By Akuma-chan
Dais wandered into the book store. His thoughts were dark, his face solemn. Like Rowen, when he was troubled, he was drawn to books.
<Sehkmet, you traitor. You know what he's like; how can you return to him?> he thought. He chose a book of poetry and started to leaf through it. <And how long before the rest of us turn, too?>
He sighed quietly. He knew the thought was on Cale's mind, too, and Kayura's. <The Ronins can't know how . . . seductive Talpa's words can be. He knows exactly where to strike, exactly what to offer. Even Kayura doesn't fully understand. But we know, Cale and I. We know.>
"Oh! Excuse me!" a girl's voice said abruptly. Suddenly Dais found his arms full of her. She looked up, grinning ruefully. "I'm so terribly sorry! The stool tipped over on me, and--" She stopped. "W-why are you looking at me so peculiarly?"
Dais allowed a small smile to settle on his lips. "I believe we've met before," he said. "At Moonlight." The girl frowned. "I'm hurt you've forgotten so quickly."
"Y-you're Mr. Gen!" the girl gasped.
"Yes, Miss Kinutani. So you do remember." Dais smiled victoriously. He raised the girl's fingers to his lips. She blushed furiously, her huge pansy eyes sparkling brightly. She peeked up to see Dais surveying her admiringly and blushed again, raising one delicate hand to her cheek.
"Oh, so there you are! Are you coming to lunch, or not, Dais?" Sei asked, coming around the edge of the shelves. The look Dais gave her had full-fledged swords in it. She blinked and drew back. "Oh!"
"Um . . . I have to go," Iyo said shyly. She started to leave, but Dais' fingers tightened around hers.
"What's your number?" he asked. "I'd like to call you tonight." Iyo blushed furiously. She pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen and scribbled her number down. Dais took the paper and tucked it carefully in his shirt pocket. "Until later, then, Fair Charmer . . . " he said, raising her fingers to his lips again. Iyo blushed yet again.
Sei giggled. "Don't believe a word he says," she advised. "He's a notorious flirt!" Dais glared at her again.
"Are you still here?"
"Miya won't let us get lunch without you, and Kento's whining," Sei explained, shrugging. "Somebody had to come after you!"
"You could've sent Rowen," Dais grumped. "He wouldn't have interrupted."
"Probably because he never would have made it here," Sei responded dryly. "Now, are you coming, or can I tell Miya you don't want lunch and shut Kento up?"
"I'm sure you know a better way to do that," Dais said slyly. Sei blushed furiously.
"Oh! You jerk!" she gasped. Dais smirked and turned back to Iyo.
"I'll call you," he promised. Iyo nodded shyly. Dais turned to go, glancing over at Sei. "You coming, Sei? I thought you wanted to shut Kento up!"
"If you don't watch it, I'm going to hit you, and hard!" Sei said, pouting. "Like I hit Kento!"
"And it'll have about as much effect," Dais responded dryly.
If either had looked back at Iyo, they would have seen a crafty smile on her lips.
"Hey, what's your problem, dude?" Kento said as Dais scowled at him. The two engaged in a glaring contest. Sei giggled.
"What's the matter, Day-is? Wasn't Miss Kinnutani at home? Aw, poor baby, blown off by a fifteen- year-old!" she teased. Dais' ugly glare turned to her.
"Leave her alone, Spider-boy!" Kento growled protectively.
Dais stood and stalked out of the room. He slammed the door behind him, making Kento and Sei wince. "You ought to know better than to tease him," Rowen said. "Like Sage, he gets sulky when a girl blows him off."
"Hey! Why drag me into this!?" Sage protested indignantly. Rowen looked coolly at him.
"Why not?" he said, shrugging. "Besides, I still haven't forgiven you for ruining the past two discussion groups I had here!"
"You cannot tell me you never noticed how hot Miku is!" Sage said flatly. "I refuse to believe it."
"Unlike some people I know, I do not think with my hormones first and foremost!" Rowen snapped back, closing his book with a sharp crack. He glared angrily at Sage. Sage glared right back.
"Please, stop it!" Sei pleaded. "We shouldn't fight like this!" There were tears in her eyes, and huge sea-blue eyes silently begged the squabbling pair to stop.
"Sei's right," Kento said flatly, standing. "We should save our energy for pounding the Dynasty!" He smacked his fist into his palm graphically.
"You're right," Rowen admitted softly. He glanced at Sage. "I guess this having to get back into using our armors has got us all kinda on edge." He paused. "Sorry, Sage."
"Yeah, I'm sorry, too, Ro," Sage admitted. "We've got to think of some way to save Yuli from Talpa's hold, not fight with each other. And without hurting Sehkmet, either."
