One.. Two.. Three. Four.. Tsuna counted the numbers of the crew that awaited him and Saria. Zikel stood tall, shifting his body towards them while rounding up the others’ attention, and their faces lit up as if a jewel had appeared. At least twenty of them here. It won’t be easy to get away from them. A mysterious wave of intense air blasted his direction as Zio descended from the wide bodied trees, coming from his black jacket. The Captain arrived from the forest, inserting a sparkling gold pistol in a holster on his hip and yanking the remains of a cigar that drooped from his lips then smeared it on a tree. The ashes left a mark, but faded away as a light wave glossed over the tree trunk.

“This damned light is unnatural! It’s as if the entire island is under The Crossings protection!” The Captain said, tossing the cigar to the ground before stomping it out. “Monsters, the forest, even the sky, has kept this eerie glow.” While The Captain sounded irritable, the curve of his lips contradicted it. It was as if he’d gone delirious with the realization of being stranded dawning on him as he hunched over and grasped his skull. “No matter! We’re almost there! The will of Astraea is with me!”

Tsuna watched The Captain as something happened to him. In an instant, his body exuded an unusual aura that no one around him seemed to regard. It vanished almost as soon as it showed, but was noticeable enough to make Tsuna uneasy. Eyes drifting between the men and women as if he could see right through them, The Captain locked onto Tsuna. His predatory glare remained and Tsuna was the prey. With open arms, The Captain recomposed himself in posture, except for the jester’s smile on his face.

“Thank you, Saria. My key, OUR key, has arrived on time.” He fluttered his arms toward Zio, who drove his spear in the sand and plucked at the white residue on its body. “Zio, is our path clear?”

Zio shot a skeptical glance and crossed his arms. His eyes squinted at the Captain’s question. “Do you not recall? We only slayed two of the beasts. There are dozens, if not hundreds, more. What, did you think we cleared out the entire forest?”

He placed a hand on his head again, gently massaging a particular area.

“Is your head alright? Being slammed into a tree would knock out any ordinary man. Or at the least, leave some concussive damage.” Zio said. “If you pass out, you’ll become more of an inconvenience to the group than the unarmed boy.”

“Do you think you’re better than me?” The Captain’s hands yielded to his sides, and he angrily stomped to Zio. “Lash me farther and you’ll provoke the wrath of the gods. Remember who you’re talking to.”

Zio closed his eyes then exhaled, the man invading his personal space. “Lead the way.”

The Captain spat, the saliva landing on Zio’s boot, giving him a patronizing sneer as he spun to Saria. “Remain at the encampment to manage the food we have left. Organize parties to scour the island for whatever is edible. Expect to ration it out within the next four hours.”

“Aye aye.” Saria said.

As Tsuna watched her depart, a harsh grip fell onto his shoulder. His attention jerked to The Captain, the unusual aura showing itself again. A glow appeared around his head, identical to that of a draped halo.

“We’re on the clock, ladies and gents!” The Captain yanked Tsuna’s fist into the air. “What takes place after today will be a hallmark in this world’s history, as we ascend to beings beyond man and beast! He released Tsuna’s hand, sighing as his prideful smile vanished. The Captain turned towards the trees, proclaiming as he started walking. “I’ll not delay our awakening with any more speeches. We advance, Carouser!”

***

There was only the light that guided them. The deceptive glistening of the trees tempting them down the wrong path that would have undoubtedly gotten them lost. Each trunk reflected a ray of light that bounced from another’s surface.

It’s like someone took a flashlight in a house of mirrors. Tsuna observed the others, who were also blocking their faces from the light as they advanced forward, chatting on about The Crossing and what they hoped to get from it. In the corner of his vision, he saw something pass with a feathery appearance. It stood tall like a human, but disappeared behind a tree before he could get a good look at it. Huh? It couldn’t be that person from before could it?

The Captain led the herd, heading straight with the occasional turn that led them into an intense light. A powerful glare of light illuminated Tsuna’s face, then disappeared as Zio stepped into it, the lower fraction of his head and the top half of his neck blocking it.

“Nervous yet?” He said.

“No. Why should I be?”

He lifted his arm and positioned towards a random spot between the glassy trees. As his finger spread, Tsuna saw it. Movement, a swinging tail the length of his leg, weaving away into the forest. Zio pointed to three more sights. First, a silver fox's face dissolved into the light. Second, a light gray owl’s neck slinked behind a tree and away from their sight. Third, an orange bolt struck before its appearance was clear, engulfing its body in flame. The blast, though small, discharged a pressure that rustled Zio’s jacket.

