Note: I have nothing to do with Ronin Warriors and its characters except to be a fan who enjoys the series very much. This story is my extrapolation of the storylines as received in North America. I apologize if this story doesn't quite fit into the Japanese series.
"I told you to keep your hands to yourself," Rowan muttered.
He scanned the club once, dismissing the shocked dancers and waiters as non-threats and the moaning, groaning goons who lay strewn around the club as inconsequential. Then he glowered down at the man who lay dazed and blinking where he'd fallen after Rowan had forcibly removed his wandering hand from his leg.
"I told you I was applying for the bartender job or the security job," he said coolly. "I told you I had no interest whatsoever in being a dancer or a waiter. See what happens when you don't listen?"
The man stared stupidly up at him.
Rowan shook his head and started for the door. Or what had been the door up until the time Rowan had thrown one of the thugs through it. The crowd that had gathered and was peering in curiously quickly cleared a path for him.
Rowan stuck his hand in his pockets and sauntered through, ignoring the whispers and stares that trailed behind him. Let them think what they want, he thought, it makes no difference to me.
It had been the same club Sage had fled from the day before. He'd gotten the name of the club from the other Ronin after dinner, along with more details of exactly what had transpired inside.
"They what?"
"They wanted me to take off my shirt for them."
"You took off your jacket before you went in, didn't you?"
"Well..."
"First mistake, bro. I bet it gave them the wrong impression of what you wanted."
"I told them I was there for the waiter or security job!"
"So?"
Sage had tried to argue him out of going to the club, but Rowan had just smiled and changed the subject. He loved Sage like a brother, but the other Ronin was just too uptight for his own good. Now he, on the other hand, was much more flexible. He was willing to make allowances--to a certain extent--for the vagaries of the few jobs available in the city. If they asked him nicely, he might even take of his jacket for them. But if they tried anything else...well, they had, and the result was a complete disaster. For them, anyway.
Rowan checked his watch. He had a few books on order at a nearby bookstore and the clerk had told him yesterday that the delivery van would arrive at ten the next day...which was now today. According to his watch it was almost the right time.
By the time he arrived at the store, it was a quarter past the hour. He blinked when he saw a new sign in the window.
Rowan blinked again, then went inside.
The girl behind the register looked up. "Irasshaimase! Oh, it's you, Rowan."
"Ohayoo, Haruka," Rowan said, waving. "Are my books in yet?"
She nodded. "They just arrived. Hiro's sorting out the orders in the back right now. It should be ready soon."
"That's great," he said. Then he pointed towards the window. "What's with the 'help wanted' sign? It wasn't there yesterday."
"Old Proprietor fainted yesterday," Haruka said.
"He did? I hope he's all right."
"His wife took him to the doctor. He said the old man was working too hard, so Old Proprietor decided to retire from working in the store. His family still owns it, of course, but he just won't be in anymore. Kazumi's in charge now, and he decided that we're going to need more workers to make up for Old Proprietor's absence."
Rowan felt a grin threatening to rise. "Hey, Haruka, how do you think Kazumi feels about me?"
Haruka stared at him for a moment, her mouth open. "Well," she said slowly, "he thinks you're sort of cool. For a guy, I mean. And I know he's really grateful for that time you bailed him out with that university professor."
"Think he'd like my help full-time?" Rowan asked, allowing his smile to show.
Haruka smiled broadly. "Like it? I think he'd love it!"
* * *
Rowan couldn't help whistling as he entered the house. Haruka had been right about Kazumi. The guy had practically hugged him around the knees when she'd announced that Rowan was interested in applying for the job. As it turned out, the store was attracting a more intellectual crowd than before, and many times Kazumi had been floundering in conversations way over his head. But with Rowan there, who could talk as easily to little children as college professors, he wouldn't drown in subjects he knew nothing about. Rowan would take care of everything.
And he had. Kazumi had begged him to start immediately, and Rowan, being the nice guy he was, had already begun earning his paycheck. Kazumi had even given him an advance--all unsolicited--on his salary. Now they could all go out and celebrate.
"I'm home!" Rowan called as he entered the house.
Nobody answered, which surprised him. The car was in the driveway, which meant that either Mia or Sage should have been there.
"Hello?" he called, moving down the hallway towards the bedrooms.
"In here," a raspy voice called.
