Where am I now?
Dimas opens his eyes, his body feeling weightless. Far above him is a glimmer of light, made fierce by the surrounding darkness.
"Up… Go up…" A small fragile voice from deep within him begs for the light.
Why go up? It's better down here.
"But it's lonely down here!" The voice says, its voice cracking.
Exactly.
"Please…" The voice begins sobbing.
Dimas tries to stifle the voice but is unable to, instead choosing to ignore it. He continues to float in the void effortlessly. No cares in the world. Until his lungs start burning that is.
I need air!
He begins to make his way to the distant light. In an instant, the darkness is no longer a sanctuary but a tomb. An aching pain spreads to his arms and legs. A familiar feeling. Almost as if he's done this before.
Push through it… Push through it…
It doesn't take more than a minute to reach the surface, but it may as well have been eons for Dimas. His finger barely grazes the water's surface before his vision is flooded with light.
Dimas wakes up in a room he's never been in before. A strong sense of déjà vu washes over him.
This better not become a habit.
He throws a thin blanket off of himself.
At least, I'm in a bed this time.
The room is empty except for the single bed. Its walls and floors are wooden. Near the foot of the bed is a door. There's a single window in the center of a wall. The curtains are partly open, letting the morning light creep its way in.
Curiosity draws Dimas to the window. He wants to see the kind of world he's been dropped into. Pulling back the curtains, he's able to get his first glimpse of this new world. Nothing special. He's not wrong. The village, at least he assumes it's a village, is nothing out of the ordinary when comparing it to a fantasy movie setting. Generic stone buildings and a cobblestone street. A lone sun in the clear blue sky. Normal-looking people.
So. This is Terrama. Kind of underwhelming but whatever. My first step should be…
Dimas slams his hand on the windowsill.
Pendejo!
He berates himself.
You forgot to ask anything about this world! How am I supposed to spread his name!?
Most people would forgive themselves for this mistake. After all, a self-proclaimed deity abducted him and sent him here. All of which took place within 15 minutes. However, Dimas wasn't really forgiving when others made mistakes. Even less so, when he's the one making mistakes. He leaves the room in a hurry.
A strong odor, a mixture of alcohol and smoke, fills his nose as soon as he exits the room. He makes his way down the hall, the odor getting stronger with each step. The hall leads to a bar with a single patron at the counter.
"Aren't ya a little too young to be using the pass-out rooms?" The patron asks, slurring most of his words.
"How'd I get here?" Dimas ignores the man's question. His voice soft but clipped.
The man shrugs. "Ask Ken, he's the owner."
"Where's Ken?" A tone of annoyance can be heard in Dimas's voice. Frustrated that the drunkard is his only source of information at the moment.
The man shrugs once more. "Ask Ken, he's the owner." He downs the rest of his drink. "I need a refill."
Screw this. Dimas rubs his temple and exits the bar.
Once outside, Dimas begins walking down a random street. Not a real plan but it beats waiting around and doing nothing. He notices that the streets are empty. It strikes him as odd since he saw villagers walking around when he looked out the window. In movies and books this usually meant that there was something dangerous lurking the streets. Dimas looks over his shoulder. A monster would be the last thing I need.
Rounding a corner, Dimas nearly collides into someone zooming by. He's left stunned. For a second there, it almost seemed like they were gliding across the ground. The sight distracts Dimas, making him unaware of the burly man that was chasing the first guy. They both fall to the ground with the burly man on top of Dimas.
"You let him get away!" The man yells. His face turns to a shade of red that matches his shirt.
"I missed the part where that's my problem…" Dimas manages to respond in between gasps. His lungs feel like a squeezed toothpaste tube. "You ran into me…"
The man grabs Dimas by the collar of his shirt and picks him up. "You working together? Is that it?" He bares his teeth.
Behind the man, who will be referred to as Red, stands a kid. The kid is wearing a blue shirt, so he'll be referred to as Blue.
"Get him!" Blue cheers Red on.
If this was any other occasion, Dimas would attempt to de-escalate the situation. Not this time. With everything that's happened to him recently, he had reached his boiling point. This time he was looking for an excuse to let off some steam. Besides, the man was well beyond being reasonable.
With a swift headbutt to Red's nose, Dimas is able to free himself. Red grabs his nose. Blood flows from between his fingers.
"You're gonna pay for that!" Red roars, tears in his eyes.
