Jax strolled back to his room from the sushi bar, his stomach content and his mind relaxed. The sliding door to his room opened with a soft whoosh, and he collapsed onto his bed with a sigh of relief. The dim nightlight cast a warm glow over the small space, and the gentle rustle of leaves outside added to the peaceful atmosphere. He drifted off to sleep, unaware of what awaited him in the morning.
As dawn broke, golden sunlight filtered through the glass window, casting shadows on the walls. In the distance, a rooster began its daily wake-up call, its cock-a-doodle-doo echoing throughout the island. Jax stirred awake, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before stretching his arms above his head. He glanced over to his left and noticed that Kiyoshi was not in his bed. Panic set in as he realized he must have overslept on his first day at school. "Am I late...oh no!" Jax exclaimed, scrambling out of bed.
He pushed open the sliding door with such force that it almost flew off its tracks and bolted out into the crisp morning air. His eyes frantically scanned for a clock tower that would tell him the time. To his dismay, he saw that it was already after 9:00 am – he was late. "This is not a good start," he muttered under his breath as he sprinted through the bustling island town.
The school building loomed ahead in the distance, its grand structure demanding attention. Jax pushed through the entrance doors and raced down corridors until he found himself face-to-face with Sensei Motoaki and a classroom full of students who were all staring at him. "Umm...hello everyone," Jax said awkwardly, feeling embarrassed by his tardiness.
Just then, a voice echoed inside Jax's head. It seemed familiar yet strange at the same time. "Well, it looks like you're off to a bad start," the voice said tauntingly. "No kidding," Jax replied sarcastically, wondering who or what was speaking inside his head. "Who are you?" he asked, but the voice went silent, leaving Jax feeling confused.
Sensei Motoaki's laugh interrupted Jax's thoughts. "It seems like you share your family's tendency for being late," he chuckled. "Is that true?" Jax could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment as he bowed apologetically to Sensei Motoaki. "I'm sorry, Sensei. It won't happen again."
Sensei Motoaki nodded and motioned for Jax to take a spot on the mat next to Kiyoshi. As he settled in, he couldn't help but scold his brother for not waking him up. "Why didn't you wake me up, you bastard!?" Jax whispered angrily.
"I...uh...forgot," Kiyoshi mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Okay, class," Sensei Motoaki began, directing everyone's attention back to him. "Today's lesson is all about discovering your own spirit guardian and unlocking its power within yourself." He explained the importance of understanding one's spirit guardian and how it could enhance their fighting abilities.
As Sensei Motoaki called each student up one by one to demonstrate their skills on a tough dummy made of hard material, the atmosphere in the room grew tense with anticipation. Kiyoshi grumbled as he watched other students struggle to make even a scratch on the dummy.
Finally, after two hours had passed, Jax's name was called. He took a deep breath and focused his energy before attacking the dummy with all his strength – WHOP! The force of his punch sent the dummy rocking back and forth, barely moving despite its sturdy construction. Sensei Motoaki's eyes widened in amazement, and he whispered to his own spirit guardian about Jax's incredible power.
"The results are in," Sensei Motoaki announced as the data appeared on a large monitor in the room. "Jax's spirit guardian is a Hippogriff." Jax bowed respectfully to Sensei Motoaki before returning to his seat, pleased with the outcome.
Next up was Kiyoshi, who approached the dummy with determination. He too unleashed his full strength on the unforgiving material, but instead of a solid thud, there was a loud crash and the room erupted into chaos. Fighters were looking around, confused and wild with excitement all at once.
"Everyone calm down!" Sensei Motoaki yelled over the noise, trying to restore order. As the fighters quieted down, he excused himself to investigate the source of the commotion.
Sensei Motoaki returned moments later with an expression of shock on his face. "There has been a breach in one of our training rooms," he announced gravely. Suddenly, everyone fell silent, anxious to know what had happened.
"I will go investigate what is happening," declared Sensei Motoaki gravely as he swiftly exited the room.
When Sensei Motoaki entered the room, he saw a student with glowing purple eyes gripping another Sensei by the collar. The student then leapt through a large hole in the wall before Sensei Motoaki could do anything. He quickly ran towards the hole and noticed footprints leading into the forest. "I must inform Grandmaster Sensei immediately," thought Sensei Motoaki as he hurried back to his dojo. As he entered, he dismissed the class except for Kiyoshi and Jax, who remained seated. "Let's go see what is happening," said Sensei Motoaki to his two students as they headed towards the damaged room. They found a broken door and black marks on the walls, indicating a fight had taken place. Kiyoshi pointed out the big hole in the wall that led outside. Without hesitation, Jax and Kiyoshi jumped down and ran towards the forest. Kiyoshi spotted a shadow moving quickly among the trees and alerted Jax. Before Jax could say anything, Kiyoshi had already run ahead. Despite trying to catch up, Jax lost sight of him as they ran through bushes. After hours of searching and calling out Kiyoshi's name, Jax collapsed from exhaustion. When he woke up, he found himself back at his clan village in the old dojo where a painting of his father hung in the center of the room. As he reached out to touch it, he heard voices entering the room and quickly hid under a nearby table to listen in. To his surprise, he saw a younger version of himself talking to his father who was instructing him to stay strong and honor their family clan. His father then left on some business, and Jax realized this was the day before his brother attacked their village single-handedly. He knew he would have to stop him even though he wasn't fully prepared or confident in his abilities. "Do you think this is a wise decision?" asked the voice in his head. "I don't know," replied Jax, frustrated. "Wait, who are you?" he asked himself. "I am Tethyus, the spirit guardian only you can communicate with," answered the voice. "Why do you only appear when something bad happens?" questioned Jax. "Because that's when you need me the most," explained Tethyus. "And what about your name?" inquired Jax. "My name is Tethyus, the hippogriff of blue lightning," replied the voice.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"So, my spirit guardian is a majestic hippogriff," exclaimed Jax in awe. The creature before him radiated power and grace, with the regal head of an eagle and the powerful body of a horse. "You must get out of here and head towards the center of the village," instructed Tethyus, the navy-blue female hippogriff spirit guardian. Determination clear in his eyes, Jax nodded in agreement and immediately headed for the door, eager to face whatever challenges awaited him. As he made his way to the back of his father's dojo house, Jax couldn't help but admire the exquisite craftsmanship of the building. With its intricately painted walls and carefully crafted wooden furniture, it was obvious that this place held great significance to his family.
