MoreiraA1213

=THE BROKEN ARROW=

Akando would never forget the first day he recieved his bow and arrow. It was part of the Manhood ceremony that his tribe, the Quanah, celebrated when a boy is 16 years of age. These boys would hunt for the first time with their new weapons. This was what Akando was meant to do, but something else happened instead. The Antiman, a fierce tribe that lived close by in another territory, had invaded the lands of the Quanah, and as a result, death tainted the once independant tribe.

At this time, at the very beginning of his sorrows, Akando was hiding in a tent with his brother, Akari, who was only a year older than him. (They actually looked very alike, except Akari had eyes that were darker than the night, unlike Akando.) When the enemy tribe was destroying their village, Akari said that he could try to find their mother. Akando begged him to stay where it was safer, but Akari left without another word.

Still clutching his bow and arrow, Akando waited, tears streaming down his face. He did not have the courage to fight, for there was so many Antiman men and only one of him. When it was all over, he left his tent to find a terrible sight. Amongst the Quanah tribes people who survived the calamity was his mother, who was crying and clutching a bow and arrow as well, the ones that belonged to Akari.

And so Akando discovered that amongst the pillaging and destruction, his brother was taken from him forever. Though they did not find Akari's body, a feeling of dread in Akando's soul told him that he was dead and gone. Yet, buried deep within that soul, he also felt rage.

That is what brought him to the other side, so many years later, where no other Quanah should be.

He cleaned himself of any white tribe markings, which signified that he was in the Quanah tribe, and joined the tribe of his enemies.

Why? Because he wanted revenge. And it would be easy, just as easy as killing the chief. It was the chief who made the decisions of the tribe for where to live, what to hunt, and who to kill.

So Akando became an Antiman, just to gain trust from the people and the chief himself.

And they did trust him. When he lived amongst them, he was introduced to the work force and the hunting techniques of the Antiman. They did not suspect a thing. They even showed him where the cheif lived, telling him about how the cheif almost never left his tent. They also told him about Kuruk, a personal bodyguard of the chief.

He was a tall, heavy, giant of a man, who usually kept a blade in his belt. Despite his frightening impression, the chief had full superiority over him. The blade, also, was barely ever used, and when it was used, it was by the orders of the cheif.

Kuruk did not like anyone, it seemed, especially Akando. He would always stare at him with narrowed eyes, watching him.

Well, he couldn't watch him forever, and at night Akando found his chance to kill the chief. It had been one hundred days and nights since he first joined the Antiman, and he felt that he could wait no longer.

So he snuck out of his tent as quietly as he could, and made his way to the chief's tent.

He had his bow and arrow in hand, still clean from the lack of a proper kill.

He stopped in front of the tent, which was made of thick buffalo hide, and kneeled in front of the entrance. He heard the chief sleeping soundly inside, and he prepared his bow and arrow. The string of his bow groaned softly as he pulled the base of his arrow to his ear.

He gently aimed his weapon and inserted it through the tent, so that he could still be outside and unseen.

Akando was so close. All he had to do was let go of the arrow and run. The arrow would fly through the opening of the tent into the heart of the chief, and all would be avenged. He was about to kill his enemy and spring vengence in the name of his brother, when two big hands grabbed him from behind. One hand was big enough to cover his face. The other had enough force to snap his arrow in half as he was thrown to the dirt. Akando looked up to see who had attacked him, though he already knew who it was.

It was Kuruk, his beady eyes looking down on him with hate. The giant man held out his blade and placed it on Akando's throat. Akando expected him to shed blood then and there, but somehow, he chose to speak instead, "Why are you here?"

Akando was through playing tricks. He was so close to what he had achieved that he felt if he lost, it would be better that his enemies knew what he died for. "I am here to avenge my tribe, and to avenge my honor. I am here because your tribe stripped us of our dignity by killing our loved ones. I am here because I want to kill your chief, who is more devil than man, for taking our lives."

"So you are of the Quanah tribe then."

Akando answered, "Yes, I am of Quanah blood."

"And you are an only child?" Kuruk asked.

Akando grew angrier than before. "No, I am not an only child!" he yelled, as if he expected Kuruk to know already. "I had a brother, who was only a year older than me, and he was killed in your chief's command. Killed like many others of my tribe!"

"And what was his name?"

Akando stopped short. He stared at the big man in confusion, his anger temporarily forgotten. Why did he want to know? Why did this brute even care?

"Akari." he replied. "His name was Akari."

It was that moment where he heard footsteps behind him. Kuruk looked up, then lowered his blade from Akando's throat. He bent down on his knees and placed his head on the ground. To see such a big man lower himself in so much modesty meant only one thing. A clear voice broke the silence. "Get up from the ground."

Akando stood slowly and faced the chief of the Antiman tribe, wishing he had his bow and arrow with him.

When he saw the powerful man, something inside him ticked. The man was not a stranger to him, and he was not old. He did not look fierce, he did not look cruel.

What struck Akando was that the very chief standing before him had eyes that were darker than the night.

"Akando." The chief said. "You have found me."

"You are the chief?" Akando could not believe his eyes. This was not supposed to happen! It was not supposed to be this way!

Akari nodded. "Let me explain..."

"I came all this way for you, to avenge you, and you are a part of the Antiman Tribe?" Akando continued.

"Yes, I am a part of the tribe. Please understand, I knew about their raid. I knew they were going to attack our village. I joined this tribe because it was the most powerful, and I had to make a choice. I became the chief when the old chief passed away."

"So you chose to abandon our people, just for your own safety?"

Akari looked hurt, but he continued to speak, "I chose the stronger side. Now I am giving you the same choice."

All color drained from Akando's face.

"Brother, we can have a good life here. There is more to offer than the Quanah could ever provide for us." Akari said.

Akando felt all of his emotions rush at him at once. He was confused, angry, and hurt, yet to see his brother standing before him alive was supposed to be a miracle! Everything he had believed at this point was violently changed in the blink of an eye, and now he had no idea what to do.

Then, he looked down at the broken arrow that lay in front of his feet. It was as if that arrow, broken as it was, reminded him of his true blood and his duty to his family. In that moment, he made his choice.

He looked back at Akari. "I am not your brother. You are not my family.That ended when you betrayed us. I will not join you."

Akari's expression changed. He frowned in disappointment, and his dark eyes glistened.

"Then there's nothing I can do." He said, and he walked back to his tent.

Before Akando could find out what he'd meant, someone attacked him from behind. There was a struggle, but eventually Kuruk managed to put his blade to good use.