Tarkon Mutuwa Book 1 Complete

Description

Tarkon Mutuwa Book 1 

In an ancient era, a very long time ago, during the time when the rule of the potato-skin prevailed—meaning the powerful were on top and the weak were at the bottom—oppression was rampant. Justice was completely absent, and the law only applied to the poor, the powerless, and the humble.

At this precise era, there was a continent famous throughout the world for commerce, military might, and a vast population. The country that surpassed all others in glory on this continent was Bindal. Every merchant who did business with the city, if they wanted to save their dignity and wealth, had to divide whatever daily profit they made into three parts: one part was theirs, and the other two parts had to be taken to King Shamsal.

King Shamsal was a ferocious hero, an unmatched legendary warrior. Throughout the history of his heroism, he had never once been wounded in battle or in a tournament of champions. He could fight continuously for twelve hours without fatiguing, and he could run seven kwaba distances in a sprint without stopping to rest, save for lifting a water bottle to drink and continuing his run. Indeed, when King Shamsal performed an act of valor or heroism, it seemed as though he were not human, but a jinn. No matter the number of warriors, he could scatter them, kill the ones destined to be killed, while those who fled ran to save their lives.

Regarding oppression, prognosticators confirmed that there was no king on the continent more tyrannical than he; he even oppressed his fellow kings, let alone the common people. Whenever he cast his gaze and saw a king with a beautiful wife, he would simply send for her to be brought to him in person. If the king hesitated to bring her, he could lose his life or his throne, so he would rush to deliver her. As for the taxation of the commoners, there was no place where it was more severe than in the city of Bindal. At the slightest offense by a commoner, he would immediately have them whipped or taken to prison to be sentenced to two years or more. In short, apart from King Shamsal, his courtiers, and his thugs, no one had peace of mind within the city of Bindal.

At the far end of the city of Bindal, in the southern district, there was an old blacksmith named Satyan. Old man Satyan was extremely aged, at a hundred and five years old, and since he was barely half a year old in the world, he had mastered the craft of blacksmithing and become famous, having inherited the profession. When he was nine years old, his father died, and he continued his father's work. Even the weapons for King Shamsal's royal house were forged at Satyan’s workshop. There had never been any conflict between him and King Shamsal’s household; King Shamsal had never seen old man Satyan, nor had Satyan ever seen King Shamsal.

Under old man Satyan were about seventy-one young apprentices, all earning their livelihood under him. Because of the weapons he forged for the royal court, heavy taxes were not imposed upon him, a tradition dating back to the time of King Shamsal’s father.

Old man Satyan had only one wife, who was of advanced age, around seventy years old. God had blessed them with only two children in the world: a daughter and a son. The daughter was the eldest, twenty-five years old, named Sadirat. Sadirat was a moderately beautiful woman with a pleasing figure, who had grown up attracting great popularity among young men. However, because she was the only one helping her mother with household chores, she did not want to marry until her younger brother, Hatyan, did, so that his wife could live in the house and care for their mother while Sadirat would be taken to another household.

There was a four-year age gap between Sadirat and Hatyan, meaning Hatyan was currently only twenty-one years old. In a twist of fate, Hatyan did not inherit the blacksmithing trade. Ever since he grew through his childhood, there was nothing he loved more than hunting; thus, almost every single day he was out in the wilderness. Whenever he went out hunting in the morning, he would not return until the sun set. By the grace of God, he was extremely lucky in his hunting, never going out and returning empty-handed; he would always be seen capturing a large animal or a large bird.

Ever since Hatyan was nine years old, it was discovered that he was a champion warrior, for even back then he could wrestle fierce wild animals and kill them with his bare hands. This divine gift made the chief hunter of the city draw Hatyan close to him and love him dearly, to the extent that he secretly helped him with wilderness secrets and spiritual lore for protection. The chief hunter always advised Hatyan to hide his warrior prowess so that people would not find out, because King Shamsal's custom was that whenever he heard a champion had risen in his city, he would secretly send assassins to kill him. This was solely because his soothsayers had told him that one day a champion would arise with his exact gifts of heroism, battle endurance, and running speed, and he would take away his throne. For this reason, any animal Hatyan hunted with his own hands in the forest, he would hide in a sack and bring to the chief hunter's house. The chief hunter would buy it from him and pay him in cash so no one would know he was the one who killed it.

