Chapter 2 The Crow´s Child
Nebu understood his role as the new king. He was expected to distribute laws and give orders. His sincerity was trusted by everyone. He bore all the marks of a king. It was only the gods´ will that Sim had died. Nebu was glad that his brother didn´t suffer before he passed away. He died quickly.
Nebu inherited his crow feather headdress. It made him to look mature and powerful in the eyes of his subjects. He was also given his father´s spear, tools and clothes. Nebu was said to have been raised by the crows after he lost his parents. They both died of blood infection.
The birds carried him food in their beaks. They brought him mice and worms to eat, when he was hungry. They also brought him apples and berries. Nebu took the gifts that the birds had brought him. He ate them with good appetite. Then, he left with more energy than previously. He returned to his tribe.
After hearing about Sim´s death, his mood went down. Nebu tasted hallucinogenic leaves that relieved his mental and physical agony. He suffered of anguish and pain for over his lost brother. Nebu couldn´t handle the events in his mind. The sad news broke his heart. He went berserk shortly after eating the leaves. Their drug made him to lose all self- control for a while.
On the next day, Nebu suffered of hangover. He went to bathe in the river. It refreshed him a little bit. After bathing, he returned to the camp. It was on the day, when he became the king.
Nebu saw nightmares of Sim´s body. He dreamed of his brother waking up as a zombie. Sim was not himself. He had returned as a ghost from the Underworld to haunt Nebu. Nebu woke up in terror during the nights. He was always glad to realize that he´d just been dreaming. He drank plenty of water afterwards. He also killed a wolf and drank its blood. It was an ancient belief that drinking wolf´s blood would strengthen the human being, who did it.
He took his ruler´s job seriously. He never smiled in front of his people. Smiling was considered a sign of weakness. Nebu visited a shaman, who was a member of his tribe. The witch doctor was the same one, who had declared Nebu as the Crow´s Child to his parents. Nebu came to ask advice. He wanted to know that where did Sim´s soul travel after his death.
The shaman entered a trance state. In his meditation, he contacted Sim in the Underworld. Sim told him that after his death he´d been assigned another position. He was selected as the guardian of the secret of Urur tribe. The Urur were his ancestors.
The secret was revealed in a spell, which included white feathers. Reciting the spell for three times was said to bring good luck to those with pure heart and honest intentions. The impact was just the opposite for those, who felt desire towards nasty things.
Nebu got to hear about the spell for the first time. It was the shaman, who revealed to him his brother´s secret information. Nebu wondered that why he never got to hear anything about the spell. He was afraid to recite it. The shaman told him about the spell. He also warned Nebu about its effects beforehand. Nebu believed in the old man´s advice. He didn´t say the spell aloud. He was fearful and superstitious, like many of his people.
After his brother´s death, Nebu began to paint his eyes with black eye shadow. It was a sign of his appreciation of Sim´s spirit. Nebu fought for the sake of his beloved brother. He trusted that Sim´s spirit rested peacefully in the Underworld. Sim was a good person, who never killed anyone for fun. Nebu defended his brother´s honour by painting his eyes black. That made him a true Crow´s Child with the mission to defend his family´s royal blood.
It was the shaman, who had advised Nebu to do so. The king followed the advice. He did his best to please the spirit realm and to pay homage to his bellowed brother. Nebu imagined Sim to be still watching him. Sim´s spirit was always present wherever Nebu went. As twins, Nebu and Sim were eternally connected.
