Just who is Unacera?

Unacera was born 1000 years ago in Ireland. Her grandparents helped to fight against Talpa with the Ancient. Even after Talpa's exile, his evil still left affects on our world. Just because Talpa was temporally gone was no reason to stop trying to conquer the world, or so the demons thought. To repay the people who helped to defeat Talpa, they preyed upon people from all over our world. The demons especially wanted to destroy the clan of the Ancients and the druids that helped defeat the Dynasty.
So for repayment for helping the Ancients, the demons attacked Unacera's village when she was eight years old. All of her family protected her in a magic bubble. This enraged the demons who sought to destroy Unacera's parents in front of the young girl's body.
Unacera closed her eyes and blocked her ears. Though, somehow, through that and all the clamor, she heard her father's voice. "Look Unacera. Look and remember so that one day you will fight to stop this." It was more of a gentle plead than an order. She forcefully opened her eyes, though still tried to block out the sounds futility. In that awful moment of pain, despair, loss, and disbelief, a new look came across the young girl's face. Even the demons around her shrieked back in fear. There was an intense energy in that face, and a sheer will in those eyes. No she would never forget, and through the demons' savageness she found her own savage instincts.
The demons left shortly after. They had their fill of pillaging, especially after seeing that face. Who knew what the girl could do, if she didn't starve in that bubble first.
A day later, Unacera's lifelong companion Dragon Wind, who had left by her father's command for help, arrived. By his side was the Archdruid Catherine. The Archdruid's hair had turned white and silver by her years of age as it hung down her back.
The half griffin, half leopard looked around nervously and mournfully. Was he too late? Then something caught his eye. Dragon Wind ran as he unfolded his wings and flew briefly in the air to that spot. He growled in surprise and joy to find Unacera in a magic blue bubble. He landed right before it and clawed at the bubble as he stood on his hind legs.
The commotion woke up Unacera who sat up quickly. For the first time, a big smile crossed her face. "Dragon Wind!" Unacera pounded at the bubble near where Dragon Wind's large leopard claws were scratching away. However neither of them could break the bubble.
Dragon Wind stood back down and Unacera thought that her companion had given up. Then, as he walked to one side, she saw her, the Archdruid. Unacera sat back in surprise and respect as Catherine chanted a spell quietly. When she finished, the bubble disappeared and Dragon Wind tackled the young girl that was trapped inside.
The Archdruid Catherine brought Unacera to the place of the druids of the Armor of Darkness. Ever since the help in the defeat of Talpa, the Ancient rewarded the group of druids with protecting one of the mystical armors. It was no surprise that he gave them the Armor of Darkness. The druids of Ireland had originally came from Egypt long ago. They abandoned their gods, including the jackal headed Anubis, for new ones. In that time the druids honored, among others, a god of war with a dog head as well named Hesus. Although that was many centuries ago, and the old gods were no longer prayed to, but not forgotten either. The druids now simply honored life in all aspects of nature.
Archdruid Catherine sought to teach Unacera the ways of the druids. This was no simple task as the lessons and teaching would last twenty years. Other druids, who were also in training, envied the young girl for all the attraction the Archdruid gave her. This in turn led Unacera to live and study mainly in the woods of the druids with her companion Dragon Wind.
There she would have been likely to stay if not for a chance passing of a warrior several years later. Enamored by this strange new land he found, the people, and especially this mystical armor, Torono of Darkness treaded through the forest. Not knowing why he was doing so or where he was headed, he eventually saw a small clearing of trees ahead. As he went to examine it, he saw a woman looking sadly off into the distance in a tree. Below, a strange large winged leopard watched her.
He knew what she was watching. It was the gathering of the important druids. The nine armors of the Ancient were meeting here in the circle of the ten large stone open doorways. The five Ronin Warriors were coming from Japan, and he had himself lead the other three Mystical Samurai Warriors to this spot. Torono had arrived with his group first, and they awaited for tonight, when Hariel and his group would appear at the circle. Torono was curious though as to why this woman, obviously a druid, was left alone like this tonight.
As he stepped down the hill towards her, he snapped a twig on the ground. The noise startled the woman who jumped to the ground. Her animal companion was between her and Torono, protecting his druid friend. A look of surprise came on the face of the girl, Torono could see it even from this distance. She had recognized the armor.
