Chapter 2 - Banished

The crowd murmured appalled by Nzelu’s unbelievable declaration. King Diniminga clenched his jaw and balled up his fists. The fire in his eyes was clear evidence that he loathed that Nzelu challenged his authority, and worse before his subjects. Seeing the King’s hardened face, the royal guards unsheathed their swords and the archer’s above in the trees aimed their arrows. Nzelu raised a brow at the tension.

Daniminga's face darkened at Nzelu's grin. His queen took hold of his wrist, but he shook her off. ‘You better have a good reason to interrupt the execution.’ Diniminga threatened through his teeth.

‘Oh, but I do my king.’ Nzelu smiled, revealing his yellow stained teeth. He pointed at Eclipse who still laid in the sand in a bloody mess. ‘I cannot deny that what she has done is unforgivable. She has not only committed treason but also blasphemed against our ancestors who fought for our land in the 100-year Blood War. Surely, I say to you my king, executing her right here and now is mercy.’ Nzelu turned and smirked at the people behind him, ‘She deserves a stiffer punishment.’

The people murmured in excitement and approval. King Diniminga’s face relaxed into a dark grin. Eclipse helplessly watched them all smile at her pending demise. She sat up and stole a look at Mbesu.

Their eyes met and her heart skipped a beat. Eclipse longingly looked at him, hoping that he would at least say something. After all, the both of them spent ten years of a blissful marriage and before that, they secretly courted. Surely he must have still loved her.

Mbesu blankly looked at Eclipse, and peeled his eyes off from her in the coldest way she never would have ever imagined. Eclipse hugged herself in despair. More tears trickled down her big dark eyes. She returned her gaze to her crying baby. Mbesu’s coldness brought her to the realization that no one was going to help her. She was finished for something she didn’t even do.

King Diniminga sat back down on his throne to the relief of Queen Senedi, ‘What do you suggest we do?’ he asked Nzelu.

‘Banish her and her child into the darkest part of the land. With no man to hunt for her meals, they will die. That’s if, the beasts that dwell within the shadows don’t tear her and her child apart first.’ Nzelu suggested to the pleasure of the people.

‘Brilliant thinking, Nzelu!’ King Diniminga raised his voice for all to hear. He turned his icy gaze to Eclipse, ‘Escort that woman and disgusting child into the forest. She is to be shamed all the way there.’

Eclipse's blood turned cold at the sound of a guard's heavy boots. He roughly yanked her off the ground and unlocked her chains. The chains dropped to Eclipse’s feet, and she was shoved in front. Eclipse fell on her face only to be roughly pulled up and shoved again. She stumbled to the sacrificial table.

Her baby’s cries were drowned by the crowd’s roars of excitement. Eclipse shakily picked her baby up and held it close to her chest protectively. Her matted long hair was pulled from behind and when she turned, she was met with a slap of cow dung. Before Eclipse could comprehend what was happening, more was smeared on her face.

She sadly closed her eyes to her angry in laws who continued smearing dung in her hair and on her hands. They snatched away the golden necklaces on her neck and pulled off her diamond earrings. Her ivory bangles were brutally taken off. The only thing left was the ring on her finger.

Eclipse’s in laws paved the way for Mbesu. He didn’t even look Eclipse in the eye as he approached her. Eclipse gasped at the feeling of his touch when he took her hand. Mbesu stared deep into her eyes, and she grew weak in her knees at his moist eyes. They harbored so much pain in them.

‘Why did you do this, Eclipse?’ he whispered low enough for only her to hear.

‘I didn’t do it Mbe-’ Eclipse stopped in disbelief when she felt her ring slide off her finger.

Mbesu’s face hardened as he stared down at her in sheer disgust. He walked away from her and disappeared into the crowd. Eclipse desperately shouted after him but her in laws pulled on her hair and shoved her in front. They gave way to royal guards with whips.

