5. The Great Lake
On the first day of 12th November, the boys resumed their usual exercise and training except for Lenny and Alex. Lenny was still recovering from his injuries while Alex got a day off as Erik was tasked with the investigation of Chief Masou's murder while First Sergeant Rashed was leading a team to help clean up Spring Garden and take care of the dead. Alex practiced shooting by himself in the morning and met up with Lenny during branch. "So Lenny, how are you doing today?" "Just met the doctor this morning and he said I should not practice or do any heavy lifting with both my arms for another two days. Two days! Even though I told him I felt just fine. See, I can lift this cup as easily as I used to. He said something about giving time for the fracture to consolidate," Lenny said and took a sip from the tea cup. "I'm also free for the day, anything interesting to do?" Alex asked and took a bite of the sandwich. "I heard there is a big lake south of this fortress. They called it the Mirror Lake of Espejo. They say the scenery there is out of this world. If we take one of the Humvee thingy, we can reach there in an hour or so. What do you say?" Lenny proposed. "Let's go and see if the others want to tag along. I don't mind going since I don't really have anything to do later." The two boys quickly finished their snacks and went to look for the others. Sadly most of them still have lessons in the afternoon. So, the two of them went to the armory and requested for a Humvee-like vehicle. "It's called an MPV – multipurpose vehicle, what do you guys want to do with it?" The person in-charge of the armory asked. "We were thinking of going to the Mirror Lake of Espejo," Lenny answered. "Ah, the Great Lake I see. You boys are not planning to stay the night there right? Because the last I heard, the lake had been plagued by a giant serpent." "Oh really?" Lenny replied, he seemed to be interested. "Now you boys drive safely and stay out of trouble," The man took down their names and handed them the key to the vehicle. "Alright, let's rock!" Lenny said. "Hey, I thought the doctor said you should be resting. Just let me drive," Alex said. "As if," Lenny jammed his foot into the accelerator and the MPV shot forward. And then the two of them headed south.
It was afternoon when they reached the Great Lake. Even though the weather was supposed to be hot this time of the day and during this season of the year, the surroundings of the lake was shrouded in thin mist, making the whole place looked mysterious and eerily beautiful at the same time. A chapel stood on the side of the lake and connecting to it was a granite bridge. The rest of the place was covered with trees and shrubs with slow breeze rocking the branches every now and then. "Wanna go in?" Lenny ask. "Let's go," The two boys ran towards the chapel and was greeted by an antique wooden door with iron hinges and old metal handles. "Should we knock?" Alex asked. "Sure, why not," Lenny grabbed the iron handle and knocked it against the wooden door. One of the door was slowly opened to reveal a young girl about their age. "Good afternoon, how may I be your assistance?" Her silvery hair, pale blue eyes coupled with her blue and gothic Lolita dress was stunningly attractive. Lenny's mouth gaped wide open and stared at the young lady. Alex had to slap him on the back of the head before he came to his senses. "Hi, we're tourist from the Freedom Fortress. We were just stopping by to visit and see what's like in the chapel. Mind if we come in?" Lenny said. "Not at all! C'mon in, we have not had any visitors for quite some time now," The girl widened the door and allowed the two boys inside. "Welcome to the Kairi Chapel, this is a chapel dedicated to Lady Kairi, one of the three founders of the Water Clan. I'm Shirley, the apprentice priestess here." The two boys were brought to the altar. The interior of the chapel was not unlike the inside of a church, with rows of long wooden benches and an aisle in the center. And at the altar stood a tall statue of a lady holding a vase. The statue was made of marble and seemed very well kept. "Say Shirley, what kind of religion is this actually?" Alex asked. "There is no official name for this religion but people usually refer to it as the Three Sisters of Guadalupe. The name came about when the three sisters founded the Water Clan in Guadalupe on the Continent of Zui. Most of the Water Clan members and those who make a living from the sea worshipped them. Lady Kairi here was the youngest among the three of them. The eldest was Lady Yaritza while the second sister was Lady Lynn." "I see, so this is just like Taoism where we worship many gods, some are which were once great people back in the days." Alex said. "I don't know of this Taoism that you speak of but generally most religion in Nirvana had a similar basis." Shirley replied. "Master Shin worshipped the same religion. There is a small altar dedicated to Lady Yaritza in the dojo if I remembered correctly. I am Lenny by the way and he's Alex. Nice to meet you Shirley." "What brings you two all the way here if I may ask," Shirley said. "Oh it's nothing. We just got some free time and thought that maybe we can take a look at the Great Lake." Lenny answered. "Is that so? Then you guys should definitely stay for the night because the best view of the Mirror Lake is at night, especially tonight of all nights since the moon is almost at its fullest." "I don't know Lenny. You remembered what the guy said back at the armory? He said that the lake was plagued by a sea serpent." Alex said. "I think you must be referring to Olly. A lot of people have mistaken him and spread rumors around." Shirley said. "Who's Olly?" Lenny asked with a tone of jealousy. "C'mon, I'll show you," Shirley led the two of them to the granite bridge and started yelling Olly's name. "What's she doing?" Alex whispered. "Beats me," Lenny shrugged his shoulders. Just then, small waves rippled through the surface of the water which was followed by the emergent of a big serpent-like creature. It slowly cruised towards the three of them with its head and long neck above the surface. "This is Olly, my pet serpent. Go ahead, touch him. He won't bite." Shirley hugged the head of the serpent as it lowered upon nearing the bridge. The two boys were terrified at first sight of the beast but seeing as how Shirley interacted with Olly, they let their guard down. The two boys rubbed their hands on the serpent's jaw. It was rough, scaly and cold like the skin of a snake. "It's not exactly the idea of a pet for me," Alex said. "What do you meant? There are other Beast Masters who own much larger beast than Olly. Generally, most Beast Masters have large pets." "What are Beast Masters exactly?" Lenny asked. "Oh, you guys never heard of it?" Shirley replied. "It's an ability that allows one to control wild creatures. The amount and type of creature one can control depends on one's skill and experience." "Okay, now I get it," Lenny nodded. "Olly maybe big but he's a gentle giant. In fact, he's the guardian of this chapel. He kept the chapel safe from the attacks of the Frog people. Though I didn't really get to the bottom of why they would become aggressive all of a sudden." "The Frog people?" Lenny asked. "The Frog people are an indigenous creature that live in groups. They are bipedal, had the face and skin of a frog but with a humanoid body and limbs. Their hands and feet are webbed though. Their size are small, about the height of a five-year-old child. They have been around since my grandmother's time and we used to live in harmony until a week ago when they started acting aggressive towards the villagers. Most of the villagers here made their living from this lake and that was where most of the attacks happened. I still don't understand why they acted aggressive all of a sudden. I tried to communicate with them but they ignored me and left whenever they saw me and Olly." Shirley explained. "No kidding," Alex joked. "Hold on a second, you can talk to them? How?" Lenny asked. "It's getting kind of late, why not we talk this over a tea," Shirley invited them back into the chapel. The three of them had some cookies and milk before they picked up where they left off. "I possessed an ability known as the Gift of Tongue. It allows me to communicate with living being that had any form of language no matter how primitive they are. I was trying to get more information from them but they just ran off." "I see, so that's why you needed Olly to patrol the lake." Lenny said. "Have you try catching one of them and interrogate it?" Alex asked. "We did try but they are pretty fast underwater. It's very difficult to catch them. The villagers had been unease about this situation and they wanted it resolved as soon as possible or more people will start to leave. As the acting priestess, I had to make a stop to it," Shirley continued. "But I thought you said you were just an apprentice. How come now you are the acting priestess?" Alex questioned. "It's a long story to begin with… My mother was supposed to be the next priestess but she and dad ran off like most young people here as the village offers little job opportunity. They left me in grandma's care who was then the head priestess. And somehow, I was the only candidate left. It's not like I dislike being a priestess, I love this place but my powers are so meager and grandma…" Shirley paused and tears started flowing down her cheeks. "She passed away three days ago… waah" She sobbed. "If it's help you need, we'll help you with the Frog people nuisance. And I am sorry about your grandma." Lenny patted her on the back and then hugged her. Alex gave him a quick 'eyebrow flash' before he said "Cheer up Shirley. I know it's been hard on you but you need to stop crying and tell us more about your situation so that we can come out with a plan. Alright?" Shirley looked at Alex with her teary eyes and sniffed twice before wiping her tears off with her sleeves. "You're right, we should come out with a plan. Crying doesn't do anything," "That's the spirit! Now, what do you know about the Frog people? I mean where do they stay actually? Do they have a den or something similar?" Alex asked. "Nobody actually knew where they stay since we only saw them briefly from time to time. They are shy creatures that usually avoid contact with us until recently. But it is said that their lair is in the underwater cave system in the lake." Shirley replied. "That'll be a problem finding them. The lake is big and there might be more than one cave underneath it." Alex said. "You're right, then I think it's better if we just track one of them and follow them home." Lenny suggested. "That's a great idea but I didn't bring my aquatic gears with me. I can't go that deep underwater." Alex said. "Don't worry about that. I can create an air bubble around our heads. You can just breathe normally even though you're underwater." Lenny replied. The trio continued discussing their plan through dinner and after that, the three of them hid under some tall sedges near the edge of the lake to stalk for Frog people. Alex messaged Erik and Kelvin regarding their situation before the start of their mission. That was to prevent a rescue party being rallied for a wild goose chase.
