Fade Into the Light

by

Archdruid Unacera


Waiting until the others have gone, a figure fades into the landscape. The person then walks up to Cale, still lying on the ground. A cape swirls in the wind as the figure leans, holding a white staff. A large winged leopard rubs against the person kneeling before Cale.
"I know Dragon Wind." A female voice says softly. "No respect to the Armor of Darkness." A frown still lingers on her face, although most of the rest of her features are hidden under the black hooded cape.
The large leopard grumbles a sharp reply to the woman's comment as his leopard spotted lion's tail flies up and down a couple of times. The reply of the animal was automatically understood, "As if they ever respect the other armors either."
The woman tears her glance away from Dragon Wind as she inspects the slash in the fallen Warlord's back. "He's been badly hurt." Then she wraps her right arm around the Warlord's body, trying to carry Cale, as she stands back up again. "Ready to leave?" Dragon Wind sits proudly next to the woman. "Good." She feels the air around them and they all vanish.
When they appear back into sight, it is by the opening of a cave high in a mountain. A strong, cold wind blows, seemingly from the cave. The woman turns her head for a moment, but the wind blows back her hood and her cape tries to fly off her body. The cape nearly flips itself around, the inner red color of the cape almost seen outside for once. It's almost as if it longs to be completely like the Armor of Darkness' cape. The woman thinks to herself. The wind howls with all its rage as it races past her ears. Her orange-red hair, although mostly held back at the bottom with a bright green tie, flies around the woman's face. She turns back, forcing her blue eyes to look into the cave, and proceeds to enter.
The cave is dark and lined with a thick ice all over the stone. After several minutes, she reaches the end of the cave. There a pond of sheer ice lies smoothly on the ground. The woman lies Cale's back down on the ice pond. A glow emanates both from the Warlord's armor and the pond as Cale's body slowly sinks into the ice. His body keeps drifting down until it is a foot away from the surface. The pond freezes again to its original smooth surface, and the woman watches for a moment.
"This will help." She mumbles to herself as she rubs her animal companion. "For once in a long time I feel that being Archdruid Unacera of the Armor of Darkness is actually accomplishing something." She sighs. "It's been too long. Too many times and things have kept the armor and its Archdruid apart. That will change."
Dragon Wind looked patiently as Unacera stood up and walked back out of the cave. "Strange isn't it. The cave is colder than outside." She looks down to her lifetime companion. "I guess I'm not used to feeling that cold. Never noticed it when I . . Ah but that was long ago." Her blue eyes gazed into the distance.
"Hmmm. It seems the Gathering of the Nine is being called once again. I must be able to lead that last one from the dark completely." Unacera's face turns very sad as she sighs and whispers to the wind, "Sekhmet." She moves her right hand to one of the keys on her necklace, the key of that Warlord's armor. Her hand holds it warmly, lovingly. "Am I the only one who truly cares about them?" Unacera holds it there for a long moment, thinking to herself.
The large winged leopard rubs against the Archdruid's white staff along with her left leg, trying to give some comfort. She kneels down as she takes her hand off the key to rub Dragon Wind. "Thank you." Unacera looks back at the cave. "How can I tell him? Or any of them? No. The time isn't quite right. I shall watch him and try to be as close as his shadow. Though if he is ever endangered, I shall willingly aide him. It's my duty and I shall not let another one fall! After the healing is finished, I'll return Cale to where I found him, and as I found him. Wouldn't do to confuse him now. He'll merely think his armor healed itself on its own. Cale won't ever know I was there." The last sentence was said with much sorrow in Unacera's voice.
Unacera looked at the landscape laid out before her for long moments. Finally her attention was brought back. "The healing should be complete by now." She walks back in to the pond. Cale is lying on top of the ice pond, still unconscious. Unacera looks at him. "I wonder what he looks like in this armor?" The Archdruid gently takes off the helmet. Don't worry Yami. She said in her thoughts to the armor, using its Japanese name. It's only me. The armor did nothing to refuse the Archdruid's actions in the least bit.
The woman almost dropped the helm as her face turned white. She looked at Cale's face. That long strand of hair that hangs down the middle of his face. Torono had that same thing. And the color, it's the same as Treshiro. I knew Treshiro returned to Japan, but I never imagined. I should have known though. I felt something before I couldn't place. Cale is a descendent of Treshiro, younger brother of Torono, the first wearer of the Armor of Darkness! This is amazing! No wonder he was born for this armor, and Cale has no idea. Unacera sighs as she brushes the Warlord's bangs, gently brushing her hand across his forehead. She gently places his hair back into order and places the helmet carefully back on his head.
"So now the truth finally comes to the light for me about you," she says softly. The Archdruid feels the air around her again and pictures where she found Cale. Moving though the shadows once again, they return. She places the Warlord as he was found. Unacera then steps away with Dragon Wind and they fade from sight. "Take care Cale," she whispers as she leaves.
The Warlord moans after she leaves and wakes up. He pulls himself off the ground and looks around. "What happened while I was out?" He shakes his head as he examines his armor. "And I could have sworn I heard the soft voice of a woman and the gentle touch of her hand on my head." Cale straightens himself up. "It had to be a dream. That's the only explanation." As he is about to leave he thinks, Though, for some reason I wish it wasn't a dream.