by Tony Johnson
“Thank you,” Ty said, placing the fluffy treat on his tongue and feeling it melt away. “Do you know the name of Celestial’s jouster this year?” he asked the boy.
Sam turned around to face Ty and looked at him as if he had been living under a rock for the past month.
“Of course, I know his name! He’s Steve Brightflame, the hope of Celestial! He rides his carrot-crunching warhorse Clyx.”
Ty loved the child’s enthusiasm and just like the cotton clouds, he had one more surprise for the well-mannered child sitting in front of him.
“That’s right. And it just so happens that he and I are very good friends. How would you like to go out and meet him after this match?”
The mother turned around again. She was as surprised as her son. “That would be…just magnificent for him. Stephen is all he talks about. Sam is always running around the house with a wooden stick as a lance, pretending to be Stephen Brightflame.”
Ty turned to Sam and awaited his response. At first the boy was too excited to answer. “How about it, Sam? I’m sure he’ll let you pet Clyx. If you’re lucky, he might even let you ride him. Then you can see how fast he really is.”
“Yes! Oh, wow…yes, that would be amazing!” Sam bounced up and down in his seat.
“May I have your name, warrior?” Sam’s mother asked. If he wouldn’t accept her money, the least she could do was remember his name.
The warrior extended his hand. “Ty Canard. Pleased to meet you.”
Ty belonged to the Elven race. He was slender and of average height, if not a couple hairs shorter. Elves tended to live long lives at around 150 years. Ty was only twenty-two. In a way, he was very young, but at the same time he felt like he was in the prime of his life. Like his foster brother Stephen Brightflame, he had a warrior’s muscular body and was incredibly fit and healthy.
Ty had dirty blond hair that grew straight. He kept the length fairly long. It stopped at the middle of his neck. He obsessively ran his fingers through his hair to put it behind his head. He would often hold it behind his pointed ears, to show his pride in his Elven heritage. Sometimes he would tie it in a ponytail when riding horses or in battle, so he wouldn’t have to adjust it or bother with it. Ty had bright green eyes and a pure white smile full of straight teeth.
He was a naturally attractive person, a heartthrob for the ladies. The Elf was a person you would glance twice at in a crowd. For the ladies, it was almost always more than twice and longer than just a quick glance.
He was not married; in fact, marriage to Ty was still a far way off. The unbreakable bond of marriage only seemed like a way to tie him down and force him to commit to something long term. It was the exact opposite of his personality. That is not to say that Ty didn’t care about being in the company of women. He had many beautiful girls interested in his appealing lifestyle and sharp looks. Just because he was not ready to get married, didn’t mean that he couldn’t encourage the many girls who found him charming to spend their time with him.
Other than his obligation to serve and protect civilians as a warrior, Ty did not allow anything to hold him down. He enjoyed waking up in the morning and not knowing what would happen to him that day. “Every day is a mystery to be explored,” was something Ty constantly said. Instead of looking backwards or forwards, he always lived in the moment. Ty loved taking on new obstacles and trying new experiences. A day where he went to sleep without a good or funny story was a wasted day.
He was very content and happy with who he was and the life he lived. The happiness inside him was easy to notice from the outside. He was one of the most easy-going people a person could know. Being around Ty was sure to be a time full of laughter, due to his never-ending jokes and humor. He was the kind of person people easily gravitated towards because of his attractive personality. Ty was always the life of the party.
It seemed like the only thing he wasn’t blessed with was gold. Perhaps that was because he spent it all on his girlfriends, but Ty didn’t mind a lack of coin. He had learned that charisma was sometimes just as valuable as gold. Be a friend to them and they’ll be a friend to you. Friendships are easier forged with smiles and laughter than with gold. No matter where he went or what he did, he had no worries about anything because he could always use his charm to get someone to help him out.
