The Column Racer (3 page)

Areli’s eyes started to fill with tears as the news absorbed into her brain. Her lungs ceased to bring in or expel air. And her voice was temporarily stuck in her throat. She held her trainer like never before. She had accomplished what only two other riders had ever done before her. She had achieved an undefeated season. And now the Emperor’s recruitment letter was a certainty to come. She had just earned her way into the greatest column racing Hall in the world. She had just given herself the best opportunity to save her dragon’s life and extend her career. She had just escaped from the pain and horrors of her sector. She escaped from the nightmare created from the prevalence of Degendhard the Great.

He looked peaceful as he slept. It was hard to believe he was hanging on to the very edge of life when her father found him. And it was a miracle he even survived. Her father had to do a lot of work, and even took many supplies from his own medical facility, to patch up the boy. He had come to them severely burned. At first she thought it strange that the burns didn’t scorch his back. And a thin line around his waist was untouched. Her heart almost fell out of her chest when her father told her the truth.

“There was someone with him,” said her father, “someone else took the blow of the flames.” They both knew from the severity and location of the injuries, it could have only been done by the breath of a battle dragon. “But the thing is. These injuries, even though not healed, are not the freshest.” Her father’s eyes went to the other wounds that the boy had sustained.

She felt sorry for him. But the boy was fortunate her father found him. Her father had always been proficient at experimenting with new procedures, and at times she feared that her father took this boy in as a project and not as a human being. Her father had to strip away layers of tissue and even clear muscle away from bone. For weeks, the boy lived in the bottom of a tub, covered in a solution her father told her was experimental, but if it worked, it would reconstruct his muscles, forming them again like a baby in the womb. And essentially, that’s what the boy was. Just a baby in womb, a tube sewed into his stomach in order to push him nutrients and another tube in his neck to provide him with air. Her father jumped around excitedly as the boy’s muscles and other injuries healed in the solution. Areli couldn’t help but be overjoyed as well.

Next, were the skin graftations, paste-like medications in short supply these days, unless you live in Abhi. The boy seemed to be on a rotisserie, as he had pins sticking out of his legs, feet, and shoulders, to hold him in place above the thick creamy solution held in a wooden pan, so only half of his body was submerged. The wounds on the front of his body were bandaged, and the worst ones were stitched. Another week went by, and then he was placed in a bed, in a secret room her father had their servants create. He was going to be beautiful again. No longer deformed or scarred from his injuries. After a few days he awoke. He introduced himself as Talon.

It was now a month from when he first spoke. His body had lost its swelling, and the bruising had nearly all faded. The hair on the back of his head was growing back in, and he worked hard with Areli’s father doing physical therapy to strengthen his muscles and flexibility. His beauty had returned. His black hair was long and his blue eyes crisp. If Areli had one regret about leaving, he was it. She wished she had more time with him. Time to sort out if the feelings she had for him were real or not.

Areli took a seat next to him, poured fresh water into his glass, and pulled the sheets up to his chin. She sat and looked at him, wondering what was going to happen to him after they left. Would he come find her?

She was ashamed at herself for how much she loathed her father when he first brought Talon there. His clothes covered with mud and blood. Areli was surprised to learn that Talon was a messenger. And she was even more surprised that he hadn’t sacrificed himself to the flame. But she was always grateful that he hadn’t.

But suicide by fire was the way of death for messengers these days. They couldn’t afford to be caught alive. Now, more than ever. Their cause was noble. Carrying out the duties of Degendhard, helping the poor and the suffering. But even though their actions were high in ideals, no one threatened the power and the might of an Empire, especially one at the helm of a mad man. They were fools to think they would go unpunished.

Suddenly, Talon opened his eyes and looked at Areli with both fear and hostility. His body jostled into an attack position, grasping her arm in the process. She stared at him, her heart racing, her eyes unafraid. He let go of her wrist and leaned his head back into his pillow.

“I’m so sorry, Areli,” said Talon.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, Talon,” said Areli. She sat on her hands, the only evidence that he had frightened her. Areli looked around the small room. She looked for a quick distraction. The walls were painted by her mother. They were a soft blue, an attempt to bring peace to his troubled heart.

