34 Brothers & Sisters of The Ma’iingan

***(QUICK RECAP FROM CHAPTER 30)***

"Then who is the next alpha?" Wawa asked.

"Is that your final question?" the spirit asked.

"Yes, that is my final question. It is for the tribe." Wawa said.

"The alpha for this land and the Ma'iingan tribe is not from here. She was a chosen one from a land far away, where dragons reign to protect the land. She is the dragon that will be leading this pact. She is Emilia Sereen Jaqueson of the Zaa Clan from the land they call Asia. It is not her that will bring the wolves up to new heights, but the heir she carries within her.

***(RECAP ENDS)***

In the Ma'iingan center campground, after the summoned spirit gave its last answer, it quickly darted off into the woods as if nothing ever happened. The crowd remained so silent and still that only Niiganii's hyperventilation was heard.

"You can't believe that thing there! Wawa made it all up. Wawa is a witch and she is washing your brains by depicting me as the bad one." Niiganii said.

"I have made my place here. Everyone who knows me, knows that I do not wish any ill will on anyone. I may be blunt, but I speak truths. The doubts they will have on me will be due to the fear you instill in them." Wawa retorted.

"I have led the Ma'iingans for nearly a century. Who dares defy the alpha?" Niiganii yelled into the crowd.

"You are no longer the alpha, Niiganii. Nor can you lead us any longer. Your time as alpha has come to an end, you must now hand the torch to the new one. The ones the gods had blessed to lead us."

"The alpha to lead us is not even present. Who will lead us if she's not here? No one."

"I will lead us!" said a voice approaching from the northern borders towards camps. "I will lead the Ma'iingan. It is my destiny."

"Manji-Maniidoo, you dare to claim leadership? Everyone here knows just how desperate you are to lead, claiming yourself Beta of the Ma'iingan. The gods can see right through you. They know of your heartlessness and evil doing. You can never lead us." Wawa hissed at Manji-Maniidoo.

"But I have Aaniish on my side, who has seen my future.'' Manji-Maniidoo said.

The shaman following manji-maniidoo walks up, front and center. "What he speaks, is true. I have seen it. His future leading the Ma'iingan is prosperous." She was the shaman that gave sight to Sereen and Giken's bedding covers. She was the one the Sereen scared away.

The crowd starts asking questions and making statements:

"If that is true then what about the spirit we just witnessed Wawa summon?"

"How could Manji-Manidoo lead if he is barely here to see how camp is being run?"

"What about the foreigner? What about our new alpha?"

"How can we trust what we see when all we see is true? Someone is lying!"

"Quiet!" Gimtimi commanded in her loudest voice. "I don't know about you all, but our gods and goddesses have never failed us. Vio, our first alpha has shone the bloodmoon. I believe it and will follow my new alpha, as should you all. Giken, you are bound to her. She is your partner. You are her onaabeman. I will follow you to get to her. What do you say?"

Again, silence fell upon the campground as all eyes locked onto Giken, wanting an answer.

Giken studied all that were present, from one face to another. Silence stilled air as Giken sought for an answer in their faces. After a little while he finally said, "I say, we find our alpha. We find her so that the child can bring us up to new heights. I say, we go east and follow those ships. We know the land and rivers more than they do. We can find her… no, we WILL find her!"

Some of the people cheered while others kept their lips sealed.

"I say, we go east and kill all the savages that have come upon our land and ruined our good Earth with their filth!" Manji-Maniidoo rebuked. Again, some cheered and some remained quiet.

"All my good people, follow me as I follow Manji-Maniidoo. I have seen what they can do. I have lived where they lived. We need to cut the rot at its source." Niiganii said, supporting Manji-Maniidoo. "Follow me as I follow Manji-Maniidoo."

"Violence solves nothing, Niiganii!" Wawa shouted. "You of all people should know that much. You will guide the Ma'iingan into ruins."

"Those who do not wish to follow us. May death be waiting for you nearby." Niiganii said, threatening everyone in the crowd.

One by one and group by group, the Ma'iingan split. Half following Niiganii and the other half following Giken.

"We should NOT split, my brothers and sisters. We are of one kind, one family. We are Ma'iingan. We are a pact." Giken suggested loudly to everyone. "We have to stick together." Tears welled up in his eyes as he peered from one person to another, each lowering their heads after meeting his eyes. "Please, don't let fear and hate divide us."

"You are not worthy." Niiganii sneered. "You are no son of mine. Prepare what you need and leave this place, for you are no different than that Mayagwewinini... foreignor."

