The beast of miko

Chapter 1

Kalanje pov

1200 years ago.

The village of Mubaila sits quietly, surrounded by forests and a stream.

The sound of children running around naked and playing interrupts those flowing waters.

And I live here. I was looking at the people's work from my workstation.

I made bows with our village artisan, whose attention was glued to broken equipment.

When we heard the noise of men running towards our village and a band of cattle being chased our way, rising steadily from the trees that surrounded us.

The first thing I hear is the swish of a flying arrow.

Fly past my face, and my legs act on their own. They pull me away to safety in my mother's hut.

I enter and find her on the ground, crying, "Mama!"Mama!! I call, but she does not answer.

She lays there still and at peace with an arrow on her chest. I ran outside to look for my brother and sister, but they were nowhere to be found. Just then, someone pulls me from behind and covers my mouth.

He points in a direction and says to my ears, "Run to Borrankama." Your home stands on a rift, and I stop and turn to see if they are close. I search for my pursuers. No one was in sight, but then I ran forward, increasing my speed and not stopping until I came to a rift. That divided the earth and separated my people from the healer's hut, which was given where I was. I was close, and it was the only motivation I needed now. I ran backward, measuring the momentum I needed. I ran straight for the rift. My body swings to the other end as I leap into the air with my arms aiming for a hold. But I fall and roll like an amateur; it is my first time crossing this large rift. And as I proceed, I hear the sounds of arrows raining down in pursuit as one grabs my thigh.

I don't turn back. I limp, continuable to recognize my way as my vision blurs and the white and red tattoos of the Gbali people come into view. I am seated on the floor, watching my blood trickle and my body grow weaker and weaker as the colors on their bodies fade gradually. Am I dying? Is this the end of me? I try to move my hand forward, but my eyes finally close. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in her cave; the seer of our village came to save me. I don't see her clearly, but I call her in low groans, "Borrankama?"

Borrankama? To be sure I wasn't dreaming, "I am here," the voice of a young lady replies, "Your body is burning up here; take this and don't move," she instructs. I hold my head up a little and drink from the calabash. After I drink a little of it, I lie back, and my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness. I turn to the light. Beside me, I see her eyes, which are green and shining. like the keku (cats) in the night."Your eyes," I say."Yes, I know," she replies."You are young!" I am shocked."Yes, I know," she replied. And then she runs her palm over my face, and I drift into slumber. I woke up this time, and the cave was empty. I could see the sun shining through the opening in the cave, which was facing east. I looked around, and my sense of direction was off. I raise my upper body and roll off the giant flat rock covered with skins. When my left leg touched the ground, a sharp pain spread through my body. The pain jolted me back instantly to the reality of my situation. I carefully stand this time and make my way out of the cave slowly. It would be best if you were not outside when I hear Borankama speak. I turned and saw her by the side, tending to some plants. She was focused on her work and chose not to glance in my direction. She said your wound is almost healed, and the poison is gone. I swallow hard as my mind drifts back to what had happened between me and the people who had attacked my village and how I had to flee like a deer in hunting season."They are all dead," I say to her."I know, but are they really if you are alive?" I asked, looking at her askance."Only I alone can make the people, and even if I do, they are already gone; these would be new."Yes, but you can always find a home with new people."

Go back in and rest.

You will need all your strength to make a new home," she tells me. I stand there and watch her as she works. She has not turned her back since, and I haven't seen her face once. I walk to the side, ignoring her warning to rest, and try to see her face. But her hair, which is long and dark, covers her face. I do not relent.

Moving forward to face her, careful not to step on her plants, I look at her now. She is not as old as my people's stories about her.

She looks young, and I could swear her eyes still glow under the sun.

The green sparkles under the hair that stopped around her nose through the front.

"What happened to your eyes?" I ask her.

"I was born this way; go back and rest!" she says with authority.

"You do not tell me what to do." I shot back. She smiles, and I notice her eyes looking at my injured leg. I see my leg and notice too.

My two legs are touching the ground.

My two legs are on the ground, and my posture is straight.

"So what if I tell you what to do, son of Miko?"

What if I chose what you will be doing from now on?

"Will you defy me and risk the anger of your ancestors?"

