The Eagle Team
"Arise, great warriors of Oduduwa
It is he the right hand of the warlord that beckons
Arise great warriors of Ilu-ina
Awaken from your slumber
It is taboo for the sun to rise before the warrior
Rebel against the weakness in your eyes
It is time to prepare for war
The right hand of the warlord summons you
Arise great warriors of Ilu-ina
Arise! Arise!! Arise!!!"
It was the usual morning ritual for all the warriors of Ilu-ina village; the Otun-Balogun was always up on his feet before the first cock crow long before sunrise. Then he chants into the dawn, allowing the morning breeze to project his voice throughout the village, summoning all the warriors to himself. The Ọtun-Balogun waited in the centre of the Ẹṣọ's training ground, expecting all the warriors under his authority to answer his call; they assembled in the training square in preparation for the day's training session. The Ọtun and the Osi personally supervised the morning training to strengthen the swords of the village; they inspected all the warriors thoroughly, ensuring that all of them were in good medical condition. As soon as the inspection was over, the training session began; they started with a marathon across several neighbouring villages. The eagle team, being new to this event and also new to the village, faced minor ridicule from all the other Ẹṣọs in training, Ṣeyi and his friends being the ones facing the brunt of such criticisms, while Lakan, Bọlaji and the other warriors who formed the senior membership of the eagle team faced less criticisms.
The Ọtun-Balogun had to separate a few squabbles between the eagle team and all the other resentful Ẹṣọs at one time or another, the Ọtun signed in a disgruntled tone if only the Jagunas left out their subordinates from the domestic dispute. As usual, Ṣeyi and the rest of his group refused to let their confidence be intimidated by the opinion of others; they stood boldly, enduring the scorn, fully prepared to succeed as warriors. The Ọtun could still remember how he convinced Ṣeyi to take the practice seriously; Ṣeyi had always been stubborn, doing things according to his every whim and unashamed to express his opinion when it came to training. So it wasn't surprising that he challenged the Ọtun's training methods, he claimed that they were outdated and not meant for a warrior of his status. The Ọtun simply smiled at the ignorant young trainee and ordered for a large bolder to be brought before them, then he gave Ṣeyi his ultimatum.
"To graduate from this training, every candidate must smash this large stone into powder," The Ọtun declared while patting the bolder, "So if you wish to leave, you must fulfil the same requirement with your fist" Then he cleared his throat with a deep baritone sound as is his habit. Ṣeyi, filled with so much pride, decided to use his fist on the bolder funny. He felt the confidence of Bolaji's teaching run through his mind, and as he struck the rock, he felt the elevation of victory. The next emotion that ran through his being was the excruciating pain of defeat plus cracked knuckles, he had been humbled.
"To gain power, you must learn self-discipline, something you seriously lack" the Otun mocked, "Now, get back to training"
Ṣeyi didn't need additional encouragement from the Otun-balogun, the seasoned warrior had made his point. Ṣeyi, still an inexperienced Ẹṣọ and green to the ways of combat, started acting all confident because of one success on the field. Ṣeyi obediently responded without any further arguments, he dashed off for the morning drills. The warriors ran the distance until sunrise and then the training routine for the whole day continued, basic weapons training for rookie Ẹṣọs in which every warrior was expected to select a weapon of choice. The weapon in question will then be drilled vigorously into their everyday routine until it becomes second nature, Ṣeyi chose the throwing knives and the long cutlass. Akin chose the clubs but wasn't serious with his training because his fist could do more damage than the club. The Ọtun attempted to teach them the chant of the Leopard shadowing the trees but was shocked to find out that they had already mastered the chant; thus, on days when he taught the chant, he released them an hour earlier than usual. This gave them some spare time to do some extra training with their chosen team, now known as the Eagle team, led by Bọlaji, the youngest Jaguna of the village.
*********
The eagle team, a group of misfits rejected by the other warriors of the village gathered together in one place for one very important reason. To prove that they are not a liability to the village, Ṣeyi and Akin were considered "Accursed" meaning that they were set aside to be sacrificed to the gods. Then there's Kenny, the boy with a body so weak he is unable to wield the power of the spirit, and Kayode, the quiet albino with a power so mysterious none would relate with him. Then some defected from other warrior groups out of loyalty to Bọlaji, the leader of the eagle team; there's Lakan, Bọlaji's closest friend. Yetunde, Bọlaji's sister and Modupẹ the only one acknowledged by one of the Jagunas but chose to remain by Ṣeyi's side.
