When I heard him yell, "Shadow strike," I knew it was going to be bad.
His shadow started charging right at me, like a torpedo in the water. (For any Naruto fans reading this, you are probably thinking that I stole this from Shikamaru. Well I didn't. "Shadow Strike" is an attack from the Chaotic Trading Card Game. So point the finger at them not me. NOW BACK TO THE STORY!)
The shadow was still coming after me as it started to rise off the ground and form a four-clawed hand.
(You might be thinking, "Why don't you run or jump out of the way?")
(My answer, "I CAN'T! It's an attack that's impossible to escape.")
I placed my arms in front of me to try to protect myself from the attack. The impact to my arms felt like someone had punched me. I wasn't sent flying, nor ripped to shreds, which would typically happen in such an attack.
After the attack hit, I lowered my arms and started rubbing them from the pain.
I pulled out my scanner and scanned the creature that just had attacked me. I wanted to know why his attack did not work on me.
When my scanner finished, it showed a card with the information about the creature.
His name was Olo, an Overworld Guardian, as it said on the card.
After I read that, I looked up from my scanner and saw Olo, still standing there where he used the Shadow Strike attack, shaking a bit in fear.
I went back to my scanner and checked out his stats (Courage, Wisdom, Speed, Power, and Energy).
(In Chaotic, creatures' stats change depending on the situation they're in at the time of the scanning. So one player's creature card could be stronger or weaker then another player's even if they are the same.)
(Stats of a creature usually are between the numbers of 5-120 and higher. I believe that stats between 5-25 are the lowest, 30-50 are mid low, 55-75 are mid high, and 80 and higher are the highest.)
His wisdom was at 55, speed was at 65, power was at 35, energy was at 55, but his courage was at 10 (the lowest stat in the game next to 5).
That would explain why the shadow strike attack did not work (shadow strike's power comes from the user's courage. If the user's courage is 15 points higher than the target's, the attack will cause damage, but if user's courage is less then 15 points, the attack will not be totally affective).
I now realized that I was going about this the wrong way. The forceful attitude I was showing was just scaring him, and caused him to attack without knowing the attack he used was powerless.
I took some deep breaths and looked back at Olo. He was still standing there shaking.
I thought that he might try a different attack, one that would really hurt me. So I said as calmly as I could, "I'm sorry if I scared you. My name is 'Justinian,' it's nice to meet you, Olo."
Olo answered me, still a little scared, "How do you know my name?"
"I'm a Chaotic player," I answered a little chokingly "I am sure your people have told you about us, and about this (showing my scanner)."
"Oh, yeah I remember now a lot of creatures told me about those things," he said no longer sounding in fear. "Can you tell me everything you know?"
I walked up to him slowly, extended my hand, and said, "Sure, I'll answer your questions if you answer mine."
We spent I don't know how long talking. He asked questions like if humans had superpowers, like teleportation, and metamorphosis.
I told him that humans can't really do things like that, but I also told him that in the Chaotic battle domes, humans could transform into the creatures of Perium.
He was upset at first, but cheered up in the end. I asked him how he found out about the Tranquillus Ruins, and he said that other humans have told other creatures about a strange location where, when they fought, they didn't really feel like fighting at all. Then it hit me, I used this place in some of my battles against other players, and they would know about it. That would explain how Olo would know about the Tranquillus Ruins.
The next question I asked him was about his past. I said, "Olo, what caused you to become such a coward?"
He looked right at me with anger in his eyes, but turned away slowly looking at the ground and started talking.
He told me that when he was a young boy, his father Virri, an Overworld Warrior, would tell him stories of all the battles his father was in. Olo was so impressed with his father, that he would pretend that he was fighting in a huge battle of his own, and that he would be the big hero at the end of the play battles. When he was older, he joined the Overworld Academy. He would always brag about how he was going to become a legend in Perium to the other creatures.
The teachers there told him that there was a difference in being brave and acting brave, but he wouldn't listen.
After the academy, he said he went into the Overworld Army just like his father. He still would brag about becoming a big hero one day, but that was before he first went into battle.
He was sent on an Overworld mission along with two other creatures to destroy a new Underworld battlegear that was rumored to be in development.
His teammates were Tartark an Overworld Hero and a creature named Legime.
Legime was a creature that had a body only half solid; the other half was made from some kind of muck. He never talked, mostly because he had no tongue to talk with. He would tell people what he was thinking by his face and body gestures.
When they reached Khybon's factory, they went over their plan. They would find the new Underworld battlegear Khybon had made and destroy it with some kind of Overworld bomb, but Olo was too impatient to fight, so he ran right into the factory expecting it to be an easy get in, get out mission.
Olo could not remember much after that. All that he could remember was Tartark yelling at him to get back, and something hitting him in the head, knocking him out. When he woke up, he was tied up.
He woke-up from the call of his name. When he was fully awake he realized he was being hung over the lava pit that made the bottom floor in Khybon's factory. He looked around and found that Tartark was beside him and Legime was next to Tartark. They to were in the same pickle as he was. Legime was awake, but pretended to still be knock out. Olo knew this because Legime molded his slime half to look the same as his solid half. A fête he can't do asleep. Tartark was looking at Olo. Oval he was the one who woke Olo. Tartark seemed to be in a very bad mode. Who could blame him, be captured and now hanging over hot, boiling lava.
"This is your fault Olo," said Tartark angrily, "if you stuck to the plan we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Don't blame the kid old man," said a crackling voice.
