The blade hummed as he swung it through the air. He tightened his grip and held the sword steady for a few moments before relaxing his fingers and twirling it, letting the blade swing almost lazily. He narrowed his sharp blue eyes at his reflection, marveling at how clear it looked in the watered metal. Blackblaze sat in the grass a few feet away and watched his young master.

It doesn’t look like normal steel, or even enchanted steel….I wonder if these are made out of that metal Danae told us about, Ryo thought as he held the sword steady and cocked his head to one side. He couldn’t help but wonder what purpose the beveled protrusions running a few inches up the blade from the crossguard served. Writing lined the inner bevel. Ryo squinted at it, trying to make sense of the strange language.

“They’re similar to Nordic Runes.” Ryo looked over his shoulder when he heard the voice and saw Anubis as he approached. “A rough translation would be ‘Symphony of Flame’,” he explained. Ryo sniffed and glanced back at his reflection.

“Instruments of War….its a fitting name, don’t you think?” Ryo paused and regarded the inscriptions. “You wouldn’t know it by looking at them, but they’re super sharp. Check this out.” Ryo took a crumpled soda can he had dredged out of the kitchen trash to use for target practice and flung it into the air. It didn’t look like Ryo put much effort into slashing at the can as it sailed through the air. The can landed on the grass softly, still intact. Anubis frowned, and for a moment he thought Ryo had missed.

Until the can popped apart into two halves. Anubis raised both eyebrows. “Danae prayed that one of her people’s gods would remake the Fervor Soul Swords…”

“I don’t know enough about Danae’s gods to believe anything about them, but it would take an incredible power to re-forge these blades….Anubis,” Ryo said with a harsh tone and turned to the former warlord. “Blackblaze knew Danae was coming. That’s why he brought the swords here, so he could show them to her. What does this all mean? Why would he bring the swords back? Why revive the Inferno if it can’t be trusted?”

Anubis remained silent at first, composing his response. “If what Danae said came to pass this quickly, it is very likely we will see her again in the immediate future. While we cannot be sure where Blackblaze’s loyalties lie,” Anubis began, sparing a glance at the Nether Tiger. Blackblaze narrowed his golden eyes in an annoyed glare and swished his tail. “We can only be sure that he is trying to tell us something.”

“Tell us what?” Ryo demanded, sounding frustrated. Anubis shrugged.

“That there may be dangers out there beyond the power of the Armors alone: Foes so powerful only the might of Inferno would stand against them. Danae mentioned the mortal foes of her people. If there were to be a friendship between the Ronin Warriors and her people, not only would they be required to aid us against the Dynasty, but for us to aid them against their foes.”

“But do we really want those kinds of problems on our plate? Are we ready to face threats that come from another planet?” Anubis walked up beside Ryo and looked at him.

“Things occur for a reason, Ryo: Your reunion with Mia, your sister’s return, my rebirth, Danae’s arrival. We are being prepared. Events have been set into motion. It is not our place to argue with those events, only how we will deal with them.” Ryo stood there, dwelling on his words. He frowned and looked up when he heard the crunch of grass as Anubis walked away.

“Where are you going?” Ryo asked. Anubis turned around and shrugged.

“Since her last foray into the city was disrupted, Mia wanted to take Tanya and myself out for some shopping. I can agree with her that Tanya is in dire need of new attire, as am I….Your friend, Rowen, has a rather…tight frame, I would say,” Anubis commented with a smirk and turned back around. Ryo chuckled to himself.

“Have fun,” he called out and waved before turning his gaze to Blackblaze. I don’t know why you’re doing all of this for us, but please stay on our side this time…

Blackblaze returned Ryo's worried glance with calm, golden eyes. He almost pitied the young man and the distress he felt, but he would eventually understand everything. Contact with the first of the Three Allies had been secured, and the Soul Swords had been renewed. The next stage of the plan would occur in due time, but first, the Ronin had some…minor allies to acquire.

*****

“Its amazing what the city has done with this new bay-side park,” Mia beamed as she and the other Ronin walked on the sidewalk overlooking a lush park.

“I’m surprised they finished the construction so quickly given everything that’s happened lately,” Rowen commented. Cye studied the clean, white beaches and the gentle surf in the distance, while Sage eyed what looked like a garden.

“And this little strip center that runs alongside it is perfect! Just what we need to get the two of you properly outfitted,” Mia stated. Anubis remained quiet and stoic, but Tanya rolled her eyes and flapped her fingers together, mimicking Mia out the corner of her mouth. Kento, who scouted new dining areas, chuckled heartily when he noticed Tanya's antics, but when his laughter abated and he opened his eyes, he saw Tanya glaring at him icily. He looked away and stuffed his hands into his pockets and sighed.

“So Tanya, where do you want to start shopping?” Mia queried.

“Second-hand store?” Tanya quipped. Everyone else moaned and shook their heads.

“No! Ugh! Tanya, why don’t we do this; here’s some money. Go in there and don’t come back out until you’ve bought at least three outfits,” Mia ordered and gently shoved the Lady Ronin into a woman’s clothing shop. Tanya squawked in protest but by the time she whirled around to flip Mia the bird, the group had already departed.

“I just hope she doesn’t have Ryo’s sense of style…As for you, Anubis, I’m sure you can get more of an idea of what you’d be interested by doing a little window shopping.”

“Yeah man, once we get you properly attired, you’ll probably have ladies swooning all over you like they do with Sage here,” Kento bragged and jerked a thumb at the aforementioned, who narrowed his eyes and growled softly. Anubis smiled and continued studying each shop they passed by. His gaze snapped over towards the coast when he heard several high-pitched pops in rapid succession. The others heard it too and looked to the shore, where the sounds seemed to originate. Sage leaned over the rail and saw people down in the park pointing at something before running towards the beach.

“What the heck is that? Sounds like a war or something!” Rowen exclaimed.

“Think it’s the Dynasty?” Kento muttered.

“Since when does the Dynasty use guns?” Cye argued.

“Nonetheless, we should investigate,” Anubis stated and gripped the rail with one hand. He drew quite a few startled glances when he vaulted himself over and landed on the cobblestone path below before taking off towards the beach. The others, not wanting to draw as much attention, bolted for the nearest stairwell. Anubis remained in the lead with the other guys following close behind. When they passed a hot dog vendor along the path, however, Kento skidded to a stop and backtracked, fishing out his wallet. He barely noticed when Cye stalked up to him, grabbed his arm, and began dragging him away. Kento reached out towards the cart feebly and whined pitifully in protest. Ahead of them, Anubis had exited the dense park and ran out onto an extensive sandy shore dotted with stands of grass. People of all ages either sat on beach towels strewn over the sand or on plastic lawn chairs. A group of five people sat behind a long table set up further down the beach. All eyes rest on a row of people facing the ocean. Anubis watched the event, puzzled.

“What…in the Ancient’s name…?”

“PULL!”

“FIRE!!” The people standing by the shore shouted before taking aim at objects in the sky with rifles. Each person had an assistant who manned a machine of some sort that when activated, hurled a small, round object into the sky over the water. The people in the row took aim and fired, shattering the ceramic discs into tiny bits that rained down into the surf.

“Whoa…what is this?” Rowen muttered to himself as he and the others arrived.
     “Hey guys! What’s going on?” Mia asked as she ran over, last to exit the forest. “Huh? Oh! I’d forgotten about this!” she said when she saw the setup along the beach.

“You know what all this is about?” Sage asked and glanced at her.

“Don’t you remember the news yesterday? Japan is hosting the International Marksmanship Competition this year.” 

“Marksmanship? What’s that?” Kento asked and raised an eyebrow.

“Professional sports shooting,” Rowen explained and proceeded to watch as the row of sharpshooters struck down each target launched with a carefully calculated shot. Judges took down scores depending on speed and execution. Those in the audience applauded successful shots and moaned in dismay when targets escaped fire. The powerful breezes coming from the bay proved challenging as the slightest draft could disrupt even the most expert of aims.

Anubis looked very intrigued with the event, and almost anything with a lot of action would interest Kento. Mia stood beside Anubis and observed the event with equal curiosity. Rowen seemed genuinely impressed with some of the talent featured amongst the competitors. Sage seemed dismissive and glanced at the area of the park he’d seen earlier. Cye glanced at each contestant, trying to get an idea of the participants. Flag stickers on each skeet launcher indicated nationality. He noticed the challenger from the United States, who stood out from the rest of the participants…

“Whoa! Guys, check her out!” Cye exclaimed. Unlike her fellow competitors, a crew of two people manned two skeet launchers, one on either side of her. At her cry, the twin launchers hurled targets into the air. As she had two attendants and two launchers, she also had two rifles, one in each hand, and swung them both forward with surprising speed. She steadied her legs as she took aim and squeezed the triggers. Bullets left their chambers with an echoing report. The concussive force rocked her back on her heels slightly, but at the same time the two clay pigeons exploded in sprays of white ceramic, the woman balanced herself and tucked the rifles under her arms. With the speed of much practice, she cracked open the chambers, reached into her belt, tweaked out two bullets with her fingers, slipped them inside, clicked the chambers shut, then swung the rifles forward.

“What a display people! Miss Roxi Hirochner still proves she’s definitely the Deftest Gun from the West with her unmatched aim and reaction time! Let’s give her a round of applause, people!” The announcer crowed. The woman paused and raised one of her rifles proudly, giving a nod to the crowd and smiling brightly. The audience cheered ecstatically, but their cries seemed muffled to Rowen, who stared at the woman, transfixed.

“Round two has ended people! There will be a brief break while our judges tally their scores…” Rowen's eyes remained fixed on the woman as she cradled her rifles in the crooks of her arms. Her denim jacket flared in the sea breeze, and voluminous hair as blue as the open sky flowed down her back. Her appearance seemed reminiscent of a WWII bomber belle, the type of woman men proudly emblazoned on the hulls of their craft as symbols of infinite spirit and courage. She turned to the side slightly as she waited for the judges. Then she glanced about the audience idly and it seemed their eyes briefly met.

“As entertaining as this is, I’d rather be doing something else. I’m going to go check out that area of the park over there. I’ll meet up with you at the car in a while,” Sage said and took off walking towards the outdoors art display.

“He’s got a point. We still have shopping to do,” Mia said and glanced at her watch.

“You guys go on ahead, I wanna see the rest of this,” Kento waved absently.

“Me too. It’s actually quite interesting,” Cye added.

“Okay. Rowen, what about you?...Rowen?”

“Helloooo? Ro-wen?” Kento poked his friend in the shoulder then began waving his hand infront of the distracted Ronin’s face. Kento started snapping his fingers.

“Huh? What?” Rowen squawked and snapped to attention.

