by Noah Michael
What tribe was capable of what he was describing? He couldn’t mean...
“I’ve scheduled a meeting with the Molder tribe for tomorrow morning. I’m counting on you to convince them to join our ranks.” Alia’s heart dropped.
“Are you ready for your debriefing? You will not have very much time to prepare.”
“What are the details of the plan?” she asked, trying to sound natural.
“The Molders are a peace-loving people. I have tried many times to persuade them to join my cause, but their king has been impossible to convince. In the end, I demanded an annual quota of soldiers. Instead, the King offered me his son, David. I accepted, figuring that having the King’s son under my roof would prove to be a valuable asset. And as you know, he has grown to be a fine soldier.”
“I’m aware,” Alia said.
“Because of our compromise, it will be impossible to convince the King to send me soldiers. The good news is, we do not need to convince the King. The King’s power is balanced by a senate of sixty tribesmen. The leader of the senate is a man by the name of Territh. He’s younger than the King, very charismatic, and part of a new generation. I have already spoken to him and believe he would support our deal. In return for two hundred soldiers, I will offer them full access to the company’s advanced technology and limited access to the company’s treasury. It will be your job to add a little...taste...to the persuasion process. Further details have been sent to your room. We will leave as soon as you’re prepared.”
“If the chances are on our side now, then why don’t we strike immediately?”
“As I said, the chances of victory shall be greater with the Molder tribe on our side. I conducted many calculations with Stone.”
“What about David? We would surely have to give up David as a part of this deal.”
“That is indeed a risk. However, it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Even if we lose him, we’ll be gaining much more.”
“What if I fail and they refuse to join us? The Molder King might join the Shadows.”
“I know you, Alia. You do not fail.”
Roko looked up from his work. “Is something wrong?”
Alia hesitated. “I won’t do it.”
Roko looked surprised. “What has gotten into you?”
“I won’t take your dirty crap anymore!”
“Have you forgotten who I am?”
“You’re a bloody monster!”
“I’m the one who has your sister!” Roko shouted.
Alia’s heavy breathing calmed as his words sunk in. Roko walked towards her, his voice a whisper.
“You will do this for me, for two reasons. The first is that I am doing what I must do to maintain peace in the world. The second is that when we return from the mission, Bella will either be waiting for you in our infirmary or buried beneath the ground.”
Alia fell helplessly silent as the bitter truth settled in. She wasn’t being given a choice.
“I will dismiss this misconduct a result of stress. After all, what we do is difficult at times. But just so you’re aware, my men have been given an order that if you are to go astray, or if I am to be killed, your sister will be killed. Now,” Roko smiled innocently, as if nothing had happened. “go make both me and your sister very proud.”
◆◆◆
The helicopter stood ready for takeoff. Alia climbed into the seat in the back, where she found a small stack of papers which Roko mentioned. She started reading through the mission details.
“Territh has already been swayed towards our cause. The challenge is to convince the Senate. The Molders are not motivated by riches, but rather by peace and tranquility. Territh agreed to our deal because he believes our technology can enhance the lives of the people in his tribe. The Molders dwell within a hidden chain of the Galapagos Islands…”
As she was reading, she saw Roko heading towards the helicopter, accompanied by Marcus and Stone. Her heart swelled with anger at the site of him. Marcus wore a bullet proof vest with had two blasters at his waist, and he was angry. Stone was armed with nothing but the steel braces on his wrists. His face was unreadable. Roko sat next to Alia. Marcus glared at her as he entered. He sat next to Stone in the first row.
“Ready?” Roko asked.
“I’m ready to see my sister,” she answered coldly, looking out the window.
“This is the last day you shall have to wait. Drones! Take us to the Galapagos Islands!”
The helicopter lifted off the roof and took to the air. A few minutes into the flight, Roko walked to the back of the helicopter and entered a big storage closet near the back. Being alone with Marcus and Stone did not make her feel at ease. She was focused on her papers when Marcus spun his head around, eyes opened wide, and collapsed in his seat.
Stone turned around. His hand was on Marcus’s shoulder. “Wait! Don’t call Roko.”
Alia drew her weapon, pointing it at Stone’s face. “What did you do to him!?”
“Relax. He’s asleep.”
“What do you want?” Alia asked cautiously.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Alia didn’t like that she couldn’t read Stone’s intentions. He’s like a robot, does what he is programmed to do, which is why I can’t read him. The only question is, who commands him? Something tells me it’s not Roko.
Stone looked at the weapon then back at Alia. “That weapon is useless against me but hold it if it grants you courage.”
“What’s your question?”
“You are closer to Roko than any of us. Therefore, I must ask. Does Roko truly wish to awaken-”
Stone stopped mid-sentence, quickly turning back around as Roko walked out from the back closet. Alia quickly returned her weapon to its holster as Stone shot her a glance. He wished secrecy. She would grant it, as she didn’t give a damn about helping Roko anymore.
