THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 313. THE CHOPPING BLOCK

The evening of the third day came rather more slowly than Sagiri had expected. The second day had come to an end quickly. Perhaps because Azir saw it well to give him and his squad a tour of the outer city. They got to eat at every stop because they were in the company of the city lord. The feeling that had been pressing on sagiri’s gut somehow had gone away on their journey to the outer city.

The city lord was pretty popular too, and he was beloved. Well, it was hard not to love the child. His innocence alone made people get drawn to him. They had not toured the whole of the capital, not even a quarter of it. Thazir is a whole country by itself, and they kept to the parts near the inner city.

"City Lord, when are you going to show us the chief of N’folu?" He got that question asked a lot. Sagiri had asked him not to tell them he was walking with him, as it could bring too much attention and stop the squad from having fun and eating snacks.

"I will bring him out once he rests well. I will officially throw a celebration to welcome him soon." Azir said with pride. Sagiri just shook his head. The boy was indeed reckless. He did not know yet that his words held so much weight.

Sagiri let it slide; it was not like anyone could stop Azir from running his mouth. It was a good outing to also help Kiuga see the city well, even if it meant just a little of it.

He was smart enough to come up with a plan if it came to it. It was also good to help everyone relax. Lira especially looked like she was seeing snacks and many things for the first time, and she sure dented the city lord’s pockets. She was testing everything and anything. Kaka was with her in that regard. He had the appetite of a snake, and he was swallowing whole meals in seconds.

Azir was a ray of sunshine, and soon they hit it off even with Banga. He spent most of his time in Kiuga’s armpit. It is as if Kiuga can’t resist roughing up anyone shorter than him, and especially anyone as adorable as Azir.

Did he not recognize that that was the city lord?

Sagiri walked at the far back, just taking in the city he should have perhaps grown up in. It made him feel some type of way. There was a sadness he had not been able to get rid of since he came south. Even more so since he walked into Thazir. Seeing all the people wearing the tribe tattoos from the three tribes made him feel empty. He somehow wished he could see someone with the N’folu clan. The walk was making him sad in some way.

Azir made sure to pass him snacks now and pull him together with the squad. The day quickly came to an end.

The moment they headed into the inner city, the weird feeling crept back to him again. It made the hairs at the back of his neck stand. It wasn’t fear. Even the archive was restless, and Nokai stirred. Something in the inner city had caught the archive’s attention, and he did not know whether it was good or bad.

Could it be another beast like Myama? Yet somehow sagiri knew it was different. The moment they got to the inner city, the Kai was waiting for him, and he scooped him into his lair. Sagiri walked ahead with the Kai while the rest of the squad followed with Azir, who was busy telling them about the many places he was going to take them in the coming days and all the delicacies they would enjoy.

"It seems not even you can resist Azir’s madness," Zifara said as they walked deeper into the fifth pentagon. This time, the whole squad and even Azir joined.

"He is something. I wonder how you have been able to keep him alive for this long." Sagiri said, and Zifara sighed.

"I have been a prisoner in this city for a few years. A city lord should not leave his city easily, so I can’t bring him along. I have aged a few decades in the last decade." Zifara said, and sagiri could see how. Raising a person so oblivious and innocent is hard. Especially when he was a city lord of the two greatest cities of the south. The boy was one of the most powerful figures of the South, yet he had managed to keep his innocence. Sagiri did not even want to imagine how much Zifara had had to work.

There was silence until they finally reached the meeting room.

"So what is it?" Sagiri asked as soon as he was seated.

"There has been movement. Many of the council members are on the move." Zifara said, sinking into his seat. His right-hand man sat beside him. Azir sat too, and Wibo stood behind him. N’varu stood behind sagiri with Kiuga, and the rest just stood around the table.

"We are having more visitors in the city!" Azir exclaimed with happiness.

"Already two council members are in the city. The beast master and the Archivist. The archivist is to be expected. He records all history and loves to watch it unfold." The general said. "There has been movement from many others, too, according to my eyes all over the south. They should be here before the week’s end."

"I see. So I should minimize my presence outside the fortress."

"Indeed. Things always spill over when too many powers are gathered in one city." Zifara said.

"And some could use this time to further their means," Kiuga said.

"Your man is right. So, better not give them a chance to have something to hold against your head. Your position is still fragile." Zifara said.

"Who would dare cause trouble for big brother in my city?" Azir seethed. It was almost adorable to see him wear a serious face. "I will execute them for treason." He added pouting.

"Azir, you need to be careful, too. Many still think you don’t deserve to be the city lord. If they fault him, they will fault me and you. There are still a few months until you take the seat officially. A lot can happen in between." Zifara warned.

"I would love to see them try. I will be disappointed if they don’t put on a good show for me." Sagiri said.

"Don’t underestimate how far people are willing to go to further their means." Zifara said.

"They should not underestimate how far I am willing to go either," Sagiri said in a cold tone.

"Big brother is so cool," Azir said, hearts flying from his eyes.

"What about the supreme chief?" Sagiri asked.

"She has no say in whether the council can meet or not. Her vote, however, matters. Her side, however, can’t win if she is far too outnumbered." Zifara said. "She has to listen to the voice of her people."

"Her?" N’varu asked.

"Yes. Our previous chief died seven years ago, and her Kun took over. It was agreed by the council, too. A supreme chief is a symbol of unity, but she doesn’t hold infinite power. Her taking the seat was the safe option then. A war was brewing back then." Zifara said.

"Sounds too convenient for me," Kiuga said.

"I might need you to give me that man of yours." The General said.

"He is my strategist. I dare not." Sagiri refuted immediately.

"It did seem convenient indeed. But she has not been a bad supreme chief, and so the criticism has faded over the years."

"Her decision this time is of importance, isn’t it?" Kiuga said, and Zifara nodded.

"Interesting. So it is not only my head on a chopping block." Sagiri said

"That is why I ask you not to leave the fortress. My head would be next on the chopping block." Zifara said. He had welcomed Sagiri, and if things went wrong, then it would cause a domino effect.

"Don’t worry. I will not bring trouble on you." Sagiri said. This is why he hated inner cities. Too many plots and schemes.