THE SILENT WEAPON: Landslide Victory

Chapter 1

The Kamu and Lampa were Credonia’s two illustrious Kingdoms that lived with much antipathy. The two were ruled by elderly Monarchs. Kang’ethe was the King of the Lampa Kingdom, and Guantai was the King of the Kamu Kingdom. They had ruled for ages without anyone to dispute them or their régime.

This aversion, however, did not always exist. It ripened from a falling-out between the two Kings about leniency, love, and other privileges to their underdogs. Guantai, the Kamu King, never wanted the so-called slaves enjoying any of these privileges. He had the belief that, oppressing these populaces guaranteed a monarch’s smooth and unhampered domination.

Disparate, Lampa’s King, Kang’ethe, happened to have an atypical impression on the same. He believed that people had the right to experience love, and deserved a fair headship. He wanted his people to have the privileges be they slaves, or no slaves. 

The incongruity eventually led to a war that left Kang’ethe without a daughter hence the animosity. Since then, the aversion was henceforth evidenced by Nturu plateau. The plateau rested reciprocally the frontier of the two kingdoms. Unalike both lands, numerous inimitable flora bourgeoned on this very plateau.

At the middle of this plateau was the Ukiri River that marked their boundary. This river, nevertheless, also served both drinking and agricultural water to the both kingdoms. The river was very well known by the two Kingdoms for its exceptionally sweet, plenty waters that never dried.

According to the traditions that lived since the ancestors, the plateau has always been a no man’s land. After their dissention, the plateau was the perfect battlefield. Nturu has served as such ever since.

That was where the two Kingdoms would meet to settle their scores, in battle. The separation of boys from men was done here, hence the name ‘Nturu’, meaning an axe.  Being a no man’s land and the battlefield, Nturu plateau was not to be claimed by either even upon victory at war. It was considered a holy ground and therefore, it virtually belonged to none.

They believed that, the blood of the warriors that was shed there in every battle was a sacrifice to the deities. Nonetheless, Ukiri River remained as the only reminder of the periphery of both demesnes. Despite the fact, being a gift from the gods, it flaunted its purity by serving both Kingdoms in times of peace and battle. It belonged to them all and, to none discretely even after the victory of either kingdom in battle.

The waters, pure in ilk, knew not of the scores between the Kingdoms. In accordance to the traditions since their ancestors, the water was a sign of peace, and it was to remain so. At no time was it to be under the guardianship of the victor upon victory at war.

Ukiri River was to uphold its nature of purity by serving the two Kingdoms in times of peace and skirmishes. It was also a sign of hope to the conquered Kingdom, and expectancy for unanimity between these two Kingdoms. It was for this reason that they christened it ‘Ukiri’, meaning peace.

King Kang’ethe of the Lampa dynasty was humane to his people. He gave them some of the privileges; hence, they much adored him and his reign. Dissimilar, King Guantai of Kamu was a different chronicle. He was the kind of King that believed the ordinal people were born to be slaves and servants to those of royal blood and deserved no honor or privileges at all. He was no match to King Kang’ethe. For this reason, the people of Kamu wished of having Kang’ethe as their King.

However, the Lampa Kingdom had a misery. The desolation of there being no heir to the throne after King Kang’ethe. Apart from the people, it was a more daunting affair for the King and his wife Queen Jacinta. That was because their only daughter, the indorsed heir to the throne, had been killed in battle, or so they thought. The couple had not another child for the many years they lived together since the feigned demise of their only spawn.

King Kang’ethe could get advises from his council delegates to sire another, of which they did try; or, to adopt one but he turned them down. He and his wife Jacinta could not sire another child despite their will and wish to do so.

He hoped and believed that the two Kingdoms would eventually come together in amity under the rule of one Imperator. That was the reason he saw no need for an heir to the throne. This fact contributed to his love for peace, unity, fairness and justice in his judgments and régime.

He had managed to scale up the Lampa Kingdom to being much more civilized than the Kamu Kingdom and several others. For this reason, it turned out to be one among the few wealthiest kingdoms in Credonia at the time. In addition, most of Credonia’s precious minerals were disgorged here. Lampa was a Kingdom where the King always wanted things to go hand in hand with the changing times. Kamu was a different demesne though.

King Guantai wanted his Kingdom as it was so that his kinfolk could remain in power. To him, the persons he reigned were just, beasts of burden. They were anticipated to play their roles without averseness, in honor of their king and the embellishment of their Dominion.

Moreover, they had no royal blood flowing through their veins, hence; they were entitled to no privileges whatsoever. Unlike Lampa, Kamu Kingdom had an heir to the throne, sired by King Guantai and his deceased consort.

He was none other but Prince Martin. Prince Martin, the King’s son and sore heir to the throne had learnt his father’s ways. He swore to protect the throne and rule the Kingdom in his father’s footsteps even long after his father was departed.

It was not long after, and Guantai was bedridden after he was struck by a sudden illness. This impelled the Kingdom into wretchedness. The lot they had left was prayers to the gods for a miracle to cure their Imperator. All and sundry, from those of royal blood to the slaves offered sacrifices to them for the King to recuperate.

Although the underdogs did pray for him, they did it not for the love of his rule but; they had rather be ruled by him than his son. Though education was a rare privilege to them, they knew that, a serpent only gives rise to serpents.

 Since he could not rule on his sick divan, he had to hand over the reign to his son, Prince Martin. Princess Dorothy, his younger sister, was then named the Queen, awaiting Martin’s betrothal. Though not named, she had been attending the duties ever since their mother’s demise. Brusquely, after Prince Martin assumed the throne, the people of Kamu Community could lucidly spell the daunting disparity. Happenings started changing to a worse scenario. His thirst for power was now at display for the whole enchilada to witness. As a matter of fact, his thirst for power was so intense that, even the wind around whistled the sudden change.