As the trio walked into the bushes, past the paths and into the settlements of the mountain people. They were met with old huts that seemed to emanate dark fogs from them. The locals who were rather glad to be unclad, except for the skin clothing they wore around their loins, couldn’t help but gaze aggressively at the trio. The fact that they should rushed to welcome Catori since he claimed, he been out for their mission, surprised both Amelia and Maximin who didn’t feel at ease at all the glaring they were receiving.
” Why do they look so mean. I think they will attack us any moment.” She opined as she walked in between the two guys who she felt were going to die for her if things turned out the way she was thinking.
” Hush” intoned, Maximin who was quick to notice that Catori hadn’t said a thing since entering into the confinement of his people. The walk went on for a couple of minutes till they arrived at a giant hut which walls were only built to half measures. It was the only walls that was colored and had patterns of the grizzly bears on it. A closer look had produced a poorly drawn image of a scorpion and it caused Amelia to recall why Catori had taken sides with the Scorpion in the duel of arachnids. He entered into the large hut which had what appeared to be a throne and wasted no time to seat on it. No sooner had he sat on it did, the cries of jubilations erupt among the locals who hadn’t said a thing since they saw him.
” The chief is back! They called out in a voice that echoed across the plains of the mountain, causing all tribesmen to hurry out to see Catori.
” Please, sit down over there. Forgive the hostile nature of my people. They don’t believe I’m alive until I seat on the throne. With the amounts of ghost floating around the area, it’s not so difficult to blame them.” Said Catori after balancing with majesty. He knew a gathering was soon to form and he was ready with the revelations he had gotten from the Gods.
“Ghost?” she sulked ” You are Royalty? Why where you alone in the woods like some hunter. Why wasn’t anyone guarding you.” She asked as she admired the lynx skin throne upon which he sat.
” I’m the chief it’s my responsibility to guide my people and not vice versa. Let’s enjoy the small feast they will set up. Brother, the rest would do you good. Stay as a guest of honor for the night and you can leave tomorrow morning if you must.” Said Catori as he gazed at The raging crowd which rushed out from their hamlet to welcome their chief who wasn’t a ghost.
” Thank you brother. You are so kind.” Said Maximin who was given an old blue shirt to wear by Catori.
” They are glad to see you. You are really humble for one who is a chief of so much people.” She praised as she gazed at the crowd singing and chanting all sorts of stuffs. She wasn’t Cherokee but she could tell they were singing the praises of their chief.
” They aren’t happy to see me. They are happy that I’m real. I was back here yesterday and since I didn’t seat on the throne, they assumed a devilish Ghost was playing games with their minds.” Said Catori as he gazed at the faces that raged before his palace in celebration.
” You were back here yesterday? I didn’t even know that.” She chimed and began to get concerned with the locals holding sticks and metal spear.
” How else did I fetch the dress you two are wearing. I didn’t have them in my pocket.” He silvered, and didn’t bother to gaze at her. His attention was on the raging crowd.
” Oh I see. Yes. You move so fast Catori. It’s the only way you can move to and fro the mountains with ease.” She opined and nodded.
“Not at all. It’s just not far. Well the chiefs are here. Let’s here what they want to say.” Said Catori while Maximin paid a keen attention to the brewing chemistry between his crush and his savior. He was getting scared rather than jealous of the niceness of the handsome chief.
” Oh yes. Sure.” She said and took her gaze off his face. All this while he hadn’t even been gazing at her.
” My king. It gives me joy to welcome you back from your journey. Myself and my people have been with you in prayers and we….”‘
” Lies. You have done nothing but drink all through. You lie too much Agiyon.” Said a confident voice as it’s owner cat walked her way out of the crowd, walked past him and was headed straight to the throne.
” Luitsi! Shut up. Are you crazy. How dare you embarrass me in public like this.” Whined the drunk chief who staggered from anger and clutched his hands in a fist.
” My Lord. Welcome back from your meditation. I have missed you and have no doubt that I alone was with you in prayers, in thoughts, in mind and in body? ” ” No, sorry not in body.” She chuckled and continued
“Well not that I was here and was still there with you. I know you need privacy. I was just here with you in prayers and in thought and in mind and ….”
” Thank you Luitsi. I know you were.” Catori replied the bare breasted teenager as she found it difficult to assemble her composure when she was before him. She stood several feet away from the crowd and was more closest to the throne than it was allowed by the laws of the land. It didn’t matter to her. She was a retard and the laws had no clutch against her even if she killed a man. All people were told to avoid her problems at all costs as her mental stability were gone with the winds.
” Sacrilege. Luitsi. How dare you walk past the red lines of the throne. The gods would strike you there. Get back now.” Snarled Agiyon as his eyes widened in shock while he gazed at her like someone who was seeing a ghost. For all the crowd cared, he was the only one who took her seriously and they could only blame his love for sorghum beer for causing such an infraction.
