Here's the next chapter and I know it's been a long time coming! I've been working on my other story, Summer on Lost Lake for a bit. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think at purplejubilee17@gmail.com I've got a mailing list there too that you can sign up for if you want to. Thanks for all your feedback!
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<3 PurpleJubilee
After Earth Went Dark: Chapter 9
To say that the accommodations provided to the Royal Champion were satisfactory would have been a drastic understatement. The suite was the size of a house, with a large common area and three bedrooms. Each of the bedrooms had its own smaller sitting area and a private bathroom, with running water, of course. All of the furniture was similar in style to the lounge they had just come from. Brilliant multicolored tapestries hung from the walls and large arched windows stretched from the floor almost to the ceiling of the living room. One of these had a glass door inside it that led out to a beautiful garden with a shallow pool on one side. Massive thick hedges surrounded the garden so that no one could see the luxury within. Deep purple curtains could be drawn over the towering windows to provide even further privacy to the suite.
There were soft rugs made from real furs that covered much of the patterned hardwood floor. A grand fireplace in the main room and smaller fireplaces in the bedrooms and, wonder of wonders, the rooms had electric lighting.
Their guide had explained after the initial awe and wonder at the splendor laid out before them, that the building was built after the flare, and the suite had its own series of generators. Elliot didn't know where to look first. Even the vaulted ceiling overhead was painted with elaborate murals. It was obvious that no expense had been spared when building the suite. Rob had mentioned that the Jackson family was very wealthy, but Elliot had hard time wrapping his mind around this amount of extravagance.
"Kara and I will share a room." Elliot's mother announced, ignoring her daughter's protestations. "The two of you can take the other ones."
Tyr shook his head. "Take the bedrooms. I'll stay here or in the garden."
Even Kara looked a little guilty now. "You're the fighter." She insisted. "You should at least get a bed."
"I am more comfortable when I can see the exits." Tyr informed them, dropping his pack in a corner. "Beds rarely suit me anyway."
Elliot shook his head in disbelief. He knew Tyr had mentioned that he slept better outdoors but the idea of turning down a bedroom in what had to be the finest suite for hundreds of miles at least was unfathomable.
When their guide had left them, they took their pick of rooms. There was still a good amount of daylight left so Elliot asked if they could go and explore the tent-city set up outside the arena. The crowd had intimidated him at first, but he was warming to the idea of being around other people. Granted, it was only because Tyr was with them that he was able to feel safe. The only other way he would have been comfortable in such close quarters with strangers would be if his dad were there.
As that thought occurred to him he realized that it had been several days since he had last thought about his father. There had been so much going on that it had kept his mind truly occupied. It was not a pleasant realization and tears came to his eyes. He vowed that he wouldn't let his father's memory fade away, even when things became difficult. Steeling himself, he wiped his eyes and returned to the main room to head out to the tents of the Tournament vendors and spectators.
"Lemon trout and seasoned lamb here! Hot and fresh!" A man yelled practically in Elliot's ear as they walked past. "Strongest beer for the strongest fighters!" Someone else called from across the avenue.
The sounds and smells were intoxicating, and Elliot soon found that any worry was being quickly drowned out by the contagious excitement in the air. That, and his stomach began to growl. It had been a couple of hours since the four of them had devoured the fruit tray in the Royal Lounge, and that had only been a snack. Seeing people walking past nibbling on juicy-looking spits of seasoned meats and grilled vegetables turned him nearly ravenous.
"Can we get some food? Please!?" Elliot begged his mother as they passed a stand where a man was making fresh hamburgers.
"We don't have any money." His mother reminded him. "Or whatever they use for money or trade around here."
Elliot pouted but Tyr spoke up. "I have some ammunition we can barter for food." Tyr approached the burger-maker and reached into his pack. "Two rounds .45 for four of your hamburgers?"
The sweaty man looked at Tyr's outstretched palm and wiped his hands on his bloody apron. "What's this? Ammo? We trade in Jacksonian shillings here friend. Three per patty or ten for four."
"Jacksonian shillings? Really?" Elliot's mother shook her head incredulously. "A little full of themselves, aren't they?"
"How would we get them?" Tyr ignored her irritation.
