Born Of Two Worlds 5

Written by

Ifeoma Isabella Okeke

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In the Realm of Umueze:

At the first cock crows, Ekenna beast was already awake, he stood on his hind legs as his fur retracted and his human body slowly emerged, the cracking of bones can be heard as he change. Once he was back to his human form, he was naked. He looked around him and saw himself in front of a hut, in another village, he quickly entered the hut, took a wrapper and with it, he covered himself and stepped out of the hut. Ekenna cleaned away the tears that fell from his eyes, he wept when he saw what he did to a family that owns the hut he took the wrapper from, he quickly dig a hole with the shovel he found and buried the remains of what was left of the family. He started the long trek back to his village. His mind was still on what Okike had told him.

‘I just hope I find Mmirimma quickly, I don’t want to kill anyone’. Ekenna thought to himself as he went home.

When he arrived at the palace, he passes the hut of his brother and heard his voice and Ojima’s discussing, which means he was back.

Arinze doesn’t feel remorseful after killing someone, unlike him who feels guilty.

He ordered one of the servants to get him a bow of water, the servants did as he was instructed. With the water, Ekenna used it to wash his face, hands and mouth, he handed the bowl back to him. He told another servant to prepare his water for bath, which was carried out, Ekenna quickly took his bath, washing away the blood of those he had killed, after his bath, he went straight to his hut and entered it, changing his wrapper. The time was perfect to hunt.

Ekenna started preparing his hunting tools, once he had everything in his hunting bag, he took his arrows and hung the bow on his shoulder. Stepping out of his hut, he saw Ebuka and Nnanna, his two best friends and also brothers.

It was during one of his hunting he came across them. He had saved them from the hands of the salve traders. Their parents had sold Ebuka and Nnanna to the slave traders when they came across them for money, they were little at that time.

Ekenna had been the brothers saviour that day when he came and saved them from the slave traders. Once he had killed every slave traders, he released them and told them to go back to their village. Ebuka then told him they don’t know the way to their village neither can they remember the name for it has been long they left their village.

Ekenna decided to take them back to his village. He told his brother about the children predicaments, after countless time of pleading, Arinze finally agreed to let them stay in Umueze but not in the palace.

They were given a empty hut outside the palace. As they grew up, the two brothers decided to join their warriors. They soon became the best friends of the Prince.

Ekenna had already told them about the curse placed on the village by the late priestess Mmirimma, and strangely enough none of the beasts the villagers transform to could eat the two brothers, even Ekenna was surprised.

The brothers greeted Ekenna as they quickly took the arrows and bow from him, Ebuka took the bow while Nnanna took the arrows. Ekenna gestured to them to sit, he went inside his hut and came out with a single stool which he sat on, facing the brothers.

Responding to their greetings, he regarded them softly.

“So what brought the both of you here, by this time?” Ekenna asked.

“Oh, we came to see if truly what we heard yesterday is true”. Ebuka answered.

“And what can that be?” Ekenna asked confused.

“Well your brother gave out an announced yesterday, that you are about to embark on a journey into another realm to bring the look alike of Mmirimma, so we came to ask if it is true”. Nnanna told Ekenna the reason of their early morning visit.

“Yes, actually, I told him I would be going to the other realm on the day of the full moon…but, I have changed my mind, I want to quickly stop this curse, I hate myself, I hate what I am doing, I hate that I cannot kill myself, so I need to embark on this journey, and I will be going tomorrow”. Ekenna told his friends, seeing what he did today, killing a whole family including the new born baby, made him rethink his plans. Instead of waiting for the next full moon to come out for him to began his journey, as planned, he rather go soon.

“Well in that case, we will gladly follow you to the other realm to keep you company”. Ebuka said and Nnanna nodded his head in agreement.

“I don’t think Okike the great will allow that”. Ekenna spoke after a while.

“Just discuss with him about us, who knows, maybe he will agreed to let us follow you to the strange land”. Nnanna said.

“Okay, I will do as you have said, but do not keep your hopes high”. Ekenna said and stood up, collecting his bow and arrows from the brothers hands. “I have to go for my hunt, I will let you know what Okike says when I pay him a visit later today”. Ekenna added. Nnanna and Ebuka also stood up to their feet and they followed Ekenna out of the palace, and even followed him until they got to the forest he usually hunt, there they left him.

***

Ekenna stayed throughout the morning in the forest but he couldn’t find any game, he combed, searched and even went into the deepest part of the forest, still yet no game.

