“What is your name?”
Ryuna’s ears perked up as she heard the rippling water-like voice of Master Kirin from behind. She had been speaking with a few of the other prospective students, answering some of their questions about her martial arts background, but once Master Kirin approached, the group fell into complete silence, with many of the involved straightening their backs and bowing their heads.
“You talkin’ to me?” she asked. “Ryuna.”
“I noticed you used both the Heart and Body Slot in your match,” Master Kirin said, slitted blue eyes gazing directly into Ryuna’s own. “You even set Installs into them. May I ask how old you are?”
“Nineteen.”
Master Kirin’s hand moved up to her silver mane, stroking at the lower portion as though it were a beard. “Nineteen? That’s quite young to have two Active Slots. And your physical abilities seem honed, as well.”
Those ego-stroking praises made it impossible for Ryuna not to break out into a beaming smile. “Aw, thanks! You got me blushing over here!”
“Where did you train? If you don’t mind my asking.”
Ryuna tucked her hands into her pockets and shrugged. “I don’t mind. I’m from Thunder City, and I mostly trained at Ragin’ Joe’s boxing gym, but I’ve also taken some lessons from a couple other martial arts teachers. We’ve got tons of ‘em back home.”
Bowing her head, Master Kirin then said, “I see. Well, I look forward to watching your next match. You have definite potential, Ryuna.”
* * * *
ULTRA DRAGON
* * * *
And ever since that exchange, Ryuna had been on cloud nine, skipping back into Welca with a bounce in her step, humming an upbeat song to herself. Making a strong impression on Master Kirin herself was arguably more important than winning the tournament outright, although Ryuna wasn’t going to not win it all as well. Based on the number of remaining prospective students, she would likely need just three more matches to go.
There was a small crowd of villagers waiting around by the entrance when she arrived, just like after she had returned after defeating Winslow. This crowd was mostly made up of men, who all excitedly waved to and approached her.
While ordinarily this sort of thing annoyed her, Ryuna wasn’t as bothered by it as she normally would have been on account of how good of a mood she was in. “Hey, fellas! What’s up?”
“You look beautiful today, Ryuna!”
“Did you enjoy your hike?”
“H-hi Ryuna!”
“Are you hungry?”
“Are you busy right now?”
She held her hands out in front of her, slipping through the line. “I’m good, guys, thank you so much! But I do actually have plans right now, sorry! Maybe tomorrow?”
The disappointed crowd of men dispersed from there, allowing Ryuna to continue to Chief Bron’s house mostly undisturbed. However, when her stomach began to rumble, she took a quick detour over to the tavern.
It was fairly quiet inside, making it easy for her to stroll up to the counter. The tavern was family-owned, but the only one currently around was Kiv, the couple’s son. He was about a year or two older than Ryuna, but with how short, skinny, and nervous he was around her, he definitely didn’t feel like the elder.
“Hiiii, Kiiiiv!” she teased, leaning over the counter. He’d been hovering over the sink, quietly toiling away at the dirty dishes, but upon being startled by Ryuna’s words, he accidentally smacked one of the pots over, and it fell onto the floor with a loud clang!
He knelt down to pick it up, although once he had, the awkwardness of the situation hit him like a truck, and from there, his brain was unable to strategize his next move, leaving him standing around with pot in hand. “Um, h-hey Ryuna!”
“Whatcha doin’?”
He used the pot to vaguely gesture towards….absolutely nothing in particular. “Ah, you know, just….yeah.”
Knowing she’d have to be a bit more direct in leading the conversation, she made a big show of slowly closing her eyes and leaning her head back ever-so-slightly. “Wow, it smells so good in here! What are you making?”
“Uhh….yeah….”
She giggled, although it was to mask her annoyance more than to showcase mirth.
Luckily, it seemed to have worked, as Kiv snapped to his senses. “Um….they’re cheesesteaks.”
“Oh, wow, really? I loooove cheesesteaks!”
