hints of the truth

Panashe walked into the dome under the Mupedzanhamo market and was pleased with how most of the traders down there treated him. He had become famous for killing the anomaly that haunted the flat. He got a chance to meet some anomaly hunters who came to meet him as he walked around the in the dome. He asked everyone he met about the digital witches but no one knew where their hideout was. It's as if they were ghosts, they just popped up in the market once in a while to buy some fusion cells and equipment then we're never seen again for a while.

Panashe had already given up when he headed outside the dome. As the door keeper closed the door he met a woman who was dressed in the digital witches armour.

"I heard you have been looking for us. So I came here to pick you up."

"What? Who did you here it from?"

"Wrong questions there. You want to meet our leader or not?"

"I want to meet him."

"It's a her genius. Come on follow me."

The woman led Panashe to a car parked outside the Mupedzanhamo market and they got in. There was a woman at the front seat and Panashe couldn't stop staring at her outfit. He was prompted to get in the back with the lady who had picked him up. He got comfortable in the back seat with his gear on his lap.

They drove around for a few minutes before the car pulled up in an alley and the driver started asking questions.

"So what does Munashe's cub hope to achieve by coming to the digital witches?"

"I am not his cub."

"Then why do you hang around him all day?"

"Because I needed his help but it seems like he can't help me."

"And you think we can?"

"Yes. I need help finding Nhamo. And seeing how big your group is, I was hoping you might have some information for me."

"And what do you offer me?"

"What do you want?"

The woman didn't answer and she drove away from the alley and went into an underground parking lot before having Panashe blindfolded and led him into a large spacious apartment. There were several armour parts that were laying on the flow and several members of the digital witches who were glued to the screens researching and typing information into the machines.

"Someone bring up the latest update on project predator." the woman who had been driving said as she stood in front of a wall revealing that she was the one who controlled the digital witches.

A holographic map was projected in mid air and one of the digital witches started narrating in a weird voice,

"We have at most five remaining members from the group that went on the hunt. Their captain called in saying they won't be able to leave the digital desert since their airship was taken down by the predator anomaly and it's now hunting them. They requested for backup a few hours ago but it's not possible because house Humba refused to aid us and said they wanted their predator anomaly delivered as soon as possible or they will put us out of business."

The woman smiled and looked at Panashe.

"Well then young man it looks like I know what I want. I want that predator anomaly and what you want is the captain on that mission. She is a relative of Nhamo and has been in contact with him for several years now."

"Well that was quick. How do I get to her."

"I need that anomaly captured first. Someone give him some armour and some explosives and restraints."

Panashe received everything but he didn't change his mask. The woman ordered some of the members in the group to go to their bay and get an airship so that they could drop Panashe where he needed to be. Panashe stood in the apartment and admired all of the equipment the digital witches held. With their weapons it would be easy to hunt anomalies and even catch them without too many loses rather than Munashe's methods and limited resources.

"Pretty lovely ain't it? I bet Munashe never gave you everything required for you to be safe during hunts. He keeps on his ideals about the foundation but let me tell you a secret child. Dzimba Dzemabwe foundation will never see daylight again because even the council has given up."

"I heard that the Zulu and Khoisan will help Munashe once he has found Humba." Panashe spoke defending Munashe but the lady laughed.

"He didn't truly tell you what caused the foundation to collapse. Did he?"

"No he didn't."

"Well we have some minutes until the airship arrive so I will tell you. Someone bring him a chair and some food."

After Panashe was well seated and comfortable the lady projected a small holographic screen that had images of several animals.

"The Dzimba Dzemabwe foundation was found way back in time when giants still roamed the earth. Several regions across the world had their own foundations that hunted these creatures and as times progressed the foundations became stronger and started collaborating.

But in these regions the humans were separated by tribes. These tribes belonged to houses. In those days there were tales of dark forces that kidnapped humans and killed livestock and they attacked all the houses. House Shumba (house lion) was the most powerful house back in their days and it declared that all houses should come together to band against the unknown forces that ravaged their lands and killed their cows and goats. That's when they discovered their first anomaly and since they couldn't kill these creatures back then they drove them off to the mountains and caves.

That's why most mountains and caves around the world are mysterious and there have been reported cases of missing people in those areas.

Then times progressed and those houses formed the Dzimba Dzemabwe (house of stones) foundation and gave birth the council. During Munashe and Humba's time in the organisation there was a power struggle between the old members and the young members in regards on how to use captured anomalies.

Whilst Humba believed that we could use anomalies to our advantage the council and the old men refused saying that this would unbalance the natural order of these world. Five years ago that's when Humba found out that the council were using anomalies to further their own ambitions in the world and he killed the leader of house Humba and immediately took over the house and rallied support from the young members and stole anomalies from the foundation.

Munashe was still then trying to become a policeman and he figured out that Humba wanted to transport the anomalies by train and he led an attack against Humba which resulted in Humba's win and the rest of the houses going into exile."

"What were the council doing exactly?" Panashe was now sitting at the edge of the seat and his gaze focused upon the lady who had narrated a whole history he never knew existed.

"Sorry your ride is on the rooftop now. Some other time then."

Panashe stood up feeling disappointed and unfulfilled because he wanted to know the whole story and felt like the lady didn't tell him everything. As they walked out the apartment he saw a screen that displayed numerous names of deceased people but he didn't ask. His focus was now on the hunt he was about to partake in.

The airship accelerated through the night sky and Panashe felt uncomfortable being eyed by two members of the digital witches who were going to accompany him on his mission. His heart wasn't settled at all as he heard the beeping from the cockpit indicating that they were getting closer to their goal. The hatch of the airship opened as it slowed down. Panashe looked out the hatch and realised that they weren't descending.

"Why are we still up here?" He asked as he measured the drop in his mind.

"The hunter might still be around. We can't lose this airship."

The two men handed him a backpack and told him it was a parachute and how to use it. Panashe felt his heart pound against his chest everytime he looked out the hatch. His head shook vigorously as he refused to jump out from such a distance. He could jump from building to building but this didn't feel right to him at all. One of the men pushed him out of the airship as he was getting annoyed by his hesitancy to jump.