Chapter 18: Orobus Trials

Emmet is trapped in the Arena, and Esther is still searching for him. Focused more on Emmet with 1 easter egg :)

Emmet woke slowly the next morning to the smell of hot food and the sounds of activity out his window. He groaned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. 

“Good to see you’re up,” Theo said, walking over with a plate of what looked like gruel. It was gray and lumpy and instantly made Emmet’s hunger subside upon looking at it.

“It’s not that bad,” Theo said, as he sat and started spooning the gruel into his mouth. 

Emmet swallowed but tried it. He made a face as his throat refused to accept the bland, pasty substance in his mouth. He closed his eyes and pressed his fist against his mouth to keep him from spewing the gruel. After what felt like ages, Emmet convinced his throat to swallow, making him shake and groan in disgust.

Theo chuckled. “Then again, I’ve had this every day for the past year and a half.” He said. “It’s an acquired taste.”

“Jerk…” Emmet choked out before coughing and swallowing the last of the mouthful. “Whats in this?!”

“Everything a man needs to live,” Theo answered. “Some egg, rice, milk,” He smacked his lips and moved his tongue around for a moment. “Hey, they added some sausage to this one. But think of it as the cheapest protein shake one can think of.”

“I don’t think this even qualifies as food..” Emmet said, looking at the blob on his plate.

“You gotta keep up your strength somehow,” Theo told him. “And if it means choking down some sorry excuse for a meal in order to live, fine by me.” To prove a point, he lifted the plate to his mouth and scrapped the remains into his mouth. 

Emmet watched him, feeling his face pale in disgust. He looked back at the food on his plate… He took a breath and took another dreaded spoonful.

“That's a good lad!” Theo said as he got up and stood on the stool to peer outside the window. He looked out for a long while, his mouth curling downwards into a frown though Emmet missed it. “So kid, you ever fight before?”

Emmet forced a swallow on his third spoonful before looking at Theo. “What?”

“Did. You. Ever. Fight. Before?” Theo repeated, looking at him and speaking slowly. 

“Well,” Emmet said, eagerly setting the plate down. “I did punch a kid in school.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “That is not what I meant.” He said irritatedly. “I mean with a sword.”

“No then.” Emmet answered. “But Umbris was teaching me. I had a sword… I don’t know where that is though.” Emmet got up and walked over to the bucket to get a drink of water in hopes to wash away the taste of the gruel

“The guards most likely confiscated it.” Theo told him. “if you’re very lucky, it’ll be in the arena for a battle. But that rarely happens.” He turned back to to look out the window again. “Ever seen a lion before?” 

This made Emmet stop and look up at Theo. “No… why?”

Theo didn’t turn to look at him. “Because you’re about to shake hands with one.”

Emmet came closer and looked as best he could. He could see a large flat stone with writing on it, mostly in categories. Emmet had to squint to see the advertisement on it enough to read it though.

Orobus Trials

Categories;

~The Hunters: Hand to paw combat with Predators

~Hand to Hand: Man vs Man combat, no weapons

~Life Race: Obstacle Race, 1 man teamed with 1 dragon

~Swords up: Man vs Man Armed Combat

~Talons up: Armed Battle; Man and Dragon vs Man and Dragon

~Wrestling Scales: Dragon vs Dragon Combat

~Key to the Gate: Man and teamed Dragon vs Keris Generals

Emmet guessed he was the second from the top in The Hunters category, seeing as they wrote Slayer there, and across from his name was the word Aupurin Lion. Emmet’s eyes widened. 

Theo looked at him. “First off, relax. At least it’s not a Kresean Tiger. They’re more aggressive.” He jumped off his stool and looked at Emmet. “You’ve encountered Pecian Puma’s right?”

“E-every now and then…” Emmet stammered.

“Like I said, relax,” Theo said, putting his hands on Emmet’s shoulders. “If you panic you’ll make mistakes. Keep your head on. Aupurin Lion’s are very much like the Pumas. Keep your eyes on him, and he won’t readily attack.”

Emmet listened and nodded, but his hands shook. Theo looked at Emmet’s hands and sighed. “You can’t show fear,” he told him. “You have to stand firm, or you won’t stand at all. if it helps, look the lion in the eyes and follow his movements.” Seeing that this didn’t help, Theo tried a different tactic. “Whats the thing you’re fighting for?”

Emmet blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly how it sounds boy,” Theo answered. “What is it, you’re fighting for?”

“I’m fighting to stay alive-“ Emmet started but Theo scowled. 

“If you fight for yourself you won’t get far.” He told him. “”What are you fighting for? What will you battle tooth and nail for to get back?”

