Rumiya raised the Halo blade higher still. Her teeth were clenched tightly, her eyes hard and almost black. Sage stared down his nose at her, raising his chin proudly, but he couldn't hide the heartbreak in his eyes.
"What are you waiting for, wench? Kill him!" Sharad demanded impatiently. Rumiya shot a hard glance at him. Tasu shifted, perhaps impatiently, perhaps uneasily.
Rumiya raised the blade again. Again, she hesitated. {Why can't I do this?} she wondered angrily. {This is what I came here to do! I should end it, now!} Sage's eyes stared into her own.
"Finish it," Tasu's soft, light voice commanded emotionlessly. Rumiya nodded sharply and raised the blade a third time. The light flashed in her eyes.
All in a rush, Rumiya's mind was flooded with memories--the first time she'd met Sage, the time Okamiko had stolen half his pants, dancing at some of the clubs, the jokes, the friendly banter . . . that soul-shattering kiss. She stared at the pain and confusion in Sage's eyes.
Why? he seemed to ask. Why can't you accept my love? Why can't you love me the way I love you? Rumiya stared back, unable to answer those questions. Sage silently formed three words with his lips: "I love you."
"End it, or I will!" Sharad snapped, drawing his sword.
"I'll end it!" Rumiya shot back. This time, when she raised the sword, there was no hesitation. The blade descended in a swift arc, straight for Sage's heart.
White Blaze sat morosely in front of the house. He licked absently at the bandage on his leg before rolling on his side and letting his head fall to the ground. He let out a huge sigh.
Some small sound attracted his attention. He looked up sharply, ears perking, to see Okamiko standing some ten feet away. :You!: he cried, stumbling to his feet.
Okamiko turned haunted eyes on the tiger. :I . . . have failed her, she . . . has raised to Sword of Light . . . at the command of darkness . . . : the wolf said softly. She could stand no more; she lifted her head for a mournful, shame- filled cry.
:You expected otherwise?: White Blaze asked blankly, stunned. He twitched an ear at the sounds of running feet and startled cries inside. Okamiko hung her head.
:I had hoped . . . that Halo would bring her back . . . but . . . : Okamiko howled piteously again. :She is lost!: The wolf rolled on her back, baring her throat. :Strike me down! Tear out my throat! I have failed!:
White Blaze made his decision. :Take us to her,: he commanded gently as Ryo and the others arrived, shouting their confusion. Okamiko looked back at him, uncomprehending. :We may be able to help her if we are in time! Quickly! Lead us to her!:
:As you command, elder one!: Okamiko responded, hope making its way back into her eyes. She rolled to her feet and started off at a fast trot. White Blaze loped painfully after her. After a moment, the humans followed.
"Miya, you stay--"
"Absolutely not, Ryo!"
"You are the most infuriating bitch!"
"Knock it off . . . " There was an edge in Rowen's voice. Ryo and Miya immediately fell silent.
{The only good thing . . . about this run . . . is that Ryo and Miya are . . . too out of breath . . . to fight!} Sai thought, struggling to keep up.
:This way!: Okamiko cried, trying to find a path the humans could use. :I see a break large enough for them!:
:You do well, little sister,: White Blaze complimented absently. His extra senses were trained completely on the Circle, trying to determine where the Light that was Rumiya lay in relation to the physical world. :Is it not to the north more?:
:No. The Circle is skewed, Elder! It cannot be trusted right now! I know the physical location.: White Blaze sighed silently at this answer and continued to follow.
"How far . . . are we going?" Miya gasped, stumbling along behind even Sai. "I can't . . . go on . . . for much longer!" Ryo fell back to her side and, without breaking stride, flung her up over his shoulder. "Ryo!"
"You'd rather . . . keep running?" Ryo asked, holding her there with one hand on her back. Miya growled a bit and muttered under her breath, folding her arms and glaring at the others, daring them to laugh.
