Feros and the Underworld Prince (33 page)

When we are about halfway into town, Penelope turns left into the forest. This is starting to feel like a trap so I prepare myself and follow after her. We walk for about a mile before I spot a small cabin. Penelope makes a beeline for the cabin and we enter it. It appears to only be a small unfurnished cabin with a fireplace… until I recall that my life is a series of Scooby-Doo mysteries. I have no doubt that a brick in the fireplace opens up a secret passage that leads underground.

However, Penelope doesn’t do that. Instead, she flicks the light switch in a bizarre interval of three. I feel the ground beneath my feet shift before Penelope turns toward us and gestures outside. Travis and I turn around and exit the cabin to find that the forest is gone, and in its place is a huge training facility. There are three separate padded training areas, each the same size as the one in the basement in Arizona. Travis and I join the five other recruits that are lined up in front of the already established members, who are all wearing training gear… right, well at least this explains Travis’s and Penelope’s sideways glances at me and my choice to wear jeans.

I see the lanky blonde wizard whose arm I snapped, giving me a discontented gaze while a weretiger steps forward; he’s a half Indian guy that appears to be a professional body builder, with black hair in a buzz cut and brown eyes. I realize that he is the same weretiger that was talking to Travis at the party.

“
Good! Now that we are all here, I’d like to welcome you to the fight club! I’m this year’s president, Jeremy Jacobs, but everyone calls me JJ.” Jeremy addresses. What’s bizarre is the fact that his aura is the normal white in color.

“
This is our vice president, Ryan Ericson.” Jeremy says while gesturing to the wizard, who takes a step forward.

“
And this is our senior captain, David Bese, but everyone calls him Beast.” Jeremy says and gestures to the large, brown-haired, werewolf with a red aura that halted my and Travis’s recruitment test.

Considering that the vice president and senior captain have red auras while the president doesn’t, I think that Jeremy might be out of the loop. I notice that roughly a third of the club’s members have red auras.

“
Like most of the supernatural world, the fight club covets strength over most everything else. Positions in the club are chosen based on how well you can fight, besides the positions of president and vice president; those two positions are always chosen by the previous president before they graduate and are based on who is best fitted to lead. So, to start things off, you recruits will be having a mini tournament to decide your ranking within your class.” Jeremy explains.

“
You can go all out, but no kill shots; this is fighting to incapacitate only. Penelope over there will be using healing spells to get you all back up and running, but you will be pretty sore tomorrow as an aftereffect, which is why we always do this on a Friday. Now before we begin, do any of you not have a problem fighting a woman?” Jeremy asks. The rest of the guys just look at each other, so I speak up.

“
I don’t have a problem with it sir, so long as she’s trained. My combat instructor beat the misconception that all women are fragile, dainty creatures out of me; however, that doesn’t mean I don’t treat them as such until I’m positive that they’re a threat.” I explain.

“
Good man! What’s your name?” Jeremy asks.

“
Cole Treyfair.” I reply.

“
Alright! Nagi, Cole will be your opponent.” Jeremy says while looking past me and I feel my stomach drop. I look over at who he’s talking to and I see Nagi smirking at me.

“
That’s fine. Since the other three mats will be occupied, is it alright if Cole and I have our fight in the forest?” Nagi asks.

“
Sure, just don’t rough him up too badly haha!” Jeremy announces.

I follow Nagi into the cabin, where she flicks the light switch in the same pattern as Penelope. I open the door and we walk out into the empty forest.

“
What are you doing here!?” I ask.

“
I joined the fight club, what else?” Nagi replies. I’m not sure if I believe her… this all seems a little beyond coincidental.

“
Do you know why I requested that we fight out here?” Nagi asks. No, but I get the feeling that I’m about to.

“
I want you to fight me at your full capacity —your unarmed full capacity— so no invisible blades, swords, bombs, throwing spikes, tentacle-thingys; just punching and kicking, but I want you to use that left arm to its fullest.” Nagi explains.

“
I don’t think that’s such a great ide—” I start to say before Nagi delivers a full-speed round house kick to my left arm that sends me flying into a tree. I’m able to strengthen my right side before my impact so I don’t break anything, but that was nuts!

As I think that, a pinecone falls from the tree and hits my head… Oh nature; thou art a cruel mistress, but rather punny.

“
So have you changed your mind?” Nagi asks as I recover.

I see that Nagi isn’t going to let me out of this without a fight, so I charge at her. Perhaps I can discourage her if I show her what she’s up against. Nagi backs up to dodge my first kick, which lands her in front of a tree. I charge in a very linear fashion and throw a left punch as hard as I can. Nagi easily dodges, but I wasn’t exactly aiming for her. My fist makes contact and the tree trunk practically explodes.

“
That’s better! More!” Nagi shouts as the tree cracks and starts falling toward the cabin.

I probably should have accounted for that… to correct my mistake, I spin and backhand the tree with my left hand. More of the trunk splinters as the tree spins and the top hits the ground, lifting the trunk into the air before gravity slams the tree trunk to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and pine needles. Great, now I can’t see shit!

“
A smokescreen doesn’t work on beings with thermal vision.” Nagi whispers into my ear from behind.

