The Fate: Book 1: Tournament Wysteria

by Ko, John

  “You should listen to your strategist. At least if you don’t want to get embarrassed out here.” Wake’s ready for the counterattack, but it never comes. Instead, Kearney’s eyes grow large with delight. He stares at Wake and licks the spittle forming at the edges of his mouth.

  “Waste, you’re a failing moron,” he says, grinding his knuckles together. “Why would you defend her? Juli doesn’t give a rat’s ass about you. She’s the reason I kicked you and Rachel off the team.”

  “Well … I should thank her then,” says Wake. Stay Focused. Don’t let him distract you.

  “She can’t even say your name, man. She just calls you the Jerk.”

  “Kearney!” Rachel yells. “You’re the only jerk here. And … and a pervert, too. I hope your new strategist knows that you spy on your teammates when they’re trying to bathe. And she doesn’t have Wake around to stand guard outside too!”

  “Whatever,” the brute grunts. “Everyone knows your brother’s the pervert.”

  “You just spread those lies because you got mad at being caught. But my brother still didn’t stop. If it weren’t for him, no girl would’ve been safe! Perv!”

  The crowd grows loud with chatter, and a chant begins to grow. “Kearney the Perv! Kearney the Perv!”

  “Shut up! Shut your failing mouths! Or I’ll smash them shut!” he screams out with enough rage to quiet the whole arena. The vein next to his bloodshot eyes begins to throb. His sneer begins to twitch. He looks straight at the siblings and whispers, “I’m going to hurt you now.”

  Wake stands with his sister, surrounded in a nightmare, dodging and striking in unison, losing precious inches with every attack. He can feel his sister breathing hard, the glow of her armor dwindling low.

  Suddenly, something pushes him forward, forcing him away from his sister. Behind him, a massive wall erupts from the earth. Willie is trying to separate them. It’s all over now.

  By the time he sees it, there is nothing he can do Kearney’s knuckles are inches from his face.

  He’s picking himself up again. He’s already taken three clean shots. He can’t possibly take much more. Get up! This is no time to rest.

  “I’ll give it to you, Waste, you’re tougher than I thought. No one’s ever stood up after three Krushers before without healing,” Kearney says between his teeth. “But you know what’s coming next, right?”

  Wake’s right eye feels like it doesn’t want to stay open, and the sweat dripping into his other stings. No, not sweat; blood. Everything’s red. He knows what’s coming. Don’t look away. I can’t leave Rachel alone out here.

  “Circle Step,” Kearney says softly. It’s his very own personal Dash Step. With his polarized boots, Kearney gets to such a speed that he can’t fully control himself. Instead, he relies on his magnetized knuckles to pull him back to his target. It’s almost impossible to see. He’s all swagger and flash. He’s nothing.

  Wake focuses on seeing the brute—a flicker here, a flicker there. But even if Kearney curves now, there’s just no way he’d make it back towards Wake. No! He’s swerving around the wall and towards Rachel. I need to get there first. It’s too late to Wave Step, I have to …

  Wake slams his wrists together and points his hands towards the ground. “Gusher,” he screams, blasting a stream of Water from his palms, propelling himself directly into the air. As the top of the wall flies past him, he sticks out one arm and grabs what he can. His shoulder burns, and he feels something in his elbow pop, but it keeps him from flying away. Tethered like a kite gone wild, his body dives back down, slamming into the other side of the wall—onto the side his sister’s on. Fail me! I messed up my arm. Even worse, that was the last of my Water.

  Get up! his new voice says. Wake stands. He knocks his sister out of the way and takes her place.

  Kearney’s already there, crouched so low it almost looks as if he’s tying his shoes. But he’s not. The big brute throws himself into a flying uppercut and Wake’s chin explodes. “Earth Style: Straight Up!” he shouts, launching them both high up into the air

  Wake finds himself lifted off his feet, flying higher and higher upwards. The force of the blow throws his head backwards. The more it hurts, the more he’s thankful that it’s him that feels the pain.

  He lays there in midair, still ascending. All he can see is the blue of the sky and one little cloud. It looks so lonely, so sad. Something about it all makes him want to laugh … or cry.

