Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ To Remember ❯ Ari Lives ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 12: Ari Lives


At the Magic Bus Hospital-
Kayura-


Kayura woke to Naaza’s anger and Rajura‘s simmering fury.

It was strange. Naaza wasn’t the type to get angry easily, but the emotions rolling off him were easy to read - disgust and a desire to kill. “Fae.” Naaza spat the offensive word. It was the first word Kayura had heard since she’d woken up. “Waging war on women. Vile.” WE’RE IN A HOSPITAL. Naaza thought to Kayura once he’d realized she was awake. RAJURA JUST BROUGHT YOU AND THE OTHER ONE. SHIN, SUIKO, JUST FOUND OUT THAT OUR ENEMIES HAVE KIDNAPPED HIS MOTHER. I THINK THEY MUST HAVE A DEATH WISH.

Shin, a smaller boy than Kayua would have guessed now that she could see him out of his yoroi, broke away from a blue haired boy, whom Naaza told Kayura was called Touma, and seemed to leap away across the room to Naaza. Small he might have been, but Shin was obviously no coward. He stood toe-to-toe with Naaza and stared up at him with furious eyes, snarling with his lips curled up away from his teeth, “Then we kill them!”

“Yes!” Naaza agreed, eagerly holding his fist in the air. “War!”

“Wait!” Whoever it was that wore Anubisu’s body held up his hands and looked around. “Just what is going on? What are fae and why would they want Shin’s mum?”

“Fairy is a more common name for the fae.” A blonde boy said, trying to discreetly dress himself in the middle of the crowd, as it didn’t seem that anyone was going anywhere. HIS NAME IS DATE SEIJI. Naaza informed Kayura. “Western mythology, and apparently a lot more real than most people think. They’ve got Shin’s mum…”

“I know.” Anubisu’s inhabitant said, sharply. “I saw her! That woman had her brought out and she showed her to me. Said something about Ari liking mortals. She said…ah!” He put a hand to his head, furiously trying to remember. “She said…she said ‘The life she carries will be a treasure to keep.’”

It did nothing to soothe Shin who pounded his fist against the door. “That dog can’t have my mum or my little brother or sister!”

“She won’t.” Naaza assured him. “We go to…” He stopped suddenly when Rajura spoke from wherever he was, letting both Naaza and Kayura hear him.

YOU’LL DO NOTHING. STAY WHERE YOU ARE. THIS IS MY PROBLEM, SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF LONG AGO.

IN THAT CASE, Naaza told him. YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF IT BEFORE IT INVOLVED SO MANY OF US.

DO AS YOU’RE TOLD!

UNLIKELY. Naaza tried breaking off the conversation, but Rajura was persistent and kept at them.

IT’S DANGEROUS. YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE FAE OR SEDARI!

YOU’RE ON FIRST NAME’S BASIS WITH THE ENEMY? WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED? “Kay?” Naaza knelt down next to Kayura and put a hand on her back to help her to her feet. As soon as she was standing he smiled. “Want a drink of water?” BIG BROTHER’S BEING STUBBORN. WANT TO GO TO WAR?

Kayura looked around the room. There was an old man silently helping Seiji to get dressed and a beautiful woman crying in the corner while Touma tried awkwardly to comfort her and Shin still livid about his kidnapped mother. Ryou, in Anubisu’s body, was staring into a mirror hanging on the wall and running his fingers through his hair. “That Sedari woman took Anubisu, didn’t she?” Kayura asked. It was pretty obvious that whoever was wearing Anubisu’s body was not Anubisu.

YOU MISSED THAT PART. Anubisu told her, following her gaze. THAT’S RYOU. HE AND ANUBISU SWITCHED PLACES. SOMEHOW. MY GUESS IS THAT IT’S A DHAMPIRE, THING.

Ryou. That was the name that had caused Anubisu so much pain since Rajura had uncovered his hidden memories. The one Anubisu was in love with. WE SHOULD GO.

Again, Rajura heard and shouted out, YOU’LL STAY WHERE YOU ARE! IF I’D WANTED YOU IN DANGER I WOULDN’T HAVE GONE TO THE TROUBLE OF TAKING YOU AWAY FROM THIS PLACE.

WHAT PLACE? Kayura asked. WHERE ARE YOU?

Rajura was silent and Naaza finally lost what little patience he had. It must be said that Naaza is a very intelligent man. He was a physician and, therefore, normally very logical. He was also under sever stress due to the death of a family member and the potential death of another. He was not in a logical mood. YOU WANT TROUBLE? I’LL GIVE YOU TROUBLE IF YOU DON’T TELL US WHERE YOU ARE.

YOU WOULDN’T BE SO CHILDISH. Rajura said, seeing what Naaza had in mind.

I WOULD.

DON’T.

THEN TELL US WHERE YOU ARE!

NO.

FINE. Naaza left Kayura’s side and went to where Ryou was still looking at Anubisu’s reflection. With a nasty smile, he put his hands on Ryou’s shoulders and leaned down enough so Ryou would see him in the mirror. “You and Anubisu were lovers.” He said it loudly enough to get everyone’s attention and smiled even more when Ryou’s eyes grew wide. “He’s not human. He’s a dhampire. He drank blood from you on the night you met, when he killed your ’friend’ bishop Brannon. His house burnt down around him. Who do you think did that? Anubisu wanted to hide how the man truly died and a fire was as good a cover-up as any. You, he found walking the streets and couldn’t resist your warm blood. He drank just a drop from you and became addicted. Frankly, I don’t know what he sees in you, but that’s the way it is, I suppose.”

Ryou kicked backwards, but unused to Anubisu’s body, he missed badly and Naaza stepped away from him easily. “What the Hell are you talking about?” Ryou snarled. It came out deep and gravely in Anubisu’s voice. “I never met him before the war!”

“He erased the memories you had of him. Our Rajura, you see, he’s a seer. He saw the future and he saw the war. Though he won’t admit it, I’m sure he knew the outcome. He just didn’t tell anyone. He saw our battles and told Anubisu that he’d have to fight against the one he loved and Anubisu decided he couldn’t do it. So he destroyed your memories and then had Rajura conceal his own. Why else would Anubisu willingly take your place in your torture? Now,” His smiled hardened a bit. “I’m going to rescue my brother. If you want to know the whole story, you might want to come along. If he dies, you’ll never find any answers and you’ll never get your own body back.”

