The Judge

CHAPTER 18

  Celebration

  The enormous earthworm squirmed across the landscape, ruining all of the vegetation along its path; as it wriggled, it flattened hills and raised valleys, causing alteration on a global scale. The creatures that stood in its path made no mistake of hanging around; they ran away in droves when they heard the rumbling of the worm’s coming.

  While the worm went on its way, Darek and the rest of the group rested on the back of the worm’s giant head. Windzer was busy controlling the worm; he tapped its neck in the direction he wanted to go, and the worm followed his wishes. Sorren and Azura had fallen quickly asleep, for they were exhausted. The little Currie rested under Azura’s arm, using it as a blanket. Darek was also tired, but as he lay on his back, he kept his eyes open and watched the clouds pass him by.

  Darek sat up and jostled Sorren. “Hey, are you awake?”

  Annoyed, Sorren opened one eye, glaring at him. “I am now.”

  “Can we talk?” said Darek.

  “There’s nothing for us to talk about.”

  Darek ignored his protest and said, “I’m still regretting what happened to Drey and Reza…and Thedes and Rathos. It was so sudden. It all happened so quickly.”

  “Regret?” said Sorren. “What is there to regret? There was nothing you could’ve done to save them.”

  “I know there’s nothing I could have done, but in my heart I still feel like I could have done something…”

  “That makes no sense.” Sorren pretended to go back to sleep.

  Darek jostled him again. “Come on, Sorren. Stop trying to sleep. I need to talk to someone about this.”

  Sorren turned around, sighed and said, “Fine. What else did you want to say?”

  “Why did you choose to be an assassin?”

  “What? What does that have to do with anything?”

  “You may be thinking I’m going off on a tangent, but I’m serious,” said Darek. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. About death and stuff. It’s a pretty depressing topic, but it happened, you know? I can’t stop thinking about it. And I thought maybe if I talked it over, I’d feel better. Most people choose…normal jobs—ones that involve business, or law, or health. Why would anyone want to be involved in killing?”

  “I doubt such a talk would ease your mind. Do you really want to know about me?”

  “Sure! I mean, we’re friends now, aren’t we?”

  “Allies,” Sorren said dryly, “not friends.”

  “Whatever.”

  “My reasons are my reasons,” said Sorren. “All assassins have different motivations. Some are forced into it. Some need the money. Some enjoy the thrill of the hunt.”

  “But what about you?” Darek asked.

  “I enjoy the freedom.”

  Darek raised a brow. “Freedom? Isn’t assassination…illegal? Don’t you get chased by the Feds?”

  “Well, yes—I’m talking about a different kind of freedom. As an assassin you get certain benefits. Information is easier to come by. Get in connections with the right people, do them a few favors, and you can go anywhere without much trouble. I’m looking for something…and these kinds of benefits help with my search.”

  “Hmm? What are you looking for?”

  Sorren simply gave him a blank stare.

  “Ah,” said Darek, understanding. “I see. None of my business. So I take it that you don’t really do many assassinations?”

  “A few now and then,” said Sorren, “just to get a decent meal. I guess you could call me a small-time assassin. I’m not really wanted for much.”

  “So what’s the biggest job you’ve done?”

  “What do you mean by biggest job? Most dangerous? Highest pay?”

  Darek grinned. “Most dangerous!”

  It looked to Sorren as though Darek was enjoying this talk more than he should. “I’ll tell you only if you can keep a secret.”

  Darek hesitated. “A secret?”

  Sorren made sure he had his full attention. “That’s right. If I tell you this, you must never mention a word of it to Azura.”

  Darek didn’t particularly like to keep secrets from people who were nice to him. However, he was dying to know what the secret was. Darek said uncertainly, “I think I can.”

  Sorren’s face darkened. “I’ve killed a Hero before.”

  Darek pressed his hand against his chest and felt his heart racing. “Okay—now I’m starting to wish you never told me this.”

