by Joshua Hoyt
Chapter 4:
The spacious car never slowed as it swung around corners and up hills. The driver sat in front separated from them in the back by a thick wall of black glass. A fridge filled with drinks sat between the bench seats they sat on. Tom sat alone on one bench that faced Kristiana and John. The cushions felt like giant pillows of air as he looked through the dark windows and wondered at the changing landscape that flew by.
John pointed to the fridge, “You can have a drink if you’re thirsty.” Tom opened the small fridge staring at the strange bottles. Slowly he selected a bottle filled with amber liquid. John noticed his hesitation and grabbed the bottle from him. With a quick jerk of his knife he popped the lid off and handed the bottle back to Tom. Tom tilted the bottle up and the cold liquid ran down his throat. He smiled and then drank greedily. Tom finished the drink then looked up at John. “Where’re we going?”
John stopped sharpening his blade. “We’re going to the mansion of Archelaus. You’ll go to school there and learn how to fight.”
Tom looked out the window and saw that the trees were different and that it no longer snowed. The sun shone warmly on his face. He looked back at John. “Is Archelaus a good man?”
John looked down for a second then back to Tom. “You’ll have little to worry about. He’s a rich man and he has much power.”
Tom’s eyebrows wrinkled. He decided he wouldn’t get any other answer, so he asked instead, “Who were those men at the orphanage?”
John put the sword and whetstone down and rubbed his legs. “They belong to the Red Dragon Clan.” He leaned forward and put his hand on Tom’s knee. “Kris and I are here to protect you. You don’t need to worry about them.” He leaned back and started to sharpen his sword again. Tom sat back in the seat and looked out the window again. The fear ebbed and was replaced with exhaustion. His breathing slowed and came deeper as he fell into a deep sleep.
Tom dreamed. Tom sat on green grass that surrounded a small pond. A light breeze cooled his skin and the smell of spring reminded him of home. Beyond the small meadow aspens, whose leaves rustled in the warm breeze, stood guard shutting out the rest of the world. A fawn with its mother drank peacefully from the pond while the fish jumped lazily at the insects who dared lite on the pond's surface. Birds sang and swooped through the air around the pond while the sun slowly made its way across the meadow and began to set. The sun hung just above the trees their shadows were cast across the small meadow.
The meadow suddenly fell quiet. Tom’s heart raced and his breath quickened. To his horror the pond turned red and the trees charred to black. The grass once spotted with white flowers was now gone, replaced by hard, black earth cracked and scorched from heat. He looked up and saw only blackness. The howling wind rushed through the lifeless limbs of the trees bringing a bitter chill with it. A man’s shadow crept slowly across the dead meadow toward Tom. A dreadful howl chilled him to the center of his bones. Shaking uncontrollably he cried out for help.
Someone grabbed his arms. He tried to run, but his legs were stuck. He looked down and saw that they had become part of the ground. He screamed again, hoping that someone could save him from this nightmare. He heard his name and felt someone shake him, but couldn’t see anyone. Tom watched as his legs slowly turned to hard, cold, earth. “Tom, wake up.” The voice sounded so far away. He tried desperately to focus on the voice as the earth quickened its climb up his body. The voice came again this time much closer, just outside the clearing.
The ground climbed past his midsection ascending rapidly to his chest. His mind screamed at him to do something, anything, but he stood frozen unable to act. The voice came again, this time right next to him, chanting strange words. Tom struggled to breathe as the earth moved up his chest to his throat. Then a light appeared around him and the earth ran off him like water. Tom turned to face the one who had saved him. The face seemed familiar, but as hard as he tried he could not tell where he had seen the person before. Just as recognition dawned the dream fled as someone shook him awake. “Tom, Tom, are you ok?” John asked.
Even though he had escaped the dream his body still trembled and a cold sweat streamed down his face. Tom opened his eyes, sat up and grabbed his legs. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he sat back on the bench. It was just a dream, Tom.
“Its ok, you were just dreaming,” John said. A peace came over Tom as he saw for the first time in many years compassion directed to him. “You can tell me about the dream,” John said.
“It was just a dream about a meadow. I can’t remember,” Tom said.
John looked concerned as he looked over at Kristiana. Kristiana leaned forward and said, “It’s important that you remember your dreams.” She leaned closer to Tom. “It’s ok. You can tell us about it. We’re just worried about you and want to help.” Tom looked into Kristiana’s blue eyes and a peculiar sensation came over him. He told her about the beautiful meadow and how he had felt so much peace there, more than any other place in his life. How it had suddenly gotten dark and everything seemed to be burned. How the dark shadow appeared. He rubbed his legs as he told her about his body turning to dirt. He started to tell her about the whispering voice but couldn’t. He tried again with no success.