I swallow hard and try to act firm, but the pain shoots back continuously.

Until I raise my leg from the ground again.

She stands and walks into the cave, and I follow her, slowly limping.

She enters and begins to make something with the leaves she had cut from the garden."Now that you have seen my face, you will have to die. Do you know that?"

But! I protest.

"But what Kalenje!" She shot back."

You did not mean to?"

She asked, following my response.

Borrakama turned, and I could see the glow in her eyes rise.

Her grin was on her face, and cold sweat filled my body. The fever came back.

I did not answer because I wanted to. I needed to feed my curiosity.

"You will not kill me. I tell her." confidently realizing she is playing with my head.

"Why do you think that," she asks.

"You are the seer. Surely you already know that will happen".

She burst out into a hearty laugh.

"I liked it earlier when you were anxious," she said and continued to work now.

"What are you making?" I ask, checking her hand with my eyes."A poison to help you heal," she replies."What are your thoughts now? she asks as she brings the Koko (calabash) to me."I will live", I tell her. "I will live for all of them."Yes, you will," she replies and hands the Koko (calabash) to me. And as I drink from it, I feel the bitter taste, but I don't flinch. I have been drinking concoctions like this since I was a child. Before I could drop the Koko, I heard footsteps, light like a child walking into the cave, and then another. And as I looked on, I saw the craftsman's daughter Laziza, and also the daughter of Indo the drunk."The Koko falls out of my hand, and I ask, "Why have only girls survived?" Because these two were not in the village when it happened. After they saw the ruins, they made their way here." And also because you run!"Borankama stated in jest."I am not a girl!" But you ran, and that is what girls do." I stared at my feet, knowing she did not lie. it is not the way of men in my tribe to run." Welcome, my dears',' she says, like a grandmother welcoming her grandchildren home. You are both welcome to stay with the gods until he can build and hunt for you, she says, looking at me. I raise my head to look at her, and then she says aloud,d "You are the head of Mubaila now, and anyone that survives is your responsibility." I nod in acceptance. She continues."Once you can, you will retrieve the totem of Miko and never lose it." I nod once more, and then she says, "You will escort them to go and get water," She points to some pots by the side, and the two girls hurry and get one each. You will protect them, Kalenje, she says as I look at my wound and then back at her. She still is not looking at me; she watches the girls pick the pots and head out for water. I follow behind them, limping as we go out into the forests. The two girls kept talking and giggling while I struggled to keep pace. Laziza is older and plumper than Indo's daughter Ara, who herself wasn't thin. The two were older and would soon be married to strong and hard-working, s that wouthatar strong and hard-working kids. I wonder how Indo had married since all he did since I knew him was get drunk and fall on his back as the kids followed him around. Now all that is gone, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. My father would say, 'One journey ends, so another has to start" when someone dies. Before the body is arranged on the ground, I raise my head to look around; the girls have moved farther. I stamp my feet on the ground, and I don't feel the pain any longer. The portion she had given me, I think, is for the pain. I don't stress the legs, but I hurry to catch up with them."Laziza, wait up! "You two should not go without me?"Are you scared? Ara teased. I don't answer her; I walk close by and climb a tree as they stand and watch.

I walk to the edge of a robust small branch and drop straight down. I held the advantage as it cracked when my legs touched the earth. I pull the other end from the tree and clean the leaves on the branch.

I swing it a bit, and it floats through the air, just as Gara had thought the boys my age to attack. Gara was our warrior chief, and I wonder what has happened to him now."Show off," I heard Laziza say, "If you could do this, why run to Borankama?" She teased. The girls laughed in unison.

I ignore them; I do as she instructs. I escort them back to our village; they go to the stream and fetch water. And when I reach our town, I see the bodies still stretched on the earth's surface.

I go into the craftsman hut; most of our wares have been taken by intruders. I look around and find the digging wood.

I go out and use it to bury my people while the girls go back to Borankama. They did not argue when I told them why I would stay back.

And as I eased the bodies into the earth. Tears ran down my face.

The faces of those I laid into the ground were my family and extended family and those I have known all my life.

After crying until my tears had run dry and my heart cold from the pangs strangling it.