  He’s caught now; there’s no escaping it. The Straight Up Tech paralyzes the victim so Kearney can use his final move, a move no one’s ever gotten up from before.

  At the height of their flight, Kearney appears on top of him. Wake looks straight at him, really looking at his face for the first time. He’s just another boy. We’re not that different in what we want, just the way we go about it. The power he has over me is the power I’ve given him … and his face is really round, he thinks. It looks like the moon.

  Wake decides to laugh. I’ve lost it. I really must be crazy, laughing at a time like this. The announcer screams something excitedly over the Tear Speaker. He can hear the crowd take a collective breath. I’m done, tired and sore, without a drop of Water left. Nothing to do but wait. I’ve tried my best. I have nothing to regret, he thinks for the first time in his life. Everything is going as it should.

  He takes a deep breath and the air tastes so sweet that it changes his mind. No! Everything will go as it should! I want to keep going. Rachel needs to get into school. I want to keep having fun with these guys. I want to win for her, for them … I want to win for me!

  It hurts, but it’s just pain. All he has to do is take it. His Spectral Armor keeps him from any real harm. There’s nothing to fear.

  He locks eyes with his lifelong bully and smiles the smile of a madman. When was the last time he spoke honestly, instead of always worrying what other people thought? He’s just met some people that live their lives that way, unguarded, unafraid.

  “Hey, Kearney. Thanks for asking me to play that first day.”

  The big fellow squints at him in confusion and then roars. He reaches back as far as he can, only to bring both knuckles down like twin hammers. One moment, Wake is floating weightless, the next he’s plummeting back to earth. He’s falling so fast he feels the air behind him begin to burn. He wonders if his back is glowing like the face of a falling star.

  All he can see is his old tormentor and his own paralyzed arms flapping uselessly in the wind. It looks like I’m reaching up at him. No, it looks more like I’m waving, he decides.

  “Earth Finisher: On the Rocks!” screams the guy that used to tease him. Wake can hear the giant slabs of rock burst forth from the ground below. Kearney’s pressing down on him with all his weight, driving them towards the jagged peaks.

  Wake’s back explodes, his spine speared by the sharp, hard earth. He feels himself breaking, snapped in two, his insides torn apart. It’s just pain. It’s not real.

  His Spectral Armor fades to almost nothing, but he still glows. How am I still armored? Wake wonders, but he already knows. The only reason no one has ever survived Kearney’s attacks before was because of him … Because of my useless Pure Water attacks. I take people out and they don’t even know it.

  “Get away from him!” he hears his sister scream from next to him. He’s fallen back onto the node. He tries to push himself up. He can barely see out of his one good eye, and what he sees is … they’re coming for me. I have to get away.

  “What the hail is wrong with you, Waste? Why are you still up?”

  “I really did have fun playing that day,” Wake spits out, barely able to hold his head up. “Sorry, I lied. I guess I tried to trick myself, but I really knew what you were asking the whole time.”

  It’s my life. I’m going to be brave enough to be myself … to believe in myself. I won’t be ashamed to try my best and fail. He pushes himself onto all fours. Limbs shaking violently, he pitches himself away from his sister’s grasping arms�
�away from the node. Falling forward, he scrambles with everything he’s got. They’re following me … good.

  “I always knew you were weird, but damn, you’re failing crazy.”

  “Guys you have to get that girl off the node. It’s about to flip,” the voice over the speaker pleads.

  “For the last time, shut up! If I hear your voice again, I swear I will sew your failing lips together the next time I see you,” the bully bellows.

  “Hey, Kearney, I always thought you weren’t very nice to me, but I guess I haven’t been very nice to you, either. I must have been pretty annoying to be around. If I think about it now, I don’t like the old me very much, either. I’m pretty ashamed of all that shame,” Wake says, laughing, coughing, sputtering, but moving.

  “Julia Redsilk, I’m sorry to you, too. We probably could have been friends. I just didn’t think someone like you would want to be friends with someone like me. So I was rude to you before you could be rude to me. Pretty stupid, huh?”

  Wake crawls smack dab into another wall. Damn Willie and his walls. He stops and props himself against it.

