BAHD Capter 5: Seven Warriors

SO.

Re-reading this REALLY reminds me of how much I changed in recent chapters, so if in the future, what you've read here in the beginning is slightly changed or is inconsistent, PLEASE FORGIVE ME >< I forgot how long ago I wrote this and I've changed things since. Hence why I wanna someday re-write BAHD

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Seven Warriors

Ryo woke up with the sun in his eyes. He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. He found that he couldn't and sat up lazily. He looked around the hollowed building and found everyone else had gone out to find food. Ryo lazily stretched and yawned. He was in no big hurry to get to work. The scars on his back were visible without a shirt, and he slowly found his black shirt and put it on. He paused a moment, thinking. He sat cross-legged, and attempted to meditate. After three seconds, he opened his eyes and gave up.
He'd been living in the Dead Lands for years now. There were no real seasons in the Dead Lands, and he had lost track of how much time had passed. His hair was still brown and spiked, always looking messy. His eyes were still a vivid green color. And he still wore his black shirt, black pants with various pockets, and black boots that went halfway to his knees. After all the time that had passed, there were now days where he could go without thinking about anyone in Hollow. It had taken a long time, but he found himself thinking of them less and less.
An old man dressed in brown rags stuck his head into the abandoned house. "There's a man out here looking for you, Ryo," he said before leaving Ryo alone again. He wasn't surprised. Ryo was the only User in that area of the Dead Lands. People often came to him for help, and Ryo saw nothing much better to do. Ryo slowly walked outside, scratching his head.
The man had grayed hair, and deep maroon eyes. He was slightly taller than Ryo and stood in pride. He wore a white sleeveless shirt and dark brown pants with boots. He had his own broadsword tied at his waist, and his right arm was replaced with a mechanical metal arm. Ryo stood on silent disbelief that Steel had found him. Several other people wandering past stared silently at Steel.
"I told you we'd see each other again someday, Demon," Steel said, giving off a radiant smile. Ryo saw the evil intention behind Steel's smile.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ryo asked, turning and walking away back inside. He knew Steel was following him.
"Business, mostly," Steel answered simply. He looked around the ruined building. He found it all without taste.
"Don't lie..." Ryo muttered angrily, reaching for his sword that was resting against the wall next to his bed. "You never do anything you wouldn't enjoy doing." Steel gave a small laugh. His voice was deep, and it made Ryo uneasy. Not that anything about Steel ever made him comfortable to begin with.
"You always had a smart tongue," Steel commented. "Remember the night you severed my arm off?" He held up his right arm, the metal glistening in the sunlight pouring through the roof. "That same night you and Leo left the House?" Ryo didn't say anything. Of course he remembered. In a way, that had been one of the happiest days of his life. "I did notice...that night," Steel continued, straying around the abandoned building, inspecting it with his back to Ryo, "...that you used more than one Element...Fire...Lightning...and Water..." He slowly turned back to Ryo, smirking. "I know you can use more than one Element."
Ryo gripped his sheathe. "Why does this even matter?! I knew you knew when I left! What do you want?!" Steel said nothing. He wasn't smiling anymore. His face was serious, and his maroon eyes lowered.
"I want you to come back to Hollow with me, and meet with the Council."
Ryo scoffed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was too unlike Steel to offer something almost considered nice. In his whole life, Steel had never given Ryo anything worth remembering. But a part of him still glowed at the thought of seeing everyone back home...
"Why? Chances are, the Council still hasn't changed; they'll still want me dead. Those bastards never die..."
Steel closed his eyes and shook his head. "Yes, they do want you dead still. But..." he opened his maroon eyes and smiled a wicked smile at Ryo. "...they're willing to forgive you on one condition."
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "What...?"
"I told them you have the ability to use all six Elements, and if you can demonstrate, and prove that you can, they'll forgive you..." Ryo's mouth opened slightly. Prove he could use all six Elements? Only few people in the world could summon Elements to do their bidding, and each person could only control one Element, based on their capability. Leo was a Fire User; Dimi, a Water User; Kalon, an Earth User; Caza, a Wind User; Kaira, a Lightning User and Steel, a Fire User. Ryo was able to use every Element easily, unlike anyone else. He was the only known person not restricted to just one Element. Every Element had another Element that was their weakness, but Ryo was not limited by those laws. And the Council of Hollow was willing to forgive him. All he had to do was prove he could.
"Why would they forgive me for that...?" Ryo asked slowly. Steel smiled. He knew he had Ryo in a good position.
