The Legend of Azhakkstadd

CHAPTER XLVI : THE CHEIFTAIN

-Nazif-

            After our Chieftain left, together with Kurezma and Kuzma, he left his responsibilities of taking care for the whole tribe to me. Same orders he gave me when he asked me to go with him for a meeting. I don’t understand why he did that, I mean, there are many people he can assign for that work.

            He can ask the head of the Shamans to do that… or the head of the counselors since they know a lot about the chieftain’s work. Or the head of the council… they know how to lead the tribe…or his assistant he’s reliable. He also has the new ordained head of the army… but why me?

            I know nothing about leading and protecting the tribe. Wait… is he…? No… it can’t be…

            “Hey what are you thinking?” someone called my attention. I turned my head towards the person slowly approaching me. It’s Aisha

            “Hey, what’s up?” I asked greeting her arrival. The tribe has been so silent since yesterday, anyway. There hasn’t been any commotion that happened, so my time for being the acting-chieftain for a couple of days isn’t so hard at all.

            “Nothing… I just brought you a snack… you must’ve been so tired being the temporary chieftain” she said as she handed me a bag of, I think what she’s referring to as, snack

            “Yea ahahaha but I am not tired at all… nothing has happened so far, so nothing to be worried about” I said shaking my head as I reached my hand to get the bag “Anyway, thanks for this” I added

            “I thought so too… but I also thought you must be hungry sitting here all day ahahaha” she said and giggled shortly with what she mentioned… it’s true, I was just sitting here all day

            “And I don’t think I’d be temporary… I don’t think I’ll leave this chair anymore” I said and looked at her. She leaned forward while sitting on the chair in front of the chieftain’s table. I was sitting on the chieftain’s chair anyway. 

            “What do you mean?” she asked as she looked at me intently yet her eyebrows wiggled in a playful manner

            “See this tattoo?” I asked her and pulled my collar down wards and showed the tattoo I have noticed that suddenly appeared on my neck this morning

            “Yea… I told you, you had a tattoo… you didn’t believe me” she exclaimed as she pulled herself back pointing towards my neck

            “I promise, it wasn’t there when you pointed it last time… I just saw this when I was getting dressed this morning” I told her while fixing my collar

            “But I really saw it last time, and I’m not hallucinating… it’s the same thing I saw” she said as she looked towards my neck and shifted to me “Anyway, your Adam’s apple looked sexy” she added and chuckled

            “Oh ahahahaha” I didn’t know how to react ahahaha I just laughed and lightly rubbed my neck complementing with what she said “You’re not hallucinating… I believe you” I said

            “What does that mean anyway, why are you pointing it right now… are you saying that our chieftain is going to pick you as our next chieftain?” she asked continuously without stopping while her eyebrow raised and her eyes are unfathomable

            “Exactly…” I said silently and bowed down

            “That’s what I thought too… I mean, why would he bring you to things that he usually does… what does that imply? simply because he’s practicing you” she said as she stood up and sat on the table

            “Hey don’t sit on the table” I said which she immediately obeyed and smiled playfully

            “Yes chieftain, I’m sorry ahahahaha” she said mockingly and gave me a wink as if teasing me… gosh

            “As expected you’re here” someone suddenly entered that shocked he both of us. It’s our chieftain. We both stood up and bowed our head down to pay respect

            “Yes chief…” I said and stepped away from his chair. He slowly walked towards his chair and sat on it. He looked at me and signaled me to sit where Aisha is sitting too. I went there and sat next to her and faced our chieftain… he must have something to say.

            “Now, we have an important matter to discuss” he initiated as he locked his gaze at me strongly. I felt intimidated when he gave me that looked. It’s as if his gazes have something enveloped within it and he really wanted to tell me. I felt my hands shaking and sweating yet it also felt co cold

            “W-what is it, sir?” I asked slowly as I shifted glances from Aisha and back to him. I gulped when he smiled without breaking his stare at me

            “The tattoo on your neck, when did you get that?” he asked as his eyes went on my neck pertaining to the tattoo that Aisha and I have been talking about earlier

            “I don’t know sir, but I think it was the time when we were having a meditation for the technique that Ashtan was teaching us” I uttered trying to track my memory lane. But that was quite a long time now so I can’t remember it clearly anymore

            “Was that the time when you, like… took too long meditating?” Aisha interrupted as she also tried remembering that time

            “Yea, that was the time I felt something on my neck” I added silently while brushing off my neck with my fingers

            “I won’t forget that time when all of a sudden, the forces of thunder gone wild. It almost killed us but good thing it didn’t” Aisha snapped as she remembered what happened then. I suddenly remembered why we have to move to another cloud to train, that thunder almost destroyed our training area.

