Badang

Badang, Guardian of Solari Isle, was raised by its tides and storms. When the Tidecaller, a sea beast, fell to the Abyss and was driven mad, Badang rallied the islanders and fought to free it from corruption. In return, he earned the sea beast's recognition and a Gem of Power imbued with its strength. With it, Badang cleansed other corrupted sea creatures and guided Kalea, the proud descendant of the Great Serpent, to claim her own power. The people place their faith in him—not only for the surging might of his fists, but also the unshakable courage in his heart.

Fists of Courage

Summer lingers on Solari Isle.

Warm, humid winds drift in from the Vonetis Sea. Along the shore, people mend their nets, humming songs as old as the tides. Weathered totems of the Great Serpent stand in quiet watch, while the Tidecaller rises now and then in the distance, its back breaking the surface like a living reef. At harvest time, offerings of fruit and grain are cast into the waters it roams. In return, it calms the waves for the fishing boats and leads the fish to shore.

This is where Badang was raised.

One day, the Tidecaller stopped appearing. In its place, a vast and distorted shape rose from the sea. It struck at every passing boat and lashed out at any soul it saw. The fishermen had no choice but to haul in their nets and abandon the sea. As their stores of grain and fish ran low, the people gathered before the ancient totem at the village gate, offering prayers into the silence. No answer came.

Badang knelt among them. He looked up at the Great Serpent carved upon the totem. Something within him sank, then slowly rose again. He clenched his fists. The truth settled in his heart. The divine would not return. Then they would have to stand on their own.

After days of watching from behind the reefs, he noticed something strange. The creature never came close to the shallow waters, as if held back by an unseen force. Its power was strongest in the deep sea. If there was any chance to bring it down, they would have to bring it ashore.

When he spoke of his plan, silence fell over the people. Only a handful stepped forward to stand with him.

The day that followed would be told in tales for years to come. As the nets tightened in the deep waters, the monster's thrashing shook the sea itself. With each pull, the ropes bit into their hands until blood ran into the water. Badang stood at the front, feet buried in wet sand, pulling with all his might. They could not fail. If they let go, the island will eventually wither and die. Badang's resolve spread through the crowd. One by one, more villagers rushed in from the shore, until at last the creature was dragged onto the beach.

Once on the sand, it was clear that its power was draining away. Twisted horns and fractured limbs began to shed from its body. As the corruption fell away, Badang recognized it—the long-lost Tidecaller. It was no evil monster, but a creature of the sea, bound by a force it could not resist. Only on land, weakened and stripped of the Abyss' influence, did its true form begin to return. Badang felt both shock and clarity: so the strength and courage of humans can do things that even the mighty Tidecaller could not.

The Tidecaller created a gemstone and offered it to Badang. When he held it in his hands, the lacerations on his arms from the rope turned burning hot. Then, a warmth spread from his palms to his shoulders, and a newfound power surged through his fists, vast and relentless like the sea. He bowed toward the creature as it returned to the sea. The gift was not just power, but recognition. Acknowledgment of the courage of humans.

With this strength, he purified the corrupted sea creatures from the surrounding waters. He cracked the earth to release hidden springs during the dry season. He lifted stranded boats back into the sea. People began to trust in him... Ships once again set sail with hope. Children returned to the shore to play. Families waited for boats to come home heavy with fish and free of fear.

During harvest seasons, people still cast fruit and grain into the waters where the Tidecaller roamed. But no longer as offerings for protection. Now they were gestures of respect. A shared understanding between the sea and land, earned through courage.

But the strange corruption did not stop. Mutated sea creatures continued to surge up from the deep. Badang purified them again and again, but the source remained hidden. Only later did he learn the truth from Kadita: this was an ancient evil—the Abyss. She also spoke of a descendant of the Great Serpent, raised under her care, who would arrive at Solari Isle—and who would need Badang's guidance to awaken her power.

Badang hesitated. He was only human. Could he truly guide the power of the Great Serpent?

The Great Serpent, who had once given its life to protect the Vonetis Sea a thousand years ago, was both legend and totem. With sincere respect, Badang received Kalea, its living descendant. Yet she was nothing like what he had imagined. Her strength surpassed that of sea monsters, while her mind was as simple as the tide itself. She was prideful of her lineage, yet quick to help the islanders, fighting alongside Badang without ever stepping back. Over time, Kalea became part of Solari Isle in his eyes—not a descendant of the Great Serpent, but a stubborn girl who never gave up.

Badang did not teach her through words. He simply showed her the way. And in time, under his guidance, Kalea found her own strength. When she understood what it meant to protect others, the power of the Great Serpent finally awakened.

Sails dot the sea. Children chase crabs along the shore. A totem stands at the village entrance. This peace was once protected by the Great Serpent. Now it is guarded by Badang and Kalea, standing side by side. They were the strength and will to protect that had been passed down for thousands of years.

Badang clenched his fist. The power had always been there, within his hands—waiting for the courage in his heart to awaken it.

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Text from the Mobile Legends Wiki, available under CC BY-SA 3.0.