The man sighed. "Well, there's a bank in town that's the only place you're supposed to trade them. They're backed by real silver. I suppose I could use some extra ammunition for the journey home after the Tournament though. I'll buy some off you."
Tyr and the vendor haggled over the price of the ammunition Tyr was carrying and after a few minutes the burger maker grumbled an agreement and handed over an impressive-looking pile of little brass coins as well as four hamburgers for a handful of ammo.
Elliot knew about hamburgers, but he couldn't remember ever having one. His mother assured him he had when he was young before the flare hit but he was too young to fully recall. Even without a frame of reference though, he could tell that his burger was amazing. Some of the juice dripped down his chin making Kara laugh as she unsuccessfully tried to eat hers cleanly. The meat was seasoned and had some kind of sweet and slightly spicy sauce as well as crisp vegetables.
Tyr ate slowly, taking each bite like it could be his last. By the time Elliot had devoured his entire meal, Tyr was less than halfway through. Elliot looked regretfully at his grease-covered fingers, wishing he had savored it more.
They continued to explore the mass of tents as the day wore on. There were knick-knacks and baubles for sale everywhere and Elliot's attention kept being drawn from one thing to the next. Several fair-style games were set up among the tents as well. Elliot played a ring tossing game, but the pegs seemed a little too wide for the game to be truly fair. After missing every shot he took, he gave his last ring to Tyr.
"You try it." He insisted.
Tyr weighed the ring in his hand and rolled it around his fingers a few times. Then he eyeballed the distance to the pegs. With a swift wrist flick he neatly looped the ring around one of the pegs, much to the surprise of the game master. The peg was obviously only just small enough for the ring to fit around, making the game heavily weighted against the thrower.
Elliot laughed excitedly, and the game master retrieved the ring. "Wow, lucky you." The man said. "Claim a prize? Or go double or nothing?"
Despite Elliot's urging to go for double, Tyr picked out some fruit and honey candies and gave them to Kara and Elliot. Elliot couldn't keep a broad smile from his face as they walked around. They felt like a family. Things felt almost normal. As normal as they could be anymore.
After wandering for several hours, darkness began to fall. As the sun set, Elliot's mother suggested that they head back to their rooms. As tired as he was, Elliot wished they could stay out, but his mother was adamant.
They turned to make their way back to the hotel when a massive explosion suddenly rang out over the tents. Elliot screamed and ducked his head. Tyr, with two knives already in hand, whirled around to find the threat. Kara grabbed her mother's hand in fright.
It took Elliot a moment to realize that the people around them had not reacted in the same way at all. In fact, he could hear several awed whispers coming from the crowd. Another explosion echoed through the valley, causing him to flinch violently. But the people clapped and cheered and looked skyward.
Elliot followed their gaze just in time to see red and green sparks showering down from overhead. A high-pitched whistling filled the air as another rocket left a trail of flame behind it while it shot into the air and exploded. Elliot's fear began to turn to amazement. He was familiar with fireworks, but it had been so long since he had seen any that he had completely forgotten about them.
Tyr had sheathed his weapons but did not seem to share the appreciation for the noisy spectacle. Elliot thought he saw Tyr's eye twitch every time one of the colorful rockets exploded.
As with everything at the Tournament, it was an extravagant display, with multiple shots firing at once, painting the sky with rainbow light. Elliot's heart still thudded from the initial shock, but he was so enthralled that he barely noticed. His favorites were the ones that exploded and sent sparks shooting in all directions which then made dozens of tiny pops as they separated further into glittering particles.
The fireworks continued for some time, until eventually the shots came faster. One after another and another, and then three at once, lighting up the entire camp with a massive finale that thundered on for several full minutes. Elliot had no doubt it could be heard for miles around.
When the last light faded away, cheering could be heard coming from all around the tents and beyond. Elliot guessed that this meant that the Tournament had officially begun.
Later, when they had returned to their rooms, they were eager to feel the comfort of their fine new beds. It had been a long day and one full of new experiences. Elliot's exhaustion however did not keep his mind from other things. As the lights went down he lay awake in bed, waiting.
