I'm falling behind in some classes, so hopefully this can act as a buffer ><
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The Green-Eyed Demons
Ryo sat in his room, rubbing his right arm, near his black tattoo. It was slightly bruised, but nothing compared to other wounds he had suffered. It was late afternoon, but Roxanne had offered to cover his chores for the rest of the day. Ryo just let her do it because he knew it made her happy. He looked around the small room he had to share with Roxanne. He had to find something for her soon.
Ryo got off his bed and reached under his bed. He pulled out a small tin canister and opened it. Inside was random objects Ryo had found while cleaning and kept in case he ever found use for them. He dug around until be found elastic string and some random beads at the bottom. He tied a knot at one end of the string and slid the beads onto it. He tied the two ends together once all of the beads were on and looked at it. It looked poorly made, but it would have to do as a gift for Roxanne.
The door opened and Roxanne slipped in. She was wearing her gray maid's outfit, with her blonde hair hanging loosely by her shoulders. "Nayota's coming!" Roxanne said happily, jumping on Ryo's bed next to him.
"Really?" Ryo asked, feeling happier. He hid her bracelet behind his back in a casual manner. "Is he here already?"
"Not yet, but Leo said he saw them entering the valley!" Roxanne said. "Oh, and I finished your chores. We should go meet Nayota by the front gate!"
"Yeah..." Ryo said, still gripping her bracelet behind his back. Nayota had only been gone for a week, but it seemed like much longer. Ryo, Roxanne and Leo were thirteen, and Nayota had just turned eighteen. The week before Kain had sent Nayota to the north, to do something he called 'making prayers'. Ryo and Leo both had no idea what was north of their valley, neither of them had ever wandered far from the House, but Nayota promised to tell them about it when he returned. May was fifteen, and she had tried taking Nayota's place when he was gone, but they still missed him.
"I'll change my clothes and we'll go, okay?" Roxanne said, getting off the bed and going to her dresser. Ryo got up and went outside to wait for her. Roxanne came out a minute later wearing a thin black dress. She always tried looking her best, but Ryo couldn't find it very appealing.
"Here..." Ryo said, holding out the cheap bracelet to her.
"You remembered my birthday?!" Roxanne squealed, taking the bracelet and putting it around her wrist.
"Yeah..." Ryo lied, Leo had been the one who reminded him. "Come on..."
The two of them navigated their way through the House to the front entrance. May was waiting at the front gate when they got there.
"Is Nayota back yet?" Ryo asked his sister.
"No, but they should be here any minute!" May said cheerfully. Her long brown hair shone in the setting sun. Ryo looked around.
"Where's Leo? Isn't he gonna see Nayota when he comes?" Ryo asked.
"No, his tutors are giving him a hard time..." May said, sadness in her words. "I'm sure Nayota will see him when he gets here..." The three of them waited patiently, watching for the gate to open and see Nayota standing there, the way he always had. After waiting several minutes, the door to the House opened, and Steel emerged. His flesh arms were crossed, and his face looked bored. Roxanne and Ryo immediately lowered their heads.
"Open the gate." Steel said to one of the guards. The guard quickly went to his station, and turned the wheel that closed the gate. The gate opened slowly, and revealed Nayota, surrounded by several personal guards. He was wearing gray traveling clothes, his short black and white spiked hair shimmered with the setting sun behind him.
"Did you make your prayers?" Steel demanded when Nayota approached.
"Yes Father..." Nayota said. Ryo was surprised to see his older brother smiling at Steel when he spoke. "It was an enlightening journey..."
"Good..." Steel said boringly before turning to leave. After Steel had disapeared into the House, May hugged her older brother.
"We're so glad you're home!" May said happily.
"Yeah, it's good to be back," Nayota said. Ryo and Roxanne were standing right next to Nayota, but he ignored them. Nayota never gave Roxanne special attention the way he did Ryo, but that was because he wasn't related to her. It confused Ryo to why Nayota still hadn't said hello or anything.
"Hey Nayota..." Ryo said, taking a step closer. Nayota gave Ryo a surprised look, then turned back to May.
"Where's Lion?" Nayota asked May, ignoring Ryo. Ryo, Roxanne and May all gave Nayota questioning looks.
"Ryo said hi Nayota..." May said softly, turning Nayota towards Ryo. "And Roxanne came out to see you too..."
Nayota raised an eyebrow at Ryo. "Demon...?" Ryo's heart sank. The only time Nayota ever called him Demon was in the presence of Steel or Kain, and he only said it because he had to. He never called Ryo 'Demon' when it was just them. Nayota pushed his way past Ryo heading towards the House.
