Mehìró: The Panther Beyond The Walls

Chapter 11

The village prospered under Jamila's reign and it seemed as if The Elders were smiling down on them.

But doom was approaching and it came in form as watchmen from The North if Mehìró.

It was late at night when the Watchmen arrived at the village, with flaming torches, spears, bows and arrows and what not. They attacked the village as it slept.

"Jamila wake up!" Abdul squawked "what's wrong?" Jamila asked sleepily, "men from beyond the walls are attacking!" Abdul squawked, Jamila was now fully awake, she swung her feet out of bed "gather the Oní tell them to kill anyone who isn't a villager" she said as she grabbed hee hunting knife and made her way out of her compound.

The village was in chaos. Houses were on fire as were the trees that surrounded them, Oní and guards fought against the watchmen some of who were shifters. Jamila yelled for Habiba, Weri and Mustafa. The three Oní  flanked her as she cut through the watchmen in her path.

She was struggling with a watchman who had shifted into as snow leopard, she was slashing at the leopard when she heard a howl of agony she quickly gathered her strength and threw the creature off her before whipping her head towards the source of the howl, a watchman had a huge chunk of flesh between it's jaws, Jamila watched in horror as Mustafa wailed pitifully before falling to the group dead.

Jamila let out an animalistic scream before pouncing on the offending leopard and tearing it apart with her hunting knife. When was too busy tearing apart the leopard to notice the arrow that was heading straight for her back, she only noticed when Abdul squawked in pain before hitting the ground limp and dead, Jamila stared at his dead body sobs threatening to break free but this was not the time.

When dawn broke the next day, The Oní, the guards and Jamila had managed to kill most of the watchmen and they had taken one prisoner
  but most of the Oní and guards had been killed for it to be called a win. As the last of the fire died out, Jamila ran to her house.

She cursed herself for forgetting about  her sisters during the battle but when she skidded to her house or what was left of it. It was burned to the ground, "no, no, no" she muttered as she searched through the ashes and rubble. Nothing. Nothing. She screamed pulling at her hair and rolling on the ground, she cursed the watchmen, she cursed the people beyond the walls and she cursed the gods of the people beyond the walls.

Many months passed and as the villagers and Oní rebuilt the villages the northern prisoner was kept in a 4 meters hole that was barely wide enough for him to sit, so he was forced to stand.

After the village had been rebuilt the prisoner was let out and dragged before Jamila, "what is your name?" she asked, "Amari Gbeji of the north Mehìró from the House Gbeji of snow leopards" he replied, "you're from Mehìró, correct?" She asked "yes" he replied, "who sent you here?" She asked. "King Ramses Annipe, he found out there was village here and ordered some watchmen of the north to destroy the village" he replied, Jamila's grown deepened, 'Annipe' the house who murdered her father, "do you know who I am?" she asked.
"No"he replied, "I am Jamila Eshe of House Of Panthers, Heir to the Mehìró Kingdom, Chief of Ushirô, The daughter of Onírí tamer of beasts and your King" she said spitting out 'King' like it was a disgusting word "had just made an enemy of me and believe me when I say, I am a fearsome enemy" said Jamila.