The Unwanted Winter - Volume One of the Saga of the Twelves (62 page)

Jason just shrugged and
kept walking.

“
I would imagine you are
pretty good, then. I mean being as tall and as big as you are,”
said Anthony, eyeing Joaquin’s bulk, evident even under the huge
jacket he was wearing.

“
I think what helps the
most is my speed. I am typically faster than most guys my size, so
I am able to react and execute grips or positions quicker than they
can… usually. You never know though, right, some of the guys on the
national level are pretty phenomenal,” said Joaquin.

Jason could see his friend
was pondering the thought of not being able to compete
anymore.
Not many tournaments happening at
the moment in the Melded World
, he guessed
to himself.

Anthony nodded, his eyes
distant as well.

“
What
about you, Jason, what
do you do when
you’re being you?
” asked Anthony finishing
with Joaquin’s loser-guy accent.

Jason chuckled.

Joaquin just
smiled.

This guy really isn’t half
bad at all
, was Jason’s immediate thought,
then paused as he considered his answer. “Well, I have been in
martial arts since I was about three years old or there about,
which I know is such an
Asian
stereotype, but my Dad was always into Kung Fu.
He enrolled me almost from the time I could walk without falling
down.

“
When my Mom left us
though, he sort of became disinterested and would still take me,
but never stayed to watch and stuff, like he used to when I was
younger. Then, when I was about ten years old or so, I got sick of
going to practice. It was something I really wasn’t into anymore
either. Until, I came across the name of Grandmaster James S.
Benko.”

Anthony raised his
eyebrows, not because he knew the man. It was the name. It sounded
funny.

Jason smiled at the others
reaction, but forged on. “He was this Green Beret who served three
tours of duty in the Vietnam War. He used to train the Vietnamese
troops, and others who wanted to learn, in weapons and hand-to-hand
combat. While he stationed there, he came across two Grandmasters
who had helped train the Korean “White Horse” and “Tiger” military
divisions who were known all over the world for their bravery and
aggressiveness while fighting. He became so interested in their
method of training and fighting techniques, he went to study under
them for many years until he became some insane
9
^th
degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He was one of a few
non-Koreans to achieve such a high ranking.

“
I think
he eventually went on to earn two more 9
^th
degree black belts in other
forms of Korean martial arts as well a dozen other lesser black
belts in a bunch of different forms and styles of hand-to-hand
fighting.

“
I’m really not sure why,
but something about that dude’s story intrigued me. I decided I
wanted to be a non-Korean Grandmaster just like him, so I asked my
Dad if I could enroll in Tae Kwon Do. He said it was fine with him
as long as I finished what I started, which is another Asian axiom.
But, in the end, he agreed, and that was that,” finished Jason,
looking at Anthony’s face to see what his reaction would be. All he
saw was wonder in the other boy’s eyes.

“
So how far along are you?
I mean, are you a black belt?”

Jason had been correct in
his assessment of Anthony’s expression. He seemed in awe of him and
the excitement in his voice proved it.

“
Well,” Jason began with a
little pride in his tone, “I am a fourth degree black belt in Tae
Kwon Do now, but, a few years ago, I learned what they teach of the
art form in the Unites States is primarily the “sport” form of Tae
Kwon Do. The “sport” form, I learned, focuses on speed and
competition scoring rather than power from the core of the body and
self-defense, which is the traditional way of Tae Kwon Do. When I
asked my instructors about this, they said I could learn other
forms of Korean martial arts to strengthen the weaker areas of my
training. That’s when I took up Hapkido, which is more a
self-defense oriented form of combat using a lot of circular
motion, non-resisting movements and control of an opponent through
footwork and body positioning to gain advantage. I guess you could
say it is very close to Japanese Jujutsu.

“
Then, I began learning a
little about Shim Soo Do, which is Korean swordsmanship, and I just
started on some Han Kuk Mu Ki Do, which is fighting with all
traditional types of Korean weaponry.” Jason fell silent, smiled
quickly. He glanced around through the snow and soft wind, not
really seeing much of anything but white on white on
white.

“
Damn, dude, that sounds
real cool,” gushed Anthony as if a completely new set of ideas had
just formed in his brain. Jason had to smile again at that. “So are
you a black belt in the other forms as well?”

“
Yes and no,” replied
Jason with another laugh. “I am a fourth degree black belt in Tae
Kwon Do, like I said before. Though, I’m only a first degree black
belt in Hapkido, a brown belt in Shim Soo Do, and a poor ‘Padewon
learner’ in Han Kuk Mu Ki Do.” He was smiling out of the corner of
his mouth.

The other boys busted out
in loud guffaws. The Star Wars reference to a Jedi just beginning
his training sounded ridiculous in a place like the Melded
World.

That earned them a dark
look from Kenai. “Boys, keep it down, we still do not know for
certain if the enemy lurks. It would be mindful of each of you to
think on that, before you let everyone and everything know
precisely where we are.” She hadn’t stopped walking. She had
admonished them with a turn of her head, glancing back to speak to
them, a disapproving look on her large face.

“
Sorry, Kenai,” said
Anthony, his voice subdued.

