Keita felt so weary that he began entertaining thoughts of falling onto the ground with a resolve to let whatever fate that may come his way befall him.

He wondered where this village they had spoken about might be. Apparently, it was not within an eternity’s travel.

They arrived at what to him was yet another spectacularly uniform and indistinguishable part of the forest. Still, there was no suggestion of a village anywhere.

The leaders began to shorten their stride and slow their pace. They stopped dead in their tracks, and he, Ossouna, then Aswad, followed suit.

Zaeim made a sharp, piercing sound they thought sounded very birdlike in tone. They looked about in awe and wonder when within a fraction of a second later, similar sounds echoed from the canopy.

Apparently, or so they believed, these men could communicate with birds.

The truth is, no bird answered Zaeim’s call.

The replies they heard came from other men. These were guards, lookouts inconspicuously garbed in camouflage, perched high above them, armed with quivers full of poison arrows.

“Go,” Zaeim said, and they watched the men head toward a nearby thicket and seemingly disappear into the ground.

“Follow me,” Noor said, and they did as they were told.

Keita drew nearer to where he saw the others appear to vanish below ground and was alarmed to notice a door. It was covered with leaves and earth but now moved aside, revealing what he discerned was a hole.

He followed Noor down into the darkness. His eyes widened. His heart rate increased.

Ossouna and Aswad followed closely behind. The weary sensation they were so cognizant of just moments before suddenly disappeared.

They were surprised to find themselves walking on solid rock after getting past a mere couple of feet of earth. It was bedrock over which the great river in the distance flowed. It extended from the tip of the river to where they presently were and beyond. It stretched for countless miles below them. For their predecessors, ’twas conveniently near the surface in that particular part of the forest.

Legions of the damned who came before and suffered greatly at the hands of the ghoul hordes were the first to notice the small cave into which the men continued to enter.

In centuries past, their main base of operation was in the vicinity of this cave. They established lookout posts there and all along the river’s length to make use of the bedrock. Their masons taught many of their compatriots who specialized in other trades to cut and work stone, then set them to extend and expand the underground cavern’s width and length.

There were a total of three of them at varying distances along the river’s edge. All were given the same treatment as the one Zaeim and his men entered. That is to say, they were worked until the men created a passageway running underneath the river.

“Incredible,” Aswad remarked after descending a flight of stairs carved out of the surrounding rock.

“Times ten,” said Ossouna.

Keita’s eyes met his, and they smiled.

The distance from the floor to the roof was around twenty feet. Keita felt it must have been at least sixty wide.

The stonework was impeccably cut and shaped to straight lines and at ninety-degree angles in the main. The masons or artists also went to great pains to furnish the place with decorative patterns and carvings, all etched out of the surrounding bedrock.

Lighting fixtures were placed at evenly spaced intervals in etched areas along the walls. These were earthen vessels shaped like vases. They had a wide bottom and a narrow opening and were filled with some type of flammable liquid. A piece of cloth that served as a wick was placed into the tiny openings, and the parts which protruded beyond the vessels’ tops carried the flames.

Keita, Aswad, and Ossouna felt energized. They traversed the length of the passageway without complaint of being overburdened by weariness and were instead intrigued and eager to see what was on the other side.

“Welcome back,” a fellow who stood at the stairway near the exit said.

“Thank you, Oluso,” Zaeim replied.

“I see you found him,” Oluso remarked, looking at Noor.

Noor looked at him, and a smile appeared on his face.

“We did,” Zaeim said.

“Good,” Oluso said and tried in vain to repress a smirk.

“Welcome back, Mbou,” Oluso said.

“Thank you, my brother,” Mbou replied.

“I see we have guests,” Oluso added, looking at Keita, Aswad, and Ossouna.

“We do,” Zaeim said.

“Lost ones, given a chance at salvation,” Noor interjected.

Oluso looked him in the eye then he greeted the guests.

“Oluso’s our chief marksman here,” Noor said. “You can search the whole village and beyond, and you’ll never find one more accurate with the bow.”

Oluso laughed, and a smile or grin appeared on many a face.

“Maybe after their training, one of them will be my better,” Oluso said.

“Training?” Aswad said. “We’re going to get training?”

“Everyone who comes here is taught how to fight and defend himself,” Zaeim replied. “Everyone from the most effeminate of men to the most feminine woman must learn how to fight and make use of the technology. Your survival depends on it.”

The newcomers looked at each other.

“Good,” Ossouna said. “We are already skilled with the bow and arrow. Any further training will be an enhancement.”

The men smiled.

“Let’s be on our way then,” Oluso said.

The stairway they mounted on the side of the river where the village lay was a bit wider, wide enough to accommodate four men, should that many have desired to walk side by side on it.

Oluso led the way.

Zaeim, Mbou, the newcomers, and Noor were next, then the sixty-nine other men followed. As many of them as could be accommodated along the width of the stairway at a time mounted it on their way out.

Keita held a hand up above his face. “I can see a river over there, but where’s the village?” he asked.

