IT WAS EARLY in the morning, at the dawn of a new year. The Nubians called this the year of the buffalo— the year of firmness.
In Uzi’s household, it was the final year of the girls’ training with the masters at the Temple. Zinzi was always the first to rise. Her eyes, still full of sleep. Her purple hair was bound together with palm strings and her skin washed well. She was very beautiful, but always second in fairness to Benu.
Their father had waited until they were all at an age fit for them to start the Kazai together. Otherwise, Zinzi, who was the eldest, wo- uld have attained her levels first.
She sat alone at the cooking place, preparing a meal for the family. Sheba often rose second and helped with arranging their materials for their day, but today she was late.
Zinzi did not want to wake her. She instead chose to grudgingly do everything by herself, grumbling internally and complaining about how the firstborn had to take care of everyone’s messes, forgetting her usually unmade bed that Sheba often spread.
As Zinzi skimmed milk into smaller vessels, she heard a knock. S- he listened again, just to be sure. It could have just been someone turning in their bed. Just as she resumed skimming, another knock followed, and this time it was very distinct. It came from across the corridor. Whoever it was, was getting impatient.
“I heard you!” She answered, as more knocks followed.
‘Who would be knocking on the door at this time?’
She held the wooden panel that locked the door.
“IMO-A-KHA” –It swung open.
A serious-faced man about her height stood with a chubby body, covered in a thick cloak. He held a letter tightly under his left arm; and on his right, a shawl.
“Your mother’s presence is required today at the council meeting, by our Lord, Ovu.”
“It is courteous to at least greet the lady of the house, before ordering at her you know!”
“You are not the lady of the house, and young girl, you are barely a distinguished apprentice of the Kazai…”
The man relented, however,
“Greetings, this fine morning, Zinzi.
“That’s better! It is a fine morning Tule. Mother is not awake yet, but I will let her know.”
“Well, she must not be late. I will be on my way now, as my night is done. Enjoy your day.” He handed her the letter, walking away in the direction of the beams of light escaping Beruel’s hold. He lifted his shawl and laid it on his head as he disappeared in a distance. Zinzi then closed the door, only to find Sheba skimming the milk that was left.
“Ah! You let me do all the work while you were sleeping, and now you want to skim the milk?”
“Salaam, Sister. Your stubbornness will get you someday…”
“It is good you are awake! Go tell Mother that she has to start preparing herself. There is a meeting she has to attend today and from what Tule said, it’s a serious one.”
Zinzi laid the letter on the shelf, quickly moving to take back the milk jar. Displeased, Sheba took the letter going ahead to the back, where their mother slept. She did not enter, but stood at the entrance of the room and called out gently,
“Mother, there is a letter for you. The Lord Ovu requires your presence at the council meeting today.”
There was no reply. She assumed that Erea was still asleep and cal- led to her again.
“I heard you, Sheba. I am already awake,” she came in a croaky voice.
This was a very common response especially when Erea was not willing to step on the cold ceramic floor. Sheba went in and gave her the letter. Immediately Erea saw what it said, she jumped out of bed and into a frenzy.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“It just arrived Mother.”
“Well, then it did not come early enough. At this time, I will most likely be late!”
“Well, you’re in luck! We just learned how to take flight at the Kazai…”
“…what did they teach you to use?” Erea asked as she went thro- ugh her clothes.
“…Water!” Sheba was confident.
“Oh child, there is so much for you to learn.
We don’t have enough water here for that.”
“Go help your sister, and wake Benu. You will have to go early today. I will wake your father, okay?” Something about that letter bo- thered Erea. Sheba just hoped that it would be well thereafter.
Sometime later, as was custom,  Uzi took the first step out of their dwelling, a house made of stone and palm leaf thatch, with proper wooden strutting. Uzi had built it with his own hands. The family was well placed in the upper social class among the Nubians, and they lived with the well up members of their region. It was expected as their mother was a member of the Council of the BON MENDA.
(The lost horse had been replaced and so Erea rode to the heart of the city.)
Uzi headed for the temple with the girls, who followed behind him to their Kazai classes.

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On arrival, Erea was met by the two men who normally sat on either hand of Ovu: Juba and Adis. They greeted her and helped her off her horse. They proceeded to the meeting at the Citadel. As the large polished doors opened, a silent gaze met her. All eleven members sat in their places, and right at the front, was Ovu. Erea was ushered to her place. She anticipated a scolding, especially from the strict and bl- unt Ovu, but he didn’t even bulge. It was not a normal thing for me- etings to be this quiet, and this added to her worry.
