by G L Rathweg
My father was his exact opposite, if Zod was the Affinity of Ice my father was the Affinity of Fire. Although, he didn’t show it with his body’s characteristics, it was all in his skill power and his personality, even the way he fought. Fast, brash, and unpredictable, yet with the inevitability of an all-consuming fire. His jet-black hair was the color of a moonless night and his skin the burnished bronze of a smelters fire. Eyes the color of obsidian with burning red irises completed the picture.
My father took an offensive stance and one I recognized, Tiger-dancing-among-Reeds. He lowered his center of gravity and first took a T-Stance extending his right arm forward and his rear arm back and overhead. Then finished by bouncing and balancing on the balls of his feet. He was a tiger ready to pounce. What was extremely surprising though was that I recognized Zod’s stance.
The smaller boy took an ambiguous stance that was good for attack and defense, Crane-among-the-Willows. He stood tall balanced perfectly on the ball of his left foot, his arms outspread like the wings of a crane. His right foot raised to the side in a high knee he gestured in a, bring it on motion, with the tips of his fingers. Then my father flashed forward, no hesitation in his attack.
Fire and ice collided as Zod blocked the flying front kick with a high kick, spinning into the air and coming down at my dad with a dropping double knee. Which was blocked with a cross block from my dad and steam hissed as their auras flared. Zod used the block as a platform and leaped back and somersaulted away from his attacker, landing a dozen feet away and already back in his crane stance.
The steam cleared in the breeze and my father stood there once again in his attacking stance and his grin now wider, Zod’s was as well.
“Let’s go brotha!” My dad called, then flashed forward once again.
Zod met his attack and the two began to duel in earnest. They traded blows, jumping and leaping around, kicks, punches, and skilled holds were countered, re-countered, again and again. All the while, steam blossomed like fireworks and power flared which each attack and parry. The spectators, theirs and us riding in their minds, were in awe of the young fighter’s skills. They were both younger than us only, twelve or so, and they were already amazingly talented warriors.
THIS IS WHERE IT BEGINS…
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END…
“What the hell?” I groaned, as I was flung out of my father’s mind and back to my seat in the movie theater along with everyone else.
We looked around bewildered the others also exclaiming but the screen still showed the fight between my father and Zod, grabbing our attention. The two fighters were equally matched, and neither could gain the advantage as they battled back and forth and above the fighting circle. Ooh’s and Ah’s sounded out around the theater as the combatants acrobatic fighting moves made all of us realize that we needed more training while also dazzling us with their skills and abilities. After a particularly furious flurry of blows the combatants separated and jumped back, resetting their stances and reevaluating their opponents and strategies.
“You’ve improved again Ryo.” Zod said.
“As have you little buddy, have you grown an inch, maybe half of one?” My dad replied, teasing sounding out in his voice.
“Yes, I have grown two inches and you know it!” Zod answered, anger in his voice for the first time as he launched himself at my father and taking the offensive this time.
The smaller boy threw punch after punch and kick after kick. It was all my dad could do to block the successive and lightning fast attacks but block them he did. He stopped or dodged every single one of Zod’s skillful blows. After a straight minute of attacking Zod retreated and the fighters reset themselves once again.
“My turn.” My dad said, jumping through the billowing cloud of steam that Zod’s attacks had generated.
He crossed the intervening distance and struck out at the other boy, throwing punches so fast that they blurred and were almost impossible to follow. Zod didn’t have the same problem and his limbs and body reacted just as fast dodging and blocking the hyper fast strikes. It looked like the two were evenly matched and then I noticed that Zod was slowly almost imperceptibly being pushed back to the edge of the fighting area.
The rest of my classmates and the other students in the memory noticed as well and the cheering redoubled as we collectively sensed the match drawing to a conclusion. The two fighters seemed to sense it also and my dad increased the fury and pace of his attacks while Zod continued his formidable but ultimately losing defensive.
I saw his face set in consternation as he came to the same realization, then his frown turned upside down and he stopped backing up. Which was a good thing since the edge of the mountaintop was only a few feet away, ending in a sharp drop off.
My dad noticed the change in Zod’s demeanor and started to go on an all-out offensive but Zod pulled away from the engagement, causing my father to almost overbalance. The smaller fighter flipped backwards out into the open air over the cliffside.
“Ice Eagle!” Zod called, floating in midair and his power flaring out of him and surrounding him in a giant orb of white Affinity Magic.
Then it coalesced and shined blindingly one last time and now where Zod had been alone a moment before was a giant eagle made of ice. The small boy stood atop the magical creature with his arms across his chest and a smug look on his face, as the beast flapped its massive wings keeping them hovering in the air.
My AR-2 dinged and I quickly checked the message.
SUMMON SKILL: ICE CREATURE (Level – 5) – By using ones Affinity Power and after having struck a contract with the King of the Ice Affinity, the user may summon a creature of the Affinity Realm and of the Ice Affinity. The type of creature depends on availability of said creature and the power of the summoner. The summoned creature can range from something as small as a hummingbird or spider, to something as large as a tiger or even a dragon. Those who master the skill are said to be able to summon event he largest denizens of the Affinity Realm, Kaiju.
