“Please tell me she’s your girlfriend now, and y’all aren’t still playing that game of ‘Oh, I like you, do you like me?’ or ‘She doesn’t like me, we’re just friends.’ cause it's getting old.” Kas went on. “You, and her need to just go ahead and make it happen.” Kas bumped his two index fingers together. “If you know what I mean.”
“Nova’s my friend, that’s all.” Bakari said defensively.
“Okay, when has being friends ever stopped somebody?” Kas joked, knowing he had Bakari in a corner.
“So, you’re not going to let this…” Bakari trailed off when he noticed his mother waving at him in the distance behind Kas. He waved back.
“You did it! Look at my son, he's a college graduate now!” his mother said, ecstatically hugging him.
“Thanks, it’s just the beginning, Mom. I’m sure there's more to come.” He smiled, hugging her.
“Mom, you just didn’t notice the real star in the room?” Kas was holding his arms out waiting for a hug. She wasn’t really his mother but, after growing up with Bakari for so long, he started calling her his second mom.
“Oh my, When did you get back? You three are all back together again!” Bakari’s mom was getting even more emotional, trying to fight back her tears as they were falling down her face. She grabbed both Bakari and Kas, pulling them together and hugging them.
“I got back last night, wanted to surprise you both.” Kas was trying to ease out of her hug.
“Mom, your being more emotional than usual. What's wrong?” Bakari asked wholeheartedly.
“Well, I’m just glad you all are back together. You guys need to always look after each other now that your about to explore the big world. Look after Nova too, and stop giving her so much grief, Kas!”
“I say nothing but good things about her, and of course I'll always have their back.” Kas said, defending himself and slapping Bakari on the back.
“You better or you’ll have me to deal with!” She hugged them one last time. “I know you have a party to go to so I won’t keep you. Just stop by after the party. Now go have fun!”
“Not going to introduce me first?” Said a soft spoken voice.
“Are you lost again, sir?” Bakari asked when he noticed it was the man that Shara had helped with directions before. The man looked at Bakari’s mom as if he'd wished Bakari didn’t just ask him that question.
“Ah, I believe I'm in the right place this time.” He laughed off the question.
“So, you were here before?” Bakari’s mom asked in a low cold voice, her demeanor completely changed.
“I’m Axyl, a friend of Shani, well, your mother and father.” He said frankly, shocking both Kas and Bakari. Kas’s eyes flickered back and forth between Shani and Bakari, making the moment even more awkward. Bakari had never met any of his father’s friends before now.
He was confused. Why now? Why after twenty-two years did he want to meet me now?
“To put it frankly, he's more of your father’s friend than mine…. but that's a topic for another day. I know you have questions, but I want you to have fun at your party. So, talk later?”
“All right, well, nice to meet you Axyl. Let’s go, Kas! We have to go get dressed for the party.” Bakari hugged his mom one last time and shook Axyl’s hand. He walked away with Kas in tow.
“You have my permission to watch over him but, if anything happens to him, I'll hold you accountable.” Shani mumbled to Axyl as the boys walked away.
3
Getting ready for the costume party, Bakari started debating on which costume he should wear and which one he should let Kas wear. It was between being a detective or being an Arabian warrior. The detective costume consisted of a long black trench coat, a black and brown fedora, along with a badge, fake gun, and a weapons holster. The Arabian warrior consisted of a white robe, loose dark pants, a white scarf, and two blades to place at the waist. Well I guess this choice is a no-brainer. He laughed to himself as he picked up the detective costume. The real debate he was having, and trying to clear it from his mind, was why was Axyl there, and why did he want to meet him now after all this time?
“So, are we about to go dance and mingle? You know, since Nova is only your friend so she shouldn’t mind if you get out there and mingle with the ladies.” Kas poked at Bakari, knowing his mind was on Axyl.
“Kas, get dressed so we can head out to the party.” Bakari threw the Arabian Warrior costume at Kas.