Roko sat down into his seat. His expression changed to confusion at the sight of Marcus slumped down in his seat, eyes closed. “What happened to him?”
Stone turned around. “He had a rough night.”
A few minutes later the helicopter began its descent. Into the open ocean.
“Wait, there’s been a mistake!” Alia said. “We’re in the middle of the ocean!”
Roko chuckled. “Relax, look closer.”
Alia looked back out her window. Right in front of her eyes was a massive island. “But I could have sworn there was nothing there a moment ago.”
“A lot can change in a moment.” The helicopter landed on top of a large, rocky canyon. The doors opened and Roko exited first, followed by Alia. “Wake him up,” Roko told Stone.
Stone slapped Marcus’s cheek. Marcus woke up startled. “How long did I sleep?”
“Get out. We’re here.”
Stone followed Marcus out of the helicopter. The landing platform was high up, and near the canyon’s cliff. The canyon was vast, built of mostly a light-red rock and covered in sand. The air was warm and humid. From their height they saw miles of tropical forest. A young man stood waiting at the ridge of the canyon. He was tall, handsome, and dressed in an ornamental brown and orange robe, which stuck up in a half-cone shape at the back of his neck.
Roko offered his hand. “Territh, it’s a pleasure.”
“The pleasure is mine. It’s an honor to welcome you back to our home.”
“I would like to introduce to you my spokeswoman, Alia. She will present our shared vision today in court.”
“Alia, this is Territh, head of the senate’s opposition.” Alia shook Territh’s hand.
“If your rhetoric is as striking as your beauty, then we shall have no problem winning over the senate,” Territh said with a smile.
“Thank you for the kind words,” Alia replied as she analyzed him.
He is the tribe’s youngest politician, filled with a youthful sense of arrogance. He wants to stand out from the other, older members of the senate and believes they are stuck in the past.
He wants to move his tribe forward, to make them into a powerful and influential people. He doesn’t see Roko as a threat. He only sees opportunity.
“Stone, Marcus, it is a pleasure to meet again,” Territh said.
“You grow more confident each time we meet,” Marcus said, “and rightfully so.”
Stone stayed quiet.
“It’s best we get moving. The debate will commence in under an hour.” Territh led the group towards the end of the cliff. As they drew closer to the ledge, Alia spotted the city. It looked smaller than she expected. Built inside the canyon, everything, from building to playground, was carved from stone. “I thought I read that your people number in the tens of thousands,” Alia commented.
“Indeed, we do. What you can see from here is merely the top level. Our city expands into complex tunnel networks beneath the ground.”
Territh turned around to face the group. “Is everyone ready to descend?”
Roko answered on behalf of his delegation. “We are ready.”
Territh bent down, placing his hands on the ground. The stone beneath their feet shook.
A large stone plate broke off from the ground in front of them, extending itself over the cliff, followed by a column of dust. They all walked out onto the stone plate.
“Hold on everyone.” Territh placed his hands on the ground once more, and the stone plate beneath them descended, gaining speed. Alia looked out into the canyon as they fell deeper and deeper. It was long, continuing far beyond the village. A thick stream ran across its center, entering the canyon from a waterfall that broke through a large crack in the mountainside. As the stone elevator neared the bottom of the canyon, Territh decreased its speed, slowing down until they reached a complete stop on the canyon’s surface.
“Here we are, my friends. Welcome to the home of the Molders.” They followed Territh off the stone plate and towards the cluster of stone buildings that made up the town. The buildings were made up of different colored stones. They were wide and circular, with a dome-shaped roof. Each building was connected to the main stream of water through a system of canals. The canals were filled with boats carrying around villagers. Territh led the group towards an empty boat. Territh took the seat behind the steering wheel and they loaded into the boat. It was equipped with a stone propeller connected to the stone steering wheel by a thin line of rock that stretched across the boat’s center from back to front. Territh put his hands on the steering wheel and the propeller spun rapidly in the water. They continued through the canal complex, passing by buildings of different sizes and colors. There were dozens of boats, some filled with families, others with groups of men or women. Alia was fascinated by the transportation system.
“Why do you choose to use boats and waterpower?”
“We didn’t want to pollute the atmosphere with exhaust fumes. The Senate voted on the tranquil grace of water, and the serene nature of boating.”
Alia looked around the village. There were people on land as well. She saw a great number of people at what looked like a marketplace. She also saw a sculpture garden with hundreds of intricately decorated rock sculptures. One of the sculptures was fifty feet high. The sculpture was of a muscular man whose face exuded a feeling of power and fierce determination. He held a great sword and shield, and on his right hand was a ring. His hair burned a fiery red.
“Who is that?” Alia asked.
Territh looked cautiously at Roko, who was also looking at the sculpture. Alia could tell that Territh was hoping Roko would not realize the identity of the statue. “That is one of the many sculptures in our sculpture garden. I highly recommend a visit. But now, we must go straight to the Senate meeting.”
“Who is-”
“Legasus,” Stone said.
