The inside of the man's cabin was cozy to say the least. It wasn't as nice as Ivy's beach house, but then again not everyone could afford a summer retreat that was bigger than a regular house. It was a simple two room layout. The main room was both the kitchen and the bedroom, and the second room was most likely the bathroom. The man placed the wood and axe he had been carrying beside the fireplace before searching through a small dresser at the foot of his bed. He came back with a shirt and gave it to Kai. "Here, this should keep you warm."
"Uh, thanks," Kai said before taking the shirt and putting it on.
"That scar on your arm looks pretty fresh, did you get hurt on your way up the mountain?"
Kai quickly thought of something to say. He couldn't tell him he fought off a bear. He wouldn't believe him, and even if he did it might freak him out. "I slipped and fell on a jagged rock on the way up here. The only things I had to patch it up were my extra shirts, so that's why you found me not wearing one."
"These forests can be pretty dangerous if you don't pack smart," the man said. "I was about to make lunch, would you like some?"
"No thanks, I had a big breakfast," Kai said as he sat down at the table in the center of the room. Ryukin went to sit by his feet.
"So what's your name?" the man asked as he started preparing his own lunch at the counter.
"Kai," he answered. "And you?"
"You can call me Richard."
"Do you live here alone?"
"No, my sister Revy lives here with me. She's out finding food for dinner right now. So, what brings you two all the way up these mountains?"
"I guess you could say we're training," Kai said.
"Oh, so you're the ones who set up camp by the river. I was afraid more pesky kids had shown up."
"What do you mean? Have people been coming up these mountains and bothering you?"
Richard brought his food to the table and started to eat. "It's nothing. I'm sure you wouldn't want me to bore you with any of my stories."
"No please, I'd like to hear more."
Richard closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. "Well, a few months ago a group of ruffians showed up at my cabin. They wanted me and Revy to come with them to a town a few hours drive away from here and work with them for something. This forest is my our home, so we didn't want to leave. We politely refused, but they didn't take too kindly to it, saying they would make us regret it if we didn't go with them. When they wouldn't leave, my sister and I ended up having to force them off our property.
"But a week later they came back and set fire to part of the forest nearby. It was only thanks to a rainstorm that the fire was put out. But before the rain came more than fifteen acres of wildlife was lost to that fire, wildlife that will take years, if not decades, to return to its previous state. They came back the next day saying it was only a warning, and that they would do even worse if we didn't change our minds. They would show up every couple of weeks and try to attack me, or set fire to another part of the forest. My sister and I have even started taking patrols through the surrounding area just so we can catch them before they try anything. But no matter how many times we ran them out of the forest, they would always come back."
"That's terrible!" Kai said. "Just who are these kids anyway?"
"I think the name of their group started with a T, but I can't remember the rest."
"Well, if they show up today Ryukin and I will chase them out for you."
Richard smiled. "You're a good kid, Kai. But I can handle anything these kids can dish out."
"Just one question, though. Why would a group of kids come all the way up these mountains just for you?"
Before Richard could answer, a rock flew through one of the windows. Someone outside shouted, "Guess what time it is! Come on out so we can play!"
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist Take that, science!
"Come on, lets get moving again." Tala smiled getting up. Skylar nodded and took off after her at half speed. She ran around a corner and ran into a puma. She jumped back and Tala moved in front of her growling low.
"I want to take it." Skylar said touching Tala's shoulder.
"No." Tala growled. "I won't have you hurt."
"Please, you'll be here if I need you." Skylar replied. Tala sat back accepting her choice, but not being happy with it. Skylar smiled and ran at the puma full speed. When she got close she jumped on it's back and then pushed off shoving it towards teh ground. It growled and got back up slashing at her. Skylar jumped out of the way and spun around facing it. She looked around and then back at the puma as it ran at her. She rolled to the side just as it got to her slashing it's claw against her left arm. She felt it break skin, but it wasn't bad at all. She yanked her foot up quickly landing it hard on the puma's skull. The puma fell back and Skylar got up.
"Your bleeding." Tala said disapprovingly.
"It's a superfical cut." Skylar said looking at the cut and wiping a little blood off. "It barely caught me. It looks like I just ran into a tree branch." She smiled as she looked at the puma. "That was fun."
Kai recognized that voice. He rushed outside to see Harry, Brittney, and Alex standing outside. Harry was tossing another rock up and down with one hand. He seemed a little surprised when Kai and Ryukin came out. "Well, I didn't expect to find you out here. I guess its our lucky day."