I spin to catch her with a punch, but that appears to be exactly what she was expecting; why else would she be kneeling down? The spin leaves me hovering over her as she plants a double-footed kick into my chest that sends me sailing through the air before I come crashing down to the ground. I recover as Nagi is coming down on top of me with her right knee aimed for my stomach. I quickly roll to the right and throw my left leg over her head when she lands, bringing my heel down on the back of her neck as I lock her arm with my right leg.

“
Not bad, but are you forgetting that I’m a nagini?” Nagi asks. Nagi’s clothes collapse as she turns into a snake and proceeds to slither into my pant leg.

“
Hey, what are you doing? Stop, that tickles! Stop flicking your tongue all over the place! WHOA! No Nagi! Bad touch!” I shout as I hop around like an idiot that has a snake in his pants. Nagi might consider this foreplay, and in actuality it doesn’t feel bad, but it’s weirding me out on a whole new level.

“
Can we get back to our fight please?” I yell.

Nagi slithers up my chest, out through my collar and pulls back to look at me. I think she’s trying to say that nobody said we weren’t still fighting, but it’s a little hard to tell when snakes don’t have facial expressions. She springs out of my collar, smacking my chin with her tail on the way out. Nagi changes back in midair and lands facing me, about ten feet away. Would you just look at them bounce…

“
We could continue, but I think it will be pointless if I don’t put some clothes on first; what do you think?” Nagi asks as she bounces on the balls of her feet.

Boingy boingy boingy boingy boingy.

“
I’ll take the way that your head is nodding as a yes!” Nagi giggles and fetches her clothing.

“
Do we really have to continue with this?” I ask as Nagi finishes dressing.

“
Alright… how about if you can lay a single hand on me, I’ll submit.” Nagi suggests. I like this idea better than having to incapacitate her.

“
So all I have to do is grab you in your human form, and we can be done with this?” I specify.

“
That’s correct.” Nagi replies.

“
Okay, let’s start.” I say and Nagi takes off into the woods.

I pour everything into speed as I chase after her. I’m only a little bit faster than her, and she seems to be much more agile than I am. I can’t help but think that my brother might have given her some enhancements or something because all nagas can’t be this fast… my brother… I wonder if this is some sort of test of my abilities?

I get within about six feet of her, but her agility is really playing in her favor in the forest. I fling my left arm out at a tree that is fifteen feet in front of her. I transmute the blood that flies from my arm into nitrogen triiodide just before it hits the tree. It explodes with a puff of purple smoke, distracting Nagi and allowing me to tackle her to the ground.

“
I thought I said no bombs?” Nagi says with a sly smile while looking up at me.

“
That wasn’t a bomb; it was a chemical that just so happens to turn into a cloud of smoke with a report.” I reply.

“
I’ll take it, but only because I know you would have beaten me outright in a race and most likely with swords as well. So, should we head back… or do you want to continue with what we were doing earlier?” Nagi asks in a sultry tone. That is a tempting offer…

“
Let’s head back.” I reply as I get off of her and help her up off the ground.

“
So, how do you know Jeremy?” I ask on the walk back to the cabin.

“
What makes you think I know him?” Nagi inquires.

“
By the way he talked to you, mostly.” I reply.

“
Well, you are correct. He’s an old friend that I’ve known for a while.” Nagi answers.

“
Does he know who I am and about my brother?” I ask.

“
He knows that I’m here on assignment and he knows that I’m a priestess; that is all.” Nagi replies.

We walk the remaining distance back to the cabin in silence. When we finally make it back, I look at both of us and see that our clothes are a mess. Nagi flicks the light switch combination and walks out first.

“
So who won?” Jeremy asks.

“
Cole did. We decided on a race after a tree nearly fell on the cabin.” Nagi replies. Jeremy looks surprised, but quickly recovers.

“
Alright, then I guess it will be Travis and Cole facing each other to decide who will be captain.” Jeremy says.

“
That won’t be necessary JJ; Travis and I have fought before and I know that I can’t beat him.” I lie and Jeremy raises an eyebrow in question.

“
Well alright, if that’s the case then, Travis is the captain for the freshmen recruits. See everyone here on Monday at 4pm.” Jeremy says, dismissing the club.

“
Hey Cole, I want Penelope to check on you and Nagi before you two leave.” Jeremy says as everyone moves toward the door.

Penelope comes over and examines Nagi before she comes over and examines me. She gives Jeremy the okay before exiting the room.

“
So… would anyone care to explain which of you is lying?” Jeremy asks as he walks over.

“
Either Nagi is lying about being defeated or Cole is lying about Travis defeating him, because there is no way that Travis could defeat Nagi. Don’t get me wrong, the kid is talented, but he wouldn’t stand a chance against a Nagas priestess. So which is it?” Jeremy accuses.

“
Travis never beat me.” I reply.

“
Why did you pass on being captain?” Jeremy asks.

“
Being a leader just isn’t really my style.” I answer. Jeremy glares at me for a long while, but I don’t break.

“
Fine… just don’t let the other freshmen know that Travis isn’t the strongest, or you’ll be forced to take the position.” Jeremy replies.

We all leave the training room and walk through the forest. Jeremy bids us a goodnight and heads toward town while Nagi and I walk to Graythorn Hall.

“
Is JJ trustworthy? I assume that you know why I’m really here; do you think it would be a good idea to tell him?” I ask.