Part 6 of 14. The story is now solidly in the Second Act. I now have the entire plot outlined all the way to the ending. Now I just need to figure out how to compress all of this story into such a short format. This is where we really start digging into the little mystery of Mina Soban-Re.
Mina felt as though she was going to be cooked alive.
She, plus two of her fellow Hiigarans, were standing in the outskirts of Toka Wahi, a Rotorua district populated entirely by Lithoids. At first glance, Mina thought this place was a quarry, or a field of boulders and cairns. Huge slabs of rock were piled up all around Mina, and the ground underfoot was like a desert. The climate controls in this district were radically different from the rest of the city.
Out here, it was hot… very hot. The heat was so intense that a shimmering mirage rose up from the ground only feet away, and Mira was sweating so badly that her sweater stuck to her frame as though it were glued in place. It really did not help that Mina was wearing a heavy backpack over her sweater. It looked like the sort of thing a hiker would carry, but contained inside of it was a miniature electronic warfare suite made up of recording devices, scanners, and sensors. The sweater and backpack combined made the oppressive heat so much worse for Mina.
Standing next to her were two more Hiigarans, both members of Kiith Soban, a warrior clan. The trio stood together as three aliens approached. One of them was Ayaan Soban; he was the same soldier Mina and Kiri shook off during their hotel date.
The aliens belonged to a species called the Praku. They were Lithoids, sapient formations of rock and stone that stood nearly ten feet tall. Each Praku was so heavy that the ground shook with each footfall.
Three Hiigarans and three Praku came together in the dusty empty ground outside of the Lithoid district and introduced themselves: Mina Soban-Re and her companions, Roodra Soban-Sa and Ayaan Soban. Roodra stepped forward and began to speak.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet us all the way out here in the middle of nowhere.” Roodra began. “It’s a sign that you respect the traditions my people must adhere to.”
The Lithoids nodded and signaled their willingness to proceed.
Mina groaned internally. She knew what this meant and started to prepare for it. She opened her backpack and produced a canteen, drinking almost half of her water supply. Roodra unfurled a slip of paper and started to read aloud:
“Your application to join Kiith Soban has been heard. You are hereby granted the probationary title of Soban-Re. As you know the Soban Kiith-sa does not grant full rank to anyone who asks. You must earn it. First by forsaking your origins and renouncing your family. Second, by achieving victory in battle. To do that you must participate in a combat exercise set in a neutral environment. Those who defeat their foes will be strongly considered for full rank and status as a new member of the Sobanni. May your elders past guide you well.”
Mina put her backpack on the ground. Nearby, Ayaan Soban took off his top and flexed his muscles. He had the emblem of Kiith Soban tattooed over his chest in blood-red ink, making him look quite terrifying.
“You gonna downgrade?” Ayaan said, pointing at Mina’s outfit. She was wearing a sweater and long cargo pants despite the overwhelming heat.
Mina unzipped her pant legs, converting them into shorts. She tossed the pant legs aside but refused to remove her sweater. Ayaan shrugged. Mina put her right arm behind her back and shook her head.
“Who’s going first?” Ayaan said.
…
About a thousand yards away, Two Partogans and a Levakian were occupying the uppermost story of an open-top building. These structures without rooftops were designed for members of the Vanian species, who were Avians. A tarp was stretched over them, protecting the trio from the harsh sunlight. A high-powered sniper rifle was protruding through a niche in the wall, and it was aimed toward the spot where the Hiigarans and Praku were meeting. Kiri Ranginui was currently staring down the rifle scope while his companions were tapping away at tablet computers. The Partogan was Tuterangi Patariki, a Green Guard soldier who specialized in military reconnaissance. The Levakian was called Sabelo, and he was a drone operator from the Triple Alliance, a military bloc led by the Commonwealth.
“Our drone has reached its new position.” Sabelo reported. “There’s a lot of movement down there. I think someone is fighting. Can you see anything out there, Kiri?”
Kiri peered through the scope of his rifle.
“I see it.” Kiri said. “Looks like you were right, Tuterangi. They’re engaged in ritualistic combat. Those Lithoids are being inducted into Kiith Soban.”
“How does the combat work?” Sabelo asked. “Do they need to kill their enemy to get in?”
“No, they just need to survive.” Kiri said. “And when you’re fighting a Sobanni, that’s a tall order.”
Kiri tried to hide his smile by adjusting his grip on the rifle. Through the scope, he watched with deep satisfaction as Mina raised her fists and started fighting one of the Praku. Her opponent was nearly three times her size, yet the Hiigaran was able to nimbly dodge and evade each strike. After a few moments, the colossal Lithoid ran out of stamina and collapsed, having failed to strike her even once.
Kiri felt a private sense of elation. He knew he would have to find a way to congratulate Mina on her victory during their next secret meeting. His heart swelling with love, Kiri moved his finger away from the trigger, then relaxed his grip on the sniper rifle.
That was when it happened.
The heat of the day got to Mina. She swayed and then collapsed into the dirt.
“She’s down!” Kiri gasped. “She just fell!”
Sabelo and Tuterangi tapped frantically at their tablets, trying to maneuver the drone into a better positon. Kiri pressed his eye into the scope, desperately trying to see Mina. One of the Hiigarans was opening a bottle of water for Mina to drink. The other Hiigaran drew a pocketknife and began cutting at the large sweater Mina was wearing.
Kiri felt a pang of guilt. He was not expecting this to be the first time he ever saw Mina topless, but a moment later, his guilt was replaced by a mixture of curiosity and alarm.
Just like her companions, Mina had the symbol of Kiith Soban tattooed on her chest. The red emblem, shaped like a dagger, was visible on her skin. However, the tattoo was incomplete and only partially colored in, representing the fact that she was not a full-fledged member of Kiith Soban. But more importantly…
There was a second tattoo.
As Mina’s sweater was cut away from her body, both of her arms were laid bare. Kiri, Tuterangi, and Sabelo could plainly see that Mina had another tattoo on her right forearm. Four symbols spelled out a message in an alien language. The tattoo ran along the inside of Mina’s right forearm in a single line, written in blocky lettering.
“What language is that?” Sabelo asked. “I can see the mark her arm, and I guarantee you, that writing is not Hiigaran.”
“I have no idea.” Kiri confessed. “What’s going on?”
