by Lara Yokoshima

Chapter 5. Do You Have A Plan?

“Isha! What the hell do you think you are doing?”, Caleb almost shouted in a whisper.

“Shhhh! You want them to catch us?”

The larger feline followed the younger one from behind, who moved through the desert dunes, twitching his tail excited. A few more steps and at last they could spot the small tents of the Bisharel clan randomly distributed over the smooth, sandy soil, some of them still with the lights on. The night was fresh, nothing compared to the suffocating heat of that afternoon.

“I do not think this is a good idea...”, the short haired Sekmit muttered very worried.

“This will be amusing, you'll see”, Isha said very confident of himself.

Taking out a digital binocular from his jacket, Isha placed the gadget over his eyes. He looked carefully for a moment, until he located the tent of the leader of the clan.

“I found it! Let's go, Caleb”, the feline said, smiling, and immediately Isha slid down the dune trying not to make any noise.

“B-but, Isha... Rats! ” the other Sekmit did not have time to even retort, and began to follow his impatient leader; Isha had already reached the firm ground.

Walking cautiously among the tents, it was not long before they made it to the supposed tent of the leader. What a surprise I’m going to give to Aviana, thought the long hair feline, with a wicked smile on his face. Caleb followed him closely, but with his guard very high, paying attention to their whereabouts.

Isha approached the entrance of the tent, and in a quick and agile movement, raised the cover.

“Surpri--…!! huh?”

The tent was empty. Strange, Isha thought, but just when he turned around, he felt hands grabbing him by the arms, holding him firmly, and doing the same with Caleb. They had been caught.

Moments later, they found themselves tied up by their hands and feet, while two guards aimed at them with guns. Muffled, neither Isha nor Caleb were able to say anything, but Isha of course struggled showing his discomfort. Then they heard steps behind them. They listened to the stern voice of woman.

She spoke with the guards that had them captive, and after a pause, the person that had arrived stood before them.

“Affiana! ”, tried to shout the long-haired Sekmit, with surprise in his eyes.

The Sekmit woman facing them began to laugh, watching the two men in the floor tied up like dry meat, especially because of the face of surprise and terror from the younger Sekmit.

“My dear Isha... What brings you to this neighborhood?” mocked the young woman that barely surpassed the 20 years of age. She approached Isha slowly with the grace of a panther, and removed the gag from his mouth, and in that instant Isha began to reply angrily.

“Damn you, Aviana! That was not funny... at all!” Isha said, his cheeks burning red with embarrassment. He never imagined that they would fall right into an ambush, not when he had traced such a perfect plan. Well, almost perfect, he thought.

“What you were going to do was neither funny”, commented Aviana while untying both male felines.

Rubbing his wrists to erase the marks of the strong ropes with which they had been tied, Isha gave a scrutinizing look at Aviana while she untied his friend.

She had changed a great deal since the last time Isha saw the young female, now she seemed more strong and determined than before, which was necessary to lead a clan. Besides, her looks now were more... exotic.

The tight black clothes on her torso and the leather pants accentuated her well-shaped body. Aviana's golden skin was lightly spotted like a jaguar's, and her short hair fell in messy sharp bangs, and the several piercings that adorned her face made her look like a coarse girl. Piercings were scattered everywhere; one in the nose, more in the ears and finally one in her bellybutton. The new Aviana had nothing in common with the delicate, demure girl that Isha remembered.

“And so? Why are you here?” asked Aviana, making a sign to the guards so that they returned to their shift.

Awaking to reality, Isha blinked a few times before Aviana’s question sunk in, remembering then the purpose of their visit. Isha approached her while Caleb stood at his side, and after clearing up his throat a few times he answered.

“Well... uhm, Aviana... we need your help.”

Aviana remained quiet for a few minutes while digesting the information that her ears had just received. She frowned for some time as if what she had listened from Isha had been a foolish joke. Isha stared at her patiently, waiting to receive some answer from the young Sekmit woman who remained sit and still facing him.

“Isha...” the female Sekmit finally spoke.

“Yes? ”, Isha answered immediately. He knew that those news must have been shocking for Aviana, it was obvious, they would shock any Sekmit for that matter.

“This gen… is it in all the new generation of Sekmit?

Isha nodded. The young female seemed fearful of such a horrible destiny. But she got over the shocking news, and looked straight at Isha.

“You have the help of the Bisharel clan at your side, Isha”.

