Renegade Rising (The Renegade Series)

by J. C. Fiske

  “What? What do you mean?” Falcon asked.

  “Just as I said, my friend, the Purah you have known has been nothing more than a façade. He is the man behind all of this; his death was an illusion. There is a Shininja ability that Lokin must have known which gives the illusion of death. The sword, we thought, was driven through his heart - but a Shininja can shift vital organs within their bodies to trick the enemy. Lokin must have done this procedure to Purah and put him in a temporary death-like state using various Shininja herbs and formulas, then retrieved him from his grave one of these nights. Purah is a Sybil, perhaps even more powerful then Sybil Honj. The man before you is the mastermind of all you see. The kidnappings, Shax’s supposed injection of Drakeness, all of it. Seventeen years in the making. Seventeen years of deception. Purah, was it worth it?” Narroway asked through gritted teeth. Purah dropped his act of dizzied walking, stood to full height and grinned.

  “Oh yes, Narroway. It took the patience of a Shininja, certainly, but all the while it was worth it. Even now, my conscience is clean. I will listen, Narroway. Please, tell me why this plan is so flawed?” Purah said, standing beside Shax, who was now drooling and hunched over like the rest of the kids.

  “I would love to, but why don’t we allow Jackobi to explain it for us instead? Moordin, if you would release him?” Narroway said calmly. With a wave of Moordin’s staff, the stone cracked around Jackobi. He landed neatly on his feet, eyes as blue as Foxblade’s, and walked silently over to his father, who gave him a great hug.

  “A job well done, son, you have made your father so proud,” Foxblade said as he released him. Jackobi turned and gave Purah the same murderous, vengeful look Rolce had witnessed in his dream.

  “What? What do you mean, a job well done?” Gisbo asked, confused.

  “How I’ve desired to kill you, Purah, for so long. Insisting you would sacrifice Shax’s son to further his pain and complete the process of killing his family . . . it sickened me. The patience I endured to not kill you! Man-Phoenix? Humph, I’m no Man-Phoenix. Rather, I am the new Man-Phoenix’s sworn protector, for I alone am immune to the effects of the Drakeness. It has been a fine display of acting, allowing you to think you had overcome me while I called the shots for my own body. My mission is done,” Jackobi said, locking stares with Purah.

  “We knew, Purah, we knew there were traitors among us. We also knew the new Man-Phoenix would reveal himself within this generation of children. Jackobi’s ability to suppress the Drakeness was discovered in secret at a young age; for with every Man-Phoenix, there has been also been a Sentry, just like Vadid’s wife Amari long ago. You foolishly assumed that it would be the most powerful of the children, kidnapping the top scorers. Tonight you discovered that Jackobi was the most powerful for his age bracket, as a Sentry usually is. If you had tried tonight to use his supposed hibernating powers, you would have been sorely disappointed, for a Man-Phoenix he is not.

  Now, in the name of my father, Renegades and Strifes alike, you will be executed for unforgivable crimes. Renegades! We attack now!” Narroway ordered as the Renegade masters charged forward. Just as when Gisbo had tried, a wall of invisibility blocked their path. Suddenly surges of black tentacles pulsated from the wall, blasting the Renegades. Everyone was thrown backward, slamming hard against the rock floor, some unmoving, others screaming and convulsing in pain. Gisbo, Rolce and Jackobi stared on in horror as their mighty class masters were taken down, unable to rise from their feet after just one blast of the Drakeness.

  “What’s wrong with them!? What the hell do we do now?” Gisbo cried out.

  “Wait,” Jackobi breathed as he held his hand up. Falcon stirred from his fallen position and rose to his feet.

  “Impossible! Falcon? The pupil of Vadid the Valiant still stands? The Drakeness strike that I hit you all with hurts physically, yes, but the true pain lies within as all the sins and iniquities one has committed in his life are turned back upon the sinner in utmost suffering. You are the most stained among them all! The most tarnished and sinful! You should have lost consciousness from the pain. It is impossible! Even the blameless Narroway cannot stand!” Purah said, eyes registering surprise. What he said was true. Falcon was shaking all over, writhing in pain, as every scar across his body reopened and blood burst all across his flesh. Falcon remained standing nevertheless, grinding his teeth in pain.

