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And then, happy reading... I hope you guys enjoy it.
Chapter 13 : Unbroken Bond
"What?! Interrogating me?! exclaimed Rasam, who was surprised to hear Blu's statement, "That's not the deal."
"Indeed... it's mine, not hers." he replied coldly, pointing at Jewel.
Meanwhile Jewel, she was silent, thinking about Blu's intentions, "I see..." she said, seeming to understand his point,"We can ask him about the criminal world in this city."
"So..." Blu reached into Rasam's pockets, reaching for the map,"We'll take this map. And then... tell us."
"I... I don't know anything. I swear." Rasam said, slightly trembling, and a little frightened.
"You're lying!" snapped Jewel, startling him.
"I... I said the truth. I don't know anything. I'm just a mapmaker. "
"You ever said that our life became your source of income. What did that mean?" asked Blu roughly,"What do you want from us?"
Rasam looks confused, he never expect his situation will be reversed, and now he's helpless, "Did I say that?" He said, lying... trying to deny it.
But, Blu's face now looks more serious. Without a word, he held the collar of his shirt, lifted and threw him down. Blu looked angry. Rasam was surprised by what he did to him. He can only lying on the ground helplessly as he stares at Blu with trembling.
"You're still lying. You said that in earnest... and so did I." said Blu with a loud tone, glared at Rasam who still lying on the ground,"Stop hiding it and tell us... maybe we can help." This time he softened his voice. Now, he looks care about him.
Rasam looked into Blu's eyes. His eyes are full of confidence, "He...?!" He told himself. Then, he stood up, and replied, "I... I can't." His face still looks pale, and looks scared. Not intended for them both, but something else.
"Didn't he already tell you? he will help you, you know?" Jewel suddenly said, joined in their conversation,"He's the type of guy who always means what he says. Because, he's such a stubborn bird."
"Hey!" Blu interrupted in an irritated voice.
Jewel smiled as she continued, "But, because of that... he will always help others in distress, until he is willing to sacrifice himself without thinking about himself, and doesn't care what other people say. Such a stubborn bird, isn't he?"
Everyone fell into silence for a moment without a word. Rasam was hesitant at first, but after seeing their earnestness, and their feelings, his hesitation began to fade away, and he began to tell them both.
"All right, I'll tell you..."
Meanwhile, at the same time, somewhere, on a dark hill with no light. At the top of the hill there is an old abandoned building which connected by a dark path. However, at that moment there was a lantern's light carried by a mysterious bird with brown robes covering his entire body. He walked to the old building with his left wing holding a lantern as a lighting device. When he reached the door he put off the lantern so that it was completely dark. After that, he opened the door and went inside the old building.
"As usual you are very careful... Carl." Suddenly a voice came from the corner of the room, inside the old building,"There's only me here. You don't have to hide your face."
The cloaked bird is known to be Carl Marx. He didn't respond to his ravings, and went straight to the point, "Where is that thing?" He said coldly.
"What do you mean? Didn't I already tell you?" Said the mysterious bird in a joking tone.
It's not possible for them to see each other in the conversation due to the dark conditions. They can only know from the tone, emphasis, and air of their existence. Their sense of sight doesn't work well under this condition.
"Stop your nonsense!" he exclaimed, "Just hand it over."
"Well, well... I got caught." The mysterious bird pulled out a small stone. Shaped like a marble, smaller than a softball ball and bigger than a tennis ball. The stone glowed golden in the dark, so they could see it, "Your men suddenly handed me this stone. I think that's an order from you." He throw the stone toward Carl.
After Carl grabbed the stone, suddenly the lights in the room were on, and appeared beside him... a bird pointing a gun at his temple.
"I knew it. You betrayed me... Frank." Carl said without surprise. Instead of shock, he looked at him with curiosity.
"Forgive me Sir Marx... Mister Viilock promises a more interesting offer." Answer the bird holding his postol, named Frank. He said without guilt, but grinning.
"I see..." Response Carl, quietly.
"You are the most wanted bird in Agharti City. Many people expect your death. Therefore, I'll kill you here, receive the reward, and get the stone." said the bird who was standing in the corner of the room, named Viilock.
He laughed wickedly, echoing in the room and breaking the silence. But he stopped when he saw Carl just staring at him with cold eyes. Instead of being shocked, he took a deep breath.
"But unfortunately, your dreams will not come true..." said Carl, coldly, "This stone is now in my wing." He grabbed the stone, and lifting it up higher than his body. Then, the stone took out a golden light, more shining than before, and something happened...
"...!?" Martha was shocked, after hearing a sudden gunshot, "Where am I?" she said to herself as she looked around.
She has just awakened from her fainting, due to the sound. She has no clue what was that sound, and where is she right now. She only knew that she is now bound by a chain connected to a vertical wall, in a dark room with a little light that illuminated her face through the air vents. She unable to move her wings, and her talons. Just standing immobilized against the wall.
"Hello... anyone? Is there anyone there?" she yelled at someone, hoping someone heard her soon. But no one answered, "How can I be here?" she asked herself. she tried to remember, and, "Arthur?!" she cried, apparently she started to remember what had happened.
Suddenly, it sounded like an emergency siren echoing behind the wall in front of her. Followed by screams of birds that look panicky. The silence suddenly turned into chaos.
