Icarus

by Samuel Small

  Jake’s sword cut through the air, aimed at the boy’s midsection, but about a foot from making contact the momentum suddenly stopped.

  The wooden sword vibrated as it snapped back in the opposite direction, and Jake had to use all of his effort to keep it from flying straight out of his hands. Gritting his teeth at the pain that traveled down his palms, Jake glared at his opponent’s smug features, then made a return attack. Again he seemed to strike some kind of solid wall, and he jumped back to regain himself.

  In front, the boy still stood with his hands in his pockets as Jake raised his sword and readied for his counterattack. The boy’s smirk seemed to stretch even wider, and in that instant something pushed into the tip of his sword. He quickly drew it in and used his left palm to reinforce the block. Something smacked his blade, then continued forward. Jake skidded through the grass due to the force, piling up dirt behind his heels, then pivoted out of the way of whatever pushed into him.

  It wasn’t particularly fast moving, and based on the cheeky grin his opponent wore that was likely on purpose. Jake gritted his teeth, then darted at his opponent. As he did, his chest seemed to smack into something, although his feet continued forward. He tried to catch himself, but it was too late, and Jake landed flat on his back. He winced, then quickly rose to his feet. Ahead, his opponent still adopted the same posture, but Jake had no clue what kind of Sol he was using. He seemed to push against something before, but now it was a solid wall.

  “It’s solid shit,” Dante called. “He’s making solid shit. You gotta predict how he’s gonna predict you’re gonna take ’em out.”

  Jake looked at Dante, his eyebrow raised. He was trying to decipher what he had just said, but he couldn’t understand anything beyond the words ‘solid shit.’ Before he could work it out, a fast-moving object smashed into Jake’s shins and sent him spiraling headfirst toward the ground. He slammed his wooden blade into the grass to cushion the fall, and by then his feet were free from whatever it was the just pushed through them and he was able to catch himself. This time when he looked up his opponent’s smile was gone.

  That meant whatever Dante said was right, and he was trying to stop Jake from thinking about it too much. Predict his prediction. Jake wanted to ask what the hell that meant, but the bit of advice he’d already received was unsportsmanlike as it was, and he thought he should figure it out on his own.

  This guy could apparently harden air into something solid, but he wasn’t limited to that. The air still maintained its weightlessness, evident by when one close lined him. This boy could also push these air pockets, which were the projectiles he was using to hit Jake. Still, he had to have some kind of finishing move planned and he could tell that this guy was going to use it after their next exchange. He removed his hands from his pockets and held them at his sides, clearly up to something. This would likely be Jake’s last chance to fight, and he had to figure out what Dante’s poorly articulated advice meant.

  “Don’t lose or you’ll make me look bad!” Dante shouted.

  “Give it your all, Jake!” Sara cheered.

  “I expect you to perform better than this,” Elizabeth yelled.

  His comrades cheered him on, and Jake at least had a bit of a strategy. Prepared to enact it, Jake jumped in place. Sure enough, his feet hit something solid upon coming down; his opponent had intended to sweep him again. Jake used the solid air as a springboard and leapt forward, raising his sword overhead. The boy looked worried for a split second, but his features soon contorted into an angry grimace. If that was the case…

  Jake shifted the direction of his sword at the last second, curving it to catch his opponent in the midsection. Judging by his opponent’s wide eyes the moment he did, Jake must’ve predicted his prediction right. His sword found its way into the other boy’s ribs with a satisfying smack, one that could clearly be heard throughout the field. At the sound of it, Lennon raised his right arm.

  “Clean hit! The victor is Jake!”

  Jake offered a hand to his opponent, who massaged the spot where he had been struck. He looked at him hesitantly, but soon softened his features and shook. “Good show,” he said. Jake nodded and agreed. He was ready to ask him all about his ability and what kind of strategies he utilized, but an annoying taunting interrupted him. When he turned to face it, he saw Dante dancing around the Grand Priest, hopping while shooting his arms into the air and pointing. He stuck his tongue out in between words, and looked just like the pictures of demons in hell from old books, although the one Jake met was actually much more civil.

