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Chapter 22
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2024-10-29 19:42:56We reappeared in a thick forest cast in darkness. Only the barest sunlight filtered in through the mammoth trees and broad canopies, and the sounds of birds and other animals which should be tumultuous in such a forest was lacking.
“You are here.” a tall stocky boy appeared before Iditan and I like a ghost.
I strengthened my shield and took a stance immediately, taking it as another of Iditan’s tests. The boy was taken aback for a second but his reaction was quick. He retreated fast, putting a distance between us, and a short glimmering broadsword appeared in his hands.
“What’s going on? Who is this?” he asked.
Iditan had a quirk which could go for a smile on her face as she replied. “This is Toke, one of our witchlords. Toke meet Thabiti, the first guardian from Kenya in a very long time.” Iditan introduced.
I slowly stood at ease, embarrassed at my overt reactions. “I’m sorry,&rdqu
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“THIS WAS TOO EASY,” Iditan was saying to Thabiti and the middle aged captain of their nighthawks, Jaal, after the battle, when I joined them. Their only other two witchlords—a gangly boy and a mousy girl with thick huge glasses—introduced as Ben and Lilla, also stood with them while their Nighthawks cleared the battlefield, moving the body parts of the cursed ones littering the field to be thrown in the fire. The Kenyans were not as lucky as we in Nigeria, having found only three of the five witchlords, the remaining two yet unknown.“Yes, we hit them pretty hard,” Thabiti replied energetically, a smile on his face. “Finally, Kenya is free from these damned pests.”“I don’t think so.” Iditan shook her head in disagreement. “We won way too easily even with our superior strength and all, and since we found no tangible evidence or leads here my instinct tells me this is not the last of them.”
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Nub’s smile widened at their reactions. “You all missed his bastard son that year, Jap, born to his servant girl. Somehow he escaped before you came to destroy them, and having learned a little of the magic from his father and from some other evil spirits he became stronger over the years. A little over four years now, he captured me, seeking to turn me towards his magic and use me for his plans. I spent four months as his captive, and he was every way as mad as his father.” Nub’s countenance turned sour.“My best friend who was with me when he took me could not continue and she took her own life, but I made him pay in the end, when he thought he had me under his finger. He died begging for death.” “That was about the time she changed,” Iditan muttered, her words opening my eyes to see a bit of why Nub seemed so bloodthirsty during the battle against the cursed ones. The darkness in Nub’s eyes at this mom
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I TOOK A BREAK FROM OLOFI for the next few nights, and then when I returned it was to hear that all witches currently writing their school leaving exams had been given a pass to practice only for an hour each night, and spend the rest of the time studying—since keeping up with our lives outside was just as important as witching.Iditan was away for most of the time and so I had to train by myself or spar with Ramatu, Chike and the others for the one hour—which held little or no challenge now that I could win against them easily—and whenever Iditan was around she would arrive when the spar was on, and leave before I was free to chat.Lara who had recently been promoted to the sixth point and was aiming to join me at the seventh point before school was over also had me training her for thirty minutes more in our chosen secluded corner away from the mountains before we dug into studying mathematics and numerous equations—which to me w
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Sunday night, Lara and I were done for the day and were heading to the entrance of the training ground where we would open a portal to our different homes when I sensed Iditan inside the forest below. A surge of happiness ran through me because I was sure it was her act of reaching out to me. I wouldn’t have sensed her if she had not wanted me to.“Go ahead, I have somewhere I must go first before heading home,” I sent to Lara.“Ok,” She replied, too tired to ask questions.I headed down to the forest to meet Iditan seated beneath a great oak tree on a patch of green verdant grass, her eyes closed and her body relaxed as she leaned against the tree. I stared at the Oak tree which was the size of a small house, surprised to be seeing it for the first time. Ever since I have learnt to morph and fly I have never passed the way through the forest, choosing to fly over it, but still I should have seen a tree this big from above, or so I
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I HATE CALCULATIONS!I exhaled hard, looking wearily at the mathematics exam paper on the desk before me. I connected to the magic sight for the umpteenth time since the exams started, having the faint hope that something would change, but no, nothing does. The answer doesn’t just appear on either the question paper or the answer booklet, and I have even tried looking at the white board up in front with magic to the same result.“What then is the use of all the magic if it can’t help me with my exams?” I muttered angrily to myself. I raised my head and my eyes caught sight of Stephen ahead, a seat before me to my immediate left. He caught my gaze, staring back with utter hatred, scowled, and turned away. He looked nothing like he used to, his confidence and springiness was gone now having lost majority of his popularity and allure after he had his leg and that of his team broken, resulting to them unable to play and the school losing the year&rs
