The day had come.

  A set of heavily armoured soldiers we hadn’t seen before came for us along with Lieutenant Akida. They were a man and woman respectively, clad in thick quilted Green and yellow

  armour with a chain visible underneath, they were abnormally thin and wore mirror-smooth featureless helmets, devoid of even eye or mouth slits. Both Viola and I glanced over at Chuma and Beast, hoping they would say something reassuring, but they looked completely defeated. Whoever these people were, their presence clearly symbolises something bad and seemingly unstoppable.

  “Should we… Are we being executed?” I asked one of the guards

  “We don’t know.” Answered Akida, “Their orders are to escort you and mine are to inform you to follow them” Even Akida looked stressed about the situation.

  Viola: “Can you tell us who those two are?”

  Akida just moved to quickly open our cell, Ignoring Viola’s question and quickly leaving the jail room entirely. Chuma piped up “No one truly knows who they are. All anyone knows is that they serve Her Majesty directly and often as her brutal and sadistic enforcers”

  Kabiliti: “So likely our executors.”

  Before Chuma or Beast could answer. A loud bang rang out as one of our faceless executioners slammed one of their fists into the wall behind them and forcefully pointed to the exit, signalling us to leave. They were evidently far stronger than they appeared. All 4 of us quickly fell in line as they escorted us outside.

  When we finally left the guard Barracks we were greeted by a deserted street with nothing but the back of a wingless wooden grasshopper boat the size of a bus. While most of the ship was hidden by the hull, its thorax was half exposed and appeared to be enclosed in a barely visible glass canopy. 3 sets of metal legs suspended the odd ship and as we got closer small carvings could be seen on the ship. Before either I or Viola could get a closer look, the ship abruptly knelt down and hatches from both sides of the thorax opened and distended as a set of steps. The featureless enforcers walked to each staircase and signalled us to enter the odd boat. Without a word, Beast and Chuma complied. I’d didn’t seem like there was much of a choice so me and Viola followed. Inside were several seats arrayed in 3 rows 6 deep. Sitting down on the rearmost sets it became clear to both me and Viola that this was some kind of tourist bus and perhaps it was going to walk or jump to wherever the guards were taking us. Was it going to take the scenic route and if so, why?

  “All passengers, for your own safety, please remain seated as we take off” A voiceover a tinny intercom warned.

  In an instant the Grasshopper launched into the air, slamming everyone into their seats in a surprisingly non-painful fashion. The chairs! They were somehow able to mitigate the G force of such a powerful launch to only mild discomfort! I NEED to figu-

  Viola:“Kabiliti look!”

  I turned to Viola, who was pointing at the glass canopy where just beyond it was a massive spinning set of helicopter blades that weren't there before

  “This is a helicopter! We're in a massive bus-sized helicopter!” I said in surprise, my voice betraying the excitement I felt at being in such an odd vehicle.

  Viola: “Kabiliti. NO, not right now. We need to focus on our current situation”

  “What’s going on?” Chuma asked, clearly not as enraptured by this vehicle as I was.

  Kabiliti: “Come on. You KNOW we have to ask the pilot how this works! It’s a mechanical wonder!”

  Beast, who was sitting just in front of us with the two faceless guards, turned around, his face clear with unease “My…umm… dear friend. We can’t even access the Pilot, not that we should even be bothering them. The passenger area is cut off entirely”

  “And we should stay focused on the fact Her Majesty’s most deadly are escorting us somewhere” Chuma added, stress leaking from his voice.

  Kabiliti:” Ok, I get it. I know we’re in some kind of trouble, but when I see a mechanical mystery I just got to know how it works”

  Viola: “Kabiliti. I’m the same. But come on.”

  Kabiliti:” Yeah yeah. I got it. Maybe after.”

  I ended up sulking all the way to our destination while everyone remained stressed and I could just feel Viola’s bafflement at my attitude. I fully understand we’re going somewhere bad but we're in a flying grasshopper-boat-thing. I get Beast and Chuma, this must be like this planet’s equivalent of a helicopter and they must have seen these… Grass-choppers fairly often, but Viola should be geeking out just as much as me! Right?

  We eventually reached our destination which, from our rear viewpoint, appeared to be some kind of heavily armed fort. As we started landing, Large cannons rose into our view along with the towers they stood upon and shortly followed by…Thick steel walls. Who makes steel walls?!? Should that be cost-prohibitive or something like that? A sudden jerk of the Grass-chopper made it clear we had landed and wherever we did land must be high up in a mountain range because clouds can't be more than 10 meters away with how close they are.

  I was about to comment on the clouds when the pilot cut in over the intercom.

  “We have arrived at Her Majesty's Royal Ngome Inayoelea. You are free to disembark now”

  Me and Viola instantly turned to look at Beast and Chuma so we could see Just how fucked we were but they looked confused, like they didn’t expect to land at all. Or maybe they thought that they just throw us out mid-air?

