I missed dinner that day and the next three after. It was almost a week before I could move outside
the temple grounds without getting exhausted. During the time I was dead to the world, Sai had claimed
his Torrent armor and was in the same boat as Sage and I. By the end of the week, the three of us had
completed the transitional period.
     I hadn't seen Rowen since our fight, I figured he was avoiding me. We took our meals together in a
building that sat beside the temple and Rowen had not eaten with us once. After five days of relaxation
and testing our armors, Rowen and the Ancient met us in the hall at breakfast. Rowen's face showed no
mark of our battle. "That's impossible," I said advancing. Rowen stood stone still and let me look him
over. "How?" I asked the Ancient.
     "Your armors not only make you stronger, they also speed up the healing process."
     Rowen brushed passed me and took a place at the low table where we ate. The Ancient took his
place at the head of the table and we began to eat. "Man, what I wouldn't do for a hamburger," I
grumbled. The sweet hot cereal served for breakfast was good, but not a replacement for a good
old-fashioned hamburger.
     Sai smiled a shy grin but then turned his attention to the old man at the head of the table. "Now that
we have our armors . . . what now? Why have we been called here to awaken these ancient armors?"
     "The breakfast table is not a place for questions," Rowen interrupted. "We have class time after
lunch."
     I lowered my spoon and glared at the obnoxious teen. I started to stand when the Ancient laid a hand
on my own. "Strata, your impulsiveness is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. The Ronin
have the right to know what they are fighting for."
     "Which is?" I pressed. Then I quickly bit my lip to suppress the laughter inside me that threatened to
erupt when Sai stuck his tongue out at Rowen's back.
     "It is up to you four and one other to save the mortal world."
     "Mortal?" Sage asked. "What other kind of world is there?"
     "There is the powerful Netherworld, and the Evil Dynasty that lives there. It wants to take over your
world. I defeated a great evil a thousand years ago but it once again threatens to break through the gates."
     "Wait one minute," I interrupted, "you're over a thousand years old . . . yeah, right."
     "I am the guardian of the gates. Time means nothing to me."
     "Then why call in the Ronin Warriors? If you handled this problem a thousand years ago, why not
now?" Sage asked.
     "Because this evil has recruited help and is stronger than it was a thousand years ago. Without your
help Ronin, the world as you know it will end."
     "Whoa," I said leaning back. "But Ancient, what can we do? There is only four of us against a
whole kingdom?"
     "Five," Sai said.
     "And we'll also have the help of the Mystical Ronin Armor," Rowen added.
     "That's another thing. How do we get the cool armors we saw in the jinja? These armors are alright,
but I want the one with the cool horns," I said.
     "I admit the odds are not the greatest for your success, but I wouldn't have called you here if I had
thought there would be no chance. The armors you saw at the shrine are the Mystical Ronin Armor. You
must first understand the power that fuels your armor before you can call on the force of the ancients."
     "Power that fuels our armor?" Sage asked. "What would that be?"
     Rowen answered, "Torrent's power is Trust, Halo's power is Wisdom, Hardrock's is Justice, mine is
Life, and the remaining Ronin, Wildfire, is Virtue."
     "You seemed to know a lot about the Ronin," I said. "Exactly how long have you been here?"
     "I've been taught by the Ancient all my life," Rowen answered.
     "All your life?!?" I glared at the Ancient. "If you knew about this Dynasty, couldn't you have called
us sooner?"
     "I have watched over the five chosen every generation," the Ancient said. "However, they have
never heard the armors' summons . . . until now."
     "You mean you had no idea this Dynasty was about to attack our world?" I persisted.
     "No. I had hoped I had defeated the evil. But now as the gates' seals are weakening, I see I was
wrong. The world is once again in need of the five Ronin Armors."
     "Man, this is deep," I said leaning back. If this old man was serious, which for some reason I knew
he was, I was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. I looked around the table, the others were
just as effected as I was. However, one element was identical in each of our expressions . . . excitement.
     "Now what?" Sai asked softy.
     "You really are a man of few words, aren't you?" Rowen said to Sai with a grin. "Now, we begin our
training."