"Wow, it sure is beautiful at night here," Lenny uttered to himself. The starry night sky was clearly reflected on the lake surface, giving the impression that one has been transported to outer space and surrounded by thousands of stars. "Look, there they are!" Shirley whispered and pointed at the distance, waking the two boys from the dream of the vastness of space. The Frog people were just as Shirley had described them, dwarf humanoid creature with the face and skin of a frog. "I see them," Alex focused on one of the creature and fired his rifle. "Now Olly!" Shirley shouted. Olly suddenly burst from underneath the surface and gave a high frequency shriek that drove the group of Frog people back into the water. "Did you get it?" Lenny asked. "I got it," Alex showed them the tracker which depicted the movement and location of the creature which Alex just shot. "Let's go then," Lenny said. Alex returned the rifle into his dimension storage and exchanged it with a harpoon gun. "Are you sure this will work?" Alex had second thoughts about the air bubble Lenny had just created. "It's invisible, you'll know once you get into the water," "Wait, wear these, so it will be easier for us to communicate underwater." Alex offered the two of them each a small ear piece. "You sure are a resourceful person," Lenny put on the ear piece and dived into the water followed by Shirley and then Alex. The moment they entered the water, water soaked every part of their body except for their heads. An invisible barrier seemed to have kept the water from getting in. "Hey, it worked!" Alex said. He then switched on the portable head light strapped onto his forehead and guided the team towards the direction of the creatures. After diving deeper into the lake and through a narrow cavern well-hidden behind rock formations, they emerged in a humid cave underneath the lake. The walls of the caves were lit by glowing algae. They climbed onto the shore and dried themselves. Alex exchanged his harpoon gun for his usual double pistols. "Wow, I didn't imagine such a place actually exists," Lenny's voice echoed through the cave. Just then, they heard footsteps from a nearby cave opening. "Something's coming our way." Lenny said and took a step backwards. Alex aimed his pistols at the cave opening, ready to attack. All of a sudden, Lenny felt a cold and slimy hand grabbed hold of the back of his shin. His reflex took over and gave whatever that was holding onto him a spinning back kick. The creature whimpered and retreated back into the water. They turned around and saw that there were a dozen of the Frog people behind them, weapons in their hands. Lenny unsheathed his katana and was about to engage when a net was casted and trapped Lenny and Shirley. Alex managed to roll away in the last moment. "Shit! I can't use my katana," Lenny cursed. "Should I fire at them, Shirley?" Alex said. "No, try not to kill them, we hope for a peaceful resolution of this mess, not a war!" Shirley replied. "Roger that." Alex's double pistols vanished and was replaced by a short rifle which he immediately started shooting at the closest target. The tranquilizer darts quickly exerted their effect and dropped most of the Frog people after a minute or so. Despite the tranquilizer's effectiveness, they were overwhelmed as more and more of the Frog people kept coming from the lake and also the caves. Alex suffered cuts and bruises from daggers, harpoons, wooden sticks and also rocks for every few adversaries he took out. Lenny dropped his katana and withdrew the lightsaber that was strapped onto his belt. The lightsaber easily cut open the net and freed them. "Look, more of them are coming!" Shirley alerted the two boys as more Frog people poured in from one of the cave opening. "Shirley, can you create a wave to swipe them into the lake?" Lenny said. "But they will just come back up again," Shirley said while she knocked two nearby Frog people with her wooden staff. "No, they won't. Trust me," Lenny said. "Hold on tight then," Shirley warned. Alex rammed his way through the surrounding creatures, sustaining multiple minor injuries along the way. He took cover behind a boulder while continued firing at the incoming foes. The creatures may be large in numbers but they are weak. A tsunami rose from the lake and swept all of the Frog people off their feet. The ebbing tide pulled all of them into the lake. Some tried to cling onto Lenny and Shirley but they kicked them off balance and were carried by the tide into the lake. However, both Shirley and Lenny were not affected by the wave at all, it was as if the wave passed right through them. Alex on the other hand had to hold on tight to prevent the current from dragging him along with his surrounding foes back into the lake. Lenny immediately punched the lake surface with both his fists just as the last of the Frog people were drawn into the water. The surface of the water immediately began freezing, trapping them in an ice prison. "That should hold them for a while," Lenny said to himself. The Frog people tried banging the ice walls but it won't give way. Alex sighed and said "Let's hope they stay there until we finish what we came for," He then bandaged the gashes and scratches resulted from the battle before the trio ventured deeper into the cave system.
They proceeded through the narrow passages of the elaborate labyrinth of a cavern. Many times they ended up at dead ends. However, they did not met another Frog people throughout their journey. They retraced back their steps and turned into another narrower passage that they had previously missed as they hit yet another dead end. "How long have we been down here?" Lenny asked. Alex glanced at his watch and replied "About an hour or so," Just when they thought it was going to be another end passageway, the passage opened out into a large space. The roof was completely covered with a different kind of algae from the one they saw. It gave the place a bright bluish hue. At the end of the opening were more than two dozen Frog people and among them were five big ones that stood out from the rest. They were as tall as General Max and were fully armored. In their hands were bronze tridents. "Looks like we hit the jackpot," Alex said and started shooting at the charging Frog people. Lenny pushed his hands outwards and the air rippled, knocking out three Frog people that were at the front. One of the big Frog people came at Lenny from the right with its trident. Lenny dodged back and stabbed his opponent in the shoulder with his lightsaber. The saber pierced through the armor and drew blood. The beast staggered slightly and swung the staff of the trident at Lenny's head. Lenny ducked and his lightsaber found the creature's thighs, dropping it to its knees. With a boot to the face, Lenny knocked the creature out but he was caught by a surprise attack from the right. The attack knocked Lenny's lightsaber from his grip and left a deep bruise on his right wrist. Lenny tried to manipulate the air to pick up his weapon but an incoming trident halted his effort. Lenny rolled to the left and picked up the trident from the creature he just knocked out. He was quickly surrounded by the smaller Frog people. Alex noted that his friend was in trouble and shouted "Close your eyes and cover your ears!" Two flash bangs went off and stunned the Frog people, causing them to be disorientated. Some covered their eyes and screeched while some dropped to their knees. Lenny took the opportunity to steal a quick glance at how Shirley was doing. She seemed to be able to defend herself well against the onslaught of the Frog people. About ten of them were on the ground, motionless, and a big one among them. Alex on the other hand was out of ammo as he was seen clubbing his adversaries with the butt of the rifle. One of the big Frog people recovered from the flash grenade and bashed Alex's rifle in half with its trident. Alex threw the broken rifle at a charging Frog people and struck it on the head. He then took a short stainless steel bar from his storage and lunged the bar at the one holding the trident. The end of the bar found the creature's neck and made it choked. Alex then swung the bar and disarmed the creature. The bar went around again and landed hard on the back of the creature's neck, knocking it to the ground. He then thrusted the bar at the back of the creature, sending a jolt of electricity through the bar, knocking it out. With the trident in hand, Lenny whirled the trident, knocking all the confused Frog people out. He then launched himself forward and took out the big Frog people that gave him a bruise with a bash to the skull. Just then, he caught a glimpse of an outstanding Frog people. It was taller than most of the other Frog people but not as muscular as the five big ones. It was holding a staff with a blue gem on one of its tip and seemed to be barking orders to the others. Lenny picked up his momentum and headed straight for the creature. He was confronted by the last of the big Frog people, the others were taken out by Alex and Shirley. Lenny dodged the thrust of its trident and plunged his trident to its foot, anchoring it to the ground. The creature shrieked in pain as blood spurted from its left foot. The outstanding Frog people seemed to be caught by surprise and was unable to react when Lenny threw a punch at its face, knocking it to the ground. The creature got back to its feet and gave a loud croak. All the fights stopped instantly. The Frog people dropped their weapons and looked at their leader. Lenny was about to throw another punch at the leader but Shirley stopped him. "That's enough Lenny, they surrendered." She said. Lenny relaxed as Shirley approached the leader to communicate. Croaks, grunts and shrieks were exchanged between the two before she finally spoke. "I know the reason behind their aggression. Someone from the village stole their sacred crystal. And I have a good idea who it was with the description given." Shirley spoke to the leader again and continued. "He agrees to seize all the attack and make peace once the crystal had been returned." "Let's go get it then. I am getting really exhausted fighting these bunch," Lenny rotated his right shoulder and said. "Me too," Alex returned his stun rod back into the storage portal. The trio then left the place and headed back to the chapel. Feeling exhausted from all the fighting and running, the three rested and tended to their wounds in the chapel until day break.
