The stars and moon shone lightly on the shores of Port Talan. Waves crashed gently on the rocky beach before receding back into the ocean: a calm cycle destined to be repeated. Breaking out of the water, a large shark interrupted the waves. It slowly dragged itself forward, displacing the pebbles of the shore as it moved out of the water.
With a final leap, the shark pulled itself out of the water and rolled to its side, revealing a bloodied Kai. Gasping for air, he crawled back away from the water just in time to avoid another shark biting into his legs. The second shark crunched the stones it caught into dust before grasping his kin and swimming back into the ocean.
What is up with my luck this week? I can’t seem to catch a break! I fought Tommy, then I had to fight a horde of pirates, not to mention that Storm division captain, and now I was forced to act as the bait for a stupid fish so that everyone could get out safely. That crafty shark even led me to his pack. Mumbling to himself, Kai took a look at his injuries.
Most of them were flesh wounds, cuts from empowered fins and stray water blades the pack had thrown at him. The only notable one was a deep gash over his side where one of the smaller sharks had managed to bite into him. Running electricity through his body, Kai activated his blue color to cauterize his wounds and allow the process of regeneration to begin. The aftermath of his ocean battle dealt with; he wondered what he was supposed to do now.
Tired and unmotivated, Kai lay on the ground. For the past 10 years, he had never been separated from Pola. He had dedicated his life for that child, always working and fighting to give her everything she could need. Now, he was alone with only the knowledge she would return to him in who knows how long. He shifted through the pockets of his pants until he found the picture of a 4-year-old Pola he kept on his person. Caressing the picture, his eyes became watery. “What’s a big brother without his little sister?”
After the better half of an hour spent moping, Kai picked himself up from the rocky beach. I might as well go grab my stuff from the hotel room. Maybe my sword can fill this void in my heart. Crestfallen and wearing tattered clothing, Kai marched towards the log cabin the group had opted to leave his sword in.
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It took Alexander three days of training before he was able to successfully transform his flames into the indigo color. Even with a mystical copy of himself guiding him through the steps, using fire to do anything other than heal had been a harrowing task.
Alexander laughed triumphantly as he showed his copy his success. “Nice job, but you must know, you will not have truly succeeded with the flame until you bind it to your chosen partner.”
The indigo flame burning within his eyes seemed to signal the end of the vision as the river, the grown Pengu, and Alexander’s copy began to fade. Whisking away into particles of light, the copy spoke calmly. “Seek the Turtle Saint under the branches of dragon’s tree. She requests your presence.”
Alexander felt himself move through space as, within the blink of an eye, he found himself back under the pond of the Beast’s Waterfall. He reveled in his triumph for a brief second before the hunger and thirst of three days slammed into him. Famished, he swam to the edge of the pond and reached into his pack for some sustenance. He had been absorbed in a fanatic pursuit of magic for the duration of the vision, never stopping to rest or eat. It wasn’t for another hour that the Turtle Saint floated down the waterfall and found Alexander curled up on his backpack.
Feeling a nudge on the back of his head, Alexander drowsily opened his eyes. “5 more minutes.”
“Eat this. It’ll help you feel better.”
Something soft rubbed over his mouth, and Alexander’s hunger drove him to instinctively bit down. He was met with a burst of mouth-watering sweetness which soon spread through his body, filling him with vitality. He lifted his hand to hold on to the food as he continued chewing on the delicious treat. Opening his eyes, he found himself holding on to the blue and golden fruit he had seen earlier in the oak tree.
Floating above him, the Turtle Saint spoke. “It’s what we call dragon’s fruit. Nidra made it to provide food for all beasts inhabiting his kingdom. It not only provides the body with fuel, but it also massively increases mana regeneration. Finish that one, and you should be ready to meet me under the tree.”
Alexander nodded absentmindedly, still lost in the taste of the fruit, as he saw the Turtle Saint vanish. He sat leisurely until he finished the fruit before shooting out of the ground. “Wait, Turtle Saint! Where’s Pengu?”
Running around the pond, Alexander hastily climbed up the cliff wall. Within the vision, the rest of his worries had melted away as he focused purely on understanding the concepts behind the indigo flame, but now that he had returned to the turtle’s land, he realized he had left Pengu for three whole days. He had taken the Turtle Saints words of him staying within the waterfall for however long it took as a manner of speaking rather than a literal warning. Oh, geez. Pengu’s gonna make me bake until my hands fall off for leaving her alone in a foreign land.