Once he was sure that Kara and his mother were in their rooms and that he had given them enough time to settle in and probably already be asleep, he slipped from his bed. The suite had provided some night clothes for them, but the smallest of them was still a bit big for him. He had to hold the thin pair of stripped pants up with a hand, and the soft shirt hung loosely around his slender shoulders.
Quietly, he opened the door of his bedroom and peered out into the common area. The only light came in through the tall windows. The moon drifted through the panes, casting soft shadows across the patterned floor. There was no one in the room, but Elliot saw that the door to the garden was open. He tiptoed over to the closest window and looked out into the lush green oasis.
Tyr lay on his back in the grass with his hands behind his head, staring up at the sky. He had removed his shirt and the moon bathed his lean muscles in pale light the same color as many of the scars across his body. To Elliot, it was a beautiful sight. Tyr was framed on all sides by the impressive garden, and above him was an ocean of black, with soft pinpoints of starlight all across the expanse. Elliot knew exactly where he wanted to be.
He crept over to the doorway, but no sooner had he stuck his head around, Tyr spoke up.
"You should sleep." His voice was soft as usual, but in the time he had known his protector Elliot had come to recognize the subtle dry amusement in his tone.
"You should sleep." Elliot countered. "You're the one fighting."
Without looking up Tyr answered. "I was trying to until somebody stomped out of their room while slamming doors."
Elliot hadn't heard any of that. It took him a moment to realize Tyr was talking about him and his attempt to be stealthy. It took him another moment to realize that Tyr was making a joke, or perhaps the first thing resembling a joke that Elliot had ever heard from him.
Without waiting for permission, Elliot walked over and sat on the grass near where Tyr lay. It was cool but not damp, and the ground underneath was soft. He could understand why Tyr liked it.
Tyr glanced at him out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. He returned to staring up into the sky.
"How many are there?" Elliot asked after a long moment of silence. He leaned back on his hands, looking skyward.
"Billions." Tyr replied quietly. "More." Finally, he turned his head to look at Elliot. "No one knows for sure."
"People used to travel out there, didn't they?" He moved a little closer to Tyr. "Out in space I mean."
Tyr nodded. "People used to do many things."
"What about..." Elliot paused. "The things we do? The thing you did for me before we left the other hotel...? Do people do that too?"
Caught off guard by Elliot's question, Tyr didn't reply for a moment. "Yes... Sometimes."
Elliot moved closer again so that he was sitting right at the point of Tyr's elbow. "Well... I like when we do." He said quietly. "I like it when you touch me like that..." He fumbled awkwardly.
Elliot knew what sex was. His parents had given him `the talk' some years earlier. But the extent of his knowledge dealt with reproduction and where babies came from. In his mind, he had not fully connected the experiences he'd had touching himself, and what he and Tyr had done with the idea of sex. All he knew was that he wanted more of it.
"You've... done it before. For yourself. I assume." Tyr stated, obviously uncomfortable.
Elliot nodded. "Yes. But it was... way different when you did it."
Tyr slowly reached up and ran the back of his hand along Elliot's cheek. Even though the night was warm, Elliot shivered at his touch. "You want me to do that for you again?"
Elliot gulped and shrugged. "I think so but... I just like being with you." He blushed and looked down.
Tyr put a finger gently under Elliot's chin and raised his head again, so they were looking eye to eye. "Then I will. And maybe we will do other things also."
What Tyr meant by `other things' Elliot could not imagine, but he knew that Tyr would show him. He moved himself down and huddled up next to his protector, who encircled him with one strong arm. He yawned widely.
"It's late now though." Tyr told him quietly. "Get some rest. Now that we're here, we will have... other opportunities."
Elliot liked the sound of that as he snuggled against Tyr's toned chest. His eyes fell on the dark ring of ink on Tyr's upper arm and thought occurred to him that had been tugging at the back of his mind for most of the day.
"What was that thing Adrian said? Project Ae-something?" He asked, running a hand gently across Tyr's muscles, enjoying the feel of them under his fingertips.
As he asked his question though he felt a change in mood. Tyr exhaled in what almost sounded like a growl of displeasure.
"Project Aesir." He corrected after a long silence. "Best not to worry about that." His tone made it clear that he was not interested in talking about it. Even so Elliot wanted answers.
