Tribe Rules - S02 E02

Story 2 months ago

Tribe Rules - S02 E02

Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 2

Episode 2: Tribe Rules (2)

The giant shadow stood tall above the children. It was like a cloud of dark smoke that reached for the stars. But it was not just smoke. It was alive. It was the Spirit of Hate. This spirit was very old and very mean. It had lived under the earth for a long time. It grew bigger every time someone felt angry. It grew stronger every time the tribes fought with each other. The Spirit of Hate did not want the truth to be known. If the tribes knew there was no curse, they would stop being angry. If they stopped being angry, the spirit would have no food. It would become small and weak. It wanted to stay big and strong. It wanted the tribes to keep hating each other forever.

The red eyes of the spirit burned like fire. It made a sound that was like a thousand people whispering bad things. The air around the children became so cold that their skin began to turn blue. Kofi held the scroll tight to his chest. He knew that the paper in his hands was the most important thing in the world. It was the only thing that could stop the hate. But the shadow was coming closer. It reached out its long, smoky fingers. The grass under the shadow turned black and died. The spirit wanted the scroll. It wanted to destroy the truth so that the lie would live on.

"Run!" Kofi shouted to Tiya. He grabbed her hand. They turned away from the ruins and ran toward the woods. Their feet hit the ground hard. They did not look back. They could hear the shadow behind them. It did not have feet, but it moved very fast. It glided over the grass like a dark wave. It moved through the trees like a cold wind. Every time the shadow touched a tree, the leaves fell off. The children ran until their lungs felt like they were on fire. They ran through the bushes and over the rocks. They had to get back to the village. They had to find someone who could help them.

They saw lights ahead in the distance. The lights were torches. The Sun Tribe guards were patrolling the edge of the woods. "Help!" Kofi cried out as loud as he could. He thought the guards would save them from the monster. The guards heard the prince's voice. They ran forward with their bright torches and their long spears. When the light of the torches hit the shadow, the spirit stopped. The Spirit of Hate did not like the bright light of the Sun Tribe. It was a spirit of darkness, and the fire made it hiss. It moved back into the deep, dark woods. But it did not go away. It stayed in the trees, watching with its red eyes. It was waiting for the light to go out.

The guards reached the children. They were happy to find Kofi. He was the son of their King. But then the light of the torches fell on Tiya. The guards stopped. They saw her blue clothes. They saw the symbols of the Rain Tribe on her arms. They saw her bright eyes that looked like the river. The guards were shocked. They pointed their sharp spears at the little girl. They did not see a child. They only saw an enemy. They had been taught since they were babies that anyone from the Rain Tribe was dangerous. They thought she had kidnapped the prince.

"No! Stop! She is my friend!" Kofi cried. He stood in front of Tiya. He put his arms out to protect her. He told the guards about the ruins. He tried to tell them about the giant shadow. He wanted to show them the scroll. But the guards were too busy shouting. They grabbed Tiya by her arms. They tied her hands with a thick rope. They did not listen to Kofi. They thought he was under a magic spell. They led the children back to the Sun Tribe village. The village was built on a high hill. It had big walls made of white stone. It was a place of light, but tonight it felt very heavy.

The guards took the children to the Great Hall. This was the place where the King sat. The hall was very big. It had many torches on the walls. The floor was made of smooth marble. At the end of the hall was a throne made of gold. The Sun King was sitting there. He was a big, powerful man. He wore a crown that looked like the sun. He was Kofi’s father. Usually, he was a kind father. But tonight, his face was very stern. He looked very tired and very angry. When he saw his son standing next to a girl from the Rain Tribe, his face turned red.

"Kofi! What is the meaning of this?" the Sun King shouted. His voice was like thunder. It echoed off the walls of the Great Hall. Kofi tried to speak. He held up the scroll. "Father, look! We found the truth! There is no curse! A wicked advisor lied to our ancestors!" Kofi’s voice was shaking, but he tried to be brave. He wanted his father to understand. He wanted the King to read the words of the first King. He wanted the peace to come back. He hoped that his father would be happy to know the truth.

But the Sun King did not look at the scroll. He did not even reach for it. He looked at Tiya with eyes full of anger. "This girl is a spy!" the King said. "The Rain Tribe sent her to trick you. They want to find a way into our city. They want to steal our gold and our secrets. They have used their water magic to cloud your mind, my son." The King truly believed this. He had lived his whole life believing the lie. He could not imagine a world where the Rain Tribe was not the enemy. To him, the scroll was just a trick. He thought it was fake.

