“Dedesi cunican, gagerera maccin!” The boy kept running, as if he had not heard the man’s stern voice. “I said come here, you little brat!” The steps were closer now, and soon enough he felt a strong hand grabbing him from his neck.

“Let me go!” he cried, “You have no right to touch me, bedaceri!” The man suddenly let go, and the child turned to face him. “I only need say a word to my father and that’ll be the end of you.”

The man looked at him with wary eyes. It looked like he had underestimated the boy. “And who might you be, bera matin? It’s Nadutari you’ve stolen from, not me.” He expected the kid to lose confidence upon hearing that name, since Nadutari was one of the strongest men in the village, but the boy did not falter. He was quite something.

“Do I look like I care about who your master is? I am Eidaci, son of Agappi and his wife Mucani. If Nadutari dares go to my father over such a petty thing I’ll have his head.” The young boy looked dead into the man’s eyes. Had he really thought he would be impressed? He was the eldest son of the greatest chief east of the Nadi, and by a free woman, no less. Most of his siblings were born from concubines taken in raids and therefore had weaker blood. Not him. His blood was strong and not touched by the taint of slavery.

The atonagi lowered his head, having remembered his place. “I’m sorry, young Eidataci. Forgive my insolence.” He retreated without looking at the kid again, and left as quickly as he could. He would have loved to get back at the child for stealing his master’s favourite hunting knife, but there was nothing he could do about it. Should he tell Nadutari upon his return from Niretigin lands, the man would gut him for not being able to stop him before he stole it. Should he take it back from the boy, or even kill him, Agappi would give him a slow and painful death. Such was his fate ever since he had been captured by the Mienagin years ago. “Gacu!” he cursed.

Meanwhile, Eidaci made his way back home past round wood and dirt houses, the knife hidden under his clothes. His father’s hut was near the border, close to the fields where he kept his horses and his cattle, but far from those where women and lesser men planted the crops that would feed their masters. He could not wait for Father to return to show him his prize. This had been his first raid, and he was eager to boast to the other children about how he had sneaked into Nadutari’s abode and taken his best knife. That would teach them who the next chief was going to be. For he, Eidaci, was destined to be as strong as Surinadi and Datasi. He would also fight the Tiger King and lay with the Spirit of the Nadi, he would catch the Hare God that roamed in the skies and receive the Three Siblings’ favour. For he was the son of Agappi and Mucani, and that was his fate.