by CJ Davis
“Interesting,” Reese replied. “Well, let’s hope my changes are more like the latter.”
“Yeah, like the lighting fast side,” Menelik playfully said.
Reese chuckled a little.
“Have you unlocked any of your abilities?” Reese asked.
“Yes, I have,” Menelik replied. “My main ability is super strength. I’ve gotten extremely strong so far in training. I’m at the point now, where I can throw giant boulder across an expansive area.”
“That’s great Menelik,” Reese said. “That should come in handy against the Reds.”
“Let’s hope so,” Menelik said. “I really want to slam my hand on the winner’s podium.”
Reese grinned as he imagined getting the victory for this Centennial.
“So, are you going to the Bob Marley concert in the Blue hall tonight?” Menelik asked.
“What? Bob Marley is playing tonight?”
“Oh, are you a Bob Marley fan?” Menelik asked.
“I’m a huge fan,” Reese said. “I’ve loved his music as long as I can remember. My dad used to play his records for me.”
“You’re in for a treat,” Menelik replied. “He’s as fantastic as he’s ever been.”
“That’s amazing,” Reese replied. “I’m definitely going.”
“Sounds good,” Menelik said. “The Centennial team will be heading down there in about an hour. Let’s meet up by the elevator, and head down together. We’ll see you there. Now rest up.”
“Will do,” Reese said.
Chapter 24
The Red Centennial warriors stood alone at the towering gates of Asgelot just after sunset. The fleeting sunlight glimmered off the curved blade in Cyrus’s right hand. The solid steel door was decorated with ornate embossed figures of large prehistoric beasts. The steep ancient wall ran on for miles in each direction.
The warriors wore their official Centennial uniforms, and were aptly equipped with their gear and weapons. Kublai bit his fingernails down to their nubs and Hector rapidly tapped his hand against his thigh. Starting the Centennial, and cutting out two weeks of training was very dangerous. There were countless powerful beasts that could easily overcome them.
“Morkel should be delivering the news to Laskious any moment,” Cyrus said. “I wish I could be there to see the look on Laskious’s face.”
“Me too,” Ling said, grinning slyly.
“I know you’re all scared,” Cyrus said. “I was scared at my first Centennial too. The dangers past this gate are real.”
Cyrus paced back and forth in front of the group. He let his words sink in with the Red warriors. Kublai stared blankly off into the dark and quiet streets.
“Even if you had completed your training, there are no certainties out there,” Cyrus added. “I can guarantee you this, if you’re not one hundred percent focused on winning and staying alive, the Centennial will swallow you whole.”
Hector’s eyes widened.
“All of you lived very impressive Earth lives,” Cyrus continued. “If you didn’t you wouldn’t be here.”
Cyrus stopped in front of Hector.
“Hector you led one of the most powerful and ruthless drug cartels in Mexico, you should be the least scared of all of us. Deep down we’re all ready for this, and have been for a long time.”
Hector stopped tapping his hand, and puffed out his chest.
“You have to shake whatever fears you have,” Cyrus said firmly. “And you’ve got to shake them off right now.”
Just then, the giant gates of Asgelot opened slowly. Cyrus heard the rustling sound of a large group from across a sizable courtyard. A crowd of Reds with their hooded robes drawn walked toward them. They were led by Morkel, who looked strong and immutable in the moonlight.
“My Red Centennial warriors,” Morkel said. He raised his arms up in the air in a welcoming manner. “Today is a very special day. For the first time in the Centennial’s history we are starting early. We commend you for your bravery.”
The crowd chanted the familiar Red ohm, as the gates reached the fully opened position.
“We’re all depending on the four of you to claim victory for us,” Morkel continued.
Cyrus swallowed hard in his dry mouth. The only thing Cyrus worried more about than being destroyed in the Centennial was the possibility of letting Morkel down.
“You must show no mercy,” Morkel said. “Focus on destroying the Blues as quickly as you can. Follow Cyrus’s lead and your powers will flourish.”
