The town of Ploma in the country of the Lacnea was a town desperately in need of a hero. Monsters, super-villains and, natural disasters, plagued this town constantly. During the intervals between evil villains were one was killed by a natural disaster, his gang had fallen, and just before another could take over the town sent out a letter to all the newspapers that the world had. The letter said “small town in the need of a super hero. No training needed. Must be able to prove yourself. Pay is not great but you maybe able to become famous. Come quickly.”
Soon there was more monsters showing up in the town. It wasn’t long after the super heroes started to show up. At first they came in large groups of thousands. They would fight a monster, villain, or natural disaster and they would lose. New super villains showed up and while fighting him a group of fifty heroes were killed all at once. The numbers of super heroes were falling. The town sent out another letter this time to the news stations.
The news of this poor town spread like a wild fire and millions of heroes showed up. These heroes included some of the worlds most elite. And the more heroes showed up the more news coverage the little town got. This was both a blessing and a curse. The more news meant bigger heroes. But fewer heroes showed up the more that they broadcast because most of the time they were reporting another hero was beaten, or killed.
Soon evil took over the town. No more heroes came and people lost interest in the poor little town.
Just when everyone in the town had given up hope a young man walked into the town. He was a curious looking man. He had a head of wild, dark green hair with tan, almost sun burned, skin. He had dark brown happy eyes that were constantly shifting towards every motion the people made. He was 6’2” tall with a lean muscular body. But his expression was what was the weirdest; he had a look of being confused and happy at the same time. His expression was too happy for the people that lived here, no one here had a reason to be happy so why was this boy so different.
He walked into the Center Square and stepped up onto a fountain edge. Then he yelled at the top of his lungs, “I heard that this town needs a hero. Can anyone tell me who to see? I really think that I will do well.”
Everyone in the square took of running at this. No one in the town was willing to risk their necks for such a reckless young man. After so many heroes trying and failing the town new ruler was becoming mad and would punish anyone in his path.
The boy looked around in amazement, never had he seen any group move as fast as this one. An entire group of what had to be at least 500 people had fled closed shops and homes leaving the square empty and it had taken only a few seconds to a minute at most.
As he was looked around in amazement he was suddenly pulled off the edge of the fountain and dragged into an alley. The initial shock of this had only lasted a few seconds but that was all that was needed. Who ever it was that had attacked him had his mouth covered and him pinned to the wall before he even knew what was happening.
“What are you doing?” voiced his attacker. “Are you trying to get yourself and everyone else killed, pulling such a stunt. We must leave before Lord Mallae finds us here and has us publicly executed. Follow me. Hurry. And be quiet about it, too.”
The young man followed his attacker through an endless series of winding, dark alleys. Whoever they were, they were right, it had been very irresponsible for him to yell such a thing in a public square in a town like this.
Finally the stopped after what seemed to be a million twists and turns. They were in front of a door. The attacker opened up the door and led the young man in. He led the boy down some stairs and into a room. When they were both in the room he slammed the door. This was the first time that it occurred to the boy that he could have walked into a trap. He was hit with the thought that he could have just followed the general under Lord Mallae to his death.
Then the lights were suddenly turned on in the room. After a moment to adjust his eyes the young man looks around. He was surprised at what he saw. This was not a dungeon or a trap it was a bedroom. But most surprising was his attacker.
The attacker stood by the door blocking the only exit. He was a tall, slender, girl. She was about 5’8” with long black hair. She had serious eyes and an angry look on her face. She seemed very strong for a girl. Her clothes were plain and her hair was worn up into a tight ponytail.
She took four quick steps forward and was right in front of him. She gave a forceful shove and he fell backwards into an awaiting chair. It didn’t take her longer to get to where she was standing just in front of him again. She looked him in the eyes and her anger seemed to grow. “Are you stupid, boy?” she yelled.
“No, I am not, I... I just wasn’t thinking,” he replied. “And my name is not boy, it is Sploch.”
“Well, Sploch, you need to think in my town. If you just run around yelling you could get someone hurt. Especially if you run around yelling something like that.”
