by CJ Davis
Chapter 12
Hidden in a small room in a hospital near the Blue temple, Arshan sits at a round table with the Blue leader Laskious. The moonlight flooded through a large window on the far side of the dimly lit room.
“Were you followed?” Laskious asked. Candlelight flickered off his black skin. His light brown eyes pierced into Arshan.
“No, I don’t think so,” Arshan replied. “He’s in rough shape though.” He gestured toward a metallic door to their left. The door was labeled H2000 Healing Chamber.
They both glanced over to the door.
“One night in there and he’ll be ready for battle,” Laskious said. “So, how is his memory?”
“It looks like his amnesia is holding,” Arshan said. “He doesn’t remember any of his recent Earth life, and most importantly he doesn’t remember her.”
“Excellent,” Laskious replied. “I would be lying if I told you I didn't have any doubts about pulling it off. Altering memories is tricky business, especially in the Astral Plane.”
“Well, you impressed the hell out of me,” Arshan said.
“It certainly took me to the extent of my powers, and to be perfectly honest I barely pulled it off,” Laskious added. “It’s part of the reason he came through a Green portal, and we couldn’t find him.”
“That’s all right,” Arshan replied. “We have him now. We only have a couple surprises to worry about.”
Laskious gave him a quizzical look.
“He’s desperately searching for his Dad,” Arshan said.
Laskious stared blankly at the wooden table for a moment.
"As long as he doesn’t remember her," Laskious said. “That’s all that really matters.”
"I still can’t believe we’ve managed to keep their Inseparable relationship a secret from Morkel and the Reds," Arshan replied.
Arshan leaned back in his chair.
“Come to think of it, it’s a miracle,” Arshan said. “Three Earth life cycles, while in the Blue Centennial training program.”
“All the more reason to not let our guard down,” Laskious said. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “There are Red spies everywhere. Are you sure you weren’t followed?”
"No,” Arshan replied.
Laskious closed his eyes for a moment.
“What is it?” Arshan replied.
Laskious did not answer. He looked to be in some sort of meditative state.
"Has Reese shown any signs of his special ability yet?" Laskious said. His eyes were still closed.
"Not yet," Arshan replied. "Hopefully, his strenuous training will change that."
“You and his Centennial teammates need to push him during training. Don’t cut him any slack.”
Arshan nodded.
“How are his teammates handling the extra pressure of keeping his secret?” Laskious asked.
“They’re doing pretty good, considering.”
Laskious, opened his eyes and stared at him.
“What do you want me to say?” Arshan asked. “Their under a ton of pressure.”
"This entire plan rests on Reese realizing his full potential," Laskious said. "I sense an amazing energy in him. His most recent Earth life combined with his Inseparable power will have made him more powerful than any Centennial warrior in history. You have to closely manage your entire squad. They all need to be a hundred percent focused on this."
"Yeah, but so much can go wrong between now and winning the Centennial," Arshan said. “We’ll do our best.”
“If he remembers her, his amnesia will certainly be broken, and the Reds will figure out he is an Inseparable for sure,” Laskious said, closing his eyes again. “Morkel will certainly foil our plot.”
“I know we’ve been over this a thousand times,” Arshan replied. “What are you doing with your eyes closed?”
Laskious ignored him. A blue light spilled out from underneath the metallic door. A loud humming sound emanated from the healing chamber.
Laskious held up his hand. He made a fist in mid-air and fiercely tightened it.
“I got em,” Laskious said. He smiled with jubilation.
Arshan looked at him in confusion.
“I need you to break through that wall,” Laskious said. He pointed toward the right wall by a dingy sofa. “I’m afraid you were followed by Red spies.”
“What? How?” Arshan stammered.
“I sensed them a while ago, but struggled capturing their minds,” Laskious said. “I finally was able to get a paralysis lock on them. I can only hold it for so long. Hurry up.”
Arshan sprung up and grabbed his blade. Dry wall and wood splinters flung in every which direction as he hacked and smashed at the wall. The air filled with dust.
When the hold was big enough to get through he spat out the particles that accumulated in his mouth, and pushed his way into the apartment.
Two men with red armbands were crouched down with a listening device up against the wall. They were completely frozen, except for their eyes.
“There’re here,” Arshan yelled. Laskious remained at the table with his eyes closed, in full concentration.
Arshan dragged both men into their room and tied them up. He covered their mouths and ears. The frightened eyes of the men shifted back and forth in terror.
Laskious released them and opened his eyes. “I will take them to the Blue temple.”
Arshan paced back and forth in the room. Particles of debris still floated in the moonlight.
“How are we going to do this?” Arshan asked.
“Reese’s true identity must remain in the dark,” Laskious said. “Failure is not an option. If you fail, Reese will be susceptible to the weaknesses Inseparables have in the Centennial. He’ll not be able to make the sacrifices we need him to.”
“I know,” Arshan said.
“War is inevitable if we lose this Centennial,” Laskious said. “I’ve sensed it.”
Reese stopped pacing and sat down at the table again.
“What else have you sensed?” Arshan asked.