DON’T! Rajura snapped. TINTAGEL ISN’T LIKE HERE OR THE YOUJA KAI. IF YOU GO THERE, YOU’LL HAVE NO POWER. THE YOROI WON’T WORK. THAT’S WHY THOSE TROOPERS COULDN’T SENSE THEIR COMRADE WHEN HE WAS TAKEN.

It was Kayura who answered, her voice sounding more sure of herself than she had since she’d been removed from Badamon’s influence. THEN WE’LL FIND ANOTHER WAY.

CHILD! GET YOURSELF HOME AND…

YOU INTRODUCED ME AS THE EMPRESS OF THE YOUJA KAI. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO BE? EMPRESS OR CHILD? I DON’T THINK I CAN BE BOTH. Kayura’s eyes grew hard even as she thought to Rajura. RIGHT NOW, A CHILD IS USELESS TO ANUBISU. RIGHT NOW, I MUST BE EMPRESS. YOU ARE MY GENERAL!

For a response, Rajura closed his mind so completely that they wouldn’t be able to trace him to wherever he was. It made Naaza curse silently. It was just like Rajura to keep all the fun to himself.


Ryou-


Lover?

Anubisu had been his lover?

‘That’s not right. It can’t be.’ Ryou looked again at the reflection that wasn’t his. ‘It’s a lie. But why?’ For the life of him, he couldn’t think of any reason for a lie. What benefit would it do to the Ma-Sho to lie about that? Ryou squelched the sick feeling in his stomach. ‘What kind of slut do they think I am?’ It wasn’t as if they knew about what had really happened before the wars. Though that woman had…Ryou put his hands to his head. That still hurt.

“You look like you need a drink.” Seiji, now dressed in his normal clothes, was standing close at Ryou’s side. He didn’t look entirely well, but at least he was awake and alive.

“You, of all people, are actually encouraging me to drink?” Ryou forced a laugh, but it didn’t sound very convincing, even to him.

“No, but if Anubisu normally looks like he wants to throw-up and faint at the same time, I don’t think he’d have made it as one of Arago’s generals.” Seiji looked closely at Ryou, studying him from all angles. “It’s hard to believe.”

“You’re telling me.” Of everyone on the planet, only the other Troopers knew Ryou as completely as that woman now did. Ryou didn’t even want them knowing so much about him, and they were his friends. He loved them like they were family, Hell! Seiji WAS family. But to have that crazy woman knowing everything, it really did make him want to throw-up. “Look, she knows. The woman who started all this knows everything. She knows about the yoroi.”

“How?” Seiji frowned. “I know for a fact you wouldn’t tell her anything so…oh.”

“What’s that mean?” Ryou demanded, crossly.

“Ryou…” Seiji hesitated, then came close enough to whisper into Ryou’s ear, “Did she get in your mind? She did. She…” Seiji spat out a curse and looked ill. “She pawed around in your head.”

How could Seiji know something like that? Ryou felt the blood drain from his face and he suddenly felt like he had nothing in his head but wool. Without warning, Ryou dashed to the room’s bathroom, closed the door behind him, then emptied his stomach into the toilet.

All the while he was doing that, all he could think of was that it had been Anubisu’s previous meal. For a while Ryou heaved until there was nothing left to bring up and Ryou was able to sit back and catch his breath. He wanted nothing more than to be at home in his warm bed and all of this to have been a nightmare.

No one barged in until Ryou was finished, but then the one who did come into the bathroom was a surprise. “Nasty?” He looked up at the woman who looked very tired.

“Don’t look so worried.” To Ryou’s surprise, Nasty knelt down next to him and put her arms around him. “Everything’s going to be alright. I’ll make sure of it for you. I know everyone’s confused now, but I promise it’ll be alright. Just promise me you‘ll take care of that body.”

“Why?”

“Well,” She smiled. “You never know. We might not be able to get you your body back if you can’t give Kuj back his. Now, everyone’s out there talking war. Well, everyone but Xiu’s parents who just want him to go home and Seiji’s grandfather who isn’t saying much of anything. I think he’s resigned to Seiji’s fate. Shin’s okaasan doesn’t know whether to cry or scream.” She pursed her lips together and looked frustrated. “This is all so inconvenient!”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. If the fae could have just minded their own business, this never would have happened. Trust me, it‘s not your fault.”

“I’m not sure.” There were a lot of things he wasn’t sure about. What he was sure of was that Anubisu was in his body and the last thing he remembered was being tortured. There had been a voice speaking to him that wasn’t any of the Troopers or Rekka. The voice had been familiar and, now that he thought about it, could very well have been Anubisu’s voice. Even now, Ryou knew he wasn’t alone. While he still couldn’t feel the other Troopers, there was something else there. A cool pulsing Ryou guessed must have been Yami. It seemed to be sleeping, though, and closed away from Ryou. He could also feel someone else and knew it was the same voice he’d spoken to just before he’d switched bodies with Anubisu. Even Ryou didn’t have too hard a time in figuring out who that was. “I just wish I could understand a little better.”

“It’ll come in time.”

“But it just doesn’t seem right. I’d never go after a guy like Anubisu. I don‘t even know what the others think about me, now. If they believe Naaza, if they think I‘ve been sleeping with the enemy…I haven’t! Honestly!” But really, what did he know about Anubisu other than the fact that he had a big sword?

“Are you alright?” Nasutei put her hand on Ryou’s forehead, though she was still smilingd. “You’ve turned bright red.”

“Just an unexpectedly dirty thought. They’re talking war out there?” Ryou pushed himself to his feet and nearly fell. Anubisu’s body just felt too big all over. Which brought on another dirty thought. If he’d really wanted to, while he was still in possession of Anubisu’s body, Ryou could find out just how big…all over.

“You’re blushing, again.” Ryou saw tears in her eyes. “I’m so glad this is going to work out. What a waste it would have been if you hadn’t been open to the idea.”