"I'm gonna go see our little brother May..." Nayota said back to May. Ryo stared after Nayota until he was gone.
"What happened to Nayota?" Roxanne asked May, holding her hands together near her chest. May shook her head slowly.
"I don't know..." she said. She gently put her hand on Ryo's shoulder and gave him a smile. "Don't worry Ryo, he might just be tired..." Ryo wasn't convinced. Nayota had almost treated him the way Steel and Kain did whenever he was in the room.
"Come on Roxanne...let's go see Leo," Ryo said gloomily, reaching for Roxanne's hand as he walked away. Roxanne hurriedly ran to catch up with Ryo and held his hand as they entered the House. Ryo hardly ever held her hand, and only did it when he felt miserable and wanted to make someone happy. It was always easy for him to make Roxanne happy.
Ryo led them up the stairs towards Leo's room. When he found the door Ryo entered without knocking and released Roxanne's hand. Leo's room was nearly four times as big as the room Ryo and Roxanne both shared. He had a large canopy bed and several shelves and bookcases around his walls. There was a large balcony with a view of the valley, and a desk that Leo was sitting at, staring blankly into an open book. The whole room was white, with the exception of the red bed sheets and random objects around. Leo didn't look up as they entered.
"What are you reading about?" Roxanne asked, looking over Leo's shoulder at his book.
"Algebra..." Leo said, closing his book. "Did you two see Nayota yet?"
"Yeah..." Ryo said in a low voice, sitting on Leo's large bed. "But he's different..."
"I noticed...he's more like Steel..." Leo said, putting the book on a random shelf. "I guess that's what happens when you turn eighteen..."
"I don't wanna turn eighteen if it's gonna make me hate Ryo!" Roxanne said.
"We still have five years..." Leo said. He walked to his closet and began digging around. "Do you wanna go spar Ryo?"
"I wanna come!" Roxanne said, looking at Ryo.
"Yeah, I guess so...as long as we don't take Bella again..."
"Of course we're not taking Bella!" Leo said quickly. Leo and Bella could not get along. She appeared to be nice, but she was extremely controlling of anything he said or did, and often scolded him in the manner of an adult. Ryo felt sorry for his twin, having to marry Bella in five years. He was thankful he at least liked his fiancée.
"Then let's go...here." Leo said, handing Ryo and Roxanne swords he kept in his closet. He was given anything he could desire, but he kept these swords for them to use. They quietly and secretly made their way downstairs, being extra cautious to avoid anyone who would stop them from leaving the House.
"Can I steal something to eat first?" Roxanne asked in a whisper.
"Okay, just hurry," Ryo said. Roxanne quickly disappeared into a pantry, then emerged carrying an apple. Leo quickly led them to the back of the garden, where a large tree grew. Ryo and Leo both helped Roxanne climb the tree, and when they were high enough, they carefully jumped over to the wall, then climbed down the vines on the opposite side of the wall. Outside of the wall was a small field of grass, and down the slope was the lake. They went down to the lake, slightly out of sight of the Razada House and settled down. It was now night and the darkness hid them from the Razada House.
"Okay, me and Ryo will go first..." Leo said, drawing his sword. Ryo drew his own borrowed sword. They spent several minutes just blocking and giving slashes. Roxanne sat in the grass several feet away, silently eating her apple and watching them spar. Leo was always the careful one, never doing anything that would seriously wound Ryo. Ryo had always been the more offensive twin.
Ryo swung his blade in a diagonal slash, that Leo blocked quickly with the blunt of his sword. Ryo smiled, and swung again, this time slashing faster. "Slow down...don't get excited..." Leo said, quickly glancing towards the House. Most of the House couldn't see them, but there was only one room in the House that could see them, and that room belonged to the last person Leo wanted discovering them.
Ryo didn't pay attention to Leo's warning, too caught up in his attacks. Without thinking, he summoned blue Water energy to his sword and swung. Leo, out of instinct, summoned Fire to his sword, and the blades met. There was a bright flash of red and blue light, too bright. Leo's sword was blasted from his hands, and his sword flew away into the lake with a splash. Roxanne had her mouth covered, while Ryo and Leo stared at each other in surprise and shock.
"I'm sorry!" Ryo stammered, quickly putting his sword away. Leo looked out over the water after his sword, but decided it was gone.
