The Dark Sorcerer

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ronin Warriors or any of its characters. Only Sapheem, Riona, and Riona’s pets are mine. Thank you once again to the loyal fans of this story. Once this story is finished, I plan to start right away on the sequel. I will also be giving some hints to a related story that my fiancé will be writing that will cross this story as well as other shows and games. Please read and review.

Some time after discovering Riona's betrayal, Sapheem now stood in his bedroom before a large bookcase. He pulled on one of the books, causing the entire bookshelf to slide away. Sapheem quickly entered the passageway and headed down a winding staircase. When he had first taken over the castle, Sapheem had discovered this secret room and began to use it for his most important spell casting and study sessions. Now it would serve him once again as he planned his ultimate attack…and his revenge. No one, not even Riona, knew about this place…or so he thought.

The moment he entered the room, however, Sapheem immediately sensed that something was amiss. It had been weeks—or possibly months—since he has last used the chambers. Now as he looked around at the numerous rows of books and scrolls, he had an uneasy feeling that someone else had used the knowledge stored here. It hit him like a ton of bricks…Riona! She must have discovered his secret room! It would explain how she had found and memorized the counter-spell to free Rowen. A quick search of the room confirmed Sapheem's suspicions that the book with the counter-spell was gone. Further more, many other spell books containing highly powerful spells were also missing. This only added to Sapheem's anger and frustration.

“It would seem that my pupil is far more clever than I gave her credit for,” the mage muttered. “Not only has she found my secret study room, but she's also taken some of my most powerful books.”

Sapheem was disturbed by this latest discovery. He sat at a large desk and thought hard. With so many of his books missing, there was a good chance that Riona's powers were stronger than he suspected—and that could spell trouble for him. A few of the books taken contained spells that not even Sapheem himself had studied. If Riona had learned them…Sapheem shuddered to think of the possibilities.

Bringing himself from his thoughts, Sapheem pulled out a few books and began browsing through the spells…searching for something that could give him an edge over the Ronin Warriors. One spell in particular caught his attention. He grinned wickedly.

“This spell should do nicely. It will only take a couple of days to learn it—and then I will destroy those pathetic warriors along with my traitorous apprentice!"

Ryo and the guys sat around the dining room table contemplating their next move. Rowen and Riona were still resting upstairs (it had been a few hours after they had left). Nightshade and White Blaze lay curled up in the floor near the table while Sharpeyes sat resting on the back of one of the chairs. Mia had decided to prepare dinner, and Yulie was helping her. The boys were worried. It would only be a matter of time before Sapheem returned to finish them off. They needed to be prepared for the worst.

“It sure was,” Cye agreed. “If it hadn't been for Riona, we would have been finished.”

“Sapheem is definitely more powerful than any other enemy we've ever fought before. This won't be an easy fight,” Sage cautioned.

Kento grew annoyed. “Come on, guys! You talk like we've lost the battle all ready! We can stop Sapheem now that he can't use Rowen's power against us. Plus we'll have the White Armor of Inferno this time around. You can't tell me you're givin' up!”

Ryo turned to him, looking very solemn. “It won't be that easy, Kento. Sapheem's magic is very powerful. You saw how easily he deflected our attacks…even though we were holding back. The only reason he ran was because he was separated from Rowen which weakened him.”

Kento sighed and sat back quietly. “Yeah, I know. There just has to be a way to beat that jerk. There's no way we can let him get away with the pain he's caused.”

“We all feel that way, Kento. But we have to be careful. There's no telling when he'll strike again.”

“At least this time, we have help. Riona's a sorceress, plus she's lived with Sapheem, so she should know his weakness. With her on our side, we stand a better chance of winning,” Cye said. The others nodded in silent agreement.

“Speaking of which,” Sage spoke up, “did any of you guys notice how bashful Riona seemed to be when Rowen asked her to help him?”

“Yeah, you're right, Sage,” Kento agreed. “She was awfully quiet ever since she brought Rowen back.”

