Chapter 68

"Snakes?" He gave a puzzled look. "What a way to switch topics."

"I'm serious." She stated, slowly edging backward as if trying to flee from something dangerous.

"Who doesn't fear snakes?" He scoffed. "I mean, most are poisonous and they could cause death." He explained, still unaware of what she was staring at behind him.

"Alright, do not try to follow me then...because they want me, not you." 

"What are you talking about?" He asked, perplexed and his smile morphing into a serious look.

"Just don't follow me!" As she said this, she spun around and immediately took to her heels, and much to Vincent's surprise, he saw four snakes shoot past him, making him flinch in alarm as they slithered quickly through the dead-leaves-littered ground of the forest and gave chase to Ewatomi.

"Blood of Jesus!" Vincent uttered, eyes wide in shock. When he tried to follow, one snake took a sharp turn to face him then lunged its head at him and he stopped and staggered backward, wondering if the snake had read his mind. When he moved to his left and attempted to walk past the snake, it turned that way, jaws open, fangs ready to bite.

 When he turned the other way, the snake imitated his movement too. Getting the message clear that it didn't want him to follow them, Vincent lifted his hands in surrender and slowly backed away from the serpent, and it finally turned and slithered quickly towards the direction the others had taken. 

After it left, Vincent decided that this was the best time to follow and find out why the snakes were after Ewatomi. He had only taken a step forward when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. When he turned his head to look, he was surprised at whom he saw. "Princess!" Seeing her from up close, he realized that she had also painted her body in several colors and her serpentine eyes were now even more obvious but alluring.

Kikelomo walked around him to stand in his front. "What are you doing here all by yourself?" She asked with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Vincent swallowed hard. "How did you find me?"

"I was beginning to get worried that you didn't attend the festival, but when I saw your colleagues, I knew that you had to be somewhere close." She answered. "You know, for your own safety, you shouldn't wander too far away from the village, or you just might get lost or stumble upon what you can't challenge."

"I serve a living God who's afraid of nothing." Vincent boldly answered.

Kikelomo scoffed. "I like your guts, but don't be a brave fool, priest...your god has no say here."

"Did you see the snakes that just came this way?" He asked.

"Snakes?" Kikelomo feigned ignorance. "I saw nothing out of the ordinary. I mean if you saw snakes, it shouldn't really surprise you when you know that they live in this forest...if anything, you're the one intruding their territory."

"But these snakes were different...I have never in my life seen different species move together with a uniformed mind. They gave chase like they had an intent. Normal snakes don't act that way."

"And what would you know about the natural behavior of snakes? You are no snake specialist, my love.".

Vincent frowned in surprise now. "Your love?" He asked, hoping he had not heard her right.

But she only smiled and said, "Come..." She slipped her arm around his elbow, turning them around towards the village now. "Do not bother yourself about anything for now. Let's return to the festival and have a good time." She began to lead him away.

"But-" Vincent started to protest but she placed a slender finger across his lips.

"Shrrrr! Say nothing more, priest... Just pretend you saw nothing." She said and began to lead him towards the village and he reluctantly followed.

                                                                                   ★★★

After Ewatomi had run a great distance, trying to escape from the snakes which she knew had come to hurt her, she suddenly burst out at the stream then came to an abrupt halt in the shallow part, instantly turning around to face her adversaries as she panted hard from having to run that great distance. 

With a mean and intimidating look on her face, she braced herself for a challenge. The four serpents that had chased her, soon appeared from different angles and instantly shapeshifted into Ifede, Fisayo, Abisola and Ronke who all had sinister smiles plastered on their faces as they stared at her under their brows like predators ready to pounce.

"We have you cornered finally." Abisola hissed.

"You have nowhere else to run, Ige." Ifede said. "You are all ours!"

"And after hiding away like a coward for weeks, we finally found you." Ronke chuckled sinisterly. "Who would have thought that you'd appear at the festival."

