The Scath's offer
With her seeing my Water Dragon, the True Master granted both Katigeri and me the right to train with her. And we both did. We trained for close to two weeks sun up till sun down. I mastered the art of stick fighting, before I had just learned it, now I had mastered it. I also learned to fight much better in hand-to-hand combat. On my own time, when the True Master was concentrating on Katigeri's training, I also perfected my water controlling abilities. I could tell that my dragon hadn't killed the Fire Scath; he would come after me next.
After the two weeks, I packed my stuff and was ready to leave. "You're ready to leave so soon, Slade?" The True Master asked.
"I have to. I have things I have to take care of back at home. And that Fire Scath will be after me, I don't want you to get hurt." I replied.
"I hope to see you again." Katigeri said. "I will tell my son of how brave you were."
"I'll tell you something, Katigeri." I said. "If Katarou is half the fighter you are, he will easily make it up this mountain."
I walked back down the mountain and into the village. People still continued to ignore me, but I didn't care any more. I was back in my Masked warrior outfit with the top left corner of the shirt in bright orange. I hadn't earned my mask yet, but apprentice and warrior don't ware mask. Only masters do.
Finding a boat that went back to America was a whole lot easier. Once again I was hiding in the cargo without the crew even knowing I was there. It was once again a three-week journey.
Toward the end of the trip, I was hiding from the crew (they were getting wise to my being there and were searching for me,) when I felt a strong arm wrap itself around my neck. I struggled to move it but it wouldn't budge. "Don't try to struggle, Slade." Someone said behind me. "There is no reason to." The person held one hand in front of my face and his hand was suddenly engulfed in flames. The Fire Scath. "I won't be using this on you," he said, "just this." The flame disappeared and in his hand was a spray bottle. He sprayed it in my face and I automatically felt dizzy and tired.
"Sleeping gas." I could barely say the words before the world went black and I was out.
I woke up some three hours later and I found myself sitting in the crow's nest on top of the mast. I could move my eyes but my arms were limp as rags. "Why can't I move?" I groaned.
"You've been paralyzed, temporarily. The effects will were off in a few hours." The Scath said. "Don't worry, I don't want to kill you."
"Then why am I here?" I asked.
"To talk." He replied. "You know, we have a lot in common. You could almost say we are kindred spirits. We just chose different sides. I chose the Scath you chose the Masked."
"I'm nothing like you!" I said. My arms were still unable to move, but I could twitch my fingers. "You only want to harm people."
"Why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't you? We are gifted, different, better than them." He walked over and leaned up against the pole. "Come on, think about it. There are five, close to six, billion people in this world. But most of them are meaningless. Their only real purpose is to lift the few superior ones up onto their shoulders. You and me, we're superior. Only difference is you're a hero and I'm a villain. But why should you be a hero to people you never knew and will never know you?"
He squatted down next to me and grabbed my face. I could just move my arm, but I still couldn't do anything to stop him. "What are you doing?"
"Making my point." He held up his other hand and it engulfed itself in flame again. "You know how I got these powers? I was Trigon's chosen servant; it's also why I have the Mark of Scath burned into my forehead. You could have powers like this too. I could so easily squash you like a bug right now, but I'm offering you a choice. Join me. Join the Scath. Together, think of the things we could create." He then let go of me and stood up. "Or we could destroy, if you don't join we will continue to fight in more battles, most of them in Jump City. Our selfish fights will cause the deaths of hundreds, maybe thousands, again and again and again until we're both dead. What will that accomplish?" He walked over to the edge of the crow's nest and looked back at me. "Think about it, Slade." He then jumped off and disappeared.
But I didn't need to think about it. I would never join the Scath. I would never join him, whoever he was. Then something came to me. How did he know my name? I never told it to him. I could tell from his voice and by how tall he was that he was no older than me, only about 16, so how did he know my name?
After a few hours, I regained control of my body and went back into hiding, although it was hardly necessary. Almost as soon as I got control of my body, the ship docked in Jump City. Once it docked, I was off and on my way back to Masked HQ.