"I told them if you could prove you were able to use all six Elements, I'd convince you to work under them, as their trump card in hard times. After I took you away for some 'training'." Ryo didn't like the emphasis put on the 'training' part. But it all seemed too easy.
"What training?" Ryo asked. "I can use the Elements fine."
Steel sighed, and rolled his head back, getting annoyed. "It's all gonna be a lie!" he said loudly. "I'm not seriously gonna let those swine use the most powerful weapon ever born! I'll lead them on, letting them think I'm gonna gain your trust and convince you to work for them. That way, you get your freedom in Hollow, and I get you to work for me!" Ryo felt relieved he wouldn't have to work under the Council, but working for Steel was not any better, possibly worst.
"I'm not working for you either," Ryo said coldly.
Steel let out a harsh laugh that echoed back in the building. "I think you will," he said. "After I explain something to you and the others."
"Others?"
"I'll explain more later." Steel turned on his heel and started walking towards the exit. "I suggest you leave this dump and come with me. It'll be well worth your while..."
Ryo looked around at what was his current living condition. The thought of being back home, even for a short while, was worth a trip with Steel. "What about the Razada House?" Ryo asked. "Will I have to go back there?"
Steel stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Possibly. But not for long. I can guarantee you that." Ryo placed his sword in his belt and followed Steel. It was the only thing he needed.
"I'm not going because you asked me to," he said.
Steel smiled. "I know you're not."

~~~

The palace in Hollow had changed since the last time Ryo saw it. A lot of the city had changed. The gates Steel and his men ruined were rebuilt, but bigger. They were twice as big and now had watchtowers with archers. The gate wasn't as decorated as the last ones were. The palace doors were rebuilt as well, in the same design as the gate, with its own line of soldiers at the front. Steel passed the soldiers without anyone opposing him. Ryo followed quickly. Everyone who saw him either recognized him as Ryo the Murderer, or confused him for the Murderer's twin brother, Leo. The layout inside the palace was the same, only with more soldiers positioned at random locations inside. Ryo figured after the assault Steel laid upon the palace the Council became concerned about another ambush, and hired more soldiers.
Steel led Ryo to the Audience Hall, and stopped outside. He turned to Ryo, seriousness written across his face. "Listen to everything I'm about to say, Demon," he said in a low voice, talking quickly but clearly. "The Council will want to question you about various topics. Don't answer any of them. Leave all the talking to me, and agree with me on everything, lie if you have to. Don't talk to the Council at all. Act like you're furious with them. I need them to believe you trust me and not them, understand?"
Ryo lowered his eyebrows. "I am furious with them, and don't call me Demon. My name's Ryo now."
Steel chuckled, turning to open the Audience Hall doors. "You'll always be a Demon to me."
The great doors to the Audience Hall opened, and Steel led Ryo inside. The room was circular in shape, with marble pillars along the walls, all decorated in gold. The entire room was white marble and created its own glow. Soldiers stood against the wall behind the pillars. All armed. At the far end of the room was a long, curved table. Six old men sat along the table, all dressed in clean white robes. Each robe they wore had a symbol of their representation, one of the six Elements. Ryo gave them al harsh glares. They were all corrupt, and he hated each one of them.
Steel approached the table until he was twenty feet away. He swiftly knelt into a bow. "Councilmen..." he said in his deep voice, sounding unusually polite. Ryo stood behind Steel, refusing to kneel before the Council. He knew Steel's politeness and respect was all an act. There was only one person in the world Steel would bow to, and that man was not among the Council.
The Councilor of Wind made a hand gesture and Steel stood back up, putting his hands behind his back. Ryo remained silent. "You've been gone for two weeks Steel. We were beginning to think you wouldn't find him..."
"I had some trouble, yes," Steel said, still acting polite, "But I convinced him to come back."
The Councilor of Ice looked Ryo over cautiously. "And...will you be giving us a demonstration of your powers?" he asked Ryo. Steel eyed Ryo through the corner of his eye. Ryo remained silent as Steel had ordered.
"He will give a demonstration, but not quite yet..." Steel said, breaking Ryo's silence. His voice echoed throughout the giant room. "But first, you'll recall my request I made before I left."
"Ah yes..." mumbled the Councilor of Fire. He motioned for a soldier, who quickly approached the Councilor's table. "Bring the following Users here," he instructed to the soldier. "Leo, Fire. Kalon, Earth. Caza, Wind. And Dimi, Water." The soldier gave a quick bow and left the hall. "And the rest of you leave us!" The other soldiers in the room left quietly, leaving Steel and Ryo alone with the Councilors.