"Perhaps, she was attracted by something charming- the priest." Fisayo who had been the one to intimidate the priest in her serpent-form said. "I wonder what he has that you and the princess find him irresistible...But I should warn you, Kike doesn't share."

"What do you all want?!" Ewatomi asked. "I have done you no harm, why come after me?!" Ewatomi stated.

"Of course, you have done us no harm, but it doesn't stop us from doing so to you." Abisola leered.

"Also, because you are a competition that needs to be gotten rid of." Ronke stated. "The fact that you even breathe irritates the princess very much."

"I'll give you all a chance to walk away without getting hurt!" Ewatomi warned, trying to hide how nervous she was. "Leave now and I'll spare you!" She tried to intimidate them.

The maidens exchanged glances, threw their heads back and laughed.

"Wrrrrr!" Ifede trembled. "See how scared we are." She said ironically and took the first bold step forward towards Ewatomi then said slowly with a malicious look on her face. "Ige, you'll go down on your knees and submit yourself to the princess' authority or you shall die like those who have dared to go against us!"

"I, Ewatomi, will never submit to anybody! Never!" Ewatomi stated, warily glancing from one maiden to the other as they began to slowly come down to the stream towards her.

"You have a death-wish then and I'll be more than happy to oblige you, Ige!" Fisayo stated, stepping forward.

"I feel more sorry for you all, you dark agents! Your ends are nigh! Leave now while you still can!" Ewatomi warned, her voice trembling a bit.

"We are not afraid of you." Ronke said with a sinister look under her brows. "We shall enjoy watching you suffer!" 

"So be it! You brought this upon yourselves!" Ewatomi suddenly shot out her arms to her side to command the waters to do her bidding, but the water trembled and feebly swelled up at her sides, but suddenly crashed back uselessly into the stream. Panicking now as the undaunted maidens stared at her with amused looks on their faces, Ewatomi tried to command the water again, but it wouldn't maintain its posture nor adhere to her bidding and only crashed a second and third time.

Realizing what was going on, all the maidens smirked now

"What now?" Abisola teased. "Can't command just a little water or cast a spell on us so that we vomit toads every time we speak?"

"Know what?" Ifede sneered, "You can try that trick of yours. Bit remember that we are snakes and snakes eat toads for dessert!" She flung out her forked tongue and licked around her lips.

"Poor, poor Ige... The news about your waning powers will be music to Kike's ears, that, I can assure you." Fisayo smirked. 

"How about we stop messing around and just take her out! I can't wait to hear her screams and see the streams wash her blood away." Ronke impatiently stated.

"Good idea...we have played enough..." Abisola agreed.

As they all shot their arms towards her to strike her, Oyediran suddenly appeared from the bush at the other side of the stream, jumped behind Ewatomi and blew a cloud of white powder from a leaf at the maidens before they could recover from their surprise. 

Immediately, the powder surrounded and settled on them, they started to scream, their arms flailing in the air as they blindly moved around, trying to get away from the powder since they were highly irritated by it. When blood began to seep from their ears and nose, without hesitating, they shapeshifted back into snakes and slithered away as quickly as they could.

Ewatomi who had cowered and had shielded her head with her arms when the maidens had shot out their arms to strike her with their powers, tentatively lifted her head now, surprised that the maidens were gone. 

When she turned to look at her side and she saw Oyediran, tears pooled in her eyes and without a word, she threw herself into her grandfather's arms who embraced her and began to rub her back as she struggled to fight back her tears. She had never cried since she was born as a human baby and being able to do so, meant that she was becoming more human which was to her detriment.

"What would have happened to me if you hadn't come when you did?" She softly asked against her grandfather's chest. 

"I don't know..." Oyediran said after heaving a sigh. He understood how she was feeling and felt sorry for her. "...but it wouldn't have been good... You can't fight them, Ewatomi; not like this. Things have changed and you are no match for them." He told her truthfully. "That sacred powder wouldn't have stopped Kikelomo or Bukunmi."

