Post by Canex on Aug 1, 2011 9:27:18 GMT -5
Three decades ago, the birth of twin boys resulted in the gruesome death of the ruling warlord's favoured wife, precisely as foreseen by his shaman. The warlord Cetshwayo, his home village of oNdini, and the Zenj-Mwangi people whom he ruled, and his enemies the Mauxi, would never be the same.
Named Zibebhu ("caring bear") and Amasi ("milk curd"), the uKhandempemvu twins were two halves of a whole from the very beginning. Although Zibebhu constantly embraced his smaller brother and Amasi struggled to maintain his independence, both were said to possess very old souls. In fact, their birth group gained a reputation for being wise for their age, and as they grew up many would occupy prominent roles under Cetshwayo. Some were favoured so greatly that even in their youth, they were sent north to the leopard-warriors of Dingane to learn the new methods of warfare. The twins would embrace the challenges set before them and become respected young warriors, eventually returning home to serve under Cetshwayo, forming a new unit of elite young warriors known as the umCijo ("white spears").
It was with the umCijo that Zibebhu and Amasi went to war for the first time. Sent to the northwestern corner of the Mwangi expanses in the Mahlabathi region to wage war against the Mauxi, the twins helped prosecute a successful offensive against the Mauxi ashskins. With great victories at Khambula and Gingindlovu, Cetshwayo expanded his area of control very quickly, and moved to end the war with the capture of the Mauxi capital. It was at Komkhulu that the twins offered differing advice to their warlord. Amasi recommended an immediate assault against the reeling Mauxi while Zibebhu favoured besieging the great settlement, forcing their leader kaSenzangakhona to publicly submit and declare his allegiance. This latter path of humiliation was pleasing to Cetshwayo. Therefore, Zibebhu's strategy was chosen.
The enemy warlord did not submit. Although kaSenzangakhona did not attack Cetshwayo's forces, he was well prepared for the siege and permitted attrition to slowly drain the attacking army of its strength. Eventually, the army was forced to withdraw south towards home before the monsoon season. The Mauxi pursued, not offering a great battle, but harrying the Zenj relentlessly. Cetshwayo's army disintegrated, returning home piecemeal, with many slain or captured. Both twins together were among those captured and enslaved. With hundreds of others, they were marched north to the Rahadoum coast and continued their enslavement as labourers, mining salt from its great white desert.
Still together, Amasi fully blamed the catastrophe on his brother and the two become spiteful towards each other. Both natural born leaders, they each gained a following amongst the slaves, many of which had also served in Cetshwayo's army. This was noted as a growing concern by the slavemasters and to quench any concern of revolt, the twin leaders were made to fight each other to the death. One would die and the other would be shipped north out of the mining camp. Now arrayed against one another, Zibebhu steadfastly refused to fight Amasi. Amasi, however, was not quite so hesitant. Eager to punish his twin for the failure of the campaign and all the suffering it has caused, Amasi attacked. Zibebhu immediately collapsed in the face of the violent assault. Blow after blow followed, Amasi releasing all of his rage upon his helpless brother. Motionless and near death, Amasi finally relented. The fight was over. He could not kill his brother in the state he was in. Amasi had shamed them both. As he began to rise from Zibebhu's defeated body, a sharp tug in his side drew his attention. Looking down, a slave guard's spear had punched fully into his torso. Several more followed, and Amasi's life was spent. The twins were defeated. Life returned to normal at the slave camp.
Zibebhu yet lived, however. As a valuable commodity, he was nursed back to health and soon sold to a Manaketi slaver who was planning to sail north across the Inner Sea to Cheliax with a living cargo of three hundred souls. Fate finally intervened in his favour. Halfway through the two week journey, a storm surge damaged the ship, permitting the slaves to overpower captain and crew. Unfortunately, the ship was damaged so badly that it became unsailable, drifting with wind and current for a further three weeks, long enough that disease and chaos spread uncontrollably through the ship. Those who were suspected of being sick were thrown overboard. The healthy dead were consumed once the food ran out. Men grew mad drinking seawater. Only a handful of powerful or feared individuals were spared these consequences. Zibebhu, graced by a stolen gift from the captain's cabin during that first fateful night of freedom, was one of these fortunate few.