"Let's begin," Bọlaji said sternly. He watched Ṣeyi and the rest of his group march into their hidden meeting ground. "We might be an official team but we are far from effective, it's time to sharpen the eagle's claws"
Bolaji's training routine was not only different from the Otun-balogun's method, it was taxing as well. He had them go through serious endurance training, stamina building and even various levels of mental training. He left nothing out, he was a good instructor but firm with them to the letter. Should Ṣeyi complain or make an attempt to voice out any objection, he was immediately silenced by Bolaji's piercing gaze.
"Bolaji, I was wondering," Akin said after a short pause "When is the Balogun going to assign a proper Iṣẹ to the eagle team?"
It took their leader a short while to respond, the thought had also crossed his mind. He considered the various ways he could answer the question without offending his team's morale and, at the same time, preserving the Balogun's image. "The truth is, the Balogun is waiting for the right moment"
"Ehhh," Ṣeyi exclaimed confused by the answer.
"The Balogun" Bolaji continued choosing his words very carefully, "Wants us to prepare for the worst-case scenario, and she is careful in dealing with the other Jagunas"
"That is not a good excuse" Ṣeyi grouched, "We are warriors and we need to work"
"Speaking as though you have not experienced the backlash of all the other team's prejudice" Bọlaji scorned. "Did you forget how we were able to access this special location as our meeting spot?"
Ṣeyi signed in response he didn't need any reminders of the hell they went through just to gain the perfect space for the eagle team's meeting ground. First, they tried meeting on the Ẹṣọ's training ground when it was unattended, no sooner had they started the meeting than Ṣodipọ turned up to interrupt them. He claimed that they had no right to meet there because it officially belonged to his team, he rudely ushered them out of the training ground. Lakan and Yewande had wanted to protest but Bọlaji ordered them against it, better not to give them an excuse to disband the team. They went to another location outside the village and got intercepted by Ṣodipọ again; Bolaji chuckled at the sentiment; the boy was truly motivated by his hatred for Ṣeyi and Akin.
"He's not even allowing us to have a short meeting" Lakan sounded. His frustration resonated within his voice.
"The roots of his malice grow deep" Bolaji voiced, "But for every stumbling block there is the seed of opportunity"
"Ehhhhhh?" Akin voiced in confusion.
"We need to use his arrogance to our advantage," Bolaji suggested,
"I could knock him out" Lakan grouched impatiently,
"That's what they want" Yewande observed, "We need to keep him far from us as we plan for our meeting ground"
"Ṣeyi?" Bọlaji inquired,
Ṣeyi smiled mischievously, they could all tell that he had several ideas on how to delay the annoying Ṣodipọ. "All you need to do is tell me, how seriously do you need him delayed?" The evil grin became broader. "A short delay? A longer delay or permanent delay for the rest of the week?"
"are you going to plant the seeds of physical pain and bodily injury?" Bọlaji inquired,
"If there's going to be any pain, then it will be to his pride" Ṣeyi replied with evil glowing in his eyes. "Gbabẹ"
"Then I want him out for the whole week," Bọlaji said, "Plant the seeds of delay and distraction"
Ṣeyi turned towards the corner where Ṣodipọ was hiding with a grin. The others might not have sensed him, but Ṣeyi could tell that he was there. His heightened senses are one of the benefits of his extensive training. He blinked slightly, and in an instant, Ṣodipo vanished to an unknown location, replaced by a pile of foul-smelling substance.
"Where did you send him?" Yewande inquired
"Somewhere with the most horrifying smell in the whole village" Ṣeyi replied
"Good, that will keep him busy for the whole week" Bọlaji observed, "Now we need a location, somewhere unique to us. Any ideas?"
Akin stepped forward and suggested a place that he and Ṣeyi visited once when they were hiding from a bunch of angry villagers. The location was remote, secluded and perfect for a hidden meeting. They all took to the meeting ground immediately, and their training began. Bolaji chanted into the environment to prevent any other person or warrior from intruding. Thus, the eagle team had officially begun, and the younger warriors were placed under the older ones for specialization training. Lakan took charge of combat while Yewande supervised weapon practice and agbara control; Bọlaji supervised the teamwork training and ensured everyone was in sync.
