The Third Team member
It is hard for Ṣeyi to pick a second-team member, majorly because Ṣeyi isn't very popular among his peers. The first person he picked was obviously Akin, his best friend, though he had his doubts, where the bottomless stomach is concerned. He knew Akin would be emotionally hurt if he isn't picked and he valued the Hunchback's friendship far more than anything else. Then he spent the whole night trying to make up his mind on who the last member of his small team would be, but in the end, he gave it up. No one liked either him or Akin and what's the use of teaming up with the same people who hated you and wished you dead he can't risk waking up in the morning with a knife in his back, so he decided to leave the village with Akin by his side and with all the pride, he could master.
The news of Ṣeyi's Iṣẹ had already begun to spread through the whole village like a gust of violent winds, and of all the people who heard the news and had different opinions about the development, Ṣodipọ is the one who was the most bitter about it, his jealousy can easily be seen in his eyes. The glitter and the reflection of his burning hate "why had the Balogun chosen those two unworthy accursed dogs to represent this village, why didn't she pick me!" He boomed in his rage stomping around his hut "may this be his journey of no return," he cursed, stomping his feet on the ground in his frustration.
Early the next morning, Ṣeyi packed the few necessities he needed hoping they would be enough for the journey. He also went out to purchase a few items from the local hawkers, to his amazement, he noticed someone following him closely behind, making no effort to mask his presence. Ṣeyi turned around to see who it was that followed and to his surprise, it was Bọlaji the boy who usually carries a bag filled with calabashes. Bọlaji might not be much, but Ṣeyi has a deep and undying respect for him.
"Ṣeyi," he said, calmly "do you need another member in your party?" He asked politely,
Ṣeyi could sense an uncertain edge in Bọlaji's voice which exposed how anxious he is and the sincerity in his request. Ṣeyi knew Bọlaji from the reports of other Ẹṣọs and also through gossip, Bọlaji had performed in more than 8 Iṣẹs and already has recommendations from prominent chiefs concerning being promoted to the next rank. He will definitely be an asset on this mission.
"Yes! There is room for one more Bọlaji" Ṣeyi replied, holding his shoulder
The smile on Bọlaji's face told Ṣeyi that he was relieved by the answer, a sign of encouragement. The last member of his team had chosen himself, someone, whom Ṣeyi trusted and who has a better field experience than Ṣeyi himself.
"Now we're ready, let's go" Ṣeyi shouted with a sudden burst of excitement
The two Esos Ṣeyi, Akin, Adekunle and Bọlaji began their journey towards Ẹdẹ at midday. The watcher was nowhere to be found, his excuse, his presence is urgently needed in another village and that he would join them on the mission when they least expect.
They had barely gone beyond the borders of Ilu-inọ village, when someone in desperation called Ṣeyi's name, forcing the party into a momentary halt. It was a little girl by all indications, she seemed of Ṣeyi's age and she stood close to a tree almost hiding, waiting for a response. Ṣeyi walked up to her wondering why she had called his attention, although, he didn't know her at all, a part of his memory told him that she is a member of the village and an Ẹṣọs in training. Her eyes masked both fear and shyness and from her voice, Ṣeyi could sense deep concern.
"Is it true that you are leaving our village?" She asked,
"Yes!" Ṣeyi replied, feeling a sense of pride
"Se-Ṣeyi wi! Will you come back, I mean" Ṣeyi could see tears in her eyes, but could not understand why he could see her trembling from within despite her efforts to conceal her emotions.
"I will return; I still have the dream of ending human sacrifice. So I will return to this village and that is a promise" Ṣeyi declared proudly
"I believe in you Ṣeyi," she said and for some reason, her words gave him strength
"When I return from this errand I will be a much stronger Ẹṣọ."
"People say that this is your journey of no return," she said, "please don't go wait until you are a much stronger warrior". She pleaded
Ṣeyi knew this could be true, but the watcher had made an offer he cannot refuse, some things are more important than living, he had no choice, he's not on a quest to help another, but for himself, if he turned back now he will never conquer his limitations. He will never become the one who will end human sacrifice within the village, he looked at the girl who had a genuine concern for him and said.
