Rome looked up at China, managing a small smile. "I could ask you the same thing." he said. He looked over his shoulder at his motorcycle and reached into a leather saddle bag, pulling out a syringe with a long needle. He pulled the top off with his teeth and unzipped his hoodie enough to pull it off his left shoulder. He gritted his teeth and plunged the needle through his shirt and into his heart, injecting himself with the contents. He yanked the needle out and dropped it beside him, closing his eyes as his body started to go numb, the pain decreasing. "I knew he'd come eventually." he muttered.

Rome pulled himself up into a better sitting position and rolled his shoulders, getting feeling back. "I didn't know you cared." he said with a small grin. He zipped his hoodie back up. He noticed her bleeding wrist and reached into the saddle bag and pulled out a box. "Here's a first aid kit. I've learned not to go anywhere without one." he told her, avoiding her question.

Rome tied the ends together, tight enough it wouldn't come undone. "I found out the hard way not to judge people by their looks." he said, shuddering at the painful memory. He tried to stand up, but had to lean against the motorcycle to keep from falling over. "Dang. He's getting serious. That was a larger dose than normal." he muttered to himself. "I won't be able to ride the motorcycle without crashing, but I've got to get out of here. I wonder if Senshi is close by." He bent down to pick up his gun and put it back in the case.

Rome chuckled. "Where I'm going a car won't make it." he told China. "Hang on. I've got a friend that might be able to help me out." He turned towards the trees and let out a loud whistle. He sat down on the ground to wait and put his head between his knees. He felt like passing out.

Rome shook his head. "I'm not always that lucky. Sometimes he decides to take a vacation and leaves the area." he muttered. "I feel like it." After a few minutes he lifted his head and turned to look at the trees. The sound of twigs snapping under a heavy weight made him sigh in relief. "Seems like I just got lucky." he sighed standing up and facing the trees.

Rome grinned. "An over grown pony. " he muttered at the same time a huge black fresian walked out of the trees. The large horse walked straight up to Rome and snorted. Rome reached up and rubbed the stallions nose. "Hey Senshi. Glad to know you haven't taken off yet." he said, smilling. He turned to the motorcycle and grabbed the black saddle bags and threw them across Senshi's massive shoulders. He tied the gun case to the saddle bags and put the key to the motorcycle in his pocket. He clicked his tongue and Senshi dropped to his knees. Rome threw his leg over the stallion's back and clicked his tongue again. Senshi rose up and stood still. He still felt horrible from the poison, but he knew Senshi wouldn't let him fall. Rome looked at China. "Want to go for a ride?" he asked, almost playfully.

She hesitated, and then held up her hand for him to help her up.[i]Are you sure you wont fall?[\i]

Rome chuckled and grabbed China's hand. He pulled her up to sit behind him. "This big brute hasn't let me down yet. He's surprisingly loyal, but I'm the only one who's ever riden him so hold on tight." he told China. He gripped the long black mane. "You ready?" he asked her over his shoulder.

"One of my hideouts." Rome told her. He nudged Senshi's sides and the huge stallion took off at a full on run. He headed straight for the trees never breaking his stride. Senshi galloped through the trees with ease. He didn't even flinch when a loud clap of thunder sounded above them and lightning flashed. He continued to run even when it started to pour down rain. Rome held on with one hand and unzipped his hoodie, pulled it off, and threw it over China's head to keep her partially dry. Soon his black t-shirt was soaked by the freezing rain and stuck to him, his hair falling in his eyes. Senshi raced faster as if he was trying to race the storm. He suddenly skidded to a stop next to a huge tree. Rome slid off and pulled a mass of vines out of the way. Senshi walked straight towards the tree, but instead of running into anything he walked into a tunnel that slopped down. He continued walking until he arrived in a huge cave that had lights everywhere. Rome came up behind him and pulled off the saddle bags and gun case and set them down next to a table. He pulled off his wet shirt and threw it across a chair, revealing a well muscled torso. He went back over and offered his hand to help China down. "Home sweet home." he said smiling.

Rome was about to reply when he saw China thrown back. Senshi reared up and let out a peircing scream of fright as he looked towards China, as if the stallion could see something that Rome could not. Rome dropped his hoodie and raced forward, grabbing China. He lifted her up and carried her to the bed at the side of the cave and laid her down. "Mind telling me what is going on? What was that?" he asked, nearly shouting as he went back to calm the terrified horse. He couldn't help but glance around the room, looking for whatever had thrown her. He narrowly missed being hit by the huge fresian's hooves as he reared again. He reached up and gave the stallion's black mane a quick yank, and held his muzzle in his hands until the horse finaly calmed down. He walked back over to the bed and sat down tiredly at the foot of the bed. Senshi followed and rested his nose againt Rome's shoulder. "What just happened?" he asked, his voice sounding exhausted. The large dose of poison was still taking a tole on his body and the fact that he was still in freezing, wet clothes didn't help.

Rome ran and picked up the gun from where it had been dropped and brought it to China. He handed it to her and gasped when he saw the slashes. "What's happening? What are shadows?" he asked, spinning around as he heard Senshi let out another scream of terror. The stallion was rearing again, his eyes rolling. The horse was throwing his head around as if he was searching for something as he continued to let out terrified whinnies and snorts.

Rome sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry about the bed. I've nearly bled out out on it before. A little blood won't bother anything." he told China, a grim smile on his face. He stood up and went to get the first aid kit and some bandages along with a bottle that held a weird liquid. "It helps with pain." he said simply. He set them down next to her and then went back and sat on the edge of the bed again. He let out a sigh and fell back on the bed, laying his arm over his face. "Black magic? Wonderful." he mumbled. He suddenly jumped up, startling Senshi who had finaly calmed down, and walked quickly over to a large book shelf. He looked through the different books and pulled out a huge black book. He opened it and started flipping through the pages. He stopped in about the middle of the book and started reading. "I never would have thought this thing would come in handy. I always thought it was cursed." he muttered. He walked back to the bed and sat near China. "Is this like the spell he used?" he asked, pointing at a handwritten note stuck on the page.

She fixed her chest and started working on her ribs, smiling at him. She looked over at the book and grimaced.Yes- it... it is.She leaned back, a little afraid of the sight of the spell that had haunted her for her whole life.Where did you get that book? I only know of two in existence, and the sorcerer has both.



(Where were you?)

Rome sighed in relief when China said it was the spell. All of the spells in the book had a reverse spell. He frowned when she asked where he got it and sadness and pain flashed in his eyes. "My mother gave it to me. She never said where she got it. She just said that when I needed to I'd be able to use it." he said quietly. He looked at China and gave her a small smile. "Want to see if it works?" he asked. He shook his head almost like a dog, his wet hair moving out of his face.

( huh? )

Okay. Just... be careful.She moved to dodge the spray of water from his hair.

Rome nodded. He stood up and held the book in both hands. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. As soon as he looked down at the reverse spell his blue eyes turned dark green and the odd looking words of the spell flowed easily from his mouth. When the spell was finished it felt as if the air around them became lighter. Senshi had watched with his ears pinned back. He had heard words like that before and had seen those same eyes on a human that had killed a barn full of horses by burning the barn down with just a few words. Suddenly Rome dropped the book and it fell to the floor with a heavy thud. His eyes changed back to normal. He fell to his knees and started coughing. His entire body shook with the coughs and when he reached his hand up to wipe his mouth he found blood on his hand.