Emmet bit his lip for a long moment, his mind going towards his sister, his mother, to Clair. How he missed her. He missed her warm smile, her light laughter, and how sensible she was when they talked. He regretted never taking the next step with her in asking her out… 

“Clair…” he said. “For Clair.”

Theo looked him in the eyes and gave a nod. “Then fight for her. If you fight for something you hold dear, not even an army will stand in your way.” He said, stopping when he heard trumpets and looked out the window again. he chuckled. “Looks like you’ll have an audience today. The Royal family of Keris will be spectating the Trials.” 

“The royals?” Emmet asked. 

“Yep,” Theo said, looking to see where he would be in the Orobus Trials. “Grand Duke Raul, Grand Duchess Teresa and their sons Prince Axel and Prince Angelo.” He chuckled. “But they’re better known as the Fire Princes of Earth and Sky.”

Emmet gasped and looked at Theo. “What did you say?”

Theo scowled at Emmet. “Did that Ghost Petal affect your hearing?” He asked scornfully.

“No, I mean,” Emmet said. “Is that really what they’re called?”

Theo gave a shrug. “It’s a nickname the people gave them. They don’t have fire dragon companions. Axel has an earth dragon called Terrian and Angelo has an air dragon named Reginald. But he goes by Reggie I think.” 

Emmet looked up at the balcony where the trumpeters were as the royal family gathered and too their seats, two large fire dragons sitting on either side of the family. Emmet didn’t have to guess that they were the royal Fire Dragons of Keris, seeing the alpha markings on the male that looked more elaborate than the other alpha markings he had seen before. Behind them was an Earth dragon and an Air dragon. “The fire Princes of Earth and Sky…” Emmet mumbled, thinking back to what Granite had told him. They could help… 

* * *

Esther sat between the Princes’ as they sat at the arena. She had been invited by the Grand Duchess to join them. She wasn’t sure about being here; the arena looked grand, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see what happened in the walls. On either side of the large balcony two other royal Families had gathered. Guessing from the dragons that accompanied them they were the royals of Earth and Water. The Royals traded pleasantries, but Esther remained quiet. It felt odd being among the royals of the world. The Kresea Royals looked so different from others that she had seen. Their hair was pulled back into top-knots, and their robes shone like they were made of water themselves. 

At Esther’s side Alchos sat quietly, a fresh layer of blueberry on his scarlet scales. He watched the royals with keen interest, though it was the royal dragons he watched with curiosity. The Royal Sea Drake and Queen held themselves with a reverence that made him feel much smaller than what he was. Their heads looked more like a sea-horses, only with pearlescent horns sweeping back. from their foreheads back to their tails a ridged dorsal fin stood. Their wings looked more like sails or large fins than wings, and their clawed feet were webbed and wide. The ends of their tails also held a large fin that fanned out. Alchos just couldn’t help but look up and admire them.

He looked at the royal Earth Dragons next. They looked much like Granite and Terrian, but they were larger and held brighter Alpha markings. The Drake’s hide looked similar to Marble, white with darker speckles and his horns looking like a Rams. While he was clearly the stronger of the Royal Earth Dragons, the Queen looked like she was an embodiment of earth and nature. Her green mane looked like soft grass, and her umber scales were edged with white, making her scales look like they were laced with quartz. Her horns looked like a stags, sweeping back and was crowned with vines and flowers. Their son seemed to be only a little older than Alchos himself, his darker scales looking like a young oak’s bark and his horns no bigger or splendid than an Antelope’s. 

But it was the people behind the royal family that caught his attention most. They stood back and at attention with dark brown armor and green cloth. Royal guards was Alchos’ guess, but their faces were also half covered. Of course the Kresea Royals also had guards standing at attention, as well as the Keris, but while the Kresea guards were in traditional Samurai garb, and the Keris guards wore iron armor with helmets, their faces weren’t covered. He started turning to go back to their seat, when one other figure caught his eye. A young woman standing to the side. She was dressed in Keris clothing, but she looked like one of the Grand Duchess’ hand maidens. He sighed and settled back towards the chairs, feeling anxious, but trying to not show it.

Nym sat on Esther’s shoulders, watching the stands fill with people. But as she watched, a familiar presence tickled her senses. She sat up with ears forward under her small horns. She nosed Esther’s cheek to get her attention, sending the girl images of Emmet and Umbris. The images surprised Esther to the point where she jumped and looked at Nym. “Where?” She whispered. 

Nym leaped off her shoulder and climbed up onto the edge of the balcony, looking out at the arena. Esther followed her and looked, swallowing as cages of lions were brought into the center. She swallowed. “Please tell me he’s in the stands…” She whispered again.

