Untold Deception

by William Staikos

  As I walked by the cop, he yelled at me, “Stop right there!”

  There were frantic running sounds behind me. I turned around; a Felis was stealing a piece of bread from a market vendor. The cop ran around me gripping his club and chased after him. What a relief!

  I made it back to the metal door; then I swiveled around to make sure no one followed me. My heart stopped racing, I used the same rhythm Haiba had before. Someone opened the eyehole, and the door flew open. The room lit up with red Hymers again. They all cheered. I could tell they felt guilty.

  Kiongozi walked up and hugged me, “You really look homeless, Salan. Good disguise.”

  I hugged Kiongozi back, then let go, “My neighborhood had plenty of material to work with.”

  “Ain’t that the sad truth,” Kiongozi said.

  Inasaidia stood up from his table, “Look, I’m sorry I made you do that, but the officers are starting to memorize our faces.”

  I shook my head, “Doesn’t matter. I’m here now.” I handed Inasaidia the bag, “Here.”

  Inasaidia opened it and sifted through both pelts. He seemed thorough in his work, checking for holes.

  “Good kill, no large punctures. Very professional work, especially for a 16-year-old,” said Inasaidia.

  I pursed my lips, “Will it sell well?”

  Inasaidia talked as he put the pelts back into the bag, “I have to weigh it for my clients. Don’t worry, I’m understand that the material is lighter than the usual pelt. You won’t lose any cash. The weight scale is upstairs so sit here and wait.”

  Inasaidia disappeared upstairs. Seraculus was sitting down, nervously fiddling with her thumbs. When I looked at her, she stood up and hugged me, “I’m glad you made it back safe.”

  “You worry too much,” I replied.

  “Let’s take a seat and wait for Inasaidia to return.”

  Kiongozi walked with two beers and put them on the table, “On the house!”

  The women who shouted jokes from the corner came over. She smacked him on the head, “You idiot, they’re just kids! Who gives alcohol to kids?”

  Haiba backed away slowly and sat at the edge of our table. I had to contain my smile.

  “Sorry Wajibu, I forgot,” Kiongozi said rubbing the back of his head.

  “It's fine; we’ll drink it, and I’ll grab some milk for these two,” said Wajibu.

  To be honest, I never had a beer before and was curious, but I loved milk. It was rare in my household since we didn’t own a fridge.

  I addressed Seraculus, remembering something important, “How is your cut feeling?”

  “It’s good now. After what happened, I tried to stitch it myself before my dad caught me in the act.”

  “How did he respond?”

  “He was concerned with the wound at first and helped me bandage it up. Before he left the room, he said to not hang around you anymore.”

  “Why?”

  “He didn’t say. Besides, I’m here right now aren’t I?”

  “You're still as blind as a bat.”

  Kiongozi and Wajibu came back with drinks and sat down beside us. I was happy to see the milk – so glad that I grabbed the glass and drank the whole thing. When I looked up, I noticed they were staring at me.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You’re such a cat. You wag your tail for milk,” giggled Seraculus.

  I glanced behind and saw my tail was no longer tucked away, but moving around freely. I stuffed it back into my clothing while flushing a bit red.

  “So what if I like milk. It’s no big deal.”

  “You drink milk faster than I drink beer and that’s saying something,” said Haiba.

  Some nearby Hymer’s laughed. I flushed a bit more red.

  “Don’t go turning into one of us Salan,” said Kiongozi.

  Wajibu smacked his side, “Stop it, Kiongozi. You’re embarrassing him.”

  I disliked sympathy more than insults, “It's OK I know you guys are just joking.”

  “You are adorable though,” said Wajibu.

  I shook my head, “I’m not adorable.”

  Inasaidia came back into the room, prompting me to stand.

  I asked nervously, “How much?”

  “With one of them being an offspring, plus the risk, I’d say 1200 gold coins,” said Inasaidia adjusting his glasses.

  “Give the kid a break Smith,” ordered Kiongozi.

  “Fine. The most I can go up to is 1500 gold coins.”

  Inasaidia handed me a small pouch that had 15 blue coins in it.

  “I thought you said this was 1500 coins?”

  “Those coins are worth 100 each.”

  “Oh sorry, I’ve never seen these before.” I tucked the bag into my pocket.

  My mother and I were going to be OK after all. The remaining 500 can be earned through hunting and my mother’s daily paycheck. The thought set my heart at ease.

  “I should head home to finish some chores. My mother usually gets home earlier on the weekends.”

  I realized that I still hadn’t thought of an excuse for how I got that money. My brain kept grinding for one.

  I stood up, “Come on Seraculus. Let’s go.”

  “Let me show you out,” said Haiba.

  He staggered out and changed his color to the usual tan. We followed him through the three different alleyways back to the town square. I let my hood down to show my face. We disappeared into the crowd of people; Haiba waved as he went a separate direction.

  Seraculus and I headed back to my house. We prepared the two squirrels, bird, and eggs to eat. We drank hot water while we waited for the meat to cook. Suddenly, my mother busted through the door with a blanket wrapped around her. She seemed to be naked underneath the blanket. My mother was sweating and out of breath. She shut the front door and bolted upstairs.

