Guardian Souls
By: Ghost of the Dawn

Chapter Ten: Enemy Named

The second Robyn was returned to the castle, several handmaids flocked around their missing priestess. They all gasped and fussed over how dirty she was and over the large bruise growing at her temple. Then they shrieked and jumped back as a large, white tiger came in. Queen Laelia, who had been coming to meet them, ran up out of breath upon hearing their cries. The girl gazed in wide eyes at the beast in her corridor.
"It's him," she breathed. "You found him. Shinsetsu!"
"They were attacked," Captain Darris summarized. "The tiger appeared just in time to help Lord Wildfire."
Upon hearing this, the handmaidens began to bow to White Blaze. The tiger, in return seemed to accept the submission while the Ronins and Robyn looked around, quite confused. This wasn't quite the reaction they thought would happen upon bringing a giant tiger into the castle.
The queen seemed to sense their confusion and attempted to explain.
"This is a creature from our legends. A very sacred animal. No just anyone is allowed to touch the–“
"White Blaze!"
Mia ran out of the crowd and over to the tiger, hugging him around the neck. Behind her came Shinsetsu at a more leisurely pace.
Laelia and the handmaidens all watched with wide eyes as one hardly worthy was scratching the "sacred animal" under the chin and making him purr.
The Ronins looked around, confused.
"What's the deal?" Kento asked. "It's only White Blaze."
"White Blaze', you say?" Shinsetsu asked as he approached them. "So you have already met the Wildfire guardian before?"
All the Ronins eyes went wide.
"But--" Ryo stumbled. "But you said Wildfire didn't have a guardian!"
The old man chuckled.
"No, my Lord. I said it didn't have a priestess. All five of the armors have a guardian. But there is no rule that says a Guardian has to be either female nor even human."
Ryo worked his mouth up and down, not sure how to respond. The other Ronins weren't fairing much better.
"So....but he's been with us all this time..." Cye tried to say.
"I've known White Blaze since I was a little kid," Ryo added. "Why was it he's been with me so long but the priestesses only recently showed up?" We could have used their help fighting Talpa a few years ago.
Shinsetsu shook his head. "I have no idea, My Lord . In truth, I did not ever mention the Wildfire guardian as I was not expecting him to show up as a physical entity. Especially one who has been an influence to you almost all your life." He stroked his beard as he often did when finding out new information from his young lords. "I suppose the only one who can answer that is the beast himself."
All eyes turned to White Blaze, who, after a few more pats from Mia, padded over to Ryo's side and sat down. Ryo looked down at him as if fully expecting an answer right there. But all the massive cat did was look back up at Ryo and then yawn.
"Well, I guess we're not getting much out of him," Kento grinned.
"Come, Lady Hardrock, let us take care of you," one of the handmaids said to Robyn, lightly tugging on her sleeve.
"Um... okay..." Robyn granted, letting herself get pulled away. "See you guys later, I guess."
The Ronins all watched her go and then four pairs of eyes turned on Ryo.
"What?" he demanded, suddenly feeling them all turn on him.
"You ran out of the castle without saying anything," Sage accused.
"Yeah, and you didn't tell us where you were going," Rowen added.
"And you took Robyn and put her in danger," Cye scolded.
"And she got hurt because of that," Kento growled as he cracked his knuckles.
Wildfire's eyes were now twice their normal size as he suddenly realized he was in trouble.
"What?! Wait a minute--"
Kento threw a thick arm around Ryo's neck. "C'mere, buddy. We need to go have a little talk."
Ryo squeaked and tried to resist Kento's strength as he was dragged off, but it was no use. The others followed closely behind. Captain Darris stood next to Shinsetsu as he watched the five go.
"The bearer of Wildfire is supposed to be the leader, is he not?" he asked of the old man.
"Only when he really needs to be," Mia laughed.
"Indeed," Shinsetsu said with amusement in his voice. "Such a strange group of young men."
Laelia huffed and folded her arms. She was not impressed at all.
********

Robyn sighed in the large bath with the silk curtains and marble floors made just for the priestesses. All the little servant girls and hand maids and everyone else were bustling about. They had fussed and worried about her at first, but Robyn finally shooed them away so she could have a bit of private time. Not that she minded too much being fussed over. She had never had that when she was little. And she supposed there was still a bit of the child in her that enjoyed the attention. But she also marveled at how proud all those who attended to her were of their jobs. They took on the task of serving the four priestesses quite seriously and were insistent on checking every scrape and sore she had before they left.
Robyn put a hand to the side of her face and sighed again. It was tender there. She was sure there was a good sized bruise by the way it felt and how the servants had reacted to it. They weren't too happy at all to see one of their priestesses's face marred by such a thing. There were no mirrors around, however, so Robyn had no idea just how bad it looked. Or how she got it, come to think of it. Back in that old hut was such a blur. What were they doing in there? Was there an old lady there? She could hardly recall anymore.
She blamed the bruise. It wasn't the first time she had ever been hit and such a hit had caused memory loss. She was sure when she was young she had forgotten many the same thing for the same reason. But still, one could never get used to such things and one could never find it to be comfortable when one's memories were gone.
"My Lady."
Robyn looked up to see Caska, the head handmaiden, standing over her with large towels in her hands.
"Please, it's about time to get out, My Lady," she said kindly.
Robyn sighed once more and stood up, grabbing the towels and letting other servants place a thick robe around her. She followed Caska out of the bath and sat obediently as other maids helped her dress in her robes.
I'm getting way to used to being treated like this, she thought to herself. I'm just like a robot. I do what everyone tells me to do. Even the servants.
Caska tried to put her hair up into a bun, but Robyn fought that part. She insisted on keeping some hair down in her face to help hide the bruise. Caska understood and did as she wished. It actually ended up looking like it was done on purpose when she was finished. She was about to leave the dressing room when Caska stopped her.
"My lady, I have something for you," she said.
"Oh?" Robyn blinked. As the servant woman left, Robyn wondered what it could possibly be. Caska came back with a small bundle in her arms.
"For you, My Lady," she said, with a sudden amount of reverence.
Robyn blinked at what was put in her lap. Her instincts told her it was alive, whatever it was. It was a lizard of some sort; about the size of a kitten. It had ice blue eyes and skin so white it was almost transparent. It sat on its hind legs like a squirrel and blinked at Robyn with clear eyelids. Robyn stared right back at it.
"Wow, that's kind of cool!" she exclaimed, not the kind of girl to get squeamish around lizards. "Can I touch it?'
"Yes, My Lady," Caska nodded, clearly pleased with how Robyn seemed to like the creature. "He is very tame and is just for you."
"Wow, really?" Robyn exclaimed.
She gently held out a finger to the creature. It didn't seem to want to bite her, so she touched it lightly on the head. The little lizard instantly leaned into her touch, begging to be rubbed like a cat. Robyn scratched it under the chin and was amazed that it actually started to make a kind of purring sound.
"Sweet! This is awesome! What do you call this kind of animal?"
"It's called a dragon," Caska smiled.
"EHH???!" Robyn shrieked, almost dropping it. The small dragon squeaked at her, wondering what was the problem.
"But--but...dragons aren't real!" she squawked.
Caska laughed. "And when did you decide what is supposed to be real and what is not, My Lady? Have you not seen things you thought to be unreal at one time?"
Robyn hung her head. Caska's voice was not stern like the others when telling her things such as this, but she got the point.
"I guess you're right..." She then perked up. "So I get to keep him then?"
"He is yours," Caska nodded. Then she got serious. "This is a gift from your followers. Keep him with you and he will keep you safe, My Lady Hardrock." She added in an ever lower voice. “Please do not repeat this conversation or tell anyone that I gave this to you. Remember, we are all around and will be here for you when the time comes.”
Robyn had a feeling that this kind of gift and conversation was not repeated with the other priestesses. So why her? As always with everything in her life, Robyn got the distinct impression that her circumstances were different.
******