Martha just stared at the wall in front of her, remembering she couldn't see anything, just hearing the conversations between two birds who looked panicked and confused.
"Wh-what's going on?!"
"The upstairs, there is a raid, and Mister Viilock... he has been killed! He was killed by Carl Marx!"
"Carl Marx! by himself?! Where others? We have to stop him!"
"Are you stupid?! He has killed three-quarters of our people!"
"What?! How could it be?!"
"Who care about that? Now, we must save ourselves! Hurry up! Find survivors, and take them to the emergency lane to the bay!"
The conversation that seemed rushed, nervous, panicked, and fears just make Martha also feel it, "Wh-what's going on here?" She muttered to herself awkwardly. She doesn't know, if something terrible is going on upstairs,"And... Who is Carl Marx?"
"Pieces of Teho?!" said Blu and Jewel, simultaneously, when Rasam is explaining.
"Yes." Response Rasam, then continue his explanation, "The mysterious and legendary stone in this world. It's said that the stone has enormous energy. However, everyone thinks the stone is just a myth, because it hasn't been found for centuries."
"What a powerful stone." Jewel murmured in amazement.
"So, this bird is trying to find that stone?" asked Blu.
"Yes. He's very ambitious bird. He spent years studying and exploring the whole world to find out where the stone is."
Blu and Jewel are still listening to the explanation carefully...
"A few days ago, my master, Viilock had found the stone. But he doesn't know much about it. Therefore, he told this bird." said Rasam, "My master wants the stone for himself. But unfortunately, this bird is just like him, wants the stone as well."
"My master, he... he is a slave trade... " He continued, haltingly.
Blu and Jewel are stunned when he said it. They never expected that a slave trade existed on this planet.
"Govaqry..." he continued, "... at the top of Tungsin hill two kilometers to the northeast. An old building known only to people as a shelter for orphaned children, and street children without homes. They have no idea about that place, but I know. Because I am the dark part of that place. Children who have been inside, like in the hell. They are tortured every day, forced to work hard at all times, no decent beds, not even food. It really can not be expressed in words. They are better off dead than suffering like that."
Blu and Jewel are still listening carefully, that sad story...
"Lucky for me, Mister Viilock chose me, and made me his men. He has many men, that's why he has so many informants who are willing to look for the stone." he continued his story,"By becoming the Khadye, I am the one of his important informants. That's why things like this are strictly prohibited, leaking the information to other birds, causing my life to be threatened."
Blu and Jewel fell silent, feeling empathy at him...
"Please..." said Rasam sadly, "If you really can save the others from that place, I will try my best to stay alive, and become a better person. Please, save my friends!"
Blu and Jewel are still silent for a while. Seeing him and listening to his earnest words... then Blu said with a small smile, "Not me... but, you... "
Jewel just smiled at his statement...
Rasam fell silent for a moment, thinking of what he was saying, but finally he smiled...
"Then, what are you going to do now?" Jewel asked Blu.
"It's not just me, it's us." he replied confidently.
"I see... perhaps, Martha was also taken there, right?"
"That's what I'm talking about." Then, Blu turned to look at Rasam, and thanked him before he walked along with Jewel, disappearing in the darkness of the night.
Rasam just fell silent as he stared at their departure, and murmured, "I'm the one who should say that... Blu and Jewel, aren't they?"
After they both came out of the alley, and found themselves in a city crowd, Jewel began a conversation while mingling with pedestrians, "Blu..."
"Yes..." he replied.
"Can you trust him? I mean, he has cheated us, endangering our lives, and..." said Jewel, but she hasn't finished as Blu interrupted her.
"His feelings..." He said briefly... "Five birds we were fought against, they're not his men, but... his friends. I know when he looks at them, he looks at them not because of fear, but more likely to feel guilty." he continued.
Jewel was silent for a moment, hearing his explanation, before responding to him by muttering to herself, "You never change, Blu..."
After half an hour they walked without direction, have no clue where they were going. Just walk in the crowds of people, see, hear, feel the atmosphere of the city at night. Overtaking, and sneaking some pedestrians in quick steps, as if in a hurry.
"How to get to Tungsin hill? We've been just walking around in this town without direction." murmured Jewel.
Blu heard her murmurs, and answered calmly, "That's easy, we just need to find a way out of this city."
After passing through several blocks, and walked again for a few minutes, they arrive at the town square, which looks dense vehicles during the day, but begins to diminish at late-night. They saw a large park there, with a large fountain lit by colored lights, making the fountain glow. Around the park, overgrown with plants that they never saw on earth before. Trees with a giant leaf, and purple tree skin. Nevertheless, the tree has a coconut-sized fruit covered with its large-leaf. Above them, there was a giant air balloon that went slowly beyond the heights of the skyscrapers.
They walked to the park, looking at directions, because they didn't bring a compass, plus they don't know the city well.
"If we came from there..." mumbled Blu, pointing to his right while looking at the map that he got from Rasam, "Then, we are in the city park, which is downtown. Wait, what?" he exclaimed in a low voice, after seeing something on the map.
Although, Blu muttered to himself, Jewel was able to see his confused face, "Blu? What's the matter?" she asked.
"I guess... getting out of this city isn't as easy as I thought."
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