” The gods love me. It’s clear for all to see. They brought me from the dead and they keep me single and beautiful.” She said in a honeyed voiced while her smiley eyes were stocked on Catori.
” My king. Have mercy on this retard. She is an embarrassment to my clan. I personally plan on going to pray for the restoration of her health. I will ask the gods to take her life if her sanity can never be returned.” Cried the drunk chief after falling down on his knees from either plea or stupor.
” Well then go! I will like to see the bears take you as a snack. Men go to pray for their people. All you do is drink all the sorghum beer in the whole clan. Go and Pray Agiyon go.” She pleaded with him knowing he was going to be bear cake if he did as planned.
” Luitsi. Come. Sit by me here.” Said Catori in sotto voce of kindness. She casted a big smile and dandily ran into the hurt, quickly sitting beside Amelia without even caring to look at her twice.
” Hi Luitsi.” Amelia said with a smile but the teenager wouldn’t even give cognizance to any of the two guest. Not even to Maximin who waved slightly in greeting towards her. She had affinity for only royalty and from the old clothing the two fellas were wearing, they looked nothing like royalty to her.
” Thank you for your mercy my king. Welcome. Welcome back.” Purred Agiyon who tried to stand up but found it difficult to. He decided to imbibe the humble way out and remained on the floor.
” Uric acid huh. Drink less high chief.”Luitsi mocked, with a soft cackle. It caused Amelia to wonder how both her and the drunk chief could speak good English and how it appeared to seem that some of them knew sciences.
” All you learned from the white missionaries. You use it to mock the weak and haven’t helped anyone. Your knowledge of science Is bullshit.” Griped Agiyon who was mad at the truth of her direct diagnosis.
” You will end up eating the whole bats in the mountain cave and driving them to extinction with that pregnant belly of yours. My Lord he is cursing before you. It’s only fair you take off his head this very moment.” Luitsi clamored and placed her palm over her mouth to curtail herself from laughing too loudly. It was already contagious enough for some locals had laughed at her jab on the drunk chief. Catori said nothing but allowed the duo to have their time. He wasn’t directed by the gods to speak yet. It was in a way a thing of derogatory muse for him to watch them battle it out against each other, just to think they were rumors of them being lovers.
” Bitch! The gods would have your tongue for this one. They would have it no doubt!” Sassed Agiyon and scrambled up on his feet with the help of two of his Clans men. The other chief was from the black clan was Master Muffet. A short man with an overly broad body structure. He was more than forty years old and was so reddish in skin tone that it appeared his body was one hell of an inflamed nose. Unlike his counterpart. He wasn’t a dead drunk but lacked any aspect of formal education.
” King Catori. Welcome. He said and finished the rest of his speech in Cherokee.
” After Master Muffet had spoken, it was time for The paramount chief in the person of Catori to address the thousand spectators that gathered around the his palace. Majority of them had been beneficiaries of the missionary education thus they could communicate in English, while some could even read and write. The program only fell short when they missionaries could only manage to convert a single person in the span of five years. They had to leave their structures behind and seek for greener pastures. Among the ones trained to read and write, traditional scholars, who passed down the knowledge for the few that were ready to learn. It was mostly the wards of chiefs and top royalties who didn’t have to partake in farming activities, that were privilege to take such lessons. Luitsi father was considered to be affluent due to his successful trades with the outer world. Catori was sent to the city to have a complete and higher knowledge over his peers. He was heir apparent and his father didn’t want any one competing with his child. A higher level of education and exposure cemented his stance to the throne and no one dared to contest. His father’s plan had worked
” Greetings to you all my people. It gives me a sense of joy to be back home among you on a day like this. As you all know. I have been away for three days and all I did was fast and pray against a bad omen I had seen some days ago.”
” Red Clan! You all hear that right. A bad omen. Pregnant chief here claimed I made up the story.” Exclaimed Luitsi, subconsciously cutting in on her king as he spoke. He paused and for the first time since he had arrived, smiled mildly. She quickly placed her palm over her mouth, sunk her head in apology and waved her palm at Catori who nodded to affirm her apology. He had nothing but pity for her. It hurt his heart that the most beautiful and intelligent maiden in the whole land had to end up being a retard. All his personal efforts to cure her as a master of the herb was rendered futile. It was a thing the gods had taken in place of her life.
” You could never do wrong to me.” He whispered and she could hear causing her eyes to go teary in guilt and emotions. There were times she felt she could connect to her inner self that wasn’t full of drama and just lived a normal life. But in as much as she tried, she knew her mental health was a flop and things tended to happen too fast that she had no control over. ” If I was a normal maiden. If I wasn’t mad in the head, then maybe Catori would have taken me.” She thought.
” You aren’t mad and I haven’t rejected you my dear.” He said to her and everyone could hear. Alas it dawned on her what she thought was said in the enclave of her mind was being said out loud by her tongue. It was one of her major problems. She thought out loud and made them verbal. It was so weird and it made people evade her since she mostly had thoughts of oddities and super natural happenings.
