The stage was set, with a whole generation at stake, all the performers were ready and had taken to the stage, but the action that was to take place, was far beyond what they had signed up for.
18AGD {18 years after the Great Drop} was the year, exactly four months before the month that marked the start of the fall of Vena.
Many nations had sent in their healers, herbalists and doctors, but none were able to combat the curse of Ogun. None could even understand it, from the material being so tough that research on it was impossible, to the source of the disease being so unclear and impossible to locate for outsiders.
The doctors of some nations begged that they be sheltered in Vena, because returning without success meant execution by their leaders, as everyone around the world understood what it meant for one single nation to have their hands on an ore of greater durability than Ganbo.
Others fled for the love of their lives, as a task so impossible was never mentioned to them before they embarked on their journey to Vena.
But to the chiefs of Vena, their ears for the pleas of anyone who failed to solve their problems had ceased to exist, forcefully kicking them out and sending them all out of their land to fend for themselves and deal with their leaders alone.
The sands of time flowed. And it was three months left before the third generation of Venas disappeared, fear swallowed the people of Vena.
Parents with children who turned sixteen that year began showing love to their children like never before and spending more time with them than in the mines. They knew it was over for them the moment the last month of the year rolls over.
But like the rain that comes at the dawn of spring, returning life to the land and bringing forth its beautiful fruits, so did the Egwus arrive at the shores of Vena at just one more month to the month of Ogun.
With the Emperor's perfect plan of having the Egwus arrive late, in order to solidify Ichrak as the saviours of Vena, which in turn will not only grant him access to the new ore, but access to demand whatever more he needs from them.
On arrival the one hundred Egwus selected by their chief back in Ichrak spread themselves across the continent, with one in each mining town, they began their work.
At night they danced till their hair turned snow white and grew so much it filled the room they were assigned to by the chiefs of the different mining towns, and at dawn they presented the liquid from working on their hair to the chiefs to use on any disease and even on wounds they deem incurable. Working like this ensured they hid the process of generating the medicine perfectly from the people of Vena as instructed by both their chief and the Emperor.
When the chiefs of Vena tried it on old mining wounds, large cuts, burns and even broken bones from boulders falling on the bodies of older miners a long time ago, they could not believe how they were completely returned to a perfectly working state at an unimaginable speed.
Still, this wasn't enough to prove its effectiveness, as some men from before had done the same, though not as fast as the medicine of the Egwus, it wasn't really new to them. So, they decided to go deeper and try it on lung and heart diseases caused from prolonged inhaling of the poisonous chemicals and radiations produced by some of the ores they expose themselves to while mining.
And once again, the miracle medicine revived the hearts and lungs of those who had diseases internally in mere seconds.
This speed of healing was something no other medicine man from the many nations could match, so hope returned to the people of Vena.
But now, it was time for the real test. After all those frozen already could not ingest the healing oils of the Egwus nor would pouring it on a solid metal statue do anything. With the reason many other doctors and healers were sent away mainly being because the Venas had tricked them by already testing their medicines on the next generation and realised through their technology that the hearts were still black.
Helping them decide that those men could not cure it, but they lied and said their medicines and oils couldn't cure a heart diseases, without giving the specifics of said disease nor letting them see the results the Kingdom Vena had gotten from scanning all of its people after the second incident, when they became desperate to know the source of the curse of Ogun all in an attempt to avoid a pointless sacrificing of its own people to a god that may or may not accept their sacrifices.
But this time everything was different, even without the Egwus knowing they were actually having the next generation drink the oils and checking them daily, while telling them they are treating heart diseases of elderly people, their oil had actually turned the black heart back to its original state with the black liquid being completely reduced to a tiny drop within the heart.
Although it wasn't fully erased, the one thing the Vena chiefs knew for sure was, this was progress from all their previous tries. So, they decided to hold a feast, lying once again to the Egwus that they should stay as they have healed the disease and celebrate with them in the month of Ogun.
The Egwus agreed without knowing the reason they wanted them to stay was to watch and see if in the month of Ogun the black drop would grow out and swallow the third generation of Venas or if it would remain as a small drop. And depending on the result they would either send them off with some of the previous frozen generation or have them continuously make the oils forever.
This plan was inhuman, but to save their own people they did not mind keeping the Egwus as their medicine slaves, and breeding them for generations to ensure Vena never falls.
