R.E.birth

by Thomas W. Everson

  “Rain, we need to look at this logically. This is how things are in this time period and they will have to figure everything out on their own. You may have been the hero last time, but there’s nothing you can do this time.” Ami puts her hand on my shoulder. “We should get some sleep.”

  “Yeah.” I cannot help but feel pity for the people that are here, and the ones that will get abducted.

  We lie down and I roll the opposite direction of Ami. Though we have a strong friendship that borders on something more, I feel uneasy about facing her. Far beyond that, the male functions of my body may act up and I do not want to suffer that embarrassment.

  I sigh and shift around a bit trying to get comfortable against the cloth over the sand. In my mind I run through the events of the past couple days and realize that just a couple days ago I was in a warm comfy bed with my stomach full of food that didn’t taste like dirt. Despite the situation I become sleepy and find that I am drifting.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Hey, get up.” Ami shakes me gently.

  “Mmph,” I reply to her.

  “Kohan is looking for you.”

  “Gururuu, I do not want to go.” My body aches as I feel the aftereffects of yesterday and a poor night’s sleep.

  “Come on!” She shakes me harder.

  I wave my hand trying to shoo her off, but instead she grabs it and yanks me up to meet her face to face. She pulls too hard and our faces nearly collide, finding ourselves mere inches from each other. As my eyes come into focus they are drawn to her eyes and then her lips. The thought of stealing a kiss at this opportunity nearly takes over but she notices the look I am giving her, blushes and turns her head away.

  “You should probably hurry. Kohan doesn’t look like a guy you want to keep waiting.” She crawls to the entrance and exits the tent.

  Following along, I put my shoes on and slide out of the tent. I pull my white reflective hood up and begin stretching my whole body out, one part at a time. As I do so, Kohan is making a direct path to me, going so far as to walk over people still lying about on the ground and the look on his face is unpleasant.

  “You’re late waking up! Get over to the food tent, eat and report back to me immediately at the sorting ground for your daily assignment!” he yells at me.

  “Got it, Kohan,” I reply, yawning.

  “Lady Eve and a select few have the privilege of calling me Kohan. To you and all other servants I’m ‘Sir’!” He roars it out loud so that all can hear.

  “Got it…Sir.” I sarcastically smile.

  He glares at me while I walk casually around the hill near Lady Eve’s tent. Looking at the area we dropped off the materials yesterday I find that some have already been sorted, but I pay it little mind for the time being as my stomach grumbles. Finding the tent from last night, it is the same situation as before: gruel with a thin slice of dried meat, but in addition we receive a small cup of water too.

  With food in hand I take the same spot I sat in last night but before I can sit I notice the guy I spoke with getting up from the table, eyeing me suspiciously. He returns his dishes to the counter while looking over his shoulder at me.

  Could he really think I am bad luck?

  Others around me look nervously in my direction and I cannot help but wonder why. I watch people come and go and, with the little that was given, it does not take long to finish. I tip the cup all the way back and suck up every last drop of water I can get before returning the dishes to the counter. As I move, the gruel sits heavily on my stomach, like sludge.

  I wonder what is in it. I hope it will keep me healthy long enough to get out of here.

  Back out in the sun that is already heating everything up in sight, I am glad for the clothing that I have to deflect some of the deadly rays. Leisurely, I wander over to area of camp where Kohan and the piles of scavenged items are and more people furiously work about to sort material even further.

  “Finally done wasting time?” Kohan asks me. “Grab some metal and take it over to the metal crafters.”

  “Where are they at?” I ask.

  “Do you need a map of the camp?”

  “A map would be quite helpful thanks.” I let my words out sardonically.

  “It’s not that big! Find it!”

  “Don’t have a fit.”

  “Watch it wise mouth,” Kohan warns while pointing his finger antagonistically.

  “Or what?” My mocking grin returns.

