The next morning....

I wake up the next morning and yawn. I roll over and realize Tayt was gone. I look around me and turn off the lantern. I get up and unzip the tent. I walk out onto the beach.

“Tayt?”

It was already getting warmer. The sun was out and I zip the tent back up to keep the bugs out. I run across the edge of the water with my handgun in case any creatures decided to get frisky. I call out his name a few times and look over at our vehicle. It was still there with all our stuff. I run over and look for a flashlight. I head to the edge of the jungle. The flora smacks at my hands and I take a step deeper. I could already hear the animals communicating. There were some in the trees, working together to surround me and scare me away. I walk back to the beach,

“Tayt? Hello?”

“I'm right here.”

I turn around with a smile, feeling relieved. Tayt was there behind me, but so was another man. He had a gun pointed to Tayt's head. It was Luer the Caparan. I hold my hands over my mouth and gasp. I didn't know what was going on.

Luer smiles. We were his slaves now on his way out of Cepertine. He had lost his hunting grounds, but his swarm was huge. I look up in the sky. There were others flying above the tree tops, watching us. I drop my gun in the sand in fear. I think that was what Luer wanted. He kept pointing at it and saying something.

Tayt and I make eye contact.

“What's going on?” I watch as Luer pushes Tayt forward. He points his gun at us, and says something. He seemed to get angrier, as we stood their staring at him. In moments, other Caparans land carrying a cage with them. It rattles on the beach as they open it up and motion us inside.

We craw in the metal cage. The interwoven metal hurts my hands as I squeeze in. Tayt holds my hand and tries to pay attention to what Luer was doing. We watch as he motions for several others to carry us into the sky. I lose my balance as our cage is lifted. The growing distance from the ground cause a stir in me. I sulk my posture, wishing I wasn't so uncomfortable. The flight was going to be torture, but at least it would be faster than on land. We rise above the tree tops and start to fly in the direction of Capara.

“Are they going to feed us?,” I whisper.

Tayt shrugs. He seemed happy I was with him, but not pleased. I think he tried to tell Luer he was the only one there. Obviously, Luer didn't buy his story. There were too many footprints in the sand.

“Hey, Nahlia. Thanks for getting caged with me.”

I could tell Tayt's demeanor had changed. Even with his sarcasm, he didn't care anymore. He wanted things to continue as if Ned never bullied him that one last time. The cage shakes as we fly over the trees. The Caparans take their shifts and I watch as birds scatter at the sound of their approach. We keep flying, until the bay leaves our sight. I was crouched and uncomfortable. Below me, the waterfalls and rivers rush between my feet.

Neandeleria's rivers had always been furious, especially during the wet season. Nothing calmed them, not even the slabs of mud that collapsed in from the river banks. It wasn’t until I saw the landscape from above that everything seemed tranquil.

“Isn't this fun, Tayt?,” I droll.

“No.”

I start to tickle Tayt. He starts laughing, unable to escape. He does it back to me and our cage starts to shake. We both laugh until the Caparans carrying us start complaining. One of them ejects his knee-blade and bangs our cage a few times. He look at us angrily and we quiet down. Tayt was still laughing, but he wanted me to quit.

“As soon as I get free from this cage, I'm going to kill Luer.”

“You can't kill him. He has too many bodyguards,” I say.

Tayt looks at me and tries to move around more freely. He couldn't. I could see other cages in the distance. We were joining up with a larger portion of Luer's swarm. It was scary hearing all the whistling and humming. The noises were getting louder.

Many hours later, the cage door rattles open. We're let out in a camp among tents. I could see other Neandelerians and felt a little relieved. Everyone was nervous. Luer was walking through his slaves and counting them. No one wanted to be divided and I wondered if being captured by Lam Lathi would have been any better.

Some people try to gather themselves near the torches. There wasn't enough space near the campfires they had set up for us. Some food is passed around and a large container of water is placed in front of us. A mad rush to get some follows, but Tayt holds me back. We decide to wait and sit by the fire. There were vacant spots to sit now. A familiar face joins us. It was Ellen from the sky platform. We used to go to school together.

“Tayt!,” exclaims Ellen.

“Ellen? You made it too?”

“Hey Ellen, remember me?,” I say.

Tayt looks up and moves over toward me. We sit together and stretch out our hands. I didn't know where we were. It would be a long time before we reached the mesas of Capara. The three of us sit and talk for a while, until Luer walks through our area. He was pulling people aside and tossing them to his armored killers. It looked like target practice.

The three of us huddle together, as Luer walks from campfire to campfire looking for the most worthless of his slaves. He seemed bored and wanted to show off. There was even some makeshift benches he set up, as if to let others watch how accurate he was as shooting and slicing people.

I try to keep my figure small. Tayt was looking around. I look over at Ellen who was just as afraid. We try to stay quiet and unnoticeable, but Luer makes his way to us. He stands over us, as his bodyguards shove away the crowds. They keep everyone in line as Luer speaks. He says something, I don't understand. I try and listen. I was going to try and learn some Caparan. It might come in handy.

“One two three. One two three. Who wants to die? Who wants to die?,” laughs Luer.

Luer stands over us and I swallow. He keeps point at me, then Tayt, then Ellen. We stare at him and I contemplate pushing him into the fire behind. I wasn't sure if I could knock him over. It would probably get us all killed.

“Nevermind....bad idea, Nahlia.”

The three of us look around anxiously as Luer continues pointing. He paces back and forth to pretend that he's thinking. It seemed like he wanted some attention for deciding our fate. I didn't want to get raped or stand out. I was scared for Ellen too. I just wanted Luer to go away. Luer speaks again.

“Teh. This is hard. Good thing I make the hard decisions. A true king needs his time to think. Bitches and hoes and a little boy in between them.”

I had no clue what was being said. I wanted out. Tayt did to. I could see his frustration mounting. He had been bullied a lot and he was getting the same vibe from Luer. All three of us avoid eye contact. The pointing and murmurs continue. The other Neandelerians watch intently, just as frightened as we were. Tayt and I look at each other. He couldn't take much more of this. Finally, I hear a shout.

“Just decide already, moron!”

Luer looks up and tries to spot the random voice. Someone in the crowd had yelled at him. He didn't know who had just insulted his royalty. Immediately, Luer leaves us and goes to find the person who yelled at him. He heads passed his bodyguards and into the crowds. I swallow. Luer understood Neandelerian. He must have prepared for his hunting grounds and learned a lot while in Cepertine. I would have to be more careful.

“Maybe we should have let Lam Lathi capture us,” I blurt out.

Tayt looks at me. “This wasn't my idea. It was your idea, Nahlia!”

“Well, your idea was to stay in Cepertine and just sit there!,” I shout.

“No. I was going to fight back. Not sit there!,” yells Tayt.

Tayt and I look at each other. Ellen tries to smile and calm us. I roll my eyes. Tayt rolls his eyes to poke back at me. I distract myself with fire, wondering what was happening on the other side of the world. It had to be better than this.