Air Raiders

Chapter One: The Boy and the Crow

The Air Raiders
Chapter One: The Boy and the Crow
~
~
~
It was such a nice day. So peaceful, yet so lively. Nothing should have happened. But it did.
Nothing could have prepared him for the events that would soon take place.
Nothing. And it would cost him.
.
.
.
The bright sun shined through the clouds, and signaled to the small village the beginning of a new day. Birds were chirping, spreading their songs of joy to all those who were willing to listen. The song would remind you of days of peace and quiet, still silently bringing a sense of something... important. Something would happen.
Soon, the heavy sounds of horse hooves sounded in the distance, hard against the rocky terrain of the valley surrounding. They hit the ground, and steadily alerted the villagers of the excitement of the day. It was already busy, merchants quickly filled the streets, trying desperately to sell goods to pedestrians that crossed through the streets looking at the diverse assortments of items before they would quickly turn to the next vendor.
During the lively hour, a lonely crow sat on a branch not far from the local blacksmith hammering away, ready to show his newest goods to the good people. The black feathered bird watched as each person passed by, unaware of the golden eyes gazing at them; silent, observant, ready to fly away at the first sign of danger. And just as quickly as it had sat to rest, the crow flapped its wing in preparation for the next flight it would take. The wind blew a pleasant breeze, offering the hot summer day a refreshing cool feeling to sliver down the backs of those who felt it.
The crow flew, and flew, throughout the streets, allowing the woman and children who were out enjoying the day as the men were out for work, a faint sight of a small pouch in the sharp, pointed claws that could cut through anything like teeth. The pouch was small, with a red ribbon tied around it, shaking from the wind as the crow outstretched its wings in order to gain better altitude. The black, beautiful bird descended lower towards the ground, letting the warm, comforting rays of the sun fully envelope the slick feathers. It passed the small cottage buildings, all having the ceilings and chimneys decorated with blue, green, red, all different colored ribbons strung onto each building with loosely tied balloons on the rusty mailboxes.
Soon, the flying crow found its next prey. It quickly flew down right above the ground next to the bakery, and fluttered its wings as it pecked at some bread wrapped in a napkin on a bench table, ignoring the obvious probability of ownership. Suddenly, a loud shout of surprise rang in the crows ears, before a fist suddenly banged the wooden table, shocking the poor bird. It squawked before quickly grabbing at the small bundle of bread with its beak as the boy tried multiple times to catch the dark thief. As it quickly fluttered its wings and jumped from the table flying into the sky, the bird heard the faint sounds of the boy yelling out about stupid birds stealing food. The boy was always there, by the bakery, stealing food from the poor elderly lady by the name of Alice, so the winged creature failed to understand the wrong in stealing from the thieves. It caught a quick glance of wild dirty blonde hair, before concentrating on the slightly heavy burden resting on its beak.
The crow continued to fly up into the sky, and away from the busy streets of the village, thieves and beggars left behind to be dealt with according to the rangers of the valley. After all, how could a bird ever be able to defend anything- especially those of a race who bore no respect for his own species? Only one would it protect, and that one relied on it as well. No creature could have a better master. And with that thought in mind, the crow continued to ride the wind through the flat plain to its final destination.
It passed long rows of flowers- dandelions, roses, suflowers, all signaling to the world the beginning of Summer. The flowers there always bloomed, as if telling schools achildren it was time to relax and expressed nature for what is is, rather than sit inside and learn about the evolution of flight. Flight wasone of the most important skills taught in the schools these days, probably because the country beyond the North Star had introduced it not long ago.
It was a short time until finally, a small cottage of light oak with a simple two floors and small chimney came into view on the deep expanse of grass and flowers that littered the ground as far as the eye could see. It was around two miles from the village, meaning a short walk if one kept a steady pace. However, it was due to the rolling hills that people usually rode on horses to avoid losing their way or to simply avoid the strenuous activity.
