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CHAPTER 22
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EJIMA CHAPTER 23
As always, the language that speaks on the stone wall was the language the dead spoke. At least five torches were hanging in circles on the rough wall. It was a simple room and could have been empty but for the stone chairs. Men in blue gowns sat in silence with their thoughts, watching and observing. Each had the customary chalk and hid their identities beneath a mask. Hawk could not place a name on any of the men. Name was forbidden. The only name that was allowed was the name of the stone, a name given to each individual according to the animal mask they wore. "You are late," Someone said. He had the mask of a bull, which matched the heaviness in his muscles. He was also tall, perhaps the tallest in their midst, and like the rest, he wore a blue vest, twice the size of an average man, but too small for his protruding muscles. Hawk ignored the man at first as he walked towards his seat. Bull, as he was called, was the right hand of the King, perhaps, the most trusted individual w
EJIMA CHAPTER 24
Jide swallowed the last pounded yam, licking his fingers, one at a time. The wine tasted good, or better than what his father normally gets from the old wine tapper in the village. Life was stunning if one was born with blue blood. Who could have guessed that a nobody like him would one day be a special guest of the King? Breathing in, he leaned on the chair and rested his legs on the stool. It had rained last night and twice the day before. Planting season has begun and not many men have good yam in their barn. The ones who do would probably want to sell at a higher cost. And that's where being rich has its advantage. Jide's lips broadened as a small smile smudged them. He knew he shouldn't be here. He'd heard stories of how cruel the king could be on anyone that fails to play by his rules. These men were brutal to outcasts that crossed their path. But the buffet kept his foot entrenched. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he was going to grab it with both hands. He la
EJIMA CHAPTER 25
He held up his snuff-box and taped the edge, hoping to get the content into a homogenous mixture. It was not among the best in the kingdom, but he had decided to give it a trial, partly because Ume had persuaded him that the snuff was the real thing in the seven villages. The other part was the shrill fact that the man was his father-in-law. He had married three of Ume's daughters and while they were still being trained to fit into the court’s way of life, Bozo had agreed to buy Ume’s snuff. Out of sympathy than willingness. This was not their first deal of course. He had patronized the man before, a long time ago, and it was a blunder Bozo was not willing to repeat, not while there were still good palm wine tappers across the district. Bozo hoped the man’s snuff was better than his wine, or else, he would consider Ume as a man who only knows how to bring forth children and nothing more. Bozo frowned as he uncorked the cover lid. The content in the wooden box looks nothing like a snuf
EJIMA CHAPTER 26
Despite the uneasiness hanging on every side of the camp, Bozo could feel the comfort under his hood—made from an antelope hide—as he walked through the hordes of men that stood, facing the distance ahead. Their hands were clenching their weapons as though their life depended on them, and the torrential drop of sweat that came running down smeared their faces with a glare that almost gave Bozo a skin burn. Pathetic. Bozo thought as he held up his chest, walking through the open space which the surprised men had torn for him. The heavens have parted ways with the golden glows of the beautiful morning and the heat of the maturing day was beginning to show its face. But for the ceremony—usually at night and once in a twelve moon cycle—Bozo has never left the comfort of his palace in broad daylight. He had never liked daytime. Of course, he had been born into daylight and had walked in their comfort at a time. But those days are gone. Too many things have transpired in those years. It al
EJIMA CHAPTER 27
Sweat pricked his nape, strolling down to his back until they were lost somewhere under his pelt. It’s been hours since they arrived. They had not moved again though, not with the sharp arrow ends, pointing dangerously in their direction. The glare of the sun added to his misery, and to make matters worse, his heart was threatening to jump out of his chest. The beat had turned to a symphony of endless rhyme, and he could feel them as a lump at the back of his head. If he had known that they would compel him to carry out his plan, then he wouldn’t have suggested it. He would have sealed his lips with the blacksmith’s coal. Well, no need to cry over spilt milk. I am here now. I pray to the gods to help me out of this mess. I will never poke my elder’s mouth with a rod again. I swear to hold my peace and cage my curiosity after today. I swear by the goddess and the five gods of the land. “I really need to take a pee.” Jide smirked at the older boy’s words. “Take a pee? Of all the momen
EJIMA CHAPTER 28
Nnaji stretched his hands to the right, just where the tubes of the sun's rays pierced the leaves of the forest and bashed down towards the earth in a cascade of intricate glow. He frowned as he perused his own shadow which had left the distance ahead and was coming behind him now, following the direction of the sun. Telling time using shadows was something his father had taught him long before he was old enough to wear his first pelt. It was a custom in Umudike which every good parent imbibes in their children at a ripe age. Even though he had mastered the skill and could tell the exact time of the day with his shadow, Nnaji still finds it hard to distinguish how much time has passed between two events. Differentiating the morning from afternoon and evening was easy, but between those times, it was difficult to tell the exact hour in which an event had happened. Nnaji returned his hands to his side. He never liked shadow time. It has so many flaws and errors in it compared to the ti
EJIMA CHAPTER 29
“So, how did it go?” The tension that draped on King Nnaji’s features receded when his brown eyes failed to pick any tension on the face of the forest or the leaves. The muscular features of Kalu followed behind, holding that swagger that portrayed strength and authority. And royalty too. No palace guards were hanging on their shoulders. The two men were alone, like always, and the curiosity that streaked the edges of their aging brows sent a lovely wave of satisfaction down Jide’s stomach. If he had his way, he would rigmarole and enjoy watching the men sit on that fence of perplexity. “They took the bait, I presume?” The disappointment in Kalu’s tone dispatched a chill down Jide’s spine. It was as if the man had wished they would not come back. As if deep down he wanted them to perish there in the enemy’s camp. But…no, it can’t be. Jide shrugs off the thought. Kalu was not just a trusted servant, he was the King’s brother. The finest man in the kingdom and the meekest. And I trust
EJIMA CHAPTER 30
Hawk rested his hands on his sword, rolling on the floor and back to his feet, even before he could think of jumping off his saddle. Ji had run off to the other side of the forest, away from harm’s way. Hawk had not instructed it to wait behind, but the animal had lowered its head and was watching them from the corner of its eyes. Uneasiness was hanging on its shoulders yet it had stood its ground like always. It had waited for him, doing what it was trained to do. Hawk sucked his tongue with a little hint of remorse streaking the side of his heart. Ji’s devotion will never cease to amaze him. The animal had been nothing but faithful ever since King Bozo gave it to him. They had fought many battles together, some of which, Ji, had been directly or indirectly involved. The animal was a perfect friend, but on the other hand, Hawk doubts if he would do the same for the animal if kick comes to shove. “Well, well,” Hawk’s hands tightened on the hilt of his sword as the owner of the voic
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