Interworlder:Son Of Kings

chapter 2

Bing! Bing! Went the triangle in Indra’s hand as he woke Nicolas. “Wake up, boy. Its 6 am.”
The boy rubbed his eyes and looked to Indra. “Can you not?”
“Easier this way.” Claimed Indra setting the triangle aside. “I already told you how this will work. Now I set some clothes out for you to dress yourself for training. We begin in 30 minutes put in the court yard. Giving you that time to eat, pace yourself.” He pulled off Nicolas’s covers. He dressed Nicolas in a simple shirt and pants with a pair of boots.
Nicolas half-awake followed Indra to the diner where a table of food was set for the two. Nicolas stuffed his face as Indra watched in pity. “When was the last time you ate?”
“Uh rrr arr.” Chewed Nicolas.
“Don’t talk as your mouth full, it’s disgusting.”
Nicolas swallowed. “About a week ago. A nice lady gave me some bread.”
“I’m not sure what your parents were thinking leaving you in inter world. Living as low as you have.”
“I like it here already.”
“I can tell.”
Afterworlds he brought me to the court yard with Devan there to oversee it. “Now we’ll start with fighting.” He threw his jacket at Devan. “Come at me with all you got so I can see how far you are.”
“Right…” Nicolas had no combat experience so he ran at Indra and threw a punch.
Indra sighed and tripped Nicolas. “Note to self you know nothing.” He went to grab his jacket from Devan. “We’ll have to approach this differently.”
Nicolas spawned a blade of air in his hands and jumped at Indra. Chains flew up missing Nicolas by an inch. He grabbed one with his demon hand and used it pull himself closer to Indra. His air blade closer to Indra. Indra turned to grab Nicolas when he vanished before him and from behind Nico went to shove the blade into his side. Indra braced to no pain, looking to Nicolas hands empty. Hands shaking then he fell to his knees and coughed up blood. Panting he held his chest. “It hurts!”
“Well you used too much too fast for starters.” Graded Indra. “I should have stopped you before you went overboard. I don’t fight children everyday but you did well but tired yourself out. I understand it was mostly luck, now get up.”
“Yes…” Nicolas fell on his face. “It hurts…”
Indra sat by Nicolas. “Well I’m no angel. I can’t heal so I’ll just wait for you to get up.”
Nicolas attempted to get up but his body wished not to.
An hour passed and Indra sat waiting as Nicolas managed to get on his feet. “I did it!” exclaimed Nico.
“Standing is something you learn as a babe. Don’t be so proud of it. Now ready to continue?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good.” Indra got on his feet. “Now let’s keep out the magic, hand to hand comes first. We’ll start with workouts then some moves I know.”
As the two went on training the sun began peeking over the horizon catching Nicolas’s attention. “It’s the sun!”
“And?” Indra stood confused.
“I thought hell was always night.”
“We’re merely in another dimension. We only get an eclipse. I guess it’s interesting to a child.” He grabbed his jacket from Devan.
“It’s beautiful like a canvas of warm water colors.”
“Ready to continue…” Clouds rolled over bring rain down onto them.
“What now?”
“Clean up for dinner.” He commanded Devan. “Give the boy a bath or have the maids to do so.”
“I will.” Bowed Devan.
After washing up they ate and dined. To bed the two went and woke at sunset. This continued for weeks until Nicolas woke to silence. Dressing himself he wondered around, getting lost the more he pressed onward. He peeked into a room of men talking to Indra. All covered by robes from head to toe.
Nicolas walked in without a word or an eye drawn to him. Crawling under the table he made his way to Indra’s legs. Tugging on his pants Indra looked to see little Nicolas. Indra was speaking to the counsel and here the asura he was keeping from them.
“Are you alright?” one asked.
“Yeah I’m great. 100% great.” He took his pen and purposely dropped it on Nicolas. “Oops.” Crawling under the table he grabbed Nicolas. “What are you doing?” whispered Indra.
“I have no idea.” Replied Nicolas.
“Well leave and don’t turn around. I can’t have you be seen, well half of you.” He backed out from under and sat back down.
Nicolas crawled out the opposite end and snuck to the exit when one of the counsel men questioned. “Who’s this?”
All the men turned to look at Nicolas. Nicolas was tempted to turn but he remembered what Indra said and continued out. Down the hall way he ran into Devan. “Devan I need your help.”