"Do you think anyone saw that light?" Roxanne said, sounding scared and worried.
"I don't know..." Leo said, gathering up their things. "We should get out of there..."
Steel only saw the light for an instant. He just so happened to be glancing out of his window when it happened. Blue and red light...? The light of Fire and Water? Steel thought to himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a teleporter. It only worked twice, usually used for going somewhere, then coming back. He figured the light had come from near the lake, and teleported there.
"Shit!" Ryo cursed under his breath. He helped Roxanne out of the grass, then the three of them began running towards the House.
"What's going on here?!" Steel's voice came from behind them. Ryo, Roxanne, and Leo all froze in place. Leo was the first to turn around.
"I brought them out here," Leo said, taking on full responsibility. "I wanted someone to spar with, and--"
"Don't take the blame for a Demon!" Steel snapped at Leo, silencing him. "I saw Fire and Water. Where did the Water some from?!" Steel's eyes sought out Ryo. Roxanne stood still, looking like she was about to cry. Ryo was gripping the hilt of his sword, panic sinking into his heart. Steel was going to tell Kain, and then Kain would know his secret...Leo and Roxanne would also be punished, and it was because of him...
"Demon..." Steel said quietly. He took steps toward Ryo, reaching for Ryo with his right arm. Ryo heard his footsteps approaching him. The panic, fear, and anger in Ryo suddenly took control, and he drew Leo's sword. It all happened in a flash. Ryo spun around fiercely, slashing the blade towards Steel. Steel had no time to react, and he felt the sharp curve of the sword pierce his flesh near the shoulder. Ryo's eyes were closed, but he knew the sword had cut Steel. The hilt gently shook in his hand when it hit, and severed Steel's right arm.
The severed arm fell to the ground, and blood spurted from Steel's shoulder. Before Steel had a chance to scream, Ryo spun back around, and struck Steel in the temple with the blunt of his sword. Steel's eyes glazed over instantly, and he collapsed unconscious. Roxanne let out a piercing scream, and turned around crying.
"Ryo!" Leo yelled. He quickly took the sword from Ryo, who was paralyzed. Leo summoned Fire to the blade until it glowed white with heat. He took a deep, shaky breath before pressing the hot metal to Steel's shoulder, and singed the wound. Ryo stared in horror at what he had done, his hands still shaking.
"I didn't mean to...' Ryo said slowly, mostly to himself. "I didn't mean to..."
"Shut up!" Leo said frustrated, looking at their unconscious father. An idea suddenly hit him. It had always been obvious, but they had never had strong motivation for it before. "Let's leave..."
"What?" Roxanne asked, her crying stopping suddenly.
"Let's leave..." Leo said, standing up. "There's no way any of us will be able to explain this..."
"Let's go South..." Ryo said quietly, still staring at Steel. "North doesn't sound good after seeing Nayota..."
Leo carefully knelt down to Steel and opened Steel's remaining clenched fist. He took the small teleporter. It could only go once more. "Then let's go South..." Leo said, setting the coordinates.
"Wait! Let me go back and get something first!" Roxanne begged. "I'll go, and be right back!"
"Can't you go without it?" Leo asked impatiently.
"I wanna get the necklace my mother left me, I swear, I'll be right back!" Roxanne yelled, and she was already running away. Leo and Ryo watched her until she disappeared behind the wall. They waited in silence, shock finally setting into Ryo at what he'd done. If Leo hadn't been there, he could have bled to death. But maybe that would have been better...
Emergency lights suddenly switched on around the Razada House, lighting up the area around the House.
"They caught her..." Leo said softly, still holding the teleporter. That meant they would discover that Leo, Steel, and Ryo were all missing. The entire House would be under lockdown until they were found.
"I'll go get her!" Ryo said, but Leo stopped him.
"Don't be stupid, they'd have her locked up by now!" Leo gave Ryo an apologetic look. "If we wanna leave, we have to go now..."
"I'm sorry Roxanne..." Ryo said quietly, taking one last look at the Razada House.
~
Steel allowed for everyone to take a break at the Temple after he got his new arm in place. It was still cold and windy, and Dimi and Kalon both convinced Leo to burst into flames again. Kyo sat separate from everyone else, forging his new sword. From the slabs of Dragon scale he had received, he made a new blade. The hilt was wrapped in leather, while the blade shone sapphire. Kyo held up the sword to check if anything else needed to be done with it. Finding it satisfactory, he sheathed it.
