Here’s chapter six, not far behind, as I promised. This one is a little peculiar, I admit. But I like it. I hope you all do. And I’m not picking on poor Sage, (read on to find out.) I had an entirely different scene worked out, but it just wrote itself this way. So, I’ll shut up now, and let you get to the reading!

Happy reading!

Chapter 6

"Ryo!" a scream pierced the calm night air. Within seconds, the entire household was awake and the boys had already donned their sub-armor. Rhiannon grabbed her robe more out of habit than any desire for decency and tore down the stairs, right behind Rowen. The front lawn was filled with Dynasty soldiers, Sai and Kento had already started an attack but they were not getting very far. With the addition of the others, the soldiers seemed to disperse. Much to Mia’s dismay, Rhiannon insisted on going outside. She would not be kept in the house. Onyx followed her, and as Rhiannon stepped out onto the lawn, all of the soldiers simply vanished. The boys looked at her in shock. Suddenly, maniacal laughter was heard all around them. Rhiannon pinpointed the source and began walking towards it. The Warlord of Illusion appeared before her.

"So, you’ve finally decided to show your face."

"The same could be said of you. Your cover is blown, go back from whence you came."

"Rest assured, my dear goddess, Talpa will have his way. You will return to us." And with that, Dais was gone.

"Would you mind explaining that little occurrence?" Ryo asked as Rhiannon turned back towards the house.

"What was up with Dais?" Sai asked. "It’s not every day all the Warlords want to do is have a staring contest with the humans."

Rhiannon sighed. Mercifully, they hadn’t heard the conversation. She was not looking forward to the day when she would need to explain that.

"I really don’t know," Rhiannon said, it was only a half lie. She really didn’t know why Dais didn’t attack when he realized his cover was blown.

"And what about all those soldiers. They took one look at you and immediately vanished," Kento commented.

"I’m sorry, I really don’t have an explanation for that." That was a bald faced lie, and Rhiannon knew it. Onyx arffed. ‘It can’t be helped, baby. If they found out now, everything I’ve worked for would be gone.’

Mia broke the uncomfortable silence with the statement that she was going back to bed and that the rest of the world should do the same.

"Mia’s right," Ryo said. "We can sort this all out in the morning." With that, the troop walked back into the house and back to bed.

***

Morning dawned bright and clear. Sunlight filtered in through the curtains in Mia’s room. She reluctantly opened her eyes to greet a morning that bore no traces of last night’s skirmish. She rolled over and pondered the events of the last few weeks. True, she had lost her grandfather, and the entire city was under siege courtesy some mystical demon. But she had five, no, six incredible new friends. Not to mention Uli, who looked up to her and Ryo for everything. Ryo, now that thought presented some problems. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him. It was something different than what she felt for the rest of the guys. But did he feel the same way about her? More than once she had caught him staring at her when he thought she wasn’t looking. ‘Men,’ she sighed as she rose from bed. ‘Rhiannon is engaged. Maybe she has some comments on the situation. I’ll talk to her after breakfast.’ Mia grabbed her robe and was tying the sash as she opened her door. Just as her door swung open, Rhiannon’s opened and out stepped Rhiannon and Onyx. She smiled at Mia and the two walked down to breakfast.

Rhiannon and Mia lingered at the table long after breakfast was over and Sage and Rowen had cleared the table. They slowly sipped their tea and spoke about nothing of any importance.

"This reminds me of my fiancé," Rhiannon said as she stared at her teacup.

"What do you mean?"

"He and I used to share morning tea every day. We shared so much. It's been so long since I've seen him."

"You miss him."

"More than anything in this world."

"Maybe this isn't the right time to ask you, but…"

"Fire away."

"How did you know that your fiancé was the man for you?"

"What do you mean? When did I realize I loved him or what?"

"What was it like, falling in love? How do you fall in love?"

"Well, I'm not really sure. It just kind of hit me. We had been friends since we were little. We spent almost all of our time together. When I wasn't with my sister, I was with him. He was my second best friend, right after my sister. I don't really know how I fell in love, but I do remember one thing. One warm day he and I went for a walk to watch the sunset. All I know is that I looked up at him and saw him in a totally different light. And it wasn’t just the light from the sunset," she said with a laugh. "I looked up at him and he looked down at me, he's much taller, and I knew right then and there that he was the man I was destined to marry. He took me to the exact same spot the day we got engaged." Rhiannon had tears in her eyes when she finished.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drag up upsetting memories," Mia said.

