The monster bent down and began to roar ferociously a few inches from his face, squeezing his left arm hard. A few moments passed.
Patrik turned to Alannah.
«Get on your knees» he ordered.
«Patrik, I don’t ...» Alannah didn’t know what to say.
«Get on your knees I told you!» he was screaming now.
«Patrik, I cannot ...» but before the girl could finish talking, he grabbed her and threw her to the ground in front of the beast. Then he turned, took the young Kentauro boy and pushed him in front of the bigger one.
The big Kentauro pinned him again with his foot and with a decisive blow killed the boy, finishing what he had started a few moments before.
He roared again in front of Patrik, then took the body of the young dead Kentauro and carried it away, dragging him by the feet.
Life in the village resumed as if nothing happened.
The eyes of the whole group were glued to look at Patrik, while Myah ran to help her sister.
«It's useless for you to watch me. I think I saved everyone's life today. He would not have stopped» he said as he passed between them, intent on resuming his journey.
«You're a monster!» shouted Alannah in tears as he pulled away. «You let them kill a child».
Patrik whirled around.
He was furious.
«It happens that the child you tried to defend, putting all of us in danger, had just slaughtered his brothers and was the only one left!»
Then he turned again and headed for Kalberham, who had remained on the ground watching the whole scene.
«Come, I'll help you up» said Patrik, extending his arm.
He stood up, bringing his siel back to its original state. Then he looked Patrik in the eye as if he wanted to understand something.
«How did you know those things?» he asked without hesitation.
«Kalberham, I hear voices. Voices inside my head. Ever since I entered the village I hear them» he replied.
«But did you understand what the Kentauro was saying?»
«No! That is ... partly» he said quickly. «I told you, I hear voices. Blurry voices. Like a radio signal that comes and goes inside my head. I don’t understand. I don’t understand anything anymore».
Patrik had tears in his eyes as he clutched his master's tunic. The boy was definitely unloading the tension for what had just happened.
Kalberham decided not to ask for more.
«All right. Come on, let's go boy» and so saying he put his arm around his shoulders and the two started walking again followed by all the others.
*
The Spindorf, seen closely, was even more majestic than you could imagine. The structure was perfectly circular and with twenty-one doors, one for each Flower planet, allowing the various delegations to enter.
Marco was amazed to see aliens of different races all together. Before he could see all of them well, there was a sound and they all began heading for their respective entrances.
«Good. I can get up to here. Now you will have to access the planet Earth area and the only one who can accompany you is Marco, of course. Remember well what you have learned, Patrik Jones. The siel will be delivered to you and you will have about three minutes to connect with it. It reads your soul, it is your ally. So remember: you are not alone. Stay focused and attack to kill».
«All right, Kalberham. Thank you! You have nothing more to tell me?» asked Patrik, hopeful he knew something that would make this easier for him.
«If you're here, there's a reason. I know you're dealing with all of this for David, but the Code has chosen you. Make it depend only on you. The promise I make you is that, if you survive, I will be the first to accompany you on Vortix to bring him back home».
«How do we recognize our entrance?» Marco asked, still looking at that huge structure.
«Above each door is the geo map of every planet. Now go. It's time to enter».
That said, Kalberham moved away and joined the Solyar delegation.
Tadiero and Selidar approached to greet Patrik and then vanished to their doors.
Alannah approached Patrik last.
«Your sleeve is stained with blood» he said, pointing to her arm.
«Yes, I know» she replied. «It's just a cut, nothing serious».
«Patrik ... about before, I ...» Alannah didn’t know what to say. She was confused.
She followed the group to try to talk to him and apologize for what she had said on the ship. And then that incident happened and everything became complicated.
Yet.
She wanted to hug him and slap him at the same time, but she was blocked by the great fear of losing him.
Patrik broke the silence.
«About before, I had no choice. I know you now consider me a monster, but this damn thing I have in my head showed me the scene of the young Kentauro slaughtering his brothers. Do you think I wanted to condemn him to death? I had to choose, or we or he ... or…better, you or him!»
At that point, Patrik took Alannah's hands and squeezed them tight as if it were the last time he would be able to do it. She blushed, but didn’t hold back. The two looked at each other a few inches apart.
Patrik smiled and looked down for a moment. «Don’t worry! Now the monster is about to become flesh for Kentauros, as you said».
Alannah felt a twinge in her stomach.
«Patrik I didn’t want to, I ...» but Patrik's index finger on her lips prevented her from speaking.
«Only one thing I want you to know» he continued to speak. «I don’t care what you are or how you are on your planet, Princess Alannah. You're not ugly for me».
With that he smiled with a wink, turned and walked with Marco to the entrance of planet Earth.
Alannah stood looking at them leaving.
The embrace of her father who led her to the entrance of Solyar did not serve to quench the chills of cold that the fear of losing Patrik made her feel.