“Ok, I will, I know. What is you name anyway?” Sploch asked trying to act angry.
“I am Caleenta. I watch over all those people you put in danger. I make sure everyone is safe and that no one does anything stupid. Anything like what you just did.”
“So, you are the hero here?”
“I guess you could call me that. But it is not totally accurate. My mother is the one that sent out the letter. You see my father was the hero of this town. At least until he died. I try to do what I can for the town but I haven’t been able to do much. I can’t stop bad things from happening so I just make sure the people are safe.”
“Well then let me help. I haven’t really done any super heroing but I think I will do well. And I should be able to help.”
“Fine but you will have to change your clothes and I will have to show you how to act. You stick out and that is a bad thing. If you stick out so much Lord Mallae may try to get rid of you.”
“Ok, then show me what to do. You grew up here you can be my teacher. You will teach me how to dress and act and I will can you master.”
“No...” Caleenta started to say.
“But you have to. If you don’t teach me who will?” Sploch cut in.
“Just shut up and let me finish. Yes I will teach you. No you will not call me master. You will call me Caleenta, just like everyone else does. Understand?”
“Yes master.”
“No, Caleenta.”
“Yes, Master Caleenta.”
Caleenta reaches out and knocks Sploch upside the head.
“I meant for it to. And you deserved it,” that is the attitude that you can’t have. If you go around acting like that you are going to get killed.”
“I am sorry. I was just joking. You didn’t have to hit me that hard.”
“It seemed to be the only way to get you to understand. And from know on you must listen to me. Be serious that is your first lesson. Also if you don’t listen to me or you aren’t serious I am going to hit you.”
“You know you hit hard for a girl. Gosh, it still hurts. All right, I am going to be serious and listen so that you don’t hit me again. Ouch...”
"We will have to lay low for a while. At least until everyone else gets back onto the streets. Then we can go out and buy you some new clothes. Also I guess you are going to need a place to stay."
"Well... actually...," he stumbled, "yeah."
"Then you will be staying with me."
"Great, thank you, but won't you have to ask your mother?"
"No, she was killed by Lord Mallae for sending out the letter. You know he is stronger and smarter then you might think. He has killed so many heroes, and just about as many innocents."
"I know he is not weak but neither am I. you should stop worrying about me and start teaching me."
"You know, you are right. Let’s start your lessons. You already know to be more serious so while you work on that how well do you fight?"
"I can fight really well. I mean come on, would I really have volunteered to help if I couldn't fight?"
“Well, even if you can fight it never hurts to improve. We will practice fighting at 6:30, breakfast will be at 9:30, and we will work from 10:00 to 5:00, after that we will shop for clothes, food, or whatever else is needed. When we arrive back at the house we will train more, supper is at 9:00, the kitchen is to be cleaned, and then you may do as you please. I know that this may seem strict and like I am over doing it but over time it will get easier. Trust me I have been doing this since I was little.”
“But if we do all that work when will we have time to protect the people?”
“The people don’t come out until 10:00 and are back in their houses by 7:00. So, just keep an eye on them while you are out there. Now, about your clothed we will buy you some new clothes tomorrow until then I think that my father’s clothes should fit you well enough. You should probably rest now. You can stay in this room or if you would prefer one of the upstairs rooms.”
“I think I would prefer a room upstairs.”
“Ok, follow me.”
Caleenta led Sploch through the house. It was a large house with four bedrooms not including the basement room. It had two bathrooms, large kitchen, living room, den, study, and two floors.
As they walked Caleenta pointed out to Sploch everything he needed to know. She explained that if they had guests the training would be put off. They would act normal. He would sit and talk with the guest while she and any girl made or served snacks.
“Well, I guess this room can be yours. If you need anything I am right across the hall. We have a long day tomorrow so good night,” said Caleenta.
“Night,” responded Sploch.
Both Caleenta and Sploch walked into their rooms. Caleenta got ready for bed, she brushed her teeth and hair, changed and went to bed. She would have a long day tomorrow trying to train Sploch.
