Ozania Odyssey

Far within Wellfort's forests, hidden amongst lush, vibrant green bushes. A black-furred beast with four hind legs, glaring green eyes, and razor-sharp fangs lingers stealthily toward its prey, a small, rodent-like creature. This beast is one of several recognized throughout the Universe as a Class 1 Beast: Arbiter Archetype. Arbiters thrive in forest climates and have a rich layer of meat. Hunters often use this meat to gain Royal, one of the most valuable forms of currency.

The Arbiter springs forward, claws extended, with a resounding roar. Then, a spear sinks into its eye from its blindside, killing it on impact. "Ha-ha! Got it!" says a young and cheerful voice.

Three 12-year-olds stand in the shadow of a tree, the leaves rustling above them. Their names are Navar, Miri, and Jax Okayasu.

Jax is a youthful, slim-built child standing around 153 centimeters. His skin is a deep, melanin brown, and his eyes are a soft, light brown. His hair is black and cut to a medium height with a tight, afro-textured curl. He is dressed in an oversized blue T-shirt that drapes over his body and long pants made of lightweight material with a deep black hue.

Miri is an athletic, pale-skinned girl standing around 154 centimeters. She has long black hair, thin bangs hanging over her slender eyebrows, and bold black eyes. She's wearing a long-sleeved white and black striped dress with black colored denim overalls.

Last, Navar is an athletic, tan-skinned child standing around 167 centimeters. His golden, wavy locks cascade down his shoulder, and it catches the light of the wind. His eyes are a dazzling white, and he wears a gray shirt that fits snugly on his arms and a pair of soft blue shorts. He walks out from the concealed area, his feet brushing against the dirt beneath him. He takes a deep breath and ganders at Miri and Jax. They incline their heads in his direction, giving him a signal. He approaches the beast and then examines its body. As he searches, a faint frown forms on his face, showing his confusion. "I can't find the mark."

"Don't worry. I'll help you find it," Jax steps closer to the beast, the musky scent of its fur assaulting his senses as he attempts to find the missing item. "Whew, this beast stinks!" When he tries to feel for the mark, he recoils when his hand encounters the slimy substance oozing out of the Arbiter's fur. "Yuck!"

Miri emerges from the murky area, the shadow from the sunlight enlarging as she enters sight. "Move," she nudges Jax aside, then cuts the wet Jungle Beast's hair with a few deft strokes from her dagger. She flips its hair back, and her fingers brush against its fur, revealing a faint trace of purple. "Hey guys, I think I found something."

Jax and Navar scramble after her, their feet stirring up dust in their wake. "What did you find?" asks Navar.

Miri grabs a cloth, and as she rubs the fur, a rich purple hue spreads across the beast's skin. "It's a purple-marked beast!"

"Finally!" It's been ages," says Navar.

Marks determine the amount of royal you receive from an Arbiter. Red has a price range of 100-300 Royal, Blue has a price range of 400-700 Royal, and Purple has a price range of 800-1100 Royal.

"Now we have money to get the tickets again! Yes!" says Navar.

Miri shakes her head as she releases a heavy, irritated sigh. "Navar, we've tried the draft so many times, we never win. Let's just put our money into something useful."

"No, Miri, I just have a feeling about this one…."

"Okay, but don't whine if we lose again. Let's just cash this ticket in. I want to continue training when I get home."

"All right, I left my spear behind the trees," Navar stays behind while Miri and Jax moved ahead, his eyes filled with a glimmer of hope as he gazes at the sky. "Please let this ticket be the one," he hoists the beast onto a red and white wheelbarrow, and they trek through the rural dirt streets of Wellfort toward the butcher trading vendor. Wellfort is a poor district of the Ozania Capital World, where rundown homes are a common sight, and agriculture is the primary source of livelihood.

Once they arrive at the Vendor, they see an older, tan-skinned, middle-aged man with a dusty gray cap and blue overalls tending a wooden concession stand. "What do ya kids have in store for me today, huh? Some other Red Mark?"

Navar slams the purple ticket onto the Vendor's wooden stand, giving the man a pompous glance. "It's purple this time!"

"Nice Job, brat. It's been a long while since ya had one of these. What are ya gonna do with that money?"

"We're going to buy draft tickets and earn our spot in the Ozanian army!"

The merchant laughs condescendingly, his lips curling into a smirk. "Again? This is the thousandth time you told me that. Why don't you spend that on toys or some kids' stuff?"

