7

"Defensive techniques are the main fighting style for wind and water. If you have a good defense, then you can excel in offense." Standing in front of his pupil Master Elrond said. "So, for the first technique we are going to practice mirroring. Once you learn to mirror the moves you can read them then plan a counter or attack."

Watching his sensei lift his arm it took John a couple seconds to realize that training had commenced.

Reusing his right arm Elrond told him, "You're going have to watch the whole body without moving your head."

Following instruction John tried not to move his head as he stepped to the left a couple seconds off and lifted the wrong arm.

Four Hour Later

"There you go, you're becoming familiar with mirroring. Now I want you to do the opposite if I raise my right arm you raise the left and so forth."

"Yes sir!" John said standing attentively ready for his instructor to make a move.

Couple Hours Later

"Alright now we are going to switch it up yet again. When I raise an arm, you raise a leg and when I jump you duck and so forth."

Five Hours Later

Reaching the mountains edge Master Elrond stared down at the ocean. "High tide should be coming soon, arousing the Slorales." Turning around and glancing at his disciple he said. "I want you to fend them off until the waters subdue."

"No problem" John said rubbing his chest "but I'm not that live of a swimmer."

Taking off his Dogi Elrond glanced back at his student. "You don't have to be" he said before diving off the mountain ledge.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly John took off his dogi then cannon balled into the sea.

Waiting until his student came up from underneath the water Elrond swam off. Swimming miles away until land was no longer in sight Elrond pulled himself out of the water and stood on top of it. "Good luck!" he said.

"No worries, I got this" John replied trying to sound confident even though he was already having a hard time staying afloat.

Shrugging his shoulders Master Elrond said "Okay" then disappeared in a gust of wind.

Flipping onto his back, John figured this would be the best time to rest. Waking up as the water begun to pulsate and sway from side to side, he realized that he had fallen asleep. Gulping down water as a wave fell on him J. Mike cough and gasped for air as the water thrashed against his body. Fighting to keep from being pulled under, Master Elrond words rang through his mind. "Just go with the flow." Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself to be dragged two, three, four and a half miles under the sea.

Feeling a calm surrounding him John opened his eyes. "Woah" he thought. It looked as if electricity twirled through the water slowly combining with an aurora of lights. He could also see little specks of light everywhere like millions of fireflies floating around. Mesmerized by the beauty he didn't even notice the Slorales until they surrounded him. Staring at the whale size creatures they didn't have any eyes, a crocodile face, a dolphin body and two webbed feet in the front of their body.

Sensing John and all the other creatures that were being swept into their vicinity they became aroused. Swimming rapidly a vortex was created sucking in everything within a hundred-foot diameter.

Trying to fight the current with no prevail John was thrown like a baseball into one of the Slorales mighty tail. Gasping from the blow he sucked water in rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. Slowly drifting out of consciousness he found himself on the same Island as in his dreams. "Am I Dead" he wondered.

"Wake up" The two Dragons told him.

Snapping awake J. Mike pupils now contained slits in the shape of an "X" and he also grew fangs and claws. Stopping the flow of the vortex he didn't know how he was doing it, but John didn't mind. Forming a whirlpool of his own two identical kitsune swords with a dark blue handle and a sky-blue gem with a diamond like shard in the middle of it emerged in his hands. On each side of the blades was the symbol of a dragon edged into it.

Remaining in the eye of the vortex as the Slorales were being sucked in John allowed half of the creatures to escape to where he was. Tossing one of his swords into the whirlpool he sliced and diced through the creatures as they attacked. Allowing himself to be pulled in by the current J. Mike slashed through more of the beasts as the water guided him. Propelling himself back out of the vortex he stabbed one of the Slorales where its eye should've been. Running along its side with his sword still lodged inside he pushed off stabbing another Slorale on top of its head.

Calling his sword out of the vortex it whirled like a boomerang to its master. Catching the sword, John launched it at a Slorale piercing through it then another before it finally plunged into the belly of a third. Weaving and slashing through all the whale size creatures as he made his way to his sword, J.Mike yanked it out of the beast belly.

As the ocean begun to fill up with blood John used the whirlpool as a filtration device. Lifting his sword up as a Slorale tried to clamp down on him he cut an opening through the roof of its mouth. Keeping up the escapade of blood and gore the only thing that kept the beasts alive were J. Mike thoughts of sparing them for he had no control. As the water died so did the two Dragons control over his body. Slowly drifting out of consciousness once again he floated to the surface.

Drifting in the ocean for a few hours John was awoken by a Pterodactyl looking bird pecking at his face and trying to rip off his arm. Sinking underneath the water he watched as more of the birds dived in and out of the ocean feeding on the morsels left by the Slorales. Remaining underwater he could feel the flow of the water going east. Following the flow until he started to run low on oxygen, he spotted what looked like land.

Torpedoing himself out of the ocean, John manipulated the water that splashed in the air by expanding it and using it to catch up to fifteen of the birds as they dove, down after him. "Dive! Dive." He thought after catching his breath.

Swimming closer to the island John torpedoed out of the water a second time. "Crescent Wind." He shouted releasing crescent blades of wind and chopping off the wings of several birds, sending them crashing into the ocean or onto the bank of the Island. Diving under once again he covered himself in a bubble of water. Breaking out of the deep into the shallow he bolted towards the Island at full speed.

Running into a forest a flock followed him screeching loudly as if they were emitting their battle cry. "Leave me alone" John whined. Glancing behind him at the flock he tripped over an egg and rolled into a tree. "Oh…"

Booomf! Elrond slammed one of the creatures, beaks into the ground. "Come on." He shouted. "This is Teraneous breeding territory."

Back in Tidas Village

Training in his room John threw punches, kicks, and used wind and water techniques that he was taught. Hearing a knock on the door he didn't stop. "Come in" he said.

"Your still at it I see." Elrond commented as he walked in and took a seat in a wooden chair. "You should rest for tomorrow we depart to Ashros for the Gathering."

"Gathering" John repeated scrunching up his face in wonder of what it was.

"Correct. Thousands of years ago three male Dragons such as yourself brought us here from our planet Biquadrus. Named from how the upper hemisphere contained nothing but mountains of ice and water and the southern hemisphere was comprised of prairies, deserts and forest land. In the central part of Biquadrus it was mixture of it all creating a beautiful jungle along with mini islands and caves formed from ice and mountains everywhere." Leaning back in the chair envisioning how the planet must've looked Elrond shook the thought out of his mind. "But that is of little importance our ancestors were brought here to save them from the brink of destruction but under one vise. We had to train you and your counterpart."

"Me and the Golden Dragon as you call him." John affirmed.

"Correct. Our clans lived in harmony until one of the Dragons returned stirring up a feud between our two clans for hundreds of years until finally the truth was revealed. On that day they held a festival underneath the Red Moon. From then on during every Red Moon we hold a festival or the "Gathering."