Key Information / Terms
- Lord Shaka’s 50th birthday gift: For her best friends 50th the Queen sent him 50kg of Ashe reactive gemstones from the Caves of Jerissi with a hand written letter.
- Shaka’s response: Shaka responded a week after receiving the Queen’s letter.
- NDG (Northern Democratic Government): the modern name of the Wave Island and Mainland. The Queen uses it because she feels that the Wave hasn’t been the Wave since Shaka’s term ended.
- MLQT3: Motor Luxury Quad Tech 3: An Ashe core powered car that Shaka and Jabari designed for the Queens 40th birthday. It is the third model of the MLDT line (drives in hover and ground). Only the three is a Quad tech (drives in hover, ground, air and underwater). Only three were made. The prototype of ’84, The Queen’s perfected version of ‘85, and the one Jabari got in ‘88.
Key Setting
- N/A
Key Characters
Picrew: https://picrew.me/image_maker/296093
- Gasira ( Queen Zula Abimbola fourth of her name)
- Lord Shaka Akpabio
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ZERO YEAR DISCLAIMER: Though many of the Zero Year’s elements are inspired by and based on existing African Cultures, Zero Year is not an accurate representation of African cultures. The purpose of ZY is to appreciate and pay homage to African Cultures via a fictional story and world. Zero Year is not real and shouldn’t be treated as a canon of African Cultures, traditions, practices, and people.
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Chapter 10.2: Letters From Friends
Dear Relationship hider,
Happy half-century, old friend. I wish you could’ve come to the UPFR this year. Last we spoke, you wanted to do some research in Jerissi. I decided to bring Jerissi to you since the NDG won’t allow it. I made sure they were gathered and cared for by Pures and Non-expressives, just like you asked. It was a bit unnecessary since only Jiwe herself can manipulate gems, but anything for you.
I met Jabari. Such a well-mannered child. Just as witty and loving as you. I didn’t sense any sorcery placed on them. A witches curses die with her. They are free from darkness. Love them dearly and unconditionally. Continue to be the father you are, and Jabari will be fine.
Ojwang taught me how to operate that vehicle you gifted me for my 40th. It is just as fun as you said it would be, but my stance remains. Who in the realm would need something that can drive, hoover, fly, and dive? You’re such a showoff. Have you run out of things to engineer?
I hate to end it on a sour note, but this coming winter may be my last. I’ve never been scared in my life until now. It’s unnerving. I have no idea how to tell Bug. She’ll be devastated. I’ve been lying to her this whole time. She’ll hate me for it. I’ve failed her.
The friend you keep secrets from, Gasira
P.S. Jabari tells me Asha isn’t a single woman anymore. You write me every week. How did you fail to mention your new love? She already deserves better!!!!
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Dear friend whom my child has deceived,
Thank you for the Crystals. Like I said before, Though Eartherians may not be able to manipulate crystal, you all are still connected to them. Any ashe reaction would’ve ruined them. It’s why I can’t study the sea brick here. With your crystals, I’ll be able to inform my non-expressives how to conduct their research.
Thank you for seeing Jabari. They’ve developed a passion for 3rd cycle architecture. We only have the 12th volume in Nairobi’s 15 volume set. I know the original full set is in the Royal archives. Also, they would like to meet the Princess. They were unable at the UPFR. They should be able to finish Nairobi’s set in four days and maybe two days to enjoy the Princess’s company if she allows it. I ask that you allow Jabari to visit the Crystal castle for a week sometime this spring.
I’m glad that you finally decided to drive QT. It’s almost been nine years. I was starting to feel insulted. I even made Jabari one to get some feedback. I didn’t build QT with necessity in mind. Nobody would have practical use of such a thing. Maybe except for the Ohunu. It’s just supposed to be fun. You’re right at times I do feel like I’ve run out of new things to invent. For years now, I’ve just been improving things that were already adequate. That’s why I asked for the crystals. I’m more curious about the mystical force and nature of ashe.
I do not know how it feels to have death looming at my door, but I know how much your friendship means to me. I know how much you mean to the Abimbola and all Eartherians. Most of all, I know how much you mean to Zula. She will never be able to hate you. Your heart will lead you the right way to tell her. I like what you’ve said to me about Jabari. Love her dearly and unconditionally. Continue to be the Mother you are, and Zula will be fine. She’ll always be your little Bug, but you’ve raised a bright, strong young woman. You haven’t failed her in any way.
The friend with no secrets, Shaka
P.S. Lady Okiro is still a single woman, but I’m working to change that. We’ve been friends for so long I want to move slow. Jabari is just manifesting.
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Behind Chapter 10.2
Gasira and Shaka have been friends since he took office in 1370. The Queen’s 40th birthday was the last time Shaka left the North. Since then, they’ve written to each other every week without fail. They write their letter’s in Shari as an inside joke. They both claim the Ohunu is somehow intercepting the letters, so they save them the time of translating.
The Queen allowed Jabari to visit the Crystal Castle. They spent three days with Zula and Zaire and the other two and a half weeks locked in the Royal Archives reading Nairobi’s volumes and anything else the Queen allowed them to.
Nairobi Tangara was a great architect and engineer from Prinanon when it used to be a western nation. She was commissioned to redesign the Eartherian Capital by Queen Lulu Adeleke second of her name. In her volumes, along with her discoveries and theories, she documents how she built and designed the Castle. All but the 12th volume were banded from public access because they contain secrets of the Castle and other important structures within the capital. Not even Prinanon has rights to their Country women’s most significant accomplishments.
In 1262, Sanga Adeleke, first of her name, released five copies of the 12th volume (one per continent) because she deemed it didn’t hold any confidential information. In the 132 years since it’s been available to the public, only 2,432 people have read it about 18 to 19 a year. Not just anyone is allowed to read them. The books are just under 45,000 years old. They are rewritten and redrawn about every 75 years, just like everything else in the Royal Archives.
Ninth Hour Fiction 