Chapter 6

The Elite's rose early the following morning and hastily got on their way again. The two prisoners were shuffled along, each guarded by four men to prevent any further attempts of escape. With their last hopes stolen from them, and any sight of a future stripped away, neither of the prisoners tried anything.

Emeric, although it seemed as if he'd given up on all his hope, was going crazy on the inside. His mind was racing as he considered all possible methods of escape. But no matter how many ideas sprang to mind, none of them corresponded with the situation he found himself in.

There was just no reality where both he and his father were able to get away. There were some ideas that formed in Emeric's busy mind where he alone would be able to get away, but in those posibilities, he realised that he wouldn't be able to get his father out with him. The thought of leaving his father drove Emeric into a state of depression. There was no way he was leaving his father behind to save himself.

He decided that if both of them couldn't get out, then neither of them should. If they were going down, then at least they'd be together.

The dreary group trudged along as the sun slowly climbed over the horizon. By the time it was halfway to noon, the dusty road that they travelled on, gradually crested a hill. The sight that met Emeric made him stop dead in his tracks.

A large city littered the landscape that stretched out over a vast area of land. It consisted of more houses and buildings than an on looking eye could count. To Emeric, who had only ever seen his lone cabin, the immense city was breathtaking...in a daunting way.

A hard shunt from behind forced him to keep walking, but Emeric felt as if he was being sucked down into sinking sand. His chest tightened as they started a hasty decent down the hill. It was evident that the Elites were in a hurry to reach their destination and get the whole business over with.

Emeric's eyes landed on the back of his father's head a few meters in front of him. All he wanted to do was break free and escape with his father. Now that the end was so close, Emeric's emotions were boiling up more than ever.

They reached the tall wall that surrounded the city. As the giant barrier loomed over Emeric, he felt a last surge of desperation rush through him.

Emeric shoved his shoulder into the Elite to his left. The larger man, not expecting any trouble, was caught off guard as he stumbled away to regain his feet. Emeric spun on his heal and kicked the guard, who had been stationed behind him, in the gut.

The man fell back with a pained grunt.

Emeric felt a hand grab him from the side. He immediately kicked out and felt his foot connect to the attacker's knee. He too fell with a grunt.

But Emeric's minute victory didn't last as more Elites moved closer to surround him. A blow to the back of his neck finished him as he collapsed in a dazed heap of self hatred and hopelessness.

Emeric was dragged to his feet and led into the city. Everything moved past him in a blur. The blow to the back of his neck had stunned him and he seemed unable to focus on his surroundings.

He wasn't sure how long they had walked before a large building loomed up in front of them. They entered through the gate that separated the property from surrounding buildings.  They didn't however enter the building. The leader accompanied by two other Elites entered the building with a show of dignity and were only gone for a couple of minutes before they exited again followed by a tall, yet muscular man who emitted power.

The other Elites stood straighter in a show of respect as the man walked closer, but he paid the Elites no mind. His attention was focussed of the Rogues.

Emeric felt as if he wanted to shrink away from the authority that the tall man displayed. He was standing a meter away from Emeric, looking him up and down. He took a step closer and grabbed Emeric's jaw with blinding speed.

Emeric grunted with surprise and tried to pull back, but the man's vice grip was unbreakable. He turned Emeric's head from side to side as he slowly continued his examination...an evil smile spread over his face as he harshly let go of Emeric's and moved on to examine Rayhan.

The fury in Rayhan's eyes as he was being examined was even more unsettling to Emeric than the dominance emitting from the tall, mysterious man.

After a couple of seconds, the man turned to the leader of the Elites, "You did well this time, Cart." There was a slight pause as Cart nodded his head in appreciation of the praise, "Thank you, General."

"They're definitely Rogues...The crowds will enjoy the double execution tomorrow. It's been a while since we presented them with Rogues."

The General's words made Emeric turn as white as snow.

His mind fazed out and he couldn't make out any more of the words shared between the two men of power. Reality became all to clear and his fate defined.

Emeric's attention slowly came back as he watched the General move closer to him once more. Cart followed and then hesitantly spoke, "Can I make a proposition?"

The General nodded his head and made a hand gesture that gave Cart permission to speak his mind.

"The kid is surprisingly skilled in combat, I think his skills can be better used to our advantage elsewhere." The General looked at Cart curiously. "What are you getting at this time?" Cart took a slow breath then continued, "The Domes. Hyatt did say that he was getting fewer spectators, that things had become a little...low key...if I can put it that way. Havin' a Rogue there might spice things up a bit." Cart sounded nervous as he made his suggestion.

The General slowly nodded as he took in the information. He then started moving around Emeric, examining him once more.

Emeric wasn't sure what they were talking about, he'd never heard of the Domes before, but the pale, fearful look on his father's face as the suggestion became vocal made Emeric believe that the Domes weren't all too pleasant.

The General nodded approval after a few minutes of consideration. "It could work." He stated after a while.

The General clasped his hands together and then spoke in a carrying voice as he directed all the Elites standing near by, "Take that one to the cells, he'll be executed at noon tomorrow. The kid goes to the Dome. Get going!"

