The Land of Ayrahku has always been a strange land. It is unknown to the world, completely inaccessible to outsiders save for few exceptions like Aliya and Alisha who drank from the pool of illusions. It is located in the very heart of Africa, the continent's core center. No one has ever seen Ayrahku except for those who were able to get into the land. On her soil erected amazing trees, farms and gardens of various sizes. Her houses were all built by the Ayrahkans. One of the houses belong to Zibeh, Kiya's Father, which he inherited from his parents.
It was in the year 909ATS, in the first month and the first day that the great King Neh'ssi of the Ayrahku Kingdom born, the very first King to rule her people. The Ayrahkans set the birthday of their first King to be the day of harvest and thanksgiving. Due to her nature, Ayrahku's calender works differently from the rest of the world's. In the present year 1112ATS, first month and first day, Zibeh, Kiya's father travelled to his Land to celebrate the Thanksgiving alone. He couldn't bring his family due to the nature of his own life. He couldn't even tell them that he was coming back to the land of his ancestors, instead, he lied to them about his travel destination. On that day, he walked alone in his home garden, slowly and gently toward the largest tree in the community. The tree which has a deep connection to his bloodline. Zibeh's blood line is one of the strongest in the whole of the mysterious land, a line of powerful hunters and wrestlers. His ancestors never missed a target, they never failed in a wrestling, be it competitions or real battles, but when it came to Zibeh, the whole story changed.
He was strong alright, he was a great hunter too, until fear got hold of him. That why he came back home. He came back to face his fear.
"hah" he sighed heavily. Standing close by the large tree he said, "I know my story isn't a good one, but now that everything is intertwined I think I am ready."
After uttering those words, he raised his right hand and placed firmly against the tree trunk. At first he felt nothing but before he could wonder why, he felt a heavy jolt in his head. An electrifying sensation hit him, his head began to spin and that same sensation began to vibrate all the way from his lower spine to his brain. Without hesitation he tried to take away his hand from the tree trunk but without success, for all his limbs could do nothing more than disappoint his will. Seconds after, everything went blank, he saw what looks like white light. Next, he felt his soul literally leaving his body, he felt his silver code finding it difficult connecting him to what was his body now laying still on the wet grassy ground. In his spectral form, Zibeh frowns his face out of amazement and confusion at the same time. "What?" he uttered, "Could that be the end of me?"
"You said you are ready" a beautiful sensational soft yet powerful female voice startled him.
"Utaya?" Zibeh desperately asked.
"Loh na rehbru weh(You have not forgotten the name)" she calmly asked.
"How can I forget?" he asked, "Your name has been our saving grace since my ancestors."
"Oh! I thought you ran away from this life to clink to the life of the oppressors of your ancestors?"
"Not all of them are bad Utaya." He defended.
"Yet my child… you wallow in uncertainties. You no longer see, hear or feel. You have forgotten yourself. You took a form that is not yours and pretend to be one of them."
"Yes a sort of" he partially admitted.
The moment his lips dropped the last word, a menacing, overwhelming, unbearable presence flushed him. A terrible fear paralyzed him, so much that he could have sworn he went out of existence for a second and back again in light speed.
"Utaya" he shouted, "You are killing me."
Utaya laughed faintly and clarified, "Kill is the wrong word, for you are already dead. Annihilate would be the right word, because I could have flushed you out of existence completely and you wouldn't even have a soul that would face judgment."
On hearing Utaya's words, Zibeh in his spectral form bowed his head in shame. He sighed and replied her, "I know I ran away, I couldn't face my fears, I denied my very root, my ancestral spirituality, yet after all of it, my daughter got involved in all of these. She and my wife was the very reason why I left this place. I didn't want me or anyone dear to me to be a part of these. I was too afraid to be what I am, to face the call, to harness the powers and responsibilities this very realm holds."
"I am Utaya" she boasted, "I am the very energy that pulsates inside of you right now… you can never ever run away from your root, and that is the reason why you could not hide your daughter away from us, she carries our very energy."
Zibeh remained silent for a minute, he didn't know what to say to Utaya, for she has already subdued him in their conversation. He looked at her with a pitiful face and asked; "Can you show me what would come? my dreams are scaring me."
"Your dreams are visions from me… what else do you want?" she asked frantically.
"I want to see it clearly Utaya, I want to have a deep understanding. Let me be sure that my dreams are not deceiving me."
"Your dreams are clear, but, yish… Your emotions are becoming stronger than you Zibeh. You are finding it hard to think straight."
