Chapter 9: Chapter 9 – Destination

The prisoners were herded off the ship and lined up on the shore some distance away from the docks. In the background, sailors unloaded cargo and supplies and placed them on the dock, where workers from the island grabbed them and hefted them farther into the island. The guards that were on the island had different uniforms than what the Silmian’s had worn.

The men wore bluish gray tabards over their chain mail, and every man had the same strange clamshell rank insignia Grayson had seen the guard captain from Silmia wearing, though the number of stripes varied. The tabards of all the guards had an equilateral triangle divided into six equal pieces by lines meeting at a point in the center. The helmets were different as well, sporting a roman look, instead of the conical helmets the Silmian guards had worn.

After being lined up, Grayson caught sight of a man making his way toward them. He was easy to pick out because instead of the bluish gray uniforms that all the other men wore, he had a maroon uniform with silver embellishments. He walked up to their group with a couple of guards in tow. The man spoke up, addressing the prisoners. I am Lord Thran of the great city league, warden of Endeavor Island. I will tell you this one time that I do not tolerate any disruptions on this island. Do not cause trouble for me, and I will not make your stay here worse than it needs to be. Those who create problems for me will be dealt with harshly. You are already dead according to the world outside this island. Am I understood?

An awkward silence descended, and the warden looked out expectantly until the prisoners nodded their heads, and Grayson nodded along.

The man didn’t elaborate more than that, but by the looks on everyone’s faces, they seemed to get the message. Anyone who didn’t fall in line could be killed and no one would care. Grayson didn’t actually believe that the man would simply kill people for making trouble. It was more along the lines of- ‘I could kill you if I wanted, so if they let me kill prisoners, I can do just about anything I want, and it wouldn’t matter’.

“Excellent.” The man said, turning to the guards surrounding the prisoners. “These men will show you to your housing. Follow their instructions and stay in line. You have been warned.”

With that, the man walked away, trailed by his two guards. Once again, Grayson and General Trest were separated from the rest of the prisoners and the two groups parted, though they walked in similar directions.

They walked a fair distance before a fenced in compound came into view.  Grayson took his time inspecting the place as they made their way farther into the island. Guards were posted everywhere, and it looked like security was extremely tight. There was more security than Grayson thought was probably necessary. You could hardly walk two feet without running into a soldier or guard. Instead of feeling like a prison, this felt more like a military outpost.

It made sense when he thought about it. If this place was as important to the war effort as the general had implied, then it would be an obvious target for the enemy to attack.

The more he looked around, the more he noticed that their little group was drawing a great deal of attention from the onlooking guards. Grayson’s features seemed to draw in their attention at first, but it was General Trest who kept it. Occasionally, a guard would recognize the general, and they would hurriedly begin to speak to a neighboring guard until the rumor was spreading like wildfire. It would have been amusing to watch if there weren’t what felt like hundreds of guards staring at their little group. Grayson was growing self-conscious from all the attention, so he was relieved when they reached the gate, one of the guards grabbed two bundles from a small stack near the entrance. They passed through the gate, which was staffed by over a dozen guards, but stopped just after entering. Inside the compound there were only two buildings, with around fifteen prisoners, all men, wandering through the open space in the courtyard. Grayson got some dark looks, but wasn’t able to think about it too much because he was distracted by a cough from the guard.

Grayson looked back and saw that the man had been waiting for Grayson to listen before speaking. The guard gave him a pointed look, but began without commenting on his lapse.

“Your residence is the building on the left,” the guard said, pointing to one side of the compound. “This will be where you live for the duration of your stay on the island. Every two days at the break of dawn you will be summoned to enter the proving grounds. Do not make us search for you. If you have a quarrel with another prisoner, save it for the proving grounds. Any fighting will result in punishment for both parties, regardless of the aggressor. Punishments depend on the warden’s mood, and I wouldn’t want anything to do with one of his punishments on a good day.”

The guard handed each of them a bundle before leaving, and Grayson watched the gates shut behind them. Grayson turned back to see the general’s reaction, but the man was already walking purposefully toward the building.

Shrugging, he trailed behind the man. When he reached the building, he was surprised to find that it looked surprisingly nice inside. Sure, it hadn’t been cared for, and the walls were scratched with graffiti, but he had been expecting hole in the ground conditions. It looked dry and far more comfortable than both the holding cell, and the cage on the wagon.

Before he could do anything else, the doorway darkened.

“So they’re sending Valintians here?” A voice said, dripping with derision. “What are you? Some spy they caught, or are they sending prisoners of war here now?”

The man was large, and well-muscled, with a scar running in a diagonal line across his entire face. Grayson couldn’t help but think he looked like a villain. The man walked over to where Grayson was standing, moving right into his space. They were about the same height, which meant the man could probably loom over most other people on this world. Grayson gulped, trying not to fall for the obvious intimidation tactic, but he was having a hard time of it. He was no fighter, and this man looked downright feral. The only thing that didn’t have Grayson cowering at this point was that the guards seemed to be fairly strict on enforcing the no fighting rule.

