When Gods Bleed

by Njedeh Anthony

  The chief jumped with his sword to stab Oludu’s general, but a dozen Omees held him down, pushing his big head to the shrubs. Oludu looked at Pokzee and seemed to be amazed that so many men were finding it hard to hold one man down. All through this extremely large man’s struggle, his eyes were locked to Oludu’s general.

  “What burns your soul? Is it that you have lost the war, or that my general was never the spy you thought you owned?”

  “Let them free me and you will find out.”

  “Free him.” All the Omees were puzzled, even Pokzee, but they still did not completely loose their grip.

  “My Liege, I do not think it is a safe decision under the circumstances,” the general quickly said.

  The chief ignored him and the man went to a safer distance. The Omees reluctantly freed Pokzee with his sword still in his hand. Pokzee got up, dusted himself off, then sat down with his elbows to the ground. When he was relaxed with his enemies standing around him he spoke.

  “What burns my soul is of no relevance to you. I tasted the food of the gods and it has now consumed me. I have no hatred for your general, in fact I respect him now more than I ever believed I would. When he came to me, the lust for easy victory overcame me. I thought his goal was to become chief of your province, not knowing his eyes were on my province.”

  Oludu squatted to Pokzee’s level and said, “I would let you go and from this day onward you would be an Ikaza.”

  Pokzee got up with revitalized energy that flowed in his voice.

  “How dare you look at me up and down and think I would stoop so low to be an Ikaza. I am Chief of Ogwashi and I will die Chief of Ogwashi like these Omees lying here.”

  Oludu stood directly in his face.

  “Pocket your pride and look around you,” Oludu said, pointing at his Omees all ready for any wrong move Pokzee made. “You are a dead man already. Ikazas are men of respect.”

  “Correct yourself, Oludu, they were men who had pride.” Pokzee’s tone was still forceful. He started walking around the tiny circle the Omees did not occupy. “Did they ever tell you how chiefs used to go to war in the old days? When I say old days, I mean way back before the time of King Burobee.”

  Everyone paid attention to what the chief with a short time to live said.

  “In fact, let me be a bit more specific. There was a chief who had a problem with another chief. Generally, they were to go to war with the consent of the King, but the problem was, one of the provinces was five times larger than the other. Now the chief knew that there was no honor in going against a province so small and his admiration for his adversary was optimum because the chief showed no fear in going against a province as large as his in those days, I might add.”

  The general fiercely interrupted.

  “My Liege, can you see what he is trying to do? He is looking for a way to get into a physical battle. He thinks everything is by brute force because his brains hide behind his genitals.”

  “Shut up!” Oludu yelled at his general. “You may continue, Pokzee.”

  “So the chief who had the larger province said the two chiefs should battle individually to settle their disputes. Anyway, that was in the old days. I can never become an Ikaza, so I prefer to die right here and now.”

  Oludu knew this was one of the cheapest tricks in the war code. If he decided to kill Pokzee now, his Omees’ respect for him would slide back and he could not let him go because the chief refused to be an Ikaza. It was a clear challenge of a masculine stand. Oludu knew that even if Pokzee eventually killed him in a man-to-man combat, Boodunko, his general, would not waste a second before he ordered the Omees to kill Pokzee.

  “All right, Pokzee, if it is a challenge you want, then it’s yours but I advise you to leave here an Ikaza.”

  The Omees started spreading and created a larger circle. An Omee threw a sword to Pokzee, who immediately started winding it in circles above his head.

  Oludu faced all his men and men spoke out loud, “If the chief kills me in our confrontation, then he goes back to Ogwashi as their chief.”

  Boodunko walked to his chief and handed the man his sword.

  “He lives as chief as long as you live,” he whispered in Oludu’s ear. “If I have to kill, I want you to know that it will be the first time I have ever disobeyed you.”

  “Let us begin,” Oludu said.

  Immediately, Pokzee attacked him with powerful thrusts of his sword, but his opponent deflected his attacks, as though the weight on Pokzee’s sword was as light as a feather. Pokzee tried different kinds of techniques, but the chief maintained his composure. The spectators followed every powerful swing and movement during the metal collision.

  The two chiefs clashed swords, then there was a halt as their swords jarred together and it seemed like a power struggle.

  “Walk away an Ikaza.”

  This seemed to set Pokzee’s blood on fire. He pushed Oludu with a super-human strength that sent Oludu flying back with his feet not touching the ground. Oludu hit a rock and immediately his men wanted to fire, but the general used his hands to tell them to halt. Everyone was surprised that Oludu had lasted this long with this man who was the size of a bear. Pokzee rushed Oludu as he was on the floor, but the chief returned to his feet still deflecting his attacks in the same relaxed manner. Pokzee fought again till the level where their swords met and this time he took out the knife at his side and stabbed Oludu in his shoulder. Blood gush all over his body.

