The Halo Breed…

AARON ANSAH-AGYEMAN

THE HALO BREED

SEASON 4

RAGE

A WEEKEND STORY

EPISODE 9

The next day Gus Kukah took his son around Halo, showing him some of the most interesting places. To Gus, it was an exhilarating time because he found great pride in seeing how handsome and great his son had turned out to be.

He had almost given up hope of ever seeing him again, and here he was, the grandest young man Gus had ever seen, a man befitting to be a prince. Sena asked sensible questions, and smiled briefly with his father, even laughing on one occasion, but there was always a caginess around him, a restless spirit that took nothing for granted.

Gus did not fail to notice that Sena never turned his back to anybody, and that he always took a posture that made him survey his surroundings with the greatest scope possible.

He also noticed the way Sena sat and moved, always seemingly relaxed but with stealth, and he noticed how fluid the boy was on his feet, and how incredibly fast his reflexes were.

Gus had been a warrior all his life, and he was used to judging the character of people, especially men, with an army commander’s eye, and it took him just some minutes to realize that he was walking with a very refined weapon!

He knew his son was a warrior, with skills honed by immortal hands.

In one way it exhilarated him, and he felt proud as a father, but in another way it saddened him to know that this fine young man had not known much of a childhood, and yet was set to leave very soon on a mission he might not survive, a destiny he might not return from.

Eventually, they ended up at the barracks where selected warriors were training for the impending HaloGames less than five days away. Gus watched Sena carefully, and saw how he stood near the fences and observed the soldiers training, and how he silently moved his eyes, storing layout and positions calmly.

His son was a warrior.

The warriors invited Sena over to join them, but he shook his head and looked at them.

And that was when Sap Palo appeared, saw Sena leaning against the fence, then he strode over with a wicked, furious look in his eyes as his friends walked behind him.

The truth was, at that very moment, Sap Palo’s hatred, bitterness, jealousy and pain were at a peak. His young heart was breaking from an earlier rejection from Princess Aya.

Sap had had a very bad night, sleepless and fretting as he wondered what might be going on at the palace, and whether Aya had found a way to be with the prince.

Early at dawn he had woken up and ridden to the palace, wandering around until Owura Boateng and his wife came down for breakfast. Sap enquired gently if Princess Aya was not coming down too, and was informed that she had separate quarters.

Sap Palo’s heart skipped a painful beat, and as he loitered outside, he saw the king and his son riding off in a golden chariot. Later, Princess Aya had come down to have breakfast, and Sap had seen the lights of happiness on her face, and she had crept close to Queen Derbie and whispered something to her.

Sap had noticed how the queen reacted, both shocked and then later amused. Sap put two and two together, and he had to rush outside to prevent himself from tearing the princess into two.

After breakfast, whilst the others engaged in a deep conversation, Sap Palo sauntered over to stand beside Princess Aya.

“Would you please step into the garden with me?” he asked grimly.

She looked at him with a disdainful expression and pursed her lips, waited a minute, and then spoke coldly.

“Know your place, warrior. You don’t order a princess around!”

“You’re no bloody princess!” Sap Palo growled. “You may be princess at Halo-Quilo, Aya, but you’re definitely not a princess here! Come out with me, right now!”

She faced him with the coldest stare that made his heart pound with pain.

“Watch your mouth, warrior, or I’ll have you flogged!” she said in a disrespectful tone. “Whatever existed between us is over. You’re looking at the future queen of Halo, warrior. Accord me that respect!”

Sap Palo’s pain was swift and bitter. Before he could stop himself his hand flew back with the intention of smacking her across the face.

“Sap!” the sub-chief screamed across the huge hall. “Do not dare! What has gotten into you?”

Princess Aya turned with a cry of feigned fear and raced towards her concerned mother who was approaching rapidly.

“He wants to marry me, and I said no, and he wants to beat me!” Aya cried as her mother held her tightly.

“Oh, it’s alright, it’s alright, my princess!” Queenminor Laza Boateng said tenderly, and her eyes blazed at Sap Palo. “You dare raise your hand to my daughter?”

Sap Palo was fighting for control as his anguished face tore up.

“My queen…”

“Get out!” cried Owura Boateng when he reached them. “You will be punished for this, Sap Palo! Do not come near my daughter again! You’re no longer her bodyguard!”

