"Kenshin!"  Iris yells.  Kenshin ignores her.  "Slow down Kenshin!"  She yells again.  It has been five days since they left Sen's home.  During those days they have fought a few Behemoths and a few Minotaurs.  But for the most part they have traveled without any major interuptions.  Thanks to Sen's connections they were able to stay in a nice inn in the last town.  He has assured them that the same will occur in the next town.  But the most remarkable thing about their quick travel, Sen was expecting them to get to the final town before the mountains in seven days, is that Kenshin hasn't been riding his horse.  When they set out from Sen's hometown, Kenshin put on his heavy armor and lead his horse.  He simply said that he needed to get stronger.

                "This is working out pretty good."  Kenshin thinks.  "Walking all this way, wearing my armor, and using that gravity spell has increased my strength more than I expected."  Unknown to everyone is the fact that not only has Kenshin been wearing his armor, he has also been using a spell that increases the gravity upon his body.

                "Kenshin!"  Iris yells again.

                Finally Kenshin snaps out of it.  "What?"  He turns around.

                "It's about time!"  Iris snaps.  She sounds almost insulted that it took Kenshin so long to turn around.

                "We're here."  Gabriel says.  In front of them is a town.  It is larger than the two that they passed through earlier that week, but it is still not that large.

                "So this is the last town before the mountains."  Kenshin thinks.  He lets his eyes wonder behind the town to the mountains.  "They're not that big."  He thinks.  It is true, they are not that big.  The mountains are old and weathered from their eons of existance.  Most of them are below 5,000 feet, although in the western part of the range there are three peaks that jump up to a height of 17,000 feet.  "Let's go."  Kenshin says as he presses onward.  The group makes it into the town within the hour. 

                "This is a pretty big town."  Iris says.

                "Not really."  Gabriel says.  "The towns around here aren't that large.  Once we get over the mountains they are some really big cities."

                "This town was designed to take advantage of its natural borders."  Sen says.  "The town uses the mountains to protect itself from anyone coming from the north.  It uses a small river to provide protect on its western and eastern borders.  Eventhough it does have a wall all the way around it, it really only needs a wall on its southern side."

                They pass through the southern wall and into the city.  "Where to now, Sen?"  Iris asks.

                "We'll head up a few streets and to an inn.  We can stay there for the night."

                "All right!"  Iris exclaims.  "Food, a bed, a bath, and most importantly...sleep!"

                They continue on, until Kenshin stops suddenly.  "What is it Kenshin?"  Gabriel asks.  Even after the short time they have been together traveling, Gabriel has grown to respect the young warriors powers.  He knows that whenever Kenshin does something like this, everyone should take notice.

                "Something's coming this way."  He says.

                "What?"  Sen gets down off his horse and runs up to Kenshin.

                "There are more than one.  I...I think they're human."

                "Look."  Iris points down the street.  Everyone is shocked by what they see.

                "Who are they supposed to be?"  Gabriel asks.  Walking towards them are about a dozen knights with black armor.

                "Black knights?"  Kenshin says.

                "They aren't any knights that I've ever seen."  Gabriel says.

                Kenshin looks around quickly.  "Quick into that alley."  No one questions Kenshin, they are all in the alley in the blink of an eye.  No one says a word as the knights pass by.  They appear to be normal soldiers, besides their armor that is.  They are talking amoungst themselves and laughing.  They pass Kenshin and the others and head into a tavern.  Kenshin and the others head back out into the street.

                "What's going on, Kenshin?"  Iris asks.

                "I don't know."  He says.  "They are human.  But there's something wrong with their armor."

                "Their armor?"  Gabriel asks.

                "There is a darkness, an evil eminating from the armor."

                "Let's get going."  Sen finally says.  They arrive at the inn moments later.  The room direction inside the door contains a bar, a lounge, a restaurant, and the check-in check-out desk.

