A New Fate

by Ethan A. Blanca

  “We are known throughout the Blood Forest as felions. The real question is, who are you?” the figure remarks, pointing at us.

  “I wonder where Tink is?” I think to myself. As our hands are tied, however, my question is answered.

  “What’s hanging, Ron?” Tink says, hanging upside down from a pole.

  “Now’s not really a good time to be making puns, Tink,” I state.

  “It’s always a good time to make puns,” Anumbrius remarks.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?” I ask Anumbrius. “How did you even get caught?” I ask Tink.

  “Hey, how was I supposed to know that they had traps set?” Tink responds with a shrug. Before we can speak any further the felions knock us unconscious, before taking us to their clan.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Hamon and Nikud

  “How are you holding up, Hamon?” Nikud asks. The two are sitting beside a dim fire eating a meal.

  “I’m sorry. If only I wasn’t so weak, I could have helped back there,” Hamon says, wiping his face.

  “It wasn’t your fault--neither of us would have been able to fight those that David fought,” Nikud assures him.

  Hamon stands up. “We have to go back and save him!” He starts to walk in the direction of the prison, but Nikud stays still. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to save David?” Hamon exclaims as he starts to tear up.

  “We can’t,” Nikud bluntly responds.

  “What do you mean? We don’t know until we-”

  “David wouldn’t want that!” Nikud suddenly yells. “He gave up his sanity to save us! He kept his promise to Adoa!” Silence encompasses the area. “I’m sorry Hamon, I didn’t mean to-”

  “It’s fine--I wasn’t thinking straight,” Hamon mumbles, wiping tears away as he runs to hug Nikud.

  “There, there, little elf,” Nikud whispers. Hamon starts to tear up again.

  “I told you I’m not small mo-”

  “Mom?”

  “I-I’m so sorry, Nikud. I don’t know why I said that. I-It’s just that... I never knew my mom. I-I don’t know why that came out,” Hamon stutters as he continues to wipe tears away, but to no avail.

  Suddenly Nikud starts to lick Hamon’s hair.

  “N-Nikud? W-What are you doing?” Hamon asks.

  “Back in my clan, the felion mothers would always groom their children’s hair. Now I don’t have much experience, but I’ll try my best,” Nikud explains with a smile. Upon hearing this Hamon can’t help but bawl in Nikud’s embrace.

  “I-It’s just that Adoa was always there for me, since I never knew our parents like he did. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t fully appreciate what he did for me until now. I-I’ve never felt alone before...Adoa never left my side. But it’s too much to ask for you to be the family I’m so desperately yearning for right now-”

  “Gladly Hamon. If we’re pooling in thoughts right now I’ll add that I was never planning to leave you alone after all of this,” Nikud states with a smile.

  “I-I don’t know what to say. Thank you Nikud,” Hamon grins, this time with tears of joy. Nikud just smiles. “So, my mom’s a felion? Awesome!” Nikud and Hamon can’t help but laugh. “Well, anyways, what do we do now?” Hamon asks.

  “Well, the best thing to do would be to gather our strength again and fight to get David back,” Nikud suggests.

  “Well, I’ve fought demons in battle before, so we should return to my city and join the elves’ forces,” Hamon suggests.

  “Oh, I think I have a better idea,” Nikud declares confidently.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Clan of the Felions

  I awaken from my sleep, only to find myself with my hands and legs tied to a pole. Felions are holding up the pole, forcing me into a horizontal position. Joshua, Rose, and Tink are in the same situation.

  “Are you all right, Ron?!” Rose speaks up.

  “Yeah, I think so,” I answer.

  “Where do you think they are taking us?” Tink asks, still smiling despite the situation.

  “Well, it seems that we are being brought back to their clan’s village,” Rose replies. “I’ve heard from others that no one has ever returned from the Blood Moon,” Rose whispers, the fear in her voice apparent.

  “Don’t worry, Rose. Once I tell them our motives they’ll definitely rethink killing us,” I assure, hoping to comfort Rose.

  “What are your motives then?” a deep voice suddenly asks. Looking up, we see a big, lion-like felion.

