Hiro was pulled out of his sleep an hour later to find Samuel sitting up and checking the time. “One hour exactly. Bloody hell, that was tough.” The Australian got to his feet and rubbed his temple. “This bloody hangover.” He spit onto the ground. “Fucking brutal, mate.”
Hiro sat up and his head pulsed. It was weird to feel so well-rested yet so disoriented at the same time. He looked over at Samuel as the man adjusted his cloak over his shoulders.
“We’ll walk it off, and if that doesn’t work, we can share one of my Pink Bulls. A little stamina never hurt anyone. Water couldn’t hurt either, but I got mine at my stash spot. I’m guessing you have yours at your spot, too.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Hiro said as he noticed just how dry his mouth was.
“Pink Bull it is then, and don’t worry, I got two.”
“You sure? I’ve yet to buy you a drink.”
Samuel snorted at this statement. “I’m sure. And there’s plenty of time to buy me a drink before the Third Interim.”
The thought that they would one day be enemies sank in for a moment as Hiro continued to struggle with his hangover. Aside from the pulsing head and dry mouth there was this taste at the back of his throat like he would soon vomit. “Actually,” he said as he opened his own backpack to get out some of the Survivor Tenders, “I got these.”
“Brilliant. Survivor Tenders and Pink Bull. Breakfast of champions.” He tossed the Pink Bull can over to Hiro. “Cheers, mate.”
Hiro drank the concoction and felt an instant boost. He looked at the silvery pink can, expecting some kind of label, yet there was none. After eating a tender, Hiro finished the drink.
“Stamina will last for a single fight, but we haven’t fought yet,” Samuel said as he tapped the side of his temple. “I thought about it when I woke up. Benefits of a beauty sleep, yeah? I think it’s working. Only thing is, we’ll waste the Pink Bulls in a way, especially if we’re planning to pop them just to cheese a fight with Pox Star.”
“It’s going to be crazy if it works.”
“It will work. You cast your shield-spell-thingy after tossing a Poxstar at some unlucky bastard. We wait it out for the drink to take effect. Once it does, we lower the shield and strike.”
“Chickenpox and paralysis should give us an advantage. Hopefully we can find someone worth fighting. But hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t hit me with this shit if we ever find ourselves staring each other down.” Samuel raised his Pink Bull to Hiro, even though the man had already finished it. “If we’re going to go out that way, we go out with chivalry. I don’t know why I’m saying that. Who knows if we’ll make it to the Third Interim. Seems like forever away but could be just five days. But you get it. Nothing sneaky. Nothing like sending our assassins after one another.”
Hiro let out a deep breath. “When you say it like that…”
“What other way is there to say it? Anyway. Sorry to get dark. This place is dark, I get dark, and I don’t want to, but sometimes you got to give into it. Or whatever.” He grinned. “You need to head toward Central Park to upgrade your vape, we need to test your little trap out, and then we spend as much time as we can powering up before those spectators join the fight. I don’t know what that’s going to be like, but I have a feeling it’ll be nasty.”
“Same.”
****
Samuel and Hiro moved from rooftop to rooftop in the direction of Columbus Circle. The famed landmark wasn’t very far from Billionaire’s Row, Hiro able to see the {Beacon} he had placed. He also saw the signal that noted there was a merchant in the vicinity, just as Love had promised. This was where he would upgrade his vape pen, but before he did that, he needed more followers.
To sacrifice, he thought as the two touched down in front of an abandoned shopping mall, one directly in front of a traffic circle that cycled around a statue of Christopher Columbus.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Columbus wore a jerkin that extended past his knees. On his head was a papal-looking hat that reminded Hiro of the fur hats Russians wore, albeit without flaps. The statue had on knee-high boots with heels, and there was a sword sheathed at his side.
They were both presented with a new prompt:
Description: This monument to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York director Christopher Columbus was originally planned for Bowling Green, once the site of a fictional mass shooting. Erected in 1892, the colonial shadow of the famously infamous statue has brought its fair share of controversy over the years since its erection.