Whenever Hatyan entered the forest to hunt, he never allowed anyone to see him while he wrestled wild animals. In secret, Hatyan trained himself in running and weapon handling. Ever since he was eleven years old, if he failed to outrun an animal no matter its speed, he would match its pace and overtake it. Hatyan could spend twenty days running in the forest without stopping to rest or eat, drinking only water. In short, Hatyan possessed even greater endurance in running than King Shamsal. The only things King Shamsal surpassed Hatyan in were physical strength, combat experience, and weapon mastery, but Hatyan was much quicker on his feet.

In all the world, there was nothing Hatyan loved and cherished more than his elder sister, Sadirat; he did not even want a speck of dust to fall on her or anyone to harm her health. Any young man or scoundrel who dared touch Sadirat with his hand would find Hatyan altering his appearance, paying him a night visit, severing his hand, and turning him into an amputee. Because of this reason, men were afraid to tamper with Sadirat, and even those who genuinely wanted to marry her were afraid to approach her.

When old man Satyan saw that his son had no interest whatsoever in the blacksmithing trade, preferring hunting instead, his mind was deeply troubled by the thought that the day he died, no one would inherit from him, and the trade would leave their family. Because of this, he kept pressing Hatyan, trying to force him to abandon hunting. Seeing this, Hatyan went and informed the chief hunter of the situation.

Upon hearing this, the chief hunter came over to Satyan’s house himself. They had long been close friends, though the chief hunter was only eighty-five years old. When the chief hunter and Satyan were alone in the inner chamber and greeted each other, the chief hunter looked at him and said: "My friend, know that every child has their own gift. Your son was not made by God to be a blacksmith; he is a hunter. Elders have a saying: on the day of bathing, the navel is not hidden. Today I will share a great secret about your son that you have never known before. Right now, throughout this entire city, apart from the king, there is no warrior who surpasses Hatyan in heroism, running speed, and endurance of hardship in the wilderness. Know that ever since he was nine years old, he has been able to fight fierce wild animals, kill them, and bring them to my house for me to buy from them without anyone knowing. I am the one who sells what he hunts. Right now, he has accumulated vast amounts of wealth exceeding five hundred thousand dinars, but he is afraid to come and tell you. Know that I investigated through my spiritual vision and discovered that this boy of yours will become a great man in this country in the future. Therefore, if the king hears word of his heroism, he will kill him. The biggest thing troubling my mind is Hatyan’s hot temper. I fear the day something will bring him into conflict with the royal house. If he is touched, he will not let it go, seeing how he treats the young men who joke with his sister Sadirat. Right now, he has made everyone in this town afraid of her. Remember that King Shamsal has a tyrant son whose age does not exceed Hatyan's, and he has a wicked habit of raping women. In this town, Prince Zainur has raped over a hundred young girls, and whenever the girls' parents speak up, they are killed. His father backs him up to do whatever he pleases because he loves him more than anything in the world. I fear the day Prince Zainur lays eyes on Sadirat. I am certain he will not let her be, and if he touches her, Hatyan will inflict a severe punishment upon him."

When the chief hunter reached this point in his speech, the old man’s mind became more troubled than ever before. He raised his head, looked at the chief hunter, and said: "My friend, know that regarding Sadirat, I have no worries because Sadirat is always at home and goes nowhere, as she is always doing household chores. So you see, there is no way she could meet Zainur since nothing will bring him here, nor does the royal weapon delivery concern her since a representative comes to collect them. My only worry now is Hatyan. Why don't you take him away from this city entirely and send him to another town to live with your trade associates, since I am old and my time is done, and their mother is also growing old? Our only wish is to see our children married before our death. Since the two of them are deeply attached to each other and do not want to be separated, if Hatyan is to be taken away from this town, they must definitely be taken together. I realize this is the only way we can save the lives of Hatyan and his sister from the evil of the king and his son. Therefore, today when Hatyan returns from hunting, come over so we can all sit together with their mother and inform them of the decision we have reached. The money Hatyan has saved is enough for them to run a new life elsewhere, but my main advice is that they leave this continent entirely."