The only furniture was the bed Talon laid on and the small dresser next to it. On the floor sat his boots, un-caked of mud, his bow, quiver of arrows, and sword, cleaned of blood. Underneath the wooden bed frame were several small bags. Gifts left undelivered.

“We’re leaving today,” said Areli, guiltily hoping for sadness in his eyes at her departure. A sign that he cared for her. Talon blinked his eyes twice, not taking his gaze away from the ceiling.

“I am aware,” said Talon, now looking at her.

“Father wanted me to tell you that he placed several more bottles of antibiotics in the corner. You are to chew one whole leaf every four hours. He’s left instruction. He says it’s important. He says your immune system is still weak and you can’t risk an infection.”

“I understand,” said Talon, “your father. He’s a gracious man.”

“Mother also made you several loaves of bread, smoked different types of meat, and left a pile of clothes for you to take with you when you leave here.” Talon closed his eyes and nodded again. She wondered if this was pain for her, pain for her parents, or pain for them all.

“Tell them thank you,” said Talon, “I know I have already told them this . . . but . . . I am forever indebted to them for their kindness.”

“You are kind, Talon. I will be sure to tell them,” said Areli, taking her eyes off him and directing them to the ladder attached to the floor above.

“I also want to thank you, Areli,” said Talon. Areli turned to him and looked kindly into his eyes.

“For what?” asked Areli, hoping for a confession of love.

“For being my friend.” Areli leaned back heavily into the chair. This was not what she was looking for. This was not at all what she was hoping for. “I’ve upset you.”

“No . . . you, haven’t,” responded Areli, hoping her tone could be convincing.

“Areli – I didn’t mean to hurt you – have I offended you?” asked Talon, sitting up in bed. She looked at him. She fought against the tears working their way to the surface of her eyes. She wished she could cover her face up with her hands, but that would give it away even more. Her lips started to tremble and her hands started to shake.

“I have to go, Talon,” said Areli sniffling, scratching away a stray tear.

“Areli, wait!” He reached for her, but she had already left the chair.

Areli walked to the ladder and was about to reach for a dangling cord. Talon was sitting up on the edge of his bed, pleading with her to come back. She looked back at him, her eyes struggling to keep the pain hidden.

“I love you, Talon,” said Areli, “don’t you love me? Don’t you care for me?

“Of course I care for you, Areli.”

“But do you love me?” Areli didn’t know why she was demanding an answer. She had liked him. Cared for him. And she thought that maybe these feelings could be love, but she wasn’t entirely sure. But she had said love. And now, she felt vulnerable. Could Talon not love her back? Could he be unsure like she? She was foolish, she knew. Why couldn’t she just have worked this out, instead of pressuring him to confess something he may or may not feel?

“Areli . . . I . . .” Areli’s lower lip folded into in her mouth and tears started to streak down her face. She was hurt. She knew now that she desperately wanted someone to love her, and now, even in her pain, she wondered if she required that person to really mean it or not. Just hearing it could be enough for her. Why couldn’t he just have lied? At least this time. Give her this moment of heroic love and be done with it.

“Goodbye, Talon,” forced out Areli, pulling the cord, revealing the entrance to the hidden room. She quickly climbed up the ladder, leaving him there. Not knowing that she had left him broken and alone.

“Miss Roberts,” said a servant, “your hand.” An old man, with wrinkles spreading across his forehead and flooding beneath his eyes like cob webs, held out a knobby hand that appeared to be nothing but skin on bone. Areli grabbed for it, and the man helped her up onto the main level with hidden strength. Areli didn’t look back into the hole as the man concealed the boards and replaced the large dresser over the top of it.

Areli quickly ran to her maid, who held her firmly, yet gently.

“It’s okay, darling,” said the maid, “you’re going to be okay.”

“You don’t have to worry, Miss Roberts,” said the servant, “the boy is in good hands.”

“I don’t think that’s what she’s crying about,” said the maid.

“Well, then what . . . ooooh,” said the servant, as the maid gave him a hard stare, jogging his memory to a recent conversation they had carried.

