Anaya: A Dark Voyage [#1 LightBlood Series]

Chapter 9 -Mwanaume's Shrine

"Ndio, wewe ni kweli. Uko kwenye kaburi la Mwanaume." the old man declared as he took a seat in front of her.

"He says, "You are right. You are in Mwanaume's shrine."' the young girl explained shortly after, before she took a stand beside the old man.

"How did he..."

"You are welcome to the shrine of Mwanaume —" Anaya was interrupted by the young girl before she could ask how the old man was able to know what she was thinking.

"the true son and servant of Ilaazen, the sky god.

The all-knowing servant
who takes an active role
in the affairs of both heaven and earth...
the physical and the spiritual...
the dead and the living...
the good and the bad.
The one who dines and wines
with the ancestors of yore.
The one who has the knowledge of old
passed down to him from generations to generations.
The one who sees all but tells none.
The man who knows all but tells none."  The young girl concluded, her face devoid of any emotions.

Now, after hearing the young girl sing all those panegyrics about the Mwanaume in a sweet sing-song voice which had both authority and calmness, Anaya was sure she needn't ask her earlier question.

"Najua kwanini uko hapa, " the old man began.

"I know why you're here, " the young girl translated a second after.

Great! This was going to be a long ride of back and forths. Anaya thought.

"Nina majibu unayoyatafuta..."

"I have the answers you seek.."

"...lakini uko tayari kuwasikia?"

"...but are you ready to hear them?"

Anaya, who was now sitting up straight on the mat, woke up completely, plummeted into deep thoughts at the utterance. Was she ready?

"Yes...yes...I am." She answered but the old man said nothing. He just smiled. It was either he always saw anything she did or said amusing or he just liked smiling because Anaya had lost count of the number of times the old man had smiled after she did or said something.

"Hauko tayari. Kwa safari ya mbele, lazima uwe na jicho lako la tatu wazi..." he continued.

"He says, "You're not ready. For the journey ahead, you must have your third eye open..."'

"...Lazima ukumbatie ubinafsi wako wa kweli kuona ulimwengu unaokuzunguka."

"...You must embrace your true self to see the world around you."

"Hiyo ni hatua ya kwanza ya kujua ukweli..."

"That is the first step of knowing the truth..."

"...na hiyo itakapofanyika, zawadi zako zingine zote zitahesabiwa."

"...and when that happens, all your other gifts will be awoken."

Gifts?

Once again, Anaya had found herself lost in a lot of details that didn't make any sense to her. She was sure she came there for answers, not more puzzles to solve! Before she could open her mouth to ask any questions, the old man directed...

"Kaa raha na funga macho yako. Pumua na exhale mara nyingi kadri uwezavyo, pole pole na kwa undani. Zingatia mawazo yako juu ya sauti ya kupumua wkwako"

"He is asking you to sit comfortably and close your eyes. Inhale and exhale as many times as you can, slowly and deeply. Focus your attention on the sound of your breathing."

She did as directed and after a while, she could sense a dull feeling of strength between both eyebrows. Her head became heavy and she could hear no sound. Not even the chants that the old man had begun when she closed her eyes.

Images of past events flickered through her mind then there were voices...screams and more voices. They were a lot and not so vivid or clear to make sense of. She didn't know how she knew but she knew they were from the past.

They all came to an abrupt stop when she felt a hand touch her. She opened her eyes slowly, unsure of what had happened. There was a sudden feeling of change in her — the feeling of heightened connectivity with everything around her. Even the air felt different on her bare skin.

But nothing seemed to have changed from the outside. The old man and the girl were exactly where they were earlier except the man now had in his hand an old book with a lot of strange symbols at the back. Most of these symbols were similar to the ones carved outside the shrine and the ones in the room.

"Nina majibu lakini siwezi kuwapa kwako. Lazima uwzipate. Chukua kitabu hiki. Inapaswa kukusaidia." the old man muttered.

"He is saying that he has the answers but he cannot give them to you. You must find them. Take this book. It should help you."

"Mahali pako karibu ni Abikiali. Usifungue kitabu hiki hadi ufike hapo."

"Your next location is Abikiali. Don't open this book until you get there."

The old man handed her the book, stood up and walked away without uttering another word.

The one who sees all but tells none. The man who knows all but tells none.

Right!

The young girl beckoned to her to get up from the mat and follow her but Anaya just sat there a lot more hopeless than she came. And also, angry.

She had a lot of unanswered questions when she came. None of them had been answered and now she had to leave with more unanswered questions? Not even a single answer to all the strange happenings around her? Let's start from why she was wearing a different body or why she blacked out a while ago at the entrance of the shrine at least. Nothing?

So she came this far for what? Meditation of some sort to open her third eye and a book?

Whoever was behind whatever nonsense happening to her, must really have a sick sense of humour. She thought. 

***
Chapter edited by RubaiaMQ