“Dude, where were you, outer space?” Kento glanced at the beach then spotted the American markswoman. “ooooohhh….I get it, you were checkin’ her out, huh?”

“I was not!” Rowen protested a bit too loudly.

“You did appear quite smitten,” Anubis commented with a smirk.

“Guys, I was not ‘smitten’ or whatever, I was just marveling at her skill. You know it takes an incredible hand/eye coordination and ambidexterity to pull off trick shots like that.”

“Yeah right…” Kento snorted and jabbed Rowen with an elbow.

“Kento, that’s enough. Rowen, come on. I can’t help Anubis with his shopping alone,” Mia complained. Rowen shot Kento an irritated glare before walking off with Mia.

“I’m sure there’s a casual men's store somewhere around here. There, you could probably find something more comfortable,” Rowen commented idly. He and Mia paused when they noticed Anubis missing. They turned around and saw him further back on the sidewalk. He examined the black and red neon sign above a storefront that read “HeXtreme”.

“Whoa, Anubis, I don’t think you want to shop there,” Mia began.

“Yeah man. That’s for people like goth freaks and bikers and…” Rowen trailed off when Anubis strode inside confidently.

“…four-hundred-year old ex-Dynasty Warlords?” Mia asked no one in particular.

*****

Sage sat on one of the curved stone benches that surrounded a central fountain sculpture. The area seemed quiet, far removed from the hubbub of the metropolitan area. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, reveling in the rare natural beauty. Birds warbling in the trees and the fountain’s gentle song added to the tranquility.

Sage opened one eye and glanced sideways through the thick wave of hair over his right eye when he heard a sound out of tune with the environment. He turned his head slightly and noticed a young woman sitting on a bench further away. She wore headphones woven through wild blonde hair and bobbed her head and lip-synched. It wasn’t so much her presence that bothered Sage, but the fact that he heard what she listened to despite the headphones, a drawback to his acute senses. Sage tried scooting to the end of the bench, away from the girl and her music. The tactic worked until the girl began singing softly.

Sage narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. He stood up and walked over to the girl quietly. “Excuse me.” The girl had her eyes closed, completely absorbed in her music and oblivious to the outside. “Excuse me,” Sage repeated and tugged her headphone cord. Still no response. Sage drew air in through his nose then swiftly poked the off switch on the Walkman. The girl’s eyes popped open and she glared up at him.

“Hey! Back off mister!” she snapped and slapped his hand away.

“I just wanted to ask if you could please turn your music down. It’s…disturbing me.”

“In case you didn’t notice, this is a public park,” the girl countered, matching Sage’s gaze with her own bluish-green eyes, intensity for intensity.

“Yes…but you don’t have to sing to it out loud.”

“To each his own, mister!” the girl sneered and flicked the Walkman back on. Sage shook his head and walked off and sat back down, this time at a bench further away from the girl. He folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes again, but opened them when he heard the music fade. The girl slowly turned the volume down, and while she didn’t sing aloud she still lip-synched. Sage raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. He smirked softly then closed his eyes again.

His eyes snapped open suddenly when he realized he nodded to the rhythm of the music. He shook his head and stood up and exited the area promptly.

“So, what’s your name?” Sage did a double take when he saw the girl walking beside him, headphones draped around her neck and Walkman shoved in her left jacket pocket.

“Why are you following me?” Sage asked, annoyed.

“Ffft, no need to be rude, mister,” the girl replied and jerked her head back slightly.

“I’m not being rude, I’m just being blunt.”

“Honesty? That’s something rare in a cute guy.” Sage snorted and stared ahead, quickening his pace. She stepped to the left of him, turned around, and walked backwards, maintaining pace. “My name’s Shannon O’Connor, what’s yours? It’s only proper, I’ve introduced myself already.”
     “….Date Sage,” Sage replied curtly. His gaze flicked up when he noticed a lamp post further ahead on the sidewalk. From her position, Shannon would certainly collide with it. However, without missing a beat, she spun around to Sage’s right side and walked forward, avoiding the lamppost entirely.

“Japanese people introduce themselves with their names reversed, so that would mean you’re Sage Date. That’s cool! You named after the herb or because you’re a wise guy?”

“Does it matter?” Sage grumbled. His efforts to evade the persistent girl had taken him back to the strip center. He pivoted to the side and entered a small café and took a seat in the corner. Back in the clamor of civilization, his mood soured considerably.

“Is there a reason you’re avoiding me?” Shannon O’Connor asked as she slid into a seat right across from him. Sage took a deep breath to mask his exasperation.

“Is there a reason you’re following me?” he demanded sharply.

“No, I’m not following you, I’m pursuing you. There’s a difference!” Shannon stated and flicked a finger through the air. Sage wrinkled his nose and glanced away.

“If you don’t mind, I prefer to be alone,” he mumbled. He looked back up when he saw the girl reaching towards his face slowly. He remained still as she slipped the tips of her fingers under the hair covering his eye. Shannon cocked her head to the side as she lifted up the golden wave, exposing Sage’s right eye. Sage turned to her slightly.

“Few people ever look into both eyes of Sage Date,” he stated.

“You make it sound like it’s forbidden,” Shannon whispered. Sage’s impassive stare indicated he meant every word. Shannon frowned and sat back in her chair, letting Sage’s hair fall back into place. Sage kept his stony glare on her.

“Why did you follow me?” Sage demanded softly. Shannon shrugged and twirled her finger through the hair over her left ear, resting her elbow on the tabletop.

“I guess I’m kinda drawn to you.” Sage snorted in disgust. How many times had he heard that before? “No, no…I’m serious. It’s like you…exude this aura of badassedness.” Sage raised an eyebrow. Shannon leaned forward and rest her chin on her arm. She didn't regard him with lovelorn puppy eyes. She examined him, blue-green eyes narrowed in scrutiny. “Something about you I can’t quite figure out…” her voice fell to a whisper and she squinted at him.

Sage didn't intend to stare, certainly not at her shirt, but the piece of jewelry dangling out from the collar drew his attention to her upper chest. The cross-shaped piece wobbled as it hung on the collar before slipping out onto the table. At first it looked like a cheap pewter pendant, the kind one could purchase at any accessory store. Then Sage noticed several gemstones set into the pendant: diamond, ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, topaz, and emerald.

Sage almost swore aloud as he felt his kanji react on his forehead and promptly clamped a hand over the symbol before anyone noticed. Shannon blinked. “You okay?”

“I-I have to go…” he said. Shannon raised an eyebrow. His tone didn’t sound dismissive, it almost sounded frantic. Why would my Armor react like that!? Sage scooted out of his chair and stood. He halted, eyes widening when he saw someone standing close to the front counter, someone annoyingly familiar… “On second thought,” Sage sat back down and hunched over as if trying to hide. “I think I’ll stay here with you. So, Shannon, what brings you to Japan?” he asked quickly. Shannon looked very much confused with the sudden interest in her life and glanced to either side before glancing back at him.

“Um…well….let’s see…My dad’s a doctor, and he recently transferred to Shinasha Memorial-” before Shannon could finish, a petite girl suddenly appeared next to the table and immediately latched onto Sage’s arm firmly.

“SAAAAGE! OOOH I’m so glad to see you! I almost didn’t notice you sitting back here all by yourself in the dark!” Shannon wrinkled her nose at the remark.

“Karla! Um…what a surprise…” Sage replied weakly.

“Come on Sage! There’s a movie I wanted to go see. I got two tickets…” she trailed off in sing-song tone and almost yanked Sage off his seat.

“Karla! I can’t! Um…my…cousin Shannon just arrived in town,” Shannon raised an eyebrow and noticed the look of entreaty in Sage's eyes. The girl known as Karla eyed her with interest.

“Ooooh! Well that’s nice! It’s good to meet a friend of the family!” Shannon nodded slowly and smiled awkwardly. “So come on, Sage!” Karla tugged again at Sage’s arm.

“Do you mind? I just got off a ten-hour red-eye and I haven’t seen Sage in twelve years!” Shannon protested. Sage blinked, impressed with how well she improvised.

“Well I haven’t seen Sage since last week!”

Shannon’s jaw dropped and she glanced at Sage, who shrugged helplessly. He glanced around the café, trying to find an avenue of escape. He thought he spied Cye sitting at a table further back and opened his mouth to call out to him. He paused when he noticed the brown-haired girl seated at the table with him. Sage raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the sight.

“Look, if you wanna go on a one-nighter with my cousin, that’s just fine, but it can wait for another day,” Shannon began in the politest tone she could muster.

“Well I don’t want to wait!” Karla pouted petulantly. Shannon discarded all semblance of courtesy and slowly rose out of her seat. Her shoulders rolled as she pushed her jacket cuffs up above her elbows. She had her chin down, almost touching her chest, and the way her hair draped around her neck made her look like a lion. Karla blinked stupidly at the taller American.

Shannon abruptly lunged forward then stopped just as quickly, not quite hitting Karla, but the swift motion startled her so much she squawked and fell back on the floor on her rear. “AAH! What are you doing! Get aWAY from me! I’m calling the police!!” Karla squealed and scrambled to her feet and darted out the door. Other customers in the café only paid her a moments’ attention before returning to their food and conversations.

Shannon chuckled and straightened her jacket. “I guess she got the message, eh?” she asked and looked over her shoulder. She frowned when she saw the empty chair.

Sage walked at a steady pace down the sidewalk. “You sure have a funny way of showing gratitude,” Shannon drawled from beside him. Sage only looked mildly surprised at how quick she caught up but didn’t spare her a glance.

“I didn’t need your help,” he muttered.

“Well that’s funny, since you practically begged me for it…”

“Not that kind of help. You didn’t have to act so rude with her.”

“You know…there is a difference between being courteous and being a wuss.” Sage glanced at her sharply, irritated by the remark, but continued walking. Shannon kept pace and remained quiet for a few moments. “Can I show you something?” Sage glanced at her again. “It’s at a museum in the city. I think you’d like it.”

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Sage sneered. Shannon shook her head.

“No. Nope. You see, a date is a formal agreement between two people to meet at an appointed area at an appointed time in a romantic manner. I’m just casually asking you if you’d like to see something.” Sage regarded her warily and slowed his pace. Shannon walked faster, passing him up and skipping as she went. “Its not far from here, and you could probably use a relaxing walk,” she called. Sage frowned. He could just walk the other way and avoid her altogether, but instead he followed, curious by her offer, and in some way himself drawn to this girl from the States…

*****

“Is it just me or are you trying to dress like your Armor?” Rowen asked as Anubis straightened his black leather jacket and tucked the green and yellow striped shirt into his faded blue jeans. A small pewter ankh hung from a cord around his neck and silver chains dangled from his pocket to his jacket, clinking against the steel studs on his black belt.

