chapter 6-Signs of Life

Three-quarters of the way to the capital Demon Gaurd Camp. Ben noticed two large islands as they neared the peninsula that the capital rested on. Ben enjoyed the way the sun perfectly warmed your skin. It took him back to his days in Mal-X.
As soon as the peninsula took shape on the horizon the trio stood at the foot of the ship, just staring. Breathing in the cold air that rose from the sea and as if the color black, absorbing the warmth of the sun.

The Demon Gaurd member who sailed the trio to the capital of Demon Camps tied the ship to the dock. They didn't even get two steps off the boat before a man came up to them.

" OI! Is that Kenshi Polo!" The man said. He had a big red beard that was braided to look like a ship's wheel. His armor was completely blacked out and shimmered in the sun. A doubled bladed axe hung from his back that was tied to a thick metal chain. And his ascent sounded oddly familiar. He sounded like he was from Portside.

The man held out his hand in friendship and enthusiasm. " Nice to finally meetcha boys!". He placed the backside of his hands on his hips and with a grin full of yellow teeth he looked at the trio." You must be Benjamin! OH! And Wolf Arashi!"

Kenshi stood with crossed arms and a facial expression that was filled with disgust. The bearded man looked up at Kenshi, since he couldn't have been any taller than Ben, and with as much joy as before, said," Not a morning person I take it!".

" Well than…" He looked now only at Arashi and Ben," I guess I'll be speaking with these two then". He threw out his hand once more in hopes of a proper greeting being fulfilled.

" Welcome to Gallomae, The largest continent on the face of Malema! I'm Leaf Red, the Cheif Captain of The Demon Guard!".

Benjamin shook his hand that dwarfed his own." I'm Ben, son of Dr. Gemm".

" Dr. Gemm that cant-" Leaf Red suddenly stopped." Yes, Son of Dr. Gemm". He finally let go of his grip on Ben's hand.

He turned slightly to fully face Arashi and held out his hand. " Nice to meetcha".

" Nice to meetcha too, mate". Arashi said with a nod of his head.

As soon as Leaf Red heard Arashi's ascent, he got a lot more excited.

" OI! You're from Portside aren't' cha?".

Arashi nodded.

" Where are you from then? An island, East Wind, Alõh-"

Arashi stopped him." Alõh. I'm from Alõh".

" Ohh. A city boy I see. Myself, I'm from Einn. The island right above Alõh". Leaf Red still had a grip on Arashi's hand.

A girl with two swords poking above her head walked onto the dock.

" Red? Who are these three?"

Leaf Red dropped Arashi's hand as he turned around to face the girl.

" Oh, Můn. This is Arashi. Ben. Kenshi". He pointed at each of one without turning around.

The girl walked past Leaf Red and stood in front of him.

" Hi, I'm Buråmůn, but you can call me Můn. Welcome to Gallomae".

Ben found himself unable to move. His head spun in confusion but his limbs stood motionless. And every crevasse started to sweat immensely.

Time stood still as he stared into her blue eyes. He couldn't stop staring. Could it be magic? A spell? He thought to himself.

She started to walk back up the dock with Leaf Red following.
" Let us show you around!" She yelled from the beach.

The spell had ended and Ben found himself being pushed by Kenshi. He shoved him onto land all the way from the other end of the dock.

The trio followed Buråmůn into the Capital of Demon Gaurd Camps. As they reached a little farther inland Ben noticed the trees get denser and closer together.

Could it be to hide the camp from the outside world?

They reached the real camp and even Ben could notice. Cut open training dummies stood in a line of about 50. Multiple Demon Gaurd members dressed in black robes or black armor slashed at the dummies. Groups of other members cheered them on. That number was insane to Ben since the only Demon Gaurd camp he had ever been to was the little one Kenshi led.

Little huts that the Members slept in started showing themselves. The farther they walked the more and more huts revealed themselves. Dozens of groups of people loitered around their huts and other parts of the camp. Could they be training groups?

The trees were so dense and thick that the sky started to disappear. Ben had never seen such tall and dense trees before.

Before The Royal Island, he had never seen a tree before. Seeing the tall trees was an adventure all on its own.

As the sun disappeared and the trees darkened the sky, tiki torches were set up around the whole camp, it seemed like. The ground was grassless and consisted of pine needles and sand-like dirt.

Ben could see the difference in lands. Gallomae was a forest-like land. The Royal Island was a rainy and dense forest. The Mal-X desert was treeless and sand-filled. The climates definitely changed with the lands as well.

Buråmůn started speaking.

"These will be your quarters for your time spent here". Můn pointed to a cul-de-sac of a dozen huts with more behind them. Inside the huts were poorly lit with two to six beds stacked atop each other.

"It's not much but you won't be inside a lot. Everyone who is here traveled great distances just to train here, so they don't sleep much".

Ben understood. That was Kenshi's whole mission, to surpass his father and make a name for himself.

Leaf Red left and let Buråmůn show the trio around a little more. As they walked to the camp's lake, Ben got curious and started asking questions.

" Hey, Můn".

" Ya?" She waited for a question.

