by Brad Carr
“That’ll work sir,” she confirmed, pulling out three of the unique vegetables.
The man gave her six small fish, and the whale bone carving for trade. He smiled at the girl and said, “Thank you.”
Leah skipped over to her mother with a look of accomplishment. Mona was busy washing the freshly picked crop near a water pump and placing them in straw baskets.
“What do you need Mom?”
“Leah, I need you to bring the workers some water. Give them each a small basket of Treentos, for all their hard work today.”
“Yes, Mom.”
After Leah was finished with her Mother’s command, she noticed a man and a woman waiting at the stand. The man wore a cape and hood over his uniform. The woman was dressed in a Cap soldier uniform. Leah grinned with anticipation and sprinted towards the stand. She enjoyed the art of bartering.
“Welcome to Transmith’s Treentos. How may I help you?”
Lieutenant Yu was the woman in uniform. The cloaked man was an incognito Brakion Vol. Both smiled at each other at the girl’s obvious cuteness.
“What are Treentos?” Brakion asked.
“Why, it’s the latest thing my good sir! It’s delicious! You can only get it here. My mother came across these wild Treentos. Only she knows how to grow them. They are like a potato, but they have lots of calories. One Treento can last up to five meals per person when divided. And you’ll feel stuffed! It expands in your belly.”
“That’s amazing,” said Lieutenant Yu.
“Yes, it is! All you gotta do is boil it in seawater for ten minutes, and boom! It is ready to eat. And it won’t spoil for at least two weeks.”
“Why do you use seawater?” Brakion inquired.
“You could use fresh water I guess. But the seawater gives it better flavor. You know, because of the salt. Ready to barter?”
“Let’s see, well I got….” Brakion was interrupted.
“I like your beard mister. It’s really long. Can I touch it?”
“Leah!” yelled Mona strolling up to the stand.
“But Mom…”
“No buts Leah, that was rude.”
“No, it’s okay,” Brakion chimed in. “Go ahead.”
“It’s softer than I thought!” she exclaimed stroking his long white beard.
“Okay Leah, that’s enough. Go take a break. I will help the customer.”
“But Mom…”
“Now.”
“Fine,” she replied in a disappointed tone.
“Please accept my apology, sir. How many treentos would you be interested in?”
“Six will do,” he replied.
“What do you have for trade?”
“Well I,” Brakion reached into his satchel and pulled out a small bag of mushrooms. “These are halerooms. They are grown only in the local underground caves.”
“What are they good for?”
“Some use them for teas, and others just use them for eating.”
“This isn’t enough for six treentos. These mushrooms would only last a few days. If you have any land meat, that would go farther. We don’t get much meat out here near the waters, only fish.”
“How about a visit behind the wall for at least a few days?”
“AG Vol?” she gasped. But she already knew the answer by staring closer at his face. “Oh I’m so sorry. I didn’t recognize…”
“It’s okay. You weren’t supposed to.”
“With all due respect sir, I can’t leave my crop here unprotected. I’m sure you understand.”
“It’s not a problem. I will have two of my guards posted here while you and your daughter visit behind the wall. I may have a proposition for you.”
“Keep your halerooms sir. You can have these for free.”
“So does this mean you will join us for a few days?”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
“Take the halerooms though, I will make sure your workers have some salted bear and moose meat to keep them working for the next few days.”
“That is most generous! Thank you.”
“What is your name?”
“My name is Mona Transmith. My daughter is Leah.”
“Transmith? That’s a Scarlet Republic name.”
“Yessir, it is. But I am no longer part of the Scarlet Republic. I came here a few years ago hoping to be granted citizenship to the Capital Kingdom.”
“No need to explain. It matters not where you come from, only where you are going. I will send an armed escort in two days to bring you into the outpost.”
“Thank you so much.”
Brakion and Lieutenant Yu escaped away without another word, slowly disappearing in the distance. Mona had been waiting a long time to meet Brakion, and when she did it came as a complete shock to her. She was unprepared.
