NARRATOR: The sound of fire filled the air. Balloon boys in their famous stance with one arm on the flamer of their one man hot air balloon; the other holding their weapon of choice. Anyone could be attacked at anytime.
COMMANDER BORNUM: Balloon boys, prepare to drop!
BALLOON BOYS: Yep yep!
NARRATOR: The balloon boys loosened their grips on their flamers. Allowing only a small flame to break the fall. Issac scrambled to grab his gun. The raiders posed with their right arms up holding the weapon near their face. The finger always resting on the trigger. The hot air balloons hit the ground rough.
COMMANDER BORNUM: Alright balloon boys go on! Get your glory.
BALLOON BOYS: Yep yep!
ISSAC: [sadly] Yep yep.
NARRATOR: The boys began to sprint to the village all screaming yep yep along the way. Half of the villagers escaped to their fishing boats. The other half weren’t so lucky.
NARRATOR: The balloon boys were swift to take all the men and boys to the town center. The women and girls were forced to watch.
COMMANDER BORNUM: Alright Balloon boys you know the rules! Number one!
BALLOON BOYS: We shall fight the weak!
COMMANDER BORNUM: RULE TWO!
BALLOON BOYS: We shall fight them to death!
COMMANDER BORNUM: And if they shall win?
BALLOON BOYS: We leave!
COMMANDER BORNUM: And dear Issac, what is rule three?
NARRATOR: Issac gulped and looked at the scared onlookers.
ISSAC: [uncomfortable, sad, stretched] If they lose we take their boys.
COMMANDER BORNUM: WE TAKE THE BOYS!
NARRATOR: The villagers gasped. Commander Bornum made sure to show off his wooden-toothed smile.
COMMANDER BORNUM: Now let’s start.
NARRATOR: A circle was dug in the town square. It was deep and reinforced with rusted scrap. The village was silent, they didn’t want to witness what happened next. Issac didn’t look up from the ground the entire time.
NARRATOR: Commander Bornum kneeled near the boy.
COMMANDER BORNUM: You know it isn’t so bad, Issac. I remember my first win, my commander actually pushed me so hard afterward I broke a bone. My nickname was Breaker after that. Have you thought of your nickname?
ISSAC: [uncomfortable] No.
COMMANDER BORNUM: Well I know your nickname isn’t gonna be a scaredy cat after this. Just let it flow alright? Let your aggression flow. Remember we’re doing these people a favor. Without us, without the ritual the world will drown us more.
ISSAC: Okay.
COMMANDER BORNUM: What is that one phrase I always say? Something about great men?
ISSAC: Um, great men protect even though?
COMMANDER BORNUM: No, great Issacs protect even though, GREAT ROTHERS, GREAT GRANTS protect even though. Remember son, you’re a protector.
ISSAC: Yes…
COMMANDER BORNUM: Yes, what?
ISSAC: Yes I shall protect…
COMMANDER BORNUM: Even though boy even though.
NARRATOR: Commander Bornum walked to the center of the circle.
COMMANDER BORNUM: Mother earth needs blood, on so the chance of the waters fall! So great balloon boys and great woeful please let us provide her with such.
NARRATOR: The first fight was with Rother and a man twice his size. Rother took a chance to feel a pouch around his neck. Filled with a piece of wood from before the flood. It was knotted and small, tinged red. Rother still treasured such a gift though. He wished for his children to feel a tree one day.
ROTHER: Mother Earth accepts this blessing, I am but a humble servant that offers this fight for your sake.
NARRATOR: The man wiped tears from his eyes, he looked at his wife and a boy that looked like him, before putting his fists up. The fight was long and bloody. The man was a trained fighter from the past, Rother barely able to stay conscious with heavy blows ringing in his head, blocking all of Rother’s hits. Rother, swaying on his feet, hooked his leg around the man’s ankle, felling him like an oak tree. On the ground Rothers held the man into a triangle chokehold with all his strength. The man slamming desperate strikes to the sides of his face. Rother was barely able to hold on to the chokehold with his head bleeding profusely. Still, he held on until the man stopped breathing. Then Commander Bornum handed Rother a knife. When Rother let go to get the knife he kept eye contact with the man’s wife and slit the man’s throat. He dipped his hand in the weeping blood and slowly, touched his fingertips to the pouch around his neck. Rother’s arms dropped to his side. And he had to be helped out of the ring.
NARRATOR: ISSAC: was next. He stood in the ring shaking slightly.
COMMANDER BORNUM: Son, what shall you say for old mother earth?
ISSAC: I don’t know…
COMMANDER BORNUM: Good then let your heart speak for you.
NARRATOR: Issac looked at his opponent, a boy not much older than him.
ISSAC: I-I want the waters gone!
COMMANDER BORNUM: YES LET THE WATERS BE GONE!
NARRATOR: Blankly staring at Issac, the boy put up his fists. Issac did the same, trying to copy the other boy, trying not to flinch when the older boy approached. When the boy got too close Issac went to punch the boy in the chest, swinging wildly. It hurt his thumb when he hit. At his flinch, the other boy grabbed Issac’s arm and yanked, pulling Issac in and punching him in the gut. It knocked the breath out of Issac, made his stomach numb with a core of hurt. Issac shoved the boy away, weakly, but the boy stepped back and kicked him in the chest. The kick hurt. The ground hurt, when Issac found himself on it. Issac struggled to breathe on the ground. The boy took a second to catch his breath as well. When Issac rose he tried to kick the boy in the same way the boy kicked him, and overbalanced when he did. The boy caught Issac’s leg, twisting it and throwing him to the ground. He knelt over Isaac and began to hit Issac, over and over and over. With his body number and number, Issac felt his death approach.
NARRATOR: He couldn’t stay still any longer. Screaming, though he couldn’t hear anything, Issac flailed wildly, hitting the boy in the temple. The boy slumped to the side, eyes unseeing, and a cut opening up at his temple. Issac tried to stand, to get out from under the boy, but he couldn’t. Commander Bornum walked in the circle, he took his gun out and shot the limp boy. Issac felt the impact of the bullet shaking the body above him. It felt muted and far away. Commander Bornum rolled the boy off Issac, held out a hand to help Issac up. Commander Bornum helped Issac up.
COMMANDER BORNUM: Issac, you have pleased the earth.
NARRATOR: With that he let go of Issac. Issac swayed. His knees wouldn’t support him.
NARRATOR: Commander Bornum smeared the boy’s blood on Issac’s face, deliberately making a tree symbol on his forehead.
NARRATOR: Issac was dragged out of the circle by the other balloon boys, being placed near Rother.
ROTHER: Scrappy. That’s your new nickname, Issac. Scrappy. You can come along with me, Smiley, y’know. Scrappy and Smiley. What do you think, huh?
ISSAC: [winded] Yeah, that sounds nice…