  Sorren ignored Darek’s response and continued, “It was a job I took several months ago. I was wandering through the countryside of the planet Raleign. When a man found out I was an assassin for hire, he pleaded with me to stop someone. There was a Hero who was taking advantage of the people living there. He would eat without pay, take things without asking, and sometimes even punish without fault. A Hero is one that, in most cases, will not be disturbed by police or Federation forces. Heroes are feared and trying to tell a Hero what to do is considered taboo of sorts. And, of course, those Judges wouldn’t do anything about it.”

  “Wait. Why wouldn’t the Judges do anything? Isn’t that what they do?”

  “The Judges have an alliance with the Heroes,” Sorren explained. “Because of that alliance, the Judges do not monitor the activities of Heroes. The Judges would never dare do anything that would harm its alliance, for they rely on the Heroes for cover. It is only because of a powerful public presence such as the Heroes that the Judges have never been discovered…until now. In return, the Judges deal with the extreme cases; the Heroes would have a bad reputation if they couldn’t stop certain villains from continually committing crimes.

  “Well, anyway, that stuff happens often. People with power abuse it. And because they have power, everyone is powerless to stop it. The only ones who would ever bother fighting the Heroes would the Anarchists, but they tend to stay away from Federation territory. I felt bad for the villagers and told the Hero to stop whatever he was doing. When he refused, I ended his life.”

  “So it was a really tough fight?” Darek asked. “The Hero was pretty powerful?”

  “No,” said Sorren. “It was a nameless Hero. One slash did him in. He didn’t even have time to draw his sword.”

  “That’s your most dangerous job? No offense, but that sounds kind of…lame.”

  “The fight itself may not sound impressive, but picking a fight with the Heroes is suicide, even more so than with the Anarchists. If the Heroes discovered my hand in it, they’d send the whole Legion after me and would never rest until I was captured.”

  “The Heroes are that scary? But they’re nice, aren’t they?”

  “I wouldn’t call them scary,” said Sorren. “But the Heroes are special. Every one of them carries something known as the Fate of the Hero. It makes them a real pain to deal with.”

  “Fate of the Hero?” Darek’s interest was piqued. “Is that a sword…or an armor?”

  “No,” replied Sorren. “Swords and armors are nothing. The Fate is supernatural, something beyond human understanding. It’s hard to put into words. The only way I can explain it is that it forces luck to be on their side. If I try to slice off the head of a Hero, he may slip accidentally. If I have him cornered, a friend of his may randomly show up to save him from certain death. It’s the unpredictability that makes it a dangerous force to be reckoned with.”

  Darek grumbled angrily, “How could a Hero do bad things and be fine with it? How could they violate that trust? Everyone respects the Heroes because of the good they do for us.”

  “That’s the way of the universe. No one can truly be trusted. Some Heroes are more trustworthy than others.”

  The worm stopped crawling.

  Darek stood up, vigilant. He glanced at Windzer and asked, “Why did we stop?”

  “The worm is tired,” Windzer said.

  “Really?” Darek didn’t think that was possible, or rather he never considered it. They had taken breaks, but it was usually for them and not the worm
.

  “No,” laughed Windzer, “I’m kidding. We’re here!”

  “Already?” said Darek. “Wow…that was fast. We’ve only been out here for a few days!”

  Everyone hopped off the back and Windzer waved a goodbye to the worm. The earthworm went on its way, contently crawling across the land on its belly. Darek could see the walls of the city in the distance. After sauntering down the dirt road, they reached the city gates.

  “Wait here for a little bit,” Windzer said. “I must announce your arrival. I don’t know what they have planned for you. I’ll be right back.” Windzer entered the city.

  While waiting, Darek decided to get a good look at the outside of the city. Even at first glance, Darek was impressed. The city walls were incredibly sturdy, built from solid stone. What was most impressive was the size of the stones. Each individual rectangular-shaped stone was nearly twice Darek’s height. Seeing such a large wall of gigantic stones made Darek think that they were visiting a city of giants. These stones were also tremendously thick and heavy that Darek imagined them to be impossible to be moved by any normal means. When Rathos had said that they used most of the immortals for labor, Darek could now understand why; he shuddered at the thought of their incredible strength.

  Many minutes passed and Windzer had yet to return.

  “What’s taking him so long?” Darek kicked a pebble at the wall out of boredom.

