Chapter 9 - B: Guardian of the Wind Cave

The path to the Wind Cave has been chosen...

There was a lot that unsettled Kengo about the Sea of Trees, ignoring the fact that it was haunted. The quiet, for one, got to him. He liked meditation, mindfulness, and tranquillity but the silence within the great forest labyrinth was oppressive. 

So, it came as a great relief when Kengo's ears perked up at the familiar rustling of wind between the trees. And not just because of the welcome sounds of nature, but because Colt--who abhorred silence--had resorted to singing country songs to 'lighten up the mood'.

"There's a yellow rose in Texas, that I'm going down to see!"

Kengo admired Colt for his spellbreaking. He did not admire him for his singing voice. Still, to protest would be rude (especially as Colt was his boss), so Kengo said nothing.

Colt suddenly stopped. As did Kengo's heart. "What is it?" the shy sumo asked the gentleman.

"Hmm." Colt licked his index finger and raised it towards the forest canopy. "Just testin' the wind. Mighty strong current comin' from..." He pointed to a path, mangled with tree rots and brush. "Thata'ways."

Kengo swallowed. He imagined catching his ankle on the tree roots and twisting it. Out here. Where nobody could come assist. "Sir, I am a big guy. That path looks dangerous for me."

"Hmm." Colt examined Kengo, who felt put on the spot. "You know. You're a real wild bear in the ring. I wonder why it doesn't translate outside. Being cautious is prudent, but I sometimes worry if you're holding yourself back."

Kengo sighed. "Sir, I just want to find the wellspring. This is not meant to be a liver test."

"Liver test?"

"It is something we do in Japan when we're teenagers. Go to haunted or abandoned places." Kengo swallowed. "Like this one, for instance."

"But your power is spirit. So why are you afraid of...er...spirits?"

Frustrated, Kengo balled his hands into fists. "Sir, I am afraid of everything except fighting people. Because fighting is something I know I'm good at."

"Ah, well. That's okay. Maybe you aren't so much afraid of the thing, but the doing the thing."

"I...don't understand."

"Or maybe it's failure you're afraid of." Colt shrugged. "Fall off the saddle, cowboy, you get back on it. Nobody is perfect. Not even me! And anybody who says they are is cruisin' for life to hit them up the side of the head." The cowboy, dressed rather 'locally' in his hakama and kimono, pat Kengo on the shoulder. "I saw you kick Rai's butt. How long did that childhood rivalry take to resolve? It's all about persistence, Kengo. I wouldn't have added you to the roster if I didn't think you had it in you. Besides, you're beefy as hell, and fans love a thick boy!"

Colt gave Kengo a friendly slap on his (rather large) butt.

Kengo blushed. "T-thank you, sir." Oh no, did I like that?"

Kengo followed Colt, carefully, as they ascended the root covered slope, towards the source of the cool breeze. Colt was patient, helpful, pulling Kengo up when he needed. Kengo had never fully comprehended Colt's strength. The man could basically lift him up with ease! Now, he understood why Spike admired him so much.

As Kengo and Colt ascended the slop leading to the base of the formidable mountain, the wind began picking up. What started as a gentle breeze, soon turned into a forceful gale. Kengo had to hold up his arms in front of his face and push against the wind, to advance.

Colt clenched his teeth, more annoyed than anything. He shouted to Kengo, over the rush and din. "Looks like this gust is coming out of that cave mouth over yonder. It ain't normal wind, that's for sure. Give me a second and let me see if I can spellbreak it, in the traditional sense of the word." He winked at Kengo, held up his hands, and made a graceful 'parting' motion with his hands. It was a subtle power (as most magick was), save for the threads of electricity that wicked off the loose tendrils from Colt's hair (tied back in a ponytail).

The wind died down, as quickly as it had come on. Kengo, impressed, followed Colt forward into the cave mouth.

The tunnel, covered in stalactites and stalagmites, was more like a man-made corridor than a work of nature. Melting candles, curiously lit with green fire, adorned the nooks and crevices, giving the cavern the appearance of a cathedral. Or rather, as Kengo astutely noted from the various shrines and stacks of stones along the path, a shrine.

"Green fire," Keno pointed out to Colt. "This is enchanted stuff. It burns really slow. You can keep candles lit for years that way, but only a certain type of spirit summoner knows how to make those."

Colt scratched his head. "Er...so you're tellin' me we're dealin' with old magick here?"

"Yes. Definitely."

The tunnel terminated in a wide, circular room, with the cave floor covered in a lattice of hay and wood. It looked almost like someone had been living here. Massive clay jars flanked the room, as well as piles and piles of...

"B-bones!" Colt yelped. He looked over at Kengo, embarrassed, and coughed. "I mean...oh look, skeletons. Hehehe. Sure as heck don't see that every day, do ya, Ken!"

Kengo shivered. "Something's...been eating humans. And I don't think it's a bear."

The light from the candles only extended so far, and it was only when the shadowy shape at the far end of the cavern moved, that Kengo and Colt realized they weren't alone.

"Who the f*** are you a***les?" a gruff voice called out from the dark. 

Kengo and Colt heard a long yawn, as the shadow stood tall (very tall) and stretched. The hulking figure came out of the dark, but in the light, he was almost even more ferocious. Human shaped (indeed, he resembled a human in all but skin color, height, and certain appendages), the muscular figure standing before Kengo and Colt had skin the color of red pepper, snow-whit hair (long), and a pair of horns like an ox...though one was broken off at the base. Fangs protruding slightly from the lower mouth, the creature was--nevertheless--handsome and appealing in certain respects, despite the deep scars running from shoulder to chest. The humanoid wore a loincloth assembled from the skin of a tiger, but naught much else.

Colt was more intrigued than afraid. He blinked, sizing the muscular creature up, from head to toe. "You're...a red guy."

The red ogre glared at his intruder. "And you're a little punk, pale-flesh. Were you the moron who messed with the wind  enchantment. That's really inconvenient for me, you know. In fact..." 

The creature growled, bestially, stamping its massive foot on the ground. "IT PISSES ME OFF!" 

The whole room shook. An earthquake. Colt and Kengo, trained in the warrior arts as they were, only just managed to stand their ground. The tremor passed. And when it did, Colt--never one to back down from a challenge--stepped forward, much to the creature's surprise.

Colt sneered. "Oh, think you're scary, huh?" He contracted his hand, showing off his veiny forearm. 

Kengo could tell Colt was ready to scrap. That wasn't good. He also suddenly realized the type of entity that presided over this cave. No...it cannot be. But the oni surely no longer exist! They died out, ages ago!

The red-skinned being blew its white hair out of its face (revealing a milky white, right eye), and bore its sharp teeth towards Colt. "HELL YEAH, I DO, PUNK!" he roared. "You think you can just waltz in here like you own the place. Do you know whose cave this is? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, YOU BASTARDS?"

Kengo could practically see the steam coming out Colt's ears. He knew his coach well enough that being challenged rudely was one of his biggest pet peeves. He was forgiving for guys smaller than him (mostly because he knew he could throw them across the horizon without breaking a sweat) but guys who threw their weight around like jerks really made him ornery, be they human or no.

Colt puffed out his chest and dove into his best, tough babyface cowboy schtick. "Yeah, I know who you are. A red demon man who needs his mouth washed out with soap, I reckon!" He rolled up his kimono sleeves. "After a good whoopin' that is! I ain't got much patience after today. But what I do got? Plenty of time to show a big muscle headed punk like you who the real menace is around these parts, BOY."

That last syllable echoed off the wall. The ogre's eyes swelled with anger, as he grinded his jaw. "GrrrrRRRRRRR!!!!" Tendrils of electricity flaked off his skin, and Colt thought he felt the cavern floor tremble slightly beneath his boots.

