Theo the Street Kid and the Extraordinary Competition

Chapter 17 - The Extraordinary Competition Begins

"All five pyropes have now finally been found and verified to be authentic. None of the contestants has indicated they wanted to sell the gemstone, so now, we have the five contestants that will battle one another in the Extraordinary Competition."
The female journalist was reporting live in front of the splendour of the Royal Palace, where a huge crowd had gathered.
Royal officials were passing out cheap bread rolls and week-old glutinous rice to the spectators.
On the day the Extraordinary Competition began, Theo and the other contestants were assembled in a row on the steps of the entrance of the palace in front of His Majesty King Omito.
They had already signed the legal waivers and were now awaiting the King's remarks.
Theo was filled with a barrage of emotions.
For one, he was standing in front of royalty. Royalty!
Just a few days earlier, he had been nothing but a nobody homeless street orphan and now, he was standing in front of the sovereign and father of the whole nation.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
Speechless, he stared at the King.
Wearing a crown and carrying a pyrope-encrusted sceptre, the King stood in front of the podium, a wide grin on his aged face.
For another, Theo was glad he finally had a shot at that $1,000,000. It would provide for himself and Wolfie for a whole lifetime, since living in the Kingdom of Egalisia was so cheap compared to developed nations.
He could also hire a private detective to discover the fate of his poor mother and build his own NGO, one that actually cared about street kids like him and Wolfie.
He was so glad that the gemstone that he had found in the trashcan was actually authentic. He thanked his lucky stars that whoever was looking out for him had led him there.
Under the blazing Egalisian sun, Theo eyed the contestant to his right.
The first thing he saw was Borm's pimply, oversized nose.
How he hated Borm.
If there was any justice in Egalisia, Borm would not be in this competition, but Theo knew there was no justice in the Kingdom. People fought with one another and settled disputes among themselves and to the victor went the spoils. The police and the judiciary hardly ever got involved, due to the exorbitant bribes needed just to get a case to the courts.
That was just how the way things worked. It was the culture and custom in Egalisia. Born had stolen the pyrope from Theo, but Theo didn't even have the money required to report the theft and resolve the dispute. He knew that reporting the theft would get him nowhere.
For a split second, it crossed his mind to make a big fuss by denouncing Borm's unethical and unscrupulous means of obtaining the ill-gotten pyrope in front of the King and all the TV cameras, but he dismissed that idea.
As of that point, Theo had the right to enter the Extraordinary Competition.
But making a scene might cause Borm to counter-accuse him of the same unethical act (even though he had not obtained his pyrope by theft, it would quickly descend into a he-said/he-said scenario) and that might make the King to scrutinize Theo too.
Theo continued to stare at his old rival.
It was better to stay quiet and match wits with Borm in the Extraordinary Competition rather than to risk being kicked out before even getting started.
He would get his revenge in the race.
He didn't actually know much about Borm, other than the fact that Borm had been a street bully for as long as Theo had been on the streets.
If there was one thing that Theo knew about Borm, it was that Borm had no love in his heart. He didn't care about others. Theo had once been Borm take food out of the begging bowls of blind monks as well as push six year-olds down into puddles just for fun.
Borm didn't deserve to win the competition and even if Theo didn't win, he would do everything in his power to stop Borm from winning. Theo would rather have one of the other contestants win.
The King interrupted Theo's thoughts.
In front of dozens of reporters and against the backdrop of the national flag (consisting of mountains and a large valley), the King cleared his throat, looked directly into the cameras and then said, "Loyal subjects, members of my royal government, foreign dignities, and distinguished guests, it is my high honour and distinct privilege to present to you the five street-savvy contestants who have found the five pyropes. I shall now introduce them to you."
Theo sized up his competition.
Besides, Borm, there were a middle-aged woman with a pock-marked face, a bald monk in orange robes, a wealthy-looking man in a suit and tie with his hair parted in the middle.
The King pointed to Theo and Borm. "We have two very young contestants. Theo is fourteen and Borm is sixteen."
The crowd applauded enthusiastically.
The King continued, "Next we have Sovana, a former garment factory worker as well as a former domestic worker."
The crowd applauded.
