《Jade Phoenix》 1. Maps The sky had an orange tint as the sun had just begun to set in the Island of Tortuga. The rays of the sun bounced off of shiny debris that had washed up onto the grey sandy beach. Calico¡¯s day was just like any other day. His eyes carefully inspected every piece of metal on the sand as he slowly walked along the shore, bouncing his gaze from piece to piece, looking for the right slab. He was doing his daily search for scrap metal at Iron Beach to finish building his ship. The wheelbarrow that he had made was on its last hinges as he lugged the 90 pounds of metal parts and stacked them onto the pile as he wheeleed it through the heavy sand. ¡°This last batch should do it.¡± Calico exhaled as he grabbed a few long, skinny pieces, ¡°I¡¯ve waited two long years for this¡­ my ship¡­ I can finally finish it!¡± Running his hand through his hair, he let out a big sigh of relief. Calico lived in the city of Tortuga, a pirate hub on a caribbean island. Growing up was rough, it was eat or be eaten in that city. He stood at 5 feet and 10 inches tall with a slim-athletic build. His skin had a light tinge of bronze, a result from being outdoors almost every day. His messy brown hair dropped over the sides of his head reaching his ears, hiding the buzz cut he had on the sides of his head. A few scars could be seen on his face if examined up close. He had a scar about half an inch long cutting down on the end his eyebrow and a few scars on his forearms that he got from fights with local kids. The sun beamed down on Calico as sweat dripped down from his forehead drenching his shirt. Determined to finish his ship, he pulled the wheelbarrow through the city 3 miles over to his house on the other side of the beach. The sand slowly turned to stone as he got closer to the city square. Tortuga was the capital of Perla, the name of the island continent itself. Perla was made up of 1 large island and about 30 small ones scattered all around. The buildings in Tortuga that Calico was passing buzzed with people walking in and out of them, being lively, and singing music. Merchants crowded the main street as Calico had to bump through the crowd to make his way through. Music could be heard from the central square and rowdy yelling and cursing could be heard coming from inside of the many taverns that lined the main street. The buildings seemed rather rustic in appearance, as the most abundant material used for the walls was Black Wood. It was named for its dense, dark brown wood that was found in the jungle near Aida, south of Tortuga. The roads were made of old, small rectangular cobblestone. From where Calico was walking, he could see the golden spiked roof of the King¡¯s Palace. That was one of the few buildings made from reinforced metal, to ensure that it wouldn''t be torn apart that easily from storms and hurricanes. As Calico made the last turn before his house, he passed by the blacksmiths shop while making a racket with all the metal he was pulling. A big husky man with a red hot sword in his hand and a face full of black soot walked out from a black cloud of smoke when his stern look slowly cracked into a smile. ¡°Well, if it ain¡¯t Calico. You going around scavengin¡¯ again?¡± he said, trying to balance his cigar in his mouth while he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s the last day of this hell Vin, I¡¯ve been lugging metal for two years and I¡¯m finally done¡± Calico raised one hand to block out the sun while having to readjust his other hand on the handle. ¡°Hopefully all that hard work ain¡¯t for nothin. I do respect your fighting spirit ya know,¡± Vin seemed to be biting his lip as if he were holding back laughter. ¡° But there''s no damn way in hell you could get me to jump on that rust bucket with ya ! Bahahaha¡± ¡°Shut up Vin, you¡¯ll be begging to ride on my ship when I pass the Trial de Sangre. And I¡¯ll remember all the times you called my ship a piece of junk¡± ¡°Whoa whoa , eeeeeasy. I''m just poking fun at ya. After all, we¡¯re pirates right, well.. At least I am...right? Bahaha!¡±, As Vin swung back around, his Pirate Emblem necklace caught a quick glimmer of the sun. He raised up his hand and walked back into his forge, ¡°See ya later kid¡±. ¡®What kind of pirate works in a damn blacksmith shop instead of sailing the open seas¡¯ Calico thought to himself. Calico gave the back of Vin¡¯s head an angry look and faced back towards the direction of the road. Vin wasn¡¯t wrong. It is tradition that in order to become an honorary Pirate of Tortuga, one must prove himself in the Trial de Sangre. This was a rite of passage designed as a competition to see which challengers could overcome above all the rest. Pirates were known as the strongest members of society and were highly respected among all of Perla. Contestants from all reaches of the continent would come to Tortuga once a year for this event. The Trial consists of 3 challenges. The first is the Endurance Trial, a trial where all challengers have to run into the ocean and swim to a designated island. Once on the island, they climb the highest mountain to retrieve a specific token. With the token in their possession, they have to cliff dive back into the oceanside and swim aboard the ship waiting nearby. The second is the Combat Trial where contestants will be eliminated in unspecified combat tests. The last test is the Sailing Trial which is the most dangerous trial of them all. Challengers have to sail a small ship through the rough rapids of the Cadera Isles. The rapids never follow the same pattern and were the cause of many past contestants¡¯ premature deaths. Upon reaching the finish line at the end of the rapids, the remaining individuals would become honorary Pirates of Tortuga. As an honorary Pirate, they would be put on a one year training period under a Captain of their choice where they would have to learn all of the new rules and responsibilities of being a Pirate. Only after that year is completed will they become official Pirates. Being very much respected in the city and having freedom to own their own pirate ship and sail freely were some of the rewards of completing these steps. Freedom to sail anywhere within the confines of the oceanic border that surrounded Perla that is. Dreams of being a pirate like his father ever since he first took him on his ship across the waters of the Calabaza Islands pushed Calico. The freedom that came with being able to sail the open seas had been his number one driving factor. Calico had finally turned the corner and the outline of his house was beginning to come into view from all of the sut of the blacksmith next door. He walked along the uneven cobblestone ground and pulled a lever down on the front gate of his house. The two gates raised were raised vertically with a complex system of pulleys and metal wire and he walked straight to the backyard towards his ship. His backyard was full of sand since it was so close to the ocean. Just 50 meters away was a steep sand dune that went all the way down to the beach down below. ¡°This should be the last of it that I need. All I gotta do is close this hole on the left side of the hull and I¡¯m set¡±. Calico said as he unloaded the metal from the wheelbarrow into the ship. The ship itself was fit for 1 to 3 people max. Its hull was made of a lightweight metal most Pirates used for their ships that lets them be as light and durable as possible. The whole ship was a light grey color since all of the parts that Calico welded together to make the body were old and beat up pieces he found washed up on the beach. He welded them and reinforced them with pieces of newer metal to strengthen the hull. The figurehead was a head of a deer with wide antlers made entirely out of metal. It reminded him of a similar Deer figurehead that was on the ship his Dad sailed on. Calico¡¯s ship had 2 green masts, one main mast and another one going the whole length of the ship that would help with sharp turns. At the back of the ship was a polished helm wheel made of solid dark wood attached to a rudder of the same material down below the ship. At last, after two years of hard work, learning how to weld, learning the anatomy of a ship, how to sail, and gathering enough materials, Calico had finished his ship. ¡°I¡¯ll call you.....Green Horn.¡± ------------------------------------ The smell of fried plantains and grilled chicken breast filled the dining room as Calico entered with his hand on his stomach and eyes on the table. ¡°Hey Auntie, it smells crazy good ! What''s all this for?¡±, Calico asked as he sat down with a smile on his face paying more attention to the food on the table than his Aunt. Diyana was a pale woman, which was unusual for a citizen of Tortuga where most all were tanned from their outdoor lifestyles. The wavy short brown hair that was always pulled behind her ears was filled with sand from being outside all day. The abundance of stains of various colors on her apron showed how much she liked to use different ingredients to cook with. ¡°Well¡­. Since today is a special occasion, I decided to make your favorite dish, fried plantains with my special recipe grilled chicken¡± Diyana replied with a soft smile as she poured water into 2 cups and rum into 1. ¡°Your Uncle should be coming home soon too, so don''t eat yet¡±. ¡°Oh Uncle Talio is coming home early today?¡± he raised one of his eyebrows. ¡° Yea, I told him you would finish your ship today and that we should celebrate with a big dinner¡± ¡° Auntie I already told you that it wasn''t that big of a deal¡­..besides...the REAL feast will happen in 1 month when I pass the Trial de Sangre! Plus, you didn''t have to tell Uncle...he''s always busy at this time of the year anyways.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Not a second later of Calico saying that, the front door burst open with a fierce kick and it slammed against the side of the wall making the kitchen plates tremble. ¡°HEYOOO CALICOOOO ! You really think I¡¯d miss such a special occasion??? Hahaha!!¡± Talio yelled as he closed the door behind him and wiped the water off of his coat. ¡°Look here I brought some catfish from work today. We had a massive haul, thats why im off so early¡±, Tailo exclaimed as he walked towards the freezer with 10 fish tied on a string sprawled across his massive back. Tailo was a fisherman who worked from dawn to dusk on one of the fisherman wharfs up by the north shore; about a 2 hour walk, but he usually ran to stay in shape. He stood at around 6 feet 4 inches and had a muscular stocky build. The size of his arms reflected all of the years he worked as a fisherman tugging on nets and battling the ocean. His face, however, was soft for a mans face, and he had his hair tied up into a short ponytail. The three sat at the table and began to eat. ¡° So I hear you¡¯re trying your skills in the Trial de Sangre¡± he sank his teeth into a chicken leg, ¡° I remember when I was a young bull too, has your Aunt told you what happened the day I took the Trial? That was the day we first met! Bahaha, I cry every time I think of that night¡± he said jokingly while reaching for a mug. ¡°Wait.. Uncle you entered the Trial?! Auntie how come you never told me this?!