He lunges at Dimas, who steps to the side, dodging the attack. Red throws a series of strong, but random, punches. Dimas stays steps ahead at all times, remaining out of reach. A skilled matador avoiding the raging bull.
I should end this soon.
"Need me to stay still?" Dimas taunts the bull.
Red goes for another punch. Dimas ducks and strikes back. A direct hit below the ribs. With a pained expression, Red falls to his knees. Then he pukes.
Waste of my time. Before Dimas could turn to leave, he hears a thunderous yell.
"My brother!"
Followed by a shove that drops him. Right on top of the puddle of vomit.
"Hijo de puta!" Dimas curses as he picks himself up. The shirt clings to his skin. Moist from the puddle. The feeling is stomach churning. "I'm not afraid to hit a kid." He turns around to face Blue.
But to his surprise Blue was now as immense as Red if not more so. Only recognizable because of the blue shirt.
"Puberty hit you fast…" Dimas says in disbelief.
Before Dimas could react, Blue grabs his face with one hand and tosses him aside. Dimas hits the side of a building hard. Something pops but he doesn't know what.
Big, strong, and fast. Why couldn't he stay a kid? Blue picks Dimas up and slams him back down. Dimas hears the sickening sound of his skull pounding against the cobblestone road. Fortunately, relatively speaking, the pain overshadowed the sound. Blue lifts him up high for one more slam. Dimas uses the opportunity to bring down his heel on top of Blue's head. When Dimas feels Blue's grip weaken, he twists himself and goes for another kick. It connects to Blue's left temple, staggering him. Dimas falls to the ground, managing to land on his feet.
Here's my chance. Dimas leaps toward Blue. Ready to crack him across the face. Red comes out of nowhere and slaps Dimas away. Dimas lands on his back.
Damn you, Corvus. What kind of world did you drop me in? When he gets back up, he sees the two brothers ready to fight. Exhausted, injured, and outnumbered. He takes a deep breath and raises his fists.
"That's enough." A boy, not much older than Dimas, steps in between them.
Red and Blue stare slack jawed. Dimas lowers his fists. More out of pain than compliance. Soon a crowd of people surround them. Their sudden appearance puzzled Dimas.
Were they hiding? No. The street was empty before the fight. He notices all their eyes focused on the boy. Were they following him? Why?
"That's Alastor!" Blue elbows Red. Gesturing to the boy in the middle.
Red winces. "I know." He says, rubbing his side.
Alastor turns to look at Dimas. Studies him for a quick second before turning his attention back to the brothers.
"What seems to be the problem?" Alastor asks. His voice calm, devoid of any emotion.
Red steps forward. As a big brother would. "We were headed to the candy store with our allowance when a man stole my Crild. I was chasing him, but he stopped me!" He points at Dimas and shoots him an ugly look. "They're working together!"
Everyone looks at Dimas.
"I will deal with him later. My concern is your reckless behavior. Both of you." He glances at Blue. "Using your Brío irresponsibly is wrong."
The brothers begin to shrink. In a matter of seconds, the burly men become children. Their shirts dragging on the ground. Outstretched from their adult forms. Both brothers begin to sob.
"We are sorry for disappointing you, Mr. Alastor! You're our hero! Please don't be mad at us." Blue stops crying long enough to talk. Afterwards, he goes back to crying.
Great, first he gives me a concussion and now he's giving me a headache.
Alastor sighs. "I'm not mad. Run along, get your candy and go home."
"Yes, sir." Both brothers say in unison. Red takes blue by the hand and leads him away from the crowd.
Everyone in the crowd thought it was sweet seeing brothers going to get candy together, except Dimas. He hoped they would trip over their shirts and hurt themselves.
With that resolved, Alastor glances in Dimas direction. "I'll be back. Wait at the bar." He walks away without another word, the crowd not far behind him.
It reminds Dimas of when other kids would follow the paletero trying to get some ice cream.
Dimas begins walking, more limping than actual walking, back to the bar. Along the way, he unbuttons his shirt and leaves it on the street. The shirt underneath is still a little moist but the bulk of the vomit was gone.
What kind of world is this? How were those kids able to transform? Can everybody do that? What's up with that Alastor guy? The questions swirled around his head making him dizzy, or maybe it was the concussion.
