Requiem

Chapter IV: Fabula de Bellator LXI

The blazing sun beams down upon the Earth, imbuing the day with a dizzying, almost nauseous haze. The final day of summer is upon us. In the midday heat rides a carriage. Containing but two passengers, it rolls into the city and is greeted by soldiers on the side of the road. They stand in neat, compact rows and columns as if parading, though perfectly still. 

     Upon noticing the arrival of the carriage, two of these soldiers, evidently of rank on account of their more lavish dress, approach the cab and one begins to speak, "State your name and business here," he asks boredly, having done this many a time before. 

     Out from the cab appears a pale face. A face that bears a Mark, the face of a woman, no less, "Lady Theodora Komnene, Duchess Electress of Julich, I'm here to attend the Induction Ceremony to Die Prufungen," she tells him.

     The soldier nods and they move aside, allowing the carriage to continue on its way. And so it does, continuing on to cross a bridge over a river to reach its destination. That being, a palace of pink brick, supported in its center by 6 grand columns. Two great staircases of stone brick lead to the entrance in the center. All guarded by yet more soldiers.

     The grandeur of such a structure is far from lost on Fredrick. Whose eyes cannot be detached from it whilst he steps out of the carriage. Such distraction causes him to collide with a fellow pedestrian, bringing his eyes right back down to Earth. Looking about, he takes notice of the many scores of people, also coming to enter the building. 

  "Come on, follow me," Theodora calls to him from atop the steps, noticing how he's lagged behind.

  Upon entering through the doorway, Fredrick is taken aback by the interior. Though a mere house of brick on the outside, the inside is decked in marble floors with red carpets. All illuminated by chandeliers of crystal and glass. Yet more soldiers stand guard and guide the attendees through the halls. Before long, he's at the door to his final destination. The armoured figure standing at the door to the room looks to a piece of paper, then to him and Theodora, then back to his paper. 

  " Duchess Electress Theodora Komnene, to the stands. Fredrick Zimmerman, Right-wing side, 2nd row on the very end," he tells them boredly, pointing out the approximate locations of the places he lists out.

  And so, the duo part ways. Fredrick finds his place among the kneeling men. Looking around him, beyond the scores of kneeling gladiators are a couple dozen soldiers, armed with pikes and standing at attention. To the front of the room, the carpets lead up a few steps to a throne. On that throne sits a figure that's rather familiar to Fredrick, an old, grey, and bearded figure. The same man he had seen on the face of the coin that night: Emperor Sebastian Barbarossa. There's something amazing and yet disappointing to Fredrick about seeing the man in person. On one hand, the strong, sculpted face displayed on the coin was shown to be but a farce. In reality, he sat as an old and sickly fellow but a hair's width shy of death. On the other, it filled him with such a child-like wonder to see such a great and powerful man in the flesh. Indeed, seeing him spawned one terrible, burning question within his mind, What if that was me?

  One of the two soldiers standing guard on either side of the Emperor then begins to speak, "We gather here today, by the blessing of Jupiter, on the 20th of September, 1385, to mark the beginning of the 6th Die Prufungen. It is by Divine Providence that we have found such excellent gladiators. May you all be blessed by Mars in your battles soon to come. And as well by Eunomia in your latter days as Dukes and Earls of your respective realms. And, of course- for but one of you-, as Holy Emperor," he says, projecting his voice for all to hear.

  It's immediately after this that the other soldier, to the opposite side of the Emperor, begins to speak as well, "Please stand and salute as your name is called for your grouping with your trios, there will be one quartet,"