Chapter 12.

Kamaria's POV.

I left him mourning the dead in the forest. I wanted no part in whatever he was doing. The sword was still in my belt. I would touch it now and then. There was still some confusion within me surrounding the existence of this sword. Ade used it to kill witches, he said. He drove that into my guts, and I did not die... Any other human would have died but I did not. Instead, I healed right after that. However, it sent me somewhere worse than death. Somewhere I did not think even a human would want to go. It was freezing and dark.

This is who you are... Death.

Ade's last words were stuck in my head and on constant replay. I was never the type to care about what others thought of me particularly strangers but his words had managed to leave a small scar in my heart. I rode away from him, from this place.

The horse galloped like its life depended on it yet it was not fast enough to ride me away from my thoughts. The wind was right behind us, almost giving us a push. I leaned forward, tightening my grip around the lead rope. The horse's mane was carried into the air, tickling my chin. There was suddenly less grass, more flowers, and more people on the road. Loud noises, and houses.

The bleak landscape transformed into lush greenery. The rough-hewn mountains around the Imanu Kingdom soared into the sky, green grass clothed the mountains from head to toes. A divine bloom of flowers were present alongside the tarred road leading to the heart of the Imanu Kingdom. My Kingdom.

I pulled on the lead rope, the horse obeyed, and gradually started slowing down. I leaned back as the horse began trotting. I had reached my Kingdom.

I had pictured this road full of marching clanmates, and with their head or torso painted to celebrate the victory of our warriors. A large variety of traditional dishes would have been served in celebration. Vuvuzelas would be blown to signify the arrival of the army. Chants would be carried away by the air. Smiling, happy faces would be worn by my people... A greater celebration would be on the run at this moment, right now, which would have lasted for decades. The return of our long lost king. Papa Imanu. My papa.

A sharp pain seared through my chest, making me numb. I left my kingdom as a mighty warrior. I was coming back like an imposter. Unknown. I did not have the strength to show my face. A scarf was wrapped around my head. My attire had changed into this loosely fitting pants and shirt. The only thing I knew how to wear properly was my war attire and my warrior uniform. I had it on at all times. It was my identity. Taking it off for the very first time, after eleven years felt like I was leaving a piece of me away.

The agony in the eyes of the people I saw on the street pained me. The children did not play around the well anymore. They were not children anymore, they became precocious. The parks were empty and it worried me. The searing pain across my chest kept getting sharper with everything I noticed. Every adult I saw had hardened faces, almost like they were stressed... Unhappy. Everything that I saw contradicted the things that used to be here. The so sweet air of my kingdom became tensed, holding in hostility.

A hissing sound came from behind me. My body tensed, I thought it would stop but it continued. I stopped the horse, tilting my head to the side slightly. I saw an elderly man, standing by the aid of his walking steak. Every being in me wanted to smile at him, and offer him a ride home. Elders were highly respected in our kingdom. Their wisdom was of high value, making sure they were safe, resting, and healthy was the responsibility of our youth.

"Get off your horse, young lady. They will-"

"I told you to get back home, the curfew is almost up!" A woman around her thirties I presumed came running towards the old man. I could tell they knew each other, she grabbed his hand and he did not protest. Instead, he allowed her to lead him away.

"I was helping her." He said, looking back at me. The woman did not spare me a glance. She walked him off as quickly as she could.

Our people were always welcoming and careful of the people entering our kingdom. It was unusual for them to pass someone who was dressed like me without any questioning. I thought it would have been harder than this. Loud chatters exploded into the air. I looked in the direction of the noise... Guards.

They were dressed uniformly, but different. It was not the black, dark blue attire with the lion's head drawn on the chest... The lion drawing was replaced by a sword cutting through a snake's head. That was not only it, the guards were pushing our people away. Telling them to get home, behind them there were kids... Kids holding machetes with their forehead painted with war signs. Their bare chest already had scarifications indicating that they were already initiated into the army. They were preparing for a war, but I did not understand why kids so young were being trained. I started training at the age of six, after my dad was taken away but I was not officially part of the army.

That was not all. Two kids were holding either end of the Lokole, a traditional slit drum made of hollow wood. Another boy held two sticks which he used to strike the Lokole. The throbbing sound awakened voices in my head. My body became a bit unsettled. I touched my head with my other hand while the other hand held onto the lead rope. I needed to get out of here, without the horse. Taking it with me would catch people's attention. I could not let this army and their horses to gallop towards me. I got off the horse, before leaving, I took in the disturbing scene for the last time. The engraved symbols on the slit drums caught me off guard. I knew I saw it somewhere. I had seen this before... The sword. The drawings were similar to the one of the sword.

What sorcery was this?

The voices in my head got stronger as the troop with their drums got closer. I had to find another way into the palace.

* * *

The security was tight.

I breathed in and out loudly, the kingdom was incomprehensively quiet. Dead quiet. Almost like they could hear my breathing. Even the crickets' sounds were gone. Darkness had taken over the kingdom, the moon was the only thing leading my path. Guards were in every single street I had passed. The security got tighter. I knew I could not go on. Finding a safe spot to spend the night would be a wise decision. The question was, where to spend the night. My people had become hostile. They would not even spare a drop of water for strangers. Suddenly they would not even share food with their neighbors. That was unbelievable yet real. Something had happened. For some unknown reason, I felt the need to hide. I was the princess. I needed not to hide yet everything in me screamed for me to stay away, in the dark. I stayed hidden on a tree. The branched and leaves kept me out of sight.

Something was wrong.

These guards patrolled in the dark with no torch, no fire, nothing to lead their way. They did not walk in the moonlight. My eyelid got heavier with time. It was such bad timing because the road seemed to be cleared. There was a long time that had passed without no one patrolling the place.

"Come down, Kami." My eyes widened, I froze on the spot before looking down slowly. Her face was wrinkled with aging. Her hair was grey with small strokes of white hair scattered across her head. She was short with an arch back. She was looking up at me. Shani. The woman who had made the bracelet for me. She was banished from our Kingdom.

"They are gone." I scanned the place with my eyes.

"How did I know you are not tricking me?" I looked back at her. She smiled.

"Why are you hiding, Kami. Is there something you are hiding or running from?" All I could remember was the sword turning into a ball of blue electric light, the burnt corpse.

This is who you are... Death.

I got off the trees. Immediately as I landed, I pulled out the sword and pointed it at her.

"Don't shout," I threatened. Shani smiled again, looking at my wrist.

"You still have the bracelet, we have to run from here." She turned away.