After roughing up his leader a bit, Kento thought he would retire to his room and lay around a bit until dinner. It had been a pretty eventful day. He reached for the massive, decorated handle that opened the door to his room, but another hand got there first. Kento looked up to see Cye standing in his way.
"Hey man, what's up?" he asked, blinking in confusion at Cye's determined face.
"We're going to have a talk," Cye insisted. And then, to clarify, he added. "About you and Robyn."
Kento's eyes widened and Cye then knew beyond a doubt he had been right.
"What?" Kento stuttered. "We--I don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing...it's nothing!"
"Oh yeah?" Cye challenged. "Then why have you been acting so weird?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You don't?" Cye raised an eyebrow, still blocking the way into Kento's room. "I know you better than that. There's something going on and it's bothering you. I'm your best friend; I can tell. So spill it."
Kento was sure his face had paled a bit. He should have known. He rarely got away with hiding anything from Cye. From trying to sneak food from the kitchen to hiding personal things that were bugging him. But that didn't mean he readily admitted to anything.
"Come on Cye," he said as he tried to push past. "It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it."
But Cye wasn't going to let it go.
"You tell me!" he threatened.
Kento tried to rush by and open the door, but Cye jumped on his back, grabbing him in a headlock.
"Cye--what?? Let go! Get off!"
"Tell me, Kento! You better talk!" Torrent insisted, though he was now making it hard for Hardrock to breathe, let alone say anything.
"Ack! Fine! Get off! We're making a scene!"
Two servant girls were staring as their two lords of earth and water stumbled into the room and slammed the door behind them.
"Okay, fine," Kento panted, trying to get his breath back as he leaned against the door. "What do you want to talk about?"
Cye, who had finally let his victim go, helped himself to sitting on Kento's bed. "I want to know what's going on. It's like you're trying to avoid Robyn or something. I've seen how you’ve been around her. You're fine for a minute and then you get a strange look on your face and you back off. Robyn, of course, doesn't notice. But I do. What's that all about?"
Kento let out a deep sigh and sat down heavily in an extra chair. How was he even supposed to start with that?
"Is it the Guardian thing?" Cye asked. "Is that a bit strange for you?"
"No, I--" Kento rubbed the back of his head, something he often did when he was nervous. Cye picked up on that, too.
"It's not that....I...I'm not really sure.."
"Something happened, right?" Cye tried again. "Between you and Robyn?"
"Uh, yeah..." Kento admitted reluctantly.
"And when was this?" Cye continued. He learned this was always the best way to get information from his friend. Kento had a habit of trying to explain everything at once. This made for him unable to explain anything. Small, simple questions were always in order to get to the bottom of the problem and help Kento get his thoughts in order.
"Yesterday," Kento answered, thankful for at least one easy question. The rest, he was sure, wouldn't be.
"Okay. Was this before or after the two of you went to get Diana?"
"Uh....during..."
To this, Cye raised an eyebrow. Perhaps this was a far deeper problem than he thought. He and the other Ronins could only guess at what Kento and Robyn did or experienced out in limbo.
"So what happened, then?" he finally asked.
Kento looked up at him. Fine, he would just go out and say it.
"She kissed me."
Cye blinked at him as if wondering if his hearing was broken.
"...What?"
“You heard me,” Kento insisted as he got up and started pacing around the room. It was obvious he was neither pleased nor comfortable with the topic of the conversation. “I didn’t even see it coming. It just happened.”
Cye watched him pace with a scrutinizing gaze. “Did you kiss her back?”
Kento stopped right in front of him. “No, I didn’t kiss her back! I can’t do that, Cye. It’s too weird!” He started pacing again, running his hand through his hair in agitation. “Kissing Robyn is like.... kissing one of my sisters. She’s more like family to me.”
“So you rejected her, then,” Cye surmised.
“Well, kinda, I guess. Only....”
“Only...?”
“Robyn was so upset then. She kind of freaked out for a bit and I feel really bad about it. But now she acts like nothing even happened. I mean, she usually does that when something’s bothering her, but you can always tell she’s hiding something. But this time, it’s like she’s forgotten everything and I’m the only one who’s stuck worrying about it.”
“So you’re bothered by the fact that she acts like it didn’t happen?” Cye guessed.
Kento turned to him again. “You’re trying to make it sound like I’m making this a pride issue or something. But that’s not it. Either way, if she’s trying to forget or has forgotten, it isn’t right.”
“And what would you do if she confesses her feelings again?”
“I don’t know,” Kento sighed. He leaned against the mantle, staring at the wall. “I don’t think I could ever bring myself to love her like she wants me to. What do I do, Cye?"
Cye leaned back on his hands, looking at the ceiling. He was silent for several seconds.
"Well, I guess that makes sense," He said slowly. "Out of all of us, you have the most stable home life, Kento. You have both your parents, siblings. You have a big home and a family that loves each other. And you're probably the most stable of us as well– always happy and possitive. It's no wonder Robyn would be attracted to all that."
Kento gave his friend a look. "You're not helping, Cye."
Cye shrugged. "Sorry. This just isn't a problem I thought we'd have out here. Though honestly, I'm glad it's you and not some...castle guard or something. At least this can be handled at home when the rest of this madness is all over with."
Kento was silent. Cye still wasn't being very helpful.
"You should at least go talk to her," Cye then said. "You can't leave this hanging over both your heads. Not right now. We don't need these distractions."
Kento sighed again. "You're probably right. I just--I don't want this to change anything, you know?"
"I know." Cye stood up and patted him on the shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile.
"You're a good guy, I'm sure you'll do the right thing."
Kento sucked in a loud breath. "I'll try."
*******

Ryo sat on the edge of a balcony overlooking the countryside. It was starting to get dark out, but he didn't mind. Ryo loved feeling the breeze and breathing in the cooling night air. White Blaze rested his head at the young man's knee and Ryo patted it thoughtfully.
"Just how did you get here anyway?" he asked; half to himself and half to the large cat. "Did you know all about this, too? This world; these people? Why have you been with me so long, boy?"
White Blaze, of course, didn't answer. All he did was purr and lean into Ryo's hand for an ear scratch. Used to not getting answers, Ryo continued to scratch his feline friend. But he looked up when White Blaze turned his head back towards the inside of the castle.
"Robyn?"
The redhead walked back into the doorway guiltily. She had almost made it past without being noticed. It was that tiger's fault.
"Hello," she said a bit nervously, her arms wrapped around her front as if holding something in place. Then she noticed. "Oh, what happened to you?"
Ryo smiled lopsidedly at her. "I got roughed up a little for taking you out. Want to sit?" He patted the place next to him.
Robyn laughed. "Fine. As long as we don't do it again. I don't want to jump off any more balconies."
"I've learned my lesson, believe me," Ryo laughed with her. "The other guys made sure of that."
Robyn sighed as she tried to smooth down some of Wildfire's unruly hair. "What are we all going to do with you?"
Ryo just shrugged, still smiling. But then his smile faded as reached over and brushed away the small bit of hair that was still hanging in Robyn's face. His expression went more serious as he studied her bruise.
That expression made Robyn uncomfortable. "It's really not as bad as it looks," she insisted. She hated seeing Ryo so grim. It didn't seem like him. "It hardly hurts at all."
“You should ask Sage to heal that for you. It’s going to look even worse in the morning.”
Robyn snorted. “That’s not necessary! Really Ryo, it’s not a broken leg or something! I’ll survive if I let it heal on its own. Besides,” she added as she turned from him to look at the landscape. “I hate asking him for stuff like that. I know he doesn’t enjoy doing it. It wears him out.”
Ryo clenched his fists in his lap. “I’d do it if I could. It was my fault anyway. I’m so mad at myself for letting that happen! I’m such an idiot!”
Robyn looked at him and patted his hand. “You’re not,” she insisted. “Stop being so hard on yourself. I’m not blaming you for anything. I know you did the best you could and I appreciate that.”
"Still," Ryo insisted. "This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't taken you out. Or at least have been able to protect you."
“Come on, Ryo. You can’t babysit me all the time. It was out of your hands.”
"But--" Ryo's eyes grew wide, almost desperate. He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look him full in the face. "But I WANT to protect you."
Robyn raised an eyebrow at him. "Eh? Ryo, I don't think you need to--"
She was cut off by his mouth quickly on hers. Robyn gasped into the kiss. It was gentle, yet firm; and completely unexpected. Ryo pulled away just as quickly and Robyn's eyes stayed wide, not really looking at anything in particular.
White Blaze flicked his tail back and forth and then rested his head on his paws to take a nap.
Ryo looked alarmed at Robyn's blank expression.
"Robyn I--I'm sorry!" he stuttered. "I don't know what happened. I...I should have asked permission first. It just happened!"
Robyn's face was still a blank. She blinked a few times, trying to process what happened. Now Ryo began to feel a bit embarrassed.
"Come on, say something,” he insisted, not able to look at her now. Instead, he was suddenly quite interested in his hands. “I know that was kind of dumb. It's just that....well, I really like you Robyn and--"
"Oh, hi Sage."
Ryo glanced over to where Robyn was looking. Sage was standing in the doorway, his face blank. How much of the scene he had witnessed was anyone's guess. Ryo instantly felt the guilt all over again and looked the part.
"Hey guys!" Rowen called, poking his head around the blonde.
Robyn looked a bit shook up, but she fought to compose herself.
"Hey guys."
"You okay, Robyn?" Rowen asked as he came forward. "You look a little--"
He stopped when he noticed something was moving in the front of her robe.
"Hey Robyn, you're uh...."
A small, pale head poked out the front of her robe. Rowen actually jumped back.
"Holy crap! It's like Alien!"
Robyn narrowed her eyes at him. "It is not. Look." She pulled the small dragon all the way out and held it in the palms of her hands. "It's a baby dragon. It was given to me as a present."
This now even had Ryo's attention.
"Is that really a dragon?" he asked. "Like the kind that breathes fire?"
"Nope! It's an ice dragon!" Robyn announced proudly. "I named him Seiji after the Ice King of Han A' High!"
Rowen laughed right out. "Ha ha, Sage! She named it after you because you're an asshole!"
Sage, who didn't look quite as honored as he could have, leaned forward to inspect the creature. They were almost nose to nose. The small dragon sniffed at him and then promptly sneezed. Rowen laughed again as Sage stood up straight, his hair and eyelashes frosted at the tips with ice. He did not look amused at all.
"That's so cool!" Ryo said. "Where did you get it?"
"It was a present," Robyn replied cryptically. Caska had asked, for some reason, to remain anonymous about the present. Apparently, she wasn't even supposed to have one in the castle. Robyn was actually on her way to smuggle it in her room when she had been caught by Ryo earlier.
"Who from?" Rowen asked.
"I'm not saying. Mind your own business," was Robyn's retort.
"Well then, why were you keeping it.....down there?" Rowen then asked, pointing to the front of her robe.
"Even though it's an ice dragon, it's still just a baby, so I'm supposed to keep him warm," Robyn said proudly as if she were it's real mother.
The little dragon squeaked and snuggled up against her.
"Well, it looks like he's ready for bed and I am, too. Good night you guys."
"Uh, good night," Rowen called as Robyn walked past them.
She walked to the doorway and then turned and looked at Ryo, still baffled at his earlier actions. Ryo looked back at her and the gravity of what he had done sunk in a bit more. He began to realize how uncomfortable things could be because of what he did and he had to look away from her. Robyn shook her head, still a bit confused and left.
When she was gone, Ryo looked up to see both Sage and Rowen looking at him. It was clear they caught something and now were wondering what he had done. Ryo stared back, feigning innocence.
"What?"
******

