Chapter 2 | Into the Fire

The world blurs into nothingness, not even pitch black, just nothing. I feel my body breaking apart, reshifting, breaking apart, reshifting, over and over again. I can't hear, feel, see. I can't feel my heart beating. I can't feel my lungs contracting. It's okay. My life has always been pretty strange, so just stay calm… Taiga. I relax and let myself drift away into the tumultuous depths.

Suddenly, a flood of sensation runs back into my body. The draft of air circulating through my body and lungs, the tightness in my chest as my heart beats once more. Then, the sensation and sound of a massive windstorm, roaring and battering my body. I immediately go down and press my face and chest against my ground as the wind threatens to pull me up and hurl me across the sky. Where the hell am I? There's no way I'm still in New York, with the wind like this, right? I dig my fingers into the rocky ground, looking for any handhold I could find. My hand begins aching as the wind threatens to tear me off the ground. Where's my mask? Where is it! It was on my face just a second ago!

"Ah, screw it!" I let go of the ground, my arms spread out as if they were makeshift wings. I was only delaying the inevitable by holding on to the ground like that. If I held on any longer, I would just tire out. The wind rips me off the ground, I soar into the sky like a bird. I look around as I rise. My mouth gapes open.

This definitely isn't New York. Below me is a pure wasteland of rock. Massive cracks run through the landscape as if someone took a hammer the size of a skyscraper and drove it into the ground. However, in the distance, the wasteland soon ends, as it gives way to a snowy, frigid landscape obscured by a massive blizzard towering miles high. The snow was so dense that it gave the sense that I was looking at a giant wall.

**PANG**! The sound of thunder rips through the air; to the right side of the snowfield was a violent hurricane. Tornadoes rip through the landscape through the heavy rain; frequent flashes of lightning dance through the sky.

To the right of that was a volcano, spurting out white-hot rivers of lava, pitch-black ash swirls around the land. Giant flames spurt out of nowhere, turning the area into a depiction of hell. Every single phenomenon kept to their respective quadrant of land, completely unbothered by the other.

"Damn, that's cool." I couldn't help but murmur. "It'd be cool to survive the next minute too." I quickly reprimand myself as a sudden blast of wind nearly causes me to spin out of control. I was completely at the mercy of these freakish winds.

However, I've been put in this situation like this many times, and it's all too easy to panic, feeling the overwhelming urge to act now, no time to think about what to act on. I calmly feel around underneath my shirt to check if the mask was in its usual place—nothing. A blast of wind surges from my legs, sending me into a spiral. I grit my teeth and spread my arms and body out, slowing down then stabilizing my spin. However, just as I manage to stabilize myself, another wind current explodes on my back and sends me plummeting towards the ground. I hopelessly flail around as I sense my impending doom. Fwoosh, moments before hitting the ground, I'm grabbed by another current and launched into the sky once again.

I have no idea what my goal is. I'm going to end up as a big red stain on the ground if this goes on any longer. I pray for my mask. Come on! Return to me! Black spots begin to dance across my vision as dizziness threatens to take my consciousness. I feel the overpowering sensation of vertigo as I start to spin out of control.

Return! Return! Return!!!! I had fully been taken by the winds at this point, spiraling completely out of control. All the blood in my body rushes into of my head as centrifugal force tears and compresses my body into smithereens. Am I going to die again? I cry out in pain as my shoulder smacks into something hard. Did I brush against the ground? I can't tell. Shit. Shit! I can't go out like this! I have to live! I have to survive! God damn it! Don't do this to me! Don't just tell me my name and then let me die! Come on! SAVE ME!

Rudeus

I walk through the barrier, blood dripping off of my bare feet leaving footprints with each step. The wind instantly tries to take hold of my body, but I stand firm and wrangle it under control. I look behind me to admire the stark difference in atmosphere between in the inside and outside of the barrier. On the outside, the wind raged, whipping up dust and small stones as it did so. However, staring at the inside was like looking at a serene painting as the wind suddenly calms down, the grass grows greener, and the air became peaceful.

