“I don’t like this, Lorelai broke the uneasy silence, looking into the thick blackness of the forest that seemed to enclose this worn path in a death grip. “Why aren’t there any guards?”

“There is no need for them to protect themselves.” Genshu stated, pausing briefly. “The temple already knows we are coming.”

“Why is that?” Valeria spoke up, somewhat on edge as well.

“Because, when you were attacked from behind, I was able to defeat one of your attackers, the other however, escaped.” Genshu answered, staring toward Lorelai, as if he passed an unseen thought to her.

“Oh, um…so, how many are we up against?” Valeria questioned, hoping to phrase her words as not to seem as if she were second-guessing this man.

“Best estimate would indicate approximately 30 fighters. Though, as to whom we face, that is a matter we will have to explore when we arrive at the temple. It will not be easy, in any regard.” Genshu finished.

Though, despite his brief communication with Valeria, the swordswoman could not help but notice that this samurai never turned to address her directly, his eyes were fixed on the path they followed.

“Um…okay, think we can take them?” Valeria asked, curiosity filling her concerning this man she was now speaking with. How did he know so much about the temple? Just who was he anyway, and why, if he is so unwilling to accept our help, does he allow us to follow?

“Where is your friend?? Genshu responded, neither answering Valeria’s question nor turning his attention away from his path.

“What?” Valeria asked, turning around to see that no one had followed her. “Uh, Lore?”

Lorelai’s attention was drawn to her right, the wooded abyss that embraced these travelers, while Genshu and Valeria discussed the numbers of guards. What was that sound? She turned and walked cautiously into the forest. I don’t think they'll mind me checking this out. She came into a clearing to see two Samurai, one barking something in Harmonian. The other was sitting on top of a boy, who was straining to do a push up. And the boy was Pete! She stepped into the clearing, immediately catching the men's attention. "Hey boys, wouldn't you rather play with me?"

Tower slid from her back and into her hands, as though it were but an extension of her body. She heard a voice laughing, but for the second time in two days, they weren't arguing.

The standing samurai charged her, and she quickly struck him in the knees for his efforts. The other, studying her, rose, and attacked. She managed to deflect the blow of his katana, and gave him a swift kick in the midsection for his effort. He doubled over slightly, the wind rushing from his body. He then made a loud, high-pitched proclamation of pain as Pete had snuck up behind him and given him a well-placed kick to the groin.

"Pete! Get out of here!" The samurai turned to strike the boy, leaving his back exposed to Lorelai. A big mistake, as Tower struck true, and separated the samurai's spine. The slain warrior fell, spraying blood onto Lorelai's face.

Before she could ensure Pete's safety though, the first samurai gave her a well placed strike to the back. She fell, agony wracking her body. "Damn.."

She saw a burst of light, and rolled over and looked up to see Yori fighting the samurai. His body looked luminescent, and he seemed faster and stronger than reasonably explainable. Her draining rune quickly kicked in, and she could feel the jagged, vicious wound on her back healing, closing upon itself. Yori managed to sweep the samurai's feet from underneath him, and he fell backwards, most unceremoniously. Lorelai had seen the fall coming and was ready, angling Tower in position. The warrior’s own momentum impaled him on Lorelai's weapon. Lorelai looked up to see blood pouring down onto her. She simply kicked the samurai off her weapon and stood.

Yori looked on in shock. "Lore are you OK?"

Lorelai glared at him, seemingly unpleased to see him here. "I told you to stay at the inn." Why had he come here? Didn't he realize he was in danger around her?

"There was no way I was leaving you here to fend for yourself. I'm just glad I found you..." Yori looked on, a little disturbed. Because what he saw was all the fresh blood on Lorelai crawling over her body and towards her right hand, where it was being absorbed. "Lore what's going on? And where is Pete?"

"You mean this boy?" A new man had entered the fold, dressed like the other two, but without the helm. His face was severely scarred, and would be disconcerting for some to look at. He had Pete in a headlock, and the boy was obviously feeling the affects of it.

"Put him down. Now." The two spoke in unison. Yori acted first though, sliding along the ground, knocking the man over and catching Pete in his hands. He rose and scampered to the side where Pete would be safe.

The man glared at the two. "Very well... It's not like I don't have 20 more just like him."

Lorelai glared at the man. "Yori, take Pete back to the inn."

"But.."

"Now."

Yori wasn’t willing to argue, and quickly darted into the woods. Lorelai turned back to the man, who by all indications, had been around awhile.

~Kinda looks like the guy who torched your village doesn't he?~

"Close enough." Lorelai sprung forward, burying Tower into his shoulder. She looked down at the man, who was obviously beaten. The shadows of the forest ran toward her and enveloped her, embracing her like a well-made uniform, or perhaps more accurately, a second skin.