Janon and Steel were off somewhere by themselves. Ryo was sure Steel was explaining their situation to him. Steel emerged from nowhere, looking stern and serious.
"Get up," he said to Ryo, who immediately stood up. Steel flashed his hand, and a small dark cloud appeared before Ryo. Ryo took a cautious step back, hand on his sword's hilt.
"What the hell?!"
"This, is a Demon..." Steel said, staring at the cloud. From the midst of the cloud, a human hand appeared. At least it looked like a human hand. It was completely black, consumed in it's own dark aura. The shape of a human crawled from the Dark Portal. Everyone stared in disgust. It was sickening. It moved in jerks, and made an unholy sound that wasn't human. Ryo stood staring at the Demon in front of him. It didn't pose any real threat to him, as it simply crawled along the ground.
"What's this for?" Ryo said, still watching the Demon's every move.
"I want you to look at him..." Steel said lowly. His dark maroon eyes watched the Demon scurry in disgust. "You must learn to summon that Dark Aura that consumes this human soul...this Demon has no heart, so the Darkness stays with him...but you must learn to summon that aura, and still maintain your Heart."
"And how am I supposed to do that?!" Ryo yelled, taking a quick step to the left to avoid being touched by the Demon. The Demon stopped several feet from Ryo, making a sniffing noise. It slowly turned it's head towards Ryo, still making the sounds. Ryo took a slow, careful step away, but the Demon took a threatening one towards him.
Leo made a move to help Ryo, but Steel held his metallic arm in his way. "Let him be..."
The Demon sniffed more, and made sounds that suggested it liked Ryo's scent. "Why's that thing sniffing?" Jim asked, standing a good distance away.
"It can sense your Heart Ryo...what will you do?" Steel said. His smile haunted a part of Ryo's soul.
The Demon lunged at Ryo, its teeth glaring. Ryo summoned a blaze around him, sending the Demon flying back. Caza and Kalon both jumped out of the way to avoid being hit by the Demon. The Demon quickly and jitterly landed on its feet. Its fangs still showing, it made snarling noises, as it diligently passed Kalon and Caza without even turning to them.
"It has your scent Ryo...it'll only go after you until either you kill it, or it consumes your heart...the only way to defeat truly defeat it is to use Light against it. The other Elements won’t do it much damage otherwise..." Steel said. He watched on, his eyes glimmering with expectations.
The Demon slowly circled Ryo, walking on all fours, the Dark Aura around it hiding most of its features. Ryo pitied it. He couldn't believe he was named after such a sickening beast.
"How the hell do I use Light then?" Ryo yelled, dodging another lunge from the Demon. To everyone's surprise, the Demon shot a dark ray of nothingness towards Ryo. Ryo barely dodged the dark beam, a part of the Dark light coming close to Ryo's head.
"He can't fight that thing if he can't summon Light!" Roxanne argued, her hands grasping the bracelet Ryo had given her.
"Can't you tell him how to summon Light?!" Davis asked Steel. Steel didn't look away from the Demon and Ryo. He saw a sliver of fear in Ryo's eyes, and he liked it.
"Demon...." Steel addressed his son. "Focus on something happy."
"What?!"
"Do as I say. Focus on something that makes you happy. Then use that feeling to summon the Light."
"That doesn't make any sense!"
"It'll make more sense when you're in a more desperate situation. Look at that Demon, and focus on striking it down. Focus!"
Ryo tried frantically to think of some happy memory. The first thing that came to mind was when he first met Kaira. He tried remembering everything about that moment years earlier. The Demon snarled, and gave Ryo an insane smile. The Demon slowly rose from its crawling position, and stood upright. It held out its hands, and craws grew from its fingertips. The Dark Aura that consumed it dripped off its body. For the first time, Ryo got a good look at the Demon's eyes. They were dark green and slitted. The same green as Ryo's. He saw a part of himself in the Demon.
The Demon clawed out at Ryo, its eyes brimming with an untold evil. Ryo held up his sword to block. The claws reflected off the blade, but left a dark mark. Ryo swore under his breath, trying to summon Light from his memory. Steel's smile was now fading. He began doubting whether Ryo could do it or not.
The Demon walked in a contorted fashion, hissing and snarling. Ryo held his sword at the ready, trying to do what Steel had told him to do. He tried remembering one happy memory after another, trying to figure out how to summon Light.
"Just summon the Light once, Demon..." Steel called out. "The first time is always the hardest...do it this once, then from now on you can summon it at will like any other Element. The same goes for Darkness...Now hurry and summon Light!"
