The Shapeshifter

'Knock! Knock! Knock!'

A series of loud rhythmic knocks echoed outside the bedroom door. It wasn't the kind of sound that would irritate ones ear and make others go ape mad, but it was gentle like a parent waking up their child.

Even then, Alex, who was asleep suddenly opened his eyes as if he woke up from a terrible nightmare. His bones creaked as he slowly sat down. The muscles on his body was in pain, it was like the exercise from before was his first after decades of doing nothing.

"Hey kid, the spar would commence in an hour. It's already 11 in the morning. You better move that muscle of yours."

Just from the voice alone, he knew it was the Big Baldie. It must be because he haven't really communicated with the other tribe members.

"Alright. Thank you!" was what Alex answered.

'Oh man. I have to win this one. Rezhul is younger than me by two years, it would've been a joke if I lost.'

He could definitely win if he used his magic. Then again, what's the point of it being a spar against a weapon user?

Still, Rezhul received proper training from his tribe while he had none.

'Maybe if I lost the Big Baldie would teach me something aside from the exercise, since

it worked pretty well. So should I win or should I lose?'

While he was pondering about the match, he stood up lazily and looked for his equipments.

First was his favorite low-grade defensive artifact, the maroon cape along with the brooch from the sand palace. Next was the bracers; where the said poisonous dagger was sheathed. The Emperor said it was already refined for his use, so the poison could probably be triggered only by him. Unless he had to, he decided against using it.

Then there was also that normal looking sword with the red gem that he took from the palace, so it might be of some value.

After making sure that he's fully equipped, he walked out of his room and saw the Big Baldie waiting for him at the front door.

"You aren't gonna shower or do some ritual stuff before you fight?"

"I'm good. Besides, rituals were like hundreds of years ago. Let's go!" with a happy mood, he went out of the house before the Big Baldie.

When they got out of the tribe, they move through a forked path and entered a clearing. In there, Alex could see tens of humans or rather, the tribesmen. He could see some of the people that he passed by yesterday.

As they got closer to the said venue, Alex could hear voices as if it was whispering something next to his ear.

The moment the Big Baldie and him got into a certain range from those people, as if it was scripted, all of those people looked their way.

A chill ran down his spine as he mumbled, 'That is creepy. Like those in the... movies?'

Upon noticing that Alex stopped, the Big Baldie held his wrist tightly and slowly moved back until their vision of the clearing was blocked by the trees.

"Who are they?" Alex asked softly. The image of those people looking at him kept on popping up in his head.

"Those guys. They're of the tribe, but they follow a some unknown deity. We're lucky that we did not interrupt them." the Big Baldie said with a slight frown on his face.

The Big Baldie led him once more, and moved around those heretics. Then they finally saw a small crowd of teenagers.

"There they are!", someone exclaimed.

Some laughed and some nodded, but they cannot argue the fact that they are indeed lacking.

Alex and Rezhul was given a minute or two to organize their thoughts and check their equipments. Even if it was only a spar, they should still focus and take the fight seriously since there were also the others who would like to learn from them.

'I thought there would only be three of us here today. I guess I really cannot lose.' he sighed. He didn't think that there would be others watching the fight and was actually preparing a dramatic loss. Upon seeing the crowd, he decided not to lose because he was afraid of becoming a laughing stock.

But that was not the only reason he had to win the match, what made him steel himself was the heretics.

His skin crawls whenever the scene of the heretics emerges inside his head. That's why he didn't want them to see him as a pushover. Even if he couldn't see them, he thinks that some might be watching their movements. He has watched enough movies to know what they can do.

Alex hurriedly suppressed the fear acc.u.mulating inside him and closed his eyes to focus.

"You two, come over here." The booming voice of the Big Baldie woke him up from his stupor and immediately stood up.

"Okay, so the rules are simple. No poking of the eyes, as much as possible aim away from the neck and no low blows. Understood?"

"Yes!" Both of them answered.