"I never believed that the fire of Ninki Nanka could burn up towns and cities, instead, it did. The fire spread and it consumed the whole village. Knights and soldiers tried to kill the animal but, after it's death it.... Disappeared." Sanmi sniffled while narrating his part. "And people lost. Hatred and infertility filled the land, the gods had laid a curse. The beast consumed all it approaches."
"Lies! This is nonsense! Rumour and stupid superstitions! How can animals ascend from the sky, control the weather and be the cause and control of human trafficking and trade that has been going on in our lands for centuries?!" King Otun hissed at the interpreter.
"This superstitions claimed my own wife and child!" Sammi fired at the king
He swallowed his word immediately while his eyes fell to the gaze of others, giving him a stern look.
"And I know this, we would need to leave this island in order to escape the basilisk's attack."
"Definitely." Atata replied in ancient Yoruba. Then he turned to Banjoko.
"Yes, definitely." He replied back. "Yet, all would die."
"All would die." Sanmi translated, a single tear rolled from his eyes as he muttered the words with great difficulty.
A loud thunder rumbled in the sky like a lion's roar. They all looked around, startled by what might be happening.
"Help!" A man screamed at the top of his voice. "Somebody help me!!"
With this, they knew who it was. It was the men who has passed the secret passage out and had wanted to sail away with the last boat. Banjoko and the four other dwarfs left followed him to where the king's royal chair was placed beside the window. He claimed and checked to see for himself.
"Help! No... Help me!!" He screamed in terror while the mythical beasts encircled him. They were another five set and Banjoko wondered where they five came out from. 'Did they drop from the sky or what?'
He pondered over the thought and watched. Their sharp, poisonous fist scratched the for men down till they lost their voices. The Ninki Nankas stepped on the men and burnt them till they finally gave in and died. It looked terrible.
The four prisoners died without any means of escape. Banjoko looked at the egg at hand. He held it like a big gourd and stepped down the chair at once.
Then, Asa climbed to see. "I thought the five of them passed the back, how did they get to the front door?"
"I think the king might know, it's about time you tell us about this secret passage of yours." The man with brown broken teeth, who is the only one left among the prisoner from Benin republic, spoke up. King Otun gave him a weird look, while the chief who is somewhat bolder, to an extent rolled his eyes at the man.
"Where is it?!" Asa threatened the naked man. He shivered with more fear as the mucus dropping from his nose cut into two. Then, he replied... "It's in the basement, in the walls, in the stairwell."
Trembling sobs escaped his face as he continued."There's somewhere else..."
"You'd have just told us about this earlier on but you wanted us to die going through the front door, right?!" Asa blaster at the naked man, making him quiver more as he closed his red, swollen eyes and cried.
"It seems you guys are cursed after all. Even worse to the extent that your entire city got destroyed by a dragon spirit." Asa told them with all sincerity.
"We aren't cursed, you are the cursed ones! And, because there's another way out of here doesn't mean you won't die as well!" King Otun spat at them. His looked around and his gaze fell back to Asa, petrified.
Like tiny fear entered Asa's thoughts, she looked around. Seeing Banjoko, she walked to him.
"What is that?!" Her eyes pierced against his gaze once more. She couldn't help but to notice how much he's been protecting whatever he kept in his bag. Banjoko turned the bag backwards, with a grumpier look.
"She said what's--"Sanmi wanted to interprete in Ancient Yoruba but she cut in his words.
"He knows what I'm talking about!"
Then he walked away and Atata took his position.
Looking at the huge, short man from below, Asa pointed the bow to him. It was for Delaja but since he killed her, she took up her weapon for her.
Asa pointed an arrow at him and he bursted out into the grumpiest laughter ever. Knowing fully well that he can't die by human attacks except for supernatural beings.
"You think that's funny?!" A crushed look plastered her face. Then she pointed the arrow towards the lower part of his belly.
"Huh?" His thick, bushy eyebrows lifted in unison. He shouldn't be moved but he was. His smiled dropped to her reaction.
"I guess you'd enjoy pulling an arrow out of your cork, than out of your face!"
"She said that she guess you'd--" Sanmi tried translating her words but she cut him off, again.
"He can hear me."
With this, Banjoko pushed him aside and interfered.
"It's not you that they're after, right? They're after that." She pointed out.
Sammi looked at them, vacantly, unsure if he should translate or not.
Asa turned back at him, with a stern glare.
"Oh, I thought my words were useless. You want me to interprete your words now." He hissed. "It's not you that they're after, right? They're after that. Just give her the bag!" Sanmi muttered the ancient words.
Without wasting time, Banjoko pulled out the leather bag from his neck and handed it over to Asa. But it was clear. He didn't do this out of love. He did this because they all wanted to leave Ife in one piece.
Meanwhile, the echoes of the army of Ninki Nanka's filled the sky. Their roar was like that of evil spirits, one could sense fear and death at every dark corner.
Banjoko brought out the golden egg and Asa's lips fell apart. It looked exactly like the one with Iretiola.
They placed the two golden eggs together, to check if there was any difference but there were none. It were the same golden, shiny eggs in size and weight.
"Wow, this is amazing. Do they hold the same power or something?" The words rumbled out of the man with broken brown teeth as he tried to touch them. Atata pushed him back with his built body.
"I think this is what they want. We've lost all our families because of those weird looking creatures out there. We should just give them the twin golden eggs, get out!" Prince Awade insinuated. Trying to convince others as well.
"That's exactly what we should do, it solves all of our problems! All at once, why aren't we doing that?! He aren't sure to make it alive out if here anyway so please, hand the whatever treasures to them and let's leave in one piece!"
"Yes, I agree with him." Ajoke muttered to the others. "This could be our key to freedom. Our only chance!"
Others made their opinions with small murmurs in the background until Banjoko interfered. "That's freaking impossible!"
Everyone kept quiet at once, and turned to him.
"That's impossible." Sanmi interpreted.
"This can not be returned to them!"
"All would be lost."
"All would die."
"That's a lie!" King Otun hissed at them.
Looking at the doubt on their pressing eyes, Banjoko placed the eggs together with both hands. Unexpectedly, fire started burning out of it. A green symbolic flame grew from within it and everyone yelled out with all of them. Their veins started tightening and blood boiled in their bodies to the single act. As if being electrocuted, it's strong, powerful force took the strength of everyone and some of the slaves at the back started falling, unable to stand or endure it's force any longer.
A loud thunder struck within the hall from the dark sky, Asa dropped the bow she was holding due to the effect. Fear growled in their voices as they growled at the glittering green burning fire and spark from the golden twin eggs. But, it was no longer golden. It was all neon green and the giant's hall started shaking as if the whole building would collapse. Prince Awade fell to the ground to the effect, his whole body froze in place as the roar filled the room.
Banjoko then separated the treasures from each other and everything stopped all at once.