MUKUNDA Chapter 9–The Morning I Realized That True Strength Lives in the Hearts of the People

The sun was full and the wind was moving softly over the mountains of Magodo, the way that the wind moves when it is carrying the peace that comes after a long battle, after the darkness has been met and the light has been shown, after the prophecy has been fulfilled and the land has been saved. I stood at the top of the hill, the hill where I had stood with Taru when the light first rose from the earth and the elder Vengai said that the second spirit had joined, the hill where I had been when the voice of the ancestors first called my name and told me that I was the one who had been chosen, the hill that looked out over the land that had been given to me to protect, the land that I had fought for, the land that I had carried, the land that I had been willing to give everything to save. I looked at my land, the land that I had won, the land that I had protected, the land that was now at peace, and I felt a deep joy in my heart, the kind of joy that comes when you have been carrying something for a very long time and you finally set it down, when you have been walking a path that was dark and you finally see the light, when you have been fighting a battle that you were not sure you could win and you finally see that the battle is over and the land is safe.

But I knew, in the way that a person knows things when they have been joined with the spirits, when they have carried the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, when they have met the darkness and shown it that it was not the enemy, that the success of Magodo was not just about knowing strength, was not just about being able to fight, was not just about being the one who had been chosen to carry the light. It was about strengthening the unity of the people, about teaching the spirits, about controlling the darkness that was not known, about making sure that the things that had been learned, the things that had been carried, the things that had been given, would not be lost when the people who had carried them were gone, would not be forgotten by the ones who came after, would not be the thing that was the light that shone for a moment and then went out, but the thing that was the light that would keep shining, that would be passed from one hand to the next, from one heart to the next, from one generation to the next, until the land that had been given to the people to protect was the land that was the thing that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after.

That morning, the people began to come to the palace with the kind of friendliness that was clear, the kind of friendliness that comes when the fear has been lifted, when the darkness has been pushed back, when the thing that was threatening has been shown that it was not the enemy, when the people who had been watching, who had been waiting, who had been hoping that the prophecy would be something else, that the fire would mean something else, that the daughter who had been chosen would be something else, had seen that the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who had met the darkness and shown it that it was not the enemy, the one who had saved the land that had been given to them to protect. The warriors, the ones who had learned to control their strength without threatening, who had learned that the strength that is used to protect is not the strength that is used to dominate, that the strength that is given by the spirits is not the strength that is used to make the people afraid, but the strength that is used to make them safe, to make them know that they are protected, to make them know that the land that has been given to them is the land that will be there for their children and their children's children, worked together with the leaders of the royal house to fix everything that had been broken, to repair the things that the darkness had damaged, to build the things that would be the foundation of the new life that was beginning, the life that was not the life of fear, not the life of waiting, not the life of wondering whether the prophecy would be fulfilled or broken, but the life of peace, the life of building, the life of being the people that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

I walked among them, the way that a person walks among the people when they have been given something, when they have become something, when they are not the same as they were before, when they have been changed by the thing that has happened, by the fire that had burned, by the water that had risen, by the stone that had been placed, by the wind that had released, by the darkness that had fallen and been shown that it was not the enemy. I showed them the ways of using the spirit and the love in the work of everyday life, the ways that the fire that had been given to me was not just the fire that burned, was not just the fire that destroyed, was not just the fire that was the thing that the prophecy had been waiting for since before I was born, but the fire that was the light that showed them how to build, how to grow, how to be the thing that the land needed them to be, the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the first people walked on this land and claimed it for the ones who would come after. I showed them that the water that had joined was not just the water that had risen, was not just the water that had been the second spirit, was not just the water that had been the thing that made the fire know that it was fire, but the water that was the thing that made the land grow, that made the crops come up, that made the rivers flow, that was the thing that was the life of the land, that was the thing that the people needed to protect, to keep clean, to be the thing that would be there for the children and the children's children. I showed them that the stone that had been placed under my skin was not just the stone that had been the third spirit, was not just the stone that had been the foundation of the strength that had saved the land, but the stone that was the thing that was the mountains, that was the hills, that was the ground beneath their feet, that was the thing that they walked on, that they built on, that they planted in, that was the thing that held them, that was the thing that would hold the ones who came after. And I showed them that the wind that had released was not just the wind that had been the last spirit, was not just the wind that had made the joining complete, was not just the wind that had been the thing that carried the light or the thing that was the fire that burned the things that should not be burned, but the wind that was the breath of the land, that was the thing that moved through the trees, that was the thing that carried the scent of the wild sage and the rain that was coming and the earth that was waiting to be turned, that was the thing that was the spirit that was in all of them, that was in the people, that was in the animals, that was in the land, that was the thing that made them alive, that made them the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

