1. The Dark Side of Destiny: Beginnings

Chapter 8 - Training Begins

Jay became more uncertain as the day approached when he was supposed to meet Wu again. In fact, the whole situation was so strange that he was beginning to wonder if he hadn't imagined it. Even still, he was hopeful, and returned to the place where he had first met Wu, as instructed. And it was hard to ignore the truth when a portal suddenly opened up in front of him.

There was a sudden burst of light and color and Jay had to shield his eyes with his forearm. He squinted at a bright, swirling vortex. Captivated by the brilliant lights, Jay breathed an exclamation of astonishment. Wind whipped through his hair and electricity crackled in the surrounding air as a feeling of excitement filled him. He glanced around, but there was no one else to witness it. Remembering the strange man's words, he decided that if this wasn't a clear sign, he didn't know what else could be. He knew then that whatever lay beyond the portal would be better than what lay behind him. Sucking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and swiftly stepped through it.

Moments later, someone tapped him on the shoulder and he opened one eye.

"You have arrived. You can open your eyes, now," a pale, blonde boy informed him.

Jay relaxed a little, trying not to look like such a fraidy-cat. "Oh, yeah. Thanks."

"Heh. Scared?"

Jay had to crane his neck to see who was behind the first boy. This one had unkempt hair and a reddish-purple bruise under one eye. Jay frowned, crossing his arms. "No! That thing was just really bright."

But as bright as the portal had been, wherever it had brought him was surprisingly dark, lit only by a few torches lining the walls. They burned with purple fire that made the room glow with an otherworldly feeling. They could have been underground, as the walls appeared to be made of stone and the floor, cracked earth. However, it smelled fairly nice for a cave, sweet and tangy, like flowers. On one side of the room was a single door, which only served to make Jay more curious about where exactly they were.

"As much as I love staring at walls," another boy said, "I'm itching to get started. Where's Wu?" He stood with his hands on his hips, a little taller than the rest of them, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

The boy with the bruise nodded his agreement. "I want to learn as much as I can as fast as I can!"

"Patience, boys."

They all turned to see Wu sitting at the other side of the room on some kind of elevated throne. Jay wondered how he hadn't noticed him there before. Wu was looking down at all of them, and separately they each realized that this was the first time they had gotten a good look at him. He looked like something out of a horror movie: his hair and skin were as dark as shadows, his eyes burning red. The clothes he wore were lighter in contrast, but he wore a straw hat that had been dyed black.

"Whoa, you look really creepy," Jay commented absentmindedly. The dark-haired kid elbowed him in the side. "Ow – I mean, like, in a good way. It's cool."

Wu didn't seem to pay any mind to his rude remark and continued. "You will all be skilled fighters soon enough," Wu promised. He got up and walked down the few steps to stand only a few paces before them. Collectively, the four boys stood at about his mid-torso. "But right now we must begin with introductions." He looked at Jay expectantly.

Jay was caught off guard as all eyes turned to him. "I'm Jay!" he said, trying to muster a friendly smile. Deep down, he was worried that these boys might find him just as nerdy and weird as all his classmates.

But the pale boy next to him smiled and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jay. My name is Zane." He held out his hand and Jay shook it.

"You, too."