The black bird once again flapped its wings to properly reach a small windowsill on the second floor, and upon reaching it, tapped the window with its beak, gaining the attention of the one inside. The window was opened without hesitation and the crow made its way inside the warm room, dropping all of its belongings onto a desk beneath the window.
"Good job, rider! I knew I could count on you, buddy," came the sincere voice of gratitude. Rider gave a quick squawk in reply, silently humming in appreciation at the petting being received from the boy before him.
Many of the villagers made it a habit of considering the boy 'beautiful' much to the boy's discontent. The boy appeared to have a sort of Japanese heritage, making itself obvious in his deep charcoal-looking eyes eyes. He had short black hair with side-swept bangs of which framed his face perfectly, his hair flipping slightly on each side of his head, and deep, deep brown eyes that seemed to shine with curiosity and gave the feeling of knowing everything, but still not enough at the same time. His eyes were so dark, they appeared to be as black as his ravenous friend still nuzzling its head on his hand. His skin was pale, pale as the night moon, but not as such a sickly pale, the kind that would give him an eternal look. The boy was currently sporting a white cotton shirt with a deep ocean blue vest over it, with white comfy looking pants that were slightly baggy on his small frame. A brown leather belt was across his waist doing little to keep it properly secured on his hips. He adorned a dark blue hat of sorts that covered all around his head and flaps of the hat hung covered over his ears so they weren't visible. A pair of light tan strapped goggles hung right on his forehead.
He smiled before untying the small pouch the crown had first been holding, lightly grasping the red ribbon and pulling it loose, letting the contents reveal themselves.
Several nuts and bolts piled out of the bundle and spilled out across the oaken desk. The boy grabbed a small screw and inspected it silently, before a small smile appeared on his thin lips and soon enough spread into a wide grin, showing pearly white teeth that still probably hadn't fallen out yet.
"Perfect- just as expected from the great Rodin Inc.!" Grabbing a handful of the small ilver screws, the boy jumped from his wooden chair and ducked under his small, dark blue colored bed, pulling out a pair of shoes. They appeared to be boot like, and had a mostly red shade as the primary color. Instead of laces, the fire-colored shoes had black straps, allowing the wearer to have a more secure fitting. The inside appeared to have a soft material with a deep gray shade.
The raven haired boy quickly set to work at an exted and rigorous pace, grabbing a screw driving and quickly putting the screw into the appropriate places in the boot, centering around the base at the heel. The heel had a metal rim that gleamed as the suns rays poured onto it from the window. So ther, the boy sat on the flour, younger sticking out a bit showing his concentration as he fiddled around with the pair of short boots, whacking the heel every once in awhile. Wiout warning, he reached onto his desk and grabbed a set of matches, earning a surprised squawk from his feathered friend. Striking the match, he let the small flame dance around the base of the shoe, going into what looked like holes around the bottom, perhaps signaling something would come from them.
After that was finished, he continue working with them, before topping suddenly. He quickly stood up, pulling slightly on his slippig pants around his waist and adjusting his goggles, admiring his work.
"Finally," he breathed, "finally, it's finished."
He slipped off his own shoes, and replaced his feet adorning black socks with the boots. They looked a bit bulky, but nothing a few tweeks here and there couldn't fix. He walked around in them, tripping a bit, before smiling, satisfied. He neeled down and twisted a small switch on the back of his heel, previously hidden from his long pants. He twisted another small knob, before suddenly, a deep rumbling erupted from the bulky boots.
After a minute, deep red flames started to seep from the bottom of the boots, slightly scorching the deep, dark wood oak. The force of the fire pushed the boy up and off the flooring. Rider's honey gold eyes watched as his master was lifted up by a simple pair of boots. His soft gasp of surprise was quickly taken place by a grin formed of pure excitement. Slowly, he rose up, higher, higher, until his head softly hit the low ceiling.
The boy practically squeeled in his excitement. He let out a small chuckle, before he gradually got louder, raising in volume and pitch. He laughed- laughed in joy, laughed in satisfaction, in the growing realization of what this all meant. He actually invented, created something never seen before. His own pair of Rocket Boots. Derived from blood, tears, sweat, and a lot of fire power and bolts.