"People of Magodo," I called out, my voice carrying the strength that had been given to me, the strength that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the strength that was the light that showed the people where to go, the strength that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who had met the darkness and shown it that it was not the enemy, the one who had saved the land that had been given to them to protect. "Your success is not just about sitting without protecting our land, without being the thing that the ancestors have been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. My strength is not to oppress you, not to make you afraid, not to be the thing that holds you down, that tells you what to do, that makes you into something that you are not. My strength is to teach you to be in harmony, to be the thing that the land needs you to be, to be the thing that the ancestors have been waiting for since the first people walked on this land and claimed it for the ones who would come after. Love and peace are the things that give real strength, that give the strength that lasts, that gives the strength that does not go away when the one who carried it is gone, that is the strength that is passed from one hand to the next, from one heart to the next, from one generation to the next, until the land that has been given to the people to protect is the land that is the thing that the ancestors promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. If we do these things, if we build the thing that the ancestors have been waiting for, if we are the people that the land needs us to be, Magodo will always be a land that is strong, that is peaceful, that is known for all that is good, that is the thing that the ancestors promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after."

Taru came to stand beside me, the way that she had been standing beside me since we were children, the way that she had been standing beside me since the fire spoke and the prophecy was told and she knelt in the court and told my father that she would be my keeper, that she would stand beside me, that her blood would be the offering if the prophecy failed, that she was the keeper who kept the promise, the one who stood beside the fire and did not let it burn the things that should not be burned. She took my hand, the way that she had taken my hand when we were children, when we sat by the river and let the wind carry away the things that were too heavy to hold, when the light rose from the earth and the elder Vengai said that the second spirit had joined, when we stood on the stone at the River of Stones and the spirit of the stone asked if we were the ones who could carry the courage of the stones, when we stood on the hill where the sky falls and the wind released the love that had been carried, when we walked through the darkness and showed it that it was not the enemy. Together, we began to spread our teachings to the camps of the people, to the villages that were scattered across the land, to the places where the people were waiting, were watching, were hoping that the peace that had come would be the peace that would last, would be the peace that the prophecy had promised, would be the peace that would come when the light had finally won and the darkness had been pushed back forever.

The children were taught to use their spirits to promote the things that were good, to be the ones who would carry the light when the ones who were carrying it now were gone, to protect the peace that had been won, to control the darkness that was not known, to be the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. They learned that the fire that was in them was not the fire that burned, was not the fire that destroyed, but the fire that was the light that showed them where to go, the fire that was the thing that would be the warmth when the night was cold, the fire that was the thing that would be the cooking when the food was being prepared, the fire that was the thing that would be the light when the darkness was coming and they were not sure which way to go. They learned that the water that was in them was not the water that drowned, was not the water that rose and took the things that should not be taken, but the water that was the life, that was the thing that made the crops grow, that made the rivers flow, that was the thing that was the drink when they were thirsty, that was the thing that was the cleansing when they were dirty, that was the thing that was the spirit that was in all of them, that was in the land, that was in the animals, that was in the people, that was the thing that made them alive. They learned that the stone that was in them was not the stone that crushed, was not the stone that fell and destroyed the things that had been built, but the stone that was the foundation, that was the thing that held the mountains, that was the thing that was the ground beneath their feet, that was the thing that they walked on, that they built on, that they planted in, that was the thing that was the strength that held them, that was the thing that would hold the ones who came after. And they learned that the wind that was in them was not the wind that destroyed, was not the wind that tore the trees from the ground and threw the houses to the ground, but the wind that was the breath, that was the thing that moved through the land, that was the thing that carried the scent of the wild sage and the rain that was coming and the earth that was waiting to be turned, that was the thing that was the spirit that was in all of them, that was in the people, that was in the animals, that was in the land, that was the thing that made them alive, that made them the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

