NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61 - The Stadium
"To light a candle is to cast a shadow,"
Ursula K. Le Guin, American Writer
They headed for the stadium in the refinery's two remaining flatbed trucks. Rocky drove the lead vehicle, Emily following close behind in the second as they wound their way through a city cast with the light of the rising sun breaking over the eastern horizon.
Bethany stood in the bed of Rocky's truck, maintaining her balance with ease as he drove along the empty streets, dodging the monsters that emerged from the shadows to strike at their little convoy. They'd grown skilled at avoiding the common ones – their behaviors were predictable once you knew what to look for – but there were monsters out there that were far less predictable, and far more dangerous.
Bethany kept her normal eye glued to the sidewalks, her Gift of Insight charged if the worst should befall them. Elias and Zee rode in the back with her, while Becka, Abigail, and Anjali watched from Emily's truck. Priyanka and the kids stayed in Emily's cab, hidden away from the dangers that surrounded them.
She wished they hadn't had to take the kids with them and wished she had pushed harder to get them trained up earlier.
They should be stronger by now. Gods, we needed them to be stronger. And now we are out of time.
They turned off Saskatchewan Drive and over the railroad tracks that ran through the center of the city, right beside the stadium.
Only it wasn't the stadium that any of them remembered.
"Holy hell!" Emily cried out the open window as they parked the vehicles in an out-of-the-way section of the lot to hide them from view. "What happened to it?"
The stadium bore little resemblance to the heart of the city it had once been. It had been twisted into a nightmarish arena, its outer walls covered in thorny vines and dark gargoyles patrolling along battlements that now ran around its perimeter. Massive, blinking eyes were imbedded in the outer walls of the complex, watching everything that approached and broadcasting it to the spectating gods. Though it remained painted green and white, the once-vibrant colors that brought joy to the city had turned sickly – its message one of death instead of life.
"Keep your eyes open," Bethany advised, calling her Hammer of Light in its ball-peen form into existence. She kept her eyes peeled for Benton, expecting him in every shadow, but so far, they appeared to be alone in the open parking lot. "Stay close. Stay together."
The twelve companions made their way carefully across the parking lot, Elias carrying a sleeping Jaya on his back, heading for the stadium's main entrance. Their winged eyes flew above them in a flock, dipping and diving to get a cinematic view of the approach.
As soon as they stepped foot on the sidewalk outside the entrance, every eye in the thorny wall turned to face them. Triumphant horns filled the air, and a red carpet rolled out across the concrete to lead them into the building.
"Well, that's ominous," Elias commented, staring up at the gargoyles who had ceased their patrol to stare down at the players below.
"Ominous? No, this is my kind of entrance," Zee chimed in ecstatically, rushing to the head of the team.
He spread his hands out broadly, as if standing on a podium addressing his fans.
"We have solved your riddle and are here to obtain the Key of Fire," Zee bellowed with enthusiastic glee. "Bring on your challenge. You shall find none more worthy than those who stand before you."
"God damn it, Zee," Rocky muttered with exasperation, head held in his palm.
Abigail strode up to Zee and wordlessly slapped him hard on the back of the head – hard enough to send him stumbling to the concrete. Zee laughed, unphased by the blow.
"If she hadn't done that, I would have," Emily whispered to Bethany.
"He's a fool," Becka chimed in from behind. "But he knows how to entertain a crowd. And, in this contest, that's a valuable skill. We are monkeys in a zoo, and monkeys that don't play aren't worth the price of admission."
Bethany stayed silent. She had seen the gods. She had strolled their hallways, and heard their ecstatic cheers as players fought and died. The gods wanted to be entertained – one way or another.
But damned if I'm going to say agree with Becka.
She glanced at Zee, who picked himself off the pavement, brushed himself off, and dipped a deep, exaggerated bow towards the gargoyles.
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I wonder… was Zee always this showy? Or did he figure this out on the first day and adapt? I hope he was always a showman, because the alternative – that this is all an act he forces himself to perform – is chilling.
"Stay sharp," Rocky hissed, pushing past Zee to take the lead as he became the first to step upon the red carpet. "Benton and his crew could be here at any moment."
As if in answer to his caution, the screech of tires erupted from the main road behind the stadium, and the air filled with the wail of police sirens.
"Shit, speak of the devil. One guess where they're headed," Emily swore, following Rocky towards the stadium entrance. She crouched just beyond the iron gate, staring between the bars at the sunken bowl beyond where the football field and lower half of the seats were located to protect spectators from the prairie wind. The entire bowl was shrouded in a dense fog, obscuring their view.
One-by-one, they stepped onto the carpet and walked carefully towards the entrance, eyes peeled at the dangers all around them. They took up position along the gate, waiting for Rocky's signal to enter.
