Tribe Rules - S01 E02

Story 2 months ago

Tribe Rules - S01 E02

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

Episode 2: Tribe Rules

The tall figure standing in the woods was not a monster or a ghost. As the glowing light from the staff became clearer, Prince Jide saw a face he knew very well. It was the King’s Royal Guard. The guard was a very big man with broad shoulders and a face that always looked as hard as a rock. He wore armor made of thick leather and bronze that shone in the ghostly green light. He did not look happy. He did not look angry either. He just looked very serious.

Jide felt his heart sink. He stood in front of Elena, trying to hide her, but it was too late. The guard had already seen everything. The guard did not move closer. He simply raised his long, shaking finger and pointed it directly at Jide. His voice was deep and loud. It sounded like the growl of a mountain lion. He told Jide that his father, the King, was waiting for him at the palace. The guard did not say anything to Elena. He did not have to. The look on his face said that the secret was over.

Jide turned to look at Elena one last time. Her eyes were wide with fear. She looked like a small bird that was about to fly away. Jide wanted to reach out and hold her hand again. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay. But the guard was watching. The black water of the river was still bubbling and hissing behind them. Elena took a step back into the dark bushes. She did not say a word. She just disappeared into the shadows of the trees like a puff of smoke.

Jide began the long walk back to the palace. The Royal Guard walked behind him. Every time Jide’s boots hit the ground, the sound seemed to echo through the entire forest. The trees looked like they were leaning in to listen. The forest was no longer a place of magic and love. Now, it felt like a place of secrets and trouble. Jide felt a heavy weight in his heart. It felt like he was carrying a large stone inside his chest.

They walked out of the forest and into the village of the Sun Tribe. Usually, the village was full of life. There would be fires burning and people singing songs about the sun. But tonight, the village was very quiet. Most people were already inside their homes of clay and wood. The only light came from the torches held by other guards standing at the gates. They all looked at Jide as he passed. Jide kept his head down. He did not want to see the looks on their faces.

The palace was at the very top of the hill. It was a magnificent building. It was made of bright gold and deep red stone. During the day, it looked like it was on fire because the sun hit the gold and made it sparkle. But tonight, under the dark sky, the palace did not look beautiful to Jide. It looked like a cold prison. The tall walls seemed to reach up to the stars, and the big wooden doors looked like they could lock a person inside forever.

The Royal Guard led Jide through the big doors. The floors were made of smooth white marble. Jide could see his own reflection in the floor, but he did not think he looked like a handsome prince tonight. He looked like a boy who had been caught doing something wrong. They walked through long hallways where colorful banners hung from the ceiling. The banners showed pictures of the sun and the history of their tribe. Jide had always been proud of those banners, but now they just made him feel guilty.

Finally, they reached the Great Hall. This was where the King and Queen spent their time. The room was huge. There were many pillars made of red stone that held up the high ceiling. At the far end of the hall, there were two tall thrones. They were made of solid gold and decorated with red rubies.

His father, the King, was sitting on his throne. He was wearing his heavy gold crown, but his head was bowed down. His mother, the Queen, was sitting on the throne next to him. She was wearing a dress the color of a sunset. When Jide walked into the room, they both looked up.

Jide expected them to be screaming. He expected his father to stand up and throw his staff on the floor in anger. But they did not do that. Their faces were not angry at all. Instead, they looked very, very sad. Seeing his parents so sad made Jide feel even worse than if they had been shouting at him. It made his stomach feel tight and shaky.

The King stood up slowly. He looked older than he had looked that morning. His beard was gray, and his eyes looked tired. When he spoke, his voice was not loud. It was soft and it was shaking. It was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Jide, my son, the King said. We know where you have been. We know you have been going to the Great River. We know you have seen the lady from the Rain Tribe.

Jide wanted to argue. He wanted to say that Elena was good and kind. He wanted to say that the Rain Tribe people were not bad. But the words would not come out of his mouth. He just stood there and watched his father.

The Queen stood up then. She walked down the steps from the thrones and came over to Jide. She took his hands in hers. Her hands were very warm and soft. Jide looked at her face. Her eyes were filled with tears. One tear ran down her cheek and landed on Jide’s hand.

Please, listen to us, she whispered. We are not trying to be mean. We are not trying to stop you from being happy. But you must understand. Our history is written in the stars and in the soil beneath our feet. There are reasons for the rules we have. These rules were made to keep us safe.

Jide looked at his mother. Why? he asked. Why is it so bad to love someone from the other side of the mountain? Elena is not an enemy. She is just a girl. She is a girl who likes the rain just like I like the sun.

The Queen squeezed his hands. It is not about who she is as a person, Jide. It is about what happens when our worlds touch. If you marry this lady, a great shadow will fall over your life. It is not because we hate her. It is because the past has a long memory. The things that happened many years ago are still waiting in the dark. They are waiting for someone to break the rules so they can come back.

Jide felt a surge of pride in his chest. It was a hot feeling that made him want to stand up tall. He thought his parents were just being old-fashioned. He thought they were just afraid of new things. He thought they were stuck in the past and could not see the beautiful future he wanted to build with Elena. To him, the old stories were just stories. They were not real.

I do not believe in shadows, Jide said. His voice was stronger now. I believe in what I feel. I believe that we can change the way things are. We do not have to live like our grandfathers did. We can be friends with the Rain Tribe. We can be happy.

The King walked toward them. He did not look convinced. He looked even sadder than before. You are young, Jide. You think the world is simple. You think that love is enough to stop the ancient powers of the earth. But you are wrong. The river turned black today because the earth is already reacting to your choices. The land knows when the rules are broken.

Jide did not want to hear any more. He felt like his parents were trying to scare him with ghost stories. He felt like they were trying to control him because they were the King and Queen. He let go of his mother’s hands. He stepped back away from them.

I am going to my room, Jide said. I am tired of talking about the past.

He turned around and began to walk away. He walked past the Royal Guard, who was still standing by the door. He walked out of the Great Hall and toward the stairs. He felt like he had won the argument. He felt like he was being brave.

But just as he reached the end of the hallway, a sound stopped him in his tracks. It was a shout. It was his father’s voice, but it did not sound soft and shaking anymore. It was loud and powerful. It was a warning that echoed through the long, golden halls of the palace. It sounded like thunder.

Jide, wait! the King shouted.

Jide turned his head slightly, but he did not stop walking.

The King’s voice rang out one last time, louder than all the others: The harvest you plant today will be the one you must eat forever!

Jide felt a sudden chill, despite the warm torches on the walls. He did not look back. He kept walking, but those words followed him. They seemed to bounce off the walls and whisper in his ears. The harvest you plant today. He thought about Elena’s face in the moonlight. He thought about the black, inky water of the river. He wondered what kind of harvest he was planting, and if he was truly ready to eat it.

The palace was quiet again, but the silence felt dangerous. It felt like something was hiding in the corners, waiting for the moon to rise. Jide reached his room and shut the door, but the King’s warning stayed with him, louder than the sound of his own heart.

Why do you think the Queen is so worried about the "past having a long memory"? What do you think happened between the tribes a long time ago?

Do you think Jide is being brave by following his heart, or is he being foolish by ignoring his parents' warning?

The King mentioned that the river turned black because the rules were broken. Do you think the land is actually magic?

If you were Jide, would you listen to your parents or continue to see Elena?

The mystery deepens! Will Jide listen to the King, or will his pride lead him into a great shadow? The secrets of the Sun Tribe and the Rain Tribe are about to be revealed.