The Wilder World

by Jeff Hook

  Karugo readied his stick.

  “Never mind, defensive posture.”

  Karugo kept his stick ready, but didn’t strike at the rapidly approaching snake. It was about eye height.

  Then a wolf sprang out in front of them, grabbed the snake in its jaws right behind the head, then sped off.

  They ran, fighting off animals and trying, because of Ishū’s orders, to hurt them as little as possible in the process. Eventually soft earth turned to rock, the bamboo disappeared, and they found themselves looking up at a mountain.

  The snakes and wolves and buffalo all held back, their only follower being one charging snake that was clearly controlled by their enemy. Ishū led it all the way to the entrance of the cave, let it crawl up the bamboo stick he held, then flung the entire thing back toward the forest.

  They approached the entrance of the cave.

  “No more animal enemies,” said Ishū.

  “He can’t control the animals in there?” asked Hishano.

  “There are no dangerous animals smart enough for him to control… but there are also no dangerous animals smart enough for me to talk to. Otherwise, I would have set them against him already.”

  “So it’s just us and him.”

  “And whatever he sends down after us, but I’ve told all the animals to run away. It’ll be longer and longer between each attack.”

  “Why didn’t we do that in the first place?” asked Karugo.

  “Because I didn’t think of it,” sighed Ishū. “We’ll just have to remember this for next time we face an enemy that can mind-control animals.”

  “I hope there aren’t many,” said Hishano. “I feel bad hurting animals that were our allies just a second ago. Especially when I know they’re smart enough to think.”

  The part Karugo didn’t like was the fact that he was supposed to hold back. To each his own.

  Dampness filled the cave. The tunnel was shallow, and light peeked in through holes in the ceiling. It still took a moment for their eyes to adjust. As they did so, he started to notice the lichen on the walls and the pools of water on the floor.

  “Where is he?” asked Karugo. He poked his bamboo stick in front of him, part shield and part probe. He wasn’t sure how useful it would be, since it would catch on the ceiling if he held it in a normal sword stance, but it was nice to have.

  “I don’t know,” responded Ishū. “My power doesn’t work on humans. I can’t mind-talk with him without an animal intermediary, so we have to do this the hard way.”

  They moved quietly through the cave. Hishano started moving hesitantly down a dark pathway, but Ishū stopped him. “He wouldn’t want to risk getting lost. If it’s too dark for us to see, it’s too dark for him to see.”

  “I can light up the place,” said Karugo.

  “No,” said Ishū, “that would just give away our location, and we’d lose the landmarks of light from above. This way we won’t be surprised.”

  Which was why Hishano felt safe turning his back to one of those dark corridors, and why — despite Karugo yelling at him to move — he had such a shocked look on his face when a sword went through him.

  25

  Karugo vs Ezra

  Karugo dropped the bamboo stick and lit himself on fire, lighting up the low-ceilinged cave.

  If Hishano was surprised by the sword, the burly man holding it was even more surprised when Hishano ignored the stab, pulled his body off the sword, let the wound bleed, and punched his attacker in the face. It wasn’t a hard punch and if it hadn’t been for the shock factor it would have done almost nothing, but it gave the others enough time to leap into action.

  Karugo ran toward their enemy, but Ishū was closer. The older man tackled the unbalanced enemy, bringing them both to the ground and sending the sword clattering to the floor nearby. They were both strong, but the enemy had clearly been in more fights. He kicked Ishū off with ease, and — perhaps purposefully — sent him flying toward Karugo. Karugo had to turn off his flames and absorb the hit.

  Colliding with Ishū hurt a little bit, but the real pain started when they hit the ground and he was crushed under the older and larger man’s weight. The weight shifted, bringing a momentary increase in pain, then a great relief when Ishū got up and Karugo was free once again.

  Karugo sat up and saw Hishano shakily wielding the sword, his stance and grip clearly wrong even to someone who’d had only two days of training. Their enemy, meanwhile, was in a practiced and well-balanced fighting crouch, one foot farther forward than the other, weight down, arms relaxed in front.

  This would not end well.

  In order to distract their enemy, Karugo lit himself up again. The flames overwhelmed the natural light in the cavern, turning the enemy’s skin a deep red and making Hishano nearly blend into the cave. Only his sword was visible, a bright and clear red with Karugo’s flames reflected in the polished blade. Combined with the dancing, chaotic light it looked like a drawing of the horrific times before Tandoku Island was founded.

  The surprise was enough for Hishano to get in a swing, but it ended up slapping the ceiling and bouncing back. He swung again, a hurried sideways stroke that actually hit the man, but only with the flat of the blade. If they were going to keep on having adventures like this, Hishano desperately needed some combat training.

  “You guys are a joke,” said the man. “You’ve got such useful powers and yet all you do is bumble around, barely getting by.”

  He grabbed Hishano’s sword-arm and twisted, causing a painful-sounding snap. With his other hand he snatched away the sword before it could fall.

