The Apprentice [JOB-Megálos]

JOB INFO::

A lone cloaked figure stood alone in a garden of one of the largest hidden kingdoms ever. The Garde of Eden had not changed since it's inception. Home to Mother Nature herself and only her chosen kings and sages it was a place of splendor that one could literally usually only see in their dreams. It was time as the cloaked figure knew. There could be no more delaying it. He'd already sent word to him on the wind. Now the time would come to give him everything..... "Megálos Aderfós."

The bitter cold rain bit into him soaking his excessively hot bare chest and back and the usual bandages he wore on them as well as his  gold and green Greek toga that he'd thrown on in his flustered scramble. He soared through the air carried by the tumbling torrents produced by the storm. They carried him creating a swirling cocoon from his abdomen down to his toes. It propelled him forward rapidly cutting through the gloomy downpour like a knife through butter. Below him towns, forest, and eventually mountaintops flew past meshing together till everything became indistinguishable with each other. He could see his goal in sight. The seemingly plain white tower with it's blue stripes seemed to defy the credibility that the mighty legends would have this tower be one that holds an item as important as the Gem of Time. The Sky Tower.

      It didn't look like much from afar but as Megálos made his way closer and closer to the top the building doubt fled instantly like a cat from the rain. As he landed on the towers sturdy platform roof he beheld the imposing statues of the legendary mythical beasts known as Griffins crafted in exquisite detail with stone that Megálos believed to be granite. Between the masterpiece's sat a gem the size of his very huge chest. It shimmered with the colors of the rainbow for a second before settling on a solid emerald green. The color seemed to perfectly reflect the color of his own eye's as if having peered into his Soul. The Gem of Time. A gem supposedly so powerful even the gods could not lift it. As Megalos stared at it his breath caught and he didn't doubt the legends for a second. This place oozed an aura of power so profound the large nature spirit/man cold feel his knees shake. Nearly overwhelmed. He gave a fleeting glance to the breathtaking view the incredibly tall tower gave as he had seen many such sight's on daily flights and walked slowly almost reverently to the gem.

      Tentatively Megálos reached out his hand softly, gentle as a feather touching the gem with his right hand and just as he felt his fingertips brush the surface there was a Whoosh, and  Megálos felt his entire body implode suddenly stretching out beyond even what any spirit's body should and then a sucking sensation as if a god or giant had taken a giant straw and began slurping up his very form at high speed. After five minutes that felt more like an eternity his body was literally spit out back as it was into a gigantic unknown forest...no... a forest kingdom? Megalos barely had time to register the familiar face sitting beneath one of the nearby trees watching the space he'd appeared from, watching HIM with steely eye's. He had green hair like his only much darker especially in the shade of the tree. He skin was a pasty white and his face seemed solemn oak brown eyes that pierce through Megálos as if seeing the depths of his soul. Their was an ancientness in those eye's that spoke of wisdom through experience and living for eons. There was also a hint of regret...but for whom.

      Himself, Megálos, the world? Megálos felt as if at this very moment for some reason that regret was directed at him. The man held a glowing green bird that resembled a parakeet in his palm his gaze somewhat slanted as if he was watching the bird and Megálos. The man wore black slacks but nothing covering his chest, and he wore bandages similar to Megálos's own that he always wore. Megálos had not been in this new and mysterious world ten seconds before the parakeet shot off into the distance and the man appeared before him out of nowhere. With a movement to quick to track Megalos was sent flying having a whole 30 seconds pass before he fully realized what had happened, and that''s when the pain came. A crushing pressure in his gut as he sucked in a breath of air to his lung's realizing he'd gotten the breath knocked from them, and finally a toxic heat bubbling from his chest and up his throat as he spit out a nasty bile composed of his own blood leaving a bitter metallic taste in his mouth and spot's in his eye's.



      "Wh-," he couldn't even get the question out as the steel eyed man moved again almost an afterimage aiming a black booted foot in position for a kick to his head, which at the last minute Megálos managed to roll away from. Rolling onto his foot all thoughts of explanations and answer's fled from his mind as the man he'd many times trusted with his life charged with only a few words that finally left his mouth. In a voice as familiar as a father's the man gave him one warning. "It begins...Don't die." And with that the man charged again and again not giving the injured Megálos a second's rest, as he continuously dodged, and evaded the man's attacks. Megálos took the slightest moments never letting his body stop once to observe his surroundings again. They had veered away from the lone tree in the middle of a large clearing that seemed to be 25 feet wide stretching in any direction from that tree.

