FALAHA'S JOURNEY 2: Graveyard of the Gods

Episode #10

"Do you think I should have killed Dorgu's Sangu?" I turned to my Second spouse, who had shed his monstrous armor helmet.

Orewen shrugged. "I think you did the right thing back then, when you spared Shaamta and his crew. But these are loose ends. We need to deal with them too. Whoever they are, these people need help. The ones aiming their guns at us are sick too. I can tell."

My eyebrow rose. "We don't even know who they are and what they did to deserve their fate." I turned to the sick man who spoke to me. "Very well, we'll leave. But... if you want help, you can find me in the desert above. Your choice. I'm not Shaamta and his are not my methods. I'm just an explorer with some resources. I can tell when I'm unwelcome. But I don't think you have all the time in the Universe to decide. You're slowly dying. Yet, perhaps, this is what you seek." I turned around and proceeded to leave this place.

Orewen threw his final glance onto the armed men and followed me. Tagai followed us as well.

"Wait..." The man called, his voice weak and hopeless. Almost at the tunnel mouth, I took a few more steps and stopped, slowly turning around. "Wait." He took a step forward. "How can we know you're not lying?"

I shrugged and slowly started walking towards the speaker, leaving Ore and Tagai standing at the tunnel opening. "Being what I am I didn't level the place, for one, and you're still breathing. I even offered help, though I have no knowledge of who you all are and what is going on. Perhaps, I will regret my choice soon. But I'll still stand by it."

The man's heavy stare and stern features softened a bit. "I'm... General Togra. Beren Togra. Of the Suran National Defense Forces. We are the Surani. What had remained of us..."

"You look very similar to something we once were, the Lael," I replied. "But it was a long time ago. I don't know what you are. It's my first time venturing to these parts of the Jainaa." I saw his men — and it seemed that every one of them was male — lowering their weapons and shedding their helmets. Black-haired, pale and blue-eyed. And looking sickly, like Orewen said. "Yet you have soma. I need more information on what's going on. The man in the black suit by my side is a soma specialist. And the Baal belongs to the Avlaora kind of Varga's bloodline. But who exactly are you? A Lael? An Alima Eni?"

"Neither. We are neither... We are the remnants of what was once the Alima Eni, though we are close to the Lael. But our kind is separate from them. And for that we were hunted... and when that Baal offered help, he lied to us... He wanted us dead. But we did nothing to deserve this... We just wanted nothing to do with them all... And now we are hunted by all of them. What is left for us is to hide. But you are right, we are dying. We are poisoned by this vile black substance..."

"Yet you have something that blocks my senses," I said.

"That's what that Baal promised... that nobody will find us, see us... but it was poison... He was above simply killing us... He had fun when our suffering began."

"Are you saying that he damaged your soma that it would block everything out but slowly kill you? Because form your words that's what is going on."

"I don't know..." The General gave me a hopeless look.

"How did you get soma?"

"Like all of the Alima Eni... transfigured, our ancestors drank the Baali blood, sustained by it. All of us were given black blood almost right after birth, it wasn't our choice. Our ancestors were the lower caste, our sustenance was mandatory... we were created to serve. We were also against the methods how that blood was harvested. Eventually we left, but we still had to drink the cursed blood to survive. We cannot live without it. If the child is not nourished, he dies within a few weeks. The older we get, the longer the periods we can exist without nourishment... And we're still hunted by those things since the rebellion amongst the Baali ignited. That started so long ago and ever since we wandered the space... The Alima Eni are finally extinct, the Lael are all long dead being the first to go... we're all that is left." He turned around and made a gesture to demonstrate those who came with him. "This. This is all that is left. We begged the Baali for blood, but we were treated as monsters, many of us killed... So we had to flee and hide. We had built a city here... Then we buried our remaining women and children over fifty years ago. They succumbed to deadly thirst the first. Without enough blood to sustain them, the young ones followed... Those left standing are middle-aged and elderly..." He turned to me. "I haven't seen a living woman in decades."

"But why would Shaamta hunt you? He could simply starve you to death..."

"Because of our roots. As if we're responsible for what our ancient leaders did..." And then he whispered. "We just want to survive. We don't want to harm anyone... But we have no source of black blood any more... We'll make our last stand here and die with dignity."

"How many of you are there?" I asked. "Since that twisted soma blocks my view still." I already began thinking of ways to repair it, but I had to take a closer look at it first.

"One of my division's battalions is all I have left."

"I have enough place on my ship to house everyone. Right, Ore?" Also approaching, Orewen nodded.

"But... we saw you talk to that thing..." Beren said.

"It's a long story..." I replied. "But he's in my service now. His presence here was a coincidence, he wasn't here hunting you." I offered General a hand. He took off his glove and shook it, unsure at first, but I felt strength solidifying in his grip. His calloused hand was warm and dry. "I'm Falaha. Commander Falaha Kierenen kennar Fargann. Also, Falaha Yajur Sangu. But... I'm not your food."