¡± Diyana covered her mouth with her closed fist as she chuckled, ¡°Well you only just recently told me that you are doing the Trial. Anyway... Your Uncle was just as determined as you to become a pirate back when he was your age too. He built his own ship and everything! He trained for years in order to be strong enough to withstand through that whole night. On the night of the trial, he passed the 1st and 2nd challenges fairly convincingly, however the 3rd trial was the one that gave him the most trouble. He started the Sailing Trial off on a good foot, but the Cadera Isles is no place for a kid to be in. He lost control of his ship and was overwhelmed by the rapids, and as a result, they smashed his ship into a boulder in the stream. Next thing you know he was slammed right into the solid rock and was dragged underwater by the rapids. He somehow maintained his consciousness and by sheer will he swam to the top of the water and grabbed the ledge on one of the rocks. Some friends and I happened to be there to watch the trials when I saw him gripping his hands on the ledge.We saved him from drowning that day and I nursed his broken foot back to new. That basically marked the beginning of our relationship.¡± smiling, she turned towards Talio. Talio had his eyes closed and was sipping his rum with a smile on his face, as if he was reliving that day as he heard his wife tell the story. Talio¡¯s eyes opened after a few moments of silence and raised his chin to look up at the ceiling. ¡°The trials are no place for a kid, Calico. I know that you¡¯ve already turned 17, but your old man was 20 when he passed his Trial, ya know. It''s also gonna be the 100th Anniversary of the Trials. Word on the water is that this year is supposed to be the hardest its been in a while since people from all around Perla are coming down for this one. Don''t treat it like a game, it''s really life or death out there. Everyone wants to win you know. Onv average, around 3 pass per year, sometimes none.¡± "Uncle, Auntie, I never really thanked you for all that you did for me. You guys have looked after me since Dad''s died..... I couldn''t be more happy to have you guys as parents. You''ve raised me and made me into the man I am today. Dad waited to take the Trial, but 17 is the minimum age for a reason, it''s possible. I''ll pass this damn test and prove to you, Dad, and everyone that I have what it takes to become a Pirate. And after that, I''m going to travel the open seas and see the whole world." ¡°Haha alright alright Calico, easy there buddy, you can¡¯t go off and leave the Oceanic Boundaries of Perla that easily. You need permission from the King and a damn good reason to leave. It''s the law, everyone knows that.¡± Talio took another swig from his mug. ¡° I never understood that stupid rule. Being a Pirate means to be free and to be able to do whatever you want. Pirates shouldn''t have to answer to anyone...not even someone who calls himself a king.¡± Calio said turning his eyes to the corner of the room. BOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!. Talio slammed his hand on the table, cracking the wood where his palm had landed. ¡°CALICO¡­¡­¡­. ¡± the smile on his face was gone.¡± Being a Pirate of Tortuga comes with its rules and regulations that you must follow. If you can''t do something that easy, then you shouldn¡¯t take the Trial at all¡± he said sternly, looking directly into Calio¡¯s eyes. Silence filled the room. Calico had never seen his Uncle act so adamant about anything before. ¡°......, I know, I¡¯m sorry. I know that we can''t leave sail beyond those boundaries. I was just wondering why we have to blindly follow that rule. They don''t even gives us a real explanation¡± Talio broke the eye contact and looked down at the hole he had just made. ¡°Pshh¡­ how the hell would I know, I¡¯m just a Fisherman¡±, he seemed to return to his normal state as he took another swing of his mug, realizing it had drank it all. ¡°Honey, don''t be such a brute, you really don''t know anything you could tell Calico?¡± Diyana¡¯s voice of reason seemed to soothe Talio as he took 3 more swigs of his newly filled mug. ¡°AHHH, this is some good rum, ¡­ BURP¡­..¡± Talio cleared his throat. ¡°Look Calico¡­¡­.I¡¯ll tell you this¡­¡± Calico¡¯s ears perked up and he leaned in to hear what his uncle was about to say. ¡°If you take the Trial, pass all three tests, and eventually become a Pirate, then you can you get the answers to all of your questions. Rojack, the Pirate Chief Commander, will be your new boss. Ask him anything you want to know, Pirate to Pirate.¡± As his eyes were half open, he took one last swig of rum, ¡°Welp, i''m off to bed, Diyana talk some sense into this boy.¡± Talio stood up and walked towards the stairs. ¡°No problem dear, i''ll join you soon as I clear the table¡± ¡°Uncle... thanks for the advice. It''s just that¡­.sometimes it feels like there are so many things that I don''t know yet: Perla¡¯s Oceanic Borderline rules, the birthmark on my back, my dad¡­¡­..my mom¡­¡± Calico was looking down at the floor. Talio turned looked back over his shoulder for a few seconds at the mention of Calico¡¯s mother and turned back towards the dark hallway. ¡°.......Goodnight kid¡± he mumbled as he stumbled off into his room. A loud thud was heard, as his body surrendered to his bed. Diyana walked over to the kitchen and put both her hands on the counter, ¡°You know, your Uncle really just wants the best for you. He¡¯s always telling me that he never understands why you want to be a Pirate. All he wants is for you to become a fisherman and join his fishing ship to work alongside him.¡± Diyana said softly, looking down as she picked up a plate. ¡° I know. He doesn''t have to say it for me to know it either. Its just¡­ I feel like I was born to be a Pirate. My dad was one and I feel like I need to be one to. Its like hes trying to tell me something , but the only way I can get that message is if I too become a Pirate. I remember the last time he took me on a ride aboard his ship, he pointed far off into the horizon and say, ¡®Cali, your Dad has been all the way to the ends of the earth in that direction, and back that way too, one day you¡¯ll sail with me and I¡¯ll show you places people have only dreamed of.¡¯¡± ¡°I need to see those places my Dad was talking about, and that begins with passing this Trial de Sangre.¡± Diyana had stopped what she was doing for a while as she blankly gazed at the running water from the faucet, as if she was lost in thought. She quickly turned around out of guilt and faced Calico, ¡° Calico¡­..Your Dad...when you Dad died¡­ we never threw out his things. His belongings, weapons, armor, everything, we kept it all and we didn''t know when to tell you about it. To be quite honest, it''s been so long , that Talio probably even forgot about it. We didn''t want to open an old would¡­ I...I think you should have them, It might help you for your Trial.¡± ------------------------------------- Calico found himself in his backyard standing alone in the rain with keys in hand as droplets of water slowly dampened his hair. He was standing in front of the shack which he had been working out of for the past 2 years. The shack was made of old wood and a metal roof. Weeds were growing into the wood and could be seen from the inside. Upon entering the shack, he flipped the light switch but the moonlight entering from the window was enough to illuminate the whole room, so he flipped it back off. He calmly scanned the equipment that he had used every day: welder, saw, hammer, levy''s, pulleys jacks. He scooted everything from the middle of the floor to the sides of the shack to clear up space. His fingers gripped the edge of the thick rug that he had been standing on top of all this time and ripped it away from the floor. There it was. A small hatch in the ground with a lock keeping it shut. The key that he had fit perfectly into the lock, and made a soft click upon turning it. Inside the vault was a satchel, a leather vest, a pair of customized boots, two rusted daggers, and some gold coins. Calico laid them all out in front of him in as he scanned each item from left to right. The sound of rain got a little stronger but Calico didn¡¯t divert his gaze. Tears began to softly roll down his cheeks as he grabbed the items and held them up to his forehead. Images of his Father wearing all of these garments while aboard his pirate ship began to fill his mind. As he set them back down, he wiped his face with his forearm and started to inspect each item one at a time. The gold coins seemed to be current tenure and were 58 in total. The daggers had white decorated handles and were rusty but he could take them to Vin¡¯s forge to have them restored. The black leather vest had some slashes and battle scars but was salvageable. To his surprise, the boots were a perfect fit. The satchel was made of dark brown leather with a darker leather strap. He swung it around his neck and opened it to put everything inside of it when something caught his eye. Inside of the empty satchel was a small tear at the bottom of the bag. He reached in and grabbed the string that was hanging by itself and pulled on it little to see if it was repairable. ZZZIIPPP!! ¡°Damn, I ripped it even more¡± he mumbled to himself , seemingly annoyed since he didn''t know how to sew. As he was putting the gold coins into the bag, goosebumps shot up Calio¡¯s arms when he noticed that there appeared to be an edge of a paper inside of the lining of the satchel showing from the tear he made. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Calico wondered as he tore the lining of the bag even more. Calico pinched the end and pulled out a stiff folded piece of paper from behind the ripped lining. Carefully, he examined it for a quick second, then began to open the folds one after another, until he was stretching it across from hand to hand. ¡°This is no ordinary piece of paper¡­¡± Calico mumbled to himself as his eyes slowly widened, ¡° This is a Map!