The Lost Enclave Read online

  He would have fallen asleep if not for the hunger pangs that kept rising up in him no matter how he tried to ignore them. That kept him in a hazy state, not quite awake nor asleep.

  “Nate?” a voice called.

  He blinked and tried to gather his senses in the darkness. He turned in the direction of the sound and his back cramped and spasmed, causing him to cry out in pain.

  “Are you okay?” the voice said. A face appeared in front of him. It was the girl from outside the Central Enclave. Amara.

  “I…I’m not feeling like myself,” he said, with some embarrassment.

  “You are not normally writhing in pain in an alley?” Amara asked. There was a sly smile on her face, but he could see concern there as well. What he did not see was any hesitation or nervousness.

  “Aye. I am normally less of an embarrassment.”

  She smiled. His exhaustion and pains seemed to fade away at the sight of that smile. “It is a mite embarrassing, how I keep catching you in these predicaments.”

  “It is,” he admitted. “I do not know where to go. Was hoping to find some work in this enclave.”

  “Why?” she asked. “Isn’t there an appropriate task for you in your own enclave?”

  “I am looking for a different experience,” he said. The words sounded false to his own ears.

  Amara looked confused. “Different experience?” she questioned. “Why would you…wait…are you…you are!”

  “What? What am I?”

  She scrambled to her feet and pointed at him. “You’re a Great One! I should have known immediately.”

  “Nay…I simply—"

  “Bullshit,” she said. The sharp words spoken by such a melodious voice shocked him. “I have you figured out now. Why did you not tell me the truth when we met earlier today?”

  She helped him to his feet and Nathaniel nodded his thanks. “I did not want anyone to give me anything because of my status,” he said. “It flies in the face of the whole notion of exile and the experience I am supposed to have out among the normals.”

  She wrinkled her face at the last word. “Normals. Never cared for that.”

  “Why? It is what you are. It does not imply anything wrong. It implies normality. Commonality.”

  “Which implies that the Great Ones are above us. As if the name Great One itself did not connote such a thing.”

  He shook his head. “It is the way it has always been. I doubt anyone meant any offense.”

  “Or perhaps whoever came up with those terms simply did not care what a simple ‘normal’ would think or feel about it.”

  He began to respond, then closed his mouth and considered her words. “I…suppose you have a valid point,” he said.

  “Of course I do,” she said with another disarming flash of her smile.

  “Have you ever encountered one of my kind before?” he asked.

  “Never. That’s why I was so excited to attend the ceremony and parade. I was terribly disappointed when I thought I hadn’t been able to catch a glimpse of one of the young Great Ones. And yet, here you are.”

  “Aye. Here I am. You do not look at me with the suspicion I had expected.”

  “Why should I? You are no different than me, at least for this week.”

  “Aye. That is true.” His stomach growled, and he looked away, humiliated.

  Amara just giggled. “You’re hungry, Nate. It would be wise for you to eat something. Or they will find you quite near death when it comes time for you to return to the palace. And that would make for a terribly poor closing ceremony.”

  “Your humor…it is rare.”

  “Not so rare where I come from.”

  “Humor rarely enters into things where I come from, and practically never from a female Great One.”

  “Are there female Great Ones?” she asked. “I’ve always heard the new generation is all male.”

  “Aye,” he said. “Myself and my two friends. We are all that remains of the Great Ones, at least at this point.”

  “How will you continue your people? I know you all live forever but I thought you still have to make more of yourselves.”

  “We do not live forever. Not anymore. And to your question, I know not. Great Ones have mixed with normals in the past but it is ill-advised.”

  “Why?”

  “Because our lifespans are so much greater than yours,” he said. “And I was taught childbirth is fraught with peril for a normal human delivering a hybrid child. A Great One needs his or her parents.”

  “Love doesn’t enter into it at all?” she asked. The starlight danced and sparkled off her eyes and made her hair seem to glow.

  “The concept has never mattered much to my people,” he said. “Our pairings are arranged. Or they were before there was nobody left to pair with.”

  “That’s a terribly bland way to live,” she said.

  “It is our way,” he said.

  “Aye, I understand,” she said. “I did not mean to be so critical. It just seems like so many consider the lives of the Great Ones to be so much better than the lives we have here, and I’m not sure that is really true. Perhaps it depends on the particular case.”

  His stomach growled again, and this time they both laughed.

  “Let’s find you some food,” she said. “And perhaps a place to rest for the night.”

  Amara led him to her home. It was several minutes away from the main street, in a quiet cul-de-sac of houses. As they approached the house, a woman came out of the door.

  “Amara!” the woman called. “Where have you been? Are you not aware of the late hour?”

  “Mother, forgive me!” Amara said. “I was helping a friend.”

  The woman studied Nathaniel. “A friend? Who is this boy?”

  Nathaniel locked eyes with Amara and subtly shook his head, willing her not to reveal his true nature.

  “This is Nate. He is one of the Great Ones on exile.”

  Nathaniel blinked in shock. The girl was determined. Amara’s mother looked equally surprised. “A Great One?” she pondered. “Bring him here, child.”

  They walked closer, so that the torches surrounding the door illuminated Nathaniel’s and Amara’s faces.

