by S. S. Segran
Just as she turned to leave with Hutar and Aesròn, Akol blurted, “No! It is quite alright. You may join us, but please do not disquiet our guests. They are still recovering from their ordeal.”
As the three youths took off their shoes before entering, Huyani pulled Akol aside. “What is the matter with you?” she hissed. “The Elders will not be pleased if they learn we allowed our people to make contact with these five.”
Akol was defensive. “I did not know how to turn them away.”
“It was more like you did not know how to turn Matikè away. Listen to me, brother. You cannot, absolutely cannot allow her to curry favors with you like she did just now. I think she was using your emotions for her to get inside with the other two.”
Akol huffed. “Impossible. No one knows my feelings for her except you, and I know you would not tell a soul unless I agreed.”
“No, I would not. But I have heard talk going around. This is not good, Akol.”
“I promise it will not happen again.” Akol led the way into the dining quarter of Huyani’s neyra.
The friends looked up from their meal at the newcomers. Mariah and Tegan gave each other glances when they spotted the two male youths. Dang, Mariah thought. What’s this? The Village of the Gorgeous Genes?
One of the newcomers, a youth with close-cropped black hair at the sides and dark blue eyes set above high cheekbones, took stock of the group even as they studied him. He looked to be around the same age as Akol and was built much like him, with well-toned arms and a tall, athletic body. He wore a brown hide jacket with white seams and his skin was tanned like Akol’s, though Mariah sensed the three arrivals were not relatives of the siblings.
She turned her gaze to the second boy; he had uniquely light-colored eyes and dark brown hair. His fair skin and aquiline nose gave him an air of royalty. A predator’s large incisor was strung around his neck. There were faded brown stains on the fang that she guessed were blood. Like Hutar and Akol, he was lean, broad-shouldered, and exuded a calm bearing.
Lastly, Mariah took stock of the girl following the two young men. In a sense, she was similar to Huyani with her slim, attractive figure and fluid motions, but the likeness ended there. Matikè’s eyes were more rounded, and were light green with gold flecks in them. She wore her brown hair in a long ponytail, and her skin was the shade of mocha. While she appeared delicate and was slightly shorter than Jag, something about the way she moved made Mariah believe she could give the sixteen-year-old a run for his money in parkour.
Akol introduced the newcomers to the five. “My friends, I would like you to meet a few of our fellow Dema-Ki youths: Hutar, Aesròn, and Matikè.”
The two boys and Matikè greeted the five.
“Aesròn and I can understand your language and speak interactively with you, but dear Matikè does not have our ability,” Hutar said. Then he extended a hand. “It is a pleasure to finally meet our very first visitors.”
The friends each shook his hand as Huyani served the newcomers, and Akol brought out more seats. Hutar took a spot beside Mariah and Aesròn sat beside Hutar. Matikè joined Huyani across from Aesròn. Akol sat back down beside Jag.
Hutar, taking the first bite from his meal, complimented Huyani on her cooking and she smiled at him gratefully. He then looked at the five and studied them in quiet for a while. Having chewed on a spoonful of wild rice, he finally asked, “How are you all feeling? Surely the way you have been injured is not to be taken lightly.”
At the friends’ surprised looks, he added, “You are not a secret to those of us living in this valley. Though most of us have not seen or met you, we have heard talk. That is why my companions and I came by; we wanted to get to know you and wash away the rumors that have arisen, especially amongst the younger people of the village.” Hutar leaned forward. “We would like to know more about you.”
The friends shared looks, and then Kody said, “We’re doing fine, thanks. Huyani and Akol have been just great to us, so we’re getting stronger every day. And I love the food here.”
Jag elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “Will you for once get your mind off of food?!” Turning to the newcomers, he said, “We’ve all known each other since we were little, so after listening to this guy ramble about his hunger attacks for a while, it gets really exasperating.”
Aesròn chuckled. “Ah, he is still growing. I remember constantly needing to eat when I was a few years younger.” He fiddled with the fang on the black string around his neck.
