Chapter 14

Every Summer out in the wilderness felt like its own paradise. Most people would find the idea of living each day in the silence unbearable, but to Axel, this was bliss most of the time. And to him, this wasn't silence. He felt at one with nature and the earth that surrounded him. From the breeze that rattled the leaves in the trees of the forest, to the animals and birds around, none of it was silent. It all became natural and normal, the way life was meant to be.

He couldn't have been any more further from the noise of the bustling city life that Axel once had. As the years passed, he found himself almost fearful of the idea of one day returning home to the place where he was born. Axel had transformed both physically and in spirit. His past life and the fighter he once was no longer existed. He had even started to forget the promise he once made to Blaze about returning, yet every time he saw the butterfly, for some strange reason it reminded Axel of her.

Training in the woods remained intense and physically challenging each day, but without it Axel would have been unable to survive. Hunting for food and water took priority and by now, Axel had built and modified his own logged cabin from scratch. He trained his fists and kicks, fighting hard against the rough bark of the trees with his bare hands and feet. His supernatural fire chi was also now brighter and stronger than ever. Every day and night he would meditate in order to calm his mind. The experience of it would almost transport him to another dimension with clear images of the past, long gone spirits and even visions from other worlds that Axel couldn't yet explain. What he understood was that anything the five senses could capture here on earth was just one possibility and way of living, but it wasn't everything.

Then one afternoon, Axel snapped out of his meditative state, alarmed as soon as he heard footsteps and breathing fast approaching. For the past year, he had remained in his own solitude and it was easy to hear and recognise the difference between a large animal trail and human footsteps. He quickly jumped up to a standing fighting stance as he cautiously scanned the surrounding forest for danger.

"I thought I'd find you here!" The familiar voice instantly switched off Axel's defence mode and he lowered his guard when he spotted John walking towards him.

"Hey man, it's good to see you again." Axel nodded.

"Likewise! How's the training on your own going? You're looking a lot more built than before," John remarked.

"It's a challenge and much more humid down here, but it's good," Axel smiled, removing his sweatband. "What brings you all the way out here then?"

John sighed as he removed his hat then he slumped down to sit on one of the tree stumps.

"It's the old man, he's sick." John frowned. "I don't know what else to do or who to turn to. I've tried medicine, herbal shit, but nothing is working. I think it's his time…."

Axel took a short pause. He couldn't help but feel sadness deep inside of him. Eru had taken him in when he was down with nothing. The old shaman mentored Axel for the first three years he was out in the wilderness and had shared his wisdom and knowledge in small doses.

"Is there anything I can do?" Axel asked, wanting to return to help.

"Yeah, there is. He's requested to see you one last time…" John answered.

The familiar, dry summer terrain and the view to the land and forest below was refreshing for Axel to be around once again. It almost felt like he could touch the clear blue sky above the thin air they were inhaling.

As soon as John opened the cabin door, Axel could see Eru laying down on his back, more frail than ever. He slowly approached then kneeled down next to Eru's hammock.

Eru quickly broke the silence in the room as he looked up at Axel. He smiled and extended his weakened hand to place it gently on Axel's arm. But Eru struggled to speak, slowly coughing out the words that laid on his mind.

"The volcano of fire you seek…."

"Ssshh, rest now it's ok. Let me see what I can do…" Axel hastily looked around the place to try to help. He had never seen Eru so weak before and although the man could have been Zan's father's age, Axel remembers the old guy being able to do handstands and having the ability to walk for miles carrying his own spear. But today, Eru could barely move. His voice was shaken and his age had caught up with his heart.

"John, have you still got that poison oak I brought back last spring?" Axel turned to query.

The Scottsman shook his head, giving him a regretful shrug. "I've tried everything. None of it has worked…"

"But…"

Eru instantly cut the fighter's sentence short as he gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

"My time has come to leave this world…" he coughed.

"No! You can't give up! We need you, how am I gonna find…?"

"You will, and you will find the volcano. It exists. Its fire is in here, in your own spirit" Eru pointed one knuckle towards Axel's heart.

"I don't want you to die though. You've been more of a mentor to me than anybody else," Axel hastily shook his head with tears in his eyes.

"No. I showed you the way to true strength, but you have to find it. You are your own mentor, remember that."