The ohms continued. As though drawn towards the sound, a cluster of Lost Souls emerged from the gate and made their way towards the Reds.
“No mercy!” Morkel cried.
Morkel lifted his arms. Without warning powerful bolts of white hot lightning flashed out of his fingertips and engulfed the Lost Souls. The bolts ripped into the creatures, shaking them violently. Their lifeless remains fell to the ground and flashed.
“Now go and claim our destiny!” Morkel cried, shooting more lightning bolts, lighting up the gloomy savannah past the gates.
The large crowd of Reds chanted, “ohm.”
Ling, Kublai, Cyrus and Hector all gathered themselves, and jogged out of the large gates as the ohms filled the night air. Hector’s hand was quivering and Kublai’s face was pale. Cyrus and Ling, on the other hand, had grins that stretched across their faces.
Cyrus lived for these moments. It had been a hundred years since experiencing the previous glories of the past Centennial, and he was eager to prove himself once again.
Cyrus took one last look over his shoulder as he ran into the darkness, and nodded at Morkel who gave him a confident nod in return. The giant gates slowly shut themselves.
The Reds had started the Centennial.
***
Reese walked with Anna, Rajiv and Menelik towards the great hall in the Blue temple. Reese could feel the thumping from the distant concert in his chest. He buzzed with excitement.
“I cannot believe we are about to see Bob Marley,” Anna said. Her eyes widened as she marveled at the outside of the large Blue hall.
“I know,” said Menelik. “My dad used to listen to him every time we got in the car in the summer. I fell in love with the music almost instantly.”
“He’s no Sonu Nigam,” Rajiv said. “But I definitely wore out that Legend album.”
They’re almost to the entrance of the great hall when Arshan, spotted them and walked over.
“There you all are,” Arshan said. “Did you think you were just going to stand with the crowd, and watch the concert from the back row?”
Reese looked at Arshan quizzically. He wondered if they might get to go on stage with the musical legend.
“Follow me,” Arshan said. “You’re going to love this.”
The group trailed after Arshan. Reese’s insides were dancing with excitement. They entered a discrete doorway that took them into a brightly lit hallway.
After a minute of walking, they finally arrived at an entrance to the concert hall. The door was closed.
“Wait here for a second,” Arshan said. He cracked the door, slipped through it, and closed it behind him.
They could hear the reggae music blaring, which had gotten considerably louder, beyond the door.
A minute passed. Anna danced up next to Reese. She was beaming. Menelik glanced at Rajiv, and he held his arms up in a clueless manner. The music suddenly stopped. It was so quiet that Reese could hear Anna’s shoe squeak on the ground when she stopped dancing.
The doors opened and Arshan stood on a balcony. Reese could hear the murmur from the crowd beyond him. He gestured the four of them to join him on the balcony, and they complied.
The Blue warriors stood above a massive audience. A spot light flooding the balcony stung his eyes. They were directly to the right of the stage. Reese’s chest tightened when he realized the entire crowd, including Bob Marley on the stage, faced them in silence.
“My fellow Blues,” Arshan said. �
��I present to you… your Blue Centennial Warriors.”
The crowd erupted. Bob Marley sang ‘Blue People’ over and over again in a thick Jamaican accent. The crowd followed along. The hairs on the back of Reese’s neck stood up.
Rajiv’s mouth hung open, and Menelik and Anna had tears welling up in their eyes.
As Reese scanned the cheering crowd, his resolve to win the Centennial deepened. These were the people he was meant to serve. These were the people he was going to save.
Reese choked up a little, but seeing the prideful smile on his Dad’s face, was the last straw. Reese allowed himself to cry. Warm salty tears streamed down his face. Menelik patted his back and Anna gave him a tight hug.
”Welcome,” Bob Marley said. “We salute you.”
The crowd cheered again.
“I want to dedicate this next song to our special warriors,” Bob said. His dreadlocks swayed over his shoulders. “We’re all grateful for your unwavering courage and dedication.”
