PART 1

“A dream?”

He was standing in a forest.

The hazy figures running in the distance were followed by a bright red stream of torches chasing after them.

As the light illuminated them, he saw two adults fleeing with two young children.

The moment he laid eyes on the trading bead bangles on the woman’s wrist, their identities became crystal clear.

“No…”

This was no dream. It was his nightmare.

Before he knew it the scene before him had shifted and he was desperately clasping onto that woman’s hand. He could feel it. He wished he didn’t.

Suddenly they jumped down a steep slope into a sea of dark foliage.

His mind shifted again and the scene was him holding the younger child in his hand as the woman gently rubbed his hair and cheek.

He could not hear her words but as the severed head of his father fell to his feet, he did not need to.

The bloodied blade that severed it was wielded by a horrid demon grinning from ear to ear.

One look and one word from her mother, and he instinctively ran.

He didn’t turn back. No matter what screams he heard, he didn’t turn back. Despite the heavy tears down his cheek, he didn’t turn back.

No matter the muffled cries of the little one in his arms, he didn’t turn back.

It felt like he would become a pillar of salt if he did.

He could hear their laughter. He listened to the struggles until he couldn’t anymore and all he could think of was how horrid they were.

How could they smile like that? How could they laugh like that?

Years later, even after finding shelter in Ganga Village, fate once again brought them to his doorstep.

That realization made him red with fury as he ran through the thick forest.

“I could never forgive them.”

Suddenly, the red glow of flaming torches overtook him, the marshy bog gave way to a muddy sea. The tall trees gave way to a vast expanse and what rose before him was an overwhelming mass of malice.

“I could never forgive them.”

Those were not the boy’s words but the horned, pot-bellied monster in front of him.

The sky turned red, and the child in his arms disappeared.

He felt himself sinking into the mud as the giant beast watched on in satisfaction.

As he writhed and struggled, he wondered if this was all that fate had in store for him.

As he sank into it, he reached out to the bright white sun illuminating the crimson world he was falling into.

An exercise in futility or…

“…Wake Up!!”

The white light shined ever so brightly as these abrupt but gentle words rang throughout this realm of nightmares.

The horned calamity shrieked back at its overwhelming intensity as it illuminated all in a brilliant flash…

PART 2

While the midday sun was shining on the eastern waters. Before Gesa’s most proficient shaman could calm a raging storm, a different kind of chaos ensued in the Royal Palace.

Servants carrying various messages rushed in and out of the throne room.

They held all sorts of news for Vutenia’s ruler. This left High King Ranga swamped with them.

There were reports on the status of various troops deployed to the Vutenian border.

There were also complaints from the nobles of the Western Provinces about the lack of soldiers to both secure local settlements and provide support in stopping the invasion.

High King Ranga suspected this was less about securing public safety and more about their assets being in danger from the local bandits and Demonic Beasts.

“Although, I suppose the public do count as valuable assets to them.”

Ranga thought with a wry smile.

Even reports from The Odd Jobs Guild suggested a surprising amount of increased activity among local threats.

The timing was so obviously perfect that it slightly worried him.

As tedious as reading through all these reports was, he still kept going.

All the while, he was waiting patiently for something more useful to show itself.

Suddenly, a sparrow rushed in through the palace windows and headed for the royal throne.

It landed atop Ranga’s shoulder and became his sole focus.

He had been anticipating its return. High King Ranga lacks Matuzo’s all-seeing eyes and Vurai’s vision does not encompass the Land in the same way as Gesa’s.

However, he can still gather information through the heavenly creatures that he uses as familiars.

“Show me little Chiriku. Show me what you’ve learned.”

With those words, a bluish-white light engulfed the sparrow’s eyes and resonated with the light in Ranga’s own. A scene only privileged to royal blood was laid out before him…

It started with an expansive blue and then a sea of clouds.

Below him, he saw Koteni carriages rush forward and back as they complimented the noise of thousands of citizens chaotically making their way through Kongo Market.

The focus shifted to a small caravan of 3 carriages parked near a wooden shed. Most likely an eatery. The caravan owners were likely sitting at the open-air tables next to it.

From the high vantage point, it was difficult to make out their identities since they seemed like moving dots on a map.

The scene then shifted to a view more conducive to recognizing and gaining information.

Ranga saw the crest on their headbands and realized that they were Kambe traders.

Long-distance traders would surely have much in the form of information to give.

This was what he wanted. Any information he could gain on not just the state of Chyulu but also the Vutenian public’s thoughts on the matter.

Their voices revealed surprising news.

“I heard that Demonic Beasts invaded Chyulu.”

A woman serving food would ask.

“A lot of the western settlements are starting evacuations. I got letters from the Merchant guilds saying they’re shutting regular transit near Tana.”

