rising alongside the span. Water streamed off the deck and dribbled along the rail.
"Ahh, smell that fresh salty air! It's good to be home!" Harry Holmes proclaimed and stretched his arms triumphantly as he and the other passengers walked out onto the still-wet deck. Argonauth's hull fully cleared the water and the thrusters firing sent up billowing clouds of steam. "Waugh!" Everyone yelped as white steam swept over the deck. The steam recoiled suddenly as Shannon held the Ronin Cross aloft and rubbed her thumb over the Strata Sapphire.
"Stay sharp, everyone! This is no time to get careless," Shannon scolded.
"If the Ronin Cross is working, that proves the guys are still alive, right?" Brit said hopefully. Shannon shook her head grimly, drawing a dismayed frown from Brit.
"It means the Armors remain intact. We won't know for sure about the guys until we get back to the Roost," she explained and looked up as Dragon Master and Drega flew past. Drega waved a happy farewell to Yulie as she and Razzie dove down towards the whirlpool.
"They're going back to their home realm. They've got their own duties as protectors of Thorolk," Yulie explained. Blue Isis hovered close to the bridge of the Argonauth.
"Listen up, scallywags. I've got some swashbuckling business to take care of 'round these parts. I'll be in the area if you need me, so don't hesitate to call." Captain Wendell notified over the channel.
"Aye aye, Captain!" Harlann shouted and waved energetically.
"Don't worry: I'll be back in time for the baby shower!" Caroline flicked a wave at the screen and with that, Blue Isis shot off into the distance. Danae furrowed her brow and glanced at Mia.
"'Baby shower'?" she asked. Mia made an awkward grimace and rubbed the back of her head.
"General, we're getting reports of something in the bay," a tech announced and called up surveillance footage from the beach. General Yorudan Toshido sat up in his seat when he saw the colossal air platform emerging from the water alongside the bridge. "Geez! That thing's big enough to make a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier look small!"
"They certainly know how to make an entrance," Commander Yoshiba drawled.
"Looks like they're back from wherever they headed off to... Have those eggheads at intelligence figured out what the hell happened yet?" General Toshido swiveled in his chair to face Commander Yoshiba as he approached with a folder in hand.
"This is the view from observatories on the ground. Media is spinning it as a 'global aurora' caused by heightened solar activity," Yoshiba placed several photos on the table depicting a faint green glow visible from locations all around the world. "This is the view taken from the ISS." He set down another photo showing a false-color image of what looked like a pair of eyes glowering at the surface of the planet. A separate zoomed-in photo showed what looked to be a humanoid form holding a set of six blades hovering between the surface of the Earth and the 'face". "And this….is the view from NASA's Sacajawea lunar rover…." The final photo from the surface of the Moon showed what could only be described as a dreadful female figure composed of greenish light looming over the planet, arms outstretched and eyes narrowed and full of hate. General Toshido picked up the photo and scowled.
"What the hell am I looking at here?"
"No idea, General. Suffice to say it seems we had a near-miss with an extinction-level event. We have the Ronin Warriors to thank that we're still here to talk about it, but as to what it was they faced...that's something only they would know…."
"Captain! Good to have you back safely!" Tar Uhnin greeted as everyone who'd left aboard the Argonauth entered the main cavern. Bak strode forward and hugged his elderly mentor firmly.
"It's good to be back! Any movement from Mal Daggur?"
"As of yet, no. King Torke has redeployed the Northern Garrison to the facilities at Mount Dojo."
"What about the Ronin? Any sign of them?" Kayura asked nervously. Tar made a face.
"Well...here, I'll show you…." he averted his gaze and turned towards the comm. room. Bak and Kayura exchanged glances before following the elderly Nobeyl. The main screen showed a Mercator projection of the world covered in dozens and dozens of colored dots. One of the side screens displayed the health readings of the ten Ronin Warriors. The lines appeared motionless but did not otherwise indicate they had expired. Kayura stared at the readouts, bewildered. "Near as I've been able to tell, they are very much still alive, but ArmSig is unable to sift through the data properly."