  Chuma “W..Were on Her Highness’s Ngome Inayoelea? Why?”

  “Becaussse she wishesss to meet the two metallic Twinsss and their closessst and likely only Ailliesss”

  We turned to look at the new speaker to find a man covered in, at least 3 layers of cloth strips. He looked very uncomfortable in his wrappings as he signalled for us to follow him.

  Cloth man: “Come and follow. My Missstressssss isss hasss been eagerly waiting for you to arrive.”

  Confused but unwilling to disappoint the powerful VIP who summoned us from Jail we followed the heavily Clothed man.

  The second we stepped out we were met with an honour guard of those creepy metal-headed enforcers. But, it was clearly low-key. Only 20 of them stood at attention and unlike your typical coronation or other royal event that you’d see in the UK, there were distinctly no flags, decorations or other types of decorations. Only 20 creepy faceless enforcers stood abreast of the path our guide was leading us through. All of them kneeling as we walked by before stepping behind us and following. It gave the air that we were considered to be secret VIPs. Viola telepathically suggested that we are thought to be the firstborn of an unknown god and that might mean we are valuable for the information alone. And to that, I agree with her

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Kabiliti, telepathically: “The guard lieutenant did say we were above his station. They might be bringing us to a priest right now.”

  Viola, telepathically: “No, doesn’t seem like it. Wouldn’t the priest be here to meet us?”

  Kabiliti, telepathically: “This guy could be the priest.”

  We both look at the cloth mummy leading us around the back of the main building of the, apparently, flying castle.

  Kabiliti, telepathically: “Ok, maybe not this guy. But who else could want to meet us?”

  Viola, telepathically: “I don’t know. I don’t even know what positions there could be in this kingdom aside from the basics like Priest, general, and king”

  But before we could think much more about the issue, we arrived at a set of wooden doors… attached to a circular brick storehouse.

  Cloth man: “We have Arrived. Pleassse, Viola and Kabiliti enter.”

  Viola: “Why us?”

  Cloth man: “My Missstressssss requiresss thisss meeting be asss quiet asss possssssssible”

  Kabiliti: “Can we bring our friends?”

  Cloth man:” For their sssafety they mussst remain outside and under guard with me.”

  All 4 of us tensed at that.

  Viola: “Is- are they being used as hostages?”

  The clothman chuckled at that “Hahaha ah, no. We would not have let you in the Ngome Inayoelea if any of you were supposed to be a hostage. Pleassse just meet with my Missstressssss and I guarantee that you will be both freed from custody and rewarded”

  Viola and I looked to Chuma and Beast but they both nodded.

  Chuma: “I say, just meet her. He does have a point about it being stupid to hold hostages in one of the most important places in the whole of Gawala.”

  Beast: “Yeah, and we’ll be freed after. Then Chuma and I can help you figure out how to live on Naiama and in Gawala and if things do go bad, I can keep Chuma safe”

  Chuma:” But they won’t go bad”

  Viola, telepathically:”...I don’t like this…but the only way out is through”

  Kabiliti, telepathically: “Yeah I know, and they probably know too. They’re just putting on a brave face for us”

  Viola, telepathically:” Then let’s do the same”

  We both smiled back at Chuma and Beast then stepped towards the door.

  Cloth man:” I wisssh you a productive meeting”

  And stepped through the door.

  The room was full of piles and piles of GOLD! And at the end of the room was a beautiful 40-year-old woman. She sat on a pile of gold bars shaped into a throne and wore a vibrant blue and gold dress. Her eyes were lined with 3 lines of gold blue and violet, her lips were painted as black as coal, and just below her High puff afro lay an intricate crown made of gold and holding a diamond half sphere shadowed by a ruby mountain with a river of topaz running down the middle. It was the Queen… We were meeting the fucking queen.

  She snapped her fingers and the doors behind us shut and were locked.

  The Queen: “Greetings Goddesses Kabiliti and Viola. Welcome to the kingdom of Gawala, welcome to my kingdom. I am Nabagereka, Aziza Habua”

  We were both stunned, what do we say? Do we have to say anything or would that be rude? Do we bow, or kneel? AND SHE KNOWS WE’RE GODS! How? Only Beast should know that and no way in hell could- would she tell anyone, she blatantly became a devout worshiper of us…I think. But even if she’s not, she’s not stupid either. But then how?

  The queen, or Nabagereka, started chuckling as she noticed us panicking “Oh don’t worry, I knew of your true nature long before you arrived. In fact, I’ve been waiting a little over 25 years for your arrival. Forcefully changing my nation to be as appealing to you two as possible. It was hard and even now the work is far from done, but I think you’ll at least prefer staying in my kingdom rather than leaving”

  Viola: “W-what do you mean?”

  Nabagereka Aziza:” You hate slavery, do you not?”

