The Meridian Gamble

by Garcia, Daniel

  Someone I knew in another life, though so far, none of them appear that way to me.

  But, finally, I look to my right, at a young man who sits at the front who is several years older than me. My eyes keep returning to him, because he is so attractive. And as I stare at him, my stomach begins to feel queasy, in a way that it never has before. He is beautiful, with long hair filled with dark waves, and a light stubble on his face. His eyes are green like a palm leaf, and the faint glow around him only makes him seem all the more magical.

  But I only view him that way for a few moments, because his image shifts. He becomes someone savage, a creature dressed in furs with a thick forehead, carrying a club. And somehow, I am familiar with this other man, if you can call him that. For the first time in my life, I realize it is no mistake that I am one of the Luminos, because I have finally found someone I knew in another life.

  I shake my head, and the image goes away. But the young man only smiles in amusement, and talks with the person next to him. He does not seem to recognize me in return, or hold very much interest in my existence, which disappoints me.

  And the General looks to me, sternly.

  “Well, what is it girl? Answer him! Do you know any of them?”

  And it is wrong, they are the Luminos, I am of their people. I am meant to fight in their war. But for some reason, I hold back the information.

  “No, I’m sorry. I don’t know them. I don’t see anything.”

  And there is a murmur of disappointment in the crowd.

  “It means nothing,” the General says. “The Luminos are spread throughout the world. Perhaps she knows those in another clan.”

  “Or she is firstborn. It has happened before. Others have come to us in their first incarnation, though it is rare. In any case, if she truly is one of us, we will know her when she comes back in the next life.”

  The next life. His words frighten me, because I am not quite ready to leave the life I am currently living. There is too much I would be leaving behind.

  The older man confers with those around him for a moment, and finally turns back to us again. And he looks to me, coldly.

  “It is decided,” he says. “She will not stay here. You are to continue the training, and we will use her as planned.”

  His words frighten me; the Luminos have a plan for me. Father and Uncle have been training me to fight, but I did not know it was part of some secret plan, and the knowledge makes it feel like a betrayal. And somehow, without it being said, I know this plot involves killing Pharaoh. Father has told us more than once that he is one of the monsters, the one they hate most.

  The General looks to me, and it is one of the few times I see sympathy in his eyes. And he puts the sack back over my head.

  I am in a small and windowless room. The General and my uncle have other business to take care of before we leave, and I am not allowed to mix with their people until they are sure I am truly one of them, which may not ever happen in this life. So I sit in this place for several hours, alone.

  There is a clutch of straw on the ground which must be meant as a bed, and I would be wise to rest on it, as the journey home will take days. But I find it unappealing, so I sit at a chair instead, next to a table with a small lamp.

  There is little to do here, but it doesn’t matter, because my mind is racing with thoughts. Of the dark-haired young man and our connection. I try to remember our past life together, and I long to be near him, if only to recall what once was.

  The memories come back to me slowly, and they are few, but certain images flash in my mind. I see myself as a young girl in another time, working by a fire with my large tribe. I smash berries, looking up as the young man is cheered by those around me. He brings in a beast that he killed with the other hunters, at least that version of him does, and my eyes follow him every step of the way. But he rarely looks at me. And in an instant, I realize why the young man didn’t recognize me in the arena. Because whatever happened in that past life, I am certain he barely knew I existed.

  He had no idea of the feelings I held for him, ones that I am beginning to feel again.

  A knock sounds at the door, and I push away my thoughts of the past. I’m nervous about what will happen next, but it is only a woman who opens it, without waiting for my permission. I see she’s carrying a plate, but I look away, as the General has given me strict instructions not to stare at any of their faces.

  And she laughs.

  “You may look at me,” she says. “I don’t mind. I am not so worried as the others. You are clearly one of us. I can see it for myself.”

  And she sets down the plate on the table beside me.

  “My name is Magda.”

  “I am Saga,” I say.

