11 - Conflicting gifts

Chapter 11 (Conflicting gifts)

“Two thirds of everything you know isn’t what it seems. The most I can tell you is our mortal gift wasn’t the Kurota but the Unko.” Mama Erusa said. She did not drop the animal’s heart. Whatever she need with it, Tsote had no idea and it did not bother him more than seeing that she could see him.

“What’s the Unko…?”

“It is the regeneration of flesh and physical strength. But…” 

“But…” Tsote asked anxiously. 

“But as you grow, you will come to learn and understand the origins of the dark within us all... Come now and I’ll show you…” She leads him away.

“Why, not even my Unko gift has ever manifest…”

“You aren’t purely Unko…”

“What do you mean…?”

“You possess two antagonistic gifts that aren’t in agreement with the existence of the Kurota.”

“Which and which gifts because until now, I have not seen or felt like I have got any…”

“You are a unique and special child…. “She responded. Adding. “-And assisting you discover your path will be my last role but a pleasure by honor…, I’ll show you. This way!” Mama Erusa tells him.

They come to an old cave under some little elongated hill. The hill spread out covered under organized ruble and grass. On top this hill were several old statues faded and broken away by the coarseness of time and ages. However, a strange fire burned on a round rock at the entrance of the cave. No one tended to this fire but it never burned out. 

“Whats is this place Mama Erusa?”

“These are the tomb of all the past Yakunko Kings.”

“And the fire…?” he asked hardly having taken her first statement important at all. The fire crackled on!

“The fire never ceases and is a symbol of the immortality of the Kurota of past kings…”

“Do you believe that?”

“Do you not…?” she paused asking him back. it’s here when she thrust the heart she held in her hand into the fire. The fire burnt the heart to embers. Before they knew it, the heart became as solid as a red stone and then crushed down into some sort of sparkling dust. Tsote came closer curiously only to see a butterfly followed by two more and which became four, and more and more sprouting out of the heart’s dust!

Tsote swallowed hard when hundreds of fiery butterflies rose all around them. Next thing they collected into a beautiful swam which then headed towards the entrance of the tombs. The sight was awesome and gave Tsote some sort of excitement! Many things are lies and how sure could he be that this here and whatever she was telling him were truth, now? She did not wait long for him to respond but started forwards to the entrance of the tombs. They followed the butterflies down several steps before the cave widened with its depth grown further inwards.

The inside of the cave was light by uncountable flapping butterflies! Tsote realized the tomb’s interior seemed further and deeper than it looked like from the outside! There were hundreds of rectangular tombs cut of white rocks. The rest of the interior curved out of dark rock!

The block tombs stood in a line facing the walls both sides! She led him though reading a few of their names and revealing small bit of history about them. Water trickled down through the rocky ceiling above each tom and drop by drop into some hollow spot where the dead king’s feet may have been. The water did not splash but the drops fell every after five second but in such a mesmerizing wave!

The most, they could see of the remainders of these past kings were their weapons, necklaces and armlets inset with beautiful stones as well as other personal items and skulls with eye balls turned pale grey but glass like with a the pupil glowing golden like stone. Each King’s belonging arranged well on top the tomb stones with bits of cobwebs. She led him to the largest of the tombs on which was curved out of black rock. There were stranger items very different from the rest. Nevertheless, before Tsote could even ask, Mama Erusa spoke saying…

“This belongs to the first of the Yakunko king, Oladiya.”

“I thought bodies of the Yakunko kings were always burned leaving the skulls alone....”

“True…” She told him. Tsote asked while running the tips of his fingers along the edges of the tomb. 

 “This is why I brought you here… to get you to understand...” She responded with a slight smile and starting to the other side of the tomb.

“The Yakunko tribe’s role in the during the age of men was to protect and defend the rest of the tribes. When the Yakunko came into the possession of the Kurota, their pride and arrogance as well as hunger for power grew. Oladiya, the first of the Yakunko kings led the Yakunko against the mortal emperor and declared himself a Yakunko king. You do know much of this already, don’t you?”