Their progress was encouraged by Bọlaji's observation, but he noticed some discrepancies. Akin's progress was slow, but in Agba Basit's (the Adegunju member posted for Akin's protection) opinion, it was normal. He told Bolaji not to worry, that the progress was normal, and that Akin would get stronger with time. Then there was Modupe, a little girl with infinite potential but, for some reason, lacks the true heart of a warrior, and this was affecting her performance. Kayode possessed many layers of weaknesses but the one at the top of the shelf was his lack of self-confidence. Bọlaji chuckled to himself, being a leader was no easy feat. Ṣeyi was the one that was the most disappointing of all; for some reason, he had not a single drop of agbara flowing out of his body. Agbara is one of the most fundamental aspects of a warrior, but every human being possesses some measure of agbara. Ṣeyi on the other hand, had almost completely no Agbara whatsoever. This is impossible, to say the least; no living being can survive without spiritual energy; the fact that Ṣeyi was still alive is astonishing. The cockroach needs at least three drops of Agbara to survive, and a human being needs far more than a bucket load of spirit energy, but Ṣeyi had nothing; training him will be difficult. But he was determined to get a job done; hard work without persistence will profit nothing, and Ṣeyi was more than willing to put in his time and effort into achieving this feat. Kenny was also a serious case because of his health, forging Agbara had always been a serious issue for the young ẹṣọ. Bolaji could sense the hidden potential within Kenny's body, but for some reason, the potential remains locked away and the key lost.
"Alright warriors," Bolaji summoned "Let us rest for a while and then we will continue with the legacy chant training"
"OOOooooooo!" the others responded.
They all sat down under the tree to rest from the hard day's training; Yetunde, Bolaji's sister, stood up to serve all the new warriors some Ọfada rice and roasted fish wrapped in Banana leaves. "Good work everyone" Bọlaji praised moments after they had all settled down to their meal, "Now we observe your weaknesses"
"Hope we didn't disappoint you" Kenny inquired, "We are still rumoured to be the weakest team in Ilu-ina."
"Like all teams, the eagle team must start at the bottom of the food chain" Bolaji responded, "The seed of prosperity always begins from the strength of its roots"
"If agba Jaguna Baṣọrun has anything to say about it, we will all remain in the grass root indefinitely" Ṣeyi countered.
"Which is why we are not going to work under the Jagunas, we will be operating under the authority of the Balogun," Lakan said with a smile.
"Now that's good news" Kenny commented with a smile.
"But we're still far from ready to handle an Iṣẹ(Work) of a high rank," Bolaji pressed, he purposely refused to tell the team about the attempt on his life by the leader of the Jagunas so as not to unsettle them.
"Are we going to be treated like babies forever?" Ṣeyi inquired,
"No, we just need to prove ourselves," Bolaji responded, "A true warrior's might, is proven in action and not words. We need to prove ourselves and we will, the seed of courage has already been planted but it will take time before the harvest"
Lakan smiled, as usual; it didn't matter to him whichever way the tide of the event flowed. He knew that as long as the Balogun supported them, the opportunity would arise when the Eagle team would be needed.
"The important thing to do now is to be in the village's good graces" Yewande added, "With the support of the villagers we will be able to acquire influential strength"
"And how do we do that?" Kayode inquired, "We are accursed, at least some of us are and no one would think of using those who are cursed for missions and those who are brave enough would not want to disobey Jaguna Basourn"
"Let me worry about Jaguna Basorun," Bọlaji pointed "By attending to small tasks, we will eventually get the villagers to acknowledge us; we must be patient".
Small tasks were the most demeaning job for warriors known in the history of the Yoruba empire. It involves minor jobs like sweeping the market square, disposing of sewage, washing garments for the rich, tilling farming lands, cleaning animal dens and so on. None but the lowliest of warriors are given these tasks, or those under punishment. All the members of the eagle team gave a slight grumble of dissatisfaction but then cooled down, knowing that there was nothing they could do about the present condition for now.
"You keep forgetting" Ṣeyi pointed, "When we started, they wanted nothing to do with us. The only reason we are all Esos is because of Agba Bọlaji's hard work; we owe him everything, so we must continue to trust him." To this all the members acknowledged.
"Thank you Ṣeyi," Bọlaji said in appreciation "And I promise we will be acknowledged by the people of the village, we will harvest the fruits of success"
"Then let's keep on training, so when we're needed, we will not shame either you or the team", Laken called, and everyone in the group agreed in a chorus.
Their training lasted a little longer than usual, then Bọlaji released them so that they could rest and then ordered them to meet their Agbas (Specialized training instructors) for special chant training. As soon as the rest of the Eagle team left, Bọlaji gave a sign of relief; who would have thought managing a team would be so hard? The effort is tasking both physically and mentally, but those were the seeds he had planted, and whatever you sow is what one rips. He gathered the rest of his calabashes, both the pre-chanted ones and the ordinary ones, and walked towards the village, his mind torturing him with new ways of improving the eagle team. How to make Ṣeyi's new chant effective, how to improve Modupe's and Akin's fighting powers and so on, he failed to notice that someone was following him from behind.