I look back at the storm. Alright, time for some warmups, I draw my sword. Can't let myself get too rusty. Then later I'll do some sparring with that mercenary, then I'll call it a day if nothing special happens.

A mysterious object suddenly zips across my face. Huh, that rock looks strange. I casually pluck the flying object out of midair. I inhale sharply as a powerful shiver runs through my body the second I touch it, like a rippling sensation threatening to tear the anku right out of my body. This isn't a rock, I began breathing heavily. The closer I brought it to my face, the stronger that sensation got. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced before; my body was separating from its very self, and if I put it on fully, I would die.

"It's is a mask!" I say to myself excitedly. Then I feel a pull. My instincts scream at me to move further into the field, that there is something, no, someone I need to find.

"What the hell is with this thing?" I felt utterly helpless. The mask exuded a crushing pressure on my mind making it impossible to resist. I look down and realize that my legs were already moving, heading towards an unknown destination.

As I approach the area, I spot a tiny splotch getting tossed around the air like a rag. It's a young boy, probably got caught out in the storm without an anchor. I take a closer look… What is he wearing? An exotic looking shirt and pants with an unfamiliar language imprinted in the front. It was dirty and torn up but… I still had never seen clothing quite of that quality before.

I jump up and grab him out of midair. As I suspected, he was unconscious but was still breathing.

I take a look at the mask, and then I take a look at the boy.

"You better be who I think you are." I whisper.

Taiga

A fog hung inside my head as sparse incoherent thoughts dotted my mind... who... mask... the gun... wind? Wind... Wind. I'm about to die! My brain instantly bolted awake as I flail my body in a panic.

The back of my head immediately slams onto the hard ground. Little teardrops form in my eyes as I clutch my head in agony. Aghhh, was everything all just a dream? Am I just sleeping in some alleyway right now?

I open my eyes... to a blur of red and a fist flying straight at my face. I turn my neck, avoiding the blow by a hair. At the same time, I lash out my arm in the same place my head just was, in an attempt to yank my attacker's arm down, throwing him off balance, but all I found was air.

I automatically reach behind my back in attempt to grab my mask, however once again, air. I then immediately launch off the ground and roll away onto my feet at a blistering speed to create some distance between us, but as I raise my head, my face was mere inches away from another fist. It took everything I had to raise my forearms with enough speed to block the fist.

It was like a sledgehammer just slammed into my arms; both of my arms drop-down, completely numb, or are they... broken? I didn't have time to think about it as my back hits the wall. I duck down on pure instinct as a lightning-fast kick destroys the rock right above my head.

As I dip down, I twist around and throw out a kick, thrusting it right into my attacker's lower abdomen. It's going to hit! Or as I thought as his body seemingly warps backward just enough to avoid it. I pause for a moment, dumbfounded by how that attack could possibly miss, then a monstrous force slams into my jaw. My eyes roll up into my head as my neck snaps backward. The hell? This random guy is going to kill me!

I don't know how, but he's many times stronger and faster than a human should be, it was like he also had the power of the mask. I stagger then collapse onto the ground. I attempt to raise my head, but my body refused to obey me. My head rattled from the inside; I wouldn't be surprised if I had a concussion.

"Ah, sorry about that; I was trying to figure something out. Torika! Can you come in and help?" I open my eyes. In front of me stood a slim man with long chestnut, almost red hair slicked back tied up in a bun. He wore a loose long red robe fastened at his waist that extended all the way to his ankles, and attached to his waist... was a sword, and my mask!

I clear all unwanted thoughts from my find and focus on a single thing, survival.

I have to get it somehow... What should I do? I look at my surroundings. We were in a medium-sized room with the sun shining in from an open roof; there was a single door on the wall opposite the wall I was lying next to, but that was it. There was nothing in this room that I could use.