Ewatomi slowly pulled away from his chest to stare up into his face in despair. "I couldn't even command something as simple as the water to protect myself. I was completely defenseless! I was completely at their mercy, grandfather!" She lamented.

"I know, but it's a good thing that I sensed that you are in danger and I came as quickly as I could... You have to accept reality now, Ewatomi. The water doesn't answer to you anymore."

"If the water will not do my bidding anymore, how long will you continue to protect me this way, Oyediran? I can't depend on you all my life! What if you don't come on time when next they strike? What then? Am I supposed to keep running for the rest of my life or hiding like a gutless cat? I'm Ewatomi, and I bring justice to the defenseless and innocent, and war to evildoers, but look at me now, I'm completely useless! Never have I felt this helpless before, never!"

Oyediran held her shoulders now and stared into her eyes. "Then you have to do what you are supposed to, Ewatomi. Set your pride aside and go do what you ought to have done years ago! You might only have a few months left to your exile, but it's enough for Kike and her ruthless group to end your life! The time has come for you to go the source, and you have no choice."

Ewatomi sighed now and nodded. Swallowing hard, she glanced down the stream then turned to look at her grandfather. "Stay safe." She told him. Turning away from her him, she started to run downstream, splashing water each time her feet landed in it as she headed for the river.

                                                                                ★★★

It was late noon when Ewatomi finally reached the river. Coming to a halt at the river bank, she glanced around and realized that it was deserted because almost everyone in the village was converged at the Yam Festival and fishing was prohibited on this day.

 Placing a hand over her brow, to block out the sun, she squinted at the distance to see if any fisherman had sailed out into the open river. When she had confirmed that there was no fisherman on the water, she called out loud now,

"MOTHER!" She waited for a moment for a response, but when she none came, she called again. "MOTHERRR!" She patiently waited for any visible ripples on the surface of the water but when the water still remained calm, she yelled out, "I know you can hear me! I know that you already know my plight! 

If you love me like you have always claimed, this is the right time to show it! Prove it to me and do not leave me at the mercy of my adversaries! I've expended the powers you left me with when you sent me on exile, and I can assure you that they were never used for selfish reasons nor in rage but for the good of the villagers!

 Please, mother, give me that which is rightfully mine! You have punished me enough for twenty-four years and five months! Do not let this punishment tarry any longer, for I'm helpless in this realm and my adversaries seek my destruction! Please help me! Do not make me an object of ridicule! 

Say something or appear to me! Pleeaaasssse!" She begged then waited, looking for any peculiar signs in the water but there were still none. 

"MOTHER!!!" She cried out in frustration now. "Do not seal your ears to me! Do not play blind to my plight! You are my last hope and there's no other person that I can go to for help! Mother, please answer me!" She begged in a teary voice and began to fidget now as her despair grew.

 "Will you leave me unanswered?!" She angrily asked now as she became upset at Osun's deafening silence. "Would you rather that I died?! Will that please you very much?! Will it? Do you hate me so much that you'll not even give me the slightest sign that you are at least listening to me? You have cast me away from your presence and have denied me access to home, is that how much you hate me?!" 

She started to breathe heavily as she glanced from one end of the river to the other and when she still saw no sign, she lost it. "Know what? You are no different!" She angrily accused, now fuming. "If anything, I inherited my anger from you! You are selfish! You care so much about your pride more than anything else!

 You are unforgiving and cold-hearted! And I blame you for my mother's death! Yes, you caused her death with your overprotective and overbearing attitude! If you were a good mother, she would have been able to confide in you about her human lover, but she knew that you wouldn't approve because you are would bring an instant end to it! You push everyone away from you and that's what you have done to grandfather all these years without any guilt! Yes, that's what you are good at! Your conscience is dead!"

When she realized that Osun still didn't answer her despite her angry words, Ewatomi spat, "Fine! Don't say anything! Do not help me either! I don't need your help anymore! If I perish, I perish, and it will all be on your head! But hear me this day, I'll never forgive you, Osun! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! From now on, you are no longer my mother!