A stirring swirled in Tsuna’s stomach moments after the creature struck the ground. Its body burned to a crisp. There’s no mistaking it now. He is that lizard from before. Zio shook his hand, dismissing the smoke from his fingertip, his actions provoking Tsuna’s attention as he intently studied at the creature, then Zio.

Zio sighed, returning his hand to his pocket as the crew stared at him. He’d noticed they clutched their weapons tightly, no one going as far as pointing them at him. “There’s no reason to be gawking!” He rotated his head around to the crew members around him. “Follow your Captain and get to The Crossing! No telling if more will show up!”

After a minute longer, the crew continued along their path with The Captain exchanging glances with Zio before proceeding through the refracting forest. The exchange lasted long enough to paint a picture in Tsuna’s head. Is it because they expected he would shoot The Captain? Those two haven’t gotten along since we landed, so that would add up. He’s expecting a betrayal. Yet, Zio’s holding back information as well. He’d known those things were following us, but didn’t say a word. Even now. Could he be plotting something? Tsuna thought back to what Zio had told him and spoke aloud. “Stop trying to be some hero and leave it to people like you.”

Tsuna’s words created a smile on Zio’s face as he fixed his index finger in front of his lips. “I can tell by that look on your face that you’re thinking pretty hard. Nothing out of the ordinary, as anyone who doesn’t know the situation would. But for the sake of everything, I need you to keep being clueless.”

A stream of frustration coursed through Tsuna’s body, his irritation showing through a stomp. “These creatures are a threat! That’s why these people are here! To make certain no one dies!”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“You misunderstand.” Zio said in a whisper with a shake of his head. “You’ve picked the wrong animals to be focused on. Look at your tied up hands and think about that again.” He angled his head, realizing they were falling behind the group. “Follow through. I won’t let you die here.”

Die here? Tsuna’s senses blared. His hands quivered as with his mouth agape, his tongue drying up. He clamped his hands, incapable of stopping them from shaking. I might die?

***

“Stay right here!” said The Captain as the group exited the forest. The endless tower set in front of them, its base expanding miles across a wide field. Its sparkling base dug into the ground, yet even the dirt was not enough to stain its holy architecture. A wave of his arm sent half of the group to his left and the other to the right. “Secure the area. I want no beast ambushing us as we open the door!” A sparkling crystal gleamed in his direction, it’s call making him lick his lips with anticipation. “Mercenary! Bring the key this way!”

A trance overcame Tsuna, his head tilted straight up to understand the full measure of The Crossing. No matter how hard he squinted his eyes, he could see no end to the structure. His shaking now expanded to his arms, slowly creeping to his chest as he felt the heat exiting his body. A shunt from Zio brought him back to his senses, his limbs numb to the point he could hardly tell he was walking. Now the three of them stood in front of The Crossing. The Captain, determination written on his face, grinning toward the crystal.

“To step into The Crossing, its doors must open for those whom it has chosen. From the start of this adventure, I’ve hunted for clues, found answers, overcame obstacles, nearly losing life limb and eyesight, believing I was one of these chosen. I still believe I am, even though its doors may not open for me, but that will not stop me from claiming my destiny. A key appeared as a sign of Astraea’s grace. A sign of her omniscient eye watching over me, expecting my ascension. You, my key, will be the first to witness my power.” He snatched Tsuna’s wrist and raised it towards the tower. The gem in the back of his hand glistened, but exhibited no sign of feedback. Moments afterward, the walls shifted, the grinding of stone singing in their ears as the wall melded towards its sides, leaving behind only the floating crystal.

Light and dark meshed along the walls in a wandering act, coating every bit of the interior of the tower. Along the light trailed bright colored waves and among the dark sparkled what appeared to be stars.

What the hell? I’ve seen this before! Tsuna recognized the patterns from when he was falling. When that giant woman was minutes away from killing him. When an energy burst from his body and he passed out.

The Captain took a fearless step into the structure. In response, the dark and light fled like entities diving into a door and revealing the room hidden beneath their dance. Stone pillars, with sculpted figures on top, circled a clockwork mechanism in the center of the room. The Captain let out a fierce whistle as he mulled over the room, working his sight up to the ceiling.

“There must be a means to ascend further up the tower. Astraea’s power would not likely rest on the first floor. We must climb higher.” The Captain said. He planted his hand on the injury on his head, his neck twitching in response.

