A fight to remember

As Jombie and I walked further into the desert I saw Jombie's nervousness increase. He has had a dreadful face on ever since I mentioned Old Tong. It only got worse the closer we walked. He tried convincing me to stop, but I owe Old Tong a lot and I've come to repay my debts. It almost seemed as if he knew Tong, but that doesn't matter much anymore. We are a few miles away from his tower and I can feel my blood pumping faster and faster.

The rest of the treck was made in silence, and sooner than I realized we were at the tower. Jombie's nervousness seemed to fade away into a haunting look, almost as if he was sentenced to hang, but it matter not. With a powerful leap I jumped all the way to the window of the tower and felt Jombie follow soon after.

From the window ledge I saw the nostalgic sight of thousands of books piled high from floor to ceiling. A crooked smile split my face as I smelt the old familiar smell of books. I could feel my eyes water, before I stopped them. Now was not a time for memories.

Looking further I found a black mass move from shelf to shelf. The distinct figure allowed me to know who it was instantly. It seemed that his gait was steady. Seems like the old injuries from are last fight are gone, but I'm not surprised spirits were always tough creatures.

Jumping down from the ledge I let my presence be known. I could instantly feel the tension in the air. I heard skittering sounds as his knowledge seekers ran and soon heard loud thumps coming towards my direction. I told still and waited as Old Tongs face came into view.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" I spoke while looking him in the eye.

"Leave." Was his only response

"I can't do that Old Tong. You of all creatures should know that" I could feel my heart racing faster and faster.

"....leave.." and in a quite voice he said "please"

I could feel his pain and it further amplified my own. "I can't."

My words seemed to enraged him and he shouted with all his might "WHY, WHAT DO YOU GAIN FROM THIS? WHY DO YOU COME BACK TO HAUNT ME?"

"It's not about what I gain, I gain nothing. It is about making things right. It is about atonement." I spoke calmly feeling his frustration mounting

My words were water to his firery rage. "You are a fool, the biggest one I have ever met in my centuries of existence."

I smiled "That's probably why we got along so well. However that was long ago."

"Please," he scoffed "you are still but a child to me."

"A child that will kick your ass." And like that I was off. With a mighty kick to the ground I shot towards my old friend. I covered the few meters in a second and sent a flying kick to his head. The impact seemed to shock him and I pressed my advantage. I punched and kicked him knocking him far away.

I ran after his body, but he quickly recovered and took to the sky. He dive bombed me aiming to gut me with his claws, but I ducked and dodged. I got cuts and nicks from when his claws got to close, but I was still in top shape. I continued to wait for an opening. I knew I couldn't take him while he was in the air.

Eventually I managed to grab his legs and rose up in the air with him. I smashed my elbow into his head over and over again, trying to make him fall, but he held true. We flew around and around, bumbing into things over and over. We knocked down torches as well as books and tables before he smashed my back into the roof of the tower.

My grip failed me as I fell all the way to the ground. My body shattered and my bones broke, however this was not the end. I took a second to tense my muscles and started to feel my skin and hair fall off as steam rose from my body.

As the steam surrounded my body I felt Old Tong drop from the celing falling like a bird of prey. His beak was aimed right at my chest as he fell. He aimed to skewer my straight through my abdomen. I managed to catch his beak and threw him across the building. Standing up out of the steam I took a moment to look at my body.

"Haha haha hah haha hahahahahhahahaha"

A laugh broke out. My body was back in my prime. I felt young again no muscle ache. No back pain. I was young once more. Jombie really was on to something recommending this technique.

"You, what did you do?" Wa Shi Tong asked when he recovered.

"Trade secret." Once more I was off shooting towards Old Tong faster than before. I felt lighter than a feather as I pummeled him. He tried to take to the sky, but that wouldn't work this time. I ran across the walls and jumped back and forth landing blow after blow.

Old Tong fell to the floor and used his wings to shield his body. My blows were hammers to his body. I continued to smash my fist on his wings over and over again. I threw fist after fist, but no matter what I did it didn't seem to break through his guard.

Instead of failing over and over again. I opted to picke up Old Tong. I spun him round and round before throwing him into the wall. His back hit the wall, and his wings fell to his sides. Seeing his guard broken I sat on his chest as I bashed his face in. Over and over and over and over.

Seeing him barley conscious I dragged him by his head and put him in the middle of the floor before I sat down and tried to catch my breath. I looked around our battle field seeing the absolute mess we made of the library Wa Shi Tong is going to be pissed. I laid down be side him and stared up at the celing.

A smile cracked my lips and I began to chuckle to myself. I won. I beat a great spirit into the floor. I took a moment to let that realization sink in before looking for Jombie. He was still up at the top of the window ledge. I beckomed him down with my hand.

I saw him gingerly jump down and walk over. Making sure to stand far away from Old Tong. I smiled, he was still on guard. That was good a practice if he came across an actually spirit, but I knew Old Tong was down for a while. It would take him a few days to recover at least and by then I would be long gone.

Jombie and I rested in silence before Jombie spoke "What the hell was that?"

I could hear the awe in his voice and laughed. "That was me in my prime, kid."

"So you managed to pull off rejuvenation." He asked

"Nope" I said popping the p "Just managed to make something like it for a while. It has a hell of a side effect though."

"What's the side effect." He asked curious

"You die." I said with a grin still on my face.

"What"

"You heard me, I'm going to kick the bucket in a few minutes and I thought I should tell you since you asked."

"You're kidding me"

"Nope" I said popping the p again

"Then why do it in the first place."

"Kid," I said sitting up and looking at him " I'm old. I have about two three years left in me. Instead of withering away I want to die in a blaze of glory. Sure I could have used the extra time to learn rejuvenation, but that is just not for me. I don't want to live forever, I want to die in my own terms and this is one hell of a way to die."

"Then anything you want to do, before you go?"

"Yeah, got a piece of paper?"

"A will?"

"Something like that."

So I took the paper from Jombie and began to write. I poured out my entire life story into the paper. The ups the downs. The goods and the bads. My regrets and my hopes and at that end I wrote thank you. I was thankful for both Jombie and Old Tong. Despite the fighting it always felt like a good time. I set down the paper and pen.

"Read it after I'm gone. I don't think I could stand the embarrassment if you read it and I was alive."

"Sure."

I crawled over to Old Tong and hugged his unconscious body.

I breathed in and out, in and out, in and out,

In

Out

In

Out

In

Out

Out

Out

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