Bow To The King

Baris, A bear

Baris, who although at first looked like a serial killer, turned out to be a pretty decent and friendly man, a very, very friendly man. On our way to wherever my destination was, Baris never stopped talking. Yes, he did stop for a few seconds in between, but only to catch his breath, nothing more, nothing less. In a matter of thirty minutes, my knowledge had increased, and I now knew about Baris's entire family tree. I was a different man. If back then you had asked me about Baris's great-great-great grandmother, I could've told you her full name and that she liked the color red and never actually wanted to marry Baris's great-great-great-grandfather and, yes, Baris did tell me about his grandfather's likes and dislikes too.

"Did Sir Gelid put you up to this? To torture this man in such a manner because simply putting a bullet in his head would be mercy?" The man beside Baris, who was driving the car, asked with a concerned tone. He wasn't joking. This man was seriously considering that this was the only punishment he deemed perfect for me. Baris snorted and looked towards the man. "Johnny boy, focus on driving the car, you are doing what you are here to do and I'm doing what I'm here to do." The man whose name was Johnny boy smirked and took a quick glance at Baris's face before speaking again, "And that is?" The atmosphere in the car wasn't the same as before, it had changed, Baris slowly looked towards Johnny boy and said the next few words in a quieter tone, with menace, "That is to give you orders, and right now I'm ordering you to zip your mouth and focus on driving this thing because I swear if you don't, you'll be losing your life and your job, two things dear to you, in a single day." That shut him up really well.

No words were exchanged during the rest of the drive. I was now wishing that Johnny hadn't interrupted him during his chitter-chatter and we were still talking about his mother liking the fish instead of this cold bitter silence that kept reminding me of one thing: I was doomed.

Our journey ended minutes later when we pulled up to a mansion. It was up on top of a hill from where you could see the city beneath. The night had drawn and darkness made everything more beautiful. City lights blinded the vision, but still, it wasn't inconvenient or irritating; it was magical.

"Enjoying the city lights?" Baris's voice from behind took me out of the trance that I was in. "You are gonna be here for a long time so this view isn't going anywhere and neither are you. Come on, let's go inside. You have a lot to see." He turned around and I knew I had to follow him. I left all my freedom in that Fort with Gelid, the proud owner of my free will.

We walked through the entrance and I was enchanted the minute I saw the inside. Although the building from the outside looked a little more like it belonged to the kings and queens of earlier centuries, the inside was surprisingly a little more modern and unique. The working staff was so occupied with their chores that they paid no mind to us. Everyone looked serious and none of them talked with each other and neither with us. We walked past them and entered a hall. Everything looked as if was made of gold and shined like glitter. An enormous chandelier in the middle of the room increased the beauty of my surroundings. Floors were covered with red-colored carpet and a straight staircase at the end led to the top. Everything was so majestic that it felt as if this manor belonged to a king.

"This place doesn't concern us." Baris walked past me and towards an elevator in the hall's corner that at first glance, I had failed to notice. Baris, me, and Johnny entered the elevator altogether and after a 'ping', soon we were moving downwards, beneath the earth.

Once we came out of the elevator, the air around me had changed. Contrary to the coziness and warmth above, here the air was harsher and more bitter. I massaged my hands together in hopes of keeping the cold away, but it was of no avail.

"Don't worry. It's warmer inside." Baris assured me, his voice rougher than the cold air. We walked straight into a long corridor that led to a door in the distance.

"Is Johnny his real name? I'm sorry but he doesn't look like one." I asked Baris about Johnny who walked way ahead of us. He smiled at my question and shook his head softly. "Johnathan. His name is Johnathan. He is a newbie just like you and, well let's just say freshies here don't exactly get the royal treatment they expect." Baris pointed towards me with an amusing look. "You should try to befriend him. Most probably, you will both start your training together. It will be an immense comfort knowing you've got a friend here in this place." Although what Baris said was true, I had a hunch that he and I weren't going to be friends anytime soon.

Behind that door was a vast living room, the white marbled floor complimented the black-painted roof. It was comparatively very modern and various high-tech gadgets laid around the room. All of this would make you think that this place was from 3000 but it wasn't. The spacious room was filled with five to ten guys, some sitting watching TV, talking and some of them at the bar drinking. Some walked up to us and greeted Baris with respect. On the other hand, all of them ignored me.

"Aiden, from today you'll think of them as your family. Just like a family, we live together and eat together. This is our home. With time, you'll get to know these guys and make bonds that you'll never forget." Baris gently kept reminding me as he gave me a tour of the inside. We finally reached my room, and he used a spare key to open it. The door opened, and we walked in. The room was decent, better than what I had before. There were three beds. Two of them were already occupied, while the third one was left untouched. It was completely dark and I couldn't really see anything else other than my bed.

"Rest for now. It's pretty late. Tomorrow morning you'll get to meet your roommates. Best you have a good night's sleep before that." Baris gave me a smile but before he could close the door I stopped him, not only surprising him but myself as well. "Baris, what am I? I mean, what am I doing here? What is this place and who Gelid is actually?" I never thought I would ask these questions out loud because of the fear, but I did. Baris contemplated before speaking. "We are Gelid's army. We do not have swords or horses, but we surely know how to use guns and put fear into the minds of the ones facing us. Aiden never forget how Gelid took you in when you were destined for the fall. Never forget his mercy in the times when everyone forsook you." Baris's words were sharp but held a weight too heavy for me to bear. I weakly nodded my head and the door was closed. I lay on my back and, thankfully, the room was dark, or else if anyone had seen me with the tears in my eyes in this place, they would surely have kicked me out and questioned Gelid's judgment. Before drifting off that night, I wondered how much time would pass before I could see Gelid again. I wanted to see him again, even if it was only for a moment.