¡± This was no usual map. Every map in the City of Tortuga was a different variation of the same map, a map with the only continent Perla placed in the middle and the city of Tortuga in the upper right part of Perla. This map had Perla on the bottom right and it was smaller. In the center of the map, it had 3 other unnamed continents continents that no map in all Perla had shown to exist. On those continents, the words Rankast, Vega and Old Kingdom were scribbled with arrows pointing to spots all over the 3 land masses. A lot of other scribbles and illegible writing littered the map. Confusion and excitement filled Calico¡¯s eyes as they frantically scanned every inch of the map. A slow smile spready across his face as he gripped the map harder. What he was holding in his hands, was his father¡¯s very own World Map. 2. Truths The rays of the rising sun were creeping through the gaps in Calico¡¯s window as he began to wake up. As soon as he opened his eyes, he shot up and reached over to his desk to grab his father''s map. Goosebumps slowly spread up the hairs on his forearms. ¡°So it really wasn''t a dream¡± he thought to himself, ¡°This is real.¡± A mixture of feelings were burning inside of Calicos chest. He didn¡¯t know whether to feel excited or angry as he sat there examining the continents in the map. Someone was lying, that''s for sure, he just didn''t know who. For as long as he could remember, all the citizens of Tortuga were taught that Perla was the only continent in the world and as a result, it was in the center of every map he had ever seen. People rumoured about badlands and barren islands over past the horizon, but Calico¡¯s map showed whole continents instead. ¡°Calico, breakfast is ready, don''t let it get cold again like yesterday,¡± Diyana shouted at Calico from downstairs. As soon as Calico was finished putting on the garments he found the previous night, he went downstairs and was determined to get some answers. ¡°Hey Auntie, do you know anything about this ?¡± Calico asked. As he sat down in front of his food, he pulled the map out of his satchel and handed it to Diyana ¡°What¡¯s this? ¡­Did you make this?¡± Diyana asked with a look of confusion across her face. ¡°Me? No¡­. It was with Dad¡¯s things.¡± ¡°Your Dad had this? I would¡¯ve remembered seeing a map like this when I put all his things in there in the first place. Although I¡¯ve never seen a map like this before either. Why isn¡¯t Perla in the middle? ..and what are these other©¥¡± She was interrupted abruptly by the sound of the front door swinging open. ¡°Oh hey honey¡± She said as she handed the map back to Calico. ¡°Heyo!¡± Talio said as he closed the door behind him with his knee. ¡° I brought the milk, but can you believe that old man Brigs was clean out of stock. I had to run all the way to the central square to find some. But anyway, what''s cooking?! Im starved¡± Talio said as he set the two gallons on the table, making all the plates rattle. ¡° Oh looky here, isn¡¯t someone up early today,¡± He said with a smile on his face as he looked towards Calico. ¡°Uncle, I have a serious question to ask you¡­¡± ¡°Hm..?¡± he raised an eyebrow ¡°Is Perla the only continent in the world?¡± Calico was staring directly into Talio¡¯s eyes as to see if he would flinch. Noticing that there was no joking undertone in Calico¡¯s voice, Talio¡¯s smile faded into a serious mug. ¡°What the hell are you talking about Calico, you know the answer to that.¡± ¡°I found this in Dad¡¯s things last night, in the shack¡± Calico handed the map over to his Uncle. Talio glanced at Diyana, then at Calico for a few seconds before swiping the map and bringing it close to his face. A few moments of silence filled the room, as Calico waited for his Uncle to say something. ¡°Well...have you seen a map like that before?¡± Calico began to grow impatient. ¡°These continents¡­...Rankast..?¡± Talio was looking all over the map with a confused look on his face. ¡° Where exactly did you find this?¡± beads of sweat began to form around Talio¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡­.I found it hidden in Dad¡¯s satchel, under the lining¡­.almost like if he was ¡­.hiding it¡± Calico slowly began to realize the severity of the situation. ¡°No...Th..This can¡¯t be,¡± the hair on Talio¡¯s neck stood on its ends as his grip on the map began to waver. ¡° There''s no way¡­. Then...that means that¡­¡­.. GOD DAMN IT, SIRJAA!¡± he yelled as he brought his fist down on the table making another hole that shook its whole foundation. ¡°Sirjaa....as in my Dad??!¡± Calico said to himself. ¡°I''m such an idiot¡­.Sirjaa¡­.after all these years that I thought that you¡­...¡± Talio dropped his body into a chair and put one hand on his forehead as the other barely hung on the the map. Blood started to slowly drip from his hand to his elbow, then onto the floor. ¡°Talio, can you please explain to me what the hell is going on with you?¡± Diyana shouted with her heart beating faster than usual. ¡°Calico¡­.do you know how your father died¡­¡± Talio said softly with his hand still on his forehead. This took Calico by surprise, as he had to recollect himself before answering ¡°Dad? Yeah¡­....well not exactly. I was only 5 years old so I don''t remember everything. From what I do remember, he had an accident out in the sea in one of his last voyages¡­...r..right?¡± For some reason, for the first time in his life, he felt unsure as to how his father died. ¡°All this time... I thought that too,¡± he raised the map up so that Calico could see it. ¡°Now it all makes sense¡­.... because of this map¡­ Sirjaa may have been murdered.¡± Murder. This word resonated within Calico¡¯s mind as he couldn¡¯t make sense of what his Uncle was saying. Seeing Calico motionless, Diyana turned her attention to Talio. ¡°What the hell do you mean ¡®murdered¡¯, Talio?¡± she too didn¡¯t fully understand what was going on. ¡°Well, A few weeks before Sirjaa.....died, he kept telling me that he was on the verge of finishing something that he had spent years working on. He never once told me, his own blood, what he was working on, but he was always the quiet type I guess. That was also around the time that the current King took the throne so all sorts of revolutions were sparking up throughout Perla. Sirjaa left as if it was any other voyage, he asked if we could take care of you, and that he¡¯d be back in a couple of weeks. Not even a week after, a fishing crew reported that a shipwreck was found a day¡¯s sail north from Perla. That ship was the ¡®Iron Sun¡¯, your Dad¡¯s. No survivors reported, and Sirjaa never came back. He was pronounced ¡®dead at sea¡¯.¡± That last sentence seemed to wake Calico from his daze. ¡°So¡­ what role does the map play in all of this?¡± he managed to say. ¡°There''s a reason why every map on this continent is different from this one,¡± Talio explained. ¡°I think Sirjaa was uncovering the truth, and was creating this map.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re saying that my Dad traveled all the way to the corners of this map, then drew a world map, and was killed for it¡­ why the hell would anyone want to kill someone for that?!¡± Calico¡¯s voice started to grow louder as he clenched his fists. ¡°Well Calico, if someone has a big enough secret that they want to protect, they will go through anything...or anyone to keep it a secret. As of right now, I have no idea who would¡¯ve wanted to kill Sirjaa. Pirate politics can get heavy sometimes. A lot of the information and history about what happens beyond the Oceanic Boundaries is kept within the inner circle of Pirates.¡± ¡°So all I have to do is become a Pirate, and I can ask the King directly to help me find out who could''ve done this.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°That''s easier said than done kid. don''t forget that you still have to pass the Trial de Sangre and work under an official Pirate Captain for a year.¡± ¡°Then I shouldn¡¯t be standing here, I should get to work. I¡¯ll take the map back too.¡± Calico stretched his arm out. ¡° I just told you that this map might¡¯ve gotten your Dad killed. There''s no way that I¡¯d hand off something like this to a 17 year old boy. But it was your dads, so as long as you can pass the Trial, then I¡¯ll hand it over to ya¡± Talio rolled up the map and put it under his arm. ¡°Until then, you better train your ass off. And remember, not a word of this to anyone.¡± ---------------------------- The sun was high in the sky as Calico walked along the cobblestone road with two other boys his age ¡®Pass the Trial and then I¡¯ll give it back to you¡¯ repeated Calico in a sarcastic tone as his friends laughed at his impersonation. ¡°Hahaha dang Calico , so your Uncle really showed you who the real man in the house was, huh¡± teased a taller skinny boy as he walked along with Calico. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk Roey, didn¡¯t your dad take your ship away? You know you¡¯re gonna need it for the Trials right¡­?¡± Calico teased as Roey responded with a hurt scowl. ¡°WELL it''s been finished for over a month, that''s why he took it away, well at least til the Trials start. He said I kept adding too many ¡°extra parts¡± , whatever that meant anyway¡­¡± Roey put both hands on top of his head as they continued down towards the Main Square. ¡°Forget about Roey¡¯s daddy issues, tell me more about this map that your Uncle won''t return to you, Calico.¡± said the second boy. He was a bit shorter than both Roey and Calico but he was more stocky and darker than them. His hair was buzzed all over and wore a folded grey bandana on his head that was tied on the back. ¡°I already told you Dayno, it was and old treasure map that was in my Dad¡¯s things¡± said Calico without blinking an eye. He knew that he had to conceal the real contents of the map in order to protect those close to him. ¡°All I gotta do is pass the test, and we can all go looking for it together.¡± Calico suddenly swung both of his hands around the boys¡¯ necks. ¡°Guys the Trials are in exactly one month! Look alive! Haha!¡± ¡°Hey hey get off, I¡¯m still sore from sparring with Dayno last night bro!¡± said Roey as he tried to wiggle out of Calico¡¯s grip. ¡°Guys¡­?¡± Dayno said slowly while managing to break free from Calico¡¯s grasp Calico and Roey kept horsing around with each other as if their pride was on the line over that head lock. ¡°GUYS¡± They stopped what they were doing and walked to where Dayno was standing. From the hill that they were on, they could see the whole view of Tortuga. The circular shape of the city resembled a series of circles within a larger one. All the roads seemed to meet in the middle where there the Main Square was. Dayno pointed his finger to the center of the city. From where they were standing, they saw a large group of people standing in the main square. They appeared to all be wearing the same attire, a red and black tunic that was tied at the waist. Calico pulled out a spyglass from his satchel and held it up to his eye. ¡°Who the hell are those guys?