The night was setting in and unfolding the morning clouds. At cockcrow, Ruhu woke the ladies.
"Atama wake up, Zuchi its time we start moving".
The horizon smells of doom and the clouds seem guilty of holding a secret it's not telling. They started the journey, but Atama was slow and dragged her feet unenthusiastically, mostly from deep grieve and lack of interest to survive the day.
"Hasten up Atama, we need to find the river before the demon possessed Masisi finds us".
Atama made no effort to speed up, nor did she respond, her lack of interest and indifference was frustrating but no one complained because a girl of her age has no business harboring grieve, and such great loses in a day. What she didn't realize was the supernatural powers that lies within her soul, if only she could reach within, even the sorrows she bore can be bearable. Ruhu thought quietly.
Ruhu possess the ability to read minds amongst other super powers. He had laid fallow his powers for long, having no use for it except as the guardian of the Stone Wall of Secrets, now he must resurrect his super powers for the battle ahead. And must reveal the true nature of Atama to her in due time.
"Hush! Ruhu made a fist to halt the girls.
"I hear sounds of footsteps from a distance, its coming our way with a speed of 3km per second. I perceive we won't be able to cross the river before they get here".
Taking Zuchi's shoes off her feet, Ruhu exchanged it with that of Atama's. He touched them both at the same time, and an incredible thing happened. Their attire switched, making Atama the maid and Zuchi the princess. Before Atama would open her mouth to protest, Ruhu touched her forehead and her memory was wiped into a clean slate, just before the net of Masisi caught them all in a web.
"You think I will let you slip off my hands with the princess who is my access to regain what was stolen from me? Ruhu, you have caused me much and I shall repay you handsomely".
They were carted away with a perplex Atama even more confused with the events of things, as they rode back as captives.
"Zuchi you will play your path as the princess in the open but in the secrets you must attend to Atama as your mistress". Ruhu instructed.
He could hear the rage and confusion in Atama's head.
"What am I doing here?" She wondered in a state of blankness.
"I have been captured, I need to get away from them all, and this is not my home".
Compassion washed over Ruhu, seeing her that way, but he had to do it, less her true identity be revealed and the mission thwarted.
"My dear, take some rest and be at peace, this is a temporary situation, we will all be safe and free soon".
"And who are you", she silently questioned?
"Why is a prisoner like myself speaking words of peace and reassurance to me? Can't he see we are all prisoners?"
"The mind is the greatest prison and not this temporal cage", Ruhu said in response to her thoughts.
She said nothing, but closed her eyes and surrendered to the powers of sleep.
"I must help her find herself again, she must learn the power of her mind, that way she will reconnect with her true self and find the will to carry her cross". Ruhu thought.
Masisi assembled the people of Malunga to admonish them.
"People of Malunga, you're all mine now, I'm your king and I expect total allegiance. I shall rend down this place and set my throne on high, I shall rule all over the world and will not tolerate any opposition".
"Our allegiance is to Nyambe our true king", someone retorted from the crowd and the rest responded in agreement.
"Hush, you godforsaken wretch", Masisi's eyes turned red, he stretched out his hands and they became elongated until it fetched the bold speaker from the crowd.
"Then go join Nyambe your dead king in his grave". In a second, he slit the throat of the speaker before the crowd who gasp in fear and wonder, for they have never seen such evil.
"Any other challenge? I will gladly attend to" cried Masisi. But no one dared raise a voice or finger against the evil power before them.
"Don't worry, I am better off than your weak king, you will soon see. He has kept you away from a lot. He has turned your mind to that of little babes, but I will show you real power, real strength, real glory. You shall see and become gods. I shall bestow you with unsearchable knowledge and strength. Together, we shall build kingdoms and systems and glory for ourselves". Masisi bragged.
In no time, Masisi via the powers of Buwana, established his kingdom. He raised an army far greater than the sand in the sea shore, he rolled away the green vegetation of Malunga, set a blanket over the sun, lifting up an eye as a star for the light of his kingdom. The forest was trampled upon and a new throne was set up on high. The glory of Malunga rolled away and a new system began.
