She sat under a tree, enjoying the cool sea breeze against her face, gazing out at the rocky bay in front of her. Despite being from a desert planet, Ana loved the ocean. The gentle slapping of the waves and the sweet smell of salt always put her mind at ease. She picked up the worn novel in front of her, “Byfandi Agmat”, it was titled in golden, swirling letters. She opened it to where she left off,
“... But then a muse appeared upon his arm. “Why shall thee not pursue thy quest of love?”
“That thing that I desire most is naught” The poor knight turns as to obscure his face,
“Noble knight, thou speaks as if thy heart has died and transformed into a rigid stone,”
“Has my heart not been besieged by anguish? Have I not done the labor to fulfill?”
“What, pray tell, hast thy labor been thus far? Musing on your own pain and heart’s neglect?”
“Flee, my dearest demon, for thou art pain”...”
Ana remembered her mother reading this book to her when she was a girl, it was a tragic story of sacrifice about a noble knight who unknowingly embarks on a quest to save the girl that he loves. She sighed and closed her book, standing up from her idyllic perch, and descended the rocky path in front of her.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTNfz94cJf
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The punch landed on his face with a grunt, leaving a dull ache behind, “Wanna say that again, you bastard?”
“I told you to get the f-fuck out of my way” Elio put his hands up in a fighting stance
“You’re g-gonna b-be s-sorry, b-boy” The older man mocked
Elio lunged forward, grappling with the man and throwing him into a table, splintering it across the floor, and grabbed his shirt collar and struck a punch only to be pulled off of him by another attacker. Elio countered the grab and landed a jab in the second person’s gut. The first man stood and drew a knife, Elio cracked his neck and drew his blade, the curved metal shining in the light.
“Careful there, those things are dangerous” Elio quipped
Elio ducked underneath the knife wielder’s slash, delivered a kick to the legs, and swiftly turned around to block the other attacker with his arm, delivering a slash across his stomach. He noticed the first attacker charging and elbowed him in his nose, striking his arm which caused the attacker’s blade to fall. Elio raised his blade to deliver the final strike on the second attacker until he heard a gunshot ring out. He looked up and saw Ana standing in the doorway, holding her smoking pistol in the air. Elio lowered his arm and sheathed his blade, observing the mess of wood splinters and blood spattered around the floor. He reached into his pocket and threw some bills onto the bar counter, it was customary for the winner of a bar fight to compensate the owner of the establishment.
Elio exited the bar, kicking the foot of one of his opponents on the way out.
“You didn’t have to do that, Ana”
“You would’ve killed them, starboy”
“I wouldn’t've k-killed anyone”
“You damn near cut that guy’s arm off!”
“He was asking for it!”
“Seriously?”
“No, if I wanted that g-guys arm to be off, it would be off”
Ana chuckled
“How long were you standing there, anyway?”
“Long enough, you put on quite the show”
“Th-thanks, I guess”
“Don’t mention it starboy,” Ana turned her head and noticed one of the nearby establishments, “Hey El, wanna get something to eat?”
“Sure, why not” The pair crossed the street into a business adorned with golden signage and swirling letters
“Barish syzenle” Ana greeted
“Senya! Iy mysun, hanyem?” A woman behind the counter spoke, Elio could recognize Javedan when he heard it
“Ban Iy’im” Ana responded
Ellio sat down on one of the beautifully adorned couches, not trying to make sense of the conversation, and lit a cigarette, enjoying the warm atmosphere of the restaurant. Ana soon joined him with two small cups,
Elio took a sip of the strong brew, “Mm, this coffee is better than yours”
Ana shot him a look from the corner of her eye, “I’ll pretend I didn't hear that”
Ana pulled out a cigarette of her own and Elio lit it for her,
“What is this p-place anyway?” he asked?
“It’s a Javedan cafe, I grew up with these. Is there anything similar on Skjolder”
“Not really, I mean, we have beer halls b-but the Skjoldi aren’t b-big fans of coffee and little treats”
“Yeah, I’d guess. Do you miss Skjolder?”`
“A little, I guess. It’s b-been so long since I’ve gone back”
“What about your family?”
“My f-family? I g-guess I miss m-my mother and my c-cousins”
“What about your father?”
“My f-father? I-it’s c-complicated” Elio took another sip
“Let me guess? Long story?”
“Y-yeah, I g-guess you c-could s-say that”
The waitress arrived and placed down a tray filled with different pastries and cakes.
“Do you wanna talk about it”
“This is r-really good cake, Ana” Elio had picked up a plate
“El…”
“What? I’m emb-bracing your culture”
“Stop being an asshole”
“There’s nothing to be said!” Elio feigned agitation “Nobody’s relationship with their f-father is perfect”
“You’ve known Rayan for too long…”
“I take offense to that!”
“Hmm, I’m sure you do”
“You really should try the cake, Ana, you p-people are on top of it”
“What do you mean, “you people?”
Elio gave her an amused glance as he sipped his coffee, Ana couldn’t help but laugh
“Gutushk” she muttered under her breath
Elio laughed, “What’s that mean?”
“It means you’re an asshole”
“Who me?”
“What do you call it on Skjolder?”
“Well, back home we don’t usually say s-such awful things to such n-nice young women”
“Are you flirting with me, starboy?”
“No! But in your case, I might call you a rovhill”
“Rovhill… weird ass language” Ana joked
“Hey! At least it sounds better than yours”
“Really? Say something in Skjoldi”
Elio thought for a moment, “Da kannjer ike veene dinu fajra findor f-fur insen brytar”
“What’s that mean?” Ana asked
“Something like “you don’t know your enemies from friends until the ice breaks”
“Huh, that’s… profound”
“Yeah, I guess so”
The pair finished their drinks and food and exited the cafe. They walked down the street in the dim sunset light,
“Any big plans for tonight?” Ana asked, puffing on a cigarette
“No, I was p-probably gonna go to Venlin’s”
“Venlin’s? What’s that?”