For almost six years Mona had been seeking to find him. After so much time had passed, she had given up hope. Now she just had a small conversation with the former King of Capital Kingdom; a man both loved and feared.
***
Two days later, Mona was awakened to the sound of bell dinging from a post outside of her canvas tent. She lived in a very small domicile, just enough room for two cots and a small clothing chest. Mona, wearing only her white panties and a pink cotton shirt, covered herself in a blue robe. Opening the tent flap, Lieutenant Yu stood outside with two guards.
“Miss Transmith, good morning to you.”
“Good morning, I apologize, I’m usually up by oh six hundred.”
“No need to apologize. It is oh three hundred.”
“Why so early?” she asked rubbing her eyes.
One of the guards handed Yu a dark grey jumpsuit to give to Mona. ”This is for you,” she said handing it to Mona. “It’s for Culinary Class citizens of Outpost Seven. You will need to wear this while inside the walls. Do you think you could be ready in thirty minutes? We have to bring you inside the walls early enough before the crowds start protesting outside the gates.”
Nodding in agreement, Mona asked, “What should my daughter wear?”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot.” Yu snapped her fingers and the other guard handed Mona another jumpsuit. It was wine colored with white stitching. “This is the typical apparel of children inside the walls. It comes in all colors, but AG Vol figured the girl would like this color.”
Mona, took the garment and looked at it. “He’s actually correct. She loves this color.”
“AG Vol has an uncanny knack for figuring out things. But he claims he just guesses,” she chuckled. “Anyway, we will be outside until you are ready. These two guards will watch your crops for a few days as promised.”
Mona closed her tent, woke up Leah who begrudgingly cooperated, and prepared for their journey to the inside of the wall. When they were ready to go, Yu put a blind fold on Mona and Leah to protect the secret entrance. Hiking for what seemed like twenty minutes, they were directed by Lieutenant Yu’s instructions. Once fully awake, Leah’s chatty nature took over the conversations of the entire walk.
Mona could feel sand dispersing beneath the planting of boot steps. Sometimes she would feel grass touching her leg. When the blind folds were taken off, Brakion stood next to Bantam. They were located near the war pig pasture.
“Good morning, or good night?” Brakion smiled.
“It’s a war pig!” Leah screamed with excitement. She ran towards Bantam.
“Wait!” yelled Lieutenant Yu.
By then it was too late. Leah began petting Bantam on his face and hugging his big head. The large pig just let out a grunt and allowed the little girl to touch him. “He’s so cute!”
“But….how?” asked Mona.
“Can I ride him Mister?” asked Leah.
“Of course you can. But only if your mother allows it,” Brakion agreed. He believed Mona was putting on an act. She tried to appear shocked by Leah’s ability to put Bantam at ease with her touch. To him, it was obvious the young girl had a talent that Mona was trying to su
ppress.
“Can I Mom? Can I?”
Mona consented, “Just a few minutes Leah, then come back here okay?”
“Okay Mom!” exclaimed Leah riding off in the distance without hesitation, or paying attention to the confirmation given by her mother.
“Your daughter is special. I knew it from the first time I saw her,” said Brakion. He nodded over to Yu. “That will be all Lieutenant. I will take it from here.”
“Yessir,” Yu said as she walked away confused that Bantam allowed Leah to ride him. Bantam was known for being a stubborn and temperamental war pig.
Crossing his arms, Brakion stared at Mona while Yu walked away; patiently waiting to talk to her alone. She had figured out his intention to talk privately by his body language. Mona worried.
“Mona, your daughter is a telepath,” Brakion confirmed to Mona. “She can read the thoughts of animals, and converse with them through a psychic link. Her ability may enhance with age, or possibly disappear altogether.”
Mona’s lips quivered. Her eyes resembled glass in direct sunlight. The complexion of her face began to darken. She fell to her knees and begged to Brakion.
