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After Earth Went Dark: Chapter 8
Even though they had made their exit quickly, there was still a massive throng waiting outside the fighters' entrance that they had to push though. Rob manhandled their way to the front and as they did, the door opened, and Tyr emerged.
The crowd around them cheered and Elliot rushed forward and hugged his friend around the waist. Tyr tentatively patted the boy on the back before waving awkwardly to the mob.
"Good job!" Rob congratulated, clapping Tyr on the shoulder. "They won't forget that anytime soon."
Even Elliot's mother's usually care-worn face was cracked by a soft smile. The group of five stood close as the mass of people around them tried to push in to get a look at the unknown champion that had so easily handled the opening duel.
"Make way now! Move aside!" Several loud voices carried over the noise of the throng. Elliot turned to see a small tightly packed group force their way through. There were three men, all dressed in the Roman-soldier-type uniforms that the security had been wearing.
"You're the one called Tyr?" The man in the center asked as the other two continued to shove the crowd back.
Tyr nodded simply, but Rob interjected. "What's this about?"
"Your presence is requested in the Royal Lounge. Please follow us." The man did not wait to see if they would obey, but the three turned in unison and began to force their way back through the gathered people.
"The Royal Lounge?" Elliot's mother's voice carried a generous amount of sarcasm.
Rob shrugged. "They may as well be royalty around here. They own half the town. It wouldn't be smart to ignore them. Besides, it could be they just want to congratulate you on the win." He addressed it to Tyr but didn't sound convinced.
They followed after the guards. Once they had left the small crowd behind, Tyr's minor celebrity faded, and they were able to move more freely. The entrance to the Royal Lounge was on the far side of the arena and up a long flight of stairs. Two more security guards stood outside the entrance.
Elliot sucked in a breath as they were ushered inside. The room was large but not massive, but what made it impressive was the wide variety of immaculate furnishings. Comfortable antique-looking sofas were arranged on one side with patterned rugs underneath. The entrance to the arena overlook was open and Elliot could just hear the noise from outside. On the other side of the room was a steaming pool of water set into the floor that bubbled invitingly. Potted plants hung from the walls and swaths of purple cloth decorated the rafters. Up until now, Elliot hadn't thought this kind of luxury still existed in the world.
Lounging casually across one of the sofas Elliot recognized the man Rob had pointed out as Adrian. He slowly sat up as they entered, his sharp features forming into an inviting but somehow intimidating smile.
"Ah good. I'd hoped you'd accept my invitation." He looked to the guards that had escorted them. "That will be all, thank you gentlemen."
The guards filed out and Adrian stood to greet them. "Welcome to our humble little lounge. Please, come in. Have a seat all of you. You must be tired."
There was very little humble about the lounge, Elliot knew. Something about this man put him on edge, but he wasn't sure what it was. He was a little bit too smooth, too well-groomed. His face was handsome and friendly, but his eyes were calculating and intelligent.
When they sat, Elliot found that the sofas were as comfortable as they looked. Compared to the hard bench seats in the arena it felt like sitting on a cloud. He made sure to sit close to Tyr. Kara, their mother, and Rob sat on another couch.
"Ah, where are my manners?" Adrian sat down across from them. "I am Adrian Jackson, but I assume you knew that already. Care for some refreshments?"
Rob cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ah, no. Thank you for offering."
"Nonsense!" Adrian rang a small bell that sat on the low carved coffee table in front of him. "I'll bet that it's been a while since you've had fresh fruits. Strawberries, grapes, watermelon?
Elliot shifted in his seat. He was hungry. And fresh fruit was a very rare treat indeed.
A young man dressed in a white robe came in carrying a platter which he set on the coffee table before inclining his head in an almost-bow to Adrian and retreating from the room. The platter held an assortment of fruits, some of which Elliot hadn't seen in years. Slices of ripe banana lay as the centerpiece of the arrangement.
