"Tula how much further?" "Its just down there." Tula answered pointed down the hill, both exhausted. "I must warn you. My tribe will not accept you. You will have no warm welcome. However with our brave story, they may let you go into the woods alive." "Well at least theres always a silver lining. I survived an attack from corrupted soldiers, running through in the woods filled with all kinds of mutated crazy ass animals to. I might be breathing tonight. All in All could be worse." Addie joked. "I appreciate everything you have done for me. Im very sorry that this is happening to you well happened to us."
"My job is to help people and keep them safe by all means. There was no way in hell I was leaving you there. We
e not all like that ya know. Seems weve got traders inside our walls." "Well at least one thing we have strong in common is the common enemy. The Tentoria." "Tentoria? Been a long time since I studied Latin that means soulless right? Ive been hearing that term a lot." "This was, Ill explain." After Tula finished explaining who they were and the things they do and have done.
How they got here the only thing no one has been able to answer is the why. As they approached the gate to Tulas village. Voices in an unrecognizable language are loud as some people come rushing towards her with weapons pushing Addie to the ground yelling at her. Addie not fighting back trying to prove she is not a threat. Tula pleading with them to standing down in front of Addie. "Stand up." A man told her. Lucky for you there is a new law among the tribes. Your body will be examined if you pass. Well well just see from there." He said in cautious voice.
"Alright, My name is Adelyn Meyers. Call me Addie Im searching for someone." Addie replied. "Pass the exam and well answer your questions Addie." After the other men dragged her into a hut and looked through as the have to check for signs of shadows or Tentoria, she was dismissed to go speak with their leader. "My name is Micha Leader of the Roshan villages. I hear you betrayed orders of your people so Tula could come back to us. Why would you do that?
"I disobeyed no orders. My job was to question a captive found in the woods and then to get her medical attention and take her home in one piece. The people who attacked her and attacked us is not my people. But I believe a common enemy. Not all those with blue eyes are corrupted. Just the ones that have strayed away from the mountain or never made it to us in our lands back to Atheo. Tula was abducted almost a year ago I am a soldier for my people we took an oath to help people all people any kind its what my leader has train us to do. I will not dishonor her now and leave an innocent young girl with those monsters in our clothing."
Addie replied back calmly. "How brave you are young soldier not many can take on a fight with a shadow and still breathe. Rather foolish but respectable. What are you doing here?" "I promised Tula I would bring her home safely. I keep my promises." "I can see that." Micha smiled nodding his head along with his words.
"What do you expect to do now? That you cannot return straight to Atheo? "Well sir, Im actually looking for my leader she is our chief of all soldiers of our entire village from the sky ship to Atheo and anywhere we are in between shes the leader of us warriors. Shes also my best friend she crashed in pod almost a year ago around these lands. Weve been looking ever since." Micha starred at her blankly.
"What is the name of this woman whom you seek?" "Tessandra Alderman. Our Tessa." His face grew with a smile. "We know your friend in fact we share your friend with you. How do you we know you will not betray her?" "I fell from space. Got set up with the man I am to marry to be betrayed by my crazy ass clan just to make sure she is ok and still breathing she is more like my sister. I would do anything for her. I have pictures. Here." Addie pulled out at least five pictures of her and all their friends together grouped and all shots through different stages and ages of their lives. "Very well, Tess is fine she is being a well honored guest of the Roshan, Declan and any other tribe smart enough to listen to her and make peace. You will be brought to her them in a day or possibly two time. Not a moment before.
Tessa saved my own cousin last year we owe much to her and you as well for bringing my other cousin his sister home to us. You are accepted as a guest, however you will be watched and escorted every and anywhere through our land most likely by Tula and her brother. Nelida is my right hand he will also see to you as well.
"Thank you for your hospitality., Ill try my hardest not to be a burden." He nodded his head to Tula dismissing them both. Tula took her to her hut, knowing Tessa was taking Earth by storm finally allowed her to feel a small bit of comfort and after all the running she finally allowed herself to give into sleep.
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"Come this way. Don make sudden noises they don like that." Riley warned as overprotective parent would warn you o the don things to do while you watch their children. Jared looking confused by all that is surrounding him. "Where exactly are we?" Jared asked his best friend growing nervous. "Don worry only Ben knows of this place well now you of course no one else knows of this area. Its our little secret.
"Ive been here for almost a year and you wait until now to share this? Jared asked bewildered. "Weve been busy friend." You know with so many corrupted little leeches strutting around here and the way everyones eyes have been on you and Addie I had to make sure that this place was never up for suspension. My beloved secret weapons."