Dejected, he decided to check on his own portion of farmland, to see if his traps caught any stray animal that wandered into it.

Ekenna walked through the forest towards his farmland, he followed the shortcut that leads to his farm. By now, the sun was blazing like Titan’s fiery wheel in the sky. It was a-dazzle with splendour and it was a soul-swelling experience. Between gaps in the forest’s canopy, lances of its molten-gold beams splashed onto the floor. In places, the dead leaves seemed to be a-fire with an inner glow.

Ekenna didn’t mind the hot sun blazing around him, he soon reached his farm and quickly went to check his traps. The smile that appeared on his face when he saw one of his traps has caught a bush meat, was like the sun.

Ekenna quickly took the bush meat and went home with it, at least it was better than nothing.

***

“I can see that one of your traps caught a bush meat today”. Arinze said as he saw his brother heading towards his throne with the bush meat in his hand.

“Yes brother”. Ekenna replied and gestured to one of the guards to take the bush meat from his hand and give it to their royal cook, who prepares their meal. The guard quickly did as he was instructed.

“I have told you countless times that you should refer me as king whenever I sat on this throne”. Arinze said to him.

Ekenna Ignored him and sat down as he address his brother. “I heard that you announced that I am bringing the witch that would end this curse, you shouldn’t have announced it”.

“Yes I did and why won’t I announced it? My people needs to know that my brother wants to bring back the witch from another realm”.

“But still yet you shouldn’t have announced it. What if someone who is evil hears of it and decided to kill Okike, who has the powers to send me to the other realm”. Ekenna told his brother, trying to let him see reason why he doesn’t support that announcement.

“You’re just getting worried over nothing brother, let me tell you, everyone in Umueze hope and prays to the foolish gods of our land that we have, who has been silent for many years, to send down a helper who will remove the curse, but the gods remain silent over our predicaments. Then, Ekenna came out and volunteer himself to go to the other realm to bring back the witch, a world you haven’t been before. Be happy Ekenna, everyone now sees you as a hero”. Arinze told him smiling.

“But I am still not happy that you announced it, the discussion should have be between us and not to the villagers, what if I failed to bring back the witch, or what if I couldn’t find Mmirimma or what if Okike gets killed?”

“Nothing will happen, and you will go and be back safely, besides, what you’d be thinking should be positive and not negative, like, I promise to bring Mmirimma here whether with force or not”. Arinze told his brother.

“It doesn’t work that way brother, any way, I have decided to go to the strange world, tomorrow and not the full moon, and please do not announced it this time”. Ekenna said, he stood up and left the throne room for his hut.

Once he reaches his hut he saw Ojima. He wasn’t surprised when he saw her sitting down, patiently waiting for him.

“What is it again?” He demanded quickly.

“I heard that you want to embark to another world to bring Mmirimma”. Ojima asked, getting up to her feet as she moves closer to Ekenna.

“Yes, so how is that your business?”

“You didn’t inform me first or am I not important to you my love”.

Ekenna regarded Ojima for a while, shook his head sideways, and left her entering his hut and closing the door after him, Ojima heard the lock of door.

“One way or the other I must have you to myself Ekenna, I promise”. Ojima told herself and left his hut.

***

In Another Realm ( At The Bottom of an Abyss):

“What is it again?” The lady on the throne asked a man who stood before her.

“Uzege, Ekenna has find a way to go to the mortal word to bring the witch back to Umueze”. The man replied as he sat beside the lady, Uzege, otherwise known to the rest gods as goddess of death.

“Who has such powers to send my Lord to the Realm where that witch is? Who Uze? Who dares it!” Uzege demanded as she stare angrily at the man sitting next to her.

Uze not affected by her outburst stared at her blankly. Uze and Uzege were twins, while Uzege was the goddess of death, her twin brother was known as the god of war.

“A man called Okike”. Uze answered motionless.

“Okike? The one who has the backing of the gods?” Uzege thundered.

“I don’t know about the backing of the gods but that is him”. Uze answered.

Uzege scream out in anger, the demons surrounding her burst into flames immediately.

Uze raised his eyebrows as he stared at his sister, he wasn’t affected by her scream.

“Are you going to continue screaming and killing our demons or you will close that mouth of yours and do something about it?”. Uze asked. That silence Uzege immediately.

“I shall pay Okike a visit and warn him to stay away from Ekenna”. Uzege said softly.

“And if he refuse?” Uze asked.

“Then I will kill him even though he has the backing of the gods. I am Uzege, the goddess of death”.

To Be Continued…