  We both easily nod at that.

  Nabagereka Aziza:” And prefer medicine and education to be free for all?”

  Viola and Kabiliti: “Yes, ideally”

  Nabagereka Aziza:” And all of this with the addition of applied civil rights for the common human, without bias or corruption”

  We look at each other and nod. I mean who would say no to any of this…well excluding greedy corporations from earth, who would say no?

  Nabagereka Aziza: “Well I’ve spent 24 years changing Gawala so it may meet your standard and it has not been easy or bloodless. I’m sure you heard my title ‘innovator’ before, perhaps Chuma told you of it? Well my enemies and those who fear me love to warp my title to suit their needs and suspicions, but I digress. Would you like to hear my progress”

  Kabiliti:” Wait, wait. What do you mean you’ve ‘spent 24 years changing’ your kingdom to meet our standard? Those are Ideals and Ideals not everyone would agree with off the bat.”

  Nabagereka Aziza:” ’Off the bat’ ?”

  Viola: “And how did you know we are gods?”

  Nabagereka Aziza:” That…how do I say this safely? I found information about in the Abyss”

  Viola: “And what's that.”

  Nabagereka Aziza:” A massive crater and ruin in the middle of the continent and as for your sister’s questions. I learned of your planned arrival on my older brother’s doomed expedition to the abyss when I was 17 and ever since then I’ve taken steps to make my land ideal for you, most of which were…drastic and extreme. So far I’ve managed to make medicine and education relatively easy to access and completely free. Slavery…has proven difficult to completely remove. And I simply haven’t been able to even improve, let alone look at, civil rights ” The longer she talked, the more exhausted she looked, and then she suddenly jolted up from her throne “But I can guarantee you that you won’t find a better nation to call your home.” She spoke with such certainty and desperation, it was clear she needed us and no longer cared for posturing. “I’ve set up 10 hektas and I offer you all this gold for the two of you provided you choose to make my kingdom your home and use this gold here.”

  Viola: “You know how we reproduce.”

  Nabagereka Aziza:” I know how firstborns reproduce and I know you, not firstborns. It’s been well documented on this planet.”

  I sigh, doing my best to process all this “Before we accept your deal. Answer us one more question”

  Nabagereka Aziza:”Of course. Ask.”

  Viola and Kabiliti:” Why do all this for us?”

  The Nabagereka tilted her head at us, as if confused, then widened her eyes and laughed as she answered “Oh, that's the simplest question I've ever been asked haha. Because my brother told me too.”

  The way she said it. There is something bad connected to that answer. Not full crazy, but I get the sense it would be best not to question her about her brother's orders.

  The Nabagereka: “So do you accept?”

  10 hectares of land, a warehouse of gold, and the support of the national government. And all we have to do is spawn the first generation of our race here. I mean there's probably something about where our race is born but honestly. It sounds like this is the best place to start.

  Viola, telepathically: “I think we should take her deal. If not for ourselves, for our friends outside”

  Yeah, and that. Fuck, I’m an idiot sometimes.

  Kabiliti, telepathically: “I agree. It’s unlikely we’ll get a better offer”

  I outstretch my hand “We agree to your terms”

  Viola, telepathically: “FUCK, SHE’S ROYALTY YOU DUMBASS! DON’T SHAKE HER HAND!”

  My eyes widen as I quickly try to fix my faux pas but the Nabagereka quickly grabs my hand.

  ”I do prefer when people talk and act plainly, Goddess Kabiliti and while your godly organs are revealed, we act by your rules rather than mine ” The Nabagereka said consolingly “I mean no disrespect by asking this but, are you actually young adults, around 20?”

  We slowly nod

  The Nabagereka: “Ah, then you will need to be educated in manners at some point. I can arrange something after you get yourselves established, perhaps a month or two from now. But I must say that I expected you two to be more…domineering. It seems I was stressing over nothing. Now that this is over I must quickly leave”

  That startled us

  Kabiliti: “Why? Don’t you need to see us off or something?”

  Nabagereka Aziza pulled up a hidden hatch that we hadn’t noticed and then paused to explain “Viola, Kabiliti. What you must understand is that this meeting never happened. If someone other than you or your friends found out we would both be in grave danger. That is also why you must use all the gold in this room to build your population. None must remain.” she stepped down the hatch but then paused “And just for the future, I am likely the only one who knows exactly what you are and what you can do. So please be careful with your power, I’m overworked as it is. The doors will open in 30 minutes” and then she slammed the hatch shut.

  And that was it. We, apparently, own 10 whole hectares of land and have gained citizenship in Gawala. A kingdom whose monarch desperately wants us to stay and prosper. But at the same time that same monarch clearly knew an obscene amount about us despite how little we have acted since arriving. For now, she is an ally, a dangerously knowledgeable ally but still an ally.

  Kabiliti: “So do we just eat the gold or…”