      The tree in question held a strange looking sky blue fruit on it and as curious as it was that fact was inconsequential to Megálos at the moment. Outside the edge's of the clearing was a gigantic forest that seemed to go on for miles with a landmark in each cardinal direction. To the north stood a white, gold, and green castle made of marble and a peculiar type of wood he had never seen before. To their south he could hear the voice of a huge lake with quite a few rocks chiming in. To the East was a large plateau made of red rock it reminded him of a pride rock that would be home to Lions and sure enough he vaguely sensed some lions that way. And finally to the West he sensed a waterfall that led down to whatever unknown continuation of the forest. At this point Megálos knew his only chance for now would be retreat to one of the directions into the forest but there would be know way to do that without fighting his way there. So randomly choosing a direction Megalos made up his mind. He would stand and fight. He would fight as long as it took to find an opening to escape. Every cell in his body resounded in survival mode, bursting with energy and adrenaline! Lightning ignited consuming his entire body with King's Color his adrenaline helping him to pull more from himself then ever he had before.

      Megalos finally stopped going on the defensive charging the steely eyed man transforming into a cheetah halfway. Electrified claw paw met a fist swathed in nature magic. The sudden switch to offensive and sudden transformation caught the man off guard but not for long enough to open an opportunity to escape but enough to get him to step back. Perfect! Prepared for him this time the man came after him again and Megálos met him transforming again into a man his own hand swathed in lightning and nature energy and as their fists met the impact from their power's and fist colliding created shock-waves that shook the very ground and the air. The Steely eyed man surprised  Megálos then by doing the unexpected. He smiled. The steel in his eye's were replaced by fire and as if infectious Megálos could feel his blood boil. All thought's of escape were momentarily forgotten as the two men traded fist with spirit and relish.

      Megálos battered the man shifting in and out from human to beasts. Tiger, Lion, Gorilla, Panther, Wolf, elephant he had fought with all these forms before he had realized it. And the man had begun to use his entire body fight. Punch combos, evasions, kicks and fancy footwork. This was no longer a one-sided onslaught but a duel between two men who'd known each other a very long time. With each time their fist's connected a fleeting memory passed between them as if their connected fists continuously connected their minds and replayed their own memories. From youth til present, Megalos saw his life played out between the hands of this man and his own fist's. Before he knew it he could feel fatigue begin to drag his limbs as his movements got slower, weaker, and less effective.

      His vision blurred and he staggered on his feet. Suddenly he realized what had happened. He was running out of magic until he could move no longer and unable to do a thing to stop it he watched as the man socked him right in the face laying Megalos out.The mage landed with a soft thud in a thick patch of grass that happened to be right next to the tree the man had sat under at the start of this brawl. How ironic he'd land in that particular spot.  Having held back on the last punch the man looked down on the stunned mage who was already fading into unconsciousness with a look of pride, regret, and embarrassment."You survived."

      That was the man's only reply as Megalos looked from the man's proud but worried face and up into the now darkened sky shinning with a crescent moon and the shadow of the portion of the moon that was hidden away. Besides the moon an overwhelming amount of glittering stars twinkled undisturbed by man-made light in the sky. It was a beautiful night, Megálos thought as dark spots swam in his eyes growing larger as unconsciousness continued to overtake him. Stubbornly he stared back into the face of the man who had a kind smile on his face now. "The sky is beautiful tonight," the man chuckled as Megálos finally lost control. As everything faded to black Megálos had only one clear concise thought go through his mind. A name: Florian Faunan. With that he lost all consciousness soon enough drifting into a dream. He dreamed of hours before back on Peace Island walking aimlessly through the sand.Back to how this all began:

Megálos's Dream:

      Megálos awoke to the strong scent of fruit but what kind he could not tell. Which was unusual for the young man as there was little in Nature he did not know. He opened his eyes to his old master's teasing smile and supported by one of his master's arms. In his palm in the other hand his master carried one of the strange Sky Blue fruit he had seen before. The crescent moon was still out and judging by it's position in the sky he hadn't been out for more than five minutes. "Eat this." Master Flo as Megálos called him put the fruit to his lips and without even thinking Megálos took a bite. Even after the surprise hostility he trusted the man completely. A wave of energy surged into him and all of his power seemed to return to him. "We're not finished yet. We'll continue on to a little after daybreak of course we'll be going a little longer to account for your nap."  