“About a mile from here,” Noor replied. “We have a bit more traveling to do,” he added.

“Okay,” Keita replied.

Oluso made a sharp, piercing sound, not unlike a bird may do. For the second time that day, the newcomers heard similar noises echo from within the forest. They looked up but could see no trace of who or what it was that replied.

Their attention was soon diverted and directed to four men who appeared to materialize from the woods’ very fabric. Each bore a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a sword.

They stepped toward Oluso.

“Today’s business is over,” the latter said. “Conceal and secure it until further notice.”

He was referring to the door to the entrance of the underground passageway.

The guard closest to him, one of the four who came out of his place of concealment in the bushes, shook his head in an upward and downward manner.

“Your relief should soon be here. After they arrive and you return home, report to me directly. I will give you an update about the particulars of the meeting.”

“Yes, sir,” the guard replied.

Oluso and the others walked for close to a mile when Keita noticed something he hadn’t seen in the forest before.

There was a clearing in the distance, an area devoid of the thick grown of trees. He could discern there appeared to be dwellings there.

Aswad and Ossouna looked ahead with growing interest. The distinct appearance of what appeared to be a settlement could now be seen. They collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

“Looks like we’ve reached it,” Aswad said. “The village.”

“I think so,” Ossouna replied.

“You’re correct,” Noor said.

A number of its members saw them approaching. A party of three men and four women stopped what they were doing and made their way toward them.

“Thank heavens you’re all back and safe,” one of the women said, addressing Zaeim.

Her name was Dalia.

She directed her gaze at Noor. “The trouble and concern you cause us, young man.”

“No more,” he said. “I’ve heard there’s enough brewing around here.”

She looked at Zaeim again.

“Have someone get these settled in,” he said, “then inform Oba we’re here immediately. What’s no secret is the representatives need to call an emergency meeting.”

“Right,” Dalia replied.

“It’s critical because we don’t know how much time we have to prepare ourselves,” Zaeim added.

“Okay,” Dalia said. “Follow me,” she added, addressing the guests.

Noor held onto Ossouna’s arm just as the latter was about to depart with her.

“I know you’ve been through a lot getting here. Try, if you can to not let what you’ve seen and heard so far trouble you too much. Try to relax or rest a bit because there will be very little time for that.”

“Okay,” Ossouna said.

“That goes for all of you,” Noor added.

Keita nodded his head.

“I’m just happy to have been able to make it this far,” Aswad said.

“Good,” Noor added. “You’re going to hear a lot more about what’s going on around here in the days to come. Our aim is to get you prepared.”

“Very well,” Aswad said, and he, Keita, and Ossouna departed with Dalia.

She took them inside one of the dwellings. It, and the walls of all the other buildings there, was made from mud. Its only furnishings were four straw beds, and the roof was made from a combination of wood or branches from trees and straw.

“As Noor said,” Dalia began. “Try to relax and get some rest considering what you’ve been through on your way here. I hope it was not too much,” she added.

“It was plenty,” Keita replied, looking at her.

Her countenance grew somber.

“I hear you,” she said. “Try to get some rest in spite of it. You’ll need it.”

“Okay,” he said.

She turned away from him and headed toward the door.

“May I ask you something?” Ossouna said.

She turned and faced him.

“Sure,” she replied.

“Can you tell me where we are?” he asked.

“This is our home,” she replied. “It’s called Kimbilio.”

“I’m wondering how far that may be from Egangeles, provided you’ve heard or know about it.”

“I have,” she said, and her countenance grew glum. “A great many of us here came from there.”

“And again, is it far from here?” Ossouna asked.

She was slow to respond. “It is,” she replied, and there was something about her facial expression, her body language, and her tone of voice, that got his attention.

She departed, and he felt shaken.

“Why did you ask her that?” Keita said. “Did you not believe what Noor told us? You know, about the portal and such.”

“I wanted confirmation,” he replied.

Aswad was pensive.

“And, do you believe you got one?” Keita asked.

“Tell me what you think,” Ossouna said.

“She clammed up when you asked,” he replied. “Did you notice?”

“I did,” Ossouna said.

“That says something to me,” Keita added.

“Like what?” Ossouna asked.

“To me, it says there is something not right about this place, and that makes me very uncomfortable,” he replied.

“So, you believe what Noor told us?” Ossouna asked.

“I’m inclined to,” Keita replied. “Right now, I don’t have much if any reason to doubt him. In fact, I never did.”

Ossouna felt silent.

“I’ve never seen anything like that beast we saw out there,” Keita added. “I didn’t know any such thing existed.”

“Maybe because we needed to get out more,” Aswad said. “The deep forest is a wild place, full of mystery and other things we also have never seen.”

“No doubt,” Keita said.

“So, you’re hoping that beast was just one of those things and that’s it?” Ossouna asked.

“Well, I would certainly like it if it were so,” Aswad replied.

“Okay, but how do you explain us being here after what happened while we were out on the hunt?” Keita asked.

“I don’t know,” Aswad replied. “That’s the disturbing part and the greatest mystery of all, isn’t it?”

