Chapter One

The day began like every other day. Sunlight filtered through the clouds as dawn broke, casting rays of brilliant light down to the earth—surely a sight that should have warmed the heart. But in the kingdom of Muzagah, it wasn't appreciation its inhabitants felt; it was rather fear and trepidation. Today, they were going to war!

The three lads felt it—the ripples of fear coursing through their veins, squeezing their hearts, and sucking life out of them as they sat at the top of the mountain. Their duty was to sound the alarm at the sight of the approaching army.

They sat quietly, none having the courage to speak. Jonah and Luh were almost similar in appearance with their dark skin and lean appearance, while Murai's skin was of a darker shade with an athletic build. They made an odd trio, even though they had all clocked eighteen, as Murai looked quite different from them. As the hours grew longer, though, their tongues loosened, and they began to speak. Two of them started the conversation.

"How are we going to win this war?" The warriors from the kingdom of Suramy are giants!" Jonah said.

"Why do you think some of the men and women of our kingdom have escaped to the hills?" Luh asked. "After seeing those writings on the walls speaking of doom and the tragic end of our kingdom, they took to their heels."

During the days when these migrations had taken place, the cowards cried out as they ran, saying, "We cannot remain here like an idiot who sees the horrors of death that must befall this land of ours and still insists on staying here. Let us go to the mountains and caves to hide until we are sure that these writings are not mere threats. Oh! Woe to the man who remains here! Woe to the man who believes that he can defeat the great Emperor's army. This is foolishness. Who can fight against the great King Zule? Even Acha couldn't! If the gods are men, they must come down to fight for us. We are lambs. We must not duel against cruel wolves. Like ants, we must not bite lizards. He will destroy this land. Run for your dear life! Let your ears hear this and push your limbs to move. See it? It is written on our walls. Total destruction!"

At first, the fearful men and women ran away in the dead of night. They couldn't afford to be seen so they wouldn't be stopped, but as the ripple of fear travelled around the kingdom of Muzagah, people began fleeing during the day, some even bribing the border guards, who were meant to be enforcers of the rule from King Guaya that none be allowed to escape and that any deserters found would be punished.

But why were the people afraid?

Suramy was the most powerful of all the kingdoms on the African continent. Kingdoms that transgressed the laws of the Empire and acted as though they had sought awesome powers from above to oppose the great Emperor's rule were destroyed by this powerful force. In those days, tales were told of Emperor Zule's mysterious and evil powers, of his oppressions and preeminence, which enfeebled the people of the surrounding regions. Many were true; perhaps a few were exaggerated.

In the kingdom of Muzagah, rumours of an imminent war against the Suramites spread across all of its villages like wildfire. Courageous men of Muzagah trembled when the name 'Zule' was mentioned. It was certain to the fleeing cowards that the outcome of the impending war would bring about the end of Muzagah. So, in the week after the full moon's celebration, before dawn, people began to migrate from Muzagah. Over a thousand men ran away from the villages of the small kingdom. An aura of fear hung over the roofs of every home in Muzagah. Daytime became hazier, and nights became darker. They knew not this fact: that half of the tough-hearted gallant fighters who had vowed to protect the walls of Muzagah from falling had been nicked and lashed to frailty as a result of fear.

To them, it was unreasonable to bask in the illusion of winning a war against the dreaded armies of the Empire of Suramy. Insofar as the rulers of the kingdom of Muzagah had refused all peaceful bargains, those who had the guts to remain in Muzagah would surely die.

"Well, if it be the will of the gods that we die in this war against the Kingdom of Suramy, then so be it." Jonah declared.

That statement drew the attention of the third lad, who had been silent. He made a hissing sound, and the pair turned towards him. "What is it, Murai? Why did you hiss?" Luh asked.

Murai swallowed a huge lump of saliva as he contemplated how much to say. Apart from the king and his chiefs, Murai was the only other person who knew the true reason for the war. He knew this because he was the son of Hugadah, who was the teacher of the ways of the sword in the entire kingdom. Just before he and his friends had been sent away by his father and the chiefs to begin this watch, he had had a serious conversation with his father. He was still stunned at the degree of information his father had passed on to him.

Murai had felt the beginnings of the war long before now, due to the things he had seen, but his father's words were like a huge dark cloud hanging over him. He didn't know what to do or make of it, and it was at this point that he opened his mouth to reveal the truth to his friends. Who knew? They may not survive the war. So why keep it to himself?

He said to them, "Remember, by tradition, one's father must reveal certain secrets to his heir at the right time. But before I tell you what my father said, I must start from the very beginning, when I realised that something was amiss."

Jonah and Luh wore interested looks.

"Two days ago, I was playing with my sister Banabella in the woods surrounding my father's hut. I was about tossing a stone to hit a swarm of ants that came out of a hole inside an anthill when I heard the parrots calling my name. They copied it from Banabella, who, if not for the game that deafened my ears, may have called me several times. Hastily, I abandoned my friends and ran down to meet her. She held my right hand like her puppet and ran, dragging me along as she laughed loudly. The sound echoed in the trees. We both ran to my father's hut. My instincts told me that my father had inquired about my whereabouts because he had been eager to have a private discussion with me that day, having told me the day before of our meeting at noon in his private chamber. When I arrived at his hut, he was greatly disappointed in me. He ordered me to kneel, and I dropped my knees to the ground, where grits of small stones pierced me painfully. Indeed, it was the price I paid for coming late.