32 Chapter 30 - Birnin Zana

"Let me see if I understand everything correctly. You guys are countries far more advanced than any other because of the metal present only in Africa, but someone, who was saved by you, betrayed you and now works for HYDRA."

"That's a good summary, Steve. Now do you understand the reason for keeping everything secret?"

After the battle, Azzuri personally supervised the rescue of the wounded and the bodies of the dead. Fifteen men who participated in the battle died, and eight were injured—a significant victory considering they fought against a hundred heavily armed and trained men. Now, Ada, Steve, and I are talking in a small cabin.

"Yes, I understand. If your technology is discovered by the world, everyone will attack Wakanda, and you will be massacred."

Steve becomes serious, imagining the scene of Wakanda being destroyed by greed. He's not as naive as he appears in the movies; it seems he understands the greed of men, but...

"HAHAHAHA!"

"HAHAHAH!"

Ada and I burst into laughter.

"We'll be massacred? Your friend is funny, King Baldur."

"Yes, he is."

"Can someone explain to me what's so funny?"

Angry at being the subject of ridicule without knowing why, he asks us.

"Well, my friend, if all the nations of the world join forces to attack us, their chance of winning is... zero!"

"How is that possible!?"

Steve seems not to believe us.

"Well, you'll understand everything later."

King Azzuri enters the cabin without the Black Panther suit, wearing only a typical Wakandan toga.

"All the wounded and dead have been taken care of. We're returning to Wakanda now, my friend. We're going to have a meeting with all the tribe leaders. Bring the soldier with you if you think he can keep a secret."

Without waiting for a response, he turns and leaves.

"You can come, Steve, but your men can't know anything."

"Will they be well taken care of?"

He asks, looking at Ada.

"They will be welcomed as friends of Wakanda. They will have food and drinks, but they won't be able to enter the city. I'll tell them you're discussing with the leaders the best way to protect the 'City.'"

"Thank you. Talk to Lieutenant Gabriel Jones; he's the second in command."

"Understood."

We enter a waiting ship. Steve looks like a little child in a toy store, looking around. The ship starts flying forward slowly.

"How long until we reach this city?"

Steve asks us.

"We're already here."

Just as he's about to ask, confused, the ship passes through Wakanda's camouflage, and the sight leaves him speechless.

Several gigantic buildings surrounded by small mountains. Unlike the USA, this city has a perfect integration between concrete and vegetation, giving it a unique and ecological look. Around the city, a river flows into a distant waterfall. As we cross the city, we see bustling streets and, ahead, the magnificent royal castle.

"Welcome to Birnin Zana, Captain Rogers," I say.

Birnin Zana, the capital of Wakanda. The ship then arrives at the royal castle, which has two gigantic panthers sculpted in black rock. The construction of the castle is made of a rustic rock, giving it an incredible look.

Our ship lands, and the doors open. As we disembark, we are greeted by the Dora Milaje in formation. When the king steps forward, everyone complements him. In front of the castle, I can see a beautiful woman and two children by his side.

The black woman is beautiful, with a tall hairstyle and wearing gold earrings and necklaces. The two children appear to be around eleven or twelve years old, with short hair, bearing a strong resemblance to Azzuri.

"King Baldur, I hope you still remember my wife, Nanali. These are my two sons, T'Chaka and S'Yan."

"It's good to see you again, Queen Nanali," I reply.

"You're always welcome in Wakanda, King Baldur," she says.

The two children seem curious to know who I am. I've never seen them before; the last time I visited Wakanda was at Azzuri's wedding.

"My king, who would this be?" Finally, everyone begins to notice Steve, who has been awestruck the entire journey so far. It's really amusing to see this younger version of Captain America in shock.

"This is an American friend of King Baldur," Azzuri replies.

"But, my king... This goes against the laws," Nanali says, a little wary of the foreigner in her castle.

"You don't need to worry; he has already proven himself trustworthy when I fought alongside him. Besides, he also has Baldur's recommendation."

"Queen Nanali, I assure you I wouldn't do anything to put your people at risk. My mission is to protect us, and that's what I'll do," Steve promises to everyone.

"Husband, the tribal leaders are waiting for you," Nanali says, getting straight to the serious matter.

"And is the elder of the Jabari tribe also there?" Azzuri asks in a low voice.

"He is," she replies.

The Jabari tribe is not foolish to openly work with HYDRA. If they are caught working with foreign nations, all the tribes will turn against them, depriving them of the chance to be kings. The king knows what they are up to, but he doesn't have evidence to judge them.

