Brave Souls. (Book One.)

Johari's Attitude.

Johari Tembo took the familiar path west of the shrine's compound. As he walked on further the din of noise from the eating den eased and it was slowly replaced by the calm and quiet he had been yearning for.

A few crickets sang their evening songs in the tall grass nearby. The wing blew softly , bathing his skin in a cool essence. As he walked under the dark cloudy darkening skies he felt at peace once more.

It had been a while since he had gone for one of his solitary night walks. His new friend and head scribe Old Kostilu had also ceased coming out to accompany him but this was expected as more and more initiates found their way into his care with various injuries and ailments.

The weeks that had passed had not been easy. Johari had expected this but head scribe Kondobia's intense drills had taken a heavy toll. His whole body ached constantly but he could feel the changes in his body.

His muscles had bulged and hardened, his perseverance and endurance had increased almost five fold. He was being molded into a warrior and that thought pleased him despite it all.

Johari found his spot where he had first sat with head scribe Kostilu and sank down. Stretching across the cool grass he watched the dark cloudy sky setting his mind free. He watched as the clouds above drifted and moved slowly. They formed all kinds of shapes, merging and parting across the dark twinkling skies.

One cloud particularly filled up the sky above him. It resembled a large white puffed up peacock strutting across the vast lovely night skies, illuminated by thousands of twinkling stars. Its tail feathers were arched proudly.

Numerous smaller clouds followed its strut, slowly merging into its tall proud tail feather making it look even more puffed up and prouder. All except one solitary cloud. This solitary cloud resembled a hopping hare. Instead it floated further and further away from the proud peacock , drawing its own path across the beautiful night sky.

Watching these clouds, Johari's mind went back to the days earlier events. He remembered watching that pampered brat Kalibari's struggle against some Lekuta village brute. He had felt sorry for him as he got humiliated. It was clear there were some conflicts between the two.

But then his old hatred for the chiefs son had resurfaced as he dubiously overcame the brute in a defining moment.

The brute was either very foolish or they had staged the whole fight. Had the pampered brat promised some form of benefits to the brute prior to the fight. Johari sincerely thought that Moseti Kalibari was used to employing such dubious underhanded methods.

Now he had become more popular even amongst the Mariani initiates. His table at the eating den was full of initiates swooning for his attention. Now they all wanted to get a piece of royalty.

Johari cursed remembering that even the deputies had adopted a friendly stance towards Moseti. He had spent the rest of the day with them, his legs stretched out watching in leisure as the rest of them spurred and rolled down in the dirt.

"Everyone wants to be in his good books for when he ascends to the throne." He acknowledged bitterly.

"Well let them. Those blind sheep. But I see him for what he truly is, a pampered royal snob who thinks he is entitled to everything."

"He can't spend a single day without feeling the need to be dotted upon."

"That snobby rascal, I have a mind to really put you in your place. Your royal airs don't faze me. I am a king, born to rule this Savannah. You can lord over your small village but don't step in my way, I won't be so kind and docile like those blind sheep that worship the dust beneath your feet."

As Johari Tembo watched the fluffy hare steer clear from the proud overbearing peacock up above he wondered why every little detail about Moseti Kalibari angered him so much.

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