Ronin Elementals

Prophecy of Power

Chapter Twenty-Six: Responsibility

Anubis turned another page in his book, his eyes idly skimming over the text. He hardly absorbed what it was telling him. His attention was continuously diverted to the girl sleeping in the bed beside his chair. Every time she made the slightest movement he put down the book, checking to see if she slept or not.

Knock knock.

“Come in,” Anubis said absently.

Dais walked in, closing the door behind him. “Any change?” he asked, nodding at Mia.

Anubis shook his head. “No change,” he said softly. He set down his book. “She hasn’t woken for almost twenty-four hours.”

“You’re surprised by that?” Dais raised an eyebrow. “From what you described, she got hit by an incredible backlash of energy, probably leftover from Chiara and Kale’s escapades. Whatever happened triggered her power, and she blacked out. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s out for a good, long time. And why shouldn’t she be? Would you rather she woke up before she was ready?”

“No…that could be disastrous.” Anubis folded his hands in his lap and sighed. “Whatever she has to work through in her mind, it’s best that she does it before she wakes up.”

Dais nodded slightly. “I remember when Kayura was released from Talpa’s control and her memories returned to her,” he said. “In public she put up a strong front, but in private, where only the three of us could see, she was a wreck. She didn’t sleep for weeks, and it finally took Sekhmet slipping her sleeping pills before she was able to get a solid amount of rest. She had nightmares about her memories and what she’d been forced to do under Talpa.”

“She did?” Anubis looked at Dais. “I didn’t know that.”

“The nightmares stopped after a few weeks, and we never talked about it,” Dais replied. “She had a rough time, though, right in the middle of several rough times. The Dynasty was barely recovering from the final battles, and the three of us had our own ghosts to deal with. Poor thing, though…she never had a warrior’s training like we did.”

“She has the training she received from the Oracles.”

“If you’re referring to her Elemental training, that doesn’t count.” Dais leaned against the back of Anubis’ chair. “She was five when she was taken away from the Oracles and sent to the Ancient One’s clan in the future. She wouldn’t remember.”

“Hmm.” Anubis tilted his head back to look up at Dais. “So you believe me? That Kayura is, in fact, Raven?”

“It’s the most logical conclusion,” Dais replied. “But that doesn’t mean she’s willing to see the logic. She still won’t come out of her room for anything other than meals.” He sighed, hanging his head, his long white hair falling over his face.

“Depressed?”

“No,” Dais replied, “more like she’s just avoiding the possibility. I suspect she’s worried that you’ll try to induce her power like you said you would.” He narrowed his good eye at Anubis. “I could kill you for that suggestion, by the way.”

Anubis frowned. “It’s the easiest way to go about accomplishing it,” he said. “It’s impractical to wait for a power surge like the one Chiara and Kale created. From what I understand Sekhmet and Janna ignore each other, and the others are all too young for us to even think about condoning such an experiment.”

“And did you ever stop to think how that would make Kayura feel?” Dais asked. “She’s had enough experience with people screwing around in her head. Or people deciding what the best course of action for her life is.”

Anubis’ cheeks colored. “My suggestion was nothing like the perversion Talpa introduced on her mind,” he said hotly. “Not even close.”

“Close enough,” Dais replied. “Don’t act like you know her anymore, Anubis. Let’s face it, you never really did. You were gone, in training for succeed the Ancient One, when Talpa introduced her into our unit. You never even fought alongside her, only against her, since you died the moment she was freed. And now you’ve been stuck inside a damn golden stick for two years, while she, Sekhmet, Kale and I were left to pick up the pieces. You don’t know her, Anubis. You don’t even have enough of a clue to make an educated guess about what goes on in her head.”

“And you do?”

“More than you.” Dais stepped back from the chair and walked over to the door. “Welcome back, Anubis. But you better understand something. You’re not the leader anymore. I am. And not because I have the strongest armor or the most power. I’m the leader because I know my team, and you don’t. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to give up that position until I’m positive you’re ready to handle the job.” Before Anubis could respond, the Spider of Illusion disappeared through the door, closing it firmly behind him.

Anubis glared at the closed door. The gall of Dais…how dare he hint that Anubis had anything but Kayura’s best interests at heart! Inducing Kayura’s power as Raven was the only logical course of action given the current situation. There was no doubt that the Leviathans were rapidly growing in power. It would only be a matter of weeks, possibly days, before they prepared to move their strike beyond Toyama.

Though none of that mattered if Mia continued to remain unconscious. The only way for inducement to succeed would be for all three of the Seasons to pull together to draw the power out of Kayura. Something that just simply would not happen as long as Mia remained separated from the world.

