Token (Token Chronicles) (14 page)

“And none have died?”

“I cannot tell you that. Of course some have died, but some have also been saved. We have brought back several Tokens. We have saved them from horrible fates. They died for a just cause. So others may be free. The way you desire Hadley to be free, here with you.”

“Then I will go and fight for her. When is the next battle? I will be ready. I can win.”

“I am sorry Kincaid, but we cannot allow you to go fight for her. You are not ready. You are too valuable to our cause.”

“Train me. I will be ready,” I plead.

“It is beside the point. You do not understand how the Silon Elite Camp operates. Samson Silon does not usually participate in one on one battles. He typically sends out his Tokens only to fight in the Melee. He hoards the female Tokens he buys and extensively trains the few male Tokens he rarely does buy to win this one event.”

Then it hits me, Benja and Yency were both sold to the Silon Elite camp. Surely, if they see Hadley there, they would not let anything happen to her. But I also have to wonder, which one of them may end up fighting in the Melee this year. Lo said he rarely buys male Tokens. So if he bought those two, then he must expect one of them to go fight.

“We will send our best member from our special unit to fight in the battle. If he wins, I promise you, we will bring her back for you.”

I look towards the door still contemplating my plan of escape. I now notice Sgt. Merk has come in and is guarding the door now. He must have been waiting out in the hall and heard all of the commotion. Lo is right anyway. There is no way I would be able to find Silon, and if I did, I would surely get myself killed. But I can’t just let Hadley’s fate rest in the hands of some stranger. It has to be me. Somehow, I have to be the one to save her.

“Please, just sit back down. There is more you need to know,” Lo pleads.

I sit down. There is nothing I can do now. I need to formulate a plan. Get the information I will need to rescue her. The last time I just ran off with a poorly planned mission, I failed miserably. I cannot afford to fall short this time. The stakes are too high. If necessary, I will give my life for Hadley as long as she can be free.

“You need to know why it was important that we finally met.”

I had forgotten about that question. Why would I want to see this woman I have never met before in my life?

“I am the reason you are here. I convinced Adalai to spend all the money on you to ensure you came nowhere but Ridian. This is where you belong. We have been waiting on you for a long time. You are going to lead us to victory. You are the key to it all.”

“What do you mean? How am I the key?” I ask.

“Because I know what you are capable of. I know where you came from. I know who your father was.”

“My father? I don’t even know who my father is. What does he have to do with this?” I demand.

“Have you ever heard the story of the fall of the Titan Perses?”

I shake my head no.

“Many years ago, the Titans ruled all of the worlds of the universe. The Titans controlled all aspects of life. The Titan Perses was the God of Destruction and monitored Earth very closely. He was charged with the balance of life and death on Earth. When life was in abundance, he was forced to bring death upon the residents through means of wars and natural disasters to create a balance. But during Perses’s constant watch of Earth, a mortal woman, Lyla, captivated him. She was an extravagant beauty with dark hair and velvet skin. Perses began ignoring his duties, as he was too obsessed with this one human woman. One day, Perses could no longer resist his desire to be with her. He took a human form and descended down to Earth from the Heavens. And they were together. When Perses’s father Kreios found out about his indiscretion, he was furious. Perses was already married to Asteria, and they had bore a child together named Hecate, the Goddess of witchcraft and magic.

While Perses was on Earth still in his human form, Kreios stripped him of his immortality and powers and left him on Earth to serve out the rest of his life as a mortal being. Hecate, devastated by her father’s abandonment and betrayal, cursed the future bloodline Perses would one day father. The first-born son of any generation of Perses’s offspring would be destined to bring about the same destruction his father brought. To become mortal gods of destruction. Death would follow his children. During his remaining years on Earth, Perses did father several children with Lyla. The first borns of each generation were to inherit the ability to control the natural elements of the world: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. But the incredible power would consume them all. The power would lead to their own destruction and the destruction of those around them. It is said that after Perses’s death, he was cursed to spend eternity watching the downfall of all of his descendants. For many years, the curse remained to be true. Those who received the powers caused obliteration to those around them, often times killing their own siblings and parents. For a long time, many thought the bloodline of Perses had been completely destroyed.

