Chapter 33

The very next day Ibaeran was summoned to the king’s presence.

Once there, she gazed upon the king towering over her before being gripped tightly the fear summoned just from being in the king’s presence alone.

“You asked to see me Your Majesty” Ibaeran spoke as boldly as she could muster while bowing her heard down, trying her best to mask her immense fear.

The king then, without warning, raised one of his massive arms and the grabbed her, trapping her entire body in a tight grip before lifting her up to the height of his face.

Now that Ibaeran was so close to the king and seeing his one good eye glowing with an emerald hue, the fear she felt from within increased exponentially to the point that she began to shiver and shake uncontrollably, heart pounding from within her chest almost as though it was trying to escape the horrific monster seated on the throne before her.

The king then spoke with a voice that echoed throughout all round them, saying, “Who do you think you are girl?”

Ibaeran could sense hints of anger, rage and frustration in his voice as he spoke making her wonder what she might have done to enrage the king while also fearing for her life.

“I asked you a question. Who do you think YOU ARE!!!!” the king’s voice grew as he spoke, to the point where it was strong enough to make the ground underneath his feet shake.

“I…” Ibaeran tried to answer the question but, maybe due to the fear or the fact that she didn’t have answer to give, no words refused to escape her lips.

“I’ll tell you who you are. You are neither a warrior nor a champion; you’re just a little insignificant girl who got lucky enough to be the only one out of your insignificant and utterly pathetic race to willed a power as get as that of the Su Baera” the king then began to tighten his hold on Ibaeran, crushing her immense with ever tightening grip.

“Know this and know it well, the only reason I haven’t crushed underneath my feet like the ant you are is because I need you to retrieve the Dumo stone. You and the pathetic little power to wield as the next Su Baera are nothing when compared to me and my unrivaled power” those were the final words the leave the king’s mouth before casted her away, discarding and throwing her away like she was less than nothing.

Ibaeran crashed down hard on the down, her body scraped and bruised due to her rough her impact to the ground was as she tossed away by the king.

“Seven days, that’s all the time I’m giving to get me the Dumo stone. If you don’t procure the stone with that time, I’ll make you watch as every single one from your pathetic race is slaughtered one by one by my hand,” said the king.

Ibaeran upon hearing what the king said couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

Seven days, that was all she had, how unearth could she master the power of Su Baera, journey in to Kiri Dumo and retriever the Dumo stone within just a span of seven days, such a feat was next to impossible.

“Your majesty, please I…” Ibaeran pleas were put to an end by the king summoning his great power and then used it crush her down on to the ground.

“My word is final” the king spoke with bitterness and venom in his voice before lifting her up with his power and sending her flying out the door.

Ibaeran found herself on the floor outside the king’s throne room, her mind racing with fear pulsing through every fiber of her very being as she tried to gather her thoughts and make sense of what just happened.

Look of anger, rage and disgust from the king’s emerald eye was now burn in to her mind and even though she was no longer in the king’s presence she could still filled his emerald eye watching her with a gaze so menacing that it felt as if she was staring in to the eyes of death itself.

And then there was the power, immense and great, Ibaeran have never felt anything as great as it before, remembering used it to grab hold of her and then crash her down to the ground, remembering how it felt, like a force greater than the gravity that bound her feet to the ground, stripping her of whatever control she had over her body.

Ibaeran then recalled how scared and helpless she felt at that moment and upon doing so she felt a wave of shame and disgust wash over her as thought about despite growing so much and gaining so much power she could still be brought down so easily and even though the power she felt came from that of the king of the Uha Tamunaran’s, the most powerful Uha Tamunaran in existence, Ibaeran still felt ashamed of herself for not trying to stand her ground and resist the power used to bind her.

The fact that she did nothing but freeze up with fear while the king used his power against her felt like an insult to everything she had been through, her training, all the battles she fought and the loss she had had to endure, and that was something that did not seat quite right with Ibaeran.

Ibaeran then, summoning all the strength she could muster, got back on her feet and then looked at her palms.

Rough, stiff and hard, they had lost their smooth, soft and tender features long ago, those were the hands of a slave who lost her closest and dearest friend, a slave became a warrior and fought with everything she had to achieve something many before her had tried to achieve, now after so many long and tiring battles, those hands had made it to this point but still they tremble and shake like they were till smooth, soft and tender.

Ibaeran then sighed deeply before thoughts of how pointless it would have been to try and fight the king’s power as she had already accepted that his power was greater than hers and how daring to stand her ground when against an unstoppable force as great as the king of all Uha Tamunaran would most likely lead to her stand on the precipice of death, mere inches away from the door leading to the place of death.

