Chapter 10

Arub had the valoyee people prepare for the coronation of their future queen. They wanted to bury Diablo but he had told them he would Amandla to be crowned queen first before his funeral. Some of the valoyees were not in support of Amandla being their queen, she was from Agasah and they feared she would free the people of Agasah. most of the people of Agasah thought their salvation was here because Amandla would be queen. However Arub and Harunah both knew the truth of how Amandla would make both clans suffer at her hand. She was going to be stronger than Diablo and she was going to remove everything that would stand in her way. Harunah dressed for the coronation of Amandla. She wore black and she tied her hair and didn't wear any jewellery. (It was customary for the widows or those mourning not to wear any jewelley in Agasah). She walked down the stairs covering her face with a black cloak and she went to get her daughter ready for her coronation. Amandla wore a red and white gown with so many gold petals on it. She had her hair tied up for the first time and she looked beautiful. "You look beautiful Amandla. I had never seen you wearing a gown before and I can see you are indeed beautiful.", Harunah complimented her daughter. Amandla rolled her eyes and she clapped back at her mother, "I see you have dressed yourself as a widow. Don't you think it's a little too late to be playing loving wife to your dead husband mother?" Harunah smiled and she replied, "It is time for your coronation now Amandla. We can't keep the people waiting." Amandla looked at her mother and she could see how her mother felt pity for her. They walked out together and headed towards the throne room. They were thousands of the valoyee people in and outside the tower and she walked down holding her mother's hand. The valoyee people were nervous they didn't know what would happen after the coronation of Amandla. She walked towards the high priests of Agasah who stood in front of them. They would ordain her as a full queen and she would rule the world. Everyone stood still as some marveled at her beauty whilst others feared for the worst. She got to the priests and she knelt down. The high priests began the ceremony and as they did it gallows were brought in the front yard of the tower. Harunah's eyes looked outside to the gallows, she swallowed hard as she looked outside. She saw her daughter looking at her from the side and she knew what it meant. She kept standing there still as the coronation went on. Amandla stood with her crown and sceptre in her hand, she walked to her mother, took her by her arm and walked her to the balcony. She whispered in her mother's ears and said, "Lets see if you will still be the grieving widow or the the grieving mother who has just watched her children being hung on the gallows." Harunah froze as she saw her people matched to the gallows, one by one they were hung right in frongt of her until the number nineteen was reached. She shook and shivered as she stood there watching here people being killed. "My people this was to show Harunah that if she ever lets the people of Agasah out again we will punish them! I am your queen and together we shall build a new world in honor of my father!", she addressed the valoyees. There was a great chanting heard as the valoyees called out their queen. " Long live the queen! Long live the queen!", they praised her. She had just won their trust and proven to them she was a better leader than Diablo. She lifted her hand up and stopped them from chanting, "We will show the world that we are the greatest rulers. We will kill those two witches who murdered my father and then we will conquer the world. Now I need Mount city burned for me! For not honoring us they shall burn!", she fuelled the excitement. They struck the ground with their spears and boots. They chanted and sang for the queen. Arub had underestimated the young queen and now he was going to watch his plans burn in flame. Harunah kept staring outside at her people who hung by the neck. She wept and deep inside she thought the gods had forsaken her and her people.

Wanday sat quietly by her window looking far away into the horizon. She had a lot on her mind and she just couldn't help but think of what was happening back in Agasah. Although she had never lived there she had seen it in her vision since she was a little girl and now she felt like that feeling of going back home was just disappearing right in front of her. Sharay had no idea what it felt like to live in Agasah or what the people there were like. She so wanted to understand her sister and also feel the need to go home but for most of her life the south had been her home and the people from there had been here people. She stood in the court yard alone as if she was waiting for something huge to happen. King Andrew of the Mount city walked to her with a glass of wine in his hand. "You look like you could you use a glass of wine my lady.", he told her as he handed her the glass. She looked at him and shook her head. "I do not drink wine your majesty.", she exclaimed. He smiled and drank the wine himself. He had never seen a woman who was as beautiful as Sharay was but he was also taken aback by her firmness and stubbornness. "You look like you are waiting for something to happen. Your sister's vision must have scared you?", he asked her. He was tall and handsome and she had to look up so she could face him. She smiled and replied, "I have seen Amandla and I know what she is capable of. I just don't get why she would want to attack Mount city." He sighed, sipped his wine, stretched out his hand to her and said, "Walk with me my lady, I would love to show you something." She didn't hesitate and they both walked down the court yard stairs towards the walls that face the mountain. "The gods sent his most beloved creatures to this realm before that this realm meant nothing to the gods. In fact humans were more important than us here. Mount city was blessed with gold and diamonds for accepting the people of Agasah hundreds of years ago and the great river flows from that very mountain to Agasah.", he explained to her. She still didn't understand, she asked him, "What does that have to do with the valoyees burning your city? Do they know about the river?" He smiled at the young queen and replied, "They know nothing about the river's importance and I am sure Amandla doesn't too. We have the richest