CALLIBRA: THE CURSED EYE OF ARAK

CHAPTER TWELVE

                          

             

                          

                       

 

                     C A V E S    O F    E F L I E

 

 

After Cicero told them to make their own choices and decide on whose side to be, the thought of what he said had never left Atticus’ mind. 

 

Iasias, Elvio, and Dalmatius were in Iasias' cave talking and laughing, and Atticus could see them through the entrance of the cave. Others were out looking for some fruits to gather for food, and others were lying and sleeping in their caves. 

 

Dominick and Atticus were the only ones outside, sitting below the shades of the huge tree in the midst of the caves to avoid the morning sun.

 

“Does Iasias really have a plan for our people who are still in captivity, or his just a coward who is only trying to save his head?” Atticus thought to himself. 

 

Cicero asked them to join him on his way to Vocí if they ever wanted to go with him on a quest to save their people and free them from captivity. He wondered if he should be here or there with Cicero to save their people.

 

Dominick had some special skills to make clothes. His father was a tailor who made most clothes which were worn by the people in all the regions of the grasslands. He learned his father's line of business and used his knowledge to make clothes, garments, blouses, gowns, shoes and other clothing material for the witches in order to get an extra ration of food for himself while we were still trapped in the cages in Ivádia. 

 

They all were naked after they shifted back to being human, but from his skills, he had made them some clothes with the resources he could get his hands on. He hadn't stopped. He was still making more of them for storage.

 

Atticus, who was sitting beside Dominick, thought he should talk to him about this, to see if he was thinking about the same thing. He assumed Dominick might also be asking himself the same question.

 

“Dominick! What could we have done if we didn't have you hear with us? A man with such great skills and enthusiasm to make wears. We would have all still been naked if you weren't here with us,” Atticus said to him as he moved closer to Dominick.

 

“You are right about that, my friend, but I do think some of the credits should be given to my father, who thought me this. If not for him, I'll would have been here, but we all would have still been naked, roasting our bodies in the morning son, and looking for warmth in the cold nights,” he said and they both laughed. 

 

Dominick was stitching some fabrics together, and Atticus was looking around to see if there was anyone around at the moment, but I found no one.

 

“Dominick,” Atticus whispered to him and he stopped stitching and looked at Atticus.

 

“Have you being thinking recently?” Atticus asked, and Dominick seemed lost. He knitted his brows and cleared his throat.

 

“Thinking about what exactly?” He asked, and Atticus placed his head beside his, in an opposite direction as he whispered into his ear.

 

“Have you, by any chance, considered what Cicero said before leaving?” Atticus asked and Dominick's brows remained knitted as he replied, “what part exactly?” 

 

“Everything! The part in which he mentioned Iasias being a coward and not having a good plan to save our people. Look at him, just take a look at him. Does he look like someone who is thinking about a way to save others? He looks to me like someone who is having fun and is okay with having fun and letting others suffer because he's no longer in the same position as them,” Atticus said to Dominick and he laughed after remaining quiet for a moment.

 

“You are laughing, why are you laughing, do I sound funny to you?” Atticus said to Dominick, and he stopped laughing.

 

“Don’t tell me you are actually considering what Cicero said to us. Cicero doesn't have a vision, he has become blind by the thought of what he thinks he can do to the witches now that he is a dragon. He thinks Iasias is a fool because he doesn't want to lead us into a war we are clearly not prepared for. Besides, that's not who we are. Fighting and killing others is for the witches and not for people like us. Cicero is the foolish one for killing one of those witches. He has drawn the battle line, and I hope that the witches don't come after us thinking we are working together,” Dominick said and Atticus shook his head.

 

“Give Iasias a chance. I do know he's a man who thinks about others. You should be patient with him, and do not go about trying to show people that Cicero's path is better or their bloods will be on your hands if they get slain by the witches,” Dominick said. 

 

“I should know you were not the right person to talk to. All you know how to do is sit around and stitch clothes. Real men fight not to sit around and make clothing like you or them who think we are here to tell ourselves stories and laugh,” Atticus said to Dominick, and Dominick got up furiously.

 

“Enough Atticus!” He yelled. He comes after Atticus, pushing him to the ground and throwing punches at his face. 

 

Atticus could feel his flesh tearing up and oozing out blood as Dominick continued to throw punches at his face. Atticus spat out blood as Iasias ran towards them and pulled Dominick off him.

 

 

“Let me go Iasias! Let me teach this fool a lesson. He doesn't deserve to be here with us. He is a type of person who can slit our throats while we are far asleep,” Dominick said to Iasias, who was struggling to restrain him.

