The Black Stars of Melanin

Abrafo Jabari

'Tup, tup, tup' Abrafo Jabari slowly staggered through the ever growing bush lands that seemed to expand with every step, until he found himself inside the forest, veiled by the mouth of darkness. His trail of dripping blood told a tumultuous tale of miserable violence, his every step a defiance in the face of defeat, his every breath a declaration that Abrafo Jabari lives on! The king of Gokong's will burned brighter than Jinto's fire, his pride inspired awe into all just like Jaleel's lightning and his thirst for revenge would bend even Frederick, the steely stallion's steel...

Although he was great in the eyes of men, the scent and trial of his blood would lead him to be seen as mere food in the eyes of the beast that was stalking him. 'Snarl, growl!' "Come out, creature of de night!" demanded Abrafo, the man of iron will. Immediately, a colossal tiger pounced from behind, but the king ducked just in the nick of time. The striped beast circled him slowly, snarling, glaring with it's piercing eyes that shone in the night, following its prey's every move like a laser light.

"I, AM ABRAFO JABARI! DE ASCENDER OF DE THRONE, DE COMMANDA AND CHIEF, DE ONE AND ONLY, MIGHTY KING OF GOKONG!" he bellowed, stamping his right foot down and spreading out his arms in a predatory manner. Immediately, the tiger fled, not wanting to become this man's new fur coat. For indeed the tiger is an apex predator of his forest, but man.... mankind is the world's predator. Alone, does man stand at the apex, along with his hubris. Although, mankind has forgotten the One who made them vicegerent over the Earth...

As the brave king journeyed on through the thick of the night, he felt eyes on him once more. "Well well, looky here!" a bandit said with malevolence, as he rustled through the shrubbery.

"Did we just bag the king of Gokong?" the second of them spoke.

"Damn straight, we did! I'm sure his people would pay a pretty penny if we took him hostage..." uttered the last of them.

Abrafo stopped, completely motionless, in a darkness that seemed to only be lit by his will to live. His aggressors slowly etched closer, their swords at the ready, while forming a triangular formation.

"You want to challenge me...? You want to challenge ME!? ABRAFO JABARI!? DE COMMANDA AND CHIEF OF GOKONG!?" he boomed, pounding his chest in a display of dominance.

"NOW!" the bandit yelled and at once all three of them rushed down their target, slashing in unison. 'CLANG, SHATTER!' All three of them stared in disbelief. The fragmented shards of their broken swords turned about in the air, sparkling in the scare rations of moonlight that snuck into the forest.

"He- our... swords!?" the second bandit stammered.

"Our swords broke on him!? But how!?" exclaimed the third.

Abrafo stood tall and poised, with his head cocked backwards and the purple feathers of his helmet/ crown swaying majestically in the light breeze. "We-we need to get out of here! Boys let's book it, it's time to go!!!" the bandit leader wailed.

'Tup, tup, tup, tup!' Like startled rats, they scurried and scampered. "You have made two mistakes... de first was for all of you to run away in the same direction..." the Gokong king uttered, before he grasped three sharp shards from the ground. "And de second..." 'WOOSH!' Instantly, three razor sharp shards of steel whipped through the air, hitting each bandit at the base of their skulls like a bullseye! They fell motionless....

"De second mistake was to challenge me..." Abrafo declared in a deep authoritative tone. However, his legs began to shake and his vision started to wane. "I will not die.... I will not eh, I will not." the weary warrior whispered to himself over and over, compelling himself to forcefully forge ahead. The man who sought freedom through blood, travelled by foot for several days and nights. Only stopping to drink and hunt, even sleep could not seize him. He was truly the personification of resilience.