“Please! Please don’t tell anyone. They’ll kill her. They’ll hunt us down! Please.”
He knelt down empathetically and nudged her up gently. Rising to her feet, Brakion reassured her, “This isn’t the Scarlet Republic. Most things in life can be explained through science. But there are many mysteries in the world that do not have explanations yet. We are not zealots. Persecution of paranormal subjects is not part of our culture.”
“The Scarlet Republic is looking for us. We don’t want to go back. Please, don’t deport us.”
“You aren’t going back. You both are now Capital Kingdom citizens. This outpost needs both of you.”
“Why me? I’m just a simple farmer.”
“That is exactly why we need you. Farmers keep the world fed. Farming is life sustaining. But you are more than that. You‘re an innovator. Mona, you have cultivated crops that can keep this outpost potentially fed. You learned how to harvest and sow it. What other crops have you seen around here growing in the sand without transplanting topsoil from the jungle? Agriculture is just as important as any military. We need you Mona, to teach us to be self sustaining without help from the islands.”
Mona removed her gaze from the ground. Staring at Brakion’s face she could see he was genuine. He didn’t seem like the cruel butcher that the Scarlet Republic portrayed him as. But he didn’t possess the lofty attitude of a former king either. Brakion was just a person.
“How did you know my daughter had abilities?”
“For one reason, Bantam didn’t want to harm her. He told me. Leah and I have similar abilities. It remains to be seen as to what types of animals she can speak to. Obviously war pigs are one of them. It is unusual that she is able to exhibit this talent at her age, but not impossible. There is a small minority of the human population who have these abilities. It escapes scientific explanation at this time.”
Mona felt a strange, but soothing feeling near Brakion. She felt an attraction to his words, his confidence, and his physical features. Burying these emotions, she questioned herself. Unsure if it was the right time to mention her quest to locate him; she decided to make the attempt.
“I had been searching for you for six years now AG Vol.”
“Really? Why? Oh, and call me Brakion.”
“I thought you could read minds. Don’t you know?”
“I can’t read human minds Mona. I can telepathically speak to a few types of intelligent creatures, but not people.”
“I want to know about my father. I was told you knew him.”
“What is his name?”
“I don’t know. My mother’s name was Melina Wayson. She died when I was a small child. She lived in Paatu, in a town named Katel.”
“That was a very long time ago. I was a young man then. I’m sorry I didn’t know she had any children. I was fighting in the Island Wars at the time. By the time the war finished, I was notified of her death. Yes, I knew your mother. She was my friend. Melina’s death was a hard one to bear.” Brakion paused. “I can tell you a lot about her. But I don’t know who your father is.”
“I will take any information you can give me.”
“I’ll make you a deal. We have an empty home in the underground. It has plenty of room for you and Leah. Soon, I will be allowing more people inside the walls to be trained in agriculture for the expansion territory. Do you think you could instruct farmers how to maintain and plant treentos? Experimentation greenhouses will be available to you. Leah can attend school in Tyra’s Keep. Then, maybe next week, I would love to accompany you to dinner, both of you. I can tell you more about your mother. Would that be agreeable to you?”
“Thank you so much,” she accepted, “I would be honored.”
Chapter 11
Five days had passed since Mona moved into her new home inside Tyra’s Keep. It was 19:32 in the evening. Living underground created confusion to distinguish night from day. However, evening hours were signaled by the dimmed lights throughout Tyra’s Keep. Sitting on the hardwood floor of their new underground home, Leah whittled a design into a large sea shell. She enjoyed collecting anything found on the shores. Without interrupting her, Mona watched patiently; curious to see what Leah’s final design would be.
“I’m done Mama! Do you like it?”
Mona held the shell in her hand and examined it closely. She couldn’t understand what it was. “What is it supposed to be Leah?”
“It’s an airplane.”