“My Lord!” Sap cried as he got down on one knee immediately. “Forgive me, my Lord! I do love your daughter! I’ve been waiting to tell you! We’re lovers, have been lovers –”

Two things happened then at the same time:

“Liar!” Princess Aya screamed. “You filthy liar!”

And the sub-chief’s hand descended in a vicious slap across Sap Palo’s face.

“I reject you and rebuke you and strip you of your position!” Owura Boateng cried savagely. “If you impugn my daughter again I’ll have you beheaded! Now get out of my sight!”

Sap Palo was dying with pain, and he could barely take it.

With a great grunt he got to his feet and swiftly fled the palace. He went straight to his three best friends who had been given a place outside the palace.

So, by the time Sap Palo walked into the clearing about two hours after the incident, and saw Sena leaning against the fence, there was only one thing in his mind: kill Sena!

Sap did not mind if he was killed for murdering the prince of the land. All he cared for was that this boy would die, and would not have Aya.

Ironically, Sap Palo did not know that Sena did not have an iota of permanent feeling for the delusional Princess Aya.

Sap Palo crossed the huge field towards Prince Sena with murder in his heart.

***

King Gus Kukah was about fifty metres from his son, enjoying the practice fights of the warriors, when he sighted George Simpson at the other end of the field moving rapidly and in an agitated way towards him.

Gus noticed the tense strutting of the Spiritual Sage of Halo, and felt a sudden blast of fear in his heart. He noticed that Sap Palo had also appeared at the main entrance with his cronies, and that the young warior was walking towards Sena in a belligerent manner. For a moment, Gus Kukah was torn between confronting the warrior and meeting George Simpson, but it dawned on him that whatever Sap might be feeling would be jealous jitters, and that it would be far more important to listen to what George has to say.

Moreover, he knew without any doubt that Sena would be able to handle any trouble the young man might give him, if he was not caught by surprise.

“Son!” the king called, and Sena turned his head to look at his father calmly.

“Father,” he answered.

The king pointed at Sap Palo.

Sena turned his head calmly, noticed Sap Palo’s furious face and dangerous slits of his eyes, and then he nodded at his father and resumed looking at the practising warriors with his back still turned towards Sap Palo.

Gus Kukah was stunned!

From where he was standing, he could see that Sap Palo’s steps were not those of a friend, but that of an enemy intent on harming. Sena might have seen it, but he still turned his back to Sap Palo, disregarding the danger flippantly!

For a moment, Gus Kukah was confused, wondering if he had been wrong about his son all along, and wondering if the boy was not what he thought him to be! What if Sena was not really a warrior? No warrior in his sensible mind would toss caution to the wind that recklessly, especially after his own father had drawn his attention to the looming danger!

However, Gus saw George Simpson standing at one spot and speaking, gesturing with his hand and his long staff, his face agitated. Gus scowled because he saw Simpson standing alone with no one beside him.

He walked rapidly towards George Simpson, but he could not stop glancing behind to see what was happening.

And when he was ten steps from the Sage, he heard the man’s plaintive voice clearly.

“Today? But he just came!” Simpson cried. “You are not being fair! His family has missed him! You cannot take him away this early.”

“Divine Sage, whom are you speaking to, if I may ask?” Gus asked carefully.

Sage Simpson pointed at the Sage of the Spirits, Prosper Freeman, who was hovering about six feet above him.

“To this damn Sage, my Lord!” Simpson cried. “I had a vexation of the spirit, and came to warn Sena that evil was afoot, but then this accursed Sage just appeared and told me Sena leaves us today!”

Gus Kukah scowled, confused, because the space George Simpson was pointing at was empty.

“Are you alright, Divine Sage?” Gus asked softly.

Prosper Freeman shook his head, amused.

“He cannot see me, my dear Simpson!”

“Oh, sorry, my Lord,” Simpson said in a rush. “Appears he is invisible to you!”

Gus Kukah was about to respond when he saw that Sap Palo had drawn two short swords, his favourite attacking weapons, and he was walking menacingly towards Sena whose back was still turned!

‘The Halo Breed, Rage, ‘The Halo Breed, Rage, ‘The Halo Breed, Rage, ‘The Halo Breed, Rage, ‘The Halo Breed, Rage, ‘The Halo Breed, Rage, ‘The Halo Breed, Rage.

THE HALO BREED :: RAGE :: EPISODE 8

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