Kengo went into disaster mode. "C-Colt, this is not a spellbreaking match! He is an oni!"

"An oni?" Colt huffed. "Those things Joseph was talkin' about? Heh. I thought they'd be scarier. Not this angry beefsteak tomato standin' before us!"

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" the oni barked. His head whipped towards Kengo. Suddenly, his expression dropped. Instead of enraged, he looked...hungry. "Oh, aren't you a big piece of meat!" He licked his sharp lips, leaning in like a sweet-starved child peering through glass at the ice cream tubs. "I...I could feast for days! Looks like dinner came to me tonight."

Kengo gulped. "I...I do not know if you are meaning to eat me literally or..." He shook his head. This was getting out of hand. Time for the spiritual approach. Kengo bowed his head, deeply, and flared his glyph of spirit, hoping to make a connection. "Oh, wise and powerful oni, we're simply looking for the Divine Wellspring of Wisdom, and meant you no off--"

"SAVE YOUR BREATH, beefy boy," the oni cut him off, rudely.

That really bothered Colt. "Hey, don't you talk to my son like that!"

"Colt, I'm not your son."

 

The oni spat on the cave floor, dangerously close to Colt's boots. "I know why you came here. You're looking for the spring, eh? Well, sucks for you. I was put here--against my damn will--to guard the thing." The oni laughed, heartily, his (rather protruding) pectorals bouncing up and down with his mocking laughter. "Heh. But it ain't here! You got the wrong cave, dips***ts."

He swears as much as Minoru, Kengo thought. He wondered if he should bring out the bear spirit now. At the very least, he could separate the oni and Colt before they killed each other. 

Then again, there was no need for it. The oni had fallen for Kengo's mental trickery. He'd told them what he needed to know. The spring wasn't here. 

Which means Joseph and Robbie must be at the real one. I hope they're okay, and not dealing with mucle-headed idiots like this. Kengo smiled and gave the oni a polite head bow. "Ah. Well, then we shall leave you in peace." His eyes darted to Colt. "We're leaving. Back away slowly..."

"Heh." The oni pointed his finger directly at Kengo. "Oh, you thought! Come in here pissing me off. The least you can do is offer up that tasty body of yours."

Colt had it. With a swift motion, he yanked the top of his kimono off and threw it to the ground. "So you wanna scrap, demon boy?" Colt flexed his biceps and showed them off to an invisible audience, posing and grinning for invisible camera. "That it, huh? You wanna take on the cowboy king, devil boy?"

"COLT!" Kengo stammered.

But it was too late. Threads of lightning sparked off either combatant, charging towards each other from across the room. "OH, IT'S ON!" the oni said, wild-eyed and gleeful with blood lust. "I'M GONNA BASH YOUR SKULLS IN, RIGHT NOW!"

He and Colt clashed in the middle, with a peel of thunder. Locked up, elbow and collar, the two men (well, Kengo assumed the oni considered himself male) grunted and pushed against each other, circling in movements that reminded Kengo more of sumo than street fighting. 

Colt broke away first and went with a takedown, but the oni happily road the momentum, rolling onto his back.

And inadvertently giving Colt a look under his loincloth. "Huh?" The cowboy's faced turned as red as his opponent's body. "Ah, so...you don't wear underwear. Got it."

"Underwear's for chumps afraid to show off their muscles," the demon said, getting back onto his feet. He took a swing at Colt with his fist. "Bet you didn't expect this, huh!"

As the oni threw his punch, his knuckles sparked with tendrils of lightning. "This'll stop your heart!" the demon roared.

Colt caught his fist, instantly, smirking at the oni as the electricity travelled from his fist into Colt's build. "Too bad for you, this cowboy is electricity proof." The influx of electricity running through Colt's body only seemed to pump up his already large muscular structure. He twisted the oni's hand, putting him into a wrist lock, and brining him to his knees. "You're a loose wire, boy. Time to get grounded."

"Tch." The demon spit. "Lightning isn't the only trick I got up my loincloth, you blond bimbo." The cocky oni slammed his other hand into the cavern floor.

The tremor came on so quickly, that Kengo didn't have time to find his footing. He fell onto his hands and knees. "An earthquake!" He looked up at the ceiling, at the array of dagger-like stalactites. Shaken loose, they'd become like spears and impale anybody below them.

The rumble destabilized Colt just enough that the oni was able to wrest his hand free and drive himself forward, into Colt's gut, taking him down. Colt went on guard, wrapping his enormous thighs (somewhat encumbered by his hakama trousers) around the oni's waist.

"You a thick one, ain't ya," Colt grunted, trying to keep the demon off him. "Earth powers too?" Colt realized he wasn't going to get a tight enough hold on this demon punk, so he twisted his body and hip escaped, bounding back onto his feet. He and the oni faced each other anew. 

"Heh." The demon dragged his meaty forearm across his mouth, wiping his face. "I recognize those moves. You're a wrestler, eh? Pretty showy stuff."

"Better than a damn wrestler," Colt shouted. He called down a bolt of miniature lighting into his open hand, the cave flashing bright as he did. "I'm a spellbreaker!"

The oni growled. Once again, he advanced. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS!"

The two boisterous wrestlers were at it again, grappling and trying to throw the other man off his game. Colt was a powerhouse who used his strength and grappling technique. The oni, however, had a very 'unbridled', animalistic style incorporating strikes and 'illegal moves'. Colt, fighting 'clean', might be in danger, Kengo thought.

"Cute hair," the oni laughed, trying to put Colt into a full nelson. He grabbed his ponytail and tugged it. "Awwww, what's a matter prettboy?"

"WHY, YOU!" Colt roared. He turned his body into a live wire, electrifying himself. 

The oni seemed unphased. "Idiot. They used to call me Lightning Drinker. Do you think a little spark like that is gonna hurt ME?"

Kengo blinked. "Lightning Drinker? I know that name from somewhere." Kengo stepped forward, trying to recall. His focus was more on assisting his coach right now. "Do not touch my friend..."

If this oni wasn't going to fight fair, then neither was he. 

"Ken?" Colt said, eyes still trained on his opponent. He held his hands up, protecting his face from the oni's punches. "Damn, boy, your courage came just in time!"

The oni turned his attention onto Kengo. "Oh?" he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Hmph." Kengo, now quite stern, carefully removed his robe, letting it fall to the ground, leaving him clad in his signature battle fundoshi

The oni practically fell to his knees, his eyes bugging out. "OH! OHHHH! DAAAAAMN! Look at all that MEAT." 

Kengo blinked. "Uh..."

Drooling! The oni was literally salivating. Colt was now very concerned about the integrity of the demon man's loincloth. "That big belly. Bulging arms. Juicy pecs. Oh man, baby, turn around and let me see what you're working with BACK THERE."

Suddenly (and thankfully to all involved) the oni's expression changed. It looked like he'd been struck by something. A thought.

He hesitated. For the first time since attacking them, the red-skinned ogre lowered his voice. It was still rough, but Kengo thought he sounded clear and resonate, like the cascade of a waterfall pouring into an open basin. "Wait a second...you look just like!"

But Kengo was done. If this cheat was going to try and pull tricks, Kengo would play his game. He nearly belly flopped on top of the demon. "TAKE THIS!" he said, grabbing the demon's arms and pushing him right into the cavern wall.

"GAH!" 

Taking out his hair tie, Colt threw back his mane of dirty blonde hair and looked over at his apprentice slamming his 300+ pound of sumo self into the oni. "That's right, Ken, you get 'em!"

"You damn brat," the oni said, pushing off. "You're...strong like him too."

Kengo and the oni locked hands, pushing against each other. This really was a sumo contest now!

