The torches burned low in the council hall, their flames bowing to the chill wind that slithered in through the cracks. Lumingu stood before his generals, a shadow cast long and sharp across the marble floor. His jaw was tight, his eyes burning with restless fury.
"Gather your supplies," he ordered, his voice echoing off the stone pillars. "By sunrise tomorrow, we march toward Buganda."
The generals exchanged uneasy glances. The tension in the room was thick enough to taste.
Lumingu's tone sharpened. "They have taken the king. They have betrayed Kongo. These so-called allies of ours intend to shatter what we have built."
General Mbele frowned deeply. "And yet there has been no message, no ransom, no proof," he said carefully. "We hear rumors, nothing more."
"Rumors?" Lumingu barked. "The kingdom teeters on the edge of ruin, and you speak to me of rumors? You will obey your orders, General."
But the unease was spreading like rot through the ranks of the council.