"How did you get bananas up here?" Elliot's mother asked. Elliot could tell that the effects of the tray of fruit were not lost on the rest of the group either. Even Tyr's lips were pursed in what Elliot assumed was as close as he got to showing his hunger.
Adrian grinned slyly and picked up a thin slice of banana. "We have our ways ma'am. You might find that there are a number of commodities here in Clearview that are to your liking." He popped the piece of fruit into his mouth and closed his eyes for a moment, savoring. "Please. Eat." Adrian said, moving the table forward a little. "We have a lot to talk about. I always like talking better after a bite to eat, don't you agree?"
Elliot could not wait for permission. He reached out quickly and picked up one of the sliced strawberries. His mother looked about to reprimand him but then sighed and took a piece of banana for herself. The rest of the group followed shortly after, unable to resist the temptation.
It was unbelievable how fresh fruit tasted after having lived mostly on rabbit stew or canned meat and vegetables for years. Elliot had a hard time not shoveling pieces into his mouth at a ravenous pace. There were plump blueberries and raspberries, juicy slices of watermelon, and the perfectly ripe and no doubt very rare bananas.
The five of them polished off the platter in a matter of minutes, with Adrian only picking out a spare piece here and there. When it was empty, Kara picked up one of the leaves that had been used for garnish as if she hoped to find one last berry hidden underneath.
"Not to worry, my friends." Adrian assured. "There's plenty more where that came from."
"Adri, are you entertaining our guests without me?" A lilting voice came from the wide doorway that was open to the arena overlook.
The woman that had been sitting next to Alexander wagged a finger at her lounging brother-in-law. "I told you I wanted to meet them."
"Now, now Leah." Adrian said in an injured tone. "You know I'd never go against your wishes. Our new friends were just having some refreshment before we get to know each other."
Leah scanned the seated figures and when her eyes fell on Elliot, her face lit up. "Awe. Look at you." She said sweetly. "You poor thing, you're too adorable for this nasty world." She gave Elliot a cheery smile as she sat down next to Adrian.
As she settled in, even Elliot, as young as he was, noticed how close the two of them were. Closer than a married woman should sit to her brother-in-law, he thought. Rob shifted uncomfortably. The rest of the group was obviously thinking along the same lines.
"Now that we've had some time to relax a little, let's get down to business." Adrian leaned forward. "Tyr, is it?"
Tyr nodded once.
"Just Tyr then? Named after the Norse god of justice and heroism I assume?" Adrian asked with a knowing smile.
Tyr's eyebrow raised only slightly. Elliot knew from experience that was Tyr's equivalent of a shout of surprise.
"It's a fitting name." Adrian continued. "And an interesting tattoo to go with it." He indicated Tyr's upper arm. "What is Project Aesir?"
That got a reaction Elliot had never seen before. Tyr clamped his hand over the tattoo on his arm so fast that it made everyone in the room jump in surprise.
Adrian gave him an apologetic smile. "I read quite a bit, you see. Runes aren't that difficult to decipher."
Slowly, Tyr withdrew his hand, looking slightly embarrassed by his outburst. "It's nothing." He said eventually.
"Clearly." Adrian nodded. "Not my business anyhow, and that's not why we're here."
"So... why are we here?" Kara asked. Elliot noticed that there was something strange about the way she looked at Adrian, he didn't know what it was though.
"Well thank you for asking." He replied with a winning smile, then turned back to Tyr. "That was an impressive performance you put on out there today. Especially with Brogan the Bone Crusher."
"That ugly brute deserved a lot worse." Leah said with some venom.
Adrian chuckled. "My darling sister-in-law was not thrilled that we were considering him for the role of Royal Champion this year." Leah just rolled her eyes in response. "You, Tyr have caused us a bit of a problem. Brogan won't likely recover in time to make a good showing. And we can't pick a Royal Champion that got so roundly thrashed in the opening duel."
Every time Adrian said the words "Royal Champion", Elliot saw his mother's eyes narrow slightly at the arrogance of it.
