A Dreamer's Journey

4. A Warrior's Demise

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Sparks like fire flies danced into the star-filled sky as flames swirled and twirled on the hissing wood. Tendrils of smoke drifted away from the fire place in a slow, silky slithering motion. Carrying the sweet salty aroma stolen from a drooling carcass of a goat that lay suspended above the fire. A soft breeze whistled in and scattered the smoke only for it to be caught by the curious noses of the Rankau tribe which had gathered around the fire in the middle of the village.

"And that is what makes a man, a man!" declared a man of warrior like stature who stood in the middle of the crowd wielding a spear. A fresh wound had embedded itself on his chest and its blood shone black under the moonlight.

"The Matsuka tribe will never ever dare set foot on our land again! For this afternoon we sent them our message. Our spears delivered the message quite clearly." He held out his spear, allowing the fire light to reflect off the iron blade revealing the bloody stains that confirmed the delivery of 'the message'.

The villagers roared in applause as a proud grin spread across the man's face. His smile faded when he noticed a pair of unimpressed eyes staring back at him. Tears poisoned with bitter sorrow flowing like orange streams on the little girl's plump cheeks. The fiery red glow of anger and grief that was painted on her cheeks looked almost unreal compared to the joyous orange hue that the fire had given to the celebrating villager's bare bodies.

The man held out his hand and the girl accepted it with both of hers. He pulled her closer to himself and knelt down setting his eyes in line with hers. Gazing deep into those sorrow drowned eyes, he explained;

"Daughter... I am so sorry I failed to keep my promise. But you, Taona, must understand that it was the only way to bring peace to our village. Now you will-"

"No!" she cried out in a loud shriek. A few startled villagers stopped and watched the scene in shock.

"Innocent mothers and fathers die. We die, farther. I do not want to die. What does what you do solve? Nothing! We've fought the Matsuka since before I was born. Yet they still steal our cattle and slaughter us. I do not want to die like mother di-"

"Enough!" the chief of the village, a chubby man who wore a furry crown made from a leopard's hide, stormed into the middle of the crowd now surrounding the general and his daughter and gave the horrified girl a look of distaste.

"You will not speak to your farther like that! Your father led this tribe's men to victory for your safety. And all you can bring him is shame. Be ashamed yourself! Now go and play with the other children." He addressed the girl and turned to the father. "Now that is how you discipline your children." The chief smiled at himself. "What is this promise you made?"

"The child would not let me leave unless I promised her I would not kill a soul." Replied the farther, ashamed he could not discipline his daughter like other men did.

"One day she will understand what it means to be a Rankau warrior. And that is what you are. General! Never forget that." With those words the chief walked away proudly.

"Where are you going?" asked Taona's friend as she ran past them. Tears like waterfalls now flooding her face. Frustration furiously drove her fragile legs faster and faster until she was but a blur. Away from the warmth of the fire and the chanting crowds, she ran. As she neared the edge of the village a nasty root grabbed her foot and sent her crashing through the undergrowth.

She lay there, helpless, the joyous shouting and yelling now a distant spark in her mind. Drawing on what was left of her will power; she dragged her body up and sat slumped against a mango tree. She cast her eyes onto the village. Straw huts squatted like frogs around the still burning fire. Trees tall as mountains stood firm and witnessed the on goings from safe distance, marking the beginning of the forest and leaving a patch of grass to surround the village. She watched the grass sway gently in the cool night breeze and the fire burning inside her slowly started subsiding. And that was when she saw them...

Pouring out of the dark forest like wild demons, the Matsuka warriors converged onto the village. Arrows set ablaze shot through the night sky like comets, turning the village into a fiery hell. Warriors of the Rankau, men, children and women scrambled for their weapons but it was too late. Taona watched as the black demons barged into the village, slaughtering everyone on sight. She watched as her worst nightmare became reality.

Every scream, a knife in her heart, was carried into the heavens with the smog of a dying village. It was all over in a matter of minutes. It was the end of the Rankau.

Taona half limped and half crawled back to the village, ignoring the threat of demons that lurked around in search of spoils. A hot stench of iron rose from the pools of blood that she didn't even bother trying to avoid. She arrived at the middle of the village, covered in mud and blood like a mad cannibal. She stared at the demons that stood where the celebration had taken place, feasting off the barbequed goat and watching dead bodies burn to ashes.

"Hey there little one..." one of the demons sniggered. His face was painted black with coal. A white stripe ran down his left cheek like a tear and he held in his arm a machete that could slice an elephant effortlessly.

"Where... where is my...fa-father?" she could feel her lips tremble as the words reluctantly leaked out of her.

"I think he is busy burning in there...you could join him if you want." He smiled at the shocked expression he got from her face.

"Just kill her already Ngeka!" one of the demon's companions said irritably.

"I have to torture her first!" at this she started backing away but he reached out and grabbed her. "You are not going anywhere miss Rankau." He turned to his companions; "just like her tribe tortured our women, children and my own daughter!"

