Gladiator Wars

Chapter 20: Home, Strange Home

Victoria's Point of View

It seemed like all I could do was wait for something to happen. I didn't like waiting and I guess that's why this entire adventure has been a thorn in my side. I still had to wait no matter how much I hated it. Plus this stupid rock I was sitting on was super uncomfortable.

"It feels like it's been weeks, you know, since we've started this crazy adventure. A lot has transpired." Joseph said softly. Johnnie scoffed and we turned to him. I was unsure if I even wanted to hear his opinion on this.

"It's only been three days, but having to run around willy-nilly has made those three days the longest and worst days of my life." Johnnie stated. As usual, Johnnie was being pessimistic.

I rolled my eyes and waited like I'd been doing since I first arrived. All of us were accounted for. Everyone, but Morgan. You would think he'd get here first, but from what I could guess, he had to the take the same steps we, non-time travellers, had to take.

I didn't usually worry about whether Morgan was capable of taking care of himself, but trouble had a way of dragging Morgan down. What's worse is the fact that Morgan does the most bone-headed things, all because he read it in a book and it worked for those characters. Unlike those characters, this isn't a book.

Finally I was pulled out of my train of thought by a portal opening near where I was sitting. Out stumbled Morgan who was laughing hysterically. He was clutching his stomach as he laughed. He finally composed himself and spoke.

"Sorry about the wait. I'm back. What's happened?" He said with a smile that only seemed to irk me.

I honestly wanted to whack him for being himself, but I restrained myself. Morgan is Morgan and there's not much I can do about that little fact.

"Absolutely nothing, we've been too busy waiting for you to appear and worrying about you for the last hour and a half." I replied. "We need to get going."

"Go where?" Catherine asked in a curious tone. I knew she wasn't going to like the answer to that question.

"To the Peace Territory." I answered and Catherine and Johnnie visibly paled at the idea that was our next destination.

The Peace Territory was a place created by the past generations of elementals for disputes that concerned the matters of elementals and non-elementals. The Peace Territory was the only place on New Earth where violence was forbidden.

The Peace Territory was also where the elementals held trials for elementals that cause trouble. Catherine and Johnnie had visited the Peace Territory for trial many times.

"Taking us there isn't the wisest decision." Johnnie said in a low voice. He wasn't afraid, but he did seem apprehensive about going there. It was more then likely that the elemental council would guess exactly who was behind resurrecting Bale.

"I know, but from the lack of destruction I'm pretty sure Bale hasn't been here yet." I started. I paused letting that fact sink in.

"We need to assemble the council, so we can determine who's helping who and who's in the way." I finished.

"Can we rest first?" Asked Hama. The others murmured in agreement. I'm tired, hungry and bruised, so I caved.

"Fine. We're not far from my castle. We can rest there," I paused and looked at Johnnie and Catherine, "then we go meet the council once we're done resting."

We gathered our equipment and trekked to my castle/home. Once we were in the line of sight of the castle, everyone started running towards the gate of the elegant castle. My ancestors knew how to design a castle.

There were three main towers, a lodging house for guests, a huge dining hall with an amazing kitchen, a huge courtyard for celebrations, soldier's barracks, an armoury, several guard towers, a huge outer wall and a gate we rarely close. It may sound like a huge fortress, but honestly all I hear is home.

"I'm back!" I shouted to the guards.

"Welcome back, princess." Said one of the guards. Them seeing me and my friends come back home bruised and battered was a normal thing. However this homecoming will not be like the others.

We walked in through the open gates and I lead my worn out friends to the guest house. Once I made sure they were settled, I walked to where my mother and father were standing talking to some people I vaguely knew. My parents lit up when they saw me approach.

The small group of people dismissed themselves and left my parents and I alone. I was to be the bearer of bad news and I wasn't feeling too confident about my ability to do this task.

"Welcome back." My mom said embracing me. Once she let go, I hugged my dad who was grinning widely.

"How's my little Gladiator?" My dad asked boisterously. My father loved to hear of my adventures and the creative solutions that we came up for most problems.

"I'm tired, but there's something I need to inform you of." I responded. My father nodded and my mother looked concerned.

"Do you want to talk about it in my private study?" My father asked.

"Yeah." I was growing uneasy and the weight of what I had to say was gnawing at me. We walk to his study in silence and I feel like saying something, but I can't.

"Do you want me to get Sebastian from his room?" My mother asked breaking the silence. I felt tears leak out of my eyes before I could stop them. My parents looked shocked due to the fact I never really cried in front of them.

"Bale Bauron is back from the dead and Sebastian is siding with him." I summed up everything that's happened to my friends and I in thirteen unlucky words. They looked horrified at the fact that Bale was back, but then their expression changed to devastation as they processed the last part of my sentence.

I explained everything that had gone wrong since the Saturday of our weekly Gladiator meeting. My mother was in tears and my father was pacing while switching from angry to despair, but as they were showing emotion, I felt detached and drained.

"It doesn't make sense." My father said finally breaking the silence.

"What doesn't?" I asked confused.

"You said that you've been stuck for three days in that other dimension, but it's only been a day here. You left with the others in the late afternoon the day before yesterday, right?"

"That was hard to follow, but yes." I answered back. He was still pacing back and forward.

"The guards reported to me that Sebastian arrived here yesterday and was in his room for a few hours in the afternoon. How was he in two places at once?" My father asked.

I understood what my father was saying and I fit the pieces of this troublesome puzzle together. I said a barely audible 'excuse me' as I ran out of the study. This might end up explaining a lot of things.