Deep within the swamp, Agwé lives a peaceful life among his family and animal friends, with whom he shares a special gift. That is, until his life is torn asunder and he is driven from his home by the voodoo spirits. Lost and alone, he wanders the...
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Violence was never my preferred option. This I've said before. But on rare occasions, such as when standing up to a tyrant, there can be no other way. After hearing my declarations of war, Mama smiled. An intense smile, that I must say unnerved me a little. She then revealed the full details of the vision she received the day I was asked to leave Bayou Nwa. After falling unconscious, Mama foresaw Laguerre's upcoming reign of terror upon the swamp. It was clear that she and a 17 year old Agwé would have little chance of standing up to this formidable threat by ourselves.
Thus, the bayou spirits formulated a plan that would grant us the power to defeat this enemy. A plan that would take many years of preparation, and much sacrifice on our parts. Everything that we had to give. Part of this plan, of course, involved banishing me from the swamp. For in the eyes of the spirits, this was the quickest way to achieve my full potential and prepare for the battle that was to come.
Meanwhile, Mama had also been given a part to play in liberating the bayou, albeit in a very different way. While she served as a humble fishing bait merchant by day, this was simply a disguise she wore. A way to ward off suspicion. For now that Mama had a house all to herself, she had all the privacy she would ever need. You see, during the nights she engaged in voodoo rituals with the spirits, becoming more and more in tune with their whisperings and visions than ever before. With time, she gained the ability to monitor my progress from afar, and had labored constantly to increase her powers since then.
The spirits had been taken by surprise by the ruthlessness of Laguerre and his mob following their raid on Lakay. Never before had they observed such evil. Usually peaceful beings, the spirits became enraged at the murder of their loved ones. They recognized that in order to save the bayou from such a violent foe, a similarly brutal force would need to be raised to stand up to this enemy.
"We have been chosen to lead this resistance, Agwé. I am now the Vessel, responsible for receiving direct communication with the spirits and commanding our legion."
Our...legion? What was she talking about? I wasn't sure I liked that wild look in her eyes. The tenderness Mama showed upon our reunion had quickly faded. She continued:
"Meanwhile, you will become our Beast. Once you are ready, the spirits have entrusted you with eliminating Laguerre himself, once and for all."
Now this I could get behind.
"I've pushed my body to its very limits, Mama. My mind is strong. I'm ready for whatever the spirits require of me," I replied.
But I could never be fully prepared for what would come next. For not only had this "legion" that Mama spoke of already been assembled, but it was comprised entirely of unconscious bodies. Yes, you read that correctly. Through much practice, she had developed the power to possess the bodies of men and women around the bayou, only possible through a powerful ritual with the spirits at her basement altar. These bodies would then rise from their sleep in a sort of trance to do her bidding. At first, she could only control a few bodies at a time, but as her power grew, so did the size of her force, which could now reach twenty members at once.
