Chapter 76: Prelude to Poetry

Khalif and Oscar stood serving lunch beside many others. Within their overlays, either green flashes or red flashes would occur with each student they served. By the time they met their goal, Khalif’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow, that was easy,” said Khalif more to himself than Oscar.

“Speak for yourself. I feel horrible, said Oscar.

“How about this, embers, I’ll even stack the odds in your favor,” started Khalif, a bet Oscar knew he’d want to take coming, but from experience over the last few days both knew he shouldn’t involve himself with, but knew he wouldn’t pass up.

“I bet you a student medallion for every member in your class that doesn’t die to the poison, and I’ll give you 10 for every student that does,” said Khalif in a whisper, his smile familiar in how warm and welcoming it was.

“How could you even afford that, you haven’t even taken that many—“ Oscar was cut off by the two handfuls of medallions that appeared in Khalif’s hands momentarily before they disappeared back into his suit's spacial inventory.

“I’m both a Builder’s Hand, and a member of the BlackHole Conglomerate Oscar, lying is unnecessary at this point. You want in on these odds? You heard Carter, or Shopkeep or whatever he’s being called at the moment, they have a 50% chance of meeting the maiden. You in or not?” Khalif extended a hand to Oscar, and the young man took it. He couldn’t pass up on that many medallions, especially with the odds being in his favor as far as he could tell.

The memory of Carter’s experiment the previous night was still fresh in Oscar's mind. An experiment that involved both a surprisingly professionally cooked meal, an odd root baked into butter of all things, and a pair of flatscreen phones being used as binoculars with the aid of a simple app.

Oscar had been pulled onto a rooftop by Khalif through his own shadow of all things, and forced to spy on a young woman who ordered a meal to be specially delivered to her room.

It wasn’t long after Oscar found the girl's dorm room, within the cluster of moving platforms all around them, that the meal arrived.

A pleasantly dressed young woman, he thought may have been Xani, with her white hair in a bun, set a table for the girl’s dining purposes on her balcony, gave a bow and flew away.

The girl exited her room and gave a wave at the young woman who’d flown off. Sat down. Lifted the provided utensils and dug in.

The young woman seemed surprised by the quality from what the lip reading function of the app provided, describing the meal to be cheap for such fresh ingredients.

After she finished the meal, she rose to her feet, smiled, walked a few strides, frowned, and looked down at her stomach.

The young woman lifted a quivering hand to her stomach, looked as if she was about to run, then fell over. A violent amount of uncontrolled thrashing and shaking occurred, and Oscar had to look away at all of the garbage that poured out of the woman’s body. The woman left afloat in a puddle of released toxins.

“Come on, the boss has what he needs with this footage,” was all Khalif had said before he once again pulled Oscar to another rooftop to perform another series of tasks Carter’s group called the prep.

All for Oscar to be able to train under a single teacher. The teacher of the class he and Khalif were walking toward as they overheard yet another conversation about Troy.

Oscar now knew Troy was the prize fighter, The queen of Troy, who was growing a massive fan base through the hosting of her own underground fight club.

“I heard that she’s literally dating a weapon master from a different realm whose being chased by a runic princess that sparking attends Adroit Academy of all places,” shrieked a young man in excitement watching Troy’s now viral broadcast of her climb up Adroit Academy's mountain. Troy was being talked about more than even the midterms that were coming up soon, a problem to which the teachers had no answer to fix, other than using aspects of Troy’s own climb in the curriculum.

“No way bro, heard she’s dating some rich dude from a lower realm with some sort of connections to a crime syndicate,” said another student in the passing group that watched the broadcast.

“Naw, it's neither of those dudes, it's some guy named Carter, with a fashion brand. Raid Corp is trying to sue because he damaged something while they shot a commercial at their theme park, but I guess they keep buying his clothes to sell in mass quantity so the lawsuit is being ignored, you know how those tycoons play fast and loose.” Oscar looked at Khalif who chuckled before he sent him a private message through his Overlay.

Khalif: They're all talking about the same person…, ignore them, you’ll get used to it if you make the cut. Lol.

