Chapter 9: Central India appx. 800 BC

Morning and Day set up camp beside a river in an area that would become Nagpur. Currently, it was a sparse collection of abandoned bamboo huts. Evidence of Gaelic Slavers’ activity was evident throughout the village, but the signs were weather faded, and the smell of blood and death had been erased by several seasons of rain, sun and snow. Morning’s tracking knowledge told her the village had been raided more than three years before and that none of the surrounding peoples inhabiting the area dared repopulate the destroyed village lest the slavers returned.

They’d been travelling constantly for more than five years, fleeing ahead of the slavers who had raided and destroyed the Chakma village they’d lived in for close to three hundred years. Morning and Day, due to their seeming eternal life and ageless existence, were revered by the villagers. They were Baddhya, healers and witches. The villagers’ fortunes had blossomed since Morning and Day had joined the tribe, and the longer they lived, the more the tribe worshipped them.

Morning had borne her mate Thunder thirteen healthy children before Thunder had died defending the village from a marauding tiger. Nine of her children reached maturity and became parents themselves. She had nearly seventy grandchildren scattered throughout her village and the surrounding ones.

Her daughters were much sought after as mates. They were beautiful and were often fearsome warriors, just like their mother. Despite Morning’s current appearance, her assumed body still carried her original genes and genetic code. Her female children especially resembled how Morning actually looked: Tall, ebony-black, long, wild and wavy black hair. They had eyes so dark brown that they appeared black inside, wide and round white on white corneas. Their breasts were high and firm, juicy apples on muscular chests supported by a narrow waist, a prominent, heart-shaped ass and incredibly powerful and long legs.

Morning watched her nine remaining children die one by one. Most fell in skirmishes with other tribes from outside their area. Some to battles with the Gaelic Slavers. Others were lost to animal attacks. Bengal Tigers, wolves, and wild dogs grew abundantly in the surrounding terrain, and the tribes’ warriors were regularly called upon to defend their village. Snakes were another constant danger, although they only bit the unwary. One of her male children survived to die of old age. Morning had buried him around one hundred and fifty years before.

Morning also had to watch her many grandchildren wither and die. Those that survived the raids from other clans, the wild animals, and the slaver attacks died of old age as Morning lived beyond them, her beauty and strength undiminished by time. Some of her great-grandchildren turned away from her, jealous of her seemingly eternal life, whilst they had to watch their grandparents and parents slip into old age and death.

Five years before, Morning had awakened screaming. Her dreams held visions of the entire village in flames as the Gaelic slavers rampaged through it, killing all that couldn’t escape quickly enough. All the men and older villagers were slaughtered without mercy as the young men, boys, women, and girls were roped together and abducted. All those captured would be taken to the slave markets and sold.

However, in her vision, as the slavers marauded through the village, they constantly demanded that Morning and her mother make themselves known. The slavers falsely claimed the villagers would be released in return for Morning and Day’s capture.

Morning got up and approached the Clan Chief’s hut. She made her presence known by softly calling his name. When विद्युत्प्रकाशः (Lightning Flash) came from the hut, Morning described her vision and elicited a promise he would start his people northward as quickly as possible. Morning explained she and her mother would head east and south to drag the slavers away from the clan. Lightning tried to convince Morning to take a cadre of warriors for protection, but Morning denied him, explaining the warriors would only slow her and Day down. Lightning had to acknowledge that Morning was probably correct and stopped arguing.