They both looked in the derision the voice was coming from. Khybon an Underworld Taskmaster famous not only for his genius, but also because of his for arms, he was standing on a platform that held the control panel holding Olo, and the other over the lava.
"You came to destroy this?" brag Khybon showing them the new battlegear, "I call it the Shred Sphere. I'd love to tell you how it works," stirring at the Shred Sphere "but you have to get your lava pool party." Reaching for the controls.
Just before Khybon pulled the lever, Legime got out of his act and attacked Khybon with his slim half. With Khybon knocked down, Legime used his slim arm to pull the lever that was holding them over the lava to safe ground. Then he by starched his arm out ever father, he pulled the lever that had them chained.
Khybon got up around the same time they touched the ground. When he realized they were free he called for his guards and a huge fight was broken out.
There were three individual fights, Tartark vs. Khybon, and Legime and Olo each taking on one of Khybon's guards. His guards were basically skeletons in armor than wheeled large battle-axes.
Olo was having little trouble with the guard. Everything was going fine; Olo dodged everything the guard throw at him.
Olo strike the guard down with his attack Ram Slam. (The attack work by the user changing straight towards an enemy, and striking them with their head. Afterwards, the user lifts their enemy over their head and slamming them into the ground, or pushing them into a wall, tree, or rock at high speeds.) Olo was standing a few feet away from the guard when he heard something bouncing his way. He looked down and saw the Shred Sphere.
"Olo run!" yelled a Tartark still fighting Khybon. Olo look at Tartark not knowing the gear was activated.
Olo looked back at the gear, which was making a beeping sound. He thought nothing of it, and ignored Tartark's orders. As he started to walk over the Shred Sphere the beeping stop, Olo looked down and what happened next would terrify anyone.
The sphere burst open revealing, hundreds of blades all around Olo. Trapping him in a ball of blades. Olo didn't know what to do; all he could see was the blades flying around him. All he could hear was the swirling of the blades as they cut though everything that got in their way, and all he could feel was the blades as they ripped at his flesh causing him to bleed profusely.
Olo couldn't remember much after that, he blacked out from the lack of blood.
Olo woke up after having a nightmare about the Shred Sphere. He was in extreme pain when he finally realized that he was no long in Khybon's factory. He looked around and found Tartark sitting some distance away from him, but Olo couldn't find Legime. Olo tried to get up, but the pain was too much causing him to fall back and cry in pain.
"So, you're finally awake." Said Tartark getting up.
Olo while still in pain asked where Legime was.
Tartark looked away from Olo and told him that Legime was dead.
"What in the Underworld could have happened?" screamed Olo forgetting about his pain for a moment.
Tartark told Olo that while he was knocked out, more Underworlders showed up making the mission impossible to complete. Legime grabbed the Shred Sphere after it went back to its originally form. Tartark jumped over to where Legime was, and together they fought back dozens of the Underworlders trying to get Olo and the Shred Sphere. Legime knew there was only one way to complete the mission and get out. Legime was going to have to die.
Legime used his powers to clear away as many Underworlders as he could. He then took the bomb from Tartark and turn it on.
Tartark realized what Legime was up to and tried to stop him, but Legime just stared at Tartark. The look in Legime's eyes told Tartark that he made up his mind, and was not going to back down.
Legime started running at the Underworlders hoping to make some distance so Tartark and Olo wouldn't get hurt and to take out as many Underworlders as he could.
When the bomb with off, Tartark picked up Olo, and ran out of Khybon's factory as fast as he could.
After they got away from the factory, Tartark started treating Olo in hopes it would save his life.
Ever since that day, Olo was always to scared to go on any missions in fear that he or someone he knew would die.
I don't know way I started singing, it must have been the story (that's the only thing I can think of) but I started singing.
The minstrel boy to the war has gone,
In the ranks of death you'll find him.
He's father's…
"What are you doing?" interrupted Olo, "Are you casting mugic?"
Looking at Olo, "No I'm singing."
"Oh?" said Olo confused "What's singing?"
"It's something humans do." I said not knowing how to really explain it.
"Oh, please continue." Olo requested.
The minstrel boy to the war has gone,In the ranks of death you'll find him.
He's father's sword he has girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him.
"Land of Song," sang the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword at least thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee, shall praise thee, shall praise thee!"
The minstrel fell, but the foeman's chain could not bring that proud soul under.
The harp he loved ne'er spoke again, for he tore its chords asunder.
And said, "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!"
Thy songs were made for the pure and free!
They shall never sound in slav'ry!"
Thy songs were made for the pure and free!
They shall never sound in slav'ry!"
"Wow," said Olo clapping his hands after I finished singing, "that was amazing."
"Thanks," I said feeling a little embarrassed at his clapping.
"You know what?" said Olo getting "Thanks to you and that song, I feel a little brave now.'
"Your welcome… Oh my god, look at the time!" I screamed looking at my watch, "I need to get home."
"Why?" questioned Olo holding his hands up like a scale.
"My mom will be home soon," I panicked "and tonight's pizza night."
"Pizza?" Olo still questioning everything I said.
"No time to explain. I need to get home like now!" I said finally realizing something. "Olo mind if I scan you again?"
"Why?" asked Olo.
"I like to get a new scan of you for my deck, mainly because the one I have of you right now sucks." I told him right in his face.
"O.K.," he said posing for the scan. Right after the scanning was completed, Olo realized what I had said and yelled "Hey…"
I 'ported back to Chaotic to lock his card in my deck before hearing the rest of what he was going to say.
After all that was done I 'ported back home, and make it time to my mom was just entering the garage.
To be continued!