What I’ve Been Fighting For Part 1

Cordayl and Esquimo get to the base of a mountain. Cordayl puts his palm on the mountain's base and looks up at the stone wall that seems to shoot straight into the air.

Esquimo looks at Cordayl. "Well, lad, we are almost there. Climbing this mountain is half the battle. Are you ready?"

"Climb? I'm bout to float to the top. Come on, hop on my back," Cordayl tells Esquimo. Esquimo does as he is told and hops on Cordayl's back.

"There's only one problem, lad," Esquimo says.

"What's that?" Cordayl ask.

"Well, the witch we seek cursed this mountain a long ago, and anyone who touches it is cursed to climb it to the top or die trying," Esquimo shares.

"So.. you're saying that I can't float?" Cordayl ask, looking into the air, trying to find the mountain's edge

"I am," Esquimo answers cheerily

"And I have to climb this giant mountain?" Cordayl says, still staring straight into the sky.

"That is correct," Esquimo answers.

"…. So why did you jump on my back?"

"Well, remember that favor you owed me after the incident in Iliyat?"

(Flashback starts)

Cordayl sprints into this restaurant, straight at Esquimo. Getting to his table, Cordayl quickly asks Esquimo to trade jackets with him.

Esquimo is confused but obliges. As soon as Cordayl has Esquimo's jacket on, he takes off running again.

Seconds later, a very cute lady comes bursting into the store. Seeing Cordayl's jacket, she stomps over to him and cusses him out for avoiding her. Then she beats him over the head with her purse and walks out.

Cordayl plops down in the booth while Esquimo rubs his head. "Phew! That girl is crazy. Thanks, Esquimo. I owe you one."

(Flashback ends)

Cordayl remembers the incident clearly and shakes his head. He sighs and starts climbing the mountain.

Getting close to the top of the mountain, Cordayl sees that he's almost at the peak, and he bursts with excitement. Grabbing the ledge with both hands, Cordayl launches himself into the air, doing a front flip before he lands on the top with style.

"My my, laddie, what's got you so pumped up? " Esquimo asks, hopping off Cordayl's back.

"We're almost there! Finally, everything will make sense again. It's only up from here!" Cordayl tells him. "Are we sinking?"

Cordayl looks down and realizes he can't see his feet. He instantly tries to lift his foot, but it is stuck as he slowly sinks deeper into the ground.

"Relax, lad," Esquimo tells him.

"I don't like being contained," Cordayl tells him.

"I understand, but you have to calm yourself. Struggling will only make it worse," Esquimo says.

Cordayl hears him and tries to calm down, but it's not working. "Calm yourself. Calm your heart, " Esquimo advises him before the ground completely swallows him.

"Esquimo, Esquimo!" Cordayl shouts. Growing frustrated, Cordayl tries to punch the ground, but the instant his fist touches the ground, it gets sucked in as well.

Cordayl is on the verge of freaking out, but then he hears the voice in his head tell him to breathe in and out on a smooth repeat.

Cordayl closes his eyes, and as he tries to regulate his breathing, he gets a flashback of his childhood.

(Flashback starts)

Cordayl and his father walk through a jungle on a warm, beautiful day. As they walk under vines and long tree branches, Cordayl asks his father what the purpose of this journey is.

"As you know, it is almost time for the annual festival of thankfulness. One of the key ingredients for the celebration pie can only be found in this jungle, but only true warriors can retrieve it successfully," Cordon answers him.

"Why is that?" Cordayl ponders.

"You will see soon enough," Cordon replies,

They continue their trek and eventually come upon a spacious part of the jungle with only four trees. "Come, the test is about to start," Cordon instructs his son.

Cordayl follows his father as he walks under the trees. His father closes his eyes as a strong breeze rumbles through the jungle and shakes the leaves of the trees.

Cordayl closes his eyes as a result, and when he opens them, he notices a green sloth on his father's shoulders.

"Father, look on your shoulder," Cordayl says.

"Yes, I am aware. Did you notice you have the same thing on your back?" Cordon asks him.

Cordayl turns his head, notices the green sloth on his back, and freaks out. Upon his reaction, the sloth clamps its claws into him and suddenly increases in size.

Cordayl freaks out at the sudden pain and tries to reach and pull the sloth off of him, but his hands slide smoothly off the sloth's fur. Cordayl rolls and tussles with the sloth, trying to free himself of the creature, but everything he does only makes the sloth increase in size.

The sloth grows so big that it starts to swallow young Cordayl, and he finds himself on his hands and knees, trying to withstand the weight of the creature, which has now grown to the size of a polar bear.

Cordon kneels next to his son, who is hyperventilating under the massive creature that lies on his son's back, with a lazy smile on its face. "My son, you must relax. Calm your heart. These creatures feed upon your anxiety and fear, and it only makes them hungrier as they increase in size. Look at me."

