Fighter's Fever: The Metallic Siege

by Ricardo Nazaire

  “Keenth! Keenth!!”

  Haden’s words caused Keenth to realize that the waves behind him were violently crashing then due to his emotions getting the best of him.

  Staggered at the thought of his Auraen having such an effect on his surroundings, he began to calm down as the Sage wandered toward him.

  “I hope this will help explain what I was trying to tell you earlier, Keenth. Clearly there’s something very special about you,” Haden continues as he uses his own Auraen to calm the waters.

  “Cory and the others would not put themselves out there the way that they did if that was not the case. Like I said before, the world speaks to me. It is my duty as a Sage is to tell the truth to those who are willing to listen.”

  “But what does that have to do with everything that has been going on lately?”

  “You’ve been asleep for years, Keenth. I believe that your abilities, your true abilities, have been sealed away by your deep-rooted feelings of anger, among other things. They have only recently begun to rise above the surface because there is a part of you that knows...Knows that it is time for your awakening, Keenth.”

  “My awakening? What does that mean?”

  “I’m sure you’ve wondered why the abilities of Kendra and the others are drastically different from yours. The reason for this is because they’re at a point where they can harness their true power. You, on the other hand, are still shackled down by your own fears and insecurities. You’re suppressing what you are really capable of.”

  “Then please...Please show me how to awaken. I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right.”

  “Normally, I would agree, but here is where we hit a fork in the road. Understand that by doing this, nothing will be the same. Changing fate is not something that should be taken lightly. This is why I am only offering you to choose between two directions as there is no going back.”

  “On one hand, I can open the path to knowledge beyond your wildest dreams. Knowledge that would reveal the answers to all of the questions regarding your past. Everything about your family and their purpose in the world. Surely, that would put the pains of your soul to rest.”

  “I can remove the shackles preventing you from truly living your fullest potential. With this, you may have the capabilities to avenge what has recently been taking place in Tortuga.”

  Keenth stood in silence under the moonlit sky, pondering.

  “You don’t have to say anything, Keenth. Words simply are not necessary when the conviction in your eyes says it all. You’ve already made your decision, so now it is just a matter of getting you there.”

  “Sorry, but getting me where?”

  “Come, Keenth. It’s time to leave your dreams in the past and save Azoco.”

  Chapter Eleven

  October 3rd – 2:20 PM

  “Hey, hey! J-just wait right there! Give me a chance to explain,” Claude pleads to an unforgiving Weiss. “Trust me when I say that it’s not what it looks like!”

  “Shut your damn mouth! We caught you red-handed, tinkering around in our caverns, so what else is it supposed to look like! It’s been just over a day since you heathens ran through Azoco and you just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

  “No, you don’t understand! If I don’t disable the signal from the Bomber, then—”

  Before he could finish, Claude is struck by several Auraen needles.

  Knowing all too well who they came from, Weiss and the others look ahead to see Kusari approaching the village.

  “You really need to learn to quit while you’re ahead,” Kusari states. “But the fact that you found the machine means you aren’t completely useless.”

  “Kusari, you monster…”

  “Don’t give me that. Things didn’t go exactly as planned, but you’ve done your part. Now give me Fallon’s coordinates so we can get out of this trash pile.”

  “W-wait, you don’t know where Jimmy is?”

  “If I did, do you think I would bother asking you? If you understand that, then give me the coordinates. I won’t ask you again.”

  “No. You won’t be getting them from me, Kusari.”

  “…I’m sorry, what was that?”

  “You heard me. You ain’t getting a word out of me! The only thing holding you back from wasting me or the rest of the village is knowing where Jimmy is. I don’t know what he put in your head, but you went overboard here in Azoco. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I—”

  Having lost her patience, Kusari swiftly retracts the blades protruding from Claude. As the man begins to bleed out, Kusari makes her intentions clear to him and the rest of the villagers in the area.

