Before Setting Sail

Invincible Part 1

Years ago.

"Is this the place?" asked Sir Alfred.

"We're finally here," Akna told him.

After going through a maze-like underground structure, both bear and quetzal finally ascended a set of stairs where they heard what sounded like noises coming from a party.

Being in Central America for a while already, Alfred had forged a strong friendship with the colorful bird and he felt compelled to help her in her quest to stop the tyrant, Zuma, who was stealing from the surrounding lands.

However, the problem was that Zuma held a lot of power and overthrowing her or slowing down her plans was a lot easier said than done.

Akna peeked through a small hole in a stone structure that revealed the royal quarters of Zuma.

"Take a look, Alfie," Akna insisted.

"You were right," Alfred smiled.

"The previous ruler before Zuma built this passage way as a means of escape," Akna nodded. "However, it's highly unlikely Zuma's ever considered using this because of how strong she's become with her weapon."

"I see her now," Alfred noted, looking through the hole.

At once, the sounds of a struggle could be heard.

"What's going on?" Akna asked Alfred quietly.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Alfred replied.

Loud steps drew closer and closer to the room. And they were beginning to feel like a small earthquake.

Soon, an entire battalion of anteater soldiers got scattered across the room.

"Congratulations, you passed the test," Zuma smiled.

One final anteater guard attacked only to be taken out in a single punch.

"You defeated my finest men," the jaguar smiled. "Excellent job, Kim the Invincible."

"Were they really the best soldiers this land has to offer?" a gigantic warrior finally come into view for both Akna and Alfred. "I traveled far and wide just to get here."

"Hardly," Zuma told him. "This test run was only an appetizer. Your main course hasn't yet begun."

The giant hippo took out a small metal tomb. It looked almost like a coffin.

"I completed the previous task you requested of me," Kim told her. "Have a look, your highness."

Queen Zuma motioned for an armadillo servant to come open up the coffin to see what it was. The armadillo opened up the casket, examined what was inside, and nodded in affirmation.

"It is him indeed, your highness," the armadillo confirmed. "Prince Chicchan has been eliminated."

"Oh, this day keeps getting better and better!" Zuma smiled with a nasty grin.

She snapped her fingers. At once, the armadillo brought forth a chest full of payment for Kim the Invincible.

"Your reward," Zuma told him. "Don't spend it all in one night!"

"Thank you, your highness," Kim bowed graciously.

"I have to ask, how did you find him?" asked Zuma.

"After doing the research on this prince," Kim told her. "I traced his travels to a land called Borneo where this spider monkey had settled down with the other monkeys native to the land. He put up a struggle but his arrows were nothing my hide could not handle."

"Excellent," Zuma sat down, pouring a mango drink for herself. "You know, Prince Chicchan was the last survivors of a previous ruling family before my father took complete control. I couldn't afford to have any loose ends after all."

"And Prince Chicchan has been eliminated," Kim noted. "Now, I must take my leave, your highness."

"Who says you have to leave now?" Zuma told him, batting her eyelashes at him. "There's still plenty of singing, dancing, and partying to do now that a royal rival is no longer my concern. Not to mention there's just one last mission I want to give you…"

"One last mission?" asked an intrigued Kim.

"Yes," Zuma told him. "I promise you'll be rewarded handsomely but not only that, this target may present the kind of challenge a spider monkey archer might not."

"I'm listening," Kim sat down.

"To the south of my kingdom is a neighboring kingdom led by a powerful warrior," Zuma told him. "His name is King Acatl and he boasts unnatural abilities. I wish to annex his kingdom for the fruits that his lands yield but I have a problem."

"What would that be?" asked Kim. "Is he too strong?"

Zuma raised her Storm Wheel.

"Hardly," Zuma replied. "I could take him on and possibly defeat him but alas, I have a reputation to uphold…"

In an instant, lightning surrounded her and Zuma blazed across the room at super speed, surprising even Kim. She reappeared before him in her Protector guise.

"You see," Zuma told Kim. "I'm known here as the Protector. I'm a hero in the public eye who can't afford to just attack a neighboring kingdom, especially one with a king as popular as Acatl. And that's why I require your services."

"I see," Kim nodded slowly. "There is one target I wish to pursue back in the Old World but… perhaps I will hold off on that. This King Acatl does sound intriguing."

"My men will lead you to his kingdom first thing tomorrow," Zuma promised.

"I accept, your highness!" Kim bowed.

