The Aftermath of an ***

An extraordinary silence took place among the dozens of men and women of the Alute tribe. No one dared speak out of turn, for fear Beku's building frustration would be taken out on them. The ceremony should have begun hours ago, but two of the hunters sent out had yet to return.

All right, enough, Beku hissed. There's nothing more noisy than a loud silence. Speak your piece, please. Someone.

Unintelligible, frightened murmuring broke out, which made Beku even more angry as he could understand none of it. He came a fraction of an inch away from unleashing his terrible power on the lot of them when one voice spoke up over the crowd. It was a young voice, but it spoke with admirable confidence.

Master Beku, fifteen-year-old Pip addressed him, and everyone turned to look at her. Her yellow butterfly wings, which usually flapped gently if she was in a pleasant mood, were stiff as steel.

Yesss, Little One, Beku smiled, his venomous fangs curling over his bottom lip. He had always been fond of Pip. If Beku had things his way—and he always did—Pip would become his queen the moment she turned eighteen.

Pip hesitated, as if forming her suggestion. Master, would it suit you to begin the ceremony without the others?

Many gasped, and someone said what they all were thinking: To start without them is to leave them behind, drained of their magic and powerless to death!

I sense that they are near... Beku admitted. Nevertheless, we must proceed. If I am to live on, we must not waste a second. Bring forth the sacrifices.

As we walked on through the forest, I began to feel weak. My energy was flowing out, being carried off by the wind and spreading out across the open air around me. Rave let out a horrible screech, then looked at me, his round black eyes gazing into my dying soul. We knew what this meant.

Run.

Beku was on his third goat when the pair of late arrivals collapsed into the circle. He loosened his constriction on the bleating animal and watched Leboni and Rave as their powers were replenished by the tiny atmosphere surrounding the circle of bodies. They stood cautiously and attempted to merge with the barrier of Alute people, but no one acknowledged them. Beku cleared his throat.

Leboni. Rave. He greeted them both, his serpentine face expressionless, his black scales gleaming in the golden glow of the Alutes' harnessed magic. Great to see you made it back.

Rave remained solemn, afraid for his life, but Leboni didn't.

I can't believe you would start without us! she complained. I can't believe you would abandon us like that!

We had no choice, Beku insisted. Besides, were we wrong? Your findings do not look promising.

Leboni was silent for a few seconds before his meaning smacked her on the forehead. In their previous state of pure survival instinct, she and Rave had forgotten their mission and left their humans behind in the forest.

We had sacrifices, Leboni said softly, her head lowered. Five of them. When we felt the ceremony begin, we were forced to leave them.

Are you blaming me for this loss, Leboni? Beku asked, expecting an apologetic answer but not getting one.

Yes, she said simply.

Beku paused as if considering this, then asked, Of what species were these five sacrifices?

Human.

This brought several shocked outbursts that Beku hushed. All of them? He tried to hide it, but Leboni knew he was impressed. One human per sacrificial session was cause for celebration, but five was exceptionally remarkable.

All of them, she confirmed.

Beku's snakelike tongue darted out and slid across his lower lip. A loss indeed. He looked sharply upon Leboni and said, Still, I don't believe I am at fault. There was no time. Would you prefer I continued to wait for you until I ceased to exist?

You could have survived just a little longer, Leboni said. We took the extra time to find you something special. Had you persevered for a couple of minutes, you would have been granted rich rewards.

I couldn't risk that, Beku said. How could I have known to expect so much from two of my weakest and least valuable warriors? At that, Leboni took a heavy blow to her pride. No, I don't reward risk-takers. I punish them.

Two of Beku's guards took Leboni and Rave to the front of the line of sacrifices.

This is wrong! Leboni cried out to her fellow Alute, her friends, who looked on with either trepidation or simple indifference. This is cannibalism! Will none of you stand up for us? For yourselves?!

And none of them would. To stand up for Leboni and Rave would be to beg for the same fate.

Stop! someone cried. Beku looked at Pip, wondering why his dear girl would dare challenge him. She pointed out into the darkness where five figures were making their way into the glowing circle.

Ah, you got lucky this time, Leboni! Beku said. I'll let you off with a warning. Now, join the barrier.

As the guards brought Leboni and Rave to the circle's edge, the five teenagers emerged from the shadows, stepping unknowingly into their unfortunate demise.