Chapter 14

A loud, echoing clang woke Emeric from a deep sleep the next morning.  He slowly blinked his eyes open only to spot two guards standing by his open cell gate, "Get up." The order echoed down the cell hall and made the other prisoners stir as they too woke up.

Emeric slowly complied.  But his mind was racing.  They weren't supposed to come for him for another week, why were they here?

Emeric stood silently shocked as they bound his wrists behind his back and led him out of the cell hall.  They went through a number of dark, unfamiliar corridors that finally led to large metal, barred gates...Not wooden door like at Deepdale. 

Emeric swallowed nervously as he realised that Calvert didn't care if he was injured or not...He was expected to fight regardless.

The huge metal gates swung open silently on well oiled hinges.  A cool breaze blew over Emeric's face, carrying scents of the outside world to Emeric. He took a deep breathe savoring the feeling that made him feel free for a few seconds.

As Emeric was guided outside the crowd fell silent...Shocked by the sight of a Rogue...'Idiots.'  Emeric mentally criticized. 

Emeric curiously took in the Dome.  It was much larger than the one in Deepdale.  The walls were taller and the pole was also placed higher up. 

A long, heavy chain hung from the pole, at least that was identical to the one in Deepdale.  Some form of familiarity for Emeric to go by.  The chain was locked onto his cuff, but he was used to it by now...Just a daily routine.  His wrists were released and the anticipation for the starting horn to blast grew in Emeric. 

While he waited, Emeric watched with surprise as a guard drove a sword into the ground just out of his reach.  Another guard did the same for his opponent on the far side of the death hole.  They were both armed...The battle was going to be harder than usual...

*****

Aire was busy going through her notes when her thoughts silently traveled to the Etreshian she had met the previous day.  She thought of the horrid wound on his back and decided that she should probably check on it.

She signalled a couple of guards who were passing by her medical room, "Will you please fetch the Etreshian?" The guards shared uncomfortable looks between each other, "We just took him to the Dome." The oldest of the two said. 

Aire paled, "He's not supposed to go there this week." She exclaimed as she headed for the door.  "Sorry, Miss. We were just following Calvert's orders."  Aire pushed past them and hurried down the corridor that led to the treacherous Dome. 

She angrily muttered to herself as she hastily made her way to the arena.  She turned around the last corner and reached the iron gates that signalled the entrance to the sand arena...She spotted Emeric through bars, standing rigged with tension as he waited for the starting horn to sound it's mournful blast.

*****

"What are you doing here?" Emeric heard the accusing voice demand from behind him.  He turned and spotted Aire on the other side of the gates, looking at him with pent up fury, "I wasn't given much of a choice." he stated defensively, sounding as worried as Aire appeared. 

He took a deep breath to calm his growing nerves, he didn't feel ready for the battle.  "I'll go talk to Calvert, he can't expect you to fight with an injury like that." Aire said as she started to turn away.  "There's not enough time." Emeric called after her in a deflated voice, and just as the words left his mouth, the starting horn blasted...

Emeric met Aire's shocked gaze for a second before he turned away and sailed up the chain with incredible speed that left Aire speechless.

Emeric took note of the fact that their wasn't a guard stationed on the pole, but discarded the thought of staying on it.  The beating he had received for it last time was still clear in his memory. 

He wrapped his legs around the pole and undid the lock to release his wrist.  He silently dropped to the ground and rolled to soften the impact, but instantly regretted the move when he felt his wound tear open and blood started trickling down his back.  He felt Aire's eyes bore into him.  He had to ignore it.

He grabbed his weapon and charged at his opponent who had also managed to free himself from his chain and also had his weapon in hand.  The two Domers charged at each other, two predators preparing for a fight to the death. 

The distance grew smaller by the second and before Emeric could think twice about what was happening, the two offenders were only a few meters apart.  Emeric's opponent brought his sword up to prepare for an attack, but instead of doing the same, Emeric stooped down and using the point of his sword, he flicked sand into the man's eyes. 

The Domer cried out in horror as he realised he was temporarily blinded.  He blindly swung his sowrd, trying to ward off Emeric, but the Rogue had already moved to stand behind his opponent.  He brought the hilt of his sword down onto the man's scull with an immense blow that made the offender crumple on impact...

He lay sprawled in the sand...unmoving.

