Journey of the soul chapter 58
Hey Hunter, you ever wonder about how much life really matters to some people?
Hunter: yeah, I know there are people in my life who care about my well-being, and that I care about them.
Nah man, I'm talking about how, in an instant, the world could forget about you and everything you did.
Hunter: well, then we gotta make sure we do something worth remembering.
Yeah, that makes sense…you ever realize that the only thing you really get in life is your name?
Hunter:….did you eat one of spinax's cookies again?
Spinax: He signed the liability waver, this was his decision.
Hunter: did he sign it before or after he ate the cookie?
Spinax: onto the chapter!
"C'mon! Focus!" Hunter encouraged as Lila stood in the center of a circular rock platform, the same one they had battled in. Dimetro and Compso both stood on either side of Lila. The two vivosaurs looked around and gave Hunter's Spinax a wary look every time he made a less than slight movement.
"Think about the people you want to protect, how much they mean to you. Channel those thoughts to your vivosaurs and your soul." Wind was whistling around Lila as she stood with her eyes closed and fists clenched. Small sparks popped near her eye. Hunter admired the sight. Watching the conversion to soulflame in action was definently a sight to behold. And if He could teach Lila to do it, then they might be ready for whatever Alvis wants them to be ready for. Hunter wasn't to sure on the details, but if Alvis was worried then it was definently a threat.
"Not gonna lie, I don't think the kid can pull it off."
"Why not Spinax? I thought you liked Lila."
"It's not that. This is some sort of magical transformation that is essentially enlarging your soul for a power boost. You could only start using it once you were in a fight for the fate of the world. Is it really possible for a kid to be able to do it just because she was told to?" Spinax did have a point. It wasn't like Hunter could just throw Lila at Guhnash and hope for the best, although, he wouldn't do that given the choice anyway.
Lila growled like she was about to lash out, then , her muscles tensed up before completely going limp. Hunter caught Lila before she fell.
"Sorry," Lila muttered, righting herself, "I'm ready to try again."
"Hmm," Hunter rested his chin on his hand, "y'know, maybe we've been going about this wrong." Lila sat on the ground with her legs crossed while Spinax picked Hunter up by the foot and started dangling him in the air.
"Are you sure that doing that really helps you think?" Lila called from the ground.
"Not really!" Hunter called back. He felt blood collect in his head as he thought about the situation. Lila isn't able to use soulflame by just bringing up emotion through thoughts, and Hunter wasn't about to make her go through what he did.
"Every time it looks like we may have had a breakthrough, she fizzles out." He said to himself.
"We need a new game plan then." Spinax replied. They looked down at Lila with her vivosaurs. She was leaning against dimetro while Compso began cleaning itself.
"Neither of those vivosaurs seem to react to soulflame like you do either." Hunter shook his head, "it's like she just isn't reaching them with her energy."
"…when did all this become so complicated?" Spinax groaned, "back in my day, you rank up. If you still aren't strong enough, you rank up again."
"I don't think ranking up helps in every case, remember frigi and igno?"
"Ah yes, good old ? Rank. You know where they can stick that rank?" Where exactly legendary vivosaurs could stick their rank, Hunter would never find out. His paleopager went off and Spinax dropped him on his head in surprise.
"…I'm am going to slam your medal into every medal object I see."
"Well, now at least you have an excuse for acting like you've been dropped on your head."
"Excu-….Hey!" Hunter just now noticed that Lila was laughing at him.
"You look like a big top!" Lila giggled as he was still balanced on his head. Hunter slowly righted himself and checked his paleopager.
"Participants for round 4 of the caliosteo cup have been selected. Hunter Elwood and King Dynal XVI, please report to the fighters station." He read aloud, "well, that will definently be interesting." He had no idea if Dynal would be a difficult fight, or why he even entered the tournament for that matter.
"Isn't that one of the lizard people?" Lila asked.
"Dinaurian, and yes. Well, I guess we'd better got going then!" The two left their makeshift training arena and began walking down the mountain.
"Okay, dinomatons are probably illegal, so that leaves two random vivosaurs and the one Dynal transforms into," Hunter went over his strategy in his head. All he could really think of was keeping Dynal from figuring out who he was.
"Isn't that the guy you fought when you were younger?" Lila asked. Hunter took a moment to register what she just said. Exactly how much did Alvis tell Lila about the dinaurians?
"Yeah, he is. Lila, what else do you know about him?"
"I know he fought you. That's pretty much it." Lila yawned. Hunter scratched the back of his head and laughed at himself. On the inside, he was breathing a sigh of relief.
"Dodged a bullet on that one."
"That depends on what you consider dodging."
"Shut up Spinax." Eventually, the two reached the bottom of the mountain and entered the teleporter. In a flash, they were back in cranial city. As they walked up the steps, Hunter stopped abruptly.
"Hey Lila?"
"What's up?"
