by Eric Black
Those who joined the Keeper were drawn by the mysticism of the man. Here was a man who had come from them but had risen above the harsh life of the Outerlands and promised them wealth and power. Because the cave was located in the Barren Lands, they went largely unnoticed by the rest of the world. The government was aware of them but no one realized the sheer numbers the army had amassed. It was not until a surprise visit by the Minister of Security that their actual makeup was discovered.
The Minister had come to the area on reports that people were gathering with ideas of rebellion. He traveled to the area in an airborne craft and was shocked when he came upon the training grounds of the Klopph. He was lucky to escape as his partner craft was shot out of the sky.
The Keeper named his longtime friend the leader of the army and gave him the honored title of Cancellarrii. “We are discovered.” the Keeper said of the Minister. “Are the Klopph ready?”
“They are ready.”
“Then prepare them. We leave for Orleans in the morning.”
A few months later, the Keeper was the new ruler of the world and the Cancellarrii the lead the world’s army.
“Cancellarrii.”
The Cancellarrii looked around and saw the Kaptajn. He snapped back to the present. “Yes, Kaptajn, what is it?”
“We have determined the correct trail.”
“Very good. Are the men ready to leave?”
“They await your order.”
“You have my order. We follow the Chokka.”
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
They moved hastily westward. The first day in, adrenaline was on Babel’s side and he trudged along. The second day, however, reality deflated his resolve and he had issues keeping up.
The people in the Outerlands relied on instincts and adroit physical abilities to guide them through life. Multiple mile journeys in short periods of time were nothing new to them. Babel on the other hand was not used to that type of living. Most of his days had been spent behind a desk or sitting in someone’s office. He realized he would need to harden his doggedness if he was going to make it in the Outerlands.
Babel sped up until he reached Quentin and he could hear his ragged breathing. It seemed that Babel was not the only one used to a less physical lifestyle. “How are you holding up?” Quentin asked.
“About the same as you.” Babel admitted.
“That bad, huh?”
“Maybe worse. I can’t say I get enough exercise.”
“That makes two of us. Well, at least you have age on your side.”
“Is that supposed to make this easier?”
Quentin smiled and shrugged. “In any case, try to keep up. At least with me. We can’t have the leader of the world taking up the rear. You’re supposed to be out front leading the people.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Do you think they have discovered our trail?”
Quentin nodded. “They are disciplined and physically fit. They will have the advantage. We had about a half-day lead on them but I would imagine that has been reduced at this point.”
“So what do we do? Do we continue as we are, waiting for them to catch up with us?”
“That’s one thing about Jims; you never have to worry about having a plan. We’ll continue on for about another hour. During that time, you should notice the ground becoming rockier. That is a good thing. The rocks will hide our tracks. We will enter the Valley of Stones and it is there that we will turn and head north for a short period before returning east.”
“East? Back to the city?”
“No, not to city but just north of it. There lies the last fortress of the Chokka.”
“A fortress? Won’t the Klopph know of this place?”
“No one knows of this place. This is an underground fortress, built for the Császár. It was a place where the Császár could go and continue to run the government in the event that there was a major disaster.”
“Such as a coup? How do you know of this place?”
“It was written in your grandfather’s book.”
“I didn’t see that in the book.”
“That’s because you were not looking in the right place. The Chokka had a certain code that they used. The book is full of codes. Unless you know where to look, you will never discover them. That is the purpose, of course. I will show you later.”
“Have you ever been to this fortress?”
“I have not. In fact, I don’t even know of the name of the fortress. I do know that the Klopph have not learned of this fortress.”
“How can you be sure?”
“The fortress contains many of the secrets of the Chokka as well as many of the technological advances of my father. If the fortress had been discovered, so would these secrets. They have not been used by the Keeper, so they have not been discovered.”
Babel left the discussion at that. He had many questions but let them lie.
Within the hour, they reached the Valley of Stones, just as Quentin had said. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky and they knew they needed to stop for the evening. Jims called them to a halt and ordered the area inspected. The Valley of Stones was a perfect place to hide.
One of the men found a small cave inside of a nearby gulley. It would be risky if it rained but the sky showed signs that it would be clear. The village leadership met and determined it would give them the best option for cover for the evening.
When everyone was settled, Babel and Quentin joined Jims and the other officials to discuss their strategy. “The Klopph are close and we need to lose them.” Jims started.
“Agreed.” said Quentin, “We will not outlast them to the fortress if we don’t.”
“How? The land is barren with nowhere to hide. They are moving too fast for us to outrun them.” Babel asked.
“The same way you handled the Pishacha in the cemetery.”
“A fire.”
“Yes, a fire. If you haven’t noticed, it’s the dry season. We chose the Valley of Stones because it is filled with deadwood which will burn quickly. The fire will spread rapidly through the area.”