"You seem to be the type of person who gets off on being evil." The shadows sprouted from her back into a pair of razor sharp wings, and manifested as a huge set of claws that enveloped her hands.

"Let me show you what being Evil is all about." The voice again spoke, though whether Lorelai had grown in comfort of the accompanying voice, or was too weary to battle it any longer, she asserted no protest against it.

The scene was quick, gruesome, and bloody. The only thing identifiable of what had once been the man was his bones, and a rapidly decreasing amount of blood, streaming over Lorelai’s body, and flowing into her glorious Draining Rune. A slight smile crossed her face, and the voice spoke to her once again. ~You'll be our dark angel yet.~

She turned away from the clearing, slowly returning to her normal guise. There were more children that needed saving.

Lorelai returned to the path where she saw Valeria and Genshu standing, obviously waiting with some impatience, the samurai especially. She hadn't been gone long it seemed, but Genshu was hardly the most patient of guides. She glared at the samurai, who returned her stare, his eyes narrowed as if he studied for her, then simply turned and began walking along the path once again.

Val seems to have a lot of trust in him, but I sure as Hell don’t. Lorelai thought, her eyes still centering on Genshu’s back. If Valeria had noticed Lorelai’s discomfort being near the samurai, she made no mention of it. “Are we close yet?”

“Well, I was sort of wondering the same thing. Are we close to the temple yet?” Valeria asked, but her answer was given as the three stepped to the edge of the forest and peered into an enormous clearing, at the center of which stood a large, wooden structure.

The building itself was a richly constructed monument to the art form few understood. The exterior was adorned with the symbols of battle; spears, swords and shields decorated the outer walls. The design itself was of Upper Harmonian influence, displaying the sharply sloping roofs relative to the design of the buildings from which such influence evolved. Countless marble pillars decked the outer formation of the structure, marking the perfect uniform organization from which discipline flourished. Two innately crafted doors displayed the entrance to the temple, which exhibited the grace and power of the art. Artful, glorious woodcarvings were spaced and crafted throughout the marble pillars and wooden frames of the temple. It seemed every focus of construction of this temple displayed a metaphor upon which the foundation of the samurai tenet was built.

However, the appearance of the magnificence and architectural genus of the temple, both displaying the power of the samurai, yet the humility of the honor beheld by these warriors, was eclipsed by the massive being standing guard at the entrance of the Structure. He wasn’t a man, per say, but an extremely powerful Colossus, the kind of which frequent the fields of the Highland region, or hired as guardians of the kings castles. His blue skin and black and red leggings stood out brightly against the forest and the temple he so sternly defended. He stood, towering nearly 11 feet tall, and his body seemed overtaken by the presence of the extremely powerful muscles that bulged from every inch of his form.

“Titan?” Genshu said softly, his eyes growing in recognition of the beast that barred the entrance. He knew this monster that stood at attention, as Sai’s own personal bodyguard. What he was unsure of was why he was here now.

“Do you know that man?” Valeria asked, her own eyes growing wide at the immense size of the guardian.

“Well, let’s just hope that’s not the boss.” Lorelai said, sizing up the mammoth herself.

“No,” Genshu answered, “he hasn’t the intelligence, nor the skill of the samurai. He would not be the leader. The leader must be inside.” And yet, despite the calm the reflected from his voice, Genshu hoped beyond reason, that the commander of this outpost was not his former friend and rival, Sai.

“Um…how are we supposed to…” Valeria began, yet before she could voice her question, the colossus, Titan, turned and walked into the temple, leaving the large double doors open.

“That was odd. Why would they leave the entrance unguarded?” Lorelai asked, looking at the open doors of the temple, her mind searching for understanding.

“That is not an unguarded entrance you see before you,” Genshu said, rising to his feet and walking toward the temple. “That is an invitation.”

Lorelai and Valeria looked at each other a moment, concern crossing their face, yet they knew the risk upon agreeing to this mission, and the children that would be harmed if they did not retrieve them. After a moment of doubt, the two warriors stood and followed the samurai into the temple.

Genshu stood a moment, reflecting on the construction and design of this structure as Lorelai and Valeria entered, cautious and weapons drawn as they both expected an attack. Genshu turned his attention once again to his two companions, a look of amusement crossing his eyes.

“It appears your concern is misplaced. We are alone.” Genshu said simply, his eyes once again turning to examine the woodwork and construction of this temple. He looked cautiously at the walls and chamber he found himself in, nostalgia shaking his confidence. Walking to the chamber, Genshu placed his hand on the wall, memories of his past, his shattered life flooding his mind. “How could something so noble become something so corrupted power.” Genshu said absentmindedly, more to himself than aloud. Though a better question would be, can I really do what must be done?

“Uh, Genshu?” Valeria interrupted his own, answerless question. “Shouldn?t we be going?”