Maybe I can sneak up behind him and grab it? It would be difficult, but it could be possible if he's under the impression that I'm knocked out. Or how about convincing him to give it to me? I could try to knock it off his belt with a rock. A bunch of debris had fallen from the wall due to that kick.

However it was all wistful thinking, realistically if he actually had power similar to when I had the mask on, there would be absolutely nothing I could do to get it back. He's just too strong for me to do anything without it! Damn it, I have to do something at least! As I steel myself to tackle the mysterious man, something clacked and rattled right next to my arm. I look at where the noise came from. Sitting there facedown was my mask just right there in arm's reach. I stare at it dumbfound.

"Here you go, that creepy mask is yours, right?" The man says while crossing his arms. Just as he said that the door opened. A tall young woman came through the door. She had brown skin and golden eyes, shortish hair that only went to her shoulders, and wore a sleeveless vest with long baggy pants.

"Toena? Why are you here? Where's Torika?" The man looked at the woman incredulously.

"Someone else came in and Torika needed to be there to help him out. So she asked me to help out instead." The woman named Toena replied.

"Wait, you're knowledgeable in Sananku?" He says.

"Nope, but you know Torika, she's got ways to do her magic even when she isn't here." She says while taking a tiny capped glass of blood out of her pant pocket.

"Huh, interesting." He says.

"So, did you confirm what you were looking for?" She says.

"I think so… but I don't even know if he actually understands what we're saying, hey kid. Do you understand what we're saying?" The subject of the conversation suddenly shifts towards me.

I don't respond.

"You know I can tell if you're unconscious or not."

I still don't respond.

"He understands what we're saying. Now can you treat his arms and his head? His arms are probably broken."

"How did you-" I shut up as I realize that I just fell for the oldest trick in the book. I know that because I've done it myself quite a few times.

The man just grins at me before gesturing at the woman named Toena.

Toena walks by and crouches down next to me. I try to crawl away but she clamps an iron grip onto my arm. "Just a little bit a blood, nothing more." She said.

She squeezes the vial in her hand until it cracks then places her palm on my forehead, leaving a big red stain, she then rubs my arms until they were also covered. The pain subsides almost immediately, the fog in my head was gone and I could think much more clearly.

"Is this actually going to work?" She whispers to herself under her breath.

"What are you going to do with me?" I speak up. I guess there's no point in pretending anymore.

"I don't know yet. By the way, what's your name?" The man asks me.

"My name is Conn- Taiga. What were you trying to figure out when you attacked me?" Connor was the name I used whenever someone asked me what my name was before. I guess it just became an automatic response, but now that I knew my real name, there was no point in using that fake name anymore.

"Well, the answer to that question lies in this question; Are you an Ankudo or Tetsudo or neither of those? Although I already know the answer to this question." The man says.

"Then why ask me if you already know?" I was desperately trying to wrestle away control of the conversation so that I would be the one asking questions rather than him.

"Oh that's a good point! Guess I won't ask you then." He said with a hint of mockery.

This guy is so... Of course, even conversation wise I had no leverage here. I had never been so utterly helpless against someone in my entire life. All I just want is too…

Huh, what do I want to do exactly? My end goal is to find out who I really am, but I don't know how exactly I'm supposed to do that. This guy might have some of the answers, but I'm being deliberately uncooperative for some reason. No, don't think like that. This guy attacked me out of nowhere and is suddenly acting all buddy-buddy with me. He's an enemy and can't be trusted. I've always trusted myself, and it's always worked out. I can't go expecting to get answers from this guy so easily.

Now relax. I look at the man in front of me. He's putting on an air of confidence, but he's definitely tensed up right now. He's cautious of the unknown factor in play right now — my mask. Or does he already know about its abilities? He may be pretending, but then why would he just hand me my mask if he knew what it did? I began to overthink the situation.

Fuck! there are way too many things I don't know right now. I have to make some sort of gamble, and it has to be with my mask. I force myself to stop thinking.

