Descending Into Darkness Book 1

Three: The Festival of Fight

The sky was a light shade of red that day, even though the clouds were still many. The air was fresh and cool instead of being warm and slightly stuffy as was the norm.

Alarial and S'loal walked in front, while Bilquarion and J'onn followed.

J'onn watched the people about him with anticipation, noting how many of them were dressed in tunics hemmed with gold, or red, or blue, or green.

"Bil!" He called out to his sister who was already a distance ahead of him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Don't shout, J'onn," his sister said as he caught up with her. She was almost two hundred years older than he was, but in the eyes of their people, she was still a child, and he an infant. "Look at the others. They respect the Festival."

That did nothing but curb J'onn for a moment. "Can I ask you something?"

"*May* I," Bilquarion corrected.

He nodded impatiently. "Why are they dressed in different colors?"

Bilquarion raised her face to look at the 'they' her brother pointed to. "The different colors indicate their participation in different events. Red is for the artists; green for musicians; blue for inventors, and gold for-"

"The Fighters?"

"Yes, yes. But they're called the Dancers. We don't fight physically and hurt one another now, not after the war so long ago."

"But they're all artists," J'onn protested. "Why is this called the Festival of Fight, then?"

"Because the competitors must compete against one another, and in a sense, it is a fight of sorts."

J'onn nodded, but his sister had already walked ahead again. He did not bother to call her back, but turned his attention to the people who bustled about him, always careful not to hit others or apologizing if they did.

[J'onn? Hurry up.] S'loal called to her son through a mental leash she kept on him when they went out, for he was adept at losing himself in the crowd, and though no harm would come to him from the Ma'alacaa, the maternal instinct of any race could not be ignored.

[I am coming, mother.] He followed the direction of her mind-voice, and took but a few steps, when something touched his shoulder. "J'onn."

"Khale! You found me!"

"Yes. Your thoughts are no less loud than before, J'onn."

"I'm sorry." For a moment, J'onn thought that Khale's foul mood was rising again, and he almost flinched, but then he saw his tutor's smile, and felt that the Khale he knew in lessons and out of them were different, and decided he liked the latter better.

Khale placed a hand on J'onn's back and gave the youngster a gentle push. "S'loal is calling for you."

J'onn stood on his toes and searched about in the direction of his mother's mind-leash, but could not see her through the crowd. "How'd you know?"

"Because I greeted her and Alarial first." Khale gave the young Ma'alecaa another push. "I will go with you, or you will be lost. This is your first time to a Festival, is it not?"

"Yes!" J'onn groused. "It happens only once every twenty meorids!" He walked under the guidance of Khale's hand and S'loal's leash, searching out his family.

"It takes time for the participants to train and become adept at their chosen art, J'onn," Khale said. "And even twenty meorids is still too short a time, I think." He shook his head. "There, I see Bilquarion." He walked over with J'onn and greeted the others.

"We're going to the stages of Music," Alarial said.

"I want to see the Fight."

S'loal's brow creased. "J'onn, the participants of the Fight need a lot of focus. You may-"

"I'll take you there, J'onn." Khale smiled and nodded to Alarial and S'loal. [If that is what he wishes to watch, don't deny him it.]

Alarial's eyes were laughing. [You don't usually like J'onn much.]

Khale exhaled in a sharp chuckle. [Yes, J'onn indeed annoys me much, but I see curiosity and an eager mind, and that endears him to me.] He winked at a confused J'onn.

"Then I want to go, too," Bilquarion said. "May I?"

"Let us go." Khale led the way, though Bilquarion knew also the route to take, having been at the Festival for about three times already. "Have you ever thought of joining any events, Bilquarion?"

"Yes." She almost grinned. "The Fight. I've been learning the skills from Y'la'uk. I had to plead with him for very long, though."

"Ah, yes," Khale agreed. "He is rarely free." He turned to J'onn. "How about you, J'onn?"

"I, too, want to join the Fight." His face was deep in thought. "And the Manhunters."

They passed by more people before reaching the stage that had been set up for the Fight. Seeing the younger Ma'alecaas, the older ones instantly parted ranks to let Khale lead them to the front.

J'onn saw that the stage was white and unadorned except for some of the yellow amalé flowers that had been placed at intervals along the lengths of the stage.

Bilquarion nudged her brother. [Why the Manhunters?]

J'onn scowled at her. [Because I like it!]

Several Ma'alecaas within a few feet winced and glanced at J'onn, who ducked his head and mumbled a, "I'm sorry."

Khale gazed at him. [I must restrain your thoughts for the time you are watching the Fight. Will you allow me that?]

J'onn nodded, and felt his mind confined within a much tighter space than he had originally felt, and was intrigued by the new experience. He poked at the boundary of the confinements, and was rewarded by a scolding from Khale.

He then restrained himself as much as he could and awaited the start of the Fight.

