Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Battle of the Elements ❯ Chapter 12
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: lady_eclipse 
The stage is set for the final battle against one of the strongest demons the earth has ever known. The Ronins assemble with their allies in an all or nothing battle for earth and Mia's life.
Anime/Manga: Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.15.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 7.2K | Visits: 218 | Status: Completed
The stage is set for the final battle against one of the strongest demons the earth has ever known. The Ronins assemble with their allies in an all or nothing battle for earth and Mia's life.
Anime/Manga: Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.15.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 7.2K | Visits: 218 | Status: Completed
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ü D hŒC:\WINWORD\TEMPLATE\NORMAL.DOTBattle of the ElementsLawrence WadeLawrence Wade@&xÜ¥e=À eÆyÀ†Æv'l'll'l'l'l'l'6ƒ6ƒ6ƒ6ƒ6 ƒ6ƒFƒ6ƒ÷…1VƒVƒVƒVƒV 02;VƒVƒVƒ{ƒ}ƒ}ƒ}ƒ$¡ƒ½" Ù…(†T|†D÷…l'Vƒ=?VƒVƒV& #402;Vƒ÷…Vƒl'l'VƒVƒVƒVƒVƒV& #402;l'Vƒl'Vƒ{ƒ€'DÄ'rl'l'l'l'Vƒ{ƒVƒ ;%VƒBattle of the ElementsBy Lady Eclipse
Chapter Twelve
Sage reached Ryo moments after Jyserriec and Anglarana had slipped down into the earth. Seeing his unconscious friend, Sage ran to Ryo and immediately checked his pulse. Once assured that Ryo had a healthy heartbeat, Sage looked over his body but could find no wounds.
"Ryo! Hey, Ryo!" he called shaking his shoulders. Ryo's eyelids fluttered before slowly opening.
"Wha...?" he began, feeling greatly disoriented. "Are you okay? What happened? Where's Mia and Anubis?" Then his face became very stern. "Did Jyserriec do this to you?" Ryo sat up, feeling very groggy. "Huh? I don't know what happened. One minute Anubis and Mia are falling into a giant hole in the ground then Jyserriec and Anglarana show up. Then I all of a sudden fall asleep!" "Hmmm..." Sage walked over to the area where there was a large diameter of freshly turned earth. "We saw the energy of the Jewel of Life. Anglarana and Jyserriec just started running to it at a breakneck speed. There was no way I could keep up with them. Perhaps this is where the city is." "Do you think that they went after Anubis and Mia?" Ryo asked, standing up.Sage nodded,
"I'd say so. Unfortunately, I don't think we can follow. The dirt is hard-packed, we'd be digging for hours. The best course of action would be to gather everyone together and wait for Anglarana to return." Ryo glanced into the thick vegetation; this would take a while.
*****
Anglarana galloped through the tunnel following the sound of leather wings beating. She tried to reach Mia mentally, but it was as though her mind were blocked. Then, all of a sudden, the sounds stopped. Her horn started glowing as she concentrated; but there wasn't any trace of them. She gave up her search just as Jyserriec reached her. Seeing her desolate expression, he gently rubbed her nose and smiled.
"You know where he is headed, take comfort in that. The ceremony takes time to organize and perform, so let us make haste to round up the others and go to the sacred grounds. That is all that we can do at this point." Anglarana nodded her head wearily and began to trot back to the ruined city to reclaim the unconscious Anubis. I failed! she thought to herself bitterly. How could I be so foolish as to not sense Crynis's presence? Why wasn't I paying attention?! She snorted angrily and tried to push the negative thoughts aside. Anubis was conscious again by the time they had reached him.
'What happened?' Anglarana asked anxiously. Anubis frowned slightly.
"I'm not sure; as we watched you and Jyserriec commune, I began to feel weak and disorientated. I turned and saw Crynis approaching us; that is the last thing that I remember." Jyserriec stepped forward.
"We must make haste to a place deep in the heart of this forest. There exists an ancient structure of power. Crynis intends to take Mia there to steal the Jewel of Life from her and coerce it to his will." Anubis nodded solemnly, a trace of anger gleaming in his eye. 'Let's go,' Anglarana said as her horn began to glow brightly. Jyserriec closed his eyes, pooling his own power. Anubis felt as though he were floating and when he looked down he realized that they were rising up into the air and they passed through the ceiling of the cavern as though it didn't exist. When they were once again standing on the solid, dark ground of the forest, Anglarana turned to Anubis. 'Get onto my back, we are in need of great speed.' Anubis stared at her dubiously. It was unthinkable to him that he should even touch such a pure creature, let alone do anything so degrading as to ride her. Any physical contact would undoubtedly put her at risk, at any rate. Jyserriec, seeing Anubis's moral conflict, laughed lightly.
"Go ahead, I can protect her while she is vulnerable." He paused and smiled at Anglarana stamping her fore hoof impatiently. "Besides, I do not think you would like to oppose her when she is in that state." Anglarana narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head ruefully. Anubis wearily walked up to her and placed his hands on her back. He closed his eyes and with one fluid movement, he flung himself on her back. Anglarana turned toward Jyserriec.
'Do you ride or run?' "I run, my lady," he said with a sweeping bow. 'Ready?' she called back to Anubis. Anubis nodded as he entwined his fingers through her silky, silver mane. With a heave from her hindquarters, Anglarana bounded off into the depths of the surrounding trees with a speed and agility that astounded Anubis. Jyserriec ran alongside them with an elastic stride that matched hers perfectly.
*****
Kento, Cye, and Rowen had been slashing their way through the woods for what seemed like hours and they had found nothing. Rowen paused and dragged an arm across his forehead.
"Man, I think we've been here before," he said, looking around at the surrounding area. "Yeah, I know, but we've been going in a straight line, I've made sure by checking the sun position," Kento said with a sigh. "What do you think, Cye? ...Cye... Cye!" They both turned to the unresponsive Cye. He was standing with his head tilted slightly as though he was listening to something. "What do you hear?" Rowen asked, touching Cye lightly on the shoulder. "Hmm? ...Oh, did you notice that the forest all of a sudden got very quiet?" Kento and Rowen exchanged surprised expressions; Cye was right, it was completely quiet. They all got into defensive stances and stared into the deep foliage searching for any sign of danger. Kayura, Cale, Sekhmet, and Dais emerged from the trees to their right and looked just as surprised to see Rowen, Kento, and Cye as they were to see them. "Ronins... I thought you were supposed to be searching in the northwest," Cale remarked. "We thought we were," replied a perplexed Rowen as he glanced up again at the position of the sun. "Perhaps I can answer that question for you," a soft, musical voice called out behind them. They all abruptly spun around to see a pubescent boy standing not twenty paces away from them. He was clothed in simple, homespun clothing and had a beautiful star-shaped mark on his forehead; he was accompanied by a young woman with a deep tan. Kayura's staff began to chime quietly. "You're... you're a..." Cye stammered. The boy smiled to himself.
