The Rise of Tenax

Odyssey to Fate

Rome, the eternal city! It was a stunning city to behold, where the whispers of conspiracy echoed through the walls and the mighty fell at alarming regularity. To navigate the socio-political theatrics of Rome was to wine with the devil himself. Indeed, one would need a long spoon to dine with its elites, lest one found himself on the end of their dagger or a poisoned cup of tea. Rome was an unforgiving city, and only the skilled and ruthless could dare to survive in it. And despite the dangers, the appeal and heritage of Rome drew in the foolish and the wise like a moth to fire. Arriving at the bustle of the city of Rome in search of her children was Alem who walked through the cacophony of noises in the Market as the rainbow of colours assaulted her senses. The air was pervaded with a thick smell of fresh bread, roasted meats and spices of exotic nature.

Alem trudged through the crowded market, her eyes scanning through the stalls and small gatherings. She noticed chained slaves and prisoners being led through the market while some were on display. Sticking to the purpose of her visit, she took her time to constantly tail slave blocks to examine the face of each slave and prisoner, but none looked like her children. Many of the stall keepers wondered if she was a lunatic of sort as tailed slave merchants and skipped from one slave block to another. Not backing down, she continued to search through nooks and crannies.

The talk of three siblings being carted away to Rome in a single day spread like wildfire through Jijiga. It was unprecedented to have a mother lose all children to captivity in a single day. Alem, the mother of the trio, had tailed her children to Bait al-Rahman but found no traces. The Roman slave merchants had left and shipped their bounties Rome-ward. Returning to the city, she wasted no time to trade all her jewelry and asset as she set her mind firmly on a journey to Rome. Rome was an expensive city, but she was not daunted and was aware she would need huge bounties to buy back the freedom of her children.

Alem had grown solo, singlehandedly training her kids since she lost their father to the last territorial strife with the invasive Roman legionaries. Living through the turbulence and tribulations, she had grown steel and tough, marking a lasting footprint for herself in jewelry and fabric trade. Indeed, she was a big and respectable figure of affluence amongst the men and women of Jijiga. She had made warriors of her children, but how each one of them allowed themselves to be carted away like a chicken baffled her still.

“I set forth for Rome at noon,” said Alem, leaving words with his only younger brother, Bekele. “I must see to this madness from the Romans.”

Bemused, Bekele drifted towards his sister with a countenance posing questions. “Have you lost mind, sister?” Asked Bekele, examining his sister’s intent. “Rome is many miles away from Jijiga. No one puts up a fight against the Roman battalion and win.”

“The first purpose of war is to fight,” emphasized Alem, “we can talk about winning later.”

Bekele was awe-struck by his sister’s dogged intent. He could feel the intensity of her words. He could feel the rage and vengeance of a mother. He knew his sister well enough as a savvy trader and tough woman who would stand her ground to have all she wanted. The wits, clout and brawn, she just had it all under her belt. But Rome was a different city, and the purpose of her journey could spell doom.

“You will not do this alone, sister,” said Bekele snugging up to Alem. “Rome is too dangerous a city to navigate on your own.”

Alem clutched Bekele’s head and gently jammed their foreheads together as if to knock sense into him.

“This is my battle, Beke,” she insisted, “I shall go and return with my children. The Lion god walks with me. I will a triumph for me.”

“You hold on to home, Beke,” she continued, clutching Bekele’s shoulders now. “I will return in two moons, gods be with me.”

Bekele nodded in emotional resignation, as if he had no further say to his sister’s choice.

“The Bhari and his crew await me at the shores of Massawa,” she said while darting out of the chambers to reach for her horse. “I shall take my leave now, Beke. I leave our father’s heritage in your hands.”

Alem rode to the shores of Massawa to link with a sail across the red sea. She left heritage and affluence back home on the promise that she would be back in two moons. Little did Alem know that a voyage to Rome was an odyssey to destiny. With Alem’s departure, the Roman eagles had successfully swooped down on the highlands of Ethiopia and snatched the children of Baye.

As Alem navigated the market, she noticed a small gathering along a narrow corridor. It was a close-knit gathering. She could barely see what transpired in their midst, and that prickled her curiosity even more. She wondered what might have kept grown-up men glued that much. She ventured into the corridor and drew close to the gathering. She gently nudged one the men aside to have a clearer view of their midst, only for her curiosity to be met with a strike across her face.

The strike felt like a thunder lightening and Alem went crashing down under its brutal impact. The small gathering she held in awe a while back swiftly turned to a gang of robbers. She was pinned down and her bursa, which was filled with coins, was snatched from her. Her jewelry was forcefully taken away. She tried to put up a fight but was overpowered. The gang left her empty-handed and before you could summon help, they had vanished from the scene like a flash.

Alem was given her first bite of brutality in the streets of Rome. Now, she felt utterly deserted and forlorn. She had lost it all – all her money – and her children were not even in sight. She trudged slowly through the cacophony of the market.

She had lost it all – all her money – and her children were not even in sight. She trudged slowly through the cacophony of the market. But then, she came to discover an event where a slave block was on auction and a large gathering enveloped the scene. It appeared to be a fresh arrival of slaves. She struggled her way through the crowd to the front to examine the faces as she had been doing. Gobsmacked, her heart almost leapt out as she sighted her two girls in the block chain. She had a natural reflex to break the line in order to rescue her children from the brutality unfolding before her eyes, but she jolted back to reality that she had lost power of parenthood for the moment. She realized that the Roman soldiers would be more than willing to fling her anywhere it pleased them should she stage any scene that was not expected of a slave bidder.