SInk or Swim

SInk or Swim(Austin Causby) In a training facility in the newly founded Soleanna a Japanese traditional town. Jason and his training coach Marcus are practicing martial arts and stressing their body to the maximum.

The pain was excruciating but it was becoming a second nature to me. For the past two years I’ve been going through the most intense martial arts training but I haven’t progressed much. Marcus has begun to become irritated at me because I’m not moving at the pace he believes I should be. I take another blow to the face then I hear Marcus say, “No, No, No, block with your left then your right! Always move with your left side first.” Hearing this enraged me. I started to put more force behind my hits but all turned out to be a waste of energy. Marcus then made a swift move under my feet and I landed on my back. I went to stand up for a counter attack but the bell rang and my session was over. Marcus patted my back and said I'm progressing, I knew it was a lie but I smiled at him and walked into the back of the room and laid down in my bed.

As I laid in bed I stared at the ceiling. Six years ago tomorrow was the first day I meet Marcus. I was only six the day we met. It was a cold and dark January the 27, Adoption day. All the other orphans in the building were getting all dressed up and fancy but I just laid in bed. The thought of it brought tears to my eyes. The women at the orphanage told me I most likely wouldn’t be adopted and I should be prepared to stay in here my whole life. Mrs. Davidson was the house keeper and tried to give me some comfort something the other women wouldn’t. This day seemed to be going like any other day, except for all the kids being packed and ready to go. It was approaching mid-afternoon and adoptions were coming to a close. Then all of a sudden a tall thin mad with a long dark hair rushed in. He went to the main desk and asked for adoption papers then he was escorted to the back room he walked around all the bed with no interest then he slowly came to a stop at mine. He starred at me and I starred back his face went from dark and pale to a bright and luminous. I started smiling ear to ear and he said he wishes to adopt me. On the way to his home he asked me what my story was. My smile went to a frown, I slowly told him about my parents. When I only four years of age my parents died in a car crash. My parents were cut off from the rest of my family so when they died none of them wanted to take me in so I was sent to and orphanage. The two years I spent in the orphanage was the worst time of my life I was beaten and whipped though I never did anything wrong.

It was almost morning by the time I was finished thinking of that faithful day. I rolled over on my futon and closed my eyes not knowing what would come to for tomorrow. As I awoke the next morning I could already hear Marcus singing Sore Ha Bokutachi No Kiseki and making Tamagoyaki. I could smell the fresh eggs being cooked and I could smell the fresh peppers he was cutting, the smell was so strong i could taste it. I stood up and started to stumble a little i looked around my room to find the once bright red room to be a dark grey with spots of blue everywhere. I try to take a step and I fall straight on to my face. I Looked around the room one last time and tried to grab my footing and slowly walked out of my room hunched over on the walls. I stumbled into the kitchen Marcus rushes over to my side to help me up, then speaks to me “I guess you’re having a hard time getting used to your new body huh?” I stare at him with a blank expression. “New Body? What is Marcus talking about?” He directs me to the table and sits me down then handing me my Tamagoyaki and a cup of coffee. “Okay I guess I better start explaining everything.” Marcus says hastily. “Jason you are a very special person, you are from a dwindling race called Koinu-Jin, your parent’s didn’t die in a car crash they sent you to this planet to survey it and decide wether to kill of the planet or not. When I saw you in the orphanage I could see it in your eyes that you were a Koinu-Jin, that orange ring around your pupil.” I think to myself “What how could this be, I must be dreaming! This sounds like something I would read out of a Manga like Inuyasha or Dragon Ball Z! What the heck!” I look at Marcus and he looks back at me with his soft eyes. Then he speaks “Jason you are a very dangerous kind, your Ōkami transformation could kill everyone around you.” Marcus walks over to me and smiles “Don’t worry I’ll teach you how to control it.”

