The unpleasant sound of rattles filled the air, echoing across the barren wasteland. The coarse air carried the tune far and wide only for no one to hear. There was nothing to be seen for miles. 

Its contents only consisted of a crater, one that had been there for generations.  At its very center is where the terrible rattle rang out. A throne dripped with an assortment of unsightly “decorations”. Bones shook in the wind and aged flesh rotted. Skulls rested atop the chair dedicated to chaos. Dry blood littered the ground as well as ancient and broken weapons of those foolish enough to come. 

A man, no, a creature sat there with a disgusted face. 

“Coalesce…” He muttered, the man kneeling at the foot of his throne trembled upon hearing his voice. The being was fleshy, his appearance twisted and disturbing.

“A place far too big for its own inhabitants, yet they still thrive among the great deal of danger lingering under its temporary beauty.” He scoffed at his own words. 

“Humans in particular have made the most of the land, snatching it away from not only their rivals but other life as well. Such nasty creatures that take without remorse. A species full of flaws, full of hate. I fail to understand why he insists on them continuing to live, why they deserve life. Death is more appropriate, unfortunately, I cannot dish it out myself. That is why, others will carry out my will.” He continued with a strong grip on the armrest of his throne. 

Silence swept for a moment, until the sudden movement from the man disturbed the eerie quiet. He now stood tall, towering over the individual who let out no noise. Fear gripped him tightly, preventing any sort of reply. 

“You will be the one to right that imbecile's mistake of a creation.” A bony tail around his waist extended to caress his face, before the creature turned and swiped at the air in front of him. 

“Such a world can’t reach perfection in a state like this. Soon, all will be how it should.” He balled his four hands into a fist as he slowly raised one to his face.