"Why not hurt him?" Sei muttered resentfully, folding her arms and looking away haughtily. "I never liked him, anyway!"
"He had his good points," Rowen said dryly.
"Not that I saw," Sei responded.
"Well . . . he's actually a pretty decent cook," Kento offered trepidatiously. Sei shot him a look that could have made his blood boil in his veins. Kento flinched. "Aw, c'mon, Sei, lighten up!"
"Have you forgotten what his plans for me are!?" Sei demanded shrilly. "If you think for one minute--"
"Hold on, Sei, nobody's going to let him get his hands on you in his current state!" Sage interposed swiftly. "And you know perfectly well when he's not evil, he won't do anything like that!"
"I . . . I know," Sei admitted. "I guess--I'm just--just a little--edgy, myself, is all."
"More like scared out of your mind," Kento muttered. "Assuming you have one."
"I heard that!" Sei snapped. "I have more of a mind than you, any day!"
"Oh, yeah? Then prove it! Ha! You're a good cook, but you're hardly Helen of Troy!" Kento snapped back, grinning a little.
"Ooh, I'm so impressed! It only took you two years to remember that story!" Sei shot back, her anger turning to a more playful mood.
"History, schmistory! At least I passed Phys Ed the first time around!"
"You overgrown ape! Of course you did, it's the only thing you could pass without help!"
"They're going to be at it for a while," Sage muttered.
"It's hurting my ears already," Rowen said. "Let's go see what Ryo and Miya are up to."
"Do we want to know?" Sage replied.
"We can borrow Dais' camera," was Rowen's sly response. Sage grinned, and the pair slipped quietly out of the room as Sei and Kento squabbled.
Dais grumbled to himself as he entered the library. <Why in the names of all the gods did I try to out- bluff Kayura?> he thought. A wry smile twitched at his lips. <But at least Sei out-bluffed her. For someone who's kanji is Trust, she sure is a sneaky little wench! She's got that sweet and innocent little face that lets her get away with anything. I should've suspected something when Kento wouldn't play.>
So engrossed in his rehash of the previous night's poker game, Dais never noticed where he was going. His feet automatically took him towards his favorite section, Sci- fi/Fantasy. Unfortunately, his feet didn't see the person already standing there.
"Oomph!"
"Oh! Excuse me, Miss . . . Miss Kinutani! I didn't expect to see you . . . is something wrong?"
"No. No, nothing's wrong." Iyo smiled, here eyes strangely hooded. Dais began to feel a sense of dread. "In fact, everything's just fine." Dais frowned.
Iyo sprang forward and latched onto Dais' arm. Before he could utter a word, the library vanished. Talpa's Throne Room appeared in its place.
"Well, Dais," Ulley's childish voice said. "What brings you by?" He laughed. "You've done very well, Iyo. You may return to your chambers until I call for you again."
"As you wish, my Emperor," Iyo murmured, bowing. She vanished before Dais' stunned eyes.
"Bastard! What have you done to her!?" he demanded of Talpa.
"Nothing at all, I assure you," the boy-demon responded. "Sehkmet did bruise her temple a bit when he brought her here, but she forgave him just as soon as she realized where her true path lay."
"True path?" Dais spat. "You seduced her with your lies, Talpa! I demand that you release her at once!"
"Oh, but my dear Dais, she doesn't want to go! She was devastated when I asked her to return to her house in the mortal world and wait for your phone call." Talpa-Ulley smirked.
Dais was absolutely enraged. His entire body trembled with it. "You . . . bastard . . . " he ground out.
"Now, now, Dais, think for a moment. No harm has come to her. And as long as I need her, no harm will come to her," Talpa said placatingly. Dais glared furiously.
"And just what do you need her for?" he demanded.
"Let's discuss that . . . "
Sei hummed absently to herself as she worked in the kitchen. She tuned out the blaring of the sportscaster on the TV in the other room, since it wasn't hockey or any of the water sports. Without saying a word, she smacked Kento's hand and hook her foot around his ankle to trip him as he snuck in for a taste test while he thought her back was turned.
Kento yelped as he tumbled to the floor. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head, and glared at Sei. "Hey! What d'ja do that for?"
"You can wait half an hour for dinner," Sei said frigidly, shooting a forbidding glance over her shoulder. Kento jumped to his feet and put on his best pleading expression. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down at the contents of the pot she was stirring.
"Aw, c'mon, Sei, your cooking's just so good!" he said. He was hypnotized by the motion of the wooden spoon in the sauce. Sei rolled her eyes.