“Waste? Look, I don‘t know why you think you can fix everything, but you should stay here where it’s safe. If there’s gonna be another war, I should be in on it.” It was only right, after all. If anyone was going to be put at risk, it should be him. They’d all gotten hurt because of him, even if Ryou still wasn’t sure how. The important thing was to get his body back in one-piece and then try to switch back, even if he couldn’t use his own or Anubisu’s power. Couldn’t spend the rest of his life waking up to Anubisu’s face. Not that it was really THAT hard to look at. Oops. Dirty thoughts, again. “I’m glad you believe me, Nasty. What a mess it would have been if everyone had thought I was Anubisu. With my luck, I’d have gotten attacked or something.”

She laughed at that. “Oh, I think I should know the difference between you two better than anyone.” She stood up and patted him on the head and walked out of the bathroom.

Ryou followed her out, only a step or two behind, but by the time he’d walked out of the bathroom, she was gone. Ryou looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. Only then did Ryou realize something she‘d said. ‘Who’s Kuj?’

Everyone was ready to set off. It wasn’t as easy as it normally was. Xiu was trying to convince his parents that he wasn’t going to die and Shin was trying to convince his okaasan not to come along. Shin took the little woman’s hands in his and kissed her cheek. “Please, don’t do this.”

“She’s my wife!” Ryou had never seen Mouri-san so agitated. “How can I just sit here and do nothing?! Some pathetic…ugly…slut comes along, grabs her and….”

“And you have to let me take care of this. She’s my mum and I swear I won‘t let anything happen to her! Even…if I can’t,” Shin choked and drew his okaasan into a hug. “I can’t lose both of you. This is my responsibility.”

Mouri-san looked as if she might burst into fresh tears or start yelling, but then good sense won out. She nodded, pressing her lips together in a hard line. “All right. I’ll wait here. I know you’ll do everything you can. Touma, dear, if your mother shows up, I’m going to break her nose.”

“Thanks, okaasan Akane.” Touma gave her a thumbs-up. “Don’t break your nails, though.”

There was still the trouble of finding where Rajura was. Though Xiu loudly voiced his doubt that Rajura knew everything, Kayura told him very certainly that where Rajura was, they would find the enemy. It was made all the more difficult when they realized that to their usual method of transportation - standing in a circle to enhance their power - was slightly different. They lacked Ryou’s power, as well as having added Naaza and Kayura into the circle, threw things a little off balance. Added to the fact that they had to bring Ryou along, psychically carry him as he had no power of his own, made everything all the more difficult.

“Finding him won’t really be all that difficult.” Seiji said when Xiu brought up his concern. “He can hide, but not entirely. I can find him.”

“How?” Naaza asked, suspiciously.

Seiji said, with a perfectly straight face, “I’ll need sheep entrails to answer that.” Ryou had almost forgotten about Seiji’s tendency to lie.

“No problem.” Naaza answered. “We’re not that far away from farmland.”

“Oh, shut up and get away from the mirror.” Seiji grumbled. With that, he walked passed Naaza and went to the little mirror Ryou had been staring into earlier. Muttering something under his breath, Seiji stared into the mirror. Whatever he saw, Seiji kept to himself. Ryou looked over Seiji’s shoulder, but could only see Seiji’s face. After a moment the whole room fell silent but they still couldn’t hear what Seiji was muttering. “There!” Seiji broke away from the mirror and turned back to his audience triumphantly. “Found him.”

Naaza and Kayura looked at each other uncertainly. “Are you sure?”

“Very. Come along. Let’s get this done with.”

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Ryou heard Kayura whisper to Naaza as they formed the circle. “This has never been done before. How does he know where Rajura-san is?”

“I haven’t the slightest.” Naaza moved to stand in position with the others who prepared to transport. “Just relax and focus on Rajura.”

Just before they transported, papa Faun took Xiu’s arm. “Wait.” From under his coat, with a reluctant look on his face, papa Faun pulled a small handgun. “Take this. If you can’t use Kongo, you’ll be helpless.”

“NO!” Mama Faun protested, grabbing his arm. “You promised! I don’t want him…”

The argument was ended when Shin snatched the gun out of papa Faun’s hand and slipped it into the back of the waistband of his pants. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let Xiu play with these nasty things.”

“You can shoot?” Papa Faun, like most people who thought they knew Xiu, hadn’t guessed that he had more in his past than he wanted to admit to.

Shin’s okaasan gave a hysterical little laugh. “You wouldn’t believe what my boy can do. Just make sure you come home.” She looked around at everyone. “All of you.”

Then, following Seiji’s lead, they were gone.

It was a surprise to them all when they found themselves standing outside Nasty’s mansion. The first thing that any of them noticed was eerie feeling of being watched and when they looked about to see hundreds of pairs of eyes shining them in the darkness.

Those eyes, cold and waiting, weren’t nearly so worrisome to Ryou as the gnawing thirst that suddenly took hold of him.


Tintagel-
Bion-


“Your certain this is it?”

Bion didn’t look at Jomai. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on the arched entryway that had long since been abandoned. One didn’t need any magic to tell them that the castle’s entry hadn’t been used for many years and was probably forgotten. It was filled with cobwebs and a hundred or so tiny spiders. The entrance was obscured from casual view by overgrown bushes, forgotten statuary, and several large trees.

“I told you before,” Bion couldn’t keep the smirk off his face. “I can find ANYTHING. This is the entrance you want. What you do after you go in is your own business. Now,” He turned to face Jomai and held out his arms, expectantly. “My daughter?”

“Of course,” Jomai handed Luin over absently and put her hand on Bion’s arm. “For what it’s worth, thank you. I really was very fond of your mate and your young.” She started down the dark passageway at once. “Remember me, Bion. If this is treachery, I’ll haunt you.”

“I’ve kept my part of the bargain and I’ll go no further. It’s your responsibility to keep yourself alive.”

Jomai didn’t say anything to that and soon was swallowed up by the darkness. The utter silence of the garden was more disconcerting that sneaking around the Lady-Queen’s garden. A satisfactory end to a long job and there was no one who could say that he hadn’t done his best on all accounts. He’d completed his objective to the best of his ability, even though he’d have done a better job if the damned fae hadn’t come to wreck his plan, and he’d found the hidden entrance to the Castle of Light just as he’d said he would.

