HOME - THE WARRIORS OF ODUDUWA
Ṣeyi’s Oath
The village of Ilu-ina (land of light) was born close to 700 years ago by a Bale (also known as Iba-ile or landlord) Oju-ina (bright eyes), who laid the foundations of the village and named it after himself, the village has a population of over 8000 people not counting the children and the elderly, thereby making it a small town. The major occupation of the village people was farming, though other occupations existed, such as cloth weaving, hunting, pot making and sculpting.
Another favoured occupation was warfare, not that the young men of the village were bloodthirsty or that they enjoyed the idea of looting the weaker villages, the reason they were into warfare was because of the glory attached to it. The quickest way to gain fame, respect and a chieftaincy title in the village was through selfless service to the village as a warrior.
This was the reason why almost all the able-bodied male youths and a few females enlisted with the Balogun of the village as apprentice warriors. The warriors were subdivided into various factions depending on their field of specialisation and experience. They are also expected to serve the dictates of Oduduwa the progenitor of the Yoruba Empire.
The evening practice usually begins two hours before sunset for all lower-ranking warriors, “early evening or late afternoon”; a vast number of the village’s youth and children had gathered, numbering up to 150. While some were already Ẹṣọs, others were still undergoing basic training, and a few of the rest were there to assist the Osi-Balogun in bringing up the younger generation, including Ṣeyi and his peers, ranked as juveniles. The juveniles are those who have just begun their journey as warriors, inspired by the achievements of the elite warriors of the village.
Ṣeyi and Akin had finally arrived, even though they were late as a matter of speaking. It seemed as though they had arrived early, because, they managed to reach the training ground before the Osi-Balogun, but late still. Their arrival was immediately recognised by everyone, those who Ṣeyi would have hoped to call his comrades and partners in arms. They all looked upon him and his best friend with disdain in their eyes. They began to slowly edge away, as though Ṣeyi and his friend carried a deadly disease. This was an example of one of the moments of his life that Ṣeyi hated the most: “public rejection”. This is the burden he has had to endure his whole life, a life of being rejected by the very people he is being trained to protect, the ones who should be encouraging him all gave him the cold shoulder. Unable to do anything and unwilling to attract any attention, they both walked towards a quiet corner and sat down.
A boy boldly walked towards them; every step he took was taken with absolute dignity and prestige. He forced his purpose into it, mentally counting his footsteps with all the attention and pride he could muster, and in his eyes, Ṣeyi could see nothing but contempt and hatred.
“And what are you two doing here?” He inquired, coldly “This meeting is strictly for Ẹṣọs and those intending to become Ẹṣọs. Go away! When we need human sacrifices we will inform you,” Then he spat on the ground in disgust
“Ṣodipọ, please, leave us alone,” Akin replied, “We are not looking for trouble”.
“What! Did I just hear an accursed speak to me? Did “IT” actually deem itself worthy to address me ME?” Ṣodipọ growled. “Me, the Alaramide lord. By the pride of my tribe, I would have taken your head, but I will hold my peace, so be grateful”,
“Acursed” was a word that Akin hated; it meant he was born cursed and that he would remain cursed until the day of his death. All accursed are dedicated to the gods to serve and to be sacrificed. According to the opinion of the villagers, he belongs to the shrine of Oba-Atala the god who gives men their shape.
“What did you call me?” Akin shot, angrily.
“A-c-c-u-r-s-e-d!” Ṣodipọ replied. It is obvious that Ṣodipọ had a deep hatred for both Akin and Ṣeyi, his pride gave him the boldness to voice out his twisted opinion. Ṣodipọ, being the descendant and heir to the chieftaincy of the Alaramide tribe, considers himself the most important youth in the village, and upon his shoulder, he bears the responsibility of his entire tribe.
The Alaramide family was one of the branches of the once-renowned Owu tribe. It is a well-known and respected tribe in the whole of the Yoruba Empire and is considered the most dangerous in the village. Those who feared the tribe called it “The Lion Tribe” and all the members of the tribe were proud Ẹṣọs going back 10 generations. This is the heritage that Ṣodipọ uses to bully others, imposing his self-importance and assuming that everyone else was born for the sole purpose of serving the Alaramide tribe. He is just as old as Ṣeyi, with a shaved head, sharp eyes, and he even dresses like the Olori-ebi (Tribal head) of the tribe, wearing a brown Sokoto, a sleeveless buba that matches the colour of the Sokoto and a long sleeve traditional shirt, which he wore under the buba. It is obvious that his uncle, the present head of the Alaramide tribe, had already started teaching him how to chant and had performed the covenant ritual. This made him a very dangerous opponent, one none of the juveniles wished to cross.
At his age, Ṣodipọ had already developed a bloodlust, and his killing intent could match that of a professional assassin. He believes that killing either Akin or Ṣeyi would add to his fame. Akin perceived this from the onset and made a promise to himself in his heart that one day Ṣodipọ would be shamed, but for now, he had to hold his peace.