He kept thinking, this is my chance. My chance to show everyone that I can be something important. Something needed. The words kept replaying over and over in his head like a mantra. After a whole two years of waiting and hoping that his dream would finally be conceived, it could come true for all to see. The biggest project he had ever worked on was finally complete.
Without warning, the flames in the boots flickered, sparked, and shut off immediately; without leaving a single mark though. The boy frowned and ran his hand along the smooth edges trying to figure out what the problem was. Getting up and sighing, he made his way to his old, creaking desk.
All of a sudden, however, the boots flames kicked up and poured from the boots forcing him forward, scratching the floor, and then up towards the roof. The boy managed to swing himself forward away from the ceiling as the now functioning pair of boots threw him around the small room. He made wayward spiral and several flips, gasping in surprise, along with a mix of "woah's" and "stopstopstop's" and a little bit of "mommy!" in between, before rather crudely hitting the floor.
The raven haired boy groaned in response to the roller coaster ride he had just received, rubbing his bum to help soothe the aching pain there. There goes his only chances of getting recognized.
"Haru! What are you doing up there? Are you alright?" A quiet, worried voice protruded from lower level of the small cottage. Low thumps soon followed the voice, echoing slightly as each step made it's way up the stairs.
"I'm fine Granny, I just fell, that's all!" The boy scrambled and practically flew about across the floor, grabbing every nut and bolt he could find. Quickly shoving them into a small messenger bag hanging from the oak wood chair at his desk, he shuffled around more and more as the steps became louder; thump, thump, thump.
Finally, just as the boy, or Haru, had managed to shove the last of the evidence of his project into the bag, the large dark wooden door was thrown open. A woman appearing around her fifties or early sixty's stood in the doorway. She had light brown hair, mostly covered by graying of the old signs of age and motherly worry, tied up into a tight bun. She bore a worried expression on her face, as she just radiated motherly instinct and warmth. She wore a long royal blue dress covered by a light brown vest covering an old brown apron. She was wiping her course, large hands on it, as they were covered by flour.
"Oh, hey, Granny! What a nice surprise seeing you here. Don't worry, I'm fine, so you can just, err, leave?" He spoke sheepishly, shuffling a bit, trying to hide the bag behind his back that was still hanging from the chair. She walked over to Haru, noticing his obvious jumpiness. The woman rose a delicate eyebrow, not believing for a second his obvious lie.
"I live here."
"Yeah, you do..."
"Haru."
"Okay, time to go! I really must be leaving now. I have a rather important, err, appointment I must attend. Do have a nice time without me! Not that you need me to relax of course. I'm just a kid after all! If you couldn't have fun without me then you would most likely be much more immature and irresponsible and that would never end well in the aiding of my growth and you want me to grow up well, don't you? If I don't live a healthy life, then who knows what I would grow up to become. Maybe a drug dealer, a con artist, an evil wizard, you decide. Actually, scratch that, don't decide. I don't want to be any of those things. The other day a con artist convinced me he had six months left to live and lived under a bridge and ended up stealing every penny I had... You probably didn't need to know that... Alright! Anyways, it's true that I must leave as soon as possible! I'll be back soon! Okay, goodbye, love you!" He rambled mindlessly, a nervous tick he had developed over the years. A very noticeable one at that.
Grabbing his bag and swinging it over his shoulder, Haru made his way out of his room and down the stairs. He soon traveled through his warm cozy kitchen with decorative pictures and old flower wallpaper reminding you of that old summers night with family as you all laughed and talked and played and of good memories. The faint smell of cinnamon and Rosemary wafted through the room. The young raven was quietly making his way to the old, slightly creaky, wood door, before a voice stopped him.
"Haru," he closed his eyes, biting his lower lip- another nervous tick, and slowly took a step around to see the kind, but aged woman.
"Yes, Granny?"
