"Is she dead?" Came Bimo's voice from the side.
"No!" Danji retorted sharply.
"She does look dead, though", another voice came.
"She's not, Biwa".
"But she has been like this since last night", Biwa added.
"She isn't dead! Look! She's breathing".
"Do you think we should start the death ceremony fire?" Ajefe asked calmly.
"No, you jackass!"
Kamyla's brows twitched.
"Oh, look!" Biwa gasped. "She's alive!"
"That's what I have been saying all this while!"
Kamyla squeezed her eyelids tightly, shaking her head as a soft moan escaped her lips.
She groaned. "A- Ajefe?" His name barely left her lips.
Ajefe leaned forward, "Yes?"
"Closer", she whispered with her eyes still shut.
He moved closer, bringing his ear to her lips. "Yes? Talk to me, Kamy—"
Her fingers suddenly seized the round length of his neck muscles. Ajefe's eyes widened.
"Ka- Kamyla, what are yo—"
Kamyla snapped her eyes open, shooting him a hard glare. "How dare you plan to set my ceremony fire before I set yours".
Her fingers clenched tightly on his neck, digging her nails into his skin as she crushed his windpipe.
Ajefe choked, clutching onto her wrist to try and evade her oddly powerful grip.
"K- Kam- Kamy..." He strained his neck, grunting.
Kamyla growled, squeezing his neck even harder as his eyes rolled backwards and veins drew on his forehead.
"Kamy!!!" Biwa and Bimo squealed, throwing their arms around Kamyla's neck. "You're alive!!"
She immediately let go of her dying friend, letting him land flat on the floor as he gasped for air.
Kamyla then turned to the twins to smile widely at them. "Biwa! Bimo!" She wrapped her arms around them as they hugged her tightly.
Kamyla then looked over their shoulders to lock eyes with Danji, who stood not too far from the bed she was seated on. He smiled.
Kamyla then took a glance around, realising it was already morning and they were in her self-contained hut back in Diowo.
Biwa and Bimo slowly pulled back, looking up at her with tears full in their eyes. She cooed, raising her hands to wipe away her tears. "Aww, don't cry, sweethearts".
The sisters sobbed. "We thought we lost you..." Biwa whimpered.
"We were so scared", Bimo gulped.
Kamyla smiled, "It's okay, I'm fine. Just as I promised".
"Thank you for being, Okay, Kamy", They smiled.
"What about me!?" Ajefe coughed, struggling to push himself to his knees.
"How are you feeling?" Danji asked.
"Aw! Sweet of you to ask, Dan". Ajefe rubbed his aching neck. "I feel a bi—"
"I was talking to Kamy, you numbskull!" Danji hissed, drawing his gaze back to more important people.
Ajefe pouted.
Kamyla then looked up at him. "I feel better now. Thank you". She then glanced at the shut door and back, "Where's Rhou?"
"His outside by Mama's Enhu's hut".
Her eyes widened. "Mama Enhu, the herbal doctor? Is Rhou okay!? Is he dying!?"
"Relax", Danji smiled. "He is fine..."
"Then what is he doing with the doctor!?"
"Well... He did get severely injured from his one-on-two with the werehyenas but he is conscious and can move. But Mama Enhu said he will be fine after her treatment and some hours rest".
Kamyla grimaced in worry, nodding subtly. "Oh... Okay. If you say so".
Danji then cleared his throat, "Anyway putting that aside, what happened back then? What made you blackout like that? Did the werehyena use a spell or something?"
A crease formed on her forehead, "I'm not sure".
"What do you mean?"
Kamyla raised her hand to gently rub the back of her head, letting out a hiss, "I... I don't exactly know what happened but at the moment, it felt like my heart had stopped beating, my body refused to move and my mind just went blank".
"I wonder what kind of spell that is", Biwa frowned.
"It's called fear".
All eyes snapped at Ajefe, who now had on a serious expression.
He continued, "An emotion we have been trained to forget as Sah'Jangi warriors".
Kamyla slowly lowered her eyes. "Just as I thought..."
Ajefe then moved to sit on a nearby stool, cupping the side of his face. "And it may most likely have everything to do with the fact that you saw your parents be devoured by the very creatures that we were fighting".
Kamyla remained quiet.
Danji then stepped closer, causing the twins to step aside as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey", he lifted her face by the chin. "Don't be like that, okay? It's not your fault in any way".
Kamyla diverted her eyes from his as she pulled away from his hand, "Doesn't change the fact I did little to nothing... All because I got... Scared".
Her first clutched.
It was a typical mentality of Sah'Jangi warriors that the feeling of fear was equivalent to cowardliness and the ability to let it control you was the worst shame to carry and a slap on their pride.
What kind of warrior would get scared of their opponent just at the sight of them... She bit her lips.
"Don't be that hard on yourself", Ajefe said with a sad grimace. "None of us did much to eliminate the weres but save the lives we could at the nick of time. And even that would have been impossible if we didn't have Rhou with us".
"That is true", Danji agreed, lowering himself into a squatting position. He then placed hands on her thighs, looking up at her with a smile. "Rhou is your personal beast your raised and tame. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have probably made it through last night. So it still boils down to your success and importance here. Besides, we all did little to nothing soo we will all be taking the burden".
Kamyla smiled weakly.
"Besides, you shouldn't feel so gloomy before our journey. It's a bad omen". Ajefe said, causing Kamyla to chuckle lightly.