“There is the possibility the Reds will start the Centennial before the Centennial warrior training is complete,” Laskious said.
“Is that even legal?” Arshan asked.
“Technically, they can start early, even though it’s never happened before,” Laskious said. “We find ourselves in unchartered waters. The Reds are desperate to win.”
Arshan hung his head down.
“If we can pull this off we’ll have a significant advantage,” Laskious added. “Reese’s powers will grow faster than any other Centennial warrior.”
The two stared at the skyline of Asgelot. No Inseparable had ever been able to make the ultimate sacrifice in the Centennial, but if anyone could do it, it was Reese.
"It's time to go to the opening ceremony," Arshan said.
Chapter 13
Reese was awoken by three loud electronic beeps. When he sat up a strange slippery blanket slid off his bare chest. There were little suction cups attached all over his body with wires coming out. The crisp air gave him goose bumps.
He lifted up his arm to pull one of the cups off his chest. His pain was completely gone.
A door slid open on the far side of the small room, and Arshan walked in.
“How do you feel?” Arshan said.
“Like a million bucks,” Reese said. He continued to pull the little devices off him. “What did you do to me?”
“There’s nothing like spending the night in a healing chamber,” Arshan replied. He then tossed a blue hooded robe on his bed.
“Put this on and meet me outside,” Arshan said. “We don’t have much time so hurry up.”
“Where are we going?” Reese asked.
“The Great Coliseum.”
Only a minute later Reese and Arshan were walking down one of the busy streets of Asgelot.
Along their walk both of them have their hoods draped over the heads.
“I feel strange in this silky
robe,” Reese said. “Everybody is staring at us.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Marquis replied.
Reese could hear a crowd gathering behind them, and his skin prickled at the thought of all the eyes that must be staring at him.
“So what can you tell me about the awesome warrior that I’m supposed to be?”
“All I can tell you is that you have enormous potential,” Arshan replied.
“I’m sure I do,” Reese said.
“No more talking for now,” Arshan demanded. “We must stay alert.”
Reese centered his focus on the crowd. He found it strange that there were no Red pledges around.
Right before following Arshan down a bigger street, a flock of white birds flew by them, momentarily distracting him. They went high up into the blue sky and turned towards the biggest building Reese had ever seen.
The Great Coliseum was a solid white structure made of marble. There were columns and arches evenly spaced out around the whole oval structure. Statues of Centennial warriors lined the large courtyard by the building.
Arshan glanced at Reese and picked up his pace. Reese kept step beside the bearded man, easily breaking into a jog.
Reese took a big breath. The morning sun shone through the gaps in the intricately detailed marble statues. Hundreds of people walked around the busy space. There was a buzz in the air. Reese saw camera crews scattered throughout the area.
As they walked through the courtyard, the crowd murmured and pointed to them. Most of them stopped what they were doing to watch Reese and Arshan walk by. Lanky boys around ten or twelve ran up to them and hovered nearby. They wore identical green uniforms. This is the first time Reese had seen such young kids in the Afterlife, and is surprised to see how normal they looked. One of the boys fidgets his hands together. He looked at them, the way a little leaguer might gaze upon a major league all-star. He ran up next to Arshan, but just before he was going to say something he backed off, and ran back to his friends.
“You chicken,” one of the boy’s friends said to him.
Reese and Arshan walked to a special entrance that nobody else was using. The walls towered over them. Reese had never felt so small. When they walked up to the doors they automatically opened, revealing a dark hallway that led into the sunlit stadium. The buzz from thousands of people echoed through the stone archway, sending a shiver of pure panic down Reese’s spine. With every step on the cobblestones beneath him the murmurs from the crowd grew louder.
They finally emerged from the tunnel. As they stepped onto the field, the crowd grew silent. Reese gazed at the vast expanse of the stadium, which was packed with hundreds of thousands of people. On top of the rim of the stadium there was a line of hundreds of separate green, red and blue flags flowing with the wind.
Reese took a slow, deep breath and squirmed inwardly at the sight of all the eyes upon him. He locked his knees so that he wouldn’t collapse, and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he was staring straight into the lens of a small drone, hovering inches from his face. There were several small hovering drones, with cameras mounted on them, buzzing a couple of feet over his head. Reese ducked his face from the cameras behind the shadow of his hood.
The sand on the floor of the arena crunched beneath Reese’s feet. The walk wasn’t over yet.
One of the drones finally recorded a glimpse of Arshan, whose face was immediately broadcasted on an enormous holovision screen in the arena. The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer, followed by loud trumpet blasts.
Arshan put his hand on Reese’s shoulder. “They’re cheering for us, my friend.” Reese felt himself teetering between joy and panic. If Arshan wasn’t lying, he must be in a very good place indeed. He smiled, and then laughed weakly.
“This is unbelievable,” Reese declared.
“We represent something that’s very important to them,” replied Arshan, nodding his head. "The winner of this Centennial will influence millions. We provide hope for many of these people"
The image of Blue’s dying by the dozen flickers in front of his eyes. Death, eternal death is a very likely outcome. Just yesterday, the high life in the Red temple was looking so appealing, but this, this outpouring of love and encouragement really felt a whole lot better.
