The mini lyceum, stood south of the whole compound. Its tall yellow colored walls reached up before curving downwards slightly. Different brackets ran around it's exterior, holding up wires of purple slashed with pints of gold. The rims of it's bowl shaped top was jagged with miniature cracks hinting at it's age.
This was where all the wranglers would be practicing for the time being. Maya watched as different palanquins carrying different nobles were set down onto the gravelly path, each was encrusted by gold with purple drapes pulled to the side with each of the flags billowing. Though two out of the other seven guys walked by foot.
Maya's stomach churned with distaste as she watched some of the boys walk out of the palanquin, an air of superiority around them. The one that came out of the palanquin of Central gazed at her with undeterred distaste.
"I thought it was taught not to stare at its superiors." The boy hissed to one of the guards that had walked to him, his hooded green eyes darkening with disgust.
"And I taught you were raised to be anything but a spoilt brat." Maya quipped, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. The boy's nostrils flared, his eyes wide. The guard moved forward, his hand on a thick leathery whip. The boy stopped him, his pink lips curving downwards.
"Oh, I think I need to teach it some manners." He twisted his hands behind his back. A laugh echoed as some other whispers circled around them. The palanquin bearers took their leave, their gazes on the ground.
"Yes, the ones you're obviously lacking." His face twisted as red colored his pale skin. He marched up to her, his fists clenched. His body heaved as he huffed. The circle had formed around them, Maya noticed the heavy smell of perfume that accompanied him, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Do you think that we are mates? I can assure you that I can break you into a million pieces." The boy hissed, leaning down to get in her face.
"Now you address me as a person? And I'd want to see you try." She smirked slightly, liking the angered look that had crossed his features. He raised a hand to slap her.
"Stop! Both of you!" A tall man with a slightly muscled frame separated them. His dark eyes pierced Maya with a hard glare. His pale skin shone under the light rays of the sun, his brown hair being whipped back and forth.
"I expect you to respect your place, girl. I don't care how you may have bribed your way to this slot, but believe me if you do something like this again, you will be sent off to detention." The man stalked past them, his body hidden behind the apparel of white that wranglers normally wore. Maya's mouth opened slightly before she clamped them shut. The boy had gone back while an amused smile played on lips.
"That may be a little harsh, detention is no place to be in." The boy said his eyes holding glints of mock pity. Maya's body prickled. Her arms itched for violence, her fists clenched.
"Nonsense Hadden, nothing is harsh when westerns are concerned. Especially, a banished one." The man hissed, his eyes turning back to Maya. His dark eyes shone with intensity under the mildly glaring sun. Suprised whispers shot up as their hot gazes burned through her. Her ears prickled, her knuckles tightened, color draining from her hands.
"So, she's an outlander, even more amusing? And to think she had guts to try to touch me." A stinging sensation trudged down her face. Her face jolted to the side, red brushing the tan of her skin. Her world shook, her breathing spiralled. Calm down, her intake of breaths passed through gritted teeth. Through her periphery, they continued to laugh, their horrid sounds reminding her all too much of Gavin's. The crazed amusement in suffering.
"An outlander representing an isle that's supposed to be her own? What a paradox!"
"What must it have done to have warranted banishment? I'm sure it's a thief, it's written all over it."
"Shouldn't it be sent to the dungeons, then we'd be sure to be rid of another criminal. The guards already have enough to deal with thanks to that revolution." They gave her a safe distance as they talked. The world around her pulsed, the chatter sending needle like sensations down her bones. She huffed, her hands itching to bare it's wrath into someone. The gravelly path jutted out in different parts, she stared at it.
A kick connected with her head. The thick iron sole made stars exploded in her eyes. She landed on the floor, the grits of the gravelly path drawing blood from her arm. Her anger sloshed. Her eyes swam as she stood back up, her head searing with the pain from the iron. The dark cloud gritted in their bonds, sighing in delight at her misery.
"We should take her to the dungeon!" One voice screamed as she felt hands tugging at her arm.
"Will you stop!"A baritone voice gritted as he pushed the guard away.
