Sword Nation 1: House of Rahilius (A Dystopian Sci-fi Romance Novel)

by A. J. Ross

  He knelt before Grisian.

  She didn’t hesitate, “Are you willing to pay my price?”

  Lincoln nodded and said, “If you teach me the Fiie, I will give you the baby girl when it is born.”

  Tsamiit looked at him intensely. Her eyes lingered on his body for several seconds. She tried to read his emotions as the Grii are often able to do. Today though, Lincoln was so full of conflicting thoughts and feelings, so she could not see one more clearly than another.

  “Very well,” she said. “Go to your home and do not eat any food at all. You will need a clear mind. Return tomorrow before the first sun rises.”

  He had accepted her training, which took time away from her duties as acting Grisian. She had warned him from the beginning, even if he changed his mind later, she would still come to collect her price.

  He ached to hold his wife, but the passion was dulled by the idea he would have to explain to her what he had done, and she would leave him. He remembered speaking with her on the palace balcony when they were younger. She told him all she’d ever wanted was children. Lincoln hadn’t bargained with the most valuable thing in his life, he had bargained with the most valuable thing in hers. He knew he had no right, but he felt he had no choice. He had to figure out a way to honor his promise to Tsamiit, and still give his new bride the life she always dreamt about.

  He needed help. He wished he had listened to Logan and gone to Raymond about the problem right from the start. Raymond was sensible, and maybe together they could have come up with a better idea. He now regretted keeping the people who loved him in the dark about what was happening in his life, because now he was alone, and trapped in the darkness he had created.

  After a night of uncomfortable sleep filled with anxiety, he awoke feeling light-headed and irritable. He showered and washed his hair, then stood in front of the mirror with a towel around his waist. Staring at his reflection, he couldn’t help but wonder what he had become. So much of his life had changed, all because he broke the rules of the council. If he had never spoken to Penny about the ship, none of this would have happened. If she had been a true friend to him and respected his decision, none of this would have happened. Instead, she had been vindictive because of his marriage to Braii.

  Once he was dressed, he went down to the cafeteria. The daylight that greeted him, pouring through the large windows of the dining room, only irritated him further. He went to the cook and placed his order. Danya was sitting alone having her breakfast.

  She had called the name “Denzel,” three times before Lincoln realized she was talking to him.

  “Sorry,” he said as he joined her at her table. “My mind was somewhere else this morning. How’s it going?”

  She smiled, “Good. Ready for another day.”

  Lincoln nodded but kept silent.

  “Do you want to take a walk with me, after we eat?” she asked.

  “Sure,” he responded. “I could use some fresh air.”

  “Were you born here?” she asked, “Or in the South.”

  “South,” he responded.

  “You must be special,” she said with a flirty smile. “Only two percent of the people born down there ever get to live up here.”

  “So the 98 percent born below are not special?” he remarked sarcastically.

  She shrugged her shoulders casually, “I didn’t make the rules. We all have to do the best we can. We’re in a difficult situation here on Kayora. Everybody has to accept their place in this world.”

  Lincoln looked at her, unable to decide whether she was naive or just cruel, but he felt certain these were the only two options. “Let me guess,” he said, “You were born here?”

  “Yeah. My dad's an overseer,” she said proudly. “He helps to keep the peace between Kayorians and humans. They create fair laws and regulations for the people here.”

  Lincoln fought the inclination to show his disgust. He regretted he didn’t go straight down to the city as he had been instructed. Now he was stuck with one-thought Danya and her merry band of delusionals.

  He became aware of the barrage of young people who had filed into the cafeteria. It looked like every occupant of the hotel had come down within a matter of minutes. He looked at Danya wanting to ask what was happening, but he stayed quiet assuming he would know soon enough.

  Right then an older woman came into the cafeteria and stood at the front of the small dining room. A man followed closely behind her, setting up a standing microphone in front of her. She was all smiles. A short portly woman with rosy cheeks, wearing a tan and green suit, with beige two-inch-heel-shoes on her feet.

