Humiliation in the Dark
Ṣeyi ran home fuming with suppressed rage; for the first time in his life, he didn't greet anyone on his way home or even saluted any of his friends. Such was the heaviness of his heart. How can an eleven-season old child insult him in such a way? His entire being trembled with rage, and for some reason, he failed to suppress the urge to take revenge; his mind raced through different ways of making the little child pay for the insult. He stamped his feet on the clay ground in rage and punched a hole in the wall, unable to satisfy the desire for a fight; if Ṣodipọ had been present with his snide remarks, Ṣeyi would have gone into a murderous rampage, he would have killed the tribal heir without a second taught.
He would have continued fuming, but the memory of his friend, the Timi of Ẹdẹ during his first mission helped filter down his building anger, the brat had the same nature as Ọpadọtun, and they both had the same personality. The solution to this problem was not to take revenge on the child but to reach an understanding; if the boy refused to listen, then he could beat him seriously. He had to take several controlled breaths before he completely calmed down then he remembered how he had helped the Timi of Ẹdẹ, he reasoned with the boy violently. It was a rough method, true, but it got the job done, so he should use something similar to reach the boy and maybe acquire an apology. It took him a little while to come up with the perfect plan to humble the haughty prince of Ilu-ino, the best time to achieve such a goal was after sunset.
***********
The sun hid its face behind the western horizon, allowing the purple veil to cover the land with the evening essence. The birds rendered the evening chorus and filled the air with loud chirps and squawks, paying homage to the dusk; evenings like this one are the best for fetching water for the house and cleaning up the compound. Ọpadọtun, the proud prince of Ilu-ina, decided to finish up his duties before he retired for the day; he inspected the various corners of the palace placed in his charge by his father, and then he ensured that the palace guards and servants were not slacking off on their duties. He locked the gates of the palace stable and ensured that the supply for his father's household was intact "Ordering all the palace servants around". The pains of an 11-season-old prince he taught to himself as he offered the evening sacrifice to the palace shrine; as he walked towards his sleeping mat, he recounted in his mind the events of the day and chuckled as he remembered the way he humiliated Ṣeyi.
He is Ọpadọtun, the prince of Ilu-ina, and he loved power. His father, the Ọba of the village, exposed his son to far too much power too soon, and Dọtun worshipped and coveted this power, believing that it was his right to be obeyed by all the members of the village. He was willing to enforce his authority on anybody who dared to question him. Dọtun had seen his father command the warriors of the village, and he also noticed the virtue of command in his voice. He desired such authority for himself which was the reason why he talked his father into giving him some functions within the village. "Why not?" the Ọba taught; after all, the child is never too young to start learning. Dọtun loved the way all the villagers fell to their faces before his father, both old and young, paid homage to the great king of Ilu-ina and he was greedy for the same devotion and craved the crown of his father's office. He had finally finished his duties and reported to the palace guards in preparation for the day's end, the guard served him his evening Agbo (Medicinal herb) and allowed him to retire for the night.
Dọtun walked into his room, arranged most of his clothing and spread his mat cautiously, ensuring that it didn't get stained by the palm oil stains on the floor. He ignited the candle and burnt some of the orange pills to chase away the bloodthirsty mosquitoes; he finally laid down on the mat, covered himself and closed his eyes to sleep. The sudden cold, chilling breeze and the sound of the mosquitoes in his ear gave him a lot of discomfort. Dotun tried to roll into a much more comfortable position, but for some reason, his room suddenly went cold. The funny sensation he felt on his back told him that his once soft and comfortable mat had become cold, hard and lumpy; how could this be, he wondered as he rolled over to his other side, drawing closer to his makeshift blanket. He felt an annoying sensation around his ear, thinking it was a cockroach reaching out to bat the annoying insect away when he felt a chilling breeze disturb his comfort. "Something is not right," he taught to himself, so he opened his eyes to see the reason for the discomfort and was shocked by what he saw. For an unknown reason, he found himself deep in the middle of the forest; he was sleeping on a cold rock, had a pile of leaves as a pillow, and the itchy sensation around his ear was a grasshopper trying to nibble on his hair.
