Shadows Cast by a Golden Sun: The Liberation of Skalos

Chapter 2: Ruins

Akkara saw the signs that the day was coming to an end; that beautiful orange light, heralding the sunset. He sat back, admiring his handiwork; even if he wasn't content with his fate to farm until he died, old and unaccomplished, he was damn good at it. The sun bathed Akkara's crops, a beautiful mix of plants of many colours, sizes and shapes. Their farm had it all; vegetables, grains, herbs and spices all. It frustrated him, how good he was at farming. This couldn't be his fate.

"Akkara," he heard his mother's stern voice from around the corner of the farm-hut, calling to him, her footsteps growing close. "I have another job for you, before your dinner. Fetch more Power Cores from those ruins, would you? You know the route, marked out for you on your EnviroMonitor's map." She outstretched her trembling, wrinkled arm to her son, holding a yellow bag; intricately made, crafted from woven fissari fibre and adorned with embellishments from green thread, depicting vines and foliage blooming from the bag's opening. A sacred, religious item. 

Akkara's brow furrowed. "Do you ever stop asking me to do all your hard work, so you can feed the livestock, and sweep? Look! Look at what I've accomplished today, all these crops planted and harvested, all for you! You never thank me."

"I... Akkara, I didn't think I had to. I thought you liked it here, on the farm.-"

"I don't!" Akkara interrupts, glaring at her. "I am the Heir of House Gidri, and I'm not ashamed of that! I hate having to hide who I am... We were a noble house, we lead the rebellion. Look, mother, upon their legacy! A farm boy, from a village no one knows!" He spoke loudly, proclaiming who he was, like he was affirming to himself that he was House Gidri's heir.

"Akkara... my dear, why do you wish for strife? We have a good life here. Good crops, good food, family. Why do you want to uproot all that?" Akkara's mother looked at him, her face a visage of worry and despair.

"I... just give me that!" Akkara snatched the bag angrily, storming away to find Ghurasha so that she can help him. They united outside the cave, standing outside for a while, talking between themselves before entering.

Akkara turned his EMs' flashlight function on as he ventured into the cave system that he and Ghurasha had navigated countless times before. The EnviroMonitor... supposedly a gift from his grandmother, left in his cradle with him as a baby. He knew what parts to dim his light, what parts to crouch down behind large rock formations to hide from the wild pentapedes that had made their home in this cave. He ran his hand across the ancient, grey rock, feeling the rough texture until he found the piece of rock he was familiar with. His waypoint. Everyone navigated caves differently, with their own specific paths, and this was his. Ghurasha followed closely behind him, unfamiliar with this route, but she trusted Akkara's judgement enough.

"Those pentapedes... They've gotten larger, haven't they?" Akkara remarks to Ghurasha in a hushed whisper.

"Yeah... I heard a rumour that they get significantly bigger after eating people!" Ghurasha smirked, lightly shoving Akkara's back – she didn't account for the strength of her metal arms, as she felt Akkara fall face-first into a patch of moss. She giggled, and she couldn't hear what Akkara was saying due to his muffled face; it was probably a good thing she couldn't.

"Don't say that..." Akkara exhaled deeply as he regained his footing. "Those things are already unnerving as they are. Plus, pentapedes are vegetarian. The only reason they attack us is because they're territorial, protecting their babies."

"Whatever." Ghurasha smirked and chuckled at his flustered reaction, watching Akkara scramble to explain the logic to her statement. She was people-smart, not book-smart.

"You... don't think it's possible that a giant pentapede could eat a person... right??" Akkara said quietly and nervously.

"Oh, come here, you worrywart." She chuckled and put her arm around him, before holding his hand like a protective older sister. "If they try, they'll have to get through me first."