Read Lochwood-Ido Martial Arts Academy

The old man was starting to get on my nerves.

≪ Lochwood-Ido Martial Arts Academy… ≫ he said, arrogant.

He sounded like my grandfather.

≪ Do you know what Ido stands for? ≫

He was smoking a dumb-big pipe that filled all the room with smoke, and I couldn’t breathe. Also, it was like 50°C in that darn hut, and I was sweating like crazy.

≪ So, do you know it or not? ≫ he said, angry.

≪ Huh? ≫

I thought it was a rhetorical question. I had no idea.

≪ I… ≫

I squinted my eyes.

≪ You know, I for I, then… I D- Don’t… O… O? ≫

The old man glared at me.

≪ Kid, do you think this is a joke? ≫

I shook my head.

≪ Not at all, it’s like what, a spelling competition? ≫

≪ No, it’s solving acronyms… ≫ a voice coming from the ceiling of the hut suggested.

≪ No it’s not! ≫ the old man exclaimed. He was sitting cross-legged – now he got up, mad.

≪ And who’s speaking! ≫

He was like four feet tall, super tall with a big dumb head, but I knew he was super strong so I got a bit worried.

After all he was vice-director of the Ido Martial Arts Academy, so, of course, he knew how to fight pretty darn well.

The old man furiously turned his head left and right, but he couldn’t see anyone because Ty and Leo had already hidden behind a ceiling panel.

I had already noticed them earlier, and I chuckled.

Those guys were crazy, but kinda everyone, there, was.

≪ Grr… listen! ≫

The old man was angry like a puffer fish. He walked towards me menacingly, pointing his finger.

≪ This Academy is the place where people like you, ungrateful brats, troublemakers, are sent by their parents so we can straighten you out, do you understand? ≫

≪ Straighten out? ≫ Ty, up inside the ceiling, asked, and Leo made a funny face, slightly shaking his head.

≪ darn… they’re not doing a good job… ≫

≪ WHO SAID THAT! WHO’S SPEAKING! COME OUT NOW! ≫

Old man eyes and veins looked like they were about to pop out of his head. He kept turning around like an idiot.

≪ You! Tell me who’s speaking! ≫ he shouted at me. ≪ Are they with you? Are they your friends? ≫

≪ Who? ≫ I asked, confused.

≪ THE VOICES I HEAR! ≫

≪ Oh my… ≫

I covered my mouth, shocked.

≪ Sir… what voices do you hear, exactly? Does it happen often? ≫

≪ SHUT UP! ≫

He was fuming.

≪ Listen! ≫

≪ I’m listening ≫

≪ This place is hell for people like you, do you understand?!? We’ll make you like hard, so hard you can’t even imagine! ≫

Actually, I wasn’t listening.

There was something on the old man’s head.

Is that…

I shivered, disgusted.

A Tacrint?

I hate those fricking insects. When I lived in the city, back on Typher, I had never even seen a single one, but here, in the middle of the darn forest, it’s full of them.

Old man didn’t seem to realize – probably because all the sweat on his shiny bald head acted as a shield.

≪ Why are you looking at me like that? What, do you think this is a joke? ≫

He rolled up his sleeves.

≪ You’re not taking me seriously? Do you want me to show you right now? ≫

≪ N- no S- Sir… ≫ I said, trying not to make any faces.

It wasn’t easy – that little creature was staring at me waving its antennas around like it was mocking me.

Gosh… what if it attacks me?

I couldn’t let it get close.

≪ I- it’s just… ≫

I pointed my finger at the old man’s head with a shaky finger.

≪ There’s a… huh? ≫

A little blue fish appeared floating in the air over his head.

It was attached to a fishing rod that Ty and Leo, peeking from the ceiling, were slowly lowering down.

≪ To that side, no, a little more to that side… ≫ Leo was whispering while Ty turned the reel handle.

I rolled my eyes. Those guys always had like infinte items in their inventory, I had no idea how.

And what do they think they’re doing with a darn fishing rod… it’s an insect, not a fricking-

≪ There’s a what, where, kid? ≫ the old man asked, snappy.

