The Salvation Of Anubis

part 2

The warlord wondered how a Ronin Warrior could feel loneliness, for their souls and armors were so closely linked. Yet Cye was lonely. Anubis recognized that feeling anywhere, for he\'d been alone in the Dynasty for centuries. He\'d fought, killed, and manipulated his way to power, as they all had done.

Cye\'s loneliness drew Anubi him him, beckoned the kindred spirit, promising to wipe away the years of loneliness. So the warlord of Cruelty decided to keep Cye with him. Master Talpa need not know what really happened to Torrent.

Cye awoke alone in the bed to a painful throbbing in his shoulder. He looked about him but saw no sign of Anubis. He ried to rise but a sudden, fierce pain forced him down. He heard the clanking of armor in the silent, cold hall and he instinctively stiffened. The warlord of Cruelty, in full armor, entered and he visibly relaxed.

Anubis knelt on a mat; a few seconds later, his armor of Cruelty vanished. Cye saw a golden arrow enlodged in the warlord\'s arm. His long, rust colored hair was a snarled mass and he was coated with dried blood and mud. \"A.Anubis?\" Cye murmured softly.

\"I\'m fine. \'Tis merely a scratch.\" He gestured at the wound.

A glimmer of hope flickered in Cye\'s youthful eyes. \"Rowen and Ryo-\" he began breathlessly, but Anubis swiftly cut him off.

\"Strata and Wildfire have given you up for dead, as they have Halo and Hardrock.\"

Cye felt the tears build up in his eyes, but Anubis\' last words caught him off guard. \"What? Sage and Kento-\"

\"Give it up. You\'re here. With me. Get used to it.\" Anubis snapped impatiently. Cye bit his trembling, full lower lip and turned his head away. The warlord cleansed himself of the battle and Cye heard his low growl of pain. Gritting his teeth, the boy crawled to Anubis\'s side and gently touched his arm.

Anubis stilled when he felt Torrent\'s hand, giving the boy a sideways glance. His body tightened when Cye pulled out the arrow. Cye drew in deep, ragged breaths. He clutched Rowen\'s arrow tightly in his sweaty palm, its tip wet and shiny with Anubis\'s blood.

He stared at it in a daze as Anubis\'s words slowly sunk in. Rowen and Ryo had given up...Cye shook his head. That was so unlike them; they\'d fight to the death for one another, as would they all. He couldn\'t accept it. Anubis had also said something about Sage and Kento. If Wildfire and Strata didn\'t find them, and they weren\'t in the Dynasty, what happened to them? A hoarse, broken sob escaped his throat and Cye covered his mouth with one hand. He felt himself drowning in the wild sea of emotions which assailed him. Tears flowed freely and his lean, weakened body shook like a young sapling in a hurricane.

He cried out when Anubis touched him, then laid his head against the bigger man\'s shoulder. \"Torrent, calm down. The other Ronins abandoned you, betrayed you-\"

Cye jerked back swiftly. \"NO!\" His cry echoed throughout the darkened room. Anubis clamped his hand roughly over the child\'s mouth. He pressed the boy to him and jerked the arrow out of his hand. Cye went to reach for it, but he was held tight in Anubis\'s strong arm. He winced as the warlord snapped Strata\'s arrow in two.

Cye bit his lower lip as he tried to calm down. He closed his eyes and dug his teeth in fiercely; the taste of blood filled his mouth. After a brief fit of coughing, his breathing eventually slowed and he sniffed then wiped his nose and mouth on his sleeve. He kept his head down, away from Anubis, who gently lifted his chin up.

Thw warlord of Cruelty wiped away the blood on Cye\'s chin and looked at the teeth marks on his soft lip. A tear trickled from the corner of Cye\'s ey; before Anubis wiped it away, Cye caught his large, rough hand in his soft, warm one and lowered it.

Anubis, bewildered by the child\'s action, asked, \"Have you no words for me, Torrent?\"

Something flickered in his sky blue eyes. \"Yes.\" The boy said bravely. \"Where are Kento and Sage? I want the truth, Anubis.\"

Anubis gave a sharp laugh. \"Truth? What is truth? They\'re dead.\"

Cye didn\'t pull away, but his eyes burned with a cool blue fire. \"The truth.\" His voice was flat and determined.

\"What does it matter? You\'ll never see them again.\"

Cye\'s chin lifted stubbornly. \"Anubis\"

He shrugged. \"Torrent, they\'re dead. Gone.\" His voice grew irritated.

The boy returned his glare. \"THE TRUTH!!!!!!\" He demanded fiercely. \"They\'re not dead.\"

\"Yes, they are. There\'s no hope left, Cye.\"

The boy\'s eyes filled with tears, but he blinked them back. \"Fine. I\'ll find them myself.\" He pushed against the warlord\'s thick chest, but in his weak condition he got nowhere. Still, Cye continued to fight, ignoring Anubis\'s angry, annoyed expression.

Anubis gripped Cye\'s shoulders forcefully. As the tight pressure touched his wound, Torrent flinched but held back his cry. Anubis looked at the vicious bruises he\'d left on Cye\'s tender flesh and at his young, trembling body. The warlord inhaled deeply, accidentally causing his fingers to dig into the soft skin.

Cye gasped and his light, startled eyes flew to Anubis\'s dark ones. Anubis saw fear, the same fear he\'d seen in all of the Dynasty\'s victims he\'d killed. The warlord slowly eased his hold then rose to his feet.

The boy was left lying on the cold floor. His head was spinning and his shoulder throbbed so he was still and quiet. Cye heard a faint crack, then a loud crash as the door was knocked open.

Anubis spun around with a hook kick just in time and knocked Sekhmet to the floor. The warlord of Venom hissed like a snake and lunged, knocking them both to the ground. In the dim light, Cye saw a quick flash as Sekkhmet pulled out a dagger whose blade dripped with poison.

They wrestled on the ground. Eventually Sekhmet was on top, slowly driving the blade toward his Anubis\'s heart as he struggled against his opponent\'s superior strength. \"Now you die!\" he cried.

The dagger was suddenly knocked out of his hand and clattered to the floor. Cye stood on wobbly legs, a short wodden stick clutched in his hands. Sekhmet hissed and quickly sprung up, swept Cye\'s legs, then, as the child fell, cracked his wounded arm with the stick.

Anubis growled and caught Sekhmet in the face with a powerful punch. Venom hissed and disappeared into the darkness.

end part 2