Okay, in this chapter I started to introduce a little shonen-ai. You know the sort; boys and boys, a little touchy/feely. So, if you don't like that, or if it offends you – I'm not forcing you to read this, so just do us all a favour and go somewhere else, eh? I won't be responsible for you sanity or lack thereof. If you flame me, I will quite simply point and laugh. Consider yourself warned. If you read my little rant and still wanna read, thank you very much, and be my guest!!

Chapter Three – Awakening

The gossamer wings of the tiny Elusians fluttered rhythmically as they hovered above the dark figure. The melon-sized Ruis ball that floated between them, lightning streaking crazily within the globe illuminated the darkness of the deep pit. Taen, the younger of the two, arched a delicate eyebrow quizzically at the comparatively large creature.

"We wert right, Nathaniel," he breathed in awe to his elder, glancing up and down the dark-clad figure, watching as the ribs gently rose and fell in gentle syncopation. "It is a ninja… They really doth exist… But I thought they wert but stories told to children – like me."

"What's that?" Taen asked suddenly, tipping his head toward the elder Elusian. His thick chestnut hair bounced on his shoulders. As he listened to Nathaniel's silent words, his expression grew grim. "Yes indeed, I know we must hurry. But, how doth thou propose we wake it?"

Nathaniel glanced at the still form, shrugging his slight shoulders. Then, reaching down with a slim digit, he gently touched the curved spine. Like flint on steel, the slight touch caused sparks to zap around the confines of the tiny dark cavern. The body jumped once as if struck by a bolt of lightning, then resettled with a resounding thuuummmpp. The Elusians cautiously ascended away from the form silhouetted below them, watching with fascination as the human awoke.

Fallon struck again mercilessly as Avenger was forced to step backwards, struggling to hold his training sword steadily, the older boy's face flushed with fatigue and yet held it's mirth. "Why… don't you… just… give … up..?" Fallon panted.

Avenger felt himself snarl. "Never…. I'll never… give up to… you…" he spat back breathlessly. "You won't… take me… without a… fight!!" Lunging suddenly, his anger renewing his vigour, he attempted to swipe the older boy's legs out from under him.

Fallon deflected the blow, the force of the attack rattling his bones though, and he grinned in feral delight, sweat trickling down his brow, his blond hair sticking to his face. Throwing himself forward at the shorter boy, he cannonballed into his midriff, delighting in Avenger's shocked expression, as he seemed ready to abandon his training sword and run for it.

Avenger's golden eyes widened in shock as he saw Fallon leap aggressively, and he prepared to bring up his sword to deflect an overhead strike. What he didn't count on was the boy throwing himself into him. He hit the floor with a loud "Oooofff!!" the wind knocked from his lungs, his training sword clattering away uselessly. Stunned momentarily, he shook his head in a try to clear his senses to find Fallon sat astride his slim body, laughing loudly.

"Ugh…!! Get off of me, Fallon!! You were meant to sword fight, not wrestle! Get off, I said!!" he ground out, his voice dripping with venom as he felt his arms tugged back into a painful lock.

Fallon turned his ocean blue eyes downward to his partner, cocking his head to look into Avenger's face, his grin a conspiratorial smirk. "What if I don't wanna…? Hm? Are you going to make me, Theorn…?"

At the sound of his given name, Avenger squirmed furiously, causing Fallon to adjust his weight to keep his seat and laugh harder. "Get off!!!!"

"Why don't you just settle down, Theorn – do you hate me so..?" Blue eyes bored down into gold, and Avenger felt himself flinch, freezing absolutely still as he gazed up at his arch-rival. Fallon smirked lazily, brushing away damp raven hair from the high mocha cheekbones with his free hand. "You know, nobody will be around here for at least another hour or so," he indicated the courtyard with a nod.

Avenger felt his body go icy cold suspiciously, his stomach knotting in fear. "What are you going to do to me…?" he tried to make his words as strong and fill them with as much disgust as he could possibly muster. "Tie me up - …"

Fallon cut him off with a chuckle. "Much as I enjoy that image, no, dear Theorn, I won't…" He shifted to a more comfortable position, scooting up the prone body to allow him a better view of his partner's furious, flushed face as he tried to glare back at him angrily.

