Day 19

Viola was so eager to get up the mountain that she woke everyone when she woke up. She proceeded to wake the camp. She wanted to be claiming by sunrise.

“These are not nice people.” Nikki told her reluctant to climb.

“This time we have Shane, he can communicate with them.” Viola reassured.

“Hi, my name is Shane and I am an interpreter.” Shane jested.

“Come on, we are here, they will be nicer this time.” Viola insisted.

“No, they will not be. Maybe captain Kumi can come with us?” Nikki suggested.

“If you want, he can,” Viola said “But I believe in us.” She was all peppy.

They ate and the camp was not happy with Viola waking them so early. Even captain Kumi was less than impressed.

“What is so important on that mountain that you have to go up it now?” he asked.

“Herbs.” Shane lied.

“Herbs. My flying canoe it’s herbs! You lie, and that would be fine, if you weren’t so bad at it!” Kumi huffed.

Viola and Nikki and Shane went up the mountain. It was not fun for Shane. He hated feeling like one slip could kill him and everyone with him. But Nikki was in her element, and Viola was much better than Nikki expected.

“I know your sister is in the air force, but she didn’t climb as well as you.” Nikki said to Viola.

“It’s a hobby.” Viola said.

Shane gripped the rocks with his sweaty hands.

“Do you have hobbies?” Viola asked trying to help him.

“Yes, I ummm… I a… I go to gym and I sail.” He managed.

“That’s nice. I have never been sailing.” Nikki said.

“It’s worth trying.” Shane said.

“What else do you do?” Viola asked.

“I have a cat.” Shane answered.

Viola laughed.

“You own a cat as a hobby?” she carried on laughing.

“No! I teach it tricks.” He responded..

“Your cat, tricks? Like?” Nikki asked.

“Playing the piano, and fetching the ball and…”

Nikki cut him off.

“Does your cat learn any of these tricks or are you just wasting your time?”

“My cat learns sometimes, there are good days and bad days.” He defended.

“What is its name?” Viola asked.

“Gizmo.” He replied.

Nikki and Viola chuckled. Shane owned a cat and he tried to teach it tricks.

Before Shane knew it, they were in the cave. He was relieved.

“So how do we get down?” he asked seeing the equipment Nikki had used with Fiona still laying on the floor.

“Last time they threw us off the cliff. Hopefully this time we will go down the way we came up.” Nikki replied with a deep frown.

“Threw you off the cliff?! Why am I only hearing about this now?” he asked worried.

“You weren’t in the in circle.” Nikki replied.

“And the whole way here, it didn’t occur to you to tell me?” he asked.

“Nope!” Nikki shrugged, “Forgot you didn’t know.” She said shrugging all sheepishly.

“You’ve got this.” Viola said all confidently “We will get the crystal and be on our way before anyone knows.”

“I don’t believe you.” Shane said all sour.

Viola followed Nikki, they went the way she had first gone. Nikki was surprised at how strong Viola was and Viola was surprised at how strong Nikki was.

Shane was too busy thinking what did I get myself into to notice.

“Stay here.” Viola said once they were in the pantry.

Viola snuck into the kitchen. She watched the golden-haired people move around with no idea she was there. They used their hair like it was extra arms. Each strand was an individual, many strands woven together to form strong arms. They were extensions of their will.

‘Amazing.’ she thought as she watched them hold spoons and stir pots with their hair.

But Nikki and Shane did not stay in the pantry. Instead, they knocked a pan while crawling on their hands and knees.

Viola rolled her eyes.

‘Seriously!’ she thought.

It was less and a minute, Nikki and Shane were surrounded and in hair bonds.

“We mean you no harm. We are looking for the blue crystal to open the…” Shane thought hard “sugs”. He explained.

The gold haired people ignored him and dragged them outside.

Viola picked up a knife. She grabbed a young man who was in the door way. But her plan backfired.

His hair began to choke her. Viola in desperation stabbed the young man. Liquid gold spilled from his wound and down his clothes. But he didn’t stop strangling her. He had too many arms with his hair helping him out. Viola slashed at his hair, cutting the part that was strangling her.

She gasped her air. Viola went for the hair. Cutting and slashing any that was in reach. Even the young man’s face got caught by the knife.

The young man behaved like he was in agony.

“I need to know who tried to drown the two blond girls that came here?”

He winced in pain.

“Who?” Viola asked “Give me names, or I will shave your head.” She threatened.

“The trespassers deserved to die.” He answered.

Viola stabbed the knife behind his knee cap.