One of the traders would reply and the conversation would go on with others chiming in.

“Even though we sent some of our soldiers to help, it wasn’t enough.”

“They say even one of the Nine Generals might be sent over there.”

“Is it truly that serious?”

“Don’t worry, they’ll be fine. They’re true warriors. They have Shindo’s grace.”

“Perhaps the king should go there.”

“No!! He should stay and protect us.”

“What will that boy-king who plays at being a warrior do?”

“The soldiers are all we need.”

The lack of faith in his rule was beginning to show. In uncertain times, this was only natural.

However, that wasn’t nearly as important as what was revealed next.

“The descriptions I heard for those beasts remind me of the ones that the God-King uses.”

An old merchant spoke with a casual cadence.

“God-King? Who in blazes is that?”

This question was shared by all; including Ranga himself.

It seems that while in Chyulu, the merchant heard peculiar rumors of a God-king.

In the far west, beyond Chyulu and even the farthest escarpment of the Great Rift, an empire was quickly forming and being led by a God-King.

He wielded a strange demonic army and was said to have been worshipped as a Chief God.

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“Don’t be ridiculous!!”

“That’s practically a Demon God!!! If he’s this crazy, why are we only now hearing about it!?”

Ranga couldn’t agree more with their disbelief.

Especially since even his spy networks had yet to avail such information to him.

It was so ridiculous that he couldn’t even entertain it.

“If even half the stories I heard about that God-King are true, then soon Vutenia may no longer be the ‘free shining jewel’ on the Eastern Coast.”

“How dare you say that!?”

“Nonsense!!!”

The waitress and the other merchants couldn’t even stomach such blasphemous thoughts. Especially because of how valuable a place such as Vutenia truly was.

Nearby, a child was eating with their mother at another table. Having overheard the doom-filled discourse of the other table, they looked to their mother for guidance.

“Mama. It’s fine, right? The gods will help us. They haven’t left us, right?”

“Of course, little one. Their vessels still stand with us.” Even as she gently placed her hand on their cheek, the mother seemed to be reassuring herself more than the child. That was how it looked to Vutenia’s High King…

Ranga had seen enough.

This was ultimately the most useful information that his Chiriku had given him. The rest was simply more complaints and worries of the restless public. Hearing it once was more than enough.

“The God-King. Such a ridiculous notion. I should probably look into it. Even though it’s nonsense.”

He didn’t think anything would come of it but it was the only lead he had.

Having received all of Chiriku’s gathered knowledge; he concluded his communion with the little sparrow.

As his mind shifted back to the throne room, a servant soon came in with a small scroll bearing the crest of Gesa’s domain. It was obvious who it was from.

Ranga promptly opened it. Hopefully, he would gain more useful information than the senseless rumors about a Demon God.

The report from Oraki held information on his encounter with demonic beasts on the way to Tana. As he investigated their origins, he encountered a presence that led him to suspect that a Demon God might be involved.

Ranga nearly threw the scroll out the window. He had never regretted reading a sentence as much as this.

He managed to calm himself just enough to finish reading all of it. Its conclusion managed to force a wry smile on his face.

Oraki had anticipated the king’s reaction and ended the letter with ‘words of encouragement.’

“Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing. Even if it was something, we’ll be fine. Probably.”

Having read this statement, Ranga couldn’t help but smile at it.

“This is how you encourage me? Honestly, how plain could you get?”

This was always how Oraki did things. He was always quick to try to keep others calm in times of trouble even when he was troubled.

That seemed to be a habit of his as far as Ranga had seen.

Ranga recalled a similar incident during their childhood. They were on their way to school at the start of the new year.

“Hey!! Oraki!! What’s with the gloomy face?”

“….”

A young Ranga ambushed the gloomy Oraki from behind while ruffling his hair.

“You got the results for your selection, didn’t you? What’s wrong, were you not chosen by any god? You?”

“…I got chosen by Gesa…”

“What? That’s great!!! He’s a Chief God. You should be excited !!!”

“I wanted to be like my father and get chosen by Shindo. What do shamans of Gesa even do!? Their flashiest move is making a big wall!!! Where’s the glory in that !?”

The juvenile Oraki’s lamentations only seemed to amuse the young Ranga as he placed his arm on Oraki’s shoulder.

“Ahahaha!!! Well, if it makes you feel better, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“How is that supposed to make me feel better !?”

“It can’t be helped. As shamans, our destinies aren’t something we get to choose. From the moment we were born, it was always unavoidable.”

Oraki seemed to have realized the true meaning behind Ranga’s words and the melancholy that came with them.

Ranga was a part of the royal family and so he was always intended to serve Lord Vurai from the very beginning. The selection was no more than a formality to him.

