by Reni K Amayo
Naala felt a light twinge in her chest and found herself smiling back. Eni’s gaze drifted over to Bayo; in a flash, his expression hardened and he quickly turned away and walked on.
He had been against the idea of Naala’s supposed powers being used to fight the Eze. Her abilities seemed to rile something up within him. If Naala thought hard about it, she would have said it repulsed him. When she had agreed to train, Eni had pulled back from her notably. He no longer waited for her in the mornings, or sat next to her during meals; the majority of their interactions were now isolated to these moments when he forgot himself and smiled when their eyes met.
Naala took in a deep breath before turning to Bayo. She was shocked to see a smile had also formed on his lips. His eyes were completely focused on her palms. Naala looked down and nearly screamed when she saw the green leaves dancing vigorously above her hands.
STRAINED LUNCHES
CITY OF NRI
INA’S EYES roamed over Sinai’s haunted face, and her heart squeezed tightly. Sinai was a shadow of her former self, her once luscious brown skin dry and rough, and her bright eyes so dimmed that it was hard to detect even the slightest flicker of life behind them. Ina felt anger and concern flare within her. Just get it together, damn you, Ina wanted to scream at the sad girl.
Not long ago, Ina would have been overjoyed to see Sinai in this state, completely broken, a threat to no one with a pulse. However, much had transpired between the two girls in recent months, and Ina could not deny nor forget the fact that the girl had given her the greatest gift she had ever received: justice.
If it wasn’t for Sinai, Ina would still be plagued by the fear of Chief Ojo cornering her one day in a dark room, her mouth filling with bile at his repulsive odour, her hands quivering at his voice.
Sinai was the last person that Ina had thought would free her from that torment. When Ojo’s rumours about their encounter had begun to circulate amongst the nobles, Lebechi and Ebun were amongst the first to discard her, as though she were nothing but a gnawed bone, sucked dry by ravenous dogs.
Ina had been disappointed, but not all that surprised; she had always known them to be outstandingly weak. Instead of letting such things keep her down, Ina had clenched her fists and held her head high, and prepared to face the court on her own. She was ready to claw back to her former position in society, and climb higher still if she could. She was prepared to do it all on her own; damn the rumours and damn the whispers. However, when she had stepped into the hall that day, she was not prepared for the overwhelming sense of doom that overcame her when she had seen Ojo sneering at her. Ina had known in that moment that, not only did Ojo not feel any remorse, he was certain to attack her again. Moments later Asilia had torn him apart before her eyes. The sense of relief that had overpowered her was almost too much to bear. Ina took her first real breath since Ojo had first attacked her, all because of Sinai, her unexpected supporter.
Ina was hoping to return the favour to Sinai, but this was proving difficult. All she wanted to do was shake and slap the weeping girl. Ina was desperate for Sinai to wake up from her dreamlike state, and accept life for what it was: a journey punctuated by pain, which could only be escaped by being lived through. Ina had quickly found that pushing the girl was a futile process. As was everything else that she had tried. Ina had attempted various tactics over the past few weeks; anger, cajoling, sadness, disappointment, pretence, happiness—not one of them worked.
Eventually, Ina had settled for simply being there, being present. Ina would visit Sinai at least once a day. She would ensure that her nest furs were routinely cleaned, and that Sinai had washed and eaten. Whilst she visited, Ina would often recount the ins and outs of her day. Ina was used to talking about herself without needing prompting or interjections from those around her, so it suited her quite well. She had even begun to imagine that Sinai was improving. Sinai had started responding to her comments every now and again, her crying had quietened down, and she had stopped smashing her head against her pillows.
However, in the bright daylight, the full extent of Sinai’s pain was exposed for all to see. She is still not ready to be out in court yet, Ina thought frantically, as she bit her lips.
‘Are you sure you want to be here?’ Ina asked cautiously. Sinai shuddered slightly, and for a moment Ina was afraid that the girl would burst into tears right in the middle of the Obis’ gardens.
