EJIMA

CHAPTER 17

"You are a spy aren't you?" The missing toe woman asked. 

The hoarseness in her voice was soul-piercing and could almost chase one's skeleton out of their skin. If Ejima remembered correctly, the coldness and rigidity in the woman's voice bore a resemblance with those of the Dibia back in the village.

"And you are the creature with a missing toe?"

"Missing what?" the woman's brow tightened, "I can see you are the talker. Wait until we meet the chief, I would gladly shove my spear through your throat and cut out those stupid tongues of yours. Now move." The woman bellowed, nudging her spear and pointing them to the narrow road. 

Ejima grumbled but obeyed as if the woman had placed a yoke on her neck. Her index finger was no longer bleeding, but the pain was by no means ebbing away. They were still burning and pulsing as though they wanted to draw out her veins.

"I will make sure you suffer great discomfort," The woman said.

Ejima licked her lower lips. She needed a plan and fast. If only the woman had not ceased her sling, that would have given her the leverage to afflict some severe damage. But now she was armless and at the mercies of this ruthless creature. How can she possibly get away?

No light sat on the heavens. The sun was already resting on the other side of the world by the time they finally broke out of the forest. Torches were being lit and the voices of the children blended with the serenity that was kicking in. The birds had retired to their nest, leaving the cricket and the frog to continue the endless night song. 

"Mother, look," Someone shouted and held close his cloak to keep warm from the growing harmattan wind.

It was a boy, no older than twelve. His dark hair was tied behind with a red ribbon, contrasting with the yellow armband on his wrist. Beside him stood a skinny-looking woman whose hands held a torchlight, hoping to get a glimpse of what her son was pointing at. Her eyes widened however when they finally fell on Ejima, and with her free hands, she pulled her son back to herself, dragging him behind her. That must have been the signal because the rest of the villagers were lifting their heads in their directions. Each of them mumbled some silent words that would only pass for a whisper. Some of the men went for their stone spears or swords. From the glare of the women and children, it was obvious that they didn't get visitors often.

The walk into the village would have been a quiet one if the villagers were not abandoning their homes to follow them.

It was a small village, probably consisting of five or six households. Compared to Ame, these people were lanky and could need proper nutrition.

"We are here," Ejima's captor said when they came before the biggest building in the little village. Trees and leaves grew out of its body, either for fashion or for support, Ejima could not say. At each edge of the building, white stones were used to create creatures of different shapes and sizes. It was a written language, one which Ejima could not decipher. The aura about the building also portrayed the authority and the power it housed.

Ejima gulped. Maybe this was the seat of the chief whom her captor had talked about initially, or might as well be her prison. If it was the latter, then she was going to wrath here, and nobody in Ame would notice her sudden absence.

She shifted her weight to the other feet, scanning the area like she would a lion's den. She would not let them drag her into that building. Never.

Some two men were standing on the entrance, with their arms folded on their bare chest which was vibrating like the current of a water wave.

"Who is this?" One of the men asked. His eyes were dark, but the glint of the amber glow from the torchlight made him look like a wizard who could predict the future from the past and present.