“I will cut it right out. Who tried to drown the blond girls?” she asked again.

The young man screamed in pain.

“It was Gordon, Flex, Seth, and Stone.” He wailed.

Viola removed the knife.

“Where can I find them?” she asked.

“In a council meeting.” He answered.

Liquid gold poured all over the floor.

“I will send someone to help you.” Viola said.

“You will die.” He snapped.

She shrugged.

“Maybe I won’t send anyone to help you.”

She said leaving.

Viola snuck out of the kitchen into a dining hall. About one hundred tables with twelve chairs each filled the room. Red and gold decorations where on the tables and chairs.

Someone entered the dining hall. The young girl, about fourteen years old saw her. She froze then screamed.

A high pitched shrill rang out. It was awful.

“I am not here to hurt you. I am looking for Stone, and Gordon, and Flex and Seth.”

“Who?” the girl asked big eyed and terrified.

“They are men I was told they would be in a council meeting.” Viola said.

“There is no council meeting today.” the girl answered.

‘I was lied to’ Viola thought.

“I am going out on a limb here, there is no Stone, or Flex either?”

“No, we don’t have strange names like that.” The girl answered.

“Why do you look so strange?” the girl asked.

“I am from another tribe.” Viola answered.

“Which one?” the girl asked.

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Viola heard footsteps.

“Stay strong. You are a brave girl.” She told her then she went back into the kitchen.

“You lied to me.” She said to the young man.

But the young man didn’t respond. Viola kicked the lump on the floor. It moved with the kick but no response.

She checked if he was breathing. He was not.

‘That was quick.’ She thought. ‘Do they bleed out quicker or was it because I cut his hair?’ she wondered.

She dragged the body to the kitchen window and heaved it out. Then she climbed out.

The people who had entered the dining hall were talking to the girl about the strange woman she had seen. They sent messengers that they were under attack to the council leaders. They checked the kitchen next. Afraid of how many there would be waiting for them.

This gave Viola the time she needed to get out of the kitchen with the young man’s body.

They saw the hair and blood on the floor and fear spread.

Viola dragged the body to the cliff and rolled it off. Now that she knew they were easy to kill she felt more confident. However, she remembered his hair was a problem. She would not be able to fight off lots of them.

She snuck into a nearby house and took a white coat with a hood. She put it on and went looking for Shane and Nikki.

Nikki and Shane had been thrown into the same pit Nikki and Fiona had been thrown into. The grid was over them.

“Please let us speak to a leader, we mean you no harm.” Shane said.

“How many are you?” a deep voice asked.

“Let me speak to someone. We are here in peace.” Shane repeated.

An old man whose skin was mostly gold with only bit of pale white stood above them.

“I am a council member. How many are you?” he asked.

Shane wanted to tell the truth, but because Viola was not with them, he didn’t want them looking for her, if he said there are three of us. But if they had Viola and they were asking to test him and he said it was only Nikki and I they wouldn’t trust anything else he had to say.

“I told Viola they are not nice.” Nikki groaned.

“There are three of us.” Shane said.

“I am Shane, this is Nikki and Viola is the other. We do not know where she is. I presume you have her.” Shane said hoping he was doing the right thing.

“What does Viola look like?” the man asked.

“She has black hair and blue eyes. She is medium height and has a pretty smile, her hair gets a red shine when she stands in the sun. She is brave and likable,”

The old man stopped him.

“Enough. Get them out before OroVivek hears of this.”

Meanwhile Viola walked the streets. A soldier came passed and she went into the house closest to her.

“Oh my, I have a visitor.” The voice was pleased.

Viola froze. She turned to see the old man. His house was a mess, with maps on the walls and scribbles everywhere. He had scrolls on the furniture and empty cups and plates everywhere.

“Please don’t scream.” Viola said.

“You are not from around here, yet you speak like one of us. How is this?” the old man asked.

“It’s a long story, and I don’t have time. I am looking for two friends who were taken by golden haired people.” Viola said.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

He saw the knife covered in gold blood.

“Do you plan on using that or shall I brew some tea?” he asked.

Viola looked at the knife. Then at him.

“Am I in danger here?” she asked.

“Oh yes!” he answered “They will be looking everywhere for you, but I intend you no harm. However, I am unsure of your intentions.” He prompted.

His hair was all up on his head. He was mostly gold with paper white diamond shapes here and there. His golden eyes glittered with excitement.