"We've come to a much better solution though." Leah said with a smile.
Adrian nodded. "My brother is not as enthusiastic about the idea. We've managed to convince him however to buy out your sponsor and let you represent us in the Tournament as the Royal Champion."
Rob's jaw nearly hit the floor, but he recovered quickly. "Well that's... big news. But Tyr is a major investment opportunity as you clearly saw. A buy out would have to be... substantial."
"It's not your choice!" Elliot interjected indignantly.
The corner of Adrian's mouth twitched. "The boy is right, my friend. The choice lies with Tyr in the end. Don't worry about your compensation however. We remember our friends and treat them well."
All eyes turned to Tyr and he shifted in his seat. After a moment of silence, he said, "Maybe we should... discuss it first."
"Of course!" Adrian nodded. "Take your time. Leah and I will return to watch the free-for-all. Send for one of the guards when you've made your decision. But remember, there are enormous perks to being chosen for this. You and your friends will reap the benefits." He stood and offered a hand to Leah. The two walked out to the overlook, leaving the group to talk over the situation.
Rob stood as soon as they had left, running a hand through his thinning hair. "Royal Champion... I never would have thought..."
"What does it mean?" Kara asked.
"The Royal Champion is never chosen this early." Rob stated firmly. "Usually they aren't selected until after the first week. It means that they've been singled out as the favorite to win, and the Jacksons buy out their sponsor or become the sponsor if they don't have one already. If they've decided on Tyr already after the opening duel, then they must be very confident."
"He's good." Elliot stated firmly. "They should be confident." He thought he saw the edge of Tyr's mouth twitch.
"What would happen if we accepted their offer?" Elliot's mother asked. "Provided that's what Tyr wants to do."
Elliot looked to Tyr for input, but he seemed content to observe quietly. Rob continued. "Well, for one you'd be required to participate in all headline events. That means at least one match or competition a day for the next two weeks. For two, it sort of paints a target on you. Everyone wants to get a piece of the Royal Champion. It's almost an unofficial event in itself."
"Why would we want to do that?" Elliot demanded.
"There are benefits as well." Rob said. "The Royal Champion is paid for his services. Even if Tyr lost an event, he would still be compensated for it. The Jacksons would also put you up in the royal suites at the hotel and arrange for anything you need or want to be taken care of."
"Well, that sounds... kinda nice..." Kara admitted.
"Royal Champions also gain a bit of a reputation in the area, even if they don't win the Tournament. Their name carries weight for years after, like a folk hero almost."
"But it's more dangerous?" Elliot asked skeptically.
Rob shrugged. "No risk, no reward. If it's money you're after, this is probably the best way for both of us. If it's fame, then it's definitely for the best. It wouldn't hurt my reputation either to say that one of my picks got sniped for Royal Champion."
Eyes turned eventually to Tyr, who still had not spoken. After a long and thoughtful moment, he nodded resolutely. "Alright. We'll do it."
Elliot half-frowned. "Are you sure? You don't have to do that for us."
Tyr surprised him by gently patting his shoulder. Elliot was pretty sure it was the first time Tyr had initiated physical contact in front of others. The gesture came off as brotherly, but Elliot thought he felt something more to it.
"Don't worry about me."
"Alright then." Rob nodded. "We'll inform our hosts. This means we'll be going our separate ways professionally. I will probably stay for the tournament though. Don't hesitate to come find me if you need anything."
As Rob said, when they informed Adrian of their intent to accept his offer, he sent one of his men with Rob to haggle about price. The four of them stayed behind at the request of their new patron.
"So," Adrian tented his hands in front of him. "You've proven you can fight, but the Royal Champion is more than a fighter. Our champion has to inspire people. He has to be a leader, an icon. You need to perform and capture the imaginations of our spectators."
Tyr frowned. Elliot could tell that he was a little lost.
