Chapter 40

  Kaysi-

  "Hey guys, can you see the little girl hiding behind the trees?"

  "Where are you seeing the little girl?" Becky asked.

  I pointed to the trees just a few feet from the shoreline when we got off the boat and went down what looked to be the only dirt road on the isnd.

  "I see her," Duke said. "Maybe we should ask her for directions if she is not too shy. Kaysi, why won't you try going over there and talking with her?"

  "Okay, I will; do you think she will speak our nguage?"

  "Yes, we are still a part of the Jiyu-Kaze region, so that they would talk like us. This isnd was purchased almost a decade ago for farming purposes. At least that's what they want you to think.

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "Many natives here were moved to give better access to the areas that the government would farm. They were relocated to reservations. Pces where there were no resources to gain better access to the areas that had resources, and also to expand their territory."

  "So, for their greedy reasons, they moved the natives who were thriving to areas of barren wastends?"

  "Yes, unfortunately, it was the most peaceful way that they could come up with other than killing them to get them out of the way. Some of them that didn't bow were put down."

  "Why would our government destroy people's homes just for the resources of other people's homes?"

  "That's something you have to decide on your own. Also, the reason why we're here is to help."

  I slowly began to approach the little girl. She stood still behind the trees and did not leave her position. I could tell she was still tense and fearful, yet withheld a curious spirit.

  Her clothing seemed to be made out of deerskin. She wore a long dress. The skirt fell to her feet, featuring blue, white, and red stripes at the bottom. The dress also featured tassels that flowed from the bottom of the skirt, down her arms, and were lined around the hem of her neck.

  She wore her hair braided, and her pigtails looked beautiful with little beaded hairpieces. One feather was on the left side at the crown of her skull. She had a neckce that seemed to be made out of the bones of some animal and beads.

  Her physique would have pced her at about 11 or 12 years old. She was tall yet skinny.

  My first impression of her was that she was born into a different culture, a diverse and beautiful nation.

  "Hello," I said in a calm, soft voice so as not to scare her. My name is Kaysi. Could you help us? We seem to be lost in trying to find a vilge. We were invited. Do you know the people of the Keetoowah tribe?

  "Yes, I do. I am of the Keetoowah tribe, and you're on Keetoowah Isnd."

  "Awesome, can you help us navigate our way to the vilge?"

  "I can; however, when we venture further, you will not be able to take your wheeled machine."

  "Oh, you mean our bus?"

  "Yes, I have seen many wheeled beasts, but I do not know their names. Most of them are ridden by even more monstrous beasts."

  "Could you expin that further so I can better understand?"

  "Many men come in and steal from our vilge. We have already had to move and lose our home more than once because resources were found in our area. It is unfair that they come in as bandits at night, taking what little our poor vilge has."

  "Well, we are not like those people. We came here to help you. We were given a mission by the Heavenly Council. If you know who that is."

  "Oh, so you are the Waymakers. You come to sy the tiger demon that pgues our vilge. Let me take you to my grandmother right away, then." She emerged from behind the tree and began to head into the forest. "

  "Hold on, wait a minute!" I yelled back to her, but she was so fast.

  I waved at our group standing at the front of the bus. I hoped they had seen me; I couldn't lose the girl. She seemed to need help, but she must have been hesitant to say something until she knew we were the right people or safe to approach.

  As we went deeper into the forest, the environment came back. They changed some pnts that looked familiar yet seemed so different from what I have seen on a daily basis. Some of the animals even looked strange. This isnd was very much untouched by the rest of society.

  We had been running through the brush for a good five miles. I could start to see you in the clearing where the force was beginning to open up. There were tons of dipidated buildings, tents, and huts.

  "How could our government allow you guys to live like this?"

  "Living like this is not so bad. It's just that we keep having to do a lot of repairs. It's a problem. Any resources that are acquired get stolen. You did not use to be this bad. When my mother and father passed away from a hunting accident. The bandits started coming in and raiding our home."

  I didn't want to start all the girls. But I don't think her parents were killed in a hunting accident. I'm beginning to think that maybe the bandits murdered them.