"Emotions?" he blurted, "If those dreams are accurate, it means my daughter is going to suffer and die in the hands of an evil man. I will not be a fool, to stand and watch."
"Zibeh! You cannot fight against destiny" Utaya calmly advised.
"So is this some sort of punishment upon me?" he asked.
"It is destiny." She replied.
"What kind of destiny kills a kid, she is my daughter, she is just a girl." He begged, "Take me instead please."
"Ah ha! Says the man who ran away from everything that is he." Zibeh's plea made Utaya laughed so hard. When she calmed herself she gave him the answer he needed.
"No, we are not taking you. We didn't choose your daughter, we only initiated the ritual for choosing a new Melimandu to be the defender and protector of Aryahku. The rest was left for the Weapon and the weapon having it own mind, made it own choice. You see son, there is nothing we can do about this whole matter."
That answer made Zibeh to finally give up on his plea. He sighted heavily, and utter another plea. "Please then show me clearly what will happen."
Without uttering anymore words, Utaya blocked her suppressing Aura, reached closer to him and laid her index finger on his forehead. After a split second, Zibeh opened his eyes filled with terror. His entire spectral form began to shiver, and in his terror he looked into Utaya's eyes and asked, "All this could happen only if I stand and do nothing right?"
"Don't be rash Zibeh. You cannot fight this battle being careless." She advised again.
"She is my daughter" Zibeh whispered. The moment he did, his spectral form vanished, and in few seconds he woke up in his human physical body which has been laying on the grassy ground close to the large tree. The moment he calmed himself and gained his momentum, he ran off.
Faraway into the Gyu hills forest of Ayrahku, the great shaman of the land fixed his eyes on a set of runic writings on the wall of his shrine. A faint smile appeared on his face and he said, "It is all falling in place, all coming back to me. Soon, the deer will come to the wolf all by itself." He boasted into a heavy laughter after those word and continued to stare at the wall full of runic symbols.
An hour later, the Shaman abruptly opened his eyes as if sensing something strange. He frowned his face and shouted, "Who dare disrupt my meditation?" A man with a sweaty face grudgingly answered, "It is me, Zibeh. You owe me an explanation." The shaman narrowed his eyes and asked, "Did I invite you here Zibeh?"
"Did you have to?" Zibeh asked back.
"You cannot question the gods" the Shaman assured.
"Am not surprise that you already know why I am here" Zibeh said.
"I saw you coming from afar. The gods had shown me everything and like I said, you cannot question their decision"
"Well I finished questioning the gods before running tirelessly to this place" Zibeh said still breathing heavily.
"Utaya only told you the truth. You cannot change anything Zibeh. Do not be a stubborn man." the shaman vibrated.
"It is my daughter we are talking about here. She is too young to carry a burden as heavy as the ancient weapon, only strong men were chosen." Zibeh blurted.
On hearing Zibeh's lamentation, the shaman boasted into a heavy laughter just like he did when he was staring at the wall full of runic symbols. He looked at Zibeh and said, "You are very right Zibeh. No one deserves the white horn, that ancient weapon, that powerful cosmic weapon. No one deserve it but me."
Zibeh's eyes quickly constricted, his heart started rocketing. He barely opened his mouth to talk, for he immediately sensed danger in the voice of the shaman. He fixed his eyes on the shaman and asked, "Who are you?" But the shaman didn't reply. He walked closer to Zibeh, sniffed him as if a wolf sniffing his prey then he sighed and answered in a husky voice, "My name is Gunlah and I am the rightful wielder of the great ancient weapon."
"B-but you died" Zibeh stammered.
"Yes… I died. But my strong spirit wouldn't stay dead. I used my smartness and sneaked into the body of the shaman who was clearly victorious during our great battle for the white horn. He didn't know, and I am afraid he never will. Now that you are here, I don't need him anymore. I will possess you instead and easily get to your daughter. I will extract every bit of the weapon from inside of her and gladly watch her pant in her blood, see her beg for her life, see her die and all thanks to you. For the deer brought himself freely to the wolf."
Out of anger, Zibeh gnashed his teeth. For he knew that his strength wouldn't be enough to fight an evil soul possessing the body of a powerful shaman. But deep in his heart he knew he needed to try. He will never give his own neck to be slaughtered by a lamb. He drew out his dagger and readied himself for a fight.
"Oh you want to fight?" the shaman asked mockingly.
"Yes Gunlah… I will never let you go near my daughter." Zibeh replied strongly.
"Well I didn't expect you to let me. I was going to break my way through."
The shaman controlled by Gunlah's corrupted soul drew out his dagger too and also readied himself for a fight.