Magic
Chapter Nineteen: Advance

“Hi everyone!” Satsuki’s voice echoed off the walls of the dojo room.

Everyone stopped their head on spar against each other and looked at the young Date girl. Sage let out a sigh, “Satsuki…”

Kento was the first to let his weapon down, “Hey Satsuki. Don’t you work today?”

“No. It’s my day off so I came to see how you all were holding up.” Her eye settled on her big brother, “Is that okay?”

Sage nodded, “It’s okay.”

“Let’s take a breather,” Rowen said. Everyone agreed and the boys sat down on the cool floor, a nice welcome from a few hours of sparring.

Grabbing the water bottles, Satsuki walked over to the tired group. “How long have you guys been doing this?”

Cye smiled tiredly, “Oh since about ten.”

“With a break for lunch,” Kento quickly added.

She shook her head and handed out the water, “You’ll push yourselves hard.” Eyeing her brother, “You know grandpa taught you to pace yourself.”

Sage gave his sister a warning look.

Satsuki returned it with a glare, “I know it’s important but I don’t think you want an ice bath.”

Ryo jumped in, “Satsuki how was your day at school?”

“Hm? Oh it was okay-” She snapped her fingers and opened her bag, before plopping on the floor between her brother and Cye. “Rachel asked me to give you guys something.” She pulled out a small folder.

“What is it?” Rowen asked.

“I didn’t look,” Satsuki looked at him, “Rachel said she thinks it will help you guys with Keitaro.”

“She said that specifically..?” Ryo asked slowly.

Satsuki nodded, “Yeah. She looked kinda upset about something at school so I asked what was wrong. I quote, “I found out something very unexpected about Ryo and his friends.” I knew that could only mean one of two things.”

“And they are?”

“Either she thinks the five of you are gay or she found out about the armor.”

Ryo set his water down and looked at the floor.

Cye took the folder from Satsuki and opened it, “Wow Rachel has nice handwriting.”

“What’s she say?” Kento took a swig of water.

“She says that her friend Sileny in Kyoto thinks that Keitaro is…” Cye’s brow frowned.

Rowen looked at him, “Is what?”

“A sorcerer.”

“A sorcerer,” Ryo repeated.

Cye nodded, “Rachel say’s that she’s written out for us a few things following European magic that is linked to our elements, she’s just not sure if it will help or not.”

Kento raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t know Rachel knew magic.”

Ryo said off-handedly, “She has a computer so I bet she could have looked it up.”

Cye opened up the metal holdings of the binder, “She’s got three pages each for us.”

Sage looked at the papers, “I wonder how long this all took her?”

“Hopefully not more than a few minutes,” Kento said, “I think she had to work last night after we dropped her off.”

Cye handed out the papers to his friends. “We need to thank her, she didn’t need to do this.”

Satsuki looked at them, “She works today so go pay her a visit.”

“We’ll see.” Ryo said, he looked up when White Blaze wandered into the room, “Have a good nap?”

The large tiger responded with a large yawn.

“Hi White Blaze,” Satsuki held her hand out to the giant house cat.

White Blaze walked over and nudged his head against her hand, welcoming the scratching that followed suit.

Ryo smiled, “Satsuki stop domesticating him.”

“I’m not the one feeding him,” she was quick to point out.

Kento blinked and looked at the ground, “Um am I nuts or did the ground just vibrate?”

Rowen looked at Kento, “What?”

White Blaze sniffs the air and started growling, looking around the room with pinned ears.

Sage looked at his sister, “Satsuki get out of here.”

Satsuki got up and ran to the door, the moment she was on the other side of the door it slammed shut.

Ryo and the others stood up, “Come on out.”

“You’re games of hide and seek are getting old, Keitaro.” Rowen glared.

Glass over the lights above them shattered, a shockwave split the boys apart, sending each other into a different part of the room. The ground beneath them shot up, dividing the large room many times over.

Sage glared, “Keitaro your games are getting old too. Stop hiding and show yourself!”

“If you morons would just look up, you’ll find that I’m in plain sight.”