The band played the opening chords from the song Could You Be Loved.
The four Centennial Warriors stood side by side with their arms draped over each other’s shoulders. They swayed together to the music.
“Could you be loved… and be loved?” the crowd sung along with Bob.
Many waved their arms back and forth in the air to the music. Bob and his backup singers sang with soul and conviction.
“This is what I thought heaven was going to be like,” Reese said to Anna.
About halfway through the song Laskious strode onto the stage unannounced. He signaled for the music to stop. Bob Marley stepped away from the microphone. The instruments faltered and faded away.
Laskious walked up to the microphone.
“I have urgent news,” Laskious said solemnly. He glanced towards where the Blue warriors were standing.
“We have received word only moments ago that the Reds have started the Centennial.”
The crowd gasped. Reese felt like he just had ice-cold water dumped on his face.
“It’s an unprecedented move and I’m just as surprised as you all,” Laskious continued.
How could this be true? Reese thought to himself.
“Unfortunately, it’s perfectly legal per our truce for them to do this,” Laskious added. “We have no other choice, but to send out our Blue warriors immediately.”
Arshan wasted no time in shuffling the four of them out of the room.
“There’s no time to spare,” Arshan said. They hustled down the hallway. “We must get you on your way before the Reds get too far ahead. They just left the city only minutes ago. Your weapons, uniforms and supplies will all be waiting for you by the gates of Asgelot. We must hurry.”
They rushed out of the Blue temple, and into a huge courtyard where a hovercraft was waiting for them to take them to the gate. A crowd had gathered. They quickly loaded into the hovercraft, which took off before the door was sealed.
The crisp night air blew against Reese’s face as the hovercraft rocketed in between the city skyscrapers fifty feet above the street. Reese’s white knuckles bulged, hanging on tight to a bar by his seat. A couple of sharp turns almost threw Reese out of the open door. He was more than impressed with the pilot, who cut every corner and made every turn with pinpoint accuracy.
Reese was breathing fast and his stomach tightened. Arshan gave him a reassuring look. The bright lights of the city below reminded Reese of the night that Marquis took him to the play. Life was simpler when he was a Green. Now he was about to embark on the most dangerous journey in the Afterlife.
He nervously tapped his heel on the floor of the hovercraft. Seeing Menelik looking calm and unflappable helped Reese to relax. He was an extremely powerful warrior, and despite not completing his training Reese was confident in Menelik’s abilities.
It took about three and a half minutes to reach the gates of Asgelot.
They jumped out of the flying craft as soon as it landed, and quickly changed into their Blue Centennial uniforms. A crowd gathered, watching them silently. Arshan pulled Reese aside as the others prepped their gear.
“You’re ready for this Reese,” Arshan said. “I know you’re scared. Who wouldn’t be? Listen to Menelik, and you’ll be fine out there.”
“I really have come a long way,” Reese replied carefully. He tried hard to control his breathing.
Arshan put his hand on Reese's shoulder. Reese cannot recall his father ever being this serious.
“Before you leave I must tell you about your eternal mother,” Arshan said. Reese’s mind was racing a million miles per hour.
“Pantea and I had you after we both chose the Centennial path,” Arshan declared. “It’s very rare for Centennial warriors that are also Inseparables, to have children. In fact, you’re the only one that I know of.”
Reese stared intensely at Arshan.
“We believe this special circumstance has made you extremely powerful,” Arshan added. “The theory is that you’ll be able to accrue your powers at an extremely accelerated rate. If I told you during your training it might have stunted your growth.”
Arshan paused and slumped his head.
“Pantea loved you very much,” Arshan said.
“Did her final moments really resemble the play that I saw?” Reese asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Arshan said. “I retired from the Centennials and decided to be a guide ever since.”
“I think you made the right decision trying to go back to the Raptor Jungle to save her,” Reese said.
“No, I didn’t!” Arshan snapped back. “It was the biggest mistake of my life. This is exactly the reason why I pulled you aside.”
