Chapter Twenty-Six

"What?" This is the most frustrated I’ve ever seen Mlondo. “ya thinking I meant ya? Nooo, girl. Haha. I actually meant the Goddess.”
“I think I’ll take the trail leading down the forest. Mlondo take left. Luleka right. When ya find the king just hollar.”
Ya sure? Mlondo asks in my head.
I nod.
Luleka storms away immediately. We watch her until she disappears out of sight. Dread stirs at the pit of my stomach.
A hawk circles above me. I signal with my hand for it to come down. It's sent by D'ziko.
“Hi,” I say reluctantly.
“Why'd it take the messager an hour to find ya?” he says.
This is not good.
I take a deep breath.
“I don't know, we’re in the forest,” I say. “Look, I have to go--”
“Dammit, Imani,” he thinks back. “It's the full moon tonight. The forest is crawling with night creatures.”
I keep quiet.
“Oh heavens. Imani. Damnit. I'm on my way,” he says. “Stay on the trail. Don’t go any farther.”
I roll my eyes and wave the crow away.
I’m confused, what was that all about? I start walking backwards.
“ya okay?” Mondo asks.
I’m not sure if I’m okay.
If D’ziko and I are okay.
“Ja.” I gulp. “D’ziko seems a bit angry, not sure why.” And then with a smile: “Let's meet back here in twenty, Ja?”
He nods. His brows furrow in worry.
Mondo looks at me as I sink deeper into my trail, waiting to see if I'll change my mind. I don't. I keep looking at him until the trees separate us.
I feel a brief twinge of sadness as I walk into the wet air. The ground is thick with tall grass swaying in the light breeze and steam rises slowly from it. It rises up eerily and drifts mist-like towards the tall trees. This looks like a screenshot from a horror movie. It is so quiet I might as well be in a graveyard.
I'm conflicted. I don't want to like Mlondo but he's the closest thing I have to Commodore. Somehow She reminds me that my brother wasn't just a figment of my imagination. The fact that Mlondo is here with me, silently helping me with his murder should mean something, it means something. I grip the sword dangling from my hip. God's forbid I get caught before the essence thief tries to come for my magic. And even if he does, how exactly will I stop him? I don't know basic self defense and I'm sure the their can hold down a pretty good fight. But then I'm a goddess now, maybe I can use my title to my advange for once. Maybe I should call a meeting and order everyone to talk self-defense during the lockdown.
What good is staying indoors, of staying at home if you can't even defend yourself should the need arises?
What good is my having this sword then if I'll kill the essence thief but fail to empower my power if only slightly?
I whistle as I jog through the wet ferns.
In the distance I hear the unmistakable sound of a waterfall. The lamplight drifts to a dim shadow. There’s too much rain. The trees are green, their leaves fresh and dripping with droplets of water, the mournful cry of a lonely bear echoes through the vault-still silence of the trees.
I freeze. I haven't realized how far I've gone and I whirl. I am completely off the trail now. How long have I been here? Minutes? Hours? It seems like forever. And where am I?
The sense of unease grows stronger the deeper I get into the trees. I fill my lungs with cold air and let it out shakily. A huffing wind rises up then, stirring the strands of blue curls around my neck.
A sound of something sloshing through the ferns comes from all around me. It sounds familiar. It is threatening. It sounds like footsteps.
Human footsteps.
I pick up a small branch that must have been uprooted by the harsh winds and raise it above my head.
"W—Who's there?" I cry, trying to sound menacing rather than scared.
There is no reply.
The footsteps continue and there are other noises too, like snorting, hissing and... and growling. It is very loud against the eerie of the trees. The cheerful banter of birds and small animals a forgotten memory now. Someone or terrifying of all... something is in the forest with me. Oh Gods. Oh Gods. I don't know who or what is stalking towards me.
"Did I mention I have a gun?" I cry out again, desperate, but yet it sounds like a plea. "I do martial arts as well,” I lie. “I'm armed. Don't come any closer." I try to make my voice sound angry, but even I hear the fear.
Oh Gods! Help me! Please! I've never held a gun in my life. My knees are shaking, my hands sweaty. I try not to be too obvious. I could die today and nobody would ever find my body. I hope D'ziko meant it when he said he was on his way. I begin to reflect back on my life. I don't want to die. What am I doing here? What will become of Mama? Who will take care of her? Protect her from Sithole?
My eyes scan the meadow, searching for the looming danger. At that precise moment, a short figure steps out from the trees to the east, some twenty feet away. Dear God's. It is an Abatwa. These are short humanoid creatures who are continually on the hunt for game. He's loading his bow. Preparing for game. The arrows are poisonous. I back up. I have to run but fear roots me in place.
He stands over two feet tall and probably weighs more than a hundred pounds.
An abatwa awake at nightfall?
I have no time to mull over the impossibility as it pads silently through the grass a mere ten feet from where I stand. Why did it make so much noise before? Had it been running? Or had it wanted me to be aware of its approach?
“From where did ya first see me?” He smiles. And then behind him: “I've found game,” he shouts. When they talk they always add an h after the s and a double e after m.
More tiny people like him appear. Their clear blue skin is visible even in the moonless night.
“Oooh,” one says, “this is exciting.”
“Ask her again,” another shouts. “I want to hear the question.”
“...And a reply,” the shortest one says. He draws his arrows.
“And a reply,” he agrees. They laugh. “Go on. C'mon.”
“From where did ya first see me?”
I swallow. Their questions are never simple. I think. And think. The last thing I want to do is to offend them in anyway. To them this is a game. If I get the answer wrong, it's game on. They'll shoot me.
Now the trick question: is this a riddle or a simple question? I shake my head. I won't answer them. I don't know the answer. These tricksters wouldn't ask me such a simple question. They stalk toward me. They laugh.
“Shoo…” I whisper desperately, retreating. "Go abatwa, go. Go on now. Shoo..."
The others stop moving and laughing. They no longer consider me sport. They think I'm rude. I've heard ya should always keep an Abatwa laughing. Always.
The one who found me begins circling me. I turn to follow it. "Please don't eat me," I beg and try to intimidate it with my branch. It makes a low rumbling noise. "I promise I probably taste as bad as I look... please I'll... even... bring ya a chicken... or... or something..."
It never breaks stride and its eyes zero in on me. It seems to be telling me something. Like a warning.
"Please..." I am crying now. Tears streaming down my face. "Just leave me alone. Shoo..."
It comes to an abrupt stop and I freeze in fear. The response as automatic as breathing. The small creature cranes its neck to the side and then watches me with its intelligent eyes.
"Please..." I beg it again.
“Are ya refusing game?” he asks. His arrow buckles. The others aim for me too.
“No, no. Wait. I'll answer. Please,” I say. The arrows don't lower. They mean business.
“From where did ya first see me?”
I swallow, hard. “From a few paces away. About ten feet.”
Everything seems to happen too fast, all at once.
I unearth my sword and bush knife. The first arrow misses me by an inch. The second I manage to cut in half with my sword. I throw the bush knife and it lands neatly in one of the Abatwa's forehead, right between the eyes. The Abatwas start laughing again. More appear. Hundreds of arrows shoot toward me.
I let out a blood splitting scream that seems to echo across the trees.
And then an ape is suddenly in front of me.
The Abatwa doesn't lose its focus on me even as D'ziko joins us with a dart gun. I don't move. If I could I would as the Abatwas launch their arrows at me with sharp, blinding speed.
I scream again and cover my face, at the same time D'ziko screams, "No!"
I wait and wait and wait but still nothing. My eyes fly open. D'ziko darts to the left and the ape mimics him. It stands protectively in front of him, growling viciously.