by Shane Cogan
C H A P T E R 12
Yarracullan
Zirva was eager for the Collective to start the next stage of the plan. She explained to them all about the visit of her brother, the King’s outburst concerning his children and the notebook that had been kept all these years in her brother’s secret vault. She kept the existence of the purple liquid to herself for the time being. She felt it was her main weapon and one she would share when the time was right, and on her instructions. ‘We need to move swiftly, decisively and in unison,’ she said. ‘The King is vulnerable. Now is the time to strike,’ she added. One of the members of the Collective spoke up in a soft murmur: ‘Well, whose fault is it that we are not prepared and are now being asked to move against the King? We are not ready. If you had not abducted his wife…,’ he was interrupted by Zirva, ‘I had no choice. I saw an opportunity and I took it. I do not regret it and feel it was necessary. End of discussion. Now, let’s move on with the preparations,’ she said with a sharp tone.
There was a small shuffling in one of the seats, ever so slight, that broke the silence. ‘I do not agree,’ the whispered voice repeated. There was a continued hush among the rest of the group, then another spoke out: ‘May I ask what you want to do next, as you seem so confident that we must now move against the King?’ She paused and looked at everyone around the table. She was content that they had heeded her pre-arrival instructions. Everyone was dressed in cloaks. Their faces, bodies and, with it, their identities were hidden behind the cloaks. Zirva double checked and counted eight figures around the table, six with black cloaks, covered from head to foot. One was dressed in a red cloak and another wore a glistening purple cloak, who stood out from the rest of the group. The purple cloaked figure spoke out. ‘Yes, I have a plan.’ It was Zirva.
‘As you all know, our existence is well known to all the political powers on the planet, yet we have never been taken seriously. They simply brand us as a mixture of misfits and talkative fools. Never seen, never known and never in public. People don’t know if we actually existed anymore then a small group of talking shows. When I first entered this group as a young idealistic middle-aged artist, I just wanted to be part of some group and feel some form of security away from the elites in the city,’ Zirva said as she pointed south with her finger and arm fully raised, the group silent on her every word. ‘But as I matured, my knowledge of my family’s history grew, thus I wanted to nurture this group; our group. And now I firmly believe that after almost 20 years of secret meetings, deliberations, connections and secret verbal promises, that the time is ripe for the group to strike out and become noticed, finally,’ she said.
‘It was me who introduced the black, red and purple cloaks. In previous ages, this group merely covered their heads and spoke freely while being recognisable. Now only I know who each member is, their position in society, their background and, more importantly, what their power is,’ she said with a grin, while her eyes and the rest of her face fully exposed grimaced. They have all been handpicked by me, with the exception of maybe one or two of the older members, but they had come around to my thinking. ‘The era of the Tarracullan Tribe is almost at an end. We have their leader’s wife. We have our secret weapon. After years of secret talks, we shall now more forward. We also have someone who is on the Vanguard who shares our beliefs. We are inside the palace of power. Now I want to share with you the next stage in our plan,’ she told the group in a calm tone.
******
‘Please sit,’ said Samarth. The male carefully scanned every part of the room. His security background told him to take the seat closest to the door. I wonder why I am here, especially in such secret gestures. ‘Tiuus. You have been with my inner personal security for over 40 years. You know of no other job, role or choice in life. Your father was also with the Tarracullan’s inner circle, and his father before him. As one of my most valued members of my small inner circle; what I am about to share with you is in the absolute strictest of confidence. Can I have your word on this before I begin?’ Samarth asked. Tiuus shifted a little in the seat he had chosen. Wrong choice of seat, as it is pinching my anal area. He shifted again to regain a comfortable spot. He moved his head in approval. Samarth was satisfied. ‘The King and I have long suspected that we have what they used to call in the old days, a spy, in the Vanguard. Tiuus forgot about the pinching chair and was fully alert upon hearing those words. ‘The King has also long believed that this spy creature, to give it a name, may have been behind the disappearance of his children some ten years ago and now also that of his wife.’ Samarth studied the face of Tiuus for any shock, or alarm at this statement. Nothing appeared on his face. Excellent security training, just like his father.
‘During the most recent of the Vanguard’s meetings, the King carried out a small practical test to help flush out this spy. The details of the discussion and plan are not important now, but its final outcome is significant. The person in question was singled out as being very uncomfortable around the King’s children, when the issue was suddenly brought up, some ten years after their disappearance. The King has viewed this as further proof that this individual needs some close monitoring. We are convinced that this individual is a conspirator of some kind’. Tiuus was silent throughout the monologue, but now viewed it timely to intervene. ‘Can you divulge the name of this suspect, at the current time?’ I wonder if there is any further information that was needed before I can reveal his name.
