The Pilgrims of Rayne

IBARA

I’m ready to explode.

All I can do is wait. It’s killing me. The next few hours will determine the future of Ibara. Of Veelox. Of Halla. It’s like waiting for a storm that’s slowly creeping closer. You know it’s going to hit but there’s no way of knowing when. Or where. I want it to hit soon, because I’m ready to hit back. Hard. The last few days I’ve spent getting ready. Days? Did I say “days”? I have no idea how long it’s been since Siry and I came back to Ibara after escaping from Rubic City. Has it been days? Or weeks? I know that makes no sense. After you read this journal, it will.

Courtney, as I’m writing this, I have to believe you haven’t found Mark. Or maybe you did, and it didn’t make any difference. What’s about to happen on Ibara now seems inevitable. I’m ready. I am so ready. I can’t predict how things are going to go, but if we lose Ibara, it won’t be because we didn’t try. No way. Right now I’m so charged up, I can’t wait for it to begin. I want to make some noise. It’s taking all my concentration to sit still and write this journal. It’s an important one. Courtney, when I write to you next, assuming I’m able to write to you again, the future of Halla will be determined. Saint Dane will either be finished, or the Convergence will have begun. Either way, I want you to know why I’ve done what I’ve done. I’m playing by Saint Dane’s rules now. Which means I’m not playing by any rules. I didn’t see any other way. Hopefully, when the dust settles, Halla will be safe once and for all. Until then, it’s going to get ugly.

Let me take you back to the night when Siry and I drove the skimmer to Ibara from Rubic City. Like I said, I don’t know if that was a few days ago, or a few months ago. Time has lost all meaning for me.

As I wrote, Siry and I landed after dark. We pulled the skimmer into the dense growth just off a quiet, rocky beach and covered it with palm fronds. From there we made our way through the jungle to the Jakill clearing. Seeing the empty clearing in the moonlight was eerie, and sad. This was a place that was full of energy and hope. Now it felt more like a memorial to failed dreams. I could only imagine how Siry felt. His dreams had been crushed. His friends were gone. I had to keep him focused and moving forward. There would be time to grieve later. There was always time to grieve.

We needed to rest. There was some food left around, so we ate what we could. I didn’t have much of an appetite. Fear of impending doom will do that. But I ate. Who knew when we’d get another chance? I also finished my previous journal. Again, who knew when I’d get another chance? I’m guessing we sat in the clearing for about three hours. Neither of us slept. The adrenaline was rushing too hard.

“This is dumb,” I finally said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m too pumped to sleep. We’ve gotta get to the tribunal and warn them of the attack.”

“That won’t be easy,” Siry said. “We’re outlaws. They may lock us up before we get the chance to say a word.”

“So how do we get to them?” I asked.

“Telleo,” Siry said with confidence. “If anybody can get Genj’s ear, it’s his daughter.”

“Will she do it?”

“I know she will,” Siry replied. Siry gave me a grave look. “Pendragon, we have to do everything we can to stop them.”

“We will,” I said, trying to sound positive.

We made our way back toward the village, guided by moonlight. We ran along narrow jungle paths. I kept my eyes on Siry. If he jumped, I jumped. If he ducked, I ducked. I stumbled and fell only once. When we hit the beach, Siry slowed down and kept to the jungle line. It was a few hours before sunrise. The village was asleep. It was the perfect time for us to get to Telleo. Siry led me past the hut where I had first woken up on Ibara, through the dark village, toward Tribunal Mountain. We finally stopped at a small hut not far from the central meeting area where Telleo and I had danced during the Festival of Zelin. Zelin. Was that some centuries-old version of Zetlin?

Siry gestured at it as if to say, “This is where she lives.” He put his finger to his lips in a “shush” gesture, then entered the hut.

The small hut had a few pieces of bamboo furniture and lots of cut flowers. Telleo liked to surround herself with beautiful things. I followed Siry as he moved quickly and stealthily through the first room and into the second. There Telleo lay sleeping on her low bed. She wore the same type of clothes to sleep as she wore during the day. Siry knelt quietly by her bedside. Telleo turned in her sleep. Siry quickly but gently clamped one hand near her mouth and nudged her arm.

“Telleo,” he whispered.

Telleo lazily opened her eyes halfway and stared at him in a sleepy haze. Then, as if shot with an electric current, her eyes blew wide open in shock. She sat up, ready to scream. Siry was prepared. He gently held his hand over her mouth.

“It’s okay,” he whispered soothingly. “It’s me and Pendragon.”

