The Arena

by Bradford Bates

  I put down my burrito; the chances of it surviving this meal just went up tenfold. My stomach did a little flip flop. What was I going to do? My mind tried to shift me away from the brink of a breakdown. What was going to happen to this little lost burrito, let alone its friend resting on the other side of my tray? Maybe I could run them over to my fridge before class, and help them find a way into their home in my belly later. I mean, I wouldn’t want to be responsible from taking a burrito away from its home.

  My mind finally stopped spinning enough that I could pull myself back into the moment. “Ok, so the Council has this big beef with Adam. Why support the academy at all?”

  “Well, the Council has wanted a stronger presence in the US for some time, but Adam has always opposed them. They have a pretty good hold on the East Coast, while Adam controls the West. So there is some friction there. The biggest thing that I have heard is that Adam thinks that Demons are coming back to this world. He wants to form an alliance with some of the Pretenders to make sure we can defeat them when they do. The first group he reached out to was the Lycans. Rumor has it he worked closely with them when founding the Ascendancy.”

  I almost choked on my juice. “Wait, he wants to work with the werewolves?” Then my brain just slipped into my next thought like someone ice skating for the first time. It was abrupt and then slammed to the forefront of my mind with a hideous crash. “Wait, are there really Demons?”

  April cut in. “I’ve seen a Demon. That is why I came to the academy. I needed to know that if there were more of them, that someone was doing something to stop them.”

  Marcus gave her a look as his mouth dropped open in stunned silence. The silence didn’t last long. “I’ve only heard stories,” he said in a hushed tone. Marcus turned to me. “The Ascendancy used to work with the Lycans. All of that came crashing to a halt around the time we were born. No one knows exactly what happened. The Council and the Ascendancy have kept a pretty tight lid on it. But we have always had a love-hate relationship with the werewolves. They like to handle everything in house. Sometimes that isn’t good enough. Now they teach us how to hunt and kill them.”

  I knew better than to think that anything April told me wasn’t true. She was kind of a serious person, and if she said it with that much fire in her eyes, then I knew every word she spoke was true. If she said she had seen a Demon, then Demons were real. ”So what? For them it comes down to a difference in philosophy, or beliefs?”

  Marcus’s expression turned serious again. “Worse than that, Jackson. It comes down to power, pure and simple. Adam seems to be right, and the Council is working hard to make sure the word doesn’t get out. They want to make sure they control the Gifted on both sides of the ocean. No questions asked.”

  This time I shoved my tray to the side. It seemed like those burritos were safe after all. There was no way I was going to be eating now. I hated the political machine. Sometimes when things were right and just, they had to get done no matter the cost. Bickering over who controlled what when Demons were real just seemed like a waste of time. This was serious, and it had far-reaching consequences for everyone.

  I wondered how long I could survive outside with no money. With so many things outside of these walls that were more than happy to kill one of the Gifted, what would I do if the academy closed and all my friends went home? “So what does that mean for us?”

  Marcus let out his first smile since we had started talking. “Well, that brings us to the twins. This is Tamara and Tim Kinju. They just got to the academy today. They were telling us that Adam sent out the word to bring back dedicated trade skills to the academy, something they haven’t done since the Ascendancy operated purely outside of the Council’s view.”

  Tim jumped into the conversation for the first time. “My grandfather used to work for Adam during the early years of the Ascendancy. He said it was always his greatest honor to know that he crafted weapons to help the Ascended slay Demons.”

  Tamara followed up by saying, “When our father heard about Adam’s need for people, we came right away. Our family has a long tradition of enchanting Demon Blades. They’re something that less and less people have needed, but Adam assures us that we will be busy going forward.”

  I had never met someone that specialized in enchanting before; most of the kids at the academy were purely in it for combat. They tended to specialize in elemental magic and a mixed bag of other talents. There was so much more I needed to learn about this world before I felt comfortable. I was caught in the middle of an epic struggle. I reached inside of my shirt and placed a hand around my necklace. I knew my father had been here and believed in the Ascendancy. I was pretty sure this was where I was going to stay if I had the chance.

  I heard Tim tell Marcus about their schedule while I let my thoughts wander. What was I going to do? I wanted to stay with my friends, but I also didn’t want to leave. Was this even going to be a big deal or would this just blow over? If politics in this world were anything like the human world—well, then nothing would get done and everything would stay the same.

  Marcus looked over at me. He must have caught me staring off into space again, and looked slightly concerned. “Jackson, this is a big, big deal. The Council has basically forced people to make a choice. Will you stand with them, or do you believe in Adam and in Demons? Most people would prefer to believe that Demons don’t exist. If Adam is right, we could find ourselves in a war against the Demons and our own people. The outcome of this could be cataclysmic.”

  “So where does that leave us?”

  “I’m not sure, bro. Obviously, Tim and Tamara are staying. I’m sure my family would want me here, and April already said as much earlier.”

  April piped in. “Of course I’m staying.” She said it with a fierceness, almost daring anyone to question her loyalty.

  Marcus looked at me. “That just leaves you, bro.”

