Age of Sango(Naija Demigods Chronicles #1)

Death is not so Grim

Kola found himself sitting in the driver’s seat of a car. The engine was on but there was no key in the starter. The surge of electricity he had released upon his sudden appearance must have jump-started the vehicle. Oshe laid on the shotgun seat.

A woman who must have been the owner of the vehicle stood outside the car staring at him with surprise through the glass; the car’s key in her hand.

Suddenly she screamed “Ole Moto, Oleeee.”

And it just happened to be Kola’s bad luck that a patrol van of the special anti-robbery squad popularly known as SARS were driving by at that moment.

“Olopa help me ooo. Ole moto” The woman cried.

Kola picked up the axe and got down from the vehicle. The patrol van came to a halt and the officers in the back of the Hilux jumped down, aiming their riffles at Kola, asking him to drop his weapon and lie flat on the asphalt.

He looked down at his hand and realized how he must look with Oshe so he did the best possible thing he could do to remain a free man.

He ran.

The officers gave a heavy pursuit but they were no match for the Orisha of thunder and lightning. Kola ran between buildings and narrow streets where he knew the police van could not follow. Most of the officers got fatigued from the hunt after quite a while and had to stop to catch their breaths.

An officer took a shot at Kola and the bullet hit him right in the small of his back. The force of the bullet had him stumbling and almost falling but he regained his footing.
Kola ran like the host of hell was after him and every pedestrian and road-side vendor did their best to stay well out of his way because of the battle axe he carried.

As he ran, it occurred to him that he was actually just shot on his backbone and should probably be paralyzed or lying dead somewhere behind. Kola was glad to find that he was bulletproof. He glanced back frequently, but his pursuers were nowhere in sight.

Kola rounded a corner and accidentally bumped into someone and fell in the direction of the person.

“Kola!” a voice exclaimed above him.
He looked up to find Yemisi. Beneath him, the person he had bumped into was Omítọ̀nàdé.

“What are you doing here?” Omítọ̀nàdé asked him

“Running from the police” He replied panting slightly as he stood up.

“Where are they?” Yemisi asked alert, looking all over “What did you do?”

“I think I lost them” Kola said ignoring the second question.

“You disappeared this morning” Omítọ̀nàdé stated.

“I was looking for Iku.” Kola lied, “What are you both doing here?”

Yemisi looked at Kola suspiciously.

“We were looking for Iku too, He’s around here somewhere.”

“Take this and wear on your left wrist” Omítọ̀nàdé said handing over a bracelet like her own.

“Why?”

“It may offer some protection against Iku,”
She said “Oya is wearing one.”

Kola looked at Yemisi’s left wrist and saw it to be true so he put on the ide.

Together, the three of them patrolled the street searching the faces of strangers passing hoping they’d know Death when they saw him.

As they walked they saw a seemingly healthy young man drop to the ground without any visible cause. A carpenter rushed forward to help him. Kola could tell he was a carpenter because of the small hammer he held and the bits of wood shavings in his hair.

The three of them crossed over to see what was wrong and offer their assistance. When they got close to the man they felt a strange aura coming off him.

“He is dead.” The carpenter announced.

“How do you know?” Yemisi asked “I am a medical student, let me check him.”

“I know girl because I make coffins for a living.” The carpenter replied getting to his feet and turning around to face them.

“Olorun mi!!!” Omítọ̀nàdé exclaimed.

The carpenter was a beautiful male specimen to behold with his broad shoulders and firm jaw. He had a finely sculpted form.

His skin was delicious cocoa black like he enjoyed lying out in the sun all day long. His facial features were perfect, lashes way too long for a male, his hair was dada and he had a shockingly white smile in contrast to his black skin. Only his eyes betrayed him. They were soulless and empty.
The carpenter exuded black ashe.

“Well if it isn’t Oya, Sango and their pet priestess Omítọ̀nàdé. I should have known you would find me.” His voice was velvety. Even his Yoruba accent was sexy.

He examined all three of them “I see you are all wearing Orunmila’s ide and Omítọ̀nàdé has a gbekude -death ceasing charm- on her but it would do you all no good.”

They all watched him waiting for someone else to say something or make a move.

“Now that you’ve found me, what next?”

“We stop you” Kola said.

“Okay, Let’s fight then. Meet me by six o’clock at Oke Owa bush in Ondo State” Iku said as a crowd started to gather around the dead man.

“I’ll meet the both of you there I have things to sort out.” Yemisi told Kola and Omítọ̀nàdé as she left them.

At 5:50pm Omítọ̀nàdé was dressed as an Obatala priestess in pure white cloth tied around her chest. There were large white spots made with chalk on her face, body and limbs and in her right hand she held an Obatala’s staff. In her left she held an afeeri charm. Kola stood beside her dressed for battle as well. She chanted “gbe mi si oke owa, gbe mi si oke owa” and the both of them vanished.

They met Iku already waiting for them at the location. He was holding a gaint war hammer.

“Very good, you guys are punctual. I like that,” he said “cos I’m always there at the appointed time.” He laughed at his own joke.

“Let’s begin

The words were barely out of his mouth when Kola flung Oshe at him. The axe leap from his hand with every force that he could muster. Rage flooded through Kola facing the embodiment of death; the one who took his parents from him. Some part of his mind that remained rational reminded him that they were crushed in the car crash through no fault of Iku he just took them away as was his job.

Iku struck oshe with his hammer sending it back to Kola which he caught.

The battle began in earnest.
Omítọ̀nàdé shot rays of white energy from her staff at Iku which he proficiently avoided. Kola picked up several stones, blessed them and hurled them in succession at Iku. Where they landed, lightning struck. Some cows were grazing nearby and the bolts of electricity stuck them dead. The cattle herders who were somewhere nearby took to their heels.

Ike sent a powerful shockwave of energy that sent Kola and Omítọ̀nàdé somersaulting backwards.

Kola regained his footing and was about to hurl oshe at Iku again when he was distracted by a marching sound coming up from behind him.

Oya showed up, walking a few steps in front of him. She was dressed to kill figuratively and literally.

Her apparel consisted of a maroon iro tied around her waist above which where waist beads that seemed to glow and change colour on their own and a smaller one tied around her bust. On her neck was a three strand choker; her arms and wrists graced with dark red beaded bracelet; her ankles garnished with anklets. Her shuku hairstyle was adorned with cowry shells and glass beads. In her right hand she gripped an ida sword and in her left hand she held a white horsetail irukere. She had a faint brownish glow.