"Then you have met one of my kindred. Might I know which one?" "Anglarana and Jyserriec," Kayura replied, bowing to the young unicorn. His face lit up with excitement. The woman with ebony hair standing at his left had an infinitely sad expression settled on her features and remarked:
"Ah yes, their tragic tale is a legend to the young ones like myself." Empathy settled on Kento's features as he thought on why Anglarana's past with Jyserriec would be tragic. I thought so; it's so obvious on their faces when they think no one is watching, he thought to himself. "Lady Anglarana summoned us here proclaiming that the demon Crynis has awakened. Is this so?" "Yes, but you said 'we'; are there more of you here?" Dais asked, glancing about the ring of trees. "Why, yes, all that remain have come to answer her plea." With that, many people of different coloring and physical attributes emerged from the forest, forming a circle around the armor bearers. Kayura breath caught in her throat as she felt enormous waves of powerful, positive energy engulf her. She had to banish her staff for it was ringing so loudly with the presence of them. "Tell us, do you know where the Lady Anglarana is?" one woman asked. "We all split up to look for the ancient city where the rest of your people are buried," Rowen replied; he could feel his forehead tingling, as though his kanji were flaring. The crowd starting murmuring amongst themselves at that, sounding like waves crashing against the shore. "I see now why she called us, despite having such powers as the armors to call upon," the boy remarked thoughtfully. "She means to destroy the beast." He closed his eyes and his mark flared. Two women who were standing near him each placed a hand on his shoulder, their marks glowing brightly as well, lending him their strength. "Crynis is there," he said, pointing north. "Once your friends arrive, we need to go there and face Crynis." "Friends... wait, do you mean you brought us all here?" Sekhmet asked incredulously. "We are sorry for the mysteriousness of our methods, but time is of the essence; Crynis has the Jewel of Life," the woman on the boy's left said. "What? He's got Mia?" Ryo cried, coming up to join the Ronin troop, followed by Sage. "Mia?" The boy tilted his head questioningly. "Yeah, she's got the Jewel of Life embedded in her chest," Sage replied. Once again the tide of murmuring rose filled with eager anticipation and wonder.
"I see then, the jewel has finally found its other half and has bonded. This is excellent news, the world has hope yet!" he exclaimed with triumph. "I fail to see how this is good news, that monster is gonna kill Mia!" Cye said with his eyebrows raised in shocked confusion. "It is good in the sense that Crynis will not be able to obtain the powers of the jewel until he performs a very difficult and costly ceremony. This will buy us the time we need to reach him. If the jewel had been alone as it was before, then he would already be in possession of its powers and the world would have already been lost." "Well, then let's stop wasting time talking we've got to hurry before that creep does anything to her!" Ryo said urgently. "We were just waitin' on you, buddy," Rowen replied with a grin. "Let's go make Crynis regret ever hearing the name Ronin Warriors!" The boy chuckled and turned.
"To the Sacred Grounds of Creation." With that all of the unicorns reverted back into their original shapes. The boy, now a juvenile, called to the humans, sensing their uncertainty, 'It will be faster if you ride.' Nine unicorns separated themselves from the crowd and moved over to the nervous humans. After an obvious moment of hesitation, each mounted and settled themselves as best they could. As one, the unicorns leapt forward in a massive, yet oddly silent, surge and speed away to their uncertain fates.
*****
Crynis held out the piece of gold once he had reached the ancient grounds. The earth rose up in the middle of the clearing forming an altar. Crynis grinned to himself triumphantly,
"Let the mules come, and the foolish mortals as well! There is nothing they can do now." He then lay his burden upon the altar and ripped open her shirt to reveal the now dull Jewel of Life. He moved his taloned hand over it. "Soon you will be mine." The jewel flared briefly in defiance, then settled to a sullen glow as warning that as long as it was in Mia's body, he could not touch it. A fact that he would alter shortly. Crynis then went to his collection of precious gems and stones. He selected the amber and held it out to the surrounding vegetation. All of the trees and plants thickened visibly, twining together to make any kind of non-flight entrance an impossibility. He then selected the diamond shard and held it up to the sun, casting rainbows in every direction. The air around them shimmered, and to the outside world the clearing with the timeless marble statues looked like just another section of moss-covered forest. Once his concealment was completed, Crynis discarded the gems and began preparations for the ceremony that would rip the Jewel of Life from its bearer. Crynis raised both of his grotesque arms into the air, murmuring words as ancient as the ground he stood upon. All of his laboriously collected gems rose from the ground and attached themselves in equal proportion to the four statues and the alter. "Energy of the elements! Lend me your wild and fierce power so that I might rid you of the parasitical humans that have plagued your beauty for so long. I call upon the armors of Talpa that tap and tame these mighty forces! Come to me now!" The gems began to glow fiercely, their rays shooting out into the sky. At that moment Mia awoke; something within in her was screaming for her to do something.
"Huh? ...What's going on here? Where am I?" Her voice rose in panic as she saw Crynis and the blinding gems. ~Run, run!~ the inner voice cried desperately. Keeping a steady eye on Crynis, Mia slipped off the altar and ran to the edge of the clearing. The Jewel of Life glimmered brightly and the trees parted. Crynis, sensing the jewel's efforts, spun around and snarled.
"What is this, human?" he spat. "Do you think you can really escape me? The jewel cannot save you now!" He thrust his hand toward her and the vines that encircled the nearby tree flew out and wrapped themselves around her tightly. Before she could even react, then sent her crashing into the altar, knocking the breath out of her. From there, the vines bound her fiercely to it and the altar itself formed shackles that closed upon her arms, feet, and waist. Finally, a thick, purple smoke poured out of the piece of silver and engulfed Mia. After a few moments of struggling, unconsciousness claimed her. Once sure that she was thoroughly contained, Crynis returned to his spell.
*****
'There!' Anglarana said, pulling to a stop in front of a particularly tangled section of forest. Anubis leaned forward, straining to see into the dense depths.