"When I return, and I will return, I will ask for your name," then he turned to walk away
"Ṣeyi!" She called again desperately
"What is it" Ṣeyi replied
"I made this for you to remember me," she said, stretching her hand out towards Ṣeyi to give him the gift she had made, it was a white cowrie with a small hole incised in it. A small white rope that perturbed from the hole and it was tied in a loop to make it look like a necklace, Ṣeyi knew she made it herself and in his hope not to hurt her feelings. He received this strange gift and placed it around his neck "thank you" he said, "I promise to treasure this throughout this quest".
***********
The Balogun stood watching from the window of a nearby house unknown to those going on the mission, she had tears in her eyes the kind of tears that is unworthy of her as a warrior, it is evident that she greatly regretted sending an underage on such a dangerous Iṣẹ. The watcher appeared quite suddenly and stood behind her, though his face could not be seen under the clothes that covered his entire body, one could sense his sarcastic smile, the smile of mischief and deception.
"Promise me," the Balogun said without turning to face the watcher "that they will return alive".
"Ṣeyi is no concern of yours, he chose to go on this Iṣẹ himself, if he dies, he dies. I am the one who determines his destiny, if he is worthy, he will return and if he is not, then, he will die".
"So you don't care about the boy?" The Balogun asked.
"Can a snake ignore its scale, can a snail ignore its shell, everyone knows that boy is special. Everyone but Ṣeyi himself, he can either find out or die trying. It is of no concern of mine what he chooses. In addition, I believe that he is safer on this quest than within the confines of this village" with these words he vanished
The Osi walked in, seeing the Balogun he greeted her quietly and then spoke.
"Did the watcher say that the boys will come back alive?"
"So you worry about them as well," she replied
"Yes!"
"Only the gods can tell if they will return all we can do is hope and pray, and I wonder what the watcher meant by saying that Ṣeyi is safer outside the confines of this village"
"In my own opinion, I believe time will answer that question". Osi-Balogun said in a way of replying to the silent query.
******
When Ẹṣọs are sent on errands they travel light and they travel fast, but Ṣeyi's party, a group of unprofessional rejects were travelling heavy and slow. Ṣeyi carried two small knives, a small bag of stones and a catapult, Akin carried 3 sacs filled with food to sustain his bottomless stomach and no weapons at all, he believes that his fists are all the weapon he needs, while Bọlaji carried his big bag of calabash pre-chanted in preparation for battle.
"I don't know why the watcher insisted that he (meaning Ṣeyi) should come with us," Adekunle snapped
"He promised you safe passage if Ṣeyi should come and remember we are passing through the enchanted forest" Iba-ile replied.
"Look at them, do they even look like true Ẹṣọs?" Kunle retorted.
'Kunle please be silent" Iba-ayo replied
"Who is the watcher," Ṣeyi asked suddenly ignoring Adekunle completely "Who is he and why is he always covering his face like Ẹlẹha?"
The two Ẹṣọs regarded Ṣeyi's question with shock in their eyes as though he had asked something foolish even Adekunle busted into laughter. It is Iba-ayo who managed to give Ṣeyi a comforting smile before he responded
"Surprising that you were not taught about the watcher, all Ẹṣọs are taught about the mystery of the watcher, but then you are not Ẹṣọs yet"
"Some say he's the divine guardian of Yoruba land," Iba-ile said after a short pause
"Others say he is the worst enemy of the dark Ọbas and the tyrants of Yoruba land," Iba-ayo continued.
"Some even assume he is part of the ancestral spirits of Yoruba land, some even pronounced him an "emi o kun" (demon) no one knows for sure," Iba-ile said, "in the Northern Province the people composed an Oriki in his honour".
"Who is the mysterious one that stalks the Yoruba Realm?
