Dioha sauntered unto the sharp glistening sands of the shoreline. The fishermen littered all over the place had seen him even before he fully came out of the water. From their subdued reaction Dioha guessed they didn't recognize me, but that was just a matter of time. There was a week's old stubble on Dioha's chin but that wasn't enough to alter his looks. A fisherman nearby came towards him.
."ARE YOU ALRIGHT MATE?" he asked.
"I'M FINE" Dioha answered.
"WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?" he enquired, standing some distance away. His gesture and manner belied the apparent concern in his voice. Lanre noticed this.
"ARE YOU SURE THIS IS WHERE YOU LIVE?" Lanre asked Dioha. Dioha responded in his mind.
"AND THESE ARE YOUR PEOPLE?" Lanre asked further.
At this point the fisherman and some of his other colleagues were watching Dioha very strangely. This was a sealed off island with no way in or out. Merchant ships would oftentimes be heard blaring their horns and whistles but they were always oblivious to the whereabouts of the island due to the magical fog that shrouded the place. Inhabitants of the island had long since accepted to live their whole lives on the island. There was a binding oath that kept one in this place, an oath taken before entry is granted. Thus, without recognizing Dioha, the fishermen saw Dioha as an intruder. Lanre read all these in Dioha's mind.
"WHY AREN'T THEY ATTACKING US?" Lanre asked.
PROBABLY COS THEY BELIEVE I'M A VERY POWERFUL PERSON TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THE ISLAND, AND THEN ENTER. Dioha remained silent allowing Lanre to pick up answers in his mind. He was slowly getting used to communicating his thoughts to Lanre instead of vocalizing them. He had practiced much on his way here. Dioha, who had stopped moving as the fishermen slowly converged around, started walking steadily into the island. A frown slowly crept into Dioha's face. These fishermen were close enough to fully see and recognize him yet they couldn't. Or they chose not to. As if they heard him, someone broke away from the group and headed towards him.
"BY OSOOSE, IT IS THE REAL LORD OF THE ISLAND!" the person yelled as he threw himself at the feet of Dioha. Whispers and murmurs raced through the small crowd as recognition slowly dawned on every one of them.
"IT CAN'T BE" one said.
"IT IS HIM. LOOK AT HIS FACE" another said.
"THE REAL LORD OF THE ISLAND HARDLY TRAVELLED THIS WAY. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS TELEPORTATION GATE UP IN HIS CASTLE?" another said.
"DIDN'T HE DIE?" someone asked.
Someone summoned up some courage and came forward, kicking away the prostrate figure of the first man who was still on the floor.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" he asked Dioha.
"SURELY, WE HAVE COME TO THE WRONG ISLAND" Lanre said to Dioha in panic. The man who now stood before Dioha had a harpoon in his hand and his fingers kept clasping and unclasping around it. This must have been the reason for Lanre's sudden fear as he began babbling. His babbling caused Dioha a lot of distress as he found it harder and harder to keep his cool and focus.
"YOU BETTER SPEAK UP MISTER" the man said, pointing the harpoon in Dioha's face.
"THESE ARE YOUR SUBJECTS, AREN'T THEY? HOW COME THEY ARE BEHAVING THIS WAY TOWARDS YOU?" Lanre asked Dioha.
"QUIET!" Dioha ordered.
The crowd, unable to see Lanre, believed Dioha was scolding the man before him. The man took a step towards Dioha, thrusting the harpoon towards Dioha's face. Dioha had no time to complete the frown that appeared on his face. Dioha moved his head to the side and grabbed the sharp edge of the harpoon in the same motion. Dioha knew instantly that only a show of strength would confirm him in their minds. Though the ring was no longer of any value, Dioha still had his speed which would be enough.
Dioha pushed the harpoon aside and moved towards the man. In a flash, he was in front of the man. He smashed his right elbow into the man's face drawing blood. With his left arm he smacked the man across the chest while putting his left leg behind the man's right leg. The man tripped and fell backwards. Dioha waited for him to get back up. The man scrambled to his feet angrily. He dashed towards Dioha but Dioha easily evaded him. Dioha landed several punches on the man's face bloodying his nose and mouth. It was quite obvious that Dioha was toying with him. A murmur rose among the onlookers. As the fight, or beating in this case, continued, it dawned on everyone that Dioha indeed was who they feared him to be. First, he could have ended the fight easily by ending their colleague's life but he was being merciful. Secondly, his movement speed was beyond what any Ngamean could produce, not even one from the Enforcer tribe could move this fast. But the battered man was too angry to note this.
He roared like a mad man and his body began changing. The roar was loud, long and deafening. It continued as his body grew in size. The hairs on his body grew long and darker, his mouth protruded and his facial feature distorted horribly. Dioha, sensing the fight was about to drag a little longer, decided he had had enough. Dioha moved blindingly fast around the man morphing into a bear. In a matter of three seconds, Dioha was done and standing directly under the hulking figure of the bear cum man, transformation frozen. The bear man felled down flat unable to move a single limb, his pressure points poked and blocked.
"WE ARE SORRY LORD" someone said and knelt on one knee. Several others echoed the apology and went on their knees.
"I UNDERSTAND. I KNOW HOW STRANGE IT IS TO SHOW UP HERE LIKE THIS AFTER ALL THESE YEARS." Dioha answered. He proceeded to head inland but they all got up and blocked his way. Dioha frowned.
"WE CAN'T LET YOU GO IN, LORD DIOHA." A man said.
"THE NEW LORD WILL HAVE OUR HEADS IF WE LET YOU IN, AFTER THROWING YOU IN JAIL." Another man added.
"WHAT NEW LORD?" Dioha asked, losing patience.