"I see nothing," he remarked. "That is because Crynis is doing everything in his power to conceal himself to obtain enough time to perform the ceremony," Jyserriec replied. "Ceremony? What ceremony? Why is he so preoccupied with the Jewel of Life?" 'As you have discovered, the Jewel of Life is very strong. It is strong enough to defeat all of you and even a mass of my people. Crynis intends to use this force to destroy all of us and reclaim his role as ruler of this world. However, he cannot use the jewel or even touch it when it is in the hands of another. Mia's bond with the Jewel of Life makes it hers to command. Crynis will have to kill her and use all of the powers of the elements to break that bond.' "Perhaps it is not so wise that the Ronins join this battle," Jyserriec commented as he strolled over to where the vegetation was so thick that only the smallest of creatures could squeeze through. "These trees will not respond to us; they are being magically coerced." He placed a hand on one of the trees, a silver light faintly glowed on his forehead. "You know as well as I that Crynis's powers only deal in the destructive forces of nature. He did this with some outside aid." Anglarana gave the equine equivalent of a a frown.
'Then what is he using that can give him such control over the elements?' "Access to those who draw power from the elements. The bearers of Talpa's armor." "How do you know this?" Anubis asked, dismounting while narrowing his eyes. "I know this because I started to do the same. Over the years I accidentally came across a way to tap into the armors and thus be able to control the elements that they represented. I found that by collecting a precious stone from where each armor has lain combined with negatively energizing it will give the holder of the stone powers over the armor's element. I had acquired over a quarter of them by the time I had reanimated Crynis." 'Oh, Jyserriec, do you realize what you've done?' Anglarana's mental voice dipped into a whisper. "I do," he replied in an emotionless voice. "Is there a way to counter the effects of the spell?" Anubis asked, his irritation evident in his tone. "Yes, there are several ways; but each one requires time and possession of the stones. In the meantime, you mustn't use your armor's special attack on him," Jyserriec replied, staring steadily back at Anubis. "How can we fight him without the power of our armors?" 'You have your weapons, the physical attacks, and our powers,' Anglarana murmured, touching her delicate nose to his shoulder. 'You shall not be alone either,' a youthful voice called out. With a delighted whinny, Anglarana did a few dancing steps in the direction of the call. A juvenile bay unicorn burst out of the trees.
'Kaleis, you came!' 'How could I ignore the call of my big sister?' he said playfully, briefly rubbing noses with her. 'I do not come alone, though. You have many allies!' he said triumphantly. Indeed, already the other unicorns were spilling out of the tree line including the ones carrying the other Ronins. The warriors dismounted and joined with Anubis. 'Jyserriec, why are you here?' Kaleis continued in an icy tone, looking over his sister's shoulder. Jyserriec refused to meet his, or any of the others's eyes and refrained from saying anything. 'Kaleis, please. He is here to help us destroy the demon. Let not your memory focus only on the discrepancies of a soul; no one is without inner evils,' Anglarana admonished; not only to him, but to all that sent him accusing glances. Although the older ones, who had known Jyserriec before his tragic betrayal and those who knew the stories of old, held deep sympathy and understanding in their eyes. Anglarana trotted over to the Ronins. 'My friends, how glad I am to see you here. Crynis awaits us there,' she said, gesturing with her head. 'We approach the final battle; it is here that the fate of this world will be decided. Crynis is now in possession of stones that can control your armors' different elements, so you will be without your special attacks. It is understandable if you wish to stand aside, for this battle will be beyond anything you have ever fought before.' "No way! I'm not backing down! Not with Mia at that monster's disposal and NOT with our world on the line! You can count me in!" Kento cried, stepping forward, his crystal held tightly within his hand. "That goes for the rest of us. We won't just stand by while someone else fights for us," Ryo added while the others nodded their agreement. Anglarana's eyes shone with pride.
'Then together!' She turned to face her kin. 'Come, let us break Crynis' cowardly attempts to hide himself! Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' she cried in her native tongue. The others took up her cry and chanted it as they mobbed about the tightly packed vegetation.
'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre! Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre...!' 'At risk of death, for life we fight,' Anglarana translated, turning her head briefly towards the Ronins. 'Transform into your armors now, for we are about to break the barrier.' The Ronins, and the former Warlords, silently transformed and unsheathed their weapons. Kayura pulled out her staff and gathered her energy. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' The cry continued as all of the unicorns's horns started to glow with a glorious light. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' The light engulfed the plants, pulling them apart. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' When the light faded they found themselves staring into a wide clearing with a circle of ancient, marble statues each of them had precious stones embedded into them. In the center was a large, stone alter. On the alter, bound with stone and vine, lay Mia. The Jewel of Life shining with a desperate light, screaming for assistance. Anglarana was the first into the clearing. 'But where is Crynis?' she thought to herself, looking around nervously.
*****
As the Ronins and Jyserriec filtered into the ancient place of power, Anglarana instantly went for Mia.
"Wait!" Dais cried, his eyes fixed on the statue to their immediate right. The diamond in the statue was glowing faintly. "It is Crynis, he is there!" The air next to the statue shimmered revealing Crynis, grotesquely grinning; his finger length fangs gleaming. Instantly the trees snapped shut, returning the clearing to seclusion and leaving the other unicorns outside. Anglarana ignored him and had already reached the altar and was working on freeing Mia from her constraints. Crynis sneered at her and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. An enormous gale of wind slammed into Anglarana; her knees buckled, but she kept her ground. Her horn glowed forcefully, the color was pink tinted. She had managed to cut through the vines and was working at the stone. Crynis raised his hand again but was interrupted by a two katanas diving toward him. Crynis leapt back and laughed.
