Gold torch holders hung along the walls in shapes of dragons, lions, and eagles. In the center of the room was a long table with equally long benches on either side for seating. The table was full of fruit, vegetables, and water pitchers.
Each bench was loaded to capacity with amber-eyed monks in orange robes, all with genuinely welcoming smiles and nods as the group entered the room.
Orion led them to the head of a table, where a large wooden chair was placed. The chair wasn’t ornate. It was ordinary and plain. The man who sat in the chair, however, was anything but. He was a few inches taller than Connor, but with a similar muscular build. His mustache and goatee were long and combined with his black hair that was pulled into a ponytail, were the only things that set him apart from the rest of the monks.
Sitting to his right was an older version of Laren. The woman was tall with long brown, curly hair and green eyes that seemed to capture the torchlight and glimmer more than they should.
“Your Highness, may I present Connor Moore?” Orion said, waving a hand in Connor’s direction as Laren went to embrace her mother and exchange quiet hellos.
Connor wasn’t sure how he should address the King, so he knelt like he would during a Council meeting, averting his eyes to the ground.
“Please,” the King spoke softly and deliberately. “You do not have to kneel.”
Surprised with the response, Connor stood up, as did the King. “My name is Zheng, and it is a pleasure to meet you. If I am correct, it is your first time here. May I present Mrs. Abelardus?”
Connor swallowed hard. He knew that he and Laren weren’t dating, but it still felt a bit daunting to shake her mother’s hand. “It’s nice to meet the man who has the Elite race in such a frenzy. So you’re the soon to be proclaimed Judge of our people.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Abelardus—“
“Please, call me Kora. I’ve insisted Zheng do the same, but he’s stubborn.”
“It is our custom to show every respect,” Zheng said, smiling with a small bow. “But please sit and eat, you all must be very tired and hungry from your journey.”
Kora, and Orion sat on the king’s left; Connor, Reap, and Laren on the right. Everyone at the table began to serve themselves. There was every variety of fruit and vegetable Connor could imagine and some he couldn’t place. The dark wooden table was alive with colors as the group began their meal and the hall was full of talk and laughter.
“So how was the trip to The Island?” Kora asked Connor over the table. “I still remember my first time making the journey.”
Connor stole a glance at Orion, who was all smiles and laughter as he cut apart his mango. “It was surprising. I don’t think I gave Orion and his ship enough credit.”
“I told you,” Orion said around a mouthful of mango. “She’s faster than she looks.”
Connor nodded in agreement.
“And Lupus and your father, Laren?” Kora asked.
“Oh they’re great. I’m sure they wished they could come, but with the Council meetings and everything going on, they’re a bit busy at the moment.”
“What do you mean by ‘everything going on?’”
It dawned on Connor that with the secluded location of The Island, they may be a few days or more behind on information. “They, ummm…” Laren looked at Reap, who was burrowing into a huge slice of watermelon like a small squirrel. “There have been some developments. Vercin has been seen alive.”
The entire table suddenly stopped eating. The entire table, that is, except for Reap, who didn’t miss a beat and bit deep into his juicy mound of goodness with a satisfied little smile.
“How is this possible?” Zheng asked for the first time, showing another emotion besides happiness and good will.
“That’s what the Council is trying to figure out, but it’s been confirmed. There’s no doubt about it.”
“I would imagine that your presence here, Mr. Moore, would have something to do with all of this?” Zheng asked.
This was it. The part of the journey Connor had dreaded from the instant he had met the first monk at the gate and experienced their welcoming attitude and giving spirit. How was he supposed to tell them he needed to take their crown? But a multitude of amber eyes begged the question. The entire hall was silent as they all waited. “Yes. My second task to prove my right as a Judge is to bring back the crown of the Zhanshi king.”
Gasps erupted from the monks at the table and angry shouts filled the hall. A few monks even stood up from their seats, grabbing forks and knives, just waiting for their king to give the word and attack the intruder that would dare speak such a thing. Connor didn’t know how to respond. Reap sat up wide eyed in his seat, and the Abelardus women, along with Orion, sat poised, ready for action.
Zheng rose from his seat and extended muscular, tattooed arms forward, palms open to calm the table. “Brothers, peace. Our guest does not know the weight his words carry. Please sit down.”
The shouts died as the monk regained their composures and retook their seats. Connor could still feel their eyes on him.
“Connor, you must forgive us, but the crown is something we guard with our lives, and it would be quite impossible for you to take simply carry it away.”
Connor took a deep breath. He felt like a jerk. “I’m sorry, Zheng, but with all due respect, I must insist. It’s the only way to prove myself as Judge and unite our people for when Vercin makes his move.”
Zheng sat in his chair, stroking his long goatee and staring at Connor. It wasn’t an intimidating stare or one that was meant to scare him. Zheng was deep in thought, his amber eyes, although looking at Connor, were searching far beyond him for an answer, a million miles away. “Mr. Moore,” he said, slowly rising from his chair. “Will you walk with me?
Connor nodded and stood.
“Please, continue to eat and excuse us,” Zheng said, addressing the many at the table as the two left.