“Now go, my Belial!” He pivoted on his heels and opened his hands out to him. Black mist oozed out of his palm before engulfing the person. The air cleared to reveal nothing but empty space. The man turned away before sitting upon his throne, a smile creeping along his face. 

~~~~~

It was nice and quiet, peace roaming among the air until bustling began to erupt from a large city. 

A natural state for the well known kingdom of Lushwood. It was by far one of the most active kingdoms out of the four. Friendly didn’t even begin to describe how they treated one another. Most would call it the perfect home and they had good reason to. 

Along with its vivid people, it was surrounded by a beautiful forest jumping with life. The colors that hung off the tree’s branches differentiated entirely. It would be hard to find two of the same with how lush it was. Thus, how the kingdom earned its name. An astonishing ecosystem with hardly any danger, making it the most ideal place to vacation. While it wasn’t perfect, it was certainly a cut above the rest. 

Down in the vendor district was a fairly well known resident whose name always puzzled strangers. He walked down the stone street with a proud smile on his face, greeting others as he passed by while looking at the various foods for sale.

He was mostly known as Duck, the teacher of one of the only fire dojos in the city. He wore a sleeveless black tunic with carmine red leather straps going down the middle holding together either side of his vest. On the right side of his chest rested a circle with a flame symbol inside which matched with his leather straps. Along with the tunic, he wore black pants that reached to his boots. 

He was currently out shopping, picking up food that he knew the children would eat. They weren’t all too picky, but he didn’t want to waste any food by getting something undesirable. 

Duck turned his head left and right constantly before finally coming to a stop at a vendor he found to be the best. He approached the woman behind the wooden cart which housed all the products currently available. 

“Good morning! Good to see you again.” The woman said cheerfully, “Likewise.” Duck replied soon after before picking out what he needed. 

“How are the new batch of kids? You always talk about how they come in troublesome and undisciplined.” She started a conversation with the man as he grabbed various fruits from her wide selection.

Duck chuckled softly, “They aren’t the worst, but they need to be polished that's for sure. It's not easy going back to untrained children after spending less than a year with those who listen. Can’t complain though, the line of work never gets dull.” 

Most usually never bothered with teaching out of their own will unless the government lended a hand with their abundant resources. There were a lot of other occupations that paid more and caught the eyes of adventure seekers. 

The frequent customer selected everything he needed before handing the vendor twenty povers, the form of currency in all kingdoms. He removed the large bag off his shoulder and began placing what he bought inside.

“You always were independent. I still don’t understand how you manage so many children despite the low demand for combat trainers. Most just settle for being soldiers which isn’t too bad, I suppose.” She added just as Duck tied his bag close. He heaved the half full sack over his shoulder once more, taking steps away from the cart.

“The world needs heroes, not mindless brutes.” Duck replied, becoming one with the rest of the crowd. He maneuvered through the people, heading for town square to get a look at the news board.

If you wanted to stay informed, that was the best place to find out any pressing subjects going on in or around the kingdom. It was also a good place to pick up any small jobs if you were just passing by or in need of some money.

Duck finally escaped the confined shopping district and entered the more spacious town square. The middle held a large statue with a circle of shallow water around it. A faceless man stood tall against a large tiger, holding a generic sword and shield. 

It's been there for a while, encouraging new adventures to become great and destroy creatures threatening the safety of innocents. He enjoyed its symbol greatly and considered it an important part of his younger years. 

Speaking of which, there were a great number of travelers. They talked amongst themselves, but most went solo in order to avoid sharing fame. 

Duck was suddenly captivated by a strong magical presence nearby. His head snapped towards a gathering crowd. As he approached, he could see flames of intricate shapes and patterns.

Curiosity drew him closer to investigate what had them so engaged. He slipped his way past the back row, managing to snag a front row seat. There he saw a man dancing and playing with fire. 

He spewed out flames that shifted into creatures that jumped with life. A lion came out roaring, causing the crowd to cheer for him. The man spun around with flames in hand, changing the lion into an elegant phoenix that rose above them. 

Everyone enjoyed the show greatly while Duck stared down at the small hat full of povers. 

‘A street performer?’ He said to himself, baffled by the waste of potential that laid in front of him. While others saw amazing colors and shapes, all he saw was despair and the want to be something more. 

There was no real passion behind the swirls of fire the man put out;, it was just a job. His movements felt forced despite how fluid he was and his magic was shackled down by disinterest. 

The street performer had just migrated to that part of Lushwood. His name was Vulcan, a highly praised man.

Vulcan wrapped up the show by creating five flaming wolves that bowed with him. Claps erupted from the circle of people. There was a smile on all of their faces that screamed for more. 

The wolves bowing looked up just as several orbs crashed into their bodies. Small explosions blew them away. They cried in pain before dispersing. Vulcan stepped back frantically from the plume of smoke. A figure suddenly shot towards Vulcan. his eyes widened as he raised his hands up. A shockwave occurred at the center of the circle which caused the crowd to stumble. 

When the smoke cleared, Vulcan stood there with an open palm out, holding tightly onto the assaulter's knuckles who was revealed soon after. Duck smirked as the two remained still for but a moment. He pulled his fist away and spun around before delivering a strong kick aimed at his torso. 

Duck took a step back while Vulcan regained his balance. 

“What do you want?!” The performer shouted at his assailant who tried to look as menacing as possible.

“Just fight. kid.” Duck pushed off his right foot and threw a right hook followed by a punch to Vulcan’s right side. Vulcan managed to dodge the first attack with a swift duck only to reel back from the second one. Duck pressed forward and raised his knee into his stomach. Despite the severity of his attacks, Duck was being quite cautious with them. 

The weak performer gritted his teeth and readied himself once more. This time he attacked first, hoping to push his enemy back. Vulcan prepared to attack until he suddenly dashed to the side, avoiding a fire blast from Duck. 

The blast rose up into the sky to avoid any unnecessary casualties. 

‘His instincts are sharp’, Duck commented. He then charged at Vulcan, using his momentum for a push kick which he hoped would put him down. To his surprise he skimmed by and launched a punch at Ducks face.

The experienced man blocked it in time but skidded backwards. Duck was getting a bit excited and decided to amp things up a bit. He lunged forward,  attempting another punch at Vulcan's face who sidestepped it. 

Unfortunately, it was just bait as a red entrail followed behind Duck’s fist which prevented Vulcan from seeing anything. Duck dropped to the floor and tripped him up with a sweep kick. He then slammed his palms into his chest before he could touch the ground. 

Vulcan hit the ground hard as he rolled away from Duck who got into a fighting stance. His back foot positioned forty five degrees for any mobility needed while his front foot rested at twenty five, serving as defense and offense. His right hand was raised just under his face, resting on his chest to protect his face. Meanwhile his left hand stood out ready to make any quick and decisive blows when needed. 

Duck waited patiently as Vulcan stood up once more, looking determined as ever. The performer charged at him with all he had behind one punch, yelling as he did so. 

Duck caught his fist in his left hand before slamming his elbow into Vulcan's face. His strength wavered but his will remained unbroken as he threw a punch from his left hand to free the other. 

He caught it and brought up his knee into his stomach. Duck let go of Vulcan's right hand afterwards only to slip under his left to twist it into an undesirable position. He kicked the back of Vulcan's knee, forcing him to kneel.

Duck was careful not to do anything drastic to avoid major injuries. A face of disgust was apparent but it wasn’t directed towards Vulcan.

Vulcan cried in pain, trying to break free without breaking his own arm. He was ready to accept defeat but something in him shouted for him to continue. He growled in denial, extending his left leg out from under him, forcing Duck to his right knee. Despite the pull on his arm, he persevered and slammed the back of his head on Ducks chin. His arm was released and gave Vulcan some room to breathe. The surprised teacher stood as he held his mouth in pain.

Vulcan stood up and twirled around with his right arm drawn back and engulfed in flames. 

“Back off!” 

He rammed his fist into Ducks unguarded stomach with all he had in him. Duck yelled in pain as he was sent tumbling to the other side of the circle. Vulcan panted as he held out his fist, celebrating the small victory just a bit. He fell forward soon after as his body was beat.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Duck remained on the floor for a solid second or two, relishing in the fact that he found someone this good. He smiled with glee before rising up from the ground. 

He looked down at his torso, a hole now in his top. Steam sizzled quietly from the impact area. It didn’t hurt that much because of the tungsten armor he had underneath his casual clothes. 

“Not bad, not bad at all.” Duck stepped closer to the downed street performer who desperately tried to get up. He pushed himself up with his right hand until he fell back down.

Duck placed his arm under Vulcan's right and lifted him off the ground, letting him lean on him for support. Vulcan stared up at his assailant who was now helping him. 

Vulcan was shaken, but onlookers clapped vigorously as if he hadn’t just been attacked. He was left speechless, expecting someone to get officials or step in. None of it made sense to him.

It was no surprise that he was skeptical of Ducks motives. His limp arm was a very good reason to be scared of the fellow. Duck eventually moved in front of Vulcan. He reached for his arm but the young man flinched. 

He locked eyes with Vulcan, “Please, allow me to aid you.” 

Vulcan hesitated at first, yet Ducks calm manner slowly eased him. Duck made no sudden movements and allowed Vulcan to see that he meant no harm. The injured performer came to the realization that he would have finished the job sooner if he really wanted to. 

After a minute or so, Vulcan nodded towards Duck who immediately went to work. Duck grabbed both his shoulder and forearm, holding it out in front of Vulcan. He then pulled his arm while twisting it upward. A crack could be heard from his shoulder followed along with a shout from Vulcan. He lifted his left arm with no trouble now. 

Before Vulcan could express anger towards his attacker any further, Duck bowed deeply in front of him. He was taken back by the sudden gesture. 

“Please forgive my previous actions. I can assure you that my intentions were pure.” He straightened himself afterwards. 

Vulcan wasn’t sure how to respond with how abnormal the situation was. 

“I, uh, It's fine. Why’d you attack me though? That, really, hurt.” Duck chuckled softly. 

“I just needed to be sure of something. Now, I’m confident in my choice.” Vulcan raised an eyebrow. 

“I wouldn’t want to waste potential like yours.” Duck walked past the performer, patting his shoulder. 

Vulcan zipped around and watched Duck hurl a sack over his shoulder before continuing down the street. He was speechless and could only stand there repeating the same word in his head over and over. 

‘Potential?”

Vulcan had a lot of questions but wasn’t sure of what to do. That just about summed up most of his life.