His adaptation to different styles of grappling is fascinating. Even though the oni was a jerk, Kengo was fascinated by his combat knowledge. How old was he? He knew oni could live for centuries, and physical age meant nothing. And that name, Lightning Drinker. Of course, oni always loved coming up with boastful names for themselves, the minute they raised the tiniest human settlement. Or so the tomes in Kengo's temple had told him. They were destructive, indulgent, wild, and quick tempered. 

They were also rare, these days. Despite their malicious nature, Kengo's spiritual teachings had also taught him to regard all life as vital and interconnected. Even the spirit summoners mourned the loss of so many monsters, spirits, and yokai that once thrived across the Japanese isles. The oni were to be feared, yes, but respected a well. This foul-mouthed fighter holding his own against Kengo wasn't to be scorned and written off. 

He was a treasure.

Therefore, Kengo tried a new approach. "You said I look like someone I know," Kengo huffed, trying to control his breath. It was like holding back a steam train. "What do you mean?"

But the oni's handsome eyes only sharpened further. "I WON'T BE BEATEN AGAIN!" he bellowed. This time, he kneed Kengo right in the gut.

"Ugh," Kengo shook off the blow, his stomach hard like a boulder. "You big...putz!" Yes, that was the word Spike always used for idiots who annoyed him.

"Wow, got a nice belly too," the oni sneered. "How about we go a little lower!"

True to his words, the oni kneed Kengo in...parts more tender.

Kengo doubled over in pain, but had enough wherewithal to forced himself onto his back, should the oni decide to tray and go for his neck. "You....jerk."

"Hahaha!" the oni sneered. He lobbed a lightning bolt at Colt before the cowboy could intervene. It sprayed dust and smoke from its point of impact, temporarily blinding the man. "Last time, I played by your human rules," the oni continued. He reached for a dark crevasse in the back of the cavern. "BUT YOU'RE ON MY TERF NOW!" 

The oni reached into the darkness and withdrew a long, spike-covered club. It was a traditional weapon, preferred by oni clans. An artefact of the past, more than anything. The oni looked down at Kengo, cradling his soft bits, on the ground. "Awww, just like a little baby!" he laughed, mockingly, slapping the head of his club into his open palm. "Well, baby, SAY HELLO TO BLACK EMPEROR!" He jumped forward, ready to smash the spiked club across Kengo's face. "I SAID I'D CAVE YOUR SKULLS IN. DID YOU THINK I WAS F*** LYING?"

Kengo looked up. Just in time to see a huge arrow of plasma knock into the oni's hand, with marksman-like-precision, and knock the club to the ground. The oni craddled his hand and looked up, glaring. "WHAT THE HELL, MAN!?" His face fell.

"ENOUGH!" Colt shouted, his voice echoing throughout the cavern. Eyes golden yellow, flashing like a summer storm, Colt's hair billowed behind his neck as he rose off the ground, arms extended. The wind from earlier returned, and in abundance, as the cave filled with the smell of ozone. 

"You want to cheat, boy?" Colt said, threads of lighting wrapping around his muscular form. "I ain't just a grappler. I'm a damn good sorcerer too. You say you can tolerate a little voltage, boy? Why don't we put that to the test. 'Bout to be a Texas BBQ in here, and ONI IS ON THE MENU."

Kengo winced. "No...."

But the oni didn't protest. Instead, and unexpectedly, he dropped to his knees. 

Colt lowered his stare. "Hmmm?"

The oni's expression shifted, yet again, from malevolence to deep respect "Lord...Raijin. Of course. I should have recognized you sooner."

"Uh...what?" Colt's eyes reverted to normal. Yet, wary of tricks, he maintained his stormy energy, wind still whipping up his hair.

Kengo, still sore (in unfortunate places too) got to his feet. As he did, his back sparked with blue light. Minoru, a phantom shape, took material form, righting himself in front of Kengo. The oni only paid this moment of summoning a passing interest. 

The sun bear, on his hindquarters, looked down at his summoner host. "Yo, Ken, whose this red c***? Why didn't you summon me sooner, eh?

Kengo sighed. "I was trying to be diplomatic, Minoru."

The oni reacted to the name. "What? Bear King Minoru?"

"Gahhh, you're too soft, Ken!" the bear scolded, gently placing his large paw on Kengo's head and giving him in a ffectionate rub. The spirit turned to his target. "And as for YOU, you little s***". He hesitated. "Wait a godsdamn minute... Akanemaru? You old, strawberry-colored son of a b***. Long time no see, brother!"

The oni rose to his feet. His jaw dropped. "You gotta' be kiddin me! HAHAHA!!! Come here, you enormous a**h***"

The bear and oni jumped into each other's arms, giving each other a manly slap on the triceps before pulling away. There wasn't an ounce of malevolence between them.

Kengo winced. "So much...bad language." Looking over at Colt, he indicated to the man to stand down.

Cautiously, Colt turned his powers off. His feet met the floor. The wind died down. The cowboy combed his hair with his fingers, annoyed that he'd allowed it to get this messy. Still, he kept a watchful eye on this so-called 'Lightning Drinker' character. Now that the dust had settled, Colt had to admit he was impressed with the big, red bastard's technique. Boy would make a half-decent heel if he were in a fed. 

Kengo and Colt needn't worry about Akanemaru causing trouble for them anymore. He was entirely distracted by this unexpected reunion. "What have you been up to?" the red one said, grunting as he took a seat atop one of the clay pots in the room. "Would offer you some sake, but I ran out like two-hundred years ago." He nodded to Kengo. "Why you hanging out with this brat, anyway?"

"I am not a brat!" Kengo huffed.

"Long story," Minoru said, with a dismissive wave of his paw. "Was a bound guardian for awhile, much like your red self over there. Got bored. And the kid's actually alright." He nodded to his human companion. "He didn't mean to piss you off. And even though I don't understand a lick of sense about it, and even though these himbos might not have much between their heads, their hearts are damn pure, I can tell you that. These goobers are looking for the wellspring for honest reasons."

"That so?" The oni yawned loudly, reclined against the wall, and scratched at his side. "Well, I got trapped here because of a damn onmyoji after a bunch of humans pissed me off and challenged me to a sumo contest." He glanced over at Kengo. "Thought you were the same sumo. Got my hopes up. He's...probably long in the dirt by now."

Now, Kengo remembered. "Yes, the tale of Lightning Drinker and Thunder Caller. To end your destruction, a brave wrestler challenged you to a match, and won not only the safety of his people, but your heart as well."

The oni made a face, gagging. "BLEGH! You make it sound so disgusting like that." He hopped off the ceramic pot. "S*** is way more complicated than some fairy tale. And to make it clear...he was the best your stinking human kind had to offer. Wasn't his fault his own people sucked and turned against him." He clenched his fist. "And my kind too. It's how I ended up here."

"Ah," Minoru acknowledged, "Tale as old as time. Always a good looking piece of a** involved in a guy's downfall."

"Always, brother." Akanemaru glanced suspiciously at Colt. "Now, what I wanna know is, why you, Lord Raijin, are palling around with these mortal fools? You on a quest or somethin'?"

Colt stared at the demon blankly, and looked to his immediate company for assistance. "Uh..."

Minoru leaned in and whispered, "Cowboy, you know the rules. When someone asks if you're a god, say yes."

Kengo mouthed, 'god of lightning,' and pointed to Colt.

"Aw, shucks, Ken. I know I'm good but...a god?" 

Minoru knocked him in the chest.

Coughing, Colt composed himself. "Er...why yes!" He puffed his chest out, and struck a magnificent pose, with his hands on his hips. "Yes, it is I! That...lightning guy you just mentioned!" He gave him the biggest s***-eating grin.

Akanemaru, picking up his frightening weapon, looked Colt up and down for awhile. Everyone held their breath (including Minoru, who didn't actually have any need to breathe). Finally, the white haird ogre reared his head back and laughed, loudly. 