“You want me to light the land on fire? What about the people?”
“We’ve been traveling for nearly a week. How many people have you seen?”
“These lands are called the Great Waste.” Jims added. “No one lives here. The ground is sour. Only the most stubborn of grasses and trees survive here. That is why we came here.”
“Okay.” Babel agreed. “When?”
“Just before first light.” Quentin answered. “You can control the fire?” Babel nodded that could. “That’s good. That’s really good. You are starting to realize your inner-power. Now, you will set the fire just after we depart. Push the wall of flame towards the direction we came. Nature will take care of the rest.”
“How long to the fortress after that?” Babel asked.
“About five days.” Jims answered.
“We’ll need to move quickly.” Quentin said. “The fires will delay them but they will not deter them. We will need to be vigilant.”
“After we reach the fortress, what then?”
“Then it will be your time. I will show you the secrets of the Chokka. Then it will be up to you to rally the people against the Keeper.”
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
“How is he?” the Keeper asked. He had joined the Klopph after a call from the Cancellarrii explaining their setback. The man in question was covered in white wrappings; tubes came from his arms filled with a blue liquid.
“He may live. He may die. He has third degree burns to most of his body. If he lives, it will take months for him to recover fully, if that is even possible for him. The Kaptajn is a good man. He will be difficult to replace.” The Cancellarrii looked gravely at the charred body of the Kaptajn. “Because he cannot, I will take vengeance on his behalf.”
“I am sure you will. Do you know what exactly happened?”
“We were in the Great Waste, about a mile east of the Valley of Sto
nes when a fire came rushing towards us. There was little we could do. There was nowhere to take cover. I was able to activate my body shield, as were several others. The Kaptajn was not as lucky.”
“What of the flames?”
“It is they dry season but there had been no lightning. The fire was manufactured.”
“The amazing part is that it came directly towards you.”
“What are you saying? It is obvious the fire was started by those with the Chokka, but are you saying perhaps the fire was controlled?”
“Many of the Chokka possessed the ability to start fires and control those fires by thought.”
The Cancellarrii inhaled, taking in the Keeper’s comment. They had underestimated the Chokka.
The Keeper leaned into the Cancellarrii. “How are you, old friend?”
“Some minor burns. It appears I wasn’t quite quick enough with my body shield. The wounds are clean and there is no infection. I am ready for duty.”
The Keeper nodded. “Very well. Do we know where they are headed?”
“We are patrolling the area. We will find their trail again.”
“Where do you think they are headed?”
“Part of me thinks they will turn and head to the Far East Region. There people there are full of unrest and we have only a few Klopph in that area. If they were given an opportunity to support a return to a Chokka government, I believe they would follow. But another part of me thinks that they will come to Orleans.”
“What makes you say that?”
“The Chokka have many secrets that I have no doubt we have yet to discover. There is no telling what the Chokka’s father told him. Plus, he is with the son of the Minister of Science. He will know secrets that may be hidden within the city. We can’t rule out their return. Either way, we will be ready.”
The Keeper placed his hand on the Cancellarrii’s shoulder. “We will talk more on this later. Keep me apprised.”
“We will need to replace the Kaptajn. I have someone in mind.”
“I’m sure you do. I’ll see you later.”
After the Keeper departed the makeshift shelter, the Cancellarrii regarded the damaged Kaptajn. Within the hour, he would be transported back to the city for surgery. Rage filled him. “They will pay for what they have done.”
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
From the outside, there was no evidence of a fortress. The land was full of vegetation, fashioning a lovely setting.
Babel simply stood and admired the beauty. He could see why his ancestors had chosen this location as the place to build their hidden fortress. Babel imagined his ancestors finding this spot among all the possible choices in the world and declaring that, “This is it.”
The Chokka that came here came because their situation was dire. They were faced with the death of their world, as well as their own death. Babel could imagine no more beautiful final sight before death.
“Are you sure this is it?” Babel asked Quentin.
“I am sure of it.”
“Good. You don’t happen to also be sure of the location of the doorway, do you?”
Quentin smiled. “I was hoping you would.”
Babel couldn’t explain it, but at that moment he did know. His face grew serious and Quentin noticed the change. “What it is?”
“I know how to enter.”
Quentin looked over at Jims who raised his eyebrows. “You do? How?”
“I don’t know. I just know where the doorway is hidden.” He asked the others to stand back. He wasn’t sure exactly how he knew the way to open the fortress, but he did. It was the same as when he had opened the gateway to this world at the Taj Mahal.
