Claustrum Chap. 10 First Impressions John walked down the hall and picked up his backpack. As he walked he realized that all the halls where empty. Not a person to say good bye to, not a soul. I wonder if this has anything to do with the mark on my forehead, he thought. As he reached the front door of the House of Rest he turned to get one more glance at the place, he turned to walk out the door. “John!” A voice behind him cried out. John turned to see Lady Lizbeth running towards him, “Father likes you, and told me to tell you to travel to Albanova in search of a disciple named Moriak, he may have some clues on how to remove that mark on your forehead” she explained. “Well I am glad that I can count on your father for this” he said. Lady Lizbeth was annoyed by the comment, but she blew it off and said “Yea, I am not sure why, but he likes you” John gave a smirk “will I see you again?” he asked. “More than likely, I am sure that we will run across, once more, well that is before his time is up in this world” “Can you be serious for a second?” John asked, his faced showed signs of anxiousness. Lady Lizbeth straightened her back and rose her chin “but of course, I can be anything I want, but the clue word is I want, and I choose not to want, so therefore...” “Enough!” John interrupted, he acted as if he was going to walk out into the street, but Lady Lizbeth grabbed his arm. “I am sorry, I just try to look at things in a different way” she explained. “But If you wish to see me, I will be going to Retne for about three weeks in exactly two months, from now, if by any chance, you happen to be nearby, please visit me there” “See that wasn’t so hard, was it?” John replied with a smile. “John please be careful, that mark on your head will get you in a whole lot of trouble, specially within this fort, since just about everyone that lives here worships Ursena.” She said. “You don't have to worry about me” He said with a smile “I am a big boy you know”. “Just promise me!” She exclaimed. John looked at her anxious face and shook his head negatively. “ok, ok, if it makes you feel better, I promise” he said. “Thank you” she walked up and gave him a hug, he paused confused, but eventually returned the hug. Lady Lizbeth then pushed him away and walked back towards the place where she had come from. Thats it? Thought John, All this crap and that’s it? I should have stolen a kiss from her or something, but hey what can I aspect, this all seems unreal. He then turned and walked out the door. To his surprise the fort was a busy one, people went to and fro, doing one business or another. There were merchants selling goods that they had gathered through out the city, the street was covered in a layer of dirt, below the streets where made of hardened rocks. To one side of the House of Rest was a man, passed out drunk, the only possession visible to him was a pair of trousers, his body was blackened by the dirt that hung on him. In the middle of the street walked a couple of young guys herding a few cows, they walked around the back of a large building directly in front of the House of Rest. This building was a beautiful,it had the appearance of a temple more than anything, the whiteness of it is what impressed John more, with all the dirt around the place how can this building be so white. The other impression he got out of it, was its height, it looked more like a sky scrapper from where John stood, the clouds passed by and seemed to play with the top of the temple. Two large statues stood at the entrance of the Temple. These statues were made of gold, or a material resembling gold. Both statues where of the same female, but one looked calm and beautiful, the other was full of rage and anger. Ursena! Thought John as his face showed a scowling look. How convenient to have a temple right in front of the House of rest, as soon as people leave the place, is more than likely they will walk over and become followers of her. “Splash” “You leave this town!” Cried out a woman after she had thrown a bucket of dirty water all over John. He was going to shout out in anger, but he noticed that people were beginning to gather about them, the woman had made a show and people’s curiosity always won. Snarls and gestures were made and some even throwing profanity towards him, it was obvious to him that the mark on his forehead, was the purpose of the whole ideal. He quickly moved to one side of the crowd and walked down the crowded street. He lowered his head and tried to hide the mark on his forehead but with out success. As people noticed the mark on his forehead, they would move to one side or hide from site and once even ran away from him. He passed many shops and places, then reaching a place with not to many people, he saw a man wearing a large woven hat and he walked over to talk to the man, but he also saw the mark and hid from John. “I want to buy your hat!” John exclaimed. “It’s not for sale, now leave!” the man demanded. John’s frustration grew and he banged his fist on the table, “I have money!” he exclaimed. “I do not need your money, it is cursed, now let me be, I do not wish that curse on me”. Then John took out two coins from his pack and placed them on the table, and picked up a large piece of cloth and wrapped it around his head. Well at least that will take care of this little