The one with a thousand names and a thousand forms
The one who lives longer than the Iroko
He that obeys no king
The stranger that cannot be harmed by the evil forest
He is a law unto himself
The one who is not limited by distance
The key keeper of the heavens
The record keeper of the earth
One who is equal to the great Orisha's
The cunning lord of good and evil
His mind, none can predict. His nature, none can phantom
A shadow of greatness yet a seed of doubt
He keeps his promises but never explains how
To worship him is doom and only fools believe in him
The solitary demon of the Yoruba realm
The shadow of a doubt, yet the seed of hope
The watchful Owl of the realm
Whose eyes sees everything that is and will be
Nothing can be hidden from the eyes of the Owl
The watcher is watching you now
"Sometimes he's a man and at other times he's a beast, sometimes he's of good other times he's of evil. He must never be trusted, but we have no choice but to depend on him," Iba-ayo said.
"So that's why, do you trust him?" Akin asked
"No one trusts him we just obey him, he always keeps his promises, he promised Adekunle that he would be king, so we ought not to question him or he would break his promise, but we must be wary, lest he places stumbling blocks along our path" Iba-ile added
"I would prefer to depend on a god rather than a stranger" Bolaji suggested
"He is not a stranger," Iba-ayo responded "he has been with us for hundreds of years and we had to summon him to find a solution to the problem besides the gods are always silent in matters of kings"
"I don't believe in the gods," Adekunle said, trying to join in the conversation,
"No one questioned you" Ṣeyi snapped
"What!" Adekunle retorted stomping towards Ṣeyi in anger, but before Adekunle could do anything. The atmosphere suddenly changed, it became tense. All the warriors, including Adekunle, felt a chilling sensation. A negative presence so strong held them all spellbound, Iba-ile was the first to come back to his senses and the first to take immediate action.
"They're here Ayo, quick, let's conceal ourselves!"
In an instant Iba-ile and Iba-ayo grabbed hold of the four boys and ran into the bush, jumping from one tree to another, then they stopped when they had properly concealed themselves, they became silent. They patiently waited for what would happen next, this, of course, is Ṣeyi's first confrontation with death and he trembled uncontrollably, the enemy had found them out. The wind suddenly boomed into life, all the animals in the surrounding areas fled wildly, avoiding the terror that had awoken the powerful spirits of the forest, and then his voice is heard:
'Iba-ile I know you are near I can sense your aura
Can a dog hide from its tail?
I also know that Adekunle is with you
Hand him over to us and, we promise safe passage'
The forest is our territory and our realm
The spirits within the trees are my brothers
The shepherd of this forest is my servant
There is no way for you to hide within the leaves of the trees
From my hand of vengeance, you will never be freed
You dare to prowl in the lion's den
Now pay the ransom of transgression
You have desecrated our forest
Now purify the grounds you have cursed
Sacrilege! The forest demands judgment
Hand the cursed child over to us
The group has made a good two days' journey away from the village, so there is no use returning or seeking help
"Only a fool would walk into the hole of a beast or take a cub from the
Lioness, Adekunle will not be surrendered" Iba-ile replied stubbornly
"Iba-ile!, I can see you are as stubborn as a goat, today we meet as two men, with a strong disagreement, tomorrow we will meet as enemies, no one wants 'Agbako' for an enemy consider my words well because by sunrise tomorrow we will strike both you and the child down without mercy" Agbako shouted,
Understanding that this is only a threat and not an all-out war Iba-ile took the opportunity to reveal himself to the enemy and looked upon the face of his would-be foe. Ṣeyi foolishly stood up as well and gazed upon the face of Agbako who stood flanked by two other young men his underlings. He had a long cutlass by his side his redshirt was decorated with bloodstains, tortoise and snail shells, his head cleaned shaved with 5 black incisions, white chalk and beads, around his arms and legs, and his entire body was a mixture of black chalk and self-inflicted ritual lacerations. He is a man who enjoys killing for ritual purposes and enjoys the pain of others. He looked upon Ṣeyi with strong, sharp eyes, and then he smiled maliciously before he vanished
"Luck is against us he is a true Babalawo (herbal master) dealing with him would be next to impossible," Iba-ile said
"Ṣeyi what are you doing!" Iba-ayo snapped
"Looking at the enemy, of course," Ṣeyi replied in all his foolishness if only Ṣeyi had known the consequences of his actions he would have never stood up to confront Agbako even if his life depended on it.
