Room 586

[chameleon]

Cham had just gotten out of the shower and was wearing his shorts as he walked into the main bedroom and sat down on the corner of his bed. He looked himself over in the mirror. He looked so much different than when he first came to Dragonia. He was still skinny, but he had a little more muscles on him now, there was actually a little bit of definition. This meant he was getting healthier and stronger so he can accomplish his main goal.

He slipped his sleaveless black shirt over his head and fell backwards onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking of the words that Seriyu guy said to him. That he needed his help, that Cham was a very powerful warrior. They didnt quite make sense to him but Cham figured that he had some reaon to believe this. The capsul with his new clothes in sat on the corner of the desk. To tell the truth, he wasnt much for blue, the outfit was great for training and fighting, and looked great on him, but he didnt feel as though it fit him. It was the whole wearing nature tones your whole life.

His mind wandered to Shizuka and Kihaku, wondering where they were. He thought that Kihaku would probably still be kicking butt in his match, unlike Cham did, and Shizuka would be... well, she wasnt in her room when he knocked, so he figured she was out and about. He didnt at all see the note that Shizuka left on the desk by Kihaku's bed. He never really looked at his things.

[kihaku]

Kihaku was standing outside of the hotel room with something in his hands. His crimson eyes scanned the item, and it's writing, obviously written in an elegant hand. The words flowed from the page into his mind, the message striking his head with startling clarity. His hand was shaking, but not from anger. Instead, it was a combination of sadness and frustration; Cham was just starting to blossom as an individual and a warrior, self-confidence the only thing that kept him strong. Now, that confidence was going to take a major blow, the girl he likes having simply left without even saying so much as a goodbye to his face. Dammit Shizuka, the least you could have done is say you're leaving straight to him. This is going to hurt.

The letter was then neatly folded and placed back in it's envelope before he decided what should be done. Taking a shuddering breath, he turned the brass doorknob and stepped inside, padding silently against the carpeting. The opening would have alerted his pupil to his arrival, and the closing getting his attention. Kihaku never closes the door quietly, and he did so now, making very little sound as it clicked back into place.

"Chameleon? C'mere, I have something to say." Removing his weapons, he undid his belts, placing the holster for his scythe, the belt for Nirvana's sheath, and his pouch for his talismans on the coffee table in front of him. His hood was raised, but what was odd was that his normally bright, crimson eyes were dull, hardly a glow inside the impenetrable gloom.

[chameleon]

Cham jumped up form bed, a bright smile appearing on his face. "OH! Kihaku, how was the match?" He said, judging by the look on his face it didnt turn out well. "Dont worry about the match Kihaku, I lost too. I got a great idea though! Lets go grab something to eat, it'll make us both feel better!" He said giving a warm smile. "I'm sure we can find Shizuka along the way, she'll be happy to hear how we did, and she could prolly use some food too."

"I cant wait to tell her how it went, even if I lost, I got to see some of the best skills from great warriors, she'll love to hear about them." He said looking to him his smile almost fading. "Hey, Kihaku, cheer up, so we lost the tournament, we'll get them next time."

[kihaku]

Kihaku didn't budge, indeed, didn't even look at Cham. He never moved, never twitched, hardly even breathed. All he did was stare at the ground, the carpet patterns finding themseves locked with Kihaku's transfixing gaze, which then slid to Chameleon, the full weight of what he was about to say conveyed in that split second glance. "Chameleon, sit down. You'll need to be to hear this."

He then did something no one had ever seen before: he removed his cowl. The black cloth slid so easily from his body, it was a wonder that it ever stayed on! He dropped it to the sofa behind him, then removed his shirt, revealing his bare torso. His chest was well muscled and chisled in a distinctly athletic way. He wasn't bulky, but wiry, almost elegant in physical stature. However, this was all moot to something to draw everyone's attention, though Cham was the only one there.

A tattoo, black and dull against his pale skin, sitting on the left side of his chest, just above his heart. The design seemed all at once distinctly evil, yet graceful to the point of pure nobility. It was only the size of one's hand, but it stood out like a bright neon sign. It seemed to look like an eye, perfectly symmetrical, yet imperfect. It layed on it's side, the oblong shape covered with thin protrusions like spikes on a demon, or an angelic sunburst.