Anubis reached out and cupped Mia’s hand in his. Two years, he realized, and her hand was still as delicate as it had been the first time he’d held it. Physically she hadn’t changed at all, or at least not noticeably. And himself…well, he was immortal. He would have stayed the same age regardless of whether he had died or not. Free thinking or not, no amount of magic could reverse the spell that Talpa had placed on his four warlords. For a long time, he never gave any thought to whether or not he would have wanted it removed. The immortality, like everything else he had, was his by right. Or so he had thought at the time Talpa had made him his offer.

Then had come the four hundred years of watching the people close to him age and die, over and over. At first, Anubis had attempted to live his life in the Mortal Realm and serve Talpa from within. Fifty years had been more than enough to convince him that with his new power came the price of being unable to lead his old life. But that was fine with him…he was destined for greater things. Much greater things.

Anubis was the youngest of the four Warlords, but he had been chosen first. As a result, he had become the de facto leader, the one with the most experience. Talpa had decreed it, and Dais, Kale, and Sekhmet had gone along with it easily enough.

But though he had lived for hundreds of years, his mind remained the youngest. He had been taken at an age when he was certain of his worth in the world, that he alone could achieve glory. That he was necessary. And he continued to live out his immortal life with those same thoughts in mind, becoming darker and darker…until the day he’d met the Ancient One.

Anubis closed his eyes. Becoming the Ancient One’s pupil had been the most enlightening moment of his life. Casting aside his armor, taking up the staff and the position of the Ronin Warriors’ guide, it had all been in an attempt to remove himself from his former life.

Then he had died. And not in service of the Ancient One’s ways, but in service of the armor he had tried to separate himself from.

The armor that Kayura now held.

Anubis put his book on the table and headed out into the hallway. Kayura’s door was closed, which he expected. And thank god Dais was nowhere in sight, because he really didn’t want to deal the white-haired man right then. He knocked once.

“Who is it?” Kayura called from inside.

“It’s Anubis,” he replied. “May I come in?”

Silence.

“Kayura?”

“Fine.” There was a click as the lock turned in the door.

Anubis pushed open the door and went inside. The room was dim, and it took him a moment to locate Kayura near the window. Anubis closed the door quietly behind him.

“What do you want?” Kayura asked, leaning against the windowsill. “Did you come to tell me what to do again? To make me question who or what I am?”

“No,” Anubis replied. “I already made my feelings on that matter clear.”

“Then what?” She looked at him, a frown on her young face. Anubis felt a slight pang in his chest – her immortality had trapped her at an even younger age than his had.

“The armor,” Anubis said. “My armor. I need it back.”

Kayura looked at him blankly for a moment. “Oh,” she said after a moment. “Was that all?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Kayura turned away from him. “Get out.”

Anubis narrowed his eyes. “I’m not joking around here, Kayura. I’m absolutely serious. I need that armor back.”

Kayura sighed in irritation. “Can’t you get it through your head that I do not want to talk to you?” she demanded, standing up and walking over to her closet. She reached into a trunk and pulled out a small pouch, and handed it to him. “Treat it nicely, and get out.”

Anubis took the pouch. He could feel the armor radiating inside of his, reacting almost the instant he took it into his hand. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the power sliding through his body. His fist closed around the armor orb, and he shivered slightly.

Kayura stared at him. “I’ve never seen someone react to holding their armor like that before,” she said.

Anubis opened his eyes. “You’ve never seen an armor accept someone before, then,” he said. “Usually it’s only an once-in-a-lifetime deal, but I suppose since I died the armor felt the need to have to reaccept me.”

“Oh.” Kayura stared at the pouch, and the orb inside of it. “It never did that to me, even though I wore it.”

“Well, the armors can be worn by other people, but the full power isn’t there unless the armor chooses them,” Anubis said. “I suppose an Elemental can’t be chosen to be a true armor bearer.”

“Then that’s not something I need to worry about,” Kayura replied. “Since I’m not an Elemental.”

“Kayura…”

“No!” Kayura turned her back on him again. “You said you wouldn’t say anything more about it. You’ve got your armor, now get out of here, Anubis. I don’t want to talk about this, to you, any more.”

Anubis looked at her for a moment. “All right,” he said quietly. “Thank you, Kayura.” He turned and left the room, without another word.

Mia was still lying on the bed when he reentered her room. Her eyes were still closed, and she was perfectly still. She hadn’t moved from her position.

Anubis sat down beside the bed again. He opened the pouch and removed the small yellow orb, fingering it. It was glowing slightly. “I wonder,” he murmured. “Do I dare don you again? I can feel you calling to me. Am I ready to take up that responsibility again?”

“Either way,” a familiar, and yet so unfamiliar, voice said, “you’ll just be in the way.” Anubis’ head jerked up, a fist slammed into his face, and everything went dark.