Cye changed into dry clean clothes, and threw the soup covered ones in the dirty clothes hamper. He could hear the others talking about him downstairs wondering what was wrong with. He had no idea. Usually, he was in such a good mood. What was the matter with him? He stared at himself in the mirror. He was the smallest Ronin Warrior, and the youngest. He loved to cook and swim, and he loved sealife. He hated to fight, but the Armor of Torrent had chosen him to fight along with the other Ronin Warriors against Talpa. He only wished that he could be a normal fifteen year old. Cye rubbed his face, then stepped out onto the balcony. He breathed in fresh air as he looked toward the sea. It seemed to be calling him. He stood up onto the balcony and stared straight ahead.
Sekhmet looked toward the Viewing Screen. He and the others were now back from eating. "What is Torrent doing?" he asked. The others shhsed him, and watched as Torrent suddenly leaped off the balcony, somersault, and land safely upon his feet. The young Ronin Warrior took off running. Talpa was laughing, as Kania peered closely at Cye's back. "Hmm, he's cute." Delia rolled her eyes. "So Torrent seems to be having a problem!" Talpa suddenly said. "That could be to our advantage." "What do you mean, Master Talpa?" Dais asked. Talpa took a look at his five warriors. He looked toward Sekhmet and Kania. "You two will be the ones to get Torrent." He looked toward Dais, Cale, and Delia. "You three will take some soldiers with you and distract the other Ronin scum! If you kill them, fine by me!" They all bowed. "We will not fail you, Master!" Cale promised. "See to it that you do not!" Talpa warned. The five of them teleported away.
"Man, what's up with Cye?" Kento wondered as he ate more soup. "I thought he'd be done by now." "Relax, Kento," Rowen said as he placed his empty bowl in the sink. "Cye'll come down. He can't stay mad forever. You and him are bestfriends. Like me and Sage." "Sage and I," Mia corrected. Rowen rolled his eyes, and Ryo snickered. "Whatever," Rowen said. And then suddenly White Blaze began growling, and all four Ronins felt it. A crashing sound was heard and suddenly they were face to face with Dais, Cale, and Delia, who they had never met before, so they didn't know it was a lady, and about fifty soldiers. Instantly the four Ronins shed their clothes and appeared in their subarmor. Ryo wore a red and white subarmor, Sage wore a green and white armor, Kento wore an orange and white subarmor, and Rowen wore a blue and white subarmor. "Destroy them!" Cale commanded the soldiers. And the soldiers attacked the Ronin Warriors. Ryo pounded his elbow against one, then kicked another into the wall. "White Blaze, get Mia outta here!" he cried. White Blaze took out a soldier, then led Mia away to safely. The three warlords didn't bother following. It wasn't Mia they were after. Rowen spun through the air, kicking at a soldier with both feet. He grabbed another and threw it out the window breaking the glass. Kento lifted a soldier high above his head, and brought it down against another soldier. He punched another one out of his way. Sage flipped on soldier over him, then smashed his foot through the chest. He knocked another one away with his arm, and then dodged a chain that suddenly flew toward his head. He grabbed onto the chain, and pulled so hard the owner flew around his head and right into the stove, denting it. "Man, Mia and Cye's gonna be PO," Kento said as he avoided another chain. It struck another soldier through the head. "Where is Cye anyway?" Ryo wondered as he batted away another soldier. It sure was fun to see them crumple, then watch that black smoke rise up out of them like that. "Yeah, he should have heard the fighting," Rowen stated. "Something's wrong," Sage suddenly said. "I can feel it. That was when all of their kanji began glowing. Virtue, Life, Wisdom, Justice. It finally hit them. "Cye's in danger!" Cale stepped forward. "Too bad for you, Wildfire. You and the other Ronin pests will not be given the time to rescue Torrent!" "We'll see about that!" Ryo spat. "Armor of Wildfire!" Dao Jin!" "Armor of Strata! Dao Inochi!" Rowen cried. "Armor of Halo!" Dao Chi!" Sage cried. "Armor of Hardrock! Dao Gi!" Kento cried. Ribbons of cherryblossoms surrounded them as the armors formed on them. Ryo wore a red armor and carried to katanas, the Wildfire swords. Sage wore a green armor and carried a nodatchi, the Halo sword. Rowen wore a blue armor and carried a bow with neverending arrows in the quiver on his back. And Kento wore an orange armor and carried a three section staff. "Let's rock and roll, dudes! Kento shouted. The battle between the seven began. Cale attacked Sage, and Sage swung his sword left and right, making it clang against Cale's. Cale sneered at him. "Still afraid of the darkness, Halo?" Sage grunted. "Shows how much you know, Cale!" "Then let's see you try this one on for size. Black Lightning Slash!" Sage knew it was time to call his own surekill. "Thunder Bolt Cut!" The two surekills struck both of them, and they cried out with pain. "Sage!" Rowen cried. "I... I'm... OK." Sage struggled to his feet. Ryo was battling against the new warlord. And it wasn't easy. He matched him for strength. Man this is a hard battle. If only Cye were here, he thought.