A dark blue cat with long ear tuffs poked its head out of the next room. Then it walked out and its body was covered in feathers like a peacock. Beautiful feathers with an eye like pattern. The front part of its body was navy blue fur, the back of its body was peacock feathers. It was a pretty and unusual creature.

“Tea would be nice.” Viola said looking at the cat thing.

“My pet, she is my only company most days. I call her Ivy. It sounds exotic and unusual, like her.” He said while going into the kitchen where his pet was.

“What is she?” Viola asked.

“She is a Felot.” He answered “They are rare and normally very shy. They like the mountains so when I found her, I knew she would be happy living here.”

He put water onto his stove which resembled a gas stove.

“How many stev leaves?” he asked.

“What?” Viola asked confused.

“Stevia leaves in your tea? It makes it so much more delicious.” He said.

“Same as you.” Viola answered.

“Have you never had stev leaves?” he asked.

“No, I haven’t.” Viola said

“I have friends with me, a man and a woman. They were taken by people like you. Do you know where I can find them?” Viola asked.

“I do.” He said shaking his head.

Viola was confused. Did he, or didn’t he?

“What is your name?”

“Viola.” She answered.

“Nice. I am OroVivek I met your sister. An unusual girl, she had a friend with her.”

“How do you know it was my sister?” Viola asked.

“Same nose.” He answered.

“We don’t look alike.” Viola objected.

“You have a family resemblance.” He insisted.

Viola couldn’t see it. In her mind they did not look alike nor like family. But he was the second person to see they were related.

OroVivek poured the tea.

“Here.” He went to pass Viola the tea.

Viola stepped back.

He put the tea on the table. Then moved away from it.

Viola picked up the cup and sniffed it. It had an odd smell, slightly fruity and earthy.

She sipped it. It was nice.

“So, if you know that my sister was here, do you know why I am here?” Viola asked.

“Revenge.” He shrugged not looking at her “And the crystal.” He added looking at her.

“Yes, on both accounts.” Viola answered.

“Revenge rots the soul. When you live as long as I have you learn a few things. But you do not want a life lesson.” He concluded.

Viola smiled in agreement.

“Whose life is that?” he asked.

Viola looked confused.

“Whose life is on your knife?” he inquired.

“I don’t know his name. I wasn’t planning on killing him. He was choking me. I don’t know how I killed him. Just that he is dead.” Viola looked at the knife,

“I wanted the names of the people who tried to kill my sister. But he lied to me and when I went back for him, he was dead.” Viola finished.

“How did you get his life on your knife?” he asked.

“I stabbed him in the stomach while he was choking me, then I stabbed him in the knee, and I cut his hair.” She told him.

“Not a nice way to die. Where is he now?” OroVivek asked.

“I pushed his body over the cliff so no one would find it.” Viola answered.

OroVivek looked impressed.

“Sorry I killed one of your people…” Viola began to ramble “I mean I was planning to kill but only those who planned to kill my sister. Not others. Well, I can’t honestly say I cared as long as I got to those I was after but now I am feeling bad about it.”

Viola sniffed the tea.

“What is in this tea?” she asked.

“It’s my own personal blend. I like the herbs and fruits. So, I mixed some and tried them out. This was my favourite blend. If you would like I can give you some. I have extra.” He said.

“No, I feel strange.” Viola said.

“I did not drug you, nor poison you.” He said seeing where she was going with it.

“Well, if you are done with your tea let’s go find your friends.” He said.

“Ok, thank you.” Viola put the unfinished tea down.

She followed him out. He walked over to a big hole in the ground. There was no one there. He stopped a girl and asked where the intruders where? She said they had been taken before the council.

He walked and Viola followed, her hood was over her hair.

He arrived at the council court. He walked in and announced himself.

The council leaders looked at him.

“OroVivek, do you have insight to share?” they asked him.

“I believe I was right before. These lovely children are here for the crystal.” He said confidently.

Shane looked at the man whose gold hair sat on top of his head, wrapped in a coil.

Shane and Nikki had been pulled from the pit and Nikki was accused of being a spy for the queen Tiffany. Shane had tried to explain that they were just looking for the blue crystal and they believe that one of the crystals were hidden in in their gold city.

“That’s the man that saved Fiona and I.” Nikki said loud enough for Viola to hear.

Viola smiled. This man had been nice to her as well.

“Look at them.” He said.

