Zeal Legacy 2: A GameLit RPG Fantasy Read online

  “Okay, okay, okay,” she sighed. “Listen. BB here got his ship wrecked and lost his friends. Now he’s stuck here.”

  “I told Kailani I needed a way off this island.”

  “Even if I had a ship to offer you, while the great kraken is out there, I’m afraid you won’t be able to sail too far.”

  “I don’t need a ship. Just a boat will do. A simple rowboat for one. That’s all.”

  “It would need to be constructed.”

  “That’s why I brought him,” she said. Kailani’s eyes widened with the kind of enthusiasm that made Clayton nervous.

  Kailani and Okari stared at one another. Clayton shifted his eyes between them, growing more and more anxious. “Is there something I’m missing here—”

  “You don’t mean it,” Okari said.

  “Don’t you see, father. This is a blessing in disguise. He just activated the monument outside. There’s a reason he’s here.”

  “You just told me he was shipwrecked. And now you want him to do this.”

  “Do what!” Clayton finally interjected.

  They both turned to him. Clayton widened his eyes, trying to find humor in the situation despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. It didn’t go away even with the big smile on Kailani’s face.

  “We need you for the Fire Fights,” she said.

  “The Fire Fights?” Clayton shook his head. “What’s that?”

  “If you compete in the Fire Fights, I can get you your boat. I could even get you a ship. It’s your best chance of getting off the island.”

  “I don’t even know what the Fire Fights are.” Clayton turned to Okari. Even though he’d just met the elder, Clayton wanted to believe he could trust him. “But can I really get a ship if I do this.”

  Okari sighed a deep breath and nodded. “I have no intention of taking advantage of you, offlander. But my daughter speaks the truth. If you wish to leave the island, the Fire Fights would be your best option.”

  “What do ya say?” Kailani had an open-mouthed smile as she stared at Clayton.

  He looked back at her, confusion, fear, doubt and every other emotion spinning around in his head. But that look on her face was so goofy he had to laugh.

  “All right,” he sighed. “The Fire Fights. I’ll do it.”

  “Great! There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “You keep telling me not to worry but it’s not really working…”

  “Trust me, BB. You’re exactly the man we’re looking for.”

  “Enough talk of this,” Okari said. “I’ve welcomed you into my home and I meant it. Please. Help yourself to the food and drink near the fire. Enjoy Tamwa hospitality. I insist.”

  Clayton had no idea what he was getting into. He wasn’t even sure he wanted the answers. But if there was a chance to get off the islands, he had to take it.

  Chapter 5

  “The ritual of the Fire Fights has been performed on the Hilamau Islands for centuries. In ancient times, they say the Gods themselves battled for control of the islands. The Gods were big, big enough to dwarf even the kraken. They were so big in fact, they couldn’t fit on the islands themselves.

  “It wasn’t a contest just of strength or power or ability. The islands were so small, they all couldn’t fit. So they got into it. Eventually, one God was able to emerge victorious. He pushed all of the other Gods into the sea, where they sank to the bottom. They say maybe the big squid is one of them. Anyway, the one who remained standing took control of the Hilamau Islands, watching over it. They called him the Overseer. That’s how the legend goes.”

  Clayton pondered Kailani’s story for a moment, all of the questions filling his head. “Do you believe that story?”

  “Doesn’t matter if I believe it or not. What matters is the tradition carries on today in the Fire Fights.”

  It was a sunny morning in Tamwa. Clayton was full of pep and energy, more optimistic about the day after everything that happened previously. After a good night’s rest, Kailani led him out into an open dirt field, away from the rest of the farmland in the village.

  It was a small dirt clearing in the center of a few huts. Rocks formed a circle with a few of the villagers gathered around it. They eyed Clayton curiously as they sewed, knitted and tended to their textiles.

  “The Fire Fights are a battle meant to simulate the fight between the Gods all those years ago.” Kailani pointed at the circle of rocks. “Two combatants step into battle. You fight until one emerges victorious.”

