Token (Token Chronicles)

by Ryan Gressett

  Chapter 20

  Hub City, Capital

  Token: Kincaid

  The clouds hang low in the dull gray sky. My whole life has built up to this one singular moment. I alone can set things right. I can avenge my father’s death. I can change the direction of this world. I can put us back on the right path. One of our transport ships got me as close to Hub City as possible without being detected. Once I have cleared the way and deposed Cromus, I will call for reinforcements to take the rest of the city. We are trying to minimize the casualties. My mother and the rest of our Rebel army are awaiting my signal. I thought it would be wise to only send myself in case I lose control. I am doing my best to stabilize my mind. Despite what has happened to Hadley, I need to remember what Briel told me. I have to remember what I am fighting for, who I am fighting for. It is not just her. I am fighting for the freedom of thousands.

  I am making my way through one of the outskirt villages. They are in shambles. Never have I seen such misery. I have only heard the stories, but seeing in person is much more surreal. I realize now I may have been blessed to have been a Token as a child. These people are suffering much worse than I ever could have imagined. There are children no older than eight or nine alone in the streets. As I walk into one of the dark and narrow alleyways trying to stay out of sight, I could not help but be attracted to the sound of laughter. A sound I am sure is foreign to shantytowns such as these. When I find the source, I can see two little boys fighting with wooden twigs.

  After one of the boys jabs the other in the stomach with his twig, he proudly declares, “You are dead. I win, I win!”

  “The only reason you won is because I let you be Benja.”

  “Nuh uh. You got to be Zander, he was just as good as Benja. You are just mad you lost.”

  I cannot help but to intervene.

  “Excuse me boys. You said you are Benja.”

  “Yes. He is my favorite Melee winner. The way he killed that man with his bare hands, he was such a great warrior. Didn’t you see it, sir?”

  “You were allowed to watch the Melee. I thought it was only for the Elitists.”

  “Well, sir, that used to be the rule, until the Federation realized they should open it up for public viewing a couple of years ago. People could stand to make a lot of money if they bet on the right Token.”

  It’s the last straw. Exposing children to the violence of the Melee is inhuman. These boys are idolizing these men forced to murder each other. Cromus is destroying their innocence.

  “Boys, why don’t you run along and find your parents? You need to make sure you are somewhere safe.”

  “Sir, we don’t have parents. They both died years ago. It is just me and my brother now.”

  “Well, you two be sure to find somewhere safe. You should not be out in the open in the next couple of hours. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Would you boys happen to be able to point me in the direction of Cromus’s mansion?”

  “You can’t miss it, sir. It is just over the hill. It is the tallest building on the horizon. None others even compare.”

  “Thank you. Remember to be safe. Don’t let the Hawkers find you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  As I climb up the sharply sloped hill the boys mentioned, I am taken aback at the sight of Hub City. I have never seen so many grandiose structures. I have spent my whole life out in the Island, and all the time I have spent away from there has been spent hidden underground in caverns. All of the buildings are majestic, each of them truly seem to be scraping the sky. But off in the distance, I can see the tallest building. My focus has never been more pure, more resolute. Today is the day Cromus dies. As I begin to carefully navigate my way through the streets of the capital, I am surprised by the lack of security. All I see are the starving citizens scattered about on the streets. I have been cautious slinking behind one building to the next, but still not one Grodarian troop. Maybe some of them were called away to help defend the Islands. Maybe my scare tactic has worked, and they have abandoned Cromus and Grodar. As I begin to near Cromus’s mansion, I need to find my sources of power. In the alleyway I am peering at his mansion from, there is a small family hovered around the burning fire in a trashcan.

  I grab a piece of loose paper and walk over to the can and light the end of it. I watch as the paper begins to burn, and I draw from the fire and create my fireball, my weapon. The family gasps in amazement. I begin to walk out from behind the alleyway out in the open. I concentrate and the wind begins to blow furiously from all directions. I walk straight up the path to the mansion. I can see a few soldiers standing guard out front. I ready myself to throw a fireball, but when they spot me, they all take off running. As I approach the mansion’s door, I slowly open it. I was expecting a large battle and struggle from the troops inside, but so far nothing. In fact, there seems to be no one on the bottom floor of the mansion at all. I see the steps ahead, and I begin to ascend them maintaining my vigilance. Each floor, I find the same thing. No soldiers. No other residents. Nobody. Nothing.

