"Father."  Kenshin says barely above a whisper.  Kenshin, the knight, Iris, and her parents have buried the fallen sorcerer Daniel.  It has barely been a two hours since he died.  Kenshin stopped crying very soon after Daniel died.  Iris has finally stopped crying.   She seems to have taken Daniel's death even harder than Kenshin.  Kenshin takes a deep breathe and then heads towards his home.

                "Kenshin?"  Iris says as she starts to go after him.  But a hand on her shoulder stops her.  She looks over her shoulder to see her father.  "Dad?"  He simply sakes his head.  Iris immediately understands that Kenshin needs to be alone now.

                "Dammit!"  Kenshin yells as he kicks at the floor in Daniel's room.  "Which one is it?"  He yells.  Suddenly he senses something under the floor.  He quickly scans the floor and sees some light being emitted from it.  "There!"  He dives at the floor.  He slams his fist through the wood next to the light, making sure not to harm whatever is below it.  He rips the wood up and throws it off to the side.  He reaches down a pulls out a wooden box.  The box is about two feet by two feet by two feet.  On top of the box is a ball of light.  "What's this?"  Kenshin thinks.  He touches it.  The ball changes into a small image of Daniel.  "Father?"

                "Hello Kenshin.  If this spell has been activated then I have met my end.  Inside there is an odd device.  This device somehow allowed me to copy some magical lessons into it.  I am not sure how it works, but I put instructions on how to use some of my most powerful spells on it.  Kenshin, please grow to be a great man.  That was my one desire when I took you as my son.  I also believe your real father would have wanted it as well."  The image of Daniel fades away.

                Kenshin opens the box.  The odd device Daniel spoke of appears to be nothing more than a pair of sunglasses.  There are not ordinary sunglasses.  There appears to be headphones on it (ever seen Mission Impossible Two? Like the sunglasses Brad Pitt wears at the beginning of that).  "That's it?"  Kenshin thinks.  "I thought there would be more."  He puts the glasses on.  Almost immediately they come to life.  Static appears on the lens for a second.  Then the image of a man and a woman appear.  Even though Kenshin has never seen them before, he immediately recognizes them.  "Father?  Mother?"

                "Hello my son."  His father begins.

                Outside, "So what are we going to do?"  Iris asks.

                "I'm not sure."  The knight says.  "I was sent here to give a message to Daniel, not start an army, or go after some sword."

                "But we are going to need that sword.  I don't know what is going on, but Daniel made in clear that the sword, Kenshin, and I would be needed."

                "But I can't take two kids along with me."

                "We aren't kids."  Kenshin says as he returns to the group.  "We are warriors and experts with magic."

                "Kenshin, what's that?"  Iris asks pointing at the sunglasses.

                "A gift from my real father."  Kenshin says.  He looks down at Daniel's grave.  "We leave tomorrow at dawn."

                "Huh?"  The knight asks.  "Where are we going?"

                "To retreave the sword and to destroy who ever sent that sorcerer here."  Kenshin turns Iris.  "You will be coming, won't you?"

                "Of course!"  Iris turns to her parents.  They only nod.  They understand that she must follow Kenshin where ever he goes.

                "And you...you..."  Kenshin stops and thinks.  "What is your name Sir Knight?"

                "Gabriel."  He says.

                "You can stay in my home tonight.  Tomorrow you can tell us everything while we begin our journey."  Gabriel nods.  "Very well.  Get packed and get plenty of sleep.  We leave tomorrow for the mountains in the north."  Iris and her parents head back to there home.  Kenshin and Gabriel head to his home.

                "Where is she?"  Gabriel asks Kenshin.

                "She'll be here soon."  He says.  It is just passed sunrise.  Kenshin and Gabriel got up early and made ready to leave.  They are using Gabriel's horse to carry most of their stuff, five bags total; food, water, clothing, utensils, and most important books.

                "Why do we have to take all these books?"  Gabriel asks.

                "Becaming a Master Mage isn't easy.  Even Daniel continued his studies.  Iris and myself will need to keep up our studies so our magical powers can continue to increase."

                "The girl is just going to slow us down."

                "Not likely."

                "Why do you say that?"

                "Even though her fighting skills are below our own, it is possible that she could become just as powerful as Daniel in a few years."

