Fool's Gold

Chapter 2

Everybody in the settlement knows who Coy is. His full name is Coyapo, meaning thunder. He was born during a great storm, one of the worst the settlement had experienced. Trees were ripped from the soil they stood on, one hut was even hit by the great lights from the sky and it caught on fire. Anyway, as soon as his first cry sounded, the storm stopped. So of course his totem had to be a picture of a thunderstorm, he was the boy that appeased the Gods. 

Coy’s also fourteen winters old, the same age as me. We’ve been friends since we met, he’s almost like a brother. I had completely forgotten about him in all the confusion and now I felt slightly guilty about it. 

“Where’s your sister?” I asked. 

“I…don’t know.” he said ashen-faced. “But my mother and father are here. Mama! Papa!” he shouted. Two of the adults in the group turned around and traced their way back to their son. 

“Inka!” said his mother, and she hugged me tightly.

“Good to see your alright.” said his father. I nodded and put Toto down. “Where’s your mother and father?” Coy asked. He looked behind me but his smile grew faint as he realised no-one was there. 

“They’re still at the settlement. Mother went to the temple, father’s looking after some children till they are safe, but then they will come. He promised me.” Both his parents nodded and attempted a comforting smile. 

“Your father is honourable, and your mother wise. She knew that praying to the gods was the best option.” They quickly turned their attention to Toto, and smiled at him.

“I’ll take him now, if you want.” his mother said. I handed over Toto and they carried him to where the other adults were walking, at the head of the group. 

We walked in silence for a few minutes before I blurted out the burning question on my mind.

“Who attacked us, Coy?” He paused for a few seconds. 

“I haven’t heard that much, I’m probably not the most reliable source.” He trailed off, but I knew he secretly wanted to tell his story, even if he wasn't firsthand to the information. 

“Oh come on!” I tugged at his wrist, “Tell me, please!” He shrugged his shoulders. 

“Fine. Father says they were foreigners, I mean not one of the tribes.” 

My eyes widened. The surrounding tribes owned land as far as we knew the land existed, right up to the boundary of where the earth met the water.

“They spoke a different tongue, but my father says they were from a land called Espanya. It’s on the other side of the water.” I was even more shocked. 

“The other side? There’s another side? There can’t be!” He nodded slowly.

“But there is. Anyway, they came on large vessels, just one of them was big enough for our entire settlement! They came with sharp weapons, and large metal contraptions, that fired huge black balls with a loud bang. And then they carried their own smaller versions, which fired smaller black balls. With one click of the man’s finger, a person was dead. It was horrific.” I was so engrossed in the story, my foot caught on a tree root, and I tumbled over. 

We laughed as I dusted myself off. 

“And the fire?” I asked, “how did that start?” Coy looked over his shoulder, and I followed his gaze. Above the trees that sheltered us, towers of smoke rose in the air, turning the sky a grey-black colour. 

“I’m not sure but I think they set all the huts alight. It didn't take long for the flames to spread. I imagine all the huts are destroyed now, along with the crops, and of course our temples.” I flinched at that last word, and he realised his mistake.

“But the temples are made of stone, you know fire cannot burn stone. Your mother would’ve made it out, I’m sure of it.”