“Oh my embers, you saw that video too. I have that poster of that Carter guy spartan-kicking a guard through a wall in my dorm room, dude,” offered another member of the group.

Oscar: is it always like this?

Khalif: Like what?

Oscar: You guys moving in the background like this, and everyone else being none the wiser to what you have going on?

“Sparks no, the penthouse job was a job gone wrong,” said Khalif who walked into the spacious gymnasium with a glance back at the shocked Oscar. The young man’s mouth unintentionally fell open, before he shut it and rushed to join Arson and Khalif.

“Hey you two! How did it go, did you get everyone?” Arson’s question struck those he asked differently.

“Khalif nodded and shrugged with a huge smile on his face, while Oscar looked around at the empty gym that normally held dozens of students, but now only held Oscar, Khalif, Arson, and a single other student who stood beside their teacher.

“Where is everybody?” Oscar looked over at the teacher’s question, but the girl he’d only just recognized answered the teacher.

“Most of them looked sick after lunch, I think there is a strange stomach bug going around, but if you ask me something has to be going on with the food,” said the blond girl with sludge clinging to the ends of her hair. Oscar assumed she must not have been able to clean it properly after Khalif and him had left her on her balcony.

“I see…” said the teacher, and Arson scoffed. Oscar’s attention momentarily pulled from the teacher, and toward his new boss.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Carter wasn’t his real name either.

“So, can we finally get this farce over with, and you test Oscar to see if he is of the right affinity to be taught by you, sir,” asked Arson. Oscar’s eyes went wide at the direct nature of Arson’s inquiry, but knew how much had been done to give him this opportunity.

“Farce, what farce do you speak of, young man?” Oscar looked between Arson, and the kind grey haired older man with a mullet and bangs that reached his eyebrows and watched their interaction fearfully.

He’d explored the school's available portions that were open to both the new student body and those trying to become students, and found a class that interested Oscar above all else.

“My associate here wants you, a supposed grappling master to become his teacher, and even though for days now he’s shown considerable talent in both what you’ve displayed to the rest of your students, you still ignore him, so what farce am I speaking of, the farce that you are qualified to teach my friend,” said Arson. Every person there rose their eyebrows with the exception of Arson, who looked back at Oscar with a grin. A grin Oscar now feared.

“Young man, I have practiced the art of combat grappling since before you all were collectively born, what could this obviously unexperienced youth show me that I haven’t already seen from him in the last few days of classes?”

Arson looked at Oscar with a smile. The young man in front of Oscar had an untold amount of secrets, and Oscar didn’t like how Arson now looked at him as if he knew Oscar’s own secrets, and was about to share one.

“Give him three rounds, and I doubt you’d be able to grab him anymore, let alone take him down,” said Arson with a laugh, and an accompanied message through his overlay.

Carter: use the basic forms of tai chi to remain upright and counter.

Carter: Oh, and any reversal palms, or pushes, close your hands, rather than opening them, and you may encounter chances to slam or throw this old dude.

“Young man, what makes you think I’d waste my time with something like this,” said the teacher. Arson looked around at the large empty room, and the only other student there beside him and his friends stared at his group oddly, before she realized, no one else was coming to class, almost in the same moment everyone else did.

“Is this little spectacle all for an opportunity to become my disciple, I don’t know what you could have done to make this happen, but well done, my boy. I will test all of you promptly—“

“Nope, Mr. Black and I forgo our turns for you to give Oscar three total chances to beat you.” Khalif rolled his eyes at Arson’s use of the title Mister in his direction, and how the color used, like a surname had also changed continually since Khalif had taken Oscar on fully as a trainee, even if Oscar wasn’t aware of it himself yet.

Khalif’s second in command had changed often, as once trained they were more valuable working for the BHC, rather than following him around. Now Khalif’s biggest worry was how much he himself advanced and learned, and felt he now needed to teach his previous trainees, something he’d only battled with mentally since arriving on campus.

Arson believed this place was built to break down the mind, and rebuild it, but its functions had become unbalanced somehow and now the students were being… dulled.