They looked up to see their enemy standing on the ceiling. Keitaro looked at them one by one before speaking again, “I’m glad to see you are all ready for more fighting. You’re all so entertaining it’s like I’m forming a habit that will be a hard one to drop.”

Rowen glared, “We’ll give you a great reason to drop us.”

“Your drive to defeat me before I cause utter chaos?” Keitaro smirked, “Look I’ve no intention of ruling the world-that’s way too much responsibility. I honestly don’t understand why so many lords and ladies of high power desire more than they can give.”

“Then what are you really after?” Kento asked, gripping his fists.

“How many times will you five make me repeat myself?”

“Until we actually believe you!” Cye responded.

Keitaro allowed himself a sigh, “I can see this may take some time. Now how to prove it?” He stroked his chin.

White Blaze roared loudly, the sound echoed off the walls.

Glaring Keitaro snapped his fingers and a surge of energy broke out from the walls, launching out at everyone. “I won’t take being talked back to.” He looked at White Blaze, “Even by a walking tiger-skin rug.”

Ryo glared, and through his pain, slammed his fist against the wall separating him from his friends. There was a surge of heat from where his fist met the wall, to Ryo’s surprise, the heat spread quickly along the walls.

Ryo what did you do? Sage asked.

I don’t know. He responded, I got mad an-whoa! Ryo shielded himself as the wall cracked and then crumbled to the ground.

Keitaro leapt onto the roof of the building a few blocks over from the dojo. Looking down at his hand he opened the closed it slowly, My powers are trying to wavier, he realized. He knew why wood could hurt him but he hadn’t been vulnerable to stones before. This was bad.

Everything I do from here out must count!

Arrows landed in the ground beside him and Keitaro spun around in time to dodge another aimed at his head.

“Are you leaving the party already, Keitaro?” Kento asked, twirling his weapon.

“I thought I’d find us a vast area to ‘party’ as you say.” Keitaro held his hand out to the side, “Unless you’d rather fight here and get all the innocent citizens of Edo involved?”

Sage glared, “We are not following you into a trap!”

Keitaro chuckled and shook his head, “I have no traps set for you. Ryo there already destroyed the only one I had time to create.”

Ryo held his two swords close to him, “Looks like we have you on the spot.”

“We’re going to stop your fun and games with us today.” Kento declared.

Their enemy raised an eyebrow, “Oh really?”

Watch yourselves, Ryo said to anyone who could hear him.

Keitaro moved his outstretched hand swiftly across his chest and a massive blast of wind was sent spinning towards the Ronin.

Déjà vu sunk in, as the five found themselves twisting inside a tornado, before getting thrown through the roof of a nearby abandoned building.

Cye groaned and sat up, “Kento,” He glared at the Hardrock warrior, “Don’t ever bait someone like that again!”

“Like you weren’t thinking the same thing.” Kento retorted before getting off Ryo’s back.

“Not now you two,” Sage warned.

A clanking noise drew the ronins attention to the rafters twenty feet above them.

Keitaro was walking along a beam with his arm crossed, “I had not planned to play my more advanced games for a few days. But since the five of you think you are all far more than capable of getting rid of me,” he turned to look down at them, “I’ll move it up while I still have time.”

Rowen glared, while he still has time?

Keitaro took a pin out of his belt and threw it at the ground below. The ground below the ronin began shaking before splitting to seven parts each part kept shaking violently.

What is he doing?! Ryo leapt to another piece of land, it crumbled as soon as his foot connected to it so he stuck his sword into the wall.

Sage almost fell with one of the pillars holding the building up, but Kento managed to grab his arm. The Halo warrior followed Ryo’s example and used his sword as a pushpin.

Cye and Rowen on the other hand, made to up to the rafters and ran along them making their way to Keitaro. Keitaro had to once more dodge Rowen’s accurate aim before Cye hit him hard with a nameless attack. The sudden jet of water knocked Keitaro off the rafter.

Did we get him? Sage looked at Rowen and Cye.

Before either could answer Keitaro had balled the water beneath him, he was now floating in the air. The water beneath him soon looked like a rapid about ready to explode.

Cye what are you doing to the water?

Kento, that’s not me!