What made Ty happy most of all was that he was a warrior. Like all other children at the age of sixteen, Ty had learned the basic fundamentals in school and was ready to choose a profession. His class learned about the highlights of every career before they chose which one they wanted to work at for the rest of their lives. Some of the common professions were merchant, messenger, banker, librarian, writer, teacher, pastor, blacksmith, innkeeper, inventor, tailor/seamstress, carpenter, farmer, baker, and a representative to mayor/politics, among many, many others.
Ty didn’t need to know anything about these trades. He already knew what he wanted to be - a warrior, just like his father and grandfather before him. As a boy, Ty looked up to warriors as his role models. It was no surprise that he wanted to emulate them when he became a man. In fact, most young boys wanted to become warriors. They all wanted to create their own legacy, similar to the many tales of warrior legends they were told by their parents before going to bed; or maybe they just wanted people to respect them for being in a position of power and authority. Whatever the reason, many young boys dreamed of becoming a warrior. Unfortunately, the road to becoming a warrior was not an easy one.
Only a certain amount of warrior trainees were accepted each year. Hopefuls had to pass certain mental and physical tests to be admitted into the warriors, which most young men could not pass. Even for those who did pass the test, they still had to score in the highest percentile compared to the other boys who also took the admittance test.
There were five main ranks of warrior: training, apprentice, warrior, captain/commander, and knight. In training, the trainee would practice with different weapons until he found one he was most comfortable with. After three years of extensive physical and mental training and being taught how to react in scenarios of complex moral choice, the trainee would then become an apprentice. The apprentice would train with a master of the same weapon. The master taught his apprentice everything he needed to know about the responsibilities of a warrior. After two years of being an apprentice, the master would concoct a challenge to see if his pupil had acquired the mental and physical skills required to succeed as a warrior. When the apprentice passed his master’s test, they became eligible for the warrior draft. All of the apprentice graduates were ranked and then drafted by the commanders of the watchtowers. Once they were selected, they were officially deemed a warrior. The majority of warriors never got promoted any higher than this basic rank.
In Celestial, the warriors were divided into groups called clans. There were three clans in each of the twelve warriors’ watchtowers. Each warrior could choose which one of the three he wanted to be in: Land, Air, or Naval. Land warriors covered street patrols and the guarding of the inner and outer walls. Aerial warriors flew on friendly monsters and battled enemy monsters. They were also used to pour pesticides on the fields in between the inner and outer walls. Water element friendly flying monsters were used to put out fires in the city. Naval warriors worked on battleships and fought against sea monsters.
The clans became tight knit groups of men who were like brothers to each other. Each clan was led by its captain. There was a Land Captain, Squadron Captain (for the Aerial Clan), and Fleet Captain (for the Naval Clan). The three captains all answered to the commander of their watchtower, of which there was only one. Each tower was named after its commander. Upon retiring, captains had the option to become teachers of the trainees. Retiring commanders could choose whether or not to become masters.
The only warriors who ranked above each of the Watchtower Commanders were the twelve Guardian Knights of the royal family. These men were handpicked by the king, and they served as his personal advisors and security guards. Anyone o
f them would sacrifice his life to save the king’s in a heartbeat. The Guardian Knights were led by the Supreme Commander. Warriors, captains, commanders, knights, and the Supreme Commander all answered to the king, who commanded all Land, Aerial, and Naval forces.
Ty had been a trainee and then an apprentice. Then he passed his master’s test to become a warrior. He graduated one year early at the age of twenty. He had been a warrior for two years now, and he was having the best time of his life. The fact that he was so young and healthy and had such a bright future only made him happier.
Everything in Ty’s life was great, except for one flaw that always lingered in the back of his mind: none of his male ancestors (who were all warriors) lived to 150 name days. His grandfather, Jackson Canard, was killed in action in his mid-thirties. Ty’s father, Caesar Canard, along with Ty’s mother, were murdered when Ty was only five years old.