After Khalif shared his thoughts with Arson, he knew something was off, and sipped the potion that kept his mind clear. The potion of Crystalline Recollection showed Arson the true state of the campus that rotted around them all, but Arson would leave his mark on the campus, and fix what he could along the way. He felt the least he could do was try, he wasn’t even a student.

Yet…

Arson refocused on the teacher, the plans he slowly molded into place over the last few days only just beginning to bear fruit.

He’d opened three more Tai Chi bath houses. Putting three more in the halos he’d passed during the climbing challenge.

They would be integral to his plan succeeding, and he needed Oscar to see his real talent before he could set the young man to the task he truly needed him for.

“Are you ready, young man?” Oscar looked over at the only other three people his age in the room, and back at the teacher. He’d glanced at Arson and Khalif for support, but only received two grins and a worried expression worn by the blonde he’d poisoned the night previously. Oscar stood in the middle of a sparring ring with a teacher he’d come to idolize over the past few days. A mixture of feelings over what Arson had told him to attempt.

Aren’t these supposed to be cleansing body movements…? The thought of what was suggested had a potential that rang true in Oscar’s mind, but the change didn’t come in the way he needed it too at first.

“I’m ready sir.”

The first match began, and Oscar was charged, not at an imperceptible speed, but when he compared it too what Khalif had recently put him through, Oscar was able to move freely.

He was in danger of being grabbed from the first instant the elder man stepped into his range. The man managing to do so after Oscar tried to brush aside a dive in his direction.

The powerful hand that clamped around his leg just below the knee was strong enough to take him off his feet with a single yank.

Oscar didn’t enjoy being forced horizontal, nor the elbow that followed his head slamming into the ground.

The first round had ended so quickly that when Arson and Khalif woke him up while they dragged him off stage they were both in tears, laughter bursting free of both young men.

“Oh man, that hurt my soul to watch,” said Khalif. The young man searching for air between each laugh.

“Sorry, as orphans we know one another can take a hit, just seeing if you are made of plastic or glass,” said Arson. The two orphans shared a look and tried to stop laughing, and finally forced themselves to smirks only.

“How many initiation forms are there in what you’ve been taught so far?” Arson knew his question threw the rattled boy mentally, but he needed him to at least be able to utilize what he’d been shown in all the sessions he’d taken in the bathhouse.

Angered by both being knocked out, and laughed at. Oscar sat in silence. A long silence that consisted of the entire match between the elder and the blonde student.

She faired far better than Oscar, but eventually lost in the end.

Oscar was called back onto the stage by the elder, and Arson gave the young man a nod, but Oscar only scowled, his discomfort at the situation apparent.

Arson laughed, and the grim faced young man thought only for a moment about what Arson had said, something about the 5 initiation forms..

Five starting forms, and five connecting forms…

The match began and still caught in the stream of thoughts, Oscar found himself grappled. A familiar sensation wrapped around his wrist and he moved with the third initiation form, and moved.

Oscar came back into the second match in the middle of a motion he’d only practiced recently in his life, many other martial forms far more solidified in his mind through time and effort. Only, surprise was mirrored on both the elder's face and Oscar’s face when Oscar was successful.

The grappling master had wrapped his hands around Oscar’s wrists after a quick charge, and had been a breath away from forcing Oscar’s arms behind his back when Oscar moved.

The form required him to step forward, lift both arms palms out in a clockwise motion, and complete the motion by performing the mirror opposite of the motions one after the other. The third form completed when he returned to his original stance.

By performing this form while the elder leaned in to let go of Oscar’s wrists and grab the young man in a bare hug, Oscar ended up spinning the elder upside down. If Oscar would have remembered what Arson had told him in the beginning of the matches in this moment, Arson would later note, there wouldn’t have been a third round.

Confused by why there were now legs wrapping themselves around his neck, Oscar missed his opportunity to slam the elder, and had been put in an impressive triangle. The elderly man’s body looked no different than any other young man Arson had seen in the school so far. The handstand he held, all while choking Oscar was stable, and the resulting slam that the man used to take Oscar off his feet and drop him on his head for the second time, was that of a practiced art form. Smooth and refined in its quality.

“I think I’ve seen enough here,” said the teacher, but Oscar raised his head and shook it before he tried to jump to his feet.

