Chapter 10
Duel
The elf smiled with his mouth making me internally flinch. It was an off putting smile the kind that made you remember their not human
The elf drew his blade, holding it firm in his hand.
The dancing blade. Curved long and hook like
Thats all I have to worry about. But why does it feel like.. he has more to say than just, dancing. But nonetheless it didn't matter.
"I am akaho—
He blurred out of existence,my eyes widened and he was already behind me. blade slightly poking my spine.
"Boy"
"This isn't a duel, of honor"
"So take, this,seriously."
Tut
He blurred back to his original placement dark green markings disappearing from his face. So..
Those are the tattoos of the elven.
I gritted my teeth and drew, my, blade. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
As I drew it his eyes sharpened even further than before. Sharp eyes like that of claws appeared. Right they can fold their pupils to what they need their vision to do..
So what will this one do?
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnng
We blurred, our after images catching up. As we zipped across the magnetic trams we tut. Stepped and dashed around each other, tut. Tut tut tut I leaped side ways to my left. He leaped to my right, we circled each other in a half moon formation. Reality seemed to blur more and more making it hard to make out my surroundings. I slashed at the air from were he was and it seemed he folded his existence out of my reach. All the while his after image was still catching up to our affairs. Holy phantasm, he's fast.
Tut tut tut
Veeeooooooooooommmmm
One passed by in high speed
And us?
We did one, last, exanged of speed though at this point I flipped sideways over a long chair to my right gravity catching up with me the feeling of my mana trail flowing with the afterimage.
Thats how ill catch him, his mana trail!
Landing hard my legs buckled from the sheer speed I went through to get their. Nearly cracking my ankles, I folded my body sideways to my right.
twirling with the wind of the magnetic tram. I landed once more this time more gracefully only for me to turn to my left seeing the passive existence of the average guard of an elf.
We clashed blades the sound of metal scrapping across metal.
after finally sizing each others speed, and control capabilities.
Clang
I lost the exanged of speed.. my specialty
I slashed diagonally he pivoted leftwards
And lost the control my other specialty.
But this
Clang tong a dull thud followed as my blade dented inwardly. I cursed
And ghost appeared
The elf jumped in suprise
As well as I and be backed off in complete suprise from both sides. Breathing hard neck sweating I spoke
"I didn't intend for ghost to appear, it must be the late ability of my father to summon them. The elf nodded and folded his pupils again this time more sharply,cat like. My eyes narrowed this i do reqignized as the mark of a predator ready to hunt.
I put my right foot forward and slide me left foot diagonally. Nearly bending sideways I readied my blade behind me. The elf paused the leaped forward with less speed than before.
But it was to late.
Soras breath stlye, I breathed in quick air cold, and dead. Folding sky. My body flickerd out the elf eyes widening,as he landed were I was. As I landed were he wasent.. behind him blades turning to a blade as I folded it into my sheath.
The sound echoed in the underground room. And finally I noticed my comrades reactions.
blank.
eyed.
stares.
I turned around to see the elf frozen in time. Confused I took a twisted my feet towards him and time caught up my waist nearly twisting my spine Mizuki immediately by my side catching me from fully parlizing myself at the very
Pain shot from my lower body as my ankles twisted and broke. I roared in pain like that of a dragon the room shook as my mana went haywire from pain and agony.
Mizuki yelled but my ears seemed dead to the world the sound still catching up i guess. I flicked my eyes towards the elven.. the were glaring at me.. as though I insulted their whole race.
Why would they— they turned away and the man in think I slashed walked towards me his eyes gleaming with newfound hatred. So. Your his son,huh kokoro glared at him as i looked up in confusion my eyes blurry. Vision damaged from the high speed exange. He noticed and sighed aloud. Then said in a strange language
Open
My mouth opened for my body heard the sound before my ears could even heal.my friends reacted with half transformed scales and flame for mizuki part till she started burning me. Only when she went back to full human form did she finally did. Did the elf drop a green pellet in my mouth the others elfs outrage was palpable till kokoro growled so low the underground space began to shake just by sheer vibrational power.
They paused then glowered my eyes flicking between them all as I realised crunch. That just by laying in my mouth my vision was gradually healing. Just so you know this is the last time i speak to you.. dog. The elf spit to the ground plants growing on the spot were it layed. Heh
My voice was muffled as i spoke."Even when pissed off you still grow things"
His glare was palpable but still his eyebrows twitched in an elven smile.
Both ends curving up while his face stayed blank. Then he gave his predatory smile his face twisting.. right
I almost forgot we're their decended from.
The goddess of ice known for her speed and elegance in battle and sheer power thst even the god nightstar lighting could be frozen before it even appeared.
But in the end
He's and apex hunter in the flesh of something almost human.. but different. For his human smile showed the teeth barely visible but their face..
He turned away realizing I was analyzing his race. Like everyone else did. His face was like that of a raging spirit eho lost everything to one man.
Making me believe theirs more to my father than meets the eye. The tubes closed over again as another tram line passed at blitzing speed. Blue colors flashing then the one behind it arrived. Then stopped for us to get on the elves though? They got on behind us reluctantly getting on with savage red markings on their faces.
Well remember your face boy. Know this once you come of the age of 20 we.will.hunt.you.down.
Then the door closed and their green eyes went blank and suddenly their surrounding us again their savage markings gone all sense of emotion.
gone.
Chapter 9
The train was quiet.. it seemed to be due to the fact that. We just fought like crazy me the elf. And if that didnt scare them off the dragons sure did.
