Amobi and the Door Beyond Time (PREVIEW)

5. The Three Elements

Being awakened was a lot like suddenly waking up after a particularly fuzzy dream. It felt like I'd gone all my life with cotton wool stuffed in my senses and I'd just been freed from it. It felt... weird. Suddenly I was hearing things differently and everything had a weird LSD vibe to it. I.K groaned, clutching his stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Kosi swayed and leaned against a tree. "What's happening?"

"You're seeing the world as it truly is," Agwu replied excitedly. "The spirit world protrudes into the material world and vice-versa, both connected in an eternal dance. Isn't it amazing?"

My stomach didn't think it was amazing. It kept roiling around in protest. Slowly my vision began to return to normal and the high pitched sounds faded away. Chioma opened her mouth to say something, but then something flashed near the base of the iroko tree and three animals stepped forward. We gasped in awe.

The first was a white ram with massive, curling horns and blazing red eyes. Jolts of electricity flew from its body and it came up to me and nuzzled my arm. It didn't hurt surprisingly, the electricity merely ticked me a bit.

Next was a boa constrictor made of earth. Its eyes were two fat rubies and all sorts of tiny flowers festooned its body like scales. It curled up near I.K's feet who smiled down at it.

Last, but definitely not the least was a peacock with golden feathers. Its eyes were smouldering flames and its massive tail feathers and wings were shafts of sunlight. It moved forward and bowed to Kosi who bowed back after a moment's hesitation. Chioma stood paralyzed with shock, but Agwu just laughed.

"Hey Amadioha," he called out. "Good to see you!"

The ram turned and gave Agwu what I could have sworn was a stern look. The god shrugged and pretended to yawn. "Yeah, yeah whatever. You're no fun at all."

The animals bowed to us again, then vanished in a burst of light. My friends and I stared at the spot where they'd been for a moment.

"I know we've probably asked this too much already," I said with a sigh. "But what just happened?"

"Those were your patron gods," Chioma's voice was awed... and a little jealous. "The ram was Amadioha, the god of thunder, lightning and the sky."

"Actually the true god of the sky is Igwekala as he so dutifully reminds us all," Agwu interrupted. "I've always been of the opinion that they should share the sky, but do they listen to Agwu? Nope!"

"The snake," Chioma went on, wisely ignoring the god. "was Ani, the goddess of the earth. The peacock was Anyanwu, the goddess of the sun."

"You sound weird," I.K observed.

"I'm fine. It's just... not every dibia or lolo has a patron god. I've never even seen an awakening of an initiate with one."

Despite that, I recognized the look on Chioma's face. It was the same face I wore whenever I saw one of my classmates with their parents during Prize Giving Day or any other school activity. I would wonder why they deserved to have a happy and complete family. I'd know it was a horrible thought, but I wouldn't be able to get it out of my mind.

"You don't have a patron god do you?" Kosi asked shrewdly.

"We should finish up," Chioma said quickly, sounding slightly hysterical. "Agwu, what's next?"

"Just some libation to us gods," he said, producing a large keg and four cups from nowhere. The keg dispensed a milky white liquid into the cups, which then floated into our hands. I sniffed experimentally at it.

"Urgh!" I.K said, holding his cup at arm's length. "It's palm wine."

"Yes, it is," Agwu said happily.