The spectators hushed instantly as two competitors stepped up onto the stage and bowed to each other. Nothing but gold gloves adorned them, and the glinting of those in the red sunlight caught J'onn's eyes.

There was a moment of time without motion, as all waited in anticipation.

The two Ma'alecaas moved, and a shimmering soft-yellow dome-shaped force- field came into existence.

"Wha-?"

Khale cut J'onn's question short, placing a finger to his own lips in a universal gesture for silence. He entered into the confines of J'onn's mind partly, ensuring that the youngster's thoughts were still encased. [What questions have you?]

[Why is there a force-field needed? Why is it yellow?]

[That is not a force-field, but a mind-suppressor.] Seeing J'onn still confused, Khale explained further. [The Fight occurs in stages, beginning with the physical forms. To ensure that none of the participants uses their minds at this stage-unintentionally or not-the suppressor is put up.]

J'onn only nodded, eyes held by the Fight which had already started.

The two combatants had circled each other for a brief moment before they moved closer together, arms held out in dual uses of strike or defend. None did; yet.

Then, the first combatant snapped his leading hand out to seemingly give his opponent a quick push on the shoulder, and the other jerked back in a fluid motion, his other hand rising in a counter-strike.

The first moved his head, his forearm making contact with the other's and pushing it away. J'onn saw him slid his feet behind the ankle of the second combatant, tripping him backwards while providing the leverage for his opponent to hit the stage safely and roll away.

[Why does he help the other fall? In a fight, isn't one supposed to win?]

[Yes.] Khale nodded. [But it is in the nature of our people to ensure the safety of his opponent to his utmost ability even in competition. We do not hurt others willingly, not like the Ma'aluk'in (1) does. Remember that.]

Taken by the seriousness of his tutor's tone, J'onn gave his attention to Khale and nodded.

Khale smiled and returned his gaze to the fight in an indication that J'onn should do so as well.

J'onn glanced at Bilquarion to see if she had noticed their mind conversation, but she was watching the fight, taking in all she could to improve upon her own techniques.

Back and forth the two went, and their fights were smooth but deceptively strenuous: J'onn could see them panting slightly.

A slight gong sounded, and instantly, everything went much faster and more intriguing to everyone, even to those who had seen the Fight for many times.

The second Ma'alecaa shifted into an animal J'onn recognize as the Kus'ame'e, which was found in the more remote parts of the Ma'alecaandra deserts. He had seen holographic images of them before.

It was about six feet in length, its skin milky white. It had no legs, but possessed many air-expulsion chambers beneath its belly that constantly exerted air pressure upon the stage to keep afloat.

The first then changed into a form of a many-tentacled being that supported itself on four tentacles and held aloft its other ten.

J'onn couldn't recognize this one, but did not ask Khale about it.

The Kus'ame'e combatant struck first, propelling itself through the air as if to strike at the tentacle combatant. The latter whipped its tentacles out, trying to lash its opponent out of the air. A few lashes struck flesh, but the Kus'ame'e swerved and dodged the others.

The striking and dodging went on for a while, until the Kus'ame'e flew forwards towards its opponent. Tentacles whipped out, all of them hitting flesh. But the Kus'ame'e had no intention of dodging, and hit its opponent.

As J'onn watched in wonder, the Kus'ame'e divided itself through its length, attached only at where its head was, and wrapped itself around the other.

Tentacles reached for it and many were secured firmly around it, trying to pry it off.

The Kus'ame'e changed again, becoming a creature that was very long, and green and brown in color, coiled about the body of its opponent.

"It's a snake!" J'onn whispered, recognizing the creature from Earth.

Bilquarion poked him.

The snake ignored the stinging tentacles and tightened itself about its opponent, until it was certain the other could not move.

Another gong sounded, and the yellow field suddenly vanished.

J'onn gaped as the snake shifted swiftly, jerking its head to face the one of its opponent, too fast for the other to react. The snake's beady eyes flashed red, once, and its opponent lay limp within its coils.

[That is named the Lathal,] Khale said as the snake shifted back into its original Ma'alecaa form amidst much applause. [It is a mild psychic shock that can only be used if there is eye contact.]

J'onn saw the other Ma'alecaa slowly change back as well, and was aided in standing by his opponent. Both shook hands and smiled at each other before leaving the stage.

[Why can't I change form and do the Lathal, too?]

Bilquarion and several others stared at him, Khale having released J'onn's mind from its confines.

"Because you have not learnt to gather your thoughts and use them well, yet." Khale started to walk, leading the children back to their parents.

J'onn grinned and poked his sister. "One day, I'm going to fight you."

Bilquarion poked him back with affection, and winked at the amused glance Khale gave them. "We will see who wins."

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Ma'aluk'in - The White Martians/Invaders as Earth will know them in later years.

***Note: FF.net messed up all my formatting, and some parts of my story aren't shown. *sobs* So I'll be trying to upload this again. Thanks.