The Collision of Princess Zhiba

ONE

The shape of a spirit being, loomed over the face of a little boy; he could hear it breathe in the cool air. The being was dazzling white as it stood in the ambiance over him, dangling like a mirage. Its features and form were like a gown— flowing like silk. When the boy tried to scream for help, his whole body shrunk like a deflected balloon, inside his little clothes inexplicably— and puff. The boy vanished in a split second— like smoke into the thin air.

A few minutes passed, the empty clothes still seen— was dangling in the air, before falling to the ground in slow motion.

The crowd muffled wondering at the abominable sight of the being; and the boys playing in the open field, including the spectators were scared to death. Every activities were suspended at once, as everyone was stunned. There hearts race in trepidations, as the being stood aloof— like vapour. And been aware...that they were in a great danger, began to shout, "Magic! Magic!" and reaped apart, fleeing it presence in three different directions.

The Collision

of Princess Zhiba.

---------------------------------------------

This was a land that everything was possible like a dream world. And these beings could illuminate a trailing obscure paths with their intensely glowing eyes— shining like crystals...whenever they came in great number, swarming to harvest a soul in an area.

The forest paths also were familiar to the people in these seasons. They'd held a dark mysterious tales for a thousand years, about the soul snatchers.

For one single purpose; when these demons living here feeds on peoples souls, they could transfigure into their dead victims bodies, and acquire their abilities and the physical characteristics— before dying, after few days. This death was understood by Akuroons to be the true death: A passage to meet ones ancestors in the bottomless pit— which seems to be the perfect place for those who needed an infinite rest.

As the cool evening breezes deft into the valleys, it shook the entire trunks of trees in the whole forest with the leaves— which seemed to swing in a terrific motion, to only one direction.

Zhiba and the assigned dozens of warriors, were traveling on a mission to Abamzylin Coven, along this forest paths— magically fortified. Except Babuu, non among the crew members had ever traveled these paths before. But that was not a challenge for the crew, as they'd already been informed about this strange contiguous land of antiquity; a land full of mysteries, before embarking on the long journey.

But then a deemed light unseemly flashed white from a distance, and shimmered beneath the wood trunks towards them. No doubts, the crew knew what was coming at that moment; but none of them ran. Zhiba's greyhounds were barking, as the glowing lights were gradually approaching towards them. The horizon was orange colour, with shades of grey above the atmosphere.

"Zhiba" felt a strong sensation of cold breeze like a spherical mist blew around her thighs. All the horses neighed, and before she could realize it, Kabal, her partner was missing, but his clothes were hung loosely in the air by an invincible force. The Abamzylin secret Coven in the caves, had been a den for the White Lions Witches, capable of killing anything that strays into their path.

White ruminant animals that chew the cord, were the most preferable substitutes to obliterate sin in Konnam. They were offered for sacrifices to appease any abominable acts committed in the land; compared to the less, and less demand for the unpopular human sacrifices— offered to the White Lions Witches, as an oath made to serve them.

They were regarded as gods to all the known tribes, throughout Konnams' kingdom. There relationship with the humans had begun a very long time, and it was cordial because they could be easily appeased, directly or through other means of idol worship, like the teraphims— which the people reverenced in the land as their protector.

For some weeks, all the simbols of teraphims figurines, and statues— had shook and shook during the night hours, like mechanical vibrators, throughout the entire land— mysteriously. It had left the people perplexed... and they were paralyzed by these strange happenings.

The cave of the White Lions Witches dwellings, Abamzylin was beginning to open again— after many years that it had been sealed up by an invisible elastic band, through some sort of unknown forces. But no one yet knew exactly, about the outcome of this event. When the White Lions Witches will speak, face-to-face with the humans again.

Princess Zhiba's face puddled at her personal bodyguard. It was a moment of hope to meet the White Lions Witches. But the futility was certain, after the crew had came in direct contact with the Soul Snatchers.

Though she was not terrified by this strange acts. She had servants, guards and devoted warriors, all by her. And they were saddled with much responsibilities of her comfort and protection.

