“One day, a stranger passed through town. This stranger wore a wicked sword on his hip. As soon as Zero saw him, he knew that this man was someone to fear and admire. Thinking he needed to make a name for himself, he challenged the stranger to a duel.” With a half-hearted grin, he adds, “Zero lost that day, receiving a scar across his back, one of many he would receive throughout his life. That loss began the adventure of a lifetime. Fired up from the shame he expected, he carved a bo, grabbed a loaf of bread, and left his home never to return.”
He stops, sighing with satisfaction. “Was that it?” Arsene asks.
Zero shrugs in return. “Did you expect anything else?” At this, I bury my face into my hands. What is the point of this? Does he have a plan?
It would seem that I’m not the only one who found Zero’s declarations incredible. These mad dogs look at each other as if no one addressed them in such a fashion before. Their leader stands with one hand still on his sword. His face twists into a look of pure rage. “You have got to be kidding me,” another man yells. Everyone’s head swings away from Zero, focusing on the newest spectator. My ears perk up at this. I cannot remember for sure, but I feel like I’ve heard this voice before. The man springs to his feet, having to hold his helmet in place. His jaw opens as he gapes in disbelief. “Not you again. Anything but you.”
From the look of things, he is taller than his comrades, but that’s not what sets him apart to me. The longer I stare at him, I feel like I’ve seen him before. Blaine appears on his shirt, so I know we’ve met, but I can’t place it. It had to be a brief encounter. It’s something more personal. Somehow, I feel like the answer is right above my head; all I have to do is reach up and grab it.
At this sudden outburst, Zero stops focusing on the leader and turns toward this newcomer. He leans forward, scratching his head. “Does Zero know you?”
The large man gapes. “Are you kidding?” He pulls back his helmet, revealing a large welp on his forehead. It is no bigger than a fingernail, but it is so red and swollen that I can see it from this far away. All at once, it clicks in my head. It’s almost as if I’m standing inside that dark back room in Aliyah again. That voice rings in my ears, raging at me. How could I forget? I wait for Zero to recognize him too.
“Nope,” Zero replies to my surprise. Can’t he see the name? “Zero doesn’t remember such unimportant characters.”
The man rips a slender blade from his side. “Chief,” Blaine roars, waving the blade around. “Step aside. This one is mine.” Arsene looks at Zero, then back to Blaine. He shrugs and steps aside, knowing he loses nothing regardless of how this personal battle will turn out. Blaine gives a cruel grin as he strides through the bandits, sword in hand. “I hope you’re ready to taste cold steel. If the Chief steps aside, he knows how the battle will turn out.”
Unlike himself, Zero gives no taunts in return. Instead, he rests one end of the bo against the ground and leans on it. Wrapping his fingers together, he places his chin on his entwined hands. “What?” Blaine yells, his smile widening. “Are you losing your bravado?”
Zero continues standing in silence. At last, he leans back. Using his pole to balance, he bends so far back that he is close to somersaulting over. He calls, “Felix. Why don’t you take care of him?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” G. groans, ducking back to keep out of sight.
I blink. Zero has issued a challenge. My mind races through what I just heard. I wanted to make sure I heard him right. “What?” I exclaim, not able to hide the shock in my voice. Forget the fact that he wants me to fight; he told them that there were more of us. We should avoid that at all costs. Zero gave me away. How can we catch them off guard if they know that there are more of us?
Blaine laughs. “That’s fine with me. Send the pipsqueak to do your dirty work. I’ll hack him to pieces and deal with you next.”
I open my mouth to protest. Why should I fight Zero’s battle when he’s the one who got us into this situation in the first place? The problem is that backing out is too late. Blaine has accepted the challenge, the Voice says as my foe approaches me, the red tint covering his body.
G. slinks further away. “Go along with it,” he murmurs. “As long as they don’t know I’m here, we have an advantage.” Before I can argue with him, Zero’s hand grabs my arm, tugging on me to come along.
“It’s no sweat,” Zero says, stepping aside. “No matter how strong a foe seems, there’s always a path to victory.” His eyes narrow. “Don’t forget that.”