Scrambling over the edge of the cliff, Alexander was greeted by an odd sight. The Turtbros were standing in a triangle with Pengu in the center, all sporting sunglasses and a whistle. A stereo speaker was lying by one of the roots, playing an electronic tune. One of them yelled hike and threw one of Nidra’s fruit at the penguin. A red sheen wrapped around her flippers as Pengu sliced through the fruit. Expertly leaping, Pengu caught half of the fruit in her beak while the other was pierced by her flipper.
Sternly staring down Pengu, Benson yelled telepathically. “Think fast, dragon baby!” A curved shot flew out of Pengu’s blind spot as Benson launched a second fruit.
Without even needing to turn her eyes, Pengu positioned her flipper to catch the sneak attack. A second fruit caught itself on Pengu’s right flipper, slotting in like a kebab. In preparation for more fruit projectiles, she lifted her left flipper to stand guard.
An array of claps welcomed the penguin, courtesy of Clyde, Evan, and Benson. “Wonderfully executed!”
“A spectacular display of skill.”
“Psh, barely passable I guess.” Blowing the whistle hanging on his neck, Clyde barked a new set of orders. Hurry to the tree, cadet! I expect you to eat more than 50 fruits this round. We’re shattering your PRs right now.”
The tiny penguin gathered red wind over her head as she headbutted the thick oak tree. Bundles of Nidra’s fruit fell in response, which Pengu was quick to start devouring.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Inclined to question the series of events he had just witnessed. Alexander made his presence known. “Umm, what exactly is going on here?”
Evan greeted him warmly. “Turtle Prophet, it’s you! We missed you dearly.”
“Very, very dearly.”
“Right. I missed you guys, too, but I already told you the whole Turtle Prophet thing was a lie. Aren’t you upset with me?”
Benson floated back towards the group, leaving Pengu to her feast. “A wise turtle once said, ‘Only the results matter, not at all how you get there’ or something like that.”
“Yeah, I think that’s totally wrong, boss.”
“Super wrong.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter! What I mean is you saved us from fighting each other, and that’s what’s important. We are now friends.” Benson huffed, angry at his mistake being pointed out.
Snickering at the ridiculous turtles, Alexander thanked them before addressing the elephant in the room. “Call me, Alexander, then. I’m happy to be your friend, but I must ask. What are you doing with Pengu?”
“It’s a coaching strategy we read in a book one time.”
“It’s called good turtle - good turtle – bad turtle.”
“We read it’s supposed to have incredible effects when it comes to boosting productivity, and since the Turtle Saint appointed us to train the dragon baby, we figured it was a good time to try it out.”
“Wait a second.” Alexander rubbed his forehead. “You guys are Pengu’s coaches? Are you… are you qualified? I mean I know you’re strong but?”
“HAHAHA!”
“He doubts our prowess, brothers!?”
Clyde trumpeted out a melody from his mouth. “Allow us to introduce ourselves properly, Alexander. We are the Turtbros!”
“Lord tier triplet extravaganza!”
“And we also happen to be the only wind and psychic turtles in the clan!” Evan shifted his pink mist into multiple fireworks that showered the turtles with glitter.
“And you are being paid to work. So why don’t all of you scamper off to Pengu.” The Turtle Saint lifted all three turtles with telekinesis before flinging them to the tree.
Noticing the Turtle Saint had arrived, Alexander gave her a worried glance. “Are they the best candidates for teaching Pengu? It kind of just looks like they’re playing catch and feeding her a lot.”
The Turtle Saint sighed. “They are silly little troublemakers, those three but probably the most gifted turtles born to the clan. Every day I pray one of them matures since they are very likely the next leaders of our kind, but that’s neither here nor there. They are beyond qualified to train Pengu, and Nidra’s fruit is a natural treasure. It can boost cultivation through the bottom tiers. In fact, Pengu has already caught up to you and is nearing the Master tier.”
Gobsmacked, Alexander replied. “Can I have some more of those?”
“No. Humans get one. That is enough.” Leaving no room for discussion, the Turtle Saint began walking towards the large tree. “Your time here is done, anyway. My trial is the easiest to pass. So long as you have some interest in learning, the waterfalls can guide you.” She tapped on the bark three times, with the wood caving in on the third knock. “The next two trials are anything but easy, though. I’ve already spoken with the next guardian, and he is ready for you. Step through the gate and commence your second trial.”
