Been a while since I updated this story, unfortunately school has started back up for me again and for the rest of my time there work will be very labor intensive so I will have to put a lot of time and focus into that. However, I will do what I can to continue with this story and the other ones I'm working on.
For now, enjoy the first (real) fight!
"Alright... Here we go!"
"Such a shame that you went to the trouble of buying those new clothes." The avian Mamodo taunted with a condescending tone, curling it's beak as though it were a mouth upwards to a snooty smirk. "You won't get a chance to wear them after we're done with you, right Adrian?"
"I think we have more important things to worry about, Windsor..." The younger boy, Adrian, remarked as he glanced over at his partner with a rather annoyed look.
"Zeruk!" Brendan read as he got a good look at the opposing duo. Windsor, the avian Mamodo was a rather large bird-like creature that was baby-blue in color aside from a vertical white stripe of feathers around his abdomen. His legs looked like that of a normal bird, but with them being as thick as human legs gave them a rather uncanny appearance. A tuft of feathers on the top of his head was shaped almost like a pompadour and the smug smile on his beak made him look like he belonged in some sort of magazine for the wealthy, Brendan knew Kolm wanted to make him look like he belonged on the kitchen table after being stuffed and cooked.
As for the bookkeeper, he was a rather thin teenager with scruffy-looking brown hair and large glasses. He wore a blue school jacket over a white polo shirt, tan pants and blue sneakers. From where he was standing, Brendan couldn't see exactly what school he attended.
Kolm's arms once again became cloaked in a bronze armor as their muscle mass increased slightly. Without a moment of hesitation, Kolm leaped onto a nearby pillar and bounced off of it, speeding right towards Adrian and Windsor. The Mamodo barely had enough time to dodge the punch that Kolm threw at him, the humanoid managing to catch a metal beam as he looked back at his target.
"H-hey! I wasn't ready!" Windsor cried out.
"Well they aren't going to wait for us!" Adrian replied, opening his book and looking right at Kolm with a fierce look in his eyes. "Ventir!"
Windsor's eyes began to glow baby blue as his beak opened wide, a sphere of energy of the same color began to form as the air around it swirled around it before joining the mass before it was fired at Kolm, who simple let go of the beam and landed back onto the ground.
"No good..." Adrian grumbled. "Let's try that again, Ventir!"
Windsor fired another wind sphere at Kolm, who just narrowly avoided the attack with a roll.
"Kolm!" Brendan called out. "Get over here quickly!"
"Oh no you don't, Ventir!" Racing back to his bookkeeper, Kolm rolled again to avoid another attack as he made his way back to Brendan.
"This isn't going to work..." Brendan growled as he and Kolm got behind a pillar for cover.
"What do you mean?" The Mamodo asked.
"There's no way you'll be able to get close to them. If you try jumping at that bird then he'll just fly to avoid the attack, which could leave you open." Brendan explained.
"Don't worry about me, I can take any damage they try to deal."
"That's not the only thing that has me worried. Remember, my friends are still nearby, if you get too banged up then we'll have to explain this situation to them, and I don't think they'll be able to believe something like this. Plus, they won't exactly be too happy with us for ruining clothes we just bought for you."
"Quit hiding! Ventir!"
Another cannonball of wind slammed into the ground very close to the Brendan and Kolm, knocking them off their feet and into Adrian's line of sight.
"We may have to worry about what we tell those two after we deal with these two. Even if we don't have a set plan, anything is better than sitting around." Kolm explained as he dusted himself off.
"Right... But maybe we're looking at this the wrong way..." Brendan said as the two ran to avoid yet another attack.
"What do you mean?"
"Well you said that the objective is to burn other Mamodo's books, right? Well instead of fighting the bird..." Brendan explained before switching his glance from Windsor to Adrian. "We should be going after the brain!"
Kolm looked over the the enemy bookkeeper and a sly grin grew on his face.
"Understood."
Without another word, Kolm leaped up at Windsor again with his fist poised to punch. With another graceful flutter of his wings, the bird dodged the attack as anticipated.
"Ahahaha! How utterly droll! That headstrong strategy of yours couldn't possible work against someone with such grace and dexterity such as myself! Adrian, if you would so kindly recite the spell again!"
"Right. Ventir!"
With another attack speeding right towards him, Kolm leaped once again, this time heading right towards Adrian, with the boy's eyes going wide in shock at the sight of the bronze armor-clad man.
"G-Gah! Windsor, help!"