" Why is Leaf Red letting you show us around? You can't be any older than me."

" I may be underage but he trusts me more than any other here".

"Ya, but why?"

Kenshi shook his head at Ben.

" Well if you really want to know, I came to this camp just three years ago. I came to study under Red since his vast knowledge and power were far greater than any other Demon Guard member. He understood my goal and my passion. He trained me and taught me. Now I'm the second in command until my goal is accomplished".

Ben wasn't satisfied." What's your goal?"

" To find the hidden world, Kiboto."

Kenshi's eyes shook.

" Kiboto?! That place doesn't exist. It's a myth by all standards".

Můn turned around and said," Okay", with a smile strung from ear to ear.

They reached a lake that had no beach and was surrounded by the same thick and tall trees back at the main camp.

" This is the Lake of Crystal. Its waters come from deep underground. Its properties are told to heal sickness and strengthen muscles".

Fully clothed she walked into the clear water.

" The people who come to study here mostly come for this water. Some have even had visions of the afterlife".

Kenshi untied his katana from his side and set it on a branch.

" I've heard of this place. The Royal Island doesn't even have something like this".

Kenshi casually walked into the body of water.

" Oh. It's warm".

" The water pocket underground is directly next to a volcano. Creating a hot spring of sorts".

Arashi and Ben cautiously walked in.

Arashi and Ben get to the chest level as Kenshi and Můn reach the center of the healing lake.

As Arashi starts to backstroke to the center he asks," So how long do you normally soak in here?"

" Red typically soaks for an hour. The longest I've stayed was fifteen minutes. The waters start to affect my mind after awhile". Můn replies.

" To get the full effect you should dive down and touch the bottom". Můn said as she submerged under the surface.

The trio simultaneously took a deep breath and went underwater.

Kenshi didn't have to do much work since his armor dragged him down, but Ben and Arashi were a different story. Once they reach the halfway mark the waters got remarkably dark. They couldn't tell where the bottom was until Můn swam past them.

Arashi clinched the soil in his palm than dropped it, Kenshi swiped at it creating a cloud and Ben placed both hands flat on the soil.

The went back up to the top and swam back to the path they came from.

" Did you guys see anything down there?" Můn asked as she watched Kenshi grab his katana from the tree.

" Nope."

" Nah".

" No".

Ben turned the question around." What about you. Did you see anything?"

She took a second but she responded.

" Normally I get glimpses into the Kiboto, but this time I saw King Roku".

" King Roku?" Arashi and Ben said simultaneously.

" King Roku. The first King of Malema?" Můn questioned.

The two didn't give a response even though King Polo had taught Ben of the first king and Arashi read his Ikik taka.

" Surely you know him?" She pointed to Kenshi.

" Ya. Not as cool as King Itakri though".

Můn's response was nothing short of disgust. " Oh. Your one of those people". Kenshi filled with rage." What do you mean, one of those people? I'm allowed to believe in something as much as you!"

She didn't give a response.

They walked in silence back to camp. Halfway through the walk, Ben's curiosity kicked in.

" Who's King Itakri?" Ben whispered.

" The second King of Malema, King of Hatred. I also follow his Ikik taka". Kenshi replied with a whisper as to not disturb Můn's peace.

Once they got back to camp Leaf Red greeted them.

" Můn it's time. There crossing soon".

Můn answered like it was a common phrase. " Right. They're gonna come with us right?" She pointed behind with her thump.

Leaf Red was eager." Hey, boys. You wanna come to see the migration of a lifetime? Of course, you do. Follow us".

Before they set off Leaf Red ran to a hut that was a little bigger than the rest. He ran out with two long swords.

" Můn, you left your Nagasaki in the hut".

Můn thanked him as she held both of them in her hands.

Kenshi spoke up." You use two Nagasaki? That's insane!"

Můn turned around to show the trio her swords.

" Yep. I use two Nagasaki or extended versions of a katana". She unsheathed one sword to reveal an ultra-blue colored blade, with the word, 'Batafurai', down the center.

She closed the sword with a satisfying, 'chinng', sound and walked in the direction of Leaf Red.

The sun was close to setting by the time they reached their location.

" Where are we going?" Kenshi asked.

They were climbing up a rocky hill that would show a migrating of nearly ten thousand wild caribou.

They reached the top of the hill and sat on big rocks that littered the ground. A vast horizon lied in front of them. Hills and snow-covered mountains, a valley filled with tall grasses and a calm river that separated the two lands.

Pebbles rumbled beneath their feet.

" Here they come", Lead Red said calmly as he leaned forward.

Like a flood, caribou poor into the valley that lied in front of them. It was insane to Ben. So many of them so organized and so beautiful.

He'd seen so much in the last few months differed to the rest of his life. He was grateful for the adventure that was yet to begin. And the adventure that had already started with Arashi and Kenshi. For a moment he thought about Gemm and King Polo, his ideals. Then he realized he needed to live in the moment. An event of a lifetime was happening right in front of his eyes and he was thinking about his past. Not that his father and King Polo were in his past, he just, he didn't know how to put it. He wanted to stop thinking so much and just live.