Revelation of Raelia: Book One

by Tammy W. Pechin

  As the sun finally starts to glow at the horizon, I am thankful for the sunlight to warm me and the morning to come as I didn't know how much longer I could take just being stationary like this. Chilled to the bone I stand and try to regain feeling in my body and as the numbness dissipates, I hear others gathering servants for work duty. Suddenly I am fueled by the warmth of adrenaline pulsing its way throughout my entire body. No plan, I blame it on the ice cycles on my brain from the cold. Quickly I smudge mud on my face, hide anything that looks suspicious and rip my clothing up to look warn and dirty. Funny how adrenaline works… One moment you're a frozen cube, the next your body knows exactly what to do without a second thought. I get out the gun from my bag and hide it under my cloths and a knife into my boot, realizing I am going to have to leave the bag behind.

  Walking straight out into the crowds of people gathering servants from homes and I get in line with them; I am shoved a few times by people in command. My stringy hair stick to my mud-covered face as I hope no one notices me as an outsider. Eventually my parents are in my sight and their eyes widen as they notice me in the line and the try to work their way as closely to my position as possible. I try not to make eye contact with them, I know they are probably very angry with me for doing this. They probably think that I got myself caught… It's okay, I have a plan… well no I don't, however my adrenaline is in control, the plan will come eventually.

  After everyone is gathered and lined up with guards standing to the front and the back, they have the front gates opened for us all to leave for work duty. We are ushered out through the cold mornings first light towards the mines in silence as you hear the shuffles of feet scooting across the ground with sounds of yawns and sorrowed sighs. My parents are just a few people behind me, I occasionally glance back at them. I do my best to shuffle along, waiting on my brain to defrost enough to join the adrenaline rush, I have going. There are four guards with weapons, but only one has a gun. There is enough of us to outnumber them if I can get the workers to rebel. I just need to watch the one with the gun… I feel a plot brewing.

  “Oh, there you are brain… so glad you decided to join in.” Whispering to myself. Let's play this out and see what happens, that's honestly the best plan I have.

  Eventually we make it to the mines, it's close to the village but far enough away that they wouldn't notice gunshots being fired out here. I don't think the sound could be heard all the way back at the village. At the entrance there are crates of tools for everyone to grab what they need going into the darkness with no more than gas lamps. I don't understand why they would have them working in mines for resources in a world where they have little to no value… what are they hoping to utilize here?

  We work in groups of two and get one lamp per group to save on the amounts of lamps being distributed. Once we start working, I start questioning the woman I am grouped with quietly as I watch out for the guards standing at the entrance.

  “This is insanity, what are we even mining for here?” I begin to question, nudging her upper arm.

  “Gold.” She whispers, not looking at me as she continues to work.

  “Gold! Why Gold, what's the point in that?” I blurt out, staring at her with confusion.

  “Shhhh, you're going to get us both in trouble and the last guy that caused trouble isn't around to complain anymore.” She glares at me with urgency and annoyance.

  “Sorry, but please tell me why. They can't hear us outside.”

  She sighs as she begins to explain, “Adex thinks the gold will make him rich when the quarantine ends. He thinks everyone will be in the market for gold like in the past and he thinks his tribe using gold as currency will make him wealthy and powerful since you can't get your hands on it easily. The wealthy are already using gold as trade in Black Gates, by his order.”

  “Wait who is Adex?”

  “The tribal leader of Black Gates, we are serving Adex of course, where have you been?” She questions, looking at me like I'm crazy.

  “This is my first day and I have no intentions on sticking around. I am not…”

  Before I know it, I am being flipped around with hands tightly gripping my neck against the dirty rough-edged rock wall.

  “We don't tolerate talking when you should be working. This is your only warning, now get back to work.” The guard commands, he releases my neck and I gasp for air. I watch him walk away and I pretend to go back to work.

  It's becoming clear this isn't going to be fun or easy. I need others to work with me if we have any chance of escaping from here. I continue to work as I make my way around as the guards appear to be eating outside the entrance. While they are distracted, I make my way to my parents and talk to them about getting everyone to work together and overpower the guard's. If we all work together and manage to fight them. Splitting up when we leave, if we go all in different ways then it is unlikely, they will catch us or be able to find us all when they report back to Adex. Slowly after working out at plan with mom and dad then they also spread the plan and in a short amount of time everyone appears to be on board.

  The guards have come in and out a few times to make sure everyone is still working, and they keep hearing chatter but can't seem to catch anyone, so they keep throwing threats at all of us. Once they go back out for a few minutes I lay down on the floor. I sneak the knife to my mother, and let her know that I have a gun for my own safety so let me lead.

  “Guards! Come Fast! A girl is down, she has passed out.” My mother cries to the guards as she runs out to get them.

  The guards rush in as everyone still holding their tools, watching closely while the guards gather around me.

  “Watch out!” A guard shouts, squatting down over me with his head above mine as he looks for my breathing.

  As he leans closely to me then I am fast to head butt him so hard he falls backwards holding his head.

  The other guards standing nearby rush to his side and towards me.

