Payback

Matt Cruse jumped out and hurriedly inspected his airship. He was lucky it hadn’t been more damaged in the crash landing. He shaded his eyes from the sun and saw, in the wavering distance, what looked like a small village. He didn’t know where he was, or what language the people would speak. All he knew was that he’d need their help if he had any hope of getting his ship back into the sky. Matt stumbled along the thick sand that lay on this planet. It was at least 35 C and he was dying in the heat. After a couple of hours, Matt came to the village. There were 45 huts, all different sizes, scattered in a general square. There were trees scattered by every house and toys littered several yards. In the middle of the clump, a small fountain squirted cool, clear water. Matt’s mouth watered just thinking about it. Then he realized, if there were huts, there would be people, and if there were people, they would notice him. Matt finally saw the big picture. It was as if mud had been wiped from his eyes. These creatures were everywhere. Their skin was a dark blue; it glowed green. Their long, blond hair blew gently in the touch less breeze near the village. The adults were almost 7 ft. tall, while the children were normal size. They moved in a floating gesture, it was hard to believe they were actually walking. But, while all of this was astonishing, nothing could compare to there beauty. There was not a single flaw in their smooth angelic faces. He knew there was no way of getting past these creatures to steal food and fuel. He was a 19-year-old Canadian. He had graduated from high school early, being the smartest in the school. He also graduated college early, being able to boost into space at an early age. He was pale; sun burnt now, and had brown hair a good 3 inches from his scalp. He thought he was handsome, in a way, but not nearly as beautiful or graceful as these creatures. In addition, they were all alike. But, one was different. She was standing near the fountain, her back to Matt. She was wearing a pair of shorts, made of animal hide. They were a sandy colour. She also wore a pale tank top, made of a different, furry animal hide that complimented her skin. She was a good foot and a half shorter than the others, with a light blue skin tone. Her skin only glowed faintly. But, one thing stood out the most. Her hair was a light purple colour and was cut short around her shoulders. She was looking into the bright blue sky, daydreaming. She looked around 17 years old. Matt knew she was different, in more than one way. Sure, she looked different. But, she was alone and dressed differently. The others wore brown tunics and long grey pants. He thought maybe her attitude would be different too, so he approached her. As he walked past the adults, they grabbed their children, and ran inside the huts, all the while, eyeing him suspiciously. After 2 minutes, he was alone with the girl. She still seemed to be paying no attention to him, what’s so ever.

Matt drew in an encouraging breath and tapped to girl on her shoulder. She whipped around, causing her hair to slap Matt in the face. “Mida? Mida sa tahad?” She barked. Her voice was beautiful, like bells. “Mis-Oh my! Sina! Ei! Sul on neid!” She pointed to the east. A long ways away, Matt could see a small camp. “Kuid as sa julged tula siin kulas!” She continued, “Ma olen ma,” What? What do you want? What-Oh my! You! No! You are one of them! How dare you come to this village! I will, I will. “What?” Asked Matt, far beyond confused. “What?” She asked. This time she was confused, “Mida sa motted what? Ootama! What, what, what. Te raagite inglise keelt! English!” What? What do you mean what? Wait! What, what, what. You speak English! English! Matt finally understood one word she said. “Yes,” He said, relieved. “Yes?” The girl asked, “Yes, te raagite inglise keelt? Voi, yes te saa aru?” Yes? Yes, you speak English? Or yes, you don’t understand? Matt squinted at her “I don’t understand what you’re saying!” He said. “Don’t understand,” She said nodding, “uldine juhul kui tead, mida ma motled! I gathes, English, English.” Don’t understand. Common case, if you know what I mean! Anyways, English, English. “Tere,” She muttered. Matt turned to leave. Obviously, they couldn’t help him. They didn’t even speak his language, let alone know how to fix anything. “Bonjour, Aloha, Hola, Ola, Hello.” She continued. She whipped around again. “Hello!” She yelled. Matt turned around. “Uh, hi?” He answered. “Hello.” The girl said, quieter. She nodded, “My name is Hele Itani. It means bright, shining one.” Something triggered Matt’s memory, and he had a flash back. Matt was 3 years old. He was sitting on a metal chair in the hospital, watching his parents gush over their new baby daughter. His father went to pick Matt up. “What’s her name, Daddy?” Matt asked. He shifted so he could his sister. She was very cute, with quite a few dark hairs. Her eyes were blue, like Matt’s were. Her face was smooth and small. She was 7 lbs and 3 oz. She was small, but adorable. “Her name is Ileana,” His mother answered, “Bright, shining one. My bright, shining one.” “Daddy,” Matt asked, looking at his father, “am I a bright, shining one?” His face puckered up, almost as if he was pleading his father to say yes.