Ryo gave Steel a questioning look. He never said anything about Leo, Dimi, Caza or Kalon. Steel gave Ryo a stern look, telling him he'd explain later. The eight waited in silence in the Audience Hall. The Council stared down at Ryo and he stared back. Within minutes, the doors opened and Caza walked in wearing his military uniform. His hair was still the same, and his golden eyes looked Ryo over before he bowed respectfully. He waited silently next to Ryo. Ryo didn't say anything, still not sure what was going on.
Another minute later Leo and Dimi walked in, also in their blue military uniforms. They both looked mildly surprised to see Ryo, but also kept their silence as they joined Caza next to Ryo. Ryo stared at them in confusion, the long awkward silence eating away at him. The three of them almost seemed like they had been expecting to see him. They continued to wait for Kalon in silence. Ten quiet minutes passed before the audience hall doors opened again. Kalon walked in, cigarette in mouth. He wasn't wearing his military uniform, but wore his short-sleeved gray shirt, black utility pants with boots, and his old brown leather gloves. His eyes widened in slight surprise when he saw Ryo and he quickly put out his cigarette. He quickly joined the line next to Dimi and bowed. "Sorry, I wasn't at work today, they had to find me at home," Kalon said in his attempt to speak in a formal tone.
Steel stood, looking at the five younger men lined up. A wicked smile the Council couldn't see on his face. Ryo wished he knew what was going on. "Councilmen," Steel said turning back to face them, "I believe Ryo will perform for you now."
The four men next to Ryo looked at him. Kalon and Caza looked slightly confused. Leo and Dimi both already knew Ryo could use all six Elements, and almost looked worried. Ryo took a few steps forward, Steel giving him encouraging looks.
"Prove to us, Ryo..." said the Councilor of Fire, "Show us Flames." Ryo inhaled deeply. He extended both hands in front of him and closed his eyes. He summoned the Element Fire to his hands. His hands became engulfed in flames that did not burn him. They flickered and danced in his palms, slowly crawling up his arms. Kalon and Caza looked unimpressed, as Ryo suspicioned they would. They knew him as a Fire User. The Fire Councilor nodded, satisfied.
The Councilor of Lightning hesitated, watching the Fire licking Ryo's arms. "Show us you can use Lightning." Ryo lowered his eyes. The Council was nervous. He could feel it. Nervous and frightened that he might actually be able to summon and control six different Elements. The Fire died instantly in Ryo's hands, leaving them unharmed. He summoned Lightning to his hands. In the first second nothing happened. Then quick flashes of Lightning shot out from Ryo's hands, hitting his body and the floor. He was careful not to damage anything, and the lightning bolts emitted from his hands did no damage to his body. Kalon and Caza stared in disbelief as well as the Council. Dimi and Leo just stared on.
"Impossible!" yelled the Councilor of Ice, rising from his seat. "No one can use more than one Element! Summon Ice!" Ryo let the Lightning die in his hands the way the fire had died. He focused on summoning the power of Ice. He collected moisture from the air, into a small vortex between his hands. The water molecules froze, and swirled around in the vortex, creating a miniature Ice tornado.
"And what about Earth?!" yelled the Councilman. The entire Council was whispering among themselves. Ryo let the Ice storm fade, and tried thinking of a way to demonstrate Earth. He knelt down to the Marble and pressed both hands against the floor. The marble instantly began cracking beneath his palms, and shattered. The Councilmen gasped and continued their whispering. Ryo focused harder, and the cracks in the marble merged back together, looking good as new.
Without being told Ryo moved onto Water. He summoned Water to his hands, and created a small floating sphere of water before him. The last Element was Wind. Lightning Users had the ability to fly, but not as easily as Wind Users. Ryo summoned Wind, and lifted off the ground hovering in place. He made the air around them move, and created a small breezed and blew up everyone's hair. Kalon and Caza still stared in silent belief, while the Council stared at Ryo in awe. Satisfaction was written all over Steel's wicked smile. Ryo smiled to himself, satisfied in his abilities.
"How is this possible?!" the Councilor of Wind yelled. "It isn't possible! How are you--"
"I'm sorry Councilmen!" Steel yelled over the Councilor of Wind, smiling with satisfaction. "But you remember our deal! I get Ryo to prove his abilities and he gets amnesty for every offense he's ever committed, and for the rest of his life!"