¡± said Roey. ¡°I don''t know, but they¡¯re standing in front of the Wardens Office. Which can only mean one thing¡­¡± replied Dayno as he looked through his own spyglass. A slow smile slowly spread across Calico¡¯s face. ¡°They¡¯re here for the Trials¡­.just like us.¡± ¡°Come on let''s go then!¡± Yelled Roey with excitement in his voice. The three ran down the hill and into Tortuga towards the Warden''s Office. -------------------------- Down in the Main Square, a tall, serious looking bald man wearing a black and red tunic approached the Warden''s Office with a group of 25 people behind him. ¡°My name is Tortis.¡± He spread one hand out towards the group behind him. ¡°These 25 behind me are all from Darmon and are here to register for the Trial de Sangre.¡± ¡®Ahh Tortis, it''s been a long time now hasn¡¯t it. I haven¡¯t seen you in years.¡± a middle aged man from the Warden''s Office walked out towards Tornis. He had curly locks that fell down to his neck. The stubble of his day old beard was all across his face an ran down to his neck. He had a muscular build and walked with an air of confidence. ¡°Draye, I see you chose to keep living here in the Capital.¡± Tortis replied with a faint look of disgust across his face. ¡°Yea, you know. Every since our honorary Pirate stint was over, you disappeared. I decided to stay here in the place where I learned what it mean to be a Pirate.¡± ¡°Such stories should stay buried in the past. I didn¡¯t come here to see you, I came to guide the next generation of true Pirates.¡± he looked at the group behind him with a proud smile. ¡°Make sure you all register, we won''t be back until the day of the trial¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see that. No contestant can be turned away. As long as they meet the minimum age requirement of 17 of course.¡± Draye added. ¡°17 you say? I do have one student who meets that criteria. The rest are a few years older.¡± he seemed to look amongst the group of boys as if to find someone. ¡° Rayn! Step forward!.¡± A few of the boys started to shift left and right to make way for someone who was trying to walk to the front of the group. A boy had emerged and was standing in between Tornis and the rest of the boys. ¡°Well¡­.introduce yourself.¡± Tortis told the boy. ¡°My name is Rayn Kuro, disciple of Tortis, and citizen of Darmon. I¡¯m 17 years old.¡± the boy said sternly while standing straight up with his head slightly looking down. The boy stood at 6 feet tall, and had an athletic build with broad shoulders. He had a short, messy mohawk with the sides of his head shaved to the skin. The color of his eyes was the same as the color of his hair, white. Tattoo¡¯s ran up the boys tan forearms and stopped at the elbows. He wore a sleeveless tunic, and his bronze muscular arms were down by his sides. ¡°Rayn huh, well best of luck to you. I haven''t seen a youngin¡¯ like you tackle the Trials and pass it on their first go, it should be fun to watch.¡± Draye said with a smile on his face. Calico and his friends had just reached the Main Square and saw some sort of commotion going on by the Warden''s Office. People passing by had stopped to see what was going on as Tornis and Draye stood across from each other. ¡°Fun¡­ to watch?¡± said Tortis, as he cracked a small smile. ¡° Rayn, show him what you can do.¡± Rayn glanded up and looked over at Tortis as if to see if it was really okay, in which Tortis responded with a small nod. Rayn then shifted his legs, one in front of the other. He raised his left arm and held it bent in front of him. His right hand was raised over his head with his fist pointed forward as he bent his knees a little bit. Draye had his hands folded across his chest and was looking at Rayn, waiting to see what he would show him. Rayn closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, a wave of air went out in all directions. Everyone in the crowd took a step back. At this point, Calico had managed to make it to the front of the crowd and had a perfect view of what was going on. He recognized Draye but he didnt know who the rest were, much less the kid holding a battle stance in the middle of the Main Square. The tattoos on Rayn¡¯s forearms started to slowly turn white as he began to focus. Just as his tattoos became solid white, a transparent aura seemed to ooze out of them. This transparent aura had slowly fallen to Rayn¡¯s feet and seemed to hang there like a cloud. Suddenly, Rayn broke the stance and put his hands on his knees as he panted for breath. Not a second later, he shot up and crossed his hands on his chest and ripped them downwards to his sides. The transparent aura had dispersed and came back around onto Rayn¡¯s body solidifying as it formed shapes on his body.. Sticking out of his forearms were three rows of shark teeth made up of the transparent aura he had manifested earlier. Each tooth was about 5 inches long. On his back was the dorsal fin of a shark and more teeth began to manifest on his spine and shins. All of the new additions seemed to hover in place as Rayn began to stretch his limbs. The crowd took a few steps back, unsure if they were in danger or not. Calico¡¯s eyes were wide open as he stared at Rayn from behind. Excitement and fear shot through his body as he stood there, unsure what to say. ¡°A shark huh¡± Draye was looking at Rayn as if it wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen something like that happen before. ¡°I do have to say, you have potential kid, just don¡¯t underestimate the Trials¡­ many people have tried them and few have succeeded. In what had seemed a second, Rayn crossed his arms again and did the same ripping motion to his sides. The aura had dispersed and thinned out to leave no trace of it. He turned around and walked back to the group of boys. One older boy in particular seemed annoyed that Rayn was getting the spotlight treatment. ¡°Don''t think you¡¯re special kid, and don''t forget¡­. you have to get through ME as well as the Trials.¡± the red haired kid said out loud. ¡°Break it up. Everyone finished registering? Well, we best be on our way now anyway, it''s starting to stink in this city. See you on the day of the Trials¡± Tornis said sarcastically as he turned around and waved one hand. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a month¡¯s time.¡± Replied Draye with his arms still crossed over his chest. Just then, someone had walked to the center of the crowd and was standing in the middle where Rayn was before. Looking down, he noticed that there were imprints in the ground, as if the aura had physically damaged the earth. ¡°WAIT!¡± Calico yelled. ¡°Rayn¡­.was it?¡± Rayn turned around. He kept his head down but only lifted his eyes to see who it was that had called his name. Calico was standing in the same spot that Rayn had been in and held his fist out in front of him, pointing it straight at Rayn. ¡°You¡¯re not the only 17 year old challenging the Trials this year, ya know.¡± He said with a smirk on his face. Rayn had lifted his head to get a better view, but gave an uninterested look as he glared back at Calico. Although unintentionally, Calico¡¯s eyes slowly began to glow green. Startled, Rayn¡¯s eyes opened a little. ¡°The name¡¯s Calico,¡± he jerked his thumb to his chest. ¡° You¡¯re gonna have to get through ME too¡± 3. Glimpses It was about the time for the sun to set when Calico found himself sitting on the steps of the Library in the Main Square. He was thinking of the events that had just happened only an hour before. Roey and Dayno had been searching for Calico ever since they split up in the crowd earlier. ¡°Yo Calico!! Where the hell have ya been?¡± Roey was panting as if he had been running all over town searching for him. ¡°We heard what happened with that group of stuck up jerks.¡± Calico blinked twice as if he was stuck in a daze, ¡°Oh, Roey, Dayno¡­. Whats up?¡± ¡°Did you hear what he said Calico?¡± Dayno said frantically. ¡°Are you okay? What the heck happened to you?¡± Calico was deep in thought of the events that had just transpired. The last thing he remembered was looking into the eyes of Rayn and then noticing a green haze that seemed to be seeping from his own eyes. He then felt weak all of a sudden and the next thing he noticed was that he had woken up in the city clinic. ¡°Uh.. yeah. Those guys with the matching outfits all came to register for the Trial de Sangre, and I saw one of them use some weird power.¡± ¡°Weird power? What do you mean?¡± Roey raised an eyebrow. ¡°It''s hard to explain, but it was as if a blue aura started to come out of his body, and then it hardened on his arms, forming some sort of weapons..¡± Calico said holding his head and noticed a small bump. ¡°Ouch!...Apparently I passed out and hit my head on the ground too. The nurse said that the Warden took me to the clinic. I just woke up not too long ago.¡± ¡°Damn, that''s weird, thats the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of you randomly passing out like that.¡± Dayno said as he began to stretch his back. ¡°Well, anyway, now that we¡¯re here we should also register for the Trial.¡± ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± Calico shot up from where he was sitting. ¡°Lets go.¡± The three boys walked over to the Warden''s Office on the other side of the square. The first floor was the actual Warden¡¯s Office, where civil matters were handled and also where the registration for the Trials was. The second floor was the living quarters for the Warden himself. Calico scanned the building from top to bottom, observing its old features and rustic presence. ¡°Um, excuse me, we¡¯re here to register for the Trial de Sangre.¡± Calico said after he knocked on the window on the booth extending from the building. It was beginning to get dark as Calico kept knocking again. The knocks echoed through the whole building and it began to seem pretty clear that no one was home. ¡°God damn it, we missed the Warden,¡± Roey said. ¡°Well, at least we can just come back tomorrow right?¡± ¡°Guys¡­..does this sign say what I think it says?¡± Calico said with a shaky voice as he gulped. ¡°Hm? Here let me see.