Devour | on hold

Chapter 35 (The traitor)

- Chapter Thirty-five -

**AKANDO'S POV**

The traitor

I don’t know how or why.

But I did it. I committed the most despicable crime a soldier can do. Not only a soldier, but a friend, and a son and a human being. I’m suddenly stripped off all those titles. I’m just the traitor.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t just watch Lenmana choosing Lenno over me every time and shut up. I couldn’t be the friend she runs to when she’s hurt ignoring the fact that I’m crazily in love with her. It’s not fair. It never was.

I want to kill myself right now and I know I deserve it. But jealousy has blinded me, and it’s too late to fix anything now.

I went to the cannibals, told them every single thing that happened on our land. I’ve told Quidel everything starting from the Leader’s death, to Lenno’s escape and finally the uprising. I wanted him to take Lenno again. Torture him to death, kill him in front of me and I wanted to enjoy that scene.

For a moment, I didn’t care about this land being occupied. I didn’t care about anything at all. All I wanted was to have Lenmana back, even if it meant living in a land ruled by the Cannibals. I know she loves me, she must do, but she won’t admit it to herself and come to me unless Lenno is no more around her. I wanted to get rid of him.

Hatred was stronger than love. It crushed it. I was an animal trying to purge his enemy from the whole world. I hate Lenno.

But now as I’m watching the Cannibals’ soldiers breaking into homes, dragging people out, bringing homes down, and finally seizing Lenmana and Lenno, my heart tightens and tightens and there’s no blood to keep me alive anymore.

I want to run and save Lenmana from their arms but Quidel who’s standing next to me holds me back, “There’s no going back now, Akando.” Lenmana looks as if her eyes were replaced by glass balls. Her stare, and the horror and disbelief in her eyes, the way she is knotting her eyebrows, they’re all killing me, I’m suffocating and I don’t know what to do with myself.

I’ve let her down.

I’ve let the whole tribe down.

I’m the traitor.

Father looks at me and I’ve never ever seen that look on his face. He’s disappointed in me; he almost hates me. I’ve driven my tribe to doom.

“From now on,” Quidel speaks when he makes sure his soldiers have seized almost everyone, “this land belongs to us, and it will be ruled by me, and secured by my soldiers. No Eyote is allowed any political work or position in the ruling team. Every citizen better stays calm and peaceful and avoid any protesting or acts of bravery.” He continues, “People I’ll call by names now are to be imprisoned in their own homes until I give another order,” he says then clears his throat and speaks louder. “Eyote’s daughter: Lenmana, Eyote’s daughter: Orenda, Igasho’s son: Lenno, Eyote’s son: Hakan, and finally my own daughter, Catori.”

“But what?!” Hakan exclaims. “Weren’t we already working for your favor? Wasn’t out leadership a good chance for you to control this tribe?”

“Now I know what you really are hakan!” Lenmana cries. “Show this whole world who you are, show then how filthy and odious you are!”

“I’m sorry for both of you, Orenda and Hakan,” says Quidel. “Your role is over, and we’ve got a better deal than yours. I couldn’t refuse such a great opportunity.” He smiles showing off his yellow teeth.

“Are you kidding me, Quidel?” Hakan barks. “This isn’t how things should’ve gone!”

Quidel glances at a soldier next to him, and in a blink of an eye, an arrow is in Hakan’s head and his body falls to the ground.

People scream and shout and cry. I’ve always hated Hakan, but I don’t think I’m any better than he is now–was. Lenmana looks at his body with horror and I just want to hug her and hide her face from everything she’s seeing now.

“Now,” Quidel shouts, “this is a lesson I hope you all learned just well.” He looks around, “Soldiers! Imprison the names I’ve called in their own homes.”

And I just have to watch her be taken away..

Some soldiers take Hakan’s body and quickly dig a pole into the ground, “It’s Celebration time,” Quidel cheers and his people roar their well-known ‘Devour! Devour!’

Why don’t I just die right now?

People other than those who’re imprisoned are forced to their knees in a circle around the body, and I can see Hakan’s father crying his heart out, screaming Hakan’s name and the soldiers are restraining him. But he doesn’t stop. “Go throw him in the river!” Quidel shouts at his soldiers, and they drag him away.

This can’t be true. This isn’t real. It’s not the same life; not the same world. This is worse than nightmares. This is terribly brutal. It’s the most hideous and horrible thing that has ever happened to us. Those Cannibals aren’t even humans. Quidel is like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’m horrendous.

I want to run to Lenmana but seems like I’m Quidel’s special guest today, with an arrow aimed to my head from a soldier behind me. Any movement would cost me my life.

They slash Hakan’s body and it’s the freshest thing they’d had in years. They’re enjoying the blood draining out of Hakan’s body, and the flesh they’re chewing.

This is not real.

This is not real.

I cry silently.