minerals and we were the first people to serve your people and they would want to destroy that first so you lose balance." Sharay shrugged her shoulders and she walked along the walls facing the mountains. "Then you should just show your allegiance to Amandla. Andrew my sister saw women and children dying in this city at dusk today and her visions are never wrong.", she urged him. He walked towards her and held her hands in his. "This is war and we swore an allegiance to Harunah and the gods. We are the protectors of the river and we will die protecting it.", he assured the young queen. She pulled her hands from his and argued, "Its just a river that talks sometimes. You can't risk peoples' lives over it!" Andrew then realized that Sharay knew nothing about her people or of the great powers she possessed. He had grown up learning about the people of Agasah and it broke his heart that the young queen had no idea of where she came from. "Sharay the river is not just a river. It is the source of life for this realm, for Agasah and for you. If the valoyees find out the secret of the river all will be lost. Evil will spread and you will die.", he warned her. She opened her eye wide open and he could see the shock and fear in her eyes. She had not known her burden would be much more, she thought what she had to protect was a city of mystical beings but she had to protect the whole realm. Agasah was the river and the river was Agasah but what she didn't know at that moment was that she was the river and the river was hers. The river had her heart and she had the river flow in her veins. She felt her whole world coming down on her and this broke Andrew's heart. Wanday watched them from the window and she said to Tafuh, "I think the king likes Sharay but she is too burdened by the problems of the world she can't even see it." Tafuh laughed as she walked and stood by the window next to the queen. "They would make a great team, he is kind and headstrong. He would protect her from anything. I know that look in a man.", she added on. They both laughed because they knew Sharay would npt see that look in any man.

They were small birds that approached from afar, each time they flew closer to Mount city they grew bigger and bigger. Sharay walked even closer to the walls and she noticed they were dragons. She was surprised they actually existed and she ran towards the court yard shouting, "Dragons are approaching us! Dragons are approaching the city!" The palace guards of Mount city scrambled to get to the court yard. The bell rang warning the people of Mount city to get to safety. Wanday and Tafuh ran out of their rooms heading towards the court yard. They were all afraid the valoyees had gotten there earlier. Sharay ran to the king and ordered his guard to take him to safety but he refused and drew his sword ready for war. They were twenty dragons and they flew closer and closer. Tafuh wore a gold wrist on her left hand with a blue emerald on it. It was the connection between every warrior and it's dragon, a gift from the gods. Her emerald had a blue glowing light and she knew her dragon was among the twenty dragons. "Wait! Don't shoot please!", she begged the anchors. Everyone looked at her with so much confusion. "It's the great warriors of Agasah! They ride the dragons. The gods made sure no one but only the great warriors can speak to the dragons.", she told them. The dragons circled the palace and flew around it. Everyone stood there in awe, some feared it was a trap by the valoyees and kept holding their weapons towards the dragons. The warriors of Agasah jumped off their dragons and walked towards the people. They had the same tattoos as Tafuh and were both men and women. They held swords, spears and their bows as they walked towards the people. The soldiers of Mount city put their weapons down but Sharay kept holding her sword. Wanday walked to her sister and she took the sword from her. The great warriors' leader held his sword towards the queens and he said, "You have our swords my queens. We have come to serve you." He bowed down to her and so did every warrior he had come with. Tafuh bowed down to the queens with the rest of the warriors. Wanday looked at her sister who was still stunned by all this. "Sharay they will keep bowing like that if you don't say anything to them.", she whispered to her sister. Sharay gasped and she replied, "You are also a queen Wanday!" Wanday smiled and she replied, "Yes but I am not the warrior. I am more like Ammara and you are more like Harunah." Sharay rolled her eyes and she said to the warriors, "I accept your services, you can rise." She wanted to know how the warriors had escaped from Agasah and what Amandla had been planning. The great warriors' leader explained how Harunah helped them escape and how they knew she would be in great danger when Diablo had returned to the city. The queens informed the warriors of Diablo's death and the coronation of Amandla as queen. "They should rest for a while, they have come a long way.", Wanday told Sharay and the king. Sharay didn't seem to agree with her sister, so she protested and said, "You had vision of all those women and children dying at dusk. We have no time Wanday, we need to lead the children and women into the mountains. Wanday knew her sister would do anything to protect people because of their mother Nadine but she also knew the great warriors needed to rest to get their strength back if they were going to fight for Mount city. "I know but they will need their strength. The rest of us can help the people into the mountains whilst they rest and at dusk we will wait for that crazy witch.", she told her sister. Sharay trusted her sister and she knew she would never put them at risk. The warriors went to rest whilst the sisters and the other soldiers from Mount city headed into the city to take the people into the mountains. King Andrew wanted to join the search but he was stopped by Sharay, "You are the king of Mount city and if anything happens to you there won't be any hope for your people. You will stay here and I will come get you.", she told him. He was surprised at Sharay and when he was about to argue this point Tafuh came to escort him away. He laughed as he walked away. The young queens headed into the city getting people to the mountains. War was coming and Sharay wanted to save as many people as she could. She would save both the river and the people of Mount city.