“Of course you are, Mattie,” Matt’s father said, using his nickname. Matt tried to believe him, but his father put him down and went to look at Ileana again. Matt walked to the corner and hung his head. He almost started to cry, and his parents didn’t even pay attention, or notice when Matt ran from the room. Then Hele smiled and Matt was instantly hypnotized. It was not until that very moment that Matt realized what the biggest difference between the other creatures and Hele was. Hele was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She stood out in a crowd easily. Her big, shining blue eyes hypnotized Matt the second she turned them on him. Her smile shone brighter than the sun at noon. “Uh,” Matt said, realizing he was supposed to say something, “I’m Matt Cruse. It means…um,” “Gift of God,” Hele answered for him. She looked towards the heavens. “Uh, thanks,” Matt mumbled. “So,” Hele said, sitting down on the fountain’s edge and patting the space next to her. Matt sat down. Hele sighed. “What do you need here?” She asked. “Well, I’m an astronaut, and I crash landed here. Obviously, my ship was damaged. I need parts and food, so I can go home.” Matt explained. “Wait!” Hele said, “You lost me at astronaut! You’re a real astronaut?” “Yeah,” Matt answered, “So, supplies, food, go home, won’t bother you anymore. Can you help me?” “Under one circumstance,” Hele answered, “You have to help us first. We have an enemy. They call themselves ‘The Adelfried’. It means the protector of peace. They say protect all and make the universe a better place to live. Yeah right! They’re more like the Maarika! Bitter! Evil! Those liars! Those, those, those things! Those monsters!” Matt fell into the fountain with a loud splash. Hele had flailed her arms at the end of her speech. “Oh!” She said, helping Matt out. He was soaked, but was glad he had finally cooled off. “Anyways,” Hele continued. “Wait,” Matt said, stopping her, “Why are they liars and monsters?” “Why?!” Hele exploded, “Why?! They destroyed our village thousands of times! Kidnapped thousands! Murdered just as many! They’ve been torturing us for years!” She sat down. “And, I’m supposed to do what?” Matt asked, sheepishly. “What do you think you’re supposed to do?!” Hele exploded again. Obviously, she had some temper problems.

“Calm down,” Matt said, putting his hands on her shoulders. Her skin was cool to the touch. “Okay, sorry,” Hele apologized, “You’re supposed to help us defeat them! Fight against them! With our help, of course. I mean, you’ve got to have had some training on Earth!” Matt jumped up and looked at Hele. “Fight!?” He screeched, “Fight!? I can’t fight! I don’t have training! I’ll be killed! I’ll end up killing myself!” “No!” Hele yelled, standing up, “You don’t have to!” “What?” Matt asked, bewildered, “But, you just said,” “I know, I know,” Hele said, “But I just realized, you don’t have to!” “What?” Matt asked. “You can just organize the battle. Help us train! You don’t have to fight if you don’t want to!” “Then, will you help me?” Matt asked, pleading. “Of course.” Hele said, holding out her hand. “Of course.” Matt huffed, taking her hand and shaking it. Hele turned to leave. “Hey, Hele,” Matt said stopping her. She turned around. “Yes, Matt?” She asked. “Where are we?” He asked, looking around. “Oh,” Hele answered, “It’s a magical place, where the little girls and boys have so much fun.” Matt’s head pounded, and he had another flashback. Matt’s 13th birthday was in just 2 weeks, and his mother was trying to plan a birthday party around all of his and Ileana activities, and while trying to get Matt to agree, unsuccessfully. “Matt,” Pleaded Matt’s mother, “You have to invite at least 2 girls!” Matt just wanted to have a couple of his guy buddies over for cake and presents. They could play video games all night long, but his mother wouldn’t agree. Or Matt wouldn’t agree with his mother. “No!” Matt yelled, “I will not invite the very things, the very species that I swore never to encounter! Besides, girls don’t play video games.” He left out the part about not being able to talk about girls with girls standing right there. “Matt,” his mother said, beaten with stress, “Please listen.” “No Mom!” Matt said, standing up, “You listen! I’m turning 13! I’m going to be a teenager! This isn’t a magical place where the little girls and boys have so much fun! I’m not your little boy anymore!” And he stormed up the stairs to his room. That was the last thing Matt had said to his mother before she died that night, in a freak car accident. It all seemed so silly, now. They

