Renegade Rising (The Renegade Series) (49 page)

“Thinking hard, I see? Weighing the options? I’m curious to find out what you come up with,” Shax taunted. Gisbo gripped his sword handle, swung it back and thrust it forward in the direction of the small boy. A swirling ball of red energy soared from the powered blade and struck the boy right in the head, causing him to topple over.
Bullseye
, Gisbo thought and smiled when the boy didn’t get up.

“My, my! You sought to stun the boy! Right in the head even! Why, with just a little more essence, it would have certainly killed him! What recklessness … interesting to say the least. However smart that tactic may have been, it is of no avail. I’m controlling his mind even now. For you to truly knock this boy out of consciousness, you would have to do it through the source . . . me. And we both know you can’t do that. Still, if you killed him . . . severed his head from his shoulders . . .” Shax tempted. Gisbo gritted his teeth.

Where was Rolce when you needed him? He always took care of the thinking department! How was Gisbo supposed to get out of this without him? Gisbo looked down at his sword, then over to the children. Kill one to save many? Was this an option? Either way, Shax would repeat the cycle . . . but what if he killed the new Man-Phoenix? Then all would be solved! They wouldn’t be able to return and without a Sybil for Drakearon, he wouldn’t be able to cross over! But who was this Man-Phoenix? He couldn’t just kill all the children! He’d never be able to live with himself…wouldn’t be able to live with one innocent death either, but if it was the only way . . .

“Which one is the Man-Phoenix?” Gisbo blurted out.

“Would you really kill one of your own? All are needed, but only one is essential. So, you figure if you're going to kill one, you might as well make it count. Am I right? Oh what fun this is! And about to get better: I will tell you and we shall see what you decide to do. The Man-Phoenix is the boy right in front of you, Jackobi Foxblade!” Shax said, laughing hysterically.

No! Out of all of them, why Jackobi? The very person he wanted to save! Kill the one person that had driven him here in the first place? Gisbo’s head began to hurt. This was just too much for anyone to handle. He could kill Jackobi and end it forever . . . could he? Could he really? He could most certainly kill Shax on a whim, but to attempt it would be like a fly attacking a flyswatter. No, he had one more option. He had time on his side. If he kept this going, help would come ... but even then, what would happen? He wasn’t sure the portal was open or where the cave was, for they’d have to fly here. Rolce knew where he was and he would tell. Yes, they were coming…if time ran out, then he would have to do the unthinkable, but it hadn’t yet. Now was time to do what he was best at: time to fight.

At that moment, with one arm, Gisbo threw his sword like a boomerang so it pierced the side of the cave. Pebbles fell and a small crack formed while the clang of metal on stone echoed across the ceiling and walls.

“So then, you wish to go down fighting? Fine! A Renegade to the end then!” Shax declared and with a wave of his hand, the twenty or so kids broke into a sprint, their sluggish movements a distant memory. Why was he always fighting so many things at once? First the Black Wolf Pack, then an actual wolf pack, and now…a pack of supernatural kids…at least he had Fao by his side.

“Why is it always me? Ready, girl? We gotta survive as long as we can…help's coming, girl, I know it! Let's go!” Gisbo said, charging forth with a battle cry to meet the first batch of rabid contenders.
Just have to survive
, Gisbo thought.

The one who reached him first was Chief Lamik’s son, Malik.
Royalty first
, Gisbo thought as he let out a straight right punch that collided with Malik’s nose. The boy kept charging as if nothing had happened. His head was still bobbing back from the force of Gisbo's blow as he followed it up with a quick left hook, narrowly missing Gisbo, who managed to duck, then followed with an uppercut that lifted Malik off his feet.

Barely hitting the ground before he was on his feet again, Malik showed no signs of pain.
They don’t even feel pain? I’m in trouble …
Gisbo thought. Fao smashed her body into two rushing boys, toppling them to the ground and nimbly leaping out at another one who was closing in on Gisbo’s left.
She’s amazing!
Gisbo thought as he watched her dart back and forth, knocking kids to the ground like a white hurricane.

