#renetia

The first figure to enter the ring was a bald-headed man whose bulky torso was covered in tattoos. He strutted to the centre of the ring and held his arms high to the crowd's cheers. His eyes seemed glazed over, as if he was in a trance. He shuffled around, ducking and throwing jabs, before making his way to his corner.

Then, the second figure stepped into the light. It was another man, younger, and slim but muscular, with strips of cloth bandaging his hands and forearms. Shaggy, silver hair fell wildly around his statuesque face. There was something unusual about how he carried himself. His movements were slow and seemingly weightless. This man seemed oblivious to the crowd, almost as if he was looking at another world, invisible to all but himself. Talon watched him, mesmerised.

Eve also eyed the scene intently. This must be Gau, she thought, recalling the female guard's earlier comments. She cast her eyes over to the seating area. The well-dressed man with the ponytail was watching the ring and smiling, his chin resting on his steepled hands. His eyes suddenly snapped to the left, locking with Eve's. Her heart leapt.

At that instant a bell sounded, and the tattooed man began to advance hungrily on his opponent. The younger man took a lethargic step backwards and raised his hands, with no apparent sense of urgency. The crowd's cheering intensified, and chants of “Snail!” swept the arena. The bald man, bouncing energetically on his toes, threw some tentative jabs, which bounced harmlessly off his opponent's bandaged forearms. He then leaned in for a heavy right hand swing. The counter-attack came in one fluid motion, almost too quick to see. A moment later, the bald man lay sprawled out, unconscious, in the centre of the ring. As a medical team clambered into the ring, admit chants of his nickname, Gau, “the Snail”, made his leisurely exit.

The commotion died down and the spectators began to disperse, many descending on the bar. As the crowd thinned, Talon made his way to the infirmary, followed by Eve and Alice. He passed the seating area on his way and saw the ponytail-man counting money on the table, a smirk on his face. Something about the man's expression made Talon uncomfortable. As Eve passed, the man looked up, and winked. Eve pretended not to notice. They reached the infirmary, and Talon knocked loudly on the door. It swung open, and an armed guard stepped out, wearing the same uniform as those at the town hall. He beckoned to them and they followed him down a corridor to a small waiting room. The guard showed them in and then exited the room. Moments later, a young man with dark hair and glasses appeared. He was wearing somewhat antiquated scholarly attire. Upon seeing the man's face, with its solemn expression, Talon felt a surge of emotion that he could neither repress not explain. On their way to the hospital, Eve had told the Prince that Zenith had cared for him when he was very young. It must be an early memory Talon speculated.

“Forgive me” the doctor said, in a soft, pleasant voice “for meeting with you in such demeaning conditions.” Eve sat down, without waiting to be asked, and gestured for the children to do the same. The doctor continued: “I am sure you have many questions, but first, I should ask you if you are in good health; if not, I may be able to assist...”

“We are fine, Zenith” Eve interrupted.

Zenith nodded. “I'm sorry” he said, “I am still a doctor, after all.”

“You're an astronomer” Eve retorted. There was a tense silence.

“I am relieved to see you all” Zenith said, after a moment.

“Then you are aware?” Eve asked.

“Of the castle being overthrown? Yes”, he replied. “Even being trapped here, I'm not oblivious to such significant news.”

“What do you mean 'trapped'. What is this place?”

Zenith stepped fully into the room, making sure to close the door behind him, then he took a seat opposite Eve and the siblings.

He sighed. “It's quite a peculiar situation. We are currently sitting in what was once the finest medical facility in the region. That is until the King ceased providing the finances necessary for its operation. As a result of the King's negligence, this region has fallen into decay, and the hospital with it.”

Talon clenched his fists. “Don't you dare speak ill...”

Eve placed her hand on Talon's arm, stifling his outburst.

Zenith continued. “I am sorry that I must be the one to shatter your illusion, but this uprising was carried out by the Kingdom's own people, and understandably so. Recently, the non-essential territories have been subjected to relentless impoverishment. The central agricultural and industrial infrastructure was maintained due to the Castle's dependency on it, however, taxation and repression in the prioritised regions also increased proportionately. No attempt to seek audience with the King has been successful. When the people realised their King had abandoned them, they became increasingly desperate and, unable to organise themselves effectively, turned on each other, fighting like animals over what little remained. Unwilling to stand by and watch this town and its people disintegrate, I devised a strategy to keep my hospital alive.”

