Skye Silver & The Soul of Fire Vol.1
Chapter 9 Entering the Rogue Land

When we approached the small motel it was actually larger than it looked from a distance. We entered the motel and it was similar to small-town motels in America however, it was extremely clean like CEO’s stayed there in the middle of business trips. There were all kinds of art from pictures on the wall to small statues in the corners. The lady at the front desk was a beautiful caramel complexion. Her hair was crinkled and reached her shoulders. Her name tag read “Brittany.”

“Hey there Brittany,” Kitai said as we approached the front desk.

“Hi, What can I do for you?” she responded.

“We need three single bedrooms preferably next to each other.”

“Alright, one moment while I check our vacancies.”

She gazed at the screen as she searched for open rooms. We waited patiently in silence observing the art around the room.

“Oh you’re in luck,” Brittany said. “We have 5 single rooms open and 3 are directly next to each other.”

“That’s perfect,” Kitai said. “We’ll take it.”

“Great that’ll be 3 gold.”

Kitai reached in his pocket taking out his coin bag to pay her the coins. Brittany turned to fetch the room keys that turned out to be adjustable wristbands. Brittany brought the wristbands to the front and wiped them down with alcohol wipes in front of us to ensure us they were clean. Kitai and Brittany then made the exchange.

“Your rooms are on the first floor rooms 6,7 and 8. rooms 6 & 8 are connected by locked doors and room 7 is directly across from them both.” She explained.

“Thanks!” We all said as we made our way down the nearby hallway.

We roamed down the hallway until we found our rooms. Kitai took room 7, Benign room 6 and I occupied room 8. Kitai set for us to meet in the hallway at 7am and we agreed on the set time.

When I swiped my wrist across the door scanner and opened the door to the room I was hit with a fresh laundry scent. The bathroom was sparkling clean with a glossy white floor like Car dealerships. All of the handles in the bathroom were golden from the sinks to the shower. The room hosted a king size bed with crisp white sheets and a huge white and gold comforter. There was no tv initially, however when I pressed the “on” button on a remote control I saw on the nightstand a holographic tv appeared in front of the bed. I would have watched the tv to get a crash course in Astral entertainment but I was nearly dozing off while standing from fatigue. I decided to take a swift shower and call it a night instead.

The bed was so soft and spacious I didn’t even remember falling asleep when I climbed in. I awoke the next day to a phone call in the room. I answered the phone to the front desk clerk with a requested wake up call. I hadn’t requested one but I was sure Kitai did for me because he knew I would oversleep. The clock read “6:45” which was just enough time to wash my face, throw my clothes back on and get to the hallway.

When I looked back at the clock as I headed for the door it read “6:54”. I remember vividly because that was the quickest I had ever gotten dressed. I was rested and motivated to cover a lot of distance despite my legs being sore from all the walking we did the day before. I opened the door and saw Kitai standing next to his door waiting for Benign and I.

“Wow, I thought he was going to beat you,” Kitai said.

“Not today!” I replied. “I’m ready to go.”

Just as I said that Benign was opening his door stepping into the hallway.

“Took ya long enough,” I said jokingly.

“You guys said 7.” Benign responded, “I was just waiting inside my room rather than in the hallway.”

“yea ok,” Kitai said giggling. “Lets head to the front breakfast starts here at 7am.”

When Kitai mentioned breakfast I felt my stomach turn flips. I was so ready to continue our journey I hadn’t stopped to realize I was starving. As we neared the front lobby I could smell the food fumes floating throughout the area. We reached the dining area and it was small, only room for about 20 people at a time however they nearly had a full breakfast buffet. From pancakes and waffles to cereal and danishes they had a variety for the pickiest of eaters.

We were the first to the dining area and we all stacked our plates with several breakfast options. I had a cheese danish that was bigger than my hand. It was soft and practically melted in your mouth before you could chew it.

“So why is it called Rouge Land?” I asked as I remembered we would enter it today.

“Rogue Land is the center of Astral” Kitai explained. “None of the 5 regions hold power or control over it which makes it lawless and extremely dangerous.”

“If every region had a specific color Rouge Land would be the gray area.” Benign joked.

“Its known as Rogue Land because most of the Demi-Gods that are abolished from their respective region roam here and they are known as Rogue Demi-Gods.”

