Game of Survival

by T R Tells

  “Keep walking, remember what I said about staring,” Jiran said from behind Thea; though she could tell by his throaty laugh he was only half-kidding. They walked into The Citadel as the doors closed behind them.

  “We’re going to meet with that Grégori Mountain guy?” Thea asked. They headed through an alleyway toward the back of the houses where a larger tent-like building sat with the others. Thea assumed that was where important people gathered.

  “Well, I am. You’ll sit out here with Hapy. He’s used to the Ördögan folk, but since you’re here, you’ll be able to calm him down if he gets anxious.”

  Thea’s eyes went wide. “What? I-I can’t stand out here. I’m not, I mean it’s weird if I’m standing out here and not with you. I’m just a Magi.”

  Jiran tilted his head and slightly frowned. “So? You aren’t a threat, at least when you don’t want to be. The Ördögan folk are just like you and me, Thea; remember that. The only distinct difference is that they are a part of the Kobold group that is not mundane and does not produce magic.”

  Jiran turned and removed the bags from Hapy’s back, transferring them to his shoulder. Thea called out to him, but he told her to stand-by and talk with the locals if she had the chance.

  Thea pressed her lips together. She looked around the unfamiliar city and then back to Hapy. His ears flicked and Thea reached her hand out to stroke his nose.

  “You understand, right Hapy? It just feels like I’m invading that’s all. Though they do look kind of scary,” Thea mumbled, trying to keep her tone soothing to the horse. She couldn’t help but think that Jiran said they were worse off. King’s Betrayal had caused the entire Ördögan clan to flee from their homes in Kingsland after a signed treaty in the Year 500 was broken, but their god Y’ dar found them refuge in the cave. They’d been living there ever since.

  It’s not that scary Thea; you're just weak, the sarcastic voice whispered to her. Thea had gone so many days without hearing them that the sound caused her to jump.

  She’s allowed to be scared. She’s away from everything she knows and loves. Give her a break, another voice said. It was a kind voice that reminded Thea of Dominya’s soft tones.

  Oh, come on, she shouldn’t be afraid she should be focusing that fear into hate like Hel taught her to do. Pitiful, a much harsher voice said. If she’d refocus fear into hatred, things would go much smoother for her. You can’t tell me I’m wrong.

  “Shut up, both of you! I thought you’d gone away. I want peace back in my head,” Thea tried to keep her voice down, but the volume of her voice rose some at the end. As usual, the voices ignored her and continued to bicker.

  She rolled her eyes and looked at the buildings that surrounded her. She was curious about the odd structures and the people in them. The ground looked arid. Even with the forest surrounding them, she didn’t think there were any animals here. She tried to listen for a birdsong but could only hear Hapy breathing and the movements of the people buzzing around.

  A ball tapped Thea’s foot, and she snapped out of her thoughts. When she looked down, she saw that it was a wooden ball. She picked it up and tried to be careful not to get any of the splinters sticking out of it.

  “Hey, can we have our ball back, please?”

  Thea looked up at the child-like voice, and she gasped upon seeing the child-sized Kobold. They stood on two feet like her, the same height, their skin covered in white fur with black spots. Their pointed ears sat on top of their head. To Thea, they reminded her of a cat. She couldn’t quite tell if the Kobold in front of her was a boy or girl.

  “Uh, hey, are you okay miss?” The Kobold asked.

  Thea blinked several times and realized that she was staring. She bit down on her lip and cursed herself.

  “You came with Jiran, right?”

  Thea nodded. “You know Jiran?” she asked and handed him back the ball. Their hands brushed together briefly. Thea enjoyed the soft tingling sensation she received from their fur.

  “Kind of, my parents know him. He’s known around here!” Thea assumed they were smiling as their mouth opened wide revealing small fangs. “So, are you like his granddaughter or something? I’ve never seen you around.”

  “I’m new. I’m Jiran’s apprentice. My name is Thea.”

  “My name is Kilua nice to meet you—” Kilua couldn’t finish his sentence since he heard his name shouted in the distance. Thea looked over her shoulder and saw several other mundane-like cats and two Ördögan children coming toward them.

