And so he lives

[thesaintjaleel 791]

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

On the 14th of Amber’s Cold, 1692 on Atlas – it had been announced that Valgarai Kenyatta, previously known as Kalfu, the Leader of Ghanyah’s official successor state, Melle, and the Regent of the aforementioned state – had died. The details of his death were covered, there were no eyewitnesses who came forward to explain just how he died, nor did anyone find his body – however, the people of Melle believed the trustworthy words of Melesse Alem Zewedu, Valgarai’s right-hand man; and so, in their minds he was gone. Many things have happened since then, and his name had been forgotten completely. For the first time on this new land, he began to venture – making a pilgrimage to what he had considered his place of ‘rebirth’ – to Krugmar. He discovered the many ruins and beautified cities of the Korvassa – cursing many of them as an insult Aztran himself. He had the vows he promised to his people after the fall of Ghanyah etched into his skull, repeating them several times over again until he convinced himself that it was still necessary to follow these vows. 

 

‘You shall uptake the mantle of Champion, you will be the shield, the spear, and the armor for us - if we are disgraced, you shall be the first to respond, if we are attacked, you shall be the first to defend, if we are to die, you shall revive and revitalize us.’

 

This is the reason he kept himself in isolation for so long – the ways in which he led broke these vows, he had become an authoritarian and abusive leader, the literal opposite of what he wished for his own people. He had lived in the Korvassa, surviving on the meat of scorpions, birds, and other animals – whilst cursing himself several times over and allowing his thoughts to dictate what he saw; his dreams were plagued by his failures and he would see the ghosts of the people whom he failed spiting him. Midway through his voyage, he only made a single pitstop to a newborn place named Ruswick. After days of communion with the people of Ruswick, he continued his voyage. It came as a surprise to him that to his own people he had been forgotten, but to the descendants of Krug it was almost as if he took a short holiday – and he was welcomed as he had been before. On the 1st of Grand Harvest, 1736, Valgarai had, after several years of isolation in the scorching desert of the Korvassa, announced his return. His people had forgotten him, so he had hoped his enemies would as well. After his pilgrimage had finished, and he was caught up on the current affairs of the world – he returned to the Korvassa, finding refuge in Thyra – whose people did not know, or care whom he was.

[Appie 221]

 

[ibraheemc2000 2574]

“And so it begins again. Inshallah this time, they will not fight us again.” Zubayr ibn Zayaad smiled to see the Ghanyans return, hopefully not as enemies once more