Early morning the next day, the trio woke up and departed to the village after breakfast. "Shirley, who did you said it was that you suspected yesterday?" Alex asked. "I am not a hundred percent sure but I think it is most likely the village head, Mr. Hogan. His behavior had been suspicious for the past three weeks. He had been wandering around the lake at odd times and asking all around regarding information on the Frog people. He even approached grandma and me. He don't usually come close to the lake since he runs a sundry shop in the village." "Sounds convincing to me. But why does it always have to be the chief," Lenny said. "I am not sure I understand what you meant but we better be careful. The leader of the Frog people warned that whoever stole the crystal had the ability to blend into the environment easily." A few minutes' walk brought them to the front of Mr. Hogan's shop in Espejo Village. "Welcome Shirley, I see you met some new friends. What can I do for you guys?" The village head was friendly and seemed to be in his forties. He was a plump man in a baggy white t-shirt and blue jeans. "Mr. Hogan, we're here about the Frog people incident. I was hoping that you can tell us something about these creatures since you have been busy collecting information regarding the Frog people." Mr. Hogan laughed and said "Sure thing. Where do I begin… the Frog people are cave dwellers, they stayed in deep subterranean cave system under the Great Lake. They are aggressive creatures carrying daggers, tridents and sickles. In their stronghold there is a giant crystal that is worth billions." "How do you get to know all these? It was as if you have…" Lenny wasn't able to finish before Mr. Hogan interrupted. "Been there myself? Oh, I think we should all stop pretending. We all know what you're after," Three villagers approached the trio from behind but Lenny's quick action knocked two of them out cold while Alex took care of the remaining one. "How did you managed to get into their lair so easily even though it took the three of us hell of a hard time just to get in." Lenny said. Mr. Hogan smiled at them and replied "I'll show you." His body turned into gel and morphed into a giant serpent. "He's a shapeshifter!" Alex shouted. The giant snake smashed Mr. Morgan's sundry shop as it enlarged. The rubble revealed a giant crystal. "You guys are gonna pay for this!" The snake hissed. "But you're the one who destroyed the shop!" Lenny replied and activated his lightsaber. Alex withdrew two machine pistols from his storage and emptied the magazine at the snake's throat. The bullets just bounced right off the skin of the snake. "Foolish child! This is the Desert Adder from the Lost Continent. It has scale as hard as diamond!" Alex threw his empty pistols into the storage and took a rocket launcher in their place. "Shirley, grab the crystal, we'll handle Mr. Hogan." Lenny instructed and leapt onto the body of the snake. "Oh no you don't!" Mr. Hogan hissed. The tail of the giant snake wrapped around the crystal and prevented Shirley from getting close. Shirley raised her staff and summoned a giant icicle, aiming at the tail. But the icicle too shattered when it made contact with the skin of the snake. Lenny managed to climb the back of the snake and made a leapt for the eye but Mr. Hogan saw him coming and head butted Lenny. Lenny pushed the air with his hand and dodged the attack. He countered attack with a stab to the nostril. Mr. Hogan gave a high pitch shriek as the lightsaber burnt through the snake's nostril. "Heads up!" Alex warned Lenny before firing his rocket launcher. Lenny leapt off from the snake's head and glided onto a nearby tree as the rocket made its way towards the head. Mr. Hogan turned his head slightly and the rocket barely missed his left eye. "Watch out!" Shirley warned. The snake suddenly came at Alex and opened its mouth. Yellowish goo spurted from its fangs. Alex rolled to the side before popping a grenade into the snake's mouth. The snake closed its jaw in time to avoid direct contact with the explosion. "Careful guys, the secretion – it's acid!" Lenny warned. When they were fighting, Shirley finished her enchanting, summoning a heavy storm that rained down on them. "Ha, what are you trying to do girl?" Mr. Hogan laughed and swung its tail at Shirley. Suddenly, the ground around Shirley cracked and a familiar creature burst forth. Olly blocked the incoming attack with its tail, keeping Shirley safe by coiling around her. Lenny and Alex seized the moment and charged towards Mr. Hogan. They approached him from two different directions while Olly sent a wave of ice beam at Mr. Hogan's tail, freezing him to the ground. However, with a powerful swing, his tail broke free and came at Lenny. Lenny manipulated the air to propel himself into the air and straight towards Mr. Hogan's head. The snake opened its mouth and spitted acid at Lenny. Lenny concentrated all the rain water to form a barrier in front of him as he continued forward, charging into the incoming acid. The acid and water made contact and they formed mist that shrouded the entire battlefield. Alex teleported to the side of Mr. Hogan while he was engaged with Lenny and Olly. Mr. Hogan was totally caught by surprise and the rocket flew right into the snake's mouth. Another loud shriek and the snake was downed. Blood gushed from its mouth as it fell to the ground and began to shrink in size. Moments later, Mr. Hogan was reverted to his former self. His left nostril was badly burnt and his mouth was full of blood. He lost most of his teeth as he opened his mouth to speak. "Stop, I admit defeat. Please, just take the crystal." Mr. Hogan raised both his hands and surrendered. "But why, why did you do it?" Shirley asked. The thunderstorm gradually subsided into drizzles as the trio closed in on Mr. Hogan. "I thought maybe I can make some money by selling the crystal and help improve the village. Look around you, sooner or later everyone will be leaving and this place will be nothing but history." "Even so, crime is not the answer," Shirley half knelt and raised her palm in front of Mr. Hogan's face. Water puddles on the ground were drawn near Shirley's palm and healed Mr. Hogan's wounds. His nose and mouth stopped bleeding. "I know how much you love this village but there are better ways to help than stealing. If we all work together, I am sure we can come out with something. Sorry about your teeth though, there is not much I can do about it." "It's alright Shirley, I deserved it. Take the crystal and return it to the Frog people. I caused enough trouble already." Mr. Hogan replied. And so the trio took the crystal and brought it back to the Frog people's lair. As promised, there were no more attacks from the Frog people. "If there is anything you need help with, just give us a call ok?" Lenny gave Shirley a satellite transmitter before he joined Alex in the vehicle. "See ya Shirley," Alex waved. "Do come visit again," Shirley waved at the MPV as it dashed into the distance.
6. Yume Summit
Back at the Freedom Fortress, the remaining boys were wondering as to what Alex and Lenny were doing at the Great Lake. "Lenny probably met a cute girl and decided to stay the night," Calvin said. "That is so like Lenny," Kelvin added. "Look who's talking," Kenneth said and everyone else laughed. Kelvin blushed and moved to a corner. "I'm joking," Kenneth said. General Max suddenly made an appearance as the boys were getting ready for dinner. "Hey guys, how are you all doing?" Max asked. "So far so good," Calvin replied. "Kelvin, remember the Yume Summit that I told you I'll be going for a few days starting tomorrow?" "Yeah," Kelvin replied and Max continued. "It seems that our current president of the Freedom Clan – Sir John Edward requested you guys to be our representatives for the junior friendly tournament. However, there is only four entries available so all of you have to enter. Is that alright?" "I don't mind joining if Dr. Flummox is okay with it," Chen said. "Me too," Kenneth followed. "Oh, don't worry about that, most of your mentors will be attending the summit as it is the single most important meeting on Yume. This is a meeting where all the major clans, cities, towns and villages will sent representative to discuss regarding the future of this continent. "Wow, I don't know it's that big of a deal," Calvin said. "There might even be foreign ambassadors from other continents to oversee the meeting. It's a big event and this is the 8th Yume Summit but the first one for Sir John Edward as the third president of Freedom Clan. This year, the summit will be hosted by the Fire Clan, so we'll all be going to Magma City, the capital of the Fire Clan. Therefore I need you guys in top shape tomorrow. Get well rested for tomorrow and sorry for such short notice." General Max then left the boys to enjoy their dinner. "Wow, did you hear that, it sounded like a big event." Chen said. "It's big alright," Kelvin added. "It's like as if we'll be performing on world stage or something." Kenneth said. "We better eat up and rest early then," Calvin suggested. And so the boys finished their dinner faster than usual and proceeded to read about the rules of the tournament. The tournament is a one on one combat on a standard cement ground. The victory condition is simple, whoever managed to land five hits on their opponent first wins or if the time runs out, whoever has the most hits wins. As for the safety rules, no moves that dealt mortal wounds or with exceedingly large area of effect may be used. Only weapons made for the tournament may be used; all other lethal weapons are not allowed. After revising the rules, the boys read about fighting techniques and discussed strategies with each other before they all hit the sack.
