Chapter 11: waiting in line.
“What do you mean you’re going to fight hand to hand?” Shipo’s tone was incredulous.
“Everyone knows me as the bow and arrow prodigy, I want to show people that I’m not a one trick pony.” Okimodo answered honestly.
“Okimodo…” Shipo face palmed. “You do realise that they’re going to put you first timers up against the third timers and shang rokai volunteers right? Do you really think you can beat them in hand to hand combat?”
“You don’t need to worry about me.” Okimodo emphasised. “Just worry about yourself.”
Shipo ultimately gave up on trying to reason with his younger brother. Why the hell was it his problem anyway? If Okimodo failed then he’d just have to learn from his mistakes and do better next year.
The two of them made their way across the arena towards an open door off to the side where a shang rokai stood counting the Azurai boys before they entered through the door. The shang rokai was a tall middle aged man who’s appearance rivalled their father in terms of ferociousness. He had a long vertical scar that started somewhere within his thick black hair that ran down the middle of his face to his chin. His shoulders were broad causing the red shang rokai robe he was wearing to rival a tent in its width. Naturally they both knew who this man was.
“General Shimpacha.” Shipo observed. “So he’s the one who’s going to be supervising the rite of passage this year?”
As they got close to the door they turned to give their parents a wave before joining the short queue to be counted by the general. they flowed down the queue quickly and before they knew it, it was time for Okimodo to be counted.
“The archer prodigy didn’t bring his bow?” Shimpacha looked at Okimodo with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m going to fight hand to hand.” Okimodo proclaimed smiling widely.
Shimpacha looked at Okimodo with great surprise before his expression returned to indifferent as he shrugged. “Well it’s your fault if you lose today.”
Okimodo smirked internally. From a young age he had already mastered the bow and was known for his talent when wielding it. With that done what was there left for him to do? Naturally he looked into diversifying his skillset in the hopes of avoiding falling into the trap of over specialising. He found out that his talent with the sword was average at best as well as with the spear. Ultimately he chose hand to hand combat as his second specialty, allowing him to be able to handle close range combat which would’ve been a problem if he only focused on archery. The rite of passage would serve as a chance for him to test out his hand to hand combat skills and further boost his reputation.
“You are number twenty three.” Shimpacha said before motioning for Okimodo to continue on through the door.
Okimodo did exactly that and entered into a narrow corridor where another shang rokai named Bujon was carefully inspecting the boys as they stood with their backs against the beige palace wall. Far down Okimodo saw Chaiseky, Stava and Shibeki waiting patiently for Bujon to inspect them. Okimodo wondered how Shibeki would evade having the wingless butterfly discovered. Surely a thirteen year old couldn’t outsmart an old shang rokai like Bujon?
Okimodo wasted no more time and stood with his back against the wall just like the rest, occasionally tilting his head forward to glance down the corridor towards Shibeki. Before long Shipo joined Okimodo and stood against the wall by his brother’s side. For a second Okimodo pondered on weather or not to gossip with his brother about the wingless butterfly but quickly decided against it. Shipo would probably just snitch again.
Old man Bujon carefully inspected Chaiseky before nodding for him to continue down the corridor. The same thing happened for Stava and much to Okimodo’s shock even Shibeki was given the green light.
This completely took Okimodo by surprise. Perhaps Shibeki finally came to his senses and discarded the wingless butterfly? Or maybe Bujon’s old age finally began to affect his senses? Either way it didn’t matter, Shibeki would surely be exposed eventually.
“Can you stop staring down the hallway?” Shipo whined. “You’re blocking my view of old man Bujon.”
“Why do you want to look at old man Bujon anyway?” Okimodo sneered back at his brother. “Are you in love with him?”
“I’m trying to see someone get busted again like last year.” Shipo chuckled completely ignoring his brother’s second question. “You should’ve seen the look on the kid’s face.”
“You mean Bojorn?” Okimodo asked. “I heard that guy moved away to Geesborg. Apparently the humiliation of being forced to attend the Ionoon school was too much for him.”
“Well that’s what he gets for disrespecting the rite of passage.” Shipo laughed.
“I wonder what he’s up to.” Okimodo sighed.
“We both know what he’s up to idiot.” Shipo said before his expression became arrogant. “He definitely joined the trash rokai. Those failures who left the clan due to shame now running around committing crimes and spitting on our clan’s reputation.”
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“Please don’t start with that again.” Okimodo did not want to hear it.
Shipo was as loyal to the clan as Okimodo was to Heshea. Shipo was a boy who loved to gloat about his honour and loyalty to the clan. This often led him to talk down to whoever failed to live up to the clan’s expectations. It was why he disapproved of Chaiseky and Stava for their association with Shibeki. The instant anything even remotely related to the Geesborg gangs came up Shipo would always fly into a rage filled rant. Okimodo often wondered what would become of his brother if he failed his rite of passage completely. Would he join the Ionoon school and endure the shame? Hell no. Okimodo knew damn well his brother would flee to geesborg as well. Shipo’s entire identity revolved around being a perfect man in the eyes of the clan, his ego would surely not survive failing the clan’s expectations.
Before long the line moved down and it was Okimodo’s time to be inspected by Bujon.
The old shang rokai looked Okimodo up and down, scanning him with a type of resonance ability that gave a person the ability to see inside of another person. Bujorn nodded approvingly before motioning for Okimodo to continue down the corridor.