“But I didn’t get paid for that.” Bion grumbled. “I’ll have to track Jomai down if she survives her little rescue attempt.” But still, it was good for his ego, if nothing else. And, added to that, there was the fact that if he ever needed to get inside the Castle of Light he knew how to do it. It was useful information and therefore if the job had been done for free, Bion would count it as useful, regardless.

It hadn’t been a hard job, considering many of the jobs Bion had taken on in the past, but it was one of the most stressful. Bion didn’t like getting so close to the fae and just being where he was, skulking in the castle gardens, was enough to get him brought before the Lady-Queen Sedari and that was the absolute last thing he wanted to deal with. At least Jomai had kept to her word and handed Luin back to Bion the minute he’d taken her to the secret entrance. It wasn’t really a secret, anyway.

Bion turned away from the entrance, intending to start for home and try to settle back into life. He had a daughter to take care of and new responsibilities. Maybe he’d take on work as a scribe instead of a Finder. It was safer work and…

Bion was seized very suddenly by two monstrous hands, each one as big as his head and each one wrapped around his throat. The heartless Wyrm spun Bion around and shoved him hard against the stone wall of the castle, jostling Luin enough to make her cry. The Wyrm paid the baby no heed, but kept it’s awful gaze on Bion

“Where?” It muttered, hissing foul breath through the deadly mouth.

Bion had seen Wyrm’s before, but he’d never had the misfortune to come so close to one, nor had he ever had need to speak with one. His day was just getting worse and worse. “Where what?” Bion managed to get his voice to squeeze past the claws digging into his flesh.

“I can smell my boy on you.” It let go of Bion with one hand, but that was no reassurance as just a second later, Bion heard the hiss of steel and there was a sword at his throat. “My innocent, misused cub has been in your company. In fact, I’d wager you’ve ever put your hands upon him. You’ve had your paws on my property!” With each word, the Wyrm was getting angrier and angrier. “I smell not only my boy, but my beloved sword.” It lowered the sword just slightly and tapped the spot where Jomai had laid her hand upon his arm only moments ago. “You’ve put your hands on that, as well. Arrogant. I don’t think I’ve seen such presumption in a very long time. ”

“I had no idea they were yours.” Bion disliked groveling, so why did it seem like he was doing it so often? “Your boy? A human child with an easy laugh?” Bion hadn’t heard Ryou laugh often, only once while watching him and preparing the trap. But what a pleasant laugh it had been. “I was hired for the job. It was nothing personal.”

“Nothing personal? Again, with the blasé response. Not only has your search for money taken my Ryou from me, but it has taken my other boy. Both of them now damaged from such rough treatment. My sword was hidden, but you managed to find it.”

Sword? It was Jomai, then. Bion kept his mouth shut about that. He had no idea how it would affect the Wyrm’s temper if he were to say that he’d just sent the ‘sword’ into danger alone. “It was orders of the Lady-Queen.”

“As if I have any care for that mad, old crone.” It looked down when Luin let out a particularly loud wail and smiled in such a way that it made Bion tremble. “You have young of your own. Good. Then you know my despair at losing my boys. Let me warn you,” The Wyrm glanced around at the darkness. “I am not the only one who has lost children in all of this. Your actions have brought you to the attention of a master vampire and the generals of the demon Emperor, Arago.”

Bion felt himself pale and couldn’t stop it. Bad enough to have a Wyrm angry at him, but throw in a master vampire and a demon’s lapdogs? “None of them can get here.”

“They can if a pathway is open for them. And, if I know devious little Ari,” He spoke the name slowly, drawing it out as though he were afraid Bion would miss it. “He will have an entrance opened in short order.”

Ari? It wasn’t possible, but why should the Wrym lie? It had no reason to lie. Logic told Bion that Ari was near and finally willing to face the Lady-Queen. “Aw…nuts.”

“In a nutshell, as humans say. Now, I intend to take my humans away from this place before Abraham sets his vampires loose and before Ari looses his temper. Care to help or shall I make your young an orphan?”

There wasn’t any choice. “A fae woman just went down there. A passage behind the bushes. She’s your sword, unless I’ve become stupid all of a sudden. She’s going to find a boy called Ryou. I don’t know about the other one you’re talking about. I swear it!”

For a very long moment, the Wyrm studied Bion as if it were trying to see a lie on his face. Satisfied, it let him drop back down to the ground and stalked away. Before it had even reached the passage, it broke into a run.

“My poppet,” Bion whispered to his still whimpering daughter. “We have landed in it this time. Vampires, dhampires, demonic warriors, fae, and now a Wyrm. What say we get out of here? Midgard is lovely this time of year. I never cared much for spring in Tintagel, anyway.” It was as good of an excuse as any and Bion was sick to death of everything that had to do with Tintagel. He and his daughter vanished, never to set foot in Tintagel, again.


A cell under the Castle of Light-
Michael-


He wasn’t at all happy when he woke and he thought that it was the headache that did it to him. Too much to hope that it had been a dream. No, that woman had done something to him in the hospital. ‘And I was hungry! That’ll teach me to go in search of food when I’m supposed to be guarding Xiu.’

For some reason, whomever had captured him hadn’t bound Michael. He was just laying on the floor feeling bruised and a little worse for wear. It looked, for all the world, like a dungeon. Michael didn’t care, much. Why should he care? All that mattered was getting out and making sure that Xiu was alright. Well…he also had to find that woman. A little revenge wasn’t a bad thing. There was also that Mouri woman, the one who’d been attacked in the first place. What anyone could want with a nice, house-wife type of lady was beyond Michael. Actually, he knew very well what someone would want with her, but it was best not to dwell on such unpleasantness.

Michael spent a moment testing himself. He wasn’t injured that he could see, at least nothing serious. Well, how far could he be from home? A little investigation would be easily done once he left the room. Thankfully, whoever had had him locked up was a fool. Their technology was still in the dark ages and a four year old could have picked the lock. Michael nearly laughed when he’d bent down to examine it. No keypad or any electronics at all. It couldn’t have been easier if he’d wanted it.

And his mother had asked him why he wore hairpins. Teach her to call him girly.

Michael pulled a hairpin from his hair and used it to pick the lock. Cliché, yes, but effective. The door sprung open after just a moment’s work and Michael was free. He knew very well that the job wasn’t over until he was back at the Faun Family Restaurant with everyone accounted for, including Xiu. For all he knew, this whole mess was a plot by one of papa Faun’s rivals and they might have taken Xiu while Michael was unconscious.

