America

 

In a small gym

 

The sound of fists hitting mitts echoed loudly throughout the gym. There was only two people there this early. “João you're more sluggish than usual today. Do you want to warm up more?” the older man with the mitts said in Portuguese. A quick one-two of fist came next from the man known as João. “Sorry, Grandpa, just feeling the pressure on my shoulder again.”

 

The pressure. To outsiders listening in, the pressure could just mean the stress of the match coming up. But to the two men of the Machado family knew it wasn’t that at all. The pressure was their family curse. For the average person a curse is just a superstition, usually something cute like “don’t walk under a ladder” or “ watch out for black cats walking past you”. The Machado family curse was real and documented well by the men of the family. Only affecting the firstborn males, constant misfortune befell the men until he had children. Then, it would get passed down.

 

Because of this, the Machados had many children every generation. No one knew why the curse was like this or how it came to be. But right now, it was passed on to João.

 

João had gotten the curse worse than anyone else. Many times he had been hurt in the process of misfortune but would heal very quickly, in a few weeks. Nothing ever went his way. For example, when he came to America to climb the middleweight boxing rankings he had to come alone, as his grandfather couldn’t leave yet. The airline had misplaced his belongings and only his belongings had gotten lost… sorry “misplaced.” He tried to access his bank accounts but for some reason they got locked; the hotel was over booked, and he couldn’t find a place to stay. So, he had no money and no place to stay for a week!

 

João never complained though, he was very used to these things. As the oldest in his family he would rather take the burden away from his younger siblings and have them live the life they wanted. Did it suck for him to be effectively homeless? Obviously but he just had to grit his teeth and bear it. Just like his father, his grandfather, and their fathers before him. He was honor-bound to do it.

 

From sleeping outside he got pink eye. The doctors said it probably came from rats sleeping on his face. By the time João’s grandfather had arrived, João had been sleeping in an abandoned building that coincidentally, also collapsed while he was sleeping the second night.

 

That pink eye costed him his first match in America, losing by T.K.O after the referee forced the match to stop. But, even so, João had his family by his side who took the curse as serious as he did. When he couldn’t bear it anymore, at the verge of complaining and tear droplets forming around his eyes, he remembered the advice his grandfather gave to him, passed down by his ancestors:

 

“Arm’s length, shoulders wide, like you're looking for a fight. You'll be alright… so with all your might, push through and fight!”

 

Once João said fight, he jabbed with all his strength hitting the air with his right arm. The pressure he felt on his right shoulder disappeared for a second. Enough to feel relief. If only for a few moments. The two continued to train when a man ran in with urgency. “Coach, they want to cancel the match!”

João's heart sank, as he looked at his grandfather. Was this also the curse?

 

///

 

“Sixty-four fights. With a record of forty-four wins and twenty loses. In your short career you have damaged your body to an extreme that we just can’t afford to have you continue,” one of the boxing commissioners said. The Machados camp went to fight the decision to cancel the up and coming match. Within three years of coming to America, João fought many matches (on top of the matches he had in Brazil) to reach the NABF championship match. Years of hard work and unspeakable damage to get here to be extinguished.

 

“You have to give me this chance, why wo..wo..wo..ould you allow me to fight those other matches the last few years if you were.. were going to deny me everything I been working for!?” João was slurring and stuttering as he spoke to the commissioner.

 

João wasn’t a dumb man. He unfortunately felt the effects of the constant beatings he took. Because the curse seemingly healed him he was able to enter boxing matches quickly and would seem to be in perfect health. Unfortunately, the damage would still accumulate over time, and João was nearly blind in his left eye. His right eye was getting close, as well. As hard as the Machados tried to hide the damage, it was getting to the point that they couldn’t anymore. João didn’t come to America needing to wear glasses. Nor did he need to wear hearing aids until recently.

 

João’s body was breaking down. “The match will be canceled. In few months, we will do another checkup. If nothing changes then we will ask you to please retire.” The two men stood in silence as they got up to leave the office room the meeting had taken place in.

 

As they walked the street, João's grandfather held his arm. He was helping João walk as his grandson was feeling a dizzy attack happening. Something that he always had from time to time but was amplified by the damage his brain had taken in his boxing career. This was pathetic to João; it wasn’t his grandfather that should be helping his grandson walk. But he had to suffer in silence like his ancestors before him.

 

“I’m sorry G-g-g-randpa. I’m sorry that I couldn’t make your dream come true,” João said, holding his tears back.

 

Because of the curse and having no opportunities to excel in Brazil with boxing, his grandfather couldn’t reach the belt. João just wanted a chance to get a championship belt so his grandfather could hold it. “It’s okay, Jojo, it's not anyone's fault. Let’s just pack it up and go home. We've been here for too long.”