"Haaaaaaaa!" he exclaimed in shock.
"Now, prince, it is time for you to die", a strange voice resounded from the background. "Welcome to the evil forest."
"Daddy, Mommy!" Dọtun silently screamed,
"No one will find you here, no one but death." the voice responded with a burst of hateful laughter.
In a situation like this, a grownup would calmly try to figure out how he managed to get into such a predicament and seek out the most credible solution, but for a child like Dọtun, who was new to an experience like this one, he panicked. He started running about, screaming at the top of his lungs; he took to his hills, hoping that help would come from anywhere. "Help!" he screamed in terror. "Ẹẹ gba me ooo (Please help me o)" he cried
"There is no one here to help you" the voice echoed from behind.
Dọtun turned to face the one who addressed him and almost received a slap on his face, but the stranger who happened to be Ṣeyi cut his slap short without making any contact, "Ṣeyi," he whispered in terror.
"This is the evil forest, and I will leave you here to die," he said with a misty voice; Ṣeyi was covered in mud and dead banana leaves, which more than unsettled the little prince.
"Please I want to go home!" Dọtun said with tears in his eyes.
"You have no respect for our elders, and today marks the day of your reckoning; I will leave you here to die in this forest with your ancestors. You are nothing but a boy in a crown" Ṣeyi tormented "Gbabe, no one will ever find you"
"No, Uncle Ṣeyi, please don't leave me here to die," Dọtun pleaded desperately. "I will not disrespect my elders again, I'm sorry."
"Why not, Gbabe!" Ṣeyi mocked, "If I help you, you will tell your father to cut off my poor head so leaving you here is the perfect solution"
"So you want revenge," Dọtun said in a shaky voice, "So you want to kill me like this?"
"I'm going home," Ṣeyi mocked "Good buy!"
"Wait! Wait!! Please don't leave me here" Dọtun pleaded.
"You threatened to have my head earlier today" Ṣeyi growled, "Now I'm in charge of your life, I can just leave you here for the animals to feed on"
"Uncle Ṣeyi, please," Dọtun pleaded, "I will not do it again, I will always respect you."
"Lier" Ṣeyi mocked,
"Please, Uncle Ṣeyi!" he responded in desperation.
"I have an idea," Ṣeyi said to himself with a half-smile after a short moment of thought and then he faced his little victim. "How would you like to learn a lesson through experience"
"What do you mean?" Dọtun asked in a trembling voice.
"How about a game?" Ṣeyi declared, "An Ayo game"
"But…" Dọtun protested but Ṣeyi cut him short,
"Refuse, and I leave you here to spend the night with the bats," Ṣeyi said with a sinister smile.
After a short moment of thinking, Dọtun reluctantly agreed; Ṣeyi materialized the wooden game set and the Ayo seeds within a moment and offered Dọtun his playing pieces. "We'll compete in three games, the best two out of three wins," Ṣeyi said with a smile
"I hope you know that I've never lost in this game before." Dọtun gloated, Ṣeyi sniggered in reply. He lit a small palm oil candle to serve as a light and arranged the game set.
The first game started as any other game would start, and as it proceeded, Dọtun assumed he would win the game with ease… "Game!" Ṣeyi smiled suddenly, "Are you sure you are good in this game? Gbabe!" he mocked. Dọtun looked at Ṣeyi in shock, surprised by Ṣeyi's winning strategy.
"But how?" Dọtun voiced in disbelief, "I-I always win, I'm the prince!"
"What you mean to say is they always let you win, that has always been your problem you are an over-pampered child, and everyone you know is treating you like a prince" Ṣeyi continued, "What happens when you fail to develop any skills of your own"
"Another game!" Dọtun growled,
"Very well then," Ṣeyi replied, "another game, but you will lose, you have no experience, Gbabe."