‘Obi Ife summoned me, did he not? We know what happens when I refuse his demands,’ Sinai finally said. She spat out his name like it was something vulgar and obscene on the tip of her tongue. It was true; days ago the Obi had cornered Ina in the hallway, and asked about Sinai. He was adamant about seeing the girl, despite Ina’s protests.
‘I cannot go to her room and have her screaming again; it will start ungodly rumours. You should know,’ Obi Ife had said, as Ina’s heartbeat had thudded violently in her ears. Breathe, she’d told herself as he’d continued, ‘If you could tell her to meet me in public in the gardens near the Obis’ quarters, perhaps we can clear this all up. Tell her she doesn’t have to come alone, if she’s not yet comfortable—she can bring a friend—she can bring you,’ Obi Ife suggested.
Ina had said that she would try to arrange a meeting, but in reality she did not see or want such a meeting to ever come to pass. After what Obi Ife had caused, Ina did not want the man anywhere near herself or Sinai. She did not even know why she had mentioned it to the girl in the first place. The words had tumbled aimlessly out her mouth whilst she was pruning the flowers that she had brought for Sinai’s room. Ina had almost choked when the girl had insisted on going, but how could she say no? For weeks Sinai had refuted all attempts get her to leave her room; how could Ina stand in her way now? However, looking at the dead darkness swirling in Sinai’s eyes now, she wished that she had.
‘I think it’s best we should go—,’ Ina began.
‘Sinai, Ina, it’s so nice to see you out and looking so … well,’ Obi Ife exclaimed behind her. Ina turned around and gaped absentmindedly at the Obi before she remembered her manners.
‘Eh yes, lovely to see you too. Thank you for inviting us,’ Ina said smoothly, as Obi Ife gestured them towards a small table in the midst of extravagant flowers. It was a truly breathtaking spot in the garden, reserved for the most favoured Obis.
There was a time, not too long ago, when Ina would have been ecstatic to be sitting there. She would have relished every envious glance from passers-by, she would have leaned towards Obi Ife enticingly and soaked in the glorious feeling of superiority. But Obi Ife now carried some blame over Meekulu’s death, and that fact hit her like cold water every time she laid eyes on him. The Eze may have given the orders, but Obi Ife’s weakness and short-sightedness had led the lion to its victim. His presence now repulsed her.
Yet, she sat down and engaged in conversation, offering witty comebacks and nodding along to his statements. Whenever he tried to engage Sinai, the Obi was met with a cold silence, and Ina would interject and carry the conversation forward. It came too easily to her, playing the game, pretending to be happy, engaged and sane; she almost wished it didn’t. She wished that she too could sink into her grief, only she wasn’t sure that, if she did, she could ever come back out.
In a flash, something bright caught the corner of Ina’s eyes.
‘Oh!’ she gasped, as she slammed both hands on the table, one clasped tightly on the daga within Sinai’s hand. Ina’s heart pounded with terror as Obi Ife looked confused, completely oblivious to the struggle taking place.
Ina was also confused; she had acted before she could think, but had seen the glint of the daga angling deliberately towards the man across the table. Judging by how much Sinai was resisting, Ina was certain that the daga’s intended path was towards Obe Ife’s throat.
Ina dragged both the daga and Sinai’s fist under the table. The girl put up a solid resistance despite her weakened state. Ina felt a sting in her palm as the daga sliced her skin. You can’t d
o this, you can’t stab him, Ina screamed in her head, willing the girl to somehow understand. They will burn you too—just get it together!
‘What is wrong with you?’ Obi Ife asked, visibly perturbed and unable to decipher the cause for the sudden commotion.
‘I—I’m sorry, I feel very, very, very unwell—I—Sinai, can you help me back?’ Ina said, as she lifted herself and Sinai up from her seat. Sinai’s hand was still clasped around the daga, which Ina struggled to angle towards her back.
Suddenly Sinai’s grip slackened. The fire in the girl’s eyes smouldered out, as they travelled towards the small pellets of blood spouting from Ina’s hands. Fresh tears threatened to enter Sinai’s tired eyes; she had given up.