     The next weeks, we spent on the grounds surrounding the temple. The training consisted of
hand-to-hand combat and working with several hand-held weapons. As we went through our exercises,
my respect for Rowen grew. His skill as an archer was stunning, but he was also my equal in
hand-to-hand combat and could hold his owns when we fought with weapons. Slowly friendship among
the four of us grew. But there were still only four of us, the fifth hadn't made an appearance.
     One afternoon, Sai called me over to his hut. "What is it, Sai?" I asked walking into the hutch. The
artist had been painting again. His small room was filled with pictures. "What has the clairvoyant painted
today?"
     Sai smiled and pulled back the cloth of his newest painting. "Wildfire!" he cheered. "You know what
that means, he's on his way . . . Kento?"
     I stood frozen and stared at the drawing. It showed a young man with long black hair, dressed in
ruby red armor. In the youth's hands were twin blades and he was surrounded by flames. But it was his
face that drew my attention. "Is that . . . are you sure . . . his face . . ."
     "Hey, Kento, snap out of it!"
     I startled, looked over at Sai, and spurted out, "Sai, that's Yoshi! Well, at least he could be or a twin
brother."
     "Yoshi, your mentor?" Sai asked. I had told him all about my friend.
     "Yes, maybe this Wildfire won't be too bad after all." I had been having my doubts about the fifth
one for some time.
     "He better not be, you remember what the Ancient said a couple of days ago?"
     "About Wildfire being the leader of the Ronin?" I asked stepping out of the hut.
     "Yeah, and how his armor is needed to complete the Circle."
     "But I already feel pretty powerful," I said. "Do you really think he's that important?"
     "Kento, four against a whole kingdom is not my idea of good odds."
     "And one more will make much of a difference?" I asked.
     "Hey, one more warrior means one more Mystical Armor."
     "Talking about Mystical Armors, have you had any luck connecting with the spirit of your armor
yet?"
     Sai looked down and shrugged. "No. I wish the Ancient would tell us exactly what we're looking for.
I mean trust . . . how do you connect with that?"
     "I don't know, not even Rowen has found his connection and he's been here the longest."
     "Maybe we need the other Ronin to complete the Circle first."
     "Maybe," I said. Then I headed toward the woods. "Hey, I'm going to go train on my own for a
while. I'll see you at dinner." I liked the forest. It was like a whole other world for a city boy like me. I
used my super speed and soon left the temple far behind. I ran toward the gorge Sai had fallen from and
cleared the ravine in one jump. I continued running until I came to the top of a small hill. I had raced
probably about ten miles and still wasn't breathing hard.
     "Hardrock, it is time we talk."
     I turned around in shock to face the Ancient who stood beside me. "How . . . where did you come
from?"
     "It is time we talk about the beast that lives inside you."
     "Maybe it's gone, I haven't lost control since the fight with Rowen," I said, hoping it was true.
     "No, the anger is still there and will continue to control you. Unless, you release it."
     "Release it, are you crazy?" I shouted pacing. "If I release it, all hell breaks loose . . . release it, he
says!"
     The Ancient grabbed my shoulders and turned me toward him. His grip was like iron and not even
with my super strength could I break it. "Release the beast now, Hardrock. Let me see why it has taken
charge of your emotions."
     "I won't!" I shouted. "I can't control it!"
     "You must Hardrock." The slap came without warning. The blow struck my cheek and then before I
could focus another blow struck and another until the wall inside me crumbled. The rage took over in a
burst and I let the flame consume me.
     The next thing I knew I was on the ground in tears. "Jeez, I have to stop . . . crying is for babies."
     A strong hand gripped my shoulder. "No, Hardrock let the tears flow. Only they can extinguish the
flame inside you. You have never mourned the loss of your loved ones, neither your friend nor your
family. You must do so now and the beast inside you will lose its hold."
     The Ancient had just asked me to do the hardest thing I'd ever done. But what he said was true, I
had never grieved for anyone I had lost. I let the tears flow and found out Sai was right, crying does help.