“Riona's so shy…but I suppose she's not sure how to act around us, you know?” Cye observed. “I mean…she said that she's lived with Sapheem for most of her life, so she doesn't really know what it's like to have friends.”

“It's a real shame,” Ryo said. “She seems like a really sweet girl…even after living with that monster for so long. We just need treat her like a part of the team. I'm sure she'll come around after a while.”

“I'm sure that's all true…but that's not quite what I was talking about,” Sage explained.

The others were puzzled. “Sage…just what are you talking about?” Ryo asked.

Sage blushed slightly, but went on to say, “Well…what I meant was…Riona seemed a little nervous around Rowen in particular. When we first met her, she was more forward and open about herself. Granted she had come to ask us for our help, but still…from what Rowen told us, I think Riona feels really guilty about having to treat him badly while he was Sapheem's captive.”

Sage sighed. “Well…while it's understandable that Riona hated treating Rowen badly even though she had no choice…I think there's something deeper than that. You all saw the rough shape Rowen was in. Riona was just as concerned about him as we were…if not more so. And she was the one who suggested that Rowen should go rest for a while.”

Ryo suddenly caught Sage's meaning. “Sage…are you trying to tell us that you think Riona has a crush on Rowen?”

“It's too soon to say…but it's possible,” Sage replied. “I could tell she was worried about Rowen…but since no one's ever taught her about love…she may not even realize how she feels.”

“Heh, lucky Rowen,” Kento laughed. “Even when he's the captive of some evil sorcerer, he still manages to find a girlfriend.”

“Come now, Kento. Don't tease him about that!” Cye scolded. “We don't know how they feel about each other.”

“Cye's right,” Ryo agreed. “For now, I think we should keep this conversation to ourselves and see what happens. We have more important things to think about right now than our friends' social lives.”

The others agreed and once again began plotting how they would defeat Sapheem once and for all. They knew that Rowen was still weak from his ordeal, but he would hopefully recover quickly. Once he and Riona were awake, they could ask Riona more about a battle plan.

Riona slowly began to wake up from her long nap. She was still a bit groggy and disoriented as she sat up in the bed. For a few moments, Riona thought she was still in her room at the castle. As her thoughts cleared, she remembered that she was with the Ronin Warriors and began to relax. Tossing the covers aside, Riona sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her eyes. She looked over at the other bed where Rowen still slept soundly. She couldn't blame him for being so tired. He had been through so much during the past few weeks.

Riona sat there quietly, just watching him sleep. She began to think back on her actions the past few days. Even after seeing her people suffer under Sapheem's rule for so long, she still hated to see others suffer. It killed her to have to treat anyone badly…but Rowen was different. It was bad enough that Sapheem was tormenting her people on a regular basis, but to spread that evil to another dimension…and to strangers who had never done anything to deserve such cruelty…it made her sick to her stomach.

Riona shook herself from her thoughts. Sapheem would never get away with his actions…she would make sure of that. She returned her attention to the young man resting before her. Riona stood and walked quietly over to Rowen's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful now—very different than this morning. Riona studied his face carefully and smiled to herself. She was glad that Rowen was safe. The same strange feelings that she had experienced just the day before came flooding back to her. Riona still had no explanations for how or why she was feeling this way. There was something about Rowen that made her feel incredibly bashful and unsure of herself. She wished she knew what it was, but she was afraid to ask.

Rowen began to stir, bringing Riona from her thoughts. Almost without thinking, Riona sat on the end of the bed as Rowen began to wake up. He yawned and stretched slightly as he sat up.

Startled by the sound of her voice, Rowen looked up and smiled at her. “Better than I've slept in days. How long have you been sitting there, anyway?”

“Not long,” Riona answered, blushing. She stood and walked toward the door. “We better head downstairs and see if the others have made any plans for defeating Sapheem.”

Rowen nodded in agreement and climbed out of bed to join her. “I could use something to eat as well. How about you?”

Riona giggled. “Now that you mention it, I am a little hungry. Who does the cooking around here?”

“Mia mostly…but Cye helps sometimes too. Come on…we'll see if dinner's ready.”