  “How’s that then? Our weakest fuck takes out your best fuck! Nyeeeeaaaah!”

  The Grand Priest, for what it was worth, took the taunting like a champ. He had his arms folded across his chest, and it was clear that his fingers were digging into his flesh as he was forced to take Dante’s constant and poorly articulated insults. His eyebrow twitched and Jake silently prayed that he would make it through the mocking without ordering everyone’s execution.

  “It certainly was a good move on his part. Using Weed’s air pocket as a foothold, I’d have never thought it possible.”

  “That’s because your country exists in its own little bubble. Like it or not, there’s shit outside this place. Yeah, shit seems nice here, but that’s only at the cost of ignoring reality, and sooner or later it’s gonna catch up with you.”

  Jake was immediately fearful of that last part, taunting the guy was enough but he didn’t have to insult the entire country as well, regardless of how true it may be. He wanted to reprimand him for that, but Sara already had him covered. A large block of ice about a foot in diameter slammed into the back of Dante’s head as he smugly nodded. It snapped him out of his cocky state, as his eyes bulged as he struggled to keep from falling. He turned around, rubbing the back of his head, and glared at Sara. The Grand Priest had a good silent chuckle at this while Dante’s back was turned and seemed to forget the insults.

  “You’ve got strong women among your party,” he said. “I wish I had them to myself.”

  “Aw, don’t get dirty old— mmmph,” Dante began, but Elizabeth clasped a hand over his mouth before he could finish. He struggled and more made muffled shouts. Elizabeth at least pretended to be fond of Dante, if only not to arouse suspicion from the priest. “Please forgive my companion, he’s a bit of an idiot.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  Dante screamed louder and thrashed out, and Elizabeth had to grip him tighter so that he didn’t get away. Suddenly her features turned to those of utter disgust and she shouted, “Did you just lick me?” then proceeded to stomp on his foot. Sara came behind him and told him just how gross that was as he fell to the ground, then stomped on him along with Elizabeth. Jake, not wanting the party to seem as crazy as it really was, opted to approach the Grand Priest.

  “You have some strong warriors. Really, if Dante hadn’t given me a hint I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

  “That may be true, however you still won as a result of your own efforts. I believe a reward is in order,” he turned his head to Lennon, who was giving advice to Weed. “Lennon, please take them to the Oracle.”

  “The Oracle? Are you sure?”

  “Do you doubt me?”

  “No sir, I’ll get right on it.” Lennon motioned for the group to come toward him, and Sara and Elizabeth stopped stepping on Dante and walked over. Dante slowly rose up and dusted off his clothes. “Geeze, these—”

  Jake clamped a hand over his mouth. The Grand Priest was walking away, but he stopped to overhear whatever rude comment Dante was going to make. He whispered into the other boy’s ear. “Listen, I don’t have this country figured out entirely, but I do know one thing: they really love women. Don’t say anything too harsh about the girls in front of any officials.”

  Dante tore Jake’s hand off his face and walked toward the rest of the group, stuffing his fists into his pockets. “Fine, fuck it.” With Dante taken care of, and him actually seeming to be tak
ing Jake’s advice for once, Jake followed and met up with the group.

  “So is this Oracle what I think it is?” Jake asked Lennon. He smiled, and started for the tunnel they used to walk into the field.

  “Well, she’s an Oracle. She can tell anyone their past, present, or future once she comes into contact with them, although she only tells one of the three, and she can’t pick which.”

  “So it’s a little unlucky to land on past, since she’ll just tell you shit you already know,” Dante said.

  “That’s mostly true, but sometimes it’s useful. Why, I’ve seen her on many occasions tell people things about themselves that they didn’t even know.”