"Oh! No! Ṣeyi, how could you be so foolish, Iba-ile was handling it well" Bọlaji snapped,
"I don't think I did anything wrong," Ṣeyi said, offhandedly
"You did" Bolaji responded "now he thinks you're Adekunle, now you're his would-be prey, what are we to do now"
Suddenly perceiving the danger in his action, Ṣeyi's fear began to consume him anew, and he trembled, why did he allow his arrogance to take control of his actions again?
***********
Due to the events of the previous day, Iba-ile decided to hasten their pace to outrun their pursuers, Ṣeyi and Akin found it difficult to keep up with the more experienced warriors, Akin stumbled twice unable to remain on his two feet due to exhaustion. Surprisingly, Bolaji assisted Ṣeyi in helping Akin back to his feet. He smiled warmly at Akin, who is equally surprised that Bolaji offered a helping hand.
"Akin you were much stronger than this yesterday, why are you so weak," Bolaji asked
"My food supplies have been exhausted and I'm still hungry" Akin replied "I must eat"
"Be silent, both of you" Iba-ayo scolded.
"They might hear us, the less we speak, the less they hear, the faster we move, the better we'll be." Iba-ile added.
"It is a pity you do not know the chant of "the Leopard shadowing the trees" if you did, we would have made even greater progress" Iba-ayo added.
"What is 'the Leopard shadowing the trees?" Ṣeyi inquired.
Their silence was broken by a loud eerie scream that echoed throughout the entire forest, the dreadful sound was loud enough to rouse the dead, a sound so loud and so inhuman that the two Ẹṣọ instantly stopped to listen. the noise became louder and more frightening by the Minute, it sounded like 50 rats going through agonizing pain and torment.
"Bad!" Iba-ayo exclaimed with a hint of panic in his voice
"Very bad, let's go!" Iba-ile shouted
"Whatever you do, don't look back, go! Go!" Iba-ayo screamed.
In an instant, they were all running towards the enchanted forest, Ṣeyi can sense the tension and the fear in the air, he could feel it in his spine. Akin also felt the thick aura of fear in the atmosphere and it vibrated within him right down to his bones. Adekunle was the one who trembled uncontrollably.
"Can't you fight them, is that not why you are Ẹṣọs" Adekunle exclaimed
"Not that easy" Iba-ile replied, "these are either evil spirits or ancestral spirits both can only be tackled with powerful spiritual covenants which we presently lack"
"They can also be Demons as well or gods, only an Alawo/herbalist can summon or control such beings" Iba-ayo added with a note of haste in his voice
"Ẹṣọ can't do anything?" Ṣeyi asked.
"We can do nothing, only very strong Ẹṣọs of an elite level can challenge such beasts" Iba-ile replied
"So we will run forever?" Akin asked in terror
"No, until we reach the enchanted forest. Its aura will protect us from the spirits for a while," Iba-ayo said. "The forest is filled with a natural nullification chant"
"We won't make it" Ṣeyi pronounced
The noise had grown significantly louder indicating that the beasts are near and closing in fast
"I have an Idea and I promise it will work" Ṣeyi shouted, the others looked at Ṣeyi doubtfully "If we keep running, we will die"
"No," Iba-ile pronounced "It's too risky, we must move on we might die. Now move!"
"We must listen to him, the watcher personally chose him. how can we succeed if we fail to have faith in the boy now?" Iba-ayo observed.
Iba-ila thought for a moment silently wondering if it would be wise to place his life and the life of the prince in the hands of a foolish little boy. But then he did trust the watcher and he has faith in the judgment of the demon so he should have faith in the boy "you," He called, "are you sure your foolish plan will work?"
"I promise it will work!" Ṣeyi confirmed, then he gave the face of one who is not sure of himself. "All I know is if we keep running we are nothing but dead, Gba!"
