《Divine War: The Lancasterian Chronicles》 0: Ode to Divine War I give my life for my homeland. For God. For freedom. I do my duty, I will pay the price of this worthy sacrifice. My forehead high and my conscience clear, because I know that my actions will not be in vain. I march in the war that shoulders the human race''s prayers. Unique and last, never to be repeated. Divine war. -Letter from an anonymous soldier. A steel fortress fiercely crosses the desert.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The Abraham Lincoln is the fifth railroad of the ten that run across the continent, transporting merchandise of all kinds under the zealous authorization of Lord Enslaver. A titan of three floors high and 51 cars: 10 passenger cars; 10 cages filled with fearful, sweaty slaves; 10 battle stations; 10 warehouses; and 10 service cars; plus a powerful nuclear fission locomotive in front, protected by a frame in the form of the famous old president of the United States. The tall top hat is the smokestack. Seeing the Abraham shrinks the heart, under the powerful rays of the sun it commands respect, and from a certain perspective its length seems to stretch infinitely. Only a hero or a fool would have the guts to confront it. The rails explode. Four eardrum-shattering booms. Four balls of fire and smoke. Followed by a layer of sand rain for a couple of seconds. The locomotive''s computer recognizes in time the track breaks located half a kilometer ahead, and activates the emergency brakes. The railroad groans, its hundreds of wheels shining with the sparks that scrape the steel where they advance. Inside, any person or object not clinging to something nailed to the wall, ceiling, or floor, collapses. The lookouts in the battle wagons open the hatches in the roofs and peek out to investigate the surroundings, looking for an explanation for what has happened. One slaver catches the figure of a man standing on the crest of a dune. A drop of sweat trickles down the forehead of the lookout, who quickly turns to his companions and exclaims: "Warn Master Orlok that The Lancasterian has arrived!" 1: A heros arrival Three Armored, giant war machines, fight near close to the outer edge of the Earth''s atmosphere. It''s not an ordinary combat, it''s a chase. One of the humanoid weapons has blue tonalities and moves like lightning, though perhaps that is not enough; the second is white and shines like the sun; the last one is purple and red, it melts into the cosmos'' darkness to attack the blind spots. "Do it now, Hetalia! For the glory of Super Lord Musk, destroy the criminal scum!" The white armor pilot exclaims, with an optimistic tone that makes it easy to imagine the wide smile she wears. Hetalia, the pilot of the purple and red Armored, remains silent as a tomb, but moves with the effectiveness of death. She rams the blue Armored from the side and spins it out of control. The cockpit''s stabilizing mechanisms struggle to keep the pilot''s body quiet as the machine spins around. Chester curses through gritted teeth as he feels the blood dance inside his body and the ribs burn. A warning appearing in the corner of his eye clarifies to Chester that this is not a real hurt, but the armor transmitting the blow received through the human-machine nexus. "We are not on equal footing, get away from me!" shouts the Lancastrian. The communication line is open, so his pursuers can hear and reply. "If you surrender, perhaps we can negotiate. There are options, reparations" For the first time Hetalia speaks. "But we were told just the opposite! No exits, no repairs for the blue rat!" Elixis immediately complains. Hetalia lets out a long sigh. Elixis blinks several times and realizes her mistake. "Oh, I see, you were trying to cajole him! Sorry for ruining your ruse, sister" Elixis laughs nervously at her clumsiness, but falls silent and arches an eyebrow as she watches the blue machine move away. "Chester Lancaster, don''t run away!" "I''m not running away! I just can''t fight you, understand that and leave me alone! Nobody likes desperate women!" Chester answers without slowing his retreat, sweating and with bloodshot eyes.Stolen novel; please report. "Chicken, coward, cuddly kitten! And you dare to call yourself a man?!" Elixis'' words strike a chord with Chester, who curses, stops the retreat, and turns to face the Saga sisters even though his values scream he is making a mistake. What Chester didn''t count on, is that the sisters were prepared. The right arm of Elixis'' Armored, and the left arm of Hetalia''s, possess the same length as the machines they belong to, like a thick spear that ends in a three-pronged claw very similar to the machines for obtaining stuffed animals at carnivals. Now, elbow to elbow, the arms are attached through external connectors and the claws move and join until they look like the projectile of a colossal harpoon capable of splitting a luxury yacht in two. Inside the cabins the women stand sideways, each extending an arm, as if positioned back to back, hands intertwined in the air. Although the sisters are separated by metal and outer space, the two feel as if they are side by side. Arms now converted into a single electromagnetic rail gun that they both control. "Chester Lancaster, Super Lord Musk''s sentence is clear and unappealable!" Elixis and Hetalia speak in perfect synchrony "Your crime is the ultimate treason! And your punishment is immediate death!" The cannon fires, the projectile breaks multiple times the sound speed. Chester hesitates, and when a pilot hesitates, he fails his machine. The lightning-fast Armored now stands paralyzed like a stone in the firing line, and the Lancasterian has only a chance to smile bitterly at his own stupidity. He could have done better. ... In the wasteland falls a giant. Cut the sky in half, turned into a fireball, and upon impact, powerful, traces in the earth a crack like an immense mouth. The consequent tremor disturbs the beasts that plague that hostile land. The giant''s impact releases water from the underground. Valuable and very scarce liquid on the surface of that decayed continent. La Cuna tribe, the closest settlement to the incident, sent out a team of scouts equipped with bows and arrows. The scouts discovered the giant and the water. Ancient Zakary and the rest of the venerable elders pointed to the event as the arrival of the hero prophesied in the legends. Stories passed down for generations about the one who will lead them on an exodus to a paradise without equal, where food and water abound, the grass is green, and the invisible death, that which devours the skin, is kept far away. The tribals, while filling their clay vessels with water, give offerings and prayers on their knees on the stones of the new fountain: Wake up, show us the way! They cry out to the titan, unanswered and undaunted. Only one of them was distant and suspicious: Neddin, the tribe chief. The reasons for his distrust? Unknown to most. The only truth is that the place would never be the same again. 2: A princesss worries Its the fifth night since the giant''s arrival. Heated discussions continue inside the cylindrical chamber of the contemplations temple, located on top of the flat face of the mountain, a natural monument that protects the tribe from the sun with its shade and guards from the fierce west wind. The temple bears a vague similarity with a decapitated bird, both for its thick wings spread diagonally, and for its jagged, circular mouth just at the edge. Rock chimneys on the mountain''s sides spit steam skyward. (Will the wings of the temple and the counsel of the wise elders guide you, father?) thinks Princess Nadjela, looking out the bedroom window, her pretty big eyes set on the peak, her hands clasping the carved bone beads of the necklace gifted by her mother -with whom she shares a name. Nadjela leaves the window and crawls like a puma on the beast-skin bed. Sinks the face into the sheets and huffs worriedly. (I know it''s wrong to antagonize you and hesitate. But if the opportunity to end months of cruel lands presents for us, we must take it!) These were hard years for the La Cuna tribe. From 500 inhabitants a decade ago, there were now less than 200 left. The people struggled, fought for hope, remained faithful.... But the scourge of disease, hunger, and other demons, gave no respite. Only the giant reflected a possible improvement. So why, when everything pointed to a brighter future, did her father Neddin look like a body being ripped from life? (Dad, do you know something about the giant that others don''t, a secret impossible to reveal, even to your daughters?) Nadjela kicks and twitches, the unknowns keeping her from falling asleep. She rolls onto her side on the bed, but not working. She rolls onto her back, but the dreams keep shying away from her. After five minutes of meditation, decides that she''s waited too long for answers that don''t promise to come on their own. She gets out of bed and leaves the room. She walks down the stairs, mute and on tiptoe, aware that Zell, her father''s most trusted warrior, will be patrolling the house. Nadjela takes the exit. She circles the ostrich pen. Her bare feet leave footprints on the dirt road. Reaching the servant''s home, she pulls aside the beaded curtain of a window to enter. Arrives at the bedroom where, suspended in hammocks, her family''s servant girls sleep. She gently shakes the tanned shoulders of one: Majani. Young like her, but with short hair, and beautiful features accompanied by pearl earrings that she never took off even to sleep, treasures that Nadjela gifted her when children. Majani opens the eyes first slowly, then wide as she recognizes her majesty''s profile. "Princess?" She asks quietly, nervous to meet her mistress and friend at this time of night and without warning. "What are you doing wandering around? If your