Episode 11 - A Trial of Enlightenment… or Just Danger

"Those flames are blue, why are they so hot!?"

"Actually Shadow, being that blue is in the higher end of the visible spectrum, flames of that hue would be far more intense and appear that color because they burn cleaner."

"Will you two focus!? I don't care what color it is, I just don't wanna get burned!"

The three training travelers zealously made a break for a small cave near the top of one of the lower peaks. The fire-breathing fiend roared in rage for being unable to fit even a single claw into the mouth of the cavern. In a fit it unleashed its blue blaze into their newfound safe haven, forcing them to retreat further in. Luckily enough, the cave twisted and turned for a good klick or so. After the flames stopped approaching they stopped to catch their breath. Unlike the day before, this morning was a lot less eventful.

Several hours prior to being on the menu for a pernicious serpent of irrational scale, Buck was awoken by what sounded like a tree cracking in half. He jumped to action stressing about what trouble they might be in this time. Catching up to Shadow, he witnessed The Metal kicking a cumbersome tree repeatedly with the rising sunlight revealing the path he created.

"I slept through all that!? How long has he been at this?"

"I'm guessing all night. I passed out from exhaustion 'swell, so I only just got up."

Buck jogged over to see what was up with him and potentially stop him from deforesting the entire valley.

"Hey man, what's up with all this?"

"Oh, um… nothing. I was bored of just lying there, so I got up and started training."

"That doesn't seem like a bright idea. Don't you want to get some sleep before we head out today? From the last two days, I'm gonna take it you'll need your melon running right."

"Probably, but it wouldn't do any good," The Metal said carelessly as he went back to kicking.

"And why is that?"

"Cause I haven't been able to sleep since Hong Kong."

"That… that was like two and a half weeks ago."

"Yeah, about four hundred and fifty hours without a wink now. I don't even feel tired."

"That's it, I don't care what training you're here for, we're going to a hospital now."

The Metal dropped what he was doing and strolled up close to Buck.

"Even if you knew which direction to go, the nearest licensed medical center is like a day away if we walked nonstop, you know. Besides, how are you even going to get me there?"

"I'll drag you kicking and screaming if I have to."

"Is that so?"

He grabbed Buck by the collar and tossed him across the clearing he made that morning.

"Shadow," The Metal hollered over, "We're heading out a bit earlier than planned!"

"Gotcha! I 'lready found a bite thinkin' we might."

After that Buck dropped the hospital business. It was starting to be clear that worrying about The Metal's health was hazardous to his own. It was quiet for quite some time while they strolled through the thicket. Well, as quiet as it could be between the forest life and The Metal, who never stops singing if no one is holding up a conversation. It would be obvious to anyone that he's had far too much time on his hands to memorize as many songs as he knew. The others didn't find it too annoying though. Travel and music go together finely and The Metal could definitely have a worse voice to listen to.

Eventually, they stumbled upon a natural trail at the foot of one of the smaller mountains. Far from the base where they stood was a stone Buddha on a marble slab. The Metal stared at it for a bit, walked over, and forced the hefty statue to turn around.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm fixing it."

"What?"

"This statue is facing West. I'm no Buddhist, but I'm pretty sure he is supposed to face East because of something to do with meditating beneath the rising sun."

"Don't you think whichever monk maintains this stuff knows what he is doing?"

"Have you seen who they let in these days? Even just five years ago the standards were better."

As he finished turning the statue everyone could hear it clicking in place. The ground beneath them trembled viciously, scaring off all the local wildlife. Up ahead the sound of stones sliding against each other could be faintly heard. Upon further investigation, the travelers could see a blinding light shining from the mountain's peak. Moments after, something else presented itself from beyond the summit. Soaring into the sky was a gigantic serpent clad in gold that stretched for a mile and was at least thirty feet wide. It slowly veered from its rising trajectory and shifted directions toward them.

"Kinryu!"

"No Shadow, we're in China."

"Oh yeah. Jīnlóng!"

"Much better."

"Guys, be serious for once. I think that light is coming from an opening on the mountaintop. Like a cave or something. If we run and keep our heads down we can probably make it there unharmed."

"I mean if you want to go ahead. I'm gonna kill this dragon."

"What... why!?"

"How many chances am I gonna have to say I beat a dragon in a fight; especially one of this magnitude?"

"You can't be serious."

The Metal ripped a tree out of the ground and gripped it like a baseball bat.

"Oh my god, he's fucking serious. Screw that, I'm running!"

Buck and Shadow darted off without even looking back at The Metal. The colossal serpent came soaring down the trail with its maw opened fully. The two dipped to the sides of the path, letting the dragon continue on its way toward their friend. On their way up the mountainside, they heard something loud and fast gaining on them. They both turned to see The Metal running swiftly behind them with the dragon many yards back.

