Page 34 of Twins for the Barbarians

Yes, that’s also a possibility. Either way, it’s obvious that the parameters of our mission have changed. We have to explore Opal City first and understand what’s happened here in the decades of complete isolation since the place was eviscerated in a desperate attempt to stop the plague from spreading.

The rest of the world thinks this city is dead.

Somehow, it still lives.

The gates moan as they’re pushed open, forcing us to take a few steps back. Dust shakes loose from the top and falls down from it in shimmering threads, a sign that the gates haven’t been opened in a very long time. Has this city been completely isolated here?

To my surprise, we’re not greeted by guns pointed at us or a throng of soldiers, though I do see a couple of men in uniform standing behind three women who walk toward us. They’re tall and pretty, with ruby-red, glistening skin and burning eyes, and they’re clad in precious silks that flow down their bodies in layers of pink, yellow, and green. They wear their long, black hair in elegantly sculpted buns, gold rings glimmer on their fingers, and luscious opals decorate their necks and pointy ears. They are of different ages, too. And all three seem shocked to see us.

“Are we the first to have survived your obstacle course, then?” I ask with a slight grin.

“You are the first people we’ve seen since the rogue government tried to kill us so many years ago,” the eldest of the women says. Behind her skirt, I spot the redheaded kid hiding. He’s a skinny little thing with curly hair and curious eyes, his skin still pink because of his age. “How is this possible?”

“Wait, you thought everyone was dead?” Kingo gasps, his eyes wide with shock. “What’s with all the traps, then? That damned maze…”

“It was built for our safety, just in case anyone did survive,” the first woman says, shaking her head slowly. “But we were told you’d all perished, that the plague claimed you: men, women, and children. No one was spared, and if anyone was spared, they weren’t worthy of a home in our haven.”

The second woman gives me a curious look, pursing her lips for a brief moment. “What are you? You’re not one of us.”

“Oh, that is a very long story.” I chuckle nervously. “I’m harmless, though, I promise.”

“This is strange,” the youngest woman murmurs, constantly glancing at the others as if searching for their approval. “Where did you come from?”

Helios takes a cautious step forward and bows politely. “We’re from the northlands,” he says, “where the world went after they tried to kill everybody left behind in Opal City.”

“You survived?” the first woman breathes.

Helios says, “You could say that. We’ve come in peace, I promise. We’re just looking for answers.”

“We had no idea anyone had survived here,” I add, noticing how Kharo quietly and carefully analyzes our welcoming committee. He’s more interested in the soldiers standing behind them, though. They seem curious and apprehensive at the same time, almost too scared to look me in the eye. Much like the women, they don’t really understand what’s happening. “Our mission is one of exploration.”

“An exploration of what?” the eldest woman asks.

“Of where the plague originated. We’re close to developing a cure, but there’s a war going on. Society has collapsed over the past few decades,” Helios says. “The war has been raging on for too long, and we’re hoping whatever information we unearth from the source here will help us bring the people back together and put an end to all the senseless violence.”

The women exchange glances, then signal their soldiers to come forth. There are only two of them, but they carry weapons, and they point them at us. The eldest woman nods at us. “You will follow us into the city. You will remain quiet. You will not attempt to escape. Should you disobey these very simple rules, you will die.”

“I swear, we wish you no harm—” Helios tries to say, but she cuts him off.

“I said, follow us into the city. Relinquish your weapons first.”

What choice do we have?

16

Alicia

The three women introduce themselves as Sarin, Neya, and Leela. Sarin is the eldest; Leela is the youngest, all claiming to be the wives of Opal City’s king. They lead us through the city—but we travel underground through a labyrinth of passageways and dark, foul-smelling tunnels.

The soldiers stay behind us, but I lose sight of the kid when he darted ahead and vanished. My guess is that he knows his way around these tunnels like the back of his hand.

Perhaps I should be scared, but Kharo thinks they would’ve killed us by now if that had been their intention. I allow myself to be curious instead. I have so many questions, though. I wouldn’t even know where to start, but the anthropologist in me is giddy and bouncing all over the place, analyzing every inch of these passageways as we move through them.

Lit torches are mounted on the walls, their flickering light revealing mold and grime. Due to the dampness, I get the feeling we’re crossing under a body of water beneath the city. I also think few know about this tunnel network because we haven’t seen another living soul.

We follow the women closely and calmly, occasionally glancing back to confirm that the guards are still watching us, following us, ready to kill us if they must. I don’t feel comfortable without our weapons, but we must follow their rules if we’re to win their cooperation.

“Where are we going?” I ask the women.

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