Chapter 2: Welcome To Genre

after all that had happened the king was escorted back to the palace Genre. Today was the second day and He pondered all that had been said by the god Malekani, a pure sacrifice? Where was one so pure to be found? He paced back and forth in the throne room of the great stone palace. Palace Genre was considered one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. It boasted of green gardens and the rarest flowers, now it had been reduced to a desert like place. He sat on his throne quite distraught. The guard entered the throne room in steady strides. He nodded at the guard and the guard proceeded, "sire , the three elders have arrived," he announced. "let them in," the guard nodded left the kings presence after he saluted. In a few minutes the three elders of the kingdom were standing before the king. " any news?" He asked them. Harrom, the tallest of the three elders shook his head, "your majesty today is the evening if the second day and no one in the kingdom is willing to give up their lives. And even if one did who is pure enough to be offered as a sacrifice to the gods?" The remaining two elders shook their heads in grief. The king spoke, " is this how my reign will end?" He asked, " I will leave nothing for my son." Just then the curtains of the thrown room flew open and a small gust of wind blew in. As the king looked he saw Amangi standing before their presence, "shall you always arrive uninvited?" He asked the hooded figure, "yes, especially when I have a solution to your little problem," he croaked. The king was curious... " a solution?" he asked doubtful,"Yes your majesty." " what are you waiting for then speak!" Sumaga cried sounding a little too desperate for a king, Amangi laughed then disappeared for a moment then suddenly appeared next to the king. His long ugly fingers run along the arm of the throne. " there's a woman who lives in the country side, she came into the city looking for food when the drought hit. She has no family or relatives except her six year old daughter. She has the purest heart known to man, so pure that even gods marvel at it, so pure it makes me sick!" He said spitting on the polished place floor. It was black and boggy looking but the spit quickly disappeared after a few seconds with a loud hiss like that of an extinguishing fire. He disappeared and reappeared between Harrom and Meline the other elder who was the fattest of the three, "she is the one the gods want." Sumaga listened attentively, he thought for a second before turning to the others " what do you think my elders?" Meline spoke first, " sire tomorrow is the third day, we don't have time to debate, Amangi is providing us with a way out, I say we take it." "And it is what the gods want," Harrom added. " smart men" Amangi croaked wickedly. Sumaga thought for a minute then asked, " Sawed, why do you remain quiet?" He asked the third elder who was the oldest and by far the wisest of the three, " well your highness, I would not trust Amangi," he laughed " he was the man that was struck with lightening by the gods and that is never a good sign." Amangi disappeared and reappeared face to face with Sawed, " hold your tongue! " he screamed at Sawed. His tongue came out of his mouth and its tip turned Into a snake, " I'm more powerful than you think, he hissed. " I know how powerful you are, dark magic can't harm the innocent," he then turned and faced the king, " sire, this man is asking us to kill a woman who has a child!" "It's what the gods want!" Amangi defended. " who are you to know what the gods want?"Sawed asked " sire I feel that this isn't right." " But it's the best for the kingdom!" Amangi argued." Enough!" Sumaga cried, " desperate times call for desperate measures, sawed" the king said, "so were going to vote, all in favour of amangis idea raise your hand. The two other elders raised their hand and so did the king. " I will not be involved in this," sawed cried, " the gods are my witness,"

2

Nelice , the woman who amangi talked about was sitting on a chair opposite her daughter who lay in bed in their one roomed house. they lived on the outskirts of the city near blood falls. it was already the night of the second day and though Nelice knew that it would be their last night together in this world, she was happy she was spending it with her daughter. her husband had died before her daughter was born seven years ago. her family had been murdered long before that on the road on their way to the neighboring country. in short all she had was her daughter and all her daughter had was her. she sat there by the fire knitting a sweater for her daughter, she didn't know why she was knitting a sweater that wasn't going to be finished in weeks when tomorrow was their last day but still she knit on. then she heard soft little sobs and she put her knitting down. she looked up and saw that her daughter was sitting upright in bed crying. she stood up and walked over to her little darling, " what's wrong dear?" she asked, "I'm scared," the little girl replied. "why?" Nelice asked hugging her daughter. she run her fingers in her daughters thick dark hair slowly, " when we die tomorrow will I ever see you again? I'm always alone momma, I don't wanna loose you!" the little girl cried embracing her mother tighter. Nelice paused for a second startled at her daughters words. Since the death of her husband, Nelice had moved to the outskirts of the city where they were cut off from everyone else. her daughter had no friends her age where they lived but she had always been very understanding. Nelice knew how hard it was for her daughter, and her heart burned. she too started crying and let the tears fall on her daughters lovely black hair. her daughter stopped crying, very much alarmed that her comforter had become the weeper, she looked up at her mother and dried away her tears with her tiny little hands, " don't cry momma," she eased . Nelice wiped her face, "I'm sorry baby, it's just that when mommy sees you cry she gets sad too," she said trying to smile. her daughter put her small hand on her heart and raised one hand up, " then I swear that I will never cry again and always be brave so that you will never cry too," she said. Nelice laughed and looked into her daughters clear eyes. they were honest and true. that's why she named her starry because her eyes were clearer than the stars on the night she was born on. "oh starry," she said pulling her closer, "no matter what well always be together," and they cradled each other to sleep not knowing what the next day had in store for them.

meanwhile Sawed tossed and turned in his bed. he couldn't stop thinking about the woman Amangi was talking about. he sat in bed for a few minutes and tried to get some sleep. he finally managed to rock himself to sleep. the next morning Sawed got up early and went out his large mansion. as an elder he was second after the king so he lived like a noble or a duke. he bade the coach man take him to the kings palace. upon arrival the guards informed the king of sawed arrival. " sawed, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today? do you want me to be the last person you see before our lives end in this world?" he laughed. "no sire, I'm afraid this is not a courtesy call. I came to make you rethink your decision, Amangis heinous idea will not help this country," sawed begun. "enough!" the king replied, " if Nelices death will not save us we will all die anyway." "Nelice?" sawed asked. "that's the woman's name," the king replied. "but sire if she dies and we live then her blood will be on your head!" "my head?" the king asked. a servant walked in with a basin full of water. "in the presence of his majesty and the gods I cleanse myself of such an evil," Sawed replied dipping his hands in the water . he looked at the king then said, " I pray his majesty does not regret." and he left the king presence

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