“Your point?” Anubis queried and looked at him sharply. Rowen sighed.

“Forget I asked…”

“Well, it’s a start, and you do look…um…better than before…lets go find Tanya, she’s probably bored silly waiting for us,” Mia said and shouldered her purse.

“I still can’t believe she made that last minute shot! That pigeon was about to hit water and she still pegged it! I mean, did you see that?” Kento babbled as he and Cye headed back towards the strip center through the park.

“Yes,” Cye grumbled as his friend rambled on.

“And the way she-”

“Yes, Kento.”

“And how she-”

“For crying out loud, Kento, I was right beside you watching her. Of course I saw!” The two passed by the hot dog cart. Kento leaned to the side but Cye caught him by his arm. “Not happening,” he said sternly and pulled his friend along.

“Hi guys!” Mia waved when she saw Kento and Cye coming up the stairs.

“So, how was the contest?” Rowen asked. Kento made a disgusted snort and waved.

“Some guy from Germany won. Can you believe it?! They docked that one girl points for this awesome shot she made low to the ground. It was over water so I don’t see the problem. If you ask me, she knew what she was doing…” he grumbled.

“Even so, you could tell she won the audience,” Cye added and smiled.

“That’s great,” Rowen commented. Kento noticed Anubis’ new attire and blinked.

“Whoa, Anubis! Dig the new threads,” he gave a thumbs-up in approval. Cye didn’t look that impressed but kept quiet.

“Thanks,” Anubis replied.

“Well, the store we left Tanya at was around here, so it’s just a matter of-” Mia turned around but paused and almost dropped her purse. Tanya stood a few feet away. A small shopping bag hung from her arm but she looked exactly as she had dressed before entering the store. “TANYA! You don’t look any different!” Mia exclaimed.

Tanya paused in nipping off a price tag with her teeth and examined her clothes. “I know! I’m surprised they still make this brand,” she said absently.

“You were supposed to get new clothes!”

“Hey, you said new, you didn’t say different. Besides, this isn’t exactly the same as my old jacket.” Tanya held up one edge of her grey windbreaker. “This is all-weather thermal fleece. It’s warm and snug in the cold, and dry and breezy in the summer. Plus it feels like Whiteblaze’s tummy,” she cooed and rubbed the collar over her cheek. “And I got two other outfits. Satisfied now?”

Mia hung her shoulders and shook her head, visibly not. Kento frowned and shrugged.

“I guess she does have Ryo’s sense of style,” he commented absently. Mia, Rowen, Cye, and Anubis stiffened and winced.

Tanya’s eyes seemed to have darkened, her bangs shading her brow as she glowered in their general direction. The others backed away slightly before stepping to either side of the walkway as Tanya walked towards them then past, presumably en route to Mia’s parked car. Kento blinked, at once confused and relieved for the lack of immediate retaliation. He took a deep breath then sighed, wiping a hand across his forehead in relief.

Tanya lifted up her left leg and pivoted on her right foot, lashing out and bashing Kento’s cheek with her heel. The blow caught him off balance, sending him toppling back towards the stairwell. The rail shuddered and rattled from the impact as Kento banged against it before tumbling down the stairs until he landed on the park level. Bystanders watched the incident with awe. Tanya turned back around and continued on her way.

“….well….if Tanya were ever to say she trusts Kento as much as she could throw him, I guess that’d mean she’d trust him a lot,” Cye commented. Anubis broke out in a cackling laugh reminiscent of his old warlord persona and slapped his leg heartily.

“HAH! Good one!” he crowed and poked Cye in the shoulder with a knuckle.

“I parked the car not far from here, so it shouldn’t be too much of a walk,” Mia sighed. Rowen glanced at her.

“I don’t think I’ll be going back with you guys. I wanted to stop by the library for a while to do some research.”

“You want me to come back later to take you home?” Mia offered. Rowen glanced to either side before leaning close to her.

“I’ll get home my own way,” he whispered. Mia nodded slowly but bit her lip.

“Make sure no one sees you,” she cautioned. Rowen nodded understandingly before going on his way. “Well, Rowen’s gone, and we still haven’t heard from Sage. If I know him, he’ll probably get home the same way as Rowen, so we shouldn’t worry.”

“Hey Mia, I think I’m gonna hang around here myself. There was a store I wanted to check out earlier. I’ll see if I can meet up with Rowen later. I’ll be sure to be back before evening,” Cye assured and headed down the strip center.

“Well…guess it’ll just be the three of us returning home,” Mia muttered.

“….hellooo?....a little help here?” a groggy voice called up to them from far below. Anubis glanced through the railing at the park level. Mia sighed and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips.

*****

Cye took his time walking down the strip center towards the little aquarium store he’d spotted earlier. He’d always thought about getting a new companion for his bedroom, now that the guys stayed at Mia’s estate more often. Maybe one of those little Bettas…a bowl wouldn’t take as much space as a decked out tank…
     *WHAM!*

Cye saw stars and lights as a powerful blow to his face sent him flying backwards to land on his rear on the sidewalk. He let out a muffled scream as he held both hands clamped over his mouth and nose. People walked past, oblivious to his injury as he sat on the sidewalk rocking back and forth. The redness faded quickly and he gingerly felt his nose. If he had been a lesser man, his face would’ve been mashed in. Cye swore a few times under his breath as he stood up shakily. His vision blurred a few times before focusing and he spotted a rapidly departing figure further on ahead.

The door to a small café had barely begun inching shut after being kicked open violently by the young woman storming away down the sidewalk. Cye narrowed his eyes and straightened himself before stalking after the inconsiderate girl. It didn’t take long for his swift stride to catch up with her. As he reached out to grab her by her shoulder, he heard her muttering various obscenities under her breath. “Hey you-” Cye began.

The girl halted and whirled around and quickly pointed a finger at Cye’s nose. “BACK OFF MISTER! I am in a sour mood of APOCALYPTIC proportions and I am going through a SCORCHING case of-oh dear goodness what happened to your nose?” Cye didn't know what shocked him more: the girl’s initial rage, or the immediate transition to child-like innocence. He stared at her and blinked, not wanting to make any sudden moves. The girl still held her finger at his nose but blinked back. Then she gave a shrill squeal and covered her mouth with both hands as she put two and two together.

“OH! I hit you with the door!” Cye nodded slowly and opened his mouth to speak but the girl interrupted. “Oh goodness I’m so SO sorry!” she began bowing fervently and sputtering. Cye couldn't tell if she said “sorry” or “noodles”. He listened to the girl’s garbled apology for a few moments before raising a hand to silence her.

“Please…stop…slaughtering the Japanese language. I understand you perfectly, and given the fact that you’re obviously extremely distressed, I suppose I can forgive-” Cye grunted in mild surprise as the girl lunged and hugged him tightly.

“You speak English! Oh! I’m so happy to meet you! I’ve got a lot of things to ask of you, but first…” Without another word, the girl took Cye by the wrist and practically yanked him down the sidewalk back to the café door where the whole mess began. Cye kept quiet as the girl led him inside to a small table against the wall. He glanced to the side, surprised to see Sage in the corner exchanging words with a wild-haired woman, but didn’t have a chance to so much as wave as the girl pushed him towards a chair.

The girl motioned for him to wait while she went over to the counter and tried speaking with the bartender there. Cye massaged the bridge of his nose and raised an eyebrow as the girl tried speaking to the bartender in Japanese. From what he could tell she tried to ask for “ice” but kept getting the word mixed up with another. The bartender shook his head and the girl threw up her arms and rolled her eyes. She waved dismissively at the bartender then went over to a nearby ice dispenser. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small plastic bag with various accessories inside, upended it, and scooped the items back into her purse. She then held the bag open under the dispenser and held down on the lever, filling the bag with ice.

“Whoa-Wait, you really don’t have to-” Cye began as the girl returned to the table. He winced from the sudden cold as the girl pressed the makeshift icepack against his nose. “I’m allright! You don’t need to do all this! I’ve forgiven you.”

“If its no burden on your conscience, it still is on mine!” the girl argued. Cye blinked when he saw the guilty look in the girl’s brown eyes, ready to break down crying at any moment. He opened then closed his mouth and took the icepack from her and kept it pressed to his face lightly. The girl sat back in her chair and began wringing her hands.

“I’m fine. I-I don’t bruise easy. I do a lot of…um…martial arts training, you know?” he assured softly.

“Really?” Cye nodded once more and smiled. The girl still looked quite contrite and she looked down at the table. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself…this isn’t the first time I’ve done this, you know. I just…I just feel so out of place! It’s the stupidest thing I come here to learn and I still can’t understand the official language. ….This is all that idiot professor's fault… He won’t stop badgering about how inconsiderate I’m being expecting people to know English but he doesn’t do a single thing to try and help me!” The girl tucked her arms close to herself and leaned forward over the table, staring off to the side. “OOOH sometimes I just want to wring his chubby little neck!” she growled and clenched one fist so tight the tendons stood out. Then she glanced back at Cye with all the tranquil innocence from earlier. “Do you ever feel like that?” The sudden mood shift startled Cye.

“Um….can’t say that I have…um…yet,” he laughed weakly, trying to be more supportive than indifferent. The girl moaned and glanced at the table again. “Well, don’t you have any friends, or relatives that can help you?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know anyone here! I wanted to come here to challenge myself but its’ just turned out so much harder than I thought.” She placed her elbows on the table and rubbed her brow, sheltering her eyes with her fingers. “I’ve offended more people than I’ve made friends,” she whispered and let out a shuddering sigh.

“…You’ve made a friend with me.” The girl glanced up from under her fingers and saw Cye smiling at her warmly. “I have a friend who once had the same problem. I can help. I’ve got a lot of patience for teaching.” The girl frowned and eyed him.

“You mean that? Really?” she asked timidly. Cye nodded.

“Really,” he assured softly. The girl lowered her arms and clasped her hands, hunching her shoulders slightly.

“I don’t know what to say…you’re so sweet! …um…”

“Cye Mouri. Pleased to meet you,” Cye formally introduced himself and extended his hand across the table. The girl gingerly returned the gesture and shook his hand slightly.

“Brianna Johansen, though my dad calls me Britania.” Cye raised an eyebrow at that. “It's a pet name. Long story. You can just call me Bri. Or Brit. Or whatever suits your fancy,” she rambled then giggled. Cye couldn’t help but chuckle at her awkwardness. Their hands remained clasped for a few moments before both of them looked up suddenly.

A small gaudily-dressed girl’s hysterical squealing drew the attention of café patrons as she sprawled back onto the floor with the apparent aggressor being the same person Cye saw sharing a table with Sage earlier. The Warrior of Light himself slipped out of his seat and skirted past the blonde girl, exiting the café quickly before the girl on the floor scrambled to her feet and pelted through the door. The blonde girl turned around, intending to share her exploits with Sage but looked exasperated at seeing him nowhere to be found. She growled softly then pivoted on her heel and marched out the door.