  “I don’t mean to sound rude,” Elizabeth said, “but you just said you’ve seen her on many occasions. So is she genuine?”

  “Yes, of course. She’s an Oracle after all. Don’t you guys have them on the ground?”

  “No,” Jake replied, “most major religions have died out.” He ordinarily wouldn’t have told anyone in the country that, but Lennon seemed trustworthy. At Jake’s words, Lennon’s eyes widened for a moment, but then softened, and a sad gaze appeared.

  “I see…” he turned to Jake, his features serious. “Jake, you must assure me that you won’t tell anybody else about that. The other members of high government are a lot less… understanding of people who aren’t members of the church.”

  “No shit, they tried to kick my ass for blowing up those monsters!” Dante shouted. Lennon chuckled a bit, holding his hand to his mouth. He was a totally easy-going guy, and didn’t seem upset by questions about the country, even those asked by Dante. If there was anyone to help straighten out some of the inconsistencies in Jake’s head, it was him.

  “Speaking of which, I read a lot about an ancient female warrior that seems to be central to your country’s religion.”

  “Oh yes, the Great Warrior. Her name has been lost to time, but her achievements have not. She was a woman from the time just a few generations after Sol came into existence. She was born without it and, despite discrimination based on her gender, still rose to become a respected warrior. She fought against a great evil to assist a great good, and the aftermath of that battle is said to have left the chunk of land that is our kingdom falling into the sky.”

  “I think I may have heard something similar to that once, although the gender wasn’t specified and some of the details are off,” Sara interjected.

  Lennon nodded, smiling as they left the dark tunnel and sunlight lit up his features. “She’s a big inspiration to everyone, even to this day. That’s why my position exists in the first place; it’s meant to take after her as strongest warrior.”

  “And so that explains the military history then,” Elizabeth mumbled under her breath. Jake was a bit startled by her, he hadn’t realized that she was interested in other cultures and history as well. He wanted to bring it up and talk with her, but decided to save it for later, Lennon just gave him the perfect segue into something that has been bothering him like hell.

  “Your country seems to be very fond of women but, how do I say this… most people in positions of power seem to be male.”

  Lennon stopped mid-stride and glared at the blank space before him. Jake had never seen such a profound expression of anger on him before, at worst maybe a little bit of sadness. It scared him, especially considering that if Lennon decided to attack, Jake wasn’t sure they could win, even with the entire team. Something sharp jabbed into his abdomen and he hunched over and grabbed his stomach.

  “Way to go Mr. Diplomat, you’ve been nagging me not to piss anyone off and then you go and piss off the strongest guy in the whole damn country,” Dante whispered. The four of them waited for the man’s reaction, as he stared out before him with his fists clenched and shaking at his sides. Just when Jake was ready to draw his blade or prepare for some form of explosion, Lennon turned around and forced a smile.

  “Here women are a protected and pampered class, so they tend not be in leadership positions. The only exception is…” he looked down, as if searching for a sad and distant memory. His searching turned to pained smile, and he shook his head. “No, never mind. Let’s quit dawdling and go and see the Oracle.”

  Jake was eager to follow and afraid to ask any more questions. They traveled through most of the island, each district specializing in one particular area of craftsmanship or expertise. There was a place with nothing but food stores, another housing district, and lush areas that must have been for scenic tours. As they passed through each, Jake stared, taking in all that he could about the place. Finally they reached the edge of the land, and Jake took special note that there was a floating island in the distance, with several smaller platforms leading the way like stepping-stones. They all stopped at this strange pass, and Jake was a bit hesitant to jump across them. Dante and Sara hopped from island to island like it was no big deal, Lennon following them.

  Left behind, Jake exchanged a worried glance with Elizabeth, whose features tightened before she jumped. Jake shrugged and figured that it couldn’t be too hard, and followed her. When his feet landed she called out.

