The team returned together to the district headquarters and everyone dispersed to their room. The atmosphere was quiet. Tobi was asked to report to the Commander's office to report. Ebun did not utter a word till the day ends. Tobi was scared of what that meant. Even when he tried to force a conversation, she would shrug him off. "We will see in the morning.," was the last she said and left for her room.
The day had broken and there is already a bright blue sky. Saikyuu is a district city known for its sunshine. It's a typical city set in a tropical area which is the cause of abundant hills, mountains and forests. It boasts the biggest forest in the nation. The forest is the one used by the district headquarters for their tests and training.
Andrew, Tobi and Chioma were discussing when they heard footsteps coming their way. It was Captain Ebun. "Good morning, Captain.," they all greeted. "What is good about the morning?," She replied to them. She appeared to fume with anger. Her fists were clenched and her expression was scary. She carried a cold aura which dampens the atmosphere around them.
She walked closer towards Tobi and punched him in the face which caused Tobi to nosebleed profusely. Blood was dripping from his nose non-stop. "C-Ca-Captain?," Andrew and Chioma muttered. "Hold him up!," Ebun commanded. She clenched her fist. The target, Tobi's face again.
"Stop! Hold it right there!," Jumoke commanded just in time. "Meet me in my office.," She said and walked into her office. Ebun took a low last glance at Tobi and left.
Inside the office, Jumoke sat looking through some scrolls. She raised her brows as Ebun walked in. "What was that about, Ebun?," Jumoke asked.
"Some form of discipline, Commander.," Ebun replied with a straight, cold face.
"What's wrong with you? Are you still on the same issue?," Jumoke asked. This time with a visible frown.
"What's wrong with me? You know why I joined the force yet you assign me to a squad. How the heck do you expect it to work plus I can't work around people who can't follow simple instructions and you know I don't have the time for this. I have to finish this.," Ebun shouted and slammed her hand on the table.
Jumoke sighed and stood up. She turned to face the wall and she backed Ebun. "You know I know all this. I trained you myself. You are an excellent kid. That's why I know you are the best for these kids. As for your personal mission, it's nothing to worry about. You have the people that would help you in achieving that. Your squad members especially Tobi.," Jumoke said and turned to face Ebun.
"Huh? What do you mean? What do they have to do with it?," Ebun replied sharply. "Have a seat, Ebun.," Jumoke gestured.
"Watch where you place your feet. The crow sees it all. That was what Tobi said the man said to him plus he got info about their next raid. Even though it was dangerous, we know what their next plan is. My source also linked your mission to the crows. It's a win-win for you.," Jumoke said as she returned to her seat. "I want you to accept them as your team members. They are inexperienced and undisciplined. Fine. Train them. Teach them. Show them. Be the captain they can emulate. I know you can do it, Captain.," Jumoke said and winked.
"Hmm, I'll think about it. I'll take my leave now.," Ebun said and left the office. Meanwhile, Chioma and Andrew were trying all they could to stop Tobi's nose from bleeding but it was futile. The blood kept gushing out and Tobi was lying flat on the floor. "What sort of punch was that? Is he going to die?," Chioma continually thought to herself which made her begin to worry by the minute.
"Leave him alone and give me some space.," Ebun instructed. She returned with a pair of wool. She placed each wool in each of Tobi's nostrils. She placed her hand on his nose and squeezed it. "Heal," she said. Immediately, the bleeding stopped and the wool fell off. The nose had gone back to its previous state showing no sign that it had been punched.
"Uhm, attention! My name is Ebunola Adunbanigbe. As of this moment, I officially accept to be your Captain. The journey is not going to be easy and I hoped you are prepared. I don't take nonsense. So, behave yourself.," She paused and let out a cough. "Sorry for the punch, Tobi. Are you okay now?," She asked.
"Yes, Captain and I think I deserved the punch.," Tobi answered placing his left hand on the back of his head.