“Hmm…perhaps we should find a quieter place to begin your lessons,” Cye withdrew his hand and stood up. Brit nodded eagerly and scooted her chair back. Activity in the café had resumed already and remained as such long after the two departed.

*****

 In one of the more secluded sections of the library, Rowen found a large enough table to accommodate the trove of books he selected. Here no one would disturb him as he leafed through pages. He stroked his chin as he scanned one paragraph.

“‘In the plateaus of central Mali exists a large tribe called the Dogon. In the early 1930’s interviews by anthropologists with members of the tribe uncovered an uncanny knowledge of stars held to be invisible to the naked eye. One such description gave explicit details on the Sirius System including orbit patterns, star size, type, and even the names of Sirius A and Sirius B. They even claim there exists a third star they had named “Emme-ya”. The tribe had never before seen or used modern telescopes and what is more intriguing is that Sirius B wasn’t discovered until just recently whereas the Dogon had possessed this knowledge thousands of years before modern astronomy. The Dogon also claimed that they had been visited by beings called Nommos from Sirus long ago. The Nommo had passed on this knowledge to them, having journeyed to the planet through space in three-legged ships.’” Rowen tapped a black and white photo of the Dogon tribesfolk clad in rush skirts with their white masks, shaped like a wide H on its side.

“The Sirius System is one of the closest known solar systems to Sol….could that be Thanged?” Rowen only pondered this a moment before pushing the book away and pulling out a copy of the page Danae had covered with glyphs on her first visit. “No…it’s not the right type. Danae distinctly described a large star with a smaller one following a circular orbit. Sirius B has an elliptical orbit. Still…it’s an interesting story. I’ll have to remember it…” he muttered absently and closed the book and opened another with large, detailed star maps. Red Giants, Blue Giants, Yellow Stars, White Dwarves, this book had almost every named star known to man. If Danae’s home world resided in the Milky Way, it would be listed here, though under a more obscure name.

He paused in his search when he thought he heard a familiar voice. They couldn’t see him, hunched there behind stacks of books, but he glimpsed them as they walked past. Huh…wonder what Cye would be doing here…with a girl, no less?

Rowen jumped in his seat and some of his carefully stacked books tumbled to the side as someone plopped a particularly thick, heavy book on the opposite side of the table. He looked up and blinked, startled by the audacity of this newcomer. Slender hands flipped the cover open and the visitor pulled a chair over and relaxed on the high backed, cushioned seat. A small spiral pad clattered to the table along with a black ink pen. Long, voluminous bright blue hair draped over shoulders clad in weathered denim.

“Hey…you’re-” Rowen bit his lip and averted his gaze when he realized he’d spoken aloud. The woman looked at him.

“Ahh…I remember you. I saw you at the beach earlier today. Haw! You stick out like a sore thumb with that hair of yours,” Roxi Hirochner snickered. The abrupt remark inflamed Rowen and he slammed the star registry shut with a loud thump.

“Oh you’re one to talk!” Roxi reached up to her springy bangs and tugged a lock.

“I dye my hair. What’s your excuse?” she queried. Sure enough, Rowen could make out a tiny starburst of orange nestled atop the woman's scalp. Rowen didn’t know how to respond immediately and blinked.

“Umm….I dye mine too….” Roxi leveled her green eyes at him.

“….No you don’t,” she stated flatly then reached across the table and pinched a single strand out of Rowen’s forelock between her thumb and forefinger. Rowen winced and clamped a hand to his brow when the girl swiftly plucked the strand out and brought it close for examination. “I can tell by looking at your root. But I don’t have time to ask. I got other things to do with my time than have a guy flirt with me.” Rowen looked flabbergasted at that remark. Roxi ignored him as she returned to rifling through the enormous book. Rowen rubbed his scalp before deciding to resume his own research. Despite the renewed quiet he couldn’t help but wonder what brought the American markswoman to a library less than an hour after the competition that morning.

“Um…what’cha lookin’ for?” he asked casually.

“Whatever permits I need to apply for to legally keep my Grandfather’s gun collection in the country,” she drawled. Rowen frowned and leaned forward and peered at the title of the book written in the inner corners of each page, understanding the upside down letters clearly. It looked like the most recent compilation of Japan’s Federal Laws. He’d remembered that book from school a few years ago. Roxi kept flipping to the table of contents. He sat back in his chair and scratched the lower lobe of his left ear idly.

Rowen mumbled something aloud. Roxi glanced at him then back at the pages as she thumbed to the recommended chapter. Her orange eyebrows arched and she made a satisfied grunt and retrieved her pad and pen and jotted down numbers and names. Rowen observed her with continued interest. His eyes widened when she filled up one page and flipped to another, continuing what seemed destined to be a very, very long list. “Wow…how many guns did your grandfather have?”

“Almost four hundred.” Rowen’s jaw dropped and a strangled sound rose out of his mouth. Roxi noticed his expression and chuckled. “Don’t be scared. It’s not like its enough to blow up a city. They’re antiques, vintage; museum-type pieces,” she explained. Rowen’s shoulders sagged as he breathed a sigh of relief. He shifted in his seat and hunched over the re-opened star registry. He didn’t see her gaze but could feel it as she eyed him. “Would you like to see them?” Rowen jerked his head back up. “They’re at my cabin in the hills. I could give you a ride in my truck then back to wherever you live.”

The word came out of his mouth before he realized. “Sure!”

*****

“I saw it at a museum back in the States. The artist is from this area so I wanted to see if they had any of her works,” Shannon explained from where she and Sage sat on a short wooden bench. The room looked much darker than any other in the museum save for the wide spots illuminating the bottom of the shallow rectangular pool in the center of the room. Several thin wires spanned the pool. Suspended by a cable above the strings hung a huge pyramid of clustered pebbles held together by ice. As the ice melted and stones plunked down to the pool, they struck the wires, producing sounds similar to a traditional instrument. The mirrored floor of the pool reflected an array of light and ripples onto the ceiling and walls.

“It's so simple…yet so profound. The first time I saw it I felt like spending the entire evening in the room, just sitting, watching, listening as the stones fell. You feel completely at peace inside and out, detached from the outside world. It’s almost like… listening to the music of Time passing by. It’s just you….and the sound and lights,” Shannon sighed. Sage nodded in agreement. He had to admit, this lived up to every bit of her claim. The scarcity of visitors in adjacent halls, dim lighting, and overall ambiance provided an ample environment in which to meditate.

Sage took a deep, calming breath and closed his eyes and tilted his head forward. The only sounds he heard came from the plop of water bouncing up from the impact of the pebbles and the pebbles striking the wires, as well as the American girl at his side.

He opened his eyes abruptly when he felt a weight on his arm. He glanced to the side and saw Shannon leaning against him, eyes closed and soft humming sounds coming from her throat. “Shannon…meditating doesn’t include sleeping,” he said sternly.

“I’m not sleeping, I’m just resting my eyes,” Shannon grumbled and slowly opened her eyes. She glanced upward through her own thick bangs at Sage’s indigo eyes. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Shannon contributed her own giggle and the two returned to watching the rippling reflections. Sage draped his arms over the back of the bench, not minding if they brushed against Shannon’s shoulder or that her mane curled up against his neck. It felt like he had a cat sitting on his shoulder. He smiled, surprised at how relaxed he felt with this girl. Her interests didn’t lie in his looks or his reputation, but rather in the mere act of sharing his company. Company is best spent in silence…

     Sage frowned when he remembered what had happened at the café; not Karla’s unorthodox expulsion, but the way his Armor reacted when he saw the necklace Shannon wore. She kept it tucked within her collar, but he remembered a series of gems that seemed oddly familiar. He blushed when he realized he stared not only at the current location of the pendant, but Shannon’s breasts and hastily averted his gaze.

The first indication that something felt amiss came from the sudden tension he sensed in Shannon’s body. She sat straight up and looked about the room jerkily. “What’s wrong? Forgot you had to be somewhere?” Sage teased. Shannon turned in his direction and in her eyes he saw not calm or realization, but urgency; a profound sense of distress.

“Sage…we gotta get out of here. Something’s coming…something bad!” she said in a shaky voice and scooped up her Walkman and jacket and stood up.

“How can you tell? Seems just fine,” Sage shrugged as he rose along with her.

“My pendant…the Cross…we gotta go! Now!” she fretted and made for the doorway.

The second she took the first footstep Sage’s own alarms went off and he whirled towards the left side of the room as he sensed something. When Shannon took the second footstep, something heavy crashed through the wall. “Watch out!” Sage shrieked and moved to shield Shannon as he saw something sharp slice out of the dust cloud. “AAAGH!” he cried and arched his back as he felt something rake down his back. He fell forward, dragging Shannon to the tiled floor with him.

“Sage!! Oh no! Hold still! Hold still! I’ll stop the bleeding!” Shannon saw the glinting blade and assumed the worst. She unfurled her jacket and bunched it up to staunch the blood….except no blood stained Sage’s back. Shannon paused and reached out to touch what lie beneath the rent shirt. “Sage….what…what is this?” Her fingers graced a surface that looked-and felt-metallic. Sage jerked his head up and looked over his shoulder.

My Armor? He glanced at his hands and saw black plate covering his palms and fingers. It reacted and protected me…but from what? The two of them looked to the hole in the wall as wicked laughter drifted through the smoke. Sage stood up shakily while Shannon remained on the ground and clutched his leg for comfort. She blinked when she felt something hard under the fabric that didn't feel like taut muscle.

“AH hah hah haaaa!” A tall figure took a step out of the dust and into the room.

“Chaizar? What are you doing here?!” The Night Warlord of Pestilence looked just as surprised and scowled at Sage.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he stated and raised his curved crescent blade.

“If you’ve come for a fight, you’ve found one with me!” Sage snarled.

“Yeah…but you see, I have no interest in killing you, at least today.” Chaizar pointed his sword downward, at Shannon. “I am here to kill her.” Shannon blinked at the statement.

“Shannon? Why? She’s a civilian, she’s no threat to you!”

“Actually, she is. She has in her possession an artifact of great power. Dygra sensed it with her scrying magic when she entered the country, so now I have been sent to eliminate her. She poses a threat to the Dynasty and as you know we make an effort to remove any obstacle to our plans…just as you Ronin Warriors do with us.”

“Well you should know same as you try to protect your own interests, I’d be just as determined to protect her!” Sage pulled his leg away from Shannon’s grasp and stepped forward. Chaizar side-stepped to target Shannon but Sage moved to block him.

“This does not concern you, Halo. The girl must die. Leave now and I will spare you for another day.”