Death haunted Ty. It followed his family closely. Ty had already had many close encounters with death, but always seemed to barely escape. He didn’t know if that meant he was lucky or not, but he figured with all of the early deaths his forefathers had had in previous generations, he and his brother Darren were due for a prolonged life. This was part of the reason Ty lived life in a happy-go-lucky way and as freely as he did. He didn’t know when his time on Element would come to an end. So until he found himself in an encounter that he could not escape from and death finally defeated him for good, he planned to live every day of his life full of smiles, laughter, and love.
Chapter 14
After buying Sam and his mother food, Ty went back to watching his friend compete. The Elven warrior was an avid fan of the joust. He had made it far into the Celestial Qualifiers himself, but ended up losing to Steve in one of the final matches. It had been one of the most exciting jousts of the Qualifiers. Ty took an early lead but got cocky and began pandering and playing to the crowd. Steve capitalized on Ty’s loss of focus and won the match.
Even though Ty wished he could have been in the saddle Steve was currently sitting in, he didn’t allow it to bother him or put a damper on his excitement for the Annual Warriors’ Tournaments. He lost the battle fair and square to his best friend. Now he could allow himself to relax, enjoy the festivities of the weekend, and support his friend in the Warriors’ Joust. No one was more proud of how far Steve had come than Ty. Ty was the only one who truly believed that Steve could make it as far as he had.
Ty had actually made it far in one of the tournaments: Warriors’ Combat. He had made it into the top five of qualifying warriors for Celestial, which meant he could participate in the official tournament. The Joust was the only competition limited to one person from each city. Warriors’ Combat was a single, one on one battle with blunted weapons, rather than the Warriors’ Melee, which was hundreds of warriors in a field in an epic last man standing match. Ty would have chosen Melee over Combat. The Melee was an adrenaline rush, amidst the madness of the action. But Ty had missed the Melee Qualifiers because he had advanced so far in the Jousting Qualifiers.
He wasn’t too upset though. Ty’s brother Darren had made it into the Melee. Ty wasn’t sure how he would react if he came across his brother in the chaos. Darren was three years older than Ty, but he graduated from the warriors at the average graduation age – twenty-one. He had two more years of battlefield experience than Ty had. But I was always better than him with my swords. Ty didn’t know who would win if they were forced to battle each other. It would be a battle of talent versus experience. If I was in the Melee, Darren and I could have teamed up and been the last two men standing.
At least Ty had made it into the Warriors’ Combat Tournament. Many warriors didn’t even get to participate in one event. Warriors were allowed to enter the Celestial Qualifier’s for any two competitions of their choice, but they were only allowed to participate in one of the tournaments (if they had won both of their Qualifiers). Since winning in a tournament was so prestigious and it was only held annually, some warriors trained year-round for one specific event. Ty was not that dedicated. Once he had told a warrior, “There’s too much in life to be explored. If I train for a year and lose, then all that time I would have spent would be a waste.”
Ty wanted to do the best that he could in Warriors’ Combat. His father had won the event the year before he died. Caesar Canard’s name was etched on the golden trophy cup. Ty wanted to honor his father’s memory by winning and getting his own name added to the ongoing list of champions. Any weapon other than the bow and arrow was permitted for Warriors’ Combat (the bow and arrow were used in the Archery tournament). A variety of weapons were used: swords, shields, axes, hammers, spears, and maces. Some weapons were one handed, while others required two. Ty equipped what he felt most comfortable with: double swords (one in each hand).
The competition was much harder than the Melee free for all. Ty had to come into each new match and consider the strengths and weaknesses of his double swords against whatever weapon his opponent was using. Ty ended up coming in a respectable sixth place out of the sixty-four that competed.
He beat himself up for not getting first. Even if he had gotten a medal for third or second place, he still would have been frustrated. That was his way. He was only completely satisfied when he was the best. If someone was better than Ty at something, he would freely admit that, but it would bug him so much that he would practice endlessly. Entering the tournament next year and not placing any higher would not be acceptable to him. Steve had encouraged Ty after his loss and told him that at next year’s event, he would get first place.