G. nods in agreement. Gulping, I grab my staff. If there’s no way out of this, I have no choice. I step from my hiding place and come into plain sight. Two of the men at the front of the audience burst into laughter. One of them shouts, a man with a crooked nose, “Blaine’s gonna snap you in two, little twig. Don’t you know what Coyotes do to sticks?” His friend swats him on the back in a fit of laughter.
This vote of confidence seems to bolster my opponent’s ego. He drags his sword across the ground, leaving a line in the grass as he approaches me. Since the last time we met, I can tell that he’s grown stronger. He doesn’t have to tell me, but it doesn’t stop him from bragging on himself anyway. “I must admit that I pity you,” he says, his voice dripping in false humility. “Since our last meeting, I have grown powerful. I have trained with my comrades, fine-tuning my skills until I could skewer that freak.” He jabs a finger in Zero’s direction.
My companion raises his arms in a defenseless gesture. “Still,” Blaine says. “I won’t lie and say that it won’t be fun crushing you in front of him. Two kills in one day for the price of one,” he nods his head. “Not bad.” Blaine grabs his sword with both hands. “Let me show you a taste of what you’re about to experience.” He releases a roar, sending his comrades into a frenzy of cheers. Blaine used Bulk, the Voice adds. His stats change. Stats Boost: Courage +10, Brawn +15. My stomach drops, knowing that this can’t be good.
“Have no fear, Felix,” Zero calls. “His power is nothing to what you have. Never forget what Zero has taught you. If you hold fast, you’ll succeed.”
Blaine’s smile widens. “Ready or not,” he says. “Here I come.”
I take a deep breath, hoping to calm myself down. My mind races with everything that I’ve learned over the last week. My body drops into a battle stance, keeping my feet firm against the ground. I don’t know if that can help me against Blaine’s new power, but it’s just like Zero said before, “One’s position helps focus the mind.” Just by preparing to strike, I can feel the initial worries losing their importance.
What do you want to do? That’s the most important question. It’s not a matter of one’s muscles. It has everything to do with the spirit of one’s will. Taking a deep breath, I picture what I want to accomplish. I want to hit him so hard that this puny stick shatters his teeth. Covered in red, he runs toward me, releasing a battle cry. I pay no attention to him as I search for that strength. My arms rear back, staff in a tight grip. No deep power meets my call, but I take a deep breath. Now is not the time to panic. It’s just like Zero said. The power must obey the master’s will, if he stands fast and doesn’t back down. My enemy comes barreling toward me.
“Cross Strike,” I scream. At first, I believe that my attack will bounce off him just like it did with the Orthrus not so long ago, but a voice reassures me. You used Cross Strike, the Voice declares, and I couldn’t be happier to hear it. A deep strength fills my arms. I step forward, and my staff swings. It strikes Blaine across the abdomen, sending a wave through my arms. The force is so strong I almost lose my grip, but I tighten my fingers. This attack isn’t over.
Spinning around, I raise my staff over my head. Before Blaine can register the full pain of the first strike, my staff cracks him across the head. Blaine drops like a rock, hitting the ground with a thud. I wait, expecting him to jump up and attack again. Beneath my health bar, I see the blue bar. Zero called it M.P., or magic points. It is the energy that I harness to use my s
pecial techniques. I hadn’t paid attention to it before since it stayed the same.
Now, after using Cross Strike, it was depleted a little. “Once M.P. is out, the tricks are over with.” That was Zero’s warning. I have to be careful. Always need plenty to rely on in a fight, like if Blaine got back up. Luckily, he doesn’t. It was effective. Blaine is unconscious, the Voice adds. Victory. You received 50 exp. Your level increased to 12. Stats Boost: Courage +2, Brawn +3, Stamina +2, Stylishness +1. Blaine had a coin purse. You received two gold coins.
“And that’s it,” Zero laughs. He lifts my arm in the air. “Felix is the winner. Give it up.” No one joins him in his excitement. Once again, I realize our situation, and it’s not good, but for the moment, I don’t care. For the first time, I have complete control of my ability. My body surges with my hidden strength. I haven’t felt so alive. When I hear what Arsene yells next, I have no fear.
“Get them,” the leader yells. As soon as he does, the bandits leap to their feet, and a red tint surrounds them. The Coyotes challenged you.