The sound of the giant gates screeching open distracted Reese.
“The connections you’ve formed with your teammates can have devastating consequences,” Arshan explained. “Are you prepared to lose all of them out there?”
Reese was silent.
"You must be ready for anything,” Arshan said.
The large doors clicked when they reach their final open position.
"Are you ready?" Arshan asked sternly.
Reese looked out into the dark grasslands. A thick fog hovered inches above the ground.
“Yes,” Reese replied. “I’m ready.”
"Trust your abilities Reese,” Arshan said. “You no longer have the luxury to wait for your abilities. You have to push yourself to your absolute limits.”
A Lost Soul moaning in the distance shrilled through Reese’s mind.
“Believe you’re the most powerful soul in the Afterlife, and you’ll finally open your mind and your true potential,” Arshan said.
“We have to go,” Menelik yelled. “Come now!”
Reese exchanged one last look with Arshan and turned to join his friends.
“Avenge me!” Arshan yelled. “Avenge me!”
The crowd cheered at the four Blue warriors running off into the darkness. The group disappeared into the vast savannah outside of Asgelot, hot on the Red’s trail.
Chapter 25
The Red Centennials stood in the open savannah. The darkness cloaked most of the area and a layer of thick fog crept along the ground. It had been nearly an hour since they’d left Asgelot.
Ling diligently gathered a large group of Lost Souls using her mind controlling powers. Hector grimaced when he saw the ghoulish face of one of the creatures. Several of its teeth and one of its eyes were missing from an apparent wild beast attack.
Within a matter of minutes, around thirty Lost Souls were in a perfect formation behind Ling, standing as still as a disciplined army unit. Cyrus was quite impressed that Ling had so many under her control. Normally these creatures would be trying to tear the Reds apart with their bare hands and teeth.
“I think we have enough,” Ling said to Cyrus.
“Are you sure you have control of those filthy things?” Cyrus asked. “I don’t want any surprises out here. Too much is at stake.”
Ling
smirked confidently.
“Does this answer your question?” Ling said.
A moment later, one of the Lost Souls turned and violently bit into the flesh of another creature in formation.
Cyrus raised both eyebrows in amazement. What was possibly even more impressive than controlling the Lost Soul attacking, was Ling’s ability to control the Lost Soul who was being eaten. The individual just stood there, not even looking at the assault on her arm. She didn’t even try to pull her arm away as it was being devoured.
“Whoa, I’ve never heard of them gnawing on each other like that,” Kublai said. “That’s disgusting.”
“That’s because they don’t,” Ling replied curtly. “I’m making him do it.”
“All right, enough,” Cyrus said. “We’ll need that one intact for our attack.”
Ling waved her hand and the creature immediately stopped its biting, and returned to formation.
“Kublai, did you make the bows, and are you ready to use your ability?” Cyrus asked.
Kublai extended his arm, and a line of fire shot out of his hand. The flame formed a small ball, and hovered for a moment. The glow illuminated a pile of bows lying on the ground.
“Perfect,” Cyrus said. “Your power will certainly heat things up. They’re not going to know what hit them.”
“I’ll do my best,” Kublai said earnestly.
“This is going to be the shortest Centennial ever,” Cyrus said. “I wish I could have seen their faces when they found out we started early. They were probably pissing themselves.”
Kublai and Ling laughed. Hector was silent.
“We must not forget about Menelik,” Hector said. “He is a seasoned veteran, and will unlikely have any problems with our little scheme.”
Cyrus stopped smiling, and glared at Hector.
Hector cringed and looked down.
“Thank you, captain obvious,” Cyrus said dryly.
“Do you really think that I haven’t thought of that?”
Hector continued to look at the ground.
“Our little scheme will be just the distraction we need to gang up on Menelik,” Cyrus declared.
“Perhaps we can get further along in our journey and earn some experience before we face Menelik and the other Blues,” Hector suggested. “Remember, the rest of us have never been in a Centennial before, Cyrus, and we didn’t exactly finish our training either.”