            “That was a bit odd, we were all panicking while you were still under your deep meditation… and that was… wait…” she continued as she somehow looked up remembering the event that time and paused

            “Did you cause that?” she asked as she turned to me locking her gaze towards mine

            “I-i don’t know…” I said shaking my head off cracking my voice

            “That was a month ago…” she said as she took back her gaze and looked down as if thinking about something

            “That’s what happened to me too when my father knew that I’m going to be the next tribe’s chieftain” our chieftain stated looking at me

            “What do you mean?” I asked out of nowhere not getting what he wanted to imply

            “Look, you must be wondering. I don’t have a son to be my successor, I only have my daughter whom is not rightful for the responsibility, maybe that’s the reason why you had that tattoo” he answered. He’s right, if the chieftain’s child is a female and he didn’t have a son, so he has to choose someone to be the chieftain after him.

The reason why a female Trueno can’t be the chieftain is that, when they reach eighteen, they will have to master their ability to talk to the celestial entities, to see the future, and see prophecies. And when they reach twenty-seven, they automatically either become the head of the Shamans, only if they are the daughter of the chieftain of course.

I don’t know why is that. But that’s our tradition. It’s what happens here in our tribe in case the chieftain didn’t have a son. Usually, the passing of the power and authority goes with the blood line, from father to his son then to his son, and so forth. In our case, they have to choose someone outside from the family.

The saddest part is that shamans and counselors cannot have their own family. I think being a daughter of a chieftain sucks. But ever since they are born, they already possess much power likely to a shaman. Maybe they already accepted their fate just as I did a while ago.

            “So you mean… I’m going to be the chieftain?” I suddenly voiced out my thoughts as I got shocked by what he is telling me now

            “Exactly… that is it” he smiled nodding his head as if I pinned his point

            “Oh…” the only thing that came out from my mouth when he confirmed it. My face is burning red, I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. I never expected for this to happen… what about Ashtan? Why does the Trueno God and the Trueno Guardian chose me?

            “That’s why I brought you last time in our meeting, and left you the responsibility when I left” he continued without moving and just stared at me intently “That was for you” he added

            “O-ok, but I don’t know i-if I can do it. I d-don’t know h-how to” I responded to him stuttering as I struggled looking for the exact words and exact tone to say

            “i***t…” I heard Aisha sighed as she reached her palm towards her forehead “That’s why you are practicing… and it’s not that he’ll give you the responsibility right now” she continued with a snappy tone while crossing her arms

            “Yes Nazif. If you’re ready, that’s the time you’ll receive the power and authority to be the Tribe’s chieftain” he agreed with Aisha “But for now, I’ll make sure that you will know everything you have to know”

            “See?” Aisha blurted out as she bumped her elbow across my arm lightly emphasizing her point

            “Ok… ok… thank you sir for telling me about this… are you really sure that this sign tells it?” I said accepting my fate and asked him again one more time

            “Affirmative young man… look” he said firmly and paused for a while as he reached towards his shoulder and pulled down the cloth covering it “Look” he repeated showing me the exact sign that I have on my neck. So being the chieftain is what this symbol implying.

            “Can we go now?” I asked him as I gathered the bag that I was holding a while ago. The one that Aisha brought.

            “Yes, go and rest for now. Expect that by tomorrow, I will be calling you for your first day as my apprentice. Tomorrow, I will start teaching you everything you need to learn” he said reminding me

            “Ok, sir” I said and I stood up as well as Aisha and walked towards the door. I can’t believe that it really is happening. I’m really going to be the next chieftain of our tribe. I wonder why the Gods didn’t give him a son… maybe this is my fate… so this is what the Gods are telling Kurezma about my role in the future, huh?