Three months passed and the exodus of the Chofumah had begun to affect Hatua’s industries on a wide scale. No one wanted to go into the mines or spend every day of the week in the fields and so those who were too scared to run, hid or didn’t work as hard so as to not wear their bodies out.

Ua had tried every tactic to get them to work but the situation only worsened. Coercion was pointless since her forces were so strong, any act of violence resulted in one-sided brutality which led to more emigration and Ua was not willing to give any of them what they asked for even if it was as little as proper medical facilities.

Instead, she turned her attention to the place where they were all running towards.

She mobilised a force of two hundred of her best soldiers and marched into the Forest Afor for a meeting with the chief of the southernmost of the two major settlements in the forest This was where a majority of the runaways stayed and they all cowered as Ua’s armed entourage followed her towards the chief’s hut.

She and ten of her Fire Breakers were accompanied into the hut where a perturbed chief Kukiyah and an enraged Imani awaited them. He had become something of a mediator between groups and was responsible for clearing up misunderstandings or other such things before physical conflict erupted.

“What is the meaning of this?” Kukiyah asked with clenched jaws.

Ua sat in front of the two men and let out a sigh.

She was dressed in a white silk gown and a modified version of her crown. Mlezi’s crown had been adjusted and welded into it, making it seem as though hers was cradling his. This also made them heavier. Fortunately, her head wrapping kept it from digging into her skin.

“The matter is clear. I am losing hundreds of workers every day and if this continues, we will experience shortages in the winter.” Ua said while tapping the table that separated her and Kukiyah with her index finger.

“I’ll ask you the same thing I did the last time we met. Why do you think people are leaving your lands?” Kukiyah asked with crossed arms but Ua rolled her eyes.

“I did not come here to answer any questions you may have-“

“Then what do you want?” Kukiyah snapped making Ua’s eyes widen a little. She glanced at Imani but he remained silent. Something which he had begun to do after realizing that most of what he said was never considered.

“I want the runaways back.” She said but Kukiyah scowled at her in response.

“So that what? They may resume their suffering?” He asked and before Ua could say anything, he dismissively waved his right hand.

“And besides. There are no runaways in Afor. Everyone who lives here calls this place home for that is what it is.”

Ua’s eyes shifted to the left for a moment.

She glanced out of the window and it seemed as though she was listening to the rustling of the trees and the sounds of a child playing in the next room.

“It’s clear that you have no intention of listening to me so I will have to use something other than mere words.” Ua sighed while standing up.

“Do you not see that force isn’t the answer? Did your husband’s death teach you nothing?” Kukiyah yelled making Ua stop for a moment.

Imani’s eyes then quaked and his face twisted with terror as Ua squeezed her hands into fists.

She then exited the hut and made her way back to her men where Thabiti awaited.

“Kill every tenth person for the next hour and burn the treehouses.” She instructed and although Thabiti was clearly clenching his jaw, he nodded before passing the order on to his men who did as they were told.

Ua was given a wooden seat while screams filled the air.

Kukiyah rushed out of his hut along with Imani and begged for Ua to stop but they were both held down by her men and made to watch as men, women and children were slaughtered.

“This will help you understand what is at stake. If we are not efficient, we will fail at the mission that was given to us by our Lady. Every hand must be put to work and if the hand refuses... Then it must be cut off.” Ua said as the chief loudly wept.

Imani, on the other hand, glared at Ua with a contorted expression.

“STOP IT! MY PEOPLE DIDN’T WRONG YOU! WE ALWAYS DID AS YOU ASKED SO PLEASE... LET THEM GO!” Kukiyah cried but Ua scoffed.

“If that was true then their blood wouldn’t be nourishing the roots of the trees.”

“PLEASE! TAKE THE REFUGEES! KILL THEM INSTEAD, JUST LEAVE MY PEOPLE BE!” Kukiyah choked on his own saliva as he cried but Ua sat completely still as her Fire Breakers stood protectively around her.

An hour eventually elapsed and the southern part of the Forest Afor had become a place of blood, ash and smoke.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Kukiyah had lost consciousness after witnessing the deaths of so many of his people and Imani, after being unhanded, stumbled into the smoke in search of his family.

He eventually found them only their bodies had been fused as mother and child were burnt while holding each other.

Ua stood up and walked up to him before placing her foot on the chief’s head.

“This is the place that they will think of when they think of running away.” She whispered before turning around and leaving with Thabiti in tow. His braids had long since turned white and his face was lined with deep wrinkles even though he was in his mid-forties.

“Mmm... Pardon my asking, Ma’am but what if this incites more fleeing... Or worse?” He asked while nervously rubbing his hands together, as though washing them.

“Mlezi and I were very careful when it came to the allocation of strength and knowledge. We Umande have always held a majority of both and if the Meerkats all leave, we will simply continue without them. All this, all that we did was for them and they choose to remain ungrateful... Just like before.” Ua said as she walked.

“I... I see.” Thabiti muttered before joining her on the march back home.

.

..

Ua eventually returned to the palace where she was met by a wide-eyed Jua who stood in front of a concerned Heziyn and Pele.

“What’s going on-?”

“What is wrong with you?” Jua asked with an expression of pure disgust.