“Like Assail,” I said.

“Yes exactly,” Kitai confirmed. “except he is more powerful than all of them. He is the only Rogue Demi-God with all 4 powers. Not to mention he may have managed to escape Rogue Land and reach one of the Regions to take their portal to America.”

“Well at least we won’t have to deal with him in Rogue Land,” I said.

“That’s true but don’t underestimate anyone in there. Some will be simple travelers like us but there are plenty in Rogue land that will happily take their shot at getting your Soul of Fire. After all, it is full of Demi-Gods that were sent away from their region for crimes.”

“Oh, I see” I replied.

“That goes for you as well Benign,” Kitai said looking at him.

Benign was stuffing his mouth with food and nodded his head in acknowledgment.

We sat eating and conversing for about 30 minutes. All of the food was amazing as our plates attested to. Finally, we were finished eating and we returned our wristbands to the front desk and made our way out of the motel.

“I could tell it was cold outside and being near the shore again made it windy as well. We started towards Rogue Land which turned out to as Kitai said to be on the other side of the motel. As we approached the border of Rouge Land a sign appeared in front of us out of thin air. It was a sign warning us that we were entering Rogue Land.

“How does Rogue Land keep anyone inside it with nothing surrounding it?” I asked

“Its surrounded by an invisible barrier that supposedly keeps anyone banished here locked inside but with Assail out there, there is no telling whats going on,” Kitai responded. “Unless he never went and instead took the plains portal to America years ago after escaping the Demi-Gods of the plains.”

“If he escaped Rogue Land I’m sure he would’ve taken some Demi-Gods with him.” Benign added.

“Well Antonio was helping him but he betrayed him,” I said.

“Assail would never keep a teammate, just use them until they’re no longer useful to him,” Kitai explained. “Let’s just hope there isn’t an opening in the barrier anywhere.”

Of course, I had my doubts and nervousness about entering Rogue Land. I thought about it all the way up to the border. However, when we actually reached the border I was calmed and content with my decision to move forward. Not because I thought I was tough or it would be easy, on the contrary, I feared for the worst and knew it would be a challenge. My calmness was restored by hummingbirds.

Yes, hummingbirds. There were a few flying near the border we were approaching. Just like when they flew around the trash can and pushed me to check for the book they had now given me the courage to roam into Rogue Land.

“Do you guys see those hummingbirds?” I asked.

“Where?” Benign responded.

“No, I don’t see any,” Kitai added.

“Oh,” I responded. “Maybe it wasn’t.”

“That’s weird.” I thought to myself as I could still see the hummingbirds flying ahead of where we were walking.

Nonetheless, I accepted the hummingbirds once again as a sign of my hope and safe guidance. They weren’t the worst birds to look at either. Some of them were actually beautiful bright colors and their wings flapped so fast they were invisible to the naked eye.

Finally, we entered Rogue Land. We continued walking against the shore rather than going through the towns in Rogue Land to evade what would likely be Demi-Gods confronting us. However, I was still able to see the borders of towns and a lot of them reminded me of the inner city in America. There were vacant buildings and dying crops. The flying cars were clearly older models compared to the car we took to the beach. I saw a few of the people in Rogue Land and they looked miserable. The overall vibe in Rogue Land was dark and eerie. Even the sky seemed darker in than the rest of the land. The ocean water inside the barrier was noticeably darker as well. It didn’t sparkle like the water at the Mountains-Island Beach.

Kitai kept training Benign and I as we continued our journey through Rogue Land. We worked on defense techniques as well as counter moves. Kitai believed one great counter-attack could change the entire landscape of a fight in an instant. He explained how being hit off guard could easily stun the strongest of beings even if it’s for a moment.

“Even the natural four elements we Astralians have can easily perish to the element of surprise,” Kitai explained. “I’ve seen some of the best go down to a devastating counter-attack they didn’t see coming.”

“I second that” Benign agreed. “Most Demi-Gods will set up a decoy solely to catch you off guard in a fight.”

“What kind of decoy?” I asked.

“Like when Assail disappeared into the sandstorm. For a moment you would’ve thought he left but it was a decoy to get away from us and behind you.” Kitai said. “While we searched for him in the midst of the storm he lunged out behind you. If you didn’t see him in time and failed to use your shield it would have been a fatal blow.”