‘I can help—’ Obi Ife said with a frown, as he took stock of Sinai’s pained expression and Ina’s desperation.
‘No! Please, you stay here,’ Ina exclaimed, holding her free hand up as she signalled for him to remain in his seat. ‘I—I … it wouldn’t be … proper,’ Ina eventually offered, before backing away slowly, angling her body to cover the bloody daga, and pushing Sinai’s limp body along. Ina used a fold of her garment to further shield the weapon before turning and rushing out of the garden, dragging a tearful Sinai, and hoping no one would see the trail of blood that was left behind them.
FOUR FRIENDS
Furuefu Forest
NAALA FELT warm as she traversed the green forest alongside Kora, Eni, and Madi. They climbed over a series of moss-covered boulders and darted between the tall twisted trees dusted with tiny lime-green leaves, rustling in the light wind. Naala looked out at the boundless expanse of deep greens and exhaled.
It had been a while since the four of them had been together. Naala refused to admit it, but she had begun to miss the others. Despite her best efforts to remain detached, she had grown accustomed to their company.
She had even started to miss their midnight meetings, which had come to an abrupt stop. While Naala was pleased to get more sleep, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Eni was deliberately cancelling the meetings in order to avoid her. This notion left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
When Naala had seen Eni and Madi heading towards the lakes to gather the mmiri flowers filled with freshwater, she couldn’t help calling out, ‘Kora and I will help you.’
‘We will?’ Kora had responded, not bothering to hide her displeasure. She had always made it clear that collecting mmiri flowers was her least favourite chore; their large swollen white petals disgusted her, and squeezing the freshwater out of them was a tiresome and thankless task. Kora had done well to avoid it for weeks now.
‘Yes, we should help,’ Naala had replied, as she took hold of Kora’s hand and rushed after the boys.
Now that she was here, she felt as though she may have made a mistake. While on the surface the conversation flowed smoothly enough, a thick undeniable tension between herself and Eni made it impossible for Naala to relax. She felt as though she was standing over a still, flat river, wanting nothing more than to dive in, but paralysed by the fear of the huge boulders just beneath the surface. Naala sighed as she fell back a little more, increasing the distance between the two of them, terrified that Eni would realise that she was too close and be disgusted.
‘You’re quiet, Naala,’ Kora said, cutting through her sombre thoughts.
‘Mmm,’ Naala murmured; she had little desire to follow up with a more detailed response.
‘What does that mean? Don’t you want to tell us all about your mystic enchantress powers?’ Kora asked jokingly.
Naala stopped as she blinked back at Kora, before sweeping her eyes over to Eni. He still had his back turned, but she could see the tension in his shoulders rising. So this is what they all think? That I’m a witch? That I’m evil? Naala thought frantically.
‘I’m not evil,’ she said firmly; her tone prompted Kora to look confused.
‘What? No, Naala, of course you’re not a-a witch! I didn’t mean that at all. I just meant that—you know … I mean, you’re a mmo, an actual mmo. That’s … well that’s big—but you haven’t said anything, we haven’t discussed it … at all,’ Kora explained.
‘We don’t need to talk about it,’ Naala replied sharply; she hated to admit it, but she was hurt by their reactions to all of this, particularly Eni’s.
Naala had yet to come to terms with how she felt about being a mmo. As her sessions with Bayo progressed, she was beginning to gain a better understanding about what he had meant when he asked her to feel for her power. She was beginning to recognise the black and gold realm, a deep feeling within her that she could mould and even call upon. Her control of it was fragile at best, but at least now she knew what it was. However, the more she knew, the more she didn’t want to know.
Naala only thought of her supposed powers in the context of how she was going to use them to defeat the Eze. She had not processed what being a mmo really meant to her, but she felt as though Eni had already disrupted that process, with his growing distance and deepening frowns conveying.