"Hey Robyn!"
Robyn couldn't help but sigh at the sound of her name. She was almost to her room this time. So close!
"What's up, Kento?" she asked, turning around and trying to force a sincere smile.
"Um....can I talk to you for a second?" Kento asked, looking a bit unsettled.
This got Robyn's attention. Very few things bothered the bearer of Hardrock.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Well, um..." Kento rubbed the back of his neck, not really looking her in the face. "I kinda want to talk about what happened yesterday. When we were in that other world and stuff?"
"Okay," Robyn agreed. She folded her arms, leaning against the door to her room. She had no idea why he wanted to talk about that particular event, but she hoped it wouldn't take long. She was tired. "What's the problem?"
Kento sighed. Talking to her used to be so easy! What happened? Just spit it out, Kento!
"Well, you know. That part when you...."
"When I--what?"
"Right at the cliff. You were upset and then..." Why can't I say it? "Robyn, look. I really like you and everything, but--"
Robyn raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me out, Kento?" One of them already put the moves on me today, hell, why not two?
"WHAT!?" Kento sputtered. "No, no! It's not like that! Don't you remember what happened?"
Robyn had to shake her head. "Seriously Kento, I have no idea what you're trying to get at here."
Kento sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere with this. And no matter what he did, Robyn honestly seemed to have no recollection whatsoever of what happened. And maybe, he thought, it was better that way.
"Look," he finally said. "Are we cool? You and me?'
Robyn grinned. "Of course we are! We’re always cool."
Kento allowed himself a bit of relief.
Robyn then punched him playfully in the arm. "Jeeze, man! You're like, my brother." And walked into her room. "Good night."
"Uh...night," Kento said, a bit bewildered and mostly to himself.
Robyn shut her door behind her and that was it. Almost in a daze, Kento wandered off.
I guess...that's it... he thought to himself.
Yet, somehow, something still bothered him.
*******

Ryo lay in bed, hands beneath his head and staring at the ceiling. His mind was going over all that had occurred that day, making it hard for him to go to sleep. White Blaze was laying on the floor somewhere near by. Ryo couldn't see him, but he could hear his tail swish and the giant cat's even breathing.
White Blaze, you have it so easy, my friend. Ryo thought to himself.
The day had been kind of a mess for him. Sneaking out of the castle, getting attacked, Robyn getting hurt and the guys getting after him for it. Plus, there was what he did to Robyn afterwards. Ryo squinted in the dark. Why DID he do that? To him, the answer was obvious; and yet, not obvious. He knew why he acted, but he had a feeling that the rest of the world's logic did not agree with him. And why didn't it? Why was his and their thinking so different?
And what about Robyn? Who's side did she agree with? She hadn't said anything or even really reacted to it. The whole thing went by kind of fast for Ryo; but still. Didn't she have anything to say about it? Anything at all?
Ryo wondered and wondered about it until he was wondering about it in his sleep and contemplating life's problems in his dreams. He almost wasn’t sure he even went to sleep when he was awakened by a peculiar noise that didn't fit in with his dreaming.
He sat up in bed and looked around in the darkness. White Blaze was still easy to spot in the room with his pale coat. The big cat was at the door, scratching at it and making a cat-ish whine.
"What's the matter, Boy? You need out?" Ryo asked as he got out of bed.
But White Blaze's actions were becoming more urgent than just needing a bathroom break. As Ryo got closer, White Blaze's actions became more anxious until he was bumping his shoulder into the door to get it open.
A bit worried, Ryo opened it for him. Even more alarming, when White Blaze suddenly took off down the hall, Ryo was at full attention. He knew that posture from his feline friend. White Blaze was in attack mode and there was something he was after.
"Hey guys! Get up!" Ryo called, banging on the other Ronins' doors. "Something's going on!"
A few sleepy heads poked out of their separate rooms, but all they saw was Ryo's retreating back as he ran off after White Blaze.

Ryo's heart picked up as he ran down each hall. Something wasn't right. A few times he lost site of White Blaze, but a roar led him right to him. Ryo ran up to where White Blaze was snarling and trying to bust down a certain door with his massive weight. The blood in Ryo's veins went cold. That was Robyn's room.
Ryo lunged for the door handle and thrust it open. White Blaze was in before Ryo could even assess what he was seeing. The Bearer of Wildfire was frozen by the sight.
Smack in the middle of Robyn's bed stood....some kind of creature. It stood on two skinny legs and was hunched over in the darkness. It was crouched over Robyn's body which wasn't moving for whatever reason. The thing was leaning forward with massive, dripping jaws to bite her. As White Blaze growled, the creature turned and gave a high pitched hiss that almost sounded like a scream. For a moment, it looked as though the tiger wasn't going to make it before the creature claimed it's victim. But suddenly, the monster screamed and started to thrash. In that instant, White Blaze took his chance to attack and thrust his entire body at it, claws and fangs bared.
Apparently, this was all that was needed to kick start Robyn's body into motion. She gave a startled cry herself before falling off the bed and then scrambling to her feet. She cried out Ryo's name before throwing herself into his arms.
It was at that time, Cye poked his head in and the embracing couple was the first thing he saw.
"What on earth is--"
"HOLY SHIT!" Kento cried as he burst into the room.
The other Ronins stood there, too stupefied to move as they watched the two massive beasts battle it out in Robyn's room. The two animals screamed and scratched and tumbled all over the place, busting into everything and breaking all the furniture.
The creature hissed and screamed and began to thrash again as it did before. It fell over on its back and began furiously kicking one leg where a little, white creature had bitten down on it and would not let go. It was Robyn's ice dragon. The creature finally managed to fling it off and then stumbled back, unable to get a good balance with one leg practically frozen all the way through. One of it's shorter, clawed forearms wasn't faring much better where Seiji had bitten it earlier.
White Blaze advanced on his opponent once more. Seeing that it was outmatched, the creature gave one last scream and jumped out balcony window where it had probably had climbed in the first place.
With the creature gone, Kento ran over to the balcony and looked down below. It was nowhere to be seen. Rowen checked on White Blaze, but the tiger seemed fine and quite proud of himself. Cye went over to peek under the bed where the baby dragon was hiding.
"What on earth is this thing?" Cye said as he pulled it out. The little creature was already snuggling in his cloak, shaking a bit from his fight.
"It's Robyn's dragon, Seiji. Someone gave it to her," Rowen explained.
"She named it what?"
"That little guy saved her butt, too," Kento added as he came back in.
"Is Robyn okay?" Sage, who was still standing by the door, asked.
Ryo, who had been clutching her tightly, slowly let her go so he could look her in the face.
"You all right?" he asked gently. "What happened?"
He kept one hand at the small of her back as if she were going to fall over. Robyn still looked very shaken up over the whole incident. Her face was far more pale than normal.
"I--I was sleeping," she said in a hushed voice. "And I just woke up and that...thing was standing over me." She suddenly put her hands over her ears. "It was calling to me! I could hear its voice in my head! I couldn't move!"
"It's okay," Ryo said as he pulled her back up in his embrace. "You're safe now. Nothing else is going to happen to you. I promise."
At this time, Captain Darris, who apparently never sleeps, came running into the room with a few of his men.
"What happened?" he asked, looking the place over. It was now a broken mess.
"Some freaky creature attacked Robyn," Kento said.
The guards had already lowered their weapons, seeing that there was no immediate danger.
"What kind of creature?" Darris asked.
"I don't know," Rowen answered. "I had never seen anything like it before. It had shiny skin, like an insect and it walked on it's hind legs."
"Yeah, and it had like, an alien head," Kento jumped in. "And these big teeth! And front claws like a T-Rex or something!"
"You’re just confusing him, Kento," Rowen told him. "I don't think anyone here knows what those things are."
"But I do know what that creature was," Darris said. "It's called a Cabaris. It wouldn't have killed anyone. They're usually used for retrieval. They have a type of ESP which they use to lure their target into submission for them to get close enough to bite them. Their saliva has a paralyzing agent which renders the victim motionless. Then, the creature will usually carry them back to their master."
"And just WHO would that master possibly be?" Sage asked.
Darris sighed. "Look, it's late. I'll talk to her Highness and her advisor tomorrow and we'll set up a meeting to explain this all. Until then, I'll increase the guards so nothing more happens tonight."
"This is probably a good idea," Cye agreed. "We're all very tired and there isn't much else that can be done tonight."
"We need to find Robyn a new place to sleep," Kento pointed out. "This place is trashed."
"I'll take care of it," Ryo volunteered.
"Are you sure Ryo?" Rowen asked. "Because--"
"I said I'll do it, Rowen," Ryo insisted; almost possessively. "I'll have White Blaze stay with her. Is that okay, Robyn?"
Robyn, who was still pressed against his chest, nodded into his shirt.
He got more than one odd, curious look at that point.
"So it's settled then," Kento announced, trying to break the tension. "Let's all get some shuteye."
Darris nodded as his men started out of the room first. But he turned and noticed what Cye had in his arms.
"Uh...did you bring a dragon into the castle?"
No one was sure how to answer that.
*******