Brittney smiled. "You've put on quite a bit of muscle since the last time I saw you. I have to admit, you look pretty hot. Why don't you join us? I'll make it worth your while."
Kai frowned hard. "I'll never join you, you're nothing but a gang of arsonists!"
"Do you know these kids?" Richard asked as he came out of the cabin.
Kai nodded. "They call themselves Tsurikansen. They're my enemies as well."
Alex looked at Richard and said, "Bulgar and his men were the ones who first contacted you, weren't they?"
Richard nodded. "That's what he called himself."
"I apologize for his behaviour, I admit he took things a little too far when he set fire to the forest. You can trust me when I say not everyone in our group are mindless destroyers. However, you attacked our people, and that cannot go unpunished."
"Your people are the ones who started it," Richard said with a frown. He was surprisingly calm about the situation. If Kai had been in his shoes he would probably be yelling right now.
"It doesn't matter to me what your excuses are. My boss has given me orders to take you down, unless you decide to join us."
"My answer hasn't changed since the first time your friends asked me."
"I don't think you understand the situation you're in," Brittney said. "You can't possible fight all three of us without your sister around to help you." She made quotation marks with her fingers when she said sister.
"You're not laying a finger on him," Kai said as he went to stand in front of him.
Harry and Brittney laughed. Harry was the one who said, "You're joking, right? Do you honestly think you can take us all at the same time?"
Richard said, "Kai, you don't have to do this."
Kai took off the shirt Richard had given him and handed it to him. "Here, I don't want your shirt to get ruined during the fight."
Harry stared into Kai's eyes when he took the shirt from him. "I know that look in your eyes. You won't be dissuaded no matter how hard I try."
"These guys are as much my enemy as they are yours. I'm not going to let them hurt an innocent person."
Alex turned to Harry and Brittney and said, "You two, take care of him."
"What, afraid you might get hurt?" Harry asked.
"Hardly. There's no reason for Mantis and I to waste our energy when the two of you can take him just fine."
Ryukin looked up at Kai. "Two against one isn't going to be easy," he said.
Kai nodded before going to stand beside Ryukin. "Then let's make it two on two." Ryukin squared off against Arachna, while Kai got ready to fight Fang.
(You can have Skylar interact with some of the other characters while you wait for me to finish this side-story. I know it's taking a while, but it's important to the plot.)
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist Take that, science!
Skylar ran around for a while longer before she went back to the beach. She was tired of being away from everyone else.
"You finally decide to show back up?" Elise smiled.
"I got bored." Skylar shrugged walking into her room and grabbing the new suit.
"Where'd that cut come from?" Elise asked.
"It's a scratch, nothing big." Skylar replied with a shrug stepping in the bathroom and getting changed then pulling her hair back. "Where's the best place to get a killer tan?"
The enemies made the first move. Fang rushed forward as Arachna shot a stream of web. Ryukin managed to move out of the way of the attack and launched a fireball at the metal spider in response. As for Kai, he grabbed onto the sabertooth's large fangs with both hands spun his body around, throwing the metal cat to the ground. Fang managed to land on his feet before rushing at him again.
Other than against the bear, this was Kai's first real fight since Ivy decided to up their training a few weeks ago. He had started to feel a change in his perception during his sparring matches with the others, but now he could physically tell the differences since his early battles. Everything seemed to be slower than usual. In his first fight against Harry, Fang had moved almost as fast as Mantia, making him very hard to catch. But now he could see through the Tsurekin's movements, even predict when he was going to strike. More than once during the fight he surprised both the Tsurekin and his master by dodging one of the cat's attacks, or throwing him off guard.
Ryukin noticed a change in his performance as well. Being a dragon, he wasn't a naturally swift creature like Tala or Mirage. But after all those sparring matches against opponents quicker than him he started getting quicker himself. Arachna must have shot eighteen streams of web at him throughout the fight, yet not a single one so much as grazed him.
For most of the fight, both Kai and Ryukin were merely gauging their enemies' strength so they could adapt their own fighting styles to best counter them. Another perk to all their intensive training was their increase in stamina. If Kai and Ryukin had been having an intense battle like this a month ago, they might have been tired out within the first five or ten minutes. But now they were so absorbed in the fight that they lost track of time, not noticing that a half hour had already come and gone. But even then they were not the least bit tired. In fact, it was their opponents whose movements started to become sluggish from fatigue. After wearing out their opponents, they both decided it was time to end the fight.