“It’s okay now, darling,” said the maid, “now, tell us what’s happened. Did he hurt you? Do you need me to go down there and smack some sense into that young man?” Areli shook her head, but her eyes were still spewing out tears and her shoulders were trembling horribly. “Come on, let’s go, into the next room, darling.” Areli clung to the maid as they exited out of the hallway and into the drawing room. The servant followed behind, and all three sat in a sitting area overlooking a fireplace. “Now, are you going to tell us what happened? You know you can’t carry this all by yourself.” Areli looked at her, and then accepted the handkerchief offered by the servant. She then told them what had transpired beneath the floorboards with Talon.

“Well, he’s a fool,” said the maid, “he as sure a fool as ever, Areli. And that’s all there is to it. I swear to the stars, you father should have had that one’s head checked when he was working on him.” Areli shook her head slightly. “Brockham, tell her that boy is a fool.”

“He’s a fool, Areli. He’s a mighty fool,” said the servant, “an unbelievable fool.”

“Well, then that’s that. He had his chance,” said the maid, “a pretty girl like yourself. You’re going to find someone, Areli. I can feel it. I can feel it when I look up at the stars at night. He’s going to love you, Areli. It will be real love, darling. I can promise you that.” Areli wiped the tears in her eyes.

“I just thought,” said Areli, “I just thought that maybe he could have been the one.”

“Boys can do that to you,” said the maid, “love is a tricky thing, Areli. But when it’s right it’s right. And when it’s wrong, you just have to learn to walk away. But don’t close your heart to love, Areli. Love will always find its way to those that are open to it.”

“But I
was
open to it,” cried Areli, “why didn’t love come to me now. Couldn’t it tell? Didn’t it know?”

“Love is not always kind to our wishes, Areli,” said the maid, “love is a perfectionist. But when it’s real. Love is at the present, always.”

“I thought it was real.” The maid held Areli closer to her.

“That’s the thing about love,” said the maid, “when it’s not real . . . it brings nothing but heartache and pain.”

“Areli, darling,” said Areli’s mother from the foyer entrance into the drawing room, “the guard will be here any moment, darling. Come. There are many people who want to see us off.” Areli sat up and looked in the direction of her mother’s voice. “Please, Areli.” Areli looked at both her maid and the servant. She had been so caught up in feelings for Talon that she hadn’t properly said her goodbyes to them. Her voice stuck to her throat.

“We know, Areli,” said the maid. Areli hugged her. She squeezed her so hard, that she feared she might have broken one of her ribs. She then hugged her servant, and then stood up from her spot.

“I love you,” said Areli, “I love you both dearly.”

“We love you too, Areli,” said the maid. The servant already had a handkerchief out to dry the wetness on his cheeks. He then handed it to the maid. “Now go, Areli. Win, darling. Win the whole entire thing. You show the Emperor what riders from Sector D can do. And remember . . . just keep yourself open to love, darling. It will find you. I promise you it will. Just leave yourself open to it.” Areli had tears straggling from her eyes, and she sucked on her lips trying to control their trembling as she nodded her head. She wished she could take the servant and maid with her. But such a thing was impossible.

“Areli! What’s taking you so long?” asked her mother. Areli couldn’t speak, or else she would have told her she was coming.

“She’s coming, Mrs. Roberts,” said her maid, “she’s on her right now.” Areli gave one final nod, and walked to the door into the foyer.

“Areli,” said her maid. Areli turned around and looked at her. “We’ll be cheering for you. We all will. Like we always have.” Another tear rolled down Areli’s face. She wanted to say something, but she was too choked up to speak. She could only nod her head one final time before she went out into the foyer to join the rest of her family.

In the foyer stood the rest of her family’s servants and maids. Her friends and Sector D administers were also present. She shook hands with some. Hugged others . . . but her farewells were interrupted, as the sound of hooves beating against stone pounded into their ears.

People rushed to the windows. Outside their house, on the limestone pavement, was a team of horses hitched up to a large and extravagant carriage, unlike anything seen in that sector. It was mostly constructed of gold. It had large giant wheels and paintings of dragons soared on the sides below the windows. A small statue of Emperor Abhiraja, the founder of their Empire and finder of dragons, stood in the middle of the roof of the cab, and small statues of battle dragons occupied the four corners.