It was quiet, almost uncomfortable, inside Ryo's room. He just didn't know what to say to her and Robyn was definitely not in a talking mood. Ryo was starting to think maybe he spoke too quick. Maybe this was a bad idea and she would be better off rooming with Mia or one of the other girls for the night.
"Um...feel free to take the bed," Ryo said, a bit unsure what else to say. "I'll just be here on the floor with White Blaze if you need me."
Robyn sat down on the bed, but looked at him a bit worried. "You're sleeping on the floor? Are you sure?"
"It's fine," Ryo smiled his assurance. "I've slept in worse places with White Blaze. Plus these rugs are pretty soft. Don't worry."
"Okay..." Robyn said as Ryo turned off the light.
She lay on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling. She heard Ryo pad over to where White Blaze was already curled up and pull the blanket around himself.
"Ryo? Thanks," she said to the ceiling. "I appreciate this."
"It's okay," Ryo whispered back.
The room went quiet. Robyn didn't close her eyes as she looked at the darkness around her. She could hear the deep rumbling and the lighter rasping of White Blaze and Ryo as they slowly drifted off to sleep.
Wanting to follow suit, Robyn pulled her covers up around her chin and tried to do the same. She was still a bit startled over what happened and the adrenaline that had gone through her system was not going to let her sleep easy. She closed her eyes for a bit, then the sound of a shuffle made her open them again.
She glanced around the dark room. Everything looked fine so she settled back in again.
Now you're just being paranoid, she told herself. Nothing's going to come in with White Blaze around. Settle down and go to sleep.
With a deep breath, Robyn did just that. Her thoughts drifted off into dreams. And within her dreams, a voice hissed her name.
Robyn's eyes flew open. She was scared all over again. She didn't care what Darris said about those things not killing her, they were freaky as hell. Even while she slept, she could still hear that thing's voice hissing in her head. Just recalling what had happened; how that creature had some kind of power over her, scared Robyn almost witless.
She sat up, clutching the blanket to her. Immediately, her eyes went over to the two sleeping bodies on the floor. Robyn felt quite stupid being so scared when her protectors were sleeping so soundly. But she couldn't shake it. Even with Ryo and White Blaze so close, she still felt vulnerable. They felt far away from her in the dark.
Very slowly she gathered up the blanket around her and slid off the bed. As quietly as she could, she shuffled on her hands and knees over to where the other two were sleeping.
As she approached, White Blaze's ears twitched and his head shot up.
"Hey, it's just me," she whispered, scratching his cheek.
White Blaze nuzzled her shoulder as if asking what was wrong.
"I'm just going to sleep here, boy. If that's okay."
The tiger yawned and put his head back on his paws. That was just fine with him.
Now, Robyn turned her attention to Ryo who still hadn't stirred. He was using White Blaze's stomach for a pillow and was sleeping with his back to her. Robyn curled up against the tiger's side as well, leaving plenty of space between the two. She watched Ryo's rising, falling back as he breathed.
Robyn’s thoughts went back to earlier that night. What Ryo did to her; what he said. It confused her more than anything else. It didn’t scare her and it didn’t make her happy either. But it also didn’t bother her; and she wasn’t sure why.
Above her thoughts, the gentle rumblings of White Blaze was slowly putting her to sleep. Robyn was happy to do so. It had been a long day. Robyn smiled as she closed her eyes. Voices and sounds in the dark didn’t bother her here. She drifted off knowing that right there in that spot, that place was safe.
*******

Ryo awoke to the morning, his eyes fluttering open. It took him a while to recall why he was laying on the floor, but then he remembered the night before. He went to prop himself on one elbow to take a look and see if Robyn was still sleeping on the bed, but something was holding him back. It felt like his shirt was caught. Ryo glanced behind him and saw, much to his surprise, a sleeping Robyn beside him. The back of his shirt was bunched up in her fist.
Not sure what to do, Ryo looked around for help. White Blaze just looked back at him.
"It's not funny," Ryo hissed at the large cat. "Why did you let her come down here? If the other guys saw this, you know I'd be in even bigger trouble than yesterday."
White Blaze just put his head back down and swatted his tail in Ryo's face.
"Fine," Ryo grouched, though quietly, not to wake Robyn.
He then proceeded to try and get out of her grip without arousing her. This proved a bit difficult as she had his shirt between his shoulder blades. The perfect place he couldn't reach. Ryo was sure he looked quite like an idiot trying to worm around so he could reach and gently pry Robyn's grip away.
Once free, Ryo stood up and attempted to straighten his clothes and his wild bed hair. He figured it wouldn't be a good idea to get dressed in there with Robyn still around so he opted to go down to breakfast first.
"Stay with her boy until she wakes up, okay?" Ryo whispered to White Blaze.
Then he tiptoed to the door. Grabbing the large brass handle, he turned it and opened the door, only to see Sage on the other side, hand poised to knock. Cye and Kento, who had been sitting with their backs against it, spilled inside.
"What--?" Ryo cried, and then quickly shushed his voice. "What are you guys doing?" He hissed at them.
"I couldn't sleep after what happened," Kento said, not nearly as quiet as Ryo was. "I felt better camping out here."
"Me, too," Cye agreed. "I just had to make sure--"
"Of what?" Ryo challenged. "Make sure *I* didn't do anything to her?" For some reason, he looked up at Sage at the end of the sentence. "Is that what you came for, too?"
Halo's eyes went wide. "I just--"
"Morning!" Robyn's voice chirped to them. They all looked in to see her leaning over White Blaze's curled up body.
"Hey Robyn!" Kento greeted. "Sleep okay?"
"Ryo? Did you make her sleep on the floor?" Cye accused as he got up.
"No I didn't make her sleep on the floor," Ryo grouched. He stomped back in his room and the others followed him in. "Are you guys still trying to babysit me after what I did yesterday?"
"Well, *I* came in to make sure Robyn didn't get any other injuries that may have manifested themselves today," Sage insisted. He began making Robyn hold out her arms and started checking around her collar and such.
"Aw...that's adorable," Kento chided.
Sage shot him a look of ice.
"I'm actually glad you're here, Sage," Robyn said, causing Halo to look at her. "I was wondering um..if you could...maybe teach me some fighting or something sometime?"
Halo just stared at her and Robyn was wondering if he misunderstood.
"Well, Rowen told me once you taught a few classes at your family dojo," she continued, this time faster. "And I thought maybe you could teach me a bit. I mean, I know I won't have time to learn much. But maybe enough that I could at least defend myself a bit and then you guys wouldn't have to worry so much and--"
"No, no, I get it," Sage managed to finally cut her off. He was still a bit bewildered by the sudden request. "I....guess we could do that. Maybe after breakfast?"
"Okay," Robyn nodded. "Thanks. Hey, wait! Where's my dragon?"
"Rowen's got it," Cye replied. "He was more than happy to take it last night. Though you may want to get it back soon before he does any experiments on it."
"Or before anyone sees it," Kento added. "I dunno, but from what I gathered, this is not exactly a dragon friendly castle."
"Okay," Robyn said as she stood, seeming not to care whether Sage was done or not with his examination. "I'm going to get dressed. See you guys at breakfast."
The four Ronins waved her off, though none of them moved to leave themselves and a silence fell over the room.
"So..." Kento said, trying to break it. "I guess we'll finally find out what the heck it is we're doing here today, huh?"
"More than that Kento," Ryo said, looking more serious than he ever had since coming to Falnan. "Today, they're going to tell us everything. We need to get to the bottom of this. Now."
"Okay Ryo, we're with you," Cye agreed. "But what brought this sudden determination?"
Ryo sighed as he plopped himself on the bed. "Do you guys remember when we first found Robyn? How her face lit up? How she smiled at all of us?"
The others didn't reply, but it was obvious they were thinking about it.
"She doesn't smile like that here," Ryo continued. "I've only seen her worried and scared in this place. We've been taking it pretty easy in this castle, but I think the truth is that this place is not safe. And even though Mia is having a ball out here, I don't believe it's healthy for her either to stay this long. We need to find out what we've been brought here to do, do it, and then go back home where we belong."
"Right with ya, buddy," Kento grinned as he gave a thumbs up. "We're getting some answers today. Then we're going to go take care of business!"
"I'm with you, too," Sage agreed. "But I'm still going to train Robyn some like she asked. Without someone baby-sitting her, she's too weak to do anything by herself. She’s just holding the rest of us back."
"What did you say?" Cye asked, rasing an eyebrow.
"What?" Sage defended. "You know better than anyone how weak she really is, Cye. You can’t possibly think she’s going to be any kind of help."
Ryo was about to reply to that when Cye walked over to Sage, head down. He stood there for a while, causing Sage to wonder what he wanted now.
"Sage...."
Cye suddenly threw his fist in Sage's face. Sage easily caught it before it connected. The punch had not been meant to harm him, just get his attention. Cye looked up, his fist still in Sage's hand.
"There are different ways of being weak, Sage. And different ways of being strong. I thought you, of all people, would have learned that by now."
And with that, he walked out, leaving the others, especially Sage, to their own thoughts.
The Warrior of Light sighed. Why was everything so difficult?
********

