The Shandia (II)

'A Long Time Has Passed'

The Shandia Chief sat on the ground twirling a conch filled with a white smoky drink similar to milk, a gesture and tradition carried through generations by their ancestors, signifying hospitality and peace.

He felt that it was a shame that these old dusty conches were being used only today, for he couldn't even remember the last time a guest had visited their tribe.

Gan Fall was one of the few who knew about their place at the times he came to negotiate when the continuous struggle between the Shandia and the Skypieans intensified.

His actions proved to be futile. The Shandia wanted nothing but to get their homeland back, and the Skypieans didn't want to let go of precious Vearth. Both parties had their reasons and the interest of their people as they fought for Upper Yard.

It was another cycle, one of many that happened throughout history all over the world, from which no one learned anything. Yet it'd be hypocritical to say that about Shandia.

A nation that once numbered in the hundreds of thousands was reduced to a single barely surviving tribe. They had relocated from the moon to Jaya, where they were almost destroyed by the World Government. Then they found themselves flung along with their lands to the Sky Island.

One would think that misfortune would for once forget about them, but no—it had even ensured they would lose their ancestors' land, the last vestige of their identity.

For four hundred years they fought and talked in the hope that the Skypieans would see reason and return their land. However, the conflict only intensified, and too many died with no result to show for it.

"Your tribe had been through a lot," Alexander said, sipping the salty drink they'd been offered.

They were sitting in a circle: on one side sat Alexander and his crew, all on the floor except Alexander and Hancock who sat on Salome and Rakyl. Facing them were the Shandia, sitting in a similar arrangement, with the statue of their ancestor Kalgara behind them.

There was tension in the air; the way Alexander had subdued them was still fresh in their mind even after spending close to two hours talking. Beside the tribe chief sat Wyper, awake from the earlier punch, and helped to feel better by Kuma.

"We are strong people," the chief said. "Otherwise we wouldn't be standing here, despite our declining numbers."

"I can see that," Alexander said, glancing at Wyper among the Shandia warriors.

After falling silent for a few seconds, Alexander asked, "And the conflict between you and the Skypieans, have you settled on anything?"

The Chief took a long sip as if thinking brought too much sorrow to his mind.

"No, after Eneru came... things have changed here. Any single mistake on our part meant death... so for now we're biding our time..."

"It won't be long until his head rolls," growled Wyper. The man had woken up with some pain-alleviating treatment from Kuma, although his nose was red and swollen.

"Wyper..." Alexander said, having heard his name shouted by the tribe and from the chief's own words. "I intruded on your land and for that, I apologize, but couldn't you speak with us first before throwing punches?"

"For hundreds of years my people had been suffering. We had everything taken from us—our land, our history... you can't expect me to welcome you warmly when everyone is hunting us, and you even landed on our doorsteps..." Wyper spoke calmly but still met Alexander's eye fearlessly.

"Commendable, but reckless," Alexander shook his head. "You don't even know the measure of your enemy before you attacked. I might do you a favor and inform you that if you met a strong person from below, you'd be a headless corpse by now."

"I met your blue sea people before—arrogant bastards in search of gold, sauntering as if they owned the land, only for them to never come back when they enter the Upper Yard," Wyper replied, contempt written across his face, from eyes to lips. Clearly, he had no respect for them.

Alexander chuckled. "They must be some small fries, don't you think, Hancock?"

"Yes, dear," Hancock replied warmly and handed him a peeled apple; she wasn't paying much attention to the conversation or the other males looking at her.

"Let's forget about that. How long since you've seen the City of Gold?" Alexander said, looking at the state of this village. He had heard about El Dorado from Mont Blanc Cricket, and his father had told him about it too, which was why from the beginning he didn't consider Cricket a madman.

"It has been too long. We still could get close and see the old ruins, but eventually, we'll still have to fight the temple forces..." the Chief said.

"And that Eneru, he lives in the temple?" Alexander stood up and asked, which startled the Shandia.