“I will do no such thing!” Shannon gasped when Sage’s clothing seemed to disintegrate, glowing softly before peeling away thread by thread. Her eyes widened when she saw the form-fitting armor that covered Sage’s body from the neck down. He swept his arms forward and made a gesture. “ARMOR OF HALO!! TAO REI!”

Shannon couldn’t do anything else but watch as particles of light formed in the air and clustered around Sage’s body. A bright green aura covered him then faded, revealing the young man clad in an even stranger-looking set of armor, like that of a samurai. Sage held a long scabbard in one hand and drew a long, heavy-looking blade from it.

“If I have to go through you to get to her, then so be it!” Chaizar declared and aimed his blade at Shannon. Shannon scooted back until her back hit the wall.

“NO! NOT IN HERE!!” Sage screamed and lunged. He swatted Chaizar’s arm, moving it to the side before placing his hands on the warlord’s shoulders. “SHANNON! Get out of here now!” Sage howled before a ring of green light formed above both him and the warlord then swept down a few times before the both of them vanished. Shannon scrambled to her feet and looked around. She saw no one in the adjacent halls. Then she looked at the hole in the wall.

“Why did you take us out here? Oh, I know; you don’t want to risk harm your precious paintings, eh?” Chaizar sneered.

“I didn’t want you causing more damage than you already had,” Sage shot back and held his sword ready. Chaizar glanced about the pavement of the museum parking lot.

“Need I remind you that to date none of the Ronin Warriors have defeated a Night Warlord in single combat? The only one that has is Typhoon, and that was a fluke. Even with your new Armors you are no match for a Night Warlord on your own.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“Perhaps, but this will not be the first time you suffer! PUNISHING NETHER PLAGUE!!” Sage gasped and raised his sword to block, but he could not deflect this attack. He stood so close to Chaizar he couldn’t have evaded, and the sickness wrapped around him. It took only a few seconds for him to start feeling nauseous and chilled. His limbs felt frail and his sword slipped out of his hand. Sage clutched his collar and crumpled to the ground.

“That was easier than I would have liked. To think you once defeated the Dark Warlords. I shall leave you to your suffering while I go track down that girl.”

“SAGE!!” Chaizar looked up and saw Shannon running towards them.

“Ahhh…the proverbial lamb…this makes my job easier. Come to see your friend suffer, girl?” Chaizar taunted and stepped over Sage and walked towards Shannon.

“S-Sh-annon…r-run!” Sage croaked and tried to roll over and stand up but faltered. Shannon looked at him then back up at the approaching warlord.

“What have you done to him?”
     “Nothing you need to worry about, unless you wish to share his fate. You are such a beautiful little thing, it almost pains me to have to tear your throat out.”

“I know why you’ve targeted me, but I also know how to use the Ronin Cross!” Shannon pulled her chain out of her shirt and pinched the top of the silvery pendant and pointed it at Chaizar. Even in the throes of his fever Sage could plainly see the transformation. The tiny pendant grew, each arm of the cross lengthening. Even Chaizar looked surprised as the girl now held a huge claymore, as long as she stood tall. The blade tilted downward and the tip struck the pavement. Shannon closed her fingers around the grip. Brilliant cut gems adorned the ends of the crossguard, pommel, and the center of the hilt: Diamond, topaz, ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, and emerald. Shannon moved her hand over the emerald.

Sage blinked as he felt the fever abate. He looked down at his hands and noticed a soft emerald glow covered his body. He felt the strength returning to his limbs and stood up easily. Chaizar remained too focused on Shannon to notice. Sage reached down and grabbed his sword and flexed his fingers. He didn’t know his pupils glowed green but felt power coursing through him.

“Hah! Silly girl, you think you can oppose me? You cannot even hold that sword properly,” Chaizar crowed.

“Try this sword then!” Sage howled and slashed down, burying his blade into Chaizar’s pauldron and cuirass. Chaizar cried out and glared at the Ronin Warrior but didn’t have time to react as Sage channeled his ultimate power. “aaaaAAAAAH!! THUNDER BOLT CUT!!” Shannon took a step back as the pavement around the two shattered, leaving a shallow crater as bright green light erupted from Sage, covering both him and the warlord. Rather than explode in an apocalyptic display, the Thunder Bolt Cut surged upward into a pillar of light that arced into the sky. Chaizar screamed as the light burned him inside his armor.

“You haven’t seen the last of me, Halo! That girl will die sooner or later! AAAGH!” Chaizar threatened one last time before he teleported out of the blast. The energy abated and Sage sheathed his sword and slung it over his shoulder. The glow faded from his eyes and he felt normal again. He looked up and watched as Shannon’s own sword shrank in size, reverting to the innocuous pendant from earlier. She let it dangle against her shirt and let her arms hang at her sides.

“Well…you’re a Ronin Warrior, huh?” Sage remained in place as Shannon walked towards him. “I wondered what the heck that glowing mark on your head meant.”

“Oh…you saw that? Well…surprise,” Sage said weakly. Shannon smiled.

“I knew there was something about you. I have the weirdest luck in meeting guys. Can you believe another reason my family moved here was to find you? Heh, it’s a long story. I’m sure you got one of your own but that can wait till later. So,” she clapped her hands together. “Since we know each other’s secrets, think we can still be together?”

Sage knew what she meant and looked away. “I…I don’t do well in relationships.”

“Well I find that hard to believe.” He looked back up as Shannon moved closer. “You’re kind, courteous; everything a guy should be.” Shannon folded her arms over her chest and peered up at him. “You know what I think? And this is judging from how that Karla hoor acted, but I think you’ve always made all the effort and no one’s ever paid you back in kind. Well!” Shannon wrapped her arms around Sage’s neck suddenly. “Lemme be the first!” Shannon frowned and glanced to the side. “To make an effort, not fall in love with you, as I’m sure other girls have before me,” she added.

Sage burst out laughing in a way one rarely ever saw from him. Circumstances aside, this girl seemed every bit as honest as himself. His Armor glowed and vanished as he returned to wearing casual attire. He offered his arm and Shannon gladly hooked her own through it. The two took off walking and Shannon divulged her own tale: The creation of the artifact called the Ronin Cross, the charging of it to the O’Connor bloodline, and their foretold duty.

“See, we weren’t supposed to openly aid the Ronin Warriors until they’d become active in the modern age. My Dad saw the news reports from New York last year and decided it was the time to make a move. OOH!” Shannon stopped abruptly and jerked Sage to a stop with her. “Look! A salon! Let’s check it out!”

“Whoa, Shannon, I can’t cut my hair,” Sage protested and struggled against Shannon’s surprisingly strong pull.

“I didn’t say it was for you, silly,” she scolded and yanked Sage inside.

*****

Brit had recommended a small library a short walk away and they easily found the books they needed before retreating to a quiet area. While they prepared,  Brianna admitted to being more of an auditory learner than a visual one: she absorbed knowledge better from hearing someone speak than reading out of a book. When Cye asked how come she didn’t try instructive tapes she complained the voices seemed too robotic, that she needed to feel comfortable as if talking to a friend.

“Well, now you’ve got a friend to help you,” Cye said as he flipped open a book.

“How I could ever repay you for all this? Not everyone would go through this much trouble for someone they don’t know,” Brit spoke in a slight accent.

“I’m not everyone.” Brit blushed at that and scrunched up slightly. “So, which region you hail from? York? Canterbury?”

“Philadelphia.” Cye raised an eyebrow at that. “See, my birth name is Brianna, but when I was little, I fell out of a tree at my uncle's house. It was a miracle I didn’t break my neck, but when I recovered I started speaking with an English accent, and I’ve been like that ever since. It's earned me quite a bit of teasing at school. It’s weird, I know, but it's actually a rare condition. It happens if the wrong things get jumbled around in there,” Brit explained and poked her temple. “So my Dad decided to nickname me Britania. He had this kind of romantic notion that English people are more sophisticated. He said I’d grow up to be a sophisticated and successful lady like those old novels.” Brit giggled and put a hand over her mouth. “It’s kind of silly when you think about it.”

“It’s not silly for a father to wish well for his daughter.”

“Well I don’t really excel at anything, but I don’t stink at anything either. I achieve a kind of pleasant medium in life,” Brianna said and waggled her hand. Cye chuckled and opened his mouth but frowned when he heard a loud thump.

“Oh you’re one to talk!” Brit turned around in her seat slightly.

“Yeesh, don’t people know you’re supposed to be quiet in a library? Oh well,” she shrugged and turned back around. Cye sat up straight a few moments, frowning. The voice sounded very familiar… “Shall we begin?”

“Huh? Oh, of course.” It didn’t take long for Brit to prove her claim. She memorized basic words and repeated them, though it would take time for her usage to improve. Cye even tried covering her eyes so she wouldn’t look at the book infront of her but she still rattled off words correctly. Then they tried working on sentences, and while she still faltered on some orders, she quickly identified the problem and correct herself. She seemed to blossom in the presence of her new tutor, displaying such a confidence, Cye had trouble remembering how awkward she’d been at the café.

“It’s getting kind of late…we can go get something to eat if you’d like.”

“You sure? I feel like I’m barely scratching the surface.”

“If only everyone I knew had your passion for learning.” Cye chuckled.

“Learning a new language is pretty daunting. You go all your life so used to speaking one way, it’s hard to adapt for something different.”

“Eh, learning Japanese is no where as difficult as trying to understand Thangien.” Cye realized what he just said and bit his lip, but Brit didn’t seem to notice. He sighed in relief and stood up, collecting the books off the table.

“Is it really that late?” Brit glanced at a thin silver watch on her wrist. “Wow…it’s already dark out, I’ll bet. We’ve been here that long? Doesn’t feel like it. Yeah, let’s be on our way,” she said and scooped up her own books and bag.

“Make sure all that’s really sunk in. Memorizing is one thing, true learning is entirely different,” Cye cautioned as the two walked to the front desk.

“I wouldn’t worry, I got a memory like an elephant; I never forget,” Brit giggled.

“We’ll see about that next time.” Brit blinked upon hearing that and turned around.

“N-N-Next time? You mean, you want to do this again?”

“Well of course. I can’t just give you one lesson and leave you to your own devices, can I?” Cye reasoned. Brit scrunched up, eyes full of gratitude.

“I’ll set a date then...um…a time date, not a date date, that is…” she recovered.

“Heh, lets go,” Cye walked behind her on their way to return the books they’d borrowed. He paused when he sensed something then his gaze snapped to the ceiling as he heard a groaning crunch. A small part of the ceiling began to collapse, and where he stood he could easily leap out of the way, but Brit would certainly be crushed. “BRIANNA!!” Cye dropped his books and leapt forward. Brit didn’t know what to think as she felt Cye grab her and pull her close. She felt his body shudder from the full impact of the debris raining down on him. It gradually subsided and she opened her eyes.