"But... it must be important if it's part of your tattoo." He persisted.
"Elliot." Tyr's voice took on a warning tone. "It is in my past. I don't care to discuss it."
Even though he knew he had been prying Elliot couldn't help feeling hurt by Tyr's raised voice. He rolled over and got to his feet.
"I should go back to bed." He heard Tyr sigh heavily as he made for the door.
"Elliot." Tyr said softly just before he stepped inside. Elliot turned to look back and saw that Tyr was looking up at the stars once again. "Sleep well."
He could tell by Tyr's voice that he felt bad for snapping at him. Even so, he had hoped that Tyr would call him back to sleep next to him. He didn't answer, he turned back to the suite and left Tyr alone in the darkness.
It was well after sunrise when Elliot awoke, and he knew that Tyr would already be gone, getting prepared for that day's main event. He regretted leaving off on a sour note the night before and vowed to make it right after the match. Elliot knew he had overreacted. And he also knew that Tyr would have apologized if he had given him the chance. It was always unpleasant to realize his own bad behavior.
"Elliot are you awake?" His sister's voice came from the other side of the door. "Mom and I are going to get cleaned up and get some food. You should come."
Elliot sighed and pushed his guilt down for now. He hopped out of bed and changed quickly. Looking at himself in the mirror for the first time in over a month he thought that it was amazing that Tyr cared about him at all. His clothes were torn and travel-stained. Even though his mother had washed them several days before, there was only so much that soap and water could do for a shirt and jeans that were never meant for roughing it through the wilderness.
He looked at the belt around his waist and examined the rough hacked-off end. It reminded him of that first night that he had met Tyr. The memory brought with it a twinge of fear still but mostly just reminded him how strong his feelings for the quiet warrior really were.
His hair, which now hung down almost to his shoulders, was dirty, scraggly and unkempt, and his face seemed to have perpetual smudges of dirt. Elliot tried to rub them away, but they stubbornly refused to go. He lifted his shirt to examine himself and frowned when he saw that his ribs were starting to show through. If nothing else, living in this harsh world had always kept him in good shape, but living on the road for so long was starting to take its toll. He wondered how Tyr managed to keep his eye-catching physique.
"Elliot, hurry up!" Kara called impatiently. Elliot rolled his eyes, pulled his shoes on and met up with his family.
When asked where they could go to clean up, one of the attendants directed them to the hotel spa. Events for the day had already begun, but Tyr was not on for several hours yet. Schedules were posted all around the hotel. The main event of the day was a large team battle that sounded exciting.
They found the spa easily enough and a tall lanky man met them at the door. He gave them a raised eyebrow before recognition crossed his face and he smiled amiably at them.
"Oh, hello there!" He greeted with enthusiasm. "You must be the Royal Champion's family."
Elliot's mother nodded, taken aback by his cheerfulness.
"Well now, we certainly have work to do. My name is David, I run the spa down here, we'll get you freshened up in no time."
David spoke in haughty but friendly tones and his voice carried a prominent lisp. "See the girls inside about your hair. I'll set about finding you something suitable to wear."
"Do you need sizes? Measurements?" Elliot's mother asked.
Shaking his head, David tapped the side of his glasses. "Nonsense. It's all right here. I guarantee it."
As he threw open the doors and departed, presumably to find fresh clothing, Elliot hoped David was right and that he would not have to walk around holding his pants up like he had with the sleepwear they had been provided.
First through the door was a large room with a row of salon-style barber chairs off to one side. They looked old-fashioned but were still recognizable. The entire wall in front of them supported a large paneled mirror. A long countertop ran along it with sinks set into it. The entire hotel did not have electric lighting, but they made a good illusion of it with gas lamps in the walls. All in all, it looked quite similar to a modern hair salon.
Three young ladies stood chatting off to one side but stopped when they saw the small group enter. One of them, a full-bodied blonde woman in her late twenties, clapped her hands together.
"Welcome!" She smiled winningly. "My goodness. Looks like it's been a while since you've had someone taking care of you hmm?"
Elliot smiled ruefully. It was embarrassing to have people keep pointing it out, but he knew that he looked a mess.
