Darkness at Niella (Part 2) - Dare Adetuberu

Niella, somewhere along the coasts, a little up-north and inland of the Dark Continent - she can be found. Dark Continent because the rest of the world was yet to discover it or because Darkness was a common guest; it could be either ways. Niella was a settlement named after the goddess Niella. It is said that the goddess is a great host and as such, many gods and goddesses come often to pay her visits; most of which wear a cloak of darkness about them. But she appeared to be yet a lesser goddess. Her gift was in her dance upon the winds and with this she entertained her guests.

Niella was a town, and yet a village. It was one among several towns and villages found outside the walls of the Lovac Empire. There were a few fortresses that overlooked the outside districts. They paid taxes to the crown at Lovac, lent men and arms to the forces of the Lovac Empire. Merchants had their routes betwix. The soil was good, yielding many crops; from the legumes to cereals, all sorts of farm produce could thrive well in the soils of the district. And indeed many of its inhabitants had farms. This contributed hugely to the wealth of the Lovac Empire.

Some weeks back, a plague had ravaged this district. It was like a blanket of darkness was cast over the lands. Niella suffered much of the casualties; maybe that was why redemption started in her, or maybe there was another reason. It all started one night in all of the darkness when three sons raced across the lands; telling of a heavy pour down that was impending. Every cloud reader and farmer could tell that with the sudden gathering of clouds that evening, there was going to be a pouring. But the information about the waters giving healing was another thing entirely.

Amazingly, the waters had healed the Aranca trees too... Birds returned to the hillsides. Every other night, the cries of wolves could be heard again, hunters returned with game, the nearby streams flowed and fishes could be found even by the bedside. It seemed like the rains had brought some life or in fact it had brought life. The air was sweet; the winds whispered a song...

This song was heard by a few on the redemption night, Shemi would remember this song for a long time.

   ***

"Ogunji, speak up!" One of the priests yelled at a Witch Doctor as he narrated his experience with the stranger. He quivered as he spoke, believing all he said. Yet his heart lacked the courage to bring the words forth to his lips. He had done much investigation after that night; enquiring into the personality of this stranger. Nothing could be found, save for the fact that he had come into Niella some weeks before and only one dame knew about him - Shemi. But she wouldn't speak about him. She grieved; a grief that was not understood by anyone. Her brothers had challenged this stranger far earlier and it had turned really brutal. 

"I have spoken all I know" Ogunji finished.

It was necessary for a Witch Doctor to report to the Council of Priests at the end of the year. The incident had occurred just after the peak of the mid-year rain; it was about this time that the teeth of harmattan began to show itself. Ogunji had been summoned, as well as other Witch Doctors in the region. As the Witch Doctors entered the high walls of the temple, they felt the sinister cloak of darkness embrace them. Their steps became heavy, their breathing became laboured too. Some doors, many stair cases, a grand hallway and some corridors past, they arrived in a Chamber and presented before the Council of Priests. Right before this Council, Ogunji was the first to be questioned, while the other Witch Doctors stood down.

"That one, he spoke with the son of Light" one of the priests had pointed at Ogunji. The Witch Doctor wondered how anyone would know he had an encounter with the strange being. He had expressly commanded them that day to remain silent on his presence in the whole scenario. The man and his wife had sworn to secrecy. Their sons, all three of them were also in agreement. There was no need for their daughter to agree; she dad decided not to even talk about the event. She only cried and grieved, then he finally reclined in the fact that this council was composed of priests; they were steps higher than witch Doctors and they were bound to know things. In fact, there appeared to be nothing witchy about every Witch Doctor; at least he could speak for himself. 

Most of the knowledge the Witch Doctors operated on was in herbs, spices and animal parts. Did Witch Doctors ever hear the gods? That question was definitely an unanswered one. Other witch doctors had boasted of their clarity in hearing the gods speak; but never had they mentioned this before their immediate superiors or the Council of Priests. They only boasted before fellow witch doctors and their inferiors. Ogunji himself had claimed to hear them speak. He had convinced himself to the point that he had lost track of where truth blended with fantasy. It was a rude awakening that pointed this out to him on that redemption day.

'And the girl?' Another one of the priests asked the quivering witch doctor. The other priests seemed to agree that the girl in the picture was their link to solving the conundrum. Ogunji could sense that the council wanted the stranger; and they intended to use any link they had to get to him. The other witch doctors definitely had no contact with the stranger, no other persons in his district had anything to say about the stranger too, except for a family. Ogunji thought about it too: of course they should want the stranger; he possessed something they could learn from. But again, he sensed that the priests had a dark or even darker agenda about this. He missed a breath.