‘Wormblack,’ Samarth said. ‘Ah, Wormblack of the Yarracullan Tribe,’ Tiuus said each word very slowly, and his dark bushy eyebrows moved when he spoke, showing a very stern face. ‘So you know of this creature I speak of, well or not?’ asked Samarth. ‘Our palace is small, at times. Atisians chatter within its walls. But I only know of this male by reputation. He is, shall we say, well known among political circles in the palace and in society. He is also highly regarded as something of a good diplomatic, always neutral and a very strong family man,’ said Tiuus. ‘Indeed he is, or so we thought. He has been one of the more respected Vanguard members, but we now want him investigated, do you think this is possible?’ asked Samarth. Tiuus carefully gathered his thoughts. He moved his buttocks uncomfortably again in the chair. A wood splinter must have pierced through my clothes. ‘You can remove it after you leave my room,’ Samarth said with a smile. Tiuus’ face twitched at the remark and small pimples broke out on his light brown skin. ‘Easy now, Manith man. That was crude of me. I know my limits. Go on,’ said Samarth.
Tiuus rubbed his face with his hand and felt the pimples ease back into the crevices of his skin, as he regained his composure. ‘Atis has changed in the last 100 years, with people moving freely, very little surveillance on individuals, and I think we have the utmost respect for people to voice their opinions. So any monitoring shall, in effect, be suspected, certainly I feel by Wormblack or anyone on the Vanguard. There are certain protocols, albeit limited ones,’ Tiuus said.
Samarth handed him a small electronic chip with the emblem of Atis on it. He rubbed his thumb slowly over the yellow and blue Culla Bird stamped onto it. ‘What is this?’ asked Tiuus. ‘Everything you need to know about our dear friend, Wormblack. Study it, memorise everything and then destroy the contents from your personal power device and burn the chip in the incinerator. Leave no trace of this chip,’ said Samarth. Tiuus took the chip, placed it in his top pocket and stood up, as he has sensed the meeting was over. Tiuus nodded at Samarth in acknowledgment, as touching the royal family was not permitted. Tiuus turned and walked to the door. ‘Wait. There is one other piece of information,’ Samarth said. He moved towards the small metal cabinet close to his bed. He removed an item and walked back towards the Manith man. ‘There is this. The King gave it to me earlier. A male with your security background will know what it is and what it means. We do not,’ he said as he handed the bullet to Tiuus. Samarth noted the Manith man’s face. ‘As shocked as us, I can see. I will leave it with you. It was found near the King’s wife’s footprints
at the lake,’ he said. ‘Incredible,’ said Tiuus.
‘We are not to meet until you have carried out your mission. There shall be no communication again with me until you have successfully collected information, either to confirm our suspicions, or to contradict them. If this takes a few weeks, or a full triple lunar month, then so be it. The least amount of communication between us the better, as you now shall work solo. Is this clear?’ Samarth asked. Tiuus merely nodded his head twice to illustrate that he understood. He placed the bullet into his side pocked, while holding it tight. His hand did not leave the pocket. Tiuus added: ‘Trust me, no stone shall be left unturned. You will have a definitive report in due course. I bid you goodnight, Master Samarth.’ Tiuus had eased the King’s brother’s concerns and walked out the door. He did not look back at the door, but glanced down at his compass and watch to note the time and walked down the small hallway and out into the courtyard. He briefly glanced at the stars in the sky, while giving the slightest of grins. He felt excited. He touched the left pocked of his shirt where the chip was placed, while still holding the bullet in his hand. Finally, a proper task, a proper project to test my raw talents. Atis has been far too quiet and predictable. He walked with a sudden spring in his step.
C H A P T E R 13
Culla Bird
Aluum was rubbing her feet. She felt her whole body had the same pain. She looked at her hands and saw the new scratches and traces of blood from the recent climbing. Her stomach was in need of food. And the water pools were running low. Aluum had now been travelling on foot for another week, with little or no contact with any new animals. Is this the emotional sadness that the guide spoke about? She reflected on the green area, the tree, the fungi and splashing herself with water. These things all felt happy. So this feeling I have now is different, the opposite, so it must be sad, as the guide hinted at…
Aluum looked at her legs and arms and rubbed some loose dry skin off. She sensed that the daylight hours were now becoming dryer and hotter. She recalled the past few days and noted that there had been a sighting of a few more rats, some small trees, two or maybe three green patches, but little else in the form of vegetation and animal life. There had also been one sighting of a strange creature that climbed above her head and was able to move through the air. She had found that animal quite fascinating and wished to study it some more, but it had not come back. Aluum had seen some new rocks that were relatively large and some small ones that appeared to be of a different colour, but she was not sure what they were. She had rested at night in caves that provided shelter and drank from the water that dropped from its roof.
Aluum sat at the entrance of the cave and looked out at the terrain below. All she could see were endless mini swirls of dust, an air that was tricking her eyes with promises of new objects and swirling grey clouds, with barely enough light coming through. She recoiled backwards and rested her mind. Why had the guide had not appeared in my dreams for days? Aluum thought back to some other recent dreams and remembered that some new people, similar to her own appearance, had now started to appear more frequently in her dreams. There was a female who looked like me. There was also a male and some other smaller people, but they were hard to make out. She had tried to speak to them in the dreams, but failed to do so. ‘I need to find these people. They look like me. They seem to speak the same tongue as me and I hope they are on this planet also, somewhere,’ she said aloud as the words bounced around the cave. She laughed at the effect it still had on her ears. For days, all I have done was walk. I have little choice. There was little else to do. The pain was beginning to worsen with each step she took on the barren landscape. She could have stayed at the last green area, and had wanted to stay, but decided to move on. The guide had been very clear. The dreams had been clear. I simply had to keep going. I have to meet people. So all I can do is walk during the daylight and rest in the caves during the darkness. Aluum sighed and glanced out again at the planet below. Nothing had changed. No new images appeared before her eyes. Noticing the light becoming stronger, she left the cave entrance. And not looking back, Aluum climbed down the uneven rocks and back onto the hot surface under her bare feet. The dusty surface guzzled up her open wounds and absorbed the old red colour, turning it into its own colour.