Named Zibebhu ("caring bear") and Amasi ("milk curd"), the uKhandempemvu twins were two halves of a whole from the very beginning. Although Zibebhu constantly embraced his smaller brother and Amasi struggled to maintain his independence, both were said to possess very old souls. In fact, their birth group gained a reputation for being wise for their age, and as they grew up many would occupy prominent roles under Cetshwayo. Some were favoured so greatly that even in their youth, they were sent north to the leopard-warriors of Dingane to learn the new methods of warfare. The twins would embrace the challenges set before them and become respected young warriors, eventually returning home to serve under Cetshwayo, forming a new unit of elite young warriors known as the umCijo ("white spears").
It was with the umCijo that Zibebhu and Amasi went to war for the first time. Sent to the northwestern corner of the Mwangi expanses in the Mahlabathi region to wage war against the Mauxi, the twins helped prosecute a successful offensive against the Mauxi ashskins. With great victories at Khambula and Gingindlovu, Cetshwayo expanded his area of control very quickly, and moved to end the war with the capture of the Mauxi capital. It was at Komkhulu that the twins offered differing advice to their warlord. Amasi recommended an immediate assault against the reeling Mauxi while Zibebhu favoured besieging the great settlement, forcing their leader kaSenzangakhona to publicly submit and declare his allegiance. This latter path of humiliation was pleasing to Cetshwayo. Therefore, Zibebhu's strategy was chosen.
The enemy warlord did not submit. Although kaSenzangakhona did not attack Cetshwayo's forces, he was well prepared for the siege and permitted attrition to slowly drain the attacking army of its strength. Eventually, the army was forced to withdraw south towards home before the monsoon season. The Mauxi pursued, not offering a great battle, but harrying the Zenj relentlessly. Cetshwayo's army disintegrated, returning home piecemeal, with many slain or captured. Both twins together were among those captured and enslaved. With hundreds of others, they were marched north to the Rahadoum coast and continued their enslavement as labourers, mining salt from its great white desert.
Still together, Amasi fully blamed the catastrophe on his brother and the two become spiteful towards each other. Both natural born leaders, they each gained a following amongst the slaves, many of which had also served in Cetshwayo's army. This was noted as a growing concern by the slavemasters and to quench any concern of revolt, the twin leaders were made to fight each other to the death. One would die and the other would be shipped north out of the mining camp. Now arrayed against one another, Zibebhu steadfastly refused to fight Amasi. Amasi, however, was not quite so hesitant. Eager to punish his twin for the failure of the campaign and all the suffering it has caused, Amasi attacked. Zibebhu immediately collapsed in the face of the violent assault. Blow after blow followed, Amasi releasing all of his rage upon his helpless brother. Motionless and near death, Amasi finally relented. The fight was over. He could not kill his brother in the state he was in. Amasi had shamed them both. As he began to rise from Zibebhu's defeated body, a sharp tug in his side drew his attention. Looking down, a slave guard's spear had punched fully into his torso. Several more followed, and Amasi's life was spent. The twins were defeated. Life returned to normal at the slave camp.
Zibebhu yet lived, however. As a valuable commodity, he was nursed back to health and soon sold to a Manaketi slaver who was planning to sail north across the Inner Sea to Cheliax with a living cargo of three hundred souls. Fate finally intervened in his favour. Halfway through the two week journey, a storm surge damaged the ship, permitting the slaves to overpower captain and crew. Unfortunately, the ship was damaged so badly that it became unsailable, drifting with wind and current for a further three weeks, long enough that disease and chaos spread uncontrollably through the ship. Those who were suspected of being sick were thrown overboard. The healthy dead were consumed once the food ran out. Men grew mad drinking seawater. Only a handful of powerful or feared individuals were spared these consequences. Zibebhu, graced by a stolen gift from the captain's cabin during that first fateful night of freedom, was one of these fortunate few.