Part Five

 

          Ryoga blinked and tried to sit up, his whole body ached and his head pounded, but he felt a hand gently urge him back down.  As his awareness dimmed he could have sworn he’d heard a strange language come from the person’s lips.

……………..

          Groaning he tried to sit up, and stopped as a blonde haired woman laid a hand on his arm, speaking in a language he didn’t understand.  Licking dry lips he cleared his throat, “I’m sorry.  I don’t understand…”

          She switched to another language and he shook his head, then another but he didn’t understand it either.

          <<What about his way?>>

          He jumped, then regretted it as pain laced through him but he automatically clamped down on it.  <<What the…?>>  He thought.

          The woman smiled.  <<So you have the gift of mind-speech, good.  My name is Keisha.  What’s yours?>>

          Ryoga blinked, swallowing hard.  <<Ryoga.  My name is Ryoga>>  He thought it at her.

          She rested his hand on his leg, <<Easy, Ryoga.  You’re shouting rather loudly.  Now tell me how you feel.>>

          He shrugged.  <<I feel fine.>>

          She smiled warmly.  <<I’m glad… There’s someone I’d like you to meet.>>

          <<Uh, alright.>>

…………………………

          Ryoga followed Keisha out of the ground hut, they barely walked more than twenty feet when she stopped and stared at a deer.

          He wasn’t really surprised when the deer spoke to him.  <<I am King Stag Tyrsell.  Keisha wishes me to bestow you with our languages, please stay still.>>

………………………….

          Ryoga woke up to find himself with a major headache and felt something pressed into his hands.  “What…?”

          He gazed up into Keisha’s friendly face and she smiled warmly, “Drink it, it’ll take the pain away.”

          He stared down at the cup, then back at her.  “I understand you now, is that what Tyrsell meant by ‘bestowing me with your language’?”

          Keisha nodded.  “Yes.”

          Ryoga pushed the cup back at her.  “I don’t want to offend you but I won’t drink anything if I don’t know what’s in it.”

          She blinked, “It’s only medicine.”

          Ryoga pushed himself to his feet.  “Then you take a swallow and when I see it doesn’t harm you, I’ll drink it.”

          “You think I’m trying to poison you?”

          Ryoga looked at the ground.  “I don’t mean to hurt you.  But I’m paranoid for a reason.”

          He sensed her move and looked up as she drunk some of the liquid, wrinkling her nose in distaste.  “It tastes horrible.”  She passed it to him and hesitantly he raised it to his own lips and finished it.  She was right, the taste left something to be desired.  Lowering the cup he handed it back to her and she took it.

          “If you’ll come with me, the others have been waiting to talk to you.”

          “Others?”

          “My husband Darian, Starfall, Firesong, Hashi, Silverfox, Ashyen, Kelvern, Snowfire, Nightwind, Wintersky, Ravenwing, Shandi, Herald Anda, Steelmind…”  Her voice trailed off into a laugh, and she gently took his hand.  “You’ll see, they aren’t all that bad.”

          Reluctantly he let himself be lead down the path.

………………………..

          Silverfox looked up as Keisha dragged the boy they’d found into the clearing and noticed the slight widdening of the boy’s eyes on seeing the Kryee, Gryphon and hertasi.

          Darian had been chosen to speak to him and that’s what he did.

          “Hello Ryoga.  My name is Darian.”

          The boy bowed slightly.  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet Keisha’s husband.”

          When he straightened he wore a small smile.  Keisha had her hands on her hips.  “You know I think I owe you for making me drink my own medicine.  After all two can play at that game.”

          Silverfox saw Ryoga’s face redden and he couldn’t help but ask, “Drink your own medicine?”

          Ryoga rubbed the back of his neck self-conciously, still red.  “I’m a little paranoid.  You can never be too careful you know?”

          Silverfox kept his face unthreatening, “Why would you be paranoid?”

          A shutter fell over his face, sadness, loneliness, anger, and pain flickered over his face and he heard both Shandi and Keisha gasp.  But it was the boy’s words that tore at him.  “You’d be surprised.”  He reached over, steading Keisha who looked up, tears on her cheeks.

          Her voice was choked, “So much pain.”

          He blinked, then smiled softly.  “An empath?”  Sorry, I didn’t realize, or I would have made a better effort to shield it.”  Ryoga’s eyes fluttered closed for mere seconds before opening again.  “There.  That should be better.”

          Darian had moved to Keisha’s side and Steelmind to Shandi’s but indeed both empaths were looking much better, though concerned.

          Keisha looked almost ready to cry.  “B-but how…”

………………….

          “Hello Ryoga.”

          Ryoga spun and found himself looking at Jace.  His eyes narrowed.  “You again.  Back for more punishment?”

          Jace dropped down from the branch he’d been perching on and faced Ryoga grinning menacingly, white hair whirling around his red face.  “I rather doubt it.  I on the other hand, will destroy you.”  He smirked, turning, “But first your friends.”  He fired a ball of energy at the group and Ryoga did the only thing he could think of.  He moved in front of it.

………………………..

          Darian felt his jaw drop as he saw the boy, no more than sixteen, take the full blast.  Dust everywhere but as it settled he saw Ryoga standing, arms covering his face.

          Slowly he lowered his arms, glowing red.  “I’m sick and tired of people using other people.”

          Darian had to back up a step from the sure power rolling off him.  He watched as he lifted his arms in front of him focusing the energy directly at Jace.

          Jace jumped out of the way and came down aiming a kick at Ryoga’s chest.  It connected but it didn’t seem to have any affect on him.

          Ryoga grinned ferally, as Jace shot forward in a blur towards him.