The adults were taught the ways of joining their strength with the spirit of the land, the ways that the fire that they carried was not their fire alone, was not the fire that had been given to them by the spirits, but the fire that was the land, the fire that was the people, the fire that was the thing that they had to protect, to keep, to be the thing that would be there for the children and the children's children. They learned to control the disagreements, to bring peace to the places where there was conflict, to be the thing that held the people together when the darkness was coming, when the enemy was at the border, when the land that had been given to them to protect was waiting to be saved or to be destroyed. They learned that the strength that was given to them was not the strength to dominate, not the strength to make the people afraid, but the strength to protect, to build, to be the thing that the land needed them to be, to be the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the first people walked on this land and claimed it for the ones who would come after.

But no success comes without trials, without the things that test what has been built, that show whether it is strong enough, whether it is the thing that will last or the thing that will fall when the darkness comes again. One day, people from other lands, from the places beyond the mountains, from the places where the spirits that had not been joined were still waiting, still watching, still hoping that the light that had been joined would fall, would break, would be the thing that was the fire that burned the things that should not be burned, came with the purpose of bringing down Magodo, of taking the land that had been protected, of being the thing that would be the end of the kingdom that had been standing since the first king sat on the throne and promised to protect the land that had been passed down from his father and his father's father and the fathers who had come before. They came wearing the clothes that were dark, the clothes that carried the darkness that had not been taught to cry, that had not been shown that it was not the enemy, that had not been the thing that was the other half of the light, that was the thing that made the light know that it was light, that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side. They carried the weapons that were strong, the weapons that had been made to destroy, the weapons that were the thing that the darkness had been waiting to use, the thing that the darkness had been waiting to be, the thing that the darkness had been waiting to show that it was not the thing that could be taught, that could be shown, that could be the thing that was not the enemy, that was not the thing that had to be destroyed, that was not the thing that had to be pushed back forever, but the thing that was the other half of the light, the thing that made the light know that it was light, the thing that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side.

They began to destroy the peaceful forests, the forests that had been growing since before the first people came, the forests that had been the place where the spirits lived, where the ancestors walked, where the things that had been given to the land were kept, where the light that had been joined was still shining, was still the thing that was the protection, that was the strength, that was the thing that the people had been given to protect, to keep, to be the thing that would be there for the children and the children's children. The people began to be afraid, the fear that had been pushed back, that had been shown that it was not the thing that would win, that was not the thing that would be the end of the land that had been given to them to protect, began to rise again, began to move through the villages, began to be the thing that the enemy was using, the thing that the darkness was waiting for, the thing that would make the light fall, that would make the light break, that would make the light be the thing that was the fire that burned the things that should not be burned. And the wind, the wind that had been moving softly, that had been carrying the peace that came after the battle, that had been the thing that was the breath of the land, began to breathe in a way that was not good, began to carry the fear that was rising, began to be the thing that was the storm that was coming, that was the darkness that was rising, that was the thing that the enemy was waiting for, that was the thing that the darkness had been waiting to use, that was the thing that would be the end of the land that had been given to the people to protect.

