Dante's Abyss 2008 Sign-Ups

[Minoshia]

Gargantuan blocks of thick, white mass moved across sky as trained, synchronized dancers – floating in a relatively similar direction with approximately identical speeds. The Konat noted how the clouds this morning all look stretched, like freight trains inching across the pale morning sky. It was not normal for the dark prince to be distracted by these amorphous masses, but today was not a normal morning. Today the alien warrior had a swagger to his step, a certain arrogance and infallibility that had been absent in him for a long while. Hidden away for what seemed like months, Minoshia had focused on a life of grueling exercise and focus; an effort had been made to avoid the violent, brash public lifestyle that had riddled his past in exchange for something a bit more solemn and private.

Today is not a normal day. It is the beginning of our redemption, of our resurrection. He thought to himself, with no rebuttal, as he walked towards the masses of people congregating around the center of the town square. The site had become so familiar to the Konat over the years that he could visualize the action taking place in the heart of the helter-skelter. A crowd of people pressed up against a small desk that protected the attendants of the kiosk from the rambunctious men on the other side. This small kiosk was the first step to the incredibly violent and excitingly dramatic television reality series, Dante’s Abyss. It was this same competition that had roused the crow from its nest this finest of mornings – the taste of blood and danger was palpable in the air, the smell of hearty combatants and competition.

Minoshia had shown up late this morning, apparently. A brigade of strong backs blocked his entry to the front of the kiosk while he remained dozens of meters from the desk. “No matter.” Grunting pointedly through clenched teeth the dark warrior dropped his head, and his shoulder, and quickly brushed his way through the outskirts of the crowd. Groans and whining came from all sides as he maneuvered, all of which he dismissed with less than a shrug – they were powerless to stop him. As he neared the front of the line he had even managed to pilfer himself a good sized cup of lemonade, straw and everything, all told he was satisfied with himself as he stood second in the procession of prospective contestants. Now he would practice patience, something normally foreign to his personality.

“Excuse me sir,” a woman’s voice separated itself from the churning of the crowd. Minoshia made a conscious decision that it would be a waste of his time to bother looking, and was much too focused on his lemonade to make the effort seem profitable. “Sir?” the same voice arose again from his left, this time in unison with a tapping on his shoulder. Your conscious decisions aren’t worth two squirts of owl shit. The Konat turned and nodded at the woman to acknowledge her presence; his lips never removed from the straw and the flow of lemonade constant, constantly delicious.

“You are Minoshia, right?” she paused for Minoshia’s brisk nod. “My son is a huge fan of yours and wanted to come watch you sign up… would that be alright sir?” the sucking sound of a straw in an empty cup filled the brief moment of silence, he was trying valiantly to secure one last pocket of lemonade – a sure excuse to avoid conversation and continue with his expressive responses. Alas, it was no use. Looking down he caught the wide-eyed gaze of an entranced youth, he looked repulsive and annoying. The prince shuddered from merely looking at the little monster. Aiming to be rude he nodded anyway, and quickly turned forward to see the lanky man still standing before him. Eager to get to Dante, and away from this menacing woman and her admiring child, he planted his palm on the side of the man’s face and shoved him off his feet.

“Excuse me.” Short and sharp words from the mouth of the Konat, the woman at the desk chuckled as he replaced the prospect who had stood before him. Minoshia noticed the man jump to his feet quickly, but he remained quiet and filed behind him in line.

“The name is Minoshia, the Konatsa-jin, you should have all my information on file.” She nodded as he spoke and her fingers danced around the keyboard, she quickly stopped typing and gazed at the screen. After a few nods and questioning looks, she seemed to approve.

“Alright, everything checks out but you’ll need to step over to the cameras and give us a display of your abilities – it’s for the fans, so don’t be afraid to impress.” She winked, he ignored. Taking a second to locate the cameras, he was off with the pair of strays in toe.

“He’s the best. Ever.” The tag-a-long child hissed to the attendant as he walked by, pulling himself up so his chin barely rested on the desk. After this brief exchange, and another chuckle from the Dante employee, the child and the mother raced through the crowd and positioned themselves less than a meter from Minoshia as he stood in front of the camera. He would never have noticed the brat had he not been wheezing pathetically, exhausted from the ten meter dash from the kiosk. Never the less, he caught the prince’s attention.

“Give me your shoe.” The Konat spoke in a demanding tone, quite rugged for someone of his petite stature. The child looked confused, but after a moment’s delay raced to obey the orders of his idol. As the shoe passed from the child to the warrior, Minoshia could have sworn he caught the glimpse of joyous tears welling up in the eyes of the youth. Without taking his eyes off the boy, he placed the shoe on the ground. A menacing grimace seized over the face of the alien, a wave of heat emitting from his body; almost instantly fire ignited from his palm. The flames danced around his fingers, occasionally leaping from the tips and licking at the air. Aiming his hand towards the shoe, Minoshia ignited the lad’s footwear and let it roast. “Souvenir.”

With his face a mask of stone cold determination, the dark Konat set off towards the teleportation tubes to Dante. Behind him was a crying child with a burnt shoe, a youth who had never been so happy in his entire life.