"It's granted!" said the Councilor of Earth. "But how--"
"And the other part of our deal?" Steel interrupted once again. "I get to take these five men for training?"
"Yes of course!" said the Councilor of Lightning. "Ryo, you're--"
"Then we'll need to leave right away!" Steel interrupted one last time, quickly turning to leave. He signaled for the other five to follow him, and they obeyed. "They'll be back after their training is over! After we return, these five men will be your personal soldiers!" Steel yelled back in sick happiness, ignoring their commands to stay. He led them out of the Audience hall and then to the library. After checking the library for any eavesdroppers he turned to them, still smiling.
"Well done Demon. You convinced those fools well enough." Steel said, sitting back in a chair.
"Welcome back man!" Dimi said, wrapping his arm around Ryo's shoulder. Ryo smiled weakly at Dimi. None of them had changed. They all looked the same way they had when he left. He still wasn't sure of how many years had passed. Caza muttered a hello while Leo smiled.
"There'll be time for that later," Steel said, leaning farther back in his chair. "You three," he said, directing towards Leo, Caza and Dimi, "Go change and get your things. We're leaving in half an hour. Are all of your children here as I commanded?"
"Yeah..." Leo said. "Davis, Taj and Jim are in the main hall..."
Steel stood up, his being radiating authority that Ryo was still confused about. "I'll get them. You three go change, and you," he looked at Kalon, "Explain to Demon what's been happening. Where's your son?"
Kalon gave Steel a bad look. Kalon had never liked being ordered around under anybody. He relit his cigarette, "Ken's meeting us at the Professor's lab..."
Steel smirked. "Excellent." He left with Leo, Dimi, and Caza, leaving Kalon alone with Ryo. Ryo turned to Kalon, trying to decide which question to ask first.
"What the hell is this?" he asked. "Why are you guys all obeying him like that?"
Kalon let out a long exhale, clearly annoyed, creating a cloud of cigarette smoke. "Steel's been going around Hollow the past three years, testing Element Users," he began, "Trying to find the strongest in each Element..."
"The strongest Element Users? What for?"
"I have no damn idea. He said once he gets us all together he'll explain more."
"Then why are you guys working for him?"
Kalon took another long drag from his cigarette, looking pissed. "Because....Leo was the strongest Fire User he found," he said. "I'm apparently the strongest Earth User, Caza's the strongest Wind User, and that idiot Dimi's the best goddamned Water User." Ryo paused a moment, thinking it all over.
"You guys are the strongest? The four of you? You all know each other!"
"Hey, it confused us too!" Kalon snapped, sucking the last of his cigarette. "Steel said we needed to trust him. He said there'd be seven of us all together. He didn't say who the other two were. I suspect they'll be the best Ice and Lightning Users, whoever they are...God dammit I'm out of cigarettes...do you have any on you?"
Ryo shook his head. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna run down and get my other pack out of my locker...." Kalon said quickly, leaving Ryo alone in the library. Ryo sat down to think. Seven Users he said. He knew the four others were the Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water Users, and the other unknown two must be the Lightning and Ice Users. And he was there because he was the only User in the known world who could use all the Elements.
The door of the library opened and Ryo sat up suddenly. A teenage girl walked in with brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a purple tank top and baggy black pants, with matching hair pins holding the hair out of her face. She had a bag on her back, and she smiled at Ryo.
"Hello," she said happily, closing the door behind her.
Ryo looked away shyly. "Hello..." he muttered.
The girl walked closer and stood by Ryo, looking at him curiously. Ryo sat quietly, wondering what she was doing.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
"What?" Ryo asked, looking back up at her.
"I asked if you’re hungry."
"Oh...no...I'm all right." She stood next to him, not saying anything. Ryo felt uncomfortable. "...do you need something from me?" he asked.
The girl laughed softly. "You don't recognize me?" she asked, looking him straight in the face. Ryo stared for a moment. Her hair was brown, and went to her shoulders. Her eyes were deep blue, and resembled his in a way. "I'm Kaira, Dad...." she said, smiling.
Ryo's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't realized how many years had passed. She was a grown teenager, possibly close to being an adult. He felt a stab of guilt. He knew nothing about her. The only thing he remembered was a little girl five years old he had only seen twice before. "Kaira...?" She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, surprising him.
"I'm so happy you're here!" she said, talking into his chest, still hugging him. Ryo felt awkward, but managed to wrap his arms around her to give her a small hug back.
"Yeah...so am I..."
Kaira let go of him and took a step back. She looked at his face, still smiling.
