Inyoni began to panic. Hadali, the cursed kingdom, seemed larger and deeper than she had imagined. She feared that Orpheus would not be able to withstand the pressure at this depth. The underwater craft’s metal sheets were vibrating, its bars visibly bending under pressure and the windows were beginning to crack. They would not last long. Djibril, the commander-in-chief of the army, stepped into the cabin, visibly agitated.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way, Inyoni? I feel like we are going deeper than necessary. Going any further down would be too dangerous. We are headed towards disaster! You’ll get us all killed!”
“I don’t know Djibril. Baobab stopped responding. Look, the monitor just died, due to the pressure. I don’t know what to do. Do you think I should warn Mambamuntu?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Samudrakumari and Padaguboodam were impressed by the imposing Fort Kota. It stood on the abyssal plain of Hadali, a vast territory feared by all. For many years, this kingdom had enjoyed a relatively quiet reign that was however suddenly disrupted by the Zungarees, who had fled their star system after the invasion of the Two-Paws. Originally, the Zungarees were peaceful creatures who had always coexisted in harmony with their neighbours – until the day the Two-Paws invaded.
The latter, a bloodthirsty species that had destroyed the planet Earth, their home for thousands of years, had left it to conquer space, in the course of which they chased the Zungarees out of their stellar system. The Zungarees had no choice but to leave these skies and were condemned to exile. After years of wandering, they left to explore the depths of the seas on several other planets. Finally, they found refuge in Hadali. The Hadalians were a millennia-old people who, despite their wealth and deep knowledge of the universe, lived a quiet existence in their isolated kingdom. Their remarkable wisdom and profound sense of justice had kept them out of the conflicts and wars of other realms. So when the Zungarees came seeking refuge, the Hadalians saw fit to help them and welcomed them with open arms.
How could they have suspected that this unfortunate decision would prove fatal to their peaceful existence?
Shortly after they arrived, the Zungarees discovered something that would forever change the course of the Hadali kingdom’s history.
Far from the abyssal plain of Hadali was a secret territory that the Hadalians kept under guard. No one was allowed to visit it. The Hadalians allowed the Zungarees to stay in their kingdom on the condition that they respect this golden rule: No one was allowed to enter this forbidden place. At first, the Zungarees refrained from visiting this secret area, despite their growing curiosity. But since rules are made to be broken, they ended up taking advantage of the Hadalians’ benevolence to satisfy their desire to know more. When they ventured into the forbidden place, they realised that they could no longer be content to remain mere guests in the kingdom of Hadali: In reality, this forbidden territory consisted of underwater mines brimming with minerals that were highly coveted by underwater dwellers across the universe. The Hadalians’ worst fear came true: to profit from the thousands of polymetallic nodules containing nickel, manganese, cobalt, gold, copper and other minerals that the universe needed, the Zungarees seized power over the kingdom and enslaved the Hadalians. As their greed grew day by day, they soon realised that the people they had enslaved were too few to work the mines. The Zungarees needed new resources. They decided to go look elsewhere for other people to enslave.
“We must hurry, Samudrakumari. We don’t have much time.”
“I know, Padaguboodam. Mackouhanuman will join us at any moment with his army. I hope nothing bad happens to Muthukaruppan.”
Hiding behind a mountain, the two friends watched – fascinated and frightened – as people came and went through the underwater city’s huge gate. Menacing-looking Makaras, creatures with elephant trunks, alligator teeth and fish tails, were standing guard around the fortress. They were the new mercenaries that the Zungarees had captured to work as guards. The air was thick with nervous tension. Something was not right. No sooner had the inhabitants passed through the gate that they came back with their arms fully loaded, piling things into huge submarines that were leaving for an unknown destination. It looked like the city was being drained of its population.
“Do you have a plan?”
“I don’t but Mackouhanuman does.”
“But time is running out! Each second we lose can be fatal. I don’t even know if your lover is still alive.”
“Shut up, Padaguboodam. Don’t talk about death! It’s bad luck.”
“Actually, how did you meet Muthukaruppan?”
Shortly after they seized power in Hadali, the Zungarees set out to look for other people to enslave across the vast underwater world.
They tricked their way into different kingdoms, posing as traders and navigators to first infiltrate them and then take over and then capture people who they enslaved and brought back to Hadali.
Muthukaruppan placed a necklace made of sea flowers around Mambamuntu’s neck. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him passionately. A murmuration of cormorants passed through the yellow sky. Muthukaruppan was about to depart. The two lovers had met at the edge of the red river, true to their habits.