  “Hey! I didn’t say you could do that!” She stood far from the edge, but she wheeled her hands back as if she was about to topple over. When she was done having her little fit she turned to Jake, her eyes wide, but when she caught his raised eyebrow they narrowed. “When you landed you pushed the whole thing back. I could have fallen.”

  “Right,” Jake said, “so should I go first then?”

  “Very well.”

  Jake made another big jump and landed safely. It was scary at first, but there was some kind of strange up-current keeping them in the air that caused them to bob and float as if on water. Jake bet that even if he did fall this strange current would leave him suspended in the air, at least long enough for Lennon to swoop in and help him. Because they were kept in this undefined state of being, however, these landmasses were subject to outside influence, and after Elizabeth’s outburst Jake took special notice that the momentum from him landing pushed the island ever so slightly forward, although it slowly drifted back into place. The way this was set up seemed rather advance, and he realized that he’d never bothered to ask how this whole thing remained afloat. Certainly, it was no natural phenomenon…

  As he was thinking of how to broach the subject with Lennon there was a loud crash from behind him, then the mini island jerked forward. He placed a foot down to catch himself, then turned to Elizabeth, annoyed.

  “It isn’t very funny when it’s being done to you, is it?”

  He almost yelled at her in a very Dante-esque display, but something struck him, something really confusing. She must have noticed the change in his features as she stood there, patiently staring. He’d have to think of a way to phrase it so that she didn’t boot him right off the edge but to him it seemed that her mannerisms were… somewhat playful.

  “Hurry the fuck up!”

  With that, Jake’s thought process shut down, and he shrugged at the girl, whose posture seemed to soften at his decision against whatever it was he was going to say. Now that he was used to it, hopping from platform to platform was no big deal, and soon he was walking upon the main one, which was much bigger. Up ahead, Dante and Sara stared at the stone building as if they were trying to recognize it. Dante had his arms folded across his chest and lips drawn inward, Jake could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. Just as he and Elizabeth approached Sara mumbled, “It’s just like the one from last night, isn’t it?”

  “There are four holy structures in four sections of the island: the north, south, east, and west. This northern one is perhaps the most important, as it contains the Holy Oracle,” Lennon explained.

  The stone structure before them certainly looked like a shrine, but if it was ancient, it was well maintained. Lennon slid the door open and dropped to one knee. Jake knew this Oracle was very important and so he followed suit. Seeing his actions, his comrades followed his lead,
Sara casually forcing Dante to bow by placing her hand on the back of his head and driving down. After a reverential pause Jake peeked up.

  The inside of the area was lit with a dim otherworldly glow, and there seemed to be smoke leaking out from somewhere. Jake traced the source of both of these things to several pots in the back, which emitted different colors while smoke steadily streamed up from them, catching at the ceiling and drifting back down. Attending these pots was a robbed figure who turned, revealing herself to be an elderly woman. She smiled to reveal pale gums, and her eyes rested on each of the group in turn. When she saw the last in the row, which would have been Dante, her face knotted up a little bit. Before Jake could make any more of the slight change in the woman’s demeanor, Lennon shot up, his hand placed over his heart.

  “My Lady, we have several groundlings who proved themselves in combat. As a reward, the Grand Priest would like you to give them your wisdom.”

  The woman smiled and nodded, then shuffled toward them, her long robe dragging over the stone floor. She approached them and first smiled at Jake. “You’ll be very important someday.”

  Jake jerked back. He’d never heard predictions before, but he’d read that they were intentionally vague. It seemed that this woman was practicing the ancient art. Still, he returned her smile and thanked her, although he didn’t put much stock into the rest of her words.

  Next she turned to Elizabeth. Instead of offering any useful advice, she only jerked her head back to Jake, then winked lasciviously. He turned to Elizabeth, his mouth agape, but before he could come to any solid conclusion she embedded her elbow into his stomach. As he looked up in pain, she seemed to realize that she should not have done that in front of such a holy figure, but the Oracle just laughed and moved on to the next person.