“Tom, is that all you saw?” Kristiana asked.
Tom looked into the mesmerizing eyes a split second longer then looked out the window. “Yeah, that’s all.”
Kristiana pulled on Tom’s shoulder. “It’s very important that you tell me everything.” He looked back at her not knowing what to say. The car stopped. Tom fell back hard against the seat and shook his head as if coming out of a daze. Kristiana smiled at him and said, “You just had a nightmare, nothing more.”
I’m not so sure about that. It felt so real.
John opened the door and got out of the car. Tom stepped out beside him. The dream left as he faced a new wonder, a building more grand than any he had ever seen. Tom stared at the mansion. “This place is huge!”
John grinned at Tom. “Let’s go. Time to see your new home.” They walked up the stone steps that led to the open double doors. Two men stood in front of the doors. They wore high boots and black suits. One had a huge axe strapped to his back while the other looked to be unarmed. They stood with their backs to the wall and looked off into space not making any sign that they saw them approach.
Tom stopped and looked at the graveled driveway circling around a fountain. Water streamed down around a granite ball with a maiden holding a bow standing on it. Water splashed into the pond beneath. John beckoned. “This way.” Tom ran up the stairs to catch up with John and Kristiana. A huge balcony overlooked the stairs. Granite as smooth as glass formed a railing that encircled the balcony. Two flags, stuck into the side of the balcony, waved softly on the breeze. The flags were white with a golden crown above two crossed swords in their centers. Four gray, granite pillars held the balcony up. At the top of the steps sat two roaring lions carved from marble.
As they passed the lions, a sudden nervous chill reminded him that he had better be on his best behavior. Tom looked closer at the lions and their eyes appeared to study him intently. He hurried past, sure their eyes saw right through him, into his very soul. The guards paid him little heed, and he entered through the double doors into the entryway. His feet slid on the black marble. The walls were painted a soft hue of blue and adorned with paintings. Tom studied the paintings, I wonder who they are? To the right and left two huge sitting rooms were filled with furniture painted gold and thickly padded. Before him a staircase led up ten feet then split only to join again at a landing above.
Tom stopped and smiled at a painting of the young man he had met in the alley. The man wore a white suit and a crown that looked similar to the one on the flags outside. Tom pointed at the picture and asked, “Who’s that?”
Kristiana looked up at the painting and with a small smile, replied, “That’s Archelaus.” She bounded up the stairs.
John
looked at the painting. “You must remember one rule if you wish to survive this house. What he tells you to do, you do, no questions, no ifs, ands, or buts. Just do it,” John said. Tom nodded and started up the stairs but stopped when John grabbed his shoulder. He turned and John pointed to one of the side rooms. “This way.” Tom stepped off the staircase looked over his shoulder one last time at the painting of Archelaus and then followed John into a sitting room to the right of the entrance. They approached an oak door which swung open on its own when they were within a few feet of it. Tom jumped back and John snickered. Tom blushed and looked at the ground. John looked over at him and hit him in the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. It catches all the new comers off guard.”
The two went through the door and down a long hallway lined with oak doors. They passed ten doors before coming to a door at the end of the hallway. This house must be huge! John motioned for Tom to enter. Tom opened the heavy oak door and looked inside. A man stood at a desk busily writing in a book.
“Come in and close the door,” the man said in a brusque voice. He continued writing as Tom entered the large room. “Sit down.” Tom hurried to the only other chair in the room that sat in front of the large wooden desk and sat down. Papers were piled in haphazard stacks all over the desk. “What’s your name?”
“My name’s Tom, sir.”
“How old are you?”
“Thirteen, sir.”
The man scratched the answers down in his book without even glancing up. “When’s your birthday?”
“January first, sir.”
“You’ll be bunking with Cody in room 53. Make sure you check into the supply room before going up to your room.” He motioned for Tom to leave still not taking the time to look up. Tom stood and headed for the door. As he reached the door, it burst open and a man rushed in, almost knocking Tom to the ground. The man hurried up to the man at the desk and slammed a stack of papers on the desk. The man at the desk continued writing in his books as the newcomer stood impatiently in front of him.
The newcomer leaned over, putting his hands on the desk to support his weight. “Hansen, we’ve a problem. There’s something wrong with our calculations. We need to meet tonight with the council.” He leaned in closer. “Hansen, are you listening to me?”