After the long silence, Ovu finally spoke:
“I have called you here today because there are matters close to the heart of this Council that we must address. These that grieve me– Firstly, the people’s complaints have reached me regarding their desire to see a change in the leadership of specific regions. I have thought about it and I have decided to expand this council, and have more positions for other gifted Nubians. They will undergo various levels of scrutiny from this council and then once they have passed, they can sit with us- even taking the place of leaders who have reached their age threshold or that are unable to fulfil their duties.”
“Secondly, the guards have noticed new activity in the deserts outside our gates. Men from the outer lands have wandered into our territory, poisoned with an inferior form of spell that made them go mad. It is very peculiar, knowing that this is not the first time one of them has come through these deserts. Now with that said, it brings me to my last concern…”
He had not moved his right index finger from his temple all the while, his eyes fixated on the doors. Then suddenly, like he finally noticed the people in his presence, he turned.
“…A few years ago, a warrior came here seeking our help. We declined his request, and he left without any of our assistance, supposedly. That very evening, I was alerted by the men at the gates that he was never seen passing by there, and then a few days later, still, there was no sight of him. Soon after, the BON MENDA in the temple was discovered to have a piece shattered from it, and this was not from a fall, as it was still intact as I left it on the day of its co- mmissioning. I tend to believe that it is no coincidence that now the powers that only existed here are manifesting in the outside world…”
He leaned forward from his rest, his eyes widening.
“Only the members of this council were made aware of the business we had with the man. You all took an oath, same as the guards–to not speak of it. I have questioned each gatekeeper, every Priest–yet none can explain these happenings. I am then convinced that there had to be someone with enough power to see past all of the people involved and successfully aid him, and they are sitting with us in this meeting right now. Exceptional in their gifting, yet cunning enough to defy me and the honour of the BON MENDA!”
As the echoes of those words settled, none spoke a word. They sat with heads hanging low in fear. It was now evident: the stone found a place in Ovu and seemingly, he was slowly likening to Kek.
“I will not ask you to step forward, nor will I force you out. You all have until midnight to surrender yourselves. Go and be with your families. Prepare them if you must. Once time is up, guards will come to your homes and if a confession is made from the very oath you took, then you and your family will be arrested and readied for the gallows. Take this as an extension of my grace to you for having served under me. I will not ask for your advice today. If escaping comes to mind, the mistake of leaving any ‘secret’ passages unguarded shall not be repeated!”
His eyes settled uneasily on each member, and a hasty glance fr- om their cold stare was enough for anyone who left the meeting that day to know that the cruelty of the death arranged was unheard of.
Erea was shaken!
Her empathy was going to cost her dearly. She rode away on her horse, not speaking to anyone. She did not head home. She knew this day would come, and had the repercussions thought through. There was one place she had found at the farthest Eastern edge, an island in the seas of reeds. It was a half day’s journey on a horse and she had thought it wise that she and her family would use it for their escape to Arabia, away from the reach of Ovu. However, there would not be enough time to get everyone there, unless they all left with her at that very moment.
As she rode through the streets leading to the Temple, she noticed a shadowy figure following in every turn she made. The Temple was surrounded by a crowd of merchants, who during this time of the year mainly sold animals that could be used for sacrifices. It was a very busy day there, as people went to offer good fortune sacrifices. This also meant that her husband, Uzi, being a prophet of Kek, would be swarmed with many plea seekers and fortuners.
There was a small stall there that Erea had rented a few years back. She paid a hefty sum of 200 gold domios for it to be left vacant for her use, and the day had come. She narrowly escaped the figure and speeded into the branch where the stall was. She left the horse there and took the rest of the terrain on foot. A thick queue trickled from the temple doors down to the markets. She rushed up the stairs and being one of Ovu’s council, the doorkeepers let her in indefinitely. Her husband was not among the three prophets standing at the end of the queue, but she knew where he could be found.
Behind the large curtains that hid the insides of the temple, were several doors. One led to the Kazai, the place where children would be trained in their giftings; another led to the quarters where the priests and other sacred servants of Kek would reside. She took the one on the left, passing a group of Kazai masters swiftly, and with little in mind of her, they did not stutter from their heated conversation.
She remembered her daughter’s words from earlier about what they were learning, and she knew to go look at the waterfront, at the far end of the Kazai courts. As she made her way past the pillars and huddles of staff and students, she overheard gossip–words that hei- ghtened her worry.
“…they came for the girls!”
“…the father too!”
“…she was one of them?”
Erea turned to see eyes watching from a distance. An instant chill caught her chest. Hidden from the multitude, behind one of the grey pillars, cloaked in a familiar purple. She steered off course, raising a stir as her shoulders rubbed roughly past some of the staff. The call from the girl’s eyes blocked her senses. She could hear it, loud as a shatter. A desperate clammer, a soul in question, and overwhelming fear. As she neared the pillar, she heard.