As Malik rose to his feet, he grabbed a sharp stone and thrust it point first, leaving a bleeding gash across Gisbo's face, right next to the scar he had received from Falcon. Blood trickled from the wound and, with a surge of adrenaline, Gisbo grabbed Malik’s arm, ripped the stone from his grasp and swiped back, clean across his left eye, leaving a gash that reached from Malik's eyebrow to the side of his nose.

Gisbo grabbed the boy by the throat with his left hand and pummeled him in the face with his right fist over and over again - but still to no avail. Malik took each swing without a problem as he grabbed Gisbo by the throat with his own left hand and returned the favor, pummeling Gisbo with his right fist. At first Gisbo felt dull knocks striking his face because the adrenaline numbed the pain - until he was hit straight on the nose. It broke with a sickening crack and moisture obscured his eyes, blinding him while Malik continued to rain blows upon him. Gisbo felt like his face was shattering and Malik showed no signs of stopping.

In his blurry vision, Gisbo noticed that others were closing in. Fao could only keep so many at bay with her darting and tackling. He released Malik’s throat, bent down and wrapped his arms around his mid section, charging forward in a blind spearing tackle. With one swift motion, he picked the Strife prince up off the ground. Using him like a battering ram, Gisbo sprinted forward with a desperate yell as boys were scattered asunder.

The battering ram worked to some degree, until the fallen were back up on their feet with a superhuman agility. They pounced on Gisbo like murderous bunnies. Gisbo couldn’t take the weight of the four people now atop his shoulders. His knees buckled and his legs collapsed as he went down, smashing his battered face into the unforgiving stone floor. He tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth as he tried to desperately to struggle free. Suddenly Fao, his last remaining chance for a savior, was slammed down beside him in a whimper of pain. Gisbo’s eyes met his wolf's moist baby blues for a moment of comfort before Malik grabbed him by his hair and slammed his face repeatedly into the floor.

The first two hits hurt badly before the numbness activated, preventing Gisbo from suffering from the next three hits and the tufts of hair Malik ripped from his scalp.
This is it
, he thought. Time was up. He secretly wished to himself that he had killed Jackobi as he laughed in contempt of his own indecision. He knew he wouldn’t have been able to do it, he just wished he were different. Drakearon would now return and with him, a new age. At least Gisbo could say he had fought his battle hard, to the end.

He knew not where he was going to go, but he wished it was wherever IAM resided. Funny how he had never cared about any of it before; could joke about the notion of life after death so cockily and mock those 'crazy' people, thinking he had it all together. Death had been so far away then, but now here it came, at the hands of some spoiled Strife prince, smashing his face into stone.
Could be worse - could be Thomson or Ranto plowing in my face
, Gisbo thought. What were opinions and points of view now? He remembered all the political arguing in his classes at Oak County. What were they now?
Nothing … absolutely nothing,
Gisbo thought. Many conversations he had with Rolce early in the year floated to the top of his mind. For the first time ever, Gisbo Falcon prayed.

A strange feeling washed over him and yet it was somehow familiar, as his mind went black and he felt the sensation of falling into darkness. Suddenly an arm emerged through the obscurity.
Great
, Gisbo thought,
Shax is going to sacrifice me. This is it, he’s about to grab me.
Contact was made and a flash of blinding light appeared before all went quiet.

Gisbo rubbed his eyes before opening them and was astonished.
Oak County?
Gisbo thought; he couldn’t believe this. He rose to his feet and dusted himself off. He didn’t hurt anymore and there was no blood on him whatsoever. He spun warily around and realized he was right in front of his old schoolhouse, standing on the cobblestone road and still dressed in his Renega attire.
What the hell is going on?
Gisbo thought.

It was then he heard a voice he hadn’t heard for nearly a year
… No way, I’ll kill him!
he thought, as he ran to the back of the schoolhouse and saw Thomson, along with his wolf pack, surrounding a large boy Gisbo didn’t quite recognize. He was a huge kid, hair greasy and dirty, wearing the oldest pair of overalls that were entirely too small for him. He clutched a stack of weathered books to his chest, just below his familiar pale face.
Rolce?

