by J. C. Fiske
“I’m truly honored, Mom, thank you so much! It really is beautiful when you look at it closely,” Kinny said.
“Indeed it is, Kinny. Sort of like your bracelet from Kennis, it always reminded me that my sisters’ spirits were with me, protecting me, but now your father holds my heart, and my sisters will look out for you. To use it, all you must do is break the vial and drink it. It will recognize your essence and absorb into your bloodstream. Your Flarian essence will act like sunlight, the last remaining ingredient for activation. It will increase your abilities for a short time like you cannot fathom, but it requires immense sacrifice; that is why some conditions must be met first,” Kalloway said.
“What conditions?” Kinny asked as she rolled the vial between her fingers and watched the water flow from side to side.
“To save another’s life, to save your own, or when your pride as a woman is at stake. When those conditions are met, and you’re at your limit, you shouldn’t just think about using it, you need to,” Kalloway said. “It goes without saying pride goes before the fall, but not in this sense. When somebody mocks what you stand for, when somebody shoves a finger in your face and mocks who you are and where you come from, and when your own words and power are not enough to stop it, then it is better to die with your pride intact than continue living with such regret of not standing up for yourself. When you’re alone, pride, is all you have. And when the time comes, when you find a man to wed, only then should you let down that pride, in beautiful surrender to another. Marriage only works when both sides lay down their pride for each other. That is what love’s sacrifice is truly about. That is what that vial is for, to protect you so such a day can come,” Kalloway said.
“That . . . that really is beautiful. I think . . . I think I may have found someone like that,” Kinny said, smiling.
“Rolce? He is a fine man by my standards, although, he is also your first love. There may be others ahead.” Kalloway said.
“I know that, but right now, he is all I think about and, most of all, he respects me,” Kinny said. “But what are the risks with this?”
“There is another reason why this ability is known as the Hyacinth. You see, when a Hyacinth withers, you must cut away its withered parts for it to rise again, a rebirth process,” Kalloway said. Kinny’s eyes went wide.
“What do you mean by . . . cut away? Are you saying . . .” Kinny started. Kalloway laughed.
“No, no, I don’t mean cut away your limbs. I mean your essence, which in turn is bonded to your life force. That has to be sacrificed. When using such an ability, there is a fifty-fifty chance that you will be fine or your essence, all of it, will be depleted. If the latter happens, you will go into a coma, and for how long? One cannot know for sure.
“It took sixteen years for your essence to be ready to be released. I’m not saying it will take that long to recharge, but it could. Your body is stretched now and able to maintain it, so you may wake up sooner. Either way, your essence must fully return for your life force to fully return. It could take years or days, or you could never wake up again,” Kalloway said. Kinny hung her head.
“So, my essence must be sacrificed for me to come back, and even then, it’s not for sure that I will. This is . . . this is a hard decision,” Kinny said.
“And if such a moment arises, my daughter, I know you will make the right one. Also, think of the love pledge. If the boy you speak of, Rolce, holds his heart true to you and waits for you to wake again, well, you will know, without a doubt, he is the one. A man like that is a man worth keeping forever and a man worth letting down your pride for,” Kalloway said.
“I understand, Mom. Thank you for such a gift,” Kinny said.
“You are welcome, dear. When a Hyacinth does bloom again, it comes back even more beautiful than before. All great things require great sacrifice. Remember that, my dear daughter, and know whatever decision you make, I am proud you are my daughter and you have inherited all that makes me powerful. I love you, my Kinny, and it is so good to once again be with you,” Kalloway said as she wrapped her daughter in a loving embrace. In the dark of the cave, Kinny couldn’t help but remember her dream, but now she could look up and see her mother’s face, which soon morphed into Malik’s twisted mug.
“Just relax, it will be over soon . . .” Malik said.
Meanwhile, Gisbo made it to his grandfather. He bounded upon the balcony he was standing on and was immediately restrained by two guarding Shininjas that seemed to appear from nowhere.
“Hey, you old bastard! Stop the fight! Kinny is toast! You gotta stop this before that psycho in the ring seriously hurts her!” Gisbo pleaded. Frank turned around and walked to face him eye to eye.
