The Proteus Trilogy: Book One: Warrior

Chapter 1.2

I wake up moments later and find out that I lost the fight. I feel the bruise now on my temple tenderly. Then I check the scratches on my arm. They're already scabbed over, and don't hurt very much.

The lights dim, and a screen appears along one wall, with scores for each of us, ranging from one to one hundred. I got a 90, and the girl, 1222 got a 93. 1304 got the same as me, a 90. 1411, since she missed the second fight, didn't score as well, but still got a 72.

After Hand-to-Hand, it's time for lunch. I use the lunch hour to shower, eat a hasty lunch, and then go to the infirmary to check on 1411 and get some treatment for my minor concussion.

She's sitting in a bed eating lunch, with her right arm in some sort of machine. She waves at me enthusiastically with her other, a wide smile on her face. I wave back, though without the same intensity.

"How're you feeling?" I ask her, gesturing at the machine. She shrugs her good shoulder.

"The nurse said that with the machine, my arm should be fine by tomorrow morning. How about yourself?" She points at the bruise on my temple, which is mostly hidden by my hair.

I touch it carefully. "I'll live." I grin. "You should see the other guy."

She looks serious for a moment. "Did 1222 do it?"

I nod.

We both check our schedules, and I see that I'm due for a class in ten minutes.

"I gotta go." I say.

"Don't forget to read the book." She whispers. "Now off you go. I have to recover."

She makes a shooing motion with her hand, and I leave. Once I get to the door, I give her a wave, which she returns.

                                                               ***        

After classes, which end at 4:00 PM, there's a free hour before dinner at 5:00, and I decide to use it for reading the book.

I return to the dorm and retrieve the book from under my pillow. I just stare at the cover for a while, entranced by the designs.

Tales of Ethrona.

I open it to the table of contents and skim down the titles of the different stories.

The Twin Djinn...The Five Fantastic Animals...The Orange Tortoise...

Until one catches my eye.

Proteus and the Phoenix......Page 124

I turn to page 124 and start reading.

It's a story about a prince named Proteus. He's been away at war for a long time, and is coming home, only in disguise, to see how the Regent, who was left in charge, has run the country in his absence.

The Regent hasn't done a very good job, and has his men on the lookout for the prince, so that they can kill him, so that the Regent's hold on the throne will be secure.

How stupid was Proteus to appoint someone like that to regency. I think. But  I continue reading.

Proteus gathers his army, and is marching toward the capitol city to take out the Regent and his army. But at one of the passes, they are stopped by a Phoenix. It calls out that it will only let the army pass if it can talk with the prince. Knowing that the Phoenixes are noble creatures that wouldn't ally themselves with the enemy, Proteus agrees to meet with the bird.

The Phoenix tells him that if he marches on the city, he will win the battle, but at great cost to both sides, with deep resentment on both sides afterwards. It offers to take Proteus, and only him, to the Regent, where they can duel to see who will have the throne, but on the condition that, if he wins, Proteus will renounce his claim to the throne, and let events play out as they will.