“My Lord please you are my Lord!” Talon sighed feeling embarrassed.
“Please rise.” he added pulling Mowloon to his feet.
Talon looked into his eyes as the monk got to his feet, he felt confused at the respect that the Lord monk was bestowing upon him, Mowloon looked back at Talon wondering if he knew what he could become.
“The temple of Pangkor will always be here for you, please take some papers giving you safe passage to where ever you go.”
Talon received his papers and set upon his journey into the unknown, as Talon left the temple he turned around to a last look, the temple had become his home and he would miss his friends, he whispered a goodbye before turning to the road.
He found himself feeling refreshed there was a new found vigour in his step as walked the cobbled road.
The months he had spent studying as a Pangkor monk had served him well, he felt strong both physically and mentally, suddenly Talon felt content like he was now ready for anything.
He decided to head north staying close to the western coast a journey that would take him to the town of Vilsillius, Talon threw his bag over his shoulder and quickened his step,
“If I make good time I should reach Vilsillius in three days.” he sighed.
Vilsillius was a heavily populated town situated on the western coast of Kratos; the town was by far the largest town in all of south-western Kratos.
It boasted the largest port this side of Kallick Town where its fisherman were commonly known to be the finest on the island, it was also a large trading town where people from all over the island would travel to either buy or sell their wares.
The Empire only had a small presence in Vilsillius as the town was under a strict dictatorship of the ancient Akraf family; its leader now was a mysterious man known as Lord Avrar Akraf.
The ruler lived in large castle and had his own small army; fiercely loyal to the Empire he was allowed to collect taxes and rule the town his own way.
Akraf was good at his job; Vilsillius was a prosperous town both for him and for the Empire and it suited the emperor that Akraf was responsible for the town.
Most people silently complained about the taxes the strict Lord bestowed upon them, but the Lord had a simple answer ‘pay the tax or trade elsewhere’.
Lord Akraf’s temper was legendary and in this part of the island there were many tales of the harsh and often-violent retribution handed out by this wicked ruler, there was a saying that went like this,
‘If thou is Akraf’s friend then thou is a rich man, if thou is Akraf’s enemy then thou is a dead man’
When Talon reached the town he was impressed by its size, when he reached a market square he could not believe the size of the place for as far as the eye could see there were market stall selling everything you could possibly imagine. Talon also found himself disappointed at the dirtiness, the streets seemed very old and they were riddled from droppings from all the livestock which were paraded for sale.
When Talon left the temple at Varanasa the Lord Monk had given Talon, monk’s passes for safe passage, Mowloon knowing that Talon would pass through Vilsillius also asked Talon if he could drop a letter into the Pangkor temple there.
Once Talon was given directions he soon found the Pangkor temple, he was dressed in his monks robes so the Vilsillius monks greeted him and invited him in. Talon told them he had a letter for their Lord Monk and within a short time he was taken to his room.
“This is most peculiar” the monk said reading Talon’s letter.
Talon lifted his head in innocence.
“My Lord Mowloon states that you are on route to Zanlia and asks me to give you one thousand silver Krasos from the Pangkor treasury” the monk said reading the letter out loud
As Talon raised his eyebrows trying not to look surprised at the large sum of money he was talking about.
“And I am to ask you no questions, nor speak to anyone of this matter.” he added once again going back to the letter.
Talon smiled slightly and just bowed his head.
“Well, I will get this sum of money for you, will you stay for something to eat young monk.”
“I am sorry my Lord but I must refuse I have a long journey before me.”
Once Talon had the riches he headed straight back to the market, he would buy a horse and some decent supplies, in fact with this amount of silver he could buy ten horses if he so wished, he silently thanked the Lord monk Mowloon, he was very much surprised but this was a very grateful surprise.
As Talon admired the market traders and all the merchandise they were selling, he saw some horses in the distance and began making his way towards them but before he reached them he was distracted by some shuffling amongst the crowds in fron,t as Talon took another look he saw men and women running away from men galloping on horseback, he noticed that the men were whipping people as they passed and were shouting violently for people to move. The tradesman had a look of terror on their faces as they tried frantically to move out of the way.
He saw that the men were dressed as soldiers but they were definitely not dressed as the Empire’s military.
“Quickly move!” a stranger shouted pulling Talon to the side.
“They would have ridden straight over you.” the stranger added as the men rode past.
“Who are they?” Talon asked angered.
“Ah, you must be new to Vilsillius, they are Akraf’s men, hark my words if you wish to stay healthy here then stay well away from them.” added the stranger still cursing them.
Then suddenly the horses stopped, Talon saw that one horse was jumping up and down, Talon moved closer and saw that something was blocking there path. The soldiers were shouting angrily. Talon moved closer still and noticed an old lady who had fallen to the ground and was obviously in a great deal of pain, she was holding her knee where a large cut was bleeding, Talon ran to comfort her.
“MOVE THAT WOMEN NOW!” one of the soldiers screamed.
“I think her legs broke.” Talon replied very firmly back.
“MOVE!” the soldier shouted moving his jumping horse even closer barely missing the women.
