EJIMA

CHAPTER 54

The sun was beginning to pathways for the moon when they broke into a clearing, but sloping down the hill, they continued further into the mouth of a cave, which sat on the far side. It was patched up with grasses, twice the size of a whale but hiding under a large tree as if it was shy of the falling sunlight. The night birds were beginning to write their songs and the hums of the gentle wind caused the hair on the skin to stand. Truth be told, nobody in their right senses would wander far from the village, but for the hunt, Ejima doubts if she would have dared it herself. Rumors of wars had kept some brave men watching their families and village, but more dreadfully was the wicked spirits that patrol these woods, spirits that were known to drive men and women into eternal madness.  

“Torch,” Uche said and the amber glow flared into life even before Ejima could understand what he had said. “Don’t touch anything.” He gave Ejima an abhorrent look as if saying that the last words were made specifically for her.

“How much further?” Amaka asked.

“Just follow behind, the Ijele should be somewhere here, waiting for me.”

“For you—” Amaka wanted to ask but he cut in immediately.

“My bad. For us. It is waiting for us.” Again, he cut a sharp look at Ejima before turning towards the cave.

“Don’t mind him,” Amaka smiled after nudging Ejima’s side. “He will come around, I know he will.”

Ejima only nodded and followed behind the woman who was now the wife of her husband. She was not convinced that Uche would ever love her again. The way he had looked at her…there was…something was not measuring up. She could almost hear the former part of her, striking a serious warning on the backside of her head. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to turn back. It was as if she was in a vast body of water, waiting to drown, and simultaneously in a land, gulping a new life that was to come. To say that she was confused would be an exaggeration.

“What is this place?” Amaka’s voice echoed.

The crunch under their feet made Ejima tighten her fist on the sling dangling on her waist. There were dried bones everywhere, skulls of men and beasts and certainly children. She was right, this was a cave, not of stones but of bones and grasses. Skulls lined the walls, adding more horror to each stride they took. 

“Iworo.” Uche said and when Ejima thought he was not going to continue, he added, “Once known as Death’s eponym. It was first built by Gruchi, an old wizard who served the kingdom, not for money or power, but blood.”

Ejima rubbed her nose with her free hand. She tried keeping a frame touch with her sling but realized that she was shaking and sweating at the same time. All these bones, all these lives. Does such brutality still exist?

“He was the one that created the renowned king of masquerade, Ijele.” Uche continued, “With his dark powers he had sustained the Kingdom, even at death.” He shrugged and turned to the leading path. If there was remorse within him, his resilient poise did not show. 

They walked further into the cave, leaving the crunch under their feet to do the talking. Ejima had tried to avoid stepping on the bones one or two times, but she gave up when she realized how impossible that would be. The cave was white and gray, not even the floor could be seen.

It took another two bends or three before they finally got to the base of the cave. Like the rest, its wall was built of people’s skulls while the floor was made of bones, old and dried. What caught their eyes, however, and left them with a dropped jaw was the green pulse, emanating from the object hanging on the wall. There were three parts, a head, the arms and leg, and then the body. The pulse kept them alive and kindled the cave making a torch useless.