“Mmm?” Ua sounded while glancing at Heziyn but she lowered her head.

“What did any of those people have to do with anything?” Jua asked but Ua tilted her head in response.

“What are you talking about?”

“Fucking Afor!”

Ua frowned.

She then walked up to Jua who was breathing heavily.

“Boy, I do not care how upset you are with me but you will never speak that way to me ever again, am I understood-“

“Stop making this about yourself for a fucking second and think for even a second about how much harm you’ve caused-“

Ua slapped Jua, making Heziyn gasp aloud.

This was the first time she had ever hit him.

“Go to your room and return to me only when you feel that you are ready to properly converse with me.”

Jua slowly placed his hand on his cheek and took steps towards his room.

Heziyn and Pele followed him while Ua turned to Thabiti.

“You’re right in assuming things will probably get worse before they get better so I want you to remain vigilant. Ensure the wall is maintained and... Tell all the head farmers to get into the fields themselves if they have to. I do not want their stubbornness to be the reason we potentially starve in the future.”

Thabiti nodded before leaving the palace.

Ua then made her way into the living room where she had one of the maids bring her lunch which she ate alone.

It had been like this ever since Mlezi died.

Her parents had died of natural causes a few years earlier and Mlezi’s parents barely ever left their part of the palace.

Thabiti was often very busy but when he wasn’t, he did his best to check up on Ua but she would simply tell him that she was alright and that he should turn his concern to their mission and how best to execute it.

“Mmm?” Ua sounded even though there was no one else in the room with her.

She realized that a tear had fallen from her eye and so she gently wiped it before making her way to the meditation room where her fellow Sisters were busy.

She joined them in sitting on soft pillows but it was clear, after a few minutes, that she wasn’t able to focus and so stood up and quietly left the room.

She then made her way to Jua’s room just as the sun sunk into the horizon.

She knocked on his door and it was Pele who opened it.

His eyes widened a little upon seeing Ua’s troubled state and so he gestured that Heziyn follow him out of the room with a nod.

Ua then entered her son’s room to find him sitting on his bed with a scowl strewn across his face.

She took a step towards him while opening her mouth but stopped.

“I... I’m so sorry.”

Jua looked away making Ua walk a little closer.

“I was frustrated and- and you wouldn’t listen to me so... I’m sorry.”

Jua remained silent, keeping his hands firmly clasped.

Ua walked up to his bed and sat by his side.

“E-everything I do... Is for you. You do know that, right?” She asked but again, Jua remained silent.

“It’s all because I love and cherish you more than anything in this or any other world.” She said while reaching out to place her hand on Jua’s shoulder but he turned away, choosing to face his pile of junk instead.

“Please... Say something.” Ua whimpered.

A moment passed.

Then another.

Ua tried wrapping her arms around him but Jua shook her off.

“Stop it.” She pleaded while still trying to hug him but Jua kept trying to shake her off.

“Stop it and look at me when I’m talking to you!” She cried while forcefully turning him around.

This revealed to her his scowl which had only intensified.

“I’m sorry.” She said while hugging him but silent he remained.

“Look at me.” She said while gently placing her hands on Jua’s cheeks.

She then tried forcefully turning his head but he resisted, even as tears fell from his eyes.

“Aww... Please don’t cry! Mama’s right here!” She said while forcefully turning his head towards her.

Their eyes eventually met and Ua gasped upon seeing them tremble.

“There, there. I promise that I’ll never hurt you again-“

Jua tried quickly breaking free of his mother’s grasp and again she held him but this time, Jua spat in her face.

Ua’s eyes widened after her son’s spit struck her cheek.

“You ungrateful brat!” She snapped before pushing him down onto his back.

“Why won’t you just forgive me so that we can continue like it never happened?” She cried but Jua’s scowl remained.

“Forgive me!” Ua yelled before slapping Jua again.

“FORGIVE ME!” She screamed while pouring Life Energy into her arm.

She then slapped Jua so hard that she dislocated his jaw but she couldn’t see that or the teeth she had knocked out of place.

“FORGIVE ME, DAMMIT!” She cried before slapping him again and this time, his neck snapped.

Ua saw this and let out a horrified shriek.

“NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!” She cried while pouring Life Energy into him and it was just enough to keep him from dying.

She then poured a little bit more into him and her face lit up as he gasped for breath.

She wrapped her arms around him only for Jua to push her off and raise his right fist.

He stared into his mother’s tearful eyes and let out a wild and enraged scream.

“It’s fine, you can hit me back!” Ua whimpered.

“Just promise me you’ll go back to loving me right after!” She cried.

Jua bit his teeth and let out another roar before throwing himself backwards and resting against the wall.

“No, it’s fine. If that’s what it takes then do it!” She said with a twisted smile but, like before, Jua looked away.

It’s here that Ua’s expression rapidly changed into one devoid of emotion.

She then raised her right hand and squeezed it into a fist.

Jua then fell limply to the side and this was because she had temporarily deprived his brain of Life Energy, knocking him unconscious in the process.

Ua grabbed his body and turned it upward before straddling him.

“Fine. If you will not love me... Then you’ll just have to give me a son who will."