‘They were after that lady, Mrs. Mouri, but she told me her son was a friend of Xiu’s. Maybe this is a way of getting at Xiu. Doesn’t make much sense, but it is a possibility.’ Which meant he had to make a thorough search of the building and surrounding area to make sure no one else was taken.

Michael put a hand to his jacket and made several pleasant - yet puzzling -discoveries. Whoever had kidnapped him hadn’t taken his gun or his cell phone. He could only imagine that they were amateurs who didn’t know what they were doing. He dialed the number for the restaurant, but all he got was static. That was odd. The cell phone had never failed him before. But, it wasn’t all that important. He’d find a payphone, if he had to. First order of business was to get out of the building.

The halls were like a maze, when Michael started trying to find his way around. They went round and round, upstairs and downstairs every wall looking exactly the same. There were torches for light but no windows and the only things to break up the monotony of walls were the cell doors that seemed to be spaced every five feet or so. All the while he wandered, he didn’t see a single guard in the whole place which told Michael - with growing dread - that no one ever tried to escape. ‘Either escape’s impossible, or they just think it is. Either way, it’s not a good sign.’

Because there was a chance that the woman, Mrs. Mouri, was in this place, Michael didn’t feel like he had much choice but to look for her. If, as he feared, this was all some kind of plot against the Faun Family, it was entirely possibly that the mother of one of Xiu’s friends could be used against him. For that matter, they might have already lured Xiu to whatever place this was. Michael didn’t know how long he’d been sleeping. Maybe it had been days that he’d been laying in that cell.

Every cell that Michael looked into had someone in it. Every one of the prisoners were quiet, though most of them still seemed to be alive. When Michael would look in through the little barred windows, he’d often see the prisoners turn their head or blink at him. Most of them seemed very young, but it struck him that they all looked alike. Tall and fair. Unlike the woman he’d seen in the hospital, though, they looked rather…wilted. Like a flower that was losing its color.

Michael hadn’t gone far before he turned a corner and nearly ran smack into a woman. She was nearly identical to the woman he’d seen in the hospital, the one who’d attacked Mrs. Mouri. Were all these people alike? Only after they stared at each other for a moment did Michael see the differences. Her nose was a bit longer, her eyes a shade softer. The total lack of insanity. Unfortunately, he realized all these differences after he’d already pulled out his gun and had it aimed at the woman.

If he’d been expecting a hysterical reaction, Michael was disappointed.

“A gun? How unusual. Still, keep it close. We may need it. This way.” And she started walking away with a purposeful stride. “Do try to keep up.”

Michael didn’t move. “I’m on my own way.” He told her, firmly. “I’m looking for a woman. She’s about so high with mousy brown hair. Bony little thing, too. Seen her?”

“A human?”

“No, a tyrannosaurs rex.”

“Really?” Then she started off down the hall again. “I’m sure you won’t find many of those here. However, I have heard of humans having been brought here before. If you do happen to need a human, I may be able to help you. I’m searching for one of my own, at the moment.”

Frustrated more than he thought possible, Michael began to follow her. “Where is this?”

“A dungeon. Other than that, I’m sure you wouldn’t believe me. How did you get here? This really isn’t a good place for humans.”

“I saw a…friend of mine.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. He’d only known Mrs. Mouri for a few minutes, but she had seemed rather nice. “She was in the neonatal ward of the hospital and a woman who looked remarkably similar to you had followed her. My friend fainted all of a sudden. Then I woke up here.”

“She looked like me?” The woman stopped short and turned to fix her hard eyes on Michael. “It’s possible. I’m told we all look alike. Neonatal? Your friend was with child?”

“That’s a quaint way to put it, but, yes. I’d guess she was if she was down there. Why do you look distressed all of a sudden? Should I be worried?”

“Probably.” She laughed. “Call me Jomai and as for what’s going on, I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you. Stay close and I’ll do what I can to see you and your friend get out of this alive. After I get my friend out, naturally.”

“I’d expect that.”

“The boy I’m looking for is right around the corner.”

“How do you know?”

“I always know where my Ryou is.” She smiled so fondly that Michael found himself glad to have seen it.

‘A pleasant sight, but not one to be dwelt upon.’ He told himself. It was certainly no time to get distracted. “Let’s go then. You help me and I’ll help you.” He followed Jomai, but kept his gun in his hand with the safety off. She ‘said’ she would help, but for all he knew, she could be part of the whole plot.

Michael had an urge to creep through the passages, but Jomai was not the creeping type, it seemed. She knew right where she was going and led Michael to a door that had no little window as most of the other cells did. “You’ll wait here. In a moment I’ll send the guards out.” Her face darkened. “They’ve hurt my Ryou, but it would be unwise at this point to kill them. I’ll take care of that later.”

There was no point in arguing with her commands, as Michael figured that she must know what was going on better than he did, so he did as she said and waited by the door. It wasn’t an easy wait. There was no cover to hide in and the chances of someone walking around the corner were too great for Michael’s nerves. He found himself tense as a bowstring with his eyes darting this way and that. After a moment, just at Jomai had predicted, two men came out of the room. Michael was able to hide behind the door so they never saw him. It struck Michael as odd that even the men, from what he saw of them, looked so much like Jomai and the woman he’d seen in the hospital. Were they all relatives or something? Their features were all so similar that even Michael found it a little intimidating.

After the men had gone and Michael was certain he was alone in the hall, he pushed the door of the cell closed, but not all the way, for fear of it locking. Time dragged by, but somehow Michael resisted the urge to call out to Jomai.

In the end, it was Jomai who called out. Quite loudly, too. “Human! Get down here!”

Human? Michael frowned at the word as well as the tone. She did keep hinting that she wasn’t human just from the way she used the word. Still, he did go into the cell. It was the strangest cell he’d ever seen, more like a large chamber. There were a set of stairs he had to go down and in the large room he saw Jomai bent over a table.