I stood in shock unaware of how close I had come to my end. If Assail knew I had the shield he could have extinguished it and completed his attack. I was lucky to be alive.

“That’s actually kind of scary,” I replied.

“But hey!” Benign interfered. “You survived a fight against the strongest Rogue Demi-God of Astral. Not many people can say they did that.”

“And next time we’ll be ready for him,” Kitai said.

“Damn right!” I agreed.

My confidence had gone through the roof since we first arrived in Astral. I was learning how to use my power and learning of my people at the same time. Kitai and Benign together helped me realize how powerful I was in my own right. At one point they both began spontaneously testing my vigilance.

One moment Kitai would swing a wave of water from the ocean at me and I had become so powerful in the short time I was able to make the wave evaporate before it even touched me. At another time Benign turned to face me and clapped his hands together in front on him sending a shockwave of wind in my direction, I used my X shield and the impact was so forceful it pushed me backward and damaged the fire shield. Kitai had specifically instructed Benign not to go easy on me because our inevitable opponent wouldn’t and we needed to know what we could withstand.

At one point we were all practically sparring against the shoreline. Tornadoes, Flames, and Water all clashing in the air. I thought it may have been bad to spar so close to some of the towns but Kitai assured me that our sparring was nothing compared to the damage a real match could and would cause.

As we continued the journey I was observing the land of Astral with Benign practically being my tour guide. He explained how most of the towns in Rogue Land had video surveillance that could be accessed which is why we walked the shore majority of the time.

We roamed through the Rouge Land catching car rides on the way that saved us a lot of time. The Rogue Land was much larger than I expected it to be compared to the view from the mountain. We had been traveling for 3 days and were just passing halfway through Rogue Land.

On a good note, it gave me plenty of time to hone my skills and prepare for battle. I had learned more in the past 3 days about myself than I ever knew existed.

If you are reading this right now trust me when I say this, You don’t know half of what you are capable of but you can replace out if you hone your skills as I did mine. Results may not come as quickly as you hope but they will come if you stick with it. Ok back to the story.

Benign and I grew closer as our trip unraveled. We bonded with ease and very obviously had chemistry. He was really funny when he explained the land of Astral and broke everything down until it made perfect sense to me. I believe Kitai noticed we had taken a liking to each other because he would at times walk ahead of us rather than on our side. It was actually strange to see Kitai being passive versus his usual overprotective self but he didn’t seem to mind at all. He did see Benign as his younger brother after all.

Kitai ran ahead when we crossed the halfway mark to scope the distance ahead. He said the middle of Rogue Land was the most dangerous because it had the most traffic and it would be nearly impossible to catch a ride without being spotted on cameras possibly revealing our location to Assail. Whom he was sure was back in Astral by now and hunting us.

“So do you have a boyfriend back in America?” Benign asked.

“What? Oh, No.” I tried to hold back the blush but the question was so out of the blue.

“Oh dope,” He said relieved. “well not dope but…” He blushed as well “you know what I mean.”

“Yea I think I do” I smiled. “No one in America was even able to touch my skin after I turned 12.”

“Really?” Benign said shocked.

“Yea, it would burn them wherever they made contact,” I replied.

“Guess that’s just what happens when you’re that hot.” He flirted.

And I totally fell for it with an all out smile from cheek to cheek.

“You have a beautiful smile, you should use it more often.” He added.

“Thank you,” I replied.

“Hey, don’t thank me I’m just blurting out real facts.”

I was actually lost for words. I never had someone flirt with me that I was genuinely interested in. I didn’t know what to do or say so I just kept smiling as we walked.

“So, do you think I maybe your type to date?” Benign asked.

“I’m not sure,” I replied.

I know that sounds mean but I assure you I said it with the biggest smile I ever had. I’m sure I looked like I had just left the dentist and was trying to show off my freshly cleaned teeth. Not to mention my cheeks were probably rose red. He giggled a little and flashed his Hollywood smile back at me.

“Well you let me know when you replace out,” he said smiling

“Ok I will” My smile wouldn’t go down for a second.

I had finally understood what girls talked about in the lunchroom back in America. The butterflies in your stomach but mines were more like a raging phoenix. I had given up hope on relationships early on and now all the thoughts of a love life were flooding into my brain. It made me nervous but excited for my own future that new doors were opening while the doors to my horrid past life in America were closing.