Early next morning, the boys were awakened by Erik. They didn't exactly had a very good sleep as most of them were worried about the tournament. They brushed up and headed for breakfast in the dining room as usual. The middle aged lady that always prepared their meal came in with silver tray on each hand just like any other morning. "I know you boys are going to have a long day ahead of you, so I made something nice for each of you." "Wow, chicken soup and garlic toast. Thanks Mrs. Parker." Calvin said. "Curry rice, my favorite! Umm, no one makes it better like you do," Chen stuffed a spoonful of curry rice into his mouth. "Thanks," Mrs. Parker replied. And so the boys had their meal and waited at the front of the dorm. Erik was already sitting at the stairs when they arrived. "Are we late?" Kelvin asked. "Not at all, you're just in time." Erik stood up and walked towards the boys. "So, are you gonna teleport all of us there?" Calvin asked. "Oh no, not today. Today we're going there by plane. Are you guys ready?" Erik asked. "Where's the plane?" Kenneth asked. "Right here," The boys vanished from the front door and reappeared on the inside of a plane. "Cool!" Chen said. "Take your seats boys, we're about to depart," Max who was sitting two rows in front of them ordered. "So we're late," Kelvin said. The plane took off and landed about an hour later. The boys took the time to catch up on the sleep they missed. Upon landing, they were greeted by a tall old man in purple robe with central baldness and a few others. "Welcome Sir John, it's nice to have you here," The old man shook hands with Sir John and led him to one of the limousine. "That's Count Fleming Ngyu, he's the personal adviser to the head of the Fire Clan, Lord Moto." Erik told the boys. Multiple flags were flown on the flag poles at the airport. The boys immediately recognized the Freedom Clan's emblem on one of the flags. "So, they invited Gaea and the Earth Clan as overseer huh, interesting." Erik said. "Who or what is Gaea," Calvin asked while the other three boys went ahead. "You'll find out soon," Erik continued. "Together with the reason you're here." "Did you say something Erik?" Calvin asked as he couldn't hear clearly what Erik had said because another plane had just touched down. "Nothing, just move along," Erik gave Calvin a smile and ushered him forward. They were brought to a very grand hotel with security guards all over the place. The hotel was situated just on the outskirt of the city. The four boys were given two rooms that were very well furnished compared to their dorm. Later only did they found out that the hotel was the finest Yume has to offer, the Ustrina Palace. "Now you boys behave yourselves. Erik and I will accompany Sir John to visit Lord Moto. Toby here and his friend Doug from the Fire Clan will bring you all sightseeing in Magma City. The opening ceremony will be tomorrow morning after all the representatives had arrived. Try not to be late again!" With that, General Max and Erik left the four boys in the hands of Toby and Doug. The four boys exchanged hand shake with Doug and they were once again brought to the limousine that took them to the hotel. Doug gave them an introduction to the many historical locations in Magma City. "Over there is the Old Volcano, it's a symbolic place for the Fire Clan because that was where the clan was first founded by Lord Javaar. The process of becoming a clan leader had changed a few times over the years from monarchy to dictatorship and today, the Fire Clan is governed by a republic. However, the head of the clan still retained the name 'Lord' rather than president or prime minister. As for the Old Volcano, it had been renovated to include a grand meeting hall, a stadium and other government official buildings not to mention the residence of the Lord and visiting ambassadors. It will also be the venue for tomorrow's opening ceremony." The six of them toured around the city, had some famous local cuisine and then went back to the Ustrina Palace. "There'll be a morning call for you guys at half past five in the morning, plenty of time for you to get ready for the opening ceremony at eight. Your transport will be waiting at the front of the lobby at seven a.m. sharp. It's been a fun day, see you guys at the opening ceremony then," Doug shook hands with each of them before leaving in the limousine. "Wow, you sure know quite a lot of people Toby," Calvin said. "Nah, he was one of my classmate back in junior high. He later received a scholarship to study in Magma High, that's how I got to know him. C'mon, it's getting late. General Max asked me to go over the rules for the tournament with you guys one more time," And so the five boys went back into the hotel to prepare for the next day.
Exactly half past five in the morning, a hologram of a rooster appeared on the desk at the corner of the room and crowed. The boys were startled at first but eventually found the button to turn the alarm off. They brushed up, put on their sleeveless jersey with the Freedom Clan emblem on it and headed for breakfast. In the lounge, they met the other representatives; all in their clan's uniform, ready for the opening ceremony. Just then, Kelvin heard a familiar voice called out to him. "Hi Kelvin. Wow, you guys look great in these outfit." Kelvin turned around to see Julee with a middle aged lady. "Thanks," Kelvin replied. "Hey Julee, how come we never saw you on the plane here?" Kenneth asked. "Oh, I came with my aunt. Guys, I would like you all to meet my aunt Mary." The lady waved at the boys and said. "Nice to meet you all," "Hey guys, our ride is here," Chen reminded the rest. "Sorry Julee, we gotta go, it won't be nice for us to be late again." Kelvin said. "Well, see you guys at the ceremony then," Julee waved at the boys as the limousine took them away. The road to the Old Volcano was packed with vehicles of all sorts, there were even phoenixes patrolling the sky. "So that's how a phoenix looks like," Chen said. "It would be nice if we get to see it up close." Kenneth added. "You guys never saw one before?" Toby asked. "Not really," Calvin replied. "It's actually pretty common in the Fire Clan. You can own a phoenix easily if you're one of their clan members as the phoenixes are selectively bred. They also did the same for fire dragons, though dragons are much more expensive. They are used as pets, transportation, weapon and also entertainment." "Really? How come we never saw any back at the Freedom Fortress?" Kelvin asked. "The Fire Clan practically owned all the domesticated phoenixes and fire dragons available. They had imposed strict law on their ownership for non-Fire Clan members since the beasts are not exactly tame creatures should they decided to go on a rampage. The license to own and cost of buying one is pretty high. Unless you decided to catch one in the wild or else you have to be a Fire Clan member or fairly rich to own one. There aren't much wild phoenixes left; the last I heard, there have been sighting of a large wild phoenix in the Eastern Range but that was two years ago." "I see," Kelvin said. After about fifteen minutes of traffic jam, they finally reached the Old Volcano. Erik was already waiting for them at the front entrance along with Professor Dexter, Dr. Robert Flummox and his wife and also Sir James Frost. "C'mon guys, gather around. Here is the list for the tournament later," Erik continued. "Kelvin, you'll be the first contestant, your opponent is Cindy Autumn from the Sleeping Forest. This will be followed by Calvin. As for your opponent, her name is Alia from Gaea. I heard she is one of the top student from Gaea Junior High. Chen will be going up against Fire Clan's representative Iris Yamato." "What? Master Shin's daughter. How come they chose her of all people?" Chen spoke suddenly and loudly in surprise. "Probably because she is Master Shin's daughter." Erik replied. He continued. "You will be facing her in the sixth match. There is a total of ten matches. As for Kenneth, you have been selected for the random matches where no information will be given." "What the heck…" Kenneth said. "Don't worry guys, this is just a friendly match, everyone will be getting prizes no matter you win or lose. It's not a competition, take is as an exposure of sort." Erik said. "Now let's get in, it's almost time for the ceremony." He then ushered the boys inside.
The stadium was very nicely decorated and flags of each participating party were hung at the side. By the time the boys entered the hall, most seats were already taken. A protocol officer guided them to the seats reserved for the Freedom Clan. Soon, the national anthem for Yume were sung followed by the Fire Clan's. Many boring speeches later, it was time for the traditional dance performance by the hosting party. The dance performance was spectacular, waking the audience from the long hypnotic speeches. Then the veteran category tournament began. Many of the boys' mentors were seen participating. From their matches, they got a rough idea on how the match would be fought. Among the veteran category, the most entertaining one was the match between General Max and Mr. Mednik from Celestial City. The two were quite evenly matched and the crowd cheered like mad as the two exchanged moves. The boys never knew that General Max could fight that well before. But in the end, General Max won with a score of five but Mr. Mednik was not bad, with just one score behind. Their match lasted the longest among the veteran category. The crowd were seen slightly thinning after the veteran tournament. Next was the young man's category. Toby and a few others of the boys' seniors were seen in the matches. More people were seen leaving the stadium after the end of the young man's category. "Hey, why are they leaving so soon?" Kelvin asked as Erik ushered the boys to get ready for their tournament. "The junior category is not exactly the most entertaining match to watch," Erik replied. With less crowd in the stadium, the boys grew disappointed but it took some of their nervousness away. "Good luck guys," Kenneth cheered as Erik led the three boys to the backstage. "Good luck boys!" Julee was heard shouting at them from a few rows above.
Kelvin would start off the junior category with his match against Cindy Autumn. Kelvin didn't pick up any weapons before he headed into the arena, he was used to fighting with his bare hands. His opponent however came in with a wooden sword and a whip made of prickled vine. Both fighters took their stance and waited for the bell to ring. The moment the bell sounded, Cindy charged forth with the sword in one hand and launched the whip towards Kelvin. Kelvin created a flame shield around him and burnt the whip before it came into contact with him. Cindy leapt in and struck Kelvin on the back with her sword but took two hits to left her side in return. She quickly retreated and put some distance between them. Kelvin charged forward with a barrier of flame surrounding him. Cindy launched herself forward and met Kelvin's attack with the lunge of her sword. The sword struck Kelvin on his right shoulder. Kelvin grabbed hold of her right wrist after the attack and elbowed her on the stomach. The elbow connected but Kelvin received a straight kick to the chest. Both of them retreated and the score was three even. Cindy threw her weapons off the arena and summoned a plant of sort from the ground. The battleground shook slightly as a giant plant emerged and engulfed Cindy! The two merged to form an armor with two whips extending from her back and two huge Venus flytraps replacing both her forearms. "Holy shit, what is that thing?" Kenneth shouted from the crowd. The armor also increased her size to become as tall and bulky as General Max. Cindy raised her right arm and a circular projectile was launched from the Venus flytrap. Kelvin dodged to one side and avoided it easily but another followed its way and another. The projectiles exploded as it made contact with the ground. Kelvin ran, rolled and slid to avoid the continuous firing and closed in the distance between them. Cindy realized what Kelvin was attempting and raised her left arm at Kelvin's direction. Kelvin dashed to one side and avoided being caught by a net made of vines. Kelvin then slammed both his palms together and created a thick fog that shrouded the arena. Cindy stopped firing as she couldn't pin point where Kelvin was. Sensing an object coming her way, she shot at its direction. An explosion shattered a boulder that was thrown her way. "Shit!" She cursed and turned around to fire. Both the explosive and her net were blown away by a heavy gust of wind that cleared the fog behind her. The next thing she knew, Kelvin was right beneath her. She attempted to bind Kelvin with her vine whips but it was already too late. With a double punch to the gut, Kelvin was victorious! Both of them shook hands after the battle ended. "Thanks for the match," Kelvin said. "You're really good," Cindy replied. Both of them left the stage as the clean-up crew began preparing it for the next match.