People were vile and the boy he saw on the table only confirmed Michael’s belief. It was the same boy he’d seen Xiu with so many times and he knew it would hurt Xiu to see his friend like this. A more foul sight, even Michael had never seen. In his long life, Michael had seen what evil humans were capable of. He’d seen the old steal the innocence of the young. He’d seen children torture helpless animals. He’d seen women kill their own children. This had to be on the top of the list of nightmares, though.

The boy, Ryou, had been opened like a pig for dissection for a high school science project. It was like the ‘Y’ incision used to open a cadaver during autopsy. Cut from both shoulders to the center of his chest and then a single cut straight down to his naval from there. Then, whatever sick mind had done this to the child had used large needles to pin him open, leaving all the vital organs exposed to light and whatever bacteria and germs might be floating around in the dank dungeon.

“Don’t stand there, fool!” Jomai’s voice snapped Michael out of his shock. “Help me!”

Worst of all, Michael thought as he rushed to the other side of the table and slipped his gun back into its holster, was that whoever had done this to the boy had left him wide awake. Even when Michael moved to take the restraining needles out of the boy’s mutilated flesh, he turned and looked at Michael with such angry eyes.

‘I know him!’ Michael realized with a sick feeling. ‘Xiu ran off with him just a few hours ago. They’re friends.’ THe plot was growing thicker. These people had taken a friend of Xiu’s, and the mother of a friend of Xiu’s. “What’s all this about?” Michael demanded of Jomai after he jerked the first needle free and started tugging on the second. “Why do this to him?”

“Because they can. My people have never been well-known for ethics. Just get Ryou unstuck and maybe we can avoid an all-out war. I doubt it, but it may be possible.”

“Get him out?!” Michael repeated, horrified. “We can’t move him! His insides will fall out!”

“This is no time to argue!” The fair woman seemed to be losing her composure for the first time and as she ran a hand over her hair to brush it away from her face, Michael saw her ear. It wasn’t a human ear and Michael suddenly realized that maybe this wasn’t a simple kidnapping. “We must get him out of here and then find the woman you’re looking for before the Lady-Queen can commit to transfer.”

“What are you talking about?” She was right about getting the boy out of there. How Ryou was still alive, Michael had no idea, but he was. “How’s he held down?”

“Glamour.” Jomai replied. “And I’m talking about the unborn child that the Lady-Queen will destroy if we don’t rescue it and the mother immediately. Why else would she want a mortal creature with child?” Jomai leaned over Ryou and stared into his eyes. “There.” She straightened up. “They’d loosened their hold of his mind to let him react to the pain. I suppose they wanted to see how he would react. It’s lucky for us. If they hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to break it.”

“Fire.” Ryou whispered the word., blinking his eyes furiously and clenching his hands open and closed, desperately trying to move himself. “Give me fire to close the wounds. We must get away!” It was shocking that Ryou could still speak, let along think so clearly.

“I don’t know that fire will work…”

“We haven’t got a choice.” Ryou grinned. “Unless you think you a have a hope of calling an ambulance? You’ve already tried, haven’t you? Your phone doesn’t work. Pull those last pins out then bring fire. They were careful not to damage anything inside. You just have to seal the outside and I’ll make it. Trust me,” He looked at Michael with such fierceness that Michael was taken aback. The boy had murder on his mind. “I’ll let nothing harm this body.”

Now there was an odd thing to say. Still…couldn’t just leave the boy.

“Alright. Alright.” Michael agreed. There was plenty of fire around from the lanterns and torches on the walls so Michael fetched one of them while Jomai finished freeing the boy, Ryou. “I don’t see how it’s going to work, but let’s just do it and get out.” If he had a needle and thread, Michael was certain he could do a better job of stitching up the boy instead of the drastic measure of cauterizing the wounds. No matter how defiant he was at the moment, Michael knew that the chances of Ryou surviving were very slim. For that matter, where was all the blood? With what he’d obviously gone through, why wasn’t the floor covered in a great puddle of blood?

He returned with a lantern and held it out for Jomai. “What do you want, next? I’ve never done this before.”

“You just stand guard at the door. This one and I will be there shortly. ” She gave Ryou a hard, peculiar glare. Hadn’t she seemed fond of him when she spoke of him moments ago? “If he survives the healing.”

“That doesn’t sound promising.”

Michael looked down at Ryou to see his reaction, but the boy said nothing. He just watched Jomai expectantly before turning an amused smile to Michael. “You’d best do as she says. Neither of us are in any position to argue.” His eyes turned back up to Jomai. “Do you worst.”

When Jomai pulled a tiny dagger from her bodice and inserted the blade into the flames of the lantern, Michael left to do as Jomai asked and guard the door. He looked over his shoulder every now and again to check on their progress, but Jomai’s back was towards him and Michael couldn’t see anything of Ryou but his head and legs. While he would see Ryou flinch or grimace from the pain, not once did the boy cry out and that amazed Michael. He could hardly believe that his torturers had given Ryou any medication, he was too articulate to be medicated.

‘And somewhere in this madhouse, that poor woman’s here.’ He didn’t even want to think about what he’d do if she’d been treated like Ryou had been. The people of this place deserved nothing less than death. ‘She can’t be too far off. How big can this place be?’ It was that thought that got Michael to stray from his place by the door. There were no enemies around that Michael could detect and he couldn’t resist the chance to peek into a few more of the doors.

After all, she wasn’t his employer and though Ryou might be a friend of Xiu’s, Michael’s first duty was to make sure Xiu wasn’t in the nightmare and, if he were, to get him out. Jomai and Ryou would just have to wait their turn.

All the cells in the halls looked the same, all but one.

There was a cell with two guards standing rigidly at attention, their backs against the door. They carried long spears, but didn’t really look all that dangerous. They looked frail, but that could mean nothing. It was a mistake to judge people on appearances. Michael knew that he looked ordinary. Unless they knew his reputation, no one was afraid of him. Criminal behind the door or not, if there was a secret that Michael should know, he knew it would be found in that room.

Easy enough to shoot the unsuspecting guard, but then what? There would be no noise as Michael customarily wore the silencer on his gun, but even that might not be effective. He was fairly convinced that he wasn’t dealing with humans, so who could tell if bullets would affect them at all? Even if he did manage to kill the guard, what guarantee did he have that there wasn’t some kind of dangerous criminal locked behind that door? He wasn’t about to set anyone dangerous loose on the world.

