The Conqueror Series

The Conqueror Rebirth 6

Itoho palace maids, priestesses, priests and people were stripped, bound and forced down to Icho to serve their new King, Dike.

Back to Icho, Dike sat on his throne and commanded the General to prepare the battalion to match. With over five thousand foot soldiers and one thousand riders Dike was prepared to advance towards the battle field but something seemed to be wrong somewhere. Onwem was not back yet.

Dike commanded that the priestesses they brought from Itoho kingdom be brought before him at once.

The General obeyed and brought two elderly priestesses whom were brought as slaves from Itoho before Dike.

"Tell me, Dike began" what do you see? Am I going to win this war? Is Onwem in trouble? Why is she not yet back with the Sacred Tiger?

The first priestess chuckled weakly and said "The Tiger is no longer her own to control. I foresaw it long ago. I warned the late king of Itoho whom you beheaded that the Tiger will bring calamity to those who dare to use it to wage war. Although your destiny is different but what about her own destiny? Are you sure your destiny lies with Onwem's destiny? Can't you see now that the more brutal you become the more uncontrollable the Sacred Tiger becomes? Were you not told that you have a fate to share with The Sacred Tiger? You don't have to fight Abiam. Because the real war has already started"

Dike was dumbfounded. He rose from his seat and paced worriedly. He stopped before the priestess that spoke and asked " Are you saying that Onwem is in danger? "

"She is not just in danger but she will put you in danger. The prophecy can't be averted. You must kill her now or suffer what she will become later. Even your mother warned you that Onwem will be your weakness or did she not?" The priestess asked Dike.

Dike became even more worried. He ordered four soldiers to go in search of Onwem.

After a long search in the forest. the four soldiers found Onwem lying on the dirt, covered with her own blood. They saw the Tiger's claws all over her body. They revived her and one of them asked her what happened.

Onwem cried instead.

They helped her back to the palace of Icho Kingdom. Dike was anxious to know what happened. Onwem managed to tell him how the Sacred Tiger suddenly stopped pursuing The Princess of Abiam and the King of Icho even while it was almost descending on them and how the Tiger threw her off her back and tried to devour her. She managed to escape with the strength Dike's mother bestowed on her. She cried the more and told Dike that the real enemy was no longer Abiam but The Sacred Tiger which have become an enemy to the humans.

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The King of Icho and the Princess of Abiam and the King of Abiam were seated in the tent of the King's camp. They explained everything to the King of Abiam and finally told him how the Tiger threw down Onwem and tried to kill her in their very presence.

"Why would the Sacred Tiger suddenly turn against Onwem?".

The High priest of Abiam came inside the tent and bowed before the King.

"Your Highness, you asked for my presence"

"Yes High Priest. Tell me. What have you seen so far?

" I must confess your Highness, all I see when I close my eyes is the Sacred Tiger. Something is wrong somewhere" the High Priest sounded.

"Yes High Priest. Something is wrong somewhere" the King agreed.

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Back to Abiam, in the deepest cave of Abiam Sacred Shrine where the Sacred Tiger first appeared and where Dike's mother gave birth to Dike, the Sacred Tiger was seen entering inside it.

While inside the Cave the Tiger roared and that was the sacrifice required to give her many bodies in one body and that was an invitation also to Onwem who has received the Tiger's mark on her body to come down to the cave and serve as the Tiger's worshiper.

At Icho, Onwem was resting alone inside the palace hut when she started hearing the roaring of the Tiger in her head. She looked at her skin and watched in awe as the scars the Tiger gave her healed completely.

She rose from the bamboo bed and left the room like a ghost.

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There was chaos in the Palace of Icho as Dike was worriedly searching for Onwem.

It was already dark when Onwem entered Abiam, and went straight to the Cave of the Sacred Shrine. There she came face to face with the Sacred Tiger. She smiled and like someone being controlled, she started worshiping the Tiger and performing rituals.

Before dawn the Sacred Tiger had multiplied into Thousands of angry Tigers. The Tigers made their way out of the cave and like an army of savages advanced towards Icho.