Ibaeran then put her hands away, not wanting to dwell on how pathetic she was when she faced the king and instead choosing to play back the last few words he told her before sending out.

Seven days, seven days to master the overwhelming power of the Su Baera, travel to Kiri Dumo, retrieve the Dumo stone and bring it the king, seven days to do what she seemed to be impossible to Ibaeran.

She could barely summon and maintain the power of the Su Baera, how on earth was she suppose to master the within just seven days, she wasn’t even sure she could do it in thirty days.

Remembering the overwhelming power the flowed through her as she summoned the power, a power greater than anything she had ever felt before, free and pure, a power that faded away just as quickly as it appeared, just how on earth could she master such a great power within the span of seven short days.

Ibaeran just sighed before looking down at her hands.

It was an impossible task but has anything she had done so far been in the realm of possibility; she had fought in a tournament with the greatest of warriors from across the four nations and won, she claimed the power of the Su Baera and for the first time in what felt like ages, gave hope to her people, if she could do all these impossible tasks what more could doing just one more impossible task.

Ibaeran looked at hand once more with a smile forming on her face, she wasn’t entirely sure how but she was determined to do that impossible, a feat which had constantly been accomplishing since this tale began, for her people and the promise she made,

With those tough, stiff and hard hands, she would once again accomplish the impossible, not matter what it takes.

Ibaeran then made her way to the garden, once there she began to yell and scream, calling for Ton’Onama but no one replied to her calls.

After a few moments of yelling out to the vast forest like garden, Ibaeran gave up on calling out for Ton’Onama and decided to go search for him, a task which she would find frustratingly difficult as she soon found herself lost with the vast green of the garden,

“TON’ONAMA!!!!!!” Ibaeran screamed out a final time out of sheer frustration, having wondered the garden for what felt like hours but just like her earlier attempts, no one answered.

Ibaeran then grunted out of frustration as she wondered where Ton’Onama could be, that strange black fur beastly Uha Tamunaran was the only one who could help if she was to have a chance to master the power of the Su Baera within The limited time given to her by the king.

“Where unearth could he be?” Ibaeran asked herself as she desperately looked around for any trace of Ton’Onama but just like before she found nothing.

Then wondered to herself, how unearth was she going to find Ton’Onama in the thick and vast forest of the garden, she didn’t have enough time to search every nuke and cranny of the forest, she needed to find Ton’Onama as fast as she could, remembering that time was not be her side as the king’s voice hunted mind, reminding her that all she had was seven days to save her people..

Ibaeran couldn’t afford to waste any time, for her people, she needed to master the power of the Su Baera within the confines of seven short days, and to achieve this she needed Ton’Onama help.

Ibaeran just sighed deeply as she thought about how she could find Ton’Onama within the vast forest that surrounded her, then an idea then sparked in her head.

Ibaeran then turned looked down on her hands and wondered if the power of the Su Baera could aid her in finding Ton’Onama, remembering how with the power could venture in to the sky and reach the unreachable havens above it, surely if the power of the Su Baera was powerful enough do that, it could be used to find Ton’Onama, Ibaeran thought to herself.

Ibaeran then took a deep breath, not entirely sure if what she was about to do would work but it was the only way she could think of find Ton’Onama.

So, after breathing in and exhaling, Ibaeran shut her eyes and then summoned the power of the Su Baera, remembering how it felt when she did it for the first time and as she did so she felt the power flow through her entire body.

As the power followed through her, Ibaeran had a single thought in her mind, find Ton’Onama.

Ibaeran then felt as though her every essence was flowing out of her body and becoming with her surroundings and as she did so could feel everything within the forest, from flapping wings of the birds flying high up in the sky, to the insects and critters that roamed the soil down below.

Ibaeran couldn’t quite explained what she felt at that moment, it felt as though she had become one with the world around her, seeing through the air itself and feeling through the earth.

It felt strange but at very same time incredible, almost as though the world itself had become an extension of her very being.

Ibaeran wanted to amerce herself in sensation of having her every essence fuse with the world outside her body but she had to focus on find Ton’Onama, not forgetting why she there and the limited time she had to save her people from the threat of the Uha Tamunarans.

Ibaeran then, with another deep breath, focused all her senses on one thing, finding Ton’Onama.

Then, in an instant, she found him, sensing his presence not too far away from where she was.

Ibaeran then wasted no time and dashed off, moving too fast for the naked eye to comprehend, driven by the so desire to find Ton’Onama and the power of the Su Baera coursing through her veins Ibaeran ran faster than the wind itself.

It didn’t take long Ibaeran to reach Ton’Onama.