“Sure, what is it?” replied Devan
“If you were to hide half of yourself how would you do so?”
“Oh I see.” He vanished then back with a hat and eye patch. “Spy time!”
“No Indra told me I can’t let half of me be seen.”
“For your eye.” Devan put the patch on Nico’s eye. “And for your horns.” Devan put a cap on Nicolas. “As long as you don’t use any magic or bring out your wings you’ll be all good and call yourself a cambion.”
“Thanks.” Nicolas ran on back to where Indra was.
Walking in, he sat at the chair on the opposite end of Indra. “Hi.”
The members looked to Nicolas. “And who’s this?”
Indra face palmed. “You had one job, boy.”
“I’m Nicolas.” Said Nicolas barely still in his chair.
“Strange looking boy.” Added a councilman.
“He’s a boy I’m training.”
“You training?”
“Heh I uh wanted to pass my skill onto someone and the kids pretty talented.” Indra pulled out his watch and laughed. “Well look at the time, meeting done and stuff. See you all then.” He vanished to Nicolas then warped them to the courtyard. “What were you thinking?”
“I was curious.”
“That was too close.”
“You’re funny when you’re nervous.”
“You were… I just…” he sighed.
“So we gonna train?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“You look ridiculous.”
“Oh…” he took of the hat and bandage. “Better?”
“Yes. Now do you understand the extent of why I chose to train you?”
“For a weapon. I don’t mind being one, so far it’s fun. I like it hear a lot.”
“Once I’ve trained you to my satisfaction I’ll sign you up for the games. The Lord will be there watching, your jobs to impress her.”
“Is she a pretty lady you wanna impress?”
“She’s my sister.”
“Oh. Is she a pretty lady you wanna impress?”
“Not me, you. She knows my skill but not yours. If you can show her your power I’m sure your stay here can be permanent.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Gon!” Nico hugged Indra making him blush but it turned to sadness and he pushed the boy away.
“Don’t thank me yet.” Indra pat the kids head. “Not yet…” Indra took a seat in the courtyard and Nico sat before him. “Today we’re going to try something different.”
“Cool.”
“Demons have the ability to shapeshift. Different demons turn to different animals. Such as Devan can turn into a cat.”
Devan morphed into a cat and back to his normal self. “Tada!” he exclaimed.
“Now what animal you fell you’re like?”
“I like dogs.”
“Not what I asked.” He stood up. Backing away from Nico he turned from demon into a giant dragon, smoke pouring out its mouth and scaled of obsidian and flame. “I can turn into a dragon, beast feared by man.”
“Awesome!” Nico turned onto a little dragon and hugged Indra’s snout. “You’re so big.”
“You’re a dragon too.”
“Wha?” Nico looked at himself. “I am?” jumping off Indra he attempted to fly but failed falling flat into the dirt, turning back into a boy. “Ow…”
“Flying will be a separate lesson.” Indra returned to his demon form. “For now we continue shapeshifting.”
“Yes, sir.”
It went on as such, time passed and the boy grew more attached to this life but as the contest drew near Nicolas began to worry, he wished to stay but if he failed he knew not his fate.
“Nicolas.” Indra set Nico up on his shoulders. “Today we learn weapons.”
“Can I use a sword?” Nico grabbed Indra’s horns. “I could be like a knight and ride into battle!”
“I’m not a horse.” Smirked Indra
“True. Wait don’t we use chains?”
“Yes but we also have a blade.” He summoned a golden dagger with a chain attached to it.
“Whoa. That’s so cool!”
“I wouldn’t call it so, many were ended by this blade. Just remember he who lives by the sword dies by the sword. Words of a holy man but his words correct.”
“In the contest will I have to kill anyone?”
“Yes. End them to win, a battle to death. If I could show the lord your worth everything will change for you, for the better. You’ll be with your real family. She truly needs you.”
“And what’ll you do?”
“Work, what I was made to do.”
“Is it fun?”
“No but it’s not my place to wish or long for anything different. I’m but a bastard son of the former lord. My jobs to serve her highness. My icor is what binds me here and you as well is our demon halves. A cambion and an asura.”
“You’re a hybrid too?”
“Of course. I was brought here by a demon and trained by the former lord. Rigorous as it was he made me a demon. Changed my name and my social status.”