16
Within the Spindorf the twenty-one platforms were well separated from each other. Each was surrounded by a huge vein of stone that stretched and ended at the center, where the competition area began.
Eleven were taller, interspersed with the ten that were positioned slightly lower down. Patrik immediately understood that this was a representation of the Flower of Eta Carinae seen from above.
All the platforms were full of beings belonging to the various planets, intently staring in his and Marco's direction. Obviously they were not used to seeing Earthmen, since the inhabitants of his planet were completely unaware of the existence of all this.
Only one platform was completely deserted.
The race field was enclosed by a thick iron gate that stretched along the entire perimeter.
At the top of the gate, sharp blades and sharp points were there to prevent candidates trying to escape, or to stop any attempts at outside assistance.
Every ten meters or so, the symbol of a flower with twenty-one petals was welded into the iron bars of the gate.
Inside the camp, covered with grass and rocks scattered here and there, twenty-one enormous stone chairs were placed at the sides, all facing the center and all equidistant.
At the moment the chairs were empty.
Patrik and Marco looked at all this in amazement and even a little fear.
«Patrik, look there» Marco said. «Is that not the beast that almost took you out earlier?» pointing to the platform for the planet Kentaura.
«Yes, it's him» said Patrik bitterly, «and I don’t think, judging by how he’s looking at me, that he came with his cronies to cheer me on».
«Hey, Jones. Another of your most ardent supporters has just entered» Marco said, pointing to the platform that housed Greymar and his soldiers.
Patrik glanced at the arkassian general who sat down. Then he stared in wonder at the stone window sill of the platform.
Marco noticed Patrik’s expression «What are you ...?» and he looked too.
The two were speechless.
Engraved on the stone, as if scratched by rudimentary stones or carved from the pieces of metal scattered on the platform, there were many symbols and writings illegible. Only some were clear.
Full names and also initials and dates.
Some Terrans who had been there had left a sign of their passage on Kentaura.
Scriptures and symbols in all the languages of the world. Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic and other strange characters, never seen before. Names of many nationalities of the planet Earth.
Margareth I love you A. W. 1902.
Patrik paused to think whether A.W. had ever returned home to embrace Margareth.
He thought of his mother, who must have died in fear of what was happening.
He could not die. Too many lives were at stake.
Inwardly he decided he would fight with all the strength he had.
A strange heat ran through his hands and he stood still looking at them, wondering if this was good.
A grim and continuous sound crossed the Spindorf for about five seconds and the general whisper and hubbub subsided abruptly.
A stone door opened and, one by one, the Kentauros moved to occupy the large chairs along the perimeter. Each of them had a sort of rigid leather armor and a cylinder hanging around his neck.
One of those will be my siel, Patrik thought.
And finally, there entered what appeared to be the boss.
His leather armor was a little more complex than the others, and his siel was set in a strange metal amulet hanging around his neck. On his right hand he had a long spear with which he helped himself to walk.
It was clear that he was the eldest, also because his posture was slightly curved.
As soon as he sat, he placed his spear down and remained motionless, staring into space. He, like the other twenty.
The boys realized that all eyes were turned towards them and finally, after about thirty interminable seconds of silence, something happened.
The planet Earth's platform began to shake and the stone vein leading to the battlefield turned into a long stairway thanks to some strange internal gearing system. The portion of the gate at the end of the vein itself lowered and Patrik realized it was time to get inside.
Having made the first two steps he felt Marco's hand grasp his.
«Listen Jones. When you're over there, piss off like you tend to get, boil the hands of that beast and drive it on the ground like you did with the Schmidt twins. I know you can do it. I was there» he said without hesitation, looking into his friend's eyes.
«I know» Patrik replied with a half-smile, «I've always known. And by the way, thank you!»
Marco was speechless.
His friend had seen him that day, and now he thanked him for having kept silent all those years. Any other kid at that age would have cast him to the four winds, but he had not. Their friendship was more important than anything, and now Patrik had thanked him for it.
«Marco, you must tell my mother that I love her» he said again.
He let go of his grip, and Marco saw him walking down to the field of competition.
*
Poligon Dhaal sat in front of the central monitor to watch the spectacle.
Inside the hall all the Guardians were curious to see the terrestrial fight.
Milostali was annoyed by all the attention which, according to him, the boy did not deserve. He would rather talk about what should have been done as soon as the truce was over.
He said nothing. He didn’t want to offend Elder Poligon who seemed to have put a lot of trust in that young man. And then, thinking about it, how long could he resist? Three or four minutes at the most. It was worthwhile to enjoy the show.
«Master, what Kentauro do you think they will choose?» Noliah asked.
«I don’t know» Poligon Dhaal answered without taking his eyes off the monitor. «Terrans don’t have outlined skills like other races. They are very different from each other».
«Why isn’t he wearing a tunic? What will be his part? This is not regular! He must show his part» the young Guardian continued even more disdainfully.