I'm not sure how long I knelt there before I got the tears under control. The Ancient stayed by my side the
whole time. When the tears stopped, I looked over at the Ancient and asked, "Is this it then, I won't lose
control again?"
     "No, but this is a good beginning, Hardrock. There is still much you must do on your own."
     "Like what?" I asked. I got no answer. I looked around the Ancient was gone. "Man, he's got to
teach me how to do that." I thought standing.
     On the walk back to the temple, I stopped and picked some bright red berries. There were only a
few ripe ones and I ate all of the sweet tasting berries. When I arrived at the temple, I tracked down Sai.
He was already painting another picture. I stood quietly in the doorway and watched him work. He was
truly a master of his art. Finally I cleared my throat and Sai jerked around startled. "Sorry to interrupt," I
said stepping in.
     "That's alright," Sai said laying down his brush. "Where were you? You missed dinner, which is a
first for you."
     "The Ancient and I had our talk."
     "And did it help?"
     "Yes, and it's the reason I'm bothering you. I want to tell you why I've been acting so strange at
times and apologize."
     "Apologize?" Sai asked. "For what?"
     "Come on, let's go over to the mess hall to see if there is anything left of dinner and I'll explain
everything." And I did explain, over dinner, about the rage and how Yoshi died. And then said I was sorry
about getting mad over his tears. "I guess Yoshi wasn't as smart as I thought he was," I said softly when
I'd finished.
     "He sounds very wise. He was teaching you how to live on the streets. There are times for tears and
then there are times when you should wait to grieve . . . but grief is a healthy emotion . . ."
     "Sai . . . you're beginning to sound like Rowen," I said with a smile and then winced as my stomach
did another violent twist. Throughout the whole dinner, my stomach had been hurting. I had thought it
was from hunger, but as it continued I wasn't so sure. "Sai, do you feel alright?" I asked thinking it might
have been caused by something I had eaten.
     "Yeah, why?"
     "Oh, it's probably nothing," I admitted. "But I think I'm going to call it a night. You best get back to
your painting before you lose the light."
     Sai followed me back to my shack with his face etched in concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You
don't look too hot."
     "I'll be fine, I just need to get some rest." Sai nodded his head and said his goodnights. I dropped
down onto the bunk and pulled my legs up tight against my cramping stomach. Then dragged the blanket
over me and fell into an uneasy slumber. When I awoke, my belly was on fire. I sat up and felt my
stomach lurch. I was barely able to stumble outside before losing my dinner. I leaned against the wall of
my hut. I was freezing, which didn't make sense. The armors reacted to your body temperature and
adjusted automatically. I reached up to feel my forehead for a fever and swore at my armored-covered
hand. I disengaged my armor and almost fell when I lost the Ronin strength. I did loose the crystal as it fell
from my hand. I felt my forehead to find that it was on fire.
     I looked around. It was dark and I couldn't see the crystal. I needed help. Rowen's hut was the
closest but I was afraid to wake him up. True, we had been getting along a lot better, but that might have
been because he knew I could whip the tar out of him. Now though, I was as weak as a newborn kitten.
My stomach cramped again and made up my mind for me. I stumbled over to Rowen's hut. I broke his
rule and didn't bother to knock, instead I just stumbled in. His bed was empty. Before I could realize what
that meant, an armored-covered arm reached around and grabbed me from behind.
     "You're getting careless, Hardrock. You should be more careful in the future," Rowen whispered in
my ear. "Where's your armor?"
     "Sorry . . . didn't have much of a choice . . ." I let out a groan as my stomach cramped again.
     Rowen grabbed me before I fell. "Kento, what's wrong?"
     "I don't know. My stomach is on fire."
     Rowen laid me down on his bunk. "Kento, where is your crystal?"
     "Dropped it . . . jeez, it hurts!" I gripped my belly and curled up into a ball.
     "Kento, what did you have to eat today? Come on big guy, answer me!"
     "I ate the same things you guys did."
     "Are you sure you didn't eat anything else?"
     Then I remembered. "Berries . . . I had some berries on my way back to the temple." I felt the
darkness numbing my senses.
     "Kento, stay with me. What kind of berries were they?" Rowen shook my shoulders.
