Chapter 2 - Searching
Japan was bustling with working people. Pollution surrounded the 4 boys who came out the Japanese airport. It was gradually getting dark and people were starting to go home.
"Dude! This place is awesome!" Shark admitted as he looked at all the skyscrapers towering all over him.
"It's a shame that there is not much sun, but at least there are hot girls!" Hawk said aloud while eying some tourist who also came for a good holiday.
Axel was thinking, thinking hard. He thought that if he came to the Jo Lan temple than he would get some kind of clue here, but he just couldn't think where the temple was. He was hidden so that the people of Japan or any unwanted visitors go there. Axel thought about the time his dad told him he was going to Japan.
Flashback
Sebastian frowned at the phone call that he just received; he looked at his wife that has just walked in. He tried to smile but couldn't and she immediately knew something was wrong. She sighed as she knew that frown.
"Where are you going now?" she asked
"Japan, about the Jo Lan temple" he replied plainly
"Well you are going to have to tell Axel yourself this time!" she commanded then walks out in a huff
"Daddy?"
Sebastian turned around in a sudden. His blue eyed son was staring back at him. He smiled as he patted on his lap. Axel ran up to his father and jumped on his lap.
"Why is mummy upset?" Axel blurted out hoping that his parents were not splitting up.
"Well she is upset that...I have to leave to go to Japan" Sebastian responded feeling guilty as he once promised his son he would never leave again. He felt his son fidget a bit.
"But you promised! You said you will teach me more Jo Lan and you will never leave again!" Axel whined
Sebastian lifted his son onto the bed to resume packing. His head told him he had to go to the temple to help people but his heart wanted him to stay with his family. He opened his drawer and started taking random clothes. He felt his hand touch something metal and cold. He looked down and saw a necklace with the Jo Lan dragon on it. He smiled as a thought came to his head. He turned around to face his whimpering son.
"You know I won't be gone forever! If you ever want to find me all you have to do is use this!" He told his son who had stop crying and was traumatised by the necklace. Sebastian smiled as his mission was accomplished. The necklace was a bit like a compass, the tail of the dragon will always point to the Jo Lan temple.
"H...How?" Axel stuttered
"If you have this to your heart it will always point to the Jo Lan temple and you can find whenever you want!" He whispered makings his beautiful son's eyes get wider.
End of Flashback
Axel snapped out of it and found himself still outside of the airport in the cold air. King was now walking towards a restaurant, Hawk was talking the girls he eyed earlier who were obviously getting bored and Shark has already got out his skateboard and was roaming the streets ignoring the business people rolling their eyes at him.
Axel sighed at took of his rucksack, he dug deeply into the bag trying to find the necklace that he had kept for ages hoping that one day it will help him find his dad. No luck yet. He started checking his pockets hoping he could find it there but still nothing.
King noticed Axel was worried about something as he searched his pockets so he stopped walking towards the delicious smell and went over to his good friend.
"What's up?" King asked trying to sound not too worried
"Eerm... have you seen this metal necklace with a Jo Lan dragon on it?" Axel wondered as he still search his belongings
"Not really...wait...didn't Shark have it round his neck?" questioned King.
Axel got up straight away looking Sharks way that was coming towards them, he noticed that Shark was wearing HIS necklace and he was definitely not happy about this. As Shark came past them Axel stuck out his foot so that Shark skateboard stumbled as he fell off.
"What the...!" Shark cried as he got up, "What the heck was that for?" he demanded to know looking straight at Axel
"That was for taking my stuff!" Axel held as he grabbed the jewellery off Sharks neck and putting it round his. Shark rubbed at his sore neck but did not argue back as he knew that Axel was scary when he was in this kind of mood. Axel looked at the necklace to see if there was any damaged done and luckily there wasn't. He looked at the tail which pointed toward a sandy lane that seemed to look like to go on forever. He sighed, shrugged and beckoned the rest of his team to go over.