Emeric walked away as if nothing had happened...back to the iron gate where guards would take him back to his cell.

The battle hadn't even lasted two minutes.  The crowds were shocked by the swift defeat and sat in awestruck wonder as they watched the Rogue slowly make his way to the side of the Dome.

Emeric looked uncaring about the defeat, but that was because he knew something that the crowds didn't.  Although the blow to the head had been a hard one, it hadn't been hard enough to take a life.  The Domer was simply knocked out and would wake with little more than a headache.

The iron gates swung open and guards bound Emeric's hand together.  However, as they started taking him back to his cell, Aire stopped them, "Take him to the medical room."  Emeric felt uncomfortable by the prospect, but he walked along docilely as the guards led him away.  Aire was following a few feet behind.

He felt his clothes stick to his back, already soaked with blood.

A few minutes later, Emeric found himself sitting back on the medical table, shirt in hand as Aire inspected his back.  "Well done."  Aire said with a hint of sarcasm, "You've reopened your wound."

Emeric felt a lump forming in his throat, "Do you need to cauterize it again?" The fear was evident in his voice.

"I don't know." Aire replied as she started cleaning the wound. When most of the blood cleared, she had a better view of what damage had been done.

"Good news," Aire stated with a relieved tone of voice, "I won't have to cauterize it again. Only a small area reopened, and the blood is already starting to clot."

Emeric let out a relieved breath. "Thanks goodness." he softly stated.

Aire gently applied another ointment to his wound once she'd thoroughly cleaned it. 

After a few seconds, she let out a sigh, "There you go, all done."  She stepped back and allowed Emeric to pull his shirt on again. 

"Thank you."  He said when he rolled his shoulders to relieve some of the tension that had built up. 

"Just doing my job." Aire said with a kind smile.  After a few seconds of silence she shyly asked, "Uhm...what's your name.  I mean, you'd probably appreciate not just being called 'the Etreshian'."

Emeric gave a shy grin, "Emeric." He introduced himself, but before Aire could give any form of reply, the door burst open and Calvert stormed in-followed by two guards.

He came to a fuming halt in front of Emeric who had gotten to his feet after spotting Calvert. The Dome Keeper glared at Emeric, "Guess what." He stated in a deadly tone of voice.

Emeric stayed quiet, not wanting to say anything that would provoke the fuming older man.

"Your opponent, the one you were supposed to kill, is still breathing." Calvert took a threatening step towards Emeric, causing the Rogue to take one backwards in retreat.

Emeric feigned surprise at the words, "Really?" He asked in a manner that made him seem innocent.

"Don't try and fool me, Rogue...Hyatt warned me of your ploys and how you refuse to kill if not closely watched."

Emeric allowed a few moments of silence to pass before he gave an answer.

"I don't know what you're talking about."  Emeric softly replied. 

Before Emeric could blink, Calvert took a step closer to him, he grabbed Emeric by the collar, jerked him forward and hit him squarely in the face.  Emeric grunted with pain as he fell to the ground.

He slowly got back to his feet and met Aire's shocked gaze.  A small trickle of blood ran from Emeric's split lip.  He worked his jaw from side to side, testing it to see if it was broken.  To his releif it wasn't.

"Watch your words, Rogue.  Next time I won't be as forgiving."  Calvert stated in a soft tone that drove fear into Emeric.

'Right, forgiving...' Emeric thought.

"And if you spare your opponent's life once more..." He let the sentence hang, allowing Emeric's mind to come up with all kinds of scenarios. 

"Is that understood?"

Emeric lowered his gaze out of fear and to put on a show of respect, "Yes sir." 

With a curt nod, Calvert left the room.  Followed by his two guards.

Emeric let out a sigh and sank down to the working table.  His head was throbbing from the blow. 

"I find it quite disrespectful that he just storms in here and beats my patients.  I mean, I was busy treating your wounds and comes and gives you more...". Aire muttered angrily whilst shaking her head.

Her words brought an amused grin to Emeric's lips...he was pleased that he wasn't the only person who disliked Calvert.

"If that's all, I should probably get back to my cell."  Emeric said after a long stretch of silence. 

Aire raised an eyebrow, "Because you like it so much in there?"  She questioned sarcastically.

Emeric found himself smiling for the first time in months, "You have no idea."

And with that the guards came and took Emeric away.