by Lara Yokoshima

Chapter 4. Ironic Alternative

The trip was becoming too long and tiring. Isha and his clan had already traveled several miles now, it was necessary to change their location since one of their sentinels had spotted not to far away from them a human vigilance caravan. It was not safe to stay there anymore, or else the humans would find them and he didn’t want to put his clan in danger again. He could still remember the bloody massacre that had almost left them all dead.

Using trucks and stolen cars, the clan that didn’t surpass the 200 members, traveled across the immense desert that made a frontier with the city of Vadia. The heat was almost unbearable ever since the ozone layer wasn’t of enough help; the weather acted in strange ways, sometimes with very extreme changes.

“Isha, how much more are we moving away?” Caleb asked, who was making Isha company inside a somewhat dented, black pick-up truck, carrying a load that was covered with a thick, vinyl blanket.

“Until I feel we are safe” the other Sekmit answered seriously, staring at the arid road.

“I believe that is quite enough, son of Yokasta”.

Isha stopped the truck in a sudden move. He slowly turned his head to stare at Caleb, who was immediately appalled by the surprising action of the other Sekmit. The caravan behind them also stopped, some even getting of their cars to check on the area and stretch their legs.

“You certainly know that I don’t like at all that you use my mother’s name when speaking to me, Caleb” Isha said with a serious tone, while he crossed his arms over his chest.

“It’s the only way to make you react, Isha” the other feline answered in a somewhat nervous tone.

“Using the name of my mother is not good enough of an excuse”.

Both men stayed very quiet for a moment, just staring at each other. Isha then returned his sight to the steering wheel, and while letting out a small sigh, he finally put the hand brake on the truck.

“All right… we’ll stay here and rest for a few days”, he said, getting of the truck immediatly alter. Caleb mimicked his action, getting off the truck and getting closer to Isha from behind.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to call you like that” Caleb replied while Isha stopped to observe the deserted landscape more carefully, “but we have been traveling for almost a whole week and it seems you don’t want to stop”.

Isha turned around again to look at his friend face to face, outlining a smile on his lips seconds later.

“No, you forgive me; you are right, but it’s just that all this stress I feel… goddammit!” he shouted while he placed a hand over his forehead as despair was shown in his face.

“Isha?” Caleb was a bit surprised watching his leader act that way.

“I can’t…” the other feline whispered.

“You can’t do what?”

“I can’t find a way to manage the clan and try to search for a damn cure at the same time… I just can’t”, Isha’s voice sounded really fragile, and the uselessness he felt inside his body made him lose confidence and stability.

Watching his leader like this, the one that should always show strength and confidence to the whole clan, falling apart in front of his very own eyes, Caleb couldn’t stop himself from placing a hand over Isha’s shoulder and make him slowly sit over the sandy ground.

“Relax, Isha… I’m sure you’ll find the way”

Isha once again adopted a serious expression, but even his worries were still noticeable on his sharp face features.

“The only problem was that you wanted to hasten things being this almost impossible to do” Caleb continued, speaking in a comprehensive tone.

“I know”, Isha answered, now a bit more tranquil.

But is just that after Yuma’s death I feel very confused… and lonely . He would have love to say these words to Caleb, but he decided to better swallow his thoughts since he didn’t want to worry his friend more than necessary. He stood up quickly, while the other man followed him. Isha looked at the caravan that had stopped behind him, he jumped over the truck’s cargo, and announced with all his breath that they would be staying in this place for a few days.

Caleb smiled a bit while watching how Isha’s temper could easily change in a matter of seconds. It was truly remarkable the fortitude this Sekmit possessed.

The night arrived after a couple of hours, and the environment refreshed a little; great part of the clan was already established in small tents where they guarded themselves from the weather. Isha also built his own tent, this time much more simpler, with just a few blanket layers to sleep over. We won’t stay much time, the stubborn Sekmit thought again, suiting himself over the blankets.

“So, what’s your plan?”

Isha turned around to watch from where that masculine voice came from, since he was taken by surprise. Standing in front of his tent entry, Caleb stared at him with a smile, while Isha accommodated himself to greet him.

“Good evening”, Isha replied to other Sekmit’s lack of education.

“Good evening. Your mother certainly taught you well” Caleb chuckled a bit, while he sat near Isha. The green-eyed feline just smiled. Taking the conversation back, the most corpulent men asked the question again.

“My plan?”

“Yeah, your plan… now you’ll tell me why you have so much anxiety to get away from Vadia as soon as possible in such a short time? Caleb asked once again.

Isha stared at him a bit pensive, and then answered. “I want to meet with one of your allied clans, the Bisharel Clan. It might be necessary that we need some help, since our clan is not as big as others”.

Caleb nodded approvingly the decision of his leader. “You think Aviana, their leader, will lend us a hand?”.

“Oh, c’mon! it was obvious that before organizing her own clan she was after me. Of course she’ll give us her help!”, said the presumptuous leader, laughing a bit.

Both men joked for a while to Isha’s funny comment, there was no doubt that their leader thought of himself as a true Don Juan, which amused Caleb very much. Isha was in fact a Sekmit with several facets.