                "Sen!"  A ravishingly beautiful woman yells as she runs up to Sen.  She is wearing a small shirt and a short skirt, neither of which really cover anything up.  She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and appears to be maybe 21.  Gabriel's jaw drops to the floor as she runs over to Sen, her breasts bouncing the entire time.

                "Oh my God!"  Gabriel thinks.  "She is incredible."

                "Sen!"  The young girl yells out again as she dives into his waiting arms.

                Sen spins around once with the young girl in his arms.  He gives her a little hug before setting her down.  "Hello little one!"  He says with a laugh.

                The smile disappears from her face as she hears the words, little one.  "Don't call me that!"  She steps on Sen's foot.

                "All right!"  Sen says.

                "Sen..."  Gabriel starts.  He is still rather enchanted by the young woman's looks.  "Aren't you going to introduce us to this lovely young lady?"  He finally spits it out.  The young woman blushes slightly.

                "Oh, sorry.  Iris, Gabriel, this is Elsa, my niece.  Elsa, this is Iris, Gabriel, and you already know Kenshin."

                "She knows my Kenshin?"  Iris thinks.  Her jealosy has been obvious ever since she laid eyes on Elsa.  She has kept looking at Kenshin to see is response to this, "Little hussy."  She thinks.  Kenshin smiled when he first saw Elsa but that quickly faded, much to Iris' delight.

                "Elsa, how have you been?"  Kenshin asks.  He gives her a little hug then backs away.  Iris becomes irrate but hides it.

                "Oh you know me.  I've been busy running the inn since mom and dad died."

                "So I heard."  Kenshin says.  "You haven't visit Sen or me in a while.  But I see you're still as lively as ever."

                "You've grown into quite the handsome young man."  Elsa says with a laugh.  Iris lets out a low growl that Elsa catches.  "And who is this lovely young maiden that is with you?"  Elsa asks as she looks Iris over.

                "This is my best friend, Iris."  Kenshin says.

                "I should probably be nice.  She is letting us stay here after all."  Iris thinks.  "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Elsa."  Iris say with a bow.

                "Oh!  What a polite young lady!"  Elsa hops back to Kenshin.  "Kenshin!  You'd better grab her before someone steals her!"

                Kenshin's face turns red.  "Elsa!"  Kenshin yells.

                Elsa's attention is drawn to Gabriel.  He had been keeping quiet, but he had to laugh at Kenshin.  "And who is this?"

                "I am Gabriel."  Gabriel says with a bow.  "I am a knight in service to the king and the royal family."

                "A knight, huh?"  The tone of Elsa's voice changes.  They liveliness is gone and there is the hint of annoyance in its place.  "Has the king decided to raise the taxes again?"

                "What do you mean?"  Gabriel asks.

                "Three days ago a group of Black Knights rode into town.  They had papers signed by the King that stated he was raising taxes.  Then a day ago, they were raised again.  Plus the Knights picked out one woman a piece and took them back to where they are staying."  Elsa looks down at the floor in disgust.  "The King's tax rate was always fair.  He only asked for what he needed, a little gold here, a soldier there.  But he always gave back more than he took, a new road, a bigger market, something like that.  But there is nothing he can give us to pay for the innocence of those girls."

                "But that's impossible."  Gabriel says.

                "Why's that?"  Elsa asks.

                "Because the King is.."  Gabriel is stopped by a hand over his mouth.

                "Not here."  Kenshin says.

                "What's up Kenshin?"  Gabriel asks.  Kenshin motions to the door of the inn.  The door opens and in steps four Black Knights.  One has blonde hair, one black, one brown, and the last has hair that is such a light blonde that it is almost white.  They look around the inn.  One of them elbows the rest and points to Elsa and Iris.  They slowly make their way over to the group.

                "Hey."  The brown haired one says.  "How's everyone doing?"

                "We were doing fine until you showed up."  Elsa says, obviously not fightened of them.

                "You better watch it lady."  The brown haired one says.  "We're here under the orders of the King."