  “Being like us has not sat well with you, has it?” Amara’s mother asked him.

  “Nay. Forgive me. I expected better of myself and did not intend to be an imposition on anyone, let alone your daughter.”

  The woman laughed. “I know my daughter. She decided you needed help and she wouldn’t hear otherwise.”

  Nathaniel nodded and Amara’s mother smiled. “Come in, then. We can provide you with dinner and a place to rest. Will you need to stay the full week of exile or just the one night?”

  “I cannot ask that of you,” Nathaniel said. “I will take you up on your kind offer of food, but then I should be on my way.”

  Amara’s mother led the way into their home. It was bigger than some in the enclave that Nathaniel had passed, but still quite modest by palace standards. The wooden walls had a strong, pleasant smell that calmed his nerves as they entered the next room.

  “Jophima,” a voice boomed, “who was at the door?”

  Nathaniel looked at the table and felt his jaw fall open. The enormous innkeeper was sitting at the far end. The man saw Nathaniel and he too reacted with shock.

  “This boy!” the man said.

  “Father,” Amara said, “this is Nate. He’s one of the Great Ones on exile.”

  “A Great One?” Amara’s father repeated. “That explains a great deal. Young man, why did you not tell me the truth?”

  “You know each other?” Amara asked. “Did you go to the inn?”

  “Aye,” Nathaniel said. “Sir, I simply wanted to earn my keep. To be handed things because I am a Great One would not be in keeping with the purpose of the exile.”

  “Respectable,” the man said. “Just the same, honesty would serve you well. I don’t know how things are in your palace, but among those of us ‘n
ormals’ the truth is highly valued.”

  “I understand, sir. Forgive me.”

  The large man considered for a moment, then smiled. “You can help me around the inn, as you wished. Barney is at the desk right now but I still could use an extra pair of hands. And you may stay in one of my rooms.”

  “Thank you, father,” Amara said.

  “Thank you, sir,” Nathaniel said.

  “Call me Tyrus,” the man said. “Now come and sit. Amara can help her mother prepare dinner.”

  Amara looked reluctant but followed Jophima out of the room. Nathaniel took a seat across from Tyrus.

  “Thank you for having me here,” Nathaniel said.

  “How did you come to meet my daughter?” Tyrus asked.

  “I confess I am not handling the physical constraints of this transformation well,” Nathaniel said. “I was overcome with exhaustion and she took pity on me and brought me here.”

  “Amara has a very large heart,” Tyrus said. “She cares for everyone.”

  “I can see that,” Nathaniel said.

  The man frowned. “I have never met a Great One before, but you seem like a genuine young man. So I must tell you—”

  A knock at the door interrupted. Amara burst into the room and ran to the front of the house. Nathaniel heard the front door opening and closing and the sound of a man’s voice. When Amara returned, she led a tall young man into the room. The man looked at Nathaniel with a scowl, then turned to Tyrus.

  “Good evening, sir,” the man said.

  “Eli. So good to see you.” Tyrus indicated the seat next to him. “Come sit. I was just chatting with our guest.”

  Eli sat down next to Tyrus. “Nate,” Tyrus said, “this is Eli, Amara’s betrothed.”

  Nathaniel felt his heart sink. He hated the feeling and could not understand why he even cared. What difference did it make if Amara had not mentioned she was to be wed?

  “Pleasure to meet you, Nate. What brings you here?” Eli smiled in a way that Nathaniel knew some must see as charming.

  Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but Tyrus interjected. “Nate is having dinner with us and will be helping out around the inn.”

  “Good, good. The inn is in good order then?”

  Nathaniel saw a flash of something on Tyrus’s face. The big man was uncomfortable. “All in good order, aye,” Tyrus said. “As promised.”

  “Good.”

  The meal was served, and Amara’s parents made idle chitchat. It was halfway through the meal before any mention was made of Nathaniel’s identity.

  “A Great One…” Eli mused. “My father works for the Authority and has met many of your kind. How are you enjoying being human?”

  “It has been interesting,” Nathaniel said.

  “Of course. Of course.” Eli turned to Amara. “Amara, get me more bread.”

  Nathaniel was shocked by the tone. Amara jumped right to her feet, and knocked over a glass of wine. The red drink spilled onto Eli’s shirt. Eli’s face turned nearly as red as his clothes. “Clumsy girl! You need to refine your skills before the wedding!”

  Nathaniel looked at Tyrus and Jophima. They seemed upset, but remained quiet. Tears formed in Amara’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I will fix it.”

  The rest of the night proceeded without incident, but Nathaniel could not comprehend what he had seen. The control Eli exerted over Amara and her family was disturbing. Nathaniel said goodnight to them and walked back to the inn, holding a room key from Tyrus.

  At the inn, he showed the key to the man at the desk. The man, presumably Barney, nodded and pointed down the hall. Nathaniel unlocked the door and entered the room. He sat on the bed and stared at a framed drawing of a candelabra that was mounted on the wall.