Hansen finished writing a line or two then slowly looked up at the other man. “We’ll meet tonight at seven. Bring your calculations. We’ll go over them together and find the problem.” Almost as an afterthought he added, “We’ll present it to them at eight.” With that the man named Hansen continued to write, heeding the other man no more. The man turned on his heels, his face red with anger as he pushed past Tom and out the door. Tom looked down at the papers and before Hansen could pull them away he read, “THE BOMB.”
I wonder what a bomb is? John started into the hallway and motioned for Tom to follow. Tom followed not wanting to get lost in the massive mansion “What does Bomb mean?”
John stopped. “Where did you hear about that?”
Tom wrenched his hands. “I saw it on Hansen’s desk.”
John looked back at the room briefly then continued down the hall. “I’m not sure, but you don’t need to worry about it.” John said then changed the subject. “So, who are you going to be bunking with?” John asked.
“Someone named Cody, in room 53. Hansen said that I need to stop at the supply room before going to my room.”
“I’ll take you to the supply room first and then I’ll introduce you to Cody. You’ll love bunking with him. Archelaus must think you’re pretty special to bunk you with the student at the top of the class.”
“So, is this some sort of school or what is this place exactly?”
“This is both a school and a base of operations. This is where you’ll train to protect yourself and learn how to be a good citizen for the new order.” John paused and turned toward Tom. “This is a good place for you right now. Work hard, learn all you can and follow the rules.” John looked at Tom for a few more moments then started walking again.
Thoughts and questions started to run through Tom’s mind. I hope Cody’s nicer than Jacob. I hope the classes aren’t as boring as the ones at the orphanage. I can’t believe that guy in the alley is real. I hope he’s as kind as Thaddeus. “Is Archelaus kind?” Tom suddenly asked.
John’s eyes clouded. “Archelaus is Archelaus. You’ll need to make up your own mind as to what he is. If you do as you’re told, you’ll see him as a kind person but if not, well that’s a different matter entirely.”
He seems nice to me. I wonder why John is so concerned. They continued down the hall and through the huge oak door that opened on its own. Tom expected it this time and didn’t jump when it swung open. As they entered the next room, Tom heard more cars pull into the yard outside. He looked out the front doors and saw cars like the one he'd arrived in. Boys got out of the cars and headed up the steps.
John quickened his pace crossing the foyer and into the next room. This room looked to be an exact duplicate of the last room with the same huge oak door that opened on its own. When the door opened though, it opened into a large room that had dark wood flooring and a vaulted ceiling. A fireplace at the back of the room looked as if it could fit an entire tree. John headed across the room and pushed a red velvet curtain aside that went from ceiling to floor. A door stood behind the curtain and John pulled it open. The door opened up to a large grassy area with several buildings on the opposite side of it. John went through the door and Tom followed. The door closed on its own with a thud.
As they exited the building they passed by two more guards on either side of the door. A graveled path led toward another building as big as the main house but looked more like a box than a mansion. John pointed to the building. “Those are the dorms where you’ll be sleeping.” He pointed to another building to the west of the dorms and said, “That is the training building and that building over there,” he pointed to a third building, “is the school. You’ll not be allowed back into the main home unless specifically invited.” They reached the dorms where two more guards were stationed. One of them opened the door to John and saluted. John went through the door and once inside said, “I’ll take you to the supply room and then to your room. Watch where we go and how we get there. You need to learn to find your own way around.”
Boys lounged around in the room talking with each other as they played chess or checkers. Some just sat on the big sofas and talked while others sat around a large fireplace where a fire roared. This must be the common room. Several doors led off in different directions while stairs led up. John started for the door that went to the right. A short hallway ended at a counter with a sign above it that read “Supplies.”
John reached the counter and said, “Hi Sam, we’ve a new kid that just arrived today.”
Sam turned away from the supplies on a back shelf to the counter and said, “That’s the third one this week. Why you guys bringing so many in lately?”
“I’m not sure, to tell you the truth but if I did I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you anyway,” John said with a smile.
The counter looked short when Sam stood up to it. His black hair filled with flecks of gray hung to just above his ears and he had a two tailed, braided beard that went to the middle of his chest. Sam studied Tom for about two minutes, turned and walked toward the back shelves. He looked at several tags on large bags before finding the one he liked and grabbed it. The bag thumped as Sam dropped it on the counter. He pulled out a clipboard and wrote down the numbers on the tag then handed the pen to Tom and said, “Sign here, son.”