¡± Dayno brushed Calico aside and squinted at the paper posted on the window. ¡°¡®CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO HAVE REGISTERED FOR THE 100TH ANNUAL TRIAL DE SANGRE. GOOD LUCK TO ALL AND I¡¯LL SEE YOU IN A MONTHS TIME. DUE TO THE ABUNDANCE OF APPLICANTS, REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.¡¯¡± ¡°Wait¡­.WHAT?!¡± Calico ran his hands through both sides of his head. ¡°We missed the deadline?!!!¡± ¡°God damn it, see I KNEW we should¡¯ve came last week.¡± Roey snapped back. ¡°This is all your fault! You procrastinator.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you call me?!¡± Calico leaped onto Roey and they began to wrestle on the ground as Dayno was scratching his head. ¡°Well I guess it can¡¯t be helped, destiny doesn''t want us to enter into the Trials this year...haha.¡± Dayno said with an uneasy smile on his face. As the three boys were making a ruckus in the front of the Warden¡¯s Office, a merchant pushing a cart of various dried beans and foods was passing by. ¡°Hey mister!¡± Dayno called out as he ran towards the man. ¡°How much for a 10 pounds of red beans? I just remembered, Mom asked me to pick some up for my her today.¡± ¡°2 gold coins, kid.¡± the old man said with a smile. He looked behind Dayno towards the other two. ¡°Hm? What are those two over there doing?¡± He made a motion with his head towards Calico and Roey who were still wrestling on the ground, both trying to get the last word. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re mad about the Warden¡¯s Office being closed. You see, we missed the registration for the Trial...haha.¡± Dayno¡¯s laugh was short, as if he was also disappointed in missing the registration. ¡°Kekeke you youngsters wanted to take on the Trials? Well I¡¯ll admit, you have some courage all right. Listen, if you get your friends to each buy 10 pounds of beans too, I¡¯ll share a little secret with you. Who knows, you might still be able to register for the Trials.¡± The old man said while smiling. His eyes were closed and you could see the many wrinkles around his eyes and cheeks as he smiled at Dayno. ------------------------ ¡°Pssh, why do I gotta buy 10 pounds of beans, I don¡¯t even like red beans.¡± Calico said with his arms crossed and rolling his eyes over to the side. ¡°Just do it Calico! This guy said he can give us info that might help us still register!¡± ¡°Wait really? And why should we trust you, old man? You might just be scamming us.¡± Calico¡¯s eyes were squinting as he subtly examined the old man from head to toe. ¡°Kekeke, well it makes sense that you guys should be skeptical. Truth is, the Warden is my son. And I can tell you where he is right now. If you guys can catch up to him, you can try to persuade him to let you register.¡± Calico¡¯s eyes slowly widened as he dug into his pockets. ¡°Dayno! Roey! Empty out your pockets! We¡¯re gonna be eating beans for a week! Old man, we¡¯ll take 20 pounds each, please tell me where the Warden is!!¡± ¡°Kekeke, very well.¡± The old man collected the money from the kids and began to fill burlap sacks with beans. ¡°Around this time of the day, Draye is usually always training on the beach. Ahh.. now what beach was it again¡­ it was named after some type of metal, I forget.¡± ¡°Iron Beach?¡± Calico quickly asked.. ¡°Ah yes, that''s it. Iron Beach.¡± Calico turned back towards Roey and Dayno and they exchanged head nods. ¡°Alright, let''s go guys,¡± Calico stood up straight and dusted himself off. ¡°Let''s go see if destiny awaits at Iron Beach.¡± Not a second later, Calico turned around and began to sprint towards the beach. ¡°Wait Calico! Where are you going? We got 60 pounds of beans over here!!¡± Roey yelled out. ¡°You can have mine! I told you , I hate red beans! Haha!¡± Calico yelled back as he turned the corner of the Warden¡¯s Office. The Square grew silent now that Calico was gone. Only the two boys and the old man remained. ¡°Damn him, what are we gonna do with all this now?¡± Roey said as he lugged one bag over his shoulder. ¡°Well, we might as well take these home first. Then afterwards we can meet up with him at Iron Beach.¡± Dayno said as he swung the other bag over his own shoulder. The two of them began to walk back to their houses, the opposite direction in which Calico had ran to. The old man was left alone in the Square as he closed his barrels and began to pull the curtains down on his cart. ¡°Calico huh?¡± he said smiling as he looked up to the stars that had just began to emerge. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting one.¡± --------------------------- The sun had completely set and the moon was the only thing illuminating the beach as its reflection bounced off the calm sea. The Warden Draye stood in the shoreline so that only his ankles were in the water. He had his hands together in a praying motion as he stood still and meditated. His curly hair was waving with the light breeze that would pass from time to time. He had been standing there for about 30 minutes, undisturbed. Suddenly he opened his eyes as he sensed someone approaching. Calico had made it to Iron Beach after a 3 mile run and was panting as he squatted down. ¡°Phew...I made it¡± he said under his breath as he tried to stabilize his breathing. He looked up from where he was, but he didn''t see anyone in sight. After a few minutes, he muscled his way back up to his feet and began to walk down the shoreline. A shadow of a person began to emerge from the dark as Calico slowly treaded down the shore. ¡°Hello?¡± Calico could make out a silhouette of a man who was standing ankle deep in the water. ¡° I¡¯m looking for the Warden.¡± ¡°Hm...I thought I heard someone coming¡± Draye responded with his eyes closed, facing the dark horizon of the sea. He was still holding his hands together out in front of him, palm to palm. A look of confusion came over Calico¡¯s face, for all he could hear was the quiet crashing of the waves and the noisy wind in his ears.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Uhm¡­are you Draye? Someone told me that I¡¯d find you here.¡± Draye¡¯s eyebrow twitched upon hearing this, but kept his eyes closed. ¡°What do you want, boy. I¡¯m busy.¡± Calico sensed the annoyance in Draye¡¯s tone. ¡°Mr. Warden...Sir. I came to ask you if I can still register for the Trial de Sangre.¡± Draye opened his eyes when he recognized the voice of who he was talking to. He turned his head to look at Calico. ¡°You¡¯re that boy from earlier aren¡¯t you. The boy from the Main Square. Well, I''m sorry to inform you, but registration is closed, and I need to get back to my meditating.¡± He turned back towards the horizon and shut his eyes. ¡°Yea, that was me, but I guess I passed out so I don¡¯t remember much. I know that registration is closed, but maybe you could make an exception? Please I NEED to take this Trial.¡± ¡°Earlier, you said you were 17 years old. Don¡¯t you know that the Trials are no place for a boy.¡± ¡°I''m not a boy, I¡¯ve been training my whole life for the year I turn 17. I¡¯ve always told myself that this is what I was going to do. I need to become a pirate¡­..just like my Dad was.¡± Calico clenched his fists. ¡°Even now more than ever.¡± ¡°Your father was a Pirate?...haha. Tell me, what might his name be.¡± Draye said, still not facing Calico. ¡°Dad? His name was Sirjaa. Sirjaa Deimos.¡± A serious look spread across Draye¡¯s face as he opened his eyes and turned towards Calico. ¡°So you¡¯re the son of Sirjaa. Thats a name I haven''t heard in a while.¡± ¡°You knew my Dad?¡± ¡°Of course We took the Trial de Sangre together and I sailed on his ship for a couple of years after that.¡± A look of confusion spread across Calico¡¯s face. ¡°Wait, what do you mean you sailed on HIS ship, I thought everyone has to sail under a Captain when they pass the trials.¡± ¡°Ah, well the rules for the Trials were different back then I suppose. I do have to say however, I¡¯m glad that the son of Sirjaa has an interest in sailing the seas. You¡¯d make a fine pirate if you¡¯re even just a slice of what your Father was.¡± ¡°Yeah...so getting back to that, please let me register. I missed the deadline¡­.but I need to be a Pirate as soon as possible.¡± Calico¡¯s head slowly nodded down to face the sand on the ground. Draye raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh really, and why is that?¡± ¡°I ¡­. I can''t say. But I really need this, please understand!¡± Draye threw up his hands and turned away from Calico and started walking down the beach, ¡°Welp kid, sorry. I told you already, you missed the deadline. If I make an exception for you, I¡¯d have to make an exception for everyone else. Goodbye now.¡± He raised one hand over his shoulder as he began to walk away. Calico didn¡¯t expect such an abrupt answer. He fell to his knees and put looked at his open palms. ¡°No¡­ no .. no no no. I can''t let it end like this. I can¡¯t wait another year. I need answers...NOW.¡± he said under his breath. He balled up his fists and slammed them into the sand. ¡°WARDEN!!¡± Calico yelled out. Draye stopped in his tracks and only turned his head sideways. ¡°What do you want kid, I got things to do.¡± he sounded annoyed. ¡°I need ¡­..to take the Trial this year.¡± He said as he slowly stood up. He kept his head pointed down. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me boy? Registration is closed. Now get lost before you start to irritate me.¡± Calico turned his head up and looked directly at Draye. ¡°I challenge you to a fight. If I win, you let me register.¡± Draye was standing about 30 feet away from Calico as he turned and faced him with his arms crossed over his chest. ¡°You want to fight¡­.me? Bahaha.¡± ¡°What''s the matter, scared to lose to a 17 year old?¡± Draye stopped laughing and could see the determination in Calico¡¯s eyes. His stubbornness pissed him off. ¡°Alright kid, it looks like this is the only way you¡¯ll learn.¡± Draye spread his legs and started to stretch his limbs. ¡°What are the rules to your little challenge then?¡± Calico was stretching his arms and jumping in place to get his adrenaline up. ¡°It''s simple, the first one to knock the other one out wins. No weapons, fists only.¡± ¡°Oh is that so?¡± Draye said with a smile on his face. ¡°So if you win, you can register. But if I win¡­.. Lets see. If I win, I won''t allow you to take the Trial de Sangre until you¡¯re 21 years old,¡± he said with a smirk. Calico was taken back by those words. ¡®21?¡¯ he thought to himself. He shook the thoughts out of his head and spread his legs and put out his left arm. ¡°I won''t lose. I¡¯ve got too much riding on this.¡± In what seemed in an instant, Draye squatted down and sprung up about 10 feet above Calico and came down with both hands clamped together in a downward swing. ¡°We¡¯re starting now?!!