“I’d say so,” Ossouna replied.

“Let’s try to do what they said,” Keita remarked. “It will be difficult, but we should try to get some rest. I’ve no doubt there’s a lot more that will addle our minds which is yet to come.”

The combination of the day’s adventure and not getting much rest last night proved to be too much for them. Consequently, it was not long before they fell asleep.

They were deep into it when the chief members of Kimbilio met to discuss the latest developments.

Their preferred area for discussing critical or important matters was about a quarter mile away from the village homes. The location was a bit remote. It was a natural clearing where they had large rocks native to the area arranged in a semi-circle.

There was a larger rock facing that semi-circle. This is where Oba took up a position to discuss the goings-on with the forty-eight representatives before him.

Six of Oba’s chief confidants and advisors, three apiece, sat on either side of him.

“Time is already against us, so I am, and I am sure you probably are, very eager to get right down to the reason for today’s meeting,” he began.

“There is not a man in the village who hasn’t seen or at least heard about the Shetani coming by this area, not once, but twice. We believe the first appearance was by happenstance. The second, not so.

“We believe having noticed we’re here, they returned a second time to get a better survey of the area.”

He took a deep breath.

“Of course, no good can come out of this. None of you needs to be reminded that they are our nemesis and sworn enemy. Whether they will be back to do us harm is not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when.

“What we have to do is get prepared. The detail of this preparation is principally what we want to discuss.”

“Why are we here? Do we have any say in this, or have you already made up our minds for us?” Oluso remarked.

Oba looked at him sternly. “We’ve made no decision,” he replied.

“A first!” Oluso interjected.

“If I may be permitted to finish, please,” Oba added.

Oluso said nothing.

“There are only two options,” Oba continued. “Resist or relocate.”

Oluso looked to the left then right of him at the other representatives. Mbou and Zaeim were on his left. Dalia and Noor, the youngest person to have ever been elected to such a high post, were on his right.

A wooly blond-haired fellow there, a rarity among them, who claimed to be a common sight at certain islands back in Primordia, focused his eyes on the ground. He, too, was on Oluso’s right. All there bore countenances as firmly as one may render to figures etched in stone.

Oluso redirected his attention to Oba. “Resist or relocate, huh? A nice way of saying resist or try to run. And, how long do you plan or think we can do that for? I will flee to nowhere,” he said. “I will fight.”

“And, you will die,” Oba said, and he instantly regretted his snappy response.

“So, that is your decision then?” Oluso returned. “Or, the decision?” he added, stressing on the word ‘the.’ “Is that what your party thought of and came up with?”

“Pardon me, Oluso. I shouldn’t have snapped like that. We’re not here to debate. We’re here to determine what is it the people would have us do.”

“And, I gave you my opinion. My vote. I’d rather die here than flee and risk being killed anyway. I will fight,” Oluso stated.

“But that’s certain suicide,” Mbou remarked. “They are too strong an enemy.”

“No one lives forever,” he replied. “Unless maybe you believe there is another tier to this place.”

“We can live forever here, and you know it, provided, of course, we’re never mortally harmed,” Alpha, the blond-haired fellow, said. “It’s something to think about, I think.”

“We’re never totally safe from harm,” Oluso replied. “Sooner or later, this day was going to come. We are always going to be hunted or on the run.

“Many moons ago, I suggested we ought to try to blend in. I suggested we abandon all ideas of so-called modern architecture, meaning that which has become so ingrained and familiar to us based on the lands from which we came. I said plainly we should forsake any ideas that call for clear-cutting the forest and instead make dwellings that are complementary or harmonious with nature like the Shetani do, but no one would hear me.

“If you had listened to me, they would never have so easily known we are here. There would have been no massive clearances, no telltale signs from above.

“What we would have had instead were dwellings that blend in beautifully, if not seamlessly, with the environment, which our adversaries would say—and I do agree with them here—should be the natural order of things.

“That type of action would truly have been something progressive, as opposed to what we have today. Those were my words to you, but you . . . you never listen to me. Ever.”

He paused and waited to hear if someone would respond. No one did.

“We’re always going to be hunted. If not by Shetani, then we will continue to forever have to be on our guard from the ghouls of the forest. I’m not going to run anymore. I’m tired of it,” he added.

“And, I’m tired of it,” Zaeim said. “And, once upon a time, need I remind everyone, we were the ones who hunted.”

“This is not Egangeles or Primordia,” Oba stated. “’Tis the devil’s domain. For us, there’s no desire to hunt anything here except for target practice.”

“Then, why not use the curses of this land that are meant to sour our spirits and subdue us to our advantage?” Oluso replied.

What he meant by that, alluded to, was immortals in Kimbilio or at any other part of the underworld ate nothing because they never felt hunger. They drank nothing because they never felt thirsty, yet they never died from a lack of sustenance.

“And, to you, Zaeim,” Oluso added. “I hear what you say. There’s no need to be passive here. I’m for taking the fight to them.”

Oba grappled with his words.