"Ah, so the children want to play." He raised his hands to the sky and the earth began to shake violently. There was a sudden flash of green tinted silver light and the earth was still. "What...?" Crynis and everyone else turned to see Jyserriec running toward him with his hand engulfed with light, ready to send another shot. "Stupid mule! Your impertinence will be your destroyer!" He aimed his taloned hand and charged to greet Jyserriec head on. Two arrows planted themselves in his back, causing Crynis to howl with pain. He, however, continued forward intent on his quarry. At the last moment Jyserriec sent another blast of light at Crynis, then leapt lightly to his right. Sage then burst forward in his place with his sword raised defiantly. Crynis growled low in his throat, "Thunder and Lightning!" A terrible crashing sound echoed throughout the forest and bolts of lightning poured from the sky, randomly striking the inhabitants of the clearing. Anglarana ignored the tumult, concentrating only on freeing Mia. The last manacle of stone broke beneath her horn and Anglarana swiftly touched her horn to Mia to free her of the effects of the sleep Crynis had lain on her. Mia's eyelids fluttered. "Huh... NO!" she cried, coming fully to herself and the memories of the past few hours rushed to greet her. 'Come, Mia, you must flee! Crynis seeks your death.' Mia briefly glanced about the battle before nodding and sliding off the altar. While the Ronins were busy dodging the lethal shots of electricity and Jyserriec was attempting to stop the disturbances, Crynis pulled the arrows out of his back raised his gleaming talons to point at Anglarana. He charged immediately his lips pulled back in a fearsome grin. Anglarana whinnied shrilly and turned to face him, horn poised. Mia paused, uncertain, ready to help her in any way she could. 'No, go on without me, Mia! The world's safety depends on your life; escape and we shall deal with this foul demon!' Mia bit her lip with frustration, but she realized that Anglarana was right. She dashed over to where the clearing met a solid wall of trees and touched a hand to one of them, asking the Jewel of Life for assistance in her escape. On the other side of the barricade she could faintly hear the chanting of the Tsorin growing louder and louder. The trees were lined with a silver-green light. Crynis' talons met Anglarana's horn with a loud grating sound accompanied by sparks. His extensive, leathery wings slapped her exposed sides and he kicked fiercely at her legs. Then, with one superior snicker, he murmured some words over his shoulder and the shard of gold began to glow. The ground underneath Anglarana became quicksand; swiftly trapping her feet and eagerly worked to pull the rest of her in. "Anglarana!" Jyserriec cried out, rushing to aid her. Crynis chuckled and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. A fierce wind picked up catching Jyserriec as if he were nothing but a leaf and slammed him in the foliage. He fell hard to the ground; the air knocked out of him. Arrows in rapid succession planted themselves in his back. With another howl of rage Crynis spun around only to have to dodge the trident that swiped at his mid-section. Crynis leapt back only to have to dodge a roundhouse kick accompanied by a lethal swing of an iron bo. Crynis snarled and took to the sky. He screamed something into the air and all of the stones glowed with a blinding intensity. All of the other armors began to glow in unison with the stones. The bearers fell to their knees as an unbearable wave of pure agony overcame them. Crynis held up his fist and made a slow squeezing motion. This made the Ronins fall to the floor writhing, it felt as though their armors were about to crush them. Jyserriec rose to his feet and glared at Crynis.
"I regret the day I was ever so foolish to release you! But I shall make amends for my thoughtless and selfish deeds! I shall annihilate you even if it means my own life! You shall die for your evil!" A bright silver-green star marking appeared on his forehead and it began to glow intensely until his whole body glowed with it. His form shifted and reformed into that of a white stallion with a golden mane and tail and a spiraled horn aiming for Crynis. Jyserriec reared, grumbling his rage deep in his throat. He leapt forward with his horn raised to Crynis, beams of energy spouting out fiercely in his direction. Kayura raised her staff, which was by now ringing violently; the bright yellow light of the staff joined Jyserriec's attack. Crynis laughed a dry, mocking laugh and made a throwing gesture. The vines entwining the trees directly behind the duo harpooned out with a whip like accuracy and swiftly wound themselves tightly around Jyserriec and Kayura. With great speed and strength they pulled their prey back to slam into the tree, all the while tying them to the tree itself. The impact with the tree caused Kayura to drop the staff and the vines and wrapped around Jyserriec's muzzle, making it very difficult for him to breathe. "Now..." he said, turning to face the shocked Mia, who had paused in her escape to watch with horror as he tortured her friends. Her face became set, even as tears streamed down her cheeks. "No." She turned away from the trees to face him, her resolve evident. "I will not stand for this!" The jewel came to life with an eager gleam. The trees parted a few inches.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
"I will never allow such an evil creature to exist on this beautiful planet!" The pink light engulfed her until she was nothing but a dark silhouette in the heart of it.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
Beams of light from the jewel struck each of the stones, destroying them. The Ronins were on their feet instantly. "QUAKE WITH FEAR!" Chains flew in every direction trapping Crynis; the intensely shinning pink light was making it hard for him to focus or to move with any speed. "WEB OF DESTRUCTION!" Webbing encircled him to further bind him.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
Once the pink light had touched the vines, they obediently slipped away from Jyserriec and Kayura and the ground solidified, freeing Anglarana. The vegetation around the clearing had returned to its normal state and the Tsorin formed a loose, wide ring around Crynis. Crynis was desperately working to free himself and was beginning to succeed. 'He no longer has the stones to control your powers! Destroy him now, Ronins!' Jyserriec called as he raced to Anglarana's side within the circle.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
"Let's form the white armor, Ryo, and teach this guy a lesson!" Sage cried, glaring up at the squirming monstrosity. The energy of the Jewel of Life combined with energy of the Tsorin firmly held Crynis still.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
Dark blue, green, orange, and light blue shot out from their armors to join with the man in the red armor. Pulsating flames showered with cherry blossoms shot up around him and when they faded the Armor of Inferno gleamed in the sun. Whiteblaze leapt over Ryo's shoulder and as he did Ryo neatly pulled free the Fervor Soul Swords that were sheathed on the beast's armored sides.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
Mia stepped forward and placed a hand on Ryo's shoulder. He felt an enormous wave of pure energy and power course through his veins.
"At risk of death, for life we fight!" she cried out triumphantly. "RADIANT INFERNO FLAMES!" As he called out his new attack, the pink light ran down his sword to combine with the Inferno's might, striking Crynis head on. Unlike their first meeting, this time Crynis was completely obliterated within the searing heat of Ryo's attack. Both Ryo and Mia collapsed, completely spent. Kento and Cye went over to assist their fallen leader while Sage and Rowen attended to Mia. Anglarana turned her head to look upon the transformed Jyserriec and smiled softly as best as her equine snout allowed her.
'Welcome back, my dearest friend,' she whispered and touched her soft nose to his. Jyserriec dipped his head, his shame evident.
'I cannot be a Tsorin anymore, I have become that which you have always fought to destroy. Take my life and end this travesty on the goodness of your name,' he replied. Anglarana turned her head to the others who stood watching them.
'How say you, my kinsmen?' 'One is born a Tsorin; that very birthright cannot be taken away. Only forgotten,' one chestnut stallion called out from the back. 'So say I,' another agreed. 'And I!' others chorused. 'Well, I trust Anglarana and she is legendary for her judgement,' Kaleis sniffed. 'Just so long as you repent your actions and work fervently to make up for the evil you caused,' Kaleis said, looking upon Jyserriec with a stern gaze. "Definitely give him another chance! He helped up destroy Crynis in the end," Kento added with the smile of one who will be just at any cost. 'So be it,' Anglarana murmured. Jyserriec looked up at his fellow Tsorin and at Anglarana with wonder and gratitude in his eyes.