father catches you, he''ll scold me. He''ll scold us all"The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "There''s no time to lose" The princess reciprocates the whispers. "Tonight I will go down into the crevice, and find out what good or evil the giant hides. I trust you to guide me. You carried water these days, and know the best way to reach the fountain and the fallen one" "What about your father''s prohibition? The chief doesn''t want to see you or your sisters in the crevice. If he finds out I took you, he may punish me, or worse, exile me" The princess with one hand encircles Majani''s fingers, and with the other she quiets her trembling lips. The gesture and the closeness with someone she adores and admires, calms Majani''s inner turbulence. "I know, but this is necessary," says Nadjela. "Maybe I will get an answer that might dissipate my father''s anxieties. He is a strong man... But even the most strong need support. Yesterday I found him staring for long minutes into the campfire, unblinking, looking forlorn... I fear he will collapse" To Majani that last sounds like fantasy. Neddin, the one who shares a name with the village''s founder, is an unquestionable and indestructible pillar just like his predecessors. But because Majani appreciates Nadjela and doesn''t want to see her sad, she eventually nods and gives in. "I will take you. But if the chief knows and asks... Please don''t reveal to him that I did it" "A thousand thanks, Majani" They exchange smiles. Throwing leafy black hoods of Tasmanian devil fur over their shoulders and acting like night shadows, Nadjela and Majani start to walk. They leap across the meter-high clay walls that enclose the residential area. They mingle in the plantings of El-nido-de-todas-las-plantas, plants with tall stems like people and multiple qualities. They walk along the bank of the dry river, which Nadjela watches sadly. The drought this year promises no end, and the memories of swimming with her sisters seem to belong to a lost era. Majani senses her friend''s discomfort and asks her about. Nadjela sighs and shakes her head. "I don''t know if I can get back everything we lost, Majani. How to make the sun kinder to the old people and the children? How to make a river flow? It seems impossible even for a giant" "Maybe it''s impossible to get all those blessings back, but... As Zakary says, the sky and life never cease to offer opportunities, and we can always aspire to new blessings" "Do you really believe that...?" "Zakary is old and wise. She may have a point" Majani''s words bring a shy smile back to Nadjela''s lips. "You speak wisely too" "Just don''t tell Zakary that I called her old, my ass won''t take any more spankings..." Majani says while stroking her backside. "Promise. Let''s move on, before anyone notices we''re gone" "If you talk about Zell, your sister will be distracting him" "Saying that is very disrespectful, Majani" Despite the complaint, the smile does not leave the princess''s lips. Nadjela and Majani sometimes gossip about Gaita amorous conquests, the senior princess. Both stop holding back and laugh. Ahead they glimpse a dozen glass peaks, reflecting in their right angles the moving and colorful glare of the stars. The peaks mark the beginning of the opening where the giant landed. The crack is a kilometer long and irregular cut, as if produced by a rusty scimitar of impossible grandeur. The entrance intimidates, first with its tall crystals and then with its dark mouth. Nadjela takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and gathers momentum to overcome her fear. Before diving in, she touches one of the hard-angled panes, her fingertips freezing. Majani drops a tip. "Days ago the entrance was hotter than the mountain hot springs. It was some time before we could approach and check it out. No doubt it is a divine power such as we have never seen before" "And maybe it''s the new blessing we need" says Nadjela. They descend. 3: Giant awakens The intimate illumination of the night sky enters from the indented ceiling rift. Pebbles peel away and clatter against the floor. Nadjela takes off her necklace and lifts it in one hand. The gem dangling from the beads, perfect sphere, extraterrestrial and white, lights up as the girl prays for clarity. The sphere casts a pure, warm light like the embrace of a loved one. "The sky''s treasures will never cease to impress me," Majani says. "As long as this light accompanies me, I will remain safe," Nadjela repeats the words passed down to her by mother. They hear the water running before seeing it, and soon the cool touch slips like a cloth between their feet. The water rises from their heels to their knees. It''s time to go skipping over the wet rocks, an activity in which they show an animal-like grace. Each new step accelerates the princess''s heart, whose lively imagination draws giants in the distance. Majani jumps onto the rock in the middle of the spring, and Nadjela lands afterwards, bending her knees to absorb the impact. They stare speechless and solemn at the being capable of crushing a full-grown man with a hand. Solid in appearance and sapphire-colored body, crossed by lines that, depending on the perspective change in tone between red, yellow, and orange. The lines go up and end in the pointed areas of the body: elbows, knees, thighs, wrists, forearms, shoulders. Such details give him a resemblance to a knight dressed with lightning. His face for the moment is hidden by the shadows cast by the rock wall. The girls imagine him handsome and severe. Nadjela clasps her hands together and implores: "Blue lightning that sleeps in the earth, on a stone throne that you created when you arrived. I beg you, fulfill my plea for help!" She repeats the prayer several times, each attempt with greater passion than the last. But the giant is still asleep. "Perhaps he doesn''t want to help," Majani says, tense. "I heard that the gods are fickle" Nadjela shakes her head. Silence is an answer she cannot accept. "What are you doing, princess?!" Majani''s frightened eyes follow Nadjela. The princess climbs the rock wall near the giant''s right leg. The fur cape''s tail catches on the rough surface of the rock, she pulls it off to continue climbing. Nadjela swings her body back and forth. She leaps and glides with the momentum, perching on the angled ledge formed by the titan''s leg, just at the edge facing the knee. Her fingers suffer light cuts, and her slender abdomen clashes against a plain, sturdy touch, like the less eroded areas of the contemplations temple. The armor''s blue zone is icy, by natural reaction erecting her nipples under the cloth. In contrast, the incandescent lines have a certain warmth. Majani below cries for her to return, but Nadjela adheres to her mission with the same impetus with which she adheres to the giant. Applying force with the arms, the princess invades the joints behind the armor, pounding her forehead a little as she falls. Rubbing her head, she lifts and faces a series of connectors, tubes, and ascending hoses, made of a shiny black material, like the metal supports where she stands. Carefully stepping so as not to slip through the spaces in the skeleton that support the armor.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Soon her eyes'' attention is stolen by how shiny, almost blinding, the gem on her necklace becomes. Before she can mumble any sounds, the glow forces her eyes closed. Nadjela holds on to the Armored interior. Everything trembles and throbs. She screams, but her voice is lost in the engines'' roar. The sapphire color of the Armored passes to a vivid tinge of meteor or comet. The face overhead lights up to reveal a vaguely human face with red eyes, which where it should have a mouth and nose bears two metal plates attached. Boulders tumble down. Majani steps back to avoid being crushed to death. The bulky figure straightens, creaks in the mold. First it releases the arms. The huge hands come up and bury themselves in the crack walls. Behind the titan''s back, a burst atomic fire pushes him away. In a second release his body and ascends, bursting the crack''s mouth with a bang. (I will die!) thinks Nadjela without daring to open the eyes. She endures a shower of pebbles that bruises her back and shoulders. (I woke up something incomprehensible! Forgive me, everyone!) An impulse from above presses her brutally, snatches her breath, and pulverizes her ideas. Left with her face glued to the pillar of intertwined tubes, now hot. She clenches the teeth, endures the noise and wind''s punishment... Until the pressure that pushes down loses its strength. The giant reaches a certain stability, and the gale becomes a gentle breeze. Nadjela needs a few seconds to lift her face. When she succeeds and peers over the titan''s knee, she observes with reddened eyes and bated breath a vertiginous landscape. The mountain, the tribe, the temple. Beyond: The forbidden zones, where there is only death and demons. Beyond: A horde of iron horse riders raising a curtain of dust and smog behind them. Beyond: A garden of craters and metal spikes. Beyond: Infinity... Since when did the world become so limitless? Under this new perspective, and with the tribe looking tiny, almost a dot, Nadjela feels the earth capable of competing on equal terms with the sky. A rattling sound jolts her out of amazement. The giant leans toward the ground and the shaking resumes. The glow on the giant''s surface fades, and the inner heat dissipates. The rushing ground is the last thing Nadjela sees before, from the excessive stress, she loses consciousness. ... "What a hulk," comments the 22-year-old girl, chewing noisily on vegan gum, and casting a sleepy, painted-eyelid gaze over the Armored. The North Star is behind the yellow security railing, in a stone frame carved to look like a king''s throne. Saltwater pipes replace