                "And you wouldn't want to get into trouble with the King, now would you?"  The black haired one asks.

                "And what about you pretty lady?"  The one with light blonde hair asks Iris.  "How are you doing?"  She turns her back on him and ignores him.

                "You little bitch."  He says in anger.  "You're coming with me."  He reaches out to take her hand.

                "Not fucking likely."  Kenshin says as he grabs his wrist.  He twists it back and the blonde haired man falls to the floor.  Kenshin lets go and steps back.

                "Fucking asshole."  He says in pain.

                "Didn't you hear us tough guy?"  The black haired guy asks.  "We're hear on orders from the King."

                "And did the King order you to steal young girls?"  Elsa asks.

                "Actually he did."  The black haired one responses.  The inn goes silent.  Some of the people there rush outside to tell everyone what the Black Knights have said.

                "He did what?"  Sen asks.  He isn't buying this, but he's still interested.

                "He said to take whatever woman our hearts desired."  The blonde haired one says.  He lunges at Elsa.  "And I want her!"  He yells while he flies through the air.

                "Shit!"  Elsa thinks.  She wasn't expecting this to happen.

                "Moron."  Gabriel says.  He steps in front of Elsa.  He takes his gauntlet covered fist and slams it into the Black Knight's unprotected head.  The Black Knight flies back in the opposite direction.  He slides across the floor and slams into a table and chairs.  "That is not how a knight and a gentleman is supposed to treat a lady."

                "Nicely done Gabriel."  Kenshin says.  He turns to the three remaining Black Knights.  "If you don't leave now I will hurt you."  He says.

                "Fine."  The light blonde haired knight says.  "But...she's coming with us."  He says as he grabs Iris' hand.  Kenshin becomes enraged at the sight of someone manhandling Iris.  There's a flash of silver and then the sound of something hitting the floor.  The Black Knight screams out and pulls away from Iris trying to stop the blood from coming from his wrist.  Kenshin cut off his hand with one strike.  The other two Black Knights waste no time.  They quickly gather their fallen comrades and depart the inn.

                "Kenshin...he protected me."  Iris thinks.

                Kenshin quickly wipes the blood off his sword and resheathes it.  "Let's go and talk."  Elsa leads them into her room upstairs, and they begin to talk.  According to Elsa no one knows that the King has died, or that Argo has taken over.  The Black Knights swear that they are following the King's orders.  There have been rumblings in the village about a possible rebellion.  But nothing has happened since the Black Knights entered the city.  "But I'm worried.  I'm afraid that if those Black Knights do something to those young girls the villagers will finally follow through with their threats."

                "So what do we do?"  Iris asks.

                "You need to ask?"  Sen says.

                "We attack these Black Knights and save the girls!"  Gabriel says.  "How many are there?  And where are they?"

                "There are about 20 of them, and they're staying in a mansion about a mile to the west of here."

                "All right!  Let's get going!"  Gabriel says.

                "No.  We can't go yet."  Kenshin says.

                "Why Kenshin?"  Sen asks.

                "We need to rest.  We need to be at full strength when we fight the Black Knights.  And right now we've just finished a long journey."  Kenshin says.

                "But Kenshin."  Iris starts.

                "He's right."  Sen says.  Sen is no fool.  He knows what Kenshin is up to, but he decides to play along anyway.  "Elsa, please show us to our rooms."

                "Right."  Elsa takes them upstairs and to their rooms.  Within the hour Sen and Gabriel are fast asleep.  Kenshin and Iris are a different story.  Iris is up and romming the inn.  Night has long since fallen, and she wants to see what the inn looks like.  She also wants to think.  She is just walking around and doesn't even notice Elsa walk up next to her.  "And how are you doing this evening Miss Iris?"  Elsa asks.

                Iris is surprised by Elsa but quickly recovers.  "Oh Miss Elsa.  I'm sorry I didn't see you.  I'm doing fine."  She says with a half-hearted smile.  Elsa puts her face right up to Iris' face.  "What?"

