The last song of the ancestors

Akachi slept restlessly. He thought it was the food, but that wasn't the case. The taste of that porridge-like food stimulated his memories. His memories fought with the tiredness of the journey, the latter winning out during the night. Waking up early in the morning, before the others, Akachi went to the riverbank.

He squatted down and, with his shell-shaped hands, took some water and washed his face. He closed his eyes. The early morning chill made his skin crawl. She closed her eyes and let the water run down her face. He put his arms on his knees and stared at the river. He expelled the air from his lungs and touched the surface of the water with his fingertips.

He saw his image reflected in the water. He was lying on a tubular bed, wearing hospital clothes. He was thin and sickly-looking, although he was younger. His hair was disheveled. He seemed immobile. Two other people were in the room. He couldn't make out their faces. They seemed to be arguing.

The Akachi on the bed was following the conversation. He was pretending to sleep. In that situation, he didn't seem to have any autonomy.

"Adisa, my son, Ojwang is not what you think. One of the wise men is missing. Some members of the Circle of Sages have accused him of being responsible. I don't think this man is as benevolent as you make him out to be. I think he's using you. The sages didn't agree to this experiment… there could be unexpected consequences."

"Dad, when Furaha died, I felt guilty about his death. I feel guilty for seeing my son crippled on a bed, condemned to the rest of his life without being able to run and play like other children. I'm a renowned scientist, I've tried all kinds of treatments, and none have worked so far."

Adisa turned to the opposite wall and punched it lightly. She didn't want to wake her son. He had undergone a battery of tests the night before and had become very tired. That was all his routine amounted to, experimental treatments and periodic check-ups.

"What's the point of having mastery of Axé and not being able to cure just one person? It's your grandson, Father. The Circle of Sages can't rule over you."

The scientist crossed his arms in defiance and stared at his father. His interlocutor smoothed his face with both hands and retorted:

"You're being cruel to me, Adisa. True, they threatened to remove me from office. However, the Spiritual Key of Faith, like the other six spiritual keys, does not belong to the group. It is a legacy from our ancestors that has been given to us."

The old man took out the Spiritual Key of Faith and offered it to his son. He had no talent for mediumship, but that didn't stop him from feeling its power. A current of Axé ran through his fingers and down his whole body; there was compatibility between the scientist and the tool.

"It's appropriate for a power like that to be at the service of its community. I would sacrifice myself so that my grandson could have a normal life. Adisa, listen to me. If you believe in Ojwang's words, and if this treatment can make my grandson live a normal life, do what you have to do. She is your legacy from now on."

"I will, my father. I thank you. Today you open a door to science, one in which Axé will go hand in hand with the scientific method."

"I have wished since your birth that you would become a member of the Circle of Sages. A medium who would continue our work, preserve the cult of ancestry. You preferred to follow the path of science, logic and reason. You turned away from the faith that our clan is so devoted to."

Adisa felt that for the first time his father was being frank with him. Since the death of his wife Furaha, he had only argued with Azekel. This time, he wasn't prevaricating.

"I never told you that, my son. I was sad when you told me you would deny your legacy to be a scientist. Unlike me, you don't believe in fate or anything like that. I still believe in all that. There must be a reason for the events that have happened. I just hope the consequences are good. I'll keep my faith in you."

He went over to Adisa and, after a long time, gave her a hug. Adisa clasped the old man's body to hers and rested her head on her father's shoulder. She looked at Akachi, who was still lovingly pretending to be asleep.

Gradually, the image began to look watery. His clothes became wet. The boy felt the thread take over his body. He felt himself being thrown in different directions at high speed. He passed out in the confusion of his senses. He only woke up after an indeterminate time.

Fadala was massaging his chest. He tried to speak, but vomited water. Spin Bomb held his head gently. Fenyang was nearby, bent forward and with his hands on his knees. Finally, Akachi emitted a deep breathing sound, everyone fell backwards onto the floor, the medium was out of danger.

The boy remained on the floor. Drool was dripping from the corner of his mouth. Fenyang knelt down next to him and said:

"What a fright you gave us."

Spin Bomb stood up and helped Akachi to her feet. On wobbly legs, she led him to a rock and he sat down. His lungs wheezed. The girl slapped him on the back, which caused the rest of the water inside Adisa's son's body to spill out.

"Do you want to kill me Spin Bomb?"

"The next time you scare us like that, Akachi, I'm going to kill you!"

"I don't remember what happened. I was by the river and…"

Fadala came over to the pair, sat down and put on his shoes. He was only wearing pants. His jacket, shirt and pistol holster were beside him. He had dived into the water to rescue him from the river's current.

"I know what happened here. You had an epileptic seizure and fell into the water. You were swept away by the strong current. If you hadn't woken up at that time, you would have drowned. It's probably not the first time this has happened."

"Thank you, Mr. Fadala. I woke up early and went to wash my face. I ended up having memories of my childhood… I can't explain it, I just broke down. I didn't want to worry you, it was involuntary."

Spin Bomb took a blanket and offered it to his friend. He rekindled the fire. The fire consumed the wood with its red flames. The firework sword artisan prepared a bitter coffee. They ate their breakfast there, then set up camp and headed for the foot of the waterfall. It was there that Akachi would find out more about his past.