“Do you think you’ll participate in any sports here?” Benign asked.

“I don’t know about that,” I replied “I didn’t play any in America.”

“I think you should,” he said. “You’re already stronger than a lot of Demi-Gods I’ve seen and Kitai will make you run like the speed of light if you let him really train you.”

“Wow, that actually sounds pretty cool,” I replied.

“You will be amazed at the things you’ll be able to do.”

“I can’t wait!” I said excitedly. “What sport do you think I would excel in?”

“Oh, Touch And Go without a doubt.” He replied.

“What the heck is that?” I asked.

“Just what it says,” Benign said laughing. “You tap someone and go running away so they don’t tap you back.

“You mean Tag?” I asked confused.

“What do you thing T.A.G Stands for,” He said smiling.

I was 16 years old and had never realized the game of Tag in America was actually an acronym for Touch And Go.

“I never realized that,” I said giggling at myself.

“Yea its just like that except of course here we have powers to make the game more interesting.” He said.

He explained it as 10 people entering a small forest which is located inside a dome. Every 10 minutes whoever is left “it” must exit the dome in defeat until the last man standing. Competitors are able to use power moves to evade being tagged but are not allowed to attack the opponent directly. The small forest was apparently wired with cameras everywhere for everyone in the country to watch the game live and root for their friends.

“Well I don’t like being touched by random people so maybe you’re right.” I responded.

Benign and I laughed in sync for a moment.

“Do you play any sports?” I asked.

“Oh I try to play them all,” He responded. “You can get some good practice in the sports for the Annual Games that can get you in the plains.”

“Speaking of the games, why hasn’t Kitai entered them?”

“I don’t know, for some reason he has his mind set on going for each power one by one. However, I do know after achieving that he’ll easily be one of the Strongest Demi-Gods on the planet no question.”

“But he still won’t be allowed in the plains,” I said.

“I don’t think he wants a place in the plains” he responded. “He might just be satisfied with the caves,” Benign said unsurely.

“Oh, I see.”

“Some people would prefer to stay in their home region and become a higher power within that region rather than moving to a nicer region where everyone is just as good as them.” He explained.

“That makes sense,” I said. “I guess moving to another region would feel like starting from the bottom again because you’ll be the new guy in that region.”

“That may be true but you aren’t required to stay there. You can always go back and not just to your region but to all of the regions. The plains are the peacekeepers of Astral so they are allowed to freely roam every region no questions asked and most Rogue Demi-Gods can’t put up a decent fight against them.” He explained.

“In that case, I’m not sure why Kitai isn’t interested,” I said. “Maybe its the challenge of chasing them down. He’s the smartest guy I’ve ever met and he loves a challenge.”

“Kitai will turn anything into a challenge if he can.” Benign agreed.

Just as we spoke of him Kitai came back into our view walking in our direction. Benign and I ran up to him to make up the distance between us.

“Anything?” I asked.

“No, looks good so far” Kitai responded.

We continued walking until the sun had once again gone down. We found a hole in the wall motel in Rogue Land where we crashed for the night.

The next day we left the motel early because they didn’t serve breakfast. We had Benign fetch all of us breakfast in the town we stopped in so no one would notice me and Assail couldn’t spot Kitai on any cameras. He returned to the shoreline with a basket filled with fruits of all kinds. He thought it would be convenient to walk and eat fruit rather than an actual breakfast. Kitai and I agreed with his assumption so that we would not waste too much time in one area.

We continued navigating through Rogue Land as quickly as we could and as invisible as possible. As we passed some of the towns I could see flames and tornadoes from Demi-Gods fighting in the middle of the towns. On the other side where the Islands were, I could see water being manipulated all over the islands. I wasn’t sure if it was Demi-Gods fighting or practicing but it looked cool regardless. It was all so inspiring.

Benign had talked to me about possibly joining the annual games to gain entry into the plains and witnessing all the Demi-Gods in action made me genuinely consider it. I was going to stay here in Astral, that I had made up in my mind for certain. However, I wasn’t clear on what I wanted to do in my new home. There were so many options. I could go to school here, or play sports, I could socialize, take on challenges, the list goes on.

But I was strongly considering joining the annual games with Benign…