*0_0 Ravenous bunch, aren't you? *
Ch. 7: Destiny of a Lie
Kane's footsteps echoed in the temple's hallowed halls. He walked with firm determination as whispered words of reassurance eased his tense mind. "Today," he said, "Today is the day of destiny."
He knocked on Shina's door. A strong voice inside the room told him to enter. Inside, Shina tightened her vambraces. They were the last gift Long ever gave her, so she intended to honor his memory with them. "Hopefully, after this fight, it'll be more than just a memory."
Kane entered, followed by Sarah, Irvine, and Kenji. They gathered around her, ready to support her in this toughest fight.
"Before we go," Kane said, "There's something I need to tell you."
Shina kept her head down, as everyone else's attention perked. "You're working with Red Dragon," she interrupted "It explains a lot, your disappearances, how you know so much about this island and the tournament, and your enhanced skills. So the only thing I want to know. Why?"
"Can't keep anything from you, can I?" Kane replied. "A year and a half ago, I temporarily left you father's force. That's when I came here. The rest of the story is inconsequential. And I cannot tell you why I'm working with Red Dragon, but I assure you its in your best interest."
"Fair enough," Shina said. "Why are you telling us this, then?"
"Because when Shina faces Red Dragon, I will be the only one allowed to accompany her."
"But..." Sarah began.
"Its fine. Let's go" Shina said with iron determination. Kane nodded his head, and the team filed out of the room, with Shina in the center. They approached a large set of doors. Kane waved the others away, then walked over to Shina.
"You know what's at stake. Once you enter these doors, there is no turning back. Your life is about to change forever, Shina Gado."
"Yeah. I'm ready," she replied.
Kane nodded, tuned around, and walked inside. Shina followed close behind. She walked past him, and Kane turned around and shut the door.
"That's the last time I'll see her like that..." Kane thought. "Oh well."
Shina approached the center of the room. Red Dragon waited, bathed in the glow of the Well of Souls. "Welcome, Shina. I knew all along you'd be the one to challenge me. Destiny has brought us to this moment, Shina."
Shina bent her knees, ready to fight. A growl escaped her lips. "Let's go, Dragon. I will get Long back, over your dead body!
She lunged with a deadly punch. Red Dragon moved aside, but her blow grazed his cheek. "You're fast," he taunted. He tried to kick her, but Shina easily evaded and countered. Punches and kicks flew through the air in a blaze of fury. All while Kane watched, mumbling to himself.
"Estuans interius, Ira vehementi, In amaritudine, Loquor mee menti."
Shina raced to Red Dragon, feigning a right kick and attacking with a thunderous left hand. Her blow sent Red dragon reeling. He touched his face, as a trickle of blood ran down his face. He composed himself and attacked, only to be met with a knee to the gut by Shina. She followed up with an elbow to the back of the old man's head.
"Factus de material, Cinis elementi, Similis sum folio, De quo ludunt venti, Feror ego veluti..."
Shina went to finish him off with a downward punch, but Red Dragon rolled out of the way. He tried to sweep her legs out as he rose, but Shina jumped over his attack, and elbowed him in the face as she landed. A backhand sent Red Dragon sprawling. Shina walked over and stood over Red Dragon.
"Sine nauta navis, Ut per vias aeris, Vaga fertur avis, Non me tenet vincula, Non me tenet clavis, Quero mihi similes, Et adiungor pravis..."
"You're beaten, Dragon. Now, return Long to me!"
Red Dragon slowly rose. "You're right. You have beaten me. Your everything I could have hoped for," Red Dragon replied.
"What are you talking about, old man?"
"I am Guardian of the Well of Souls. For two centuries I've watched over it, kept it from those who would use it for evil. But now, my body has grown weary, and my flesh weak."
"So this tournament was all one big recruitment drive?" Shina asked in disbelief. "All this death, all this carnage, so you can find a successor?"
"The deaths of those island will be undone, as soon as my successor is chosen. When he came here, my apprentice Kane told me of a woman in America of remarkable strength, of unsurpassed determination. I knew she was the one destined to be the next Guardian. With my succession, Long will be revived and returned to his home, as will everyone on this island, except for your team, devoid of any memory of this place."
"No...Long. You mean in order to bring him back, I have to lose him all over again?"
"That is correct, Miss Gado. I apologize, but that is the way it must be."
"How am I supposed to make this choice?" Shina pondered. Kane approached behind Red Dragon.
"How fortuitous, Shina Gado, that decision will never have to be made," Kane said. With that, he thrust his fingers into Red Dragon's back. They came out his front, covered in blood. Kane smiled as the look of shock on Red dragon's face seared into Shina's memory. Kane withdrew his fingers, and threw the blood onto the well. It glowed brightly, as Kane approached. The door burst at its hinges, and Sarah ran in front of Kenji and Irvine.
"I sensed something. What's going on?"
"I haven't a clue!" Shina replied. Kane spread his arms, as the glow from the Well grew even brighter.
"Estuans interius, Ira vehementi, In amaritudine, Loquor mee menti, Factus de material, Cinis elementi, Similis sum folio, De quo ludunt venti, Feror ego veluti, Sine nauta navis, Ut per vias aeris, Vaga fertur avis, Non me tenet vincula, Non me tenet clavis, Quero mihi similes, Et adiungor pravis!!! Well of souls, I born of Darkness beseech thee! Grant me thy power in absence of the Guardian!!! "
"Thos words..." Sarah muttered. "I know them..." her eyes widened as Kane looked back, and let out a chilling laugh.
"That's right. I'm back!"