“You turned it into a fight club” Eve scowled. “And you call yourself a doctor”.

“The town had degraded to such an extent that I felt it was justified. In the absence of any amenities or distractions, the people's anger was overflowing. I gave them a way to vent their anger in a controlled environment. I gave them a spectacle which reflected their frustration. The admission fees would pay for the hospital's maintenance. The fighters would be injured here and they would be treated here. Having regular events to look forward to, and the security of unconditional health care, I was able to secure a minimal standard of living that would attract attention from neighbouring districts and catalyse a social and economic recovery”.

“You took the dogs in from the street and you put on a dog fight.” Eve kept her cold stare fixed on Zenith's bespectacled visage.

“Yes” Zenith replied, “if you wish to put it so crudely. However, I did not anticipate the events that followed.” He gestured to a low wooden table in the corner of the room. On it was propped a picture of woman in a hospital bed. “While the club thrived, my mother's condition worsened. I became increasingly preoccupied with her care, and was forced to delegate my responsibilities. It seems that in my distraction, I chose my delegates unwisely. By the time I realised what they were doing, they had taken over the club entirely. They told me of their intentions, and asked me to participate. I tried to defy them, and they took my mother hostage.”

“They?” Eve interjected.

“The people in those strange uniforms” Zenith answered. “They are from another Kingdom. They came here in disguise, knowing of our current weakness. They saw what I had done to the hospital, how I had taken the people's discontent and turned it into energy. They took my idea and they spread it across the many towns of the kingdom. Then, they took the new class of warriors that I had unwittingly spawned, and they brought them together under the banner of revolution. The castle was overthrown with ease...”

Zenith paused, seemingly disconcerted by the teddy bear undulating in front of his face. “Don't hold him by the ear” Alice instructed, “The stitching will tear.” Zenith took Plato by the midriff and inspected him casually. “Indeed...” he murmured, “...how very apt.”

Eve frowned in disbelief. “So, you're saying that, rather than taking over our kingdom by force, they capitalised on the people's own anger, and got us to conquer our own kingdom without us realising it.”

“Yes. I was told that if I intervened, my mother would not be safe. They have kept me here as the club medic, and they have allowed me to continue researching my mothers illness.”

Eve stood up, and walked slowly across the room to the photograph on the table.

“Your mother's illness...” she repeated. Her voice was suddenly strained and quiet. “Zenith, explain yourself.”

“You were told that I was dismissed from the King's service due to my failure to cure young Alice's condition. This is not far from the truth, however there is more to it. My mother suffers from the same condition. I have dedicated the latter half of my life to researching its cure. One day, I discovered a possibility.”

Before Zenith had finished his sentence, Talon was running across the room towards him. The young Prince planted his hands on the arms of Zenith's chair and leaned towards him.

“Did you find the cure?!” he shouted.

“I'm sorry, brother” she mumbled into the back of his neck. Talon sighed. “Don't apologize” he smiled, and regaining his posture, marched on down the tunnel. The ground beneath his feet was sloping upwards now, and the muscles in his legs were burning, but he pressed on silently.

After a little while, he became aware of a slight breeze, carrying a foul odor.

He called out to Eve: “are we....”

“Almost there”, she answered before he could finish. They reached a small set of stone steps, and with a final effort he climbed them, before setting Alice down and slumping against the wall to catch his breath. Sunlight was breaking through an iron grate that covered the tunnel exit. The sudden brightness blinded him, and he wearily held up his hand to shield his eyes, recoiling like some nocturnal beast. “What is that stench?” he spluttered. “We're near the castle sewers” Eve answered impatiently. “I don't really want to stop here...” she wrinkled her own nose, “...so why don't you stand up and we'll find somewhere else to take a break”. Talon, taken aback by her stern words, stood up and looked at Alice. “It's okay brother, I'll walk from here” she smiled. He nodded and followed Eve, who was already heading down another passageway. Thin slits in the wall allowed light into this new walkway, and Talon felt considerably less claustrophobic. Eventually the trio reached a stairwell, which led down to a large balcony. Here they were greeted with a stunning view of the sun rising over their kingdom. Well, Talon thought to himself, it was our kingdom.