Telleo recognized him, but didn’t relax. At first I thought she was having trouble waking up and shaking off what must have seemed like a nightmare because she kept shaking her head no.

“It’s okay,” he assured her.

Telleo grabbed Siry’s hand and pulled it away from her mouth. She looked terrified. “It’s not okay!” she whispered with force.

“It’s all right,” Siry whispered soothingly. “We need your help.”

“You need to get out of here!” she whispered quickly. “They’ve been watching my hut since you left.”

Uh-oh. Telleo’s house was under surveillance. That’s why she wanted us out, not because we frightened her.

“Go!” she commanded, getting up. “Go back to the jungle before you are-“

“Arrested?” came a bold voice from the doorway to the first room.

Siry and I spun to see several security guards. They were as intimidating as I’d remembered, with their long hair and their heavy clubs strapped to their waists. Or in some cases, held tight in their hands, ready to bean us if we made a move.

Siry thought faster than I did and turned back to Telleo. “Ibara is in danger,” he said quickly. “That’s why we came back, to warn everyone. We need to speak with the tribunal.”

The security force made a move toward us. I didn’t fight them. They had us.

“He’s serious, Telleo,” I said. “We need to speak with your father.”

“Stop!” Telleo ordered the security force.

They didn’t. They grabbed us roughly, twisting our arms behind our backs.

“I said stop!” Telleo demanded. She pulled one of the goons away from me.

“Please, Telleo,” the guy said. “They are thieves and pirates. Let us do our job.”

We stood there awkwardly. They wanted to arrest us, but it didn’t look like they wanted to go against the daughter of the chief minister, either. Telleo walked right up to me and looked me in the eye. “What kind of danger is Ibara in?”

“The island is going to be attacked,” I said. “We think most of the Jakills are dead. If we don’t get to your father and warn him, the whole island might end up the same way.”

I saw the surprise and horror in her eyes. “Is this true?” she asked Siry.

Siry nodded. “I think they’re all dead, Telleo. We found the truth and it’s a nightmare. We have to see Genj.”

Telleo looked numb. The security goons didn’t look much better. Telleo said to them, “I’m not asking you to let them go. I’m asking you to bring them to the tribunal. With me. I’ll take responsibility.”

The security guys exchanged nervous looks.

“Arrest them,” Telleo added. “Do your job. Just let me bring them to the tribunal to tell their story. If they have something to say that will help Ibara, my father should hear it. If they’re telling the truth, you don’t want to be responsible for keeping it from them.”

Several of them looked at the one guy who was holding Siry. My guess was he was the boss.

“All right,” he said reluctantly. “But if this is a trick-“

“You’re going to wish this were a trick,” I said bluntly.

Telleo took charge by boldly walking out the door. The others weren’t so sure what to do.

“Hurry!” Telleo shouted from the next room.

Obediently the security goons pushed us out, and we were on our way to Tribunal Mountain. I heard the sounds of birds waking up to start the new day. Sunrise wouldn’t be far behind. I worried that along with it would come tens of thousands of dados and complete havoc. When we got to the mountain, Telleo left us alone with the security force in one of the lower-level cavern rooms and went to rouse the tribunal. It was an awkward few minutes. Siry and I sat along one wall, while six security thugs stood across from us with their arms folded, staring. To them we were dirt. They weren’t going to like us any better after they heard our story. Too bad for them.

Telleo wasn’t gone long. She ran back into the room excited and out of breath. “They’ll see you,” she announced. “Right now.”

“They’re here already?” I asked. “Isn’t it a little early?”

Telleo’s eyes were wide with excitement. “It’s an incredible day,” she said. “I had no idea!”

“What’s going on?” Siry asked.

“Come and see,” she said, and hurried off.

We started to follow but were quickly grabbed by the security force. They kept us under control as we followed Telleo. I didn’t fight. Truth be told, we deserved this kind of treatment. We were thieves and pirates. I was just happy to know we were going to get the chance to talk to the tribunal. We traveled the same route up several days before. The routine was the same. The guards kept us on the far end of the large, cavernlike room until the three members of the tribunal called for us. We had only been in the cavern a few seconds when Genj and the other two women of the tribunal came hurrying across the large space, headed for their seats in the dead center of the room. As he walked, Genj gestured for us to be brought forward. The security guys gave us a shove, and we were on our way. The tribunal sat down and stared at us. They looked anxious, as if we had pulled them away from something important. I wasn’t sure if I should talk or wait until I was asked. Telleo stepped forward and kicked things off.