“
Crap, man, we gotta keep
our wits about us, you guys. That was totally lame, we should’ve
known better,” added Joaquin, his face contrite and serious. He had
an abrupt thought and asked in a much lower voice, “Hey, man, I
didn’t know you made Brown in Shim Soo, when did that
happen?”

“
Dude,
last Friday, I had my belt test the same day as you big wrestling
match, remember that’s why neither of us went to each other’s
event… Duh!” replied Jason in a hoarse whisper, shaking his head at
his friend. W
hat a
moron
, he thought to
himself.

“
Oh yeah, yeah, I remember
now. Well, shit man better late than never – congrats on getting
the ‘brown’, I knew you wanted it pretty bad,” saluted Joaquin and
was about to say more when Mr. Patas cut him off.

“
Quiet, boys, Garfield
approaches with some urgency, I believe.” His voice still as
squeaky and rushed as before.

Kenai stopped in her
tracks, waiting, sniffing at both the ground and the air. Jason
watched, but she didn’t give any indication she sensed anything of
significance.

From beyond the obscurity
of the storm, Garfield’s ambling form came, bounding through the
snow-covered landscape.

“
We have trouble,” he
began when he stopped before Kenai, not even breathing hard. “I
heard the tormented cries of a young child not too far
ahead…”

~~~~~~~~<<<<<<{ ☼
}>>>>>>~~~~~~~~

Shadows in the
Murk

Day One, Thursday, 8:16
am…

“
A child, are you
certain?” inquired Kenai, her tone tight with emotion.

“
Absolutely,” retorted
Garfield with no visible expression on his face, his tone devoid of
inflection.

“
One of the Twelve, you
think?”

“
Undoubtedly.”

Kenai appeared to mull the
situation over for a few seconds. “You did well by coming back, my
friend,” began Kenai. She turned and looked at the others. “We will
approach the location of this child in force and in three groups of
two, each of you boys will team with one of us, so you will each be
protected. I will hold the center with Jason, Anthony you pair with
your Garfield on my left flank, while Joaquin and Mr. Patas will
support my right. We will space ourselves apart about ten yards
apart with the boys trailing a few steps behind their respective
companions, but, not too far, ok boys? We do not want to get
separated and lose sight of one another in this dreadful weather.
You could become hopelessly lost in minutes. Everyone
understand?”

She got nods from everyone
as the boys exchanged nervous glances.

“
Good, let us go and find
out who is abusing this child.”

Anthony heard a sudden
ferocity fill her tone as she turned and faced the snowstorm. This
wasn’t the playful, carefree Kenai of the past. He was looking at a
warrior now.

Anthony walked five or six
strides to the left of Kenai’s position with Garfield at his side
and, waited for a moment, until Joaquin and Mr. Patas did the same
from their location on the right. Then all three groups left at
once. They walked parallel to one another, forming a ragged line
about twenty-five feet across, meandering through the trees, now
covered with so much snow. They seemed to sag with its’ weight,
every branch and twig was drooping above them threateningly.
Anthony hoped they wouldn’t get clobbered by any of the huge
formations of snow from above. Some of them were so large, they
were capable of causing serious injury to any unfortunate soul
they’d pummel should they fall.

“
What did you see,
Garfield, when you heard the kid crying?” asked Anthony, just above
a whisper. His nerves were heightened once again. All of the
relaxation and levity he’d felt only minutes before had fled. Those
feelings were long gone.

I hope the kid’s not being
beaten
.

“
I did not see much,
Tony-Boy,” began the great cat in his deep, noble tone, sounding so
unlike the high-pitched almost whining meow he’d possessed prior to
their journey to this world. “I saw a larger figure, leaning over a
much smaller form huddled against a tree. I heard the child cry and
screech as if in pain, but I did not tarry. I came back, in case
there were more of those foul man-beasts out there. If that were
the case, we would have to free the child with a greater force, and
a greater chance of success. Three of the Fist is much better than
merely one.”

“
I see. Do you think the
kid was being tortured?” Anthony asked. They continued through the
trees. He felt a sickening lump twist in his gut.

“
It appeared so, but I
cannot tell you for certain. The child was scared beyond a shadow
of a doubt.” Garfield let out a long drawn out growl that might’ve
sounded like he was purring, but it was too deep, too
menacing.

Oh my god, the poor
kid!
Anthony thought, his mind racing in
outrage, his stomach tightening even more.

They had come most of the
way back around the hill the La Loma trial straddled. Almost to the
place where Kodiak had led them from the trail on their way to the
cave, only now they were some yards farther down the trail, almost
where Anthony would’ve sworn was the intersection of La Loma and
Figueroa Street.

There used to be a
McDonald’s just across the way
, was his
unbidden thought. Anthony squinted through the torrent of
snowflakes looking for anything he might recognize, but couldn’t
see very far.
Maybe I am hungrier that I
thought.

Then he thought he heard
sniffling - quiet sniffling. Not the wails Garfield spoken of
moments ago. This was a calmer, softer sound.

“
I can see them,” Garfield
said of a sudden.

Anthony froze in
place.

“
And I think I might have
been mistaken. We should stop.” He did so, slowly lowering his body
to the surface of the snowfall.

Kenai noticed immediately
and stopped well.

Anthony could just make
out the forms of Mr. Patas and Joaquin as they halted their forward
progress.

All eyes were on Garfield,
waiting for him to give notice of what to do.