Caidoz

Chapter 24

   The fight would soon begin, and I needed to get inside that Colosseum. I saw Boötes and Procyon walking through that giant hallway. I started forward and then shrieked in worry. Procyon fell to the ground suddenly with a howl and was thrashing about, causing dirt to swirl in a frenzy. His hands were cupped firmly over his ears and Boötes looked on in a guarded manner. The large man then thrush out his arm into the small cloud of dirt and carried the boy over his shoulder. Procyon's head rolled in agony and then he passed out.

   What in Caidoz was wrong with him? What if he caught my cold and is dying because of me? I had to get inside, and quickly. Boötes carried Procyon in thought the arch and disappeared behind the massive crowd. I started at a sprint.

   Poor Procyon. He's ill because of me. I should have never stayed with him. I should have held him against the wall with Caidozian energy and ran. What if he never wakes up? I couldn't stand the devastating thoughts. Unpredictably, I started to again rack my body in horrible coughs and my sore throat rasped for the pain to stop. I stumbled through the entrance and through my sickness I was able to stare at the words written in Caidozian upon the brass arch.

   Never to stop our endless reign,
   Our lives will fight,
   Through our pain,
   For we will show our might.
   Blinking in confusion, I was stunned at the words. Why were they in Caidozian? I turned to the nearest woman. "What do these words s-say?" I felt my sickness interfering with my speech.
   The woman curled her lip in disgust at my appearance. Was I really so horrible to look at?

   I recalled a short time ago, the people of my court couldn't remove their eyes off of me, and it had made me lift my head higher, feeling great to be their princess. To serve them and assist them was my goal.

   Now, at my weakest, others didn't care for me. They didn't help, they took advantage instead. Yet she sighed and said, "I don't really know. They say it came from an ancient text." The lady then turned her back on me, moving back to her previous business.
   I felt my chin dropping to my chest in slight loneliness. A text? What text? Perhaps Procyon would know. I turned to him. 

   "Procyon, what text does she me-" I cut myself short. He wasn't here. He was inside the Colosseum, blacked out. About to fight in a battle. About to lose this one life he had. I sped past the arch, for I had to find him. I had to warn him of the truth.

   I was just as amazed at the interior as I was exterior. The seats piled upwards and uncountable numbers were before my very eyes. The path I was on lead past several statutes of what seemed to be the greatest fights that had occurred here. Farther on, I was inside the actual stadium and on the path that lead to the seats. The pit bellow was full of dirt, and bloodstains were seen there from previous death matches.

   How I did I participate without Procyon discovering prior I was in the fight? For the most question, where was Procyon? I saw a wooden door in the curled into the wall. I stealthily walked to it and turned the handle. Locked. I supposed Boötes had a private key. I reached into my body. The levels had increased dramatically since my rest. Not enough to be considered normal, nor enough to sense others emotions, but relatively close.

   At least, this I hoped. I grabbed the energy and gathered it in my fingertip. It was reluctant to flow there and I coached it gently to the spot, and it eventually left. Then I pointed to the lock's turning point. It shot out of the metal handle and was scalded to the very core.

   Hmm... I hadn't meant to do that. I had meant to shoot water's force from my hands that was so cold it blasted through the lock. Oh well. Because the handle was missing an entire piece, I could push it open easily. I crept inside, and made the door appear closed behind me. I gently picked up the piece of the lock that had been destroyed by my energy and moved it to the side.