"We need a story for you that people connect with. It can be simple, and it doesn't even have to be true. Just something to give you that `hero' quality." Adrian grinned. "How old are you by the way? Early twenties? It's hard to place but you can't be too much younger than I."
Tyr made a non-committal shrug. "Old enough." He looked at Elliot subtly. "Young enough."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "I know you've got this whole `man-of-mystery' persona going on, but can't you work with me a little bit?"
Tyr was about to reply but Leah reentered the room and Adrian looked up.
"Ah good. Leah is better at this sort of thing than I am." She came to sit next to him again. "So, for Tyr I'm thinking something like, warrior from the north on a vigilante mission to clean up this lawless new world. What do you think?"
Tyr let out a breath quickly through his nose which Elliot realized with surprise was a silent laugh.
Leah nodded. "That could work. A modern Viking hero?"
"Exactly." Adrian turned back to Tyr. "How quickly can you grow a beard?"
Tyr frowned, and Leah slapped her brother-in-law's arm. "No, no. Look at him. You can't hide a face like that behind a beard. We will need to do something about your hair though."
"My hair...?" Tyr was decidedly not impressed with this statement. Elliot looked at his friend though and had to admit that maybe Leah was right. He liked Tyr's tangled disheveled mess of hair, but he was curious to see what it would look like if it were well-groomed and cared for.
"We'll also need an emblem." Leah continued as if Tyr hadn't spoken. "We can use that symbol from your shoulder if you want. I'm thinking blood red against a forest green backing, how does that sound?"
"Perfect." Adrian interjected, not giving Tyr a chance to get a word in. "Take the rest of the day and relax. We'll have someone show you to your suites. Maybe watch a few matches if you want. First thing tomorrow you'll be fetched for a makeover."
Tyr almost noticeably flinched at the word `makeover'. He looked about to raise an objection but decided against it.
"Your family can come too." Leah said. "It looks like you've had a long trip, some spa time and attention might do you some good."
Elliot perked up at this. The shower and bed at Fitz's hotel had been nice, but he sensed from the luxury he had seen so far that the accommodations here would make those look plain. He also liked that Leah had referred to them as Tyr's family. He did seem like a part of the family after the weeks he had spent guiding and protecting them.
"You'll find all our accommodations to your liking I think." Adrian assured. "You'll also have a tribute box in your name set up for you tomorrow. Believe me when I say that you're going to need it."
"What's a tribute box?" Elliot asked.
Leah smiled at him warmly. "When a champion is as impressive and handsome as your friend here, he's going to start to get quite a few fans. Devoted fans like to leave things in a tribute box for their favored champions. Notes of encouragement, gifts, or sometimes favors for the champion to wear on his person. Pins or handkerchiefs, that kind of thing." She turned to Tyr and her voice took on a different tone. "Sometimes the young women in the crowd express certain... interests as well."
Elliot wasn't sure he liked what she was saying or the way she looked at Tyr when she said it. Adrian appeared similarly disenchanted and rolled his eyes. "Yes, well... in that regard if you have need of any..." He looked between Elliot and Kara and then to their mother, obviously judging what was appropriate, before returning his eyes to Tyr, "... discrete company, that can be arranged as well."
Kara snorted, and Elliot shook his head, but Adrian did not take offense. He gave Tyr instructions on what to expect in the coming days. Some of the events that he mentioned Elliot thought sounded interesting, a team battle, a reenactment, unarmed fights, and several others. Through it all though was the continuing competition of four-man matches like the one they had seen today that led up to the final duel.
"Well," Adrian finally brought his speech to a close. "I've taken up enough of your time. If you don't have any questions we can have a man escort you to your rooms, and then the rest of the day is yours. Enjoy it."
Tyr and Adrian shook hands before they were escorted from the lounge by one of the guards. They agreed to go and check out the accommodations before deciding what to do next. Elliot was more than a little overwhelmed by the day's events and thought some relaxation time might be nice. He thought it would be especially nice if he could have some alone time with Tyr.