“Yes- and this did not please the rest of our sister tribes…” Tsote replied while passing a finger along the edge of the tombstone.

“-most especially the Kobewa people whose role was to serve closest to the mortal emperors using their Olko gift.”

“Unlike the other tribes, the Kobewa possessed Untu magic given the by the goddess of the wood shortly after the rise of me. Their gift was a great asset to the might and success of the past mortal kings. However, when the Yakunko took over the Tonyam thrones with an unnatural gift known as the Kurota, the Kobewa fled the royal city southwards.”

Tsote listened.

“We still don’t know why but King Oladiya and all those that will come after him needed them… but they would never gain the trust of the Kobewa no matter what. And when King Oladiya came After them, they repulsed him from the slopes of The Olko hill.  The Kobewa were the most unpredictable tribe. Also a difficult people to defeat when it came to war because not long after they defeated him.”

“Why then did the Yakunko not burn his body after his death…?” Tsote asked.

“The Yakunko don’t burry their warriors without their eyes. The Kobewa took them.”

“What for… why?” Tsote asked.

“Coming to that… why,” Mama Erusa responded quickly continuing. “-the struggle King Oladiya sparked off would go on for years before the Kobewa ever gave up their strong hold territory along the Olko slopes.” She said this while washing her hands through the water at the foot of the tomb where the water dripped and collected so clear. 

Tsote nodded his head!

“The tales say the Kobewa withdrew because King Oladiya possessed the Inka seed which granted him greater power beyond any mortal Gift which isn’t a lie. However, they did not withdraw in vain; they successfully went around the King’s forces, did a surprise attack on the Yakunko Palace slitting the King’s throat in his sleep and taking his eyes from him and never to seen again!”

“No one saw them…?” Tsote inquired.

“They weren’t seen by any one and up to this day it’s still anticipated whether it were the Kobewa who took the Kings eyes or not!”

“Impossible,” came Tsote. “What I have heard, Oladiya wasn’t easily reachable.” All of a sudden Tsote stopped. Something crucial returning to his mind!

“-the eyes. But that’s where every Yakunko’s Kurota resides…meaning he is partly dead, partly alive!” Came Tsote

“Absolutely. Because when a Yakunko’s eyes are destroyed, the Kurota dies taking its host along. In addition to that Oladiya’s eyes were dipped in Owl blood with Olko Charms.”

“Owl blood…!” Tsote stated

“With Owl’s blood and Olko magic, Oladiya’s Kurota was and still is locked away for reasons you will learn from the beads.” She told him adding. “-but wherever they took his eyes, no one has been but the Shorango trekkers.”

“What about the beads?” Tsote asked so abruptly.

“The beads contain Shorango magic. They were your mother’s.”

“My Mother’s?” Tsote asked.

“Yes…”

“You knew her personally?” Tsote asked again but Mama Erusa changed slightly and asked him. Mama Erusa finally starts towards the exit of the tombs.

“Come…” She says to him leading the way. Everything she said sounded very genuine to his hearing. What he needed to know escaped his mind. There was a moment of silence.

“If the Kobewa defeated King Oladiya… I see no reason as to why they deserted the Olko hill afterwards…”

“The Kobewa were no match for the Kurota.” Mama Erusa responded. “Until they learned Olko magic which made them Shorango. But Olko magic was taught to a few. Olko magic gave them ability to stand strong against all those in possession of the Kurota. And why they left was attached to King Oladiya’s eyes.”

 She led him towards the tomb’s exit. From here, he could hear the trickling of a streams somewhere ahead. 

“I see…” Tsote responded. The sun was falling away when they stepped out of the tombs and what lay before them was River Ulewo. The birds here were not singing. The sky was dull but moon was visible. Tsote walked out to stand next to her. She focused on a spot somewhere across the river, the slopes of a hill engulfed in fog! Tsote followed her gaze and saw The Olko hill. It looked higher than yesterday and the day before. As his eyes rose to meet the sky, a fiery shooting star crossed the sky in such a wide arc. Mama Erusa smiled and asked…

“What is your wish…?”