********
Agbako is a man unwilling to give his opponents any chance of survival, the moment he had finished issuing his challenge and had taken a careful look upon the face of Prince Adekunle (Oluṣeyi), then began the chant. A four-hour-long incantation passed down from his fathers if he uttered the wrong word or missed the chant in any way such a mistake would be redeemed with his very life. He is an Alawo, a powerful and a formidable enchanter, he knew thousands of such incantations and he knew them well because he had dedicated his entire life to such divine knowledge.
He knew chants of life and death,
Of control and rage, he is Agbako
The un-beatable master of the Yoruba realm,
The one who speaks with the eagles,
The one who slept within an elephant for 21 days
The most powerful man he knows in the Yoruba realm.
The king of Ede paid a lot of money for that boy's head and he is more than willing to hunt down and deliver.
He had finally finished the ceremonial incantation and has summoned three ancestral beings
"My mother's" he called them
"My enemies, they are in the forest
The forest is dense and wide
They will never find a place to rest
The spirits will never fight on your side
Let your thirst for blood lead you
Let your lust for death guide you
Let their blood flow.
Death! Death!
I pronounce death upon all my enemies
Let their blood quench your thirst
Let their screams bring joy to your restless souls
Go! Go! Go!!
The evil beings were formed out of a black mist that grew thicker and more solid by the minute. Their cry was so terrible that even Agbako's underlings trembled in fear. No one would be able to describe their form because they were all covered in rags blacker than the shadows of the night, and they issued forth a strange black aura, they screamed again trying to attack the nearest living creature within their reach, had it not been Agbakos chant that held them at bay they would have torn his underlings to pieces.
Finally, he released them with his instructions as a master commands his dog after releasing it from its leash "go and kill them all". The spirits roared defiantly then rushed into the forest thirsty for innocent blood and hungry for human flesh, their scream of rage echoed throughout the entire forest and struck fear in the hearts of all those who were unfortunate to hear their cursed hunting call. Guided by their lust for flesh and blood they stormed through the forest, every creature hid in fear and the insects hid based on the terror fed by pure instincts. The evil spirits had finally reached their destination but what they found is not what they had expected. They found a robed figure covered from crown to sole just like them, it had a form of mysterious aura just like them and above all, it expressed no kind of fear whatsoever and this was disturbing because no mortal soul can endure their presence for long without losing their senses. Out of curiosity, the ancestral beings reached out to uncover the face of this robed figure to verify if it is mortal or divine. but to their shock the moment they looked upon its cursed face they reacted in pure horror, one of the evil spirits even stumbled over in its shock, its face is far more hideous than theirs would ever be, this is not a human being they concluded.
"E ṣa nu mi" (have mercy on me) it begged mockingly.
This must be the messenger spirit from Eṣu the trickster god, the evil spirits carefully observed the environment and realise to their horror that they stood upon the grounds where 3-foot paths meet. The cultural shrine of Eṣu, no other Oriṣa dared to dishonour Eṣu, though Eṣu isn't as high as Sango or Ogun, he is equally as dangerous as any other Oriṣa, no evil spirit dared to cross the path without issuing a greeting to one of the great 7 Oriṣas of Yoruba land. Eṣu could easily use his words to manipulate situations and force great gods to wage war against each other or those who defy him, which is why he is respected, not only by all the Oriṣas but also by the spirits and all the demons.
"Please help me," it begged with a sly grin on its face and this unsettled the spirits greatly. The spirits humbly offered the assumed servant of Eṣu 3 white beads in respect and fear, then they blindly rushed off into the forest to continue their fruitless pursuit no longer guided by their thirst for blood or their hunger for human flesh, all they want is to achieve considerable distance between themselves and the hideous servant or Eṣu.
The robed figure that pretended to be an emissary of Eṣu is obviously Akin in disguise, who wasn't too pleased about being handed 3 white beads by a bunch of evil spirits, in fact, to Akin it's a personal insult. The spirits found it difficult to tell if Akin was human because they were all quite close to the enchanted forest, all living things find it difficult to tell the difference between flesh and spirit when they are in close proximity to the aura of the forest.
The others came out of the bush where they hid. Iba-ile looked with regard towards Ṣeyi, his smile was so broad that it could divide his face into two.