had fought over a stupid birthday party, which he didn’t even have. Then she died! Matt remembered Ileana yelling at him, saying that he had killed their mother with his words. That he had put way to much stress on her. To many burdens on her shoulders. Sure, Ileana had been only nine, but she had a point. Ileana never quite treated Matt the same after that. Then, Hele skipped into a hut. It took Hele a while to convince the other villagers that Matt was not a threat or one of the Maarika, she had befriended him, and he was going to help. Eventually, the villagers felt comfortable around him. They started talking to him, learning about Earth and humans. Even Matt learned some new things. He learnt words in Estonian, the villagers’ language. Tere meant hello and head aega was good bye. How are you? was kuidas laheb?. Soon enough, Matt could almost have a conversation with a villager. In exchange for teaching Matt Estonian, Matt told the villagers what Earth and humans were like, how the two species were almost the same. The villagers were very amazed at how humans could live the way they did. Matt was surprised the villagers could live the way they did. They didn’t have any rules, but have fun. They didn’t go to school. They ate straight from the animal; no cooking (Matt learned to eat like that, too). After two and a half weeks, Matt started to like it on this strange planet. He still needed to know its name, though. One day, a little boy found Matt and sat down beside him on a mat. He had big blue eyes, like Hele, and his blond hair was just below his chin. “Tere, Matt” He said, smiling. “Oh, hello,” Matt answered, not wanting to talk in Estonian for once. “My name is Andrus,” the boy said, “It means warrior! I want to be one when I grow up!” He showed his muscles, and ran to play. That reminded Matt of all the work that was needed to be done. Hele and Matt had been holding a training camp for soliders for 2 weeks now, and only a handful of the soldiers were fit to fight. Either the men were, too small, too over weight, or just didn’t have the skill to fight. They had 52 soliders, and their chances of beating the Maarika were slim. But Hele still had hope. She wasn’t going to give up that easily. Most days, children would come to watch their fathers, or older brothers train. They would cheer on who they thought would win. They usually went for one solider named Aergad, which means strong in battle, because he was the best one. Matt knew if all else failed, Aergad could save them. At least he hoped so. Sometimes, the children

would pretend to fight, with swords made of branches, or grass. Matt knew they were just pretending, but he couldn’t imagine all of these children without of father. He knew what it was like living with one parent, but having a mother or not was different becauseSomeone shook Matt out of his thoughts. “Chief Archelaus wants to see you, Matt!” A little girl exclaimed, and ran into a small hut with her friends. Chief Archelaus was a big, muscular man who always made jokes and laughed. He played with the children and discussed issues with the adults. He was one of the best chiefs of all time, Hele had said. Everyone loved him. Matt had only seen him on one occasion. He had come to the training camp to see the progress a week before. He had looked worried. Matt walked through the curtain that hung at the door to the largest hut in the village. The room was dimly lit, with only a crack of sunlight through a covered up window for light. The Chief sat on a cushion at the far end of the hut. He was wearing a red and black skirt, showing his torso, as he always did. Matt bowed, and sat at his feet, on another cushion. “Matt of Earth,” The chief said, “what is your progress in training?” “We have been getting better. More are ready for battle.” Matt answered. “Good,” The chief said, bluntly, “We will attack in two weeks.” “Two weeks?!” Matt exclaimed, standing up, “Two weeks?! Chief, we will never be ready!” “Child,” The chief said, calmly, “you will be ready. You are dismissed.” Matt couldn’t do anything but leave. Hele found Matt all alone, head in his hands, sitting on the fountain. “Hey, Cynfal,” She said, sitting down. Matt looked at her. “Chief Prince?” He asked, “What are you talking about? You call me chief, leader, commander! All of those things! Suddenly, everyone is looking up to me! Saying, ‘Matt, you are our hero! Yay Matt!’ What kind of crap is that? I can’t lead you people into battle! Especially in two weeks! I don’t know what I was thinking when I agreed with you! Maybe it was your looks! I don’t know! Hele, I want the parts, the fuel, and I want out! To go home! This is torturing me!” “Matt,” Hele started, quietly, but Matt had already walked away. Andrus found Hele all alone, head in her hands, sitting on the fountain. “Hele, mis on valesti? Miks sa kurb?” Hele, what is wrong? Why are you sad? He asked, sitting down beside her.