~~~~~

Time blazed by in Lushwood. The sun clocked out while the moon began its shift. The warm air shifted over to a brisk breeze that caressed the few people who lingered in the city. 

In an alley, sat Vulcan who held tightly onto the money he earned today. He was hungry but the money wouldn’t last long enough for him to eat two days in a row. Unfortunately, he would have to starve himself before using the Povers. 

He sighed and laid his head in between his kneecaps, allowing him to ease his stiff shoulders. Vulcan closed his eyes and let the nice breeze put him to sleep. His body still ached from his fight with that man…

‘Dreams’

‘Potential’

He jolted awake, glancing around him upon hearing the very words again. There was nothing but empty space. Vulcan stared at his own two hands for a moment, wanting to know badly what he was capable of. He couldn't shake it off now that someone mentioned it. 

Despite his better judgment, he pushed himself up. Vulcan pocketed the coins in hand and exited the alley in search of the man. The streets were empty except for the occasional pedestrian or shady looking chap lingering. 

He didn’t exactly know where to start when it came to finding such an individual in a large place like lushwood. Unlike some, he had no clue who Duck was even though he owned a large establishment. 

Vulcan wandered into the town square, his eyes darting around in some attempt to acquire a clue to his whereabouts. He was suddenly pushed from behind, falling towards the ground. His face nearly slamming against the ground until his collar was caught. It lifted him back up before turning him around. 

He looked up to see a tall blonde man donning pristine armor, his elbows, knees, and neck were less protected to still allow for some maneuverability. Underneath was a simple blue tunic with blue pants. 