                "No way!  That little girl is that powerful?"

                "Yep."

                "And you?"

                "Daniel told me a few days ago that I have already surpassed him in magic.  Not only that I am a master swordsman, and I am skilled in hand to hand combat."

                "No wonder Daniel told me to go with you two.  You are both skilled sorcerers and warriors, but you lack the experience that age and battles give to you."

                "Hey!"  Iris yells as she runs up Kenshin and Gabriel.

                "Nice to see you could make it."  Gabriel jokes.

                "Hush."  She says jokingly.  They quickly add her bag to the horse.

                Gabriel takes a quick look at Kenshin and notices something.  "Don't you have a weapon?"

                "That's our first stop."  Kenshin says.  "Daniel taught me how to use magic, not how to fight.  We have to go and see my other sensai so I can pick up my sword."

                "Oh."

                "Do you think he'll have a weapon for me?"  Iris asks.

                "We'll find out when we get there."  Finally they are ready.

                "I told my parents to watch over the house while we were gone."

                "Good.  All right Gabriel start talking."  Kenshin says.

                "Very well."  Gabriel starts as they begin walking.  He tells Kenshin and Iris about the king, Argo, and Daniel.

                "Argo was one of Daniel's old students."  Kenshin says.  "I've met him before.  I once told Daniel that there was something odd about him.  But Daniel wouldn't listen to me."

                "What do you mean odd?"  Gabriel asks.

                "Well," Kenshin thinks for a second trying to find the right words to use.  "Everyone has there own destinct aura, their own life force.  Some are good, some evil.  If you're good enough you can even determine characteristics of a person.  I was able to do that when Argo last visited Daniel, about a year ago."

                "And what characteristic did you find?"  Gabriel is interested in finding out about Argo, but he is also interested in finding out what Kenshin's powers are.

                "Meglomania."

                "Meglomania?  I don't remember, what does that mean?"  Iris asks, not really sure what the word mean.

                "It means he is power hungry.  He wants to rule the world."  Kenshin says.

                "From what the king told me Argo tried to push Daniel into retiring.  But he didn't retire until he returned to Camelot with you."  Gabriel says.  "Argo easily took over Daniel's position as head Mage."

                "That's not surprising.  He is very powerful.  When he came to visit last year he hid most of his powers, but I could tell he was even more powerful than my father."

                "How much further is it, Kenshin?"  Iris asks after a few seconds of silence.

                "Not much further, maybe three miles."  Kenshin takes his sunglasses off the top of his head and puts them on his face.  Iris and Gabriel talk.  But Kenshin stays quiet.  The countryside of Camelot is quite stunning.  The road they are walking on is nothing more than dirt inbetween two green fields.  There are a few houses some large mansions and a few smaller homes.  It is hard to distinguish between the homes of servants and those of the small farmers.  A few of the farms have cows and their sounds are the most recognizeable, other than those of the birds.  The farms are bordered by forests that hold a bounty of game animals.  About four miles to the north of Daniel's home is a small town.  Beyond that town lies a small mountain range.  They are ancient and weathered to a realitively low altitude.

                "What's going on?"  Iris thinks.  "I could swear I hear a voice coming from those glasses."  She slowly creeps closer to Kenshin.  "I'm sure of it now."

                "What?"  Kenshin finally speaks. 

                Iris jumps.  "You scared me!"  She yells back.

                "Sorry."  Kenshin moves the sunglasses back up on his head.  "So what do you want?"

                "I thought I heard a voice coming from those glasses."

                "You did."

                "What?"

                "Don't worry.  You'll be using them as much as me."

                "But...but..."

                "No buts.  Look!"  Kenshin says.  He points.are they have finally come upon the town.  They pass freely through the outer wall, which is kept open in the day.  Inside there are a few small homes for the artisans and merchants that call this village home.  There are three inns located within; one on the southern side, one on the northern side, and one very near the center of town.  In the center of the village there is a fairly large market, large only in the minds of the town's people.  The farmers, merchants, and artisans come here to trade, barter, and purchase their goods.  The main currency is gold, although silver, bronze, and copper are used by those who have no gold.  In the larger villages gold is used almost exculsively.  There are two large saloons in the village.  There are brothels and whorehouses near the city wall and the barricks for the small militia.

                "So where is this dojo?"  Iris asks.