  “Azoco has been a thorn on my side ever since the second I set foot here. Factor that in this worthless excuse for a human dragging his feet over an otherwise simple task and that means you people are going to see my bad side.”

  “Not that I can’t find Fallon on my own, but it’s the principle of the thing,” Kusari continues, as she arms herself with a dagger. “Watch carefully as I drag him out of his misery as I’ll be doing the same for each and every one of you.”

  Kusari launches her weapon at Claude, only for it to stop just short of his throat. To his surprise, the dagger was caught by a seemingly unfamiliar young man.

  Donning a large brown cloak over a black sleeveless shirt, this warrior calmly faces Kusari as Claude ponders who he might be.

  “W-What name do you go by, blondie?”

  “So, the prodigal son returns,” Kusari states. “I’m surprised you actually showed your face here, Keenth!”

  “Should you really be all that surprised?” Keenth replies, continuing to stare Kusari down. “If memory serves me correctly, we didn’t finish our session from the other day.”

  “Ah, a second chance at life and you’re willing to throw it away so easily. Very well, I’ll show you what I’m really capable of. Don’t think for a second that I’m going to take this fight out of the village because they're all next.”

  “That’s fine. After all, I want them to see this.”

  “Really now? Well, keep that same energy when I leave you bleeding out and full of holes just like—”

  In a flash, Kusari barely dodges the dagger that Keenth throws in her direction. Examining the gash on her forehead, she quickly realizes her opponent was not to be trifled with.

  “You are not allowed to speak her name,” Keenth firmly states. “Azoco’s guardian isn’t here, so I will be defending the village in their place.”

  “As if I would think twice about taking orders from someone like you! Don’t get arrogant, boy!”

  Kusari rushes forward and punches Keenth directly across the jaw, only for him to unflinchingly stare back at her.

  Astonished, she attempts to do this again, only for Keenth to catch her fist and counter with a strike to her chest.

  “Kusari, was it? Let me know whenever you’re ready to take this seriously.”

  “What the hell is going on here?” Kusari thinks. “Is this really the same kid I fought? How much can change in such a short amount of time?”

  “Divine Willow Fang,” Keenth states. “That’s your special ability, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, that’s my attack. What of it?”

  “I want you to use it, Kusari. All of it. Right here, right now.”

  “What? You really must really want to die, don’t you?”

  “No, I won’t die. You seem to question what’s going on in this fight right now, so I want you to use your best attack on me, so that there’s no room for any doubts,” Keenth explains. “Now go on and get this over with. I don’t have all day.”

  “Who the hell…?” Kusari begins to ask as she readies her attack. “Just who the hell do you think you’re talking to??”

  Kusari unleashes hundreds of Auraen needles at point-blank range, causing massive clouds of dirt to arise across Azoco. She continues her barrage for several minutes until her stamina finally begins to waver.

&n
bsp; As the wind blows through the village, Kusari is dumbfounded at seeing only Keenth’s tattered cloak on the ground where he once stood.

  “It’s impossible,” Kusari states. “There isn’t even a drop of blood in sight. Did he...Did he just vanish?”

  “You know if you could sense me, then you wouldn’t have to ask that question.”

  Kusari attempts to turn around, but Keenth releases a pulse of Auraen with enough force to send her crashing toward the village outskirts.

  Kusari shouts in rage at not only being bested by her opponent, but the truth in his words.

  “I don’t care what you think this is. But you’re far from my level, Keenth! Don’t you dare say otherwise!”

  “You know, believe it or not, I agree with you. After all, if we were on the same level, then you would've sensed me just now and when I made my way back to Azoco village, wouldn’t you? I’m sure a warrior like yourself understands what this means, don’t you?”

  “Shut up!!”

  Kusari launches a handful of Auraen needles, only for Keenth to catch and discard them with ease.

  For the first time in many years of fighting, Kusari feels the walls closing in. As she curses herself at allowing the battle to end in her opponent’s favor, Keenth redirects her focus.

