by Ko, John
“Apologies, Riser,” the Fate says. “I would like to see who we will be matched up against as well. May I come?”
“Yeah, whatever,” she mutters. “Whoever wants to, follow me.”
“I’ll stay and watch our equipment,” offers Rachel.
“I’ll stay too,” says her brother. The others promise to return soon with word of whom they’ll be facing.
Watching them go, Wake asks, “Ray, how you feeling?”
Even surrounded, they are alone. The packed stadium shakes and roars to the ebb and flow of the current game. Unlike the last time they were on the sidelines, the whole field is dedicated to each match. All eyes will be on them when they take the battlefield.
“I’m a little anxious. But in a way, I feel kind of lucky, too. Everyone’s been so good to us and they are … I don’t know … just good. Do you know what I mean?”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
“And all we have to do is win one match today. That doesn’t sound too bad,” Rachel says.
“No, it doesn’t, not bad at all,” a new but familiar voice taunts. I know that voice; it’s …
“Kearney Dim.” Rachel looks up to see his despicable aura. Next to the rude boy are the rest of The Courageous: Willie Walls, their Shield, and the Mace Brothers, a pair of heavily armored Healers. The other she doesn’t recognize. He must be one of our replacements, she realizes. They were awful to us at the end, but we were on the same team all year. We’re all from Ice Ridge, right?
Her thoughts go to Wake. After all, he went to school with them. Rachel didn’t; she attended a private girls’ school in upper Ice Ridge. Her scholarship was a blessing, but it kept her apart from her brother. She would tell him all about her friends and teachers, but he never said a word of his, not until she met them for herself.
It was just over a year ago that she met their old captain. In many ways, it wasn’t too different from how she met their new one. Though she was the one that was lost, not him.
It seemed like a dream come true. Kearney was almost gallant, the way he went out of his way to try to help her. She didn’t realize how much the tunnels of Ice Ridge had changed during her four years away and somehow managed to get lost.
Even though he ended up leading her in the wrong direction, he at least got her to a place she recognized. Along the way, he mentioned how well his team fared in Juniors. And more importantly, that they were in need of two more. It seemed so perfect, him being in Wake’s year and all.
She was feeling guilty that day. Just earlier, she learned that her brother never joined a team while she was away. He refused to be part of any team that didn’t promise her a spot, as well. And no one was willing to save one for someone they’ve never met. It was all her fault.
When they were younger, they played at it, dreamed of it: someday entering the Tournament together. Wake would make up the most wonderful games and together they would play in the name of training.
Her favorite was Water Ball. For hours on end, they would go at it, back to back, dodging and blocking as many orbs of water as he could get to bounce around in the small cavern they played in. They’d pretend that each ball was an enemy attack. Her brother would guide her from the dangerous blows with his words. She even gave their little tactic a name—Dual Stance: Flowing Ocean.
But that was all forgotten when they joined a real team. A team led by …
“What do you want, Kearney?” Wake says. “Don’t you have better things to do than bother with us?”
“I always have time for old friends,” Kearney says, his voice all but a sneer. “And aren’t you doing it backwards, Waste? Aren’t you the one that’s supposed to be crying and Big Sis babying you?”
“Leave him alone,” Rachel says.
“I can’t do that. You see, I wanted to come have a look for myself just who we get to crush this round. And it looks like we’re up against a bunch of crybabies called Team Fate.”
Oh, no. Out of all the teams on Tour, why them? Rachel wrings the bottom of her sweater, stretching it tight. Wake gets up and stands between them. “Something must have you worried. I don’t remember you ever bothering to scout anyone else before.”
“Shut up, Waste!” the big brute hollers back. “You picked a bad time to grow a pair. Just for that, I’ll make sure to take real nice care of you and your sister, too. I’m gonna kick your ass up and down that field and when I’m done with you, I’ll pay special attention to your sister’s …”
“That’s not going to happen,” Wake tries telling him, but the brute ignores him.
“Hey, Ray, did your brother ever tell you about the time he caught me and Willie spying on you in the girls’ tubs? It was the first week on Tour. After that, he had to play spoilsport and sit outside the girls’ changing room every time you went in.”
How could they? They were watching while I … Rachel thinks in shock.
“Halfway through the year, I started telling everyone he hangs outside the girls’ room cause he’s an f’ing pervert.” Kearney roars in laughter.
“That’s not funny,” Rachel says, her voice wavering. How could we ever have been on a team with someone like him?
“It is though, don’t you see? Everyone thinks Waste’s a pervert. It’s failing hilarious.” The big brute licks his lips. “I never should’ve gotten rid of you two. You’re too much fun to have around.” Kearney turns to Wake and says, “And now I don’t have anyone to fetch my stuff and clean my gear. But what I really miss is seeing your sweet sister around.”
“Be quiet, Kearney,” Wake growls.
“I always knew she had a nice little apple bottom. But damn! When I saw her without that sweater …”
A familiar eyesore of an aura flashes between them. A clap like thunder reverberates from all around.