“I will do no such thing. We are warriors here, not fighters. Unless she surrenders, the fight will continue,” Frank said.
“But . . . you don’t understand what that little pyscho is capable of! Stop the . . .” Gisbo started until he heard a shout from behind him.
“Gisbo! ENOUGH!” Gisbo turned to see Kalloway appear by his side.
“Kalloway! You’ve got to stop this! I know you love blood and everything, but seriously, Kinny is in a lot of trouble facing off against that guy! She could die!” Gisbo said aloud.
“I don’t think you understand my daughter at all, Gisbo, or her pride. Should you stop this fight now, her pride, her honor, would be crushed forever. I sense you have a personal vendetta against this boy. I can hear it in your voice. Am I right?” Kalloway asked. Gisbo let his head sink.
“Maybe . . . but that guy’s a killer! Only a killer can beat a killer! Kinny isn’t a killer!” Gisbo argued.
“No, she is not a killer. She is something else, something far more important and substantial. That is why she will win,” Kalloway said.
“Win!? She threw all she had at that bastard, cut him up, and he’s still standing. Her Boon form is done; what more could she possibly do? She’s not the type to give up, I know that. She’s gonna die out there!” Gisbo argued.
“That is a possibility, but she could die in her sleep tonight or catch a horrible disease tomorrow or find she is allergic to something that would permanently close off her windpipe and suffocate her. Being a doctor, I know of quite possibly every way a human can die,” Kalloway said.
“You’re pretty morbid,” Gisbo said.
“The point is, Gisbo, you can’t let death scare you. If you do, you let it control your life and you’ll always hold yourself back. When you do that, what is life? You will understand one day. Right now, however, Kinny is being faced with a choice, a choice that will allow her to defeat her opponent, but at a cost. It is all up to her now . . . whatever her decision, it will be the right one,” Kalloway said.
“But . . .” Gisbo started.
“Gisbo, you have a good heart about you. Never lose it. Kinny and I know this, and you are right, Kinny is not a killer, she is something else,” Kalloway said as she looked at her daughter with distant eyes.
“Well, what is she?”
“Watch,” Kalloway said. This time, a proud smile brandished across her face.
Kinny shot a look up at Malik, stalling him for a second. He looked at her with a curious gaze.
“Wow, with that kind of look, one would think you could still win this. Sorry, girl, but it’s impossible. Your Boon form is gone, along with your essence; you’re finished,” Malik said. Kinny flashed a wicked grin, showing all her teeth. It didn’t startle Malik, but it still held his eyes.
“You’re about to enter a world of pain, you little bastard. All I need is a sparkle of essence to beat you. You forget the main reason why we have Boons. Just in case we run out, we can take their supply. REND! NOW!” Kinny said. Kinny’s wolverine bowed its head, and Kinny stretched up her ring hand shakily. Instantly it glowed and her Boon collapsed, asleep. Kinny’s veins pulsed a fiery red yet again, and she reached up to her necklace and grasped ahold of the vial. As she did so, she looked down at the bracelet Kennis had given her,
and then up at her mom.
Kennis, Mom, my dear Rolce, I . . . I might be going away for a while. I’m going to do this, I’m going to win, for all of us. My woman’s pride is at stake and my life is at stake.The qualifications are fulfilled, Mom. I do this for you, and especially for me. This bastard is gonna see just what I’m made of. May all your sisters protect me, Mom. I love you! And Rolce, I hope you wait for me . . .
“Hey, ass face, you’re right, I’m no killer. I’m not like you, a wild dog with no purpose. Me? I’m a protector! And to protect what I love, I will, kill you!” Kinny yelled, and with that, she snapped the vial from her neck and broke the seal and Kinny downed the vial in one gulp. She stood for a moment, motionless.
“Hmph, the hell was that? You ain’t . . .” Malik started, then froze. Kinny began to breathe heavily, and her heart beat loud and strong with the echo of a wardrum.
“What the hell? What are you?” Malik asked as he instinctively took a step back.