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RAMATU FLEW INTO THE AIR as I breached her defense by piercing through her magic shield with a strong concentrated burst of magic. She leapt back to her feet seeking to quickly return into the fight as I took the opportunity to face off against Chike, striking hard against him, only for her to fall again as a spell I subtly threw at her feet entangled her—one of the few tricks I learnt from watching Nub fight.Chike held his defense tight with a sword and a dagger as I attacked with two small swords, up and down, up and down. He met all my attacks with a tight look of concentration, only defending against me as I built a powerful momentum with each strike. I smirked at him. He was trying hard to by time for Ramatu to get back on her feet. I changed my movements, striking in a crisscross pattern with the two weapons.Chike stepped back to take a breather as he heard Ramatu’s growl signaling her return to the battle. I quickly triggered the illusion I h
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We sensed the changes in the air from the distance before we got to the castle, it seemed to be glowing in a soft greenish hue as we looked at it from a distance, and we finally arrived there to meet the castle gates wide opened. The path to the steps was lined with colorful flowers, with the statue of two huge birds right at both sides of the entrance—an eagle and one other I couldn’t place—the beauty of everything beauty taking the breath out of us.“They finally opened the Castle,” one of us hissed.“Yes, and it was high time,” Iditan replied. I took my eyes away from the castle and turned towards her, seeing a soft smile on her face. When did Iditan become one for such a dramatic flair? Seeing the surprise on Ahmed’s face, I could guess the castle had not been opened when they both came to the mountains, it was definitely not open when I flew over to the mountains hours ago. That means it was she and Ahm
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WE ALL STAND QUIETLY on the path leading up the dark-gloomy castle entrance as the three matrons carry out a ritual. Seven small outcropping rocks lie spread wide apart in a horizontal line at the path leading to the castle steps and Oniko with the assistance of Bashir and Biola moves to each of the rocks, taking one of the seven rams that had been made available for the ritual, slaughtering the rams upon it and letting the blood spill upon the rock while the matrons follow them from behind chanting incantations. They step back after spilling the blood of the last ram over the final rock, leaving the rest to the three matrons who begin a singsong incantation. Powerful magic ignites on the rocks, and the bodies of the ram and their blood catch fire, burning till nothing is left of them. We all sense an invisible barrier before the castle lifted as the fire goes out.“Opening the castle does not demand much from your magic, it is only a matter of your will p
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I was yanked out of Kudaisi’s body as he came to. He was still in the dungeons, and the red matron stood before him with two of her apprentices.“He is not going to make it” the red matron says, looking him over wistfully. My heart skips a beat hearing her. “Someone has tampered with him or something,” she looks around, frowning.“What do we do no?” one of the apprentices asked.The red matron frowned. “Get me blood. We can’t allow him die like this. We will feed him blood to make him heal and continue.”“Okay,” the girl turned around and left the dungeon.I came awake slowly, taking a moment to get my eyes used to the dim lightning of the room. The thick pungent smell of drug and pills hit me hard, and as I tried to move my right hand a strong warm hand gently, but firmly, stopped me.“Finally you're awake.” It was Mama. She was seated on the bed by my side.
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The sound of hooting precedes Iya Agba’s arrival as she enters as a bird before morphing back into human.“I am sorry for keeping you waiting,” Iya Agba says, etching a low bow. “Let’s get this done quickly, I have somewhere else I must be.” Busari stands to his feet. “Where are the goat and the pigeons?”“They are out at the backyard, let me get them.” Yeye Omo stands to her feet and totters wildly. She is saved by the wall behind her which she leans heavily on. Giving her witch’s bead to Busari for the sacrifice had weakened her a lot.“Yeye Omo!” Iya Agba hurries to her side.“I’m okay.” Yeye Omo wards Iya Agba away with her hand.Busari sighs and points his staff to the floor before him. A midnight black goat and seven pigeons appear out of thin air. “No need, I’ve gotten them.”Kudaisi gawked at Busari, surpris
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Our wait continued until late into the night when Iya Agba came back. Yeye omo collected the materials and began to the sacrifice and invocation immediately, chanting incantations. “Why have you called me?” strong pressure descends suddenly in the room as a thick baritone voice asks gruffly, jolting them with its unexpectedness.Yeye Omo quickly comes to her feet, followed by Iya Agba who first founders on the stool nearly falling on the floor before standing.“Welcome my lord.” Yeye Omo etches a bow as a man materializes before them.Iya Agba echoes Yeye Omo’s greetings, also bowing, while Kudaisi stand there and study him.Busari Egiri, the man who has lived centuries. He wears a white top, buba, and short, Sokoto, and he looks middle aged despite the full white hairs on his head and beards. A heavy white shawl lay on his left shoulder, with a small white sack by his hip with its strap across his body
