Pharaoh of Fire (Land of Fire Book 1)

by Chadwick Duncan

  Hatim’s heart skipped a beat, “W-what do you mean!? The Nebuvian people practiced Blood magic! That is a divine crime! That was the only reason for the war!”

  “I do not wish to hear it! You Nguvu always belittled us, just because we were weaker. I remember as a child that Nguvu soldiers would sometimes enter my home town of Elba and rape women. My mother told me to keep quiet or I would lose my head but I knew what I saw. Your sins shall be cleansed and it will start with you! Chukwuku, I have a job for you!”

  Chukwuku instantly charged after Hatim. Hatim threw a fist in response, Chukwuku ate the blow in his left cheek and grabbed Hatim by his neck. With one arm, he picked Hatim off the ground, Hatim grabbed Chukwuku’s hand as he desperately attempted to free himself. With his last few breaths he plead for help.

  “Nai-Nairobi! Help…Me!”

  Nairobi’s eyes widened, “Assani, what are you doing!?”

  “I am cleansing our world my boy. One Nguvu at a time.

  “Please, cease this!” Nairobi shouted.

  “You want to save the man who condemned you to death!? Who never showed an ounce of love to you? And go against me? The man who essentially gave you the throne?”

  Nairobi stood silently. His face was worried, he bit his lips and flared his nostrils. He began to perspire, his face glistened like the golden crown atop his head. His thoughts raced through his head at the speed of sound as he tried to decide on what he wanted to do. He knew what was taking place before him would be of paramount importance, but his contradicting feelings muddied his judgement.

  “But-but he is my father!? I cannot just kill him!”

  “Nairobi, you know I have your best intentions in mind. You really think Hatim will leave this Palace without a ploy to redeem the throne!? You, a former Nguvu, know this loss of power will not sit easy with them. Out of every clan in the Gibraltari Empire, the Nguvu have always led the Empire, it is time for a change do you not think so?”

  Hatim mustered up the strength to speak as Chukwuku’s grasp tightened, “Nai-Nairobi, if this…is your choice…be prepared…to suffer the conseque-”

  Before Hatim was able to finish his statement, Chukwuku crushed his throat. The only sound he made was that of his windpipe closing and air being forced out. Nairobi’s eyes were as large and bright as the moon. His mouth gaped open but he said not one word.

  Chukwuku spoke, “You were taking too long to decide Nairobi. The dye was already casted the second I grabbed his neck. I was just waiting for you to say the word,” he then dropped the motionless body of Hatim, flopping as it hit the ground.

  “Chukwuku! What have you done!? You killed my father! And you started a war!” Nairobi screamed, he was beside himself with a mix of terror and remorse.

  Lord Assani answered for Chukwuku, “Be still child. I have made preparations for this day for a long time. As you can see, only we reside in this room. We shall say that Hatim attacked you and Chukwuku intervened. The Hashish bare witness and they are sworn to vouch for you. Tell them what to say and they shall say.”

  He continued as he turned to a Hashish, “Am I correct, you do swear fealty to the new Mansa?”

  The Hashish responded, “We protect and serve Selah Palace. Whomever is the Mansa, his wish is our command.”

  Lord Assani grinned as he began, “Where did Hatim get these men, it is like he wanted us to take the Palace,” he began laughing.

  Nairobi stared at the lifeless body of Hatim. His eyes were deep, investigating his father’s corpse. Chukwuku stood over the body and admired his work. Nairobi was not sure if he was to avenge his father’s death or praise his succession to the throne. As he stood petrified, Lord Assani called out to him.

  “Nairobi! All will be good. This man was no father to you. I will treat you like the father you wished you had. I will lift you as the ruler you were meant to be. Trust me child.”

  Assani continued, “Now, I have already began to fortify Jua Nyeusi and the rest of the Mali force. We need to speak to Lord Mateus Angola and Lord Vishal Japreet. We will also need their backing to remove the remaining Nguvu before they fully mobilize themselves.”

  “Remove…the Nguvu? You will not touch my sister!” Nairobi’s eyes flared, it was as if they caught on fire.