"Stop calling me granny already. You know that makes me feel old," she spoke. A small mischievous small graced her lips as she put her slightly chubby fingers onto his soft raven locks.
"Go get'em, champ. I'll be waiting there to watch and cheer you on." And with that, Haru had a face splitting grin as he laughed, scratching the back of his neck.
"Thanks, Auntie Cally," and with that, he was out the door, making his way through the long grassy plains of flowers. He ran and ran, as fast as his slender legs could take him. The boots only weighed him down the slightest bit, and didn't faze him the least as he kept his goal in mind. Rider was flying close behind him, keeping his gold eyes on his master as he ran, making sure nothing bad could possibly happen to him.
Nearly an hour had passed before Haru had finally gotten a glimpse of the small village ahead. His sore feet pounded the cobblestone path headed to the entrance as his breathing became slightly erratic. He had done nothing but run without brake, and it was finally starting to take it's toll on him. His previous disappointment was quickly swept away as he saw the festival ahead.
Near the square of the village, there was a long line full of waiting people, each having some unique appearance or trinket with them. Some had large brown sacks, others had small simple pouches, some with tattoos, beards, piercings, glasses, all you could think of. The line led up to a small stall with a petite old lady with large thin black framed glasses and gray hair in a bun.
The harsh sun beat on him, making the wait more and more uncomfortable as sweat poured from his pale skin. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he adjusted his messenger bag.
He must have waited an hour before he finally reached the front of the line. The lady was writing on her clipboard, not noticing him. The boy shifted a bit, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet as he waited.
Awkward.
He brought his hand to his mouth as he gave a small cough. The woman's deep brown eyes flickered up him, looking down just as quickly. He waited a bit more before a hourse, old, navally voice spoke.
"Yes?" She sighed, as if the whole ordeal was bothersome. He gulped a bit before replying.
"Oh! Uh, yes, I, um..." He bit his lip. She sighed and went back to her work.
"Wait! I'm here for the competition? Yeah, that's it." He panicked- this lady was somehow really intimidating. How embarrassing.
"You are here for the competition?" She raised an eyebrow. Haru shrugged and gave a half grin. She sighed.
"Alright. Name?"
"Haru Nakamura." Curse you confusing last names.
"Age?"
"I'm eleven miss!"
"Invention?"
This got his attention. Any previous nervousness disappeared and was quickly replaced by smug satisfaction and eagerness.
"Ah, you see, this isn't just any invention! This will blow your mind! This is nothing- nothing you have ever seen before! Made from just some bolts, iron, and a little bit of flames- and I have created something no one has ever done-"
"Invention?"
"Rocket boots!" He practically spit out. This lady really did have no respect!
"Alright, you're number one hundred and fourty four. Good luck, kid." She quickly snapped a sticker onto his long sleeved white shirt. The number was in a large, black, printed bold.
"Ah, thank you!" And with that, he vanished into the busy crowd of brainiacs. He pushed his way through until he found an empty space between two stands. His confidence was dimmed slightly at the sight of all the inventions he saw. His eyes practically glowed in awed amazement at the many different projects presented.
There were mechanical hounds, robotic parts, small unsuspecting knick knacks, everything. This was truly a place for the hard workers. He was finally here.
He breathed in a sigh of relief as he stepped to the side. The sounds, sights, smells, all of it invaded his senses.
Popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream. People running around, looking at the many different wares for sell. Children laughing and having fun as he pushed their ways through the thick crowd of bustling citizens.
He snapped back to reality. The confidence was squeezed from the small boy as he looked at the numerous stands. Everyone had one- everyone but him. That didn't look good. Was it required? Panic leaked into his system as self-troubling thoughts consumed his mind.
Would he get in trouble? Would no one take him seriously? He was only a kid after all. Would someone else have the same type of invention? What if he lost? What if they laughed at him?
Haru slammed his eyes shut and shook his head, as if trying to rid his head of the thoughts.
No. They won't laugh. He made something important. No one could ignore that.
