Amongst Titans and Monsters.

Funny how Aiye and Iku are lovers. One the embodiment of life, creation, and the earth itself, while the other is the personification of death, mayhem, and destruction.

"I am not particularly happy to see you lot, but I am happy that you are all here, I didn't want to be the only one to go talk to our fathers... Well, one of them," Aiye said.

"Well, I don't even care if you're alive or not, but... What the hell are you talking about now?" Imo asked.

"We need to go to Ireh right this moment, brothers! I was instructed by Ogun the god of iron to gather all of you there... Right now!" Aiye replied.

"You mean to tell me that Ogun, the arrogant god of iron, who chose to lock us all up for so long a time and stay silent, finally decides to have a chat? Wonders shall never end," Iku murmured.

"Yes, Iku. That very same god would wish to have some words. You dare say no to him?" Aiye replied, smiling at him mischievously. Iku stared back, maintaining his stern look.

"Well, since you lack the balls to say no to your father, off we go then," she bent down to touch the ground. A tiny sprout suddenly emerged and in few seconds it grew into a large baobab tree. She then proceeded to touch the tree and it opened into two, revealing a space that was shining like crystal.

"What would Ogun be doing in a prison world, Aiye?" Esan asked.

"Well, you can ask him when you see him, big brother," Aiye replied without paying him much attention.

"By the gods, you are still very irksome, just as I remembered you to be, little sister.

"Well then, ladies first," she laughed as she pointed at the shiny space. The spirits marched in one after another and I followed behind them, but when I was about to go into the space, Aiye stopped me. She provided a leaf from her hand and gave it to me.

"Here, eat this. It'll reduce the striking headache you're about to have," she said.

"Headache?" I asked.

"I am sure you are not used to travelling through space and time, so yeah...you are about to have the worst headaches of your life."

I wanted to say something else before she grabbed and pushed me into the space. It began to feel like I was falling for days and then all of a sudden I was somewhere else.

The place looked like a precolonial Yoruba Village, with precolonial styled buildings but I couldn't see anybody around, not even Esan and the others. I walked around until I suddenly heard whispers. I decided to follow the whispers even though I could not make out the words, they were not in any language I understood.

After walking for a while I came across a shadowy figure on his knees with his back turned to me. He wasn't human, I could immediately figure that out by his size. He was as tall as Esan in his true form.

"Hello," I said to him. It was the first thing I said since I got there and I was so surprised of how my words echoed back at me.

The shadowy figure unexpectedly turned his face towards me and it was a thing if horror. Sharp jagged teeth filled its large mouth and large horns like that of a mountain ram curved from both sides if its forehead to the rear of its head. The creature's bulgy red eyes sighted me and it speedily came running after me, screaming "Intruder!" I ran but my effort to escape was a futile one. It pounced upon me and I screamed with all my strength. It suddenly stopped when I thought I was about to be ripped to pieces, then It started to retreat in fear. I looked up and Iku stood over me also in his true form.

"I found her!"he screamed and the others came running towards us.

There I was, amongst these titans and monsters, in this odd place. Esan extended his hand to me and I took it. He pulled me up to my feet and asked if I was okay.

"Hell no! I am not okay! I am not even close to being okay! Where the hell are we? And what the fuck was that thing that almost killed me?" I protested bitterly.

"Welcome to Ireh. Ogun's prison world, designed to incarcerate the worsts of the worst of Eledumare's creations," Aiye murmured.

"Stay close at all times, Abike. If you get lost in here, you're lost forever. The place is designed to keep things in, even gods," Esan explained.

"It kept the dark god and his minions at bay for a long time until he eventually found a way out and almost destroyed all of existence. Even Ogun who created this dump hole hated it. I fear if he's really here then it's not by choice," Iku added.

"Are you trying to say somehow, someone found a way to lock Ogun up in his own prison?" Imo giggled.

"I reckon so," Esan replied.

"We at least have to find him first," Imo said, looking more serious now. The thought of Ogun being imprisoned got him worried somehow.

"Aren't you the one with the knowledge of the universe? Can't you find him?" Iku asked.

"Well, we're in Ireh, genius! A place designed to keep beings like us locked up? Do you get it?" Imo snapped at Iku.

"Hello, visitors of Ogun the god of iron," a gentle voice interrupted the chaos that was going on.

We all suddenly paid attention to the character that appeared out of nowhere. He was cladded in a black tattered robe that also covered his face. His eyes shone bright white under the hood.

"I am a creation of your father...well, one of your fathers. I am Irindiyan and I am his servant here.

"He sent me to bring you to him so that your meeting can start immediately, we have no time to waste. Come with me quickly," he turned and we all followed him reluctantly.

"Is that a metal man? I can not feel his soul," Iku said.

"That is because it has none, brother. It is indeed a metal man. Nasty creatures of Ogun's hand," Esan affirm.

"You mean a robot?" I asked.

"Well, a robot would be a watered down version when you humans eventually figure out how to make them... If you don't get destroyed before then," Iku replied.

We followed the metal man for until we reached a hut surrounded by palm trees, and as we entered the hut a hoarse voice greeted us:

"Welcome my children. Let us begin immediately," he said.