  “You were pretty excited the other night… A little too excited, considering you’re putting my life on the line.”

  “The fights are dangerous. But you’re a fighter. You’re definitely stronger than anybody in the village. You don’t have to kill or die for it to end though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There’s more to it than just bludgeoning and maiming your opponent. You can stab and strike and break their bones and make them bleed.”

  “I’m still not enthusiastic about this…”

  “But there are other ways of victory. One, you knock your opponent unconscious.”

  “Not too bad…”

  “Two, you make your opponent submit.”

  “I like that option.”

  “Don’t give up so easily on me now, BB. Three, push your opponent outside the circle.”

  “Hmm… Just like the story. That changes the strategy.”

  “Right. Some of the fighters specialize in that exactly. Think about it. You can be losing the fight. You’re bloody and bruised. You just got your butt kicked. But if you’ve got a chance to push the jerk who did that to you out of the circle, you can win.”

  The possibilities on how to win were endless. Clayton grew more optimistic about his prospects of actually winning but still had his reservations.

  “Am I missing anything else?”

  “Yes. Four, you kill your opponent.”

  “Of course,” he sighed. “Why was I not thinking about that?”

  “It never comes to that though. Most people submit before they get hurt too badly. And the fighters usually have the decency to just throw their opponent out of the circle instead of killing them.”

  “Usually? So it has happened before.”

  “Not that I can recall. But you never know.” Kailani shrugged with a big grin on her face. Clayton had never seen a smile so sadistic. But the contest wasn’t the most absurd thing he’d ever gotten into, so he continued to go along with it.

  “All right… Just so I get this straight. I face an opponent. I beat them up and I make them quit or push them out of the ring. That’s it?”

  “That’s it! And you only have to do it a couple times to win the whole thing.”

  “What happens when I do that?”

  “There are four villages on the islands, each with a representative. Whichever village wins, the elder of that village becomes Chief Elder over the Islands until the next Fire Fights, which happen every five years.”

  “Your father becomes Chief Elder… You mean he gets to rule over all of Hilamau?”

  “Right. And the one who wins the fights themselves, that’ll be you in this case, gets the title of Overseer.”

  “And what special powers does being Overseer grant you?”

  Kailani twisted her lips then shrugged. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing? No gold or jewels or loot?”

  “It’s just a title. You get to be called Overseer.”

  “I…” Clayton raised his index finger and was just about to complain before he realized he’d done this before. Not in the actual sense but in the games he’d played before. “Going through an entire tournament just for a title…”

  “Think about it.” Kailani reached her arm up and managed to put it around his shoulder even though she was shorter than him. She put her other hand in the sky as if painting a picture. “You won’t be Clayton. You’ll be Overseer Clayton. Or Overseer BB if you want.”

  “I’ll stick with
Clayton,” he sighed and rolled his eyes. “Well… I’m not about to back out on my word. I’ll compete in the Fire Fights but you know I can’t guarantee I’ll actually win.”

  “I know. I’ll keep my word, too. You compete and give your all, you’ll get the boat you need to go searching for your friends.” Kailani moved over to the side and grabbed some things from the ground. “I gotcha something.”

  Clayton turned his head sideways, examining what she held up. “What is that—”

  “You can’t fight in that tunic of yours. Gotcha some armor. Real warrior stuff.”

  Clayton grabbed the leather strap and held it up. “Right… Real warrior stuff…”

  “I can’t wait!” Kailani clapped her hands with enthusiasm as Clayton took his clothes off. He couldn’t help but notice how much Kailani was eyeballing him along with the other villagers.

  “You don’t have a changing room—”

  “Oh, come on, BB! We live on an island. We’ve all seen a naked man before. You don’t have to impress us.”