"I can use the Staff to narrow down their locations...but it will take time…"
"I'll set Ita and Miz to analyzing the system and making repairs as needed. Argonauth is in no shape for active combat at present. Defense of the Realm for the time being will fall to the Neo Ronin and the Northern Garrison. We can only hope they can buy you the time necessary…."
"Ryo!" A young man with black hair and brilliant blue eyes turned to look over his shoulder and smiled cheerfully. "I wanted to thank you for all the hours you've put in helping out around here. You've been a great help with counseling!" Ms. Yui praised.
"No problem, Miss Yui. Always glad to be of help," Ryo Sanada replied cheerfully. The two chatted, oblivious to the pair of individuals observing them from across the street.
"It seems Gea scattered the Ronin across the world, leaving them at places familiar to them, yet at the same time they possess no memories of having been Ronin Warriors. So far I've only been able to pinpoint Ryo. Whether that means the others are in more remote locations remains to be seen." Kayura muttered. She wore her casual outfit while Kaosu temporarily relinquished his robes in exchange for a nice gray suit and a baseball cap that covered his eyes. "Would that we could leave them as they are: blissfully ignorant of their burdens, able to start life anew without Armors…"
"You know as well as I that such a thing can never be. Even dormant, the Armors are ever a part of them," Kaosu said sternly and the two watched Ryo take his leave of Ms. Yui and walk down the street. "The world still needs the Ronin Warriors." They made no effort to follow or intercept Ryo.
"Yes...but would it be too much to ask...for them to enjoy this respite a while longer?"
"We...are the Obsidian Guard. Once we served merely as Sur Daggur's personal bodyguard. Now we are counted as the most elite out of Mal Daggur's troops. Our namesake armor is impregnable, our blades wicked sharp. Among the Thangiens, only the mighty Metraind can match us in battle, but whereas their numbers are finite, we….are legion..."
Mal Daggur sat stoically in his command chair as he watched the chaotic scene unfold on the main screen on the bridge of the Nsenagvvik. It sounded like a playground or a birthday party with excited squeals of children in the background. An obsidian-armored Thunthen Nobeyl struggled to escape the battle. Strands of sticky white webbing snared him by the ankles and yanked his legs out from under him. He landed on his chin and feebly dug his claws into the ground as something pulled him off screen powerfully. "Ohhhh no you don't! You're not getting away that easily!" Davie Osmond taunted.
"Quit hitting yourself! Quit hitting yourself!" Harlann Wallhanger held another Noble captive and used his chains to swing the Noble's arms to and fro, striking itself in the jaw repeatedly. In the distance Mal Daggur could see another Nobeyl staggering away from the fight, pieces of armor falling away from his lower body as Harry Holmes used acid blasts to effectively pants him. Archibald Archer harried another Nobeyl taking potshots at its posterior while the guard skipped away squealing in panic trying to cover its rear with both hands.
Bru Ranir pursed his lips and glanced nervously from Mal Daggur to the main screen. Mal Daggur continued to watch in numb shock as his prize Obsidian Guard got utterly humiliated by the Neo Ronin. Bru Ranir opened his mouth to speak, pausing briefly before biting his lip and drawing breath.
"As I believe the Humans would say...if your father had not been utterly vaporized by Ander during the Battle of Banguk, he would be spinning in his grave fast enough to power a supercarrier…" Bru Ranir drawled tightly. Mal Daggur let out a growling snort and stood abruptly.
"Enough of this! Dispatch fighters!" he ordered and lashed his arm out to the side.
"I must admit, I thought it was suicide to deploy the Neo Ronin against the Obsidian Guard, but they've proven more than capable of holding their own…" Bak Thraplek commented as he and Kayura observed the battle on their end in the Roost. Ita Tarmvun and Miz Paufan sat at their usual seats at the console. Miz stiffened in his seat when alerts appeared on screen.
"Captain, I'm picking up D-class fighters en route to the battlefield!"
"Emma! You and the Neo Ronin pull back! There's Thunthen fighters inbound to your position! Let the Northern Garrison take over from here! Pegasi have air superiority in this situation," Kayura ordered. Emma Coburn glanced down at her wrist-com.
"What? No way! We can totally take them on, no problem!" Kayura's jaw dropped in shock. Never would she have imagined Emma of all people would talk back at her so flippantly.