Finding his resolve, the raven slipped off his messenger bag and rummaged through it.
If that same glitch happened again...
Grabbing some more bolts and a wrench, he slipped off his boots and examined them. Luckily, the iron rimmed bottom wasn't scorched from the flame, so it had the durability...
He looked a bit more. Then, it hit him. A screw had gone loose on the inner rim! Clicking his tongue, he grabbed the wrench and twisted it a bit. The screw entered back into the boot easily. He checked the tightness of the rim, to make sure it wouldn't fall apart the next time it was used. Next was the other boot.
Problem is, nothing was wrong. Haru's brow furrowed. That can't be right, though. Both boots had failed, so what was wrong? He inspected it once more, but found nothing.
Huh, strange.
Befor he had any more time to ponder the strange sight- or non-sight that is- two large men approached him. The smaller boy looked up at them, sensing the new presence.
"'Ey, kid, what are you doin' 'ere? This place ain't for runts like you." The first one sneered. He had short brown hair, slicked into a small point at the base of his forehead. He had a slim figure and wore a simple black t-shirt and jeans. He had large nails, similar to claws.
Haru could immediately tell. The man had a major ego.
The other man, much larger, had a bit more of a portly form. He had short black hair sticking to his forehead with small beads of sweat from the burning sun beating down from above.
"Yeah, kid. This ain't no playground. Run back to your mommy, now." The larger man snickered at his own taunting.
Haru narrowed his deep eyes at the older men, "I-I'm no kid! I may be young, but I'm here with an invention, just like you!"
The tall one laughed, glaring at him with narrow cold dark eyes, like that of a predator staring down it's prey. He smirked, a sharp fanged tooth revealing itself.
"Invention? Kid, you ain't even got a stand! Who'll take you seriously?" Suddenly, the tall one's demeanor changed, his grin falling away just as quickly as it had come.
"Now, last chance. Ain't no way am I gonna let a baby ruin our, er, image here," he finished his threat rather lamely.
Haru stepped back slightly, feeling his pulse speed up in anxiety. These men were just screaming, 'hey, you! We're dangerous jerks! Run away now before we ruin ya!' However, he swallowed his fear down and managed a defiant gaze and stared right at the pernicious men in front of him.
"What'll you do? Are you going to send your dog here after me?" This earned a growl from the larger man, "You think you can steal from me? Well, sorry, but I just can't let that happen! Leave me alone or else!"
"Or else what?" Haru flinched back- he knew it was useless. He could never imagine defeating them in a physical fight. He's practically asking for it! As if he could give up his boots though! Those boots took a whole year to build!
The tall one snapped his sharp-nailed fingers and growled at the younger boy.
"Get 'im already, ya lug!"
And with that, the largest of them stomped forward, a sick twisting grin sweeping across his bulky facial features. Before Haru could run from his grasp, the man grabbed him by the ankle surprisingly quickly and flipped him over, holding him in the air. The younger flailed about, trim to escape to no avail.
"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?! Let me go, this instant!" His objections fell on deaf ears however, as the man grabbed each boot from the ground and held them with one large, strong hand. Once each of the footwear were taken in his grasp, the man loosened his grip, letting the raven fall to the ground rather painfully.
He groaned in pain as he rubbed the sore spots in the back of his head and spine. The sound of obnoxious snickering filled his ears, causing him to look up, eyes squinting in the bright sunlight that so suddenly invaded his vision. There he saw above him were the two men, tossing the boots around like they were nothing. Rage surged through his body as he watched the display of utter disrespect.
Haru immediately jumped to his now almost bare feet and ran to the men in hopes of retrieving his most valued work. They all began a game of ''Monkey in the Middle,' Haru being the monkey.
Back and forth they went, the boots were thrown like the ragdolls of a couple of five year olds pitching a fit. Haru jumped again and again, though his efforts were fruitless, as the height the boots were being thrown at were just simply far above his head.
