TRACK 9 –

Anna, Lancelot, Kagero, and I sat in Rick’s home around the hearth in the center of the one room hut. I looked around the hut as we sat there and it reminded of a traditional Japanese home, albeit from the Sengoku period and made from bamboo and palm tree.

Tae was moving around without a care in the world, as if there weren’t giant shark-men right outside the village’s walls.

“More tea Hiro?” She asked.

“Yes please.” I replied, as she filled my coconut cup with more tropical fruit tea. “Thanks Tae.”

“Hiro, what did I tell you?” Tae chided, giving me a mock hurt look.

“Thanks Ma.” I said, shaking my head and grinning at the older monkey bird.

“That’s right.” Ma replied, pinching my cheek and smiling widely. “That goes for all of you.” She said, looking around the room at all of us.

A chorus of thank you Ma’s rang out and the portly matron went back to her tasks, humming softly to herself.

“Now, that my lovely misses be placated let’s get back to business.” Rick began. “Let me explain what is going on, better yet, let me show you. Me get me the ting.”

“Hold ya fish husband.” Tae said, coming back over with a burning metal orb that she set down in the center of the hearth. Then she began humming and gesturing, rainbow colored Affinity Magic surrounding her whole body.

I focused on the smoking multi-colored orb for a second and my AR-2 pinged, then an information screen appeared.

AFFINITY ORB

I dismissed the screen as Rick started speaking and the smoke started forming a picture.

“Not so long ago, right after you left last time to be exact, the Shark-Men appeared.” He explained.

The smoke turned into a picture of the Fam’s home when I last visited, when their village was on the beach. Little grey monkey bird figures went about their business, playing, eating, drinking, just living their frivolous and enjoyable lives. Now that the volcano was safe, they were secure and comfortable, all was right with the world, until it wasn’t.

CRACK! BOOM!

A deafening sound and roar shook the smoking scene and the little figures looked around in fear and terror. Moments later the shark-men appeared in the water surrounding the village, walking out of the surf and towards the Fam’s village. The monsters made no attempt at communication, they just rushed towards their victims. The first dozen monkey birds were taken by surprise and the shark-men lashed into them with razor sharp teeth and claws. After a minute of slaughter, the rest of the Fam got the idea and flew up out of range of the attacking monsters.

“That was the first run in with the vile sharks.” Rick explained. “We made adjustments after that.”

The orb changed and now the Fam was still at the island, but this time they were in the middle of constructing their current home. The scene fast forwarded, and the pylons were built, then the village on top, and the wall around it. A few more seconds went by and they finished. I watched as they celebrated, safe in their new home. The sun set and night came. The shark-men swam around the island, their fins slicing through the water, but the Fam had made their new home high up and the attackers couldn’t get to it. The view stayed on the circling sharks down in the ocean and then sped up, night becoming day and day becoming night, over and over for weeks. Then it stopped and things went back to normal speed.

“We thought we were safe in our new home. We thought we were so smart, just build up high out of the water and they couldn’t get to us, we were wrong.” Rick said softly. “It happened in the middle of the night…”

The moon was covered by the clouds and the whole world was cloaked in darkness. Only the barest of light made it through the clouds, casting dark grey shadows and giving the slightest hint of a view, it was almost ethereal and was hauntingly beautiful. The I noticed movement and the view changed showing a night vision view of the Fam home. The shark-men were out of the water and quietly climbing up the pylons to the sleeping village up above. Horror welled up in me as I watched them crest the wall and pause, looking around seeing no one else awake. The Fam had thought they were safe up above the water in their newly built home, so they hadn’t set any guards.

Over a dozen shark-men climbed over and in sneaking through the village and entering the Fam’s homes. Screams tore through the night and the shark-men reappeared all of them carrying newly acquired bundles. I looked closer and saw the bundles were moving. They weren’t things they were members of the Fam, and kids to be exact. Shouts of fear and rage followed the screams and monkey birds raced out of their homes and after the raiders. The orb slowly stopped smoking then went dark, the room turning back to normal.

“That night is called the Night of Terror. We lost many young ones due to my inexperience.” Rick said, remorse and guilt in his tone. “I made a vow that night to never let them take another member of the Fam. The result is as you see now, we armed ourselves, made armor, based on memory of Lord Rhys and your Master and Sensei. That pretty much catches you up to now.”