“I know what you think of these boys,” she began. “They stole a valuable ship.”

Drea, the freckled woman on the tribunal, interjected, “You have no idea just how valuable that ship was.”

“I agree,” Telleo said. “But whatever you think of their methods, I believe they have discovered something that is vital to the future of Ibara, and today’s success.”

Today’s success? What the heck did that mean? Something big was going on, but what? The tribunal continued to stare at us skeptically. I’m embarrassed to admit that my brain froze. I guess it was because I put myself in their position and imagined what it would be like to hear what I was about to say. I didn’t know what to do. Should I just blurt out that an army of deadly robots from another territory was headed to their island on Jet Skis, ready to overrun the place? How could they possibly believe that? It all suddenly seemed so futile.

Luckily, Siry didn’t have the same problem. “The ship we stole is on the bottom of the ocean. All my friends are dead.”

The tribunal snapped a look at him. He had definitely gotten their attention. The last time we stood there, Siry was belligerent and obnoxious. Now he sounded about as deadly serious as, well, as the situation was.

“All we wanted was to learn the truth about our home and our lives,” Siry continued with passion. “I’m sorry to say that we found it. I don’t want my friends to have died for nothing. The best thing I can do to honor their memory is to stand here today and tell you that we learned Ibara is in deep trouble.”

The members of the tribunal exchanged looks. “Leave them here,” Genj ordered the security team. “But sir!” the big one protested.

“We’ll be fine,” Genj assured him. “Keep your men down below. We’ll call if we need you.”

Once again the security team exchanged nervous looks. “Go!” Genj ordered.

They backed off quickly, nearly bumping into one another. They left the cavern, though I was sure they were waiting just beyond the entryway. The old man looked between the two of us and took a tired breath.

“So,” he asked. “Did you find Rubic City?”

You could have knocked me over. Siry looked as stunned as I felt.

“What is Rubic City?” Telleo asked, as confused as I was, but for different reasons.

Genj stood and paced behind his chair. He looked troubled. He had no idea just how troubled he was about to be.

“You went in search of the truth,” Genj said. “A truth that has been kept from the people of Ibara for centuries.”

“You admit it?” Siry asked, stunned. “You admit keeping the secrets of our past from your people?”

“It was necessary,” Genj replied.

“Necessary?” Siry shouted. “What about all those who questioned you? The people who disappeared? Was it necessary for them to die?”

“Why do you assume they’re dead?” the dark woman, Moman, asked.

“Because they’re gone!” Siry snapped. “You can’t tell me they’re not dead. Or stuck in some dungeon to keep them from causing trouble.”

“Would you like to see them?” Drea asked.

Siry froze. He had no comeback for that.

I shot a look at Telleo and asked, “Do you know what’s going on?”

“A little, yes,” she said. “It’s wonderful.”

“Wonderful?” Siry blurted out. He was as confused as I was.

Genj said, “This is a day that Remudi worked for as hard and tirelessly as anyone. I could say he dedicated his life to it.” He looked to Siry and said, “Would you like to see the greatness your father helped achieve?”

Siry didn’t know how to react.

Genj looked to me and added, “Remudi told us of your arrival, Pendragon.”

Moman said, “Why do you think we let you free? Do you truly think we believed you suffered from amnesia?”

Oh well, I guess I fooled a grand total of nobody with that ploy.

Drea added, “Remudi said that if he was not here to see this day, a stranger named Pendragon, who wore a silver ring, most certainly would be. He told us to trust this stranger, for he would do all he could to help us.”

Genj looked to Siry and said, “And he told us to trust his son. I must admit, I was skeptical. It’s why we put the two of you together. The theft of a ship was the last thing I expected.”

I took a chance and said, “By stealing that ship, we might have given Ibara a second chance.”

“And what of the pilgrimage?” Drea asked. “Those ships are invaluable.”

“The what?” Siry asked.

Genj backed away. “Come,” he bellowed. “You seek the truth, Siry? It’s time you saw it all.” He turned and strode across the cavern, followed right behind by Moman and Drea. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I looked to Telleo.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I knew this day was coming,” she said. “I had no idea it would be today.”

“What’s going to happen?” I asked.

“It’s the rebirth of Veelox,” she said, and gave me a warm hug. She seemed truly ecstatic. “Come on!” She hurried after her father.

