Of Glory and Of Doom

THREE - The chosen one

Lily had decorated her face with dark chalk, smearing her eyes with the dirt of the earth that they stood on and singing the songs of the old to everyone present while her eyes studied mbazi with the intensity of a lioness in hunting. Mbazi also had his face smeared but he did not recite the song. He did not utter a word or a sound, he was as quiet as a deathly viper, laying in wait for their prey.

Lily started to prance, staff in hand and toes apart for easy block and defense, it was a skill she had taught herself from the time she chose the staff as a weapon. She had knew that this day would surface. Mbazi made ticking notices and started to advance towards her from the side, eyes on each other and toes close to each other, he took the form of a python king, staring strategically at Lily while Lily squatted to her breast, he lunged towards her in so much speed that the audience that had formed a circle around them gasped with fear.

Lily had been waiting for this moment, this precise moment as mbazi would lunge at her, impatient as always. Quickly she jumped like a praying mantis, to the side and avoided his ill-planned attack giving him a swipe that caught between his feet and his thigh, and with the strength of a bear, she raised her staff and turned it, falling mbazi in the process. The crowd cheered and roared for her first victory. This was a battle for the chosen warrior, you needed to win this to become a true warrior to defend the clan and to be fully trusted and like intended to be a full warrior.

Again, they regrouped and mbazi took the same prance, his eyes sharper than before. He took his time to study more this time and while he studied, she squatted and crawled closer to him while still in her state. He maintained his stance, his toes on the ground and the heel in the air, his eyes didn't leave lily but he didn't realize that lily was calculating how much time he had left before his heel would twitch and want to kiss the earth. Mbazi, on the other hand, was puzzled about how her fighting strategy had changed, he didn't realize how close she was to him. She swung her staff and interlocked his legs, sending him halfway across the yard, kissing the earth. That was his second strike, if he got another one then she won. The whole crowd cheered and gigged their fists on their chest in support of the game that was going on. Lily didn't think that she would get this far, it was as much a surprise for her as it was for him. She noticed that mbazi was wearing a frown when they regrouped for their third match.

She wasn't surprised when mbazi took her previous stance, she already knew that he had never trained with it, but she had done this training with both stances and was a master at it. She smiled to herself knowing that she was going to beat mbazi so much that his bottom would tell more tales than his mouth would ever do and that sat well with her. He spread his legs, staff in hand, the other hand stretched out and ready to claw, his toes were in the wrong positions, and yet he still took the stance with a meticulous frown on his face. That didn't faze her, that didn't touch her at all. She knew how much mbazi had dreamt of this moment but so had she too. This was a chance to explore where she came from, no matter the stories she had heard from other sources. She loved her but something about exploring called out to her and she desperately needed to answer that call.

He crept silently towards her and for the first time since the match, she didn't squat but instead stood her ground. She dug her toes into the earth, her toes, and the sand merging and hanging together like a spider thread, light but very strong. As he crept closer, she dug her feet further into the soil, it was so deep, her toes started to overflow with sand peeking from each crevice and corner. Her gaze was tightened and her grip was stronger on her staff even more. She saw it as it happened, she had waited for it. Mbazi, impatiently as ever swung before he could maintain his balance, he swung and as he fell, he tried to take her down with him but it didn't work.

She swung her staff a second after he swung his, the sound of the staff at that moment cracked the wind and sounded like thunder in their ears. It resounded so much, the waves shook the staff out of mbazi's hands and he fell face flat to the ground. The crowd went ballistic with joy, as the crowd scattered across the battlefield and carried Lily upon their shoulders, their grains were wild and free and Lily closed her eyes, even as this was easier than she had realized that it would be. She glanced at mbazi and she couldn't see him, she struggled with the crowd, even believing that as she was that high that she would at least see him but nothing. The crowd swayed with joy and delight at not just the match that was concluded but that a new warrior was chosen not by the elders but by a fair match. They sang the songs of old and gave praises to the Moon goddess for using her infinite wisdom to help them, time and time again. 