********************
Deep in the darkness of the forest, not too far away, another meeting was taking place. Five shadows walked into a small clearing, the youngest in the person of Bọlaji, the newly appointed Jaguna of the Eagle team. Bọlaji could not help trembling despite himself. His mentor had told him that he would face strong opposition because he decided to claim the rank of Jaguna, and he knew the one who would take the lead against him was none other than Jaguna Baṣọrun. The leader of all the Jagunas in Ilu-ina village, Jaguna Baṣọrun, sat in the centre of the clearing, watching as the other four title holders walked. This was the secret meeting ground of the Jagunas of Ilu-ina village, and until recently, Bọlaji did not know this location; this place was chosen because of the tactical advantage it gave Jaguna Baṣọrun should there be a battle. The clearing was nothing special it was surrounded by trees with a lot of stubborn grass around the edges of the clearing. The continuous chorus of crickets gave it an eerie atmosphere; the Jaguna noticed several pairs of yellow orbs glittering in his direction, "The night owls are on the prowl," he taught.
Jaguna Baṣọrun felt his skin crawl the moment he noticed Bọlaji walk into the clearing, he acknowledged all the other elders with a nod and then gestured for them to take their seats by his side. He didn't offer Bọlaji the same curtsy; Bọlaji humbly accepted this treatment, knowing that he was the reason the meeting was being held in the first place. He was the one who defied his Agba by starting his team, a decision he still has no regrets about. Bọlaji scouted the environment with his eyes, hoping to locate any impending traps. Jaguan Baṣọrun might be a respected warrior in this village, but Bọlaji was no fool; Jaguna Baṣọrun would result in underhanded tactics when motivated by his burning rage. As soon as all the elder warriors were seated Bọlaji stood before them with his head down in penitence more as a means to quell the anger of the other Jagunas than to show repentance. Not a word was spoken for more than 20 minutes; there was a serious tension in the air that made Bọlaji very uncomfortable, and the cold scowl in Jaguna Baṣọrun's eyes did not improve the situation.
"Bọlaji, you have offended us," Jaguna Baṣọrun voiced harshly; Bọlaji observed the slight quiver in the elder Jaguna's right hand. He can tell from Jaguna Baṣọrun's mannerisms that he had a great deal of suppressed rage bottled up, itching to burst free into the surface.
"I apologise" Bọlaji replied humbly.
"Why did you start your own team without informing any of us?" Nimbe voiced as he guzzled down from his calabash of palm wine. "You have insulted us all…"
"You will disband the eagle team immediately and order your members to return to their respective teams" Jaguna Baṣọrun roared in rage, "If you do that then we will forget this insubordination"
"I can't do that, those seeds will never grow" Bọlaji replied calmly,
"Eeeeee!" all the Jaguans exclaimed.
"You dare to defy us?" Jaguna Baṣọrun roared with his eyes glowing in preparation for a fight, like a hungry lion about to pounce upon its prey.
"Be careful child," Sẹgun Mofedamijo cautioned, "remember you are here because you insulted our authority, make amends!" Bọlaji was silent for a moment, thinking about the proposal, he wanted to make peace with these elders, but he was also obligated to Ṣeyi and the rest of his team.
"I will accept your proposal," Bọlaji said after a short while, "But on the condition that those who were not recruited by the Jagunas will all be placed under Jaguna Nimbẹ's team"
"What makes you think that you are in the position to negotiate with us, and how dare you ask us to recruit cursed animals into our team" Jaguna Baṣọrun shouted with venom in his voice.
"It was a joint agreement", Segun Ooni said, "You're too young to understand the decisions of the elders, but one day you will. The decision to keep the accursed away from our teams was made with the interest of the village and…"
"Then I refuse to disband my team," Bọlaji cut in not caring to respect the elders at all, "The accursed are members of this village too and they have every right to make contributions where necessary, every man can plant the seed of prosperity"
"Ehhhhhhh!" all the elder Jagunas exclaimed at once.
