Seize Control

Elim was already miles away from Akwara village after travelling for a whole day but he couldn't stop thinking about Asha. Sometimes, he wondered if he had made the right decision leaving her in that village with the bitter Ada and her family. But he had nothing to fear from them. They knew what he was capable of if one hair from Asha's head was missing. 

He must focus on meeting with the wealthy man from Maribah and find another way into Maribah to kill the king. 

He quietly tied his horse to a tree and pulled his hood over his head, hoping he wouldn't be discovered by the same men who had run him out of the city. He knew not how to reach the rich man but he hoped that somehow the man would reach out to him so he could begin making plans on how to infiltrate Maribah. 

He stood in front of the same inn where he had met the loose woman whose husband had fought him and wondered if he should go in. But there was no other way for him to reach the rich man if he didn't make it into the inn. 

Lowering his head as he studied his environment, he entered the inn and sat close to the exit, just in case there was trouble. Ordering wine and meat, he kept watch for any sign of the rich man's presence but he only noticed the same woman from before charming another unsuspecting man nearby. A pang of regret hit him as the man smiled at her and followed her into the inn. But Elim couldn't intervene since his mission came first.. 

Suddenly, a gentle tap on his shoulder drew his attention to a teenage boy standing behind him. "I know who you seek, and he asked for you to follow me," the boy whispered. Skeptical yet hopeful, Elim followed, clutching his sword tightly in case of any ambush.

Through the back side of the door the boy led him until they got to the same place he and the man had met the first time. 

He gave the boy some money and walked in alone to speak to the man. The door opened and the wealthy man from Maribah welcomed Elim. 

"I bear no good news! The king still lives!" Elim declared as he entered, observing the rich man's face contort with dismay.

"I believed you to be the most capable for this task, chosen precisely for your great hatred towards the king. How did you fail?" the man interrogated, his anger evident as he paced.

"I did not come here to endure your chastisement. I came seeking a solution. Surely, you must possess knowledge of an alternative method for me to access the king and complete my mission. Perhaps you have your own spy?" Elim retorted, his frustration mounting.

"I have no spy, no resources. If I had such a connection, I would not require your services. My only advantage was knowledge of a secret passage from my noble days. But now, with the king aware of your identity, I see no viable entrance into Maribah," the man explained with a hint of despair.

"Hmmph! Unacceptable!" Elim grunted, feeling the weight of his failure crushing him. Without vengeance for his family's suffering, he saw no peace in his future.

"Listen, my friend. I share your desire for the king's demise. But even the most skilled assassin cannot succeed alone. You need an ally within Maribah. Do you have anyone? Perhaps your own mother, the queen?" the man suggested.

"My mother who has lived with the king for many years? My mother who did nothing when he banished me from Maribah? You've made a most useless suggestion"

"But I was only thinking of a way into Maribah… can't you see we need some from within?"

"Enough of your counsel! I require no assistance to accomplish my task. I will eliminate the king, with or without your aid!" Elim retorted defiantly.

"Just think about it, Elim. More allies is what we need"

He stormed out, the wealthy man's warning to be cautious echoed behind him.

Craving a drink to calm his nerves and clear his mind, Elim convinced himself he needed no assistance to carry out the king's demise. This belief echoed in his thoughts as he returned to the inn where he had stayed.

Just as he stepped inside, he witnessed the same scene that had happened to him: the woman's husband brutally attacking another man while she begged for mercy.

He must leave this terrible village soon. Elim reminded himself of the importance of keeping to the shadows as he retreated to his room. He wanted no trouble. Try as he might, sleep eluded him as the day turned to night. His mind fixated on the wealthy man's suggestion of finding allies within Maribah. How was he to achieve this? Maybe it was time to put Asha to good use.

——

Odomudo knew he had to search every village to find Asha. So, he went from village to village, turning them upside down just to locate her.

In each place, he forcefully dragged out screaming young girls Asha's age from their houses while their parents wailed. After inspecting them, he threw them back to their families. Any family that refused to cooperate faced his wrath - he beat them up and set their homes ablaze. Leaving destruction in his wake, he continued his relentless search for Asha.

The king had paid him handsomely to find the little girl and bring her back to Maribah. And he promised himself he would find her, no matter how long it took.

Odumudo's search for Asha preceded him, and soon the little villages along the way knew he was searching for a young girl. But someone like Asha remained unaware that Odomudo was desperately looking for her.

That morning, she watched from the back of the house, a small part of her hoping that Elim would come back for her. Another part told her to take control of her life and forget him.

She walked back into the drinking parlour to tidy the tables before the men came in for late afternoon's drinks. She was no longer a slave to Ada's parents but they had refused to pay her so she could find her way out of Akwara village. With no money, she had no choice but to stay and work for them. 

As she cleaned the room, she noticed a young man staring at her from where he sat. Paying him no mind, she continued her work, only to observe Ada walking out to him.