                "It's on the northern side of the village, near an inn."  Kenshin says.

                "Let's get going.  If we hurry we can get your sword and be gone in less than an hour."  Gabriel says.

                "No."  Kenshin says.  "We need to stay at the dojo tonight."

                "Why?"  Gabriel asks.

                "Because," Kenshin says as he looks around.  "We're being followed, and I for one don't care to be attacked in the middle of the night in the countryside."

                Iris and Gabriel look around.  "I don't see anyone.  Are you sure?"  Iris asks.

                "I'm sure.  I don't have to see them.  I can feel their magic."  Kenshin says.  "Come on, let's keep moving."  They hurry along the main street.  Finally after seeing the sites and beating off the merchants they make it to the other side of the town.  "There it is."  Kenshin says.

                "That?"  Gabriel asks. 

                "It looks like a Shinto Shrine."  Iris comments.

                "Yeah, well it is.  But it's also the dojo where I've trained for many years."  They walk inside the outer wall and look around.  It truely is beautiful and peaceful.  There is a small creeks that encircles the dojo/shrine.  Bonsai and other trees line the creek.  Kenshin hurries across a walkway that goes over the creek.  He goes up to a bell and grabs ahold of the rope.  He slams it back and forth causing it to ring.

                "Dammit Kenshin!"  A voice yells from inside.  "I keep telling you not to do that!"  An elderly man says as he comes around the corner.  He appears to be oriental and has a long gray beard that reaches down to about the middle of his chest.  He has short gray hair and is balding.  "Oh, you brought some friends."  The old man says with a smile.  Kenshin bows.  Iris and Gabriel quickly follow suit.  "You can dispense with the pleasantries.  I can tell by the look in your eyes you didn't come here to train or to visit."

                "Unfortuanetly no Master Sen."  Kenshin says as he ends his bow.

                "Well then I guess we should go inside.  Stories like the one I'm sure you'll be telling don't seem so bad with some tea."  Sen says as he slids open the door.  They enter into the shrine.  They walk down a hallway that opens into what is obviously a training area.  On the wall are swords, other weapons, and some traditional Japanese paintings.  In the corners are some spears and bows.  They continue to follow Sen.  He leads them through the training room and into another room.  It is an open room.  There is no far wall, instead there are only a few blinds that are drawn up.  The sound of the wind and birds make this room especially peaceful.  Sen sits down on the floor at a small raised table, which is slightly more than a foot off the floor.  Kenshin, Iris, and Gabriel sit on the opposite side of the table.  Sen claps his hands and a female servant comes in with tea and four small cups.  She sits the tray down then stands next to Sen.  "That's all, you may go home for the night."  Sen says.  He shoos the woman out of the room and then sits back down.  "All right.  Now please tell me your story."  Gabriel tells Sen about what has happened to the king, the prince, and Argo.  Then Kenshin tells him about the untimely death of Daniel.  During the entire telling of the story Sen simply sets there sipping tea and pouring tea.  "What a tragedy."  Sen says.  He takes another sip of tea.  "Now there is only one option left open for the three of you.  You must go north and accomplish the task Daniel has set for you."

                "And after that?"  Kenshin asks.

                "After that...you will have to use your own judgement."  Kenshin, Iris, and Gabriel all look rather down.  "Come now.  There is no need to be so depressed.  You will all be my guests tonight.  We will eat, drink, and make merry.  Tomorrow I will send you on your way with the weapons you will need and two other horses."

                "You're not coming?"  Iris asks.

                "Of course not."  Sen says with a laugh.  "I must stay here and watch over the shrine."

                "Oh."

                "Come now, don't get depressed again.  Kenshin, will you come with me?"  Sen asks as he motions outside.

                "Of course sensai."  Kenshin says as he gets up.

                "You two are free to look around the shrine.  You'll find the kitchen is stocked full of food.  You can fix whatever you desire for lunch.  Kenshin and I will join you soon enough."

                "Thanks!"  They both exclaim.  Gabriel runs off to look for the kitchen.  But Iris politely bows before following.

                Sen gives a little laugh before he and Kenshin walk outside.  "So did Daniel tell you everything about your parents?"

                "No.  But I found all of my answers here."  He points to the sunglasses on his head.

                "So what do you think about all of this?"

