Tales of a Dragon

Chapter Three

MONDAY

        The crowd was especially feisty today, cheering with fists raised in the air and yelps of joy. Everyone was waiting for the King's children to get their necklaces and to be promoted.

        Axis and Avril had different seats from everyone else. They were bordered off from everyone else, and their chairs were made of fairy redwood, and the cushions were made with special velvet. The tops of the chairs extended out like antlers and they were bejeweled with mundane gems like ruby and emerald and diamond, but also strange foreign ones like castenova and hortvor.

        The crowd quieted almost immediately when King Ashton walked out above them, and stepped so he was behind his podium.

        "Hello, citizens of Ceraleum. Today... we have another Ceremony."

    Cheers and screams erupted from the people, and banners waved. They said things like: CERALEUM FOREVER and WE STAND PROUD FOR OUR CITY.

        "I know that Ceremonies are a day of joy and cheer, but today is different. We have an execution to discuss."

        Axis, who had a blank expression on, perked up, his heart suddenly pounding.

        "Mister Jonathan Claire of Faire Street has a complaint. Bring him out." The gates opened with a metallic creak and a man in shackles and chains walked through, guided by two men that worked for the King. Axis could tell because of the flag on their suit that was purple and red and had a phoenix studded on it.

        A woman stood up in the crowd, a look of terror on her face. It was Samantha. Jonathan Claire... That was her father.

        "Can you please voice your opinion, Mister Claire." The King looked at the man below him, blankly.

        "I understand that we have the Tournaments for entertainment. But every two months? At least fifty people die, maybe even a hundred. Your family died in the Tournaments, and you don't care!" Jonathan was livid with anger now. He was spitting on the floor and shaking his head, screaming his words of complaint.

        "Ah, alright. Cheer if you vote him innocent," Ashton said,  his face unamused.

        There was silence in the Colosseum.

        "I see that the citizens of Ceraleum have voted you guilty. Behead him." King Ashton's eyes flickered with annoyance and he let one of the guards walk past him to receive his axe.

        "No! Can you not see you are blinded by his power? The Crossbones are--" Jonathan's side was kicked, and he choked, clutching his side.

        "Sam! Sam!" he screamed. The axe was sitting on his neck. The other guard held him down with his unbelievable strength. The axe rose from its spot and Axis and Avril stared, horror in their similar eyes.

        "Let this be another lesson," Ashton said, his voice bellowing. 

        A fountain of blood erupted from the cut in his neck, and then, his head fell off, entirely. It crashed to the cement and blood splattered across the ground.

        Axis heard Samantha gasp.

        Axis looked away, his heartbeat out of control. He had seen so many of them; people, men and women, being executed for their right complaints and the other citizens being to blind to see they were right.

        But this was the first time Axis saw how wrong his father was. So entirely, completely, wrong...

        "And on to the Ceremony!" King Ashton flashed a smile, one of his gold teeth showing. "And with no hesitation, I call Jeremy Advark to the center."