"She has done nothing wrong! You're the one that started it in the first place!" He jabbed a finger at Hadden, his brown eyes narrowed as he steadied Maya.
"You better know you're place weasel. I will do as I see fit or you'll join her." The man from earlier came back, his face lined.
"Now let us stop this nonsense and begin the class. We do not have all day. And you," he turned to her, his dark eyes turned from where they were laid in deep set sockets. "You better be careful or else." Maya hissed, her anger simmering stronger thanks to the ringing in her head. Her neck prickled again the remembrance of the trinket's absence, also rubbing her in all the wrong ways.
Maya fought off the urge to sink her fist into them. The anger in her showed her glints of the satisfaction, the longing it would give her to immerse herself deep in its waters once again. To return back to her former glory, an image of a bloodied boy seared past her. She jolted out of the trance.
"So, he's not going to get any warning." Maya said, flabbergasted at the obvious favoritism.The man turned abruptly, his nostrils flared.
"After this straight to detention, if you get two more detentions that's a permanent strike ! Now, get in there before I give you a second!" He pointed to the large entrance that was lined by the golden tapestry of an owl. The central flag hung loosely from a pole sunk into it. Maya didn't miss the laughs that marched with her as she passed. Their voices molded into one symphony, toying with her anger. Get in control, she chided herself feeling the heat of the memories steaming up in a corner.
A slash bit into her skin. Pain ripped through her torso, feeling the effect of the leather's damage. Her back arched slightly, tightening against the public show of pain. She turned slightly, now noticing the guards that lingered behind her.
"Why, Lord Darwyn was that necessary?" Hadden asked in a mocking tone. Maya kept her back straight ignoring the burning sensation crawling down it.
"Of course, a commoner shouldn't be allowed to go unpunished for such a repulsive attitude, talk-less of an outlander. Get in before you get another!" She stalked past, her back muscles taut. The entrance led to an arched hallway which had similar brackets as the outside which held flaming torches.
Soon they reached the inside of the mini lyceum. The seats trailed through the bowl like surface row by row, pure gold glinting under the sunlight. Maya couldn't help but grit her teeth, the wealth of this isle being sent across from this structure alone.
At the centre, a metal inverted bowl shaped dome structure stood which had a peak of glass. The metal was smooth, devoid of rust as it crawled upwards. A couple of other similar looking entrances stood at different sides. Maya watched as the clang of bolts reached her ears.
A grating nose took place followed by the the distinct petals of the body rolling downwards, creasing against each other slightly. The parts fell onto the sandy ground, revealing a match area that was covered with a white mat. Wires trailed the edges, spinning around the square shaped platform inside it. Lord Darwyn beckoned them over to follow after him as he led them in between the first two petals, a small staircase led them up to it's top.
"To all of you welcome to the miniature version of the Capital's Lyceum. We will be training here for the time being until the Festival of Life has come upon us." There was a loud clapping as Maya had her face turned to sloped petals. The mechanism looked complex, still hinting at how much money the Central isle truly had. Maya's lips curled down in distaste.
"-Am I not speaking to you?" Maya realized that he was talking to her. His eyes were hard set, his face lined.
"You're getting another detention!" He spat, his face contorted in unmasked disgust. Maya opened her mouth to protest but the other boy beat her to it.
"She didn't do anything worthy of comeuppance talk-less of a detention." The boy said, his light brown skin glistening under the sun light. Memories of her mother defending her like that fought upwards with quakes of shouts.
"Boy, do you care to join her also?" The man asked, his brooding voice echoing around them.
"Why must you all treat people based on the amount of power and money to their name?" The boy said, his brown eyes glinting with anger.
"After this, you join her in detention also. Maven?" A man that she hadn't seen before clad in a white suit gripped a clipboard in hand as he jogged to him. The man regained his composure though the fast pacing of his chest told Maya he was still shaking of exertion. The man bowed slightly, his eyes trained on the clipboard.