Calvin browsed through the armory when the crew was preparing the stage. There was not much weapons for Calvin to choose from. He tugged a stun gun to his belt and carried as much swords and shields as his body is capable of. When the bell rang, Calvin walked onto the stage looking ridiculously funny. He had two swords and a shield on his back, two swords by his sides and one in each hand. "What the heck is he trying to do? Does he even know how to use those weapons?" Kenneth said to himself. His opponent on the other hand had only a plasma cannon that had been modified to be less deathly but still pack a punch. The two made their way into the arena and waited for the referee to ring the bell. Like the previous match, Calvin's opponent was the one on the aggression as soon as the bell rang. Alia continuously fired at Calvin as soon as the bell went off. Calvin reacted by quickly dumping all the weapons to the ground and extracted the metal parts from them. The metal liquefied and formed a barricade around Calvin, blocking all incoming attack. Calvin then slowly advanced towards Alia. Alia duplicated her plasma cannon and shot at Calvin at double the speed. Calvin's barricade began to tear apart the closer he got to Alia. And finally, the barrier gave way and two shots got through, one found Calvin's right shoulder and the other one hit his left knee. Calvin staggered back slightly and found an opening. He fired his stun gun at Alia. The distance and timing was perfect, it was too close for her to dodge it. The projectile hit home and she convulsed. Calvin quickly followed up with multiple metal balls that he morphed from the pile of metal that used to be his barricade. The first two balls hit her straight in the chest but she managed to stop the rest in mid-air. "So, she is a Metal elemental as well?" Kenneth asked. "Yup, Metal and Electric, same as Calvin." Erik replied. The multiple metal balls were sent back to their owner's direction. Calvin clumped the balls into a big chunk and tossed it to one side. He then sent forth two bolts of lightning that struck Alia from above. She easily deflected them and sent a bolt of lightning back at Calvin. Calvin rolled to one side and launched himself at her. Alia manipulated the chunk of metal that Calvin tossed aside to form a barrier in front of her. However, before the barrier could be finished, Calvin morphed himself into a mouse and leapt through a small opening in the barrier. After that, he turned into a giant eagle and pinned Alia to the ground with its talons. That's four points for Calvin and only two for Alia. Suddenly, the ground beneath Alia gave way like quick sand and she was gone! Calvin's talons were pulled into the very ground he stood. As he struggled to break free from the entrapment, Alia reappeared before him and landed two punches and a kick to his chest; securing her victory. "Aww, that was so close." Kenneth said to himself. The two exchanged handshake and went their separate ways into the backstage without a word. A few matches later, it was Chen's turn to shine.
Chen took a deep breath and proceeded into the armory like the previous contenders. With only a quick look around the armory, he already made up his mind on his weapon of choice – a shield. Chen had met and seen Iris practice once or twice in the past and he already knew what weapon she would be wielding. Up on the stage, the two of them entered the arena and waited for the bell to ring. Iris charged forward and came in, sword flashing as soon as the bell rang. Her thrusts and stabs were extremely fast, making Chen barely able to block them. Her rapid attack drove Chen to one corner and made him unable to find an opening to counter attack. However, her attacks were getting slower as her stamina waned. Chen took the opportunity to throw his shield at her followed by a ball of light energy. She deflected the shield with her sword but was blinded by the bright light. Chen charged in with his shoulder and knocked her backwards, disarming her at the same time. Score one for Chen. Iris recovered quickly and constructed two swords made of fire. Chen moved forth and slammed the ground with his fists, summoning multiple prickled vines from the ground. Iris made short work of the vines with her dual flame swords but she missed a creeping vine on the ground and was entangled by it. The vine twirled around her feet and anchoring her to the ground. She quickly burnt it with her flame swords but was too late to realize how close Chen was. Chen came up right beside her and sent her to the ground with a powerful tackle. Chen immediately put some distance between them as she started lighting herself on fire. Iris was covered in flame and started shooting fire balls at Chen. The barrage of fire balls kept Chen running and dodging, unable to close in on his opponent. Seeing as there was no way for Chen to close in, he decided to use his trump card. Chen infused his whole body with psychic energy, boosting his overall physical strength. "Go for it Chen," Kenneth cheered. "He finally used it huh, the Overdrive." Chen the charged forward at Iris, her attacks were unable to keep up with him. Iris sent a huge gust of flaming wind at Chen when he closed in on her, a move called Dragon Breath. Chen dodged with a powerful leapt into the air and somersaulted to land directly behind Iris. He finished the match with two quick jabs to the stomach and a kick to the chest. Chen won with a flat five score against nil. He helped her up and said "It was a great match. You gave your best," She shook his hand and grinned "But you're just way too good." They then left the stage as the clean-up crew arrived.
The junior category tournament ended uneventfully and the event stopped for a tea break. Kenneth was too nervous to eat anything, he only drank tea. Most of the important guests had left the stadium including Sir John, most of the boys' mentors, Lord Moto and many others. However, Count Fleming was still there at the tea break. He was seen talking to Erik and General Max. Thirty minutes later, Kenneth was brought to the armory by one of the backstage staff. Inside the armory were tons of actual weapons, not the kind that the previous contenders had used. "Are you sure we're in the right armory?" Kenneth asked the staff. "You're Kenneth from the Freedom Clan?" The staff asked. "Yeah," Kenneth replied. The staff checked her paperwork again and said "Yes, we're in the correct armory. The boss approved the use of these weapons. Take as much as you like," She said and left him alone. "Okay… What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Kenneth spoke to himself. He attached two flash bangs and an incendiary grenade to his belt before taking four lightsabers from the shelf. He then tugged two of the lightsabers onto his belt and carried two of them, one in each hand. Before he left the armory, a mini laser cannon the size of a pistol caught his attention. It was a prototype weapon that was meant for single use only. He took the gun and secured it to his holster. After that, he walked out into the arena. When he gazed at the audience, only less than a quarter of the crowd remained. He then turned to face his opponent, a youngster probably in his twenties or so. He came to the arena unarmed, with only a casual t-shirt and a brown long pants with sneakers. Kenneth stared at him and then turned to face the referee. He showed the referee the lightsabers and said "Are you sure I'm allowed to use these? I meant he's unarmed for goodness sake!" The referee gave him a thumbs up and said "No problem! Just don't hurt yourself with them." "What the hell?" Kenneth said in return. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." The youngster shouted from the other end of the stage. "What's wrong with these people?" He said to himself. And so, the bell rang and the match began. "Well, if you say so," Kenneth tried to reassure himself. He activated his dual lightsabers and charged forward. The youngster seemed awfully calm even when Kenneth was within strike distance, he did not move an inch. When Kenneth finally swung his sabers at him, the lightsabers seemed to hit some sort of invisible force field. He repeated his attacks again and again but none of his strikes went through. Suddenly, the image of the youngster blurred and Kenneth felt a heavy punch to his gut that knocked the air out of him. He dropped his lightsabers and knelt to the ground. "See, I told you. I'll be fine. Now get up and let's continue." The young man walked away from Kenneth, allowing him to recover and picked up his sabers. Kenneth took a deep breath and charged forward again in his Overdrive mode. He swings became faster and more powerful than before. The young man just stared at Kenneth as his attacks struck the invisible barrier. Feeling angry, Kenneth struck harder and under the fury of his sabers, part of the barrier gave way. His lightsabers found the youngster's right arm and left flank. Kenneth then took a step backwards to examine his opponent. To Kenneth's surprise, he was totally fine; there was not a single mark on him. Kenneth was sure that his lightsabers made contact, so he glanced at the score board. The score board clearly depicted a score of one against two, with Kenneth leading. "What are you?" Kenneth asked. "I'll tell you, but only if you win." The youngster replied. All of a sudden, his image blurred and Kenneth's instinct took over. Kenneth instantly turned around and thrusted both his lightsabers behind him, landing a direct hit on the youngster's chest. But again, he sustained no injury. Kenneth withdrew his lightsabers and leapt backwards. "Well, I guess that's as far as I can let you go," The youngster said. The youngster's image blurred again and four clones appeared before him. The five of them charged at Kenneth and overwhelmed him. Kenneth tried his best to defend himself but the score was tied at four even after just one minute. "Screw this!" Kenneth ducked and slammed the ground with his fists, fissuring the ground, causing all his opponents to lose their balance. He then tossed all of his grenades at them, blinding most of them and destroyed one of the clones. Then, he threw boulders at the remaining clones, crushing two of them. Another one took a lightsaber to the chest and vanished. Only one was left standing. The young man recovered and darted straight for Kenneth. Kenneth did likewise. When both of them were about to collide, Kenneth suddenly dropped to the ground and tossed away his lightsabers. He raised his left hand at the youngster, locking him in suspended animation with his Freeze ability while withdrawing the mini laser cannon from his holster; finishing his opponent off with a single shot. The youngster vanished just like his clones when he was hit by the laser beam. "Oh crap!" Kenneth cursed as he thought it was another clone. However, the bell rang and the match was over. Kenneth won! "What? I won? How come…" Kenneth was totally taken by surprise and didn't know how to react. Then, he heard sounds of hands clapping behind him. "Ha, that is some good fight you put on, Kenneth. Well done!" Kenneth turned around to see Count Fleming behind him. "That was you?" He asked. "My energy clone to be precise," Count Fleming replied. "Why did you let me win?" Kenneth asked. "Oh no, you won fair and square. It's not fair if I were to use my full strength against someone inexperience like you. But you proved me wrong and beat me." "So this match was all your idea?" Kenneth asked. "You can say that," Count Fleming approached Kenneth and wrapped his arm around Kenneth's back, ushering him down the stage as the clean-up crew came. "I wanted to know how well my grandson is doing after I was gone," Count Fleming continued but his voiced changed. "Grandpa? But you're supposed to be dead two years ago." "There was nothing left for me on Earth. You're grandma is gone, everyone is doing well and all. So I decided to stay here permanently and continued my job. Nothing much changes after I was gone, right? How's my daughter doing?" Kenneth took another look at Count Fleming, still not convinced that he is his dead grandfather. "How come you looked so different than I remembered? Anyway, mom is fine and basically nothing much have changed since then. Yeah, nothing much. Hey, were you the one who chose me to come here?" "No, I didn't do that. But when I heard that you were here from Erik, I thought it would be nice to meet you again. As for the looks, it was easier to convince them that I was dying with that look rather than this one," He grinned at Kenneth. "So grandpa, you never told any of them regarding Nirvana?" Kenneth asked. "Nah, they deserve living the peaceful life on Earth. Though your mom might have some idea. Come, let's go for dinner, I'm hungry." "Me too. So what happens now?" Kenneth said. "What do you mean?" "Since you're here, do I like get to stay in Fire Clan and train under you instead of Dr. Flummox?" "Ah, that's what you meant. If you like it here, I can arrange it for you with Max. Is Dr. Flummox no good? Ha-ha, he was my student once you know," Kenneth stopped and said "He was? I meant he is a good teacher but I kinda feel like I want to explore this city more. It seems like an interesting place." "It is indeed. Come, your friends are probably waiting for you." The two walked out of the stadium and regrouped with Calvin, Kelvin and Chen together with General Max and Erik. Julee and her aunt were there as well. "Count Fleming," General Max and Erik nodded when they saw Kenneth and his grandpa approaching them. "Max, Erik. How are you? Care to join us for dinner?" "Our pleasure count." "Kenneth, so did you found out why you were chosen for the random match?" Erik asked. "You knew?" Kenneth blurted. Erik nodded and said "He wanted to surprise you." "Guys, I would like you to meet my grandpa." Kenneth introduced his grandpa to the boys. "Really? No offense sir, but I thought your grandfather passed away." Calvin said. "It's a long story." Kenneth replied. "It's an honor sir," Kelvin shook Count Fleming's hand followed by Calvin and Chen. Later, the group was brought by the limousine with escorts to one of the famous restaurant in Magma City. They had a great meal before they were brought back to Ustrina Palace. "Give it some thought before you decide to stay here permanently because there are many sacrifices you need to make. And besides, your mom might not be happy about it. But you're always welcome to stay with me. We'll talk more about it once the summit is over." Count Fleming said to Kenneth before he left. And so, the first day of the Yume Summit ended.
