Meanwhile, Herona and Chief Kazan were riding a shuttle just a few cities away from the Umi Tribe. As they were riding, the shuttle began to unexpectedly slow down. All of the normal civilians began to complain and wonder what was going on. Herona and Kazan, along with a few others were on the private section of the shuttle, became confused, too.

Then the shuttle’s intercom sounded: “This is your conductor speaking. Our next stop will be Mum’s Village. I know that this is not your scheduled destination, but we just received word that there is some kind of disaster ahead. Currently, we do not have any details about the situation or even what town it’s in. A radio broadcast will be airing in the next thirty minutes, and they promise to have all of the major details, including what’s holding us up and which city it’s in. By then, we will have arrived in safely at Mums Village. Please don’t ask our staff any questions about the current situation because we are ALL in the dark just as you are. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.”

All of the people on the shuttle were outraged. Some people took out their radios while others just began shouting and complaining about having to wait. Others began complaining to the staff and asking them questions about the situation.

Herona and Kazan both looked at each other. Herona said, “You don’t think…” 

Kazan said, “I don’t know, all we can do now is just wait.” Then Kazan smiled to make Herona feel at ease, “I wouldn’t worry. It’s not like we can do anything about it now anyway.” 

Herona looked out of the window as the sun was beginning to go down, “You know what…you’re right.”

In Gomorra City, I was still trying to learn the basis of light mode to no avail. “I’ve been doing this all day! Why can’t I get this?” I shouted.

“I already told you! This is not something that you could just learn in a day. It could take years.”

I sat down on the ground, “It feels like I’m getting nowhere.”

The Hikari Dragon smirked and said, “You’re wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“This whole time, all you have been doing is practicing control.”

“So, what is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“It means that now you should have more control with your abilities.”

“What do you mean, more control?”

“It’s not astral science! I mean exactly what I said! You’ll have better control. When you summon heat to your sword it won’t be so sloppy anymore. When releasing a light beam, your accuracy in controlling the size, heat, and pressure will now be more efficient! All because you’ve been trying to go into light mode which requires you to constantly focus all of the energy in your body.”

“Ohhhh, I get it now.”

“Were you toying with me?”

I just smiled and laughed. Seconds later, Porsha came running toward us. “Master, Master Dragon! Kazai isn’t a liar after all!”

We both looked confused.

“What are you talking about?” The dragon said.

Porsha looked directly at me, “I just heard some people in the city talking. They said that the Umi Tribe is being attacked right now by Crimson Bloods!”

My heart dropped. I thought about my mother. Tears almost formed in my eyes. But when I thought about Dan I knew that he would protect her. Then I thought about all of the people I’ve met since becoming a protector-- Princess Tuyette, Juicy, Master Kim Lee, Broadie, and even Steve. I slowly began to panic.

“I have to go!” I shouted.

“Don’t be hasty! You don’t even know if this is true or just some rumor.” The dragon persisted.

Porsha stepped forward, “I also heard that the official newscast is going to air on the radio in just a few minutes. Some reporters are on the way to the Umi Tribe to check it out.”

I looked at the dragon, “We have to go there and help!”

The dragon raised his left eyebrow, “We? I don’t have to do anything but eat crap and die. I’m not getting involved in that!”

“What? Why not?”

“For one, no one asked me to. Secondly, I’m an exile. Third, it’s not a paying job. Fourth, Gomorra City pays me to stay here in the city!”

“This is not a time to be joking! We need to go now!”

“KAZAI!”

I looked at the Hikari Dragon.

He said, “Look in my eyes, I am serious.”

I said, “No way, you’re not the type to be all about money, are you? You even trained me and didn’t once mention money.”

“I said that I would train you, I never said that I would do it for free!” The dragon said as he folded his armed.

I just looked at him as he continued. “You ate my food, slept in my house, and received two days of my training! You should’ve known that wasn’t free!”

I thought that he actually cared, but he was all about money. I turned around and focused my energy. I entered into my unperfected light mode. Then, I turned to the Hikari Dragon, “I guess that’s what I get for assuming that you were a decent man. I should have known, you were exiled after all. I’ll pay you for training me after I go save and my Tribe.”

The dragon coldly responded, “You should know kid, nothing in this world is free. You owe me twenty-thousand dollars!”

Then I turned to Porsha, “Give me your sword!”

She looked at me in disgust, “NO!!!”

The dragon spoke up, “Just give him your sword! If he doesn’t bring it back, I’ll just add it to his bill.” 

She unstrapped her sheath and tossed it to me.

Once I had the sword I ran toward the Umi Tribe as fast as I could. Before I knew it I was out of Gomorra City and on the path back to the Umi Tribe. Even though my light-mode was unperfected and I was advised not to use it, I did it anyway and it allowed me to run ten times faster than I could before. I felt like a brand new person. I moved so fast that time itself seemed to slow down for me.

Back at the Umi Tribe, the princess was facing off against Kyro while Dan was facing off against three Crimsons, all at once.

Kyro looked to the princess, “Last chance princess. What is it going to be? Are you going to call the Umi Tribe Chief for backup or will you surrender?”

The princess took a slow deep breath as she thought to herself, ‘He’s basically begging me to call for backup. What is he planning? Whatever it is, I won’t fall for it!’

“I won’t surrender or call my father! But I will fight!” The princess shouted as she ripped off her skirt in order to get it out of the way, revealing her tights that perfectly matched her form-fitting turquoise shirt and golden blouse .

Kyro said, “Oh my, Princess, how sexy.”

“Shut your face!” Princess Tuyette shouted as she ran toward Kyro.

