“Dawuli?”

Narvari gaped at the tall muscular man. She ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. Dawuli must have been shocked since Narvari had never hugged him before. But what else could she do? She thought she’d lost everyone. Yet here was Dawuli in her house.

Narvari invited her inside asking him to take a seat. He asked Dawuli if he wanted water but the man shook his head. His big brown eyes were full of sadness like he had witnessed very terrible things.

“We thought you were dead, Captain,” he began. “But then we didn’t see your body.”

Captain? Did she deserve that title when she couldn’t help anyone?

“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t look at Dawuli. “I was of no use to anyone.”

“That’s not true. Your call saved Andai’s,” he said. “And you saved Motongo’s life.”

Narvari’s eyes lit up. “Motongo? He’s alright?”

Dawuli nodded with a smile. “Thanks to the tip you gave to Tsongu we were able to ward off the demons. You did help us.” His smile dimmed. “I’m sorry we couldn’t help you and your family. I’m sorry about Anana and Jimbaga.”

Narvari only nodded silently. “What about everyone else?” she asked, changing the subject.

Dawuli mentioned the names of people they had lost, many of whom Narvari knew. He also told her how all the security agencies, including WPU, came together to protect the country. But their efforts were still not enough since the demons were invincible. Things would have been hopeless had a certain young man not shown up.

“A young man?”

Dawuli nodded. “He killed those things, those demons, with some strange gun he had.”

He must be talking about Yanvirrak, Narvari thought.

“You know, he called them demons. Anana used to talk about demons but I didn’t think they were real,” said Dawuli. “None of our weapons worked but that young man was able to kill them so easily. He helped us evacuate most of the people to the City Hall. Then he ran off after he told us to stay put.” Dawuli paused, collecting his thoughts. “Next thing I knew, a bright light filled the whole place. We were tired of just sitting down and doing nothing for so long. We wanted to come and look for you but when we tried to leave the City Hall, we couldn’t.” Dawuli shook his head in disbelief.

“What do you mean you couldn’t?”

“We couldn’t get out. It felt like there was some invisible barrier surrounding the building. We just could not get past it. We couldn’t hear anything outside either.”

Narvari raised her brows. She’d heard and seen many strange things ever since she learned about the existence of vanquishers, but this was a new one.

“How did you get out?”

“After a few hours, we could suddenly leave. I don’t understand what happened. Everything was so strange.”

Narvari nodded. “Believe me, I know.”

“The first thing the team did was look for you. We went to your house, and…” Dawuli lowered his voice avoiding Narvari’s gaze, “…Anana and Jimbaga…” Dawuli added quietly, “We looked everywhere for you but we couldn’t find you.”

“Well, I’m here now,” she whispered.

“Yes. I’m glad to see you’re alright.”

Narvari gave a small smile. She could see that Dawuli wanted to ask more questions about where she had been. But Dawuli, being Dawuli, didn’t ask. For that she was grateful. She didn’t think she could answer questions about the Ancient Order of Vanquishers.

“So this place looks less like a disaster,” Narvari said, suddenly finding the house interesting. She would rather talk about anything else other than all the death and gloom they had experienced. “Did you clean up my house?”

“Oh right,” said Dawuli as if he had suddenly remembered why he was here. “It was actually your father.”

“What?” Narvari’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. She hadn’t heard from her father in six years and then out of the blue, he just showed up to play janitor? Was this some kind of a joke? “You can’t be serious.”

“He arrived soon after the attack,” said Dawuli. “He was so worried when he didn’t find you. But once he heard about the strange young man who helped us, he was sure you’d be fine. He even said you’d come back.”

“He did?”

Dawuli nodded. “I helped him clean up the place and he asked me to keep an eye on the house until you returned.”

Narvari paused. She wondered if Dawuli had seen her appear out of a magic portal. If he did he would still not talk about it. He was not the type to be easily shocked.

“So where is he?”

“He left as soon as we got things back in order.”

Of course, he did. Why wasn’t she surprised? Leaving was all he ever did.

“He left this for you though.”