¡± Calico ducked and dove to the right. Draye landed on the ground and pointed one finger at him. He waved with his finger, curling it back towards his wrist. ¡°Alright then.¡± Calico ran towards Draye and threw a flurry of punches at his body. Draye easily out maneuvered the punches as he slowly walked backwards. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Calico said as he missed every punch. ¡°You¡¯re years away from landing a punch on me kid.¡± Draye lifted his left arm and swung it down like a tree trunk into Calico¡¯s side. It was coming too fast for Calico to dodge, so he raised up both arms to shield his face, but he took the impact straight in his ribs. The blow sent his body skipping on the sand a few times before he came to a stop. Draye stretched his neck over to the side, ¡°You got cocky kid, we¡¯re on two different levels, you and I.¡± He started to turn around. Calico laid on the sand gasping for air since he had gotten the wind knocked out of him. He took a deep breath and muscled his way up with his arms first, then his legs. ¡°I''m only¡­.getting warmed up.¡± Calico had picked himself up and was standing with his hand on his ribs. ¡°I¡¯ll show you who the cocky one is.¡± ¡°Oh¡­. you¡¯re not gonna stay down? I dont want to hurt you any more than you already are kid.¡± ¡®Shut up,¡¯ Calico thought to himself. He let out a yell as he charged at him. Draye raised the same left arm and swung it down again. Calico dodged it this time, going under the swing and jumped up off the ground behind him and came down with a left punch. Draye ducked his head and caught his punch with his other hand. ¡°What the?!¡± Calico said while his arm was snared by Draye¡¯s enormous hand. He then swung his hand over his head and slammed Calico onto the sand in front of him. Calico let out a yell in agony and coughed out blood as he rolled to his side and grasped his ribs. ¡°This ends here, don''t get up. You probably have at least 2 broken ribs already.¡± Draye pulled a cigar out of his pocket. He cupped his hands around his mouth to light it since the wind was still picking up gusto. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you your honor, you can rest for an hour right there. When you¡¯re feeling better, take yourself to the clinic.¡± He turned around and started to walk away. ¡°Don''t worry kid, I won''t tell anyone about what happened here.¡± Calico remained on the ground, slowly trying to grasp control on his breathing. He was on his side so he could see Draye¡¯s back as he was walking away. ¡®This can¡¯t be it.¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®I¡¯m not waiting 4 years to take the Trial¡­...Dad...I need to go see what was on your map. I need to get up. Right now. I need to get up.. RIGHT¡­¡­. NOW.¡¯ Calico shut his eyes forcefully as if to bite back tears. ¡®He only hit me two times. GET UP.¡¯ He reopened his eyes, which had changed in color from brown to a shade of green. Draye stopped in his tracks as he sensed something was not right. He slowly turned around and saw a green aura begin to emerge from Calico¡¯s body. The aura had begun to slowly rotate around his body as he stood up. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re one of those , huh?¡± Draye now stood facing towards the green aura. ¡°My ribs, they don''t hurt anymore¡­..what is this strength I¡¯m feeling¡­?¡± Calico stood with his fists to his side. The aura started to make its way onto his arms. Calico then remembered the same motion that Rayn Kuro had done earlier in the Main Square. He made an X with his forearms above his head. ¡°I don''t know what this is, but it made my pain go away, so I¡¯ll give this a try.¡± Calico then ripped his arms down to his sides and let out a yell. ¡°This fight isn¡¯t finished yet!¡± He then sprinted towards Draye twice as fast as he had done before. The aura had dispersed but both of his fists were glowing green, all the way up to his elbow. Streaks of green were left behind of him as he ran. ¡°I told you to not get cocky kid.¡± Draye then rushed towards Calico too winding up his right hook. Calico still ran straight towards him, and waited until the last possible second to duck under the swing. He then planted his foot deep into the sand and used all the torque in his body to land a vicious uppercut that connected right under Draye¡¯s jaw. Sparks of creen flew in all directions. The punch left Draye standing still with his head turned all the way upwards. Calico then jumped and spun in a circle winding up a kick. Letting out a yell, he crashed his kick into the Draye¡¯s ribs. More green sparks erupted from the impact. Calico then jumped back to create some distance between them both. The kick had shot Draye to the ground a few feet back. When the the sand settled, he raised one hand to rub his chin. ¡°Haha, you actually landed a punch on me. You got guts kid.¡± Draye brought his knees up to his chest and jumped upright. ¡°You made me bite through my cigar too.¡± He cracked his knuckles on both of his hands. ¡°I guess the only way you¡¯ll learn is if I knock you out cold.¡± Calico then sprinted towards him jumping from left to right in attempts to throw off Draye¡¯s aim. He then jumped toward him winding up his arm. Calico quickly noticed that his fist had started gushing out the green aura more than usual, it was leaving a trail from where he had jumped. A huge sonic wave sent a wave of sand up in the air when Draye met Calico¡¯s fist with one of his own. The two stood there for a while, measuring each others power. Draye was the first to make a move. He kicked his leg under to throw Calico off balance but he had already jumped back up to dodge it. Calico threw out a right kick aimed at Draye¡¯s head but was blocked by a beefy forearm. Draye extended his arm and sent Calico flying a couple of feet back. He then rushed at Calico and jumped in the air with both of his fists cranked back by his sides. Calico jumped to the right, but as soon as Draye landed one foot on the ground, he used all of his leg power to launch himself at Calico. He shot both hands out and Calico raised his arms up and braced himself for the impact. Calico opened his eyes when he noticed that he didn''t feel anything. The aura in his fists had formed a shield and it had fully blocked both of Draye¡¯s fists. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± He said as he jumped backwards a few feet. A sharp shock of pain struck his ribs that made him fall to one knee. ¡°I see that you don''t even understand your own power yet. You still have some broken ribs.¡± Draye began to take off his shirt. Calico hadn¡¯t really noticed before, but he now could see just how strong Draye was. He was almost as big as his uncle Talio, but was way more muscular. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, you got some strength kid. But I¡¯ve got to put an end to this before you seriously hurt yourself.¡± He shut his eyes and placed his hands together. A gust of wind began to spiral around his feet as a red aura began to emerge from his eyes. He opened his eyes and jerked his arms apart, one in front of the other. His bright red irises glared back at Calico. A red aura was seeping from Draye¡¯s arms and had hardened on his fists, forming glowing red spheres. ¡®He can do it too?¡¯ Calico thought to himself. ¡°It looks like this will be the finale to our little wager.¡± Draye shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not backing down now.¡± Calico ran towards him ¡®This kid has got some balls, I¡¯ll give him that.¡¯ Draye thought as he ran towards him as well. The two let out a loud yell as they both winded up their right fists behind them. When they reached each other, they both planted their left foot deep in the sand and swung their fist at each others faces. Calico slammed his fist into Draye¡¯s face, but Draye also got a direct hit onto Calico¡¯s cheek. Neither of them was backing down, they held their fists in place, pushing down as hard as they could. Calico¡¯s green aura had gotten bigger; it was no longer just on his arms, it had projected outside of his body like a growing bubble. Draye¡¯s red aura also matched the size of Calico¡¯s. The two grunted with anger as they held their positions. ¡°DON''T GET COCKY KID!!!!¡± Draye yelled out as he squeezed his fist and pushed down harder on Calico''s cheek. The green aura began to shrink as Calico fell to his knees. The force of Draye¡¯s fist pushing down on his face was growing stronger. ¡°I¡­.WON''T...LOOOOSE!!!¡± Calico yelled back with Draye¡¯s fist pushing down on his face. Draye¡¯s eyes widened for a second. He yelled out and brought his fist down onto Calico, smashing him into the sand below. Calico¡¯s hand went limp and quietly fell beside him. The beach was quiet, and the only thing that could be heard was the soft panting coming from Draye. The green aura completely vanished into thin air as Calico laid knocked out in the sand. Draye looked up and let out a groan as he put his hands on his hips and leaned back. The stars were shining bright in the sky and the ocean was still calm, slowly crashing the waves that reached the shore. ¡°Calico Deimos huh?¡± he tried to normalize his breathing. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting one.¡± He leaned down to scoop Calico up, and tossed him over his shoulder. ¡°Let''s get you to the clinic.¡± he used the back of his hand to wipe blood off his cheek where Calico had punched him. ¡°Stupid kid.¡± 4. Second Chances The rays of the sun had begun to peek through the gaps in the window curtains as Calico slowly opened his eyes. He raised one hand to shield his eyes from the light. ¡°Wh¡­.Where am I?¡± he softly said as he tried to sit up in his bed. He felt a bruise on the side of his face and winced when he touched it with his hand. He tried to swing his legs over the side of the bed and let out a grunt. ¡°Ouch!!¡± he grabbed the left side of his rib cage as a sharp pain jolted up his bones. Overhearing the yell, a nurse hurriedly walked into the room. ¡°Oh you¡¯re awake already?¡± She walked towards Calico¡¯s bedside. ¡°Now don''t go on moving, you have some serious bruising on your ribs, what the heck were you doing last night?¡± ¡®Bruising?¡¯ he thought to himself. He was certain he had at least two broken ribs from the fight with Draye the night before. He ran his finger down each of his ribs to see if he noticed any bumps that were out of place. ¡°Uhm, how exactly did I end up here?