(7) The Lands of Ralosia: The Fighting Academy (6.5k Words)

Aero, Jirro, and their friends travel to the Fighting Academy to take on their challenge. On the way, they come across Temp, a Mecarne bandit they previously faced off with who seeks to do the same. What follows is a six-on-six tournament between the kids and the Fighting Academy!

(2/15/23) Self edited, audio edited, and peer edited

Peer edit by Mikrokosmostae

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~Chapter 1- Focus Training~

~Age 988B~

Aero woke with a big yawn, stretching out his limbs, nearly bumping into his little sister sleeping in the tent near him. The 13-year-old boy looked around. Corri was here, but not Jirro or Nout.

Aero peered out of their tent, and a subtle sea breeze passed through his rough black hair. Ruben was sitting outside. As a Densius, a being composed entirely of rock and earth, it never slept. It spent much of its nights idling by. Ruben had short arms and legs and a round boulder-like body.

Corri's red sparrow, Rojo, was perched in a nearby tree. It was the bird she would ride through the skies on. It clamped its beak around a fruit on the tree and swallowed it in a single gulp.

"Do you know where Jirro and Nout are?" Aero asked, still half asleep.

"Those two got up early. They said they'd be by the beach." Ruben answered.

Aero looked out at the beach nearby and could make out faint blue lights emerging from the area nearby. He knew exactly what his cousin was up to. Once Corri was awake, she mounted her bird and took to the skies while Aero and Ruben headed for the beach on foot.

Aero found his cousin Jirro staring at the ocean, with Nout sitting behind him with a bag.

Jirro punched the air, and a blue light manifested from his fist and passed over the waters, sending ripples through it. Jirro's neat blonde hair was pushed back by the light. The light dissipated, and the waters calmed.

Jirro dropped to the sands, breathless, reaching his hand out to Nout. The young Phantine reached into the bag with his trunk and pulled out a bottle carrying a green liquid. He tossed the bottle to Jirro, and he gulped it down all at once. His stamina had suddenly returned. Those potions Koka gave them were handy.

"Practicing for the Fighting Academy's challenge?" Aero asked as he approached.

Jirro turned and shook his head, "Nah. I'm just trying to see how good I can get with Focus. My dad showed me what he was capable of with it, and I haven't gotten close yet. But I feel like my tolerance to it has gotten better."

"Didn't Emil tell us it's dangerous to overdo it?" Corri said from atop Rojo. Emil, an expelled member of the Fighting Academy, was the one who had originally taught them how to use the ability.

Jirro nodded, "Yeah, but as long as we have some of Koka's potions nearby, we'll be fine."

Aero smiled, "That's a good point!"

Aero walked out alongside Jirro and faced the ocean. He lunged his fist forward, and a red light burst from him, one much larger than what Jirro had created. It rapidly flew across the waters before dissipating.

Aero collapsed immediately. Focus was a powerful ability, but they could never forget how much of a strain it was on the body. Nout passed him a potion, and in moments Aero was back to normal.

"Anyone else want to try?" Aero asked.

Corri shook her head, "I'm fine. I think I'll only use Focus if I'm in a pinch."

"Same here. I learned my lesson back in Titus Forest," Nout added.

Ruben's rocky brow was furrowed, "I feel like we should save those potions for emergencies, not training."

Jirro frowned, "We still have spare potions. But you're probably right."

Aero and the others prepared to head south, towards the townhome to the Fighting Academy. A challenge was given to everyone in the land.

To any who can defeat us, I shall give the pink glowing orb I discovered in my travels. Come to Dama's Fighting Academy to challenge us!

- Tyro

The peculiar pink orb was surely worth something, but Aero didn't care about wealth. He only wanted to help Oopa's tribe, who had lost a similar-looking orb. Jirro and the others were simply looking for a good challenge.

As they readied themselves to go, they spotted a lone hyena rider stampeding through the plains. A member of the Ekor's bandit crew.

Jirro narrowed his eyes at the Hyena rider, "Should we take care of him?"

"I don't think so," Aero interjected, "He's all alone. I think after beating Ekor, their gang has probably broken up. They can't do much harm on their own."

Aero and the others went at a speed that many animals would struggle to match. For them, it was a modest jog. The Densius Ruben tucked its limbs around its rocky body and rolled along the ground beside the others. After a previous accident, Ruben learned to control its speed, staying at pace with them.

Aero's sister Corri flew atop her sparrow Rojo, a pleasant breeze blowing through her red hair as she glided along. She could see a town in the distance. "We're almost there!"

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~Chapter 2- 6v6~

Temp strode through the countryside on his hyena, Kelvin. The sun was high in the sky, and Kelvin panted as they went. Temp stopped near a pond to let the hyena hydrate itself.

