“He saved us,” Chira said softly and placed a gentle hand on Ada’s shoulder.
Ada only stared at the blurred vision of the fires that boogied over the horizon. It had all converged, lighting the night with its bloom. The voice of the savages still revel what should have been a speec
Ada heaved again, this time, resisting the urge to clean her sweaty palms on her neck. She wished the cold rock could pierce her soul and calm her troubled breast. Every attempt to keep her mind away from Ikedi was just becoming more and more difficult.They had walked quietly through the edge of th
He straightened his back, making sure to let his stomach control his racing breath. The stone was cold against his skin, but not enough to make the hair on his body stand. For once he thought he could lure them away, he thought he could keep them from hurting the one he loved. But all his effort ended up to be nothing but foolishness. So silly was the plan that thinking about it now, made him wish for death. He was like the proverbial fish that jumped out from the cooking oil into the cooking fire.
Adrenaline pushed Ikedi’s feet forward as his eyes ached to see the face of Ada again. He knew what to say, he wouldn’t sugarcoat anything. He would spill out everything upfront. He would be blunt and would tell her the bitter truth.The girls seemed to be arguing when he walked into the
The cricket chanted its song as the night grew slowly into an adult. Somewhere on a tree, in the veil of the night where the eyes of light feared to tread, the hooting of an owl could be heard as it mellowed the cricket’s noise into a duster of goose-bump.“
Cries shred the morning sun, blaring through the kingdom like the torrent of an ocean into every house that stood in the village. It was said that the light of the body was the eyes, but what happens when the body loses its light. The light of a kingdom was its king, but what happens when the kingdom loses its light.
The squashing of water blends with the noise of the birds which disturbed the gloomy morning. Prince Chika imbued the rag in the liquid and squeezed again. He wiped his muscular breast and armpit before dumping the cloth on the stool beside him.It was four days since the death of his parent and Olamma. The villagers still mourn the King, following Maazi Ikenna’s decree. Nobody is to work until the King was buried. The people now stays indoor as if afraid to walk in their own shadows. They think their houses were safe, they think the thatched roof was the wings of the partridge, which covers her children from the sneers of a wild beast. Foolish people
“Commander,” Idemba called “Ready your men and don’t let your guard down.”“Orders from the Prince?” the hefty commander asked.Idemba swallowed uneasily at his question. He wished he wouldn’t say that his orders were from a wretched servant girl, who found her shame on the Prince’s bed and now was posing like a Queen. “Just do as I say,” He mumbled and steered the rein of the zebra. “I need three guards to escort me too,”The commander seemed puzzled from the silence that followed his calmness. However, Idemba was too engrossed with his encounter with Chinwe, to notice the confusion on the warrior&r
It was the third day since she left the palace. Chinwe shifted her weight on the saddle and gulped the water from the wineskin. The soft leather on the seat had turned rigid somewhere in the course of the journey and was beginning to sting. If she remembered correctly, the last time she rode this long was the first time she came to the palace in shackles. She had been bought by the queen. Well, this time was different. She was free. Just a few days and she would be crowned the new queen of Alaocha.A small grin parted her lips as her eyes studied the forest. The harsh sun still had its mark on them, but they wore a peaceful and calm expression on their green smile. Birds danced in the air and chanted songs of joy and harmony. The gentleness on the shoulders of the trees was inviting, something her slave self, hadn’t enjoy. Well, she was the queen now, just a matt
Four days laterAda closed her eyes, letting the sweet air travel into every part of her body. Dry season had parted ways and now they were kicking off for the first time into raining season. Her stomach was lifting and something she didn’t think she would ever feel in her life time walked into every part of her mind. Peace.The people of Alaocha and Ndiocha had agreed to live as one. They had chosen King Obidike as their King after Ada had forfeited any right to mount the throne. Chira was the Lolo (Queen), her heart had found love again with Obidike. Their
