The Legend of Hombarume (Legends Series, #1)

2.

Hombarume had never missed a target in his entire hunting life. He had always been one with his bow and arrow; always sure of his aim and also not quick to react. What had just taken place in front of him had been of great influence on the move he took. As soon as the morphing creature that stood before him took the face of Pomerai, Chief Banga's son, he was shocked out of his wits. He did not know what to think of this and he certainly did not know what the best action to take in this situation would be.

The elders had always spoken of varoyi and zvikwambo but never this. This was an abomination that he had never witnessed before. Whatever it was, the teeth it was baring at him in that very moment told him that it had no desire to engage in any conversation or negotiation at all. The birds that had flocked just near the river fled as if sensing the sudden change in the atmosphere. The anger simmering inside of Hombarume, the sudden hunger to kill eventually made a decision for him and he pulled at his bow with an unearthly force. The arrow pierced Pomerai in the chest but significant harm was not certain.

Before the hunter could reach for another arrow and finish what he had started, the mysterious shifty creature had disappeared into the unknown, leaving behind only but a million questions in Hombarume's head.

***

Nakai had already filled her pot and had been waiting for her friends while singing by the bank of the stream and staring into the semi-clear water. Nakai's father had vazukuru who would come and fetch water and other farm workers who would make sure the household had enough for the day to day activities. She only came to the stream to waste the day with Cheneso and Sekai who would tell her about all that was taking place within the village, the parts of it that people of her calibre would not be seen in. Her father would throw a fit if he even caught wind of her loitering in such compounds.

'The gods have been faithful to you, Nakai. A prince is seeking your hand in marriage, what more can a young maiden desire.'

Sekai let her pot spill a little when she realized she had overfilled it. Her fascination with Nakai's situation had gotten her out of the water early, she rarely left the cool water this quick in the summer. The soothing water always relaxed her.

'The gods already gave me my handsome hunter, Sekai.'

Sekai frowned at her and placed her pot at her feet before she got down beside her.

'You will be the envy of the village and beyond. Surely you can't miss out on such an opportunity.'

'I do not have any desire for such. My heart already belongs to another, the gods know it.'

Cheneso had wandered off to somewhere only the gods knew and her friends had not noticed her vanishing as they were absorbed in the chatter about the prince and the hunter. She had not gone far anyway. The road to the stream was merely a footpath that had formed over time from all the women moving to and fro. It did not lead anywhere beyond that, it just abruptly came to a dead end as it met the stream.

The women would fetch water on the left side of the path where the bushes had been cleared and less reeds grew. On the right side of the path; just beyond the bush, there was a pool that not many knew about. The source of the pool had remained an enigma for many generations with only a few of the few that knew about it believing that it was somehow connected to the stream beneath the ground.

The water in the pool was clear as if from a pure source, it was also perfectly still and it didn't seem like any fish swam in it. Cheneso sat by the edge, enjoying the quietness and tranquillity of the secret environment. Her mind often drifted to distant places and almost always ended up on the day her betrothed went missing. Many moons had passed since then but she had not known of the existence of this very pool before that. The day he had mysterious disappeared, she had dreamt of a celebration of gods and strange creatures occurring at this pool, a place that was unknown to her.