Roko turned towards Stone. “Are you sure that’s him?”
“It’s a face I can never forget.”
How could Stone have met Legasus? That would make him almost two hundred years old…
“Care to explain, Territh?” Marcus asked.
“The sculpture was made by my tribe as a gift to be given to the Alliance back when they still had our support. I know I should have ordered it destroyed...I will bring it up in the next Senate meeting, after we have secured an alliance.”
“No.” All eyes turned towards Stone. “The sculpture shall stay. It should be a constant reminder of the enemy we face. When we win this war, we shall return here. We shall present to the face of our enemy the death of his cause. We shall look him in the eyes and cover his face with the blood of his fallen.”
Alia watched as Stone eyed the sculpture. His stare was scarred with animosity, like a man gazing upon an old enemy.
“We are nearing the center of town,” Territh said. They passed another two boats and turned right, making it to the mainstream. The stream was much larger than it had looked from above. Its waters flowed calmly and smoothly, allowing for dozens of children to play in the waves by its shore. Hundreds of boats filled the stream, entering and exiting from the many canals around the city. In the center of the stream was a grand fountain, made entirely of gold. The fountain was thirty feet tall. At the top of the fountain stood a sculpted angel, holding in its arms a golden staff. The Molders had been able to extricate the fountain’s material straight from the earth below. It seemed as if everyone in the entire city was at the stream.
“It’s beautiful,” Alia said.
“Now you can see why we still use boats,” Territh said. As they moved through the mainstream, the crowds cheered for Territh. The vendors held out their hands with many different types of fruits. One vendor held out a fruit for Alia. “The best fruit of its kind! For a guest of Territh!”
“How can I refuse?” Alia said, taking the fruit from the man.
“Territh, make sure to taste it! The best fruit in the entire canyon, picked straight from the rainforest!”
Territh smiled at the man, shaking his hand. “What is your name?”
“I’m Wilbur!”
“I am honored by your kindness and impressed by the quality of your fruit. I will make sure to taste it. As the good lady said, how can I resist!”
The man continued to wave and cheer as they rowed farther and farther down the stream, until they were out of sight. After moving for another ten minutes, Territh shifted the boat from the shore towards the center of the stream.
“We are almost there. The senate is within sight.” People crowded around the sides of the stream, fighting to get a glimpse at Territh. Vendors continued to throw their products from the shore. Alia had already received six fruits, two pans, a rooster, and golden necklace. In the middle of the stream was a building which stood out from all the rest. It was supported over the water by six columns, five of them spaced equally in a circle and a much larger one in the center. Water flowed rapidly beneath the building.
“The Senate was built at the end of the stream. After this building, the current becomes more rapid and violent. This marks the end of our city,” Territh explained. The building was massive, by far the largest in the city. On its roof stood a great stone eagle, talons out. The eagle was surrounded by four curved columns which met in the center over the eagle’s head. Along the top of the building’s walls were different colored windows. Bronze-sculpted lions sat on two large clay-stone plates that stood out from opposite sides of building. As the boat drew closer to the building, the crowd’s cheering grew louder. Territh steered their boat towards the middle column. Just as they looked like they were about to crash into it, the column opened into a door and allowed the boat to enter. Once they were inside, the column closed back up.
The room inside the column was a large circle, half of which was water. Multiple lines of boats were parked, tied to stone poles rising from the surface of the stream. Territh tied their boat to the pole. Roko followed first, then Stone, Marcus, and Alia. As Stone grabbed the pole, the skin on his hand turned momentarily to rock.
Territh led them across the rocks towards a strip o
f land at the end of the room and up a spiral staircase. At the top, they reached the main corridor which was lit by a large limestone chandelier. The walls were decorated with sculptures and paintings. There were five doors in the corridor, two on the left, two on the right, and a grand doorway facing them. On each side of the doorway was a sculpted mallet. Next to each sculpture stood a burly guard wearing a brown robe and equipped with a rock hammer. They bowed as Territh entered the room.
“This door leads to the Senate. The second door on the left is the restroom. The first door on the left is a lounge where there is food and drink. The debate will commence in ten minutes. The other Senate members are already at their seats, preparing for their pre-debate vote.”
Roko turned towards Alia. “Go get yourself a drink. We will wait here.”
Alia nodded. She walked towards the first door on the left. Just as she was about to open the door, a man walked out. He was tall and very muscular with brown hair and eyes. He wore an ornamental robe similar in design to Territh’s, however his was coated in gold and covered only his upper body. Above the robe he wore a set of armor carved from canyon rock. Rocks stuck out from the surface of the armor on his shoulders. The man glared at Alia. Alia couldn’t help but notice the striking similarity between the man and David.
“Greetings, your majesty,” Alia said. She bowed her head in respect.
“I do not wish greetings from you. I wish you were not here. As soon as this is over, you shall leave my kingdom and return my son to me.” The King stormed past Alia, leaving her with a knot of guilt twisting her stomach.
