• Chapter 16

Chapter 17

It felt like I had walked into a death trap. I had taken it for granted that Oride had won the battle. Sweat broke on my forehead when I felt the gaze of most of the men start to follow me.

I had to keep my cool. Iriju was a huge metropolis. It was certain that nobody knew everyone. Many an Iriju family name passed through my mind as I tried to find a name less conspicuous as that of my well known grandfather.

I felt very self-conscious as I sat down at arm’s length from the piper; any slight misdeed would make me just another casualty.

The piper looked in no mood for chatting; it was a good sign for me, but never judge by appearances. I hardly sat down than the piper stopped mid-tune.

“Have you seen the Kalari in chains?” 

he enquired.

“Have you even seen any Kalari?”

he continued. I shook my head without turning to face him. I was very relieved; he was one of us!

I asked hoping I had guessed right. He snorted as though with derision

“You’re from Oride?”

I asked hoping I had guessed right. He snorted as though with derision

“No. Are you?” 

I swallowed hard; why did I even ask? I scoffed and turned away; it seemed like the safest thing to do

“I come from a tiny village on the outskirts of kara-Ozom”

He said after a break. 

“Kara too fought this battle?!”

 I enquired with shock! 

“Our names will forever be stained with this shame”

He said with the sullenness returning to his face.

“So many are dead; Alamda feasts on Iju’s blood”

I said. 

“A single slave has not being found; not a single one. They all died for nothing” 

He replied as he continued playing his tune. It took weeks to gather and bury most of the bodies. Most had rot beyond identification.

A great stench covered the whole place; morale amongst the few survivors was very low. Occasionally we found survivors, some were trapped under the rubbles of collapsed building, and others got lost during the battle.

Ten to fifteen people were turning up almost every day. It was not until the sixth day that Demma was found, his left leg had been crushed by falling boulders, his leg was reset but he forever afterwards had a limp. 

By the time we completed the mass burials a total of seven men had been found from Oride who were not dead or fatally injured. All had blood curling but interesting tales of their survival. For obvious reasons; I was quite relieved that I didn’t have to go back to Oride alone. No slave was ever found.