Manifest

Thirty-nine

Oh well, Nature thought with a shrug. Plan or not, this was happening.

He turned the mbono around, just as someone fired at him and the bullet pierced into her flesh. He felt the impact, but it didn't hurt him. When he looked, most of the outer huts were shaded from the light at the center. But there were a few huts that had lanterns and lamp posts revealing their surroundings. Unfortunately for him, the side of the gathering where the shot had been fired from was from the dark area. He fired back, blindingly as he let go of the dead mbono in his hand and rolled away, just as Abasi Isong advanced on him. Before she could reach, Dara cut her off with a kick, moving close till she was backing Nature and facing Abasi Isong.

"Try not to kill anyone," Dara said to him.

"They're trying to kill us."

"We're all the same faith, Nature. Don't kill them."

"Try telling them that."

He pushed away from her, just as Abasi Isong charged at Dara.

===

Dara blocked a hit from Abasi Isong as she punched the god, the president, in the stomach. Abasi Isong barely moved, but it was enough to give Dara room to run. She thought she'd made it out of the clearing when Abasi Isong's held her by the back of the shirt and pulled. Dara twisted her body and rolled back beneath Abasi Isong's hands as her shirt came off seamlessly. Abasi Isong tossed the shirt away and stomped on Dara's face as Dara's head snapped back against the ground.

She cried and tried to turn away. She was too slow. Abasi Isong lifted her head and dragged her to her feet.

"Take this thing off me," Abasi Isong said.

Dara wasn't going to do anything of the sort. Nature may have been a fool to jump the gun, but it was an advantage. With Abasi Isong this close to being human, it would be the best time to find Abasi Enyong and awaken him. Which was why she needed to get out of the clearing. Abasi Enyong was in one of the huts. Dara could find him there.

Abasi Isong turned her around and punched her in the face. Instead of allowing her to fall, Abasi Isong held on to Dara, keeping her wobbling on her feet.

"You can't win," Abasi Isong said. "Take this off or I'll make life difficult for you."

Dara cried, hiding her face. Her nose was broken, and she was sure her head had split in the back.

"You're completely useless."

Abasi Isong flung Dara back to the center of the clearing as Dara rolled till she hit the pole with her back.

===

Nature ran out of bullets so he threw the gun at the nearest mbono and attacked, using her to shield himself against the other two trying to shoot him. She was limber and quick, so, he made sure every blow he dealt counted. If he let her off for one second, he had no doubt he'd end up with a broken neck.

He saw one of the other two women stop and turn away. Wondering what had taken her attention, he hooked an arm around the mbono he was fighting and turned her around, allowing her to struggle for air as he crushed her windpipe. The other mbono was running to a hut. When Nature looked, he saw a man walking backwards into the clearing. His hands were in front of him and when he turned around, he looked dazed.

Ubokabasi enyong.

Nature recognized him from pictures.

"UBOKABASI!" Nature shouted. The man didn't react. Either he didn't hear or... Ubokabasi was not very familiar with the faith. There was a chance he wouldn't know or want to answer to that title. "EDIDIONG."

Ubokabasi enyong looked up, just in time to see the mbono running towards him.

The mbono Nature had been holding, snapped her head back into Nature's nose and slammed her fist against his groin, sending him groaning to the floor. He tried to turn away, but she unsheathed a knife from her ankle and stabbed him through the back of his thigh. He squealed and kicked her with his other led. When he turned back around and sat up, he could see the tip of the knife protruding from the top of his thigh. God, it hurt.

His hands shook as they oscillated around the knife. He couldn't remove it. He'd bleed out on the floor. Whatever plans he'd had of escape were suddenly unachievable. How was he going to outrun an army without a leg and a half? The mbono remained on the floor, breathing heavily as she tried to get up. She was just as weak as he was. If he got up, he was sure he could lob his leg and move away.

He heard the cocking of a gun. The other mbono had finally reached him. Judging from the volume, he could tell she was close. If he rolled over, he'd meet her. He needed a weapon. She was going to kill him.

Nature rolled over, forcing the pain away as he pulled the knife from his thigh and stabbed the mbono in the stomach. She gasped and stepped back as her gun fell. He picked it up, knelt on his good leg and shot her on the forehead. The other mbono who was still struggling on the floor tried to move away. Nature got her too.

Dara was going to be mad, but he was trying to keep them alive. Speaking of alive, he searched the huts for ubokabasi as he saw him pointing a gun at an mbono as Abasi Isong ran towards the two of them. He had one shot before he alerted Abasi Isong of his attention. He couldn't miss. They were far away so he had to get it right.

Taking a deep breath, Nature tried to shut everything down. The profuse bleeding in his leg and the aching in his bones, not to mention, his groin was still smarting from the hit. When he opened his eyes, he focused and fired.

The mbono gasped and dropped as ubokabasi turned around and saw Abasi Isong heading straight for him.