I grip my staff, expecting to fight these bandits one at a time. To my surprise, Zero grabs my arm. “Step back,” he shouts, pulling me behind him. “Zero will show you how this is done.” He grips his bo with both hands. Zero accepts the challenge. Zero used Berserk. Stats Boost: Courage and Brawn +13. The strange yellow glow wraps around his body. His bo whirls around him as he leaps toward the closest bandits. He swings and strikes an enemy at once before anyone has the chance to defend themselves. To my surprise, Zero sends him flying into the air. This initial attack makes the remaining thirty-eight hesitate for just a moment, allowing Zero to land an attack on another. This next unlucky man collapses beneath the blow as Zero moves on to his next challenger.
Too bad that hesitation couldn’t last longer. Arsene pulls his sword from its sheath and cries, “Mob Men Fury.” Arsene used Mob Men Fury, the Voice repeats. The bandits’ eyes all change colors. They draw their weapons as one and rush us. Behind them, everyone that Zero and I defeated stand up, with their eyes changing. Bright red eyes stare at us. That is the last thing I have time to notice before Zero and I are staring down this flood of crazed foes.
“All right. Harvest Time,” Zero yells, his bo knocking aside enemies with each swing. My hesitation gone, I jump forward and crack one across the head. It was effective. He drops to one knee, recovers, and tries to slash me with his sword, but I spring back and counterattack. He falls as fast as Blaine did. I couldn’t believe it. After fighting monsters and being the weakest of our group, I never would’ve thought I’d be so strong. I’m no match for Zero, but I can hold my own against these men.
A smile breaks out on my face as I see the experience points appearing in front of me. With each defeated enemy, my strength grows, and it only gets better with each foe that Zero defeats. I stop paying attention to it, knowing that it will only distract me, but all the while, I can feel my power increasing. Most enemies I can defeat in three attacks or less. With each felled foe, my experience grows, but I pay little attention to it. There are too many foes around me. Some land an attack on me, draining my health, but I grit my teeth as I keep fighting through the pain.
“Move,” G. shouts. Without looking behind me, I spring to the side, avoiding a bandit’s attack. Zero jumps high into the air. We both get out of the way just in time. G. used Battering Ram. Surrounded in bright energy, G. charges forward, spear leveled at the enemy. Before any of the battle-crazed thieves could escape, G. plows through them. Enemies are thrown to either side, health bars lowering fast.
“Not a bad idea, Zero. If you’re on a suicide mission,” he yells, whirling around and knocking one bandit across the clearing.
“Zero wanted a little thrill,” Zero replies, kicking one thief as he lands back on the ground. “Is that so much to ask for?”
“Just run when I give the signal,” he barks.
As the two of them send enemies flying in every direction, some bandits decide to try their hand at fighting me, the weakest of the bunch. Three enemies rush toward me. Releasing any fear, I grip my staff with both hands and summon my inner strength. You used Three-Point Paralyzer. Stats Boost: Agility and Stylishness +10. Before my foes can strike me, I rush them, hitting each of them with a perfectly timed blow to the back of the neck. G. has talked about the importance of weak points in our sparring sessions. At the end of the attack, I spin around, waiting for them to fight back, but they stand in place, unable to move. Your enemies are paralyzed. They can’t move. After a strike to each of their foreheads, they collapse.
In my hands, my staff begins to glow, something I haven’t seen in a month. Your staff is changing, the Voice announces. I don’t have a second to watch the transformation as another foe lunges for me. Dodging his attack, I counterattack with the glowing weapon, sending him reeling in the opposite direction. The glow explodes, revealing a new weapon in my hand, yet this one is so familiar. It’s still a slender staff, long as I am tall. Wrapped around the middle are white bandages, providing the perfect handhold.
At once, my eyes are drawn to the side, catching sight of Zero, wielding his bo. It is the same as mine. Your weapon transformed, the Voice declares. Current Stats Boost: Courage +3, Brawn +3, Agility +4, Recovery +1, Perception +2. Before I can fathom what this lookalike weapon means, another foe attacks me.
New strength surging through me, I fight with a renew ferocity. A smile creeps on my face as I realize how much stronger I am with this simple change. Is this due to leveling up to become a formidable warrior? Could it be related to having a weapon like Zero? Knocking back another foe, I decide that I have to get to the bottom of it, if I can get through this.