“Matt.” Hele answered, “Matt on see mis juhtus! Ta tahab walja! Out of the tulla! Ta lubas, et aidata meil ja nuud, nuud ta tahab kutuse o sadja koju! See pole aus! Ta lubas, et see reetur!” Matt. Matt is what’s wrong! He wants out! Out of the deal! He promised to help us and now, now he just wants the fuel and parts and to go home! It’s not fair! He promised, that, that traitor! “See pole teme suu.” It’s not his fault. Andrus said, taking Matt’s side, “Loppude lopuks, ta ei tahtnud maa meie planeedil voion voildelda meile. See on vaid, et see oli ainus voimalus saada talle koju. Ma arvan, et ta vaarib tahavab valju.” After all, he didn’t want to land on our planet, or have to fight for us. It’s just that it was the only way to get him home. I think he deserves to want out. He stood to leave, but turned back. “And, by the way Hele,” He said with a smile, “You had it coming.” And he walked away. “Forgot I asked,” Hele said under her breath, mad at Andrus. She felt an uneasy feeling, and she remembered something she had always hated… Hele was just over 12 years old. Of course, her three brothers were way over 12 years. Anu was 14, Daleco was 15, and Malee was 17. It was no fair! At least, Hele thought so. Not only did her brothers make fun of her because she was only 12, but they made fun of her because she looked different. She hated it! They always called her Ozge, which meant different, strange. All of the others kids heard them and started calling her Ozge, too. On one occasion, there was an assembly at the fountain. All of the villagers were there, and Chief Archelaus was doing a speech. After his speech, he invited everyone to come and say something about the laws and problems in the village. Hele’s brother Daleco went up to talk. “I have an issue,” He said, very business-like, “It’s with a child of the village. She is a noosense and a bad influence to the other children. She has been trouble since the day she was born. I wish to have her executed or banished. She is known as the strange one.” Immediately, Hele turned red. She was the issue. Her brother wanted her to be banished! She was mad. And she was scared. But her brother wasn’t done yet. “Who agrees with me?” Daleco continued. “Yeah!” Malee yelled, followed by Anu and all of the children who made fun of her. Which was all of them. “Why doesn’t she come up here?” Daleco asked, silencing the children. The children cheered again and the kids beside Hele dragged her up to the front. Hele was still beating red. Daleco, being very strong, lifted Hele up so everyone could see her.

“Banish! Banish!” Malee and Anu started chanting and soon, everyone was chanting banish! Hele screamed and started crying, but no one stopped. Some of the adults started chanting too. No one cared about her anymore. That wasn’t much of a change from when she was little, until now. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Daleco set Hele down. “You know what, Hele?” He whispered in her ear, “You may think this is really unfair, but the truth is, you had it coming.” And he walked away. These days, Hele’s brothers had gone to the cities, more than 500 miles away from the village. They were millionaires and still made fun of Hele, although they meant it as a joke, remembering the good old days. They thought Hele had gotten over all the mean things they had done to her, like the banishing thing. But, the truth was, Hele had never gotten over it. Sometimes, she cried herself to sleep, thinking about how she was tortured, how no one had ever accepted her. No one did now either, except for the boy, Andrus, and Matt. They were her only friends. But, it was true. She really did have it coming. Lately, she had been very bossy, with the training camp. It was because of Matt. And it really wasn’t his fault, if you thought about it. He was from Earth, he was in space, and he had crash-landed on their planet. But what puzzled Hele, was how Matt and his airship had gotten into a completely new galaxy, about 90 quadrillion light years away from the Milky Way (One light year being about 9 and a half quadrillion km)? His ship would never have enough fuel or food to make it here. She would have to ask him sometime. Meanwhile, Hele needed to find a way to get Matt to agree to the deal again. Matt packed his clothes and prepared to walk the 3.5 miles to his damaged ship. The villagers were planning to bring him parts, so he could fix it. He was just about to walk away, when Andrus sat down beside him. “Hello, Matt,” Andrus said, smiling. “Oh, hi Andrus,” Matt answered, getting impatient, “What brings you here?” “I just wanted to talk to you,” Andrus answered. “About what?” Matt said, suddenly interested. He sat down. Andrus took a deep breath. “I know you want to leave, but listen Matt,” He said, “Without you, we are nothing. Literally, nothing! We’ll fall apart with you gone. You are our hope and faith! You are a true leader, and we need you. Everyone looks up to you. Look at what you’ve started! You can’t leave in the middle of this! Think of what would happen if you were gone!