For the next year Marcus taught me how to control my Ōkami form. Again it was the anniversary of the day me and Marcus meet. I awoke as usual and walked into the kitchen. Marcus was cooking us Tamagoyaki. He spoke to me saying, “Did you sleep well? Bang! Marcus falls onto the ground and blood splatters on the floor and the light from Marcus’ eyes leave. At random SWAT roll in to take his body I feel a light pinch then all I see is darkness.

When I awake all I can smell is a salty breeze. For a moment I thought Marcus had put to much salt on my Tamagoyaki but then I came to the realization that Marcus had just been shot and I was knocked out. I felt around the room to feel a kinda rough feeling on the ground. I could feel the rocking of something like it was in the middle of the ocean. My eyes begun to adjust to the faint light in the room. As I looked around all I can see is dark grey metal bars and wooden boxes. It was so quiet I could almost hear my own blood flowing then a voice broke the silence. The voice was light and frail, it sounded if it was to go any louder the person it was coming from would break. The voice announces it name “Hello stranger, my name is Kayla and you would be?” I hesitantly said my name “M-my name is Jason.” She replies back saying, “Are you a Koinu-Jin like me?” When she said this my whole body froze up every bone in my body had come to a lock. It was I struggle to get a even a breath in. I tried with all of my mouth but all I could get out were a couple of weird sounds. When I finally got a word out it it was edgy, my reply was ‘Uhmm there are others like me?” Kayla seamed confused to hear that. “Wait you thought you were the only one?” Kayla face look like she just saw a tornado touch down. All I could manage to say was, ‘Uhmm?”

“JASON!” Kayla yelled at me with all of her might though it wasn’t much it was enough to wake me up from my slumber. I slowly rise to my feet. “What now Kayla?” i said very softly. She replied back with “There are some people coming to get us listen!” My ears seamed to stand on end I could hear two men approaching whatever room we were in I could smell the sea water dripping off there body before they even walked in. Suddenly the door was roughly slammed open. My eyes dart around the room to see where they were. The men looked almost zombified, they started to walk over to they cage like things we were in. Kayla look terrified she turned to me and said “What are they going to do to use Jason?” My response was very bold “Nothing I won’t let them lay a hand on either one of us!” The larger guard walked over to me. My body went completely stiff. The guard had to sets of chains that were together. My immediate action was to fight. I jump and try to kick him in the head, looking back now it wasn’t the best choice but the guard drops the chains and slams his elbow into my rib cage. The pain was sharp but it didn’t effect me as much anymore. I fall to the ground and try to grab my feting but the guard was quicker he jabs his fist into the side of my face and all I see is black.

When I finally come to my body was at least 80 kilos heavier the room was all white with a brown desk in the center and one small window. Kayla laid resting on my side she look like she had been hit a couple times. I look back at the desk to see there was a thin man with greasy black hair. His scent was very familiar. His eyes were gray and had no life in them but it felt like they were starring in my soul. He spoke, it sounded like the voice of a larger man because it was very deep and gruffly. He said, “Wake the girl, I must speak to the both of you.” Hastily I tried to wake Kayla she arose slowly and looked like she was in a daze. “Now, we have some very important business to talk about Jason and Kayla.” Said the mysterious man “Today I bring you to a business proposition, you to are both Koinu-Jin, I need some people like you in my forces so today I give you the best opportunity of your life, come and join me.” The only reaction I could get was hate, I was furious with him. I yelled at him screaming “WHY DID YOU KILL MARCUS?” His facial expression went from calm to furious when the words left my mouth. His reply was unbelievable “I reached out to Marcus around two years ago, I gave him the same opportunity I give you today and he denied saying if I was to ever contact him again he would kill me with his own two hands, so I rolled in and showed him my power, you would be wise to not make the same mistake he did boy.” I stared back at him with tears in my eyes. “What did you do with his body?” The man’s raged seamed to break with this new question. His reply was “What does it mean to you boy! You were nothing to him he didn’t care about you he just felt pity on a little kid nothing more. HE IS MY BROTHER ANYWAY!” Hearing this startled me. “Marcus has a brother?” I thought to myself silently. I try to stand but the chains were to heavy, Kayla could see the anger in my eyes. “What kind of brother would kill the other?” The man starred blankly at me the he made a motion to bring in the guards from before. I look at the man one last time before the guards grasp me and Kayla.