When old man Satyan reached this point, the chief hunter was filled with profound pity, to the point that tears flowed from his eyes. He lowered his head and said: "The problem is, how do you expect Hatyan and his sister Sadirat to abandon you and their mother and travel away to another continent to live while you both are alive and not dead?"

At this question, Satyan's mind was deeply troubled. Right then, a flood of tears poured from his eyes, and he said: "Our separation from them at this time is what is best between us. If they refuse to leave, then in the future they will be forced to leave when there is no longer time."

With a misunderstanding, the chief hunter said: "I don't understand what you mean." Satyan said: "I don't want you to understand it fully, but you must compel Hatyan to take his sister, leave the continent entirely, and forget about us. If destiny permits us to meet again, we shall meet in the future. I and their mother will await you when Hatyan returns from hunting."

Having said this, old man Satyan stood up, took the chief hunter's hands, and raised him to his feet. They gazed into each other's eyes, then Satyan said: "Thank you, my friend. Thank you for this advice you brought me and for this secret about my son that you revealed to me. Truly, you are a true lover; I will never forget you. May God preserve this friendship of ours, which dates back to the days of parents and grandparents. The house of blacksmiths and the house of hunters have become like one blood. Know that I feel in my body I will not last long; my time is near. Therefore, I leave my family in your trust. Do your utmost to protect them and give them good counsel."

When old man Satyan reached this point in his speech, tears flowed from the chief hunter, and he embraced him, saying: "I swear by the greatness of my parents, I will hold this trust of yours with both hands until the end of my life."

They wept together for a long time, then the master blacksmith bade him farewell, and he left.

Over at the royal palace, early in the evening, King Shamsal was sitting in the lounge with his wife relaxing when she looked at him and said: "My husband, know that whenever I look at you, joy overwhelms me because I am married to the unmatched heroic warrior of this continent, and I possess the king unmatched in glory and wealth. I am the one married to the champion who has won the tournament of heroes twenty-one times across this entire continent. You still hold the crown of this tournament."

When Queen Sharifa reached this point in her speech, joy overwhelmed him; he burst into joyful laughter, then looked at her and said: "Indeed, everything you said is true. Let me even show you."

King Shamsal stood up, walked into his inner chamber, and opened a large trunk which he hadn't opened for a full year since returning from the tournament of heroes held in the city of Rum. As he opened the trunk, behold, there was a crown—a crown of royalty made entirely of pure white pearls. This championship crown he had won the previous year. King Shamsal took this crown and brought it to the living room to show Sharifa.

At that exact moment, Prince Zainur ran into the living room in high spirits, calling out to the king. By bad luck, they collided with each other, and the crown slipped from his hands, falling to the floor. Immediately, the crown fractured and split into two pieces. This incident quickly infuriated the king; he didn't realize when he raised his hand to slap Prince Zainur, but he stopped short.

Seeing this, tears welled up in Zainur's eyes, and he knelt on his knees before the king, pleading for forgiveness and saying: "Father, forgive me. Truly, this crown is of utmost value to you because ever since my childhood up to my adulthood, you have never scolded me, let alone attempted to insult me, but today you even attempted to beat me. If you have forgiven me, grant me permission to take this crown to be repaired myself."

When Prince Zainur reached this point in his speech, King Shamsal's heart softened. He grasped Prince Zainur's shoulders, raised him to his feet with a smile, and said: "Very well, my son, I have forgiven you. But know that across this entire land, no one can repair this crown and return it to its original state except the blacksmith Satyan. Seek Zamhas, who oversees the war weapons, and give him this crown to take to him."