Kihaku turned and for a breif moment, dozens of scars were illuminated in the warm lamplight of their room. They criss-crossed his skin like he'd been lashed for some great crime, the dense, scarred flesh could make one's skin crawl. Soon, it disappeared underneath a black shirt, not unlike Cham's, only it was turtle-necked rather than no collar. Kihaku sat down, and looked at his apprentice with those blood red eyes. "It's about Shizuka."

[chameleon]

Cham stared at him for a moment, the smile dissapearing from his face. His eyes immediately became a dull green color as he sat down on his bed and faced him. He had never really seen Kihaku without his gear on, or with this look in his eyes. It scared him, he didnt want to see this.

"Kihaku... what's wrong, did something happen to her?" Cham said in a small voice staring at him.

[kihaku]

Kihaku interlocked his fingers, resting his elbows on his knees. As he leaned forward, his hair fell partially into his eyes, obscuring both of their view of one another. It was going to hurt, no doubt, but it had to be said. "Cham... she's gone. She's left to return home... and I'm not entirely sure when, or if, she'll be back." Kihaku reached over to his discarded clothing and pulled out her letter, handing it to him gently, and without another word.

"If you have any questions, I'm not going anywhere."

[chameleon]

he doesnt understand what i truley am. I'm returning 'home' for a little bit, there is something important that i must do there. Being around the 'living' to long will change the course of life i am in. I will end up hurting Cham more then i want or ever dreamed of. I never want that to happen. But im trying to do something so that the next time i come back, my "master" will be pleased with me and i maybe can help you. This is very hard to write and its very sad to even think about. Do me a favor and watch this guy if Cham speaks of him. I no not of his face but his voice and that will do no good for you. Ask Cham about it. I wont be gone long..

Cham grabbed the letter with a trembling hand. "What?" Cham said still shocked. He read the letter carefully, his eyes growing all the cloudier. "I wont understand what she is... among the living for too long?" Cham said looking up at Kihaku. "What happend Kihaku... why would she write this lie? She cant be gone... and she said something abotu being among the living for too long... but she's alive too..." Cham looked on the verge of panic. "Kihaku, tell me, what's going on!?"

[kihaku]

Kihaku's hand shot out and took a vice-like grip on the boy's shoulders, giving him a firm shake to make sure he had the boy's panicking attentions. His crimson eyes flared back to life, concern for the boy's well-being giving more sting to his words than he'd intended. "LISTEN! Your life as you know it isn't what it was. It hasn't been since you blasted off and landed on this planet. You need to forget everything you've learned, and start learning all over again. One can only know something, when one realizes he knows nothing." Kihaku got up out of his seat and sat next to Cham, pointing at the passage about her being among the living for too long.

"Chameleon, you know that people have spirits, have souls. These souls and spirits are immortal, eternal; they NEVER die. If someone is a bad person all of their life, commiting evil act after evil act, then they go to be tortured by Lucifer, or the Devil, or Beezelbub, or whatever you want to call him. Sometimes, they instead join forces with him, and become truly evil. However, someone had to have created them, and that was God, the Creator of all. He was the first being to ever exist, He made man, made the universe and every part of how it works. He resides in a paradise called Heaven, and it is there that the souls of the good and the righteous exist for all eternity, peace and bliss everlasting.

His warriors and messengers are called Angels, Cherubs, and Seraphims. Shizuka is an Angel, a warrior for everything that is good! She is the very essence of purity and innocence, but she is also a warrior for that cause. God is her Lord and Master, and she answers only to Him. Chameleon, she is not alive in the sense that you and I are alive. Hell, I'm not even sure I'm alive in the same sense you are. She is a good spirit, who takes a mortal frame of existance when she leaves the realm of Heaven.

