Mega Dragon: Harbinger of Death

Aztek Rohan

The meeting ended shortly after that and Alex left without uttering a word. He would be back surely. No matter how impudent he was, he would never defy a directive from the king. Ara, Vela, and Zenon walked towards the Healers Nest on the pretense of accompanying Vela.

“I don’t want you two distracting my girls,” Vela said.

“Why would you say that?” Ara teased. He was surprised that it was that obvious, however.

“They need to train. You can’t keep hosting them every second. Besides, why did you put the competition into their heads?”

“You don’t think they stand a chance?” Ara goaded.

“That’s not my question!”

“In all fairness, the fact that you refused to participate should not be a reason to stop them. Let them be. They decided to go for it just as you decided against it no matter what we said,” Ara responded.

“Zenon?” Vela asked for his opinion. Everyone viewed him as the more reasonable of the two.

“I’m with Ara here. You could have won it if you participated. It’s not too late, but I don’t want you ruining their chances of winning,” Zenon said.

“Fine then. I’ll let them participate. Train them even. However, they have me to compete with as well.”

Ara and Zenon’s expressions were completely flattened. In the seven years they had known Vela, not once had they been able to convince her to participate in the contest that was coming up. They stopped trying the previous year when she assumed the role of vice grand healer. If she didn’t do it then, then certainly not now. So why? What was with the change of heart? They asked so many questions at the same time that Vela couldn’t make anything out of what they said.

“I didn’t know you two would be this excited,” she teased.

“Why!” they chanted together like it was the chorus to a song.

“I guess I thought it would be fun,” she grinned.

Fun? No way she was telling the truth. Ara and Zenon’s incessant rants went over her head and she paid no heed to them as they walked her back to the Healers Nest. It was an excuse. They were well aware. But even Vela wasn’t sure why she decided to join. In a way, she felt inspired by Aroha. She was somewhat like her when she was younger but a lot more daring. Was it because she was born into a powerful family or because of her parents? Certainly, Zhiyi was not as bold. She was by far the more cautious type, but she was extremely talented as well. But Vela could see it clearly, as did Ara and Zenon. As far as limits went, Zhiyi would reach her limits far before Aroha would. She certainly had the makings of someone that would dominate her competition.

Kiro met up with them on the way. He had not yet decided whether he wanted to open up about his friend Ray. It was a very tricky situation for him. He tried not to do anything out of the ordinary – like smiling. They would sniff him out in a heartbeat.

“You’re late,” Ara said.

“I slept in,” Kiro said.

Ara stared at him, expecting that he would complete his statement. Certainly, that wasn’t all of it. Where was his apology? “And?” Ara reiterated, expecting him to catch hold of the hint.

“I just woke up?” Kiro replied, unsure of what Ara wanted. A b****y apology was what!

“And?” Ara asked once more hoping that he would understand this time.

“And I’m here now?” Kiro replied, still oblivious of Ara’s intentions. Or was he? At that point, it was hard to feign ignorance. Surely, he knew what he was doing.

“Leave him be, Ara,” Vela said as she tapped Kiro’s shoulder with her fist. Something she was fond of every now and again.

“Fine. You’ll probably end up facing him. I’d love to see that one,” Ara teased.

Kiro was astounded to know that Vela would be participating as well. She was the Vice grand healer. Wasn’t that unfair?

“Are healers allowed to participate?” Kiro asked. He had never bothered about the happenings within the capital before. And the fact that he was not born there did not help matters. Of course, they didn’t know this. He had smuggled his way into the capital about three years back. It wasn’t abnormal for outside to come and reside within the capital. However, it was rare for those who had no families within the capital to come from outside to reside there.

“Wow. You really don’t mix with others. I thought that was all a tough act,” Ara said. that was the only explanation. Every child in the Capital knew everything there was to know about the contest. It started about a year after the Armistice and it was marked three days after the remembrance of the day the armistice was formed. Unsurprisingly, even though at the time it was a shocker, the first winner of the contest was Ara. The next year, Zenon took the prize. Both years, they competed against Croft’s and Lo’s mightiest warriors. It was a lot tougher for them to win at the time. Ara was sixteen years of age when he won the tournament after defeating Zenon in the semis, while Zenon who won it a year after was seventeen. Since that time, they had greatly polished their skills. The winners of course were not allowed to enroll in subsequent contests. If the current Ara and Zenon were to participate, no one would stand a chance.

“There have been a few healers that participated but they never make it far against the knights and the beast humans. But we’ll change all that,” Vela said.

“You could have changed it years ago though,” Zenon teased.

“Well, now I want to. So live with it,” she said as she walked ahead of them.

Kiro watched as he walked behind them, unsure whether he was making the right choice or not.