the running of the now dry, old spring. Spotlights set into the rock help admire the machine''s 20-meter height. "Fuck me up the ass if this old thing could really fly" "Tracy, the vocabulary" her mother scolds her and blinks rapidly, indicating with that gesture to the neural hardware to take pictures of everything she thinks will give to talk about in the cyberspace. "It''s not even the real machine. The guide said it''s a reproduction, or whatever" Tracy says. "Your father and brother like it" Tracy looks sideways at the men of the house. The father carries the boy on his shoulders, who listens with a smile to the stories of (in the father''s exact words) when men were men. Looking at the boy, the tousled blue-tinted hair, the plastic visor glasses, and the action mini-Chester waving in hand, it''s obvious that he''s a fan of The Lancasterian. To some people a hero and a liberator, to others a terrorist. Tracy rolls her eyes and snorts. Turning her jaded face to the touchscreen next to the platform railing, where it is possible to look up data from the exhibit. By default the screen shows the following summary of the scene: Princess Nadjela, in complete solitude, descended into the crevice and ended up finding the North Star. Chester opened the cabin and introduced himself. The story goes that when their gazes met, they fell eternally in love. "Dumb and cheesy" Tracy murmurs. Her mother is silent. The woman''s countenance is somewhat perturbed after imagining what would happen if, at the tender age of fifteen, she had met the Lancasterian. The neural hardware helps recreate the fantasy, which evolves from pink to fire inside the cramped North Star cabin. Altered, she asks the system to save the experience to repeat it later in the privacy of the flying house. The archived and recounted story does not always match with the true story. 4: Majanis fate Neddin''s lips remain straight as an arrow. His long plumed corona is shaken by the arid wind of the late night. A line of red dye covers the eyes and forehead of the leader, who fixes his stern gaze on the subdued, kneeling maid. The tribal group stands at what was once the entrance to the crevice, now turned into a ditch of huddled boulders. The giant waked the village with its thunderous ascent and left. Only a few men were allowed to accompany the leader and find out what was going on. His most loyal guards, the champions of the hawk (Zell), the pig (Tashala), the Tasmanian devil (Maaca), and the Komodo dragon (Bironte), each dressed in the skins of their respective animal. "Tell me the story again," the leader demands. "Order your words. Don''t stammer this time" Majani, cowering on the ground, retells again how the princess surprised her and asked her to visit the crevice. In the underground the situation became confusing, finally the giant takes Nadjela away. "Could it be...? Could it be that he chose her as a wife?" Majani murmurs. A fanciful and romantic idea to perhaps force herself to believe that Nadjela''s safe. Neddin twists his lips into a sneer of deep contempt. "Are you sure my daughter tempted that monster?" The fury in the leader''s tone shakes Majani. The girl sinks her forehead to the ground. "It''s my responsibility! Everything is my responsibility, my lord! I should have convinced the princess not to come! I should have called the guards to escort her to the safety of your abode! I was very foolish. Please punish me as you see fit! But I beg you, don''t throw me into the forbidden areas" Majani crawls over and sticks her head between the leader''s feet, bathing the leader''s fingers in tears. Neddin clicks his tongue and takes a couple of steps back, as if disgusted by the demonstration. "Time is running out," Neddin says. "Those hateful old men will be here"If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Majani stops sobbing, but not fearing. Strangely, she spies from below the figure of her leader and protector, who now paid little attention to her. Neddin looks up the mountain, where the temple stands and the wise elders sleep. Hearing how her venerable leader speaks of them with disgust, the young woman is disturbed. "The bone sacks will be disappointed. There is nothing to tell them. My daughter was taken by that being, and her servant perished under the collapse. Perhaps losing this last hope will bring them one step closer to the grave, I hope" Majani blinks uncomprehendingly, as if her leader''s words were spoken in a strange language. She doesn''t notice Zell positioning behind her back. By the time the bowstring comes down her face and against her throat, it''s too late. She can only struggle and let out strangled moans. She attempts to stand up, but a kick from Zell behind her thigh forces her to remain on knees. With a crunch, Majani''s body shudders one last time before going limp. Neddin orders the body to be disposed where the beasts devour it. Bironte throws the corpse over his shoulder without much effort, Maaca accompanies him and takes the opportunity to steal the pearl earrings. Tashala retreats to her home, arguing that needs to check on his family. Zell remains with Neddin for a new mission. They march to the hot springs inside the mountain. In the steaming secrecy, Neddin pulls out a heavy leather suitcase from a secret compartment in a wall. He removes the pins, places the password on the padlock, opens the suitcase, and removes from inside two gold bars and a rectangular laptop computer, old and little bigger than an adult hand. He hands the objects to Zell. "The official version is that you are traveling to look for my daughter. Find a high point and as soon as you get a signal, contact the predator" "The predator is dangerous and cruel, are you sure you don''t want me to find someone else?" Zell asks without a trace of emotion in his voice. Despite his lack of expression and his dark, cold eyes, the falcon''s champion is a very popular man within the tribe, his accuracy is unparalleled, and the women find him very attractive. "I know the predator''s cruelty, and his insatiable appetite for maidens. What he did with the leader Zendaya, how he destroyed her body and mind in one night, is well known. Even with such a background, the predator is still the best mercenary this side of the continent... I cherish my daughter, but I have several girls, and tribe only one. I will not risk corrupting the village with foreign influences. Besides, it''s about time Gaita started acting like the big sister and heiress she is supposed to be" As the village mourns Nadjela''s abduction and Majani''s death, Zell straps a cloth bag on his back with food, water, and the items given to him by Neddin. He secretly adds a seed from the El-nido-de-todas-las-plantas, though he doubts he needs it. So far in his life he has yet to meet a warrior who can compare to him. Zell mounts the ostrich, and rides into the forbidden zones. 5: The princess and the devil Nadjela opens the eyes, immediately closing them again because the pain is burning, and her body is throbbing like she just came out of a beating. Where is she? How long has passed? She needs a minute to remember her foray with Majani into the underground. Looking to sit up, but "something" prevents her from pulling the arms away from the torso. A thick, warm material is wrapped like a cocoon around her shoulders. It is warm and comfortable... Until she recalls the legends of giant, hairy, red-eyed spiders that use their front legs to wrap their prey in cocoons. Nadjela can barely control the shriek that rises in her throat. She spins in the dust, and unintentionally wanders too close to a campfire. The fire''s lick startles her. She rolls in the opposite direction until she hits the back on a hard surface. She manages to sit up. Peeks to the right, no spiders in sight. Peeks to the left, sees a impossibly large foot. She peers up, and the vision of the giant startles her. "S-Swear I didn''t mean to hit you!" says the princess. From her position she cannot see the titan''s countenance, who, unlike before, remains indifferent to her touch. Nadjela takes a breath and regains some self-control. She notices that the material enveloping her does not oppress, it just hugs. Easily, she pushes the cocoon''s mouth to get out. After freeing herself from the foreign matter, she hears a loud, masculine voice coming from the sky. "Watch out below!" Four pieces of something hit the ground. Nadjela squints to see the lumps. Ten paces away lies the lizard head with large gleaming teeth, blank eyes free of pity. Nadjela shrieks, and reaches for the necklace with both hands in longing for safety. Another figure drops to a crouch near the torn lizard, raising a dusty clap disturbing the fire. Tall as Zell, but instead of bronze his skin tone is pink and creamy like the pulp mothers pull from El-nido-de-todas-las-plantas to feed the children. Strong arms and thick legs bulge his clothes with delineated muscles, and his broad back seems able to support the world''s weight. The pants have three belts on each leg that fit snugly, and keep blood from pooling in the lower body as he flies. Boots are all-terrain campaign boots. Over an elastic shirt he wears a jacket with a leather exterior and synthetic fur interior that shows through the sleeves. On the collar of the jacket is embroidered an insignia with a silver star, on the right shoulder a rectangle with an X, and on the chest over the heart the emblem of a blue lion in a golden rectangle. Two linked bows of opaque glass cover his gaze, the visor has at the ends handles with curved tips resting on the ears. Nadjela thinks that the firelight deceives her, because the subject''s hair seems to be blue. The stranger shows a smile of whitest teeth, a friendly and charming countenance that contrasts with the sword sheathed on the side of his waist. A long, slender weapon with a slight curvature. Although La Cuna kept warriors more muscular than he (Like Bironte), none had such a look. (A demon!) Nadjela deduced. A demon, like those who, according to parents and nannies, disguise themselves in human skin to murder or abduct misbehaving children. Did that happen? Was she abducted...? Something rolls down the middle her legs. Komodo''s head, bigger than hers, lies between her thighs. Nadjela screams and jumps to get up. She kicks the head, sending it into the darkness beyond the campfire. A mob of crawling creatures with indistinguishable shapes, snarl and run after the loot. The man, crouched in front of the fire, speaks casually, his back to the girl.