by Riker Kane
“I don’t feel anything,” he said. “I don’t taste anything. It was just like water—”
He stopped immediately when he felt something. A sudden burning sensation in his throat, all the way into his stomach and coming out of his mouth. He stuck his tongue out and panted like a dog. Kailani giggled in amusement.
“W-what? W-what is that?” Clayton kept panicking to Kailani’s continued delight. “What did you do to me?”
He grabbed her arms, clutching her as if he were falling off a cliff. The other villagers who’d gathered around to view were chuckling the same as Kailani.
“Kailani…”
“Oh, relax! It’ll pass.”
Sure enough, the feeling began to subside. Clayton’s breathing subsided and his heart steadied. He calmed himself down and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“What is that?” He examined the bowl closely. “I’ve never tasted anything like that. It’s like drinking fire.”
“We call it lavawater. A long, long time ago, some villager started mixing ingredients together. He came up with something your body didn’t react to until it was inside. I don’t know whether the guy is an idiot or a genius but people use it as a celebration.”
“I don’t see how drinking something like that can be used to celebrate…”
“When you’re celebrating, nothing else matters. Lavawater is strong enough to let you know you’re alive. The more reason to celebrate, the more you stop caring about everything else.”
“I think there are better ways to celebrate, thanks.”
“It also gets you drunk, so there’s that.”
Kailani downed a bowl of the concoction for herself. Clayton watched as her face scrunched in pain. The villagers around them seemed to be enjoying the pain as well.
Everybody had gathered in the center of Tamwa to celebrate Clayton’s victory. For the time being, the hard-working villagers drank their lavawater and relaxed underneath the stars. The tropical breeze and saltwater in the air were perfect for doing absolutely nothing.
Clayton sat next to a small bonfire with Kailani by his side. The villagers all looked at Clayton with curiosity, though none of them actually spoke to him.
“They think you’re fascinating,” she said. “Nothing personal.”
“I’ll bet. Do you get a lot of offlanders like me?”
“I can’t remember the last time we’ve had one. Most of them head to the coves, hunting crabs and looking for gold. They never stick around long enough to come to the villages like you though.”
“You ever worry about someone coming to the islands and, I don’t know, starting a war.”
“I don’t but Chief Elder Joakim does. That’s the reason Leben is the way it is. They’re always making weapons and armor. Preparing for an inevitable war that isn’t coming… The islands have been around for centuries though. Nobody would bother invading a little island like this.”
“You never know.”
“Life’s too short to be worrying about what might happen. I say you should enjoy it as much as you can.” Kailani downed a bowl of lavawater then made another one.
The drink lingered in his throat as he turned his head up and looked at the sky. The stars and moon weren’t much different from the view he’d seen back home but in some way, sitting here, it felt a little different.
“Congratulations!”
Clayton turned toward the booming voice and saw Kavana approaching. The big man plopped down right next to him and put both hands on his shoulders. He shook Clayton hard and made him dizzy.
“Great fight! You beat that guy at his own game! I can’t remember a time when Tamwa had a representative who could actually win.”
“Beating Mentu will be easier said than done. I’m not sure I have the strength to pick him up like I did with Jerek.”
“You don’t have to pick him up,” Kailani said. “Just kick that jerk in the butt and knock him out of the ring.”
“I don’t know if a kick will do it either…”
“It doesn’t matter if you win or lose,” Kavana said. “I can’t remember the last time there was so much joy in the village. You should celebrate your victory as much as you can.”
“Yes. You should enjoy it.” Everybody turned toward the sudden voice to the side. The villagers fell silent as they saw Chief Elder Joakim approaching. “Please… Don’t stop the celebration because of my arrival. You have much reason to celebrate. If I can have a word with you, offlander… in private.”
Clayton saw no reason to refuse him even though Joakim’s sudden arrival was curious. He looked at Kailani, who was busy swallowing down more lavawater. She gave him a shrug then looked off into the distance.
“All right…” Clayton stood up and walked with Joakim away from the small group gathered around the bonfire. “What’s this all about?”
“I’d like to congratulate you on your victory. You fought well for an offlander.”
“Just because I’m an offlander doesn’t mean I’m not capable.”
“So it seems. But the rules are different here in Hilamau. It’s not just brute strength or will that wins in the Fire Fights.”
“Judging from how Mentu looks, I’d have to disagree.”
Joakim smirked but Clayton sensed something insincere behind it. The Chief Elder was an older man. His wrinkles made his face sag and the wispy whiskers on his chin were the same white as his long hair. His frail body covered in deerskin belied something else, Clayton thought.
“You didn’t come here just to congratulate me.”
Joakim shook his head. “I didn’t. I came to ask of you a favor.”
“I don’t know… I just got here and we just met.”
“I have been Chief Elder for as long as I can remember. Leben has been in control of Hilamau for decades. In that time, the islands have become more prosperous than any time in its history.”
“I heard Leben is focused on war.”
“War is inevitable. Xeylon is a big world. There will be those looking to conquer us.”