'I shall... and... thank you, my friends.' His soul was still filled with the pain and bitterness of betrayal, but somehow with the affectionate support of his kin and his dearest friend Anglarana, there was finally the hope of healing.
"Forever I shall run with the free,Know the joy of the skies,And feel the limit of only my wildestdreams and untamed imagination."
____________________________________________________ ____________________
*wipes her forehead* Phew! That was a long time in the making, but I finally did it! Don't worry, this isn't the end! I'll be writing an epilogue and there is the possibility of writing more adventures with my favorite mythological creatures, maybe even a few x-overs! Tell me what you think! nightcloud8@hotmail.com Give me a holler with your ideas and comments!Lady Eclipse
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Chapter Twelve
Sage reached Ryo moments after Jyserriec and Anglarana had slipped down into the earth. Seeing his unconscious friend, Sage ran to Ryo and immediately checked his pulse. Once assured that Ryo had a healthy heartbeat, Sage looked over his body but could find no wounds.
"Ryo! Hey, Ryo!" he called shaking his shoulders. Ryo's eyelids fluttered before slowly opening.
"Wha...?" he began, feeling greatly disoriented. "Are you okay? What happened? Where's Mia and Anubis?" Then his face became very stern. "Did Jyserriec do this to you?" Ryo sat up, feeling very groggy. "Huh? I don't know what happened. One minute Anubis and Mia are falling into a giant hole in the ground then Jyserriec and Anglarana show up. Then I all of a sudden fall asleep!" "Hmmm..." Sage walked over to the area where there was a large diameter of freshly turned earth. "We saw the energy of the Jewel of Life. Anglarana and Jyserriec just started running to it at a breakneck speed. There was no way I could keep up with them. Perhaps this is where the city is." "Do you think that they went after Anubis and Mia?" Ryo asked, standing up.Sage nodded,
"I'd say so. Unfortunately, I don't think we can follow. The dirt is hard-packed, we'd be digging for hours. The best course of action would be to gather everyone together and wait for Anglarana to return." Ryo glanced into the thick vegetation; this would take a while.
*****
Anglarana galloped through the tunnel following the sound of leather wings beating. She tried to reach Mia mentally, but it was as though her mind were blocked. Then, all of a sudden, the sounds stopped. Her horn started glowing as she concentrated; but there wasn't any trace of them. She gave up her search just as Jyserriec reached her. Seeing her desolate expression, he gently rubbed her nose and smiled.
"You know where he is headed, take comfort in that. The ceremony takes time to organize and perform, so let us make haste to round up the others and go to the sacred grounds. That is all that we can do at this point." Anglarana nodded her head wearily and began to trot back to the ruined city to reclaim the unconscious Anubis. I failed! she thought to herself bitterly. How could I be so foolish as to not sense Crynis's presence? Why wasn't I paying attention?! She snorted angrily and tried to push the negative thoughts aside. Anubis was conscious again by the time they had reached him.
'What happened?' Anglarana asked anxiously. Anubis frowned slightly.
"I'm not sure; as we watched you and Jyserriec commune, I began to feel weak and disorientated. I turned and saw Crynis approaching us; that is the last thing that I remember." Jyserriec stepped forward.
"We must make haste to a place deep in the heart of this forest. There exists an ancient structure of power. Crynis intends to take Mia there to steal the Jewel of Life from her and coerce it to his will." Anubis nodded solemnly, a trace of anger gleaming in his eye. 'Let's go,' Anglarana said as her horn began to glow brightly. Jyserriec closed his eyes, pooling his own power. Anubis felt as though he were floating and when he looked down he realized that they were rising up into the air and they passed through the ceiling of the cavern as though it didn't exist. When they were once again standing on the solid, dark ground of the forest, Anglarana turned to Anubis. 'Get onto my back, we are in need of great speed.' Anubis stared at her dubiously. It was unthinkable to him that he should even touch such a pure creature, let alone do anything so degrading as to ride her. Any physical contact would undoubtedly put her at risk, at any rate. Jyserriec, seeing Anubis's moral conflict, laughed lightly.
"Go ahead, I can protect her while she is vulnerable." He paused and smiled at Anglarana stamping her fore hoof impatiently. "Besides, I do not think you would like to oppose her when she is in that state." Anglarana narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head ruefully. Anubis wearily walked up to her and placed his hands on her back. He closed his eyes and with one fluid movement, he flung himself on her back. Anglarana turned toward Jyserriec.
'Do you ride or run?' "I run, my lady," he said with a sweeping bow. 'Ready?' she called back to Anubis. Anubis nodded as he entwined his fingers through her silky, silver mane. With a heave from her hindquarters, Anglarana bounded off into the depths of the surrounding trees with a speed and agility that astounded Anubis. Jyserriec ran alongside them with an elastic stride that matched hers perfectly.
*****
Kento, Cye, and Rowen had been slashing their way through the woods for what seemed like hours and they had found nothing. Rowen paused and dragged an arm across his forehead.
"Man, I think we've been here before," he said, looking around at the surrounding area. "Yeah, I know, but we've been going in a straight line, I've made sure by checking the sun position," Kento said with a sigh. "What do you think, Cye? ...Cye... Cye!" They both turned to the unresponsive Cye. He was standing with his head tilted slightly as though he was listening to something. "What do you hear?" Rowen asked, touching Cye lightly on the shoulder. "Hmm? ...Oh, did you notice that the forest all of a sudden got very quiet?" Kento and Rowen exchanged surprised expressions; Cye was right, it was completely quiet. They all got into defensive stances and stared into the deep foliage searching for any sign of danger. Kayura, Cale, Sekhmet, and Dais emerged from the trees to their right and looked just as surprised to see Rowen, Kento, and Cye as they were to see them. "Ronins... I thought you were supposed to be searching in the northwest," Cale remarked. "We thought we were," replied a perplexed Rowen as he glanced up again at the position of the sun. "Perhaps I can answer that question for you," a soft, musical voice called out behind them. They all abruptly spun around to see a pubescent boy standing not twenty paces away from them. He was clothed in simple, homespun clothing and had a beautiful star-shaped mark on his forehead; he was accompanied by a young woman with a deep tan. Kayura's staff began to chime quietly. "You're... you're a..." Cye stammered. The boy smiled to himself.
