Mehìró: The Panther Beyond The Walls

Chapter 10

The next day the town crier announced the deaths of  three of The Chief's wives.

That day The Chief came to visit them to inform them that Kia was one of the wives that died. While Nyla and Kira wept, Jamila glared at The Chief her eyes burning with hatred. That day as she slept she made a plan, to kill The Chief and The Uwaní cult.

That night as she slept she visited to meadows again and Onírí encouraged her to carry on with her plan.

The next day was The Selection. Jamila made sure to dress her best, applying lotion on her Carmel skin until it was glossy, she braided her thick curly dark brown hair into two thick braids and donned her best clothes and jewelry.

At the selection, Jamila made sure to pretend to be flustered and flattered by The Chief's perverted gaze. At the end of the selection two other women and she were selected.

That night as she slept, Jamila pretended not to notice The Chief come into her room, she endured the pain as he forced himself on her.

Winters and summers passed and when The Chief wasn't forcing himself on her while she slept, Jamila spent her nights in the evil forest, informing the Oní if her plan. She would kill The Chief, but before the murder she would led  Abdul to a small bush that was right beside the shrine where he would wait for her to call.

The plan was to be carried out the day before the harvest. As the night drew closer Jamila steeled herself for what she would have to do, she had slipped her hunting knife in her drawer and a dagger in the folds of her dress.

When The Chief entered her room she was ready. As in the middle of forcing himself on her, she opened her eyes and sat up ignoring the burning pain in lower half, The Chief was so startled he fell stopped for a split second and that was all the time  Jamila needed to produce the dagger from the fold of her dress and sink it into The Chief's chest he stared at her wide eyed as she pushed him off her letting him fall to the group where he writhed in pain.

"Why?" He gasped as she straddled him, "you know why" she replied as she sunk dagger into his flesh enjoying the squelching sound it made as it tore into his flesh. Sinking the dagger into his flesh over and over and over again until she was satisfied with his mangled corpse.

She heaved Chief Hakim's corpse over her shoulder and sunk out the compound the way she had seen him do after her murdered Kia. She called for the Uwaní cult and tossed Chief Hakim's body at their feet, she could feel their glares from under their hoods "what is the meaning of this?" They asked, Jamila didn't reply.

"Abdul!  Come out! Come and destroy our enemies!" she yelled. The cultists growled and one lunged for her and Jamila swiftly cut him down with her dagger, smiling as he fell dead at her feet. The other cultists stared at her warily as Abdul flew out from one of the tress "set them aflame" Jamila simply commanded as Abdul obeyed her command, flames engulf his body and as he opened his beak a steady stream of fire shot out of it setting the cultists on fire, Jamila smiled as the scent of their burning flesh invaded her nose and their dying screams filled her ears.

At the crack of dawn, Jamila made the town crier announce The Chief's death and gather all the villagers at market square immediately.

"Villagers of Uwaní!" said Jamila when the people gathered at the town square "Your Chief is dead because killed him, he was using his wives as a human sacrifices and raping them you can ask any of his surviving wives!" she said, "he and the Uwaní cult of whom were cannibals were working together and I killed them. The Oní killed them" she continued, "as from this day I am now The Chief Of Uwaní, if any man feels that I should not take this title he is free to fight me to the death!" Jamila continued pausing to wait for anyone to oppose her eyes scanning the crowd.

"Good, As the chief my first act is to join the evil forest and Uwaní do not fear, The Oní are under my command and will not harm any of you they will protect this village and everyone who lives in it" said Jamila, "prove it!" A villager asked as the other villagers whispered in agreement, "very well, Abdul! " She called Abdul soared over the head of the village before perching on her shoulder, "go can bring the others" she instructed, Abdul nodded and flew off, "please wait for a few moments, the Oní are coming" she said.

A few minutes later the group shook as stampede of Oní headed for the market square, the villagers stared in horror, "Oní today you are apart of this village today you shall be protectors of this village!" said Jamila, The Oní howled, grunted and squawked in agreement sinking low on their knees, the villager watched in amazement, as a voice cried "long live the Chief!"