Tom took the pen and signed as Sam patted the bag. “This isn’t your stuff, it belongs to me. If there’s a problem report it as soon as possible. As you grow you must return the contents to get it traded for a larger set.” Sam’s voice sounded like a gruff teddy bear, kind but firm, making Tom feel safe. “Do you have any questions?” Sam asked.
Tom grabbed the bag. “No, sir.” To
m grunted as he lifted the bag off the counter and onto his shoulder. What’s in this?
Sam snorted. “Looks like you need to spend more time lifting swords and less time studying books.” John winked and Tom smiled back at the older man. Sam turned to check on his inventory. “Tom, keep your nose clean and listen to your roomy. He’ll keep you out of trouble.”
“Thank you sir,” Tom said as he turned to follow John.
“See ya around,” John said and led the way back to the common room and the stairs. John headed up the stairs taking them two at a time while Tom struggled along behind weighed down by the large bag on his shoulder. When he finally got to the top of the stairs, he saw John heading to the fifth door on the right. He knocked and then opened the door without waiting for a reply. “Cody, we have your new roommate.”
“It’s about time, what took so long? I’ve been stuck alone for nearly two weeks,” a boy from inside said.
Tom looked past John and took in an average sized kid with a muscular build. Cody pushed past John and stuck his hand out. “Hi there, I’m Cody, your new roomy. How do you like the place?”
Tom swallowed as he nervously wiped his hand on his pants then took Cody’s. “Hi, I’m Tom. It’s a nice place.”
Cody looked around in mock surprise, and then said, “Nice? Is that what you call this place, nice? You must have come from quite the place if you think that this place is just nice.” He laughed. “They had to drag me around for about a week when I first got here because of the enormity of the place. I looked like a little school kid going to school for the first time.” Tom turned red.
John just grinned and patted Tom on the shoulder as he walked past him toward the stairs. “Cody, you’re in charge of Tom for the time being. Make sure you teach him the rules and show him the ropes. For the first two weeks, if Tom messes up, it’s your hide that’ll pay.”
Cody snapped to attention giving John an exaggerated salute and said, “yes sir, anything you say sir.” Cody hadn't held the pose for long before an explosion of laughter escaped his mouth and Tom couldn’t help but join in. John just shook his head and started to leave then stopped for a moment.
Oh no! Now I’ve done it.
John put his hand on Tom’s shoulder. “The choices you make today effect your future but they don’t decide your end.” With that he left.
Cody looked after John for a minute. “So Tom, lets get down to business. First, I guess I better give you the run down of how things work around here. That’s your side of the room. If it doesn’t have a name engraved on it with blood then its fair game.” Tom looked around the room as Cody spoke. Cody continued, “There are room inspections weekly by Sam. He’s a stickler on the rules but if you follow them he’ll be the first one to back you up. We have school from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. That means you need to be up and dressed by six thirty so that you can eat and get to class on time. Lights out at ten.” Cody counted off the rules with his fingers then looked up at Tom and asked, “By the way how old are you?”
“I’m thirteen, sir,” Tom said.
Cody broke into laughter again. “Ok, that’s another rule: don’t call me sir ever again.” He thought for a second. “Thirteen, hmmm, ok that means that after classes you’ll be trained in weapons and warfare. You’ll do that from four until seven and then you have free time until lights out.” Tom’s eyes widened. Cody put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry too much about it, Tom. I’ll keep you on track until you get the hang of things.”
“Cody,” someone shouted from outside, “you better get out here quick.”
Cody shrugged and he left the room. Tom sat the bag down on his bed. More loud shouts from below piqued Tom’s attention and he decided to follow after Cody. Cody took the stairs two at a time down to the common room and Tom hurried after him. By the time Tom reached the bottom of the stairs the common room was packed with boys and Cody pushed kids out of the way to get to the center of the ring that surrounded two boys. One of the boy’s head jerked back as the other boy’s fist slammed into it. The kid staggered, lost his balance nearly going down. The other boy came at him again slamming his fist into his face once more. This blow knocked the boy unconscious and he hit the ground with a thud. Cody, at last, made it to the center of the boys and jumped in front of the kid sprawled on the ground. Cody put out his hands to stop the much bigger boy. “That’s enough Joe,” Cody yelled pushing him back.
Joe looked like a demon with his red face filled with fury and blood dripping from his lip and knuckles. Joe stood at least a head taller and twice as wide as Cody but even in his fury Joe couldn’t push past Cody. Tom looked on in awe. That boy on the floor had better hope Joe can’t get by or he’s dead for sure, he thought.
