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The man called Jack Quainoo also known in his past life as Isimbwa the hunter gripped the spear in his hand. Around him, the drums were being played. For centuries he had waited to get his revenge. Each time when he was close to finding the doorway, it eluded him. Behind him, he saw the shock on Susan’s face. It was unfortunate he had to lie to her. She wouldn’t have believed him if he had told her his identity.
Jack snapped his mind to the present as the chief warrior rushed him, but he sidestepped him easily as he parried his thrust. They began a dance of death as he lunged and was blocked. A parry here, a feint and the duel had began in earnest. Their bodies were slick with sweat.
He saw the pensive look on the faces of his colleagues. He needed to end this. The chief warrior rushed at him, murder in his eyes. That was a mistake. Jack parried the blow and used the warrior’s momentum against him as he flung the warrior to the ground on his head, snapping his head. The crack reverberated across the open ground. The drums and chanting stopped, the entire area had gone silent.
Jack raised his eyes to meet the king. Their eyes met and in that instant Jack knew his old enemy still lurked in there. The king’s eyes widened as recognition flashed in his eyes. He opened his mouth to shout a command but Jack was faster as the memories of Isimbwa the hunter flashed through his mind. He shouted “Isimbwa!” and gripped the spear, hefted it even as the warriors reacted too late. He threw it with all his strength as it impaled the reincarnation of King Bukuku in his chest, blood gurgling from his mouth. There was sudden quiet as the shock of the Bacchwesi at seeing their king dead.
Jack turned to stare at Susan and the professor as he nodded at them, his face grim.
“Run!” then the wailing began as the warriors rushed at Jack.
Joseph Muku didn’t need to be told twice as she grabbed Susan and Chloe. “Let’s go,” he screamed as chaos broke out. It seemed the Bacchwesi had broken into two factions. Some chanting the name of Isimbwa the hunter and Nyinamwiru as they clashed with warriors of the dead king Bukuku. In the chaos, Professor Jones and his team slipped unnoticed as battle raged.
They went a little further and Susan turned. “We can’t leave him there.” She said, tears running down her face. Jack was standing his ground, yet she knew he was being overwhelmed. He was bleeding from several places on his body.
“There is nothing you can do,” Jones said, his face drawn tight with fear.
“I don’t want to die here,” Chloe said, sobbing as she gripped Muku’s hand. A few meters from them they could see the screams of the dying and the fighters.
Susan straightened as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mother’s dying words came back to her. “Can you speak Bantu fluently?” she said, staring hard at Muku.
He nodded his head, a scowl on his face. “This is a very bad idea.”
“Susan,” Jones admonished. “I understand how you feel.”
Susan whirled on the Professor, eyes blazing. “You don’t know how I feel,” she seethed. “You’ve no idea!”
“Muku!” Susan said as she broke away from her colleagues and sauntered towards the chaos, shoulders held high. “Translate what I say.”
“I’m Susan Nyinamwiru Ndembe Williams, descendant of Queen Nyinamwiru, daughter of King Bukuku.” She said as the fighting stopped and a heavy silence descended on them as Susan walked through them. She began to walk towards Jack who was kneeling, leaning on his spear. Her heart broke when she saw him.
Jack saw the questions in her descendant’s eyes. His breath wheezed as he stretched forth his hand and Susan grabbed it. She didn’t need to ask any questions but felt the unadulterated love from her father if she could call him that.
“Nyinamwiru, Sun of my world.” Jack said as he took his last breath as a sigh escaped him. Behind her, Susan heard Chloe sobbing uncontrollably. Susan took a deep breath. Her gaze scanned around at her people. No matter the crime committed against her ancestors, it had to end.
“There lies Isimbwa, great hunter and husband to Queen Nyinamwiru. Honour him.” Beside her Muku translated in Bantu. Jones and Chloe had crept closer. Susan walked towards the throne, and nobody dared stopped her. The king’s body lay slumped before the throne. She stood before the throne as the weight of her ancestry bore down on her. It was time for the sins of the past to be corrected once and for all. She stripped the dead king of her amulet and held it in her hands. It began to glow. At last, the heir to the Bacchwesi had come as the prophecy foretold.
Before her there was awe on the faces of the Bacchwesi. The people began to bow as they began to chant her name.
“Nyinamwiru!
“Nyinamwiru!”
“Nyinamwiru!”
Professor Jones grinned and shouted, “long live the Empire of Kitara. Long live the Bacchwesi!.”