  Azura and Sorren didn’t respond. Unlike Darek, who was quite impatient, they were enjoying this time of peace and rest. After another hour of silence had gone by, a sudden noise caught their attention. The neighing and trotting of horses could be heard through the gates; Windzer was driving a chariot.

  As Windzer drove his chariot near, he pulled on the reins and stopped in front of them. “The elders have informed me that there will be a parade to honor this event and to show everyone the faces of our guests.” Windzer gestured for them to hop on. “I’ll take you to the center square where you’ll be able to meet the elders.”

  The group was sluggish; they had gotten lazy after lying around for a while. But since Windzer was in a hurry, he rushed them to their seats. When everyone was seated, he started the chariot off. The horses pulled the chariot down the center of the road. Even before they entered the city, they saw hundreds of people crowding near the gate.

  To celebrate the arrival of Darek and the others, the local band played exuberant music. The horns and trumpets blared over the uproarious throng. They pounded their drums feverishly and clashed their cymbals. Beautiful female dancers lined up in rows and led the way for the chariot. They moved about and danced as if they were possessed, weaving and shaking at the heavy beats of the drums. Their frenzied motions looked as if they had been driven mad in their delirium. Confetti fell like the heavy downpour of rain over the roofs of the buildings; the sky couldn’t even be seen because the confetti blanketed over them like thick clouds. Many bottles of wine were popped open from people standing in balconies, and the foamy liquor was sprayed all over the city streets. An innumerable amount of flowers were tossed such that a wild fragrance overflowed the senses. As they went along, more and more people swarmed into the city streets, waving their hands and cheering as the fanfare resounded.

  Darek wasn’t sure how to react. Merdon had kept them in the dark about what was going to happen, so all of this was a big shock for him. Why were they so happy to see them? From the way Merdon had spoken, he thought they’d be in big trouble, possibly locked up and branded as outcasts. But instead, they were being celebrated as heroes, as champions over a glorious victory. It was a momentous occasion that shocked Darek speechless. With such applause and excitement, it was hard for him to contain himself. He accepted their celebration and raised his hands to acknowledge the crowd, and they responded in turn with even greater shouting and wilder dancing.

  “Come on, Sorren, give them something to respond to!” Darek screamed over the loud noise. Sorren declined, shaking his head.

  Darek continued to embrace the jubilation. It was the first time in his life that he had ever experienced this for himself. He had seen parades back at home, but he was always in the audience looking into the streets. But now that he was able to experience it on the other side, he had mixed feelings about it. There was a sense of joy and wonder from the collective excitement, but there were also some doubts in his heart about whether he really deserved such celebration. After all, it was not like they were planning on doing anything great for these people. If anything, they were going to be assisting Merdon in his desire for a revolution, which would sadly lead to bloodshed.

  The chariot followed the parade through the main street of the city, taking them all the way to the center square of the capital. It was there that Darek saw a large balcony that protruded from the majestic castle and overshadowed the square. The chariot stopped at a close distance to the balcony and Darek could see several people up there, looking down at them. Then the entire city was hushed into silence.

  One of the men on the balcony moved forward to address them. This man looked quite distinguished, exuding an air of authority. He had a long chin and curly black hair. His apparel consisted of a black Victorian coat and hat.

  “Welcome to our city, travelers,” he said. “We hope you enjoy your stay. I’m sure you will find that this place is a slice of paradise on this forsaken planet. Be sure to enjoy the sights and sounds of our beautiful city. We have already prepared lodging for your stay. Tomorrow there will be a great ceremony that I hope you will attend, and following that, you are invited to join us at the castle for a banquet in your honor.” The man tipped his hat and took a bow. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have important business to tend to. Please direct all questions to your escort, Windzer.” The man clapped his hands together. “Let the festivities continue.”

  The trumpets blasted as the men on the balcony disappeared into the castle. The rowdy crowd let out a roar the moment the men were gone. Explosions burst in the sky, turning Darek’s attention to the magnificent display of rainbow-colored fireworks. These flower-like fireworks were large, blending the once bland sky with its bright flashes to become like an artist’s palette, vivid and unpredictable with its blazing fusion of colors.