  “Now!” I scream as the guards are in shock as they realize that we are surrounding them. You see them start to panic as their faces turn pale.

  Unfortunately, it's always hard to take a life but in these situations, it is also hard to avoid because it's your life or theirs. As everyone tackles the guards it becomes a crime scene of desperate people that were filled with rage from being captives. Quickly the guards are down, and they are not coming back as I stare at the body of a guard with a pickaxe embedded into his spine. I hold the gun in my hand that I had hidden on me and my father took the other gun from the guard easily as he was the unfortunate one that got the pickaxe to the back as he tried to fire at me.

  “Everyone enough! They are not coming after us, just go now. Go as many ways as possible. Run for as long as you can run, don't rest until night so they won't find you, they will come looking for heads.” I announce, pushing and pulling people out of the mine with my parents by my side, we watch them all separate and run to their well-deserved freedom.

  “Let's go, we have a village to go back to and I have hands filled with gold and we have two guns that might just get us back in, and as not servants.” I rush my parents out of the cave, without telling them the entire truth.

  “We're with you, as long as we are together then that's all that matters.” She comforts me with a hug.

  We start running back towards the woods as I direct them, staying very clear of going near the tribe so it will add a little extra time but we can't risk being caught and we have to move fast before they realize the servants aren't coming back from the mines at sunset.

  Along the way as we stop to take very quick breathers and catch up with each other on the months we missed being together. Eventually I admit to my parents about where I was while they were gone and where we are going. While there is some concern, they agree that the risk of getting voted into the village is probably the best chance we must be safe especially until the tribe stops looking for revenge for what happened to the guards. Not to mention they lost their work fo
rce and they are going to want someone to pay for that. Inside a village they can't reach us, and we are safer being servants inside Kallem's village then rebels at the moment, we can figure out the rest as we go. Although with the gold, I know my parents have traits that could be valuable, and the gold and guns are additional bargaining chips. I'm aware that when I return, I will have a price to pay myself for running away and Kallem had to cover his back for letting me walk away. Hopefully Kallem will not let them do anything to horrible like trade me off or banish me.

  With no food or water then we are slowing down, and it is getting close to sunset; we are getting far from the tribe and we need to eat very soon. My clothes are muddy, torn and blood soaked, which is not going to look good when we do reach Oaken Woods. It's unfortunate that I had to leave my bag behind, but we still have the knife, and two guns, which will help with hunting. Can't risk firing a gun and drawing attention, so knife is the only option now when we got lucky, which wasn't long thankfully.

  “Give me your knife Raelia,” Dad whispers, as he puts his hand out stopping me and mom from walking.

  I hand him the knife as I realize there is a huge black and red ring-necked snake slithering a few feet in from of us.

  “Distract him Raelia!” He commands, looking at me like I have wanted to do such a thing.

  “Seriously? What am I supposed to do a mating dance for him?” I sarcastically joke, wondering over towards the front of the snake. Did I mention I hate snakes… spiders okay, snakes… just no. Look at those freaky eyes?

  “Ugh, I hate snakes!” I cringe.

  “Just be ready to dodge.”

  I get closer and he sneaks up behind using my noise to distract the snack from hearing him getting closer.

  “It's hissing at me; I swear if I get bitten…” Then the snake jumps at me a little, I jump backwards, and dad reaches down grabs the snake by the back of the neck with his foot on its tail and quickly decapitates the poor guy as I look away.

  “Dinner!” Dad gloats, with mom congratulating him on his kill.

  “I'm not eating a snake, nope. We can wait to cook, we need to get as far as we can, lets walk just a little further.”

  “If you're hungry you will, it doesn't taste that bad. We can carry it until we set up camp for the night, and I can cook it there and we need to find water”.

  “You guys make a good team.” Mom said, in a prideful voice as if I was still a child, ignoring the fact that I don't want to eat that thing.

  We continue onwards until as the sun sets finally just as we are arriving and quickly, we get a fire started as there is probably no more than half an hour of light left. It's getting cold as the temperature has been dropping so I welcome the fire.

  Mom and I wash up in a tiny spring we came across and get all the dirt off. I stood there staring at dad prepare the snake and get it cooking on the fire. We all watch the fire, and dad continues to wash himself up. I perch there on the grass watching the fire burn as I wish I had a change of clothes. We all sit together holding on to each other as we eat and continue to talk about the past months that seemed so long.

  As we get into conversation about Oaken Woods and how I was a servant of a doctor from the village.

  “Why must we return to this village if you were a servant? I don't want you to be put back into that horrible position.” Mom cries, with her arm wrapped around me.

  “It's okay, we need this. We will all be together and that's what matters isn't it. You and dad have enough skills and gold to buy your way in, I believe. Looking back, the worst part was not having you both around.” Putting my arm around her in return.

  “You will go back to servitude won't you Raelia?” Father inquires, worried about my future.

  “I ran away father, they will be consequences, but we will be together, and I understand what will happen. It's a safe place and it will keep us from being caught by anyone after what we did.” I assure him, trying to be convincing to him and to myself.