There, near a small lake Ton’Onama sat down peace next to the water looking at the bright blue sky above his head before the sounds of footsteps dashing through the forest and making their way to him caught his attention.

Ton’Onama upon hearing the footsteps couldn’t help but smile, knowing who was standing right behind but still he refused to shift his gaze from beautiful sky above his head.

“Ton’Onama” Ibaeran said with a mix of annoyance and frustration in her voice as she spoke.

Ton’Onama chuckled faintly before finally deciding to turn to see Ibaeran and acknowledge her presence.

“Ibaeran, you sure took your time” said Ton’Onama.

“Took my time…wait, did you know I was looking for you?” Ibaeran asked as she processed the words she heard come from Ton’Onama’s mouth.

“Yes, I could hear you yelling my name from a mile away” said Ton’Onama.

Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton’Onama said couldn’t help but explode with anger and rage over the fact that even though Ton’Onama was fully aware that she was looking for him, he refused to come to her.

“THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU COME WHEN I CALLED YOU!!!!!” Ibaeran yelled, releasing all her pent up frustration in her voice as she spoke.

“To test your senses, you know as the Su Baera raw strength and power isn’t the only thing you possess, you also have heighten senses so strong that you could feel a pin drop from a mountain’s peek hundreds of miles away” said Ton’Onama.

Ibaeran, then as quickly as her anger appeared, it soon faded away and was now replaced with a look of sadness, hopeless and desperation, remembering what the king and the short time span of seven days which she had to save her people.

Ton’Onama saw the look of sadness, fear and desperation in Ibaeran’s eyes and understood that something was troubling her.

“Are you okay?” asked Ton’Onama with a look of worry and concern on his face.

Ibaeran just sighed before speaking softly and with a low faint voice, almost as though she was whispering, “Seven days”.

“Seven what?” asked Ton’Onama, confused by what Ibaeran just said.

“Seven days, that’s all the time I have to save my people. If I don’t master the power of the Su Baera, travel to Dumo Kiri and retrieve the Dumo stone with the span of seven days, my people will be wiped out” said Ibaeran.

Ton’Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said; remain silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.

Seven days, that was all that fool of a king gave her, that means the king understand just how much of a threat Ibaeran was to him if she was given enough time to fully realize just how powerful she was as the Su Baera, the short time frame of seven days must be his way of maintaining his control over, fear and desperation, were always his favorite methods to ensure and maintain control, it didn’t surprise Ton’Onama in the slightest that the king would pull something like this, though it did complicate matters.

Ton’Onama’s original plan was to make Ibaeran just who she was and the power she possessed as the Su Baera, giving her the strength to do what needed to be done to save both hers and his people, within the original span of thirty days that was a possibility but now, with just seven days, the additional pressure from the short time frame would only worsen Ibaeran’s fears and make her even more desperate to save her people, turning her in to the perfect pawn for the kind to exploit for his wicked plans.

Ton’Onama just sighed, knowing how difficult of a task it would be to try and convince Ibaeran not to submit to the king and instead fight against him, to free not just her people but his as well but he still needed to try, he couldn’t let the legacy of the Su Baera end like this.

Ton’Onama then sighed deeply, thinking of only one thing that can help Ibaeran realize just who she was and the power she possessed, and if it didn’t work…he couldn’t bring himself to imagine the horrors that would be fall but Uha Tamunaran and mankind alike.

“Follow me” said Ton’Onama as he made his way to the forest.

Ibaeran, desperate and eager to save her people, followed without protesting or questioning Ton’Onama.

Ton’Onama led her deep in to the forest, to small cabin hidden away in the dense foliage of the forest like garden.

Once there Ton’Onama placed his hand on handle of the cabin’s door, taking a moment to take a deep breath in before opening the door and stepping in with Ibaeran following him in.

“What is this place?” asked Ibaeran.

“It’s the home the king gave me” said Ton’Onama.

Ibaeran then looked around, examining the interior of the cabin; it was made out of fine stone with a single small bed next the only window by the side of the wall, there was no furniture in sight, not even a small wooden stool, and the only thing apart from the bed in the cabin was a large chest.

“You live here?” asked Ibaeran, shocked that Ton’Onama lived in such a place, it almost reminded her of the slave homes her people lived it, the only difference was that the cabin seemed to have stood firmly on a strong enough foundation and there were not cracks on the walls and roofs.

“Yes, it’s not much but its home” said Ton’Onama with a deep sighed as he looked at his humble aboard.

“Come, I need to show you something” said Ton’Onama as he made his way to the chest with Ibaeran by his side.

