Chapter 22: Four Years Ago

The cries and shouting of men in the battle field had died down. Mhare got curious and decided to go out and check what was going on. The Princess tried to persuade him to stay again but this time he refused. He wanted to know what was going.

When he got out of the cave, he could see that people were gathered at the king's compound and they were staring at something. So he walked towards the compound and when he approached it, the people there did not notice him.

He walked and stood beside the king. He looked and below them was Mutapa sitting on a rock. Animals sat around him and he kept playing with his horn.

"What is he doing?" Mhare asked.

The king was surprised for a moment to see Mhare standing with them and he responded by saying, "He is just sitting there. He attacked the other kingdoms but not us."

"Maybe it's a good sign. Maybe he finally wants to talk," one of the warriors said.

"No, he's absolutely up to something. He chased away the others and left us alone here. I think he wants to destroy us," Muchenjeri said.

"Go and tell the women to stay hidden in the caves until we deal with this man," Changamire Zama said.

A young warrior began running towards the caves to do as the king had said. "This doesn't look good," Muchenjeri said.

"Are there archers here?" Mhare asked and a they came forward. He looked at them and said, "Cover us. Do not hesitate to shoot him down if he dares to attack us."

Mutapa was within the archers' range but the king didn't not order an attack because their army was tired and they had been decimated. Him not commanding his animals to attack was a good sign for them.

Mhare took a spear and club as he began walking. The king took a shield and a short spear whilst Muchenjeri chose an axe and a club. The three of them walked with the king in the middle as they slowly approached Mutapa and his animals.

Everyone watched as they stood a few feet from him. Mutapa looked angry and tense. "There are two things which define your kingdom very well...violence and murder. You are so good I am not surprised you managed to hold back three kingdoms," said Mutapa.

"You tend to see the crack in our plaster when you fail to notice the crack in your wall. You are no exception in all this," Changamire Zama responded.

"The Bantu people...you are so provocative. You don't know your limits. You are so full of yourselves and you take pride in killing people," Mutapa said.

"We take pride in defending our kingdom from its foes. Unlike you, we don't kill innocent people. What do you want?" The king asked.

Mutapa looked at Mhare and said, "You defiled my home."

"You defiled the king's place when you killed two innocent maidens," Mhare responded.

Mutapa chuckled and said, "The brave one. What I am going to do your kingdom is far worse than what you imagined."

"The man who beats a child without explaining his fault will have that child as his adversary. Speak," Changamire Zama said.

"Four years ago you killed the one person I had in my life...Murape-the greater healer in this kingdom. I watched as your men spilt his blood. Not only did you kill my father, but you killed all sangomas and agreed to a new religion which our ancestors never recognized. You let the Portuguese traders influence you to shun our ancestors and turn towards a new religion. In the process you spilt innocent blood. Now the child knows why the father disciplined him," Mutapa explained.

"You are just like your father-a rebel who plotted against the king. He wanted to become king. I am afraid I have to refresh your memory but that is a capital offense," Muchenjeri said.

"All my father did was try to restore our tradition, culture and way of life. But all you saw was a rebel and a traitor. His blood was shed because you are a kingdom that is blood thirsty," Mutapa said.

"If your father knew his place, he would be alive today. No one was forced to turn towards the religion of the traders. Murape took the matter into his hands, took all the sangomas in all four kingdoms and staged a rebellion. Look at yourself, he wanted to become what you are," Changamire Zama responded.

"Four years ago I was just a small boy named Kanga. There was no courage in me. But before he died, my father taught me that following our tradition would give me life. Look at me now," Mutapa said.

"You are a loner. And you are a beast just like your companions who surround you as we speak. In the end I still see a small boy without courage hiding behind animals," Mhare said.

"You are all stubborn. You entered my dwelling place and burnt down all of my sacred belongings. Now that is a capital offense, one which will cost the lives of everyone in this kingdom," Mutapa responded.

"A real man fights with his own hands," Changamire Zama said.

"You once called me a coward because I visited your kingdom at night. But the days of fighting in the dark are over. There comes an appointed day when I will come in from the east in the morning and I will fight your army in broad day light. I am going to teach you something that your grandchildren and many generations after them talk about," Mutapa said.

"The Bantu will be remembered as the nation which brought down an evil boy hiding behind the tails of animals. And our grandchildren will gladly talk about how you were skinned alive and later burnt with fire," Changamire Zama said.

Mutapa stood up and said, "Ten days...begin counting. I will come from the east and blow my horn. Prepare yourselves."

Mutapa began walking away with his animals and then he stopped. He looked back and said, "I almost forgot. I will bring a larger army than this. Go and spend your last days with your wives."

After this, he simply walked away as everyone watched. "We have to attack him in his layer. Mhare, take us there and let us finish him once and for all," Muchenjeri said.

"I destroyed everything he had in those caves. I am sure he won't be staying there, he knows he is exposed," Mhare responded.

"Let him come. We are safe in our kingdom than out there. He will find his death waiting for him here," Changamire Zama said.

"What we waiting for then? We have to prepare for war. This time he is going down," Mhare said as they began walking towards the king's compound.

Princess Ruva and the others were finally freed from the caves. When she looked at the kingdom, it was ugly. Smoke rose everywhere and dead bodies of warriors from all sides lay in their kingdom.

Several men were injured and needed assistance. All the women began helping the injured whilst the others began mourning their dead husbands and relatives.

The Bantu army had been reduced into half and a lot of them were seriously injured that it could take more than ten days for them to heal.

The king ordered everyone to dwell in the northern caves because he feared the return of the three kingdoms again. Food was gathered and stored in the mountains.

Gora went straight to Mutapa's cave and sat there as he waited for his return. He sat inside the eastern cave. Mutapa arrived the following day in the afternoon.

He entered the cave and stopped when he saw Gora sitting there. "I knew I would find you here. I know you dream of becoming the owner of this mountain. But my father once told me that two roosters cannot stay together unless the other dies. The question is which rooster are you going to be?"

"Old roosters usually get killed by the young ones. Even if the young one loses, his impact will always be felt," Gora responded.

"She fooled you. There's only one Mutapa and he will reign until he dies. You are merely a Bantu man seeking power in the wrong circles...a betrayer of his own people. Today, I am going to deliver you head to her," Mutapa said.