Zheng led Connor deeper into the palace, and soon the noise of the great hall died away. Zheng didn’t say a word and Connor’s nervousness increased with each passing step.
Soon the King and Judge found themselves at a large iron door lit by a single torch that hung from the stone wall. Zheng produced an iron key from a necklace that had been concealed by his robe. The large door swung open with a loud creak. Taking the torch, he led Connor down a spiraling stone stairwell. The two traveled in silence, deeper and deeper into the belly of the palace. Just when he thought he couldn’t take the silence anymore and was deciding whether or not to break the stillness, Connor saw a faint glow below them.
Down and down they went until they reached the bottom. The stairs opened into a small room. A single stone pillar in the middle with a glass case resting on top was the only thing the room held. Inside the glass case was a stone that glowed a faint blue. It was a rock about the size of a large dinner plate, but it was a rock unlike any Connor had ever seen. He could almost sense the power that came from the stone.
Chapter 17
“I brought you down here, Mr. Moore, because I wanted you to see what you ask. The crown is not an actual physical crown; our crown is the very heart of The Island. The very thing that makes this Island special, the reason we guard it as we do is to protect its innocence. Very few things in this world are as they were before, and even fewer things are still pure and untainted by the world’s darkness. This stone is one of those things, a source of pure, good power, capable of healing, restoring, and beyond corruption. This crown is something worth dying for.”
Zheng stood silent now as he stared at the stone. Connor didn’t know how to respond. Half of him didn’t want to take the stone at all, he respected the men who protected The Island’s power and wanted no part in taking what they held so precious. The other half knew what he had to do. If he was going to be the Judge and one day lead the Elite race to victory over Vercin, he had to complete the trials.
“If there were some way I could borrow The Island’s crown or—”<
br />
“That is impossible, Mr. Moore. As a clan we are tasked with keeping the stone here and safe. The only way for you to take it is to challenge the king’s right as leader.” Zheng turned his gaze from the stone’s magical glow and fixed Connor with a stare that made him sweat. “To challenge me to one-on-one combat.”
The two men stood in silence, staring at one another. Connor bit his lip in frustration but he knew what he had to say. “I have to, Zheng, and I’m sorry. I have no choice, but I will bring the stone back when I’m done, I swear. I have to challenge you or do whatever it takes. Too many people rely on me.”
Zheng slowly nodded, accepting the course fate had taken. “Okay, Mr. Moore. As king, I have no choice but to accept your challenge, but know I will win. Whether your body breaks first or your will, I will break you. I will do my best not to take your life, but I cannot promise that. All I can promise you now is pain.”
Connor was at a loss for words. He quietly made the awkward trip back up the winding stairs, remaining silent as Zheng led him to his room. Before Zheng left him to sleep, he addressed Connor one last time. “The challenge will take place tomorrow when the sun sets. I will inform Orion of the plan you insist on and he will give you any more information you require. Have a restful night, Mr. Moore.”
“You, too, Zheng.”
With that, Connor was left alone to think and second guess his own actions. Sleep escaped him. What are you doing? Challenging the host that has shown you nothing but kindness to a death match in order to steal the power he has devoted his whole life to protecting?
Connor tossed and turned in his small bed. His room was cast in shadows. He was lying on his back, fingers crossed under his head when he first heard the noise. It was a dull thud, barely noticeable. Soon it grew more and more distinct as footsteps in the hall outside his door.
The knob on his door began to turn and Connor sat straight up in his bed, the moonlight reflecting off his bare chest. The door swung open slowly and Reap tiptoed in, dressed in a green pair of pajamas. He carried a small pillow, blanket, and stuffed animal with him. He entered the room quiet as a mouse and closed the door behind him as gently as he could
Making eye contact with Connor, he smiled and tiptoed over to his bed. “Shhhhh—my mom and Laren will make me go back to bed if they hear. I came so we can have a sleep over.”
Connor smiled, understanding the great adventure he must be on in his own mind. “Okay, here, you can have the bed. I can’t sleep, anyway.”
Reap smiled and traded places with Connor, squirming deep into the covers and clutching his stuffed animal. Connor could see now that it was a small stuffed dragon. “We’re friends now, right?”
“Of course we are,” Connor said as he smiled and walked to the window to look out onto the palace’s peaceful courtyard.
“Good. Then can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Do you think I’m going to get better?”
“Yes, Reap, you are going to get better.”
“But how do you know?”
Connor walked over, his own bare feet touching the cool wooden floor and knelt beside Reap. “Because you are just as strong as your sister and brother, your father and mother. You just have to show your strength in a different way. We all have our fights, Reap. Battling this sickness is yours.”
Connor could practically see thoughts form behind Reap’s dull green eyes. “You mean I’m a warrior like you and Lu but I’m fighting being sick?”
“That’s exactly right. You may not have a sword or a shield, but you’re not any less of a hero. This is your fight, your battle. We all have one, and I know you’re strong enough to beat this. Right?”
“Right,” Reap said with a smile. “My sister said that you have a pet dragon. Can you tell me that story?”
Connor smiled at his small friend. “Sure, I can.”
Reap was asleep before Connor even got to the capture of the dragon. He tucked his small frame in and spent the rest of the night awake and alone, thinking of what the next day would bring.