That bastard… So, he thinks it would be funny to let the Grandmaster find me trussed up like a fool in the middle of the courtyard, does he…?! And where does he get off calling me 'Theorn'?! Nobody calls me that!! Avenger's thoughts were broken into as Fallon leaned down until his nose was by his ear and he could feel his adversary's warm breath tickling his neck, and causing the tiny hairs there to prickle responsively. What..?! "Fallon…!!" Avenger heard himself whimper, shivering, "Please… Get off…"

"… You begging me, Theorn…?" came Fallon's response after a moment, his voice a husky murmur. "You sure you want me to get off…?"

Avenger was about to growl out a cutting retort when he felt an unfamiliar warm, but hard pressure against his back as Fallon shifted again, Has he…?! I can't believe this…! his cheeks flushing as he swung his head back to look at his rival, finding him watching him with eyes filled with…something. I don't like this…He's mad!! He is not making an idiot of me any further!!

Finding strength suddenly, Avenger forced himself upwards, ignoring the pain caused by the arm lock, which was suddenly released, throwing Fallon backward off of him. Snatching up his black shirt, he hurried off toward his cell to lock himself in, his cheeks flaming hotly. I did not just feel that… It was my imagination. I need to get away from him… I hate him… He didn't even notice the strange looks he received as he hurried past his fellow monks, shirtless, red-faced and utterly confused.

Avenger opened one black-lashed golden eye in confusion as he attempted to register his surroundings. Fallon… What have you done to me now…? Drawing their first conscious breath in several days, his lungs exploded in a great barking cough at the acrid taste of dust and earth. The sudden movement caused his hooded head to knock against the rough, damp stone. Opening his other eye, Avenger looked around himself.

Wait a minute… Where… am I..?! his sleep-fogged brain demanded. Nearby, water dripped down the slick walls, echoing in the confines. How on Ansuz did I possibly land myself in such a small cave…? He thought grimly, taking quick stock of the jagged stone walls only inches away on all sides. Falling… his last memory since the dream came back slowly and painfully with a crushing headache and stiff muscles as the rest of his body finally registered it was still alive and should be feeling pain. I fell here… How long have I been out…? Will the Grandmasters have missed me? But of course they must have, they must be looking for me now.

Avenger's stomach rumbled, reminding him that, as he was now awake, he should think about getting out and eating. Frowning in annoyance as he tried to wriggle his shoulder free from beneath a low, sharp rock, he found that his size, compared to that of his egg-shaped prison, would not allow for it, being just about long enough and wide enough to contain his slim form. The long, chute-like tunnel to the surface was filled with jagged, water-slicked, rocky projections. They rose from floor and the ceiling, making escape via the same route he had entered more than a little dubious.

Squirming again frantically with his confines, Avenger attempted to roll onto his stomach and push up off of his elbows, and managed it to a degree, finally finding himself wedged on his side. Sighing in irritation, the ninja drew in a deep breath, forcing the joint of one shoulder to crack out of place, allowing the passage of his arm, then clicked it back into its socket gingerly. Ugh… I'll never complain about being taught Escapology again… Now, how to get out…? Turning his golden eyes upwards for the first time, Avenger took in the view of his prison. Surprisingly, there was no rocky dome overhead, just a long passageway stretching beyond his vision, the air very gradually lightening, lending hope for an escape route. It's a wonder I'm not dead if that's the way I came in….

Suddenly, the ninja's sensitive eyes and ears alerted him to a presence above. He had both seen and heard something move on one of the outcrops of rock.

"Master…?" he called hopefully, instantly wishing he could have sounded less desperate and more in control.

"Thou must be speaking Ninja with that deep voice, because I cannot understand," came a gentle voice casually. "It be too much to hope thou understandeth Elusian. Wouldst thou knoweth the Common Tongue?"

Avenger understood the speaker's stilted words, tilting his head back to get a look at the voice's owner. A brilliant globe of white light stabbed him in his keen eyes, and he slammed his eyelids shut, tearing his gaze away with a yelp of pain.

"Thou shouldst not look into the Ruis ball," came the voice from above again, now seemingly closer.

Gasping at the pain in his throbbing eyes, Avenger covered his face with his dark skinned hands. When finally the burning light disappeared from his mind's eye, he gazed cautiously around with an angry squint for the speaker. His expression softened at the sight he beheld.