“… it’s her!”
Swiftly, 5 guards started clearing the hallway, pushing and falling some of the people. The tug between the girl and Erea became more apparent, Sheba was in danger! Her heart raced as she finally crossed to the other end, and she ran madly at the pillar. There, Sheba wept squeezed up in the shadow, her hands wringing her left sleeve profusely. A bloody sleeve!
“Come now! We have to go…”
Sheba’s confusion was not eased. Her mother’s stretched arms became sturdy, grabbing her and snatching her out of the shadow. The guards were gaining on them.
“…I will tell you all that I must once we’re out, but you must find strength. Have you seen your father?” Her voice became shaky. She was rattled. Sheba, almost in a squirm, confirmed the worst. Erea swa- llowed hard, as the sting of tears grew, “Hold my hand, don’t let go!”
“I will tell you this; what you have–is special. I never thought I would say this today, but I am glad you are on my side…” there was a brief smirk on Erea’s cracking lips.
“Come. I can only save one of us!” Sheba saw the look on her mo- ther’s reddening eyes, as the thumping footsteps of the guards got closer. Their time was short.
They broke into a run!
The guards became even more aggressive, trying to make way past the people. The gap was growing between them. Erea pulled Sheba towards the door exiting the Kazai. She looked back, and saw the guards behind them, busy with the masses. She looked ahead and saw an aged man standing firm, even as some of the people fled right past him. He wore a grey turban, and robes similar to Ovu’s, “Mika!”
He signalled her to come forth, perhaps there was help after all. Mika was one of the Prophets, dear to Uzi. He had helped Erea gain favour with the throne, to use the BON MENDA for her healing. He had seen her pass at the front of the Temple, noticing the worry in her eyes.
“Come. Come!” He said, waving them to his right. There was a small compartment, where the altar tools were kept.
“You will be safe here for a while, you’re lucky I saw you. More guards have barricaded the entrance!” He looked behind him, just to be sure the guards had missed them. Erea and Sheba heaved in relief. Temporary relief.
Mika closed the door behind him, then laid a stern eye on Erea,
“You should have let them take you! You know what happens when you resist. This matter means too much to the lord for him to relent.”
“I have to protect my family, Mika. I have to try.”
“How did he know?”
“I assumed much. Ovu would never let a stranger on his turf, esp- ecially one like Peruzio, leave without his eye watching his every step. That is already passed. I fear that he knows about Sheba…”
His eyes became like those of an owl. He stepped from the door, kneeling before Sheba, seeing her sleeve.
“…how many?”
The girl sobbed, still agitating over what she had done. It brought more pain than the stab wound Erea was working to heal.
“They beat father, then–they dragged my sisters in his blood… I…couldn’t hold my anger…”
“…How many?”
“Don’t pester her,” Erea held her closer. “This was not a path of her choosing.”
Mika rose, pouting at the fact.
“You were supposed to heal the power away, Erea!”   
“…and take away her choice to be?”
“You wanted a child. You have three gifted daughters. Even if you lost one–If Ovu got Sheba, she could have never known any of this life. She was destined for a terrible future, but you lost the one chance to keep her away from him…”
“I have thought about this so many times. I couldn’t let my dau- ghter live a life without ever knowing…”
“…Why is all this happening to us? What wrong have we done?”
Erea’s face dropped, “You would all judge me because all you’ve been taught is to do the will of Nubia’s throne. For what I have done, I did for a greater good,” She looked back at Sheba.
“Your father had a vision. I begged him to bear with me…what- ever is to happen, you were chosen for it.”
“…I willed that one killed the other, and mindlessly, the guard slit his commander’s throat. One cut my hand, and I saw his body thro- wn over the waterfront, breaking on a pillar…the others were afraid of me…they pointed and cursed at me…If I knew how to use this you call a gift, I could have saved them!” Sheba wept.
“Don’t wish any of this away. If only the innocence of the chil- dren at the foot of Beruel was allowed, that evil was not planted in their minds. You have been spared, and this is not by mistake–”
Hefty footsteps were heard outside the door. Mika silenced the two, leaning back on the door.
“We have the others, only the girl remains,” One guard came,
“She’s with her mother. They cannot be far. Both sides are sealed, they cannot escape. Check every room until you find the girl. She is one of them the Lord has a key interest in. She could fetch us a good deal from the throne. This kind requires an equal fold!”
“And the mother?”
“She is of no use to Ovu. Do what you must, just make sure we get the girl!”