"What's with that mask of yours?" The man continues to ask questions. The woman named Toena also looks at the mask curiously; however, she seems much more relaxed than he was.

I don't speak for almost thirty seconds, gathering my thoughts.

"...I'll tell... no, I'll show you what it is if you tell me one thing." I finally replied.

"Oh?"

"Where am I and is it in New York?" I ask.

The man grins. "Never heard of that place, and here? We're in Rai."

"I see."

I pick the up mask off the ground. With this, I essentially get permission to put on the mask. If I had made a move to put on the mask beforehand, the man definitely would have had the speed and dexterity to take the mask out of my hands before I could even lift it. I look at the man; his guard is put up rock solid. I'm not sure to the full extent of his abilities, but I'll test the waters for now.

"Hey Rudeus, the boy looks like he's about to do something dangerous. Shouldn't you stop him?" Toena suddenly interrupts.

"I'm just betting on my strength. Besides, you've got my back, right?" The man named Rudeus says as he flashes a wide smile.

"If you lose to this chump I'll finish you off myself." Toena crosses her arms and leans on the wall, eyes closed.

I have to keep a lookout for her as well. Well, it's not like I'm planning on trying to beat them in a fight right now. I just have to dispel the mystery behind my mask, as Rudeus' wariness is keeping me from doing what I want. I quickly glance behind me at the open-air ceiling. I notice Rudeus' eyes on me as I do that.

Now, let's get things started. I hold the mask close to my face. I see Toena curiously glancing at me to the side, still leaning on the wall.

I put the mask on—a familiar explosion of energy courses through my core, like a fountain erupting out of the ground. I immediately turn around and dash towards the walls, as if I were running away. Then without looking, I immediately lash around and jump up, throwing a kick at superhuman speeds. Rudeus jumps back, avoiding the surprise kick with ease as if he expected it. Damn it! He didn't fall for it!

Without wasting a beat, I land sideways on the wall, then reverse my momentum by springing off it. Rudeus still has his guard up. I crouch down low while running as if aiming for Rudeus' legs, but then at the very last possible moment, I spring off the ground flying high up, and throw out a knee right into his face. Rudeus once again easily sidesteps the fake and hammers a blow onto my back as I pass by.

I tumble and slam into the wall, a little dazed. If I didn't have my mask on there, the force from that blow would have probably killed me.

After laying on the ground for a couple of seconds, I attempt to pick myself up but then stumble on my feet and fall back down to the ground. I mouth a curse as I pick myself up again, my eyes trained on Rudeus. Come on… Relax a little bit.

I walk closer. Rudeus doesn't budge an inch. He was fighting reactively rather than proactively, which meant he was still being cautious. I take another step closer. If he does that, it would be better to fight him up close rather than lunging at him. It's better to go for safe, consistent attacks rather than strong risky attacks here.

I spread my legs and use a robust, well-balanced stance, and then begin to shuffle closer. I keep my eyes trained on Rudeus the entire time, glancing over his entire body. Rudeus suddenly takes a step forward and, like a viper, lunges at the bottom of my sternum. I hop back the minimal distance required to dodge it. Yet, his hand jumps out of his sleeve and extends past the length I initially judged. I puff out violently as the air in my lungs blows out, as he managed to directly hit my solar plexus.

I cough, then glare at Rudeus whom made no move to follow up, dancing just outside my range. I make a massive yell then throw my entire body at him, this time with no regard for the counterattack.

I immediately get blown away. I tumble and roll, then land on my butt, back facing the wall once more. I take another look at Rudeus. The hint of a grin starts to form on his face. His shoulders drop just the tiniest more. He begins to breathe a bit lighter. All signs I wouldn't be able to notice without my mask.

Alright, I think I got it.

Rudeus

This kid is quite a fair bit powerful, he could probably take out an average soldier with ease, and even though his motions are incredibly wasteful, they still look practiced.

