For centuries, I have been the blade of Uzuvue empire. I have died a thousand deaths and brought back to life in a new body by the sacred tree. Each time, I was brought back to life, I lose a little more of who I used to be!
My last memory was of her. A woman whose name I have forgotten, like a distant memory wiped from my head by the sands of time, but I could still feel her touch haunting my memory, proving she was real and not some random illusion.
I could remember my promise to her, that I would live for myself and would stop being a weapon. These memories hunt my thought every night, reminding me that I was a part of something other than war.
But the gods of thunder and water are jealous masters and only saw me as a weapon and puppet. They cared only for blood sacrifices they receive from their worshippers the Uzuvue empire and were ready to do what ever it took to keep their empire standing.
From the shadows of the divine realm, I, Usamba, the most powerful demi-god watched as my entire legacy rotted into a nightmare. The empire I bled to build with the support of Shoima and Aadara had grown fat and rotten in wickedness. My descendants have turned other kingdoms to their slaves.
They ordered the daughters of Uzweta people, the neighbouring kingdoms who had fought against the Uzuvue empire to be dragged away in chains to become slaves to our people.
The Uzu people, my children of the water goddess, were now nothing but merchants of human flesh, who sold humans to be slaughtered as cows for sacrifices to enhance their powers. The Vui, the warriors of Thunder, crushed the weak just to amuse themselves, making a total mockery of my legacy.
The gods were watching and could feel my revulsion. They understood that if I returned again to the mortal realm again, I would destroy all that I have built. This would not benefit them, so they acted first.
They said nothing to me, because they did not need to!
To them, my soul was not that of a person but rather a piece of iron they had not finished hammering into shape.
While I was pondering what was to be done to savage what was remaining of my legacy. The process of reincarnation was already being conducted by Shoima and Aadara. They had placed my life tread on the pool of life and had started chanting their ancient language at the river of Ishenu. A pool of black water, serving as the boundary between the world of the living and the dead. This very river was the source of life, it flowed from the towering heart of the supreme God, Oduduwa. Even it ripples was a heart beat from the creator. To mortals, this river was a myth, but to gods like shoima and Aadara, it was their tool.
I was caught by it like a violent yank of a hook wrapped around my throat dragging me downwards. The peace of the spirit realm was being torn apart by my scream as the wind twirled around me. It felt my very existence been torn apart.
I was no longer in the spirit realm rather I was descending to mortal realm.
The view of Uzuvue empire rushed to my sight. I saw the camp fire of the slaves, chained women dancing about the fire. These were the daughters of Uzweta kingdom, while the sons were used mostly for sacrifice to enhance their powers.
The empire of Uzuvue was rotten!
The reincarnation process was brutal and painful!
One moment I was a demi-god watching the vast empires on earth as they devoured each other and the next moment, I was trapped in a space so small that I could barely stretch my soul. The vast air was gone.
Now, I could hear the rhythmic thud of a mother's heart.
Hands pulled me into this world. The air felt like needles against my little frail skin. I tried to scream but my lungs were full of fluid. I wanted to curse Shoima and Aadara for what they had done to me. In all the curse I tried to release, I could not draw enough breath to make a sound.
"He's not breathing!" a woman cried. Her hands were shaking as she held me. My mother burst into tears, as I was all she had. She carried me and placed me on the statue of Shoima, begging to spare her son's life.
I opened my eyes and I beheld firelight and shadows, animal skin and sacred carvings on the wall. This was the chamber of the third queen, Latiti. The youngest and most unloved queen, she was a princess from Uzweta brought to Uzuvue empire as a symbol of peace which only existed in words.
The gods were thorough with my fate. I was reincarnated into the body of a weak child, close enough to death that they expected me to slip back quietly.
I felt the third Queen's warm tears fall on my tiny cheek as she pressed me to her chest. She was praying to Shoima to save my life!
I snarled in my mind. 'They are the ones who threw me here.' I struggled to move my tiny fingers, as a sign of protest. But my mother only saw this as a sign that the gods had heard her prayers.