  “Kearney, Willie, all I ever thought of were the ways I’d get back at you if I was strong. Now that was a real waste,” Wake admits softly, trying to stand.

  “Shut up, Wake.” Kearney places a boot onto Wake’s chest and begins to press down. “Why are you still even alive?”

  Wake laughs long and hard. “Because I cannot lose!”

  “Whatever,” The big brute leans over his crumpled body and seizes him by the collar. “Water Grab this maggot,” he says and spits into Wake’s smiling face.

  Wake just laughs some more. “I’m sorry for ever listening to you. And you should feel sorry for listening to yourself. But really, most of all, you should’ve listened to Juli.”

  A bell rings three times and the fountain named Titan Blue glows. We did it. Wake feels the fountain’s energizing powers. It’s enough for him to knock away his ex-captain’s hold on him. Rachel can barely stand up. They’ll have her off in an instant. But that’s all I need.

  “What are you smiling at? Some little fountain buff ain’t enough to save you, Waste.”

  “Kearney, you only got it half-right. It’s not Waste.” Wake repeats the voice in his head. “I’m the Waster of Worlds, Destroyer of Dreams. And I’m about to bring all yours crashing down.” Oh, god, I actually said that in public …

  “Wave Step,” he says, sliding to the top of the wall. He looks down at his old teammates and reaches behind him, grabbing as much as he possibly can. “Two-fold Water Grab: Tsunami!”

  It was never part of the plan, but deep down he knew he could do it, if he dared. And now he dares. Now that we have control of the Titan Blue, we have control of its Waters … He grips the Air in front of him. Water fills the spaces in between, flooding the sky. It’s more than he’s ever attempted to control before—more than he ever thought possible. He grabs it all. He can’t tell if it’s him refusing to stop or the flow of the gigantic fountain. It just keeps coming. The weight is enough to drive his feet deep into the wall beneath him, causing it to crumble and fall apart. Within the palms of his hands he controls an unstoppable force, and with a flick of his wrist he slams it down upon those opposing his Will.

  Of all the things that happen at that moment, it’s a frog caught in the falling torrent he notices. He laughs again as he watches it swim away. When he looks up no one is left standing. Darn, my socks got wet.

  Kearney Dim throws back his head and cackles.

  “Is that all you got, Waster?” the brute howls. Wet, but looking no worse for the wear, he gets to his feet and shakes himself dry.

  “Freeze!” Wake yells back. The knee-deep water begins to do just that, trapping his enemies in ice. Wake slides out of it.

  After all that, there’s only one Sphere on the field: his sister’s. But still … “It’s over, Kearney.”

  “Water Grab: Dual Falchions,” he commands. “Freeze: Ice Blade Right.” One turns into jagged ice.

  Behind him, Willie brings his hands together and begins to chant. What’s he doing? Wake’s never seen this Tech before. Willie must have kept it a secret up until now. This can’t be good.

  “Wave Step,” he shouts, trying to close the distance.

  “North Wall: Ice,” Willie says, thrusting his hand to the ground. A line shoots towards Wake, and a giant wall of ice blocks his way. Willie’s Walls are almost unbreakable, but they aren’t very big and easy enough to go around. He turns to the right.

  “East Wall: Fire,. Wake stops before almost running into the deadly flames. He’s trying to box me in. He turns around and slides the other way, but it’s already too late.

  “West Wall: Earth,” the Waller chants. “South Wall, Blood”

  There’s only one way. Wake tries to slide up. “Wave Step.”

  “Sky Ceiling: Air!” Willie finally finishes. “Unleash: House of Tears!” The walls lock together, reinforcing each other to create a prison with no escape.

  Kearney bellows in laughter. “Nice one, Willie.” He begins to pound the ice encasing his legs. With each strike, larger and larger chunks fly through the air. He’ll be free any moment.

  It can’t end like this. I need help. “Riser, Monster, where are you?”

  “Up here,” Riser calls down from high above. “Are you done yet?”

  “Done?” he asks, confused. Why are they up there on the fountain’s walls? How did they even get up there?