                "You're lying."  Elsa say with a huge grin.

                "What?"  Iris asks, a bit surprised.

                "I'm no fool."  Elsa say, still smiling.  "I know when someone's in love and confused."

                Iris' face suddenly becomes beet red.  "Me?  In love and confused?"  She decides to deny everything.  "You've got to be kidding."

                "Oh no.  I'm not kidding.  I'm totally serious.  You're in love with Kenshin."

                "Denying didn't work."  Iris thinks.  "So how did you know that?"  She asks.

                "I can see it in your eyes and by the way you look at him."

                "I admit it."  Iris slowly begins to smile.  "I've loved him for a very long time.  He's been my best friend since we were little.  But I'm not sure how he feels about me."

                "He loves you."  Elsa says.

                "How can you tell?"  Iris asks.

                "The same way I can tell that you love him.  Plus I've seen Kenshin get mad, at himself and at Uncle Sen, but I've never seen him get as mad as when that Black Knight grabbed you.  He only showed it for a second, but he was enraged.  He loves you.  I'm 100% sure."  She starts to leave.  "Too bad you two haven't told one another how you feel."  She says as she heads back to her room.

                "Elsa's right."  Iris thinks.  "I have to tell Kenshin.  If he doesn't feel the same way then at least I'll know.  But if he does then...then,"  She heads towards Kenshin's room.  Outside the sky has clouded over and a storm has rolled in.  It began raining about an hour ago, and now thunder and lightning have began to fill the air.  "Where did this storm come from?"  Iris thinks.  "I hope Kenshin is still up."  She finally reaches his room and knocks on the door.  "Kenshin?"  She asks.  "Are you up?"  She gets no answer.  Again she knocks.  "Kenshin?"  But still she recieves no answer.  "I'm coming in."  She says as she opens the door.  "Kenshin?"  She looks around the room.  The candle is still lit, but the room is empty.  "Where is he?"  Iris thinks.  "I know I would have seen him if he would have left his room."  She walks around his room and notices that his window is open.  "West."  She notes that his window is facing west.  "He wouldn't have gone after those girls alone, would he?"  She asks herself.  "He would."  She says as she casts a levitation spell and flies off.  As she flies through the air she sees the first signs that her assumption is correct.  Smoke is rising into the air about a mile from the town.  "He did go."  She increases the magic of the spell and thus increases her speed.

                Kenshin left the inn almost immediately after everyone went to their rooms.  He had no intensions of letting those girls become victims of Argo.  He simply wanted to do this on his own.  "Let's see."  He thought as he looked down upon the mansion from the air.  No one even knew he was there.  Before leaving the inn Kenshin had casted a spell that brought up a storm.  It was the only way he could think of to get to the mansion unnoticed.  "There are 21 Black Knights and 13 others.  The 13 others are most likely the young girls."  The Black Knights stick out like a sore thumb.  Their armor emmits an evil aura that Kenshin could have picked out from miles away.  "The best way to go about this is," Kenshin thinks.  "To place a protection spell around the girls.  After that it's just a matter of either killing the Black Knights or knocking them out."  He landed in a tree just inside the mansion's walls.  After looking making sure no one was around he hopped down and ran over to the mansion.  "The women are all on the second floor."  He thinks.  "So this is a good a place as any."  He stepped back away from the mansion and casted a fire spell.  The resulting explosion was the smoke that Iris saw.  The Black Knights were completely caught off guard.  Using his superior speed Kenshin was able to knock out everyone of them before they even knew what was going on.  Within five minutes he had every Black Knight tied up and sitting out in the courtyard of the mansion waiting to be taken back to the town.  Kenshin and the 12 young women joined them.  The other person that Kenshin had sensed in the mansion was the homeowner.  He had been kidnapped by the Black Knights.

                "Kenshin!"  Iris yells as she approaches the mansion.