"You should take this." Hunter unclipped a Dino medal from his belt. It was the one Ryne had given him. A boneysaur that looked similar to a chameleon.
"Wow!" Lila snatched the Dino medal out of Hunter's hand and held it up to the light, "are you sure, this looks pretty rare."
"Positive. Besides, rare vivosaurs aren't really my thing anyway. My best one is a Spinax for crying out loud."
"Did you just call me common?" Spinax snorted indignantly.
"No."
"Good, cause then we would've had a probl-"
"I'm calling you a filthy casual."
"Says the guy who couldn't find more than my head fossil."
"Well, considering how common spinax's are…"
"They'll never find you're body."
"…you worry me sometimes Spinax."
"That is typically what I do." Lila pocketed the vivosaur with her other two and practically skipped to the station. Hunter followed with a smile on his face…which quickly turned into the most emotionless look he could muster. Duna was at the entrance to the station with Dynal. They were both talking to Alvis.
"Ah! There you two are!" Alvis greeted the two with an extravagant gesture. Dynal looked at Hunter in a different way than before. Like He knows something….oh no.
"Hi Duna!" Lila waved as she walked over. Hunter stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to look discreet.
"Hello," Duna smiled at Lila, but that smile didn't reached her eyes. Hunter felt his heart threaten to shatter.
"Ah, Lila Frost. I've been wanting to meet you for a while." Dynal crouched down to be eye level with Lila, "I have wanted to apologize to you directly."
"What? Why me?"
"No particular reason," Dynal stood back up and looked to Hunter, his steely eyes had a sharp intensity to them.
"And I believe you are my next opponent. Best of luck then." He held his hand out. Hunter shook it.
"Right…you too." Once they shook hands, Hunter felt a familiar headache, along with a voice.
"Why are you hiding?"
"Did Duna not tell you?"
"I know why you are hiding from the world, but why are you hiding from us?" Hunter went on like nothing happened. He bid Lila and Alvis goodbye and went to the common room with Dynal. Spinax didn't dare say a word, but his silence spoke volumes.
Dynal knows, Alvis told him everything. About Lila, and about Hunter's Identity. He can't let Dynal tell anyone. Hunter needs his identity to be a secret. If he gets found out before winning the cup, then he's gone for good. Then again, is there harm in Dynal knowing. Is there harm in any of his friends knowing? Even….
No, NO. If they know, then they'll get dragged down with him if he gets caught. Hunter cracked his knuckles as the door to the stadium opened. The two walked to opposite ends of the arena. Dynal had an emotionless expression. Hunter was doing his best not to scream.
"No point in hiding then," spinax shrugged, "you ready?"
"No, but I don't have a choice." He looked to the crowd. Duna and Lila were in the usual spot with Alvis right above them. He glared at Alvis for old times sake.
"Spinax! Venator! Plesio!" Hunter called out a few of his lesser known vivosaurs along with Spinax. A ring of light surrounded Dynal, but he didn't reveal any Dino medals. He transformed into the same vivosaur form that he had used to fight Hunter for the fate of all humans. It was almost strange to see the creature in a stadium and not the idolcomp room. But what WAS strange was that no other vivosaurs accompanied Dynal. Different thoughts clouded his head. His identity, his friends, what Dynal wants, Duna.
"Call off your other vivosaurs." Spinax growled. Hunter didn't ask why. He recalled both of them in a flash of light. He could swear he saw a smile on Dynal's face.
"Spinax Mega!" Spinax rushed towards Dynal with his claw cloaked in a tornado. Dynal responded with a colorless beam of light from his mouth. Spinax reared back with his claw and struck the beam of light directly. The two forces collided and dispersed.
"Up!"
"Haven't heard that one in a while." Tornadoes fired from Spinax's feet as he rocketed into the air. Dynal fired another colorless beam, but this one branched our into multiple streaks of light. Spinax spun in the air to avoid the streaking light, but was caught on the tail and was sent spiraling back downwards.
"Spinax mega once more!" Spinax righted himself as he fell and brought his claw down on Dynal. The crash sent up a cloud of dust, but the fight was far from over.
Dynal rushed at spinax, lashing out with his claws and fangs. The larger vivosaur was forced into the wall by the assault. Spinax whipped around with his tail and created enough room between the two to fire a cyclone. The cyclone hit its mark and Dynal was sent sprawling backwards. Hunter ignored the fact that his eye had started to feel hot.
"Spinax Terra!" Spinax fired a much more condensed shot of wind at Dynal, who responded by splaying out the blue tendrils that stuck out of his back. The tendril waved in the air for a moment before glowing pure white. The attack was easily deflected by a short beam from Dynal, who was now coated with a blinding white light.
"Cyclonic ra-…Spinax giga!" Unlike Hunter, Spinax didn't falter and rushed at Dynal, his jaws clamped Down on one of the tendrils. Dynal looked over and gave Spinax a half amused look.