‘Strangulation is out of the question. Even I can only do one at a time and the other could shout for help, if nothing else.’

While Michael was trying to figure out what to do, something landed on his shoulder. It was a weight so heavy that it nearly sent him off balance. A weight wrapped around Michael’s throat and he was yanked out of the room, into the passageway, but what he saw when he looked at the…thing…that was holding him, made Michael forget everything else, even poor Ryou.

It was huge.

Gray in color and with a body that was something like a giant insect or a lizard. It’s eyes were very large, but it had no ears that Michael could see. It’s long snout came close to Michael’s face and for the first time in his life, he was too afraid to remember the gun in his hand. It breathed on Michael and he choked on the smell. Not foul, but overly sweet - syrupy.

The creature didn’t look either male or female, naked save for the glimmering of translucent scales that adorned it's body. It was completely hairless and looked rather like a humanoid lizard with claws on its hands and feet and large, alien eyes. It was delicate, with a thin but powerful body.

“You…” The thing said, it’s voice sounding odd as it worked its way around the needle-like teeth. “You are another stranger. How many I seem to be meeting today.” The hand tightened around Michael’s throat and he found himself gasping for air. “Tell me where my weapon is.”

“Your damned weapon is in your hand.” Michael said as evenly as he could. “The only weapon I have is my own. Now, get off me!” Michael managed to say it without yelling, but couldn’t take much pride in that. If he couldn’t keep calm, he might just end up crying and, in all honesty, Michael didn’t think his pride could take that blow.

The creature let out a sound that might have been a laugh, but it did let go of Michael.

At the sound of the laugh the guard at the door, whom Michael had been watching, jerked towards them and raised his spear to attack. He opened his mouth but whatever he was going to say didn’t come out. Instead, a choked sound and a little blood spurted out of his mouth.

Probably had something to do with the sword the creature had run through his chest.

The second guard took two steps forward, but go no further because of Michael’s gun. His shot was perfect, right between the eyes and Michael knew the man was dead before he fell. He turned his attention back to the creature who nodded approvingly at the man Michael had killed.

Michael had known a lot of fighters in his life and even more killers. He’d gone through rigorous martial arts training at the insistence of papa Faun and he’d seen masters in action. Still, despite all that, he’d never seen anyone move so fast as the monster had.

“Fae drop like canaries in a mine at the first sign of resistance. They aren’t in for a good war. Not anymore. They used to be interesting opponents. Now that we’re free of interruptions,” It stalked back to Michael, not seeming to care that the blood was running off its sword and dripping onto the floor. “Perhaps you’ll tell me where my sword is. I can smell it on you.” The creature drew the sword from the dead man’s chest and smiled at the blood. The word came out almost like a sigh. In its hand, the creature held a sword that looked like something out of a fantasy movie. It just didn’t look like a real weapon. But the way the creature was holding it left little doubt about how effective it thought the sword would be.

Michael would sooner trust his gun, though. “Far as I can see, it’s in your hand.”

“Very funny. I’m searching for the twin of this sword.”

“Don’t know anything about a sword.” Michael edged around the creature and tried to ignore how amused it looked. ‘I’d be amused if someone was as afraid of me as I am of it. I wonder what that thing is. I guess there’s no polite way to ask.’ “I’m looking for a way out.”

“Then you’re going in the wrong direction. You’re going deeper into the dungeon.” It laughed again. It wasn’t a reassuring sound. “If you’re looking for other humans, there’s one in that room. I can smell it. Female, I think.”

One look into the tiny window in the door showed Michael the woman he’d been looking for. She was laid out of a bed, and looked as if she were asleep. The room didn’t look like a cell, but a comfortable room. The bed was quite big and decked out in pink blankets and lacy pillows and the walls were a cheery yellow. There were flowers on the little tables at the bedsides and a pleasant perfume in the air.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone. There were several other people, the most prominent of them being the woman Michael had seen in the hospital. She was pacing around the bed, listening to men talk.

Curiously, Michael strained to listen, also.

“The baby is developing perfectly. It’s an ideal vessel for your divine soul, Lady-Queen. She’s very healthy, from what we can tell. Are you determined to go through with this? It hasn’t been attempted in a good many years.”

“Do I ever change my mind?” The woman asked, sharply. “This is what must be done. Ari will love me all the more if I were the shape of a human. He cares for mortals. If I could, I would arrange to take the shape of a dhampire and replace the ruffian who takes up my Ari’s time.”

“You do realize that the unborn child’s soul will be destroyed the moment you complete the ceremony, don’t you?”

“Of course.” She answered carelessly.

Michael stepped back away from the door, furious and seeing red. That hadn’t happened for a very long time and never because of some woman he’d only known for a few moments. To destroy an unborn child’s soul? Monstrous. Simply monstrous. Still irrational, Michael raised his gun and wondered how many he could kill before the rest of the guard would come but he didn’t get close to firing or even aiming.

The monster grabbed him by the throat and pulled him away. “No time for this.”

“They’re going to hurt her baby. I can’t just leave her!” Michael hissed, trying to pull against the creature’s grip.

“You must!” The creature pulled hard on his arm until Michael heard the footsteps and voices getting closer and closer. There was no choice. He turned and fled with the thing, moving as quietly as they could through the hallways, but as they went he could only think that it was stupid. Utterly stupid to think that they would be able to go through a whole castle completely unnoticed. The castle was lit brightly, there were no dark corners of narrow passages they could keep to. Still, the thing didn’t seem worried and Michael didn’t see where he had much of a choice. As they went, he kept his hand close to his side so that if it became necessary, he’d be able to grab the small gun he kept in his holster under his jacket.

When the creature took him by the hand it startled Michael enough to make him pull away, but it did no good. The creature held on tightly and kept walking. “Keep still and quiet. The fae are a dangerous people and what you did to involve yourself with them, I have no idea. It was a mistake, whatever it was.”

“I was in the wrong place.”