I'm not sure how everything works, but it seems that being here too long affects her ability to function, taking away her magics, her ability to heal properly. This is not her world, Chameleon." Kihaku took his shoulders again and looked him straight in the eye. "She is dead, her body decayed, but her soul is what you and I have come to know and care about. It is her spirit that takes a mortal frame once more to be here with us, but she has left to take care of business up in Heaven, among the clouds in the spirit world." Kihaku's eyes dulled once more as a sadness began to weigh upon his breast, tears stinging his eyes, but never welling within them. "I've told you this before, and I wanted you to understand. Her body died long ago, her spirit is so pure and good that she became a champion of it's cause, became an angel, the vey symbol of purity and light. If she left us Cham, it was because she had no choice. If we know her as well as we think, then we know she'd never leave us unless it was important.

Cham... I know you like her a lot, almost romantically. Don't deny it, you and I both know it would have lead to that. It doesn't mean it has to die, no, if her life is eternal, than so will those feelings! Don't be so down my boy. She'll be back eventually. Right now, you must concentrate on fulfilling her last request: train. You must be strong, son! You must be a great fighter, a champion in your own time! I'm sure she saw it, just as I too see it! And according to her, there is one other, and it is this person whom I must hear about. Please Chameleon, tell me who this person is, and we'll face destiny together."

[chameleon]

Cham sat there for a while, taking it all in, he closed his eyes. He couldnt cry, he was far beyond that. He found out that someone he cared for has died, met with him, and left again, and who knows how long that'll be. How can he just hold on that long? He would continue of course, and train with Kihaku and possibly this other man, and he wouldnt ever forget of Shizuka. She could be back in the next month or year, he didnt know. Why should he feel so sad and bad about it. As long as she was safe from harm, he was fine.

Cham opened his eyes again, they were the bright breen eyes, but looked just plain. "The man... that I met, his name is Seriyu. He said he needed help to eliminate pure evil that is trying to consume the world. He said he was collecting the most powerful warriors to help him in his cause, and that's why he came to me, only... I dont think I'm that strong. If I really was the most powerful warrior, wouldnt I have been able to win the tournament?" Cham said standing up and moving to the side table and grabbing the capsul.

"He said in 2 day, he wants me to meet him at the pole to the north. He wants me to wear this." Cham threw the capsul to the floor and the mist shrouded him for a moment, unravelling moments later showing Cham wearing a dark blue outfit. "It's heavier than normal clothing, and I must fly there on my own accord with no help. I want you to come with me, I want your help." Cham said looking at Kihaku. Cham looked like a great warrior in this new outfit, almost regal. He sure didnt feel it at the moment.

[kihaku]

Kihaku didn't say anything, only admired his protégé’s new clothes. His crimson eyes surveyed the young man, and though he found his new attire to be appeasing to the eye, it still didn't change the fact that it was still the same, young, inexperienced Chameleon beneath them. He was finding it hard to find the right words, many different choices running through his mind before he finally settled on a proper course of action. There was only one thing to do, and it wasn't going to be the most pleasant experience.

He stood gravely, not a single emotion flitting across his stoic, gaunt features. His hands hung limp at his sides, the bare arms not swaying at all as he stood to nearly his full height. He didn't feel like he deserved to stand tall right now, stooping slightly betraying what little strength he had left. His blood red eyes were fastened on Cham's feet, for he didn't feel he had the strength to look into the boy's emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry Chameleon, but I cannot go with you. The mark you saw on my chest wasn't just some normal tattoo. It is a mark that I know not it's origin, but only what it is. It is a mark of Chaos. How or why it is upon my breast, I do not know, but there is one thing I do know: it calls to me. The instant I was pulled from the tournament, it began speaking to me in a language that I do not know, yet I feel I've known for years. As long as it whispers to my spirit, I cannot concentrate, I cannot focus on a goal, and indeed right now I find it hard to speak with any sort of coherence. It is a restlessness in my heart, and I simply must heed its call.

I do not know where it leads me, or where my travels will end, but the truth is that I have no choice but to continue down that path, to whatever folly it might find it’s terminus. The mark of Chaos… it drives me, is the window through which I am sure that I draw my power. There is no other way for me to live until I can silence it’s gentle whispers, Chameleon, and if I search for their meanings, then we will part ways. I do not know how long I will be gone… it is completely out of my control. These are the last words you will hear me speak to you for a long time, and I just want you to know some basic truths before we part ways.