Fluttering above him, just out of reach were not one, but two small creatures, sheer wings quivering like slivers of ice between their slight shoulders. They were dressed in neat, belted little tunics of fern green that covered them down to golden-tanned calves. Their hair, one's deep brown, the other's silver had an almost ethereal look to it, like it was being backlit. Their faces were bronzed and full of graceful beauty.

Most striking were their haunting blue eyes. Like the colour of lightning, Avenger thought in awe.

"What are you?" Avenger asked, distracted by their aura. "Fairies?"

The dark-haired one snorted and rolled his blue eyes. "Fairies?! Humph. They art pointless and flighty creatures." His chest swelled proudly. "We art Elusians. I be known as Taen, and he" – the younger Elusian indicated his elder – "be Nathaniel. Our full designations wouldst be indecipherable to thine ears. Hast thou a title?"

The ninja frowned momentarily, mildly perplexed. "You mean a name?" When Taen nodded, Avenger became downright confused. "I'm called Avenger. Didn't he give you my name?"

The Elusians exchanged their own confused glances.

"Didn't the Grandmaster of the Dawn send you to help find me?"

Taen's blue eyes clouded as he shook his head. "We knoweth of no 'Grandmaster of the Dawn'."

"Then who are you?" Avenger demanded harshly, his voice rising in intensity as his golden eyes turned to suspicious slits. The feeling of wonderment he had first felt on encountering the Elusians had quickly evaporated into vexation. Even their speech was beginning to annoy him somewhat.

"As I hath told thee, we art Elusians," Taen replied, oblivious to the irritation of the man below him. He looked to the other small creature momentarily, seeming to listen to the other of his kind; Avenger heard nothing though. "Yes, I believe that be the proper way to approach him." He turned his icy eyes on Avenger again. "We woke thee for a business proposition."

Avenger froze momentarily, then attempted to shift into a position to better observe the Elusian. "You woke me? Then the Grandmaster had nothing to do with that either?"

"Nathaniel jolted thee awake with his finger," Taen offered.

Avenger closed his gold eyes, trying desperately to still the anger he felt rising with each word spoken. He felt choked – by strange dreams, by chatter, by the pit. Nothing was turning out the way he had planned for it to do. He was meant to be on his way to the Greater Continent by now.

"Look," he grated out softly, squinting against the soft glow of the Ruis ball. "We are both victims of some cosmic case of mistaken identity. You're not who I thought you were, and I'm definitely not interested in some business deal with pixies. Besides which, I am not for hire. Get away from me now, and I'll overlook the trouble you've caused me."

"Elusians," Taen corrected. "And thou shouldst hear our proposition first." His soft features were taut into a frown. "We wouldst like thee to rescue Dierdra."

Avenger stared, shaking his head like a dog with a burr in its ear. "Huh?"

"Dierdra. Mine betrothed, the daughter of Nathaniel. The last female of our race. She -.." The Elusian's voice caught in his throat. "She was captured by humans, and - .."

"Well, that's all very interesting to you, I'm sure," Avenger cut in. "But as you probably noticed, I have my own difficulties to deal with." He craned his neck back as far as his awkward position allowed, considering the climb to the surface. The glowing ball the Elusians had with them allowed him to see further into the gloom, but still he could see no opening.

The Elusian followed his gaze, then glanced over the ninja's size. "How didst thou come to be in such a tight spot?" he asked artlessly. "Nathaniel and I couldst assist - .."

Avenger cut him off with an almost vicious chuckle. "You can't retrieve this little pixie friend of yours from a bunch of humans, but you believe you can help me out of this pit?" The ninja laughed humourlessly, cocking his head to look around the cavern for footholds or places to dig in his cats-claws if he had room to fit them to his hands and feet.

"We wouldst not have awakened thee if we couldst not help thee from this pit."

"You'd be better off not to mention waking me!! I don't need your help!! Or anybody else's!! I can take care of myself!!" Avenger spat back acidly. Blood boiled at his temples, and he flexed his shoulder muscles. "There is only one thing of even vague interest to me at this time: getting the hell out of this hole so I can begone from this island." His lips pulled back in a threatening sneer, invisible behind the black mask and tight neck scarf, his golden eyes blazing angrily. "In fact, if I could reach either of you now, I'd show you just how I take care of myself… I'd scarcely have to flick my wrist," he said archly. "But if you don't cease with your pointless chatter, get away from me, and take that blasted, blinding ball with you, I'd settle for a warm-up."