The Maarika would kill us, first chance they get! With you, we’re strong and brave. Without you, we’re as useless as a dead fly! You can’t leave! We need you, Matt! Don’t go.” He paused for a minute, letting the words sink in. The he walked away. Matt thought about that. It was true. He had seen what the soliders fought like when he was taking a break. They were useless. They really did need him. Matt didn’t go back to the training camp, but he didn’t go back to his ship either. Hele was hand washing her family’s clothes, very slowly, thinking about where she went wrong with Matt. But, there was no explanation for the way Matt had acted. If only she had been more careful with what she said, Matt wouldn’t be preparing for take- off. Hele knew there was nothing she could do to change his mind now. She wished silently that Matt would make it home safely and without trouble. She wiped her eye, as it was moist. They had been so close! There was a loud knock at the door. “Yeah?” Hele asked, pulling it together. There was no answer. “Yes?” She asked again, turning around. And there was Matt, with his bag of clothes, smiling. “Matt!” Hele shrieked, and ran to give him a hug. But Matt beat her to it. He hugged her like a bear, the set her down. “Why?” Hele asked, confused. “Why did you come back?” “You very well know why, Hele!” Matt said, almost angry, “Don’t kid with me.” “What?” Hele asked, taken back, “Don’t you kid with me!” “Hele,” Matt said, “I know you got Andrus to come and talk to me!” “What!?” Hele asked, “I didn’t! If I wanted you to come back, I would have talked to you myself!” “What! So you didn’t want me to come back?” Matt yelled. “Of course I did!” Hele yelled back. “Then, why didn’t you talk to me?!” Matt yelled. “Because! You wouldn’t listen to me!” Hele practically screamed. “You didn’t even try!” Matt yelled. “Yes I did, Matt! I did! But, you’re just too bone headed to listen!” Hele screamed, “You don’t care about my people, do you? You don’t care! You just came back because you knew you weren’t going to make it back! You knew!” “Hele,” Matt started. “No, Matt!” Hele said, very sternly, “If you don’t care about my people or even ME, then leave!” She pushed past Matt, and walked away.

Matt tried to talk to Hele. He tried. But, Hele wouldn’t listen. She just walked away, or talked to someone else and ignored Matt. This didn’t go well in many didn’t ways. First, they were both the trainers for the soliders, and they couldn’t communicate, so they were teaching entirely different strategies. Second, Matt couldn’t apologize to Hele if she wouldn’t listen, so they couldn’t figure out all their problems. And third, the attack deadline was approaching faster than Matt had imagined, and Hele still hadn’t said one word to him. She hadn’t even looked at him without sneering. It was a nightmare. Matt knew they all were going to die. They didn’t even have a chance. Matt knew just from common sense the Maarika would win, they obviously had better soliders, better weapons, better defenses. Other wise, the villagers would have at least tried to defeat them. Andrus and some other villagers had said when Matt came; a light had flickered to life. They weren’t scared anymore. Matt just thought, Yeah right! They just wanted him to stay with them. They were always brave and daring, they just didn’t know they could be soliders. They didn’t know they could fight-and lose. Again, the haunting picture of all the children with no fathers crept into Matt’s mind like a snake, ready to attack, to come true in two short days. Matt shook his head, clearing his mind, and went to see the chief. Apparently, he wanted to know why Matt had come back so suddenly, but no one knew why except for Matt. And Andrus, but he was a little shy to adults. Matt walked into the Chief’s hut while knocking at the door. No one was there. The windows were covered, as usual, and the cushions were ruffled unpleasantly. There was nothing else that was unusual, except for a couple letters on the side table. Matt didn’t know the Chief wrote to anyone. The closet towns or cities were at least 200 miles away; it would take a while for a letter to reach anyone. Matt looked around to see if anyone was there, then picked up a letter. It was written in English. “This is odd,” Matt muttered, “It was written on August 14. Today August 15. How could a letter get here that quickly?” Matt was puzzled. This bothered him a lot. Matt didn’t mean too, but he ended up reading it. It read: Chief Archelaus, What is the meaning of this? The human wants out? And you are letting him go? I need him! I need that battle! This is the only chance