The two of them left the bedroom together and made their way toward the dinning room. A good meal was just what they needed before another possible battle. They would need all the energy they could get.

Sapheem sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The new spell he had discovered was pretty tricky to remember, but it would be worth it. This spell would increase his powers ten-fold—and grant him some immunity to damage. Not even Riona's magic would be enough to stop him if all went well. Sapheem smiled to himself. The time for the final battle was near, and he was determined to win this time.

“I think it's about time for me to issue my challenge to those pathetic warriors,” Sapheem muttered to himself. “They will not survive this battle. As for my former apprentice…heh heh heh…I have special plans for her!”

Sapheem closed his eyes and began chanting…

Mia and the others were just getting ready for dinner when Rowen and Riona came down the stairs. They turned and greeted their friends, relieved to see that Rowen was looking much better than earlier.

“Yeah…if you hurry you can get some food before Kento scarfs it all!” Cye said, teasing.

“Hey the way I'm feeling now, I could out eat Kento easily!” Rowen returned. Everyone laughed.

Just then, Riona felt a dark presence in the room. There seemed to be a slight breeze through the room that sent shivers down her spine. Nightshade sensed the power, too. He stood and began to growl angrily—catching the attention of everyone else. The laughter stopped as Riona looked around frantically for the source of the evil power. She had a panicked look on her face.

“I sense him,” she answered. Riona's voice was so low they could barely hear her. “I can feel his power in this room.”

“Sapheem is here?!” Mia asked. Yulie stood close behind her, clutching the edge of her shirt. The warriors were instantly on their feet. Nightshade and White Blaze continued to growl as they too searched for the enemy. Sharpeyes screeched and flew over to Riona's shoulder.

“All right, Sapheem!” Ryo shouted. “We're on to your tricks! Come out, you coward!”

Evil laughter echoed throughout the room. “Feeling rather bold tonight, are we? Not very wise considering you nearly lost today,” Sapheem’s voice boomed.

Strange colors appeared before the startled warriors, twisting and contorting in all manner of strange shapes. Finally, the colors slowed and took the form of the wicked mage. Sapheem appeared different than he did the last time they had seen him. His image was semi-transparent and continued to shift slowly.

Riona's eyes narrowed. “It's an illusion,” she explained as the answer finally dawned on her. “Sapheem is using his magic to project an image of himself in this world…so he can communicate to us without leaving his realm.”

The image turned to her and smirked. “Very good, Riona. I must say I'm disappointed in you. To allow yourself to be swayed so easily by these fools…I would think that a mage of your talents would be above such tricks. But…I'm willing to forgive you of your betrayal—and your theft of my best spell books. I know the only reason you turned on me was because that fool was able to make you feel sorry for him.”

Rowen growled angrily. This sorcerer was beginning to get on his very last nerve.

Riona tossed her head defiantly. “Actually, Sapheem…YOU are the fool! Do you honestly think I would ever truly serve a monster like you after you caused the death of my parents and countless others?! The only reason I've served you so faithfully these many years is so I could become powerful enough to defeat you! I've been planning my betrayal since the very day I became your apprentice! I will never forgive you for the pain and suffering you have caused my people…and my new friends! Your rule will end once and for all!”

Sapheem's face twisted into a frightening scowl. His eyes burned with rage at Riona's words. “So, you were using me the entire time? I'll give you credit for being able to fool me for so long…but I assure you that your punishment will be great! My rule shall encompass your world as well as the Earth, and there is nothing that ANY of you fools can do about it!”

“If you're so sure of yourself, Sapheem, then why don't you come face us yourself?!” Kento challenged.

The image shifted again as Sapheem's laughter echoed once more. “Don't be so quick to rush into death, Kento of Hardrock. In any case, I am no more ready for another battle than you warriors are. I have come to issue a challenge.”

The mage's smile broadened. “It's a simple challenge really. I'm sure you agree that the time has come to end this ridiculous struggle once and for all. All I ask is that the Ronin Warriors…” He paused and glanced at Riona. “…and my former ‘apprentice’ meet me at the base of the mountains south of your house in three days time. I want to fight you at your strongest….not that pathetic display you put on this morning. I expect you to arrived early…and do not think that I will go easy on you! Be warned. You may find that I have a few more ‘tricks’ up my sleeve than last time. Do not count on your armors or magic to save you from my wrath!"

