Leno's will (chapter 14)

Old Timer Joe lay dying. Blood oozed out of his wound. Aunt Mara tried to staunch the flow in vain. She slipped several times but continued to work at it. Tears streamed down her face. Leno looked at her face. She had once said medics were not supposed to show emotion when working.

He edged closer the body that was slowly losing its life. Judi and Mika knelt beside Joe trying to be strong but they didn’t know how. Gregor stood back respectfully. Ivan stood away as well, his eyes scanning the horizon as if there was some safe haven that would give back what was lost.

“Now why are all of you so damn miserable? Oh wait, it’s ‘cause I ain’t told ya lot any jokes of late. Well no worry, here is one. There was once an old fool who did nothing worthwhile his whole life. No literally. He just sat there and made jokes and acted like he was all big when he didn’t even have the guts to reach out for a new life. Then one day he did get out. He got carried away and thought he was going to get his life see. But then he didn’t realise that the times had changed. They weren’t for him. Old fool, he thought he was even gonna see his brother…….”   

Joe tried to laugh but then blood drooled from his mouth. Judi whimpered next to him and clasped her hands to her mouth. Joe tried to push himself up.

“You stay down. How can I tend to your wound if you don’t stay still?” shouted aunt Mara. Joe patted her shoulders.

“It’s alright Mara. I am no fool. I can see I am done for. You three come a little closer. That’s right Judi and Mika, and you boy, Leno come closer.” urged Joe beckoning them closer. Leno finally knelt down in front. It was more painful than he had hoped. He realised he still held hope. He didn’t know whether it was because aunt Mara was tending to Joe’s wound or because Joe was smiling but Leno thought with all his heart that everything was going to be okay. But when he knelt down in front of the old man he realised the bitter truth.

“Now let me tell you the one thing I can. Whatever happens I want you to know that things won’t get better if you sit there and do nothing. You ‘ave got to work at it. Whatever it is. Right now you are free. Times have changed. I want you lot to stay together and strive for a better future. I don’t mean for just yourselves but for everyone. It may seem a bit selfish but I think back on my life and I think if people out there were selfless then I would have been rescued. That’s why I want you lot to be heroes. Do what they didn’t do. Don’t just hide away. Fight for your race and safe the weak. Jump in front of danger. No one is safe. Hiding will just make you weaker when the moment comes. Ahh damn that hurts!” moaned Joe as he clenched his fists.

“Is that it,” murmured Leno, “is that how you are going out, with some advice and a bad joke?”

“No it’s not some advice, ha ha ha, ahh, damn the gods, if there are any. It’s not some advice or a bad joke. It’s my will Leno!"

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Maxan and his company travelled without trouble after that incident. They followed the river safely. On the way Maxan observed the bones of a gorillaphant, a burnt town and the remains of a battered ship. Still he continued, paying little attention to the tragedies around. Soon they arrived to the borders.

Beyond them they saw mountains, huge giants that stood with pride on the untouched land. Some were grey with white tops whilst others were dotted green by trees and Maxan could even make out the blue lines of rivers and streams running along the mountains. Between the mountains was one clear road beyond which a huge glistening lake could be seen. It stretched on for miles; it could have been a sea or an ocean for the size it looked.

For a second Maxan held the land in awe but then rage welled up in him when he thought it was this land that our forefathers fought over. It was this land that cost us our lives. They unloaded all their carriages and carts.

“Hey look it’s one of the messenger birds. I think they sent it ahead.” pointed out Leon.

“No doubt they did. Owlreef did say our next orders would be sent by a messenger bird.” Replied Maxan as he walked over to the bird. The bird flew into his arm immediately. He opened the container strapped to its feet and read the message out loud.

“The things you bought with you are building material. You will block the pass into the Realm of the Divine and build a fortress there. The instructions on how to do so have been put down. You will begin constructions immediately. Send this bird back when you arrive. We will send more material from the palace. We expect to finish this fortress within half a year with structural refinement expected to continue for at least two more years.”

“What!” stammered Leon, “They can’t be serious? They expect us to build them a fortress. Haven’t they got enough strong holds?”

Maxan closed the letter. As he was about to send back the bird something occurred to him. Leon was right. The machine did have enough strong holds. If they wanted another one it would have to concern where they wanted it. In this case they wanted to block off the easiest way into the realm of the Divine. This not only showed they wanted to keep people out but he knew something else they wanted. Maxan was well aware of how the machine had failed to enter the land. Its turbulent weather had not allowed them to enter safely. If they were building a fortress then it only meant they were going to try again. He couldn’t allow it.