Zainur said: "No! The hand that spoiled this crown is the one that must send it for repair. Therefore, I will have Zamhas accompany me to old man Satyan's house because I have never been there."

Hearing this, King Shamsal smiled and said: "Be polite to old man Satyan and do not do anything unbecoming toward him, because he is close to my father and his trusted confidant, which is why I also respect him."

Zainur smiled and said: "Indeed, I shall show him generosity." Immediately, Prince Zainur turned and walked out of the living room holding the fractured championship crown. Zainur went straight to Zamhas's house, arrived, showed him the problem that occurred, and asked him to accompany him to old man Satyan's house. No matter how much Zamhas tried to persuade Prince Zainur to give him the crown to take and repair, Zainur refused, insisting they go together. Immediately, horses were brought for Prince Zainur and Zamhas to ride, and twenty guards followed behind them as they set out from the royal palace.

The journey from the royal palace to old man Satyan's house took an hour. Prince Zainur and his group arrived at the house, finding old man Satyan sitting at the entrance of his workshop resting while his apprentices were hard at work. When Satyan spotted Zamhas along with the prince and the king's guards marching up to his door, his mind was deeply troubled. Fear enveloped him, and his body began to tremble. Two thoughts instantly crossed his mind: first, he suspected that somehow a major mistake had been made with the weapons forged for the king, and the king was angered and had sent for his arrest; second, the thought crossed his mind that perhaps the soothsayers had told the king that Hatyan was the boy who would seize his throne.

With extreme fortitude, Satyan stood up, leaning heavily on his walking stick, and went out to welcome them respectfully. Prince Zainur dismounted from his horse and bowed—for the first time in his life—to greet Satyan. His reasons were twofold: first, he had heard his father praise Satyan's high standing; second, he wanted Satyan to repair the championship crown so flawlessly that it looked as though it had never broken, which would delight the king.

Without wasting time, Prince Zainur brought out the crown and explained their mission. Upon hearing this, old man Satyan was filled with relief, realizing that none of his fears were true. Satyan took it, examined it carefully, smiled, and said: "In just half an hour, this crown will be completely repaired just as it was, and no one will ever be able to tell it was once broken."

Upon hearing this, Prince Zainur was filled with joy. Satyan led them into his workshop, stoked the fire, while they retired to one side, sitting on chairs to watch how the crown would be repaired in half an hour. Before the half-hour was up, old man Satyan finished repairing the crown; it returned to its exact original state, looking even more brilliant and shiny. Satyan quickly handed them the crown and dismissed them, desiring only for them to leave his doorstep.

At that moment, the sun had set, darkness was beginning to fall, and it was time for Hatyan's return from hunting. Just as Zainur and his men had mounted their horses to leave, Sadirat stepped out of the house carrying drinking water in a clay pot and a cup on a tray to bring to Satyan—her daily routine at this hour because of his work with the fire in the workshop. Sadirat was wearing a tight-fitting dress that revealed all her bodily curves.

When Prince Zainur cast his gaze and saw Sadirat, he was dazed and began swallowing saliva like someone dying of thirst who had long searched for a stream to quench his throat. Prince Zainur failed to guide his horse's reins and simply fixed his eyes on Sadirat. Sadirat, seeing him staring at her, quickly lowered her gaze and walked over to Satyan, pouring water into a cup for him to drink as usual. But she noticed that Satyan himself was unable to drink; his hand holding the cup was trembling as he stared at the prince.

At that moment, Sadirat recalled the rumors she had heard about the prince—that whenever he saw a woman he fancied, he raped her. Her heart leaped, and she did not know what to do. When Zamhas saw the prince dazed at the sight of Sadirat, he began pleading with him to leave, reminding him that the king had warned him not to do anything improper in that house. Despite Zamhas's words, the prince heard them like a fairy tale in his ear; he ignored him completely and did not heed his advice.

As Sadirat moved away from her father Satyan to pass by the prince and enter the house, the prince leaped down from his horse, blocked her path, and reached out to grab her hand. As she turned, she slapped him hard across the face.