When he reaches the bar, he hears the loud and obnoxious singing of the lone patron inside. Deciding that he's suffered enough for today, Dimas waits on a bench outside.
It was a beautiful and pleasant summer day, at least he thought it was summer. With everything he's witnessed, this could be the universe's version of winter for all he knew. The sun sits high in the sky without a cloud in sight. Dimas looks up at the clear blue sky, the happy atmosphere mocking him. He doesn't believe the universe is alive and out to get him, nevertheless he gives it the bird.
A door opens from across the street. Dimas puts his hand down quickly. A girl exits the building. Exchanging goodbyes with the shopkeeper. She's about to walk down the street when she catches Dimas from the corner of her eye. Dimas looks away to avoid eye contact. The sound of her footsteps getting closer tells Dimas he was too late.
"Are you alright? Do you need any help?" The girl's voice is filled with genuine concern and warmth.
Dimas stays silent. Doing his best to indicate that he doesn't want to strike up a conversation.
The girl waves her hand in front of his face. "That injury looks serious. I can heal you if you want."
"No. Leave me alone." Dimas waves her away.
"You do realize you're bleeding, right?" The girl pinches his collar and shows him a red stain.
Dimas touches the back of his head. His fingers come back with blood on them.
That's not good. Dying now wouldn't do me any good. With his health on the line, Dimas gives in. He turns to face the girl. She has auburn hair that reaches just below her shoulder and Sunset Orange eyes. The most notable feature would be the big crescent-like scar running from her forehead to her left cheek.
"What's it gonna cost?" Dimas asks.
"Nothing." The girl pulls a small cloth and container from her bag.
"Am I supposed to believe that?" Dimas watches as she dips the cloth into the container.
She shakes her head. "Wow. Didn't your parents teach you to be grateful when someone helps you?" The girl puts the container away in her bag.
"Turn your head."
Parents were a sore subject for Dimas. He gave up the notion of being part of a family long ago.
"No one helps anybody just for the sake of it. There's always a catch. A debt they'll collect later, either that or they're an idiot." Dimas does as he's told and turns his head.
"No catch. I promise. And I'm not an idiot. Now, this might sting a bit at first." She puts a hand on Dimas's shoulder and presses the cloth to the wound on his head.
The word sting was not a strong enough word for the pain that Dimas felt at that moment. Not that the girl was lying. There simply wasn't a word that could describe what the pain felt like. The description 'It felt like a millipede with hot burning needles for legs stampeded around his head' would be better suited, but it wouldn't have been reassuring.
Dimas closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. The pain subsides once the girl removes the cloth.
"You have a poor idea of what a sting is." The girl's hand moves away from his shoulder. Her fingers begin tracing the wound on his head. An odd warm sensation replaces the dull pain.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm closing the wound with my Brío. I know it feels weird, but it shouldn't take long. Lucky for you, the wound wasn't big or deep." The girl concentrates her Brío to her fingers. The wound begins to close. Leaving nothing more than a faint scar.
There's that word again. Brío. As much as he hates the idea of asking this girl for more help, Dimas knows this would be his best chance to get information. Before Dimas could ask his question, he sees a look of surprise on the girl's face. He follows her gaze. Walking towards them, surprisingly alone, was Alastor.
Alastor stands before Dimas.
"Glad to see that you are well." Alastor says. His emotionless voice makes it seem that he only said it to be polite and not because he was genuinely interested or concerned.
Alastor had sun-kissed skin, short white hair, light-yellow eyes, and a physique similar to Dimas's. Everything he wore was white. Cloak, shirt, pants, boots, and gloves. Nothing that could help Dimas understand why Alastor commanded so much respect.
"I wasn't involved with the robbery." Dimas states. He has to squint because of Alastor's all-white attire.
"I know." Alastor clasps his hands behind his back.
"I found you unconscious by the side of the road. Then brought you to this bar. It was the only place open at dawn."
For a moment, the lone patron's out-of-tune singing reaches peak volume.
"My hero." Dimas says sarcastically.
It doesn't faze Alastor.
"I was informed of a dangerous individual arriving in this town. Would you happen to know anything about that?"
I'm pretty sure he's talking about me. Does this guy know about Corvus? About the deal? I should play dumb for now.
"Last thing I remember was falling through darkness." Dimas knows the best lies need to have some truth in them.
Alastor rubs a metal ring on his right index finger. His eyes locked to the horizon. Pondering whether or not he should believe Dimas.
