Nabagereka Aziza, Habua ‘The innovator’

In the royal capital of Gawala Kingdom, sitting within her private office surrounded by piles upon piles of files and papers, Nabagereka Aziza Habua the so-called ‘Innovator’ signed and reviewed proposals deals and reports on the current situation of her newly acquired kingdom

Nabagereka Aziza, Habua’s perspective:

It had been days since I sent Nya and the Twins to the new city. If my timing is right, they should have started the process of building a sense of true unity in the city and innovation. I can’t let such a massive investment fail due to some inane desire to hoard all my research funding. The clan nobles and lords are already looking for ways to exploit my father’s death even though I was crowned a full moon ago. letting some newly risen clan heads of a city I made ruin my plans is just the opportunity they need to delegitimize me.

A set of knocks came from the twin doors leading out of this papyrus-filled hell and into the free world.

Aziza: “Yes, what is it?”

One of my personal maids replied: “Your majesty? A report from one of your… ‘loyal 8’ ”

I stood up in shock, They were only supposed to use the direct link if “it” happened!

Aziza:” Get me My Shadow! Get me Semere!”

With a panicked start, the maid stuttered out “Y-y-yes my Nabagereka!” and ran to get the Royal shadow known only as Semere.

I stood up to go close the door leading to the office balcony and, in a manner less than regal, stretched my arms and neck.

“What's this? Her Royal Highness, overwhelmed by sssome mere paperwork? How ssscandalous!” A Sly voice, reminiscent of a snake, mock reproached.

Aziza:” Semere. I thought it would take some time before you arrived”

Semere:” Oh I agree. 10 flightsss of ssstairs are quite hard to climb quickly cursssed body or no. Luckily for me, the fool of a woman went to a noble faction ssspy I was ‘hunting’ before coming to you. So I simply followed”

Aziza: “Have they been dealt with?”

Semere:”Yesss. She should trip on a snake on the 7th level, what an unlucky doll. Asss for the spy, he started drowning in human wine after we…’ talked about politics’”

Aziza:” Are you here or is it one of your pets I’m talking to?”

Semere:”Sssemere in what remains of the flesh, Little Azi”

I turned around to meet my oldest friend, Semere. Before me stood a 3 metre tall partially skeletal humanoid snake man covered in a thick set of robes that only left his half-skeletal head and his left skeletal arm visible, every so often a spectral snake tongue would poke out and taste the air His neck swaying left to right as if he were still in his old body.

I quickly hugged the creature as if it wasn’t an abomination, because to me he was still my pet River Serpent, Sessi.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Semere:” Come on Azi…I’m ssstill not usssed to thisss body. ”

Aziza:” Well too bad, I’ve missed hugging you, ever since The Kabaka died.”

”Dad.”Semere corrected ”You mean ‘dad’ and that ssshouldn’t matter sssince I’ve been sssending my sssnakes to do-”

”And they're not you.”I interrupted, ” Now hug your master & monarch back.” I commanded still hugging

Semere Sighed “Never change, little Omumbejja.” and hugged his master back.

After a long while, I let go and coughed into my fist to recompose myself.

Aziza:” Report. Has the promised event happened?”

Semere:”Yesss. It ssseems your giftsss wasss well received...half of them.”

”Half?” I asked quizzically

Semere simply continued his report:” And the reception wasss far from ideal. Ssseems their initial formsss are much more frightening than originally advertisssed while their…other form is a bit too appealing”

Aziza:” Too appealing? What do you mean ‘too appealing’.”

Semere:” Jamba still thinksss that because I have gained this humanoid form that I am attracted to humans, like some kind of deviant sssnake, and wasss rather extensssive in hiss dissscription in both her appearance and…” Semere adopted a face of pure disgust,”…more vulgar…topics”

Aziza:” Don’t be too harsh on him… it’s just one of the many costs for his Uchawi.”

Semere:” I know but I still wish I never knew how many animals humans copied, I missss the prude of a pack boy he once wasss.”

Aziza:” So how bad have things gotten”

Semere:” Not too bad. They’ve gone into hiding within the city, Nya wasss quick to ssset up a perimeter even while blinded. Used the dogsss to check for sssscents outside the city and found none. Confirming that they found shelter.”

Aziza:” Did they pursue?”

Semere: “No, dispute the boy. They remembered to check with me asss sssoon asss they picked up the scent. And I ordered them to hold off.”

Aziza:” Good, order them to forget about the search completely and find a reason to send the majority of the garrison and town guard outside the city. They must be allowed to integrate”

Semere paused and looked to me with concern in his eyes:” Azi…Isss it wise to keep them in the dark like thisss I know we mussst hide him from the godsss bu-”

Aziza:” They know enough…it’s best they think I’m blessed rather than the truth. What we’ve done, what we’re doing…it’s too risky” I turned to the painting on my wall, displaying all my friends and my late brother before we started our adventure.

A gallant and selfless young man stood predominantly in the front of the group, his carefree attitude accentuated with the depiction of him juggling his twin Freezing Umozo while I stood by him. Still and uncaring. It still bothered me that so many saw me like that.

But then there was the painting next to it, depicting those of us who survived it.

Only me, my 8 best friends and Semere made it out of the abyss and despite my father ordering the painter to make us look heroic you can still see a stark difference in both paintings.

Our trauma, scars and grime were replaced with grim determination, dents in armour, and chips in our equipment. But nothing could hide what and who we lost.

Aziza: “I can’t lose them again. Not after what we already sacrificed”

Semere:” Azi…..We can’t be the only onesss in thisss tower. You do not beat a drum with one finger Little Azi.”

Aziza:” I will regardless.”

Semere:” Azi…” *Sigh* “Very well, May we do the impossible again Little Nabagereka”

And before I could reply, I felt his exit through my shadow.

He must really not like this if he's going to Shadow Walk without hiding his steps.

Aziza:*Sigh*” Back to paperwork.”