The Perfect Combination

5 - Civilisation

I woke abruptly to the loud clang of wood against metal and the jangling of keys. I lifted my head from the floor to feel pain course through my neck. I looked up confused at the sight of the room around me until I remembered how I had managed to end up in this horror scene. The barred door squeaked open as the smell of rust filled my nostrils. I welcomed it, it was sweet bliss compared to the stench of the cell. A man loomed in the doorway and I began to quake in fear. It was the same man who had brought me here. What did these people want with me? I debated pretending I was still asleep when I heard the loud sound of wood against metal once again. It rung in my ear and worsened the headache I was already getting from the uncomfortable positioning of my neck. I looked towards the source of the noise and found yet another of my captors banging a plank of wood against the metal of the iron bars. My whole body ached but I tried to arise despite the pain. I really didn't know what to do but my determination hardened as a burly man entered lifting my brother from the floor. I growled a deep guttural sound as I launched myself at the man only to be yanked backwards by strong arms around my waist. I stood shocked. How had someone managed to get behind me? The man I had tried to attack looked at me with disgust and pulled away from me cradling my brother with a look that showed he thought very little of me if not outright hated me. The person behind me then hoisted me off the floor as the first man came back into view cuffing my hands. I struggled against their grip and kicked the shin of the guy in front of me. He reacted quickly by bringing a knife to my throat. I froze. The knife was soon replaced by one held by the person behind me who begun to shove me out the door.

I moved hesitantly as I was led into a court looking room and tied to a chair. I looked around the room with curiosity. Other than the men who had brought me into the room the place contained four people. A person who looked to be a judge sitting behind a pulpit, a young male around my age standing close behind him and two guards, one next to each exit. The room was dim which caused me to shut my eyes immediately upon the illumination of my seat. The man behind the pulpit then bombarded me with what I assumed to be questions. I couldn't be sure as he wasn't speaking English. He then growled at one of my captors who bowed and briskly exited through the door we had entered.

The whole room fell silent as we waited. The man holding my brother then placed him in a chair like mine and bound him likewise. I looked over him in pain, what had I done? This was my fault.

I had evidently become less observant of my surroundings as a bucket of water came out of no where. Though I was glad it wasn't thrown on me I was still annoyed as my brother began to stir. I couldn't help but be relieved as he came to wakefulness. The man behind the pulpit then stood moving closer to me watching my reaction. He made some weird motion which was immediately responded to with a knife to my brother's skin. I let out a scream kicking against my bindings. There was no way they were hurting him. The knife stopped and the questions started. I looked at my brother in worry. I had to be strong for him. The man continued to yell. My throat constricted I tried to speak but fear held me captive. I sunk into my seat trying to find comfort in my restrictions. I closed my eyes trying to make the horrid scene disappear from my mind unsuccessfully. A stray tear escaped my eye. I tried not to listen to the deep voice of the male but it was too hard to resist. the yelling stopped as the door behind me opened. The male who had left before came into view with a string of four people following him, he presented them in an odd way to the man in front of me. He spoke to them and the first started saying something in what I thought was french, the second then followed his lead and began speaking in another language. the third then started out with Japanese. I caught small snippets of what they said as I knew a few Japanese words. But the words that greeted me made my face pale, words like "death" and "water", Then the forth began to speak in a rough English highly accented.

"Do you speak English? You are accused of the murder of Doctor Haenga. The chief wishes to hear your confession of his drowning in order to declare his sentence."

My eyes widened. Murder? They think I murdered someone. My head shot towards the judge looking person assuming he must be the chief. I wanted to deny it but my words hung in my throat. I felt paralyzed I couldn't do it. I was hyperventilating I stared at him and watched as realization that I understood hit his face. He grinned then waved the first three of the translators away.

"Do you understand me?" the translator said warily. Temporarily pulled from my fear I nodded.

The chief spoke again in his foreign language. The translator repeated what he had said earlier about a confession but my attention was pulled in another direction towards the boy standing behind the pulpit chair speaking in his native tongue to the chief. The chief turned in anger towards him yelling something I was surprised I understood "leave!" He wasn't speaking English but I heard what he said and understood. He then said something else and I caught the words which I thought meant something along the lines of "I'll let it slide".

The translator then tried again to coax a confession from me. My voice finally decided to listen but when I spoke I surprised and confused myself by saying the words "You know why I can't let that happen. The chiefs safety is my first priority regardless of what you offer me" In the chiefs native tongue. The chiefs eyes narrowed at me then at the translator. He started saying something to the translator in a frustrated tone but I couldn't understand what he was saying. Of course that could be because I actually didn't know how to speak his language. I started seeing flashing images of a face and was caught in a trance.

"I need you to approve me. So I can become second in command. We all know chief listens to every word that comes from your mouth. Put in a good word and I'll offer you anything you want. I can give you a calm and peaceful life away from tribe dramas. Wouldn't you like that for your daughter?" The person whom the face belonged to said.

The dead man I had seen was facing him, "You know why I can't let any of this happen. The chiefs safety is my first priority regardless of what you offer me" he said calmly walking away.

I came back to reality as a bucket of cold water splashed over me. Great. Now both of us were soaked. My gaze flickered to my brother before settling on the chief in front of me. In English I finally replied, "I didn't kill him... But I know who did". I wasn't really sure but I had a suspicion it was the man whose voice I heard but a moment ago. The translator who was now trembling quickly translated my words. The chief looked at me expectantly but we were cut off abruptly by a knock on the door and the person who I had seen in my vision, the person whose voice I had heard, waltzed in and whispered into the chiefs ear. I froze again, if I accused him I realized no one was likely to believe me.

"Excuse me," I had all but forgotten about my brother who had been silent the whole time, "who is this person." he said motioning to the murderer with his head.

The chief was nodding at something the murderer had said but the translator answered, "this is the chiefs second." I gulped, this was not going to go down well.

"Well what I would like to know is how the chief is on such good terms with the person who causes his death. I don't much like him and he's a conniving piece of dirt." My brother said spitting in his direction.

The translators already shaking form paled. The murderer soon left but the translator was frozen in place.