"Tie her with the other prisoners, then." He impatiently replied.

"Taona! Leave my daughter alone! My Taona...you monsters...monsters...MONSTERS!" Taona's farther wrestled with the rope that bound him but the knots stood their ground. All he could do was watch Ngeka wrap his daughter in a cocoon of leather rope. He made another futile attempt at loosening the tight knots around his wrists.

"If you want to die early you can just ask you know." Mocked Ngeka still focused on the rope tying. "Untie that hooligan!" he demanded when he was satisfied that the girl he had bound was not going anywhere.

Three Matsuka warriors freed the Rankau general as Ngeka prepared to watch his enemy suffer and taste the sweetness of revenge. After they unbound him each warrior held an arm and the third followed behind when they dragged Taona's father towards the bonfire which had already consumed half the village. Others lay on the ground with spears protruding from their bodies.

They were about to hurl him into the fire when he slipped from their grasps and snatched a spear from a dead body. He spun around and faced his captors and with three successive swift thrusts they were on the ground, hands on their punctured bellies. The outraged general ran towards Ngeka who stood next to his daughter. Matsuka who stood in his way found themselves either dead, wounded or being used as shields against the arrows shot by the Matsuka warriors.

The general drove his spear towards Ngeka's exposed chest. But with lightning speed Ngeka sliced the spear in half with his machete. Then he got it arcing its way towards the general's throat who ducked underneath the blade, whacked Ngeka's feet with the piece of wood left on his hand and jumped to a safe distance. Ngeka's feet crumbled under his weight and he was forced to his knees.

The general took this opportunity to untie his daughter.

"RUN!" he bellowed before an arrow penetrated his chest. Now on all fours he looked up at his daughter who stood there, traumatized, staring blankly back at him.

"I am sorry I have failed you...I...I should have listened to you." He said in regret.

There was a flash of silver and his head fell clean off his body...

Ngeka stared at the lifeless body, waiting for the sweetness of revenge to be felt.

"Nothing...I feel nothing... No freedom from my grief, no satisfaction- NOTHING!" he looked around at his men but they had no answer. He looked down at Taona who had picked up the half spear with a blade.

"There is only one way to be free from a world full of monsters like you." She drove the metal tip through her chest and it pierced her heart. Blood red and pure flowed out of her and formed a puddle on the dusty ground.

The warriors each placed their weapons gently besides Taona's body which now lay in a hole. Guilt crept into their hearts and hung there like heavy storm clouds. The sun bled over the horizon, casting a red halo across the land.

Sparks like fire flies danced into the star-filled sky as flames swirled and twirled on the hissing wood. Tendrils of smoke drifted away from the fire place in a slow, silky slithering motion. Carrying the sweet salty aroma stolen from a drooling carcass of a goat that lay suspended above the fire. A soft breeze whistled in and scattered the smoke only for it to be caught by the curious noses of the Rankau tribe which had gathered around the fire in the middle of the village.

"And that is what makes a man, a man!" declared a man of warrior like stature who stood in the middle of the crowd wielding a spear. A fresh wound had embedded itself on his chest and its blood shone black under the moonlight.

"The Matsuka tribe will never ever dare set foot on our land again! For this afternoon we sent them our message. Our spears delivered the message quite clearly." He held out his spear, allowing the fire light to reflect off the iron blade revealing the bloody stains that confirmed the delivery of 'the message'.

The villagers roared in applause as a proud grin spread across the man's face. His smile faded when he noticed a pair of unimpressed eyes staring back at him. Tears poisoned with bitter sorrow flowing like orange streams on the little girl's plump cheeks. The fiery red glow of anger and grief that was painted on her cheeks looked almost unreal compared to the joyous orange hue that the fire had given to the celebrating villager's bare bodies.

The man held out his hand and the girl accepted it with both of hers. He pulled her closer to himself and knelt down setting his eyes in line with hers. Gazing deep into those sorrow drowned eyes, he explained;

"Daughter... I am so sorry I failed to keep my promise. But you, Taona, must understand that it was the only way to bring peace to our village. Now you will-"

"No!" she cried out in a loud shriek. A few startled villagers stopped and watched the scene in shock.

"Innocent mothers and fathers die. We die, farther. I do not want to die. What does what you do solve? Nothing! We've fought the Matsuka since before I was born. Yet they still steal our cattle and slaughter us. I do not want to die like mother di-"

"Enough!" the chief of the village, a chubby man who wore a furry crown made from a leopard's hide, stormed into the middle of the crowd now surrounding the general and his daughter and gave the horrified girl a look of distaste.

"You will not speak to your farther like that! Your father led this tribe's men to victory for your safety. And all you can bring him is shame. Be ashamed yourself! Now go and play with the other children." He addressed the girl and turned to the father. "Now that is how you discipline your children." The chief smiled at himself. "What is this promise you made?"

"The child would not let me leave unless I promised her I would not kill a soul." Replied the farther, ashamed he could not discipline his daughter like other men did.