“I don’t care. Keep silent.” The claws on its hands dug painfully into Michael’s hand. It jerked its head to one side and then to the other, listening with the ears that were nothing more than little holes in the side of its head. “If you prove to be more risk than advantage, then you may find yourself wishing I’d left you in the comfort of the fae’s dungeon.” It swung its head around to meet Michael’s stare and pulled back its lips, showing off teeth in a terrible grimace. “I am Wyrm. There will soon be a war and before that happens, I plan to reclaim my property. If you go in to rescue that woman, you’ll do nothing but die. She will weigh you down as you try to escape and you will, at best, be killed. At worst, you will be captured. You aren’t fast enough to hope to fight them and your mind is too human to avoid glamour. If you wish to live you’ll follow me. I have a feeling you may be useful.”

The Wyrm led Michael straight back where he’d come from where he found Jomai coming out of the cell, helping Ryou along. Though he looked worse for wear and had ugly, raw burns on his chest in the shape of a “Y”, Ryou was alive that was at least one blessing. He was pale and looked like death warmed over, but all of that could be dealt with later.

Ryou’s reaction upon seeing the Wrym wasn’t what Michael had expected.

“I thought you might be here.” Ryou and Jomai said in unison. They both turned and stared at each other, apparently shocked that the other one would know the Wyrm. Ryou looked irritated and Jomai looked almost angry, but neither of them said anything. “Let’s just go.” Ryou said at last, sounding disgusted. “I can’t stand this much longer.”

Despite the fact that there were potentially enemies all around, it amazed Michael that the Wyrm took time to gape at Ryou. “What has happened?”

“Don’t ask me.” Ryou grumbled. “I just got here. What do you know?”


Anubisu-


It didn’t really surprise Anubisu to see the Wyrm in the dungeon, though he supposed that maybe it should have. Why not? It had masqueraded as both a wolf and a tiger for how many hundreds of years? Why shouldn’t it be able to sneak into wherever they were? The important thing was to get Ryou’s body back to Ryou and retrieve his own. “Don’t ask me. I just got here. What do you know?”

“That you know more than you’re telling, little brother. Your sire and Rajura were both very upset. You put your mind too close to Ryou’s and let him exchange places with you. You‘re stuck.”

“Very clever. Now, don’t suppose you know a way to get us unstuck?”

“It was your doing. You and Ryou will have to sort this out on your own.”

The human looked confused and the woman looked even more angry than she had before, but she didn’t say anything. Anubisu was glad for her support. He’d never felt so weak, but sealing the wounds made by the fae had done nothing to ease the pain. If only everything else would straighten itself out. He felt like he couldn’t smell anything and as if his ears were filled with cotton. Was this what it was like to live as a human? To have one’s senses dulled was no way to go through life. It made Anubisu pity humans.

The Wyrm nodded and turned to lead the way out, but stopped very suddenly and looked around before it let out a laugh. “That wretched human. He’s gone back for the woman.” It turned its gaze to the woman and smiled. “My weapon.” It purred with pleasure. “My greatest tool.”

She smiled and held out a hand to the Wyrm. “I am at you disposal, maker.”

The Wyrm took her hand and the moment they touched there was a terrible light that burned at Anubisu’s eyes and made him look away. As soon as he could look again, the woman was gone and the Wyrm held a second sword. It held the two swords aloft, side-by-side. “Perfection. My greatest creations.”

“I saw that sword in Ryou’s mind.” Anubisu breathed. It shocked even him who’d seen so many things. “How…?”

“You talk too much for one injured.” The Wyrm looked at Anubisu closely, scrutinizing the sealed wounds. “Can you walk alone? Must I retrieve that human man to assist you?”

“No. I can make it.” Anubisu couldn’t stop thinking about it. “How did you do that? That woman was real.”

“Rajura’s illusions often seem real. The Ryoken Twins were made long ago for a war I did not wish to lose. They came to the attention of people who would possess them. For their safety, I hid one with the human family of the Sanadas and the other in the shape of a woman. When I found her spending time as a virgin in the cult of the carpenter it was great luck. She looked after my Ryou and I was able to keep close to her. Now,” It rubbed its thumb against the dragon wrapped around the hilt. “Now, it has taken back a previous form.”

“So…” Anubisu thought, sifting through the dim memories he’d seen when he’d taken Ryou’s blood for the first time. “Sister Jo was your sword? And this fae woman?” How unlikely was that? A sword living multiple lives.

“To be precise, the Ryoken, was Jomai, the fae. She was bored with this life and chose to masquerade as a human woman. She happened to meet Ryou and myself, then later returned to this place, Tintagel. The Sanada family was kept nearly worshiping that sword for centuries when I charged their ancestor to hunt for the twin. It was good busy work.” It walked slowly beside Anubisu who struggled not to let the pain show on his face. “Now that I am armed again, I think I will help Abraham keep his vow.”

“What?”

“Nevermind.”

It was times like that, when the Wyrm led them back down a hall it had just come down to find the human man, when Anubisu was tempted to believe that Naaza was right. Humans were stupid. To think that even a human would be fool enough to just wander around the fae’s castle was nearly unbelievable, but this one had.

“How is Ryou?” The Wyrm asked as they prowled slowly down the halls. “You are still in contact with him?”

“Only distantly.” Anubisu looked up at the fae woman and wondered why she said nothing about all of this. She obviously knew Ryou, though how, Anubisu didn’t know. She had to guess that something was wrong. “He’s alive and well, but I suppose he’s confused to wake up in a different body…wait.” Anubisu had heard something. A high-pitched cry and frenzied, drawn-out laugh.

“He lives!” It was the woman who’d taken Ryou, Anubisu recognized her hateful voice as she shrieked out ecstatically. There was the sound of a door slamming open and the voice came closer. “My Ari! He calls to me! Ari lives for me!” She laughed manically and didn’t stop until she passed them in the hallway.

Aubisu felt himself freeze even as the Wyrm’s hand tightened around the sword that had been Jomai.

The mad fae drifted passed them. She had just turned a corner and come face to face with them. There was a dreamy, far-away look on her face and though she looked right at them - Anubisu knew her eyes met his - she made no hint that she actually saw them. She came within feet of them, inches of brushing against the Wyrm, but looked right through them.

“He calls to me. He calls….me. Ari! Mine…at last….mine!”

Strangely, the Wyrm did nothing, just watched her pass and vanish into the darkness. “She’s not mine to deal with.” The Wyrm whispered. “That is Rajura’s duty.”



To be continued….