"I'm trying!" Ryo yelled. He slashed horizontally at the Demon's torso with Wind Energy. The blade cut through the Demon, but did not sever its body. The Demon let out a choking laugh.
"Shit...!" Ryo swore, realizing he was too close, and the Demon was faster. The Demon sunk its dark claws into Ryo's chest over his heart. The claws did not pierce Ryo's flesh, but sunk much deeper into his soul. Roxanne and Kaira both screamed, while everyone else drew their weapons. Janon let out a laugh at seeing Ryo run through by the Demon's claws.
"He can't do it Steel!" Leo yelled.
Ryo let out a choking breath. The claws didn't cut him, but he felt something gripping his heart. The Demon smiled, revealing its teeth, and flashing its tongue. Ryo clenched his teeth. It can't end like this...!
Every emotion Ryo ever felt ran through his mind. His sword was still in his hand. With his free hand, Ryo grasped the Demon's wrist near his Heart. Eliazar's sword burst into a violent white light. The Demon let lose an unholy screech, and retracted its claws from over Ryo's heart, leaving a Dark mark where they had been.
Ryo still gripped the Demon's wrist, ignoring the pain the Demon's Dark Aura inflicted on his hand. He plunged the Light sword into the Demon's gut, and pushed it in up to the hilt. The end of his sword shimmered out of the Demon's back, and the Demon vanished into nothing.
Steel let out a laugh with satisfaction and clapped. Janon's face looked angered that Ryo still lived. Everyone else stood in silence and disbelief that Ryo had done it.
"Ryo...that was awesome!" Dimi yelled at last. He went to hug his friend.
"Don't touch him!" Steel's deep voice boomed. Dimi stopped feet from Ryo, who was leaning over his sword, gripping his chest where the Demon's claws had pierced his soul.
"Dad...?" Kaira asked in a worried voice, taking a step towards her father.
"Kaira...." Kyo held her arm, and he stepped in front of her.
Ryo's breath was uneven and strained. The light in his sword died, and he let it drop to the ground. The dark mark left behind by the Demon felt terribly cold, and he could still feel the Darkness gripping his heart. It felt like his heart was being suffocated. Ryo staggered, and fell to his knees, still gripping his chest.
"He's dying!" Roxanne said, trying not to cry. She reached out for him, but Steel slapped her hand away.
"If you touch him you'll become infected with the Darkness as well..." Steel said coldly.
"Infected? Can't he fight it off?!" Kalon asked, his gloved hands in fists.
"Demon!" Steel yelled, walking around Ryo on his knees. "What you're feeling now is the Darkness trying to eat at your Heart. You're an Angel! Harness the Darkness! Fail to, and you will turn into a Demon yourself, and I'll kill you!"
Ryo choked, breathing became harder, and his eyesight faded, and all he saw was Darkness. "I...can't..." Ryo breathed.
"Fight it!" Steel yelled, his voice was demanding, and almost encouraging. "Fight it and keep your Heart! Think of something in your life worth living for!" Ryo strained, a dark aura starting to form around his body.
Kaira, Melody, Leo... Ryo tried thinking of something, anything. Then slowly, the cold gripping his Heart started to chip away. His sight slowly came back, and he felt air finally filling his lungs. He was on his knees still, and as he felt himself slide to the ground, he felt someone catch him before we went unconscious.
Ryo's body felt numb, but the feeling the Darkness had given him was gone. The cold suffocation in his heart was now gone. He opened his eyes, and realized he was still at outside the Temple, and that Roxanne had been the one who had caught him. He quickly sat up, now wide awake. He instantly felt something hit him across the face.
"You scared the crap out of me Ryo!" Dimi yelled, still looking worried. Ryo rubbed his face where he had been hit.
"I'm fine..." He looked up at see Steel looking pleased.
"Try summoning Light..." Steel said. Ryo held up his hand, and focused. A white fire-like light engulfed his hand, surprising those who saw.
"Now try Darkness....and don't touch anyone." Ryo summoned the Dark Aura to his hand, then instantly extinguished it.
"Good...now let's get moving, we've wasted enough time." Steel said, turning away.
Steel ordered them to start moving again. The Temple was left behind in the cold, as they finally reached the top of the pass. The valley between the mountains disappeared, and they looked down onto a new world.
