Recondite(ad)
Little known about a subject
Chapter 24
(Botan's P.O.V)
I wipe at my face in annoyance; unable to understand my sister. My head throbbing, trying to think of ways to make her understand the situation without actually telling her much.
"Mako... Please. Are you playing around? This place is dangerous and you're out here in the open.. digging a hole that apparently isn't working?!" I hiss harshly.
"This is the second time I've been drugged and woke up in an unusual place. It's getting old." She says through gridded teeth, throwing away at the dirt.
"Besides; no one seems to be allowed to tell me what's going on. Should I go put a knife on people's neck to make them tell me?" She continues, giving me a ridiculous scowl.
"Well, yes. That's what I would expect you to do honestly." I tell her. Knowing how we both were brought up in a closed environment makes me understand her lack of drive, but it's about time she woke up from her wonderland.
"True; that's what I want to do too. But got no knife in my hand unfortunately. Besides; some don't want to say and some actually don't seem to know what's happening." She notes between loud breaths. A huff escapes my lips;
"No such thing. Everyone knows. Every person in this peninsula knows what's happening. It's a secret network." I tell her pushing my wet hair back; Shay giving me nervous glances.
"Everyone knows? yet a secret?" She asks looking up at me; stopping her digging. I nod.
"We're not supposed to speak of this." Shay stops me, eyes darting around.
"It's fine. We're not being recorded." I tell him; knowing my comrades are behind the screens; helping with the recordings as I asked.
"I'll tell you some of it but don't... freak out on me Mako." I tell her. She sits down on the ground and lays down; panting.
"Oh no... I'm freaking already." She hisses rolling her eyes. I swallow; wondering if she'll still be this friendly and kind to me after I tell her. But I need to let her know, and to tell her what to do; specially now since we're not being listened to.
"First... I'm..." I begin but she cuts me off.
"What's this place? it said it's battle ground or something. Are we here to fight someone?" She asks.
"We're here for training; just be mediocre. I'm sure if you try a little you can be seen as an alright asset." I say and she glances at me her eyes wide. She opens her lips to say something but closes them back; seeming to change her mind.
"I just wanted to say that...." She cuts me off again.
"What is this for? training for what?" She asks pushing her stick in the dirt. I purse my lips; grabbing the stick and pulling it from under her hands. She looks up angrily;
"For war." I tell her.
"Listen; you need to play it real low today; but also keep up." I inform her. She throws the stick from her hand and I pick the scent up. I push on the mask and so does Shay.
"Right; so we're going to be in trouble." She says smirking as she puts on her jacket.
"Mako please..." I hiss as she picks up her tree trunk.
"You're being monitored... we're all being monitored. Do very well and you get in trouble; do very bad and you get in trouble. Stay in between." I advice her. I take in a deep breath to tell her what I've been trying to from the beginning. She stares at me; eyes fixed on mine. I open my mouth; yet nothing comes out. She breaks the stare;
"I just don't...." She looks behind her at the far bushes as if spotting something.
"Just listen!" I shout angrily, Shay grabs on her startled. I let out a breath panting... I can't do it; I can't.
"I don't need to listen to anything!" She shouts back standing straight.
"What? Did I ask you to tell me what you're about to tell me? no; then I won't listen." She runs on, her face flushing redder than before. I blink at her in silence. I step back, not sure what to say to that; almost thankful to her as I can't bring myself to say it. I glance behind us, the smell eating at my attention. I pull my mask back up and take the knifes out in my hands, incase the company isn't what we want.
.
"How do you feel about it?" She hisses leaning in; I glance down at her in confusion;
"Being lied to; by father." She speaks; her eyes wide and bright. I look back at the ghouls before me;
"I've been wondering; why he didn't tell us. We were always being told how awful ghouls are; how dangerous they are. Therefore we stayed indoors for... what... twenty years?" she goes on. I shift in my place. What am I supposed to say? that I was dragged along in confinement because she had to believe such lie?
"Isn't it weird? we've always been hidden inside because of the awful ghouls... but now we're surrounded by them? with no attempt at getting us back to safety? aren't you curious why?" She says now fixated on me; as if ignoring the ghouls before us. I'm not curious; as I already know.
"No one said he's not trying to get us back home." I tell her. She pulls a face;
"Right..." She says letting out a breath. I swallow; every conversation feels like heavy weight with her. As everything she knows is a lie; and I have to keep up with it to not throw it all on her at once.
(Mako's P.O.V)
We glance up at the loud footsteps; crushing every grass beneath them. A group of three stand before us; A blonde boy who I think I saw back at the house, in Botan's group. And with him the bully women with her bold partner.
Botan said we're training for war?.... what war? with who? since this peninsula is all there is... then it must be a civil war. Between ghouls and humans?
"We're not allowed to kill anyone from the groups.... but tell me..." The blonde boy goes on. I grit my teeth; what's this mess we're in.
"Can we just break a few bones?" I wince at the words; this is not the outside world I came out for. If father was protecting us from these type of ghouls... then why has that changed?
"Cause you kept on digging; we had no time to actually get some weapons." Botan whines; with clearly a knife in his hand.
"Right; as if weapons only come in the form of knifes and axes." I tell him placing my hands around me. Giving Shay a reassuring smile.
"How about we do this fair? there's six of us. Each one can fight another." The boy ahead suggests. Botan gives me a glance, eyebrows raising in question.
"I'll fight two of you. I can take on all of you if I want; but I'll give some fairness." My brother tells them. I look up at him; annoyance creeping in.
"Are you serious? can we not fight at all?" I hiss at him;
"This is training ground; you think digging a hole can train anyone?" He spits at me. I purse my lips in anger;
"You don't need to fight for me; I can do my part if I have to." I tell him grabbing him by the arm.
"I'm your big brother; let me act like one this time." He tells me. I smile slightly and he winks at me playfully;
"You do that; I'll take care of Shay." I tell him grabbing him by the shoulder. My brother shakes his head;
"He can do that himself." He says; voice empty of empathy.
"He's a child!" I say taken aback.
"He's a ghoul for goodness sake! Did he not tell you?" He shouts. He shakes his head at me then focuses on his opponents coming forward. I spot a guy from the group coming forward towards us. Right; I should do my part and at least help Shay. Ghoul or not; he's a child. I have to do my part as well!
"Shay!" I call coming down to the ground; motioning at my back.
"Get on!" I tell him as my brother charges to his opponents.
"I'm not getting on your back! that's embarrassing!" Shay hisses his eyes darting between my back and the blonde boy coming at us. I pull him towards me and he falls on me. I grab his legs and haul him up as I stand on my legs. Right.... he's not as light as I thought he would be!
"Botan good luck!" I call out; he looks at me eyes wide in confusion. But I spin around and run ahead. I shall do my part; I have to do something.
"Are we running away!?" Shay asks. And my action answers him; rushing away into the bushes away from the ghoul after us.