The Next World

I woke up to the feeling of being shaken. I looked up and saw that Daius was shaking me. "Wake up Sora." the red head said. He was speaking normally but it made my head hurt.





"Shhh please. Head hurts." I said weakly as I stood up. I looked and saw that Daius was staring at me. "What are you looking at me like that for?" I asked him.





"You're bare naked Sora; you must have gotten drunk and passed out here on the couch. Where are Kage and Riku?” Daius asked.





"They're in the bed. I didn't want to sleep in there because they were acting funny. I don't remember much but they were acting funny and I left." I said as followed Daius to the bedroom.





We walked in the door and I saw something I wanted to pretend I didn't. I saw Riku and Kage sleeping in each others arms. Kage has his head on Riku's chest and they were holding each other close to the other. I yanked the cover off to see the two of them were both naked.





Daius roughly pulled Kage off of Riku and gave him a slap across the face. Kage suddenly was fully alert. He pushed Daius to the ground and had him pinned down with his elbow at the older teen’s throat. His eyes softened when he looked down.





"Sorry Dai. You know I get startled when I'm violently woken up." Kage said as he went to were he kept his outfits and he began to get dressed.





Riku was staring straight in to my eyes. I looked at him and shot him a glare. "What happened last night?" I asked him.





"Nothing." Riku said softly.





"Something happened. It was happening when I left. How far did you two go?" I asked him.





"All we did was make out." Kage said as he pulled a pair of pants on.





"They're telling the truth. I say we forgive them. It's not like he had sex behind our backs. Not only that but you were in here when it was starting Sora so you knew it was going to happen. We have a mission to complete and I suggest we get ready for it." Daius said.





I gave a nod and said "Then let's go." The three of them looked at me and started laughing. "What?" I asked.





"You're bare ass naked Sora." Kage said with a smile.





I looked down and felt my face fill with a blush. I dressed myself and so did Riku.





When we were all dressed Kage looked over us and said "I think we might need some extra protection then just regular clothes."





"What do you mean?" I asked, curiously.





"I'm going to wear my armor. Well some of it anyways. I can pick you guys up some chain mail if you want me to. It will slow you guys down a little but it will protect you slightly from a sword blow. What do you guys think?" Kage asked.





"I already have that covered." Riku said. He closed his eyes and I saw that he was covered in his darkness armor that I first saw on him in Castle Oblivion. He then closed his eyes once more and it was gone.









"I don't want to be slowed down by any armor. I've never worn it before so I think it would be a bad idea to wear it now." I said.





"Sora an elven swordsman is nothing to take lightly. Just come with us and try something on at this one store before we go." Daius warned.





"If you insist on it then it would probably be a good idea Daius." I said with a sigh.





"Mithril is light and strong. I can buy you some mithril chain mail." Kage said to me with a reassuring look.





Daius smiled and said "Here's something to consider Sora." He pulled his shirt off and I saw a thick layer of red chain mail under it. He removed the chain mail with one hand and tossed it at me.





It flew at me the way a normal shirt would. I caught it with both hands but let go of it with one. I laughed as it tossed it up and down several times. It was really only about five pounds or so.





"This is really light. I think I can wear it." I said as I tossed it back to Daius as he put it back on followed by his shirt.





Kage gave nod and said "Come with me guys I'll probably need some help."





"The plate mail?" Daius asked in surprise.





"The second degree protective plates so yes. You would think it would be impossible to surprise you." Kage said with a laugh.





"Just because I can see some things before they happen doesn't mean I do. There are some things I don't bother looking in to and some things I can't see. Like I don't know what’s going to happen after we finish with this mission. I can't see much of it and all I can see is darkness when I try to look past it." Daius said grimly.





I saw Kage give a small shudder but quickly regained his composure and said "I'm sure everything will be fine."





Daius gave a nod and said "Now lets help you get in to your armor."





Kage gave a nod. We walked out of the room and in to another room with a picture of a shield on it. He opened the door and looked around.





My eyes came to rest on a full suit of armor that looked like it would have been worn by a knight. It was black and gold armor with a few red spots on it. The red was a certain shade and I wondered about it so I had to ask.





"Is that covered in blood?" I asked Kage.