  “Hey, what’s taking so long!” Asked an orange-haired cat with a black thunderbolt running down its left eye. “Did you get the rock?”

  “The rock?” Thea asked.

  Kilua turned around and grinned, his whiskers raised in the air as his grin widened.

  “That’s just what we call it. We’re playing Hot Sticks; you want to play?”

  “Does she even know how to play?” One of the Ördög children asked.

  Yeah, Thea, do you even know how to play? The more sarcastic voice mocked. Thea opened her mouth to shush the voice but managed to catch herself before she did.

  “Yeah, who is she anyway? Did she come with Jiran?” another child asked.

  “Guys, her name is Thea. She seems pretty cool, and if she’s with Jiran she has to be nice, right?”

  The group was silent and looked at one another Thea swallowed hard and cleared her throat break the silence.

  “I won’t hurt you guys or anything. My name is Thea. I’m Jiran’s apprentice and . . . I’m a Roma.”

  Thea wasn’t sure why she had said it, but some part didn’t want or need to hide that from them. She always needed to protect who she was, she wasn’t used to it otherwise.

  But we aren’t different, not so much; I have skin, they have fur, but we walk and talk the same. Thea had an inkling that’s what Jiran meant.

  “Woah!” They all exclaimed in unison. Thea couldn’t be sure yet, but she concluded that they were all boys.

  “Hey, can you tell the future?” The boy with the thunder-striped eye asked.

  “Yeah! I heard that Romas could do a bunch of magic tricks!” A grey-furred cat said. He jumped up and down with exhilaration.

  “Yeah, can you show us something, Thea?” the Ördög child requested, and Thea could see his eyes, though partially covered by his black hair, were wide with excitement.

  Thea rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled nervously. She’d never had that reaction to someone learning what she was before and was shocked to hear the excitement in their voices. Magic and treason were punishable by death. It was instilled inside of her brain.

  “Well, uh, I’m not sure—” She didn’t want to let them down and tell them she didn’t know how to control it yet. Fortunately, Kilua came to her aid.

  “Woah, Woah, guys,” Kilua said as he stood in front of Thea protectively. “You can’t expect Thea to do all of that. She’s like our guest! Plus, she didn’t come to entertain you guys.”

  She’s like our guest, the sarcastic voice repeated in a sing-song tone. Thea shushed the voice and covered it with a slight cough.

  Several of them rolled their eyes at Kilua, while others just mumbled “fine.” She couldn’t help but be reminded of Eddie watching Kilua take charge of the group. Kilua turned and grinned at her.

  “So, what do you say? You want to play?”

  Thea grinned and nodded, not hesitating. “Sure, just show me how.”

  Yeah, playing with a splintered ball is going to help you learn more about your people. This is a great use of your time, the voice mocked. Hearing the voices once again, made her frown deeply.

  Taking her hand, Kilua grasped his pawed hand around hers. His fur tickled her skin for a moment and gripped back. She let him drag her away and forgot about Hapy.

  ***

  Jiran walked up the four stone steps to get to the wooden double doors of the hut. The doors were engraved with the Ördögan god Y’ dar standing on a mountaintop wearing a pla
ted chest armor, shin and arm guards alongside a helmet that covered the sides of his head. On his back was a shield that was as big as a boulder and he held a long sword in the air. Standing next to him was Y’dar’s brother, Ti. Ti was a golden-haired warrior with a large, muscular chest who wore animal hide around as his loincloth. Two swords were strapped to his waist and a set of bows on his back, his hand lifted a gilded gold bow. Below the mountain was the angry faces of mundane soldiers and Ördögan’s ready to clash one another for a preemptive attack.

  Jiran lifted his fist and pounded on the door. He waited for a few moments and the door opened to reveal an Ördögan with blonde hair in a ponytail.

  “Jiran, it is good to see you. Our liege has been waiting for you.”

  “Good to see you, Uriah.”