  “What a pretty name,” she says, with a smile. “For such a pretty girl.”

  And I can’t help but to smile back.

  The woman is beautiful, with long hair that shines, and bright white teeth. Her black eyes sparkle, and she has a nose that is just a bit round, which makes her seem friendly, and all the more attractive. She wears a green flowing dress that is lovely, one of the finest I have ever seen, and I wonder if she is royalty.

  I cannot help myself from staring at the food she’s brought me, as I am hungry and it looks delicious. There are spiced dates and roasted meat, some bread and cheese on the plate. And there’s also a glass of wine.

  And I get the impression the Luminos are having a celebration outside.

  “Go ahead, eat,” she says, with the same smile that makes me feel warm. “Today is a joyous occasion. We have killed one of the monsters.”

  “You did? That is very good news, indeed.”

  The General will be pleased. There is nothing so important in this world as killing the monsters. I have never seen one before, not unless you include Pharaoh and his court, who I only viewed from a distance as they paraded through our city on an important occasion.

  And I wonder about the Luminos’ enemies. The General has said the creatures drink blood to stay alive, which sounds ghastly. But I wonder what else it is about them that makes them monsters, because looking at them, they seem the same as the rest of us.

  Unlike our enemies, I must survive on food, and I try to eat what Magda has brought me slowly, so as not to come across as a savage. And she seems to take pity on me. I think she suspects that I am away from my mother and sisters for the first time. Or maybe the General has told her so.

  “So you did not recognize anyone?”

  And again, I don’t know why, but I instantly feel the need to lie. It goes against everything the General has taught me.

  “No,” I say. “Is that a bad thing?”

  “It only means that you are a pure soul. And that we will meet again as friends in another life.”

  She smiles, but another memory flashes in my mind. And I’m certain of another reason why the young man couldn’t recognize me. Because he died young in those ancient times.

  I see it clearly; his lifeless body being dragged back to our camp by the other hunters. I can see the wounds at his neck that look like they were made by an animal, bite marks. But no animal drove it’s teeth into him; it was the monsters. And I can feel the pain my savage self felt over his death, my need for vengeance. Even now, it makes me shake with anger, which is silly, since I know he’s alive. But I cover the emotions with a cough, and pretend I am only cold, and just a bit scared.

  Magda looks to me with concern. But I seem to return to normal, and she doesn’t say anything. And again, she smiles.

  “You know, you are very beautiful,” she says.

  And I look at her in surprise.

  “I am?”

  I have been told I am pretty before, by my mother and sisters, but no one has said it in quite that way. That word. Beautiful. And I can’t help but to wonder if it’s true.

  “You have a radiance about you that has nothing to do with your Luminos spark,” she says. “And people will want to help you because of it. Always rem
ember to use it, like a weapon.”

  And with that, she slips back through the door, leaving me to ponder her words.

  My uncle holds a stick, and though he loves me dearly and has always been kind to me, he comes at me without mercy, the way one would do if they were trying to kill you. He is a young and strong man, and it is frightful to face him in battle.

  He fights like a demon, and I wonder if perhaps a part of him really does want to kill me, to save me from a life of misery, and death at the hands of the vampires.

  He jabs the stick into my shoulder, and though the pain stuns me for a moment, I grab onto it and kick him back with a shout, dislodging it from his grasp. Which surprises me; it is the first time this has ever happened. But he uses my small victory against me, grabbing the stick again and twisting it, and me along with it. Uncle lands a vicious punch to my face.

  It stuns me again. Never has he hit me so hard. And I fall to the ground. My hair comes loose from the pins that hold it back, and I let it cover my face.

  “My tooth!” I scream. “You’ve knocked it loose.”

  “Saga, are you all right?”

  Uncle comes to me with concern. But I give a battle cry, as I imagine I would shout if one of the vampires suddenly appeared in my room, and kick out his legs from beneath him. In a moment, I’m on top of him, and in one swift movement, I pull out a knife that’s been hidden in my boot and hold it to his throat.