      Megálos shook his head confused at the vexingly erratic man pacing a trail onto the moonlit grass. "I don't..." "There is no need to understand now. There will be ample time to explain it all tomorrow for now we cannot waste a single second. Get up. We Fight!" Without waiting to see if he would even comply Master Flo came after Megálos once again with a renewed vigor almost as if he was fully recharged as well. Rolling away quickly Megalos reacted. "Seeking King-Obey!" Jagged spear's of rock exploded throughout the field one after the next chasing Master Flo but he dodged the with ease smashing a few that got too close with his fist and feet. "Rose Resonatta!" All around Megálos many thorned vines with multicolored roses appeared closing in. With a wave of his hand a dome shaped barrier of earth surrounded him and the roses bounced harmfully off although leaving huge indents.

      Megálos could sense them coming back for more and with another wave of his arms the barrier exploded outward creating a multitude of shrapnel projectiles that cut through the vines embedding itself in the nearby trees and of course some flew toward Master Flo. He dodged it easily however already preparing his next spell. As promised they continued trading spells and blows through the entire night and into the next day a bit before his master was satisfied.

---

      Afterward Master Flo led Megálos in the direction of the majestic castle built with the strange wood. He refused to explain anything until they'd arrived. The castle was huge and full of so much that Megalos disregarded for now. There was a Japanese style bath with a Medieval twist scheme that his master took him straight toward. Once they were both naked and Megálos was washing his Master's back as his master babbled embarrassing things about his little bird growing up, his master finally was prepared to explain. "Now It's time I explained what 's going on here. The time has now come Megá....

"Your magic has been growing. Don't bother denying it. I know it and you know it. The only difference between what I know and what you know is why and how." Megálos stared at his master. The man who had been with him so long since the tragedy that devoured his youth and had disappeared two years ago saying it was time he walked on his own two feet. For most of that year Megálos wandered the world treasure hunting till most recently when he decided to join a guild and finally try and reconcile with humans just a little in his own small way. It's baby steps he'd told himself. Now that man...well...spirit...stood before him complete and whole like the recollection of a sweet dream you never believed you'd experience again. Megálos stopped scrubbing the spirit's back for even after all this time he had to remind himself that this man was not a man but the powerful spirit of a man who became a living incarnation of nature. Perhaps someday he would be awarded the same fate. But for now.... "I was never able to fill the role but you...it's your destiny. She been waiting for you so long now. I was just a place holder."

Master Flo looked to Megálos with a look of such solemn and severity it startled him. Master Flo was not a man....spirit that took things seriously.Ever. He was one of those the world's ending around him but he's just calmly sips his tea kind of spirits."I don't understand Pops, you're not making sense!" Pops was Megálos's affectionate nickname for the old spirit normally he didn't use it less things got mushy and he had a feeling things were heading straight to mush town. "I know my boy but I'll explain as much as I can for now. But there are things you'll have to find on your own." The tenderness in the old spirit's eye's as he pulled himself up onto the side of the bath with Megálos and ran a paternal hand through the poor confused mage's head was disarming. Megálos nodded obediently for once completely out of character as he quieted to listen. "There is a powerful entity that rules the domain of nature, it is from she that we gain our powers." "You mean like a goddess?" "No more powerful and ancient than a goddess,like a titan." "A titan? Would that make us titan slayers?" "No I said like a Titan and would you let me talk!" A stern glare quieted the interruptions momentarily and the old spirit continued. "She is more powerful even then Titans and predates the very world herself. The humans know her as mother nature and even they know she is a force to be reckoned with. She has domain of all nature in every way. From how things work to what happens to flaws, to perfections." Master Flo looked to the pupil to ensure he still had his full attention. "She has existed for a very, very, very long time.

But she is tired of being held up with the responsibility of her entire domain. So she createrd the sages and gave them power and wisdom and granted them access to her forbidden kingdom of Eden which normal mortals may never enter. They however were not enough. As wise and removed as they were the old hermits were either to far from civilization to be useful in protecting and promoting nature among it or they were to close and ended up being corrupted. So she needed someone new. Someone who loved nature unrelentlessley, could lead others around them and persuade people to stand with him and unite more then he destroys. I don't fit all those qualities but I came close enough to be a place warmer for Mother Nature's true intended heir. So she made me king and gave me access to Eden. I fought a long bloody war with all of humanity to preserve nature as they sought to devour everything as mortals are bound to do. End the end after 100's of years I'd finally been killed but by that time many mortals had forgotten even the purpose of the war all they understood was fear. So after that fear, myself, were eleminated it was easy for me to work beyond the grave to ensure nature was safe from them and their ancestors in a less direct manner.So for the past Eon and millinea I have been preserving her domain and waiting and waiting, and waiting...for you. For mother nature's true chosen heir. to guide, and teach, and help you on your path to becoming king of all nature so that mother nature may finally rest.