Its almost sad really
But nonetheless it didn't matter for this was better for security reasons. Kokoro nodded quietly to that focusing on his medditation.
I began to look outside and was swept away by what I saw.. as the tram rose up did the buildings.. almost as if by design ads and lightshows showed across the sky albeit blury do to the sun. But this? This was a full!
digtal!
city!
things I only seen on the holographic TV the three d simulations didn't do it justice even though it was daylight hours the lightshow continued as we rode into the lower cloud layers . A hologram of a mechs being personally made as if.. it was live! Live mech making sooo coool!
Mizuki chuckled as I continued to watch the feint lightshow. Guns being shown new fashion cloths. Latest military trends stats on the holographics. Some even showed the news of the latest war gone wrong. But before i could analyze it my view wad blocked by a towering spirling building it was that of a dna symbol.. how... confusing. Time flew by as I analyzed each and every one till even kokoro was annoyed by my constant thoughts.
Pff their problem not mine.
Then i saw Holograms of solders marching with mechs and hover craft showed with the wording in four! Different languages! I cant protect the world withought you! As it showed the zeta city mayors stamp of app— the night zone passed us and we began to decend instead accend
And right before I could continue to look kokoro bugged me. Hmm
He shook me again.
What is it?
Then he straight up punched me in the shoulder. I flashed and turned sideways sparking up pain and mizuki laughed. I glared at her pink pearly eyes. And she glared. Hey! Their not pearly their
Kokoro shut us both up with a flash of volcanic mana showing he could end us both.
Gulp
I say down looking around at the dark tunnel with light edging in through slits. One,two, three,
Would you shut up? Im trying to concentrate here? A deep growly voice said.
I paused and looked around then heard the sane voice again
1,2,3,4! I began to hear a little boys struggle to count.. up? Then flashes of imagery hit me. That of a high end cliff.. no on secound thought it looked more like an edge of the end the world.. soooo. Its a sky island. Confusing imagery continued to pass by me that if a forest of a young boy running towards someone tall. Of that of substanci— kokoro growled at me.
And then I realized they were his. Memories..
i wanted to ask him something but then the underground city of zeta prime flowed through and the tunnel lit up. I blinked making sure i was seeing this correctly but this city.. was not only underground but it was lit up from every corner and angle. Colors of blue purple crimson and white echoed throughout the city in waves of light. Even mizuki seemed surprised while the elven?
They just squinted their eyes then rounded out their sharp pupils. In five seconds they were like that of a humans they noticed and looked away so I couldn't see their eyes. Cleary seeing the curiosity on my face. Then I thought back on dragons and their ability to change the shape of their eyes. And—
"Whatever your thinking Akahoshi don't."
Kokoro barely spoke loud enough for me to hear. So I got the message and stopped thinking about it.
Then i remembered something
I got a little curious on how he hit me with. Well face melting lava. Remebering the feeling of the of his mental mindscape i leaned into the feeling of walking in my mind. 1,2,3,4 I stepped. 5,6, I started to jog across the mental forest. 7,8 I began to run into his mind mentally enjoying the strange dream like feel of his mind and then i ran into a sudden burst of pink flames. I thought I'd feel screach worthy pain but instead..
I seemingly walked to a dark room.. full of strange things like toys and blips of areas as if they were painted their. Then i looked around and saw the clear open sky the floor made of water. It rippled as i lightly tapped it then i turned around only to fell.. calm, quiet even, then i saw something strange. Mizuki as a little girl, wearing pink overalls pink shoes and her pink hair aflame as she cried I don't know how I knew that but that seemed to be her. Then I color started to fill in and I lost complete track of the physical world.
my body falling backwards to the seat. Then I saw.. her crying in a small room wondering why her mother hasn't returned. Only for a man with red scales to saying she died honorably in battle. She asked how she died her crying threatening to cover the roof otherwise. And so with reluctantly they did.. my world sank as I heard what he say'd and mizuki suddenly looked at me and recognized me.
"You!"
"How dare you look into my memories! I tried explaining to her how I got her but she only got more mad. And you just walked in here!"
Kokoro noticed the disturbance in our mental realms and began to pull me out of her mind.
But his touch sent a shiver down my spine, for it was cold. And dark, like a deep well of memory lay within him. Cold ancient logic screaming at me to look away And it made me— kokoro simply shook his head then pointed up without saying a word. Then I saw it a pair of green eyes looking down from the sky
Then a mouth appeared, then a body. Then it fully manifest itself no himself into his normal size as he literally road the wind down to us. He flowed twisted and turned till kokoro changed the direction with a flick of his fingers. Making the elf flip forwards and land gracefully.. my mouth fell open. And then kokoro closed it for me.
I glared at him and the elf chuckled.. we both locked into that and the elf immediately smiled a human smile. His face slightly off. Predatory even and he spoke.
We are detecting harmful minds outside our sphere, he paused for dramatic effect.
Of influence and we need you to immediately vacate the mind space for i shall guard it from mental attacks. While my four companions are to guard your physical bodies.
I began to wonder about them why would. Then I began to feel my body again. Her mind brushing against mine like a wave of influence. Then she forcefully woke me up, by shaking my body. Over and over again my body shook. I could feel it but.
"Wake up! Akahoshi wake up! "Her voice was loud and demanding, I woke up.
Though I could tell it was partially kokoro doing more than anything and immediately I could see the outside world again. The world feeling physical instead of dream like. The dark edges of my mind sank into the background, something I didn't even notice.
And heard the sound of explosions