I wander aimlessly. There were no buildings. No houses. No one. Just trees and vegetation. Finding some place to call it a day. A place where no one else would bother going. This forest might be too large even for me. But it's quiet. So tranquil. Wildlife made their sounds in harmony. Like there's neither rhyme, reason nor the need for them.
Deep into the forest I go. The Vivace Forest, as referred to by the people back in the city… I kept my eyes forward; there's no looking back. And then…the sound of water trickling down. Crashing gently. It came from the eastern side of this place. Curiously and cautiously I walk towards the source of the sound. The trees gradually decreased in numbers the closer I came.
A mist blocks everything; I'm very close. Grabbing the hilt of my sword, I draw it, revealing a curved groove and spinning it with my hand. Slashing through the thickness with ease. The fog opens, and I beheld a rocky pool with a waterfall above it – a hot spring. Several small cascades separating from the stream.
"Whoa…" I had no other words to describe all this. The beauty of it all… Isn't there a place like this anymore?
Walking around for hours took a lot out of me. Made me sweat, too. I approach the water, touching it with my claw. How warm. How pure. I've decided. With no hesitation, I cast aside my sword to a nearby tree. Soon, I proceed to remove everything. From the coat on my back to the loose pants around my legs. Exposing my toned body, covered in countless cuts and scars. I hang my coat on a tree branch. But the pants remain in my hands for a little while.
"Maybe jeans aren't a bad idea." I mumble to myself with a smile on my face, staring at my pants – the half of a martial arts gi. All that said, I put them away with my coat.
My attention shifts towards the steaming pool. Carefully, I put one foot into the water. The heat sinks in my skin. I bring the rest of my body in. Letting out a content sigh.
This water… It feels good. I can feel my muscles adjusting to the heat. Quite relaxing. I then look at the waterfall, approaching it slowly. The water crashes down on my head. Every trace of the world literally washes off of me. My worries. My anxieties. Everything meant to knock me and keep me down. All streaming away. With that, I lean against the wall behind. The smile resurfaces on my face.
For a moment, time just drifted by. I paid no notice to it… Registering all the other soothing sounds the forest has to offer into my mind.
But I could not relax any longer. Something was following me, all this time. I considered it best not to let my guard down. After a few minutes or so, I rose from the steaming spring. Droplets of water falling inevitably from my body to the ground. As the canine I am, I shook off every last drop away. Revealing a dry, toned and battered body.
Having finished all this, I reach for the branch where my clothes dangled about. The tree where my sword lay discarded. I grab every bit of fabric. Clutching to them is a better way to put it. From there, I put them on in a set order. First, my loose, white pants. After that, my longcoat. To complete the visage, I pick my sword up. Gently resting it on my right shoulder.
The presence still follows me; I can feel it. I'm sure to lose my patience at some point. Should I call out to it? And if I did, should I kill it? Should I give him an earful? Or would it all be a waste of my time?
Decision made, I call out. "You just gonna stand there and stare or what?"
I expected a response… Nothing…
I call out again. Frustrated. "You're not making this easy, y'know!" Before I continue, a sigh escapes from my mouth. My tone lightens. "I'm not gonna hurt you. That's what back alleys are for, anyway. If something's eating away at you, I suggest you get it over with already. Having someone stalk me is the last thing I want. Again, I won't hurt you."
The largest rock I see, two ears protrude out of it. Rabbit ears. They start moving; they must have heard what I said. A blue rabbit with a backpack perched on its shoulders emerges from behind the rock. He slowly approaches me, with intentions yet to be determined.
He moves his mouth. Clever words come out of it. "Who said I was scared?"
This rabbit child has been following me all this time. I don't have anything that interesting at all. Why would he waste his time watching my every step? My every move?
"Turn around and walk away, kid." I answer, breaking a swift silence.
"Wait." He pleaded. He had better have a good reason. "I've been looking for you for three days now. There's something about you that's bothering me…"
"And what would that something be?"
Judging by the look on his face, he had something to get out of his chest. Awfully bad. I'm not entirely indifferent. Bringing out the well-mannered person in me, I took the time to listen to his story…
…only to regret absorbing every little detail.
Did he seem crazy to me? That's a 'yes'. Is it at all believable? Not exactly. Am I going to help him? Yeah…
The hilt of my bamboo sword rubbed itself on my palm. Each stroke building the burning sensation in my skin. My arm felt like it was about to give in. Fall off, even. I breathed heavily. Regaining my composure. It wasn't over. No. Far from it, in fact. It had only just begun. From the look of it all, this is nothing compared to what was coming next.
One big group of targets rise up from the ground. Not the bullseye kind, but the person-shaped ones. Detailed, with a set of limbs, a torso, a head and all that. The drill for today was to slash each target down, split them in half. All in the least amount of time possible.
Across the open distance, my current master, Lupin, stands with peering eyes. His wolf tail wagging at a pacing speed.
What did I get myself into?
"Yang!" His voice calls out to me.
"Yes, sir?" I call back out to him.
"Ten seconds! Cut each one of these targets down in ten seconds! Think you can do that, you smartass whippersnapper?"