True to what Cye had said, Rowen, indeed had the baby ice dragon. Absolutely intrigued by the idea of a warm-bodied creature spitting out something cold, Strata had hardly let the thing out of his sight. He had always imagined dragons being reptilian, but after seeing one, he wasn't sure. This little guy wasn't scaly at all. In fact, his skin was kind of soft. Almost like peach fuzz. He was too cuddly to be a lizard.
As he carried little Seiji to breakfast, Rowen let him lick his finger for the umpteenth time. Once again, he was amazed at how cold the dragon's tongue was. It was like being licked by an ice cube. No wonder that creature threw a fit when it was bit last night. Rowen imagined one bite from the ice dragon probably froze that monster’s whole limb solid. Quite a painful defense. Perhaps it was a good guard dog for Robyn despite its size. It sure saved her life last night.
I wonder if he eats warm or cold foods, Rowen continued to wonder as he stepped into the dinning area and took a seat.
All the other girls were already sitting here. Diana's eyes widened when she saw what Rowen had. Myune did not look pleased at all. Mia looked a little embarrassed.
"Rowen! You shouldn't bring animals to the table!" Mia scolded.
"Sorry Mia," Rowen said sheepishly. Seiji was already sniffing at the food laid out for breakfast. "It's Robyn's. I took care of it for her after what happened last night."
"We heard about the attack," Diana spoke up. "Everyone is all right I hope."
"Everyone's fine," Rowen nodded. "Thanks to this little guy. He got to that monster before White Blaze could."
"I wish you would have woken me up," Mia said. "I was worried when I heard about it. I bet it scared Robyn pretty good."
"Yeah, she was a bit shaken up," Rowen nodded. "But Ryo let her stay with him and White Blaze so she's fine."
Once again, Myune did not look like she approved. Mia looked a bit worried.
"With Ryo?"
Right then, Wildfire walked in with Cye, Sage and Kento.
"Hey guys," Kento greeted as he sat himself down. "Boy, I'm starving!"
"When are you not starving?" Cye shot back.
Sage sat down next to Rowen and looked at what he had in his arms.
"Is it just me, or is that thing bigger than it was yesterday?"
"Yeah, I guess it grew overnight," Rowen agreed as he scratched the dragon's head. The creature made a kind of purring sound as it curled up in his lap. It was at least twice the size it was when Rowen had first laid eyes on it.
"About that thing..." Myune started.
"Good morning!" Robyn sang as she came in, now dressed and ready for the day. "Oh Rowen, you took care of my little Seiji for me, thank you!" She hugged Strata around the neck from behind his chair.
"Hey, I do what I can," Rowen grinned back, obviously enjoying the attention and praise.
"What did she say its name was?" Mia asked.
Sage sighed into his breakfast.
"And just where did you get that thing?" Myune shot. "Dragons are rarely permitted inside this kingdom, never mind the castle."
Robyn thought back to when Caska had begged not to be mentioned as the one who originally had the dragon. Now she knew why.
"It was a present."
"And who gave it to you?"
"It was just handed to me. I don't know who it was. They said it would protect me," Robyn insisted.
"And it did, too," Kento added. "Robyn might not be here if it wasn't for that little guy. Give her a break, would you?"
"Was that before or after you came back to the castle?" Myune was not laying off just because Kento asked her, too.
Robyn looked around, feeling trapped.
"Um..."
"Here's some food for My Lady's pet," Caska said as she came in. "As you asked, My Lady."
"Thanks Caska," Robyn waved, happy for the interruption.
Rowen, for his part, was curious about two things. The first was why Caska, a servant of the castle seemed to know about the dragon when other members of the room where just hearing about it. The second was what she was feeding Seiji. In the bowl she placed on the ground looked like chopped meat in milk. But Rowen wasn't sure if that's what it really was. He was also tempted to stick his finger in it to see if it was warm or cold. He eventually decided against it, lest Sage look at him like he had lost his mind. Instead, Rowen decided he would just hunt down the handmaid later and ask her about it.
"So..." Miniko finally spoke. "What's on our schedule today?" She immediately noticed most of the Ronins sober right up.
"We're getting answers today," Ryo announced. "I don't care who I have to talk to, but I want an audience with whomever will tell me what exactly is going on."
"But, My Lord Wildfire," Myune started. "You can't just--"
"Today," Ryo insisted. "I think we've been patient enough. My friends and I are getting attacked and I want to know why. We get answers today or we're going back home."
The other Ronins showed their silent support by not saying anything and merely looking at Myune who, by now, felt the tides go against her.
"Fine," she sighed. "I'll see what I can do to get some time from the queen and her advisor. Probably this afternoon."
"Thank you," Ryo nodded. "We really do want to help; but we just can't if we don't know what you want us to do."
"It's fine," Myune waved him off. "I understand. Keep yourselves free tonight. If I can't get anyone else, then I'll tell you all myself. I promise."
********

Sage sat cross legged on the floor; the sun spilling in from a small window above him. He had found this place by accident the day before. It was a small building with open space inside and a simple floor. It was the closest thing to a dojo he had seen in this world, so he decided he would take up residence in it for a few hours. He actually liked this building. It was quiet and calm in there. The spiritual energy flowed nicely through this place. A great spot to meditate.
That is...until now. There was an unbalanced wave of energy lapping up against his and it was breaking his concentration.
Sage cracked open one eye to see the source of the spiritual disruption. Across from him sat Robyn in the same position as he; eyes closed. Her brows were slightly creased as if him asking her to sit there quietly was something very difficult for her to do. One didn’t need a sixth sense to see she was trying way too hard at this. She had been confused at first that he suggested they meditate before beginning their lesson. Sage had decided Robyn really had no idea what meditation was for.
"Yes?" he finally asked. "Is there something on your mind?"
Robyn opened one eye and peeked at him. Seeing that his eyes were open, she surmised it was safe to open hers as well.
"Do you want to talk about something?"
Robyn shrank back a little, looking guilty as if Sage had just asked if she wanted to confess to stealing the last cookie. She fiddled with the hem of her robe for a moment, not looking up at his face.
"I was wondering if you could also...help me with something else," she said quietly.
"And what is that?
"Um...well, I ...think I'm being haunted."
Sage raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure?"
Robyn met his look with one of her own that was asking if he forgot who he was talking to. Sage got the hint.
"So what is going on, then?"
"I'm not really sure," Robyn admitted. "I think something came out with me when Kento and I came back from limbo. I feel a presence sometimes; it follows me. I can feel it has thoughts and a consciousness."
Sage couldn't help but look a little concerned. "Has it done anything to you?"
"No," Robyn replied lightly. "It's just kind of there. Like it's waiting for something. I don't think it will ever hurt me. But I thought I'd tell you so you could help me keep a look out for whatever it is this spirit is here for. I thought out of everyone, you'd be best and know what to look for."
"Okay..." Sage said slowly as he looked around. "Is it here right now?"
Robyn looked around, too. "I don't think so. I think all that spiritual stuff you do when you just sit there kind of scares lesser spirit powers off."
Sage gave her a half smile. "That's kind of the point. You're clearing out all other energy around you to cleanse your spirit and help you focus."
"If you say so," Robyn shrugged. "By the way, you can tell the other guys what we just talked about if they ask. But don't tell Myune, okay?"
"Why not?"
Robyn looked around for eavesdroppers and then whispered. "I think she's crazy."
"What? Why do you think that?"
"Hey, you can think what you want. I'm just following my instincts. If you're perfectly comfortable around her, that's your business."
"Wait a minute," Sage interjected. "I never said I was--"
"So let's get started, huh?" Robyn interrupted as she stood up. "So what are you going to teach me? Just about anything will do. All I know is how to block a punch and kick guys in the groin. And that last one I pretty much learned on my own."
"Great," Sage muttered to himself as he got up. "Okay, well I guess we'll start with teaching you a good fighting stance. The fight begins up here," Sage instructed, tapping his brow. "You need to stop shrinking at everything that comes your way. That only invites your enemies to attack. If you radiate a sense of confidence in your stance; whether or not you can actually defeat them, your opponent will take an extra second do decide if the fight is worth it. And sometimes an extra second can mean life or death."
"Okay," Robyn said, sucking in a breath and trying to gather her courage. "I'll do my best."
"Good," Sage nodded. "I'll get us some wooden staffs for practice and show you how to block with those."
Robyn watched him walk off, wondering if she could really do this. Or was she crazy by asking in the first place? Sage was probably not going to go easy on her just because she was a weakling and a girl. But was that why she had asked him instead of any of the others?
A skittering sound on the roof made Robyn drop all her thoughts. A voice inside her head screamed something was going to happen. Something bad. And they had to get out of there. NOW.
"Sage!"
The blonde turned to look at her and Robyn's world suddenly exploded.
********