"You are up so early! Seems you need more than just some drinks to keep you worn out. I am more than enough to quench whatever thirst you might have" Ada remarked, eyeing the young man. He was different from their usual customers, young and handsome, and Ada couldn't help but feel drawn to him. He seemed affluent, like someone who could change her life. However, as she flirted with him, she noticed his gaze kept drifting towards Asha.

"I'm sure you can quench my thirst. I've heard about your reputation. But it's not you I desire. I want her," he said with a smile, his eyes still fixed on Asha.

"You want her? The things I can do for you, she can't even come close. She has no experience" Ada countered, feeling a pang of jealousy.

"It's her I want. Tell me what her name is" he insisted firmly.

"Fine! I'll leave you to it and get back to work," Ada replied haughtily.

As she made her way over to Asha, she nudged her roughly.

"What's wrong? Why are you so upset, Ada?" her mother asked.

"Every man seems to want her and not me. Somehow, I'm seen as damaged goods while she's seen as fresh and untouched. Mother, we have to change that. Before Elim returns, we need to make sure she's no longer the virgin she acts like, so he won't want her again!" Ada hissed with venom, her and her mother's gaze fixed on Asha as she continued to clean tables, oblivious to the young admirer watching her and the other men gradually streaming in, their eyes on Asha too.

Asha had resolved to avoid the table of the young man who kept staring at her, and she did just that. She wanted none of that attention. However, he approached her himself when he noticed her avoidance. There was something intriguing about her, Nse thought as he approached the pretty and slender Nena, who moved about with a grace more fitting for a nobleman's daughter than a servant.

"You're not from around here, I can tell. Anyone can see you don't belong in a place like this. What's a delicate and beautiful young lady like yourself doing in a tavern like this?" he smiled as she quickly glanced at him and moved to another table.

"I understand why you're avoiding me. But I assure you, I mean no harm. I'm a merchant from Aku village, and I am here for some business while I rest in this place. I expected drinks and conversations with men when I came here, but when I saw you, I knew things would be different."

Asha turned to look at him again. He seemed confident, wealthy, yet somehow gentler than the other men she encountered in the tavern. He was different from Elim. Bold but gentle in the way he spoke. But she wasn't supposed to talk to anyone just as Elim had instructed, so she gathered her cleaning supplies and attempted to return to the kitchen without a word. However, he blocked her path.

"I'm sorry to do this, but I just want a moment, even if it's just to know your name, young maiden. I don't mean to trouble you, but I'd like to hear just a little time to get to know you."

"I'm not that kind of girl. Please let me through," Asha replied firmly.

"I'm not that kind of man either. That's why I turned down Ada when she offered herself to me. I don't want that kind of girl. I just want to be friends," he reassured her with an innocent smile.

"Mother, can you see? She's going to steal all the eligible men away from me!" Ada exclaimed.

"What do you want me to do? It's her innocence they're attracted to, and you've lost yours," her mother responded insensitively.

"But you encouraged me, Mother. You said it was the only way to keep the men coming, to keep the business booming."

"Enough! Just try and use your charm to get him too. Can't you see he looks so wealthy? Asha can't have him. Go and stop them!" Ada's mother pushed her.

Filled with frustration, Ada hurriedly made her way towards the couple to pull Asha away from the handsome young man. However, her mission was abruptly halted when another man called out for more wine. Angrily, Ada fetched a jar of wine, her eyes fixed on Asha the entire time.

"So even though I don't know your name, I would like to know you better, pretty maiden. What could have reduced you to a servant here?" Nse asked. Asha noticed Ada approaching and made a move to leave, but Nse still wouldn't let her go.

"Promise me, please that you will meet me when you are less busy? I promise I am not like the other men you see here. I just can't let a dazzling girl like you continue to live and toil when there's so much more you can be!" He continued, his words stirring something in Asha. Could he be her ticket out of Akwara village, away from her life of drudgery?

Ada observed from her spot as she poured wine into the men's cups, her eyes fixed on Asha as she smiled at Nse while he whispered in her ear. It felt as if Asha was whisking him away, much like she had done with Elim.

"So, you haven't heard? Odomodu has been tearing through villages in search of some mysterious girl. He's been paid a fortune to find her!" Ada overheard the men discussing as she prepared to leave.

"I'm not sure who she is, but the sooner he finds her, the better. I've heard he's resorting to extreme measures to track her down. It's worrying, especially for my daughters at home," another man responded with concern.

"Who do you think this girl is? Someone who fled from home, or maybe someone powerful is searching for her?" the conversation continued.

Ada turned her gaze back to Asha. She knew Asha had fled from someone powerful, a king if she recalled correctly from her eavesdropping on Elim's conversation with Asha. And now, hearing about Odomodu's search for a young girl, she couldn't shake the feeling that Asha might be the one he was looking for. Hell will let loose if the killer Odomudo comes looking for Asha here. She must inform her mother immediately.

As Asha walked back to where they stored the drinks, Ada's mind raced with questions while Nse watched Asha with a satisfied look on his face