“It’s just a few days, Mambamuntu. I’ll be back very soon, my darling.”
“I know, my love. But I am worried about you.”
As was the custom, the groom was to bring back the “Star of Happiness” to his fiancée as a sign of bravery. This star was in a faraway dangerous territory swarming with pirates and slavers.
Mambamuntu was right to be concerned. Recently, several patrols had reported unusual movement in the area.
“Promise me you’ll come back. Don’t forget that soon we are to be united in marriage.”
Mambamuntu gently kissed his forehead and watched him leave, stricken by sadness.
Muthukaruppan and the other enslaved prisoners were taken to the kingdom of Creyolistan. Its inhabitants, the Creyolis, were half human and half fish.
Creyolistan had once been part of the mythical lost continent Kumarikandam. Back then, Creyolistan was called Mauritia. It was a place cursed by the gods, inhabited only by enslaved people and labourers who had been brought from all over Kumarikandam to work the land, as the Tritanis, the inhabitants of Kumarikandam, considered it degrading to touch the ground. Then one day the great catastrophe struck. The different speeds at which the planet’s poles and its equator were rotating created an unbearable tension, finally causing the planet’s mantle to warp, breaking apart the continents. Kumarikandam fractured into many pieces and sank to the bottom of the ocean. While some parts disappeared completely without a trace, others survived in total isolation, as the underwater population was not particularly interested in them. Mauritia was one of the territories that had broken away from Kumarikandam, taking with it the enslaved people, servicemen and different peoples of the continent who had survived the catastrophe. While before, they had lived among their respective ethnic groups, they now had found themselves living together in Mauritia, sharing a common destiny. They formed a new people called the Creyoli and renamed Mauritia Creyolistan. All was well until the day when the Zungarees burst into this peaceful territory. They threatened to kill Karuppusamy, the king of Creyolistan, if he did not accept their conditions. They demanded that he give them the right to use his territory as a halfway point where the enslaved people they had brought would be kept until being sent onward to their final destination, Hadali.
The ruler had no choice but to accept this request – which was really more of a threat – or he would not only lose his kingdom but also put the life of his beloved daughter Samudrakumari at risk. Peaceful Creyolistan was transformed into a penal colony from which only complaints and lamentations escaped. It could not escape its curse…
When she first caught sight of him, Samudrakumari could not take her eyes off him. It was a sweltering summer evening. The air was heavy, the breeze refused to rise and the leaves of the motionless trees seemed to be dozing in the heat.
Even though her father had forbidden it, Samudrakumari had come to the banks of the Pagliyaru, the beautiful purple river that ran through their area, with her friends to get some fresh air. They had sorely missed playing by the river. It was their favourite place to pick flowers and swim.
Since the enslaved prisoners were on the other side of the river, there was, in principle, no risk of seeing them nor of being reprimanded by the Zungaree guards. After picking some flowers, they decided to go for a swim. They approached the shore and that’s when Samudrakumari saw him. Alone in the river, Muthukaruppan seemed to be meditating. Phosphorescent stars floating all around him enveloped him in a glowing god-like aura. The two moons seemed to shine even brighter, illuminating his sculpted, athletic body. There was something fascinating about this man, something regal. Samudrakumari was curious to know who he was. Men and women were strolling around in the enclosure they were kept in, under the watchful eye of the guards. Having sensed their presence, Muthukaruppan opened his eyes and saw the girls looking at him. He was surprised to see them and gazed at them in wonder. It was his first time ever seeing Creyolis, for since their arrival they had been living in isolation, only among other men and women destined for Hadali.
They struck him as beautiful, with their half-human half-fish bodies. But his admiring rêverie was cut short when a guard approached and ordered him to get out of the water. It was with great regret that Muthukaruppan left to join his companions. However, just before leaving, he had caught an enigmatic sparkle in the girl’s eyes.
“So you’ve never spoken to him?” Padaguboodam asked, bewildered.
“No… But we communicated without words,” Samudrakumarir replied hesitantly, embarrassed by this unexpected question. “I used to go see him often. I would hide and watch him discreetly. But he was no fool. He knew I was there. He felt my presence but never dared to approach me. I don’t know if it was for fear of punishment or simply because he was not interested in me. But I was starting to fall for him. I wanted him. I wanted him to stay with us. I wanted to take him out of the miserable condition he was in. I wanted to become one with him. My father panicked when I told him about my decision. He wanted so much to grant my wish – he never refused anything I asked him for. But he feared the wrath of the Zungarees and, knowing my stubbornness, he thought it best to send me to you. I beg your pardon for having made up this romance between Muthukaruppan and me. But I had no choice. I really want to save him. Do you understand?”