  “Good morning everyone,” she said into the microphone.

  Both Lincoln and Danya turned in her direction, as did the others in the cafeteria.

  “As you all know,” the woman continued, “today is a holy day. This is the anniversary of the day we were chosen by the ubiquitous ruler and champion Rahilius.”

  Danya perked up in her seat and clapped her hands silently, grinning from ear to ear. Lincoln was vexed as he watched her squirm in her seat, giddy with excitement. His eyes panned the room. To his surprise, almost everyone was staring at the woman with bright glossy eyes and mouths slightly agape.

  “Let us all stand,” the woman said.

  Music began to play, and the sound of horns blared through the speakers. Everyone stood and began to sing from the bottom of their hearts, and at the top of their lungs.

  “Rahilius, Rahilius, we pledge our lives to you

  Your mighty hand is stronger than,

  those who try and stand against you

  Rahilius you strengthen us, and protect us with your wisdom. . .”

  “Sing with me,” Danya said, throwing her arm around Lincoln’s shoulders. He winced at the very notion, glaring at her; eyes full of wild perplexity. Despite the madness in his own eyes, he was sure everyone else in that room was deranged. The swift onslaught of lunacy left him paralyzed as Danya sang loudly in his ear, swaying his body along with hers to the music:

  “You crush our enemies,

  with just one finger of your iron hand,

  Rahilius lead us to peace,

  May your courage and justice never cease.

  We stand, we live, we die for you

  Our savior, one and true”

  The song finished and the crowd broke into a hysterical applause. There were several people Lincoln noticed wiping away tears. I have to get out of here, he thought to himself, these people are less human than the Grii.

  Danya turned her attention back to him with her bright smile and beaming eyes. “Wasn’t that great?” she said, far too deep in her bliss to notice his obvious disconnect. “Well, we can get going now, if you still want to walk.”

  Lincoln’s mind snapped back into his mission. “Sure. Let’s go.”

  They left the hotel and went out into the warm morning air. He tried to remember what he and Danya were talking about before that bizarre performance in the cafeteria.

  He remembered, “Danya, is there anyone else here who was born below, like me?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” she replied whimsically. “I’m actually surprised you admitted it. Most people would never claim the underground.”

  Lincoln sighed heavily. She didn’t have any of the information he needed, and now he was stuck with her. He turned his mind off the rest of the time he and Danya were together. It was the only way to effectively tolerate her constant babbling. He tried to focus his attention on the surroundings instead.

  The town was nice and clean. The houses were all two stories, either white, tan, or gray. They were in no way spectacular, but a cut above the ones in the human colonies on Graiis. He looked at the green in the trees and grass, and wondered if this was what Earth looked like. As they passed through the town, one thing became apparent about the people. With very few exceptions, they were all the same color. In a way it was good news for him, because it would make finding Braii easier. Her dark skin wa
s sure to draw attention in a place like this.

  Most of the people they encountered along their walk seemed friendly and truly happy. Many of the men were overweight, which was something he’d never seen on Graiis. The women were wearing strange clothing made from green and tan plasticky material made to resemble Kayorian skin. He could tell from the air they put on; this style of dress was considered fashionable.

  They returned from their morning walk, and Lincoln said goodbye to Danya. As he entered the hotel something caught his eye. The beautiful blonde woman who had been at the front desk the day before, was in a small room behind the counter with a man who looked to be three times her age. The old, overweight, balding man swatted her buttocks as she left the closet.

  Lincoln didn’t know why he was interested, but something about the exchange made him feel uncomfortable.

  The woman noticed he was watching and asked, “Do you need something Mr. Washington?”

  The man left the room behind the counter and left the hotel, but not before telling the young woman he would see her later.

  “Boyfriend?” Lincoln asked.

  The young woman's face flooded with embarrassment. “No, that’s Mr. Phelpstien. He owns the hotel. Can I get you anything?”