Searching and coming up with no sight of mbazi, she decided to bask herself in the praises and sing along with the people as they rejoiced. They danced to the high priestess shrine on the outskirts of their mountain, They swayed their bodies and stamped their feet on the ground in unison to their songs. They behaved this way for up to ten minutes, all the while never getting tired and still raging with so much energy. They banged on the door of the high priestess, she came out of her but and waved the crowd to silence.

The crowd carefully dropped Lily to the ground and the woman smiled, she smiled so widely, her crooked teeth showed in their full regalia "Come! Child" her voice boomed like thunder and danger mixed in a bowl. Lily shook a bit from fear but she just won the chosen warrior title. She wasn't about to spoil anything by being scared or afraid, she shook but she let it reach her toes and merge with the earth she stood on. The priestess noticed this and smiled even more as Lily approached. She turned Lily around and examined every inch of her, all the while, her smiles kept getting wider and wider.

"This is a warrior!!" She screamed out of nowhere and again the crowd cheered and clapped and stomped their feet. Lily smiled at how much they supported and showed it in every way "My child, kneel" Lily turned around and kneeled before her, she didn't notice that the priestess held a black substance in her palm, moist-looking, and kind of irritating but this was not the time to be girly. She had witnessed this event before, back when she was just a little girl, now that she was slightly older, she was here, in this very position living her dream. The woman took a part of the substance and Drew markings on her face, using her thumb, she drew a line on the mark that was given to her at birth. It went across her face like a sign for something. The woman marked it, as a symbol of acceptance, eternal acceptance. Her heart swelled in her chest. "Stand up child" Lily obeyed and stood up, she faced the crowd and she couldn't resist the urge as they began to thump their feet on the ground and hit their fists on their chest, she raised her closed right hand and threw it to the sky in salute. Everyone screamed for joy.

The priestess smiled into the sky and looked down upon them, getting their silence in one gaze. "A  would-be conducted Tomorrow. At the sight of the moon tomorrow, Lily, our new warrior, would carry out the necessary rites. We shall commensurate her position properly today but today, we rest for another battle begins. Go! My child! Prepare for the rites. Many have passed the battle for the chosen but many have lost the war for the warrior. Prepare yourself! A lot awaits you!" The priestess said as she quietly withdrew back into her mountain. Lily was still carried on the tops of their shoulders, they still sang songs of old and thumped their feet, all the way back to the village. It was at this time, she saw mbazi and he wore a blank expression. 

Lily sighed. 

  ****

There was something about the Werewolf kingdom being at the center of the earth the Vampire king envied. Maybe it was because it was easy to dominate other kingdoms and be in control but the ancient kingdom was at the far end of the earth, away from any form of light. The Vampire kingdom was built in one of the thickest forests having tall trees giving shade during the day.

King Eric couldn't have been more proud to have a son. His only delight hearing about the birth of his heir thousands of years ago was that his blood was going to take over the kingdom.  It didn't take long before the young prince was put into training. Day after day, the young prince woke with a sword and slept with a dagger. The only time he had to himself was when he was to retire to bed and even those moments he spent them conceiving new tactics to defeat his opponent. 

Prince Nicholas put in a lot of work, training tirelessly. At first, it was to prove he was a worthy leader but now nothing beats the burning desire to make his aged father proud. For every strike he made with his sword, was a determined young vampire hoping to hear encouraging words from his father but his ears had heard the word "useless" more than the number of years he had spent in the world.

Maybe he wasn't my father, the prince thought. It was impossible to treat your own blood the way King Eric treated his son, Nicholas. Prince Nicholas had thought of ways to disappear from the kingdom but he knew better than to do that. 