Ryo didn't know what he had been expecting when he imagined Camaria, but he never imagined it like this. The land at the foot of the mountains was green with plants, but it was a sickly green, as though the land itself was suffering. He saw a lake at the foot was a small town, but it didn't look like much. The water didn't shimmer in the afternoon sun, and looked filthy, even from high up in the mountains. The air wasn't as clear on this side of the mountains, and Ryo thought it smelt funny.
"Welcome home..." Janon said slyly to Kalon, Caza and Dimi. Kalon shot Janon an I'm-Going-To-Hit-You look, but did nothing.
The small town at the foot of the mountains was a small dirty town, with drunks passed out in the streets. There were a few diners along with some small shops, but Steel led them past oll of these. He led them to a station with some people idling about.
"This is just a small crossroads for towns that lie along the Mountains..." Steel said. He drew from his pocket ten tickets. "To get to the capital city we'll be taking a bus. It's just like a car, only bigger and carries more people."
"But there’s fourteen of us, how will the other four go there?" Davis asked, looking around.
Steel drew from his pocket a small piece of metal that was round at one end and had a jagged blade on the other. "That's why I bought a jeep to carry the other four of us to Camaria's capital." He gave the key to Ken. "Surely the Professor taught his apprentice how to drive..."
Ken took the keys, his eyes closed. "Of course I can drive! Where's our ride?" Steel pointed to the other side of the street, where a black car with an open back was parked.
"People in Camaria have cars?!" Taj asked.
"They're fairly common, yes. Camaria has a lot of technology Hollow has lost." Steel said. He took one of the tickets and gave the rest to Leo. "You may fight over who goes where..."
"Me and Kyo can take the jeep, we'll just follow you guys on the bus..." Ken said.
"I wanna go on the jeep!" Kaira said. "Is that okay Dad?"
"Don't worry, I'll go with them," Roxanne said to Ryo. Taj opened his mouth to protest being separate from Kaira. But Kaira, Ken, Roxanne, and Kyo were already walking away. Ryo looked after his daughter, slightly concerned. But he supposed Ken, Roxanne, and Kyo were all able to take care of themselves, and he had nothing to be worried about.
"What's it like riding in a car Kalon?" Dimi asked while they waited for the bus to arrive.
"I dunno...bumpy I guess...I only rode one once with the Professor and that kid," Kalon said, motioning towards his son. After a few minutes of waiting, a great metal rectangle pulled into the lot in front of the station. It was on wheels, and its doors were located in the front of the block. The doors slid open, and passengers walked off the bus. Ryo noticed the people of Camaria all looked well groomed. All of them wore clothes that looked expensive, and somewhat fancy. And all of them held an air of arrogance and authority. Ryo glanced around at everyone else, and wondered if they would fit in, and not look suspicious.
The last passenger exited the bus, and the driver waited for the group of people to board. Nearly everyone stood, hesitating and nervous to step onto this ancient machine. Steel and Janon were the first to step easily onto the bus, and disappear into its fortress. Kalon took one last drag of the cigarette he was smoking, then followed them on. Ryo and the rest slowly filed in after them.
The inside was surprisingly clean, considering the rest of the town. Ryo was the next one of after Kalon, and wasn't sure of what he should do. There were rows of seats on either side of the aisle, with three seats to each row. The floor was metal, and the seats were all dark blue and black. Janon and Steel both sat together casually at the very back of the bus. Several othe Camarians were sitting in random places, but none of them were paying any attention to the large group boarding the bus. Ryo hoped he wasn't being obviously new to the whole bus deal, and followed Kalon. Kalon took an aisle seat near the back. Ryo sat behind Kalon, taking the middle seat while Leo sat next to the window. Dimi sat on the aisle seat next to Ryo, looking like a little kid.
"This is so cool!" Dimi whispered excitedly to Ryo, looking around.
"Just don't attract too much attention..." Ryo whispered back. Ryo looked past Leo outside to see Ken, Kyo, Kaira, and Roxanne all sitting in the jeep. They looked normal enough, while still keeping an eye on the bus. Ryo hoped Ken wasn't lying when he said he could drive and follow the bus to the capital city.
Caza sat next to Kalon in front of Leo, while Taj, Davis and Jim took the seats across from Ryo's row. The bus jerked forward and started moving, making Taj let out a weird yelp. People on the bus gave Taj a confused look. Taj gave them an awkward laugh, mumbling an excuse about a rash.
Ryo and Leo both stared out the window as they started moving. He saw Ken start up the Jeep with Roxanne in the front seat next to him, and Kaira and Kyo in the back. The bus left the small mountain town, and began heading North on a smooth road, with the Jeep following behind.
