Teeabu didn’t fare well. Pertz didn’t find Delah as promised. And as days went by, Teeabu avoided the young canteen guardsman with the evil eyes every possible way he could. Digging, excavating, blasting, the work was grueling. They were being watched wherever they went. From the translation discs in their arms to monitors placed strategically throughout the catacombs, there was little privacy.

Teeabu and Pertz became close, and Teeabu found solace in the thick darkness when they congregated in the muddy depths of the caverns to talk of Adoini and deliverance. The first night, the emaciated elders, while sitting and speaking of the “One with the eyes of fire,” were agog to find one like this Shatarian youth to enter their midst. He was captured “young, too young,” one elder said. “Knowledgeable, too…” another elder said, “…this young one knows so much about Adoini.” Even so, they had to carry on within their vile conditions; even so, Teeabu ached to see Delah and his home again.

At night, Teeabu cried quiet tears, alone in the mud, alone with muscles aching and his stomach hungry. Pertz was allowed to be with him, being a small creature. He allowed the warm being to huddle against him. Teeabu slept with his sash still hanging over his shoulder, coming down to his waist, holding it not forgetting his heritage. But this was one night that was unbearable after he had harmed the canteen guardsman a week ago who tried to advance him. He never knew such behavior in people, men wanting men. Because he stood up for his manhood, he was beaten, his flesh almost filleted from his body. Strips of open wounds were infested with disease, night-after-night after lying in the filth-ridden mud hole. He would have died if it had not been for that councilman who intervened.

Teeabu’s uneven breathing rattled. Though his back was healed in the med lab, it still hurt, gruesomely. That night was different. Teeabu cried, wanting to die, waste away, relinquish his life, and will to nothingness. Pertz was asleep when a low amber glow from the doorway grew until its brightness woke Teeabu from his broken sleep. He suddenly thrashed around and groveled away in blinding fear.

A touch from a glowing figure and comforting voice surprised Teeabu.

“Fear not,” it said.

Teeabu turned and focused on the creature with wings, an angel?

“I come to give you tidings, for His will be done. This night will change for you by God’s command. He has heard your cry and you will set the captives free, according to His bidding. For you are hidden beneath His mantle. He has kept you.”

Teeabu sat with back against the dirt wall and his head settled between his knees in shame. “No, there is no way. I am not worthy, Lord.” The tears streamed from his eyes. The angel took a clear golden vase and placed it near his eyelids to collect them.

“The Lord says He bottles each of your tears. As I have done with these few, I will do for your people. For you are precious. The One with the eyes of fire has died for you. You will know Him, soon.”

Teeabu’s heart thundered in his ears, and he stood with face wet, with strength. “Here I am, Lord. But why me? I...” He lowered his head and the tears flowed again.

“Delah is gone, my home is gone. I’m alone. What...what must I…” he cried. It’s all caught up with me. Insanity has set in, he thought. And now he was being taken away to another level of insanity. Slavery was breaking him.

“Why you?” The angel’s glow increased. “Because you were chosen before you were formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you. He has found you worthy because you seek after His heart and it is time. You and you alone are purposed for a time like this.

“Fear not.” The angel placed heated hands on the youth’s head. “The Lord calls all His own His children. Delah is safe for now. Be obedient to His calling and your new day shall come in triumph even as the King of kings soon to come on Earth.” Teeabu questioned the strange name within, Earth? What is Earth? The angel surprised Teeabu by answering his unspoken question.

“The Earth, Shatazar, and the heavens are the Lord’s. He says, ‘I am the Creator of all things’. Remember that Paul Reiss abides on this world called Earth and will come here.

“The Lord says not to turn away from Delah. Though a shadow to you, she is part of His works. She is to help Paul from Earth, who knows the One with the eyes of fire.” The angel cupped Teeabu’s face and he felt warmth of the touch on his flesh and his strength surged.

“Be patient and be separate. For the Lord says, ‘I will never leave thee neither shall I forsake thee’.” The angel took a fiery sword and placed it in Teeabu’s hand and put a helmet upon his head. “God has given you these to go forth in battle. It is His word and His salvation that will deliver you. Thus says the Lord, ‘Faith in Me is your shield, also wisdom and peace are your shoes, and My Word that comes forth from your lips is your sword. There is one that comes with salvation, your helmet. To be quiet is more potent than all the ruler’s anger and temperance can control a city. Remember this; it is your armor. Though invisible, it is potent. Believe’.”

Teeabu blinked through his tears and found no light, no sword, no helmet, nor shield.

Believe?

He was shocked. An angel had actually visited him. The One with the eyes of fire was real. He, Teeabu, was a warrior and a priest after God’s own heart. Now, he could withstand anything.

Just believe.

A heavy thud shook the door just when the angel left. It was opened by one of the guardsmen and the councilman, Ulandis-de-a-Yal, who had come to release Teeabu from prison.