"Lord Torrent, Lord Hardrock."
Though still not used to being called as such, Cye and Kento turned around when their titles were called.
"I thought I could walk with you," Diana said cheerfully as she came up. "Where are you going, my lords?"
"We're gonna watch Sage 'teach' Robyn how to fight," Kento offered. "Mostly just to make sure he doesn't beat up on her too bad."
"How sweet of you," Diana smiled. "May I join you, My Lord?" She asked as she bowed to Cye.
"Uh, yeah, that's fine," Cye sweat-dropped. He was definitely not used to people bowing to him and such.
"But don't do that," Kento said, motioning for Diana to lift her head. "You don't have to bow. It's just Cye."
"Kento!"
"What? I know you don't like it."
Diana blinked. "I--I'm not...what do I do then?"
The unmistakable sound of an explosion cut them all off. From their place, they could feel the backlash as the wind tore past them for a moment or two. The three of them turned away from the force and then blinked as it went still again.
"Kento," Cye breathed. "That wasn't what I think it was...was it?"
"I just hope it didn't come from where I thought it did," Kento breathed as he took off.
Cye ran after him with Diana following as fast as she could in her robe. A few more paces and they found the small building where Sage said he would be. The entire thing was in shambles.
"Damnit! Why did I have to be right?" Kento cursed as he ran towards the smoking ruins.
"Diana! Go get help!" Cye called as he followed his friend. His heart was racing, hoping against hope Sage and Robyn weren't in there when it happened. But he had a sinking feeling in his gut that the cause of the explosion was because they were.
*******

Robyn moaned as she got up. She never lost consciousness through the whole ordeal, but she had trouble recalling what happened. One minute she was looking at Sage and another minute, she felt a huge force fling her small body against the far wall. Next, she was aware of pieces of wood from the ceiling falling on top of her.

When everything had settled, Robyn attempted to move. Some of the boards and beams that fell on and around her were kind of heavy. It took a while to squirm out from under them. As she wiggled around, Robyn became increasingly aware of burns sustained on her arms and legs from the explosion. She hadn't been wearing long sleeves or long pants when she went to train with Sage. Now she was regretting it.
Once free, Robyn sat down and coughed. There was still a lot of dust in the air. It made it hard to see and even harder to breathe. There was no sunlight. Everything had caved in around her and as far as she could tell, she was trapped. Trapped alone with--
"Sage!" Robyn cried, suddenly remembering. "Sage *cough* where are you?"
When she didn't get a reply, Robyn began crawling in the direction she was hoping Sage would be. There was debris and rouble everywhere. Some of the large, thick beams had fallen and as Robyn crawled around the massive things, she was grateful none of them had landed on her. Something that size would have killed her easily.
"Sage!" she called again, her voice hoarse and weak from breathing in dust and gunpowder. "Are you hurt?" Her voice was becoming desperate now. "Please answer me!"
Still nothing and Robyn was fearing the worst. A knot was forming in her chest, threatening to spill out into tears. She had to find him! What if he was dying?
Half climbing, half dragging herself through piles and beams, Robyn gasped when she finally saw a lifeless body on the ground.
"Sage!"
Robyn squeezed through two crossed beams and crawled over to where Sage's body lay. She was alarmed to see no movement from him. He was laying on his stomach, several boards and beams were strewn about and over him, his hair covering his face.
"Sage! Sage? Wake up!" She shook his shoulder, afraid to do any more than that in case he had any serious broken bones or injuries. "Come on Sage," she begged, “Please tell me you're okay."
She crouched down by his head and brushed his hair away from his face. When putting a hand to his mouth, she felt breathing and there was a strong pulse at his neck.
At least he's still alive, Robyn thought. But what do I do now?
In answer, Sage's eyebrow twitched and he moaned as he came to consciousness.
"Oh, you're awake," Robyn breathed. "Are you okay? Don't try to move, your half buried."
Sage tried to shift his body a bit to see that he was indeed covered by some heavy rouble.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I think something exploded," Robyn replied. "As far as I can tell, we're trapped inside the building. Hold on and I'll try to dig you out."
Sage's vision was a bit constricted with the position he was stuck in. But as the situation finally hit him, he felt a bit foolish that Robyn was the one trying to save him instead of the other way around. He heard her grunt as she tried to push a beam off him. As she succeeded, more loose debris from the damaged ceiling fell down on them.
Robyn crouched over Sage, shielding him until the second shower of rouble was over.
"It doesn't look good," Robyn whispered. "There's hardly anything holding that ceiling up and there's still quite a bit of it up there. It's almost ready to come down."
"Maybe you should forget me and go get help," Sage suggested. "You could probably get out on your own."
"No way Sage! I'm not leaving you here! Just give me a few more minutes. Really now, you're such a quitter."
Sage inwardly laughed at himself. He had no choice but to listen to her. He was hardly in a situation to make demands.
"You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" Robyn asked as she carefully began to remove the rouble again.
"I can't really feel my arm," Sage admitted. "I think something's crushing it."
Another shower of ceiling fell on them by the time Robyn had Sage's arm uncovered enough to see what the problem was. To her dismay, one of the giant beams that held up the ceiling was laying over it. To make matters worse, it was far too big for her to move.
"Oh no!" Robyn cried at the discovery. "Can you slide it out?"
Sage tried to pull, but the beam was far too heavy for him as well.
"It's no good," he replied.
There was a sickening snap and a large piece of concrete fell from above, nearly missing the two. Robyn looked up to see that the rest was fixing to crush them both.
"You have to get out of here! Now!" Sage yelled at her. "Don't worry about me, just go!"
"No! I can't!" Robyn cried as she suddenly started pushing the beam. "I"ll get you out! I will!"
"Robyn, you can't!" Sage yelled back at her, practically beside himself with what she was trying to attempt. How did she ever hope to succeed? "Don't be stupid! You can't possibly move that! At least you'll be safe so just--"
"SHUT UP!" Robyn screamed.
Sage was instantly silent. No woman on earth had ever told Sage Date to shut up.
"Stop telling me to leave you!" Robyn cried, her eyes tearing up again. She refused to stop pushing on the beam even as she yelled at him. "Everyone tells me I'm too weak to do anything! It's not fair! I try so hard! Why isn't it enough?"
Sage blinked at her, surprised at the outburst. Then, his eyes went even wider as he heard the beam start to creak. Slowly, slowly it started to move. The roof was snapping and threatening to fall and crush them at any moment, but Robyn seemed to be gaining strength somehow. Sage was stunned into silence as he watch her actually lift the gargantuan beam right off him.
The last support finally broke and there was no more time to be surprised. Now free, Sage jumped to his feet and tackled Robyn, tossing them both away from their deaths. The next thing Robyn heard was a deafening crash as the last of the ceiling caved in. Once it settled, she opened her eyes to find herself against the wall, protectively enfolded in Sage's arms. The falling ceiling was propped up over them by the wall like a sloppy lean-to.
The two of them looked at each other and sighed with relief. Somehow or another, they were alive. But then Robyn gasped and grabbed Sage's arm, pushing up the sleeve. Both could easily see bruising already on the pale skin. Sage was sure he was going to be bearing nasty purple wounds there for days. But that wasn't really what Robyn was most concerned about.
She concentrated on his hand, checking his fingers especially for broken bones. After checking all the digits until she was satisfied, she put her hands on Sage's shoulders and breathed out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness," she breathed.
Sage then realized what she was doing. The arm that was caught was the one he used the most in his swordsmanship. If a swordsman's hand is useless, he is useless. She somehow understood that. Sage was beside himself when he realized just how deep her concern for him went.
"Robyn, I---"
*******

