The Band. PJ Shay

her. “I’ll be right back.”

      Meea jumped up. “Can I come with you?”

      Matakh nodded and smiled at his younger sibling. “Sure thing. Let’s go.”

      Together they headed out the door, ignoring the loud whoosh as the panels swung open. They had no need for caution any longer.

      “You know, that was really nice of you,” Meea remarked, “leaving food out for that fox. I doubt there are many people here who would have done that. Most probably would have just sent him off.”

      “Or chased him off,” Matakh responded. “I don’t think there’s much love lost over the Rival War. I know some of my friends aren’t big fans of canines or vulpines. Kind of stupid, really; after all, we started that mess.”

      “Some people just love to hate,” Meea replied sadly. “I’ve always thought that Cunia sounded like a wonderful place. I’d like to go there someday.”

      “Maybe you will,” Matakh said. “Who knows?”

      They were getting close to the paper plate, within a dozen yards, when Matakh saw a sudden gleam on its surface, as though reflected from a pane of glass or a piece of metal. “Mee, do you see that?”

      Meea looked to where Matakh was pointing, her eyes quickly picking up on the glimmer. “Yep, sure do. But that’s a paper plate, not glass. There’s nothing that should be shining.”

      Matakh nodded. “I know.”

      As they got closer, the shining point sharpened and came into focus until they could clearly make out what it was. “A coin!” Matakh cried. “It’s a coin!” He sprinted the last couple yards to the spot and crouched down to examine it. The coin was held in place by a piece of clear tape wrapped around the plate. And as he looked at it in greater detail, he noticed that the markings were strikingly familiar.

      “It’s the Centennial Anniversary of Peace Commemorative! I can’t believe it!”

      Meea came up beside her brother and peered at the sparkling silver piece. “Hey, you’re right! Well, can you take the tape off?”

      Matakh nodded and flipped the plate over to remove the tape, only to find another surprise. There was a message printed in bold letters, which Matakh read aloud. “‘For a special cat and a new friend. Thank you. I hope it’s the right coin. J.’ How about that?”

      Meea smiled at him. “It’s proof that doing the right thing often leads to great rewards. In this case, a special coin and a special friend.”

      Matakh nodded at her, and then looked back at the message. “‘Thank you,’” he read once more, before turning to the darkness of the alleyway. “You’re welcome!” he called out, though he knew the little fox had probably left already.

      But he was wrong. All during the conversation, a pair of large ears had been listening to every word. They twitched at the lion’s final call, taking in the words. And as Matakh and Meea returned to their house, a small form crept through the darkness of the alley. And if one had been able to see, they would have noticed a long, bushy tail wagging happily all the way.

      Chapter Two: Clouds Gather

      “It’s really amazing, you know,” Matakh told his sister as they walked through the front door. He held up his newest coin, marveling at the elaborate engravings. “The odds of finding this on the street? I can’t even imagine.”

      Meea nodded. “Yeah. But it’s like the Bible says; God will reward those who follow in his ways.”

      Matakh beamed at his sister and clapped her fondly on the shoulder. “You’re right. You know, I bet I could turn this coin into a real conversation piece. And who knows? We might just see our new foxy friend again. Maybe next time we can actually meet him!”

      Meea grinned. “Now that would be awesome. And I’ll bet he’d like that, too. He looks like he could really use some friends, all alone out there.”

      Matakh nodded and tossed the Peace Commemorative into the air, the bright glow from the ceiling lights glinting off of its polished surface. As it began a lazy spiral back down, he deftly snatched it from the air and closed his fingers around it, enjoying the feel of the cool metal. “I’m going to go put this up in one of my binders. Don’t want anything to happen to it now.”

      Meea nodded. “Good thinking. Race you!”

      “You’re on,” Matakh replied, the two of them taking off and bounding up the stairs.

      “Careful!” Linalia called up after them, but a bright smile was on her face. Such friendly games were a part of daily life with her children, and seeing them so happy together made her heart swell with motherly joy and pride.

      In the end, it was Meea who reached the top first. She turned to her brother with a broad grin on her face. “Beat ya,” she teased, winking mischievously.

      “Cheater,” Matakh joked. “You’re lighter than I am.”

      “Aww,” she pouted, doing her best to look genuinely hurt around the playful gleam in her eyes. “No-one likes a sore loser, big brother.” Matakh’s only reply was to stick his tongue out at her playfully, which set them both to giggling.

      As they opened the door, the sounds of the fountain and the soft scent of warmed fragrance oil washed over them like a cooling wave. Matakh breathed in deeply, letting the therapeutic scent fill his nose, before striding over to his desk. Opening one of the drawers, he hefted a blue binder from the many others stored inside and began leafing through the clear plastic sleeves, each of which contained a sparkling silver, gold, or bronze-colored coin.

      Finally, he found a page with a vacant spot still available, looking bare against the shine of the coins around it. He smiled and placed a finger on the spot, then held up the Peace Commemorative to the light. It really was quite beautiful, pure silver, with a dove carrying a rose and olive branch on one side, and a planet orbiting a peace sign on the reverse. Engraved in small but clear letters were the words ‘Peace and Unity are the True Sources of Strength’. “That’s very true,” he thought to himself, slipping the coin into its new home. “A rare coin and a new friend. It really has been an interesting day.”

      “And it’s only just beginning,” Meea said in response, locking eyes with her brother and giving him a warm smile. Matakh nodded and replaced the binder in its appropriate drawer before taking his sister’s hand. Together, they walked from his room and strode down the steps, unaware that their lives were about to be changed forever.

      “This isn’t good,” Matakh’s father said solemnly. “Not good at all.”

      Matakh looked up at his father with concern. “What do you mean, Dad?”

      Kotaho sighed deeply and adjusted his reading glasses. “I’m afraid that we may be losing our unity.” He slid the paper across the table’s polished surface, and Matakh quickly reached out his hand to catch it. “Read the headlines.”

      Matakh picked up the printed sheet and did as he was told. As soon as he saw the bold letters, his eyes widened in shock. Blaring from the page were the words ‘Race Tensions Heighten: Threats Exchanged!’

      Looking up, he stared at his father in disbelief. “I don’t understand. How is this possible? We’ve sworn ourselves to peace!”

      “Read on,” his father stated in answer. Matakh turned back to the page, reading the story below the headline. With every sentence he felt a cold pit growing in his stomach, and he slipped into an empty chair as his legs began to tremble.

      ‘For the first time in a century, Filius may be teetering on the edge of war. Disagreements over territory are heightening into threats of violence. Now a world devoted to peace may be on the verge of losing everything it has worked for.

      Two weeks ago, the Tigers seized control of several mines of ovaritanium, which have proved