Epic Unearthed Page 10

  Chapter X

  The Sporting Arena

  An hour before dawn, just beneath the amphitheater, Daygun and Ryeland are in the grandmasters’ hall. Only the elite can enter the building; its access is restricted to the two-hundred best fighters of Atlantis. These two have earned the right to be there because of their previous performances. The grand building is lined with statues and the Atlanteans’ coat-of-arms. Both contenders are nervous and excited.

  Five percent of the Atlanteans’ top-grade granite went into the grand stadium. It took ten years to complete, involving the experience of tens of thousands of craftsmen. The sports ground is in the center of the capital. Each Atlantean child dreams of sparring in the arena, but only the best will gain that honor.

  The amphitheater is the pride of Aten’s culture. Because the arena can hold only fifty-five-thousand spectators, the privilege of attendance is bought at a high price. Thus, only the richest and most important gain entry to view the games. The spectators are diverse, and represent numerous aspects of the Atlantean Empire. Grandmasters’ names from generations past are engraved on a ceremonial stone at the main entrance to the stadium. Daygun and Ryeland are hoping to someday have their names on the high-ranking monument.

  During the early morning, Daygun and Ryeland prepare for the fight of their lives. Although both have been here before, neither has become one of the top eight fighters to battle the grandmasters.

  The stadium is filled over capacity. Fans are inside to see the summer’s competition. Thousands of spectators wait outside the arena to hear the outcomes. Aten and every king of the empire have come to see the games. Mantis, Ryeland’s father, is there to support his son. Melercertis accompanies the Atlantean Emperor as they are escorted to their seats. His empire holds similar games, but nothing compared to what he is witnessing. While progressing through the crowds, Aten introduces the Ladonean Emperor as a friend of the empire.

  The stadium’s floor is crowded with contenders. All one-thousand-twenty-four combatants are in the arena. Before sunrise, the anticipation of the games is at its highest. The sparring games will begin when the sun is fully above the horizon on the longest day of the year. Torches are still blazing to give light. Just as the sun begins to lift above the skyline, all man-made fires are extinguished, and the horns blow. No one can see farther than twenty feet in front of themselves. Spectators begin cheering as do kings and nobles. The crowd’s volume increases as the day brightens. Five-hundred-twelve sparring matches will occur simultaneously, with one judge for each fight to declare a winner.

  According to the rules, when sixty-four contenders remain, two warriors will spar with each other in the arena toward the climax of the games. At day’s end, eight undefeated contenders will fight a grandmaster in the chance of a lifetime. Grandmasters are not required to fight until each meets one of the final eight contenders, giving the grandmasters the advantage.

  The sparring begins with Daygun and Ryeland fighting different opponents. Each wins their first match easily. The second level of competition will start in forty-five minutes, giving athletes time to rest. The break also gives the crowd time to trade and converse about politics. Now, only half of the warriors are eligible to fight toward the next level.

  On the third level of the competition, Ryeland’s competitor is very good. The contest takes eight minutes before Mantis’ son wins his match. Daygun, on the other hand, easily wins against his opponent. The crowd goes wild as the spectators try to predict who will reach the final eight.

  At noon, the fourth level of competition commences. Daygun and Ryeland defeat both competitors almost simultaneously. They look at each other and smile across the sparring field. They will proceed to the fifth level, where there are only sixty-four competitors. Aten and Mantis are proud to see their sons make it this far. Though Aten and Mantis are royalty, they are fathers and proud of both young men. By late afternoon, Daygun and Ryeland have won all matches, leading them to fight a grandmaster.

  Daygun and Ryeland reach their objective, unobtainable the previous year: they advance to the finals. Having already fought eight matches, the two friends are exhausted. Wishing each other luck, they concentrate on what is about to occur.

  Late in the evening, Daygun and Ryeland are the last to fight from the eight finalists. The other six contenders lost quickly to the grandmasters. The two sons of royalty are the only ones who can possibly win against the best of the best. The grandmasters have not lost a fight in the stadium for several years. The crowd is ready to see a new name listed on the grandmasters’ stone.