“I’m not wearing that. You’re trying to be funny.” Kas grumbled
“How? I didn’t even know you were going to be here today. Stop whining and put it on so we can go.” Bakari kept poking at Kas. He eventually guilt-tripped him into putting on the Arabian warrior costume. “Now, was that hard?”
“Lets just go get some booze and catch up like old times.” Kas smiled as he finished putting the costume on.
Bakari didn’t like the sound of Kas trying to catch up like old times. It normally meant Kas was going to hit on someone's girlfriend just to see if he could get the boyfriend riled up. Either that or he would try to pick the biggest guy there and taunt him. Sometimes Kas was just a magnet for trouble, but sometimes it made for good memories.
“Yeah, if you drink, we are going to have to cover some ground rules.” Bakari stated. “No picking fights! Lastly, no picking fights!” He paused. “Actually, most of all do not…”
“I get it! Don’t embarrass you.” Kas said doing air quotes with his fingers. “Now can we go?”
“I’m sure you’re going to do that anyway.” Bakari mumbled as he walked to the door.
Arriving at the party, the building was packed. It looked as if every student who graduated and more were there. Old 80’s and 90’s music was blasting, and disco lights shone across the room. Everyone was dressed in costumes and dancing.
“Took you long enough! Welcome to the party.” Nova was dressed as a martial artist and danced towards Bakari and Kas.
“Oh, it's her again, and I was just in a good mood.” Kas grumbled. “Guess I’ll leave you two love birds alone. I'll go grab a drink and mingle.” He started walking away when Nova kicked his leg. “Ouch!”
“Kas, don’t go causing problems!” Nova shouted.
“Yeah, yeah, Bakari already gave me the whole what-not-to-do briefing!” Kas shouted back.
“I just want to kick him in the throat sometimes, and he's only been back a few hours.” Nova mumbled to Bakari “Let’s go sit down.”
“Yeah, but that's Kas. You guys are always at each other's throats.” Bakari said following Nova.
“He starts it.”
“No, you both start it.” Bakari laughed. “You can’t put it all on him.”
“You’re always taking his side.” Nova said, flustered, finally finding a seat in the far corner of the room.
Bakari took a seat. “I do not. I try not to choose sides. You’re both my best friends.”
They kept conversing until Nova got up to use the bathroom. Bakari got up and started observing the room, walking around, looking for Kas. Walking through the crowd, he caught a glimpse of a man who strangely resembled Axyl. He didn’t think the man was really Axyl but, his body moved on its own, deciding to walk in the direction of the man he thought resembled him. As he got closer, he made eye contact, and that's when he knew he wasn’t hallucinating; it really was him. Axyl looked away from Bakari and started making his way through the crowd to get away from Bakari. Bakari started pushing his way through the crowd, faster trying to reach Axyl, until he got tripped over someone, knocking them down.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.” Bakari said, blindly reaching his hand out to someone dressed as a magician while looking around for Axyl.
“What's so important you had to knock me down?” The magician said, grabbing Bakari’s hand.
“Oh, hey Shara, didn’t mean to knock you down.” Bakari noticed the voice.
“What was the rush?” Shara asked, fixing her robe.
“So
you decided to be a magician?” Bakari quickly changed the subject.
“Well aren’t you a great detective.” Shara joked “Yes, I am.”
They continued conversing and joking around while walking back towards the dance floor, stopping by a nearby rail. They observed two people wearing some very realistic dragon costumes looking around. Both wore black robes with engraved dragon emblems, with skin that looked brown and leathery. Horns extended from the corners of their jaws and the top of their skulls. Their hands looked like they had real claws protruding from them.
“Those are some very nice costumes. I know they had to have taken a lot of work to make.” Bakari said to Shara, who was no longer standing next to him. “When did she…” he mumbled looking around.
Bakari started making his way back to where he and Nova were sitting until he noticed some commotion near the bar area. Please don’t be Kas… Please don’t be Kas… he thought to himself as he walked towards the bar. When he moved closer, he saw Kas holding a beer in one hand while touching the face of another person dressed as a realistic dragon.
