"welcome to level four kuga, folks around here called me Nabulus, anything bother you in this clan, come see me," the old familiar tall man with grey white beard and long hair held in a ponytail said to me with a warm cocky smiled.
We hit it off immediately….
I know this crony somewhere but where; " have we met before?"
"forgotten me so soon, my good friend Spooky." he replied and mocked me in a gesture I knew so well.
"what on Earth are you doing here Ghost...".
"don't call me that around here Les you get folks spooked than they already are about me, Nebulous is okay."
"okay oldman, whatever."
"...mind telling me how you got here?"
"no Kuga, do you mind telling how you got here?".
" may be another time."
"yeah, I thought as much Kuga."
"so many mysteries in my cypher basket."
"but aren't all riddles their own answers, Kuga."
" have you been stalking me or something, old man."
"have you been running from me, err Kuga."
"we are not going anywhere with this..."
"no, not at all."
"see you around, Nebulous." " see you Kuga."
my head was throbbing, but I would let it cluster with thoughts. not if I want to stay alive.
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Nabulus love to read, yet, find time to lead the hectic level four clan as he called it.
for an oldman the man was vibrant and precocious as a happy youth. The man can never grow old, I did told myself on our very first meeting.
Dragon-fist is assistant to Nabulus, a great committed team. Lots of fighters don't miss around this two cronies.
"Nka has good taste in men. A good team builder" I said and Mika nodded.
"agreed", she replied and bite into the crunchy egg pie.
"you seem to constantly have problems with his motives though," Mika offered critically.
"and you seem to have a thing for the man, Mika. I saw the way you cower around the man, where you in touch after he saved you from your boss?".
"couple of times, but it was all business,". "look at you Mika, you said as though you wish it did be something more."
"you observed well spooky," she replied, a little flashed. "tell me how you ended up here if you two was that close."
"well I chose to be here, but this place has its own rules, you have to earn your spot."
"I wouldn't say you've earned your current spot, not even me, all this look too good to be true."
"what are you insinuating, you skeptical buffoon? Oh, you think it was stage to make you win, or you doubt your own capabilities couldn't have brought you here, if that is the case, then I think I am working with the wrong guy, and will request a different personal coach for you."
"how come no one seem to see the cunning of this man? I have been training with dragon fist, no way I could have beat the man. The man is way above my league. Plus, I didn't chose to be here Mika, and no one ever tell me why?"
"have you forgotten so soon spooky, the endless nights we did train, the fights we won and loss, all the heavy lifting, wrestling and the cold hard punches.
I work hard for this. Look around you spooky, life goes on whether you like or not, you can choose to nag about every little thing whilst you are here, or live each moment here adding to your knowledge.
How long do you think Nabulus or Dragon-fist live here, or ask most of the folks here whether they are prisoners? It depends on how you look at it spooky.
If you can't figure out why you are here, don't try to decode the man."
"what are you not telling me mika?"
"Okay what is this place?".
"no, you answer this question, do you know what it means for a man like Nka to share and smoke a regalia with you on the same table?"
"what does it mean, if not to celebrate my hoax win against a master?".
"you are so infuriating. Maybe be you should ask Nabulus, he runs this place longer than anyone I know."
"how many times have you been here Mika? How do you know Nabulus have been here for so long. I thought those at the bottom don't know about what goes on at the top level?"
"are you a lawyer or something?".
"don't change the subject coach."
"well, some of my dealings with Nka on the outside, brought me this way.... back then I was dealing with the administration."
"I thought that will be in level five."
"no, this is the last level."
"so there is nothing like level five?"
"let's say this level is more like a two in one. All those you see here will soon be living this place."
"I didn't know your history with the place goes way back. you kinda seek a sanctuary and this place seem a perfect fit. My guess is; you talked to Nka and he agreed to bring you here?"
"yeah, something like that, but not as voluntary as you make it seem."
"explained yourself Mika, were you running from someone, maybe something?"
"what do think Spooky? aren't we all running from something?"
"the other Lycan Lord's wanted you gone, is that it?
" said I rat him out. They doubted Nka but couldn't prove it, Nka was closing down most of their operations."
"you mean taking over, and sidelining and sidetracking his own people."
and when you take the fall, here he comes flying to your rescue like an angel."
"what is your problem, spooky? You can go screw yourself for all I care."
