Bonded By Blood

No help

It took a few weeks but we made it to the mountain of Dacurus. Jason still depressed didn’t talk much on the way. I didn’t know how to cheer him up. Quieter he became the more I pried. On the way up Jason seemed a bit happier. He looked around happily for some one. At the top stood a cliff which he stood at. Smile on his face.
“Icerus!” he yelled off it. For a moment I heard roar in the distance. Swooping down came a blue blaze flying into Jason knocking him away from the cliff. It stood on top of Jason, Blue scaled and purple horns, purple eye, plated wings of ice and a tail with a 4 pointed star at its end. “Jason!” replied the dragon.
Small for a dragon but it was definitely one. Scales, horns and wings.
“I need your help with something.” Said Jason as he stood up.
“Sure.”
“I need you to gather up the gang for me.”
“Why?”
I wondered over to the cliff wondering how the dragon heard him, maybe the cliffs special. “Flero!” I yelled off it.
The 2 looked to me strangely. “What are you doing?” asked Jason.
“I was curious if it’d work. Guess n…” I fell forward to find the dragon kid I met not to long ago. Flero hopped off my back and pushed his head against me. “Eriko?” he asked.
I saw his scaly red body and black stubby horns. Littler dragon than the one with Jason. “I’m alright.” I coughed.
“I heard you call for me so I came… to this strange place.” Flero looked to Icerus and growled.
“He’s a friend.” I explained.
“Fine.” He sat down and turned into a human boy. “So why’d you call me?”
“Curiosity.”
“That’s it?”
“Yep.”
The ice dragon approached Flero and made him growl again, backing away he hid behind me.
Jason smirked. “Don’t scare him.”
“He’s Ferno’s reincarnate.” Added Icerus.
“Oh, the luck of that.”
“And I can’t help you, I’m busy finding Dacurus. He’s been gone for quite a while.”
“Well I’m taking out Kasai so your help would be nice.”
“We failed last time what, makes you think we’ll win.”
“I have Donate.” He unsheathed his sword.
“How’d you get it?”
“I stole it, duh. It wasn’t his to begin with.”
“It not enough. So who do you need?”
“Everyone.”
“I don’t have the time to find everyone. You have them meet here.”
“Fine. Can you at least take us to Core?”
“Fine.”
Jason helped me up and onward we went. The trees disappeared from below and drew into desert, a long river cut threw it to a city surrounded by green. Landing outside of it where other men and woman were landing their giant birds, dragons, riding in on horses, camels and lizards. Strange unfamiliar beasts but this isn’t the fire so the animals are different.
“It’s been to long!” Yelled Jason. “Land of warriors!” He shoved his jacket, hood and shirt into his bag and switched to a simple tank top. With all the clothes he wears it always made him look thicker than he really was. “I love the weather here.”
“It’s too hot.” I tossed him my hoodie. “So why are we here?” Icerus flew off and on we went into the city.
The city filled with gold wearing people off all completions. Lack of clothing was weird but the weather was why, statues and shrines decorated with metals and gems, markets full of goods and foods for trade, children in the streets, cats walking the streets as much as people bothering Hachi. Building made of sandstones and wood, flat roofs and bedded with flowers or gardens. Soldiers bearing the lightning insignia patrolled helping people out with crates or simple tasks.
Peaceful, no one seemed surprised or bothered at seeing Jason. Must only be in the Fire that they recognize him.
“Isn’t it great here?” asked Jason.
“I guess.”
“It’s nice to be able to walk freely. All the capitals are amazing just the weather here is my favorite. Hot and sunny.”
“I wanna go home.”
He looked down for a moment. “Sorry we can’t…”
The streets suddenly parted with cheers leading it as men dressed almost like soldiers accept without the insignia. Rugged looking and scared up, some beasts and others foreign.
“Are they famous?” I asked Jason.
“Monomáchos.” Replied an unfamiliar voice. I looked to see a man decked out completely in robes of black with gold outlining with an arm hidden under the robe. “Gladiators.”
“Ordus!” Jason gave the guy a hug. “How’ve you been holding up?”
“Managing. It’s hard being king.”
“Wait Fulgur…”
The man nodded. “He went peacefully in his sleep.”
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s alright.” He looked at me strangely. “And this boy is?
“My kid Solar.”
“He’s bigger than I remember.”
“He grew himself an attitude.” Jerk.
I budded in. “What’s the commotion in the streets?”
The man whistled and overcame the soldier like men. Kneeling to the man Ordus. “What do you wish from us our Rex?”
“Show the boy to the arena, he doesn’t know what a gladiator is.” Commanded Ordus.
Jason added. “Mind if I join? I’ve got so much anguish right now.”
“I’ll head back to the castle if you need anything, when you return we can talk of matters.”
One of the “Gladiators” put his helmet on me and set me onto his shoulders. “Yes, meus rex.”
The gladiators carried me off to an enormous arena filled to the brinks with people. Cheering and calling out to their idols. Through the gates the gladiator set me down. “Now I’m Alesandro. You got a weapon?”
“Yes sir.” I pulled out my dragon eye.
“Good. Now its quiet simple. We’ll be put up against man and beast in a battle to victory. Traps fill the arena and you can use any weapon you want.”
“K.”
“Have fun.” He handed me some chest and hand armor with a shield. “We’re blue team.” With a brush be panted some blue on my cheeks and armor.
“What’s the rules?”
“Don’t die.”
“Wha?”
In we went to the cates leading to the arenas center. So many people watching, it was almost intoxicating. Forward we went, another team came out, orange paint across their gear and face.
I could see Jason decked out with the paints and armor, and ready with only a dagger in hand. I went over to him. “Are you okay with this?”