  “I trust you know what you're doing Raelia, and I agree as long as we all are safe and together then it's for the best.” He agreed, going back to Oaken Woods was the best chance we have.

  “What?! She will be a servant; how can that be okay? We can't just go back and ignore the fact that she is going to be in the same position she just saved us from.” Mother argues.

  “Calm down, it's going to work out. You must trust me, it's our best chance. Enough, with this conversation already. We need to get some sleep, another day of walking, but we are making great time.” I mention, laying down on the ground with my arm under my head.

  I hear mother muttering to father as she still doesn't approve of my plan, but I know she will understand when we get there and get settled. I know it won't be easy for me, however I can't imagine them being lost again or me not being able to be able to care for them. There are people there I left behind and part of me misses them the same way I missed mother and father.

  I try to sleep, but I am struggling with the thoughts of what is awaiting my return, I may no longer be allowed to be Kallem's servant and the alternative could be far worse than it was before. How would I cope, and how would Kallem feel knowing how I may be treated, or will he even care? Would he just allow me to be hurt, traded, or even banished? My thoughts drift off into Chaos; how much I miss her. I want to be there for her, there is so much to teach her so she can have a better future. If anything, for her I'll take whatever is waiting for me on arrival. It was so hard to leave her, thankfully I found my parents; now I can return to Chaos and I won't leave her again. I can focus on being a part of the village, instead of constantly trying to escape.

  CHAPTER 13

  DEFINE HOME SWEET HOME

  M

  orning arrived and we it was time to depart of into the woods, towards what I feel like may be our home. Walking for about an hour already listening to mother drone on about being worried about me, I now remember why parents can be so frustrating. The more she goes on the more nervous I get, and I feel my anxiety kicking in. I try to reassure her, but I am starting to feel my own doubt eating away at me as well make our journey.

  After walking about half the day, we reach the village where I met Indigo on the way to Black Gates. I tell my parents to wait as I jump the fence and lean over, yelling for Indigo until he appears. I jump down and run to the fence gate, where Indigo greats us.

  “Indigo!” I great him happily, waving.

  Then I introduce my parents and start to explain the story of how I meet Indigo.

  “I am so happy you made it; I was worried. I am amazed that not only did you find your parents it's been so little time since you departed me.” Indigo says as he hugs me.

  “What can I say, I guess I got lucky for once. We cannot stay long, there will be others looking for us. I was just wondering if I could hold you up to your promise of a feast. I for one did not enjoy eating snake and could use some actual vegetation instead.”

  “Of course, I am a man of my word. Give me time to work on putting some food together and we will eat. While you wait go inside the same tent, sit and rest.” Indigo directs, leading us into the tent.

  “Thank you! I'm so happy that I ran into someone like you, you have my gratitude.”

  My parents and I sit down on the ground and try to relax as we pull of our shoes and stretch out our legs.

  “Why can't we ask to stay here with the gold we have? They seem nice, do they have servants here?” Mom assumes, looking around the tent.

  “I wish, they are not allowing new people in, due to food supplies. They do not have servants; they are a peaceful self-sustaining village, but they have limited food and space. Also, no interest in things like gold or guns.” I mention, with a deep sigh.

  “Oh, that's too bad. Well at least we do get a good meal before we move on. Which is very kind of them.” Mother state, as she glances over, and dad is laying down quietly listening to our conversation with his arms behind his head.

  “Glad you'r
e making yourself at home.” I laugh, with a tilted grin and squinted eyes.

  “Always was good at making the best of a bad situation.” Dad remarks.

  Indigo comes walking into the tent with a plate of freshly cut strawberries, and a whole tomato sliced. “Here you go, a snack while the food cooks on the fire. It will be ready soon enough.” He said, handing us the plates hand made of clay.

  “Amazing! Strawberries! It's winter, this is great.” Mom said with excitement, taking the plate.

  “We have old ways here and what can I say, I have a wicked green thumb.” Indigo jokes.

  “Thank you for letting us rest and eat, you are a wonderful person.” Mother says with her mouth stuffed with strawberry, as we are all devouring the food.

  “Yes, thank you.” I echo my appreciation to Indigo.

  “You're all welcome…” Indigo states looking at my father.

  “Oh yes, thank you, sorry I was focusing on how much I miss gardening my own food.” Father said to Indigo, while staring at the food on the plate.

  “We all have had to adapt to change. I am glad I was able to make you feel at home. I will be right back.” Indigo said as he leaves to go check on the fire.

  We all sit around talking until he returns with a three bowls of soup. He leaves us to eat in peace and later returns with water.

  “How was everything?” Indigo inquires.

  “Amazing, that was the best meal any of us has had in a long time. You're a great cook and host.” I said rubbing my stomach.

  “You're welcome. You are welcome anytime you travel to stop by and see me.” Indigo shakes my hand.

  “Thanks, it's time. We need to get moving before anyone has time to catch up with us. We are not protected here against them here.

  “I agree, I did bring you these, they are handmade shirts that I dyed myself to replace all of your dirty shirts. I saw the blood on your shirt, and I wants to offer you this since I had some I do not need.” Indigo leans in handing us each a big baggy handmade shirt.