CHAPTER 7: A FIGHT IS A CONVERSATION (ZOMBATO & MAFISTO)

DOWNTOWN STREETS OF NEXERIA

“I know you’re shadowing me. I may be dead, but I’m not deaf.” He turns around to see a massive shadowy figure behind him.

“I have info that you can use about both The Circle and the Deathborne.” The hulking cloaked man walks forward.

“My investigation has just started; consider me incredulous. Why should I listen to you?” Zombato says, crossing his arms.

“Because I cannot condone what The Circle is doing anymore; I let it go on for far too long.” He punches the wall of the random building next to him.

“I don’t know why you are looking into them, but anyone who is; is someone who can help me.”

“I don’t trust people at face value; your wrath and story could be a manipulative act to make me trust you; then out of nowhere, you send me to oblivion.” His eyes glow bright yellow; his forearm bones raise up crackling and breaking, then reforming into bladed wrist weapons known as katars.

“As the old proverb says, ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ So prove to me how far you’re willing to go for the help you desire.” He points his bone katars at the silhouetted man.

“You don’t have many friends with that attitude, huh?” He throws his cloak into the air and steps into the streetlight. His Triceratops horns and thick skin revealed. Glowing red energy armor covers his body. “I am Mafisto, and I’m better with my fists than my words anyway, so let’s throw down!”

Zombato moves like lightning, slashing downwards, cutting through the air at his horned foe’s head.

Mafisto quickly blocks with his forearm; the sharp blades blunt against his gauntlets with a clunk, but the force of the impact sends him back a few feet. He rushes forward and lifts his heavy foot, sending a kick at Zombato in return.

Zombato, using his quick reflexes, blocks with his katar; the weight of the foot sends fractures within the katar. The blocked kick sends Zombato backwards. He jumps into the air and slashes towards foe.

Mafisto jumps into the air and counters the slash with a knee strike to Zombato in the gut. The knee connects to Zombato’s ribs; loud cracking sounds erupt around the area.

Zombato elbows Mafisto in the side of his head; making Mafisto’s head recoil with a thunderous thwack, then follows it with a kick to his gut. The horned foe is sent crashing to the ground. Zombato flips to the ground, following him.

Mafisto gets up onto one knee with his eyes glowing orange. He grunts, getting up and charges fast with his head lowered at Zombato.

Zombato sidesteps his charge as if he became one with the wind and slices at his back.

Mafisto turns on a dime and smashes his forearm gauntlet into the katar; shattering the blade. Mafisto follows it up with a punch to the gut with enough force to launch Zombato off his feet. He grabs Zombato by his foot and throws him against the wall of the nearest building.

Zombato crashes into the wall hard, the impact causing cracks throughout the wall, his skeleton, and even his pride. He coughs up some blood. His eyes glow bright yellow staring at Mafisto, who charges at him again. Zombato points his fingers at the charging man; his finger bones shoot out of his raggedy skin like a round from a shotgun; a loud boom is heard, and bone bullets hit his opponent square in the chest. Mafisto gets knocked to the ground; the area around him quaking softly. Zombato’s finger bones snap, crackle, and pop as they regenerate back to normal.

“That’s sufficient; we should save some for our enemies. Mafisto, was it? Your hits have a genuine weight to them, and you lack the malevolence I can sense around truly dangerous people.” Zombato says, walking over to Mafisto and offering his hand. Mafisto grabs it and lifts himself up off the ground.

“Hehe, sounds good. You hit like a tank and move like a rabbit; way different for a zombie. Yep, that’s my name, I’m a Saurcillian trying to escape the ****cle; I mean Circle. Saurkin’ spell.”

“****cle? “Why couldn’t you verbalize the first word? That’s an intriguing predicament; quite odd, honestly. So they’re something more than The Circle. I see there’s more going on here. So what’s the rest of it? What’s the full story?” Zombato says, looking at him oddly.

Mafisto laughs loudly at the zombie’s words.

“Have me all figured out already, do ya? Well, it ain’t that simple. The Circle have eyes and ears all over, they might have heard about this fight. I have a safe house we can talk at.” Mafisto points toward the safe house.

Zombato looks in the direction. “You should have probably led with that. Anyway, let us make haste; lead the way.”