“I should have known. I’m so stupid! How could you have been able to talk to him, given your father’s restrictions and next to all these guards. But do you realise the risk you are running by coming here to save him? You don’t even know if he loves you.”
“I know all that, Padaguboodam. I know I’m taking a huge risk. It doesn’t matter if he loves me or not. It’s about saving him from this bad fate.”
“I knew that you were a whimsical person, Samudrakumari, but to take such a huge risk is beyond unreasonable. And what shall I tell your father? As his best friend and ally, I never went against his will. I should have told him and I’m sorry I didn’t. You’re going to get me in trouble, girl.”
“My father would be proud of his daughter. Anyway, everyone would celebrate the Zungarees’ downfall. It’s high time their reign came to an end. If we had anything to do with it, my father would be more than happy. Trust me, we’re on the right side of history. How about you think a little about our strategy instead of questioning everything,” she said, half smiling, half angry. “Look, here comes your General Mackouhanuman. He must have a plan.”
“So here is the latest news,” Mackouhanuman, the amphibian monkey, announced. He was a formidable warrior and an excellent strategist. His squadrons were feared by all armies. He was the only one who could save Muthukaruppan from this nightmare.
Mambamuntu awoke with a start. Something was not right. She opened the door of her cabin only to come face to face with Djibril, who explained the situation to her.
“How much further is it?”
“No idea, Mambamuntu. All I know is that we’re running a huge risk if we go any lower. Orpheus won’t make it.”
Mambamuntu looked distraught. They were far from their home territory and she knew of no one nearby they could ask for help.
“Inyoni, do you know where we are?”
“We don’t know, Mambamuntu. Baobab stopped working. We were close to Creyolistan when it broke down.”
“Creyolistan? What is that?”
“It’s the kingdom of the Creyolis. It used to be part of Kumarikandam but broke away,” Djibril answered. “But wait, Inyoni. If we were in the vicinity of Creyolistan just now, it means that we’ve gone down too far. Because Creyolistan is in the deepest abyss, isn’t it?”
“You’re right. Why didn’t I think of that earlier?”
“Come on, let’s go back up as fast as we can. Get everyone ready!”
Mambamuntu felt energised by this latest information. It was time to bring Muthukaruppan home. She couldn’t wait any longer.
After more than two years away, her fiancé still had not returned. Mambamuntu had moved heaven and earth to find out what had happened to him. No one could give her a concrete answer. Some said he was dead; there were rumors that he had run off with a secret lover. But Mambamuntu refused to believe these rumors. She was convinced that something bad had happened to Muthukaruppan. But what it was, she could not say. One day, a sailor came to see her. He had just returned from a long journey. He told her that while he was in Creyolistan, he had heard about a certain Muthukaruppan. He told her that the young man had been kidnapped by the Zungarees who enslaved him and took him to Hadali. Despite the bad news, Mambamuntu was overjoyed. So he was not dead! It was absolutely necessary to go look for him and to find him as soon as possible. Bad things were in store for Hadali. Several rulers of other kingdoms had their sights set on Hadali, scheming to conquer it and take advantage of its riches. The Zungarees were constantly on guard. Yet the Gautar, conquerors from very far away, managed to attack Hadali and were about to completely seize power over the kingdom. When Mambamuntu heard this news, she decided to go to Hadali. She gathered her army of Lwas. The Gautar attack would offer an opportunity to save Mambamuntu, she thought. Mackouhanuman’s strategic plan was based on the same idea.
“Who are they?” Samudrakumari asked, surprised, looking at the newcomers who were also trying to hide behind the mountain.
“I don’t know. Do you, Mackouhanuman?”
“It’s Mambamuntu, the Taino princess, with her army of Lwas.”
“What is she doing here?” Samudrakumari looked worried. “Can you send someone to find out what they are doing here?”
“There’s no need, Samudrakumari, my spies have already told me.”
“So?”
Mackouhanuman was about to answer but was interrupted by a loud noise. An explosion. The entrance gate collapsed. Three more explosions followed, bringing down all the entry points. Hundreds of AMX 500s rushed into the fort and attacked the Zungarees, who fled without really resisting. The Gautar army was too powerful. They had carefully orchestrated the attack to leave the Zungarees no chance to strike back. Taking advantage of the attack, Djibril and Mackouhanuman regrouped their armies and went in search of the enslaved prisoners. Getting rid of the guards and the tiny Zungaree squadron was child’s play for the two generals. But when they reached the citadel, they found no one there.