"You dare to question our authority?" Jaguna Baṣọrun exclaimed; the tone in his voice had taken a higher pitch and judging from his body language, Bọlaji observed that if he should utter a single careless word, the enraged Lion would pounce. The problem is he doubts that there was anything he would say that would placate his superiors; up until now, they had been patient, stalling for the time leading up to this exact moment. The moment when he would be under their authority, standing helpless, defenceless and at their mercy. Here, the Balogun cannot protect him; in this square, he stands alone, and his status of Jaguna means nothing.
"I have no intention of questioning your authority, the seed of rebellion must not be sowed" Bọlaji replied calmly, "But my loyalty is to the gifted and I believe Ṣeyi and the rest of his group fit that description"
Jaguna Baṣọrun growled in rage. The mental bars he had put in place to restrain the raging beast had reached the limits of its endurance; it was clear from the way he trembled that, at that moment, he desired to slaughter the treacherous subordinate. "Bọlaji!" Jaguna Baṣọrun roared with blinding rage, "This night will be the last you ever breathe," and with that, he added actions to his words. That instant, four green orbs situated at the cardinal points of the camp lit up, illuminating the environment with a dim greenish radiance; the effects were instantaneous. Every warrior within the confines of the orbs felt their Agbara (Spirit aura) nullified.
"What are you doing?" Nimbe queried.
"Executing the traitor," Jaguna Baṣọrun replied wickedly.
"Jaguna, we are not supposed to harm him" Segun Ooni voiced
"My authority is absolute!" Jaguna Baṣọrun roared in reply.
"Give me a chance to defend myself," Bọlaji voiced, grasping the situation.
"No one gave you the authority to start your own team," Jaguna Basorun continued "Your death is as a result of your actions."
"But I was ordered to start my team…" Bolaji defended
"By who?" Jaguna Baṣọrun demanded as he poised for a killing blow.
The other warriors watched helplessly as the leader of the Jagunas got set to kill the erring member; the orbs had rendered them helpless; they could neither defend nor attack the enraged Jaguna and from all indication, he had gone past reasoning. The other Jagunas wanted to reprimand Bọlaji for his actions but had no idea that Jaguna Baṣọrun had plans of his own. Jaguna Baṣọrun brought his hands down in preparation for the death chant, the blood lust in his eyes exposed his building hatred.
"This day your death is evident
It has been declared by divine providence
You were born out of the dust
And you are destined to fade with dust
Now perish, your reckoning is now compounded
As your back touches the earth you are grounded"
Bolaji looked into the eyes of their formal superior; he gave no signs of resisting the Jaguna's attack, and he even smiled defiantly at him. "Jaguna Ibidun will not approve of your actions," which made Jaguna Basorun hesitate for a moment; Jaguna Ibidun was a veteran Ẹṣọ of Ilu-ina. The one who once groomed many great warriors and performed many great fits in honour of the village. He is the father of Nike and the one who trained Jaguna Baṣọrun in the days of his youth. The name of the elder Ibidun was one of the few things that could humble the hard-headed Jaguna.
"You lie!" he roared defiantly. "Ibidun passed on his legacy to me, the great elder of Ilu-ina; he would never order you to stab me in the back; now die!"
The Jaguna brought his hand down in preparation for the killing chant and would have killed the Jaguna of the eagle team, but a strange hand stopped him midway.
"Bọlaji told me that you've changed and I refused to believe him," the watcher voiced "It seems like I owe him a bag of cowries"
"Watcher!" All the Jagunas exclaimed in shock.
********************
The look on Dotun's face was horrifying; the boy had played several games against Ṣeyi, the Ẹṣọ he had insulted earlier, and now he was the one being humiliated. The first game was a shocker, he had expected an easy win but was easily disappointed by a fatal loss, then he had another loss and then another and then another.