“He told you to be quiet. Rachel’s honor is not to be messed with,” the Fate explains. Unfortunately, the big brute can’t hear him from flat on his back with his eyes rolled back.
A loud whistle blows. “Stop right there. You boy, don’t move!”
Chapter 24
BROTHER MONSTER
[Tourney Grounds, Greenwood]
This is what violence amounts to, thinks the Half-Orc. I knew that Fate’s a fool, but I never thought he would ever do something like this. Monster caught the tail end of what the other boy was spouting and there isn’t any denying he should have been stopped. But violence is never the answer. At least the nasty fellow wasn’t seriously injured.
“So who were they?” Riser asks.
“Kearney Dim and The Courageous,” answers Sensei. “They’re who we’re up against this round. They’re also …”
“Our old team,” Rachel finishes.
“He probably came over here hoping something just like this would happen,” Riser says.
Poe points to the Fate, who is still being questioned, and then back to his own eyes. They can’t figure what the bard is getting at until he imitates punching himself in the face
“Oh, Kearney Dim is the one that gave Captain his black eyes. He’s the one who’s after you?” guesses Sensei.
Poe nods.
“It’s much more than that. He’s a bad person, a really bad person. He likes hurting people,” whispers Wake. “Last month there was this boy, Robbie Thornson. He was making fun of Kearney. Nothing major, just calling him Dimwit for laughs. The thing is, Kearney happened to walk by and hear him. Robbie’s as big as they come, but he never stood a chance. The crack his nose made was the most awful sound I ever heard, until Kearney got him down and started stomping on his ribs.” Wake cringes.
“I can still hear it. I tried to stop him, but I was too slow. By the time I pulled him off, you could already hear the whistles. Everyone just ran. I ran,” Wake admits. “I didn’t know what else to do. I guess that means I’m just as bad.”
“I know the feeling,” the Fate adds, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
“I’m sorry, Fate, it’s my mistake. I sh
owed you the wrong way. Even in defending someone’s honor, you shouldn’t hit someone,” Wake says. “It’s all my fault. I ruined everything.”
“No, Everything is fine. And I did not hit him because of anything you said. I did it because it felt right,” the Fate explains. “But I was wrong. Afterward, I just felt bad.
“Monster, I think I understand now. Violence is a shortcut. You may get some small thing that you want right then and there, but in the long run you lose even more. I do not like shortcuts like that. He punched me yesterday and then I punched him harder today. I do not like the tomorrow that will lead to.”
“He started it,” Wake says.
“But I continued it. I wanted him to stop talking. Even more than that, I wanted to show him how strong I really was. But I have been thinking about it. Strength is what you need to do something hard and punching him in the face was so easy. I want to be strong like Monster instead … strong enough that I do not care that people think I am weak—strong enough to do the right thing,” the Fate tells them. “I do not know much, but my job as Captain is to know what really matters. And for a moment there I forgot what really matters—that it is wrong to hurt other people purposefully.”
The Half-Orc studies the Captain carefully. He may be a naive fool most of the time but sometimes …
The Fate never stops smiling, even as he tells them, “I am sorry, everyone. They banned me from competing in Greenwood. You all are going to have to win this one without me.”
The Half-Orc wonders if he heard the Captain correctly. Win this without him? Even someone with absolutely no interest in Tear Fighting like me knows no one enters the field one member short. When he looks at the somber expressions of his teammates, he knows he did hear it correctly.
“Come on, man, be serious,” begs Wake. “I know I messed things up, but you don’t really expect us to go out there without you, do you? You know how Flag Matches are. It’s pretty much over after the first Crier is taken out. And you want us to start that way? Against them?”
The Captain stares back at him and shrugs. “I do not see the problem.”
“You don’t even know what you’re asking,” Wake says so quietly they can barely hear him. He takes a deep breath and collapses onto the bench.
“I am unable to fight, so you have to fight for me. When you are unable to, I will fight for you. Is that not what it means to be teammates?”
“That’s easy for you to say. And … why are we even doing this?” Wake asks angrily. “The year’s almost over. There’s no way you’re getting enough points to get out of Service. Not that you even deserve to. You should’ve taken it seriously and shown up at the beginning of the year like everybody else.” Wake picks up the towel next to him and screams into it. “You can’t ask us to go out there and embarrass ourselves like this. He’s going to try and hurt us. Do you know how he finishes people?
“He uses these brass knuckles and on the last hit he always throws a heavy punch and pretends to drop them. And whoever the poor sap is has to submit or get punched in the face.”
“Why would he drop his weapon? If he did that then his fist would go straight through someone’s Spectral Armor. It would hit them,” the Fate asks.
“Exactly! If the person doesn’t want their teeth knocked in, they have to submit. And as soon as they do, he calls them his Flinch Wimp and everyone laughs. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want to be his Flinch Wimp. I don’t want everyone laughing at me. Why are we doing this? This is stupid … just stupid.”
Brother Monster can’t help but agree.
“We need to win this match. It is important,” the Captain says.
“You said that already, but why does it even matter?” Monster asks. The Fate promised that they’d get into school, but he obviously didn’t understand what was going on. The Half-Orc has no issues with serving his two years and the situation is becoming obviously painful. What’s he thinking? Monster wonders. Can’t he see what’s happening here? Rachel is on the verge of tears. Wake’s a mess.
“There is a way. I don’t know if you’ll like it, though,” says Sensei. “It involves a Boss Feat.”
Despite Monster’s lack of interest in all things Tour related, even he knows that Feats are predetermined milestones. If you attain one you get a corresponding amount of points.And if you accomplish a Feat worthy of being classified a Boss Feat, you automatically qualify for the year. But it’s unheard of to actually qualify that way.
“It’s called ‘Triple Threat,’” Sense tells them.
“That sounds … pleasant,” Rachel says.
“It is more incidental than anything else. All you have to do is place first in the three main events of the Grand Finale,” the Fate says all too easily. "And we need to have at least one victory as a Team in order to compete in the Grand Finale.”
“So let me get this straight: you expect us to place first in all three events of the final tournament of the year? The tournament that will be held in the capital in one month’s time—the tournament that all Three Kingdoms will show up for? That’s the plan?” asks Monster in disbelief.
“There’s a reason no one’s heard of that Feat before. It’s absurdly impossible. It’s a waste of time to even try,” says Wake.
“Says who? Some voice inside of your head?” asks the Captain.
“Yes, of course, it’s what everybody’s thinking,” Wake says.
“I for one think that’s a fine plan,” says Riser. “And the first step towards that is winning our first match here, today.” It’s just what the Half-Orc would expect someone like her to say.
“I think you guys can do it too,” adds Sensei. “Everything says it won’t work, but I think something awesome is going to happen if you guys step out on the field together.”
“Everything does not say it will not work,” says the Fate. “Everything says it has to. That is what the Voice inside your head should be telling you, Way.”
“No, it says we’re about to make fools of ourselves, that …”
“That it’s all a waste?” the Fate finishes.
Wake nods and slumps deeper.
“That is partially correct. You are not just a waste though, you lay waste. In fact, you are the Waster … The Waster of Worlds. That is what the Voice should be telling you. If not, ignore the mad one and listen to mine. You are Way, the Waster of Worlds, Destroyer of Dreams. No one can stand against you!”
“What do you know? Really, why should I listen to you?”
Riser scowls. “You’re upset, but you should show some respect for your Captain.”
“Please let me explain,” says the Fate. “Way, did you know that your one punch hurt more than both of his combined? See, he is all swagger and flash. You, though … you defeat your opponents without them even knowing it.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Wake finally looks up.
“That guy is nothing but bluster,” the Captain says. “Think about it, Way. Even though you were on the same team, they have no clue how your Pure Water Techs work. Besides that, you have Riser, the strongest Daughter in generations. And no Healer on Tour can even come close to Monster’s heals. And your sister, now, she is the real monster.”
Wake sits there shaking his head.
“Little by little,” the Captain says. “Just Win the Moment, little by little, and those moments will turn into minutes and the next thing you know, everything will turn out as it should. All you have to do is win the moment. Do not look too far ahead. Focus instead on what you can handle right now.”
Monster watches in silence. He still can’t figure the Captain out. There’s more to him than meets the eye. Maybe he’s not the naive, arrogant fool Monster first took him for. No, he’s definitely that, but there is also more to him.
“I’ll try,” Wake says, surprising them all. “It’s just so stupid, but if everyone wants to … I’ll go out there and get beaten up and embarrassed.”
Chapter 25
WAKE
[B
attlefield: Titan Blue]
Right foot …
Left foot …
One foot in front of the other, just keep sliding. Mark the trail for Ray, he tells himself. Wake glides through the trees towards something he doesn’t want to even think about. In fact, he doesn’t want to think of anything at all, but that is all he can do. How’d he know about the stupid voices inside my head? Now, I really sound crazy.
Wake tries to ignore them. They’re just dumb memories, meaningless to the rest of the world. But ignoring them meant that he never acknowledged them—never faced them. Over the years the taunts have gained too much say over his life. Even now they’re telling him he’s about to be shown for the fake he is, by those who it know it best, in front of everybody.
It’s just not something he can explain. Who’d understand? It’s all just stupid, harmless stuff that shouldn’t matter—which just makes it all the worse.
Why do things have to always turn out this way? At first things are fine, but they always end up like this, a failing nightmare.
Right foot …
Left foot …
One foot in front of the other … Mark the trail. He repeats inside his head as he coasts through the forested battlefield. Another minute and they’ll make it to the center of the field. Kearney will take his time like he always does. We’ll be there long before The Courageous.
Wake checks on his sister. She’s keeping up. She looks worried. This is all my fault. He knows she blames herself, but she never really knew their old captain; he did. And he never told her.
Before he can even see its gigantic walls, he can hear the rumble of the Fountain’s waters. It’s enough to drown out his thoughts. He leads his sister through the gate. They are the first to arrive.
Forceful and constant, the water cascades down the gargantuan arm called Titan Blue. The outstretched hand hints at the granite giant buried beneath. Even the un-scalable walls surrounding the area seem tiny in comparison.