Evaluations of the Tribe Page 18

  “Permission to speak freely?”

  “You may.”

  Aly took a deep breath, nervously twisting a tent around as she thought her words out in her head. Shanvi sat down across from her and she looked him face to face with bright and sad eyes.

  “I feel that there is to be more to the Evaluations beyond simply proving my worth, perhaps.”

  “Oh? How so?”

  “Pappai, surely this one recalls how I was treated when I was little, yes?”

  “Truth’s Grace. I would rephrase it as mistreated. Thus I smile everyday in seeing how far you and your classmates have come along since.”

  “We have. Even so, with many being nicer to me now, I still find myself being ridiculed.”

  Shanvi laughed. “Oh, you do not.”

  “Indeed, I do!” Aly covered her mouth when Shanvi gave her a look. “Apologies for my outburst. Yet I grow frustrated in knowing that I perform well in the fields and Lord Quongun commends me of my work. My grades are well established in all subject matters at the learning board. I have been trained in the art of combat since I was but five, and while I cannot control my being, I still manage to be the best in all other aspects of the martial arts.”

  Aly paused and examined her palms. “And even then, after all I have done, I have been told to do this: clean up for everyone else since I am the worst.”

  Nay, you misread out intentions. It only be because you are a Sungstra. We understand your circumstances, yet you do not. If only Shanvi could say those words. He rubbed his face and begged for mercy, fighting off the temptation to just tell Aly the truth. Year after year, it got more difficult to bear.

  Over time, Shanvi’s mind-conditioned itself to shut down the second an opportune moment came for him to break the secret. And with every passing season, the toil of bearing it broke his heart. What harm could there be in her knowing?

  Aly got up from her seat and looked out the window, since Shanvi looked to be at a loss for words. Younger children were hurrying off to school with their friends, and that made Shanvi realize how much his child’s priorities had changed over the years.

  “Your only concern is to be the best you can be,” Shanvi insisted. “The tribe shall never ask for more.”

  “Then I shall do so on my own merit, since the tribe does not.” Aly turned and set her hands down on the table. “I wish to be the best for the tribe, as we have been taught. Yet, while others are considered to succeed in the form of combat, what if the one thing I lack marks me as being two-thirds true Goolian?”

  Shanvi popped Aly’s hands, not enough to hurt, but just enough to make a point. “Do not ever say such foolishness, Alytchai. You are of equal worth, as any other soul here. And if that not be enough, then you are surely more precious than any other being to me.”

  Shanvi could tell that didn’t really matter to Aly anymore, thanks to her turned lip. When did it ever?

  “This one has struggled in being accepted more than most,” he added. “And for unjust reasons, I know. Yet now, you seem to become one with your own and your peers have come to accept you as you be. And even so, you still long for more?”

  Aly sat back down and rubbed her forehead.

  “You long to see more of the world, to be the best in all that you do, and be accepted by all.” Shanvi sighed and placed a hand on the table. “Yet I have tragic news for you, dearest. Such desires are not possible.

  “Even if you were to travel the stars as other sentient beings do, you shall then desire to see other galaxies. You may perhaps be the best in all your skills, yet someone shall eventually come along and naturally be better, sooner or later. And even if you are as kind and gentle to every person you meet, there shall be one who despises you for no logical reason. Apologies, yet that be the way of things.”

  “Then, if I may, Pappai.”

  “You may.”

  “Truly, that is not fair.”

  Shanvi placed a hand on one of Aly’s and patted it. “Sadly, such is life. It be cruel at times, yet hope still remains within you. Just be happy with yourself, Aly.”

  Shanvi hadn’t been Aly’s age for decades, so he couldn’t understand. The thought of being content and just settling for whatever life decided to offer her sounded repulsive. As far as she was concerned, that was what older folk told younger people whenever they weren’t able to make it as far in life as they had even hoped. However, she still had time. She still had a chance to rebel against the enemy known as “fate” and direct her own path.

