Chapter 15
‘Outclassed’
























“Wake up!” Rick dumped me off my luxury cot and I fell onto the hardwood.
  “Geez, Rick.” I snarled yawning, “it’s three in the freakin’ morning,” looking at my watch.
“Strik’s orders.” He replied acting like nothing just happened.
“Why are you listening to him?” I asked annoyed, “I thought you hated him.”
“Well, when you get to be my age you’ll learn that if you mess with the guy who made the reservations for the Inn you’re staying at he has the ability to kick you out.”
“Nice.” I stand up and drape on some clothing over my naked chest. I put on a muscle shirt and sweat pants. We walk out of my room and into the main hall where Strik, Karen, and Pieses were sitting. Karen and Pieses were kind of drowsy due to the time but Strik was so awake I could’ve sworn he took some sort of medication and drank a pot full of coffee. I digress. I sat next to Karen and smiled at her. She smiled back.
“What’s this in aid of?” I ask Strik turning my head to face him. He shifted happily.
“Blake as you know you’ve been appointed the rank of general because of your combat prowess in Ainhoa, but before you may ascend to that rank you must prove to the generals that you are worthy. You will meet them at half past noon.”
I looked at him confused, “I thought that the King’s orders are the final and only say.”
“They are. But with the threat of the Dragon’s attacking, the military has slightly more power on the political spectrum.” He folded his arms. I sighed heavily and rubbed my temples,
“I can’t help but feel this is some attempt to kick me in the rear.”
He chuckled, “Probably Blaky-boy.” There was a pause and he looked around at everyone. “Why are you all still here?”
“You’re telling us the only reason you woke the rest of us up because you wanted to tell Blake he needed to meet with the Generals?” Rick asked quite peeved.
“Pretty much.” Strik nodded grinning slightly and placing his hands on his head interlocked. Everyone was glaring at him. Karen got up,
“I’ll never be able to get to sleep now.” She complained in a harsh tone.
“Than make me breakfast. I’m starving.” He said arrogantly, while picking his nose with his pinkie.
She gritted her teeth and was about to bark something when I put a hand over her hand on the table. She looks at me.
“Just go to bed I’ll talk to him.” I smiled slightly. She smiled back and pecked my cheek.
“You always know what to say.” She turns away and leaves the room. “Blake could you come here for a second?”
“Sure.” I call back. I’m about to leave when Rick catches my shoulder. I turn annoyed, “Let go.” I try to shrug him off but he keeps a tight hold. I look at Strik for support but he’s leaning over the table holding his head in between is locked fingers.
“You didn’t tell her Blake.” Strik states coolly.
I fidget, “But I don’t even know if I want to-”
“Silence,” he barks, “You are going to march into that room of hers and tell her the truth.” He points and I see the seriousness in his eyes. I tighten my lips and finally free myself from Rick. I walk out into the hall towards Karen’s room.