“You’re fast!” Kyro said before spitting several streams of fire at her. The princess dodged every attack.

The princess came face to face with Kyro and was on the assault. She punched and kicked, but Kyro maneuvered past every swing. His movements were similar to a snake.

Meanwhile, the other Crimsons were surrounding Dan Siratchi. Dan pulled out his blades as two of the three crimsons did the same. The other Crimson named Bang began exhorting electricity from his body.

The two Crimsons with swords attacked Dan. He was able to dodge their sword thrusts, but Bang came at him from behind. Dan anticipated Bang’s sneak attack.

What the Crimsons didn’t know was that Dan’s swords were special. Dan’s swords were called whip-blades because they could change from a solid slicing sword into a metal whip that could easily be extended or retracted. Dan’s blades were even more effective than a normal whip-blade because he could detach them from the handle at any time and add a new one from his arsenal.

As Bang tried to sneak-attack Dan from behind, Dan whipped his blade at one of the other Crimsons, and it wrapped around that Crimson’s sword and its entire arm. Dan pulled the hybrid in Bang’s direction, causing Bang to be stabbed in the chest and the other Crimson to be shocked by Bang’s electricity all while avoiding the other hybrid.

Bang quickly stood up and said, “That was only a scratch.”

Then, Dan retracted his blade from the unconscious hybrid. Dan realized that his blade wasn’t very effective in comparison to Bang’s electricity. The hybrid only had small scratches on his arm when the blade should have nearly ripped his arm off.

Dan sighed, “Well, that’s one down.”

Bang and the other Crimson, then, attacked Dan simultaneously. Bang shot an electrical current from his arm while the other Crimson spat lava from his mouth. Dan ducked and maneuvered while whipping his blades at the feet of both Crimsons. His blades wrapped around the legs of both Crimsons, and he swept them off of their feet. The lava-spitting Crimson fell backward and was burned in the face by his own lava. He shouted, “MY EYES! AW my EYES!”

When Bang fell back he looked up at Dan and smiled. Then, he released a massive wave of electricity through Dan’s blade. Dan stayed calm and touched his two blades together. The lava spitting Crimson was immediately electrocuted by Bang’s attack.

Dan said, “The handles to my swords are impervious to electrical currents but the blades aren’t. Simple safety measure for situations like this.” Then Dan retracted his blades.

Bang attempted to stand up but couldn’t move. “Why can’t I move?” Bang shouted. Then he noticed about a dozen tiny needles sticking out of his body.

“Are these paralyzing needles?” Bang asked. 

Dan gave Bang a cold stare, “No, they are poison needles. Once your body is immobilized that’s when you know you’re about to die.”

“What? I don’t want to die!” Bang shouted.

“That’s interesting: you want to kill and yet you haven’t considered the possibility that you would be killed.”

“But when did you? You had both swords in your hands?”

“Well, because it’s your dying wish, I’ll tell you–“

At that moment, Dan was interrupted by a Crimson that was plunged through the glass window from outside. Dan, Tuyette, and Kyro turned to see a falling Crimson with horns land on its head from about thirty-six feet in the air.

Standing in the window sill was Master Kim Lee. He shouted, “It’s good to see that you’re okay, Princess! My old friends and I are taking out the trash! Do you need any assistance in there?”

The Princess smiled, “No, thanks! I’m about to wrap things up here myself! How are the others?” 

Master Kim Lee smiled, “They’re in that place that we discussed earlier, they followed that procedure that your father put in place.”

The princess smiled and nodded as Master Kim Lee continued, “Although they all survived, some were injured. But, they won’t be able to get back here for a while! I was the only one who was able to escape without using that tactic so I gathered my old retired buddies, and we got to work.”

Then, someone screamed for Master Kim Lee and he said, “Gotta go!” as he ran off back into the battlefield.

Kyro gripped his fists. The Princess looked at Dan, “Dan! Are you finished over there?”

Dan looked at Bang’s dead body and nodded. The princess said, “I want you to go outside and help take down the rest of those wannabe Crimsons!”

Dan began to run towards the broken window but he stopped and turned to Tuyette, “Princess! Please don’t underestimate Kyro; I’ve analyzed what he said about having four elemental abilities. He said that all of the Crimsons got their powers from his blood. If that’s true, then he doesn’t just have four elemental abilities he has at least five.  Remember, Jack Findle has Ice. One of the Crimsons that Kazai fought used toxic smoke and the two I fought had lava and electricity. And as you know, Kyro himself was just breathing fire. That means he has five elemental abilities, not four. Also, consider that, although the other Crimsons were just counterfeits, he’s the real deal.”  

The princess rolled her eyes, “You don’t think I’ve already figured that out! Go share that intelligence with the people who need it!” Dan nodded, jumped out of the window and entered the battlefield.

The princess turned to Kyro, “You’ve underestimated the Umi Tribe! That was your downfall.”

Kyro began to laugh, “Why are you looking so confident all of a sudden? So what, he figured out my bluff. All that did was make your death less interesting.” 

“You’re forgetting that your attack on my protectors, the UMI TRIBE PROTECTORS was a fail! All of my troops are still alive and yours are dying as we speak!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Kyro said.

All of a sudden there was a beeping sound like an alarm going off. Kyro pulled a watch from his pocket and pressed a button to stop the beeping.

He said, “It won’t be long now. Just look out the window, I promise I won’t attack you. Besides when I kill you, I don’t want you to have any excuses.”

The princess hesitated but walked over to the window without turning from Kyro. Then she heard a voice cry, “RETREAT!” 

She looked to Kyro, “You son of a….

Next Chapter: EXPLOSION