"This didn't supposed to happen," she thought carefully... asides the strength of her warriors. At least she knew they were under the cover and the protection of a potent charm, giving to her and Kabal, her fiancee... in the palace. Charms that had been cooked by her fathers' genuine efforts— the King of the Konnams kingdom: Zeborh.

The people of Konnam for decades have felt the absence of the veiled protection over them by the White Lions Witches. Nobody disputed the fact of providing an item of sacrifice was more easier than staying devoid of their protection. Konnam empire was defenseless without the spirit of their mothers, when it comes to defending themselves against the attacks, that comes often from the spirits of the Soul Snatchers; controlled by the priests of Akuroons.

These dooms days were such a terrifying moments of the ill fate, that made her people to trod so cautiously with their teraphims to protect them, and prayed earnestly for the caves of the White Lions Witches to be opened once again.

The White Lions Witches will accept your sacrifice through your devotions to the teraphims, but only when they were pleased with you— and the matters of your life was spotless and free from the contaminations of evil deeds, and your entire household— dully purged of the essence of sin, committed by omission or commission.

All the warriors had began to strike on sensitive conversations; lingering on security and the disappearance of persons. They lamented based on facts, figures and history connecting the present, as they went in their separate ways— walking in pairs, to search for Kabal around the forest worlds.

But only Zhiba and Babuu, with few other guards— stood back patiently and awaits for the arrival of the rest crew, as they descended down the valley, and began a search party.

"I feel like setting this whole place ablaze, kwa'gyina— putoo!" said Zhiba, with a furry tone. She was sensitive, but this phrase was heavy on her lips, loaded with the local witty dialect.

She held her face grim; she'd intended to light up the forest on fire, and let it burn to the grounds with all it essence. But she was just a child and short of sight by standard. And the warriors with her, expecialy Babuu, knew the implications and had prevented it to happen. The entire existence of Konnam empire, their rift and that of the soul snatchers would've ended too soon.

They searched for Kabal the entire world in some selected places deep in the forest; but he was no where to be found.

Konnam warriors could see, hear and smell an enemy over three miles away, but not through telepathic means. In this very assignment to enquire and know a thing about the fate of the kingdom, from the caves of the White Lions Witches had failed, despite the warrior's spiritual fortifications.

Zhiba stood alone lamenting on a heap of sand. But no one seemed to had hid to what she'd perceived, nor they had fully grasped the reasons behind her irrational response.

"You won't let me burn down this place... right?" said Zhiba, and continue.

"But can you quantify the sacrifice of my love to this abomination? Quit... quit...all being sacrosanct." She stuttered and looked up... upon the hills and down the valley frustrated. But two warriors were murmuring right before her presence.

"Don't act prematurely; where I am, you must behave yourself and act accordingly, warriors!" Zhiba stressed, feeling stupid. No one seemed to have an oversight to understand the point to which she was driving at. They'd only seized to communicate with one another, but their was no sign of remorse that shows through their composures.

Except her personal body guard— Ballak, who'd stood close behind her back— appearing tall by few inches above the receding hairline, made backwards along her vertex.

The breeze was boisterous, and had continued to whistle around the forest, tilting and jolting all manners of trees. Both the dried, wet, long and short trunks were disturbed. The debris had spewed up in the air instantaneously, and moved around them like a whirlwind.

There's this aura of a benevolent spirit flying around us, or it simply had been watching over us... But why Kabal haven't been protected by all this? Babuu's thoughts were incoherent, though he'd appeared shrewd.

Zhiba was weak and vulnerable at this point, and talking was difficult for her too. Her personal body guard could feel the intensity of her pains in her eyes. But other warriors had showed her no sign of an empathy at all, nor had made an effort to simpathize with her tragic loss. But rather, she'd been hassled by Babuu frequently— so they could depart and flee the terrific presence of the forest wind, without Kabal.

"Look at what they've done to me: truncating the heights of my joy and happiness! Yet cunning; you've showed me no remorse on this occasion! And no sign of respect for Kabal either! Has he ever hurt anyone of you? Or do you... just enjoy that he's gone?... Do you love your families been hurt by these beings— over and over again?" she turned toward Ballak and said, "Children, women and men are gone missing everyday!" Zhiba cried out helplessly in tears— lamenting.