  Ryeland is first, and approaches the grandmaster nervously but confidently. The swords fly. Mantis’ son fights defensively, tiring quickly, but realizes he must bring the grandmaster down to his level of exhaustion. To conserve energy, he uses no offensive advances until the time is right and the grandmaster is becoming overconfident. The crowd is booing at the underdog. Ryeland purposely shows weaknesses, and then remembers the grandmaster’s movement that displayed his Achilles' heel. Ryeland replays the same scenario to make his opponent try the same offensive move. Indeed, the confident grandmaster repeats his mistake. That is when Mantis’ son counters the aggressive thrust, going on his own offensive. The grandmaster falters and loses his footing. Ryeland pins down the grandmaster with his sword.

  The crowd goes wild, jumping to their feet and cheering for Ryeland. Mantis meets his son on the grounds and congratulates him. No one has beaten a grandmaster in two years. Ryeland and his father bow to one another as is tradition. If a warrior wins the final match against a grandmaster, the warrior’s father is expected to bow to his son. The ceremonial gesture is to show the audience a father’s pride in his son’s victory. In the games, a fighter is a fighter regardless of his father’s importance. Ryeland falls to his knees before his king as a servant of Atlantis.

  Daygun’s fight is next; he has had twenty minutes more rest than Ryeland. Aten’s son enters the grounds. As he plants his feet in readiness for the match, the setting sun hits Daygun’s front side. The grandmaster enters the gate that shadows his face to Daygun. It is intimidating to the Prince.

  The swords begin flying. From the beginning, Daygun is on the defensive. The Prince tries to move to gain the advantage, but is countered and gets nowhere. The grandmaster works at keeping Daygun’s face toward the sunlight. The Prince has brief moments of relief from the blinding light, but the grandmaster is too good. The swords meet one another again and again. Daygun counters every measure of his opponent. The Prince musters a short offensive, and then the grandmaster returns with a counterattack. Both opponents tire. During split seconds of the match, Daygun does not see where the grandmaster’s assault is coming from because the sun still blinds him. With only thirty percent visibility, the Prince attempts a final offensive, but the grandmaster counterstrikes and pins him down.

  Daygun is defeated, but there is no shame. Aten proceeds to the grounds and says he is proud of his son. The Prince is very angry at his defeat, as any true leader might be. Daygun then falls to his knees before the emperor. The crowd goes wild. The masses have seen the best fight of the last five years. Daygun has fought with the best of the best but has lost. As is ritual in the games, the Prince bows to his father, but Aten does not return the bow because of Atlantean tradition. The loser does not receive a bow from the father. The games are over. Ryeland is the victor. Daygun and Ryeland leave the arena in different mental states.

  After the games, Aten asks to see Daygun. The beaten warrior approaches his father in the emperor’s chamber. They walk out to the gardens which consist of plants from all around the world. The grounds are well kept by caretakers. The two men walk slowly and Aten says, “What have you learned from this, my son?”

  Daygun sits down on a bench, and says, “Not to fight blind.”

  Smiling at Daygun, Aten replies, “No! You are beating yourself up with this. I can tell that you do not see the whole picture. Your mind is clouded with disappoi
ntment and pride. I will not accept that answer.”

  Daygun takes a deep breath. The Prince knows that it is not Aten who is disappointed, but himself. Daygun can feel the love coming from the Atlantean Emperor. It is a soothing voice that a son can hear only from his father. The Prince feels ashamed and wonders how his army will look at him, knowing he faulted for obtuse reasons. How he wishes he could fight the grandmaster again, but he has to wait another year.

  Aten looks at the garden and says, “What is the real reason that you think you didn‘t accomplish your goal at the games?” Aten can tell from Daygun’s expression that the reason is simple.

  Daygun replies, “I lost because I was not focused: I was thinking of the men I left behind in Valtear, I am getting married, and I don’t trust Melercertis. All these thoughts have been racing through my mind since I returned from defeating the Valtearean Army. I didn’t expect what I witnessed in Ladonea and war has plagued my mind. I couldn’t shake my thoughts. I let my surroundings govern my objective to succeed.”

