Land of Shadows

by Jeff Gunzel

  * * *

  The three companions rode slowly through the crowded street.

  Owners of shops stood out on the walkways boasting about their special deals of the day, deals they claimed would no longer be valid tomorrow. The sweet aromas of smoked meats and fresh-baked bread filled the street. Shop owners waved apples in the air and butchers displayed the links of sausages hung outside their establishments. The shops were well-maintained, and the walkways seemed properly swept despite all the heavy traffic.

  Eric and Jacob were fascinated by all the people scurrying through the streets and walkways—not just by their sheer number, but by the many different ethnic looks. All had different skin tones and hair color; even the shapes of their eyes and noses hinted at wondrous new lands begging to be explored.

  The fashions seemed strange to them in some cases. They saw everything from fancy vests and britches, to what appeared to be full-body robes in a rainbow of different colors. Some women had their faces completely covered with brightly colored lacy veils, but even the thin veils could not hide their smiles when they caught the boys staring.

  Even with constant distractions abound, nothing drew more of their attention than seeing the Queen’s palace as it came into view. Even though they were still a long way from it, it was quite visible...and massive! Yet another white wall surrounded the wondrous architecture, similar to the outer city’s. The palace itself was as white as a cloud, with three thick towers that seemed to sprout right from the ground. Each tower displayed a deep blue bubble-shaped roof that was considerably larger than the tower itself.

  Even Jade’s breath was stolen by its sheer beauty. Though she knew all about the palace, she had never seen it in person. “We need to keep moving towards the palace. Once we’re close, we’ll stop at an inn and try to figure out our next move,” Jade said as she pointed up the road.

  The two boys nodded absently and their eyes wandered in circles, as if wondering what to do first.

  “It’s alright guys, don’t worry. We got this far, didn’t we? Just let me think this through for a night, and I’ll come up with something,” Jade said, flashing her smile at both of them. She didn’t feel as confident as she appeared, but that wasn’t the point.

  The guys perked up a bit and seemed more focused as her positive words set in. That was all the response she was looking for.

  The three companions jostled through the crowded street, which seemed to be getting even more congested the closer they got to the palace. Seeing as how the guys had been wearing the same clothes for what seemed like forever, the large red general store they found was a very welcome sight. After getting new outfits, the two boys fell all over themselves thanking Jade, who might have been more relieved than they were. Those rags had gotten to a point where they couldn’t be saved.

  As they got closer to the palace, a very large oval-shaped stone building came into view. It was more wide than tall and had the flags of Taron placed all around the top of it. Given how massive it was, it was odd they hadn’t seen it before now. The crowded main road with high buildings on each side made them feel like they were walking through a tunnel, which had aided in hiding the view of this mighty stone structure. But here, it was more open, and they could see farther in all directions.

  “What is that?” Eric asked, pointing to the odd-shaped building.

  “That’s the arena they call ‘Moxis,’” Jade said solemnly. “Most prisoners never spend a single day in a cell. They just end up fighting for their lives in that house of death,” she said as she gestured towards the giant structure. “Making a spectacle of these games of survival while charging coin to watch the carnage is commonplace. This is hardly the only city that uses such brutal tactics for crowd control. In fact, all the larger cities seem to—” She stopped in mid-sentence. Her jaw gaped wide open.

  Jade leapt from her horse and sprinted to the nearby street lantern. The other two did the same, not understanding what was so urgent. She gazed at the poster pinned up for several minutes, seemingly trying to decide if it was real or not. It can’t be! But there it was—the warrior who had tried to save her those years ago, his face clear as day staring back at her from a paper prison. He was the main attraction? Her head swooned, and she fought hard to stay on her feet. This meant that not only was he alive, but he had been forced to fight here all this time. How could he have survived this long? Even the mightiest warriors didn’t make it past the third or fourth rounds, but he had been here for years.

  Jade ignored her friends’ pleas to explain what her odd behavior was about as she stormed back to her horse. “We need to find an inn,” she said, looking as if she had seen a ghost. As far as survival odds in the arena went, she had seen a ghost. “I’ll explain everything once we find one and I can sit down and get a drink.”

  They traveled only a short way until they came across “The Dancing Sword.” It seemed older than some of the other taverns they had passed. Not run down or lower class, just a bit old fashioned, given how modern everything else seemed in Taron. The old-fashioned feel was welcome in a strange way.

  The inside did not disappoint, either. Everything was made of wood, from the faded floors to the plain chairs and tables. Even the inner wall was assembled from aged wooden planks that may have had a lacquer finish at one point in time, but was quite faded now. The oil paintings of kings and queens that hung about the faded walls didn’t match very well with the vibe of this old inn. The boys supposed it must have something to do with running a business in Taron; it seemed they must be required to hang paintings of royalty.

  The folk sitting around the bar were unassuming for the most part—merchants and tradesmen local to Taron. But to Jacob and Eric, they appeared to be noblemen, with their tidy haircuts and fine, colorful clothing. Jade rushed to one of the many open tables and collapsed down into a chair with her arms spread across the table.