Torono took off his helmet as he slowly walked toward her. His black hair only remained in place by his bright green tie. "Don't be frightened. I was just wandering around when I found you. What keeps you from going to the gathering of the nine?"
Unacera stood stunned. The speech of the strange man was indeed Irish, but he looked out of place. "I do not belong there. If I tried I would be denied entrance." She paused sorrowfully. "What is your name great warrior that we Druids of Darkness have awaited for, and from where do you come?"
"I am Torono, older brother of Treshiro, from Japan." Torono bowed slowly as his cape fell gently around him. "I have been on your fair isle before for quite a time. Long enough to learn your beliefs, but I have not seen you before."
"And of our tongue that you speak so well?"
"My armor has somehow allowed me to understand and speak it. Before we go on, may I be graced with knowing your name?"
"Unacera."
"Well then Unacera, if you are not allowed by some druids, I shall take care of that." Torono held out his left arm to the druid. "You shall be my guest and escort. They will not deny me the right to bring you." His bright green eyes smiled down at the woman.
Unacera smiled as she carefully took his arm in hers, being cautious to avoid the claws on the hand of Torono. "I would be honored." she said simply, but her blue eyes likewise smiled at Torono.
Dragon Wind, excited at the new change of events, happily led the way out of the forest, up the large hill, to the circle. Torono took a moment to place his helmet back on and returned his arm to Unacera. He watched Unacera out of the corner of his eye. Her long orange-red hair bounced gently with the ascending steps. Then he looked behind him for his friend and companion. Hesus, Torono's wolf and animal companion, was indeed following him to the meeting. He had problems thinking of a name for the strange wolf he found, or did the wolf find him? Archdruid Catherine suggested the name Hesus that once was used for the god of war centuries ago. Indeed the name was quite appropriate for his wolf companion.
Troubles did come from Torono's choice for an escort. A few spoke their displeasure. The Archdruid though, happy to have Unacera there, sharply quieted their comments to the wearer of the armor they had guarded for the Ancient. Though any other grumbles were banished by Unacera herself. She stood on the stone altar at the center of the circle, where those who spoke stood to address the crowd. Her beautiful speech that she spoke, telling how she earned being there was only half of it. During her speech, she seemed to sometimes briefly show the ability of one of the nine armors and then another later. To everyone this was a surprise, except Catherine who had for a long time knew that Unacera's symbol was the unicorn, a creature of strength and magic.
The display of magic lead the nine warriors to agree to teach Unacera about each armor and its power. One at a time, the warriors taught the druid by lending their armor to her for a time. After their training was complete, they were all impressed with Unacera's quick learning and skill. Torono and Unacera grew very close and started to fall in love with each other.
About this time, Unacera had finished her twenty years of training. The Archdruid Catherine had been falling ill more often as old age finally set in. The Archdruid decided to have another meeting to appoint the next Archdruid. Those eligible for the honor, knelt in front of the stone that Catherine stood on. One of those who knelt before her was Unacera. The Archdruid held up the white staff that symbolized the power of the Druids of Darkness. Indeed the staff itself was endowed with power. Catherine held it out in front of each person who knelt. Then she returned back and stopped in front of Unacera. She looked up as the Archdruid smiled to her. Unacera took the staff in her hands and stood on the stone. Unacera felt the smoothness of the staff and the circle at the top of it. All the druids bowed to pay respect to Archdruid Catherine's choice.
The nine mystical armored warriors, as with the meeting of the nine, stood in their place of honor in each open doorway. All except for the main gate through which the druids entered. They watched as Treshiro, Torono's younger brother approached the stone in deep red druid robes. In his arms he carried a beautiful gown of white, green, and blue. He placed the robe by Unacera's feet and left the circle. The other druids, in procession each bowed in respect to the new Archdruid and followed Treshiro out of the circle. The last to leave were Catherine and the nine warriors.
The warriors returned later in the night to the circle, again standing in their doorway place of honor. They watched at Unacera silently meditated on the stone holding on to the staff and wearing the new robe of Archdruid. As a tradition, the new Archdruid was always left to meditate over her new position the night of their placement. Then, for a year, they would wear the tricolored robe. Then the person would decide what clothes they would wear for the rest of their Archdruid days. The robe would then remain to be worn for special occasions and meditations.
