The Games for Gaiathal (Part 3 of 'A Tale of People and Apples Trilogy')

Chapter 17: The Trade

Just as Solan suspected, his ambush awaited, and his Outlanders remained stationed at the front of the fortress and not at his disposal.

The gate continued to creak open, and five women awaited him. Five warriors. Their sparkling silhouettes against the sun that shone in atop the lush green grass of the outside.

His sister in her white lab coat, his escaped and most prized golden prisoner Eeva with a sword in hand, a hammer wielding Bear and a shimmering sleeved glove, a Tiger outfitted with a glowing blue eye piece which only his sister could have made, and a Raven with a rifle which glowed and pointed at him and the Wolf. Maeve able to weaponize their great-aunt's Field technology.

The Raven aimed at his head which was tucked beneath Luka's bleeding body. They all gasped at the sight of him, at how weak and feeble he was.

He was minutes from becoming a corpse like all of his friends, and his remaining friends knew it. Solan smiled that they were all able to dwell in this realization as he held Luka upright as his human shield.

"Sister," Solan said to Maeve, a cheerful nod to his long lost twin.

"Where are the others?" Rosaya asked, worry creeping into her voice, worry creeping into the eyes of the other Hosts. "Where are the boys? Where is Calysa?"

Solan smiled as he realized all of their respective lovers were within the fortress, not knowing their status' yet, but the very reason they had all come. Romantic pairs which he had ultimately orchestrated for a bloodline he no longer required, a grim byproduct of his experiment which he couldn't help but smile at.

"Ask them," Solan said, grinning and nodding towards Eeva and Maeve who had witnessed the Games for themselves. Eeva and Maeve averted their eyes, which were tired from the tragedies they witnessed and endured as helpless spectators.

"No," Talia whispered in her stance, not able to believe it. "No, you lie."

Signey and Rosaya looked on, stunned, shocked, not able to come to terms with what Solan implied.

"Shoot me, and the Wolf dies. Shoot me, and the Marrow will never be destroyed. Isn't that right, Maeve?" Solan said, Rosaya refocusing her sights on Solan's head with grit teeth and an eye closed, Solan's head bouncing around dangerously behind Luka's limp figure.

Maeve held her hand up to Rosaya to hold her fire. She knew exactly where the Marrow was, the Man in Red's map with its location upon it, but hadn't a clue how to destroy it. Only Solan and Luka knew how to after being within the Chamber of Truth, and they couldn't risk this secret extinguished.

"Look at his leg, the arrow. He's vulnerable. We should kill him and take our chances with the Dark and whatever the Marrow is," Rosaya said angrily, scared but not yet accepting that Solan had killed her Tristan, wanting to ensure he didn't slither away to safety and avoid justice. "We killed your Generals. Now we'll kill you," She shouted at Solan.

Solan only smiled, and said, "Did you now? Impressive, girl. Shoot us down, the Wolf and I, then. I deserve it. In fact, we both deserve it."

"No, Rosaya. We must destroy the Marrow and the Dark," Maeve said.

Maeve stared upon the steel floor of the fortress, where it met the soil of the continent, and realized it was the seal where Solan would regain his powers and where Luka would regain his Gift. Solan slowly walked towards the boundary and Maeve yelled for him to stop, Rosaya tightening her grip on her rifle and bringing her eye back to her sight at Maeve's command.

"Come a step further and we will shoot. What do you want?" Maeve said, Solan smiling as he realized that she realized what he was slowly striding towards. He stood in place, still as a statue.