But it looks like he isn't as powerful as I thought he was going to be. I was being cautious because I didn't know how he would use that mask, but it seems like it's time to end this. His back is to the wall. He's definitely injured after all those blows. There's still the possibility that this is a trap, but I'm willing to take the chance at this point. Toena's still here leaning on the wall, acting as if she doesn't care, but I can tell that she tries to sneak in a glance or two when I'm facing away from her.

"It looks like I'm stronger than you even with the mask. You want to call it quits and listen to me now?" I talk to him.

I walk closer. He's holding his arm behind his back, probably hiding a rock or something, but I guess I'll just dodge it when it comes. His eyes are hidden underneath his long, messy hair.

I walk closer. "God, you look filthy. Hey I get it. Must've been a long day." I say, changing up my approach.

I walk closer. "There's no need to be enemies anymore; I'll get you a warm bath, some new clothes, hot food, and we'll talk, alright?"

I walk closer until I was just outside the range where he can lunge out at me. Jeez, he's like a wild animal.

"Are you still awake?" I ask politely.

And then a flash of movement, far faster than anything he had shown previously. I instantly clutch my eyes in pain, and my vision blurs into a grey cloud. Giving me no time to react. In a panic, I rub my eyes and lunge out disoriented, smashing my arm into the wall, but the boy was gone. I frantically turn around and check the walls. He's gone. I jump out of the little room and check outside in the courtyard. I can't see him...

I stand there quietly in disbelief, scanning my surroundings until I realized that the kid had really pulled one over me.

"Toena, did you see what happened?" I jump back into the room.

"Yea, it looks like you massively underestimated him, or rather, he deceived you into thinking he was way weaker than he actually was." Toena's stood there leaning on the wall, having not moved a single muscle.

I touch my face with two fingers and inspect them. On the tip of my fingers was a coarse, grey, powder-like material.

"Did he pulverize a rock with just his grip alone?" I murmur to myself, was that what he was hiding behind his back?

He threw it so quickly; I couldn't focus my Anku in time to see it and detect it, and it blinded me so effectively. I sigh, I danced right into his trap. He wanted me to get a little bit laid back, drop my guard, and most of all...

"Why the hell doesn't he trust me?!?" I yell in frustration.

"You attacked him, broke his bones, and gave him a concussion in the first five seconds meeting him. What did you expect? I wouldn't trust you either." Toena says.

"I wanted to confirm if he actually didn't have Anku! That was the best way of doing so!" I was reasoning that if I put him in a life or death situation, he'll instantly use his powers to try to get out of it. However, as it turns out, unless he had incredible self-control, he doesn't have Tetsu nor Anku.

"Alright, but why the hell would he hide it in the first place? I thought you knew the boy from the way you were trying to beat him up." Toena says.

"Toena, you know my identity, so you also must know the massive bounty on my head. I have to be careful about these sort of things."

"Oh I know that bounty very well, it's just a shame I got blacklisted from working with those guys so I can't get paid." Toena licks her lips.

"Money, money, money, I'm surprised your love for money was so great that you managed to sneak your way in here, don't you already have enough to never work another day in your life? Just retire already."

"And what? Waste the rest of my life away in some dinky house on the countryside?" Toena grins at me. "I'll retire once I die."

I sigh, fully expecting her to answer like that. I begin walking away from the room, now in a bad mood.

The Eye. Anyone who even makes it here has to have some distinct purpose for doing so, whether it's getting stronger, finding inner peace, whatever it is, the motivation has to be incredibly strong. Anyone who comes here half-heartedly will get destroyed by the intense storms raging outside this perfect safe haven without fail.

The winds are mild, never cloudy, nor rains, nor ever changes temperature, and there's always been a single unspoken rule put into place here. Never share what your resolve is with others, lest this place descends into chaos. Any incident where two enemies happened to recognize each other had never ended well, and to top it all off, the traffic to this place had grown significantly in the past years because of the war…