Sploch on the other hand went into his room and did a little exploring. He did, finally, change for bed and lay down. But he couldn’t sleep. Tomorrow he would start training to be a hero. It had always been his dream to be a hero and with help from Caleenta it would finally come true. The excitement of today and the thrill of knowing what tomorrow would bring were too much for him so try that as he might he just wasn't able to sleep. He sat up all night looking out at the stars and wandering what his new life would be like.
Eventually morning came. Caleenta was up and ready by 6:00 am. She gathered up clothes for Sploch to wear from her father’s old room and headed for Sploch’s room. She walked up to his door and knocked, “Sploch, are you awake? You have to get up and get ready to train.”
“Alright, I’m up,” he responded sleepily from inside the room. “I thought that we started at 6:30,” he said as he opened the door and leaned up against the frame.
“We do,” said Caleenta as she looked disapprovingly at Sploch as he wiped the remaining sleep out of his eyes, “but you have to get dressed and ready before then. I have some clean clothes for you to were,” she says as she hands him the clothes she took from her father’s old room.
“Ok,” Sploch says as he takes the clothes. “Thanks.”
“Meet me in the basement when you are ready,” Caleenta responds.
“Ok,” Sploch says again.
Sploch watches as Caleenta walks off and then he goes into his room to get ready. ‘How can we train in the basement,’ he wonders. ‘Wasn’t the basement a bedroom. O’ well what really matters is that I am going to train to be a hero. But how can I get ready and do all the work I must do I only got a few hours of sleep. Caleenta was right I really should have gone to bed. But it is too late now I will just try my best to work,’ he finally concluded.
Meanwhile Caleenta prepared for Sploch in the hidden room in the basement. After she had set everything up she began to train without him. She decided to practice her moves. She punched and kicked her different moves. Before Caleenta even knew it Sploch walked into the basement.
Sploch saw the hidden door, in the basement wall, which Caleenta had left open for him. He walked into the training room. He stood against the wall and watched Caleenta practice. When it seemed as if she was done he clapped.
Caleenta turned around and glared at Sploch.
“You fight really well. And not just for a girl either,” Sploch says.
“How dare you. I am supposed to be teaching and training you. Not training while you watch me. Well, I guess since you already know my moves then I won’t have to go all that easy on you. So let’s start. I will take the defensive and you attack me as if I was the enemy. Don’t leave an opening on your body, don’t take it easy on me, and don’t mess up or you will regret it later,” Caleenta tells Sploch.
“Alright, I understand, let’s get started,” Sploch remarks as he takes a fighting pose.
Caleenta angles herself to Sploch and places her hands up ready to block. They start to fight. Sploch figures that if he can get one good blow in Caleenta would go down and then he could eat or even go back to bed and sleep more. He swings at Caleenta putting all of he speed and might into the punch. Caleenta quickly moves as his fist whizzes past her cheek. Sploch throws another punch and misses again. He swings again and again missing each time. He was getting madder and madder and his fists flew at Caleenta faster and harder. But no matter how fast he was she was just a little faster and to top it off she was laughing. It didn’t make sense to him with every shot he had just missed her, how could she find this amusing?
They had been fighting for no more than forty-five minutes and Sploch was getting tired. He had done well to last as long as he had but he was using up too much energy. He was trying too hard. Caleenta was surprised at his endurance and speed. She had underestimated him and if she had been hit by that first punch she would have gone done and probably stayed down. ‘To bad,’ Caleenta thought, ‘at least I don’t have to tech him as much as I thought.’
Caleenta took a quick sidestep to avoid his latest attack. When she stepped he lunged at her. She sidestepped again but this time did not fully move. She left her foot in Sploch’s way and he tripped over it.
Being to tired to get up Sploch just stayed on the ground were he fell. “Alright, you win,” he managed to say between gasps of air.
“I know,” Caleenta said, as the smile on her face grew wider.
“And what is so funny anyway? You know I almost hit you that first time. And if I would have I wold have won,” Sploch gasps angrily.
“I know that you would have won if you hit me but the only reason that you almost hit me was because I underestimated you. It was funny to see you try so hard and get so mad. Besides I was just playing with you. You know to see where you need to improve. And now that I know the real training can begin.”