He walked to the highest point in the area at the top of a small knoll. He was surprised that he could see the land stretch far to the north. In the distance, he could make out mountains which were topped with snow. He gasped. There were no mountains in the area, only flat land interrupted periodically by slight elevations. He shouldn’t have seen mountains; but at that moment, above the fortress of the Chokka, he felt the energy of the world and realized he could see everything. He saw the wastelands that lay beyond. He saw the mass graves of bones. He saw the desolate structures of the world.
It was at that moment, he realized why Orleans looked so familiar. It was because it was New Orleans. Only it was a New Orleans in a world of waste. Everything else in the world lie in ruin. Babel didn’t know if this was another duplicate world or if – for the first time he experienced this thought – he had somehow gone to the future of his world that had somehow been destroyed.
It was in that moment of seeing all that he also witnessed the man living alone to the north and recognized the need to meet that man.
For several moments he stood there. He closed his eyes and found that he could see better with them closed than with them open. At that moment, the secrets of that world and his ancestors were revealed to him. He became more than just part of that world, he became that world. His questions were confirmed. This was a future world.
He saw the man known as Julius Babel, his ancestor, and the fall of the world. He saw what Julius Babel did not know – that Julius had abilities. If fact, it was Julius’ abilities that saved him that day. When the warheads hit the earth, Julius unknowingly formed a field of energy around the facility using his mind. The world was laid waste but he and the people with him were not harmed.
He learned in that moment that the man to the north was with Julius in the facility.
Quentin watched him amazed. He had been around the Chokka during his childhood and had seen many things that filled him with wonder but he had never seen anything such as he was witnessing now. “He has become the Császár.”
“Yes, that he has.” Jims commented. Quentin turned and looked at Jims in surprise. Quentin thought he had said the words in his head; he realized he must have spoken them aloud.
They continued to watch Babel, as did the other members of the group. They knew they needed to get inside of the fortress. Surely the energy being released would draw immediate attention of the Klopph, even with Babel wearing the device. But they were mesmerized and could not move.
Babel opened his eyes and looked at the men around him. He was their Császár. Now it was time to lead them.
He raised his arms slowly above his head. As he did, four trees began to rise. The trees were lined up in perfect symmetry, creating a seamless square around Babel with him directly in the center.
Finally, when his hands touched above his head, the roots of the trees showed and the trees stopped rising. Then, with a motion that surprised the other men (and intimidated them if they told the truth), Babel violently heaved his arms downward, drawing his hands into fists as he did.
As unrealistic as it seemed, the ground shook slightly when in one fluid motion, he squatted and struck the ground with both fists. The men considered that foray on a human and thought such an incursion would crush the top of a man’s skull. They knew that Babel had shattered both of his hands, yet he showed no sign of being in pain.
Then, Babel stood and motioned for the men to join him; his hands were unfazed.
Quentin reached Babel first. He had his eyes fixed on Babel and once he crested the knoll, took a step towards him. Babel held up his hands for Quentin to stop and Quentin, not understanding at first, looked down and saw that a stairway had opened in the ground.
“So this is why no one could find the fortress.” Quentin said peering down into the dark hole. “It took a Chokka to open the doorway.”
The stairway led down nearly one hundred feet before it ended. It was pitch black at the bottom, the only light coming from the daylight above. That daylight was extinguished as the doorway above slid shut.
For a moment, there was only darkness and they were uncertain (if truth be told and the men would admit it, they were afraid). Then, out of the darkness came an explosion of light. One moment, there was no light, the next they were flooded in lit. The company was temporarily blin
ded, all with the exception of Babel. As the other men covered their eyes, Babel looked around. He was overcome by what he saw.
He was in the fortress of his ancestors, built by the Chokka countless generations ago. This was his history. And now, just as his family had made their place in a desolate world, he would now make his place. “I am home.”
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
Babel was reading his grandfather’s book with a new interest and did not notice Quentin entering the room. Babel felt someone staring at him and was surprised to see Quentin standing next to him. “I didn’t hear you come in.” Babel admitted embarrassed.
Quentin smiled. “I thought now that you are one with the energy of the world, nothing is supposed to surprise you.”
“Very funny.”
“Knock, knock.” came a voice from the doorway. They both turned to see Jims. “Am I interrupting?”
“Not at all. Quentin here was just demonstrating his vast sense of humor.”
“Short conversation…” Jims commented. “Anyways, some place, huh?”
“It really is.” Babel closed the journal and placed his hands on top. Jims noticed the y shaped scar on Babel’s hand.
“Do you know why you have that?”
Babel followed Jims’ gaze to his hand. “You mean the scar? I do not.”
“Quentin, do you know what that is?” Jims asked.
Quentin shook his head. “It is just one of the many mysteries of the Chokka that I do not understand.”
Jims shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, so now what?”
Babel looked at him. “What do you mean now what?”
“I mean now what? I got us here but after that I really didn’t have anything. My job was to get us somewhere safe, which I did. Now it’s your turn.”