I looked at the place where the enemy was, my thoughts moving quickly to find the ways of protecting the land that had been given to me to protect, the ways that the fire and the water and the stone and the wind could be used to push back the darkness that was rising, to show the enemy that the light that had been joined was not the light that would fall, was not the light that would break, was not the light that would be the fire that burned the things that should not be burned, but the light that would shine, that would be the thing that showed the people where to go, that would be the thing that was the protection, that was the strength, that was the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. I called out to the people, my voice carrying the strength that had been given to me, the strength that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the strength that was the light that showed the people where to go, the strength that was the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who had become the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who had joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who had met the darkness and shown it that it was not the enemy, the one who had saved the land that had been given to them to protect.

"People of Magodo, do not be afraid! I am here, and I am not alone! The strength that has been given to me, the strength that is the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, is not the strength that is mine alone, is not the strength that will be used to protect you while you watch, while you wait, while you hope that the thing that is happening will pass, that the enemy will go away, that the darkness will be pushed back without you being the thing that pushes it, without you being the thing that stands, that fights, that is the strength that the land needs you to be. We will work together! My strength and your love, the love that has been growing in you since you were children, since the first time you sat by the river and let the wind carry away the things that were too heavy to hold, since the first time you looked at the land that had been given to you and knew that you would protect it, that you would be the thing that would be there for the children and the children's children, will make the darkness end and the peace return, will make the thing that the enemy has brought be the thing that is pushed back, will make the land that has been given to us to protect be the land that is safe, that is strong, that is the thing that the ancestors promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after."

The people listened, the way that people listen when the one who is speaking has been chosen, has been tested, has been tried, has been pushed to the edge and has not fallen, has been the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. And together, they began to plan the ways of protecting, the ways that the strength that had been given to them, the strength that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the strength that was the light that showed them where to go, could be used to push back the darkness that was rising, to show the enemy that the land that had been given to them to protect was not the land that would be taken, was not the land that would fall, was not the land that would be the thing that was the end of the kingdom that had been standing since the first king sat on the throne and promised to protect the land that had been passed down from his father and his father's father and the fathers who had come before.

The warriors joined their strength with the spirit, the way that they had been taught, the way that the fire and the water and the stone and the wind had been joined, the way that the light had been made, the way that the darkness had been shown that it was not the enemy. And the people who had learned to protect their spirits, who had been taught that the strength that was given to them was not the strength to dominate, not the strength to make the people afraid, but the strength to protect, to build, to be the thing that the land needed them to be, began to respond with the actions that lead to harmony, that lead to peace, that lead to the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the first people walked on this land and claimed it for the ones who would come after. I thought about the way of joining with the Spirit of Darkness again, the way that the darkness that had been taught to cry, that had been shown that it was not the enemy, that had been the thing that was the other half of the light, that had made the light know that it was light, that had made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side, could be the thing that would push back the enemy that was coming, that would show them that the land that they were trying to take was not the land that would be taken, that the light that had been joined was not the light that would fall, that the darkness that was rising was not the darkness that would win, but the darkness that would be shown, again, that it was not the enemy, that it was the thing that was the other half of the light, that it was the thing that made the light know that it was light, that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side.

In that moment, the darkness was calmed, the way that the darkness had been calmed before, the way that the darkness had been shown that it was not the enemy, that it was the thing that was the other half of the light, that it was the thing that made the light know that it was light, that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side. And the people began to return to their places, to the villages that had been scattered, to the homes that had been left, to the land that had been given to them to protect, showing the respect that comes when the thing that was threatening has been shown that it is not the enemy, showing the learning that comes when the people who have been afraid have been shown that the fear was not the thing that would win, was not the thing that would be the end of the land that had been given to them to protect, was not the thing that would make the light fall, that would make the light break, that would make the light be the thing that was the fire that burned the things that should not be burned.

