Rise in the Arena (Part 1)

Chapter 5

Rise in the Arena

Andrei Gavrila

Chapter V

 Sicarius was waiting in front of the main entrance of the Arena. It was a big wooden gate, which was opened right now for the visitors to enter. In front there were eight guards making sure no one disturbed the audience or even worse attacked. Before entering everyone had to show a special ticket to a man. After that the audience or the people proceeded to another man who checked their next ticket again. The people were divided in six rows in between the guards and the ticket checkers.

            Sicarius put on some new clothes. Now he was wearing a green shirt with a white sash. He was waiting for Biol and he pulled out his pocket watch to see how late Biol was. Then he started wondering what Biol has done in two hours. Probably get in trouble, since that is what he was good at.

            Sicarius remembered one day when Biol went to the Walking Market in Volkas, it was a simple market which traveled across the continent in caravans, one day it stopped in Volkas and almost everyone went there with their family. Biol was playing with a smaller kid, then they started playing tag and Biol fell over a stand breaking all of the vases which were placed on it. The merchant from that stall got really upset at young Biol and ordered an arrest. Biol managed to get away from trouble using his father’s intellect. His father, a man who helped during the Crusades, was one of those people who could persuade using any word. Biol got away, but he still had to pay a fine.

            What if Biol was really busy, Sicarius thought, the way he was earlier. Sicarius went to the Arena where he showed his special knife. The commission there analyzed it and accepted it in the competition. Then Sicarius visited the armory and saw the weapons and armors. He tried to make his own armor using the one he already had. Now he had it, his very own armor. It was made out of chainmail covered by a white shirt which had the coat of arms of Kronos on it. On his back he placed his dark green hood with cape. He had his long two handed sword, and his special knife attached to his hand.

            He started walking. He had to reach the entrance for the people who took part in the fight, or also known as The Silver Gate. The gate for the normal people was called The Rust Gate and the gate for the kings and the people who presented this show was called The Diamond Gate.

            Sicarius walked for five minutes and he finally reached the Silver Gate. He was standing there alone, the tall Arena blocking the sun from heating his body. At the gate there were ten guards standing in two rows, and two men dressed in orange shirts were checking the fighters.

            Sicarius heard footsteps in his left. He turned but saw nothing, only some buildings with a small alley and no people. The footsteps could still be heard. He looked up at one of the small buildings and saw a man dressed in a red shirt running on it. Then suddenly the man jumped on the ground and rolled covering his clothes in dust from the paved ground. Sicarius looked at the man, it was Biol.

            “Where were you Biol! We are almost late!” shouted Sicarius in order to sound upset for Biol but sound normal for the others.

            “I’m sorry. I was distracted.”

            “That is not a good excuse. But anyways we have to hurry.”

            They ran towards the Silver Gate. Sicarius was first and Biol was following. As soon as the guards saw the two men running and they saw their badges they cleared a path for them.

            Biol entered the Arena for the first time. They were inside a large arched hallway. The air inside was cool. They walked a little more on the paved ground. In the distance he could see stairs which led up. They walked those stairs. There were around fifty of them but finally they reached the top. The hallway spilt in two ways. One led left and the other right. In front of them was a desk with a young lady standing there on a chair. She looked up on the faces of the two.