  When I finally reach the top floor, I see three Grodarian troops who immediately put their arms in the air. They immediately call out to me.

  “Captain Kincaid. We are loyal to the Rebel cause. We have been moles in the army for years now. We helped to facilitate the spread of the rumors of your existence, and when that soldier came back that you spared, almost the entire army has abandoned Cromus. All that remained were us three, and the two out front who didn’t actually believe you existed.”

  “So you are loyal to the Rebel cause? Then where is Cromus? This entire mansion is empty.”

  “Not entirely, sir.”

  “We knew you would be coming today so we have already detained him.”

  Almost on cue, I begin to hear someone screaming behind closed doors at the end of the hallway.

  “What the… Let me out of here. Let me out of here! I will kill you all. Do you have any idea who I am? I will destroy you all!”

  The screams are coming from behind the large white golden-framed doors. The design on the outside is intricately carved into the Grodarian Federation Seal.

  This must be it. He must be inside.

  “We saved him for you. You can punish him for all of his atrocities,” one of the troops says to me.

  I slowly make my way down the hall almost nervous to finally come face to face with my enemy.

  I kick the doors open. The man has not quit his insufferable screaming fit.

  “Let me out of here, now. I command you. Let me out of here, now!”

  He is seated in his large throne with chains tied around his arms and legs. He is wearing a crown atop his bald wrinkled head. His face is severely aged, and he nearly looks senile. He has stopped his blaring screams now. His cold black eyes are locked with mine.

  “They told me you would come. All of my men who have abandoned me. My men who left me here to die at your hands.”

  “You know who I am?”

  “You are the almighty Kincaid Maddox, aren’t you?”

  I don’t answer.

  “Aren’t you?!”

  “My men left me because you are supposed to change the world. You are supposed to make their lives better. But I know you. I know your family. I know your heritage. You will get power hungry just like the rest of them. They think I was a dictator. Wait until they get a man who thinks he is invincible. You will be the worst thing to ever happen to this country.”

  “You are wrong! I can control myself. I am here to give the country back to the people. I will not rule.”

  “You really think you are so special, don’t you? Your father thought he was special too. That didn’t help him much, now did it? The same will happen to you. There will always be someone else to take the power.”

  He looks at me frustrated.

  “If you are going to kill me, just do it already, or I promise, I will make it my mission to make the rest of your worthless existence miserable
. I will find every person you have ever befriended, I will find every person you have ever loved, I will find every person you have ever known, and I will kill them all.”

  I can feel my rage beginning to consume me. The clarity I have been so desperately trying to hang on to since I found out about Hadley is fading away fast. I only want to make this man suffer. I want his death to be long and agonizing.

  “If you are going to do it, do it! Your father was a coward, and so are you!”

  The fire is burning inside my chest. This man deserves to die. If any man ever deserved to die, it is him. I will grant him his wish. I can feel my rage beginning to consume me, but I think about what Briel told me. Just remember who and what I am fighting for. The fireball in my hand has grown, and I hurl it directly at him. When my eyes open, Cromus is no longer there. His throne is charred and black. All that is left of him is his self-coronated crown lying in a pile of his ashen remains. Cromus is dead. The Federation has fallen.

  Chapter 21

  In only a couple of days, the small Rebel forces have secured Hub City. Our invasion was without resistance as none of the Grodarian troops posted here have yet to be spotted. They have all completely abandoned their posts. The only casualty of the war appears to be Cromus. We have now received word the Islands are all secured. The Tokens have all been set free. My mother has rightly placed herself into the throne of power alongside Adalai Ridian to become the new leaders of Knav. They will rule justly. They will listen to the people and provide the opportunities for success in this New World. There will be a large broadcasted announcement to the country this afternoon. We will proclaim our decisive victory and begin the path back to sustained recovery and prosperity.