Lioness took a long, deep breath and opened the door to Master Manning's room. There was a very dim light coming from the candles around the room. And there on the floor was Axels' dad meditating. Lioness walked slowly towards him and bowed. Sebastian smiled.
"Lioness, how long has it been?" Sebastian questioned at the shy girl standing before him.
"I am so sorry! I have failed your only request! Axel is out to find you which cause everything you ever worked for to crumple into pieces all because of me!" Lioness cried, as thousands of tears fell down her cheeks. She didn't deserve to be here, Sebastian helped her through a very hard moment in her life and the only thing he asked for in return she couldn't do. Sebastian got up and wrapped his arms around the fragile girl into a big bear hug, although Lioness was another Jo Lan warrior years ago with thousands of other kids, he seemed to be connected to Lioness and treated her like his daughter.
"Ssh! It's ok! Let him come, I knew this would happen someday! While he figures out where I am you can have your old room back and stay and train, we might need you, if he comes in the end!"
Lioness nodded knowing it would be better if she didn't get in a state. She smiled as Sebastian never gave away her room.
"You never gave away my room?" asked Lioness.
"I knew someday you will come back, now go on and train, lots of people have missed you! Especially Kyle! So go on and have fun! Tomorrow I expect you to get those warriors back into shape!" Sebastian answered shooing Lioness away.
Lioness left with a big grin on her face. Something's never change! She ran down the stairs to the first floor. On that floor were thousands of rooms where the borders slept. Suckers! They have to sleep in the most crowded corridor in this place! Ha-ha! I am soo lucky! She turned a few corners and the corridor was getting smaller and darker. Then right in front of her there was a green door with a lion/cat on it. She turned the knob and walked in expecting some things to be gone or moved but everything was there just a bit dusty. Her king sized bed was by the right wall with her gym stuff opposite it. There pictures of her old friends and Kyle and even Sebastian on her shelves. She remembered something and grabbed her bag which was now by her door. She carefully pulled something out wrapped in news paper. She smiled at the object and placed it in the middle of her shelf. She smiled at it one more time and left the room.
Hawk stopped to catch his breath, they have been walking for 2 hours and it was really dark he looks ahead and they were still walking. The others didn't seem to be exhausted but they didn't understand that Hawk wasn't as healthy as them. He took one more deep breath and carried on. I will show them that I am just as healthy as them! He thought to himself. He hurried along hoping to catch up quickly.
After another hour of Hawks whining they soon came to a stop – right in front of the temple. Hawk sat down who was obviously exhausted and tired. King also sat down to stop his belly from grumbling so loudly while Shark just wondered around the place.
"This place is scary!" Shark commented
"I know! The way the shadows seem to go on forever and you never know whose there!" Hawk added, observing the place.
Axel shook his head as he felt his eyes feeling droopy. He had to find someone to help him. He started wondering and calling and finally someone answered.
"Yes?" An old man answered coming out of the shadows.
"wow! That was freaky!" Shark whispered to Hawk
"Well...eerm... I was wondering if you can help me! My dad he has been missing for ten years or so and eerm... someone told me that he was still alive and I was wondering if you know where he can be?" Axel hoped.
The old man nodded, "I see!" he signalled for the boys to come in which they reluctantly did.
"So do you know where he is?" Axel asked again
"You need to rest for your journey tomorrow; I will call for one of my people to get you food. You can wash here as well and then I will tell you where your dad is but where is your 5th person? She is a girl in your team, why isn't she here?" The old man finished
"She didn't want to come!" Axel replied quickly not making eye contact with anyone. He felt terribly guilty what he done to her and he would do anything to play that scene differently but what is done is done.
"I see!" the old man stated eyeing Axel very carefully, "Well your search is over, your father is hiding deep under the martial arts capoiera in Brazil! And there and only there you would find him with thousand of warriors preparing to fight if you go and see him. That is the consequence! If you decide to reunite with your father then that will bring war between good Jo Lan and the bad!"
The old man looked at the boys after he finished his short speech. He smiled and walked away, he himself would have to prepare for the worse to come.