I care about you, Chameleon. I’ve never cared about anyone but myself, but you’ve grown on me. I had no idea that your webs could be so vastly powerful, and what this man says about you being possibly the strongest warrior ever isn’t a phrase I’m going to try and argue. I don’t ever want to see you hurt, but there is no choice. You must learn to stand on your own two feet, to fall, and to pick yourself up again. I want you to someday surpass me in skill and prowess, to be a good person, to finally have Shizuka in your arms as a couple, and for you to be happy.”

Kihaku sighed to himself, closing his eyes and starting to dress himself once more, belting his weapons onto his body, but not again wearing his shirt or cowl. Checking his tools once more, he stepped forward and placed a hand onto his shoulder, a gentle yet firm grasp that conveyed more than words could ever say. “I pray for you Chameleon. May your path lead to a true, and peaceful end.” There was the sound of a sighing breath, and Kihaku was suddenly gone, as if he’d been made of smoke.

Good bye Cham… and good luck.

[chameleon]

Cham didnt argue with Kihaku's words, he just stood there and listened and nodded a goodbye. He knew Kihaku had to find out the meaning behind this on his own, and that Cham did need to learn to stand on his own two feet, but now, once again, he was alone. Just when he thought that he had finally found a family, two people whom he could just be happy with, they were gone.

Chameleon sat down on his bed, he didnt cry, he didnt get angry, he just sat. The truth was that right now, his body was far from being to tears, he was way passed that. "How come I keep losing everyone and everything I care about?" Cham said looking out at the sky. "If... If there is this powerful being that created everything... then why would this keep happening to me. If He created the everything, then why couldnt he create at least the little bit of happiness for me and not rip it violently away?" Cham didnt lose one person this day, he lost two.

Cham stood up and moved towards the door, grabbing his travelling pack from the closet and began to load supplies in it for the journey flight ahead. He wished he wasnt going to have to be all alone. His dark cloudy gray eyes scanned the room for the supplies that he'll need.

[shizuka]

Shizuka's hair grew darker, She now had dark pink hair compared to her usual bright pink. Her Arua is still the same but she maybe grew an inch or two shorter. Having on just baggy white pants and a white t-shirt on she ran towards the hotel as fast as she could. She cant believe the time difference in the after world and the human world would be different. She got to the hotel room and ran up the stairs having a young lady yelling at Shizuka that shes not allowed in the building without a purpose. Shizuka didnt care, she just wanted to go and explain to Cham and Kihaku that she didnt mean to leave. Even for the short matter of time. As she got to their room she looked around. She didnt feel Kihaku's presence here, she can smell him. A guy's scent is so different from each others that she knew he was here. /hmm thats confusing./ she tried to open the door and with no such luck she knocked on the door, breathing in deeply. She's never ran in her life. Shes either hid or flew, that was something new for her. /oh please open up cham, please be in there still./ Cham's power lvl was so different from everyones in Dragonia it should be obvious to spot, but yet it was difficult for the human angel.

[chameleon]

Cham opened the door, his cloudy gray eyes looking into Shizuka's eyes. The look on his face showed that she was a complete stranger to him. "Can I help you?" Cham said looking at her, not so much as a smile on his dark features. This was very odd for him, for he was always smiling at people, especially ones that he just met, always trying to make a good first impression to start a friendship, that wasnt on his lips at the moment.

His eyes were the most shocking, he didnt even look like himself with those gray, almost dead eyes. Kinda glazed over, they showed no signs of ever having been green. Every aura and sprite of happiness that used to be in him was no longer there.

[shizuka]

SHizuka calmed her breathing and looked at cham. She was shocked when noticing how his eyes looked almost dead. "what happen?" she spoke softly, her voice still the same. Coming foreward she touched his cheek just like she did when they first meet after their battle. "Why is your eyes so deeply wounded. I wasnt gone long. Im sorry. Whats wrong...?" she was so worried.

[chameleon]

Cham pulled away stepping back. "It's none of your business what happend, I dont even know you. If you dont want anything, I'm busy packing so I would ask you to leave me be." Cham said leaving the door open but walking away to his bed where his pack was. "Come in if you need something."