"Fear not, for I will stop him!" Windsor exclaimed as he sped towards Kolm, who was slowly approaching Adrian. Just as the bird looked to slam right into his target, Kolm quickly turned around and delivered an uppercut right into Windsor's abdomen.
While the enemy Mamodo was choking and coughing following the brutal punch, Kolm had no chance to capitalize as Adrian pushed him off the beam he had been standing on, causing him to fall right onto the floor below.
"Kolm!" Brendan called out as he ran over to his roommate."
"I'm fine." The warrior replied, easily getting back up and dusting himself off.
"Guess you're a lot more resilient than you look." Brendan noted.
"Mamodo naturally are. Though I'd like to see how well our feathered friend is feeling after that last attack."
From the upper floor, Adrian was pulling Windsor back onto the solid asphalt of the construction site, the bird still catching his breath.
"Are you alright?" Adrian asked.
"Th-That Mamodo is... quite the powerhouse..." Windsor huffed.
"Do you think we should cut our losses and retreat?"
Upon hearing that question, Windsor grimaced and shut his eyes tight.
"That... may be the best thing to do."
"Sadly, you won't get the chance to run."
Windsor's eyes shot open as he and Adrian turned behind them to see Kolm looming over them. Swiftly, the bronze Mamodo brought Adrian into a bear hug, stunning the boy long enough for him to drop his spell book in a panic and accidentally kick it to the floor below, right in front of Brendan who picked it up and began to study it.
"Let me go!" Adrian spat as Kolm lifted him up slightly and jumped down to the lower floor in front of his own bookkeeper. Windsor stood back up to his talons and followed Kolm with his head hanging in defeat and utter shame. Once Adrian saw his book in Brendan's hands, his head sank as well...
"To be defeated so quickly and so easily..." Windsor sighed.
"Crap..." Adrian cursed. "Just... Just do it already..."
"Hold on." Brendan replied, surprising his partner.
"What are you doing? We have the enemy right where we want them!"
"First I want to know a few things; first, why were you following us around the mall? Second, are you alone or are there more of you nearby? Third, and most important, I want you to tell me everything you two know about this battle."
"We are under no obligation to tell you anything!" Windsor huffed. "We-"
"That's enough!" Adrian interrupted. a grimace plastered on his face as he sighed and looked at Brendan directly in his eyes. "I followed you because I could tell the big guy here was a Mamodo, Windsor told me they'd likely stick out like a sore thumb and while that outfit you had on before, the one with the cloak, it made you pretty easy to spot. I figured most teams were going to be like that so I came here to try and either intercept them or keep an eye on them so it looks like I made the right call there. Problem was I didn't think you were going to be this strong.
When it comes to the battle itself, I was pretty skeptical about it all. I mean, giant creatures and people that can use elemental attacks, a fight to become king using spell books. It all sounds like it comes straight out of a fantasy movie or one of those Japanese anime. But I can't ignore what's plainly right in front of me. Windsor is my partner and we made a vow that he would become king and that I..."
"Go on." Kolm said.
"That maybe I could finally get some respect from people!"
"What do you mean?" Brendan asked.
"Look at me." Adrian replied. "Do you think some skinny kid like me is going to be the king of the school? Nope! So when Windsor told me that I had to fight other Mamodo to get stronger I figured I'd find another pair here, beat them, and then go back to school and get in good with some of the others that have books too."
"There are others?" Kolm asked as he began to look around. "Are they close?"
"Your school has more bookkeepers?!" Brendan followed.
"Yes." Windsor finally spoke up. "I first encountered Adrian shortly after he was let out of his school for the day. I could sense other Mamodo not too far from it."
"You can relax though, there aren't any more here. Just us." Adrian added. "If there were more then they would have attacked by now."
"So then once we're done here we should go over to that school and take out those bookkeepers!" Kolm asserted.
"Woah woah woah woah!" Brendan replied. "Easy there, Speedy. There's two things wrong with that plan. First off, going in there guns blazing is a good way for us to get taken down easily, we need a plan before we see what's up there. Second, today's Saturday, schools are closed today and there likely won't be anyone there until Monday."
"Then we will wait until then. For now though, this battle ends for you."
"Let's not be too hasty." Brendan said, calming his partner down again. "Adrian." The teen looked up at the two men with a pitiful look of defeat on his face. "The four of us are going to go and see what's going on with those other bookkeepers at your school."
"The four of us?" Kolm, Windsor and Adrian all asked simultaneously.