"She is not a spy! She helped me!" Kofi yelled back. He was crying now. He could not believe his father was being so mean. Tiya stood very still. She was very brave. Even though her hands were tied and the King was shouting, she did not cry. She looked the King in the eyes. She wanted him to see that she was just a girl. She wanted him to see that she was not a monster. But the King looked away. He did not want to see her as a person. He only saw her as a member of the tribe he hated. The Spirit of Hate was winning. Even though it was outside in the woods, its power was inside the Great Hall.

The Sun King stood up from his throne. He called for his strongest guards. "Take them away!" he ordered. "Lock them in the Tower of Silence. They will stay there until the sun rises. Tomorrow, we will decide what to do with the spy. And you, Kofi, will stay there until you come to your senses." The guards moved forward. They took the scroll from Kofi’s hands. They threw it on a table like it was a piece of trash. They led Kofi and Tiya out of the hall. Kofi looked back at his father, but the King turned his back. The boy felt like his heart was breaking.

The Tower of Silence was a very scary place. It was a tall tower built on the very edge of the city walls. It was called the Tower of Silence because the walls were so thick that you could not hear anything from the outside. It was where they put people who broke the law. The tower was made of cold, dark stone. There were no lights inside. The guards pushed Kofi and Tiya inside. They locked the heavy iron door with a big key. The sound of the lock clicking was very loud. It felt very final.

Kofi and Tiya were alone in the dark. At first, they did not say anything. They sat on the cold floor. The only light came from a very small window at the very top of the tower. It was so high up that they could not reach it. They felt very small and very helpless. The truth was in a scroll on a table, and they were stuck in a prison. "I am sorry, Tiya," Kofi whispered. "I thought my father would listen. I thought he would be happy." Tiya moved closer to him. "It is not your fault, Kofi," she said. "The hate is very strong. It is like a wall that nobody can see."

After a while, they found a set of narrow stone stairs. They decided to climb up to the top of the tower. They wanted to see the sky. They wanted to feel the air. They climbed and climbed. The stairs were dusty and old. When they finally reached the top room, they looked out the small window. The window was just a thin slit in the stone. They could see the whole world from up there. They could see the dark forest where the shadow was hiding. They could see the village of the Sun Tribe with its many lights.

But then, they looked toward the border. They looked toward the land of the Rain Tribe. The sun was almost gone. The sky was a deep, dark purple. At the edge of the forest, they saw something moving. At first, they thought it was the giant shadow. But then they saw the light of fires. Many, many fires. They saw the glint of blue armor. They saw the tips of long spears reflecting the moonlight. It was not a shadow. It was an army. The Rain Tribe warriors were gathering. They were standing in long lines, and more were coming out of the trees every minute.

"It is my people," Tiya said softly. Her voice was full of fear. "They must have seen the guards take me. They think the Sun Tribe has kidnapped me. They are coming to get me back." Kofi looked at the army. There were hundreds of warriors. They looked very strong and very angry. He looked down at the walls of his own city. He saw the Sun Tribe guards getting their own weapons ready. They had seen the fires too. They were blowing horns to wake up the village. The sound of the horns was loud and scary. It was the sound of war.

The suspense grew in the tower. Kofi knew that if the Rain Tribe attacked, many people would get hurt. His father would fight back. The two tribes would destroy each other. And all of it was happening because of a lie. The Spirit of Hate was probably laughing in the dark woods. This was exactly what it wanted. It wanted a war. It wanted the blood of the tribes to spill on the ground. It wanted the truth to stay hidden forever. Kofi looked at Tiya. They were the only ones who knew the truth, but they were locked in a tower.

Kofi looked at the small window. He tried to push his hand through, but it was too narrow. He looked at the door, but it was too thick. Below them, he could hear the sound of horses and the clanking of metal. The Sun Tribe was getting ready to fight. Outside the walls, the Rain Tribe was getting ready to charge. The air was full of tension. It felt like a string that was about to snap. The war was going to start at any moment. The fate of both tribes was hanging by a thread.

"We have to do something," Kofi said. "We have to stop them before it is too late." But how could two children stop two armies? How could they stop a war from inside a stone tower? The fires of the Rain Tribe grew brighter. The horns of the Sun Tribe grew louder. The giant shadow with the red eyes watched from the trees, waiting for the first spear to be thrown. The world was standing on the edge of a cliff, and the children were the only ones who could see the drop.

What did you think about this episode?

Will Kofi and Tiya find a way to escape the Tower of Silence?

Do you think the Sun King will ever believe the truth about the scroll?

What do you think the Spirit of Hate will do if the war starts?

How can the children show the scroll to both armies at the same time?

Tell us what you think in the comments below! We want to hear your ideas!

Do you want to know what happens next?