Nana had finished packing his small duffel bag, though he
wasn’t sure if he would describe it as small; it had been a present from Akose
when he was leaving for one of his earlier trials, yes it did look small, but
it could contain as much things as the average trunk. Probably because Akose
had tweaked the space of the bag someway.
Ever since he had been told about his last trial, Nana had
been feeling uneasy and extremely on edge. He had first wondered if it was just
his nerves getting the better of him, or that he was just really anxious to
finish the trial; but he had come to realize that wasn’t the case. Something
just wasn’t right, the air didn’t smell right; it was like the calm before a
storm. Similar to the feeling he had before fighting Effah four years ago
during the final round of the First Stage. He had come to trust his gut
feeling, and steeled himself for whatever was ahead of him.
There was a knock on the door to his quarters; he stopped
what he was doing and headed for the door. Behind the door were all members of
the Royal House, led by Dziedzorm, which was rare. He noticed the grim
expression on their faces; except Dasebr3 who seemed more lost than anyone.
There was a long silence which made Nana nervous; what had he done wrong this
time?
“What aren’t you telling us?” Dziedzorm complained from the
back. “You’ve got us all extremely agitated.”
“Why? What’s wro-” Realization then hit Nana of what they
were talking about. It was because of his Tumi.
“He seems to have forgotten again.” Debrah chuckled.
“Sorry about that guys, I had completely forgotten all about
this.” Nana said, extremely nervous now. This is the one Tumi he felt extremely
self-cautious about.
“You don’t have to apologise King. We are merely just
concerned.” R.T assured. Throughout all this Akose was quiet and was barely
looking at Ato, which made him more worried. He didn’t like it when she was
upset.
“Everything is fine.” Nana reassured. “I’ll be off the Hills
for some time.”
They all stared at him in surprise, but no one asked any
question. Akose still stared downwards. Nana went on to explain as best as he
could, but before he could even begin to do that, he was interrupted.
“That’s why the Supervisors summoned you up there right?
Whatever reason you have to leave the Hills.” Debrah asked.
“Yes; and I wish I could tell you all why, but you already
know the drill. We should be used to this by now.” Nana explained.
“But why now?” Dasebr3 chipped in. “We are starting the
competition in twelve days, we-”
“Dasebr3, don’t question the decisions of the Supervisors,
they are all ranked Elders. Even the king knows not to question their decision
and authority.” R.T reprimanded Dasebr3.
“R.T is right.” There was a short silence. Nana took in a
deep breath and let it out slowly. “Anyway I’m sorry I put you all through
that. It should be better now.”
The grim expression on their faces cleared up; though they
still looked a little worried. Dziedzorm stretched as though he had just been
freed from being shackled.
“So, when are you leaving?” Enyonam asked.
“Tonight.” Nana responded without flinching. “I should be
down the hills latest by morning if I move quickly.”
The Red Hills were vast, they were difficult to navigate and
could take days to make it to the peaks. It would take the average candidate
who is a part of the Red Hills a day to make it up the hills or descend it.
Nana, hoped to do it in six hours. He needed all the time he could get.
After settling things with his Royal Family and reminding
them of their various duties, they left and he went back to getting ready.
Akose stayed behind to help him, she packed his duffel bag in silence and Nana
didn’t know what to do to make her speak.
“So… one week without you having to worry about me. That
should be fun and stress free.” Nana laughed nervously, but Akose didn’t reply.
There was a long silence as she packed without saying anything. Over the four
years Nana and Akose had grown closer to each other, more than they even cared
to admit. The rest of the Royal Family knew of this, and Dziedzorm normally
referred to Akose as unnamed Queen of the Red Hills. Both Nana, and Akose had
never really said anything to each other, but it seemed they didn’t have to;
they both just knew.
“I will be back in eleven days, I promise.” Nana said. He
walked towards Akose, and took hold of her hands, stopping her from folding.
“Hey, look at me; you know I never break my promises.”
For the first time she looked up at Nana, and he understood
why she was looking down the whole time. She looked like she had been crying
her eyes looked red and sore. Care and worry flooded Nana who immediately sat
her down on the nearest chair and knelt in front of her.
Kid… what did you do
to make her cry. Kram popped out of nowhere.
I have no idea! Nana
replied to Kram in total confusion.
Well find out then! A
gentleman should never make a lady cry! Haven’t I thought you anything at all? Kram
scolded.
Well to be fair you haven’t
really-
I dare you to finish
that statement.
“What is wrong? You look like you’ve been crying.” He
sounded genuinely worried, and Akose knew he was, but she couldn’t bring
herself to speak. How was she supposed to?
Are you sure you it
wasn’t because you forgot to do something you were supposed to? Kram asked.
Well… even if I did,
she wouldn’t react this way.
Kid, she might like
you, but a lady can only take so much. You probably finally wore her out with
your forgetfulness.