Finally reaching the backyard through a door hidden at the back of the dojo, Jax took a moment to catch his breath and plan his next move. Suddenly, a voice called out from behind him. "Hey, Tethyus!" shouted Jax excitedly. Turning around, he saw Tethyus approaching him with purpose. "Yes?" asked Tethyus calmly. "So, what exactly are you?" inquired Jax curiously. Tethyus smiled patiently before answering, "I am a female navy-blue hippogriff spirit guardian who has been chosen to guide you on your journey towards becoming a well-developed fighter." Amazement filled Jax's expression as he processed this information. "Ahhhhh, I see now why I need help to become a better fighter," said Jax with renewed determination.
Tethyus shook her head with a small smile and continued, "Not really; I have always been inside you since you were born. I was chosen to be bonded with you just as my brother was bonded with your older brother." Confusion clouded Jax's face as he tried to understand. "Wait, my older brother? What happened to him?" asked Jax.
Tethyus sighed before answering, "Well, he broke the Mitsuko clan code and was expelled from the village by your father due to his destructive tendencies. His dark energy was becoming too much for your family to handle." Realization dawned on Jax's face as he remembered this painful event from his past.
With a heavy heart, Jax made his way to the center of the village, needing a moment of peace and reflection. "This is the place that keeps me calm," whispered Jax, gazing at the beautiful water fountain his father had created for the village. Suddenly, the sky grew dark and an ominous figure in a dark cloak appeared in the distance. "I am here for revenge," declared the stranger with glowing white eyes.
Sensing danger, Tethyus warned Jax, "I feel a dark presence approaching. It must be your brother coming for our father." Fear gripped Jax's heart as he realized the gravity of the situation. "I must stop him before it's too late," affirmed Jax with determination in his voice. But first, he needed to hide from the villagers who would surely recognize him and try to stop him.
Darting into a pitch-black alleyway, Jax could feel Tethyus' presence guiding him towards their father's office on the far-right side of the village. "I have finally arrived," said a voice from behind them. In an instant, there was a loud boom and screams filled the air. Panic rising within him, Jax called out for his father desperately.
"Special Move Ghost Lighting Cannon!" shouted Tokido, Jax's older brother and heir to their family's legacy. A ball of white lightning shot out of his hands towards the village, causing a massive explosion that set the village ablaze. "Good job, Tokido," praised Strix, Tokido's spirit guardian and a grey hippogriff with shimmering silver eyes.
Meanwhile, at the Mitsuko clan Dojo, a worker urgently reported to Jax's father that someone was attacking the village. "I know who it is; it's my son Tokido," said Jax's father with a heavy heart. And just as he predicted, Tokido appeared at the dojo, his rage and darkness evident in his demeanor.
Jax's mother desperately tried to reason with her eldest son, but he wouldn't listen. "Tokido, please stop this madness," pleaded their mother tearfully. But Tokido was consumed by fury and refused to back down from his mission of revenge.
Tokido shoved his mother aside with a hard slap, causing her to fall and cry. His powerful energy blast blew open the main door, catching the attention of Jax's father and his guards as they rushed downstairs. Jax/Tokido's father begged his son to control his dark energy, but Tokido was beyond reason. He began to power up, causing his eye and pupil to transform into his father's likeness, but with one silver eye instead of two. Jax finally arrived at the dojo and saw his mother gravely injured on the ground. She asked who he was before passing away. Suddenly, Tethyus announced that their brother had arrived, causing a loud boom. Jax's brother, Tokido, was fighting their father with immense rage and power. But their father's speed proved too much for him and he ended up breaking Tokido's arm. In a fit of anger, Tokido unleashed a special move that evaporated their father and caused Strix to reveal herself as Jax's sister. However, when Tokido questioned if it truly was her, Jax's left eye flickered into a navy-blue color in defense. Present-day, Jax wakes up in a medical bed after being knocked out in the forest. Kiyoshi explains that he found him and brought him here. Jax realizes it was all just a nightmare and vows to get revenge on Tokido with Tethyus by his side.