The Origin
(Episode 18)
Commander Hayakharet bent low and began to loosen my fetters. She instructed the other two warriors in their language to free the others too. She did so in a hushed tone and urged them to hurry up. This didn’t look like they were taking us to the slaughter.
She perhaps saw the confusion on my face and assured me, “You, no fear. Me help you.”
The shock of my life hit me. “You speak English?”
She nodded.
“Why are you helping us?”
“Shut up! And follow me. You outside people ask many many questions.”
I kept quiet and did as I was instructed. I could see the others very well now. They, too, were as confused as I was. The prison guards bowed to her as she led us past them. She guided us through a door that I suspected was a secret door known only to the royal household. “We hurry must. Time we not have plenty,” she whispered. The door led to a tunnel with many turns and curves. It led to an exit at the foot of the mountain not far from the palace. We hid behind the rocks and watched what was going on outside the palace. Things didn’t seem right.
It seemed the supreme commander was accusing the king of something. It did go on well with the king, and an altercation ensued between them. In a surprising twist, the supreme commander ordered the warriors to seize the king and the chief priest. The royal guards drew their weapons, and there was a bloody battle. However, the supreme commander had the upper hand since he controlled the entire army. The royal guards fought well but couldn’t match the supreme commander’s army in numbers. They all died protecting their king. Finally, the warriors seized and dragged both the king and the chief priest away. The warriors then charged into the palace, bursting every door open. The crowd scattered about in different directions.
Hayakharet bit her lips and clenched her fists.
“What is happening?” Confusion got the better of me.
“Hayakramah just usurped power,” she said.
“Hayakramah?”
“Yes, the supreme commander.”
Ubong and Michael exchanged looks. “But why?” Ubong asked.
“Hayakramah bad man. He want be king. I know. I tell father. Father not believe. I always know this day will come,” the warrior princess explained.
Hayakharet further explained that Hayakramah was her father’s only sibling. He became the supreme commander when her father became king. Both of them had been seasoned warriors since when they were young princes. They had fought together in many battles and loved each other so much. She told us how the king had said to her that neither he nor his brother would have survived those fierce battles if they had not watched each other’s backs. Together they were formidable in combats.
Things changed when her father became king. Hayakramah became bitter and had coveted the throne ever since. However, the king, blinded by love, had not always seen that even when it was apparent. Hayakharet, being a commander herself, had uncovered his plots to usurp power several times but her father had never believed her until now. Such was the trust he had for his brother. No wonder the expression on the king’s face was more of a shock than anger.
Hayakramah was a cunning man. Over the years, he warmed his way into the hearts of the elders—the councilmen—and the generals in the Hayakite army except for Hayakharet and a few who were loyal to her and the king. He had always controlled the military and was only waiting for the right time to strike. Tonight provided him with a golden opportunity!
The story and the horror I was seeing touched me. “And you are not going to fight? You will allow them to take your father and the household away?” I charged her. I did not even understand why I was feeling such compassion for a people that almost sacrificed us to who-knows-what god minutes ago and had killed Biggie and my Fiona.
“A warrior not act on impulse,” was the reply I got.
Then we saw Hayakramah storm out of the palace. He looked left and right as if he was searching for something. His chest moved up and down as he ground his teeth. His eyes glowed like embers. He barked orders, and a handful of warriors ran in the direction of the dungeon.
“We go now!” Hayakharet said like the commander she was and made a swift turn.
She gave instructions to one of the two warriors that were with her. He bowed and disappeared into the darkness.
To be continued … Watch Out for the Next Episode!