  Aten sits next to his son and says, “There are times when I can’t get outside the realm of my own mind. I sometimes feel trapped and confined. Each day I feel this way. I have to withdraw to find myself again. A true leader must abandon an unclear solution to regroup his thoughts then return to overcome the tribulation. It happens in fighting, love, and politics every day. If one can govern his emotions at the right time, success will be his. A lesson in life is to not let the environment govern you.”

  Daygun’s happiness is reflected on his face. He loves his father. The Prince hopes he can encourage his future children in the same way when they falter.

  “Yes… Sir; I didn’t have a clear mind. It will never happen again,” Daygun says, this time with a more positive attitude.

  Aten stands and replies, “I want you to remember this. I don’t have all the answers all the time. To me, fighting and politics are the same. You have to regroup your thoughts and then fight. If you don’t, people will see your weaknesses and take advantage of you. As a leader, you can’t let them. Advisors can be good, but trusting your own instincts is essential. Ryeland won at the arena because he had no other obstacle in his way. The grandmaster thought too hard about Ryeland’s harsh attack. In a split second of his match, Ryeland did something simple that the grandmaster overlooked, and he was defeated.”

  “I understand what you’re saying. I saw that,” Daygun says as he also stands. Aten can tell that his son is feeling better and his mind is at ease.

  Aten grabs Daygun’s shoulder and replies in a stern voice, “If you can see other people’s faults, look at yours first. Govern your emotional response to others, and then you can help people with their own fears. This is the only way to become a true leader. If people see you taking charge of your own life, they will follow your example.”

  “I understand. It will be done. I must retire and regroup my thoughts,” Daygun says with a smile.

  At the Halotropolian marketplace, politicians pass by and overhear Mantis praising his son for becoming a grandmaster. He speaks only about Ryeland’s victory. The government officials congratulate the new grandmaster. As more people come to give praise, Ryeland feels uncomfortable, realizing that his father is only promoting the win for personal gain.

  At one of the vendors, Ryeland and his father are alone, and Mantis says, “There is nothing more I can teach you. I have taught you everything I know. I have brought you up to the best of my ability. The rest of your life you will have to learn lessons the hard way… the way my father taught me. A lot of what I say may not contribute to your mindset. Seek the people you trust and follow your gut instinct.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ryeland replies with a puzzled look on his face.

  Mantis looks in his son’s eyes with pride and says, “I have been hard on you. I regret some of the things I have done as a father, but I can’t take it back. You need to seek your inner-self to find your own way.”

  Feeling ill at ease, Ryeland says, “I will not let you or myself down.”

  A week later, Daygun is at Halotropolis to be married. Aten and his advisors are there to brief the Military Council on what will transpire between the alliance of the Ladoneans and the Atlanteans. Melercertis is present to see the wedding as a gesture to a new ally, and to review the alliance.

  Being the leader of Atlantis, Aten has full right to wage war on the Sabatheans, but still consults with the kings of the city-states and the empire’s council. The Atlantean Emperor can overturn any king, yet fears the resentment that could cause. An emperor must have full or partial support of his councils according to Atlantean law. Deep in Aten’s mind, he wishes there was a different system of government. The Atlantean Emperor knows the empire rests on his shoulders, and his reputation is on the line. Aten’s father was killed in the last war between the peninsula and the continent. Even though Atlantis has a strong ally to conquer Sabathea, the leader of Atlantis is still apprehensive. Until this summit, the Ladoneans were considered a potential enemy.

  Before the wedding, Mantis travels to Vasic where the Atlantean battlecruisers are getting their final touches. The warships have steel-plating and Mantis is there to inspect the work. Most of the steel is made in Masaba. Mantis rides to Halotropolis and begs Aten for more steel.

  The Atlantean kings work together as one to improve their empire. The nobles and politicians act as one. In the Atlantean Empire, royalty and officials have full jurisdiction inside the peninsula. All kings act as brothers, with a common goal to improve their civilization.

  Aten is with the council, awaiting Mantis’ arrival. The Atlantean Emperor speaks to Melercertis before he returns to his homeland. Both military councils are working on battle plans to engage Sabathea.

