Ayida-Weddo and the Tales of Heroes

"You remember your past?"

"Clearly," she said. "And I was a man in that past life. That, of course, is another story for another time. How are you?"

"Doing well. Just got done fighting an Impundulu in the forests north of here."

"Looks like you two are in one piece.....shame......I heard it was Izulu. If only he didn't follow his brother, he would have been still alive. We can't afford to lose mythics like that."

"Daiyu here came up with the term for 'mythics,'" Ayida-Weddo told him. "She has served the Coalition well. She can relate to your situation."

"I see....how old are you, Daiyu?" Thomas asked the old Chinese woman.

"Hmmm......my age, you stop tracking past one hundred years.....one hundred five?.....no......one hundred seven......I think. Don't worry, young man, the goal of life is to look like me one day. The one thing nice is that the people you live with don't age a day. Isn't that right, my good friend?" she asked, turning her head to Sárkány.

Sárkány was quiet as he nodded his head. He seemed to be relaxed just standing beside her.

"Let me tell you something too," Daiyu said as she put her hand to her mouth to whisper to Thomas. "Dragons make good companions. I already see you two love birds. Don't try to deny it. She is a great catch."

Ayida-Weddo gripped Thomas's arm hard in appreciation to hearing it. Thomas nodded back to her with a smile.

"Let us have a short walk down this hot dirt road," Daiyu told him. "We got a lot to share. Might as well get a chance to hear about an old woman's stories before she kicks the bucket, eh?"

Thomas was intrigued and decided to listen to her as she wobbled with her cane. Sárkány was careful beside her as Thomas and Ayida-Weddo held hands. They walked down the dirt road together.

"You enjoy the time you two get together," Daiyu told him. "We are born, we live, and we die. It is our time to enjoy those times with loved ones. One day soon, I will be buried in the sand. My legacy will pass, and our children and the mythics will carry on our guidance. Just because you are human, don't let that stop you from contributing to them."

"I will head your words," Thomas acknowledged.

"Hmmm....." Daiyu nodded as she furled her lip up. She grabbed his shirt sleeve. "You better......Fenghuang brought me back, he can do it again, and if you don't......" she waved her finger at him. "I will come back to haunt you."

Thomas chuckled a little bit. "Don't worry, everything will be just fine."

"Love these walks. Despite the heat, it is a nice place. So green....."

They walked into the distance as the forest permeated the road. Thomas listened to her stories as they approached the town of Yekepa. Zoe and Apalala were far ahead as they went southwest in the long journey to Monrovia. The sun radiated the area as the sound of only the wilderness filled the area. The war was over, and peace had been restored as a rainbow shone brightly over their heads.

The End

..........The Russian Navy would win a significant victory in the Battle of Gangut against Sweden in August of 1714. The Great Northern War would end in 1721, with Russia being the victor. Legend has it that in the later year of 1724, Peter the Great, already in poor health, saw soldiers drowning by the shore. He went to rescue them, where he caught a disease. By 1725, he passed away. His actions and the people of the time in making Russia and its new powerful navy became a reality that Russians enjoy to this day..........

..........Peter the Great's son Alexei was eventually tortured and died in 1718, under Peter's desire to make his son continue his legacy that he prominently refused to take part of. Abram Petrovich Gannibal became godson under Peter the Great, serving as an essential member of his circle. He would continue to serve Peter's daughter Elizabeth. His legacy and descendants include his son Ivan Gannibal that became General in Chief of the army, and the poet Alexander Pushkin.........

..........On the 18^th of August 2003, the second Liberian Civil War ended. Up to 150,000 to 300,000 people died in the conflict. Charles Taylor made it as far as Cameroon before he was caught and arrested. In May 2012, Charles Taylor was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to up to fifty years in prison. If one wants to see the damages of the war, they can simply visit the remains in Monrovia to this day...........

..........On January 16^th, 2006, Liberia celebrated when a former political prisoner of Charles Taylor named Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became elected president in Liberia. She became the first female leader ever elected in an African nation. In 2011 she, along with Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman, received the Nobel Peace Prize. Sirleaf, to this day, serves as a symbol of hope to Liberians and people everywhere of a recovering nation.........

This story is dedicated to the millions of lives that were affected by the Liberian Civil Wars.

CMed