THE LAST KEEPER-Chapter 118. COUNTERMEASURES

"You think we might have another Seyika on our hands?" Matasi asked.

"What else could be the explanation of what the boy is capable of?" Kolu said.

"You are a weapon enthusiast. What do you know about those blades? He called it by name, and it listened," Senraki asked.

The four men of Salka’s team were sitting in Senraki’s office again. They had decided to come up with a countermeasure in case plan B by the Lofekeni brat did not work. They had asked Lotaga to let Seyika know about what they planned, and they were still waiting for him to come up with a strategy. He was Squad Salka’s strategist or even Tagayia’s top strategist. He worked closely with Chief Zaka and other war generals when necessary, but he still belonged to Squad Salka through and through. Even so, they knew that the man was swamped, and Chief Zaka worked him to the bone, so they could not entirely depend on him. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"I believe I know all the ancient blades and all types of weapons in Tagayia and the enthusiasts or chiefs who own them, but I have never seen such. In all my years of touring I have never heard of such." Kolu said with sincerity.

"Could it be that the weapon is from somewhere you have not been to?" Yavaga asked.

"The south?" Kolu did not miss a beat, and silence befell the room. If it were another time, they could have been fast to discredit him, but now they were only in uncomfortable silence.

"It’s been almost two decades since the South closed itself. I can’t just go south," Kolu answered his own question.

"No one is stupid enough to ask you to go south. I want you to go through all the black markets and distinctly ask for a weapon like that. Don’t mention its name." Salka said.

"I am the best spy to ever live. Do you think for a second I will go asking people to tell me about a weapon called Nokai?" Kolu defended. "And don’t call it the black market, it is a heaven for people like me," he continued. Being a spy and playing many different personalities over the years must have messed with his head because he loved mysteries too much.

"Just make your disguise and backstory better this time. The person pushing to get the recruit might also be looking for the weapon," Matasi argued.

"Yavaga, you are with kolu. you have before the field exercise ends to find the history of the weapon," Salka said, and Yavaga gasped.

"Why me? Why can’t he go by himself?" Yavaga whined,

"Because then you will have nothing to do but be on pet tending duty," Salka answered, and Yavaga shuddered. It seemed no one wanted to clean Salka’s pet dens.

"What do you plan to do?" Senraki asked Salka.

"I will go east to Wuzi village. I have a feeling the boy’s step-parents know something. otherwise why would they hide him from joining a high school at thirteen? He is too smart to have failed to at least join one of the high schools." Salka answered.

"Won’t that alert the enemy?" Senraki asked. "I do admit that his admission was partly out of my hands, but I could not resist a suffocation chamber protegee. It is true, however, that the woman who adopted him is a Tanzi, and she left her clan at a young age and gave her life to being a healer. The stepfather, however, is a mystery. Not even my spies could find his real family. I think he is hiding something, too. How do you plan on making them talk? Besides, if we know where the parents are, the enemy also knows." Senraki said.

"I have a way with words," Salka answered.

"You are not planning on torturing his parents, are you?" Yavaga asked.

"Of course not. I am not an animal." Salka said, and everyone shook their heads. "I only plan to make a deal. If they are hiding something and trying to hide the boy, they must know that their time is numbered. They need allies, and we need information. We can’t fight not knowing what we are fighting against and the reason. We are bound to lose," Salka explained.

"You are right. We know nothing basically, and the enemy seems to know enough," Matasi chimed in.

"Why do you think he hasn’t made a move on the family or used them as leverage?" Senraki asked the burning question, and silence prevailed.

"Does he maybe consider them worthless, or doesn’t he care?" Yavaga wondered.

"Absolutely not. A person cunning enough to get the boy sent to Ko’alsi won’t leave any loopholes. He must be planning something. He might be waiting for something before he makes the move," Kolu said.

"If you go to such a small village, he will know you are there. and you are not as tiny as to get lost in a crowd in the east," Senraki said, adding mockery to the last part.

"I have to agree with Senraki. you might be the holder of the gold honour blade, but disguises aren’t your strong suit," Yavaga said, and Salka shot him a glare which only meant ’you might be leaving soon, but I can still put you on pet tending duty.’

"I did not get the golden honour blade just because I am big and strong. I will make them come to me," Salka said, a dangerous glimmer shining behind his pupils.

"It’s been years since I saw that glint." Senraki cheered. Salka might have spent most of his time inside the walls of Galka War Academy, but that did not make him docile. The man was the cream of his age, and no one had been able to beat his record yet. "Matasi you are with me," Salka said.

"Time to have some fun, I will be bored if I don’t join, so I will play with the enemy too," Senraki said, getting too excited. Senraki hated losing and when it came to loving games, only Miss Lakiya came second to him. He also wanted to use sagiri to get more honour to his name. "Salsal, let’s see who wins," he added, rubbing his hands together.

"It’s not a game, you big child, and I always win," Salka scoffed, getting to his feet. He had an enemy to catch and another win to hold over Senraki’s head. No more time to waste.

Tanzi- a woman who can not give birth. A barren woman