Introductions (Prequel)

3D

Atsila

I told Amayi that I wanted to sleep in the wilderness tonight. She thought it was odd, but she wasn't opposed when I told her that I was going to use the time to strengthen my relationship with the Spirits.

That may not be my main reason, but I can do that while I'm out there, too.

As I gather my things, my older brother, Joda, takes notice as he is coming home. He's been working on building his own home to live in, instead of living with all of us. He officially wants his own place to settle, and his Amayi's house is not the place.

"Mukuchita chiyani m'bale?"

"Ine ndikugona panja, mu chipululu, usikuuno. Mkazi wanu ali bwanji?"

"She is fine. The wilderness, m'bale? Why is it you want to be outside?"

"I like the outside. Will you be joining me?"

"No, m'bale, I must be here. But, I hope you enjoy your night."

Saying the night is silent would be an insult, a slight. There are sounds everywhere. Nocturnal birds chirping every few minutes, the wind rustling through the leaves and ferns every so often, the grass and briars brush against my ankles, and the moon light gently kisses my cheeks. I can feel everything around me.

Immediately, I start preparing to stay somewhere overnight. I lay down the blanket and go to find some small rocks to keep it in place. Once placed, I start clearing a space close to the blanket. Using small sparks of Fire, I see where there are the least briars, and start moving leaves and twigs and undergrowth. After reaching bare earth, I gather some dry wood and twigs, placing them in a small pillar, teepee-like. I stuff leaves underneath and in between the wood, and light one. The leaf itself burns quickly, but it's a few minutes before the wood starts smoking.

I'm not very hungry, so I take the satchels off and set them aside, hiding the knife underneath the edge of the blanket. I lie on my back, looking through the treetops at the stars. I feel my eyelids droop, and before long I am drifting off.

The crickets stop.

The birds stop.

I can feel my muscles tense up, but keep my eyes closed. Slowly, I raise my hand, as inconspicuously as possible, towards where the knife lay under the blanket, lay my arm down as if I'm asleep. I hear a rustle in the brush to my right, behind the fire.

My eyelids flutter as if I had been asleep, then squeeze them shut from the brightness of the fire. I open them again and take a quick scout of my surroundings. Nothing is out of place, but the night is still eerily quiet. I close my eyes and wait for any sound.

I can barely remember everything that happened next.

Suddenly, the sound of hundreds of feathers sound out, bird calls too close and sharp and precise. My eyes fly open and I spring up, only to be knocked back into the ground, my head pounding.

I groan. "Vuto ndi chiyani ndi inu?!"

"Shut up, percikan muda. What are you doing in our territory?"

The man speaking holds my head down, another holding my wrists to the earth. My legs are locked down by two others, and there are still more around us.

"You're mistaken. I was careful about where the marks are, I am no where near your mountains. So, really, I should be asking you; what are you - all of you - doing in our territory?"

There's a chitter of noises and soft calls, and many of them straighten.

"Incorrect, percikan muda. You're in our territory, and we'll be taking you to the Councils. Pindah."

Suddenly everyone moves. My wrists and ankles are being pinned and tied, and then I'm being lifted into the air. I gasp, my body feeling weightless and awkward in the air.

I refuse to go quietly.

As quickly as I can, I burn the ropes trapping my wrists, scaring many of my captors. A few let go, and it quickly dawns on me that we are above the tree tops. Not a very soft landing.

"Let me down! Let me down! This is surely against many laws! Muyenera kundigwetsa pansi!"

"What are you all doing?! Grab him, kamu yang bodoh!"

Many of them start to make their way towards me again, but I fling out a hand, throwing Sparks. I keep my hand lit, to ward most of them off, but I grip onto one of them so I don't fall through the canopy.

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

Everything goes black, and my weight flops.