                "About my parents or about Argo?"  Kenshin asks.

                "Both."  Sen answers.

                "Well I don't know what to think when it comes to my parents.  I haven't had that much time to think about it or let it sink it.  But when it comes to Argo, I've been trying to find out how powerful he is, but so far I've had no luck.  I can only estimate how powerful he will be by what I sensed last year."

                "And?"  Sen asks, obviously wanting to know how Kenshin compares to Argo.

                "I'm not 100% sure.  But I think if Argo and I fought, he'd kill me with reative ease."

                Sen is shocked.  "You're kidding, aren't you?"  Kenshin shakes his head no.  "He's that powerful?"

                "He is."

                Sen is now the one who looks depressed.  "So even though you have long since surpassed me, you can't beat him?"

                "No."

                "And this one who is following you?"

                "He has withdrawn to outside the city.  I'm sure he's going to try something tonight."

                "So how do you compare to your father when he died?"

                "Huh?  Why do you ask?"

                "Just curious."

                "He was about two times more powerful than I am right now."

                "He was something else, wasn't he?"

                "I wouldn't know."

                "I met him.  When Daniel brought him here he made sure that both Daniel and I understood that you were to be trained here."  They both smile.  But Sen's smile turns to a wicked smile as he thinks of something else.  "So what's up with you and Iris?"

                "What do you mean?"

                "Oh come on!  I've seen the way she looks at you."

                Kenshin gives a half-hearted laugh.  "I don't know what you're talking about."  He hurries back inside.  "Come on I'm hungry."

                "He really didn't know."  Sen thinks.

                Later that night Gabriel and Iris have both gone to bed.  But Iris had trouble getting to sleep.  Around midnight she decided to get up.  She began walking around the shrine.  But she is drawn outside by the sound of swords clashing.  She walks back to the room where they all had tea earlier.  Just outside the room Sen and Kenshin are fighting in the moonlight.  But it is rather odd.  Sen is not wearing his priestly clothing, and Kenshin is not wearing his normal sorcerer clothing.  Instead they are both wearing armor, rather heavy armor by the looks of things.  Their armor is colored black.  It covers all of their chest area, shoulder blades cover their shoulder and stick out slightly, armor plates cover their arms and legs, metal boots protect their feet, and capes are attached to the shoulder pads.  They are both sweating up a storm and are laboring to swing their swords.  Kenshin charges Sen and slams into him.  They both fly into the creek, which is surprisingly deep.  "Oh God!"  Iris shouts.  "With that heavy armor on they won't be able to get out of the water."  She runs over to the creek.  But just as she reaches it Kenshin flies out of the water with Sen in his arms.  They land near the edge of the water.

                "Nice charge Kenshin!"  Sen says as Kenshin puts him down.

                "Thanks."

                "Kenshin!"  Iris yells as she runs up to him.

                "Iris?"

                Iris jumps into him arms and gives him a big hug.  Sen takes this opportunity to disappear into the house.  Iris steps back and smacks Kenshin across the face.  "How dare you do that!  I thought you would drown!"  She says trying to hold back the tears.

                "I'm sorry.  But you don't have to worry about me."  Kenshin leads her back to the shrine, and they sit down.  There is a awkward moment of silence.  Kenshin has been thinking about what Sen said all day.  He tried not to look at her during lunch and dinner, but still caught himself staring at her.  "What if Master Sen's right?"  He asks himself.  "I've known Iris for all my life.  She's like family to me.  I'm not really sure how to act now."

                "A full moon."  Iris finally says.

                "Huh?"  Kenshin didn't hear her.

                "The moon, it's full."  She points.

                Kenshin looks up.  "So it is."  Kenshin smiles.  He sits back and closes his eyes letting the moon light wash over his body.  But Kenshin's moment of peace is shattered when he suddenly senses something.  He instinctively jumps up and gets in a defensive stance.

                "What is it Kenshin?"  Iris asks as she also gets up.

                "That guy that was following us this morning is back."  Kenshin turns back to the shrine.  "Master Sen!"  He yells.

                "Yeah, I sensed it too."  Sen yells back.  He enters into the room carring a double-edged sword in a gray colored sheath.  "Here!"  He tosses it to Kenshin.  "I'll wake Gabriel!"  He disappears back into the shadows.