  “I . . . cannot believe this! You were my friend, Purah! My brother in arms! I . . . AHHHH!!!” Falcon screamed as fresh blood erupted from his wounds. “…Will is everything. Will…to….CHANGE! Will to protect…my…my son!” Falcon said as he looked at Gisbo for the first time, eyes watering. “…and…WILL to see you…PUNISHED! Jackobi! Make…MAKE YOUR SOARIAN RACE PROUD!” Falcon screamed as he tossed his sword to Foxblade’s son. Jackobi caught it neatly and he charged at the blackened wall, covered with twisting energy waves that looked like black tentacles. Jackobi leapt in the air as they sought him, ready to inflict all kinds of suffering, but it was no use - they passed right through his body as if it were smoke. In one more bound, Jackobi cleared the barrier and raised his sword high, aiming for Purah.

  Lokin was there in a flash. Deflecting Falcon’s sword with his dagger, he dealt a swift spinning kick to Jackobi’s jaw, so strong that it propelled the boy through the air and onto the pile of unconscious Renegades.

  “Jackobi!” Gisbo and Rolce said in unison.

  “Will! Will? All will can be broken! Bend before Drakearon once more, Falcon!” Purah yelled as he thrust black lightning, striking Falcon off his feet so that he yelled and screamed in anguish. Purah relinquished his attack and gazed at Falcon who lay motionless.

  “You see, Gisbo? POWER breaks will! No one can change who they truly are! They can only act and force their true selves down as I did! Falcon never told you he was your father out of sheer guilt. Did you know he grew up with Drakearon? Falcon here was his best friend and right hand man throughout his entire regime. With my blameless record I made your father the supposed redeemed man he is today! No one else trusted him. It is amazing to see how a man can change his ways all from the hammering of another’s empty words and false encouragement. Look at him! A new man because of me! I still cannot see Drakearon’s interest in him. He may be strong, but his mind is pathetic and weak. But that's all ancient history now,” Purah asserted with a gleeful smile at the shock on Gisbo and Rolce’s faces. Gisbo stared at his class master - his father – lying still on the ground. Suddenly Falcon stirred, opened his eyes and rose to his feet. Purah’s face froze momentarily.

  “I don’t believe it,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “What do you think you're trying to prove, Falcon? You can’t hope to defeat me in this state! Stand down!” Purah demanded. Falcon shook his head.

  “I will always stand…to give an example to my son. To…to show him…” Falcon cried out in pain. Breathing heavily, he continued, “...what, what it means to be a Renegade. What it means to be a man. Will is everything, Gisbo! You have the will of your father….flow…flowing through you! Never give in! NEVER! REMEMBER, GISBO! REMEMBER EVERYTHING! YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!” Unbelievably, Falcon's voice gained strength until he was screaming hoarsely. As if a general had given orders, the fallen bodies around him began to rise shakily to their feet, weapons drawn and glowing so brightly that the cavern appeared to be lit from within and the walls were bathed in vibrant red, blue, green and yellow like a cathedral.

  Gisbo also stood in disbelief. A familiar feeling washed over him, something indefinable, as his flesh began to heat from within. Before he knew what was happening, his eyes erupted in flames and Gisbo was once again thrust into the darkened forest of his childhood dreams, facing the monster with large, red, fiery eyes.

  “Gisbo Falcon, you have done well and pleased me. You have sought the path of friendship and loyalty. You will remember everything for you ARE the new Man-Phoenix! Remember! Remember the day against the wolves!” The voice echoed through his head, and then the giant dark
being erupted into bright blue flames! As the light washed over him, Gisbo understood - understood everything. This wasn’t a monster at all, it was the phoenix, symbol of the Renegades and avatar to IAM himself! Suddenly, Gisbo’s conscious was taken back to the day he battled the wolves to claim Fao for his Boon.

  Gisbo felt hot pain flood his forearm as a black wolf bit into his flesh. He couldn’t get the wolf off for if he did the wolf he was currently holding would have his throat and then . . . it would all be over. The pain was excruciating, almost to the point of needing to let go. He was trapped as he saw Fao trying to fight off a wolf of her own. It was then everything went black around him . . . but not for long.

