At the Edge of the Sky Kingdom
At the edge of the Sky Kingdom, just beyond its towering gates, a crowd had gathered. Murmurs filled the air like smoke curling through the wind. If you looked down, you'd see it — a thousand-mile drop into the Lower Lands below. Mounted on the jagged cliffs were massive cages meant to contain the wilder, more grotesque birds — creatures with twisted beaks and blood-hungry eyes.
Sitting not too far away, just close enough to observe, was the king, seated with pride on his portable throne. Nobles flanked him, and beside him sat Mmbeke — silent, watchful.
At the very edge, a man was bound with thick ropes, suspended by a wooden mechanism that dangled him above the abyss. His eyes widened in horror as he stared down at the drop. He thrashed and begged, pleading with the guards who held him in place.
A soldier standing beside the king unfurled a scroll made from cowskin and began to read aloud:
"As is your right, Offender, I will now read the law of the Sky Kingdom:
One — All are beneath the gods and below the strong. Only by choice can one rise above or fall below the naive.
Two — All beings not of human flesh are impure, and thus beneath the gods and the strong.
Three — He who sits on the Sky Kingdom's throne holds the highest authority and surpasses all law, including the first and second.
Four — The Sky Kingdom is a land of freedom and reward.
Five — Illegal trespassing into the Sky Kingdom is prohibited and punishable.
Six — Anyone who disobeys these laws or commits treason, whether before or after being exiled to Ajofia, shall be cast into the Lower Lands.
Seven — All crimes may be pardoned and rewarded if the offender offers a gift that pleases the king.
Eight — Posing as a noble is punishable by immediate execution."
The king let out a bored sigh as the scene played out.
"But tell me, brother," the king said as the view panned outward, "what did you even say to make the fool follow you?"
"Nothing," Mmbeke replied flatly. "He was just another vulnerable soul, blind to what was in front of him. Like someone else I know." He cast a knowing glance at the king. "I only told him that you were Eze bi n'igwe — the king who lives in the sky — and that you could free him."
With a mocking laugh, the king said, "Me? Eze bi n'igwe? The fool thought he was meeting god himself? You can't leave this realm — only spirits can. And I'm no god… not even close." He chuckled darkly.
"Are we executing him or not?" the king barked. "You said this would be fun, yet here I sit, bored beside this rat — oh, pardon me, turtle!" he sneered, throwing a grin at Mmbeke.
"We will now commence the execution," the soldier declared.
The rope was cut.
The man plummeted.
"He's just falling? Still boring!" the king shouted. "Release them!"
Two monstrous birds were loosed from their cages on the cliffside.
"That's more like it!" the king laughed.
The creatures dove with feral rage, claws extended, beaks tearing. They ripped into the falling man mid-air. His screams echoed through the gorge as his face was shredded — and from the mess of blood and feathers, his mask slipped away to reveal not a man... but a monkey.
"I knew it'd be a stinking monkey," the king snarled. "You two," he snapped at nearby guards, "arrange my ride. Take me home. I'm bored of this already."
He glanced over at Mmbeke.
"Make sure you're there. We have important matters to discuss," he said, waddling away, robes trailing behind him.
Somewhere Much Darker
"I don't even know where I am… or how long I've been here."
No moon above to mark the night. No sun to declare the day. Just endless dark — sealed tight. No light dared enter this prison. Hunger wouldn't kill Chibuzor… it would torture him slowly. But it wasn't starvation he feared most.
It was his mind — decaying, unraveling. That was the true danger here.
Chibuzor crawled on his hands and knees, pacing, desperate. He heard the drip of water from above. He smelled the sweet, mouthwatering aroma of cooked food — familiar dishes, like the royal meals of home. Driven by instinct, he clawed at the ground, chasing the scent, reaching—
"Don't even bother, young one," said a deep, raspy voice. "That… is just one of the many illusions that haunt this place."
There it was again. That voice.
It had been there since he arrived — grumbling, snoring, sighing in misery. At first, Chibuzor had tried to block it out. But this time… he couldn't.
The voice felt heavier, more real. It wasn't just a sound anymore — it belonged to something. Something beastly.
"And how am I supposed to know you're not another illusion?" Chibuzor asked, breathless. "Trying to lead me away from the water?"
No reply.
"I don't even know anymore," he muttered, curling into the corner and weeping softly.
Silence.
"You've been here eleven days," the voice said calmly.
Chibuzor lifted his head. "And how could you possibly know that?"
"You smell the food, yes? Hear the trickling water? That happens once a day. It is part of the torture this place employs. That's how you count."
Chibuzor's voice cracked. "How long have you been here to know that?"
"Around a century."
"A… a century?" Chibuzor gasped. "Then how are you not dead? How do you even have the strength to speak?"
"Trust me, young one. You'll adapt. And when you do, the prison will simply find new ways to break you. Taunting you with food is just the beginning."
Chibuzor swallowed hard. "Then… what do you hear?"
"The call of battle," the beast said with pride. Then, more solemnly: "It used to be food. Then memories… of being betrayed by my son. Beaten by my wife's lovers. Now? I die in battle. Again and again. Only to wake… and begin the torture anew."
"Then how are you talking to me right now?" Chibuzor asked. "Why me?"
"The torture," the beast replied, "it's all in the mind. To you, I may seem trapped in one spot… but in my mind—" he paused. "And you… you're the only one here. Besides me."
Suddenly, a blinding shaft of light slashed through the dark. A giant door creaked open.
"Take the smallest human," a voice commanded.
Two bird-headed guards entered. They seized Chibuzor and dragged him away. As the light spilled across the cell, he finally saw it — the beast he had been speaking with.
Not a monster at all.