  The longer I have had to think about our victory, the more apprehensive about it I become. I understand why most of the Grodarian troops would not have been loyal to Cromus. He was a terrible man who treated the citizens poorly. He had quit paying them, and they lost their allegiance. But by all regards, his troops were the select few people other than the Elitists that were treated with respect and care. Did they really all hate him so much they would abandon him to die alone without any defense? With my powers, I am a formidable force, but I, by no means, am invincible. In any regard, I should be thankful for their desertion. I was not forced to kill any more than what was necessary.

  On top of our nation now being in secure hands, I have other reasons for my joy today. Hadley is being brought here from the base. Now that the war is over, I can turn my efforts to her. I honestly believe she will remember me again one day. Even if she can’t, if I spend the rest of my life trying to make her fall in love with me again, I could not think of a better life spent.

  “Kincaid,” Adalai calls out. “Kincaid.”

  “Yes, General Ridian.”

  “Your mother has asked to see you in the President’s room.”

  I begin to make my ascension up to the top floor again, to the room where I killed Cromus tied like an animal to his throne. When I see the large white golden-framed doors again, they have already removed the Grodarian Federation seal. I open the doors to find my mother settled into Cromus’s throne nicely. The black charred edges remain from my blistering fireball I hurled at his body. There is something unsettling seeing my mother seated in his very throne.

  “Kincaid. I just wanted to express my deep gratitude for everything you have done. None of this would have been possible without you,” she says gesturing to the splendor of the chamber, the throne.

  “Lo, I really did nothing. Anyone could have come here that day for Cromus.”

  “Yes, but without you, without the troops hearing of your existence, of your great powers, they surely never would have retreated. Many innocent lives were spared because of you. I just want you to know, none of this will be forgotten. You will be rewarded for your service to this country.”

  “Thank you, but no reward is necessary.”

  “I think you are going to want this one, son. It is Hadley. I was wrong. I cannot explain it, but her memories are starting to come back on their own. She has asked me to have you meet her in the Library.”

  “She is here? Now?”

  “Yes.”

  I don’t say anything else. I don’t even say goodbye to my mother. I can hear her call out to me as I leave running, “Goodbye, son.”

  I am racing down the stairs to the first floor where the Library is located. She must be regaining her memories to ask me to meet her there. We spent so many nights on our porch back on the Island reading from the same poetry book to each other every night. This library is filled with thousands and thousands of books. We could spend every night of the rest of our lives wrapped in each other’s arms reading if we wanted. As I round the last corner of the hall to get to the Library, to get to Hadley, I collide with someone, and we both go tumbling to the ground.

  I am on the ground staring at a woman with long auburn hair and big mocha brown doughy eyes.

  “I am so sorry,” I say in apology. “I was in a hurry. I didn’t even see you there.”

  We both stand up and start to pick up the books she was carrying. As we are both bent over, she leans over and quickly whispers something into my ear. Before I have time to even question what she said, she is already off walking quickly the other way down the hall.

  “Be careful. Get out of here now.”

  Why would she say that? What does she mean?

  I am about to chase after her when I notice one of the books she was carrying is still lying on the ground. It is an old and tattered brown leather journal with a button closure. Slipped into one of the pages is a bookmark with my name written in black ink. I pick up the journal, unfasten the button, and open it. All that is written on the first page is “Personal Journal: Kloe.”