This is the important job she tasked to me but I am finally running at the end of my power. I can no longer draw my own strength to manifest in your world and it is too much a strain to try and even reach your mind. So now will be the last chance. I was a fool to believe I had enough time back then. I was wrong. I'm afraid I doddled around playing father more than I did being a proper teacher to you and for that I'm sorry." Megálos shook his head vehmently as if casting off demons. "Don't say that. I'm glad you were like a father to me then! I don't know where I would be if you hadn't...." Megálos couldn't finish it. Couldn't bring himself to say the words but the old man placed an understanding hand on his arm as if to say he need not say any more. "I know." He whispered tears leaking from his eyes. "My boy, I know! But I have still failed you because I must teach you years worth of lessons in about a week before the Gem of Time tears you away. I have placed a burden on your shoulders young king and given you a title you never wanted to reclaim." "It's ok Pops for you I'd take on the universe!" The old spirit gave a chocked half laugh, half sob. "I know my boy but for now rest. You have much to learn tomorrow."

---

So for the remainder of the day the two enjoyed the baths laughing and reminiscing and the old man taught him a few spells for tomorrows lessons and sparring. The two relaxed and enjoyed the day for they knew they'd have to deal with the blood of tomorrow.

"That's it! Come on faster, faster,faster!" Megálos felt the sweat dripping from his sore muscles as he moved at the speed of lightning his King's Colors encasing his entire body as he traded blows with Master Flo. Master Flo had explained to him that they were in the Forbidden Kingdom of Eden. The place was HUGE! And there was green everywhere. It would probably take years to explore the entire garden. Apparently while in the garden all his powers were multiplied times ten. So he was capable of things here that he would not yet even be able to handle once he'd left not for a while at least. He'd already learned so many new spells and abilities that he wouldn't even be able to use until he was at least A rank or higher and some B rank ones too.

But he learned plenty that he could use at his current strength too. He learned to perfect what would become his signature move. The ability that was so similar to a slayer's roar. He learned some new spells based off the power's of Eden itself. At the moment he was polishing his old skills until they advanced themselves. Megálos and his master were an indiscernible pair of blurs. Today they sparred at the Pride Rock Megálos had spotted on his first day there. Master Flo set the boundary of how far he was allowed to evade up to the confines or the Pride Rock and the small grassland area that surrounded the rock which was adorned only in dandelions. No one was allowed to seek shelter in the surrounding trees that surrounded the rock in a near perfect circle. The Lions looked on at the battle with lazy interest as if unconcerned by the powerful combatant's and the danger their fight might bring to them.

There were lions, lionesses, and lion cubs and the weird thing about them were they were all in different colors of the rainbow. Yellow, blue, pink, green, etc. You name it. They were spread out all over the battle area on and off the Pride Rock. Another condition in the spar was to ensure not a single lion was harmed. Failure would result in a penalty. "I'm moving as fast as my body can handle you old jerk!" Megálos complained as he moved faster than he felt he should ever be able to in the first place. "Not fast enough!" Your power will increase with your growth and the physical attributes of that power will be doubled, tripled, and quadrupled each time. If you can't keep up with youur own power when the time comes... IT. WILL. DESTROY. YOU!" The last four words were reinforced by solid punches to Megálos's right side, left cheek, left side, and gut.

In that order. He was sent flying but recovering mid air he flipped so his legs were positioned behind him letting them get a sturdy grip on a tree for a second before spring boarding off back toward master Flo literally breaking the sound barrier as he countered catching Master Flo in the gut with a well placed super sonic knee and sending him flying back only to recover at the last second ad land softly onto the ground. "Excellent" Master Flo beamed up at Megálos who landed in a nearby tree after the attack, with blood leaking from his mouth. Somewhere in the distance the birds and trees around him began chattering and the lions yawned sleepily. This was their cue to stop it was the next morning. They had spent the entire day training and sparring from sunrise to sunset, to sunrise. Now it was the next day. Which meant time to rest for a few hours and spend some time catching up with his master. It was very hard convincing the old spirit for the day off after all. So he'd earned it for multiple reasons.

---

After a short rest Megálos and his master walked to the lake he had seen as well on his first day there. Two days here and he'd already, seen, learned, and done so much. The castle was amazing there were doors everywhere leading to everything you could imagine in a castle and then some and everything was made with the unique wood, which he now knew to be EdoWood from Master Flo, and marble that the castle exterior was made with. Plus cloths and other materials you can imagine to find in a castle. The lake was large and beautiful there were many aquatic, and amphibious animals lounging in and around it and even some land only animals laying beside the bank. He splashed in happily naked as nature intended along with his master just as uncovered. The only thing Megálos kept on were his bandages. Master Flo pointed them out in curiosity.