  “Of course your Excellency, of course. Your sister and whomever you deem worthy shall be allowed to live. But I just want to make preparations in case the Nguvu rebel. We must have countermeasures,” Lord Assani bowed as he released his belief.

  “Very well. Prepare for the worst case scenario. But first we shall try and talk to them. Quell any needless bloodshed. I wish to begin my reign in peace if I can.”

  “As you wish, your Excellency,” Assani bowed once more.

  Mansa Nairobi turned to the Hashish, “Can one of you fetch my sister? She must see and know what took place here. I need to make sure I at least have her fooled.”

  Chapter 11: Little Farm

  The dry, arid winds of The South has subsided, the rains have arrived. Showers blanketed the lands for as far as the eyes could see. From atop the mountains of the Death Valley, the rains stretched endlessly in each direction. The thick clouds over head nearly blocked every ounce of sunlight. The environment was finally hospitable, the vegetation immediately began feeling the effects of the rains. Vast stretches of dead and brown plants erected themselves and displayed an impressive green hue. Irabor and Ida stood atop the mountains of Death Valley, they began to descend as they entered the region of Yama, where Sultan Selassie Teleki ruled with an iron fist.

  “These rains are a divine blessing, the gods know the heat was killing us,” Ida lifted her head and opened her mouth so water could fall in.

  “Yes. I agree. These lands are so inhospitable.”

  They rode their horses carefully out the mountains. They descended past massive boulders, crevices, and evaded mudslides. The cliff walls were precarious and slippery but they advanced with utmost caution. Rocks and large boulders began to dislodge themselves which the two had to avoid. Finally, they got to the base of the mountain and sighed in relief.

  “We should seek shelter. These rains are a blessing but also a curse, I can hardly see,” Irabor yelled using his right forearm to wipe his eyes.

  “I agree, Sapphire. Let’s get a move on!”

  Ida spurred her horse and they raced off; Irabor followed closely behind. They soon arrived at a miniscule farm. The home seemed to be constructed of a mixture between mud and bricks, with a large wooden slab as the door. Next to the home were small fenced off regions consisting of various crops and a few consisting of cattle. Ida dismounted her horse and began to bang on the door.

  “Aye! Aye! Open up! We need somewhere to sleep!”

  Irabor, beside himself, began, “You can’t just bang on people’s home doors and expect them to just answer and let you in!”

  Surprisingly, the door began to crack open and eyes peered out at them, “who are you?” the eyes asked.

  “Travelers, please can we stay at your home? We are soaking,” Ida stated while she rung her clothes out.

  “Go awa-”, suddenly, someone then pushed the eyes from the door and opened it. It was a short, elderly woman. Hair was as grey and violent as the clouds, but her face was dark, wrinkled and soothing, “Please, please come in!” the old woman escorted them through the door.

  She continued, “Sorry for my grandson. He is very cautious with strangers.”

  The grandson was a meager man, seemed roughly the age of Ida. Tattered clothing with hands that made slaves seem like they had an easy life. He had an indifferent facial expression as Ida and Irabor entered their home. As they entered the room, their nostrils were greeted to the pleasant scents of tea and curing meat.

  Ida added, “As he should be. What are your names?”

  “Haifa and my grandson’s name is Dweli, and you my sweet child?”

  “Ida, and this big fellow is Sapphir- I mean Irabor,” she grimaced.

  Irabor released a si
gh of frustration and spoke, “Nice to meet you, Haifa and Dweli,” he reached and shook her hand.

  Haifa’s entire demeanor changed as if she was frightened when Irabor shook her hand, “My, oh my! Quite the grip you have there! I almost lost my arm!” she chuckled.

  Irabor smiled awkwardly, “My apologies, sometimes I forget my own strength.”

  Ida chimed in, “So, what are you two doing all the way out here?”

  “I grew disgusted of the city. So many sick, so many starving, I had to make a new living,” Haifa grabbed a cup of hot tea, sat down on her wooden chair, and took a sip.