"Why don't you all hop up into these chairs here and let's see what we can do about that, alright?"
They chose three seats in a row and one of the three ladies attended to each of them. Elliot got the large and cheerful blonde woman. She lifted a few strands of his long unkempt hair and made a face.
"Oh honey, this won't do at all. You poor thing, we'll have you looking good as new." She leaned his chair back over the sink and began to wash out his hair. This was a new experience for Elliot and he found that he loved it. The feeling of the warm water running across his forehead and fingers massaging his scalp made him close his eyes contentedly.
She talked as she worked. "So that tall handsome boy, he's your big brother? He needed a lot of work too, let me tell you."
"Well... not really." Elliot admitted. "He's not actually part of our family but close enough."
The hairdresser nodded knowingly. "Who's to say where family starts and ends these days, right? We're all in it together."
Elliot smiled at that. It was nice being around friendly people. He could definitely get used to it. It took a long time to thoroughly wash out his hair. When she had finished she toweled it off before starting to trim. Elliot told her that he liked having it a little bit long, so she did not cut off too much. She showed him how to gather it in a tight bun to keep it out of his eyes, and when she turned his chair around, Elliot was surprised by how much different, how much better he looked. His hair had a luminous sheen to it now and all the tangles had been combed out. She pulled it back for him and tied it up and Elliot couldn't help but smile. It looked great, tied back in a bun with a single stubborn strand framing one side of his face. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so pleased with his appearance.
The hairdresser giggled at his excitement. "I'm glad you like it, but you're not done yet. Head to the back, they'll have a sauna and some baths for you all."
Elliot had never been in a sauna before, and the experience of moving from the warm room to a cold bath then back again several times was one that he found immensely pleasurable. After almost an hour of back and forth, they were told to bathe once more and then they would be finished.
"Normally," The attendant said, "This would be when we offered for you to continue back to our massage rooms. But if you are hoping to make the team battle this afternoon then it would be better for you to go now."
The time must have flown by. Elliot could hardly believe it. They hadn't even had time to eat yet. When he voiced his concern, the attendant calmed his worries.
"The fight doesn't start for a bit yet, and they always sell food at the arena. In fact, for you all I'd bet they'll give it to you for free." She laughed. "Speaking of, here's your clothing. David has an excellent eye for that sort of thing, I'm sure you'll agree."
At first Elliot thought that the off-white button-up shirt with a red and yellow flower embroidered on one sleeve was too big for him. On further inspection however, he found that it was just the style of the shirt. The arms were loose but gathered at the wrists. It was slim through the body though, and there was no high collar like a normal button-up. It lay open around his collar bone. This combined with a simple pair of close-fitting black pants made Elliot feel like some kind of noble of old, or maybe a pirate. Kara and their mother had outfits similar in style. The clothes were all obviously made after the flare and done by hand with an impressive amount of skill.
The three of them took a moment to admire themselves and each other in the mirrors. The night of comfortable rest combined with the effects of the spa had removed days if not weeks' worth of the stresses and grime of hard travel. When looking at the faces of his sister and mother, Elliot had to smile. They looked like their old selves again, back before they had started this trip.
Kara complimented him on his hair when he tied it up the way the hairdresser had shown him. He couldn't help hoping that Tyr felt the same way. He felt a pang of guilt once more remembering the confrontation from the night before but with how good he felt, it was short-lived.
Tyr had left behind some of the coins he had traded for the night before and they proved to be quite useful. They were able to purchase some delicious kababs and made their way toward the arena. Now that they were in less of a hurry than they had been the day before, they saw that there were small pamphlets at the entrance that detailed the day's events.
Elliot looked over the section on the team battle as they made their way to their seats. As the family of the Royal Champion, they had access to the reserved seating near to where the lounge was. They were very good seats, close to the action.
As he scanned through the pamphlet Elliot saw that there were no real regulations to this battle. There were several official on the field to make sure that there was no excessive injury and to help remove disabled combatants, but other than that the fight proceeded until every member of the opposing team was no longer able to fight.
Elliot felt a thrill of both excitement and fear. With such little oversight, a battle like this would be very dangerous. He desperately hoped that Tyr would be okay.