Once the Vendor provides them with their cash, Navar, Jax, and Miri leave. "No can do, sir, we got a train to catch," says Navar.

"Wait, what about the beast? Aint ya gonna tote it over here for me? That thing weighs a ton."

"..."

"Jeez, And Martha wonders why I don't want kids."

With the 1,000 Royal in hand, Navar, Miri, and Jax head to a store to purchase a draft ticket. At the journey's midpoint, the chore they were supposed to do comes to Jax's mind. "Hey, who was in charge of the dishes last night?"

"Wasn't it you, Jax?" Miri asks him

"I did that the day before."

"Well, I did mine the day before you did."

Navar wipes the sweat from his forehead as he faces Miri and Jax's stares. "Yeah, um, sorry, guys."

Miri and Jax groan in exasperation, their faces buried in their hands. "Great, now we have to deal with Mom, and she will not be happy about Navar skipping chores," says Jax.

Navar walks past Jax and Miri. "Then we'll avoid her! We can- oof!" Navar, not expecting it, walks straight into Chikuma, their mother. She stands at a statuesque 180 centimeters, with her dark gray hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. She wears round glasses, and her shirt of choice is a sleeveless denim top with a white long-sleeve shirt under it. She wears baggy brown pants that bunch around her leather boots.

Chikuma folds her arms, her expression is stern and intimidating. "Didn't I tell one of you to clean the dishes? There are miles of dirty plates still in the sink!"

"Well, you didn't tell us until we were out hunting," says Jax.

Chikuma's eyebrows shoot up, her gaze growing sharper and more intense. "Bullshit! I told the three of ya before you stormed your little asses to bed, you fools!"

"You're too hard on 'em, honey," said a deep male voice. Tokoyashi, their father, stands an imposing 188 centimeters tall with broad shoulders and short, wavy gray hair. His eyes are a tranquil blue, framed by the gentle roundness of his gray glasses. Like most Wellfort citizens and Chikuma, he dons a blue and white long-sleeve shirt and a pair of slightly rustling blue pants.

Tokoyashi fluffs Navar's hair and glances at his hand's thick wad of cash. "Besides, they got us money from a purple-marked beast. Maybe we can offset their punishment."

Tokoyashi attempts to comfort Chikuma while Jax and Navar inch closer, their shoulders brushing against one another. "I had a strange feeling that one of them would find us, so I got the invoice for the bills that Dad is late on this month. Should I point out that he forgot to pay the bills?" asks Jax in a whisper.

"Yeah, that always works."

Jax clears his throat before withdrawing the invoice from his pocket. "Dad, the landlord came and asked when we would pay our bills. He said we were 25 days late."

Tokoyashi's palms sweat as he tentatively takes the paper from Jax. "Woah, woah! Where did that come from, son? Let me see that."

"Give me that!" Chikuma sweeps in and yanks the invoice from Tokoyashi's grasp. A boiling frustration rises as she sees they're weeks behind on the mortgage. "You fat ass son of a bitch! You forgot to pay the bills again!"

"Well, you see... I wa- wait, who are you calling fat ass? You're a sandwich from being morbidly obese, you dumb bitch!"

Chikuma crumples the paper in her hands and tosses it to the ground. "At least my underwear doesn't smell like an old piece of beast shit, you fool! I hate cleaning them all the goddamn time!"

As Chikuma and Tokoyashi's bickering carries on, The Okayasu siblings scurry off to a store searching for draft tickets. Jax turns around and chuckles at the heated argument. "Getting those two to argue works like a charm."

Navar lets out a gentle, amused laugh. "Yes, once those two get to it, they do not stop."

The Okayasu siblings continue their journey and eventually come upon a shop they routinely visit for this occasion. "Hey, there's Rokudas. I'm sure have plenty of tickets in there," says Miri.

Rokudas is a bustling local shop selling an assortment of snacks, games, tickets, and drinks. Rokuda, the owner, is an older man with a brown beanie pulled low on his head and calloused hands from years of hard work. He has a gentle face, piercing light hazel eyes, and a small, silver nose stud. His hair is a dark, glossy brown, combed neatly to the right side. The Okayasu family is closely tied to Rokuda because he's Chikuma's cousin.

Once Navar, Miri, and Jax come into the store, he places down his comic book and stares at them. "Are you guys looking for the draft tickets?"

"Yes," says Navar.