"Emma! Disengage!" Kayura shouted. Emma paused, the smile fading from her face as she finally registered the urgency in Kayura's voice. She bit her lip and nodded reluctantly.
"Gotcha. Okay everyone, let's move out. We've given them enough of a beating for one day." The view swung around as Emma lowered her arm. The Neo Ronin finally withdrew, but not before Conan gave a parting noogie to a fallen Obsidian Guard. Kayura leaned against the Staff and placed her fingertips on her brow. She didn't expect to have to yell like that.
"Well, it seems at least one of our theories regarding the Rising Effect has proven accurate: they simply don't know when to stop. I imagine if left to their own devices, they could fight off an entire squadron," Bak remarked.
"I have no doubt they could if we let them, but that's not a situation we should be putting them in."
"Agreed. The Neo Ronin were intended to supplement the Ronin Warriors, not supplant them. We can ask no more of them." Kayura nodded solemnly in agreement. As much as she would've liked to leave Ryo in peace, it seemed now they'd have no choice but to call upon the Ronin Warriors.
"The lesser Ronin have withdrawn from the battlefield. No fatalities reported among the Obsidian Guard…Pegasi riders inbound," Bru Ranir reported. Mal Daggur slumped back down into his command chair and flicked his hand to one side.
"Recall all fighters!" he barked. Thunthen at their posts echoed the recall order and Mal Daggur pressed the tips of his claws against his brow. "Stymied by children of all things...bhazzak!"
"Perhaps we were too hasty in dismissing the Empress of Night?" Mal Daggur glanced out between his claws when he heard the voice pipe up from a nearby station. His gaze roved about until he came upon an impertinent Khamen with a slight overbite. "If we repent of our pride, she may yet show mercy and grace us with her presence once more. It is not too late to beg for forgiveness."
Mal Daggur rose from his command chair and strode over to the young Common, grabbing him by the edge of his shell and yanking him out of his seat with a muffled yelp. *SPLUCH!* Nearby Thunthen recoiled in their seats when a disembodied shell flew through the air and embedded into the console between them. "ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY BRILLIANT SUGGESTIONS!?" Mal Daggur bellowed. Bru Ranir walked up alongside him and frowned sympathetically as Mal Daggur seethed.
"You could shell each and everyone on the bridge, myself included, and it would not make a difference one bit," Bru Ranir began, drawing a glare from Mal Daggur. "This campaign has already cost us enough." Mal Daggur narrowed his eyes, expecting his second-in-command to tell him to abandon his conquest of Earth entirely. "Let us wait for the rest of the fleet to arrive." Mal Daggur relaxed and composed himself, drawing himself up straight.
"Indeed, you speak true, old friend. As much as I would have liked to avoid calling Myr Chedryn to the front lines, it seems we will have need of his eccentric expertise before long." Mal Daggur turned and sauntered back to his command chair, followed closely by Bru Ranir. "He's already garnered a reputation as a brash blasphemer from his subordinates, bestowing all manner of titles upon himself such as 'God-Spiter' and 'Gate-Breaker', but his tactical genius is second to none. Insight from a fresh set of eyes could be just what we need to turn the tide of this conflict in our favor…"
"Folks, let me tell you something," a voice spoke on the radio as civilians went about their morning routine in the city of Toyama. "The greatest threat humanity faces isn't from the government, or the geocrats and eco-fascists at the Vanderburg Group...It's from FREAKING INTERGALACTIC SPACE DRAGONS! Look! Same ship in the city,same ship photographed above the bay! They've got their sticky claws in everything! Big industry, big tech, the girl scouts!" Ita and Miz watched the video broadcast on the main screen in the comm. room.
"Why does fat man keep pounding desk so much?" Ita muttered.
"Maybe he's just very high strung?" Miz offered
"Clearly…" The two Thunthen watched as the man ranted and crumpled sheets of paper in his meaty fists. "Face RED...like beet!" Ita remarked and grimaced. Miz hummed in agreement.
"FREAKING ALIEN SPACE DRAGONS!" the man shrieked as his face filled the camera.