“Listen, Ox, I am sick and tired of hearing my parents ask me, ‘Why don’t you get top grades like that boy Rolce? Why is it always him? You know Rolce comes from nothing. Why aren’t you smarter then a farm boy?’ It makes my freakin’ ears bleed! I’m sick of it! Look Rolce, this is the final exam for this year and you’re gonna let me get top scores, understand? I mean, what do you hope to accomplish getting all those perfect scores anyway? You think your gonna get a job at the castle or something? Look at you, you’re a scrub! And one more thing…” Thomson said in his usual derogatory tone. Gisbo was about to charge when he heard a voice coming from above them all.

“Would you butt holes can it? Somebody’s trying to read up here,” the voice said. All the boy’s eyes wandered up to the tree branch and there, sprawled out along it, leaning against the trunk was ... “That’s me! I’m seeing myself! What the hell is going on?” Gisbo said aloud.

“Shut it, Gizzigo, this doesn’t concern you,” Thomson said.

“Oh the hell it doesn’t. I’m trying to read here and you’re blabbing away like your mouth has diarrhea,” the other Gisbo jeered from his branch.

“Like you would study for the exam anyway,” Thomson said.

“I only read what I want to read - you know, entertaining stuff,” Gisbo said.

“Ah I see, all your little fairy tales. Still wearing that piece of toilet paper ‘round your head too, I see,” Thomson retorted.

“You know, you’d look real nice with a broken nose,” Gisbo parried.

“Oh would I?” Thomson taunted. Gisbo shut his book and rolled off the branch, falling neatly to his feet, startling Thomson.

“Yeah,” Gisbo challenged with a grin, as he grabbed Thomson by the neck. Immediately all the wolf pack gathered around him with fists raised. Gisbo looked at them all, cracked a smile once more, and reeled back his fist to punch.

“That is enough! All of you! Gisbo, back away from Ricard’s son now!” Mr. Foogal bellowed.

“Sure, right after I break his nose,” Gisbo said.

“You hit him, Gisbo, and I fail you immediately, for the year. You will have to repeat this year over again, do you understand me?” Mr. Foogal threatened. Gisbo looked at Thomson and shoved him aside.

“You’d really put up with me for one more year? I doubt it,” Gisbo gibed.

“Better than being fired when General Ricard finds out I was unable to stop his son’s face from being punched in. Now back away, NOW!” Mr. Foogal yelled.

“Stupid mutt…” Thomson taunted.

“The woods, after school. I know you won’t come alone 'cause you’re a gigantic pussy, so bring all your little gang. I’ll kill em’ all,” Gisbo hissed as he made his way through the crowd and into the schoolhouse. The Black Wolf Pack followed them in, leaving Rolce standing by his lonesome. He leaned against the tree, shaking, and sobbed while punching it. The Gisbo dressed in Renega attire looked on. Now that he thought about it, he had completely forgotten how and why he got into that fight. He had no idea, he was just so angry at the time. He didn’t even know Rolce then, only saw his name at the top of the test score chart and assumed he was a goody-goody.

Suddenly, the scene before him melted away and was replaced with an image of the woods. Gisbo stood in the trees, watching himself as the whole starting line of the clash team, the Black Wolf Pack, was staring him down. Now this part Gisbo remembered, only now he noticed that Rolce was standing behind the tree next to him!
Rolce was here? Rolce stood and watched me fight ten guys? No way!
Gisbo thought.

Gisbo saw himself charge Thomson and begin the process of shoving dirt clods into his mouth.
Now that part was fun,
Gisbo thought with a private smile. Then things got ugly as the boys overpowered him and kicked and punched him into the ground.
Did I really get up after all that?
Gisbo wondered. He looked over at Rolce, wincing every time a blow hit Gisbo. Tears, real tears, were streaming down his face. At that moment, Gisbo felt the same painful aching in his stomach as Rolce’s feelings were transferred to him. This was what Rolce had been hiding from him, this terrible guilt that almost made him want to throw up. He watched as the younger Gisbo stopped moving. Thomson and his group walked away from the outcast boy's battered body.