Chapter 34:Awọn igbesẹ mi si titobi. (My steps to greatness.)14

Before we all departed to hunt our various games, Baba gave us a pendant necklace, a dog canine tooth as it's pendant which act as a magnet to attract us back to him when it is time to go no matter where we are and also for protection, and he gave us each a mystical red ribbon mystified with cowries and charms which he tied on our wrists.....He bond each of us with it per group without telling us its uses and just giving us his blessings and bade us good luck.

So far so good, Sonya and I hunting could be classified as the most simplest among others whose are one tough games to get like The alligator lizard, bush rat, hare, rabbit and so on.

Theirs could be seen as so difficult in the surface while ours is the reverse case.

The chameleon is said to buy his camouflage every day from his special customers, and that's why reverse is our case.

We journeyed into the forest in peaceful silence, side by side because of the ribbon until we came up to an iroko tree, I felt something strange and a feeling surge inside me like it was forced awake by an unknown noise... but this isn't a matter of noise.... but something far beyond that.

I stopped midway and asked " Ṣe o lero ajeji? Nkankan ajeji? (Do you feel strange? Anything weird?)"

Sonya shook his head and asked with a worry look on his face what was it that I felt, my reply was negative and pretended I never spoke to him, just walking pulling him roughly behind me.

Once we walked under the tree, a sinistral cackling then an howling was heard behind us, I paused a little with Sonya giving me a puzzled look but shrugged it off and continued walking and I heard it again, but this time it was coming right in front of us.

"Ṣe o le gbọ? ( Sonya can you hear it?)"

" Rara (No)"

I used a finger to clean my ear severally, probably I was hearing things.

But.....

I never saw the source of the sounds at first, I thought it was the tree but this time.....

A huge woman dressed in black, tribal marks which looked like a serpent, live when she breathe in and out on her face laying ambush for its prey ready to spit out venom at any time, Two horns like a goat horn on her head, her eyes were pure black, legs separated and hand that looks like a lion paw on her waist " E duro gbe( stop right there)"

Both Sonya and I definitely stopped in our tracks with us exchanging looks with different meanings.

"A ti duro ( We have stopped.)" I told her with me standing at akimbo.

So that was what and why I was feeling weird.

She eyed us as if she will devour us anytime soon " Kini o nse ninu igbo mi? Igi mi? (What are you doing in my forest? My tree?)"

I laughed "Igbó rẹ? Igi rẹ? ( Your forest? Your tree?)"

The woman cackled before looking at me with a sinister look " Agutan eyikeyi ti o ba wọ inu kiniun ko wa laaye (Any lamb that enters the lion never comes alive)"

I Shrugged "Ṣugbọn .....( But ....)" i took a quick glance at the boy beside me,He was staring at me with an expression on his face that shouts ' I am confused' and I gave him a look that whispers ' I will explain later' Then we exchanged a look of agreement. I went back to the creature in front of us "kọlọkọlọ Bo ta laaye ( the fox came out alive)"

She laughed, a type of laughter that send chills down your spine " Eṣinṣin ile ti o tẹle oku sinu iboji le ma ye (The housefly that follows the corpse into the grave might never survive)"

I replied her with all due respect "Lẹhinna iwọ ni oku .... ati awa .... ( Then you are the corpse.... and we....)" I gripped Sonya's hand so tight that nothing could ever separate me from him "awa ni alafọfọ( we are the mourners)"

The woman stared at me with bloodlust as fangs began to grow till it reached her chin , her lion paws hands begat claws and a pair of black wings grew from her back, so big.

I was supposed to be scared like I should for a girl of my age, instead, I looked up the sky realising she has eaten the sun without me taking notice.

Such creatures walk in the dark, so they rather eat the sun during the day to hide behind the shadows than to be exposed.

She has crossed the line, at first I thought I should play hide and seek with her but no, she has really crossed the line by eating the sun. Everywhere became dark and different shadows began to arise from every corner. "Mu oorun wa pada! ( Bring back the sun!)" I glared at her with so much boldness I could inquire from holding his hand.

She cackled " Tani iwọ lati ba mi sọrọ bi iyẹn (Who are you to talk to me like that)"

Instead of giving her a responsive answer to that obvious foolish question, I sat down dragging Sonya down with me, my hands on my knees supporting my chin watching the barking dog with keen interest ' Interesting'

Probably when she saw I didn't respond, she flared up as she opened her mouth so wide that she could swallow the whole village then a long forked tongue came rushing out from the widely opened mouth. I didn't move an inch, still in my position watching her with fake surprise because she is a rare spectacle..... Beautiful!

The tongue rushed towards where I was still but couldn't touch me because an invisible barrier was formed which took me by surprise. She tried again and again but it didn't touch a strand of hair on my head.

" Bani o sibẹsibẹ (Tired yet?)" I asked lazily as I was busy playing with the leaves of a weed " Ahhh.... Probably try one more time?" I stared at her with my hands raised in encouragement " Jọwọ, lẹẹkan sii (One more time, please)"

She hissed as she spreads out her wrings and launched into the air like a bullet " Ẹnikẹni ti o ba wọ inu igbo mi gbọdọ ku pẹlu okunkun hahaha (Anyone that steps into my forest must die with darkness hahaha.)"