“Perfect”, answered Isha with a smile. “Now it is our turn to face the humans, Aviana”.

“Yes”, she replied with stern decision in her voice, while raising her arm to seal the pact. Isha raised also his, and they tightened their hands with a strong clap, looking into each other eyes and both showing confidence in their faces.

“Pakhet and Bisharel, always together!”, Isha shouted. He was moved by the incredible news that he would give back to his clan. Not every day such a strong alliance was done with another Sekmit clan, and this seemed to be a very important one for it was a great source of support, to strengthen both physical and moral senses.

“Always strong! ”, responded in the same way Aviana, with a great smile in her full lips.

Moments later, Isha, Aviana and Caleb were found celebrating with a delicious meal based on roasted meat, and a pack of beers. It may not have been a great thing, but for a Sekmit that food was a worthy banquet fit of an emperor. Isha was eating so fast he choked with a piece of food, so Caleb helped his fearless leader whacking his back so hard, that Isha almost fell flat on the floor. Aviana chuckled heartily before such a show, and Isha growled a little but later he was laughing as well.

The Sekmit young woman, although radiating happiness before the meeting with her old companions, could not to stop thinking what would happen later to their people. Immediately after Isha had eaten the last piece of meat, Aviana intervened again.

“Isha, I want to ask you...”

"Yes? Tell me, Aviana”, he said smiling, giving a chug to his beer.

“I would like to know if you have something planned”, continued the young feline, while Isha finished his beer and crushed the empty can among his fingers, provoking a metallic sound.

“Well... you are not going to believe it, but...”, Isha said but remained silent for a moment, Aviana fixed her eyes into Isha’s waiting for him to continue. Seeing that the girl facing him was dying of curiosity, Isha whispered in a husky voice.

“A dream”, he said finally.

“A dream?”, repeated Aviana.

Isha nodded. Aviana was confused. Then Caleb intervened.

“What Isha means is that he had a dream... a prophetic dream of some sort”, said the tall Sekmit with his baritone voice.

“Well, not prophetic exactly...”, Isha said and chuckled a little, looking at Caleb with a face that said 'you had to open your big mouth'.

Aviana was very confused. Isha did not have other remedy than to explain to her his dream in detail. The young leader of the Bisharel clan frowned, trying to understand what the leader of the Pakhet clan told her. Finally after a few minutes, Isha mentioned the name of the person with which they had to make contact.

“Irvin Mason?”, Aviana asked again the name that she had just heard.

“That's the one... he’ll supposedly be of great help for us”, Isha said with a low voice.

" A human?!”

Now Aviana voice was no longer questioning, but irritated, and she fixed her eyes on Isha, who did not understand what had caused his colleague to become this upset.

“Er... Aviana… what's the matter? ” a very disconcerted Isha asked, who backed away a few steps upon seeing that the furious female approached him dangerously.

Aviana got as close as to touch the nose of Isha with hers.

“You very well know that have a pact of death with the humans. It is impossible that we resort to one so that he can help us!” she said almost snarling. Isha cringed, not knowing how to react before this.

Isha knew that what Aviana had said it in that moment was true, but the present circumstances did not leave them with any other option. Slowly, he placed a hand over Aviana's shoulder, trying to calm her down.

“I know it sounds very risky, Aviana… but think about it carefully”, Isha finally said, trying to convince her. His glimmering green eyes looked at the girl in a charming way, one that she could not resist. She always had had a very special affection for Isha, a lot more than simple friendship.

“Very well…” she said resigned. “But if something bad happens, then you take full responsibility!” She snapped at him not allowing to be dominated completely by Isha's charms.

“I knew that you would accept!” Isha said smiling, giving her some friendly pats on her shoulder.

Caleb, who had been listening patiently, smiled too, assenting with his head to the not so encouraging plan of Isha. But what else could they do?, the solitary feline thought, but to accept what his leader proposed, not having any more ideas of his own to share.

After talking a while longer, at last they decided to leave the following night in search of Irvin Mason. The only clue that the Sekmit had was his name, which they should investigate with the other Sekmit clans, and perhaps some other contact that could be found in Vadia to obtain more information about Mason's whereabouts. I hope we have enough luck to find him soon, Isha thought while Aviana directed them towards an improvised tent where they could be able to pass the night; suddenly, a thought lit the mind of Isha. And what if HE knows something…?