"Great!" the Latin American monarch told the hippo. "But for tonight, we relax… and party!"

oooo

"Oh man, this is bad!" Akna walked back and forth at the mountain lair where she and Alfred set up shop.

"Zuma's thirst for power grows by the day," Alfred agreed with her.

"I know King Acatl and he's a great guy," Akna told Alfred. "We have to do something about this!"

"I agree," Sir Alfred told her. "I suppose for the time being, we'll just have to table our plans for the second Storm Wheel you stole from Zuma?"

Akna looked over at the weapon that she had stolen from Zuma. Both she and Alfred had discussed using it for themselves somehow to stop the mad queen. However, with the situation they faced, being able to forge it into a sword for Alfred to use just didn't seem plausible for the moment.

"We need to warn King Acatl," Akna told Alfred. "If we leave now, we can get there before that hippo warrior does."

"Then let's go," Alfred grabbed the second Storm Wheel. "We may need this."

oooo

The throne room of King Acatl was resplendent. It reminded Alfred nothing of his Queen's throne room back home. There were more gold and treasures for all to see and much more colorful ornaments all around, both being worn by various denizens in the room and across the ceilings, windows, and walls.

"Your highness," Sir Alfred bowed.

The giant otter monarch looked at Alfred and Akna. At the very least he knew Akna so her getting an audience with him was easier.

"Rise," King Acatl told them. "Akna, what brings you here? And I see you have brought a friend."

"It's an emergency, King Acatl," Akna told her. "Zuma's coming for you and she wants your lands!"

"Zuma?" King Acatl seemed genuinely surprised. "Preposterous! I have known her since she was a young girl. She was always a very sweet and kind person. I don't see how she's this power-mad conqueror you make her out to be."

"You have to trust us, King Acatl!" Akna insisted. "Zuma hired an assassin who's coming for you and he's out for blood!"

The giant otter stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"If I may, your highness," Alfred spoke up. "I know you have fond memories of Zuma when she was a young girl… but whatever lady you once knew is no more. Akna and I have seen the things she's done in the shadows and out of the public eye. Whatever good person she may have been once, she is no longer. I swear this to you on my knighthood."

"This international assassin of hers also ended the life of Prince Chicchan," Akna added. "He found the spider monkey prince out in a land called Borneo and took his life."

"That does sound concerning," acknowledged Acatl.

In truth, the giant otter did not know the monkey prince too well but just the thought that Zuma would hire an assassin to kill another monarch made him very concerned. Both Alfred and Akna could see how the giant otter was troubled by all these allegations against Zuma.

Before, the king could say anything else, one of his guards rushed in.

"King Acatl!" the soldier told him. "An enemy has breached our defenses!"

"What?!" King Acatl roared. "Who?!"

"He calls himself… Kim the Invincible. Your highness, our soldiers are being decimated by him!"

"This is an outrage!" King Acatl got up.

"Please your highness," Alfred told him. "This is why Akna and I are here. We believe we have the means to protect you."

"I'm begging you," Akna told him. "We lost Prince Chicchan. We can't lose you too."

Finally, after some thought, Acatl relented.

"Very well," King Acatl told them. "However, I will step in if I need to."

King Acatl got off his throne and grabbed a staff. At the center was a gem that glowed with power.

oooo

With the wall already having been decimated, Kim stormed into town as another contingent of soldiers rushed him.

The anteater soldiers thrust their spears at him, only for their weapons to break on contact.

"Ha!" Kim punched the regiment of soldiers away.

Another group of anteaters came at him from the side and from the back. All of them stuck out their tongues which wrapped around Kim's arms, throat, head, and body.

"You think that will stop me?" Kim looked at them amusedly.

The hippo swung his body around, hurling all the anteater soldiers off of him.

"I hope this king is of a better caliber than his soldiers," Kim mused.

"Stop right there!"

Kim turned around.

A giant robotic scorpion took him by surprise. Akna raised the scorpion's claw, grabbing Kim and slamming him into the side of a building.

"What sorcery is this?!" Kim demanded.

"Not sorcery… science!" Akna cried.

"Good to know," Kim said shortly.

The hippo grabbed the claw surrounding him and started to pry it open with pure strength.

"Whoa!" Akna looked shocked at the readings on her control board. "Wasn't expecting this much resistance!"

At once, Kim broke apart the claw, tossing both of them sideways.

"No!" Akna cried, deciding another approach was needed.

The colorful bird soon then grabbed a control, unleashing the scorpion's tail down at Kim. This time, Kim grabbed the tail and yanked the robotic scorpion into the air. At once, he brought it down, slamming it into the ground with such force to completely destroy the machine.