  “Whether you believe it or not, you should know that I’m not your enemy,” Keenth begins. “Kendra was right...This was a fight between you and Azoco. I’m just standing in her place for the time being. Just tell me where Fallon is and this can end right now.”

  “No, no! That’s where you’re wrong,” Kusari shouts. “The fight never ends for people like me! If you call yourself a warrior, then you should understand that too!”

  “So, it really comes down to this,” Keenth thinks as he draws his blade. “Like Sage Haden said, nothing would be the same after this.”

  “So, you finally decided to use your sword,” Kusari states as Auraen needles silently surround their battleground. “That means I can show you finally cut you down accordingly…”

  “I see. I’m ready whenever you are.”

  “There’s something that you need to understand, Keenth. You should know that my ability is unlike most others. I focus all of my strength to create needles that run through any and all opponents my way...But what do you think happens if the needles are focused in another way?”

  “Kusari, what do you…?”

  More needles rapidly surround them and, to Keenth’s shock, the forest is encased with thousands of them. Wondering if they will rain down on him, Kusari clarifies her signature ability.

  “The Wrath of the Divine Willow Fang is truly seen when I harness all of my Auraen towards complete and utter destruction,” Kusari states as the needles forcefully return to her. “Prepare yourself, Keenth. You are not walking away alive from this.”

  Keenth slightly winces at the sight of needles protruding from Kusari’s body, sensing an unbelievable increase in her Auraen.

  But, understanding that there truly is no backing down from this now, Keenth raised his Auraen to a level that stuns Kusari.

  “Tell me, Keenth. What the hell do get your power to such a strong level?”

  “I let go. I finally decided to let go of what I couldn’t control and chose to fight for what matters the most to me.”

  “Yeah, and what’s that?”

  “If we survive this, then I’ll tell you after I find Fallon.”

  “I see. Well, fair enough,” Kusari says as she readies the second and final dagger to her disposal. With a split moment to do so, she remembers the battered, yet determined Keenth from their last bout.

  “This is it...Prepare yourself,” Kusari muses at the thought of them being worlds apart before, yet finally realizing that Keenth has now truly found himself.

  The sounds of their respective Auraens roaring over one another render everything else inaudible as the two rushed forward for the final clash. A trail of deep, dark red blood is seen on the ground as Auraen needles slowly begin to fade.

  “You focused so much power in increasing your strength that you compromised your defenses,” Keenth thinks to himself as Kusari lies quietly in defeat. “Had that fearsome attack of yours reached me, then I…”

  Suddenly, there is the sound of an airship landing nearby. The make and model make it clear that it belongs to a LanTech Agent, so he readies himself accordingly. To his surprise, it was not Agent Fallon who stepped forward. Before Keenth could ask, a spirited man introduces himself.

  “Ah, I hope I’m not intruding or anything, but you wouldn’t happen to have ran into an Agent around these parts, have you?”

  “I’m sorry, and you are…?”

  “Ah, right, Giles. Agent Roland Giles. You’re that Keenth kid, right?

  “Well, yes. I mean, how do you know my name?”

  “Not to brag or anything, but I helped Weiss in bringing you to Azoco village in the first place! Though I have to admit, you look pretty different compared to over a week ago. Did you get a haircut or something? That and I take it you weren’t holding back with eating your veggies.”

  “Ah, that’s right! I know Mr. Weiss helped to save me, but he didn’t say anything about an Agent!”

  “Well, to his defense, he didn’t know that I was...well, am, an Agent at the time. I was doing some investigation work on Prospear and ran into him. Don’t worry, I broke things down to everyone in the village not too long afterwards.”

  “Sure, I guess. But what’s this about an Agent?”

  “Right, so I’m looking for an Agent Fallon. James Fallon. We are doing an—”

  “Fallon! Yeah, I know him alright! He...we ran into each other not too long ago.”