“Touch me again, and I’ll break every little finger you have, one by on,.” the person said in a gravelly voice.
“Oh, we got a tough guy here. Which one you gonna break first?” Kas poked the person in the chest with each finger on his right hand.
And… of course it's Kas, Bakari walked up to Kas trying to deescalate the situation.
“Hey, Kas!” Bakari tried getting his attention.
Kas looked at Bakari “Oh, hey bro! I was just talking to my friend here. “Meet Mr. ‘I will break your little fingers’” Kas was mimicking him.
The dragon walked a bit closer to Kas and Bakari and started sniffing.
“You smell like someone I know, boy.” He squinted his eyes at Bakari. He looked at him with confusion, before being provoked by Kas again.
“Be gone, lizard boy.” Kas said, wrapping his arm around Bakari and walking away.
“You really can’t just not provoke people?” Bakari asked.
“You’re not going to ask me the full story? Doesn’t matter. The fact is he started it and I was the bigger man and we are now walking away.” Kas said, answering his own question.
The dragon pondered about who Bakari reminded him of as they walked away. Then he finally put it together. If Axyl was here and so was a boy who reminded him of King Kalu that Bakari must be an offspring of the king. Impossible, he thought to himself as his body heat rose and steam started slightly seeping through his skin.
“Die Boy!” He yelled as he conjured up his inner flame and walked towards Bakari.
Bakari and Kas turned around to see what he was yelling about. His walk then turned into a jog. His jog then turned into a full on sprint, onward towards the boys.
“Get out of here!” Axyl yelled jumping from the crowd, tackling the dragon and causing his flame to spurt out from his mouth onto the ceiling.
The crowd started moving in a panic away from the altercation, and the flames started spreading throughout the building. Bakari and Kas both stood there in shock. Axyl, however, was handling the thing with ease. Pushing the dragon’s head into the floor, jabbing left, right, left, left, at its lower torso, he finally, rolled over on it and put it in a submissive headlock, knocking it unconscious. Bakari could have sworn he heard Axyl let out a low growl as he knocked the dragon unconscious, and got up into a crouching stance. Another dragon was running towards him from the dance floor area. Axyl grabbed the dragon’s arm launching him towards the bar.
“I said go! Now!” Axyl let out as he took a defensive stance since the dragon was approaching him again.
They stood there and watched as Bakari’s mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening, but just kept drawing blanks. He wasn’t so sure it was just a costume anymore. Something wasn’t right. It didn’t make sense on how that thing just spit fire from its mouth. Kas’ body started moving on its own when another dragon started approaching him and Bakari while Axyl was busy with the other one. Kas ran towards the dragon in a quick sprint, lunging toward him trying to knock him down but it had little effect. The dragon just stumbled backwards a step or two as Kas fell to the ground. Kas recovered quickly, trying to fight the dragon, but his attacks were ineffective. He resorted to a very uncharacteristic move for most, trying to punch him in his groin, but it more so agitated him more anything.
“Stay out of our way, boy!” The dragon said as he punched Kas and Kas hunched over in pain., The dragon proceeded to backhand Kas to the face. He then tossed Kas towards a corner wall and out of his way. A hooded figure walked towards a stunned Bakari, wearing skin-tight, dark grey attire which gave way to her figure. Her face covered by her hood provided a protective shadow. Two other hooded figures appeared right next to her, but they quickly worked on putting the fire out, and making sure everyone was out of the building safely while she was left alone to handle the dragon.
“Stand back. I’ll handle him.” She said, drawing a blade from inside her robe.
The dragon was hesitant when she drew her blade He didn’t know if he should attack her or retreat. His hesitation gave way to his demise as the hooded figure was quickly in his face. Smacking his rib cage with the hilt of her sword, he quickly fell to one knee. When he looked up, his fate was in her hands as her blade was at his throat.
