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CHAPTER 57
They strapped their hands on their chest and took the floor with their right knees. All thirty men, murked in bravery and fashioned by the hands of war. They were venturers of the unknown and the fear that chases even death itself. He couldn't wish for more. This was certainly the best. It was the greatest desire of any man who craves power.
His lips parted as he sat on the throne.
"Igwe I ga-adi oo (long live the king)" they chorus in unison and march away.
Uche raised his scepter before crossing his legs comfortably. He was the seventy-seventh King of Ame, the youngest and the only one to have ever retrieved the complete set of the ijele masquerade. This was a dream come true, one which would remain evergreen until his last breath.
"All hail, Uche Maboza, the new King of Ame" Fanyi announced.
"Igwe ee!!" Came the thunderous chorus of the people.
The talking drum followed with harmony and then came the dancers whose steps obeyed
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EJIMA CHAPTER 58
"What do they want?" Uche whispered as he peeled reluctantly from Sachi. It was an effort, one which made him swallow uneasily as he stared dubiously.A falcon feather held the crown of King Nnaji, who was engulfed by five men. They were bare chests, with red animal skin and white wristbands. Their sword was sheltered but the red reborn dangling loosely with the gentle wind merged with the threatening aura that hovered about them. Like the warriors of Ame, these men were fashioned for war. They were made for blood and blood alone."Whatever they want, you must not give in." The dibia said. Concern wrapped the side of her face, but like Uche, there was mistrust holding her captive. These people were not their greatest allies. Twice they had ridden into battle together and twice had they betrayed the people of Ame."Your majesty. I regret disrupting this noble ceremony" King Nnaji said and break away from his men. "But it is with a heavy heart that I c
EJIMA CHAPTER 59
It was a simple plan. One that would leave them strong and help protect the village from the impending attack. But the trick however was finding the right time and space. Time was of the essence and if they were going to have any chance, acting fast and attacking first was the only weapon they had at their disposal. The miracle of surprise.“The army would march from the south through the brush of the western forest,” Fanyi said, pushing one of the stones into the circle. “And if our itinerary gets rooted here, we can attack from this spot with everything we’ve got.”“Using the canyon as leverage. That’s a smart move.” Uche nodded.There were at least six stones, each standing outside the circle drawn on the dust. It was a mini-map of the seven villages and the stones stood for the armies they had assembled. They had even sent words to the neighboring villages. If they have every freeborn by their side then v
EJIMA CHAPTER 60
Voiceless, still, dark, and starless. Some middle-aged women walked in the shadows, with animal skin drooping on their flat chest and with the tongue of torches to light alight the unspoken words that hung on the cloak of the night. But for the giggles coming from the huts, the little village would have passed for a ghost town. Somewhere, the wind danced with the trees, slowly and quietly as if afraid to perturb the solemn harmony in matrimony.Ume sniffed and hurried through the brush. The women had disappeared into the shades on the right-hand side of the village, yet he kept to himself and did not walk into the clearing. They had not seen him, he was one with the night, just as his many training had kept his feet voiceless.He picked the pace and continued further into the village. The hilt of his dagger was cold, and the adrenaline urging his feet forward kept his skin warm. It was an important mission, one that would enrich his pocket, one that would buy him the w
EJIMA CHAPTER 61
Taking a long deep breath did little to ease the confusion, so he stood and paced the room, with hands folded over his chest. There were a thousand 'what ifs' and a million 'Whys. However, he was happy that the coast was clear. He was no longer mad with his father. With everything that had ensued, his only regret was losing his father in the process. All the man had done was for the betterment of his family and people. All he had ever done was keep them safe."Can you explain better?""Of course, Jide," Godson said, taking the time to lose the first button of his shirt. But for the torchlight, only the man's bright eyes would have been visible."Your father belongs to a tribe of people called Osu. According to legend, during the breaking of the world, about some six hundred years ago, there was a great war that shook the bedrock of the earth itself. It was a cold war between our tribe and a distant enemy tribe. However, the enemy village was more powerful and wo
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Taking a long deep breath did little to ease the confusion, so he stood and paced the room, with hands folded over his chest. There were a thousand 'what ifs' and a million 'Whys. However, he was happy that the coast was clear. He was no longer mad with his father. With everything that had ensued, his only regret was losing his father in the process. All the man had done was for the betterment of his family and people. All he had ever done was keep them safe."Can you explain better?""Of course, Jide," Godson said, taking the time to lose the first button of his shirt. But for the torchlight, only the man's bright eyes would have been visible."Your father belongs to a tribe of people called Osu. According to legend, during the breaking of the world, about some six hundred years ago, there was a great war that shook the bedrock of the earth itself. It was a cold war between our tribe and a distant enemy tribe. However, the enemy village was more powerful and wo
EJIMA CHAPTER 63
At first, the rumble made him think of food, but the flashes from the east and the sudden drizzle that followed gave him a second thought. There were no sun or moon, stars nor heaven. Yet the rain kept appearing from nowhere and making him tremble. At the far distance, he could see a house, standing amidst the yellow flowers that stretched out to the distance until they were almost touching the sky. The roof was old, and the sidewalls tongue outward as if begging gravity for mercy.Confused, he took a step forward, and then another and another, and before he could register the thought, he was running towards the old building. Something within yelled at him to hurry, the urgency was like nothing he had ever heard, and as he continued through the foliage of flowers, he couldn't bring an answer to the question; what was this place and how had he gotten here?There was a loud shriek, distant but precise and almost calling out his name.He stopped to look back, to se
EJIMA CHAPTER 64
Another wave of dust followed the marching feet as the men snailed through the mountain peaks like migrating ants. From one end of the hill to the far side on the horizon, war songs upheld the calmness that once asserted the forest. There were at least a hundred men on horseback and a thousand or so on foot. These were husbands, fathers, farmers, brothers, and uncles. Before now, they were familiar with pitchforks, knives, and other household materials. But not anymore. Years of torture and torment from the Freeborns have drilled them into valiant warriors of anger and vengeance. They were fearless and would battle anything that stood in their way. While some people in the council had argued about their brutality, the truth no one was seeing was the fact that these men had kept the land safe for the past fifty years. It was the will to keep their family and loved ones from oppression that kept them going. That love was so stronger than any force in the universe.Bozo deepened
EJIMA CHAPTER 65
She opened her eyes to the pounding noise of the mortar and pestle. It sounded distant at first, yet the tantrum on her head, registered like two stones, rubbing over one another. It was a dark room, candled by a dim light, burning wastefully by her right. Horrible-looking creatures hung on the ceilings. Skull of animals, different types and breeds. The soapy smell also made her rub her nose, she couldn’t help but think of some dead fish, left by the riverside to decay. Not that it affected her much, the headache and the occasional blurring vision left her in doubt. Maybe she had hit her head on something. It was hard to tell. But she remembered lying on the cave bed and begging Uche for her life. He had not freed her, the blood lust had driven him into stabbing her continuously with his dagger. And she had...is this the land of the dead? “You are awake.” The pounding noise ceased as an old woman appeared, smiling weakly at her. Her hands were a tendril of vein
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