"No, sometimes it's good to remember. Why did you ask? Is there a man in your life you're missing?"

"Well, not exactly missing, but well. I don't know how we feel. I don’t know how he feels about me, I don't even know how I feel about him."

"Let me guess. He lives here, has jet black hair and runs around with a white tiger."

"Is it that obvious?" Mia blushed.

"Written all over your face," Rhiannon laughed. "Both of your faces."

"You really think he cares about me?"

"I've seen the way he looks at you. It's the same way my fiancé looked at me when we first started dating. He's gone. And so are you."

"What do you suggest I do about it?"

"Say something now, while you still have the chance. No one knows what tomorrow will bring." Rhiannon stood and arched her back, cracking it all the way down. "Well, I think I'll get dressed and then take a walk if you don't mind. I can see the lake from my window and I've be dying to walk down there and just sit."

"No problem. Just be careful. We don't know what might be lurking out there, and I don’t think anyone wants a repeat performance of last night."

"Sure. I'll be fine. I shouldn't be too long."

After she had finished dressing Rhiannon grabbed a notebook and took off for the lake. Little did she know someone had beaten her to it and was already down there.

***

Sage sat with a 35mm camera on the ground next to him and a sketchbook in his lap. It wasn’t every day that the Dynasty let up enough to give him time to get down and do some serious work. And today was the perfect day for sketching. He might not need the camera anyway. Suddenly he heard a slight rustle in the grass to his left. Instantly his green and white sub armor molded to his body. He crouched in a defensive position and peered through the grass to see who or what was coming.

Rhiannon walked through the grass and plopped down next to the water. She opened her notebook, uncapped her pen, and started writing.

Sage could only stare at Rhiannon as she dangled her toes in the warm lake water. She was obviously deeply engrossed in something or other. ‘Probably some research paper for the hospital,’ Sage thought to himself. ‘I can’t believe she’s that much older than I am. She’s such a babe. There’s no way she’s a neurosurgeon, let alone a doctor, she can’t possibly be old enough. I don’t care what Mia says. I am going for her.’

Rhiannon tossed her head, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. She knew Sage was watching her. She could sense his presence a mile away, his life force was that strong. ‘I should tell him. He needs to know what he has coming at him. But that’ll give the whole thing away too. Life sucks,’ she thought to herself.

Sage walked down towards Rhiannon, his camera strap slung over his neck, sketchbook shoved in his camera bag.

"Do you know how photogenic you are?" Sage asked as he took aim at Rhiannon.

She turned to look up at him. He was very good looking—for a teenager. "How old are you? Really," she asked.

"What kind of response is that?" he inquired as he snapped several shots.

"You know there’s a huge gap in our ages."

"I refuse to believe that you’re old enough to be a doctor. You’re too hot to be that old."

"I am a doctor, and yes it is rather warm out."

Sage sighed in frustration. "Then why don’t we go for a swim?" He snapped more photos.

"I don’t know about you, but I am not properly clad to swim."

"Who said anything about a bathing suit? I hear skinny-dipping’s all the rage where you come from."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you’re not exactly Japanese."

"And you are?"

"Half. My mother’s American."

"I here that’s looked down upon where you come from."

Sage sighed again, and stripped off his shirt. "I am going swimming. You coming or not?"

"Sage," Rhiannon sighed. "Might I remind you again that I’m a great deal older than you are, and I’m engaged."

"Throw caution to the wind, I do. And your fiancé’s not here right now. What’s stopping you?"

"The fact that I love him, and I think you’re an obnoxious little twit."

"What?" Sage stared.

"Don’t you get it? I have some respect for myself, members of the other gender, and my fiancé. I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re starting to disgust me." Rhiannon rose and walked off. "So much for my peaceful afternoon in the sun," she muttered to herself.

Sage just stared at her retreating form. He could not believe he’d been shot down like that.

Rhiannon stormed back to the house, passing Ryo in a training session.

"Rhi! What’s wrong?" he called.

"Halo hit on me. You’re the leader. You do something about it before I have to kill him." And with that, she walked on.

Ryo just stared.

"Mia!" Rhiannon called as she entered the kitchen.

"Nope, just me," Rowen replied. "She said she was going for a walk or something like that."

"Do you know when she’ll be back?" Rhiannon asked as she grabbed an apple.

"Nope, what’s up? You look upset."

