Silence filled the room as Ua playfully tapped a giggling Musa's nose. The boy's face was brilliantly lit by the morning sun which washed into the palace dining room from its many tall windows.

Seated before Ua were five Shangazi, Thabiti and Mpole. Standing around them were ten Fire Breakers.

Ua let out a sigh and eventually turned her half-closed eyes to those other than Musa.

“And?” She asked flatly making everyone’s faces twist differently.

The Shangazi frowned seemingly out of concern while Thabiti appeared to be mortified.

Mpole sat frozen with horror as Ua gently ran her hands through Musa’s growing kinky hair.

“You can only feed a deer so much food before its stomach pops so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.” She sighed but Thabiti shook his head, atop which sat a few strings of transparent hair.

“That’s not the problem here. Surely these deaths will lead to... discontent within the ranks.” He said, although his last words were a hoarse whisper which averted its gaze from the warriors in the room.

“Oh? Will it now? Is that true, mine warriors? Are you any less loyal to me now that you know that your lives have been halved and you soon may die?” Ua asked without looking away from Thabiti who appeared to be on the verge of tears.

“No, ma’am!” All of the warriors said in unison but this made Ua tilt her head a little.

“Well, that’s strange. Surely you hold some resentment towards me for turning you into walking towers of muscle and bone, doomed to die when your hearts fail to feed your ravenous bodies.” She said while turning to one of her men, the captain of her personal guard, Modo.

“Our lives could be cut to the day and we wound still follow you, my Lady, for it is under your rule that Hatua has prospered!” Modo bowed making Ua smile.

“Has that addressed your concerns, Thabiti my old friend?” Ua asked but by this time, Thabiti’s head had completely fallen and tears had begun to flow through his deep wrinkles, a sight which was starkly contrasted by Ua’s near flawlessly smooth skin and healthy kinky hair.

“Good. Anything else?” Ua asked and it was Mpole who raised her hand first.

“Yes?”

“M-my duties, ma’am.” Mpole stuttered.

“Oh, yes. I almost forgot about that. As it stands, Heziyn is establishing a base of operations for me near that den to the south. It would be far too tedious for me to go down there or for her to come here whenever we need to speak and so you will act as our mouths.” Ua instructed and Mpole repeatedly nodded.

“This will be your role from now on and you will be expected to be my mouth on other occasions, is that acceptable or should I get someone else?”

“I will fulfil my duty with the utmost diligence, my lady!” Mpole bowed making Ua nod.

She then turned to the most senior of her Shangazi. A woman named Kuhani, who sat with a dignified air.

Like all other Shangazi, she wore a head wrap only hers was entirely purple along with her gown. She also wore Bronze jewellery although none of it adorned her head, something which was reserved for the Queen.

One thing I also noticed was that all of the Shangazi present were pregnant.

“And you? What brought you here on this fine morning? Have you made any progress?” Ua asked making Kuhani’s brows furrow a little.

“Unfortunately, we have yet to make any new discoveries.”

“And yet before me you sit, bloated as a riverside corpse with wanting eyes,” Ua smirked making Kuhani’s left eye twitch a little.

“Haha! Don’t worry. You can continue your... experiments although I do hope you remember that you are also in charge of the research and development of other fields.”

“Of course.” Kuhani bowed.

“Alright. You all may leave now. I wouldn’t want your stiff faces to be burnt into little Musa’s mind.” Ua shooed while allowing her son to clasp her finger.

Thabiti and company all bowed before leaving the palace and heading in their separate directions.

Thabiti returned to his post in Abanafash where he carried out his role as its mayor.

He was also in charge of training Ua’s warriors and one thing he had since done, unbeknownst to Ua, was ban Life Magic enhancements in lieu of more natural forms of gaining strength.

This was primarily because his friend, one of the first Fire Breakers, had died because of his enhancements and this became the catalyst that led to Thabiti’s anti-augmentation movement.

Mpole made her way south to Kimbilio while Kuhani went home where she got into another argument with her husband.

He yelled at her about how what she was doing was vile and that she would not feel my embrace, the divine embrace of Sav’ta, but Kuhani’s only response was a sigh.

Something she did quite often in her husband’s presence.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I had watched her and the four other Shangazi work in that basement for weeks and although they had conceived countless children, most of which they killed and discarded, they had yet to gain new knowledge about life and the soul.

At this point, I was beginning to think Kuhani and her cohorts just liked fucking and killing foetuses.

I let out a sigh and turned to the south.

Heziyn had gotten settled in her home away from home in Ed’s house and her men stayed in a camp just north of the city.

She had made it clear to Ed that she was there as an agent of Ua but that didn’t stop them from doing their own thing.

When Heziyn wasn’t fulfilling her role as a reconnaissance operator, she used the men under her command to help the people of Kimbilio with her men helping in the building of larger, sturdier buildings that had a design similar to those in Central Hatua.

They were large and made of wood and stone.

Heziyn had also instructed her five accompanying Shangazi to teach any children who were willing to learn.

Their parents were apprehensive at first since there weren’t that many Blessed Sisters in Kimbilio and the few who were there were doctors.

However, they were slowly coming to see that the Shangazi had mostly pure intentions and so more children were allowed to attend classes that were held thrice a week, which were seven days long as set by me when I taught Ua and her family everything they needed to know.

As was the norm in Central Hatua, one Blessed Sister was assigned to children between the ages of five and ten. Two were assigned to those from eleven years to fifteen while the last two taught everyone sixteen years or older.

I smiled every time they taught their students things that I had taught Ua and her family.