  I stood up, “Mom?!”

  “I’m fine Salan! I’ll meet you downstairs,” she shouted.

  Still full of questions, I sat back down.

  5- Depression

  “Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think.”

  ― Emma Goldman

  “What was that about?” Seraculus whispered.

  I nervously tapped the sides of the cup, “I don’t know.”

  Looking down at my pocket, I took the bag out with 15 blue coins.

  My mind raced for excuses, ‘What should I say?’

  I heard my mom come downstairs. When I saw my mom, she was wearing a brown dress. She deserved a break. I stood up and handed her the pouch.

  “Open it,” I said.

  My mother grinned, “Is this a present for me?”

  That grin quickly changed when she observed the pouch.

  “Salan Alkacheta! How did you get this money!”

  Her yellow eyes pierced right through me. Her gaze had the ability to melt ice. I used the best excuse I could think of, but my delivery was poor.

  “I…I found it at the street market,” I stuttered.

  My mom crossed her arms, “You found it where? Why would someone misplace a pouch worth 1500 gold coins?”

  My mother took a step back, and her eyes opened in shock. She went quiet for a few seconds then talked.

  “Where are the two pelts?”

  “I hunted two squirrel pelts today.”

  “Don’t insult my intelligence! I may only have a grade 7 education, but I can tell when my boy is lying!” My mother’s voice echoed throughout the house.

  Seraculus stood up to interject, “He’s lying because he’s too ashamed that he took money from my father. I asked my father politely to help Salan out.”

  “And how does that make me look? A garbage mother who can’t take care of her son!” my mother screamed.

  It’s a rare sight to see my mother ever cry. I opened my arms, and she embraced me, her hands shaking. When the tension died down, I continued with the lie.

  “Listen, mom. I’ll pay her father back everything. You don�
�t have to worry. I don’t want to be a burden to you anymore.”

  My mother hugged me tighter, “Don’t ever say that, Salan. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  “I love you mom, but please take the money. We can’t lose our home. It would be insulting if you didn’t take it.”

  She wiped her tears and took the pouch, “OK, Salan I will.”

  My mother put on a smile, but I could tell she was still hurting. I knew my mother was strong.

  She turned to Seraculus, “Be sure to give my thanks to Tora.”

  Seraculus was surprised. My heart skipped a beat.

  ‘She knows Tora? If they talk, it's game over for me.’

  Seraculus tilted her head, “How do you know my father’s name?”

  “He’s a representative for the Minyades, so a lot of people know him. Much better person than our king,” my mom said.

  “Mom, you know what would happen if anyone heard you say that…” I drifted off.

  “Oh please, there are no cops here to arrest me. I hope someday people we’ll have the right to say whatever they like.”

  “In Faslow?” Seraculus shook her head, “Like that will ever happen.”

  My mind went to something more important. I turned to my mom. “Hey Mom, why were you wrapped in only a blanket when you came through the door?”

  “One of the clients I had tried to make a move on me. He didn’t do anything farther than stripping me. I kicked him in the face, grabbed a blanket, and left.”

  I paused, then spoke slowly, “Hey mom, do you–”

  “Speak your mind Salan,” my mother said impatiently.

  I had considered this for a while now. It’s not uncommon for women to do whatever it takes to get money in my neighborhood.

  “Do you only clean houses for a living?” I asked nervously.

  She shot back a stern look. “I am not a prostitute.”

  I let out a sigh of relief, but wait, who stripped my mom? The aura around me started to appear. That man is going to get all his limbs broken.

  “Tell me where he is,” anger completely fueled my voice.

  “Relax this isn’t the first time. A girl's gotta learn how to defend herself. Plus, I talked to some officers, so it’s all taken care of.”

  Slowly, the aura receded.

  “I guess it’s fine then. Let’s sit down and eat.”

  The chairs creaked in unison as we sat down. The meal started off with only the sound of forks and chewing. I leaned in to discretely talk to Seraculus.

  “She’s going to thank your dad. What am I going to do?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry. I’m just going to say thank you for her. That should work.”

  My mom waited until I was done speaking with Seraculus then said, “I have to talk to you about something Salan, so stop whispering like lovebirds for a second.”

  “Mom!”

  “This is important,” she picked at her food with the fork. My mother paused, indicating the next words she said was important. “There is going to be a time in your life when you become a soldier to fight as an Abundan for Faslow. You probably will have to go to other countries and fight. You will be trained to kill but promise me one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Never take another person’s life.”

  “Mom, you know they won’t allow that.”

  “They will want you to kill but refuse. If you show how good you are at incapacitating them, your superiors will respect it enough.”

  “I’ve given that some thought and I don’t want to fight for my country.”

  My mother’s smile was that of a proud parent, admiring the work she put in.

  “I don’t blame you. People have never treated you well, so why would you want to fight for them?”

  “Exactly!”

  My mother leaned back in her chair, “Let me ask you this. If they did treat you well, would you fight?”

  “I’ve never given it any thought.”

