There were some teenagers already out and about, most stood talking amongst themselves while others walked about either alone or in pairs of twos and more.
Michael stood silently taking it all in. The streets were mostly bare the few teenagers heading here and there with curiosity and shock still visible on their faces.
The sound of feet from behind him had Michael spinning rapidly his head turning to see the incoming stranger just as his hands twitched.
A lanky boy moved with the hands of a slim girl in his grasp both running up and then past him and heading for the area they had all appeared at.
'Is something happening there? Better check it out. All and any information on this place is good' he thought and followed the couple quickly realizing he wasn't the only one doing so.
Everyone obviously had questions and needed answers. It would be weirder if one didn't.
The center of the place was a huge circular expanse with enough space to hold an army. It was where high-profile merchants would usually gather to sell their wares to the inhabitants of this place.
Walking away from the throng he approached a shorter statue of a soldier standing beside a huge beam-like construct that towered up. Resting his foot on the statue's outstretched thigh he grabbed the head and then hoisted himself up before climbing onto the beam.
Sitting lotus style he focused on the teenagers pouring into the center of the place. Word must have gotten out about some sort of meeting. Otherwise, it was impossible how all the teenagers knew to show up now.
Soon a huge crowd walking straight to the space had formed. By the time everyone had gathered Michael could note a lot of things.
Groups had formed, people had banded and most had already subconsciously picked a leader of sorts with others injecting themselves into the positions.
His head shook not even sure what he felt about it. Was this human adaptation at work or just pure taste for authority and power in a place where no one to stop you was?
Unsure which was the fact he ignored all these groups and focused on the architectural prowess surrounding him.
The stones were finely cut, the ground polished though a few stains from over the years were seen here and there. Statues of knights and soldiers adorned tbe walls at strategic positions.
Most of the. statues had shields of stone and spears of stone as well. Some had just swords. There were quite a lot of them. Taking his eyes away he looked to the center of the space where a tall platform sat.
A platform with a statue of a knight at its center stood amid the crowd. He only now noticed that the crowd was surrounding this platform.
His eyes locked on the statue as he noted the words engraved on its pedestal. It wasn't written in English but he understood it nonetheless.
"Abandon hope"
He stared at the words with a distant look in his eyes. Others would wonder how and why he could understand the words but Michael didn't ponder questions he didn't have answers to.
Instead, he focused on the truthfulness of those words. Well to him at least, he didn't know for the rest but to him hoping was a fast way to die.
He looked up just as a blonde blue-eyed boy stepped onto the platform. He was tall and older than Michael that much was obvious. Muscular but not overly the boy was a looker. Thin lips were pursed as he looked at everyone who equally stared back at him.
Michael's eyes went back to the crowd. Amongst them many had curiosity, some hadn't overcome their shock, others looked annoyed and still others very visibly or hidden sized the blondie up.
'Know one knows anything yet. But most are already vying for power and authority. ' Shaking his head he felt something stir in him.
It was the same feeling he experienced almost every day for the past years.
Disappointment.
'Are you vying for it too' he pondered as he looked at the boy.
"Everyone. Listen up" The blondie spoke his voice firm and unwavering, a strong sense of confide radiating odd him.
"I'm Elrick. I guess many of us are confused or weirded out by.." he waved his arms around. "...all this".
Michael tilted his head. Elrick paused for a minute accessing everyone before he continued.
"I found a wall surrounding us. It's quite tall too. But for some reason, I can't seem to get past a certain spot".
" We'll need people to volunteer to come to the wall with us to check it out." He continued then looked around again.
"I don't think just the walls should be our concern" another voice sounded out from the crowd.
'Game set' Michael thought. Looking he watched as a new boy made his way to the front of the crowd and then leaped onto the platform.
"I think knowing where we are and knowing why we are here is important" he spoke. A black military buzz cut sat on his head. A muscular figure just like Elrick though a tad inch shorter.
His grey eyes locked on everyone while a slight smirk was on his face as everyone nodded slightly.
I watched then as Elrick just turned to look at him nodding. Waving his arm he caught everyone's attention.
"I think we should have a split division of work then. Some should go with...." he halted looking at the black-haired boy.
"Fred. " he quipped realizing what Elrick was doing.
"...Fred. Some with me can investigate the area to see if anything can be found to give us a clue. Report whatever you find to him."
Michael's head shook side to side as he saw what Elrick did. Looking at Fred he watched as the boy's face slightly contorted as he too figured it out. By agreeing without a pause and then telling everyone to report to Fred.
Elrick had placed himself and Fred in positions of authority while simultaneously putting Fred as a subordinate. It was smart but now there was one more thing on their part.
"Who put you in charge of us?" it was a female voice.
'There it is' Michael's head tilted as he searched for the voice with his eyes.
The speakers though were always making things easier for him as this particular one walked out to the front.
Long hair, platinum, blue eyes that could make the ocean jealous, a face that made Elrick, Fred, and the entire male populace hold their breaths subconsciously. Even Michael had to admit she was breathtaking, literally too apparently as the male population found themselves without the much-needed oxygen for survival.
She was neither short nor tall. Falling comfortably within but the killer for the boys was her voluptuous body. Several gulps could be heard and several glares grazed the girl's body but none fazed her.
Michael gave her a point for not bulking under the different pressures.
"I'm certain the last thing anyone here wants is to be dictated over by a bunch of power-hungry teenage boys," she spoke her voice loud and clear ringing through the square.