Kento could hear other people yelling as they came to help, but that didn't stop him from digging. He paused for only a moment as he heard a few snaps and then the sounds of more of the building falling down within. But this only made him more determined. Cye wasn't able to help much. He was too busy dodging shrapnel as Kento tossed away whatever was in his path. Some of it was pretty heavy, too so Cye did better to keep a heads up.
"Here!" Kento called as he pushed away a few beams. It seemed he had finally found a way inside.
He slipped inside and Cye followed. Diana, who was now back from getting help, did the same.
"Sage!" Kento called into the dusty haze. "Are you there, buddy?"
"Robyn! Where are you?" Cye called.
"Here," Sage said, coughing as he dragged himself out from under the concrete slab. He extended a hand to Robyn.
"Are you guys alright?" Cye asked.
"More or less," Sage replied again, inspecting his now ruined clothes.
"Oh, good. Everyone's alright," Diana said as she crawled in.
She stumbled for a bit and grabbed for a beam. The piece of wood, as it turned out, was unable to hold her weight and toppled over, spilling much bigger beams from above.
"Diana!"
Cye ran and grabbed her, shielding her with his body. Luckily, nothing too heavy fell on them. Kento was just as fast and caught the brunt of it.
"Let's all get out of here before this whole place comes down!" he ordered.
No one had a problem with that. Everyone scurried to get out of the small opening and the rest of the building practically fell down behind them.
Ryo and Rowen as well as castle guards were there. The two Ronins helped pull them all out until everyone was clear. There were sounds of the rest of the place collapsing in on itself as Kento, the last one, pulled himself out.
"Wow! Look at you guys!' Rowen exclaimed as Sage and Robyn flopped on the grass, both exhausted and looking pretty burned and battered. "Are you okay?"
Sage rolled up his sleeve again, looking at his arm in the sunlight. He still couldn't believe what he had seen Robyn do earlier. There was no way someone her size could have lifted that. How did she do it?
"I'll live," he reported.
"Yah!" Robyn cried after getting a good look at herself. Once again she was reminded that she had been burned or bruised pretty much everywhere her skin was exposed. Some parts were bleeding. She flopped on her back in a huff.
"I'm burned! It feels hot all over!"
"Robyn," Ryo gasped, kneeling next to her. "Are you okay? Is anything serious?
"I said I'm BURNED!" Robyn exclaimed, swatting him away. "That was not an invitation. Back away, Fire Boy! It's hot!"
By now, some servant girls had run up with buckets of water. Cye was already at Robyn's side with a damp, cool towel. She hissed as it was pressed to her burned arm. Rowen was attending at her other side.
"Step aside, Ryo. Go help Sage."
"Don't come near me," Sage warned. "I've seen how well your patch jobs work."
"But..." Ryo stammered, looking a little hurt. "I want to help."
"You can help by helping me figure out what happened," Kento said. "Every single one of these attacks have one thing in common. They've all involved Robyn. Someone's definitely after her and we need to find out who. Someone needs to give us some answers."
Just then, the queen herself ran up.
"What happened?" she cried. "Are you hurt?"
"I'M not hurt!" Rowen protested as she tried to look him over. "Go away!"
"And there she is right now," Kento stated.
Queen Laelia looked up. She had been caught. It was time to tell all.
******