In utter shock, the guards, Zamhas, and Satyan stood with jaws dropped in disbelief. Sadirat shouted at the prince: "Do you think I am one of the women you usually degrade in this town that you dare touch my hand? Know that approaching me is no small danger for you; go find those who are unprotected and degrade them."

When Sadirat reached this point, Prince Zainur rubbed his cheek, burst into laughter, then instantly twisted his face as if delivered a death message. He looked at her and said: "You daughter of a commoner, know that not even my father has ever slapped me, and no living creature has ever insulted me, let alone struck me. Yet today you slapped me in front of people, humiliating my dignity and honor. Now know this: I swear by the honor of my mother and father, right here before this old man of yours, I will rape you, break this hand of yours that slapped me, and sever it with my sword."

Before Sadirat could think further, Prince Zainur struck her across the face with his hand. The force of the blow knocked her down to the ground, unable to rise, while blood flowed from her mouth. Seeing this unfold, old man Satyan quickly stood up and rushed over to stop the prince from carrying out his intent. As he drew close to him, he drew...

Summary

The narrative introduces the oppressive city of Bindal, ruled by the tyrannical King Shamsal, who imposes heavy taxes, crushes commoners, and demands the lion's share of merchants' daily profits. In the southern district lives an elderly, esteemed blacksmith named Satyan, whose workshop forges weapons for the royal court. Satyan has a son named Hatyan—a secret, prodigious hunter and fierce warrior who hides his combat prowess to escape the king's paranoia—and a daughter named Sadirat.

Meanwhile, Prince Zainur, the king's abusive and lawless son, accidentally breaks the king's sacred pearl championship crown. Seeking repair, Zainur and his retinue travel to Satyan’s workshop. While there, Zainur catches sight of Sadirat and attempts to accost her. When Sadirat bravely defends herself by slapping the prince, Zainur flies into a rage, viciously strikes her to the ground, and threatens to rape her. As old man Satyan rushes forward to intervene, the chapter ends on a cliffhanger as the blacksmith draws his weapon.

Description of Analytics

• Genre: Epic fantasy / Action fiction / Hausa literary tradition (Littafin Taron Mutuwa).
• Narrative Structure: Multi-perspective storytelling focusing on world-building (the tyrannical regime of Bindal), character backgrounds (Satyan's workshop, Hatyan's secret prowess), and escalating tension culminating in a high-stakes confrontation.
• Thematic Elements:
  • Tyranny vs. Powerlessness: The sharp divide between the ruling elite (King Shamsal and Prince Zainur) and the oppressed commoners.
  • Hidden Identity & Destiny: Hatyan's concealed exceptional abilities mirroring classic "hidden hero" tropes.
  • Honor and Protection: Familial loyalty, particularly Hatyan and Satyan's protective instincts over Sadirat.
• Character Archetypes:
  • The Tyrant & Antagonist: King Shamsal and Prince Zainur (embodying unchecked power, abuse, and lawlessness).
  • The Humble Artisan: Old man Satyan (industrious, peace-loving, and fiercely protective).
  • The Hidden Champion: Hatyan (formidable, disciplined, and cautious).
  • The Courageous Heroine: Sadirat (virtuous, hard-working, and fiercely defensive of her dignity).

Comments on Keywords

• Awani zamani / Zamanin da: Establishes a traditional folktale/epic storytelling cadence, signaling a timeless historical or mythic setting.
• Sarki Shamsal: Represents absolute, unchecked autocratic authority and institutional cruelty.
• Birnin Bindal: The central setting; symbolic of a prosperous yet politically corrupt and oppressive metropolis.
• Makeri Satyan: Represents integrity, traditional craftsmanship, and the vulnerable working class tied to the ruling elite through necessary service.
• Hatyan & Sadirat: Key sibling motifs representing hidden generational resistance, moral fortitude, and familial sacrifice against tyranny.
• Kambu (The Crown): A crucial plot device serving as the catalyst that brings the royal oppressors directly into contact with the hidden artisan family.