‘you’ll see them flying on broomsticks, putting on black hoods, with protruded caps, they are very wicked and seeks to harvest our blood if we let them, but we can resist them’ Dike said as they approach to cross the territory of witches.
He then asked everyone to bring out from their bags the portion given to them by the Oracles, ‘don’t waste it, when a witch approaches you, stay composed and make sure it gets close enough then you pour this portion on the witch and it will dematerialize before your eyes, but remember, don’t waste it and don’t use it unless it’s necessary. If you waste yours, you are gone’ he added.While they were threading quietly through the path, the witches were watching them from their covens. They laughed hysterically that they just have food walk into their lands.They usually travel to the villages at night to hunt for blood, they turn into birds, or rats and penetrate people’s Huts to suck their blood.The witches need human blood to survive, they’ll travel a very long distance in search of someone who doesn’t know how to fend them off whom they can suck his/her blood.They don’t suck the blood of albinos; they avoid their blood like plagues.One of the witches who took the blood of albino mistakenly fell from the sky while flying like a bird and turned into an old woman and the people gathered to see and shame her, she eventually died because she lost all her powers not before confessing that she was responsible for several deaths and certain curses affect the Afugiri People. She also revealed that a fellow witch has deceived her into licking the blood of an albino because they were fighting for a position in the coven of the witches and she was a more favorable candidate because she has completed her assignment by donating most blood to the coven.
Because the blood of Albinos is very powerful against witchcraft, many hunts for these albinos for their blood. And some of these albinos extract their blood and sell it to those who want it who seek it because of the problem of witchcraft.As a mother, if one of your children is an albino, your family is safe from witchcraft attacks because witches dread the place where an albino can be found. But this also puts the albino at risk because some who hunt for them for the sake of their blood may get hold of them if they move around carelessly. In Afugiri, there is a common practice that prevents witches from entering into anyone’s Hut. They call the seed “Ukpotoro’, they place this seed at every corner of their house and wherever this seed is, witches cannot enter. So everyone has this seed in their house.They are also particular about the blood of newborn babies; it makes them more powerful this is why newborn babies are carefully watched over in the land of Afugiri to protect them against witches.Their cream is made up is made from ‘Ukpotoro’ seed so that they can always wear the smell that fends of witches and wizards.This has made it difficult for the witches to penetrate anyone’s house in search of blood and it left the witches starved as the practice of keeping ‘Ukpotoro’ seed has become common in Afugiri and its neighboring communities.
The portions that the Oracle gave the warriors were also made from the ‘Ukpotoro’ seed and the blood from Albinos. Witches easily dematerialize when they come in contact with this portion. The portion is also used to hunt out witches and wizards living within the community.If you suspect that anyone is a witch or wizard, all you have to do is pour portions made from ‘Ukpotoro’ seed and the blood of an Albino the person, if the person is a witch or wizard, he/she will manifest and begin to fidget instantly.While observing these warriors from their mystic mirrors, they waited in excitement for them to walk into the middle of their territory before launching a random attack. They thought the warriors would be easy meat for them like when some hunters mistakenly wandered in their territory years back.They easily made a meal out of the hunters.The hunters were aiming their Den-Guns on them as they attacked them, of course, the bullets from these guns couldn’t hit the witches and wizards as the hunters were easily whisked away and made a meal of; they were sucked till they turned white by these witches and wizard who needed just their blood. Some of the fat-looking ones were kept alive and fed so that they could be producing blood for the witches and wizards but they died due to malnutrition and diseases that they suffered while in the captivity of these witches and wizards.When these hunters got missing, their communities organized a search party but they were unsuccessful. The community was a neighbor to Afugiri who mourned the loss of their valiant hunters for 7 days at their ‘Ama’ (village square).The women would visit the wives of these warriors in turns for 7 days to comfort and help them with their domestic and farm works.The men would help the widows of these hunters with masculine jobs like cut down their ripe palm fruits, harvest their yams and cassavas, and split their firewood.You could hear the excitement in each of the witches or wizards as they lick their tongues in hope that they just got another easy meal because of how easy it was for them to hunt the hunters that strayed into their territory and fought them with guns and in addition to their luck, there is no albino amongst the warriors so they felt confident of making an easy meal of these warriors but they were about to be surprised.Meanwhile, Dike and the rest of the warriors were very watchful as they take each step. They knew that the witches and wizard’s attacks were imminent but hoped the attack won’t happen soon as they tried to be mentally ready for them.