"Agba Bọlaji," the stranger called; he was close to startling the junior Jaguna but fell short in that mission.
Bọlaji turned round to see who had called his attention; judging from the voice, he had expected to see a grown man with a menacing personality and a magnificently muscled body, but what greeted him was different. The one who had called his attention was quite short for his build, held a working stick in his left hand, and had quite a determined expression on his face. He was taken aback for a slight moment but then smiled at the stranger and spoke.
"Greetings," he said politely "Is there something you need me to help you with?"
"There, there, i-is," the man stuttered in reply. "I-I would like you to listen to my humble request" From the expression on the man's face and the way he fiddled with the edge of his agbada, Bọlaji could tell that this was going to be a long conversation. He signed in surrender, focusing his mind on the present, making a mental recalculation of the day's activities, and then responded.
"Let's leave the road and speak somewhere more comfortable" he responded with a smile. The man acknowledged with a slight nod and began to follow Bọlaji towards a large nearby tree that offered shade from the sun. Bọlaji observed that the waking stick wasn't for show, this man was one of those unfortunate like Akin to be born with a deformed body. In his case, one leg seemed to be longer than the other, making it difficult for him to walk; people like him join humble professions like forging or shoemaking, which require the use of hands more than legs.
"I'm not going to waste your time with idle words," the man said the moment they reached the shade, "My name is Bolu Ajayi and I want to become a member of the Eagle team"
"What!" Bọlaji exclaimed in disbelief, what can this cripple be thinking of? Does he not know that someone with his physical challenge will not survive more than a year as an Ẹṣọ? "Are you serious?" was all Bọlaji could say despite all the many objections that flashed through his mind.
"I-I am," Bolu replied, "It has always been my dream to be a warrior in this village, all the other Jagunas refused to give ears to my p-plea. You are my last hope and you are the only one who can help me achieve my dreams"
"I will not plant the seeds that will lead to your death; I'm sorry," Bọlaji said in a firm tone, "As a Jama, it is…"
"Pl-please at least listen to what I have to say. I promise you will change your m-mind," Bolu cried out desperately.
There was a moment where Bọlaji paused to think; every single cell in his body cried out for him to tell this man "No," but instincts told him to at least listen to the cripple's reasons before making a decision. He exhaled in defeat and faced the fool willing to die as a warrior and said "I'll listen, but if I'm not convinced then I will not accept you into the eagle team no matter how desperately you beg"
"I-I understand," Bolu said gratefully with a smile of triumph on his face, he had a good reason to be happy. When they approached all the other Jagunas, not one of them allowed him to join their team, and when he tried to give reasons, they simply shoved him away like a stain, Jaguna Baṣọrun being the worst of them. Jaguna Baṣọrun's judged him almost immediately, and when he begged, the Jaguna abused him as he would a madman. Bolu almost gave up being an Ẹṣọ and even hid his face for more than a year, but then he heard that Oluseyi, Akin and Kenny, three of the most unfavourable boys in the village, managed to join a team that raised his hopes. So he asked around and was surprised to see that Bọlaji was the one who made their dreams a reality, which was why he was here, one last chance to make his dreams come true. "I don't need to fight in the front lines" he began, "But my abilities can be useful for team support"
"Your abilities?" Bọlaji inquired, now curious about Bolu's covenant.
"Yes, my abilities," Bolu replied, realizing that he might just succeed.
One moment, they were standing on solid ground with a green canopy protecting them from the rays of the sun; the next, they were standing on thin air more than ten miles above ground level. The village had disappeared, and there was not a cloud in the solid sky or land; the only thing that Bọlaji could see was the sea. Bọlaji felt his heart thump in sudden shock and was quite fearful of falling off whatever he was standing upon that kept him afloat. "Is this a translocation chant?" he inquired in a shaky voice.
"No" Bolu replied with a slight smile, "It's an illusion chant, powerful enough to f-fool all the five senses"
Bọlaji gazed at Bolu with absolute shock; someone with this ability was like a gold mine for any team. The arrogance of others was now going to become the benefit of the eagle team, Bọlaji smiled at the now nervous Bolu who had just released the illusion and said,
"When can you start?" he smiled. With that ability, a Jaguna would beg to have him on the team; if used correctly, he could be a force to be reckoned with.