With all those below sixteen taking the medicine too, the medicine provided by the Egwus ran out or so they reported in order to get more out of the Egwus. The Egwus who were now exhausted from the act of dancing, and growing their hairs every night, only to cut it as fast as possible and work on it to make more oils than was originally asked of them daily, working for the rest of the month even after they had been told the disease was cured started becoming suspicious of if the oils were actually being given to the elderly or if the Vena chiefs were using them to mass produce the medicine for the future, so that they don't have to pay up later when they get older and end up with any disease from their mining activities.
But being praised for finally healing their diseases and showered with meals and many other fine things clouded their judgement, leading them to ignore the signs and decided to stop producing only a week more to the Ogun celebration as that was safer for them, who were beyond exhausted and more profitable for the Ichrak empire.
And in the blink of an eye Ogun arrived.
A celebration that was planned to last the whole fifty-six days of the month of Ogun began. With the Egwus having the opportunity to eat meals they had never seen and experienced things they could never have if they were back home in Ichrak. And for that reason, they lost track of time and a reason to leave Vena.
The Vena chiefs checked daily on the progress of Ogun within the sixteen-year-olds of the Kingdom and saw no changes. They smiled at one another and on the last day of the month gave a toast to the Egwus for finally curing everyone inflicted with a heart disease in their land.
Joy and pride filled the bodies of the Egwus, they had achieved something no one could and would be able to do even in the future to come. And although they didn't want to leave, they knew it was time to go.
With news already reaching the ears of the emperor, his anticipation for the world changing ore were at its peak, to the point where his greed began clouding his judgement and he began making decisions that would only lead the Ichrak empire down a hole of no return.
In his greed the Emperor ordered the soldiers of Ichrak to prepare for an invasion of the Kingdom of Vena the moment the Egwus sent there returned, with the objective of enslaving the Venas and having them continuously mine the ore promised for the profit of the Ichrak empire alone.
The clock ticked and the rooster crowed. The sun has risen and the time to return home has come. The Egwus packed their bags and gifts, ready to leave. With their face full of joy and their hearts full of wonderful stories they couldn't wait to share with their fellow tribesmen on the beautiful tradition of the people of Vena.
On reaching the shores where the only port city of Vena was, the Egwus were captured and thrown into prison, the moment they were all gathered. Completely confused by this sudden act of wickedness they demanded answers, but got none.
Meanwhile the Chiefs had already travelled to Ichrak the day before. With the intention of meeting Emperor Fuanfo the second.
"Your Imperial Majesty." Said the head chiefs as they sat within the throne room in the presence of the emperor of Ichrak. "We the chiefs of Vena are here to inform you in person that we will not be able to give you the promised ore for healing all diseases."
And the Emperor, a slightly large man wearing the ceremonial attire of the Ichrak empire, a red wooly cloth with the drawing of a large Leopard head on the chest region, adorned with golden beads all over, holding a bronze staff with a golden spiked tip, stood up with rage all over his face. "Why won't I get my gift?" He asked with a loud voice that echoed through the throne room.
"Please calm down your highness, we didn't mean it that way." The head chief replied.
"Then what exactly did you mean?" Replied Emperor Fuanfo the second.
"Well. You see, the thing is. The night before we embark on our journey to your Empire, one of those who had been healed from their heart disease died of a heart attack. So from now until this case has been solved, we are sorry to say, but we cannot deliver your gift as promised. Which is why we came to tell you ourselves out of respect for the throne. So please be patient with us."
"Ah. I see, understandable. Sorry I showed such an improper behaviour before you. I will wait and please do get back to me when this case has been solved, and if you need any assistance at all, know that the Ichrak empire is here for you." He replied with a smile and a slight bow.
"It's an honour to be in your presence, thank you for having us and listening to our request. We will now take our leave if you grant it." The head chief said, as he bowed, with the rest of the chiefs all standing and following suit.
"No need to bow anymore my good friends. You may take your leave. The soldiers shall escort you back to the port. Please do resolve the issue, so that we may talk on a more level table with wine and laughter." Fuanfo replied as he signaled the palace Soldiers to escort the chiefs of Vena out.
The chiefs left, with hearts full of accomplishment as their plans had worked, or so they thought before their heads fell to the floor of the palace court the moment they stepped out of the throne room.