Ged, Brit, and Greg left the registration building en route to the car park filled with black cars.
The great excitement they had felt during their time at the registration office had completely faded. They sluggishly moved toward what appeared to be a random car among the rows of monotonous vehicles.
Greg opened the car doors and squeezed into the tight driver's seat, with Ged and Brit following suit.
The car left the lot, beginning its journey to Shark Village.
The drive was fairly lengthy. Ged and Brit spent most of this time napping.
The weather along the trip was mostly pleasant. However, as the black vehicle moved closer to its destination, a strange blue mist seemed to envelop the car and road.
***
Inside what could be considered an office, an elderly man stood behind a large metal desk, engrossed in a document held within his hands.
His well-defined, bulging muscles created a stark contrast with the liver spots scattered across his bald head. Lost in contemplation, he stroked his lengthy white beard.
The old man paced back and forth, moving from behind the desk to the front, all while showcasing his unconventional outfit: a pair of short pink sweat shorts with a white button-down t-shirt, with only the bottom three buttons fastened.
On a workout bench a younger man in grey slacks and a white t-shirt sat, diligently doing curls. His clean-shaven head and clothes stood in contrast to the older man's more unconventional appearance.
The younger man's gaze explored the room, taking in the scattered gym equipment, well-drawn art pieces, and the tasteful rug, before finally catching sight of the pacing old man.
"Ralph, please stop pacing so much; you're bothering me," he remarked, still pumping curls.
Wide-eyed and frustrated, the old man waved the paper in his hands before replying, "This damnable government seized my housing plots and turned them into immigrants housing. And now they want to take the city's center and construct some grand government facility? This is utter bull-SHIT." He lamented.
"They refuse to help with our arena's mortality rate, yet have the gall to raise the cost of importing in food? The people are struggling to make ends meet as is. What a HEADACHE," Ralph groaned animatedly.
"And now they want to do away with Angel's cake shop AND Ernie's grocery store to build this new stinkin' facility. When will it stop?"
"But that's not even the worst part; they've even expressed interest in taking over Johnny's pub. THE most popular spot in all Shark Village. If we demolish that, how can I ever show my face in public again?" Ralph exclaimed, holding his head in disarray.
He then turned to the man, desperation in his eyes. "Fern, what am I to do?"
Fern cast a sympathetic glance at the helpless Ralph.
He sighed before responding, "We recently established a local government in this town. The people are still adjusting to the idea of change."
"But if the people understand what's best for them, they should be willing to endure these changes. This government facility could be a huge step forward for our plan to make a better town."
Ralph nodded emphatically at Fern's remarks, responding, "This. I know."
Fern paused, before continuing his advice in a determined tone. "Let's also not forget that we have yet to remove Geed and his gang's influence from our town."
"UGH, Geed. That filthy gangster. The Dirty Dogs have had a stranglehold on my beloved Shark Village for far too long."
"I want to personally find and kill that man," Ralph exclaimed with vitriol.
Changing pace Ralph continued, "Never mind all this fluff."
"For now, I'll address the issue of the immigrants," Ralph continued, speaking eloquently. "I shall quell the storms of my beloved people's hearts and offer solace to those poor lost souls."
***
Ged stirred from his slumber, Shark Village still a few kilometers away.
He peered through the window out at a foggy tree filled landscape.
The black vehicle crossed a bridge, revealing a wide, muddy river with a milky brown hue.
The journey had been smooth, with well-paved roads leading, making it easy to catch up on some much needed rest.
As they got closer, the road conditions shifted and Greg was now swerving to avoid potholes, making the car lurch and waking up Brit in the process. Small gravel pits were scattered about, displaying the remnants of unfinished roadwork.
A small community of houses came into view, featuring rusty and battered tin shacks. Each house was scattered across the swampy grounds in a sprawling layout.
The shacks were empty and quiet, but the presence of hanging clothes out on lines indicated that these were homes people lived in.
As the car continued down the path, they came across concrete shops and buildings, some adorned with colorful signage. People of various backgrounds and sizes were loitering about, sitting or standing near the curb. Some began casting suspicious glances toward the government vehicle.
"Is this Shark Village?" Brit pondered aloud.
Next in their view was a colossal fighting arena, a towering structure that dwarfed the nearby shops. In front of the arena, there was an empty lot with a few people coming and going through its entrance. Ged stared in awe at its grandeur.
The car took another turn, winding down several side streets before stopping near a row of single-story homes. The houses were in decent shape, featuring multiple windows, doorways, and a front yard with lush greenery.