"See you tomorrow!" Ryo waved goodbye to Ms. Yui as they left the center for the day. He walked down the sidewalk as he always had after work. He came to a stop and frowned when he saw someone standing in his path a few feet away. She wore a white tank top and vest and white shorts and sported long dark hair that flowed down her back all the way to her waist. A golden pendant of a winged orb hung from a chain about her neck. She regarded him intently and held one hand raised as if holding something. Civilians pushed past the two on the sidewalk, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Ryo blinked at the woman, confused and scratched the back of his head.
"Um...hi…did you need help with something? The center's closed for the day, but if you need help you can make an appointment for tomorrow…" Ryo pointed over his shoulder. The woman continued staring at him impassively. Despite her casual attire she seemed to stand out in the crowd.
"Ryo of the Wildfire, the time has come to return to your duties. Awaken!" A ornate staff appeared in the woman's hand and she pointed it at Ryo's forehead, nearly striking him with the orb capping the top. Ryo tried to recoil but something froze him where he stood and the rings on the staff began moving on their own and clanging loudly. Images flickered through his thoughts before a piercing pain tore through his skull and he blacked out completely.
Ryo let out a groan and slowly opened his eyes. His vision swam before focusing and he found himself on a neat hospice bed in what looked like a room hewn from solid stone. He could hear muffled voices nearby but his hearing had yet to recover and he felt as if he had wads of cotton jammed tight in his ears. His joints ached and it seemed to take monumental effort to pull himself up in bed.
"Whatever affects him seems to have placed a psychological block on his memories. Forcing him to recollect only causes severe pain. I have never seen this before. The Armor is still connected to him, but it remains dormant, suppressed by the trauma he endured." He saw an elderly-looking man wearing a funny hat and blue robes speaking with the dark-haired woman. The two noticed he'd awakened and turned to face him. "Ryo! You are awake! How do you feel?"
"Whoa! Who-who are you people!? Where am I!? What did you do to me?!" Ryo demanded and rolled off the bed, putting it between himself and the strangers.
"Ryo, take it easy! We're friends of yours! You were in a battle several days ago and the aftermath has apparently clouded your memory. We're still trying to figure out how to restore you to normal."
"I don't know what you're talking about! I am normal! I work downtown like I always have!"
"I heard raised voices! Is anything wrong?" Miz asked as he jogged into the infirmary. Ryo glanced at the doorway when he entered and his eyes widened in shock.
"Holy crap! The fat man was right about the alien space dragons!" Ryo exclaimed and pressed his back against the wall, keeping his distance from the diminutive Miz, who threw him a puzzled glance. "N-N-Nice space dragon!" Ryo stammered as he tried circumventing Miz. The young Khamen tilted his head to the side, following him with his gaze as Ryo held his hands up in fear.
"I take it the procedure was not successful?" Miz asked Kayura.
"That's putting it lightly," she grumbled and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips.
"In any case, our time runs short. I'm not sure how much longer we can rely solely on the Northern Garrison and the Neo Ronin before Mal Daggur figures out the extent of the Ronin's absence and commits his forces to an all-out attack." Ryo glanced to the side when he heard a deeper voice. His eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped when he saw the seven-foot-tall Bak enter the room.
"Bwahhooooooooo," Ryo sighed and spun around on his heels briefly before slumping to the floor in a faint. Bak glanced down at him and raised an eyebrow, making a face.
"...This is going to be harder than we anticipated…" he drawled. Kayura let out a dismayed sigh.
Ryo woke once more to find himself in the same stone room as earlier. He didn't see anyone in the immediate vicinity and cautiously slipped off the bed. He crept towards the doorway and peered out into what looked like a vast vaulted cavern. While he could hear voices in the distance he couldn't see anyone directly. His gaze roved along the far wall and he spotted what looked like an exit tunnel. Without wasting any time he made a break for it and pelted across the cavern floor. The heavy metal doors opened immediately as he approached, as if they recognized him, and he found himself outside on an abandoned road. He didn't look back. He didn't stop. He kept running and running, losing all sense of time as he emerged from a thick forest onto a highway leading into the city. Signs indicated he'd been taken several miles out from the city proper.
He couldn't risk flagging anyone down for a ride or stopping at a roadside business. He kept running, and it seemed almost effortless to him despite the distance. He could think of only one person he could trust and hoped he'd arrive in time to tell her what happened.