"Yes, but why are you asking?" Wyper said, standing up as well.

"I'm after his head, or rather his powers," he said, smiling as if it was no big matter.

"You'll die. He wields lightning, and the entire country falls under the surveillance of his mantra..." Wyper said. Even though he was defeated instantly, he wasn't convinced that Alexander could defeat Eneru.

"I've defeated a human made of light. What's a bit of lightning?" Alexander chuckled.

"But sometimes I wonder if that man had been fighting with all he had," he muttered, then looked at the Shandia.

"Soon the Kami will fall, and as the victor, Skypiea will naturally be under my rule," Alexander's eyes looked at Wyper, who seemed to be the one in leadership.

"Why are you telling us this?" Wyper's muscles tensed. Behind him, every Shandia got to their feet, prepared to fight. All the Kami that had ruled the Sky Island weren't kind to them, and if Alexander wished to become one and take their land, they were ready to fight.

"I can give you the Upper Yard back, but I require one thing from you," Alexander said. After thinking about it, he'd have to come up with something about how to deal with the Skypieans; maybe he'd make them sign an agreement with the Shandia.

"What do you want?" Wyper said. He couldn't deny that he was tempted by the idea, no matter how far-fetched it seemed.

"Your loyalty," Alexander said. If this place was to become his people's refuge, then he must make sure their loyalty lay with him.

"A far-fetched dream," Wyper said, not believing his words entirely.

"I can understand that—you don't know everything about me, after all," he said, amused.

"But I want to ask you a question: Are you still willing to fight? Kalgara's descendants mustn't have become weak even after all those years." Alexander lifted his eyebrows in askance. If they wanted to see it with their eyes to believe, he wouldn't deny them.

"We're willing!" Hesitation regarding the man's intentions aside, Wyper never shied away from fighting. Behind him, the rest of the warriors tightly clenched their spears.

"What would you do with the Skypieans if I give you back the Upper Yard?" Alexander nodded; these men weren't cowards after all.

"The Upper Yard belongs to us," Wyper said, followed by voices from his tribe speaking in agreement.

"But they won't be able to survive. I recall the chief mentioned Gan Fall and how he wanted to reach an agreement," Alexander shook his head. Dealing with the matter would be tricky as everyone was fighting for their survival.

The Shandia wanted their land back, whereas the Skypieans needed it to germinate plants. Years had passed and people had changed. He'd help the Shandia, but he wouldn't cut off the Sky Island people's survival either.

"I don't care about what happens to them," Wyper simply said. Hundreds of years of fighting were hard to forget or forgive.

"And that's why I hate dealing with complicated stuff," Alexander sighed. It was a messy situation—the old Skypieans were dead, and their new generation had tried to reach a consensus with the Shandia. However, the negotiations broke, and then Eneru came.

"Listen well," Alexander said, eyes narrowing. "I don't have time to argue with you over who's right or wrong. The land will be yours, but you won't cut off the Skypieans' survival. I'm sure there'll be some solution I can come up with, so don't test me and choose what you want to do..."

His words set the whole gathering into silence. There was too much at stake, too much hate and bloody history that wouldn't be forgotten easily, but they knew that a chance like this wouldn't come often, especially from someone as strong as Alexander.

"I agree," Braham, Wyper's childhood friend, took a step forward.

"Me too, as long as you deliver your promise," Kamakuri, a bald man wearing sunglasses, followed as well.

"I can tolerate a few Skypieans as long as they know who owns the land," Genbo said, followed by the majority of the Shandia, the chief included.

Alexander looked at them—warriors, women, children, and some elderly. He hadn't expected that so many would accept his offer. Perhaps he had underestimated how exhausted these people might be after four hundred years of constant struggle.

"What will you choose?" Alexander said calmly, looking at the brown-haired man. "The land of your ancestors, or to keep struggling without hope in sight..."

The only one who hadn't spoken was Wyper, who stood frustrated by his tribe's action. He looked back at his people and saw the anxious look in their eyes; they looked at him as a leader. He knew that they feared him, but today, they stood against him.