The warriors who'd stood by her right, turned towards the other side of the forest... the direct position of the mountains, acting more, like two little sly. They needed to quickly get out of the forest— towards these directions.

The Soul Snatchers had affected the state of their minds, and there way of reasoning had changed also. Their special sense of adaptation has been taken, or compromised through some sort of cosmic powers— just before they could cross over to the White Lions Witches, and then into the solitudes of the far Abamzylin caves, to seek for their protection and refuge.

The Soul snatchers had prevented their minds to feel and function optimally. They could neither smell, as they were incapable. The crew had acted dull and had refused to proactive at this moment of need for action. They'd seemed just like any common man: lacking their special abilities to commune with nature as usual. Zhiba was sure that, they'd lost Kabal without these special skills to interact freely with the elements of nature.

Ballak tried to pluck varieties of leaves and smells them; but he could not figure out anything asides their greenish colours.

The crew were exhausted as they'd endured waiting and thinking that they could find Kabal, after a lasting search party. Yet, the crew awaited princess Zhiba's orders— either to move on with their mission, or return back with unsuccessful report, and face the council of Konnams' empires verdict.

Four days ago before their frenzy departure to the caves of the White Lions Witches. A boy had suddenly disappeared— living in one of the villages along the fringes of the King's Castle. His whereabouts was still unknown to his people.

But then, it had just began. Either one of the prominent members of the Akuroons were ill, or were at the phase of dieing; and their priests needed to revitalize their souls and body. Although, at east side of Konnam empires, it was not unlikely that the soul Snatchers have not been released to the region for these purposes again; and they could be seriously hunting for lives to feed their ever transforming souls. The frames and forms of these beings, just like the mighty warriors... if allowed to be seen at all— by the necked eyes, can be likened to heat waves, as they fly across the ambiance of the day light. Shifting like ripples of an unstable surface of water. The upper part of the beings, though invincible to necked eyes...are holding a pair of visibly crystals of glowing eyes in their sockets.

In the last minutes as the crew hurried out of the forest, leaving the region in frenzy. Babuu, King Zeborh's highest in command— warriors assassin's, looked at Zhiba. He was a very tall man and canny; lanky in an unusual ways— that one could hardly phantom his kind of unique physique.

His baritone voice was barely above a whisper. Babuu turned and then said, anxiously.

"Your father have instructed me personally, that your safety in this journey remains the topmost priority of my assignment." Ballak, Zhiba's personal bodyguard looked elsewhere in a rush. Ballak was tall, but not as the Gods has endowed Babuu.

"Come with me my princess; my skull shall not be forged as a bowl for drinking the blood of a sacrificial lamb." said Babuu. He held her left arm and helped her climb to the back of her horse. Then Ballak quickly whispered something into the ears of his assistants around him. And just one sound of a whistle blown the directions of the forest— with their mouths between two closed palms, drove the rest warriors out of the woods immediately. And they all came out and assembled at once, before the princess and Babuu.

"Ok my princess, grant me your order, and I will do justice to it as you please," said Babuu, and awaited her response.

Zhiba only made a tactile of sign with her forefinger. She was weak and tired emotionally, because she couldn't talk as much. And it requires that they'll travel back to Konnam for approximately eight days by foot; and could be five days using the beast of burdens. But not all the warriors had saddled on the back of an ass nor a horse.

"If you're all ready, let's head back to the empire: the king will be waiting," said Babuu, faintly. But Zhiba acted in reluctance, she was missing the presence of Kabal, and she's been weeping each moment in their absence, secretly.

The route they took from the forest, going back to the kingdom, harboured a different benevolent being. It existence had no beginning and no form. It moves about like the whisk of dark mass of smoke. It name was called Kioyoda, a being full of astonishments.

This demon could kill it victim by allowing you to breathe in your surrounding air along with these dark particles of it's smoke into your lungs. And then the victim may die gradually by suffocation. This act was a swift death.

It was another powerful being the kingdom feared and revered at the same time, apart of the White Lions Witches. In the empire, no one was allowed to speak ill about Kiyoda, openly. So children didn't grow up with clear understanding about this being, if not it worship. It was believed to posses an omniscient nature— like god. And who will dare a thing such as this? Babuu thought, as he urged the crew to move forward.