"What happened to your tree plan?"

The Metal held up a stub of wood no larger than his forearm that had been burnt to a crisp.

"Oh… well, got any other ideas?"

"Yeah, keep running until I think of some more!"

And that was basically where the day caught back up to them. The chase led up the mountainside and into the cavern where the intense fury of the dragon's flames couldn't reach them. Taking long, deep breaths, the group took a couple of minutes to straighten their bearings. It was then that Shadow noticed his friend was trembling all over.

"It's okay Metal, we're scared 'swell."

"What?"

"He's not frightened, you moron. He's shaking from overexertion. You would be too if you were wearing a literal ton on your body… actually, you'd probably just be dead, but that's not the point."

"What is your point, loudmouth?"

"My point is that you still have that look in your eyes that you want to fight that thing even though we are already here. I get it. You're a fuckin' nut job. But you could at least drop the weights. We made it the whole route. It's okay now."

"No. No, it's not. Winning is meaningless to me unless I know deep down that I won purely because I chose to. That may not make any sense or mean anything to you, but that is just how I am. Now I'm going back out there and ridding this world of a mystical entity that no one else even believes in."

"I've heard you say a lot of crazy shit in the time we've known each other, and that just about tops it all, but I know if I don't go out there with you I won't get to hear you top it again."

"Thanks for understanding, man. C'mon, Shadow. We're going back out!"

Heading back up the route toward the flying, flame-inducing, snake as large as a subway tunnel, The Metal wasn't the only one shaking. Though the fires had ceased flooding the cave entrance, an internal panic still crept up within those who seemed a bit more attached to this life than their leader. There had been far too many life-threatening events dragged into his life these days for Buck's taste, but fists clenched the three of them stepped back out into the light of day. Almost immediately, the dragon became aware of their surfacing and twisted back in their direction.

"Metal, I assume the only reason we came back out here so soon is because you actually have a plan this time."

"More or less."

"More or less? What does that fucking mean!?"

"It depends, do you think you could throw me?"

"Are you dumb!? Most I've ever tossed isn't even close to half the weight you're carrying."

"I could help!"

"I doubt that'll make much of a difference!"

"Well, we've only got seconds to decide."

"Fine, we'll throw our backs out, but you better put your legs into this too."

The Metal crouched down lifting his arms for the others to grasp. Each taking a wrist and a different end of his belt, all three of them put as much effort as they could muster into this launch. He must have shot up thirty feet like a rocket aimed at the beast. With its maw held wide open, The Metal tucked back and his shoulder slammed threw one of the monster's gigantic teeth. The serpent slammed his mouth shut as the hopeful warrior kept flying directly down its throat.

"Welp… 'ere goes that plan."

"Not quite."

"Huh?"

"Knowing him that was the plan."

Seconds later, the dragon dropped to the Earth, crashing into the side of the mountain abruptly. The two ran over to examine the front end of the corpse, but on the way, a bulge on the creature's back squirmed awkwardly. Suddenly a sharp object ripped through from within and carved a truck-sized hole from the hide. Emerging from within the dragon was The Metal carrying the broken tooth in one hand and in the other, held above his head, was a twelve-chambered heart as big as an automobile.

"You know, they say that those who devour the heart of a dragon can live forever. Guess I know what we're having for lunch."

Shadow let out an impressed glee while Buck simply rested his face into his palm. Despite how disgusted Buck may have acted, I assure you the heart of a Chinese Dragon tastes much better than it sounds; especially cooked into a good stew or over steamed rice. After lunch, they ventured back into the cavern since there was no longer anything preventing them from finishing this trek. Deep down inside the mountain sat a stone slab on a small island in the center of a pond. Still covered head to toe in guts, The Metal immediately dove headfirst into the water and made his way to the middle. The only words on the slab read, "這往往需要一個目標, 實現一個旅程的價值." Upon reading this The Metal chuckled loud enough to bring a strangely settling echo to the cave.

"It's not one of those 'you had it in you the whole time' thing, is it?"

"Nah, more like a 'destination is only worth the journey' type thing."

"Well, I sure hope it was damn worth it!"

"Yeah, I'd say it was. Let's figure out our way back home. I think I've figured out some things to show you guys on the way."

From an outsider's perspective, it seems almost arbitrary and nonsensical that a trip through the mountains with no clear focus could achieve such a thing, yet like the few before him, The Metal established his own art form upon completing the Proving Grounds. The real reason may be that those who make the journey had it stirring within them already and just needed the trip to take it out of them. He named it 星隕石拳, or loosely speaking the "Orichalcum Fist" because you need to become like a strong metal that looks simple to observers yet still can never truly be figured out. They made regular stops to train in this new form here and there, but ultimately they were finally on their way back home. And now, not only was The Metal ready for a rematch, but he was also eager.