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Chapter21
The young king married Laykani and forced her into bed, because of course…who could love a
monster?
Laykani produced many daughters for the king, three of them did not survive his wrath and power,
so he lay with another woman.
Halani.
The woman he was originally betrothed to.
Halani had waited for the king for seven years, knowing he would one day want her as many men
wanted her, and together they had five beautiful children, four boys and one girl.
Laykani was known for her beauty to the king when he first saw her, but as he grew older and
stronger he realized that he did not love her, that she was not his true woman.
He talked with his father, asking him for advice, when his father could not answer, his mother did.
“Kill Laykani, have one of your men do it. Meet with him in private and tell him to kill the queen,
after it is done, kill him. Bring your children and your wife into your home and you shall have your
true heir, not some bastard son.”
Marak and Nonotoka were surprised at Malachi’s answer but nevertheless, Nonotoka was King, and
so Laykani was killed.
The two daughters that had survived their father grieved for their mother as she was the only parent to show affection for them and eventually were sent to the north side of the tribe where they were cared for by a number of servants.
Malachi and Marak lived for many years ruling along side their son and watched as many of their
other children perished in the wars of the tribes, only the strong could survive the worst of times,
and Nonotoka was the strongest.
Malachi, a dream teller betrothed at the age of fifteen and Marak and tribe King married at the age of twenty five both lived for many years until Marak’s death.
When a King dies, his queen must perish with him, and although the firey queen and the icy king never showed their affections, they loved each other too much to let each other go. So Malachi
burned with her husband but their story lived forever.
“Follow me, I have much to show you.”
Chapter21
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Malachi smiled as she led me towards the brighter area of what looked to be a forest of some son
I brushed past the shrubbery and followed Malachi into a flat, open area of land
“What….where are we?”
Lasked Malachi as she led me further into the land.
“Look closely, open your eyes.
I didn’t fully understand what she meant until I closed my eyes and truly listened, it’s when I heard everything.
Things I couldn’t hear until now.
“Open your eyes.”
Malachi’s soft voice chanted until I felt my eyes flutter open and I took in my surroundings.
The tents, the children, laughing, playing, the women smiling and fixing quilts, shirts and garments as they watched their children play together.
The men fought with their sons, teaching them to fight, spear fish, and live off of the land.
Where was I?•
“This…is the Firomi tribe.”
I cocked my head to the side, the Firomi tribe?
It was a myth, a legend, even if it was true the story was over a thousand years old.
“We’ve all been cursed Rose of Ganandor, cursed with agelessness. My son, Nonotoka, his wife and sons all perished in the great winter of Ninyanak but…because of my love for my son, a curse was struck upon us forever binding our souls to roam the Earth forever.
“Your son? Nonotoka is here?”
I asked thoroughly confused.
Malachi sighed and shook her head sadly.
“My son and his family are dead, they do not have to suffer as his people do.”
I tried to wrap my head around all of this.
“But…but your husband-”
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She shook her head again.
“My husband and I tried to die, multiple times we threw ourselves into the ocean, impaled each other with knives…nothing worked.
Ninyanak grew angry with the people of Firomi and our ways of life, he did not like that we fought for our land, he thought we should share it as brothers and sisters.
He did not like that we killed each other for food when there were many resources around us.
It is a myth that the fire killed the both of us when really…we were held back in time.”
I didn’t know what to think.
“But…you said Ninyanak punished your son as well.”
“My son…my son is Michaelangelo.”
I shook my head and felt light headed.
“I’m sorry?”
I replied, it was all too much.
“Every hundred years, my son is reborn, Nonotoka and his family did not survive the wrath of Ninyanak because they were not strong enough, it was a message from the Dream Walkers, Nonotoka was my first born…but that does not mean he was the heir to the throne.”
She took a breath and continued.
“I was afraid for him. Moraoro was off at war during the great winter…and he was the only one to return alive. That was when we knew…Moraoro was the true King, yet he was the youngest. Unmarried, a soldier…my son. As punishment, Ninyanak took him away from us, cursed him with the same fate and sent him to live with peasants…he’s been reborn thousands of times and you–Rose of Ganandor–you can stop the Dream Walkers from doing this again.”
After moments of silence between the two of us had passed I finally spoke.
“How do I do it?”
Malachi nodded and took my hand in hers.
“You haye to die.”
