Mehìró: The Panther Beyond The Walls

Chapter 1

The night was cold. Colder than most winter nights Jamila had lived through, she and her sisters were huddled around the hearth, basking in the small warmth it provided.

The house was quiet save from the obnoxious creaking of her grandmother's old raffia chair, "mama, tell us a story!" Nayla chirped through chattering teeth, trying to break the ice that had taken a hold of the house. "What story do you want to hear?" her grandmother asked, "the kingdom beyond the walls!" Kira replied. The story of the kingdom beyond the walls was everyone's favorite story. Their grandmother told them of huge castles, bright warm summers, dresses of many colors and Lords and and Ladies who could shift from mortal to huge animals.

She told them about the royal houses, The Lions, The snow leopards, The Caracks and The Panthers.

The night passed and a new day came with the winter winds even more bitter than that of yesterday.

With each passing day the winter winds were getting even more bitter. Kia couldn't go to the King's compound, mama couldn't harvest or grow any plants as the soil was constantly erroded by the heavy winds. Even the hunters were having trouble bringing back meat as the creatures were either dying of cold and by the time they were found their bodies were crushed and blown away by the winds or the hunters themselves were killed by the harsh winds. Food was becoming scarce as the trees started to wither lessening the amount of fire wood available to start fires.

Jamila stared at the small bowl of leaf soup she and her sister were supposed to share, she opened her mouth to complain but she noticed that her grandmother had no food for eat, "mama aren't you going to eat?" she asked, "no my child I am alright" she replied. That night the winds were more bitter than ever.

The hunters were starting to get desperate as some of them even ventured into the evil forest. The evil forest lay at the south of Ushirô fenced off the village with some strong vines. Everyday hunters would enter but none would come out.

That night their grandmother told them a story. The story of a great house that was banished from the kingdom beyond the walls for trying to claim what was rightfully theirs. A house of Lords and Ladies that could shift into powerful and beautiful black Panthers, that night Jamila learnt of her true heritage.