"Then you have met one of my kindred. Might I know which one?" "Anglarana and Jyserriec," Kayura replied, bowing to the young unicorn. His face lit up with excitement. The woman with ebony hair standing at his left had an infinitely sad expression settled on her features and remarked:
"Ah yes, their tragic tale is a legend to the young ones like myself." Empathy settled on Kento's features as he thought on why Anglarana's past with Jyserriec would be tragic. I thought so; it's so obvious on their faces when they think no one is watching, he thought to himself. "Lady Anglarana summoned us here proclaiming that the demon Crynis has awakened. Is this so?" "Yes, but you said 'we'; are there more of you here?" Dais asked, glancing about the ring of trees. "Why, yes, all that remain have come to answer her plea." With that, many people of different coloring and physical attributes emerged from the forest, forming a circle around the armor bearers. Kayura breath caught in her throat as she felt enormous waves of powerful, positive energy engulf her. She had to banish her staff for it was ringing so loudly with the presence of them. "Tell us, do you know where the Lady Anglarana is?" one woman asked. "We all split up to look for the ancient city where the rest of your people are buried," Rowen replied; he could feel his forehead tingling, as though his kanji were flaring. The crowd starting murmuring amongst themselves at that, sounding like waves crashing against the shore. "I see now why she called us, despite having such powers as the armors to call upon," the boy remarked thoughtfully. "She means to destroy the beast." He closed his eyes and his mark flared. Two women who were standing near him each placed a hand on his shoulder, their marks glowing brightly as well, lending him their strength. "Crynis is there," he said, pointing north. "Once your friends arrive, we need to go there and face Crynis." "Friends... wait, do you mean you brought us all here?" Sekhmet asked incredulously. "We are sorry for the mysteriousness of our methods, but time is of the essence; Crynis has the Jewel of Life," the woman on the boy's left said. "What? He's got Mia?" Ryo cried, coming up to join the Ronin troop, followed by Sage. "Mia?" The boy tilted his head questioningly. "Yeah, she's got the Jewel of Life embedded in her chest," Sage replied. Once again the tide of murmuring rose filled with eager anticipation and wonder.
"I see then, the jewel has finally found its other half and has bonded. This is excellent news, the world has hope yet!" he exclaimed with triumph. "I fail to see how this is good news, that monster is gonna kill Mia!" Cye said with his eyebrows raised in shocked confusion. "It is good in the sense that Crynis will not be able to obtain the powers of the jewel until he performs a very difficult and costly ceremony. This will buy us the time we need to reach him. If the jewel had been alone as it was before, then he would already be in possession of its powers and the world would have already been lost." "Well, then let's stop wasting time talking we've got to hurry before that creep does anything to her!" Ryo said urgently. "We were just waitin' on you, buddy," Rowen replied with a grin. "Let's go make Crynis regret ever hearing the name Ronin Warriors!" The boy chuckled and turned.
"To the Sacred Grounds of Creation." With that all of the unicorns reverted back into their original shapes. The boy, now a juvenile, called to the humans, sensing their uncertainty, 'It will be faster if you ride.' Nine unicorns separated themselves from the crowd and moved over to the nervous humans. After an obvious moment of hesitation, each mounted and settled themselves as best they could. As one, the unicorns leapt forward in a massive, yet oddly silent, surge and speed away to their uncertain fates.
*****
Crynis held out the piece of gold once he had reached the ancient grounds. The earth rose up in the middle of the clearing forming an altar. Crynis grinned to himself triumphantly,
"Let the mules come, and the foolish mortals as well! There is nothing they can do now." He then lay his burden upon the altar and ripped open her shirt to reveal the now dull Jewel of Life. He moved his taloned hand over it. "Soon you will be mine." The jewel flared briefly in defiance, then settled to a sullen glow as warning that as long as it was in Mia's body, he could not touch it. A fact that he would alter shortly. Crynis then went to his collection of precious gems and stones. He selected the amber and held it out to the surrounding vegetation. All of the trees and plants thickened visibly, twining together to make any kind of non-flight entrance an impossibility. He then selected the diamond shard and held it up to the sun, casting rainbows in every direction. The air around them shimmered, and to the outside world the clearing with the timeless marble statues looked like just another section of moss-covered forest. Once his concealment was completed, Crynis discarded the gems and began preparations for the ceremony that would rip the Jewel of Life from its bearer. Crynis raised both of his grotesque arms into the air, murmuring words as ancient as the ground he stood upon. All of his laboriously collected gems rose from the ground and attached themselves in equal proportion to the four statues and the alter. "Energy of the elements! Lend me your wild and fierce power so that I might rid you of the parasitical humans that have plagued your beauty for so long. I call upon the armors of Talpa that tap and tame these mighty forces! Come to me now!" The gems began to glow fiercely, their rays shooting out into the sky. At that moment Mia awoke; something within in her was screaming for her to do something.
"Huh? ...What's going on here? Where am I?" Her voice rose in panic as she saw Crynis and the blinding gems. ~Run, run!~ the inner voice cried desperately. Keeping a steady eye on Crynis, Mia slipped off the altar and ran to the edge of the clearing. The Jewel of Life glimmered brightly and the trees parted. Crynis, sensing the jewel's efforts, spun around and snarled.
"What is this, human?" he spat. "Do you think you can really escape me? The jewel cannot save you now!" He thrust his hand toward her and the vines that encircled the nearby tree flew out and wrapped themselves around her tightly. Before she could even react, then sent her crashing into the altar, knocking the breath out of her. From there, the vines bound her fiercely to it and the altar itself formed shackles that closed upon her arms, feet, and waist. Finally, a thick, purple smoke poured out of the piece of silver and engulfed Mia. After a few moments of struggling, unconsciousness claimed her. Once sure that she was thoroughly contained, Crynis returned to his spell.
*****
'There!' Anglarana said, pulling to a stop in front of a particularly tangled section of forest. Anubis leaned forward, straining to see into the dense depths.
"I see nothing," he remarked. "That is because Crynis is doing everything in his power to conceal himself to obtain enough time to perform the ceremony," Jyserriec replied. "Ceremony? What ceremony? Why is he so preoccupied with the Jewel of Life?" 'As you have discovered, the Jewel of Life is very strong. It is strong enough to defeat all of you and even a mass of my people. Crynis intends to use this force to destroy all of us and reclaim his role as ruler of this world. However, he cannot use the jewel or even touch it when it is in the hands of another. Mia's bond with the Jewel of Life makes it hers to command. Crynis will have to kill her and use all of the powers of the elements to break that bond.' "Perhaps it is not so wise that the Ronins join this battle," Jyserriec commented as he strolled over to where the vegetation was so thick that only the smallest of creatures could squeeze through. "These trees will not respond to us; they are being magically coerced." He placed a hand on one of the trees, a silver light faintly glowed on his forehead. "You know as well as I that Crynis's powers only deal in the destructive forces of nature. He did this with some outside aid." Anglarana gave the equine equivalent of a a frown.