7. Escape from Fire Clan
The boys headed to bath the moment they got to the hotel. It was a long and exciting day for them. Kelvin and Kenneth were selected as junior observer to the discussion regarding the Lenox deposit near Spring Garden. The two of them went to bed early so they won't be late for the next day. Calvin couldn't sleep and wandered around the hallway and stared into the beautiful night scenery of Magma City. From the corner of the hallway came Alia when Calvin was about to leave. "Alia, great match today," Calvin said. "You're not too bad yourself." She replied. "Calvin, do you have a moment? There is someone that would like to meet you," She continued. "Who is it? Will it be long because I want to go to bed soon," "You'll know once you see them." She said. Calvin hesitated for a moment before following her into a room near where he was standing. When he entered the room, he had the surprise of his life. "Mom! Dad? Aunt Christina! What are you guy doing here?" Calvin almost shouted on top of his voice. Alia closed the door and sat at the corner of the room. Calvin's parents approached him and led him to one of the chairs. "Sit down because this might come as a shock to you." His mom said. "From this point onward, I don't think there is much that can surprise me." He replied. His mom took a deep breath and sighed. "We're not your real parents," She paused, waiting for Calvin's response. "What? But why, why tell me now of all times?" Calvin said, sounding confused. "Because of your coming of age. They might not be your biological parents but you're my nephew, my elder brother's son." His aunt said. "But I still don't see the relation of all these." Aunt Christina put a hand on his shoulder and said. "Shh, patience Calvin, I'm getting there." She smiled at him and continued. "Your real name is Calvin Gaea, son of Timothy Gaea. You're a direct descendant from the Gaea family that founded and is still ruling the island nation of Gaea. There is no more successor to the throne after your father the current king since my younger brother was exiled. So by right, you're the crown prince of Gaea but your father did not want you to bear the responsibility and risk since your mother's death." Calvin's foster mother grabbed his left hand gently and rolled his sleeve upwards to reveal an old scar at his shoulder tip. "Do you still remember how you got this scar?" She asked. "Not really but I remembered staying in the hospital for quite some time because of it." Calvin answered. "You were four years old when Queen Victoria died. She was taking you and your sister for a walk in the park when an assassin stabbed her in the chest with a poison dagger. You were obviously the next target but your mother saved you with her last breath and diverted the direction of blade. The blade pierced your left shoulder and the assassin fled. You were rushed to the hospital in time to administer the antidote but your mother weren't so lucky. We believed that the assassin were hired by your exiled uncle but the assassin was never caught. For your safety, King Timothy requested Erik's help to transport you and your sister to Earth. We were sent to act as your foster parents." "So you're saying that I'm actually a resident of Nirvana all along?" Calvin said. "Yes, that's right. But your father wanted you to choose your own destiny. Whether you want to carry on the monarchy is all up to you. You father had planned for the establishment of a democratic republic government and end the monarchy if you decided not to become the next king. Either way, the country of Gaea lives on. As for you, you can choose to live your life as Calvin Saunders and forget this conversation ever took place. Or you can move here and stay as a resident of Nirvana. We can enroll you into Gaea Junior High the next semester or any of the school you like." "That's a lot of information for me to process in one night. Do I have a deadline before I have to give you all a reply?" Calvin scratched his head and said. "The deadline for whether to stay here or on Earth is before the start of the next semester which is roughly about the end of your trip here. You can tell Erik about your decision. As for the monarchy, you have until your eighteenth birthday before you make your decision." Lady Christina rose from her chair and hugged Calvin. "Whatever your decision might be, know that we'll always support you. We're your family after all." Her foster parents hugged and kissed him before he left the room. "Give me some time to think about it." Calvin closed the door and walked back to his room. His head was heavy with thoughts, making it hard for him to fall asleep until wee hours.
Lenny and Alex reached the Freedom Fortress late in the evening. They received messages from Erik and Kelvin regarding the Yume Summit. They were given five more days of holidays since most of their mentors were away but they are not allowed to attend the Yume Summit. "More holidays for us I guess. We'll just ask Kelvin how the summit was when they get back. So, where do you want to go?" Lenny asked. "Oh, not today. Can't we talk about this tomorrow? My limbs are still sore from all those fighting." Alex answered. The two boys then took a light dinner before heading to bed early. Early the next morning, Kenneth and Kelvin woke up early and they met Julee, Aunt Mary and Cindy Autumn in the lounge. They had breakfast together before departing to the grand meeting hall on Old Volcano. The entrance was filled with people queuing for the security check. Not even coins or pens are allowed into the meeting hall. The junior observers were guided into a large circular room surrounding the top of the meeting hall. The floor and walls were covered with one-way mirrors, allowing them to observe the meeting below without being seen. There were reporters and journalists with them as well. "Take whichever seats you like, the meeting will start at nine O'clock sharp as scheduled. Journalists and reporters please be at your assigned stations. Thank you." One of the security personnel instructed. Lord Moto, General Max, Erik, Aunt Mary, Count Fleming, Sir John and all the other representatives were seen entering the hall. They took their designated seats with Lord Moto, Count Fleming and other Fire Clan representatives taking center stage since they were the host. The overseers took their seats at the top most corner of the hall near the exits. "Alright, without further ado, we'll begin our discussion regarding the recent Lenox deposit found near Spring Garden. And I'm sure you all have read the news about the massacre that followed. I've been told that the incident is still under investigation by the Freedom Clan. Care to share with us your progress?" Count Fleming started the meeting. General Max was seen rising from his seat and spoke into the microphone. "From our investigation so far, we have concluded that the convoy sent by the Fire Clan had been completely wiped out by an unknown assailant or a group of them soon after they delivered the Siskhlis. Their bodies were found at the forest near Spring Garden. From the autopsy report, they were all drowned to death." "Ha, I knew it! This is all your doing," One of the Fire Clan representative stood up and raised his voice, pointing his finger at the Water Clan. "Settle down Mr. Swanson, it could be anyone with Water elemental," Count Fleming said. "Yeah, it could be anyone you moron!" One of the Water Clan representative shouted. That was when a fire ball was thrown and all hell broke loose. The Fire Clan and Water Clan members fought with one another except for the Water Clan branch leader Master Jefferson Matsumoto, he did not move an inch. Lord Moto was also sitting quietly in his seat. "Alright, this is a meeting, not an arena!" Count Fleming slammed the table and unleashed a powerful wave of psionic energy. The fight stopped instantly as all of those involved were knocked out cold. "Wow! That is some serious energy." Kenneth told Kelvin. "It's a move called Black Out. Only people with very strong psychic capability is able to pull it off," "How does it works?" Kelvin asked. "The psychic energy released targeted the reticular formation in the human brain stem, shutting down one's consciousness. Normally veteran power users like those representatives must have learnt some form of energy shield to protect against such move. That's why it's not an effective move unless the psionic energy is so overwhelming that it can penetrate straight through the shield. Like the one just now." Kenneth explained. "Get these idiots out of here!" Count Fleming ordered the guards to drag the unconscious bodies out of the meeting hall. "You may continue general," Count Fleming resumed the meeting. "As for the massacre, we haven't found any clue that could lead us to the perpetrator that unsheathed the Siskhlis. We believed that the same perpetrator is responsible for the assassination of Chief Uzumati. However, we lacked the expertise on the investigation, therefore we have requested a special task force from Spirit World for help. They had agreed to send a team to assist us with the investigation