  “Trying to impress you wasn’t what I was worried about…” He shook his head and sighed as he took off the tunic. He would have been more self-conscious if not for all the levels he’d gained but his strength was considerable enough his body was fit and muscular. Kailani shifted her eyes up and down, a look of admiration in her gaze. And from the way she looked, she seemed to be admiring every inch of him.

  Clayton paid her no attention as he put on the ‘armor’ she’d so kindly provided for him. A pair of leather sandals that didn’t match. Some flimsy bracers. A loincloth made out of the same leather as everything else that only did a job of covering him up. A couple of straps across his chest with an animal skull in the center provided some modest protection at least. And a small tortoise shell on his shoulder acted like a pauldron. At least that was more durable than what he was used to, Clayton thought to himself.

  Along with the Zeal Blade sheathed on his hip, Clayton actually felt somewhat ready for combat. “Is this really enough?”

  “It’ll have to be,” she said. “We’d have to go to Leben Village for an actual armorer and I doubt they’d be willing to help you if you’re gonna be an opponent.”

  “All right. I know the rules. I got my outfit. Now what?”

  “Now it’s time for some practice. Kavana!” Kailani moved to the center of the circle and snapped her fingers. Clayton looked around and watched one of the villagers emerge from one of the tents.

  He was big compared to the others. A belly extending out in front of him and a barrel chest. His arms were as large as any bodybuilder you’d find in the gym. His skin was tan like Clayton expected from a man who spent most of his time under the sun. His head was shaved clean, glistening with a few drops of sweat.

  Despite his imposing size, he had a friendly smile on his face. His chubby cheeks made it look like his eyes were closed.

  “Like a giant newborn baby,” Clayton thought to himself.

  “Kavana,” Kailani said. “This is BB.”

  “Ah, BB!” Kavana used both of his hands to sandwich one of Clayton’s as he shook it. “The offlander. I heard of you.”

  “My name’s not BB. It’s Clayton.”

  “Clayton. Kailani does like to give everybody nicknames because she thinks she’s clever.”

  “And what name did she give you.”

  “She calls me The Bull?”

  “The Bull? That seems a little cooler than BB—”

  “BB here is gonna represent us in the Fire Fights,” Kailani interrupted.

  “Ah!” Kavana’s eyes widened enough for Clayton to see his pupils. “I’m glad you are the one representing us.”

  “Hold on a second,” Clayton put his hands up. “You’re a lot bigger than I am. You look stronger, too. Why am I the one competing when Kavana here looks like he can win?”

  “There’s more to winning the Fire Fights than brute strength,” Kavana said. “Believe me. I tried before a long time ago. There’s a certain skill and precision to knocking someone out of the circle.”

  “Exactly!” Kailani said. “Now… Let’s get some practice in. No killing or hurting each other. Just try to get him out of the circle, BB.”

  Clayton eyeballed his massive opponent then stepped back. “Yeah… Sure… No problem…”

  Kailani moved outside of the circle along with some of the other villagers. All of them watched in eager anticipation. Clayton knew he was already curious enough just from being an offlander but the prospects of the Fire Fights made him more intriguing. He smiled, deciding to try and give his audience a show.

  “Remember,” Kailani said. “Don’t hurt each other.”

  “I heard you the first time—”

  “Raaaaah!” Kavana let out a thunderous roar as he suddenly charged at Clayton. The big man’s kind demeanor was gone. Clayton was so shocked, he nearly ran out of the ring on his own but just managed to dash out of the way.

  “Whoa!”

  “Did you see that?”

  “He just disappeared and reappeared somewhere else.”

  The audience murmured in disbelief after seeing Clayton use his ability to dash away. His confidence returned to him, knowing even with a broken blade, the abilities from Zeal alone could propel him to victory.

  Kavana charged again at Clayton. Clayton again dashed out of the way. The lumbering man slid to avoid falling out of the circle, stumbling down into the dirt just before the rocks.