The warriors came forward to Unacera and silently spoke to awake her from her meditation. As a gift for her new placement as Archdruid, each warrior gave her a small key. Each key had the coloring of their armor, and the ring of the key was designed to look like the helmet aspect of the armor. Each key was endowed with the power to call forth a property of the armor to aide her.
Unacera took out her silver necklace that Catherine had given her as a child when she first arrived. Hariel of Wildfire placed his key on the silver circle emblem of the unicorn on her necklace. The other eight then make small gold rings on the necklace to hold each of their keys on it. Four keys were placed on each side of the Wildfire key. From Unacera's right to left, the keys were: Strata, Torrent, Halo, Hardrock, Wildfire, Illusion, Cobra, Titan, and Darkness. It is important to note that each key gave a specific power to Unacera, and most often their powers were not combined. The keys demanded that the strength for using them cost Unacera's own strength and will power. So the strain of calling more than one at a certain time frame severely weakens Unacera.
The nine left shortly after that to fight the demons who had gathered in Japan. Unacera had nightmares that they were in trouble. She felt that the battle was going very badly for them. In fear for Torono, Unacera left with Dragon Wind to Japan to help them. Before she left, she gave her staff to Treshiro who had stayed behind in Ireland.
When she arrived at Japan, to the area of the battlefield, the nine warriors were scattered about. Unacera recalled her nightmare and panicked. She could not see Torono anywhere. As she found the other warriors, they helped her search for him. A flash of red off in the distance caught her attention. She ran over to find Torono lying face down on the ground, the Sword of Darkness laid on the ground by his side. Unacera lifted him up and turned him over on her lap. As she did so, Torono's helmet fell off.
"NOOOOOO!!!!" Unacera screamed at the top of her lungs as she saw Torono's empty green eyes staring toward the sky. Torono had used the last of his energy to summon his attack cry to destroy the demon army that attacked them.
Mekira of Illusion, Sotsuhiko of the Titan, Treshiro, and Michael of the Cobra, carried the casket that held Torono's body. On top of the casket hung the cape of the Armor of Darkness. As he was laid to rest, the cape was returned to the Armor of Darkness and again placed where it was before Torono came. Michael, the closest to Torono, volunteered to become the new leader of the Mystical Samurai Armors.
Archdruid Unacera had given Treshiro permission to request something in return for his grief and loss. Over the time he'd spent in Ireland, Treshiro had learned the ways of the Druids of Darkness. He absently rubbed his fingers of his right hand through a little bit of his blue hair. "The wolf was Torono's companion and symbol. So from now on when the wolf howls each shall carry a song of sadness in it for the loss of my brother."
Unacera nodded in agreement and she worked on a spell until it was completed. Everywhere now that there is a wolf, it cries out to the loss of Torono of Darkness.
The eight remaining warriors had no more time to grieve as another battle raged in Japan. This one was likewise difficult. The warriors, already grieving at the past loss, did not want to lose another. As Hariel seemed to be trapped and would be the next to follow, the other seven reacted. They focused on their humanity kanjis and gave their powers to Hariel for him to protect himself.
Unacera, who had again sensed their troubles in battle, did not know what to do. As she wept and walked solemnly, she made her way to the circle. There, placed beneath the stone in the center, was the Armor of Darkness. Unacera removed the top and picked up the helmet. That's when she knew she only had one choice left to her.
Hariel weakened from the power of the other armors. He couldn't keep it up and more demons were facing him. A demon slashed its sword. Hariel turned in time to see a no-datchi right through the demon, stopping it in its tracks. As the body of the demon fell Hariel saw Unacera in the Armor of Darkness.
"What a strange new armor you have Hariel. It almost reminds me of an inferno."
"Yeah. Inferno." Hariel replied as he fell unconscious.
So it went, the eight made the new armor, and Unacera remained separate so as to defend Hariel when he was weak. When the battle was finally ended, the nine returned to the circle. Together they vowed, in memory of Torono, to protect the warriors that would be the next to wear their armors. The Ancients had already told them that this would happen.
They went their separate ways, and for a time lived with their families. After a while the warriors returned to where their armors gained their powers to sleep and wait. The majority of them stayed in their sleep except for a few who the seat of General kept demanding their presence. When those who would next claim the armors were born, they sensed it, and if sleeping, would awaken with their armors fully charged.
