Rising from the Ash

PHASE ONE The smell of herbs and ginger filled my nose as the Contents of the large black cauldron boiled. It was almost dark and yet again, I realised that I had spent another day in the kitchen, another day without any meaningful occurance in my pathetic little life. I rubbed my hand on my bald head and cleaned the stains off my dress. A little moth flew past my eyes and I quickly tilted my head to avoid its impact. I watched as it flew towards a table on which lay several herbs and liquids. I was instructed by the royal doctor to monitor the queen's medicine. Not that I cared about her or any of the royals, but for the sake of punishment, I'd rather behave myself and obey whoever seems to need me,like the doctor whose job I'm doing for him. My name is Amen and I am a Ztafa. I checked the contents of the cauldron. It wasn't ready yet. According to the words of the doctor, it was to "thicken and be free from all froth" before I know it's ready.I heaved a sigh and wiped off sweat from my eyebrows. Then I looked out the window and saw the faint shape of the moon which was now slowly becoming visible. The moon had always had two effects on me; sometimes It is calm and soothing, almost like I could feel it's embrace, but other times, I just hated looking at it. Tonight was not a night for the latter. I looked down from the window and saw the soldiers doing their jobs- on Ztafas. I heard the whipping and shouts coming the Ztafas who received the lashes. I heard laughter from the soldiers as they took delight in what they were doing. They laughed as they continued their bidding and I could swear they did it for sport. I felt a rush of anger rise within me but there was nothing I could do. I feared for my life and that of my family. Any wrong action can cause their immediate demise. So whatever anger I was feeling, I allowed it to subside. I stepped away from the window and walked towards the cauldron. The contents were ready. I poured the medicine inside the medicine bowl made specifically for the queen. I then quickly covered the bowl and checked for any spillage. No one among us knew what the medicine treated exactly For we were just told to boil the herbs as instructed by the palace doctor. That was his job but he chosed to stay in his office and rest while we did the boiling. I looked around and made sure I wasn't forgetting anything. Then I stepped out and headed for his office. Each step I took reminded me of the cruelty that resided within these walls. I dared not look up to the faces of the soldiers for they would warm their hands with my face. The palace was a cruel place for the Ztafas and I was a recipient of that cruelty. I remembered the story of our predecessors. The proud ones who held the power of the elements on their palms. They walked with glamour and excellence as their magic shone and their long dreadlocks waved behind their backs. These were the Ztafas I longed to be like. The strong and powerful entities who didn't let anything stop them from being who they wanted to be. But that was just a dream on my part. Those people were gone and what's left is the remnants of that once proud race; us, with our broken souls, tattered bodies and scrapped hair. 'Hair'. The very thing that caused this torment. The Humans feared the amount of power the Ztafas possessed.From what I heard, they wanted the power for themselves as well. When they discovered that they couldn't bend nature to their will, they sought total annihilation Of the Ztafas. That was all I knew of our history for speaking about it was forbidden in Amadiran. I only knew of that story through Aré, the oldest man among the Ztafas. Some soldiers once made him tell the tale while they drank and beat some Ztafas for sport. Aré was now frail and weak and resided in a room Besides the palace. Others began looking up to him as their father and so did I, after all, my own father took me to the palace himself when my hair began twisting. I remembered the day he brought me to the palace. Mama was making fish pepper soup in the kitchen and I sat in my room before my elder sister who was combing my hair. It was my 6th birthday and I longed to eat mama's pepper soup. She always made it spicy just the way I liked it. Mama had noticed my hair earliest than other people. She made sure she combed it every 2 hours while I was a baby and she dared not plait it For it would never loosen again. Mama gave me all hair softeners available to women at that time and even cut it short on a regular basis just to keep the eyes of people off me. She didn't even tell my father who or what I was.I guess She didn't trust him enough. Unfortunately for us, my hair could only stay straight for a few hours afterwards, it starts curling. Papa had seen my hair that morning before I took my bath. He saw the curls and in me, he saw a monster. So as my sister combed my hair, papa dashed into my room and