The arena was even more packed than it had been the day before. Elliot wondered how many of them had seen Tyr fight and were hoping to see it again. Almost as soon as they had reached their seats, a single horn blast sounded. This was the cue for people to seat themselves and wait for an introduction from their hosts.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Adrian's voice announced from above and behind them, forcing Elliot and his family to turn in their seats. "We have yet another very special event for you today. The team battle you've all been waiting for!" The audience cheered. "We also have a very special announcement to make, but that can wait for a moment. Let the teams come forth!"
There was more cheering as two of the gates on either side of the pit creaked open, and two ranks of men emerged from each gate. The men all had colored cloths tied around their wrists and ankles. One side was red, the other was blue. Elliot tried to find Tyr but could not see him down in the pit. Then he noticed that the red team seemed to be one man short with only eleven to the blue team's twelve.
"From the west gate, in red we have the fearsome Northern Raiders!" Adrian called out. The men with red handkerchiefs pumped their weapons in the air with guttural war cries. "And from the east gate, in blue we have a returning team, the Lion's Claw Battalion!"
Despite thunderous applause from the audience, the Battalion made no movement or even acknowledgement of their introduction. These were disciplined men, Elliot realized. They had a uniformity to their dress and their choice of weapons that made them seem even more dangerous.
"Now then." Adrian continued when the noise had died. "The Northern Raiders are a new team to this tournament, so we did not think it quite fair to send them into combat with the likes of the Lion's Claw unaided." The crowd was practically holding its breath, waiting to see what twist Adrian and his brother might have in store. "So, we found them a god to lead them into battle." The audience went wild at this dramatic interpretation. "A man colder than a north wind, faster than a striking serpent, and stronger than all the heroes of old. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you this season's Royal Champion! The Norse Deity himself! Tyr!"
The crowd was on their feet as the north gate between the two teams rolled open. A deep rapid drum beat started from somewhere. Suddenly, Tyr came jogging slowly out of the gate. Elliot's eyes widened when he saw him. Tyr was still instantly recognizable but even from a distance Elliot could tell that a lot of work had gone into making him `presentable' for the tournament.
His scraggly hair had been cut very short on one side with the exception of a tight braid running from the front to the back of his head. The rest of his hair had been washed and oiled and swept to the other side so that it fell in a straight shower down to his ear. It was so thoroughly cleaned that it looked even lighter than Elliot remembered.
Tyr wore some type of brown leather armor that looked more showy than practical. It consisted of layered pauldrons on the shoulders and a studded chest piece. The rest was made up of leather straps that crisscrossed at his midsection and showed off his impressive abs. The lower half was a studded kilt-like garment that allowed for free motion. He wore studded leather bracers on both arms.
His signature dual axes were attached in an `X' across his back, and over his shoulder he carried a heavy looking pole with a T-section near the top and a forest green standard flowing from it. In the center of the standard was the blood-red symbol of Tyr, stitched in such a way to make it look as though it were dripping down the banner.
As Tyr reached the center of the pit, he hefted the pole and then planted it heavily in the sand so that the whole audience could see the standard waving slightly down below. The Norther Raiders were in a frenzy, feeding off the enthusiasm of the crowd and the dramatic entrance of their leader. The Lion's Claw Battalion showed no reaction. They stood in formation, stoic as ever.
Elliot saw that Tyr moved in what he knew had to be rehearsed motions as he lifted his hands to the audience, turning in a slow circle before jogging over to join his team mates.
"Will the might of Tyr be enough to best the Lion's Claw?" Adrian's voice returned. As he spoke, Elliot watched Tyr speaking seriously with the rest of the Northern Raiders. He moved his hands as he spoke in quick and deliberate gestures. It was impossible to tell what was being said, but the meaning was clear. Tyr was making a battle plan.
"At the sound of the horn, the battle will commence!" Adrian called, eliciting another cheer from the crowd. "May the best team win!"
Adrian stepped back from the edge of the platform and the crowd waited in silence. Tyr, apparently satisfied with his plan of attack, turned to face the enemy, slowly pulling his weapons from over his shoulders. The great horn sounded, and with a war cry and a roar from the audience, the men in the pit charged to meet one another.