“…Even if destiny were inevitable, we can still choose how we live through it.”

Oraki found himself saying these words in small defiance.

“Huh? What was that? Were you trying to sound wise or something?! Ahahahaha!!!”

Ranga couldn’t help but laugh at his friend’s vague attempt at the profound.

Oraki was beyond embarrassed as he darted off in annoyance.

“Sh-Shut up!!! I can’t believe I was worrying about you…”

Ranga ran after him while trying to ‘comfort’ him.

“Wait. I’m sorry!!! You sounded very wise!!! Like an elder in a storybook!!!”

“I said shut up!!”

Ranga’s comforts only seemed to embarrass him more.

Such was the kind of friendship they had at one point in their lives. However, time can be a cruel mistress.

Their respective paths soon drifted from each other as they grew into their current roles. However, Ranga still thought of him as a good friend and believed it was the same for him.

Despite the surprisingly mundane bit of hope they held, Oraki’s words to Ranga managed to encourage him more than he would ever know.

As he sat there musing on days of hopeful past, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the thunderous yet calm voice of a certain Chief God.

“King Ranga. I require an audience with you.”

“What is it, Lord Vurai?”

“There is much to discuss, we shall meet at the Astral Corridor.”

Hearing these words Ranga promptly stood up and made his way out of the throne room.

“My king?” The servants were rather shocked by his sudden move for departure.

“I must go speak with Lord Vurai. Tell the djinn users to do reconnaissance in Southern Chyulu. I have a hunch on something.”

It seems a king’s work was never truly done.

PART 3

It was warm and it was bright. Frustratingly so.

He couldn’t help but open his eyes but he wished he hadn’t.

The flash of light and sound hit him like a brick wall.

As his eyes adjusted, he sat up and saw a simple room that was only moderately lit. The open window revealed a starry sky that betrayed his initial expectations of a bright morning day.

“Oh? You’re awake. That’s good.”

On his side, someone was sitting up in the bed adjacent to his.

“…Who are...?”

“My friends call me Oraki. Nice to meet you.”

“…Where are we?”

“Didn’t really check. Likely somewhere in Ganga village. It seems they put us in here after finding us in the forest.”

“Forest? Ganga Village?”

“Yes. Although it’s just a guess. I only woke up a few minutes ago myself.”

As Oraki said these words, he gave a gentle smile to the young boy in the adjacent bed.

However, the boy’s gaze was a blank stare as his mind struggled to process the information before him.

“Forest…And that scarf…Where…?”

Suddenly, his face contorted into a horrid expression. His eyes were wide in shock. His mouth curled in confusion.

His mind flashed with disjointed scenes of the events leading up to his current state. He could hardly piece all of them together. It was like he had lived through one moment, passed out, and found himself living through another.

However, the truth became clear as he looked back through his thoughts and memories.

The boy finally realized the horrid fate put upon him. The pot-bellied shadow that dominated his soul. The crimson rage that fueled it. As well as the atrocities he nearly committed because of it.

It was a blessing that the only victim of that rampage was the blue scarf-wearing stranger in front of the boy. And yet, this did not give a single bit of comfort.

“It…It was you...and…I was laughing. I was enjoying it. You were there in a pool of your own blood and …I liked it…”

“It wasn’t…”

“IT WAS ME!! Even if I thought you were someone else, I still wanted to kill you!! I wanted it!!!”

As if knowing what Oraki would say, the boy dismissed him entirely.

“I smiled at someone dying. I was just like them…Those bandits… I’m just like them!!!”

Seeing the boy grab his head and bow in shame. Seeing the cries and tears. Oraki was both heartbroken and relieved.

“It’s true. You might have enjoyed it. There is evil in your heart. No doubt about it.”

“…”

“But that’s not enough to make you like them.”

“…?”

The boy looked at Oraki in shock. The strange priest’s eyes seemed apathetic as he made a simple declaration.

“Make no mistake. Whether you’re a divine priest or a corrupt witch. No one lives without some kind of evil in their heart. We all have that spirit within us.”

“But I enjoyed it. The same way they do.”

“So what?”

The boy was dumbfounded by Oraki’s rebuttal. Oraki continued regardless.

“You still feel for those you hurt? You still regret your actions. You haven’t lost that part of you yet. That’s the real difference between you and them.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t ever want to do that again no matter what happens, right?

“No. I don’t ever want to feel that again.”

“Exactly. It’s different for those who’ve truly embraced blood.”

“…?”

“They don’t think much of it. It’s no different than eating a meal for them. They’ll do it again no matter how many times.”

As he said this, his face seemed to show him reminiscing of something in particular. His past encounters, no doubt.