Amandla walked the grounds of the tower as she rounded her warriors. She addressed the warriors in preparation for a battle. She had seen taking Mount city as an easy task. She was going to use an element of surprise and burn the city. She saw a clean victory on her way to conquering the whole realm. What she didn't know was the people of Mount city were waiting for her and she wasn't going to have an easy victory. She wore the new armour Arub had made her. It had red and black colors with and emblem of a rattle snake on it. She had designed a new emblem and the valoyees had flags made. The rattle snake was raised up high as her warriors bet the drums, stepped their feet and struck the ground with their spears. Amandla felt powerful and she was going to win this battle. She wanted the traders under her thumb and she was going to get them, she had no idea of the significance of the river and the Mount city to Agasah. Harunah watched her daughter addressing the warriors and she felt she had let the people of Mount city down. She feared of what would happen if Amandla found out about the river's power. She would destroy everything that was good. "You are not bidding me farewell? I might not come back mother!", she asked Harunah. Harunah swallowed hard and replied, "We both know you are coming back Amandla. Well unless you happen to bump into your sister." Amandla liked the sarcasm in her mother's voice she just laughed and walked away. Amandla set on her griffin and they all set to leave. They flew over Agasah heading towards Mount city. They would get there at dusk and they would kill every man including the king and take over the city of trade. Amandla was so sure of herself and she believed she would get back home with a trophy to rub in her mother's face again. Arub walked towards Harunah who stood there still watching them fly way. "She will make a great queen don't you think so Harunah?, he teased her. She looked at him and walked away silently. He felt sorry for her since he had seen her breakdown in pain over Diablo's death. He walked back to his chamber where he he took the crystal of life in his hand. He wanted to see what the future held for the people of Mount city. He was blocked by Wanday who showed up in his vision. "I warned you Arub about this path you have taken. I know she has left for Mount city and my sister will be waiting for her there.", she warned him. He threw the crystal away from him but she kept standing infront of him. "I have to warn Amandla that this is a trap! Get away from me!", he cursed at Wanday. She smiled at him and replied, "I can't let you warn her. You will be cursed by a sleeping curse until she gets to Mount city and face my sister." Wanday put a sleeping curse on Arub and he fell to the ground and slept. He didn't move or wince and Amandla didn't realize she was walking into a trap.

Dusk drew closer and the skies were covered with dark clouds. The air was gloom and everything about the surroundings was not warm. The people of Mount city had been moved to the mountains for safety. Andrew insisted on staying and fighting with the others against the sisters' wishes. Wanday went with the people to the mountain and few warriors, they were the last defense for the people and the river. She cast a spell that covered the mountain with mist to make it difficult for the valoyee warriors to move in the mountains. Sharay and the great warriors stood at the walls of the city facing the direction where Amandla would come. Archers held their arrows out waiting to defend their city. King Andrew and some of his warriors rode their horses and waited for the valoyees to get to the city. Amandla had no idea her ambush had been sabotaged and she would be getting into a battle. She flew closer to the city and as she drew closer to it she thought it was unusually quiet. She thought maybe they had been not busy and she kept flying towards the city. When she was close enough she noticed the king on his horse with his warriors and she then knew he was expecting her. What she didn't understand was how he would have known she was coming fro his city. She flew towards the king and his warriors and she addressed him. "King Andrew of Mount city, I see you have been expecting me." The young king rode his horse towards her and he replied, "You didn't think I would just hand over my city to you did you? Amandla smiled and she got lower to the ground and said, "I knew you wouldn't but I didn't think you would be stupid enough to think you stood a chance against me.", She was confident of herself and she thought she could win. "I will give you a chance to take your warriors and return to Agasah. I don't want to spill any blood.", the young king warned. Amandla found this amusing and she laughed with her warriors. They thought the king was crazy to be making such demands. "I think I will take my chances Andrew. It will break my heart that I will have to kill such a handsome man like you and take his city away. Now surrender to me and swear your allegiance.", she commanded him. He smiled at him and he shook his head. He saw the anger in Amandla's eyes as he mocked her with that laugh. She felt undermined and she was angry. "Oh but I can't do that. My father swore an allegiance to Harunah and now I swore mine to the queens.", he told her. She wanted to burst with fury. "Very well then.", she replied as she drew her sword to strike the young king. As she drew her sword Sharay jumped from the walls