Talon stood up and looked the soldier coldly in the eye before answering him calmly but with a stern tone.
“I said her legs broke, ride around.”
The other soldiers looked at the leading soldier with shock, and the crowd sighed in anticipation of the soldiers reply to this stranger who had dared speak back to a soldier in such a manner.
“Ride round you say, I will damn ride over you.” he said before kicking his heels into the horse ushering it forward towards Talon.
“YAR!” the soldier screamed.
Talon moved quickly grabbing the horses bridle and with one swift move pulled the soldier from the horse, the other soldiers quickly pulled their swords and charged towards him, the first soldier to reach Talon raised his sword and tried to strike Talon, he brought his word down over his head in a downward motion but Talon evaded the blow and grabbed the man’s arm pulling him from his horse and then grabbing the sword at the same time, as the soldier fell Talon then followed with a strong kick to his face which knocked him unconscious to the ground.
The rest of the soldiers who numbered over twenty now made a move for Talon, some were still on horseback and some had dismounted, one soldier attacked Talon on foot Talon raised his sword and parried the man’s attack knocking him off balance then Talon struck him in the face with the butt of his sword.
Talon then turned and readied himself for another attack, two more soldiers advanced only to be knocked unconscious by a kick to the face and an elbow to the temple, Talon was using all the skills he possessed, his skills as a gladiator a Imperial soldier and Pangkor monk within moments four more soldiers lay bleeding on the ground.
Talon turned as he heard more soldiers arrive, eager to not be flanked Talon backed towards a wall, there were now twenty soldiers before him all ready to advance but the soldiers hesitated trying to fi
nd a weakness in Talon. Talon spat on the ground and stood motionless ready to meet any attack, he stood proud as he sensed the soldiers fear then another soldier rode up on horseback and the soldiers parted to let him through.
“Drop your sword and surrender or you will be slain.” the man on the horse shouted.
Talon raised his sword to the man on the horse but then noticed the man’s face, he was older than the other soldiers and he looked more sincere, Talon looked around at the other soldiers who waiting and ready to attack like a pack of wild dogs.
“Tell your men to lower their swords and I will lower mine, I was acting in self-defence.”
The man on the horse slowly came closer.
“Is death what you seek today? Lower your sword and you will have a fair trial.”
Talon once again looked around he could see that he was vastly outnumbered, he did not want to yield but with his back the wall and the thought crossing his mind that he had not killed any of the soldiers only injured them, so resentfully he lowered his sword.
As the soldiers took a hold of him he remembered a saying Chang once said to him ‘as long as you draw breath then you are not beaten’.
Talon was bound by the soldiers and taken to a large stonewall castle. Once there he was taken down many flights of stairs and thrown into a cell in the castles dungeon.
The cell was dark barely lit from a torch in the hallway outside, it was damp and could smell the odour of decaying flesh, he thought the smell was that of rotting rodents or worse it could be rotting flesh.
Talon then began running his hands across all the walls trying to find anything that could present an escape, once he found no loose stone or weak wall he resided himself to the fact that he was here to stay. Sitting down he closed his eyes and went into deep meditation.
“I must become one with my circumstance, then my circumstance will become a solution, then the solution will become me, the answer is in me.” he said silently to himself
Talon sat motionless for hours not even moving an eyelid until three soldiers disturbed his peace with a loud unlocking of the door.
Talon rose immediately where the soldiers bound his hands and escorted him to another cell, a much larger cell and much cleaner and more generously lit.
After a short while another four soldiers entered the room, Talon noticed that the most senior of the men had an air of menace about him, he was obviously the most powerful and he let everyone know it. Talon eyed the man as he had a gross disfiguring scar which ran from his forehead down to his collarbone, he was tall and muscular and hunched with a limp, obviously a battle wound Talon thought as the man sat down in a chair in front of him.
“Who are you” asked the soldier looking Talon up and down with a sneer.
“I am a Pangkor monk.” replied Talon calmly trying to sound relaxed.
“Don’t play me for a fool, I can see your garments, who are you.”
“I am a Pangkor monk.” replied Talon again calmly as if ignoring the man’s last question
After a short pause where the soldier just sat eyeing Talon he produced Talon’s papers that the Lord Monk gave him in Varanasa.
“Are these yours?”
Talon just nodded.
“Why is there no name on these passes?”
Talon shrugged a gesture that angered the soldier.
“Again who are you and why are travelling with passes with no name on them.”
“It is not unusual for a Pangkor to travel with these kinds of papers.”
“A Pangkor who fights like a warrior.”
“Is that what your men told you, I’m flattered, I was holding back.” Talon replied again speaking calmly.
The soldier smiled and nodded, this game was beginning to unveil itself.
“Why do you have such a large sum of money?”
“I was delivering it from one temple to another.”
“Which temple.”
“That’s my concern.”
Suddenly the soldier rose and struck Talon forcefully across the face with the back of his hand, the blow caused Talon’s lip to bleed but Talon did not move an inch.