“So, I tell you this with certainty. You’re not like them. You won’t be like them.”

There was no doubt in Oraki’s eyes. It gave a small bit of relief to the boy but…

“Besides, that pot-bellied monster had quite a bit of influence on the darkness you felt. It wasn’t just you going on a rampage.”

Hearing this, the boy frowned once again.

“I…can still feel him…”

Oraki was hardly surprised. The reason being...

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t fully sever the connection between the two of you. For all intents and purposes, your very souls themselves have been fused together. Fully unraveling that connection wasn’t possible. The most I could do was banish him from physically emerging.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t yet reached the level where I can truly save you from the Ox King’s influence.”

Oraki’s frustration felt like a death sentence to the boy.

“So, I could become that thing at any time?!”

“No. You’re still the one in control. You’re also free of the extra power from the ritual that was done to you. He doesn’t have nearly as much influence as he initially did.”

“But he’s still there!! Why is he stuck to me!? Is this just destiny? Am I just going to become him?!”

The boy’s words weren’t without merit. The Ox king was a Demon Chief with overwhelming power but he was also once a boy of surprisingly similar origins. It was history repeating itself.

“It’s true. The Ox king is an overwhelming force even when weakened. It’s also true that the two of you are surprisingly compatible. You even have similar origins. Two boys wronged by the machinations of witches and made to do their bidding.”

“…”

“It’s as if fate itself chose you. As if you’re destined for it and yet I don’t believe that’s true.”

“It’s easy for you to say…You’re a shaman…You’re blessed with a good life.”

“Just because I was born to be a shaman doesn’t mean I’ll have a good life. Destiny isn’t so simple and it isn’t so cruel as to not give us a choice.”

“What?”

Oraki gave a gentle smile before continuing.

“There’s a certain mercy to it. I believe a person’s destiny is defined by how they live through it. How you choose to live is what matters. No matter what fate throws at you, it’s who you are and what you choose to be that defines your destiny. Nothing can truly force it on you.”

The boy hadn’t thought of it that way. It seemed so simple when he put it like that. Still, could he really change his fate just by being himself?

“In your case, especially.”

Oraki stood up and walked to the bewildered boy.

“You don’t have to fight it on your own. You can choose to have others help you with it.”

With those words, Oraki pulled out a small white stone from his pouch. It was engraved with mysterious markings that the boy had never seen.

Suddenly, a vibrant golden aura burst forth and was focused into the palm of Oraki’s hand as he closed it.

He then opened it revealing a more refined white necklace in place of the prior stone. The necklace had a white, polished stone pendant carved with mysterious glyphs. It was also a lot smaller than the previous white stone.

Oraki proceeded to gift it to the young child in front of him.

“This necklace is imbued with Lord Gesa’s divine aura. It will help protect you from any malevolent influence. Especially the demonic kind. You should be able to remain in control provided that you have it.”

The boy was already feeling the Ox king’s presence inside him weakening. Whether it was the necklace or something else, he honestly didn’t care.

He was relieved. For the first time in so long, he began to feel relief.

“Oh. Right. There was one other reason for why you’re different from those bandits.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. The source of your rage wasn’t selfish malice or fear for your own well-being. Don’t you remember?”

Before the boy could respond, a loud knock was heard on the door as it creaked open.

It revealed the figure of an even younger child with a face filled with concern that soon turned to joyous relief. They rushed towards the boy while happily calling out his name.

“Tuma!!!”

“…!!”

“Get it now? After all, you’re a big brother just like I am.”

The sight of his younger brother hurrying to him with the aid of the makeshift crutches they gave him was a sight that brought tears to his eyes.

He instantly rushed to meet his sibling halfway. Holding him in his arms, certain that he was safe, he cried.

It was then that the boy found his truth.

“Thank you…”

He gave his gratitude to Oraki

“It’s not like I did it on my own but you’re welcome…uh…Tuma, was it?”

“Tumaini. That’s my name.”

“I see. Well, isn’t that a funny name for you to have?”

The boy couldn’t help but give a small laugh.

“I guess so…”

His smile was something Oraki was extremely grateful for. A joyous occasion indeed but he could not dwell on it.

He may have saved those siblings from a tragic fate but he still had one more left to save. His own. And the one to aid him had just entered the room.

“I was wondering where the young boy had gone off to. So, this is where he is.”

A black-rimmed glasses-wearing man with a nonchalant expression walked in.

“Oh. Oraki. You’re awake. Good. We have much to discuss.”

“At least look relieved to see me. I have something to discuss with you as well.”

“Then let’s get going.”

Without further ado, Oraki followed Matuzo the all-knowing to discuss the fate of the land itself.

He bid farewell and left Tumaini (HOPE) with the source of his true strength. Safe and sound.