“These are our lands, Redborn, and you have broken our laws by attacking innocents. You will come answer to your crimes. Now stand.” She said, standing over him in a menacing pose and pressing her sword to his throat.
She walked him towards the dance floor. Bakari finally gathered himself and quietly walked a few paces behind the hooded figure to the dance floor where Bakari hid behind the seating areas and observed. He noticed she was walking the other Redborn towards the area where Axyl and another Redborn were both on their knees, along with the two other hooded figures.
“Well done Lotus. Not bad for the new girl.” One of the hooded figures joked.
“Thanks, Jace. I also cleared the area. Everyone got out safely in my area.” Lotus told her comrades.
Axyl noticed she had lied right away, as he could smell Bakari still in the area. She never told Bakari to leave. Bakari kept watching as their conversations went on. They were yelling back and forth about the guidelines of what can happen on their side of the realm.
“What should his punishment be, Ericka?” Jace asked the leader of his group.
“Hmm, we shall decide a punishment for these three after we hear what sparked this. We haven’t had any fights amongst us in the last five years. So what brought this about?” Ericka asked, kneeling down near one of the Redborn.
“I don’t answer to you.” He gave her a smug look.
“Well, I guess that answers my question,” She said walking over to and kneeling down near the next Redborn. “What about you? Do you have a better answer?”
He stared at her giving no response, his golden-brown eyes staring into her quiet blue eyes.
“Maybe third time's the charm. What about you, wolf?” She was now kneeling in front of Axyl.
“I was merely trying to defend your people from getting hurt. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, ma'am.”
“Hmm, are you sure that would be all, wolf boy? You just so happen to find this place the day of the college students graduation.” Ericka asked.
“Yes I'm sure.”
“Hmm, interesting. So which one of you is lying is the real question.” Ericka drew her blade and tapped it on her shoulder.
“If you’re going to kill me, get it over with human.” A Redborn said, staring at Ericka with a smug look on his face.
Ericka paced back and forth, contemplating her decision. She wanted to know the full story, but neither of the three would give it to her willingly. She then thought what if she let one of the Redborn get away and have them followed by Jace while she followed the wolf? Still it bothered her that she couldn’t place Axyl’s face with wh
ere she remembered it from. He was someone important. She just didn’t know how important. She walked back one of the Redborn and knelt down to say something, when she noticed something move out of the corner of her eye.
“We've got company.” She said in a low whisper, looking at Jace.
Jace moved slightly in the direction of the Redborn, who was watching them from a distance when one of the kneeling Redborn shouted. “Run Bugawa!”
Causing a panic, Jace attempted to run towards Bugawa, but the kneeling Redborn grabbed his leg, stopping him in his tracks. While the other Redborn tried to boil up fire to burn Jace, Jace pulled his blade and pressed a button, causing his blade to heat up drastically. He proceeded to cut the Redborns’ arm right through to the bone, causing him to scream in agony. He then went for his throat, relieving him of his pain as Ericka’s blade pierced right through the other one’s neck.
“Lotus, catch the one fleeing!” Ericka commanded as she removed her blade from the Redborns throat.
“Do not let him get away!” Axyl said, getting up in a panic.
“Sit.” Ericka said, pressing her blade to his throat.
Axyl stared at Ericka with anger in his eyes, not wanting to back off. She pushed the tip of her blade harder into his throat.
“I said sit down.” She had an edge to her voice.
Jace walked near Axyl, also pointing his blade towards him. He finally sat down, still not averting his gaze from Ericka. “I can still catch him if you let me.” Axyl said in a serious tone.
“Why are you so intent on catching him?” Ericka asked. “He wouldn’t be the first to run from us and escape, nor the last. Why must we catch this one?”
Axyl stayed quiet, completely backing down this time. Ericka was now sure he was hiding something. She couldn’t put together exactly what it was but she was determined to find out. She let Axyl stand up as she patted him down, secretly placing a tracker on the collar of his shirt.
Zera_Dawn Of The Redborn Page 3