"One day she will understand what it means to be a Rankau warrior. And that is what you are. General! Never forget that." With those words the chief walked away proudly.

"Where are you going?" asked Taona's friend as she ran past them. Tears like waterfalls now flooding her face. Frustration furiously drove her fragile legs faster and faster until she was but a blur. Away from the warmth of the fire and the chanting crowds, she ran. As she neared the edge of the village a nasty root grabbed her foot and sent her crashing through the undergrowth.

She lay there, helpless, the joyous shouting and yelling now a distant spark in her mind. Drawing on what was left of her will power; she dragged her body up and sat slumped against a mango tree. She cast her eyes onto the village. Straw huts squatted like frogs around the still burning fire. Trees tall as mountains stood firm and witnessed the on goings from safe distance, marking the beginning of the forest and leaving a patch of grass to surround the village. She watched the grass sway gently in the cool night breeze and the fire burning inside her slowly started subsiding. And that was when she saw them...

Pouring out of the dark forest like wild demons, the Matsuka warriors converged onto the village. Arrows set ablaze shot through the night sky like comets, turning the village into a fiery hell. Warriors of the Rankau, men, children and women scrambled for their weapons but it was too late. Taona watched as the black demons barged into the village, slaughtering everyone on sight. She watched as her worst nightmare became reality.

Every scream, a knife in her heart, was carried into the heavens with the smog of a dying village. It was all over in a matter of minutes. It was the end of the Rankau.

Taona half limped and half crawled back to the village, ignoring the threat of demons that lurked around in search of spoils. A hot stench of iron rose from the pools of blood that she didn't even bother trying to avoid. She arrived at the middle of the village, covered in mud and blood like a mad cannibal. She stared at the demons that stood where the celebration had taken place, feasting off the barbequed goat and watching dead bodies burn to ashes.

"Hey there little one..." one of the demons sniggered. His face was painted black with coal. A white stripe ran down his left cheek like a tear and he held in his arm a machete that could slice an elephant effortlessly.

"Where... where is my...fa-father?" she could feel her lips tremble as the words reluctantly leaked out of her.

"I think he is busy burning in there...you could join him if you want." He smiled at the shocked expression he got from her face.

"Just kill her already Ngeka!" one of the demon's companions said irritably.

"I have to torture her first!" at this she started backing away but he reached out and grabbed her. "You are not going anywhere miss Rankau." He turned to his companions; "just like her tribe tortured our women, children and my own daughter!"

"Tie her with the other prisoners, then." He impatiently replied.

"Taona! Leave my daughter alone! My Taona...you monsters...monsters...MONSTERS!" Taona's farther wrestled with the rope that bound him but the knots stood their ground. All he could do was watch Ngeka wrap his daughter in a cocoon of leather rope. He made another futile attempt at loosening the tight knots around his wrists.

"If you want to die early you can just ask you know." Mocked Ngeka still focused on the rope tying. "Untie that hooligan!" he demanded when he was satisfied that the girl he had bound was not going anywhere.

Three Matsuka warriors freed the Rankau general as Ngeka prepared to watch his enemy suffer and taste the sweetness of revenge. After they unbound him each warrior held an arm and the third followed behind when they dragged Taona's father towards the bonfire which had already consumed half the village. Others lay on the ground with spears protruding from their bodies.

They were about to hurl him into the fire when he slipped from their grasps and snatched a spear from a dead body. He spun around and faced his captors and with three successive swift thrusts they were on the ground, hands on their punctured bellies. The outraged general ran towards Ngeka who stood next to his daughter. Matsuka who stood in his way found themselves either dead, wounded or being used as shields against the arrows shot by the Matsuka warriors.

The general drove his spear towards Ngeka's exposed chest. But with lightning speed Ngeka sliced the spear in half with his machete. Then he got it arcing its way towards the general's throat who ducked underneath the blade, whacked Ngeka's feet with the piece of wood left on his hand and jumped to a safe distance. Ngeka's feet crumbled under his weight and he was forced to his knees.

The general took this opportunity to untie his daughter.

"RUN!" he bellowed before an arrow penetrated his chest. Now on all fours he looked up at his daughter who stood there, traumatized, staring blankly back at him.

"I am sorry I have failed you...I...I should have listened to you." He said in regret.

There was a flash of silver and his head fell clean off his body...

Ngeka stared at the lifeless body, waiting for the sweetness of revenge to be felt.

"Nothing...I feel nothing... No freedom from my grief, no satisfaction- NOTHING!" he looked around at his men but they had no answer. He looked down at Taona who had picked up the half spear with a blade.

"There is only one way to be free from a world full of monsters like you." She drove the metal tip through her chest and it pierced her heart. Blood red and pure flowed out of her and formed a puddle on the dusty ground.

The warriors each placed their weapons gently besides Taona's body which now lay in a hole. Guilt crept into their hearts and hung there like heavy storm clouds. The sun bled over the horizon, casting a red halo across the land.

~*~*~