..................To Be Continued!
Ch. 7: Destiny of a Lie
Kane's footsteps echoed in the temple's hallowed halls. He walked with firm determination as whispered words of reassurance eased his tense mind. "Today," he said, "Today is the day of destiny."
He knocked on Shina's door. A strong voice inside the room told him to enter. Inside, Shina tightened her vambraces. They were the last gift Long ever gave her, so she intended to honor his memory with them. "Hopefully, after this fight, it'll be more than just a memory."
Kane entered, followed by Sarah, Irvine, and Kenji. They gathered around her, ready to support her in this toughest fight.
"Before we go," Kane said, "There's something I need to tell you."
Shina kept her head down, as everyone else's attention perked. "You're working with Red Dragon," she interrupted "It explains a lot, your disappearances, how you know so much about this island and the tournament, and your enhanced skills. So the only thing I want to know. Why?"
"Can't keep anything from you, can I?" Kane replied. "A year and a half ago, I temporarily left you father's force. That's when I came here. The rest of the story is inconsequential. And I cannot tell you why I'm working with Red Dragon, but I assure you its in your best interest."
"Fair enough," Shina said. "Why are you telling us this, then?"
"Because when Shina faces Red Dragon, I will be the only one allowed to accompany her."
"But..." Sarah began.
"Its fine. Let's go" Shina said with iron determination. Kane nodded his head, and the team filed out of the room, with Shina in the center. They approached a large set of doors. Kane waved the others away, then walked over to Shina.
"You know what's at stake. Once you enter these doors, there is no turning back. Your life is about to change forever, Shina Gado."
"Yeah. I'm ready," she replied.
Kane nodded, tuned around, and walked inside. Shina followed close behind. She walked past him, and Kane turned around and shut the door.
"That's the last time I'll see her like that..." Kane thought. "Oh well."
Shina approached the center of the room. Red Dragon waited, bathed in the glow of the Well of Souls. "Welcome, Shina. I knew all along you'd be the one to challenge me. Destiny has brought us to this moment, Shina."
Shina bent her knees, ready to fight. A growl escaped her lips. "Let's go, Dragon. I will get Long back, over your dead body!
She lunged with a deadly punch. Red Dragon moved aside, but her blow grazed his cheek. "You're fast," he taunted. He tried to kick her, but Shina easily evaded and countered. Punches and kicks flew through the air in a blaze of fury. All while Kane watched, mumbling to himself.
"Estuans interius, Ira vehementi, In amaritudine, Loquor mee menti."
Shina raced to Red Dragon, feigning a right kick and attacking with a thunderous left hand. Her blow sent Red dragon reeling. He touched his face, as a trickle of blood ran down his face. He composed himself and attacked, only to be met with a knee to the gut by Shina. She followed up with an elbow to the back of the old man's head.
"Factus de material, Cinis elementi, Similis sum folio, De quo ludunt venti, Feror ego veluti..."
Shina went to finish him off with a downward punch, but Red Dragon rolled out of the way. He tried to sweep her legs out as he rose, but Shina jumped over his attack, and elbowed him in the face as she landed. A backhand sent Red Dragon sprawling. Shina walked over and stood over Red Dragon.
"Sine nauta navis, Ut per vias aeris, Vaga fertur avis, Non me tenet vincula, Non me tenet clavis, Quero mihi similes, Et adiungor pravis..."
"You're beaten, Dragon. Now, return Long to me!"
Red Dragon slowly rose. "You're right. You have beaten me. Your everything I could have hoped for," Red Dragon replied.
"What are you talking about, old man?"
"I am Guardian of the Well of Souls. For two centuries I've watched over it, kept it from those who would use it for evil. But now, my body has grown weary, and my flesh weak."
"So this tournament was all one big recruitment drive?" Shina asked in disbelief. "All this death, all this carnage, so you can find a successor?"
"The deaths of those island will be undone, as soon as my successor is chosen. When he came here, my apprentice Kane told me of a woman in America of remarkable strength, of unsurpassed determination. I knew she was the one destined to be the next Guardian. With my succession, Long will be revived and returned to his home, as will everyone on this island, except for your team, devoid of any memory of this place."
"No...Long. You mean in order to bring him back, I have to lose him all over again?"
"That is correct, Miss Gado. I apologize, but that is the way it must be."
"How am I supposed to make this choice?" Shina pondered. Kane approached behind Red Dragon.
"How fortuitous, Shina Gado, that decision will never have to be made," Kane said. With that, he thrust his fingers into Red Dragon's back. They came out his front, covered in blood. Kane smiled as the look of shock on Red dragon's face seared into Shina's memory. Kane withdrew his fingers, and threw the blood onto the well. It glowed brightly, as Kane approached. The door burst at its hinges, and Sarah ran in front of Kenji and Irvine.
"I sensed something. What's going on?"
"I haven't a clue!" Shina replied. Kane spread his arms, as the glow from the Well grew even brighter.
"Estuans interius, Ira vehementi, In amaritudine, Loquor mee menti, Factus de material, Cinis elementi, Similis sum folio, De quo ludunt venti, Feror ego veluti, Sine nauta navis, Ut per vias aeris, Vaga fertur avis, Non me tenet vincula, Non me tenet clavis, Quero mihi similes, Et adiungor pravis!!! Well of souls, I born of Darkness beseech thee! Grant me thy power in absence of the Guardian!!! "
"Thos words..." Sarah muttered. "I know them..." her eyes widened as Kane looked back, and let out a chilling laugh.
"That's right. I'm back!"
..................To Be Continued!