THE LAST ONE PART 2: THE TIME OF RECKONING
Story by: Malus Wolfe
Edited by: Davey Rootbeer
Produced by : Your Mom
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Chapter 1: Campfire Tales
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Saphira looked around for a few seconds, her eyes adjusting to the sudden awakening. She stumbled to her feet, holding her head in nausea. The entire chamber was in dead silence as the members of the group stared at the strange girl. Her eyes scanned the figures standing before her, trying to hold onto a memory. For a brief moment, her gaze was transfixed upon mine. In an instant her eyes light up with a childlike innocence. “Hey! I know you!” she yelled, right into my ears.
“Huh? I’ve never seen you before in my life!” I said, rubbing my ears, trying to get the ring out. I knew it was a lie, but I didn’t know how she had appeared to me at the soccer field, nor did I want her to know I was dreaming about her.
Asylus sneaked next to me, with the widest grin I’ve ever seen planted on his face. He elbowed me in the stomach, knocking me into a crouch position. I was still weak from absorbing the orb, and Asylus wasn’t helping.
“You sure you’ve never met her before? She’s pretty cute…”
“Shut up!” I said, pushing him away. He had a point, she was very cute. Her dazzling blue hair was shoulder-length, waving behind her intoxicating form. Her face was fair, with a slight slant to the eyes, and small ears. She was my image of beauty.
“Ahem.” Picc’elo said, nudging me. It took me a second to realize I was staring at her. I blushed, looking towards the ceiling.
“Oops.” I laughed, scratching my head. Straightening myself out, I looked into her eyes, extending my hand out towards her. “I’m Ben.”
“Saphira!” She said, shaking my hand. Her eyes met mine, creating a feeling I’d never felt before. As I stared into them, I saw past, present, and future, as if I had been through hell and back with this girl. I lived an entire lifetime in half a second, swimming in her deep eyes. “I swear, you seem very familiar to me! Are you sure we haven’t met?”
“Positive.” My voice resonated throughout my own head, breaking the trance I was in. It was almost as if destiny itself was speaking to me through this girl. I shook my head, looking at the ground. I was over thinking again, one of my poorer traits. What’s going on? Relax, Ben…
“I hate to break up the reunion…” Davey said, throwing me a wink, “But we have company.”
I looked over my shoulder. Standing in the doorway, there was a lone Youkai wolf, brimming with a weak aura. At the start of our journey I would have feared it, but now I knew better. I stepped forward to take care of it. To my surprise, Saphira was already standing there.
“Let me take this one.” She muttered, producing a small wooden staff. She stretched a bit, and jogged in place for a second. “I need to warm up after sleeping for so long.”
“A staff?” Asylus grinned, “Isn’t that a little cliché?” He took out his own staff, twirled it around, and set the point against the stone floor, grinning with a visage of superiority.
Saphira replied with a sharp kick to his stomach. Asylus and his staff were knocked flat, as I suppressed a laugh. “Watch, stupid!” She fumbled around the staff until she reached the midsection. There was a small depression around it, indicating the staff was two pieces. She was running her fingers along that depression, until she found a small niche, which she pressed with her finger. In a flash the staff split in half. At the top of each piece, was a thin strand of Chi, half an inch thick, and at least a yard long. It fell and waved with gravity, apparently staying in solid form. She was wielding two whips of chi.
“Watch closely now, I’m fast!” She smiled. The wolf charged as Saphira crouched, both whips poised. In a display of skill, the whips were dancing around in the air. The wolf was scrambling to try and dodge, but wherever he moved, he met a lash in the face. Tear after tear, Saphira hit exactly the correct spots to make the wolf retreat. With a grin of her eyes, Saphira crossed the whips, ripping the wolf open at the shoulder blades, tearing it back into energy. I stared in awe, realizing this whole scene occurred in around five seconds. She was skilled with her weapons, and she knew it.
Davey put on his half-smile. “We should get going. Yamakai isn’t pretty at night, and we need to inform Ms. Saphira about our current plight.”
I nodded in accordance, and headed for the exit. It took around a half hour to exit. Saphira needed some assistance; her muscles seemed to still be asleep. I carried her for the latter half of the trip, even though I was fairly weak myself. I wanted to show her my strength… The winding pathways of stone ended in starlight. Cougar, Picc’elo, and Asylus set up the tent, mostly Cougar and Picc’elo, with Asylus ‘coaching’, as he put it. I chuckled and helped Davey and Jubei with the fire. It didn’t take long after the timber was gathered. A few sparks of chi and it light. The group gathered around the fire, in a serene silence. Some warmed their hands, some yawned and relaxed, and some sat in a trance. Jubei was the first person to speak.
“I believe introductions are in order. I shall go first. My name is Jubei Tamadashi. I was born into the clan of the rune knights. At the age of seventeen, I left my nomadic home. I studied with the wood-elves for a year, and learned their ways. For three more years, I wandered, learning the ways of the people I met. I haven’t seen my family since before I started wandering. After a series of prophetic dreams, I wound up in the frontier town of Serai, where I met you and Davey. After which, you know.”
Picc’elo made a gesture with her hand, motioning that she was going next. “My name is Picc’elo Kuwain. My last name is actually in Elvish, but you wouldn’t be able to pronounce it.” She said, laughing. “I was born into the wood-elf clan, who call the Imajin forests of the south home. My family was always pressuring me to follow the ways of the elves. Namely, not associating with humans in any way. I found humans fascinating, so I decided to go off on my own. I my travels led me to Cougar’s village. We traveled around, pursuing criminals for money, and being commissioned out of Etanes. We wound up in Serai for just one night. It so happens that you caught us at the right place, right time.”
