Chapter 5: Sango and Oya

"Get out of the way. The favoured one is coming through", yelled one of Odenrinde's entourage. They bulldozed their way through the crowd, who created a path for them without any fuss. Oderinde walked majestically in the middle of his entourage. The crowd cheered him on. He dazzled with his aran laced with the skin of a leopard. His ileke carried the fangs of a cobra. Cowries riddled his Kembe, and the claws of a bear hung from the tip of his abeti-aja. His outfit was fit for a great hunter, which, undoubtedly, he was. His muscles were evident even on his face. He was a man of repute. The eyes of women could not ignore such a man. 

His men wore sapara from leopard skin, black sooro and gobi laced with cowries. They chanted Oderinde's name and sang his oriki as loud as they could with daring dance steps as the famed warrior and hunter made his way to the front of the crowd. Oderinde raised his fist into the air as though he punched the noise out of the atmosphere, and there was silence. "A weapon befitting of my calibre", Oderinde said with his baritone voice. "Ina kpiti ni mi (I'm a blazing flame)", he added. 

"For one thousand cowries, it is yours, great warrior", Kunle said. Oderinde yanked the spear out of Kunle's hand and raised it into the sky. He waived at one of his men who threw a sack of cowries at Kunle. Kunle caught it with aplomb as Oderinde showcased his newly priced possession. He lit the atmosphere with fire as he swung the spear skillfully to the crowd's cheers.

Kunle drew Ifaromi out of the crowd. "Come, my ordained one", Kunle said to him. Ifaromi followed him into his shop. It was huge. Kunle had a lot of workers too. His business was booming. Kunle opened a steel hatch in a secluded section of his workshop. The hatch was buried in the ground. It led to an underground room filled with various artefacts. Kunle brought out a wooden box. He opened it, and the room was lit like the sky during the day. "It's beautiful", Ifaromi said. 

"For your eyes alone, my biggest fan", Kunle said with a grin. "At least till tomorrow when it is unveiled", he added. It was a bracelet that carried the glow of the blue ocean, and it looked like the sea was trapped between the dashing metal. "The Ooni always wants the finest artefacts for his favourite Olori, and she will wear it at the festival tomorrow", Kunle said. Ifaromi could not keep his eyes off it. "Now, off you go", Kunle said as he closed the box. "You don't want to be late for your morning practices", he said. 

Deep within the Sabe forest, North West of Ife kingdom, along the border between the Oyo empire and the Dahomey territory, the stench of blood filled the air. On one of the tallest trees in the forest, Sango laid on a branch dressed in red kaama with touches of blood stains. He placed his palms behind his head as the cool breeze bounced off his muscles. "I see blood flows in your wake as usual", said a soft voice. "Your radiance grows as time passes, my Love", Sango noted as he gazed upon the presence of his beloved. He stood up from his lying position. He held Oya's hand as he knelt on one knee before her.

"Your beauty takes my love for you to new heights every time I gaze upon you", Sango said. Oya snatched her hand from his grip. "I bet you say the same thing to your wives", Oya replied. "Do not belittle my love for you. I will conquer kingdoms and trample on thrones for you", Sango said. Oya turned her face away from him with folded arms. Sango looked up into the sky. "The sky is beautiful today," Sango said. "It's beautiful when I say it is", Oya said while she turned her face towards Sango with a fierce look. The sky darkened for a few seconds while she gazed intensely at her lover. 

Sango laughed out loud. Her gaze softened, and the sky returned to its normal state. He loved that about her, her fierceness, and it always aroused him. He loved a strong woman, not the ones he had at home who bent to his will every time. Oya's pride was a result of her beauty. No man could tame her. Sango didn't want to tame her. He saw her as an equal, which also drew her to him. 

"Your brother will not approve of your actions here today," Oya said. Sango stood on his feet. He looked away and said firmly, "my brother is weak". "He lets outsiders trample on our lands without consequence", he said. "This forest lies between both kingdoms", Oya said. "It lies within our territory!" Sango said with anger. His rage was famous throughout the vast kingdoms under the watchful eyes of Olodumare.

"Your brother only wants peace to reign, and that is why he agreed with Dahomey for this land to be cultivated by both tribes", Oya said calmly. "A lion does not share food with a wolf. An empire forged from divinity should not bargain with mere kingdoms. Besides, true peace can only be achieved through war", Sango said. "Your blood lust gets the better of you, my love", Oya said. She embraced him from behind and rubbed her palms on his chest. "They could have kept their lives if they were more cultured. In the end, their tongues were sharper than their blades", Sango said. 

"They forgot who you are, it appears", Oya said. "Let's make good use of our time while I'm in a good mood", she whispered into his ears. Sango looked into her eyes with a seductive smile on his face. Their lips collided gently as emotions rushed through their veins. Her body was captivating, and her waist beads rested perfectly on her hips. Sango placed both hands on her hips as if he was grabbing handles, pulling her closer to him till their bodies were glued to one another. They made passionate love.

Oya was an extraordinary woman. Her spiritual and physical energy was too great for mere men to handle. Making love to her was a ride-or-die experience. Sango was not a mere man, but he felt the impact of her energy every time they made love. It weakened him for a moment. However, the sensation was like nothing he had felt from other women, and he has had many. She did leave unique marks on his body. He could imagine her effect on an ordinary man. The thought would have been scary if only the legendary warrior knew fear.