The Alpha King Is Mad

Episode 7

TRACY

With Aria walking ahead of us, Justin and I walked into what I figured was her village. A wave of emotions washed over me— confusion, disbelief, and a sense of being completely overwhelmed consumed my thoughts. I kept questioning how I had ended up in this weird place, surrounded by people with whom I was beyond surprised how we could even communicate. Everything seemed surreal, as if I had been transported to another dimension of the universe.

Little Aria, so cheerful and full of energy, continued to hum a tune, her merry melody served as a stark contrast to my jumbled thoughts. It was hard to focus on literally anything as I was grappling with my own internal chaos— which was a little close to driving me insane.

Taking in the surroundings, I noticed that the houses in the village were considerably small, and were built in ways I hadn't seen before. Their modest structures spread across the landscape, each with its own unique touch. Simple roofs adorned with what I guess were dried palm fronds, walls constructed of mud and clay, and windows made of translucent shells gave the village a, well, somewhat rustic charm.

Even though it felt like my thoughts were minutes away from imploding in my head, I marvelled at the ingenuity of the people around me.

"Aria, what is the name of your village?" Justin enquired, feigning a smile as the girl looked back at him.

"032," she let out, her kite still in her hands.

"Is that the number of... okay, how many villages are in your land?" Justin further asked.

Aria, not looking back this time, said, "I don't know."

Stepping closer to a particularly larger house, I observed that it stood within a compound marked by wooden sticks and ropes. This, I presumed, indicated a distinction between different areas of the village, and their financial status. The houses in this area were built with wood and looked much more attractive— not to mention they were quite big.

"Aria," a young lady yelled out, her voice tinged with both frustration and concern. "Don't tell me you went out into the forest again. What am I to do with you?"

Surprised by her directness, I halted in my tracks, turning to face the approaching woman. She walked towards us, her steps calm and her expression both worried and exasperated. It was clear that Aria's wander into the forest was not an unfamiliar occurrence, and her mother's reaction hinted at the constant worry.

Before her mother could get another word out, Aria, with utmost brevity, explained how she had stumbled upon Justin and me. I could see the woman's eyes widen slightly as she absorbed the information. She hesitated for a moment, her gaze shifting between us, contemplating the situation at hand.

Pulling Aria closer to her, the woman raised her head, her voice now filled with a mixture of curiosity and caution as she addressed me directly. "What do you want?"

Her words hung in the air for a moment before I could say anything.

"My name is Tracy Clarke. This is my younger brother, Justin," I hurriedly introduced ourselves, attempting to convey a sense of urgency. "We were just in our dining room— you know what? Let me save you all of that. Can you just let me use your phone?"

The woman squinted her eyes, clearly perplexed by my request. Her puzzled expression gave me a momentary pause, but I pressed on, my desperation seeping into my voice. I needed a lifeline, a way to reach out for help in a situation that seemed to grow more dire with each passing moment.

"Your phone," I repeated, my voice trembling slightly as I fought to maintain composure. "I need to make a call."

Releasing her grip on Aria, who immediately darted towards a nearby compound with her kite clutched in her hands. The woman before us seemed much more relaxed but still didn't understand what I wanted. "Use my what?"

"My phone," I reiterated, my words quickened by my racing thoughts. "A telephone. Anyone will do. I just need to make a call."

The woman shrugged, equally oblivious and unyielding. "I'm afraid I can't help you. I don't know what that is."

Startled by her response, I exchanged a glance with Justin, the desperation in my eyes mirroring his own. How could someone not know what a phone was in this day and age? Panic and fear threatened to consume me as I attempted to process the situation.

Taking a steadying breath, I tried once more to plead my case. "Please understand, it's important. We need to contact someone, and to do that, we will need a phone. Or any mobile device you have."

“I will repeat myself,” the woman said, turning, “I don't know what you're talking about. But feel free to ask around.”

She took about three steps towards her compound before stopping and turning. “Fine, you can come in, eat and clean up, until you find your way home.” She looked at us, her face now void of emotions. “But let me make this crystal clear to you. If you try anything funny, you will be sorry. Believe it or not, I know the Beast of the East in person— yes, I do. I'm sure you know better than to mess with me, knowing what he will do.”

Beast of the East? What the hell was she going on about?

As we stepped into the woman's compound, my eyes widened in astonishment. The exterior had completely belied the spaciousness of the interiors. From where I stood, the compound seemed to stretch on forever, with lush gardens, little nooks, and vibrant flowers adorning every corner. It was quite a breathtaking sight, one that momentarily distracted me from the urgency of our situation.

While I was still taking in the beauty around us, Aria's voice rang out, her complaints punctuating the air. "Mother, we haven't had lunch yet!"

The woman, whose name we still didn't know, turned towards Aria. "Well, come help get the table ready. Besides, if you hadn’t wandered into the forest, you would have eaten already."

Aria's eyes lit up at the mention of food, her energy momentarily redirected from her lizard chase, now that she was done running around with her kite.

Justin and I exchanged glances, silently acknowledging that a meal wasn't what we needed at the moment.

But of course, we didn't say anything. We had to stay composed. So far, the woman has been quite hospitable towards us.

As we gathered around the table, Aria continued her pursuit of the lizard, darting through the vibrant garden with determined grace. The woman, who we still knew as Mother, worked efficiently, setting out plates, cutlery, and then serving a dish that carried the delicious aroma of strong spices.

Looking up from her tasks, the woman's gaze shifted towards Justin and me. "I will have to get new clothes for you both," she stated with a touch of concern.

“Oh,” Justin let out, looking at himself. “Thank you.”

It was in that moment that I realised how tattered and dirt-streaked our clothes appeared.

The food wasn't like anything I had seen before. It was something that resembled rice but definitely not rice as it tasted quite differently. There was some stew on it and that was quite delicious.

A neighbour came to get some vegetables from the woman's compound and she saw us.

“Manila, who are these people?“ The neighbour asked, looking at us.

The woman, whose name we now knew was “Manila” said, “Oh, they're my distant cousins.”

As the neighbour went further into the garden, away from hearing space, I asked, “Why did you say we were your cousins?”

Manila, adding more food on Justin's empty plate, said, “Agromanians do not like strangers.”

Just as we listened to Manila, a figure soared high above us, catching my attention. Its swift movement towards the gate hindered me from getting a clear look at it. Curiosity piqued, I strained my eyes to catch any details.

My attention was immediately arrested by the actions of Manila and her neighbour, who both immediately dropped to the ground, their faces pressed against the earth. The gravity of the situation became evident as their actions alone spoke volumes.

Without needing any instructions, Justin and I followed suit, joining Manila and her neighbour on the ground. The urgency in the air was palpable, leaving no room for questions or hesitation.

Not that this needs me saying—I was scared as hell!

Amidst the tension, Manila's voice cut through the silence. "Get down on the ground," she shouted out to Aria, her words laced with urgency and concern.

Aria, however, seemed oblivious to the danger surrounding us. With a firm disregard for the situation, she replied, "Killian says I don't ever have to do that."

Manila placed a finger to her lip, urging her daughter to not say anything else. “Just keep quiet and join me on the ground right now.“

Manila's neighbour's jaw dropped as she turned to her side, though still flat on the ground. “Did Aria just call the Beast of the East by his name?”

Manila shook her head. “No, of course not. You must have heard wrong.”

Just then, I heard gentle, persistent footsteps.

Lying on the ground, I turned to face the gate, then I saw him coming into the compound.

Yes, I saw him.