“I am invincible,” King Chika yelled, “I am the King of the world.”The armies of both parties were shifting their weight as they studied the dragons that parades the sky. The cloud had darkened and the thunder was clapping with a hoarse voice.“You are but a creature,” Ada clutched her teeth. “But you are not invincible,”The thunder clapped again when their sword met midair. Ada spanned and deflected the blow coming from the right. She bent in time to save her head from the sharp edge of his sword. He was fast, but Ada was faster. She could match his speed and his strength now. Even though she couldn’t explain what was happening, she was gra
Her hair bounced as Swiffer galloped away from the cave. Maybe its adrenaline that was heating her body, or perhaps it was fear. If everything goes on as planned, she still has a lot of work to do. But she must at the same time be smart and not let her past mistakes cloud her judgement. These creatures are mystical and are dangerous. “Sorry,” Ada shouted and blinked herself back to reality. The women on the road only cursed and glared at her, but she was too busy with her mind to pay any attention to them. She directed her zebra into the sandy path leading away from the village. I hope it’s not too late.The sun was high above the sky now, and its heat was drawing sweat from t
King Obidike wiped the sweat on his brow with the back side of his left hand. He studied the scorching sun for a while before uncorking the goatskin water bag and gulping the fluid. Some of the liquid lingered in his mouth before he swallowed it. It was hard not to smile with relief from the refreshing fluid as they walked down his throat. This was one of the reason why he wanted to live in this part of the land.The waters were good, compare to the other side of the sea, where mountains and limestone polluted the little water they had. Even the rain was polluted. The sea was the closest fresh water they had, but that only comes after much cooking and boiling. Even that in itself could not compete with this thirst quenching liquid that was in his goatskin.He returned the skin back to its place and checke
The path leading into the cave of bones was cold, and crowed with a nauseating air that reminded Ada of decomposing animals, beaten by a drizzling rain. To use emptiness to describe the place would be an exaggeration of what truly crept on the walls. No noise could be heard and nobody guarded the place either. Every corner blended obediently with the darkness which drove away the lights of the afternoon, and portrayed a barrenness that gloat like a toothless beast. If only she had the power to revert the hands of time. She would take it to that sweet night when this episode started. With the knowledge she has now, she was sure she could prevent it from happening. All of it. Maybe it’s selfishness, but a part of her missed that sweet feeling that always walks on her skin whenever she was with Ikedi. It would be nice to have that innocence again, to enjoy that ser
Swiffer’s stride had not decreased a bit; despite hours of riding none stop in the harsh gaze of the sun. It was as if the animal understood the urgency of their mission.Sweat pricked Ada’s brow as she stared ahead, trying to keep her mind from wandering into the unknown. The most direct route to the cave of bones was through the other hand of the forest, far away from the forest ofIyi.But Ada had chosen the longer path. It was the only option if she wanted to avoid the warriors of Alaocha, who would be guarding the borders right now. Besides, the forest ofIyiwas perceived to be dangerous. It was a route where only demons trend.Ada bit her lips and leaned in, adding more momentum to the strides of Swiffer. King Obidike and the entire people
Ada stroked her brow and relaxed her hands on the table. Her eyes traveled back and forth from one edge of the table to the other, studying the dried sticks that were arranged on it. The twigs which were tallied in ten represented a dozen solder.“This would be suicide,” Ada muttered and pace the room.“Why? Our men have more endurance.” King Obidike said. The confidence in his eyes sent a chill down Ada’s spine. He has no idea what the warriors of Alaocha were like. Perhaps he had never seen war before in his life.“Endurance would have mattered if we weren’t outnumbered,”and less skilled. Ada stroked her brow again. “And besides, they have the hands of the god
“Relax dear one,” Chira whispered and placed a hand on Ada’s chest, pushing her back to the mattress, as gently as her rigid hands could muster. “You were talking gibberish in your sleep,”“Gibberish? No,” Ada shook her head with disagreement. “I don&r
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Leviathan’s shrilling voice echoed in Ada’s head. “Are you sure you want to save the village and abandon your lover? You will never see him again.”Ada held its scale as it steadied its wings and soared between the mountains. Th