«And who established that?!» Poligon Dhaal promptly answered, looking him straight in the eye.
«But master ... it's the rule!»
«The rule you say, eh? Well, the rule doesn’t come before the will of the Code. You know, it always knows where to go. If he fights like this, there must be a reason, and I think we'll know soon enough».
«There is nothing to know, my dear Noliah» Milostali immediately intervened, and at that point he could no longer keep quiet. «He fights like that because he will not survive, so it doesn’t matter if he wears a tunic or not. The Code knows this».
Poligon Dhaal burst out laughing and all the Guardians looked at each other questioningly.
Milostali was red with rage, but he decided not to reply to the provocation.
«Here. He went inside. Let's put an end to this farce» he said, before sitting back with his eyes glued to the monitor.
*
Mendicar, on the planet Arkass, was amazed to see the terrestrial boy without any tunic.
Even the gohtarma noticed this and, extending his siel, stood up.
«Now go, baby» and so he caressed the creature attached to his neck, which slipped behind the throne.
All the black Guardians and soldiers inside the room bowed.
He walked to the center of the room and took Mendicar under his arm, without diverting his attention from the big screen that projected images of Kentaura.
«The boy doesn’t have a tunic» he said.
«Yes my Lord. I noticed it myself» answered the Arkassian in a tone of deep respect.
«Do we have any news on this?»
«No, sir. Or better, yes. According to the latest report from General Greymar's ship, it appears that the boy was wearing the solyar tunic. The Chancellor must have been wrong».
«No, I don’t believe that Mendicar. Something must have happened».
The gohtarma looked down and began to think.
«What’s happening on Eta Carinae? What is Poligon Dhaal doing?» he asked after a few moments.
«As far as we know, nothing, my lord. We haven’t detected any activity».
«They know that at the end of the fight the truce will end and do nothing. Interesting ...» the supreme Lord of Arkass commented almost to himself, forming a faint smile of challenge as he watched the terrestrial boy reach the center of the arena.
*
Patrik stopped right at the center of Spindorf, inside the grass field where he was supposed to fight.
The Kentauros were there motionless and stared at him like statues.
He looked up for a moment and saw Alannah from a distance. The fear of not seeing her distressed him even more.
Kalberham raised his siel to remind him to rely on his weapon, as soon as one of those beasts handed him one.
Suddenly the older Kentauro got up and started walking toward him.
He stopped about three meters from Patrik, who at that point could no longer feel his legs.
He stared at him for a few moments, then headed to one of the Kentauros sitting on his left.
The choice was made.
The chosen one stood up.
Suddenly, from above the platform of the planet of Kentaura, the enormous creature who had recently killed the young man defended by Alannah, began to roar with all his might.
The Head of those monsters looked up, to hear the message of his fellow man, and suddenly he turned again to stare at the young Terrestrial.
«It is not true that I understand you» Patrik hastened to point out in a loud voice toward the screaming beast. «I hear only voices in my head».
The old Kentauro tapped the spear in his hand on the ground and gave a strange hiss. The one who had been chosen to fight sat up again, and a carpet of unbelieving voices rose under the astonished looks of everyone present.
&nbs
p; «What's going on Kalberham? I don’t understand» King Karmora asked him.
«I have no idea, sir. I have absolutely no idea» answered the solaryan Guardian with an expression that was anything but calm.
The old Kentauro turned back to his chair and decided to have the creature sit on the first chair on his right.
The new chosen rose.
He was at least half a meter taller than the other, much more massive and with an elaborate scar in the middle of his snout.
«He chose the strongest. That's the Kentauro that’s killed the most» Kalberham said in astonishment.
«Why, Kalberham? Why did he change the candidate with that other one? I don’t understand. Tell me why?» Princess Alannah nervously tugged at his arm.
«Princess, I don’t know. It all happened when that big beast that faced us in the village started to roar. But I swear it's the first time I've witnessed such a thing».
Alannah felt guilty.
Once again she had managed to put Patrik in danger and she couldn’t accept it.
The enormous mass of muscles headed for Patrik and, taking it off from around its neck, handed him the siel.
He took it and held it tightly, but the weapon did nothing.
The big Kentauro sat down as Kalberham had said and began to wait for the three minutes each candidate is entitled to in order to make contact with his weapon.
Patrik tried to concentrate, but the cylinder remained stationary.
The siel was still and he didn’t understand why.
He thought of everything that Kalberham had told him, but something was not working.
He began to back away.
«It seems it will be the shortest fight in history» Milostali said, crossing his arms with an amused expression, in front of the central monitor.
Poligon Dhaal didn’t even listen to him. He was too busy figuring out what was going on.
«Come on Patrik. Concentrate» said Marco, talking to himself, leaning on his platform.
Patrik started running to get as close as possible to the Kalberham platform.
«I don’t understand. It doesn’t answer me» he said, screaming so that his teacher heard him.
Patrik Jones and the Code of the Universe Page 13