:BEDANMED!: Okamiko suddenly cursed. White Blaze glanced at her, startled. :I forgot about the chasm--it'll take almost an hour to go around!:
:We could leap it?: White Blaze suggested. Okamiko whined in annoyance.
:You and I, yes, but not them.: She whined again. :I know what widths they can jump, and it's too far for Lord of Water, and probably for Lord of Fire, with his mate on his shoulder!:
:His what!?: White Blaze demanded.
:Is she not?: Okamiko dismissed the subject. :Another time, Elder One. We must go to the east!:
Sage wanted to keep his pride, but he couldn't prevent his eyes from widening. The blade drew closer, and he shut his eyes tightly, clenching his teeth against the pain he knew would come.
There was a clash of metal on metal, and his eyes flew open. The Halo sword met the edge of Sharad's sword in a spray of sparks.
"Ru," Sage breathed, his heart suddenly lighter. Rumiya said nothing, only gritting her teeth and smoothly lunging again.
Tasu departed in the first few seconds of battle, his shadowed form rippling and vanishing. Sharad roared and sliced wickedly at Rumiya. Rumiya parried each blow.
"Ru, watch out!" Sage yelled suddenly. Sharad brought his hand up and threw something into Rumiya's eyes. Rumiya fell back a bit, clawing at it. Sharad's eyes gleamed red.
Rumiya let the Halo sword slip out of her hand, her eyes widening. "No," she whispered. "No . . . " She fell to her knees. "Stop!"
"I will teach you to obey," Sharad promised dangerously.
"Stop it!" Rumiya cried, tears in her voice. "Please!"
"Beg, child. Beg for your tortures to end."
"Ru! Ru, fight it!" Sage called. ::Rumiya!:: he cried mentally.
Rumiya covered her eyes and rocked back and forth a bit. "STOP!!!!!!!!" she screamed. The agony in her voice tore at Sage's heart. Sharad let out a disgusted snort.
"Not good enough, brat!" He knocked her halfway across the room. "Beg!" When Rumiya did nothing, he walked over to her and hit her again.
Sage struggled against the chains fiercely, until his wrists bled. "Rumiya!!" he screamed desperately. "Rumiya! Rumiya, fight him!"
Sharad reached down and picked Rumiya up by the throat. "Your fight . . . is over."
Okamiko stumbled and fell with a slight yip of pain. White Blaze shook his great head wildly, stumbling to a halt. Ryo, right on his tiger's tail, tripped, and Miya went flying to skid roughly across the forest floor. "Ry-oooo!" she screeched, infuriated. She pushed herself up on her elbows, scowling. When she saw the looks on her friends' faces, she stopped.
Their kanjis were glowing brilliantly. Their eyes were wide, and they stared at each other, stunned. They could feel Halo again--but it wasn't Sage. "Rumiya!" Ryo gasped.
"And she's in serious trouble!" Rowen realized.
Okamiko stumbled to her feet dizzily. :Ooooh . . . : she moaned. :I don't ever again want to be that deeply involved in the Circle when it snaps! Never!:
:That makes two of us,: White Blaze agreed wearily, trying to shake off his headache. :It's enough to break lesser minds than ours.: Okamiko went into the lupine version of full blush at that, lowering her head to the ground and whining in embarrassed pleasure.
"Man, where is she!?" Kento demanded impatiently, never noticing the animals' by-play. He looked around as if expecting Rumiya--and Sage--to appear out of thin air.
"What's going on?" Miya asked warily as she climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. Sai spared her an almost startled glance.
"Rumiya's got the Halo armor," he began.
"We already knew that, didn't we?" Miya asked, frowning.
"We knew she had the kanji orb, but that doesn't always mean somebody can summon the Armor," Rowen explained.
:Are you fully recovered, little sister?: White Blaze asked Okamiko. The wolf listened to her body for a moment.