“No combat skills at all. How could they be spies? This boy is but a stick, see how soft he is. That girl is in no shape to fight. Where is the army she would have brought if she was a spy for the queen? Why have we not been over run? Plus, have you seen our men, they are not war worthy, yet they over powered these two as if they surrendered. Look at them, when have you even seen people like this? I have never seen such strangeness yet there they are before us. I believe that as my instruments detected they are who came through the open sugs. I am certain they are not from this world and they need to go home.”

“Really? You think they are why there was a disturbance?” the council leader asked.

“I do, let’s ask them.” OroVivek suggested.

“Can they be trusted?” the leader asked.

“Let’s find out.”

OroVivek turned to Shane.

“I see you understand and speak well enough to be understood. Tell me, how many of you come here?”

“There are three of us.” Shane said.

The council leader objected.

“We have only seen you and your female companion. We have search high and low for the second woman yet no one has seen her.”

OroVivek lifted the hood off Viola.

Everyone gasped.

“She’s so ugly.” One said to another.

“Look at how dark her hair is. I have never seen something like it.”

“How are her eyes blue?”

“What is she?” another asked.

“Three, two women, one man. Like I said our men are not war worthy.”

OroVivek asked Shane the next question.

“Why are you here?”

“We need the crystal to go home. Our companion has a book belonging to her grandfather, it maps out this world. Her grandfather taught her to speak the language and read it. So, she searched the books and saw that the crystal was in the city of gold. Nikki told us about your gold city and people. We are hoping you have the crystal we need so we can go home. We are from earth, a planet far from here.” Shane told them.

“I believe earth is the world we know as Vititi. Banded for their war mongering. These are the decedents of those and it looks as if war mongering is not in them.”

The council looked at the three. They whispered to each other. Then the leader spoke up.

“Is that the sister of the other that came the first time.” He asked.

“Yes, it is.” OroVivek answered.

“Has she come for revenge?” he asked.

“I believe that if we give them the crystal they will leave in peace.” He answered.

“We found hair and life in the kitchen. Who does it belong to?” The council leader asked.

“I don’t know?” OroVivek answered.

“Who does the hair belong to?” OroVivek asked Viola.

She looked blank and spoke English.

“Speak slower, hand gestures?”

“I believe she will not be explaining herself very well.” OroVivek said to them.

The council leader ordered the release of Nikki and Shane.

“They are your responsibility. Give them the crystal and make it clear we do not want to ever see them again.” He said.

“Thank you!” Shane said to the council.

“Thank you, sir.” He said to OroVivek

“I will send them with the crystal.”

“Yes, go.” the council told him OroVivek

“Come, come.” OroVivek said to Viola, Nikki and Shane.

He led them to his house. There they watched as the old man looked for something. He started in the drawers, then moved to the cupboards, then started looking under the stuff covering his floor. He looked on chairs and tables and under the stuff on them. Finally, he sat on the floor. Looking sad he moved the cups and plates to one pile with his hair. Then he jumped up and ran into another room.

“Geeup” he shrieked.

Shane and Viola went to see. He was tugging at something under his bed. The man emerged with the crystal.

Nikki however was trying to win Ivy over. She was making sounds and pretending not to look at her.

“I have it! Now you can go home!” he announced.

“That’s great!” Shane said.

Viola and Shane looked at each other then, at him. His hair wrapped itself back onto his head. He unwrapped a large blue crystal and examined it. Smiling he parted from it, giving it to Viola.

“Go in peace.” He said to her.

Shane translated, trying to be polite and helpful.

Viola took the crystal.

“Nikki it’s time to go.” She called.

“I want one for Tẽra.” Nikki said, “Shane please ask him for me.”

Shane asked him, “The ladies like your pet and they would like one.”

“What are you going to feed it?” he asked.

“What does it eat?” Shane asked.

“Meat, any kind.”

“Meat it will be.” Shane said.

“It drinks cold tea.” he added.

“Tea, cold.” Shane repeated.

“My one likes fruit, most don’t but Ivy is special.”

“And anything else it likes.”

Nikki looked expectantly at him.

Shane sighed.

“Do you have a baby, kitten we can have?”

“No.” he answered “They are wild on the high mountains. Catch your own.”

“Sorry Nikki, he doesn’t have for you or Tẽra.” Shane told her.

“How about a picture?” Viola said.

Shane asked the man.

“Yes,” he said and went to his study opened the only drawer in the house that was organized and pulled out a drawing.

“Put your name on it.” Shane insisted.

So OroVivek signed his drawing of his Felot.

Then he hurried them on.

“May we go the way we came?” Shane asked.

“No, you may feel welcome. You go the same way all who come go. Hurry! Hurry!” He chased.