Aari seemed intrigued by it. “What animal is that from?”
Aesròn and Hutar looked at each other briefly and Aesròn smiled. Leaning on his elbows, he took his necklace off and passed it to Aari. “I stalked a cougar for this gem. Killing it was not much of a guilt thing and no one disapproved me of taking the life of another hunter of the forest, because it had been rabid and needed to be dealt with. I, along with one of my cousins, tracked the creature for a few days into another valley not far from here and . . . and I need not go into details. Whatever you need to know lies with what you are holding in your hands.”
The friends took turns examining the tooth on its black string before Aari passed it back to Aesròn. “Cool,” he said admiringly.
“How do you feel about Dema-Ki?” Hutar asked.
Kody leaned back in his chair. “We actually haven’t seen much; we’ve just moved about between our shelters and this one.”
“Really?” Hutar rested his chin in his hand and said with a growing grin, “Perhaps my friends and I could show you around.”
“Uh, Hutar,” Huyani cut in, reaching over and putting a hand on his arm to stop him. “That is very kind of you, but we have orders from the Elders. They will meet the others and get to know the village in due time, but not just yet. Is that not correct, Akol?”
“Yes,” Akol said. “But once again, that was very nice of you to offer.” He met Hutar’s gaze and the look in the other youth’s eyes chilled Mariah a little.
Hutar kept a pleasant face. As though suddenly remembering Matikè, he turned to her and translated. Matikè raised her slim eyebrows at Akol but continued eating silently. Akol’s face flushed.
Kody tilted his head toward Jag and muttered, “Jeez! We can’t be seen outside. What are we, celebrities?”
Jag grimaced. “I guess in a weird way, we are. I mean, apparently they haven’t had visitors here, ever. Who can blame them?”
Hutar cleared his throat. “My friends, Akol and Huyani say the Elders told them you cannot be seen by anyone else. So Aesròn and I have an idea. We could give you a tour without our brethren laying eyes on the five of you.” Hutar winked at the group. “What do you say?”
As Huyani interjected and engaged him with her objections once more, Akol whispered to Jag. “Jag, say no.”
Just as quietly, Jag mumbled, “Why?”
“Just say no. I do not trust him as much as I would like to. Besides, the Elders would be extremely disappointed if they found out Huyani and I defied their orders.”
Jag said nothing. Mariah gave him a questioning look. She found it odd that the seemingly peaceful people of the valley would not be at ease with one another. She thought Hutar seemed genuine, and from the expressions of her friends, they thought so too. But he trusted Akol more, and it seemed that Jag did too because he said. “Thanks, Hutar, but no. Sorry.”
Hutar and Aesròn’s faces dropped. Recovering quickly, Aesròn said, “No matter. Perhaps some other time when we get acquainted more.”
“I am afraid there will be no ‘some other time’ unless the Elders say so,” Huyani told him firmly. “We cannot disobey orders. As it is, you are not supposed to be in contact with our guests.”
Hutar causally slouched in his seat. “That is too bad.”
“It is,” Aesròn agreed, gazing at the friends. “We could have become close associates.” He pushed back his empty plate. “Huyani, Akol, thank you very much for letting us eat with you. It was delicious.”
Hutar stood up and said, “I believe it is time for us to leave.” Switching to his first language, he spoke to Matikè, and the girl got up. She smiled and fluttered her fingers at the friends. Akol led them out. He returned moments later and slumped down in his seat with a sigh.
Jag fiddled with his cutlery, then glanced at Akol. “Spill, Akol. Why didn’t you want those guys showing us around?”
Akol took a sip from his drink. “As Huyani and I have mentioned several times previously, we have orders from the Elders.”
“But if the Elders had given the go-ahead, would you have let Hutar and his friends show us around?”
“Regrettably, no. I know you think we are tranquil people, Jag, and for the most part we are. But we do have the odd uncertainties. It is just the way life is. Hutar—he is not quite right.”
“Why?” Tegan asked. “What’s wrong with him?”