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Kudaisi growled, fighting against the invisible shackles that bound him to no avail.Yeye Omo chortled softly as she eased herself away from him and stood to her feet, using her left hand to wipe the blood trailing down her lips.Kudaisi continued his struggles against the invisible shackle to no effect.“To say I had to use this before I could stop you. You should be proud.” There was a horn in Yeye Omo’s right hand which she raised us. The horn was long with spirals like a bull’s horn. It was wrapped in black and red cloth with cowries and dry leaves around it, and it shined dimly even under the soft yellow glow of the lamps, oozing smoke from its top.“Do you know what I had to do to get this five hundred years Áse?” Yeye Omo inquired, looking grim. “It took years and years of service to get something this powerful. Long years of service, and I doubt there are many charms of its caliber around.&
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SHE IS AN OLD HAG—Yeye Omo, Iya Agba called her.She was so old, withered, and bent that Kudaisi feared she would drop dead anytime soon. The faded brown and red flower patterned blouse and wrapper she wore did nothing to hide her skeleton frame. She tottered on a worn-out wooden cane held tight in her right hand, leading Kudaisi and Iya Agba into her decrepit mud hut with lots of wide yawning cracks in its walls. A lantern hung on the left side of the door casting an iridescent glow about, with its wick fluttering under the soft night breeze.Kudaisi nearly found himself rushing to assist Yeye Omo as she weaves hard by the door, taking a moment to steady herself and enter into the hut.“Go in,” Iya Agba commanded as he paused by the entrance.Kudaisi eyed the walls for a moment, praying it holds still and doesn’t collapse and seal them to their deaths.“Sit.” Yeye Omo waved a hand t
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In Kudaisi's headIT’S TWO DAYS since he got back home with Iya Agba. The police come around to take statements the very day they return. He forces himself to look blank all through the meeting as if lost, but it is only to suppress the restlessness from the hunger and scalding thirst ravaging me—no easy feat that.Iya Agba attends to them, simply telling them I lost his memory and cannot remember much, and that a Good Samaritan found him by the roadside with his wallet which contained her number, helping him find his way back home.The policemen only direct looks of pity his way before leaving, promising to come again for more information. THey know they wouldn’t be back and only said they would for effect. The bus he boarded at the park in Lagos has still not been found, and according to the police I might just be the only survivor of a ritualist kidnapping which is not so unusual in this part of the world, and
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There was no more me, only Kudaisi. I felt what he felt, saw what he saw. I had become him.As a little boy, after spending the better parts of the day playing and running around the whole neighborhood with friends, I would end up on Iya Agba’s bed after dinner with his head on her bony thighs as she either tell me a story or sing a song while her fingers softly caress his head. She will only stop when I’m drowsing to take me to his room, or after I doze off and I will wake up the next day to find himself in his own room, on his bed.One thing about those times is, I am always secure in the warmth of her bosom, like the kind of feeling a chick has staying under the wings of its mother. I was immovable, untouchable, I was free—unrestrained.The same feeling encompass me now as Iya Agba’s scent invades his senses—the scent of home, of love, of the feeling that nothing can ever go wrong.“Kudaisi.”I groan, re
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PAIN. ANGER. REGRET.I felt his emotions, every single part of it, as the Red matron who personally oversaw his interrogation tortures him again and again, taking him just to the brink of oblivion only to drag him back from falling into the darkness. Green vines bound his hands and legs, splaying him wide in the air in nothing but his boxer shorts, and his body shivered as pain racked through him with each slightest movement. His screams resounded loud as the red matron did something to him for some long minutes before stopping.I watched everything from the shadows, unable to move, speak, or even let loose of the floodgate of tears locked behind my eyes and vent the thick stifling pain which smothered me. He refused to speak despite whatever they did to him, refused to betray his friends.An image flashed through my mind—his mind. It was his late grandmother, Iya Agba. I looked at her with familiarity like I have known her for years, feeling from
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“YOU ARE LATE,” Kudaisi said as soon as I arrived at our rendezvous point. “What’s the problem?” he asked, seeing the worried look on my face.“Kenny…” my voice broke and I stopped.“What about him?”“I found him. He is already a cursed one.”“No,” Kudaisi hissed in shock. I nodded, turning my eyes down as he stared intently at me—barely holding myself together. “Where is he?”“With the witches at Olofi. They practically sent him to them with a note stating it was a gift for me.”“The bastards!” Kudaisi cursed. “How about Shola and Taiwo?”“I don’t know yet. I- I- I hope they are fine.” I nearly broke there, until I felt the white matron determining my location with her spell. “I need your help,” I said, raising my head.“You know I would—”&nbs