and struck Amandla's sword with hers before it struck the king. "Not so fast Amandla!", she warned her sister. Amandla was in shock with the turn of events, she wasn't expecting to see Sharay at the city and this infuriated her. She could see why the king had stood there with so much confidence. Amandla kicked Sharay in the chest and she fell to the ground. Amandla flew her griffin away from the ground but Sharay got hold of it's leg and got on the griffin. When Amandla saw this she panicked and ordered her warriors to attack the city. "What are you waiting for you idiots attack them!", she ordered. The valoyee warriors began attacking the warriors of Mount city. The archers fired their arrows towards their enemies and the great warriors of Agasah got on their dragons and fought the valoyee warriors. Wanday ran from the mountains so she could help her sister. She saw some f the valoyee warriors burning the houses and she conjured a spell of heavy rains. Sharay held on to the leg of the griffin whilst Amandla tried hitting her with the edge of her sword. Sharay pulled her hand and they both fell to the ground. Wanday used her powers to drag the valoyees in the skiy to the ground and she made sure there was more rain and lightining so no one would be able to fly back to the sky. The king was taken by his warriors to the palace for safety, they had been told to keep him out of the war by Sharay before the valoyees arrived.

Sharay and Amandla rose up to reach their swords and the two sisters fought. They were seen struggling to keep the other away. They fought for their lives and for their glory. Defeat meant weakness to both of them and they both didn't want to go down. The valoyees fought to get the city whilst the great warriors of Agasah and Mount city fought to protect it. Wanday maintained the balance so the valoyees would not enter the palace or think of going the mountain which was still covered by mist. Amandla knocked Sharay with her sword and took the golden sword from her. She kicked her sister and they both fought for the golden sword. Wanday got distracted by her sister on the ground without a weapon of defense and she was knocked down by a valoyee warrior. She fell from the skies to the ground stopping the rain and the mist in the mountain. Sharay saw this and she screamed, "No!" Amandla saw that Sharay was also distracted she drew the golden sword into Sharay's abdomen. Wanday saw this from the ground and she screamed. She still didn't understand that only the gods could kill Sharay not even the sword was able to. Sharay looked at Amandla and spit blood from her mouth whilst Amandla pulled the sword out of Sharay. She had a smug look on her face as she thought this was victory. Wanday saw the blood from her sister's mouth and wound she screamed even louder. This made the world shake, the mountains shook and the clouds became darker. She stood up and she rose to the the skies, the sun turned red and birds flew in the skies. She was angry and the world was falling apart. Rocks fell from the mountains and the river's current increased. The river rose and as she was raised to theskies the river rose with her. Her hair became darker and her red eyes glowed. She spread her hands and when she clapped them back the vsloyees were scattered everywhere. She kept spreading her hands and clapping them killing the valoyees. Sharay laid there on the ground looking lifeless and Wanday wanted to kill Amandla. Shekah dragged Amandla away from the sword and Sharay and he flew away with the young queen. The remaining valoyees flew back on their griffins following their queen. Wanday stopped spreading her hands and clapping them and she landed on the ground. She had calmed down and the sun and the skies went back to normal. She ran to her sister who lay on the ground coughing out blood. Everyone who had stood and watched Wanday shake the ground stood there in awe. Tafuh ran to the young queen who still lay there smiling and coughing blood. She was worried about her and she looked at Wanday looking for answers. Andrew got there and he carried Sharay to her chambers. She was weak and her white hair had grey strands of hair. "Why is her hair turning grey?", he asked Wanday. She looked at him and shook her head. She had no idea what was happening to her sister. The physician opened her clothes and the wound was deep. Wanday's hands trembled with fear and she looked at the physician and asked him, "Is my sister going to be alright?" The physician looked at her with that look that told her she was going to die. Wanday ran out of the room and Andrew followed her. "Wanday! Where are going?", he asked her. She looked at him and she threw herself in his arms and began to sob so loud that everyone in the hallway thought Sharay had passed away. "My sister can't die, she has to live Andrew.", she cried in his arms. He held her tighter trying to assure her that everything would be okay. A warrior ran to them and he said, "My king you should come with me now. It's the river, something is not right." Andrew and Wanday ran following the warrior to the river, it had turned red like blood. They both looked surprised at how this would have happened. Wanday looked at the king and he just held her hand. They walked back into the palace quietly. Why had the river turned red? What did this mean? Was Sharay really dying? They both had more questions than answers. The only person who could really give them all those answers was dead.