The Tacrint, of course, was ignoring the fish.

≪ There’s something… on your… head- ≫

I realized my mistake as soon as I made it, but it was already too late.

The old man went crazy.

≪ WHAT! ≫ he yelled. ≪ MY HEAD?!? You’re talking about MY HEAD? What were you gonna say, you darn little prick, that there’s no hair? That’s what you were gonna say, that there’s no hair? ≫

My eyes widened

≪ N- no…! ≫ I stuttered, anxious, but the old man didn’t even let me finish – he dashed towards me, snapping his head forward like a turtle.

≪ What!, do you think just bacause you’re young now you won’t- ≫

The darn Tacrint launched itself forward, straight towards me.

I turned pale, then screamed as loudly as I could and tried to slap it away, closing my eyes.

Of course I missed the insect, but caught the old man’s perfectly.

It was like hitting stone – the old man didn’t even move, his eyes just widened and he looked at me like he was about to kill me.

I, though, had other things to worry about.

≪ AAAHHH!!! GET THIS THING OFF ME! ≫ I shouted, because the Tacrint now was on my forehead.

I ran away without watching where I was going, and crashed straight into the old man – I tripped and fell forward, hitting my nose.

The old man, though, lost his balance this time, and fell on all fours.

Now it was chaos – Gigi, the big orange cat that always wanderes around the school, appeared out of nowhere and used the old man’s back as a trampoline to jump and catch the fish that was still in the air.

That little guy is super strong, and so he tugged at the fishing rod super hard.

Ty, though, didn’t let go of it – instead he grabbed Leo, kinda like wherever we go, we go together even though Leo didn’t look like he was very happy about it.

Of course, they hadn’t secured the roof panel well at all, so they fell down on the ground.

≪ S**T! ≫

The old man got up, furious.

≪ What’s going on here! ≫

His eyes turned red from the blood popping inside them.

≪ IT’S YOU TWO AGAIN! ≫

The two guys, laying on their backs, scratched their heads, awkward.

They were both bleeding pretty badly.

≪ Hehe… ≫

≪ Finally! ≫ I shouted, cause I had been looking the Tacrint to get rid of it once and for all and now it was right there, again, funnily enough, on the old man’s head.

I yelled ≪ It’s over for you! ≫ and punched it as hard as I could.

When the dust cleared, all that was left of the insect was now an unclear, nasty stain on the old man’s head.

≪ I got it! ≫ I exclaimed, and hugged Ty and Leo, who had gotten up.

≪ Great job! ≫ Leo exclaimed.

≪ Right!, it looks much better than before! ≫

Ty looked at the old man, smiling happily.

≪ Sir, goof for you! It looks great! ≫

The old man just stared back blankly, blinking twice.

≪ What ≫

≪ What… ≫

Ty scratched his hair, confused at the question, and Leo nodded, raising an eyebrow.

≪ Sir, the new toupee ≫

That was the last straw for the old man.

Flames started coming out of his ears, and began charging a punch using En.

≪ You three…! ≫

Now it definitely was dangerous – luckily we dashed out of the way just in time.

≪ COME HERE! ≫ the old man shouted, chasing after us, but Gigi was still running around the hut with the fish linked to the rod, and so the fishing line kinda got wrapped around his legs, and he tripped and fell down.

≪ S**t! ≫ Ty exclaimed.

≪ Now! ≫

Leo kicked a hut’s wall panel and they ran outside. I followed right after them, full of adrenaline.

I giggled.

≪ Oh s**t, oh s**t…! ≫

The old man was already chasing after us, looking like a troll coming out of its cave.

≪ Faster, faster! ≫

As we ran desperately on the grassy field, I kinda realized that he still hadn’t told me what Ido stood for.

I mean. Not like I was gonna go back and ask him.

≪ F******k…! ≫

Glossary

En: energy that can be channeled from nature and used to strengthen the body of throw powerful strikes.

Tacrint: an insect typical of Aeflia, like a cockroach but uglier and blue.

Typher: the planet where Theo was born.