Ch.9 part3

1.

(End of the tournament)

"And the last two teams of the tournament, ladies and gentlemen!" shouted the announcer waving her hand. "The moment you've all been waiting for, the end of the tournament! Who will claim the title?" she cried into the microphone as the crowd cheered loudly around her.

San looked over at Kithara, "Are you sure that Monde is gone? How do you know for sure? He could be in the next team!" she cried.

Kithara shook her head, "He left us a message just a few hours ago, he's gone."

A message? She thought cocking her head.

"Put your hands together for Team Neo and Team Block!" shouted the announcer.

Kithara's pink lips parted into a wry smile, then she stood up and cheered like the rest of the crowd. "Go Team Block! You guys will win!" she shouted.

San clapped her hands standing also, this is it, she thought to herself. The end of the tournament!

Shou Lang and Salem crossed into the ring with their long swords flashing underneath the crisscrossing spotlights.

Team Neo had five members, all of them were large giants with monstrous clubs waving in their large meaty hands. They looked to be three times the size of Salem and Shou Lang. The giants towered over them laughing and pointing their clubs at them.

The announcer was in a shiny gold dress with white gloves on her hands, "And so let's just give it up for the last round of the International Uoy Tournament!" she laughed. "I've seen my share of brilliant fights on both sides, so only time will determine the winner. And without further ado, I give you match number eight!" she shouted and jumped out the ring. "Let the match begin!" her voice rang across the stadium.

The fighting bell rang and echoed starting the last match, Shou Lang and Salem raised their swords.

...

"Ok..." said Shou Lang giving Salem a quick look. "I don't have enough time to fool around with these losers, I'll take those three on the left. I'll leave the other two for you to kill, Ok?" he said.

Salem narrowed his eyes, "Let me take on three, you can finish off the two."

"Let us deal," he said slyly. "Let's see who can kill the most, are you ready?"

"I'll be the first to finish them all," said Salem shaking his hand. "Deal!"

The giants charged forwards, he jumped over their heads and sliced his sword skillfully across the neck of the beast. The giant's head rolled off out of the ring.

Salem had already killed one other giant by stabbing him in the stomach.

Shou Lang darted past one giant's legs and jumped up stabbing him in the back, the blood flecked his face. He ignored it and yanked out his sword from his back and swung it into another giant's side.

Salem kicked the giant out of the ring and then jumped next to him and plunged his sword into the giant's backside. The both of them had the giant locked in place with their swords.

"Hey! This one was mine," he told Salem angrily. "It's a tie, then," Salem said and then they both took out their swords at the same time so the beast fell over dead.

"Wow!" cried the announcer. "What a...quick match, I'd say that took less than a minute! But anyway-the winners are Team Block!" she shouted raising the both of their arms into the air.

The crowd roared and thundered around the stands cheering and yelling, Shou Lang wiped the blood off his face and grinned at Salem.

"Well...looks like that is that," said Salem shrugging.

"As for the Uoy stones," he said waving a finger in his face. "I get to keep them all, unless you want to fight me right here for half."

"I have no use for those stones," said Salem sneering. "I won't stand in the way between you and your precious stones, half-ling, don't even worry about it."

"Good to hear," he said looking into the crowd. "And now for Monde..." he said to himself narrowing his eyes.

2.

"Congratulations you guys!" she said once she reached them at the bottom of the stairs. "I just knew that you'd win!" she said laughing.

Kithara bumped past her, "Whoa!" she said spinning out of balance and nearly falling.

"Shou Lang!" cried Kithara and latched on to him again, Shou Lang fell over on his back from the impact.

Salem shook his head and looked back at her, "Thanks," he said then chuckled, "I speak for him, too," he said.

San laughed and looked down at the two of them at her feet, Shou Lang was trying to crawl away. "Stop doing that!" he said trying to pry her off. "C'mon already! People are staring!" he shouted.

"What are you so embarrassed about?" Kithara asked him.

"You know I don't like it when you start acting sissy-like!" he said falling back on his back.

"Well, I guess we should go back to the hotel," she said taking Salem's arm. She smiled up at him, "Right? We can tell Chip and Ms. James that you won the tournament!"

Salem put an arm over her shoulders and smiled back, "That we shall, we should just leave them alone back there," he said tossing Kithara and Shou Lang a glance. "They'll catch up eventually."

