Decision making
2065 Words
Adeleke could not believe the bombshell his guest, Chikwe had just dropped.
He did not want the marriage between Adewale and Amaka.
As Chikwe walked away,he hated him.
After the marriage had to go on, no matter how much he struggled, Chikwe had changed his end of the bargain when all the important persons from the whims of both kingdom had arrived.
"We can't let this happen,"
Bukola told him.
Although she acted childish at times but she was actually smart.
That was one of the reasons he married her.
"He plans to create an empire from our union.Then if it happens, he can upsurp the throne."
King Adeleke could not but feel his wife was right.
Chikwe was a conniving personality that could never do without benefitting himself but he had no choice.
He could not drag his name in the mud and also face the threat that chikwe could be if he was partnering with Aremu.
He needed the advice of the 'eyes of the gods'.
King Adeleke wore a loose tunic and used a black wrapper to cover his face in order to avert the suspicion of Chikwe whom he knew had planted spies around.
The weather was chilly and everyone had a wrapper loosely over their head to combat the cold giving Adeleke an advantage.
He finally reached the roundhouse which was the abode of Ifadoju.
There had been rumours that it had fallen from the skies but Adeleke knew very well who built it.
He touched the moss covered brick wall feeling for the colder feel of the door hinges.
Even with an illusion spell, Adeleke found it and the walls retracted to show an oak door.
The door creaked as it opened and he saw just the person he had been searching for, Ifadoju.
"What brings you here child,"
the old man asked whilst brewing a concoction.
The air had an overpowering scent of mint relaxing Adeleke's sinuses.
"Baba. I seek answers
. Chikwe wants to create an empire and that could spell doom for Ayetoro. I need the help of the gods."
The old man served the concoction in two small calabash and offered him one.
It helped warm Adeleke as he watched the seer speak.
"You know what you have to do but..."
the seer stopped as his eyes glowed green.
He was having a vision.
"Son of the ethereal wolf. The choice you make shall be your undoing. Your own blood shall be the cause of your destruction.
. You shall be erased from time when the vipers come to rule. Your time is ticking."
The old man finally slumped to his stool as his eyes lost their glow.
Adeleke was speechless he had come for help but now he was going to die,from somebody he trusted.
***
Chikwe collapsed on his bed as he pondered on the benefit of the twist he had just pulled.
His timing was perfect.
Who knew having children had so much benefit.
He slightly pitied his daughter who was but a pawn in his games.
All he had to do was pull a few strings and his plan would be successful.
A bird swooped in interrupting his thoughts.
It was a Raven.
It had a note tied to it's leg.
He knew it was from Aremu but the joker was of no use to him now.
He took out the note and it read,
"House of the Viper Chikwe, my good friend. I suggest the shield be done by tomorrow for the stakeout. I give you my word, your kingdom will be spared."
Chikwe took his quill and wrote on the paper,
"sorry, I'm done."
He then tied it back to the birds feet.
The bird wasted no time in flying out.
"Guard, call me Ebube."
Chikwe ordered.
In less than a minute, Ebube arrived at his doorstep bowing.
He was a dwarf, He was a spy.
Dwarfs were seen as a bad omen in Ayetoro and they did almost about anything to avoid them.
Ebube was born to a family who threw him away at first sight.
Chikwe found him and was the one that brought him up.
No one knew why Chikwe displayed such affection to the boy and it was never known.
"Do you have the details?"
Chikwe requested.
The boy smiled positively as he gave him the scroll.
Now it's complete, Everything, Chikwe thought to himself.
***
Aremu heard the slight fluttering of wings and knew his answer had arrived.
The ugly bird landed on his shoulder and he took out the note.
The message he saw made him mad with rage as he seized the bird on his shoulder and strangled it to death as if blaming it for the bad news.
He felt betrayed. Chikwe had decieved him and he played along.
"Soldier."
He angrily spat.
A soldier swiftly walked up to him.
He seized the soldier and threw him at the invincible shield that prevented him from achieving his goals.
The soldier went through and began to wilt until he was nothing but a pile of dust.
He vowed within himself to destroy not only Adeleke but every living thing within the triangle.
"Bring me the prisoners."
He ordered.
The prisoners were brought before him.
It was a three man group that passed through the triangle without getting hurt.
He had witness it firsthand and had questioned them on how they did it but they refused to talk.
Aremu's patience was burning out, he wanted to destroy the triangle now, he was tired of waiting.
He walked up to the eldest,
"are you ready to talk?"
"Never!"
The man retorted with a glare.
Aremu raised the man midair and threw him to the shield.
The man wilted to dust likewise.
He returned to the remaining two who were trembling in fear.
The second was a younger man in his twenties.
He had fear in his eyes and Aremu suspected he could let the cat out of the bag.
He would torture him slowly.
"Are you ready to talk?"
Aremu repeated.
The man was afraid but he stood his ground,
"I can't tell you."
Aremu dragged the man on the rocky ground lacerating him in several places as the man groaned in pain.
He took one of the man's hands and plunged it into the shield.
The man screamed in agony as his fingers completely disappeared.