A man.
A human man, covered in years of filth and beard. Dreadlocks matted like roots. A body built like stone. A chiseled jaw and white, blind eyes fixed upward — lost in the trance of his eternal punishment.
As Chibuzor was pulled through the doorway, the man — the one he had called a beast — turned his gaze and smiled.
In the grand hall a table is set a small neat table with red table cloth, on the table, colanuts were placed and beside the colanuts were palm whine. Sat around the table were noble me including Mmbeke who as usual were disguised humans, except the king who kept his own face. About half a dozen of them sat
As you all know, we now have an extra human in our grasps so we have to start exploring new business prospects to explore the king said,
We can use him to create more masks, with his blood we can create dozens a noble man said
But the people in this kingdom exceeds a dozen, what will we do when we run out again? The king questioned
Another noble man added then we increase the price,
Learn to think, the king snarled, we all know the amount of humans getting banished to this realm are reducing in number, with the current rate we will run out of masks in 8 years, and all the existing ones will have expired, you know what will happen when that's the case. A civil war is the one thing I don't need
There is one thing my king, Kene says , a noble man bearing a human face of an old man with white hair and dark skin but this skin he bore was decaying. Me and my company have been working on a spell
We all know you and your madness never prevails a noble man snapped
Your masks has decayed three moons ago why do you still put it on, it smells, kene retorts
Look who's talking, the noble man responded
The king eyed them both cutting silence into the room
Then more solemnly kene says, my king, what I'm trying to say is all our masks are expiring both here and in the kingdom, within time we will run out, waiting on unknowing humans to be banished won't do us any good and if we drain our prisoners blood it will not go round and even that too will expire. With this new spell I discovered we can make more blood and durable masks
Hmmm the king sighs how are we sure this will work
Kene signal guards as he rolls in a barrel which he rolls in front of the king then he opens them. A dozen masks fresh and radiant with life . This puts an intrigued look on the kings.
Me and my company plotted an expedition in the lower lands there we saw dead bodies, people banished to the wrong places of ajofia, they were already eaten and torn beyond recognition but there were still flesh on their bones and blood on those flesh. With the little amount of magic I had I was able to create these masks.
The king raised a curious glare at chibuzor, so with a full human you can create hundreds ?
Yes my king kene says but I'll need grander magic to perform this
"We then you can have all the priests you want the king says meeting closed I need to sleep" the king said rising from his seat
"It's not that easy my king" kene says, I'll need more than that we already have a human we can drain blood from
So we're do you expect to get the magic for that? The king says
We already have that too kene responds casting a knowing look on the king
No!! We cannot release him! The king thundered I forbid it
If that's the only way then the city shall be doomed that will be all meeting dismissed.
Two guards walk in holding chibuzor who's mouth was bonded sir we've brought him
Chibuzor exchanges glasses with Mmbeke
You can keep him back I don't have need for him anymore, I thought they were going to bring up a smarter plan than geniuses the king says
Immediately they return him to his cell
The noblemen gathered also dismiss themselves everyone except Mmbeke
The king, with his hand behind his back rises from his seat the looks to Mmbeke
You've been quite through out the meeting, unlike your usual talkative self, why? The king asks
I have nothing to contribute I've already won what I wanted adding more will be a sign of greed, then sarcastically he says am not a greedy person l, I know my limits
With a serious tone the king says if not for the binding laws of the sky kingdom, we both know you would rot in the lower lands brother
I know more than anyone Mmbeke says as the scene pans out
In the golden hallways that led to the cell, a guard, one of them holding Chibuzor suddenly hits the other guard kicks him to the ground and stomps him on his head knocking him out. Chibuzor is confused, but weak to protest, what could be the meaning of this , he knew it couldn't have been his savior, for all he knew he could have now been in more danger than before
The guard drags chibuzor to a nearby chamber dropping him on the floor as keneChukwu walks in
You've done well kene says dropping two sacks of cowries on his hand, but we are not done, bring the second one and meet me on the smallest mountain in the lower lands
Chibuzor's head is backed and his senses, once again are blocked but the harsh sting in his throat and thick air that blocked his nose confirms where he is, he knew he was back in the lower lands
They place chibuzors is forced to kneel, his hands are binded onto a wooden structure on an arch surrounded by purple flames that drew intricate symbols around him. As he's unbagged he realizes he's in the middle of a sacrifice, but beside him a familiar face, the beast who he shared a prison with kneels beside him, he still gazes up in a trance, his eyes white, blind and years that fell from his eyes
The king doesn't approve of this little experiment kene says but when he sees it he'll understand together we'll make him understand, he announces to chibuzor and the beast, start the ritual, he commands one of the priest as they start to enchant their voice humming and chanting in rhythm as heavenly voice follows and the fire rises
do you want your freedom? the deep raspy voice belonging to the man asked, in shock chibuzor looks to his direction but the man still assumes his position
I heard his voice, am sure of it, was he not the one who spoke? Chibuzor questioned in thought
like I said young one, it is all in the mind the voice said, he looked but still no sign of movement from his mouth. The body you gaze at does not speak to you, it is the mind of the body that thunders strongly, the voice announced to reveal that he's talking to him telepathically
Chibuzor, do you want your freedom? The voice questioned
Yes chibuzor responded
There will be sacrifices, for me to set us free I have to abandon my real body for it is too weak, I will in turn have to inhabit yours. Your body will become my body and my mind your mind. Do you agree to these terms? The voice said
Chibuzor remained silent still then he whispers yes
With fire engulfing the man's eyes and with his last strength he announces loudly
Hahahaha, he laughs maniacally, Behold the power of the one above the gods and the strong, behold the power of anikuli the conqueror