“OH! What was that? Are you allright?” she fretted.

“I’m more worried about you. Are you injured any?” Brit looked down to where Cye grasped her arms and saw his hands seemed to be covered with thin black plate. Before she could voice a question both of them whirled around when something jumped through the hole and landed on the floor with a loud thump.

“Hello there, Cye of Torrent. How goes the day?” Balthazar sneered and raised his thrusting dagger. Brit didn’t know what to make of all this and stepped back. She glanced from Cye, clad in black and light blue body armor, to the Night Warlord.

“Balthazar! How dare you desecrate a place like this!”

“They’re just books, nothing magical or sacred about them,” the warlord snorted.

“Grr…why have you come here? What do you want with me?”

“Mistress Dygra sent Chaizar out on a mission, so Scar and I decided to go after some of you Ronin while you were away from your companions. It’s easier to wipe you out one by one than have busybodies like the Lady Ronin interfering.”

“You won’t be wiping out anyone! ARMOR OF TORRENT!! TAO SHIN!” Moisture gathered to him from the air itself and clustered over his arms, legs, chest, and head. Water solidified into his Armor of Torrent. Cye reached out and grasped his trident as it formed in the air then glanced around him. Civilians had long since fled from the initial ceiling collapse. Even Brit looked nowhere to be seen. Poor girl. How am I gonna explain all this to her? ...or should I, even? “Let’s take this outside. We’d have more room to duke it out in the open,” Cye suggested.

“Nah. I’d rather stay, where you’d be more cautious fighting in a public area.”

“Cheap bastard! Even the Dark Warlords had some degree of civility in combat!”

“They were weak! They failed their Emperor and their purpose. I won’t make such mistakes! HAH!” Balthazar jabbed with his dagger. Cye managed to parry but-not being a slashing weapon-the thrusting dagger left little opportunity for him to find a way to block and disarm his opponent. Balthazar’s attacks forced Cye’s back against a book shelf, and when Cye realized this he stepped away, but then Balthazar jabbed again, his blade tearing through the shelves and a few unfortunate books. Cye grit his teeth and studied his surroundings quickly. Balthazar chose the worst place to pick a fight. If this had been one of the major libraries with large open floors and reading areas, they could have easily fought without abandon.

“What’s wrong, Torrent? Where’s the 'hidden rage' I’ve heard told of? Or do you insist on restraining yourself for the sake of a few pieces of bound parchment!” Balthazar plunged his dagger into some more shelves, adding injury to insult. Cye narrowed his eyes and tried backing to the door, where if Balthazar lunged, they could break out into the street. Balthazar apparently read his motions and attacked from the side, forcing Cye back into the foyer. “You’re not getting away that easy!”

“Leave him alone!” came the shrill cry. Balthazar turned his head to the side and gasped when he saw a flat, hard surface with gold-leaf lettering. He reeled as the edge of the huge book struck him across the face. Cye couldn’t believe his eyes as Brianna staggered to the side, trying to regain her balance from swinging the heavy book. She turned it around in her hands and swung upward, smacking Balthazar in the face once more. She tottered to the side and prepared for another swing but Balthazar’s hand snapped up and closed around her wrist, twisting it slightly. The book fell out of her grasp and Balthazar pulled her close.

“Insolent girl! How dare you oppose a Night Warlord! I'll saw open your chest and grind your bones to powder!” he threatened and pulled back his weapon. Cye saw his opportunity and thrust upward with his trident, catching Balthazar by the elbow.

“NO!” Cye crouched and sprang upward, through the hole in the roof, dragging Balthazar with him. Brianna rubbed her wrist and stared up at the ragged opening. She glanced about the library and saw a stairwell leading to the roof.

“So you took the fight outside. Big deal, this just gives me more room to smack you around!” Balthazar charged.

“The feeling is mutual!” Cye cried and twirled his trident. He swung low then up, batting Balthazar’s weapon arm and disrupting his attack. He thrust with the tines, but Balthazar blocked with his dagger.

“You remember what my power can do, don’t you?” Cye’s eyes widened at that remark. “I thought you might. FEROCIOUS FELL FAMINE!” He didn’t see a visible energy, but quickly felt the effects: the incessant gnawing in his gut, the fatigue from lack of energy in his body, intense weariness in his limbs. He tightened his grip about his weapon and steadied himself, sweating from effort but maintaining his stance. “Oh, you’re trying to do that whole ‘focused mind’ thing, aren’t you? Well, how can you think when I beat you senseless?” Balthazar thrust first with his weapon to disorient Cye then swung his free hand up in a vicious uppercut that sent the Ronin flying off the roof in a high arc before crashing to the pavement below.

“If you can still hear me, pitiful Ronin, know that is why the Dynasty will succeed in the end. Only those who have abandoned all attachment to mortal desires such as books and girls can be true fighters,” Balthazar sneered. He grunted when he felt something knock against his helmet and turned around. Brit stood by the service door, clutching a handful of concrete chips she’d gathered from the roof edge. She held one chip in her hand and pulled back to throw it. Balthazar turned to face her.

“You seem very ardent on dying, mortal wench. Nothing you can do will save that man.” Brianna backed up against the doorway as Balthazar stalked closer, the edge of his thrusting dagger glinting menacingly.

“Not so fast, Balthazar!” The warlord gasped and whirled around when he heard the sound of rushing water. “I heard what you said, and I think you’re wrong. If you fight just for the fight itself, you’re fighting without a purpose. Fighting for something like a friend gives you purpose, and gives you strength.” Balthazar’s eyes widened when he saw Cye standing at roof level, held aloft by a surging pillar of water. “You seem to have forgotten where I draw my power from.” The warlord didn’t know his earlier punch had thrown Cye into the simple, shallow fountain at the bottom of the stairs leading to the library’s main entrance. Now the Ronin Warrior looked ready to display his “hidden rage”. Balthazar sprang back and landed beside Brianna. The young woman didn’t have a chance to react as he grabbed her by her shoulder and used her as a shield.

“You wouldn’t dare use your ultimate power against me! You’d risk harming her!” he taunted, grinning.

“I’m not aiming for her, I’m aiming for you,” Cye muttered grimly and raised his trident. Balthazar tightened his grip on Brianna as she tried to squirm away. Cye narrowed his eyes and sighted along the shaft of his weapon like a rifle. “SUPER WAVE SMASHER!!” The water holding him aloft surged past him, arcing downward and towards the two on the roof. It first came as a huge unstoppable fist of water, but then contracted suddenly into a thin stream, losing none of its speed and pressure. Balthazar screamed when the stream punctured his armor at the shoulder. Brianna ducked and dove away from him and watched the warlord reach up and clutch the hole he now had in his body. Balthazar growled indignantly from the pain before blurring out of sight.

With the fountain depleted, Cye landed on the brick neatly. He stared up at the roof a moment before turning around and walking away. Brianna ran to the edge and saw him leaving. “Cye! CYE! Wait! Come back! Cye! Please, come back!” she begged pitifully. Cye winced sympathetically and glanced over his shoulder. He could see her, leaning over the edge, eyebrows furrowed in worry. His chest plate heaved as he sighed heavily and he crouched and sprang up. Brit craned her head up and around, watching Cye as he landed on the roof behind her. He turned around and stood up straight, holding his weapon at his side.

“It is you, isn’t it? I mean, I saw you…transform and all…and your eyes…they’re still the same,” Brit said as she walked towards him. His eyes had the same color, but they looked different. The way the rim of his helmet visor came down over his brow made the formerly-gentle eyes look harsh. Cye frowned and turned his gaze downward.

“You shouldn’t have seen all that. I’m sorry I put your life in danger.”

“I put my own life in danger by not leaving like you said. You shouldn’t feel guilty for my decisions.” Cye closed his eyes.

“Just forget we ever met. I can’t be with you, not even as a friend.”
     “What? Why? Even under all that…that armor, you’re still the same nice person. Why can’t I be your friend?” Brianna protested. Cye glanced at her mournfully.

“Some time ago the Ronin Warriors befriended a girl, not much older than you. She learned about our powers and came with us on our battles. One of my friends started to develop feelings for her, but she came to a bad end because she tried to help by fighting. It’s haunted my friend ever since. I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“So…you don’t want to have anything to do with me because you don’t want a broken heart?” Brit demanded, scowling.

“What?! No! That’s not what I meant!” Cye squawked and shook his head.

“Then why did you try to leave without even saying goodbye? Why would you be so nice then just leave after everything?”

“I wouldn’t want you to get hurt!!” Cye snapped angrily. Brit flinched from his angry tone and stared at him. Cye looked saddened and took another deep breath. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. People that associate with us Ronin Warriors often find themselves in harm’s way. If you…because of me…” Cye trailed off. He blinked when he saw Brit reach towards his face. Her fingers grasped the rim and she slipped it off his head gently. Without his helm he looked much the same as he had in the library, gentle and caring. Brianna held the helm close to her chest.

“Cye…don’t be afraid to fall in love,” she reasoned.

*****

“Welp, here we are!” Roxi said and slammed the truck door shut. Rowen stepped out of the cab and straightened his clothes before taking in his surroundings. When Roxi had said “in the hills”, he’d assumed she lived in one of the upscale communities nestled on Japan’s massive mountains. Whoever her grandfather had been, he’d found a perfectly secluded plot in the wild. Trees as tall as buildings towered above them. The cabin itself looked every bit as rustic and idyllic as a cabin should, crafted from thick logs and hand-carved wood. He even saw a short thick stump by the porch for chopping logs.

“…whoa…” Rowen managed to utter.

“I know. My grandfather loved the ideal of the Old West. When he retired to Japan, he wanted to bring it with him.” Roxi strode up to the porch and placed a hand on the rail, caressing it slightly. “He got his wealth building homes like this in America. When he passed away his will stipulated any of his grandchildren could inherit his entire estate only if they made this cabin their permanent residence.” Roxi leaned against the rail and looked at Rowen. “I was the only one that wanted to. Can you believe that? Everyone else just wanted his money, but no one cared about what he’d spent his lifetime building,” Roxi gazed about the porch. “As far as I’m concerned, this is Paradise.”

Rowen remained standing by the truck, apparently overcome by the same daze he’d experienced at the beach earlier that day. Roxi walked up to the door and twisted the knob. “Come on in,” she invited and stepped inside.

“Eh? Oh…” Rowen blinked and focused himself and made his way up the porch, his shoes thumping against the wood. He reached out for the ornate brass knob and paused momentarily before closing his hand around it and pushing the door open. “Wow!" Shelves, display cases, and metal hooks covered nearly every surface of every wall as far as he could see from just the foyer. Rowen saw everything from pistols to muskets, bayonets and flintlocks. “I take it your grandfather wasn’t into modern weapons?”