"Stop!! Please!! Those are my boots- my inventions!! Leave me alone, I'm begging you!!" He pleaded over and over, quickly falling into a panic. If this didn't end soon, then his boots would-!
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the boots slipped past the grasp of the larger man and fell to the ground, successfully knocking several bolts loose and making the metal rim at the heel come loose.
It was at that very moment that Haru stopped, and watched in horror as his most valued piece of work-his first real invention- fell to pieces before his very eyes. The men just stood there, watching the bolts roll around in circles before finally stopping.
Before anyone could react however, a loud and deep booming voice erupted from the middle of the judging grounds. A tall man with a short black bowl cut with very sharp prominent features and thick bushy brows spoke loudly, gaining everyone's attention.
"Alright!! The judging of this years top inventors will begin in five minutes!! Gather your things and give us your very best! The winners of the competition will be given the chance to travel to the second realm- so be ready!"
Not a long distance away, a young shaggy-haired blonde boy appearing around ten or eleven sat on an old wooden bench, one leg propped up to support his bandaged arm. He had the most piercing deep blue eyes anyone had seen. He sported a sleeveless black vest over a simple white T-shirt, along with a pair of raggedly cut jeans. He frowned in annoyance, especially since just that morning, a stupid bird took his food for the day. The boy's brows furrowed in hearing the last statement from the obnoxious sounding man.
"Jeez, what's so good about this place anyways? I don't get why a bunch of nobody inventor guys are doing so much for one lame trip." He clicked his tongue in annoyance. A man standing next to him looked at the rugged looking boy, raising a fine brow. He had long brown hair tied into a ponytail, reaching down just by his shoulders. He had dark brown eyes with a certain red glint to them.
"Do you want to know?" He asked the kid.
The blonde looked up at him, suspicion quickly lacing his visage.
"Know what, old man? I don't need any info from some guy off the street!"
"Says the boy who lives on the street."
The boy blinked. "What the- what do want?!"
"To enlighten you, that's all. Now listen," before the boy could interrupt, the man started talking once more.
"The second realm is said to be a faraway place that is full of beings that have no particular abilities or portray any kind of individualization. Because most of our people don't look the same or have different... talents, they tend to fear us rather then try to gain our friendship. Some are cruel, and some are much more accepting. Some of their people fear us, and this has caused a great clash of ideals between us. Because of this clash, we have been forced to decline the number of people who travel there, thus, only inventors have this chance in order to better improve any and all social and technological aspects there.
"Every year, inventors compete to get the chance to travel to this land, mainly because of one of the biggest companies investing in materials for their projects; Rodin Inc. This place that they travel to is a land full of opportunity. No one will know who you are, and you are free to create the new beginning you want to make for yourself. It's perfect for those seeking a second chance."
The boy looked thoughtful for a moment. He looked at his worn out white and red sneakers that now appeared to have a hole in the toes of the right foot. He sighed and closed his eyes.
"A second chance, huh?"
He looked back up, hoping to ask more questions to the knowledgeable man, only to realize that he disappeared. The boy jumped to his feet and looked around, but saw nothing but tourists.
"Hey!" He looked, but that was it. The man was gone.
Meanwhile, back with Haru, the two men had left as soon as the announcement came on, leaving while laughing cruelly the whole way. Haru kneeled on his knees, staring at the many bolts that lay helplessly on the ground.
He kept thinking, how? How am I supposed to fix this? It's over! There is no way he could finish in time! His project was absolutely ruined!
Then he remembered: this was his life. These simple boots held his future. If this didn't work, then...!
Haru shook his head roughly, trying to clear his thoughts. He once again looked at his destroyed project. Actually, it really isn't that destroyed. Taking a breath, he scurried around the ground, trying to pick up any bolts that he could find.
This had to work. It had to.
Grabbing everything he could spot, the raven haired boy took out his wrench from his pack. Working feverishly, he worked as fast as he could, grabbing this, tying that, screwing in this thing over here. Everything was a blur to him, as his mind was set solely on succeeding. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard the announcement that the judging was ready to begin. His quick pace only increased, if possible.