"Yup. It's Adrian's school, so he'll know where everything is. We need him to show us who we're looking for and where they are. I recognize that school logo too." Brendan explained, pointing at the insignia on Adrian's jacket. "You go to Algonquin High School, don't you?" A nod of Adrian's head told Brendan all he needed to know. "That's in the more affluent neighborhood so most, if not all of the students there, are upper-middle class."
"Yeah... my parents are lawyers so money's not really a problem." Adrian said, looking towards the ground ever so slightly. "But where are you going with this?"
"I'm in college right now to become a teacher. It'll be a stretch, but I might just be able to get a position there as a substitute teacher or a teacher's aide. That can be my own way in. Once school lets out for the day you can lead us to wherever the bookkeepers are and then we can make our move."
"And if we refuse?!" Windsor remarked.
"We aren't in a position to refuse..." Adrian sighed, Brendan held Windsor's book wide open while Kolm prepared to punch straight through it. The subsequent grumble from the bird was the last noise it made while the others continued to talk.
"So, what will you do with us when this is over?" Adrian asked. Kolm looked over at Brendan expectantly as the young adult pondered the question.
"I suppose at that point we can settle it with another fight. Only it'll be until only one of us is left." Brendan replied, he didn't notice it, but his answer garnered the tiniest of smirks from his partner.
"I see. Getting a position in my school won't be the easiest thing to do though. Even if you are a college student, wouldn't this take a bit of time?" Adrian asked.
"Normally, yes. I'll have to pull a few strings but it shouldn't be as long as you think. For now we should get out of here before we get in trouble for trespassing." Brendan nodded. "We have people waiting for us but you should see me at your school on Monday."
"Right, Windsor and I should be heading back home anyway. Until Monday then." Adrian replied. As the boy and his Mamodo walked away, Windsor suddenly turned around with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Do not think for a moment that this is over, this alliance we've formed is only temporary after all! We will grow stronger, and you will see the true power of the most regal of Mamodo!" The bird boasted before turning back with his chin held high.
"Those two certainly are a pair." Brendan noted.
"Did we really have to let them go?" Kolm asked as he turned to look at the shorter man with just a bit of frustration.
"I see where you're going with this, but yeah, I think we did. Honestly, a part of me doesn't completely trust them either, but this is the only lead we really have right now regarding other Mamodo. Besides, you said that you were looking for one Mamodo in particular, who's to say that one of them isn't the one you're looking for."
Kolm looked away from Brendan, keeping his thoughts to himself before sighing.
"Very well." He said, smiling just a little more. "I suppose there is no going back now. I would also be lying to myself if I said the thought of seeing that pair grow stronger the next time we face off did not excite me."
"That's the spirit!" Brendan exclaimed, the attention of the two shifting towards Kolm's bronze book, which was now glowing brightly in Brendan's hands.
"A new spell!" Kolm proclaimed, just as Brendan was about to open the book and recite the spell, a ringing came from his pocket.
"Well that's a moment killer..." He sighed as he pulled a cell phone.
"What is that?"
"This? It's my cell phone, looks like Zoey texted me."
'that new sushi place finally opened! we gotta try it!'
"Well Zoey found a spot for us to have lunch. I could definitely go for something to eat right now." Brendan stated, putting the spellbook back into his backpack.
"I suppose we can wait to see what this new spell does at a later time. A good meal does sound appealing as well." Kolm added.
"Great, then let's hurry."
The restaurant that Zoey picked out was small but rather modern looking. A small open fridge kept containers of cold sushi available for people to pick out while a cook prepared warmer meals on a stove top behind the counter. Next to the cook were two other employees, one that prepared the cold sushi while the third manned the register. Zoey and JT sat at one of the tables with their food while Brendan and Kolm entered the establishment with Zoey cheerfully waving to them.
"This place actually looks pretty cool!" Brendan chuckled as his eyes wandered around.
"Right!" Zoey squealed. "It's soooo fetch!"
"Food's pretty dope too!" JT added.
"There's one big reason why I wanted us all to come here though. Someone we know actually works here!" Zoey's cheerful grin turned into a sly smirk as she looked at Brendan. "Benny, do you happen to recognize the girl making the sushi?"
With an arched brow, Brendan looked over to where Zoey was referring to. The girl that was currently rolling a California Roll had fair skin that was made lighter from makeup. Her hair was shoulder-length and dyed black, matching her eye-shadow and black lipstick. She was also a bit on the shorter side and was just a little bit pudgy. The moment he saw her, Brendan looked away with a noticeable blush on her face.
"S-Savannah works here?!" Brendan asked in a flustered whisper.