“I’m not a Valintian,” Grayson said, trying with everything he had not to look weak in front of the man. Something told him if he showed any weakness, this place would become even more of a nightmare than it was already supposed to be.

The man stepped farther into Grayson’s space and pushed him, forcing Grayson to backpedal before his back hit the wall. The aggression surprised Grayson, as he hadn’t realized that these people hated Valintians this much. Sure, he had gotten glares and the guards had always made their distaste clear, even if they acted professional, but this man put his face right up into Grayson’s before practically growling at him as he spoke.

“Your lies won’t save you, invader. It’s your people who killed our friends and family! He pushed Grayson into the wall to emphasize his point. “It’s your people who have made us suffer!” He pushed Grayson once more. And it’s your people who have forced us into this hell begotten place!” He gave Grayson a final shove before stalking away. His two friends in the doorway gave him looks of pure hate before leaving behind the scarred man.

Grayson let out a shuddering breath. He had wanted to put on a brave front, but he had failed. Mentally, he had known that the man wouldn’t hurt him, but his body didn’t seem to care what his mind was telling it.

To try and settle his nerves, Grayson inspected the bundle the guards had given him. Undoing some strings holding the bundle together, he found a bedroll and pillow wrapped in a blanket. He let out a sigh of relief.

Travelling on the carts had done a number on his back. He had been lucky the weather was fairly mild because they hadn’t given him a blanket to block out the cold. Having something to sleep on was more than he had expected. The guards here seemed to be trying to keep them happy. Maybe it was some kind of last meal kind of treatment, or perhaps the prisoners were less likely to riot with some creature comforts allowed to them.

Whatever it was, Grayson was grateful. But instead of setting it out, he rolled up the bundle once again and carried it with him out of the building. After the confrontation with his fellow prisoner, he wasn’t going to risk leaving his precious bedroll alone. He had a feeling it would either disappear, or be torn to shreds if he did.

Looking around, he found nothing but hateful looks staring back at him, except for one balding man who simply looked curious. The man beckoned Grayson over, and with an inward shrug, Grayson decided to walk on over. He had been planning on scoping out the perimeter of the compound, still trying to live up to the promise he made to himself to escape and get back at Velos, but if he found a friendly prisoner who could give him more specifics on this place, he wouldn’t turn that down. This man would know a lot more about this place, and it would be nice to be fully informed for once.

The man patted the ground next to him in a clear indication for Grayson to sit, so he did.

“Well friend, what brings you here?”

Grayson hesitated before speaking, and the man added on. “Do not worry, I will not judge. Everyone in this compound is here for the grave crimes they have committed. There are murderers and rapists among our number. We all have a story, and if you do not wish to tell yours, I will not pry.”

Grayson’s skin crawled at the statement. The man had meant to reassure him, but suddenly, he felt even less safe in the compound. Looking back around at the hateful looks from all the other men inside the place, he almost couldn’t stop a wry smile from crossing his face. It was funny to him that even the very worst society had to offer were looking down on him.

I really have fallen on hard times since arriving on Selenya, he thought, a wry smile coming to his lips.

Despite it all, Grayson had taken a liking to the man sitting next to him. Something about him was just charming.

“I touched the effigy in Silmia.” Grayson said.

The man’s eyebrows shot upward at the statement. He let out a belly laugh afterward. “Archbishop Sandoval must have been furious.” The man said after his laugh and started to fade.

Grayson grinned, the man’s mirth was infectious. “Yeah, he was. Sent me straight here for it.” The balding man gave him a raised eyebrow, that seemed to say he knew there was more to the story, but didn’t press any further.

“I’m sorry, but I forgot to introduce myself.” The man said, “I’m Brother Capso. It is a pleasure to meet you. I haven’t laughed liked that in a very long time.”

“You’re a priest?” Grayson asked in surprise. “And you’re not angry that I touched the statue.”

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“No.” the man said, the calm smile back on his face. “Some followers of Velos have become a little too zealous in demonstrating outward righteousness. It can distract from the importance of inward righteousness. I respect Archbishop Sandoval deeply, but I have noticed he is quite susceptible to this particular practice.”

“All this is to say that I don’t believe you should have touched the statue, as it is holy to the order, but it does not make me angry that you did. I am certain that Archbishop Sandoval overreacted to the infraction.”

“So what brings you here then?” Grayson asked, curious to see how this calm, seemingly well put together man would end up with the most vile of criminals.

“I mentioned that there were murderers in our number, and I must confess I am one of them.”

Grayson’s eyebrows rose. The man seemed nothing more than kind and gentle.

Brother Capso laughed at the expression. “Yes, I regret it with all of my being, but it is the truth.” His face fell as he spoke, and the man didn’t elaborate, so Grayson didn’t pry.

Suddenly realizing he hadn’t introduced himself, Grayson decided that was the best way to continue on with the conversation.