  “Nay. Not good enough.” Aly pulled her hand away. “I-if I may, I do not think I can settle for less.”

  Shanvi froze. “Then I suggest that you best wise up, Little One. If not, you shall bring upon your own demise. Even so, I cannot show you this. You shall have to suffer your fate alone.”

  “Very good, Pappai,” Aly said, as if programmed over the years to say so. She scooted back from her chair and went out the door, tearing Shanvi into pieces without even realizing it. “I am to be late for the temple. May I be pardoned?”

  Shanvi waved her off. He thought of something more insightful to say as he got out of his seat and watched her go down the street, but in the end, he was out of words. Shanvi headed to the counter and wiped it a little. Scrub, and scrub some more, but the damage was already done. He flung the tile he was using across the room and just sat in the hut alone, with the torment from his thoughts to keep him company.

  * * *

  Cattalice and Quongun watched Catty poke her breakfast silently. Their Little One’s eyes were fixed on the morning’s fresh fruit like a magnet, but that was as far as she went.

  Quongun nudged her plate closer to her. “Dearest, you best eat something. It would be best to begin the assessment with a hardy meal, yes?”

  “I hunger not.”

  Cattalice shook her head at her mate, signaling him to let the child be. She then placed her hand against Catty’s forehead.

  “Your face chills with anxiety,” she said. “Would you like me to fetch a warm towel?”

  “Nay, Mastra. My thanks.”

  The parents looked at each other, both out of ideas of what to do next. A maid came by and grabbed Catty’s plate when she saw the untouched meal. Quongun was about to interject, but cut himself off.

  “You did not say much when you came back to the house last evening as well,” he said instead. “Was your talk with Aly productive?”

  “Not really.”

  “Well, it was the three of you who decided to include her in your lineup, even though you know of the danger she may bring. Thus you must deal with whatever consequences are due for having a Sungstra on your team.”

  Cattalice cleared her throat slightly before she broke some fruit in half. Perhaps a better time for such a lecture, she hinted.

  “Yet I am sure the lot of you shall do quite well.” Quongun tried to sound excited. “I know this one has awaited this moment for many years. Perhaps you shall take this as a relief; the wait be over.”

  “And I am not ready.”

  Cattalice chuckled. “And I thought the same when I was to take part in the Evaluations as well.”

  “If I may, Mammai, you said you were ten and eight when you took part in the test. At the very least, you were a Young One, yes?”

  “Yet you are far more skilled in the arts than I ever was at your age. You have proven yourself to be the best in your class, and now you have the desire to prove it to the entire tribe. Yet fret not over such silly thoughts. Whatever is to happen, your pappai and I shall be no less proud of you as we are today, and so shall the tribe. I beg, just come back home in one piece, yes? And, by Truth’s Grace, take care of your teammates. Are they not of more worth?”

  Catty smirked, perhaps sensing her parents needed her to pipe up for their sakes. “Indeed. Your words of wisdom are true to the core. I no longer need to battle myself as much as I do the others. Why should I care what others are to think?”

  But she knew better, and they knew
it too. Settling for less was what people who doubted themselves did all the time. Then again, that was what scared Catty the most, since she was having loads of doubt that instant.

  “If I may, can I be pardoned from the table?”

  Quongun nodded. “You may.”

  Catty got up, went upstairs to her resting board, and shut the door. Quongun set his fruit down and shoved it away, having lost his appetite.

  “Did we do something wrong?” Cattalice said. “Truly, to this point, we have always said everything we were supposed to say, yes?”

  Quongun didn’t answer as he got up and took their plates. Cattalice placed her face in her hands, reviewing every lesson she gave and act she made in front of Catty throughout her life. The more she thought it over, the less confident she was in her self-analysis.

  “Be damned, could we not have done more? Indeed, I think I could have. She be so concerned over winning, she ignores the dangers she is to face. By Truth’s Grace, why did we not correct her thoughts?”