"my problem is; the man is crafty. He create a problem, then help get you out of it, then bang! He has your sworn loyalty. To me Nka is much of a devil than, all the other chiefs combined. the man is building an army of zealots to fight for his cause....
yet, no body seem to notice. what the fuck. fuck the man! Fuck Nka! Fuck a man called Nka!"
l couldn't hold myself any longer. my raised voice got everyone quite. all those in the vacinity that heard what I said, stop whatever the were doing and started to close in on I and Mika.
"what did you say?". " a black belt called Zee, stepped in the sudden circle that was beginning to gather like a bee hive...
I know the man. he did been finding ways to make us cross paths.
he didn't like the fact that I won against one of the best, which I believe was staged by Nka.
"look...". "look what?" Zee cut me off.
"we don't have a problem, Zee." Zee shrug as he calibrated his way towards me, ready to pounce.
"come on Zee, the man said there is no problem?"
"the problem Is; caught the man in the shit. we all head him, and we know the rules. we respect those above us. and this whimp think he can flaunt what we hold sacred as an order. this is our honor I am talking about, people!"
Zee was so close I could smell his garlic breath. he tower over me almost a half feet.
like a wall he stood in front of me with the sure air of a superior over a subordinate.
I knew men like Zee all my life. it does not matter the profession, place or when, they're who they're; bullies....
what Zee never expect is I was the one attacking first. like a viper my right palm shot up, hitting him beneath the chin as he opens his mouth to give more benedictions I did cognize as maledictions.
jaws and teeth came crashing into tongue, as the uppercut lift the bigger man of his feet.
there was a fleeting shock in his eyes at the last moment, an inch before the blow landed.
dumbfounded, the other fighters stood round the circle in a trance.... Mika looked at me with mouth' wide open.
" it was either me or him, I had no choice."
"there is always a choice Kuga. restrain and bound him up, and send him into a cubicle." Nabulus said, as the circle crack open to bid him entry.
too men stepped forward to grab me, and I didn't fight them.
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three days or half a day without food or water, and I wished I could recant my folly but I couldn't.
"f*ck a man called Nka!" I murmured feebly....
"I will kill him! f*ck him a thousand times over..." I sniggered to myself in a crooked smile.
Delirious for standing in the square pipe called cubicle for so long without room to sit or lay my head, I cursed life and everything in between.
Finally, the madness has taken hold of me, I have always known, I will go crazy before I die....
Just when I thought I died they brought me back to life. I woke up in a white room.... and started with fresh curses....
Mika was there; concern enough, but not emotional.
I grinned. " Nka is a bastard. and I will kill the bastard...".
"broom trip him over, broom trip a man called Nka!"
"what sort of man are you Spooky?"
"the kind that wouldn't die a hypocrite"
"I know you hate the man but can you keep that to yourself."
" I wouldn't till I nail this prick, Mika. he took three fuckin years from me.....three fuckin years, Mika."
Mika began snobbishly; "and why are you so desperate to prove this point, why do you want to stick with anything that will paint the man black?
and why be so twisted, and cynical. I think you should talk to a shrink Spooky, perhaps undergo a hypnotherapy or something?"
The blunt insulting blow to my conscience, devastates my soul and make me spasm in contrition.
My bores exude an alien ore I wasn't accustomed to. Maybe to expel the contagious emotions of the beast I kept at bay all this while.
When I smiled, it was chilly and sinister. My mouth tasted bitter and Mika stared back at me terrified, and shaken.
I wanted to appear unaffected by her words, but the damage was done.
"I didn't mean it like that…spooky."
"you've made your point mika. your offer still stands?".
"what offer?". "about requesting a new coach for me? . "oh, that was just a theory."
"how about we make it a reality?"
Mika swallowed hard, struggling to say something, "spooky… ummhm can we talk about this later?".
"oh, you mean I am not in my right mind?"
"okay, its your call spooky, I will arrange it."
"thank you mika, its been great working with you, I shake hands with my trusted friend, and coach." Her vibrant hand went flaccid under my grip as she look away. and for the first time in three years I saw emotions on Mika's eyes.
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In the weeks that followed I and Mika saw less and less of each other, but her words scar me for life….
Dragon fist noticed this during our sessions, "have you been seeing Mika of late?".
"yep, once every now and then."
"drop the acting and tell me what is going on with you two, she has a way with you no other trainer muster. She softens and opened up your skill, making you receptive and malleable for the skills I have to impact on you.
ever since you've part ways with her, you've stiffen and harden like a rod…
Or maybe you should spend some time with Nabulus, he can help you out with these things."
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