CHAPTER 10
Wanday went back and stayed with her sister by her bedside, she had a fever and she looked like she was in a lot of pain. She held her sister's hand and she saw lots of blood everywhere in a vision. She left her sister's hand and when she held it again she saw the same vision. There was lots of blood but she didn't know whose blood it was. Andrew walked into the room and he noticed how worried the sister was. "She will be alright Wanday, she is a strong woman.", he encouraged her. She smiled at him and replied, "I know but I need to know why the river turned red and why she is not recovering." The king looked confused and he asked her, "How will you do that my queen?" She didn't know either but she had to contact Ammara from the dead. She was the only one who could give her all these answers she was looking for. She stood up and paced up and down the room. Then suddenly she lit up, "I need to go to the mountain where the river was born. I will find my answers there.", she told the young king. He nodded his head and replied, "Let me take you up the mountain then. They both left the room and headed for the mountain. They asked Tafuh to keep an eye on Sharay as they took one of the great warriors with them. Everyone in Mount city gathered outside the palace gates with lit candles and flowers for the young queen, they were all praying for her. Wanday was touched when she saw this, these people lived for the people of Agasah and they felt the need to pray for her sister. "They pray for her to wake up so they can thank her themselves.", the young king told Wanday. She smiled and they kept walking towards the mountains. The river had become red and this had never happened before. Wanday wanted to understand the connection between the river and her sister, if her sister would make it since fate had changed and if there was a solution to the problem with the river. She walked with the young king quietly as they both were thinking and worried about Sharay. The got in the cave where the river flowed from and Wanday asked that the warriors leave them alone. She removed her shoes and she walked into the river. She sat at in the river and she began to utter an ancient prayer to the gods. Andrew watched this from the river side and he also prayed she would have answers on how to save her sister. Sharay slept on her bed in pain and the fever got worse. As the fever got worse the river turned even more. This made everyone in mount city nervous. What they didn't know was it wasn't just in Mount city were the river had turned red but it was everywhere including Agasah.
Feeling more victorious Amandla couldn't wait to get to Agasah and brag her victory. She couldn't wait to see her mother's face when she broke the news that she had killed the great Sharay. Somehow Harunah thought something bad had happened to one of her daughters when the river and the dam water had turned red. Arub's spell had been broken and he was awake. He touched the water in the ponds and he wondered why the water was turning red. He thought it was the gods punishing the valoyees therefore they were draining life out of the river. Harunah saw the look of worry on his face and she walked towards him. "Not now Harunah. I am a little busy.", he said when he saw her approach him. She still walked up to him and she said, "In all my centuries that I have lived in this realm nothing like this has ever happened Arub. What is going on?" She saw the look of worry on his face and how clueless he was. "I do not know what is happening to the water. I think the gods are punishing us because of Amandla.", he suggested. Harunah laughed and she mocked him, "Amandla's actions would make them punish us today and yet they never punished you." She placed her hand in the water and when she drew it out, it was covered in blood. The water had not just turned red it had turned into blood. She sighed and said, "Something is wrong Arub, something is deeply wrong and I can't believe I am actually talking to you about it." Arub looked at the empress and he knew she was right. They both knew the river was the source of life for this realm but they had never told Amandla and now they both feared she did something to the river. They walked away from the first pond and looked at the flood gates of the dam which were now full of blood running through them. "I hate to say this but I agree with you something is deeply wrong Harunah.", Arub exclaimed. They heard a loud laugh behind them and they both turned to see Amandla standing there with here hands in her waist. "Of course somethingis wrong my fellow friends. The river turned red and I killed Sharay!", she boasted to them. Harunah trembled and Arub helped her to stand, this amused Amandla and she continued boasting, " I am touched by this united front that you both have today. Oh mother I killed that little witch of yours with her own sword. The golden sword the gods gave her." She smiled and she clapped her hands for herself. Arub and Harunah then realized what had happened. They also realized how the gods had made sure this realm would always be protected from the valoyees. "Do you know what you have done Amandla?", Arub asked her angrily. She laughed and she replied, "Oh yes I do, I just killed Sharay!" Harunah walked up to her daughter and she whispered in her ears, "No you have doomed us all! If she really is dead you have just destroyed this realm and everyone in it." She walked away and Amandla stood there confused. She thought it was just her mother trying to make her feel bad but when she looked at Arub and saw the look on his face she knew her mother wasn't trying to make her feel worthless. "Arub what does she mean?", she quietly asked her. He looked exhausted by her and he slowly replied, "Sharay is the river and the river is the life of all that lives in this realm. That is why the gods showed Wanday the vision to protect Mount city. They wanted to protect Sharay and now she is dying and so will everything that we have worked for Amandla." She looked pale and she was afraid. "I didn't know she was the river. The other time I tried killing her she didn't even bleed remember?", she asked him with so much fear. He shook his head, sighed and replied, "That is because you didn't use he weapon from the gods. They made sure I would never win this war because Sharay will always be there. How did they link the river to her though?" He was just as confused as everyone else. Harunah went and wept for her daughter in her chamber she had never seen her since she was a baby and now she had died. She wept so much and she asked the gods to show her, her daughter just one time. Arub felt hopeless as he stood facing the dam wall, the water became thicker and thicker and the people of Agasah became more wary. Harunah felt weak and she fell to the ground. Her strength was being drained and this meant Sharay was dying. Amandla found the empress weak on the floor and she cried out for help. In that moment she realized she loved he mother but she couldhelp but feel defeated by Sharay even in her death.