"That golden hair ain't foolin' nobody, my Lord. You and your pranks! This is a first one though. I mean, taking the guise of a white guy? I shoulda' known! But yeah, if you guys are lookin' for the spring, I won't stop you. It's in the ice cave on the other side of the moutnain." He scratched himself rudely again. "Er...maybe next time send a letter before you drop by. Almost turned your faces into ground meat."

Colt bowed his head awkwardly. "Well! Glad we cleared that up."

But now it was Kengo who, stricken by a moment of pensive sympathy, stepped forward instead. "Wait," he said, hesitantly, "you're...bound here? As in, stuck in this cave?"

"Ken, this is our chance to mosey," Colt whispered sharply.

Akanemaru looked at Kengo with confusion. "Huh? Well, yeah, sure. It's a long story."

Kengo scratched his chin, trying to recall the legend he'd been told in his youth. "Akanemaru, the Lightning Drinker. I didn't know you had a name. I think it is terrible they hid even your name from history."

The red ogre looked askance, and huffed. Perhaps it was only Minoru, who had met Kengo under similar circumstances, who knew exactly what Kengo was doing. The sumo had a way of words with sullen spirits with bad attitudes.

"Don't need your damn pity," Akanemaru spat.

"Empathy is different than pity," Kengo said. "You are obviously very strong. But even strong guys get put into some bad situations. I was only saying..."

"Haven't heard someone call me by my real name in years, kid. But yep. That's me. Hehehe. Not impressed, are ya?"

Kengo shook his head. "You're a legend."

"Well, I don't need you feelin' sorry for me, like I said. I do fine on my own. But I gotta admit. Those are some sick moves you got, boys. You say you're both sumos? Seems the sport has evolved since I was doin' it."

"Spellbreaking, actually," Colt corrected. He frowned. Then, his eyes lit up. "So...Aka...ney...mah...roo was it?"

The oni grunted. "When you say it like that, it sounds stupid. In your pig-fart-sounding language, a s** translation would be something like...I dunno...'He of the Crimson'." He pointed to his flesh. "We oni are known for many things, but we keep the naming conventions simple. Now, what's this new kind of wrestling you mentioned? Tell me about it, and I'll let you leave my sight with all your bones intact."

Colt was all too glad to explain the ins and outs of the sport: the spectacle, the fighting, the showmanship, and a brief run-down of the rules. Kengo and Minoru looked on, patiently (or as patient as Minoru could muster).

"That healing bit sounds lame," Akanemaru said, sticking his finger in his ear and pulling out a clump of wax, flicking it. "What's the fun if the other guy isn't losing a limb after you kick his ass? But honestly, that other stuff sounds pretty damn awesome! You guys get PAID to sit on punks? Ugh, I wish I could do it. I'm stuck here. Sounds like the world has really moved on since I was locked up in this joint."

Kengo hung his head, solemnly. He hadn't expected to go from fearing this creature to feeling a kinship for him. "I really wish we could offer you a soul pact."

"As if I'd want to be tethered to a stinkin' human!" Akanemaru said, sticking his tongue out. "Er, no offense, Minoru."

"None taken!" the bear spirit said. He turned to his companion and host. "Look, Ken,  I'm gonna leave this to you. Akanemaru? See you 'round." The bear disintegrated into blue sparks, reverting back into Kengo's tattoo. 

Akanemaru, his mood changed, explained his situation. "Look, only way I'm getting out of here is the contract binding me to this cave is broken. But bastard who locked me up in here is long dead, may he rot in Yomi."

Colt snapped his fingers, inadvertently causing a spark. "Damn, I write contracts all the time. Would...a new one break the enchantment?"

Kengo straighten his back and looked Colt dead in the eye. "Sir, you do not mean..."

The oni scratched his neck, mulling over the laws of magick binding him to this stupid cave. "Huh? Well, yeah. My spirit would just need to be tethered to a new contract. What are you sayin?"

"I'm sayin', if you wanna be a spellbreaker, then I'm offering you a slot at my academy."

"COLT!" Kengo squealed. He grabbed his boss' arm and moved him off to the side, still keeping an eye on the wily Akanemaru. "He is an oni," Kengo whispered. "They're powerful creatures that don't listen to human rules. He could wreak havoc on the GSA and even San Antonio."

Colt wasn't having it. "Yeah, well Brax is a demon too, and he's one of the easiest workers I've ever had. Kengo, offering people who get overlooked for opportunities is how I run the GSA. Besides, a living, breathing oni on the roster? What a draw! And just look at those muscles. He'll be so over with the gays and the gals..."

Kengo bit his lip. "Okay. But the contract must be worded very carefully. He should be bound to it, until we can trust him."

Colt nodded. He picked up his kimono off the ground and removed the old, crumpled map he'd used to chart the way through the Sea of Trees. "Alright, let's do this. If you don't mind using the back of this map, that is." He took out a pen and clicked it.

Kengo cocked his head to the side. "You...have a pen?"

"What do I tell you kids? ALWAYS keep a pen on you, in case of autographs." Colt scrawled out (in his messy handwriting) the terms of employment he'd memorized long ago, and then presented the sheet to a very confused, annoyed Akanemaru. "Your terms are these. Give it a look over. But what I'm sayin', Akah-nay-maroooo, is come work for me." 

The red oni took the paper and looked at it as if Colt had spit in his hands. "Huh. Been awhile since I read English. Let's see here....huh. What the hell is a 'Texas'?"

"Where we're from," Colt answered.

The oni looked up and glared at him. "What a stupid name. Is this land of yours full of meatheads like you? If so, count me in. Would be fun to knock some thick skulls..."

Kengo quickly cupped his hands to Colt's left ear. "Oh, and make sure to add the thing about..."

Colt nodded. "Oh, right. And, you are bound not to harm any human, unless they physically harm you first."

"AND ONLY AFTER AN ATTEMPT AT DE-ESCALATION!" Kengo quickly spat out.

The oni sucked his teeth. "Ugh, a lame stipulation. But...if it gets me out of this boring-ass cave, count me in." He stood up, swinging his club in a graceful circle, before tucking it behind his beck. "You got a deal, Lord Raijin. Spellbreaking, eh? Well, point me in the direction of the nearest ring. Me and Black Emperor are ready to bring the pain!" 

Akanemaru's bio.

Chapter 9: Divinities and Demons

Deep, green, and dark, the moss-covered Sea of Trees rose silently around the spellbreakers. No birdcall. No rustling of the wind. It was a quiet so loud that it drowned out the pulses of intense magickal and spiritual energy running through the forest's massive roots.

Icewolf, clad in his Hanshin Tigers jersey, cocked his head to the side and looked into the endless forest. "Uh...bros? I think we must have gotten turned around somewhere, eh? This doesn't look like an ocean to me."

White Tiger, in a white and black hakama, looked over at the junior fighter. "Uh...what?"

Kengo and Colt came up behind the others and stood in silent acknowledge of the immense woods.

Robbi gave the champion a little shrug. "You said it was a sea. This is a forest, dude."

Joseph blinked, suddenly realizing that without Spike present, someone had to fill in the himbo quota. That himbo was Icewolf. "It's a...metaphor, Robèrt. It's like an ocean full of trees."

"Oh, I get it." Robbie looked into the forest, the swirls of green and black, with a canopy that blocked out the sunlight. It looked like perpetual night. He sniffed. "Er...not to freak you guys out, but I think there's...bad mojo here, bros."

Kengo, in summoner's garb, agreed. He'd been brave during last night's fight, braver than he'd ever been, but humans scared him far less than the spiritual realm.