Aremu retracted the hand and asked again.
"I'll tell you"
the man replied amidst grunting.
He stood up and charged for the shield.
It melted his skin, flesh and bones.
Aremu was dazed by the young man's move.
He chose death to betrayal.
He turned to his final victim.
"How did you pass through the shield unharmed."
This man was visibly and emotionally shaken.
He didn't want to die.
"I'll tell you"
he said finally with a shiver.
Aremu beamed within himself, his plan had worked.
"Then speak."
he ordered restraining his last hope from dashing to death like the last one.
He needed him alive.
At least presently.
***
Remi found it difficult to stop the assault of his sparring partner.
If not for his abilities, he would have lost.
He kept on foreseeing his opponent's next move but his problem was dodging the attack.
The boy, his opponent was a tall sturdy boy about his age but Remi could tell he was far older.
The boy kept hitting Remi's sword loosening his grip until it was sent flying.
He held the sword to his face,
"yield."
Remi could sense the disapproving flares of the generals.
His battle instincts kicked in and he backhanded his opponent in a false surrender stunning him just in time to hijack his weapon.
In a matter of seconds, the predator became the prey.
The boy bowed as was the custom.
"That was good."
He said after the swordplay was over,
"I'm Babalola."
Remi wanted to remain and talk but he wanted to see Ifadoju to explain another dream he had.
Babalola was however understanding and left Remi to himself.
Remi raced to the roundhouse he had grown fond of.
The walls retracted and the door opened.
He saw Ifadoju at the doorway,
"Come in my son."
Remi wasted no time in going in as the door shut.
He took his seat on a stool and Ifadoju did likewise.
"I suppose you had another dream."
Remi nodded,
"I saw the king drinking from a gold goblet while two snakes fought on his throne."
Ifadoju suspected Remi's dream was a projection of his vision.
"The dream you had was a vision from the future. The king drinking from his goblet signifies he was drinking poison and two snakes signifies two people who covet the throne and will fight for it after his demise."
"Can it be stopped?"
Remi asked.
Ifadoju knew how Remi felt.
He had been there.
Their gift had it's perks but the one thing they could not prevent was death.
"No."
Ifadoju replied.
Remi wanted to ask him for a favour but changed his mind.
He took leave when he heard a voice,
"If you wish to understand your gifts, come tomorrow by nightfall."
Remi magically met himself outside.
The seer's house worked in mysterious ways.
The sky began to darken rain threatened to pour down.
Remi knew he had to get to the camp before it started, he began his journey back to the camp.
A twig snapped sending echo down the lonely road.
A chill went down Remi's spine as it dawned to him he was being followed.
The stalkers came out of the shadows.
It was Ladele and Afolabi, the looks on their eyes weren't welcoming.
Ladele still held into his palm wine gourd.
"You called me a drunkard, rat. Noe you are going to pay."
Afolabi as usual followed him around.
They came at him with an angry charge.
Ladele gave him a jaw snapping punch and Remi could swore he tasted blood.
Afolabi held him down as Ladele returned blow after blow.
"You thief, you don't deserve to join the legion. You're nothing."
Ladele kept saying while dealing blows to Remi.
Remi began to feel lightheaded but that did not stop Ladele's malevolence.
Afolabi was beginning to have a change of heart when Remi slumped to the ground.
"gods of the land, protect me."
Remi pleaded as he saw pitch blackness.
Heat began to flow through Remi's veins.
He felt power.
His ethereal form was enveloped in a blue aura that acted like his second skin and his eyes glowed bright blue.
He charged at Ladele, lifting him effortlessly from the ground.
His eyes were filled with fear,
"What are you?"
It was Remi's turn to be malevolent.
He felt this animalistic rage that he could not control inside himself and it wanted to cause someone pain.
He threw Ladele to a sturdy tree.
There was a cracking sound,Ladele had probably broken a bone or two and was bleeding.
The blood triggered an instinct in Remi he never knew he had.
He turned to Afolabi who had buried himself in dead plants and shrubs.
Afolabi, soliciting unwanted attention broke into a run.
He was shocked to see Remi in front of him.
"What are you?"
he questioned in a disturbed tone.
He only got grunts and howls.
The way he behaved, Afolabi could have sworn he was the dreaded bloodtroll.
Remi seized Afolabi and thrashed him around.
Remi sighted a pointed tree branch that could impale Afolabi and end him.
Every fiber of his being wanted it.
At least some of it, another part in him was yelling at him to stop the madness.
He struggled with the urge violently as he fell to the ground.
Afolabi Was too limp to move and Ladele was unconscious.
Remi's conscience finally won the battle and he transformed back to himself, the Remi he knew and not the beast that just attacked people.
He knew it was not his abilities that manifested.
It was something else. his mind went back to what Ejike and Anulika had said. Could I be the alpha? He asked himself.
Ladele had roused but he could still not move.
Afolabi kept wincing of the ground as his sustained injuries throbbed. Another figure appeared just as the rain began to drenched them.
It was Ifadoju and his eyes were not emeralds but eerily red.
- Writer