Genshu paused a moment more to smell the sweet cedar wood, the very remnants of his past, before turning away from the hurtful dreams. How would he ever be able to bury his past, when it kept crawling from the shadows to torment him so?

“Yes, this way.” Genshu said softly, almost distracted.

“This doesn’t make sense.” Lorelai said, her eyes looking into the shadows as they walked through the narrow hallway toward whatever destination Genshu led them. “Why aren’t there any guards?”

Genshu paused a moment, staring up the length of the hallway, his mind preparing himself for what was to come. “We are not meant to be interrupted,” Genshu said, looking back at Valeria and Lorelai. The passage itself was so narrow the trio could only succeed in walking single file. “We are to be led to our destiny. It is not a means to defeat us, but to awaken up to a new understanding, and that understanding will come when we reach the end of our journey. However” Genshu paused, quickly punching his fist through the rice paper wall to his right, and just as quickly as he did this, pulled his arm outward, throwing a spying samurai into the opposite wall. The samurai groaned and slumped to the ground in an unconscious heap. “It doesn’t hurt to take out our opponents before we face that end.” Genshu said, turning away from his companions and continuing his march. The two following warriors stepped over the unconscious man as they continued their trek through the bowels of the temple.

Genshu led them through a large series of tunnels, and confusing, maze-like walkways until they came upon an open chamber, rather large in construction, yet it appeared that this room held nearly fifty doors, each of which held little eye slots from which tiny fingers and hands protruded from a few of the before mentioned openings.

However, Lorelai, preparing to study the room they were in, was shocked by the presence of a lone samurai sitting in the corner of the chamber, his legs crossed as if in meditation, yet his eyes, opened and alert, watched these intruders with interest.

“What the HELL?!” Lorelai said, springing to a fighting stance, her weapon ready for the pending attack she expected to come.

“There is no need to fear him.” Genshu said, his attention never wavering from the wooden doors that held the children. “If you have not already noticed, we have not been hindered by guards nor guardians in our entire travel through this temple. The reason being, the master of this temple has ordered his samurai to not interfere. It is an oath of non-confrontation. We have safe travel to the master.”

“Are you that master?” Lorelai asked, her eyes hard and bitter as she stared down the samurai. “I mean, let’s face it. You seem to know a whole hell of a lot about this place. You seem to be leading us to God only knows where, and you haven’t given us one damn reason why we should trust you.”

“Because, if you do not trust me, you will die.” Genshu said simply, his eyes never looking away from the miniature prisons that contained these captive children. Deep within his eyes, a sorrowful remembrance tainted his soul. “Isn’t it apparent as your own heart that I am to meet with the master, whomever he may be. We are being led to that meeting, and if you are not with me, you will die. I am safe guarded, as it would appear, from direct confrontation from the members of this temple, until the master comes for me. The purpose and design of my connection to the temple are for my own understanding, not yours.”

“Fine, so you say, that these samurai, or whatever the hell they are, won’t attack us until you meet with this master, right?” Lorelai asked, looking at the lone guard sitting in the corner. With purposeful steps, Lorelai walked to the man and viciously kicked him in the face, driving the back of his head into the wall. He fell in a heap of broken consciousness.

”My God, this is horrible.” Valeria said, looking into the small, cut windows of the cell. Each room was approximately 2 X 3 feet, and held a small child, crunched into the chamber. “I…I counted about 27 children. I don’t understand, I thought only 13 children were taken from Muse.”

“There was another group brought in from the west.” Genshu answered, stepping away from the holding cells. Despite his emotionless response, his eyes burned with a sorrowful remembrance. “Come, let us finish this.” Genshu answered.

“Wait a minute.” Valeria stopped Genshu and drew a dagger. Walking to the wooden doors of the tiny cells, Valeria began scratching a long line in the surface of a few, select doors.

“What are you doing Val?” Lorelai asked, pondering the motives of her friend.

“Well, if we need to make a quick getaway, we will know which cells have the kids in them and which won’t. This way, we can get them and go. Better safe than sorry.” Valeria said, finishing the last mark on the door. “Genshu, let me ask you a question. You seem to know a lot about this temple, why are these cells so small?”

“It is the beginning of their training, it teaches discipline and control. The confinement of these chambers install structure. The closed off walls define safety. And the solitude instills self-reliance. Only when one no longer fears the walls of security, can one be ready to step into the world taught within the temple.” Genshu responded, turning away and continuing to walk through the narrow hallways.

The guard, posted at the door, began to stir, attempting to regain consciousness until a swift kick from Lorelai sent him returning to his darkened dreams.

The three companions continued to walk through the empty, narrow halls of this temple. Conversation seemed unnecessary. Each held within their own minds a conversation of their own design. Lorelai, questioned the honesty of Genshu. Valeria calculated the chance of success. Genshu examined the temple, and the enemy who was waiting for his arrival. Destiny could not be denied.