Ryo finally arrived at the counseling center downtown, completely out of breath. He keeled over and gulped down air to try and recover. He staggered over to the door and pounded on it with his fists. Come on! Open up! I need help here! The sun had yet to rise but he hoped against hope Ms. Yui had come to work early. Ryo's chest heaved and he keeled over, bracing his palms against his knees. His eyes widened and he looked up when he heard sounds like approaching vehicles. A red-and-white jeep pulled up to the curb and the doors opened. His heart fell when he saw the dark-haired woman emerge from the passenger side. A woman with green eyes and auburn hair climbed out from behind the driver's side door. He heard another mechanical whine and looked up in horror to see what looked like a flying motorcycle come in to land on the sidewalk. The tall space dragon dismounted. His shock grew when a large white tiger bounded along the sidewalk and came to a stop a few feet away. Ryo recoiled a step and the tiger looked at him expectantly, letting out a concerned growl. "S-S-Stay back! I don't know what you want with me! Leave me alone!" Ryo cried.
"Ryo! Calm down! We're only trying to help! You don't recognize me?" the auburn-haired woman pleaded. Ryo pressed his back against the wall, whimpering. He had nowhere else to run.
"Ryo? You're here early. My goodness, you look like you ran a marathon…" Ryo's gaze snapped to the side and his face brightened when he saw Ms. Yui coming down the sidewalk. He wanted to tell her he had, of his harrowing ordeal escaping from the strange cavern. He wanted to ask her to call the police on these weirdoes who'd followed him all the way into town. He took a deep breath to speak but paused when he noticed how Ms. Yui seemed unfazed by the strangers. Ryo frowned in dawning realization and he glanced from her to the alien dragon who stood casually no more than a few feet away. Ms. Yui glanced at the two women by the jeep then back at Ryo calmly.
"Miss Yui…you...you're in on this too?!" Ryo accused and glanced between her and the space dragon again. Ms. Yui raised both eyebrows and jerked her head back slightly, smirking.
"I'm in on it as much as I know you by name. I don't pretend to know anything about your duties or inner circles. I suspected something was off when you showed up out of the blue one day and volunteered to help out around the center. You acted as if you'd known me for years, and yet I could sense you were out of sorts. I'm guessing this had something to do with that 'global aurora' I've been hearing about in the news. Ryo, these people are friends of yours. It's clear you suffered a significant trauma recently. Either you are unable or unwilling to remember your life as a Ronin Warrior."
"R-R-Ronin Warrior? What the heck is that? A soccer team?" Ryo demanded. Ms. Yui chuckled and shook her head. "You can't seriously expect me to trust the alien dinosaur with a Russian accent!"
"I do not have...Russian accent?" the space dragon muttered and glanced at the dark-haired woman.
"Ryo, I won't deny that I've appreciated your help lately. You've done a great deal of good around the center, but you're in a unique position to do even greater good with your power. The world needs you as a Ronin Warrior...and your son needs his father," Ms. Yui explained softly.
"…My…son?" Ryo stammered in disbelief.
Ryo sat on a stone bench at a large stone table decorated with gold and onyx emblems. His seat was marked with an insignia bearing four diamonds arranged together. On that insignia sat an infant wearing a white onesie with black tiger stripes. The baby sported thick reddish hair and brilliant green eyes and looked up at Ryo intently. Ryo gazed down at the baby, puzzled. He glanced to the side at the auburn-haired woman. "Listen lady, if you're looking for alimony, I'm not exactly rolling in dough…"
"Ryo, just try to connect with him!" the woman snapped, frustrated. Ryo flinched in his seat and glanced back at the boy. He had to admit he could sense something familiar in the eyes and hair, the way the eyebrows and the scant sideburns forked. The infant cocked his head to one side as if scrutinizing Ryo. Ryo stared back down at him, uncertain of what to say or do. The baby abruptly reached up and grabbed Ryo's bangs, tugging quite powerfully for an average infant.
"Hey! What the heck are you-?!" Ryo complained and winced.
"Da!" the baby burbled and smiled brightly. He giggled with glee. Something stirred in the back of Ryo's mind and he reached up slowly and pinched a lock of the boy's reddish hair between his thumb and forefinger. His mouth slowly spread in a smile and he found himself tugging the baby's hair gently.