The Elusions fluttered upwards away from the angry ninja, drawing the Ruis ball with them. "Yes, he be most excitable and stubborn," the darker-haired one commented to his companion. "Fare-thee-well then," he called out. With a fluttering of wings, the two rose out of Avenger's view. "Call and we wilt assist thee."

"Never!!" Avenger growled, his own throaty, guttural word, echoing deafeningly within the confines of the cavern. Instead of their departure calming him, it made him livid. He was a member of the most cunning, feared and resourceful group of people on Ansuz, and he couldn't escape as easily as two puny fairies – Elusians. Well, whatever they were! He would die before calling for their aid, as if they had any to give anyway!

I'll claw my way out with my fingernails if I have to, Avenger thought stubbornly. Rage born out of desperation made the young man slide onto his knees and spring at the wall, lashing out wildly for a handhold. His hands slipped uselessly on the jagged, slick stones until his crimson blood oozed from countless cuts and abrasions.

Think. Turn this energy from rage to survival, Avenger told himself from his knelt position on the dirt-and-sand floor. If you continue in this way, you'll surely die.

Rubbing a sore arm gingerly, he turned his head upwards again. If only I had the space to throw my grappling hook. These rocks will be too wet for the cat's claw. One slip and it'll all be over… I won't be so lucky again…

Taking a small outcrop of rock into dusky fingers, Avenger pulled himself onto the rock face. Grunting at the pain this caused from the numerous bleeding cuts and stiff muscles, the ninja grit his teeth, forcing his sore arms to keep working, scrabbling at the rock with his cloth shoes but could find no friction to keep them in place. More often than not, his grip faltered and he caught himself by digging his knees or feet into the rock, causing blood to run freely from all over his body. He continued by sheer force of will alone, two steps taken for every one secured.

The ninja had no concept of time. This far under the earth the cycle of light and dark made almost no noticeable difference. So determined was he on getting out, that he didn't recognise that the dim light from above waxed and waned in a regular cycle. Moments began to be measured in steps taken, brief rests stolen, meals missed. For all he knew or cared, he could have been climbing this rock face for most of his life to this point.

The blood oozing from countless wounds was beginning to become problematic, making his hands slick and difficult to grasp at the rock. He bled mightily from a host of large wounds and broad scratches. Every part of his slight body ached. His head felt heavy, yet strangely light and dizzy all at the same time.

Stopping to rest for a moment on a larger, jutting rock ledge, Avenger allowed himself to look upwards at last. The light from above was noticeably brighter. He could scarcely believe it. The opening had to be very close now, perhaps not even thirty feet away.

But, if only I was a bit closer, he thought blearily, I could jump up and catch a hold on the opening and pull myself out. But he knew that wasn't even an option. There simply wasn't enough strength left in his entire body for that. If only I could eat. Or sleep… His eyelids – his entire body felt cumbersome, heavy and lifeless. Just a few moments of rest, and then I'll be able to make it…

Avenger struggled to press his body onto the narrow ledge away from the edge. Pressing his face and chest into the stone wall, he tried to settle onto his right side. But his sword, it's leather straps snapped leaving it swinging freely, caught up on the underside of the ledge and held him back firmly when he tried to shy away from the steep drop below. Trying again to shuffle away with a small burst of energy, tugging away from the force trying to tip him off his narrow perch, Avenger felt himself dragged backwards, the strap over his chest tightening. Suspended in mid-air a moment, he scrabbled futilely with his hands and feet. He heard a great snap in one arm as his sleeve caught up on a rock, holding his arm.

He fell, plummeting, spiralling head over heels, every part of his slim body crashing and scraping into the rough stone walls. In his descent, he became aware of a regular pulsing of light, dim at first, but then bright and hot like purple-veined lightning. Could it be that this is what it feels like to… die? Is Mithras summoning me?

Avenger could barely keep his golden eyes open. He battled fiercely with unconsciousness, wanting to witness his journey through the Ethereal winds to the Seven Heavens. Yet he lost his battle, even as he felt the strange energy surge through his body…..