"I am one of the greatest wizards breathing, don"t be surprised that I know all of you. However, Ochieng" is the only person I cannot use my spell against, so I know almost nothing about him." Kuru explained."But you know his name and even the fact that he is an Ordainer?" Mudho asked confusedly.
"Why don"t we find a quiet place before I introduce myself properly and why exactly I am here." Kuru said with a smile.
The five beasts hesitated a little but after receiving a signal from Ochieng", they decided to go deep into the forest far from the hut they were initially going to.
"My name is Kuru Kureri." Kuru began immediately they all settled, "I am a lonely fellow from the Kuri tribe. A few hours ago, I received an order from the One from above to come and accompany the thirty seventh Ordainer to the Hall of Righteousness..."
"Hall if Righteousness? Where is that?" Ochieng" asked perplexed.
"It is one of the places that an Ordainer should visit once all his powers are unleashed. I am the thirty sixth Ordainer but I only saw it two months ago when I took Mboya from your tribe to..."
Kuru wanted to continue but he realised Ochieng" was looking at him perturbed. He could not help but cut his story and look at him questionably. Upon seeing Kuru looking at him, Ochieng"could not help but ask,
"Are you the one whose powers was lost a thousand seasons ago?"
"Yes, but how did you know?"
He did also not expect Ochieng" to know a thing or two about him.
"I happened to have met Mbaraka Nyika"s will. He told me you were to end this war once and for all but somehow, something happened to you along the way and you ceased to be an Ordainer ever since." Ochieng" answered looking sorry.
As the two were getting acquainted with one another, inside the hut they almost reached, two women sat around fire chatting like age mates despite one being over fifty years and the other being around twenty.
Not far from them, a gray bird with white wings and orange beaks was resting with eyes closed. Even though it was hard to be noticed in a bird, a smile could be seen creeping at the corners of its beaks. The smile was widening overtime.
It did not take long before the younger woman noticed.
"What is it Jakony?" She asked.
The young woman was Apeleka, Ochieng"s girlfriend. The other one was the woman who captured them around two months ago.
"It"s nothing Apeleka. I have just been thinking about something." The bird answered nonchalantly without even opening its eyes.
What Apeleka and the other woman didn"t know was the fact that the bird had already known of the commotion that was outside the hut a few minutes ago. She did not want Apeleka to be too worried. After all, it knew how worried this girl had been about her man. It couldn"t tell her that her man had been nearby and had already left. That would make the young girl die of heart attack for no reason.
"I can see it in your eyes Jakony. Just tell us."
This time, it was Labosa, the fifty year old asking with a helpless expression.
"Like I said, it is nothing. You both don"t need to know."
...
In a desolate land far from the hut, there stood a robust man looking at a certain direction contemplatively. His long black robe was swaying slowly along with the winds.
From a far, he was perfectly a human but if one came closer, he would realize that this fellow had a head that looked exactly like hyena "s. The only difference was that this head was larger and the eyes looked cruel. It"s tongue that flipped over and over was forked like snake"s.
That was a Black Fiend.
As he stood there, the winds suddenly became severe before six women floating on flames appeared before him.
"Madams."
The Black Fiend bowed his head to greet them. Based on his att.i.tude, it was clear that they were quite fond of each other even though the women seemed to be of a higher tier than him.
"No time for formalities Ngole. We need you to carefully listen to us."
The six spoke simultaneously.
"Anything your highnesses need."
"Master is becoming angrier and angrier due to failures after failures before him. A few minutes ago, the human we had made our tracker was killed. It is clear that our moves have been noticed and very soon we will be disadvantaged."
"What do you want me to do then?"
"You are wise Ngole. Jambia who was the general for the southern army has succ.u.mbed to his illness. He died two days ago. We have been looking for a worthy successor. The southern army couldn"t see anyone but you. We ask you to go back to our land and prepare them for war."
"I am honoured to be given such a high position your highnesses but I am still weak and I don"t have the prerequisite abilities to occupy that office. I will only be misguiding them." The man lamented.
"Just come to our palace immediately you arive. We will take you to Master. He will bestow you with such powers immediately." The voices of the women echoed.
"Thank you your highnesses." The black fiend bowed respectfully hiding the excitement he felt inside.
Being a general in their land was akin to being one of the most powerful persons in the dark world. There were several privileges that came along with that position as well. Who wouldn"t want to be a general then?
The dark world, just like the world where Ochieng" lived was very large. It had continents and countries. It was however comparatively smaller and had few inhabitants. People from different countries fought from time to time and it is therefore understandable that even the dark world had armies.
About two hundred and fifty years ago, these Black Fiends had realized that their lifespan was declining. They also knew that human blood had the capacity to restore their vitality. They had always found ways to infiltrate the land of those humans even though it was not an easy feat.
The existence of an Ordainer always stood between them and their lifespan. To eradicate this enemy, they had done a lot of study about the Ordainers and one of them had even succeeded in depriving Kuru of his powers. When they learnt that another Ordainer had appeared, they had mobilized everyone in their world to finish the humans once and for all. The southern country in the dark world was the most powerful and thence the reason for a need of a powerful general.
To be given power by the Lord of darkness himself. There was never a better thing than this. Immediately the ladies disappeared, Ngole ran to to the exit of this world to go to their land with a feeling of great joy.