” My Lord I didn’t mean to speak it out” She hushed and applied her palms over her mouth while her face fell in Sadness. “Maybe I’m just mad.” She winced emotionally and slowly stood up. She gazed at the crowd and they seemed to be amused by her sense of drama. It wasn’t what she wanted. She yearned to be normal like everyone and how didn’t manage to see her suffering only broke her heart the more. She sulked softly and slowly began to walk away with her head bent to the earth and her wrist clutched by her palm that rested on her plump rear.
” What a wasted beauty. Maximin thought and waved his head slowly in silence.
” Luitsi I want you stay.” Said Catori in a sullen tone of pity for the deranged maiden who just kept walking. Clearly she wasn’t under the jurisdiction of any god or king and everyone knew it. When she wanted to come, she came and when she wanted to leave, she left.
” No Catori. I want to leave. You should take that white lady over there. She is the one for you.” Conceded the young maiden as she slowly walked away, while her silky black hair was caused to meander by the soft winds. It was shocking to Amelia how a lady who had appeared to be an irrelevant lunatic to majority of the gathering had now caused everyone to be sober. Even Agiyon couldn’t help but pitifully look away from the broken hearted maiden as she slowly walked away. The whole crowd gazed at her and they hard nothing but pity for her. It was not her fault that she turned out the way she did. They could see the efforts for normalcy in her soul. It made them feel ashamed of themselves for what they had unapologetically tagged her to be_ a mad woman. No one said a word till the beauty queen was out of sight. Finally there was some murmuring in the crowd and a lot of them were swiping the mist from their eyes. They hadn’t been all so sober in a long time.
” Just as I was saying. My time at the outer Lands haven’t been in vain. I was praying against an Omen of plague or war or plague and war. I know some of us had seen it to. Luitsi did. The gods showed me that she did.” Said Catori. The fact that he was wearing just jean shorts didn’t in any way affect his vigor. He had a royal charisma which he had minted at young age by knowing when to speak, how to speak, and what to speak, in a coordinated fashion. As royalty, laughter was a no-no and keeping his calm was important as feeding his hunger. He was only allowed to smile and his tutors made him believe his smile was as rear as diamonds which took a life time to find. He seldom ever smiled but among all, it was his abilyh to balance humility and pride that gave him the trappings of a merciful god among his people. Again the murmurings in the crowd had ceased causing him to continue in his speech.
” However , my father and his fathers before him didn’t bring us this far by just praying. They were warriors who knew when to kill and when to get killed. It’s what we must prepare for. Something dark is coming. Prayers may avert it. It may not avert it completely. We must help ourselves and leave the gods to help us only when our strengths have evaded our will power.” Said the red king, who sat majestically on his throne. He didn’t feel a need to stress it past how he had already said it. Standing to address his people only made him look like some missionary preacher and it was one of the things he hated the most.
Maximin gazed at him in admiration. Even didn’t know a man of such simple nature could command so much vigor in his words. For Amelia, she felt like loosing every aspect of her home training and sitting on his lap, then she saw Maximin by her side and the notes of her confused heart went flat again.
” Sire. What is coming? Tell us please.” Said Agiyon whose sober head was now even more sober than ever. Nothing scared the heart of jolly lover man like the thoughts of death. Hell no he didn’t want to die and leave all the sorghum bears and beautiful maidens behind. His eyes had caught the sight of some little virgins in his clan and he was bent on being the first to pop their petals before anyone could first him to the clan. All he needed to do was ask their guardians and they were his for the taking.
” War, plague and all shades of that.” Said Catori with a scowl of bravery on his face. It was clear to all that he didn’t back down from the Omen. He was living through it and wanted all his people to do the same.
” Oh No. Sire! You spent three days and three nights praying against it. Don’t the gods derive pleasure in seeing us happy. Haven’t our fathers suffered enough. Haven’t they paid the price for our soft lives. Why do the gods deprive us of this little joys that keep the hard life going. Why….??” Agiyon wailed almost settling for tears amidst his deep fears. He wasn’t a fighter and didn’t know how wield a sword. War for him simply meant he was going to be murdered.
” I prayed against it. Sometimes the gods answer, sometimes they leave us to have an experience of a different kind. The outcomes are clustered. Wail all you want but war is coming. We would need another honey in a jar miracle to avert this omen.” Said Catori as his scowl tightened just by peering at the Cowardice of his so called Chief.
” Oh this gods are so wicked. Why didn’t they wait till after my death to send a war. Why does the red foot always have to suffer so much. Why? Why… Why??” He yelled out and this time around he was crying for all who cared to see. He was scared and he wasn’t hiding it.
” Agiyon! Stop it.” Said Master Muffet who felt disgusted by the wits of his counterpart. All the while he had said nothing and when made to speak everyone gave a listening ear.