“What is it Akose? Or do you need me to do something?” Akose
looked up in response to his question.
“Wait, I forgot to do something right? I am such a terrible
person… I am so sorry. What did I forget to do? Tell me and I will get it done
right now. Did I forget to eat – no I had supper just an hour ago. Wait did I
forget to-” He took a sniff of his clothes and shook his head. “Nah- it’s not
that either.”
His rambling caused Akose to smile unconsciously, which he
took notice of, causing him to smile and calm down. Akose couldn’t help but
wonder how she had gotten stuck with this guy, who could get so distracted with
his duties as King and training that he even forgot to take care of himself. He
hadn’t always been like that; even within the brief time she knew him before
the incident four years ago at the Battle Royale.
“Nana…” She started.
“Yes, Akose, what is it?” He asked in response. She was
silent for a while as if contemplating whether to go through with what she
wanted to say. “You can tell me anything, you know I always listen to you- well
not always, but you know I try my very best to.” He chuckled, she smiled back
at him.
“I want to ask you to do something for me.” She went on.
“Sure, anything-”
“Anything?” She repeated.
“Umm- yes, anythi-”
“Please don’t go.” Her request left Nana speechless. This
wasn’t the first time he had left the Hills for a trial, this was the fifth.
Yet, this was the first time Akose had ever asked him to do this.
“Why?” Nana asked calmly, he
smiled at her to reassure her he was listening. He had to know why.
Same time, somewhere in the Ashanti Kingdom…
The night was a warm one, the hooded figured weaved through
the busy streets, the traffic was intense, and the heat wasn’t helping.
Frustrated trotro drivers exchanged harsh words from behind the wheels of their
vehicles. He made sure to avoid bumping into anyone. He couldn’t afford to be
seen, he may not even be recognized since it had been so long, but he couldn’t
afford to risk it either way. He was the careful one; and that had served him
well so far. He got to a pub with an eerie glowing red sign; “Don’t Mind Your
Wife”. This was where they had agreed to meet. He entered and walked straight
to the seats in the corner of the room, the place was badly lit, and was
convenient for their meeting. Two people were already in the seats waiting for
him.
“What took you so long?” The first asked, he was relatively
bigger than the other two, but could be barely seen due to the dimly lit room;
his size was what set him apart from the other two.
“I had to make sure of a few things; plus, I had to be extra
careful, which is mainly due to your impulsiveness!” He retorted harshly to the
big one. “How many times must we tell you to clean up your messes?!”
“Hey, you might be the smart one, but don’t think I’ll allow
you to disrespect me because of that!” The big one retaliated.
“Oh would you shut up. We had a plan, he created a perfect
plan for us, and we were so close to our goals; but because you couldn’t
control your hunger we are in this shit. Don’t think your seniority will help
you get away with this.” The third said in a calm yet intimidating tone. He was
the eldest of the three, and even the big one knew better than to challenge
him. Their table was silent or a while.
“Big head, tell us what you’ve found out so far.” The eldest
of the three said to the hooded one who had just joined.
“Okay, due to the glutton over there, the heads of the Eight
Lights are getting suspicious and are on high alert; they are taking no
chances. They know only one person has the ability to steal Tumi, and the fact
that that person was supposed to be dead more than a century ago has got them
thinking.” He couldn’t see his face, but the glutton could feel Big Head
shooting him a condescending look.
“I am trying to lead them from discovering the truth, but
it’s proving difficult. They are approaching this with the mind-set that all
three of us managed to survive the raid by the Hunters.” He added.
“Shit.” The eldest muttered to himself.
“I’m really sorry bro-”
The eldest raised his hand, signalling the glutton to shut
up.
“So what are they doing now?” He asked Big Head.
“Here’s the funny thing, they sent a King to investigate the
issue.” Big Head explained.
“A king?! You idiot! What is funny about that?! A king may
not be as powerful as the heads of the Eight Lights, but they are stronger than
even the Vassal Chiefs.” The glutton shot at Big Head.
“I hate to agree with what he’s saying, but the glutton is
right.” The eldest added.
“You didn’t let me finish; I’m not talking about one of the
four Kings of the four kingdoms, I’m talking about an honorary king. A King of
a Specialized Arena, and not even a formidable Arena; the Red Hills.” Big head
explained. The eldest was silent; he couldn’t help but feel something wasn’t
right. However, Big Head was the smart one, and he had learnt not to question
Big Head’s intelligence.
“If it was in the glory days, we might have cause for worry;
but not now. They really made a big mistake sending an ant to catch a
Tarantula.” The eldest said. “At least, that is one good news for us.”
“Oh, and there’s one more.” Big Head added. “Despite how
foolish the glutton acted, it has helped us get one step closer to getting to
our goal.”
“What do you mean?” The eldest asked.
“He managed to get Father’s attention. He came out of hiding
and is coming for us.” Big Head replied, the excitement and anxiety in his
voice was obvious.