“I say again, why not use the curses of this place, in particular, the fact that we need no sustenance to live, to our advantage? On the other hand, they would suffer and die for want of nourishment if they go but so long without food. Think about this!” Oluso replied, and they did.

“Flee or withdraw is what you propose? Madness! They need to learn to fear and respect us!” he said forcefully, and his resolve earned him complete command of the floor now.

“A tactic that would grant us this respect . . . No, better yet, one that would instill terror in their hearts, more so than they have ever instilled in us, is if we obliterated their food supply, destroyed the plants and animals they rely on,” he added.

Dalia’s chest heaved. Countenances, on the whole, appeared even more concerned.

“We ought to starve and suffocate them into subjugation, if not death, should they threaten us any further with violence!” he added and waited for a response.

No one said anything.

“And, if we’re talking merely about a more typical confrontation,” he continued, “remember we’re fifty thousand strong now!

“You can bet without fear they were alarmed. No, terrified even, at what they saw when they first came this way. Their greatest worry must be the threat we represent to them. Their concern must be how they can stop us from growing any larger and more powerful.

“This is not a time to flee. On the contrary, this is the time to continue what we began by laying claim to more territory, to lay stake to this and greater portions of these lands. This is the time to fight, to claim and defend it as our own. If we take the cowardly path, you’re suggesting we’ll never be safe, ever.”

“I am not going to leave what we spent ages here trying to develop. I will not go back in the direction of those beasts that capture and pen us in cages to later slaughter for food and drink. We’re too close for comfort from the Forest of Souls as it is. No. I’ll take my chances here come what may.”

“Thank you for your input, Oluso,” Oba said.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

“Would anyone else like to take the floor?” Oba asked.

“I would,” Alpha replied.

“Very well,” Oba said.

“This suggestion of yours,” Alpha began, “to deprive them of their food supply, how is that feasible? They are one with the land. To do as you suggest means to destroy the land and, by extension, the animals which depend on it.”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing now?” Oluso replied.

“It is,” Alpha replied. “So, let me be absolutely clear about what you’re saying. You’re saying we should take a more aggressive approach to this?”

“That is what has to be done,” Oluso replied.

“So, more life must perish, or be subjugated for the sake of our own?” Alpha asked.

“It is either that, or we continue to eke out a very fragile survival among them,” Oluso added. “This, to me, appears to be a reversal of natural order because clearly, we are their superior. We are superior to them and all these things they ascribe such a high value to.”

“You would not speak this way were you back in Primordia,” Dalia remarked, “because there, you would have their vulnerabilities.”

“We are kings among all there as well,” he replied. “We are at the top of everything. Top of the food chain, intellect, everything. But aside from that, we are not there now. Look, you do what you have to do to survive.”

“They would never do what you mentioned,” Dalia said.

“Reverse our places, and they would,” Oluso said, staring at her firmly. “These are desperate times, my dear,” he added, “and desperate times call for desperate measures. They are only doing what they believe they have to do in order to survive. We have to think in the same manner provided we want to survive.”

“If there was some way to broker a peace,” Mbou interjected.

“There is none,” Oluso replied. “In their eyes, we are a lower form of life than a parasite. Their opinion is unwavering, and as such, there is nothing to broker.”

A brief period in which no one said anything followed.

“Would anyone else like to take the floor?” Oba asked.

No one offered to do so.

“Very well,” he said. “Those of you who for whatever reason may feel a bit uneasy about speaking now may return to your constituency. You can debate and think over carefully what was said here then return tomorrow to cast your vote.

“Time is not on our side. We need to come to a decision tomorrow by nightfall and put a plan into action.”

Keita awoke. He looked to his left and right and noticed Ossouna and Aswad were also awake.

“Did any of you sleep at all?” he asked.

“Soundly,” Ossouna replied. “As if I were dead.”

“Same here,” Aswad said.

He noticed they’d spoken in a drab monotone and felt he knew the reason why.

“So, it’s not a dream?” he remarked.

“No,” a crestfallen Aswad replied, again in a drab, lifeless monotone, and Keita’s eyes filled with tears.

He fought to compose himself.

“I wish I could go home,” Ossouna said.

“Me too,” Aswad said morosely. “I wish I could see my family again. Just one last time. I’d give anything for that,” he added, then a fellow they did not know entered the room.

“Good,” the man said. “You’re up. I’ve been checking in on you.”

They did not reply.

“My name is Akua. I’m supposed to take you to where you’re to begin your training tomorrow.”

Still, they said nothing.

“You don’t seem too excited,” he said.

“Should we be?” Aswad asked.

“Perhaps,” Akua replied.

“Okay,” Aswad said.

“You may not be grateful for it now, but in time you will,” Akua added.

“Yeah?” Aswad said with indifference.

“Yes,” Akua replied.

“How come?” Aswad asked.

“You mean, since arriving here, you’ve heard nothing, nothing at all about what this place is like or about what’s going on?” Akua asked.

“Oh, I’ve heard some things,” Aswad replied. “And, seen too. Much of it was so strange it felt borderline unreal.”

“I know what you mean,” Akua replied.