●

During the first week after Teeabu’s release, Yal was called into the kitchen of the mess hall, finding higher-ranked guards, sprawled on the floor and guardsman Handroll with his rifle aimed at the boy. The boy in the most precarious position, standing on a large counter with cooking receptacles scattered everywhere, poised and still, as if ready to strike.

“Put down your weapon, Guardsman!” Yal shouted.

“Your Gracious,” Handroll said, panting, holding the rifle in position, “let me shoot him, he’s downed all my men and… and...” He swiftly turned and faced Teeabu. “Hold it! Don’t move!”

Before Handroll could track the boy’s movements, he fired his rifle, missing the boy.

“Down with the weapon, and catch him!” Yal commanded.

The boy kicked and threw the pots and pans at the armed guardsman. All the steel cookware waiting to be used clanged and clattered everywhere. The young Shatarian kicked high with skill and avoided Yal’s grab. Handroll was close enough to grab Teeabu by the throat, choking him, squeezing until the boy’s face flushed crimson beneath his cooper skin tone.

“You will die for this, slave. You think yourself a warrior, eh?” Handroll slammed the boy against the wall. “Didn’t you know your people are inferior?” He growled, lowering his face to the young boy and hissed in the boy’s ear like a serpent. “Weak. You can’t harm us with your fancy kicks.” Handroll smelled the child’s chest. “I’ve got you, boy—fresh and ripe just enough for me.” The leer in his eyes grew as he slowly touched the boy’s arm, still holding the child in a choke hold.

It was enough to make Yal vomit.

“Guardsman Handroll, you are out of code. Stop now!”

The guardsman didn’t look away, holding his captive and leaning slightly closer, defiant of his superior. “He assaulted an Araidian guardsman and caused the downing of high-ranking soldiers. Do you think I can let go of this fine specimen?”

Yal cocked an eyebrow, “I out rank you. I give the commands. Put him down.”

“I will take the slave to our dignitary, the Gracious Betha-busa.”

“She is a military person with no jurisdiction with law making or deciphering it. You, however, are to turn the boy over to me, now,” Yal commanded, brusquely. “I will sentence him. You will return to your duty. And take your men with you. They’ll wake in a few hours.” Yal noticed no burn marks on the men. “You programmed your gun on stun, didn’t you?”

Yes, Your Grace.” Guardsman Handroll bowed, vainly concealing his curtness in addressing Yal. He quickly notified medics to retrieve the men and left abruptly, hurling obscenities beneath his breath.

Yal ignored the guardsman’s insubordination and directed Teeabu to follow him. This child was a Shatarian and immune to the reedpods. Slave? Yal observed the youth following him with combatant eyes. Should he be a slave? Yal began thinking about the profit of having this young stalwart at his side.

One particular need to be fulfilled was a job thrown on his shoulders by the Watchman. He was to maintain and monitor the shuttler, the tubule that the shuttler used was like a tunnel. Unfortunately, the area was surrounded by reedpods. Lacking equipment that could withstand the environment infested with reedpods was like a contaminated wound. The plant’s emissions deadened all their electronic devices within the area. Not only that, the plants couldn’t be poisoned.

The power and equipment to maintain their city was depleted rapidly by the growing reedpod emissions. Adding to his people’s misfortunes was the lack of antidotes, antibiotics, and antihistamines that worked. End result, Araidians couldn’t withstand exposure, even with an air suit, longer than a few hours.

The only equipment that operated indefinitely was the alien-designed shuttler and its anti-electrical pulse units, in contrast to all their machines, which would last at the most six hours. The Araidian transportation units took about two hours from their city to the perilous outward regions of the shuttler.

Their vulnerability increased when the huge Granulups, blunt-headed snakes with strong tails, would crash through the train’s tubules during their migration. Some of these creatures totaled over fifty feet, enabling them to burrow huge subterranean tunnels, destroying anything, machine or not, in their path.

The village of Irema was the closest living habitat, only about two-hundred miles away from Araidia and thirty miles away from the shuttler. If Yal could work out another treaty, or an agreement of some sort, whether through the village or Shatarian boy, both their people would profit.

Yal could use this child.

He didn’t understand why he was drawn to the young boy. But one thing Yal knew, Teeabu had a heart of a warrior. He had discipline, control, and fear didn’t chase away his courage. As a slave, the boy would waste away. But, because he had the ability to breathe the unshielded air of the reedpods, they could train the boy to watch the shuttler tubules. Also, maybe others like him.

And having the valor to fight like a warrior, with liquid quick movements, he would be valuable to Araidia. Betha-busa and Eyetna didn’t understand that it took more than brawn and tyranny to rule; but compassion, desire, wisdom, and intelligence. If Yal were there to nurture this Shatarian, he would have another ally to preserve the innocent lives within this city. It would be an affirmation that Shatarians were not like a heterotopous insect, only to be crushed beneath Eyetna’s foot.

--End of Chapter