"Good. Anyways, we are finishing the mission we started. There's just a little twist. We aren't supervising this time, we are catching the robbers. We are to as well protect the hamlet of Ada during this mission. Note, this mission is a B-ranked mission. It must be completed. Understood?," Ebun declared.
"Yes, Captain.," they all answered. "Now, go get your bags and weapons. We leave in five minutes.,"
********
After the gang had escaped, they made their way towards a town called Ada. Ada is a small town within Saikyuu. The town is popular for its fertile land and good yield, even in bad seasons. The town had just finished harvesting their produce. They were getting ready for the season of sales.
"There would be a tweak in our plans. You guys ramble a lot.," the leader said. He took out a scroll and calligraphic pen. He wrote down some words and closed the scroll. "Take this scroll to the town's head. Make sure it gets delivered to him. The rest of us will lay low in the village for the next 5 days just in time for the season of sales. Let's get going.," the leader commanded.
"Yes! Kekeke.," the gang shouted. They changed their dresses and went straight to the town. They reached the town's gate and checked in. The town was small, only to the towns within the Saikyu district. It had a Mall, Bank and Warehouse of its own. It was not a small town per se. The gang lodged into one of the small inns available and laid low.
********
After about a day, Team Ebun arrived at the gate of Ada. They approached the gatemen for checking in—there were three of them. During Check-ins, the people would be asked a few questions, their luggage would be searched and verified if they had any, and they would be checked. Ebun moved towards the gatemen and showed them her license. The gatemen checked through the license and gestured for her to stay at one side. They moved closer to each other.
"That is a real warrior license. What should we do?," the first gateman asked.
"I think we should stop them from entering the village," the second gateman answered.
"Why? He just said the license was real and they have the right to carry weapons. Why should we stop them?," the third gateman said.
"Are you not aware of the Chief Gateman's instructions?," the second gateman replied.
"No. What instruction was that?," the third gateman asked.
"The Head received a letter informing him of a suspicious group of people. It said they would be disguised as warriors. The Chief Gateman was instructed to prohibit any warrior, real or fake, from entering the town.," the second gateman explained.
"Ohh, I see," the third gateman replied.
Ebun was already impatient and yelled out, "Are we gonna get in or not? What's taking you so long?,"
"Sorry, we are done now," the first gateman said and moved closer to the team. "I am sorry. You are prohibited from entering this town," the gateman said and left.
"What the hell is the meaning of this? Why would you not let us in? The weapons? You do know we have the rights, right?!," Ebun asked the gateman.
"It was an instruction. The town head's instruction. Please, leave before we change our minds," the gateman said and left to attend to other people.
Ebun was surprised that their entry was prohibited. This was never in her plans. Normally, this should never have happened. She had to think of a way. She sat in a corner not far away from the town's gate. She was observing the queue and the environs. She sighed and stood up. "Let's leave," she told her team.
"What about the mission? Are we not finishing it?, Tobi asked as he was confused.
"The mission is still on. We are finding another way," Ebun answered the confused Tobi.
As they walked away from the town's gate, all in Ebun's mind was what the instruction was. Why were they the only ones prohibited from entering? Was it the gang? She discarded the thought for a second before she realized something.
"Everybody, wait. I think this is a set-up," Ebun said.
"I thought of the same since other people were allowed to enter. Was it because we are warriors? Andrew asked.
"Yes, but that's not it," Ebun replied.
"Then, what is it, captain?," Chioma asked. She had been quiet for a while.
"The gang that kidnapped Tobi is behind this. How? The leader would have been aware that Tobi had gotten the info from them, and since Tobi was freed, they had to find a way to delay us, if not stop us," Ebun answered.
"What do we do now?," Tobi asked.
Ebun clasped her hands together frowned and looked straight at their faces. "We are going through the back door. That is the only way right now,"
"Through the back door? Is that not illegal?," Andrew asked. He was surprised at such intuition. Even though that was the only way, it was still illegal. They would be going against the town's rules.