“Playing, real training, you mean it gets harder?” Sploch asks.
“Yes, it does. Tell me, how do you think you can manage to beat Lord Mallae if you can’t even beat me? We will have to work on your speed, aim, and style.”
“Because you can’t just attack and the faster you get the harder it is to aim.”
“Alright.”
“Good, now as soon as you have enough energy to stand we can start again.”
“I can stand,” Sploch managed to say while he forced himself to stand.
“Good. But I think you could use a break. No matter how much endurance you have you shouldn’t try to push yourself that hard. We still have two hours of training left and one and a half hours of really hard work is better than two of easy work. So you can have a half hour break.”
“Ok, thanks,” Splotch said as he slides back onto the ground.
“You know you did really good. You are faster and stronger than I thought you would be. And you have great endurance.”
“Do you really mean it?”
“Yeah or else I wouldn’t have said it.”
“Ok, aren’t you going to rest?”
“No, I am not tired. I think I will train more.”
“I can handle it,” she says as she walks into the center of the room and begins to train.
Sploch sat up against the wall and watched. He was amazed. Caleenta seemed to be moving quicker and with more skill. It was as if their practice had energized her. But what was really surprising was that she was smiling again. He did not realize until just that moment but she seemed to always smile when she was fighting. Like this was a game and she was enjoying it. He sat contently like this just watching Caleenta and wondering what she was thinking.
Soon the break was over and a reluctant Sploch stood up ready to train. Caleenta spun toward Sploch already in a kick. She finished with her kick, which stopped not even an inch in front of Sploch’s nose. As scared as he was Sploch did not move.
“You’re brave,” Caleenta said while smiling at him. “Most people would have ducked or moved when I did that.”
“You almost hit me. Don’t ever do that again,” Sploch yelled.
“We are practicing, you know. You are just luck that I didn’t hit you.”
“I didn’t know we were practicing, yet.”
“Well, we are, so let’s start improving your speed.”
“Great, ah...how do we do that?”
“Follow me.”
Sploch followed Caleenta to the far side of the room. When they got over there Caleenta took out some weight bands and strapped the onto Sploch’s ankles, wrists, and around his waist “these will strengthen your muscles and make you faster,” Caleenta says. “Everyday, when you train, you are to come down here and put these on. The faster you con move with these one the faster you can move without them. So, lets do some basic moves with them on, ok?”
“Alright,” Sploch replies.
Caleenta put some pads on her hands and then instructed Sploch on how to attack them. Soon the time they had to train was up and they cleaned up to eat.
Caleenta prepared a huge breakfast and let Sploch eat most of it. She just picked at a piece of toast and watched him eat.
When they were both done they walked out the front door on their way to work. As they walked through the streets Sploch asked Caleenta many questions like where they were going and what they would be doing. Caleenta gladly answered all his questions. She was glad he had this much energy because he would need it. She also noticed that he seemed to be perkier and more energetic after eating.
‘Well,’ Caleenta thought, ‘if he has this much energy even after we trained and it is all because he ate I will just have to have food for him to eat before we train. This will mean that I will have to get up earlier but that is ok.’
Soon they were in front of a shop. Caleenta walked in with no hesitation as Sploch slowly followed behind. Caleenta stepped up to the boy behind the counter and gave him a hug. “Hey, Lei-Lei. I brought you some help,” she said.
“Great, I could really use it,” replies Lei-Lei.
“Sploch, come here,” orders Caleenta.
Sploch took a few steps forward and when he was just in front of Lei-Lei he stopped.
Lei-Lei looked up at Sploch and took two steps back. “Hi,” he said.
“Hi,” said Sploch smiling.
“Lei-Lei this is Sploch,” Caleenta says while pointing to Sploch. “And Sploch this is Lei-Lei,” she tells Sploch while pointing to Lei-Lei. “Sploch this is my shop. Lei-Lei works for me. He does any job that is needed. You will be helping him. Lei-Lei will have to show you the ropes. You will won’t you?” she turns quickly to ask Lei-Lei.