No matter what happens the machine know we will rebel soon. Yet they keep us because with us their plans will advance faster. They think because they have our people hostage back at the palace that we will never defy them. And that is true. We can’t do anything whilst they have our families. But then that will always be the case. So if we are to rebel we have to think of a different way out.

“Thinking dirty thoughts are we?” teased Leon. Maxan flinched at how close he was. “Don’t worry. I am only here to help. As it happens I have an idea.”

“What kind of idea?” enquired Maxan. Leon smiled.   

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The next few days passed in a blur for Leno. Very little conversation was held. After Sam and Joe were given a funeral people preferred to stick to their own groups. Aunt Mara became restless. She was always agitated as if something was going to jump out at them. Gregor kindly educated everyone about how to act in emergencies.

But Leno only ignored him. As far as he was concerned it was too late. Everyone only thought about themselves when the moment came. Joe cared for others and he ended up taking the hit. Tyson was looking elsewhere when he bumped into Leno.

“Can’t you watch where you are going scum?” Tyson roared, “honestly do you ever….”

Leno punched Tyson across the face before kicking him. Tyson cried out in pain. Ivan ran up and grabbed Leno and pulled him away.

“Get off me. It was his entire fault. He deserves it. He almost got us killed by that monster and then he got Joe killed. He is a stinking coward and then he goes around with no remorse acting like he is better than everyone else. Why did he survive? Why didn’t someone else survive instead of him?”

“Leno.” Judi cried bursting into tears. “Joe is not coming back.”

“Oh shut up. I don’t need comforting. What are you all staring at? It’s all your faults as well. I said not to break up but you all ran. Because at the end of the day you all care about yourselves only. Joe should have been like that, and then he would have been alive. And you!” Leno pointed an accusing finger at Gregor. “You said you would protect everyone. But what a bunch of crap that turned out to be.”

Leno spat on the floor and freed himself from Ivan’s grasp. He stormed off ahead.

“I think we should make camp,” said Gregor. Ivan nodded and then turned towards aunt Mara. But it was no good. She was not going to resolve Leno. In fact she looked as if she agreed. Her eyes starred into a different world. They saw other things and glistened as water welled up in them.

“We will get him,” said Judi. She and Mika went after Leno.

Leno sat on the ground digging his fingers furiously into the earth. He was crying. Judi and Mika tried to pretend they didn’t hear him when they came closer.

“We have enough food, Leno,” smiled Judi. “There is no need for you to dig up any. Gregor says we will soon reach the canyons beyond which is the desert. Once we are there we will be at the rebellion and then we won’t have to dig for food.”

“That’s a relief,” beamed Mika. “Nothing gets on my nerves as having sand on you. Plus these sands of Sinatra are red. It looks like dried blood. Yuck.”

“I was the son of a lord. I had a twin brother. They all got killed. We got captured about seven years ago. That was the end. I didn’t think I would care about people again like the way I did. It was Joe that cheered me up when I arrived. You two came after so you never knew me before.” cried Leno oblivious to their attempt at cheering him up. In fact it only made him seem more shaken.

Judi hugged him. “We are here for you. We are sad too but nothing can be done about it. Think about what Joe would have wanted. He wouldn’t appreciate you tearing yourself up about it.”

“I know but I am sick of doing the right thing when nothing good comes out of it. I know I am supposed to deal with it but then what. How is the future going to be any different? Don’t you see, Joe was right? We have to fight back.” affirmed Leno.

Mika looked worried. “Leno Joe was dying. He may have said that out of anger. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.”

“No Mika, you say that because you are used to ignoring things. You are not like me. You only think about the present. Left unattended the machine will conquer everything. What do you plan to do when you reach the rebellion? Are you going to hide there and hope you can live a normal life? That’s not going to happen Mika. Some day they will catch up to us. We have to fight for our future no matter what. When we reach the rebellion I want to join the warriors.” Leno smiled as life slowly crept back into him.

Judi seemed reassured but Mika only frowned.

“Come on you guys. We can decide about that later,” said Judi.

“Thanks but if you don’t mind I want to stay here a bit longer.” asked Leno.

“If you don’t mind can we stay here with you?” asked Mika. Leno smiled. Even if Judi put the decision making to later he had already made up his mind. He wanted to fight back. He was not going to lose these two like he did Joe. He would fight for Mika, for Judi, for aunt Mara and Ivan. He would fight.