The spirit of the being had served as the deity's to judge the unseen. It could be invoked upon by the appointed priests of the kingdom, to mediate a matter that was beyond the purviews of the empire. Matters that were of higher realm and exceeded the human knowledge.

Zhiba quacked her lips sweating, and allowed the salty liquid pass down the edge of her mouth. One sure thing in her head was vendetta, but how could she do it...was the almost impossible puzzle she'll have to solve. And behind her sweaty forehead that came with constant hiss. Her thoughts seemed to spin inside her skull like a flaming wheel.

Far back in the woods, as soon as they'd left the shades of the forest afterwards. The dress hanging in the middle of the air, dropped to the ground about five miles of their journey away from these territories. But let known to Zhiba, Babuu had caught a deal with the deadliest demons on behalf of the King's throne and his heir.

And as princess Zhiba and her warriors journeys towards the borders of the empire. They encountered several challenges that reduced their number to one third it initials size, just as a result of ensuring the safety of the Princess's life, and which many had already offered there's in exchange. And this number will keep mounting up, until they've arrived their destination— safely to Konnam.

TWO

Babuu's shaved head was hard as the coconut, and it was said— when he fight, he could use it to crack the skull of an opponent like hammer. Though dangerous, and looks big in stature; but he was very gentle and respectful to the elders, and he had won the heart of the king as a friend dozen times. Standing there waiting in an astride position, it was obvious that he was eager to move out of the regions of the forest, just like any other warrior.

"Do the soul snatchers posses and kill only one single persons...per attack?" Zhiba asked, staring at Babuu intensely with a calmed innocent looks. And there was this tension in her voice... nervous, stuttering, that did not match her usual self.

"Yes, but it only depends on reasons best known to the beings. But one thing I clearly understand is that, they perceives it to be a threat when humans come very close to their dwellings. They don't accept such visits. It's like two worlds apart, and they wish they never exist in the same realm of life, nor share any physical territory with us." replied Babuu, hastily yet detailed. His lanky chest projected up broadly to his face, as he galloped his horse, rapidly down the steep edge of the rift valley.

"Your questions puzzle's me my princess," Babuu said, without hint of a smile.

"But then, it has brought me to remembrance."

"Ok, then say it Bubuu! Am not a child anymore. Say whatever!" Zhiba turned as she said that; noticing his eyebrows twitched, and the wide nose that gave him a severe look whenever he was tensed. His eyebrows were very dark and bushy.

"It has once happened to me, at one time of my life," he began.

"And I turned my head behind at the right time and saw something like mirage, but the shape of a man. It entered swiftly into the chamber, and many of it kind followed thereafter. I was sitting close to my family in the amusement arena, enjoying the biggest fight tournament of the empire, among other invited foreign counterparts that had traveled miles away to the kingdom of Konnam to entertain the royal family."

Zhiba paused... and let the line of his sentence pronounced, to sink in a second. She looked at him as though the story could be compared to a fairy tale and not real.

"But how did it happened?" she asked. But an aura of sadness had changed her countenance into something that would had rather been an excited moment of investigation with thrilling effects of excitement. It was the same sad memories of Kabal, that'd came crashing like a storming Sea into her fragile heart that couldn't inhibits bad psychological effects.

"It's a tragic, merciless and brutal reality my eyes saw that day. I can't really forget... and I weeped for the first time in my entire life as a royal guard of Konnam empire, that had never felt remorse about the death and tragedy of others." The crew continued to move-in deeper into the jungle, on a sharp strange foot tracks.

"And what really made you to weep hard, this time?" she asked.

"Well, I will start by saying that generally, death is inevitably tragic to the bereaved. And one do not know when and where this tragedy might occur. So I never so it coming, it was fast and overtook me— just the way you never saw that of Kabals'." Zhiba's eyes at this point let out tears in profusions. She had been trying too hard, to let go her gloom. But she'd gave in slowly again, and then let sadness sets in a moment. Her eyes were moistened, but the tears didn't fall off.

Babuu didn't see all of that happening, his eyes have always been ahead and above the sea of grass. And even if he did, it is assumed that warriors don't care less about the dead that much. They had little or no sympathy, not to the extent of giving up a warrior personality, of never willing to simpathize with others.