His hands were shaking uncontrollably, and his throat was dry. He could barely hear anything over the thumping of his heart. The worry, the nervousness was starting to seep into his system. There was no way he could finish in time! His hands were screwing each bolt in as fast as they could, and once that was done, he had to try to realign that silver rim at the base. It had been damaged when it had hit the ground.
In the corner of his eye, he could see the two judges coming closer and closer. He was absolutely panicking right now. Haru felt as though his heart would burst. If he didn't get a ticket out of here then what are the chances of him getting to go next year?! He had to go and see that world!
Swallowing, he continued on, even when he could tell that the judges were walking towards him. Even when they were twenty feet, fifteen feet, ten feet, five feet, and then....
An awkward cough was heard above him. The boy was snapped out of his daze and looked up.
There they were.
The two judges were right above him, one with a bowl cut and the other with a ponytail.
He was doomed.
"Excuse me young man, but are you a contestant?" The ponytail man asked him, eyeing him suspiciously. Haru gulped.
"U-um, yes, I am. Sir! Yes I am, sir!" Nice introduction!
"Oh, really? You look awfully young to be competing."
"Oh, come now, Caden! The boy's wearing a number, isn't he?" Bowl cut stated more than asked, a grin spreading across his sharp features.
"I guess so, but you know mistakes can happen. He's so young!" The other man- Caden exclaimed.
"Don't you remember? We've had young contestants before! Why I even remember a shy young boy who competed all those years ago; he was my best friend!" Caden sighed and shook his head.
"Don't bring that up. So, boy, what is your project?"
Haru looked back down at his boots and eyed them cautiously. "I, um, I made these boots... they're not the best though..."
Bowl cut raised his thick brow, and looked at the damaged boots, "Boots? Do they do anything?"
Haru huffed indignantly, "of course they do! If they didn't then I would have no reason to be here!"
He breathed, "they're rocket boots, I guess."
"Ah, rocket boots! It's been awhile since someone's tried that! Interesting! Mind if I test them?" Bowl cut had a face splitting grin.
"O-oh! I-I don't know... maybe I should try them instead?" Haru could not risk letting his judge crack his head open.
"Don't worry about it! What's the point in presenting them if we can't even test them? We're the judges, not you."
He reached for the boots, and before Haru could protest, had them in his grasp. The man was eyeing them like a child on Christmas. He enthusiastically threw the boots on, ignoring the scratched up look.
"So, how do they work, young man?"
"Uh, my name is Haru, sir. And you work them with the knobs at the bottom," he pointed to the small knobs at the heel and the switch."You just turn the dial to your level of force and speed and you just flip the switch and-"
"Oh, oh!!! Me, can I do it?! I want to flip the switch! I want to go as fast as possible!" The older man cheered loudly.
Haru looked around him and saw a large group of pedestrians and observers watching the judges reaction. In the crowd, he saw his aunt looking at him and smiling hopefully. He gave a small, nervous smile back.
Turning back to the judge, Haru sighed and looked at the boots worriedly. "I guess you can. Just be careful to-" once again he was cut off as the large man worked the dials and set them to his speed and quickly flipped the small silver switch.
Haru remembered something.
The man took off at a great speed and was propelled high into the air. He went higher and higher, and as he tried to change direction, the man went straight down with a loud whoop.
"A-amazing! He's going so fast!" The man named Caden narrowly dodged the flying man. Haru felt a bad feeling settling inside him as he ignored the man's comment. Bowl cut kept flying in loops and circles with little control. The sight truly was an odd one- a man actually using rocket boots? Impossible!
It was happening, though. The boys dream was working, and was being shared to all the people around him.
He imagined his mother and father. They would be so proud if they saw this right now. His mother's sweet smiling face as her gentle eyelashes met her cheeks, listening to her as she said 'good job, honey', and 'you're the best son a mother could ask for'!
He imagined his father telling him that he was truly his son, and that he was proud. The thought of them made Haru's throat tighten.
