01 |Warrior's Test -1

Three Years Later...

A young heavily pregnant woman — dressed in a long gown of plain yellow and brown patterns — stood next to an empty fireplace, carefully setting the dry logs of wood between the stones.

She then stood up straight, arching backwards to stretch her muscles; a light crack sounded from her back, causing her to exhale in relief.

She turned to face the bamboo door of her mud house, padding forward as she stretched out her hand.

"Mama Chyma! Mama Chyma!! Mama Chyma!!!"

The woman froze, snapping her eyes in the opposite direction to sight the young girl racing in her direction in full speed.

The woman, Mama Chyma, quirked her brows as the girl finally reached her, falling her hands to her knees and panting heavily.

The teenage girl continued to gasp for air, patting her chest repeatedly as she coughed. Her brownish-black hair was plaited into six braids, dressed in a plain piece of cloth that wrapped around her chest and another worn around her waist that covered her cleavages; her shoulders, tummy and legs were left exposed.

The normal attire for girls and women in the lands of Sah' Jangi Empire.

Chyma stepped forward, "Ilo? What is it?"

The girl remained silent, still trying to catch her breath as she raised her head to finally speak, "I- It is Kamyla... S- She- She..."

"What? What happened to Kamyla?"

"S- She... She wants to kill herself!"

"What!?"

Ilo nodded, finally steadying her breaths. "She is already on her way".

"Eh!? Where!?"

"Towards the forest".

Chyma gasped. Ilo quickly grasped Chyma's hand, "We have to go and stop her. The whole village is already there!"

She pulled Chyma forward.

• • •

A crowd of villagers surrounded the brim of the thick forest, having indistinct chatter spread across the lips of more than half of the entire population standing there.

Their whispers grew louder.

"Is this girl mad?"

"What is going on?"

"Is she serious?"

"When did this abomination start?"

"Someone should do something!"

"What is this madness!"

"Not this again!"

"Baba will never accept this insult!"

"Someone help this girl get some sense!"

In the centre of the crowd stood a line of twelve teenage boys with their arms crossed over their chests.

They all dressed only in animal furred hide wrapped around their waists, leaving their chests bare — the causal clothing of all males in the land.

Their eyes, alongside the members of the entire gathering, narrowed at the only young girl standing before them.

Kamyla.

Just like most girls, Kamyla was dressed in black clothes wrapped around her chest and her waist, whilst wearing a pair hide slippers with their strings wrapped around her foot to reach above her ankle.

Her spongey black hair was tied into twin buns, having white cowries wrapped around each for beautification.

Kamyla had her arms crossed as well, scowling deeply at the judgmental eyes of the boys before her.

"Let me stand in line!" She ordered.

"No!" They responded simultaneously.

One of the boys then said firmly. "There is no way we are letting you stand in line with us. We won't let you insult the Rlëongē event any longer".

Another added, "Who do you think you are, Kamyla? Wanting to participate in the Warrior's Test, knowing fully well you can't because you are a girl!"

Kamyla snarled. "Stop telling me what to do and move aside!"

"If you want to commit suicide, go somewhere else! Stop obstructing our occasion!"

"It seems like you ate too much snake grass, that is why you think you are a man now, huh?"

Kamyla's brow twitched in anger.

The boys continued, "No matter how much you beg, we still won't let you!"

"We all know you won't even survive a second in there!"

"No woman can! Two of the last women who tried to participate, the warriors found their heads in the river after two nights! Do you want to end up like them?"

"Shut up!" She snapped.

"Mind yourself, Kamy!" The tallest and most masculine teen amongst the boys finally spoke, taking a step forward.

His tall figure towered over thirteen years old Kamyla, forcing her to raise her head and look into his black irises.

"Stop making a fool of yourself and go home, Kamy. Everyone is watching..." He said calmly, with his expression less aggressive than the others.

Kamyla frowned, "Dan, get out of my way".

"I am asking you calmly, Kamy. Leave now before Baba comes and embarrasses you in front of the whole village".

"I said no! I am not going anywhere and you can't make me, Danji!"

"I am saying this because I care".

"Stop babying me, Danji. I am not your little sister!"