Ten seconds? He's gotta be kidding me. My entire body will be reduced to pudding if I keep this up. Is this training or punishment for the wisecrack remarks I kept targeting to him? And what exactly did he mean by 'whippersnapper'?
Again, he calls out to me. To make certain. "Well?"
"Alright, alright!" I yell at the top of my lungs. Kicking the ground once, I mumble to myself. "Stupid dog!"
Without anything else to say, I crouch down in a starting position. Picturing myself in a race, I sprint towards the group of targets in front of me. Maintaining a firm grip on my sword, slashing each one precisely in a blinding pace.
The thought of my arm possibly falling off was almost non-existent. I just…hacked away. My emotions put into every swing, every stroke.
A few seconds passed. I couldn't tell exactly how long, but I came to a stop. Halting in a crouched form. My sword arm stretched across my body, all the way to the other side. Eyes closed. The only noise that could be heard was my heavy heaving for air. Breathing on impulse, and completely wiped out.
Lupin approaches me. Keeping the same strict look on his face on the way. I can feel his eyes scanning my body – a way for him to tell me that I have much to learn. Searching me like a satellite or a surveillance camera.
He was imposing his authority on me. The way he stood in front of me with hands on his hips is evidence enough. His piercing stare reinforced his seniority.
"That was…", he hesitated on his words, "…a little better."
"A little better?" I pouted. As usual, when it seemed like I hadn't improved or anything. "You said 'ten seconds'! Take each target down in ten seconds. That's exactly what I did. I know! I kept count!" Maybe…argue is a more appropriate word. Pouting is best used to describe a much younger child.
"Yeah, I, uh, guess you're right…er, somewhat." 'Somewhat'? Okay, it's official: this is child abuse!
"What?" I rose back on my feet.
"There's no uh, how do you say it, "meaning" in your strikes. How could you not notice it?"
"M-meaning? More of this? Are you serious?" I let out a furious groan. Placing my hands on my head in frustration. With whatever energy I had left, I regretfully use to blurt out again. "This is bullshit."
In an instant, I immediately felt my stomach rocking violently – a sudden impact. A fist managed to lodge itself into my gut. My only reaction was to grunt and cough. I summon the strength to further look at the fist. The arm. Lupin. It was his hand. His arm. He punched me. Knocking the wind out of me.
Quickly he reels his hand back. I knelt on the ground, rubbing the pain away with a single hand. Coughing it all away. Actually, I needed that. Discipline, to be exact.
"I am really getting tired of that." He starts coldly. "This is the last time I'm going to warn you. If you don't want me to hand you your ears, you better watch what comes out of that mouth of yours."
Cut my ears off? How barbaric, even for me.
Master's face turned uneasy all of a sudden. He lets out a sigh. In order to calm himself down. His back towards me, he walks off.
I hear his voice amidst his footsteps. "Follow me, Yang. There's something you should see."
The pain died away. And I did exactly that. Those were sober words he spoke. This 'something' he has to show me must be significant to him. It's the only way I can put it all. But what I do know is that there's likely to be a lecture very, VERY soon.
We followed the same trail. The usual trail that brought us out to the plains and back again. It was quite long and boring. But I have to admit, it's pretty uplifting. Having to admire the scenery decorated with grass, flowers, the open sky and the warm sun. That made the walking part a little less boring.
We walked, and eventually stumbled across a cave. To be more precise, the cave where Eradicus once dwelt before his banishment. I still didn't understand why this place. Why it had to be this place. It feels so barren, homey or not. What was once a vile place of villainy is now replaced by a more accessible dwelling place – my master's home.
Lupin had already gone ahead of me. Way ahead. He stood there, in front of a wall. Where two swords hung on display.
These swords…they look familiar. Out of a textbook or history book. I've seen them, only in images and rough drawings. A large claymore-like blade and one that resembled a Japanese katana… Of course! The Blade of the Governor… And the…Blade of the Mediator…
My master's ears start twitching; he knows I've arrived. He starts speaking. "Yang, come here."
I walk cautiously, wondering what Lupin was going to say to me. When I got within whispering distance, I respond. "Yes, Lupin?"
Both of us became engrossed in these artifacts that hang by the wall.
"Take a look at these."
"Alright."
"Do you know what these are, Yang?"
"The Blade…of the Governor. And the Blade…of the…Mediator. I've only read about them and seen them in pictures and crummy drawings, but… I never thought I'd actually see them in person." The sight of them was…disarming. The way I spoke says just that.
And now… Cue the overly detailed and surprisingly interesting life story.
"Ever since I was a little boy, I've held the very name and culture of Woo Foo close to me. I promised myself to let Woo Foo live on. Protect everything related to it. And even pass it on to the world. To a new generation. These weapons are a few of the many artifacts of Woo Foo I protect. But I realized that I had to become stronger if I were to do all this. I did. And I always remembered why I've done so in the first place. There's a difference between power with and without reason."