She glared at Shou Lang who was looking at Salem growling, "Hey! You're not leaving, are you?!" he shouted.

"San and I are going to the hotel, after you and your girlfriend finish supping up on each other then you can join us," he said looking down at her.

"Wait a second!" he called from behind them. "You're not walking alone with her!" he shouted. "Kithara, come on, you need to let go of me!"

"What's his problem, anyway?" she sighed to herself and walked arm in arm with Salem outside the tournament.

The demon world was always gray and dark, but she knew that once they crossed into her world that the sun would be shining.

He opened the portal door for her and they walked out side by side, and as she thought the sunshine was brilliant.

"I'm so glad that it's over now," she said with a long sigh. "Now things can get back to normal, right?" she said.

"Yes," said Salem looking into the sunlight. "I'll be returning home very soon, now."

"Will you?" she asked, then she looked up at him. "Why?"

"It's where I live, and your world is...it's too peaceful for a demon like me, I need chaos to function," he said looking down at her.

"You aren't...bad you know," she said smiling and looking ahead. "In fact, you're actually really nice."

"Thank you," he said with a laugh. "Not all demons are evil you know, it goes the same for humans, not all humans are pure."

"Yes," she said nodding her head. "But...demons aren't born with evil hearts are they?" she asked him.

"Well..." he said, "We just like violence and force, but that doesn't make us evil, I suppose. We're just born with a strong taste for violence, that's all."

San sighed, "Did you know Shou Lang's father?" she asked looking up at him.

"Hmm..." said Salem narrowing his eyes. "Yes, for a short time anyway," he said then smiled at her. "I was really young when I met him, about...20 or 22 years old."

"And how old is that in human years?" she asked him.

"I'd say...about eight or seven, I don't know," he said shrugging his shoulders.

"And in human years, how old are you?" she asked curiously.

"Again I don't know, maybe 23 or 24," he said looking down at her. "Why?"

Twenty, she thought in surprise. I thought he was around Shou Lang's age, I guess not.

"I just thought that you were...around Shou Lang's age," she said with a laugh.

"Shou Lang is just a child," said Salem shaking his head. "I'm at least senior to him by over a hundred years."

"Over a hundred years, wow!" she cried looking up at him again. "You're...old!"

They walked out of Chinatown and into the hustled sidewalks.

"How old are you, San?" he asked with a slight tone of interest in his voice.

San felt embarrassed for some reason, "I'm 15," she said.

"Then you're just a baby," he said then laughed at her. "15 single years? You're a baby, San," he said and laughed again.

"I am not a baby!" she said crossly, then made a face. "I'm a teenager, I'm almost an adult!" she told him crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Maybe in human years that is true," he said patting her back. "I was joking, you don't look like a baby at all," he said with his orange eyes laughing at her.

San lowered her gaze and smiled down at her feet.

Then he put his arm back around her shoulders, "It was interesting being around you, human," he said looking ahead of him and tapping his red hat. "I've learned a lot from you and Ms. James."

"And I have learned a lot from you demons," she said looking up at him.

He grinned at her, "You're...a very nice girl, San. I don't think I've ever seen nicer people like you and your Ms. James," he said.

San took the compliment with a glowing smile, "You really think so? Thank you, I try to be at least. But then again, we're friends, right?" she asked him with a sunny smile.

"Yes, that we are," he said.

"You can stay with Shou Lang and I if you want," she said looking back into the streets. "It's nice having you around," she said.

"I might," he said sighing. "Just to let you know, after today I haven't really thought much of Monde, but now...I see why Shou Lang hates him so much. And I'm starting to hate him too, so I could team up with you all..."

"That would be cool!" she said laughing. "You'll see, Shou Lang isn't mean all of the time, he can be nice when he wants to be. And Chip would love to have you around, and you'll meet Nitro...and-"

"You have fun when you're in my world?" he asked her cutting her off.

"Well..." she bit her lip and thought about it. "...not all the time," she said. "But it's ok, it's all very exciting," she told him. "And I have Shou Lang protecting me all the time, so...I guess I have fun."

Salem narrowed his eyes in thought, "We live in a very dangerous place, San," he told her. "You really should take up that deal he made with you, remember?"

"I know," she said sighing. "But...I feel like...like it's part of my fate to be in your world, you understand? No matter how hard I try, I keep coming back. It is as if it calls me..." she said absently.

