Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 14)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: Dais/Cale, past Dais/OMC
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Alluded to trauma, alluded to parental murder, violence
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU!

Dais breathed deeply, tapping into the deepest core of his being. Calm. Serenity. He was not going to perish here. He had a greater destiny waiting for him. He had gotten out of worse spots.

Somewhere far away, he could hear footfalls. One of Anubis’s ghoulish grunts said something about how they couldn’t detect him and needed to report back to Lord Anubis.

Once Dais could no longer detect them, he let the mask fall, shuddering. Once upon a time, he had been a Warlord. One of Master Talpa’s most trusted soldiers. Now, he was being hunted like an animal and not even by the Ogre himself. No, that was beneath Anubis. The lowly wraiths that served him were doing the hunting. Although Dais was sure that when they did eventually find him, Anubis would personally execute him.

He wished that he could blame Torrent for this. Torrent had not only rescued Hardrock, he had defeated Dais by manipulating… who was he kidding. Dais, someone who prided himself on manipulating people through their fear and desires, had let his own emotions get the better of him. He had made a rookie mistake and paid for it.

It didn’t help that Torrent reminded him so much of Hiroshi that sometimes he speculated if Torrent was his reincarnation. The same sad eyes. The calmness in his being belying the inner turmoil when he realized that he couldn’t help everyone. That ability to attract and cajole some of the strongest mystical warriors in his lifetime. Of course, Hiroshi had also turned out to be a skilled liar, so much so that even Dais had believed him. Loved him. But that final night in service as Hiroshi’s strategist had been quite the… eye-opener.

Hiroshi had always laughed at his puns.

Dais froze as he detected someone’s presence. He staggered upright, weapon in hand to greet the wraith clad in Anubis’s colors. “Greeting, Dais. I am Hikari, a wraith in service to Lord Anubis.” She bowed. “He desires an audience with you. I recommend that you do so. A quick death is preferable to this torture.”

Perhaps she was right. He was so tired of running…

But it didn’t matter, because he was falling into a black void.

Then there was nothing but darkness.

--

For a moment, Dais wondered if he was dead. This room was so different from anything else in the Dynasty. It was dark, but… homey. He was resting on a futon, clad in a black yogi. He sat up frowning as memories of servants helping him to change came back to his mind. All right, he wasn’t dead. But that void had felt like… no. There was no way. Surely Cale saving him was a hallucination. He was the Warlord of Corruption. A lone wolf. He didn’t care for anyone—

“Good, you’re awake.” Cale was dressed in a faded dobuku as he knelt next to Dais, tray in hand. “Sasuke made you some tea and onigiri. He’s very talented; I cannot recommend his food enough.”

Dais scowled, trying to look as intimidating as he could while being bed-ridden. “What do you want with me?”

Cale gazed at him neutrally. “Is it that hard to believe that someone wants you to live?”

“Yes!” Dais took a breath. Showing weakness in the Dynasty was signing your death warrant. “All my life, I’ve killed so others would not kill me. And what about you? Anubis will destroy you for saving my life.”

“All that wraith of his saw was you falling into a void. That happens all the time here,” Cale reminded him. “It’s so common that baby demons are warned about it at school.”

Dais was not convinced yet. “But what of Master Talpa? I’ve failed him multiple times now. He may be incapacitated currently, but I know that he would punish you for saving a failure like me.”

Cale grinned wolfishly. “This is not the first thing I’ve hidden from our beloved Master Talpa.” His tone dripped with sarcasm at the word ‘master.’ “Stay here. You’ll see everything I’ve accomplished. All my schemes might impress even you.”

Cale felt sincere, which was surprising. Yet Dais had been fooled before and paid the price for that. “You are trusting me a little more than I am comfortable with. After all, what’s to keep me from betraying you?”

“Wanting to keep your head on your shoulders, for starters. You’re not Master Talpa’s favorite right now, and you’re wounded. While I do not doubt that you could fend for yourself if you were recovered, well… right now you’re not.”

