"War… it's an ugly thing, isn't it?
We tell ourselves it's unavoidable.
Always inevitable.
But deep down, we know the truth.
It's not a necessity.
It's a choice.
We choose to follow our baser instincts instead of our humanity.
We choose to fight. To kill. To commit atrocities…
All just to prove we're right.
I cry for you.
How I wish you'd seen the truth, my truth.
How did it come to this.
Brother?"
______________________________________________________________________________________________
The sun stood at attention basking the sand and grass in its golden glow. People roamed the markets all dressed in their linen attires. A guard in a shiny leather armor, sandals and a lion head emblem on his right chest, ran around in pursuit of a street kid clutching a piece of jewelry in his left hand. The child laughed as the old man tried to pursue him. He skid at his turn, continued to sprint through the crowd. He turned his head back and looked past the scowling masses behind him to see if he had created enough distance from his pursuer.
Thump
He fell crashing to the ground on his behind and groaned,
"Umpf."
The other child on the ground winced in pain. He lifted his hand to rub the edge of his forehead, bouncing his short brown-tipped dreadlocks.
"Heyyy! Watch it."
The street rat's eyes bulged, his breath got sharper as he quickly got back on his feet and continued running. Shortly after the guard came in pursuit. He paused when he reached the child fallen on the ground and his companion trying to hold in his laughter.
"My lords," the guard did a quick bow.
The one trying to hold his laughter waved in return. "Oh, hey Jikari."
"Excuse me, but I really need to be going"
"Sure"
After another standard bow, Jikari took off as quickly as he arrived.
"I wonder what that was about"
"Kesi, who cares," he said as he extended his arm up to Kesi, "Just help me out will you"
Kesi's curious face faded. His brown thin lips curved into a slight smile and he shook his head, taking his little brother's hand to lift him up.
"You know being the last born in our family does not mean you have to be so whiny, Tanaka"
"Oh bite me," he sprung up from the brick pathway.
Tanaka patted his royal silver gown embroidered with the Yera Shumba emblem. He tried to get the dust off himself. Kesi helped out a bit though his pats were more like slaps to Tanaka's back.
"You good?"
Tanaka continued to dust himself up before looking back at him,
"I publicly fell on my butt and now my attire is ruined. What do you think"
"Oh I'm sorry princess. We'll get you a new dress when we get home"
"Oh ha-ha"
Kesi chuckled.
"Lets go before your dreadlocks get dust in them. Wouldn't want you having a bad hair day too"
"You suck. You know that?"
Kesi bent a bit to reach Tanaka's eye level. He rubbed Tanaka's short bushy brown tipped dreadlocks
"Oh you know you love me"
"Whats this thing about anyway?"
"Apparently one of the commoner tribes under us challenged a noble tribe for its position and title."
"Seriously? Is that why father is making us go in these things." Tanaka lifted the sides of his royal gown.
The two boys neared a colossal arena, cylindrical in shape with flags bearing the Yera Shumba emblem hanging from its multitudes of windows.
"Damn, it's about to start, let's hurry before father gets angry," Kesi sprinted past the crowd trying to get inside the brick and silver spectacle. Tanaka quickly followed after him.
"Come on!"
"Gimme a break, my feet are half as tall as yours!"
Kesi laughed as he jumped into the less populated back entrance of the arena.
"You're whining again!"
Tanaka finally caught on to Kesi standing at the bottom of high flight of stairs, he placed his hands on his knees and breathed heavily.
"Wooo! Ha. You ready?"
Tanaka steeled his face and gave Kesi a nod.
"Lets go"
They could barely see through the dim lit staircase. Tanaka panted at every step. Tanaka lifted his hand up to cover his face from the light now emanating from an entrance at the top of the stairs. Kesi released a soft sigh.
"Compose yourself brother, we are one of the three kings tribes. We should look the part," he pat down his royal attire one more time and turned to smile at Tanaka before going through the door.
Of all days, this had to be the one where I'd appear scruffy, Tanaka thought .At least I finally get to see some actual combat.
Tanaka smiled at the thought, his dark brown eyes glinting in the staircases shadow. He took three more steps to reach the door as well. Tanaka squinted his eyes slightly keeping his hand up to shield himself from the sunlight. Sounds of cheer and hollering got louder and louder. When he moved past the door, the hairs on his skin stood at attention, his eyes widened and moved in an arc around the arena.
"Woooooah"
He saw the loud crowd on its feet, the painted flags of the two fighters. One built like a tree trunk with a face just as grim, the other one had toned muscle mass and a smug look on his face. He must be the one from the noble tribes.
"Tanaka what happened to your attire"
Kesi hid from the scene as he took his seat on the podium throne lineup. Tanaka turned his head to the source of the voice, though he already knew who it was.
Tanaka smiled nervously, "Hwasabi"
The huge buff bull of a man sighed.
"This isn't the day for your antics," he placed his hand on Tanaka's shoulder, "I try to set an example for you all. Just don't make father look bad ok"
His voice dropped to a whisper "Okay?"
He turned his back to Tanaka and walked back over to his seat next to father's makeshift throne. Tanaka tried to look for anything wrong with Hwasabi's attire. Anything to use to bring him down a peg. But instead he only saw Hwasabi's cleanly braided cornrow hair, sharp jaw and god-like physique. He was dressed in his golden royal gown but its baser design similar to Tanaka's and his brothers.
Is it possible to hate someone for being too perfect? Tanaka thought.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WELCOME TO THIS PRESTIGIOUS EVENT."
"It's starting," Tanaka smiled and ran over to his own throne-like seat.
"Hey Harun."
His silver-haired brother smiled back and nodded.
"THIS BATTLE WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THE YERA MBADA REMAIN A NOBLE TRIBE OR WILL THEY HAVE TO GIVE UP THEIR RANK TO THE YERA NUNZI."
"They don't stand a chance." Harun commented.
"FIRST LET'S TAKE THIS TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE POWER THAT WILL BE PRESIDING OVER THIS BOUT, ONE OF THE THREE KINGS. KING OF THE YERA SHUMBA TRIBE. KING GRIS TABHANI!!"
The crowd erupted into cheers. The grey-bearded King simply nodded his head in acknowledgement, keeping his calm, indifferent face.
"NEXT. THE PRIDE OF THE YERA SHUMBA, THE FIVE SONS, FIRST HEIR... HWASABI TABHANI."
Hwasabi smiled as he waved his hand to the crowd. The people's chants reached a fever pitch as people practically screamed, though there were more feminine voices heard than male with some swooning at the mere sight of his smile.
"THE SECOND HEIR... KESI TABHANI."
Kesi smiled and waved as his adoring fans screamed his name.
"THE THIRD HEIR... DAGAN TABHANI."
Kesi's bald-headed twin stood up to the same reaction.
"THE FOURTH HEIR... HARUN TABHANI."
"AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE FIFTH HEIR...
TANAKA TABHANI."