"But how do I know where….?" Axel sighed.

"It's time for me to go now. Just follow the butterfly….." Eru suddenly became short of breath as his words began to slur into whispers. Axel slowly tilted his ear close to Eru's breath so that he could listen to what he had left to say.

"It never had the chance to live, but this soul will always be with you and the one who mourns for it…"

"I don't understand…. Eru!?"

"The strength you find in this life will be…"

"Eru?!"

The old man took a brief moment as he looked out into the distance beyond Axel and John, unable to say anymore words. His breath calmed and he stopped blinking as Eru's heart took one last beat. His head slowly reclined back and he laid there, still and serene.

"No!" Axel shouted whilst his face sunk into his palms with sadness.

"Hey look…!" John patted him on the shoulder with urgency and disbelief. The two of them stared down at Eru's body in awe as a colourful butterfly displaying purple and gold on its wings suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It fluttered for a few seconds above Eru's nose and mouth.

Eventually, the beautiful creature flew away and outside into the distance, leaving them with warmth and blessings as they remembered Eru. That very same night, Axel dug deep into the earth so that they could bury his body and finally lay him to rest. It was a bittersweet feeling. Axel began to feel lost again because he knew there were still hundreds of unanswered questions he had and Eru would have been the best person to seek advice from.

But he knew deep down that the old man hadn't entirely left them and what they witnessed earlier was his spirit. Eru taught him that energy can't die, so a part of his old teacher would always remain with him. Axel couldn't help but wonder however, what Eru meant when he spoke his last words earlier about the butterfly.

For a couple of days that followed, Axel took some time out high up on the terrain in order to meditate close to where Eru was buried.

"So what now then? Where are you going from here?" John asked.

Axel let out an exasperated breath. "You know, I've felt so close to finding what I came here for. All of that seemed possible when Eru was alive…." Axel glanced down at the ground defeatedly.

"But?" John raised an eyebrow.

"But now I ain't so sure anymore…"

"I understand. Sticking around here has taught me that there's much more to life and what we know it to be. I know there's an afterlife but really, what is your purpose in this one?" The Scottsman asked.

Axel leaned back against one of the walls of the cabin with his hands in his pocket. He let out a slight nostalgic laugh. "That's the million dollar question, my friend. I came out here to find true strength and I know it's here, but as I grow more powerful, I'm losing myself…." he frowned.

"No shit! By the looks of it, that fire of yours could definitely burn down the whole forest with minimal effort. It's one thing my boy, searching for strength but have you thought about why?" John queried.

Axel continued to look at the ground as he sat down on the hammock opposite John.

"I always knew there was more to life than what we saw, and I wanted to discover it. But…." Axel paused before continuing. "But I never knew where this would all lead. A couple of weeks before I left Wood Oak City, my team and I took down the most ruthless criminal in the city. To think we were trained police officers having to act as vigilantes just showed how fucked up the world around us really was."

"I know a thing or two about the coppers, it's the same in Scotland by the way. The dirty bastards only give a shit when it comes to dosh…" John pessimistically smirked.

"Yeah, and I just wanted to get away from all of that. But my friends needed me. The city needed me…."

"So you defeated the bugger, then what? People like us live for the fight, it's all we know. I don't blame you for escaping to this shit hole we're in, it's better to test your survival in this place than have nothing meaningful to live for…"

"I did though. That's the thing, I had everything to live for…." Axel sighed.

"Why don't you go back then?"

Axel shook his head. "It's too late for that now. It's been almost 5 years. I can't even return back, I broke my promise…."

"What? Do you have a family or something?" John asked.

"Almost did…" Axel replied as he reached for his old backpack then he passed over to his friend.

"Why are you giving me this? I don't want you to donate your old sweaty socks to me!" John joked, puzzled as he took the backpack.

Axel laughed, "just take a look in there!"

"Really? I remember how you wouldn't let either me or Eru go near this bag of shit, now you want me to rummage through it? As long as you don't burn my face off for doing it!" John smirked.

"I won't, just open it!" Axel insisted.

"And what am I searching for?... Woahhhhh is that home?" John asked, intrigued as he pulled out a small pile of photographs.

"Yeah. Those are my parents, but they passed away…" Axel glanced from a distance as John admired the photos.