I have no idea how long this battle is. All I try to do is keep fighting until G. calls for a retreat. To my surprise, in time, the three of us stand side-by-side, without any enemies standing in front of us. I blink, unable to believe what I’m seeing. Somehow, we fought back all of them. There were only three of us against thirty-nine of them. Were they so weak, or are we so powerful? G. looks around, concerned creases on his face. Boastful and satisfied, Zero twirls his staff around and winks at Arsene, who stands behind his fallen bandits with his mouth gaping. “Didn’t expect that, did ya?”
Arsene has only three words for us as his face reddens in pure rage. “Mob Men Fury.” At his calling, all the bandits stand up, health bars refilling, glaring at us through their red eyes. I grip my transformed staff, ready to keep fighting, but sudden pain wracks my body. Glancing at my arms, I notice how much blood is pouring down them. When did that happen? That first bout took more out of me than I thought. Status Effect: Blood Loss. Courage -11, Brawn -10, Agility -4. Turning to G. and Zero, I notice similar wounds on their bodies. All of my bravado vanishes. These are dangerous men. We need to run while we still have the chance.
“What do we do?” I yell, my voice thick with panic. Zero smiles, ready to keep the battle going on indefinitely. I groan, knowing that I can’t keep this up for much longer. My eyes turn to G., pleading for him to give the signal. He stands poised with his spear, aimed at their leader.
“By all means,” Arsene taunts. “Let’s continue our battle. You will be dead long before my dogs are tired.”
Drawing himself to his full height, G. raises his staff above his head. My body tenses. What is he going to do? “Run,” G. says, spinning on his heel and sprinting away. Frowning, Zero does the same. I take off after them. From the first step, I know that I’m slower than before. A wild roar follows us. Glancing over my shoulder, I watch the mob racing behind us at breakneck speeds. Fear grips my heart, and I run as fast as my legs can carry me, but in this shape, what can I do? I watch Zero spring into a tree and disappear. Was this his original plan before G. decided to come along? Fight the bandits and leave me to get bludgeoned by them?
Not knowing where to go, I follow G. Hope they’re ready. Regardless of how far our destination is, we might as well be miles away with the bandits so close behind. As
I run, I try to maintain my pace, but my stamina is running out. Why didn’t I pay attention earlier? It’s because you thought you were strong. Turns out you were wrong. No point in it if you can’t escape. Lamenting my foolishness, I refuse to look behind me, choosing to focus on G. There’s no point in doing otherwise. They’re right behind me, so close to tearing into me. For the moment, I have to focus on the path ahead. If I trip over anything and fall, it won’t matter how fast I was running because this game will be over. All the while, my ears roar with the battle cries of the crazed bandits.
G. springs into the air, vanishing from view. “What?” I yell, realizing that I’m alone with these men wanting to rip someone apart. A second later, Zero appears out of nowhere. He hangs from a tree and grabs me underneath my armpit. “Upsy-daisy,” he yells, throwing me into the next tree. I catch a branch, keeping myself from falling into the bandits charging underneath. I clench my teeth and hiss from the pain, but I don’t let go. No matter how much pain I’m in, it’s better than the alternative. I don’t think I would’ve made it out of what happened next.
Aurora and Maris used Marshy Bog, the Voice announces. Bandits cry out in unison as they sink in the grass. The ground looks like mush. Since the bandits ran off without their horses, they are up to their waists in the muck before they realize what happened. Their red eyes burn with rage. In their frenzied state, they thrash around, rising out of the marsh. This was a minor hinderance. It would only be a matter of time before they escaped.
“Who do we have to take?” Queen yells from a nearby tree. Glancing toward her voice, I see everyone perched in the surrounding trees. Aurora and Maris sit in the same tree, joining hands to ensure that their combined attack maintains its potency. Maris lacks any emotion in this matter while Aurora looks miserable. Harva sits lower, watching the scene with slight terror. I look down at the bandits, not able to tell which one of them could be the guide we need. Thankfully, this trap doesn’t require my knowledge to be a success.
Mind's Journey 2: Of Monsters and Men (A Gamelit Fantasy Adventure - Book 2) Page 11