But one descendant learned to suppress his birthright. When he turned 16, he ignored his urge for destruction. He never used his abilities. His name was Millard Maddox. He spent his entire life without using his abilities. He, too, fathered a son, Jackson Maddox.”

“Wait… Jackson Maddox? The leader of the last Rebellion,” I interject.

“You have heard of him?” she says with delight.

“Yes, I have heard the Grods say his name before back on the Islands. They always referred to him as a traitor. They always threatened to string us up like Jackson Maddox if we ever thought about escaping.”

“Well, Millard taught his son Jackson the same techniques to suppress his abilities upon his sixteenth birthday. He never utilized his abilities either. But Jackson found himself in a position of power anyways. He became a leader of people. A beacon of hope. He was the leader of one of the Rebel alliances, the Vurthoes, and he was killed by an assassin during the war. Laurel Creed was the leader of the other Rebel alliance Dopicance. Although the two got in each other’s way at removing Cromus from rule, both of their ultimate goals were to get rid of Cromus. But even with two different Rebel alliances, they were all defeated. Grodar’s army was too large and too well fed and strong compared to the Rebel forces. Jackson was dead, Laurel went into hiding, and the Rebellion was crushed.”

“Why didn’t Jackson just use his abilities to gain victory for the Rebels?” I ask. “Wouldn’t it be worth it if he could have put a stop to all of this? Tokens would be free. The Hawk Islands would be gone. Surely he had to see it would be worth the sacrifice.”

“Jackson had spent so much of his life suppressing this dark part of himself. But he too eventually saw that he would have to embrace his darkness in order to gain freedom for his people, but he found he could no longer access that part of himself. He had ignored it for too long. It was too late. If he had seen early enough, or knew how much worse it would get, he never would have ignored it. He would have embraced it. This is exactly why you are so important for the Rebellion.”

My forehead crinkles in confusion. Perplexed, I ask, “Me? What do I have to do with any of this?”

“You have everything to do with this. If I recall, your sixteenth birthday is in a month?”

“I don’t know when my birthday was. I just know the day I was brought to the Islands. The first day I was supposed to be made eligible for auction until they decided to sell me earlier than they originally planned.”

“Well, I know when you birthday is. I was very close to your father.”

“You keep saying you knew him, but you aren’t telling why it even matters? He was just some prick who gave me up at birth?”

“Is that what you really think of your father, your mother?”

I don’t answer. I have grown frustrated with this woman’s stories and answering questions with more questions.

“I am sorry you feel that way. But your parents did what they thought was best for you, to protect you. Just as many others would have done the same in their situation. Your father never even knew about you when he died, you should know he was a good man.”

“You keep saying you know him. Who was he?”

She stands up and gives me a stern glare.

“Your father was Jackson Maddox. You are the last living descendant of the fallen Titan Perses, and in a few weeks, you will be able to gain access to your birthright. You will have the power to uproot Cromus from his terrible rule and install us as the new leaders of Knav.”

“Why should I trust you? How can I know you are telling me the truth?”

She sits back down and delicately grabs my hand again. Tears begin to well up in both of her eyes.

She says, “I knew your father because I was his wife.”

“Wait… does that mean?”

“Yes, Kincaid, I am your mother.”

Chapter 9

Silon Elite Camp

Token: Benja

It’s amazing how much your life can change in the span of a couple of weeks. Isamar, Yency, and I all showed up to Silon’s Elite camp ready to serve. We were proud to be a part of the camp, to lionize Grodar and become his most admirable Tokens. I wanted to impress Silon. I wanted to make him proud. Had we known what those actions would entail, Yency may still be alive. I can only blame myself. I was blinded. While I was trying to protect Isamar, I forgot to look out for Yency.