I shook my head and closed the message after I read it. What a dope skill! Then I refocused on the now even more spectacular battle.
“Dammit dude, when did you learn the Summon Creature Skill?” My dad asked, with a shake of his head and an impressed grin.
“Please, you’re not the only one that’s been training his butt off.” Zod yelled, from the back of his flying mount.
“True that, but Zod, you didn’t think you were the only one who could summon, right?” My dad asked, then placed his hands together, interlaced his fingers with his index fingers touching and pointing up, and bowed his head. Then, when he looked up his eyes were smoldering with burning Affinity fire. “Inferno Summoning!”
My AR-2 dinged again and the message came up.
SUMMON SKILL: FIRE BEING (Level – 5) – By using ones Affinity Power and after having struck a contract with the King of the Fire Affinity, Ifrit, the user may summon a being of the Affinity Realm and of the Fire Affinity. The type of creature depends on availability of said creature and the power of the summoner. The summoned creature can range from something as small as a hummingbird or spider, to something as large as a tiger or even a dragon. Those who master the skill are said to be able to summon event he largest denizens of the Affinity Realm, Kaiju. Legends have told of some practitioners summoning even Ifrit himself.
A giant fireball had bloomed and then died just as fast, like an accelerated sunflower of Affinity Power. In its place was my father standing in the same pose as Zod but on a completely different beast. Zod’s summoned creature was huge, had at least a twenty-foot wingspan, and a height of ten feet. However, the summoned creature my dad had conjured was just as large but in a different way. He was standing atop a huge serpent, not a snake type, but a dragon serpent. His summons was a legit Asian style dragon. It was all the different colors that fire could be. It had four limbs spaced evenly along its sinuous body, was topped off by a dragon fanged maw with burning fire for eyes, and a lo
ng burning Fu Manchu style mustache hanging from its jaws. A long burst of flame spewed from its mouth and my dad laughed loudly from his perch atop the Celestial summoned beast’s head.
“Show off.” Zod called, sarcastically but good natured. “Get him Falcor!”
SQUAWK! SQUAWK! SQUAWK!
The massive bird answered, then dive bombed towards the dragon.
“Dragon’s Breath!” Ryo called at the last second and a wave of fire rolled out from the summoned dragon but the lithe eagle dodge to the side and the attack missed him by inches.
The bird flew a safe distance away and was about to launch another attack when a massive shadow blotted out the sun.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
The loudest roars I had ever heard accompanied the shadow and all eyes went to it and saw the cause of the interruption. A huge dragon, this one of the European variety, was flying across the sun and it was its shadow and roaring that were so loud and large. The monster was easily a hundred feet from snout to tail tip.
Zod and his eagle landed next to my dad, their earlier duel completely forgotten. The rest of the students left the spectator area and filed in alongside them.
“Well this changes things.” Zod said.
“That’s an understatement.” My dad replied, then all their AR-2s started sounding off.
ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
DESTRUCTION LEVEL MONSTER OF BATTLE INCOMING... ALL STUDENTS ARE TO RETREAT TO THE BUNKERS… REPEAT… DESTRUCTION LEVEL MONSTER OF BATTLE INCOMING… ALL STUDENTS RETREAT TO BUNKERS…
“Those bunkers won’t stop a Destruction Level monster.” My dad said, matter of fact.
“Last one there is a rotten egg.” Zod replied, then his bird flapped its wings and shot off into the air.
“No fair!” My dad replied, then his smaller dragon raced after his friend.
TRACK 12 – NEW TREASURE ISLAND – SAKANACTION
“We have arrived at the island. I figured you would want to see it on the approach.” Robyn said.
I blinked my eyes open and shook my head clearing it from the last of the memory. Of course, it ended at the good part, it always did. I quickly left the pod and headed out to the upper deck along with the rest of the students. We had all been woken from the memory and were going in the same direction. Once outside, the fresh air and bright blue sky was a nice change of scenery. The thing that caught my attention the most though was the bright green colored blob in the sea of blue. There it was, Isla de la Muerta, Death Island.
Our two airships closed rapidly with the island, but in the vastness of the open ocean and it being the only island in sight, seemed infinitely longer. The closer we came the more of the island’s features could be made out. It wasn’t a huge island, maybe ten miles across, was circular, and had a large mountain at its center. Robyn had told us we were going to go around the island once to scope it out and give us a full view of it.
On the rear side was the bay I remembered and where I had started my solo journey. The jungle was as formidable as it always had been, and my memories hadn’t exaggerating it. A small stream ran from the mountaintop to the bay far below.
Memories of my Master came unbidden to my mind and I pushed them away with the usual melancholy, here though it was tougher. It had been here that I had lost him. Maggie came up to my side and put her arms around my waist. I held her back and just stared out at their new and my old home. As we began our descent and approach to the docking area close to my old home, Justin came up and leaned against the railing next to us. Maggie let me go and stood up giving Justin the side eye. He rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“I’m not here to fight, I want to know what to expect down there. It doesn’t look so bad.” He said, gesturing to the incoming land mass.