  Lincoln looked at the woman closely this time. He hadn’t noticed the day before, but there were old scars on her delicate hands. She must have done hard work at some point in her life. That alone set her apart from any of the other people he had met since coming to Kayora. He turned on his charm and looked at the woman with soft glossy eyes. “Would you have dinner with me?” he asked. “When you finish work?”

  The young woman looked surprised.

  “What’s your name?” he asked quickly.

  “Simone.”

  “Well Simone, will you come to my room later and have dinner?”

  Her eyes changed from curious to angry. “I’m not easy,” she spat.

  Lincoln furrowed his brows. “Okay, I don’t even know what that means,” he said. “I just think you’re beautiful, and I want to talk to you. A man would have to be blind not to notice how beautiful you are.” He lowered his voice, “And I’m new here. I was actually born below, and I was kinda hoping to find a friend.”

  The sweetness in his eyes and the sincerity in his tone won her over. “I finish at seven,” she said.

  “That’s perfect,” he replied. “We’ll meet in the cafeteria, grab some food, and take it upstairs to my room.”

  She agreed.

  Braii sat at a table with Erwin, Pyotr, Jake, Lola, and Herman. Erwin had illustrated each of the weapons he had seen at the facility. Braii studied them carefully. Some of them looked familiar like the weapons in the human museum. Surprisingly there were no guns. They had projectile launchers, but no guns. Jake was insistent they focus on creating guns, and felt it would give them an advantage over the Kayorians. The only problem was, they hadn’t been able to create one successful mold, and there was no way to mass produce them in enough time.

  Erwin argued, “Our focus shouldn’t be on weapons we may never have. I think it would be better if we spend the time trying to learn the weapons that will soon be available to us.”

  There were a total of eight weapons facilities on Kayora with millions of weapons between them. It didn’t matter whether or not the whole army went to battle. Either way there would still be millions of weapons left behind. According to reports from Erwin’s operatives above ground, the whole civilian population, both Kayorian and human, were unaffiliated with weaponry of any kind.

  Braii listened to the conversation between them. They all seemed to advocate strongly for their own ideas, except Pyotr, who mostly agreed with Erwin.

  “I suggest,” Erwin continued, “we only target those in power and the Kayorian soldiers left behind.”

  Jake’s head shook steadily in disagreement. “We should fight against the population in general. We can’t let them get away with all the things they’ve done to us. The only way to make the Kayorians feel the weight of all their crimes, is to make them suffer the loss of their wives and children.”

  “What about after?” Herman asked. “If we completely dissolve the current governmental structure, what happens next? Do we appoint our own Government heads? What if the people won’t comply?”

  Lola just kept mentioning horrible things the Kayorians had done throughout the years, and seemed to hold the same level of animus Jake displayed, but without offering any real course of action. They argued about location, strategy, weapons, and timing.

  Braii had enough of their bickering and stood.

  Erwin stood also, “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She sighed, “You will lose this war. The weakest Kayorians are stronger than you, because at least they are intelligent enough to work behind one leader and support one cause. If you all go in, waging your personal wars against the Kayorians, you will lose. Millions will die, and why? Because you’re ready to fight, but not focused on winning. There are only two questions you should be discussing: Who is the enemy? And what is needed to defeat him?

  You all are discussing the future. What future? It is your enemy who determines what your future will be. If you cannot move him, run him down, or go through him, all your talk of the future is just pacification for a war you know you’ve already lost.” She sighed again in frustration and looked at Erwin, “I’ve already created a four-level training program, and I’ll start with the first group tomorrow as I have promised. Good night to you all.” She bowed respectfully and left the room in silence.

  Lincoln met Simone in the cafeteria after she finished her work. They ordered food and took it back to his room. He pulled the chair out for her to sit. She seemed surprised and flattered by the gesture. Chivalry was alive and well on Graiis, and Lincoln had the council to thank for that. This was one of the things they had voted to preserve and teach the children back when his father was serving.

