Aláàfin: Irúnmölé

Chapter 7

            VICE CHIEF PRIEST OLABODE
                  *********************
       It has been two days since that bastard's Ìrúbọ Ashe and my wounds still ache me. That mad man only used his Ashe once against me and my body feels like it was battered by a whole squad of Ogun warriors. And even when he used it, it wasn't to harm me. Despite the healing magic of my wife and the therapeutic bathing of the Osun maidens, my body still ached as I walked into "PANṢAGA" with my cloaked self at the hour of darkness. For even if everyone knew of my frequent visits to the whorehouse, the second in command to the Olu Awo shouldn't be seen proudly going to a whorehouse.
       I entered the clay made building with drawings on it's walls of men and women merrying, drinking and having sex. I passed through the huge merry parlour with men around sitting by round wooden tables with jugs of palm wine, drinking and cutting as some also cuddled ashewos...the prostitutes. I gestured at the head of the establishment "MAMA ABENI", that i was heading to my usual quarters and she should order girls over. She seemed to be getting up to approach me but I ignored and headed to the room for if she wanted to talk, it would be with me on my pleasure mat with the ashewos. I went straight to the room at the far end of the hallway at which the rooms were and entered as i opened the multicolored curtain enclosing it at the door.
        I entered to hear giggling, then saw three ashewos with their tits revealed and on short skirts, as they played with a man on the uplifted raffia mat as a hearth in the centre of the room illuminated the place. They stopped as they noticed me entering. The man then laughed
    " Ladies , here is who i paid for.........sorry I won't be playing with you tonight"
Coming off the mat into the light, i then recognized him to be Ogundele's first son, The Silver Tongue.............Oluwalekan Láaróyè Odede. In his dark majestic dansaki, he stood up looking at me with a smug look on his face. He has a handsome face on a low haircut but unlike his father, he's lean but has his height and skin colour.
         With my gaze falling to the amulet laced around his neck, depicting two faces with one smiling cheerfully and the other with an evil smirk, he notices and says
   " You like it?......"
I then looked at him with disdain but his smile didn't waver as he kept on talking as he played with the amulet,
    " Sorry I can't be offering you it tho....for it's more than just an ornament to me"
Then gesturing towards the ashewos, he went on,
    "But I did settle your dues for tonight regarding these women, i made sure to select the best of the flock"
I replied with an annoyed tone as i eyed the ashewos,
     " I never asked of your aid my p...." But he interrupted me midway, still with that smiling look on his face
     " No, i insist......i feel that's the least i can do after that stupid man's actions towards you"
With even the ashewos staring at him mildly shocked, i responded with an inquisitive tone,
    " You would call the General....Ogundele....YOUR FATHER....stupid?"
         For the first time since we started communicating, his smile wavered. Replaced with a dark look on his face and his eyes with a shade of red, he rubbed the evil looking part of his amulet and replied me in a cold manner,
     " He defended the OLOSSI........he stopped the killing of one of the very things that pillage our lands and this he did at your expense..........attacking the mouthpiece of the Orishas!"
     As his smile returned, he kept on
" Worse words should be used for a man that dares assault the priest second to the Olu Awo"
           Amazed by what he said, i rested my vexing demeanor and thanked him,
  " Well then, i will very much entertain the benefits of your gifts" As i went past towards the ashewos with them dressing up their seductive antics. He then headed for the exit, stopped at it and looked at me saying,
" Ohhhh.....and also i didn't just pay for tonight, i covered the bills for the whole year and made sure they don't bore you with the same girls.........have a good night sir"
         He then left the room before I could attempt to thank him. Then the ashewos proceeded to lay with me as they removed their wears and caressed my body. I took them into arms and progressed into mating as my mind remained appalled by the man's  generosity.

                           ADEDAYO
                *********************
      With my last memory being the Olu Awo choking the life out of me, i had woke up three days earlier to the awareness of myself being kept in "OFIN TUBU", the large pit of prisons east side of the capital. I have visited it quite a few times before with regards to learning where we imprison criminals and torture foreign enemies & spies. Powerful menaces were locked in the solo prisoner cells, in the deepest parts of the OFIN TUBU with their arms chained by molded Red Sand laced with incantations that nullify one's Ashe abilities.
       This, i am experiencing first hand as i was chained to the ground like a criminal by the very people i was supposed to lead. With both my arms and legs chained as i sat on the floor, i pondered on about the various possibilities of my fate. I didn't exactly bear the Ashe mark of the sea god for the number was six and i had seven, but there wasn't any Orisha that gave more than five to their chosen. So by precaution, i should at least be incarcerated, if not killed, for i could morph into the traditional monstrous skin of an Olossi or become an even worse mutation.
       Guarded by Kosoko, a member of the Iron Guard, i laid on the ground of the cell effortlessly with my arms and legs held to the ground by Red Sand chains. I doubt he was precisely the one guarding me with the intention of preventing me from going out and more of protecting me from what could come in. Dada and Mojisola would be busy with the kingdom's headline security as of now because of the incident and since it is believed the Olossi can sense the Ashe aura of their kin no matter the distance, they could head over to acquire me. And also there was me claiming more than five Ashe marks in front of the whole kingdom, some of the lords or people of the land who still hold a grudge with my father for his mistake years ago, could make an attempt at taking my life at the prison with the justification that i'm an Olossi. My uncle had to make sure i was well guarded by someone he trusts till  judgement was given.
       Thankfully he sent Kosoko and not Yetunde, the leader of the Iron Guard, as she is chatty and would excessively try to comfort me with words. I was of mute personality as he was of mute condition. He is actually incapable of speaking but he uses floating mannequin made of iron blades to convey his intentions. He uses his Ogun Ashe to control and make it hit parts of it's body to convey the three tonal sounds of the Yoruba language.
                  DO (dò)  RE (_) MI (mí)
With the sounds each exclusively expressing displeasure, approval and apathy. He sat on a stool outside the cell as he faces me with a flame torch attached to the wall by side, illuminating it's surroundings. He was bricked, dark skinned but had a baby like facial appearance but with a receding low haircut. He wields the Ashe of Ogun but unlike most who do, he was docile and only aggressive before confronting violence or when ordered.
                                "DO"
   He spoke as he faces his left side with sounds of approaching footsteps resonating from there. Yetunde and three guards then came into my line of sight as she held chains obviously meant for me. She acknowledged Kosoko as he got up, then looked at me with an empty gaze of hers i couldn't recognize, then spoke to me coldly
   " The Igbimọ seeks your presence my prince, your verdict is to be given today"
    As the guards collected the chains from her and opened the cell to claim me, i stood up in anticipation of them unlocking my chains and with my head to the wall, i forcefully drowned the coming look of fear on my fear and braced my heart for the coming judgement.
      For even it be DEATH, i won't face it a coward.