“Y-yeah….”
Now it was time to bring out the eyelash flutters. “Hey, Kiv….?”
“What is it?”
“Could I….have one?”
His fingers started to scratch away at a nervous itch dancing under the skin on his pot-holding hand. “You want one?”
“I’m starving….”
“Oh, but, um….they’re kinda for the wellers….”
“Pretty please?”
With her opponent on the ropes, Ryuna reached her hand across the counter, gently tracing her fingers along Kiv’s arm.
The killing blow was struck!
* * * *
ULTRA DRAGON
* * * *
The cheesesteaks were quite good. Even Kizzy agreed, as Ryuna had managed to snag a two-for-one. The girl had apparently never had a cheesesteak before; she had grown up exclusively eating her mother’s cooking (which hardly ever strayed from soups, stews, and loaves) with a few desserts from the bakery on very special occasions.
She took an immediate liking to the sandwich, devouring it as though she were a bad business decision and the cheesesteak was a financial investment. Each bite punctured holes into it like awkward similes into narration.
The girls were hanging out in the yard behind the house. It wasn’t really a “yard”, as grass didn’t really exist in Welca, so the ground was just more gray-brown rock, but it was fenced off. Ryuna didn’t care whether it was or not, but Kizzy didn’t want to be seen doing anything other than sitting in her room away from everyone else, and Ryuna explained they needed more space than the bedroom offered, so this was the only logical location.
“Okay! Ready to start?” Ryuna asked, hopping off of the wooden bench she had been sitting on.
Kizzy exhaled from her nostrils, slowing the rate of her chewing in an attempt to prolong whatever it was Ryuna had in mind. “Ugh. No.”
Shrugging, Ryuna started to warm her own body up, jumping in place before leaning over to stretch her muscles.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Observing this, Kizzy then asked, “Where are you from?”
“Thunder City! Why?”
“Is everyone there as….big….as you?”
Ryuna stood back up and looked down at her body. “Uh….kinda? I guess I’m a little taller than most girls.” A moment later, it seemed to click with her what Kizzy had actually been alluding to. With a smirk, she then added, “Oh, wait. I think I know what you mean. Nope! This is a prime bod here, baby! You gotta work for this!” She added in a bicep kiss for emphasis.
“No thanks.”
“Welcans are definitely on the small side though,” Ryuna continued, this time eyeing Kizzy up and down, much to the latter’s annoyance. “Even the guys here are pretty tiny. It’s kinda adorable, but….maybe you guys should eat more? I don’t see how you’d fend off the monsters around here.”
Kizzy, finally finished with her sandwich, sluggishly got up to her feet to join Ryuna. “We don’t.”
“Huh?”
“Fighting’s not allowed,” the Welcan girl explained as she halfheartedly started mimicking the stretching motions Ryuna was doing.
“Fighting’s not allowed?” Ryuna asked. “What do you mean?”
Kizzy shrugged her shoulders. “I dunno. It’s just….against the rules or whatever.” Seeing Ryuna’s obvious confusion, she then asked, “Are you a fighter?”
She flinched as Ryuna suddenly slammed one fist into a palm. “Hell yeah I am! And I kick serious ass, too!”
Kizzy glanced over her shoulder towards the house before taking a survey around the fencing. Fortunately, no one seemed to have heard. “Don’t say that out loud, stupid. You’ll get in trouble.”
“Even me?”
“Especially you,” Kizzy responded. “We don’t usually let foreigners in, and we’re never supposed to trust anyone who fights.”
Ryuna was practically scratching her head with how confused she was by all of this. She’d even stopped her stretches, to Kizzy’s relief. “Wait, then why’d you guys let me into the village? I know I look like I can fuck you up!”
With her eyes narrowed, Kizzy said, “Probably because everyone here thinks you’re pretty.”
“Even you?”
“Wh-?! Ew, no, shut up!”