"Hey there…" Ryo whispered. He remained so engrossed in playing with the baby he didn't see the auburn-haired woman clasping her hands infront of her mouth, tears of hope welling up in her eyes.
"This is the Wildfire Dekahedron stone. We think its power can rekindle your lost memories without causing severe mental damage, but you have to be willing to remember. We cannot force you. Are you sure you're ready?" Kayura asked as she held the small ruby pyramid in her palm. She stood in the main cavern facing Ryo along with Kaosu, Bak, and Mia, who held Ryu. Whiteblaze sat at Ryo's side, peering up at his lifelong friend anxiously.
"...Yeah...it's now or never. I realize now there's more to me than I thought." Ryo reached down and rubbed Whiteblaze between the ears. The tiger crooned appreciatively. "They say ignorance is bliss, but if I keep on pretending with this false life I've been living, I'd be betraying the people closest to me."
"I must warn you Ryo, if you do this, you'll remember everything: the good, and the bad...and there's quite alot of bad."
"But he's here," Ryo glanced at little Ryu. "It can't all be bad, can it?" Kayura frowned but nodded and held her palm out to Ryo. Ryo took a deep breath and cautiously reached up, hovering his hand over the gem before clasping his fingers around it and removing it from Kayura's hand.
Brilliant red light erupted from the gem and filled the entire cavern. It seemed like a strong wind whipped through the Roost, pushing the others back a step. Ryo clenched his teeth and let out a strained groan, squeezing his eyes shut. The Heart of Virtue shone brightly on his forehead, but Ryo's face contorted with pain. Mia raised a hand in alarm. Kayura held her arm out to the side.
"No! He can do this! He must! Have faith in him! He will prevail!" Bak and Kaosu watched amazed as Ryo weathered the strain and let out another cry.
He remembered himself as a child, spending time with a large white tiger. Memories flooded back of his youth, of the sister he thought lost forever, the mother who vanished without a trace, his father who threw himself into his work abroad. He saw himself in a forest set aflame, fending off ignorant poachers before his power manifested for the first time. He relived the onset of the First Dynasty War, joining forces with the other four Ronin Warriors and unleashing his full might in his first major battle. He remembered awakening in an active volcano after suffering their first defeat, the quest he undertook with Mia Koji and young Yulie Yamano to reunite with the others. He felt the triumph of joining the battle and pushing into the very heart of Talpa's castle above the doomed city.
He remembered the pain of loss, seeing his friends consumed one by one, the despair of finding himself utterly alone against an overwhelming foe. Sorrow flooded his mind as he relived that dark revelation in the depths of Talpa's body. Joy erupted as he harnessed the powers of the other Armors, and united, drove Talpa from the world for good….or so they thought.
They tried to return to a semblance of normalcy as they recovered from their ordeal only to find themselves beset by a cavalcade of would-be conquerors and foes. Every hard-won battle, every exultant victory mattered not in the end as Talpa made his return known, and the Second Dynasty War erupted. The Dark Warlords ambushed the individual Ronin, imprisoning three of them in the Nether Realm. Ryo, along with Rowen and Whiteblaze, embarked on a seemingly impossible mission to rescue them. Thanks to the intervention of a redeemed Anubis and unlikely aid from Mia and Yulie, after much strife and struggle, they prevailed and freed their friends, ultimately destroying Talpa and ending his campaign of darkness.
He remembered New York, and his face contorted with sorrow as he recalled her. In another life, in another time he might've kindled a relationship with her, but it was not to be as her life ended up being cruelly cut short thanks to the ambitions of a power-hungry sorcerer and a depraved scientist.
Their next adventure would take them halfway across the world, caught up in a cosmic struggle between spectacular powers and the will of a warrior that matched his own. The power they had relied on for so many years betrayed them, and only through strength of will and sacrifice, relinquishing that very power, was crisis averted, and they were no longer Ronin Warriors.