  Pokzee was impressed with his actions and, encouraged, he rushed at Oludu, but the chief seemed to disappear. Pokzee looked around, wondering where Oludu was and then he appeared in four places at the same time, twisting his sword without an expression on his face. Pokzee was confused, but determined. He started attacking all the images one by one. The spectators felt Pokzee had gone mad because they saw Oludu in one position, twisting his sword, while Pokzee was making powerful attacks at the air. As Pokzee attacked the images, they seemed to multiply and, everywhere he looked, Oludu was there, twisting his sword. He did not want to take chances. He started swinging his sword in any direction. At a point he got tired and stopped.

  Oludu gripped him from behind and put his sword to the chief’s neck.

  “I also heard the story about the chiefs way back then, but you forgot to mention that the chief with the smaller province killed his opponent in their confrontation.”

  As Oludu finished his speech, he slit the chief’s neck, dropped him, and walked away. All the Omees were hailing their chief when Pokzee rose with his sliced neck, dying but not dead. He used his last ounce of strength and advanced toward Oludu with his bare hands.

  Oludu did not notice the event behind him. Pokzee received more than a hundred stabs from the Ndemili Omees behind their chief.

  Chapter 27

  The Hurdene entered the bushes with her Ikuvamees. Her heart was pumping, not because she was in the bushes at this time of night, but because of the person she was going to visit. Whether it be man or beast, she had full confidence in her Ikuvamees. She knew there was no room for fear with the kind of determination she carried in her heart. The Hurdene got to her destination and then started contemplating whether to return. It was bad enough if anyone found out she was going to the home of Agreshi the witch, though she was positive no one had seen her and her Ikuvamees’ loyalty was unshakeable. The Hurdene stood watching the house for a time she couldn’t estimate before she gained the courage to enter alone.

  *

  A beautiful teenage girl in a small village got married to a farmer and they had a daughter. When the girl was six months old, her father died at sea while fishing. The widow raised her daughter on her own, tilling the infertile soils. When the girl was about five years old, the mother took her to the major town in a province to see her sister. The sister welcomed her warmly, but was not enthusiastic about seeing her niece. With time, the sister introduced the mother to a very wealthy trader who wanted to marry her as his second wife. The only problem was
that such men did not marry mothers, so she pretended she did not have a child. In a few months, they were married.

  The new bride took her daughter to her grandparents but they refused to take her because she was a girl. The brothers and sisters of her late husband all refused to take the child. The widow was frustrated and the sight of her child began to disgust her. She imagined everything she had to lose if her husband knew she had a daughter, so she made a hard decision.. She took her daughter deep into the jungle blindfolded. She was about to stab her child, when she looked back and realized she was lost. She laughed realizing that it was easier to abandon the child. Her daughter, on hearing her mother giggle, also laughed, hoping her mother was happy. The new bride looked around and decided not to kill the child, but instead she left her in middle of the jungle and went back to becoming the new bride.

  After ten years, she had five sons and two daughters for the wealthy trader. On a quiet night, the wealthy trader died mysteriously. As the days followed, her children died one after the other consecutively. People brought many sorcerers to see the evil in the deaths, but they all said she had entered cursed waters and there was no way out.. When all her children had died, her sister, who was by her side throughout her tribulations, woke up one morning with the face of a woman four times her age. The problem reached the ears of King Burobee who sent the Awnu priest to consult the Oracle. The Headman to the Oracle reported that the curse on her was from negative forces that she had given an entrance to reality. The woman did not understand what this meant, but all she knew was that the worst was done—she had no family left and death would be better than the destiny of her sister’s situation.

  A teenage girl with eyes like fire came to the gates of the King’s palace and ordered the Omees to open the door because she wanted to see the King. They all laughed at her. She faced the Omee in charge and told him to open the door or he wouldn’t see the light of day. The man laughed louder and asked if she was going to make him blind. This she did by merely looking at him. Then she faced another Omee and told him to open the gate for her to pass, or her words would be the last thing he would ever hear. The Omee immediately opened the gate.

  The young haggard girl with dirty dreadlocks and worn-out shreds of clothing covering her body passed the men who had nothing to say. She reached another barrier of Omees and one of them held her by the shoulder asking where she was going. The girl wiggled her way through without looking back at the Omee, who automatically became handicapped. The news about the girl in the palace spread faster than lightning; none of the Omees attempted to stop her again.

  When she got to where the King was, she saw the Awnu priest standing in front of him ready for anything. The girl said she did not come for the King and even if she did, the Awnu priest knew she could not be touched. She told the King he had three days to banish the mourning widow from his kingdom. King Burobee refused to drive a woman under such pain out of the kingdom. She told him that he had three days to comply or else the curse would extend to him. Then she said when they banished the woman they should tell her that Agreshi placed the curse on her. The King, on heavy counseling from his high chiefs and elders, gave the order for them to banish the widow. When they told her that she was banished, she took it like nothing but a particle in contrast to monstrous punishment weighed on her, but when one of the Omees told her it was Agreshi who placed the curse on her, she killed herself. As time went by people went to meet her with different requests and she gave them all their desires, at a price. She always stated the terms before she provided what they wanted. She could give a person any material thing he or she desired: wealth, husbands, wives, love portions, children and a lot of other things in exchange for things like a short life span, sterility, a body part and a host of others things.