Akol gazed at her warmly. “Just be cautious if you come across him again.”
“Or any of his friends, for that matter,” Huyani said. “Now, who would like some dessert?”
Six hands shot up.
As they ate their yam pudding, Mariah noticed Akol watching the five. He can definitely tell that we’re getting restless, she thought. Which was true; the friends felt caged and needed to move.
Akol tugged at his sister’s arm. Huyani peered at him, then nodded. “Excuse us for a moment,” she said charmingly as she and Akol walked out of the shelter.
Outside, Huyani closed the door and turned to her brother. “What is the matter, Akol?”
“This is not good. We knew it would come to this.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you not notice what happened in there when Hutar and Aesròn offered to show the five around? They were enticed to take the bait, and they would have, too, if we were not there to pull them back. They cannot be confined like this; it will cause all of us much angst.”
“What do you suggest, then? The Elders told us not to expose them to the village.”
Akol scratched his ear, exasperated. “I do not know!” He stopped then, wearing a furtive expression. “Actually, I take that back.”
Huyani eyed him. “Oh, someone help us. What do you have in mind?”
“The Elders said not to let the five be seen by eyes other than ours. It does not mean that they have to be limited to just our shelter and theirs.”
“Continue.”
“I could show a couple of them around, but in secret. No one would be the wiser.”
“This is exactly why I am grateful that I am around when your unpredictable ideas pop up—to tell you that it is risky and not right. Besides, how can you pull it off when we have over seven hundred of our brethren living in this valley?”
“Come now, you underestimate your brother’s wiliness.”
“No, you overestimate your ability.”
“Will you unwind? The five are feeling confined and they need this. Even you cannot argue that. And in any case, you know I am not good when it comes to these kinds of things.”
Huyani gave him a long stare, her arms folded. Akol gazed heavenward for a minute then looked back at his sister. “And . . . if we do get caught and the Elders find out, I will say it was my idea. I would not be lying.”
“Alright, I am convinced. Now we should get back inside. Our guests are probably wondering what we are up to. I must leave shortly to check up on the two patients in the convalescence shelter, so I will leave it to you to unfold your plan.”
Akol smiled and together with Huyani, entered the neyra.
15
The moon crept to its zenith in the sky, rain clouds building up around it. An owl hooted somewhere from the trees and launched itself into a glide, the wind rustling through its speckled feathers. Aari and Tegan ducked as it swooped over their heads. Turning around and watching after the creature, they beamed at each other with the same thought: Amazing.
The pair was just returning from the tour. When Akol offered the friends a secretive expedition, only Aari and Tegan had been keenly interested and jumped at the opportunity. Jag had turned down the invite and convinced Kody to do the same. Exchanging whispers, the two managed to persuade Mariah to stay behind and then the trio had walked back to the boys’ neyra.
Now, with the tour wrapped up and Akol advising them to get some sleep, Aari and Tegan entered the boys’ shelter. Mariah leapt from where she was sitting and tackled them. “What took you so long?” she demanded.
“It’s a pretty big valley, ’Riah,” Aari reminded her.
“Well, yes, but—”
“What happened? Why are you on edge?”
Mariah pointed at Jag and Kody who sat against a wall with cheeky looks. “Those two . . . they’ve planned an escape.”
“Escape?” Aari and Tegan echoed.
“Well, most of us want out, right?” Kody said.
“Keyword being ‘most’!” Mariah snapped.
“Whoa, whoa, and whoa.” Aari put a hand up. “Calm down.” He turned to Kody and Jag. “Guys—escaping. Are you serious?”
Kody nodded. “Jag and I were talking about it. Don’t you want to go home? See your baby sister? Your mom? Your dad? Sleep in a real bed?”
Aari just gaped at him, still trying to process what Jag and Kody had agreed upon. “Escape?” he repeated again. “No wonder you insisted on not coming with us on the tour . . .”
Kody rolled his eyes. “Aari, listen—”
“No, don’t listen,” Mariah grumbled. “You know what? We’ll talk about this in a while. I’m so tired of listening to these two lunatics. I’d rather hear about how your tour went.”