“What’s an airplane?”
“The ancient civilization used to fly like the birds do Mama. It was these vehicles that they would use to travel.”
“That’s quite an imagination you got there honey.”
Leah’s face turned red with frustration, “It is not from my imagination! It’s real!”
“You better calm yourself right….now,” Mona’s voice raised slightly enough for Leah to show respect.
“I’m…I’m sorry Mama,” Leah began to sob. “The kids at school teased me when I told them. The teacher said I was making up stories. But I’m not Mama. I’m telling the truth.”
“I believe that you believe you think it’s true Leah. But think about it. Have you ever seen anything fly except birds? Humans were not meant to go to the skies, baby.”
“Mama, I’ve seen it. It was in a book Mister Vol gave to me. It was written in a strange language. He translated it for me. He wrote our words out above the strange letters so I would understand.”
“You mean a tablet? I’ve never heard of a book before.”
“The ancient people used to have these things called books to write their information in. It was made from thin wood. And the little sticks would make words with movement from their hands.”
“Do you mean like art? Like the paint brushes the artists use?”
“Yeah Mama!” Leah said in excitement, “Just like that!”
“I’m sure Mister Vol gave you a fictional tablet, I mean ‘book’ for entertainment honey.”
“But he said it was a history book Mama.”
Mona could see how serious Leah was about the so called ‘airplane’. She didn’t want to dishearten her daughter by endorsing doubt in her confidence. Instead, Mona humored the little girl by asking, “Can I see this book Leah? It sounds interesting.”
“Yay! I’ll get it!” she exclaimed while diving under her new bed and pulling out the book. Handing it over to Mona, “It’s really interesting Mama,” Leah spoke with excitement.
Mona flipped carefully through the delicate pages. Foreign images filled every other page.“This is a book? I wonder how old it is?”
“Mister Vol said he kept a lot of books locked in a huge safe. He called it a library.”
“Okay honey. I’ll look at it for a while. Why don’t you finish your homework, okay?”
“Yes Mama.”
&
nbsp; Mona stared at the ancient writing on the cover of the book. Reopening to the first page of the book she read a note glued to it with a message for Leah. It read:
Leah,
You are a special girl, and in turn, you must be a light to the world we live in. Knowledge can make the world a better place. But not everyone is ready to hear all of it at once. Take your time and really study every chapter carefully. This book is just a starting point. When you are finished, return it and I’ll give you something different to read. Have fun learning new things. If you have any questions, you can visit my office anytime that I am there.
-Alpha General Brakion Vol
Mona smiled as she read his inscription to Leah. She appreciated that he took his time to encourage Leah to learn new things. Mona turned the page to a title that read, “Top Historical Inventions of the Ancient World.”
“Leah?”
“Yes Mama.”
“Where is this thing called an airplane located in this book?”
“It starts on page one hundred twenty three.”
“Wow, you remembered the page number and everything. Okay thanks, now back to your homework.”
Mona flipped through pages and found the title named “Aviation.” Skimming through the secondary titles she read names like Leonardo Divinci, The Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, The Red Baron,The Tuskeegee Airmen, Cornelia Fort, John Glenn, Yuri Gagarin, and so on. It was the illustration on the Wright Brothers pages that peaked her interest. Mona compared the sea shell carving to the book’s picture. The plane carving was the exact scale, shape, and details as the picture. Leah had a magnificent memory.
She still questioned if it was a work of fiction, but Mona couldn’t escape the feeling that it was real. Thoughts raced through her mind. “Why didn’t anyone else know about this? Why aren’t there planes now?” Mona’s pondering was interrupted by an announcement through to the loud speaker:
“This is Lieutenant Yu of the Capital Kingdom Outpost Seven Expansion Exploration Division. In one hour, Alpha General Brakion Vol will be announcing a new change to Outpost Seven. Please tune in to the projection screen locations inside and outside the wall. This message will repeat every five minutes.”