Greg pulled over to the curb, parked the car, and announced, "Welcome to your new home."
The three of them exited the black vehicle, and Greg led them to an unassuming house. In his hands, he held two keys on a keyring, which he handed to Brit before saying his farewells.
Brit and Ged stood in front of their new home. Unsure of how to proceed. Brit took a key from the ring and handed it to Ged before unlocking the door.
The house was mostly empty. With a main living room area, a bedroom with two made bed's and a master bedroom.
"I guess Ross must have already been here" Ged remarked candidly, peering into the master bedroom.
"That's good to know; I just want to shower," Brit replied, still groggy from her car ride nap.
But, when she reached the bathroom to turn on the shower no water came out.
"Well, that's bullshit," Brit remarked.
Ged went to turn on the kitchen sink tap, but just like Brit's attempt, nothing came out.
Ged frowned, asking, "Does this place not come with water?"
Brit yawned before replying, "I don't know; just going to wait until Ross comes back. He might know where to get water."
Ged not satisfied with Brit's answer replied, "I'm going to go and check with the neighbors, maybe they know something."
Brit responded with a small grunt before retreating to the guest bedroom. Meanwhile, Ged left through the front door to inquire with their neighbors about solving their water problem.
Knocking on each of the homes closest to his, Ged went door to door. However, not a soul answered. It was like a ghost town. Feeling hopeless, Ged pondered for a moment whether to return home or perhaps seek help from someone else. Recalling the people he saw by the shops, Ged decided to venture forward in search of someone who could assist.
Ged travelled behind the line of homes into a marshy field with a light peppering of trees strewn throughout.
In the center of the field a man was practicing kicks and punches on a tree. Ged curious about the man and his powerful moves cautiously walked over to catch a glimpse while he was practicing.
Is he a fighter? Ged thought. He continued his gaze towards the man practicing a combo of moves.
The man lead out with a lightning fast left jab, into a meteoric right, before finishing the combo with a dazzling circular kick. Afterwards he stepped over to a new spot around the tree and repeated.
Ged observed for a long time, imprinting the order of the hits into his memory.
After a while he got the courage to ask, "Excuse me, are you a fighter?"
Instead of answering something strange occurred.
The man delivered a final spinning leg kick at the tree, and in response, the tree began to spiral and warped into a swirling shape. The land rumbled as vibrant red spirals contorted the space around Ged.
As the rumbling continued, the land lost its vibrant red colors, fading to a more grey tone. However, with a blinding flash of green, everything returned back to normal once again. The man was now gone, replaced by a body with green and red-tinted skin leaned up against a tree.
Ged was lost in a daze taken aback by the surreal changes in the environment.
With curiosity he moved closer to the body calling out to it to see if it would answer, but he received no response. Examining the man's discolored skin made Ged feel uneasy about whether the fighter was truly alive.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the distance, "Brother, what are you doing over here? I saw you talking to that man's corpse. Can you perhaps speak with the dead?"
Approaching Ged was a tall, thin boy with jet black eyes and mop-like black hair.
Ged responded to the mysterious boy, inquiring, "I saw this man practicing fighting moves not too long ago. Strange." Ged shook his head.
The boy picked up a stick lying nearby and walked over to the deceased man, saying, "Do you think he's still alive? Watch closely." He prodded the stick at the man's face, confidently stating, "You see, I know a dead man when I see one."
Ged still in a trance from the strange events stood vacantly for a moment before introducing himself. "Well, that's that, I guess. I'm Ged, by the way."
"I'm Brandon."
Ged continued his questioning, "Did you know this man? Was he some great fighter or something?"
Brandon casually replied, "Who? Oh, this guy?" Brandon inspected the body. "Hmm... this looks like Maurice. He must've been killed by some beavers."
"Beavers?" Ged questioned, furrowing his brow.
"Yeah, beavers, just look at that red hue on his body. My Dad told me there are three things in life to fear: women, the government, and beavers. You don't want to mess with those territorial bastards."
"Is that why you're here? Trying to get revenge for Maurice?" Brandon continued.
Ged furrowed his brow even further. He then clarified, "No, I was trying to find some help; the water at our house isn't working."
"Oh, water? It's probably just a pump issue. Don't worry; my Dad is an expert on water pumps. I'll go get him." With that said, Brandon started to walk away from Ged.
Concerned about the body Ged inquired, "Should we do something about this?"
"Nah, leave him. Vick's going to pick him up. He's just lazy. Come, follow me; I'll take you to meet my Dad," replied Brandon.