  Her two companions quickly rushed to sit with her while motioning for three ales to be brought over.

  Eric boldly put his hand on Jade’s knee and said, “Are you going to tell us what that was all about back there?”

  She kept her head low as she rubbed her fingers nervously on the table, considering the question for a moment. Jade found it odd she had shared intimate details about her life, such as her time living with Ben and even her shallow childhood due to constant training and living in secrecy, but never once had she mentioned this warrior who had betrayed his own kind just to try to help her and her friend. The more she thought about it, the more she was forced to accept the reality of her reasoning for not telling anyone. She felt guilty! When she looked over her shoulder that day and saw them drag him away, she knew his life had changed forever. That wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for her. That same nagging feeling that always haunted her in times like this began to surface once again. Everyone who gets involved in my life gets hurt!

  She took a deep breath and began to recount the story of what had happened that fateful night. She had mentioned that night before, but never in detail, and certainly nothing of the warrior who’d tried to save her. The fact that he was here now, and alive, couldn’t be a coincidence. It just can’t be!

  When she was finished, the three sat in silence as their minds chewed on the new developments. They sipped their drinks slowly while thinking about the odds of him really being here.

  Eric finally spoke up. “I know you think there is some kind of destiny here, or maybe you just think you owe him something, but the truth is there’s nothing we can do for him now. I’m even starting to wonder if there is anything we can do for ourselves.” He folded his hands on the table and lowered his head.

  They sat a while longer before Jade placed her hand on his. “I’ll just get us a room for right now. Trust me, we’ll figure all this out,” she said as she stood up, giving his hand a firm squeeze before letting go. She walked over to the tall, thin bartender and began talking while the other two stayed at the table.

  Ja
cob’s eyes followed Jade until he was sure she wasn’t looking in their direction, and then he backhanded Eric across the shoulder.

  “Ouch, what was that for?” asked Eric, startled by the sudden assault.

  “You really are stupid, aren’t you? A blind bat can see how much she likes you! You constantly ignore her. Really, I don’t know what you’re thinking sometimes,” Jacob said, his voice very nearly bordering on anger.

  Eric gazed back with a genuine sadness in his eyes, which in turn made Jacob draw back in on himself, ashamed of his outburst. Eric had a hard time meeting Jacob’s eyes. “I’m not stupid...alright?” he finally said, only half looking at his blond friend. “It’s just that she likes who I’m supposed to be, not who I am.” If it was possible to look even more depressed, he had just accomplished the feat. “I just have a feeling I’m not who she thinks I am—what she wants me to be; what she gave up her life for!” His fist slammed on the table.

  Now it was Jacob’s turn to look away.

  “Tell me, how am I supposed to tell her she’s wasted her life chasing a fairytale? Let alone try to steal her heart! Even you can’t be that cold,” Eric finished.

  “I’ve got us a room,” came the cheerful call from the bar.

  The two boys, now solemn, stood up and walked over to Jade.

  “Look, guys, it’s been a long day. A lot has happened, and we can’t do anything about it today. Let’s just get some rest and start fresh tomorrow,” Jade said, seeming rather perky all of a sudden.

  Her renewed energy was refreshing, and she had a good point. Everyone was tired, and perspectives can be gloomy when you try to make decisions when you’re feeling down. Getting some rest and letting everything wait until tomorrow sounded like as good a plan as any.

  The three strolled upstairs to a rather plain-looking room decorated with simple wooden furniture that looked very old. It matched the rest of the establishment, so nothing seemed a surprise. Again, someone would be stuck on the floor as usual. Eric made the decision slightly easier by jumping on one of the beds as fast as he could. Jade playfully offered to fight Jacob for the last one. He politely withdrew from the competition, claiming he was displaying chivalry. Secretly, he didn’t think going toe to toe with Jade was a good bet for any man.

  They all got settled in and extinguished the single lantern. Not ten minutes went by before there came a light knock at the door.

  Eric sat up in a bit of a haze, wondering if he had imagined it.

  The light knock came once more, proving it had not been a dream, but barely a second later, the door blasted off its hinges from a mighty kick. Armed soldiers flooded into the room, encircling the trio with weapons ready before they could even blink. They had obviously been prepared for the raid, as every soldier ran to a predestined spot in the room and held their ground. The three young companions were in shock, having no idea what to do.

  Two soldiers loomed at the doorway, seemingly to cut off any potential retreat. “Make way,” one of them called out as they sidestepped to expose the hallway.

  In walked a tall man whose dark piercing eyes were that of a hawk’s. His thick armor shimmered even in the minimal light. The man could have been wearing street clothes and it still would have been obvious he was in charge. “Eric Aethello, Jacob Couture, and Jade Ethrista,” he said in a booming voice as those dark eyes bore into each one of them. “You are hereby summoned to stand before Her Majesty, Queen Ilirra Marosia.” He looked to one of the soldiers. “Gather all their belongings quickly.”

  The trio stood up with their hands held high in the air, not wanting to make the situation any worse by showing any movements that could be mistaken for aggression. This was not the way they had intended to see the queen.