FIRE TIGER

CHAPTER 6 : Eddan

The small cell had let in no natural light; a flickering lightbulb in the hallway shone threw the bars and revealed the floor for what it was. A pool of mud and dried urine. The walls were clad with a dark brown substance, the origin of which Eddan preferred not to guess. The acid stench was overpowering, soaking into his clothes and overruling his perfume. However, if this temporary confinement was supposed to temper his mood, like the soldiers had announced, then it had resulted in the opposite.

-How dare Ethan humiliate me like that?- The UpperTown boy  thought. -what did he think to attain, except my fury? I am going to make him pay for this so long, he will regret it until the end of his life.-

The door of the cellblock slid open and Salman, the head of security stopped in. Still dressed in his proclamation uniform, he checked Eddan over, a snug smile on his face.

"First time in a long while, I have had to imprison an UpperTown boy."

"Let me out of here!"

"Soon." The man nodded. "Your father is paying for your … stay as we speak."

"The quarrel with my brother was a family matter. You had no right to imprison me!"

"On the contrary, I had every right. You upset the official announcement of the USC's proclamation. And you aggressed a selected athlete. An athlete who will be participating in USC. The most spectacular an glorious sport event of our known universe."

"Selected? That's a mistake! I am supposed to be selected!"

"That's not what the USC's speaker was announced. " The man sounded amused.

"The announcement was a fraud!"

"Are you accusing the Selection Committee of fraud? Salman warned yet smiling. Better be sure or your stay here will be extended."

The door of the cellblock opened again, this time, his father appeared. His face bloated and red, eyes half closed, he motioned to his Salman. A huge grin on his face, the security man opened the cell ever so slowly, Ethan wrenched his large body through the small opening and stormed towards his father.

"We have to stop Ethan!"

"Too late. He has left!"

Shocked, Eddan took a deep breath.

"Then we go straight to the source. Straight to the emperor."

"Awwe you mad? " His father was drunk again. "That's the last thing I'll do. "

"Your quarrel with the emperor dates back years. He will have forgotten. And this is an USC matter. The emperor will understand and accept that the better athlete must participate! the boy insisted. He was once the best athlete. He will understand."

"No! The man pushed his son away. Your brother is gone and I need a drink!"

"Father, listen. I can persuade the emperor!

"You don't know him like I do. "

Voices raised, the odd pair left the prison. Salmon observed their departure with an amused smile on his lips. The ambassador contacting the emperor?- He would love to have seen that.

#

Hands clasped behind his back, emperor Eye strode around his monitoring room. He was a man of average age, of average height, average looks, and average build. Actually, there was nothing extraordinary about him, yet every time he walked into a room, conversations died down, people withdrew, avoiding his line of sight. The cause was self-evident. People tended to disappear whenever the emperor looked askew at them. But then he was the ultimate despot, so all it took was one look for terrible things to happen.