                "Iris?"  Kenshin is surprised to see his friend decending towards the mansion.  He had been so preoccuppied that he had not sensed her presence.  "Hey!"  He waves as she lands near the small group.

                "What are you thinking?"  She demands.  "Going off like that!  You could have been hurt!  I was so worried when I was flying here I nearly lost my concentration."  She yells.  Her eyes water up as she continually yells.

                "I'm sorry."  Kenshin says sheepishly.  "But I did beat all the Black Knights and saved all the girls."  He says as he points behind him.

                "That's not the point!"  Iris yells again.  "The four of us are making this journey together.  You can't just go off alone like this."

                "But I didn't want to put any of you in danger."

                "We all know the risks.  We are making this journey of our own free will."

                "All right, all right."  Kenshin says as he tries to calm Iris down.  "Calm down.  Let's get them back to the town.  And I promise I won't ever leave you behind again."

                "You promise?"

                "I promise."

                "You'd better keep that promise."  Kenshin laughs and the small group begins to walk back to the town.  They are surprised to find a large group of angry villagers waiting for them at the southern gate when they arrive.  "What's going on?"  Iris asks Kenshin.

                "I'm not sure."  Kenshin scans the gathering and notices that Sen, Gabriel, and Elsa are standing at the front of it.  "What's going on?"  Kenshin asks.

                "We went to your rooms.  And when we didn't find you we figured that there was only one place you would have gone."  Sen explains.  The girls all run to their families.  Sen looks at the beaten Black Knights.  "So the two of you beat them all?"  He asks.

                "Quite the feat."  Gabriel says.

                "Well actually....it was all Kenshin."  Iris says.  "He beat them all singlehanded."

                "Kenshin?  You beat them all, by yourself?"  Gabriel asks in shock.

                "Yep."  Kenshin says nonchalantly.  "But why have all the townspeople come here?"

                "We were about to go to the mansion ourselves.  The people finally got fed up with the Black Knights."  Elsa says.  "So what do we do with these assholes?"  She points the Black Knights.

                "That is for the villagers to decide."  Kenshin walks passed them and heads back to the inn.  "I'm going back to my room."

                About an hour later Sen, Gabriel, and Elsa are already in their rooms and asleep.  Iris stayed in her room for a little while but then decided to go to Kenshin's room.  But again she finds no one in the room.  "Now where did he go?"  She looks to the window, and again it is open.  "Now what?"  She walks over to the window and peers out.  Kenshin is outside floating about 50 feet in the air.  "How does he fly without casting a levitation spell?"  She thinks.  Suddenly Kenshin flies six blue balls from his hands, ki attacks.  They fly out over the town for a few seconds then loup back towards him.  They draw nearer and nearer until finally they are right up on Kenshin.  Iris starts to get worried.  Then Kenshin disappears and the balls of ki fly through the blur he makes.  He reappears some 20 feet from his original position.  The balls of ki follow him.  Kenshin smiles as his gray aura appears around him.  He speeds off into the distance with the balls following him.  Off in the distance there is an explosion of gray light that quickly fades.  "Kenshin?"  Iris continues to worry, but only for a second.  Kenshin's gray aura reappears and speeds back towards the inn.  He stops right in front of his window.  Iris is so surprised that she flies back from the window and lands on the floor.

                "Iris?"  Kenshin asks as he steps back into his room.  "What are you doing here?"

                "I just wanted to talk to you."  She says as she picks herself up.

                "What about?"

                "Well..."  Thoughts run in and out of her mind.  Then she finally speaks.  "How do you fly without casting a levitation spell?"

                "Oh that.  Well I..."  He thinks for a second.  "Well...It's better if you we used this."  Kenshin says as he hands her his sunglasses.  "Just put them on and follow the instructions."

                "All right."  She says.  Kenshin and Iris hop on his bed.  Kenshin puts his arms around Iris, and she puts the glasses on.  And that's the way they stayed until they fell asleep.