  “I don’t have anywhere else to go,” I said with a shrug.

  A look of confusion broke out on his face. “What do you mean?”

  I told them about what had happened to me before I had come here: the death of my adoptive parents, being captured, breaking out, and finally ending up here. By the end of the story, I was almost in tears, but felt better after getting it off of my chest.

  Marcus put a hand my shoulder. “Damn, man.”

  April did one better. She got up from her seat, came around the table, and gave me a huge hug. The tears came then, but I wasn’t ashamed anymore. I hadn’t been able to protect my adoptive parents, but I could help protect others.

  April finished hugging me and looked me in the eyes. “Jackson, you will never be alone again. I am here for you.”

  “Me too, bro,” Marcus said with a grin.

  That meant the world to me. Before I could tell them what I was thinking, the intercom in the cafeteria went off.

  “To all students: classes will be canceled today. We know that all of you have a lot of questions. There will be a meeting in the auditorium tonight at seven to address your concerns. Attendance for the meeting is mandatory. Until the conclusion of the meeting, the campus is on full lockdown. We request that you return to your dorm rooms. If you need anything, please dial zero from the phone in your room to reach administration. We appreciate your patience, and look forward to seeing you tonight.”

  All around us, students and teachers were getting up from their chairs and heading out the door. There was an eerie solemnness to everything. No one was talking, just walking quietly back to their rooms.

  Marcus hit me on the shoulder when we got to the dorms. “Let’s all meet down here at six forty-five. We can walk over to the meeting together. And don’t worry, bro, everything is going to be fine.”

  April pulled me into another hug before she headed down the hall with Marcus. Tim and Tamara walked down the hall in the opposite direction after giving me a slight wave. I hopped in the elevator and headed back to my room. I hoped I could get some rest today; I had a feelin
g tomorrow was going to be a long one.

  I met my friends outside of the dorms. I nodded to the group, and everyone gave me a wave or a nod in return. It seemed no one was in the mood to talk. April gave me a pat on the back, and we started walking toward the auditorium together. The tension that surrounded us was palpable; it hummed through the air. We all knew something big was going to happen tonight, something that would affect us all.

  The blue-lit pathways I had found so calming before filled me with a chill now. I wondered just what could be hiding in the dark spots outside of the lighted pathways. I told myself I was being silly. Nothing would happen to us on campus. The simple nature of light and dark reminded me of how important the Ascendancy was. They stood against the darkness, no matter the cost.

  We entered the auditorium and found five seats together. I spotted Britta in the crowd, and when she caught my eye, I waved to her. She waved back, and my heart started to pound just a little bit faster. If she was going to have that effect on me every time I saw her, I was going to need some kind of medication. The entire auditorium was full, which surprised me. I had never seen so many people on campus before. With the new arrivals, the support staff, students, and members of the Ascendancy, the entire auditorium was packed. You could feel the electric atmosphere, but everyone remained silent. When seven hit the clock, the director stepped out from a side door and walked to the podium on the stage.

  As the director took the final step behind the podium, the already silent room became deathly still. Without any preamble, the director spoke. “Many of you know me as the director of the academy. What you may not know is that I was also one of the original members of the Ascendancy. What we accomplish at the academy is more important than training the youth of tomorrow. We are selecting the best, so there is a tomorrow.”

  The director scanned the crowd as some cheering broke out. “Our struggle between the Council’s desires and our sacred duty has finally reached the tipping point. If we were to stay under the Council’s rule, we could no longer do our duty as members of the Ascendancy. As of this morning, we have cut all ties with the Council and will be moving forward alone.”

  Some of the students cheered and some looked nervous. I knew that I wanted to remain with the Ascendancy, but my ignorance of the wider world was starting to show. What if I made this choice only to find out it was wrong. What would happen to me then?

  The director continued his speech. “The Council has not yet declared us enemies. They are gauging support amongst their followers for just such a declaration. Of this there can be no doubt. Today we will move forward, balanced on a knife’s edge, knowing that at any time, we may be forced to battle the Council as well as protect humanity. Eighteen years ago, we failed to make the right decision, and as a result, some of our greatest warriors died. Today we will not make the same mistake.”

  All of the members of the Ascendancy broke out in loud cheering. The students mostly remained quiet. I got the feeling not too many of them knew exactly what had happened eighteen years ago. I started to wonder if it had something to do with my dad. That would have been right around the time I was born. There was so much I still didn’t know about him, or about myself. If I stayed, I knew I would find out more about him eventually.

  The director motioned his hands to indicate he was ready to speak again. The cheering continued on, so he spoke over them. “The Council has proved their ignorance of the creatures in our world time and again. Just last week, a newly turned Lycan killed a few humans outside of Flagstaff. The local pack executed the wolf and made anonymous donations to the families of the deceased. In our opinion, justice had been served; in the Council’s opinion, every Lycan in that pack needed to be eradicated. They sent a kill squad in, and almost the entire pack was destroyed.”