Cye stared at the lake. It was so peaceful out here. Here he came to think, and to just be alone. Hardly any of the others would swim with him, except for Ryo and maybe Sage for a time or two. Kento didn't know how to swim, and Rowen was afraid of the water due to his father trying to drown him during a drunken stupor. At least he could still swim the dolphins and whales, he thought. "Hahahaha!" Cye froze. He recognized that wicked laughter. He spun around quickly and found Sekhmet and another warlord behind him. "Sekhmet!" he hissed, then glanced toward the other warlord. "Who are you?" "Call me Kania, cutie." Cye's mouth dropped. "You. You're a lady?" "Surprised?" Cye only stared. "Kania, stop staring at him like that!" Sekhmet growled. "We have a job to do!" Kania pouted and was ready to argue when they heard, "Armor of Torrent! Dao Shin!" "Blast!" Sekhmet bellowed. "Now we may not have a change to grab him!" Kania only yawned bored-like as they watched the transformation take place on Cye. He was now in light blue armor, clutching a Yari. Sekhmet took his swords, and raced at Cye. Cye's plan had been to get into the water, then he would finish Sekhmet off once and for all. He began to back away toward the water, when Kania was suddenly behind him, blocking his way. "Sorry, handsome," she said to Cye's startled face. Cye snapped out of it, and swung his Yari at her, just in time to feel Sekhmet's sword strike at a shoulder. He quickly reacted, and hit the Warlord with his weapon, Kania struck him with one of her daggers. Cye flipped into the air, and landed some distance away. He steadied his Yari in front of him, and called on his surekill. "Super Wave Smasher!" A blast of water shot out of the tip of the Yari, and shot at Kania. She leapt out of the way. "My turn!" she cried. "Kiss of Sleep!" Cye dodged the power as he quickly as he could, then had to dodge Sekhmet's Snake Fang Strike! This is not good, he thought. Where are the other Ronin Warriors? They should be here by now! "Give up, Torrent!" Sekhmet warned as he swung at Cye. Cye blocked it, then kicked the Warlord in the chest, sending him back a couple of feet. "Never!" Cye cried. "You'll pay for that!" Sekhmet bellowed angrily. "Snake Fang Strike!" Cye cried out, "Super Wave Smasher!" Kania watched as the two surekills went out toward each other. Torrent's back was facing her. It was the perfect time. "Kiss of Sleep!" she cried. Cye suddenly screamed out in pain as the two surekills hit him. Sehkmet was knocked to his feet by Torrent's surekill, but he quickly got to his feet and stared at the young boy. Cye was feeling very sleep all of the sudden. He shook his head slowly, and took a step forward, when he suddenly fell forward. His armor vanished, and then his subarmor, leaving him in regular clothing. He was motionless. Kania put her daggers away. "That was easy," she commented. Sekhmet only grunted in reply as he lifted Cye's light body. "At least he's the lightest one." A gateway appeared, and they went through it.
The other four Ronins were still battling. They had learned that new warlord was actually a warlady known as Delia. Her surekill, Ultimate Pain was powerful. But she also learned that Ryo's Flare Up Now! was just as strong. She had a huge dent in her armor. "You'll pay for that, Wildfire!" she snarled. "I'm shaking!" Ryo sneered. "Arrrggghh!" Rowen could tell that Sage was having a bad time with Cale. It was dark around Sage, and Sage needed the light to strengthen him. "Sage," he said, and leapt into the air. He fired an arrow, and it struck Cale in the back. Cale screamed in pain, then turned on Rowen. "Black Lightning Slash!" he cried. The surekill hit Rowen, and he screamed in pain as he knocked into the back wall. "ROWEN!" Sage cried. Now he was furious! "Thunder Bolt Cut!" he screamed. Cale turned just in time for the surekill to hit him. He screamed out in pain as he flew out of the house. Sage took the time to go to his injured friend. Rowen was unconscious and bleeding from the head. Sage placed his hands over the injury and began to glow green as he healed Rowen. The bleeding stopped and the wound faded, but Sage knew that Rowen was going to need a safe place to be. He picked up his friend and carried him out of the battle infested kitchen. Kento was getting frustrated. Half of Mia's kitchen was already ruined, and he knew that later she would be pitching a fit about it. It wasn't their fault. The Warlords had attacked first. Dais wasn't making things any easier for him either. Three times he had fallen victim to Dais’s pranks. "Stop hiding behind your illusions, Magic Man!" Kento spat. "I don't kneed illusions just to beat you, Hardrock!" "Then prove it!" "Web of Deception!" Kento dodged the sticky web, but it caught him anyway. He struggled against it. Ryo saw him in trouble and knew he would have to help him. Rowen was injured and Sage was with him, Cye was missing. What else could go wrong today? Ryo was now angry. This Delia was getting on his last nerves. He brought his swords together, then leapt into the air. "Flare Up Now!" he cried. Delia screamed as the pain consumed her. She traveled right out the window, breaking the glass. Ryo took the opportunity to free Kento. "Thanks, man," Kento said, picking up his staff. "Sure, Kento. Let's get Dais, shall we?" "Right!" Dais only laughed at them. "Not this time, Ronins!" He teleported away. "Dais, you coward! Come back and fight!" Kento shouted into the air. Ryo shook his head. "He's gone, Kento." "The chicken!"
