Itanife: The Book Of Ifa (Orisha Chronicles) #NaNo2015Winner

Untitled Part 26

The next day starts in a flurry of activity. The Elokos pack up the camp and clear every sign that we stayed in the clearing from prying eyes who might be on our trail. We begin our journey and it takes us through the forrest again. But I see the trees start thinning out and wonder if we are soon to leave the dead forrest.

Abi is still not speaking to me and I decide not to push my unwanted attentions on her. I have reached a sort of resolution with Sheni but it still seems so fragile that I choose not to discuss it with her which would surely bring her back on my side if she knew.

Kemi is again walking beside Sheni but somehow after our time last night, I don't feel any resentment towards her. In fact I find myself grateful that he has someone who is so devoted to him. I am sure this more than anything will give him more confidence in himself which we will need if we face the prince. I think if because I am hoping we don't meet the prince. In the cold light of day, Sheni's stories about the prince do not lessen in their fear mongering. A prince...a son raised by a vengeful woman..in the underworld without love, empathy, humanity....how would such a creature be? How would one appeal to his mercy when he has no knowledge of mercy? My mind is a whirlwind of activity. I am walking on my own and I am grateful for the solitude.

Later, I will convince myself that I was so preoccupied and that is the reason I failed to see the trap. The truth is I probably wouldn't have noticed any thing amiss even if I wasn't so distracted. My time in the shadow world has not changed me too much from a normal seventeen year old city girl.

The Elokos are singing, this in itself is strange considering they didn't even speak yesterday on the walk. But the others don't seem to react to this and I let it go without really dwelling on it. It is a fleeting observation in my head. One minute there and gone the next.

I am just thinking how great it is that we start seeing glimpses of the sky when I feel the wind knocked out of me. I fall on the forrest floor with only my palms pressed against the floor holding me up. I am on my knees and I feel dust and a metallic taste in my mouth. I spit and it's slimy and red. Blood. Pain shoots up my leg and I know my knees are bleeding. All around me is screaming and shrieks of terror. I can not see well due to the dust storm that has erupted before us. An Eloko falls a foot away from me and I gasp at his bashed in face and open sightless eyes. He is dead. It takes a moment for my mind to clear and I realise we are under attack. How and by whom is a mystery but a fierce sense of self preservation kicks in and I know I have to stay down and find my friends. I keep my head down as I start the slow crawl away from the dead Eloko. I had been walking in the middle of the forrest path. I push towards my right. I think the sides of the path are better to move along. Easier to get away from our attackers. I stumble across more injured and dead Elokos. Every time my foot hits a body, my heart clenches with terror that I will find Abi or Sheni. Even the thought of Kemi as one of those lifeless bodies feels me with sorrow and I am determined to find them all alive.

The shrieks around me get louder and louder. There is a pounding sound and the floor shakes like an erratic heartbeat. Someone bumps into me and I crouch away and hide at the edge of the path, afraid of what or who it is. I still can't tell who or what our attackers are. I only see Elokos running and fighting with...one another? No. Looking closer from my hiding place, I see the two Elokos fighting close to me are different. It is a very subtle difference, but one Abi pointed out to me yesterday. Chief Nnamdi's men all have brown leather belts encrusted with jewels criss-crossed against their chest. One of the fighting Elokos has the leather belt across his chest but no jewels encrusted on them. Looking around now the dust cloud has settled somewhat, I see there are two clear sides. Our Elokos and these other ones. I see no sign of my friends and I pray they are safe and unharmed.

The Elokos are swiftly different from the harmless thieves of yesterday. They are now deadly warriors. They fight with their whole bodies. Their long heavy gorilla like arms punch and strike one another. Their long jagged teeth bite and tear off flesh like wild animals. Some use heavy long rongus which decapitate their opponents at a single strike. There is blood every where and fallen limbs twitch on the floor which makes my stomach heave and I throw up. I am watching a massacre and my heart is pounding insanely. I am terrified of our side losing and finding my friends harmed.