The arena floor was filled with men and women in Green jump suits sitting in rows upon rows of folding chairs. Reese and Arshan walked toward a gathering, in the very center of the arena, of nine hooded figures. They were standing shoulder to shoulder. Four of them were wearing the same silk blue robe that Reese wore, the rest were in red.
“Don’t talk to anyone Reese,” Arshan said as they approached. His voice was nearly drowned out by the ongoing fanfare and roar of the crowd.
Reese struggled seeing the faces of any of the cloaked figures.
They finally arrived at their destination and joined the other Blues at the end of the line. The trumpets stopped and the crowd cheering died-down.
Reese’s heartbeat was still echoing in his ears, but soon a thin sound, music, violins maybe, seemed to reverberate deep inside his head. There was a blinding flash and Reese fell to his knees. Everything went completely blank.
As he came to, he was not sure how much time had passed, and his body and mind felt different. He felt stronger, and there was a reserve of energy that wasn’t there before. A strange sense of clarity and awareness helped him be more in-tune with everything around him.
Arshan extended a hand and helped Reese to his feet. “It appears your transformation is complete. You’re now out of your Bardo state.”
“My senses are heightened,” Reese said, shaking his head. “Like I just heard that little girl way over there in the first row tell her father how much she likes this. Oh, wow, Arshan. I’ve never felt this good.”
“Your transformation out of the Bardo state gives you many of your special abilities,” Arshan replied. “However, your most powerful abilities will be unlocked gradually during your training."
The crowd suddenly went deathly quiet when a green hooded figure emerged from the tunnel and walked slowly to the center of the coliseum floor.
When he finally arrived in front of the Blue and Red robed figures, he removed his hood, and Reese immediately recognizes the man from the History Archive. It was Epicurus.
“Welcome to the Centennial," Epicurus declared.
The crowd erupted with more cheering. A large hologram of Epicurus was displayed in the massive open space of the arena. His voice boomed over the speakers.
"Before I address our returning heroes, I must remind all the Greens in the crowd that to join their respective causes you must go to their towers and take the elevators up to either the Red or Blue temples in the sky above the clouds. The Red towers resides in the Southeastern part of the city and the Blue tower is in the Northwest.”
Reese’s mind raced over every detail he had heard. He found it hard to believe that the Afterlife was filled with so many undecided souls. In his brief moment where he thought he was a Green, he was certain he would join either the Blues or the Reds.
“Those of you directly in front of me are about to embark on a great journey,” Epicurus explained. “But first you have extensive training to complete. You have many powers that lay dormant deep inside you. While on Earth some of you may have experienced the hints of some of these special abilities. Unbelievable courage, quickness, and intelligence are just some of the traits you’ll unlock. As you train, more skills will emerge, and the details of your previous lives will be revealed.
“I want to officially commend you on your great accomplishments," said Epicurus. “Your commitment to your cause is admirable. Each of you must stay focused and diligent in your training, whether the process is long or short.”
Reese wondered if he had ever fought in a previous Centennial, and if he did, how quickly he obtained his powers. This thought led to him wondering about his origin in the Blue ranks. There must be dramatic circumstances that led him to start h
is quest.
“Please keep in mind that despite being great Centennial warriors, you’re still in great danger in the Afterlife,” Epicurus said. “There are those amongst us that would like to see each of you destroyed. This is a fair warning, until you have your complete powers you’re helpless to some of these forces. Strength is with numbers. Don’t venture off on your own through the streets of our great city.”
That would have been nice to know early on. It might have saved him a few bruises.
Epicurus wasn’t done. “Your training at your respective towers over the next two weeks will be strenuous. Remain patient and listen to your guides. They offer great wisdom and will help ease your transitions.”
Reese fantasized over his potential abilities. Would he be able to fly like Arshan?
An anguished scream interrupted Epicurus’ speech. A huge man stood on one of the lower seats. He ripped of his elegant green clothing, jumped the railing and ran toward the hooded figures in the center of the arena. “You bastards!” he cried, pulling a heavy dagger from his belt.
One of the Reds slipped out of the line, grabbed the upraised wrist of the assailant. With a deft twist, he pulled the man’s arm behind him, and snatched the dagger from his loosened grip. The struggle revealed the Red’s face to the crowd.
“It’s Cyrus,” A man yelled from the crowd. A murmur grew like an avalanche through the people.
Cyrus held the helpless man for a moment and peered around the crowd. He had a sinister smile on his face.
Cyrus whispered something into the man’s ear, which made him scream uncontrollably. He then buried the sharp dagger deep into the man’s exposed neck.
The man’s lifeless body rolled to the ground. A small pool of blood collected underneath him. After a brief moment the man’s body flashed. Some in the crowd were panicked and pushed and shoved their ways to the exits.
Epicurus waved his arms, “All is well. You’re all perfectly safe."
The crowd slowly simmered down.
"Let this be a lesson to us all,” Epicurus said. “Regardless of the color of your robes, we can all be victims by the choices we make. Although we don’t have many rules, murder or attempted murder can have dire consequences.”