to get the girl! You must convince him to come back! Or else, Archie! Or else! Archie? Matt thought, Who the heck called the Chief, Archie? Obviously, a good friend of the Chief. And who was he? Matt had a feeling he was him. Who wrote this letter? Someone who knew the Chief; very well, someone who was going to be in the battle, and someone who wanted ‘the girl’, whoever that was. Matt noticed another letter underneath. It was dated, August 15; today. This one read: Commander Andrassy, A friend of the human, a boy, has convinced him to come back and fight like a man, under my command. I assure you; you will get the fight you’ve waited centuries for! And the girl, ‘the Ozge’ will be there. She will be fighting in the front lines. She has always wanted to fight, I have watched her grow, seen the revenge in her eyes. Be careful, she will be unkind and on a rampage if you rouse her. But, then again, if you capture her (which I assume will happen), it will be a greater victory. I will make sure all the villagers are watching, as you crush their families. You know, I have waited for this day for as long as you have, Andy. Please forgive me for not bringing my first letter sooner. Oh man! Matt thought, bewildered, Holy Cow! Chief Archelaus was evil! And he had been so thoughtful and nice to everyone! He and the leader of the Maarika (Matt assumed) were in this together. They were centuries of years old! They were going to capture Hele! Matt had to warn her. But she wouldn’t talk to him! This was just a mess. And another problem; Andrus was on the Chief’s side! All of that stuff he had said to Matt was rubbish! Matt should have left when he had the chance. No, he should never have agreed to go into space on the ‘greatest exhibition ever!’ or even wanted to be a stupid astronaut! Hele was right! He had only brought bad luck and nonsense! He should have listened to his mother, while she was still alive! She had always said, “Matt, don’t you ever do anything stupid, or that’s not worthwhile! It could get you into a lot of trouble!” And she was right. It could. But, this was no time to worry. He had to find Hele and the other villagers, and warn them about the Chief. Matt ran out of the hut, but turned back to get the letters, so he could prove the Chief was evil. But, as he ran out again, a big, tall figure was blocking his way. “Where do you think you’re going?” The figure said, in a mocking tone, “No where. That’s right. We’re going to have a little talk.”

And Matt finally saw the dark side of the Chief. Hele was angry. Very angry. She had been avoiding Matt for some time now, because of what he and said and done, and he still didn’t get what she was trying to prove. She wasn’t trying to prove that women were better than men, or that she hated him. She was trying to prove that bone-headed men like him, shouldn’t go running off, then come back like nothing had happened, then stab their friends in the back! She was also angry because Matt still hadn’t shown up to the soliders meeting after she had sent at least five children to remind him to come. This was the most important meeting of their entire lives. In two short days, at dawn, they were to attack the Maarika village, surprising them, and, hopefully, defeating them. Matt had kept saying, “We’re doomed, we’re doomed.” before they had stopped talking. Hele didn’t know how they were doomed. They were going to beat their enemy once and for all. Everyone was waiting quietly for Matt, when they heard a loud noise. It sounded like shouting. No one ever yelled in their village. “What was that?” Hele asked, turning to the soliders. “Don’t know, Hele,” One man said. “It came from that direction,” another said, pointing to the east, the direction of the Chief’s hut. “Let’s check it out,” Hele said, gathering the soliders. This was the most excitement they had had in weeks. They marched in the general direction of the noise, hoping to discover something. Anything that could take their minds off the battle ahead. Matt was scared. More scared than he had ever been in his entire life. The chief no longer had the bright, cheery smile he always wore. His eyes weren’t kind or caring anymore. He was in the worst mood imaginable. At least, it looked that way. “Look at me,” The chief demanded. Matt didn’t move. “Look at me!” The chief exclaimed, grabbing Matt’s hair and yanked. His head snapped up, hurting his neck. The chief didn’t let go. “Now, you listen to me boy!” The chief roared, too loud for a peaceful village, in Matt’s face, “Do you know what you have done?” “I,” Matt said quietly, but strong, “have organized a battle with a menace, a man of destruction, and your partner!” “You are correct, human.” The chief said quietly, “But do you know what else you have done?” “I have given these helpless villagers hope! Faith! Courage! They have been hidden in the dark for too long,” Matt exclaimed, “Archie! I’ve been nothing but a good soul and a,”

