The Chosen One

Chapter Twenty-seven

On the next day, the day of the clash between the king and Alex, the old man woke Alex up before the sun rose while the night was still chilly before roosters crowed.
 
"I thought we were done with fortifications. Why are we headed to the shrine?" Alex yawned, still rubbing his eyes, as they walked to the shrine.
"Fortification is not complete until you get to the battle ground." The old man replied as Alex walked behind him.
 
They had the ritual procedure, but it was more intense than before.
 
The old man prayed on Alex's behalf and appeased the gods to make him triumph in the battle.
 
"I didn't know when you left; I was worried when I woke up and couldn't find you until your sister told me you and the old man were in the shrine." Brian said as Alex walked into the room. 
"How would you know when you are a heavy sleeper?" Alex scoffed.
"That's funny, coming from a person who snores." He retorted.
 
"You call me a snorer? You must be joking." Alex chuckled.
"Who should be called a snorer between you and me if not you, or have you forgotten?" Alex laughed, walking towards the bathroom.
"Did I snore while I was sleeping overnight?" He asked. 
"Yes, of course." Alex scoffed. 
"It's because of the long journey we had yesterday. Your parents are yet to wake up for you to know how tired they were from the journey, which does not exclude me." He retorted. 
 
"Brian and his excuses. He does not give up easily." Alex muttered.
 
They have slept together in a room countless times, either in Brian's house or his, for him to utter that remark.
 
Because Brian has always disagreed that he does not snore while sleeping, Alex recorded him doing so and showed him the next day.
 
"What happened to your back, Alex?" Brian was surprised as he saw the marks from the cuts on his back.
"You think the whole thing is a kid's play?" Alex chuckled.
"If only you knew what I've gone through physically, mentally, and emotionally." He added.
 
He was speechless and only looked at him as he entered the bathroom.
 
"Believe in yourself, Alex. You can do it. The day you've been anticipating is finally here, so why are you panicking?" He wondered where his change of mindset came from due to his newfound confidence as water gushed down his body from a bucket.
 
Brian was no longer in the room as he came out of the bathroom.
 
"I don't even know what to wear." He mutedly contemplated as he searched his wardrobe.
 
He opted for a black hoodie since it was cold and a black cargo short.
 
"This will do. It gives the trait of a dangerous and powerful person." He checked himself out in the mirror in the room and left for the sitting room.
 
"Good morning, everyone." He brimmed with smiles as he greeted everyone, including the old man.
"Good morning, Alex." Vivian and his parents replied.
The old man was sitting on the single-seat sofa, while his parents and Vivian sat on the three-seat sofa, and Brian sat on the two-seat sofa. 
 
The sofas' black leather upholstery was rich and supple, adding a touch of opulence and comfort to the overall look, with the leather's glossy sheen catching the light and enhancing its allure.
 
"God knows what their eyes are fixated on the television screen for." Alex wondered.
"Today is the day. Today is the day you are going to conquer." Vivian said as he walked to the dining room to eat the meal allotted for him.
"Yeah, I guess so." He muttered.
 
"Left to me, I'd prefer you fast to the battle ground..." He widened his eyes at his mom as she spoke.
"That will give you an edge over the king." She clarified her reasons for uttering that statement.
 
"You panic a lot. I've assured you countless times to rest assured that I'm certain he will be victorious. Trust me." The old man chipped in.
 
"Do you want me to faint out of hunger while facing the despicable king, mom?" He asked.
"I need to eat to my satisfaction." He dipped and consumed a piece of sliced bread in the hot tea.
 
"No. You need to be wary of the quantity of food you take so that you won't feel tired easily. Believe me, as much as this victory is certain, it will be a herculean task." The old man warned.
 
Alex ignored him and continued eating instead. He disregarded the old man's advice and ate to the fullest.
 
 "I guess you did not heed my advice then." The old man promptly said, as Alex belched on finishing his food.
"Maybe. But don't worry; I'll be okay. I needed to eat." He walked to the sitting room to join them and see what captured their interest and gaze.
 
"So it's just a Nollywood movie that captivated all of your gazes!" He joined Brian in the seat.
 
"I don't know why you still have no interest in these movies. I've told you several times that they are educating." His father said.
"Educating how?" He inquired because he had told him multiple times about it being educational, but he had yet to see any educational feature in watching them.
 