I thought to myself long and hard. Absorbing each syllable. In the midst of all this, I could feel Lupin turning to face me. He crouches down, placing his hand on my shoulders. A sober air surrounds us… He continues.
"Yang… Promise me… Promise me that you will never forget what you're fighting for and why. There's no shame in wanting power. But along the way, you might forget exactly the reason you obtained that power in the first place. You'll lose yourself, your sanity, if you do. If you seek power only for the sake of it, you'll crave for it more… You'll go mad… Yang…please promise me you'll remember what I've said…"
Lupin starts gasping repeatedly. Something wasn't right. Yet at the same time, I contemplated on what he told me.
I want this power to protect everything I care about. But Lupin…he acts like I'm doing all this for the heck of it. Still, he does seem to care for my well-being. I guess I didn't realize earlier that we need to be reminded of such important things. No, that's not it. I simply forgot.
After my daydreaming, I pour all my attention to my master, who knelt down on the floor, groaning in agony. Clutching his chest roughly. Seconds later, he lets out a painful scream towards the ceiling. The pressure searing him.
"Lupin!" I yelled, grabbing hold of his shoulders.
The screaming stopped. Replaced by slow, heavy breaths. I just had to help him. I must.
"A-are you alright?" My words shook from what I've just witnessed.
"Yeah…" The response felt…different.
"Are you sure?"
"I said I'm fine! Just a little heartburn." This person in front of me…didn't feel like my master at all. But to my eyes, he still is. Getting back on his feet, he continues. "Yang, there's something else I want to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Have you heard of the Woo Foo Grimoire?"
"The Woo Foo…Grimoire…?"
"You'd think that it's a book of some sorts, but it's not. It's a Woo Foo artifact – a beacon that attracts nearby traces of Fog."
"Fog?"
Fog…the unseeable remnants of the Infernal Beast after its downfall during the Black Brigade. Only the strong-willed, or completely insane, could harness this power. But in retrospect, why would anyone tap into something so dangerous in the first place? Nonetheless, I'd do anything to become stronger. To protect everyone.
My master elaborated on this. "The form the Grimoire comes in is dependent on what the wielder desires it to be. Right now, it is but a mass of Woo Foo energy."
Suspiciously, he places his right hand in his long coat, searching its pocket. He takes out a small sphere that emanated a strong aura.
"This is it."
"This…?" I carefully reach out to just caress it with my fingers. But if he's showing it to me, could that mean…
"I've seen the look in your eyes, Yang." Lupin continued with more befuddling words. "I wondered if you were strong enough to inherit it. Don't think of it as 'the easy way', though. Your training is far from over. But I need to know… Are you ready? Can you harness the Grimoire's power?"
I…think I'm strong enough. That didn't come out right. I know I'm strong enough. Strong enough to harness a dangerous source of power. Convincing myself, I nod to the question. Bowing in respect.
"Yeah. I'm ready…master."
"Okay", Lupin said, in a regretful way. "But I have to warn you, Yang. When you first claim the Grimoire, it will test you."
"Test?" I didn't know where this conversation was headed. And I didn't like it. Not one bit.
"The Grimoire will find out if you are worthy."
"How?"
"Large quantities of spiritual energy will be transfused into your body, as a way to adapt, adjust, to the Grimoire. It will be an excruciating experience. You will either pass the test with flying colors…or fail tragically. You pass, and it will be yours to use in the form you imagined it to be."
"And if I fail?"
"You die."
A life or death situation. Oh, that's just great. My first few days as a disciple to a master I've only met and now it's do or die for me. How refreshing.
I took my time to contemplate thoroughly on this. Doubt. Fear. Hopelessness. I can feel them all consuming me.
Minutes later, I make up my mind. "I'm not backing down!"
"Alright." Lupin comes closer to me. Holding the lustrous sphere in his paw. "Give me your arm."
This all feels like an operation. I'm the weary patient. Lupin is the reassuring doctor in charge of it all. But 'reassuring' isn't exactly the correct word to describe him.
I entrust to him my right arm.
"Now…close your eyes…and focus on what you want the Woo Foo Grimoire to look like…and why you're doing all this in the first place." I did just that…
My eyes closed, I see visions of all the faces I care about – the ones I love, the ones I need to, must, protect. My father and master, Yo… My twin kid sister, Yin… My rival and friend, Roger… The one I'll always love, Lina… My other friends…Coop, Dave and Jobeaux…
…
…Everyone…
Suddenly, my sight starts to distort again. It's started! Flashes of light at random intervals. Everything I see is gray and grainy. Like watching from an old television… It hurts! I can't not scream. All their faces appear and disappear. Over and over again. The pain burns my insides. I'm…losing…consciousness… My strength…is…fading… Fast… Is this…it?
Ro…ger…
Da…ve…
Coop…
Job…eaux…
L…in…a
Mas…t…er…Yo…
Y…i…n…
The pain stops. But by that time, so has my body. Collapsing to the ground. I've fallen into unconsciousness… I can't…wake up… I can't nudge even the slightest. Someone's…calling out…to…me…
"Ya…ng…!"
"Yang…"
"Yang."
"Yang!"