  “Now…” Clayton quickly moved behind the man and with all his strength, drove what remained of the Zeal Blade into the dirt. A green barrier appeared around him and exploded. The force of energy knocked Kavana forward and sent him tumbling out of the circle.

  “Wow!”

  “That’s incredible!”

  “He pushed Kavana out without even touching him!”

  The crowd chattered with growing enthusiasm. Kailani stood among them, her arms crossed and a satisfied smile on her lips.

  Clayton stayed in his position and caught his breath. When he noticed he wasn’t moving, Kailani walked up.

  “Are you all right?” She put a hand on his shoulder. “You still with me, BB?”

  “I’m fine… I just… I need to catch my breath… That move drains all of my stamina…”

  The ability granted to him by the Dryad Queen Ixia proved useful, though Clayton knew he was fortunate to use it at just the right time.

  Kavana got back up to his feet and watched with Kailani as Clayton gasped deep breaths.

  “Hey, uh… Are you okay, Clayton?” he asked.

  “He’s fine. Just give him a chance to recover. It’s a tiring move.”

  “A tiring move, huh? All or nothing… You just make sure if you step into the ring with Mentu, you make sure you don’t miss. Because that bastard will make sure you pay for it.”

  Clayton slowly raised his head up and looked at Kavana. “Mentu?”

  “Don’t worry about Mentu,” Kailani said. “His days are numbered. Ooh, I can’t wait until you step into the ring with him.”

  “Right…” Clayton sighed.

  The rules of the ritual seemed simple enough. Even without his sword, Clayton had all of the means to win. But he knew a sparring session with Kavana wasn’t anywhere close to the real thing.

  “Opening ceremonies for the fights are tonight,” Kailani said. “I can’t wait.”

  “Yeah… Me, neither,” Clayton said, unsure if he was being sarcastic or not.

  Chapter 6

  There wasn’t much Clayton could do except wait until the evening when the ceremony began. Not that he minded too much. The peace and quiet of Tamwa along with the weather were the perfect place to recover from everything he’d been through so far. He spent the day relaxing underneath the sun, sampling the exotic tastes the village had to offer while Kailani joined the fields with the other farmers. It was nothing extraordinary but he was still grateful.

  He was never completely comfortable though. The rules of
the Fire Fights had been explained to him but the bigger matter of actually competing was always on his mind. As the sun began to go down, Clayton maintained his focused, reminding himself this was the quest he needed to complete if he wanted to get off the island. There were also thoughts of receiving the title of Overseer, which motivated him more than he would ever admit.

  The villagers in Tamwa finished their tasks for the day and began the hike through the fields toward the center of the Hilamau Islands. Kailani stayed by Clayton’s side until the group eventually came to a large open clearing.

  “This reminds me of the Serene Valley…” The open field brought back memories of the first time Clayton stepped foot in Xeylon. The grass wasn’t as green and the palm trees replaced the pines, but Clayton could still appreciate the scenery. It was like something out of a movie or game to him.

  Dozens of villagers were gathered off to one side of the clearing. More emerged from the other side of the clearing then even more came from yet another. Clayton assumed they were villagers from the other towns.

  In the center of the clearing, the faint shape of a circle had been carved into the dirt with several stakes dug into the ground next to it. Right next to it was a platform made of intricately carved wood. The platform was big enough to hold a large group of people though it was empty at the moment. In the middle of the stage, there was a single, unremarkable chair made out of the same palm wood everything else was.

  More began to spill out into the dirt clearing at the center of the islands until there were more than a hundred people gathered.

  “You said there were four villages?” Clayton asked.

  “That’s right,” Kailani replied. “Right across from us are people from Bojung.” She pointed at them. “They’re the spiritual type. Always praying to the Gods and meditating and tripping on leaves they found in the forest. You’ll never meet a group of people who are so focused on trying to get their soul right.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with having a spiritual side but the Bojung take it to another level. They’ve got a strict schedule. They’ve got strict diets. I heard they even go through voluntary vows of silence.”