The Player's System

Finishing up

Junan saw the crumbling pylon. He side smiled. Instead of fighting and prolong this battle the younger boy decided to blast the pylon. It could save them from lot of trouble.

The two attendants cried for help however no one came to catch them from free fall. In fact few of soldiers were looking at them from afar but could not step near for the fear of runners.

The attendants fell on the ground their health dropping to zero. They were yet to decide as to when they should enter the palace. They saw the gate fell too. Without battling with attendants it was impossible to enter the palace.

Both sides were decorate with the hand made art structure. The human shaped statues were silent however as soon as the team head and others stepped inside the palace the statues started speaking, "The Feast of Kings"

They were standing in a row. Completely white paint over the statues and the fixed feet over the rock were unchanging. Their lips trembled repeating similar words, "The Feast of Kings"

Their matching rhythm was strange. Once the statue of the right side would repeat the words then the two from opposite side would add it again.

Team members looked at them as if they were looking some hidden enemies. "Are these statues real? Speaking? Did the enemies paint over their bodies?" Sashi asked curiously. She tapped on the white statue with the help of arrow. It was hard like stone. Yet they kept repeating the words.

"I never liked my kindergarten teacher for the same reason. She kept repeating the lesson as if we were dumb for her. If these statues kept repeating then I might vent out years old anger too." Clark waved his hammer. He was getting annoyed.

He stood in front of one statue near him and spoke, "The feast of Kings shall be ruined. My hammer would smash harder your Kings. You do not trust?" Clark was talking as if the statue could hear him.

The statue spoke again, "The feast of...." it could not complete the words. Clark smashed his hammer on its head. The statue broke in pieces. Junan purely sighed. This team member was out of question. He has lot of things that he disliked or something annoyed him at one point of his life.

"Are we going to break them all?" Orin asked. He was stifling his wish to use his weapon. "I do not think it could bring trouble apart from ruining the palace entrance." Team head shook his shoulders as if letting his comrades chill for some time.

Sashi stood in front of the fountain. A small statue erected in the middle of water tray repeated following the rhythm, "The feast of Kings." The water flowed from the head accumulating in the tray. Sashi stabbed her arrow in the head of the statue to see whether it would still follow the rhythm.

The statue remained same. "Seems like big weapon should end the misery of the statue. Team head can you help breaking this statue?" He was holding big sword others were busy.

"Sure however would not you want to see this statue after killing the king to see if it still repeats?" Team head asked her pleasantly. This triggered her curiosity. "Indeed I would want to see the changes. At least few statues should remain intact from the damage to see the difference." Sashi agreed.

Jake looked at the statue near him. The statue was bent on its knees. The lips trembled to speak but Jake put the gun in its mouth. The lips stiffened unable to speak. "That's like a good statue." Jake commented bringing some smile on his face.

(His actions were recorded by spectators. The others were doing typical actions just like any other gamer. He was quite different as some unique person in the game.)

After destroying half of statues they were ready to scare the soldier standing at the inner palace. He was royal soldier and personal guard of the king. He was looking at the runners how they destroyed the statues as if humiliating the guest of the palace.

Team head stepped ahead to see whether the guard would attack. The guard was looking at the team head with doubts. He was anticipating that the runner would immediately attack him however Junan took one step at a time.

There was something else brewing in his head. The palace was big possibly with many hidden and apparent paths those could confuse an outsider. If they entered the palace without someone guiding them they could get lost.

This guard come soldier could guide them through it. Soldier did not move from its place. The limited number of royal guards were present at the various parts of the inner palace. They sent him to witness the strength of runners.

The guards might have ran in the inner palace but he felt that his feet got fixated on the ground. Despite fear he could not escape in the inner side.

He was as if waiting the death retribution. "You are alone standing here? Where are the rest of guards? Do you want to defeat us singlehandedly?" Junan calmly asked. His actions were sober and his attentions were unknown to others.

"I will battle with you and save my king." The guard pointed his sword toward Junan. Junan chuckled, "I appreciate your courage but you should think wisely. The king is not good man he should die to save many Innocents. Did you hear about the Arena Runner's history? Don't you want to become one of them?" Junan spoke as if guiding a soldier for the holy purpose of the war ahead.

The soldier casted a glance over him then nodded. "They were heroes in history but the king..." The guard felt his loyalty toward the king turned in to confusion.

"The fall of evil king brings new dawn for the rest of Empire. The new king would do justice. The runners are there to make it happen.." Junan spoke as if speaking the audience of hundred thousand people.