Thunder boomed high above. A small crack split from the dark planks. A couple droplets plopped simultaneously into a rusty bucket. It ranked of horse dung.
Ji-ho watched as Aspen and Acacia left. This was their second night here— and Ji-ho was already quite sick of the place.
How did Leaf Tribe Villager's live in houses like these?
~*~
Edge clicked her nails against the hard flooring, "So... Are we just going to sit here or are we going to start this?" She asked after a moment.
"We're going to start it." Ji-ho said.
'It's about the right time anyways.' He thought to himself. Late at night... Even if there was a chance someone could hear them, it was slim.
Thought cleared her throat, "I say that this is all just some conspiracy!"
"Conspiracy?" Drought turned to her, "I've been living as a prince in Droplet Tribe my whole life. I would've heard something about a conspiracy,"
"Was living," Someone corrected him in a hushed tone, but Drought ignored whoever it was.
"How can we prove it's a conspiracy?" Ji-ho murmured.
"Maybe they never told you because they had already decided what you were going to be!" Thought raised her head before she banged her hands on the floor.
"It's all a way to make money." She added in a grumble.
They sat in a circle on the sleeping bags. This was quite uncomfortable— It looked like they were trying to summon some old god.
"What if—" Edge began, but she was quickly cut off my an angered Thought.
"How do we know that you aren't with them?" Thought growled.
She moved towards Wisp, "That you aren't some spy against us— Planning to kill us off."
"You can move away from the girl, I'm not going to do anything," Drought huffed at first, "If I was a spy, then why would I be helping you against that mob— Or help Sayuri with Sparrow?"
Thought looked slightly dumbfounded. She opened her mouth, before thankfully she shut it. She spun around, as if to look for some comeback, and wrapped her arm around Wisp. Wisp was hardly paying attention to Thought, and was nose-deep in a book.
"I feel bad for that Wisp," Edge mumbled to herself.
"We all do," Drought nodded to her; he overheard her.
Atlanta was fairly quiet while the others argued among themselves. Earlier, she was so loud that she had attracted all of the Leaf Tribe farmers. Now, she was unusually quiet.
"Uh— Is everything alright, Atlanta?" Rustic flicked an ear to her. He seemed alert, with his posture upright, and his ears pricked.
"Everything's alright!" Atlanta chirped. She smiled.
"Are you sure?" The boy cocked his head to the side, "You seem kinda... quiet,"
"Not to be rude, of course," He added quickly.
"I'm just listening in." Atlanta grinned.
"Uh— Alright," Rustic nodded; he seemed to wanted to say something else, but stopped himself. His fawn-like eyes reflected worry.
'It's kind of hard to believe Atlanta.' Ji-ho's mind murmured. 'She's always seen... smiling and happy.'
"Is there something you want to share?" Thought turned to Atlanta. Her hungry eyes seemed to look for anything after her failed attempt with Drought.
"Sparrow told me that he had a document related to this." Sayuri jumped in. "Maybe we can find the information we want there."
Ji-ho slightly nodded, but he didn't say anything.
Thought looked slightly dissatisfied with Sayuri after she jumped in instead of Atlanta. She flicked what slightly longer strands of her short hair she had back. However, she nodded in agreement with Ji-ho.
"How do we get to it?" Drought asked.
"We... have to steal it." Sayuri mumbled.
"Steal it?" Wisp suddenly squeaked, "We'll get killed!"
"Or I can ask him for it." Sayuri added in.
"I don't trust him to just 'hand it over,' he has a small one, but he does have a brain," Drought murmured.
"Well, we don't have any other plan, really," Edge said with a sigh.
"I hate to agree." Ji-ho nodded, and Edge smiled at him.
"We aren't just going to let Sayuri stride over there and let Sparrow take her," Drought raised his voice slightly.
"There has to be some other way of handling this," He added.
"Maybe we... try talking to them?" Rustic asked.
"I doubt that'll work." Ji-ho muttered.
Rustic looked slightly bummed. Thought spoke up for him, "Maybe we trick him." It was the first sensible thing she had said in days.
"Yeah!" Edge pipped in, "Make us seem like some important merchant from some far-off land."
"He seems quite dumb, so I'm sure he'll fall for it," She added with a laugh.
"Alright..." Drought murmured. He looked uncertain, but nodded.
It didn't matter if everyone agreed or not. The door creaked slightly. Edge jumped back slightly at the sight of the candlelight. Thankfully, it was just Aspen.
"Acacia and I are trying to sleep, so please, keep it down," He whispered before adding, "Goodnight— again."
Then he closed the door. After a minute, Wisp flicked her wrist like that garlic-ranking guard had before. The torches were silenced, and all that was left was a few smoky remains.
Question was, was how had Wisp learned this?
——
A bit of a slower-moving chapter, at least for us
Whether this plan will work or not, you'll have to see, so stay tuned!
Have another amazing day/night!
-Echooœ
YOU ARE READING
Forgotten Truths (Book One of the Forgotten Truths Series)
Fantasi'4 Tribes, 4 Times we are used, 4 times we are separated for someone's thoughts on how this should be, and you wonder- was it always like this?' Four different tribes, based off of the four elements, have always been separate. Different rules, diffe...
