The Descendants

Gwanhoya has been caught after months of terrorizing the village of Domboguru. She is caught by the efforts of the village’s Chief Chikanda and two of the high-ranking villages magicians and now standing trial in front of the whole village of Domboguru.

“You have been found guilty of the charges of murder and witch craft, therefore the penance for these crimes is death by fire!” Chikanda discloses all her crimes and the penalty in front of the village.

Gwanhoya looks at them all with a devious smile and says nothing while both magicians nod in agreement. 

The crowd starts chanting words to show they are in agreement with what had just been said by the chief. Each of the saying that she should be killed for the crimes she had committed for she had killed a lot of people during her rampage.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Chief Chikanda asks but she does not answer but looks at him with cold eyes and a devious smile on her face.

“Okay then, so be it!” he raises his hand to order the soldier holding fire to burn her. 

The soldier moves to the grass that is surrounding the stake where Gwanhoya is tied up and lights the fire. Gwanhoya burns without saying anything. She only screams in responds to the agonising pain. 

No one showed a sign of sympathy, or doubt that she is the one who had done all these things because of her role as a sangoma, magician and svikiro in the village. She dies on the stake and the villagers took her body and threw it away into a cave.

Her family remains behind after witnessing one of their family members being accused of all those shameful things. But instead of dwelling on it, they swore to one another not to walk in Gwanhoya’s footsteps and never to speak on her bad deeds but pass her down as a once great sangoma she was. 

“Do you think we can trust them and believe they were not part of Gwanhoya’s schemes?” Musimbirapamwe raises his concerns. 

“They did have a hand in capturing her, so we have to give them the benefit of a doubt!” Chikanda stands firm with his decision to trust them, “But I think we need to make sure a similar thing does not affect the future generations.” He continues asserting his concerns for the future.

“I agree with you! We need to find a way to communicate with the future generations?” Musimbirapamwe asks another question. 

“There is a way to communicate with the future generation! But it will take time to finish everything.” Chikanda answers.

Chikanda sighs, “We need to summon him!” he continues, “Make preparations required to summon him, Right now he is the only one that can guide us through this. Summon the other magicians for we will everything we have to summon him.” He commands him with his hands at his back.

“Yes, Chief!” Pfumoguru the army general bows and departs.

“It has been years since the last summoning, do you think it is wise?” Zira asks holding his stuff close to his chest.

“We are going to …………”

Lightning strikes and a boy in a golden robe appears in front of them, holding a stuff shillelagh with flowers on the knob. 

“That will not be necessary!” The boy speaks and his voice does not sound much like that of a little boy, “True preparations must be made for the future for the future generations to be able to battle the darkness when it arises, that will also require that the witch’s name be passed down also for the awareness of the coming generations.”

Zira the Magician comes forward and bows first before the other’s, “My lord, the god Wezhira, one who rules over the light and wages war against all the dark forces that seek to destroy his people!” appraises the god in front of me.

“I am grateful, one of you recognises a god when they see one!” he walks towards them slowly, “As of now the darkness has been averted. But the knowledge must be passed down to prevent the next one to try this ritual to succeed!” his tone commands fear and is intimidating which cannot be said for his appearance.

“My lord, If I may ask, why was she killing all those people?” Chikanda put a question forward.

“Due to her obsession with protecting this kingdom, she sought to gain more power and if you had not stopped her she would have succeeded in getting it.” Wezhira answers, “But what she did not understand is that her ritual, although it gives her power, there was more to it than that, you have averted the worst-case scenario.” He hinted.

“What do you mean by more to it and worst-case scenario?”  Musimbirapamwe responds asking for clarification. 

“I think I have given enough information at the moment, let me get to why I am here!” Wezhira looks up in the sky, “One from the bloodline of darkness and one from the bloodline of light will avert the darkness when it rises again. On each and every generation, one that will succeed on the throne of Domboguru will be blessed with power to fight against the forces of darkness and protect the chiefdom.”

“How can that which is born from the darkness fight against its kin?” Pfumoguru Zira questions the words of Wezhira.

“Everything will be answered when the time comes!” assures them and disappears.

Leaves all of them questioning what he had said and what he meant. But reality is no one can really understand a god even when you try. All they require of us is that we are satisfied with not completely understand anything that they instil on us.

“Sire.” A young man’s voice is heard shouting.

“One of the young newly recruited soldiers calls you Chief Chikanda!” Pfumoguru points to the young man rushing to the scene.

Upon arrival he bows down his head, breathing heavily with sweat pouring off him all over.

“Speak!” 

“A stone cave appeared near your home and a lot of people have gathered around it,” he allays his message.

At once Chikanda and the others rushed over to see the cave that has miraculously appeared out of the blue near his house. 

They make their way through the crowd to take a much closer look into the cave.

“Bring me a fire so I can see!” Chikanda requested and one of his servants makes his way to get it, “Magnificent!”

The servant returns with the fire torch and the chief makes his way into the cave where he instantly lays his eyes upon riveting drawings that tell the tale of Gwanhoya and the prophecy that had been allayed by the god.