Aláàfin: Irúnmölé

Chapter 12

ADEDAYO
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       After chaining my arms, Yetunde as well as the other guards with her take me out of my cell with Kosoko following us from behind, all the way up through the stairs to the entrance of the prison pit " OFIN TUBUN". Waiting for us at the front of the entrance is Okiki, the fourth member of the Iron Guard.
        In his sleeveless attire of red, yellow and black to match, he stands next to his pet korokpe, force feeding it kola nuts as the giant black and yellow bird of prey tries to wiggle its big head out of its owner's grip. Our coming presence isn't noticed by him until he eventually leaves the korokpe after fruitless attempts at feeding it while shouting at saying,
" Werey......O ni LaKai, If it's to eat inu ẹrọ(innards) now ....Nah there Dem go see you"

      The korokpe screeches at Okiki in victory as the warrior leaves it behind, walking towards us he eats the kola nuts rejected by his pet. He approaches us, eyeing me as he did with a mischievous look on his face. He isn't very tall, average heighted with a skin lighter than mine. Around his eyes are black painted circles and his face bears one tribal mark each at both sides of his facial cheeks, with a patch of short brown hair left at the part nearing his forehead but with the rest of his head shaved all through. On his slender body rests two sickle like blades attached to his back.
Reaching us, he asks while chewing on a kolanut
" Where is it?"

We all stop in front of him as he asks, gazing at me while he does. Yetunde replies him, still with the cold tone i don't recognize saying,
" It's courteous that you greet first-.."
Okiki ignores her and then faces me as he emphasizes in his previous question,
" Your Ashe Mark...... I want to know if what they accuse you of is true my prince"

I gesture at Kosoko to reveal my Ashe mark since Yetunde keeps a silent distance from me in terms of conversation. He lifts my cloth to show Okiki the mark and in response, he displays a trait of his that I despise the most. He quakes the environment with that weird laughter of his as Kosoko drops my clothing and stares at him with the rest of us.

" Kiha kiha kiha kiha kiha.............Aye e ti ta sha~ Your life has finished"

Yetunde reprimands him with a shout of his name but he still keeps on laughing as he turns back to go meet his korokpe "Shoki", waving his hand while at it at Yetunde to imply he would stop.
I'm more annoyed by his laughter than his insults. For him, insulting is a constant phenomenon of his but his peculiar laugher is something my ears don't find pleasing. Because of this trait, among warriors he is called "The Hyena" due to how he laughs on the field of battle after ending his foes. He wields the Babalu-Aye's Ashe but his form is used to utilize the alter ego of the deity "Sopona", which gives him the ability to rain down sickness or ailments on his enemies.
Me and Yetunde with Kosoko move forward towards him saddling his giant pet as Yetunde tells him that
" Okiki!........the prince might be of this situation but he's still your prince, i insist u be careful with your words especially when before his uncle, he's not in the mood to tolerate your antics"

Okiki then turns to look at her with a docile face that reflects both submission and mockery as he nods to acknowledge her statement. She then moves away, dons herself with flames and propels herself up the air with it. While floating midair, she instructs both Kosoko and Okiki saying,
" Okiki, both yourself & Prince Adedayo on Shoki and fly with me to the palace while Kosoko.........you meet with us there as soon as possible"

Me and Okiki then climb on top of Shoki with it screeching as we do, flapping its large wings as we sit on top with me behind Okiki who holds the grip. Okiki taps it on the mane and says

" Oya Shoki Fó~Fly" with the bird obeying and then soars into the sky, screeching loudly as it did.
As the bird suddenly takes off into the air, i grab hold of Okiki's waist with him chuckling at the action and says
" Watch out for the blades my prince, i had just sharpened them"

We fly into the skies following Yetunde who's ahead as we head towards the capital.

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Fun Fact: Korokpe is the name of a species of giant birds of prey that flock the skies of OYO-ILE and it's neighboring states. They are big enough to be used as means of transport and are yellow and black in colour with huge manes.