Nym looked at her and gave a downhearted feeling with confusion. She didn’t know. Esther bit her lip, looking out as the stands began to fill. Angelo noticed her standing by the ledge and walked over to her. “Hey, you okay?” he asked curiously.

Esther looked up at him before looking back at the arena. “Nym says that my brother is somewhere in there.” She told him. “She just doesn’t know where.”

Angelo looked out at the arena and hummed in thought. “Think he might be spectating?”

“I’m not sure…” Esther answered. “I wouldn’t think he’d be in a place like this.”

Suddenly, a gong went off, catching their attention as the crowds quiet. Grand Duke Raul stood and approached the edge of the Balcony, smiling at the crowd's bellow. “Welcome! People of Keris!” He greeted, being answered with a cheer. 

“Come on,” Angelo said, putting a hand on Esther’s shoulder. “Let's sit down. We can find your brother after the events.” He offered a smile in hopes to settle her, but Esther still had a concerned look as she sat down.

Raul waited for the crowds to quiet again before speaking again. “Welcome, to this months Orobus Trials! Where the people that had committed crimes against you, earn a second chance of Freedom! Are you ready for them to begin?”

The crowd roared, accompanied with Dragons they brought, making the roar sound like one massive entity. 

* * *

Emmet listened as the crowd roared outside, making his heart pound anxiously. Theo looked out the arena. “They’re going to send out one criminal and one lion at a time.” He explained. “It’s a show of strength. Or a test to prove you’re strong enough to serve the world you’re born in. You may want to watch the other criminals fight to get a better idea of what to do, and what not to do.”

Emmet nodded, once more approaching the window and looking out as the first Criminal came out. He was a stony looking man, very large with lots of muscle. He wore no shirt, just flexible pants, and an armored belt. He smiled as he walked to the center of the arena and flexed his pecks and shouted to the crowd who shouted back.

“He’s known as the Boulder,” Theo told him. “But I think his real name is Presley or something. He’s back down in the first brackets after used a stone as a weapon in the hand to hand combat. He bashed in a man’s skull, though the man had him down and almost out of the competition. I talked to him afterward, and he claimed the stone was in self-defense. His opponent was aiming to choke him to death.”

Emmet swallowed as the lion also roared in response. The Boulder turned and stood ready as the Lions cage was open the big cat leaped out, eyeing The Boulder hungrily. The Boulder snarled back, crouching slightly as the lion’s tail lashed back and forth. 

Emmet watched with wide eyes as the lion charged and The Boulder stood firm, Dodging at the last moment and grasping the beast’s shaggy mane, turning and throwing the cat away. The lion bounced and slid against the ground before getting back to his feet and snarling. The Boulder only laughed and motioned for the lion to approach and try again. 

“You said everyone here is a criminal,” Emmet said, his eyes watching as the lion charged the Boulder again. “What was your crime?”

Theo didn’t answer right away, watching the Boulder get cocky and misstep, allowing the lion to cut his claws deep along his side, making the man scream in pain. But smiled, as if he was watching something else entirely. “I’m a thief.” He told Emmet. “And I stole the most precious thing anyone could think of.”

Emmet looked at Theo, the other’s eyes still on the battle raging outside. “It’s what helps me survive this hell. And I intend on getting out of here, to get that treasure back.”

Emmet swallowed and looked back at the fight. The Boulder and the lion were now wrestling, with the Boulder’s arms around the lion’s neck. The lion was straining to roar in anger, his teeth managing to burry themselves into the boulder’s arm, but the boulder didn’t let up. Soon the lion’s movements slowed to a stop and the Boulder stood. He was bloody and his eyes looked as feral as the lions did. But he straitened and lifted his arms in the air with another roar of his own, the crowd cheering around him.

Emmet watched absently. His thoughts were on the treasure that Theo had stollen. Was it possible that he was part of the group that stole Alchos’ egg? He did seem to know about the Slayers pretty well… And a royal’s egg is more precious than a royal dragon’s hoard. He looked at Theo, wondering if trusting this man was a bad idea after all…

Suddenly the metal bars on their cell opened, and the guards glared at Emmet. “You’re up,” He growled, walking in as another guard made sure Theo didn’t try anything. the Guard clasped shackles onto Emmet’s wrists before he yanked Emmet closer, the boy’s eyes wide with worry. “Slayer.” The guard hissed, a cruel smile on his face as if he was looking forward to seeing Emmet become the lion’s next meal.

Author's Note

Wow! chapter 18 and we're not even into the air kingdom yet! This is gonna be a long book XD
The Orobus trial was kinda inspired by the Round Robin in 4H ^^; Only, a little more dangerous. But there's an easter egg character in here! Did you guys see who he was? Anyway, hope you guys like the story so far, and I look forward to getting feedback ^_^