He looked down at her, "Calls to you?"

"Haven't you had that feeling before? You know about something and know that you shouldn't be digging into it and all...but in the end you can't stop yourself from digging anyway?"

He shook his head, "Never...I guess it's just a human thing, it is in your nature to be curious about things."

She smiled, from where they were she could see the hotel. She stopped and looked up at him, "Say that you'll stay! We'll have fun, really..." she said pleadingly. "I don't have many friends, and you...you're a very good friend to me. So you see...you have to stay here!"

He looked taken back, "Uh...good friend, huh?" he said looking up at the hotel.

"Yes," she said nodding her head. "It would mean a lot if you stayed."

Then he grinned, "Well in that case, I guess I'll tag along. I'm after Monde anyway, and I'll have a better shot at it with Shou Lang as a...partner." He sighed and shook his head, "I can't believe I'm doing this..."

"You won't regret it!" she told him, then she ran inside the hotel and in the elevator to give the good news to Ms. James and Chip.

3.

"So this is the hotel, eh?" asked Kithara looking the hotel up and down. "Humans have such neat little homes here, don't they?" she said.

"I guess," he said taking her wrist in his hand. "Ok now Kithara," he said giving her a look. "You're going to have to behave yourself here, alright?"

Kithara nodded and smiled at him, "Whatever do you mean, Shou Lang?" she asked.

He sighed, "Fine the, come on," he said pulling her into the elevator and then once they reached the floor pulled her into Ms. James and San's room.

When he came in everyone was there talking and chatting casually to each other, Salem looked up at him as he stepped in the room. He gave Salem a dirty look and leaned coolly against the wall staring at everybody.

"Welcome back, Shou Lang," said Ms. James with a gentle smile. "Congratulations, San told me all about the tournament." Then her eyes rested on Kithara, "Ah...and you are?" she asked.

"Kithara," said Kithara without an expression.

"You're very pretty, Kithara," the old woman said smiling. "You're Shou Lang's girlfriend, aren't you?"

He sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling not saying anything.

"Yes," snapped San who had Chip on her lap. "Didn't you hear the announcer when she broadcasted it out to everyone?"

Ms. James nodded her head, "I didn't think it was true...is it?" she asked.

Kithara looked at him and then nodded her head, "Yes, it's true..." she said.

"Kithara!" he hissed pulling her toward him. "I said to behave!"

"What's wrong?" she said smiling at him. "It is true, isn't it?" she asked him.

He snorted and crossed his arms in front of his chest glaring at the ceiling. "Yes," squeaked Chip. "It's true, Ms. James. He even told me one time that he and Kithara-"

"Silence, rat!" he cried covering Chip's mouth.

"What's the matter, Shou Lang?" Salem jeered. "We want to hear what you two did!" he said then nudged Kithara in the ribs. "Tell us..."

"Tell you what?" said Kithara absently. "I don't know what Shou Lang is talking about," then she looked at him. "Shou Lang...?"

He laughed nervously then squeezed Chip in his hands, "Little runt!"

He looked up and found San glaring at him, Ms. James was laughing, "Oh well, never mind."

San snorted and stood up then went into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

He glared at Chip, "What are you talking about?!" he hissed at him.

"Remember in the forest how you said that Kithara was your lady friend?" he said.

"You lie!" he cried shaking him. "Tell them all that you're lying!"

"You said," then he lowered his voice to a whisper. "You said that you kissed her, remember?"

He shook him, "You're lying! Lying! Lying! Lying!" he shouted.

"You don't remember?" Chip squeaked. "You said that...remember? You were comparing Kithara to San, don't you remember anything at all?"

"Oh...that..." he said, then dropped him on the floor. "Forget I said that."

Chip popped on his shoulder, "So you're the liar, aren't you!"

He laughed nervously again and stuffed him in his shirt, "Shut up, will you?!"

"LIAR! LIAR! YOU TRICKED ME!" Chip shouted.

"Quiet, runt!" he said punching the bundle in his shirt.

"Shou Lang! What are you doing to him?!" cried Kithara snatching Chip and cuddling with him. "Stop picking on him!"

Salem sighed and shook his head, "How did we get into this conversation anyway?"

San opened the bathroom door and stood at the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. "Now what's going on?"

"I don't even know, anymore," said Ms. James.

...End of part 3