"The watcher was right, you are useful," he said finally
"My dignity" Akin sulked
"Be silent," Adekunle countered "at least we're still alive"
"Ṣeyi" Bọlaji commented, "No one would ever believe it, not only did you fool spirits, but you made big fools of them as well, truly the world is the land of the wise. The watcher was right".
"You know the watcher?" Ṣeyi asked
"I met him" Bọlaji replied, picking up a small stone "watch this," he said as he threw the stone on a rock not far away from the rest of the team, and to Ṣeyi's shock the rock crumbed to dust the moment the stone hit home.
"How did you do that?" Ṣeyi asked, astonished.
"The stone was charged with my "Agbara" Bọlaji replied grinning.
"Wow! Can you teach me?" Ṣeyi asked, "And please tell me, what is Agbara?"
"Ṣeyi I will teach you if you are willing to learn, Akin as well" Bọlaji replied, which gladdened Ṣeyi's heart warmly because now Ṣeyi has even bigger respect for Bọlaji.
Bọlaji's a warrior between 3 or 4 years older than Ṣeyi and he's already a qualified Ẹṣọ of Ilu-inọ village. he was acknowledged by the village chiefs a season ago and stands among some of the most powerful elites in the village. Ṣeyi suspected that Bọlaji knows more than 10 incantations and above 50 chants making him just as dangerous as any other elite Ẹṣọ of Ilu-inọ, Ṣeyi cannot find a better combat instructor.
"That eagle," Iba-ile said, pointing at an eagle that perched quietly on the branch of a dead tree "I don't like it".
"What eagle?" Akin asked, looking around wildly.
"That one" Iba-ile pointed "it seems like that eagle's been following us for some days now, it's been spying on us"
"Oh, that, the eagle is not dangerous, we know it" Akin replied, looking at the strange eagle standing on the branch of a dead tree, it was silent, but looking at them intently.
"Yes!" Ṣeyi said, "That's bobuboile"
"What!" Exclaimed Iba-ile
"Bobuboile, that's what we named it, it's always at the village and is always stealing chief Oloyada's hens," Akin said.
"Akin! We were the ones stealing Chief Oloyeda's hens" Ṣeyi corrected.
"Ho!" Akin exclaimed
"Why isn't that bird in the village now?" Iba-ayo observed
Now that is a good question, a question that aroused suspicion. They all became silent with mixed opinions.
"Let's go," Iba-ile said, concluding that the eagle isn't hostile "Agbako will do nothing until the spirits have returned to the nether realm and that won't be until sunset next tomorrow"
"What about those accursed beasts?" Adekunle asked
"They will continue to seek us out for the next 3 days, until the Agbara that animates them diminishes, so we're safe" Bọlaji replied, as they journeyed on, deeper into the bushes following the path the evil spirit had taken.
Iba-ile held up a tree branch that he harvested as they journeyed, he claimed the bush had the essence of keeping the evil spirit at bay. Akin helped himself with some wild fruits, hoping to stay his hunger, but it was not enough to keep his digestion in check. They rested for the night in the bush under the shade of 4 trees, Iba-ayo set up a fire and made a bed for Adekunle to sleep in. Akin fell asleep amongst the bushes, his hunger made him restless and uncomfortable. Bọlaji silently sat down at the base of a tree while Ṣeyi sat in front of the fire with Iba-ile.
"You said something about being the leopard shadowing the trees?". Ṣeyi said, breaking the silence
"You are not an Ẹṣọ yet, so you cannot learn that chant" he replied.
"But you can teach us?" Ṣeyi pressed
"Yes! We can teach it to you, it's easy to learn but you are not an Ẹṣọ"
"Why am I performing an Iṣẹ?" Ṣeyi pushed "Only an Ẹṣọ can perform an Iṣẹ"
"You've made your point" Iba-ile responded after a pause pondering his answer
"You will begin your training starting from tomorrow morning".
"Thank you" Ṣeyi replied, pleased with himself.
"Sleep!" He said finally, "Iba-ayo and I will watch for the night".
In response to his words, Ṣeyi stood up and walked towards a silent corner covered himself with a blanket from his supply and went peacefully to sleep.