The Magic Rebellion Trilogy:The Children of Rebellion(Book 1)

Chapter 5:Theodore

The air was filled with the sounds of metal on metal ,singing against each other. Yells echoed down the road and Theodore hurried on in anticipation.

He entered the arena and was immediately calmed by the familiar sights. Groups of teenagers mingled around the perimeter, sharpening swords and giving tips.

In the center, groups of two fought, slashing viciously and bashing with their shields. This was the main combat arena for up and coming Rebellion kids to train. Theodore, being one of the most advanced fighters, was usually the one teaching others.

People greeted him as he walked in, waving and shouting. Theodore nodded, but didn't stop. He was focused on one particular person.

A tall boy stood in the middle of the chaos, directing fighters. He glared and shouted, his dark arms reaching up to pull his dark orange hair out of his face, exposing the shaved sides of his hair.

"Ease up,Ike!" Theodore yelled, catching the other boys attention. Ike turned and smirked.

"I'll ease up when they start impressing me." Ike grumbled and walked up to Theodore, punching his shoulder. "Isn't it your off day? Why are you here?"

Theodore shrugged and looked away, "I had a stressful morning, came here to cool down." Ike nodded in understanding, he knew all about Theodore's dad.

"Come on, we can spare on some dummies." Ike said, turning away.

Theodore smiled and jogged after Ike. They positioned themselves in front of a row of hay-filled dummies. Theodore pulled out his sword and positioned himself, his stance wide.

"So what did your dad do?" Ike asked, leaning on the dummy beside Theodore's. Theodore sighed, guilt creeping in. He knew his father had asked him to keep the news secret, but Ike was his closest friend. To not tell him bothered Theodore extremely. Ike, and everyone else, deserved to know the state of the Rebellion.

Yet Theodore couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't want to put unnecessary worry on to his friend. It was his problem to deal with it.

Theodore shrugged, forcing a smile. "You know how he is. All about my image and my leadership skills." He hefted his sword and swung, taking a good chunk out of the dummy. He pulled the sword out, and slashed at its chest, watching hay spill out.

"And your sleep schedule?"Ike said, leaning in. His face was set in a frown, already knowing Theodore's answer. Theodore grimaced and turned away. Theodore had always had trouble sleeping, a problem that was getting worse as time progressed. He was lucky if he got 3 hours of sleep a night.

"Fine,"he lied, shaking his hair to cover his face a bit. He'd always been a terrible liar. Ike huffed, letting the matter go for now.

Suddenly, a shout rung out from the other end of the arena. Theodore glanced up, confused. A group stood around the entrance, and then someone turned to point at Theodore. A girl broke away from the crowd and jogged up to them. He recognized her from a few of his sword classes.

"Message for you guys. New recruits down by the gate. They want you both to do the questioning and tour."

"Why us?"Ike said, leaning off the dummy while Theodore sheathed his sword. The girl shuffled her feet and shrugged.

Theodore sighed and reached up to pat Ike's shoulder. "Let's just get it over with." Ike huffed and gestured for him to lead the way.

Theodore thanked the girl and they headed out of the arena. He knew the new recruits would be at the entrance to the the Rebellion town. Well, it was more like a camp. The only real building was where Theodore lived. Everyone else lived in large tents, makeshift and easy to be disassembled. The encampment was hidden in the largest forest in the kingdom, a forest rumored to be full of dark beasts and demons.

Those were just the rumors they put out there, to keep people away. It was really full of Rebellion citizens. The Queen, hundreds of miles away in the castle, had yet to suspect of their hideout and they tried to keep it that way.

"Hope these are some strong recruits,"Ike said, making Theodore look at him. Theodore hoped too, for the sake of the Rebellion.

"Hoping for some Port girls?"Theodore snickered, ducking when Ike swung for him. That's where Ike was originally from and the people from there were very...distinct. Most people who lived there either came from across the ocean or from the desert.

While most people born in this kingdom were pale and on the taller side,most people from the Port were darker skinned and buffer,attributed to the sunnier areas they originally came from. They also had a knack for dyes, for their clothes and their hair.

They continued on their way, bickering back and forth about the chances of there being any descent recruits. Finally they reached the gates. A small group of teens and a few adults stood at the entrance. Theodore waved his hand in greeting and took the lead.

"Welcome to the Rebellion encampment. My name is Theodore and this is Ike. Before you are taken into camp, you will be questioned. This is purely for the safety of the camp. Please form a line and move quickly."

The group shuffled into a line, unsure. Except for one. A girl marched to the front of the line, tossing her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and standing firm. Ike raised his eyebrows and smirked at Theodore. Theodore rolled his eyes, already sensing trouble.

"Step forward one at a time. You,"he said,gesturing to the girl,"step forward." She walked closer, but kept distance between them, a wary look in her eyes.

"Name?"

"Sabrina."

"Age?"

"17."

"Where did you come from?"

"The market town, by Linia Lake."

"What is your purpose for wanting to join the Rebellion?"

"I want to kill the Queen and rescue my family from a slave camp."

AUTHOR'S NOTE
This took forever but its finally out. Please comment and vote if you'd like! I'd really appreciate it.