"No!" Akna cried as Kim stood over her now that she was exposed in her wrecked machine of war.

"What is this?" Kim looked at her in confusion, not expecting a small bird as his enemy. "You are just a child. This battle is not for the likes of you. Leave here at once!"

"Uh… I'm more like a young lady," Akna corrected him. "I'm not exactly a fledgling anymore since I can fly."

As Kim continued to look at her with a dumbfounded expression, being unwilling to attack her any further, Alfred leaped in front of Kim, brandishing his sword.

"Are you alright, Akna?" asked Alfred.

"I will be," Akna told him. "But we gotta stop this guy from getting to the king!"

"He is my mission," Kim told the two. "And I will let nothing get in the way of my mission!"

"We shall see about that!" Sir Alfred declared. "I, Sir Alfred of Landreth… Son of the Saxon Guard in England and Master of War will put an end to your rampage!"

"Aaaahhh!" Kim charged in a rage.

At once, Alfred dodged a blow from Kim that decimated an entire house in one hit.

"He's strong," Alfred quickly noted cautiously.

Kim took another swing at him but Alfred dodged it. He quickly slashed Kim across the stomach with his sword, causing sparks to fly but drawing no blood.

"What?!" Alfred looked genuinely surprised he could not cut through Kim.

Kim backhanded Alfred with enough force to send him flying and skidding across the ground.

"I am called Kim the Invincible for a reason!" Kim declared.

The hippo then revealed the chains he had concealed as a weapon. Quickly, Sir Alfred dodged as Kim swung them at the knight. Behind Alfred, a stone statue of King Acatl shattered on contact with the hippo's weapon.

"Take this!" Alfred swung at Kim.

The blade made contact with Kim's skin a few more times but did no harm. Kim raised his knee, slamming it into Alfred's stomach.

"Agh!" Alfred cried out in pain.

As Akna got out of her machine, she noticed her friend was being pummeled by Zuma's hired warrior. Alfred was being forced to dodge as Kim swung his chain at the bear repeatedly.

"Are you alright?" King Acatl got down before Akna.

"I will be," Akna told him. "But we have to save Alfred!"

"It looks like it is time for me to intervene," Acatl said resolutely.

"Take this with you," Akna gave Acatl the Storm Wheel.

"What can this do?" asked Acatl.

"Long story short," Akna informed him. "It gives you the power of lightning and helps you move just as fast."

"I see," King Acatl grabbed the Storm Wheel as it crackled with electricity.

In the meantime, Kim caught Alfred's arm as the bear tried to swing at him and twisted it, breaking the knight's arm.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Alfred screamed in agony.

"If you are the best England has to offer, then my footprints will never touch your land!" Kim promised.

With that, the hippo punched Alfred, knocking him unconscious and sending him flying back.

However, a bolt of lightning caught Alfred, setting him down next to Akna in the blink of an eye.

"What?" Kim looked confused.

From multiple sides, Kim was struck by a force that moved at super speed. One hit after another managed to force the massive hippo back.

"Show yourself!" Kim shouted.

King Acatl finally appeared before Kim in a flash of lightning. He held a Meso-American staff in his hand pointed directly at Kim. The staff glowed a golden aura before unleashing a blast that struck the hippo and sent him flying into a small building, destroying it.

"Did you do it?" asked Akna, cradling the injured Alfred who was starting to stir.

From the rubble came a sound.

"It would appear this is not over," King Acatl shook his head.

With monstrous rage, Kim broke out of the rubble and roared like a primal animal.

"Oh man, what does it take to bring this guy down?" asked Akna.

"I had another target in mind whom I considered the ultimate prize," Kim told King Acatl as he walked out of the rubble and stomped towards his foes. "But now, I see that you, King Acatl, are quite worthy in your own right. It's a shame that my body might not have enough space for a picture celebrating my victory over you. Had I know you'd have given me this much of a challenge, I would've skipped tattooing my victory over that spider monkey and included you instead!"

"I'm flattered you think of me as such a worthy target of regicide," Acatl held his staff firmly.

"Indeed," Kim stomped his foot down, producing what felt like a miniature earthquake. "Now let us begin! The battle is afoot!"

To be continued.

Author's Note: Since I'm fusing both LoA and The Dragon Knight together, I decided to have that spider monkey Kim defeated be an exile whom Zuma targeted for assassination, which makes sense since spider monkeys don't live in Borneo but they do live in Latin America so tying him to Zuma makes sense.