but we still have not heard from them yet. That will be all for our progress report." General Max said and sat down. "So, anyone else has any question for General Max?" That was when Count Fleming noticed something different about one of the Thunder Clan representative, his eyes were staring blankly into the air. The man then suddenly rose from his seat and unleashed several bolts of lightning at the Celestial City representatives. Another fight broke out between the two parties. A few of the tables caught fire and the sprinkles were activated. Water mixed with extinguisher fluid were released and covered the whole place with a thick white fog. Sensing a large amount of energy being unleashed, Count Fleming searched for the source but he was too late when he found out. A massive javelin made of water was shot directly at Lord Moto. However, something peculiar occurred at that moment; the fog were being cleared by an unidentified force. The javelin was met with a wave of heat energy, instantly vaporizing it and shrouding the hall with mist. General Max was heard engaging with Master Jefferson soon after the javelin was shot. "It all seems familiar now right? Just like the meeting back in Alsa." A voice was heard communicating telepathically with Count Fleming. "You, so it was you all along. Lalkarz!" Count Fleming replied telepathically. "Ha-ha-ha, you finally found me, count. The years have not been kind on mortals like yourself. It wouldn't have taken you this long back then, peace sure has weakened you." Lalkarz replied and the mist cleared. Lord Moto was seen facing Count Fleming. Immense amount of energy was being released by Count Fleming and was directed at Lord Moto. Lord Moto reacted by crossing his arms to block the incoming attack. The energy hit Lord Moto head on and pushed him into the air and towards the wall. The wall crumbled and guards were seen pouring in from the entrances. "What was that for?" General Max asked, confused and shocked by Count Fleming's action. "He's being possessed by the puppet master. He was the cause of all these mayhem." Count Fleming replied. Suddenly, all those who were possessed by Lalkarz were seen dropping to the ground with black smog coming out of their bodies. "How? It's been more than twenty years since we last heard of him." General Max said. "I don't know but I'm pretty sure that's him." Lord Moto recovered from the attack and shouted at the guards. "Seize that traitor and arrest all of them!" He pointed his finger at Count Fleming and General Max. "I think we have to go now!" Erik said. "Let's get out of here," Max replied. When Erik tried to open a portal, he suddenly convulsed and fainted. Professor Dexter was seen standing behind him, he turned to Max and said "Just surrender Max, there's nowhere else to run." "That looks pretty mess up down there, should we go and help them?" Kelvin asked Kenneth. Count Fleming looked up and stared directly at Kenneth, as if he was able to see through the mirrors. "Kenneth, bring everyone in the room out of here! This is getting bad, real bad. Do what you must to get out of Fire Clan." Count Fleming communicated with Kenneth telepathically. Kenneth was stunned for a few seconds before he took action.
Kenneth stood on top of a table and shouted. "Hey guys, can I have your attention please!" "Kenneth, what are you doing?" Kelvin who was following close beside him whispered. Kenneth continued. "Things are not looking good down there, I suggest we all leave now!" He then climbed down the table and pulled Kelvin to one corner. Everyone else was staring at the two of them except the reporters who were busy with the action below them. "Count Fleming just telepathically sent me a warning. He wants us to get out of the Fire Clan ASAP! Things are getting worse real fast but he did not mentioned what." Kenneth whispered to Kelvin, trying to keep the conversation between themselves. Julee and Cindy were seen approaching them as they finished their conversation. "Sorry for eavesdropping but we should go now," A voice sounded from behind Kenneth. They turned around to see a blonde hair boy about their height in black sweater and jeans, he had two companions that dressed like him standing beside him. "Chris?" Kelvin said. "Who is Chris?" Kenneth asked. "You remember Chris from our camp last year?" Kelvin explained. "Oh, that Chris." "Glad you all still remembers me. This is Jason and he's Jia Hao. We're what's left of the special task force from Spirit World." "What are you talking about?" Julee joined in the conversation. "Look, we don't have much time. I'll explain the rest when we get to somewhere safer. The guards will be looking for us any minute." Suddenly, all the doors were burst opened and the guards entered. "Speak of the devil, there they are!" Jason said. "Kenneth, close your eyes for just a second and do not try to resist." Count Fleming told Kenneth telepathically. Kenneth did as instructed. He suddenly felt a surge of energy trying to enter his mind. "Relax Kenneth," Count Fleming said in his mind. Kenneth suddenly appeared inside of his thought, in a library; the library of his former school which he likes to hang out at. Count Fleming was in front of him, holding a map in his hand. "Now listen carefully, we don't have much time." He pointed at the map. "You'll memorize this map by heart the moment you wakes up. Get everyone here, there is an emergency armory located just along this corridor. Take whatever you need and scram. Go down this stairs and they will lead you to the flood control channel underneath Magma City. Blow the entrance with the explosives to slow them down. Follow the flood channel and it will lead you outside of the city undetected. After that, you're on your own." "Kenneth, Kenneth! Are you alright?" Kelvin patted him on the shoulder. Kenneth awoke to find the room in complete chaos; the guards wrestled with everyone else in the room and random projectiles were being casted. "C'mon, let's grab each other's hand, we're busting out of here!" Chris tossed a few smoke grenades at Kenneth and Kelvin and picked up the electric baton from an unconscious guard. Kenneth and Kelvin activated the grenades, releasing a thick smoke to cover their escape. Chris who was at the front fought his way through the smoke screen and guided the rest out of the room. "Is everyone here?" Chris asked, raising his voice so he could be heard over the chaos in the room. "Kelvin, Kenneth, Julee, Cindy, Jason, Jia Hao. Alright, that's everyone! Let's move." Chris ordered. "Wait, do you even know where we're heading?" Kenneth said. "Not really, but definitely not that way," Chris warned as more guards charged in from the corridor on their left. "This way, there is an emergency armory along this corridor. We'll head for the flood channel next." Kenneth led them into a stairway that brought them to a long corridor. Kenneth closed his eyes to recall the location of the armory before smashing the wall down with a single punch. Inside was an arsenal of lightsabers, laser weapons, grenades and armors. The group grabbed whatever they could before a few guards spotted them and opened fire on them with laser pistols. "Okay Kenneth, where is the flood channel located?" Chris asked. "Three floors beneath us," He replied. Chris's hands and feet started to disappear but they reappeared again moments later. "Shit! They activated an Arc Net." "What were you trying to do?" Kelvin asked. "He was trying to use his Ghost Form so all of us can go through objects like the floor and get to the flood channel faster." Jason said. "But we can't do it with the Arc Net activated." Jia Hao added. "Move it!" Kenneth shouted as the guards were approaching them. They ran to the opposite direction but found themselves cornered by another group of guards. "Crap, we're surrounded!" Cindy said. "Guess we'll just gave to fight our way out of this." Jason said. "Not necessary." Kenneth stared at the large glass panel window in front of him. He activated his dual lightsaber and sliced the window before smashing it with a kick. Without another word, Kenneth jumped off from a four stories height. He used his psychic energy to levitate himself and softened his landing. "C'mon, just jump, you'll be fine!" Kenneth shouted from below. The rest soon followed suit. Kenneth helped all of them landed safely and they rushed to the flood channel. "The entrance is just in front of us, hurry!" Kenneth pointed at the heavy metal door painted with yellow and black stripes. They smashed the lock and pulled the door open. It took three of them just to pull the door open. "Close it now!" Chris shouted as the guards caught up with them. The metal door was able to withstand all the attacks the guards threw at them. "Alright, I am setting up the charges, get going." Kenneth said. "We're blowing this place up?" Kelvin said, surprise in his voice. "Grandpa said it will help to slow them down." Kenneth replied. "C'mon," Kenneth unloaded all the explosives he got from the emergency armory and set it off the moment they got far enough from the site. A tremors shook the entire building above them when the charges went off.