  There he was once more, in the forest of his dreams. It was night and there before him was the enflamed eye’s that had haunted his nightmares. Gisbo stood before it, facing the one thing that ever truly frightened him.

  Gisbo looked down, the wrapping of vines still tied around his foot. He picked up right where he left off in his last dream. This was it, the meaning of this dream… death. He was being pursued by it and now it was here to collect. Cold sweat dripped into Gisbo’s eyes, stinging them, as the demon now stood right in front of him. The heat pulsating from the monster made his eyebrows feel as if they were about to singe right off. The fire lit eyes felt as if they were looking through him. It was then it raised its head and let out a deep laughter, sounding totally wild, dangerous and then…it spoke.

  “Why do you run from me boy?” The voice asked. Its voice was so deep it provided its own echo, power dripped from every word.

  Gisbo was a bit taken aback. Never had the demon actually spoken to him. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came.

  “WHY!!!???” The voice bellowed. It took all what Gisbo could muster to answer, not a very good answer at that.

  “I, don’t know…” Gisbo stammered.

  “Even now, too full of pride to simply admit!!! You fear me, that is why you run.” The powerful voice boomed and turned its head, uninterested. Gisbo sat awkwardly, shaking from head to toe. The head then turned back around, the eyes roared brighter in fresh flames.

  “Don’t you know what I am?” The voice boomed, a little quieter this time.

  “No . . .” Gisbo answered.

  “I am your courage! Why do you run from me?” The voice boomed again. Gisbo looked stunned and confused.

  “My, my courage?” Gisbo said a little more in control of himself this time. The eye’s roared with fire yet again.

  “Yes! You have run from me long enough! You lack it completely! The voice boomed, frustrated.

  “I, I have courage! I fear nothing! I . . .” Gisbo stammered out before being cut off by the bellowing voice.

  “You believe to have ‘courage’ by throwing yourself into battle constantly? You think it’ courage’ to be problematic? You think it ‘courage’ to live a loner’s life, to do EVERYTHING on your own? You refuse to trust a living soul, are they that beneath you? Is this your idea of ‘courage’?” The demon accused. Gisbo sat for a moment, pondering these words.

  “This is not courage. It is fear glorified! It is ignorance embraced and above all, it is purposeless!” The voice boomed. Gisbo struggled to refute him.

  “No! I am confident! I believe in myself!” Gisbo argued.

  “Wrong! Utterly wrong boy! You have nothing more then confidence of self! Not total confidence! You are a frightened child! Fearful! I see it, even now, seeping out of your soul like a disease infecting all that you do! True courage is trusting those around you! True courage is the ability to pour yourself into friendship! True Courage is to pour yourself into a cause! All you do is hold yourself back, afraid it won’t work out all because you fear the pain that may come of it! Afraid you may be abandoned once more! Afraid people will see you beneath themselves!” The demon bellowed. Gisbo looked at the ground, trying to hide from its gaze.

  “It is so easy to live a selfish lifestyle such as yours, easy to dwell in your pain of loneliness, easy, to simply worry about yourself and no one else! Look at your wolf! Look at your friend! Look at your Class Master! You don’t trust them . . .” The voice boomed with fresh accusations, trailing off disappointed.

  “But I do! They are the only living things I have trusted! Why do you think I got where I am today! Because of them!” Gisbo stated, yelling now. The demon reared on him.

  “Exactly! Because of THEM you are here now! They put their trust in you and you refuse to return an equal share. You offer them mere scraps of a dinner while they offer you an entire feast! You send your friend away to fight this lonely battle on your own, for what? Self-justification? Now is when you needed him most! Who starts a battle wanting to prove the strength of being alone? Utter idiocy! Throw yourself instead into the trust of your friends, your Boon, whole-heartedly and victory will be yours! Fail to do so and you will die, both physically and within.” The voice said. It was then it dawned on Gisbo. Now that the demon spoke in a calmer tone, he recognized the voice.

  “Wait! You! You were the one! The one who whispered in my head at the tryouts! You helped me! What are you?” Gisbo asked. The flaming eye’s continued to seep into him.