  "How old were you when they passed away?"

  "I was only six and will be celebrating my 13th birthday soon."

  "Oh wow, you're a little older than what I thought. So, how long have the bandits been attacking your vilge?"

  "They're very sporadic, but they started not too long after my mother and father passed away. Look, you don't have to tell me that it's coincidental. I think they were bluffing to spare my feelings because I was still a child, but I'm not a child anymore."

  "You're still quite young to have endured so much. Is there no one else in the vilge that can fight them off?"

  "My brother went on deployment right after my parents passed away. He didn't know about the bandits. They only showed up a few weeks after their passing."

  "He's going to be coming home for a short bit of time. Our grandmother's sick, and he wants to come and help nurture her back to health because she is the st of our family and tribe elders."

  "So your brother has been stationed for 7 years then?"

  "Almost," he said, "that he was leaving to try and get money to help rebuild the homes in the area. I don't feel he should have been gone for so long. The other reason why you came back is that it's not just my grandmother who's sick."

  "Many of them come down ill after going up to the mountains to try and kill the tiger demon. He lives inside a cave at the top of the mountain."

  Once we got further into the vilge, I could see that some of the people were sick, and others seemed unfulfilled. This pce was dark and depressing, but I could still see little glimpses of hope, watching the children py and run around.

  "What we can do here doesn't get rid of that demon tiger for you. I am going to find a way to fight off these thugs and run them off for good."

  "Do you have the power to do so?"

  "I don't know what I can do, but I will try. We will help out in any way possible!"

  The girl jumped when she heard rustling in the bushes behind us. It was our friends. They had finally made their way through the woods.

  "Man, you sure did take off fast," Becky said.

  "Yeah, the little girl needed to take us somewhere. We can go together now that you guys have finally caught up."

  The little girl stared at everyone as we stood outside a hut.

  "This is where my grandmother lives."

  The chief of the vilge may have owned this hut, as it was quite bigger than the rest of the other buildings.

  "I can permit all except you to come into the hut," she said, pointing at Micah and Josh.

  "Why is that?" Becky questioned the little girl, talking to her.

  "I sense evil demon spirits on them. I do not wish for my grandmother to get any sicker."

  I turn to Becky and whisper in her ear, "It's believed in their tribe that the people are getting sick because of a tiger demon. They must be able to sense the demons within them. Let's just take the precaution; it won't hurt them to stand guard outside."

  "Okay, I understand. Let's go ahead and head inside, then. Josh and Micah, you guys keep a watch out here in case there's any trouble; I'll see you in a minute."

  "Alright, I will be safe, Becky. Josh said with puppy dog eyes.

  Walking into the hut, you could see with your own eyes how frail the grandmother was. The vilge doctors and nurses were standing all around by her side, tending to her every need.

  "How is my grandmother's condition?"

  The grandmother sat up in her bed and opened her eyes. "You don't have to speak as though I am not right here, Zyiah."

  "Grandmother, you should be saving your strength. You need to recover from the sickness."

  "My sickness is not the same as the others. I have just grown sick from overworking. A little bit of rest and I'll recover. Stop fussing so much over me! When is your brother Calian coming to help us with the other stuff?"

  "I'm not sure, Grandmother, but I have brought some friends who could help. They said that they were told to come here by the Heavenly Council."

  "I see them. My question is, why is there a smell of two demons sitting outside my door? Do they bring them here to cause me ill will?"

  Baby and Duke stepped forward. "Those two are our responsibility." Baby took the initiative to speak first.

  "I feel something different from you, too. But by what authority do you come to bring in demons to my door?"

  "These are demons that pgue the two children in our care. We were advised that we should let them release the demons with their gifts. Removing the demons ourselves if they are unwilling could further cause harm."

  "I understand that, but in our vilge, anyone with a demon spirit that cannot be overcome is exiled immediately."

  "Can you not make an exception to the rules this one time? We are outsiders and will only be here for a short time. We wish to help."

  "I am the current active chief. I will not change tradition for outsiders, as it has kept this vilge alive."

  "So, do you wish for us to leave and not help your vilge as we were called to do?"