Dawn was approaching fast. Fire had been lit in almost all the households in Tubondo village. This was the residential area of the Windo clan.
Just like in any other places, people here lived under clans. several clans formed a village. The clans were headed by clan elders known as Ssazas each village comprised of about 7 to 10 clans. Above the Ssaza were area Chiefs known as Ntemi. The Ntemi was also elected through voting, voting for the strongest among the Ssaza's to take the chance to lead the village.There are about 120 Ssaza chiefs in Susa Kingdom, meaning their are more than 1000 clans in Susa kingdom. The Ssazas acted as the council of elders at the Chiefs Baraza or parliament. their work was to solve their internal clans disputes, collection of tributes and making sure that every household is accounted for in the tribute collection also they were to produce able warriors to join the royal guards and others to join the royal warriors who maintained both internal and external peace.The Ssaza then take the tributes to the Ntemi who is entitled to a share before he takes the rest to the ministers incharge of Provinces, who will then take it to the Kings palace in the city of Kerala.The royal family was situated at the city.at present Susa kingdom was led by King Susa who has been king for as long as anyone could remember.
When someone reaches at a certain stage in cultivation, growing old becomes a thing of the past.
King Susa is worshipped by the common folks as a god since he never grows old. It's even rumored that he grows younger. that just explains how high his cultivation must be.no one really knows which stage but it's rumored that he is at Patriarchal 4th level.but no one knows.
That aside,back to the Ssaza's.
. interclan disputes were soved at the Baraza by the Ntemi as the final chief justice.
To be a Ssaza it all depended on strength. this was a world where the strong were revered while the weak despised. Ssaza is a patriarchal hereditary seat but not just by birth but strength. It all depended on how hard your fist is to be able to lead. You can be the first born son ,yet the lastborn son will be the Ssaza just because his cultivation is higher than yours.
because of that hereditary was a blood path and those that stood at the top stood on top of bones and blood that they used to curve their paths.
The families in the village were mostly mixed farmers, though, some engaged in trade, blacksmithing and medicine for livelihood. like to the South of Tubondo village, near river Onia, lived a blacksmithing clan,the Bondo clan or the Forgers as they're commonly referred as to. it's at the Bondo village that Sella, Eris mother came from. Her father, Sila Bondo ,is a well respected blacksmith known wide and far for his mastery in the art of forgery and blacksmithing.He was revered for the quality weapons and farm tools he and his household produced.
The life in the village starts very early in the morning where women and young girls fetch water and starts preparing breakfast for the families. The young boys would be cleaning the cowshed while mostly father's would be milking the cow.
The milk is mostly used by the family as a source of food as the remaining is taken to the Ssaza as tribute. Each family had it's share of tribute that has to be paid by the end of every two moons.
Milk wasn't the only item paid as tribute, farmers would pay by their harvest while merchant would pay by their merchandise. the traders were to pay in silver stones. The tributes were allocated equally to all without favouring.
Work was divided according to gender. Women took care of most household chores while the men took care of cattle, farms and businesses in the village.
the young boys those yet to be circumcised looked after their family cattles. The uncircumcised boys were refered to as 'Kihis'. Kihi is a very rude term but who cared. it was purposefully conjured to be a rude term so as to make the boys work tooth and nail or gain the courage to get out of that age group sooner or later.
After circumcision the young boys joined the junior warriors where they would live for three years training as warriors to protect the village. its at this stage that boys were taught to cultivate on their Chi( personal god), Ikenga (personal strength) and Obo (spiritual awakening and strength). life for Kihis was the worst in the village
Peace and harmony is what all the boys dreamed of.
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THE POWER OF A PEN
Imagination is more Powerful than Knowledge (Teen wolf 🐺)