  “You can heal, clearly, but you can’t even swing a sword. You can catch on fire, but you’ve relied on it so much that you can barely dodge. And you talk to animals, but you don’t have the guts to take control.”

  Karugo tried to take advantage of the monologue and tackle the man, but the enemy was still aware of his surroundings and turned the blade to where it could protect him. Karugo shied away.

  “You’ve made it this far based on the strength of your powers, but this is the port where you get off the boat called life.”

  “Why?” asked Ishū.

  “Because I’m better than you.”

  “I mean, why did you take over the animals? You can live in a cave just fine without causing so much chaos.”

  The man laughed. “You really are clueless, aren’t you? I’m a distraction, a feint to busy the town’s defenses. If it worked right, they’d even thank our captain when he landed and ‘chased away’ all those wild rampaging animals. They’d give him anything he wanted without cause for violence. But you’re here trying to ruin it. If you win — which you won’t — then when the town goes up in flames, you can look at yourselves and think: I did this.”

  “That will never happen!” said Hishano, shaking out his newly healed arm to make sure it was ready to go.

  “You’re right,” said the man. “It won’t happen because you’ll never beat me. A bunch of amateurs against me, Animal Ezra?”

  Karugo’s blood was pumping. He was scared, but not in a bad way. They might be amateurs, but they were far better prepared for this than when they’d beaten Jack and Freddy. They just needed a trick.

  Unfortunately, the cave wouldn’t burn, there were no friendly dolphins around, and Ezra seemed a bit stronger than Jack.

  Ezra swung toward Ishū, who jumped back to avoid the blow.

  “No,” said Karugo. “It’s because we’re going to beat you here, and then we’re going to beat your captain.”

  Ezra laughed. “You’re going to beat Sink 'em Sam?”

  “I don’t know who he is,” said Hishano, “but he’s no match for someone who’s doing the right thing.”

  Hishano was attempting a sneak attack, but his voice gave him away and Ezra swung around and made a deep cut across his chest. Ezra’s other hand pressed against the boy’s bleeding chest and pushed him away.

  Ezra sighed. “I don’t know what rock y
ou’ve been hiding under, where you think morals can save you from a sword, but you’re annoying. I’ll be glad when you’re gone.”

  This was getting Karugo really mad now. He couldn’t approach that sword, even with the flames, but surely there was another way. The four of them, the sword, the lichen and puddles, the bamboo stick, and the bag with the flowers. That was all they had. Surely they wouldn’t die here, in a cave. Not after all they’d worked for.

  The flames got brighter as his rage increased. Ezra shielded his eyes with one hand while he swung his sword with the other to fend off Ishū.

  There. That was the ticket. Blind his enemy. Another idea came into his head, one that would work together with his first idea. A surprise.

  Karugo turned off his foot and tapped on the ground, found the bamboo stick, and moved it into position.

  “There’s something you don’t know!” he shouted, bringing Ezra’s attention toward himself.

  “Ooooh, let me guess. You’re going to tell me now!”

  Karugo pulsed his power, making the flames burn even brighter. He felt his hair lift, pressing up into sharp spiky points. Ezra’s eyes got big.

  “You’re dangerous,” said Ezra. “You’ll die first.”

  Karugo shut off his flames, plunging the cave into darkness. The natural light still crept in, but it was so faint compared with the flames that no one could see. They had to go by sound.

  “Our secret,” whispered Karugo, “is that we can see in the dark.” It was a lie, but it should distract their opponent from his actual plan.

  Ezra laughed. “My secret,” he said, his mocking voice getting closer as he spoke, “is that I can hear in the dark. And unlike you, I’m not an idiot.”

  Karugo had to rely on the footsteps, on how close the voice sounded. He would only have a half second for effective action before he got hurt. Closer. Closer…

  Now.

  He lit up his foot, extended the flame along the bamboo stick, pushed those flames as high as he could get them. The flames hit Ezra, catching his pants on fire and setting him to screaming.

  The pirate dropped his sword as he hit the floor, rolling desperately to put out the flames. Karugo lit himself up, picked up the sword, and kicked the screaming man in the head.

  “Don’t kill him,” said Hishano.

  “Maybe keeping him alive is the kind thing to do; I could certainly learn a lot from him,” said Ishū, “but we definitely don’t want him conscious.”

  “Sink 'em Sam will get you!” yelled Ezra, voice desperate and crazed. “He’s probably already pillaging the town!”

  “We may have to kill him,” said Karugo.

  “I think I have another solution,” said Ishū. They waited for explanation, which was provided when eight snakes slithered into view. “We’ll talk to you after we defeat your captain. There’s much I want to learn. But if you try to mind-control any animal, if you even look like you’re thinking about it, these snakes will bite you, and you will die a more painful death than you can ever imagine.”

  Hishano nodded along. “It does hurt a lot.”

  Ezra sighed in defeat. The flames had finally gone out and he was nursing burned skin. “Fine.”

