ÀWÈLÉ: Hell Hath No Fury ☑️

•Chapter twenty-two•

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Àwèlé was grinding pepper on an olo, a local grinding stone when she felt the air around her shift. She smiled as her guess was proven correct and Oníbodè appeared beside her. She smiled a teasing smile and raised a brow at him.
"Oníbodè, my friend, with the way you  visit me so often, one would think you had nothing more to do in that realm of yours."
The man smiled back, taking her ribbing in stride, "I would love to say that i came for a courtesy visit, but i come with a message". Àwèlé straightened at his words, her ears perking up. Even though Oníbodè visited on and off through -out the years, It had been a while Oníbodè had visited with a message from the gods. If she wasn't so nervous, she would have laughed, imagine people's reaction if she went around telling people that the god's communicated with her through a spirit.
"Àwèlé, I know that you were wronged deeply, but, do you think this path you are taking is wise?" He questioned with concern. Àwèlé scoffed, she did not need to hear this again. Òsunyémisí had not ceased in his efforts  to stop her. She put her thoughts to words.
"I don't need this, please just get on with it."
He sighed when he realised that she would not listen, "oda, the gods have sent me with another gift, you have decided to avenge Adéoba, but you cannot be recognised as Àwèlé, for this reason, you have been given another gift."
Àwèlé raised a sceptical brow" Not that i am being ungrateful or questioning the gods, but why are they helping me so much?"
Oníbodè smiled , "perhaps the godesses see themselves in you, perhaps they think you are a useful tool in bringing down an evil king, i do not know. But what i do know is that,three gifts have been prepared for you. This is but the second."  Àwèlé was stumped, she did not know whether to be honored that the godesses were bestowing gifts upon her, or to be worried that she was been used as a tool of the gods. But she was thankful anyway.
       "I thank the gods for their gifts" she replied.
Oníbodè lifted his hand ,palms up,  and stretched it towards Àwèlé, she took it and gasped as she felt a strong surge of something unexplainable, go through her. Her eyes fluttered close on their own voilition and she swayed on her feet. As soon as it began, it ended, and she felt normal again.
"Oníbodè", she began, licking her lips to get rid of the sudden dryness. "What gift is this?"
He chuckled and let go of her hands," It's simple, it will allow you to take the form of anyone you want. "
Àwèlé's mouth was agape for a long time, she could not believe that it was possible.
"It can't be that easy, can it?"
Oníbodè replied, "oh, but it is, Fokan bale, awon alale o ba rin"
rest your mind, the gods be with you.
He became serious again. " Àwèlé, i know you do not  want to hear this, but be careful. Do not loose yourself in your plans of revenge"
Then he was gone before Àwèlé could blink. Leaving his words echoing in Àwèlé's mind.

...............................................................................

The secret meeting took place again.  As usual, it was in the dead of night, everyone was  present and accounted for. Outside, Àwèlé took a deep breath just like Oníbodè had taught her the previous day. Then she imagined Àbèbí in her mind. She imagined trading her  skin for a darker shade, she saw her face becoming leaner and since she'd always wished for dimples, she added them in her mind. She imagined her limbs growing  longer and leaner, and to finish it off, she lenghtened her hair.
When she opened her eyes, she heaved a relieved sigh, it had worked! for instead of little old Àwèlé, the Àbèbí she had imagined was standing in her place. Àwèlé, or shall we say Àbèbí, turned to  Fìwàshadé and Aríyíké, both who were standing with mouths agape, and giggled at the dumbfounded looks on their faces. She giggled again when she noticed that even her voice had changed. It was now a little deeper. Fìwàshadé pulled herself out of her trance and sighed.
"Not that i'm not impressed by this power that allows you to change your looks, but why do you need it? These people are your allies, do you really need to hide?"
Àwèlé had been expecting this question, "Fìwàshadé, there are no true allies in the battle for a throne. There are only temporary alliances. When the time comes for my identity to be revealed, it will be revealed. No one can know who i am for now."
And it was true, no one could be totally trusted, if Omololá, a childhood friend could betray her for power, anyone could. If Adéoba found out that she was still alive , moreso with his son, he would stop at nothing to get them in his clutches.
So, in they went. With  Àwèlé disguised as Àbèbí. No one recognised Àwèlé, so the Afobajes asked who she was. Aríyíké began to talk but Àwèlé raised a hand , she had some things to say.
"My name is Àbèbí, you do not know me, but i know you. I too have been wronged by Adéoba. He robbed me of my innocence and tried to kill me. But, the gods be praised, i got away. I tried to stay away, but Adéoba's tyranny is getting worse, and we have to stop him. " Everyone agreed, but a chief spoke up. " Getting him off the throne is one thing, but who will take the throne when he is gone is another, Only royal blood can wear the crown."
Àwèlé, always prepared answered instantly," My son, he is of royal blood, even if Adéoba is his father, with your guidance, he will be a great king. If the gods agree, then he is eligible, is he not?"
There was a lot of nodding and affirmative noises. Everyone agreed that  Àdìo was eligible for the throne because of his royal blood, it was unnatural for a commoner to become king. In the midst of this ,  Alade, the man whose sister had been forced to join the king's harem had been tapping his feet on the ground and fidgeting in his seat, what was the point of this exactly, so far, all they'd been doing was talking and talking. When would the actual planning start? What was the point of this meeting?. Unable to hold it in any longer, he stood up and yelled.
"Enough! what is the point of this? what are our plans exactly?" Then he turned to Àwèlé, "Àbèbí, if this works out,your son becomes king, what do we get out of this? what's in it for us? "  Aríyíké placed a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off. "leave me alone, let me talk! Why are we even following a mere woman around, we do not need her! we can do this on our own!"
Ariyike glanced at her friend uneasily when Àwèlé began to laugh , Even the men looked uncomfortable. She spoke after a while,
"my people, permit me to adjourn this meeting. I'd like to speak to Alade alone. We will meet in two market days from now. Please, i just want to speak to Alade before adressing this issue generally."
The men filed out, wondering when they began to take orders from a woman. When they'd all gone, Àwèlé turned to Alade and scoffed.
"Alade, or what are you called? I applaud your courage, but i don't think you know what this means to me. It means so much that i will do anything to make sure it works out." She began to take steps towards Alade, who was growing uncomfortable by the second. 
"If you think i will let you plant seeds of doubt into the hearts of my allies and ruin my plans, you have another thing coming. i won't let you ruin my plans Alade, i'd kill you first."
Àwèlé was seething by this time, and she could hear a strange choking sound through the red haze that was covering her eyes, it was Ariyike's panicked cry that brought her out of her angry haze. When her eyes focused once more, she gasped as she saw Alade gasping for breath on the ground with blood dripping down his chin. She grasped Ariyike's hands but the girl snatched her hands away and scurried over to Alade, cowering against him.
"w-what happened Ariyike?" she was panicking along with them now.
"y-you were g-going to kill him, y-you stretched your hand towards him and he started to choke!" she stuttered. By this time, Alade had managed to stabilise himself, he lurched to his feet and ran out of the house without looking back. Àwèlé stared from Alade's retreating back, to her friend cowering in the corner, and then down at her hands. What was happening to her? was this what  onibode meant ?
She sank to her knees in the middle of the room with Onibode's words whirling in her mind.
what had she done?

A/N: trumpets and fanfare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is end of the chapter. It seems Awele can  use her powers for evil indeed.
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ciao
-kingh