"Mom was right! You and Uncle Leo do look exactly alike!" she said. Ryo looked down. He wasn't sure of what to say.
"Yeah...we’re twins, of course we do..."
"I have to admit, I don't remember you very much from way back then," she continued on, blushing a little bit, holding his hands. "But I remember you were really nice! Nicer than Janon, from what I remember. I'm so happy I'm finally getting to see you! I have so much to tell you! And you can tell me all about yourself!"
This was too much for Ryo. He wasn't this social. Especially around teenage girls he hardly knew. He reluctantly and awkwardly pulled his hands back.
"Yeah...I guess..." he said lowly, trying not to look her in the face. It was then Steel entered the library again, carrying his own bag. Following him were three teenage boys, all looking about Kaira's age. One Ryo instantly recognized as Davis. He looked almost exactly like him and Leo, but with darker hair and brown eyes. He wore a white shirt with a leather jacket, black pants and brown boots. There was a blonde teenage boy Ryo thought was Taj. His hair was messy and he wore a long-sleeved blue shirt with jeans and boots. The third one Ryo didn't know. He had light brown hair that was tied back, with strands still hanging by his face. His pants were forest green and baggy and he had a white shirt. He must have been Jim, Caza's son. He didn't know Caza even had a son. All three had their own bags.
"Good, you're here," Steel said, seeing Kaira. "Where'd that Earth User go?"
"To get my damn cigarettes!" Kalon yelled, walking into the room, quickly followed by Dimi, who looked pleased with himself. "I would have been back faster if this dumbass hadn't been a dumb shit!"
"I just said you shouldn't smoke!" Dimi said, actually sounding concerned. "It'll kill you!"
"I wish you smoked!" Kalon yelled back, raising his gloved fists. Ryo knew the reason Kalon always wore those gloves was because of Dimi. Inside the leather of the gloves were built-in brass knuckles that he used against Dimi whenever he pissed him off.
Dimi took a step back. "Okay, I was just saying..."
Leo and Caza joined them shortly, all dressed in their normal clothing. Steel looked around and smiled. "So we're ready to go?" he said.
"Go where?" Davis asked.
"And if we're the people you need, how come all of our kids have to come too?" Kalon demanded, playing keep-away with his cigarettes and Dimi.
Steel's smile vanished, and he crossed his flesh and metal arms. "We need to travel North to find our sixth warrior. From there we can work on the seventh," he said solemnly. "The kids are only here in case I need replacements. I'll explain more after we get the other two warriors. I need the seven of you to help me defeat an enemy."
"The North?" Leo asked. "There's nothing North of here other than the Dead Lands."
"True," Steel said, turning to his red-eyed son. "But we're going past the Dead Lands to the North." Leo and Ryo both felt unholy chills. Past the Dead Lands to the North was an enormous mountain range. There was only one pass through the mountains. One place they could possibly be going.
"We're going to the House of Razada?!" Ryo asked, almost yelling. Everyone except Leo looked at him questioningly.
"The House of Razada? What's that?" Jim asked, looking between Steel and Ryo.
"It's where those two were born," Steel said quietly, looking at Ryo and Leo.
"But how? The Dead Lands are barely habitable," Kaira asked. She was the only female in the group. Ryo suddenly realized this, and felt uneasy.
"The Razada House is not in the Dead Lands," Steel said. "It's past the Dead Lands. The people of Hollow are narrow-minded. They're convinced there are no other lands not affected by the Great War. Past the Dead Lands, far to the North, are mountains." Steel took a knife from his sleeve, and began carving a map into the table. "This is Hollow," he said, making a blob that resembled the shape of the Hollow Empire. "This is the capital of Hollow, we're here." He made a dot on the far Northwestern corner of the blob.
"Surrounding the country in all directions is the Dead Lands. No one in Hollow history has ever traversed completely across it, so they assume the rest of the world is in this condition," Steel continued. Everyone stared at the map, examining it.
"Everyone knows that," Dimi commented.
"Dimi, you're too stupid to talk. Shut up," Kalon said.
"Far to the North, past the Dead Lands, are mountains," Steel continued, ignoring Dimi and Kalon's dispute. He drew upside Vs to signify mountains. They went from east to west across the map north of Hollow, with only one pass through the mountains directly north of the capital of Hollow. "This pass is the only was through the mountains. The poisons of the Great War never reached here. In this lone pass, between these mountains, is the Razada House. That's where we're going." He carved a dot between the only mountain pass.