Okimodo continued down the corridor entering another door leading into a long room filled with tables of food. Before fighting it was essential for the Azurai boys to be well nourished and full of energy. Because of this the clan head always arranged a large meal for the Azurai boys that took place ten minutes before the fighting began. This was Okimodo’s first time attending this feast, his stomach growled as his eyes swept across the room looking for Chaiseky and the others. He spotted them around a table full of chicken, pork, beef and many other types of meat. He decided to refrain from approaching them for the time being and fixated his eyes on the table right infront of him instead. It had strawberry cakes, chocolate cakes, lemon cakes as well as all manner of pudding and even ice cream. This was exactly what Okimodo wanted to eat at this moment. A rush of sugar right before a fight would boost his energy levels and aid him in battle to a great extent. But at the same time wouldn’t it be cooler if he was the only one who didn’t eat before fighting and the only first timer to pass as well? He could surely brag about it to Cheadle or Kaiya, perhaps even Shintala. Okimodo pondered before making up his mind only for the sight of an irresistible temptation to change his mind immediately.
“Raspberry pie? Screw it!” Okimodo disregarded his self restraint and began to devour the pie like a ravenous dog, picking the entire thing up without a single glance towards the knife, fork and plate right next to it.
Around him a few boys watched in Shock. The sight of a prodigy acting like an animal wasn’t a common occurrence.
Shipo walked in on this and immediately screw faced at his brother for his lack of elegance and concern for self image.
Okimodo didn’t even notice him as he licked the foil container the pie was in cleaner than even the best of house wives and maids could have cleaned it.
“Have you had your fill?” Shipo asked in a passive aggressive tone.
“Shipo is it true that you made general Ivan kneel?” The boy who had walked in after Shipo asked with a crooked smile. He had shoulder length messy white hair that partially obscured his freckled face and jade green eyes that radiated an unhinged energy. His most prominent feature where his two long pointed ears, a trait that combined with his other features to characterise him as fundamentally different from the other Azurai clan members.
Shipo turned to face him. “I’m surprised you even came here, Bhudboidingas the half breed.”
As soon as that name was spoken every other boy in the room stared at him with a mixture of expressions. Bhudboidingas was by far the most infamous youth in their clan. From a young age he became known for starting fights and committing calculated acts of mischief. He had once bred a horde of Jungle spiders and let them lose in Ionoon school to terrify the clan girls. On another occasion he almost strangled Shibeki to death for snitching on him to the clan head. This had happened because Shibeki was being punished for what he did to the girl that rejected him and told the clan head that Bhudboidingas gave him the Ingredients to make the cocktail he used. After that he had Stolen a cursed blade from the clan treasury in order to use it against his enemies outside of the clan of which there were many. Bhudboidingas was so terrible that his reputation had extended outside of the clan, attracting many delinquents from commoner and even noble schools. Stories of his battles in the streets of the city were known far and wide by children across the region, hell he may have even been internationally infamous at this point.
Among the crowd that heard Shipo call out his name, Some where fearful, others where hateful, a few where fascinated and curious, Shipo was indifferent.
“Who told you about that?” Shipo asked giving Bhudboidingas a judgemental stare.
“It was Iosephs little brother.” Okimodo said, putting down the now shimmering foil container back on the table before turning to look at the two of them. “Apparently Ioseph himself was also eavesdropping with him.”
“Seriously?” Shipo immediately turned to face Okimodo upon hearing Ioseph’s name, a potent desire to return the humiliation he suffered a year ago burned in his eyes.
At the next moment a foot arced its way through the air hurdling towards the back of Shipo’s head, all of the youths in the room took a big step back in shock. Over the past few years, a saying had become popular among boys of the Azurai clan. The saying was that one should never turn their back on Bhudboidingas.
“What’s this?” Bhudboidingus’s twisted smile intensified as he gazed upon the hard object that collided with his leg stopping its momentum.
This object was naturally another leg, one belonging to none other than the clan’s famed archer prodigy.
Okimodo had cancelled out Bhudboidingas’s kick with a kick of his own. He glared at the white haired youth, his expression a mix of anger and ridicule. “Don’t you dare lay a finger on my brother.”
“You’re much stronger then I expected, my leg is throbbing.” Bhudboidingas cackled. “How sweet of you to protect your brother.”
“I’m not protecting him.” Okimodo said correcting the delinquent. “I’m saving your leg from being sliced off.”
Bhudboidingus’s eyes moved downward as he stroked his chin genuinely impressed. Below the two intersecting legs was a blade that had stopped inches away from slicing clean through Bhudboidingas’s thigh. Shipo was already about to counter attack before Okimodo stepped in. Had it not been for Okimodo blocking Bhudboidingas’s kick Bbudboidingas’s leg wouldn’t been sliced clean off.
Murmuring could be heard across the room as the youths discussed this confrontation. Numerous eyes gleamed with respect for the strength of the three youths.
“You should thank me.” Okimodo sighed. “You could’ve lost a leg today.”
“Thank you very much.” Bhudboidingas said smiling like a creep.
He withdrew his leg and walked away from the two brothers who watched him with eyes that gleamed with bloodlust. It was clear that whatever had just started was far from over.
End of chapter 11.