  There was light small-talk between them as they ate, but even in the small-talk, it was obvious to Lincoln that Simone was hiding just as much truth as he was. They had wine, or whatever it was . . . Simone had relaxed and lightened up as the alcohol reached her bloodstream, but it had no effect on Lincoln at all. He was disappointed. He could have used a drink. He wondered if the Kayorians had their own type of liquor like the Grii.

  “So,” she said, “Where were you born? By which stairway?”

  Lincoln thought. He remembered the door he had passed when approaching the town. “19th,” he said.

  “Ah cool,” she replied. “That’s pretty close to here.”

  “What about you?” he asked. “Where were you born?”

  “5th,” she replied.

  Lincoln took a gamble. “I don’t remember you from Edu-camp,” he said. “And I never forget a pretty face. Which division were you in?”

  She hesitated.

  He took her hand, “Look, it’s alright. I just want to ask you a question. Do you know anything about what happened between Graiis and Kayora?”

  She searched her mind. “Of course,” she replied. “I’ve heard different stories. One from the underground and one from the Neph-,” she stopped herself. “One from the people here.”

  Lincoln noticed she stopped herself. He didn’t know what she was hiding, but he felt like whatever it was, was probably exactly what he was looking for. If he was going to gain her trust, he needed to offer her his. He took another gamble. “Don’t worry,” he said as he moved his shirt off of his shoulder revealing the tattoo he had at the base of his neck. “I’m not one of those people either.”

  Her eyes grew wide and she moved closer. “Who are you?” she whispered.

  “My name is Lincoln Wolfe. I’ve come from Graiis.”

  She was stunned. “Are you a member of the Griician army?”

  “No, but I’m on a mission that could possibly prevent war between our planets. The princess on Graiis was taken by Rahilius, and I am here to get her. Do you know where Rahilius’s
compound is?”

  Her eyes were still large, but the fear in them had been replaced with excitement. “I know where he lives, but I don’t think the princess is there.”

  Lincoln’s heart was racing. At the moment his gamble was paying off. This girl had ears above and below ground, and she knew exactly who he was talking about. “Do you know where she is?” he asked.

  “No. I heard she broke into Rahilius’s house and kidnapped a little boy. The guards have been searching for her for weeks.”

  Lincoln scratched his head. “Who told you that? And what’s with the people here? Why do they support the Kayorians?”

  “Underground they call them the Nephilim. They lie and confuse the people, and in exchange Rahilius lets them live above ground. They’re loyal to him no matter what he does. No matter how little regard he shows for their lives or dignity as people, they keep following him. They worship him, he despises them, and around and round it goes.”

  “So how did you get here?” he asked.

  Her eyes fell, “You don’t wanna know. I had to get to the surface. My mother is the only person in this world who really loves me, and she’s sick. They have the medicine, but it’s extremely expensive. They don’t pay them, you know. The people living underground. They give them food for a day, and that’s it. I had to find a way to work for money so I could help my mother.” She looked at Lincoln with sad glassy eyes. “The people born below have no choices.”

  Lincoln took her hand, now understanding what he had seen earlier in the room behind the counter. His discomfort had been legitimate, and probably the result of hers. She wasn’t attracted to the old, fat, balding man he had seen her kissing. Instead, she was desperate, and he was taking advantage of her despair.

  “Listen,” he said. “If you help me find the princess, I promise, I’ll get you and your mother off this planet. It’s not like this on Graiis. We live good lives with plenty of food. We have good hospitals with advanced medical care. We don’t have any money. Grisian won’t allow it because he’s afraid Graiis would become just like Earth. We are building our world on Graiis slowly, and we all work with the Grii to advance humanities interests. I serve on the HLE council, I am a Griician citizen, and I’ve completed military training. I’m sure I can secure a place on Graiis for you and your mother.”