Chapter 1 - The awakening of a new species

The little lantern wobbled leisurely back and forth. Sometimes she made a noise, whenever the gentle wind hit the stick on which she was hanging. Then you always heard a gentle “ping”. The lantern wouldn't even be noticeable at this time of day if it didn't make itself noticeable every now and then. Because of course she was always out during the day. It was only sometimes lit at night. But most of the time she was simply forgotten. And then, when she made her gentle noise again, you knew she was there.

This afternoon the sun was hot. The five to seven houses in the small, cozy-looking town were painted white. That was the best remedy for this constant heat. They didn't even have real roofs, but instead had tarpaulins made of white linen. They let in enough air during the day and kept out the cold at night. They also sheltered well from the sand that the night's storms eroded from the nearby dune.

There wasn't much going on here. There was never really much going on here. Very rarely did anything exciting happen. And most of the time, when it was hot like today, the residents just stayed in their homes and went about their business.

However, a young boy was undeterred by the heat. He stood determinedly in the middle of the small village square, if you could call it that, and looked around with interest. He wore a white robe, and on his head he wore a white cloth, which was held in place by a black ribbon. The boy must have been about fourteen or fifteen years old. In his hand he held a crooked stick, which he carefully waved around.

Suddenly he thought he heard a noise. Hectically he turned around - but none. There was nothing and nobody behind him. Very carefully, he took a step forward, then another, and another.

Then the small lantern sounded, swaying gently in the wind, tied to a stick. The boy jumped again and then took a few more steps forward. Then he stopped and held his breath. He listened intently around the area. It was quiet. Only the soft, quiet wind blew.

Suddenly two little girls, about the same age as the boy, came out from behind one of the houses. They quickly circled the boy. They giggled happily while holding his arms so he couldn't really move.

“We got you,” said one girl."Now your game is up, Mister Blixton."

"You'd better surrender right now," the other girl urged the boy.

Completely out of breath, the boy voluntarily put his hands behind his back while the girls took the cane from him. Then they dragged him into a small, white shed next to one of the houses.

"I knew you would find me," said the boy."Now that you've caught me, what shall my punishment be?"

"Silence!" One girl asked him, mock-angry."Sit on that stool and be silent." She pushed the boy onto a stool and then blindfolded him.

"You have committed crimes," said the other girl to him."You have betrayed our village to the highest of the dark rulers. Say your last word now, before you suffer the punishment that every traitor deserves.”

"I'm innocent," the boy protested."They found me, I didn't find them."

The two girls walked slowly around the stool on which the boy was sitting, mockingly shaking.

“Mercy,” he pleaded while one girl tickled his legs with a stick.

"No mercy!" the two girls shouted."No mercy for Blixton the traitor."

Who or what had the boy betrayed? Who had he betrayed her to? Or was it just a harmless role-playing game that the two girls played with their boyfriend?

It was still very quiet outside the shed. But after some time, two men, a woman and three more children finally came out. Everyone was wearing these strange