Despite the loss of the Armors, life was not so simple to resume. He suffered yet another close personal loss, and only his friendship with Mia kept him from falling into despair. Sorrow and despair...profound loss made incarnate with the emergence of the mysterious woman full of hate and rage from centuries long past. Her wish seemed simple: to wipe the slate clean, and use the resurrected Armors to end all suffering. Only the timeless love between mother and daughter averted final destruction, and as a parting gift and thanks for their aid, she left them in peace with new Armors.
He relived events leading up to the Battle at the Citadel: reuniting with the sister he thought dead, helping an old friend return to his senses, aiding a stranger from across the stars, setting foot on an entirely new planet, experiencing an exotic new culture. He recalled the encouragement of his friends and the newly-joined former Dark Warlords. New allies both civilian and extraterrestrial. Using the power of Inferno II, he defeated the demonic sorceress Dygra and purged her from the Realm.
Their battles would not end there, as along with a resurrected Talpa, the team found themselves faced by an even greater threat from the stars in the form of Mal Daggur and the race of dragon-like Thunthen. Dissidents of this saurian race would soon join their cause and lend their expertise to turning the tide of battle. A well-timed and executed punch to Mal Daggur's face would put a dent in his ambitions, but only through using the dreadful Armor of Gea-the power of ten Armors united-were they able to save the planet from vengeful jaws of fire.
Ryo whimpered and his brow furrowed when he saw a vision of himself, not as a man, but as a monster with skin black as pitch and flame-red hair and eyes like burning candles. The nightmarish visage bared inch-long fangs and hissed before vanishing abruptly. His face relaxed as he saw Mia lying in a hospital bed. He sat next to her and held his newborn son, staring down in amazement as the boy opened his eyes and gazed up at him. The mother he thought forever lost and a sister he'd never met returned from seclusion, and their family grew.
He saw the city ripped asunder, swallowed into flame. He reached out futilely in a desperate bid to save a falling Sage only to lose him in the roiling fire. He remembered the bitter, bloody campaign against the enemies entrenched in the city and the beastly warlord who held all in his sway. They had lost so much in that brutal war... Through some miracle, Sage returned, and they drove their enemy back across dimensions into their broken world. It began and ended with fire, and after so much loss and struggle, they finally secured peace for both worlds.
Tranquility would prove short lived yet again, as after a day of celebration, the Ronin were forced to once more deploy the Armor of Gea against an unknown foe. Ryo's brow furrowed again as he saw those same eyes: black irises and bright green pupils full of hate. He saw the cracks forming in the Six Swords and the Armor of Gea itself. Despite their heroic last stand, the enemy unleashed all its power, shattering the Armor completely and scattering them across the world. As he fell to Earth, he saw nine other beams of light….nine friends still alive…and the world still unmarred.
The light faded abruptly and the winds buffeting the cavern interior subsided just as quickly. The Heart of Virtue dimmed and Ryo stood still, his arm outstretched still clenching the Dekahedron stone in his hand. Mia and Kayura watched and waited anxiously. Bak, a Thunthen who had for so long dismissed magic, had no words to describe what he'd just witnessed. Kaosu observed Ryo quietly.
"…Ryo?….Ryo…do…do you remember who you are?" Mia asked cautiously. Ryo kept his mouth closed but breathed gently through his nostrils. His arm remained raised. Ryu remained in Mia's arms, idly curling his fingers infront of his mouth. He stared at his father, wide-eyed in wonder.
"Yes." Kayura and Mia smiled with joy as Ryo lowered his arm and slowly opened his eyes. His clothes vanished as his sub-armor materialized over his body. He drew himself up straight and squared his shoulders, smiling proudly. "I am Ryo of the Wildfire."
AOD Soundtrack
1. Majesty of the Nether Realm-Flight of the Silverbird-Two Steps From Hell
2. Last of the Nether Lords-The Last Emperor (Main Title Theme)-Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne
3. Breathing Thunder-Pegasus-Two Steps From Hell
4. Return of the Argonauth-Evergreen-Two Steps From Hell
5. Life Without Armor-Promise-Thomas Bergersen
6. Memories Reignited-Lonely Are The Brave-Two Steps From Hell
"I thought Dais' mom was yanking our chain with what she said about that evil goddess. What if there is something out there, something we've never seen before. What if there's something we've pissed off without even realizing it?"
Ronin to Arms!