 

The curse once again affected the Machados, where it mattered most to them.

 

///

 

Australia

 

Charlie’s small apartment

 

Achilles stared intensely at Charlie, then looked at the figure of Makoto. He noticed the pointy ears. “So, you're going to enter the fantasia world as a female elf?” he said, grabbing the figure and examining the craftsmanship.

 

“Huh, elf?” Charlie asked nervously, sweating uncomfortably.

 

“Yeah. Freyjr created the elves of the past, it sucks that the gene died out. Isn’t that why you wanted to be an elf ? To represent Freya better?” Achilles returned the figure to Charlie.

 

“Oh, YES! That’s exactly why! I want to better represent Lady Freya, that’s why she wanted to also pick me… right, Lady Freya?” Charlie turned around to see the Freya cringing at Charlie's horrible acting. She was nodding and over acting as well. “Oh, yes! That’s exactly it!”

 

“… Maybe you guys are more compatible than I thought.” Achilles placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head in disbelief. “Fine, you may select Charlie as your retainer, Fey.” The two looked at each other with smiles on their faces and simultaneously said thank you to Achilles.

 

“Hold on. To even the playing field I will bestow on to you allocation rights.” Achilles lifted his right hand and summoned a green orb the size of a baseball. He then walked towards Freya and handed it to her.

 

“Use this and place it into one of his stats, this will make it max it out. Just make sure you make the right decision,” Achilles said. Freya took the orb and placed it in one of her pouches.

 

“Achilles, I really appreciate that,” Freya said with admiration.

 

“Yeah, yeah don’t mention it,” Achilles said blushing. He was looking away from Freya.

 

“Still it’s going to be a difficult battle for you. Your resolve is locked and the only person that can break that lock is you, Charlie.” Achilles turned around and walked back towards Charlie. He took a knee in front of him to be at eye level.

 

“You need to find what’s holding you back and overcome it. You want to change? That’s the only way you are going to find out if you did change or not,” Achilles said with a serious voice. Charlie nodded to the judge. He was still too nervous to say anything but mostly because he started to look up to the heroic Greek deity. I want to be like them, he thought. Achilles smiled at the two and then warped out. A sigh of relief was heard from Freya. “Quick thinking there with the whole being a woman and an elf thing,” she said, chuckling.

 

“I meant it,” Charlie said seriously.

 

This caught Freya off guard. “Wait, you were being serious?”

 

Charlie nodded and looked her in the eyes. “I want to be the retainer you deserve. And…. I want to live like a woman for the Tryfing.” He was red in the face saying it but it was his true feelings. He wanted to be like Makoto and Freya.

 

“I was tired of hearing you two speaking about me. About how weak I am.” Charlie felt the tears in his eyes as he spoke. “I'm going to be strong in my own way… and I’m gonna make sure you don’t regret giving me this opportunity.”

 

A small conviction was starting to form in Charlie’s soul. He was determined to see this through. Freya stared at her would-be retainer. She too started to feel tears as she looked at Charlie and heard those words.

 

“Strong in my own way.” The same words that her eternal battle sister Inari had uttered to her in their many talks of frustration they shared of their lives.

 

“Okay, let's make it official, Charlie!” Freya grabbed a small stone from one of her pouches, she then inscribed a Sedr symbol into it. It looked like three letter J’s combined together. “I, Freya, master of Sedr, ask you… do you wish to fight for my cause? Do you heed the call?”

 

She lifted the stone in front of Charlie, who faced her with a look of determination. “I heed your call and wish to fight for your cause. As your eternal retainer.” Just as Charlie finished speaking he and the rock flashed with a light. It caught him by surprise.

 

“Charlie let’s go, there’s much I need to teach you!” Freya summoned her chariot and grabbed Charlie with one arm, yanking the young man quite easily. As she commanded her steeds to ride, she telepathically started to send a message to her brother.

 

“Freyr, go forward with the plan. Retrieve the soul from warden Hades.” As Freya steered the chariot, she had a big grin on her face. “One step closer to help Inari win!”

 

3rd Tryfing

 

Official judge: Heroic Greek deity, Achilles.

 

Support judge: Angel, Damaris.

 

Chosen deities:

Ra: Demi-God: Darren Donaldson

Lugh: Knight: Ariel Morales

Zhong Kui: Exorcist

Inari: Polymath: Kento Sanosuke

Freya: Assassin: Charlie Wilson

Nuada: Conqueror

Minerva: Tactician

Team Arc-Angel: Hero

 

Fantasia world: underdevelopment.

 

Starting year: not yet decided.

 

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