Cye was slowly coming to in a cold half lit cell somewhere inside Talpa's castle. His eyes fluttered a few times before they finally opened. "Huh? What!" He lifted his head to gaze around the cell. "No," he said softly as he shook his head. "No!" He tried to bring his arms out from behind him, but they were chained to the wall. And he could not break them. Had he been wearing his armor, he could have probably broken them. "Well, you're awake!" Cye looked toward the bars. A girl with long black hair with pink stripes and azure eyes, stared through the bars at him. In one hand she held a candle close up, and Cye could see her smiling at him. "I guess that Kiss of Sleep worked better than I thought." She simply stared as Cye's eyes widened with recognition. "You were out for one hour." "You..." Cye began. "Who are you, and why did you bring me here?" he demanded. "Feisty aren't we?" Cye glared at her as he struggled to break the cuffs holding him. She teased him. "Now, now, Torrent. Don't go and try anything rational." Cye glared at her even more. She sighed. "Oh, very well. I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you, cutie." Under normal circumstances Cye would have blushed, but in situations like these he did not. He waited for this girl to tell him why she and Sekhmet had brought him to Talpa's castle. "Talpa saw that you were down on your luck today, and sent Sekhmet and me after you, while the other warlords and some soldiers distracted your friends from helping you." So that was why no one came out to help, Cye thought, lowering his gaze for a moment. He felt her staring at him, then lifted his head to look back at her. She stared thoughtfully at him. He really is cute, she thought. Too bad we can't turn him, but his heart is too pure. "Kania!" a familiar voice hissed. Kania slowly turned her head and smiled a little at the purple haired girl glaring angrily at her, who had her hands on her hips. "What?" she asked innocently. "What are you doing down here with him?" the girl demanded, pointing at Cye while staring straight at Kania. "Oh, relax, Delia!" Kania said. "I just came down to check on him, that's all. No harm done." Delia smirked. "Well, don't get too attached," she warned. "After all, we don't want to ruin Master's Talpa's plan, now do we?" Kania shook her head. "No." "Good," Delia said, patting her shoulder. She turned and glared at Cye. She shuddered and looked away. When he dared to bring his head back around, he could see Delia leaving. She's cold, he thought. How could one girl be so full of hate and anger? he wondered. He looked back at Kania who smiled at him, and left, taking that candle with her. Cye let out a deep breath. I've got to get out of here, before Talpa decides to send me to those Gargoyals. He suddenly tensed as he remembered. He, Sage, and Kento had all been captured. Cye remembered the fight with Red Torrent, destroying the imposter, and then getting knocked unconscious by the poison that had come out of the carcass shell. When he had woken, he found himself in a cell similar to this one, only Sage was in there as well. Sage had healed the effects of the poison, and it wasn't long before Kento joined them. Once he did, they slept in the cell for about one day, before they had been transported to the Gargoyals where they had lived with pain for a week straight. Cye had lost count how many times; he, Sage, or Kento had awakened screaming from a nightmare from that one hellish week. Cye began to shake as tears ran down his cheeks. Please, not the Gargoyals. Please not the Gargoyals again!
Talpa watched Cye on his viewing screen. He had no pity for the boy. In fact he was quite happy seeing Torrent shake and cry like that. Once he broke Torrent's spirit altogether, then he would use it against the other Ronin Warriors and destroy them one by one. Or maybe he should let them try and rescue their young friend and have them captured, then kill them all before Torrent's eyes, before he killed Torrent himself, or turned him into a slave, once he had the armor. Talpa laughed evilly. It would take some careful planning.
