Future Fighting Chapter 3: Arrival at the camp

The camp was an amazing and yet odd sight. Talim didn’t know what she had expected – maybe a traditional school camp with houses made of wood sticks, except from the forest, which wouldn’t have been there to surround them. Or perhaps a military-like place with huts and a barbed-wire entanglement: everything else than this.  It was like an Oasis in the desert, which you could say it literally was. There were five big houses with at least 3 floors and an extension, which must be the training centre. They all had the Southern look to them, seeing it white-calked and with dark brown shutters.  Talim could see a swimming pool not far from the entrance of the camp, even though it was almost hidden behind palms and ferns. It was unbelievable that the vegetation was so rich and vigorous when it was the total different thing at the airport. ‘Our host must be a very rich man’ Talim concluded for herself.        
The other competitors, however, seemed to share her opinion, making it out from their facial expression.
Kilik came up on the side of her. “I find this very strange. Why would a rich man arrange a tournament like this and besides of that give everything a competitor needs? “
Talim nodded in agreement. But they would never discover why, if they just kept on standing here. She took her belongings over one shoulder and made her way down the path to the houses. The others followed in slight hesitation. Even the hard Rock seemed doubtful. It was unnatural.

Suddenly a voice sounded nearby and she stopped abruptly, looking around to locate the place. She got disappointed however, because it was nothing else than a loudspeaker, placed on one of the houses on her right.
“Welcome to camp Oasis. My name’s Zarsalamel. I’m sorry that I can’t be here to give you the houses you shall be placed in my self, but I have other things to attend. My assistant Samantha will give you the information you should be wishing to ask. I hope I’ll see you by the fights. “
Talim frowned deeply. The name Zarsalamel rang a bell but it was a poor help as she couldn’t say where she knew it from. Of course it would be fights, but she didn’t like the way he said it, as if it was a life or death matter. She looked over her shoulder and met Sophitias eyes.  The young women shared a silent agreement.  Then she glazed at Kilik. He nodded.  Go on, he said wordlessly.
The whole group of competitors walked on and came to a little information house.
Talim knocked and waited.
A brown-haired woman opened the door, smiling cold: her purple eyes glimmering wickedly. Goosebumps ran down Talims spine and her first thought was to run as far away as she could.
“Hel – hello.  My – my name’s Talim. And this is – is the others who got invited here,” Talim stammered and made a move towards the people behind her. Under normal circumstances she wouldn’t act like that, but the woman scared her to death. She had never felt such an evil energy for a long time. Not since… No, that was impossible. It couldn’t be her. It simply couldn't be Tira. The evil woman she had warned about from her ancestors. 
“Welcome, I take that you got the message from Mr. Zarsalamel,” Samantha smirked and continued, “Now, listen carefully. Men and women live in separated houses, but are welcome to share company outdoor or in the training centre. Alcohol and smoking are illegal while you’re here. Sneaking around on the area is not allowed too.  Dinner will be served at 18.30 - Breakfast at 6.00.”
That was apparently the information they needed, because Samantha locked the door shut again a second after.
Talim thought that it might not appear as a Military base but it sure was.
She and Cassandra said goodbye to Kilik and the other guys. Yun-seong did try to follow the women with the excision ‘The women need a talented young man as himself to help them”.  He got a kick, which made him collide with the house the guys should share.

Talim quickly finished packing out her things. Every one of them got their own rooms with bathroom and wardrobe. The room Talim had was big and coloured in light cream. A little palm stood in one of the corners by the gigantic window. A big double bed was placed in the middle of the room with a bedside table on the right. It had a little lamp upon it.  Talim assumed that the others looked the same way. She hid her weapons deep inside the wardrobe before she walked out of the door, not thinking of locking it.  Why would anyone want to steal her weapon when they had their own and on the other hand, everyone seemed to be uncomfortable by the situation?
She went down the staircase since all the rooms where placed on second and third floor. Dining room and kitchen was downstairs.
Here she stumbled on Sophitia, Cassandra and Xianghua, who was spread out on the couches. They had obviously been talking about something as their voices died out when she arrived.
“Hello Talim. Have you found yourself comfortable,” asked Cassandra friendly, but her voice was thin from fright.
Talim nodded to this and took a seat next to Sophitia. It was these two she knew the best.
“We were discussing what we think of this. All this is just wrong” said Xianghua nervously and shook her head.
“Listen” Said Talim a bit more confidential than planned, “We will get to the bottom of this. But we have to stand together.”
“You are right. We have to see what this will take us, even though it means that we’ll have to play along their game,” Sophitia retorted with a mother’s wisdom.  She was after all the oldest of the girls.
“Exactly! Now if you will excuse me for a while. I’ll take a look on the grounds here, “Talim answered, stood up again and waved shortly before walking out of the front door.

Funny thing, Talim thought as she led her gaze wander around on the beautiful vegetation. You are outside in fresh air and you feel trapped nevertheless. There were so many energies in the air that it was nearly overwhelming. She sensed people’s desires and wishes – Plans to start.
Suddenly she bumped into someone. She looked up and met Raphael’s gaze. He bowed gallantly and took her hand, kissing it gentlemanly. “Bonjour Mademoiselle, nice to meet you,” Raphael said with a thick French accent. He was quite charming but there was something over him -Something false.
Talim blushed slightly: “Pleased to meet you too.”
“What is a young lady doing out here without an escort?” he asked with a glimpse in his eyes.
She couldn’t hold back a little laughter.
“I can take care of my self, Sir. I’m not as weak as I may look. I must get going. See you around, “She answered politely and ran off, away from the peculiar guy.

She had been everywhere on the area but nothing was out of the ordinary and she had to confess it might be the persons she disliked.
The only ones, who implied in being honest was Cassandra, Sophitia and Kilik except for herself. She had to dig further down in the others reasons being there and why the hosts awoke such a fright in her. Even though she deep inside knew it.
She sat by the pool, cooling her feet in the cold water when Kilik made her company. He was the one she had wanted to see the most right now, because she could only sense sadness and nothing evil.
“Have you checked the area?” she asked, still looking at the water.
“Yeah, but I didn’t find something” he sounded a bit disappointed.
“Me neither” she answered and turned her head. “Tomorrow is our first training day.  Maybe something interesting will happen. We’ll never know.”
He laid a big hand on her shoulder and said: “That’s true. I think I’ll go back inside with the guys and hang out.” Kilik disappeared inside the house, leaving Talim to her thoughts.

The dusk came faster than expected, the Sun hanging low on the cloud free sky. They had everyone taken a shower and changed clothes after the travel to the camp. Talim had been in doubt where they would be eating but Samantha came and guided them to a room close up to the training centre. It had to be the cafeteria.
Kilik looked handsome as always.
Talim tried to suppress blushing but she was uncertain if it helped at all.
It looked as if you had permission to be seated next to a guy, so Talim took a seat next to Kilik and smiled at him.
“Good evening” She whispered and he smiled back to her.
“Good evening Talim. You look stunning,” he said, while taking some potatoes on his plate. He offered to give her some too and she nodded.
“Thank you. You don’t look that bad either” A broad smile grew on her lips.
“he he. You’re welcome.”
They ate in total silence. No one knowing what to say, especially with a falcon as Samantha -they had to be careful around her.
The competitors finished dining and walked back to their rooms.
Soon Talim was asleep, exhausted from all the impressions.