Biwa and Bimo then crooked their heads.
"You three will be leaving for the Capital already?" Biwa asked.
"Hm..." Danji responded. "This morning actually".
"But why? You just returned..." Bimo finally spoke.
"Classified reason, dear", he smiled, raising his hand to pat her head, gently. "So could you two excuse us?"
Biwa and Bimo glanced at all of them with disappointed grimaces, before nodding sheepishly. "Okay..." They recited.
The sisters turned and strode out through the wooden door, leaving the three warriors alone in the small hut.
Danji slowly turned back to the other, dropping his smile. "I guess the rumours are true then".
"Hm", Kamyla leaned back to rest against the wall by her bed. "There is a breach in the bounds of the Evil Forest which is possibly connected to the strange disappearances".
"And worst", Ajefe started, "Not only spirits but other creatures have started to sip out too".
Danji sighed, "This isn't good. If word spread that werehyenas escaped the forest, it will cause a commotion—"
"Don't worry about that", Ajefe smiled. "I spoke to the people of both our village and the attacked one. They won't say a word till we arrive back from the Capital with further instructions. Diowo villagers have also agreed to happily house the survivors in the meantime and cater for them".
"That's good".
"Although, there is one more problem now... Baba Elawo", Ajefe grimaced.
Their expressions fell.
"We are definitely going to receiving the scolding of our life today", Kamyla sighed.
Danji then smile nervously "Don't worry. Be a bit positive at least. Maybe Baba won't bawl at us that much..."
He gulped. "I hope..."
• • •
"Weak! Useless! Incompetent! Lazy! Foolish! Waywarded! Disappointment and wastage of my time and effort! That is what you three are!"
Danji, Kamyla and Ajefe, stayed put on their knees with their gazes locked on the matted floor of the palace's sacred courtroom.
Baba Elawo stood in front of them with a deep scowl on his face, tapping his fingers on the metal staff in his hand whilst wondering which head to knock first with it.
They gulped.
Even the other members of the Supreme Heads sat silently behind Baba Elawo, not wanting to involve themselves with his discipline sessions with his warriors.
Baba Elawo narrowed his eyes.
"Could one of you perhaps explain why all three of you failed so woefully in your encounter with Tawongis?!"
Danji licked his lips, "Baba... W- We may have been a bit unprepared—"
"Didn't I train you to always be prepared!?"
Danji didn't respond.
"Baba Elawo..." Ajefe called timidly, "It is said experience is the best teacher so—"
KNOCK!
"AH!" Ajefe flinched.
"I have been desperately waiting for you to open your mouth and boldly say something stupid as always, Ajefe!"
"But that wasn't stupid", Ajefe mumbled to himself, grimacing in pain whilst rubbing his head.
Baba Elawo then turned to Kamyla. "And what about you, Kamyla? Any reason?"
Kamyla remained silent, obviously too embarrassed to admit her honest reason to be fear.
Baba Elawo hissed, "Do you know what angers me the most?"
Danji then responded, "That we failed ou—"
KNOCK!
"UGH!" Danji clutched his head.
"Of course not, you morons! Being a warrior doesn't mean you are immune to failure".
They slowly gazed up, furrowing their brows in confusion.
"I am this pissed because I know why you all failed! You grew too comfortable! So comfortable and assured of the Bounds on the Evil Forest, that you all mentally limited yourselves to being simple soldiers that can only fight human armies!"
They lowered their gazes remorsefully.
"The pride and significance of a Sah'Jangi warrior is the fact that they are rugged and virile enough to face not only man but anything above it that isn't from the heavens!"
"You are different from all other warriors in other Empires because you are trained to be the shield of our people from both known and unknown. The moment you let your mental standards drop, you will never be prepared enough for the entities that roam in the shadows waiting for our weakest moment! And once that happens, not even your own people will have faith in you!"
Their shoulders dropped.
Elawo stared at the three young adults moments longer, before letting out a disappointed tsk as he shook his head. He then stabbed the end of his staff to the floor, exhaling loudly.
Silence consumed the entire room, with all eyes locked on the heads of the gloomy warriors.
Baba Elawo shut his eyes and took a few seconds to calm himself. He opened his eyes and asked, "How many survivors?"
"About forty. Fifteen are severely injured", Danji bowed.
"That makes them fifty-five. Even less than half the population of that village".
"Yes, Baba".
"And the weres. How many?"
"Twelve".
"Twelve? Hm... Must have been a small group from an even bigger clan and they just came out to play. How many females were there?"
"None were females, Baba".
Baba Elawo furrowed his brows. "None were females and they had caused that much damage?! Imagine if they were actually present and didn't run off as they did! Do you know how lethal it would have been for even your own village?!"
Danji nodded.
"Also, Baba", Ajefe raised his head, "There was one werehyena that seemed very different from the rest".
"Mm? How different?"
"Its eyes had separate colours of red and yellow, with long metal blade spikes on its back".
Baba Elawo thought for a moment. "Different coloured eyes?..."
He gazed down, raising his hand to touch the strands of his grey beards with a mused expression. "That could only mean one thing..." His eyes suddenly widened.
He turned to the Emperor. "Your Majesty?!"
"Yes?"
"We have two problems now!"
"Aside from the breached Bounds?"
Baba Elawo nodded. "A loose JuJu".
Their brows shot to the top of their skulls.