"Don't you want to ring the bell for Mont Blanc's descendant?" Alexander asked, after learning of their history from the chief.

"What did you say?" Wyper's head snapped toward Alexander.

"Mont Blanc Noland's blood lives right below this island. Do you want him to wait forever there, waiting to hear the bells of the City of Gold while the whole world calls his ancestor a liar?" Alexander took a step and stood before Wyper.

"What you said, is it true?" He looked shaken as he asked, clutching Alexander's shoulder without realizing what he was doing.

"I can take you there to see him if you want. He still waits to hear that bell ringing."

Wyper let go of Alexander and stepped back. The chief's past words flashed through his mind. His ancestor's greatest regret was the loss of his dear friend Noland when he left under a tragic misunderstanding, and now there appeared to be a descendant of Noland waiting below the clouds.

'Is there another choice?' he wondered and looked at Alexander. No, in his mind he knew that fulfilling his ancestor's regret was the highest priority. As for dealing with these Blue Sea people, he'd take it one step at a time, and who knows—maybe they'd reach an understanding.

"Where do you want to go?" he said slowly, his eyes determined to get this done.

Alexander smiled in relief, then his eyes shone in anticipation.

"Take us to where Eneru is, and leave the rest to us..."

_____________________________________

A day later

[Kami's shrine]

''Peel me another banana!'' Eneru said, reclining on a long chair. Beside him was a group of women wearing white dresses with veils partially covering their hair.

One of the women holding a plate full of fruits was quick to do his bidding. She carefully peeled a banana and reverently handed it to him with both hands.

Eneru took a bite and lazily looked at the priests gathered below.

''How's the search going?'' he asked.

''Kami-sama,'' Yama the fat priest took a step forward, ''We lost their whereabouts once they entered the country, but I'm sure we'll find them soon enough.''

Eneru looked at the fat useless man. He'd considered zapping him out of boredom but he knew that he still needed them to make the Maxim no matter how useless they were.

''They had already entered the upper yards and they are with the company of the Shandia,'' Eneru said, closing his eyes, sensing and hearing the footsteps of the intruders as they traversed the jungle.

''You really are good for nothing,'' Eneru sighed, then lifted a finger shooting a lightning bolt toward Yama.

''AGH!!'' Yama groaned in pain, his body felt paralyzed but he immediately clenched his teeth, fully knowing if Eneru wanted him dead he wouldn't live another second.

''I apologize, it was an oversight on my part...'' he said, kneeling with two hands on the ground.

''I don't care about your apology. Send messages for the four priests and order them to deal with the intruders,'' Eneru looked at Yama's face, which was twitching with apathy.

''Right away, Kami-sama,'' Yama shakingly got up and walked away.

Eneru watched him go away before turning his attention to the sky toward the faintly visible moon.

''A couple years, and Fairy Vearth will be within my grasp,'' he said, then closed his eyes trying to sense the group of intruders, but this time he drew closer listening to their conversations.

He heard them talk with the Shandia about their history and their city of gold, which made him chuckle as he had already taken the gold to make the Maxim.

''We're being spied on,'' he heard one of the blue sea people speak.

''Oh, how amusing,'' Eneru smiled. Finally, he found entertainment he could pass the time with. He willed his mantra and focused on the man, although he couldn't see his appearance, his silhouette and presence were clear in his mind.

Suddenly that man stopped. Eneru narrowed his eyes as the intruder whipped his eyes about and then looked in the direction of the Kami's Shrine.

''Have you seen enough?'' he heard him speak, then before he could react, golden light exploded in his mind blurring what he was seeing for a moment before everything returned to normal.

''What was that?'' Eneru said. He had a somber look on his face as he realized that the blue sea people weren't as simple as he thought.

''Maybe sending the four priests was a mistake,'' he murmured, then sat in silence for a few seconds before standing up and walking toward the inner quarters.

''No matter, I'll take a bath first then I'll deal with them...''