A History Through Blood

Kahina sat on the outskirts of the barrack courtyard, observing the noisy post-ceremony celebrations being hosted there. Her surroundings were filled with drunken revelry and over-indulgence, filling the night air with sounds of their ruckus. Many of the Duukunasi blessed by the Malaikah were testing their newfound powers, lifting large boulders and various pieces of training equipment that were previously beyond their limits. Uncharacteristically the Imams did not protest the unruly behavior in favour of admiring the divine gifts they had received, in their own more secluded area.

Kahina had been conscripted into translating elongated theocratic opinions between the two holy faiths between mouthfuls of a hearty stew. Often, she was approached by various attendees who had been treated by Victoria, all confused by her absence given her contributions. This curiosity extended to the Imams, although their main interest lay in the words privately exchanged with the Malaikah and what gift she had received for her efforts. The priests were also eager to learn about the conversation between Victoria and Maarij, but they had been forcefully guided away by Arthur and were unable to provide anything of substance.

In the end she could only answer truthfully: the entire affair had exhausted her, and she had committed herself to bed rest so as to recover. Most sent their well wishes and words of appreciation, the few insisting on a visit were promised a visit once she could move freely. In reality, Victoria's condition was not great, as she was currently lying down and non-responsive back at their lodgings. Leo stood watch outside her door, as to allow her mercenaries to join in the the festivities with their newfound prowess and not disturb her.

Both Bello and Kahina were in agreement that Victoria had been unfairly mistreated by the Malaikah. The reward bequeathed to Kahina was more so a punishment for Victoria than a fitting reward for her substantive contributions, since Kahina had already been promised freedom upon the completion of their agreement. In the event that Kahina was to abandon the foreigner's party, the arrogant priests would be likely transported to safety in a ray of golden light, while stranding the adze in a foreign country without knowledge of the language. Fortunately for Victoria, she had already decided to see their agreement to the end, without the bonds of slavery tying her to the journey.

Having left the safe confines of her port-side home, the experiences of their travels had sparked a desire for adventure. She had seen countless animals she had only heard in stories or seen in pieces for sale in the busy markets. Originally her gift of tongues was a survival tool, increasing her usefulness to avoid punishment, but now it was a shining pathway to the world. She knew of Victoria's plans to visit the Islamic holy lands north of the vast desert that separated the Songhai Empire from the glorious cities ruled over Sultans of the Ottoman empire.

The catholic priests often spoke of grandiose buildings called cathedrals, covered in breathtaking art depicting their religious stories. Perhaps she too could visit these cultural centres, not just in England but nations such as: France and Italy. It is not just the culture that inspired her interest, but the giant ships of the Portuguese dwarfed many of the small fishing vessels in the harbor. If the other nations aboard could build such things, what other things were they capable of creating?

-

Kahina spent the following day half-guiding the priests around to visit various merchants, influential figures and 'blasphemous' spiritualists. Their escorting mercenaries took turns protecting them, enjoying the relatively simple downtime, unhindered by Victoria's incapacitation. The combination of strong dark magic followed by the powerful divine aura had done more damage than expected to the young adze. Thankfully Bello volunteered, along with a number of soldiers, to donate blood during a brief visit to their lodgings. Drinking the donated blood seemed to return a little colour to her already pale complexion.

On their return to their temporary lodgings, they found Victoria now sitting in a chair, reviewing the previous notes Arthur had made regarding the dying god. While still in a weakened state, her own self-assessment evidently was sufficient to allow her to move around. Only Arthur and the guiding mercenary showed any interest in her well-being. The remaining priests only showed a little concern before returning to their own lodgings to converse.

It did not take long for the hanging question to be brought up, as many present relied on her to complete their jobs. Leo helped her up before moving to her private room, free from any curious observers. “While I was not consulted about changing our previous relationship, the angel has compensated me fairly and it has been annulled.” She began, any bitterness over the exchange seemingly forgotten. “Here is the payment I received. I have taken a portion of the gold dust given to me as reimbursement, consider the rest yours. Feel free to interpret it a delayed gift from the heavens.”

Kahina lifted the satchel, it was clearly distinct from the usual attire worn by Victoria. The soft leather was alien to her and differed greatly from the thicker goods she had seen from the northern climates. It contained a large quantity of gold dust, far more than the bag would logically be able to hold. If she had the inclination, she could purchase multiple slaves for herself and still be left with a sizeable amount to purchase property or create a business. She knew that her former masters had been overpaid in order to transfer services, but this was even in excess when compared to the initial payment.

Before she could even contemplate the amount, Victoria cut in. “There is additional context behind the large amount compensated, but not something which you need to concern yourself with. If you have any reservations about how much I have taken; it was enough to cover your initial purchase. I did take a small nuisance fee that should have minimal impact on your reward.” Kahina, now faced with both her freedom and a sizeable fortune, could only stare at the surprisingly hefty bag before her. Previous notions of continued service faltered, thoughts of avarice danced across her mind and whittled away her desires to travel in favor of a luxurious lifestyle.

Such thoughts soon dissipated. She had seen those given a sudden increase in wealth, whether via a successful harvest or generous donation, lose it as suddenly as it arrived. It wasn't that uncommon for merchants arriving at her old port-side home spending obscene amounts in celebration over a period of months, only to sheepishly ask for handouts upon realising their newfound wealth had dried up. Following the foreign merchants would likely allow her to get accustomed to her wealth and see the accomplishments of far-off nations.

“The other pressing issue is that of your continued service.” Victoria openned, subtly shifting her tone to that of neutral negotiation. “Our prior agreement was annulled by a third party, however I wish to renew our previous agreement. Are you interested in renegotiating our agreement under new terms?” The prior terms, with the exception of any regular payment, had been good to her. She had not been mistreated and her status as a slave had never been a hindrance in their relationship. Anything which she was not expected to do as part of her duties, such as providing blood, was fairly compensated for.

At first Kahina thought this kindness was a cultural practice from England but had been swiftly corrected by Arthur at the time. “The men back home are just as arrogant and exploitative as anywhere else.” It was Julianna who had provided clarity while they were preparing dinner. “Victoria treats people well, not out of any moral principle, rather to foster good relationships. That and it gives others less of a reason to expose her true identity. If you treat the average person well, they will return the favour. You just need to separate the wheat from the chaff.”

Internally Kahina prepared for negotiation, although there was enough common ground that the negotiations would barely require discussion. “I am willing to renew our agreement.” She began, trying to grasp what she wanted. “However, I want to join your group permanently as an equal partner. I have my own reasons, but that is my condition of renewal.” Victoria paused, before extending her hand. “That is acceptable. Please remember that once our business is done here; we will not be returning to England with the priests. So put aside any notions of my homeland.”

Extending her own hand, Kahina firmly grasped Victoria's cold hands. “That is fine. After hearing the stories from the Imams, I too am interested in going there.” She suspected that the adze's true motivation in venturing across the desert was to put a few years or more between herself and the church in her home country. She suspected that Victoria would be pressured into similar excursions against her will. After seeing how the Malaikah treated them, it was not surprising.

She left, bag of gold in hand, to take anyone willing to celebrate her newfound freedom to the markets. Only the three zealous priests remained behind, wanting to practice manifesting their holy aura. The others all joined her, accepting her generosity and gladly helped in spending her reward. After several drinks and drunken propositions, the allure of wealth became more apparent. Victoria acted as a sober sentry, protecting in inhibited celebrants from any ill-advised choices and keeping an eye on the ever-growing cost. The last thing Kahina could remember is drunkenly falling asleep on Julianna's back as she was carried her back to their lodgings.