Finding Contentus

Chapter 129: Chained

Despite being so armoured, there were many ways to hurt the Chief still. If any of his living children died for good, if his living wife died for good...

Renero sighed, agonized. Mpho was right. There was only so much he could handle, only so much he could bear, only so much a Racaan could forgive, for his sake, and the sake of others. An outcome like that was something he could never return back from. In that regard, he felt for Ramsis, truly. No wonder why he was so desperate to end it all, to return to his mother, wife and children.

Not yet. Not with the information Mpho had provided him. Not with the information Ramsis had given him from all their shared conversations. Your family is larger than you think, and they all need you in equal measure.

"Can you say the same when you listen to the Mambo bloodline you eliminated?" Renero rounded on him. "Around Musa, how did it feel?"

Ramsis didn't say anything for a moment. "Cutting." Until he eventually replied with a sharp croak. He rubbed his slashed neck. Hazel eyes popped up on every decomposed leaf he saw. "Like knives tearing off the jugular. The only solace I have is the shelter of ignorance I established for him before that withered away by the rolling sands of destiny."

Renero observed him astutely. This was the same man who had been fascinated by Racaan culture, the same man who wanted to release their trapped spirits so that they could be linked back to their incomplete souls. That was it, wasn't it? The sentiment. The steady abolishment of the Optimer system. It meant so much to Renero. A human did that before he did. The first son of his decrepit enemy no less.

There was something else though, next to Ramsis. A wooden strongbox.

"From Mettro?" Renero walked towards him and opened up the strongbox.

"Specifically from Genesia and Ramela, Neosa and Ramoth. They've requested our presence. As a token of their anticipation, they also provided you with presents to your liking," Ramsis said, staring absently at the sickly leaves.

Renero dug in, removing a box of steaming booze. He sniffed the sizzling beer. It was hot. Very hot, like a deadly chilli. He grinned. A challenge for his taste buds!

Renero poured the devilish substance into a glass jar and downed it all in one go. His throat was set on fire. It was like drinking hot sauce brewed from a volcano. His eyes were burning. It was pure pain, but a pleasant pain for the hottest sun. He placed the jar down after his consumption, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead and spewing smoke from his nostrils.

"Shreee!" He exclaimed, slapping his chest for relief. "Your brother is a worthy rival to the concoctions Rasie conjured up for us! And that's saying something!"

"I honestly have no idea where he got such tolerance from for his infamous sirocco shots," Ramsis commented. Baffled nostalgia rounded his tone.

Renero paused momentarily, concerned for his girl. Is Neosa getting drunk on this? Goodness gracious. Ah, well, she doesn't have to worry about Leesey scolding her. Hayi, that woman. He remembered her hysterical fit on Genesia and Neosa's thirteenth day of birth when they traditionally had to drink.

Moving on, he retrieved several leather books, covered by Adinkra symbols. Renero picked one up. It was titled "Growth." His finger traced over the spine before he delved into the pages. He skimmed over them with intrigued eyes.

This is Genesia's voice, translated for the commoners. The book had detailed accounts of Racaan culture, including their lore, their beliefs, their planetary marks, their deities, their languages, their education system and codes of Racaanity alongside their divinity. His rocky artwork was also added as illustrations for wordless concepts that dealt with spiritual animals.