Frothy icy water bubbled up as Oswald Knight’s form came into view. Winter had descended upon the land that Oswald had claimed as his home base. Dressed in his majestic black and white suit indicative of a Penguin’s plumage, narrow unamused eyes swept over the icy area he had ventured to on this day.
No more greenery, a thin layer of ice coated the ground, the trees, making the ground slippery, treacherous to walk on. Strangely enough Oswald remained alone, no other life form was present or seen by the naked eye.
Oswald Knight: “Humility is ever a noble teacher, highlighting flaws and exposing weakness. I looked past Thanh Son Tranh, took him too lightly and thus I was taken down this past week. That is a teaching moment. I won’t underestimate my opponent again. No sir I shall not”.
A faint trace of an Australian accent echoed as Oswald spoke thus of his defeat in his debut match.
Oswald paused, his expression one of eerie calm as he ordered his thoughts into a coherent and sensible pattern.
Oswald Knight: “Lightning Man. What kind of name is that? Are you auditioning for a spot in some bad nineties children’s superhero TV show?”
Shrill mocking laughter entered the air following this barb like remark. No less than two minutes later did Oswald turn serious once more.
Oswald Knight: “Duc Huy Nguyen. You possess the moniker of The Ruthless Dragon. Word has it you are ruthless, relentless in pursuit of your goals. And yet you have a bit of a substance abuse problem, namely drinking. This is my challenge to you Duc. Let us see if you can reclaim that old fire, live up to your moniker.”
Oswald began to clap in a sarcastic fashion, a sneer displayed upon his face. Harsh mocking laughter rose up into the air.
Oswald Knight: “Ruthless Dragon? You might have been once. Now you appear to be reduced to little more than a snivelling little whelp, no sign of your once greatly lauded strength in sight. Perhaps your first match will be a burial. That is… unless you can find it in you to rise above your demons. The eyes of the world are watching and waiting to see what you’ll do. As am I. Rise from your drunken alcohol fuelled haze and prove yourself worthy of claiming a lofty title like The Ruthless Dragon.”
The clapping ceased as Oswald fell silent, his words lingering in the air.
//Oswald’s nightclub. Downtown Japan//
An ornate oak table lay to one side, platters of fruits, cheeses and fish lay in plain sight. Goblets of wine stood out, the red liquid swirling inside the goblets like so much fresh blood. Oswald's expression turned contemplative, darkening emotion writ large astride his facial features.
Classical music surged through the background, Oswald's eyes narrowing to a fine point. As he sat back Oswald watched the closing moments of the press conference that Duc had given only a few hours earlier. Bold words this 'Ruthless Dragon' had spoken. Words meant to hide his weakness, to cover his flaws.
'Mr Penguin' Oswald Knight: "My antics may yet hold their origin in the circus. I may be a performer above all else. A showman of unique heritage. Only the foolish underestimate others. In your arrogance Duc you have revealed your fatal flaw. By looking past me you have provided an illuminating glimpse into your mindset. For that I thank you. I wonder what will fail first, your body or your mind. I look forward to testing the self proclaimed 'Ruthless Dragon' to getting rid of those dying embers that he would call flames. You are no dragon, no fire breathing entity would succumb to weakness as you yourself have done".
Haughty derision laced every word Oswald spoke. Soft clicking sounds escaped Oswald's parted lips. The noise evoking the memory of a disapproving elder.
Further commentary on Duc was thus cut off as the men Oswald had recently co-opted into his ranks entered the nightclub, taking a seat around the table.
???: "Mr Penguin, boss. I come to you with a report of ill tidings. The local mob scene isn't exactly pleased about your co-opting men into your ranks. I would advise that you extend an olive branch, profits would likely sway the local mob scene into taking a more positive look at your movements."
A harsh annoyed sounding sigh escaped Oswald’s mouth upon hearing these words. Granted he knew that he would face backlash from the local mob scene as he began putting the pieces in place to build his own power base.
‘Mr Penguin’ Oswald Knight: “Fine Gabe. Arrange for twenty percent of my profits to go to these would be usurpers. You should also make it clear to them that a war is coming to the underworld, there will be rivers of blood in the streets.”
A swift nod was all that Oswald was given as Gabe turned on his heel to follow through on Oswald’s orders.
As his words echoed amidst the expansive night club, Oswald would be left alone with his thoughts. Oswald had learned to become comfortable with the quiet in a way that few ever were.
The sounds of his slow and light breathing would fill the air, an almost bored look flashing in the depths of his eyes.
Oswald Knight: “Duc you are just like everyone else I’ve ever met. Dismissive. Mocking. Unable to conceive of your own flaws. A healthy ego is acceptable, a man has to have pride in himself after all. Your error is in thinking that you are the ruler of the ring. The ring has no master, knows no ruler. The ring is a place of combat, an arena in which a man’s soul is laid bare, his weaknesses exposed along with his strength.”
Raising a goblet to his mouth Oswald sipped at the wine inside the drinking vessel. The liquid spilled onto his chin, appearing like the spattering of blood. Deftly Oswald moved a cloth into his hand, wiping the liquid away, thus revealing in this motion his desire to maintain a stylish and well groomed appearance.
Heavy and frantic footsteps broke out along the ground as Gabe reappeared inside the nightclub, his expression torn between terror and relief that he had survived the encounter with the local crime bosses.
Gabe: “Boss. The local crime bosses are on their way, they’ve requested a meeting with you ahead of your match this week. They refused to take no for an answer. I think they want to make some kind of an agreement with you, at least that’s what I think they said”.
A curious smile tipped Oswald’s lips, this he thought was perfect, the local crime bosses were coming to him.
‘Mr Penguin’ Oswald Knight: “Come now Gabe, we have much planning to do before they arrive”
Gabe: “Yes Boss, let's give them a warm welcome courtesy of the one and only Oswald Knight”
Fade to black…