He explained the magnitude of the situation to his peers. "The Sea of Trees is one of the most haunted places in the world," he said, reverently. "In ancient times, during famines, the infirmed and elderly were abandoned here to die. Now their souls wander the forest. Plus, it has always been a hiding place for..." He swallowed. "Oni."

Colt scratched his head. Hair combed and pulled back into a bun, and dressed in his golden-rod embroidered hakama, the former president of the GSA looked radically different than his normal gentlemanly, cowboy aesthetic. Reverend Ikari, Kengo's old master, and head priest of his temple, had gifted Joseph and Colt specially embroidered, traditional wear as a form of armament. The enchanted threads were said to empower geomancers like them, especially those connected to the air elements (wind and water for Joseph, and lightning for Colt).  

The Texan tested the unfamiliar name on his tongue. "Oh...ni?"

"Ogres," Joseph explained. "Demons. They're bad news."

Colt acknowledge his concern, but he'd been in crazier scrapes before, and by now the strange dangers associated with the Divine Chalice and Wellsprings was old news. Even so, he had practically gotten on hands and knees to keep John Henry from joining along the expedition. Icewolf, Joseph, Kengo, and himself were more than enough, he reckoned.

"We're seasoned fighters and magi--we can handle anything. Now, Yuki and Rai provided us with the intel we need." He reached into the folds of his robe and withdrew the tied parchment, unfurling it. "The Divine Wellspring's location was concealed by the spirit summoners of the former clan who presided at the base of Mt. Fuji, before they were exterminated by Shogun Mi...Mimi..." olt stumbled, struggling with Japanese. "Minamotoooooo no Yoritomoooooo during the Genpei war. Er..." Colt scratched his beard, sighing. "Looks like Yuki likes her history. Let me skip to the good parts."

Waiting patiently, Kengo and Icewolf suddenly looked into the direction of the deep forest at the same time. "Something's out there," Kengo whispered to the excitable jock, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, bro, I felt it too."

Colt, oblivious (and Joseph entirely too patient to tell him to hurry along) continued. "The exact location of the Divine Wellspring of Wisdom has been narrowed down to a shrine located in one of two caves located at the base of Mt. Fuji, a cave of ice or a cave of wind." Colt eyed his company. "Hence, why Joseph and Icewolf will head to the cave of Ice, and Ken and I will mosey to the wind place."

Icewolf smiled. "Aw yeah, Wolf and Tiger! What a tag team, bro!"

Joseph held up the blue Chalice he and Deadboy had recovered in Hong Kong. "I admire your enthusiasm, Wolf. No doubt your ice magick will come in handy. Just...restrain yourself a little this time, okay?"

Robbie grumbled and crossed his arms. "What's that supposed to mean, bro?" But before he could protest further, his ears perked up on that unusual sensation. "Er...you guys feel that?"

Joseph looked around. "We're being watched. There's a presence here."

"Like the calm before a storm," Colt added. He held out his meaty arm. Tendrils of electricity danced across the surface of his palms. "Be on guard, gents. This place is mighty eerie."

Kengo shivered. "It is fine. It is fine. It is...only...the most haunted place in the world."

The four men proceeded inward, along one of the pathways treaded out by spirit summoners and monks of the past. Kengo explained that it was custom for many onmyoji--exorcists--and summoners alike to come into the forest for training. Such tasks ran the gamut of providing succour to lost souls, to vanquishing vengeful spirits, and even fighting the demonic holdovers still lurking within the trees. 

"Then again," Kengo added, "these trainees do not always come back..."

Icewolf cringed. "Yeah...I'm starting to wonder if this is a good idea, eh? Back home, we have all sorts of stories of scary spirits that live in the forest. It's a powerful place. Full of old magick, y'know?"

Kengo could tell his friend and co-worker was a bit unnerved. He decided to distract him. "Do you miss your family?"

"Oh yeah," Robbie said, tucking his arms behind his head, "but we're used to being far apart. I got my mom and dad, but a lot of my cousins are actually in the states. Wisconsin. Michigan. My clan covers a lot of territory, and 'family' can sometimes be a pretty loose definition."

"It is like that with the spirit summoners, as well," Kengo said. He flinched as a branch broke underfoot. "Eeesh." 

"Come on, big guys, you gotta' show these ghosts some courage," Colt said. "You're ridin' with two champions! Remember what I always say in training, boys, mind over matter. Now, Wolfie, I heard Mr. Iron is taking you under his wing once the championships are over, that true?"

Robbie's face lit up. "OH, totally, boss man! He's gonna make me the toughest spellbreaker ever! That's right, Joseph. I'm comin' for ya."

The White Tiger smiled, encouragingly. "Is that so? You better get good, Robbie. I never back down from a challenge." 

He stopped, suddenly.

As did the others.

Joseph's eyes darted to the tree line. "Speaking of which..."

The silence had, up until this point, proven unnerving for Colt's team of fighters. Their threats were usually confined to the ring. Inhuman opponents were rare (though not entirely uncommon), and the realm of magick more grounded in the mundane for them than the peculiarities lurking on the fringes of enchantment. 

Kengo would have gladly taken the silence back. The rustle of leaves, in all directions, all at once, gave him no comfort...

A low hiss, like the sudden escape of air, or the beating of hundred insect's wings in unison, came at them in a wave, followed by disturbances in the branches and forest floor. At first, Kengo thought they were being beset upon by forest creatures, timid rabbits of foxes that lived in the undergrowth. Instead, what assailed them was fair strange. Tiny creatures of gray fresh, hairless (like rats) with pearlescent eyes. The long, fanged imps with disquietingly long limbs crawled out of their hiding places, hissing at the intruders. 

The hairs on the back of Robbie's neck stood on end. "Oh crap, OH CRAP! What the hell are these gross things?"

Even Joseph and Colt, masters of their elements, were aghast at the inhuman onslaught.

And though Kengo was just as freaked out, his knowledge of the supernatural served him well. "Gaki," he said, through clenched teeth. "Like gremlins. One or two is not a problem. But this many..."

The creatures advanced, albeit slowly, taking slow swipes, gnashing their teeth and drawing back.

Joseph, who knew enough about magickal entities (though not these unsettling creatures), knew more about fight tactics. "They're scared of us," he said, taking a fighting stance. "They're edging closer. Testing the waters. I suspect they mean to overwhelm us." 

Colt had heard enough. "Stay the course, gents." He held out his hand, the electriicty spooling into a ball of glowing plasma in his palms. The creatures drew back t the light. "Let's light 'em up, boys."

"Wait," Joseph said. He took stock of the situation, in rapid time. "We should conserve our powers for the trials that lay ahead. Something tells me these demons are only the first vanguard." 

"Tch." Frustrated, Colt dismissed his electricity. "Well, y'all better do something quick, boys. You know how downright embarrassin' it'll be if I get eat by a bunch of naked, scrawny rat things?"

Joseph was right, Kengo thought. The gaki had numbers on their side, and had corralled them into a circle. A stray bolt here could light the whole forest on fire, and--though Kengo wouldn't dare say it out loud--Icewolf was too reckless with his cryonic abilities, and would probably freeze them to death in the process.

There was an easy way out of this. Two years of spellbreaking had shown Kengo that the path of least resistance was always remaining calm, feeling out your opponent's weaknesses, and waiting for an opening.

He found it. Glowing with blue fire, Kengo stomped onto the ground, taking a sumo stance. It was enough to force the gaki back. They hissed at him, in retaliation.

Kengo wasn't going to wrestle them (indeed, their small size put him and his compatriots at a disadvantage). Instead, he pulled off his robe, skin bare to the coolness of the forest. "Great Bear King, Minoru, come forth!"

Skin rippling with light, the tattoo on Kengo's broad back came to life, enlarging itself, ink transforming into flesh, fur, and muscle. It was still a bit of a shock for his fellow spellbreakers to witness; the summoning. Colt, Joseph, and Robbie all wisely stood back at Minoru, the sun bear spirit enjoined with Kengo, sprung from out of the fighter's back.

