Volume 9
Chapter 21: I'm HIM
My movements are sludgy and dirty. But i can win this fight because of it. As he comes in for a strike, i attempt to dodge it. But the ankle weights slow me down and i suffer a blow to my calf. Another attack is coming from my left and as i try dodge it again, the weights make my stumble over due to the imbalance and I fall to the ground. But i'm HIM. So I bust out a breakdance move and get on my feet again. I feel it, I can feel the power, surging.
As i'm beginning to feel more and more of the strength arising from within, my legs start to move on their own and begin hopping and shuffling. Just like famous boxer Ohamed Ah Lee's shuffle, I begin to mimic it, creating my own type of shuffle confusing the enemy as to where I'm doing to strike next. A surprise attack from his left makes him jitter his arms to a blocking stance, but it's a feint. My left arm swings towards his head, despite the pain from the cut earlier. I land a clean hit, but due to that cut, it was just a tiny bit off, only bashing his shoulder. Even though it wasn't his head, it was good enough.
That's when I feel it, coming deep inside of me. My skills in medium weapons increased along with my agility. I feel POWERFUL. No more pain comes from my wounds anymore, my soul feels refreshed as if i'm floating. I should be rising in the sky...
It could just be the adrenaline but it doesn't matter if it doesn't hurt. Feeling ever so stronger now, I feel the heat gathering on my palms and in the air around me. I've read about this feeling in books. The first time someone 'Powers Up' they begin to awaken, to hear the Song. Same feeling as when you gain consciousness in this world at the age of 4. When one Powers Up, the gifts from the deep are bestowed to them, the 'Whispers' they call it. The Ether in one's body is what fuels these gifts. The heat burns, it burns so strong, I can manifest it into real beings. Then, I release the flames into the surroundings. A legion of burning servants surrounds me, attacking the bandit and setting him on fire, posture breaking him in the process.
As he screams trying to put out the flames, I stare at him. I feel a little upset. His screams pierce my ears, something I have done had resulted in those screams. Not long after, he faints. I assume, dead. My first kill in these lands. I was hoping to grab the brother and leave as quickly as possible, but things like these can't be avoided. I know I'm not suited for these types of things, as I'm squeamish and hate killing living things. But I know how things are to be. I'm going to have to kill the other two bandits. A quick slice to the neck will be enough, nothing more, nothing less...
Not long after a voice cries out "Hey!" I turn my head around to see two men with helmets on and wearing black and dark red coloured robes. Who could these men be?
Chapter 22: Two Helmets, One Job
The two men standing behind me look like warriors. Both of them are wearing helmets and dark red, maroon-coloured clothes. It doesn't look like they have bad intentions, both of their weapons bring sheathed but if I were to engage in battle then I probably wouldn't survive. "Did you, perhaps see an Etrean man dressed in white armour run across here?" One of them asked me. "No. How come?"
"Not really supposed to tell others what we're doing. If you see him, come tell us where he is."
After they told me that, they left looking for this man. I couldn't hear very well, but I could listen to one of them say, "We've got one, now we just gotta look for the other." I really don't want to get involved in unnecessary situations but they seem they could help me. Maybe I'll stick with them for a while.
I run after them but they act quickly. It looks like they're going into some sort of cave. As i walk towards this cave, i can start to hear sounds of battle again, coming from it. And along with it, I can also slightly hear...lightning? Static electricity can be felt in the air as i walk closer and closer, this could be another application of the Song. A peek my head from around the corner to see those two men fighting a hoard of humanoid lumps of earth and dried flesh. These could be the mudskippers Matt said, how I couldn't manage to fight one. I could probably take on one, but not 9. While i was examining, one of the guys lost his balance and fell over, he was quickly swarmed by 3-4 of these mudskippers and i could hear his screams from all the way at the entrance. I've gotta help these guys, maybe if i help them, they could repay me by helping me find the Vigil's brother.
Chapter 23: Of Burning Flesh
My body springs into action just as before with the bandits. My first priority is to help the guy on the floor. Once he's free it'll be easier to clear out the rest of the mudskippers. The problem is that i can't use that fire move i did before since I'll most likely harm the guy I'm trying to save. So what i might try is to do a flying sidekick and knock a couple down. I build up momentum and start accelerating, and then i push off the ground jumping into the air. However, what I did not take into account was that the sword and mace i was still carrying were heavier than I thought, so I didn't make it off the ground very far and ended up pulling landing on my knee coming back down to the ground while mid posing for a sidekick. To my surprise, that did something. It didn't go as planned but i managed to knock a few backwards and direct their attention on me. "Thank you, Freshie. I'll aid you." Says the man as he was getting up. "No worries, Mr Helmetman. I've got an idea, but you'll need to stand back a bit." I ask him, he was a bit bewildered by my request but still abided.
Now that he was out of range, i begin drawing strength from within. But it's a little harder this time. Like i don't have enough of something for me to draw out this power. Maybe this is the 'Ether' those books say. Each individual has a set amount of Ether. Ether is used to fuel applications of the Song. One regains Ether by keeping Tempo. By being in time with the Song, they begin to build Tempo which helps them regain Ether at a faster rate than one without Tempo. I have no idea how to be in time with the Song, but maybe it's just in the feeling. As one mudskipper comes and attacks, my improved reflexes parry its attacks and counter with a slash to the stomach. I can feel something behind that attack. Following that, a slash upward diagonally temporarily immobilised it. I can feel something behind that one too. This could possibly be the Tempo or maybe something else. Each time i engage with my enemy, i regain power. That's when i realised that i have enough Ether to use that fire move. It's a strange feeling but i know it. A mudskipper to my left starts to charge at me, but I'm too quick. I weave his attack and ankle break the thing. As it tries to get up, i release the flames again and the legion of flames returns to the surrounding space. It lights up everything around me in a 2-meter radius, just barely missing My Helmetman, but enough to light the 4 mudskippers surrounding me.
The next priority was the other guy, struggling to fight off around 4-5 mudskippers. Two of which noticed me and jumped me. It caught me slightly off guard because I swear I could hear one of them scream "Brexit means Brexit" and slide tackled me. Now I'm on the ground being jumped by two mudskippers. I read there was another use for Tempo, that being what's called Venting. It's where sacrifice half of your Tempo in order to break out of other people's Tempo. It's a concept where you give in your own rhythm and beat in exchange in other people's rhythm and beat. There aren't many articles explaining how to execute it, people say it'll happen automatically, while others say nonsensical things like "The G key in question". What G key?
As I was being curb stomped on the floor, I start to feel beat to it. Maybe, there are other ways to build Tempo. To make a beat out of other people. With each kick, I can feel it getting faster and slower. The tempo is changing. Then when I can feel it really coming to me, I let it all out at once. The mudskippers were pushed back and created a fair distance between me and them. Which was enough for me to come back. One mudskipper started charging towards me but I threw the mace at him, dazing him in the process. As for the other mudskipper, it began to run towards me. Clawing at me, it was easy to redirect it and trip it over. While the mudskipper was on the ground, the other one came back up with speed. But still not fast enough to dodge my blade cutting through its body. Following this, i cut the one on the floor's throat. I feel no remorse for these things. Maybe if it looked like a girl, but these just look like a cancer tumour that had gotten out of control.