N'Chalo's Challenge

Chapter 5

In the early hours of the morning the Ofusa Lord watched over his slaves as they constructed a pavilion. They worked in groups carrying stone blocks, one after another, to assemble a stage in the centre of the market district. The last group dropped their block after it slipped from the hands of an elderly man, causing the others behind him to lose their grip.
The Ofusa Lord stormed over to them brandishing a knife, 'You fools! Break it and you will be sorry.'
Lifting the block was a struggle for the last group, it was made harder as the other slaves were soon well ahead in the construction and the Lord kept glancing at them. By the time they lifted the block, the roof was well on its way to completion, the strongest slaves had got on all fours and piled onto each other to form stairs for the other slaves to place tiles. Once the pavilion was complete, the slaves left the district and headed south to the temple.
When it was time, all free adults gathered in front of the pavilion whilst knights formed walls around the pavilion, making sure everyone stayed back. The knights were well built and covered in smudged red warrior paint resembling blood running down their faces and bodies. Behind the pavilion, a pair of knights stepped aside to allow the Lord, Papa and N'Chalo to walk through.
The Ofusa Lord walked up the steps and onto the stage whilst the King and Princess waited. He blew into a horn, nullifying the murmuring of the crowd. 'All hail his excellency, King Yokaxa the third!' He called out jovially.
Papa took to the stage, N'Chalo walked behind him, and he spoke to the crowd, 'I have summoned you here for today is of great importance!' The crowd erupted with cheers, Papa was a well respected and popular king, he continued once the cheering died down.
'Although I am your king I am also one of you, each of your children have to face the challenge and so must mine! As she works for her protection of the Mighty One, I ask that you pray for her strength and courage so she can overcome her challenge. If at all she fails, we will know in our hearts she died a glorious death.'
He turned to the Lord and quietly spoke, 'Your lordship, you may start the ceremony.'
'As you wish, your majesty.'
The Ofusa Lord beat his staff heavily three times. A pair of knights walked onto the stage, each holding an arm of a man who they restrained. A sack was tied over his head and he wriggled to break free but the grasps from the guards were too strong for him.
The man gasped for air once the Ofusa Lord untied the sack, he couldn't believe the crowd in front of him, from that moment he had realised his fate, 'No, don't kill me!'
No one showed any mercy. The Ofusa Lord shouted into the sky, 'Oh Mighty One, protector of the Ofusa, I have an offering. I request you speak to Princess N'Chalo in return!'
The deep, menacing voice of the god spoke to him, 'I accept.'
The Ofusa Lord removed a dagger from a sheath.
'You have the wrong man, I never murdered anyone. Let me go, please!' the man begged as he never stopped trying to writhe free but the warriors' grasps were too strong, 'Please no!' he cried.
'My blade is filled with your might,' the Lord called to his god, 'with it I will slice him and his soul will be yours to take from its shell!'
'How I yearn for mortal souls!' The Mighty One cried.
'Mercy!' the man pleaded one last time as the Ofusa Lord approached him. The Lord pushed his dagger deep into the man's chest and he sliced it across his body, blood splattering all over the stage.
'Princess N'Chalo,' the Mighty One spoke, 'head into the Great Desert, there you'll meet your opponent, overcome and you will earn my protection. Fail and you'll live the life of a workhorse.' He finished with a menacing laugh.
'Papa, I can't do this!' N'Chalo quietly spoke to him, her voice quavering.
'Excuse me?' Papa knew there were undesirable thoughts going through her mind and just before her challenge was the worst time to be having them. He laughed in despair, 'After all the times I've spoken to you, you can't back down to fear.'
'You've not done anything to build my confidence have you?' N'Chalo hit back.
'N'Chalo...'
'You're a really bad father!' N'Chalo had spoken too loudly, the crowd overheard and they were shocked.
Papa was embarrassed by the unwanted attention but he soon realised something.
'You're right, I should have listened to you,' he confessed to his daughter, 'I'm so sorry. If you failed then it wouldn't change how I feel for you, I'll still love you N'Chalo.'
This made N'Chalo feel slightly better, 'I love you Papa.'
They walked away from the watchful crowd, crossed the bridge to the oasis and left through the gate.