The scary looking man put on an unexpected smile, “I’m terribly sorry, I should’ve paid more attention to where I was going.” he apologized sincerely. Vulcan stayed incredibly stiff, making the interaction between the two...awkward. 

The blondie cleared his throat and continued with the riveting conversation. 

“I hope my demeanor isn’t too intimidating. Let me introduce myself. My name is Liam Jace, leader of the royal guard and sworn protector of this kingdom.” He gripped his fist tightly and placed it over his heart to further show his allegiance. 

Vulcan remained silent until he saw Liam’s spear sticking out from behind him. Finally, it all clicked together. 

“THE, Liam Jace? The highest ranking electricity user in all of Coalesce?! The hero known for single handedly taking down corrupt groups as well as dangerous monsters?!” He exclaimed a little too loud considering how late it was at the time. 

Liam was taken back by the sudden change in attitude towards him. Vulcan stared up at him like a child meeting his favorite hero, his eyes glistening with hope and respect. 

“It seems my reputation exceeds me, once again, how about we keep it down. Wouldn’t want to disturb your neighbors, now would we?

Vulcan's jaw that had dropped to the floor, shot up as he collected himself. 

“Heh, sorry,” He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. 

“It’s just that I’ve never been able to meet any of my heroes in person. I didn’t think it would ever happen.”

Those words were always gratifying, allowing him to continue his line of work with unwavering strength. 

Liam chuckled with pride, “If you stand and fight for what you want, nothing can stop you. Don’t let anything stop you from doing anything, let it be more of a reason to achieve it.” Liam said sternly. 

Vulcan melted into a puddle of adoration upon hearing his inspiring words. He was left speechless as he engraved this moment into his memory. 

“Now, I should get going. I have to finish collecting last minute taxes. I’ve kept Duck waiting long enough.” The gushing young man snapped back to reality to watch Liam saunter past him. 

It would seem fate had its methods when it came to events aligning perfectly. 

“Duck?” Vulcan whispered to himself, deciding on his next course of action. Since he had no leads, he set out to follow Liam.

He didn’t exactly have to follow Liam to look around but a part of him really wanted to be near him. A little creepy but no one would know. Vulcan let the royal guard turn the corner before bolting in his direction. 

Vulcan peeked around the corner to see Liam conversing with some locals before pressing onward. The young man stepped out and walked calmly down the street to continue tailing. Unlike the vivid armor donning man, he kept his head down and mouth silenced. 

The walk was nerve wracking and calming at the same time because of his past run-ins with people. He wasn’t what they found to be the ideal human, or one at all. He just had to hope that nobody he knew would show up. 

After a brisk stroll through the streets of Lushwood, Liam finally arrived at a large dojo at the very edge of the kingdom. It was relatively short but it made up for it with its width and length. Marble steps led up to its entrance which bore two fire symbols on either side. On both sides of the steps were ladder shaped fountains that ran all along the stairs. The sound of rushing water never being absent. Potted plants stood guard at the bottom of the marble stairs while others littered the grounds. The place crawled with life and tranquility. 

Vulcan found himself a hidden place on the other side of the street and watched as Liam stepped onto the property. To his surprise, Duck was already waiting. He leaned forward on the railing as he gazed up at the sky full of stars. 

His pleasure shriveled up upon looking down at Liam. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

Duck scoffed as he moved away from the railing, “Don’t flatter yourself, I wasn’t waiting for you.” Liam kept a friendly smile on his face despite the attitude. 

Silence hung in the air, making it clear that there was some conflict between the two. 

“I presume that you have what I came for?” Liam knew it was for the best if he strayed away from small talk.

Duck reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch tied close with some red string. He tossed it to Liam who caught it with his left hand. Liam checked the bag to make sure the money was there and saw no problems. 

“You can leave now.” The odd named fellow spat but Liam remained unwavered. 

He looked down at the marble he stood on before meeting Ducks glare. 

“Look, I know we have some history but we don’t have to drag it everywhere we go. Things could be normal if we just try, you know.”

Duck looked unamused with his attempts at fixing whatever their problem was. Vulcan couldn’t believe anyone disliked Liam besides evil doers. 

“Normal stopped being an option a long time ago. You were the one to cause this, not me. If you stopped pretending to be a hero then it wouldn’t have come to this.” He replied with disdain and turned to face away. 

Liam sighed as if he had gone through a similar situation many times before. 

“We could use someone like you again. The world-” He paused as Duck looked over his shoulder with a stronger scowl than before. One that prevented Liam from disturbing him any longer. It wasn’t out of fear but consideration of the topic. 

“Enjoy your night.” 