“How did you know?” The glutton asked hastily.
“His Tumi; AKOMA
NTOASO. It has grown weak, but I can still feel the link; and I can felt
it. He knows we are alive, and he’s coming to deal with us personally.” Big
Head explained.
“Good… come old man, it’s time we retired you once and for
all.” The eldest said with a sinister laugh. The three brothers had waited long
for this family reunion, and it was going to happen anytime now.
On The Red Hills; In the Common Room of the Royal Family…
The other members of the Royal House were trying to figure
out what it was, and why their King had to leave the Red Hills just a few days
before the competition; Dziedzorm lay on the floor playing his video game.
“This isn’t the first time he has had to leave the Hills
because the Supervisors said so; but why doesn’t he tell us the reason behind
his leaving?” Debrah fumed as he paced up and down.
“Could it be that he doesn’t trust us completely?” Dasebr3
asked nervously. They all turned to look at him, shook their heads and went
back to what they were doing.
“It’s not that. If it’s a matter of trust, there’s no issue
there.” Enyonam replied. How could they be so sure though, Dasebr3 wondered to
himself. They seemed to trust him completely.
“Pacing up and down won’t solve anything.” R.T calmly
interjected. “Dziedzorm, you know, tell us what is going on.”
Everyone stopped and turned to Dziedzorm, who paused the
game he was playing and jumped from the floor.
“Hey, hey, leave me out of this… I only know as much as you
all do.” He said lazily.
“Dziedzorm, the new raging winds video game comes out-”
“He’s going on his final trial.” Dziedzorm said before R.T
could finish speaking.
“Trial?” They all looked at him confused.
“What do you mean by trial?” R.T asked.
“First you all have to swear you do not tell anyone about
this.”
They all nodded in response.
“The trials are a set of optional tests given to people with
great potential- and I mean the cream of the crop, aiming to become King, Story
Teller or Elder. It comes with its benefits. However, they are almost
impossible to pass; hence the reason they aren’t popular. And before you ask,
our King refuses to tell us about this because he is forbidden to discuss
details pertaining to the nature of the Trial with anyone unless ordered to by
the Elders who assigned it to him. This is our Kings fifth and final trial…
which only goes to prove what a monster he truly is.” Dziedzorm talked so fast
he had to take in a deep breath at the end of his lesson.
“How do you know all this?” Debrah asked.
“Come on, it’s Dziedzorm, what doesn’t he know?” Enyonam
commented.
“She’s right, I do know everything… plus I was approached to
take the test; but I turned it down like any logical person would.” He waved at
them and headed for his quarters. They all stood there trying to process what
they had just been told.
“But how was it that Bra Panyin Dziedzorm was approached to
apply for this test?” Dasebr3 asked out of genuine curiosity. He knew that
Dziedzorm outranked him and was in a different league than he was, but how come
he was approached but R.T wasn’t?
“The answer to that is simple;
Dziedzorm is the most powerful amongst the Royal House, second to only the
king.” R.T answered. Dziedzorm was feared by the everyone in the Royal House
except the king; he may act like a child most of the time. But he was a scary
opponent to face.
Enyonam had been a War Monger since before Nana became king;
she had served under Debrah and now served under Nana. She had seen the
capabilities of both kings and their Royal House and was glad to have been able
to stay long enough to serve under her current King. Sure he was younger than
her, he was younger than half of the Royal Family, but she had come to realize
age meant nothing in their tests; she had begun her Northern Desert Test six
years ago; and she probably wouldn’t have applied to continue this year, had it
not been the fact that she felt more ready than ever to complete it; and it was
all thanks to this kid who came and beat their asses back in shape.
She had realized Akose hadn’t been in the common room with
them. She had been acting strange the whole evening. Was there something wrong
between her and Nana? Enyonam passed by Akose’s quarters as she returned to
hers. There was no response as she knocked on the door, but she could hear that
someone was in there.
“Akose… are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?” There
was no reply for a while. She was just leaving when a small voice from inside
asked her to enter; she did.
Akose was sitting on her bed her legs crossed. Her eyes
seemed swollen. Had she been crying?
“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Enyonam tried to be as
gentle as she could. She wasn’t particularly gentle, but Akose had been
teaching her.
“Guys are so stupid.” Akose pouted.
“Okay, so are we talking about Nana or our King, because I
can’t help if it’s the king we are talking about.” Enyonam said, threading
lightly.
“I asked him to stay and he still went.” Akose continued.
“Why? It’s not like it’s the first time he’s left-”
“But it will be his last.”
“How do you know that?” Enyonam asked. Akose shouldn’t know
about the trials. She wasn’t in the common room when they found out.
“He won’t come back.” Akose continued.
“Why do you say that?”
“He’s – he’s going to die.”
“What?! What are you saying?”
“Nana is going to die.”
To be continued…
Note from the Author
……………………………
Yours Faithfully,
everydayGladiator
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