"Who did you lost that night?" asked Zhiba, sneezing into her armpit to hide the obvious tension in her breath.

When they reached the jungle, the crew's journey had only stretched about ten miles to the west horizon. The land sweeped empty with no single structure of building except grass. No construction activities, except the contiguous niches of a competitive vegetations with tall sparsely canopy trees. It was a green virgin land, sparsely occupied by a few premittive inhabited tribes. But yet, the culture was imbedded deep into a complex mysticism... and pure spiritualism, worshipping many different gods.

The best and commonest transportation systems of the era, were horses, camels and donkeys. Though not much people could afford all these: they relied heavily on foot to get to their destinations. The beast of burdens were fairly cheaper, compared to wagons and chariots, to ferry goods from one location to the other.

But the rich had often the monopoly, and the means of acquiring wagons, chariots and caravans. They were imported mechanical wheels, from Brandy-Alex empires.

Brandy-Alex empire was a country of a different continent in its earliest technological advancement. And it can only be compared to the then premittive Europe or America, far back into the eighteenth centuries. While Konnam empires fits into the exact categories of the premittive stages of African colonies.

Babuu pointed two of his fingers to his eyes and then said.

"It was only in the crystals of their eyes that i could imagine the features of there faces, as the lights fell directly on them. But nobody knew at that moment, except me." He shook his head in dismay.

"And who are they?" Zhiba asked, curiously.

"Who else, the images of the soul Snatchers of course." he affirmed, both to himself.

"They are very sneaky beings, and seemed to know their exact targeted victims, even before you could ever react, no matter how fast you are."

There was one thing going through Zhiba's head now. And if one had reached deep into her skull and scratched her brain off; it would had all been saturated with vengeance, vengeance!

Though her scenical— sly looks, had told Babuu somehow, that she was simply trying psychologically— to get into his head. But the experienced cunning warrior fighter, would not allow him do it. He'd been able to block her, just before she could tap into his awareness... both of course, knowing fully well, that either one of them was been used or fooled. But their was no resentments.

"Fifteen years ago," Babuu continued, eying his assisted warriors around him— as they galloped down the edge of hills, just right beside them.

"That very moment, my wife was murdered in front of me and my children, while I watched helplessly, but I do not know the reason why they'd chosed to spare my life. The sword that killed my wife, passed through the middle of her chest and pierced her heart. And the one that killed her body guard and one of my sons, slitted their throats and allowed them bleed to death.

I managed to escape with my first son, both wounded. But he didn't survived the sword cuts the next day. While my daughter was in pains and was left in a state of comatose, but she died the second week without ever recovering from her injuries.

I learnt something new that faithful day of my life, and I buried it in my heart. I will take it to my grave the day I die."

Zhiba sighed, Babuu could feel her emotional pain hearing his story. But then, the tragic disappearance of Kabal, whipped through her mind again.

"I do not want the king tying me up to a steak, and then allows common guards to light me up on fire, God forbids. The secret is not meant to be revealed. It is safe inside of me, forever!"

Throughout their stay in the shades of the forest, nobody knew that Babuu had cut a deal with a demonic being while in the forest: and had hidden it from others. And it has been the aught most reasons, why other warriors were dieing on there way home. But Babuu never understood that the little secrets been kept away, was a trap. And that it was more dangerous to him, than good— by not sharing it with his crew.

THREE

This was the first night of journeying backwards to Konnam, through the jungles paths. As they journey into the strange jungles, they came across many dangerous terrains and saw a little potions of an inhabited land at the top of a mountain very close to the cliff, full of valiant men. There was pandemonium as they approached this outcast world, heard at the bottom of this mountain as they stood at it feet.

The people that lives here have been found to practice cannibalism for years, and they were merciless to all the trespassers coming into there world. They are called the Akuroons, and they were very brutal tribes. Akuroons used the bow and arrows to attack prey and humans alike.

"We will camp over here tonight, and awaits the dawn." Zhiba said, pointing out her finger to the west directions, as she halted her horse and commanded everyone else to do the same.

