Kadian

The Great Complaint

The revelations made that night were difficult to absorb, and Kadian wasn't sure that she'd ever have the time to properly do so. She continued to look off into the sky long after the two spirits had left. Finally, she gained the courage to lower her head, and speak to the crowd.

"Hello..." she began uneasily. The villagers stared at her quietly, their faces unreadable.

"I know I'm not what you had in mind-"

"OUR SAVIOR HAS ARRIVED!" Chief Mohoso boomed, startling everyone. The chief had never been known to express joy in such a manner. In fact, the chief was so traditional when it came to women's roles that if anything, Kadian's newfound power should have upset him.

"Father, what?!" Mohassen's jaw dropped.

"Mohassen my son, can you not see? This child brought back not only Omose, but Mimosa. Omose and Mimosa! She brought back two of everyone's greatest loves all within a day! Any girl who can do that isn't useless! Not at all!" He shook with laughter as the villagers marveled at him, the women especially. He suddenly threw up his arms and shouted "LONG LIVE THE SAVIOR!"

"LONG LIVE THE SAVIOR!" the villagers repeated and chanted as they swept Kadian off her feet.

"At least I didn't have to give a speech," she thought. But there were still many unanswered questions racing around her mind. Did she not die earlier? And why would Sister build Kadian a path that lead to a place like Shango? The Great Danger obviously couldn't be specified because no one knew what it was, but a hint, or date of arrival, would have been helpful.

Above all, Kadian still hadn't the slightest clue as to what being The Savior would entail. Sure she was supposedly a renewed, powerful version of herself who was destined to train hard and save everyone, but how exactly? And what abilities did she have? Minus the leafy dress, longer hair, and her emotional state of mind, she didn't feel very different.

Then there was home. Omose said she wouldn't be going back home anytime soon-not 'ever.' Perhaps there was hope for her old life afterall. She wanted to kick herself for not asking any of those questions while the spirits were still there, but she wasn't thinking clearly at the time.

"Oh well," she thought.

She closed her eyes and listened to the villagers chant her name as they paraded around the village with her. For once, they seemed to like her, and that pleasant feeling was all Kadian needed at the moment.

************

It was almost dawn, and everyone had retired to their tents and huts. Kadian resided in a new, elaborate hut of her own, courtesies of Omose. Mohassen scoffed as he walked by it. His mother had built no such thing for him.

He was on his way to speak to his father, for he found the spirits' visits rather unsettling. That was not to say Mohassen felt that way about the visit as a whole. He was able to see the two greatest loves of his life, afterall-his mother and his first wife. Still, he had also lost his second wife in the process. Alaba may not have been everyone's favorite person, but Mohassen didn't appreciate how nonchalant everyone was about her disappearance; he kept waiting for it to be addressed in conversation, but it never was. It stung when he realized that the loss didn't hurt him quite as badly as he would've thought.

Then there was Kadian. He could tolerate being civil to the girl, but training her? Teaching her the ways of the village? Being responsible for her in any kind of way? That would be too much to ask of anyone. He slipped into the chief's tent.

"Father?" he whispered.

The chief spun around in his woven chair to face Mohassen. "My son! Come, come on in! What brings you here my boy?" he greeted, still maintaining an unusually bright demeanor.