"Do you still wear those my son. Does that burden still weigh you down so." There was a sadness in his voice like that of a father who did not know how to comfort their child. The best Megálos could manage was a sad smile. He could not manage to show fake emotions to his master as he did with the mortals back in his world. "Don't worry about it Pops. Some wounds may never heal but in time they fade." Megálos tenderly hugged his bandaged abdomen and back a distracted look on his face. "Something on your mind son." Pops asked silently, cautiously. As if afraid he'd scare away a jumpy wounded pup. "Just remembering the day I'd decided I'd never stop wearing these." Megalos replied with a mirthful chuckle. "You mean the day you returned to your old kingdom." Pops commented sardonically. "The day you returned to your kingdom and told the villagers what had happened to you and your brother?"

Megálos nodded and swam circles around the old spirit as he watched him hawkishly ensuring the young mage was okay. "A month after that incident when I had finished mourning the death of my last brother I returned to my kingdom to take it back, exact revenge, and protect the people there. I told them of the truth. What happened to us and where I'd gone." Megálos's expression darkened. "They called me a demon, said I was a beast of the underworld haunting there king. They blamed me for allowing my uncle to take over and ruin their lives. They hated me for not being there to babysit them. And they were disgusted at the fact that I suffered and was defeated.

They were disgusted and named me weak, and they threw stones and rotten fruits at me. Took out all their hate, fear, and malice on me. Forced me to leave feeling lower then dirt and WORST of all proclaimed their LOVE and PREFERENCE for their SUPERIOR KING. That MONSTER, they only wanted, THAT MONSTER." Megálos shook with rage and sadness and a thousand other feelings with that he couldn't even name or at least that's how he felt about it only to be comforted by a firm reassuring squeeze on his shoulder by Pops hand. "Humans can be very weak at times my son but some are yet Strong!" With those words they enjoyed the rest of their swimming in the lake with idle chatter and much lighter conversation.

Megálos pitched forward. Prince Fotiá and a gigantic Owl-like spirit beast were locked in battle with a gigantic bear-like spirit. He still wasn't 100% sure where the owl had come from but when it was just Prince Fotiá struggling against Mr. Monster Kuma he'd wished for someone backup to help and suddenly the owl had appeared making it a much more even match. As for himself Megálos had taken the form of the red sun ape his ancestors favored from. He was an ape with completely red fur and the lightning of King's Color radiated off of his body. Megálos flew at Master Flo over and over again trading punches and kicks like this. They stood precariously on top of the waterfall Megálos had seen on his first day there. They jumped from stone to stone between the rapids and sometimes even tumbled onto one of the banks wary of the right bank as that's were they're animal comrades were battling it out. "Servant King-Embody! Light is my heart all worldly things disappear." Megálos could feel the wind rush around him, through him, filling him, becoming him. He soared into the air and the old spirit laughed as he soared up to meet the young spirit-man in the air.

      Flying down to meet him in the middle Megálos and the old spirit flew into each other letting there foreheads but as magic and electricity exploded in a burst at the contact point bursting outward as the two were thrown away from each other. Stopping themselves in the air they smiled at each other. Spirit to Red Ape. "That the best you got Pops!" Megálos flew forward again his right am extended as he secretly called out a mental order to Prince Fotiá. As Master Flo began to fly up to meet him again Megalos cast a quick spell. "Seeking King-Obey!" A geyser of pressurized water shot up at were Master Flo was a few seconds before but he'd dodged at the last second but just as he was dodging Megalos appeared suddenly through the geyser and aimed a ferocious ape punch which managed to scratch Master Flo as he struggled to dodge the surprise maneuver flying upward to the side to dodge away but just then Megálos's  Phoenix comrade appeared just then headbutting the out-maneuvered spirit in the chest and bursting into flame upon contact inflicting an extra big fiery punch and allowing Megálos a surprise midair spinning kick that sent the old spirit crashing to the ground. Back on the right bank the owl had managed to corner the bear now that he was finally fighting solo and was very close to winning that battle. With a well placed Aerial assault that gave Mr. Kuma a big face full of wing he knocked his opponent out and the bear disappeared as summons do. Master Flo stood impressed  as the sun began peeking from the horizon signaling the next day. Master Flo spit out a quick take of blood. "Good Job. Now let's go eat."



