Revolutions

99 - Teqosa

Save for the continuous noises of life in the jungle, the many days traveling to the lagoon is spent in silence between us. The birds and monkeys cheerfully call to one another, but there is no feeling of cheer among our group. The recent interaction with the Auilqa tribe leaves many questions lingering in the air. The distrust in our hired guide grows the longer she remains quiet, and I wonder what was exchanged between her and the native tribe. Has she made some deal with them? Are we or the contents of the chest to be handed over to the tribe if we survive its trials?

I channel my frustrations in hacking away at the endless sea of vines hindering our path. With the unrelenting and nearly unbearable humidity, I forget that it's winter elsewhere in Pachil, wondering if these jungle ever experience the merciful cold. Perhaps it's this continuous exposure to sweltering heat that is causing my mood to deteriorate. Either way, never have I missed the cool, dry winds of Qantua as much as I do now, while I wipe away yet more beads of sweat from my brow.

Sporadically, Síqalat excitedly points to a blue mark with the supposed oval and two triangles, indicating that we're on the right path. I remain skeptical, though I'm skeptical of much about Síqalat. She claims to be a well-traveled guide, yet she led us directly into the hostilities of an Auilqa tribe. She pointed to a colored marker and stated it denoted a path to the Auilqa watering hole, yet she led us into their supposed hunting grounds, in direct confrontation with a massive jaguar.

I'm of two minds: she could've been mistaken and all incidents were by happenstance, or this is some elaborate ruse to relieve us of our valuables. Perhaps, on the day that we met her, she could have noted us as a mark, some target flush with riches of whom she could take advantage. It's not as though we disguised ourselves; we practically announced ourselves as outsiders, given Upachu's pale skin untouched by the sun, or my black and gold tunic and armor.

The memories of a moment in the early days of the War of Liberation come rushing back to me. I'm reminded of my outfit, before I ultimately took command over it. Many were young, inexperienced. But they were full of vigor, ready and eager to defeat the Timuaq. What they lacked in experience, they more than made up for in vitality and energy, traits I would come to embrace from my squads until the end of the war.

We were camped in the Achope jungles, close to the Tapeu border. Our leader, Qencha, had plans to slip through the mountain pass and into Tapeu territory. We needed supplies, to ensure we could traverse the mountains and endure the strenuous conditions. He had worked out a deal with the nearby Achope village, Ilquitaa, who would gather and organize our supplies in exchange for protection. It seemed like a reasonable deal, and none in our group had questioned it.

It wasn't until we were awoken to the thunderous stampede of the titans storming our camp that we became aware we were being set up, betrayed. We lost many lives that day—nearly two-thirds of the entire squadron—and were forced to retreat, utilizing stolen merchant vessels and traversing the Maiu Qoli to safety. This was how we learned the hard lesson: the Achope would look out only for what's in their faction's best interests, not that of the entire continent. The Timuaq, we would later learn, had promised them significant wealth, plundered from the other factions, should they join their cause. The Achope are easily swayed—no, they are easily bought, with riches being their main means of motivation. This knowledge was used to ultimately have them join the rebellion many harvests later, but everyone still looks at them with suspicion, even after the end of the war. Why I seemingly chose to ignore this conventional wisdom during our time in Chopaqte, I cannot say.

I kick myself for being so short-sighted. How could I not have realized we were setting ourselves up for being swindled? I gave in to her charms in Chopaqte, seeing her stand up to the tavern keeper and proclaiming to have some morals and a sense of justice. The entire moment could have been a ruse, some set up to sink her hooks into an unsuspecting victim likely to possess riches. It's this unpreparedness that gets one killed when you let your guard down for the slightest moment. There isn't much to do now but watch her attentively and make sure that she doesn't succeed with whatever she's planning.