All of us were quiet as we digested what we had just seen and heard. The only sounds were the humming and clattering of Ma as she puttered around. I glanced at her quickly and saw tears streaming down her furry cheeks, showing her true feelings. I stifled a sniff and noticed that my friends were as well. Anna cleared her throat dragging all the eyes in the room to her. She turned looking Rick in the eyes.

“I promise you that all of us will help you destroy these vile monsters. You have the word of Anna Belmont.” She said, resolve in her voice.

She was echoed by Tomoe and Lancelot, I just put my hand on Ricks shoulder and nodded. He smiled back and then around the room before his visage hardened and he stood up.

“Thank you, it is high time that we take the fight to the shark-men and finish them off.” Rick stated.

“Can you tell us any more about these monsters? How many of them are there? Where do they live? Things like that.” Lancelot said.

“Yes, but better than tell you, I can show you. First though, we have to deal with those ones outside.” Rick said.

“Don’t worry Rick-san, I have already come up with a few ideas on how to make sushi out of these shark-men.” Tomoe said, her face taking on a feral and not unhungry look.

That’s why a quarter of an hour later everyone was back on the wall and looking down at the circling shark-men. It seemed to me, that the monsters were waiting for dark to strike, as that’s what they did last time. Hopefully, Tomoe’s plan worked, I thought, as I turned and looked at the little ninja girl. Who was leaning so far over the railing I was afraid she was going to fall off, but obviously she didn’t, I mean, ninja training and all that, you know? The whole wall was quiet as everyone waited for the call to initiate the plan.

“Is everyone ready?” She asked, leaning back and hopping down from the top of the wall.

“I’ve confirmed with everyone that they are all prepared and ready to go. Are you sure about this Ms. Tomoe?” Robyn asked. “I mean, this is rather risky and…”

“Oh, stop being such a worrywart, you sound like Headmaster Ichigo. Besides, this plan is awesome, right Anna, Hiro, Lancelot?” Tomoe replied, asking the three of us.

I looked to the A-Ball Captain and the RKP student, who both shrugged and made noncommittal answers, which I echoed, this plan was crazy. Tomoe scowled and flipped her head turning back to the water.

“Such babies. It will work, just watch.” She said, nodding emphatically, as if convincing herself. “It’s time.”

All of us hopped on top of the wall, each grabbing one of the Fam’s fishing hooks and lines. I glanced at the item and its information appeared.

JADE FISHING HOOK WITH ATTACHED AFFINITY ENHANCED FISHING LINE

“Ready up!” Anna called, activating her skill and her Affinity Power appearing around her.

I dismissed the message and did the same, AP covering me from head to toe, the rest of my friends similarly prepared we readied ourselves. I raised my arms over my head and got into a diver’s stance, along with everyone else. The sharks were coming around from the back of the village as we stood there.

“Three, Two, One…” Robyn counted out. “Now! Go, go, go!”

As one, we leaped off the top of the Fam’s wall, multi-colored Affinity Powers streaking down towards the water and the incoming shark-men. The dives were perfection and were timed just right. We hit the water just as the MOB’s were coming around the lest bend and now could see us. Then I hit the water and lost sight of them. My AP sizzled and steamy bubbles obscured my vision as I dove down a dozen feet. I flipped over in the water righting and orienting myself with the surface above me and the ocean floor below.

Treading water, I looked around and saw Bron to my left, Ari and Maggie to my right. There other students were around as well but my view was obscured by my friends. It was a moot point anyway as the shark-men demanded my full attention. From my position in the water, now much closer to the incoming monsters, they took on a whole new look. They were much fiercer, larger, and just plain nastier looking.

Their teeth alone went from sharp mildly dangerous looking things, to six-inch wicked looking blades that were downright terrifying. I did a little mental arithmetic and counted an almost equal number of us and them. The sharks spotted us right away and their speed increased almost triple. The distance between us, about fifty feet, was dwindling rapidly as the monsters rushed forward, weapons at the ready, and faces with wide feral grins.

I’m sure the shark-men thought that we’d be easy prey, even covered in Affinity auras as we were, the MOB’s were in their element, not us. Which was made abundantly clear, as they covered half the distance between us in moments, the water behind them a morass of slipstreams and bubbles, as they tore through the water in search of their next victims.

“Initiate phase one of Plan Crazy Ninja Girl, now!” Robyn’s voice sounded in my head.

“Ten-four good buddy.” I replied mentally, hook and line readied.