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "A hard time separating that head. Don''t waste it like that, woman," he grumbles and gathers the hind legs and tail of the big predator. "Strong bones. But nothing cuts more than my sword, not even machetes" Nadjela moves slowly, silently and with hands in front to steal the weapon from his waist now that he is distracted. If everything told about the demons is true, wouldn''t be long before this man would seek to snatch her purity, and she would not allow that. With every inch less between her fingers and the handle, greater were her heartbeats per second. (This is my chance. I stab him now, or...) "Hey!" The sudden exclamation causes Nadjela to panic and fall on butt. "A sword is a warrior''s soul! Don''t take it lightly," The man turns the face to her. "What''s wrong, did you stumble? First kicking the dinner and now this. You sure are clumsy" The princess blushes. She wanted to open mouth and tell him that it wasn''t unintentional, she wouldn''t eat that garbage and she''s not clumsy either. But remember that she is not dealing with a person, but with an entity foreign to the education of the good people of the tribe. Nadjela is speechless after seeing how the guy uses the sword, his proclaimed warrior soul, to prick a piece of smelly komodo and put it to roast in the fire. "Do you want a taste?" The demon holds out the thick lizard thigh, scales still burning. Nadjela covers her mouth with a hand and turns her face away. The man smiles. "Don''t be fooled by its appearance. Looks bad, but food is still food" Nadjela crawls back on all fours to get as far away as possible. The dragon is a scavenger and a poisonous creature, with a bite capable of rotting wood. Consuming this meat is dangerous, and Nadjela assumes that the demon knows that, and everything is a sadistic game to destroy her body and mind. "Women are too picky about food, not everything can be fluffy sweets with colored cream. We men will settle for the simple cake if we have to. A cake doesn''t need anything more than the cake to be good" Nadjela covers her ears to protect from those unintelligible words that the demon uses to plunge her into a labyrinth of unknowns. "That you are alive is a great relief..." Continues the man. "But why don''t you say anything? The mouth is to speak, to shout everything you feel and let the world know. Come on, speak!" The princess shields herself in silence. Anyway, she is stunned after witnessing how he sinks the teeth into the komodo''s body, pulls back with his neck, and tears off a nice greasy piece of meat, which after a couple of bites disappears in his mouth. He must like the taste, or perhaps he lacks a proper sense of taste, because continues devouring. No human would accomplish such a feat without dying! Nadjela turns her attention to the giant and prays again. But the giant maintains its silence. "When I woke up and saw the sky, and then you, clinging to my Armored, like your life depended on it, I really didn''t know what to think. I believed you were trying to rob me..." says the man without looking at her. "Never!" Nadjela raises her voice, refusing to be labeled like a thief. She notices how the man''s smile grows. The girl blushes as soon realizes that this is exactly the reaction he was expecting. "Good voice! Sounds like metal!" Using the sword, he reintroduces the meat into the fire. "I maneuvered with style to catch you in the fall, and lower you to the ground before my buddy went to sleep. Exciting stuff" Nadjela doesn''t remember any of it, and from the bruised feel of her body she suspects there was more rush than style during the landing. Her caution helps keep guard up, and tiredness invites her to just the opposite and let the stranger''s friendliness take over. Luckily, even in this strange situation, she takes into consideration the teachings of the honorable Zakary: Every girl enjoys the attention of a handsome man with a pretty smile, but only a foolish girl would lose herself to it. Until further notice, the princess is more a terrified and confused girl than a fool 6: The princess and the devil - Part 2 The blue demon continues to devour the reptilian flesh for as long as Nadjela can see him. The girl waits seated, hugging her legs, as far away from him as possible, but without venturing out of the light circle offered by the campfire. The demon entertains himself by sucking the marrow from the bones, grabbing with a free hand more twigs from the nearby bushes to feed the fire. Nadjela, tired of those sticky sounds and the uncertainty, gathers enough courage to ask: "What are you?" "What I am?" The stranger looks at her and lifts up his dark glasses. Because the proximity of the fire, the crimson of his eyes becomes a soft orange, reflecting warmth, frankness, and initiative. He points himself with his thumb. "My name is Chester Lancaster! Second lieutenant of... Bah! Nothing. Just a man willing to carry on with his dreams" The strange words come in Nadjela''s ear and out the other. She remains lost in the gaze of that face that always seems to have a secret smile, as if nothing could tarnish his good humor or his relax. A man with such a countenance is really bad? Is he not linked to the spring that quenched the thirst of her people? A strange and unique man who fell from the sky, as the legends of La Cuna say that the prophet would come. "Chester Lancaster, the savior...?" "Me? A savior?" The adjective makes him laugh. He shakes his head before lying on his side on the dusty ground, his cheek in the palm. "That''s too much. I''m a guy looking to live by his own rules. I have my sword, my armored, and my freedom. I don''t need more" Saying the word "Armored," Chester glances sideways at the sky. Nadjela follows his eyes to the giant. "Did you come from him?" she asks. Chester nods. "Then he''s your father" "What...? No. This is North Star. Like my sword, it represents another part of my spirit. It was damaged during my last battle and no longer responds," Scratches his chest. "I really shouldn''t have underestimated those two..." He lets out a short story about how, above the clouds, two pilots ambushed him. His machine was caught in the atmosphere, he crashed out of control and lost consciousness. "I don''t kill women or children! Let them stay at home, and let the men talk quietly and in peace with our fists"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Women warriors...? Where the mother of all birds flies, there are still fights for survival?" Nadjela hugs her knees even tighter and sinks her face, troubled by the absurd possibility. Heaven is supposed to be a harmonious place where earthly sufferings and ambitions have little value. The same mother of birds raises strong winds that carry away the sorrows, and punishes the ambition cries of the heart with lightning claws and divine songs that to mortal ears sound like thunder. Another detail that displeases her is the existence of a warrior woman, when in La Cuna women were always instructed in cooking, weaving, washing, fetching water, gathering the harvest when it is ripe, and finding a good man to marry and have children. War, fighting, hunting, was always a man''s business. Nadjela finds it hard to imagine herself standing in a battle swinging a spear. "Shouldn''t there be?" Chester takes Nadjela''s disbelief as an endorsement his beliefs. "I don''t know any mother birds. But the world is burning up and down. How can you not notice it? The heat can be felt here..." Chester closes the eyes, his mind drifting to another environment, one where the earth opens, the seas boil, the sky weeps, and men perish by the thousands. Nadjela does not understand, in fact, she is freezing. "We are burning. Someone should teach a couple of painful little things to those idiots who start everything. Divine war? My balls!" Opens his eyes and looks at Nadjela. "Didn''t you hear what''s going on? You live in a cave?" "La Cuna. Not a cave. I''m from the people of La Cuna" "First I''ve heard it" "I need to go back." She looks away into the darkness that envelops them. "We are in a forbidden zone. My father, my friend Majani, the venerable Zakary, they must all be worried" "Forbidden zone? There is no such thing as a forbidden zone!" He lies on his back and raises a hand toward the stars and satellites. "This is the world! And the world is yours. You have to go out and take all it offers no matter the odds" Nadjela keeps silent in front of those ideas that contradict the teachings given for generations to the tribe''s people: Obey the founder''s blood, and avoid foreign evils. Of course, sometimes they negotiated with other tribes, merchants who came offering honey, or cotton, or plump wombats, and in exchange La Cuna delivered the goodness of El-nido-de-todas-las-plantas (except for the seeds), or the fishing when the river runs. But they never came out as such, and there was always a tacit distrust of the foreign. "Can you use your giant and take me home?" Nadjela asks. "I need a mechanic to get it running. I don''t even know how the hell it came alive after the crash. All I know is that everything was black, and then I saw a light and heard a voice" "What''s a mechanic? What voice?" "How do you not know what a mechanic is? And the voice sounded like you, more or less. How old are you?" Chester looks at her. The princess catches the growing attention, and curls up, wanting to diminish herself and reduce the man''s place to look. "I turned fifteen cycles last fire season" "Fifteen! I''ll assume that''s years. Tell me, ever been with a man in bed before?" Nadjela, all flushed, gives him a disgusted look. "Don''t look me like that!" Chester shows his hands. "There''s no delicate way to ask! Anyway, so it wasn''t you." "What do you mean?" "It''s simple! The voice I heard asked me for a favor. Asked me to protect her child. And you''ll be someone''s daughter, right?" 