 

Elvio was holding him back as well, as he also wanted to go after Dominick and make him go through the same pain he had made him go through.

 

 

Isaias held Dominick back with all the strength he had, and he didn't even want to give up struggling.

 

“Dominick, why would you say that about Atticus? We are all friends here. You shouldn't say such things about him,” Isaias said to Dominick as he held his hand and dragged him Atticus. 

 

“Calm down! Just let it go. You can talk to me about it over there,” Isaias said to Dominick as he pulled him along to the entrance of one of the caves.

 

Elvio and Dalmatius were with Atticus to make sure he didn't try to attack Dominick in return. 

 

“Tell me, what were you saying back there?” Isaias asked Dominick.

 

“Atticus thinks you are a coward. He thinks we are all fools for following your lead. He thinks you are only concerned about keeping your own head and not showing any concerns m for those who are still held captive just because you don't want to get us all killed by leading us to war against the witches. He thinks that Cicero's way is the better one for all of us, and he also thinks that we should rather follow him than sit here and have fun while others are suffering. Can you imagine he thinks he's the only one who cares about the people in the cages? I have a sister who is locked up in one of those quarters in Piliá. My best friend's mother was transferred to Landiá. If I do not care about getting them out, who else will? Atticus has no one in all four regions, he's literally a free man... what makes him think he cares more about their suffering than mine,” Dominick said to Isaias and stopped talking for the first time since Isaias asked him a question? 

 

“Atticus really thinks that? I thought we were all together in this. We know we can't get through to the towers or the cages unless the cloaks are taken off, and the witches won't take the risk of taking them off, as they don't know where we are. That is why we all agreed to wait and see what happens,” Isaias said to Domminick, and he nodded. 

 

“I know that. We all do. As long as the cloaks are covering the towers and the cages, we won't be able to get through. Someone should try explaining that to Atticus and that fool called Cicero again!” Dominick said, and Isaias left him behind as he walked towards Atticus. 

 

He walked up to Atticus and asked, “did you really say those things Dominick claimed you said to him?”

 

“Yes! Yes I did, and what are you going to do about it? What are any of you going to do about it?” He shouted at their faces and laughed at them.

 

“Are you going to kill me because I called you all a coward? No, I don't think so, because you all know that I said the truth. You all are cowards just as Cicero said, and you Iasias, you are as weak and pathetic as your father,” Atticus said, and Isaias don't let him say another word before throwing a fist at his face and knocking him down. 

 

“Don’t you dare say another word against my father. You are free because of him? He bought you freedom by finding the Callibra!” Isaias said as he grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him up to his feet. 

 

Isaias kept dragging him until Elvio came to pull him off him. 

 

“Haha haha haha!” He laughed—beating the sands with his hands.

 

“Do you really think beating me up or even slitting my throat will make you stop being a coward?” He said between laughs.

 

“Since you think that Cicero knows a better way of getting out our people, you can follow him if you want to. No one will stop you, and no one will try to convince you to stay,” Isaias said to him and he laughed.

 

“That was exactly what I was thinking. I can't be among a bunch of losers like you,” Atticus said and continued to laugh as a stream of blood and saliva splattered on the ground.

 

Isaias saw everyone gathering, and he also saw the ones who had gone to gather fruits returning. They all halt as they see them talking in the midst of the caves.

 

“I’m glad you are all here to witness this!” Atticus shouted to everyone's hearing.

 

“Behold Iasias! The man whom you've all chosen to be the one who stays in the front line of decision making. A man who doesn't even feel the need to rescue our people, a man who fears women just because they have gifts, a man who is self-centred and only cares about saving his head,” he yelled.

 

“Do you believe in this man? I want your answers right this instant, as I'm soon going to be on my way to join Cicero in his quest of taking a war to the witches first. For anyone of you who thinks in the same line with Cicero and I fall behind me now, and together with Cicero we shall find a way to save our people!” Atticus said, looking at everyone standing there.

 

“See, no one wants to follow you. Don't try to make them believe in what Cicero promised. They've made their choices,” Isaias said to Atticus, and he laughed.

 

“Don’t count your eggs before they hatch, Iasias!” Atticus warned, and Isaias looked around him to see if someone actually thought in the same line with Cicero and Atticus.

 

Isaias saw hands raise behind him and his brows knitted. He saw 3 people fall behind Atticus. That split them into equal halves.

 

The only ones who remained behind Isaias were Dominick, Dalmatius, and Elvio.

 

“Well, well, well... Look what we have here. More than half of them are with Cicero and I. GoodLuck getting our people back. I'll love to see how far you four get before the witches hunt you down,” Atticus said between laughs. . .