Fifteen Journey - Chapter 9

There he was. A few hours after the dispersion. He was sat in the room where every candidate was saying goodbye to their fellow friends or family. Only Rick and Annya weren’t surrounded by a single person. Rick wondered why looking at Annya. She was sat, relaxed, with her eyes closed. Even Tom had some good looking guys near him, without forgetting his bodyguards…
‘Is he bringing his bodyguards to Tourch?’ Rick wondered laughing to himself.
Those moments passed too slowly. His solitude was depressing. He felt horrible hearing the cheerful and dramatic sounds of the final goodbye. Tourch could take years, decades… If he could return alive and well home, it would be enough…
Somehow, that slow time managed to pass. The candidates were able to proceed to the next stage: the arts’ attribution. Rick was the first to get out of that tiny room filled with depression. Eventually, the other candidates went after him in the direction of the round stage. For Rick’s luck, Cassey did not see him because of the huge number of people that came to say goodbye. In all that confusion, it was almost impossible to see each other. The workers were really busy in making this Tourch the best ever. The corridors were full of employees and crazy fans. The candidates were pulled to the stage, where the curtain was still down. They were set in a line, according to their numbers. Eventually, the curtain rise and the crowd vibrated. The last day.
“How is everybody?”
The crowd shouted. Rick, that was in the middle of the two females, saw the speaker. He was the same presenter as every day, but he seemed alive that day. Maybe it was because this was the last day. Maybe…
“Can we proceed to selecting the arts?”
The crowd shouted a unanimous yes.
The selecting began. The candidates were called one by one to the front of the stage. That was the process every year.
Fifteen was the first to be called. She cheerful girl stepped to the front and was standing at the crowd smiling to everybody.
“Sarith Nince, do you swear to fight in Tourch, be merciful and give up only in the end, or die trying to win?”
“I do.”
The crowd shouted. They were really excited.
Then, they marked Sarith in the left arm with a symbol with a fifteen in it.
“You are now a Tourch player.” The crow got mad. The first player.
“But,…” the crowd silenced “…as a Tourch player you must have an art. It is time to choose it!”
The crowd got mad… again.
Rick was getting full of it. The crowd was important but it made a pression in all candidates… Rick’s attention was once again centred in Sarith.
“I’ll choose Areos as my art!”
The crowd got really enthusiasmed. Rick pondered about Areos. It was a really old, but efficient, combination of some kind of baton with agility and flexibility. It was perfect to Sarith. However, she would not be able to practice other technique. So, chosing the art is the most important task of all. Sarith was ready to go. For Rick’s surprise, she was teletransported. The crowd made a hude “Ohhhhhhhhhh!!!”
“Don’t worry. She is fine. As you may see, in this map…” and a huge map appeared in the air with a small dot saying “15”.
The crowd murmured. However, Rick was wondered. He loved new technology. His world had a very archaic kind of living. It was based in agriculture. But it was really developed world combining technology, forces of nature and men in a perfect union.
Dick was next. He advanced with fear. He made his way to the stage and conjured his swearing and proceeded to choose the arts.
“Strength!”
Rick was stupefied. He had never see Dick was a fighter. Rick was expecting him to choose something related to ability. Even that way, Dick could prove himself as a really strong opponent. He was quickly teletransported to the woods where the games would take place.
It was Fred Wink’s turn. He made the same process feeling very nervous. But he wasn’t as nervous as in the first day.
‘Something must have happened…’ Rick thought.
He looked at someone after choosing the art. Rick did not understand who he was staring at. Then, he gathered enough courage.
“My art will be technology.”
This decision was already expected, but not for Rick. He felt that this year the candidates would choose a huge variety of arts.
After sending Fred in the teletransportation ray, Cassey was called to the stage. The crowd got more than mad. Their own candidate would become a player in a few minutes time.
She made the swearing and was marked with her 12.
“So, as Levinita’s candidate what will be your art?”
“My father’s astral transmission”
Everyone exclaimed in surprise. Astral transmissions were deformed souls of dead people. That meant her father was dead and she would be using his astral transmission to win Tourch. ‘At least try…’ Rick thought confident. She was sent to the woods. Rick hated those woods because it was there his mother had been murdered. Still, the vegetation was too dense and it was difficult to see a thing. The trick was in sticking to the mountains.
“Number 11!”
Sloan stepped forward. But his swearing was equal: it was extremely rare to see someone giving up now. But it was possible.
“My art will be Imepes”
Imepes was another archaic art in which camouflage and the movements of a snake. That art was really difficult to defeat since the “snake spirit” was really impredictable. There were just three more candidates to go. Vince Plamait provoked discord. He chose a dragon as his art. Dragons were rare and almost anyone had the ability to control them.
“Where have you kept a dragon this long?”
“I have my sources” he replied too confident.
Dragons were immune to magic and were almost impossible to defeat. But when the time was near, he could finally bother with that.
Next, it was Matt’s turn. Rick’s enemy.
“So, 9, what will be your art?”
“Fencing” Matt said firmly.
Rick could not believe it. His enemy would be using the same art as him! That only made Matt more hated.
Rick did not pay too much attention to Sheila’s swearing. He was still disturbed with that revelation. He was glad he was a good sword fighter.
Rick only understood that Sheila chose Naturité power. Naturité was a sky power that captured in a transparent sphere the Naturité’s owner. If someone was caught by one of those globes, Sheila could kill him easily by decreasing the sphere’s size.
“Number 7!”
Rick stepped to the front.
“Rick Flaim, do you swear to fight in Tourch, be merciful and give up only in the end, or die trying to win?”
Rick paused. He could still give up…
“I do.” That came without warning.
“You are officially a Tourch player.”
The speaking tube proceeded in his speech. Rick did not hear him. His fate was changing. They marked Rick with a 7 in his left arm.
‘Ouch! That hurts!”
“So, Rick, what will you choose as your art?”
“Fencing”
The crowd made a “Ohhhhhhhhh!...”. ‘Stupid crowd…’
The speaking tube chatted again. Rick checked himself. Thynia was near him, what could get wrong?
“And this is how we say goodbye to Number Seven!” they started the teletransportation programme.
‘Finally…’
He felt a really curious feeling around his body. He could not see the crowd. Rick was surrounded by light and then by dark.

Next Chapter:
Finally, Rick is in the games. But where are the other candidates?

Author’s Note:
Then, I’ve done the 9th chapter!!! Men, it took too long. Oh well, I just hope you appreciate it.