Chapter 15⃣⃣
Recap from the last episode:
Amadioha: Go, I sense him too, be careful Ikenga at times not everyone who smile at you are your friends, some are foes in disguise.
Ikenga disappeared from their presence.
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Continuation from the last episode:
Ikenga opened his eyes and saw the old man standing very close to his bamboo bed. Quickly sitting upright on his bamboo bed as the old man shift a little backwards to put some space between them. The oil lamp that was burning lighten up the room a bit.
Ikenga: (Surprised) Papa, what are you doing in my hut?
Old Hunter: I heard voices in your hut so I came in to check on you. Where you talking to someone? Where did the person hide?
Ikenga: No Papa no one is here and as you can see I was sleeping when I have this feeling that someone is in. I’m a light sleeper Papa.
Old Hunter: (Nodding his head) Oh I see, anyway since there is no one here but yourself, I will leave your hut right now.
Ikenga: Okay Papa, there was no one here, probably you were imagining the voices.
Old Hunter: Perhaps you are right. Sleep tight my son and may ChukwuOkike protect you.
Ikenga: He is always protecting me Papa, good night.
Old Hunter: Good night my son. (He left Ikenga’s hut)
Ikenga: (In thoughts and spoke aloud) What did my brother mean by his last statement? Who are my foes? Does he know something and hides it away from me?
Without getting any answers to his questions, he lay down on his bamboo bed and slept off.
****
The next morning met Igwe Ofordili and his elders seated inside the throne room.
All Elders: Greetings Igwe (Igwe Ofordili answered their greetings.
Elder Udo: Igwe something terrible happened late last night.
Igwe Ofordili: (Surprised) What happened?
Elder Okoro: Igwe, the family of Mmachi and the family of Uzodinma were all killed yesterday night.
Igwe Ofordili: (Shocked) What!!? Killed? By who?
Onowu: That is what we don’t know Igwe, some families who were living not too far away from their huts said they heard scary growls and were afraid to see what it is.
Elder Okeke: In fact when I arrived at the two huts, I only saw their remains which would mean a human eating beast visited this village last night.
Igwe Ofordili: This is not happening not in my reign. Tonight our warriors will keep vigilant to see where
the beast comes out from and where it goes. We need to know our enemies.
Onowu: You have spoken well your Highness, but my worry is that the great chief priest hasn’t been seen for a while now. Doesn’t he knows the danger we and the whole villagers are now facing? What would be holding him from appearing to us to tell us the solution?
Elder Udo: You are absolutely right onowu, let’s assume we know where the great chief priest lives we would have gone by now to seek for solutions, but we don’t know where he lives. We don’t even know where he comes from.
Igwe Ofordili: I myself have been wondering if we have offended the great chief priest unknowingly, if we had then he should tell us so that we can apologize for our wrongdoings, but he’s nowhere to be found.
Elder Okoro: So what are we going to do to the remains of the dead ones?
Igwe Ofordili: They will be buried, Onowu you and the elders will be there until they are buried.
Onowu: Okay your Highness.
I hey left the palace a few minutes later and Igwe Ofordili got up from his chair and went straight to his hut.
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Adapuruche entered her mother’s hut without knocking and met Queen Amara seated with her eyes closed and smiling at nothing.
Adapuruche: (Tapping her shoulders) Mother.
Queen Amara: (Opening her eyes) Adapuruche, sit down and tell me what brings you here.
Adapuruche: (sitting next to her mother on the bamboo bed) I ate the apple but nothing happened, I thought I would have powers by now mother.
Queen Amara: You will have your Powers once it is up to 24 hours. Then our work will begin. You won’t go out until tomorrow.
Adapuruche: (Smiling) I can’t wait to see the powers I will have in fact I will be staying in your hut all through the day mother.
It was mid-day and Cheta was returning from where she went to pick firewood from. She met Ikenga along the way.
Cheta: (Stopping to greet ikenga who has a huge smile embedded on his handsome face) Greetings my love.
Ikenga: Greetings to my beautiful maiden, let me help with the firewood. (He collected the firewood before Cheta would protest and carried it on one of his hands as if it weighs nothing.) How are you faring today my lovely one.
Cheta: Great and you?
Ikenga: Great also.
Cheta: I waited for you to come early today like you promised to see my brother but I did not see you.
Ikenga: Oh, so sorry my love, it escaped my mind but I am here now we are going to the palace together. (They continue their walk, ikenga leaving his hunting and followed Cheta to the Palace)
Cheta: Didn’t you heard of a strange beast that killed two families last night?
Ikenga: No, just hearing it from you.
Cheta: I just hope it won’t repeat this night. (They got to the Palace and luckily Igwe Ofordili wasn’t in his throne room. They didn’t see anyone saved for the palace guards) Thank goodness no one is here
(breathing a sigh of relief and collected her firewood from Ikenga) wait for me here. (She quickly went to drop it in the kitchen and went back to meet ikenga who haven’t moved an inch. Grabbing his hand she took him to Jidenna’s hut and they entered inside. Pointing at her brother) that is my elder brother laying there, can you heal him?
Ikenga: (Went closer to Jidenna and touched his forehead, he withdraw his hand from his forehead and stare at Cheta.) It seems whoever made your beautiful face like this is also behind this. The enchantment looks the same, from the same enchanter.
Cheta: (Anxiously) So can you heal him?
Ikenga: No I cannot heal him but I know of someone who can. I will have to ask one of brothers.
Cheta: Thank you so much my love. Let’s leave before my step mother or sister sees us coming out of Jidenna’s hut. I will be in hot soup if they find you with me. (They came out of the hut and they walked out of the palace) Let’s head to your place.
Ikenga: (He remembered something) That reminds me, whatever the old hunter gives to you to eat once we arrive please do not eat it.
Cheta: (Confused) Why?
Ikenga: Last night he came to my hut then I was with my brothers and sense him right away. I have to leave an important discussion and saw the old man inside the hut.
Cheta: And what did he tell you?
Ikenga: He said he heard voices coming out of my hut and decided to check, though it is true, one of my brothers came to inform me that I am needed. But the old hunter wasn’t so clever with his lies.
Cheta: How did you mean?
Ikenga: I locked my hut door before I slept off.
Cheta: if your hut is locked then how did he get in?
Ikenga: That is what I am going to find out. C.H.E.T.A ( I Am Not Ugly)