Been vulnerable in the land and complete strangers devoid of its mysteries. They were already dead meat inside the pots of soup of the Akuroons. Attacks were inevitable at night hours from this clan, and it seems to be the perfect hunting hours, and it was most likely that more lives would be in a great danger tonight. But the crew weren't in full aware of the kind of people— they were sharing the rift, as a boundary between them.

The risk some of them had undertook upon themselves earlier on their way to this point, had yielded a positive result. But some weren't so much lucky, they were murdered at the edge of an ancient tombs as they walk back home— while the remaining with the princess and Babuu, took to their heels and flee in an attempt to keep the princess alive.

The crew would have thrown everything and ran away from this tribes again, but the they chooses rather to stay and fight as brave warriors. Running away the first time from an enemy, was strategy to save the Princess from the ambush. Otherwise, her death will mean that they'd automatically been excommunicated from the empire by the king of Konnam, Zeborh. Or worst, if the crew should go back home without the princess, they will face death penalty, which mean that their bodies would be hung on a steak and set ablaze— alive by the King's guards.

At first the crew thought of different ways to avoid the human cannibals. As the crew came, they rested along the bank of a river separating them. Akuroons dwelled along the east rift of the valley— far across the river.

Just before the sunset along the hills above the cliff. One of the escorts had seen two Akuroons tribes inside the trenches of grass close to the riverbank. There knives were cutting the body of a decapitated corpse of a human being. But the guard who saw them, had pretended and avoided been noticed by the Akuroons, as he stood and watched from afar distant shades of trees— lining the riverbank.

He moved closer to the edge of the cliff and stared down, just to be sure it wasn't an apparition he was seeing. At least, he could see clearly now— that the bloody features, and fingers, indicating hand of an already butchered body, lying motionless on the ground. It speaks of the ills about these people. And not sooner, they'd discovered that they were the Akuroons, the abominable tribes.

At night the Akuroons kept a preying eyes on the crew's temporally shelters along the west cliffs. They'd used rocks and a few branches for a makeshift camp. Hour after hours, the warriors watch the Akuroons patrolling at the other side of the river.

During the nights, the jungle lies in the state of confusion in the camps of Akuroons. The pandemonium had increased with tensions around the top of the hills, and the crew could see the lines of campfires— burning very bright at the peak of the mountains. They could hear the drums beat roared, and the flutes sang in harmony. But around them here, it was calm— and the weather at this section was chill, even to the bone marrow.

Princess Zhiba was inside her tent, and one guard stood directly under the fabric awning of her shelter— very close to the entrance. Two more guards stood at the extreme corners of her tent.

While inside the tent, princess Zhiba laid on her back alone, thinking of the past. At this perticular event far back to the earliest rule of her father. That was eighteen years ago. Eighteen years, that the previous Savior Mother had died.

Two of the king's guards had been sent far into the wilderness to spy on their enemies camp. An ally community of tent makers, seemed to be under constant attacks by another rival community, outside the jurisdiction of Konnam empires, who'd felt also threatened by the Soul Snatchers— that there sons and daughters were disappearing almost every day.

The team came back after spying, with a defeated report about the inhabitants, who'd been trying to claim their ally's inheritance. How giant and powerful their enemies were.

As they approached the small community, they could see a lot of fabric shelters, but not as usual. They were built along the east boundaries of Konnam empire, like the military camps. The entire east region, had been overtaken by their enemies.

The sun was shining bright over them, but the awnings had kept the sun's blistering rays from entering their shelters. And it appears, that the enemies had chased the entire community out of their aboards and they'd flee for their lives with nothing.

Though the weather was not hot in it self at this region, because of the harmattan wind— blowing down from the north hemisphere. Nobody else was outside the frontal parts of the tents, except a man who seemed to be guarding the perimeter walls of the tents. The dense haze hanging on the atmosphere created a monster weather, a bright red fiery rifts of clouds gave a poor visibility, despite the brightness of the sun.

Zhiba recalled the vivid reports of these palace guards, how they had mentioned about a being called Kioyoda. How it had gone ahead of them and breathe out poisonous substance like a dark smoke on the inhabitants to save a little boy and his sister in the camp of the enemies.

The enemies all died before they could ever approach the perimeter walls of the community, including the foreign expeditionary teams living in the land amongst them.