Rhiannon shook her head, tossing her hair over her shoulder, again. "I have got to get that pulled up," she muttered.

"What was that?" Rowen asked.

"Nothing, just talking to myself. Bad sign, I know."

"You still look upset," he persisted.

"You’re his best friend, maybe you can help me out here."

"Sage driving you up a wall?"

"How’d you guess?"

"We’ve been friends for years. He never gives up."

"Ugh. That does not bode well for my sanity. Let me ask you a question."

"Shoot."

"How old do I look to you?"

"Uh-un. Rowen’s rule number one of dealing with women. Never answer a question that asks how old do I look, or do I look fat in this."

Rhiannon laughed. "I promise I won’t kill you."

Rowen sighed. "Ok, I’d say you look about 20."

Rhiannon nodded. "And may I ask how old you all are?"

"Well, we’re all about the same age, but Sai’s the oldest by a couple of months. He just turned 18."

"So Sage does have a valid excuse for hitting on me."

"He hit on you?"

"I thought you all agreed that he’d hit on anything that moved and was female."

"Sage would hit on his own grandmother if she was pretty enough. But, well, we had this conversation already, after we all found out you were engaged. We informed him that you were off limits and he was not to disturb you. Mia told him in no uncertain terms that if he made you feel uncomfortable she would personally see to it that he was never accepted into the university, no matter how good his grades were."

Rhiannon laughed. "I don’t think he offended me, he just came on a little strong."

"What, did he tell you to forget about your fiancé or go skinny-dipping with him."

"Both."

"He’s a dead man. I’ll see to it myself. I can’t believe he would do something like that. I mean, it’s not like it’s out of character for him, but after we specifically told him… One of these days, that boy is going to get himself killed and Talpa’s not going to be responsible." Rowen and Rhiannon laughed as the door swung open and in walked Sage with his arm pinned behind his back and held there courtesy one of Ryo’s strong arms.

"So you’ll flirt with him but not with me," Sage said. "Let go of me," he twisted around and broke Ryo’s hold on his arm.

"I was not flirting with Rowen. We were laughing over a shared joke. And I might inform you, it was about you."

"Oooohh," Ryo laughed. "Sage hates being laughed at."

Rowen couldn’t help himself. He laughed.

"Look my dear little halo," Rhiannon began. "Could you sit down. It’s very difficult to be intimidating when I only come up to your collar bone."

Surprisingly, Sage sat.

"As I was saying, I love my fiancé. I would never leave him. Even if I never see him again, I can never love another man. I just can’t. And besides, I might only look 20 years old, but I can assure you, I’m much older. So, I would appreciate it if you would keep your comments, hands, and eyes to yourself. Got it buster?" She walked over to Sage’s camera bag and pulled his camera out. She popped the film cover and took out the used roll. "And I’ll be keeping this. There will be no unauthorized pictures of me floating around. Had you asked, this little gem would be yours." Rhiannon tucked the film roll into her pocked and walked out the door.

"You took pictures of her!" Ryo asked in shock.

"She’s photogenic. I couldn’t resist."

Just then Mia walked in the door. "I think you’ve got a lot of explaining to do." Rowen and Ryo started to edge their way out of the room. "Oh, no. The two of you are staying to make sure he divulges all."

***

Rhiannon stood out back and clicked her tongue for Onyx. The black hound came running. "Come on, girl. I’m going back down to the lake and I’d like a little company." Rhiannon and Onyx slowly walked back down to the lake. On their way they passed White Blaze on the prowl with Uli. Onyx arffed, White Blaze growled in return. Kento and Sai were deep in a sparing session. Sai was, surprisingly, holding his own against Kento’s greater size and strength. Rhiannon waved and Kento waved back. Sai used the opportunity to pin Kento to the ground.

"Hey! No fair! You cheated!" Kento cried.

"It’s what you get for waving at a pretty girl," Sai waved as he sat on Kento.

Rhiannon just laughed as Sai found himself flying through the air. She continued on her way to the lakefront. She found a lovely spot just out of the water’s reach and flopped down on the soft grass and continued writing. Onyx ran off after a squirrel and Rhiannon was left alone.

My love,

Rhiannon paused and capped her pen. A single tear rolled down her cheek and marred the page as she reread the final paragraph of her letter. She closed the book and looked up. Suddenly a shadow blocked out her sunlight. She could make out the outline of a man standing over her. Slowly she turned to recognize the man.

***