The hidden warriors

The Outers

Zarena woke the next morning with butterflies in her stomach. She knew it wasn't going to be easy getting out of the house. The Takins had five kids the oldest was serving in the war. The second, Tina, she was very good friends with, like sisters. The third was Lunin, the four was salrah, and the baby of the family was fala. Zarena got out of bed, she shared the room with Tina, who had to get up at sunrise every morning for training. Zarena quickly got dressed in her favorite cargo pants and green t-shirt with a jacket, just in case, and hurried down to breakfast.

"Come on y'all!" Mrs. Takin yelled, "Breakfast time!"

"What's for breakfast?" asked Lunin.

"Waffles and apples. You'd better hurry, you're gonna be late for your rounds."

"Mmm furying"

Zarena chuckled as she took some apple slices. Lunin didn't look smart, but he was a genius. His job was making sure that this sector of the country was in code with the rules for safety in the war.

"So what's your plans for today, Zarena?" Asked Mrs. Takin.

"Uh Deck and I are gonna hang for awhile. Maybe I'll help at the elementary school."

"Alright be back by three. We're get ready for the party tonight."

"Oh ok I forgot that's tonight... Well see y'all later. Have fun Lunin!"

"Yea making rounds and telling people their not following code. Great fun" said Lunin.

"I'm sorry. Just think that you're going to have fun at a party tonight."

"That's true."

At that, Zarena hurried out of the house down the road to the market place into the woods. She couldn't stop smiling. It was finally here, the day she would use her skills to stop the war, to bring peace. She and Deck's "spot" was deep in the woods. Their actual work place was in Outers.

The Outers was the dump of the city. It wasn't really safe but it covered their needs. It was her sister Rashina's house. Zarena sighed. Her sister was long gone, and she did not like thinking about her. Zarena kept the house after her sister disappeared. Zarena was almost to the Spot. She ran to a stump jumped on it with her right foot, propelling her to a branch, which she grasped pulled up on to and stood on the branch and waited.

All she heard was birds until she heard a loud "thump". "Dude, you've got to get more stealthy." Zarena commented.

"Yeah, yeah, I know... The stick was under leaves so I couldn't see it. It was the sticks fault." Deck Explained

"Do you have it?"

"Yeah"  He pulled out a package that was a big as a dinner plate. Zarena looked at it with a pricing gaze. Her heart was thumping. "Did it work" was the question they both seemed to be thinking.

Deck opened the package.

It looked like a blank clock, the circular rim was a worn white verging on tan. It had scratches and dents like it had been dropped many times and the middle was like a blank screen. On the sides it had handles, but nothing attached to them. They stared at it for several seconds taking every detail in.

"We should get to the Outers." Zarena told Deck.

"Do you have your part of it?"

"Yes, we'll meet at the Outers in thirty to forty minutes?"

"Agreed, be careful."