“Look out!” Rowen yelled.

The water below Keitaro exploded out of the ball form and all the ronin where knocked down into the shaking ruble below. Keitaro moved his hand again and ground became liquid, drawing the ronin deep into the swirling cement and mud.

Sage grabbed hold of a pipe sticking out from the ground and used it as an anchor, turning he reached out with his sword. Kento grabbed hold of the blade, rammed his tetsubo into what felt like solid ground, then he let go of Sage’s sword and swung around grabbing hold of Rowen’s armor and pulled him up from the whirlpool. Cye and Ryo grabbed a hold of Sage’s armor.

Somebody do something! Sage’s voice range in their heads.

I’ve got an open shot! Rowen pulled back on his bow and shot two arrows at Keitaro.

Keitaro managed to dodge the first one but the second planted itself right in his right shoulder. Wincing he snapped the arrow in half, not bothering to look at the ronin he didn’t see Sage throw Ryo up from the swirling mess that was created. However, Keitaro did look back in time to call a spear and clash metal with Ryo’s swords. His concentration now fixated on Ryo, the vortex of cement and mud below stopped.

Rowen and Kento were the first ones to jump up to Ryo’s aid, weapons at the ready.

They are faster than I had originally thought. Keitaro formed a chain whip, throwing it out he succeeded in wrapping their legs together. Because he was also clashing weapons with Ryo while holding Rowen and Kento down, he didn’t see Sage come up behind him. He did however feel the Sword of Halo slash his back and grunted in pain. Out of nowhere Cye emerged and when all his friends moved, Cye shot Keitaro with a massive amount of water.

Keitaro actually hit the wall on the other side of the building.

Eve Cye was surprised by the force of the attack.

“Can you do that again?” Kento asked his friend.

“I don’t know, maybe.” Cye answered.

“I vote we don’t give him the opportunity to have you try it.” Ryo stated.

“Then let’s send him home.” Rowen pulled back on his bow then let the arrow fly.

Keitaro winced when the arrow cut his arm and pinned his kimono against the wall. This was not how things were supposed to be going. Turning back to the ronin he glared, “I will forfeit this match.”

He then faded away before another arrow hit him.

Ryo glared daggers at the spot where Keitaro once stood. “I’m getting really tired of him showing up, trying to kill us, and just leaving.”

“Yeah some game player he is.” Kento agreed.

Rowen held out his hand and the arrow came flying back to him, “Well if it helps we got a souvenir from him.” The Ronin of Strata removed a piece of fabric.

“Keitaro’s kimono,” Cye stated.

“And what are we going to do with that?” Kento asked.

Sage took the fabric off the arrow, “Well from what I can tell the fabric is from before the Warring States Period.”

Ryo raised an eyebrow, “Do I want to know how you can tell?”

“Grandmother.”

“Enough said on that part, but again, what do we do with it?” Kento repeated.

Cye said, “Is there a way to track him with this?”

“Kayura or Dais may know one,” Rowen answered.

“Let’s go to the roof and figure out where we are.” Ryo said, “We’ll go to the house that’s closest then call Kayura with one of the mirrors.”

“Sounds good,” Sage agreed.

Kayura sat at the table examining the piece of fabric in her hand, “It feels really old, almost like a few threads are all that’s keeping it together.”

Cye set a cup of tea down for her, “Sage thinks it’s from before the time of the Warring States.”

“By the count of thread I’d agree,” Kayura looked up, “Thank you. Are you guys sure you’re not hurt or anything?”

“Just a few bruises but nothing we can’t handle,” Kento said.

Kayura nodded, though she still found it hard not to worry.

“Do you know of a way to use this as a tracker?” Rowen asked.

“I know of a way but not how it works. There is a method used called scrying and it helps locate things or find meanings in dreams or vision. Sekhmet told me about it but neither he nor the other two know how to do it.”

Ryo looked at her, “Did you ask Mia or Jack?”

Kayura nodded, “Mia hadn’t heard of it before but Jack has heard of it too, all I got out of him was that scrying usually deals with fire or water.”

Sage looked at Cye, “Mind if we use the computer?”

Cye looked at him, “Go right ahead.”