  “That settles it, then,” said Karugo. He could feel the excitement growing. They’d just defeated their strongest opponent yet! “We have a town to save…” The townspeople would be so grateful to him for doing this; they would love him so much! “…and we have a captain to kill.”

  He could hardly wait.

  Discover More of the Pirates and Powers World

  Volume 3: Battle for Havlam

  A giant battle for the fate of Havlam Island!

  Sink 'em Sam kills one hundred civilians for every injured member of his crew, so from the first swing of the sword it’s a desperate battle to the death.

  Every single person on Havlam Island is under threat, and every single person must fight. Hishano and Karugo will do everything they can to protect their new friends... but at what cost?

  Available April 16, 2019.

  Buy or Preorder Now!

  Free Novella!

  Sink’em: A Pirates and Powers Story (FREE Novella)

  Sink'em Sam steals from the rich, gives to the industrious, and kills anyone who gets in his way.

  Before he became the government lackey chasing our heroes, Sink'em Sam was a notorious pirate who gave merchant captains panic attacks, inspired absolute loyalty in his crew, and singlehandedly revived a dying continent.

  Sam steals mountains of mezgol, wins seemingly hopeless naval battles, and visits Barkston... the mysterious pirate haven hosted by the Corgi Empire.

  But the Mezazi Empire won't sit still for long, and the world may be changing too fast for Sam to keep up.

  Download for free! BookHip.com/VHXQJL

  Character Index

  Karugo: A strong-willed boy of sixteen who didn’t fit in with the perfect Tandoku Island life. Exploded in a literal fireball of anger. He loves being outside the Tandoku Island bubble, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that Hishano and Ishū both cared for him. Almost got enticed into becoming a pirate as Jack’s apprentice.

  Grandpa Toraburu: Karugo’s grandfather. Bred Karugo to be a hero. Kicked off the Elder Council for this “sabotage”.

  Hishano: Overly empathetic boy of fifteen. Bred to constantly watch over Karugo to make sure he didn’t get in trouble. Insanely friendly to everyone he meets and loyal to everyone he considers friends (which is a lot of people). His power is healing really fast.

  Ishū: Stoic loner who can talk to animals. Never caused trouble like Karugo, but also never really fit in. Sent on the mission as the adult supervision (he’s thirty-four).

  Sink 'em Sam leads a motley crew of “government agents” (pirates released from prison so they could take on this mission) who recently failed in their mission of capturing Evyleen the Uncatchable. They lost Jack and Freddy in the attempt, and spent several days searching for them, with no luck. Finding and catching Evyleen without them is hopeless. Now, to keep the crew from getting mutinous, Sam is leading them to Havlam Island to “collect taxes”.

  Sink 'em Sam: Strong, stoic captain whose power is turning into tin. His super is turning inanimate objects around him to tin. Not a good guy, but he cares for his crew in his own pirate-y way. His old crew is being held by the Mezazi Empire, and if he wants them to live he has to do what they say.

  Syldris: Vicious woman with a grudge against the world. Her power is growing spikes that she can pull out and throw at her enemies.

  Animal Ezra: Prickly misanthrope who can take over the mind of animals.

  Gum-Gum Guffy: Cheerful idiot who thinks the other pirates are his friends and that they’re all going to be heroes. His arms can extend to fifty times their normal length. The only power-user on Sam’s crew who was a free man when he volunteered for this mission.

  Navigator: Unfortunate man whose power is his fingers randomly turning ghost-like and slipping through whatever they’re holding. This guy was a cook’s assistant and was promoted to navigator (through the cook’s pleading) after Far-eye Freddy was flung from the ship.

  Jack and Freddy, former members of Sink 'em Sam’s crew, plan on selling out the location of Tandoku Island to the Mezazi Empire. However, after Hishano overheard their plan, Karugo burnt down the ship they were all sailing on. Currently lost at sea.

  Stylin’ Jack: Calm if he’s dry, irritable if he’s damp. Briefly took Karugo under his wing and showed a tiny (but terrifying to Jack) amount of affection toward him. Ended up trying to stab his protege two days later. His power is repelling water, which is very convenient for reducing friction on ship hulls and thus increasing travel speed.

  Far-eye Freddy: A very effective navigator. His power is seeing through anything, which means support beams are almost translucent and he can see every terror lurking in the deep. Understandably, he spends most of his time as a nervous wreck.

  Evyleen the Uncatchable is running fro
m the Mezazi Empire. The most recent attempt to capture her was led by Sink 'em Sam.

  Evyleen: Mezazi woman forced into banditry. She’s wanted because her power (causing winds to blow at will) would greatly increase the speed and reach of the Mezazi Navy. She travels the world, avoiding capture and picking up crew members among the dissatisfied youth of the towns she visits. Mezazi newspapers call this “kidnapping”.

  Glyffin: Evyleen’s first mate. A tall and muscular Husky. Hard-working and loyal. Very proud of his heritage and prefers to be called a Baltese.