  Darek gaped at the marvelous scene, uttering, “This is awesome…”

  Darek whistled a cheerful tune as he dropped his things along his bedside. He had a little dance in his step ever since the jubilation ended. Darek jumped into his bed and embraced its soft comfort. He let out a sigh of relief and curled up by his pillow, squeezing it.

  Azura put her sack on her bed. Currie leaped out of her arms, rolled up into a ball, and bounced around the mattress. Azura took out her clothes, one by one, trying to decide what to wear for the banquet. When she encountered a piece of clothing that she thought would be appropriate, she placed them out, folding them neatly in a pile.

  Sorren tossed his belongings on his bed and said, “I’ll be in town.” Then he left the room as quickly as he came in.

  Darek jumped off the bed and headed for the door. “I’ll be out too.”

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Azura asked, putting her hands on her hips.

  “I don’t know. I was thinking of exploring. The city has so much to see.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “I’m not? Why not?”

  Azura’s face was split by a grin. “With all the training you’ve been doing, aren’t you itching to spar? It’s not like there’s anything better to do.”

  “I can think of tons of better things to do!” Darek rushed out the door. The very thought of sparring with Azura appalled him. The only way he would ever agree to spar with her was in a dream. That way, there wouldn’t be any accidental deaths—not any permanent ones anyway. He had already experienced too many imaginary ones during his sessions with Sorren, and it made him understand the huge difference between his ability and theirs.

  However, his fear of Azura’s brute strength wasn’t the only t
hing that made him leave the room in a hurry. The truth was he did have an objective in mind. He wanted to spy on Sorren.

  Sorren was a mysterious character to him. Even though they had trained together for weeks and had several talks along the way, his past was still shrouded in secrecy. For an assassin, he wasn’t all that bad. He didn’t appear to take pleasure in killing. If anything, he seemed to be quite nice. In his story, Sorren may have killed a Hero, but he apparently had done so to help some villagers. Was he a nice guy then? Why would a nice guy choose to be an assassin? Could his story have been a complete lie to make Darek trust him more?

  Sorren had amazed Darek, but had also frightened him. Sorren had killed a Hero, killed him many times in his dream, and could possibly still have some plans to kill him now. Aside from working together to get off the planet, there was no other reason for Sorren to help them. He was a powerful ally that had protected them from the Anarchists, but in time, he could also prove to be the most dangerous foe. Was it wise to trust Sorren? Darek sure didn’t think so.

  While pondering on many things, Darek searched for him, but Sorren was nowhere to be found.

  “He got away,” said Darek, sounding disappointed. “Maybe I should just see if there’s anything to do before dinner.” Darek took out a map of the city that he had stashed in his satchel and examined it. He figured the place for him to be was the shopping district.

  Darek explored the city. It had a very simple layout and was easy for him to understand, which was good because he hated getting lost. The gigantic walls of the city made him think the city itself would be huge, but that was not the case. The outside walls were much taller than the highest buildings within. Darek couldn’t guess why they would have walls bigger than the smaller city. It left most of the town under its heavy shadow. Noon was the only time the city could be fully illuminated. Because of the lack of sunlight, sufficient lighting was supplied by the streetlamps that littered the city.

  The bulk of the residential areas were located near the inside of the wall, surrounding the castle in the center. All the houses were like five-story mansions. As the roads neared the center of the city, they grew much wider and these streets were absolutely packed with people. The center square of the city was bustling with so much activity that Darek had to push his way through to walk a single step.

  Occasionally, as he walked, people would come up to him and greet him, welcoming him to their city. Some people, however, kept their distance. He decided there were bound to be a few gloomy people no matter where he went.

  Darek spent his hours walking through several shops, though not much of what they had was of any interest to him. Some shops sold small monsters as pets, others sold jewelry, and the most popular shops were hobby-related. After looking around for an hour, he found one shop that he enjoyed perusing through: an antiques shop, which had artifacts and relics for sale.

  To him it was almost like a museum. The technology they had was still impressive. They may not have achieved space travel, but they still had many breakthroughs in compact, renewable energy sources, hover technology, all-in-one home appliances, and weather control. He was astonished by everything that was available and wanted to take a few things with him, but he didn’t have anything to barter with and was sure that credits would be worthless here. There was a lingering regret incited by greed, for he knew that if he were to sell some of this technology to intergalactic merchants, he’d make a hefty sum.