  “Today you die, vampire,” I hiss.

  And Uncle gasps in shock.

  “Enough!” the General screams. “You have fought without honor, using trickery and deceit. Which is the only way you could conquer your more skilled foe.”

  He seems angry, and I hang my head in shame. But slowly, I see a certain glimmer in his eyes.

  “Which is exactly what I would have you do, my daughter. Use anything you have against them, do anything you can to destroy them. Fight without mercy.”

  The General helps me up, and it is the first sign of approval I have seen from him in a long time. But he looks to my uncle with disgust.

  “And you are too easy on the girl. You should know better.”

  Uncle looks away, pretending to be upset. But as we follow the General from the room, he gives me a small smile.

  We walk upstairs from our basement, which is cooler than the rest of the home, and into the kitchen. And the sun is blazing hot outside. The dusty walls around us seem as though they are baking us alive, though luckily, it will be evening soon.

  Though our family is ready to eat, I do not sit down with the rest of them just yet. Even though I am being taught to fight, I still have my duties, and I gather a plate for my sister, Samahlina, and take it to the room we share down the hall, in the bowels of our home.

  Though her name is Samahlina, we all call her “Lina,” instead. It was a nickname we gave her, because one of my sisters could not properly pronounce her name growing up, and somehow it stayed with all of us. Even the General has taken to calling her that, one of his few expressions of playfulness.

  Lina is the true beauty of the family, with deep brown eyes and dark hair that stun all the young men, and the distinctive nose that both my father and Uncle share. Some might find it unattractive, but I feel that it makes her look regal, like a queen.

  I told her that once, though she misunderstood me.

  “The queen is the real beauty of our realm. And I do not want to look like one of the monsters,” she said.

  “You look like ‘a’ queen, not ‘the’ queen,” I replied. “I’ve never seen her up close.”

  But I’m sure Lina does not feel beautiful on this day. She lies sick in bed, once again. Though she has been blessed with attractive features, she has also been cursed with a weak constitution. Today, she has a fever, and I wake her to give her a cold drink of water that I’ve brought with her food. She rouses with some difficulty, and I lift her head. When she has taken a sip or two, I dip a cloth in the cool water, and wipe the sweat from her brow.

  “You must eat something, sister.”

  “I don’t want to eat. I’m not hungry.”

  “You must eat to keep up your strength.”

  “I will eat, only if you stay with me for a while to keep me company.”

  “That I will gladly do,” I say, with a smile.

  And I lean by her bed, spooning some food into her mouth. Something rouses her. She pushes aside my hair, and looks to the bruise on my face with concern.

  “What have they done to you?”

  “It is nothing. It will heal quickly,” I say, touching my tender cheek. “You should see what I did to Uncle.”

  I smile, trying to seem light-hearted, but Lina is not dissuaded.

  “It is awful, what they are doing. Training you to kill. It will be the death of you.”

  “But you know how father is. I have no choice.”

  “Because you are the special one amongst us. Because you will come back again, if they murder you?”

  “Yes,” I say, looking away from her.

  “But he does not consider that we only have the one life with you,” Lina says. “Sometimes I think that the Luminos are the true monsters.”

  “Don’t say that. Their cause is a noble one.”

  “But you don’t want to play their games. I know it.”

  “I have little choice in the matter. If I refuse, then Father will be the one who will end my life. Better it be used for a good cause.”

  “Then we will have to hope that they teach you enough so that you can slay them all.”

  But somehow, I am doubtful this will ever happen.

  Lina looks to me, sadly, and brushes a stray lock of my hair back over my ear, and I make her take another spoonful of food.

  I wake up abruptly in the middle of the night, as a hand comes over my mouth. I have fallen asleep, sitting next to my sister’s bed. And for a moment, I think it is the vampires who have come for me.