“I say you robbed and killed a Pangkor monk taking his money and garments, you are an impostor.”
Talon sighed and looked away, these questions were a farce, a charade with no way to prove them right or wrong, Talon looked the man strongly in the eye with a resolve that this game was over,
“Am I to be judged by you?” Talon said with a sneer.
“Judged! This is no trial, but I may run you through with my sword.”
Talon had loosed one of his binds from behind his back and played out in his mind what action to take if indeed this soldier attacked him.
“Then stop talking and do it!” replied Talon calmly but resolutely.
The soldier rose to his feet and went for his sword only to be approached quickly by one of the other soldiers.
“What are you doing, if this man is Pangkor then the curse is upon you.” he whispered to him.
“He’s no Pangkor!” snarled the soldier.
“There is a way to test this, I do not want the curse upon me or my family, if you kill a Pangkor in cold blood then you will be damned and your damn us along with you” said the other soldier now forcefully pulling the first soldier back.
Then one of the other soldiers approached he had a much softer tone to his voice he knelt before Talon.
“Ik selvichar ma veelich dom carravitch.” he said quietly to Talon in the Pangkor language.
“Jeel do la veelich.” Talon replied.
The man rose with a look of both horror and relief on his face.
“He is Pangkor.” he sighed.
The first soldier looked at him warily and returned his sword to its scabbard, he nodded as if saying he understood then turned back to Talon.
“Why did you attack my men?”
“I was defending myself.”
“They ordered you to move and you attacked them.”
“That is their story, ask the people who witnessed it.”
“I am still grieved by your insolence monk!”
“Or is it the truth that grieves you” Talon replied now showing slight anger.
“Monk or no monk I WILL SLAY YOU, damn the curse!
Once again one of the other soldiers intervened.
“You cannot kill a monk in cold blood.”
“THEN GIVE THIS MAN A SWORD!” he shouted to one of the guards who in turn hesitantly threw a sword at Talon’s feet.
“Pick it up” the soldier shouted at Talon.
“My hands are bound.” replied Talon.
The soldier then motioned for the guard to untie him where he walked over and cut Talon’s hands free.
“Now pick it up.”
Talon slowly began to bend over towards the sword but stopped midway only to stand back up straight.
“Today is not a good day.” Talon remarked.
Then a short silence befell the room as the soldier thought what to do.
“My Lord.” one of the guards sheepishly interrupted.
“WHAT!”
“My Lord you could strip him of his garments and let him fight in next week’s games, the gladiators will not know who he is.”
The soldier rubbed his face removing his hand to reveal a cruel smile.
“Yes, I will not kill you monk but the gladiators will.”
Talon smiled back at him showing that he was neither impressed nor intimidated
“It will be a day well met.” replied Talon with a wry smile.
“Get this thing back to his cell!” the soldier snarled.
When Talon was thrown back into his dark and damp cell he smiled to himself, ‘gladiators’ he said to himself, at first he felt angry but he also felt an excitement, for the next week he practiced hard in his cell, the food was minimal so he knew his strength would be dwindled if he was to fight then he would have to rely on his mind and reflexes.
When the day of th
e games arrived Talon was taken to the arena and given gladiatorial garments, he was given a sword and a shield and a helmet that still blood stains on it.
He calmed his nerves just as his teachings had taught him to; he focused on his thoughts and removed all fear ‘fear is a thought and thoughts can be subdued.’ he said to himself.
Talon slapped his sword against his leg as he walked up into the arena, the arena itself was huge, easily one of the biggest in Kratos.
Talon thought of his Grandfather who always enjoyed fighting in Vilsillius as the rich merchants in the town always paid great rewards, he slowly walked to the centre taking in his surroundings until he joined his opponent who was waiting for him, Talon nodded slightly to him and noticed the countless scars on his opponents arm, his sword holding arm
‘He is weak on his right side.’ Talon thought to himself.
“SALUTE THE LORD!” shouted a soldier who was standing near them while pointing at a box where Lord Akraf and his guests were sitting.
Talon raised his sword and saw Lord Akraf rise to acknowledge this; the soldier then left and Talon turned towards his opponent and readied himself.
As Talon crouched the crowd went silent waiting for Akraf to signal for the fight to begin, Akraf waved and Talon’s opponent began to circle Talon, both men held back looking for a weakness or opening to attack.
After a few moments the opponent was the first to make a move, he stepped in and thrust at Talon’s stomach, Talon blocked the thrust with ease and the two of them began trading blows, the opponent turned and raised his sword above his head and swung it wildly, Talon moving with the speed and grace of a cat blocked the swing and then in one move struck the man’s hand holding the sword and then turned and struck the man across the face and throat, the opponent dropped to his knees letting out a loud scream blood poured from his wounds.
Talon backed away slightly kicking the man’s sword away which was laying on the ground but there was no need as the man was obviously beaten. Talon lowered his sword and looked up to where Lord Akraf was sitting, a man sitting next to Akraf rose and ordered Talon to finish the man off, Talon took another look and noticed it was the soldier who had questioned him back in the cell who was shouting.
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