  “You do not yet understand your importance. I will reveal myself in due time, for now, I am your courage, use it. Trust those around you…whole-heartedly! Throw yourself into them like you do everything else and the battle is yours! I cannot lend you my power otherwise. Will you obey?” The voice asked. It was then, in the darkness, a circular window of smoke seemed to appear. There he saw Rolce running to get help clutching his eagle close to him, face in despair. He saw Falcon walking about the grounds of Heaven’s Shelter, and lastly he saw Fao, about to be overcome by the wolf atop her…

  “YES! I will! I trust you! Bring me back! Let us win!” Gisbo yelled.

  “Wisdom has aided you this day. Upon my close you will not recall what has transpired or will transpire. You are not prepared. Your rash stupidity was not taken into account for the current situation, ergo; my presence was required once more for the sake of your very survival. The time will come when your mind is ready and this memory will be retrieved. That time however, is not upon us. Your subconscious however, like a small whispering voice shall remember. Grow strong of body, strong of mind, and strong of heart young Gisbo. The time of testing draws near and you will be tested, by all that you are but fear not, for I will never leave your side. Now Go!” The voice boomed for the final time as the fiery eyes were extinguished.

  Upon the final statement the blackness dissolved around him and he was again face to face with the snarling wolf in front of him. The transformation occurred once more as Gisbo’s eyes burst into fire. Everything went red like before, he saw his wolf too was washed in a red energy field, eyes afire as well. Power, pain, and fury washed over Gisbo’s entire being. A yell pierced the air not entirely human and with immense strength he threw the wolf by its throat into a thick oak tree, shattering the trunk as the wolf died upon impact.

  He grabbed the wolf attached to his arm by the head as he ripped the wolves jaws clean from his bleeding wound and threw it as well, like a Frisbee, far out into the distance of the woods, lost to view. Fao joined him by his side as they charged into the onslaught of wolves, fighting as one, wolves thrown asunder both unconscious as well as dead. The last few remaining wolves scattered immediately as they ran, whelping and sprinting away as the boy and his wolf howled together at their victory.

  The open wounds across their battered bodies instantly healed themselves, releasing rising strings of steam as the wounds closed over. The boy and his wolf returned back to normal, toppling to the ground unconscious, side by side, victory theirs and together at last.

  And now, here the monster stood before him again in the darkened forest, only this time, in its true form, the fiery Phoenix!

  “Now listen closely, Gisbo. Extensive training awaits you, but for the moment you must obey. Everyone has a part to play in what is to come, even Purah. You must open
the Reath and grant them their wish. Send the dogs to their master!” the Phoenix bellowed. Gisbo shook his head.

  “No way! That’s exactly what they want! They'll be able to bring Drakearon back! Just let me kill them or something!” Gisbo yelled back with all his might. The Phoenix shook its great head.

  “I cannot reveal to you mankind’s future on Thera, but I have my orders and a part to play, just like you. You must take up your part immediately! Drakearon’s followers will not stop until they reach their master. You must end future suffering. Do it! Open the Reath!” the Phoenix commanded.

  “Well then, give me the power to kill them! This makes no sense! I can stop all this from happening right now!” Gisbo answered. The Phoenix shook its head.

  “Your body is not ready for such power . . . yet. You would implode upon yourself like a star. There will come a day, Gisbo, when such abilities will be granted, but that is not this day. Do what IAM wills,” the Phoenix bellowed.

  “But I . . . fine.” Gisbo muttered.

  “I am grateful for your obedience. Now go!” The Phoenix screeched.

  “But, how do I speak with you again? I am so confused . . . I,” Gisbo argued, only to be interrupted.

  “I will always be with you,” the Phoenix roared for a final time as blue fire erupted all around. When the flames subsided, Gisbo was back in the cave with his eyes red with fire and his body filled with otherworldly power. Around him, the blue arua of Gisbo’s blade now surrounded his comrades and healed them from their wounds. Rolce stood up first in utter awe, now realizing how he was healed of his broken knee in the fight with Thomson. The Phoenix’s essence through Gisbo, had healed him.

  “WHAT? Falcon’s boy? The Man-Phoenix? But he’s . . . he’s . . .” Purah screamed in disbelief.

  “Beneath that knucklehead resides a heart of fire,” Narroway said, grinning from ear to ear.