“Naw. If anything used a clip he hated it.” Roxi commented and gazed up at an oil painting. Rowen looked at it and on first glance it looked like a simple hunter and his dog. Then he noticed the way Roxi stared at the painting.

That must be her grandfather. Rowen watched Roxi walk over to another display case. A small white card accompanied each piece of the vast collection.

“Let’s start the tour shall we?” Rowen stood at her side as she went through several pieces, stating maker, date of make, and what they were used for. She didn't just rattle off memorized facts robotically, she knew these things by heart. Each piece had a story, and she told it elaborately. One of the first pieces consisted of a palm-sized pistol originally intended as a toy. Another included a matching pair of reloading pistols made in 1600’s Italy. They seemed more like a work of art than a functional weapon with ornate pearl grips and the barrels inlaid with gold leaf. The next case held what looked like utensils fit for a noble. Then Roxi pointed out the small triggers built into the handles of the knife, fork, and spoon. Other exhibits included pieces from a host of legendary manufacturers such as Smith & Wesson, various examples of Colt revolvers, and Winchester rifles.

Roxi led him to a long case hung over the fireplace. She stood there for a few moments, moving her weight to her right side. Then she took a sharp breath and began speaking. “1874 Sharps buffalo gun; 32 inch barrel, 13 lbs,  solid chestnut stock, range of well over 1000 yards, .50 caliber shot,” she whispered reverently.

“.50 caliber? Shoot, wouldn’t you blow up the buffalo too?” Rowen exclaimed.

“Don’t be silly. The Sharps used traditional black powder and shot, but the trick is where you shoot, not what you use. A good hunter knows to shoot their quarry in the neck, about here.” Roxi tilted her head to one side and poked her neck just above the collar bone. “If you shot at the heart you’d end up with quite a mess, also your quarry could run a good while before collapsing and bleeding out. A neck shot is considered more humane.” Rowen smirked, knowing how some friends of his would answer to that.

“Well, I have to admit, all this is pretty impressive…They all originals?”

“Most are replicas, but a few, Grandpa was lucky enough to find in near-perfect working condition. Some of the pieces here are among of a handful left in the world.”

“Cool…” Rowen glanced about idly at the mantle and display shelves. “You compete a lot, right?” Roxi nodded. “How come I don’t see any awards or anything here?”

“Oh those. I keep them in my room. I’m not one for showing off.” Rowen raised an eyebrow at that. “Well, I am, kinda, but not like that. My art isn’t about that. It’s the longest shot, the toughest aim…DOING, not winning, is what makes me proud. I got a pretty mean fast draw, too. Almost broke a world record but was off by a hundredth of a second…” Roxi grinned at Rowen.

“Fast draw? That something to do with poker?” Roxi’s face fell when he said that.

“…You don’t know what a fast draw is?” Rowen shook his head slowly. Roxi sighed and leaned her head back, placing a hand on her forehead. “He doesn’t know what a fast draw is…” she muttered to herself then turned around. “Well Billy, we’ll just have to show this nonbeliever,” she walked towards the door, scooping up a belt of some sort.

“Billy?” Rowen wrinkled his face in confusion but followed Roxi outside.

*****

Roxi set two glass jars atop the wooden stump in her yard. She fastened the belt, which held a revolver in a smooth leather holster, around her waist and straightened it then walked away from the stump a good distance, thumbing earplugs into her ears and offering a pair to Rowen, who accepted cautiously. Rowen stood on the ground by the porch and leaned back against the rail.

“I would like to take a moment to inform you that I am a trained professional and what I am about to do is in no way to be attempted without the proper training or supervision,” Roxi stated calmly as she thumbed bullets into the chambers then clicked it shut, tilting the barrel down slightly to give the trigger and hammer a brief inspection. She looked up at Rowen then waved at him lazily. “You…might wanna scoot back a lil’.” Rowen stood a few feet away from the stump. He blinked and leaned away from the rail then stepped to the side, closer to where Roxi stood. Roxi nodded then holstered the revolver. She shrugged her shoulders and straightened herself then took a deep breath. She held her right hand close to the grip of the revolver, flexing her fingers. Rowen glanced from her to the two glass jars on the stump, wondering what would happen.

In a flash both jars shattered, almost at the same time and with the left jar being obliterated before the right even though Roxi had first aimed at the right. “WHOA!!” Rowen exclaimed, ears ringing from the report. The bullets struck both jars in the direct center, he could tell from the broken remains on the stump. What speed! What precision! Rowen’s mouth hung open in awe.

He snapped out of his stupor and looked at Roxi. She let her right arm hang at her side and had her left hand close to her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she laughed. It was then Rowen noticed she snorted when she laughed, a sharp rattling sound from the back of her mouth. “Okay, okay. I think I’ve wowed you enough for one evening,” she chuckled, snorting some more. She took a breath and composed herself then looked up at the sky. “Shoot, it’s almost night. I guess I should take you home…uh” she’d started to remove the belt but paused, hand on the buckle. “…I never did ask your name, did I?” she squinted at Rowen awkwardly.

“Er, I don’t think so.” Roxi winced at her lapse in courtesy. “I’m Rowen Hashiba.”

“Rowen…that’s an interesting name,” Roxi commented, nodding slowly as she finished removing the belt. “Lemme go put this up and I’ll get the truck started.”

“Strata will not be going anywhere.” Roxi stopped a footstep away from the porch steps when she heard the chilling monotone. Rowen gasped when he saw shadow peel away from under Roxi’s truck and slide along the ground. It seemed to darken, becoming a deep pit. The horns appeared first, followed by the hideous face mask and blood-red armor. Metal-clawed fingers tightened around the hilt of the huge, flanged mace. Behind the mask two shallow ridges of flesh parted in a vicious smirk.

“How fortunate that I find you on this mountaintop: isolated, with no hope of salvation. Now, mortal woman, if you excuse me, I prefer an audience of no one.” Scar lifted his mace slowly and pointed it at Roxi. “Horrifying Hallucination.”
     Roxi didn’t know what to think of the armored stranger or his command. She took a step back and put a hand on the porch railing then recoiled when it felt different. She looked down and gasped when she saw a huge serpent stretched along the length of the railing. The snake fixed its yellow eyes on her and bared huge fangs. Roxi staggered back only to bump into another venomous snake. She skipped away in time to avoid a savage lunge and took a moment to notice the altered environment.

She saw the ground covered in thousands of squirming maggots. Termites and other little insects enveloped every plank and log. She heard them crunch each time she took a step back towards the door. Spikes sprouted from each log in the wall. The door seemed to be the only thing unaltered by the Night Warlord’s power. Roxi wasted no time wrenching it open and darting inside.
     Rowen couldn’t see what illusion Scar used to terrify Roxi, but it had to be bad judging from the look he saw on her face and the shuddering whimpers that came from her open mouth. The door slammed shut and Rowen turned his gaze back to the warlord.

“I could easily crush you in an instant. My mace would split your skull open before you could even utter a summoning command. But there is no sport in a swift kill. You must be made to suffer for your defiance; slow, meticulous, painful. Summon your Armor, Strata. Call forth all your glory,” Scar beckoned calmly.

“Well, since you’re being uncharacteristically fair, how can I refuse? ARMOR OF STRATA!!” Rowen swept his arms up. “TAO INOCHI!!”

Inside the cabin Roxi knelt on the floor with her shoulder against the door, her heart still fluttering from what she'd seen. She heard Rowen say something and crawled along the floor to a window. She lifted the corner of the curtain up and peeked outside. Through the glass and porch railing she saw Rowen’s clothing turn into blue vapor which solidified into silver and blue plate armor. Her eyes widened as she watched Rowen raise a golden longbow and fit a gold arrow to the string. Her gaze strayed to the railing and the ground and she noticed the gruesome things from earlier had vanished.

“Arrow Shock WA-” Rowen uttered. He sighted along the arrow but gasped when he saw his bow had been replaced by what looked like a length of intestine that spilled towards him and slid against his face. “GAH!” he squawked and dropped the organ. His longbow clattered to the ground and he cursed himself for losing his weapon, but Scar didn’t give him time to retrieve it. He laid a heavy strike into the Ronin’s side, sending him towards a tree. He slid to the ground then pushed himself up shakily.

“Is this how you repay my charity, Rowen of Strata? I expected a brilliant strategy or a narrow escape. Or even some effort to summon your friends. Such a shame, really, but it matters not whether you fight back or not. I will unravel your sanity thread by thread. Then I will do the same to your body, but even then I will not be satisfied. There are so many creative ways to end your life, and I intend to explore them all. HORRIFYING HALLUCINATION!!” Scar’s eyes flashed red and he raised his mace.

Rowen had barely begun to lift his arms when he felt something seize them. Roots broke out of the ground and latched onto his body, twining about his limbs. They began to tighten and wrap around his chest. His extremities began to go numb from constriction. Come on, Strata! Get a hold of yourself! It’s just an illusion! None of it’s real! While Rowen’s mind tried to think one thing, his nerves stubbornly behaved otherwise. Smaller roots slithered along his skin, wrapping around his neck and crawling onto his cheeks. It’s not real! It’s not REAL! Rowen closed his eyes when he felt the roots poking into his mouth and nostrils.

“Focusing your thoughts will not work, Ronin Warrior. You should know by now how my power works.” Rowen struggled in vain and he hurriedly went over his options as the roots wove deeper, ever so slightly. He tried teleporting, but apparently being bound blocked formation of the energy rings. Rowen shuddered as he felt the tips of the roots scrape his nasal cavity and the back of his throat. Despite being an illusion, his body would respond as though they pierced tissue and severed capillaries.

“At this very moment Balthazar is attacking your friend, Torrent, and Chaizar is off on a mission at Mistress Dygra’s behest. One by one those who ally themselves to the Ronin cause will be eliminated. How does it feel knowing your friends and other innocent lives will soon share a fate equally as gruesome as your own?” Scar chuckled softly. Moisture welled between Rowen’s eyelids as he despaired at his defeat. “Die,” Scar said in his monotone. “Die.” Each time he spoke, his voice deepened. “DIE.”

Scar blinked when he heard the metallic clicking sound and saw something out the corner of his eye. “Stop what you’re doing and back away from him right this instant.” He recognized that voice and turned to the side.

“You presume to defy a Night War-” Scar blinked again, confused as he found himself staring into a deep opening. His gaze focused and he looked down the length of the metal barrel to where Roxi had the stock braced against her shoulder.