  Ida, wringing the water out her dreads, asked, “So what do you and Dweli do out here?”

  “We live off the land sweet child. This soil is particularly fertile, and there is an underground spring we get our water from so we don’t have to fight over water like everyone else. I’d tell you where the well is located but then I’d have to kill you,” she laughed. Ida and Irabor looked at each other uneasily.

  She continued after her laughter subsided, “But on a serious note, Dweli does nearly everything around here. My old bones aren’t really useful for anything, not even for chicken feed,” she began laughing.

  Ida faced Dweli, “It seems like you are the backbone of this farm. That is very nice of you to care for your grandmother.” Dweli rolled his eyes to look away and muttered something undistinguishable.

  Haifa answered for him, “Do not mind him. He does not say much.”

  “What is wrong with him?”

  Haifa’s bright expression quickly shifted to an ominous one as she looked into her cup of tea. The room grew eerily quiet before she decided to break the silence, “Oh nothing, nothing. He is just like that. Now come! Come! Let us get some food in you. We still have some leftover breadfruit and ackee! Dweli will get you some change of clothes as I prepare them a plate.”

  Irabor’s face glowed, his mouth began to salivate, “Ackee? Ackee!? Come now Ida, it’s time to eat woman!”

  Dweli returned with a change of clothes for them both. He directed them to a backroom where they changed quickly, Irabor then raced over to the table. Ida sat beside him and Haifa brought forth two plates of the cuisine. Irabor immediately began digging into the food, unlike Ida who chose to bless hers before she began.

  “Would you two like something to drink? I have sorrel or cerasee tea.”

  Ida’s faced turned green, “I hate cerassie. Too bitter. Could I have some sorrel please?”

  Irabor, with his mouth stuffed answered, “Either is fine. Thank you.”

  Haifa returned with the beverages and joined them at the table. They all conversed as they ate their foods and drank their teas. They laughed at times, Irabor nearly choked on a mouthful every now and again. Dweli sat off towards the other side of the living area. He quietly sipped his drink as they chatted amongst themselves.

  “What can you tell us about Yama?” Ida asked, washing down the sustenance with her sorrel.

  Haifa interlocked her fingers and rested her chin atop them, “Well, Yama is controlled by Sultan Selassie Teleki, with his wife, Sultana Elshaday Teleki, and their two sons, Solomon and Saul.”

  She continued, “Castle Yama lies further east, closer to the Eastmore Ocean.”

  Haifa took a sip of her tea and continued, “So, what brings you two here?”

  Without hesitation, Ida answered, “We are looking for a man that goes by the name, Didi.”

  Dweli dropped the cup of tea he held. The glass shattered as it hit the ground and the hot tea splashed. Dweli contorted his face in discomfort when the hot water skimmed his skin. Haifa’s mouth dropped and eyes widened as she stared at Ida.

  “Oh!” Dweli hurriedly began cleaning his mess.

  “Why are you looking for this man?” Haifa asked, her face seemed full of concern.

  Ida clenched her right fist and slammed it on the table, “Because he killed a friend! So if he thinks he can run back home without suffering, he has made a grave mistake.”

  “Well…I hope you are successful on your goal. We also detest that man,” her hands began to shake and she looked away.

  She continued, “I know I told you nothing happened to Dweli, but I lied, something tragic took place here a few years ago.”

  Ida’s ferocious attitude shifted to curiosity, “Really? What happened?”

  Haifa took a deep breath and began, “It was around the time we just built the farm and moved here. Dweli was a young boy. We came out here with my oldest son, his wife, and Dweli’s younger sister. Life was easy, we just farmed and battled the weather, nothing too serious. Maybe a wild animal here or there but Dweli’s father, Dende, was a big man. He managed to scare them off,” she chuckled.

  Haifa began to shed a tear as she continued, “But then, they came. Didi and his men were demanding taxes from us. But we never had enough money to pay. We farmed what we ate and gathered water to drink from our hidden well. We didn’t have money and he was not leaving empty handed.”