“Over here” Eve called. Talon and Alice obeyed, and found Eve crouched in front of a small wooden chest that was chained tightly to the wall, a familiar symbol cast in iron on its front. Talon brought out his key once more, and shot Eve a questioning glance to which she nodded in approval. Hands shaking from fatigue and apprehension, he turned his key in the lock and opened the chest. Inside was a small envelope bearing the royal seal. “This...must be from...” his voice trailed off, suddenly overcome with emotion, and his hand fell to his side. Alice took the envelope gently from his fingers and took out a note. She look quizzically at it for a moment, then held it up to Eve, who frowned. “I see”. She then knelt next to Talon, and lifted his chin with her finger. “I'm sorry, Prince Talon, but we are still too close to the castle. There will be time to mourn the King and Queen, but unless we wish to meet the same fate, we must not linger here. Please, be strong just a little longer.” Talon nodded, and wiped his tears with his sleeve. “What does it say?” he stammered.

“This is the address of a doctor who formerly served at the castle. His name is...Zenith.” She closed her eyes. “There is nothing else written here, I'm sorry.” Talon lowered his eyes in dismay. “But...” she continued “...this Royal seal is proof that this was indeed left here by your father. There's no doubt he intends for us to seek out Zenith, though why, I cannot imagine.”

“If this is father's intention” Talon interjected with renewed vigor, “then we're going to find this Zenith. Father left me this key, and it saved our lives. This same key has led us to this instruction. There's no doubt that father believed that this doctor can help us.” Alice nodded resolutely.

Eve stood with her eyes closed in thought for a moment, and then looked out over the balcony at the sprawling capital, its rooftops shimmering in the early morning sun. “So be it” she said, folding the note and slipping it into the breast pocket of her trench coat. “Be warned, children. The safety of the castle is now but a memory. Danger and deception lie ahead. I will do my best to protect you, but you must be prepared to fend for yourselves, and survive against unfavorable odds. Even if we do make it to Zenith, I have no idea what will happen from that point.” The Prince and Princess nodded in unison. Eve leaned in to look at the chest once more. “As I thought” she said, and pulled out some neatly folded brown coats, and a small coin pouch. “Put these on, we won't make it far without concealing your royal status.” The children obliged. The plain, rough cloth covered Talon's Royal garb entirely. His pride was somewhat damaged, and he felt particular discomfort in seeing his sister dressed like a commoner girl, but he understood that there was no other option. They descended a ladder, and set off on the dirt trail that would lead them away from the castle grounds and into the town. Talon began to turn his head to take a final look at the castle, but stopped himself, fixing his gaze ahead. “Don't look back, Alice” he said, talking more to himself than to his sister. “We have to keep moving forward, to follow father's plan. It's just the three of us now”. Alice held up Plato grumpily. Talon sighed. “...just the four of us”.

Talon had rarely been outside of the castle, and Alice's experience of the outside world was even more scarce. Despite all they had been through, the children couldn't help their curiosity at the sights and sounds that surrounded them.

By the time they reached the town, it was late afternoon, and Talon's misery and fear had partly given way to intrigued excitement. Here, the streets were narrow and the buildings were dirty and dilapidated. The people who they passed on the street did not bow or offer polite greetings; rather, they acted as if Talon did not exist. They don't recognize me, no doubt he thought. The experience was intimidating, and at the same time oddly liberating. Something was bothering him, though. This was not the cheery, bustling community that he had imagined when his father had spoken to him of the kingdom beyond the castle walls. Despite his excitement, he could not deny that the town seemed somewhat...bleak. As they approached the town square, Eve signaled for them to stop, and they shuffled against a wall. Peering round the corner, Talon heard raised voices coming from a large building with tall wooden doors. A meeting of some sort seemed to be taking place inside, and the entrance was guarded by a man and a woman, wearing unfamiliar armor.

“ Perhaps...we could ask in there for directions” Talon whispered to Eve.

“You stay here” she said firmly, and pulled the children back. She took a deep breath, pausing for for a moment to fix her hair, then set out across the square towards the guards. The furthest guard noticed Eve first, and raised her eyebrows, then nudged her towering male counterpart. The huge man's gaze also fell on Eve, who maintained her approach, stopping abruptly at the bottom of the steps.

“Can I help you?” the female guard asked, in a husky but relaxed tone.