Ryukin started first. He rushed up to Arachna and started clawing and biting at her. The attacks were coming so fast that the metal spider couldn't help but keep moving backward just so she wouldn't get hit. Ryukin caught her off guard when he faked with one claw and brought the other up from the other side. The attack collided with the Tsurekin's body, sending her flying about a yard away. When she hit the ground, she landed on her back in one of the piles of web that she had created. She wasn't just stuck, she was helpless as she wildly thrashed her legs about in the air. Ryukin took a few steps back before charging up his final attack. His eyes went red as flames began to collect in his mouth. He released the fire only when it became to large to contain, blasting the spider with a massive ball of fire that knocked one of her eight legs right out of its socket.
Kai took a more simpler approach to bringing down his enemy. He waited for Fang to jump at him again. He lifted his fist to about shoulder length when the cat got close, and when he jumped he delivered the final blow. With all his strength, Kai thrust his fist straight down. It collided with the top of Fang's head. It felt as though time had lapsed for a a few seconds. One moment his fist was colliding with the Tsurekin's head, the next Fang was on the ground in front of him. There were cracks all over the Tsurekin's face, some of which opened up to reveal the skeletal structure of his skull underneath. The entire top left of Fang's head was crushed, and the impact into the ground had broken off one of his large fangs and lodged it into the ground.
Both Tsurekin were still twitching, a clear sign that they were still alive. But it was obvious they weren't going anywhere. Ryukin went to retrieve the leg that had fallen off of Arachna while Kai dislodged his opponent's fang from the ground. Kai faced Harry and Brittney, who both wore expressions of shock and horror. "Let this be a message to the rest of your group," Kai said. "Whenever you cause distress to innocent people, be prepared to suffer the consequences by the hands of us, The Aushalten." Kai and Ryukin's movements were completely in sync when they tossed the dismembered limbs, making them land at the feet of each master.
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist Take that, science!
Brittney started to grind her teeth in rage. "This isn't over. Arachna, get up!" Ryukin's attack had burned away most of the web, so she was able to roll onto her stomach. But when the Tsurekin tried to stand up again, her legs began to shake before giving out completely.
Harry said to his Tsurekin, "Fang, get back up and show that spider how it's done." The sabertooth tiger tried to get back up as well, but fared no better than Arachna did. He couldn't even get back up to his feet.
"I'm impressed, you managed to take out two of our members on your own," Alex said. "I have to admit, even I was surprised by this turn of events. I wonder, how did you manage to get so strong?"
"Does it really matter how I got strong?" Kai asked. "Knowing isn't going to change what just happened."
Alex smiled. "I suppose you're right. But answer me this, have you managed to perform Soul Fusion with your Tsurekin yet?"
Kai didn't know what he should tell him. He wasn't the kind of person to bluff, and if he told the truth it would make him look weak.
Alex spoke before he could answer. "You silence says it all. It's a shame, really. I was really hoping to see how much stronger you would become. But, orders are orders, you injured two of our Tsurekin, and that cannot go unpunished." He turned to his Tsurekin and said, "Mantia, you know what to do." The preying mantis nodded before brandishing its bladed arms.
The sound of a very loud bird call filled the clearing as a red object came flying over the distant treeline. It turned out to be the Tsurekin Kai and Ryukin had seen earlier. It landed between them and Alex, facing Mantia. "Sorry I'm late," it said in a female voice.
Richard shook his head. "No, you made it just in time, Revy."
(How's that for a twist? Although you might have already figured it out.)
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist Take that, science!
After a while Skylar got up and walked out to the ocean diving under and letting her body sink to the bottom as the waves moved her back and forth. She held her breath for as long as she could before she came back up.
"Scared me to death!" Elise growled walking over.
"I'm relaxing." Skylar smiled. "Don't worry about me."
Kai looked from the Tsurekin to Richard. He looked just as surprised as he felt. "Wait, Revy? You mean she's..." Kai stared at Richard when he said, "You are the one who saved us that night!"
Mantia was about to attack when Alex said, "No, stop."
Richard looked at him. "I thought you were going to punish me?"
"That was the plan, but I've heard how strong you are," Alex explained. "Last time our people showed up you managed to defeat three of them all at once." He looked at Harry and Brittney before continuing. "I brought these two with me so we could stand a chance at defeating you, but because of our little interruption," he looked at Kai when he said that part, "we lost our advantage. And now there's two of you against me. I like a good challenge every once in a while, but I know when I'm out matched." When he turned to leave, he said, "Brittney, Harry, we're leaving." The two of them ended up having to drag their Tsurekin away because they were still too damaged to move on their own.
When they were gone, Revy, the phoenix, turned to face Kai and Ryukin and said, "Thank you for protecting my brother while I was away."