  Irabor looked over his right shoulder and saw that Dweli, on his knees, stopped cleaning up his mess. There were tears dripping from his face unto the floor as his head hang. Haifa rubbed a tear from her right cheek and continued with a quivering voice, “So…s-so, the men took Dende’s wife and daughter. Dende retaliated, but he was outnumbered and they killed him without hesitation. Poor Dweli witnessed the whole thing. They tied his little sister up and threw her on their saddle, while the others took turns on raping his mother in their bedroom. When they were all done, they slit her throat.”

  Haifa began crying, but still persisted with the story, “Dweli was just a boy! No one should see that happen to their family. No one! I tried to help how I could, but I was useless! They shoved me out the way, when I hit the ground my back was in such pain, I couldn’t get up. My heart breaks whenever I think of what that boy had to endure that horrendous night.”

  Ida, nearly in tears herself, replied, “I…I am so sorry.”

  Ida arose from her seat at the table and walked across the room to Dweli, still on his knees crying, “I promise you, I will kill him. I already killed all of his men, he was just the lucky one who got away.”

  Dweli looked up at Ida, his face covered in tears, nose running, lips quivering. His hand shook as it raised to grab her. Ida kneeled before him and grabbed his hand. She gently caressed his hand and gazed into his eyes. Dweli’s heart began to ease.

  Irabor looked at Haifa and began, “With such a horrible thing happening to your family, I am surprised you two even allowed us in with such open arms.”

  Haifa’s expression began to lighten, “I know there are evil people in this world, but I will never make that stop me from doing good. It is a storm outside, you two need somewhere safe to rest, and we could provide that.”

  She continued, “Since that day, countless travelers have passed here, a few were genuinely great people that helped us recover, helping Dweli farm and around the house. While others were bandits, so Dweli had to pick up arms and fight. Barricading the doors and even killing a man once who tried to kill me.”

  Irabor raised his right eyebrow, “After all the strife living here has caused, I am surprised you don’t move.”

  “Move where? This is The South. Everyone is fighting for survival. We left the city to start our own little paradise, but that was short lived fantasy. There is nowhere for us to move, we will just find the same problem on a bigger scale. It is a kill or be killed world. Dweli had to find that out at such a tender age.”

  She continued, “Your eyes are red. You should know what I mean, your kind hunted to extinction -- well so I thought.”

  Irabor shifted back in his cheer in surprise, “You know about the Ahmar people!?”

  “Yes my dear child. I had a few friends when I was a little girl. Such a long, long time ago,” she began laughing.

  She continued, “Your people used to reside further south in Gaza, am I correct?”

  “Yes, so I’ve heard.”<
br />
  “I met a few while I was down there. Back then, the Sultan’s weren’t so aggressive and coexisted in some sort of a peace. Was not until a merchant saw your people’s eyes as a new commodity that could be exploited and things began getting turbulent once more.”

  “I know. Once they started killing my people and selling our eyes, Sultan’s gained more and more wealth which increased their power and lengthened their borders. An inevitable conflict ensued once more. Now most, if not all, other Ahmar’s are dead! And these fools are still at war over the next commodity, and then the next, and so on and so on!”

  Haifa sighed as she remarked, “The struggle for power. It is a never ending cycle. Power is not absolute, it comes and goes. One will destroy everything, including himself, in search.”

  Irabor clasped his hands together, “Indeed. When I was younger, I wanted to avenge my people and break this chain more than anything in the world.”

  “That was a hopeful dream. Naïve, but hopeful,” she took another sip of her tea.

  Irabor’s face grew glum as he looked at the table, “I know. Once I experienced how the world truly was. I could see there was no way to save it. This country is sick. We are all going to die at the hands of each other.”

  Ida heard Irabor’s statement, “No. No we are not.”

  Haifa and Irabor looked over to her as she still held Dweli’s hand, “We won’t all die.”

  Irabor responded, “What do you mean?”

  She stood up and faced him, “Because I do not intend on losing anyone else I care for. That includes all three of you. So as long I have breath in my body, my loved ones won’t die.”