That was the last of their conversation as Liam removed himself from Ducks sight. Vulcan was sure that he was the person just by looks and his voice but his personality was so different. He was reluctant to show himself but that wasn’t necessary. 

“Come out, boy. You’ve skulked around long enough.” Duck shouted loud enough for Vulcan to hear. Soon after he turned around and stared right at him despite being in the shadow of the night. 

Vulcan noticed that his expression softened up compared to when he was conversing with the renowned hero. He stepped out from where he hid and approached the dojo steps.

The young lad stood at the bottom of the steps where the tense conversation unfolded. 

“I was beginning to wonder just how long you’d take. I’m glad you showed up.” Duck said with a hint of glee coming off his demeanor. Vulcan didn’t expect the man to be waiting, which makes him wonder how long he did wait. 

He was still unsure of whether or not Duck was as caring as he looked after watching how he acted towards someone he admired. 

The waiting man noticed how uneasy Vulcan looked, “I’m truly sorry that you had to see that. It wasn’t my intention for it to go quite like this. He just has a habit of showing up when it's undesirable.” Duck paused briefly, lowering his gaze to the ground with a saddened look. 

“I hope this won’t stain your impression of me.” An unexpected apology came flying at Vulcan who frantically waved it away.

“No, no, no, of course not. I was just confused with what you said to me earlier today. Seeing this didn’t exactly help, that's all.” Vulcan explained that he didn’t think any less of him but there was a part of him that thought otherwise. Getting attacked out of nowhere wasn’t the best way to start things off between them.

Duck was relieved since he had high hopes for Vulcan. 

“Please, come in. It’s late.” He ushered him towards the front door that he slid open. Vulcan climbed the steps before entering the abode. 

As expected, it was quiet. Peaceful even. The hallway was clean and well kept. Framed paintings lined the walls, Duck and his students present in each of them. Vulcan observed each of them as he followed Duck down the hall. There seemed to be only rooms on the outer section while the middle housed a zen area. It was there to relax but to also train classes. 

The interior was very calming with lanterns providing the right amount of light. Vulcan can tell great care was put into this place. 

“Hungry?” Duck suddenly asked as he turned into a room. Vulcan soon followed to see a small table with food in the middle of the large room. Two pillows rested on either side, Duck taking the furthest one. 

This was all very perplexing to Vulcan who was more accustomed to a loaf of bread as his meal for the day. 

“Is it really okay?” He asked, hesitantly sitting on the pillow with his legs crossed. 

Duck smiled earnestly, “I don’t see why it wouldn’t. I specially prepared this for me and you. Unless you expect me to eat all of this?” He replied before taking a bite out of the many choices on the table. Vulcan glanced down at the plates of food. He picked up a fork and began digging, peeking at Duck every few seconds. 

The two enjoyed a silent meal together since Duck didn’t attempt to converse with the young lad. Vulcan didn’t want to stop eating either. It was a miracle to be eating such well made food. 

It wasn’t until he was nearly done did he begin to question the fidelity of this situation. 

“I have to ask. Why are you doing this? I’m just some street performer.” Duck took a sip of his tea, thinking about the question. He put down his cup and looked Vulcan in his eyes. 

“When I was a boy, my mother sat me down. She asked me what I wanted to do with my life. At the time, I had no clue. It was all fun and games for me. No direction. She told me, you have potential to do anything you want in life. Your strength and will were unfathomable. One day, you’ll have to choose what to do with that strength.” Vulcan listened closely, waiting for Duck to continue as he paused briefly. 

“Strange thing to tell a child, but it inspired me. The next day, I started to work out in our small backyard. Lifting rocks and sticks. Two months, I was training with a wooden sword. A year, let's just say the other children couldn’t keep up with me during recess.” Duck smiled proudly but the individual sitting across from him still didn’t follow. 

“That's cool but what makes me special?” 

Duck was quick to reply, “Nothing. You have strength and a burning desire to accomplish something. The special comes from what you create from that strength.” The man said before finishing the last of his food on the plate in front of him. Hope sprouted within Vulcan for the first time in his life. Someone...believed in him. 

Duck took a final swig of water from his cup and made an offer. 

“Let's make a deal. You stay here and train under me but you have to promise me one thing.” 

Vulcan leaned forward with curiosity, “What?” he asked. 

“Promise that you’ll preserve this world at any cost.” Vulcan expected something along the lines of labor or some favor. He was beginning to see that Duck was a peculiar individual. 

“That’s a deal I can agree with.” Vulcan replied with a cheerful chuckle that got a smile out of the man parallel to him. 

Both were full of glee for different reasons but one thing that was certain was the bond forming between them.