"Sai?" It sounded like the other Ronin, yet it didn't, and it wasn't coming from Sai's room. "That you?"
"I'm in Ryo's room."
"Hey," Rowan started as he entered the next doorway, "guess what--" He stopped and stared in shock at the scene before him.
Sai sat near the head of the bed, with Ryo drawn up tightly against him. Sai's left arm reached over Ryo's shoulder while his right curved around the other Ronin's waist. His hands held Ryo's tightly, pressing their clasped hands against Ryo's chest just above the other Ronin's heart.
Rowan felt a blush rising in his cheeks, but his embarrassment immediately turned into concern as he saw how pale and exhausted the two Ronins were. "What happened, Sai?"
"I don't know," Sai rasped. He sounded more like he'd been up for several days than someone Rowan had shaken awake that very morning. "Ryo called me to pick him up, but when I got there it was all he could do to get in the car. He's been out of it ever since."
"Where are Mia and Sage?" Rowan demanded as he moved towards the bed.
"I dropped them off at the university this morning," Sai said. "White Blaze helped me get him in here."
"Well, what's wrong?"
"Ryo needs energy," Sai said, "and lots of it. I tried to help, but now I'm drained too, and I don't think it helped him one bit."
"Well, I'm here now, so let me give it a try."
Rowan shifted Ryo's legs and sat down facing the other Ronins. He reached out and slipped his hands under theirs, pressing lightly against Ryo's chest right above his heart. He closed his eyes. "Life," he whispered.
Giving energy to Ryo was nothing new, to either Sai or Rowan. They'd done it often enough whenever Ryo needed the Inferno armor. This time, though, the sensation was completely different. It seemed as though Ryo was sucking the energy out of him like a vacuum cleaner. It only testified to how completely drained he was, but when Rowan remembered that Sai had been completely drained without any seeming effect, he realized that Ryo had been even worse off before he'd arrived.
Soon Rowan felt the strain on his own spirit. He might be the warrior of Life Force, giving him one advantage over Sai, but even that had its limits. Fortunately, he could also draw upon his element, air, to sustain himself. And while Sai could have drawn on water for strength, or used fire to help Ryo, their opposing elements would have caused problems. Air, however, surrounded them all and wouldn't interact adversely with fire or water, so he could draw upon it with impunity, and did so.
Even then, Rowan felt half dead by the time he'd brought his two friends up to his own depleted level. As Ryo stirred beneath their hands, Rowan tasted the air. It was stale and close, as though they'd been in a locked room for too long.
"Rowan?" Ryo said weakly. "Sai?"
Rowan gazed at his friend. "You okay, man?"
Ryo nodded, then winced. "What happened?"
"You tell us," Rowan said. "Sai said you called for a ride."
Ryo nodded again, slower this time. "I felt so weak after work that I could barely even lift up the receiver."
"You didn't feel this way yesterday, though," Sai said.
"No," Ryo said, "and I don't know why I should have felt any different today."
"Did you do anything different?" Rowan asked.
Ryo shook his head. "I taught the kids this morning, then the older students this afternoon."
"Same thing you did yesterday," Rowan said.
"Yeah," Ryo said. "Oh, wait. Mr. Manigami wanted me to fence with one of the other instructors. He wanted us to demonstrate some techniques for the advanced students."
"Well, maybe that's it," Sai said hesitantly. "It was something you weren't expecting, and you just tired yourself out."
"Maybe," Ryo said dubiously. "The guy I faced, Sanma, was better than the guys I fought against the first day."
"I don't know, Ryo," Rowan said, frowning. "You aren't that out of shape or practice. One sparring match shouldn't have wiped you out that badly."
Ryo shrugged. "Maybe." Then he frowned. "Hey, guys, I know we're friends and all, but I think you can let go of me now."
* * *
"The new one's spirit is delicious."
"Yes, master."
"We must proceed cautiously, however. Sanma, you stole too much from him today. He was barely able to walk."
"Forgive me, master." "Don't let it happen again. We must keep him alive until we learn all his techniques. You understand this, of course."
"Yes, master."
"We must master as many fighting styles as we can if we are to protect ourselves from him."
"Yes, master."
"But once we have everything he has to offer, well...you know what will follow."
"Yes, master. The same thing that always follows."
"Good, I'm glad we are of the same mind in this. Aren't we?"
"Yes, master!"
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