“Where are they?” Worried, Mambamuntu asked Djibril, who was also wondering the same. He looked for Mackouhanuman but did not find him. Something told him that Mackouhanuman knew where the prisoners were. He was not wrong at all, for Mackouhanuman had indeed already found the dungeon in which Muthukaruppan and his friends were held. But a bad surprise awaited them.
“Mackouhanuman, what is going on?”
Samudrakumari could not believe his eyes. Thousands of starfish were interlocking with each other to form a wall all around the men and women, who were helplessly watching this extraordinary phenomenon.
“What are these stars doing?” Mambamuntu asked. Mackouhanuman looked grim.
“We must hurry! We’re running out of time. The Zungarees are walling up Muthukaruppan and the other enslaved people.”
“They are walling them up? But how?”
“You see these starfish? Thousands of them? Well, they were programmed to form a wall around the prisoners in the event of an attack.”
“But why? That’s monstrous!”
“It’s to safeguard their treasure. All the mining systems and access codes to the mines are locked up in this dungeon. The Zungarees think immuring the prisoners willl keep their treasure safe until they return.”
“So what are you waiting for? Get rid of these stars and free Muthukaruppan! Come on, we must attack!” Mambamuntu was about to attack the starfish.
“It’s not that easy, Mambamuntu,” Mackouhanuman countered. “These stars are not real. I mean, they are not physically real. They are virtual stars.”
“What should we do then? We can’t just sit here and leave these men and women behind this wall.” Samudrakumari looked distraught.
“For God’s sake, Djibril, do something! I didn’t come all this way to see him vanish like that,” Mambamuntu pleaded with her army general.
“Padaguboodam is the only person who can save us. Where is he anyway?”
Mackouhanuman set off in search of Padaguboodam. The others followed.
“Sepdt, Pô Tolo, Sigui Tolo…” Padaguboodam mumbled incomprehensible words while drawing mysterious signs in the yellow sky. His Kanaga mask gave him a strange air that Samudrakumari had never seen before.
“Padaguboodam is not only the King of Sakalavanur but he is also the great spiritual master of the Mask Society. As such, he knows the science and secrets of the stars. To stop the starfish from forming this wall, he must manage to align the stars in the sky – this will stop this diabolical process. This is no small task. Come on, let him do his work. We just have to pray that he succeeds.” While Mambamuntu and Samudrakumari discreetly went away, Mackouhanuman gathered everyone else and retreated a little further away.
Padaguboodam began with Dama movements. This dance had the power to chase away death. Then he moved Sigui Tolo to the right of Pô Tolo. Pô Tolo is the heaviest star. It contains the three primordial elements: water, fire and air. It is the most important star that maintains the alignment. It is solid yet flexible enough to allow for multiple combinations.
Then he asked the star Emma Ya to move a little lower next to Nommo. He moved Yorugu next to Khartikya and Tarakya. This alignment allows the other stars to keep a regular curve. This is very important to stop the starfish. And he moved the last Dana Tolo to the end of the line. That would be enough. Tired but content, he left to find Mackouhanuman and his friends.
Muthukaruppan felt that something was happening. The starfish seemed to start behaving erratically and to slow down. When they had seen the thousands of stars closing in around them, Muthukaruppan and his friends had been gripped by panic. It had only taken a few minutes for them to realise that the Zungarees had decided to immure them alive. Was this the way this life would end? Dying without seeing his beloved again seemed deeply unjust. Would he, the valiant warrior of Sakalavanur, have to die like this? What a disgrace! He did not mind dying – but not under these conditions! However, it was better to die than to live enslaved by those damned Zungarees. The wall was growing denser by the minute. There was nothing left to do. He closed his eyes to summon Mambamuntu’s face in his mind’s eye. He might as well leave this life thinking of his beloved rather than having to see those cursed starfish closing in on them. But suddenly he heard cries of joy. He opened his eyes again: The wall was collapsing; the starfish were scattering. And then he saw her, he saw her smile – she was there: Mambamuntu, ready to welcome him in her arms. Tears of happiness were running down her cheeks. She was laughing and crying at the same time. He left the dungeon and ran into her arms.
Mambamuntu, Muthukaruppan and the Lwas army bade farewell to Karuppusamy and prepared to leave Creyolistan. Inyoni switched on Orpheus and programmed the route to Sakalavanur.
“By the way, something is off… I feel like I haven’t seen Djibril on board,” Muthukaruppan, worried, asked Mambamuntu.
“Djibril? You’ll have to ask Samudrakumari,” she answered with a wink.
Ari Gautier 