"My cepan is better than yours!" Makai stuck his tongue out at his brother, I couldn't help but laugh. I didn't have any siblings growing up so I had never experienced the kind of squabble that was going on now but it was amusing.
"No way!" Nikio shook his head. "My cepan is better! Did you see how strong Rey is?" I was watching the two of them while my father spoke to their grandmother. They had been in the study for a long time, so it must have been a pretty serious conversation.
Nikio shoved his little brother to the ground rudely. "I'm going to be the strongest Garde ever!" he hollered as he dashed down the hall, his feet thumping loudly against the floor. My protective instincts kicked in immediately as I bent onto one knee and helped the little guy.
"You okay, little buddy?" I asked him, grabbing his little hands and helping him to his feet. His long brown hair covered his eyes, but he quickly shook it all out of the way.
"Yeah." he nodded, his brown eyes staring into mine. "Thanks, Sukan." he grinned before running after his brother. The study door opened and my father stepped out, followed by their grandmother. She now had the same look of concern that my father had. We bid her farewell, leaving before the boys came running around again. I was bristling in excitement, secretly willing these next nine years to pass quickly so that we could begin our training.
"What was that about?" I asked him as we walked down the street. "What did you have to speak to their grandmother about? Those bands, right? There's something special about them, otherwise why wouldn't I have gotten one too?"
"I'm not supposed to talk about it." my father told me again, so I dropped the topic, although I still couldn't get it out of my head. What was bothering him? Why can't I know about it?
When we reached our street, I saw Cimorene, her long blonde hair glowing in the sunset, walking home alone while carrying a large book, which I recognised immediately as one of our mentor study books from the LDA. She caught a glimpse of us and waved, waiting for us in front of our house at the edge of the lawn.
"I'll leave you two alone," Rey grinned at me as he entered our home, shooting me a wink before disappearing inside.
"Hey," I smiled, sticking my hands in my pockets awkwardly, "How was your visit with her? Did it go well?"
"Thalia was great, such a sweet little girl." she laughed. "She has this cute little chaemara that follows her around everywhere she goes. So adorable. How was your first visit?"
"It went great. My garde is the younger brother of my father's garde." I told her. "His name is Makai, and he is so cute! He's going to be great to train. And he lives near your garde," I added.
"That's awesome," she smiled. I noticed she was wearing the new identity band now, the one my father seemed so worried about.
"My father was surprised when I told him that you got one of those," I nodded to the band on her wrist, which she began to fidget with nervously. "What are they for anyway? My father got one too." A look of worry crossed over her face, the same one that had been on my father's face.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it," she muttered, avoiding my gaze. "I'm really sorry, Sukan. I wish I could tell you, I really do. Ask your father. I have to go." Before I could get another word in, she disappeared into her home across the street. I sighed before entering my own home/
"Father," I called, finding him in his room. "Can we talk? Please?"
"Of course," Rey nodded, motioning for me to take a seat in one of the chairs facing his bed. I felt a bit bad disrupting him while he got ready for bed, but pushed on anyway. "What's troubling you?"
"What's troubling you?" I echoed, looking him directly in the eye. "I've noticed it all day, and please stop saying that you can't talk about it because whatever it is, I can handle it. I'm your son, after all." I insisted.
"Sukan," My father started but I cut him off before he could repeat any of the nonsense about how he wasn't allowed to talk about it.
"Cimorene is involved," I scoffed, shaking my head. "She's my best friend. I have to know what's going on. She told me to talk to you about it. I've never seen her so worried, or you for that matter. What have the Elders asked you to do? I know this has to involve them."
"Alright," Rey nodded slowly, sighing as he finally gave in. "I'll tell you Sukan, but only because I love you and want you to be prepared for the worst."
"Prepared for what?" I frowned, instantly regretting pushing my father to tell me. Could it really be that bad?
"Something is coming. Something we as a people may not survive." My father said sadly. "The Elders have foreseen an attack that may bring the end to Lorien."
"I know, Father. The prophecy they always teach us about. They have been saying that for years, before I was even born." I scoffed. "Isn't this why we train our Garde? So they can defend the planet from threats?"
"It won't do any good." he shook his head. "The Elders have seen it; Lorien will fall." His voice rasps as he speaks.
"So then we are just doomed?" I scoffed. "We're just going to sit here and go quietly?"
"No, of course not." he retorted. "The Elders have always had a plan,"
"What kind of plan?" I raised an eyebrow. I couldn't help but notice that his hands were shaking as he spoke.
"Ten child garde were chosen by the Elders; five young girls and five young boys, along with ten mentor cepan to train them." he explained. "They will be Lorien's last hope for survival."
"So Nikio and Thalia?" I trailed off, piecing everything together.
"That's right," he nodded. "They were both hand chosen by the Elders. The chosen mentors were all given these new identity wristbands," he tapped on his band with his index finger. "Mine is connected to the one that I left with Nikio's grandmother."
"Cimorene was chosen?" I frowned, still trying to wrap my head around everything.
"I suppose so, that I'm especially surprised about. A lot of pressure for someone so young." Rey nodded. "When the attack happens, these bands should alert us and send a tracking signal that allows me to find Nikio, and then I'm to take him to a private airstrip to meet up with all the others."
"Where will you all go?" Everything my father was saying sounded crazy; but I already had all the proof I needed. The new wristbands, how worried both Rey and Cimorene had been, the painful expression on the face of Makai's grandmother; something bad was coming.
"This is just a plan in case of an attack," he shrugged, trying to make it seem not as bad. "The Elders are just taking precautions."
"Where will you all go?" I repeated, forcing him to look me in the eye. I could tell he was scared, and it made me anxious.
"Earth," Rey said softly. "They'll be sending us to Earth if Lorien doesn't survive."
"Surely there is someplace better?" I snorted. Everyone learned about the different planets in school; and Earth was the most boring one to learn about. The humans never learned a thing, repeating their history over and over again. They were violent, destroying each other and their own planet. We have been helping them advance for generations, but they were still primitive compared to us. They thought they were alone in the solar system. This is the Elder's plan? Send them all away to a backwards planet like Earth?
"Earth has properties similar to Lorien that will allow us all to survive." Rey told me. "It wouldn't be my first choice either, but it's the best shot that these kids have got. Best shot that Lorien has," he mumbled.
"When will this attack happen?" I asked, thinking about my vision earlier of Makai training with me at the academy when he was eleven. Will I even get the chance to train him?
"I'm not sure," Rey shook his head sadly. "Although I fear that it may be soon."