The golden-eyed bear stretched his claws to the dark canopy, yawning. "Damn it, Kenny, I was takin' a nap. What's--"

"Hssss!" the gaki, clawing at the air, suddenly sprung forward, hoping to overwhelm their pray with numbers.

Minoru merely groaned at their attempt. "Oh, these little runts?" Ugh, Gaki. Just about as smart as they look." Minoru, on his hind legs, took an intimidating step further. "Hey, you little s***ts, why don't you let us pass?" Joseph, Colt, and Robbie made sure to keep out of his way.

The head of the creepy, wriggling, gray demons sprung up at challenged the spirit. "HSSSS!"

The Bear King bared his teeth at this foes. Tongues of blue fire sprouted from his jaws, dripping with malicious intent. "Awright, you punks, HAVE IT YOUR WAY! ROAAAAAAR!"

The bear king rared his head back and roared out a jet of blinding, blue flame. Whatever its material composition, it didn't burn the forest floor, or set anything alight--but the gray imps were certainly frightened enough of it that they all retreated back into the shadows.

Having shielded his eyes from the supernatural blaze, Kengo lowered his arms from his face. There was no sight of the gaki. Just one monstrous, giant bear. "Wow, Minoru! I didn't know you could do that."

"Huh." The bear grunted, scratching the top of its head. "S***, I didn't know I could do that either!"

Colt beamed with pride. "Looks like you're getting more powerful, Kengo."

His job done, the bear spirit dematerialized into blue sparks, like fireflies. "Now, wake me up when you come across a real problem. I enjoy my little naps..."

The eerie silence returned to the forest. Colt and his companions uttered a collective sigh of relief. "Well, that's that. Take a moment to collect yourselves, boys. We need to move on before it gets dark and things really start to get freaky."

So, they moved along, further down the twisting path into the ominous woodlands. Robbie, who had gleefully taken on giant men twice his size (and often won) was starting to get freaked out. He looked around the woods, eyes darting at the sound of every branch crushed underfoot, or every swaying treebough.

Deep breath, bad wolf, he told himself. You're just a bit jumpy. Remember, your ancestors were like, super scary hunters. This isn't nothin'.

"...Robbie..."

"Yeah?" Robbie said to Kengo.

"Hm?" The large fighter, tying up his robe, looked at Robbie askance. "Yes?"

"Why you whisperin my name, bro?"

"Uh...I wasn't."

"...Robbieeee..."

"Grrr. Who the hell..." Robbie whipped his head towards the sound of his own name. Then, his eyes grew wider.

A translucent figure, with long hair and a bloodstained kimo, floated through the trees towards him. "Robbie...come join usssssss"

"GAAAH!" Robbie screamed. "IT'S THE CREEPY GIRL FROM THAT MOVIE!" He threw out his hand, and the brush immediately in front of him immediately frosted over with ice.

Kengo grabbed his hand, and Joseph jumped forward to his defense, ready to kick the head off anybody who came close. Kengo tried to calm his friend down. "The ghosts cannot hurt you," Kengo cautioned. "They feed off magick. You have to ignore them, okay?"

Robbie gulped. "I hate this stuff, bro! I'm used to crushin' little prettyboys necks. Not wrestling ghosts!"

"Kengo is right," Joseph said, trying to maintain some semblance of calm between the four. "We need to keep a level head. Kengo knows how this stuff works."

Kengo smiled, uncomfortably. Oh, great. No pressure or anything.

Keeping his head down, Robbie followed the three others further into the woods, doing his best to tune out the unearthly whispers that followed.

Finally, the fighters reached a diverging path. A rotting, wooden sign, barely concealed by overgrowth, pointed them in two directions. 

"Well, that's that," Joseph shrugged, examining the sign. "Hmm...a fork in the road. How frustratingly metaphorical."

Colt tapped his finger against his chin. The path looked the same in either direction. Just more of the endless, forest labyrinth. "Wehlp. Ice cave's this way. And...wind cave's that way. We can try both, or we can cover ground and split up."

"I don't want to be out here at night, bro," Icewolf said, taking a firm stance. "But...then again...'let's split up' is usually what they say in horror movies before someone gets killed. And like, it's always the most ethnic person who dies first!"

"Robbie," Joseph said, pointing to him and Kengo, "ignoring the virulent racism of Hollywood horror movies, most of present are...as you said...'ethnic'. How do we quantify that?"

Colt blew a loose strand of hair out of his face. "Great grandpappy was Scottish, if it counts. Anyways, you have a point, Wolfie. We have two champions and two...er...promising upstarts. Stay the course. You and Joseph check out the ice joint, and Ken and I will do the wind one."

Joseph looked at Robbie, nearly as pale as the spectre that had tried to tempt him. "You got this, Wolfie." He put his hand on his shoulder in reassurance. "Tiger and Wolf, right?"

Robbie recomposed himself. "Yeah. Totally."

Satisfied with that, Colt nodded to Kengo, who looked just as green around the gills as Robbie did. "Looks like this is where we go seperate ways, gents. Please, be careful. And don't do anything stupid!"

Joseph winked. "Won't do anything you wouldn't, boss!"

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of!"

Here is where the path diverges.

Which road will you choose?

-Follow Joseph and Robbie to the Ice Cave-

-Follow Colt and Kengo to the Wind Cave-

Chapter 9 - A: Guardian of The Ice Cave

The path to the Ice Cave has been chosen...

"I just wanted to be a super sexy, badass spellbreaker. Why does the world gotta' be so lame?" 

As the air grew colder, Joseph, keeping his own sort of cool, looked over at his younger companion. "Uh...go on?"

The handsome, dark-haired, beefy brawler in the jersey sighed. "I'm used to pullin mad studs left and right, Joey. Breakin' necks and cashin' checks. Now? I gotta deal with this spooky crap." He gestured to the misty woodlands, where balls of fox fire floated eeriely through the branches of gnarled trees. "Do those stuffed suits at Aradia REALLY think a bunch of horny, muscle heads in colorful underwear are the best dudes to save the world?"

Joseph smiled knowingly. It was funny. He saw bits of himself in Robbie, Cian, Kengo, and even in Spike. Still gems that hadn't been cut to shine to their true potential, quite yet.

"Yes. The world is full of unlikely heroes. Did you attend public school, Robbie?"

"Yeah? Why?"

"And did they have a cafeteria there. With lunch ladies?"

Icewolf screwed up his face, confused. Still, he knew Joseph usually always had a point, even if it took awhile to get there. "Oh yeah. Mrs. Thompson! She was a really scary old bat, but she always used to give me an extra helping of mashed potatoes. Said it would make me strong. She was the best." He patted his stomach, hungrily. 

"Then she was a hero."

"What?"

Joseph shrugged. "She fed all those kids, every day. Do you know how much patience a job like that must require? It's no stretch of the imagination to say that without her generous helpings, you might not have built the bone and muscle mass needed to take you into your athletic career."

"Woah...you're right."

"And if all those cafeteria workers suddenly disspeared? Or doctors. Or sanitation workers. Or mailmen. This whole world is full of important people doing important things. We're just a few cogs in this strange machine, young Wolf."

"Damn, bro. Good lookin' and smart?" He sighed, in envy. "Wish I was that brilliant."

Joseph laughed, though his eyes were trained on the dark shape looking up ahead. The rocky craig of a slope ahead. They were close to the base of Mt. Fuji now. "How many languages do you speak?"

"Uh..." Robbie counted the number on his fingers. "Four?"

"Do you know how many languages most people speak? You and Spike really need to stop calling yourselves himbos."

