Alliance of Heroes

Chapter 5 - The Alliance

Chapter 5 - The Alliance

"A family is like a team", or so his father had told him. They had to suffer through everything together, never break or bend in the face of adversity, and achieve their final goal, the goal that they had been striving for all their life. "And so has everyone else," his mother reminded them. "More than money, more than power, more than possessions, they want this." He had wondered, then, how a person achieved that goal, how a person finally found what they were searching for, and if everyone ended up with it in the end. For someone to achieve this goal, would they have to remain a combined force? An unbreakable, inseparable grouping of love and familiarity? A family?

The companions soon reached the exit to the Underground Sub-rails, the dank cave ending with a broad cliff, the rocks tinged with gold, great shadows leaping out onto the stones. Jake blinked as the sunlight shined in his eyes; morning had come.

"The Alliance is not far away now," Maia told them, turning to look at Jake and Versai, who was perched on Jake's shoulder. "We just have to climb down this ledge here and then walk a short way."

"I'll see you at the bottom," said Versai, flying off Jake's shoulder and down the cliff. "Last one there is a fried Aquila!"

Jake rolled his eyes.

The climb down was easy and reasonably short, and soon they were reunited with Versai, who was pretending to be asleep. Jake prodded him and they continued on.

The well-worn path below was now bordered on either side by trees and bushes, greenery full of life and activity; insects buzzed around bunches of flowers growing by the roadside; a proud bluebird sat atop a thick branch, its beady eyes focused on the group as they passed; several small animals darted out of sight at the sound of footsteps, hiding themselves in the nearby shrubbery. Jake squinted and saw ahead there was a large walled city, even larger than Gradi City.

"Ker'ai is up ahead," said Maia, having already seen the city. "But that is not our destination."

"It isn't?" said Jake. "But I thought that's where the Alliance was."

"No," replied Maia. "We are going to the Ker'ai Graveyard."

"Graveyard?" exclaimed Versai. "But that's full of dead people!" Jake rolled his eyes again.

"I know that," said Maia calmly. "But it is the entrance to the Alliance." Versai swallowed hard and nodded uneasily.

"Are you afraid, Versai?" asked Jake, smiling.

"Of-of course not," said Versai very unconvincingly. "I'm just...tired...that's all."

"Sure." Jake replied. Soon they were close to the city and to their left they could see a large graveyard, bordered by a tall steel fence. The rusty old gate banged in the wind.

"Here," said Maia. They stepped off the road and walked over to the entrance of the graveyard. A sign was on the gate.

City of Ker'ai Graveyard

Here lie the spirits of the dead.

"Do we have to go in?" whimpered Versai. "This place seems haunted."

Maia ignored him and entered the graveyard. Jake followed, Versai on his shoulder. Rough old stone tombstones stood around the graveyard, names inscribed on their faces. Jake looked at some of the names, running his fingers over the words.

Maia headed to the back of the cemetery. She walked over to a tombstone, slightly newer than the others. Jake followed her and looked at the name on the tombstone.

Here lies Ecnailla of Seoreh.

"Who is Ecnailla of Seoreh?" whispered Jake. A strange feeling came over him, a question in his mind asking him why he was whispering, in this grouping of the dead with no one else around for miles.