"Hey! How do I stop now? This is fun and all, but I'm getting a bit dizzy here!" Bowl cut yelled out as he once again flew a loop.
Haru snapped out of his reverie and panicked.
"Oh, um, that's uh, your job! I can't stop it!"
Of course. Brakes can't go on them!
A deep chorus of murmuring erupted from the crowd, worry sketched over all of their weary faces.
"You designed these without brakes?!" The other judge had anger and anxiousness evident in his voice. It was obvious he was worried for the other man. Everyone watched as he kept flying through the air, and as the smoke protruding from the flames gradually began to fill the air. Some people were starting to cough and heave, and others were ignoring the smoke as they tried to create an area for a soft landing.
"Brock! Quickly! Land on one of these blankets here!" Suddenly, the man stopped mid loop and his screams increased in pitch as he fell from the air. The flames disappeared from the heels, and sparks flew from the large boots.
"Someone catch meeeeee," Brock screamed out as he continued falling about six stories from the air. Hollering and screams of panic and terror erupted from the audience. Haru felt his heart was going to stop. If no one could stop his fall, then... then he was going to be responsible for someone's death! He wanted nothing more than to help, but his legs refused to move. He was terrified. Terrified for someone's life. Terrified for the punishment he would possibly receive.
The other judge, now known as Brock, was steadily decreasing in height from the ground, now only meters away. Time seemed to pass in slow motion, as if mocking the raven haired boy. He couldn't bare to watch the disaster, but he could not look away, not even for a moment.
Just a few feet left now. Just as the man was about to meet his fate, the boots sparked and fizzled, before the flames once again blasted forth, sending the man rocketing forward. Luckily, he headed straight for a large pile of blankets, clothing such as jackets, and tarps from the tents. Brock hit the pile head on, sending some of the cloth flying.
Silence resonated through the room. People were holding their breath, hoping the poor man was alright. Coughing was heard, and his head popped from the pile, and jacket slipping off his head.
"Well, that certainly was a most interesting experience!" He exclaimed, a weary grin crossing his face. The audience erupted in cheering and clapping, as Brock got up and dusted himself off. Caden ran over to him and panically searched over him, repeatedly asking if he was alright. The man merely brushed him off, saying he was fine, just shaken up.
The men walked up to Haru, all the while eyeing him suspiciously. Brock took the boots off and dropped them into the boys hands.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" Caden spit out at him.
"S-sir, I'm sorry, I had no idea that would-"
"Exactly! You have no idea what could have just happened. You put my friend's life in danger, and that is unforgivable. You were not prepared and you still gave him the boots." The man was seething.
"Hey, it's fine, Caden. I'm fine! See? Give the kid a break. With a little more work, those boots could work great for him!" Brock tried defending him. Haru felt even more guilty. This man shouldn't forgive him. He almost killed him, for pete's sake!
"No, don't defend him. If he wants to grow as a person and become a better inventor, he needs to witness rejection. Or else he'll never learn."
"It's true. I should have known better. I knew they weren't ready yet, but I still came here..."
"You know what this means" Haru nodded.
"Well then, I'm sorry, but you cannot come to see the next realm. We just simply will not and cannot allow it. You're lucky we won't press any charges."
Haru nodded his head slowly. He looked behind him and saw everyone staring at him. Some had disapproving frowns on their faces, while others snickered at him, and others didn't even look at him. Then he saw his aunt. She looked disappointed. Ashamed.
He felt tears pricking the corners of his dark charcoal eyes, and his throat tightened. He turned around with his head low, grabbed his pack, and ran. He heard his aunt call after him in the distance, but he didn't care.

Nothing mattered anymore. Everyone hated him, and he knew it.
He ran and ran, as far and fast as he could. He pushed his way through the crowds that surrounded him and he darts out of the town. He ignored everything, as the calls of his name fell on deaf ears. Even Rider, who is his most trusted companion kept calling him, and was ignored.
He wanted to disappear. He just wanted to be alone.
.