"I'm really sorry…." John then let out a cheeky wolf whistle. "And who's this? This bonnie lass is too pretty to be related to you!" He joked, making Axel smile. It had been almost 5 years since Axel had seen or took out that photo of Blaze.

"Somebody I used to know…" He grinned, folding his arms.

"And you left this woman thousands of miles away to venture out into this dump? Boy, you need your brains tested!"

Axel sighed with regret, "I just hope that, wherever she is, she's happy…" he half heartedly smiled.

"You know it's never too late to change things. You're still alive!"

"I don't think I can ever go back now after all this time. This is my home regardless of who it's with. As much as I'd love to see Blaze again, I gotta do this first. She understands that."

John placed one hand on Axel's shoulder as he handed back the photographs with his other hand. "If anybody is gonna find true strength, I know it's you. Just be certain about what you're fighting for. I'll see you around… if I ever get bored again of the civilised life!" John smirked as he placed his black cowboy hat back on.

"Are you really going back to normal life?" Axel raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"I'm gonna try. With the old man now six feet under, there's nothing else keeping me here. I've learnt everything I had to and I got to experience this life. I'm thinking, maybe South America or Alaska? Somewhere remote enough but not as desolate as here…"

"Good luck." Axel grinned.

"Take care of yourself, it's been good knowing you," John shook his hand.

And just like the lone traveller he was, John left the woods once again, but this time for good.

The months that led into Winter flew by once again as Axel entered his 30s. By now, he was pretty much at the peak of his physique in terms of his strength and stamina following the years of endless training that he challenged himself through in the woods. But he had more than just physical training behind him. By now, Axel possessed the knowledge that most other modern fighters could only dream of. He understood the art of something so simple as the detail of a punch cutting through air, deeper than what any other fighter could see.

On top of this, Axel's chi was unstoppable. He could control and radiate fire from his body like never before that would aid his moves and technique. Further to this was the fact that Axel could now also manipulate external fire in his own surroundings. Whether that meant raising fire using the energy from the rocks or pouring down small amounts from the sky, he had now mastered how to access and control fire-energy from other sources. Axel could even conduct his chi through other objects such as weapons. And all of this was only what his body and mind had learnt to master during his time out in the wilderness. This was only on the surface of something much more intense.

Axel continued to study both the physical world and the spiritual one around him. He often delved deep into the depths of his soul through meditation and had a sound understanding of the elements that others defined as life. Visions of the past would frequently come to him, such as the old ancient warriors who battled on these lands. Axel could always feel the presence of those who had passed away that were close to him such as his parents and he would even speak to Eru through his meditation from time to time. All of the fighters he had previously defeated and all of the nasty people Axel and the team once fought hard against had no place in this world. Their souls remained suffering and repenting for the harsh actions they committed during this lifetime.

One night whilst in his own meditative state, Axel had a flashback of the first time the team took back the city and arrested Mr X. Sometimes, he could even hear his old enemy's loud heckle ringing in his ears when he meditated. But the sound would always fade out into somewhere much darker. He understood that Mr X's spirit was in a bad place and he was begging for mercy. Some would refer to this place as hell. Axel could also see and feel the souls of all the hundreds of innocent lives that Mr X had murdered. And they were finally at peace and free, all shining down on Axel's path every time he stepped forward into their world.

The only lost soul that lingered around him was the white butterfly. It was strange because this spirit was destined to live on earth, yet there was no place here for it. It appeared trapped somewhere between this world and heaven.

Then one summer's night, around a year after Eru died, something very strange happened that Axel had never experienced before. In his cabin, he fell into a deep sleep that lasted for almost three days. His spirit completely left his body dormant and it was as if he was looking at the universe and the world around him with a different pair of eyes and senses. Wherever Axel's soul had ended up, it wasn't a place he knew or understood. This world was somewhere far deeper under the earth, within the trees and above the stars.

The floor ahead was dark almost like a deep charcoal, whilst both sides of the path in front of him were lit as an inferno of orange and yellow flames. The fire around him stood tall like nothing Axel had ever witnessed before. It towered high into the sky, all the way up until the flames became a blue and green aura that sparked like an electrical solar storm.