  Kohan moves to hit me in the mouth but even with my clunky shoe attachments I duck under and dodge his blow. He tries again with his opposite fist and misses yet again. Dancing ahead of him by at least a step I taunt him and avoid a pummeling at the same time. Though he is better built than me, I find that he moves in a predictable manner just swinging wildly and trying to land blows, but I evade and practically run circles around him.

  “Stand still!” he bellows, his face turning deep red.

  “And let you hit me? No thanks.”

  “I’m going to teach you to respect your superiors!” He spins heavily on one foot swinging his fist around to try and catch me.

  Instead of dodging again, I throw my arms up, intercept the blow and throw him off of me. Kohan stumbles a few steps before recovering, but I am on him faster than he can swing again.

  “There is one thing you need to know,” my playful grin leaves my face, replaced by something more serious. “You are not my superior. I simply do what you say so that I get fed. That is it.”

  Not liking my attitude or response, his fist barrels toward me again. With a fluid motion, I use both of my forearms to block the blow and push him off to my right side, leaving him briefly open. With the attention of the camp garnered, I use the opportunity to show that I am not some weak servant. Swinging an uppercut, I catch him right on the bottom side of his ribs and back away a few steps, seeing him become enraged while he fights off the pain.

  Kohan recovers quickly and charges at me. I space my feet apart and throw my hands up, ready to use his own momentum and weight against him. Reaching me, he thrusts his arm out to hit me, but I pivot on my heels and grab his arm instead. With both hands I pull him into me, combining our two forces and I jam my shoulder into his sternum knocking the wind out of him. He becomes dead weight, falling forward onto me, but rather than let him crush me, I squat down and push back up launching him over my body to slam heavily onto the burning sand. Kohan wheezes and, as I turn around to look at him lying there, I find both Lady Eve and Ami are spectating.

  Other than Kohan trying desperately to catch his breath, it is dead silent. Moving my shoulders around in a dominant fashion, that malevolent smile crosses my face yet again and I am smug about my victory. Confused as to why I feel justified by violence, I try to play it off by turning toward the crowd blocking the metal pile so I can do what was expected of me in the first place.

  I wish I knew what was lost in my brain so I could understand why I am so good at being violent.

  Reaching the crowd they part for me but behind them are guards and their rifles are trained directly on me, the knives mere inches from carving out my chest cavity. Instinctively, I put my hands in the air to show surrender but from each of their weapons an audible click can be heard.

  “My tent. Now.” Lady Eve has snuck up behind me and her harsh tone is unnerving.

  “Yes Lady Eve,” those few guards reply in unison.

  Turning around, I follow behind her and am brutally shoved along when the guards feel like I am not moving fast enough. I am hit in the back with something hard, like wood and then I feel a knifepoint digging into the area between my two shoulder blades. Passing Kohan as I walk toward Lady Eve’s tent, he snarls and glares at me.

  When we reach the tent, Lady Eve grabs me forcibly by the wrist but holds her other hand out to stop the guards from following. Yanking me abruptly through the flaps I am led again into her tent.

  “That was impressive,” Lady Eve says quietly, while c
ircling me. “I like strong men.”

  “I told you Lady Eve, I am not available,” I sigh.

  “Oh, I think you are.” She stops in front of me and places both hands on my chest. “You see, nothing is unobtainable for the person in charge. You may have rejected me once, but believe me I don’t give up that easily.”

  “What about the whole throwing me out of your tent bit?”

  “I was just a little upset, that’s all.” She stares down at me and smiles.

  “Look, if you must keep Ami and me here, then I suppose we will have to deal with that, but I am unobtainable to you.”

  “Are you? That’s not what it looked like last night when you were in your tent with her, but had your back turned.” She runs her hand over my face and I lean back.

  “You’re spying on us?!” I exclaim, outraged.

  “You two sure don’t act like forbidden lovers.”

  “Well you will have to forgive us.” I make sure my disdain for her is known. “See, we were captured and that is somewhat stressful.”