Aari sat down with Tegan beside him and started, “Well, it was . . . incredible. You would not believe the stuff these people have come up with to survive here and at the same time remain hidden from the outside world.” He scratched his head, looking overwhelmed. “Man, there’s so much we’ve learned from this tour that I don’t even know where to start.”
Tegan patted his shoulder. “One of the things that caught my attention is that the valley’s divided into two by that river. The north side, where we are right now, is more residential by design. In other words, this is where you’ll find most of the homes.”
Aari chipped in. “Speaking of, have you guys noticed the spiral patterns stained on the roofs? The locals got them done to match the surrounding foliage when viewed from above. Akol gave us a boost outside Huyani’s neyra to have a look at what they’ve done, and all I’ve got to say is that these guys are amazing. I swear, if I’d been looking down from the sky, I wouldn’t be able to tell that these are man-made structures. It’s ingenious.”
“Most of the homes are grouped in circles between shrubs and trees,” Tegan added, “and they’re spread throughout the valley in groups of five.”
“It’s kind of weird,” Mariah said. “I mean, the shelters themselves are five-sided, and now you say they’re clustered in groups of five.”
“Now that you mention it,” Tegan said, blinking in surprise, “the number of Elders they have is also five.”
The group shared questioning looks. “Weird,” Kody said as he pointed at each one of the friends, counting them. “One, two three, four”—he tapped his nose—“five.”
Aari, excited to share the other discoveries he and Tegan made, continued with the story. “Anyway, the south side of the valley hosts the industrial activities of the village.”
“What do you mean by industrial?” Jag asked.
Aari replied with a question. “Where do you think all this comes from?” He waved his arms around vaguely. “The shelters, the food, the plumbing, the heat, the camouflage?”
“I have no clue, but I’ve got a feeling you’re gonna tell us.”
Aari’s blue eyes sparkled. “You bet, but it’ll take a little while.” With great enthusiasm, he shared what he and Tegan had learned.
It was a twenty minutes later when Mariah, Jag and Kody leaned back, mesmerized. �
��Well now I kinda wish I’d gone on the tour,” Jag said.
After a pause, Tegan sighed and looked at Mariah. “Alright, let’s go back to what you guys have been up to. What was it that you were annoyed about?”
Mariah exhaled noisily and glared at Jag and Kody. “They’ve been cackling and devising plans and escape routes since we got here a couple hours ago. Fifteen minutes into the discussion and I wanted to run out of here screaming like a maniac. They were talking like we’re all going to agree on leaving.” She looked expectantly at Aari and Tegan, as if waiting for them to support her.
Aari avoided eye contact with everyone. Tegan left his side, then, and went over to Jag and Kody and sat between them. The boys’ grins grew as she spoke. “This place is really interesting and the people aren’t half bad. But if I continue to stay here, I’m going to go crazy, and then I’ll be the one who’s running around and screaming like a maniac.”
Mariah stared at her in disbelief, then turned to Aari. “What about you? You feel the same way?”
Aari blew out a breath. “I’m not leaving this place for two reasons: One, this village has lots of cool stuff and I want to learn how they make things work around here. Two, and I think this obviously overrides my first reason, is that it’s safer here. Out there . . . hey, didn’t we already have this discussion?”
“Huh,” Tegan said, amused. “I suppose we did.”
“And like I said then,” Aari continued, “there are all sorts of dangers out there, and as far as I know, we don’t have enough experience to go wandering around and hope that good fortune will smile down at us and bring us to safety.”
Kody sighed. “I don’t want a recap of the conversation earlier, so I’m gonna lay out the two choices; either stay put, or leave. Take your side.”
“I just did, dimwit.”
Kody’s face twisted into a grimace. “Okay, whatever. This is what I really mean: Jag and I are going to leave this place. I think Tegan’s coming too?” He looked at her and continued when she nodded. “So, are you and Mariah just going to stay put here or come with us?”