The mage's image began to fade away once more as the message drew to a close. “See you in three days…if you have the courage to face me.” The image finally dissolved away into nothing. Sapheem's evil laughter lingered briefly before slowly dying away as well.

For a few moments, the group stood where they were…still trying to grasp what had just occurred. Nightshade and White Blaze finally calmed once they sensed the danger was gone. They returned to the living room to curl up by the fire once more. Riona breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Three days. Three days till the final battle. She would need to prepare carefully.

What could Sapheem be planning? she thought to herself. Not even Sapheem is totally immune to magic spells. I have a very bad feeling about this…

“Well, he certainly was cheerful tonight,” Ryo said sarcastically as he and the others sat down to dinner.

“I have a feeling that we're walking into some sort of trap,” Sage commented.

“Who cares about that, Sage?” Kento returned. “Trap or not, we're gonna have to face that jerk sooner or later. We might as well accept his challenge. I'm ready to shut that loser up for good!”

Riona remained silent, trying her best to figure out what Sapheem could possible be up to. All she knew was that it would be very bad for them. If she had some sort of clue as to what Sapheem was up to, she would know how to counter it. She racked her brain for any type of spell Sapheem could possibly use to turn the battle in his favor. He couldn't use Rowen's armor any more…so he had no control over its power. Riona pondered through the many powerful books her former master had kept locked away in his secret chambers. There were a number of powerful spells he could use…but which one? Perhaps consulting the books she had taken might give her some sort of clue. She would be sure to check them later.

Food was laid out on the table, and the hungry warriors eagerly dug in. Supper was eaten in relative silence. Everyone was still worried about the upcoming battle. Occasionally, someone would make a suggestion of a battle plan, but none of them seemed to go anywhere productive. Riona did not contribute to the discussion. She quietly ate her food while she continued to run solutions and spells through her mind. Maybe one of the spells she had learned (or even glanced at) would give her some kind of answer.

Rowen didn't say much either. He was too hungry to care about much more than his food. He did, however, notice how quiet Riona was compared to his friends. He studied her face out of the corner of his eye—he didn't want her to think he was staring at her. She appeared to be deep in thought, barely paying attention to her food.

She sure is different now that she's away from Sapheem. Rowen thought to himself. I hope she doesn't let herself feel too guilty…or we might not stand a chance of winning.

Riona's eyes widened all of a sudden, as if she suddenly realized something. Rowen was startled, and he started to ask her what was wrong. The moment passed, however, and Riona was lost in thought again, her eyes narrow and focused. Rowen stopped himself from saying anything, but now he was concerned about Riona. He would have to ask her about what she was thinking later.

Soon everyone finished their meal and scattered to start their various nighttime activities. Cye helped Mia clear the table and wash the dishes. Yulie and Kento went into the living room to play a video game together. Ryo and Sage slipped outside on the porch to talk and relax before bedtime. The only ones still at the table were Rowen and Riona. Riona stood and made her way upstairs with Nightshade following behind her. Rowen decided to follow her and find out what she was up to.

Riona made her way up to the bedroom she had shared a couple of hours ago with Rowen. She entered and removed the bags from Nightshade's back. Sharpeyes flew from her shoulder to perch on the bedpost. Nightshade whined as he sensed his master's distress. She smiled and scratched his ears.

She pulled out one of her spell books and began scanning the pages…searching for a spell she had come across once.

Startled, Riona looked up to see Rowen standing in the doorway. He closed the door behind him as he walked over to where Riona sat on the floor. She smiled bashfully as he sat on his bed, facing her. “I'm sorry…what did you say, Rowen?” she asked, not familiar with the expression he had used.

Rowen laughed a little. “I just wanted to know what you where thinking about. You seemed to be distracted during dinner. What's up?”