***

Adamas, Ray, and Alex met at their usual point later that night. But that day, they had a new guest – one who neither Alex nor Ray had seen before. It came as a surprise that they would receive someone without Adamas notifying them. While Ray gave it little thought, Alex was on the edge. He was risking a lot to be there. If they didn’t trust him or consider him important enough to be notified of a new member, then he needed to start sizing up his options. Before he had the chance to voice his displeasure, Adamas spoke.

“I apologize for our new guest’s presence not being announced, but it was urgent. He has a story to tell,” he said.

“My name is Aztek,” the man said dramatically. Even worse than when Ara started one of his demonstrations.

“We’re listening,” Alex said.

“I hope you do. I don’t like being interrupted,” he said. Alex bit his lip but said nothing. He seemed important otherwise Adamas would not have brought him.

“Let me tell you a story. Do well to listen.” 

He stood talk and began narrating his story like he was reciting to an audience. He was consumed so much by his performance that he cared little for Alex’s sniggering remarks.

1884, 1885, 1886, 1887… “Would you give it a rest kiddo? You ain’t gettin’ outta here, no one is,” the old man beside me berated as I counted numbers under my breath. It had been crawling under his skin that I tried to escape every day. According to what I had heard, most people lose the will to try to escape in less than a week. Every single soul there was doused in a dejected aura. Drowned in it. All but me. I am going to be out of here in no time, I thought. But that was four months ago.

My name is Aztek Rohan and I was a member of the special forces in Bohive Kingdom. A few years ago, we were celebrated heroes. Stripped of whatever achievements we might have stacked up, we’re mostly fugitives now, shadows of ourselves. For five years, I’ve been in and out of prisons at least fifty times. I kind of lost count after that. Why I’m being chased is a long story, but I do enjoy the thrill, to be honest. The longest I had ever stayed in a cell was six days, thirteen hours, and twenty-three minutes. How do I always get out? Well, it’s a secret. I’ve been to every maximum prison on earth. A tour most people wouldn’t relish in. Well, unless they were Aztek Rohan of course. Once, I stayed in prison for only ten minutes! I had a date scheduled for that day so, I couldn’t afford to stand her up. I’m still looking to break that record time, however. Once I get out of here, that is. And where is here exactly? It goes by many names; the haunted house, the boundless, the madhouse, hell, just to mention a few. But it is mostly called ‘Sijjil’.

I wound up here, four months ago, hours after I had escaped my previous bonds. The food wasn’t so good there so, I thought I’d order some food for me and the boys. The prison warden wasn’t so happy about it, however. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t run away, I actually came back with some food. The guards were kind enough to lend me some money. They didn’t give it to me exactly. I knew they would if I asked so, I just took it. And that’s how I got condemned here. I have to admit, I was a bit jittery when I heard it was the Sijjil I was being taken to. I wondered if it would take me longer than normal to get out. Till I saw it. No walls, gates, doors nor guards. Nothing. It was just an open space. I was a bit disappointed at first, but the dejected faces within said one thing, no one could leave.

With time, I got to realize that it wasn’t like they couldn’t leave. They didn’t want to. I tried so many times after getting there, but every time I would turn back. And for a while, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere. I noticed that it took about two thousand seconds before that feeling began to wear off. And I’d wait for that moment to try again. Only to return to my position moments after. I did that every day for four months. Most people here think I’m crazy. I think we’re all crazy. Who wouldn’t be, after being stuck in a place like this? And now, I’ll give it a try again.

I walk down my normal path. The inmates here have gotten bored of watching me try so no one takes heed of my actions. It’s always the same. But this time will be different. I can feel it strongly. And as I get to my usual ‘checkpoint’, a memory plays in my head. 

***

I stare at a girl stuck under a bus. There was an accident and most of the victims had already either lost consciousness or I did not take cognizance of them. I run with every bit of me, but it is never enough. “Korra!!!” I beckon, watching the bus burst in flames. I struggle to wriggle free of the bonds of people that hold me back from approaching the fire. My screams fall on deaf ears. “She’s right in front of me!” I cry but to no avail. I calm down after shrugging them off. But as I become aware of my surroundings, I’m back to where I started. My spot in the Sijjil.

***

“It’s useless,” the old man beside me says. He’s been here for forty years. No one ever gets released and no one escapes. Once you’re condemned to the Sijjil, a funeral is held for you on the outside. Because once you die here, you vanish! How the Sijjil works is still unknown to us, but one apparent thing is that every time I try to leave, it wraps me in a painful memory. One of loss, or regret, fear, sorrow, or anger. We become prisoners of our negative emotions. Trapped within our own fears.

But here’s the fun part. I met someone who helped me out. A being that claims to have existed at the time of the Druids and the Beasts. Why he couldn’t come out himself, I have no idea. But he pointed me to this man – Adamas. And that is my story.

Aztek bowed as though an audience was giving him a round of applause. But he only received one comment. “What!!!” Alex and Ray exclaimed.