  While he was still looking through the store, he happened to spot a familiar face. Sorren was walking down an aisle. Darek hid himself carefully and tiptoed around, stalking him. While stalking Sorren, he then spotted yet another familiar face. It was Windzer. Could this be more than coincidence? Darek observed them without being noticed. But he found it peculiar that, even though Sorren and Windzer passed by each other, they did not even say hello.

  Sorren went up to the shopkeeper. “I’d like to buy this.”

  The shopkeeper stepped back, a bit startled and excited to see Sorren. He cleared his throat and tidied up his clothing to look slightly more professional. He observed the item carefully and said gruffly, “Is that all? You just want this sword?”

  “Yes,” replied Sorren.

  “What do you have to trade? Do you have anything otherworldly? I’ve heard stories that you aren’t from this planet.” The shopkeeper almost squealed in his low voice, if that were possible.

  Sorren thought for a moment. “Is gold worth anything?”

  The shopkeeper frowned. “It’s worthless.”

  “How about this?” Sorren unsheathed his sword and presented it to the shopkeeper.

  Now the shopkeeper was even more bewildered. “A sword for a sword? And furthermore, yours is chipped. You don’t have anything else?”

  Sorren searched his clothes and found a little device. “What about this?”

  The shopkeeper’s eyes sparkled. “What is it?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “I’ll take it!” shouted the shopkeeper. He ripped it out of Sorren’s hands and began analyzing it immediately.

  Windzer left the store without so much as a glance at Sorren. After sliding his new sword into his sheath, Sorren left as well. All of this was suspicious to Darek, so he tailed them. They moved rather quickly, but Darek was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Sorren as he went into an alley. Darek peered around the corner of the building and saw Sorren speaking with Windzer. Aha! I knew there was something going on between them, thought Darek. But while he wanted to listen in on their conversation, he couldn’t hear more than a mumble from where he was standing. Darek rubbed his chin and frowned, trying to think of some way to listen in. He knew he had to do something fast. Without even reconsidering, he hurried into the building and climbed the stairs to the roof.

  Darek looked down from the edge. Sorren and Windzer were still chatting below. The alley was narrow, but it was big enough for him to fit. Darek climbed down, pushing his hands and feet against the walls of the buildings. His arms and legs stretched out, he descended slowly. The bricks of the wall were rough; the trip down was long, difficult, and painful. After having an excruciating time, he finally made it so that he was directly above Sorren and Windzer by no more than a few feet and could hear the last of their conversation.

  “No, Sorren. You’re the only one who still thinks that way,” he heard Windzer say. “The others don’t care anymore. I don’t care anymore.”

  “Then I will do it alone,” said Sorren.

  “You will not survive.”

  “Not that it matters to you. I thought it was fate that we met here.” Sorren leaned against the wall. “So that’s it…”

  “Hey,” Windzer said, “stay away from the wall.”

  Sorren backed away from the building. “Something wrong?”

  “Sort of,” said Windzer. “We had a little infestation problem recently. Carnivorous ants. They’re quite dangerous and problematic. We exterminated most of them, but there are still a few colonies around. You should stay away from the walls for the time being. If they feel tremors along the wall, they will come out…to feast.”

  “Is that so? I’ll be careful.”

  Darek furrowed his brow. Then he quickly ran his eye along the walls and, sure enough, could see some ants crawling about. As he realized he was now in deep trouble, he tried to get back up the wall as fast as he could. But to his disappointment, the ants crawled along at a crazily fast pace. It would’ve been faster to drop down, but Sorren and Windzer were still hanging around below. Darek’s arms and legs started to wobble as he moved up the wall. Next thing he knew, a massive swarm of ants lined the area directly above him so that he couldn’t go up any further. Get away you stupid ants, Darek screamed in his mind.

  The mass of ants slowly walked down the wall. Darek noticed their shift of movement and inched down slowly to avoid being caught by them; the ants followed every move he made.

  Windzer smiled. “Darek’s quite an interesting fellow, isn??
?t he?”