"Well, sorry guys, I'm out of 'em; many people came in here not too long ago to get them."

"Dammit!"

"Ah. Don't worry, Navar. A store called Maxie's is selling them right now."

"Really?"

"Yes, but you'll have to hurry. The draft begins in 10 minutes."

"Okay. Thanks, Rokuda, you're the best."

"Anytime, kiddo."

Once they exit the store, Miri taps Navar's shoulder. "Navar, I'd hate to be a downer, but Maxie's is 7 miles away, and we only have 10 minutes to get there before the draft starts. If we had a flying car, we'd reach it there in no time, but we're on foot."

Navar's attention draws away from Miri to a subway, with an elevated rail towering twenty feet above the ground. Navar's lips twitch in a sneering expression. Jax presses his palm against his face, a deep sigh of worry emanating from him. "Miri, it's that grin again. He's about to do somethin' stupid."

Navar points toward the subway. "Let's use the subway to get there!"

Navar bolts ahead, the wind whistling in his ears as he races alongside the subway, with Miri and Jax close behind.

"Navar, wait!" says Miri and Jax.

Navar takes out a spear with a rope attached to it, and with a powerful throw, the spear latches onto the roof of the subway. "Grab on, guys!"

Miri and Jax lunge for Navar to seize him, but they're suddenly lifted into the air with him.

"Oh yeah! This is fun!" says Navar.

"Must he always do this," Miri thinks to herself.

"Ahh! Help me!" says Jax.

When they shimmy on top of the subway, they look out for the Maxies logo. After a few moments of searching, Navar's eyes finally alight with the logo. "Found it!" Navar stretches, preparing to jump off the subway. "Come on, let's go!"

"Wait, Navar, don't!" as Navar leaps, Jax and Miri are yanked off the subway by the rope.

Miri walks up to Navar, her face darkening with anger, as she gives him a sharp slap on the back of the head. "You idiot, you nearly got us killed doing that!"

Navar snickers at Miri, his face twisted into a mocking frown. "Aww, what was that, Miri? You sound scared!"

Miri rolls up her sleeves and gives him a fierce glance. "Say that again, you idiot. I dare you."

Jax steps in and extends his arms to both sides, halting an argument between them. "Dang, can you two go one day without arguin' Jeez?" says Jax.

"Fine," says Miri and Navar.

Miri ganders over to Navar's watch. "We have three minutes left. We should get to the store to make it to the draft in time."

Navar, Jax, and Miri walk through the back alleyway and enter Maxie's. "Okay, guys, look for tickets," says Jax with a whisper.

Fortunately for them, Navar finds a bundle of 3 tickets on a shelf and walks toward Jax and Miri. "I found them."

Navar places the pack of three tickets on the counter. "Nine hundred ninety-nine Royal," said the Cashier. Jax places the right amount of Royal onto the counter, and then the cashier hands Jax their ticket. "Okay, kids, have a good day, and I hope you all get in."

"Thanks, you have a good one, too!" says the trio in unison.

After leaving Maxies, they head to a town square with a large floating Jumbotron broadcasting the draft. On the screen is a confident-looking man in a tailored suit, sitting in the familiar setting of a news broadcast. "Good morning Ozania, and welcome to today's trimonthly drawing! For the past few decades, nobody has won the draft. However, today can be someone's lucky day! So here are the numbers!"

"27!"

"88!"

"Those are two correct numbers, just two more!" Navar's heart races as he clenches his fists, awaiting the following numbers.

"99!"

"Yes, so close!"

"0!"

Navar feels a rush of excitement from within him as the numbers on the cards are identical to the ones announced. "No way, guys w-" Before he can say anything, Miri places her hand over his mouth.

Navar's loud and commanding shout attracts the attention of those around him to him and his siblings. To lighten the atmosphere, Miri nervously chuckles and retreats slowly. "Sorry guys, he gets upset when he loses these."

After dissolving the conflict, The Okayasu siblings arrive at a secluded alley between two brick buildings. Miri yanks on Navar's ear. "Idiot, you realize we could get killed if we announced we won the draft? People in that town square are dying to get their hands on these types of tickets. They'll kill, rob, anything they can to get something from us."

Navar feels the heat of embarrassment as he hangs his head in guilt. "Sorry. I was just so excited."

Jax gently rubs Navar's shoulder, easing away his tension. "It's all right, Navar; it's a good thing they didn't notice. Now that we know we won, let's go and get our bags before we go. Knowin' Mom and Dad they're still arguin'."