My eyes followed her every step, though everywhere was so dark that you would even feel it on your skin, I could see her clearly, her every scheming sinistral movement to devour me, I saw it all; Just pretended not to see it since there was a thick invisible barrier between us.

She flew up to the height of the iroko tree and brought out an arrow from her belly, using her third hand.... wait she grew two more hands, making it four hands she had... she used the third hand as a bow and the fourth to break off a branch of the tree then she aimed at me at once and threw both the arrow and branch at me.

' Good'

I moved into action, I beat the ground thrice and spat on it twice. Immediately, the earth obeyed my command, it shook heavily at her side that I could feel the vibration from my side.

All her weapons fell to the ground before getting to me and turned to dust, while she fell down heavily like an overripe mango screeching trying to get herself together.

After what I did, I clapped my hands twice and whistle till she caught fire....Fire so hot.... hotter than the fire my mom use to cook...it was blue and green....so hot... It's glow brought forth light.

She screeched in pain rubbing her body on the floor to rub off the fire but it was in vain.... She screamed so loud that it was deafening.

With my hands folded on my chest, I springed up to my feet " Ṣe o nifẹ gaan lati jolo? Lẹhinna jo diẹ sii fun mi? (You really love to bark? Then bark more for me?)" I marched forward with Sonya behind me but not passing the boundary, I knew I had a smirk on my lips "Tsk tsk tsk, nitorina o ko ni jolo? ( Tsk tsk tsk, so you won't bark?)" I whistle again and the intensity of the fire increased along with the screaming.

" What are you? Ha...." In-between her screams she was able to get out that foolish question....Fool!

"Ọmọbinrin ni mi ..... Ọmọbinrin ọdun mọkanla ( I am a girl.....An eleven years-old girl)" I gave her a biffiting answer to her stupid question.

She stared at me with mixed emotions of disbelief and pain "Iyẹn ko ṣee ṣe .... o gbona .... ah Mo n sun ... o n jo mi ( That's not possible.... it's hot....ah I'm burning... it's burning me)"

I stared at her blankly " Lẹhinna gbọnu oorun ... hmmm ... BAYI! (Then vomit the sun...hmmm... NOW!)" I mustered all the boldness deep inside to raise my voice to a commanding pitch " Or rather born to death" I whistle multiple times and the fire intensity kept on increasing, when a gentle voice sounded beside me

"Jọwọ fi ọwọ kan aanu ( Please tamper justice with mercy)" A tall figure walked to my front blocking my view.

' What'

The person began to speak with a gentle voice "Ma binu fun titẹsi igbo rẹ ati idamu alafia rẹ. Iya awọn igbo marun ni abule yii, olutọju oloootitọ ti igbe ti igbo, ọkan ti o tẹle si ase, Ẹniti o ja pẹlu Aye lati ṣetọju iwontunwonsi, A banujẹ fun wahala wa ( We are sorry for entering your forest and disturbing your peace. The mother of the five forests in this village, the faithful keeper of the living of the forest, the one next to ase, The one who fought with Aye to maintain balance, We are sorry for our trouble.)"

In disbelief, I stepped forward and looked at the person....On his face, there was a smile.... with an hint of deviousness... and his eyes glowed red...I blinked my eyes several times and opened it just to see a respectful smile and a pleading eyes....

' Was it my imagination?'

The woman didn't reply just screeching in pain as the fire burns through her bones.

He continued when he saw that she didn't respond " A wa nibi fun awọn ọmọ rẹ. Kan fun wa ni meji a o si kuro (We are here for your children. Just give us two of them and we will leave)"

The woman glared at him though in serious agony " Ha...I won't give you?"

As soon as she said that, an huge figurine appeared beside us, its body slender, head big like a watermelon, on its chest are two big breast, its eyes are like the black cat that always mourn, its mouth were thin and flat likewise its nose, its hands were claws and in its hands were cain....A very long cain, slim and long.

I thought it came for us but when it began to march towards her, lifting its legs like an old man whose legs are weak but, its legs weren't weak, they were strong and powerful covering what was supposed to be a step at time for a human, it covered three huge steps at a time.

The woman due to pain she couldn't move an inch even when tried her best possible.

She kept on screaming " Agemo e jo...e sha nu fun mi ( Deity please.... have mercy on me )",

' Agemo? Who called upon him?'

Agemo is the deity worshipped in my village, it is notable for expelling goats and nuturing sheeps. Making lion out of a pig, a tiger out of a chicken, an ant out of an elephant and and elephant out of an ant.

It began to flog her as its lips were moving as if its was saying something.

I stared at the person who interrupted me ' I thought he said he could see her? I deserve an explanation' True, I need an explanation..... and for the deity, probably it was the red ribbon that called upon him.

The deity spoke, voice deep and low "ohun ti wọn fẹ fun wọn nitori gbogbo wọn ko jẹ ti emi ( what they want give to them because all are mine not yours)" With that,he whipped he hard breaking off the horns on her head, the impact made blood gush out and then the wings.... everything were down proving that the woman was no match for Agemo.

She pointed a bloody finger out a place to the Northwest of the forest, with that Agemo streched its hand towards that direction while using the other to flog her, in a twinkle of an eye, two chameleon were giving to us with a blessing before sending us back to baba using teleportation spell.

Everywhere became brighter.... looked like she vomited the sun....I can't wait to see and tell my mom and baba everything that happened.