“I don’t want to get thrown off the cliff.” Shane objected.

But while Shane was talking with him, Viola had disappeared. She wanted revenge. She knew she had no time and she felt bad but it was why she came. She hoped that OroVivek wouldn’t get in trouble. Viola asked for the men who so bravely took on the strangers.

She took table clothes from the dining hall she had come through and went to the first man’s home. She disarmed him by tying the table cloth over his hair and head. He had no idea what was happening. She bound him and through him in the pit he had thrown Fiona in. She did this to twenty men. One at a time.

OroVivek had not noticed Viola’s absence while he and Shane disagreed on how they would be sent down the mountain. But about twenty minutes into it he began to wonder.

“Where is Viola?” he asked.

Shane looked around.

“Nikki where is Viola?”

“I don’t know.” Nikki replied still trying to win the Felot over.

A thick mist rolled in. It was so thick that if one stretched out their arm, they couldn’t see their fingers.

The mist was wet. It left drops on water on them and the temperature fell.

“Where is Viola?” OroVivek asked again.

“Nature called.” Viola said from behind them.

OroVivek looked at her investigating, looking for life or other signs.

“That’s it, home you go.”

He called for some men to take them. They were roughly shoved in a cage and thrown off a cliff. The three of them screamed as the fell. Viola held the bars of the cage and closed her eyes. Then the cage stopped and they hit the bottom like thrown rocks. The cage slowly settled down on the ground and the door opened. They climbed out. The cage door closed and it disappeared into the mist.

“Let’s not do that again.” Viola said.

“Told you they were not friendly.” Nikki said fighting back the urge to hurl.

Shane stood with his eyes closed, leaned over with his hands on his knees, breathing deeply.

“Viola, Nikki, Shane?” a familiar voice said.

“Yes, we are here.” Viola answered.

Captain Kumi appeared he didn’t look so good. He was bleeding and bruised.

“What happened?” Viola asked him discreetly.

“We found a body, a dead boy at the bottom of a cliff. When we saw it, we thought you had run into trouble so we tried to climb up after you. We fell, it was worse for some of my men. I am so glad the three of you are alive.” He said.

Shane groaned. “I will look at you and your men. I just need another minute.”

“I settled the score with those men that tried to drown you.” Viola said.

“Oh?” Nikki inquired.

“I thew them in the same pit and locked them in. It will be a while before they get them out.”

Nikki tried not to smile. Being happy at someone else’s suffering was not her thing. But this time she was happy. Knowing they experienced just a little of what they did to her made her happy deep inside.

“Thank you.” She expressed.

“So, you lied about needing the toilet?” Nikki said.

“I said nature called, the human nature of evening a score.” Viola corrected.

“Clever deceiver.” Nikki said.

They went back to the stream they were camped at. Rain began to fall. The camp was a cold frozen, soggy mess. Four badly injured men, twenty medium injuries and thirty-eight mild injuries were all see to.

Shane finally stopped for the night after looking at everyone.

Viola sat next to him with a bowl of soup.

“Eat.” She said.

“I am not hungry.” He replied.

Viola saw his untreated cuts, from their fall in the cage. She left the soup with him and fetch a bowl of hot water and cleaning clothes. She added an oil she had seen Shane add earlier. She took his hand and began cleaning it.

“I am alright.” Shane said.

“You have seen to everyone in this camp that was injured but not yourself. You will now have your cuts cleaned and you will not object.” Viola told him.

“I said I am…”

Viola cut him off

“What did I say. Now keep still and eat your soup.” She ordered.

Shane was so sore and tired that he didn’t have the energy to keep objecting. It was nice to have someone do something for him.

Viola cleaned all the visible cuts on Shane.

“Shirt off.” She ordered.

“No!” Shane said.

“Take it off, or I will.” She said sternly.

“No! I am adult male.” He objected.

Viola tried to take his shirt off. She could see blood on his back so she wanted to clean it and get him dressed in warm clothes. But Shane was being difficult.

“How can I clean the blood off your back if you won’t take your shirt off?” she asked.

“I will do it myself.” He said.

“Stop being silly.” Viola said trying again to take his shirt off.

Nikki watched from the warmth of the fire.

“Interesting.” She said to captain Kumi.

Captain Kumi nodded as if he understood.

“Fine,” Viola withdrew, “You can clean your own back with your elastic arm.”

Viola returned to the fire where she warmed herself.

“It’s true what they say, doctors make the worst patients.” She mattered to whoever was listening.