  “Well, you said you didn’t need any help to beat them. That was pretty selfish of you, wanting to hog all the glory for yourself. But we didn’t want to intrude on any unfinished business.”

  “Oh, I did say that, didn’t I?” Relief washes over him at the sight of the Daughter and Half-Orc sitting atop the huge wall that separates the fountain from the outside. “I change my mind, I need your help … please.”

  “Make up your mind, otherwise people just might think you’re crazy,” she says, leaping down and stretching lazily. “I was about to get really upset if you didn’t leave any for me. This is my debut match after all, and my birthday.”

  “Shut up. Nobody cares,” says Kearney.

  “Presents shouldn’t talk,” she says to the big boy. “And Wake tied you up with a big fat bow. Besides, you should concentrate more on remembering this moment. Someday you’ll be telling your grandchildren all about how you got your ass kicked here today.”

  “How’d you get up there? Those walls are supposed to be un-scalable?” Wake has to ask.

  “Air Blocks. Enough of them properly spaced and you have a set of stairs.” She gives him a wink and turns back to their opponents. “Hey, dummies, I’m going to attack this Wall guy over here. You better keep him healed.” The three Healers look this way and that, wondering if she’s telling the truth. One begins to chant and soon the other two follow suit.

  “Sing, Ehecthal!” she screams, writhing in the wind. Her sword pierces the Waller’s armor, shattering it into a million pieces of light.

  Riser laughs. “Did you see that? Three Healers couldn’t keep him up against one of my attacks. I must be soooo strong.”

  “Now I’m coming for you,” she says to the Healers. “But just how should I take you out?” She walks towards them slow and deliberate. The trio begins to tremble, their metal armor clanking like pots and pans. She swings her blade almost nonchalantly. They pop into bubbles, like corn in a kettle.

  “I must be a f’ing badass!” Riser exclaims. The crowd cheers loudly at her every word. “Three Healers with one regular attack. That’s a record, even for me.

  “And now for you.” she says to a shivering Kearney Dim.

  “I heard you’re the one that punched my Oppa, that you’ve been messing with my teammates and friends.”

  He snorts out, “Whatever. You guys just got lucky.”

  “So you’ve given up already, huh?” she asks. “You know you had Wake beat way worse than this, and he didn’t give up. He laughed in
your face. See, that’s the difference between you and him. That’s why he’s worthy of being on my Team.

  “Let’s make it official, though. I’ll even finish you off with a real Tech.” Riser crouches down before exploding through the air, a torrent of wind driving her forward. “Oops, I dropped my sword,” she says, sheathing Ehecthal in mid-flight, her knuckles aching for contact.

  “I submit.”

  Riser bounces harmlessly off the protective sphere. Turning her back to the coward, she utters in disgust, “Flinch Wimp.” The horn sounds and it’s over.

  She did it. We won, we really just won, Wake realizes. He’s crying; no he’s bawling, and in front of everybody, but who cares? He decided a little while ago that there’s no shame in being himself. Somewhere along the line, he even stopped faking it.

  Rachel’s there, and so is Riser and Monster. They’re jumping up and down, hugging each other. Well, not really Monster, but still, even he’s cracked a smile. Everyone is wishing Riser a Happy Birthday.

  Fate, Sensei and Poe come rushing over. He didn’t realize it before, but the whole stadium is screaming. They’re mostly cheering for the Daughter, but he even hears a few chants for “Waster.”

  Chapter 28

  RACHEL

  [Behind the Stewards & Raiders Inn, Greenwood]

  Rachel finds herself sitting on the same bench from this morning, in front of the same fire, listening to it crackle and hiss once more. Everything’s the same, but really, it’s not.

  Now she’s surrounded by the sounds of revelry. And even though she sits alone, she’s far from alone. There’s a smile on her face that just won’t go away and she wonders, how can it feel so good? It’s not like she hasn’t been on the winning side before, but this … this is different.

  The mystery of the coal-filled pit was answered a short while ago when the Fate unearthed it to reveal a whole boar that was roasting in it all day. The smell of sizzling pork and charcoal when they unearthed it is something she’ll never forget. The least of things of a day she will never forget.