"You think Sage's cooking is good, too," she said dryly. Kento pouted. Sage's cooking was somewhat more nourishing and less disastrous than Rowen's, but it was obvious Sage didn't like to cook.
"But yours is the best," Kento said in a wheedling tone. Sei ignored him and added some spices after a quick taste test. "Even better than Mama's," Kento added.
Sei glanced at him, startled. "R-Really?" she stuttered, blushing slightly. Kento worshipped his mother's cooking. Kento, who was really only trying to get a taste test, nodded his head solemnly. "Well . . . " Sei hesitated. "All right."
Kento grinned victoriously. Sei held up a spoonful of the sauce. Kento went to taste it, and Sei drew it back slowly, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
Kento reached up and caught her wrist quickly. Sei gasped, startled. She hadn't expected that maneuver. Kento quickly put the spoon in his mouth and tasted the sauce.
"Well, isn't this cozy!" Dais' voice said sarcastically. Sei gasped and yanked the spoon away, throwing it in the sink. She turned to get another, blushing furiously. Kento winced and turned to glare at Dais.
"Woah! What happened, dude!?" he demanded, his eyes widening. Dais' shirt was torn, his jeans dirty and stained, and there were several smudges and cuts on his face.
"I ran into a troupe of Talpa's soldiers on the way back from the library," Dais replied bitingly. He was obviously very angry.
"Kento, get Kayura, Cale, and the guys, while I tend to some of those cuts," Sei ordered, rummaging in the first aid kit. Kento nodded and left the kitchen, while Sei advanced on Dais.
They sat somberly around the dining room table, the remains of Sei's meal on their plates. Dais had several band- aids on his face, and his eye was still hard and angry.
Kento broke the silence. He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head, and sighed in contentment. "Ah. Almost as good as Mama's."
Sei shot him a flinty glare. "Except the sauce there," he added hastily. "It's better than Mama's." Sei's hard look changed not one whit, and Kento flinched. Sage glanced at them and shook his head, laughing a bit.
"You tried to sucker a taste test out of Sei, didn't you?" Sage said. Kento looked away, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"From what I saw, he succeeded fairly well, too," Dais said slyly, a malicious sparkle in his eye. Sei blushed furiously, and Kento coughed into his hand.
"Now this I gotta hear!" Ryo said, grinning.
"Nothing happened!" Kento burst out. "Nothing, got it!?" He glared around at his smirking friends.
"Kento's right. Nothing happened," Sei said, standing abruptly. She gathered up an armload of dishes and fled into the kitchen. There were laughs all around--all except Kento, who sat sulking in his chair.
"Dais, tell us what happened?" Miya asked. "All you've said is that you were attacked."
Dais scowled. "I was on my way back from the library," he said. "I ran into one of those wandering troupes of Talpa's soldiers we've been trying to get rid of recently." The other warriors nodded. Sei returned for another load of dishes and paused to listen. "Unfortunately, we were just going around the same corner at the same time. They . . . caught me by surprise." Dais looked a little embarrassed. "Once I got a second to regroup, I slaughtered them, of course."
"What happened to the books?" Rowen asked.
Dais scowled again. "I had to use them for a shield. Unfortunately, books aren't sturdy enough for that sort of thing." Rowen looked shocked. "And thanks to Miss Innocence over there--" Dais pointed at Sei. "--I can't afford to pay for them at the moment!"
"Leave her alone, Spider-boy!" Kento warned.
"Kento, sit down and shut up!" Sei said scornfully. "I can take care of myself! Especially over something like a poker game that the Lord of Illusions here lost!" Kento sank back in his seat, a mulish set on his face.
"All of you shut up!" Kayura and Ryo said in unison.
"We're tired of listening to it!" Ryo continued.
"Fine! Then I'm going to bed!" Kento said sulkily. He stalked up to his and Ryo's room and slammed the door behind himself.
The house was silent when Dais slipped out of bed and dressed quietly. He glanced at Cale, smiling grimly to see the other fast asleep. He slipped out of the attic.
Cale sat up as Dais left. <Now what is he up to?>he thought. He remembered Kayura's warning. <"Dais isn't telling us everything, Cale. Keep an eye on him.">Cale dressed quickly and slipped after Dais, unobtrusively sticking to the shadows.
<Dais has always been secretive,> he thought. <But this could be dangerous!>Dais walked into the forest. Cale followed easily.
Dais stopped at a small clearing. Cale frowned, watching around a nearby tree. Then he saw the figure of a young woman, indistinct in the shadows. Cale almost laughed. <Just slipping out to meet his latest girlfriend!>
"I wondered when you'd show up, Dais," the girl said.