  Something was wrong with Amara’s betrothed, and something was very off about the dynamic in the family. He wanted not to care. He wanted simply to enjoy his week of exile and take back what he learned to the palace. Yet as he fell asleep, he saw Amara in his mind’s eye. Her eyes glistened with tears as she rushed to clean up Eli’s shirt and replace his cup of wine. Nathaniel felt anger rise up in him and a tension he had never before experienced.

  In the morning, Nathaniel began his work at the inn. Tyrus was there, and he assigned Nathaniel to clean out the bathrooms. It was disgusting, exhausting work, but Nathaniel was grateful for the opportunity and relished the chance to prove himself to Tyrus as being more than just an entitled member of a superhuman race.

  He was out back behind the inn rinsing his cleaning rags with a hose, when he saw Amara. She smiled at him and he felt that strange sensation of his insides flip-flopping around.

  “Good day, Nate,” she said.

  “And to you. Thank you for dinner last night. The food was delicious.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Listen…about Eli showing up in such an unexpected manner…”

  “No worries,” he said. “It is your right to have whatever guests you want. You did not mention you were to be married.”

  She looked down at the ground. “Aye. About that…I know I should have said something.”

  “It was not necessary for you to tell me.” He smiled. “You did give me a hard time about arranged marriages, though.”

  “Aye, I know. I know. Forgive me! It is not common in my enclave, and it is not an arranged marriage exactly.”

  Nathaniel stacked the cleaned rags on the nearby work surface. “What is it then?”

  “Eli and I met first. We fell in love before our parents even got involved. But then…well, father was in the process of losing the inn. He simply could not afford the repairs that the place required.”

  “And Eli’s family helped him.”

  “Aye. They are of the Authority. They have the resources my family does not. But it changed the dynamic of my relationship.”

  “Changed it how?” Nathaniel asked.

  Amara frowned, then paused. “I am not certain I should tell you all this,” she said at last.

  “What you tell me remains with me,” he said.

  “Perhaps that’s true. Well, Eli’s family provided what we needed for the inn, but all of a sudden there started to be this pressure to get married. I was in love….am in love. But there was so much momentum behind it as this inevitability rather than something that Eli and I wanted for ourselves. And his attitude changed.”

  “I saw this last night.”

  She flushed with embarrassment. “I did not want you to see that. I’m sorry. It just can’t be helped.”

  “Is that the extent of it? His demands and harsh reprimands?”

  She was silent, and that told him everything.

  “Why stay with him?” Nathaniel asked. “Why marry him if it has become so unpleasant for you and so difficult for your family?”

  “There is no other choice,” she said. “I have made a commitment to him. To go back on that would be to bring shame on him and his family as well as my own. And to offend the Authority would be terrible for my parents. They could seize the inn. Ruin us.”

  Nathaniel saw the tears in Amara’s eyes and felt a deep anger toward Eli and the Authority itself. “There must be another way.”

  “I’ve accepted my fate,” she said. “I am bound by my choices. Much as you are bound by being a Great One and all that entails.”

  “I am not bound by anything,” Nathaniel said defensively. “I am a Great One. Our situations are not the same.”

  “Are you so certain?” Amara asked. “You do as they tell you, whether it’s in your palace, out here in the pre-ordained exile, or when it comes to who you will marry, which in your case seems likely to be nobody.”

  Nathaniel was not sure how to respond. “I cannot change my fate, Amara. It is who I am. You can live your life how you choose.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not really all that terrible, being betrothed to someone who will one day work for the Authority. That life will be a good life.” Her expression did not match her words.


  “Maybe so,” he said.

  “Anyway, I must be going.” Her smile returned. “Enjoy cleaning shower scum, Nate. And if you want, you can join us for dinner again.”

  He smiled in spite of himself. “I may take you up on that. Would Eli be joining us?”

  She sighed. “He is to be my husband, Nate.”

  He nodded, and she turned and walked away.

  The rest of the day moved slowly as he counted down the time until he could go back to Amara’s house. He was not sure her parents would be thrilled that he was coming over for another meal, especially because of the way Eli had reacted to his presence. Still, that seemed like more of a reason than any for him to attend. Eli held a frightening sway over the family.

  Finally, the end of his shift arrived. By that time Tyrus was working at the desk. “I should tell you I have been invited back to your house,” Nathaniel told him.

  The large man sighed. “Of course you were. Look, Nate, I know Amara enjoys your company. I understand why she does. But I must ask you not to get too close. Her arrangement with Eli and his family…my arrangement…there is much you do not understand.”

  “I will be respectful of their relationship, sir. I return to the palace in a matter of days and will not see your family again. I appreciate the hospitality you have shown me. Will you be coming to dinner?”

  Tyrus sighed again. “Nay, I must remain here. I am trusting you, Nate. On your honor.”

  “I understand, sir. I just do not get why any of you must live indebted to the Authority in such a way.”

  “Hmm. I know not what Amara may have told you, but suffice to say that there are things that go on in the world that are more complicated than what a teenaged Great One would understand. Things are not always the way we would wish them to be, and sometimes we have to make decisions, even sacrifices, to survive. It may seem wrong to you, but it would serve you to remember that life is complicated. Perhaps that will be the biggest lesson you take with you back to the palace. Good evening, Nate.”