Miri folds her arms, her expression conveying an apparent disagreement with Jax. "No, it's too risky. Unless you want to return to Mom, who's pissed off, they could be calm now and waiting for us. I suggest we keep pushing forward."

"What about our bags? We will need our clothes and everything."

"We will get them all when we become warriors. In exchange for defending them, Ozania will provide us with new belongings," says Navar.

"For once, I agree with him. I'm sure Ozania will take care of all our living needs for protecting them."

"Yeah, Miri, that's what I said."

"I know, genius... Hush."

"I hope you two are right. If not, I'm gonna be upset. I don't know what I'd do without my puzzles."

Navar turns his body towards the light and his siblings with a daunting smile spread across his face. "What are we waiting for, guys? Let's go," the Okayasu siblings arrive at the bus stop. Before they can go on, the bus driver holds out a cash exchange device.

"Which stop are ya goin' to?" asks The Bus Driver.

"We're going to the Ozania Capital City."

"Yikes, that will cost ya north of two thousand Royal. How will ya pay?"

Navar takes out the draft tickets. "We won the draft, so Ozania pays all expenses."

"Huh? Let me see. I done seen this scam a bajillion times," the Bus Driver takes the tickets from Navar and places them on his scanner. Once the scanner reads "Valid," he smiles. "Woah, y'all hit it off big time! Now, come on and hop aboard. Take any seat you like."

"Alright, guys, let's go!" Before they can advance any further, Navar, Miri, and Jax feel a rugged grip on their shoulders. "You think you could make us argue and get away with it?" asks Chikuma.

Navar, Miri and Jax gulp. "Yes...," says Navar, Jax, and Miri.

"NO! Now get over here. You will not get on that bus!" A loud cacophony of boos sounds from the bus. "Shut the hell up!"

"..."

Tokoyashi intervenes, frowning and folding his arms in a gesture of disapproval. "For once, I agree with your mother. Once we go home, we'll figure out a punishment for you."

Navar holds the lottery draft number aloft, his gaze unwavering and his shoulders squared with determination. "Mom, Dad, look, we won the lottery tickets for the Ozanian draft. We have a chance to achieve our dreams of becoming Warriors, and you know how much we want that. We can leave that poor village and make something of ourselves rather than just going on day by day living that boring life no one likes. We have a chance to fight for the pride and nature of the Ozanian empire. Maybe we can get you guys a better life. Hell, we can give all of our neighbors a better life. You guys know there's no future living in Wellfort working dead-end jobs to make ends meet. So please, let us go."

A silence strikes the conversation then, Chikuma smiles and smacks their heads in mockery. "Rokuda told us everything when we went looking for you guys."

Tokoyashi places his hands on his children's shoulders. "After a long while of him begging us to let you guys go, we gave in. So, your mother and I decided to let you guys go."

Tokoyashi chuckles as Navar, Miri, and Jax stay still in place. "We just said you guys can go. Now go on," they run toward Chikuma and Tokoyashi and hug them before they go.

"Don't you guys do anything stupid. If you do so, I'll beat the hell out of you when you come back," says Chikuma.

"Okay! Will do, Mom," says Navar. Chikuma stops them from boarding the bus by placing her firm hands on their shoulders.

"Ahem! Aren't you little shitheads forgetting something?" Chikuma holds up their suitcases.

Navar, Miri, and Jax take their luggage and board the bus. As the bus drives away, they crane their heads out the window and wave to their parents. "Bye Mom, Bye Dad. We'll see you guys later! And by the time we come back, we'll be..."

"Warriors!" Declares Navar.

Chikuma's shoulders heave as she silently cries now that her children are gone. Tokoyashi looks at her, wiping tears from her eyes, and he cackles in disbelief. "Are you crying? You, of all people, crying?"

Chikuma gives his shoulder a slight smack. "Shut up, you fool! I may be mean, but I ain't a monster! I love those little shitheads, anyway. I'm gonna miss 'em."

"Don't worry, Hun; I'm crying too. I'm gonna miss em just as much as you…" Tokoyashi wipes away his tears and looks at the dusk sky, feeling the wind on his cheeks. "Navar… Miri… Jax, you three will do many great things; I know it. Be ready because what lies ahead for you all will not be easy," Tokoyashi thinks to himself.

"I love you all.... good luck."