‘You never tell us anything, Naala … I understand it … but … it’s good to open up and talk about these things. Aren’t you afraid of going crazy?’
‘I don’t want to upset anyone, I imagine it is not an easy thing to hear,’ Naala offered, as Kora shook her head.
‘What are you talking about? No one is upset,’ Madi frowned, as he slowed down to Naala’s pace.
‘Well…’ Kora started, as her eyes trailed towards Eni’s back.
‘Eni?’ Madi replied.
‘It doesn’t seem as though he likes it,’ Naala murmured; me, she corrected in her head.
Eni turned around. ‘Why would I like it?’ he said finally, as he looked at Naala square in the face. She felt her stomach twist.
‘It’s … I’m not … I just want to stop the killings, that’s all,’ Naala whispered, as she tried to keep her voice steady, she could feel sharp pricks on the surface of her eyes. Don’t you dare cry, she warned herself.
‘I want to stop them too—but not at your expense,’ he said quietly, as he approached her. ‘These powers have put a target on your back. You are now a pawn; the most valuable pawn out there. They are going to put you right at the front of this fight—and I know you’re strong and capable and powerful—but you can die, even with your mmo abilities. You can bleed, and—you don’t even know what you are up against.’ He shook his head. ‘The platoons that they sent to the villages are nothing compared to the whole army—a thousandth at best. Not only that, but the Eze will also have magic in his arsenal, old magic from the Mother’s crystal that he has honed for years. And now, because of these powers, you are going to face all of that on your own. I—how could I like that? How could you like that? Why aren’t you refusing? Why do you want so desperately to embark on these suicide missions?’ Eni’s voice was slightly louder than he intended it to be. He hadn’t expected to say all that, but this was the first time he had been so close to Naala in days, and her presence was intoxicating. It disturbed him that he was so affected by this one girl, who seemed to draw towards death like a moth to a flame. Eni turned away, fearful he would say something else that he’d regret.
‘She will be fine,’ Kora said after a pause, her voice quiet and muffled as though she were really speaking to herself rather than Eni.
‘She won’t even be fighting,’ Madi added. ‘She’ll still be safe … she’ll be fine.’
As Bayo had explained it, the whole mission should be relatively straightforward. Months ago the Amaghị had discovered a safe way into the palace, through a merchant who traded gold and fabric in the court.
The merchant had traded for years, and was supposedly on a first-name basis with all the guards who patrolled the palace walls. He was so close to them that they had not performed a proper inspection on his cargo cart for years. The man was tried and tested, and the Amaghị had used him to bring spies in and out of the city for weeks now, without any issue.
&
nbsp; The plan was for Naala to sneak into the palace, hidden within the merchant’s cart. Once inside, she would be led to a room where the Eze supposedly left all his enchanted treasures. She would then get the crystal, the description of which Bayo had bored in her head for the last few days:
IT IS LOCATED on the same wall as the door of the room. When you enter, follow the wall towards the end of the room. The crystal is located within one of the holes in the wall, and you will find it at eye level. The crystal itself is emerald, with a subtle but powerful beauty.
ONCE SHE HAD TAKEN the crystal, she would be brought out of the palace. She could cripple the Eze without even having to face him.
Doubt suddenly spread across Naala’s face as she thought, But what if I fail? Then what? She had failed to return with Emeka or the key. She had failed to save her village. Who was to say she wouldn’t fail this time? Who would stop the Eze and the endless killing?
‘… and she won’t be alone,’ Eni added, interrupting her thought. Naala looked up to find Eni looking straight in her eyes; she felt herself falling into his gaze and took a step closer to him.
‘What do you mean?’ Naala replied.
‘I’m going with you. You should not have to do this on your own, mmo or not, you need protection, you need support.’
‘You can’t—’
‘I’ve made up my mind. I’m going,’ he said firmly, stepping so close that she felt the warmth of his body.
‘Ahem,’ Kora noted, as she stepped between them with a knowing smile. ‘We will all come with you!’ She took Naala’s hand in hers.