  “Am I correct in assuming that you are the leader?” I ask.

  “You are, human,” a felion guard answers. A mean look flashes in her eye.

  “Woah, he just asked a question. No need to act so hostile!” Joshua protests.

  “Shut up, you fire demon! Your kind aren’t really good at that either, now are they?” the guard taunts.

  “Wha-What did you say?!” Joshua yells.

  “Joshua!” I shout, “I need you to stay composed right now, ok?”

  “Y-Yes of course. Sorry, Ron,” Joshua mumbles, calming down.

  “I believe I asked a question,” the chief states.

  “And I will answer it, sir,” I reply. “We have come to negotiate forming an alliance.”

  “An alliance? Who are you speaking for, human? Not for the humans, I assume?” the chief asks.

  “No, sir. I am actually speaking on behalf of King Terashi, King of Elves,” I explain.

  “Elves!? Those cowards!? Never!” a felion explodes.

  “Have they forgotten what happened during the Dark War!?” another felion yells.

  “Why would we trust them?!” yet another felion exclaims.

  “King Terashi did warn me, but this is bad,” I think to myself.

  “Silence!” the chief shouts. “That was a whole era ago! This King Terashi may not even know what his ancestors did. However, my people do have a point. Why should we even form an alliance with elves?”

  “That’s right!” a guard shouts. “Why would we ally with weaklings!” At this many felions erupt into laughter.

  “Because the demons’ reign effects all of us!” I blurt out.

  “We are hidden deep in the Blood Forest. No demon has ever dared to enter!” a felion argues.

  “That’s because the elves’ territory is close!” I argue. “But if the demons win in their war with the elves they will have the ability to then attack you!”

  “If they attack, then we will fight!” a felion soldier declares.

  “But if we fight together, we have a better chance of winning under my leadership!” I argue.

  “What!? You would lead us!? A puny human leading the great warriors of the Blood Moon?” a guard taunts before bursting into laughter.

  “It would be wise not to underestimate this human’s strength,” the chief mumbles. “How’s this, human? Prove that you have strength! Fight my warriors in battles. If you can manage to beat them, then I myself will test your strength. For only the strongest have the honor to lead us,” the chief declares, lifting his great-axe above his head.

  “Awe, what about me?” Tink asks, pouting.

  “You? Look at yourself--you think you can fight a felion warrior!?” a guard taunts.

  “Sure! I’ve been itching to try,” Tink taunts.

  “Very well,” the chief states. “Release the scrawny one. He will fight the first match!”

  “Scrawny!?” Tink shouts, before being freed from his ropes.

  “All right, hold still for a second,” a guard suggests to Tink as she walks over to release him.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I got it,” Tink states as he suddenly appears outside of his bonds. All the felions suddenly stop their jeers as they witness Tink’s Exdrift ability.

  “Tink, what are you doing?!”
I shout, irritated.

  “Don’t worry, Ron. I am your teacher, after all! Have some faith in me,” Tink assures with one of his big smiles.

  “That’s not what I meant,” I think to myself.

  Tink’s opponent steps forward.

  “Hey, you’re that girl we saved before we were tied up,” Tink points out as the felion approaches.

  “I don’t remember your face, but I will thank you regardless. However, I must fulfill my duty to the clan and fight you!” the felion states.

  “Man! Haven’t been in combat for a while now,” Tink mumbles to himself as he does a few stretches that appear to be more for show.

  “I see that you do not possess a weapon. For a fair fight, I will also fight unarmed,” Tink’s opponent declares, lowering her spear.

  “While I do appreciate the kind offer...I personally think it would be more entertaining if you kept your spear. Miss...?” Tink answers, scratching his head.

  “Mmm, you have guts for a skinny human such as yourself! Very well, my name is Nasur, and you?” The felion points her spear at Tink.

  “Skinny!? Why you...*ahem* sorry, lost myself for a sec. As for my name...call me Tink,” Tink requests with a big smile spread across his face.

  “Tink? That’s a weird name,” Nasur comments.

  “Wait till you hear my leader’s name then,” Tink jokes.