"Book these two for two detentions. Tell the stockade wards to prepare the gall rack, they start from today. I will send the defectors to them after the class." The chatter dropped as the man wrote speedily on the clipboard. His eyes turned to Maya and the overwhelming pity glittered in his light brown eyes. Soon, he was off the stage and down the staircase.
"Today will be centered mainly on seeing how good each of you are. Before the time, Mavin and I decided who would compete against whom. Mavin?" The man stretched his hand, the middle aged man walked speedily, the heaves puffing out of his chest. Lord Darwyn collected the parchment roughly from the man's hand. The man flinched at the contact.
"Next time you keep me waiting you're fired." The middle aged man gulped, nodding briskly as he sped off once more.
"And they go as thus, The Outlander against Hadden." Whispers clawed past her ears as she watched the man. She felt the boy's burning gaze on her but she kept her face straight.
"Vojtech against Kalf."
"Brucetus against Lukas."
"Moctezumma against Ninus."
"Each set would battle it out in a ten minute match, if you can keep your opponent on the ground for twenty seconds you win. If ten minutes elapses before anyone can win then it would be a draw. Hadden? You and your opponent are up. And believe me," he turned to her, his face twisted up in a sneer. "If I see any sort of foul play from you, you'll be disqualified for this match and that would add up with your two detentions to get your first strike." Maya bit back a sarcastic reply. Her skin still chilled at the thought of the gall rack, what really happened during detention?
The others came down from the ring as two servants, both holding up trays with four rings each. The last two were larger than the first two. Maya grabbed hers and locked them around her wrists, before taking the other two and locking them around her ankles. The gold objects dug into her tunic.
The metals were heavier than the ones back at home. She shook her head at the thought, home not being able to describe that accursed isle and it's foul memories. The metals constricted her movement more than the other one she was used to. She straightened up. She had to be careful.
Maya turned to the side, the other's stood a little distance from the foot of the staircase on comfortable chairs that the bearers had brought. The bulky men with half clad chests and groins stood off to the side with their heads bowed. The guards also stood some distance away with their hands on whips. Lord Darwyn stood at the foot of the staircase flanked by two other tall men in the same apparel. One held a small stop watch while the other held a clip board.
Maya refocused, shifting her attention to her opponent. He looked at her with a smirk, his back to the wires keeping them from falling.
"Get ready to meet your downfall, outlander. Maybe then, they'd take the initiative to send you to the dungeon." She breathed, anger simmering within her.
"You will begin on the count of three," the one with the watch called out, "1. 2. 3!" They both bowed to each other before taking up their poses. Maya's heart banged against her rib cage despite her other wise slow movements. They gingerly stepped to each other, toying at each other's defenses. Maya had herself bent over to dodge a blow but was met with a kick underneath it.
She jolted away, startled. Stars exploded in her eyes. Her ears rung as she tried to gain her balance. Another blow connected with her cheek. Her skin sunk the impact sending her flying. Her momentum lulled when she hit a pole. Her world turned around her as she felt the taste of blood in her mouth. She gritted her teeth, her mind mentally exerted from the days.
"Are you that easy to defeat? Come at me, outlander!" She was pulling herself up, happy for the space he gave her. He also knew that he couldn't afford to lay all his attacks right now. She staggered, her legs wobbly. She took her position once again, her legs at akimbo with her knees bent. She drew near him, the dark cloud breathing down on her as she tried to concentrate through clouded eyes.
They came at each other, bouncing on the ball of their feet as they wove between each other quickly. Maya fell into sync with her body once again, the movement lulling her troubled mind. She ducked under a kick, kneeing him in the shin. He hissed. She quickly gave him a round house kick, making him stagger. To finish the job, she rolled between his legs and sprung into a jump.
He caught her outstretched arms. Her blood ran cold before he flung her. Her body found its way between the wires, her neck pressed against the hot material, burning her. She hissed feeling the heat spread down her body. She skittered away quickly.
Hadden turned her around roughly. A fist hurtled towards her. She sneaked past it. She jumped and caught hold of his head. She pulled him down on the mat with her. His head sprung up again on contact with the mat, reeling from the drag. She took a step back, feeling the ache of her neck. Her chest heaved, gathered up with exertion.