One slash landed on Eclipse’s back and tore her wrapper. She screamed in pain at another one—frightening her baby even more. Eclipse walked on with the hateful mob hurling insults at her and throwing stones.

She held onto her baby, taking care to shield it from all harm. Her gaze stayed on the ground as she walked through the village. She couldn’t bear to see the hatred in the people. Some of them climbed on top of their roofs just to bear witness to her misery.

Eclipse didn’t walk long before she arrived at her house. The sight of her two sons aged 12 and 9 crying at her condition tore her heart to pieces.

‘Mother!’ they cried as they struggled to go to her, but the adults holding them refused to allow it.

'Do not shed a tear for that woman. She is a whore!' they said to the boys.

'Mother!'

‘Take care of yourselves my sons. I will always love you even in death!’ Eclipse cried after them.

She was shoved in front so hard that she stumbled to the ground. More whips tore her tender flesh, but she did her best to shield her baby. Eclipse got up with difficulty and continued to walk. The flogging stopped immediately. She walked for hours before they finally came to the forest. Only the guards went with her into it. They people stayed out, cursing Eclipse.

Walking through the forest was difficult due to the grass and branches. The sun was already setting and darkness began to spread. Noting this, the guards decided to finally abandon her there. One of them pushed her hard and she fell. Eclipse looked at all of them through her hair.

The guard who pushed her looked around at the darkening forest and whistled. ‘I feel sorry for you. Soon it will be dark and you will have nowhere to hide.’ he mocked and the others laughed.

‘You can’t even pray because you accused the gods of your sins. Who will protect you?’ another asked and high-fived a couple more.

‘You know what, I honestly feel sorry for her. She will be better off dying a quick death. I suggest we help her attract a predator quick.’ the guard who pushed her mockingly laughed.

He fiddled with his pants and Eclipse faced away appalled. She closed her eyes shut when he whipped out his penis. Eclipse shuddered with a whimper at the warmness of his urine. She gave him her back, so that none of it went on the baby.

‘Now you will be rest assured that your misery will end before sunrise.’

Eclipse didn’t lift her head to their laughter. She kept her back turned, praying that they would just go away. The guards spat at her and cheerfully walked away. Eclipse stayed on the same spot dazed. By the time she could no longer hear them, it was dark. The only source of light was the full moon that occasionally hid behind the clouds.

Eclipse looked down at her sleeping baby. The cloth it was wrapped in was slightly wet. Eclipse carefully unwrapped the baby and set her hand on its extremely wet nappy. Fearing that it was going to burn the baby, she took it off. She wrapped her baby on her back and held onto the wet nappy.

Eclipse wandered around for a safe place to sleep. Because of her beaten and tired body, she could not search efficiently in the unfamiliar forest. She walked for some time before she came to the sparkly Maviki River. Eclipse rushed to it and knelt down. She splashed her face with water and drunk to her fill.

Eclipse felt her baby fidget behind, and she brought it to the front. She unwrapped her baby and lovingly stared down at it. Its skin was as pale as snow and eyes as grey as the beads around its little neck.

Eclipse took out her breast and set her dark nipple on the baby’s pink lips. She smiled at the stinging pain she had to endure while nourishing her little one.

‘My baby, it is just you and I now. Everyone has forsaken us, including the gods. I don’t know what sin I committed that forced the gods to punish us harshly like this.’ Eclipse wiped her tears and faced up to the moon, ‘Regardless of what has happened, you are my child. I do not care what color you are. It is in my womb that your life developed. If mothering you is a way to atone for sins I am not aware of then so be it.’

Rapid bubbles bubbled up on the source of the river. The ground beneath Eclipse's knees shook rapidly. Eclipse gasped, and stood up afraid. Her sudden movement forced her nipple out of her baby’s mouth. The baby cried upset that its meal was interrupted.

Eclipse forced her dripping breast back in but before she could turn around and run, something violently burst out of the water. Its shadow blinded her from the moonlight. Eclipse let out sharp scream.