  Uriah opened the door and Jiran stepped inside the long hut. The building had open space and on each side were white pillars that held up the roof. Torches hung on the columns’ side, which gave the room an orange glow. In the middle, there was an elongated table with several chairs. However, at the far end of the room, rested a stone throne that nestled none other than Grégori Mountain.

  “Jiran Alexander, it’s good to see you.”

  Grégori Mountain stood and walked down the three steps. He approached Jiran but the Ördög towered Jiran by several feet and he had to crane his neck to look at Grégori Mountain. The Ördög grinned and placed his large hand on Jiran’s shoulder.

  “It is good to see you, Grégori. You’re looking well as always. Have your tusks grown?”

  Grégori tilted his head back and let out a bellowed laugh, patting Jiran on the shoulder. The two had a long history together for Grégori had known his father Tobias, and it was Grégori who had inspired Jiran to become the man he is today.

  “Take a seat, my friend, you must be weary from your travels.”

  The two men took their seats at the table. Jiran sat on the side and Grégori at the end with hands folded together.

  “Business has been good, I see?”

  “Aye, it has,” Jiran responded. Uriah came over a second afterward with two goblets in hand, he set one in front of each man. Jiran grasped the gold goblet and pressed it to his lips to take a sip. “I think the wares will please you, Grégori. I’ve managed to pack in extra meats, some vegetables, and a few kinds of cheese.”

  Grégori nodded, meeting Jiran had saved him and his people on more than one account. He appreciated everything that Jiran did for him and always tried to return the favor however he could.

  “Y’ dar’s blessing. You are truly your father’s son, rest his soul.”

  Jiran and Grégori placed a fist on their heart and closed their eyes, a gesture given to those who had passed and went on to The Great Beyond, where souls of mundane and Magi would live for eternity in a mansion with loved ones around them.

  “I also have something else, or rather someone else, to show you. She’s a young Roma girl, and I have taken her under my wing as my new apprentice.”

  “Roma?” Grégori sounded surprised. “I thought they might have been extinct, last I heard, anyway.”

  Jiran nodded and a sigh escaped from his lips. “I believe so. She’s had a troubled life so far, and you know how the Roma’s magic work, I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

  Grégori appreciated Jiran’s act of bravery, the man had a heart that extended to everyone he met. He didn’t have a selfish bone in his body and always looked after those who couldn’t look after themselves.

  “You are a good man, Jiran Alexander and Tobias would be proud of you. Now, when do I get to meet this Roma girl?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The game of Hot Sticks was not as tricky as Thea had first thought. She learned that the mundane cat creatures were called Ferals, another one of the Kobold group. Embarrassed, Thea did not know what it was and admitted that she had never even heard of a Feral before. Kilua only laughed, his ears twitched as he did and told her not to worry about it.

  “You’ll be guarding our goal so the other team can’t get to it,” Kilua instructed her. Thea looked at the medium sized box behind her and on the other side was another medium box for the other team's goal. “Just watch to see how to play, but make sure to keep your eyes open.”

  Thea nodded. She stood in a crouched position with her arms bent and her elbows sticking out. She gripped the stick Kilua had given her tightly and trained her eyes on the gray-haired Feral guarding the opponent's goal. All the while, the voices mocked her. She rolled her eyes, shushed them discreetly, and tried to focus on the game.

  She hadn’t known when the game started, but suddenly everyone ran. They passed each other, hitting the wooden ball with their sticks. It zoomed around and under legs, moved back and forth between Thea and Kilua’s team to their opponent’s. She could see dirt clumps stuck to the ball and the wood splintered as it was being kicked around by sticks and the occasional feet. As they knocked it around, it didn’t seem like it was going anywhere.

  At this rate, the ball will never move. She wanted the ball to leave the group, to be free from being clobbered relentlessly.

  Then maybe you should stop wasting time on this pointless game, a voice snarked at her.

  Oh, leave her alone already! She’s allowed to play like a child every once in a while, the motherly voice replied. You forget, she still is a child, so let her act like one!