“So this is the only way you know of to track things with magic?” Ryo looked at Kayura.

“It’s all I can find. I could look more but the library in the Nether Realm is so vast it could take me a few weeks.”

“Time we may or may not have.” Rowen looked over at Sage, “Find anything?”

“Not that’s useful,” Turning he said, “Scrying is a form of divination, it really can’t help us. It’s like looking into a crystal ball.”

Kento sighed, “Bang went our only lead.”

Cye thought for a moment, “Maybe not.”

“Do you know something Cye?” Ryo asked.

“No but I thought Rachel might,” he shrugged, “She did make those folders for us and admitted to knowing some things about magic.”

“Where is she?” Kayura asked looking at them.

Ryo looked at the time, “Chances are she is still at work,” Looking back at his friends he said, “I have her phone number so we can call and leave a message. Better that then getting weird looks in the tea house.”

Rowen nodded, “And if she doesn’t know something then you just might have to go to the library.” He looked at Kayura.

“It might be good if I did that anyways, if he is a sorcerer like Rachel’s friend thinks then he could be able to avoid detection.”

“Go on and use the phone Ryo, if she calls here Kento and I will talk to her and send you the info.”

Ryo stood up, “Thanks man.” Walking by the kitchen Ryo picked up the phone, taking a number out of his pocket he began dialing. He waited.

“Hi you’ve reached Rachel, I’m obviously not home. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

BEEP.

“Hey Rachel it’s Ryo, I’m guessing your still at work. When you get home I need you to call one of us, even if it’s after midnight. We are trying to figure out something and hope that you may have an answer. Talk to you soon.” He hung up.

“I wonder how Rachel knows magic?” Kayura asked allowed.

“I’m no-whoa!” Ryo jumped as the phone rang in his hand.

“Jumpy?” Kayura asked.

“We have reason to be,” Cye walked over and took the phone from Ryo. “Hello?”

“Cye?”

“Rachel. Wow that was a fast return, did you just get home from work?”

“No I’m on my break. My friend Sileny is at my place and she called me to say Ryo phoned.”

“She didn’t pick up for him..”

“I know that, my answering machine was set to speaker. So what’s going on?”

Cye pushed a button on the phone, “Okay you’re on the speaker. Everyone’s here?”

“…Is everyone okay?”

“We ran into Keitaro an hour ago,” Ryo said.

“I repeat, is everyone okay?” This time she sounded very worried.

“Nothing we can’t handle,” Sage assured her. “Rachel we wanted to ask you something about magic.”

She paused, “My knowledge is limited but okay.”

“Do you know of any way to track someone using magic?” Ryo asked.

“Not off the top of my head, but I do know you’d need something of the person you’re trying to track.”

Rowen said, “We have a piece of fabric from Keitaro’s kimono. It got stuck on one of my arrows today.”

“Then you already have step one down, don’t Kayura or.. oh what’s are their names..”

Kayura couldn’t stop the smile, “The only thing we had an idea for tracking turned out to be something for divination.”

“What was it?”

“Scrying.” Sage and Ryo said in unison.

“Well that could be used for tracking but I don’t think it would be a clear answer..” She paused again, “Hey I’m off in four hours and Sileny knows more about magic than I do. I’ll ask her then call later. Is that okay?”

“That’s fine,” Ryo looked around at the others, “I’m sure we’ll still be here then.”

“Alright. Oh before I go did Satsuki gives you guys the folders?”

Kento said, “Yeah but we left them at the dojo.”

“I’m going to pick them up in the morning,” Sage said to everyone.

“I just wanted to be sure you got them. I’ll call you guys in a few hours.” Then she hung up.

Keitaro hovered in the air, holding his shoulder. “A sorcerer huh? I’ve been called many things but never that.” Removing his hand he gazed upon the large hole left by the Arrow of Strata.

“This wound won’t heal.” He sighed and looked back to the window of the apartment, “Their powers are advancing, even though they aren’t aware of it, but I don’t think it’s nearly enough.”

Looking up at the sky he faintly saw the outline of the first stars, “I only have a month left. There is no way these boys will be ready in time.”