Chapter 31

Ibaeran made her way back to the garden; descend down elegantly to the grass covered garden floor.

Ibaeran then sat on the garden’s floor; her back leaned against a tree before she began to slowly drift away in deep thought, thinking about the power she now possessed and everything she could do with it with flashing back brief moment not so long ago, where she was tempted to use her power against the Uha Tamunarans that had oppressed and tormented her people for so long.

Remembering how she wanted to make that pay and use the power of the Su Baera to inflict just as much pain to them as they did her people, a wicked deemed she would have gone through with if she hadn’t stopped herself at the last minute.

Ibaeran upon remembering her brief moment of temptation, where she was willing to 0use her power as make all the Uha Tamunaran who had made her people suffer to endure the same level of pain and torment as her people, she began to feel fear the power of the Su Baera, fearing that it may turn her in to the same kind of monsters the Uha Tamunarans that enslaved her people were.

“There you are, I was wondering when you would finally come down” a familiar voice brought Ibaeran out of her train of deep thought.

Ibaeran then turned her head to the direction the voice was coming from and found none other than Ton’Onama standing not too far away from her.

“Oh, it’s just you” Ibaeran spoke with a soft and tender voice before turning away from the black fur covered Uha Tamunaran.

Ton’Onama upon hearing the way Ibaeran spoke could tell that something was troubling her and so he went and sat down on the grassy garden floor next to her.

“What wrong Ibaeran?” asked Ton’Onama with worry and concern emanating from his voice as he spoke?

“I…” Ibaeran stopped herself, unsure if she should reveal her fears to the strange Uha Tamunaran.

Ton’Onama upon seeing her hesitation just sighed before saying, “I know you don’t fully trust me Ibaeran and I can’t blame, my race did enslave your people after all. It must not be easy for you being in the mist of the very people that has inflicted nothing but torment, pain and misery your kind and for that I’m truly sorry. But please understand that I’m not an enemy, I do not seek to harm or use Ibaeran, I simply want to help you but I can’t do that if you don’t trust me”.

Ibaeran upon hearing everything Ton’Onama said couldn’t help feel a sense of sincerity in his voice as she spoke, enough to make her, against her better judgment, trust and be willing to upon up to him.

“I’m scared” said Ibaeran softly.

Ton’Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said just sighed before saying, “fear is a normal thing especially for someone like the Su Baera who is staked with the overwhelming responsibility of protecting the world”.

“No, I mean I am scared of failing my people and dooming them all to be slaughtered but that’s not what I fear right now” said Ibaeran.

Ton’Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said became intrigued and curious to know what could frighten Ibaeran much more than the fear of failing to protect her people.

“Is it that foolish man with the title of king then?” asked Ton’Onama wondering if the king was the source of all her fear.

“No” said Ibaeran softly as she thought about how the fear was feeling right now had nothing to do with the king and in some ways was even greater than her fear for the frightening king of all Uha Tamunarans.

“Then what is it?” asked Ton’Onama wanting what could possibly frighten Ibaeran if not the king or the fear of failure.

“The power I now possess” said Ibaeran shocking greatly Ton’Onama as he began to wonder why Ibaeran would fear her very on power.

“Why are you scared of your own power” asked Ton’Onama.

Ibaeran then sighed before answering, “When I flew high up, above the clouds and pass the sky’s peak I saw the world differently, the massive nation, people and even the Uha Tamunarans all seemed so small, like ants on the ground underneath my feet and then I got closer to the nation was reminded of how I suffered and how my people are still suffering in the hands of the Uha Tamunarans. Seeing my people in the miserable state they were in, watching them from high up in the sky I felt something I’ve never felt before, disgust and unrivaled rage enough to make me want to use the power of the Su Baera to make the Uha Tamunarans suffer just like they made my people suffer”.

As Ibaeran spoke Ton’Onama noticed the small droplets of tears forming in the eyes before they slowly made there was down her cheeks to the grassy ground below and upon seeing that he was able to understand the pain having to see her people suffer brought to her.

“I wanted to, I could have and I part of me still wants to…” Ibaeran sentence was cut short by Ton’Onama saying, “But you chose not”.

Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton’Onama looked at her hands before saying, “This power is terrifying, I was so close to forsaking my humanity and becoming just as bad as the Uha Tamunarans that constantly oppress and torment my people”.

“But you chose not to and maintained your pure and innocent heart. Most people think that power alone is what makes a person a Su Baera, the strength to level entire mountains with a single blow, power great enough to shake and crack upon the earth, are all one needs to be warrior as great as they Su Baera but they are wrong. The Su Baera is a warrior of power but of peace, and to be that one has to understand and recognize the dangers of having power as great as the Su Baer. As what can protect can just as easily destroy” said Ton’Onama.

Ibaeran what Ton’Onama said just sighed before saying, “I know my decision restrain myself was right but at the same time when I think about what everything my people have had to face in the hands of those mon…”.