7: Sacred truths The barren land glistens like a yellow bone overheated by an inclement sky. "Is right to abandon him?" Nadjela asks, shading a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, her gaze falling on the giant they leave behind. "Dont worry¡± Chester says as he wipes the sweat from his forehead. He carries the sleeping bag rolled under one arm. "No matter if I finish at the end of the world, North Star will always appear to fight by my side. Our bond was forged in blood and sweat, few things erase that" Nadjela accepts the answer without inquiring too much. The girl advances with more ease than Chester in these dry and desolate atmospheres, a landscape frequented by rolling plants as big as elephants, carrying animal skeletons among its roots as they are pushed by the warm wind, the same wind that stirs the young girl''s long dark hair. The white outfit the princess wears helps her cope the weather, clothing woven from threads created from stalks of El-nido-de-todas-las-plantas, the top part is sleeveless and reaches above her navel. The bottom is a belt of stems with two thick cloth strips, one at the front and one at the back to preserve modesty. The cloth slides down the curvatures of her tanned legs as she walks. Both pieces show a design of zigzags and red lines that imitate the birds'' wings, with elaborate dyeing from the guts of hellish ants. The duo travels along pathless trails, with the Armored now relegated more than half a kilometer in the background. Nadjela insists on treating Chester like a heavenly savior, and he repeatedly proclaims that he is made of flesh and blood. "And if you don''t believe me, go ahead and touch¡± he extends the right arm, positioning near the girl''s head. She gasps, the Lancaster''s body is more imposing up close. The princess'' fingers drum in the air, tempted to touch that firm and powerful muscle offered to her, but shyness and education help to restrain her. Nadjela retracts the hand to her chest and instead asks Chester what is sacred where he comes from. Chester lowers his arm and assures that many truths and beliefs exist, but the two primary ones are kill or die killing. "I don''t understand,¡± the young woman pouts, unhappy that for the first time in her life the meaning of words is missing.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "It''s good that you don''t understand. Anyway, it''s stupid" Chester doesn''t help her to comprehend it either. "Sounds barbaric" "Hell yeah!" Chester laughs, but Nadjela can''t find the joke. Nadjela interprets the mechanic''s role as some kind of witch doctor specialized in giants. Similarly, this invisible bond that Chester claims to possess, the princess considers a mystical power similar to the disembodied contact that her father has with the ancestors and the mother bird. Chester will insist on denying his divinity, but that hair, and that body capable of withstanding komodo poison, were signs of a different nature. Whether the promised hero of La Cuna, or a fallen demigod, Nadjela longs that, after returning to her home, Chester will somehow solve the problems. Or at least share his wisdom, because even though he looked young, he seemed to know everything, although sometimes gave the impression of being the bigger fool. (A deep, wide and fierce river that under the whims of the sun turns into a series of puddles without substance. This man is a real enigma and I don''t know if I can decipher him) She decides at least to try. Under that sun, under any moon, she''ll search and save her people. "What other sacred truths are there besides kill or be killed?" Nadjela asks. "There was a dude who knows how to do things. Humble, honest, used to guiding and helping others. A man made of a truly unique material, the kind that leaves a strong impression without the need to crush others" Nadjela smiles and asks what happened to this wise man, hoping that maybe she can find him. "He was tortured and nailed to a wood piece" Chester reveals. The princess opens her eyes wide in horror, the smile gone. When Chester looks sideways and notices the girl pale with fright, he hastens to reveal that the man was freed three days later and everything ended more or less well. "Although don''t get your hopes up, he died a long time ago. There are still people who study his ideas, but I am not one of them" "But, great sir, you are not a bad person, right?" The princess clasps both hands close to her chest like praying. "That you don''t want to kill women and children is proof of your good intentions. Perhaps you are not so far from being like that wise man" "First: Don''t call me ¡°Great Sir¡±, it doesn''t fit me. Second: All the people I''ve seen claim to be incorruptible saints, deep down they are the worst piece of shit. Third: We''ve been walking for several hours, let''s find a place to rest. And seriously, just tell me Chester" "Only Chester?" "Good! You''re making progress, girl" Nadjela catches that the Lancaster avoided the question of being a good person or not, but as they still don''t have enough confidence she decides leave the conversation topic. "Huh, grea-... Chester, where are we going?" "Where the fates take us!" The man speaks with full confidence, even though his tactics may not be the most accurate. 8: Kiss of life Nadjela has been so accustomed to a single landscape for fifteen years that such vastness and boundlessness feels sinful to her. Where is the flat-faced mountain? The clay brick houses and their domed roofs? The proud hunters patrolling on majestic ostriches? (Feels wrong not to see any of that. I mean, compared, he walks so free...) Nadjela gives Chester a sidelong glance. Even if she wanted to imitate the Lancastrian''s confidence, the warm earth beneath her feet feels so unfamiliar to her that pretending willingness is difficult. Though to the princess''s surprise, nothing is tinged with the evil depiction varnished by the stories of the village elders. The exterior is wild, yes, but also new, and perhaps hesitantly Nadjela would admit: attractive. "Green!" Chester exclaims, and points his finger at a precipice in the open field leading to a wide slope, where a tree family with pale trunks and branches full of intertwined green leaves grow far and wide in the center. Bulging roots at the oasis'' edge keep the sand at bay. After squinting and discovering what Chester is pointing at, the princess looks up at the sky and thanks it for the gift. The leaves and branches create a filter that allows the nature below to grow without being scorched by the sun. Nadjela wiggles her toes to feel the grass and fresh earth between them. There are flowers with white and yellow petals that she sees for the first time. Picking one, she brings it to her nose and inhales the sweet scent. In the tree grove''s center lies a small lake fed by a subway spring. Nadjela sits down on the shore and dips her feet in the cold liquid, which makes her shiver and gasp with pleasure. "You''re hungry, right?" Chester asks as soon as he appears. Nadjela opens her mouth to say no, but her stomach growls first, she blushes and turns her face away. The princess hasn''t eaten for at least a day. Chester, a real gentleman, says he''ll take care of it. A short time later the swordsman returns carrying on his shoulders a beast taller than him, with a disproportionately large snout compared to the body, and three white stripes on its black, furry back. A Tasmanian devil. Chester drags the animal from the front legs, careful enough not to cut himself with the six-inch claws, while the hind legs leave furrows in the earth offering post-mortem resistance. Chester reaches the oasis and discovers that Nadjela is absent. He opens the mouth to call her name, but realizes he doesn''t know the companion''s name. Branches shake and a few leaves fall off. Chester drops the demon''s limbs. Spreading his legs, he brings the hands to the katana''s hilt, ready to raise it in a second by snapping his wrists. Nadjela slides down and lands on bent knees. Chester, seeing her safe and sound, understands that there is no danger and moves his fingers away from the blade. "I went up to look for signs of my town''s whereabouts..." says Nadjela. The lack of joy in her explanation evidences the failure. "You''re good climbing" "Near the mountain where I live there are very big rocks. When I was a little girl I competed with my friend Majani to climb them, and then we climbed the mountain itself..." She''s ashamed to admit to such a tawdry activity, so she chalks it up to a silly childhood pastime. It was Majani who recommended stopping it, arguing that it was inappropriate for the princess to be seen jumping around like a crazed dingo. "Sounds like fun. Let''s do it!"Chester exclaims. Nadjela tilts her head to one side, not understanding. "Seriously...?" "After lunch! Let''s climb trees like monkeys. Everyone likes monkeys. In the end, we''re all one" (That''s crazy) she thinks. But since Chester''s optimism is dangerously contagious, she agrees. Chester eviscerates the demon. Nadjela uses dry grass to light a campfire. She starts the flame outside the tree family, because she shies away from lighting fires indoors.Stolen