The four Mystical Samurai Armors had the shorter wait. They fought bravely to protect Anubis, Dais, Sekhmet, and Cale. Unfortunately Talpa had also found those four the same way. Wanting to revive his power, he used his powers to taint the armies that fought against the four new Generals. The Mystical Samurai Armored warriors defended their protégé to the end. The last to fall was their leader Unacera.
Unacera knew the trap that Talpa had laid. The demon had captured Cale. Her horse moved under her impatiently. The demon of Talpa, seeing that the warrior would not charge, decided to anger Unacera of Darkness. He ripped the pitiful samurai helmet off Cale and quickly scratched Cale's face twice with the tip of one of its claws. The scratches buried themselves deeply around Cale's left eye.
Unacera, enraged at the demon giving Cale the scars, charged to the demon on her black horse. Trap or no trap, she would make that demon pay. She held the Sword of Darkness high as she neared the demon.
"Black Lightning Slash!" she cried as she plowed through the Dynasty tainted army.
In the end the demon won. He dislodged Unacera's left shoulder. Then as she screamed in pain, he forced her off a cliff to the rocks below. The fall shattered many bones in Unacera's body, especially her neck. The victory though, soon after cost the demon its own life.
Talpa, able to take an armor easily when the wearing was willing, took the armor from Unacera. Being dead, it was easy to pluck it off the pathetic Archdruid.
However the humanity kanji of Obedience could not be so easily removed. The power called to her as Talpa took the Armor of Darkness and dropped the body back to the ground. In a dark area, on an unseen pathway, Unacera saw a blue light ahead. A familiar form appeared there.
"Do not come to me. Your time is not here. As long as your spirit is strong, so shall you live. Call upon the keys, Unacera. Call upon the power of the armors."
Unacera listened carefully to Torono's words as she searched for the power of her keys. "Stata life and Darkness death, both guide me to find my way."
"Awaken again my love." Torono whispered to her.
Unacera burst through the snow that covered her. She looked around puzzled. She knew where she was, but could not believe it. Unacera was back home in Ireland. Then Dragon Wind ran toward her in joy. The Archdruid rubbed his head as she looked around. Even while she was unconscious, she could feel the passage of time. It had been a year since her fall. Unacera also somehow knew what had happened in her absence. She was too late, Cale was now with the Dynasty.
Unacera returned to the circle and searched for her white druid staff. It waited, as she knew, under the stone in the center. The Archdruid then focused her magic to complete the task she had to do. The white, blue and green Archdruid robes disappeared to give way to another type of garb. A hooded cape that was black outside and red inside hung around her shoulder. She wore a gray tunic, the same gray color of the Armor of Darkness. Her pants too were gray while her belt and boots were black. Unacera's hair was tied back in a tail at the end with Torono's bright green tie.
"Obedience. My druid beliefs tie me to the land, but you cannot stay away Talpa. One day you will return, and after you are weakened, I shall come to your Warlords. My friends are gone, and as leader of the four Mystical Samurai Armors, I shall make your Warlords see the truth. They shall not be denied what they were born to have." Unacera looked off a mountain toward Japan. "It's time you faced harsh reality Talpa. Time to learn you cannot accept an armor without accepting the humanity kanji that goes with it!"
Unacera took off her key of Darkness and held it in her right hand. Barely able to dare, she focused on its power, power she would need. How could she call the power of the armor she lost? Surely her power was only a pale comparison. Still she dared, she had to, for Cale and the rest.
"Power of the Armor of Darkness! Once again shield and envelop me in your night!" The blue glow surrounded her. It formed the red bi-color body armor of the Armor of Darkness. A crossbow hung by her belt on her right side. A small gold colored quiver of crossbow bolts hung over her right shoulder. Then a no-datchi formed and hung over her left shoulder and across her back. Finally the hooded cape returned to hang over it all.
Unacera took out the no-datchi and examined it. It reminded her of the Sword of Darkness. The hilt was blue with silver half circles. One on these curves was attached to the hilt on the blade side of the sword. The other circle attached at the end of the hilt curving down to almost touch the sword. In the middle of both half circles was a small ruby. The Archdruid moved it quickly and the no-datchi cut the air. "Silent Shadow." she named it. "And with its Blizzard of Darkness, I shall make your Dynasty pay Talpa." Dragon Wind growled in agreement as Unacera left the circle to wait for Talpa's return.