  Sorren nodded. “It’s faint. But I see something special in him.”

  Darn it! Just stop talking and go away! Darek wiggled around, hoping for the situation to start getting better.

  Sorren and Windzer continued talking for an hour. They rambled on and on while Darek held on for dear life. The ants didn’t move at all. They just stayed there, as if they were waiting for Darek to make the first move. Darek started to consider dropping down and letting the whole thing go. But Darek feared what Sorren might do if he found out about this.

  Darek cracked open the door of the room they were staying in. “I’m back.”

  Azura said, “I’m surprised you went out for so long. It’s been a few hours. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back. Did something happen?”

  Darek couldn’t say a word. He was too tired to speak. His arms and legs were sore from top to bottom. Every move he made hurt so much that he almost cried. He plopped onto the bed and shut his eyes.

  “Did you do some training without me?”

  While lying on the bed, Darek turned to face Azura. “Don’t ask.”

  Azura shrugged. “Fine.”

  “What are you doing anyway?” Darek watched Azura, as she moved her hand up and down a wall.

  “I found something neat,” she replied with a grin. “I saw some ants that were wandering around our room and asked the locals about them. They’re pretty harmless and fun to play with. They’ll actually follow you around but won’t hurt you. They’re great because they collect the oil, sweat and dead skin that you leave behind. It’s very useful for keeping everything clean.” She moved her finger up and down the wall and a small ant followed the motion. “Neat, huh?”

  Recognizing the ants, Darek sat up and exclaimed, “WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?”

  Curling his lip, Darek grunted, “That Windzer! He tricked me! He knew I was there and tricked me!”

  Someone rapped on the door. Darek and Azura exchanged glances.

  “You’re closer,” said Azura.

  Darek crawled into his sheets. “Can’t you see I’m dying here? I can barely make a fist with these sore hands.”

  Another brisk knock alerted them. Azura stared firmly at Darek, telling him with her expression that she was not going to move. Darek groaned as he got out of the bed. He walked up to the door with a slight limp and opened it. A man was at the door. His skin had a dark complexion and his long hair was slicked back. It was no one that Darek recognized.

  “Read this.” The man handed Darek an envelope and walked off without another word.

  “Who was it?” Azura had caught a glimpse of the man, and he seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite understand why.

  “I don’t know,” admitted Darek. “Do you think I should open this?”

  “Is it addressed to anyone?”

  “No.”

  Azura shrugged. “Might as well. Like Rathos said, they should know everyone’s face by heart. No case of mistaken identity.”

  Darek ripped open the envelope and found a letter inside. He read it out loud:

  Dear People That I Know,

  I’m glad to see you have safely arrived. My spies have informed me about the ceremony tomorrow and I’ve decided to send you this letter as a warning. It is believed that sometime during the ceremony they will have a process in which to convert you into immortals. This is still speculation, but I really believe this to be the case. This initiation ceremony may very well be some kind of disguise so that we would not be able to figure out how the process works.

  As you well know, I am not aware of how a person becomes an immortal, so we must be on guard and carefully analyze everything that goes on around us during that time. Do not back out of the ceremony! This will only lead to suspicion and the elders won’t be so quick to let you go. Do not fear the ceremony tomorrow. We will try our best to ensure that you survive. Trust in us.

  From,

  You Know Who

  “Must be from Merdon,” said Azura.

  Worried, Darek said, “Does Merdon really expect me to put my life on the line like this?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” assured Azura. “I’m sure Merdon’s got everything under control. I just wonder when Sorren will get here. He should probably read this.”

  “No,” said Darek. “We can’t let Sorren know about this.”

  “Why not?”

  “There’s something fishy going on with him.”

  “Hasn’t he been helping us all this time?” asked Azura.

  Darek said, “Today I saw him talking with Windzer. They know each other. Sorren could be a hired spy for the elders! He could be searching for evidence to bring against Merdon!”

  “You don’t trust him?” said Azura.

  “Of course not! That guy tried to kill me!”

  Azura laughed. “Oh yeah, I remember that. Good times.”

  “Azura!” Darek shouted. “This is serious!”

  “Fine, I won’t tell him. But I still think you’re getting paranoid.”