"Do I even want to ask?" "Stop being ants at a picnic and be open minded my dear." "You and that damn show." Jared whispered at the phrase Riley used. "Welcome to the dark side. Weve got it all." Riley sad as his arms spread wide for Jared to take it all in. He was just lost in awe. There were so many animals of every type of species mutated from the years of recovering radiation in big spacious cages. Some were just roaming around or flying around. They were all in peace with each other sharing their home happily. They seemed as if they even welcomed Jareds presents into their little world in this under grounds huge ass lab.
"Did you train them?" "Yes every single one we actually did. We put our own altered version of the rehab serum in though with things no one but would be able to trace. It was mainly to help them at first you know how me and Tessa feel about animals in pain. However when I set them free they wouldn leave me and Ben so we kept them trained them and we use them as scouts around the woods and forests now." Riley said.
"Its almost as if its like an Adam and Eve ship here we have like two of every type of animal species known to us so far. If not more than two on some." Ben chimed in. "This is my baby my Mr. Cuddles." Riley said loving on the gigantic beast as a proud parent. The dog is more like a wolf was at least 12 feet standing sitting tall and looked like a well-fed boy with three tails and on odd, shaped tongue split so it looks like he had two he was such a deep dark black color if were night there would be no way to see him coming. His paws looked like they could swat down a rescues pod. "Mr. Cuddles?" Jared asked with a raised eyebrow. " Well his real name is Arlo, but he is just my big ill cuddle muffin aren ya boy. My big ol love bug."
The dog whined in approval accepted the love given to him happily. However our real secret weapons are over here. "Jared meet Meeko." Meeko was a bird that could fit into your palm he was a deep purple and blue blend with hints of red and green. "Meeko like all the three birds have adapted to the radiation giving them new and different qualities. Meeko happens to be the fastest bird alive that we know of so far who also camouflages and not only flies but can breathe under water for over thirty minutes to eat fish or go fishing. He will be spying around for us once we tap into the chip in him we will hear and see what he hears and sees it is recorded and we can see it al from here. We have special pagers they can reach us on when danger is a foot or they need help." "Thats incredible."
"Not just another suit my friend." Riley joked. "I gotta say at first I thought you was nuts but its been an amazing journey here with this project." Ben told Jared. "Well Meeko is plan A. Plan B is his girlfriend Kisa an identical bird with the same qualities as Meeko but shes just a tad bit slower and can only go under water for fifteen to about twenty minutes she does not like water really but hates to feel dirty at the same time Im still working with her on her ocd it is a struggle."
"Anyway we send Meeko to the Declan villages and that half and see if we can see or hear anything that will be useful. As Kisa will go to the Roshan side and do the same to all the villages over there and well just keep searching the woods and every village in between until we find something that will help us or be useful. It does not exactly violate the treaty because I swore none of our people would set foot into any of their lands."
"These animals although maybe be my little family are in no way connected to the rest of these treacherous snakes in this mountain. Either way best if they do not get caught or discovered unless necessary. We need to seek out Emmetts the next head of house hold so to speak of the Declan Circle he may be most likely to help us or destroy us. That is if we find our girls there. Its the best we can do without drawing attentions to ourselves or starting an all-out war."
"It sounds like a plan hopefully without starting too many conflicts." Ben added on nodding in agreement. "Jared look around were already at war. Look at the bigger picture." Jared thought of everything that has been happening around them last couple years with his people and all the serums and experiments and even with building this building years just before they were even born.
"Wow, so now do we know were not the enemy?" "We have one enemy. The traitors among our own who have and or are corrupting our own with the rehab serums they took a beautiful theory and hope to give people a second chance and to build a stable life and turned it into something truly evil. SO now lets just clap our hands and stomp our feet and hope it works."
"Ugh Riley." Ben called out just as he turned to walk away. "Yes my pet?" "We still have one problem. Julian pod took a dive in the wrong place. Hes been missing for hours and we have zero contact with him. However strangest thing his pod has crashed in the exact location Tessa pod crashed. Same exact coordinates, were assuming; were mainly due to the fact that not only did someone compromise the pod before he left , but someone change the landing coordinates so he was not coming here."
"Well thats some bad news there friend. So lets get a selected chosen few and get teams spread as far as we are permitted to go. Send Kisa and Meeko out looking for any sign of Julian, Addie or Tessa as quickly as possible." Riley demanded.