      "Where are we going?" Master Flo laughed at his pupils impatience. "Strength is not only how hard you can throw a punch my son. Besides do you not enjoy a nice peaceful walk with your Sensei through Mother Nature's beauty?" Megálos grumbled a bit eliciting another chuckle from Master Flo before lightening up a bit. "Jeez first you say that I need to hurry up and learn, then you tell me to slow down. Heh. Crazy old spirit."  Megálos smiled to himself truly relaxing for the first time in a long while. "Makes me think of the first few years you walked with me everywhere and taught me to use my powers as we traveled." They were surrounded by trees. They had gone past the waterfall exploring more of the seemingly endless kingdom of Eden. "As I remember back then you barely spoke a word to anyone for the longest and I had to wrestle to get you to even to talk to me. Then when you finally learned to come out of your shell or at least imitate the emotions of others." Megálos felt his ears turn red at the reminder of his angstful early youth. "Yeah you were pretty persistent Pops." Master Flo smiled down at him before taking him to another clearing filled with low growing grass barren but two very ancient looking tree's he could not determine the specific type of. Both tree's hummed either oblivious or ignoring everything that surrounded them. One held fruit that glowed violet and purple with skin that resembled the Cosmos and deep space or at least what Megálos imagined they would look like. The other fruit held golden shinning fruit that sang in their branches a song with the beauty of a sirens.

      These mighty ancient trees and their celestial fruit glowed and called with a nearly irresistible magic that if Megálos had been a normal human he's sure he would have ran over and plucked a fruit himself but instead he just looked on in awe and very wary caution. Those ancient powerful beings practically screamed of danger! He wasn't stupid he kept his distance. "That is amazing." Master Flo looked on at him in apparent awe. "What?" Master Flo turned his eyes back to the trees in repressed longing. "There has never been a single human, celestial, god, demon, dragon, or any other being that has found there way to these tree's and not attempted to eat from it or succeed to do so. No one could resist and it took even the wise sages and myself weeks to months to gain the self control to be in their presence." Megálos shied away from his master's appraising eyes blushing. "Whatever, no big deal or anything," Megalos mumbled as he continued to keep his distance from the trees. "That is the tree of life." Master Flo pointed to the cosmos fruit tree. "That is the Tree of Knowledge of All Good and Evil." He pointed to the tree with the Golden singing fruit. "Once the time comes everything in this kingdom, every piece of nature, and these two trees themselves...they'll all be yours. They will all be apart of your domain and Mother nature will finally get to rest." Megálos struggled to take all of this in. To be responsible for so much. For all of it to be his. Could he really keep this kingdom together...

---

"How the time has run so quickly. Today will be the last full day I have you. This is the most critical point. Today will be split in half. The first half will consist of training your body and power. The second half your knowledge, skill, and ability. Come I have a special battle ground for us today." Master Flo held out his right hand to Megálos. A gesture that was a blast from the past for Megálos one of the paternal moments he'd cherished from the old spirit when he was young. He took his master's hand. There was fatherly warmth in his grip and with a mysterious smile and a nod the scene before them changed in the blink of an eye. The most prominent feature of their new surroundings was a gigantic circle of dirt that must have been 50 feet all around, with spiraling lines as if someone had taken a huge rake and circled the spot to the very center. Secondly there was a bunch of natural obstacles that littered the circular field. There were rocks and boulders that jutted up every once in a while; some jagged, some smooth, others point, others round.

There were tall trees and small trees scattered here and there some surrounded by bushes or bushes with thorns some surrounded by rocks and boulders or vines. Some trees even held fruit. And these were just an example of some of the nature related obstacles that could be found as there were plenty more and probably some hidden as well, but despite the obstacle course the area still consisted of mostly the coffee brown spiraling dirt from the circle and as such there were plenty of huge chunks barren with nothing but the dirt. But perhaps the most surprising feature of this new space was the blood that littered the ground in different area's and the reek of blood and rotting meet as well as some predatory animals that were currently using the field whose purpose was clearly to let predators rip each other apart. "Where the hell are we?" Master Flo turned to Megálos with a grim smile. "This is Predator's Playground. Every once in a while when there's a problem between predators that can't be settled they come here to spill the blood. After all battles have been fought and the place isn't used for a certain amount of time the blood and gore disappear from the field and the smell of blood is slightly less overwhelming.