The King had also thought of killing his son. Whoever wanted a disgraceful son? The only reason Nicholas was still breathing was because they shared the same bond. Maybe he wasn't his son, the King once thought but the semblance was striking.They both had shining black hair, one which blended with the night. Their snort was the same, loud and revealing the dimple on their left cheek. Everyone also loved the green orbs prince Nicholas inherited from his father. The only difference one could tell they had was that the prince was taller than his father.

"Your majesty, there are intruders in the kingdom." Gaston, the prince's guard, informed.  In no time, Gaston and the prince were at the scene. The Intruders were in the palace, their filthy eyes roaming the massive palace for priceless artifacts to steal. Gaston and the other guards were about to attack them but the prince raised a hand signaling for them to stand back. Prince Nicholas wanted to do this on his own. He needed to do this all on his own. He had to take every opportunity he had to make his father proud of him. "Tell everyone to stand down." "Your majesty-"

Prince Nicholas ordered, "Gaston, tell them all to stand down." Gaston ordered the other guards to stand down leaving the young prince to take on both intruders on his own. Taking stealth strides, Prince Nicholas moved slowly towards the intruder. The intruder looked around trying to ensure no one was around. He moved to the gold artifact and just as he was about to pick it up, the prince sprang on him but the other pushed him off.  The vampire thief the prince sprang on and fled while he had left to battle the other intruder. 

Prince Nicholas threw a punch at the intruder; the tall vampire shot a punch at the prince in return causing Nicholas to fall.  Quickly, the thief took the gold artifact and made it to escape but the prince was quick to get a hold of his leg. The prince struggled to pin him underneath and threw him a punch at the thief when he had successfully pinned him down... From his pocket, the vampire thief pulled out a pocket knife. A loud shout went past the prince's lips as a sharp metal went through his lower stomach. The thief pushed him off ready to get a hold of the artifact.

Gaston couldn't watch the prince get beaten, he ordered the guards to save the prince. The guards hurried to get the thief but he was long gone out of the kingdom. Grunting in, prince Nicholas moved into the woods in search of the thief. He needed to find him. The thief and the artifact. The prince finally got a glimpse of shining metal. Clutching his belly, he walked behind a tree, thinking of ways to defeat and retrieve the priceless artifact. "Prince Nicholas!" Gaston cried out. This was all the thief needed to hear before he fled out.

"Shit!" Prince Nicholas cussed, groaning. "I was ordered to stand down!"  

"I'm sorry, your majesty but you were..." Gaston trailed off, pointing at his wound.  The prince was more than annoyed. He had to explain not just how an intruder got into the palace but how one of the priceless artifacts of the Vampire kingdom got stolen. He was sure his father wouldn't forgive him now and maybe his hatred for him would increase. "Your father asks to see you." A guard joined them. 

Heaving a discombobulated sigh, the prince knew whatever the king had to see him about had to be no good. The old man was a handful. They all converged to the palace, they knew better than to keep the king waiting. The old man was pacing, his face alighted color when they arrived at the palace

"You're useless!" The king said to his son.  Prince Nicholas had heard that more than a dozen times but it still hurt deep down. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, he wanted to make his father proud. The prince wanted his father to see past the ill words he always said to him. The king halted in his tracks. The old man was more than disappointed to have a weakling for son. It felt like every training his son had undergone was useless. "You had just one job." He yelled not caring about his injured son. "Just take care of the palace while I'm gone and you're useless at it." 

Prince Nicholas leaned on a pillar, he was saving the rest of his strength to get better. He wasn't ready to listen to his father rant on and on about how disappointed he was. It was a routine now. He wasn't surprised his father was speaking this way, at least this time, he deserved it. "Sometimes, I wonder how I'm going to leave this kingdom to you." The wrinkled fingers of the old man motioned around the palace. The eyes of the prince did a three-sixty in their sockets. He had heard that line over and over again and he was sure this wasn't going to be the last time he would be hearing it. 

Finally, the king said before leaving, "We'll be going on a journey. Get prepared."