Suddenly, they heard a strange noise as an ugly long-nosed dwarfish wizard charges towards Dike, it was easy, he allowed him to get so close and he used the portion on him and the wizard dematerialized before them.After few seconds, you could hear strange noises everywhere as other witches were charging towards them, but as they got close, the warriors used the portion on each of them and they dematerialized instantly.One of the warriors called Chukwuebuka was so traumatized by the look of these witches and wizards because of his childhood experience with a witch that he has kept to himself over the years.He has once witnessed a wizard turn into a human and it scared him. He never spoke about it to anyone and hence he couldn’t deal with the trauma he had that night he witnessed that. So he was hiding behind other warriors during the charges from these witches and wizards.One of the witches noticed that he had feared so she targeted him, as the warriors were regrouping after fending off the first attacks from the witches and wizards and defeating most of them, one witch charged towards Chukwuebuka and he was so scared that he brought out his portion and poured away in fear before the witch could even get close thereby wasting it and by the time the witch got close, he had nothing to fight with and the witch took him away on her flying broom.The rest of the warriors were able to make it through the land of witches and Obiokwu made it alive again.At this time most of the warriors began to respect him; their view of him began to change gradually as he continued to survive each attack.He killed more witches and wizards than every other person but Dike. He just followed instructions, stayed calm, and used the portion when the witches or wizards get close enough.The Warriors have now lost 11 warriors but they’ve not lost their faith in their mission but for one. One of them has begun questioning the risk of the entire mission if it’s worth it.He has lost all hopes of surviving, he felt like he’ll be the next warrior to die because most of those who looked up to have died but something continued to inspire him, the fortitude of Obiokwu the supposed weaklings amongst them, how he has been calm, focused and dogged.Now they are about to go through the next strange and more fierce land.Dike reminded them, that if no one looks back no matter the sound, or noise, nothing will happen to the person.Even if you hear the voice of your wife or baby, please don’t look back, they are deceptions, your families are in the village, they can’t be here and the forces that live here can’t harm you unless you look back. When he was done speaking, He told them to proceed as he’ll lead from behind.Don’t even look back if you hear my voice calling for help; just keep moving he added as they went ahead of him into the ‘Land of No-look back’It was the elders who shared the story of the land to them and why they called it a land of ‘No look back’ their warriors observed many years ago that the forces in that land can’t harm anyone who doesn’t look back, then they went on to share stories of several of their warriors turning into pillars of salt, a rock of stone and into so many t
No matter what is flying above you, the screeching noise over you, don’t look up.Our ancestors who were warriors named it ‘don’t look up’ when they discovered that the mysterious flying creatures in this land can’t harm anyone that didn’t look up to see them.No one has been able to see so as to describe the creature on this land because those who saw them turned to ashes instantly. But we don’t need to fear. If we don’t look up no matter what, we’ll make it through this land without any harm. Dike addressed them as they made it into the land.They could see piles of ashes from various spots as they take each step. These spots are warriors they’ve heard their folklores who couldn’t survive crossing this path not because they were not mighty men of valor but because they looked up.Each step the warriors take they see another pile of ashes that remi
Don’t stop running! Immediately they took to their heels. They practiced running with a heavy log of wood as warriors so it wasn’t too difficult for Dike at first to lift the sick warrior who looked at the creatures with a mirror and run.The sick warrior, his name is EmekaThe other warriors were way ahead though they regularly look back to see if Dike was running fast enough with the unconscious Emeka on his shoulders.That was when they saw a dog-like animal, coming after Dike closely. This animal is 10 times the size of a man with a fierce-looking face and a protruded sharp tooth from under its mouth.It is said that these strange-looking animals have a good sense of smell therefore no one can hide from them, once you set your legs on their lands you just keep running. That was how the name of the land came about.The animals can’t run as fast as humans but they definitely don’t stop coming after