'Then what is he using that can give him such control over the elements?' "Access to those who draw power from the elements. The bearers of Talpa's armor." "How do you know this?" Anubis asked, dismounting while narrowing his eyes. "I know this because I started to do the same. Over the years I accidentally came across a way to tap into the armors and thus be able to control the elements that they represented. I found that by collecting a precious stone from where each armor has lain combined with negatively energizing it will give the holder of the stone powers over the armor's element. I had acquired over a quarter of them by the time I had reanimated Crynis." 'Oh, Jyserriec, do you realize what you've done?' Anglarana's mental voice dipped into a whisper. "I do," he replied in an emotionless voice. "Is there a way to counter the effects of the spell?" Anubis asked, his irritation evident in his tone. "Yes, there are several ways; but each one requires time and possession of the stones. In the meantime, you mustn't use your armor's special attack on him," Jyserriec replied, staring steadily back at Anubis. "How can we fight him without the power of our armors?" 'You have your weapons, the physical attacks, and our powers,' Anglarana murmured, touching her delicate nose to his shoulder. 'You shall not be alone either,' a youthful voice called out. With a delighted whinny, Anglarana did a few dancing steps in the direction of the call. A juvenile bay unicorn burst out of the trees.
'Kaleis, you came!' 'How could I ignore the call of my big sister?' he said playfully, briefly rubbing noses with her. 'I do not come alone, though. You have many allies!' he said triumphantly. Indeed, already the other unicorns were spilling out of the tree line including the ones carrying the other Ronins. The warriors dismounted and joined with Anubis. 'Jyserriec, why are you here?' Kaleis continued in an icy tone, looking over his sister's shoulder. Jyserriec refused to meet his, or any of the others's eyes and refrained from saying anything. 'Kaleis, please. He is here to help us destroy the demon. Let not your memory focus only on the discrepancies of a soul; no one is without inner evils,' Anglarana admonished; not only to him, but to all that sent him accusing glances. Although the older ones, who had known Jyserriec before his tragic betrayal and those who knew the stories of old, held deep sympathy and understanding in their eyes. Anglarana trotted over to the Ronins. 'My friends, how glad I am to see you here. Crynis awaits us there,' she said, gesturing with her head. 'We approach the final battle; it is here that the fate of this world will be decided. Crynis is now in possession of stones that can control your armors' different elements, so you will be without your special attacks. It is understandable if you wish to stand aside, for this battle will be beyond anything you have ever fought before.' "No way! I'm not backing down! Not with Mia at that monster's disposal and NOT with our world on the line! You can count me in!" Kento cried, stepping forward, his crystal held tightly within his hand. "That goes for the rest of us. We won't just stand by while someone else fights for us," Ryo added while the others nodded their agreement. Anglarana's eyes shone with pride.
'Then together!' She turned to face her kin. 'Come, let us break Crynis' cowardly attempts to hide himself! Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' she cried in her native tongue. The others took up her cry and chanted it as they mobbed about the tightly packed vegetation.
'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre! Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre...!' 'At risk of death, for life we fight,' Anglarana translated, turning her head briefly towards the Ronins. 'Transform into your armors now, for we are about to break the barrier.' The Ronins, and the former Warlords, silently transformed and unsheathed their weapons. Kayura pulled out her staff and gathered her energy. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' The cry continued as all of the unicorns's horns started to glow with a glorious light. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' The light engulfed the plants, pulling them apart. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' When the light faded they found themselves staring into a wide clearing with a circle of ancient, marble statues each of them had precious stones embedded into them. In the center was a large, stone alter. On the alter, bound with stone and vine, lay Mia. The Jewel of Life shining with a desperate light, screaming for assistance. Anglarana was the first into the clearing. 'But where is Crynis?' she thought to herself, looking around nervously.
*****
As the Ronins and Jyserriec filtered into the ancient place of power, Anglarana instantly went for Mia.
"Wait!" Dais cried, his eyes fixed on the statue to their immediate right. The diamond in the statue was glowing faintly. "It is Crynis, he is there!" The air next to the statue shimmered revealing Crynis, grotesquely grinning; his finger length fangs gleaming. Instantly the trees snapped shut, returning the clearing to seclusion and leaving the other unicorns outside. Anglarana ignored him and had already reached the altar and was working on freeing Mia from her constraints. Crynis sneered at her and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. An enormous gale of wind slammed into Anglarana; her knees buckled, but she kept her ground. Her horn glowed forcefully, the color was pink tinted. She had managed to cut through the vines and was working at the stone. Crynis raised his hand again but was interrupted by a two katanas diving toward him. Crynis leapt back and laughed.
"Ah, so the children want to play." He raised his hands to the sky and the earth began to shake violently. There was a sudden flash of green tinted silver light and the earth was still. "What...?" Crynis and everyone else turned to see Jyserriec running toward him with his hand engulfed with light, ready to send another shot. "Stupid mule! Your impertinence will be your destroyer!" He aimed his taloned hand and charged to greet Jyserriec head on. Two arrows planted themselves in his back, causing Crynis to howl with pain. He, however, continued forward intent on his quarry. At the last moment Jyserriec sent another blast of light at Crynis, then leapt lightly to his right. Sage then burst forward in his place with his sword raised defiantly. Crynis growled low in his throat, "Thunder and Lightning!" A terrible crashing sound echoed throughout the forest and bolts of lightning poured from the sky, randomly striking the inhabitants of the clearing. Anglarana ignored the tumult, concentrating only on freeing Mia. The last manacle of stone broke beneath her horn and Anglarana swiftly touched her horn to Mia to free her of the effects of the sleep Crynis had lain on her. Mia's eyelids fluttered. "Huh... NO!" she cried, coming fully to herself and the memories of the past few hours rushed to greet her. 'Come, Mia, you must flee! Crynis seeks your death.' Mia briefly glanced about the battle before nodding and sliding off the altar. While the Ronins were busy dodging the lethal shots of electricity and Jyserriec was attempting to stop the disturbances, Crynis pulled the arrows out of his back raised his gleaming talons to point at Anglarana. He charged immediately his lips pulled back in a fearsome grin. Anglarana whinnied shrilly and turned to face him, horn poised. Mia paused, uncertain, ready to help her in any way she could. 'No, go on without me, Mia! The world's safety depends on your life; escape and we shall deal with this foul demon!' Mia bit her lip with frustration, but she realized that Anglarana was right. She dashed over to where the clearing met a solid wall of trees and touched a hand to one of them, asking the Jewel of Life for assistance in her escape. On the other side of the barricade she could faintly hear the chanting of the Tsorin growing louder and louder. The trees were lined with a silver-green light. Crynis' talons met Anglarana's horn with a loud grating sound accompanied by sparks. His extensive, leathery wings slapped her exposed sides and he kicked fiercely at her legs. Then, with one superior snicker, he murmured some words over his shoulder and the shard of gold began to glow. The ground underneath Anglarana became quicksand; swiftly trapping her feet and eagerly worked to pull the rest of her in. "Anglarana!" Jyserriec cried out, rushing to aid her. Crynis chuckled and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. A fierce wind picked up catching Jyserriec as if he were nothing but a leaf and slammed him in the foliage. He fell hard to the ground; the air knocked out of him. Arrows in rapid succession planted themselves in his back. With another howl of rage Crynis spun around only to have to dodge the trident that swiped at his mid-section. Crynis leapt back only to have to dodge a roundhouse kick accompanied by a lethal swing of an iron bo. Crynis snarled and took to the sky. He screamed something into the air and all of the stones glowed with a blinding intensity. All of the other armors began to glow in unison with the stones. The bearers fell to their knees as an unbearable wave of pure agony overcame them. Crynis held up his fist and made a slow squeezing motion. This made the Ronins fall to the floor writhing, it felt as though their armors were about to crush them. Jyserriec rose to his feet and glared at Crynis.