He gave a nod and said "Part of being a mercenary means I sometimes have to fight in battles in wars. Some battles last for a long time and in that time the blood stains the armor and it becomes impossible to get off.”





I looked over the full suit of armor and Kage said "I won't be wearing that to fight with Zoul though. That would slow me down too much."







He walked passed it to a stand that had a sky blue chain mail tunic on it. He removed his shirt and pulled the chain mail tunic on before he covered it with his shirt. He then walked a little further in to room and his eyes rested on what looked like small plates of armor made of the same blue metal.





It had shoulder guards on it that stuck just enough to cover his shoulders.







He pulled on the breast plate and said "Can one of you strap this for me?"





Daius walked over and did the straps on the back of the plate. Kage then grabbed a pair of upper arm guards and put them on his upper arms. Once he had finished with the he put on forearm guards that he strapped in to place. Following those came leg and thigh plates. When he had finished with that he turned and looked at the three of us.





"Well I'm ready as I'll ever be for this." He said softly.





"What about your helmet?" Daius asked.





"If I took a blow to the head with or without it wouldn't make a difference. I would be too stunned to react to block the next one and it makes it harder to see. It's more a hindrance then an aid.' I'm not wearing it." Kage said as he left the room.





We went to his armory where he got his twin swords. He put them on his back and then strung Twilight in its sheath on the right side of his belt.





We left Kage's home and walked through the streets of Shyra until we came to a large stone building with a metal door. Kage opened the door to the building and motioned for me to come inside.





I walked inside and immediately began to sweat. It was one of the hottest places I've been inside of. I looked at Kage who seemed to be unaffected by the heat.





He walked over to an old man who looked at him with surprise. "I never see you in here Kage. Surely there's a cause for panic when you come to see me. Even more so when you're wearing armor. What do you need from me?" The old man asked.





"I need a mithril chain mail tunic for my friend. Do you have one that would fit him?" Kage asked.





"I do but it's going to have to cost you a lot. Mithril is harder and harder to find. Especially the pure mithril you're used to. The seer apprentice Daius came in and bought a mithril tunic today. I told him that I only had blood mithril and I'm sorry to say that that's the truth." He said as he went to a rack were there several tunics hanging there.





"What's your name blue eyes?" The old man asked me.





"My name is Sora." I said.





"Well then Sora come with me." He said.





I followed him and he sat me down on a stool. "Take off that shirt of yours." He said.





I did as I was told and sat there while he looked me over. I was beginning to get nervous until he turned his back to me and grabbed a red chain mail tunic. He turned around and handed the tunic.





"I'm surprised to see a warrior of your age without a single scar on his body. You must be damn good with that sword of yours." He said as he eyed the sunlight on my hip.





"I am." I told him as I pulled the tunic over my chest. The metal felt cold against my skin and I gave a sigh of relief from the very short relief of the heat of the room.





"That will be twenty karats." The man said to me.





I gave him a confused look and he laughed. "Is Kage paying for this then?" He asked.





I gave him a nod and he said "That boy is quite generous. Usually the lives he takes chill a warrior's heart to ice but it's never happened to him. He's still as kind as he was the day I met him."





"How long have you known him?" I asked the man.





"I've known him his entire life. I won't go on spilling stories to you though because I can see that you two have something important to take care of."





Kage walked over to use and reached in a pouch on his belt and pulled out a handful of diamonds. He handed the man twenty large ones and said "We must be going now." The man gave a nod and we left the hot store.







Once we were outside Daius looked at us and said "Tenchi told us we can leave as soon as we're ready. He also gave me the spells of the blades and told me to give them to you three. Riku already knows his so that just leaves you two."





Daius leaned down slightly and rested his forehead On Kage's. "Clear your mind and close your eyes." The seer said. Kage shut his eyes and I his face take on a surprised look when he opened them after Daius had pulled away.





"You're turn now Sora." Daius said. I walked over to him and placed his forehead against mine. I felt fear fill my face. "Don't think about it. Close your eyes and don't think about anything."





I did as I was instructed and suddenly I felt some knowledge fill my mind. I had, in only a few seconds, learned several new spells.





Daius pulled his forehead away from me and said "We should go know." I gave a nod and the four of us headed to the gates and outside of Shyra.