Kaleb
What was the Central Forelene City? Why were were tied to a chair if these were our fellow Forelenes..?
"You shan't talk unless thou art spoken to." A said 'Forelene' official ordered. "You are clearly here to be proven as Forelenes, if not, you shall be killed."
A sudden knife sliced through my chest, although I aware I was partly Forelene, I was still scared.They seemed serious, unlike what I had known Forelenes to be. And yes, noticing it, they weild weapons, something I thought they weren't allowed to do. This was a more bigger territory. I wouldn't call this a village.
It seemed more advanced than the other locally built towns.
A womans's click-clacking noise of heeled shoes could be heared making it's way to the center of the tribunal. She had hair firmly held together in a neat bun, had spectacles on, and was dressed in a well covered long-sleeved gown.
There wasn't any trace of skin shown. Her gown was so long yet stylishly sewn with middle button designs on the upper part of her chest. Her gown also had loop designs on her slightly bouffant collars, chestal region by the sides of her buttons, and on the bottom of the garment.
She was clad in purple wear.
"I shall be your questioner." she pushed back the middle part of her circled shaped spectacles onto the bridge of her well pointed nose.
I could tell she was fine back in her youths, though not old, but matured to the extent of earning a very few strands of grey hair.
It fit her though.
Whilst all this motion was going on, I could see by my side, a slapped grin on Darla's face. Why was she so happy? We were tied to two darned chairs and she still could be glad? Maybe it was her finding out there were more Forelenes like her in the world that excited her.
The said clad-in-purple questioner spoke audibly and decently. It could be told she had been doing whatever this was as a job for along while.
"Where are you from?" she flipped pages of her largely sized scrolls with with a feather pen. She lifted her brows, clearly seeking for answers.
I couldn't believe I was in this same position as I had been in ten years ago, few weeks ago and now here again being questioned.
I wouldn't let pride halt in the way of my answers because this was their territory and they needed to know who we were. Me? Not entirely though.
"Forestille. But now New Forestille at Aureole Hills." Darla, excitedly answered the question. "Although now we may've moved from Aureole Hills to a certain Raven valley."
The questioner, write down every single word spoken like some non-human being. She didn't waste time to dip her own into the ink, then spread words like butter on bread.
"And you?" she redirected it to me.
I cleared my throat before uttering a word, "Same."
"Same?" she said, imploring I made sense.
I was about pushing forward with my words when I thought I'd be lying a bit if I said I was just a Forelene, but then, it was true. "I am a Forelene from Forestille, now new Forestille." The nth time I repeat, that I had been called in for questioning.
"Are you a Rocainian?"
That one stabbed me. I could hear very silent chatters, one particular sentence I guessed to be 'They were our enemies.' I shoved down saliva in my mouth and clenched my jaw because I had to lie here. I wondered why it was directed to me.
"No, madam." Darla replied, making me remember we were both being questioned.
I answered with hurt, "I am a Forelene." I just needed to answer truthfully and wisely. I escaped that one.
"Why are you here?" she inquired with a fixated gaze.
Darla, as usually, who'd answer first, began, "Well, our people-"
A hand was raised, thus stopping her from going on. "You need to answer this one, sir." I was told, having all eyes on me.
I hated this. It reminded me of how I had been interrogated severally in my life. I obediently let out with a slight trace of reluctant spirit, "My people from Forestille were chased by the Rocainians ten years ago and had to move to a valley. We now suffer the same fate were hoping to seek protection from the Great city."
"Greay city?" People said out loud with quite high hysterical laughter, like it was an unbelievable task, maybe it was.
"Yes, and we had come nearby here not aware of the existence of this place. We most certainly did not mean to trespass nor disrespect."
"How are we sure you're not Rocainians here to spy us? We are currently avoiding any contact with the Rocainians and had been at war with them since day one. We've had peace by living in this secret fortress."
Darla went to plead, "Please listen to us, we are just passerbys that aren't Rocainians. We aren't also friend with them."
"It could be a lie." the lady spoke further and I could not help but think we were doomed.
"What are your names?" she throws a question I thought would've been the first, probably it wasn't as important as the first asked.
"Kaleb."
"Darla."
She spoke further, "I hope you know that if you cannot prove yourself as a Forelene by origin, you'd have death slam you right away."
The tension went up when this was uttered and couldn't even understand the tremble in my body. Of course the all strong happy Darla had had her grin vanish within seconds of the said words. This was life and death.
How else were we going to prove ourselves?
"Wher did you say you'd be located at again? Raven Hills, correct?" the lady asked, "A few of our fastest officers shall be sent there to obtain more information and know if truly any recognizable Forelene would be there. We have records of all the Forelene children here and so your leaders there may've one way or the other been connected with Central Forelene City. That is if you are correct. If the search party is not here in three days time, or comes back with news countiary to what you said, then…"
"Off with their heads! Off with their heads" the crowd echoed and I and Darla could not help help around in a dazed manner.
Of course, I'd admit in this case, I was petrified! These Forelenes were just as brutal as the Rocainians theirselves.
…
We were being taken to an empty cell and had to sleep there then continue with their so-called investigation tommorow. It was wickedness, I'd say. We had to prove we were one of them or suffer in death's graps by the day after tommorow.
Darla was heart broken and it showed. She didn't seem to want to rest even after we had journeyed from afar and be stressed out by this nonesense.
I could see the sadness and disappoinment I her eyes.
"And I thought my people were the best." she let out, crying. "I had blamed your people for being cruel ones and now this. No one's perfect and now I see."
I went to her in the cell that we were in and hugged her. "It's okay, Darla. You're perfect and you define you."
I didn't let go of her. I continued to feel her with my good warm feeling of care. I knew what it felt like to think you know your people but then get stabbed in the back; literally. I needed to embrace her.
We finally had shut eyes then, woke up as fast as a running prey from a wolf. This was the second day and we were advised to take what they called a 'blood test' from a means they had invented. We didn't know what it was and this city seemed to have developed their minds.
The shocking weapon and now a way to check your blood to know your tribe.
"The machine hasn't been test run yet," a central Forelene healer exposed us to. "but the tribunal has recommended my work to be test ran by you two."
I would've agreed and said yes, but then I needed to oppose. Darla had already sent for it so we could be free. She didn't understand why I didn't want to take the blood test. I thought we had called it off, but she later requested for it again through the guard. The healer was here with that creepy blood test thing and I saw Darla happily bring out her arm for a sample of her blood.
I looked at her weirdly, still in the presence of the healer and thought, 'Has Darla forgotten I was a Rocainian? Yes it could free her, but they'd see that I was a Rocainian!'
I still remained staring at her, praying she would read my mind, when she realized that she was making a grave mistake.