Aswad did not reply.

“Well,” Akua began, “Don’t kill the messenger. I’m just here to remind you that you have one night before you to try to collect your emotions, and then it’s off to training.”

His guests wore long faces.

“What’s coming won’t break for bruised emotions or broken hearts,” he added. “It’s a heartless world, so like it or not, whatever is to come will come and keep on coming, regardless.”

“I’ll be ready,” Aswad replied.

“You won’t,” Akua said, “but that’s the right attitude. It’s either that, or you may want to fall on your own sword.”

His comment aroused Ossouna’s attention. “That happens here?” he asked.

“And, why wouldn’t it?” Akua replied. “This place is not exactly a paradise.”

“No,” Ossouna said.

“So, brace yourselves,” Akua added, “because we’re at the point where we’re going to have to face the Shetani sooner rather than later.”

“And, that’s assured?” Aswad asked.

“Well, it’s either that, or there will be an exodus,” Akua replied. “In the latter case, we’re still going to have to face outside hostilities.”

“Hm,” Aswad uttered.

“Enjoy what’s left of it, for we did have a period of relative peace for some time now.”

The guests waited for him to say more but he fell silent.

“Well, the night is still young. Isn’t it?” Aswad said. “Care to tell us a bit more about that, or is your job done for the night, and you need to get back?”

“The night is young, but it’s a long story,” Akua replied, “although I can stay a bit.”

“Bits and pieces will do. I mean the salient details. I’ll take those because it’s not like we have anything better to do or anywhere to go,” Aswad said matter-of-factly.

“You speak the truth,” Akua replied. “May as well, right? Considering I may not have many more nights in which I can stay up and tell stories.”

“Why always such a tone of finality around here?” Aswad asked. “It’s not the first we’ve heard. It’s like everyone’s preparing to die.”

“Because there is no doubt that time seems very near,” Akua replied, “and that, my friend, is a big deal. Your name is?”

“Aswad,” he replied, extending his arm.

“Pleased to meet you,” Akua said and shook his hand.

“Life does take on another tone altogether when you’re nearing the end, especially when given time for thought and reflection.”

Keita felt composed enough to speak. “We heard about the Shetani appearing here,” he began, “on the back of the kilman, I mean. We heard about what that most likely means. They will be back to wreak havoc, I’ve heard.”

“You heard right,” Akua replied.

“But have you no power to resist them?” Keita asked. “Power to fend off this seeming inevitability we hear so much about.”

“In our dreams,” Akua replied, and his guests’ faces remained glum.

“I’m sorry you were thrown right into the middle of this,” Akua said. “I can’t apologize for speaking as plainly as I do about it, though. I prefer to tell you the truth rather than paint a picture that’s all wishful thinking or fantasy.”

They said nothing.

“Tomorrow or the day after, the powers that be will announce the final vote about what we are to do. By that, I mean are we to evacuate the village or try to resist the Shetani,” Akua said.

“Once again, I’m here to tell you to be prepared for anything. The people may be more or less evenly divided over whether they want to fight or flee. Either way, you will have to get training. Whatever their decision, learning to fend for yourself can only benefit you and your brethren. It’s no guarantee of anything. It’s just something to help you be prepared when in a time of need.”

Ossouna thought about what he said and considered what they saw and experienced on the way toward the village.

“We appreciate your words,” he said.

“Very well,” Akua said.

“Are you one of the better trainers?” Aswad asked.

“I am,” he replied, “and I’ve been assigned to give you as much training as I can, given the pressing circumstances. General opinion around this place is I’m the best man for it.”

They listened.

“Before your arrival here,” he continued, “up until the present time, the talk that predominated is, what now are we going to do, or some variation of it. There is every variation you can imagine. Everything from the impossibility of brokering a peace with the Shetani to whether we should have ever begun clear-cutting the forest.

“And, why is clear-cutting the forest so bad, I wonder?” Keita asked.

“Because it highlights where we are, shows where we are concentrated. Many here have argued if we remained blended in with the surroundings, our presence would not have been quite so evident. It would have increased our chances greatly of not being detected,” Akua replied.

“Hm,” Aswad uttered. “A life of hiding. What kind of life is that?”

“One we and those gone before us lived for many years,” Akua hastily replied.

A startled Aswad, having detected a slight tone of displeasure in his voice, fell silent.

“You kept a low profile if you wanted to have some type of longevity. Risking being found out meant risking being killed. It’s as simple as that,” Akua added.

“So, you’re one of those who was against the deforestation,” Aswad asked with measured timidity.

“I am,” Akua replied, and the room fell silent for a few seconds.

“If we were going to be taken out, hopefully, that would have come by some kind of natural disaster. Like, I don’t know, being hit by a massive falling star.”

The guests were all ears.

“We adapted well to this place and, with the training of the wolves, learned to keep the ghouls at bay. But at some point, talk about expansion or natural progression, I believe is what they called it, began surfacing,” Akua continued.