  “I’m going to make you mine, whether by force or your choice. It’s only a matter of time.” She slaps my face gently enough to be playful but hard enough to sting.

  “Sorry, Lady Eve. You can threaten me, hit me, throw me, assign me to the worst jobs you have around here, but nothing will happen between us.” My voice is firm.

  Instead of getting mad and throwing me this time, she places her hands back on my chest and smiles deviously. Before I know what is happening one of her arms is around my back, the other hand around the back of my head and I’m pulled into her, face-to-face. Our lips meet and while I struggle to get away, her grip on me is too tight and she takes her time kissing me passionately. She releases her grip and looks at me triumphantly but I stare at her emotionless.

  Maybe if I show no interest she will lose hers and move onto the next person. Why am I finding myself in increasingly awkward and difficult situations?

  “You’re free to leave the tent. Report back to the recon team.” She is still pleased with herself.

  “Yes, Lady Eve,” my tone is serious and I turn to leave.

  “Don’t forget, Rain. Nothing is unobtainable for me,” she calls after me.

  Without acknowledging her, I exit the tent to find that the crowd has dispersed back to whatever areas they came from and Kohan is waiting for me several yards away from the tent. Though I anticipate that he will try and repay me for what I have done he simply stands there glaring at me. Upon reaching him he turns toward the area currently holding the piles of material we brought back and I follow behind him silently, wanting to be fed again later. Workers are already about the business of hauling materials to several different locations within the camp.

  “Metal to the metal crafters. Just follow the people already hauling it there,” he states bluntly, trying to hide his embarrassment underneath a stiff exterior.

  I nod and move to grab some metal chunks. Finding that most of it is quite sharp and bent in awkward directions, I do my best to not cut myself. Loading up as much as I can in my arms, pointy edges jab into my forearms and chest as I struggle to hold it against myself and not die. Walking slowly in tandem with other workers carrying the hazardous materials, we move toward the southern side of the camp. Three larger tents come into view beyond the people moving about their daily work and the other ragged tents. They seem to be in fairly good condition and the center one has a little pillar of smoke rising from it. As we file into the open doorway a wave of heat rolls past and I nearly choke.

  The inside of the tent is quite elaborate and I find myself in a familiar setting. What lies before me is a forge, set up with two slabs of stone and a small metal cauldron suspended by a metal frame chassis. Behind it a stone furnace smolders. To the right side there is a workbench with small, long pointed items all over it as well as tooling that I have never seen before where a lone man works, fiddling the items and a black powder. Several other people bustle about, working to cut up the pieces of metal with various saws and metal cutting scissors and throwing them into the pot.

  I follow the lead of the others and set the metal down in a pile to the left and returning with them to the pile. After several trips back and forth the pile dwindles and Kohan redirects me to the pile of wood.

  Though the labor is intensive, I trudge along and bring the wood to the tent next to the forge. Within seems to be a collection of everything wooden from scraps to wheels and they are being broken down as well.

  Finally, the materials are sorted and following the lead of the others that I have been working with, I pick up an end of the cloth tarp and haul it over to the tent to the right of the forge. When I enter I am not the least bit surprised to see Ami there, amongst the various pieces of cloth and leather that Lady Eve’s camp has collected.

  She smiles at me while unraveling some thread from a woven sack and I can see she is in her element. We shove the large piece of fabric in their storage area and while the others from the recon team leave I take the time to sneak over to Ami.

  The other people working in the tent look warily at me, but I pay them no mind. I lean in close to her ear. “You need to hear it from me first because Lady Eve has not given up. First, she spied on us while we were sleeping and because we were not ‘together’ she now thinks I am fair game. If we are going to keep up this charade of being eloped lovers then we need to act like it,” I whisper.

  “Got it,” she whispers back and I can see a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.

