Crown of Flame

Warrior's Welcome: Part 3

The trek up the mountain was an arduous one. This Queen climbed ever upwards as if she were on a calming stroll. Ikinya, not one to be outmatched by a woman, even a hadithi woman, struggled to keep up but struggled, even more, to look as if he were equally not bothered by the climb.

"You waste too much of your energy on appearances boy. It would serve you better to focus on the terrain than on your composure." Teleza commented as she strode ahead. Ikinya was annoyed. Was there nothing he could best this beastly woman at?

The climb went on until Ikinya could see the inky black of the night begin to glow the ethereal pink of the morning through the canopy of the trees. It was then, in the coming light of day, that he saw their destination. Hidden amongst the trees was a large compound of what looked like several interconnected huts. The thatching on the roof was superior to any Ikinya had ever seen. In the far end of this compound was a long-hut, built taller and wider than the others and raised from the ground like an alter. This truly was the home of a queen. The compound was by no means empty. Men could be seen moving about and preparing for the new day.

"She has returned!" a man could be heard calling as the two entered the compound. Quickly, men emerged from their huts, lined the walls of the compound, and knelt to the ground at the appearance of Teleza. Ikinya marveled at the men. These men were large, strong, and made for battle. They were all obviously warriors trained to protect their queen. Their sizes and shapes varied, but he could tell by various tribal markings that most, if not all, of these men were of the Ziwa and Baharini respectively. At first glance, it appeared that they were living peacefully together. Ikinya was offended by such treachery. What Ziwa warrior could live peacefully with the Baharini?

"Gathii!" The hadithi woman called out pleasantly, and one of the men stood. He stood near the height of Ikinya, but his build was much larger. The sheer bulk of his shoulders and arms was impressive. Ikinya wagered that this man must be a heavy laborer of some sort. Few other trades fostered such size in a man.

"I am here my queen," the man said at his approach. He waited and Teleza offered her his hand. He took it and placed a reverent kiss to the center of her open palm.

"This is the man I spoke to you about Gathii. This is the man who murdered my beloved Wekessa". Ikinya felt more than saw the heated glare of every man in the compound. This King Wekessa must have meant a very great deal to his people. Ikinya considered what might be the punishment for killing a well-loved leader. A quick death was likely too much to ask.

"What will you have me do with this filth?" Gathii asked, seeming more than pleased to be the deliverer of this sentence.

"He will replace my Wekessa, but first he must learn. I will leave him in your hands Gathii. I trust you will see to his learning well." Gathii glared in the direction of Ikinya. He obviously took no pleasure in Ikinya's arrival.

"Of course great one" he replied grudgingly. The hadithi woman was not ignorant to his displeasure.

"Gathii, it is my wish that you welcome him into the fold of brothers in a way deserving of what has brought him to us." A sinister smile curved the lips of the man.

"It will be the pleasure of I and my brothers to offer this warrior such a welcome."

Ikinya did not at all like the sound of that.

"I will take your weapons fool," Teleza said, offering her empty palm. Ikinya looked hesitant to give them up. "Do not fear, they will not be lost to you. I will keep what you hold dear in my home. You can retrieve them when you are worthy to enter through my door." Diffidently, Ikinya handed over his sword and spear to the hadithi woman.

"These are beautiful; too beautiful for a foolish child. I will leave you to your teacher now. Do try and learn something." She stepped away and brandished the weapons, swinging and thrusting them both with the ease of a seasoned warrior.

Just as when she approached, every man in the camp knelt to the ground as she passed and sauntered away to her raised home and disappeared inside. Ikinya stood alone and watched in awe, trying to piece together what exactly had transpired in his life and how he might try and survive it. Before the thoughts could form completely in his mind, Ikinya is struck across his head from behind. A burning pain raced through his skull, binding and dizzying him. Only by his sense of touch could he tell that he had fallen to his knees at the assault.

"Lesson one," he could scarcely hear the voice of the one called Gathii, "When our beloved queen approaches or leaves us, you kneel."

Ikinya was not one to take a blow and not answer. With the speed of a panther, he was on his feet and primed to pounce. Every muscle in his fit and agile body was taught and responsive. He saw then that it was not just Gathii that he would have to contend with. All of the men present slowly moved towards him, 11 of them at his count. Ikinya had been outnumbered before, but never outdone, at least not until the hadithi woman. He would not back down.

"Our queen has called this man correctly. He truly is a fool!" A man called out, mocking Ikinya. He could not single out from where the man's voice came.

"Let the first man brave enough to confront the great Ikinya approach!" he bellowed, already angered at having been caught off guard by Gathii. That he would repay him for soon enough.

The 11 men moved in synchronized patterns about him, all sliding in and out of his site and back and forth between one another. It was as if they were weaving a pattern with their bodies. Their movements were serpentine and disorienting at the least. Ikinya could not figure which man was poised to strike him first. Their constant movements, steady, patterned, and low to the ground, were difficult for him to follow. Soon, the glistening of sweat off of their many backs was glinting like bright lights in his eyes.

"Let this be your next lesson then foolish one. It is never about the first man, the last man, or any man in between. It is always about the whole, never the small pieces. This will undoubtedly be your undoing." Ikinya recognized this voice as Gathii, but before he could locate it, the group was upon him.

True to his valor, Ikinya fought hard against this thing, this group of men who moved as one. He could not see from where a single strike originated, despite his best efforts. Though he fought with the skill of a seasoned Ziwa warrior, he felt like a child flailing blindly in the dark though the sun was now high in the morning sky. Some hits landed, others did not. Ikinya only hoped that one had made its way to Gathii, whom he'd immediately decided to hate and blame for his predicament.

Of course, the woman had power, how could she not with warriors like these under her hadithi spell? Blow after to blow, Ikinya struggled to stay on his feet, then on his knees, and finally to stay conscious. For the second time in a very short period, Ikinya lost a fight and surrendered to the welcoming calm of unconsciousness.