I looked out and thought for a moment remembering my training and the time I had spent growing up there.
“Yes Hiro, I believe everyone would like to know, I have opened a channel so everyone on both airships will hear you.” Robyn said.
“Thanks pal.” I said to the AI, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice.
“You are more than welcome friend Hiro.” Robyn replied happily, completely missing or ignoring my sarcastic response.
“Anyway, it wasn’t that bad if I recall correctly…” I paused, remembering some pretty vivid stuff from my childhood and shuddered.
“What the hell was that?” Justin asked, echoed by the voices of the other students who were listening in.
“Nothing dude, it’s just that there are a lot of wild animals and dangerous plants and things…” I said, trailing off again as I remembered a time I was almost eaten by a bear and subsequently by a Venus Flytrap right after.
I related the story to everyone else along with a few other choice moments of near death that all flooded back now that we had returned to my childhood home. By the time I was done we were close enough to begin docking procedures. Justin stared at me like I was a crazy person and silence was my response from those listening.
“Hope that helps.” I said, in a voice that was a little to chipper, then turned and strode off to help with docking the airship.
Maggie laughed a bit at Justin’s response before following along after me.
“Were you serious?” She asked, softly.
“Yeah, I hadn’t realized I had suppressed so many memories of my training here. It’s literally dangerous as hell on the island.” I whispered, as the airship bumped softly against the decrepit wooden dock.
I hopped over the railing and onto the dock then tied the line to the cleat, which didn’t look like it’d hold the vessel to it if a strong gust of wind blew. We’d have to fix and repair the dock sooner rather than later. The other airship also docked and all the students and Fam on both ships came ashore. I joined the group that had gathered in the center of the clearing.
Wonder filled me as I looked around my old home, everything was almost exactly as I had left it. The chatter of the others was background noise to me as I slowly turned in a circle taking it all in. All of it was the same, even the grass was shorn like someone mowed it. The dueling area by the cliff was still there, the path down to the forest and jungle as well, and the way to the lagoon below was still paved with flagstones. My home was just as I had left it, boards and planks across the windows and doors.
It sat there a sad reminder of a different time in my life. Whether it was better or worse was up for debate, but it was simpler. Back then all I needed to do was work, train, eat, and sleep. Granted, I had almost died every single day of my young life then, but it had been worth it. My Master always said that nothing good came easy. Lots of instruction, training, working out, chores, and add in a metric crap ton of life or death situations to the mix and you had my early life.
“Ok, everyone, gather around the center of the clearing please.” Robyn’s voice rang out around the area.
The students and Fam had spread out and were looking around the area when the command came. A flashing light blinked in the center of the clearing and we all gathered around it. Once everyone was there the light changed and a holographic image appeared of the island in intricate detail. Question after question was tossed out to me and the AI, so quickly I didn’t know which to answer first. Thankfully, the AI took over.
“Just a moment if you please.” Robyn said.
Right after that the ground began to shake like a miniature earthquake and we all shouted and looked around in surprise. The surroundings began to change. My old home started to sink into the ground and the docks where the airships were shaken to pieces. In their place rose a metal pier that looked much more modern and was in perfect condition, along with a watch tower in the center. The spot where my home had been was now two one story buildings that were made of the same metal as the pier. The ground stopped shaking and we all looked around waiting for something else to happen.
When nothing did, I shrugged at Maggie and turned my attention back to the hologram of the island, which had changed and become
even more detailed.
ACCESS TO ISLA DE LA MUERTE GRANTED… AUGMENTED REALITY RETICULES UPDATING… INFORMATION SENDING… UPDATED…
Our AR-2s dinged.
WELCOME TO DEATH ISLAND STUDENTS.
YOU NOW HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE ISLANDS SYSTEMS. YOUR MINI MAPS HAVE BEEN UPDATED. AFFINITY INTELLIGENCE ROBYN IS CONNECTED FOR ALL USERS. THE LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA IS ALL VERY AGGRESSIVE AND EXTREMELY DEADLY. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.
GOOD LUCK,
THE ISLAND
The Island? That was weird. I shook my head and studied the updated map of the island along with the other students. Different areas were now highlighted in different colors along with colored dots everywhere as well.
“Now that we are all connected let me explain how things work. The map you see is now updated to show you the different areas of the island along with the different types of MOBs. You can access the color and level breakdowns in your AR-2s later.” Robyn said.
Questions began to fly out one after another and then a loud alarm began to sound. Klaxons that were more like air raid horns caused everyone to cover their ears. When we were all quiet the alarms stopped, and we all looked around sheepishly.
“As I was saying,” Robyn continued now that we were all silent, “we will be using the facilities and surrounding areas for training. Rick, the tower that was just raised by the docking area is a perfect home for your people.”
