Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 | Page 120

War on Itsibatchu
Island School, Papp, Dorottya - 11
It was July 23rd 1412 when the war started. The day the Chinese came. Father was the king at the time, so I
was princess. Princess Kaira. Only 13 and I had more power than most adults. Impressive I think. We ruled
the island of Itsibatchu, an island near the African coast. It's amazing. We are far enough from the rest of the
world to not be bothered by others, but close enough so that traders come occasionally. In my room, I had
jewellery, weapons and cutlery from all around. My most treasured object however is my Mambele knife.
It’s a curved throwing knife I got from Mother. But all the treasure combined was just a fraction of what I
saw July 23rd.
It was a somewhat normal day, except for the fact that it wasn’t usual at all. I hadn’t had my usual fruit
platter with coconut milk and everyone seemed to sleep. Lost in a world of extreme boredom, I ended up
cloud gazing, but even the clouds slept. Then something happened. Something strange. I could see huge
ships in the harbour. A whole fleet. We barely even have one boat. The shadows drenched our side of the
mountain in darkness. The villages, the beach, the gardens, all of it. If anyone woke, they didn’t show it.
Someone descended from the ships. Honestly, he looked alien. His black hair and pale skin was honestly
really weird. I saw father climb down the steps of the palace and resisted the urge to shout “Father! Stop!
Don’t go near him!”. I sat on the balcony, awaiting my father's fate. He reached the man. And they started
talking. I tried leaning closer to hear what they are saying, then scolded myself for being so dumb. How
could I hear anything? They were obviously whispering, and even if they weren’t, how could I hear them
anyway? I was 5 stories above them! I abandoned my post to look at myself in my mirror. I looked crazy.
My dark skin looked way too bold against my white dress, and my hair was just a mess. No other
description fit it. I looked like I just saw a ghost, with my wide eyed expression. The bags under my eyes
were as purple as fathers most important robe. I went to clean myself up and changed into something more
‘the day war falls upon my island is today and I must save it or die’ kind of outfit. Before I could open my
door, Mia lida, my personal helper, opened it for me and called for me.
“Kaira, your father requests your attendance at his meeting.” Then she saw what I was wearing. “Kaira,
your father is expecting you to look your best, not like you are about to save the world from its impending
doom.”
“But Mia lida, I don’t even know who I’m talking to. What if it’s a raccoon dressed as a general. I have to
be prepared.” Mia lida did not appreciate me pleads. She forced me into a dress and ushered me into the
room. When I finally saw the guest, I knew Mia lida should have let me wear my kit. It was the general
from the ships. They had both returned from outside. A flood of questions hit me. Who was he? What did
he want? Why is he here? Where did he and the ships come from? Where are they going?
“Kaira, this is Ling Dao Wei. He came from (he said something like kinay?) Is that how you pronounce it?”
“It is pronounced China” Ling Dao Wei said. He kept a very stern expression on his face. Zero movement.
“LIng dao wei is one of the leaders of the fleet of ships outside. Now he and the rest of the travellers would
like to give us some treas-”
“Now hold on, I never said we would give you treasure, I said we trade with treasure.”
“Then why are you here?”
“We needed somewhere to stop and load up”
“Stop and load up? Unless you are here to trade with my island you have no purpose to be here. I command
you to leave this instant.”
“But we need to stay”
“If you want your right to stay, fight for it.”
“Then we will.”
“The war will begin at dawn.”
The next day was the scariest day of my life. At five in the morning, you could hear charging of horses and
screams of men. You could see families running and soldiers charging. You could smell the blood of dead
warriors lying on the ground. Mia lida, the rest of the palace staff and I were ushered out of the palace, into
a safeground in the gardens. All we could do was listen to the dying shouts of brave soldiers and the