The Naticudes

Chapter 1.

Shambhala, Agartha.

"Come back Noah" a voice came from below. Noah looked down, it was Peter, his younger brother whom he loved more than anything. But now he had put them both in danger.

The sun was right above his head.
There was a strange smell in the air. He could see the valley clearly now. The height of the valley was considerably high and also something that Noah never liked. Now that he can see the valley was truly very far away from here. They had come too far.

The idea of coming here never sounded good to anyone except for him. Since childhood he had been the Valley had fascinated him. Although there were stories about how dangerous the Valley is and all the village elders telling them stories about how one should not visit the Valley here they were, Noah with his younger brother and friends trying to unfold the mystery. He had a strange feeling that there's a part of him missing which he'll find here and now that he is finally here after two failed attempts, his heart was pounding, his body precipitating despite being on top of the hill. But he had to do it, now or never.

He almost reached the top.
"Noah, you should come down, really. The lunch is ready. After two damn days, we've got something worth eating , come down and have some. You wanted to visit the valley and here we are. Let's return already. We're already in trouble. " shouted Linne. She looked even smaller from here, Noah thought.

"I am this close from the top" Noah screamed, to his surprise his voice echoed. Eating something had become an alien thought for him because all he cared right now was the end of this never-ending hill.

"If the Naticudes came and we are caught I'm not gonna spare you." huffed Linne. Naticudes, he almost forgot about them. Those cold hearted soldiers were the last people Noah wanted to be there. They already know where we are and could be arriving any time soon, he thought to himself.

"Shut up Linne, that won't happen. Be positive."Noah told her he knew it wasn't the truth and others knew it as well.

"You be positive, I'll be realistic." said Linne sternly. She looked away and continued strolling around. She was always dogmatic about even the smallest of things. Noah remembered how much he and others had to convince her to come here. But she's correct, they're here for two days and it'll not be a surprise if anytime the Naticudes came and caught them. They have to hurry up. He started to climb up again. The place was beautiful with a variety of flora. There were plants he had never seen in his life.

Just when he was about to reach the top he heard something. They're here.

"Guys, they're here! The Naticudes! They'll catch us this time." screamed Pharrell, "They'll kill us! We'll never be able to go back home. This is it. We're all gonna die." He was on top of his lungs, he buried his face on Cassadee's shoulder.

"Shut up Pharrell, we're not all gonna die. They won't kill us." reckoned Cassadee shrugging Pharrell off her shoulder.

"We're not all ALL gonna die. What do you mean by that?" said Pharrell. He seemed really scared by her remark.

"Calm down guys. Nothing will happen. Why fear when I'm here." Noah said winking at Pharrell, half believing it himself.

"Oh really? that's exactly what you told us last time. And if you have lost your train of memory let me refresh it, The Naticudes caught us and you know what happened next.", this time it was Gred who spoke. His face turned red, Noah watched his hands turn into fists. He decided to come down. Carefully placing his steps he reached the end of the hill. It didn't took him long to reach down. He saw Gred pick up his sword which actually belonged to his father, Amos, a Naticude.

"I thought you were very much aware of the dangers & consequences," said Noah losing his calm now.

"Yeah, I thought that you had a proper plan & I thought you knew where we were going ," replied Gred with a bemused face. Before Noah could reply, there came a voice,

"Here they are. What are you all playing at?Where are you trying to go?" said Bill, a Naticude. He was rather tall, his body too huge. He must be in his forties. Noah knew his name because he was the one who caught them the last time.

"Ah! well, maybe they want to visit their friends in the Dastard Forest. Am I right?" asked the second Naticude who was holding a sword similar to the one with Gred but not as good as his.

Noah froze. He could feel his heart pumping in his hands. His mouth went dry. He glanced over the rest of them, who were as scared as he was. Pharrell dropped the axe and was shaking from head to toe. Linne looked as if she ate a Bitter cucumber. Gred was still holding his fathers' sword and hid it behind his back. It was his mistake, Noah thought.He brought them here. He led them in trouble again.

There was silence in the forest only broken by Bill,

"Now will you all follow us to the castle or shall we do the honour to bind you with chains and drag you?" he said with an evil smile on his old face.
Bill liked to see people in trouble. It amused him. Noah gritted his teeth. He was the first one to move, followed by Peter and the others.

As they walked he could hear the voices of birds, animals & the soothing sound of the lake. This place is so beautiful, he thought. The forest was full of mountain trees like pine, rose tree, oak, sapphire and a number of other trees unknown to Noah.

Also, there were a variety of animals present there. He himself came across a bear, wolves, mountain deer and a lot more. He always wanted to live in a place like this. Wilderness. He found solace staying around trees and animals. It was perfect for him. But it had cost him so much to visit it.

"I swear my mom will kill me this time" whispered Cassadee,
"Well heaven would be better than that forest, though," said Noah.Cassadee grinned.

He remembered his own mother warning him not to go again to the Thead valley again. What will she say? How will he face her? He remember when the last time they were caught. She was so upset and scared for him. He was all she had apart from his two younger siblings, Peter followed by Cara. They made them pay fine for it and also they were made to work for the Palace. All of them were sent to the Dastard Forest which itself wasn't any less scarry than this valley. They spent a week there working. That's wasn't as bad as it sounds but it really was bad. The forest wasn't a normal forest. It was cursed as they all said. Of course they had no other options. It was rather a very large forest.Noah had heard all sort of stories as kid about how the forest is a death trap. He also knew how the worst criminals were left inside the forest to die. It was known for a fact that no one comes out of the forest alive. Yet they were made to go there. He knew they wouldn't die as they didn't go too far inside the forest but he knew he had risked it one more time all for what
? That goddaamn valley? He thought and cursed himself.

"Quick!" screamed the Naticude with the sword."Don't creep like ants. One thing now he realised was that he hated Bill.

"If die unmarried I swear I'm gonna kill you, Noah.", said Peter in a feeble
voice.

"Honestly Peter?Who's gonna marry you anyway?" said Noah in a low voice.

"Be quiet you lot", bellowed Bill.

They kept on walking for half an hour when finally Noah saw the castle which stood high on the hill. They climbed up the hill. Noah was exhausted. He was sweating very badly. They had been walking for past two hours. After another hour or so the castle came into sight.

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