“I still don’t see what you want from me.”
“Look around… Tamwa is full of nothing but farmers. Their lives revolve around growing the crops the entire island benefits from. If Okari becomes Chief Elder, he would ask all of the other villages to do the same.”
“I don’t see a problem with that. The people here live a good life, a simple life.”
“A simple life that could be disrupted by a single invader.”
Clayton shook his head and shrugged. “I see your point but I don’t know what you’re asking from me—”
“Lose. Don’t challenge Mentu. For the good of the islands. We must prepare for war.”
The smirk Joakim had was gone. All Clayton could see was a seriousness from the older man.
“Why risk your life for people you don’t even know? You’re an offlander. You’ll be leaving but we will be the ones that will have to live here.”
Clayton looked at Kailani. The lavawater was taking its toll on her, judging from how much giddier her grin had become. Kavana and all of the other villagers seemed to be having just as much fun.
“I may be an offlander but I won’t step down.”
“As I expected,” Joakim sighed. “I should warn you. Mentu will show you no mercy. He will do what is necessary to win.”
Joakim’s stern look was enough for Clayton to know how serious he was. He didn’t say anything though, watching the elderly man shuffle his way out of the village.
“What was that all about?” Kailani suddenly appeared next to Clayton.
“…It’s nothing. He just wanted to wish me luck.”
“Pfft! Like I believe that for a second… You’re gonna kick Mentu’s ass and all of Tamwa’s gonna celebrate…”
Kailani moved in front of Clayton, suddenly wrapping her hands around his neck. Clayton looked down into her blue, slightly glossy eyes. They were a lot more striking than usual. The light freckles on her cheeks he’d never not
iced before, probably because of her tan and the tattoo on her cheek. Something about the way she smiled made him forget about the conversation he just had with Joakim.
“Thanks, BB…”
She tugged on the back of his neck and pulled his face close. He didn’t resist, closing his eyes and letting his lips touch hers. The soft kiss emptied his thoughts and stirred desires inside of him.
“What am I doing?” Clayton jerked his head away and put his hands on her arms.
“What?” She shrugged, confusion on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“…You’re drunk.”
“Drunk… Ha! You can’t get drunk on lavawater! Not unless you have like four bowls… at least!”
“And how many have you had?”
She counted it out on her fingers and shrugged again. “I don’t know… Five…”
“Kailani…”
“Now that you mention it, I think I’m gonna sit down… Getting sleepy…”
Clayton rolled his eyes and helped Kailani lay down next to the bonfire. She looked comfortable, curled up into a ball with the flames dancing next to her.
“She has a problem with controlling her impulses sometimes.” A hand on his shoulder, Clayton turned toward the voice and saw Okari smiling at him.
“That seems to be the case.”
“Take a walk with me, Clayton. It’s a good way of getting the lavawater out of your system.”
Clayton nodded and walked next to the elder down the paths of the village. He looked out into the view, noticing some of the villagers were still out working in the fields.
“There’s always someone working,” Clayton said. “Even at this time of night.”
“We have to meet our quota. If we don’t, Joakim won’t be too happy about it.”
“What quota do you have to meet? There’s enough farmland here to feed every village for a long time. And it looks like you can grow all year round.”
“Joakim intends to prepare for every type of disaster. Hurricanes. Typhoons. Tsunamis. Invasion. He even fears the great kraken might decide to come ashore.”
“Then it’s true what Kailani said. Joakim is working Tamwa harder than he needs to.”
Okari stopped in his tracks. Clayton stayed silent, watching the elder stare at the ground with his hands behind his back.
“Kailani was always impulsive. Even when she was a child, I always had to make sure she didn’t climb too high in the trees. She’d climb anyway and she’d fall and come crying to me. It wasn’t enough to teach her a lesson though because the next day, she’d be sitting on top of a palm, waiting for a strong gust of wind to try and teach her another lesson.”
Okari smiled at the memory, his eyes focused on the ground.
“Sounds like she was a real handful…”
“She’s just like her mother.”
“Where is her mother?”
Okari looked up into the distance.
“We lost her when Kailani was born. My daughter never got a chance to meet her.”
“I’m sorry…”
“I’m not. If that’s the will of the Gods, then so be it. I wish she were here but I’m blessed to have Kailani.”
Okari’s sincere smile was enough for Clayton to know he meant it. The older man was always calm. Clayton was comfortable talking to him, even though they’d only just met.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done so far,” Okari said. “Tamwa is honored by your representation. Win or lose, I will do everything I can to assure you the means to leave the island.”
He put a hand on Clayton’s shoulder and squeezed gently.
“I sense something inside of you. Your greatness cannot be confined to the islands. Your destiny is out there.”
Clayton returned the favor, smiling as he patted Okari on the shoulder.
“I had no intention of disrupting your lives. When I win the Fire Fights, I’m sure Hilamau will prosper with you as Chief Elder.”
Elder Okari bowed his head then turned around toward the center of the village. “Come along now, Clayton. You can’t waste your night humoring an old man. It’s not every day you can celebrate victory in the Fire Fights.”