"You're cheating!" Dotun declared, "I always win the elders and guards in the palace, they told me that I have a talent in this game"
Ṣeyi chuckled with a mocking smile "You mean they let you win, and you have a talent for nothing"
"You're lying," Dotun cried as he tried to suppress his tears, "I have never lost a game against anyone, I am the best"
"The best?" Ṣeyi mocked, "I've been slamming you since the beginning and you call yourself the best, you are the best at losing"
Ṣeyi chuckled as he saw Dotun's eyes redden with tears, he felt the desire to add some insults with the intent of making the young prince cry but taught against it. During the course of playing the game with Dotun, he realised that his mission here was to change Dotun's mindset. The young prince was raised with a silver spoon shoved down his throat; the only way for him to learn was through real-life experiences. His time being cooped up behind the palace wall should come to an end, it's time he learns from the feet of the elders not just from the base of his father's throne, the view from the base of his father's feet is still too high for a child as innocent as him or maybe he just wants to humble the boy without inflicting any physical damage.
"Why are you better than me?" Dotun asked in a frustrated tone.
"Life experience," Ṣeyi replied with a smile, "I learn from the elders"
"Can I learn to be smart like you?" Dotun continued.
"Of course" Ṣeyi replied, "You must learn from the elders like the rest of us, learning from your father is just the beginning"
"What if I learn from you?" Dotun inquired hopefully,
"You're not worthy to learn from me, I'm the most mischievous warrior of this village"
"But…"
"You are still the notorious son of the Oba, Gbabe"
"But, I can be better than this"
"On three conditions," Ṣeyi replied, "And the first is to win one game against me tonight or I will leave you in this forest"
Dotun focused on the game with determination, and while he played he briefly scanned his life with his mind's eye. The one thing he was able to quantify was the fact that besides becoming the king after his father, he had no other ambition, no goals, and he possessed no skills of his own. The realisation set in that he was just another figurehead prince pampered by his father's image as a king.
"I will win this game" the prince voiced with determination.
"I'm not going to go easy on you; I'm not one of the palace elders who lets you win all the time, so let's get this game started already", Ṣeyi voiced with a smile.
The last game proved to be the most important in Dotun's career as a prince; for the first time, he found himself thinking critically, analysing each move down to the simplest pattern. The night was cold, and the breeze was refreshing for Ṣeyi. The prince, on the other hand, was sweating profusely as a result of the effort he was making to win the game. The next three moves had Ṣeyi on the edge of his comfort zone sighing in surprise as he reacted to the shock of Dotun's improvement. At first, he was playing the game casually, claiming each victory with gusto. Now, he was playing the game with rapt attention. It was true that he wanted the prince to learn a little respect, but he didn't expect the prince to improve this far so soon.
"Make your move," Dotun said; Ṣeyi looked at him in reply, expecting to see disdain in his eyes. What he found from the expression on the prince's face was a boy playing the game of his life; Ṣeyi grinned despite himself and made the next tactical move allowed by the rules of the game. While playing the game, Dotun had a fantastic realisation: he could predict Ṣeyi's next move, and he could plan from there; thus, he unconsciously controlled the flow of the game.
"I won?" Dotun inquired incredulously
"You won, Gbabe!" Ṣeyi replied with a smile as he dropped the remaining seeds in his hands.
"Yes," Dotun cried in excitement, overjoyed by the prospect of crowning one win; he turned to face Ṣeyi to rub it in his face but failed; Ṣeyi had magically transported him back into his bedroom. The nightmare had come to an end as suddenly as it had begun; surprisingly, he wished he was back in the forest playing that game with Ṣeyi pushing his mind to the brink rather than being here in his room doing nothing. He actually enjoyed the life and death situation with Ṣeyi; the experience taught him something very important: 'There are things he will never learn in his father's palace'.
******************
Bọlaji smiled as he enjoyed the shocked look on all the elders' faces; they hadn't expected a visit from the demon known as the Watcher. The watcher just appeared out of nowhere in a location that should be restricted to only the elite Jagunas of the village, Jaguna Baṣọrun scowled coldly at the demon without a hint of fear in his eyes. The watcher snapped his fingers suddenly, which nullified the effect caused by the four orbs surrounding the gathering; Jaguna Baṣọrun's power upon everyone was immediately neutralized.