“We were not out in the open free to roam the land as they do, and there were those here who wanted that. They believed we were entitled to it, so they urged us to organize and think about forming a village. One by one, we began cutting down the trees and building homes until we got to the point of what you see here today.”

“All sounds fairly normal, I’d say,” Aswad timidly added. “A normal part of evolution and development.”

“It’s madness,” Akua replied. “We’re not so feeble-minded that we don’t know the consequence of it and what it means. We’re not fools. Entitlement? Entitled to what? Strangers on another man’s land are entitled to nothing. Nothing but some humility, or whatever the people of that land may be kind enough to grant him.”

“We’re entitled to defend ourselves though, entitled to desire self-preservation,” Aswad said.

“You think they didn’t know we were here somewhere in this general area?” Akua asked.

“I don’t know,” Aswad replied.

“Bet you they did,” Akua said. “What they didn’t know was the exact location and just how many of us there are. They probably thought we were just a few and therefore not worth combing the area to weed us out. Make no mistake about it. They would prefer if there were none of us here at all.”

Aswad listened.

“So, to what end is this feeling of entitlement?” Akua asked.

Aswad, unsure of what he should say next, said nothing.

“A hell of a lot of trouble, right?” Akua said.

“From what I now know? Yes,” Aswad replied. “Very grave trouble.”

“Right,” Akua added. “And, that’s where we stand today. On the brink of some dire trouble, all due to our normal evolution and development.”

They thought about what he said.

“I must go now,” Akua added. “Sleep well. Tomorrow I will be here shortly after dawn to direct you to where you are to begin your training.

So said, so done, Ossouna noted to himself as they departed with him early in the morning. While they went about their business, the leaders gathered at the same meeting place where they held their meeting yesterday.

Oba, who was eager to get to the chief reason for the morning’s assembly, kept his greeting short.

The representatives noted a particular urgency in the tone and manner in which he spoke. It was like he would have preferred the reason for calling the assembly had already been addressed.

“Let’s get to stating your positions pro and con,” he said. “Do please keep them brief and to the point, so we can put this to the vote as quickly as possible. I don’t have to remind you time is not on our side. Whatever your decision, it will take some planning and precious more time to implement. By a show of hands, who wants to first have the floor, please.”

Zaeim was first to raise his hand.

“Go on, Zaeim,” Oba said.

“After having the balance of the evening into the night to pour over this, my opinion hasn’t changed. I still side with what Oluso suggested,” Zaeim said.

He looked to his left, and Oluso and his eyes met.

“Fine,” Alpha said, “so long as you and whoever else here who feels this way realize you’re talking about getting into a war.”

No one replied.

“You do realize that is what we’re talking about, right?” he added.

“Of course, we do. Or, at least I do,” Zaeim replied, and their countenances, on the whole, grew grim.

“It’s not a war,” Oluso said.

“No?” Alpha said. “What is it then?”

“It’s self-defense,” Oluso replied. “Whether we take the fight to them or not, we’d still be doing this for our self-preservation.”

“Still a war,” Alpha said.

“Is there no other way?” Dalia asked.

“There is the only other option you already know about,” Oluso replied.

She didn’t reply.

“But do you really want to start all over again? Do you want to continue trying to keep an extra-low profile by hiding out in these bushes, fearing to ever let that you exist be known?

“There was a time no one was more in that camp than I was,” Oluso said. “No more. I’d rather live on my feet than go hiding and crawling on my knees in the bush like I’m not a man, but rather some kind of wild animal.”

She looked at him.

“These issues we’re dealing with now, they were coming,” Oluso added. “It was only a matter of time. Again, I am not going to go run and hide. I never was one who wanted to live forever anyway. It’s unnatural, and besides, I’m not afraid to die.”

“It’s not about hiding,” Dalia said. “It’s about trying to preserve ourselves to fight another day, a day when we are better equipped to resist them.”

“And, when might that day be?” Oluso asked. “We don’t have the luxury of all that time. It’s too late now. Now that they know so many of us are here, they will search every inch of this and the surrounding territory to weed us out. If we left at this moment, we would only get but so far.”

“It’s not too late,” she replied. “There is still time for those of us who would like to evacuate. If we know anything about them, we know they’ll probably avoid the surrounding forest, especially those areas known to be infested with ghouls. They would not want to waste their energy and resources facing them. They will come across the plains because there are acres of forest on either side of that.

“I say we cross the river and proceed in a westward direction parallel to its bank. This way, they will be on the other side, plus there will be a forest between them and us. Their kin to the north have several acres of forest between the riverbank and us.

“It is unlikely they have been notified or will be involved because as far as they would have been told, we’re supposed to be on the other side of the river.

“If they were notified, I doubt very much they’d plan on toting rafts in the hundreds if not thousands through the forest, so a large body of them may be transported to the other side. My bet is it’s just their southern brethren who will bring this fight to us,” she added, and her words commanded full attention from everyone.

“After crossing the river, we should proceed close to the bank at all times to keep as much land as possible between us and their northern kin.”

“Sounds like you thought over this pretty thoroughly,” Mbou said.

“How could I afford not to given how critical this matter is?” she replied.

