Legacy of Orïsha, #2
Children of Virtue and Vengeance
by Tomi Adeyemi
Contents
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX: AMARI
Overview
Haunted by the morning after the Raid, Amari steels herself in the aftermath of unleashing the Cancer gas in Ibadan. She mentally restrains Tzain, frames the slaughter as necessary for victory, and decides to publicly declare the war’s end. Riding toward Ibadan’s gates, she confronts the devastation and convinces herself Zélie is dead.
Summary
Amari recalls the numb stillness the morning after the Raid, linking her childhood loss of Binta and her father’s eerie calm to the dread she feels now. The memory frames her present resolve: to survive grief by acting decisively.
Back in Ibadan’s aftermath, Tzain thrashes under Amari’s mental restraint, condemning her for the Cancer attack. Amari cannot face his anguish; she tells herself the war is won and that she must carry the burden of the choice she made.
Determined to seize the narrative, Amari mounts her cheetanaire to announce victory and end the conflict. The elders stand in shocked silence, but Amari insists they will understand in time and rides off before they see her falter.
As she travels, Amari battles rising guilt over the dead—Inan, Nehanda, soldiers, villagers—and forces herself to believe Zélie died in the monarchy’s explosions. She decides that Zélie’s “sacrifice” will be the story that justifies their victory.
Approaching Ibadan’s borders, Amari sees blackened corpses and feels buried by the horror she caused. Repeating her father’s maxim, “Orïsha waits for no one,” she hardens herself and rides through the gate to declare the war’s end despite the devastation.
Who Appears
- AmariConnector and Iyika leader; restrains Tzain, claims victory after the Cancer strike, rides to Ibadan amid crushing guilt.
- TzainZélie’s brother; struggles against Amari’s mental hold and condemns her for the massacre.
- ZélieBelieved dead by Amari; her supposed sacrifice becomes Amari’s justification for victory.
- InanAmari’s brother; feared among the dead as Amari grapples with her actions’ costs.
- NehandaAntagonist mother figure; included in Amari’s tally of possible dead and past crimes.
- BintaAmari’s childhood handmaiden; her loss during the Raid frames Amari’s present numb resolve.
- King SaranAmari’s father; his maxim, “Orïsha waits for no one,” guides Amari as she hardens herself.