  “You should because blind faith in your country or religion will get you killed. I don’t want to find out my son is dead fighting another man’s battle. People use others in this world. Learning to read people is more important than learning to read any academic textbook. I’ve listened to university graduates, and they still have learned nothing about the world they live in.”

  “But shouldn’t religion be used to guide people? What about our religion, Krasism?” I asked.

  “Like anything, religion can be abused, and some who follow religion are easy to manipulate. That’s why our military uses it for initiation. They don’t want a soldier who is worried about death, so they tell them they go to an afterlife. It’s tactically smart but morally wrong. As a war general, you get yourself a useful pawn.”

  “But what about our religion? It talks about a Felis who traveled around the world in search of enlightenment and peace for 200 years. We don’t even live that long.”

  “But that isn’t the message of the story. You still don’t understand. The story is trying to say that you should pursue knowledge in your lifetime. You should also make it your duty to make someone else’s life better. The world is full of pain; it doesn’t need anymore. Always remember the commandments of Dharma. The most important commandment is that it is easy to be cruel, but it takes effort to be kind.”

  “Are you saying you believe in the story?”

  “I haven’t shown up to the Felis church in the past ten years. I’ve already understood all of what the Felis holy scripture has to offer.”

  “The Human’s religion doesn’t exactly depict my people very well if it makes you feel any better,” Seraculus added herself to the conversation.

  “I always knew you were a silver-tongued devil, Seraculus,” my mother patted Seraculus on the head.

  We chatted the night away until it was nine. If there’s one thing, I’ve learned, having people that you can trust is better than any amount of coin in your wallet. While in the middle of a conversation, there was a hard knock on the door, which could mean trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time.

  We all went to the front door. I waited near my mom in case the guest was hostile. My mother slowly creaked the door open; there were elite members of the royal guard in front of us. One soldier was near the door holding a scroll and nine soldiers stood below the porch. They all had golden armor. The one at the front, the leader, had a red horsehair crest that went horizontally. They all had golden longswords sheathed on their back – a favorite weapon among Faslow military. The swords of the royal guard had a new metal that could cut aura. The metal uses gold and ruthenium, along with steel. This alloy was called Abundenium. It’s expensive to make, so only royal guards get this luxury. No one had bows and arrows as it was considered cowardly. There were black tally marks all the way down their arms, marking the number of confirmed kills.

  This on top of the fact that anyone of them could be an Abundan, made me stand closer to my mother. The nine members at the back were in a close formation. Their attention was on me. I did not like the look of their stern faces. The leader started to open the scroll and cleared his throat.

  “Why are you at my door?” my mother asked, showing her impatience.

  The soldier let out a deep sigh. He ignored the question and began reading the document.

  “Under the federal law of Faslow, you are hereby placed under house arrest,” the leader announced.

  “On what grounds?” my mother asked.

  The officer’s faced twitched with anger.

  He ignored my mother and continued, “There will be a hearing for the citizen Aja and her Abomination offspring Salan. The hearing starts on the third hour in the town square.”

  My mom raised an eyebrow, “Why are you holding a meeting in the town square?”

  “Be quiet ma’am. Ten royal guardsmen of the elite forces will be placed all around the house to keep watch. This is a precaution should the Abomination Salan resist the law. Should any of the accused
try to run, we have orders to bring them back to this home,” he paused. Then gave a sickly grin, “by any means necessary.”

  People walking by stared at the scene, gathering like a herd of sheep seeing a wolf. They whispered amongst themselves, and there was nothing I hated more than people whispering at my expense. He looked back at the small crowd of people, and smirked.

  He talked even louder, “Such treatment is allowed if deemed necessary from the Axis Alliance.”

  The royal guard rolled up the scroll.

  “What is this about?” I asked.

  “We are not permitted to instruct you on anything until the meeting. If anyone is in the house that is not Salan or you, they will be asked to leave,” instructed the elite member.

  My mother’s eyes narrowed, she leaned forward as she spoke “I have every right to know what I’m being accused of!”

  The royal guard grabbed his sheathed long sword, “Step back inside, or I will force you back inside.”

  My mother slammed the door on the royal guard’s face. The guard kicked down the door, grabbed my mother, and stuck a sword to her throat. Black aura circled my body. My claws came entirely out. No one hurts my mom.

  “Get your hands off of her!” I shouted.

  “Stay back, Abomination!” He turned to his men and ordered,” Escort the girl and anyone else in the house. Take your post guarding outside the house afterwards.”

  One guard grabbed Seraculus and took her outside. She had a worried face as she left. I was just as bewildered as her. After the soldiers searched the house, the royal guard shoved my mother onto me. They all walked out of the room and slammed the door. The front door now had a broken splintered hole on the side. My mother gripped onto me, shaking.

  “Mom, what is going on?” I asked.

  My mom’s grip tightened, “I don’t know, son.”

  In my stunned state, I asked again, and she had the same reply.

  “You know, no matter what happens, you’ll have a proud mother, right? I’m telling you to stay strong because it's going to be trouble,” my mother sobbed into my shoulder.

  Unfortunately, her words made sense. Royal guards didn’t show up to any ordinary case.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, son?”

  “Please stay near me tonight. I’m afraid of what will happen tomorrow,” I said nervously.