Ton’Onama then drove one of his dark claws in to the lock of the chest, using it as a make shift key to open it up and revealing what was hidden within it.

Ton’Onama then began to ravage the chest in search of something, bring out a few items from it to make his search easier, items like a telescope, a mapping compass along with a pair of dividers, a guiding compass and a hand drawn map before finally finding what he sought for.

“Here” said Ton’Onama as he hand Ibaeran a dust old book he brought out from the chest.

“What is this” asked Ibaeran, wondering why Ton’Onama was giving her a book.

“It’s a guide, something that will help you understand the power you possess Su Baera” said Ton’Onama.

“What?” said Ibaeran in shock and confusion?

“I just told you that I have only seven days to master the power of the Su Baera and you hand me a book. You’re supposed to be training me no giving me books” said Ibaeran, her shock turning in to outrage as to how Ton’Onama would only give her a simple book instead of training her on how to master the power of the Su Baera.

“I’m sorry Su Baera but I can’t train you for there exist no master within this world or any other that can train a warrior as great as the Su Baera other than the Su Baera” said Ton’Onama.

“What on earth is that suppose to mean?” asked Ibaeran.

“It means exactly what it sounds like, I can’t train you to be the Su Baera, no one can” said Ton’Onama.

“But yesterday, you helped me summon the power of the Su Baera. I flew for the very first time because of you” said Ibaeran, remembering everything she was able to accomplish the other day thanks to Ton’Onama’s guidance.

Ton’Onama just sighed deeply before saying, “mastery over a power as great as the power of the Su Baera isn’t something that can be taught. Just like fish doesn’t need to be taught how to swim, beast doesn’t need to be taught how to devour flesh, and I and you didn’t need to be taught how to breathe. It is something innate within each and every Su Baera from the moment the steel wing bestowed them with its power and as for what I did yesterday, just told you to do something you already knew how to”.

Ibaeran then looked Ton’Onama, hearing him speak about the power of Su Baera so passionately and intimately, without an ounce of uncertainty in his, speaking a truth she could not bring herself to deny.

“How do you know so much about the Su Baera, you speak as though you know just who the Su Baera is?” asked Ibaeran.

“That’s because I do, at least I knew a Su Baera” said Ton’Onama before he reached in to the chest and brought out a small faded black and white picture and then handed it over to Ibaeran.

Ibaeran’s eyes widened with complete and utter shock, unable to believe what eyes were beholding as she laid her gaze at picture on her hands.

“I still remembered when that picture was taken even though I was merely a child back then” said Ton’Onama as Ibaeran still examined the picture.

In it was a young Ton’Onama seated on the shoulders of a large, tall and muscular man who stood near a woman with skin as green as the forest itself, and then finally, standing in between the muscular man and green skinned woman was none other than the former Su Baera, the one who came before Ibaeran and fell to the king and his army.

Ton’Onama then went to Ibaeran’s side with her still holding the picture shocked look on her face.

“My father, prince Sothorgo, a strong and mighty man who was strong enough to shake and rumble the havens themselves” Ton’Onama spoke as he pointed at the muscular man.

“My aunt, Princess Akira’Oflorak, she appreciated life in every form especial the green beauty of the life that emerged down from the soil” said Ton’Onama while pointing at the green skinned woman.

“And finally, the Su Baera or as I knew him as uncle Menjikiri” said Ton’Onama as pointed at the picture of the Su Baera.

“We were a family once. I still remember it like was yesterday. It was my birthday and to celebrate it uncle Menji decided to treat me by taking me along with my aunt and uncle on a journey around the four nations. It was a fun trip, I got to see and experience so many things that day, I saw the beauty of your world and even the wonderful and amazing things your people built, from ships that cruised across the bright blue skies, a simple small box that, with nothing more than just a flash of light, capture, forever, such a beautiful memory” said Ton’Onama.

“How is this possible?” Ibaeran managed to speak, still visible shocked at the news that Ton’Onama not only knew the former Su Baera but was raised by him along with his aunt and father.

“Who are you?” Ibaeran asked, wanting to know now more than ever just who Ton’Onama was.

Ton’Onama simply sighed, knowing that he had no choice but to reveal his true identity to Ibaeran, an identity he detested for its relation to the king but still it was his.

“My name is Prince Tonja’Ofurinama, son Sothorgo and grandson of the late king Aniye’Boa” said Ton’Onama.

“Prince? But that would mean…” Ibaeran could not even bring herself to finish her sentence before it began to dawn on her that the rumors, she had heard about him and the king being related by blood being true as he was son of Sothorgo making a prince born of the royal bloodline of the Uha Tamunarans.

