Women Of Steel | ✔

XXXIV

The moment we've all been waiting for, sorry for the late update, I've been busy with school and phew, it'll be all over next week by the Grace Of God! Enjoy this one ;-)

***

The serpent is a full foot taller than the prince, as it coils and raises its head, Tobiloba is quick to reach for me and push me behind him. He thinks he is protecting me, he has no idea I can probably best him in a fistfight.

Venomous liquid drips from it's open mouth and it rears it's head back, ready and quick to strike. My eyes roam it's wide body, something is not quite normal about it, it seems to be peeling off, exposing hints of even brighter scales. It is a monster creature fit for a monster king. Up till now I have refused to entertain the thought that Omolara might be already dead, but now, I am beginning to doubt if she lives or remains in one piece.

Staring at the face of this creature is enough to make me regret thinking of trying to save Omolara's pathetic life. I make the mistake of inhaling sharply and faster than I can blink, it strikes, head angling towards me with fangs bared.

Tobiloba pushes me to the ground just in time, a second too late and a chunk of my flesh would be gone. I have no time to consider the biting cold of the pit, the hole is wide enough, but not spacious enough for me to constantly dodge this huge serpent's attacks for long. Sooner or later, it will have me against the wall and I can kiss my life and revenge goodnight.

I stumble to my feet and push the prince to the mouth of the dark cave.

"Go, find the princess. We don't have time." I shout at him.

He knows arguing is futile and only nods before handing me the short cutlass he had hidden in it's hilt. From the corner of my eye I watch him run into the darkness. I can only pray to the gods that he returns with the princess in tow or Tadenikawo will go berserk and I don't need his hotheadedness and the consequences that comes with it.

I bare my teeth, refusing to show fear, creatures like this can smell the fear reeking a mile away. I am quick to reach for a knife in my weapon belt, I throw, burying the sharp object in the side of the serpant. It hisses loudly, not with pain but with fury.

It shakes off the knife like it is merely a fly. I watch the skin shed, exposing the brighter coloured scales. This creature's skin is almost impenetrable because of it's numerous skins. My knives will do no damage except to slow it down.

It retaliates, it's tail hitting me with force that sends me crashing against the wall. I huff in pain. I am both thankful and furious for the forest people's unrestricting traditional clothing, they believe the purpose of wearing clothes is to cover the privates hence, their women wear short wrappers around their waists and a matching wrapper tied around the chest, I am thankful because less clothing means easy movements and furious because they leave me prey to the cold.

The serpant circles me, wearing curiosity in it's black eyes. I grip Tobi's cutlass tightly and my other hand clenches my side. I search for a weak point, an opening of any sorts and find none.

I let the serpant think he has me cornered and when it angles closer, I hop and slice off the end of it's tail. The creature lets out a pained howl and retreats. I swing again and chop off another chunk of skin.

I spin like a dancer when it circles to strike with it's fangs. If I can't stab it to death, I will carve it like wood.

If there is no way, then with my bare hands I will dig a way.

My grip is loose with sweat and my cutlass drips blood. I underestimate it's speed and with a move too quick, the serpent spits venom on my face, just missing my eyes. The sticky liquid burns my cheek and I stagger back, surprised and dizzy.

Snake venom is normally harmless unless it hits the eyes or is swallowed, but this snake is far from normal and neither is it's venom. It's cold venom burns like fire and makes my eyes turn.

The beast draws closer, making a fatal mistake. We tend to savour our prey's pain and bask in the glee of causing pain that we ignore the fact that our prey may have been hit but is far from death's door.

I inhale and let my cutlass fly, slicing through the head clean. Black blood and ichor sprays on the wet ground and on my face along with my clothes.
The serpent's body wriggles for seconds before stilling. I exhale a sigh before giving in to the blackness.

                                                *****

I am lying on grass,gazing up at the stars and I can hear the slow running of the river. My left cheek burns and my right side hurts like hell. I glance at stained clothes and shudder, no matter how many lives I take, I will never get used to the blood. It is damning evidence that I loathe.

I sit up too quick and suck in a painful breath. Tobiloba stands before me, peering down at my body.

"Did you get the princess out?" I croak out. He jerks his head to the left and I follow his gaze.

Omolara lies on the grass near me, asleep. She looks in one piece but there are sharp cuts on her pale face and she looks considerably thinner. Her usual dark caramel skin is even darker. She is still wearing the same purple Aso Oke she was wearing the day she arrived but there are tears in the skirt. Her right wrist is bare of the plain bangle she always wears, I know it was Tadenikawo that gave it to her as a gift. The brat will be devastated when she finds it gone. I feel a tiny satisfaction that she has lost a piece of jewelry important to her, like the anklet her brother took from me.

"I see she is fine," I snort. "The poor thing is probably traumatized from the horrors of lacking her usual pampered lifestyle."

Tobiloba turns down his lips in disappointment, like people usually do when they discover I am not the sweetheart they thought I was. Tadenikawo looked at me that way when he discovered I was more trouble than I was worth.

"Show some pity and concern." He says.

I snort again, rising to my feet all while gritting my teeth in pain. The serpant did a number on me. I touch a hand to my burning cheek and I'm not surprised to find a sharp wound, the venom burned it's way into my skin. Covering this from Amadi will be difficult.

"Then she should not have come here, she has no idea what she has caused. I have no pity for fools." I spit in the grass. "Sending back on her way will be even more difficult than killing that serpent."

"What you did back there was amazing, I had my suspicions that you could fight but I had no idea how good you are." He says nonchalantly. His words please me more than I would admit.

"Wake her up, I want to know why she came here." I dodge his compliment, facing the trees. I hear his movement and his hushed words to Omolara.

Then I turn to them, Tobi cradles the princess in his arms and she cries into his chest. I would normally shake my head at her drama filled performance but there is nothing fake about the tears that slide down her cheek now, nothing fake about the hitch in her breathing, as if the thought of living scares her.

I feel unwanted fury well up with me, burning in my chest.

Whatever they've done to her, they've done it wickedly well. They've broken her.

"Hold on to the princess, Tobiloba, I'm going to make a fire." I say. "We'll be here a long while."