Dark Faïz (Book 2) [Completed]

Chapters 5-1

Every day that passed on the island made me forget the routine I was used to. At the end of the day, after our excursions, we followed an intensive training in martial arts as a combat sport to teach us how to defend ourselves. Malika's drastic lessons were tiring for everyone. Only Faïz, Barthey, and William were exempt from this activity, which put our patience and our skill to the test. The day hikes were almost a moment of relaxation, compared to what awaited us each evening. Excursions across the island were a real lesson in life.

Indeed, here, the consumer world had no place in society. The Kobolds fed on their crops or on fishing. The import was minimal and was done only in collaboration with Japan and China. Hunting was formally prohibited with the threat of being imprisoned, which meant being deported to an island in the Indian Ocean. The country's wealth came from exporting its products around the world, as well as advice given to the largest multinational companies.

The population was largely aeronautical engineers, architects in the construction of green buildings, or agents in renewable developments. Strengthened by the economy, the inhabitants nevertheless lived simply, putting everyone in one and the same hut with a single universal salary. Basic necessities and medical care were free. It was impossible that a Kobold should die of hunger or thirst. Equality between men was at the heart of the system.

Although the country remained completely self-sufficient, people seemed delighted to see us and to speak to us. We were, without a doubt, their local attraction of the moment. The population, direct descendants of the Taira and the Minamoto, two families at war in the last quarter of the eleventh century in Japan, had come to exile on this island, followed by a few hundred samurai, in order to live there in peace and find respite from the war they had fled. The borders of Eros since then had become insurmountable for any human being wanting to settle there, tourism being completely forbidden. Preserving this place was one of their priorities.

I was surprised to find that there were no isolated villages on the island, which was about thirty thousand square meters with an average of twenty-two thousand inhabitants. A single large city was concentrated in the center of the country, serving as the capital. Nearby was amazing flora, including more than eighty percent of plant species that were endemic. This luxuriant wilderness was the master of Eros, and traversed every inch of the earth. The exploitation of basements or the massive felling of trees wasn't tolerated, the island thus preserved an intact heritage.

"You aren't American, are you?" my guide, Zerkô, said without even bothering to turn around.

With his scythe in hand, the man cleared the way in order to create a path for us through the jungle, which we had been traversing for quite some time.

"French," I replied, hoping that our guide wouldn't ask me more questions, but in vain.

"Your thing, there? This report you have to shoot... Is it really necessary to explore these remote places on the island? Very few people dare to venture around here, you know! In addition, the fog makes things complicated. You may not see much with your little box."

He paused and then turned to Faïz, who was following him just behind. The man then pointed to the camera that he was holding in his hand. Annoyed, Faïz silently examined his little notebook in his other hand, ignoring our guide, but Zerkô was eager to know more. I could not say if our guide truly believed the story of a documentary on ecology. The ageless man wasn't very tall, but his sturdy build made him look like he could break someone in half just by touching him. His long gray hair fell to his boots and almost touched the ground.

"Sir? Perhaps there is a subject that you would particularly like to address?"

"Is that so? And which one?" replied Faïz dryly.

"I don't... I don't know," stammered the man, immediately looking away.

"So let's continue!"

Before Zerkô did so, Faïz examined his notebook again and marked some annotations on it. At that moment I felt a little twinge in the heart for our cicerone. Suddenly, my thoughts went to William and Lexy who'd had to change guides, like us, following a sudden withdrawal. It was William who had the delicate task of finding and recruiting replacements for the rest of our stay. Our first guide, Hanoura, had been with us for the first two weeks. I was going to miss his assertive and passionate character, especially with this new scout whom I found too boorish for my taste.