Dais stood tall, watching as the armored spirits scoured the city. Those *boys* were here somewhere. It would only be a matter of time before they --

A cold point pressed into the back of his neck.

Before they appeared.

"Don't even *think* about it." Dais's hands froze from where they'd been slowly reaching for his weapon.

He shrugged, turning slowly to face the blue-haired archer and smiled disarmingly. "What is this... you would strike an unarmed man? What sort of contest is this? Where is the honor?"

Rowen's eyes narrowed. "Nuh-uh. You ain't talking your way out of this one. Now drop the armor."

The white-haired man blinked, shocked. "Drop my...? But... Dear Boy..."

"Don't you 'Dear Boy' me. Drop it. Now. I want the sphere. You are *too* dangerous in that armor, pal."

Dais sighed dramatically, then lowered his head in submission. Grinning silently at the ground, he willed the protection away, forcing it back into the shiny orb that fit easily in his palm. His form shimmered slightly as the armor disappeared, replaced by a far more mundane burgundy silk kimono.

He opened his palm to the younger warrior, offering the precious orb. Rowen reached for it, feeling the cold sphere warm quickly to his palm.

Suddenly, the world grew. Rowen yelped in surprise. "Your illusions won't help you, Warlord!"

Dais began to laugh, only vaguely impressed by the warrior's bravado. "Illusions? You believed me?"

The warlord and the rooftop world around him continued to grow. Or - Rowen tried to take a slow, rational breath - *he* continued to shrink. He shut his eyes tightly, refusing to see (or believe) the view around him. "Mind tricks! They're not real!"

"Aren't they?" The amused voice boomed from high above the archer, and Rowen opened his eyes. The giant Dais was crouching now, bringing his eye level with Rowen's. "I believe you have something of mine." The giant forced open Rowen's palm, grabbing back his armor sphere.

"Know this, warrior," The sarcasm dripped off Dais's words like a poison. "I can control true magic. Illusions all that I can perform?" He laughed again, a short, dry bark. "A lie, to catch you off-guard." The warlord straightened again, glaring at the miniature Ronin at his feet.

Rowen smirked defiantly. "Off-guard? Awful sure of yourself there..."

"And who will tell them? You? Do you think I'd tell you this and let you live?" He raised a giant hand, prepared to squash Rowen like a fly... And lowered it slowly, reconsidering. "But Talpa would be angry if I lost your armor... and without you alive to provide power to it, the armor would never serve his purposes."

Dais's eye narrowed. "Maybe I should let you return to your friends... But then you'd tell them my little secret, wouldn't you? And we couldn't have that." A dark smile spread slowly over his features. "So we'll just have to take away your voice."

Rowen backed away, trying to escape the giant finger that stalked him... but was stopped by something large and immobile behind him. Dais pressed the advantage, making a strange mark on the archer's forehead.

A strange itching on his hands drew Rowen's attention. He stared in horror as blue fur sprouted, completely covering his rapidly shrinking fingers.

"Bastard! What are you -- Mrrow! Mreow!"

Dais laughed, watching as the armor collapsed around a small, hissing blue cat. He kicked at the creature, watching as it ran across the rooftop, away from the warlord. "Go tell them now!"

He watched as the armor slowly collapsed in on itself, resting finally as a lustrous blue gemstone. He picked the sphere up from where it lay. Talpa would be pleased.

"Aren't you afraid he'll guess the truth?" Cale materialized from the darkness of the shadows, drawn by the strange battle that had just occurred.

Dais just shook his head slowly, inspecting the dark blue orb. That was easier than he could have hoped for.

"Illusions are as real as you believe them to be, my friend. And right now, *that* one believes that my magic made him feline, and there was nothing he could do about it."