Sharay's fever grew worse and worse and Tafuh was out of ideas as to what she should do to help the young queen. She stood there and watched as all her hair turned grey and few strands beginning to turn black. Her skin became pale and she looked like she was far away. Tafuh held the young queen's hand and it was colder than before. She sang Nadine's song they used to sing together hoping it would help. She couldn't help but weep as she sang. Sharay looked beautiful even with the grey hair. In the mountains Wanday continued to sit in the river as it turned into blood. She called out to the gods and prayed for answers. A blue light appeared and she walked into it. There she saw Ammara waiting for her. she smiled at the young queen and said, "I see you are troubled my queen." Wanday walked towards Ammara and she replied, "I can't help Sharay and she is dying. The river has turned into blood too. What am I to do?" Ammara smiled and she walked closer to the queen and held her hand. "It is not you who has to save Sharay nor the river. I didn't tell you where I placed her heart when I carved it out of her before. Come and I will show you.", she told the young queen. Wanday followed Ammara into the deeper part of the forest and she saw the past when they were born and Ammara doing rituals for them. The river came and it took Sharay's heart and it merged it with it's heart. He left the altar and flowed to the end of the world passing Sharay's heart to all of the living in Agasah. Wanday was amazed at what she had just seen and she looked at Ammara with so much worry. "Then how can I help my sister and the river? The whole realm will collapse if they don't survive.", she asked Ammara. Ammara took the young queen's hand and said to her, "You need to find a way to make Sharay connect with the river. She has to know and understand who she is if she really wants to stop Amandla. If Amandla finds out that Sharay is the river she will stop at nothing until she find her heart and control Sharay, the river and this realm." She said this and Wanday woke up from her vision. She saw the king waiting fro her and she said, "Quick we need to get Sharay here. We have no time." They rushed out of the cave and down the mountains to get Sharay to the river. The young king didn't ask Wanday what she had seen when she was sitting in the river, he only wanted to get Sharay to the river. They got to the palace and Sharay's hair was turning from grey to black. Tafuh looked worried and confused when Wanday opened the door. She walked to her sister and she held her hand tightly, she couldn't imagine losing her. "We have to carry her to the river Tafuh, only the river can help her now.", Wanday told Tafuh quietly. Tafuh carried Sharay to her dragon and she flew to the mountain with her. Wanday followed with the other warrior and the king. Everyone was worried, the life of the only person meant to defeat Amandla hanged on a thread and all they could do was hope and pray she would be fine. They got to the river and Wanday prayed to the gods before they placed Sharay into the river. She was taken to the bottom of the river by the water and Wanday sat at the river bank as she prayed to the gods.