The being was in her memories all night. And she had compared the guards reports with a mythological creature the mother's maiden, Vin had told her about.

She'd been wishing to be possessed by the supreme powers of Kioyoda.

"Then I could avenge Kabals' death, and do havoc to the dwellings of the soul snatchers." Zhiba thought, her eyes held up like a flint of grey corn against the roof of her tent.

As of the time she had thought of Kioyoda, it was 11:35pm, and then she slept. In her dream, a strong wind arose from behind, far towards the opened valleys where the river flows out in high velocity. Then Zhiba and all the warriors came out. Across the river, at the top of the hills, there erupt a turmoil in the camps of the Akuroons, with chanting of war like songs.

A disturbance in the cool air which seemed like an earthquakes split the mountains of the Akuroons with an instant eruption of a volcanic ash. Everyone waited for death as the volcanic ash spewed suddenly and then turned again into a dark smoke particles, forming into an instant giant living creature, and then vanished with the dark particles of smoke in the directions of the wind.

Then suddenly, everything went back to normal. It was calm and peaceful again. There was nothing as such happening around her, as she'd woke up from her dream world— panting. It was 5:05am, but nothing around her was the same, as at the time she'd last fallen asleep.

Two tents had vanished when she came out, and the Akuroons hill was smoking dark and building a crest of violent sparks of embers— upwards into the sky.

The guards watching over her life at the entrance, were no where to be found. She rushed to each tent sections, looking for everyone around. But they were no where to be seen either.

Zhiba felt like she had been disregarded by everyone; at least if Babuu and the rest of the warriors cared, they would have been guarding her shelter— faithfully against her life.

"Where are you all," she shouted in the jungle, and her voice echoed.

She walked to the edge of the cliff and stared down. But still, nothing gave a hint of their presence.

"Ahh!... Ahh!... Ahh!... help me!"

Then Zhiba turned immediately and heard the mournful voice of a man down the grass. She rushed to meet him. But there was another of his partner still breathing fast opposite the camp, very close to a tree.

"What happened, give me your hand," said Zhiba, to the man she'd first sighted... and reached out at once to help him up. But the wounded warrior was badly injured, and he writhes— turning around inside the trench of grass before giving up the ghost.

Zhiba observed that he was already dead, she covered his eyelids as he'd already expired. Zhiba observed again, that several deep crimson cuts on his body had showed up, they were still bleeding out fresh blood. She knew that his partner would also not survive. So she asked quickly for an information.

"Tell me warrior! What happened, I need a vital information— don't give up on me now!"

"Akuroons, Akuroons, Akuroo..." The man gave up the ghost again with his finger still pointing towards the extreme sections of the camp going up the fields of the wild.

Zhiba ran back to the camp, and observed trails of footsteps leading out it perimeters. They were many signs of stampedes, trailing out of the camping ground to a natural waterfall.

She immediately followed the trail, and discovered that Babuu was delivering stab upon stab, on a motionless body of Akuroon that lay bleeding on the ground. He was alone at the moment kneeling on the ground upon the dead body, and doing what he knew best.

The flesh eater was long dead when Zhiba reached the unpleasant gory site. Because Babuu had cut him very deep in his chest, several times with annoyance. He had done that, out of vengeance for killing his friends, and to also satisfy his conscience as a warrior.

"Where are the others," she asked, hastily.

"They all went up together... along the waterfall." replied Babuu, stuttering.

"Ok, Babuu! let's go and look for them now— quickly!"

The waterfall indeed was attractive, and threw itself deep into the cliff's bottom. The site of the fall was breathtakingly beautiful. Zhiba and Babuu looked up to the fall, to estimate it actual height.

Atleast, above the ground to the top, it would have been fourhundred metres high and above; from the hill tops to the bottom of the cliff.

As the waters fell rapidly downward to the bottom of the cliff, it would immediately turn into mist, long before it would have splashed to the ground.

Babuu allowed himself to breathe in the mist. He desperately needed back his abilities to communicate with nature... to tell him where exactly the rest warriors were. But the more he tried...he instead fell into the awareness of his oath made to the beings like a trance. He tried again, but this time the being appeared suddenly— live in his presence, and then instantaneously vanished again.