Ibaeran stopped herself from completing her sentence upon remembering that she was currently talking to an Uha Tamunaran only to be taken aback by Ton’Onama completing it by saying, “Monster”.

Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton’Onama said just sighed before speaking softly, “Yeah, monsters”.

Ton’Onama then took a deep breath before saying, “You know there was a time when the idea of the Uha Tamunarans conquering the nations of man was an absurd one”.

“Really?” said Ibaeran, shocked to hear that there was a time Uha Tamunaran the think about conquering and enslaving her people.

“Yes, although it was very long time ago before the tyrant known as Datubo became king of the Uha Tamunarans. Don’t get me wrong; the Uha Tamunarans weren’t that peaceful, some may even say they were barbaric people who believed that might equaled right and the value of a person was solely determined by their level of power. Plus, there was always a Su Baera there to keep them in line in case they had and funny ideas” said Ton’Onama.

“From the way you put it, it doesn’t sound like much really changed apart from them not wanting to conquering the four nations, the Uha Tamunarans still value power above all else, isn’t that why the Uha Tamunarans follow Datubo as there king” said Ibaeran.

“You’re not entirely wrong, the Uha Tamunarans of now and then are still pretty similar in many ways but there’s one notable difference between them. And that was, despite the fact that the Uha Tamunarans of old valued power; they valued their own kind even more. Uha Tamunarans with more power may have been higher in status to that of an Uha Tamunaran with lower power but the Uha Tamunaran with a lower power would still be entitled to his rights and dignity as an Uha Tamunaran, albeit, not with as much privilege as the Uha Tamunaran with higher power. In summary, no matter how powerful or weak you were as an Uha Tamunaran, you were still valued among other Uha Tamunarans as one of their own but now thanks to the mad man the Uha Tamunarans call their king any Uha Tamunaran with power the king doesn’t deem useful has no value are deemed as worthless. Datubo was the one who wanted to enslave your people and not the Uha Tamunarans and whatever monster you perceive all Uha Tamunarans to be was created by Datubo and was not the will of any Uha Tamunaran” said Ton’Onama.

“Why are you telling me all this?” asked Ibaeran wondering what Ton’Onama was telling her some much about the Uha Tamunarans.

“To help understand that Uha Tamunarans aren’t the monsters you perceive them to be. They, just like your people, are slaves, subject to a cruel dictator who values power above all else. In fact, if most of them had the choice in the matter I doubt they would have any interest in enslaving your people” said Ton’Onama.

Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton’Onama said just sighed before getting back up and saying, “The Uha Tamunarans aren’t my concern right now, my people are, and to save them I have to master the power of the Su Baera as soon as possible”.

Ton’Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said sighed softly before nodding his head with disappointment and then getting up.

“Fine, follow me” said Ton’Onama as made his way deeper in to the garden with Ibaeran following him.

As Ibaeran walked alongside Ton’Onama she couldn’t help but think about everything she said about the Uha Tamunaran and how they used to value their own over the level of power they possessed, she then remembered the Uha Tamunarans she saw in Kiripapaboa, remembering how the Uha Tamunarans their seemed just as hopeless if not more hopeless than her very own people.

Ibaeran just sighed unable to believe that at that very moment she was beginning to feel pity for Uha Tamunarans with a part of her even wishing she could help them in some way.

A part of her contemplated about using her powers as a Su Baera against the king but as they quickly as that thought came to her mind they quickly disappeared upon remembering the immense power the king possessed.

Ibaeran just sighed, not wanting anymore and just wanted to focus solely on her mission to save her people.

“Are you okay?” asked Ton’Onama upon noticing that Ibaeran was lost in her train of thought.

“I’m fine” said Ibaeran, snapping out of her train of thought and back in to reality.

Ton’Onama didn’t really think much of it and simply continued to lead the way through the garden.

Ibaeran then began to think about Ton’Onama and how he was different from the other Uha Tamunarans she had met, he more open and not afraid to speak his mind about the king when every other Uha Tamunaran was too scared to even utter his name.

She then thought about how she once believed the Uha Tamunarans were nothing more than heartless monsters that enjoyed tormenting and torturing her people but now perception of them had completely changed from them of monsters to that of people under the rule of a man who was much more deserving of the title monster.

Ibaeran then sighed deeply before thinking about how, for better or worse, the way she the Uha Tamunarans had changed and whatever form of hatred and fear she had for them turned to pity and a little bit of sympathy as began to realize that both her people and the Uha Tamunarans were slaves of the same cruel king, forced to bend to his will or be crashed by his overwhelming power.

This realization made Ibaeran feel a sense of disgust towards the king to the point where she was even considering going against him and actually fighting but she stopped herself, remembering that it wasn’t her life on the line but the lives of every single human being within the four nations, not believing she was strong enough to go against the king directly without being crushed by his overwhelming power and dooming the lives of her people in the process.

Following the king’s orders was the only way, at least in her mind, to secure her people’s lives.