“Good, well then I hope you set everything with Aviana” Caleb said while he retired from the tent.

“Of course!” Isha replied with a sly smile.

Finally saying good bye, Caleb got out of the tent, leaving Isha alone once again. The long haired Sekmit sighed, repeating the last phrase he had told. “Of course”.

Isha rested his body again, he had to accept he was very tired from the trip and he needed to recover some strength. Weariness made him surrender this time, as he closed his eyes and prepared himself to have some sleep.

Screams full of terror was the only thing that his sensitive ears caught that afternoon that seemed fresh and tranquil. Women and children ran everywhere, some of them falling on the ground, being instantly picked by their frightened mothers, while the strongest Sekmit of the clan fought with their lives for the sake of their families in the fiercest battle ever.

In the middle of that battlefield where humans, Sekmit and other quimaera fought without a hint of compassion, Isha just stood there while the constant battles occurred in his surroundings. The surreal feeling made him think he wasn’t there, like if it was an illusion, or a really bad memory. What was happening in those moments was a terrible sight indeed.

Surrounded by corpses, from Sekmit and humans alike, he heard a voice calling to him desperately. Isha, Isha, it repeated, to which the young boy that didn’t surpass the 12 years of age reacted and started to run, as little tears came out from his eyes, trying to search for the source of that voice. It was clearly the voice of his mother.

“Mother!” the fragile teen shouted without control, dodging missing bullets and grenades that came his way with incredible agility.

Finally, he could recognize a familiar figure. A few steps away from him, a female Bastit with infinite purity was waiting for him with arms wide open. Her long, pistachio hair, her snow white furry ears and her golden eyes staring at him with fear and sweetness at the same time, transmitted an incredible peace to the young Sekmit. Isha ran to her, siking his face in the soft fabric of her sky blue dress, drying his tears on her chest.

“Mother…” a soft whisper came out of his lips between sobs, while she hugged him with strength, fearing he would go away.

“My dear son”, his mother’s voice was as soft like a summer breeze, while she caressed his head with tenderness. Isha started to relax, and soon his breathing returned to a normal pace.

Every sound from the outside seemed meaningless now, and soon he found himself alone with his mother, in an almost ethereal atmosphere and a flowery fragrance filled his sensitive nostrils. It was as if they were in a vast paradise, and his mother the most beautiful cherub he has ever seen.

“My dearest Isha… is time for me to go now”.

“No, mother please! Don’t leave me alone… not again!” the young Sekmit screamed with dispair, while his mother was beginning to let go.

“Don’t be scared, Isha; you are one of the chosen ones for the Sekmit race to survive”, his mother told him with a delicate smile, drying a tear from the teenager’s cheek.

“B-but…”

“Search for Irvin Mason” her mother said to him in an almost commanding tone. “He’ll provide you with his help”.

The boy was about to complain again, but just a stare from his mother made him nod like any other obedient child. He just asked a last question.

“Who is Irvin Mason, mother?”

“A human friend… a very good friend”, she said smiling.

Just after saying this words to his son, Isha and her mother returned to the previous scenario, where the battle was still unfolding.

Isha wanted to ask her many more questions, but in that instant, a shot came out from nowhere. His mother’s face contorted in pain, while her fragile body fell on her side and blood began to came out from the corner of her mouth. The eyes of the young feline expanded, looking at a human soldier smiled at him with wickedness, as he pointed his smoking riffle towards his head. Isha was in a shock state, not able to move any muscle of his body.

“NOOOOOOO!!”

Isha quickly rose his semi naked body from the blankets where he was resting. A cold sweat ran all over his skin, his green eyes were open wide after that terrible nightmare. His erratic breathing was beginning to calm down though, while he tried to convince himself that it was just a dream. It looked so real… as if I had lived that moment again, he thought seconds later, swallowing hard and drying his face with wet hands.

But… who’s this Irvin Mason person?

Yes, it had been a dream. But a very special dream, unlike any other. His mother was in some way making contact with the now leader of the Pakhet Clan, the clan that once was controled by his father, Thanos.

After his mother’s loss by the hands of humans, Thanos taught Isha all he needed to know. Isha swore by his mother that one day he’ll give death to the human responsible of her demise, and he wouldn’t rest until Sekmit where truly free from them. And now, his mother told him in a dream to go seek the help of a human. What am I supposed to do??

Isha rubbed his eyes, it was still early morning and he needed his rest. He decided to think about it in the late morning, although if he hadn’t been so tired, it was possible he would go and find that person.

No Isha, not yet, be pacient.

Without thinking about it anymore, Isha laid down again so he could sleep. Nonetheless, he couldn’t close his eyes. That dream had him totally confused, but he had absolute trust that the prediction he just had was a good one. The plan would continue as he had arranged.

First, I gotta contact with the Bisharel Clan; we’ll need all the help we can get. Mother…

Isha closed his eyes focusing on the beauty of her mother that still remained in his mind, and like a child lulled by a lullaby song, his body yielded to the fatigue that consumed him.

I’ll save the Sekmit and Bastit quimaera. That is my promise to you, mother.