“Unfortunately, you’re correct. Very well.” Dais resigned himself to his fate. “I’ll keep your secrets in exchange for your assistance. However, I’m not sure if I’m willing to help you with whatever you’ve been alluding to.” Even in the privacy of Cale’s bed-chamber, even saying the word ‘rebellion’ out loud would seal their fates. Still, he supposed he trusted Cale enough to eat his food. Dais ignored the pain in his arm as he reached for the onigiri, taking a bite. “This is good,” he said to himself as he took another bite, and then another.

“Careful. You don’t want to upset your stomach.”

“You’re not my mother.”

“Maybe someone should be,” Cale said with a smirk. “You seem to get into a lot of trouble lately.”

Dais eyed him warily. “I thought you said that you didn’t understand anything about how families work. You even told me that you killed your parents.”

“Because they were going to kill me.” He was still smirking, but there was something cold (and a little sad) to it now. “Apparently, talking to wolves and surviving a snowstorm with no protection made them think I was a demon.”

“Hm.” Dais helped himself to a second onigiri. “I suppose we have something in common, then. My parents disowned me when my empathic and psychic abilities manifested.”

“… How old were you when they kicked you out?”

“Six. That’s when abilities like that usually manifest. My parents couldn’t tolerate what I was.” Meanwhile, he had been bested by a young man whose friends and family appreciated and embraced what he could do. “So, I scraped by. I fought children and sometimes adults for food. I learned how to use my powers to make illusions to frighten others to abandon their food and money. I was doing quite well for myself when I met Hiroshi.”

“I hate to say it, but I’m invested now.” And Cale actually was. He could sense it. There was also a gleam in his eyes that Dais usually only saw when he was on the hunt. “You don’t have to continue your tale, but I would like to hear more.”

Since when was Cale so considerate? No matter. Dais took a sip of the tea, which was also good. Maybe the other Warlords were onto something hiring servants and vassals. “He was a lord with a decent amount of wealth, so I broke into his home to try to steal what I could. I was fully prepared to die when he captured me, but instead… he held out his hand. He asked me why I was stealing, and wept when I told him. He offered me a job in his army, and I rose to the rank of strategist.” He let out a breath and he hated that it sounded like a wistful sigh. “How could I not fall in love with him?” Then he shrugged. “Of course, it turned out he was using me. I was too in love to notice until it was too late. One day, he’s swearing to me that our bond will never be broken. The next, he’s crying as he’s telling me that he has no choice but to marry so he can create an heir.”

“I see. But I sense there’s more to this.”

Dais tried not to notice that Cale seemed concerned for him. “That’s because there is. Hiroshi’s only true love was power. Marrying his fiancée would give him so much land and money, his power would be absolute. All he had to worry about was the rejected strategist who knew all his secrets.” Dais took another sip. “I was sent to what I thought was a battle but was in actuality an assassination attempt. I don’t remember much of that night.” The horror of realizing Hiroshi had betrayed him, all serenity lost to sorrow and rage. Terrible pain in his left eye. Cold Armor. The would-be assassins screaming in agony as he felled them, one by one. Collapsing in exhaustion.

And then Master Talpa’s voice, telling him that everything would be fine as he was stolen away to the Dynasty.

Cale placed his hand over Dais’s, an unexpected warmth. “I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. If I had known you then, I would have killed him for you.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I got a far richer revenge than mere murder.” Now Dais was smirking. I burned his fortresses and homes to the ground. I slaughtered his armies. Of course, his fiancée wanted nothing to do with him after he was poor and on the run from an unseen enemy that fought like a demon and fled back to her family. He lived a long life with fear and poverty as his companions.”

Cale grinned in appreciation. “You are good.”

He used to be, at least. “You know, I did see him one last time when he was on his death bed.”