Aluum stopped. She noticed a difference in the ground that she walked on. She bent and reached down with her hands to touch the ground. It looks less red. She placed one hand on the ground and left it there for a few moments. Less hot. She then made movements with her fingers on the surface. She curled her fingers in a motion that allowed them to sink into the ground. ‘It seems less hard,’ she whispered. She tried to push her fingers further into the ground and was able to pull away some of the material and make a hole of sorts. She judged the hole to be the size of her hand. Less hard, easier to move and less red in colour. Maybe I am entering a new area of the planet. After the touch of this new material, her body sprung into life and she walked faster and faster till she was running.
She could make out a new structure on the horizon. Not rocks, not water, nor an animal. She ran faster trying to reach it. Was this the same trick that the heat plays on my eyes? She slowed down as the structure came into view. She stopped and rubbed her hands over her eyes, as if she sensed it might not be real. She starred at the structure, and rubbed them even more. It had not vanished like so many other objects on her travels. It is real. Aluum smiled greatly. She moved slowly towards it. The structure appeared similar to the rocks that were so familiar to her, but with a different shape. They are all of the same shape, as if made that way. They had also been placed on top of each other. There were four such large structures that had not vanished before her eyes.
They seem like my cave, but these are outside of the cave and are not part of any mountain.
Aluum could make out that each structure had the stones all placed upon each other in four lines, with a central open area in the middle. On top of the four well-placed ones, was some of form of a top, she could make out. She calculated that it was twice her size in height. She moved on to the next structure and it was similar in shape. Clearly someone, like me, has made these, as they are not like a cave or the mountains. There was also a hole that was the size of Aluum on each of the structures that opened when pushed. Aluum realised this was made from the same stuff as trees. She continued to look around the area. She found some small stones that appeared to be neatly laid out on the ground and ran in small narrow lines in and around all four structures. She walked on them and they made a crunching sound under her feet. She felt that this surface was comfortable and easy on her feet.
Aluum explored the area and continued to find new items that she was not familiar with, but realised they had been used by someone. There was a hole in the ground with a long hard object that seemed to pull up water from the ground. She pulled on it several times and water came up in something without dripping and larger than her own hands, which Aluum used to drink water from. ‘It’s a bucket, but how do I know it is a bucket?’ she yelped.
She made a mental note of the word and what it was used for. She also found a seating area where clearly something or someone may have sat, eat food and rested. Aluum rested on one of the items. She moved around and found that her body fitted almost perfectly into it. If I am able to sit on this item and it fits my body entirely, then the people who had lived here were similar to me.
While she moved around from structure to structure, she picked up various items along the way and left them in a pile close to the seating area. Her instincts told her to do this. She touched some of the green vegetation that grew all over the structure and immediately withdrew her hand as she noticed blood falling from a finger. She cleaned the blood off with the water in the bucket.
There appears to be no food here. She continued to look for things that were around the stone structures. No animals, not even a rat. It feels strange here, almost like when the caves go dark. She went back into one of the stone structures and looked
more closely inside. Despite the ugly vegetation growing inside the structure, she could make out that the stones inside were very flat. There was a hole above her head where some light was coming from outside that allowed her to see around. She looked at one side of the structure and thought she could see something. She pulled away the some of the vegetation from where she was looking. ‘Yes. There is something on it,’ she said. Aluum picked up a sharp stone and used her hands to brush aside more of the stuff that was growing everywhere and slowly an image appeared as the green vegetation was removed from the stone structure. Aluum moved back so that the dim light could shine on what she had scratched open. Her face dropped and her body shrunk as she stared at the cleared part of the structure. ‘It’s not possible,’ she said out loud. ‘It’s me!’
C H A P T E R 14
Manith’s
Aluum’s body lay still. Her eyes closed, with just the slightest of twitches. All she could see were bright colours. Each colour appeared to follow its own direction. Yet, each colour pointed at something. Each colour came from one source. Aluum got up slowly. She took a first step, then a second, then each step became quicker. With each step, Aluum drew closer to the source. She stuck out her right hand and extended one of her long thin fingers towards the source. Aluum pushed her finger into the source of bright lights. She felt no pain. Nothing. There was no sudden reaction. No bodily movement, backwards or forwards. I feel nothing. No physical pain. Aluum pushed her right hand, arm and the rest of her body into the light source. Aluum was somewhat levitating and totally consumed by the light source.