“I wish I could change our fate as a tribe, to fix the mistakes we have made in the past… I would love to…” 

“…to become king after your father... is that what you mean?” Mama Erusa completed for him. 

“I have no interest in ruling or the Yakunko throne.”

“What if you can do nothing about the past or even who you are… what would have been your other wish…?”

Tsote thought hard and finally knew! “I would more about my mother and how she died...”

The woman’s focus crossed the river and rose with the hill. A simple smile formed across her lips the moment he mentioned his mother. She did not respond to his response quickly but the moment he answered, she started forwards towards the river. Tsote watched her.

“We all have an identical story. We all have met our greatest fears but whoever fled or stayed to face whatever fear there was we know them from their scar… and the ability to stay true to who we are.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Many times these scar are hereditary… and you …,” She said never glancing aside at him.

“You inherited several of your mother’s scars…”

“What scars…?” Tsote said in confusion checking her arms critically.

“She stood and faced her greatest fear. The scars you carry are within…” this time she glanced slightly aside but not directly into his eyes. Then she started forwards towards the water.

“What was her name…?”

Mama Erusa did not respond at once but smiled at him…

“What I can say, she was a very beautiful mother…”

Tsote froze! His mind flashed with images. His lips moved but he did not know what to say, ask or add to what she just said. He only heard her concluding. “The trap has stripped the Yakunko of our true purpose, destiny and right to purity but I believe its never too late…” She told him and started towards the river slowly. “-we however can must learn to live above the trap.” 

“I don’t understand.” Tsote asks her.

“You will when the time is right but it’s high time I departed...” She walks a few feet into the river and turns around holding out an arm to him.

“Please…?” He begs.

“There is knowledge greater than the sands on these banks… Knowledge older than our time here.” She said and smiled once more. Her smile was as warm and friendly as ever. But when she turned to look in his direction her eyes were back to grey and blind like he knew!

“This knowledge, you cannot finish it all. But the answers you need to all your questions, you will find up there…” she spoke glancing up the Olko hill. Tsote looked up hill towards the enchanted Olko hill engulfed under a thick shade of the Untu fog. Just when the woman added holding an arm out for him to join her. “Come!” concluded holding her arm out at him.

Tsote starts forwards but when he make his first step the sand, arms form out of the sand and start to drag him down. He struggles against the pull. Did Mama Erusa just deceive her? No, she could not. The base of the river was filled with bodies made of sand and algae struggling to reach him. All of a sudden, the riverbank seemed to push back and away from him. He couldn’t help but yell.

“That is just an illusion. Lies you need not look at much…” Mama Erusa spoke out to him before he could yell terrified somethings where pulling at his feet and the ground was fading from under his feet. 

He did not heed her words but when he shut his eyes, all the grappling loosened on him. Beside, when he shut his eyes, he felt someone shaking him in the back. He opens his eyes only to realize everything was just a dream… but! To his surprise, he was wet all over and his feet were dirty with sand! Sakitha N’meru was shaking him violently.

“Wake up Tsote… wake up!”

“What, what is happening?”

“Mama Erusa…”

“What? Why am I wet and…!” he asked. 

“-you peed all over yourself, did you?” A familiar voice responded right above his face.

Just then, he heard wailing outside and the thumbing of a deep drum every after four seconds. This is when he felt he was fully awake. Sakitha shook him with such a sad face she wore.

“What is happening…?”

“Mama Erusa has not woken up… she, she is gone!”

Tsote’s heart leaped. His blood rushed with fear. There was wailing the cries of women and children outside. Tsote sprung up and hurried out Sakitha following to the exit. Men and women crowded around commander Thalko’s shelter pressed together but in house hold sections.

Tsote pressed through to the front where there were more children and women seated down on mats. Just then, he saw Mama Erusa’s body lying straight under a tent some few feet from Thalko’s shelter. He felt the air around him thicken and the bass drum beat starting to fade. Tsote felt like his legs would buckle under this weight! Makita was nowhere to be seen today! She often came around to give him a shoulder in moments like this. He felt his eyes give way to warm tears he couldn’t hold back!