I stood at the top of the hill, the wind moving softly, the way that the wind moves when the storm has passed, when the thing that was threatening has been shown that it was not the enemy, when the land that has been given to the people to protect is the land that is safe, that is strong, that is the thing that the ancestors promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. I felt a deep joy in my heart, the kind of joy that comes when you have been carrying something for a very long time and you finally set it down, when you have been walking a path that was dark and you finally see the light, when you have been fighting a battle that you were not sure you could win and you finally see that the battle is over and the land is safe. I looked at Taru, the way that I had been looking at her since we were children, the way that I had been looking at her when the fire spoke and the prophecy was told and she knelt in the court and told my father that she would be my keeper, that she would stand beside me, that her blood would be the offering if the prophecy failed, that she was the keeper who kept the promise, the one who stood beside the fire and did not let it burn the things that should not be burned. I smiled, the way that a person smiles when they have found something that they did not know they were looking for, when they have become something that they did not know they could become, when they have been given something that they did not know they needed, when they have received the thing that the prophecy has been waiting for since before they were born, since the fire was lit, since the water rose, since the stone was placed, since the wind was waiting to receive the love that would make it complete, that would make it the thing that would save the land or the thing that would destroy it, that would make it the light that showed the people where to go or the fire that burned the things that should not be burned.

"The success of Magodo is not about being chosen by one person, is not about being the one who carries the fire, is not about being the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who became the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. It is about the unity of the people, about the strength that is good, about the love that joins every spirit, that is in the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, that is in the darkness that was shown that it was not the enemy, that is in the light that shines brightest when it has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, that is in the land that was given to the people to protect, that is in the people who were given the land to protect, that is in the ancestors who have been watching, who have been waiting, who have been hoping that the ones who came after would be the thing that they had been waiting for since the first fire was lit, since the first prophecy was spoken, since the first daughter who would carry the fire was born."

Taru took my hand strongly, the way that a person takes the hand of someone they love when they are standing on the edge of something, when the path that is opening before them is a path that they have not walked before, when the thing that is being asked is the thing that will change everything, that will make them into something that they are not sure they know how to be. Her eyes were showing the pride that comes when the person you love has become the thing that you knew they could become, the thing that you hoped they would become, the thing that you were afraid they would become, because the thing that they had become was the thing that would take them away from you, would take them to the place where the fire was burning, would take them to the place where the darkness was waiting, would take them to the place where the prophecy would be fulfilled and they would be the one who saved the land or the one who destroyed it, the one who lived or the one who died, the one who carried the fire or the one who was consumed by it. She told me that I was the true Mukunda, the leader who had strength, but also the one who had a clean heart, that the people of Magodo would always respect me and listen to me, would always remember the things that I had taught them, would always be the thing that I had shown them they could be, would always be the people that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born.

The next day was filled with the work of the women, the men, and the children, the work of fixing everything that had been broken, of repairing the things that the darkness had damaged, of building the things that would be the foundation of the new life that was beginning, the life that was not the life of fear, not the life of waiting, not the life of wondering whether the prophecy would be fulfilled or broken, but the life of peace, the life of building, the life of being the people that the ancestors had been waiting for since the first people walked on this land and claimed it for the ones who would come after. They taught the others the ways of protecting the spirit, the ways that the fire and the water and the stone and the wind could be used to protect, to build, to be the thing that the land needed them to be, to be the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. My strength, the strength that was the fire and the water and the stone and the wind, the strength that was the light that showed the people where to go, and the love of Taru, the love that had been growing in her since we were children, the love that had been the thing that made her stand beside me, that made her promise to protect me, that made her say that her blood would be the offering if the prophecy failed, that made her the keeper who kept the promise, the one who stood beside the fire and did not let it burn the things that should not be burned, and the unity of the people, the people who had been afraid and had been shown that the fear was not the thing that would win, the people who had been waiting and had been shown that the waiting was over, the people who had been hoping and had been shown that the hope was not in vain, made Magodo succeed and become a place that was known for its strength and its peace, that was the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the first people walked on this land and claimed it for the ones who would come after.