"Stay out of trouble." Alastor leaves without another word. Not even a final glance. His white cloak fluttering in the wind.
"I've never thought I'd get to meet Alastor. He's much more handsome than I imagined." The girl says, once Alastor was gone and out of earshot.
"Who is he, anyway?" Dimas asks.
The girl gives him a puzzled look.
"How have you never heard of Alastor?! He's the strongest fighter in the world! The champion of champions!" The girl's exclamations are more out of passion than surprise.
"I'm not from around here." Dimas rubs his head. His fingers pass over where the injury once was. Unable to feel anything out of place.
"Yeah, I can tell." She points at his clothes.
It's at this moment that Dimas realized he was wearing his normal everyday clothes. A light purple shirt, baggy olive-green cargo pants, and black sneakers. He could only assume this was Corvus's doing.
His clothes stand out compared to her orange tunic, blue pants, and brown leather boots.
"Where are you from that you don't know about Alastor?" The girl asks.
Dimas's thoughts drift to the orphanage and his small town. Even with the possibility of death hanging over his head, he's relieved to finally get away from it.
"Nowhere worth mentioning… So, what makes Alastor this 'champion amongst champions'?" Dimas brings the topic back on hand.
"He was the first, and only, solo fighter to become a champion. Champions are those who have beaten all 12 tournaments." A small grin appears on her face. "My father is also a champion; his team was the last team to become champions before Alastor." She waves to someone behind Dimas. "Good morning, Mr. Ken."
"Good morning. You're not here to drink, are you? You're still too young." Ken, the bald and portly owner of the bar, responds.
"No, I was just fixing up one of your patrons." She gestures at Dimas.
"Ahh, the kid Alastor dropped off. I usually wouldn't allow minors but since it was Alastor, I made an exception. What can I say? I'm too generous." Ken scrutinizes Dimas. "You look strong. How would you like to repay a selfless act?"
"Is it a choice? Because I'm ok with leaving it unpaid." Dimas answers.
"I really don't like delinquents who skip out on payment." Ken grabs Dimas's shoulder. His fingers clamped tightly.
Dimas stands up. Ken attempts to hold him down but his attempts are in vain.
"Then don't pretend it was a selfless act. I hate cowards like you." Dimas stares down Ken.
The girl steps in between the two. Placing a small brown bag in Ken's hand.
"Here. It's 75 crild for a night, right?" She pats Ken on the back. Leading him towards the bar entrance.
Ken shoots a nasty glare at Dimas before going in.
The girl looks at Dimas and shakes her head.
"Do you enjoy getting into fights?" A smile still on her face.
"Why do you keep helping me? Do you want something?" Dimas questions. Unable to understand the girl's motives.
"Not from a sourpuss like you. Thanks for asking." She answers.
"I didn't ask to be polite." Dimas shoots back.
"I know but I get the feeling that interpreting it that way bothers you." She gives a small smirk.
The girl didn't know how right she was. Something about her actions and the way she treats him makes Dimas feel uneasy.
"I'm going to start heading home. Have a great day." She picks up her bag.
She gets on my nerves so easily but… She's probably my only source of information for now. Her father could also be useful.
"Wait." Dimas extends his hand. "My name is Dimas."
The girl takes his hand. "I'm Lilee."
"Like I said earlier, I'm not from around here. These tournaments, crild, Brío, and everything else is new to me." Dimas takes a deep breath. "Can you explain them to me?"
A huge smile spreads across Lilee's face. Almost as if she's been waiting for someone to ask her.
"You really want me to explain the tournaments to you?" Lilee asks. Eyes full of sparkling passion.
Dimas takes a step back. He didn't expect this reaction.
"Crild and Brío as well. I would also like to ask your father some questions."
"I'll explain everything on the way to my house! Don't worry, I know a lot about the tournaments!" She begins to lead the way.
Dimas takes a deep breath. He places his hands in his pockets. A soft sensation catches his attention. It's the 20-sided die Corvus gave him wrapped in a deep blue cloth. Dimas places the die back in his pocket. He clenches the cloth tightly. I almost forgot…
"Come on!" Lilee yells.
"Yeah yeah." Dimas wraps the cloth around his wrist. A bracelet that links him to the past.
The two make their way out of town. Neither aware of Alastor watching them from atop of the town's church.