Today I'll be fighting you with the intent to kill and I expect you to do the same if you go easy on me once or try to refuse you will die and I will not hold back. No complaints or excuses! Are you ready?" Unable to do much else Megálos nodded and with that Master Flo barked a quick order to the straggling Predator combatants to clear the field and once they did the field completely renewed itself. As Master Flo disappeared and reappeared on the far end of the field opposite to where they had stood Megalos took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled knowing the moment he stepped on the field it would begin in earnest. Megálos lifted his right foot and lifted it over the edge of the circular field hovering for a moment then with a steely resolve he placed it firmly down. The second the deed was done Megálos felt it coming before he'd had his foot down barely a second and his body reacted on instinct and that innate ability of self-preservation that humans have for survival, causing him to jump high up into the air as a circular prison of razor sharp pointed triangular rocks jumped from the ground closing their jaws around the phantom of his body where he had been only a second before. Megálos transformed midair into a phoenix and flew away from the area dodging around balls of pressurized air that suddenly formed and started their attempt to take a bite out of him.

A very permanent bite. Maneuvering till he was 10 feet away from a retreating Master Flo who was still steadily attacking with pockets of air and random earthly projectiles, Megálos transformed back into a human and with a flick of his hand razor sharp vines ripped up from the ground around the old spirit spiraling around him and suddenly squeezing shut instantly before they'd gotten all the way around, but not quick enough as they found a dummy made of leaves. Megálos maneuvered himself in the air curling his body in to fend against the incoming impact and as predicted the old spirit appeared behind him in his vulnerable position in the air a ball of boiling hot solar energy blasting from his hand as Megálos exuded a spherical shield of ice cold Lunar energy from his body nullifying the blast. Twisting in the air he shot forward bending the air around him so that he appeared like a JUMBO speeding bullet. Encasing his body in lightning almost as an afterthought. The air and lightning spiraled around him in a lethal dance as the old spirit prepared a counter for the sudden attack. Suddenly 7 walls of Ice fueled with blue flames appeared before Megálos could so much as blink causing him to fly through all the walls with nothing but the force of his rocketed attack. It took some of the edge off the impact as Megálos still managed enough force to bludgeon into the old spirit. With some rolling and scraping the ground bellow the two parties struggled in a very non-magical, good old fashioned wrestle.

Breaking apart Megálos decided it was time to finish this. He summoned a power deep down inside him and unlocked an ability he never knew he had. As he grasped the power in his hand he started to feel weird, queasy even. As he began to bring this mysterious power to the fore front the sudden influx in nature energy and potency in power knocked him mentally unconscious but yet he still moved. His magic and his will was in charge now. As the sleeping king slept with rolled back white eye's his body grew huger and huger until he was easily 15 feet tall and his body became greener and more woody like an oak. Power magnified his voice with an authority beyond his current strength and light and energy radiated from his eyes and both making him seem all the more ethereal. "It ends here." There was no cockiness in the tone of the magnified voice, nor anger, nor regret. It was devoid then the giant raised it's hand and brought it down. Then there was a blinding flash of golden light that enveloped everything...

Megálos came to two hours later, bone tired and scruffed from the fight but with no memory of the new power he used or anything during or after it. The gap in his memory was disconcerting but a quick look through his surroundings and he spotted his teacher nursing more wounds than him and struggling to move properly. The man had somehow developed a limp that had not been there before Megálos's gap in his memory.Sparing his master the time it would take to hobble across the utterly broken and desiccated field, that was already repairing itself now that the fight was over, Megálos quickly made his way to the old spirit and after a few healing spells had the man up and about again. "Right, that'll definitely do then! Come we are nearly finished here my boy." "Master what exactly happened at the end there." Megálos proceeded to inform the old spirit what of the gap in his memory. Master Flo chuckled. "It seems there are still yet some things you're not ready to grasp. Don't worry when the time comes you'll remember it all." Master Flo waved his hand ceremoniously and the entire surroundings changed. They were at the bottom of the water fall now standing on a large slab of bedrock that extended from the waterfall into part of the river that it flowed into until it connected to a portion of the right side of the shore.