  I walk towards the library and enter. I am still amazed at the splendor of the archives. Bookshelves as high as the ceiling, each brimming with more stories and knowledge to be read. I quickly scan the room, but I don’t see Hadley. She must not be here yet. I sit down at the nearest dark mahogany table, and crack the book open to the page the mysterious woman earmarked for me. The first page is entitled the “Vurthoes Rebel Alliance.” I begin to read through the pages describing my father, the great Jackson Maddox, and my valiant mother, Rhetta Maddox. Then I see it. There is a picture of the both of them. I have never seen a picture of my father before. He is the man who used to haunt my dreams. The bright blued eyed man I told Hadley about. But standing next to him is another woman. A beautiful woman with fair-hair and a beautiful smile. Wait, it can’t be. It says this woman is Rhetta Maddox, my mother, but I have never seen her before. If she is my mother, who is this woman I have been working for. Who is this woman who I have put in charge of the future of Knav. As I turn the next page, there is another picture under the section entitled “Dopicance Rebel Alliance.” The picture is of Laurel Creed, the leader of Dopicance. The picture of the woman who has been lying to my face. The woman who has been using me only so she could be put in charge after Cromus was defeated. But in my blind fury at this woman for pretending to be my mother, I almost didn’t notice the other person in the picture. In the caption below the image, Laurel Creed and her daughter (name unknown). The young girl with the blonde curls and dimply smile. The girl with the beautiful green eyes is staring back at me from the book. The girl is Hadley. She is Laurel’s daughter. She has been in on it the whole time. She was using me. The woman’s warning. I have to get out of here. They are going to try to kill me now that they have what they want.

  I stand up quickly out of my chair and whip around only to see Hadley standing there. I stare deeply back into her emerald eyes while they are tearing up. She has no smile on her face. The barrel of her weapon is pointed directly at my head.

  “You can kill me?” I ask. “Was none of this real?”

  “I am so sorry, Kincaid,” she says as she starts to hyperventilate.

  The last sound I hear is the click of the trigger.

  E
pilogue

  Token: Hadley

  My mother sent me on the most deeply covert and important mission. I remember the words she said to me the day she sent me off to the Islands.

  “Hadley, sweetheart, you know your father and I love you. But only you can do this. You are close to the same age as he will be. You will be on the same Island. You have to do this for our family. You have to find him. He will be the key to everything. We can take back this country. You can’t stop until you find him, you understand?”

  “Yes, mother. But how do you even know he exists? What if I never find him?”

  “You will. I know he is on that Island. We found an innkeeper who was positive he saw her leave his inn one day with a newborn. He gave us the footage. The child exists. You just can’t give up. As soon as you find him, you can come home to your father and me.”

  Before the war had come to an end, my mother had found her way into the heart of one of the Elitists. Adalai Ridian is my father.

  I was mad at the both of them the first couple of years I spent on the Island. I didn’t even know what to look for. I had heard all of the stories of Jackson Maddox. I had seen all the pictures. But no matter how hard I tried, how hard I wished, I could not make this boy magically appear in front of me. I had no way of knowing who he would be. I had long since given up hope he was actually there on my Island. I just assumed my mother was going to leave me there until I was actually sold, but then everything changed. I did find a boy. I found a boy I fell in love with. All the resentment I had held towards my mother for abandoning me alone on some stupid Island looking for some boy who probably didn’t exist all faded away quickly. If I had not been sent to the Island, I never would have found Kincaid. If my mother had never come back for me, I would not have cared. I would have been fine to live out the plans Kincaid and I made for us. I knew him. I knew he would find a way to earn his freedom. I knew he would find a way back to me, and we could have lived out our lives together. Everything was perfect. Everything was perfect until he told me about the dream he had while we were sitting on our porch that night. I knew who he was describing. He was talking of Jackson Maddox. I knew then, he was his son. The boy I had been searching for all these years on the Island was sitting right in front of me. Each of us deeply in love with the other. But I had an obligation to my family. When my mother sent me to the Islands, she equipped me with a small hidden beacon that could only be activated once. It was only to be activated if I ever found the Maddox boy. The night of the Retreat Feast, I struggled with the decision. But my mother never told me what she wanted with the boy. I thought maybe we could both be together back home free. I activated the beacon. I was shipped out that night after she made a substantial offer to include me on the group of Tokens leaving the next morning. I could not stand to say goodbye to him, but I thought I would be seeing him very soon. It was never my mother’s intention to let us be together. When I told her how I felt about him, she simply said, “Hadley, dear, he is too dangerous. He will serve his purpose, and then we will get rid of him. The world will be a safer place without him. Once and for all, the Maddox bloodline can cease to be.”