Cale laughed, grabbing an onigiri. “He must have wet himself at the sight of you.”

Hiroshi was too weak to leave his futon but smiled a toothless grin as Dais approached him. His grey hair was unkempt, and his skin was ghostly pale. It wouldn’t be long now. “Dais. It’s good to see you,” he said, then coughed. “I’m sorry for everything. I always loved you. Please forgive me…”

Then he was gone.

“Something like that.” Suddenly, Dais was very tired. “Please leave. I wish to sleep.”

“Of course.” Cale stood up, taking the now empty tray with him. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call out. My servants are eager to help.” He laughed, a little. “I think they’re just glad to have something to do aside from cooking me meat and cleaning blood out of my clothes.”

Dais was silent.

So was Cale as he made his way to the door. “You can also call out for me if you need my help.”

“… Good night, Cale.”

The door slid shut.

--

“You look like you could use some tea,” Sasuke began pouring him a cup while Cale collapsed on his cushion. “Relax, Lord Cale. You rescued Dais.”

“Have I?” He was sulking but too exhausted to care. “He still feels like everyone is against him.”

“That’s because, until today, everyone was,” Sasuke reminded him. He collected some documents from a nearby table. “You know how mortals feel about psychics. And let’s be frank, everyone is trying to kill everyone else in the Dynasty.”

Well, that would change once Cale was Emperor. He was not above bloodshed to serve his lord. But after years of serving a spirit too weak to leave the shadows while the one person he considered a friend suffered… Cale would not permit it any further. A thought occurred to him. “How are Rumiko and Yoshi?” Both Sasuke and Rumiko were wraiths, which meant they could not have children. However, it was common for wraiths to adopt orphaned demons, which is what they had done recently.

“Rumiko’s the same as ever. She doesn’t like that I have such a dangerous job, but how else are we to feed ourselves? We don’t have the nerve to become rebels.”

“And that’s a good thing.” Cale had some tea. “I’d have to kill you both, and I would miss your tea and organizational skills.”

“Hmm. Yoshi is doing well. He’s been asking when Uncle Cale will pay him another visit, by the way. He’s quite fond of you.”

“He’s quite fond of the fact that I let him beat me at sword practice.”

Sasuke patted Cale on the shoulder. “Of course you did, my lord. Of course you did.” Strangers would have been shocked at a ‘lowly vassal’ being so informal with a Warlord. Yet Sasuke had proven his loyalty and mettle countless times, and Cale was not arrogant enough to see himself above others just because he was good at conquest. “Don’t worry. Dais is exhausted, but he’s brilliant. Once he fully recovers, I have faith that he’ll join us.” He smiled ever so slightly. “And then, perhaps, my job will be slightly less dangerous.” He presented Cale with the documents and left soundlessly.

--

Cale frowned as he read through his documents. As he had predicted, Anubis’s army was far too loyal to him to find even a handful of malcontents to convince them to defect. If Dais agreed to help, perhaps they could kidnap and manipulate one of them to share intel, but Dais was still recovering. That was not an option.

However, Sekhmet was not known for being a good lord. Nothing horrific, but the pay was abysmal and he used nearly all of his territory’s resources to create venom. Sasuke had given him a lengthy list of vassals and servants that were more than willing to betray the Warlord of Venom. Of course, such dramatic means were meant to be a last resort. Something to use just in case Sekhmet wasn’t willing to listen to reason. Ideally, Sekhmet would agree to join of his own volition. And with the way the Dynasty was slowly rotting from within, even Sekhmet must have realized by now that the great glory Master Talpa had promised them was never going to happen. They would have to seize their fates for themselves.