     My words slurred, "They were small round red ones . . . why?"
     "Jeez, Kento, if they're the ones I think they were, they're poisonous!" I watched Rowen leave the
hut. The sounds around me became muffled but through the fog I could hear Rowen awakening the
others.
     "Kento . . . Kento, open your eyes, big guy," Sai's voice cut through the haze and I slowly opened
my eyes.
     "Sai . . . it still hurts," I pleaded.
     "I know. Please tell me where you dropped your crystal."
     "My crystal . . ." I tried to remember.
     "Yeah, Rowen said you dropped it. Where is it?"
     "I left my hut to get sick and then I leaned against the wall . . . felt hot wanted to check to see if I
had a fever . . . took armor off and then dropped the crystal . . . sorry."
     "It will be okay," Sai said and then turned to leave.
     "Sai! Don't leave me, please . . ." I reached for him.
     Sai took my hand and said, "Hey, tough guy, I need to tell Sage where to look and then I'll be right
back, okay?"
     I fell back against the bunk. "I can't believe what a wimp I am," I whispered. "Go, Sai. I'll be okay."
I bit my lip to suppress a groan.
     Sai shook his head and said, "That sounds more like the Kento I know."
     As Sai left, he passed Rowen coming back in. Rowen knelt down beside me and held out a cup. I
reached up to grab the cup, but my shaking hand knocked it away and the hot liquid it held splashed over
my nurse and me. "Jeez!" Rowen shouted jerking back. The seething liquid quickly soaked through the
thin shirt I wore and I let out a howl. "Sai!" Rowen cried as he tore my shirt off. "I need some cold water
. . . now!"
     In the light of the small lantern hung on the wall, I could see the redness from the burn. A moment
later, Sai raced through the door. In his hand was a bucket of cold water. He watched Rowen dunk the
shirt into the water and then lay the cloth against the burn. "Um, Rowen . . . I don't mean to criticize but
aren't you suppose to be helping him?"
     Rowen snapped, there is no better word for it. "I am trying to help him. The tea he just spilled
should have counteracted the poison, but now I'll have to go make up some more. What about you guys,
have you found his crystal?" Then he turned to glare at me and said through clenched teeth, "And why in
the hell did you take your armor off . . . you know it can help cure you." He kicked the bucket and sent
water spilling all over the dirt floor. Then he turned to storm out the door, only to stop as the Ancient
stepped into the hut.
     In the Ancient's hand was another glass. He bent down and helped me into a sitting position. Then
he held the cup up to my lips and I took a few sips of the bitter tasting tea. I turned my head away and
groaned, "This stuff tastes awful. Maybe some of Rowen's will soak through my skin."
     "You must drink it all, Hardrock," the Ancient said as he held the cup up to my lips. I opened my
mouth and let more of the bitter drink slide down my throat. The Ancient looked over at Rowen and
offered him the cup. "Make sure he drinks it all."
     I thought Rowen was going to refuse, but then he took the cup and the Ancient's place on the bed. I
took another offered sip and let out a groan as my abdomen cramped. "If I die, I leave everything to Sai,"
I whispered.
     "You ain't going to die," Rowen said with a smile.
     "Everything . . . does that include this?" Sage asked entering the hut. He walked over and placed the
crystal of 'Gi' in my hand.
     I looked up and smiled. The grin quickly became a grimace as another cramp worked its way
through. After it passed, I quickly called out, "Armor of Hardrock . . . DAICHI!" The others shielded their
eyes from the light. In a moment, I was dressed once again in the Armor of Hardrock.
     Rowen suggested that the others go back to bed. "After he finishes this tea, it should make him
relaxed enough to get some sleep." The others agreed and soon it was just Rowen and me. I finished the
tea and he laid me down on the bed. "Go to sleep, Hardrock. When you wake up, you'll feel better."
     I tried to sit up. "I can rest back in my own hut."
     Rowen pushed me back. "You can sleep right here. I'll go and crash in one of the other huts after
you're asleep." I wanted to argue some more, but the tea did its job and I gave into the pull of sleep.