At the end of that day, I sat on the roof, the wind moving softly over the mountains, the way that the wind moves when the storm has passed, when the thing that was threatening has been shown that it was not the enemy, when the land that has been given to the people to protect is the land that is safe, that is strong, that is the thing that the ancestors promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. I felt a deep joy, the kind of joy that comes when you have been carrying something for a very long time and you finally set it down, when you have been walking a path that was dark and you finally see the light, when you have been fighting a battle that you were not sure you could win and you finally see that the battle is over and the land is safe. I knew that success was not about ruling, was not about being the one who sat on the throne, was not about being the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who became the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed. It was about the unity, about the teaching, about bringing love to every spirit, about being the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the first fire was lit, since the first prophecy was spoken, since the first daughter who would carry the fire was born. Magodo would always be strong if the people knew their strength, if they knew the fire that was in them, the water that was in them, the stone that was in them, the wind that was in them, if they knew that the darkness was not the enemy, that the light that shines brightest is the light that has passed through the darkness and come out the other side, and if they knew their love that never ends, the love that had been given to them by the ancestors, the love that had been waiting for them since before they were born, the love that would be there for the children and the children's children, the love that was the thing that would make Magodo the land that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after.

Taru knelt beside me, taking my hand, smiling the way that a person smiles when they have found something that they did not know they were looking for, when they have become something that they did not know they could become, when they have been given something that they did not know they needed, when they have received the thing that the prophecy has been waiting for since before they were born, since the fire was lit, since the water rose, since the stone was placed, since the wind was waiting to receive the love that would make it complete, that would make it the thing that would save the land or the thing that would destroy it, that would make it the light that showed the people where to go or the fire that burned the things that should not be burned. She told me that Magodo was free now, but that she knew that trials would come again, that the darkness that had been shown that it was not the enemy would rise again, that the enemy that had been pushed back would come again, that the things that had been tested would be tested again. But with all that I had taught, with my strength, with my love, with the fire and the water and the stone and the wind that I carried, with the darkness that had been shown that it was not the enemy, with the light that had been joined and had become the thing that shone brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side, nothing would be able to push me back, nothing would be able to make me fall, nothing would be able to take the land that had been given to me to protect, the land that I had fought for, the land that I had carried, the land that I had been willing to give everything to save.

The night settled deeply, the land filled with the calm and the joy that comes when the thing that was threatening has been shown that it was not the enemy, when the people who were afraid have been shown that the fear was not the thing that would win, when the land that has been given to the people to protect is the land that is safe, that is strong, that is the thing that the ancestors promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. The people learned that strength is not to frighten, but to build, that love is not just a thought, but an action, that the unity of the people and the spirit is the thing that gives the seat of truth, that is the thing that makes the land the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. I looked at the sky that was bursting with stars, the stars that had been watching this land since before the first people came, the stars that had seen the things that the people of this land had done, the things that they had carried, the things that they had passed down to the ones who came after, and I felt my spirit joining with the light of the Spirit of Darkness, the light that had been shown that it was not the enemy, the light that was the other half of the light that I carried, the light that made the light know that it was light, that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side. And I knew that today, Magodo had entered a new part of true success, of peace, of love that never ends, of the thing that the ancestors had been waiting for since the fire was lit and the prophecy was spoken and the daughter who would carry the fire was born. The land was safe. The people were strong. The love that had been carried, that had been released, that had been joined, that had been shown that it was not the enemy, that had been the thing that made the light know that it was light, that made the light shine brightest when it had passed through the darkness and come out the other side, was the thing that would be there for the children and the children's children, was the thing that would be the land that the ancestors had promised when they first walked on this land and claimed it for the people who would come after. And I was Mukunda, the child who was freed by the Spirit, the daughter who was born when the kingdom was waiting for a son and who became the thing that the kingdom did not know it needed, the one who carried the fire, the one who joined with the water and the stone and the wind, the one who met the darkness and showed it that it was not the enemy, the