As a Mecarne, Temp was unaffected by heat or cold. As such, he wore minimal clothing, leaving his chest and most of his legs exposed. His metal-looking flesh had a purple tint to it, and his eyes were sharp.

There was a nearby town that Temp strode into; people gave him wary looks. They had come to recognize hyena riders as bandits, but Temp wanted to leave that life behind. It wasn't fortuitous enough. After that group of kids defeated the entire gang on their own, it was clear that it was over. But he needed to make a fortune somehow.

At one of the canteens, Temp found a notice. A message from the winner of the last tournament known as Tyro.

To any who can defeat us, I shall give the pink glowing orb I discovered in my travels. Come to Dama's Fighting Academy to challenge us!

- Tyro

Surely the orb was worth a fortune. And how hard could this challenge be? Temp mounted Kelvin and rode towards the fighting academy.

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The Fighting Academy sat in a town which was once modest but had grown to expand ever since Dama came.

Decades ago, a volcano amidst the Weld Mountains to the southeast erupted, and some of the debris nearly struck the town. Dama and a Mecarne named Therma used their incredible strength and abilities to protect them.

Soon after, Dama created the Fighting Academy with the intent of helping each of her students find techniques that best suited them.

The Fighting Academy was temple like, with a guard at each entrance. Only those Dama deemed worthy of her time were allowed inside.

Aero and the others approached the temple. Corri flew overhead on her red sparrow and landed near the entrance. They saw a hyena rider near the entrance, the same purple-tinted Mecarne they came across before. He seemed to remember his name being Temp.

The hyena rider dismounted from his hyena and spotted the kids, "What're you kids doing here!?" Temp shouted.

Jirro raised an eyebrow at the Mecarne, "For the Fighting Academy's challenge. Are you looking to rob them?"

Temp sighed, "I'm done with that. I'm here for the challenge as well."

A skinny bald man stepped out of the Fighting Academy's lumbering front door wearing white garbs. He appeared to be some sort of attendant.

The attendant looked at the group, "Are you all here for the challenge?"

The six of them nodded. He gestured to them to come inside, "Come with me."

Corri's bird Rojo perched outside of the Fighting Academy. Temp left his hyena Kelvin tied to a post outside, leaving it with the bone of something they hunted together. Kelvin amused himself chewing on the bone while his master headed inside.

The building was made from fine wood, and the hallways were lined with several dojos where classes were being taught.

Aero glanced at Temp as they passed through the halls of the Fighting Academy; it felt odd to see him without any of the other bandits around him. Temp kept his distance from the others as they went.

Aero drew close to Temp, "Did you leave Ekor's gang?"

"Yeah. His gang's done. I just need to score some money," Temp looked down at the young boy, flashing his sharp teeth.

The attendant brought the group through the Fighting Academy to the courtyard at its center. Above them were several glass ceilings where sunlight streamed in. There were several circular stone stages surrounded by water where the bouts would take place with small drums seated next to each one.

At one of the stages was a very muscular man sparring with a younger one, both of them wearing the Fighting Academy's white garbs. Aero recognized the muscular man as Tyro, the winner of the last tournament at Challenger's Lake. He fought him there and couldn't score on him once. But a lot has changed since then.

A floating pink orb floated just outside of the ring. It looked just like the one from Oopa's tribe, aside from its color.

Tyro smiled when he saw the group, "I remember you kids. You're all from the tournament."

Aero stepped forward, "Yup. We're here to take your challenge!"

Tyro looked down at the group, folded his arms, and tapped his foot in deep thought, "How about the six of you take on me and some of my peers at the academy? If you're able to take down six of the academy's fighters, then the orb is all yours! All of you are together, aren't you?"

"We are!" Aero said quickly before Temp had a chance to say otherwise.

Temp sneered at him, "No, we're not. I'll take you on alone."

Aero placed his hand on Temp's back, "If you take him on yourself, you're gonna lose. If you stick with us, you might have a chance."

"I'm not sharing that orb with any of you," Temp insisted.

"If you help us out, I'll pay you," Aero encouraged, knowing full well where Temp's motivations laid.

Temp thought for a moment, "How much are we talkin'?"

"I won a lot of money back at the tournament. I'm sure I'll make it worth your while," Aero said enthusiastically. He still had more than enough from his tournament savings to accommodate him. Temp reluctantly nodded.

Tyro said to the children, "So, are you all in for a six on six?"

Aero and the others nodded.

Tyro gave the group a slight smile before turning to his sparring partner, "Fitsu, do you mind helping out with this?"

Fitsu nodded, "Sure!"

Tyro said, "Good. Mind grabbing Sunno... Kika... Khab and... Hita? I want them to help out too."

Fitsu gave Tyro a perplexed look, "You want little Hita to fight?"

Tyro gave an affirmative nod and Fitsu went about the academy to fetch their team.