Count Fleming pushed Professor Dexter away from Erik with his psychic energy and then blocked an incoming attack from Dr. Flummox and his wife. Mr. Mednik intercepted five spears made of ice that were heading for General Max with the chair he sat on. Deathly projectiles began flying wildly before General Max created a massive energy barrier, dividing the hall in two. "Count, we need to find a way out of here. I can't hold this barrier up for long." Lord Moto unleashed a wave of fire that burnt away all the surrounding furniture and melting away General Max's barrier little by little. "Just a second. I need to warn Kenneth and the others." Count Fleming replied. "I can't believe Sir John betrayed us." Lady Mary from the Sleeping Forest said. "I can't get through to them through the communicators. They must have jammed the satellite signals. I'll try to contact Alia through the shortwave intercom." Lady Christina from Gaea said. "Lower the shield Max, this is an order!" Sir John shouted. "Max, Lieutenant Kato and his men had secured a passage into the volcano. It's time to go." Mr. Mednik said and helped Max to reinforce the barrier seeing as Max was struggling hard; his face and uniform was completely drenched in sweat. "Move the injured first, I'll catch up with you." Max replied. Lady Christina and her men helped carry Erik, Master Jefferson and Mr. Fulmo, the Thunder Clan's branch leader into the tunnel dug by Lieutenant Kato and his men. Count Fleming and Lady Mary followed suit. The heat wave grew stronger as more members from the Fire Clan joined in. "I don't think I can hold it anymore," General Max collapsed and the barrier shattered. Flame engulfed the whole place that was previously protected by General Max's barrier, lighting up everything that was flammable and burning all the unconscious poor souls alive. Mr. Mednik managed to pull General Max's body into the tunnel soon after the barrier broke but it was not a perfect save. General Max's back suffered severe third degree burn, exposing his ribs and spine. "Oh god, we have to bring him to a medical facility soon. Or else I don't think he'll make it." Lady Mary said after she examined the wounds and wrapped a gigantic piece of leave around Max's back. Two of Lady Mary's men and Mr. Mednik were required to carry Max's bulky body. They descended deep into the Old Volcano with Mr. Kato and his men leading the front, splitting the earth and creating a path for them to escape. "Another ten meters and we should be reaching the bunker. From there, we can take the emergency transit to Celestial City." Count Fleming said. "When was such a transit built? I was the city's deputy mayor for two years running and I have not heard of it." Mr. Mednik asked. "The previous clan leader Lord Larry ordered the construction of the emergency transit for his lover Miss Maya, the former mayor of Celestial City. Those were time of major civil unrest in Celestial City over the construction of the Celestial Tower. The people were very unhappy with her ruling party due to various scandals and corruptions related to the tower. He built the transit for her in secret so she can use it to escape if she was ever cornered by an angry mob." Count Fleming explained. "But she never got the chance to use it. She was assassinated soon after the completion of the tower." Mr. Mednik said. "Count Fleming, we found the entrance." Lieutenant Kato said. The group entered the bunker and was met with a hail of sharp icicles, killing two of Lady Christina's men. Kato manipulated the earth to form a rock formation that blocked the icicles, protecting everyone behind him. "Give it up count," Sir James Frost said. "Destroy the elevator," Count Fleming told Mr. Mednik telepathically. He then sent a powerful psionic energy at Sir James's brain, trying to knock him out. "That old trick won't work anymore," Sir James pointed at his helmet. Suddenly, a tremor shook the bunker as Mr. Mednik manipulated the metal that made the elevator, crushing it into a pile of junk. "It's the quality that counts you know." Sir James took a glance at the broken elevator. Lady Mary's men summoned thick vines that entangled Sir James while the rest helped the wounded onto the train. The vines froze and shattered, forming ice shards that injured the surrounding men. Sir James emerged with a lance made of ice in his hand and impaled the first enemy he saw. Water was slowly being drawn from the earth and started filling the bunker from the entrance. "Go ahead boss, we'll hold him off." One of Kato's men said and went to help Lady Mary's men. Count Fleming manipulated the objects around the bunker and threw all of them at Sir James while Mr. Mednik followed up by liquefying the metal in the objects and incarcerated Sir James in a metal prison. All of a sudden, the whole bunker shook before a few explosions were heard. Boiling water burst forth from the bunker floor and flood the entire bunker! "GO!" One of Kato's men shouted. Kato's men were seen creating a rock wall that slowed the gushing water from reaching the train. The train accelerated forward, leaving behind Kato's and Lady Mary's men. "Ali, Jalal, Basim, Rion…" Lieutenant Kato uttered the names of his comrades as he witnessed the railway being consumed by water. Sir James was seen standing in the middle of the raging current, unaffected by it. He just stared at them as the train advanced to Celestial City.
"Alia, something bad has happened in the meeting. You need to get the prince out of the Fire Clan and head to the safe house." Alia received her order from Lady Christina through the shortwave intercom. Alia immediately suited up in her light armor and slid the emergency supply bag onto her shoulder before heading out to Calvin's room. Alia knocked on the door twice and waited half a minute for it to be opened before kicking the whole door down. Calvin was naked from the top down as he just finished showering when the door collapsed. Alia quickly looked the other direction and said. "Sorry for the intrusion my prince but we need to go now!" Calvin was stunned momentarily by the incident. His face flushed as he stared at Alia for some time before he was able to vocalize again. "What the hell are you doing?" He picked up the towel and wrapped around his waist. The bathroom door was opened ajar as Chen popped his head out to see what all the ruckus was about. "Hurry up and get dress, something bad has happened in the meeting and Lady Christina wants you out of the Fire Clan pronto!" Alia took another peek at Calvin when she spoke. "Alright, I get the picture. Just give us five minutes." Calvin and Chen finished up what they were doing and were in their full gear after just five minutes. "Okay, where are we heading?" Calvin asked. Alia parted the curtain slightly and said "They are here already. I'm afraid we can't go through the usual way." Calvin and Chen both took a peek at the window and saw the Fire Clan army gathering all the foreign ambassadors and guests in front of the hotel. There were phoenixes and fire dragons in the sky. A message was being broadcasted from the outside. "Attention to all guests, please evacuate the hotel and gather at the ground floor immediately. This is not a drill." The message was being repeated over and over again. The three were startled by footsteps coming from the corridor. They nodded to one another and readied their weapons. The three quietly sneaked towards the door, preparing to ambush their enemy. They could felt the presence of someone outside the fallen door even though no more footsteps were heard. Alia nodded to them and jumped into the corridor with her plasma rifle. Calvin and Chen followed right behind her. "Stop!" Calvin shouted. The blade of a katana was held at Alia's neck and another at Chen's the moment they got outside. It was Master Shin and her daughter Iris. All of them lowered their weapons after they saw each other's face. "Master Shin, something bad had happened at the meeting. We need to get out of here." Calvin said. "I know, we were on our way as well." Master Shin replied. "How did you know of this?" Chen asked. "I got a message from General Max through Lady Christina via the shortwave channel. Duck!" Master Shin sent multiple ice shards at Chen's direction as he lowered his body to the floor. Screams of agony were heard from behind Chen; he turned around to see four men in Fire Clan uniform impaled by the shards. Calvin knocked them out with a bolt of lightning before they were able to call for backups. "There's a small submarine cloaked at the beach by the hotel. It was meant for Lady Christina in times of emergency. If we can get there, we can get out of here." Alia said. "Alright, the beach is that way. Any of you used a hover board before?" Alia led the group to an emergency exit. "I do," Iris said. Chen and Calvin shook their heads. "Master Shin?" "Don't worry, I'll be alright, see you guys down there." Master Shin smashed the glass panel windows with his katana and leapt outside. He glided down from the fifteenth floor by manipulating the air. Alia unzipped her bag and took two black metal boxes from it. The metal boxes expanded to become skate boards with jet propulsion attached to their underside. "Prince Calvin, grab hold of me. Chen, you ride with Iris." "Stop calling me that! 'Calvin' will do just fine!" Calvin said. Alia activated the hover board and helped Calvin to get onto the board. She then guided his arms to wrap around her waist. "Hold on tight!" The hover board thrusted forward and they descended down the building at immense speed. "Aaah! We're so gonna die!" Calvin shouted on top of his voice. "Yahoo! This is awesome!" Chen cheered. The hover board slowly came to a stop when they were near the ground and accelerated forward again towards the far side of the beach. Master Shin manipulated the air with his hands and glided along with them. Alia guided them to the middle of the sea and pressed a button on her watch. A submarine materialized before them. The hatch of the submarine opened as they stepped onto the deck. "Quickly get inside before someone sees us," Alia ordered. "Too late," Master Shin said as he pointed towards the shadows in the distance. Multiple phoenixes were heading their way when they made their way into the submarine. "Can you project the periscope onto the screen so we can see what we're dealing with?" Master Shin suggested. Alia sat at the main control and got the engine running. "Calvin, Chen can the two of you man the laser cannons on deck." She flipped a few switches and pushed the level to accelerate the submarine. Balls of fire started raining on top of the submarine as it began to submerge. "Iris, steer the periscope where Master Shin wants it. I am projecting the image now." The scene from outside the submarine was clearly seen on the small screen in the center of the submarine. Suddenly, the whole submarine shook and Iris was threw off balance by the tremor. "What was that?" Chen asked. "They are on top of us. Start firing back or they will sink us!" Alia yelled. Calvin rotated the cannon to face the rear of the submarine and fired at the closest target but the phoenixes were just too agile; they dodged his shots easily. Chen joined Calvin by controlling the other laser cannon on the starboard of the submarine. A hail of fire balls were seen raining down onto the submarine but Master Shin blocked them by creating a shield made of seawater. As the submarine descended deeper into the ocean, the phoenixes' attacks became less effective. Alia relaxed slightly and took a glance at the screen. Something caught her attention. "Guys, I need you to take out those fire dragons that are coming our way. The riders have grappler beam with them, with their sheer number, they can still tether us and pull us out of the water!" Alia said and jammed the level to the maximum. "Leave them to me," Master Shin said. All of a sudden, the calm wave of the ocean turned into an angry torrent. A whirlwind drew the sea water to form a huge blob in mid-air. The blob slowly took the shape of the upper torso of a man with vague facial features. The creature then halted the advancement of the Fire Clan members by shooting them down from the sky with high pressure water pulse or literary plucked them from the sky with its gigantic hands. With Master Shin's help, the submarine dived deep into the ocean and went beyond the reach of the Fire Clan army.