There was no way around it. Ryo demanded a meeting and he demanded one, now. So they had one. Not in Shinsetsu's study or any other fancy place. It was in the infirmary while Sage and Robyn were being tended. Miniko was quite shy there. Many of them knew she had medical experience, but she didn't really feel comfortable attending to either one. So Cye and Mia did their best to help patch their friends up and wave off Rowen who was attempting to practice back seat medicine.
Diana and Myune were present, even though it was obvious they already knew what was going to be discussed. Shinsetsu, of course, was there. But so were Captain Darris and Queen Laelia herself. This was more present than the last time they were all sat down and educated about this world.
Ryo had a feeling this was going to be some of the heaviest information they were given yet. But he needed to know. His friends were being attacked--Robyn almost killed more than once. He had to know what was going on. If he didn't learn, how was he supposed to protect those he cared about?
"So what exactly happened today?" Kento asked, backing up his buddy Ryo. He was just as anxious as Wildfire to know what was going on.
"There was definitely someone on the roof before the place exploded," Robyn offered. "I heard feet running across it."
"I'm pretty sure we all agree that explosion was on purpose," Ryo announced. "And that's the third attack involving Robyn in three days. Who is after her?"
"Well, I don't know about that," Robyn said. "I don't think they're all after me."
All the Ronins turned and looked at her.
"Okay fine, maybe they are."
"But why?" Rowen piped in. "Why always her and not the rest of us? I mean, she may seem like an easy target by herself, but most of the time one of us is with her and we can do quite a bit more damage to them than even the other priestesses. Why aren't any of them getting attacked?"
"To answer that," Shinsetsu started. "You must first ask 'Who?' and then you can start to figure out why."
"So who is it then?" Kento demanded. "Why have you been waiting so long to tell us? Tell us the bastard's name so we can lay the smack down on him and then go home."
"I'm afraid it's not that easy," Shinsetsu sighed.
"Never is," Sage said quietly.
"And we just can't jump into this," Cye said. "We don't even know what this guy's doing. How do we know he’s the one attacking us? Where is he? What has he done? Why should we fight him?"
Ryo looked at Cye. It was almost the same questions posed to him by that man he met in a castle the other day. He, too, had questioned their fighting motive and asked for proof of who was supposed to be their enemy.
"Well I think today is proof enough that we need to do something," Sage argued. "We just can't sit around like we've been doing."
"And who's fault is that?" Kento said, frustration clear in his voice. "We haven't done anything since we got here. If they want something done, they need to tell us what to do."
"IF it's the right thing to do," Cye cut in. "Then we'll do it."
"How about we wait and see what Shinsetsu has to tell us," Mia announced, sensing a possible fight. "Let's get the facts first and then we can all decide where to go from there."
Everyone seemed to agree with that and granted the old man their attention.
"Thank you, Mia," He nodded in her direction. "I must apologize again to all of you. I can imagine how frustrating this is to know so little. We honestly were not expecting these kind of attacks at all. This has put us all quite off guard."
Miniko noticed that Captain Darris nodded at that, his handsome face more serious than normal. It was obvious he was taking some personal disappointment about letting such a thing happen in the castle he was supposed to guard and keep safe.
"One of the reasons we have not been able to give you information is because we weren't sure ourselves who was the danger," Shinsetsu continued. "We have heard word for a while that there has been a man after the throne of Falnan. It was rumored he already sees himself as royalty and is gathering an army on the outskirts of this kingdom with intent to take it over. Only recently have we been able to find out the identity of this man and what kind of forces he actually has.
"Now, if this were a civil dispute, we would have never called up the Sealing Spell which awakens the power of the priestesses and calls up the armors to fight. But we also discovered this man has enlisted great beasts, demons and powerful magic from the dark corners of this world to aid him. His name is Akuma and they say he is part demon himself."
"So you called us here to fight some demon guy who think's he's going to take over this place?" Kento asked. "Sounds familiar enough."
"Just like Talpa." Sage nodded.
"Talpa may have been a formidable foe, to be sure," Shinsetsu said. "But I'm afraid you may be facing something much more stronger." He nodded to Captain Darris to stepped forward.
"My intelligence force has informed me that Akuma had enlisted the aid of another who often dwells within his fortress--a god."
"Did he just say he has GOD on his side?" Kento exclaimed.
"Not God, Kento," Rowen clarified. "A god."
"Is there a difference?" Hardrock asked, looking around.
Ryo shrugged. He was totally lost.
"The point is," The young captain continued. "We're going up against a being who's only purpose is to create and destroy. His kind are the only ones with the capability to build something like your armors."
"Then you're saying he has the power to destroy them as well," Cye surmised.
"It is possible," Shinsetsu nodded. "And it's what we've been fearing. If this being has truly sided with Akuma, the results could be devastating for this entire world. If My Lords were to go against them, it would be a very dangerous battle indeed."
"And this is why you've taken so long to tell us," Ryo stated seriously.
"I asked him not to tell you," Laelia admitted. "I was afraid you would either think we were lying or would be afraid to help us. And I couldn’t chance that. This man has the ability to destroy my land and my people. We badly need your help."
"I see," Ryo said, looking deep in thought.
"But that still doesn't explain all these attacks," Rowen said. "I mean, I can understand why we're being attacked now. But if this guy has someone with that much power on his side, why hasn't he sent him to come wipe us out already? Why does he seem to just want to kill Robyn? And with such dirty tricks?"
"Though we do believe Lady Hardrock is a target," Myune suddenly spoke up. She had been leaning against the back wall, silent until now. "But we don't believe any of the attempts have been meant to kill her."
"What do you mean?" Robyn exclaimed. "I just about got exploded today! Not trying to kill me, my ass!"
"Well, it was the incident last night that really made us believe that," Captain Darris took his turn to speak. "That was clearly a kidnaping attempt, not an attempt on your life. And even though that explosion could have killed either of you, it didn't. The way the gun powder was set was simply to make the building fall in on itself. That would be something that anyone with Hardrock's powers could survive."
Sage’s eyes widened at that bit of information.
"But I don't have any powers," Robyn argued.
"Of course you don't," Myune spoke again. "The only way you could gain access to those powers is after the Sealing Ceremony which hasn't taken place yet. And even then, it would be quite a while before you would have enough experience to know how to use it."
"I don't know about that," Sage spoke up. "I think Robyn already can use them."
Diana shook her head. "I don't think--"
"That's not possible," Myune cut her off sternly. "Even after the Sealing Ceremony, it takes a lot of discipline and training to handle something that powerful and be able to call upon it at will."
"Well, inside that building, while it was falling down around us," Sage explained. "I saw Robyn lift a beam much heavier than even I could move. I'm not sure there is any other explanation."
"Oh, I don't think it was really like that," Robyn interjected.
Kento patted her on the shoulder. "Way to go, Rob! That's because you and me are so tight!"
"Wait, wait!" Cye said before Myune could argue further. "You mean that Robyn can access Hardrock's powers?"
"All the priestesses will be able to with their associated armor eventually," Diana offered.
"Sweet! So I'll be able to lift cars and punch through walls and eat fifty burgers in one sitting!" Robyn exclaimed.
"Uh, I think that last one is just Kento's special power, not the armor's," Rowen retorted.
"This actually makes a lot of sense," Shinsetsu said.
"Honored One," Myune argued. "What do you mean? You don't find this a bit unnatural? What if--"
He cut her off by raising a gnarled hand. "For a priestess to access the power of her armor before the Sealing Ceremony is unusual, but not impossible. By being in such a circumstance as what happened today, it probably forced Lady Hardrock to tap into what powers she could. Also, with the fact that she and Lord Hardrock are already close friends, this made it even easier."
"Then this incident was meant to help awaken her powers early," Captain Darris spoke up.
“But why?” Ryo insisted. “If you guys know why Robyn seems to be everyone’s main target, please tell us.”
Miniko’s face suddenly lit up in realization. She looked over at Myune who was stone faced. Was it because of that? Because of what Myune had explained to her yesterday? All that stuff that had happened in the past?
Myune seemed to have a similar thought. She cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “I believe,” she said slowly, obviously not wanting to bring up what she was about to say. “They’re not after Robyn, they’re doing this in search of Minami.”
The Ronins and Robyn blinked in confusion. What did that mean?
Diana gasped. “No, that–that’s ridiculous! What they’re trying to do is impossible!”
“IF that’s what they’re trying to do,” Darris retorted.
“Of course it is,” Myune argued. “If you have a better theory, I’d love to hear it, Captain.”
“Woah, woah, wait a minute,” Rowen cut in. “Who is this Minami and why is she important?”
Everyone went quiet, allowing Myune to elaborate on her theory.
“Minami was a previous Priestess of Hardrock. More specifically– the last one to hold the title before Robyn.”
“So?” Kento challenged. “She’s dead now, right? So why does that matter?”
“There is one thing you five do not yet understand,” Myune continued. “We as priestesses are quite different from you. When an armor bearer dies, the mantle seeks out a new wearer and a new soul inherits its power. But when a priestess dies, her soul is reborn and she takes on that same mantle again. This is as the pact we made with the gods when they first presented the armors to mortal man and mortal men took that power for granted. Diana, Miniko, and myself were the original souls to make that deal and we have been reborn as many times as needed to protect the people of this world.”
Miniko’s eyes grew a little wider. She wasn’t told that the first time. She knew she was reborn from another life–but several lives? She was there the first time men wore the armors? She was the one who made a pact with the gods? She was the one who killed the first Bearer of Strata? How could that be?
“Minami was also an original,” Myune then said.
“But I’m not,” Robyn clarified, arms folded. “And why is that? Why wasn’t this Minami girl reborn and why am I stuck doing her job?”
Shinsetsu opened his mouth to speak. “She didn’t keep--”
“She betrayed us all!” Myune suddenly burst out. “To put it plainly, she didn’t carry out her duty. When the last bearer of Hardrock began to falter, she refused to take the mantle from him and find someone more fitting. And on top of that, she also broke her own covenants to the gods as well. Thus, it was seen fit that her title be stripped from her and when she died, because of the seriousness of her crimes, her soul was not allowed rest in the hall of the righteous.”
“So,” Cye surmised. “These guys have been attacking Robyn to see if maybe she is still the reincarnation of the previous priestess?”
“Or to somehow call up Minami’s spirit through the new priestess who just so happens to be the priestess of the dead,” Shinsetsu clarified.
Sage’s eyes widened. Didn’t Robyn tell him earlier that she thought another soul had come out with her from limbo? He looked over at her. It was obvious Robyn had the same thought. Yet, she shook her head at him, motioning for him not to say anything.
“But....why on earth would they want to? She’s a priestess, right? Like us,” Miniko spoke up.
Myune shook her head. “She is no longer like us. Her soul met a violent end and would be violent in turn if she were to ever manifest herself in this world again. Which is probably why Akuma is trying to summon her out– because she would probably help him.”
The room went quiet for a moment. Most were trying to figure out how it was all possible. All five Ronins felt a bit overwhelmed at the moment. They had an enemy, but it was still unclear what they were supposed to do to protect those they cared about. How were they supposed to protect Robyn from some guy who was trying to ferret out a spirit from her?
“May I ask please,” Mia said quietly. This was something she had been itching to ask since she heard part of the story the other day. Myune wasn’t taking questions then, but now she could surely ask without being ignored or denied an answer. “What exactly did this priestess do that was so awful?”
Silence again. But Mia wasn’t going to let that daunt her.
“You talk about this girl like she was such a horrible person, yet she has been a priestess like you for generations without incident. What did she do in her previous life that condemned her like that? It couldn’t just be that she wasn’t willing to find a new bearer for the armor. You wouldn't be talking about her like that if it was only something she did NOT do. It was because of something she DID. What was it?"
Myune gave her a hard look. It was obvious this was something she really didn't want to get into and she wasn't too pleased with Mia for being that sharp about it.
Everyone else was quiet. It seemed Myune wasn't the only one who did not want to discuss this.
"Honored One?" Diana asked.
The old man raised his hand. "Please, I feel this is not my place to say this about one of our past priestesses, no matter what she did."
Everyone was extremely curious now. Especially Robyn. She had no idea why her heart was beating so fast in anticipation. What did the girl before her do? Was it something so horrible no one could bear to speak it? Did they fear this Minami's spirit would come back and do it again?
"One of the requirements of a priestess," Diana explained quietly. "Is that they are to stay pure and chaste while under their title. Minami did not....observe this to the fullest."
"So she...had a lover?" Rowen guessed.
"And that's all?!" Robyn blurted out. "Holy crap, you guys! I thought it was something horrible!"
"It IS horrible!" Myune clarified with annoyance quite clear in her voice. "The position of Priestess to the armors is a very serious, not to mention very sacred, duty. And I also find it horrible that you're not taking any of it as seriously as you should."
Robyn mostly ignored that. She had been far used to being lectured and could easily channel it out. She then turned to those who knew just as much, but weren't as frustrated with her.
"But this is just for this thing here, right? After it's all over, you'll return us to our old world and our own lives and we can go on as normal. We just have to behave while we're here."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this! Aren't you listening to me?" Myune demanded.
"Why's that so important, Robyn?" Rowen chided. "Did you have some other plans?"
"Look, I don't think I'm being irrational here. No one asked me if I was willing to make that kind of lifestyle change before they drafted me. And I'm willing to play the game for right now, but I'll tell you one thing. Priestess or no priestess, I don't plan on dying a virgin."
The room fell quiet again as Robyn's outburst thrust mental images into everyone's heads. Not all seemed to pleased with them either.
Robyn raised an eyebrow at Ryo, who was sitting near her, and whose face was now almost as red as his armor.
"Oh, what are YOU blushing for?" she demanded. "That wasn't an invitation. Good grief."
Ryo stared at her, half hurt that she talked to him that way and half still hot under the collar from her earlier comment.
"Just what are you trying to say?" Myune demanded. "That you condone her actions? That you would yourself throw it all away for some guy?"
"Depends," Robyn replied. "Was he cute?"
Myune started to do a quick burn right before their eyes. Especially when she saw Miniko's face who looked like she almost agreed.
All the rest of her arguments, however, were not heard by Ryo. He snapped out of his stupor long enough to notice a figure standing at the back of the room. At least, he thought he saw a figure. A quick blink, and the man was gone. Looking around, it seemed everyone was too intent on the argument to notice anyone was over there. Myune was all but shrieking at a Robyn who seemed to be enjoying her rage.
No one really noticed when Ryo coughed a weak excuse for not feeling well and slunk out of the infirmary. He could hear one person or another cutting into the fight which, by now, was blown quite out of proportion and was very off topic, as he retreated down the hall.
Once to his room, Ryo pushed the heavy, ornate door closed and let out a breath. He knew there was someone standing at his back without even looking behind him.
He steeled his eyes as he turned around to the figure standing there.
"It's you, isn't it?"