Keeper Of Tartarus

The morning light is bright upon my face. I wonder where I am as I take in my surroundings, "Great! Was I sleeping on my terrace, hold a sec this is not my place"

As I check around I could not help but give a chuckle, I find myself in middle of nowhere. When I was a kid I used to have a thing for those Vegas movies, and this place looks like I'm half my way there. Since, an empty desert highway is where I am *yay*.

Yep, people I make fun of every situation though I do not know when I am being harsh or humorous, anyways I am half way to my dreamland for that I take solace in this 'l am lost and I do not know where situation'.

I sigh thinking of dreams, "hmmm did Alexia actually kissed me? And the thing that happened yesterday, did it really happen?"

Shaking my head, I came to a conclusion I am dreaming again and still in it. Since, I don't feel like I could ask myself to wake up and I'm at the top of some woody cabin, "man my dreams are getting weirder and realer" I guess I could look around for some coffee. Now, this is weird I never felt hungry or thirsty in my dreams. Well f.u.c.k it, things happened are way weirder.

"Well things are weirder because this isn't a dream", rang the musical voice of Alexia.

Being snapped me out of my mind war, I was a bit startled too because I took up my fighting pose that sort of looked awkward cause I'm crouching a bit with my hands held high towards a pretty creature, who's offering me coffee.

A tip to the aspiring male youth I do not know whether this move scares off your opponents but this sure could be a date disaster.

Having said that and being the only male around who's stupid enough to do that, giving a sheepish smile I put my fist down and took the coffee from her.

"Well don't be embarrassed I did startle you given recent events."

While guzzling down my coffee my eyes widened to the realization that all that happened was real! Taking up all that the incidents were true and that hellacious macabre creature was all true! I suddenly feel nauseated and the grimacing look of that thing is still fresh in my memory.

"It's alright David I'm here for you. It has to go through me this time, I'm sorry" alexia said again and again holding me and convincing my hyper flooded mind, when I calmed down, curiosity replaced my concerned feeling holding onto me.

she spoke softly "we will talk but you need something to eat now, I've made pancakes downstairs" when it comes to food and argument I don't even have to think, argument loses, as I only open my mouth to shovel in food. Come on, I need energy to think so pancakes it is then! I'm a very rational thinker.

I never knew that such a simple dish could taste so good when you are damn hungry or is Ale a great cook. Hmmm? Well if you were wondering "Ale" is Alexia's nickname by me and yes, you are thinking rite, Ale means booze. I have my reasons she is damn good and a very bad habit.

"nice pancakes I thought my girlfriend used to cook wonders, you are not so bad getting this comment from a dude who had awesome food 24/7", all she gave was a knowing smile as I gobbled down.

I do not know how many I ate it must have been 30 of the pancakes? 'man this girl is loaded with mysteries' I thought to myself and I heard her chuckle like she could hear me think 'this is getting freaky and creepy I wonder what will happen to me since I ate what she gave me' and suddenly she gave me a stern look.

"David you can trust me more than that"

"What? Why? How did u? I didn't say anything!" was all I could stammer, for her vocal reply for my verbal thought

"David finish your non poisoned breakfast, you need the strength after your encounter with the reaper as you earthlings call it"

Suddenly her statement hit me, 'did she say earthlings? What is she then?' I kept eating thinking about all of the possibilities as if the pancakes are like 'spinach for Popeye' and I could somehow get inhumanly strength to battle if things get awkward

"Hahaha do you know the reason why I wanted to be your girlfriend rather than any relative in your life because you know how to make a girl laugh even at the hardest of time"

That does it! There is too much weird shit! Pancakes lose! I need answers! And I'm about to voice my though when I heard her say.

"Let us talk then."

"Would you please stop reading my mind?"

"It is too creative and humorous David I'm too much tempted."

"Glad you get your entertainment, I'm not some comic book in a library."

"Hahaha, a comic book? Can't you think of any m.a.t.u.r.e reference?"

'well she does have a point, but I never believed maturity is reflected in words, its proved in actions' not wanting to state my again not so m.a.t.u.r.e defense, I just shrugged.

"Oh David I know, that's why I love you."

"Whoa missy I have a girlfriend as soon as I get up from this dream. I'm more likely to spend most of my days with her in my 'real life' and I love her and I love being with her" I said all that I felt about my girlfriend expecting a defeated look, instead my voice grew down and her smile beamed.

'Hmmm' my luck in life so far was nothing expect my girlfriend. She's such an angel to look at, very successful career, more of a major bread winner at home, my constant motivator, my caretaker, and my mother. Yeah, I know too extreme but missing the care and love of my mother at the age of 12, my girlfriend makes up for all the love I lost and more in abundance. She even has the same name as my mother 'Sarah'.

Lost in my train of thoughts I miss to see Ale softly crying and smiling at me. That is when I got a bit confused, well more confused to be exact.

