Heading towards the lost city of Atlantis: Part 1(the three oceans)

Sam's Test

It vaporized on contact with Joe's skin. It was as simple as that.

"Enough is enough," Sam's father said. "No one has ever survived that except Sam's real father!"

As soon as Sam heard it, unlike anyone else, understood the trick. It was enough to paralyze any one on spot. Even Alice and Joe were paralyzed. They had been having wild dreams of having real fathers.

That was of course a trick. Sam's father immediately reacted. He pulled out a black stick from his pocket and spun it in his hand. It expanded into a stick sort of thing. And for the next second no one would have been able to think that he was an old man if he would have been wearing a mask. Sam yelled to Alice, but he knew it was of no use. Sam's dad was already too close to Alice. But then Joe again showed what he actually was.

He spun and intercepted the move with his hand. His middle hand bone clashed with the stick. It would have been enough to break his hand. But the stick flew back with a metallic clang. When Sam looked carefully he noticed that Joe was holding the sword that he got upside down.

Joe knocked a punch straight into the old man's gut. He missed by an inch. Sam's father took the opportunity and struck at his back. Joe front rolled. Then he was on the losing side for about five minutes. Sam's father was amazingly fast. He lashed at Joe's chin and he intercepted the move with his own sword, but Sam's father changed the angle and struck at Joe's stomach. His stomach started to bust with pain. Then Joe turned again and lashed back. But the old man just stepped aside with no trouble at all. And that was the trouble: the old man wasn't having trouble in doing in almost anything.

Then the old man knocked at Joe's neck. The weapon soared above him as he ducked. Then Joe struck: His first master plan that he had ever created. He interlocked his hands and dropped the sword. Then he lifted his hand to his chest. When the old man revealed his stomach, Joe lashed.

Sam looked at him, awed. It was a brilliant plan. Joe was no slower than the old man. He showed that he was slow. He didn't showed how flexible he was. He gave the old man overconfidence. He made him do a mistake. The mistake that Joe needed to win.

And there it was. Sam's dad thrusted his hand with just too much force- and the momentum drove all his body to one side. This gave Joe time to come in his position. Then he made him feel frustrated because he missed his target.. He decided to strike back again without looking at Joe- that give Joe the chance to unleash his ability of surprise, which was enough to knock the old man down.

Sam cannot believe how Joe did that. And one more thing bothered him- just too much.

Joe did all this with his eyes closed. Joe opened his eyes slowly. He had heard the old man fall.

The old man managed to sit up. "You win. Though I cannot believe it- you mastered the art of Tyflí mousikí at such an young age. Your father learnt this art when he was 27."

"Blind music?" Sam asked.

The old man nodded. "Yes. But now it's time for your test, Sam. Though it won't require fighting- because you are not a fighter. You are wise and an archer. And I will test your wisdom."

"Dad," Sam said, "explain all this."

"All in time," he replied.

Sam and Joe looked at each other. They really hated it when the adults said that.

But looking at each other also reminded them something.

"Alice!" Sam yelled. She was still frozen. It wasn't natural. Not in the icy sort of way, but she wasn't moving.

"It wasn't her test and she was interfering," Sam's dad said, "Though I can heal her now. Carry her in."

"She is just a girl who cared about her brother," Sam yelled at his dad, "You are a maniac!"