  The room grew silent around us. I could feel the rage building off the Ascended sitting above us. The director calmly continued. “This is the fundamental difference between the Council and the Ascendancy. We take action when, for whatever reason, the Pretenders do not police themselves. The Council treats their lives as if they mean nothing. We must work together with the Pretenders to ensure that we move into the future together. When someone breaks the law in human society, the humans do not punish their entire family. It is the responsibility of the individual to accept blame for their actions. This kind of wanton disregard for life cannot and will not continue! We face a very real threat; Demons have made it into our world. Without the help of the Pretenders, we cannot hope to defeat them if their numbers grow. The actions of the Council push us further away from that goal every day.”

  The director stepped away from the podium, microphone in hand. “Today we ask of you so much more than we have the right to. Turning your back on the Council will have great repercussions for all of us. They will be relentless in their pursuit of us, to eliminate the threat we represent to their power. Today I ask you to stand with me, to stand with what is right. Today we forge our own destiny!”

  Wild cheering broke out from the Ascended sitting above us. I noticed all of my friends were clapping. It was hard not to get caught up in the moment. Today we forge our destiny. Talk about an inspiring line. I let myself join in with the thundering applause. I had no idea what would come of this, but I was with my friends, doing what felt right.

  The director moved back to the podium, taking a few moments to compose himself before speaking again. “The Ascendancy has spent the last few years securing resources for this very moment. Since this morning, you may have seen a few new faces around campus. As we step away from the Council’s edicts, we are honoring old bonds and renewing past relationships. Tonight we find ourselves completely self-sufficient. We need no funding, no resources, and will have zero involvement with the Council from this point forward.”

  The director looked at all of the students. “Tonight you have a choice to make. You may leave the academy and the Ascendancy, or you can join us. All communications have been restored so students can contact their parents and make an informed decision. Tomorrow morning, those of you who choose to continue on with the Ascendancy will be moved to a new location. Those of you who choose to go in a different direction, we thank you for your time here and wish you the best of luck. Tomorrow morning at seven, we will start the process of moving. Take tonight to pack and to make your decision.”

  With his speech finished, the director walked away from the podium. I was sure that my night would be a lot less hectic than his. Securing transportation for a couple thousand people could not be easy on such short notice. We started to file out of the auditorium together, walking slowly back through the gentle blue lights of the outside paths. The buzz around us grew as we listened to the people exiting the auditorium. Some of them were excited; some of them were worried. I hoped in the morning all of my friends would be going with me.

  After saying my goodbyes to everyone, I headed upstairs and started to pack my bag. Sadness slowed down my movements as I packed away a semester’s worth of memories. I was surprised how attached I had become to this room, having only been here a few months. It had started to feel like home, and now it was slipping away again. The second home I was forced to flee from. I promised myself that, as long as I had my friends, anywhere we went would feel like home. Deep down, I wondered if that was true.

  15

  Jackson

  I scrambled down the stairs with my backpack and huge duffle over my shoulder. No one said that moving was easy, even when you traveled as light as I did. Who knew when we would get the chance to order stuff from the real world again? I brought everything that I could cram into my bag. It was more than I needed; well, actually, it was everything I had. I didn’t want to leave a single thing behind.

  Exiting the stairs, I could see Marcus and April waiting outside. I started to move in their direction when I bumped into Britta again. Seriously, I swear this time she just moved in front of me on purpose. The only good news was that this time I didn’t send her flying to the floo
r. The bad news was when I reached out to catch her, I might have bumped into something that I shouldn’t have touched.

  She favored me with an awkward smile. “Jackson, we are going to have to stop meeting like this. If it was anyone else, I’d say they were trying to cop a feel.”

  “Sorry, Britta, I don’t know what happened.” Wait, did she say cop a feel? Oh man, this was getting worse by the second. Last thing I wanted was for her to think I was a creeper. I couldn’t say anything to make that less awkward, so I tried to divert her back on topic. “Are you ok?” Hey, I never said that I was the smoothest guy around.

  “It’s going to take a lot more than a little bump to hurt me,” she said, smiling up at me. “So, are you going or staying?”

  “I’m staying; something about the Ascendancy just feels right to me. I want to do more with my life. It seems like a great way to help people, even if they never know about what we do.”

  “Awesome. I’m staying, too. Don’t wait too long to take me up on my invitation to come over. At some point, I’m going to start to think you don’t actually like me.”

  Britta walked off to join her friends and left me thinking about her departing line. As soon as we got wherever we were going, I was going to have to take her up on that offer. There was no way I could miss out on the chance to spend extra time with her. She was a ten and had a great personality. Next thing you know, I was going to find out she loved reading fantasy and playing video games. I felt a small flush creep up to a familiar place on my cheeks. Yep, I was blushing. I couldn’t help it, and the view I had while she walked away was pretty spectacular.

  By the time I got outside and over to Marcus and April, the twins had already joined them. All of them looked slightly confused; no one really knew what the next step was going to be. I was thinking about a ton of buses, but I had no idea if they could get enough for all of us so quickly. A quick look around let me know they might not need as many seats as I thought. It looked as if we had lost about forty percent of the student population overnight.