"Hehehe, yeah! You should go talk to her!" Zoey replied, while JT nonchalantly sipped on some Ramune soda.
"I can't do that! What if I mess up... B-besides, she's working right now."
"Well your boy doesn't seem as worried as you." JT noted, the other two noticing Kolm approaching the counter. Brendan hurried over to meet him there as Savannah appeared to finish rolling the sushi and was approaching the counter.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Yes, I would like to know about what that man over there is cooking." Kolm replied.
"Uh, hi, Savannah! Hehe..." Brendan laughed as he approached the two, a blush plain as day on his face.
"Uh, hey. You shouldn't cut in line. Wait until this man is done." Savannah replied, indifferent to Brendan's greeting. "Sorry about that sir, what you're smelling is a new recipe we're trying; Yellowtail Fish Burgers."
"Yellowtail?!" Kolm asked in excitement, the smile on his face being the biggest Brendan had seen him have since the two met. "How many are available?"
"Well we don't have much of the patties right now and we're still figuring out how to properly make them but we could make three right now."
"Perfect! We'll take them!"
"Sure, you two are together?" Savannah asked.
"Yeah, he's my roommate." Brendan replied, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Cool. We'll call out to you when your order is ready."
"Y-yeah, thanks!" Brendan stammered as he paid for the food. "It's really good to see you."
"Mhmm." The young woman replied, not even looking at Brendan as she wrote the order down and walked away. The young man walked back to the table with a dejected look on his face while Kolm simple looked excited at the thought of the food.
"Tough luck dude..." JT stated.
"Hey, don't worry about it. She's probably just having a rough day! I mean, look at this place! There's so many people here and there's gonna be tons more later. She'll probably be in a better mood when we're back on campus."
"Maybe you're right." Brendan sighed.
"Besides, you're a handsome guy. You'll definitely find someone!" Zoey assured.
"Yeah." JT added. "Plenty of fish in the sea or however that goes."
With a sigh, Brendan looked at his two friends and smiled. "Alright, alright. I won't let it get to me."
When the bell for their order sounded, Kolm practically sprinted to go get the food.
"Dang, is he that hungry?!" JT asked.
"I do not blame him in the slightest, this food is so good!" Zoey replied as she scarfed down a bowl of rice. As Kolm returned and sat down he handed Brendan his burger, which looked like a typical hamburger but with a fish patty instead of the usual beef. The patty was fried to perfection as it glistened in a golden-brown color as it sat atop a leaf of lettuce, a slice of tomato some shredded onion sat atop the patty. Brendan and JT looked at the sandwich, unsure of what to think from the appearance of it, though the smell was pleasant. Kolm, however, had no qualms of what the food looked like as he gave it a quick sniff before devouring it as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. Zoey couldn't help but laugh at the sight of it as the boys looked on in shock.
"Well dang, I guess I gotta try one of those things next time!" JT whistled in awe. Considering how much his partner seemed to enjoy it, Brendan took a bite out of his burger.
As he let the flavors wash over him as he absorbed every bit he could, Brendan finally swallowed his bite and drew his own opinion: it was alright.
He wasn't sure why Kolm seemed so enamored by it, but it wasn't bad at all, though in all honestly Brendan figured he'd rather have the sushi.
"Wow! We spent a lot longer here than I thought!" Zoey gasped as she looked at her wristwatch. "Ugh, I am so not looking forward to doing errands tomorrow... I'll talk to you boys later.
"Yeah, we gotta go back to work tomorrow too." JT sighed. "B, I'll give you and your boy a ride."
"Sure. We'll see you later Zoey." Brendan called out as the young lady walked away from the parking lot, waving goodbye to the men with a couple of handbags at her side. Kolm looked both hesitant and in awe at the prospect of getting into a car which his bookkeeper was able to notice as JT drove them back home, though they weren't able to go very far due to traffic.
"Come on..." The man groaned.
"Hey, you alright?" Brendan asked the Mamodo, who was looking around with the same look of caution as thoughts clouded his mind.
"Hm? Oh. Yes, yes, I'm quite alright. Today has simply been an... eventful day."
"Right, and it's going to get crazier from here..." Brendan added with a sigh.
"The light's green, idiot! MOVE!" JT shouted as he honked the car horn.
And scene! Our heroes have now gained new allies, at least for now as we head into the the first arc of this story! Expect this story to pick up a bit more coming up. I'm also always open to hearing thoughts and opinions on this story in reviews or PM's so please let me know what you think!