“It’s good to meet you, Brother Capso. My name is Grayson Walker.” It was almost reflex to shake the man’s hand while introducing himself, but he held himself back, dipping his head instead. That seemed to be the custom here, so he decided to follow it.

“Would you be willing to tell me a bit about the proving grounds?” Grayson asked the man.

“Of course.” The man said, a serious expression growing on his face. “They are extremely dangerous. Do not think you are safe because the world around you is calm. There is always a danger lying in wait. Many people die on their first time in the aquadome, so you should be extra careful. Once you have experienced the dangers, it becomes much easier, but I cannot stress this enough, be incredibly cautious.”

It would be impossible to cover everything because I don’t think anyone has ever truly discovered every threat, but I can tell you about the greater dangers of the proving ground. First, you must understand that everything in the proving grounds has the potential to be dangerous. There are creatures in there that have exceptional camouflage. Do not become so engrossed in avoiding one danger that you fall for another. That is how most die in the aquadome.

Grayson nodded, trying to remember every word. This was truly the difference between life and death.

“The creatures with camouflage aren’t dangerous as long as you don’t stray too close. All the jellyfish are venomous; stay clear of their tentacles. Actually, almost everything is venomous, so try not to touch what you don’t have to. Most of the larger predators stay clear of the kelp forests, so you can enter to evade them, but I wouldn’t stay there for long. There are swarms of smaller fish called darters inside the forest that patrol the kelp. If you get caught by them, you will not survive.  We enter the aquadome in the early morning when there is enough light to see, but it is early enough that some of the more of the creatures still haven’t come out for the day. Stay away from caves and other places one of these creatures may be resting. And whatever you do, be sure to stay well clear of antennae like stalks sticking out of the sand.”

Grayson was about to ask why stay away from the antennae, but the man kept on speaking.

“One other danger you must be careful of in the aquadome is your fellow prisoners. While the guards ensure peace here, they have no way of enforcing the rules within the proving grounds. I would say to be careful not to draw the ire of the others, but I think that ship has sailed. It would appear that Darren has taken a particular disliking to you.”

Capso gestured, and Grayson looked away from the priest, back at the rest of the compound. Although many of the onlookers had lost interest, he was still getting glares now and then, especially from the group of the scarred man, whose name was Darren, apparently. What really surprised him was General Trest leaning against the fence next to him, listening to the conversation. Grayson hadn’t noticed the man at all.

“They will make an attempt on your life,” Capso continued, “and it could be more dangerous than anything else you face. You would do well to try and steer well clear of anyone in the grounds. There are certain incentives given out to ensure more prisoners survive, but those incentives aren’t enough to protect individuals.”

Great, Grayson thought. This just keeps getting better and better.

“Our task is to find the pearl. I wouldn’t search for it on your first entry. I suggest that instead you simply gain experience inside the aquadome, and wait for others to find the ascendant pearl. You will need to travel at least a little into the dome, so the guards at the borders can’t see you, but once inside you can learn about the dangers and leave once the pearl has been retrieved.”

“Why even look for the pearl at all?” Grayson asked, curious.

“Ah, because the person who finds the pearl doesn’t have to enter the aquadome for the next six days. It is quite the effective motivator for many of us. Moreover, no one is allowed to leave the aquadome until the pearl has been found.”

Six days meant skipping out on entering the grounds three times. If the aquadome was truly as fearsome as it had been described, Grayson could see why finding the pearl would be a strong motivator.

“How do you find the pearl?” Grayson asked. He intended to take the priest's advice to simply scope out the threats on his first visit to the proving grounds, but it would be good information to know in the future.

“You will feel the pearl when you are getting close.”

Grayson gave him a quizzical look, and the priest laughed.

“It’s hard to explain, but the pearl gives off pulses of power that only your soul can feel. You will know it when you feel it. Though, I must counsel you to head immediately back to the exit of the aquadome if you do find a pearl. Such a prize comes with added danger.”

The priest nodded toward some of the other men in the courtyard.

“Won’t they be angry you are speaking to me, Grayson asked with a quick nod at the men.”

“I am sure they are not pleased,” Capso said with a chuckle, “but they would not harm a priest of Velos.”

Grayson was skeptical of that, but the man had spoken with such conviction that Grayson thought he must know what he was talking about.

Brother Capso looked up at the darkening sky and spoke once more in his soft manner.

“With that said, I would suggest we all get some sleep now. Tomorrow is the next entrance day, and we will be woken up early. You will want to get as much rest as possible.”

Grayson nodded his head in thanks before standing up and walking to their building. General Trest stayed behind and began speaking to the priest, probably to catch what he might have missed of the man’s explanation.

Grayson entered his building and found a clear area where he placed his bedroll. He had trouble falling asleep, even with the best accommodations he had in weeks. Knowing what was coming the next morning sickened him, and instead of falling asleep like the priest had suggested, he ended up staring off into the distance, wondering if he would even be alive after tomorrow.

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