Page 28 of Wrath of the Oracle

“She wants to help you before you cough up more blood,” Mueni defended her and stood between Sholei and the soldier.

“How can I trust her?” the soldier asked with raised eyebrows. “We are at war with her people. She might endup killing everyone here.” The injured man waved his hand. Several people turned in Sholei’s direction.

“If I don’t stop you from bleeding, then you will surely die.” Sholei stepped in front and pulled Mueni behind her. He wasn’t strong enough to hurt her.

“My Lady,” Mueni protested as she gripped Sholei’s arm.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with a stubborn soldier. Get me clean water,” she assured her maidservant.

“The general may put his trust in you, but you will remain the enemy.” The man glared at her.

“Save your energy and focus on healing, or else how will you survive in battle?” Litonde came and forced the man to lie down. “All of you, get back to your duties.” He dispersed the small crowd that had formed around.

“You have internal wounds. Were you hit anywhere?” Sholei ignored the looks she received and tried to assess his injuries.

Litonde was wrong. She didn’t have a future here.

To them, she was the enemy.

Ojore stabbedthe alliance soldier who charged at him. His sword sliced into the man’s stomach as the soldier waved his sword at him. Ojore pushed his sword deeper into the man, twisted it, and tore through his flesh before he pulled back. The man fell, dead, with part of his intestines out.

With a grimace, Ojore gazed up as another alliance soldier ran to him. He sliced his sword at the man’s neck. Blood gushed from the wound and sprayed down Ojore’sface. As the man fell, Ojore wiped his hand across his face. Blood, grime, and sweat painted his face black and crimson. Part of his armor was torn, and his hair came loose from his head and fanned across his face.

“Round them up!” he shouted and turned to Akima, who kicked down an alliance soldier. They had managed to fight the alliance soldiers outside the Keseve Market for several days and won. Ojore’s target was Prince Gane, but the man hid behind the fortress of the market. They had to find a way to force him to open the great iron gate.

After the fight, they spared the lives of some alliance soldiers. Smoke from fires filled the air with black billows. Even the sun chose to seek refuge from it behind the clouds. The air was filled with groans of men in pain and the smell of blood and despair. Ojore closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wished to be somewhere else, away from all the bloodshed. He opened his eyes to see the ever-present eagle circle above him. Its eyes flashed at him.

“We are ready, general.” Akima’s voice dragged him back. His second in command ran up to him. Akima didn’t look any better. He sported a black eye and bled between his eyes with a cut on his right cheek. The single cowrie shell on his forehead sprayed with blood.

“Let’s do this.” They bumped forearms, and Ojore swiped his sword in the air, getting rid of the dripping blood. He walked to the alliance soldiers who knelt before Keseve gate. The Dembe soldiers bound the alliance soldiers’ hands behind their backs. Ojore tore a piece of his inner robe and wrapped the black material on his head, keeping his errant locks away from his face.

“Tell me.” He grabbed the neck of one of the alliance soldiers. The man’s eyes were filled with feigned bravery. “Between me, who wants to take your life, and him,” he pulled the man’s head back until his gaze landed on Prince Gane on top of the northern gate of Keseve Market, “who has a chance to save you but won’t, who is the greater sinner?”

“We shall never…” the man shouted, but Ojore never gave him a chance to finish the sentence. He took his life with a deep stab in his neck. Ojore didn’t wipe the blood splatter away, but allowed the warm, sticky liquid to drip down his face. The man fell on the dusty ground and the captives around him stiffened.

Ojore walked to the next man. “Gane, if you don’t open the gates, your men will lose their lives one after another for each minute you waste.” Ojore pointed his blood-stained blade at the gate.

In the end, Gane didn’t open the gate, and all the alliance soldiers outside the gates were slaughtered.

As he returned to his makeshift quarters outside the Keseve Market, Ojore wrapped a bandage around his left bicep and grimaced. The slash on his arm hurt. He frowned at the angry red gash and tightened the white bandage.

“Maybe you should get someone to look at that.” Akima handed him a flask full of water, and Ojore splashed the water on his face, wiping off the blood, sweat, and grime.

The Dembe Southern managed to annihilate the soldiers outside the Keseve Market but had yet to gain entry.The alliance proved challenging to break, and they held their ground in the preliminary fights.

“How many causalities do we have?” Ojore asked. Every day after a battle, he would take inventory and check on his men. It helped Ojore as he planned his attacks. They fought against a big army, and he needed his men in shape.

“Minor injuries are being treated here. We sent the ones with serious wounds back to the camp,” Akima reported.

“Our supplies and weaponry?” Ojore asked and circled the table where the map of the Keseve Market lay. “I have a feeling they will target our supplies next. We need to reinforce the security around the camp.”

“Well-guarded; the alliance won’t be able to reach them.” Akima stood by his side and pored over the map.

“Judging by their fighting, we will be able to crash through their defense very soon. After taking over the market, we must plan how to break their alliance or sow discord among them.” Ojore crossed his arms and tapped his bicep. “The alliance doesn’t have a strong defense, partly because of quick allying. They didn’t have time to plan for much.”

“After we take over Keseve, they will return to protect their cities. We use that time to hit the final blow. I don’t want this war to be long.” A drawn-out war didn’t benefit anyone. Ojore preferred to hit fast to save resources and his men’s lives.

“I received a message from the camp earlier.” Akima stood back.

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