"Thank you the eye of our gods. This is difficult but we will do as you have said." Zaki responded with a heavy heart.
"One more thing your majesty!" Or u Akombu said stiffening his face straight into the sun.
"The gods has demanded that Ake Agure Kyume would also be punished?"
Angered, the king rose to his feet and hit his staff to the ground causing everyone to tremble.
"What are you talking about eye of the gods?" He asked audaciously
"Yes Your majesty! For failing to guide his seed, Ake Agure Kyume would also be punished."
"Do you mean he would have to die along side his daughter?" The king asked
"No! Your majesty. His sentence is that he would be the one to weed out his daughter to serve as a warning for every other tree to watch his seed carefully to see that they are not misguided." Or u Akombu answered.
Troubled, the King exhaled and walked about thoughtfully then went to Ake Agure Kyume, placed his left hand on his shoulder and Kyume nodded his head in agreement to the voiceless appeal the king made.
It was settled, Ake Agure Kyume would be the one to execute his daughter Torkwase and it would take place three hours from the time.
I sighed trying hard to understand why it had to be that way. At the same time I was troubled and sad, none the less I was happy for Torkwase whom in no distance time would be in a far better place, just as the missionaries; Fredrick Stone and John Mills told her.
When the time of execution came, Torkwase was going to be given a honorable execution because of all the wars she had fought to keep the profile of the land of Buruku Kingdom.
As a sign of honor, she was brought before the king who dipped three fingers in palm wine and touched her forehead to bless her.
He then took her round the entrance, showing her all the heads of warriors and kings she had personally killed in battle. This brought smiles on the faces of both. When the king was done, he blessed her and wish her a happy stay with the ancestors, but Torkwase told the king that she was going to a better place where the ancestors would have wished to be and the place is called 'Heaven'.
"When I shall come to you, you shall show me to this heaven, Warrior." The king said.
"You won't see me unless you follow this way." She responded
"Your majesty!" Or u Akombu shouted becoming afraid that the king was giving heed to the words of Torkwase.
The king led her into the hands of the warriors who stood waiting as he handed her over to them.
She was taken to a different place from the usual execution ground, this was to honor her also.
Ake Agure Kyume had a Scarlett tied to his face and stood waiting when the daughter was brought before him.
"Father! Grant me the opportunity to see your face so I die happily." She said smiling.
His chest panting, Ake Agure Kyume brought down the Scarlett off his face and approached his daughter.
"Please tell Mom and siblings that I will be happier where I am going. Take care of yourself and keep the people of Buruku safe as you have always done." She said to her father.
"Yes I will daughter. You have taught me courage this day. The diary of the white people is with me. I will sought for one to interpret to me the words and search for the spirit which you now posses. I promise that I will also be with you in the kingdom where you now depart." Ake Agure Kyume said in his masculine voice and stretched his head towards the right demanding for the blade which was handed over to him by a warrior.
Taking hold of his joyful daughter, he hugged her and dashed the blade into her heart.
Struggling to cross to the world beyond, Ake Agure Kyume majestically brought her to the ground giving his last respect.
It took just minutes and I watched Torkwase spirit came out of her body as she died.
I ran to her to hug her as I was a spirit as well, but she passed out and was out of my view. Looking up, I saw the king on the throne with chariots that took her from my sight.
"You have forgotten that you are back in time and couldn't communicate with her." The angel told me.
"Oh, I forget." I said as I and the angel stood there watching as Ake Agure Kyume for the first time fell into the dust and wept for his daughter.
Torkwase was gone - gone to a better world.
For the entirety of the following week, the kingdom of Buruku came to a stand still such that even the birds refused to sing.
No one went to farm, no hunter went hunting, everyone married to his home mourning the dead of the greatest female warrior to grace the land of Buruku.
A week later, Or u Akombu was back again with another message from the gods.
"There is a book left in the land by the white men." He told the king
"What book is this, eye of the gods?" The king asked worried.
"The gods have only informed me of the book which is in the hands of a fellow in the kingdom. The whole Kingdom must be gathered your majesty and the book searched for, otherwise there would be doom in the land." He said and turned to leave.
"My king, a warrior brought the book to me and it is with me. I have an assignment to attend to which is to visit the lands for their taxes as his majesty has requested of me. When I shall return, I will make provision of the book." Ake Agure Kyume said and rode off on his horse.
This he did as a plan.
Retuning back home, he called his servants and took them indoor then gave them animals skins to scribe on them the words from the diary as much as they could. This he would preserve as he wanted to know something which could make people chose to die over than prefer to denounce it and live.
The following day when the book was provided and handed over to Or u Akombu, he left with it to the shrine and blessed the kingdom as he declared the land cleansed from what he called evil.