"Nanali, could you show our lovely castle to our guest while Baldur and I speak with the elders?"

"Of course."

She takes Steve to another area.

"Ada, take the Dora Milaje and increase security in the city. I know the Jabari tribe has a plan; they wouldn't try anything if they weren't fully prepared."

"Yes, my king."

She takes all the Dora Milaje with her, leaving us.

"Let's go, my friend. It's time to face the most powerful enemy of my kingdom: politics."

We head towards the meeting rooms. Before entering the grand throne hall, we pass several statues of the ancient kings. At the first statue was my old friend Bashenga, with my statue on the left and the general's on the right.

The grand doors of the halls opened, revealing the throne room. In the center of the room were the seats, and around the room, a space made of transparent material gave a unique view of the waterfall. Several soldiers of different colors stood at attention around the room, representing men from each tribe.

Six elders from the tribes sat in a semicircle formation facing the royal throne on rough stone chairs, all wearing typical clothes of their tribes. The most striking among them was the leader of the river tribe, who wore a lip plate made of elongated stone.

Azzuri didn't acknowledge them and sat on the Vibranium throne facing them. My seat wasn't here, but I went straight to the side of the leader of the Jabari tribe: a muscular man wearing the skin of a white gorilla. He looked at me with hatred, as did all the leaders of the Jabari tribe. It seems the memory of what I did to them is still alive. I tap my spear on the ground, and a small golden throne appears. I sit on it.

This is one of the things I've been training for a while: light manipulation. I've always used my solar powers, but I forget that I'm also the god of light. I spent years thinking about how to use this power in combat until I managed to solidify and shape the light. Unfortunately, its power is too weak to be used in combat. For example, this throne is as sturdy as glass.

"Now that all the elders are present, as our ally, let's begin the meeting with the pending issue: what to do with the invaders."

The king starts the meeting formally.

"What else can we do? Let's annihilate them all; the dead tell no tales."

The leader of the border tribe suggests this idea, and his words have the agreement of several other leaders.

"If we do that, we'll only attract more attention to ourselves. Look at what happened to our ally as an example. The Germans must be destroyed, but leaving witnesses to affirm that we have nothing of value. Only then can we keep total secrecy."

The example Azzuri is referring to is when we killed all the invaders who invaded our island before the storm protected us. He's right; it only created more interest for the new invaders.

"So what does the king suggest?"

The river tribe elder asks.

"Let's use the Americans. They'll fight against the German army, and we'll help them in the dark. They'll get the glory of victory, and we'll be protected."

"Are they trustworthy?" Another elder asks.

"I guarantee that the leader of the Americans is trustworthy."

My words carry some weight here, even though I don't have political power.

All the leaders look at each other and seem to agree, except for the leader of the Jabari tribe, of course.

"Very well, we all agree," says the elder of the river tribe. "Then I'll put the plan into action. I think this meeting is adjourned."

"Wait!"

(Finally, the leader of the white gorillas is going to make his move.)

"I have information that this invasion was caused by the king himself. He broke our laws and brought a survivor to our land. The greedy man is now commanding the German army."

A good move, trying to undermine the king's credibility.

"Is this true, my king?"

"Yes, it is true. I'm ready to answer for my actions after this situation is resolved. Right now, we don't have time for this."

They are all a little indignant at the situation. They are right, actually. Because of the king, everyone is in this situation. I think because of this event, Wakanda didn't reveal itself for years, even after becoming more powerful.

"I'm more concerned about the traitor."

My words shift the attention from the king's failure to me.

"The elder of the Jabari tribe himself said that the invader saw the power of Wakanda. He would be crazy to try to invade it without inside help."

They start whispering, thinking about the matter. The white gorilla is looking at me with fury, but when I look into his eyes, he must look away. The anger of his people is evident, but fear is there too.

"Regardless of whether they are receiving help or not, everything will be revealed at the right time. Now, let's take precautions. All the leaders must return to their tribes and prepare for an attack."

A few seconds later, everyone leaves the room, leaving only Azzuri and me.

"Do you think they'll attempt a direct attack, my friend?" Azzuri asks me.

"No, that would be madness. Perhaps a covert attack on you or your family."

"My family?"

He asks me, astonished.

"Is there an easier way to make you comply with their wishes?"

The atmosphere in the throne room becomes tense. Every man has a weakness, and feeling that it's being threatened is not a good feeling.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of your wife and children personally. Just take care of the situation."

He seems a little more relaxed when I say that.

"I appreciate it, my friend."

(Now let's see what the enemy's next move is)

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