Age of Sango(Naija Demigods Chronicles #1)

Finding Iku

“So how do we find Iku?” Kola asked as he sat in counsel with Omítọ̀nàdé and Sangosakin at the shrine.

“I believe his wife, Olojongbodu, would know where he is.” Omítọ̀nàdé responded.

“And how do we find her?”

“The iyaa ajes would know” said the babalawo.

Kola heaved a sigh.

“The good news is that tonight the iyaa ajes will assemble in ijebu-ode at an iroko tree in their astral form. It’s good because no one knows where their idi(shrine) is. You will approach them at the gathering to make inquiry.”

“Why do I have a feeling that there’s also a bad news” Kola said.

“Because there is.” Omítọ̀nàdé responded, “It is a private meeting. No one is supposed to see them especially a male, so they will attach you on sight with intent to kill.”

Kola let out another frustrated breath.

“They are just a group of old women. How powerful can they be?”

“Some ajes are more formidable than most orishas” Sangosakin warned.

Kola’s face fell. Despair becoming evident in its features.

“My sister Ife is a patron orisha of the ajes. I will tell her to accompany you. Her presence should offer you some protection.”

“Okay.” Kola said, giving a third sigh.

Kola went alone to the clearing at midnight. Arriving at the sacred tree; he notified the iroko of his intended destination and his ethereal form was transport to ijebu-ode.
Kola found himself in the midst of crones. They had formed a semi-circle around the ifa tree of life and an aje who was in the middle a few paces away from Kola. She had her back to him and he in turn had his back against the iroko.

Most of the ajes were stooped and shrivelled with age with heads of grey hair. A few looked so old that they had probably been alive during the golden age of ile-ife. The witch who had her back to kola turned around as if sensing him there. The entire focus of the assemblage was on him.

At first they all stared at him looking dumbfounded like they could not actually believe anyone would be audacious enough to interrupt their meeting. They soon regained their composures and attacked him.

Beams of malicious energy were thrown at him from multiple directions. Kola knew he could not afford to take a direct hit from those death rays. Turning his axe like a shield, he created a powerful barrier protecting himself from the projectiles.

“How dare you?”

“Who do you think you are?”

“Death is calling you” Random questions and statements were thrown at him in Yoruba.

“I am Kolawole, I am an…” he tried to introduce himself.

“You are a walking corpse. That’s what you are.” The one close to him interrupted. She appeared to be their leader and looked about a thousand years old. Saggy wrinkles creased her face and her scanty head of hair was like dirty snow.

“O Wise and powerful one,” Kola addressed her, “I have come because I need an information. Please tell me what I need to know and I would leave."

The leader of the coven cackled with dreadful glee and the others joined in. The atmosphere felt sinister and Kola’s courage faltered.

“You dare to come before our gathering. You are not leaving this place alive” The leader shrieked as she fired a bolt of dark energy at him. Kola used she to absorb the energy and then redirected it to her amplified.

The blast hit the witch on her chest and seemed to have any effect on her. She laughed after which she began to mutter a spell. She extended a gnarled hand in front of her as if to grip something. Immediately, Kola experienced pressure from all sides at the same time. He felt like he was being crushed by a giant invisible hand.

Kola roared.

He seemed to have been disconnected from his power. He struggled against the force but the more he thrashed about the tighter the grip. Kola was sure he was going to burst like a strangled balloon.

“STOP!!!” a female voice commanded.
The hag continued.

“I said STOP, Aje Morenikeji” Ife ordered as she appear by the side of the coven leader.
The witch relented her choke but Kola remained in her unseen hold.

“Iyalode.”

“Oba Obirin.” The ajes chorused acknowledging Osun’s arrival.

“Release Oba Sango Morenikeji.”

The leader grudgingly let Kola go. All the Ajes looked surprised including the coven leader at the mention of the name of the 4th Alaafin. They began to apologise profusely.

“Forgive us Oba. We did not know it was you.” Aje Morenikeji apologised.

“It’s alright” Kola said acting like he wasn’t thoroughly shaken by her attack.

“Please apologise to them for your intrusion Oba Sango.” Osun told him.

“I’m sorry for ruining your meeting Ajes,” Kola apologized “I just needed a piece of information. I want to know the location of Olojongbodu.”

Once the apologies were done the ajes were a whole lot hostile and more forthcoming.
“Is it the Olojongbodu that is the wife of Iku?” One of the witches asked.

‘Yes, that’s the one.”

“She stays in Ondo town, Akinnola street.” another said.

“The street after Motel Ondo Plaza street along the Ondo-Ife road.” A third offered.

“Okay. Thank you.” Kola said.

“Thank you for your cooperation ajes,” Osun said appreciatively. “We’ll be leaving now.”

Together, Osun and Kola departed from Ijebu-ode.