“It’s j-just a… club,”
“O-kay, someplace it must be”
“Don’t worry about it Ana, it’s n-not your kind of place”
“What kind of place is my kind of place?”
“Not this one”
“Come on El, just let me check it out”
“Alright, it’s your f-funeral”
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The two walked for some time, by which it had gotten dark, and turned into a dim alley with a metal door at the end. Above it was a derelict neon sight sporting “Venlin’s Athletic Club”. Elio walked up to the door and knocked. Three short taps, two long, and two short. A slit in the door opened,
“The only right of birth is death” Elio stated.
The door slid open and the two stepped inside a bleak concrete hallway occupied by a man in a suit,
“Mr. Helsing, I see we have some company tonight”
“Aye, thanks Jem” Elio gave the man a few coins, he opened another door to a lavishly decorated entry space with an elevator and counter covered by a cage. He walked over to the counter and unclipped his gunbelt, removing his revolver and blade. Ana followed suit and handed it over to the man behind the counter.
“Ah, good to see you again Mr. Helsing, I was wondering when I might see you next” an older, sharply dressed man approached them.
“Good to see you too Victor, g-glad you’re doing well”
“Thank you, Mr. Helsing, who might this companion of yours be?”
“This is Anahita Hassani” Elio introduced her
“Ah, Mistress Hassani, a pleasure” The man kissed her hand
Ana and Elio stepped into a golden elevator and descended. The doors slid open to reveal a lavish, dimly lit room of sorts. Ana noticed the square marked off by rope in the center of the room,
“Did you just bring me to a fight club, starboy?”
“First, no, you wanted to come. Second, we p-prefer the term “athletic club”
Ana rolled her eyes and the two approached the bar and ordered drinks, she heard a voice boom out”
“Helsing, you bastard!”
Elio turned around “Tolak!” The men grabbed arms, “Didn’t think your ugly ass would s-still be here”
“Ah, Elio Helsing, slow of wit and of the tongue,” The man noticed Ana, “You didn’t tell me you had company, Helsing”
Ana introduced herself and shook the man's hand, noticing his heavy Skjoldic accent and tattoos.
“Val da kiempje e deg, brar?” Tolak asked in Skjoldi
“Ja, udet vill,” Elio said and the man raised his glass.
After a short while Elio disappeared and a crowd formed around the fighting ring and betting calls rang out.
“Ladies and gentlemen” Tolak’s voice rang out on a microphone, “I have a surprise for all of you, a fight between two giants, two champions of the club, two legends of Allais. Please welcome, hailing from Geumia, Kalik “The Knife” Keldimar. And all the way from the frosty reaches of Skjolder, my friend and yours, Elio “The Hammer” Helsing!105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88LdnFWyVV
Ana couldn't help to look at Elio, shirtless, as he ducked under the rope, admiring his large, muscular body covered in a tapestry of artwork. Elio stood upright in the ring, adjusting his hair, and wearing nothing but his trousers, hand wraps, and pendant. Ana looked at his opponent, a lighter and shorter man with a mean face and shaved head. Both men approached each other and shook hands.
“Alright! Looks like our betting’s up, who’s ready to see the show!” Tolak exclaimed and the crowd went wild with screaming and cheering.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUd1Ba0rpp
Elio put his hands up to his face as Tolak moved out from in between him and his opponent and stepped forward. The other fighter lunged forward and delivered a small combo that was blocked. Elio slipped to evade and landed a counter jab, his punches being slower but more powerful than his opponent’s. He leaned back to avoid another attack and used the opportunity to deliver a punishing cross punch which staggered his attacker. Elio applied pressure and feinted into another combo, being parried off of his final hook and receiving a blow to his chest, winding him slightly. The attacker took advantage of the split second that Elio dropped his guard and delivered a lead hook to his face. The bell rang as Elio stumbled back and he walked to his corner, sipping on an awaiting glass of whiskey.
Ana watched in suspense as Elio squared off for another round, she wasn’t sure who was winning. Keldimar opened with the same quick combo but managed to get past Elio’s guard and land a few blows. His vision dizzied after a hard strike to his head but Elio pressed forward, using his size advantage at close range. Ana was shocked at how many punches Elio could take. The men stepped out of range to catch their breath and then closed the distance again, the grunts and sharp breaths coming from the ring being overwhelmed by a chorus of cheers from the crowd. Elio was locked in another grapple but broke his rear arm free to deliver two blows to his stomach and landed a punishing rear uppercut to his opponent’s chin, sending him flying backward and falling on the ground. The bell rang as Elio held his hands up, bloody knuckles on display, heart beating with adrenaline as he spit, sending a splatter of blood on the floor.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3RRtyC02b
Ana found Elio sitting at the bar a few minutes later, clutching a bloody handkerchief to his eye and counting a healthy stack of bills. Her eyes wandered to his body, the sleeves of his white shirt lazily rolled up, and enough buttons of his collar were undone to capture Ana’s attention. She liked how Elio looked at this moment; unarmed, open, and showing a rare streak of confidence. Her gaze drew upwards; his sparkling green eyes and tousled black hair drowned out the cuts and bruises that occupied his face. She admired how-
“Come on princess, I’m n-not that handsome” Elio had caught her looking at him
“No, I just wasn’t sure that somebody in this galaxy could be so ugly”
“Does she mean that?” Elio thought,
Ana moved Elio’s hand from his face, “Let’s get you fixed up, Starboy”
“Alright princess, I guess you c-can’t make me any uglier”105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5euhoJe9M