"I was the one who ordered Bọlaji to form his team" the watcher pronounced, "So if you want to kill someone, Wa ba mi (Come to me), Wa pa mi (Come and kill me). I am the one who should bear the brunt of your anger"
"You have no business here, demon", Jaguna Baṣọrun growled, "I will take care of Bọlaji myself" Then he stepped towards Bọlaji with malice in his eyes.
"Don't do it!" Nimbe cautioned, "If you even try to hurt that boy, then the watcher will be obligated to kill you" Nimbe had always been good at reading the situation; Jaguna Baṣọrun had purposely pretended not to hear or understand the watcher's words. It was easy for him to take out his anger on Bọlaji who seems less akin to defend himself than to throw his rage at the watcher.
"To imagine I once had respect for you" The watcher mocked.
"Watcher, I assure you we had no intention of harming the boy…" Segun Ooni said with uncertainty.
"You had no intention!" the watcher interjected, "But your bloodthirsty leader is another case entirely."
"We…" Segun Mofedamijo was about to say something important but the watcher spoke,
"Bọlaji return to your home and remain there, I hereby forbid you from attending any other meeting amongst the Jagunas except with my permission." the watcher commanded
"Yes sir," Bọlaji replied, and with that the Watcher made Bọlaji vanish with the snap of his fingers.
"You have no right" Jaguna Baṣọrun declared.
"Then challenge me, coward!" the watcher growled with the aura of death enveloping his personage,
"You said that you were not allowed to interfere in the affairs of us mortals" Jaguna Baṣọrun declared, "I'm sure you have offended God, you will be punished"
"Actually. I was sent here by God" the Watcher replied.
"That's a lie," Jaguna Baṣọrun growled, "You are just interfering in the affairs of this village." the watcher chuckled in reply.
The watcher always appeared in the form of a masquerade, completely covered from crown to soul in thick traditional attire; it was assumed that the colours of his clothing reflected his emotions. Tonight, he chose to wear the dark version of his costume, something he had not used before, and he emitted the aura of a beast on the hunt for its prey. "Maybe I should kill you, that way I can take you to Him so you can ask Him yourself" the Watcher voiced, Jaguna Baṣọrun didn't miss the hint of mockery in the Watcher's voice "Killing you would be a pleasure"
"You can't do…" Jaguna Baṣọrun continued his challenge but was cut short by the Watcher's horrific thrust for his heart, the act was so instantaneous that it caught him by surprise.
"All I haft to do is squeeze your heart, then you die," The watcher continued.
"Please don't" Segun Ooni pleaded, "The village still needs him"
"Then Swear that you will never try to kill any member of the eagle team" The Watcher demanded, "You are welcome to challenge them, they will live up to the expectations of warriors but I will not tolerate assassinations or underhanded tricks"
"You have my word," Nimbe said in earnest, "We will never try to harm the eagle team"
The Watcher silently nodded and withdrew his hand from Jaguna Baṣọrun's chest, "I will hold you at your word" and then he faced Jaguna Baṣọrun "Bọlaji is no longer under your authority he is under mine and the Balogun's, a time will come when the eagle team will become stronger than your team when that time comes I will lift my protection but for now layoff"
Jaguna Basorun scowled, then he reluctantly nodded in agreement "They are all weaklings nothing good will come out of them" he pronounced, "they will never become more powerful than my team"
"Then you have nothing to worry about" the Watcher chuckled. There was a sudden ease in the atmosphere as the watcher's presence faded from the scene, all the Jagunas gave their so-called leader a cynical look. They didn't approve of his actions but couldn't openly challenge him because of his station as their leader.
"It's not over; the cat is yet to consume its prey. I will conquer in the end." Jaguna Baṣọrun declared in rage. "The eagle team will perish and I am willing to stake my life on it"