“What she said is speculative. We have no way of knowing if they’ll come across the plains. They will come in numbers and be mindful of straying too far from the river banks for want of water to sustain themselves and their animals. They may elect to come covertly through the forest with the intent of slaying whatever they encounter on their way here. Man, beast, ghoul, whatever, then establish this area as one that’s free of men once more,” Oluso said.

“But all of our assumptions and alarm is based on thinking they will choose to get here in the most expedient manner. Is it not? And, that would be across the plains. Or, are you altering your tone solely for the sake of maintaining a position other than mine?” she asked.

“If they did come through the forest, it will take them an eternity to get to us. That should buy us enough time to go in the opposite direction from which they are coming, plus we’ll be on the other side of the river too. So, there is time, my friend,” she said. What surprised many and had them thinking more deeply about it all, Oba included, was not as straightforward as initially believed.

“Now that Dalia mentioned what she did, and coming to think of it, it’s likely there can be yet another possibility,” Mbou said.

“What’s that?” Alpha asked.

“The Shetani needn’t hastily come here at all. They can take their time, slowly move in closer to us until they have established a secure supply line, then make their move to lay claim to the area,” Mbou replied.

“We cannot chance thinking they will take that approach,” Oluso said. “And, anyway, if we do, in the end, we may still all be slaughtered. It’ll just take them a bit longer.”

“No argument here,” Dalia said. “The sooner we act, the better, and the time to act is now,” she added, and Oba felt very grateful for her input.

“If I am to draw my last breath and it is during a battle, I wish to do so on the lands to the north and far west of us. I will face or accept my end trying to free our people held in bondage in the mountains beyond the Valley of Death. That is my will and testament. I wish to try and unite with the men from the west, who as you know, have also expressed a desire to free our brethren and thereby increase our influence, territory, and range. Despite this recent turn of events, that is what I have a mind to stick to and pursue, so help me, God,” she added.

“Go to Yagan?” Oluso said. “That’s what you propose? It is a barren wasteland.”

“And, what does that matter?” Dalia replied. “It’s way more than that. It’s where the Shetani dare not approach for fear of sinking into the surrounding marshes. They don’t know the way through it.

“Their only other option is to approach from its northern end over the mountain, which is something they would not do. The land between it and our brethren is too much for them, plus there are enormous expanses of sinking sand in that region.

“And, of course, there’s more,” she added just before Oluso could get a word in. “What you called a barren wasteland, as all of you here know, is precisely what has given our brethren there a chance to survive.”

She meant another way of approaching Yagan, and that was from the vast expanse of land to its east and west. What was more unlikely than the Shetani coming over the mountain to its north was their considering approaching it from either side of the wastelands which flanked it.

The lack of resources there, the scarcity of food and fresh water would be sure to kill any approaching party who did not know better. This was not, however, enough to kill any of them given the curse.

Regarding that curse, their kin, just like those who perished in the valleys of Sanctuary, did not consider they could never die for want of nourishment all bad. Well, at opportune times, they didn’t. After all, it was what gave many of them what they considered an advantage over the Shetani.

“Aside from our traders, no one has ever cared to go there,” Oluso said.

“Now some do,” Dalia returned.

“The place is hell. They don’t call it suicide city for nothing. Only the Valley of Death is worse. They share the same characteristics and features. Its location, their location. I don’t have to go into any details about it with you, and to get there as you know is no easy road,” Oluso said.

“Our options are limited,” she replied. “While only a small number aside from our businessmen has ever cared to go there, now my constituents will, and I needn’t remind you that I’m here to represent them.”

Oluso did not reply.

“I’d wager many others will now not only consider going to Yagan but opt to go there too, given the extremity of our circumstances.

“You’ve heard my position. I will say no more,” she added.

Nyeusi was not pleased when he first heard about Yagan. He didn’t like knowing there was anywhere in which the immortals found refuge. His opinion changed after witnessing just how drab a place it was.

He found out after consulting the necromancer, who granted him a peek at it through his stone.

It was from it that he saw and questioned its owner regarding whether the skies above were often overcast. A blanket of clouds seemed intent on perpetually covering the area, and many a time, their colors appeared dark and foreboding.

What pleased Nyeusi most, however, was when the skies turned orange. This meant it was likely a certain kind of rain was going to fall. Just like within the Valley of Death, it rained blood when it rained under orange skies there.

Nyeusi was also pleased to learn their life was one in which the immortals lived in the caves of the hills and mountains.

There was no luscious green forest to soothe one’s eyes anywhere near the location. Nyeusi felt this suited a creature who in the main, and if the truth be told, did not value such things, to begin with. It only purported to.

There were no sounds of birds chirping merrily, no sound of crickets making a racket, or any sound that suggested proximity to living things.

Those who first witnessed the orange skies, then the falling rain, always dreaded whether any tinge of that color was as a sign of what none liked to see. The entire sky later becoming blanketed in orange, then the ensuing red rain.

There were no beautiful rivers or running streams, or anything that suggested a thriving, vibrant ecosystem, features he felt were befitting, given the penchant of its inhabitants for destruction.