“Your armor might cover most of your body, but I can see your eyeballs just fine. Unless you want me to splatter your brains all over the inside of that helmet of yours, I suggest you step back and leave!” Roxi demanded. While Scar had his attentions on the blue-haired markswoman, Rowen felt his prison weakening. The roots twining into his face vanished first, followed by the ones restraining his arms. In mere moments the tree reverted to normal. He opened his eyes and much to his shock, saw Roxi holding Scar hostage with her Sharps buffalo rifle aimed right through the narrow opening in the warlord’s face mask.

“You may have caught me unawares, but you cannot possibly hope to fight a Night Warlord,” Scar sneered and raised his mace. Roxi flexed her finger over the trigger in anticipation. “Modern weapons are of no use against the Dynasty!”

“But this one is.” Scar went rigid when he heard the rasp of taut cord. He glanced to the side and saw a golden arrow tip pointed right at his eyes. Rowen retrieved his bow while Roxi had Scar distracted and charged the arrow, golden light sparkling faintly. “My advice: listen to the lady, and get the hell out of Dodge,” Rowen threatened. Roxi glanced at him then at the warlord.

“…You choose your friends wisely, Ronin Warrior,” Scar rumbled before his body darkened and faded from view. Rowen lowered his bow and relaxed the string. Roxi held her rifle in the crook of her arm and stared at Rowen.

“So…you’re a…Ronin Warrior?”

“Uh, yeah,  you know: we’re gifted with mystical powers and charged with the protection of the Mortal Realm, destined to fight evil and save the innocent, that kinda thing,” Rowen explained and rubbed the back of his neck, for some reason feeling hot inside his armor under Roxi’s almost emotionless stare.

“…Really? Well…that’s…an interesting profession,” she commented dully.

“Eh, it’s more of a duty than a job. At least you can quit a job. Or get benefits, or choose your own hours…well I guess you can look at being a Ronin Warrior as a full-time job in some ways. Pay sucks, work’s stressful, healthcare's sketchy,” Rowen realized he babbled and bit his lip. Roxi still had the rifle under her arm and crossed her left arm over her chest, gripping her right arm and rocking from side to side slightly on her heels. Rowen couldn’t tell if she felt stunned or skeptical. “Um…so…think we can still be friends?” It sounded like a silly thing to say, but he couldn’t think of anything else.

Roxi began shaking her head and closed her eyes. “No…I’m sorry.”

Rowen’s face fell and he let his arms hang at his sides. “Oh…okay…I-I guess I can understand. Having your life threatened by an evil warlord, constant danger….probably a major turn-off…” Why did he feel so disappointed? He never dated before. Perhaps because Roxi seemed like a fun, intelligent person with a passion for facts and history? A kindred soul who bravely stood up to a Night Warlord with nothing but an antique rifle? She hadn't abandoned Rowen completely to simply cower inside her cabin. Rowen could very well be dead if she hadn’t made the decision to take her grandfather’s Sharps off the mantle and put it to use.

“I…I guess I’ll be going…I can get home myself…I can teleport…” Rowen gulped, fighting back his sadness. He didn’t want to start crying, over rejection of all things, yet he felt a sharp pain at the corners of his jaw, just above his neck.

He didn’t know how to react as Roxi slipped her hand under his helmet behind his neck and moved close. His brain seemed to stop working as he felt her press her lips against his tightly. His eyes popped wide open in shock and Roxi pulled away slightly. “What girl in her right mind would settle for being just friends with a Ronin Warrior!? Especially one who’s smart, and gallant, and cute as a button!” Roxi cooed and twirled the blue forelock around her finger. Rowen stood there for several moments, blinking, feeling his cheeks turn Wildfire red. He gulped again and managed a grin.

Something about her kissing him then and there seemed to excite him. He felt ecstatic, over the moon! He wanted to express his joy. He turned around and drew five arrows from his quiver and fitted them to the string and aimed for the sky. He released, sending the arrows in a formation, then drew five more, firing rapidly within the span of mere seconds. He shot off a total of thirty arrows, each one trailing faint gold light, forming an arc-shaped wake. Then the arrows detonated, exploding like fireworks, sending showers of gold to the ground. This time, Roxi felt wowed that night and she let her rifle slip from under her arm and stood beside Rowen, gazing at the sight in awe. The brilliant display seemed to form a bridge in the sky, all adorned with lights.

“Up we go!” Rowen said and suddenly scooped Roxi up in his arms. She gasped slightly as he did this but remained quiet. She looked down and her eyes widened when she saw the ground pulling away, her rifle lying on the ground becoming steadily smaller as Rowen rose into the air. She looked back up at him and saw him smiling brightly. He hovered for a few moments before taking off towards the bridge. Roxi gazed all about, at the distant ground below, the horizon, and the sky and the first stars of night.

Rowen shifted her about in his arms and held her to the left side. Roxi didn’t say anything as he seemed to relax his hold on her, twining his fingers through hers. The rushing air whipped Roxi’s hair and her heart skipped a few beats as Rowen moved away slightly, letting her glide with him on her own. Roxi glanced at Rowen and saw him grinning, more than happy to share this with her. He pulled her close and held her in his arms again as they approached a large estate in a heavily wooded area close to a lake.

“This where you live?” Roxi called out above the roar of the air.

“Yeah. It belongs to a friend of mine, actually!” Rowen slowed his speed and glided to the ground for a landing. His feet touched the ground and his Armor flashed before reverting to his clothing.

“Well, Rowen Hashiba, you do dress to impress,” she commented and giggled as he set her down gently. Rowen chuckled and shrugged. He led her to the front door where they saw four other people loitering about.

“Wow, hey guys, what’s up?” Rowen asked, curious about the two newcomers.

“Rowen! Looks like you got lucky too,” Cye said from where he stood with the brown-haired woman he’d been seen with in the library.

“Yeah! I found Annie Oakley and Marie Curie in the same woman!” Rowen grinned. He frowned when he noticed Sage and Cye’s blank expressions. “…Annie Oakley?” Sage’s friend looked like she vaguely remembered but Cye’s looked completely lost. “Legendary markswoman from the 1800’s…Marie Curie, who discovered Radium! Come on, Sage, you gotta know this one!” Sage shook his head sadly. Rowen let his shoulders sag and sighed. He glanced from the brown-haired woman to the blonde that accompanied Sage. He did a double-take when he noticed the blonde had her hair styled similar to Sage. “So, who are they?”

“Well this is Brianna Johansen. She’s from Philadelphia,” Cye introduced.

“Hello there!” Brianna chirped with an English accent. Rowen raised an eyebrow.

“And this is Shannon. She’s also from the States, but she’s got quite a story,” Sage added. Rowen glanced from him to Shannon. “She didn’t look that way when I met her, honestly,” Sage said and raised his hands defensively.

“I had it done just a couple of hours ago. Like it?” Shannon asked and patted the blonde waves, her hair slightly lighter and spikier than Sage’s, but from a distance might easily be mistaken. Rowen opened his mouth then closed it and shrugged.

“Don’t go there,” Cye cautioned. Rowen bit his lip and nodded. “You must be Roxi Hirochner. I watched you on the beach earlier today. It’s an honor,” Cye extended his hand. Roxi shook it and bowed slightly.

“Imagine that: the three of us finding girlfriends on the same day,” Sage commented.

“You suppose its fate? Sage and I met because I was attacked by the Dynasty. I’m sure you two have your own stories,” Shannon suggested to Roxi and Brianna.

“I’m perfectly content to believe in coincidence,” Cye almost growled. Sage kept any remark to himself, knowing Cye regarded “fate” just as profane as another “F” word.

“Whoa, I just thought of something: How’s Ryo gonna handle this?” Rowen asked.

“Who’s Ryo?” Brianna asked.

“You’re about to find out,” Sage said and reached for the doorknob.

*****

“Okay, lemme see if I get this straight,” Ryo grumbled and rubbed his eyebrows with his thumb and index finger. “You’re the Guardian of the Ronin Cross…” he pointed at Shannon. “…You’re a skilled markswoman from America,” he pointed at Roxi. Then he pointed at Brianna. “And what the hell’s your story!?” Brit squeaked and hid behind Cye.

“Easy, Ryo! You don’t have to terrify her!” Cye protested and raised a hand to calm the irate Ronin Leader.

“I’m just trying to wrap my head around why you three got yourselves involved with civilians and now you bring them here and tell them everything about us!”

“Well, Ryo, they’re obviously not ordinary girls. Each of them in their own way helped us in our time of need. I think they can be trusted,” Sage explained and put his arm around Shannon.

“Do you guys not know the meaning of ‘secret identity’?!” Ryo demanded.

“Mia’s a civilian too, and she’s proven herself more than once,” Cye reminded

“Yeah, Ryo, just because you get to have a special friend doesn’t mean we can’t.”

“…Don’t play that card,” Ryo warned and pointed at Rowen.

“You opened the door, not me,” Rowen said with a smirk. Ryo narrowed his eyes and growled softly. Then he made a frustrated snort and whirled around and stalked away angrily. The girls watched him leave, startled. “Don’t let that fool you. He’s a nice guy, but kind of a hot-head,” Rowen assured. They looked up when they heard rapid footsteps come downstairs.

“Allright, I’m going outside to do some sparring with Anubis-” Tanya paused on the last step and saw Rowen, Sage, and Cye with three girls. She glanced at Roxi with her dyed hair, Shannon with her tribute to Sage, and Brianna, who waved politely. “OkayI’mgoingbackuptomyroomnow, bye!” Tanya rapidly jogged back upstairs and slammed the door to her bedroom behind her. Roxi raised an eyebrow.

“Who the heck was that?”

“Eh, that’s Ryo’s sister, Tanya. She’s a Ronin Warrior too…it’s a long story…” Rowen scratched the back of his head.

“Ohhh….apple don’t fall far from the tree, do it?” Shannon commented. Roxi burst out with her snorting laughter and slapped her knee several times. Brit glanced at her, confused. The six of them turned around when they heard the front door open and saw a man with long reddish hair and green eyes, not much older than the guys.

“Does anyone know where Tanya is? She was supposed to meet me for training outside,” Anubis asked and stepped inside. He blinked when he noticed the company of the three Ronin, like they had a matching companion.

“Konnichiwa!” Brianna chirped. Cye smiled proudly and patted her on the shoulder. Anubis glanced at each of the newcomers, face wrinkled in confusion.

“…the joys of the modern age...” he muttered and sighed.

*****

We were friends…just the two of us…we always had planned to graduate together, go to college together, fulfill our dreams together…but she betrayed me…she robbed me, stole everything I had! I swore revenge…it took time, but I found out where she went, I followed her, and now I have my chance. Now, I have the strength, and the know-how to take her down. When she’s alone at night, when all of her new friends are away, when she doesn’t have her precious knights in shining armor…I will kill her.

Next on Ronin Warriors: Aftermath

Black Hawk