Taken By The Tribe

Alicia Reynolds

“Sweetheart, I think it’s best if you step away from the training grounds. Go back to the Tribal House and help your mother with chores.” A defiant grumble echoed through the air as the Elder finished speaking. His daughter pushed back her auburn locks and glared at him slightly.

“I won’t. I’m fine right here,” she retorted. She didn’t want to leave the training grounds just because her father thought she shouldn’t be exposed to fighting. Fighting was essential to the Followers, the people of The Tribe, and being highly trained was what would protect them from the rest of the world if their whereabouts were ever discovered. The Tribe were elusive, but as rulers of the modern world, needed protection beyond money and status.

“Sweetheart, this isn’t the place for you. I know you think you’re ready, but you’re too young to see such cruelty,” he persisted. He tried to stay calm as his daughter continued to glare at him.

“I’m not too young! I’m seventeen. I deserve to be treated like every other Follower. Just because I’m smaller and weaker doesn’t mean I can’t train to become stronger.”

Her father groaned and pinched the bridge of his freckled nose. His crow’s feet stood out as his eyes narrowed.

“Daddy, let me train. The Family members are waiting. I’m making a fool of myself.” She pleaded, hoping her father would stop treating her like a child and accept that she was grown.

“Fine. You can train. But if I hear you’re hurt or crying, I’ll drag you away from here myself. Do you understand?” His dark brown eyes left no room for discussion.

She squealed and nodded happily. Then she turned and ran toward the waiting Family members.

“You can’t keep holding her back, Jonathan. She needs to learn. Her Inner Voice needs to reach its full strength.” Tony urged.

He was referring to her Inner Voice, an almost second-identity each Follower had within them, that they trained since childhood. Strengthening it meant they could delegate it to do other tasks for them, while they took care of other matters. Followers considered it as their second brain; its development was essential to the culture they so carefully designed to protect their security.

Jonathan, the girl’s father, sighed and turned to the man. His gaze quickly returned to his small daughter, the one he’d fought so hard to keep protected. No amount of money, resources, or material items would make him feel secure enough to let his little girl fully out of his sight.

“I know that, Tony. Trust me, I do. But look at her. She’s so small and lost. She doesn’t know how dangerous our world is. I fear her reaction when she finds out. I almost wish she never would.”

“Eventually, with or without you, she’ll find out. We all did. It’s part of being a Follower. She needs to learn now, while she’s now training her Inner Voice. That way, she’ll know what to expect later,” Tony said. His gaze was fixed on the auburn-haired girl struggling to position herself into a fighting stance, unlike everyone else.

Jonathan watched with a sad smile as one of the Family members corrected his daughter’s stance. She blushed, embarrassed.

“I just hope she can handle everything,” Jonathan confessed to his friend. “I thought developing her Inner Voice would mature her, bring her more power. But she’s still so weak. It worries me.”

Tony sighed, running his hands through his graying hair. He nodded in understanding. An Inner Voice was essential to them. It’s why the Tribe was able to achieve their levels of power and productivity, it’s what secured their spot at the very top of humanity. Every Father’s dream for their child is to harness and train their Inner Voice.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured Jonathan. “It takes time. You and Kara have been coddling her for so long, it’s no surprise she hasn’t quite developed yet. But as her Inner Voice grows stronger, she might. And if not, let’s hope her Pair is a strong man, who is powerful enough to protect her.”

Jonathan took a deep breath, nodding. His gaze drifted back to his little one, as he called her, an endearing name for young Followers in early stages of developing their Inner Voices. Alicia despised the pet name. She was oblivious to the dangers lurking beyond the Tribal grounds.

Meanwhile, the girl stood next to her best friend, Tina. Her brows were furrowed, her forehead slick with sweat from the sudden heatwave.

Her stance mirrored the Second’s—legs shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, left foot and shoulder aimed his way. Her hands were loosely clenched into fists.

She struggled to maintain the position, but her Inner Voice kept her balanced, as she had delegated it to focus solely on that so that she could focus on the fight. It urged her to keep her chin down and her eyes up.

The other trainers stood easily in their positions, looking much stronger and tougher than her. It was a bit intimidating.

The Second surveyed them all, assessing their stances for any weaknesses. He found none until his gaze landed on the girl with long auburn hair. Her eyes darted up and down, unsure of where to look.

“Alicia, always keep your eyes up and your chin down,” he instructed. “You must always know where your opponent is, because if not...” He trailed off when he noticed her gaze drop timidly.

Quickly, he was in front of her.“If not, you’d be dead in a second.”

She flinched, realizing too late that the Second had run toward her. He was in front of her faster than she could have imagined. All it took was one moment of distraction, for her Inner Voice to let go of the balance.

Her eyes widened and she craned her neck to look up at him, causing a slight ache. The other trainers snickered, all except Tina who watched her best friend closely.

“Eyes up. Chin down.” He gently lowered her chin, locking their gazes. Her emerald eyes stared straight ahead.

She nodded, blushing slightly, and he quickly stepped back.

“Alright guys, now we will be pairing up. Find your partners...”

Alicia emerged from her bathroom, a delicate lilac towel wrapped around her small frame. Another matching towel was twisted into her hair, piled atop her head.

She began to search the spacious walk-in closet of her large bedroom. She needed to find an outfit for the Family meeting that the Elder of her Family—Western Mountain Family—was convening.

She was proud to be from the Western Mountain Family, tucked away in a remote valley between two large mountains, virtually inaccessible to the rest of the world, to ordinary people.

She selected a crisp white long-sleeved shirt and an army green overall dress. The dress was made of corduroy and ended just above her knees.