Dais, of course, was infamous in the Dynasty for never hiring any vassals or servants, relying only on himself. This meant his territory consisted of the house that Anubis had burned to the ground the instant he realized that Dais had betrayed him. Cale had always admired Dais’s independence, but this did mean that they were short on resources. He wasn’t even sure if Dais would join him…

He wanted Dais to join him, and not simply for his abilities. With Anubis in self-imposed exile and Sekhmet being Sekhmet, Dais was often the only one there when they were supposed to meet. This had led to them conversing about their battles and plans… and to Cale’s surprise, something approaching worry as Dais became more and more obsessed with bringing the Ronin Warriors into their ranks. When Sasuke had alerted him that Anubis was hunting Dais, panic had seized him, as well as the realization that he could not lose Dais. That had led Cale to risk everything to save Dais.

He wasn’t sure if he would define what he felt as ‘love.’ He was, however, certain that he would protect Dais, no matter what.

If I had been there when Hiroshi betrayed you, I would have killed him. And then I would have treasured you.

It was strange, he mused as he burned the documents. He had them committed to memory; keeping them around was a risk. So many accused him of being a lone wolf. Yet wolves were pack animals. And if Cale planned to succeed, he would need a pack. Somehow, he would convince Dais and Sekhmet to join his cause. There was no point in trying to reason with Anubis. All he could do was avoid him until he had power, and then deal with the Ogre. As for Lady Kayura, no one was even sure if Talpa’s supposed daughter even existed.

“I’m going to need more Armored allies,” he said with a heavy sigh. This was what had nearly destroyed Dais. Trying to manipulate instead of battle. But the Ronin Warriors were powerful. If he could persuade even just one of them to join him…

He stepped out. The cool air and moon always soothed his spirit. He wasn’t foolish enough to think he could ask for their help. After all, he wasn’t fighting for their lofty ideals. He wanted to remove a tyrant so he could take that power for himself. However, perhaps one could be persuaded to join him. Someone who felt isolated.

“They all feel isolated,” he grumbled to the moon. “That’s why their bond is so strong.” And he understood why: it was one of the reasons he felt drawn to Dais.

Well, whoever he chose, it wasn’t going to be Hardrock. The lad was a monster. It couldn’t be Torrent, because that would always bring up unpleasant memories for Dais. As for Strata, his bonds to his family, both biological and found, were too strong to break.

That left Wildfire and Halo.

“Sasuke?”

In a flash, Sasuke appeared before him. “Yes, my lord?”

“I want your spies to collect as much information on Wildfire and Halo as possible. I need to know weaknesses that I can exploit.”

Sasuke nodded. “Consider it done.” He vanished into the cool night air.

--

Saberstryke eyed Ume levelly. “So, the rumors are true. All five Ronin Warriors have awakened.”

“It seems so,” Ume replied. Saberstryke was not wearing his helmet, and Ume was unnerved/comforted by the fact that he resembled her father—long dark hair, tired eyes, and a strong jaw. “Only Hardrock could have hit the Warlord of Illusion like that. Of course, Haru and I haven’t seen them in action.”

“We don’t need to.” Saberstryke waved a hand. “I can feel the change in the energy.”

Ume nodded. “My lord, Haru and I have a plan to try to steal one of the Armors. With your permission, of course.”

“Permission granted.” Saberstryke closed his eyes to concentrate. “Torrent and Hardrock are together. I don’t want us to tackle Hardrock until we’re at full strength, so leave them alone for now. Instead, I want you and Haru to steal Halo or Strata away. But don’t do anything that would endanger your lives.”

“We’ll try,” Ume promised. “But what about Wildfire?”

“I plan to steal Wildfire personally.”

--

Final Notes: Originally, this was going to be interludes in a Mia-centered chapter, but I realized as I kept writing that Dais and Cale were hogging the plot. So, I decided to go with a shorter chapter focused just on them and move the Mia stuff to the next chapter. The fact that a shorter chapter meant that I wouldn’t be too ‘late’ in posting a new chapter helped as well. ;P

(Dais/Cale is the end game for this series, but won’t be a huge focus. I think we all know where my heart lies when it comes to Ronin Warriors shipping.)