"I think you have some explaining to do!" Yotifa faced the chief with his sharp sword, pointed out to his wrinkled, stiff neck. Out of a thousand men, he was the last chief alive.
"Wa...Wait! You have to stop attacking right now, else? If you kill me! You'll never see your families again!" his shaky voice threatened.
"They are all dead. This is what is left of us. You killed and wiped out our lineage. Destroyed a whole city! You are monsters!!"
"Your family may be dead but if you kill the rest of us. Our wives would also come for vengeance!" The old chief said, as if he had a backup plan.
"Was that why you restricted them from attending parties? Aren't they in your homes with your kids?! You old fools, you all deserve death!"
"Kill me now and your spirit will never find rest! Never!" He grunted the words at Prince Yotifa. "Live with that if you can! Prince... " He hissed in sarcasm as if Yotifa meant nothing. Well, he felt nothing.
"We should let him speak." Lanre suggested.
"Just give him a chance." Ajoke muttered.
"No! He's lying! He must die!"
"I think we should let him speak." Lanre begged again.
"He's lying! He is the last of them, he must die!" Prince Yotifa swing his sword against the old man's neck but luckily, he ducked. Only his gray hair slashed through the silvery edge of his sword. The old man's flaky dry mouth, fell apart in shock while he swallowed down his pride.
Annoyed, Yotifa walked away from the old chief, concluding that his worthless life should be spared. Asa, who was back from the dungeon because it was locked, walked towards him. Noticing the golden ring on his little finger, she started at it as if it were familiar.
"That ring... Where did you get it?" she queried, with her eyes, focused. And her voice, firm like a man's.
The old man looked at it. "Ten years ago while we attacked Odo-Ara. There was this old woman I found quivering. She hide herself by the well side and an arrow was struck in her chest. I swear, I didn't shoot her. Although, I was a soldier under the rule of king Otun, something about her felt strange. Walking closer I realized that she was blind. I could have protected her but it was too late. Her death was sudden so, I took the only thing valuable I could find on her. This ring. "
About to kill him, the old man quivered in fear like a cold child.
" Please... Don't kill me. There's something more."
"What is it?!"
"A ship is arriving from the North. They call them Hausa's. These people pay us heavily for the slaves and treasures. We would be joining forces to attack Ondo."
"What?! You planed to attack my land... My city?!" Prince Awade growled.
"Yes, it won't be any longer. If King Otun willed it, it must definitely be from the gods!"
"Which gods! You know I don't believe those giants you serve. We don't believe in your gods!"
"That's why we are planning to take you down and take over! Ijebu has join forces with us, so are the northerners. Our plan is to rip off all the treasures and share it's land."
"If you love a god, worship it directly without any associates." Awade fired. "Are the giants your gods or the deities?!"
"The giants are our deities, prince Awade! They're one and the same!"
"Do you speak their language?" Asa interfered.
"We had an interpreter. H... He had traveled vast and wide. Aremu." The chief pointed with his eyes.
"Him..." She turned at the direction where the old chief was looking. The man's face was burnt in the fire they'd lighted earlier. His black burnt skin shimmered with smoke from his dead body.
"None of them can help us! The chiefs are all guilty. All the royals are..." Yotifa snarled.
"No, no, no.... We can still be of help. I can still be of use. Trading needs no words. Just goods."
"What goods?" Yotifa raised an eyebrow.
"I might be able to help with that. Which of you beasts has the keys to the cell?" Ajoke questioned. The old chief deepened his right hand into his side pocket of his trouser and brought out a bunch of keys.
At once, Yotifa snatched it off his hands. Even as the head of slaves, he dared not touch the keys. Only the chiefs and royals were able to.
"It looks like we will have to spend the night here." Yotifa concluded as he handed the keys to his sister. "Get these pigs out of my sight!"
The girls dragged the remains of the dead chiefs and royals into a corner and covered them with a black, thick cloth.
Back to the dungeon, Ajoke pulled over the iron door with her left hand with the burning lamp in her right. She led them downstairs and opened the door, passing through it.
"Oh, we've gotten new roommates!" One of the prisoners with slim lips blushed out the words with so much excitement.
"Huh? Isn't that prince Awade?" His eyes squinted to their tall figures as they walked in.
"Oh, thank goodness you guys are now free! You can set us free! We all need to leave here, as soon as we can."