Joe tried to push past Cody again. “Cody, he started it, I’m going to kill him.”
“And you ended it, Joe.” Cody said simply. Cody pushed Joe back farther from the bleeding kid lying on the ground. Joe started to relax a little and his natural color gradually returned. Cody pointed to one of the boys in the mob and said, “Help Tim up and get him looked after. Joe may have really killed him this time,” Cody said. A kid helped the limp form up and with the help of two other kids they carried him up the stairs. Cody helped Joe sit down on the couch, and he sat across from him on the coffee table. He looked at the rest of the kids with a smile. “The shows over, everyone get back to whatever you were doing.”
Tom decided that he'd probably better stop staring at Cody and get back to his bag and figure out what to do with the stuff, so he went up the stairs and to his room. The bag sat on his new bed like a huge present. I wonder what’s in it? Tom opened the bag excitedly and took the contents out one item at a time. There were enough changes of clothing for three days, toiletries, a book titled in bold letters “Rules of the House,” and another book titled “Skills and Crafts.” Tom sat on the edge of the bed staring at the two books one in each hand. Why me? What am I doing here? How did I get into this? He thought about the night that he had met Archelaus and the old man in the alley. It seemed like it had been so long ago. Archelaus seemed to radiate power from his very being. Why had the old man smiled at me in the end? Did he smile out of understanding or did he have a secret? Tom continued to think about the events of the past few days as he slowly sank down on his bed. He looked down at the items all around him. I can't believe I'm here. Did the man intend for me to be here? He shook his head to clear the memory so he could concentrate on the present.
He looked around the small room. At the head of the bed a pillow lay on top of a folded plain blanket. Tom rubbed his hand across the crown and crossed swords embroidered on the white pillowcase. The clothes from the emptied bag lay in a pile on the floor. Tom picked them up and refolded them then placed them in the dresser that sat next to the bed. He took the toiletries and placed them in a separate drawer. The two books he placed at a desk next to his dresser. Paper pads and pencils sat neatly arranged on top of the desk. Cody came in while he looked through the drawers in the desk.
“Don’t worry about the drawers right now. They look pretty empty right now but they’ll fill up quickly with needless assignments,” Cody said. He sat down on Tom’s bed. “So, Tom, where do you come from? Tell me a little about your family and the home you’ve left.”
Tom closed the drawer and walked over to his bed. “I came from an orphanage outside of Davenport. Before that I don’t remember.” He looked down trying not to remember the place as he talked about the orphanage. “I didn’t like the place much. There was food and shelter but that was about it.”
Cody smiled. “Wow, sounds like a great place to build character at least,” he said then punched Tom softly in the shoulder. Cody looked around. “Well, this place is a lot better than where you came from, but it has some draw backs. There are of course the rules and then there’s Sam. He’s a tough one and of course there are the other boys. They can be a real pain in the butt.” Tom’
s face dropped and he felt a cold sweat run down his back. Cody laughed and punched Tom again in the shoulder. “I’m just kidding, Tom. This is a great place to be.” Tom relaxed and smiled as Cody stood up from the bed. “Well, it’s about time for lights out so let me show you where you can brush your teeth and get ready for bed,” Cody said as he started out the room.
Tom followed Cody out of the room and down the hallway to a door at the end. Boys laughed and joked inside. Urinals and stalls ran along one wall and on the opposite side hung one long sink with faucets coming out of the wall above it. Boys joked back and forth as they brushed their teeth. I can’t believe Sam hasn’t already come up and yelled at them for being so loud. Tom slowly walked to the sink and then remembered that he hadn’t brought his toothbrush. “Cody, I need to get my toothbrush, I’ll be back.” He ran out of the bathroom and down the hall to his room and grabbed his toothbrush out of his drawer.
As he started back to the bathroom he heard Sam downstairs talking in a low voice. “Why’d you bring him here? You had a chance to get him away, somewhere safe. Now you’ve put everyone in danger.”
Another man’s voice, strong and forceful, said, “You’ll keep him safe Sam, don’t underestimate Archelaus’s power. He’ll stay here until he’s old enough to understand his mission, and he’s able to do the master’s bidding.” One of them walked away and opened the front door. The other started up the stairs.
Tom took off down the hall toward the bathroom where he brushed his teeth quickly. After lying down in bed he thought, I wonder who they were talking about? Probably one of the boys who arrived today. And who’s Archelaus really? What kind of power does he have? The thoughts continued to run through his mind until exhaustion overtook the excitement he felt and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of mansions and friends.