He took a deep breath. “I honestly don’t care, killing has always been a rule less game. This happens to be straightforward and legal. I’m a pretty good killer.”
The orange team came way, drawing my bow I waited for Jason’s signal but there was none, he went in flawlessly. Cutting threw them. He grabbed one and drove the dagger into his neck. Alesandro fought a beast and I stood here confused.
From behind I felt a mallet smash into my spine. Flying forward I hit the walls of the arena then down into the floor, knocking my helm clean off. I coughed a bit of blood up and struggled onto my feet. I looked to see a big fat man with a mace. Slowly making his way to me. I aimed my bow at him to have it wailed out of my hands, as he went to swing again I was tacked out of the way. I looked to see Jason panting as I sat in his arms.
“You alright?” he asked.
“I didn’t need your help, you jerk.” I prided myself from his arms.
“Well at least you’re alright.” He handed me my bow. “I don’t think it’s gonna do well in this.”
“Well it’s all I know.” I pouted.
The mallet man turned to us and laughed obnoxiously. “Lookie here to pip squeaks.”
“Hey I’m decently tall for a man of fire.” Commented Jason. “Can’t say I’m as wide as you though.”
The mace guy charged at Jason. Dodging Jason tripped the guy causing him to drop his mace. Jason lifted it and smashed it into his thick skull smashing his brains all over the floor. Disturbing as it was seeing the proud smile and blood on Jason’s face was more disturbing than the mess.
Jason came over and tossed me up on his shoulders. Holding my hand up with his metal one. “We won!” He seemed happy so I hugged his head and smiled with him. “Yeah!”
Walking out toward the castle he seemed happy. A brake from all the drama in the fire. Curious I asked. “Why’d this all happen to you?”
“Why? Ha. All this pain and bullshit, all this death and hate is because I’m a bastard child of a peasant and a princess, I thought ‘cause I watched my dad kill my mom I could stand up and handle the world. I was 10 then and here I am 15 years later still unable to stand this damned world, unable to stand living in it but I know I have to. It’s not like its much longer plus your all I have left, last thing that makes me wanna smile. You keep me to this world so don’t ever ask why.  It was never your fault, its mine and always will be. I’m just a huge fuck up and I brought you into all of this…” he sighed. “Sorry, Kiddo. Sometimes I think I need someone to complain to and you seem ready to listen.”
“To be honest it helps me understand you better but your still a jerk.”
“Well that’s nice to know.
“I guess.” Honestly I don’t know a lot about Jason besides that he’s a drunk and my dad, his temper can get a hold of him and he’s allergic to maple syrup, he was married and had a brother, his dads a wanted man along with himself and Jason’s mother is Torus’s daughter. He’s cursed and has a sword that obliterates. He can cook, I give him props for that. Seems to be good at finding trouble. Long grey hair and scruffy beard, scar under his right eye, eyes 2 different colors, scrawny but tall guy. Missing his right hand but got a fake one. Wears a tank top under a collared shirt with an open hoodie and over that his leather jacket that smells like alcohol. That’s Jason in my book.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Just thinking. I really don’t know a lot about you.”
“There’s not much to know but ask away.”
“You said you were 10 then 15 years later you’re here so your only 25?”
“If you wanted to know my age you could’ve just asked.” He laughed a bit.
“I don’t understand… I’m 10.”
“I was 15 when you were born.”
“That’s too young! You were a bad kid!”
“I wasn’t a bad kid, I just rushed things.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to know what it was like to be a dad and now I do.”
“Do you like it?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
“True. So why do you wear glasses when you read?”
“So I can read. That’s what mine are for.”
“K. Do you read for fun?”
“Yeah, it’s interesting. Do you remember how to read?”
“Kinda but that’s not important. What else do you do for fun?”
“Workout.”
“That’s not fun.”
“It’s good for you.”
“Something fun, Jason.”
“Hanging out with you.”
“That’s not fun, it’s your job to.”
“What do you find fun?”
“Fighting.”
“And you complain about my way of fun.”
“Your funs boring.”
“Well after all this shits over we’ll find something fun to do together.”
“Yay.”
We stood before a golden gate. Walls of glass and sandstone. The guards let us in, stepping in I could see the beautiful throne room of glass and gold, from the stairs to the throne of gems. On the throne sat the man Ordus speaking to a servant. When he noticed us he waved the guy away and welcomed us. “Welcome to the castle of glass.”
“It’s awesome!” I could self but say it out loud.
Jason set me down and vanished over by the king’s side. “So I came to see if I could get help from you and your army.”
“For what?” the king questioned Jason.
“To kill Kasai, we’re all stronger now. We can take him!”
“There’s less of ‘us’ now.”
“I know but I’ve got Dominate and you’ve got an army.”
“Kasai has an army.”
“So what?”
“I don’t believe you understand you’re asking for war against the Fire!”
“Just to distract Kasai.”
“If you can’t ensure victory there’s no need to sacrifice my men.”
“We can do this Ordus!”
“No, Jason and that’s final. We failed once terribly and I rather not again and lose this life.”
“I know if we all work together we’ll win.”
“No one wants to go through that again. No one Jason. Not Phenix, not myself nor you.”
“We have to!”
“No we don’t!”
Jason walked over sadly and grabbed my hand dragging me to the gate. “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”
“You’ll die.”
“Who cares?”
“You’ll look a fool trying.”
“If I look the part, I may as well play the part.” Out the gates we went. “Fuck!”
I looked at Jasons face to see the sad look on it. “I’m sure we can find someone else to help us.”
“No we can’t. He’s right. No one wants to. Guess it’s just us.”
“Not to be mean but I don’t really want to.” If a kings scared to I don’t wanna.
“Then it’s just me.” He sighed. “Let’s go to Kaen and get this over with.”