Mehìró: The Panther Beyond The Walls

Chapter 9

Jamila noticed as the winters passed, Kia was starting to lose her youthfulness, every smile Kia graced them with was strained and didn't reach her eyes, she was more fidgety and she kept rubbing her wrists and ankles. One day Kia visited them sporting a huge welt at the bottom of her eye, Jamila bit her tongue to stop herself from vigorously demanding answers from her.

On that day Jamila had a dream, she was in a beautiful meadow and a man dressed in fine leather stood beside her, he was old yet young. "My daughter" he said and Jamila immediately knew he was Onírí, she bowed respectfully, "rise" he said and she rose.

"Do you know why you're here?" He asked, "no" she replied, "I came to tell you, well sort of warn you, your sister is in great danger" he said, "great danger?" Jamila echoed, "yes" Onírí replied as his form started to disappear.

The next day Jamila made her way to the Chief's compound demanding that she wanted to stay with her sister for a few days and The Chief agreed.

Jamila noticed that The Chief wives were all like Kia, fidgety, scared and huffing something.

That night Jamila watched as Kia retired to her room for the night. Jamila didn't sleep she spent the night staring at the ceiling until a voice whispered in her ear, "go to her room" she obeyed and padded down the halls and towards Kia's room, the door was opened slightly but enough for Jamila to peek through.

Jamila watched in horror as The Chief forced himself on her sister, forcing her down, Kia struggled against The Chief and managed to push him off she crawled off the bed but The Chief was swift to pounce on her, sending them both on the floor. They grappled for the upper hand until The Chief was straddling Kia.

Jamila stood, watching frozen with fear as The Chief produced a bone knife from the folds of his dress. She watched as he stabbed Kia, over and over and over again, until Kia's screams had died out and her body was a bloody mess, he rolled off Kia and closed his eyes collecting himself before wrapping her body with the sheets on the bed. Jamila pressed herself against the wall as The Chief exited the room carrying Kia's corpse.

The Chief made his way to the shrine, Jamila behind him. Jamila watched as he called for the Uwaní cult. The cult members made their way out of the shrine cloaked in blood red robes. Jamila watched as Chief Hakim unwrapped her sister's corspe and presented it to him.

"The Elders will make your lands prosperous as you have delivered the sacrifice" said one of the cult members, "you never fail to deliver and they will never fail to bless you" said the another, "thank you" said Chief Hakim, 'he commits these grievous sins under the false claim that we will make his land prosperous , he is a greedy fool manipulated by the even greedier cannibalistic Uwaní cult" a voice whispered in her ear, "cannibalistic?" Jamila echoed, "yes" the voice replied, as Jamila turned to face the cultists. They were ripping apart what was left of Kia's corpse stuffing the flesh and innards down their throats.