Dawuli withdrew a rectangular package wrapped in white paper. He handed it over to Narvari. She ran her fingers along the rough edges of the package. It felt like metal. Was it a metal box?

“What’s inside?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t open it.”

Narvari’s eyes didn’t leave the package. She shook her head in disbelief as anger slowly built inside her core.

“He leaves us for years and then suddenly appears only to leave again. I don’t need this.” Narvari held the package towards Dawuli. “Keep it. When he comes back you can return it to him.”

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Dawuli simply looked at Narvari. “He mentioned you’d be too stubborn to take it. Narvari, your father insisted you have the package.”

Narvari stared stubbornly at Dawuli. But she knew the man sitting before her was even more stubborn than she was. Obstinacy was a pastime in Sharmandi. She gripped the package as her mind drifted away. She couldn’t believe her father had returned. If only she had stayed behind. She would have seen him. If those vanquishers hadn’t taken her, she would have seen her father.

No, she couldn’t blame the vanquishers. It wasn’t their fault. They saved her people.

This was all on her father. Yabaga left her long before she knew about the existence of vanquishers. She couldn’t blame anyone but her father. For the longest time, she had stopped caring about seeing the man. But hearing about him right now… did she really not want to see him again? She would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t, especially after the secret Anana had revealed to her in her final moments.

Narvari had not been in the condition to ponder over the gravity of Anana’s words. But as they came back to her, she couldn’t help but wonder what else her father and grandmother had lied to her about.

“He went to look for your mother,” Anana whispered weakly. “Please don’t hate him. Promise me you won’t hate him.”

Those were Anana’s last words to her. Narvari loved her grandmother dearly and would do anything for her. But it was hard to do this one thing. It even made her angrier to think that her father had kept the existence of her mother away from her all this while. Why would he tell her that her mother was dead when she wasn’t?

“Captain.”

Narvari glanced at Dawuli. He was watching her with concern. “Are you alright?”

“Did my father tell you anything?” she asked instead. “Did he leave me any message, you know, about where he was going? What he was doing?”

If there was anyone Yabaga would tell anything, it was Dawuli. While Yabaga was captain of WPU, he had always mentored Dawuli and the two were inseparable, like father and son. This was also why Dawuli was very protective of Narvari like a sister and would often advise her based on all the experiences he too had gained from Yabaga.

But Narvari could not hide her disappointment when Dawuli told her that her father hadn’t left her any message. He paused as if he had suddenly thought of something.

“He told me something six years ago before he left.”

“He did?”

Dawuli nodded. “The day before he left Sharmandi, he came to me and made me promise you will take the Captain’s Test as soon as you were thirteen years old.”

“What?” She had taken the Captain’s Test five years ago because Dawuli had insisted she was ready. Was this her father’s plan all this while?

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

“I’m not angry with you. I’m angry with him. He wouldn’t be a parent to me, but he would tell someone else how to raise me.” She shook her head. “And what about my mother?”

“Your mother?” He raised his brows.

Narvari nodded. “Did he say anything about her?”

“I’m afraid not. I’ve never heard Yabaga speak of your mother.”

She was not surprised. Yabaga told Narvari about her mother for the first time when she was eight years old. And that was only because Narvari had asked about her. He told Narvari that her mother died soon after Narvari was born. A few days later, Yabaga brought her to his hometown to raise her. That was it. Her father never spoke of her mother again.

He went to look for your mother. Anana’s words echoed in her mind. Why would her father go and look for a dead person?

Was everything her father said about her mother a lie then? Why would he lie to her about something like that? Her father was many things, but he was not a liar.

Yabaga was widely known as a man of his word. When he said something, he meant it. He always said that deception was for the coward and Yabaga was no coward. That much was well known. He would either tell you the truth or tell you nothing. But he would not lie — not even to his enemies — to gain the advantage. Why would someone like that lie to his daughter about something this important? It made no sense.

“I don’t know anything about your mother,” said Dawuli, “but I do know that Yabaga is a man of many mysteries.”

Narvari regarded Dawuli curiously. “What do you mean by that?”

“There was a time he went missing twice. He was only sixteen then.”