But for Masisi to sit on a throne, with a legitimate crown, and gain all the powers of Malunga, he must first find where Nyambe has vanished to and gain access to the signet ring and all its powers. That means subduing Nyambe, then replacing him and his son and daughter into the giant bottle in exchange for the freedom of Buwana's two sons. That way, good will be lost, and this time, it will be forever. And he was going to use Atama the princess and Ruhu the guardian to achieve his ordeal.
The citizens of Malunga were not spared, soon the hard labour began. They were made to work with metals and irons, other than the stones they were accustomed to. They were constantly hungry and tired. The land was getting stubborn and there was not enough sun or rain to bring about bountiful harvest.
The new king demanded they paid high taxes. Their wives were taken away from them and their children were also forced to work the labour of men. Soon the men became angry and bitter, making them harbor and conceive evil in their heart against their fellow humans.
They stole from each other, killed for bread and had illicit sex to find pleasure from the daily hardship.
Yet a percentage of the people did not pledge their allegiance to the powers of Buwana. In fact, Ruhu, the guardian began to search the crowd for clean heart through mind reading and was able to pick out a handful of them that haven't bowed to the powers of Buwana, having great hope that Nyambe will save them soon.
Ruhu tried to keep their hopes alive and help them not to surrender, but to hold on to their faith in Nyambe.
The prisoners were kept in a wide open cell with the ground covered with straws and hay. A young guard in his early twenties, not far from Atama's age was in charge of them.
"You must learn a great deal if you must accomplish the mission. Remember, the future of Malunga is in your hands Atama". Ruhu was whispering to a confused and indifferent lady.
"See, I'm tired of this talk of saving the world and defeating the devil. Hey Mr…. I'm trying to understand who I am. Everything look strange and confusing. I can't even remember my own name".
"Atama. Your name is Princess Atama of Malunga, daughter of the great king, Nyambe".
"Okay… that's it, now you add princess to my name, and who is Nyambe? And why is he not here to save me, to rescue us all if he is a great king as you claim. You call me a princess and then you say I'm the maid to her". Pointing at Zuchi who was sitting quietly with her head bowed.
Ruhu was quiet for a moment, allowing her to rend her frustration and complains. He understands her absolutely but can't help it. He must do what he has to do in other to shield her from herself and the grief, while he teaches her about her identity and the powers that lies within her. Buwana is very powerful and experienced, he has been existing for centuries. Atama is just a baby with super powers beyond her comprehension but those same powers will ruin her and bring the mission to a total defeat if not properly used and it sure will be a total disaster if Masisi get hold of it.
He will have to keep trying but doesn't know how long before she complies and start her training. There's a price to be paid for every minute wasted. But patience must have its full course for the mission to be flawlessly executed.
Zuchi wondered what will become of her, and prayed silently that Atama will eventually listen to Ruhu and save them all. Although, her life and allegiance will forever be to Nyambe and to the kingdom of Malunga.
The next day at sunrise, two guards pulled the prisoners from their sleep and brought them before Masisi. The young guard forced them to their knees before Masisi, who was sitting on a throne made of bones and skull with the top having a long horn with an eye on it.
"I see you are enjoying my reign already", Masisi's crocked voice echoed in the room.
"Now I demand you pledge your allegiance to me as king, or face the consequences. Oh, let me show you how the consequences look like".
Masisi sent for a breast feeding mother with her six months old baby to be brought from one of the cells where he keeps the resistance who wouldn't pledge their allegiance to him. The woman was brought forth and once again demanded to pledge her allegiance and renounce Nyambe as king.
A tall slim dark young woman and her wailing baby stood before Masisi. The baby was taken from her. With a punch, she was forced to go on her knees. Masisi arouse from his one eye throne of skulls and headed her way. The child keeps wailing in anxiety and discomfort.
Turning to the woman he said, "I will only ask once, are you ready to deny your weak king Nyambe and pledge your allegiance to me, declaring the power of Buwana as the ultimate?"
"Please Masisi, please don't hurt my child, I beg you in the name of our true king Nyam… and before she could complete her sentence, the skull of her baby was rolling down before her very eyes. The woman went crazy with rage and charged towards Masisi with a purple eyes emanating fire and revenge, but with a snap of the finger, Masisi quench the fire and bore his nails into her neck. The woman's last sentence was "evil can only thrive for a while, but when she is ready, she will crush your head and bruise your heel until you are back into the bottle, forever".