***
As the first rays of the sun peeked over the palace walls, there was a gentle knock on the door. “Come in,” Connor said.
Orion opened the door, clad not in the traditional orange garb of the monks, but in his own sailor’s clothing of simple brown sandals, dark grey pants, and a loose tan shirt. “See you had some company in the night,” he said, motioning to Reap’s sleeping figure. “Zheng informed me of your meeting and that you insisted on challenging him to the right of kingship.”
Connor rose from his make shift bed on the floor stretching. “I didn’t want to, Orion. If there was any other way—”
Orion stopped him, his arm stretched out, palm facing in his direction. “I’m not here to talk you out of what you’re planning to do. I want to try and prepare you as much as I can before the sun sets and the challenge begins.”
Connor nodded with gratitude. He turned to go to the restroom and change out of his pants and into the orange robe he had been given.
“Don’t bother with the robe, Connor. It’s only going to get in the way.”
Connor nodded and followed Orion, still barefoot and bare chested, wearing only the pants in which he had arrived.
Orion headed to the front courtyard and a small corner that concealed them with two large trees and an army of tall, wild-looking plants.
“Why don’t you eat while I explain how the challenge is going to work tonight,” Orion said, motioning to a bowl of what looked like oatmeal, two pieces of toast, and fruit sitting on a flat stone.
Connor seated himself, food in hand, as Orion began. “When someone challenges the king it is by the clan’s own tradition that he must accept. In the history of this Island’s existence, no king has ever lost the challenge, thus ensuring the stone has never been taken. The challenge always occurs at sunset and consists of a ten round battle between the challenger and the king. Each round lasts three minutes and it is the king’s responsibility to break his opponent. By break I mean either the challenger gives up, or is physically unable to continue. As a challenger, you can win two different ways, either defeat the king, or last the full ten rounds still on your feet.”
Connor nodded, soaking in all the information and making mental notes as he ate. You just have to last ten rounds. You don’t even have to win. You just have to make it to the end.
“He’ll try and break you, body and spirit. The only way you have a chance of winning, Connor, is if you hold onto something here.” Orion pointed to the area of his chest that concealed his heart. “This fight just won’t be a test of strength or intelligence, but a test of how strong your spirit can stay.”
“Not that I’m ungrateful to you for your help, Orion, but why are you helping me? And why would Zheng trust you to assist me?”
Orion smiled, scratching his thick black beard and looking at him with his one good eye. “A very long time ago I had the same sickness Reap does. I came to The Island, ferried here by a man who I came to respect very much. The Island healed me, and when it was time for the ferryman to go on to a greater calling, I took his spot. That man, Connor, was your father.”
Connor put down the empty bowl. “You knew my father? He was here?”
“Yes, that’s another reason Zheng is so hesitant to fight you. He has a great amount of respect for Caderyn. Zheng knows how much I liked your father, so he trusts me to train you and give you all the knowledge I have. But more stories later. We have precious few hours to see where your fighting skills are and how we can improve them.”
Connor and Orion spent the rest of the day, only interrupted by a mid-day meal, going over throws, punches, and kicks. “He’ll try and submit you first,” Orion explained as they both sat panting towards the end of the day. “If that doesn’t work, he’ll try and break your spirit and will to fight. Lastly, he’ll break your body, Connor. This fight will not be who is stronger or faster; this fight will all come down to who wan
ts it more. Who will be able to stand in that ring, and when he has nothing else to give, be able to get back up and give more.”
Connor and Orion sat in the soft grass, watching the sun descend slowly behind the palace walls. It was strange that a scene so calm and peaceful now would soon be broken with violence and blood. Violence and blood that Connor had brought with him.
“It’s almost time, Connor,” Orion said as he stood up, stretching. “Let’s go inside and get you ready.”
Connor followed Orion back into the palace. They didn’t pass a single person as they entered his room. Laren sat there waiting for them, folded clothes on the bed next to her. “There you are—hurry. The fight will begin soon. I’ve brought you some clean clothes.”
“Thank you,” Connor said as Orion bowed out of the room to give the two time alone. “I don’t want you to come tonight, to the fight.”
“What? Of course I’m going to come.”
“If Orion is right and this is going to be as brutal as it sounds, I don’t want you to see me like that.”
Laren walked over to Connor and let her eyes play over his bare chest in a playful way. “Well, if you think you can keep me away, you’re welcome to try. I’m not that girl who’s going to sit on the sidelines and wait to see if my knight in shining armor comes back to her. Besides, I’m guessing you’re not going to have much of a cheering section.”
The look of determination in her eyes was enough to convince Connor that nothing he said would keep her from coming.
“Now clean up and change. I’ll wait outside with Orion.”
She was gone in a few seconds and Connor was left to wash up and change. There was a pair of black and red shorts that looked like they had seen better days lying on the bed. Connor changed into the shorts, feeling a strange sense of familiarity as he walked out of the room.
“How do they look?” he asked Orion and Laren.
“Those belonged to your father, “Orion said, smiling. “He’d be proud if he could see you now.”
The Trials (The Elite Series) Page 9