Before the Welcan girl could take off running back to her room, Ryuna caught her arm, laughing as she tugged her back towards the yard. “No, no, stay, stay! I’m just teasing you!”
“Ugh….”
“Thanks for the heads-up, though,” Ryuna said. “You’re not gonna snitch on me, are you?”
“No. That’s so uncool.”
“Attagirl!”
With that conversational tangent done, Ryuna clapped her hands together to refocus. “Okay! So, first up: breathe!”
Kizzy scowled. “What?”
“Just breathe. Deep breaths. In and out.”
With doubt clear as day on her face, Kizzy sighed before playing along. Long, slow breaths.
“Use your stomach more,” Ryuna instructed. “All the way in, and all the way out.”
“This is stupid.”
“Just do it, Kiki! C’mon!”
“Kiki….?!”
Regardless, Kizzy did as she was told, adjusting her breathing to Ryuna’s liking, instinctually closing her eyes as she did. At first, she didn’t feel anything other than the natural flow of air through the body, but after a few cycles, she suddenly started to feel uncharacteristically warm, deep within her belly. “Wh-whoa….”
“You feel it?”
Kizzy nodded, continuing the breathing pattern, albeit with a bit of nervousness.
“What does it look like?”
“What? It’s in my stomach, I can’t-”
“Just close your eyes and look.”
The Welcan girl obliged, but not before exhaling a puff of frustration from her nostrils. A puff that came packed with a clear layer of heat, as well.
She “saw” nothing. Nothing but the blackness of the insides of her eyelids. But just before she could snarkily say so, a tinge of red flickered across the blackness. And then another, in the opposite direction.
“Uh….there’s….red lights?”
Ryuna nodded. “Makes sense, since your energy signature is fire. Keep going. Where do you feel the fire inside your body?”
“….Stomach.”
“Okay, try to breathe it up your body. Towards your mouth.”
“Ew, what?”
“Kiki.”
Gritting her teeth, Kizzy concentrated on the task she had been given. She didn’t understand how the hell she was supposed to move fire with her breathing, but once again, in time, it seemed to begin working. As she pulled the air from her core upwards, she felt a faint ball of heat start to inch up. And as it ascended, the warmth it gave off spread throughout her body, flickering out along her hands and into her finger tips, then through both of her legs.
By the time the heat had reached her throat, she wanted to ask for further direction, but couldn’t. This caused her to panic a bit, which Ryuna took notice of. “Spit it out!”
Kizzy wretched and threw her head forward, gagging up a wad of crimson flames. It sailed across the “yard”, colliding with the fence. The wooden fence.
Kizzy’s eyes popped wide open as the fencepost caught on fire, but due to her coughing, she wasn’t able to say anything.
Ryuna, on the other hand, wasn’t concerned at all. She simply brought her hands up to her chest, forming an invisible ball between them.
WATER!
She flicked her hand towards the fence, and a glob of water splashed right into the red embers, extinguishing them with ease.
She patted her hand against Kizzy’s back, helping relieve the latter of her coughing. “You okay?”
The Welcan girl nodded. “What….what was that?”
“Hm?”
“That….voice. Was that you? It was really loud and kinda….mannish.”
Ryuna raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know about Installs either?”
Kizzy shook her head, although by that point, Ryuna wasn’t all that surprised anymore, and simply decided to drop the topic.
“Good job, though!” Ryuna said, offering a thumbs-up. “You catch on pretty quick.”
“Ugh….thanks, I guess,” Kizzy responded. She then looked over at the fence. More specifically, the wet spot that had been left behind by the doused flame. “Is your energy….whatever, water?”
“Nah, that was just an Install. My energy signature is chi, actually. I’d show you, but I’m not very stable with it, yet. I might cause some trouble with it.”
That was fine with Kizzy, as she was ready to call it a night anyway. The two girls returned to the home and back into their shared room.