Siry shook his head. He had no idea what anybody was talking about. All we could do was follow. We were lead up higher into Tribunal Mountain. We took several winding, rock stairways that brought us into the upper reaches of the peak. After walking through a long tunnel, we emerged into a room with a wide opening that gave us a spectacular view out the back side of the mountain-the side that faced away from the village. The three members of the tribunal stood at this window, looking over a vista that stretched from the dense jungles of Ibara clear down to the ocean. Siry, Telleo, and I joined them to witness a wondrous sight.

Far below in the jungle, a wide trail snaked from somewhere deep on the island. It traveled past the mountain and on toward the sea. The trail ended at the wharf where the ten brightly colored sailing ships were kept. Nine, actually. One was at the bottom of Rubic City’s harbor.

Genj announced proudly, “Today is the culmination of a plan that was centuries in the making. The brave people you see below are the pilgrims who will bring our world back to life.”

There were dozens of people on the trail below, all dressed in typical, bright Ibara fashion. There were men, women, and children. All walked quickly and orderly toward the wharf and the sailing ships.

Most of the ships had left the wharf and were headed out to sea. Even from where we stood, I could see their decks were loaded with people. Many were still on the docks, boarding the remaining ships. Others scurried around the docks, casting off lines and helping to load freight. Eight of the ships were either out on the ocean already, or starting to push off and raise their sails. It was a spectacular sight to see against the rising sun. I wished to heck I knew what it all meant.

“It’s a proud day,” Genj said.

It actually looked as if he were crying. The two women of the tribunal were definitely teary. They waved at the people below, bidding them farewell, though they were too far away to see it.

“Where are they going?” Siry asked.

“To the future,” Genj said. “Just as Aja Killian planned.”

Hearing Aja’s name rocked me. I had forgotten that the colony of Ibara was originally her plan… conceived three hundred years before.

“Help me out here,” I said. “What is happening?”

Without taking his eyes from the ships, Genj said, “You saw Rubic City. Do you know of Lifelight?”

“More than I want to know.”

“Then you saw the destruction it caused,” Genj explained. “Millions of people died. It was self-inflicted genocide. Aja Killian was a phader who saw it coming. She banded together with the few who resisted the temptation of Lifelight and created a plan for the future of Veelox.”

Siry and I knew of the plan. We had seen Aja’s journal. But we didn’t know it all.

Genj continued, “They chose this island of Ibara to be their lifeboat. It was at one time a military base used to defend the mainland. Automatic weapons existed to protect it from attack. Forty people left Rubic City to start a new life here. They had a simple philosophy, which was to not let technology define their lives. They didn’t want history to repeat itself. That’s why we live the way we do, relying minimally on technology. Our culture, our way of life, was carefully planned and chosen by our ancestors. We are all the descendants of the forty.”

Drea continued the story saying, “The first part of Aja’s plan was to create a settlement. They lived in this mountain at first, since it was already honeycombed with tunnels and rooms. Eventually they built huts that over time became the village of Rayne. Children were born. Families grew. More villages were built across the island. The sad history of Veelox and the origin of Ibara was not passed down to the young. The fear was that the temptation to rediscover Lifelight would be too great. With the passing of each generation, fewer and fewer people knew the true story. Aja’s plan allowed for a three-member tribunal that would be voted on by the villagers. Only the tribunals knew the full history, and shared as much of the knowledge as was necessary to carry out the ultimate plan.”

“Why?” Siry asked. “Why was it so important to keep the truth a secret?”

Genj snapped a cold look to Siry. “To keep the curious from doing exactly as you did. The fear was that temptation to leave the island would be too great. Ibara needed to be strong in order to be the seat of a new civilization. Ibara needed its people. All its people.”

I said, “So the idea was to create a new population, right here on this island.”

“Yes,” Genj answered. “The biggest concern was disease. A virus, an infection, any sickness would have been devastating. We needed to keep the island free from all outside contamination, and to do that, we needed to keep our people away from any contact with the rest of Veelox. As you can see, it has been successful, but only because of the secrecy.”

I looked down on the ships. The last passengers were boarding the final vessel.

“So what is all this?” I asked.

Moman answered, “The pilgrimage was planned from the beginning. Once the population grew large enough to ensure our survival, we began choosing people from the general population to live in another village on the far side of the island, where they were taught the realities of Veelox. It was an honor to be chosen, for these people would be the pioneers. They would be the first to venture off this island and repopulate the world. They are the pilgrims of Rayne.”

Genj added, “Those ships are carrying them off to start colonies throughout the mainland.”

Siry asked, “So the people who disappeared became the pilgrims?”

“You’re looking at them,” Genj answered. “It was Aja Killian’s vision from the beginning. It’s a shame her life ended in such tragedy.”