The Niña, The Pinta, The Santa María!
If you’ve ever rapped these lines with the same fervor as Zach de la Rocha, then you are aware that the Italian-born-Spanish-funded explorer sailed the ocean blue in 1492, landing in what is now Coney Island, known for its tropical beaches, genetically modified Rubyglow pineapples, and its legendary Wonder Wheel.
Fueled by fried Snickers and funnel cakes, carnie sex, Prohibition-era hooch made in vacant lots, rum-flavored fentanyl, and angry about developmental woes that never seemed to turn Coney Island to its past glory, Christopher Columbus vowed revenge.
He vowed revenge on you, or anyone, really, who decides to enter his zone of influence.
Samuel turned to Hiro and puffed his cheeks out. “Must be the boss descriptions we got access to.”
“Must be,” Hiro said as he adjusted his mask.
“But I reckon we have our test subject,” Samuel said as the Columbus statue hopped down from its high pedestal, signaling that the Sentry was active.
The statue beckoned them forward, taunting Hiro and Samuel as it spoke: “Joy and glory never uttered a more thrilling call, that which resounded from the conquered ocean in sight of the first American island. Terra! Terra!”
A health bar appeared over his head, one rimmed in gold indicating Columbus would be a tough fight without a strategy.
“Well, are we doing this?” Samuel asked as the statue drew his sword. “Once we enter the Zone of Influence, we’re stuck.”
“Toss and cast.” Hiro gripped the Poxstar energy drink and carefully popped the tab. He imagined himself throwing it at the statue and then using {Sacra Limina.} “Ready. Just as we discussed.”
Samuel flashed forward and entered the Zone of Influence, Hiro charging in after him. Samuel got off an opening shot that resembled {Blade Whirlwind}, which Columbus blocked with a sudden swipe.
“Terra! Terra!” The statue was just stepping forward to swing at them when Hiro struck Columbus in the chest with the energy drink. The liquid sprayed up, some of it coating the statue’s face and splashing on Columbus’s chest and lower half.
Once Samuel was near, Hiro immediately cast his protective barrier within the Zone of Influence. “It’s up!” he said.
“Easy does it,” Samuel said as Columbus approached, the Poxstar liquid still dripping from the statue’s chin.
Hiro kept his hand on his katana as he looked up at the now curious statue. Fifteen minutes, he reminded himself, fifteen minutes to take effect.
Another sensation came to him as he sat there, hoping to wait it out. His biceps pulsed. Hiro felt a sudden sense of anger roll over him. “No,” he whispered, realizing instantly what it felt like when he experienced the rage side effect of his Roulette Skill.
Wham!
Columbus struck the protective barrier with his sword. When this didn’t work, the statue stepped back, held his weapon with both hands, lowered it, and charged the tip by dragging it against the ground.
Crack!
He struck the barrier again, which fizzled slightly.
Hiro swallowed hard enough to get Samuel’s attention. “You good, mate?”
“My rage.”
“Your what now?”
Hiro dropped his katana and clenched his fists together. “Side effect of… my Roulette Skill.”
“The shield isn’t your Roulette Skill,” Samuel said as Columbus tried again.
“It isn’t. Random rage from… a werewolf transformation.”
“You get struck by rage randomly?” A cracked grin traced across Samuel’s face. “You sound like my uncle. Kidding. Well, not really. He was a right cunt. But that doesn’t matter. I’ll talk you down from the rage cliff. Just stay with me.”
Columbus moved about ten feet away from them. He charged forward, his steps amplified by radiant fire, the statue delivered a devastating strike that actually caused the protective barrier to shake.
“You just sit tight,” Samuel told Hiro. “Think about the good ol’ days.”
Hiro clenched his eyes shut as he tried to do just that.
Samuel continued: “That’s right, the good ol’ days. Eh, who are we kidding? They weren’t all that good, were they?”
Now visibly shaking, Hiro turned his head toward Samuel.
He’s going to hunt you one day. Deal with him now!
It had to be done.
Hiro needed to kill Samuel and to do so, he would need to release the barrier…