“I'm sorry to trouble you” Eve replied, her voice steady. “I am looking for this address”. She produced the note from her pocket, and the male guard extended his muscular arm to take it. He looked at Eve, then down at the note. For a moment he said nothing, then he rolled his eyes, and waved the note in his partner's direction. The female guard's eyes lit up. “Ah!” she beamed. “The hospital...you're not far away, I'll be heading down there myself once we're done with this...” she jerked her thumb behind her. Eve glanced through the door into the crowded hall, where a debate seemed to be in full swing. A banner hung above the stage, it read: “DECIDE THE FUTURE OF OUR TOWN”. Other posters proclaiming “revolution” and “down with the king!” plastered the walls.

“Hoping to catch the Gau fight, are you?”

Eve's attention had wandered. “I...yes, that's right” she responded, her voice wavering slightly.

“Same here. That boy's a bit of alright.”

The male guard groaned. “Shut it, you” the woman chortled, disappearing into the doorway momentarily before re-emerging with a map.

From the corner of the square Talon watched on, anxiously. He breathed a sigh of relief when Eve turned and began to head back towards him. She made sure she was out of sight of the guards, then sighed heavily. “Are you okay?” Talon asked. “Yes...I'm not sure if they have given us the right directions, but...forgive me, I daren't approach the building again” she replied with a hint of shame. “Well then...we'll find out when we get there” said Talon. Eve stared at him for a moment, then nodded, beckoning the children to follow her down a side street. They walked down a few streets before reaching a large building imprinted with medical insignia. “Well...this certainly seems the place to find a doctor” Eve remarked. The exterior was dirty and crumbling; hardly a fit location for medical treatment. Perhaps it's cleaner inside Talon mused. The door stood ajar, so Eve pulled it open and ushered the Prince and Princess inside. It was dimly lit and seemed deserted. A sign reading “tickets” pointed down a corridor to the left. At the end of the corridor was a stall, and a bearded man leaned lazily on the counter. “Three, is it?” he asked in a gruff voice.

“We're not here for treatment...” Eve replied. “We are acquaintances of Doctor Zenith, and wish to speak with him about a personal matter.”

The man stared in puzzlement for a few seconds. “Uhhh, you want to speak to the Doctor, eh? I think you'll still need tickets, I'll have to check. Give me a minute.” He pulled himself reluctantly to his feet and disappeared behind the stall for a short while, then strolled back out and exited the stall. “You're in luck, folks” he said with a bemused expression. “The boss is gonna let you in free of charge.” He gestured to a dingy doorway labelled “ringside”.

The bearded man led them through the door and to a narrow stairway. As they descended, Talon became increasingly nervous. “What is this place?” he said, not realizing he had spoken out loud. “Oh, you've not been here before?” the man asked cheerfully. Talon hesitated, then shook his head. “Used to be a hospital, before the King stopped funding it. It closed down for a while, then the Doc showed up and got it back on its feet. Well...It's not really a hospital any more.” He chuckled and at looked at Talon, who nodded with a bemused smile. “Everyone still calls it 'the hospital' though.” They reached the bottom of the stairs, and he pushed open a metal door. What met their eyes was certainly not a hospital.

They now stood at the entrance of a large, dramatically lit arena, packed with excited people. At the center was an elevated square platform, skirted by ropes. Scanning the room, Talon's eyes picked out several points of interest; to their right, a special seating area was arranged, and a handsome, smartly dressed man with blonde hair in a short, tight ponytail was reclining among what seemed to be a group of attendants. At the opposite side of the arena was a bar, serving a few customers. In the far corner of the room, a dimly lit sign read 'Infirmary'.

“You wanna be heading over there” the beard man said loudly, pointing in the sign's direction. “But the fight's about to start. Would be a waste not to watch it, seeing as you're here. Pretty sure the Doc's not going anywhere” he laughed and headed back out through the door, pulling it closed behind him. At that moment the room darkened, leaving only the ring illuminated. The crowd erupted into cheers of anticipation, as the back doors of the arena opened, and two silhouetted figures appeared, ready to do battle.

  Talon sat up in bed. He could see nothing. His eyes gradually began to adjust to the dark, and as the familiar furnishings of his chamber became more clear, so too the reason for his waking resurfaced in his mind.