problem, he thought as a satisfied smile grew on his face. He wondered about the city for a while and finally came to a large crowd entering a large dome like building. “What is going on?” he asked a fellow near by. “Tonight is the night of the duels in the Arena” the man explained. “What duels?” John asked. “You must be a new Inmate” the man said. “well you see today there are many duels in the Arena, and people are here to bet on the duels and loose and make money and to cheer and shout at their own champions” John followed the crowd into the Arena. The line he walked behind moved steady into the seating area. The place was large enough to hold a crowd of about one thousand people. In the center of the place was the battle grounds, a large oval place of about one hundred feet in length and about fifty feet wide. “Move all the way around!” Shouted a nearby guard, “you there, next row up” a man said as he pointed at John. He walked a few steps up and turned in the assigned row and walked all the way towards the end. At the end of the row was a large platform, where people of power sat. John sat down as he glanced around the whole arena. The place was almost packed to its maximum capacity. People where flashing coins and items of value. Everyone seemed to be wagering one thing or another, and in some other places people argued about a deal that they had made or laughed at someones else's choice in a fighter. A large man sat next to John and began to talk to the person next to him, John did not pay attention to their conversation, just kept ed looking about the place. “I got my money on Keara” he overheard the man next to him say. He turned his face and asked “Keara is a fighter?” the two man began laughing at the comment, but John just sat there waiting for an answer from them. The laughter died down and the man farther from him, shook him self and felt a little foolish. “You must be new inmate, yes?” John nodded to the man. “I thought so, only a newbie, would ask such questions” he replied. “Well you see, Keara, is probably the best fighter this whole Arena has ever had” explained the man. No way, thought John. It must be a different keara. But he knew that this was probably true. The crowd began to cheer and cry out for the fights to begin, a man walked to the center of the place and shouted out, “Ladies and Gents, you have gathered here tonight to place your bets on the best fighters that Fort Claustrum has to offer. Not only will they win money, but they will represent our city in the yearly events” at this the crown cried out in a loud cheer, shouting the name of “Claustrum Fort” “Let’s get the ball rolling” someone shouted impatiently. The man raised his hand calming the laughter and cries of the crowd. “Everyone finish your bets now, none bet during a fight, and now...” the man paused for a few seconds as he looked around the whole Arena “Let the fighting begin!”. At this the cheers, applauding and cries where herd through the Arena. At each end of the arena, two man walked out a small door. Both man where large, but one held a large shield and a sword, the other man held a large two handed Axe. They ran towards the center of the place as if who ever reached it first would be the winning man. The man with the large Axe Jumped through the air holding his Axe behind and swinging it forward with all his might at the man who now was below him, the other man rolled to one side and smashed the shield on the back of the other making him fall to the ground. A cheerful laugher rose from the crowd at the first encounter. The fallen man stood, and spat dirt from his mouth as he looked at the crowd, his face red with anger. He turned and again rushed his opponent, and again the whole attack was evaded and this time he received a smack on his back from his opponents sword. Again the crowd roared in laughter, the man turned and faced his opponent once more, he then began to swing his Axe with both hands from one side to the other and slowly walked towards his opponent, his opponent looked at his sword than at his shield then rushed forward and crouched in front of the large man with the Axe. The Axe came down hard, but the shield blocked the hit, and got stuck on it, the man tried to pull his Axe from within the shield, but without success. The other swung the but of his sword and plowed the mans face, knocking him down and out cold. “Avlon, Avlon!” the crowd shouted in cheer. The man picked up the large Axe and hung it over his shoulders, smiled and raised his hand joyfully at the crowd, who cheered non stop. He then walked off and disappeared behind the door he had came in. Two man walked into the arena and dragged the body of the fallen man out, by his feet. Then a third rushed in and picked up the broken shield and sword that laid on the ground. The announcer guy walked back into the middle of the arena. “OK people, collect your winnings and place your new bets, the next fight is about to begin” he walked of the arena. One of the two next fighters fell to his knees with a sword through his chest, people cheered and applauded, but John stood in aw, Have they gone mad? He thought. The winning man raised his arm and took the beaten mans weapon and walked of the arena. “How can you cheer at the death of someone?” John asked the guy next to him. “Oh, he ain’t