There and then, Axel understood that his spirit had to continue to walk down this rocky path if he was to get any closer to finding true strength. But he was uncertain at what laid ahead and where this path would lead to. Finally, this was the volcano that John had mentioned and the one that Eru visited and described when he returned after disappearing for days on end. Eru knew that Axel would one day discover it for himself, but he warned him about it and the severity of its consequences. The path that led to true strength would inevitably involve Axel confronting his deepest darkest fears as the ultimate test.

Just like the time he had first trekked through the wilderness and into the unknown, Axel was there once again on the first step to a new, unfamiliar journey. Except this time round, he wasn't alone. As soon as he hesitated to step forward through the fire, the white butterfly flickered past his ear then led the way. Axel couldn't explain how, but it almost felt like the small creature was gently taking his hand and leading him through it.

Memories of the life Axel had experienced since he was born flashed in front of him along the path, until finally, after what felt like days of walking, he reached the end. Below him was a dark black pit, whilst above his head were colourful, warm rays of light that felt like paradise. The white butterfly frantically flapped its wings, but neither of them could reach up or touch the heavens above. Then in the blink of an eye, all of that vanished to somewhere completely different. The fire was gone and this time, Axel immediately recognised where he was standing.

This was Wood Oak City. He had been transported onto the streets that he once walked on and fought on every night. Except physically, Axel wasn't there. People simply brushed past him in the pouring rain late at night without acknowledging or seeing the fighter. He had no idea whether this dimension was the past, present or future, but the butterfly was again by his side leading the way. Axel chased it until they both ended up around the corner at an old derelict car park that he was familiar with.

What Axel was about to witness then triggered the worst fears deep inside of him. The butterfly quickly flew over to a body laying on the ground in the distance. It appeared motionless or dead. Axel began to follow, cautiously walking towards it. He then rushed forward in a panic as soon as he recognised the person who was laying there in a pool of blood.

"Blaze!? Blaze, can you hear me!?"

Axel immediately knelt down next to her beaten body, trying everything he could to resuscitate her because she just wasn't taking in any air or moving. Blaze's face was pale and her hair was wet from a mixture of water and bleeding from her head. Axel could see several bronze knuckle dusters, blood stained and scattered around the place. So whoever did this to her wasn't alone.

"Come on, breathe for me… it's gonna be ok…" he held her in his arms on the ground, lifting Blaze's head against his torso with tears in his eyes.

"Come on, breathe Goddammit! Don't you ever give up on me, your the best fighter I know!" Axel insisted with desperation in his voice. But Blaze remained serene and still. He could tell that her bones were broken and that she had been painfully beaten without mercy.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." he heavily breathed as the tears started to run down his face. Then finally, after a long anxious pause, Blaze's pulse began to beat once again and the air faintly started to flow from her lips.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, just stay with me…" Axel said feeling more hopeful, but Blaze's eyes still remained closed and she was barely alive. Axel could feel her blood on his hands which continued to pour out from her wounds.

"Stay with me, please" he begged, tightly holding onto Blaze whilst trying to stop the bleeding. The truth was that Axel realized in that moment that he still loved her and if she died here and now, there would be nothing left worth finding strength for.

Then, Axel glanced over to the other side. To his shock, he could see the white butterfly caught up on the ground in a large puddle. It flickered its drenched, blood stained wings as it struggled to fly. During the seconds that passed, it moved less and less until eventually, the butterfly laid there dead.

Then in another blink of an eye, Axel abruptly woke up, returning back to the world he knew in the woods. He gasped for air and his body was in a sweat. Blaze was gone from his arms and the sound of the rain he had previously heard had now stopped and the morning sunshine was peering through the gap in the doorway.

As he looked down, Axel leapt up in horror when he could see the same blood he'd felt from Blaze dripping from his hands. He then glanced up at the wall where the white butterfly was perched on the same wooden panel, as it was every morning looking down at him when Axel woke up.

For days Axel wondered what the butterfly had shown him and what lessons the volcano taught him. Was it all just a dream of him confronting his worst fear or was this a reality that his spirit had lingered into? Whatever this was, it had given him a sense of strength that Axel had never understood before. He could feel the fire from the volcano deep within his veins, but what he had witnessed would haunt his mind forever. Axel realized that he now had two choices. The first was to continue onwards with this journey of developing true strength, whilst the second option was for him to make the decision to return home.