"What was that?" Zhiba shouted at what she'd just seen fearfully.

"Magic! The spectre! Its eyes are bright— shining like balls of crystals. "Babuu!" she yelled his name.

"Didn't you saw that too? It just suddenly appeared over you... and... it just vanished again." Babuu stiffened, and allowed himself to breath in again, letting go of the tension for a while.

"I am not sure what you're talking about— Princess. Though, what you're saying is fairly possible in reality."

"Ok! Does it mean am the next or you? Or that the missing warriors have already been executed? Because I have strange feelings I can't even explain."

"No!... definitely not you. I guess since I didn't see it coming, I could either be the next or it has been sent to warn us to avoid their territories." Babuu lied, that wasn't the real message he'd intended to convey to Zhiba.

"Do they have there dwellings here too?" Zhiba asked quizzically, pulling out the piece of charms given to her by her father while in the palace before embarking on their journey. She wore it like a necklace and chanted an incantation, just as she'd been instructed by her father.

"Lobushi, lobushi, lobushiti, kutchi!" But Babuu had cared less of such incantations. To him, it was worthless and of no essence. He knew exactly what the spirit wanted.

Deep down to the heart of Babuu, he knew the being have come to remind him of his debt. He'd loved his wife and his children dearly, and the height of it, was to meet them one day alive again. But they were dead, snatched fiercely by death— a long time, unexpectedly in the arena.

But ever since the spirit had told him that nothing was impossible, he'd long to see them face to face again alive, even if it was just for a day, no sacrifice was too much to pay.

Hence, sooner or later he would have to fulfill this promise to the Soul Snatchers, or risk his own life and his freedom to size walking the surface of the earth also.

"Life is an illusion." Babuu said, in retrospection.

"How do things like that exists amongst us?" Zhiba asked.

"Well, you hate things like that. But how about the Akuroons, who love things like that?"

"Is that what they worship?

"Well, from the perspective of history... and base on my own understanding. They have a temple of worship if you'll ever have the opportunity of coming any close to where they've inhabited before. The ancestors of Akuroons at one time have given their allegiance to the Soul Snatchers to allow them dwell on the mountain tops, since they were hunted everywhere by many enemies."

"Ok!..." Zhiba said more confused. It all appears by the tone of her voice, that her response did not fit exactly into what Babuu had explained, or she was simply out of her mind.

"I meant what exactly the Akuroons were; compared to what they are now?" Zhiba concluded. But she does acted weirdly and creepy about her questions, feeling little confused about why the Akuroons existence directly linked to the Soul Snatchers.

"The thing is that, Akuroons— needed freedom, and they loved the spirits of the wild, and they got one very big— similar as such like the spirits of Soul Snatchers.

But their promise to the deity, was to protect their lands, and above all— there lives from anything that was not truly of them. Though the Akuroons made who the Soul Snatchers are through their priests, and to the rest of them. But the Soul Snatchers had affected, and infected the way in which the Akuroons think and live their own lives through the manipulations of their priests. So they were messed up and confused by their priests, not the Soul Snatchers. They'd loved to be immortals and wanted their people to be confined to only one single environment. And they loved to eat flesh of their kinds, and hunt for their food until the day they'll die... without allies."

"Wow!... that's lot of story and myth. I have never had this version anywhere, not even Van had told me this vast."

"Yes, look at what you've made me do. But now you know, and the truth will set you free." said Babuu, smiling.

"But if I understand, Babuu. It seems Akuroons had created their own fate. They had a mutual agreements with the beings. I guess they'll never truly be free. Except they'll agree again, that their priests are actually their horror." said Zhiba. She majestically walked out of Babuu's sight— and continue their search upwards the waterfalls.

"No, they're custodians to the Soul Snatchers, and without them, enemies would have ended their existence during the long periods of communal wars."

"Is that the reason why people don't tread these paths that much, when they journey?"

"Yes!... They would have long been wiped out of the face of the earth, without the Soul Snatchers."

Babuu followed strictly behind, watching her steps closely. And as Babuu walked— he seemed to walk on springs. His heels could hardly be spotted touching the ground.