  *

  The Hurdene entered Agreshi’s home looking for an excuse to turn around and return to her palace. She would have announced herself, but the hut was wide open. She saw her host burning something in a fire and at that point she knew she was in the wrong place.

  As she attempted to leave, the witch spoke with her back to the Hurdene.

  “State your request before you leave or else you might regret this day for the rest of your life.”

  The Hurdene was still contemplating whether to leave when the witch turned around. The Hurdene saw an aging woman who looked older than her mother. Agreshi got up and dragged a cut trunk and offered her guest a seat. The Hurdene tried as much as possible not to get close to her for fear of some evil contamination.

  “You know we human beings are funny animals,” the witch said in a squeaky voice. “I heard they burnt a girl, claiming she was a witch. They keep killing those people who accept the white man’s god, using their horns and bellowing they are witches, yet no mob knocks on my door to tell me they want to burn me on the stake.”

  The Hurdene still refused to sit and looked for the slightest chance to leave this place.

  “Believe I am creating new havoc.”

  The Hurdene could not take it any longer; she started to leave, but the witch spoke to her, still playing with the fire.

  “You and I both know the son you gave birth to, does not belong to King Obi.”

  The Hurdene stopped and this time she went back and sat down on the seat.

  “How dare you? My son is the child of the King.”

  “Yes he is and my hut contains all the oceans.”

  “What are you accusing me of?”

  “It’s amazing, before I mentioned your son, you were consumed with fear and now your tongue is as sharp as a blade.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what you want to say?”

  “No, you are missing the issue. Why don’t you tell me what you came here to say? The question that has been punishing your soul all these years was never a question because you always knew the answer—the child is not King Obi’s son.”

  The Hurdene was dumbfounded. No longer petrified, she wanted to grab the witch by her neck and strangle her.

  “Don’t worry, your secret will die with me. Now we have gotten over that, state your request.”

  “Since you seem to know everything, you might as well give me the solution.”

  “You must ask before we proceed.”

  “I want my son to be King.”

  “Is it really about your son becoming King, or is it about you ruling the kingdom? It’s no secret that the Hurdene is the ruler before the child starts acting like a King.”

  “Now that you have uncovered the depths of my nakedness, I would like you to help me …I want you to help me…I beg you to help me.” The Hurdene went down on her knees.

  “Save your sympathetic gestures for a fool who has a weak heart. My rules are simple. For anything I do, there is a price. There are three chiefs who are your problem. So which one of them do you want me to get on your side?’

  “Oludu.”

  Agreshi scratched on her dreadlocks.

  “I will make things easier for you. Let me make the other two chiefs come to your side while you take Oludu.”

  “No, I have made my choice.”

  “See your mouth move. Have I told you my price?”

  “I am listening.”

  “I want the life of your son when he gives birth to his heir.”

  “Impossible, I want my son to live as King.”

  “And so he shall until he gives birth to his son and then he will be mine.”

  “You are acting like I am a fool. Why do you think I came here?”

  “You came here because you wanted to be King.”

  “Do I look like a man that I would be King?”

  “Let me ask you a question. Is there any decision that an underage King can make without approval from his Hurdene?”

  “None until he has seen sixteen feasts of Ezes,” the Hurdene answered. “You can have his son but not him.”

  “That’s too small a price.”

  “That would be the heir.”

  Agreshi thou
ght for a while. Her crimson eyes fell on the fire and she said, “Oludu it will be, but your son is who we need.”

  “So let it be.” She sighed, got up and walked away, not attempting to look back.

  Agreshi then told the Hurdene, “If you can’t convince the other two chiefs, and the high chiefs finally decide to choose the other child, I will come for you and your son.”

  “That does not really matter to me anymore. The people always kill the Hurdene and the person who does not become King, so I advise you to be faster than they are.”

  The Hurdene left, hoping never to return or to see the witch again.

  *

  Odagwe strolled into Abogima Province on foot with more than half of the Omees in his army on the day they were supposed to go to battle. He purposely entered the province on foot so everyone in the opposing province could see him walk in. As they marched, Odagwe could feel the sting of hatred that flowed through the eyes of the people and the feeling excited him. He walked in front of the battalions and was heading to the Haku that was formerly the home of Otuturex.

  Some activists could not bear the thought of Odagwe taking control of their province, so they risked their lives attempting to kill the chief as he headed for the Haku. If only the men had known how useless their attempt was, they wouldn’t have thought about it.

  Odagwe entered the Haku with his general, Anossai, by his side. He looked around the Haku impressed with it, especially the colorful fur on the seats and animal skins hung on the wall.

  “I have to admit, Otuturex had exquisite taste for a man so young. I hope his taste extended to his wives,” Odagwe said to his general.

  While the two men were laughing, Odagwe’s messenger came in and bowed.

  “Great Chief of every kingdom, the elders and envoy of Abogima are waiting to meet you.”

  “Let them wait. I want to drink wine with my general. By the way, bring that sweet wine I brought with us.” The messenger ran to get what his master asked. Odagwe sat on the chief’s seat and rubbed his buttocks on it.