Narvari cocked her head. She had never heard about this before. Not even Anana, who often told her about her family history, had ever once mentioned this.

“Who told you this?” There was no way Dawuli had first-hand knowledge of this. He might be in his forties, but Yabaga was still over two decades older than he was.

“My father told me this a long time ago,” said Dawuli. “The first time Yabaga went missing, he returned about a few weeks later. Then he was gone the second time. He was never heard of again until he came back to Sharmandi with you. You were only a baby then and I remember that day clearly.”

Silence pervaded the room. She had never heard of anything like this before. Her own father had lied to her so now she didn’t really know what to believe anymore.

“Well, the present is what matters.” Narvari forced a smile. “I was worried about the bazwu but I know the WPU took care of them while I was gone.”

Dawuli bowed his head. “I…” He stopped speaking.

Coldness spread through Narvari’s chest. “What?”

Dawuli looked up at Narvari, the sadness in his eyes almost tangible. “I’m sorry, Captain. But there was nothing we could do.”

“What are you talking about, Dawuli?”

“The bazwu.” He paused. “They are all gone.”

Dread filled Narvari’s stomach. “What do you mean they are all gone?”

“The day after the demon attack, we went to patrol the plains. But the bazwu… they’d been shot. All their tusks were gone.” Dawuli clenched his jaw, his big brown eyes blazing. Narvari felt the man’s rage just by looking into his eyes. “The poachers must have hunted the four-tusks while we were under attack. It was a tragic coincidence.”

Narvari balled her fists. “That was no coincidence.”

She knew exactly who was responsible. Stein wanted the bazwu for himself. That’s why he sent those demons to attack them. And while they were under attack, Stein’s poachers used the opportunity to hunt their animals. This was all an elaborate scheme from the beginning. That man massacred his people just for their four-tusk elephants. Even if Stein was human, he was no different from a demon. She would not mind sending him back to hell.

“What do you mean it’s not a coincidence?”

“It means someone was responsible for this whole thing and I’m going to kill them.”

Dawuli seemed confused, but he smiled anyway. “You’re so much like your father.”

She knew people often meant that as a compliment but she wished they would stop telling her that. It only made her angrier at Yabaga. Right now, however, Narvari’s rage was directed at one man.

Stein.

“Can I ask you a favor?” Narvari asked.

“Sure. Anything.”

“While I’m gone, can you keep an eye on my house?”

“You’re leaving?”

Narvari nodded. “There’s something I need to do.”

Dawuli paused for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”

“I will see Governor Andaga and Korumi before I leave. I’ll recommend you as the interim captain of the WPU until the next Captain’s Test begins.” She smiled. “I know you will pass the test.”

“You don’t plan on taking the test?”

“No,” she said. “Honestly I’m not sure if I will be back.”

Traveling was something she had wanted to do all her life yet she never wanted to leave Anana’s side either. But Anana was no more. There was nothing left for her here in Sharmandi. As soon as she found Stein and made him pay for what he did, she would decide what to do next. One step at a time.

“Well, you have nothing to worry about,” said Dawuli. “Your house will be properly cared for. Yabaga gave me this task as well.”

“Thank you. There are a few things I need to pack before I leave. Give all my books to Motongo, will you? He’d like that.”

“Are you going to see him?” Dawuli asked. “He hasn’t been himself since his brother and mother passed away.”

The pain stabbed at Narvari’s heart. She wanted more than anything to see Motongo. But she didn’t think she had it in her to face the poor child. How could she look Motongo in the eye when she could not save his mother and brother? What kind of friend was she? What kind of captain was she?

“I don’t know,” Narvari whispered. “I don’t think he wants to see me.”

“Don’t assume you know what people think, Narvari. I know this must be hard for you, but if you never see Motongo before you leave, you may regret it forever.”

She had held grudges against her father for so long because he left without telling her anything. If she did the same thing to Motongo, wouldn’t that make him just like Yabaga? She sighed.

“You’re right,” she said.

She had to say all her goodbyes properly before she left Sharmandi for good. Maybe then, she would have the right space of mind to go after Stein without looking back. How she could not wait to destroy that bastard.