:I believe so, yes. Time to go?:
:If we are to be in time to save them both, yes.: White Blaze padded over to Miya and nudged her, looking at her urgently. When Miya blinked at him, uncomprehending, Okamiko reared up on her hind legs behind Miya and pushed her over. Miya fell across White Blaze's back with a shriek.
"Looks like it's time to go," Ryo said, all business. He tried very hard not to crack a smile at the look on Miya's face. Miya shot him a glare that should have frozen his blood in his veins as she straightened and sat on White Blaze's back.
Okamiko again led the way, her paws scarcely seeming to touch the ground. {Please let us be in time!} she prayed fervently.
Rumiya hung limply in Sharad's grasp, her fingers curled loosely around his wrists. Tears streamed down her face, and she struggled not to sob as Sharad held off strangling her to watch her suffering. She was partially aware of Sage, struggling so hard against his chains black spots were appearing in front of his eyes, but her main focus was on the terror churning within her.
Sage gave up on the chains, helplessness gnawing at him. He decided to try another approach, instead. ::Ru! Ru, tell me what's wrong, what's he doing to you?::
Rumiya started a bit, her eyes flying wide. She'd almost forgotten about Sage until his voice sounded in her mind. ::Sage!:: she cried. ::Sage, I--:: The terror crashed over her as Sharad slowly tightened his grip and her vision started to fade.
She barely heard Sage's mental cry ::Rumiya!:: as time seemed to slow to a halt. {I can't!} she thought frantically. {I can't go back into the darkness! No!}
What is darkness? a soft non-voice asked. Rumiya was stunned. Darkness is no light, yes? But you are light! Rumiya had no response for the simple, confused statement. What of Sagefriend, if you give up? No light then for anyone!
{Sage . . . } she thought, her attention suddenly drawn to him. Sage was slumped against the wall, only the chains holding him up. A single tear ran down his cheek, his eyes closed tightly, his head hung low. Rumiya looked over to see herself limp in Sharad's grip; she gasped, understanding suddenly that she had left her own body.
Sharad was stunned and infuriated when his victim's eyes snapped open. "I don't think so, pal!" Rumiya snarled viciously. She suddenly tore Sharad's hands away from her throat. She let herself fall and then rolled across the floor. She came to her feet just in time to parry Sharad's strike with the Halo sword.
Sage was stunned speechless. He'd seen Rumiya die at Sharad's hands. He just stared at the battle, his jaw dropping. He was utterly speechless, paralyzed by the sudden intense emotions in his heart.
Rumiya refused to play around with Sharad the way she had with Sage's father. She was deadly serious--literally. In a matter of moments, Sharad's lifeless body slid from the Halo blade. Rumiya ignored it and walked over to Sage. She raised the blade.
Sage's eyes widened. Surely she couldn't mean to-- The chains above him shattered, and he dropped to his knees at the shock of it. He looked up just in time to see Rumiya's face pale as she fainted right into his arms.
Okamiko skidded to a stop before a narrow crack in the cliff wall. She was so excited she leapt into the air a bit, yipping excitedly. A shadow moved towards them, and the others fell into fighting stances.
:It's them, elder one! It's them--they're safe! Both of them!: Okamiko reared up to put her front paws on Sage's arm as he emerged from the crack, licking his face and whining happily.
"Sage!" burst from five human throats. Then there was an excited babble of "Are you okay? What happened? What's wrong with Rumiya?" Sage couldn't help grinning.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'll tell you what happened when we get back to the house. As for Ru . . . " He looked down at her pale, worn face with a look of such tenderness his friends were stunned. "She just needs some rest."
"And you need those wrists tended to!" Miya said suddenly, frowning at the scrapes. Sage closed his eyes in resignation as Miya began her inevitable fussing. The others snickered into their hands.
Rumiya slumbered peacefully in Sage's arms, a soft smile touching her lips. "Sage," she whispered in her dream. "I love you . . . "