“Of course,” Lei-Lei responds.
“Great,” Caleenta says. “You two are going to be working close together so try to get along. Now you play nice and I am going to take inventory. See ya a bit later.”
Caleenta walks off. She goes through the curtain by the counter and into the back room. She picks up a clipboard. ‘Lei-Lei has been my friend since we were little and I hope this isn’t putting him in anymore danger but he has been needing help. And Sploch does need to work,’ Caleenta thinks. ‘I really hope those two get along I don’t want to put anyone out. O’ well.’
Meanwhile in the store front Sploch and Lei-Lei have been organizing the displays. “So, how did you meet Caleenta?” Lei-Lei asks.
“I met her in the market. She said I could stay with her and eat with her if I worked for her. So here I am,” Sploch answers. “What about you, how do you know Caleenta?” he asks.
“Caleenta and I grew up together. When my parents died hers took me in. When hers parents died she inherited the store. She needed help and so I started to work for her. And I have been working here ever since.”
By this time they had finished cleaning up and were on their way to ask Caleenta if there was anything that see needed help with.
As they walked up to her talking Caleenta had to smile at herself. ‘Look at that. They get along great,’ she thought. ‘I was all worried for no reason.’
“Hey, Caleenta, do you have any work back here that needs to be done?” Lei-Lei yells.
“No, I don’t think I do. Did you finish with the store front already?” Caleenta answers.
“Yeah, we did,” Sploch replies. “What time is it anyway?”
“It’s 2:30,” said Lei-Lei who had wandered off to somewhere.
“Where did he go?” Sploch ask.
“He is in the office, aren’t you Lei-Lei?” Caleenta yells.
“Yes, I am. How did you know?” Lei-Lei answers.
“I know because you always wander off into the office and double check my work.”
“I do not.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Well, maybe I do.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but what do we do now?” Sploch cuts into the argument.
“You and I go to the front to wait on a customer and leave Lei-Lei to go over the books.”
“Alright,” Sploch says.
Sploch and Caleenta walk out to the front of the store. Caleenta goes and sets behind the cash register as Sploch goes to help a customer.
Lei-Lei, meanwhile, is in the back flipping through the logs and books. He would take down a few notes now and then about what should be ordered, what cancelled, and what sales fast then flip through more pages.
The day went by like this very quickly. Caleenta while taking money form the last customer begins to notice how late it is. “Thank you, come again,” she yells as the old lady walks out the door. “Sploch it has gotten late and we should close up now. Maybe we can catch a vendor before they all close.” Then sticking her head through the curtain to the backroom she yells, “Lei-Lei, I’m off to do a little shopping, close up for me, alright?”
“Yeah, sure, bye,” Lei-Lei yells back.
“Come on, Sploch, we still have to buy food and you some clothes.”
Caleenta and Sploch walk out of the store to do some shopping. They head straight to the Market Square. Caleenta talks to a few vendors, buys some stuff, and then begins to walk home.
Sploch follows Caleenta around just watching as she buys stuff, and then, taking the bags from her, follows her home.
It was 6:57 by time Sploch and Caleenta make it back to the house. They went first to the kitchen to put away the groceries, and then Caleenta sends Sploch to his room to put up the clothes she bought him.
It wasn’t until 7:30 that they finally got done and got to train. While Sploch practiced his moves with the weights on Caleenta went up stairs to start dinner.
When the food was done Caleenta set it out and then went to get Sploch. When she got into the basement she was surprised to see he was still training. Normally someone doing this training would be so tired by now that they wouldn’t be able to move, but there was Sploch still training and improving very quickly.
Smiling and very pleased at the improvement her pupil had made Caleenta walked into the training room. “Sploch dinner is ready please wash up and join me in the dinning room,” she said.
“Ok,” Sploch says.
Caleenta walks off to the dinning room as Sploch takes off his weights and heads up stairs. He washes up quickly and goes into the dinning room.
Caleenta is already sitting at the table as Sploch walks in. He takes his seat and looks at her curiously. “Well eat,” Caleenta says. “I didn’t make it so you could just sit there and look at it.”