Ton’Onama just said before saying, “Yes, I and the king share blood, but it is not a fact I am proud of. He’s my uncle, the first born of Aniye’Boa”.

“If that’s the case, then is it true that the king had his sibling slaughtered just to secure his place on the throne?” asked Ibaeran.

Ton’Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said bowed his head, feeling a tremendous way of pain and sadness wash over him as her question made him recall the death of his father that still weigh heavily on his heart still that very day.

Ibaeran upon seeing the look of sadness on Ton’Onama’s face couldn’t help but feel guilty for the question she had asked, understanding the pain of loss well and ashamed of herself for not consider that she might be inflicting that kind of pain to Ton’Onama when she asked about his father’s passing and the king’s involvement in it.

Ibaeran, bowing her head down in shame and guilt was about to apologize to Ton’Onama for her intriguing in to a topic that didn’t concern her but before she could open her mouth to speak, she was stopped by Ton’Onama saying with his voice sunk and heavy, “The king was not directly responsible for my father’s death but he played a crucial death in it”.

Ibaeran could feel the pain and hurt coming from Ton’Onama’s voice as he spoke and upon looking down, she found his fist clinched tightly and shaking as the pain and sorrow he tried to contain within himself began to slowly sip.

“I never knew my own mother because of that monster, I wasn’t raised in with my kind, and I had to watch the only family I knew slowly tear apart because of him” Ton’Onama spoke with venom and bitterness in his heart, recalling everything he was denied and all he had lost all because of that monster the Uha Tamunarans bow down to and call their king.

Ibaeran just stood there with look of shock on her face upon hearing everything Ton’Onama said, seeing the pain behind his eyes and fury that laid within his heart, hungering for vengeance.

“Is this why you want me fight against the king because he wronged you?” asked Ibaeran, finally understanding why Ton’Onama expressed only hatred and disgust for the king, he was angry because of everything the king had done to him and his family and just wanted him to for everything he had done to him.

“That monster did much more than just wrong me, he took everything away from me, my home, my family, the peaceful life I lived as a child, all burnt down in ruins because of him. And as if that wasn’t enough, he sentenced me to a fate where I had to live knowing that that monster still lives” said Ton’Onama, speaking with only the pure malice he had for the king.

“Is that why you wanted to train me so badly, so I could make the king pay for everything he had done to you? Tell me, did truly believe that I had a chance to be as great as the Su Baera that came before me or did you only wanted me to believe so that I could so I could fight for your vengeance” Ibaeran spoke with tears slowly streaming down from her eyes.

Ton’Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said realize what he had done, exposing the truest depths of his anger and hatred for the king and making Ibaeran question his intentions for having an interest towards her in wanting to training and help understand just who she was as the Su Baera.

“Ibaeran I…it’s not like that” Ton’Onama was lost for words, not knowing what to say to Ibaeran to assure her of his intention.

“Then tell me honestly, did you want me as the Su Baera, to go against the king and put an end to his reign just so you could get your revenge for what he did to you or did you do it for your people” asked Ibaeran.

Ton’Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said remained as he contemplated her words and his true intention on wanting to help her know her place as the Su Baera, he couldn’t lie to himself and had to accept that fact that inherently within him there existed a form of selfishness within that prevented him from letting go of his pain over the loss of the only family he knew to king Datubo, and he would be lying if he was to look Ibaeran in the eye and tell her his selfish desire to see the king suffer and lose everything just like he did was not part of the reason he wanted to help her.

Ibaeran looked at Ton’Onama and his hesitation to speak, taking it as confirmation of what she believed, he didn’t really care about her fate and the fate of her people, no, the true driving force behind him wanting to help was for revenge.

Ibaeran then looked at the book Ton’Onama gave her and then looked back at him, with the feeling of betrayal, anger and disgust as her gaze met his.

She then threw the book at him which he caught with shocked expression on his face.

“I’ll find my own way of mastering these powers and save my people. I’m not willing to gamble my life or the life of my people fight for your revenge” said Ibaeran before turning her back to Ton’Onama and walking away, leaving Ton’Onama alone in the cabin to think about everything that had just happened.

Ton’Onama then looked down at the book on his hand, thinking about his beloved uncle and everything he stood for as the Su Baera before raising his head up to look at the open down which Ibaeran, the one who currently held the power shake both the havens and earth and the only hope for the legacy she and his uncle was a part of.

Ton’Onama could only sigh deeply, hoping that his actions had not caused the annihilation of the great legacy of hope, that gave the people of the world faith of better days to come, a legacy they, both Uha Tamunarans and human alike needed at this moment, may this not be the end of the Su Baera.