dragged me out. Mama ran out of the kitchen to plead with him but he sent a slap across her face. I looked at my sister who stood trembling amidst the whole incidence. I cried and cried as papa dragged me towards the palace. I still remember the faces of the people who stared at me like I was a disease. Some even spat and cursed. A certain Pregnant Woman covered her eyes from seeing me for fear of giving birth to a child like me-me, a child who barely knew anything of the world, brought into this world like any other but despised as quickly as she was born. Finally we got to the palace and Papa threw me to the soldiers without a single pity in his eyes. The next thing I felt was a sharp pain on my head as they scrapped my hair off. My head bled from the roughness with which they scrapped. I cried out to mama to help me but no help came. Then I was packed with other children my age and new garments were given to us. That was when I knew I had no chance of leaving. After crying for a while, I wiped my tears and awaited whatever was to come. That was sixteen years ago and he never visited. Mama visited once after pleading with the soldiers for days in order to see me. She even had to pay a fee before they agreed. But papa never did, not even when mama died. I walked briskly as I headed to the doctor's office. I couldn't afford the medicine to get cold for it would loose it's potency and I just couldn't take it to the queen myself. That was the doctor's job. All the Ztafa could do was boil. I got to the doctor's office and Found him sleeping. I bowed my head and cleared my throat. He jumped up and quickly composed himself. He was ridiculous but I dared not laugh. "What do you want?". He asked in a sleepy voice. I guess he forgot what he told me to do. "You told me to boil the queen's medicine." I replied him. "Ah yes. Bring it here." I dropped the bowl on the table as instructed and the doctor did his inspection. I looked around his office as he did. It was quite beautiful and adorned with white curtains. The room was painted white as well. He finished his inspection and handed the bowl to me. "Take it to the queen. I'm not feeling well." My heart skipped a beat. "S-Sir, I don't, I'm not sure-." I was shaking. Only a select few were allowed to go into the Royal quarters and I wasn't one of them. "Take it to her and tell her I sent you. Understand?" I knew nothing would change if I protested further. He would then label me as disobedient and have me thrashed. I quietly bowed my head and took the bowl. "Yes sir." I turned and left the office and headed for the queen's quarters. I tried my best to avoid all the staring eyes. Sometimes, I wondered what they always stared at. I knew I looked quite beautiful but beauty in slavery Was equal to red mud. What good could it do me here? If not for the fact that Ztafas were who they were, I guess I would have been a recipient of several harassments from the lustful soldiers. I walked fast and got to the queen's quarters. I took a deep breath and checked my clothes one more time. Then I knocked. "Who's there?" came a reply from the guard inside. "Medicine for the queen." I replied. It took about thirty seconds and then the guard opened the door. The look on his face suggested that he wasn't expecting to see a Ztafa holding the medicine bowl. I avoided his eyes and walked inside. The sweet smell of lavender and roses filled my nose as my eyes scrutinized the queen's room. It was beautiful beyond what I can express. There were gold ornaments everywhere and I think I may have seen some diamonds and emeralds. I saw the queen sitting on a big chair. She was about seventy five years old. According to the history I heard, the king and queen lost their son During a failed assassination attempt On the king's life by Ztafas who dared to rise against the government. The Ztafas were caught and burnt alive and their families were all hanged. The late prince had a son and a daughter who were being raised by their mother until she died. Now their grandparents took over parental roles for them. The queen frowned when she saw me but she didn't say a word. I stepped forward with the medicine and handed it to her. She looked at the medicine and then to me and gave me the bowl back. "I don't want it. Take it away." She said to me. I gulped and bowed my head and then turned to go but it was too late to stop. I bumped into him and poured all the contents of the bowl on his body. In that moment of horror, I raised my head up and looked at the face of whom I've wronged. It was the Prince. I hadn't even opened my mouth to apologize when a guard punched me on my face. I slipped on the contents of the medicine on the ground and hit my head on the table. It was made from pure gold and so, my head started bleeding immediately. That was all I could remember. The next second brought darkness with it. I drifted away and wondered if perhaps, this was my end.