  “What!? What’s wrong with my name?” I shout.

  “Haha! Tink’s such a fun guy!” Joshua openly compliments.

  Tink just ignores me. “Ah, a cloudy day today. There’re a lot of shadows to choose from,” Tink whispers to himself with a grin.

  “Well, Tink...prepare yourself!” Nasur declares as she charges straight for Tink with her spear.

  “Oh, what a coincidence! I was just about to say the same thing,” Tink taunts with that same smile as he disappears moments before Nasur’s spear found its target.

  “He vanished!” Nasur shouts, looking around.

  “Over here, little lass!” Tink teases. Turning around, Nasur sees Tink, standing in the exact place Nasur herself was standing right before she charged. “That’s a nice form you got there, Nasur! Too bad it missed!” Tink jokes, sticking his tongue out at Nasur.

  “Wow! Tink has an... interesting fighting style!” Joshua comments. “I wish I could take some notes right now!”

  “Yeah, but he’s also really weird...” Rose adds with a confused look.

  “Yeah, I know,” I admit with a sigh.

  “So, you’re fast. What does it matter if you won’t atta-” Nasur braces herself, for Tink has vanished in front

  of her eyes again. “Where are you this time?!” Nasur shouts.

  “Over here!” Tink calls out. Nasur turns around, but this time Tink is right in front of her. Before Nasur can react, Tink flicks Nasur right in the forehead, disappearing again before Nasur can “counter-attack.” I let out a large sigh. The entire crowd is full of confused faces as they witness Tink’s “attack.”

  “Why was I worried? If anything, I should be worried about that felion Nasur,” I think to myself. Rose just lets out a chuckle, while Joshua is for some reason admiring Tink’s fight. Apparently, he’s fairly pumped about all this.

  “Even if you hit me, if your attacks are that weak, you will not win,” Nasur taunts, before charging Tink again, trying to land a blow with her spear. Though Nasur’s attacks are indeed quick and powerful, Tink dodges the blows easily, occasionally appearing near Nasur, only to deal blows that seem to have no effect on her.

  “Your attacks are weak! None of them even tickled!” Nasur taunts.

  “Don’t lower your guard, little lass,” Tink bluntly warns. Tink again disappears, reappearing behind Nasur.

  “I already know this trick!” Nasur declares, spinning around to strike Tink with her spear.

  “Oh crap, she already knew where Tink would appear!” I think to myself. Instead of dodging however, Tink flicks Nasur in the forehead again. Nasur doesn’t bother to try and dodge, knowing that Tinks previous attacks had no effect. Tink’s finger lands in the same spot he hit earlier. Upon receiving Tink’s flick Nasur flies back, a stunned look covers her face.

  “H-How did you do that!” Nasur gasps as she struggles to stay standing.

  “Simple. when I first flicked your forehead, I left some of this behind,” Tink explains, lifting up his finger.

  “Shadow nature?” Nasur mutters.

  “Mmm, interesting,” the chief whispers to himself.

  “When I struck you again, I used shadow nature again. Doing this made my flick impact you like a hammer,” Tink explains with a big smile.

  “I admit that is a strong technique, but it still isn’t enough to beat me,” Nasur exclaims, clenching her spear.

  “Sure, one attack like that shouldn’t take you down, but how about a hundred?” Tink offers with a smile.

  “W-What do you mean?” Nasur asks, before looking down to discover that her body is covered in shadows.

  “Yup, all those ‘weak attacks’ were all just setups for my actual technique,” Tink reveals. “Listen, between you and me. I... would... forfeit,” Tink whispers, suddenly teleporting right next to Nasur. A shocked look encompasses her.

  “I-I surrender,” Nasur admits, lowering her head in defeat.

  “Awe, don’t look so down... you were a good fight,” Tink assures her as he reaches out his hand. The two shake hands, Tink smiling as usual. Tink suddenly reaches into his pocket to take out the lighter and the cigarette. “Well, maybe later,” he says as he puts both back into his pocket.

  “What’s going on here?!” a voice demands, its owner now coming into view.