  “Shhh! Gather your things. It is time.”

  It’s Uncle, instead. He leaves the room, and I am shocked that the moment has finally come. I silently go to my bed, and pull out a small pack I have kept for just this occasion. And I put into it the one or two pieces of clothing I want to take, a few shirts and a skirt. And I try not to wake my sister, not because I worry about ruining her sleep, but because I know it will upset her to see me leave. It will be better if I simply slip away in the night, so she does not try to fight against my fate.

  I go to the kitchen, and find Uncle and the General there, illuminated by the light of a small lamp.

  “Sit down,” the General whispers.

  I do, and instantly I know there will be no reprieve against my fate. I am not coming back, the Luminos have not changed their mind and called for me to live with them.

  “We have an opportunity. We need you to do something.”

  “What is it?”

  “We have a contact in Pharaoh’s palace. They have need of a servant. And we will pay this man a great fortune to make sure it is one of our own.”

  “You mean me?”

  His face doesn’t move, and it’s difficult to read the General’s true feelings from his stony expression. But I see what I hope is remorse in his eyes, as he answers me.

  “Yes, I do. You are to try to get close to them. You must try to kill one of the monsters.”

  I was right. This is why he has been training me, all these months. This is why I have been chosen. Because I am expendable, even more than the others, because they think I have never been on this earth before. Because I must prove myself. And with my face full of innocence, no one will ever suspect me.

  “I understand, Father,” I say.

  “You should go now, before the others wake,” he says. “Your uncle will be taking you there.”

  And I am shocked at the General, as he averts his eyes when I stand, which I have never seen him do before. He is always so stoic, so unwavering in his resolve for his battle, so willing to face it. But I do not let him o
ff so easily. I wait, until his gaze returns to mine.

  “Promise me one thing. Promise me you will always look after my sister, whether she matters in your war or not.”

  “Of course,” he says.

  And that is it. He does not move to embrace me, nor does he say anything else. The General looks away, and I suspect that I am already dead in his mind.

  Uncle and I slip out through the front door of our home, disappearing into the night.

  We walk the darkened streets of the city, heading toward the temple of Pharaoh. Lights can be seen shining from it, illuminating the structure in the night sky, and I feel I can almost reach out and touch it. Yet, its appearance is deceiving. The building is so large that it only seems close, and it takes quite a while to truly get near it. As the sun rises over the horizon, brightening it further, the majesty of the structure only serves to make it all the more intimidating.

  There are certain back alleys we walk through which I would normally be afraid of, even with my training. But I feel safe knowing Uncle is with me. He and my father are master fighters, and anyone who might try to attack us would be making a foolish mistake. Eyes look at us from darkened doorways, but there is something in our gait that makes them reconsider the thought of challenging us.

  We finally get to a wall that surrounds the palace, and guards stand out front; tall men who are strong and well-fed. They stop us, and I can see Uncle’s muscles tense, as he readies himself for the possibility of a fight. But the men don’t suspect us. They think we are only common peddlers.

  I look to the ground, and away from the guard’s eyes as he addresses them.

  “I have a new servant for the kitchens. For Famoush.”

  They point us to another entrance along a side wall, and as we walk there, I can see Uncle scanning everything, memorizing every detail he can. He says nothing, but I know it goes against his every instinct to leave me here, that it fills him with pain. Which is more compassion than the General could muster.

  We find another guard, and Uncle utters a few low words, repeating the name “Famoush,” who is a cook in the temple. The guard sends word inside, and eventually a decrepit, elderly man with runny eyes comes to the door. And I think this is Famoush, at first. Without saying a word, the old man looks me up and down, and looks to my uncle. He nods his head, and passes Uncle a small bag, which is supposed to be our payment. But I know it is only a ruse, and I see Uncle covertly slip the man a bag of his own, the true payment for sneaking me inside. And I can only imagine what gold or precious jewels it contains.