"And no mother will rid their child as if they were nothing, when given the choice to choose power or love. I guess childbearing had no effect on you, mother. We need not prepare anything. We leave with what we have now." Giken said with resentment at Niiganii as little droplets of tears escaped his eyes and rolled off onto the side of his cheeks.

He can feel his lips trembling as he turns around to his followers and gives the command for everyone to get ready to leave at once.

"We will go now, down southeast along the riverbank and away from our pale-skinned neighbors." He turns to look at Niiganii one last time and says, "I shall remind you all that we must show mercy to others, for we would like mercy in return. We should give to others what we'd like others to give to us. Everyone reaps what they sow."

Giken hurries to his hut and grabs his weapons, extra ropes, and accessories. Then he wrapped them inside a few blankets and tied it all together into one piece so that he could carry it all onto his back.

He thought to himself that this time he'll have extra hide for Sereen to cover herself with if she gets soaked again. The thought brings a smile to his face even though his heart is aching as he yearned for her.

Giken leaves his hut and is greeted with Gimtimi, Wawa and Mooji along with all his followers. Their right hands balled into a fist and pounding onto their chests in unison. It was a form of honoring to follow their leader. Giken gives everyone a deep bow, swings his stash over his back and walks through the crowd leading them southwest.

As soon as Giken was out of view, Niiganni turned around towards her followers and immediately transformed into her wolf form, biting the head off one of Aaniish's disciples. Blood drips down her teeth and off her growling smile as the young girl's body thuds onto the ground, blood pooling around her neck and upper body.

Niiganii drops the head out of her mouth and transforms back into her human form, spitting the remainder of the blood out of her mouth and wiping aways blood from her face.

"Aaniisha, if I hear anymore lies from you, it'll be your headless body on the floor the next time." She turns her attention to Manji-Manidoo, "Nephew, you will lead and I will watch. If I feel you are incompetent to leading our tribe, you will wish you ever attempted to lead us. Do you understand me, Beta?" Niiganii chuckled at the title he had given himself.

Manji-Manidoo glares at Niiganii, "I promise to make you proud, Niiganii. But you have to promise me that if I succeed, you will back off and let me lead MY WAY."

"I am setting you up to fail, but if you can prove that you can lead, I will gladly pass you the torch. However, just know that you may not achieve that goal. You are NO Gikendaaso."

Manij-Manidoo, yips and alarming sounds and everyone else copies, "Ai-yee-yee-yee-yai!" Pretty soon everyone was yipping along with him. He was riling them up for war.

"I am to lead us! We prepare to attack in three days time. Grab your axes, grab your bows and arrows. We will head east and reclaim what is ours. Our sacred lands should not be soiled by savages carrying horrible diseases with them. We will kill the rot before it spreads!" Everyone cheers to Manji-Manidoo's speech as Niiganii watches the reaction of the remaining tribe.

*

I remained stuck in my vision when a hard wind blew from the east, tipping the ship side to side as the crew members struggled to gather the sails.

However, all their effort was wasted when the ropes holding the sails on the mizzen and main mast broke off, sending it flying away.

"My lord, we have a major issue to be addressed." Yuqin said to King Leifae Arkson.

"What seems to be the problem?" Leifae asked.

Yuqin whispered the problem into Leifae's ear then stated out loud, "We will have to weigh anchor until the issue is addressed.

"I suppose we can do that. My lady isn't feeling so well, though I would like to make haste for our wedding. It is the honorable thing to do."

"Yes, my lord."

In my chamber, when I finally snapped out of my vision, I found the pendant now in my hands. "Oh my god. I can't believe it. Mother, Nana… how? It all makes sense now. I have to keep this pendant on me at all times." I tucked the pendant back into the teddy and dressed myself before leaving my chambers. As soon as I opened the door I could hear the sound of the crew members and servants rushing around deck.

"What is happening here? What's the cause for all this commotion?" I grabbed a rushing maid's arm, halting her in place.

"My lady? Oh, the sails broke off. The crew are attempting to bind new ones from below, but rats had chewed holes in them, so they're making everyone help by stitching patches into the sails." said the maid.

"Is that right? Well, I have another question for you. Do you know if we have a jeweler on board?"

The maid searched her thoughts for a bit and exclaimed, "Oh yes, we do. King Leifae Arkson had a jeweler come examine some metals and rocks that were found at Riverway. Looks like they are bringing samples back with them to Newland Mansion."

"Perfect! Can you call for him to come to my chambers? I have a broken pendant that needs mending and it can't wait. Please, it's very very important and is a matter of urgency."

"Yes, right way, my lady."