* * * *
ULTRA DRAGON
* * * *
The next morning, Ryuna was once again up bright and early. However, to her surprise, the house was uncharacteristically active at that time. Kizzy was still sound asleep, and it seemed the other kids were as well. When Ryuna stepped outside the room, though, she found not just Lina awake cooking breakfast, but also Bron, and several other villagers, all packed into the kitchen and living room areas.
“Oh, Ryuna! Good morning, dear!” Lina said.
“Morning, Lina. What’s all this about?”
“Ah the wellers are getting ready,” came Lina’s explanation. “Bron’s in charge of them, so they always meet here.”
“Wellers?”
The woman nodded as she hurriedly continued stuffing fruits and sandwiches into bags. The dining table was littered with them, and it seemed that Lina was in charge of filling them up. “Every few months, they have to clear out the wells under the village to prevent them from causing damage. I’m packing their food right now.”
“Ah, gotcha,” Ryuna said, taking another glance at the villagers in the living room. Many of them seemed to be packing bags with tools and extra protective clothing. “Well, I’m gonna head out again, so I’ll be out of your guys’ way.”
As Ryuna spoke that last sentence, Lina paused for a moment, then looked back up at Ryuna, clearly concerned. “Oh, dear….”
“What’s wrong?”
“You see, during this time, all of the village’s food is saved for the wellers,” Lina explained. “They need the energy to keep them going, and everyone else fasts during the week, so I won’t be able to pack you a lunch….I’m so sorry for forgetting to tell you sooner, dear! We don’t usually have much time to prepare before the wells become overactive.”
Ryuna’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait….you guys don’t eat for a whole week?”
Lina nodded. “Well, it depends on how long it takes the wellers to finish, but typically it lasts about that long, yes.”
Ryuna’s mind began to race. At first, everything Lina said was in one ear and out the other. She didn’t really care what the “wellers” were doing; she figured it was something to do with, well, a water well, and that she didn’t have to concern herself with it during her stay in the village.
Now that she was thinking about it, though, she figured that Lina must have been referring to forcewells — springs of high-density flows of ULTRA Force that came up from underground. She’d only heard about them in school and never seen one in person, but that was the most likely connection she could make. Plus, ULTRA Force typically exhausts the body, requiring lots of food and sleep after high usages of it. That would explain why so much food needed to be set aside for the villagers who would be interacting with the forcewells so closely.
But that also threw a wrench in Ryuna’s plans. She didn’t expect to be in the village for much longer, seeing as the tournament at the monastery was nearly finished. However, she still had a few fights to go, and since her opponents would likely be tougher with each duel, she would definitely need to eat and rest in between matches, especially if she had to continue using ULTRA Force to power her Installs….
She prepared to butter up Lina to try and get an exception made for her, but her instincts told her that wasn’t the right call. Something about the look on Lina’s face, the mass of villagers in the living room, and her talk with Kizzy the day before about the village’s strange rules regarding foreigners warned her that that attempt would backfire greatly.
But she definitely needed to eat. Fasting wasn’t something she wanted to go back to doing if she could help it, even if only for a week, and it would needlessly impact her fighting ability. So she opted for a different approach.
“Do you guys need any help with the welling?” she asked.
Lina was surprised to hear her say that, and several other villagers in the living room wore similar looks of surprise.
Knowing she had them, Ryuna turned to face the wellers. “I’m a pretty tough girl. I’m sure I could help out. Right, fellas?”
The smiles on many of the wellers’ faces seemed to confirm it, even before Bron asked, “Are you sure?” When she nodded yes, he followed up with, “Wow! Thank you, Ryuna!”
“No problem, guys!” she replied. “It’s the least I could do for letting me stay here!”
“We’re all set for today, but you could come with us tomorrow!”
“I won’t be able to do it in the morning, though. Is it okay if I go in the evening?”
Bron nodded. “Sure!” And then, upon seeing Ryuna’s big, bright smile, he looked past her towards his wife. “Lina! Go ahead and pack her some food!”
Got ‘em.