Cordayl struggles and pushes himself to a position to see his father.

"You see my friend here? He has shrunken in size and is even freely roaming my body. It is because my heart is free of fear. I do not fear it, so it poses no threat to me. I didn't fear its actions, so it saw no need to react.

"Calm yourself, my son. A warrior must remain calm in the face of every obstacle to continue thinking clearly. Fear can blind you. You have received no damage but what you think you have. Relax your mind, calm your heart, and breathe. In and out. In and out. In and out," Cordon coaches him.

It takes a few minutes, but Cordayl does as he is told. Eventually, clearing the fear from his heart and mind, he starts to feel the weight on his back disappear.

"Good Cordayl. Now stand up and look at your friend," Cordon tells him.

Cordayl listens, and when he stands up, he notices the monster of the sloth that was suffocating him moments ago has reverted to the size of an adorable monkey.

Cordayl smiles at his new companion and holds his arm out for the sloth to travel and hang from.

Cordon smiles at his son's quick progress and tells him to copy him as he walks up to the tree and puts his hand on it. Cordayl does the same, and the two sloths travel up their arms and back onto the tree.

"Look up, Cordayl. It's random whenever they fall," Cordon tells him.

"When what falls?" Cordayl asks. Suddenly, two giant fruits fall from the tree branches and land perfectly in Cordon and Cordayl's hands.

"The fruit. My first time here, it cracked against my head and split in two. The elders were so mad at me for losing so much of the juices," Cordon laughs.

Cordayl smiles at his father, and the two walk out of the jungle and start their journey back home.

(Flashback ends)

Cordayl slowly sinks into the mush of the ground, completely at peace.

Landing underground, he looks around to see a dark underground tunnel. Walking through the dimly lit hallway, he sees a brighter light in the distance. He sees Esquimo sitting at a table, sipping out of a mug.

"Ahh, Cordayl, I knew you would overcome your fear," Esquimo smiles.

"It's a good thing you did. Besides my magic, the pulling factor of that mud is the poor souls who never made it through." A tall, fine ass, older woman remarks, bringing him a mug as well.

"Thank you," Cordayl says, sitting next to Esquimo.

"You're welcome, Cordayl," The lady responds. "Now, Esquimo, what were you saying about my favorite nephew?"

"Ahh yes, well me and-"

"Hold on, nephew?" Cordayl cuts in. "This is your sister?!"

"Sister-in-law," The lady corrects. "Madam Madamn," she says, introducing herself.

"Cordayl," Cordayl responds. "Esquimo, you never mentioned that the witch we were searching for was your family."

"Didn't seem like a necessary detail," Esquimo shrugs off.

Cordayl looks at him incredulously. "It's fine, Cordayl. I advised him long ago to keep our relationship discreet. You have no idea how many people would go to risky lengths to find me. I didn't want to bring him any unnecessary bother since it casually seems to find him anyway," the Madam chuckles.

"And why is that?" Cordayl ask.

"The same reason you are here." Madam Madamn replies. "The powers I possess can make what seems utterly impossible possible," She smirks. "You wouldn't believe the wishes some have asked me to grant in my long lifetime. I'm old, but the requests I receive astound me every time," she shakes her head.

"Long lifetime? There's no way you're older than Esquimo," Cordayl comments.

Esquimo and Madam Madamn bust out laughing.

"I like him," Madam Madamn says, locking eyes with Cordayl.

"Easy now. The lad is a mere baby compared to you," Esquimo tells her.

"Maybe in years, but from what I can see, I'm looking at a grown man." Madam

Madamn replies. "Cordayl, stand up, please," she instructs.

Cordayl listens, and Madam Madamn circles him, observing his physique. Touching his smooth brown skin, his long locks, pushing it back to gaze into his deep brown eyes.

Cordayl feels slightly intoxicated by her gaze, but not that much, as he asks, "Do you like what you see?"

"I do. Very much," Madam Madamn says with a flirtatious tone.

"Okay, I'll help you. Esquimo tells me that you want to recover your memory. It seems you can't recall the events that led to you destroying the Youtound Kingdom. A feat I am thankful to you for," Madamn says

"Why is that?" Cordayl ask.

"Because that is the city he is from. And he and that city stole my sister from me. So good riddance," She replies.

"Interesting. So, will you be delighted after Esquimo passes away?" Cordayl questions her.

"No, I won't. I like Esquimo. He loved my sister with all of his heart. That kingdom, though," Madam Madamn shakes her head. "If it weren't for you, the world would have one day found out about its atrocities and been disgusted with them anyway."

"Okay," Cordayl says, "You'll help me recover my memories. But I have the feeling it comes with a price."

"Right, you are, Cordayl," The Madam responds.

"Name it," Cordayl replies.

"Your virginity," Madam Madamn smiles.