“Stop!” The chief exclaimed, looking through the window. He was silent. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide in horror. Matt didn’t know what was going on. Then, he heard it. A low, beating sound, like marching. Then, as soon as it had started, it stopped. Hele ordered her troops to stop. She had heard something. It wasn’t voices or her troops marching. It was a steady, loud marching in near distance. It shook the ground and made Hele tremble. It sounded like it was coming from behind her. What could it be? She whipped around to see what it was, but the tall troops were blocking her way. She ordered them to move. Even before her view was clear, she knew what it was. This was her nightmare. She never wanted it to come true, but the chances of it happening had grown significantly since Matt had arrived. Hele froze in terror, then she screamed at the top of her lungs, and the battle began. They were armed with the best weapons and defenses possible. They were charging before the villagers could react. Their swords were sleek, long, and light, made of the finest steel. These soliders were equipped with shields and armor. A tall, sleek figure strode at the head of the group. Meanwhile, the villagers had wood shields, and heavy, steel swords. They were not nearly as protected as the Maarika. They looked like muskrats standing beside grizzly bears. At that moment, Hele knew Matt had been right, for once. They didn’t have a chance. Plus, the Maarika had almost twice as many soliders. But there was one thing that was different. The Maarika wanted to kill the villagers, and the villagers wanted to protect their village and families. It was almost as if the villagers were more determined, as Hele watched their faces, as the Maarika advanced. The Maarika were almost at the front lines of the villagers, when Matt burst through the door of the Chief’s hut. “Hele!” He yelled. Hele whipped around, ready to snap at him. Then she saw what he looked like. His hair was messed up around his head. His clothes were torn in places and dirty. He was sweating and he looked stressed and worried. His eyes were pleading. Hele felt sorry for ignoring him for so long. She had never seen him like this. “They want you!” Matt yelled, “They want you.” Hele immediately understood. It was connected to her past. She felt the wind being knocked out of her. She saw another bad memory…

It was 11:30 pm on a Friday night. Hele had turned 15 yesterday. She was finally allowed to go to adult meetings, and wasn’t treated like a child anymore. But there was one thing she hadn’t expected to happen when she turned 15. Suddenly, a big, tall figure grabbed her by the arms and covered her mouth, so she couldn’t scream. She bit the hand. It slipped away. “Ow,” Hele heard a man grimace in pain. Obviously, she had sharp teeth. She’d have to try biting her brothers when they bothered her. Another figure grabbed Hele, and put a cloth over her mouth. As soon as she took a breath, she grew unconscious. She woke in a damp, brick building, with her arms and legs tied together. Her mouth was covered with a cloth that gagged her. The Chief and a taller, more slender figure were sitting in front of her. The Chief didn’t have cheery eyes or a smile anymore. Instead, he had cold, hard eyes, and a hard frown. The other was glowing red, and had hard black eyes. The two figures almost looked like Christmas puppets, standing together. Hele wanted to laugh, but had to keep it inside. Instead, she half smiled. “Why are you smiling, child?” The slender figure said. He must not have known that she was over 14. Hele shrugged. She didn’t like him. The Chief leaned in close to her. “Do you know why you are here, Hele?” He asked, quietly. “No,” She mumbled. The Chief untied the cloth. “Because,” The other man said, “This is everyone does when they are 15. They are questioned. And we,” He pointed to the Chief and himself, “decide where you should go. Your village. Or mine. Do you know who I am, Hele?” “No,” Hele mumbled again, although the cloth was out. “I’m the Maarika leader,” The figure said, quietly, and Hele screamed at the thought. Hele woke up in the same room, same position for the second time that night. “Are you going to behave,” The Maarika leader asked, peering down at her. Hele nodded. The Maarika leader untied the cloth again, so she could speak. He also untied her hands and feet. She was terrified of what he could do to her, so she decided she was going behave. “Now,” The Chief said, “Hele, would you rather fight, or retreat?”