story; please report. Under the midday sun, Chester appears with pieces of meat skewered on sticks. They cook the meat, distribute it, and though tough, Nadjela eats with glee until she is satiated. A greasy trail runs down the corners of her lips. Chester passes her a thick leaf plucked from some plant. The princess uses the leaf as a napkin. "You didn''t tell me your name," Chester says. The girl is stunned, swallows, and admits the error. She was so busy distrusting, thinking and wondering, that forgot the courtesy to introduce herself. "Excuse my rudeness. I''m Nadjela" "Good name. I bet it has a meaning, girls love that stuff" "Surely nothing... Father always says not everything needs significance" Chester nods and remains silent. Finishing their meal, they turn off the campfire and lie down to rest, each in the shade of their own tree. Ten minutes later, Chester jumps to his feet. "Either I stretch my legs or I''ll grow roots!" "Really?" asks Nadjela with frank naivety. "I don''t know, and I don''t want to know. Let''s climb!" They find the tallest tree growing at one side of the oasis, its tip slightly curved towards the water. They get into position, each standing at opposite sides of the trunk, peering into the leafy canopy. Chester shouts " Now!" and they both jump. The princess plants her hands and feet in the tree bark. She reaches the branches in seconds. She hears the leaves on the other side rustling. Her heart races, and she deduces that at most she had a second or two advantage over the swordsman. Hurrying up the climb, her movements are natural and she doesn''t even sweat, closer and closer to the top. A little more and she wins. But the rush leads her to take a wrong step... Slips. She spins among the branches, which hit her and scrape arms and legs. Wind blows, and then the slap of cold water all over her body. She sinks into the oasis without touching the bottom. She flails, kicks, and rises. Pulls the head out and spits the water out. Rinse her eyes before looking up, discovering Chester looking back at her with a triumphant smile. "Fire in the hole!" shouts the Lancaster. Nadjela doesn''t need to understand the meaning of those words to read the man''s intentions. She barely manages to move half a meter away when Chester crashes, dives, and raises a brief downpour. Chester surfaces and guffaws with his wild locks placated by the humidity. "I needed to cool off!" Nadjela, aware that he almost fell on her, glares at him. But her sternness softens as she notices the Lancaster''s face twitch, and he adds with a tortured voice: "Shit, I forgot!" The man waves his hands, but that doesn''t stop his nose from disappearing and afterwards his fingers stretched high in the air. "It''s not funny. Stop it" says the princess when Chester takes a while to come up. The air bubbles stop popping. The princess tenses. (He''s playing... Right?) Almost a minute, and still no response. Nadjela fills her cheeks with air and dives madly. Underwater she glimpses the blurry figure of Chester deep within a sediment cloud. Nadjela wraps her arms around Chester''s shoulders. Swimming with all her strength to ascend, she pulls him to the shore at the top. After leaving Chester on the ground, Nadjela kneels on his side and pales when noticing that the swordsman is not breathing. She urgently searches her memory for Zakary''s teachings in case one day a child should fall into the river. As the tribal children are not stupid, Nadjela has never needed such maneuvers, but now.... (The kiss of life... No! Other options, Nadjela. Other options) She places both hands on Chester''s chest, presses and softens her thrust repeatedly, but there is no improvement. Chester is getting colder and whiter. His dark glasses are missing, his eyes are sealant. He looks peaceful, if it weren''t for the ethereal trace of an occasional wound, his face would be typically angelic. Nadjela thinks again.... (The kiss of life...) Gulps saliva. Her gaze drops from his eyes to the man''s mouth, tightly set in a strong jaw. Nadjela licks her own lips reflexively, hesitates, and shakes the head. (If you wait too long he''ll die! You will be left alone in the forbidden zones. You''ll never get back to your people because a big, ugly monster will appear and eat you!) She argues with herself. (Isn''t this adultery?!) (It''s a question of life and death!) (But I save my lips for the love of my life!) (The mother of all birds will forgive you! It''s not like you want to kiss him either, or that you were going to enjoy it!) (Of course I''m not interested...) (Of course you don''t... Now to save a life!) Nadjela takes a breath again. She bends down. Places her trembling hand on his mouth to half-open it, and plants the lips. Nadjela''s blood rushes to her face, she takes a few seconds to remember that it is essential to blow. She gives Chester her first kiss and her breath. Repeats the mouth-to-mouth breathing, as well as the pushing with her hands, faster and faster because the growing urgency. Chester gradually regains his color. His heart overcomes the slow march. Suddenly he opens the eyes, rolls onto his side, and vomits the water from his lungs. Nadjela steps back and waits for the swordsman to calm down. Chester stops coughing and lies on his back, his doughy gaze fixed on the treetops. "I never learned to swim..." he reveals hoarsely. Nadjela backs up to a tree and takes a seat among the white roots. She lets out a puff where leaks her feelings of joy and fury. Happy that he is alive. Furious that he is alive. She covers her face with both hands and says: "Great idiot" Chester lets out a bruised laugh and replies: "That name does fit me like a glove" 9: Oasis? On the high branch of a tree, the Lancaster''s clothes are flapping, along with the field boots hanging from the shoelaces. Meanwhile, on the other side of the oasis, the princess''s clothes were also laid out to dry. In waiting they would both be naked, therefore, Nadjela decreed a temporary separation that would end when she goes and tells him. "What''s the protocol for? I won''t see anything to scare me," Chester says with his chin up and hands on hips. His smile disappears as Nadjela turns to leave clearly indignant. Hours have passed, and she still doesn''t understand the origin of her annoyance. She brings the fingers up to lips and slowly brushes them. (It didn''t count... By heaven and earth, this didn''t count) To avoid overthinking, she repeats the climb up to the branch where her clothes rest, and by touch finds out that they are dry. Already dressed, she slips through the branches with a cat''s stealth, heading in the direction where she knows Chester is. What motivates her to keep silent is the beasts swarming nearby, she convinces herself that there is no ulterior motive. Glimpse the Lancaster''s naked torso, his abdomen scarred by exercise and the vestiges of cuts and projectiles. Also the pants on where they go. Nadjela lets out a sigh that, she was almost certain, was not of disappointment. She lands and walks the rest of the way. Chester was so focused on his work that he didn''t even hear her coming. Dipping a long branch into the water, he pokes at it, raises it, and dips back in. He tries until he manages to fish the dark visor. He puts the branch aside, shakes out the glasses and puts them on. "It work! Thank goodness" He lets out a relieved breath. Almost as if he had eyes in back of his head, he turns to where Nadjela is waiting. "And the signal?" The princess takes a few seconds to answer. "You didn''t hear, so I came" "Did you?" Chester is skeptical for a few seconds, but then smiles. "I''m more absent-minded than a child" With night the sky darkens and turns on with the lights of cosmos and artifice. On the dinner campfire rests the incomplete body of a cockroach big like a pit bull. Nadjela sits nearby, in her coppery hands holds a piece of the cockroach''s abdomen, half-eaten inside. It tasted sweet to her, a huge dessert that she left halfway through to avoid becoming too gluttonous. With a hand she wipes the white crumbs out of her mouth. She turns her attention to Chester, who seems to retain the same amount of energy all day, and asks him if he feels sleepy. "The day I die, I''ll sleep until I''m sick of it" The princess rolls her eyes, and decides not to take all swordsman''s words literally. She knows that staying awake often is harmful to the body, mind and spirit. Chester''s face is free of bags under his eyes and any signs of fatigue, he looks perfect. Still, the princess urges Chester to forget about the watch and sleep upstairs among the branches.