"Consider this payback for kicking me in the gut." He growled directly at Dynal. Spinax opened his mouth slightly and let loose a green laser that drove through Dynal into the ground. Still, it looked like barely any damage was received. Dynal outstretched a claw and Hunter watched as the light left the tendrils and wrapped around the claw, transforming it into a deadly blade of light. Dynal slashed at spinax with the new weapon and forced him backwards. When Spinax was a measurable distance away, the light left Dynal's claw and reappeared on his tendrils.
"He can shield every part of himself with that light. If we can hit him with a burst shot, that'll do some damage."
"Then why can't I explode in his face?...that came out wrong"
"You know why, that would give away…ack!" Hunter clutched the side of his face as the searing pain got worse. He gritted his teeth and growled.
"Up!" Spinax rocketed upwards, but at a slight angle so the beam Dynal fired would miss. He took a slash at Dynal as he passed over. Light formed around Dynal's head in a helmet shape and spinax's claw scraped across it, sending sparks everywhere.
"Now fall!" Just as Spinax lifted away towards Dynal, he stopped his ascent and came rushing down. Light wrapped around Dynal's claw, forming a blade again. Spinax lashed out with his claw wrapped in wind. The sound of the impact was comparable to an earthquake. Still, both vivosaurs were very much active. Spinax pushed Dynal's claw upward and fired a tornado directly at his head. The light shifted again and the tornado dispersed almost immediately. Of course, a shield doesn't protect from grabs. Spinax hooked his claws under Dynal's chin and beamed the smaller vivosaur at the wall. Dynal's light shield took most of the damage, but Hunter could see gritted teeth and and signs of injury from behind the dust cloud. Unfortunately, Spinax couldn't see the white beam coming from the dust cloud and was hit square in the stomach. Spinax slammed into the wall and his head lolled to the side. Neither were on their feet. But slowly, they rose back up to face each other. Dynal turned his head towards the sky and roared.
"RRRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!" Spinax thundered back at Dynal. The two rushed at each other. Spinax with a claw shrouded in a tornado and Dynal with light forming a massive claw were his arm should be. Hunter gripped the side of his head as they clashed over and over again like sword fighters. His vision was blurring in and out.
"Not now…not now!" If he went soulflame now, it was over. He struggled against his own emotions to the point where I'd felt like he was tearing himself apart. Spinax was too preoccupied with the fight to stop and help. He knocked Dynal's claw away and hinged his jaw to its full size, attempting to bite down on Dynal's tail. The light from the claw quickly shifted to the tail, but Spinax snapped his head back and fired a point blank tornado in Dynal's face.
"Alright coach! We got em in a corner," Spinax finally turned his attention back to Hunter, who was steadily staring at the ground, "now what."
"Pin him against the wall, then cyclonic breath."
"Real funny. We both know that would catch people in the cross fire."
"So? What did they ever do for us."
"Dark and broody teenager doesn't fit you, that's more my speed. So what's the real
Plan?"
"You heard me, I gave you an order."
"…are you serio-" Dynal clocked Spinax in the side of his face with a headbutt. He staggered backwards and barely had enough time to hold up his arm and block the oncoming slash .Spinax was forced backwards into the wall by a colorless beam.
"Attack now with cyclonic rage."
"This close to the stands? Did I drop you to hard on the head?"
"They're not my problem. Attack!" Spinax stood there passively. Dynal charged, claws sparking across the ground.
"Attack now!"
"I won't"
"Then you can fail."
"You aren't Hunter. Or at least not the one I know."
"I am…argh!" Suddenly, Hunter clutched his head again, groaning and shaking with pain.
"No…you stay out." He growled to no one in particular. His eye was practically about to explode into flames. A spark shot out like Lila's would during training.
"Hunter!" He heard voices shout from the stands and slowly looked over. Todd was there, cheering his heart out. Lila was standing up, jumping while shouting at him. Duna was even looking at him. Was that a look of concern? For him? Was she worried about him? After all he had put her through?
"HARDEN!" Hunter shouted with all his might, yet his voice still sounded softer than before. Spinax's crystals glowed just as Dynal's claws made contact. They scraped off Spinax rough hide. Spinax brought his claw down on Dynal's head. Knocking him out and returning him to dinaurian form. The crowd roared, but Spinax didn't let himself enjoy the attention. He was too focused on the shaking mess that was his friend.
"What was that back there?" Was all Spinax could say.
"I don't know." Hunter looked down at his shaking fists. He tried to unclench them and found that he couldn't. Like he had lost all control.
"and until I do, I'm never using soulflame again."
Done….can I go home now.
Spinax: well that's a new one.
Hunter: what's wrong now? Did you run out of spinax's cookies?
Yeah, but that's not it. No one leaves reviews anymore. I have no idea if people like the new style or not.
Hunter:….you're kidding right?
No, why?
Hunter: did you remember to ask them to leave reviews?
…..thanks for reading! Leave a review if you feel like it!
Spinax: so are we not going to acknowledge what just happened in the chapter?