                "Thanks."  Kenshin throws his training sword away and catches the other sword.  He draws the sword and tosses the sheath over by the water.

                "What about me?"  Iris asks.

                "Support me with your spells if I need them."  Suddenly the outer wall of the shrine near them is broken.  "Here they come."  Two Behemoths, two Minotaurs, an Earth Spirit, and a Dark Sorcerer step through.  The Minotaurs look like traditional minotaurs and carry a gigantic doublesided axe in one hand.  The Earth Spirit is a mass of earth and rocks sculpted into a body with two arms and two legs.  The Dark Sorcerer looks slightly like the one Kenshin killed a day earlier.  The main difference is this one is bald and has a long scar on his head.

                "So you are Daniel's students?"  The sorcerer asks.

                "Yeah."  Kenshin says.

                "Well now I'm in luck."

                "Why is that?"  Iris demands.

                "Master Argo didn't tell us what you looked like.  He just told us to kill all of Daniel's students.  So we had to get lucky."

                "So Argo isn't going after us specificly."  Kenshin thinks.  "That could be a good thing."

                "Now, hold still and die."  The sorcerer says as he holds up a hand.  A red flame appears in his hands.  "Fire Ball!"  The ball shots out right for Iris.

                "Iris!"  Kenshin yells as he dives for her.  He knocks her down just in time.  The ball sails over top of them and into the shrine.  The ball explodes and most of the shrine is immediately destroyed.  "Master Sen!  Gabriel!"  Kenshin yells back into the shrine.  He doesn't have much time to debate his next move.  A Minotaur charges at him with its axe.  Kenshin barely has time to block the attack.  He is surprisingly straining.  "Dammit!  This armor is weighing me down too much."  He thinks.

                "Kenshin!"  Someone yells out.  Kenshin takes a peek to his left side and is surprised to see Sen running up.  Sen tackles the Minotaur and gets it off of Kenshin.

                "Thank you sensai!"  Kenshin says.  He quickly undoes the few straps that are keeping his chest plate on.  It drops to the ground with a thud.  "Where's Gabriel?"  Kenshin thinks.  Gabriel suddenly appears behind the group of monster that stayed near the wall.  He got behind them and quickly attacks the Earth Spirit.  "Gabriel!  Good to see you are all right."  Kenshin says as Gabriel runs to the small group.

                "Thank Sen for waking me up when he did."  His sword was unable to injure the creature, but it did make the creature unbalanced.  Gabriel quickly jumped the water.  The Earth Spirit fell to its knees and one arm grabbed ahold of the ground.  But the other arm missed the ground and went into the water.  The Earth Spirit yelled out in pain as it pulled out its arm.  "What's that about?"

                "Earth Spirits are weak against water attacks.  In fact coming incontact with water hurts them."  Iris says with a smile.

                "Right!"  Kenshin says with a smile. 

                Sen knocks the Minotaur he was fighting into the creek.  "Can you swim?"  He asks it as it disappears under the water.  "Appearently not!"  He laughs as he rejoins the group.

                "They are good."  The sorcerer thinks.  "No matter.  They can't possible be strong enough to beat the remaining creatures."

                "Listen up everyone."  Kenshin says.  "Iris, I want you to weaken the Earth Spirit with a water spell.  Master Sen, you and Gabriel should be able to destroy it with your swords once it has been weakened.  Then the three of you can take care of the Minotaur.  I'll handle the Behemoths and the sorcerer.  Got it?"

                "Yeah!"  They all agree.

                "Do it Iris!"  Kenshin yells as he begins building up his own power.

                "Right!"  Iris closes her eyes for a second and concentrates.  "Water around me, obey me, and become my weapon to destroy this evil!"  She lifts her hand to the sky and a pillar of water jumps into the sky from the creek.

                "What?"  The sorcerer is stunned.  "She is using a rather weak water spell, why?"  He thinks for a second.  "Of course!"  But his realization come too late.

                "Now!"  Sen yells.  He and Gabriel charge the Earth Spirit just as Iris is forcing the water to attack it.  The water hits the Earth Spirit causing it to scream in pain.  Sen and Gabriel do not take pity on the creature.  They easily slash through it, destroy it.