“No, I would like to try once more if you don’t mind sir?” The words were shaky, but Oscar’s confidence had grown for some reason, and Arson hoped it was for the right reason.

Five initiation forms, and five connecting forms… Oscar’s mind was excited with the possibility of what he might have just come to understand.

High, high middle, Middle, Low Middle, and low… maybe, and five forms to connect or transition between the initiation forms?

Oscar smiled, and when he did, so did Arson. The teacher gave the young man a strange look, hoping he hadn’t run into another of the masochistic students that often roamed the halls of Adroit Academy, but took a readied stance anyway.

The final bout between the elder and Oscar marked the wave of changes that would soon fall upon Adroit academy. Arson’s path was solidified after what he watched, and the avalanche began.

Oscar was charged yet again, but in the middle of his rush the elder slowed, gauged Oscar’s readiness and dove to his side. The roll the man performed was precise, and quickly resulted in him being positioned behind Oscar.

The younger man rotated with the fifth initiation form. While he was grabbed successfully, Oscar had also spun with enough force to take the teacher off his feet, his foot swept in a wide low arc, before his hand palm up struck the man in the face. Not forgetting to transition, or connect the form, Oscar followed through.

The moment the young man’s hand met the elders face, he pushed up with as much everything he had within himself.

The elder was lifted, and normally this was where the form required an outward push of the palm. A maneuver Arson asked Oscar to try changing.

Oscar's hand clamped around the side of the man’s neck in the same moment the man flailed in an attempt to regain his balance mid-air, a blink before he slammed the man down, hard.

The sound echoed slightly through the large, empty gymnasium.

The silence that followed confused Oscar, the clapping from the side of the stage, confused him more, and when he turned to see the blonde student stunned and recording the fight using her flatscreen, he laughed.

“This isn’t going to get me into trouble, right?” Khalif and Arson both shrugged but kept clapping, but the girl beside them shook her head, still shaken by the normal looking young man who’d just slammed a teacher with a single hand.

“No, but you do gain access to all the classes on that floor if you beat a teacher in that tower’s form of challenge,” said the girl lifting her flatscreen higher.

“I don’t think so, young man. That wasn’t a formal duel, and, and, and—“

“How about we go again? You're right, that was probably a fluke,” said Oscar, confidence came from Oscar anew. The same bravado Arson first saw Oscar have in the nightclub they’d met was reborn in Oscar before their very eyes.

He’d lost a bit of himself when he’d lost to Arson, but he’d gotten over that. Yet still it wasn’t until that moment, when the elder pass up on the duel, Oscar knew.

“I can beat a novice master…” said Oscar allowed. The look down at his hands caught on screen and was being broadcasted. It was then that Arson sighed and the blonde turned her camera to Arson.

The camera took in a depressing scene of Arson in tears and Khalif trying to console him, a hand on Arson’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, there’s nothing wrong, he’ll do better next time,” said Khalif.

“I know but if we can’t keep the rest of the shops open, we won’t be able to give the rest of the school their own powerful toxin free forms,” said Arson with a cry that was all sniffles and tears.

“We will figure it out, boss. No one can do it like you, man. You're Shopkeep, you gotta keep going, you’ll figure out how to get the money for the teaching licenses,” said Khalif with tears in his eyes still trying not to laugh. Arson’s glare almost took the young man over the top but Khalif pulled himself together, and finished.

“I believe in you.” Khalif turned around and shook with laughter, but for the viewing audience he appeared to be pretty torn up about Arson’s dilemma.

A problem that Arson didn’t actually know how to fix, but the blonde next to him was far more informed about the school’s formal regulations on the floor they were on, as things were different the higher they climbed up the school’s tiers. So her next comment changed Arson’s plans completely the moment she spoke.

“Oh, you guys didn’t do all this to try and get a license by beating a teacher formally? Then why did you set this all up? A duel, just an actual normal duel? You guys know that there is an entire segment of time in the middle of the day where you can challenge teachers, right?”

Rubbish and embers, are you serious?” Arson looked over at the teacher and asked a follow up question.

“Do they have to accept?”