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Together?" he asks. Nadjela is startled. "Not together!" she replies, alarmed. Chester shows a naughty smile. Nadjela snorts and shakes her head. She resumes the words, but with a brusque tone. "The hunters in my tribe use that trick to keep themselves safe from predators. If any creature seeks to climb up, you wake up because the wood creaks and shakes..." (I wish a beast would make you its lunch now, but then I would become its dinner) They look for two trees nearby, and locate a branch thick enough from each tree to comfortably hold their bodies. The man in the sky sleeps in the shade, and Nadjela wears that comfortable cocoon or sack he provided. Nadjela feels remorse for the comfort she takes from the swordsman, but avoids complaining because she doesn''t want to give it up either. Four and a half meters above the ground, Nadjela and Chester have a good view of the stars. The princess takes the opportunity to continue telling Chester about her life and her people, about how those colored dots are eggs that, when they hatch and disappear from the sky, signify a new life, human or animal, that is born on earth. -As long as light exists there will be hope, because life will prevail," Nadjela says. Chester also speaks about where he comes from, but the picture he draws is inconsistent with what was preached in La Cuna. He describes the bright points of white light like giant gas spheres in constant burning, and the rest he calls ''''Satellites''''. Floating watchers that find out what is happening on the planet, and in turn give away a wonderful ether called ''''Internet'''', with which it is possible to obtain infinite information, communicate with anyone at any time, and a million other activities. Paradoxically, Chester complains that the all-powerful ether does not reach that area. Nadjela, after meditating about it, concludes that those satellites Chester talks about are not as omnipotent as he paints, or actually he is wrong and demands too much from some eggs in the sky. If this thing called the internet existed, wouldn''t La Cuna be aware by now? No doubt that being in constant communication and knowing everything would make their lives easier. The burning gas spheres thing, no matter how many times she think of it, she can''t make any kind of sense out. She doubts that the swordsman is a liar, but perhaps the world from the clouds is a far cry from how it looks from the earth. Transports that travel the clouds and beyond; Men and women with metal entrails; A life expectancy that easily exceeds 100 years; The near eradication of all disease and the continual creation of new diseases; Houses that stand alone and are smarter than their occupants; A rectangle that toasts bread and a circle on the ceiling that shrieks when the bread is over-toasted. Chester also talks about the giants, calling them ''''''Armored,'''''' and assuring us that they come in all sizes and shapes. Apparently, even flying high conflicts occur. Something of more seriousness, a concept Nadjela grasps by explanation and warning from the elders, but never from personal experience: War. Hostility that goes beyond a skirmish between a handful of men. Hostility capable of wiping out entire tribes. Chester tells of an orbiting principality and an alliance of nations, which have been in contention for world dominion. "Divine War. A war to put an end, forever, to all wars" mutters the man with a biting smile, as if he were speaking of a fairy tale with which children are fooled. Nadjela does not answer. She thinks of the nights and their lights, and of what the horizon hides. The routine in La Cuna promises far less than the excesses of life Chester boasts of, but it is also simpler and more peaceful. (Simple and peaceful sounds like a good thing) With that thought Nadjela closes her eyes to fall asleep, but just a couple of minutes later, she looks up again when the trees begin to shake with an animal ferocity. The intensity grows, and she looks for something to hold on to, but the sleeping bag gets in her way. The girl falls from the tree, letting out a scream. 10: Oasis? - Part 2 The lake is crystalline, born from the moon''s tears, the same star reflecting its silvery and circular image on the peaceful surface. Fireflies flutter, and their appendages'' aura creates luminescent trails among the pink trunks of the trees. Two naked bodies stand in mid-water. Chester closes the distance to a shy Nadjela. The slender, petite young woman trembles with novelty and anticipation. As strong arms draw her close, and her back tightens against his broad, solid chest, Nadjela closes the eyes and, as an intimate warmth spreads from her belly to the rest of her body, the tension disappears in rhythm to the beat of the nobleman''s heart, in perfect sync with her own. Chester leans into the princess''s neck and, after a kiss behind the ear, the hero whispers his love declaration. "You are the light that illuminates my darkest nights" Their gazes collide, and although they had known each other for a short time, their expressions were pregnant with desire. Mouths shortened the distance, and with intertwined breaths, they promised to merge and become one with the sound of the violin playing in the background. But the shaking of some bushes stops the moment. Chester and Nadjela look at the stage, and find a guy in a hat, jacket, and shorts, hunched over in the trees. Cut! shouts the director. The operators turn on the spotlights to brighten the scenery. The moon disappears and gives way to a white dome of hexagons. A murmuring chorus grows, but only one voice makes note. "What the fuck?" Chester glares at the biologist, "You ruined my shot! "I was making sure the fireflies weren''t tense," the worker defends himself. "They''re very sensitive, and if they get too stressed become flammable" Chester separates from the co-star and advances to the poor guy. "Ooooh, good for you. And how are the fireflies?" "Relaxed...?" The biologist looks sideways, clearly uncomfortable. "Then why the fuck are you coming in like this, like in your house, straight from the back?" "I just-" "I want to kick your fucking ass if you don''t shut up for a second!" The snapshot of Christian Burroughs with his face disfigured in anger, pointing a finger at a worker, and with co-star Elena De Silva covering her face behind his back, leaked off the set. Now the segment is featured midway through the show "The Pink Chair," aired on Pluto Channel. More than a billion viewers enjoy the show through various listening and viewing mediums. The actor was expecting the controversy to be thrown in his face, but from the way he swallows saliva, it''s clear how hard he finds the topic.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "It was unacceptable and totally my fault" he says from the chair, in an attempt to save his reputation and his place in the film. The Lancasterian, the new episode of the multimedia universe of ''The Planetary Heroes'', would be released in just a month. But by the half-smile that Beatriz Yanez, the program''s interviewer, gives him, Christian understands that he has no chance of winning. That little woman, with very straight hair and wearing a pink dress, had been shooting countless public figures on that piece of furniture for years. A natural conclusion when you know that she descends from the legendary Venezuelan journalist, Oscar Yanez. The Lancasterian, the film dramatization of the life of the liberator, anarchist, and muskite outlaw, Chester Lancaster, would be delayed for the next year due to the substitution of the main actor. ... Nadjela falls from the tree and Chester throws down behind her. His hand reaches for the girl, pulls and wraps her in, proceeding to spin in mid-air. The nobleman''s back hits the ground and they both roll to a stop on some nearby roots. The princess is unharmed while the Lancaster left with a bruised back. Around continues shaking. Chester holds Nadjela''s hand to help her free from the sleeping bag and get up. Without letting go the young woman, the Lancaster runs to the outside of the greenery. Nadjela makes an effort to keep up. Around the oasis, sharp, ten-foot thorns emerge one by one from the depths, with a speed that would impale even the most astute. The thorns form a barrier that stops the princess and the swordsman. Chester doesn''t hesitate and launches a kick against a one of the black thorns, the top cracks and seals, leaving behind a smooth stump. Nadjela shrieks as a strong hand passes behind her legs and an arm holds her back. With the heart racing from the whole situation, the young girl is charged by the swordsman. Chester rests one foot on the broken spine and uses it as a platform for a mighty leap that lifts him over the death spires. Chester lands on the other side, in the darkness and on the barren ground. Nadjela looks around, anticipating silhouettes of ravenous, demonic creatures. No predator attacks them, it''s clear that something frightened the monsters. No sooner do they get about 20 paces away from the oasis, it rises forty meters long, green and thorny. What was once peaceful greenery is now the circular mouth of a giant worm. The cactus, mutated to survive in a hard world, roars and hunches over, crashing back into the earth and burrowing its way underground. Dust and pebbles rain down. The tail of the cactus shakes before disappearing, causing a landslide that plugs the exit and entrance holes. Nadjela and Chester watch wordlessly at what happened, needing a few minutes to process the experience, until the quiet night is interrupted by the Lancaster''s vibrant laughter. Nadjela comes out her stupor and faces the man holding her. "W-W-What are you laughing about?" ask between stammering. "Nothing! It''s just that we almost got eaten by that thing!" "It''s not funny" "We''re alive! We can laugh, because we''re lucky!" Chester''s voice calms down, but he keeps a smile hidden by the darkness. "Let''s find a place to end the night. Can you walk?" "Hm, yes... Wait. No... My legs are shaking" "It''s normal. Happens the first few times," Chester says and starts walking with the young woman in arms. The landscape''s obscurity doesn''t seem to be an impediment for him. "You don''t leave the house much, do you?" "Is forbidden to leave" "Who says so?" "My father, the wise elders, the traditions..." "According to tradition, in my family we marry between brothers and cousins to keep our blood pure" "What?" Nadjela gasps, unable to tell if the Lancaster is joking. Chester laughs. "Do you see? Lots of traditions are just nonsense preserved over time. One must learn to keep the good, and not just the usual. You''ll see, the outside will make you strong, and hurt you, but mostly it will do you good" Chester sounds confident, but Nadjela would rather not have to deal with cacti ever again. 