"Eating something is beyond me right now. I hope I haven't offended the King of the Demons this time." Ogundepo was talking to himself as he rushed off on his way to Bàbál'oko's house.
His last encounter with the foolish Phyton replayed in his mind.
It was a joint hunting expedition, in honour of a member who called for hunting assistance for bush meat, towards his chieftancy ceremony.
Six friendly hunters were at the Igbónlá Forest for the hunting expedition on that fateful day. They were in the forest from morning till afternoon without seeing any animal. This was unusual. Everyone of them agreed on this point. As a result, everyone started to use all known juju to open the hunt, even if it is a bird or small animal.
He remembered a particular juju thought him by a stranger during one of his solo hunting expedition. That was another encounter, at first, he thought he had met a Demonkin or transmogrified Spirit before he realized it was a real person.
He looked around and found the plant shown to him by that person. He put some alligator pepper into his mouth, plucked some of the plants and rubbed it on his palm while he recited the incantations. After completing the incantations he sprayed the shewed alligator pepper into it on his palm and robbed his hands together.
Few minutes after, he located a hole and called onto others to hunt what was inside. "This should be the hole of a big rat, òkété. Let's look around for it's other entrances". Kòró said. "You are right. The thing might escaped from the other entrances." Another hunter answered. They started searching for the other entrances to the hole. In no time they located three other entrances and blocked two of the minor exits with big stones found around. Kòró then started a fire in the third one, living the only major exit. " 'Depo, you are the one who saw this thing. You should man the major exit and enture we captured it." Kòró told me.
" Leave it to me. It can't escape me." I had replied him then, not knowing it will cause me a big problem later. I had checked my cutlass and other hunting gears. I hosted my gun on my back and secured it well. I then removed my traditional cap (gọbi) ready to cover the hole as we sometimes used to do when catching such big rat. We made all the preparations while Kòró was fanning the fire. As smoke gathered inside the hole became more intense, the thing inside started to be uncomfortable and tried to come out through other exits but could not. It could not come out through the fire, therefore it turned to my area. Others warned me of it's attempt and I got ready with the cap placed tightly on the hole.
Gbàbẹẹ, one of the hunters, warned me to be careful in case it's a snake. "Don't worry, even if it's a snake, it can't pass through me without taking the hit. It will be dead for sure."
This was how the trouble started. In no time we sensed that something was actually struggling inside. "It's coming your way 'Dépò. You should be careful." Gbàbẹẹ warned me again.
Gburu ! Gburu .... !!
Suddenly the thing's head knocked at my hands through inside the cap and I tightened my hands on it. In the next moment I felt my whole body tingling in goosebumps and my head swelled up in frightful sensations. It was really a big snake.
I shouted, "it's a snake ... It's a snake ..... Everyone come over...." I did not release my tight hold on it as I dragged the thing out of the hole. What came out was beyond our imaginations!
The fight then started properly. It was a big fight. As time goes on I can see that the snake was more powerful than me. All the efforts of my mates weren't making any impact on it. They could not use their gun or cutlass as the thing struggled to free itself and twined around me.
The snake was now becoming more dangerous any mistake would spell my doom unless I found a way to kill the thing. I warned everybody to be ready for the worst. I prepared myself, with a renewed fighting spirit and strength, and managed to remove the dagger at my waist and beheaded the snake in one stroke .....!
Gbẹn ... Gbẹn ... Gbẹn ....!!!
The whole forest turned dark with lightening and thunder. The whole place was trembling shaking. my survival instinct turned in as everyone turned tails to survive this situation. It's too big ....! How I managed to handle it was beyond my thoughts!
The hunting session of the day came to an end like that. Everyone ran for their life. We don't even knew how each of us reached our houses on that bloody day.
It was later in the late evening that we assembled at Olúodẹ's house to discuss the incidents.
On the following day, we took the hunting dogs and more hunters to the forest in search of the snake.
What we saw was frightening. Some of the trees had uprooted. The forest floor had been cleared smooth by the snake, in it's last moment of struggle before it's death.
We located it eventually. My cap was drenched in it's blood with the head inside. The head was extraordinary with some strange things on it, resembling a crown adorned with magical items.
What I faced thereafter on the third day nearly took my Soul away. I don't want to remember such indescribable gruesome feeling again in my life.
It was Bàbál'oko who bailed me out, through huge rituals, performed at the innermost hunters shrine, from the clutches of death and restored my Soul from that foolish Phyton!
If there is someone I could turn to, for spiritual guidance, at this moment, It would be him. He was gifted with a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, magical and medicinal abilities. I must see him.
" Ògúndépò ...! You looked frightened. What happened to a great hunter like you to look so." Bàbál'oko said from his reclining sofa when I entered his compound. "Bàbá, it was the mysterious Fox you told me about ....!"
Gbẹn ẹn ....! Gbẹn ...!
Bàbál'oko stood up abruptly. "What did you do? Hope you didn't kill that bastard?!" It seemed he was very shaken and frightened at the same time.
I recounted what happened in the forest. It was then that he heaved a big sigh of relief. "You this kid, you are really Destiny's child in truth as Ológbojò had said."
"Who is Ológbojò, Bàbá?" I asked in fear. Something that could made this old man behave as such must really be scary.
He looked at me with vacant eyes for a long time before speaking. "Ológbojò .....! He is the real King of all Hunters in this Kingdom and beyond. You are not qualified to hear about him, that was why you did not know him. we have to go on a long journey together. It seemed the time has come. We must also visit Alàgbà Alárúgbóiṣu at Aiyétẹ, this time. Go now and make preparations for the journey. I will be ready by the time you are back ...."