During the current Annual Warriors’ Tournaments, Ty had enjoyed one thing almost as much as he enjoyed seeing Steve winning every joust. Each year, a parade was held for the cities that had come to Celestial to participate in the events of the special weekend. The parade was held the morning before the tournaments began. It started by going in a full circle around the castle, and then it turned down the south main road and carried on until it reached the arena. Civilians had lined up alongside the sides of the streets for the entire route to cheer on their favorite competitors. Non-competing warriors who had traveled to Celestial to support their city’s participants were also allowed to walk in the parade.
Since Steve was Celestial’s Jousting Qualifier’s winner (and jousting was the main tournament), he was allowed to pick a group of warriors to walk beside him with their armor and weapons. He asked every jouster he had defeated in the Qualifiers to do him the honor of walking by his side. Steve wanted to give them one of the highlights of the weekend’s festivities that they would have missed out on by losing to him. He also let his four squires walk alongside him as well.
The Celestial warriors usually pulled a prank on the visiting cities that marched in the parade. One year, they had paid some of the civilians to reroute the path and then snuck away from the back of the line, so that when the other cities’ warriors made it to the arena, the Celestial warriors had magically arrived there before them. Another year, they had civilians run frantically through the middle of the main road, right into the parade, yelling and screaming. They were being followed by some of Celestial’s warriors, who came chasing after the civilians dressed up as fake monsters. That prank was not as well-received.
This year, Ty was a part of the parade. Since he was the funniest person Steve knew, Steve asked him to be the one to come up with the prank. The night before the parade, Ty tasked Steve’s four young squires with sneaking into the stables and feeding laxatives to the visiting warriors’ horses. Instead of having Celestial’s competitors and company walk in the back of the pack, as was the annual custom, Ty had them walk in the front. At first, the cities behind them couldn’t figure out why Celestial had volunteered to walk in front of the parade. Usually Celestial was last, to build up the suspense for the host city. Once they smelled what their horses were leaving behind on the trail, they understood.
All of the excitement and fun of the weekend came to an abrupt end the minu
te the man ran into the middle of the arena yelling, “We’re under attack!”
Ty forced his way through the panicking crowd, trying to get to his jousting friend in the center of it. After pushing and squeezing his way through people, he realized he was not making any progress.
A spray of tiny rocks and small boulders sprayed down on Ty’s side of the arena. People in the crowd ducked down and covered their heads from the barrage, but Ty saw his opportunity. Unlike the rest of the spectators, he had on most of his warrior’s armor. All warriors had been commanded to wear the top half of their armor out in public for the weekend. It gave civilians the opportunity to recognize them and give special thanks to the men that protected them and the city.
All warriors started out with a full set of silver armor. Once they did something heroic on the battlefield or in the city, they would be allowed to paint their armor. Each city had one or two colors they were known by. Celestial was the red and blue city. Casanovia was the city of blue and yellow. The purple city was called Almiria.
Warriors could choose any piece of their armor to be painted one of the colors of their city. Some veteran Celestial warriors had suits of armor in all red, all blue, or a mixture of both. You gained a lot of respect from fellow warriors and civilians alike for having earned the colors of the city. If a warrior achieved the rank of a Guardian Knight, they could start to earn pieces of rare golden armor to replace their red and blue painted armor made of silver.
Ty was somewhat jealous of Steve, seeing him in all red armor. Even though it was just a special suit only to be worn for the Warriors’ Joust, it made him look like a warrior veteran. Steve and Ty wouldn’t reach that level for at least another twenty years. All Ty had earned up until now was two blue gauntlets.
Because of his armor, Ty was able to vault and hop through the ducked crowd. He still would die if he was hit by a boulder, but unlike the civilians, he was protected from ricocheting debris. Since he wasn’t wearing a helm, Ty held his blue armored forearms up to the sides of his head for protection.