Legacy of Orïsha, #2
Children of Virtue and Vengeance
by Tomi Adeyemi
Contents
CHAPTER SIXTY: ZÉLIE
Overview
Zélie proposes evacuating Orïsha, using intel that the king hides in Ibadan, to lead the maji safely to the coast. She bares her scars to argue for survival over war, swaying some elders. Amari counters, reframing the opening as a chance to kill the king, and ignites a war cry that overrides Zélie’s plan.
Summary
Zélie addresses the assembled maji and elders, armed with Roën’s intel that the king is actually in Ibadan while Lagos is a decoy. She argues that with the monarchy split, the Iyika can break for Ilorin’s coast and escape Orïsha, prioritizing survival over another unwinnable battle.
Opposition erupts. Kenyon rejects retreat, demanding they stand and fight. To counter the bloodlust, Zélie exposes the scars on her back, invoking the monarchy’s cruelty and her vow to protect her clan. She insists there is no victory ahead, only more loss, and urges the community to value each other over land.
As murmurs of acceptance begin, Kâmarū voices heartbreak over abandoning their home. Zélie reframes home as the people, not the place, nudging the elders toward her plan to live rather than die in place.
Amari intervenes, agreeing escape is possible but recasting the split monarchy as an opportunity to win by assassinating the king. Ignoring Zélie’s plea to stop, Amari rallies the crowd with a call for vengeance, specifically to strike Ibadan and end the war.
The mountain answers Amari’s cry. Even some Reapers echo the chant, “Gba nkàn wa padà.” Zélie, overwhelmed, watches as momentum swings from evacuation toward a bold, dangerous assault, leaving her plan eclipsed by the promise of retaliation.
Who Appears
- ZélieProposes evacuating to the coast, reveals her scars, pleads for survival over war but is overruled.
- AmariRejects flight, reframes intel as a chance to kill the king, rallies the Iyika to attack.
- KenyonLeads opposition to retreat, demands the Iyika stand and fight.
- TzainPositions himself between Zélie and Amari during the tense confrontation.
- KâmarūVoices sorrow over abandoning their home, representing the elders’ heartbreak.
- NâoQuestions Zélie’s plan and the destination, reflecting the crowd’s confusion.
- MáriHer presence steels Zélie’s resolve to protect their clan.
- BimpeStands in the crowd; a reminder of who Zélie fights to protect.