"Sounds like all we can do." Jared spoke up broken heartly now he has three people dear to him alone and out there with so many dangers, but we it be just as dangerous here? "Well go get your gear Jared and cover ground. Lets get to getting our people back. " With that they all three went to work.
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Julian opened his eyes and looked around him his launch pod was in pieces everywhere broken around him. Tiny lizards were chewing on the two guards that came down with him both dead and looks like they have been for a few hours. He felt a tug on his heart and the two poor men in front of him. Standing up feeling a little woozy, the sun bright upon him. Taking a deeper look into his surroundings, the water, the trees, the mountains.
The intake of everything such beauty he was truly lost in the awe around of him. Julian felt taking back for a moment never seeing anything like this being born and raised on a ship. As kids they learned everything about Earth the histories, the animals, the geography from hunting to plants to all kinds of things since their generation will be the ones to have the choice to inhabit it and make home their or the ships.
However seeing everything in person is kind of overwhelming. Julian saw the area of where Tessa was last found after she landed remembering she went into the woods that way but he didn noticed two separate trails to take and hope he was going to be going down the right one. Remembering his not exactly alone in these forests he tried to keep his eyes and ears open and mouth shut and movement noise as minimal as possible.
Julian was so focused on looking out for random tribe members he never noticed the giant mountain lion behind him until a twig snapped and Julian sharply turned behind him. Fear struck into him quickly and taking over. The beast stood in front of him golden orange and yellow. Weighing at least well over sixty pounds easy, which thanks to radiation her paws were nearly the size of his head. She looked like she kept well fed. Their eyes kept locked as an intimate showdown. With only one thing left he could do; he quickly turned and ran as fast as he could.
Running through the trees, sliding under logs, using nature as a natural obstacle course hoping to slow the mountain lion down. As she was gaining behind him she swooped her bug paw steeping on an odd twig pulling down a trip wire out of nowhere a three feet wide short wall came from a tree with sharpened spears that pierced right through her randomly in her body. Julian stopped to look at the scene that just unraveled before him.
Shock taking over his face as he was still trying to catch his breath. The mighty beast that was just seconds from making him a meal is now looking like a lion-kabob. He couldn believe how quickly that it just happened. Panic was taking control of his body. He started to walk back to the lion , until he stepped lopsided on a hidden rope and started swinging upside down with a rope attached to his ankle. He struggled and started to swing not paying attention he swung so hard to the tree he knocked his head unconscious. He laid there swinging from the tree still swinging.
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Emmitt grabbed his freshly sharpened sword placing it In the pocket on his back. "Well my friend Circle will have to wait. Malik is sending us to collect some animal from the traps we need to take to Catos side over there in Arden tribe will meet us to collect it. Apparently two traps got set off." "Sounds fun. Some of the others just came back from a ship landing." Emmitt said starring at her. Tessas heart got heavy.
"And…?" She asked waiting to see where this conversation might be going. "There were two dead bodies in your guard uniform and footsteps leading into the woods. Thats all we know for now. Come on lets go clean out those traps before it other animals come and get it first." Emmitt said playfully trying to lighten her mood. "After you friend" he said with a wink. "I think dear friend that you maybe trouble." She teased back. They made their way through the woods. "How beautiful." Tessa said looking up. Emmitt looked to her.
"Youve been her for months and you still get lost in the beauty of a humming bird you can barely see?" He joked. "There is beauty everywhere everyday if you keep your eyes open." She argued back. "I agree ." "So many colors on such a tiny bird. Where did it go?" She wondered sorrowfully hoping to admire the wonderous creature a little longer. "Maybe it saw you and got so overwhelmed by your beauty it fled." "You mean to tease me so sir?"
"No, I mock no one but myself. Im just walking with you in the woods keeping my open taking in all the beauty." He mimicked. "You know something tells me we should have just stayed tangled up in bed today." "Well another day my love when we don have a war bearing down on our neck. I will be more than happy to oblige you. Over this way." He pointed the right way to go. "Lucky for us there traps are about less than five feet from each other."
"How about what the odds are that sounds a little too easy." Tessa questioned. "Come on Tessa, there only animals no one can be stupid enough to go in those traps. They
e designed for animals, thats why we put them in area where the mountain lions and other large animals live and roam around to hunt their meals. No one is stupid enough to go into those grounds at least anyone whos in the surrounding villages. Not even the shadows or Tentoria." They shared a giggle over the likely hood of the odds. And made their way to whatever it was that awaited them.
Novel Bin 