I searched for the totem, which I found where my father had held me down before I ran.

I pick it up and stare at the staff from one end to another, checking its drawings. And at the top, I see two dots green as the eyes of Borankama. I walk back slowly, as the noise of the nocturnals in the wood keeps me entertained and guessing as I pick them apart to tell which animal is which. I arrived later at the cave, and the girls were talking while the seer sat nearby. The cave was lit with a giant fire in the middle. I walked to where she sat with the two staff in my hand. I pushed the one she had instructed me to get forward. And she said, "Keep it. It is yours to carry." "They have made dinner. Eat something. It would be best if you had your strength," she added. I turned around to look at the two girls who sat comfortably until they heard the seer scream, "Stand and serve the man."They quickly rushed to bring the food they had prepared. I was amazed at how she controlled them with so much might. Still seated, she does not raise her head or look at the others. I have a question. I ask her."Why did your gods not fight for my people? Why did they all fall silent, as those who did not worship them stain our land with blood and take from us?"The ways of the gods are not the ways of men."You should go and eat," she encouraged. Still in the same spot, not moving. I sit on the rock while the two girls bring me dinner. I thought I would be served with vegetables alone. I saw the garden. But before me, there were meat, grain, and vegetables, and all served in different earthenware. I ate, but not much. When I was done, I went out to watch the sky. I lay on top of the patch of grass in the cave and rested there. Lost in the night sky, I don't hear Ara come close. All I hear is her narrating why she had been spared. She began, "I went to see my auntie in Tela because of my father. I have been going there because every time my father gets drunk, the village mocks me, and people look at me with pity and say, "Who will marry you now?"And now everyone and everything is gone. All that I was running away from was gone. She sobs slowly as she talks, but I do not move. I do not say a word, and I just lay there like the two staff by my right. You will have to avenge them. I don't reply. I know I am just one. I would need more men to fight a whole village. But I don't tell her that. I just lay there until she left. And as I watch the stars with thoughts as plenty as their numbers, I drift off to sleep. The next day, I woke up with the cold surrounding me. I move slowly and make my way into the cave, which is still warm, and the fire is still lit. I moved closer to it and rested so the cold would leave my body. The sun had not yet risen. And everyone except myself was asleep.

I turned to look where Laziza and Ara were lying down and then turned my head back. But then I craved more of what I had seen. I looked back at the sleeping girl whose body had instigated a growth between my legs. I watched calmly until someone spoke. I turned to look at where Borankama was lying down, and then I heard her say, "Feed your eyes and want her, for tomorrow you will feed your soul and hers with care."She didn't turn to face me, she was still lying, and I could guess she was talking in her sleep. I turned to look at Laziza to see if she had heard the seer. But to my surprise, the two were still sleeping. I stood and went out, and it wasn't fun knowing someone was watching me. I rush into the woods, and when I return later when the sky is overhead, I see Ara by the mouth of the cave standing and worried."What is wrong, Ara? I ask, thinking something had happened."Where have you been?" she asked."I went hunting," I answered, dropping my hunt on the floor. I raised my eyes to meet hers as she turned and entered the cave, avoiding me. After that, she was awkward all through the day. I was sitting with Borankama, and we talked about the past when I saw her walk past us into the woods. What is wrong with her?"You will have to tell me; it is something only you can ask.

"I look at her confused and ask, "Is she angry at me over something?

"The gods do not meddle in issues like this and ask her what is wrong. Where is Laziza?

I ask. Borakama shrugs and plays with her hair, humming a tune I do not know, but it soothes my soul as I listen.

I stand and check the cave, but Laziza is not there.

And then I follow the two into the woods to find them.

Kalenje, where are you going? I wanted to answer, but I did not want to sound awkward. I waited for her to conclude that I was heading to the village before I nodded in affirmation. She was looking at me in askance when I replied,

"We would have to go back there eventually; we can't stay with the seer forever." I will be going back to 'tela.

I have relatives there, and I visited them when our village was attacked......"Stay with me," I said, interrupting her. Stay with me in Mubaila.

Let's make a home here. She stands silently there and watches me, and then she looks behind me at Ara, who stands behind me.