“Now? I’m a freak like you!” Kinny screamed and her entire body erupted into a scorching flame. Her veins pulsated, and with every heartbeat, small, blossoming plants, pulsing with power, were rising out from her skin, unaffected by the roaring flames about her. All that could be seen were her intense eyes, scarier than the rest of her.
In a blur of motion, Kinny rushed forward, leaving a trail of fire in her wake, and walloped Malik across the chin, sending the boy crashing to the floor. She was upon him in a second as she lept and slammed both of her knees into his gut. Malik, for the first time, expressed terror and, another thing not seen during the match, pain. Malik coughed hoarsely as blood erupted from his mouth as he began to bleed internally from the last strike. Kinny poured on the pain as she slammed her emblazoned fists into his face before lifting him up by the neck as if he weighed nothing.
“Razgul!” Malik screamed out in desperation, summoning his boon form. Instantly, Malik’s features changed and his eyes turned a bright yellow, matching his wolf’s. From then on, Gisbo couldn’t believe what he saw. Malik took on the same exact features as he did in his Boon form. Black ears stretched out and black fur sprouted all about his body, and the same claws popped up between his knuckles, looking more beast-like than anyone else had thus far in their Boon form, and worse of all, like Kinny, his entire form erupted into fire, as well. Unlike Gisbo’s, the tint around the flames was blackened with an eerie turquoise tint that seemed to trickle out from him, rivaling the phoenix’s blue flames.
Turqoise? What the hell is going on? He . . . he looks just like me! If that’s true, then he is taking great risk to his own body using it! Gisbo thought.
Gisbo hadn’t seen such power emit from two people since he saw Falcon and Ricard face off at Oak County. Both Malik and Kinny rushed at one another with tremendous speed and struck with power that would normally be impossible if not for the special form of elemental essence that raged through them. However, both energies felt unstable, as if their bodies were not ready for such power yet. Neither of them brought up any form of defense as they both repeatedly stood their ground and struck at one another in every open area they could manage with their fists, feet, and newly-formed claws. Each shot that hit true sounded like a bomb going off as sparks of red, green, and black erupted like fireworks with each strike.
There wasn’t even any sort of pattern to their strikes and neither of them opted a defensive position. Kinny struck Malik square to the nose as Malik followed it up with a strike under her chin and a kick to her chest, to which Kinny countered with a palm strike to Malik’s face and followed it up with a knee to his stomach. This random exchange of blows went on for what seemed like an eternity until Kinny and Malik’s essence began to slowly falter away. Both of them knew their time was about up and it was about to come down to one final strike. Whoever’s essence ran out first would be the loser.
Kinny and Malik both took aim and threw all they had into one last essence-filled punch. Both grabbed at each other’s throats with their left hands and pulled back with their right and collided with the other’s face. One blow was bigger than the other, but the crowd couldn’t tell whose. Both fighters stood, still gripping each other’s throats, essence now depleted, and bloody, bruised, and nearly beyond recognition.
“It’s over . . .” Kalloway said as she lowered her head.
Kinny’s knees buckled and she hung limply, only standing because of Malik’s grasp around her throat. The crowd erupted into cheers all around in disbelief of the fight they had just witnessed. However, Malik did not cheer, nor did he move. He simply snarled and continued holding Kinny up by her throat. He reeled back his free fist with a yell and let out with a thunderous strike to Kinny’s unconscious face.
“HEY! WHAT THE HELL!?” Gisbo screamed. The crowed began to boo in retort. But Malik was not done as he spun to face the crowd.
“She is still on her feet! As the rules state, until she falls off of them, unconscious, the fight goes on! I HAVE NOT had my fill!” Malik screamed and, with that, he continued to strike at Kinny’s defenseless body, desecrating her in every spot possible. Even from where Gisbo was standing, Gisbo heard Kinny’s ribs snap like firewood.
“KINNY!!! DAMN IT, STOP THIS!” Gisbo rushed toward his grandfather as the Shininjas held him firmly yet again. His grandfather stood and did nothing.