As she lay deep in the river Sharay felt the river in her blood. The mermaids surrounded and there was a bright light that surrounded the whole cave and the water. This light covered the whole mountain and the river whispered to Sharay "Wake up Sharay!" She opened her eyes and saw the river calling her to him, he still looked as beautiful as the first day he spoke to her. She woke up and walked towards him, she had water dripping from her body and she felt cold. "Am I dead? What is this place?" she asked the river. The river flowed beside her and replied, "You are not dead but I need you to believe and fight so we can both live." She was surprised at what he had told her and she asked him what he meant. "I don't understand, what do you mean?", she asked the river. She could see the water surrounding her and she walked on beautiful pearls and rocks but this terrified her. the river took her to a cave which had an altar. She stood there looking at the altar and she heard a beating heart come from the altar. She felt the heart beat in her and she also heard the heart beat in the river. She opened her eyes wide open with shock and she asked, "Why is it I hear my heart beat for the first time in my life?" The river could see she was afraid and confused, she had never heard her heart beat and she had thought it was normal. "It's because we have the same heart. The water has turned red because we are dying and together we can save ourselves."the river told her. She walked to the walls away from the altar and she asked the river, "Are you saying I don't have a heart? My heart lives under water?" The river flowed to her and touched her with the water. She saw old memories of herself sitting underneath the water for a long time and healing herself with the water. Her eyes were filled with tears as she saw this, she had no memory of this and it all came as a shock to her. "I don't remember this ever happening to me.", she told the river. "Its because I erased them everytime you did it, to protect you Sharay. I have always been here with you since you were brought to me by Ammara and the gods.", the river replied her. She stumbled and she caught a glimpse of her hair which and almost turned black. She touched her hair and asked "Why is my hair black like this? Is it because I am dying?" The river replied, "Yes you are dying but we can save you. I will need you to channel all your magic." She looked at him and laughed. She had no magic and she thought the river had mistaken her for Wanday. "You do have magic in you just like I have magic in me. We have to channel that magic and heal.", the river told her. "No I don't have magic, its my sister who has those kind of powers.", she protested. The river flowed to the altar and held out its hand to her. She hesitantly walked towards the riverand held its hands. "Just focus and believe as we will flow together and heal." The river instructed her. She stood there and focused and she could hear the heart beat faintly. They flowed together and formed waterfalls together and as they joined into one and made the river the current of the river became stronger. It went over river beds and Wanday had to stand far away from the river. The waterfalls had more current flow and the dams were filled up. They became a queen and king that rode horses as they flowed. The people in the realm saw the king and queen made of the river riding from the mountain to Agasah. Harunah stood by the dam walls when she saw this marvelous site. The river raced towards the dam walls cleansing it of all the blood. Amandla and Arub watched from their windows and they marveled at the site. No one had ever seen such a thing. The river reached the dam wall and Sharay saw her mother. She had never understood anything about her and now she could see her in the form of a river. She rode up to her and she touched her mother's face with water. Harunah looked at the queen made of water and she then realized it was her other daughter, she had tears fill up her eyes with joy and relief. As Amandla saw this from her window she then knew Sharay was not dead and she was the queen made of water and this angered her. the river returned and the current went back to normal. The water became normal and Sharay found herself standing at the altar again. She stood there in awe and the river said,"That is the full extend of your power Sharay! You are me and I am you so never again doubt yourself. It is time to go back." She looked at him and asked, "What of my heart?" He held her hand and replied, 'You can never know where we hid your heart, no one except me and the gods know." He wrapped himself around her and she was floating on top of the river. "Wanday look its Sharay!", Tafuh told Wanday as she rushed into the river and pulled the queen out of the water. She wasn't awake yet and they carefully placed her on the ground. Wanday held her sister's hand and as she did Sharay's hair became white again. She opened her eyes and Wanday hugged her sister tightly. Sharay was too weak to walk so the king carried her to the dragon. She hadn't said a thing until she got to her chambers. She was left alone with her sister who kept holding her hand with so much happiness that her sister was alive. "Wanday I saw our mother today. She looked beautiful and she wept when she saw me.", she told her sister. Wanday looked at her sister and replied, "She must have been heartbroken to learn you were dying. She is beautiful isn't she?" Sharay smiled and squeezed her sister's hand. Tears filled her eyes and she said, "I miss our mother. She would know what to say to us in times like these." Wanday knew it would be difficult for Sharay to accept Harunah as their mother because she would always see Nadine as her mother. She also knew that the burden her sister carried was weighing her down. She could only be there for her when she needed a shoulder to lean on and help her through it all.
Amandla was filled with anger and jealousy of her sister. She had never seen such great power and she wanted more power. She was hurt when she saw the way her mother looked after the encounter she had with the river. She felt her mother would never love her the way she loved her other sisters. Nadine had given the girls everything and she had received nothing. She wasn't going to let them take Agasah from her too. She walked donw the hallway heading towards Arub's chambers, she saw him standing by his window. "Arub you look like you are deep in thoughts.", she said to Arub as she smiled and walked towards him. He looked back and replied, "The gods have made sure we cant kill Sharay my lady and I have been thinking a lot about what I saw today." She smiled and pat him on the back. "We don't have to kill her Arub, we just have to capture her and lock her away.", she told him in so much confidence. Arub knew now not to ever underestimate Amandla. He knew she was that kind of woman who would go to extreme lengths to get what she wanted but he had no idea what she would do to get Sharay locked up. "How will we even get to her, she is in Mount city building an army of course and she is also linked to the river and she knows it now.", he asked with concern. She laughed out loud and she gave him that evil look she always had when she was up to no good. "I am Amandla the mighty queen of Agasah and have I ever let you down Arub?", she asked him. He shook his head and she held his head up to face her. She said, "Then we need to get to work Arub." The queen walked out of Arub's chambers and as she walked past the crystal she remembered magic powers could be transferred from one person to the other. She knew now what she had to do and she was going to have to act as quickly as she could. On the other hand Arub had no idea that the latest person that Amandla was going to cross off her list was him. He was going to be betrayed by the one person he had nurtured to become like him only he had underestimated how deep her ambition went.