"Yeah, but it's like, part of the gimmick!" With that out of the way, Robbie's attention-deficient brain jumped back to the present situation--this haunted, annoying-as-hell adventure. "This forest sucks, bro. I don't understand the stereotype that people like me are supposed to be...good at nature, and stuff. I mean, I know a few survival things, but I was mostly brought up playing sports."

Joseph stopped outside the rocky passage. The mountain face loomed above him, taller than the trees. "Stereotypes are annoying, yes. I don't like how most people assume I can just do kung fu. Which is especially irritating, because I actually do know how to do kung fu." He scratched his neck, sheepishly. "But that's why I appreciate the GSA. If I was forced to do an insulting gimmick, I wouldn't have stuck around the become champion. And, I can still incorporate some of my signature, wuxia flare on my own terms."

"Oh yeah, just like how I sometimes wear those pretty, beadwork trunks my mom made for me." Robbie immediately turned a bright shade of red. "Er...don't tell anybody my mom made them for me, bro. Not that I think I could throw you into a locker or anything, but..."

"Haha. Exactly. It's good that you're proud of your heritage, Robbie. I think you'll go far. Er...maybe...just cut back on the bullying, once in awhile."

"Aw, but it's sooo much fun. Huh?" Robbie glanced at the cold, cavernous maw up ahead. He could see the frozen mist leaking from the rocky opening, like the mouth of a great, ice dragon "Oh, snap, this it?"

Joseph nodded. "Be on guard."

Robbie made an 'x' with his arms. "Ready to play defense, bro."

"Heh. Good."

The two athletes entered the frozen space, marvelling at the frozen ceiling and icy floor, which appeared to glow and give off light of its own, magickal accord. The temperature shift was sudden and sharp, and even Joseph--battle-hardened as he was--couldn't help but shiver.

"I can fix that," Robbie suggested.

"Hm."

Icewolf scratched his head. "Yeah, internal temperatures. I can make your body acclimate to the cold so it's not as tough."

"Oh! How kind. So...what are you waiting for?"

"Er."

"You look embarrassed."

"Well, it's just...the way I have to do it. I kinda' have to...um..."

"Yes?"

Robbie sighed. "I gotta' kiss you bro."

"EXCUSE ME!?"

"I gotta' kiss you bro! I don't make the rules."

"Ugh, but Lachlan..." Joseph turned his head away, before Icewolf could see his cheeks redden "F-fine. Will it be quick?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Joseph sighed, and faced his bulky companion. "Okay. But the moment I feel tongue, you're getting put into a rocking horse hold. Got it?"

"I mean, don't tempt me with a good ti--"

"ROBBIE."

"Yes, yes! Got it. We're just bros being bros." Robbie clumsily reached behind Joseph's neck and pulled him closer. He gave him a brief kiss, imbuing his body with the ability to fend off the cold.

Joseph's eyes fluttered. "Minty." He coughed. "Okay, that's quite enough. I said no tongue!"

"It wasn't tongue, honest!" He bit his lip. "You...your lips are softer than I thought they'd--"

"Robbie."

"Just sayin'!"

The two men continued into the cavern, unbothered by the cold (though their breath was still visible in the air). Icewolf flicked his wrist, reshaping the ice crystals on the ground and forming a solid path, free of slippage. 

The next passage was a wide room with tall columns of crystalline ice, so impressive and thoughtfully placed that Joseph thought them wrought by human hands. The cavern held the aura of a temple, or sacred space.

"Wow," Joseph said, unable to contain his awe. 

"Wow is right, dude. It's...like...beautiful." Then, Robbie felt his boot brush up against something. "Hmm?"

At first, he thought it was a pile of rocks, deliberate stacked as some sort of bygone ritual. Ice had formed like crystals along the surface. At second glance though, the ridges and curves of the strange rock formation...

Icewolf gasp. "J-j-o Jo."

"My name is not JoJo," White Tiger sighed, hand to his head. "Gimme a break. What's wrong?"

Robbie pointed down at the skeleton. "Joseph, it's bones."

"Oh."

Sure enough, the cavern was littered with them, mostly tucked away in the corners and nooks...almost deliberately.

"These look old. Could be just be bears."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better, bro?"

Joseph scanned the room for activity. The ice was still. He could practically see his reflection in the smooth walls. "Mt. Fuji is still an active volcano. This must be a lava tube. I do, however, feel the presence of strong magick here."

Robbie agreed. "Yeah, I--" 

A flicker of movement. A shadow along the wall.

"Huh!"

FHEWWWM

Joseph pivoted around and threw himself at Robbie, tucking his hand around his head and throwing him to the ground. "Robbie!"

The blade of ice, a shuriken, embedded itself in the column behind Robbie, where his head had been less than a second ago.

"Thanks," Robbie said, wincing, as White Tiger got off of him. "Damn, Joey, you're takedowns are no joke. Who the hell is that?"

From his position on the ground, Joseph stuck out his hand. "Hmph." A gust of wind shot up from the ground, throwing the second blade of ice off course.

A figure darted just outside of sight. The room was quiet again.

"Ninjas!?" Robbi growled, standing and readying himself for a scrap. "You gotta' be kiddin' me, bro."

"I don't think it's ninjas," Joseph said, conjuring a plume of snow-laden wind with one hand, and a geyser of black water with the other, arming himself with his elements. "Probably another yokai. Watch out!"

The figured (winged, apparently) jumped from behind the column and made a graceful arc through the air, scattering several more blades of ice sent in Robbie and Joseph's direction. The two men split apart, jumping in the opposite direction to avoid the frozen weapons. Now, the figure was clear. It positioned itself, balancing on a frozen needle jutting up from the ground. A winged creature, half bird, half man, wearing a mask of stone. The strange, erratically moving entity cocked its head to the side, in a pantomime of curiosity.

Robbie stepped forward. "Come over here and wrestle me, bro!" 

The creature answered the challenge by flipping into the air and diving straight for Robbie's head, tossing another volley of frozen shuriken. 

Icewolf threw himself back, curving his arm upward in a upper-cut motion. The sheet of ice on the ground bent itself in the same arc, creating a shield that managed to block all but one of the creature's ice daggers.

The last one, White Tiger knocked away with a jet of black, inky water. It had missed Robbie's face by a hair. Way too close.

Before the men could turn their attention on the creature, it latched onto a high wall, skittering across the ceiling like an insect, and vanishing into the shadows of the cavern ceiling.

"It's keeping a distance for just that reason," Joseph said. He kept his helix of water at the ready, waiting for the thing to rain ice daggers on them like missiles. "We're grapplers. It knows our strengths."

"Ugh, LAME!" Robbie spat. He stepped out into the room, conjuring a shield of ice with one hand, and a frozen javelin with the other. "Throw my own element at ME, bro? I'll make you sworry!"

The creature, a daitengu, responded with a flurry of more ice blades, this time larger than before. They cut into Robbie's shield with such a force that his protection shattered. 

The last blade grazed his arm, drawing blood. Unable to concentrate, Robbie's magickal hold on his ice javelin shattered, the weapon turning into snow.

"Ghaa." Robbie knelt down and grabbed his arm. Realizing he was out in the open, he jumped back and rolled behind a column on ice, just as a barrage of more ice shuriken made a line for his vulnerable body. He barely escaped.

Joseph, sucking on his teeth in frustration (and at enough of a distance that he wouldn't be able to rescue his partner) pressed his back to the column. "Robbie," he called out. "A breather, man, you get way too out of focus when you're mad. Just take one step back and concentrate. If you get riled up, you'll get hurt."

"Ughh..." Robbie looked down at his wound. It wasn't bad, but it put him in a tricky spot. Blood ran down his left triceps and bicep. "Not good."

