THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 298: 298. THE END OF N’GARU

”You have three minutes and twenty-two seconds,” Sagiri announced after a while. ”Then your men will start dying,” Sagiri said, and the commander’s eyes widened.

He had already heard the man ask one of his juniors behind him to run to the council and tell them the situation, but he needed to apply pressure.

”So N’varu, you said that there are six wandering members of the southern council under an elder. Prince of Tides, iron matron, veiled speaker, archivist, beast-warden, and hawkeye judge who are rarely within the walls of the capitals?”

Kiuga asked again.

”Yes. They are rarely in the city because they do business outside the city and between the two cities. There are chances they are not here, or there could be one or two.” N’varu said. ”They won’t, however, involve themselves directly in this conflict either. Not that they are selfish, but that is just how it is. They are the backbone of N’garu. It is no longer N’garu because the N’folu is the number four N’garu. No one has said the name, and for now.

”Why did the South stop being called Ngaru?” Sagiri asked

”In the old southern tongue, N’garu means the number four. The name came from the first four tribes that crossed the burning lands and settled between the western stone ranges and the eastern deserts. They were not united by blood or language but by survival. The old records say they arrived separately and fought separately until they realized none of them would survive the South alone. So the four made an oath and became N’garu. Not one person. Not one throne. Four. itself.

”For generations, they called themselves this proudly. To belong to N’garu meant something greater than tribe. It meant you stood among the Four. N’garu, the four winds of the south. Then the N’folu disappeared.... They were the fourth tribe of the south, and the one who had refused war first. They were the pride of the south, and even with their gifts, they still stayed peaceful. Even being the least warring and peaceful, they are the first of N’garu, and without them, N’garu would have died naturally.

”Even now, the three tribes are always at each other’s throats, and cold wars go on even with the facade of peace. After N’folu disappeared. Well, when the N’folu died, the South could no longer be called N’garu. Ngaru died with N’folu. So now the south is called N’Faya.”

”Wow, so now the south can go back to Ngaru. I did not know N’folu is the N’garu of the south?” Kiuga said.

”Not likely. But we will see.” Nvaru said

”So, who among the ruling council of the south do you think is here?” Sagiri asked.

”We have the Kai, the general of war of all the south, General Zafaru. He always stays within Thazir, mostly together with the city lord of Thazir, and leaves Azareen to the city lord of Azareen. The two city lords are the fourteenth and fifteenth members of the ruling council. The three both protect the capitals, only that the kai protects the whole state of the He is known for his regret for not being able to protect the N’folu. So he is the most likely person to be your ally. Well, that is if he doesn’t kill you first because he thinks you are masquerading.”

”I see. I can expect the city lord of Thazir and the kai to be here?” Sagiri asked. His luck just kept getting worse.

”Yes”

”Who else?”

”Well, the chiefs of the four tribes almost always live in the inner city of the two capitals. The Mazuku chief, who should be your worst enemy, should be here. And the Azuvai tribe chief should be here. They are masters of manipulating sound and vibrations, so be careful of those. Since you hear too much, I don’t trust them not to start anything.

”The supreme chief. The ruler of the south and the chair of the ruling council presiding over the ruling council and their councils almost always stay in Thazir and rarely go to Azareen.

”We should have started with Azareen. Why did we pick the most painful city in the neck to get into?” Zazaries sighed.

”Well, what is the best place to hide a man wanted by all councils at the moment to hold over the head of sagiri?” N’varu said.

”So what is your tribe?” Bukata asked the question they had all been wanting to ask, even though Sagiri N’varu had never told him his tribe.

”I don’t have a tribe.” He said simply.

”Ridiculous!” Sagiri said the arrows that were suspended were shaking a little, causing those they held prisoner to freeze a little.

”Well, not that I was not born into one. I am of the third tribe of the south, the Tavhiri. of the Shaa’meri clan. From our clan, the Neni family line or subclanchose was the closest to the N’folu. Well, the keepers. It is said that the head of our family centuries ago was friends with the N’folu, especially sagiri’s clan, and the keepers did not want to fight. Well, that is a story for another day. Our clan’s sole purpose is to protect the keepers and make sure they never have to fight. We therefore can’t belong to our tribe fully and be devoted to them. Even we were late when Tagayia slaughtered them. We had grown lazy over the years, and now we only have one keeper to protect and yet I haven’t...we haven’t been able...”

”It is not anyone’s fault but the united tribes of the north and the man behind them. They are the ones who will be sorry.” Sagiri said with ice in his voice.

”I wasn’t involved. You can’t punish me for the sins of my father,” Kiuga said, pouting. He still hated this talk.

”You are already punishing yourself by being a friend of the person the united tribes want to kill most, and following me to die in the south. You don’t have to worry, I will not punish the innocent. I already know my enemy.” Sagiri said, and he meant it. The north had raised him. His step-parents are northerners, and even his friends are all northerners and future generals.

”I remember his face. The man in red.” Suddenly, Lira spoke from beside Sagiri, where she had been standing all the while. ”I can show you now,” she said as if she didn’t realize they were in the middle of a battle.

”I don’t know what you are about to show him, but I have a feeling this is not the time,” Kiuga said.

The words did not leave Kiuga’s mouth when sagiri felt it. Something heavy.

Something destructive.

He did not even have a second to react before it hit.