As they continued their march, Steve's attention was captivated by the two tribal members leading their way.
Contrary to his expectations, these individuals were remarkably well-built and striking. He had expected malnourished and skinny tribal people, but both of them were well-fed and in a much healthier state than he was.
As Steve looked more closely, he began to study the male warrior. The man's build was lean yet muscular, embodying an athletic grace. His hair was cropped short, forming tight, black curls atop his head. His full lips lent a distinct character to his face. To Steve, this man represented a paragon of beauty by modern standards.
His gaze then shifted to the female warrior. She was equally striking, her robust form enhanced by a captivating allure. Her skin was smooth, her thick eyebrows natural and unaltered, yet they lent her a stylish air. Her long black hair, intricately braided and adorned with jewels, added to her majestic appearance.
Together, they seemed to transcend earthly bounds, defying the conventional standards of beauty known to Steve's world.
His gaze was met with hers, as she had felt he was observing the two of them. She turned around for Steve to glimpse at her sapphire eyes, almost glowing from the sun's reflection. He couldn't avoid noticing her stunning chest while maintaining eye contact. They were just large and firm, screaming for attention.
If Steve's devotion to Maria hadn't been as profound and unwavering as it was, he might have entertained the thought of drawing closer to this woman. However, his commitment to Maria was unshakeable, leaving no room for even a fleeting consideration of infidelity.
The man also shifted his gaze, noticing his fellow warrior's eye contact with the outsider. His expression remained stern, yet his eyes, a striking shade of sapphire, held the same captivating quality. He uttered a few words, prompting both warriors to turn away, breaking their gaze on Steve.
Curious, Steve turned to Kasongo. "How old do you think they are?" he asked, impressed by the promising start of their expedition.
Kasongo paused, thoughtfully observing the two warriors. "I'd guess they're in their mid to late twenties, possibly even younger."
Steve nodded in agreement with Kasongo's assessment, though he suspected they might be slightly older, given their air of matured confidence and presence.
The group halted abruptly.
Their trek through the forest led them to a small opening in the ground, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through at a time.
The tribal woman motioned towards the opening, but it seemed an unthinkable choice for anyone in their sane mind.
A silent challenge seemed to pass among the team members, each daring the other to take the lead, yet no one stepped forward.
However, when the tribal woman's eyes met Steve's, something shifted. In that fleeting exchange, he experienced a complex emotion – it was unclear whether it was a plea for help tinged with sadness or a reassuring look that fostered trust and called for cooperation.
Uncertain of the emotion she had stirred in him but driven by this unspoken connection, Steve began to move towards the opening, his heart racing with fear and curiosity.
Suddenly, he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. Startled, he turned to see Kasongo, who advised, "Relax, Mzungu. We have Safiya. Let's first understand their intentions before we rush into anything."
Steve, taken aback by his savior, how could he be so stupid?
Kasongo exchanged a few words with her, and she then relayed their questions to their hosts, who responded with a brief but pointed sentence:
"Nso Kala Zemba!" said the man before them.
Steve couldn't decipher the words' meaning, but they resonated with an ancient, powerful cadence.
"I guess we're heading to the first city," Kasongo remarked to Steve. "Since you seemed ready to go in, why don't you lead the way?"
With a silent nod, Steve began to crawl into the tunnel.
The light gradually dimmed, and the end was nowhere in sight.
As he moved forward, Steve noticed the well-worn path beneath him. The earth was compacted from frequent use, and deeper in, it seemed reinforced to preserve the tunnel's structure.
The tunnel's darkness enveloped him, sending a wave of claustrophobia through his body. The walls seemed to close in around him. The faint sounds of his team following, their echoes bouncing off the narrow space, offered a small comfort.
Yet, with each passing second, doubts and fears returned and clouded his mind.
Had the woman's intense gaze somehow mesmerized him? Why had he so readily agreed to enter this unknown tunnel? It could be a trap. What power did her gaze hold?
Steve's thoughts spiraled into a vortex of apprehension.
What would happen to his wife and daughter if he never emerged back into daylight? Would they be able to return home safely?
What awaited him at the end of this tunnel?
As these thoughts swirled in his head, the fear of never seeing his family again gnawed at him as he navigated the increasingly narrow passage, or so he felt.
His breath was starting to get irregular, and his heart was beating faster than ever before. When his anxiety threatened to overwhelm him, a faint light in the distance, as a savior, sent to him at the last moment.
Steve took a deep breath to iron his thoughts as he crawled towards what he hoped to be the end of the tunnel.
As he approached the light, he could hear a faint conversation and smell the aroma of either food or some foreign agriculture.
This glimmer of hope propelled him forward, pushing aside his fears as he focused on the light growing steadily brighter.
As Steve continued, faint outlines began to materialize in the darkness of the passage. Emerging from the tunnel, he was momentarily blinded by the sudden influx of light. As his eyes adjusted, the vague outlines coalesced into the shape of something immense.
Then, a profound and resonant phrase reached Steve, echoing in the space around him:
"Yanda, Nso Kala Zemba."
The words, though unfamiliar, carried a weight that seemed to vibrate through the air, leaving Steve with a sense of awe and an unspoken understanding of their significance.
Before him stood a figure of imposing stature, an older man whose size could rival an ogre's, yet, despite his formidable presence, his smile conveyed a sense of warmth and reassurance.
They had finally arrived at their final destination.