  This is nothing but a waste of energy, the angry voice snarled. Thea should be doing something useful right now, but she’s choosing to be a weak little girl instead. It scoffed. Pathetic.

  It’s not a waste of time! The motherly voice jumped to her defense. That voice was always trying to protect her from the others. She’s getting to know the locals, which Jiran told her to do. And, she gets to have fun doing it so shut the hell up!

  “I’m trying to focus on the game, guys! Leave me alone already!” Thea muttered to the empty air behind her shoulder, where it always sounded like she heard the voices. They, of course, did not stop arguing or heckling her – they never did.

  She had hot flashes as her skin turned red and her vision grew cloudy. The image of the wooden ball rolled out of the hobbled circle as it was pulled by magic.

  Thea blinked. Did I move that ball with my magic? She wondered, but before she could think anything more of it, an idea sprang to mind.

  “Kilua!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. She saw his ears twitch and he peeked up from where he was. “Get out of the circle!” She wasn’t sure if he would listen to her, but after several seconds he left.

  She could see the question in his eyes, but she did not continue to focus on him. Instead, she focused on the wooden ball and willed it to move, just like in the vision she had. Thea began to sweat, and a small headache crept in, but within seconds the ball shot out from the circle and rolled over to Kilua by itself.

  For a moment, Kilua was shocked, but he shook his head and ran to the ball. When he reached it, he started hitting it toward their opponent’s goal. On the other end, the Feral shouted out in warning, but it was too late. Kilua had arched the arm that held the stick and smacked the ball. He shot it into the goal before the goalie had a chance to block.

  “Yes!” Thea shouted with arms in the air, just as Kilua ran over to her. She hadn’t even seen him coming as the Feral wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up on his shoulder. She hadn’t expected him to do that and almost fell off his shoulder, but the other members of their team helped her get her balance.

  “Thea, Thea, Thea!” the group chanted. She couldn’t help but grin as she held onto Kilua’s shoulder for support. She wasn’t sure what happened, if she had moved the ball, or if it was some coincidence.

  Maybe I’ll ask Jiran, she thought to herself. She looked up and saw Jiran standing off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest. Thea figured he would be angry, but that wasn’t the case because he smiled at her. She beamed up at him with a smile. Jiran was not alone. Beside him was an Ör
dög that stood over six feet tall. His hair was black and long, some of it was pulled back in a small ponytail, displaying his oblong forehead. His black eyes stared at Thea.

  He’s frowning, Thea noticed, but what she saw most were the tusks protruding from his mouth. They were more significant than any other Ördög she had seen. Suddenly, she was placed on the ground. Everyone bent the knee, Thea followed suit. The six-foot-tall Ördögan strode over to them. Power radiated from him, but unlike King Godfrey, there wasn’t fear or hatred.

  What is this feeling? She wondered. It’s probably just gas, the mocking voice whispered quieter than usual. She had not met the Ördög King, Grégori Mountain, nor did she know anything about him; but there was a charisma to him that made her want to respect him, not fear him.

  “So, you are Roma?” Grégori Mountain said, his voice so deep it echoed.

  Thea nodded. “Yes, Your . . . Majesty? My name is Thea, Thea Frey.”

  “No need for formalities, Thea Frey of Roma. Grégori Mountain will do just fine,” he told her and grinned, one of his tusks slightly rising as he did. “Now, why don’t we all go to the Great Hall and get something to eat, I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  Thea didn’t want to tell him that she was famished, but her stomach instantly betrayed her by letting out a low growl which made Grégori Mountain erupt into haughty laughter. Thea felt her cheeks burn from embarrassment, but she stood when he offered her one of his large, meaty hands to her.

  “The rest of you will join with your parents. I will see you all soon.”

  Kilua and the others, now on their feet, bowed and spoke in unison, “Yes, Grégori Mountain.” They all scurried off.

  ***

  When Thea entered the Great Hall, her jaw dropped. The inside was more substantial than Thea would have thought. The ceiling was rounded and splintered with plank wood that curved to give the roof its arched look, the burnt red skin looked leathery and tough.