They jostled through the crowded street that 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 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 toward 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 as 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 as 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 when 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, as 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 as he 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!