11: Belichology Today we continue our pursuit of the outlaw. Supplies are short, the sun burns, and each new horizon is more difficult to reach than the last. Despite the difficulties, we prevail steadfast, faithful and attentive. All our suspicions were correct. This place, far from war, is a breeding ground for perversions and heresies. No need to worry, I was not heartbroken, I acted with the same diligence with which I performed in the thousand Polynesian islands. The big difference is that, instead of rocks and sea, what separates us from the infidels are miles of arid land plagued by barbarians and beasts. Regarding Brother Frederick''s health, I regret to report that he did not survive the ailments. I gave him an assault rifle and a target, but he was too ill to handle a firearm or even stand upright. According to tests, a mutated dengue variant is what killed him. Radiation is another latent problem, both fauna and flora have been drastically affected. A reminder of the atomic cataclysm we must avoid at all costs. There is no glory in absolute destruction. The holy cost remains our priority. We will deliver lessons, clear and hard as lead from bullets. The slavers are aware of the importance of the great math and try to stay out of it, while the savages are mostly unaware of it, although for me ignorance was never an excuse. It is complicated to choose which of the two examples deserves a harsher treatment. If you could enlighten me with your wisdom, I would be most grateful. -Australia, June 10, 2222, Presbyter Myers. Ronan finishes typing on the computer, rips the paper from the printer set up next to the screen and glances at it to make sure the message is sensible, respectful, and well-written. In his opinion, the text''s appearance is important like personal appearance, hence there is not a single hair misplaced in his hair or in his short beard. While reading he keeps the back straight in the wooden chair. Outside, the dry wind pushes the tent folds. Ronan is a 32-year-old man, well maintained thanks to diet and training. Whenever he appears in public, he wears the infallible cassock, the brass cross, and the black uniform with wide lapels and a red belt. Is the kind of man who never forgets his purpose in the world, to the point that some within his own order consider him an extremist. Extremist... The word makes him wield a half- smile humorless. Ronan is satisfied with the letter. He places the text in a paper envelope, closes it, and sinks the side of his silver ring. He feels a prick on his finger and the slight vibration of a tiny motor, but his face does not move an inch. The ring burns and pricks blood, which coagulates quickly and firmly to seal the paper. "Marie, come in" Ronan calls. A young girl with an oval face, fair skin, small nose, big eyes, and short straight brown hair walks into the tent. The partisan looks with the readiness to deliver, both by the AK-47M she carries on her back and by her gentle smile. She wears an Italian bustle, a black shirt, an olive green skirt that reaches above her calves, and field boots. The girl carries a pouch full of grenades in a belt, and a necklace with a crucifix and a bullet casing around the neck. Ronan hands the letter to Marie and orders her to send it to the Vatican. Marie nods, grants Ronan a military salute, and prepares to leave the tent, but Ronan stops her and notifies the girl of a bloodstain on her right shoulder. "A thousand apologies, Reverend. Since the last raid we battled I haven''t had a chance to fetch water or soap," says the young woman, and deep down she feels the urge to comment that the wood for the crosses doesn''t collect itself, but with willpower she silences that whiny side. "Some people say that necessity sharpens the wit. The next time I require your service, better be as pristine as a church lady should always be" Ronan warns. Marie nods and withdraws from the tent. The man turns back to the desk and computer work, opens a drawer overflowing with artificial chocolate candies (Truly natural ingredients are rare and a luxury). He grabs a candy, removes the lead paper wrapper, and pops it into his mouth. Marie walks through the camp. The others partisans patrol, pray their morning orations, or just get ready to have breakfast. They left the Vatican with a group of 30, and now only 14 remain, including Ronan. Australia is a difficult and treacherous land.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Above the camp, on crosses 4 meters high, sobs, cries and pleas for help come from people nailed to inverted crosses, also known as St. Peter''s cross. There are five crosses, and a sixth under construction. They are slavers who tried to assault the military chariot: a white, modular, armored vehicle with 12 wheels designed to overcome extreme terrain. "You have no idea who I am! When Deathmask finds out what you''re doing to me, he''ll make you pay!" The trembling threat of the slaver tied upside down on the cross, evolves into a shrill scream when a partisan plunges the nail with the hammer, piercing the wrist. Another partisan pulls a metal syringe from a steel case and injects it into the man''s side. The syringe contains one of the 38 miracles of the Virgin Mary, a technology developed by the Vatican and shared with the Church of Belichology. The nanobots enter the bloodstream and soon emit electrical currents that tighten muscles and paralyze. The tiny machines spread and heal internal damage. The nail soon melts with the skin. Marie helps to remove the restraints and with ropes, the inverted cross is lifted from the ground to join the rest. The miracle of Lourdes is not perfect, it may lose its effectiveness over the years. But the slavers will continue to writhe in the inclement sun and under the cold moon several weeks after Ronan and his group pack up camp and move away from the area. After vultures eat eyeballs, insects nest, and flesh transforms into virulent pouches held together barely by miraculous technology, the men would continue to be conscious and begging heaven for mercy even when it lacks a mouth. It is a reminder to anyone who would belittle the sacrifice Ronan advocates: There are fates worse than death. And if it comes to a choice, a noble death is preferable to a meaningless life. ... Nadjela and Chester continue traveling. By noon the sun was beating down, and in the evening they were visited by a bitter cold lacking in humidity that forced them to hide under a boulder barely more than five feet high. If Nadjela knew about the sea, she would compare the way the wind moves the dust and dirt, with a swell. After Chester''s unsuccessful attempts to start a fire with branches so brittle they turn to powder when touched, Nadjela pulls off her necklace and it projects a white light sphere that surrounds them, chasing away the shadows and discomfort. Even the wind feels gentler under the white light. They stretch their bodies in that little corner of comfort. Chester whistles in awe and asks how the orb works. "It''s impossible to explain," says the princess. "I only know that it helps me when I need. It''s a magical power that takes care of me" "Do you believe in magic?" "You don''t...?" "I find hard to believe in anything my sword is unable to cut" "You came from the sky, flying on a giant. Isn''t that magical enough for you?" "All that has a logical explanation, see..." Chester opens his mouth to respond with ideas of technology and science, but his lips remain quiet, like if he was noticing how unintelligible he finds these technicalities. "If the toothy dwarf who gave me North Star were present, I''d have a thousand complaints to spout. Stuff about physics, engineering, and aerodynamics, that someone as dumb as I am would never understand... You know what? I prefer your version! May it all be magic and let''s keep rolling" Still accepting that, Nadjela asks Chester what physics, engineering, and aerodynamics were, eager to expand her knowledge. Chester''s forehead prickles with sweat. "Science is not my specialty. I''m an action guy. A air-head, even" "In heaven there are dwarves?" "Not many, but yes" "In La Cuna any deformed baby is considered cursed and sacrificed by the elders, being thrown from the top of the temple" Nadjela comments, her tone of voice not reflecting that she had said something barbaric. "Up," Chester points to the sky. "You don''t have to be deformed to be seen as cursed or erased" "How cruel" "And the elders you respect aren''t cruel?" "It''s different..." She turns her face away, suspicious how easily the swordsman raises the question. "Deformed children contribute little and die young, and during their short lives they receive only shame and pain. In comparison, being sacrificed to the divine is a merciful fate" The princess repeats the words she was taught. Chester laughs. Nadjela looks disapprovingly at him. "Sorry. I can only laugh at that rotten sympathy. We love to choose over others, don''t we? As if our lives are perfect, or are free of shame and pain, or we know all the answers. Cruelty is cruelty, and murder is murder. No matter how you paint it, you''re still denying someone the chance to experience life, to laugh and cry, to find happiness if there''s a measly chance they''ll get a taste of it, even if it''s for four poorly counted moments" Chester pushes with the heels to take off his boots. With one hand he holds up the blade scabbard. Putting his other hand on the hilt, he unsheathes inches of metalcorona, reflecting his scarlet gaze on the blade. "That''s why I''ll never be a savior, or a hero from the comics, or the movies. At the end of the day I''m just an outcast whose only talent is cutting things in half." He closes the blade and lays it on the rock between them. "What redeems me, more or less, is that I understand that those four happy moments worth it" Nadjela wants to tell him that he is not an outcast, to remind him that thanks to his efforts they are still alive. But Chester looked so longing and hopeful searching the horizon, looking for who knows what secrets or confirmations, that the princess decided to keep silent and contemplate the horizon with him.