“What was your original name?”
“Gon. Exactly what you call me.”
“Oh. Will I get a new name?”
“It’s up to the lord.” He opened the gates to the court yard where Devan stood. The boy hopped off Indra, ready to train.
Indra handed his jacket to Devan and stood before Nicolas. “Now summon your blade.”
Nico summoned his angel sword. “This is all I know.”
“What do you think of when you summon it?”
“Protection.”
“Then think the opposite.”
Nico stood and thought watching as a chain of gold formed, dripping fire from its self. “I got it.” When he went to grab it the flamed stuck to his skin burning it. Scared he fell back and the chain vanished. He watched his hand heal its self. “I really am a monster…”
“Strange you can’t touch your own chains. You touched mine once, I see little difference.”
“The first time it hurt half.”
“Half of you burned in the chamber, I remember. Seems that may be an issue but you seem to heal on your own quickly.”
“I’m so weird.” Nico formed the chain again and grabbed it with his other hand. The chain warm to his hand but no burning. “So weird…”
“You’re special. An asura. There’s not many like you.”
“I know.” The chain turned to a blade, gold and ridged. “So is the contest hard?”
“Very. Both angels and demons enter, sometimes a third part but they’re just the knights of grey.”
“What are they?”
“Beings who are separate from all realms, they wear masks to hide their true objective. Many skillful but they always surrender in the finals. It’s strange but they’ve brought no harm so they have rights to enter.”
“What are they?”
“Rouges I believe. It must be why they cover their faces to avoid drawing attention.”
“Strange…”
Devan came over looking to his pocket watch. “Indra sir, you have a meeting in 30. You wanted me to remind you?”
“Yes, thank you.”  He took his jacket from Devan. “Take the boy to his dorm and entertain him till dinner. I’ll be back before then.”
“Yes, sir.” Devan bowed and went over to Nicolas. “You heard him, let’s go.”
“Fine.”
Off they went to Nico’s chamber. “I’ma find a game to play, I’ll be right back.” Devan ran off.
Nico vanished out his door and wondered about. Out the gates to the streets of the underworld. Walking around he noticed banners and people hyped up about the contest. Seemed big to the people. Significant in a sense. Demons selling and trading, laughing and enjoying. Nicolas wondered to the main street to look at all being sold. Seemed much like his home world earth.
Suddenly a strange aura shocked him, he looked around to his dismay.
“Hello there.” Spoke a masked stranger in grey. “You seem uneasy.”
“Oh I uh… felt weird for moment.” Replied Nicolas. “And you are?”
“Oh sorry. I’m known as the Lotus.”
“I’m Nicolas. Are you a knight of grey?”
“Ah so you know of us. Good, we welcome all like ourselves, pledged to the Asura.”
The boy thought to himself of he was an Asura but it’s not like they knew. “Oh uh cool.”
The Lotus kneeled to Nicolas, pulling out a mask he handed it to Nico. “As a follower of Asura I humbly ask you to aspect this mask. The pride of our people depend on it.”
“You’re a..”
“Yes, like you. I sensed your presence the moment I entered the area. You’re not alone.”
From behind he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Nicolas looked to see the pissed face of Indra. “Mr.Gon?”
“The hell are you doing out here?” he barked.
“I was just…” Nico looked back to the lotus who was no longer there. “There was a man.”
“Get back to the palace now!”
“But…”
“Don’t second me.”
“Okay…” the boy vanished back to the palace in his chamber. Setting the mask on his dresser he flopped over onto his bed.
Appearing in his room was Indra. “Do you understand what you did wrong?”
“Yeah...”
“But you did anyway.”
“I just wanted to leave…”
“Leave? I own you, you’re my prize to the contest!”
“I-I was only going out for a bit…”
“And what if you were hurt or captured then what?!”
“I don’t know…”
“Exactly! You’re an Asura you can’t waltz about!”
“I know…”
“Do you?! Truly?!”
Nico’s eyes filled with tears. He caught his tears in his hands, red and yellow, blood and liquid gold. “I just wanted to be normal for once…”
Indra sighed and patted his little head. “Don’t cry about it. Hopefully this tournament can make you live normally.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Nico wiped his tears.
“I don’t know in all honesty. We can only hope.”