“Thank you,” says Sploch as he begins to stuff his face.
“Sploch,” says Caleenta.
“Yes,” Sploch answers.
“Does eating give you more energy?”
“Yeah, it does. Why do you want to know?”
“Just curios.”
Sploch and Caleenta ate all the food. Caleenta was done first. She took her plate to the kitchen and began to clean. Soon after, Sploch finished eating and walked into the kitchen. He walks up to the counter and puts his plate down. Then he walks back into the dinning room and cleans the table.
When he his done cleaning the table he goes back into the kitchen. He walks up to Caleenta and take the wash rag from her and pushes her away from the sink.
Caleenta looks a Sploch curiously. “What are you doing?” she asks.
“You cooked the dinner so it is only right that I wash the dishes,” he responds.
“But I should help,” Caleenta argues.
“No you train or do whatever you want. Let me clean the kitchen,” Sploch replies as he pushes Caleenta out of the kitchen.
“But...,” Caleenta exclaims.
“No, now go,” Sploch orders with a determination and attitude that Caleenta had never heard in his voice before.
“Alright.”
Caleenta decides that she should train, so she walks down to the basement. She walks over the weights and straps some on to herself. She goes through some basic moves. When she had finished them she does some more complicated moves. ‘He has improve a lot,’ she thinks to herself. ‘If I am not careful he will become better then me.’
Caleenta was sweating when Sploch got done with the kitchen and came into the basement. He watches as she did some of her back flips and high kicks. ‘Wow,’ he thinks, ‘I wonder if I will ever be that good.’ He walks back up the stairs without Caleenta ever seeing him. “Hey, Caleenta, you do there?” he yells.
“Yeah, are you coming down?” she answers.
“Yeah,” he says coming down the stairs again.
“You look tired,” he says as he walks into the training room.
“I am,” Caleenta replies.
“How long do you plan on training down here?” Sploch asks her.
“I don’t know, what time is it now?”
“It’s just after 10.”
“Is it that late already?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Well, I think I will train a little longer. Hey, do you want to spar some?”
“I don’t know, you are much stronger then I am. I mean there is no way I can win.”
“That is not true. You have improved a lot. How about I use weights and you done? And I can even add ten more pounds to the weights, if you like.”
“Lets see how fast you are now. Swing at my hands,” Sploch puts up his hands. “And don’t hold back, either.”
Caleenta swings at his hands in a left, right, left combo. She moves a little fast then a normal person.
“Let’s add five more pounds to them, how is that?” Sploch says.
“Ok, so you will spar with me?”
“Sure, give me you weights and I will add a pound to each. That will add five pounds, ok?”
“No, add five pounds to each.”
“But won’t that be rather heavy?”
“I can handle it.”
Caleenta took off her weights and handed them to Sploch. He was surprised at how much they weighted. He had expected them to weigh 5, maybe 10 pounds each but they weighted much more.
“How much do these weigh, anyway?” Sploch asked.
“Together or separate?” Caleenta responded.
“Separate.”
“20 pounds each.”
“But that is 100 pounds all together.”
“I know but you have to remember that I have been doing this since I was very little.”
“If I add 5 more pounds then it will weigh 125 pounds, won’t that be too much?”
“No, just add the weights.”
“Alright,” he said as he put the weights into each band. ‘Dang,’ he thought. ‘I still have such a long way to go to catch up with her. I can only stand 10 pounds in each.’
Sploch added the weights and handed the bands back to Caleenta. She put them on and positioned herself in a fighting pose in front of him.
“Ready?” she asks.
“Ready,” he replies.
“Ok, then lets fight,” Caleenta says.
Sploch and Caleenta begin to fight. They were both doing well and it appeared to be a tie. They fight for awhile and neither makes any advancement.
Caleenta swings at Sploch this time manages to catch him in the stomach.
Sploch leans over grabbing his stomach. Caleenta gives him a little push and he falls over on to his back. He stays down on his back for a while and then climbs back up and gets ready to fight again.
“You are doing really well,” laughs Caleenta.
to be continued...