The ground transport is rattling as the wheels bounce up and down on the unsmooth roads outside. I am leaving the Silon Elite camp. It may be the last time I ever see the place, but not if I have anything to say about it. Although, I will never have anything but sorrowful memories attached to the camp, I must return. I have to. I try to break out of my shackles, but it is useless. I am constrained in the back trailer being hauled around like an animal. Darkness surrounds me, and I am only able to reflect on what peril I am in. On what events have brought me to this point. It is painful. But the agonizing memories will motivate me. They have to. Yency’s death will not have been in vain. I will not allow it. I close my eyes in hopes that sleep will come knowing my dreams will only morph into nightmares as they always do. I will have to relive those memories.

*

 “Benja,” Isamar says breaking the silence.

 Ever since we had been put on the hover transport on our way to our new lives as Tokens, our escorts had been eerily silent. All they do is just peculiarly stare at us.

“What do you think it will be like there? In Silon, I mean.”

I grab her hand behind our seats so the escorts cannot see. Yency looks over and understands. Isamar and I had recently seen our relationship blossom from friendship into something more. The only person who knew was Yency because he happened to see us sharing a kiss behind our shack one day in the District. Kinkaid could not know. He was in too fragile of a state to handle anything, especially seeing others in a relationship. Everything already reminded him of Hadley. I did not want to make him hurt any more than he already did.

I try to comfort her.

“I am sure everything will be fine. The important thing is I will be there for you. I will protect you. No matter what.”

“You promise?”

“Promise.”

I want to kiss her, but I know I should not. Especially with the unblinking eyes of the escorts intensely focused on us from across the ship. I feel the hovercraft begin to slow, and the ship is now descending to land. Our seats begin to shake as the entire transport rumbles while the legs touch down outside. I take a look through our window behind us, and I am shocked at what I see. The ground is a continuous flat and barren desert. I guess I am just so used to the water, the beach, and the lush vegetation from our Island. This will take some getting used to. I can see off in the distance a large house surrounded by a high chain linked fence. A shiver shoots through my body. I do not think Silon will be a favorable place for us. I shoot a glance at Yency revealing my suspicions. He seems worried too.

The ship has landed, and the hatch quickly opens. The escorts are up in seconds standing us up and marching us out the door.

The heat is different than when we were back on the Island. The air is drier. I feel as if I am suffocating. There are no trees to seek refuge in the comfort of shade. As we walk through the gates of the fence, I see nothing to provide solace to Isamar. Nothing to prove this place to be a suitable home. There is a deep-pitted arena with human bones lying about. There are guards in the Grodarian uniforms standing watch all about, but I see no other Tokens. Our escorts halt us as another man approaches from the distance. He is a large muscular man with wild gray hair and a white beard that stands out on his bronzed skin.

“Take the girl to the house,” he commands.

Isamar is immediately being dragged away. Our hands are still connected, but as she is pulled away, our fingers lock briefly, while I whisper to her, “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.”

I watch as she fades into the distance and disappears into the house. I do not like the way the man is looking at her. I should have never let them take her away. Her worried eyes frantically search my face for reassurance. The last words I said to her may have been a lie. Everything will not be okay.

The wild gray haired man looks back to us with his misty piercing gray eyes.

“I am Samson Silon. I have brought you here for one reason. You are to serve me until you draw your last dying breath. Your mission in life is to no longer ensure your own survival, but to make my existence continuously rewarding and pleasurable. Do you understand?”

Yency and I both nod.

“Very well then. We will find out soon enough how dedicated you both are.”

He waves his hand in the air at someone far away.

“Zander,” he yells.

The young strapping lad runs over as quickly as possible.

“Ah, Zander my boy. These two are our new warriors for the Melee. Train them well. I need to tend to some matters back at the house. Good luck gentlemen.”