¡± he looked up from his ribs to the nurse. He didn''t notice before, but on second glance, he saw just how beautiful she was. She had soft hazel eyes and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. Her light brown skin had a hint of rose around her face that reminded Calico of the color of the sand during sunrise. She walked over to one of the many cabinets and came back holding a loaf of warm bread and a cup of water. ¡°Here, eat this, you¡¯re probably starving.¡± On cue, his stomach began to rumble. He grabbed the food from her and began to chow down. ¡°Well, it was about 11 o¡¯clock last night when I heard a knock on the door. It was the Warden, and he had you slung over his shoulder. He walked over to one of the beds here and I helped him place you down.¡± ¡°The Warden brought me here?¡± Calico lowered the bread from his mouth. He now remembered what had happened the night before. In his final standoff with Draye, he had lost. The bread in his palm became crushed as Calico squeezed his fist out of anger. ¡°Hey Hey! What did the bread ever do to you?!¡± the nurse scowled at him. ¡° I wont have you wasting food on my watch, not you, not anyone.¡± Calico snapped back to normal. ¡°Oh...I¡¯m sorry.¡± He opened his fist and lifted the bread upt to his mouth, eating it with his head hung down in hopelessness. The wager he had made with the Warden had resulted in utter defeat. All Calico could think about was him having to wait till the age of 21 to take the Trial De Sangre. All the work that he had put in over the past years had gone to waste. A worried look spread across the nurse¡¯s face. ¡°H...Hey, lighten up, don''t take it personal, I have a weird sense of humor, that''s all.¡± She looked over to the desk that was in the other side of the room. ¡°Oh yeah, that''s right.¡± She got up and walked over to the desk and picked something up. ¡°The Warden left me this envelope for you. He sealed it with his personal seal, so I think it might be important.¡± Calico¡¯s ears perked up as he thrust his head upwards to look at the envelope. ¡®From...the Warden?¡¯ he thought to himself. Suddenly, the nurse flung the envelope towards Calico like a frisbee that cut through the air. Calico slapped his hands together to catch it out of the air and gave her a confused look. ¡°Well you¡¯re reflexes seem to be intact, even with those injuries.¡± She began to turn around, ¡°You¡¯re cleared to leave whenever you want, you seem to be fine already.¡± Calico looked down at the Warden¡¯s wax seal on the envelope and then back to the nurse. ¡°Hey¡­.uh¡­.you never told me your name. Thanks for looking after me.¡± He quickly turned away as his cheeks began to turn pink. ¡°Haha, well I work here don''t I, I had no other choice than to help you.¡± She said as turn around and walked out the door. ¡°My name is Brya,¡± she said with a small smile as she closed the door. Calico cracked a small smile, then quickly turned his attention down towards the envelope. He took a deep breath and ripped open the seal. He took the paper that was inside and held it up. ¡°Hey kid, you got knocked out cold on the beach last night, so I had no other choice than to drop you off at the Clinic. I''m sorry to say, but that means that you lost the wager.¡± Calico stopped reading and leaned his head up towards the ceiling. With eyes closed, he slammed his fist into the bed and took a deep breath. He exhaled, then gathered himself before reading the rest of the letter. ¡°I can''t remember the last time someone took one of my punches directly to the face and held me back. You¡¯ve got guts kid, you¡¯re a spitting image of you Father. You showed me something back on that beach that I¡¯ve been waiting to see in a young man for years now. I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯ll let you register for the Trial De Sangre. However, under one condition. I want you to go to the Tidal Library, and talk to a man named Dara. Don''t take this for granted, I¡¯ll see you on the day of the Trials.¡± The sounds of birds chirping could be heard from outside as silence filled the room. Calico couldn¡¯t believe what he had just read. He had lost the wager, but the Warden still allowed him to register for the Trial. He jumped up to stand on the bed. ¡°HELL YEA!!!!¡± He yelled out as he started to jump from bed to bed, waving the letter in one hand. He made a full round before jumping stomach first back onto his own bead. Soft pants escaped his mouth as he tried to gather himself. He sat up on the edge of his bed and placed his hand on his ribs. ¡°The pain¡­.is gone.¡± he said as he tapped his ribs with more force to test the tenderness. ¡°Dara¡­...¡¯ he thought to himself as he looked at the blue sky through the window. ¡®I wonder what that''s all about.¡¯ Calico stepped out of the clinic and raised his hands to shield his eyes from the sunlight. ¡®Damn, I¡¯ve been inside for so long, what time is it?¡¯ he thought to himself. The Main Square was buzzing with people quickly scurrying to places they needed to be. ¡°Oh! Roey and Dayno, I wonder what happened with them last night,¡± he said as he started walking through the crowd of passerbyers. ¡°They¡¯re probably at the usual spot.¡± A slow walk turned into a light jog as Calico went to go look for his friends to tell them the news. ------------------------------- ¡°I can¡¯t believe it man,¡± Roey was rocking in a brown hammock tied to two low palm trees. ¡°We missed our last chance to register.¡± Dayno was munching on a fruit bowl that he had bought in the merchant alley near the middle of town. ¡°Mhm, but there¡¯s no use in worrying about it anymore, we can always try next year.¡± ¡°Yeah I know, but ever since we were kids, we always said that we¡¯d all become Pirates together when we turn 17, the three of us.¡± Roey had taken out his spyglass and was looking out to the open ocean from where he was hanging. Dayno stabbed an apple with his knife and popped it into his mouth. ¡°Think of it this way, *crunch crunch*...... we have a whole year to train together. So by the time next year rolls around, we¡¯ll all pass on our first try.¡± Roey turned to face him, but Dayno froze as he held another apple in front of his open mouth. ¡°Sorry man, I get hungry when I¡¯m anxious.¡±Dayno tossed another apple into his mouth. ¡°It isn''t like Calico to disappear and not say a word like this.¡± Just then, a figure of someone running towards the two boys emerged far in the horizon down the stretch of the beach. Calico had taken his shoes off and wore them on his hands as he ran in the sand, getting a bonus workout in since he had slept until 2 p.m. ¡°Yo guys!!!¡± Calico shouted as he raised one hand in the air. ¡°Speak of the devil! Look, its Calico.¡± Dayno set his bowl down and Roey hopped off his hammock. ¡°Holy crap, you¡¯re right. You got a serious case of weird juju going on Dayno.¡± Roey teased as he turned to face Calico who was still running towards them. ¡°It took you long enough to show your face!¡± He yelled out at him, ¡°You done with your solo operation or what?¡± Calico reached the two boys, but made a quick pit stop to splash some ocean water on his face before walking up to them. They stood in an old abandoned building that was ravaged by some sort of destructive force. All the walls and ceilings were destroyed and only remnants of walls remained. This had been the boys¡¯ hang out spot ever since they could remember. They spent many nights here training, joking around, and simply passing the time. It was really close to the ocean, about only 100 feet or so. ¡°Hey guys, sorry that we got separated last night.¡± Calico sat down on a block of stone that had once been a piece of a wall. ¡°What did you guys end up doing?¡± ¡°Well we went home to drop off the bags of beans that you made us buy.¡± Roey sounded a little bit annoyed, ¡°Afterwards, we went to Iron Beach like we said we would.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Yeah, but no one was there, not even you.¡± Dayno sat down on a wooden chair and picked up his bowl again. ¡°Yeah...about that.¡± Calico seemed hesitant to tell his friends the news. ¡°Well, I actually found the Warden.¡± ¡°You found him? Wait so what happened?¡± Roey also sat down next to Dayno. Calico went on and explained the whole situation of what had happened the night before to the two boys. Everything up to what was written in the letter that the Warden had given him. He decided to keep that to himself. ¡°Wait...so let me get this straight¡­¡± Roey tilted his head a slight angle to the right. ¡°You had a fist fight¡­.with the WARDEN of all people¡­...and he let you register even tho you got beat down like that?¡± ¡°Y¡­.yeah¡­¡± Calico felt a sense of awkwardness in the air, he didn''t know how to respond. ¡°Holy crap Calico!! You¡¯re crazy! Stupid, don''t get me wrong. I mean, who would pick a fight with the Warden, that dude is one of the strongest guys in the city, but DAMN dude. You¡¯re one crazy dude.¡± Roey jumped up and put Calico in a chokehold with his arm. ¡°Hahahaha I got to say tho, even if I was there, I probably wouldn¡¯t have had the balls to do what you did.¡± Roey smiled as he let Calico up. ¡°Congrats bro. Now you have no excuse to pass this damn Trial.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ I thought you guys would be mad. Since after all we had planned to take the Trial together.¡± Calico looked at Roey, then over to Dayno who had stopped eating. ¡°Calico, it doesn''t matter if you go this year, and we go next year. I mean...it would¡¯ve been cool if we would¡¯ve taken it together.¡± Roey stepped in and cut Dayno off. ¡°As long as we all pass, become pirates, and can sail together, it shouldn¡¯t matter how we get there.¡± Roey smiled for a few seconds as he turned his gaze towards the ocean. ¡°Well, knowing that I¡¯m going to be a year behind of you now, I better start training as soon as possible. I¡¯ve been meaning to go to my Uncle¡¯s house down south in Aido, and now I got a good reason to. He¡¯s a Pirate too, so he could help me train for the Trial next year.¡± ¡°That sounds like a good idea Roey, how about you Dayno? What will you do?¡± Dayno reached in his bowl but was disappointed when there were no more apples left. ¡°Hmm, well I think I¡¯ll stay here in Tortuga, after all, who else is going to help my mom with all the things I already do. I¡¯ll train whenever I have free time, just like I¡¯ve been doing already.¡± Calico smiled at hearing what Dayno had to say. He always thought that he had a warm heart when it came to his friends and family. ¡°Well, you guys already know what my plan is. I gotta pass this Trial.¡± Calico stood up and began to stretch. ¡°I think I¡¯ll head home and get some food, I¡¯m starving.