  “Her thoughts be her own, regardless of what we do.” Quongun scraped the food into a basket for the choulloos. “We may only say so much, yet in the end, a person’s own rationale shall always triumph over any other’s.”

  “Truly. And such a triumph is a tragedy.”

  * * *

  Sessions with Master Slew were cut short, since the Evaluations started early. He tried livening up the atmosphere by praising everyone, but the Little Ones knew better. They were about to go to war, as far as they were concerned, and in the end, words never mattered on the battlefield.

  The Young Ones were either stretching or meditating at the grounds with Teacher when Aly and Catty’s class arrived. There were sixty-four participants taking part in the test altogether, half of them coming from Aly and Catty’s class, while the remainder came from Young Ones as young as nineteen.

  And the difference between the older children was horrifically apparent. They towered over the younger students, with the exception of Aly. Their tentacles were fully colored, from the ends to the base of their foreheads, and their muscles were more defined. All things considered, they were more powerful and were going to be much more brutal.

  Still, in spite of the odds, the younger class hid their nerves as they prepared. Aly and Catty’s classmates followed right in sync with warm ups, and the older kids didn’t make any gripes about it. They knew the younger children well, and understood why they got paired up with the likes of them.

  Teacher had a black robe on today, and everyone thought the color was fitting since black meant the possible beginning or end of things to a Goolian. When the Mature Aged cleared his throat, the participants stopped warming up.

  “I shall keep this simple, since you all know what be the stakes. This is the first of your ten lifelong analyses to follow your permanent record, thus it be important to start out strong. Be that as it may, I pray that the lot of you take heed of your bodies. Never in our history have we paired such varied age groups together, yet the times change, and so shall we when we are called to do so. And yet, I still insist this: obey the rules, show the proper respect, and you all shall return home safely, very good?”

  “Very good, Teacher,” everyone said.

  Teacher grabbed a large sheet of papyrus and stuck it onto a tree with a nail. It was a graph showing the designated groups.

  “Whoever does not have a team, I beg, make it known now.” No one raised a hand as he paused. “Very well.”

  Aly held her stomach as the butterflies inside churned. It was happening. The Evaluations were actually happening, and there was nothing she could do about it. For years, she thought she’d be able to jump four stories high when this moment arrived. Now that the time was upon her, however, she didn’t want to jump at all. She just needed to run away and hide instead.

  “It be a simple concept,” Teacher said. “Survive the wilderness as long as possible while eliminating opponents. All training has thus come down to this. If you lack reflexes, then you shall lose. If you lack agility, you shall lose. If you lack proper control etiquette...”

  He stopped, looked at Aly, and looked away.

  “...you shall lose. If you do not know how to fend for yourself or others, you shall lose.”

  Catty thought she was going to pass out, knowing she was out of her league. She turned around and looked up at the Young One behind her. Of course, she’d known him her entire life, but in that instant, he became a terrifying stranger that only wanted to bash her eyes into her cranium.

  Glani rubbed Aly’s back. “Are you well, dearest? You seem a tad pale. Breathe.”

  Aly nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “We can do this,” Glani said. “Truly, as long as we are to work together, all shall be fine.”

  Aly inhaled and flapped her hands, like keeping her composure was a fight on its own. She looked around and studied the trees as if she’d never see them again.

  Teacher pointed at a tent he set up hours ago. “I shall remain here for the duration of the event, as always. Be sure you and your mates document each other’s performance throughout the course. And remember, there be no point in cheating. If you are taken out by an opponent and continue to fight, you shall be found out. Every person here is not only a participant, yet a rule official, as well. Thus I shall say no more in this regard, very good?”

  Even though Teacher gave the warning, the Goolians already knew they didn’t have anything to worry about. Dishonesty was beyond shameful. One might as well get exiled for being called a “liar.”