She’s lying on her bed. Eyes closed. I walk in and rap on the door. Her eyes open and she smiles when she sees me. She goes to sit up but I wave a hand showing I want her to stay lying down. I walk over to her bed and ask pointing to her bed, “May I?”
“Certainly.” She answers. I sit down and let out a sigh. Rubbing my face I stop and look at her face in the dim light from the main hall. I stroke some hair out of her face and rub her cheek. I smile and she blushes. I know what to say I had gone over it in the short walk but, what I was doing felt so right, I could see me with Karen happy. But that was no guarantee if I involve her anymore she could get hurt. I know I need to keep her safe. I clear my throat and say to her softly,
“You know, that this place is a wonderful world, but in actuality this place is about to be-”
“Don’t you even think of sending me back Trackerman.” She interrupts. I look at her confused. “I know exactly what you’re thinking. You think it’s too dangerous. You think I’m some poor defenceless girl nobody.” She looks rather peeved, “Let me tell you something buster.” She’s sitting up and she jabbed my shoulder with her finger, “I won’t leave, not until you come with me.” I look at her astonished. I smile and place my hands into my face. She knows me so well, we have the same interests but people say we can’t be together. Out of my whole life I’ve never been more sure that she’ll be my everything. I know this isn’t puppy love. This seems so unfair I feel like crying. I try to hold it but a loud sob breaks through. I clench my teeth embarrassed. Karen shifts concerned. She rubs my back.
“Blake what’s wrong?” I look up at her and I can feel tears fall down my face onto her lap. I can’t believe I’m being so weak in front of her. I grunt solemnly and wipe the tears from my face.
“K-Karen…” I croak, “Ah…I…we can’t-”
The door was burst fully open and Rick shouted with alert,
“Looter’s gone!” I turn and wipe away tears.
“What are you talking about?” I ask finally getting my normal voice back.
“I left him on the mountain for his extra-training but I went to check up on him he was no where to be seen. And there were no signs of a spell whisking him away. He would’ve needed to draw an array for him to teleport.”
“Maybe his dragon uses teleporting spells and he knew subconsciously.” I inquire.
“No chance, I’ve seen that dragon at work, his specialty is physical Morgango if I ever saw it.”
I surge to my feet. I bolt out of the room and go for the door.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Strik asks. I turn to face him.
“I’m going to look for Looter.”
“Not going to happen, you need to conserve your energy for the test the Generals will give you.”
“And if I leave anyway?”
Strik snickers and raises a gloved hand. I realize that this is one of his spell gloves. I’m about to run when a blast of air strikes me and I slam against the wall and fall unconscious.

“Ohhh man.” I groan getting up. Nobody’s here and they haven’t moved me. I’m in the exact spot where Strik hit me down. I look at my watch after getting up and rubbing my face. My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. It’s 11:50. I let out a cowardly scream. I grab my white sweater and shove it on over my muscle shirt so no one sees my tattoos. I burst through the front door and bolt down the stairs. I’m running full flight out of the INN and after I blast through the doors I’m running down the alleys and any shortcuts I can find. The Kingdom gates are in sight. I nearly whoop in joy when a fist slams into my chest and winds me I stop. I look around. There are two burly men and they each holed a crude knife. They sneer.
“Little boys better not tread on our turf eh man?”
“Got that right.” He grinned revealing a textbook example of the horrors of not brushing after meals. I grimace and try conversing.
“Look fellas why don’t you let me go so I don’t stay on ‘your turf’ too much longer hmm?”
They both outright laughed to the point where they held their sides. I decided this was too annoying so I took the offensive. I got low.
“What’s he going to do now?” one guy chuckled to the other.
“Maybe he’s gonna do a trick for us.” They both burst into tears. I squinted and my mouth turned into a grin. I focused my aura and I shot my eyes wide open. A blast of air shot from around me and blew the pair into a wall. They both let out a wheezed gasp and collapsed. I began running again.

“Ah here he is now.” Strik said smugly turning to the opening of the training ground. I run in and look around. I spot Strik and jog to him. Three men with huge builds stand facing him all have their arms crossed. Even without seeing their aura I can tell that they’re huge. I gulp.
“Gentleman, this is my pupil. The hero of Ainhoa.” He puts a hand around my shoulder. I’m panting hard. They all look at me with criticizing eyes. Finally one speaks. He has a triangular goatee and a bandana covering his hair. He wears what the other Generals are wearing. But his sleeves are torn off. He has fewer medals than that of the others.
“He does seem to know his place not to speak with us.” He says not lifting his frown. I can tell he doesn’t like me.
“Hey now Neo.” The more composed man said. His uniform was unscathed, and he had no facial hair but two golden blonde eyebrows to match is hair that was braided and draped onto his shoulder. “The kid’s just being polite. What do you think Yuuto?”
He glanced up at me than at him. His uniform was unbuttoned and looked like the jacket had not been washed in several days he stunk. He had scruffy short brown hair and had 5 o’clock shadow.
“He doesn’t deserve assessment.” He turned back to this tree full of exotic looking birds. Strik looked totally emotionless but I could tell he was offended and I was of course. Not because of the insults mostly but because this one guy was helping me when the others wouldn’t. Something told me to look out for him.
“Tell yah what squirt.” The lowest ranking general slapped his hands together and smiled, “If you do one thing for us, we’ll show you respect and not question your rank as General.”
“Is this the test that you swindled the King into me doing?”
He looked at me with a glare. The blonde one laughed,
“He got you there Neo.” Neo cast him the same look,
“Shut up Edrik, in Desepei you may be Prince but here you’re nothing but backwater trash. Yuuto spoke icily and without turning,
“Neo quiet you’re annoying voice is scaring the birds away.”
Neo gritted his teeth. I felt like I had to break the mood,
“So, this test what exactly do I have to do? Run around town in a certain amount of time?”
Neo grinned showing some teeth. “You’ve got to beat me in an anything goes fight.” He pointed at his face. This caught me a bit by surprise.
“This is unjust.” Strik stepped forward, “The boy has barely had any fighting experience, only by the shaky training my past pupil gave him and a few close calls.”
“He defeated a whole swarm of Regan, I think that’s a little more than a fluke you traitor.” He stared hard at Strik.
“The Margan’s had no solid position in the war, we helped you by sealing them in human bodies dunce.”
“Anyway!” I said loudly stepping in-between them, “General I think I’m ready, I’ll accept the test.” I put my fists to my sides showing I am physically ready. He smiled,
“Well you’ve got guts, an important feature for a military official.”