"We can fix it." Joseph looked to the ceiling. It was up there, somewhere, this sniper. "Damn it. This thing is fast." He channelled his focus, knowing he had faced more precarious situations before.

You've already won this fight, Tiger. You and Robbie are already safe. Now, just work out how you got there, champ.

The champion of the GSA looked to his injured partner, understanding that the thing on the ceiling only needed to reposition himself before it took the next shot. "Ok, Icewolf. I need you to approach this as a tag team with me."

Robbie took a deep breath and placed his right hand over his wound. He winced as he froze his own blood, cauterizing the damage with a cold burn. "Breather," he said. "Got it." He sat up, creating a dome of ice over his head to block any incoming barrages. "Okay, punk. You think you can upstage me at my own game? Fine. We won't wrassle." 

He stepped out, deliberately, into the open.

"We'll...dance."

"Robbie?" Joseph whipped his head towards the centre of the room. Is he insane? He'll be killed...

Robbie snapped his fingers. Blades of ice formed beneath his hiking boots, turning them into skates. "1948," he said, blocking a blade assault. 

"Yes?" Joseph said, confused. "That is a number. Good start...?"

Icewolf skated into the open, gracefully sliding past another bolt of sharp ice, doing a figure eight around another. He held his hands out, letting his element carry him.

"1948, Olympics," Robbie said, calmly. He stopped short in a piroutte, 'feeling' where the the ice shuriken from above would land. They missed him, the daitengu miscalculating. "Barbara Ann Scott. Canada's sweetheart. She had a pair of blades, the ice, and a DREAM, bro."

Robbie stopped himself short, at an angle, cutting into the ice floor and sending up a wave of diamond dust. With a graceful flourish, he turned the plume of ice into his own arrows. With a cooler head, he was able to 'feel' where the ice shuriken were coming from, and charted a course back to the source. It was just like hockey. Lines. Distances. Take the shot.

He hit his goal.

A strange cry, half crow, half wind-chime, echoed through the chamber--the daitengu, struck, fell from the ceiling. It righted its course and corrected itself in the air, bolting straight for Robbie.

It was pissed.

Robbie, breathing heavily, skated around and faced his opponent head on--a game of chicken. "Triple axle FLIP," he said. He motioned to Joseph. "When I say 'go', you do your water thing, got it?"

Joseph didn't exactly 'get it', but he agreed with Robbie's confidence. "Right." He readied himself.

Here I go. Damn, wish Cian could see this. Icewolf skated forward, just as the daitengu darted down, ready to strike its target. "Pachelbel's Canon," Robbie muttered, hearing the music in his head. "Pachelbel's Canon." It became a war mantra. Perhaps it was a little more enthusiasm than what was needed.

But when had the 'Ice Cold Killa'' ever turned down the cool?

"PACHELBEL'SSSS CANONNNN!"

As the daitengu threw out a sharp dagger of ice, Robbie jumped up into the air, and flipped over the creature, landing perfectly behind it, arms up in a victory pose.

"GO!"

Joseph threw out his geyser, blasting the daitengu with a jet force of black water.

Robbie was ready. He turned the water into ice, freezing the daitengu to the spot.

"Got him!" Joseph shouted. "Ten from the judges, Robbie!"

Robbie pumped his fist in the air. "Hell yeah!"

Inside its prison, the daitengu struggled to free itself. 

"Now..." Joseph said, walking closely forward. The snowy wind whipped around his arms and legs. "You hurt my friend." He grabbed the daitengu's feathery head with his claw, gripping down hard. "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT."

Now, Robbie was scared. For the creature. "Uh, Joseph."

CRACK.

Joseph ripped the creature out of the ice, swivelled around it, and gripped it by the hips. He jumped into the air, high enough that he nearly smashed the damn beast into the ceiling.

"RETRIBUTION OF THE FOUR GUARDIANS!"

Mid air, Joseph turned his movement into a deadly super-plex, smashing the creature back into the ground twice.

It shattered into a million pieces of ice.

Robbie's jaw dropped. "Oh my Goddess, Joey, you suplexed him so hard he broke!"

Sweaty, and taking deep breaths, Joseph looked at the fragments of ice on the ground...and the stone mask in the center of the crater. "He...was made of ice...I guess?"

"Oh." Robbie scratched his head. "That too."

Joseph bowed his weary head at his defeat opponent. "We really do take magick for granted. These Chalices have put us on the path of some ancient forces." 

"Yeah, like, truly weird s***". Icewolf collapsed against the pillar, exhausted and shot with adrenaline. "Now I see why Buck wants to get an on-site therapist. After this, I'll need one." Hey, do you hear that?"

"Gods, what now?"

"No, like...it sounds like rushing water." Icewolf cocked his ear to the side, and quickly added, "And not like, rushing water coming at us either."

"Well, thank goodness for..." Joseph stood, listening. "Yeah. It's coming from up ahead." He conjured up another helix of wind and water, intertwining the elements around his hand like he did his signature red ropes. "Follow behind me."

Getting to his feet, Robbie stretched out to the frozen ceiling, inviting misery. "Ugh. They wouldn't throw another monster at us, would they?"

Robbie followed Joseph into the cramped passage, his concerns shifting from being mauled by monsters to being trapped and suffocated inside a cave passage. He lamented having gone through a bulk phase. This bod is built for bruising, not caving...

Preoccupied with claustrophobia as he was, Robbie failed to pick up on the sudden change in temperature, and the warm light growing from the end of the passage. Joseph slid out of the fissure, and Robbie followed close behind.

He stepped out into the light. The ice cave was beautiful on its own, but was hidden at the end of the tunnel blew his mind. "Woah."

The domed cavern was open to the sky, but it was impossible to see out of it, as the sunlight coming through was so strong as to be blinding. A waterfall cascaded through the passage, emptying into the lucid pool in the center of the chamber, ringed with indigo colored wisteria trees. Their petals covered the ground and pool, harmonizing with the light and casting everything in a deep, blue-purple glow. A simple wooden shrine, impossibly old, and ringed with sacred rope, sat at the head of the pool.

"'Woah' is right," Joseph said, allowing his magickal shield to dissipate. There was no danger here. "This is...beautiful. And it's definitely the Wellspring."

Robbie had no argument. Filled with a sudden and welcome peace, he sat down on a rock and watched as Joseph went about dipping the Chalice into the spring. The indigo water crystalized inside the vessel.

"I could stay here forever," Robbie said, smiling, his eyes closed. The sunlight against his skin felt like heaven. He was at peace. Whatever the energy in the room, it quieted his mind. 

Joseph approached him. "You did well, Robbie. I'm proud of you." The tall, muscular hearth throb hero sat next to his friend. "You, Spike, Cian, and Kengo are the next gen of the GSA. I think we'll be in good hands."

Robbie looked over at him. "Thanks, bro. Really. Uh...so, do you think you'll for for the World Champ title?"

Joseph looked up into the sunlight. His mouth twitched. "I've been asking myself that same question. Am I happy where I am now, or do I have something to prove? I never set out to be the best spellbreaker. I just wanted to be a hero." He laughed at the thought. "Then again, what kind of hero would I be if I didn't shoot for the title? Still, I had hoped to crush Vahni Rage myself. I think him and Spike--"

"Totally want to bang each other?" Icewolf laughed. "Yeah, bro. Even I'm not that dense."

As much as Joseph wanted to indulge in light conversation, though, too much weighed heavy on his mind. "I'm afraid this world championship is so much more than spellbreaking, though. Dark forces are amassing. I don't think Firebird is the full extent of the threat we're facing." He looked down at the Chalice in his hand. "I'm no oracle, but I get hunches. Something big is coming. I can feel it."

Robbie scratched his head, nervously. Then, looking into the pool of churning water, he gathered his strength. "Then we'll be ready for it, eh?"

To Be Continued