I am a man of fewer compliments. I save them for the days where repeated words does little justice for the emotion I'm dealing with and Sarah also cries and smiles the very same with the very same puppy eyes and cute dimples that she makes when she makes the funny crying smiling face.

Instantly I reached up and held her, she quietly sobbed, after she got her composure back.

" listen Ale it's nice and fun. Thanks for whatever you're protecting me from, but I got to get back home."

"There is no place safe for you back there."

"Ha-ha you've gone totally bonkers, I was about to ask you for the way, but I guess I'll find it."

"You'll never find your way out David and you're defenseless without me."

"Now listen to me lady, for all the care you've bestowed upon me I'm grateful. If, there is something fierce out there lurking for me, I can face it myself, besides what can a pretty girl do anyway? You are going to cry for help like a helpless girl. Which you actually are? Now get out of my way."

"Oh so now I'm a helpless girl huh? Well let's see deadly David, beat me in a fight, and you will be at your home in the next hour"

"You're not worth as my opponent and not worth my time, and if you are going to make a wager make it reasonable. My house, next hour If beat u? We're in the middle of nowhere"

"I believe in my abilities, what you've got to lose? Unless you're being a chicken that is, Deadly David?"

"You're testing my patience Alexia."

-WHAM- unbelievably I was knocked back few feet gliding with the impact.

"What the hell…" -WHAM- I cough out blood.

"You're on babe, oh you're definitely on, not because you're a tough chick, like the saying goes you hit like a girl, but I love taming wild horses."

"All you're going to do is talk?"

"Why don't you try to shut me up?"

As Ale tried a roundhouse kick to the face I dodged it right in time and prepare for a counter attack on her lower back, yeah kidney punch is not advised but I got to shut her down, the quicker I do it, it's best for her.

"just worry about yourself David" saying so she easily dodged my punch and used my momentum for a takedown as I did a roll on I was awarded with punch to my jaw and the impact is so hard I hit the wall which was quite some far from me.

'Damn she hits harder than I thought, need to take her balance down, her staggering moment is my time for offence' while I formulate my plan Ale smirks at me like it's no good at all.

Just as I thought when I made a crouched attack to her legs to knock her down. She did a jumping spinning kick like she knew my plan long before I formulated it, because a complicated counter move like spinning kick at this early of the fight needs precise planning.

She had her grin fixated and she went in for the kill. I was connected to a series of attack starting a kick to my c.h.e.s.t to knock my wind out before I could comprehend the situation, I was to deal literally with a power kick to the face and before I felt the ground smack me. Ale dived in with a mean left elbow and started pummeling me. She used the dragon bite where a series of high-powered punches and elbow dealt to one's upper torso's weak points.

I coughed blood, which I spit on her face to get her distracted and throw her off me with the little strength I could muster and I staggered to stand up spitting blood.

She reads my mind; I am absolute. I have to fight without thinking, without emotions, I should be on deadly survival mode, the old man had thought me a fighting technique called the "Iron scaled blind dragon" it's a technique of zero offence as the user will not be availed to be offensive in battle. However, so as the opponent. In the technique the defense is so tight, one cannot land a blow while the other is using the technique. Hence the name iron scale, it's highly impenetrable. The blind dragon is termed as the user of the technique fights with closed eyes relaying on his other senses.

I take my stance feeling the surrounding, feeling my heartbeat, feeling the air, feeling the space and my entire surrounding

"A blind technique; huh? You're no good with your eyes open" saying so she attacked again

-Connect- right fist

-Connect-abdomen punch

-Connect- uppercut

"You really think I cannot see through your defense, think again David"

Saying so, she came for an attack, for my senses register her coming angle and speed from the sound and vibrations on the floor, and as she is, close enough now the shift in the air gave away her attacking appendage at what angle and what speed

-Block- her right hook

-Block- her left kick

-Dodge- her floor swipe

-Dodge- her rights elbow

-Blind spot- as she twisted with her force I feel the blind spot on her back, her kidney

-Counter attack- right punch, impact to her left kidney she staggered forward

"How did you…" is all she managed to say in disbelief

The blind dragon is not the best offensive style, but it's one of the best ever for counter attacks and blind spots as the technique reads the opponent with extreme precession, one's instincts becomes a superfast computer always calculating at a sub-conscious level

She leapt in with rage

-Dodge- right kick

-Dodge- spinning left kick

-Block- fist to face

-Blind spot- abdomen

-Counter- right fist

-Chain attack- knee to face, impact lifts her off the ground

-Blind spot- lower jaw

-Chain attack – powered right kick to the lower jaw throws her in mid air

-Chain attack finisher- lift off spinning jump, double foot-powered stamp dealt to the lungs

The impact lands her abruptly breaking the wooden floor, I thank the dragon for its senses lent to me and open my eyes check the damage. Ale's worse for wear and knocked out cold.