Danji's brows furrowed into a frown. "I tried to be nice, but it seems like you are as stubborn as always".

Danji suddenly grabbed Kamyla's wrist, jerking her body forward. "Danji! Danji, stop!"

Kamyla tried to pull loose, feeling Danji's large fingers tighten around her wrist. "I said stop!" He pulled her forward in the opposite direction of the forest.

ROAR!

Everyone instantly flinched — a white tiger leapt from behind and pounced on the ground next to Kamyla.

Danji immediately let go, letting Kamyla stagger back and fall to her behind.

Danji slowly stepped back at the sight of the predator that was almost his height, scowling at him.

Its crystal blue light eyes narrowed on him as it displayed its long canines, raising the fur on its neck.

The tiger growled.

Kamyla — who had hit her behind hard on the ground — groaned softly as she rubbed the side of her rare.

The tiger's attention instantly snapped at her, calming its expression as it stepped closer to her.

It lowered its head to rub against Kamyla's arm, assisting her to get back on her feet. Kamyla smiled, raising her hands to stroke the wild cat's head.

"Aww, good morning, Rhou. You're up early".

The tiger chuffled, pushing its nose between her arms to make her hug its head with an even wider smile. "I missed you too. But I didn't want to wake you up yet. You look so cute when sleeping".

It chuffled once more as its pupils dilated.

Kamyla smiled before slowly tearing her gaze away from her tiger and back to the scowling boy standing in front of her.

Danji deepened his frown. Kamyla frowned back.

Even after growing up with one another and raised as siblings by their grandparents, Danji still didn't understand that once Kamyla put her mind to something, she never backed down.

Unless their Ancestors in heaven came down to stop her.

Danji clutched his fist. "Bringing Rhou here isn't going to change the fact you can't do this! It's too dangerous, Kamy!"

"Don't try to stop me again!"

"I will!"

Kamyla grinded her teeth.

Then again, Danji was just as stubborn as she was.

Still staring into Danji's eyes spitefully, Kamyla felt a sharp impact at the side of her arm, causing her to cringe.

She snapped her eyes at the other boys in line, sighting one of them with stones in his hands as he smirked. "Know your place, Kamyla. Just listen to Danji and leave now!"

"Exactly!" Another hissed, "No one wants to waste tears on you for nothing!"

"Or do you want to join your parents so soon?"

Kamyla's eyes slitted as her fists clutched. Rhou instantly posed for offence, extending its claws as it snarled even louder at them.

All it needed was just a word from Kamyla and no second would be wasted.

Kamyla slowly stretched down and picked up the stone, rubbing it in her palms as her eyes locked on the skull of her first target.

She raised the stone to aim. "How dar—"

CHING!

All eyes immediately turned behind the gathering.

The crowd split into two, revealing the person that stood far back.

A metal staff with small bells and chains wrapped around the top was held in the wrinkled hand of an old man that stood before them; dressed in a white cloth that hung off his shoulder and wrapped around his waist.

His neck was decorated with necklaces of cowries, precious stones and short dried animal bones; half of his body was designed with white and black marking of ancient tribal symbols — Known as the language of the Ancestors.

And the man with all eyes on him was none other than the Chief Priest. The immediate messenger of the Ancestors and heavens.

The only man believed to communicate directly with the unseen and see beyond the physical realm.

The Chief Priest of the entire Sah' Jangi Empire.

The bald headed man had his blind gaze locked on the ground, chewing his tongue as his fingers rubbed around the rough edges of the staff.

The adults, as well as the children, slowly lowered their heads in respect.

"Ihiwea!" They greeted.

The blind man slowly raised his staff, stabbing its pointed end into the sand once more.

Another ching sound echoed out; The people slowly raised their heads.

With the atmosphere now filled with pin-drop silence, the man slowly stepped forward with his bare soles, walking in the children's direction.

He finally reached the centre of the crowd, halting in front of the only girl standing there.

Kamyla slowly pulled her gaze to meet his whitish-grey irises that looked far from useful to seeing anything physical.

He then furrowed his brows, "Kamyla Odjafah?"

Kamyla gulped. "B- Baba..."