"One of the educational aspects of it is that it teaches our culture and traditions. If only you had been accustomed to watching it, the training and fornication would have been easier for you and for me. Remember how you spent days learning to chant an incantation?" The old man explained.
"I... I..." He tried to defend himself.
"Really!? He spent days just to learn a single incantation?" Brian scoffed.
"No, that is not what happened." Alex tried to change the narrative to defend himself.
"I have known for a long time that you are a dead brain." I have always wondered how you end up being at the top of the class every term in school." He laughed, while others joined him.
"Whatever. All that matters now is that I've mastered everything there is to know, and I'm about to encounter my sworn enemy." He confidently said, without an iota of doubt or disbelief.
 
 
"That being said, Alex, you need to change your outfit. We have some minutes left." He stood up suddenly.
"Outfit? Is there a special outfit I need to wear to the battleground?" He inquisitively asked.
"So you thought that you'd face the king with this?" He pointed at his dress from top to bottom.
 
"Why are you still standing there? Follow me this instant." The old man instructed Alex, after he had walked some steps ahead and looked back, seeing that Alex was still glued to the same spot.
 
Alex looked at his parents and Vivian, as if he were waiting for their approval. They nodded their heads in affirmation, and he followed the old man.
 
As they got to the shrine, the old man walked to the far right of it and removed a red cloth from a long stick in the form of a hook on which the cloth was hung.
 
He chanted an incantation as he removed it from the stick.
 
"Here is what you are going to wear to the battleground. It has been here since seven days ago." The old man handed him the cloth.
"Take it from my hand this instant." Alex wondered about the sudden change in the old man's tone to an authoritative one.
 
"Was he not talking to me friendly some moments ago?" Alex wondered as he reluctantly collected it.
 
"Wait, it remians the shorts." He walked to the far left of the shrine and took the shorts from another hook-like stick.
"With this, your victory is certain. This outfit has been getting fortification since seven days ago." He handed him the short.
 
"People would have been gathered at the market square already. Quickly go to the house and change your outfit to this. I'll join you soon." He scrutinized him from head to toe.
"Okay," was all Alex mumbled before he left to change as he instructed him.
 
Alex was quiet as he entered the house and walked directly to his room.
 
"What's that, Alex?" He ignored Vivian's question.
 
He locked the doorknob of his room as he entered and sat on the bed in disbelief, as he placed his hands on his head.
 
"I can't believe I'll ever wear something like this in my life." He muttered as he took a glance at the outfit again. 
"Well, it's not like I have a choice. I'm a beggar in this situation, and beggars do not have choice." He concluded and took his clothes and shorts off.
 
He looked at himself in the mirror after he had changed into the outfit the old man had instructed him to wear.
 
"I can't believe wearing this barba... What the heck is this!?" He complained as he assessed the red outfit from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet.
 
The cloth was embellished with cowries and small pieces of red clothing.
 
 
"Well, everything ends today, and I'll be back in the city in no time." He concluded and left the room.
 
"What is this!?" Brian screamed immediately he stepped into the sitting room.
"You have no idea what you look like, bro." Everyone laughed except the old man, who was not present.
 
"Where's my phone? I need to take a picture of you in this." Vivian searched for her phone on the sofa where she was sitting.
 
Alex frowned while they were making fun of him.
 
"Please stop all this. I'm in no mood for jokes." He mumbled.
 
"I can see you are ready. Are you ready for this, Alex?" The old man who appeared from his room.
"I guess so." He muttered.
"Okay, let's head out to conquer your enemy." He gestured at the door.
 
"Wait, let me pray for him." Alex rolled his eyes upon hearing his mom's request.
"Pray?" The old man scoffed.
"You can pray for him while you all are seated here in your respective ways as he faces his enemy. He has prayed, and I have also prayed to the gods on his behalf today, and I know our prayers have been answered. That's all we need to triumph." He added.
 
"But I thought they all would be there while I faced the king." Alex inquired.
"You must be joking. Do you think you're going to a competition?" The old man chuckled.
 
 
"We shall be back very soon. Now, gentleman." He gestured at the door, and they walked out of the house to the battleground.
 
Everywhere was quiet as they walked; they didn't encounter or see anybody. Alex then remembered that the old man told him that virtually everyone would be present at the market square.
 
As they approached the market square, Alex heard the rhythm of beats and people rejoicing from the display, which he had no idea about. He was only told that that day was the celebration of the assumed acceptance of rituals by the gods for the continuity and bountiful harvest of the villagers.
 
Suddenly, his heart skipped in doubt and fear as they approached, which made him wonder where the confidence he had earlier went. 
 
"Here we go," he muttered as he saw people's heads at a distance.