"1!"
"2!"
"3-" Hadden rose up, stumbling about. His legs wobbled as he took notice of her.
"You'll regret this."
"So, you know I'll beat you?" Maya smirked, enjoying his annoyance. He bent down before sweeping his leg in a circle. She jumped. A knee struck her nose, her body jerked back. A smash ricocheted around the area
as heat gripped through it. She fell against the wires again. How was he that fast?
She gripped them tightly, covering her nose slightly. The metallic liquid trickled down her upper lip. Her face wrinkled in pain, the burning crawling down her upper face. The boy beckoned to her, his smirk wide. She gritted her teeth before going back. She advanced to him slowly, her shoulders tensed.
The rings had begun to form abrasions on her skin, feeling the shred of pain as her skin flaked off. He closed the gap between them. He tried to knee her again. She lay down before pushing into a backward roll. He ran to her with a raised leg. She vaulted past him, twisting away. He grabbed a hold of her legs, the rings smoothly clashed against hers. He threw her to the side. Her head encountered the metal again, black skies filled her vision.
Prickling sensations dropped down her hair. Pain flared up her nose again making a cry escape her. She gasped, her limbs shaking as the world spun. Splotches of black ringed her vision. She slid down the pole, her back hot against the cool surface. She fell onto the ground, her brain banging loudly against her skull. His frame came into her shuddering line of sight. She held onto his leg, her limbs still shaking. He pulled on her hair.
Sweat and blood mingled with it's loose tendrils. Her neck slanted at an odd angle. Her eyes shifted around, grasping onto the dark inkling of his frame. Her hands found his, she clawed at them. He kneed her in the chin. Her almost regained consciousness spiralled, holding on because of the jolt of his hand on her hair.
A numbness washed over her, her body losing all feeling. He dragged her to her feet. She staggered around, her legs giving way. He kneed her in the stomach. The air got knocked out of her. Her body arched forward as spit flew out. She fell to the ground. He laughed again, the sound grating against her tumbling nerves.
"1!"
"2!"
"Heard your father was the king, huh?" Her vision dispersed and integrated. It hovered, his face barely registerable. Her breathing came out in short ragged gasps. Her pale skin glistened with sweat and blood. Her stomach lurched as she raised her head.
"6!"
His frame shrouded the rays of light. Tremors of aches warped through her body. The dark cloud glittered at the mention of her father. The tremors of quaking memories worsened the severe headaches. Quakes upon quakes of pain ricocheted through her body, the taste of blood drenched her in a wave of despair.
"9!"
"Can't help but wonder what the likes of you did to get him to banish you." Her limbs shook as she tried to get up. Her body pulsed with his words, fury embedded in her every cell. She drew in a breath, willing herself the way she did after every torturous night. After every punishment.
"12!"
She staggered, her senses flagged down. She took a step back, almost losing her footing.
"Former count overruled!"
Her breaths passed through bloodied lips, his smile gritted against her. The metals around her limbs kept her staggering, her body jerking from side to side. He walked to her, his steps confident. Maya tried to grit her teeth but her lips pulsed with pain along with her nose. She kept them ajar, taking in huge puffs of air.
She shot back, her legs almost twisting around each other. The wires drew into her, it's metallic little spikes digging into her tunic and drawing pints of blood.
"Though, you were a nice amusement but I think you're done now." He moved to grab her hand. She shifted away, falling on the floor. The bones in her nose cracked at the contact, fresh blood covered the already cakes ones. She fought against the urge to fall into sleep, she dragged herself away.
She looked behind her as she slid on the mat. He wasn't behind her. A kick to her face again answered her question. She slumped, the stars pulling her into their embrace.
I want to thank God for giving me the Grace to write this. So, how was it? I'm sorry if the fight scene was boring, I was rushing. Anyway, what do you think of Hadden? Lord Darwyn is really unfair. Two booked detentions in one day, poor Maya. Vote and comment if you liked.