The water from the waterfall flooded around the bedrock instead of across it as if it was being diverted by some unseen force. Megálos could sense the natural magic that was holding the waterfall's ferocity away from the bedrock. on the right shore there was a huge jungle with enormous trees. Megálos could not be sure just how far it stretched. On the left shore there were grassland plains with grass taller then even some trees he'd encountered definitely taller then him. As such he could not tell how far they stretched either and was hard pressed to guess what could possibly be found in them. Master Flo took a seat folding his legs together in the standard meditation position. Then after a moment motioned for Megalos to do the same. Reluctantly Megálos obeyed. He knew better than to try to force an answer out of the old spirit when Master Flo decided that none would be forthcoming. He watched as his master closed his and began the standard breathing excises. Taking a moment to relax completely un-tensing his muscles from the fight and reaching for a small sense of inner tranquility,  Megálos copied his Master's movements closing his eyes and beginning to breathe. After an hour he could feel his surroundings pressing in on him. The voices of nature around began to blend and blur into one strange voice that seemed to speak a language he understood perfectly without understanding at all. Eden was definitely no normal place, let alone a normal garden Megálos realized. He knew for a fact what he needed to do next without his Master having to say a word. He reached for his magic down to the very core and felt it resonate with the many voices that had become one and resonate with the power, magic, and life force of all his surroundings. He felt himself connect to Nature on a level he hadn't known possible.

The garden was now an extension of him.He could see everything that was going on in the garden at once, could feel all that lived and died in his domain and could manipulate the garden as he pleased. With a though he sprouted two oak saplings and made them immediately into oak trees. Another thought and a new plot of quicksand appeared in a jungle. The vastness of this so called garden even as he was connected to everything gave off the impression that the garden might be limitless. Connected as he was even he should not comprehend it all. This was truly a goddesses domain. With a shudder Megálos finally allowed the direct connection to slip away but even as he was disconnected he could feel a permanent connection settle in the back of his mind. No matter what he would always have a strong connection to Eden."You are connected to all of nature! It is your birthright as well as your responsibility. From this day forward you will move forward with your destiny of fulfilling the conditions to finish your ascension to being King of all Nature. This path you must walk for yourself!" Megalos frowned slightly but nodded in understanding. He now knew how to connect to Nature on an even deeper level. He could feel the elements pressing at the back of his mind ready to be called upon with just a simple a call of their name. "Lightning, Fire, Ice.....Dance!" The named elements came forth and danced in a beautiful synchronized motion flowing into one another every once in awhile but each individually streaking around the pair with the utmost of grace. "Air come to me, swift and just, bring on thine, the scent of lilies and cherry blossoms." The air around them alighted with the sweet scents of the flowers humming with beauty. "It is time for the new age to begin. Come we must begin the ceremony!" With that Master Flo briskly led Mega to the castle. Once inside he could see the castle had redecorated itself in illustrious decorations of green, gold and silver! They went to the ballroom which was filled to brimming with Nature Spirits, Sprites, Satyrs, Nymphs, and all the other denizens of nature! And all of them....All of them were stark naked!

When he turned to ask Master Flo he saw a sight he would never unsee ever. I'm sure you can imagine what. "This ceremony is to crown you as the new successor. This is a rite of Mother Nature as such we do it in our most natural form...Birthday Suits!" After a little muttering about perverted old spirits Megálos dropped his loincloth and as Master Flo led the way with Megalos making sure he wasn't looking at the old spirit He was led to the front of the ballroom. The ceremony passed in a haze with a lot of it being blocked out by a haze of green magic letting him know that he was not yet ready to know what had been said and done in those parts of the ceremony but as it came toward a close Master Flo carried a small solid gold crown with a singl emerald in it's center as it's only decoration. "As I place this crown upon your head Megálos Aderfós heir to Eden, Mother Nature's Successor. You shall take upon yourself all rights and responsibilities as the new king of Nature and be dubbed the title Kingling Megálos Aderfós, Successor to Eden, Heir to Mother Nature and with this placement of the crown my time will come to an end. This will be goodbye my son..." Megálos glanced up sharply opening his mouth to protest but with a solemn shake of the head Master Flo silenced him. With the silent message that this had to be done. It was simply the way of things. Megálos could feel tears sting his eyes as he realized this may be the last time he ever saw the old spirit. This might truly be the final goodbye. As Master Flo finished up he let the tears flow freely now and picking up on their soon to be new lieges emotions there was not a dry eye in the house. "Do you accept this role and the responsibilities it entails? Do you have any objections?" Not able to bring himself to speak Megálos simply shook his head. Nodding Master Flo brought the crown down with a...

"So let it be," before placing neatly on his head as well as sliding his hands down to wipe the tears from his face in the same fluid motion. And with that time and space once again distorted around him and spat him out in his private room in his guild with his loincloth back tied around his waist and the simple crown still sitting solemnly upon his head. A reminder that this was not all just some delusional dream. There in the silence and safety of his room Megálos  cried for the third time in his life big flowing tears and let the tears rock him to sleep until tomorrow brought what it would.




(Pic chosen for the tears ignore the outfit)