¡± As Calico said goodbye and began to walk away, Roey jumped up and called out. ¡°Oh Calico, quick before you leave. Nira came by here a couple of hours ago, she said she was looking for you.¡± ¡°Nira came by?¡± Dayno put one hand behind his head as he let out a smile. ¡°Haha yea, she looked really pissed off too, what¡¯d you do to her this time Calico?¡± Roey and Dayno exchanged a look before letting out a couple of laughs. ¡°Hey shut up, I already told you, it''s not what it looks like.¡± Calico¡¯s face began to turn red. ¡°We¡¯ve known eachother forever, we¡¯re just friends.¡± ¡°Haha whatever you say man. Anyway, she said that she¡¯ll be in the library at the Main Square.¡± ¡®The library near the Main Square?¡¯ Calico thought to himself. ¡®That''s the Tidal Library, the same one where this Dara guys is supposed to be in.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ well alright, I guess I¡¯ll head over there right now then.¡± Calico began to slip his shoes on. ¡°Alright, well i¡¯ll see you guys later.¡± ¡°See ya¡± the other two boys said in unison. When Calico was far off in the distance, Roey stood up and put his hands in a cone around his mouth. ¡°Hey you better run! You don''t wanna get Nira MORE angry at you!!¡± Dayno let out a laugh and gave Roey a high five. ------------------------------- The Tidal Library was an immense lengthy building that was covered in old brown bricks. All of the windows were lined with a black metal that made all of the accentuations more noticable. The main entrance was a set of double doors that lied on top of a 10 step platform. Although it once was one of the most popular placed in all of Tortuga, over time, its luster faded as well as its visitors. Calico had reached the Main Square and faced towards the enormous building that stood before him. In all of the years that he had lived in Tortuga, he never once had entered the Library. He walked up the steps and stood before the large arch over the doors. ¡®How am i even supposed to know what this Dara guy looks like, I¡¯ve never even been here before,¡± he thought as he walked up to the doors and pushed them open. Upon entering, Calico¡¯s nose was met with the smell of fresh ink. The windows on the front side of the building were letting in beams of light that cut through the dimly lit room. To Calico¡¯s surprise, there weren¡¯t many people in sight, only a few old people who were sitting far off in the other side of the inicial room. Looking around, he also noticed that many books were missing from the shelves as if the library was too big for the amount of books that it had. Next to the entrance was a picture with the breakdown of all the rooms in the Library. On first glance, Calico thought he was looking at a map of a labyrinth. ¡®Since when was this library so damn huge?¡± he wondered. ¡®Well, I might as well find Nira first. She knows this place better than I ever would,¡¯ he thought as he walked over to the reception desk. There was an old man standing behind the desk with glasses pulled down to the tip of his nose. He had long grey hair that fell to his shoulders and his face was littered with wrinkles. ¡°Uhm...Excuse me,¡± Calico said as the old man looked up from his book to see who was talking to him. ¡°Have you seen a girl walk in here recently?¡± The old man just blankly stared back at Calico without saying word. ¡°Oh..uh...she''s about my age, tall, and has dreadlocks¡­..¡± The old man simply lifted his index finger and pointed it up to the ceiling. ¡°Up?...what?....oh, like upstairs?¡± the old man slowly put his hand down and resumed reading his book. Calico had an uneasy look on his face as he turned to scan the room for some stairs. He saw over in the corner a large winding staircase that went both upstairs and downstairs. ¡°Thanks¡­.¡± he told the old man as he made his way over to the staircase. As soon as he was about to make his way up, he heard some chattering coming from someone who was walking up from the bottom floor. He stepped aside to let them pass. Up from the stairs emerged two guys who looked to be in their mid 20¡¯s. They were both wearing swords on their belts and had on brown leather vests. Calico¡¯s eyes shot open when he saw a shining silver medallion hanging from both of their necks. These guys were Pirates, he was sure of it. The Pirate Emblems on their necklaces slowly bounced on their chests as they reached the top floor Calico was on. One of the Pirates gave Calico a quick glance, then walked towards the exit with his companion. ¡°What the heck are two official Pirates doing in a place like this?¡± Calico mumbled as he peered down the winding staircase. A sudden urge to go see what was down there came across his whole body as he took a slow step downwards. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just go see what''s down there real quick.¡± He made his way down the staircase in a steady spiral. The hand rail was one long piece of dark mahogany that looked like it had been worn down over time. Each step creaked as he made his way down towards the bottom floor, which Calico could now sense that was underground. When he reached the last step, he peered over the edge of the wall to see what lied in the mysterious room. To his surprise, it was almost identical to the room above. Old desks with books littered on top of them were spread throughout the huge room. The only difference was that this room was lit by candles, so it gave off a more gloomy and obscure vibe. ¡°There''s nothing here, what the heck were those guys doing¡­.Reading?¡± he uttered while staying on the last step of the staircase. Calico stood there in silence, carefully observing the room to see if he could understand why the Pirates had been here. He strained his eyes and though he saw a corridor in the dark corner of the room when suddenly, he heard a loud screech that made him jump up and yell out. ¡°AHHH! What the hell was that?!?!¡± Calico yelled as he jumped off the stairs and frantically looked around. He heard the screech again and deduced that it was coming from one of the floors above. He ran up the staircase back to the ground level floor and looked around to see what it was. The old man at the reception area lifted his head from his book and glanced at Calico. He raised a finger and pointed at the ceiling just like before. Calico glanced upwards the staircase in confusion as he slowly made his way up. When he reached the last step, he slowly peeked his face over the edge of the wall to see where the screech was coming from. ¡°AHHHHH!!!! , GET IT AWAY FROM MEEEE!!!¡± a female voice belted out. She was standing on top of a table holding a broomstick firmly in between her hands. The dreadlocks on her head slowly waved from side to side as she shook her head. ¡°N...Nira?!¡± Calico yelled out. Nira beamed her head over toward Calico. ¡°Calico! Get the heck over here! Help me out!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± He yelled as he hurriedly made his way over to the table where she was standing. ¡°It''s right there!! Under the desk!¡± she pointed to a table across the room. ¡°Here, take this broom and get it the heck away from me!!.¡± ¡°Get what away from you?! What are you talking about?¡± Calico was extremely confused and didn¡¯t know what he was supposed to do with the broom being thrown at him. ¡°The rat!! Its huge! Kill the damn thing!¡± ¡°A rat?!¡± Just as Calico had said that, the rat emerged from under the table. It was the size of a small dog as it hissed at the broom he had in his hand. All of a sudden the rat leaped towards Calico baring its teeth. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH,¡± Nira yelled out as she jumped to another table. In a swift move, Calico dropped the broom to the ground and reached behind his back to pull out one of his daggers. He thrust the tip of it into through the mouth of the rat, with the blade exiting through the back of its head. Blood began to drip onto the floor, so Calico hurried over to a window and threw the rat outside. ¡°What kind of damn rat was that? That¡¯s one of the biggest ones I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± he said as he cleaned the blood on his dagger with a piece of cloth. The two of them sat down a one of the tables as Nira attempted to calm down. ¡°I¡­.hate rats¡­¡­,¡± she exhaled as she dropped her head down onto her crossed arms on the table. ¡°Yeah, ever since we were kids, you always froze up around those ugly things¡­ haha.¡± ¡°Hey shut up!¡± she said as she jerked her head up. ¡°By the way¡­.what are you even doing here in the first place?¡± ¡°Roey told me that you were looking for me earlier, and to meet you here¡­¡± ¡°Ohh yeah¡­..now i remember¡­.,¡± she stood up and walked over towards to where Calico was sitting. Nira lifted her arm and brought her fist down onto the top of Calico¡¯s head. ¡°WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME THAT YOU¡¯RE ENTERING THE TRIALS THIS YEAR!!!!¡± ¡°Ouch!! What the heck??!¡± He rubbed his head with both hands. ¡°How¡¯d you even find out about that??¡± ¡°Your Aunt told me the other day when I ran into her in town.¡± ¡°Oh she did?... Damn, well, I didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal¡­.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­.¡± Nira sat back down with her arms crossed. ¡°The Trials are a death wish Calico¡­..I''m sure you already know how many people die every year in attempts of passing.¡± ¡°Yea, I know¡­.but you don''t need to worry. I¡¯ll pass for sure.¡± ¡°Yea...whatever.¡± Nira turned her head toward the blue sky behind the window. Calico had been friends with Nira ever since they were 5 years old and she could be considered his oldest friend. Nira was easily the smartest person Calico knew, as she would read countless books about all sorts of things. She was the one who taught Calico how to build his ship based off nautical books and ship blueprints that she had read. ¡°Hey I¡¯m sorry, I was going to tell you, I just haven''t seen you in a while ya know.¡± Calico could sense the awkwardness in the air, so he quickly changed the subject. ¡°Hey by the way, do you know someone named Dara? I was told that I¡¯d find him here.¡± Nira glanced back toward Calico with a casual look. ¡°Dara? Yeah, I see him every time I come to the Library¡­.. Why?¡± ¡°Wait really? Well¡­.I don''t really know why, but I need to talk to him.¡± ¡°Well get up then, I¡¯ll take you to where he¡¯s at.¡± The two stood up and headed over towards the winding staircase. ¡°Wait, are we going to the bottom floor? I already checked there, there wasn¡¯t anyone.¡± ¡°Haha well of course you didn¡¯t see him, he¡¯s in the secret room.¡± ¡°Secret¡­..room?¡±