“But what about Pengu? I don’t mind waiting until she finishes her training.”
The tall Turtle Saint ruffled Alexander’s hair. “The second trial is one meant to be overcome alone. If you are successful, Pengu will join you for the third trial.” She lifted Alexander by the collar of his shirt and shoved him through the portal. He heard one last whisper before his vision went black. “A word of advice, though, child. It is important you figure out what exactly you want out of life.”
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Alexander came to in white wonderland. He was lying face down in a snow-covered field. An ongoing snowstorm was limiting his vision, but he see could his backpack a few feet away. Shivering from the cold, he dragged himself to his pack. He had taken off his snow boots and coat when he took a dip in the indigo waterfall and was beyond happy when he finally managed to get them back on. In addition to them, he also put on some gloves and a scarf.
Better equipped to face the elements, he activated his scan to see if he could detect a hint of what he was supposed to do. He found a whole load of nothing as the area appeared to be only snow. Without any other options, Alexander picked up his things and began marching forward but quickly realized that was not possible.
After taking ten steps, the snowstorm had shifted into an all-out blizzard that pushed him back to where he started. Confused, he tried several more times but was met with the same conclusion. In the spirit of science, he left his backpack on the snow to mark the area where he had landed and was surprised to see every direction pushed him back after exactly ten steps except for one.
Certain he had found the correct route, Alexander began the trek forward. Seconds melted to minutes which in turn morphed into hours as he continued marching forward. If ever he strayed too far from the course, the winds of the storm would push him back. His feet had hurt ever since the first hour. The strength exerted to drag his feet through the mounds of snow was a step up from the normal walking he was used to. By the second hour, his body had gone numb from the cold, a happy benefit for a while as he could no longer feel the pain, but Alexander realized frostbite was a very real possibility if he didn’t do something about the cold.
It was now the 6th hour of his journey, and Alexander had settled into a routine. At every two hour mark, he would run his white flames through his body, warming his insides while healing any damage he had incurred. He had been tempted to stop along the way, but something inside him screamed it would be a bad idea, so he continued. He continued one foot in front of the other, for hours on end.
It was cathartic in a way. One man journeying through a snowstorm, alone with his thoughts. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but his mind had wandered back to the Turtle Saint’s words. Have I really been the reason I haven’t been able to understand the red color? I’m not battle adverse. I mean I did leap into the fray back in the forest, but now that I think about it, that was the closest I’d ever been to conflict.
“I wouldn’t call it adverse, more like pathetic.” Alexander’s father had appeared beside him.
“He isn’t pathetic, dear; he’s just weak.” A tall, well-toned brunette appeared on his other side, Alexander’s mother. “I mean why else would he leave behind someone who gave him so much. Don’t you think, doc?”
Off to the side, Dr. Hernandez materialized in the snowstorm. “That’s very true. Why did you leave me, Alexander? All I wanted was to make you happy, but you let me die. You hear that? I’m dead. Director Li and the Boitata Warriro caught up to us as soon as you went through the portal and had me arrested. The trial was quick; there isn’t much of a case to be made for disobeying the king. Now, I’m lying in a pile of bodies after my execution, all because you left me.”
An angry tone escaped his father. “No son of mine would have done that, and for what? You wander through an island with people you just met?! You’re wasting away your life!”
“Just help us understand, Alexander. You had the chance to be great, to be strong, and you left it all behind. Why didn’t you go to Propizio. Training under a duke is the dream of every young man in Fausto. What is your purpose?”
Overcome with emotion, Alexander ran forward through the snowstorm. His rattled mind not questioning how his parents or Dr. Hernandez had beenable to appear before him, but no matter how far he ran, they were still there, floating beside him.
“Why did you abandon me, Alexander? I treated you like a son, and you just left me behind like a scrap. Were my teachings worth nothing to you? If you had just told me not to commit to such a stupid plan, I would be alive…. I would be alive if you had just done what you were meant to do.”
The last words struck a chord in Alexander’s heart as he toppled down, rolling in the snow. As he lay on the ground, he realized the storm was draining something out of him. His life was escaping him before his eyes, but he was too caught up in the words of his ghosts to move.