With prince Awade at the front, they thought he came to free them. His mosaaji glittered to the effect of the burning lamp as he stepped closer.
Other sleepy prisoners raised up and stared at Ajoke with weird faces. All the prisoners left were men and they weren't from Odo-Ara. The huge men looked frightening, especially one with an injured leg.
"Do you know any of them?" Asa asked, facing Prince Awade.
"Yes, this one." The prince pointed and moved closer to one of the prisoners.
He gritted his teeth at the prince in anger but Yotifa walked into the dungeon as well. His gaze rolled at the weak men. Some stared at him in amazement while others rolled their eyes at him in a annoyance.
"May I ask you gentlemen, how did you found yourselves here?"
"We are prisoners as you can see. You of all people know that they treat us worse than dogs!" A short prisoner with very full hair grumbled.
"As for those bastards upstairs, invaded our hometown and took us as slaves. With all our treasures in their possession, they feel like the king of the world. I don't blame them anyway, they were all following orders of their king or probably, the giants who they worship. It's been six months, though. We were the last town they invaded."
"Don't you have women in your town?" Yotifa interrogated.
The man smiled, exposing his brown set of teeth. One of his middle tooth was missing but his smile dropped the next second and a frown followed. "All our women were slaughtered because there was no space left in the boat. Those who were too sick, were thrown into the ocean to drown.
"Yes, I had two wives and five daughters." Another man with full mustache cut in. "They murdered them in my presence all in the name of power and fame. Those men are nothing but beasts!"
"They made themselves royals. That's how they do." Asa hissed. "That's what they do."
"Who are you?" A man with dreadlocks raised his gaze at the guy with scars all over his body.
"I'm prince Yotifa of Odo-Ara. The chiefs and royals were going to sell you as slaves to the northerners." He explained.
Meanwhile, some of the men turned to him with hatred in their eyes. They might have realized that, he gained freedom just because he was in the position to do so.
"As destined, the northerners are on their way here. So, we would have to trade you as goods to them without anyone stopping my chance to freedom..."
"Oh, can you hear him? How ridiculous you just sounded prince whatever you call yourself! Dan banza Kawai!" the man in mustache mumbled.
"What did you just say?!" Ajoke rushed to him with anger in her eyes. The fire in her hand crackled to the effect of her words.
None of them understood what he said but it was clear that he was insulting Yotifa.
"Oh, you must be his princess I guess."
"When I cut off that blabbering tongue out of your head, you'd be at ease." She threatened.
"Chain the prince." Yotifa instructed.
With the keys in Asa's hand. She walked forward and placed Awade's hands into the handcuff. He gazed into her eyes but she didn't even look at his. Her eyes were focused on the keys as she chained him up with no form of regret whatsoever. Even though he saved her life from the naked man a couple of minutes ago. That wasn't enough to claim his innocence.
The old chains clicked while the handcuff clinged to prince Awade's wrist. The men glared at Yotifa as if he was the reason they were locked at the first place. This was a chance for everyone's freedom. And he was using it only to his own advantage.
As though, he liked her. A smile formed on Awade's lips after she'd locked the handcuff.
"Thanks." he said to her while she looked up at him.
Without saying a word, Asa rolled her eyes and walked to Yotifa's side. We can't take them along with us either. "Who knows if they were planing to serve them to the giants as meal and sacrifice. Maybe that was why these set of men were chained here after all."
"I agree with you." Yotifa nodded his head to Asa's words. "These men, particularly the prince won't be spared or released. They could as well be executed for watching their women die and doing nothing about it. They've been sleeping with the roof on fire..."
The man in mustache spat out saliva with burning anger in his eyes. They watched the three of them step out of the dungeon. Ajoke then locked the iron door, taking the lamp away with her.
"Okay, people... Listen up!" Prince Awade started with showing a good example of leadership. "It's obvious that they don't give a damn if we live or die, so... How about our own secret escape plan and then leave this island? Anyone in?"
Other prisoners rolled their eyes at Prince Awade. He's only on their side because he's on chains. Meanwhile, somewhere at the side of the dungeon was an old man.
He covered himself in thick black cloth listening to every word of their conversation and arguments. His hands and legs were both chained but nobody knew who he was. Another prisoner, another prince, another mystery or just another man.
Translation:
*Dan banza Kawai: An arrogant fool! (Hausa)