Fireflies in The Dark Continent. Chapter 11

feekayo (58)in #novel • 7 years ago (edited)

Chapter 11

It was dusk before we broke ranks and stopped marching. The men were already worn off from the march, I was no better. I was panting like a dog when the order finally came for us to stop.

We were already approaching the vast swamps near Lende. Lende was once a kalari trading outpost. But now, it was a notorious home for miscreants and outsiders

The battle of Lende fought during the revolt had taken place in the swamps nearby. It is said that the goddess, Alamda was really angry that night, heavy rains fell that day that made her burst her banks and swallow thousands of Kalari's best soldiers.

In one night, in the swamps, Kalari's military back was broken. And they never recovered from that, suffering loss after loss till their total capitulation.

I could feel a certain unease among the men about the prospect of crossing the swamp, and not taking the usual road. Especially with the old tale on their mind, we would be doomed if Alamda wasn't in support of our cause. Nonetheless, Omur Alamsi and his advisers felt that it was necessary to transverse the swamps and suprise Iriju rather than pass the old road where their armies were massing up to protect.

There was a perculiar relationship between the Iju and our goddess, we had no priests or priestesses; every Iju has a direct relationship with his/her goddess. So the will of the majority was always taken as her very own. There had been times when we had been proven wrong in the past; but that is not part of this story.

I had noticed that Omur Alamsi always seemed to have the mouth of the man with the pipe in his ear. From where I lay slumped, I could see them being thick as thieves, for some reason they looked amused while watching men run helter skitter, lighting bonfires and setting up tents.

Everything seemed largely disorganized. I can distinctly recall that Elim seemed to be at the middle of the choas, screaming inaudible obscenities in the middle of the madness.

In the middle of everything, I saw Demma Ofili emerge from the chaos and walk towards me, he was oddly at ease. He held no gun, nor did he have one strapped to his back. I guess his bone breaking tussles with one was all for nothing. He sat down beside me and brought out a Kolanut and broke it into small pieces.

When he had gotten through with it. he looked and me and handed a piece to me with a wry smile

There is no better place and no better time

He said, before handing out most of the remaining pieces to passers by.

When he was done, he sat down right beside me and gestured towards Omur Alamsi and the man with the pipe,

What’s his story? No one knows him and no one is asking any questions?

he asked.

I have absolutely no memory of him, at least not before the first mustering

I replied.

I’m certain everybody feels the same; they are just too distracted to ask questions.

He remarked.

The question of what this complete stranger was doing amidst us was befuddling, and how no one seemed motivated to challenge his presence seemed odd. Well, I too decided to mind my business.

Ashti's two younger brothers Akinn and Akim were "almost twins" Akim was barely up 9 months older than his junior brother from the same father and mother. They also bore a very strong resemblance that most people couldn't tell the difference between the two.

They were also very well known in all of Iju for their strength and mischief.

They were always together, bantering and laughing raucously. Their pranks and mischievousness to each other always seemed to tend toward quasi-serious fights and beat downs. From a distance I could watch one unfold right before my eyes.

Being tall and burly, the each got to carry two guns each, they had just seemed to have finished cleaning it when, Akinn, probably testing his weapon, pointed his gun on the general direction of Akim, with a single deafening blast of thunder and fire, Akim was a blubbering pile, cowering on the marshy ground.

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Everyone was concerned that something terrible had happened.

When Akim looked up with his face red with rage, everyone exploded with laughter. Before we knew it. Akim was on top of a laughing Akinn, pounding his face with his fists with full gusto.

Omur Alamsi was immediately in the vicinity and was one of the first people to try and seperate them.

Omur Alamsi had seen the whole thing and was not even a bit amused. He scolded them at length for their behavior and threatened to collect the fire sticks from them. He even threatened to send them back home.

As punishnent, they were deployed to Omur Alamsi's personal guards. Just so he could keep a close and personal eye on them. I remember thinking at that time that they would be safe away from battle.