  “Now, these be my final words.” Teacher stood up straighter and folded his hands behind his back. “I have only been hailed as Teacher for nine years, yet I declare these to be the grandest days in my existence. In you, I am well pleased, and I have been greatly honored and privileged in directing your paths in being Goolians of honor.

  “May Truth’s Grace provide blessings to you all. Take care of one another. Respect one another. While you endure the struggles of the wild, discover what being a true Goolian means, yes?”

  He placed two fingers together and held them between his brows, giving a Goolian salute. The other Goolians did the same.

  “We are not a person, yet a unit. While one may remain standing in the end, do not forget that it took an entire village to bring you to that moment of grand opportunity. There be nothing beyond the tribe.”

  “There be nothing beyond the tribe,” everyone answered.

  Silence. No more talk. It was simply do or do not. Win or lose. Keep to the course, or go home.

  “And so we begin. The first group into the wilderness includes Cattalice, Requai, Glani, and Alytchai.”

  The four mastras went to the front, already eyeing the first tree they were going to hop onto.

  “I hear the fruit in the wild is quite extravagant beyond all reasoning, Mastras,” Catty said, wanting to kill everyone’s nerves. “What say you?”

  “Perhaps they taste better than Master Shanvi’s cooking,” Requai said.

  Aly smirked. “Perhaps. Let us find out.”

  Glani pointed into the darker unknown reaches of the forest. “Then I shall race you to the nearest batch.”

  Teacher held up a hand. “On the mark. “Prepare...”

  Their feet dug into the gravel. Their hearts pounded against their sternums, eyes locked straight ahead. Ears heard nothing beyond the sparring priest’s breaths, longing for the final order to begin the Evaluations of the Tribe. And then, it finally happened.

  “Engage.”

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  Aly’s face was muddied with brown and gray, not having the time to bathe for days. Still, her eyes were just as piercing when she hopped to another branch, far deeper into the forest than she’d ever gone. Moss was thicker in the region and sunlight was scarce. It was like the dreary sights were all that she had ever known, branches stretched out like clawed fingers and wild animals growling and hissing all around her.

 
The trees were beyond ancient, far older than the eldest Goolian who told the Cyogen ghost stories around the campfire back home. Their lower branches didn’t waste energy by producing leaves, since the canopy got most of the attention, they being beyond such silly acts like the “childish” trees Aly was used to climbing.

  No, the only needed leaves came from the top, and unlike the leaves that lived for a few months, these were older than any living Goolian as well. Being near the canopy, Aly moved one out of the way, feeling its weight, and silencing the urge to apologize to it because she saw herself as a lowly mortal creature having the audacity to shove aside such a relic.

  She evaluated the two-day old bandage wrapped around her left arm, now realizing it was getting dark from the blood that had eased through it. The thought of slowing down agitated her as much as her hunger did. Still, she knew she needed to keep the wound clean. She already messed up upon originally staying near the ground, even when Shanvi told her not to, but being on the run for so long made her slip up on a lot of things.

  “Pappai,” she whispered the word. She didn’t think not seeing him for a month could hurt so much. The bruises and scrapes she had all over her body wouldn’t matter if she could just see him again. She didn’t long for the physical healing, however. She just missed him terribly. And her bed – so simple in design, but so welcoming in function. She thought about it every time she tried going to sleep, too tired and sore to move an inch, but too alert to pass out.

  Aly looked around and saw yellow slime running down a tree’s side. She hopped over to it, unwrapped her bandage, and swabbed a handful of the substance. She took a deep breath, folded her dark lips in, and pressed the slime over her wound. Her eyes went wide, the goo feeling like electricity shooting up her nerves. She quickly bit into a small nearby branch so she wouldn’t holler. The pain subsided moments later.

  Aly panted as sweat ran down her head, but she got up. Too much time was already wasted. She froze when she heard rustling in the leaves overhead, and waited. She didn’t place her back against the tree, since she knew the enemy would still see her because of their infrared vision. They were onto her.