After dressing, she towel-dried her hair, letting it cascade down her shoulders and reach her hips.

Her hair was naturally straight. She often envied her best friend, who had effortlessly curly locks. To achieve a similar look, she had to resort to a curler.

“Alicia! We're leaving!” her mother’s voice echoed through the house. Alicia sighed, realizing she had no time to detangle her hair or apply a touch of makeup to her pale cheeks.

She pursed her lips, hoping they'd appear fuller, but they quickly returned to their usual small pink pout. Most of the women in their society had expensive surgeries, fillers, injections, or other cosmetic enhancements to maintain their beauty and youth. Alicia was surrounded by perfection from both men and women alike. She let out another sigh.

She tried to widen her eyes, hoping they'd appear more alert, but they quickly returned to their natural almond shape.

She shrugged, accepting that these small facial exercises wouldn't change her appearance. She felt her Inner Voice stir within her.

“Alicia!”

She let out a huff, quickly exiting her room and rushing towards her mother, who stood at the bottom of the staircase with a look of annoyance.

“Sorry,” Alicia squeaked, causing her mother to chuckle and playfully ruffle her hair.

Alicia’s mother had auburn hair, just like her own, while her father’s hair was a darker brown. Her mother’s eyes were a doe-like sea-blue, and her skin was porcelain white. Alicia, on the other hand, had a tan complexion, a trait she inherited from her father and the sun.

“Let's go, sweethearts,” Alicia’s father joined them by the stairwell, dressed in a clean blue button-down shirt and black jeans.

He took his pair’s hand, their eyes lighting up as their skin made contact—signifying their lifelong bond. Each Follower had a One, and when they found each other, they would become Paired. Each pair was arranged at birth, using a proprietary serum created by the Tribe, who had their own medical research labs around the globe. The serum was injected at birth, genetically linking two children of different families. At age 18, the serum is activated, and makes each chosen Follower impossibly attractive and alluring to the other.

Alicia watched them, fascinated by the pair’s pull, fascinated by the idea that one day she, too, would feel such a connection. She didn't hide her awe as she gazed into their eyes. They slowly began to walk out of their house, heading towards the Tribal House where the meeting would be held.

“Do you know what this is about, Jonathan?” Kara asked her husband as they strolled through the highly-maintained grounds, weaving through impossibly beautiful and intricate landscaping. They made their way towards the large house.

Alicia trailed behind them, subtly eavesdropping on their conversation, hoping they wouldn't notice her curiosity.

"I have a hunch, but I hope I'm wrong..." His voice trailed off as he noticed his daughter standing close enough to overhear a conversation he thought she wasn't prepared for.

So, they lowered their audible voices and began to communicate almost silently—a skill highly trained Followers learned in order to protect their more secretive conversations. This caused Alicia to roll her eyes in annoyance.

They always made her feel like an outsider, treating her like a child. But she wasn't a child anymore.

"Welcome, Jonathan, Kara, and Alicia."

The three family members bowed their heads slightly as the Elder's Second welcomed them into the Tribal House, an exquisite piece of architecture made of heavy wood and tall glass, which could easily house every member of their Family of over fifty.

"Hello, Logan," Jonathan responded on behalf of them all. The Elder’s Second returned the greeting with a warm smile before closing the door behind them.

Alicia felt her Inner Voice stirring within her, causing her to clench her hands into tight fists. This was her first month of trying to harness it, and with the burgeoning Inner Voice inside of her, she hadn't yet fully gained control over it.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Her mother asked as they walked towards the gathering. Alicia nodded quickly before shifting her gaze to her shoes, needing to focus on something that would keep her grounded, as her Inner Voice was only stirring confusion within her.

"The Elder is here!" someone shouted, causing the Family to fall silent. Everyone bowed their heads in respect, as was custom, as the sound of rustling clothes and scuffing shoes filled the room.

"Hello, everyone. I hope you've all had a wonderful day. I know this meeting was called at the last minute, but I had no other choice..." He paused as everyone straightened up and lifted their heads to look at him.

He stood tall and proud at the front of the room. His eyes held an unmatched power, his thick hair was beginning to gray at the roots, and his masculine build and height allowed Alicia to see the top of his forehead.

"Elder, may I ask what this is about?" Logan inquired. The Family found it strange that even the Elder’s Second was unaware of the meeting's purpose—it must be serious.

"Tomorrow afternoon, we will be receiving a visitor. All I know is that he's visiting all the Western Families. He's already been to Sapphire Ridge, Crimson Valley, and Mount Obscura. We're the last Family on his list."

The Elder took a deep breath after he finished speaking, and everyone could detect a slight tremor in his voice.

"Why is he visiting?" a Family member asked, sparking a chorus of agreement and a flurry of side conversations.

"Quiet down!" the Elder commanded, and the room fell silent almost immediately.

"I don't know why he's visiting. The Elder’s Council only said that he's visiting all the Western Families and that we should be prepared."

"But who is he?" This time it was Kara who asked the question. Everyone hummed in agreement—they all wanted to know.

Alicia was also eager to find out. She wondered if the other Families, in secluded lands far away, were as anxious as her Family seemed to be.

Jonathan sat blankly, seemingly more knowing, stifling his emotions.

"He's the Prime Elder… and he rules the Prime Family, the head of all the entire Tribe.”

The room fell so silent at that moment that you could have heard a pin drop.

The Tribe spanned the globe, resting in niche pockets of various lands. Its power and wealth controlled most of the world’s functions from the very top. That much Alicia knew.

But who was this Prime Elder?