"Won't be breaking the trespass law? Even if we are warriors, we are still subject to the country's rule," Tobi stated. He had studied the laws of the country under his mother's instruction. He knew every written law of Sanemi. His mother never joked about any of his studies. "Plus the town's head has the right to sanction us if we're caught," Tobi added.
"Do I look dull to you? If you want to finish this mission and abide by the law, you can as well take your leave now," Ebun said infuriated at their words. She had thought of the trespass law before she made her decision. They would be standing at risk of losing their warrior's license. "If you are still for this mission, follow me," Ebun instructed.
Ebun led the way as they took a bushy path that led to a stream. The stream was located on the outskirts of the town. The stream provided water for the people living on the outskirts of Ada. These people were people who could afford to live in the central part of the village. It took the team another day to reach the stream. They arrived at sunset and decided to camp there. They would proceed with their plans late in the night.
The half-moon glowed in the darkness. The stars glittered revealing the beautiful night sky. Tobi was especially enjoying this view. He had not gotten the chance to enjoy a view like this. He laid on his back. Chioma had gone to the stream to fetch some water, but she had been gone for a while now. The thought that Chioma could have been kidnapped interrupted his enjoyment. He rose and went to Andrew.
"What do you think is taking Chioma so long? Has she been kidnapped?," Tobi asked Andrew.
"Ohh. I don't think so. I mean, Chioma isn't you," Andrew said and laughed. Tobi was vexed.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?," Tobi asked Andrew. He did not like the way Andrew had made jest of him.
"Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean for you to be annoyed. I was just stating the obvious," Andrew replied and continued laughing.
Tobi got more annoyed and went back to his position. He felt irritated. If they were not on a mission, he swore he would have given Andrew the beating of his life. He was in thought when Chioma returned.
"Guys, I have found a better way for us to get into the town," Chioma said panting. She had run from the town. She could not use her lightning because of Ebun's instructions. They were not to show off their skills, energy or techniques unless it was necessary.
Ebun looked at Chioma and asked, "A better way? How?," Ebun had thought there was no other way possible. The town had only one gate. What could have been the better way, she had thought?
"It's a long story. We do not need to waste time. Let's go," Chioma said as she carried her loads.
Andrew leaned towards Tobi and whispered into his eyes, "You see what I mean, Chioma isn't you," Andrew said this laughing and ran. Tobi was displeased and chased after Andrew.
Chioma led the team towards the other end of the stream. The stream was located 4 metres behind the wall that demarcated the town. As they approached the latter part of the stream, Chioma moved towards the wall and pushed a small part of the wall.
The rest of the team was amazed at what happened. A hole in form of a door was carved out of the wall. "What the hell is this? This is amazing," Andrew said. Chioma gestured for the team to follow her. She led them through the hole and they got into the town. On entering the town, she led them towards a hut. She knocked and a little girl opened the door.
"It's me from that time. Can we come in?," Chioma asked. By the way, Ebun had quickly taken a glance at the environment. The environment was dark and there were only a few sizable huts. It seemed like a settlement of sorts.
"Yes, come on in," the little girl replied. They all went in. They were welcomed by a woman who was dressed only in her wrapper and she had her slippers on. She had prepared a little dish for them which surprised them. She had prepared a hot black Amala and Ewedu soup for them. The aroma had made quite a few reactions. It showed that they had been hungry.
"Don't be surprised. This is our way of showing appreciation," The woman said seeing their expressions.
"Appreciation for what? We didn't do anything," Ebun retorted.
"The lady didn't tell you?," the woman replied referring to Chioma. "That kind lady, Chioma, saved my girls,"
"I am sorry, Captain. The girls were in trouble and I had no choice but to help them," Chioma said appealingly.
"What happened?," Ebun asked. She wanted to know exactly what had happened. Meanwhile, Tobi and Andrew were busy stuffing their stomachs. They did not care about what had happened but they were listening to the discussion, especially Andrew. "By the way, where's your husband?," Ebun added.
"He is on night duty," She answered. "Ok, Aina, tell the story,"