As they were resting and laughing at themselves for how they panicked during their last flight, one of them saw a shinning stone which he suspected to be gold. He thought of how he’ll become extremely wealthy should he return with such gold.Though Dike has told them never to do anything till he has prepped them about the land they are in and reminded them of the instructions they must yield to survive such land. This warrior secretly and quietly separated himself from others to pick up this stone.The idea of sharing the profit of selling such precious stone with another warrior should they know about it made him shrewd and kept the idea to himself.The other warriors were listening to Emeka share with them the description of the creature he saw with the aid of the mirror and what happened to him that made him passed out.Emeka just did the impossible to see the un-seeable and lived, so everyone wants to know what he saw, they were so
The people of Afugiri community gathered to pray and make sacrifices to the gods over the safety of their warriors at the shrine. The Oracle was leading the prayer and in the making of the sacrifices. They called out to the gods and ask that they save their warriors.The Oracle did some incantations after humming with ‘omu’ on his mouth for like 7 minutes. He then cut the throat of the ‘Ehi’ (bull) that the people of Afugiri jointly brought for the sacrifices. The 11 villages had contributed to buy this Bull. Everyone was willing to contribute because of their love for their King.The Oracle was dressed on leather that is embedded with cowries and small bones; he hanged several horns of gazelle and wrapped the skin of a leopard-like wrapper. His face was marked with white chalks and tiro (black-eye lash) was marked on his eyelids.The elders were all putting on pure white wrappers, raised to their bel
The Oracle told him that if he can sacrifice the person he loves most that the warriors won’t be able to make it back from their journey to get the Magic Bean.It was a very tough one, his wife Ada whom he so much loves. She was the only one who could calm him and make him smile when things are not alright and she has been firing him up to go to any length and win the throne.He thought about it but couldn’t come to terms with sacrificing her.He went to the Oracle and told him that he can’t. Well, the Oracle said, if he doesn’t, that he’ll die within the next 7 days.‘I’ll be saving myself and getting the throne if I sacrifice my beloved wife,’ Arinze said to himself as he reluctantly agreed to sacrifice her.His mood changed, he wasn’t socializing as he refused to be with anyone. Life without the woman who perfectly understands and loves him would be very hard
When the Oracle in Afugiri got to Ohuhu, the Oracle in Ohuhu already knew why he came. The gods have just revealed to him what’s going on. He immediately requested that all the married women in Afugiri be summoned to match throughout the land of Afugiri, confessing that their warriors would be back. Arinze would discourage some women to be amongst the match but the majority showed up. And later when they were done, the others who didn’t show up were meant to ‘Kwa-Iwu’ (punished) for not showing up. Very early in the morning, you could hear the words of the women as their leader declare saying ‘our warriors would be back safely’ and the rest of the women would chorus ‘Ise’ (amen). ‘No charm sent by anyone would work against them’ the leader said ‘Ise!’ was chorused. They continued speaking, calling on the gods to protect the warriors and bring them back safely. This they continued as they journey to and fro all the lands
‘Never step out of the given path, make sure you place your feet where I removed mine’ Dike said as he took the lead.‘The spirits on this land have given humans passage as long as we don’t go outside our given path. Whoever ventures outside our allotted paths will be at the mercy of the spirits of this land. Dike continued to tell them as they followed him in a single file.Emeka has not fully recovered; he still staggers when taking steps. Dike requested that he be in the middle of the line so that those behind him can hold him from falling out of their given path.Emeka’s mouth can clearly show some whitish stuff that is stained from the milk he just took. The milk is said to nullify the effect of spells and poisons and it was administered to Emeka so that he could recover from the effect of his earlier encounter in the land of ‘Don’t look up’.The impact on his health was nothing compared t