“Depends,” Hele said, thinking, “If the enemy were strong, how many they had,” “Fight! Or retreat?” The Maarika leader yelled, impatient. “Fight,” Hele said quietly, remembering he was in the room. “Would you want to be a leader, or a follower?” The Chief asked. Hele was about to think aloud, when she remembered what had just happened 2 minutes ago. “Leader,” She whispered. “Would you rather run away from home, or have everyone run away, instead?” The Maarika leader asked. “I would rather run away,” Hele answered. “From here.” She added, quietly. “What?!” The leader screeched, “How dare you!!” “Andy,” The Chief soothed. “No, Chief!” Hele screamed, standing up, “Let him fight me!” “Oh,” The leader sneered, “You want a fight? Well then, a fight you shall get!” And they were off. Hele’s out come of the fight was a broken nose, a black eye, a broken wrist, and too many bruises and scratches to count. The Maarika leader’s out come wasn’t as bad. He only had three broken fingers, and a broken foot. They had been at it for at least 2 hours, exchanging blows. Now, they were each other’s worst enemy. Although the leader hated her, he wanted Hele on his team more than anything. She was strong, a fierce leader, and could stand anything. But, before he could say anything, the Chief loaded Hele onto the bear they had brought her on. The leader walked up to Hele. “It would be a great honour,” He whispered in her ear, “To have her on my team. You think about it.” But, Hele never had, until now. She had never wanted to be on his team. And knowing that they just wanted her, because of her skill, she decided not to let any blood be shed. Not to let any villager die. As the Maarika approached, Hele walked slowly through the crowd of soliders, ready to fight. She dropped her shield, but kept her dagger at her side. She walked up to the Maarika leader. “We meet again,” He said, taking her hand, “It’s been too long.” “Too long,” Hele agreed. “Take me,” She whispered suddenly, “Take me and spare these people. They don’t deserve it!” But, instead of taking Hele, the leader drew his short dagger, and with a skilled throw, he hit Matt square in the heart, instantly killing him. The man smiled a horrible smile.

“Matt!” screamed Hele, tears rolling down her cheeks. She rushed to his side, kneeling by his body, looking for a breath, a heartbeat, but there was nothing. “No,” Hele sobbed quietly, “No!” She jumped up and drew her dagger, ready to throw it at the leader. “I hate you!” She screamed, “I hate you!” Then, out of the crowd of families, watching the battle, someone yelled, “Hele!” A man burst out of the crowd, with a worried look. His hair was messed too, his clothes ripped in places. But this was the face Hele had wanted to see for years, since she was eight. She turned toward the sound, and saw her brother, Echove. He was lost to his family, and to everyone in the village. Echove had left for the cities when he was 18, and no one had seen him since. He looked so different. He also looked worried. “Echove!” Hele yelled, running to his side and hugging him. It wasn’t a happy hug, but a hug filled with sorrow, for her life’s failures, for old times, for Matt. Echove hugged her back comforting her. Hele sobbed uncontrollably. While all of this was happening, no one said anything. They just stared in shock. Then, suddenly, the troops of the village reacted. They were first worried, then sad, then all of the emotions they had ever felt in their entire lives turned into rage. They turned to face the Maarika, and charged with more might than an elephant. They thrashed at the Maarika with rage they never knew they had. They used the strategies Matt and Hele and taught them, working together. Soon, no one was left except for a few stray enemies and the leader. He was fighting with all his might, and was winning his mini battles. Then, Hele suddenly found the courage she had always wanted. She thought about Matt, about their misunderstandings when they had first met, how she had convinced everyone that he was innocent, how she had developed a deep, strong feeling for him, something close to love, but had never said anything to him, how she had ignored him for the past week, but finally broke out of ignoring him, when she saw him look a little deranged, and instead of breaking down and crying again, she got up, took her dagger out, and walked, slowly, to where the Maarika leader stood, fighting. “Hey,” She yelled, getting his attention. The soliders moved out of the way. “Yes, dear Hele?” The leader mocked. “You know how I am a great fighter, but could never throw a perfect shot, with anything?” Hele asked.

“Ah, yes, I do.” He answered, “You could never quite master the throw. Or at least, that’s what your Chief told me.” “Ah, yes,” Hele agreed, nodding, “Well, take this!” And she threw the dagger, and hit him square in the heart, not killing him instantly, for his skin was tougher than a human’s, but he only had a few minutes. Hele realized she had hit him perfectly, from 12 ft. away. That would have been impossible for her, apart from right now. She bent over the Maarika leader and smiled. “Pay back,” was all she said, and she walked away.