He considered the sheer barren, dark, and desolate nature of the surroundings must have been a contributing factor to why so many there took their lives with such frequency. Yagan, he concluded, was not too bad a place for them after all.

Alpha took the floor next.

“My constituents are divided,” he said. “I was not personally assured of what position to take, but right now I feel inclined to side with Dalia,” he said.

“Yagan has never been the subject of an attack, and I don’t suppose it ever will. Nyeusi, or so I assume, is happy to have us be where there is nothing to endanger or destroy,” he added.

“This isn’t saying anything you don’t already know. What’s new is my telling you it appears the time has come to do not what we would like to do but have to. The time has come to go, not where we would like to be, but have to be. That is, provided we want to survive.

“Are these your sentiments, Dalia?” he asked.

“They are, and I couldn’t have expressed them any better,” she replied.

A familiar sound only a crow could make was heard. They looked up at the sky with a mixture of emotions. All there knew their chief long-distance messenger had been dispatched to Yagan. Was it Jogoo, and if so, what message was he bringing?

The crow flew as purposefully as any bird does when on a mission. He headed directly toward the assembly and flopped down right near Oba, his owner, and trainer, who quickly removed the message tied around his leg.

The curiosity became near unbearable. “What does it say?” an exceedingly curious Zaeim asked.

“In a word, they want us to join them,” Oba replied with a stone-faced expression, and the bird sang or uttered a couple of phrases in that harsh tone only a crow can make, then it flew away.

Oluso was also stone-faced. “I’ll die here,” he said. “I’m not going to live a life on the run.”

“If you’re patient, there will be better days in which to fight, Oluso,” Dalia said. “And, that could perhaps mean a return to reclaim here.”

“You want to go, so go then. Your mind is made up, and so is mine. I will not live like a rat within the confines of a dark hole or burrow. For us, that is called a cave, and Nyeusi would have us live like that if you let him.

“If you are to believe what has been said, that is what he and his kind fancy for our brethren in those mountainous regions where they hold so many captive and will fancy for us. I am a man, not a beast or vermin or a plague, and I will strive to live like a man. I have made my case and will say no more,” he replied.

While on their way to where they were to be trained, Ossouna, Aswad, and Keita informed Akua they were skilled at using the bow and arrow. Therefore, he thought it was best to give them close combat training and teach them how to fight using the swords his men used out on the plains.

He had them begin by using slim poles, which were about the length of the swords they used, then he had them apply the offensive and defensive measures they were taught using the blades.

At the end of that session, curiosity got the better of him.

“So, you’re archers, eh?” he asked.

“Never thought of myself as that,” Ossouna replied. “But, like I told you earlier, I or we are very comfortable using the bow. All of the men where we come from are.”

“I hear that,” Akua replied, “but I’ll tell you this, why don’t you show me what you can do?” he added, and a broad smile appeared on his face.

Ossouna looked at him, and a smile appeared on his face, although he was not sure what Akua was grinning about.

“Who do you mean?” Aswad interjected. “Just him or all of us?”

“All of you,” Akua replied, still grinning.

Aswad looked at Keita then at Ossouna.

“No problem,” Aswad replied. “I’ll show you.”

“What do you want to see?” Ossouna asked.

“I want to see how good your marksmanship is,” he replied. “Come with me.”

“Okay,” Ossouna said, and Akua took them to an area well known for its traveling wildebeest population.

Once there, Akua bid them crouch and hide in the grass.

They focused on stragglers, those animals that strayed from the thick of the herd.

It was a situation with which his guests were well familiar. The chief difference was they used to go on this kind of adventure when they desired meat.

Akua bid Ossouna take the first go.

“You first,” he said. “Let’s see what you can do.”

Ossouna stealthily rose from a crouched position and released a poison arrow that lodged into a straggler wildebeest’s neck.

The unsuspecting creature ran for a bit but, in time, fell like a cut tree.

“Good, good,” Akua said excitedly, grinning from ear to ear, although an X carved on the bark of a tree, or perhaps some fruit, would have served just as well for target practice.

His guests grinned broadly while the beast’s peers closest to it looked at their fallen comrade, apparently in bewilderment.

“You’re good,” Akua said while smiling, and Ossouna took great delight in the compliment.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” he said to Aswad.

Aswad smiled, and the minute a straggler wildebeest came within range, he dispatched an arrow toward it.

It lodged high up on the creature’s hind legs near its buttocks.

It tried to run but found it now had limited use of its right leg and could move only marginally well.

The men grinned heartily while the beast, having been struck by a poison arrow, would soon die.

“Your turn,” Akua said, and Keita was eager to show what he could do.

He fired into the side of one of the animals. The arrow lodged between its ribs.

It ran for a while before falling; the men were thoroughly amused.

For Akua, apparently, their one hundred percent accuracy kill rate was not sufficient proof of how skilled they were with the bow because he had them, or they agreed to, slay twelve more animals.

He then downed an additional four before they were done with the morning’s training.