The Lost Nation: Nkechi the Renegade (Book 2)

5

Blackness surrounded Nkechi as she fell through the sky. The tree branches grappled at her skin like hungry wolves. Tugging and shredding through her flesh. She tried to grab a vine to help brace her fall, but the position she fell in it made it impossible for her to grab onto anything.

Her life flashed through her eyes in vibrant colours. A kaleidoscope of images fluttering through her sight. Her past, present and future merging into one colourful blur until her world went black as she crashed to the floor.

When Nkechi eventually came to, her left eye was still pulsing, and her body felt completely shattered. She could only focus on the physical pain because if she focussed on anything else, she would be completely shattered.

Hushed voices climbed through the dark forest, and through her swollen eyes, she could barely make out the appearances of the people around her. There was a haunted silence as the few tribespeople's who followed her to the ground, stood by and waited. Nkechi was unsure what they waited for until the earth beneath her battered form vibrated with the force of someone landing.

The energy shifted around them, the malice and anger so strong that Nkechi failed to decipher who the person could be. When those dark familiar eyes came into her focus, the last vestiges of her heart splintered.

"Fem-" Nkechi choked, her blood gurgling in her mouth as she tried to call for her livid brother.

His face was transformed into an emotion Nkechi had never seen directed at her. He was disgusted and that alone brought a cry of anguish from her bruised and swollen lips.

She rolled her battered body to her stomach as she tried to climb to her feet, but she was too weak. The move alone brought a sharp pain to her ribs. She grappled at her stomach and was horror-stricken when she pulled her fingers away and they were covered in thick oozing tar-like blood. Her eyes stung as bile burned through her throat and cascaded onto the floor. The action of vomiting took what little energy she had left, and she collapsed to the floor. Her tear and sweat slickened skin meshed with the remnants of her vomit and blood.

Her chest rattled as she wheezed through her lips. The pain she felt grew tenfold the longer she lay there. She was tempted to just pray for death, but her fate was never going to be that simple.

As if sensing her thoughts, Matin made his appearance known to her. His bulky form swooped low as he crouched down beside his daughter. She stared listlessly back at him through her engorged, glassy eyes.

The sight of her crumpled body brought such disgust, that he felt as if he would be sick right beside her. Not one part of Nkechi's body was spared. She was covered in cuts and bruises. Her beautiful cocoa skin that had once been a canvas of the goddesses' favour, was now a clear display of what the outcome would be if the tribe gained their Razi's ire.

Clearing the tears from his eyes and the emotion from his voice, Matin stood to his feet. He could barely look at his wife or his favoured council members. He knew how they felt, he could even agree with them, but no one was in his place. As a Razi and leader, he could not allow his daughter's disobedience to go unpunished. If he showed favour to Nkechi, then it would leave room for everyone else to challenge him and would ultimately lead to disorder. Even so, his intended decision was going to be lighter than what anyone else would receive. Nkechi would live and she would have the opportunity to live amongst them. Not many people could boast that they were given a second chance.

He silently motioned for one of the councilmen to lower the cage. Zira bellowed in rage at the sight of the wooden cage being lowered to the floor of the jungle.

"Enough," she cried. "Have you not done enough? Just look at her," she sobbed, "look at her," Zira pointed down at their daughter as tears cascaded down her face. "She has suffered enough. She understands her place. We all do. Now please, let her be."