“What do you mean?” I asked quickly.

Genj answered, “Aja Killian never set foot on Ibara. After creating the plan that would save Veelox, she was assassinated by Flighters only days before the forty sailed for their new home.”

I had mixed feelings about all that I heard. I was proud of Aja. She had first tried to save Veelox and beat Saint Dane by creating the Reality Bug. Technology is what endangered Veelox, and she tried to fight back with technology. It failed. So Aja went the opposite way and chose a route that turned its back on technology. Her plan wasn’t a quick fix. It was a battle that would be fought over centuries. It was a battle she was on the verge of winning. She wanted another shot at Saint Dane. She got it. Veelox was about to be reborn.

Moman added, “Once the pilgrims are safely away, we will begin the final process, which is to educate the entire island of our heritage. Our population is strong enough now so that people can safely choose for themselves if they wish to stay, or reach out to the rest of our world and join the new colonies. Our mission is nearly complete. Veelox has been saved.”

This was it. This was the turning point of Ibara. The second turning point for Veelox. It’s why Remudi was on the tribunal. The Traveler from Ibara was working to fulfill the vision of the Traveler from Veelox. It was the way it was meant to be.

“Why today?” I asked.

“The Flighters grow bolder,” Genj continued. “The attack two days ago forced our decision. We feared for our ships. They took many years to build. Without them, there would be no pilgrimage.” Genj left the window and went right to Siry. “Because of your adventuring, there is one less ship. We decided to go now, before we lost more.” Siry hung his head.

Genj continued. “Your father lived for this day, Siry. Seeing those ships under sail, carrying the hopes for a new Veelox with them, was a sight he would have been proud to witness. I can’t say he’d be as proud of you.”

Siry looked horrible. I wasn’t feeling so hot myself. I helped steal that ship, and I was about to throw a pretty big downer into their glorious day. Pilgrimage or no, there was trouble ahead.

“Maybe we actually helped the pilgrimage,” I said.

Genj shot me a look of disdain. “And how could you possibly think that?”

“Because of what we found in Rubic City. There’s going to be a war, Genj. Ibara will soon be under attack. I don’t know if your defenses are strong enough to repel this army or not, but even if you’re able to protect the island, those ships would have been targets. The fact that they’re sailing safely away is already a huge victory, even if there are only nine.”

Genj looked to the women of the tribunal with dismay. They didn’t know what to do with the information. Should they be relieved? Or terrified? My vote would have been for both. The war was coming, but for the first time since I’d seen Rubic City, I felt a ray of hope. Hearing the story of Veelox and Ibara and Aja Killian’s brilliant plan made me believe the pilgrimage was the turning point for Ibara. Saint Dane had to know that. Attacking Ibara with his army of dados would have destroyed the pilgrimage and set Veelox back again. No question. But with the launch of the fleet, the impossible had happened.

Dane was too late.

He could attack and lay the entire island to waste, but the hope for Veelox was now out to sea. I almost laughed. Was it possible that Saint Dane would call off the attack once he realized the turning point had passed?

“Did you know about this, Telleo?” Siry asked

“Not everything,” she answered. “I knew the time was getting closer for pilgrims to be sent out to explore the rest of the world, but I didn’t know the reasons, or the history of Veelox. I still don’t.”

“Tell us of your involvement, Pendragon,” Genj asked. “Who are you really and why has Remudi put his trust in you?”

All eyes turned to me. Gulp. How was I going to explain that? I decided to simply tell them the truth about the army that was amassing in Rubic City. The tribunal had to prepare the island for war. With the passing of the turning point, I could only hope that Saint Dane would back off. But I couldn’t guarantee it. I had to convince the tribunal that they would soon be under attack.

Unfortunately, I never got the chance. Our conversation was stopped short by a far-off sound. My heart dropped. Genj was looking right at me when we heard it. I saw the surprise in his eyes. I wanted to hold on to that moment. I didn’t want him to see what I feared was happening. This was their moment of triumph, but with that one sound I knew it wouldn’t last.

It was the sound of cannon fire.

“No!” cried Moman.

Everyone ran for the opening and gazed out to sea. I walked slowly toward the opening in the rock and saw exactly what I feared. All nine ships were away from their piers and sailing toward open ocean. Most had their sails up or close to it. They were scattered along the coast, headed for different destinations.

Beyond them were four gunboats loaded with Flighters.

The colorful, unarmed ships that carried the hope of a new Veelox were under attack.

Saint Dane wasn’t too late.

(CONTINUED)