The room was very dark I could see nothing. Kayla was very scared she was trembling in her own skin. There was this smell that I couldn’t seam to shake. I turned to Kayla saying, “I’m going to try to find this smell.” The guards were standing in front of the door and they had put lighter chains on us, though they were 45 kilos they were still partially heavy. As I find work my way around the room I use my sense of smell to try to find the horrid smell. Then i stop in my tracks to find the dead body of Marcus lying in a conner. My emotions started to flood my mind. I began to feel streams to flow down my eyes. I hug Marcus and tell him I wish he would come back. While I was hugging him i felt a small piece of paper in his shirt. I remove it and try to read it, it went something like this. “Jason, you have grown so much your form and technique has improved so much! I think you are final read for the Kamehameha wave! ~カメハメハ I feel more tears flow down my face. While feeling for whatever was in his shirt i noticed that had two layers of clothes on. Then it came to me, Marcus was going to give me his old dojo clothes. So in a instance I broke my chains off and removed the old dojo clothing. I figured it would be better if he was to die in his new clothes. I also removed his headband and rushed over to Kayla saying, “Come on Kayla we are going to get out of here.” Kayla rushes to her feet and almost stumbles on her own face. I grab her and help her grab her balance. I remove Kayla’s chains and told her my plan. It was a simple plan we both go into our Ōkami form and we charge and get off this wretched boat.

Kayla transformed first because I didn’t know if preform the Kamehameha wave in a Ōkami. I go into a stance for the wave, I feel the energy flowing through my veins and I aim at the door then release the wave. It was perfect but it was enough to blast down the door. Kayla rushes out of the door, I follow her forgetting to go to my Ōkami form. Kayla takes the one on the left while I aim for the guard on the right. As I fight I see that Kayla is having a hard time. Then Kayla hits the floor hard and she looks like she is hurt. My rage broke at that single moment I feel nothing but hate for the guards and I want to enact revenge on them. It was like an awaking moment, My muscles got tighter and they were larger. I feel a power I had never felt before. I look on at the guard who looked like he was ready to crap his pants. His words were “W-what! How did you change your hair color? It was just black now it a flowing white!” I look at him puzzled “White hair?” I didn’t dwell on that thought for to much longer as I sprung into action. I hit the guard with all of my might, then in an instant he went crashing through a wall. The second guard looked scared, thats when I made a swift move and knocked him off of his own feet and knocked him into a wall.

I helped Kayla to her feet and we rushed to the room where we saw that man. I used the Kamehameha wave to blast the door open to rush in. The man was ready for us though, He was in a Ōkami form and charged at me, I barely dogged him but he managed to hit Kayla. For the rebound hit I punched the man in the stomach. He then threw a sucker punch and nailed me in the face. He hit harder than I thought he could. I could feel many ribs in my body break. I refused take defeat, to much was at risk. I gathered all my strength and nailed my fist in the side of his face he went flying into a wall. I quickly grabbed Kayla by the arm and rushed out of the room. My eyes darted around the room to find some stairs up to the bridge. I finally catch glimpse of the stairs and rush up them. I hear the man starting to get up. I look around for a life boat or something. I feel Kayla starting to fall behind stop to pick her up and throw her over my shoulders and continue the look-out for a life boat. I finally see on and I throw Kayla into it. I try to find the release for the life boat the man suddenly emerges from the entrance to the lower part of the boat. I found the release for the life boat and hit the release. The man just kept inching closer when I finally jumped down to land on the life boat.

The man looked ready to jump into the water but before he could I took aim at him and went to a stance. KA-ME-HA-ME-HA! I fire the Kamehameha at the boat hitting on the side and I watched it sink right before i blanked out! When I awoke Kayla was hugged up to me and she was asleep we were lost at sea, but at least we were together.