dead” the man said. “What do you mean?, his laying there” John pointed at the ground, where the body of the man laid. The man laughed and said “You have much to learn about Claustrum” he took a swig of the leather pouch he held on his hands and continued, “You see, here in Claustrum, the only place one cannot die is within the Arena” “What do you mean?” John asked. “What I mean is that you can’t die in the Arena, you will feel pain, you will get tired, but you will not die in the arena.” John looked over at the man on the ground, he still did no move, but this time he sat down and shut his mouth. Again two man walked over to the center of the Arena, one of the pulled the sword out of the mans chest then each graved a leg and pulled the men out of the arena. A few more fights went on, and most of these ended in the same tragic way as the latter, but by this time John had become accustomed to the fighters who could not die. Once more two fighters stood at each end of the Arena. These two fighters where a whole lot different then the others, the one on the south side of the place had a long robe on and a hood over his face, this hood hid the entire face. The other fighter was slender, short and it looked more like a female. The Female looking fighter nodded at the opponent, at this he raised his arms, shouting something out. His hands glowed and electric current seemed to flow from one hand to the other. Meanwhile the female ran at an amazing speed towards the opponent, she held, two daggers, held tight, one on each hand, facing back. She ran to one side of the ring close to the wall. At that moment a flash of lightning was released from the other opponents combined hands, it rushed directly towards it’s target. The crowd was mesmerized, everyones eyes were on the running female. As the lighting bolt burst through the air, the female, jumped to one side an ran against the wall for a few seconds then back to the ground. “Keara, Keara!” the crowd shouted, John stood, No way, he thought. But as he focused on her he realized that it was her. She is Amazing. Now he too, was mesmerized. Her quick movements and flash of her daggers as she ran were captivating. She dived towards her opponent, but he did not move, her daggers swung forward at the neck of the man, then he spoke something in a low tone and disappeared and reappeared somewhere else in the ring. “What was that?” John asked the man next to him. The man leaned over towards John without even looking and said “That is what e call a Wizard, here in Claustrum” “Is that one of those Character Classes?” The man looked at John a little irritated “Yes” he answered, making it obvious for John to stop bothering him. She’s never going to win against that kind of power, Thought John. As he looked back over to Keara, she again was running and lunging towards the Wizard, again, he reappeared somewhere else. Keara paused for a second and she seemed to be counting paces. She then darted one of her daggers towards the man, he disappeared and reappeared somewhere else, at that moment kearas bladed flashed and darted across the air, her movements so quick that the man did not even noticed her move. The man froze in place, then looked down to his chest, there, coming out of it, was the dagger. He grabbed it, and tried to pull it out, but he could not, he fell to his knees, then fell sideways to the ground. The crowd cheered at her, she bowed and gave them all a beautiful smile. She then straightened and walked back and disappeared through the door. I gotta see her, Johnathan thought. He then stood “excuse me” he said as he passed the man sitting next to him. He looked around for a way to get down into the pits, where the man and woman fighters ready them selves for battle, after a few moments he saw a fighter walking up into the crowd as people congratulated him. He passed the crowd and walked down the stairs, he passed a couple of recently beaten fighters that laid on tables. He then walked over to the side where Keara had walked in through and found her talking to other fighters. John walked up behind her and listened in the conversation. “I gotta give it to ya, Keara, that was pretty clever of you” one in the crowd complimented her and her fighting skills. She’s a fighter all right, look at how she stands, thought John as he looked her over. “One thing I don't get, is how you managed to figure out where he was gonna reappeared?” one of the man asked. “All luck, that’s all” she answered. “I think it was more than that” Said John as he walked around so that she could see him. Keara looked over to John, and asked “it’s that so?” “I think that you figured out how far he ported by counting steps and then he was only moving in counter clock direction, once you figured out this, the rest was just seeing him appear, once you had its form you let him have it with the dagger” John explained. “That is still pretty clever” one of the man shouted. The whole crowd agreed and patted her on the back congratulating her as they walked away, John stood and waited for everyone to leave. Then approached her. “Johnathan Baird” she exclaimed. “How did you know?” he asked. “One thing I am good at is remembering voices” she explained. “You totally amaze me” he said. She gave a little coquette smile and said “I am glad”.
Copyright © 2009 Mathew Hamm |