  After Melercertis leaves to speak with his advisors, Mantis finally reaches Halotropolis and enters the council meeting. He says, “My Lord, I need more steel to build our military. The iron ore coming out of Valtear is substandard, making it difficult to manufacture steel. Two days ago, we learned that the Valtearean Kingdom is trading with the Mantineian Empire. The natural resource to produce what we need is coming from Mantineia, not our newly occupied territory. The Valteareans have been trading iron ore for salt and other minerals. King Tulless has lied to our empire.”

  Aten takes a step back, and says, “Tulless has not erred. His duties are those of a middleman. There is nothing wrong with fair trade between empires and kingdoms. His honor has not been spoiled. Atlantis has done worse in some trades to gain the advantage. Tulless did the same and took advantage of his own resources for his own kingdom.”

  Mantis replies, “We are about to take the Sabathean Empire and destroy their way of life. We will merge the Sabatheans with our own people. Our culture and God will replace theirs. I am starting to have second thoughts about this alliance.”

  Aten answers, “The world is full of different political structures and cultures. If everyone was equal and believed the same, man would become stagnant and less competitive. Different civilizations and traditions help mankind become stronger. There can be no other way. Man’s independence is the only freedom of life. Taking Sabathea is wrong, but we will let the people of the conquered land decide if they want to live in our culture or under the Ladoneans. On the other hand, eighty percent of the Sabathean population lives on the east side of the Alber Mountains where most of their culture is similar to the Ladoneans’. We will not destroy their traditions, but we must have the Sabatheans’ natural borders for our empire’s future. Since Melercertis has arrived, I have wondered if we are doing the right thing. We will not push our religion on the Sabathean culture once we occupy their land. As Atlantean Emperor, I choose our way of life over the Sabatheans. If the Sabathean Emperor had to make the same decision, I am sure he would have the done the same.”

  Following Mantis’ comment, others begin reconsidering attacking Sabathea. Haylos, King of Halotropolis, says, “I understand, but taking half of the Sabathean Empire
will cause hatred toward us. They will rebel. I also do not trust Melercertis. There is too much uncertainty. Why should we take a chance of taking on so much? Yes, we are a world power. However, if this becomes a world-wide conflict, we will lose.”

  Aten looks straight into Haylos’ eyes and says, “To protect ourselves in the future, we must go forward. This reasoning is for the future of our children and grandchildren.”

  Haylos says in a pleading voice, “The relocated Sabatheans will later become Ladoneans. Both cultures and religions are similar. The refugees from the lands we rule will want retribution because of our actions. The Sabatheans will destroy Atlantis. Revenge is a good reason to start a war.”

  Aten replies, “We have to think of the long-term advantage. Atlantean technology is advancing at a fast pace. In twenty years, there will be no empire to challenge our military. If we must, we could wage war against the Ladoneans at acceptable losses. The new treaty between the Ladonean Empire and Atlantis will help our cultures grow. This alliance is a stepping stone for mankind. The one true God will be known across the continent. We will become the fathers of our faith one day. I know in my heart that God wants our people to do this.”

  Mantis says, “I understand. I will fight for God and the people I rule. God is to thank for our success, and He will protect us. All of my soldiers are with you.”

  Again meeting Mantis’ eyes Aten replies, “There are many other obstacles to sift through, but I need you, Mantis. You and I see eye-to-eye in most situations. Your city is second only to Atlantis in artillery. The army you have is the strongest in our empire. It comes from the leadership of their king. I have great respect for you and your warriors.”

  Mantis says, “You have my allegiance. I gave you an oath, and I will keep it the rest of my life.”

  The meeting is over. Daygun and Kaydence are marrying the same day. The kings and both emperors will attend the wedding. Everyone of importance is invited to the wedding of the decade. The Halotropolian Grand Hall is the focal point of the special ceremony, and can house close to five-thousand people. Every Atlantean emperor for the last three centuries has been married in the Hall. Daygun and Kaydence are nervous about what will soon transpire. Their whole world is about to change.