As the voices went low, Mika became impatient.
“I did not think it would come to this. If Ovu knows, he will send some of his emissaries.”
Erea held Sheba’s arm tightly,
“He will not have my daughter!”
“If he missed one, he will use all that he has to correct that mistake. I thought perhaps I could help you…”
“Do not feel despair, Mika,” said Erea.
“You have helped a great deal, but now we must carry on to our separate paths. I will remember your kindness, even to the end.”
They managed to sneak out, Sheba still in Erea’s lead. Mika remained behind, praying. Hoping. Behold, the great curtains stood between them and their fate. Behind them, a Kazai infested with dishonourable guards, before them: freedom or death!
The temple front was turning chaotic. The deployed guards saw a riot as people fought against their forceful entry. The doors were sealed tight! Erea saw this, peeking through the curtains. She thought of turning back but the men who were after them before had seen them and were gathering to arrest them. There was no way out.
The prophets stood up trying to calm the people, but their voices were too faint for the noise coming from the pandemonium. Erea then decided to push through the crowd. Sheba held her hand tightly, following her through the masses. The guards kept their eyes on them, but as they followed, the people on the inside started revolting against them as well. The two neared the doors. It became so tightly squeezed, that a pebble wouldn’t pass through. Erea stopped. She gradually felt her daughter’s fingers swim out of her hand. Sheba was now a little further from her reach. Erea strained to keep her eyes on her daughter, whose body was drowning beneath the heads of people. Sheba’s arm remained lifted, but amidst the crowd, she blended right into the riots.
All of a sudden, a shredding thrust of force was felt pushing into the temple. So strong, it collapsed entire pillars, leaving bodies crush- ed beneath the offering altars. Even the great door’s ledges broke. Dust and rubble and screams filled the outside. Inside, horrors and death!
As the dust settled, piles of bodies lay on each other, some badly injured, and those who were lucky dragged their broken bodies to safety.
Erea woke. Her garments were whitened by dust, tasting blood on her tongue. Her ears were deafened, and her sight clouded and un- clear. As little strength remained, she could see blurry movement. She groaned, weary of the pain in her bones. Even so, she was afraid of being found. Right then, darkness covered the mouth of the ruins. She sensed him!
A man–no, An anomaly, clud in excess metallic casts on the chest and knees like one headed to war, riding on a bear-like animal, with the face of a wolf, and claws like red hot daggers. Its mouth was leashed and saliva was oozing from it. It teethed through the leather, like a saber. It stood at a height of three men, and with strength like a young elephant, only faster.
The Chemosit!–One fed from the Lord’s table. Never before had this creature been used before public eyes.
Behind him, a fresh group of guards with more men marched in, going through the bodies in a grave search. Ovu then came off the Chemosit, leaving it to one of his men. His feet never touched the rubble. He levitated over the bodies to where she was. He watched with a face so stony and calm. He circled her, as his beast grunted and danced. He then bent down to where she lay.
“So, Erea of Uzi. I am amazed that a wise woman like you would do such a grievous thing. Did you not think that I would know?”
She could not let out a sound but stirred her body to slowly heal. He stood back upright and ordered,
“Find the girl! And when you have, tie her arms first!” He turned to his left menacingly, “I can sense that her strength is much alive!”
With such intimidation, he sat back on his beast, and it rammed its way out of the ruins.
“She was with her mother, so she has to be close by. Search aro- und! Dig till you find the floors!” One of the senior guards comm- anded.
Sheba woke. She became very afraid. Something had woken her up. She tried to turn from where she lay near the curtains. She felt her limbs and the slight cuts on her knuckles. She had been lucky. Her eyes tilted further to her right, and she saw her mother in the hands of the guards. As she revived her strength to move, a sound clogged her mind, one like a thousand screams, breaking her focus. She covered her ears, but it could not stop. She writhed in pain, fighting intensely to calm her mind. With every ounce of resistance, the sound increased tenfold!
Two women, dressed in blood-red garments draping to their feet, entered the temple. They wore veils on their crowns, covering their faces. One rushed to heal the masses that were still breathing. She was doing it so well, it was as if she had much greater power than what Sheba had seen in her mother! The other stood still at the entrance, her countenance turned in Sheba’s direction. Sheba had never felt such strength, wrapping its invincible arms around her, making her bones crunch.
The woman’s hands then spun her like a web of air, lifting her, then drawing her from the dead and injured bodies, intently carrying her to the broken doors. The guards stood back, as two readied a rope in their hands. It was then that Erea saw her daughter, hands bound, bruised and helpless. The struggle to free herself from the grip of the guards was vain. Ovu had his way!