Things were suddenly moving too fast for Emeric...He was being dragged away by Elites...away from his father. And then the General's words sprang to his mind...His father was being executed...

Emeric jerked away from the Elites, "No." he yelled as other Elites gripped his father's arms and started escorting him away in a different direction. Rayhan also started struggling against the restraints, his eyes meeting Emeric's, "No. You can't send him there...please, no."

Rayhan attacked his captors with everything in him. Slamming his shoulder into one's sternum and head butting another. But no matter how ferocious he got, the Elites still managed to drag him further away.

Emeric doubled his struggle as the Elites slowly but surely managed to drag him further away, "No, please.." he stammered as he tried getting back to his father.

"Emeric." He heard his father call his name. "You do what you must to survive, alright? Do whatever you have to." His father instructed rashly.

Tears started springing in Emeric's eyes as his desperation grew even higher. He threw an elbow up into one of the Elite's face, nocking him back. With only one man still holding on to him, Emeric increased his struggle.

But it was hopeless, his father was nearing a corner, almost out of view. Their eyes met and they both knew...it was the last time they would ever see each other.

Everything they wanted to say to each other reflected from their eyes as they refused to look away. Emeric thought back to all the good times in the woods, all the training, all the stupid jokes...

Rayhan was dragged around the corner...out of sight...out of Emeric's life.

"Dad." He yelled desperately as he couldn't see his anchor in life anymore. His father had made him who he was and without his father he was lost. A ship lost at see. Without his father, Emeric had no purpose in life...He had lived to make his father proud...Now his father was being dragged away like cattle on their way to the slaughter house.

"No..." Emeric said under his breath as his heart shattered...

More Elites rushed towards him, but he didn't put up a fight anymore. It was all over. His purpose in life had been ripped away.

A threaded bag was pulled over his head as they pulled him further away...

Emeric only registered that they had entered a building when a large shadow fell over him and the chill inside the stone walls gripped at him. His breathing was unsteady and he couldn't forget that last glance at his father. All the emotions in his father's eyes.

They were guided through many doors and corridors before they reached a large room that looked like a study or office.

A man was seated behind the desk, his focus of the scroll in front of him. He looked up after a couple of silenced seconds.

When he saw Emeric, his eyes widened. "What is this?" He questioned with mild surprise. The bag was ripped off of Emeric's head, the sudden brightness stunning him momentarily.

The man sitting behind the desk jumped back with a yelp of fright, "Why did you bring that beast in here, Cart?"

Cart grinned.

"It's good to see you too Hyatt." The man named Hyatt shot a disgusted look at Emeric before moving his attention back to the leader of the Elites, "Can I ask you to get to the point Cart, a Dome Keeper doesn't have time to waste." Cart raised an amused eyebrow at the Hyatt's arrogance, he was much younger than the Elite leader after all.

"Have it your way," Cart grumbled. "The General sent you a little gift, to make your Dome a bit more...entertaining." Cart gestured at Emeric as he explained. Emeric kept his gaze downcast, still unable to get his father's face out of his mind.

Hyatt's scoffed, "That rat won't last one match." Cart grinned defiantly, "It took eight of my men to take him down, some of them won't recover from their injuries...I can assure you, he'll last long." Hyatt stroked his beard as he considered the information, "If you insist." He muttered after a while.

Cart had a satisfied grin on his face.

Hyatt rang a small bell. A few seconds later, half a dozen guards entered the room. "Take the prisoner to the executioners' cells. And put a ring on him." Hyatt ordered before returning his attention to Cart. I hope you're right about this. People might think I'm becoming desperate, sending a Rogue into the Dome."

Cart only nodded and departed from the room as Emeric was led away.

*****

The underground cells were ice cold and sent shivers up Emeric's spine as he was led down. He didn't put up any struggle. It was no use. He had no idea where he was nor where his father was, so escape was practically useless.

Emeric was led into a small room with a furnace burning in the corner. A lump started from in Emeric's throat as he watched one of the guards move to a rack on the side of the room that contained iron cuffs, just large enough to tightly fit around a wrist.

Emeric felt his bound wrists being released, but his left arm was seized and twisted into a position that threatened to tear his shoulder out of its socket.

Emeric stayed still, not wanting to prompt anything unpleasant from the guard.

Two halves of the iron loop was clamped shut around Emeric's wrist. Molten iron was dripped over the points where the loops met.

The molten iron was hammered until it was set in a permanent position. The iron loop was tight around Emeric's wrist and he knew that after a few hours it would start irritating his skin...but he didn't care anymore...There was no reason to care about anything anymore.

Emeric was consumed in his own thoughts as he heard a metallic click of a lock unlocking and then he was shoved into a small cell. He hadn't realised that they'd left the small room.

The cell was small and dark. It was barely a meter wide and a meter and a half in length. Emeric wouldn't be able to straighten his legs if he lay down.

The cell's dreariness only added to his depression as he once again thought of his father.

He wondered where he was stuck, living his last hours. Was he also locked up in a dark cell?

Emeric sank down to the ground with a fateful sigh. 'What now?' was the only question echoing through his head...over and over again.