Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

'Are you not right in the head? Or do you have nothing better to do?' 'Why do you keep bothering me?!' I snapped. It hopped down from a branch above me and sat at my feet. That night, the pink frog that I had met at the beginning of my journey appeared again. I had learned from the field guide that these eagles were known to snatch up prey as large as deer! I knew to put out the fire quickly so as not to attract the large black eagles I saw zooming about in the sky. Then I built a fire and roasted them in their shells. Later that day, I picked several tree clams from the low branches of an ekki tree. I also noticed that the smell of the lemongrass oil kept mosquitoes and gnats away better than my repellant, and it smelled nice. The panthers I'd met were curious, but I wasn't sure if the others would be. I continued using the lemongrass, even when I no longer saw animal carcasses in the trees. I swallowed the lump in my throat and got myself moving, though my legs were stiff and I felt a little ill. For a moment, I just stood there, their words echoing in my mind. Then they turned and left, the female still sneezing in disgust. 'Make sure your spirit is prepared to leave that scrawny body of yours,' the female said, rubbing her nose and turning to leave. 'Well, I hope we hear good stories about you after your certain death, young Windseeker,' the male said. 'I have to do this,' was all I could say. I was too preoccupied with the more immediate perils of the jungle. For many days, I hadn't thought about the danger of hunting down an elgort. I looked at my feet, trying to ignore the sting of their words. 'Anything is better than being destroyed by an elgort.' 'Maybe we should eat you now,' the female said. 'Not smart, especially for a Windseeker,' the male said. I shivered, unable to finish the thought. If these great creatures can fear elgorts. If panthers could express fear on their faces, I saw it then. 'I need to find an elgort egg, to save my friend. 'Why are you here and not with those who birthed you?' the female asked. 'How long have you been away from your people?' the male asked me again. Other panthers who'd met her said she was from somewhere beyond this area.' 'The Windseeker we met was not from there. 'Some humans live far from the Ooni Kingdom, though very few,' the female said. I didn't think they would eat me anymore, and I was beginning to relax.

'Where else would I be from? All human beings are,' I said. 'How long have you been with the trees? Judging from your tattered attire, you're from the Ooni Kingdom.' 'No wonder this one is so young yet still alive,' the male said to the female. Could it? All the way out there? It didn't make sense. another Windseeker? It sounds like her, I thought. 'She was amazing,' the female said with a sound of admiration.

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu