Chapter 49

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Rashid's eyes remained fixed on the parchment in front of him, his brow furrowed in concentration. He read the reports from one of his scouts, detailing the recent state of the Jarawa kingdom. He had in mind a plan for the Jarawa King himself. If they meet one-on-one.

However, as Sadi's words hung in the air, the King's gaze drift upwards, his attention drawn to the spy. His expression remained neutral, but his eyes narrowed slightly, his mind racing to comprehend the implications of Sadi's statement.

"You mean you took all of them out?" The commander of the warriors Garba, who paused his writing questioned Sadi. All eyes in the room were now on him.

Sadi sighed, shrugging, "Yes I did."

"How many?" The King asked.

"About fifteen or so. They were on the lookout for anyone. Unfortunately, one sighted me and I took the action. I couldn't risk it." Sadi explained to them.

"That should give them a warner." Sa'eed said.

"And also give them a heads-up that we're coming!" A squad leader sort of screamed.

"Isn't that the plan all along? We can't just show up unannounced. Whether there is a warner or not, this is this King's goal, to have us fight him, and we are going to do that. Sadi just sped up the process. And he has been given the order to take actions in case of emergency. Thankfully he got out alive." Haruna replied the squad leader.

"Good. Now that we are here, where do you think they are headed?" The King asked Sadi.

"I can't say for sure. For a week that I've trailed them, they had camped near their kingdom for that week before setting off. Now, I think they are headed South."

"The South? How? Does anyone live there?" Some guard asked.

"People live there. People live before the South, in the South and after the South and far beyond the vast waters." Musa clarified to him and anyone who was also confused.

In that moment, Rashid remembered his father's words 'The world is a big place, if there is the will, the whole world would be explored'.

"I heard they are totally different."

"We are all humans." Sa'eed said, resuming his work with the commander.

"Though I have been following them for a while now, I have never sighted them, I only saw evidences of they living there and sadly, corpses." Sadi sighed again, shrugging, the room went gloomy, "Our people are getting killed day by day. These people are getting crazier, there's no sympathy for even children. I think this King is working with foreigners from the South. The more we waste time, the more our people keep going."

After Sadi's info, the room continued their works quietly. They were gradually making success, though this was the first for all of them, they acted like experts. Able and agile men were selected for the operation, it has been almost three weeks after the announcement, the traitors, Jamil and Malam Hanga were taken out after informations were being drawn out of them in the harshest way there ever was.

The leaders of the ten states had each sent commanders and warriors to aid the King in everything, four of the leaders were present to aid him too, Shehi included. He kept to his words of proving himself to the King, by showing his capability to which he felt like he wasn't doing enough. They were to march out in a few days.

The Jarawa King had done another thing to purposely rile them up. As confirmed by Sadi, Musa had been right, the King wasn't in his kingdom. They began advancing South to God knows where after he sent the deformed body of a child. The disturbing image was still in their mind. Thankfully, the child was alive but will never be able to use all of his body properly.

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