  “Oh, my apologies, prince! I have lost to my opponent. He was so skilled that I didn’t put up much of a fight,” Nasur declares as she bows before the prince.

  “Do not fret,” the prince states, placing his hand on Nasur’s shoulder. “Your opponent was indeed a powerful foe.”

  “Foe? Why does that make me feel like a bad guy now?” Tink mumbles, shrugging to himself.

  “Father, allow me to fight next,” the prince asks as he turns to the chief.

  “You may do as you wish, Famud,” the chief exclaims.

  “Famud, huh? And here Nasur was saying that my name was weird!” Tink jokes.

  “You should start paying attention...” Famud states, drawing his swords.

  “Mmm? Pay attention? To wha-.” Tink stops his sentence as Famud suddenly rushes right next to him, about to slice his throat. Tink manages to teleport before Famud deals the fatal blow, reappearing in a tree. Tink is about to speak, but suddenly puts his hand to his neck. A faint line of blood appears where Famud aimed his sword. “Jeez, last time I got injured was when I sparred with the Headmaster,” Tink mutters under his breath.

  “Something the matter? Too frail to fight me?” Famud taunts.

  “Look, buddy, I just wanted to fight one round. I know I can beat you, but I think my leader was supposed to go next,” Tink states. I let out a sigh.

  “While I know for a fact that wasn’t stated, I would like to fight,” I think to myself.

  “Very well, then! Bring their leader with his weapons returned. For I shall fight him,” Famud declares, waving his swords in the air.

  “Ron, are you ok?” Anumbrius suddenly speaks.

  “Oh, Anumbrius! I was wondering where you were,” I think to Anumbrius.

  “Ron, you’ve got to save me I—Oh, Ron! Oh, thank goodness, I thought I was a goner!” Anumbrius says as a guard suddenly appears with Anumbrius and my gun.

  “Why are you so worked up? It’s not like you were in any danger! I mean you are a sword,” I think to Anumbrius.

  “Aw, I wanted our reunion to be more dramatic! Why’d you have to ruin the mood?” Anumbrius asks.

  “Oh,
trust me buddy, the mood is still dramatic,” I think to Anumbrius. “Apparently we’re about to fight the prince of the felions.”

  “Really?! Oh boy! I can’t wait to be in actual combat again!” Anumbrius exclaims. The tone in his voice resembles that of a little kid who just walked into a candy store.

  “Looks like someone’s happy about the current situation,” I mumble to myself as I prepare to fight my opponent.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ron’s Duel with the Felions

  “So, you are the leader of this group?” Famud asks as I approach the fighting area.

  “Yes,” I bluntly answer, drawing Anumbrius.

  “Ron, play it safe for now. Let’s figure out his strategy first, then we will fight just like we practiced,”

  Anumbrius suggests.

  “Gotcha, buddy,” I answer silently.

  “Gooood luck, Ron!” Tink yells from high up in his tree in an almost taunting fashion.

  “Mmm,” I mumble as Famud and I ready to attack. Tink just leans back in the tree, relaxed as if he were watching a sports event. Joshua’s pumped, cheering me on as I ready to attack. Rose watches, though she can’t hide the worried look on her face.

  “Begin!” the chief suddenly shouts.

  “All right, let’s wait for him to atta-” I start to state.

  Immediately Famud appears next to me, spinning with his swords to strike.

  “Look out, Ron!” Anumbrius says as I use him to barely block that swift attack.

  “Nice block, Ron!” Anumbrius says. Famud steps back.

  “Well, compared to Tink’s speed, I can manage, but this guy’s still fast,” I mumble.

  “Interesting, you have better reactions than that skinny one. Maybe this will be a good fight,” Famud states.

  “Skinny?!” Tink yells. “That’s it! Ron, you better beat this brat!”

  “Why is he getting so worked up? He’s not even fighting,” I think to myself. Again, Famud goes for a blow, but this time I am ready for him. I quickly block his swing, forcing his swords above his head. Then I duck, swinging Anumbrius towards Famud’s feet. Famud manages to jump just moments before Anumbrius connects, his strong legs landing a good distance away.