"I regret the day I was ever so foolish to release you! But I shall make amends for my thoughtless and selfish deeds! I shall annihilate you even if it means my own life! You shall die for your evil!" A bright silver-green star marking appeared on his forehead and it began to glow intensely until his whole body glowed with it. His form shifted and reformed into that of a white stallion with a golden mane and tail and a spiraled horn aiming for Crynis. Jyserriec reared, grumbling his rage deep in his throat. He leapt forward with his horn raised to Crynis, beams of energy spouting out fiercely in his direction. Kayura raised her staff, which was by now ringing violently; the bright yellow light of the staff joined Jyserriec's attack. Crynis laughed a dry, mocking laugh and made a throwing gesture. The vines entwining the trees directly behind the duo harpooned out with a whip like accuracy and swiftly wound themselves tightly around Jyserriec and Kayura. With great speed and strength they pulled their prey back to slam into the tree, all the while tying them to the tree itself. The impact with the tree caused Kayura to drop the staff and the vines and wrapped around Jyserriec's muzzle, making it very difficult for him to breathe. "Now..." he said, turning to face the shocked Mia, who had paused in her escape to watch with horror as he tortured her friends. Her face became set, even as tears streamed down her cheeks. "No." She turned away from the trees to face him, her resolve evident. "I will not stand for this!" The jewel came to life with an eager gleam. The trees parted a few inches.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
"I will never allow such an evil creature to exist on this beautiful planet!" The pink light engulfed her until she was nothing but a dark silhouette in the heart of it.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
Beams of light from the jewel struck each of the stones, destroying them. The Ronins were on their feet instantly. "QUAKE WITH FEAR!" Chains flew in every direction trapping Crynis; the intensely shinning pink light was making it hard for him to focus or to move with any speed. "WEB OF DESTRUCTION!" Webbing encircled him to further bind him.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
Once the pink light had touched the vines, they obediently slipped away from Jyserriec and Kayura and the ground solidified, freeing Anglarana. The vegetation around the clearing had returned to its normal state and the Tsorin formed a loose, wide ring around Crynis. Crynis was desperately working to free himself and was beginning to succeed. 'He no longer has the stones to control your powers! Destroy him now, Ronins!' Jyserriec called as he raced to Anglarana's side within the circle.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
"Let's form the white armor, Ryo, and teach this guy a lesson!" Sage cried, glaring up at the squirming monstrosity. The energy of the Jewel of Life combined with energy of the Tsorin firmly held Crynis still.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
Dark blue, green, orange, and light blue shot out from their armors to join with the man in the red armor. Pulsating flames showered with cherry blossoms shot up around him and when they faded the Armor of Inferno gleamed in the sun. Whiteblaze leapt over Ryo's shoulder and as he did Ryo neatly pulled free the Fervor Soul Swords that were sheathed on the beast's armored sides.
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'
Mia stepped forward and placed a hand on Ryo's shoulder. He felt an enormous wave of pure energy and power course through his veins.
"At risk of death, for life we fight!" she cried out triumphantly. "RADIANT INFERNO FLAMES!" As he called out his new attack, the pink light ran down his sword to combine with the Inferno's might, striking Crynis head on. Unlike their first meeting, this time Crynis was completely obliterated within the searing heat of Ryo's attack. Both Ryo and Mia collapsed, completely spent. Kento and Cye went over to assist their fallen leader while Sage and Rowen attended to Mia. Anglarana turned her head to look upon the transformed Jyserriec and smiled softly as best as her equine snout allowed her.
'Welcome back, my dearest friend,' she whispered and touched her soft nose to his. Jyserriec dipped his head, his shame evident.
'I cannot be a Tsorin anymore, I have become that which you have always fought to destroy. Take my life and end this travesty on the goodness of your name,' he replied. Anglarana turned her head to the others who stood watching them.
'How say you, my kinsmen?' 'One is born a Tsorin; that very birthright cannot be taken away. Only forgotten,' one chestnut stallion called out from the back. 'So say I,' another agreed. 'And I!' others chorused. 'Well, I trust Anglarana and she is legendary for her judgement,' Kaleis sniffed. 'Just so long as you repent your actions and work fervently to make up for the evil you caused,' Kaleis said, looking upon Jyserriec with a stern gaze. "Definitely give him another chance! He helped up destroy Crynis in the end," Kento added with the smile of one who will be just at any cost. 'So be it,' Anglarana murmured. Jyserriec looked up at his fellow Tsorin and at Anglarana with wonder and gratitude in his eyes.
'I shall... and... thank you, my friends.' His soul was still filled with the pain and bitterness of betrayal, but somehow with the affectionate support of his kin and his dearest friend Anglarana, there was finally the hope of healing.
"Forever I shall run with the free,Know the joy of the skies,And feel the limit of only my wildestdreams and untamed imagination."
____________________________________________________ ____________________
*wipes her forehead* Phew! That was a long time in the making, but I finally did it! Don't worry, this isn't the end! I'll be writing an epilogue and there is the possibility of writing more adventures with my favorite mythological creatures, maybe even a few x-overs! Tell me what you think! nightcloud8@hotmail.com Give me a holler with your ideas and comments!Lady Eclipse
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Lawrence Wade
Lawrence Wade