Riona looked down blushing. She continued to flip through the spell book in her hands. “It's nothing, Rowen. I was just trying to come up with a way to stop Sapheem.”

Rowen wasn't totally convinced. “From what I've seen, it's never nothing with you, Riona. You got a strange look on your face earlier…like you suddenly realized something. I'm just concerned, that's all. If you have any clues about what Sapheem is planning, then you should tell me. I'm your friend.”

Riona looked back up at him. “You…you're actually concerned about me? After all I've done…”

“Hey don't start that again, Riona. We've all ready been through this. We can't change the past…but we can change the future. You're with friends now…we just want to help. Come on, what's wrong?”

“Well…” she began, “I was just thinking…about what Sapheem said earlier.”

“You mean when he said he'd have some new ‘tricks’ up his sleeve?” Rowen asked.

Riona nodded. “It occurred to me that…that Sapheem might have discovered a new way to increase his power…something that would give him an advantage. So…I was thinking about what kind of spell could give him so much power, that he would be so confident about winning.”

Rowen leaned on his knees, considering her words carefully. “So…did you think of something? Is that why your eyes got so big all of a sudden?”

“Yeah…I think I may,” Riona replied. “And if I'm right…we may be in deep trouble.”

A sense of dread came over Rowen. “I don't like the sound of that. What do you think he's planning?”

Riona finally found what she was looking for in her book, and her face fell slightly. “I'm still not sure…but I think Sapheem may use a shape shifting spell. If he does, he will be even more powerful than when he was bonded with you.”

Rowen shifted uncomfortably. Riona put away her spell book and joined him on the bed. She was equally upset. Rowen turned to her. “If Sapheem really plans to shape shift during the battle…how are we supposed to stop him?”

“Don't worry too much, Rowen,” Riona assured him. “I may have a way to stop him. We all have to work together during the battle. I've learned some very powerful spells from the books I took from Sapheem's secret study. If worse comes to worst, I have a back-up plan. I'll just need to study extra hard these next two days before the battle.”

Rowen sat back, feeling slightly relieved but still worried about the upcoming battle. Riona stood and walked back over to her bags. She pulled out another spell book and sat down on the other bed to study. She paused and turned back to Rowen.

“By the way…where am I supposed to sleep while I'm staying here? I forgot to ask Mia if there were any extra bedrooms.”

“It's ok, Riona,” Rowen told her. “You can share this room with me if you like. You're stuff is all ready here, too.”

Riona blushed at the thought of sharing a room with a guy. “Are you sure? I thought you said you shared this room with Sage?”

“I'm sure he won't mind,” Rowen told her. “Ryo has a room to himself, so Sage can share with him while you're staying with us. It’s mostly my room anyway. Don't worry.”

Riona looked down at the book in her hands. “Well…if you're sure it's ok…then I think I will."

“Great! I'll talk to Sage about it. Right now, we better get ready for bed. Do you think…we should tell the others about your suspicions?”

Riona marked a page in her book before setting it aside. “That can wait until morning. Everyone is tired. I don't want to worry them too much…but they will need to be prepared for a hard battle. I'll explain everything tomorrow at breakfast.”

Rowen nodded and stood. “I'll go talk to Sage. You should get some sleep tonight. You need your strength.”

Riona nodded quietly, and Rowen left the bedroom. Nightshade snuggled closer to her side and whimpered. Riona scratched his ears but remained silent. She rose slowly and rummaged through her bags for her nightgown. She found it and quickly changed, hanging her robe and undershirt on the end of the bed. Riona sighed. Defeating Sapheem may not be as easy as she had thought. She had never in all her years of planning imagined that Sapheem would try anything like this. She only hoped that she and the Ronin Warriors could stop him.

Riona climbed into the bed and settled into the pillows. She pulled the covers up under her chin and laid quietly thinking about what she had to do. She could only imagine what kind of monster Sapheem was certain to unleash. But perhaps she still had a way to stop him. It would take a lot of studying, but Riona wouldn't take the risk of losing. Riona slowly closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her. Tomorrow would prove to be a busy day.

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