  “I figured as much. The signal off of his airship ran cold around here recently. We give each other free reign as far as investigations go, but this is hardly the time to lose track of one of our own.”

  “I understand and I wish I could help. But I’m sorry to tell you that…”

  “Hey listen, bud, and listen carefully. I can see it in your face: try not to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. I know that’s easier said than done with everything that’s been going on lately, but it’s something worth considering.”

  “Thanks, Sir. I appreciate it.”

  “Anytime! While I’m here, do you mind telling me what happened just now? I landed after everything settled because it looked like a warzone from a distance. I see the defeated warrior over there, but where did the rest of fighters head off to?”.

  “I...um...How do I explain? There wasn’t a group of fighters or anything. It was just me.”

  “So, I reach out to you, and you think it’s okay to lie to my face. Is that the type of program we’re on, Kenneth with an extra vowel? Is that where we stand?”

  “No, I’m serious! It started in the village, but I brought the fight out here to avoid any more damage.”

  “Wow...You aren’t kidding, are you? There’s something about some of the abilities I sense here that are oddly familiar?”

  “What do you mean, Sir?”

  “Giles is fine. But what I mean is that it reminds me of Silverdale, an Ira ability to manipulate wind to increase your speed and agility. I would know because I use it quite a bit myself!”

  “Really? I’ve never met someone with that type of power before!”

  “Cool, right? Well, yes and no. You see, it feels similar to Silverdale, but there’s something off. Something different...Keenth, what exactly happened since I brought you to the village?”

  “Well, Sir. I mean, Giles, I—”

  Agent Giles shushes Keenth as he hears someone making their way to his airship.

  He quietly picks up a stone and lightly uses Ira to stop the would-be vandal in their tracks. Screaming in pain, this individual threatens legal action.

  “Really, Claude? You are telling me to lawyer up when you try to break into my vehicle?”

  “It’s a free region,” Claude replies. “I’ll never for
give you even if you beg me to!”

  “You know this guy,” Keenth quietly asks. “More importantly, don’t move Claude! You tried to steal my cloak!”

  “Unfortunately, I do. His father is a pretty decent person. Our friend, Claude, here and his brother on the other hand…”

  “Is ready to get the heck out of this village! It’s been nothing but a nightmare for me! Ro, listen, trust me when I say that you don’t want anything to do with Azoco!”

  “You sure? Because they were pretty friendly to me and they practically never deal with Agents around these parts.”

  “You got lucky! Anyway, I gotta come clean with you when it comes to your boy, Jimmy.”

  “Jimmy? Oh, you mean Fallon. What about him? Have you seen him lately?”

  “Seen him? He’s the reason why I’m down here in the first place. I can explain to you on the way back, but—”

  “No, Claude. You can go ahead and show him what you saw in the cavern,” Keenth says. “Intentional or not, you held your ground a bit when it came to defending Azoco from Kusari, so we owe you that much.”

  “Really? Thanks, Keeny! Glad we’re on speaking terms! Hell, I know I’ve done my fair share reading about you up until now?”

  “Reading? Do you care to elaborate on that to make it sound any less disturbing?”

  “Jimmy had quite the file on you, my boy. A ton of Academy stuff, like your entry date, test scores, ability projections...all of that. Combine that with his obsession with tracking down that Bomber model and—”

  “Wait, Bomber model? As in those Phantom-Bombers? What does Fallon have to do with those?” Agent Giles asks.

  “Oh, so you guys really didn’t know...I see,” Claude replies. “Well, now’s probably the best time to get you all up to speed on things. About Jimmy and the Bombers. Most importantly, Keeny, where his hideout is.”

  “…Trust me when I say it’s a place you know very well.”

  October 3rd – 2:45PM

  The winds calmly blow through the forest where Keenth and Agent Giles carefully listen to Claude share his knowledge regarding the Phantom-Bombers. These machines were unlike anything Claude had encountered before.