"I had to wait for them all to fall asleep," Dais replied. Cale decided to slip back to the house before he was caught spying, but Dais' next words froze him in his tracks. "What does Talpa want me to do?"
"He wishes you to--" Iyo broke off when a twig snapped. "Someone's spying!"
Dais headed for the sound. Cale fled as silently as he could. He could hear Dais behind him. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw . . . nothing. He stopped, bewildered.
"Very bad mistake," Dais said reprovingly. He banished his illusion and tackled Cale. Cale struggled wildly, trying to escape, but Dais held on grimly.
"Master Talpa will welcome you, Cale," Iyo purred.
"I will not serve Talpa!" Cale spat, finally wriggling out of Dais' grasp. He rolled to his feet and stood ready to fight.
"Oh, but you will," Iyo responded. "Not yet, but soon." She raised a glowing jewel. Cale fled, knowing he wouldn't stand a chance against such magick.
<I have . . . to warn Kayura, warn the Ronins . . . >he thought. <Dais has gone over to Talpa!>Suddenly something struck his temple, and he knew no more.
Cale stirred and woke. His head was throbbing, and he was cold and a bit damp. He pushed himself to a seat.
A warm, soft purr next to his ear caught his attention. Cale turned his head to see White Blaze sitting beside him, watching him calmly. Cale reached up to scratch the tiger's head.
"So . . . you protected me from Dais," he said softly. White Blaze angled his head for a better scratch. <I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! Dais was always better at seeing the truth than either Sehkmet or I--what could have made him go over to Talpa?>
White Blaze stiffened suddenly. He stood, tugging at Cale's sweater. Cale climbed stiffly to his feet, brushing dirt and leaves away. "What is it, boy?" he asked. White Blaze looked in the direction of the house urgently. Cale frowned.
<What--?>"Oh, shit!" he said aloud. He started forward, but White Blaze caught his sweater again and tugged lightly. Cale realized the tiger was offering him a ride. "Thanks!" he said, smiling grimly. "With luck, we might just make it there in time!"
White Blaze took off like a shot as soon as Cale was settled on his back. Cale, used to riding horses, crouched low over the huge tiger's back, saving his face from even more damage.
Something about Dais told Cale he was maintaining an illusion. He launched himself from White Blaze's back while they were still in motion, tackling Dais with all the force of a mountain crashing down on him.
"Traitor!" Cale spat, dragging him up by the collar. He drew his fist back for a punch.
"Cale! What are you--shit! Where the hell did she come from!?" Ryo said, at first scandalized, and then staring at Iyo. Iyo held up her glowing jewel.
"Don't look at it! It's a trap! Dais has gone over to Talpa!" Cale shouted. Dais suddenly shoved Cale away, teleporting to Iyo's side.
"So, you've discovered us, Cale!" Sehkmet's voice said. The Warlord of Venom stepped out of the shadows and leered at Sei. Sei shuddered and scurried around behind Kento. "Well, you won't escape this trap!"
"Use your armors!" Kayura called, summoning her own. The Ronins all obeyed immediately. Unfortunately, Miya had no armor.
"Watch out, Wildfire!" Cale yelled as the woman picked up a large stone and swung it at Ryo's head. Ryo, with a startled yelp, leapt out of the way.
"Destroy them, Miya," Dais ordered, touching Iyo's jewel. "We will return for their armors when Master Talpa has finished with us." Dais, Sehkmet, and Iyo vanished.
"Don't listen, Miya!" Ryo said, evading another attack. Miya growled at him, her eyes devoid of thought. "I don't want to hurt you!"
"Shit, this is no good!" Sage said. Before anyone could react, he swung his armored fist around into Miya's stomach. Miya collapsed, wheezing and gasping for breath. She climbed painfully to her feet for another attack.
She was met with Kayura's glowing Staff. She stared at it for a long moment, then fainted.
"Miya!" Ryo cried, catching her as she fell. "What have you done to her, Kayura!?"
"Reversed the effects of that jewel on her mind," Kayura snapped. "Can we go inside, or must we stand out here arguing for the rest of the day?"
Ryo glared at Kayura for a moment before scooping Miya up and heading inside. The others followed silently.
Cale was the last to enter the house. He stopped on the threshold and glanced over his shoulder at the lake. <I'm next,>he thought grimly.
Darkening Teaser:
Cale stared out at the grey rain with unseeing eyes. He sat curled up in the window seat, thinking. He jumped slightly at a light touch on his shoulder.
"Some hot cocoa?" Kayura asked gently. Cale nodded silently. Kayura smiled compassionately and headed for the kitchen.
Cale returned his attention to the weather. <I'm all alone here,>he thought. <I don't belong!>He started suddenly as he saw motion in the rain . . .