Tsuna walked into the room, scrutinizing the prominent pillars that greeted them. The first pillar to his immediate left was a man, his skin appearing fragmented, with a brown energy moving between the cracks of its skin. To the right of the man, a creature that appeared to be a bird with an exceptionally long beak that stretched further than its wingspan that radiated an olive hue. The pillar parallel to the bird creature carved something he was unclear about. It had tusks sticking from the roof of its mouth, surrounded by teeth as sharp as nails, but had a model that resembled a man. A golden glow rested in its eyes, as if it were examining them. Next to that pillar was something he could only connect to a jellyfish rested atop. The oral arms and bell resonating a pastel blue tint. The last pillar sat further back from the rest of them, but Tsuna could identify plainly what the sculpture was without a second thought. A dragon, its scales divided in a way that made it look as if they lifted off of its body. The head inclined downward, mouth wide, with a crimson glimmer of light shooting toward the ground. Tsuna walked closer to the dragon, suspicious of what gave the pillars light.

Zio kept his distance as he surveyed the walls of the room before taking a step inside. He took notice of Tsuna’s curiosity. “Touch nothing. There’s no telling what anything in here could do to us.” The vibration of tramping feet grew louder behind him as he swung around to see the crew rushing into the tower, pistols positioned at him. His crimson eyes wavered from left to right, reading the certainty on the men's and women's faces. “You planned this from the start, huh? Tell me, how much ego boosting did they require to think that they’d stand a chance against me?”

Tsuna spun around, seeing Zio surrounded, and The Captain quietly staring at the clockwork mechanism. A flip of his finger unbuckled his holster and grabbed hold of his gun. He groaned, lips curving again right after. “It didn’t take much.” The gun was now pointed at Tsuna. “We just needed leverage and an opportunity.” The aura returned to his body, this time visible as streaks of golden lines ran across his tattoos.

“Those marks only a priest would have those.” Zio said, “You’ve kept too much Light for some time then.”

“Too much is the last thing I’d say. I require more in order to awaken my power. Despite the pains, I’m the strongest I have been all my life. You don’t know a thing about me. But you, oh ho, we know all about you, Zio. A Tarragon, an exiled one at that. A hero who can’t seem to let natural selection run its course. Did you assume I wouldn’t think about how, in a bizarre turn of events, you would join an infamous guild with a reputation for crime on a quest for power posing as a mercenary. It made little sense. So, I let the game play on for the year it’s been. While you assisted us in getting this far, I’d been watching for the moment, the one sign of weakness that I could find. And, impressively, you’ve shown nothing. That is, until this boy turned up. Your concern in him has been pretty clear. That was your mistake. Whatever your reason for being here may be, you won’t let a bystander die. So here’s your choice. Your life, or his.”

Silence filled the air. His ultimatum causing a bead of sweat to form on Zio’s head. Tsuna took a step back, making The Captain tighten his grip on his weapon.

“Not another move, boy.” The gold streaks now reaching below his eyelids now. “What will it be, Zio!”

Don’t surrender! I won’t surrender! I can’t surrender! The thoughts ran rife in Tsuna’s brain, echoing. Anxiety overcame him, the strain in his body causing his jaw to ache as he looked ten feet ahead into the barrel of darkness. He bent his knees, now locking eyes with Zio. From the look in his eyes he could tell that he was a man without a solution. Fight! Tsuna’s instincts screamed at him. He bolted forward.

***

Tsuna’s world turned upside down, him falling backward and splashing into a body of water simply to turn right side up. He gasped, nervously feeling around body. I’m dry? What’s going on? To his left, two children crossed his path, walking beside each other in uniform.

“I hate these things!” One child said. “I don’t know why my mom forced me to get glasses! I can see just fine!”

Emiko!?

“Your glasses look cool on you, Emiko. You’re like the character from Masquerade 4 when she has to go into the castle and fight the monsters!”

He identified the voice as his own, but from when he was much younger. The two of them faced the opposite direction from him, stepping away as they conversed.

Emiko removed her glasses from her face. “Tsu-Tsu, you don’t know how much these things hurt to have on your face all day. Mom wants me to have them on all the time, but I’m not wearing them.”

I remember this. This was the first day of grade four. Emiko went to school with her new glasses and shocked everyone because they thought she was someone else. She hated those things, but those didn’t stop her from sitting too close to the television or computer. That’s the reason she ended up getting prescribed in the first place. This was around the time I liked her more than a friend…

Red mist broke into the area, smothering him and obscuring his vision. Tsuna fell to his knees, watching the children vanishing within. A slice of air dispelled the mist, freeing his lungs and showing a clear sky around him. He now stood on a puffy cloud. The only thing visible to him was the sky. Above, he could see an object. It started off large, then shaped into a man who fell with blocks of ice spreading across his body. The hands reached out for something, the ice spreading to them as he descended, breaking through the clouds that Tsuna stood on. The red mist seeped from below, tainting the clouds into a crimson color. Tsuna stepped back, running away from the infected clouds to the bright structure ahead of him. The Crossing. From nowhere, a clawed hand moved out and snatched him by the neck. His vision became red as he suffocated in the closing mist. A voice echoed,

“Who are you?”