Six princesses, each from a different corner of Africa, face off in a tournament held in the heart of Africa to determine who will become the next holder of a precious and powerful staff. As they prepare, they are faced with different challenges, from an unrequited love, to an internal struggle. Will one conquer, or will the staff fall into the hands of those who believe power belongs to the elder?
Chapter 1 Introduction
Long ago, before the white man descended upon Africa, it was a magical place filled with wonder and mysterious creatures and powerful people. When the men went to hunt and fight and talk amongst themselves, the women would stay at home, clean and gather fruits for their families. All was well, until an unknown entity began vibrating underneath their houses. The children began to return home from playing, crying and clutching their arms.
When the elders inspected, they found three punctures in the arms, completely surrounded by a purple pus, that oozed out like sticky molasses. Because they had never seen it before, the women decided it was a snake bite and they treated it as such. Then came a time when the children's health began to deteriorate and falter, eventually causing their deaths.
Perplexed and frustrated by the deaths of her only child, one woman called a meeting her village chief. She gathered all the women whose children had been taken by the purple bites. They all cried and begged the chief to do something about the animal that was depriving them of joy. The chief thought it over and payed no heed to their concerns.
"You cannot come to me and complain about the same snakes we have seen since before our ancestors. Be gone from me! Be gone women!"
There is a saying. A scorned woman is a dangerous woman and indeed she is. All the women whose hearts had gone with their children, held their own meeting that night.
"I heard, the same thing has happened in the other countries, far beyond our village, far beyond our country." whispered one woman.
"I heard that too-"
"What can we do? We cannot leave our village, forget leaving the country. The men would hunt us down and have us thrown into the pit."
"Who said we have to leave?"
For the rest of the night, they conspired and concocted a plan. Secretly, they let one woman leave the village in the silent cover of night. She went and invited all the women whose children had been snatched and in the following weeks, they returned, a group of six, including the escapee.
They retired to the mountain that overlooked the village and discussed the next part to avenging their children. Among the women, was a powerful shaman woman from a different country.
"I have a way to avenge them, and protect our future generations." She spoke up from under her head covering.
"Well, speak up. What of your plan?"
She peered up and sneered, causing an uncomfortable silence to fall upon the group.
"You will have to sacrifice something you hold dear to yourselves. You will have to give your lives."
They all gasped, a mix of disbelief and fear struck across their faces.
"So be it!" one of the women from the village below spoke up. "I will give my life willingly. Take it!"
The shaman woman laughed and produced a small dish from underneath her robes. She then revealed a small piece of flint and asked the woman for her arm. Once she had a firm grasp of the woman's arm, the shaman woman proceeded to carve out three small holes that resembled the puncture marks made by the creature that killed their children.
One by one, each woman was carved.
When she was done, she lifted the dish and proceeded to drink the blood that had dropped into it. She cackled and threw away her robes.
"Bwerani kwa ine, mizimu yayikulu kuchokera kuseri. ndithandizeni kubwezera amayiwa. tipatseni mphamvu! (Come to me, great spirits from beyond. help me avenge these women. give us power!)
Although the skies were clear, a single bolt of lightning struck the only tree near the mountain. The shaman woman walked toward it and returned to the women with a staff.
"We got carved...for a stick! Shaman woman I will-"
She did not get to finish that sentence, for she was struck down with a purple lightning.
"Shall we go and avenge our children now?" Asked the shaman woman as she kicked away at the charred corpse.
Chapter 1 Introduction
26/09/2024