Bethany waited at the rear, keeping watch while the others gathered. Elias remained beside her, the sleeping Jaya on his back.
"Stay safe, beautiful," he whispered in her ear. After making sure no one was them, he leaned in and gave her a gentle, fleeting kiss. "Can I see you tonight?"
Bethany, her heart beating wildly with the mix of adrenaline, fear, and anxiety, kissed him back.
"We'll see," Bethany teased with a sly smile. "I think I'll have to wash my hair. But maybe I'll call you if I find the time."
Elias gave her a sly, hopeful smile and dashed over to the gate, standing between the kids. Harmony grasped hold of his hand as she tried to stay brave, her little birds circling her head anxiously.
Look at me, playing hard to get. Emily would be proud. I don't know what will happen with us, but maybe it's alright just to enjoy the ride.
Bethany stepped onto the red carpet – the last of their team to do so.
"Well, isn't this a surprise," boomed a malicious voice from high above the stadium.
A voice Bethany knew all too well.
Ah Puch. No, it can't be. This can't be his arena! Shit, we need to get out of here.
Bethany tried to lift her feet, but they felt glued to the carpet. She tried to scream for everyone to scatter, but no words emerged. She was frozen in place – a helpless statue beneath the rebellious god of death.
The starved head of Ah Puch materialized over the stadium, his blue and gold skull mask reflecting the early morning rays. The mask's red and white feathers wafted in the breeze, and his golden, cat-like eyes stared down at the players with curiosity and contempt.
"Omoikane's little warrior. How fortuitous."
"Isn't she the one who bested your shadow wolves, Ah Puch? The ones you – allegedly – released into Omoikane's arena?" questioned a second god, his voice bold and triumphant. His face materialized beside Ah Puch – that of a muscular man with flowing blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His eyes danced with the innocent excitement of a child at Christmas. "The one whom Omoikane gifted the Bane of Shadows to poke you in your long-dead eyes? Quite the entertaining turn of events!"
"Perhaps more than you know, Agon," Ah Puch muttered. A sly smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth as he scanned the players below, his eyes lingering on Becka for a fraction of a second longer than the others. "Their team may be full of surprises."
"Well, then we shouldn't waste time. Our audience is waiting!" Agon laughed and projected his voice into the sky above. "Gods and goddesses. Welcome to the main event! Welcome… to Trial by Fire!"
Bethany's Oracle Eye flashed, revealing the faint images of the onlookers watching from the heavens.
There must be hundreds of them up there. All suckling off the energy they collect from our suffering. Oracle's right. It contest needs to end.
"Players, I am Agon, Greek God of Contests. My companion is Ah Puch, the Mayan God of Death. Together, we were given the honour of crafting the first real trial of The God Contest. The challenge for the Key of Fire!"
Pillars of fire erupted form the stadium's battlements – a pyrotechnic marvel to accompany Agon's announcement.
"You, of course, know all about the Key of Fire. You acquired the knowledge scrolls. You solved their riddle. And you arrived here, ready to risk it all for a chance to win it all. You embody the spirit of the contest. The spirit… of champions!"
"Perhaps," interrupted Ah Puch. "Yet there can be no victory without sacrifice. And make no mistake… I shall extract my pound of flesh before the Key finds its way onto the champion's finger."
"Ominous as always, Ah Puch," Agon laughed, the death god's demeanor failing to pierce his enthusiasm. "Yet you speak truth. The reward for the victorious shines above all others in The God Contest, save its four companion keys that lay in the wilds beyond the city walls. But there can be no victory without another suffering defeat. This is a contest, after all, and the teams that do poorly will quickly find themselves awaiting Ah Puch on the steps of Xibalba."
Teams? Plural? Then we aren't the only ones competing to get the key. This isn't good. I can fight monsters, but other players? Would I have it in me?
Bethany recalled the face of the Shadowman – its very human face. The face that had tried to kill her. The face that had been terrified to die.
I'll do what I must to make sure my friends survive. I won't let their lives simply become energy to sustain gods long past their expiry date.
The sirens rounded the corner and into the parking lot, yet Bethany couldn't turn her head to see if it was Benton.
Shit, we can't move. We're sitting ducks here.
"Ah, it appears we must cut our ceremony's short," Agon announced regretfully. "Another team approaches. It has been a busy morning. Players, the gargoyles shall describe the rest inside. Congratulations on making it this far. May you emerge victorious in the end!"
"Or may you suffer in Xibalba, if you do not," concluded Ah Puch.
With a snap of the god's fingers, the red carpet swept the still-paralyzed Bethany off her feet. She landed with a hard thump, and the carpet rolled itself back into the stadium, carrying the twelve players along with it.
They were carried through the entrance and into the fog…
And the world went dark.