Absorbing the information from the two, I closed my eyes in thought. What would I say to them? How exactly does one explain earth? My life, my normal behavior, was alien to all of them. To explain a car to someone who’s never seen a metallic machine? I was not looking forward to my introduction.
“My name is Demon Cougar. I am of the Mu’Alkirk binding race. Picc’elo explained my tale. It is customary for our race to experience the world when we become of age. When she came to my dwelling, I tested her in combat. The duel ended in a draw. We gained a mutual respect. We had stopped for the night in Serai, and wished to relax. That was when a certain idiot bothered us, and we met all of you.” She shifted, looking away. It was clear she had no intentions to speak anymore. Her title had sparked my curiosity. Binding race? What does she mean by that? I went over her speech in my head during the silence, trying to catch onto her meaning…
I laughed at the way she brought Asylus into it, realizing the significance of her last phrase. Glancing at him, I noticed he was smiling. Just like him. He took a slight drink of the flask, and started on his story.
“I’m Asylus Otapis. I’m not gonna bore you with my past. I grew up in…Serai. Some travelers taught me blue magic early on. I fought in clubs for money, and lived on my own. You all know the rest.”
I chuckled again. Short and to the point, exactly like him.
“My name is Davide Mensake. I am the leader of an organization dedicated to stopping the Tendo king.”
This grabbed my attention. In our travels, I hadn’t heard Davey say a thing about his past, or his full name.
“We gather people and hold off the Youkai forces. The people who hold off the beasts at the gate of Serai are all followers of me. People fear and respect me because of this. They fear the Tendo king, but want freedom. I try and grant them both freedom and safety from Tendo. Looking for a way to stop the constant attacks, I had been exploring ruins when I found the scroll that led me to Earth. The Planeswalker was our last chance. Lucky for me, I found him.”
It was finally clear to me. How people treated Davey, why he needed me so much. I sat in silence, in thought. I’m that important to him? I could tell her was looking at me, urging me to speak, but I needed to digest his sudden information. I gestured to the beauty sitting next to me. “You’re up.”
Saphira smiled, and began her story. “My name is Saphira Aitem. I can’t tell you who I am, because, I don’t really remember. I was bound into that crystal long ago, when the Imajin forest stretched to the Akvari. That much I remember. I was hoping I could travel with you all until I gained some semblance of memory?” Her face was very serious. It stayed that way for a few seconds, until Davey nodded, and her face exploded into a big grin. “Thank you! I promise I’ll pull my weight!”
I beamed. I wasn’t going to mind traveling with Saphira, not one bit. Sitting up, I realized everyone was now looking at me. “Well, I’m Ben, the Planeswalker. I was born and raised on earth…”
This drew some interesting responses. Picc’elo looked interested. Saphira was looking at me wide-eyed. Jubei stared intently. Cougar seemed like she cared less. Davey had shut his eyes with a half-smile. Asylus was on his back, looking at the sky. He was listening, but not very closely.
“What’s earth like?” asked Picc’elo, after I hadn’t spoken in some time.
“Yeah! Hurry up and tell us!” said Saphira, with a slight tone of annoyance.
“Alright, alright! Earth is, different from this. For a first difference, we don’t have chi, we rely on technology, machines and the sort…” I laughed. This explanation was even harder than I thought. “Our cities are much bigger than Serai; we have thousands upon thousands, in buildings that touch the sky. There are cars, and trains, big carts of metal that move on their own. They take us places. There isn’t anything we have to fight, like the Tendo King or Youkai. We have games, like soccer, I’ll show you sometime…There are no monsters or ruins; everything is pretty much school and getting a job back at home. I hang out, err, have fun with, my friends, and that’s about the extent of my free time…”
I became homesick again. Everyone was beaming at me now; even Asylus seemed half-awake. I shrugged, and stood up. The homesickness was nauseating, I had to stop talking about home before I threw up or cried. “That time of night, don’t stay up too late now…” The only one who acknowledged this was Davey, nodding. Not saying another word, I crawled into the tent. Everyone came in an hour later. After a good hour, everyone was motionless.
I took my opportunity. I decided to head back home, just for the night. I would find the gate on my own, and be back before they woke. Sneaking outside the tent, I put on a chi enhance, jumping high, looking for the Imajin forest. I saw it, miles away. My heart sank, it was much too long of a journey to make alone. As I landed, Davey was leaning against a tree, smiling.
“I know, young Planeswalker, it’s hard. I promise you that you will get a chance to go home. However, that time is not now. You can rely on us; we’ll take care of you. But we desperately need you here right now. People are dying every day, all in Tendo’s sick game. Will you stay?” His tone was serious, countenance fierce with determination.
I shook the tears out of my eyes, and nodded. “Of course. I was just…getting some fresh air.” I knew I couldn’t leave. I had a higher purpose now, and I’d fulfill it, no matter what. I crawled back into the tent, and sank into my pillow. Two bright pearls of chi gazed at me from the adjacent pillow.
“You alright?” Saphira whispered, concerned. She gave me a smile, noticing my shocked face. “I’ve been sleeping for years, can’t get much now.”
I gave a soft chuckle. “I’m fine, but you should rest up. See you tomorrow.” I turned, not wanting her to see my weakness. I wiped some more tears from my eyes, and sank deep into thought, remembering my home. One step at a time, one step at a time.
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