'Ogunji...' The chief priest called him. To have the chief priest call his name, it resounded in every part of his body. His knees lost the braces that held him upright and he crashed to the ground. A surge of blood gathered from the lower parts of his body, travelled up and jammed the top of his head. His eyes became sore and his breathing became heavy and laboured. A part of him was about to leap out.

'My lord...' He managed to whisper. These priests were indeed powerful. There was something surreal about them that brought men to their knees before them. Fear had also gripped the other witch doctors, they were silent, sweating all through. One of them had pissed on his body. A temple guard walked over to him and smashed him with the hilt of his sword.

'How dare u desecrate this chamber? You're a shame to the order' the guard hissed.

The council did not shift their gaze from the one who was on his knees; who was drowning in the aura of the chief priest.

'That stranger you met is a Rogue demi-god' the chief priest said. 'He is an enemy to the gods and horde of demons whom we are allied to.' His lips curled gently and the words came forth like honey from a gourd; sweet and smooth flow. 'He has distorted a conference of the gods and demons. What he did that night was to spit on the high Lords. Do you understand me Ogunji?' 

Again his name was called by the chief priest. It hurt, it was a burden, but it was altogether sweet. He shrieked, moaned...he wanted to feel the painful pleasure of that voice again. It was like tearing him apart from the inside and also giving him a form of sweetness and pleasure. 

Consciousness started to fizzle out, he was going to collapse. The chief priest allowed the words to settle in the witch doctor. A smile appeared on the chief priest's face, the other priests were pleased too. The other witch doctors were confused; was it a torture or what could be said about this? They seemed lost.

'Lah tah, mah rah, gala sombi...' The chief priest started an incantation, the other priests joined and they chorused to a peak. Ogunji was all flat on the floor, semi surrounded by this council of priests. At the height of their chant, the chief priest rose to a falsetto...

'Demula, open the gates to the Dark world, and receive this one. He has been summoned and I present him. Receive him and lead him to the...' His words went on, the other priests continues their chant on that language; one the witch doctors were not vast in. A cloud had filled the chamber, Ogunji had been engulfed in a thicker cloud - dark and orange with a blend of red. The smell of soot and sulphur filled the room. The other witch doctors panicked the more. Fear was like a river in the room and the only ones who drank and drowned in this water were the witch doctors.

'I renounce, I yield, I no longer want to...' One of the witch doctors spat out as he bolted for the door. He didn't go far. One of the guards impaled him with a spear. Blood blurted out, splashed at the other witch doctors that were nearby. They stood speechless and fear stricken. The priests seemed oblivious to the action outside their ceremony.

They brought their chant to a close, the clouds eased out, Ogunji wasn't there again; he had disappeared. The chief priest turned to leave for an inner chamber, the other priests also followed. One stayed back a little longer to address the witch doctors.

'Acolytes...' Referring to the witch doctors ' you may return to your districts and regions. If anyone of you encounter this Rogue demi-god, do report at the temple immediately' he finished and turned to leave. There was none among them who was brave enough to ask about their colleague who had... (no words to explain what had happened).

The guards ushered them out of the chamber. They walked the long hallways, down winding staircases and into the open compound. Even the air in the compound had the mix of that bitter aura. They stepped out of the gates and still not a word was found among them. As they breathe the fresh air, it stung their lungs. It appeared that their system had grown accustomed to the aura of the temple and become alien to the outside world. One of them ran for a bush side and began to throw up; they heard the laugh of guards behind them.

As they walked home, each one wondered about that Rogue demi-god that was talked about. The district down south; Niella and the surrounding villages, they seemed to think and talk of him in a different light. The council of priests had thought otherwise. The only witch doctor who had a first-hand encounter with the being was now beyond reach, while they (the other witch doctors) knew nothing really.

And among all the confusion, no one knew the name of this Rogue demi-god. None, except for one: Shemi of Niella.

They prayed not to encounter this stranger...

A village and others still rejoiced,

A witch doctor remained in an unknown place

Three sons; the famous ones, they still basked in the glory

A dame; Shemi grieved

A woman and her husband prepared to journey

Legions of demons had summoned one.

"We will find him." The prince demon said again. "And this is where we will start from"