                "Dammit!"  The sorcerer looks to the two swordsmen.  But doing this makes him take his eyes off of Kenshin for one second too long.  Kenshin immediately disappears.  He reappears a few feet from the Behemoths.  "What?"

                "Blessed Light Blade!"  Kenshin yells.  The blade of his sword glows white and he easily slashes through the Behemoths, who never knew what happened.

                "Ice Blade!"  Iris yells out.  A blast of cold air shouts out of her outstretched hand.  Some water jumps up from the creek at the same time.  The cold air hits the water and immediately freezes it into a blade.  The blades goes straight for the Minotaur.  The Minotaur holds up its axe to block the crystal.  The axe succeeds in breaking the one large crystal into many smaller ones.  They all strike the Minotaur's chest cutting it up.  Sen quickly knocks the axe out of the Minotaur's hands, and Gabriel cuts off its head.

                "They destroyed them all so easily."  The sorcerer says in fear.

                "Goodbye."  Kenshin says as he tosses his sword to the side.  He holds out his hands.  In one hand a red flame, much like what the dark sorcerer used earlier, appears, in the other hand a red ball appears.

                "One of them is a fire ball, but what is the other?"  The sorcerer thinks.

                "Fire Ball."  Kenshin says as he bring his hands together.  The two attacks intermingal.  A red ball that is being encircled by flames shots out of his hands.

                "Light Shield!"  The sorcerer exclaims.  His shield appears just as Kenshin's attack gets to him.  The shield holds for only a second.  Then it cracks and shatters.  The dark sorcerer is engulfed by the attack and killed.

                "That was a combination, one magic fire ball, and one fire ball made by my ki."  Kenshin says as he watches the sorcerer burn.

                The sunrises over the mountains.  "It's too early!"  Iris says as she rolls over in her blankets.  She shields her eyes from the sun and falls back asleep.

                "It is too early."  Kenshin thinks.  He yawns as he jabs the smoldering fire with a stick.  Kenshin wakes up completely as he hears a horse nearing.

                Gabriel also stirs.  "Kenshin?"  He asks as he reaches for his sword.

                "It's all right.  Go back to sleep."  Kenshin says.  Gabriel nods and falls back asleep.  Kenshin stands up and goes to meet the rider.  "So?"  He asks.

                "No good."  Sen says as he hops off the horse.  "The shrine was completely destroyed."

                "I'm sorry."

                "This wasn't your fault.  I was able to get three more horses and some supplies."

                "Good."  Kenshin looks towards the mountains in the distance.  "There are two small towns between here and the mountains.  We need to get to the mountains within the week."

                "Shouldn't be a problem with the horses.  I have a few connections in the towns.  We'll be all right.  But I don't know many people on the other side of the mountains."

                "From the way you're talking and since you got three horses instead of two, I'd have to guess you're coming along."

                "Of course.  I can't let the bastard that destroyed my home get away with it, can I?"

                "I guess not."

                "Kenshin..."  Iris mumbles in her sleep.

                "What now?"  Sen asks.

                "Let them sleep for a little bit longer.  We'll set out in an hour."  He says as he flips his sunglasses onto his face.

                "Wake me up.  I'm taking a nap."

                "Very well."  Kenshin says.  He begins to use the device that his father left to estimate his power and tries to find Argo.  "I'm too far away from him to sense him."  Kenshin thinks.  "But this could pick him up from the moon."  The sunglasses begin pinpointing different people and their power levels.  "No, no, no."  Kenshin says as the device keeps focusing on the wrong people.  "Iris....power level 2,270.  Gabriel...1,730.  Sen....2,025.  Kenshin.....11,770.  It's increased a little bit since yesterday morning."  He notes.  Finally it focuses in on a very large power level.  "That must be Argo!"  Kenshin thinks.  "That person has the highest power level on the planet.  Let's see......17,000,000."  Kenshin says slightly stunned.  "The problem with this is, it can detect the ki someone's hidding.  My power level is closer to 20,000.  Nor can it tell how powerful their magic is, their fighting technique, or other strengths.  But even so, I have to get a hell of allot stronger and quick too."  He says.  "Access magical spells."  He tells the device.  "I might as well study for the next hour."  He says as Daniel appear on the glasses.  Daniel begins to explain this and that about a certain spell.  Kenshin yawns.  "He never was the most interesting teacher."  He says with a little laugh.