We stood at either end of the field I was taking deep cleansing breaths. We had drawn quite a crowd, awash of different people and ranks. I suffer from stage fright so this is very frightening for me.  
“Now remember!” Neo exclaimed, “Anything goes, you can fight hand-hand, sword play, shuriken anything!”
“Got it!” I shout back. That’s probably the only way I’m going to win anyway.
“On the word fight you will fight got it?” One officer announced. I took one look at Neo and he looked revved up and ready to go.
“FIGHT!” The officer exclaimed. Neo wasted no time, he lept forward with his hand in position for a chop. I jumped to the side and he caught himself than launched himself at me. I fell to the ground and he screeched to a stop a metre behind me I jumped up and took the offensive. I stopped just shy of him and swung my foot up to his jaw. He caught it with both of his hands. I let my torso fall and I supported myself as I launched my second foot at his jaw. He flipped around switching his grip on my leg and threw me to the wall. I reached into my subconscious and unleashed my air hammer attack. I threw my fist at the wall demolishing part of the wall. The propulsion launched me back at the defenceless Neo. I landed a heavy punch into his cheek. He flew a bit than regained his balance. His lip was bleeding and he chuckled.
“Not bad kid.” He wiped the blood away. “Now let’s see what happens when I go all out.” He took of faster than ever. Somehow he grabbed the scruff of my shirt and threw me into the sky. Astonished that he got around without me noticing. I decided I might need more power. I go to my mind, but I find Strik in there.
“What are you doing?” I ask frightened, “He’ll issue a counter any second I need more power.”
“Dragon powers are forbidden. The minute the other officers find out you are possessed they will not only not accept you into their ranks, they’ll execute you.” Strik than waved a hand and I was tossed back into reality.
I opened my eyes to see Neo upside down with his leg ready for a kick.
“No time for daydreaming kid.” His foot hit my head and I fell to the ground I used air hammer to cushion my fall. I looked up he was falling,
“You have to know more Morgango that that. Come on I want more.”
I acted on instinct I put my hand into a fist leaving a small opening from my index to my pinkie. I blew into it. My hand glowed bright blue. The water vapour and carbon dioxide in my breath transformed into a typhoon aimed right at Neo. It sucked him in along with bits of debris it stabbed him numerously. And he fell. He was bloody everywhere. I was panting that took a lot out of me. I slumped to my knees. I put a thumb up to Strik. But I saw through the corner of my eye Neo getting up. He dusted himself of and removed the wood pieces sticking out of his body. He grinned at me.
“Judging by your current position I bet a breeze could knock you down.” He walked over like the wounds meant nothing. He picked me up by my collar. “But I will give you credit on hitting me twice.” He pulled his arm back. It slammed into my forehead. I felt my grip on reality slip.
“Nighty, night Colonel.” He laughed as he let me fall. Strik rushed to me and picked me up but than I blanked out and gave way to forced slumber.