"I couldn't let him fight on his own against those two," Kai said.
Richard turned to him next and said, "You're definitely a lot stronger than the first time we saw you. I was surprised."
"Thanks, but I have a question. Why do you two refer to each other as brother and sister?"
"Because we've been together ever since I was born. My mother once told me that when she and my father brought me home from the hospital they found Revy perched in the bedroom window. Ever since then she's been as much a part of the family as I was."
Richard tossed Kai back the shirt before turning to go back into his cabin. "You probably still have a lot of training to do, I won't keep you any longer. You can keep the shirt."
"Wait," Kai said. "Please, tell me how to use Soul Fusion."
Richard looked at him. "Soul what?"
"Soul Fusion! It's when you and your Tsurekin merge bodies. Please, you have to tell me."
Richard closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to think. "It's not something I can explain with words. The first time it happened to me was when I was around thirteen years old."
Kai's eyes widened. "You were that young?"
Richard nodded. "One day I put my hand on Revy's head and I felt a spark between us. When that happened, I just knew. Even to this day I don't know exactly how it works, all I know is when I merged with Revy our minds became one. Her memories became my memories, her thoughts became my thoughts. It was like we were two beings in one, yet something completely different. It felt like our two minds together made a completely new person.
"I could tell by the way you two fought today that your bond is very strong. To step into battle knowing you will both pull your own weight, that is a special kind of trust. I can tell you know you are well on your way to achieving Soul Fusion, as you call it. Who knows? It might even happen tomorrow. As long as you can place your trust into each other without hesitation, you will reach your goal."
Kai turned to Ryukin and smiled. They were closer to their goal than he thought. He turned back to Richard and said, "Richard, why don't you join us?"
"Join you? You mean like how those kids wanted me to join their group?"
Kai shook his head. "We're called The Aushalten, and we're nothing like them. I won't force you to join us, but I really hope you'll consider. We could really use your help against Tsurikansen, as well as the Tsurekin Lords."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "Tsurekin Lords?"
"Yes, they're gigantic beings that created every Tsurekin in the world. One of them is a phoenix, which makes Revy its descendant. That means you two are the only ones who have the power to defeat it, just like Ryukin and I are the only ones who can defeat the one that's a dragon."
That's when Kai remembered about the cavern, and Draco's egg. "To tell you the truth, it's really in your best interests to come with us."
"Why is that?"
"The five Tsurekin Lords will awaken the moment the year turns to 2010. Each one of them are asleep in their resting places right now, and Draco the Dragon's resting place is in a cavern on the beach right at the foot of these mountains. If you're still here when he awakens, then you'll be in grave danger."
Richard seemed to think about it for a moment. "If that's true, then joining your group would indeed be the smart thing to do. However, I must refuse your offer."
"Why?"
"These mountains are my home. I'd like to stay up here as long as possible. Plus, someone has to protect this place from those hoodlums. But I do thank you for the warning. Rest assured, I will move to a safe distance before this dragon awakens."
"That's good," Kai said. "I'm sorry you can't come with us, I'm sure everyone would have loved to meet you."
"They may get their chance," he said. "I can assure you, this won't be the last time we meet."
(I've done pretty much everything I wanted to. We can do another time jump to when Kai and Ryukin come back down from the mountains.)
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist Take that, science!
Skylar laid on the side walk as she watched the sun come up with Tala and Elise.
"I'm glad you woke me up." Elise smiled.
"I couldn't sleep so I came out here and figured you'd want to see this." Skylar shrugged. She took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and she smiled a little. Kai was coming back.
"Kai?" Elise asked looking at her. She nodded. "No wonder you couldn't sleep, you knew he was coming back today." Elise laughed.
"Maybe." Skylar looked towards the ocean and the sun rise again. "This would be worth it without him coming home anyway."
"You're right about that." Elise sighed. "It's beautiful."
They sat there for a while, simply watching the sun rise. After what seemed like an hour, they heard a voice coming from the trees beside the house. "I can't believe you managed to ruin the shirt he gave you." Skylar recognized that voice, it was Ryukin.
She knew who the next voice belonged to without even having to think. "It's not my fault, that was a pretty strong branch that it caught on."
Skylar got to her feet to see Kai and Ryukin emerge from the treeline. "You're back," she said as she went over to greet them. She caught her breath when she saw him shirtless and struggled to keep a strange face. She stopped when she saw the scar on Kai's arm. "What happened to your arm?" she asked.
Kai smiled and said, "I got into a fight with a bear."
Chicken <-- Egg <-- Rocket Powered Fist Take that, science!
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