  “Second, because she thinks I am fair game and because I beat Kohan she decided she was going to force herself on me. She kissed me despite my struggling to get away.”

  “What?!” Ami looks at me with wide eyes then covers her mouth, realizing she had gotten loud.

  “Shh!” I put my hands to my lips and look around at the peering eyes. “We just have to keep up our act.”

  She stares in disbelief as I turn to leave the tent, but smiling at her breaks jealousy’s hold and she returns the smile.

  Out into the hot desert once more, I search for Kohan and locate him standing near the hill by Lady Eve’s tent and conversing with her. To annoy him, I move directly behind Kohan and stand there silently, hovering. They are talking quietly but although Lady Eve has seen me, she allows Kohan to continue on, uncaring that I am listening.

  “We need to head toward the mountains and take a cave. We’ve gathered enough supplies to try and take the stronghold and gain a permanent place with the clans again,” Kohan tells Lady Eve.

  “Do we have the manpower though?” She crosses her arms.

  “I’m fairly certain that we do with the materials and supplies from the armored wagons we took the other night. And, if we put Rain with them we should have a fairly decent chance at minimal casualties. It takes a strong person to take me down.”

  “I’m not sure that I want him on the front lines.” Lady Eve smirks while looking at me in an obvious manner.

  “I assure you that with him being there it will be our best chance.” Kohan finally notices I am behind him and looks at me scornfully.

  Since he is the one that seems to have been the strongest before I took him down I am willing to bet that he was Lady Eve’s favorite play toy, and that by putting me at the front of whatever battle they are planning he is going to ensure that I die so he can reclaim favor with her.

  “If I may interrupt, what should be done now since we are finished with sorting?” I ask.

  “Do you know how to use a rifle?” Kohan asks.

  “No,” I reply hesitantly. “I didn’t even know such things existed until recently.”

  “We’ll train you to use a rifle,” Kohan blurts out, but instead of looking at me ends up staring at Lady Eve.

  “Fine.” She draws it out and sighs while looking at me. “But Rain, don’t you think that you’ll be able to use it to get away from me.”

  “Let’s go.” Kohan turns and bumps into my shoulder on purpose.

>   We quickly walk over to where he gathered the others yesterday for our recon and take shelter from the sun under a canopy. There I see the members of the recon team sitting at a bench dismantling and cleaning the items I have come to identify as a ‘rifle’ with long black brushes. Kohan grabs one that is assembled and a handful of the long spherical pointed objects I recall seeing in the blacksmithing tent.

  “Grab that target and come with me,” Kohan points at a wooden, man-shaped object.

  I do as he says, and follow him around the back of the tent with the heavy and awkward target while he leads us out of the camp, several hundred yards from the edge.

  “Set that up about fifty paces from here,” he instructs brashly.

  “Fifty? Did you not say these could reach up to a few hundred yards?”

  “They can, if you’re good enough with them and take care of them.” He is already becoming annoyed as I see his face turn a little red. “But since you’re green, you are getting the kid training and starting off with a short range. Now get moving.”

  Placing it as instructed, I return to where he is standing and he quickly begins to instruct me in the ways of operating the rifle.

  “There are some things you need to know about the rifle before you use it so that you know what I’m talking about. First is this entire thing is called a rifle. It fires bullets, round metal projectiles, at whatever you aim at and pull the trigger.” He holds it up for me to see. “I’m going to quickly highlight the key points of the weapon. There is the barrel, where the bullet shoots out of and underneath the barrel is the hand guard. There is the body where the breech, scope, grip and trigger are located. And this is the butt of the rifle.”

  “So how does it shoot the bullet?” I examine it closely, realizing that it is far out of my league of understanding.

  “The trigger initiates a small explosion and sends the bullet down the barrel. But that is what you need to know for now.” He hands me the rifle and points to the ground next to where he is. “Now stand here, and with one hand put the butt up to your shoulder area and your other hand under the hand guard on the barrel.”