This knowledge would, hopefully, reach far into the future.

Something I found interesting was that Heziyn was planning on building a Northward road that would go all the way to Abanafash on the northern coast.

This would definitely aid in Ua’s ambitions but I wondered how it helped Heziyn’s.

What was she even planning?

Whatever it was, it was so grave that Thabiti was the only one who knew about its existence.

I turned to the northern continent and although I was initially going to watch the meeting between the Chofumah leaders which was being held in the largest hut in the cavern, I instead turned my gaze to a man who stood atop a hill in the forest above the cavern.

Standing at nearly three meters tall, was a man whose entire body was lined with muscle. He wore only a thong and a pair of leather slippers to allow his body to breathe in the humid forest heat.

His bald head was lined with sweat and he stood upright in the shade of beneath the trees.

It had been made a rule that no one leave the cavern alone and yet alone he stood with an old iron spear in hand.

He clenched his jaws, above which sat two deep scars.

He then, in a fraction of a second, threw his spear forward and it struck the trunk of one of the great trees that made up what had come to be called the Elephantine Forest.

He let out a breath and I watched as his tightened muscles relaxed.

“Not bad, for a freak anyway.” Ayit scoffed as he approached the once solitary man.

“Oh- I apologize for leaving the cavern.”

“Humph, I saw what you did to those shrimp that time. If anything I should be worried about them and this cursed place.” Ayit said while walking to the man’s spear.

He tried pulling it out of the tree but failed and so he moved to the side, allowing the spear’s owner to retrieve it although he did it with barely any visible effort.

“What is your name, anyway? I know you are of cursed blood and were a warrior but everyone has a name and I would like to know yours.”

“Cursed blood?” The man tilted his head making Ayit roll his eyes.

“I’m referring to your kind’s inclination towards destruction.”

“Oh- I see. Well, my name is Pazia and you are right. I was but a simple warrior in Hatua-“

“Why did you leave?” Ayit asked as he slowly led Pazia back to the cavern via one of its many entrances on the Forest floor.

“I... as you said, everyone has a name but... in her ranks, we were treated as less than dogs. If we were told to hunt, we did and if we were told to kill... I left because I am more than a tool, more than a weapon.”

“I agree.” Ayit nodded as he came to a stop.

“Although I feel as though I must quickly make myself clear, I think all Umande are fleshly husks without souls but you... what you did on that day... no man would give that much, fight that hard, if they didn’t have something in here.” Ayit playfully punched Pazia in his chest although he could only reach his diaphragm.

“I am humbled by your words.” Pazia bowed.

“Mmm...” Ayit droned while looking the hulking man over.

“What are your thoughts on the Chofumah and our situation? I’m asking this, not as a chieftain but as a man.”

Pazia’s dark eyes narrowed.

“Your people are constantly running from suffering and it only ever seems like he’s all you ever run into.”

Ayit nodded.

“Wouldn’t you also say that we are fractured? I mean, the hound aside, I am expected to lead alongside three or four others! Who are the people going to turn to when another dark cloud passes over us?”

Pazia’s brows furrowed.

“Wasn’t Pele chose to fulfil that role?” He asked and this made Ayit clench his jaws.

“That man may share our blood but he is not one of us- ugh! For you to even mention his name...” He snapped before letting out a deep sigh.

“Anyway, now that you brought him up, do you think that he will make a fitting leader? Do you think he is the person our people need?” Ayit asked with a pained expression.

“I... do you want a... diplomatic answer or an honest answer?”

“We are speaking as men, so speak with your heart.”

Pazia nodded before leaning down to Ayit’s ear.

“What the Chofumah need is a warrior and although Pele has seen battle, it, as I said when it came to the warriors of Hatua, was as a hound. What your people need is a leader of men, not a hound.” Pazia growled making Ayit’s eyes widen.

Pazia then stood upright and glared at Ayit making his legs visibly tremble.

“You mentioned that members of my kind are inclined towards destruction but I’d argue that the inclination isn’t limited to us only. It is like a disease and it festers in Pele’s blood. Surely you’ve felt it... you were a warrior once too, weren’t you?”

Ayit slowly nodded.

“I think you would be the best fit for leader because I feel as though, an unknown time ago, you bested that disease, you spat it out, casting that part of yourself aside and that, I think, makes you the ideal candidate.”

Ayit’s eyes quaked as Pazia’s thunderous voice filled the forest.

“Now, if you would excuse me,” Pazia said before walking ahead of Ayit who stood seemingly frozen.

He eventually nodded to himself before squeezing his hands into fists and following Pazia into the cavern.

I wanted to continue to watch the developments on Y’shuah but I internally gasped upon hearing a certain voice.

I turned to the far south and I felt a dull pain upon seeing Mchungaji gnawing on the bone of a deer as he squatted in a small cave before a monument of mud, blood and bone.

Painted on the wall, in blood, was a depiction of a mountain that was covered in ash and sitting at its foot was a tree made of bone.

Mchungaji’s body was covered in scars and wounds, each of which I could feel, possibly because of the temporary bond we once shared.

I could even see one of my strings reaching out to him but I sent it back down to my core before returning to my island.

I knew what he wanted and I had no plans on stopping him and so I entered my doll and let out a breath.

A smile then crept onto my face and I touched my tingling skin as I felt every life, every organism move across me.

I could have extended my Uyil Belts and touched every life but I feared that would break my mind and so I withheld.

I instead chose to focus on the life to be that rested within my belly.

One day it would either become a vessel for me or a life of its own.

Either way... it was going to be interesting!