“It’s only one victory. I’ll celebrate again when you’re wearing Joakim’s crown.”
Chapter 10
Kailani led the way, Clayton following close behind her. He would’ve had his eyes on her regardless, her slender physique drawing his attention like it did when he first met her. But today, he was also curious if there was anything funny about the way she walked.
“I don’t know how much lavawater it takes to get drunk but you look like you didn’t have a drop last night.”
“You know that guy who invented lavawater? Lucky for him, one of the doctors invented a way to avoid lingering effects. We know how to celebrate but we know how to take care of ourselves, too.”
“A cure for hangovers. Hmm… I should bring it back to my world. I’d make billions.”
“I don’t know if it works for anything besides lavawater.”
“You sure about this, Kailani?”
She stopped in her tracks and turned around. “I’m optimistic but I’m not stupid. You have to do everything you can to make sure you can take down Mentu. If that weird sword of yours is what you say it is and you need to level, this is the best place to do it.”
They woke up early in the morning to get started. With the sun shining bright, Kailani led Clayton out of the village and into the forest. They walked for a few miles until they came upon a cove up the other side of the beach where Clayton washed up on.
“Right here.” She pointed toward the entrance of the cove in front of them.
Clayton noticed all of the ‘DANGER’ and ‘WARNING’ signs posted in front of it. He read the notices. “’Dangerous beasts lurk within. Keep out!’ Hmm… I guess this is the place. How dangerous are they?”
She shrugged. “Dangerous enough to put a sign up. Most of the time people go in there, they don’t come out. But that’s because they venture too deep. I say we go as deep as we can, you get your fix, and then we leave.”
“Any idea of what kind of creatures?”
“No clue. Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from any crabs.”
“Any coyotes down there?”
“Ca-what now?”
“Never mind,” he sighed. “Let’s just go in there. I need to get as many levels as I can.”
Clayton ignited his broken blade with a small flame and stepped into the entrance of the cove. The crashing of the waves outside echoed against the walls. Deeper inside, the sound of dripping water was endless.
The stone floors of the cove were hard and wet underneath his leather sandals. He kept his attention up, searching for anything that might be lurking in the darkness.
“The people from Leben… They’re fighters. They ever come to the cove?”
“They spend all their time in the forests hunting. It’s not about just slaying everything they see. To them, it’s a ritual as much as it is scavenging for material.”
“Makes sense… Feel sorry for the poor deer Mentu smashed with his—”
Scree!
An unintelligible screech quieted the two of them. Clayton quickly raised his weapon up to the cavern ceiling and saw the bats fluttering above him. The beasts were two-feet wide and just as long. There were too many of them to count.
“Not exactly the friendly type,” Kailani sighed as she drew the daggers from her hips.
“Just great… flying creatures.”
Clayton yelled and charged forward, slashing the Zeal Blade at them. There were so many of them, he was able to catch some despite his wild swings. They fell to the cavern floor and Kailani was quick to put an end to them.
“There’s too many of them!” she shouted. “They’re gonna swarm us!”
“I’ll keep them back! Just do what you can!”
Clayton didn’t relent, continuing to swing as much as his stamina allowed. The bats were able to get
on top of him. They scratched and clawed and bit at him but the wounds were superficial. The ability from Monarch Velour meant he could heal himself just by hitting them.
Kailani did her best to keep up. Her bone daggers cut down all of the bats Clayton wasn’t able to draw away.
“Look out!” Clayton shouted when he saw a black bat diving right toward her.
She deftly tumbled back and pulled a throwing knife from her waist. It quickly found its way into the heart of the bat, sending it down to the floor motionless.
The screech of the bats began to quiet. Clayton maintained his composure despite the sweat dripping from his brow and the rest of his body. Eventually, his wild swings were able to down most of them until the rest fluttered back up toward the cavern ceiling.
Silence once again filled the caverns. Clayton sighed to catch his breath. He examined himself and saw most of the cuts he’d suffered had been healed, with only a few red streaks of blood on his arms.
Kailani picked up her daggers and restocked her waist. “That was… something.”
“I’m not too good with flying enemies. Usually Jalise and Rena are the ones who help me out…”
“I’ll bet. You’ve got an interesting fighting style.”
The way she said it made Clayton curious. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means… you fight differently.” Kailani didn’t seem to think much of it, walking forward deeper into the cove but Clayton didn’t move.
“Hold on a second! What does that mean?”
Kailani looked at him. The growing smirk on her lips made Clayton unsure if he’d want to hear what she had to say.
“The way you fight…” She held up one of her bone daggers with both hands. “You kinda flail your arms around… like this…”
She was giggling at this point but Clayton wasn’t laughing, his eyes wide. “Are you mocking me?”
“I’m not mocking you. That’s how you fight.”
“They’re flying creatures and my sword is broken! How am I supposed to swing?”
“I know, I know! It just… It just looks funny.”
“You should’ve seen me when I fought Thomas. Now that was some real professional swordsmanship.”