In annoyance, Masisi squeezed her neck until it shrieked and her body lay like a rag upon the floor.
"Bitch", he called out.
"I shall have no mercy on my victims and my prey shall know no escape", he yelled in a rage, turning to his wide eyed on lookers.
"Now, you will denounce Nyambe and pledge your allegiance to me as King and the powers of Buwana as ultimate".
A teary Zuchi turned towards Ruhu and began to plead that he saved them. Atama was scared but realized an uncontrollable anger surging out of her, and a strange desire to strangle the head of this demon. The image of the dead child's head rolling on the floor and the dead woman blurred her teary eyes. She was filled with rage. Ruhu was aware of the turmoil in her heart. He needed to distract Masisi and stop Atama from revealing her powers, knowing she lacked the knowledge of controlling it.
"I will start with the Princess", Masisi pointed at Zuchi to be brought forward.
"Now listen to me you little soul, you will bow to me or I will skin you with my bare hands".
Immediately, Ruhu, got into the mind of Atama and began to show her images of her in fierce battle with Masisi, until she defeated Masisi and the powers of Buwana was tugged back into the bottle.
Her mind was calm but her body was weak from the imaginary combat, making her slum to the ground.
Ruhu then turned to Masisi who was holding a sharp knife ready to skin Zuchi.
"But if you kill the princess how do you plan to find the palace with Nyambe and the dead prince. Killing her means you will never free your two bottled sons and your powers alone cannot bury good forever or prevail against the return of Nyambe, and you know what he will do when he returns. He shall avenge the death of his son, crush you beyond recognition before he sends you back into the everlasting bottle, and I shall be glad to guard you forever".
"Shut up! Shut up! You god forsaken guardian", he flings Zuchi who fell like a tornado against the wall before hitting the ground half-conscious.
"I will let her live but I promise you, when I find the palace and I meet Nyambe, I will do all that you have said, to him. First, I shall skin the princess, suck her blood from her vagina before bottling her in exchange for my son right before his very eyes. And as for you, I shall make you the guardian of their suffering while you yourself are in pains".
"Now get out of my presence, while I think of how best to make use of you all".
Ruhu was thrown back into the straw cell, with Princess Atama and Zuchi dragged by their hair and thrown unceremoniously into the cell. The young guard doubled the cell chains as he now knows the importance of the prisoners and their escape will mean, 'death by his own hands'.
Hours later, Ruhu had gotten into the mind of Zuchi, drawing her back to consciousness. She gasped as she opened her eyes.
"Water", she requested, and Ruhu gave her a sip then told her to rest a bit while he attends to her bruises by his healing hands.
Soon, there where both kneeling before Atama who was still unconscious and drained from the imaginary battle.
Ruhu held her hands and asked Zuchi to sing a lullaby close to her ears.
Zuchi gladly complied.
"The stars are so beautiful,
The moon so bright,
But their beauty comes from the great sun,
Fly with me that we may reach the source of the light,
Fly with me that it may shine through the darkness,
Fly with me that it may shield us from the coldness of fear,
Fly with me that we may smile forever".
The song was so soothing and beautiful that Ruhu finds himself relaxing his head against the wall with his eyes closed, even the young guard found himself drowsy from the sweet melody.
Atama opened her eyes.
"Where am I? The demon needs to stay in the bottle forever", she declared in a rage.
"Relax dear one", Ruhu placed a hand on her forehead.
"Soon, you will crush him and put him where he belongs my dear".
She looked at Ruhu for a moment. Suddenly, the image of the child and the mother in cold blood flooded her vision. She turned to him, grapping him fiercely by the arm.
"Teach me, teach me all that there is to learn teacher. Tell me all about my identity, I want to crush the enemy of my soul, only then shall I find peace".
"Ruhu smiled with satisfaction, looked at Zuchi and said, "She is ready to take her path".
"I shall teach you my dear".
Saying nothing, however, her eyes, speaks of her gratitude and determination.
"About 'peace', Ruhu added, you will find it from within and not the vengeance of your enemy. Only then will you defeat your enemy from the point of victory and not to find freedom, else, you defer not from the enemy himself"".
She really did not understand what he meant, so she decided to keep that in mind in other to ask him later. She closed her eyes and buried her breath in the arms of deep sleep.