The tribal chief's daughter

Eche Egwuatu, the tribal chief of Oumari, woke up in the middle of the night to relieve himself, as was his habit, but when he tried to rise from his sleeping pallet he found out that he could not move.

He felt a sharp pain in his stomach. 

It felt as though a fire burned him from the inside and it made him worried. He tried to call out to Kaine who was sleeping next to him, but no sound came out of his mouth. 

When the pain suddenly pierced his chest, he knew he had been poisoned. He even knew which poison had been used. 

As a young man, Eche had offended Ani a mighty earth goddess, and as a result of his offence, she had cursed him. It was not a story he wanted to remember because he was not proud of what he had done. Despite having ample opportunity to, he had never told anyone about it. Not even his wife Kaine. 

Part of his curse was that he would die by a particular poison at the peak of his reign.

As Eche felt his life's force ebbing gradually he began to think of the two people he held dear; Isinne his young daughter and Kaine his wife.

What would become of them in the harsh reality of the world they lived in?

He had tried to prepare Isinne for this by training her tirelessly since she was a little girl. As the pain spread from his chest to his limbs and then grew stronger, he knew his time was near.

He started mouthing his last words.

"I am the son of Ike the great hunter. I am a brave and fearless warrior, a man amongst men. I am the one who crossed a goddess and lived. I am the one who united the five great clans of Oumari. I will meet my ancestors without shame." 

He looked at Kaine sleeping beside him until his eyes began to lose focus.

As Eche breathed his last, a large black snake slid out of his hut. In the distance, drum beats could be heard mixing with the sounds of the night.