“As much as I don’t like to admit it, the boy is correct. As long as Kinny’s feet are still keeping her up, it is his right to continue the fight,” Frank said coldly. Kalloway shook with despair.
“Frank, I . . . Frank, you bastard! I am helpless without my essence; you must do something!” Kalloway pleaded. “Somebody! Please! He’s killing my daughter!”
A Shininja appeared and stuck what looked like a poison dart into her neck. Kalloway stumbled and the Shininja caught her as she fell unconscious.
“What . . . what did you DO!?” Gisbo screamed.
“I will not allow an emotional attatchment to interfere with rules that have been established for centuries,” Frank said, and he turned his back to Gisbo.
“THIS IS TORTURE! NOT ABOUT RULES, YOU ONE-ARMED BASTARD!” Gisbo yelled. Frank stood motionless, ignoring him.
Gisbo could not believe it. He understood now why Falcon could not take being with him. His eyes floated back to the ring, reluctantly, where he saw his friend, his best friend’s love, being ravished before his very eyes by his worst enemy. Suddenly, Gisbo felt something inside him stir and his vision faded in and out as his rage increased.
A vision flashed across his eyes for a quick instant. He saw the door within his subconscious rattling out of control, only the chains keeping it shut. Blurred images began to erupt. He saw a screaming, blood-soaked woman hovering over him, dripping blood into his eyes.
Mom? Was that was my . . . Gisbo thought. His vision began to turn and his body acted on its own accord. If he had to explain it later, Gisbo would have said it felt as if he were floating above his own body, watching his actions take place as he was helpless to stop. He tightened his fist and ignited his essence, snapping his hand from one the Shininjas’ grasps, and shot his ring to the sky.
“FAO!” Gisbo yelled. Gisbo saw his wolf look up at him from far below before she burst into essence. She absorbed into him instantly and the form of the white wolf took him over. With a yell, Gisbo thrust both of his arms outward, sending the Shininjas flying out in either direction in an explosion of fire. He spied Malik.
Gisbo roared and in a flying leap that left a trail of red and various hues of blue tinted fire behind him, Gisbo flew over his grandfather and the diamond mass and into the ring, where he charged at the surprised Malik. With one clawed punch, Gisbo reared back, only to feel his arm be wrenched in a way it wasn’t intended to. He felt a pop, followed by a fierce tear, and then an intense pain erupted from the back of his neck.
Within seconds, his powerful essence had been entirely washed away, and an unconscious Fao appeared beside him as his wolf form diminished. Gisbo stumbled fo
rward as his vision before him sparkled. He saw Malik’s laughing face, sounding more like an echo than an actual laugh, and he turned just in time to see his grandfather standing behind him before darkness took him over. Gisbo fell to the floor, unconscious.
Chapter Eleven: Tears of Life
When Gisbo woke, he realized he was in a bed. His entire body ached, especially his neck and shoulder areas. He had no way of knowing what time of day it was, but he did know he was still underground in the Flarians’ home. The more he discovered his bearings, the more he saw and felt things he did not like. His body ached, like REALLY ached, almost so much it hurt to breathe. He felt a warm tongue on his hand and saw Fao seated, wearing a doggy smile and wagging her tail back and forth across the dusty floor. Gisbo smiled broadly upon seeing her. He talked in a low, hoarse tone.
“Hey, girl . . .” Gisbo said, startled by his own gravely voice as he coughed several times. Upon hearing his coughs, Gisbo saw Kalloway rush through the doorway with a relieved breath, followed by a smile. She walked over to him and sat down beside his bed.
“Where . . .” Gisbo started, but Kalloway silenced him.
“Don’t speak, Gisbo. Just listen. Your whole body went under a mass trama experience. I’ve never seen anything like it. If you continued any longer in that Boon form of yours, you would have eradicated your body, along with your essence. That form nearly absorbed all the nurients and essence in your body. I still don’t know how such a thing happened, but whatever you do, you cannot use that form again,” Kalloway said. She smiled again. “I’m just so happy you are alive! You’re lucky; you’ve been out for the past three days and hardly breathing at all. You won’t be fighting for some time, especially, uhm, with this.”