The King went on, "Then, we have a monk, the Venerable Anugit, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of State Religion and Rites."
The crowd booed..
Finally, the King pointed to the rich-looking man. "Of course, Senator Chammy needs no introduction."
The crowd hissed and booed even louder.
Theo was starting to notice a pattern.
People seemed to hate the members of the elite establishment and preferred cheering for others like them, people who were poor and ordinary.
The King held out both arms for silence. "Here are the simple rules of the Extraordinary Competition. There will be three stages. At each stage, you are required to retrieve a particular item and then arrive at the checkpoint for that stage. In order to qualify for the next stage, you must arrive at the checkpoint of the previous stage with that particular item in hand. The last person to arrive at each checkpoint will be eliminated from the race. At Stage Three, we will eliminate two contestants, leaving only one contestant left. That person will be crowned our champion. Of course, our cameras will be following you everywhere you go."
He paused, then resumed. "You may bring with you whatever you currently have on your person. After this opening ceremony, you will be led directly to Stage One. You will not be allowed to stop anywhere to retrieve anything. Because you'll need lots of energy, calorie-laden food and drink will be given to you at regular intervals as required."
Theo clutched his lucky magical whistle. He was so glad he was wearing it.
The King continued, "The Kingdom of Egalisia is a land of extreme climate and terrain. You'll encounter flaming mountains, frigid tundras, bizarre lakes and impassable rivers. Not to mention the dangerous and treacherous animals that lurk in every corner. That's why, as I mentioned in my earlier broadcast, there is a chance you might die during this Extraordinary Competition. That's why it's not for the faint of heart. That's why you signed those legal waivers. In fact, there is one more rule: if one contestant dies during any stage, the rest of the contestants are safe to move on to the next stage, as long as at least one of you has retrieved the required item."
The King paused and the crowd grew silent.
Theo's heart thudded against his chest. He knew the risks and he was prepared for death, if it came to that.
His heart was in the right place. He knew why he was in this competition. It was now or never, all or nothing.
He was ready to risk everything on the roll of the dice and sacrifice as much as he was willing to.
If he lost, then at least he tried.
If he won, well....
Fortunately for him, he had plenty of street-smart experience that he was sure would come in handy and help him get ahead.
And he did feel especially lucky lately.
After all, he had gotten this far already.
From here on out, it was just a few more steps to the promised land.
The King began to speak again. "Although it has never been substantiated, there have also been rumours of magical creatures and supernatural beings in the remote corners of the Kingdom. So watch out for those mythical beasts too."
All five contestants chuckled nervously.
The King went on, "According to the myth and lore of our nation, in ancient times, legend had it that there is a special place in the far corner of Egalisia called Central Bliss. It is supposedly a place full of treasure and secrets, mysteries and marvels. The existence of such a location was confirmed a few years ago by our archeologists, but due to the supposed curse on it, few have been brave enough to venture inside and those who have, none has returned to tell the tale."
"The last stage will take place at Central Bliss, located right inside the famous Garden of Treachery."
He then pointed to a stony-faced muscular man with a beard. "This is Mr. Sotia. He will be my eyes and ears during this race. He is my chief representative, imbued with supervisory powers. Think of him as the referee, with full powers to disqualify anyone that breaks the rules or does not fulfill the requirements for each stage. So listen to him and obey him as though he were me."
Mr. Sotia folded his arms across his chest and nodded at the contestants.
His Majesty waved at the referee.
In a loud gruff voice, Mr. Sotia wagged a finger at the contestants. "I'll be watching you all very closely. No one is allowed to advance to the next stage without the required item. His Majesty the King has already announced all the rules. However, there are no rules about contestant conduct, so feel free to do whatever you have to do to win. Cheat, steal, lie, beg, backstab, destroy, kill - whatever. We don't care as long as you advance to the next stage. That's the important thing. We don't care how you get there."
The contestants all exchanged anxious glances.
Grinning, the King said, "In name of the Universe, our nation and your King, I declare the Extraordinary Competition officially open!"
The national anthem began to play.
The crowd cheered and applauded as King Omito said his final words, "Good luck, contestants! I will see the champion at the finish line with all the required items in hand."