Chapter 7 Introductions

They charged at the cloud while the others continued riding. Zamu heard a loud shriek, unearthly, piercing into his very soul and he shuddered. They rode awhile before the leader raised his hand and they slowed down before they stopped. He turned, purple eyes running across the landscape as if expecting something. Finally, one of the men that had retreated to fight burst into sight. His horse cantered and he stayed in the saddle, holding his blade loosely.

He rode up to them and Zamu was shocked at what he saw. The left side of the man's face was nearly torn out, his bones showing and his left arm hung loosely from his body, his armor in tatters and he had multiple stab wounds. But even as Zamu looked, the wounds began to heal, his face and arms regrowing and sliding back to their normal position. The other ones did not show up and the leader nodded at the man.

"A whip masquerade appearing this close. Hmm, that's a first." He muttered and rode off, followed by the other men. Zamu was silent, shocked at what he saw and he looked at the wounded man who showed no evidence of his fight except for his battered armor which was slowly regrowing itself as well. He looked at Resi but she was silent, staring at nothing with vacant eyes. Zamu looked at the landscape that flitted past him. He no longer felt light headed.

The streets were littered with rankers buying and selling. There was the merchant displaying his wares that ranged from perfumes to exotic animals. The entire marketplace was a confusing but fascinating mixture of haggling and argument. Zamu heard it from far and it comforted him a little. Rankers were just above commoners and with sufficient wealth, a commoner could become a ranker. They were mainly made up of merchants, scholars and successful entertainers.

A silence fell on the market as the Tije rode in. Many scurried out of their way, avoiding eye contact. A woman was too slow and she fell down in confusion and cried out, covering her face with her hands. The Tije ignored her and continued moving as she lay down, frozen with fear. In the distance, he could see the three towers that were called 'okwute'; a name from old tongue. They finally left the markets after a while and rode on a few miles of emptiness before they came to the massive walls made of black iron in order to be resistant to potential Sander attacks and espionage.

The large, depressing gates opened by themselves and they rode in. It was evening and the sight behind the walls made Zamu gasp in awe. The three towers were marvels of architecture, shooting from the ground upwards. They were so tall, they seemed to touch the dark clouds and were lit with Flatlight, a technology that was only understood by high scholars and used by royalty, a remnant of the ancient crafts. Black panther-scorps with their fierce yellow gazes and massive scorpion stingers where their tails should be, loitered in the vast compound.

Tije guards appeared ocassionally, saluting the ones they rode with by touching two fingers to their chests. Dozens of soldiers in their impressive black armors stood stiffly on the walls and in certain positions around the compound. These seemed different from those at the reservations. They seemed harder, stronger, more dangerous. He shuddered slightly. The men dismounted and he was slightly pleased to see that the man carried Resi down with a tenderness that surprised him. He turned to the men and nodded, communicating something. Then he turned to Zamu and bowed slightly.

" The prince is just within. If you would follow me." He said and Zamu nodded. Resi came to stand beside him and held his hand. It comforted him and he smiled lightly.

"It will be okay." He whispered to her and the man walking before them nodded as if in agreement. They stepped into a wide room, brightly lit by Flatlight: containers of bright light that varied in colors and shapes. They walked into a hallway which was lit by Flatlight on each side. The hallway was decorated with finely crafted masks, engravings and breathtaking pottery. They walked to a large, heavy, wooden, black door manned by two female guards. They nodded at the Tije and pushed the door open. The man led them in and Zamu drew breath in sharply. It possessed excellent furniture made of wood that Zamu had never heard of. The room was brightly lit but there was no Flatlight present. The light seemed to come from the walls themselves.

In the far end of the room sat a massive, ivory throne upon which a beautiful, red eyed man lounged, an eagle perched upon his shoulder. Zamu turned to look at Resi whose eyes had widened to impossible proportions, her hand on her breast. The Tije swept a low bow before the man on the throne and he beamed at them. He had a certain air of refinement and dignity. He wore a long, flowing, blue robe that had high collars that got to his lower ears. It was unbuttoned at the front, revealing smooth skin.

"Ah, Obom. I see you have proved your efficiency yet again." He said in a deep but musical voice. He turned to Zamu. He had a certain fluidity of movement that made it seem like friction had no effect on him, lending a hypnotic effect to his movements.

"This must be the shader, eh? Pleasure meeting you. I hope the journey wasn't too hard on you." He said and smiled. Zamu stood surprised. He did not know what to make of this differential treatment and from the prince of the empire himself. It was too much for him to take in and his head began to throb. He struggled to speak but he heard Resi's voice sound out loud and clear from behind him.

"You are human." She said, looking at him as if she didn't believe her own eyes. He raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Ah yes, child. Well, mostly, actually." He said and stepped closer to them. Zamu looked into the red eyes and saw, beneath the smoothness and beauty, a darkness that surprised him, a darkness he recognized for he bore it within himself as well.

" Why have you brought us here? What is all this?" He asked and the man simply laughed, a deep musical sound. He turned to Obomo.

" It all went well, i take it?" He asked and Obomo shook his head.

" No, darkness. We encountered a whip masquerade. I lost two of my brothers." He said and Zamu saw the prince's eyes harden. He stood quietly for a while before nodding at Obomo.

"That will be all. Thank you." He said and turned away from Obomo who nodded, bowed and walked out, the doors shutting behind him. Zamu suddenly felt wary but at the same time he felt utterly exhausted. The prince nodded at him, his eyes bearing an understanding that unnerved Zamu.

"Ah, my manners! My name is Tuli. What is yours?" He said and came to stand before Zamu. Zamu shrank back from the man and had to will himself not to move farther back.

"My name is Zamu....darkness?" He said and Tuli chuckled, turning to Resi.

" And this beauty must be your sister, yes? Tell me, what's your name, Dove?" He asked and rested a hand on her shoulder. Zamu felt himself stiffen as he clenched his fists. But he relaxed when he saw her smile and blush slightly.

"Resi. My name is Resi." She said and Tuli tilted his head slightly to the side, closing his eyes briefly. He gripped Zamu's shoulder and laughed.

"Ah, now after what you have been through, you must be terribly tired. My servants will attend to you. Rest, sleep, eat. We will talk tomorrow." He said and turned away from them, walking to sit back on his throne.

Zamu heard footsteps behind him and turned to see four young women behind him. Another four stood behind Resi. A woman stepped up to him. She had light brown eyes and dark brown skin, wearing a simple white gown that got to her calves.

"If you would come with me, sir." She said and it sounded odd to Zamu. No one had ever referred to him with such respect before. He turned to look at Tuli who had a far off look on his face, ignoring them completely. He turned to Resi and she looked at him with wide eyes. He walked to her and took her in a brief hug. She stiffened a while then relaxed and he felt a weight leave him.

"You go dey alright, eh?" He said and she nodded, flashing a beautiful smile at him. She held on to him for a while before following the women.