“Akin! Leave him alone, allow him to polish his shavedhead with palm oil” Ṣeyi said, mockingly. Ṣeyi, on the other hand, was a different story. Ṣeyi might not be bold enough to face him physically in battle, but he was quite proficient in his verbal assault.
“Ṣeyi you had better be careful, that tongue in your mouth can put you and your bastard nature into a lot of trouble” Ṣodipọ replied furiously
Although people have no fear of killing Akin, Ṣeyi, on the other hand, was another case entirely. No one dared to call him “son of the shrine” to his face, Ṣodipọ most especially. He still bears the scars from his previous encounter with Ṣeyi’s murderous rage, a memoir of the first time Ṣeyi humiliated him because of those words. He knows the word “bastard” was equally as insulting, yet Ṣeyi hardly reacts to it. The last person who dared to call him the son of the shrine suffered the rough edges of Ṣeyi’s anger, though he survived the ordeal, he was seriously wounded. For some reason, that word brings out the demon that slumbers within the boy and awakens his murderous impulse.
“Me trouble? Your uncle made you his friend and successor, and already you think of yourself as a demi-god. Remember, the Balogun has the final word in this issue” Ṣeyi replied “I will report this to the Balogun, so you had better be careful”
That was more than enough to checkmate Ṣodipọ’s actions, he feared the Balogun more than anything else, after all, she had a temper that could send a lion fleeing, and above all, he feared public shame which is one of the Balogun’s favourite methods of disciplining her men, to avoid both, he walked away maliciously.
“Ṣeyi” Akin called “Ṣodipọ does not deserve to become an ẸṢỌ”.
“Don’t worry about him” Ṣeyi replied, “Where’s the Osi?” Feeling a little worried that something had gone wrong.
The Osi-Balogun is terribly late, which has never happened before, usually, he taught them the basics of fighting and keeping fit, but where he now remains is a big mystery.
“Let me go and call him” Akin volunteered, then he ran off towards the edge of the training ground
He need not worry about bumping into anyone, because everyone in his way had already cleared a path for him, not wanting to endure his touch before he had gone far. Akin accidentally tripped over a stone. He did not notice the stone in his way and fell flat on his shapeless face.
“Akin!” Ṣeyi yelled in genuine concern, but the laughter of everyone else around drowned his call of concern. The laughter of all the other ẸṢỌS in the village square, except for Kayọde the albino, who seems unimpressed, Akin was used to the shame and believes that Oluwa-orun (God of heaven) hates him so much that He created him for the sole purpose of being ridiculed by others. It was only Ṣeyi that gave him hope, it's only Ṣeyi who loves him and treats him like an equal despite his hideous appearance.
Ṣeyi walked over to his best friend and helped Akin to stand on his feet, he dusted the rags of his friend “Come on Akin let's go” Ṣeyi said, “we are not needed here”
Akin could sense the anger within Ṣeyi's voice and knew that if they should linger a moment longer, Ṣeyi might explode into a tantrum that might shake the entire village. Ṣodipọ, pleased with the turn of events, took advantage of the situation to rain even more insults on the two dispirited boys. To add more wood to the blazing fire, his voice reflected his hate and his ill intent. “Fools,” he said, “Idiots, they can never become anything in life”
Ṣeyi ignored all those insults because he was already used to them, but what Ṣodipọ said next ignited his fire and the insult burnt a hole of vengeance in Ṣeyi’s soul.
Shall die by the shrine,
A life without purpose,
Anything that is cursed
Can never escape the purpose of that curse,
So all those who are cursed
Are not supposed to live among normal people
Once a curse, always a curse,
Lives a curse,
Dies a curse,
And they are both curses
Go and die in the shrine where you belong”. He smiled cynically,
Those words cut so deep that Ṣeyi turned to face everyone in the fury of his anger, and he shouted with the whole of his being, if only he knew the effects of his words or how it terrified everyone who witnessed it. The emotion fuelling his rage morphed his entire presence and the voice which proceeded forth from his mouth was the voice of a stranger. He would have stayed his anger had he known what was about to happen but now, he had gone past caring.
“One day your tribe shall be shamed and it is you who will shame it, and on that day the image of your tribe shall fall, never rise again,”
“Empty words, Ṣeyi”, Ṣodipọ replied, trying to muster his confidence, but his voice was shaky.
“One day I will abolish human sacrifices in this village, and on that day you will all be forced to respect me,” pointing towards Ṣodipọ, forcing his anger into the next few words, his declaration boomed like a roaring avalanche, most especially you. I swear the oath of an ẸṢỌ, my destiny shall be made by me. My decisions shall be made by me. I will be the one who will choose the way I will die. I WILL NEVER DIE AS A SACRIFICE, EVER.” Within his words, there was power, a power that forced all the Ẹṣọs present to tremble. The power that all the villagers feared since the day of his appearance, it was only Ṣeyi who failed to notice this “I swear, and you are all my witnesses, I SWEAR! I SWEAR!” Ṣeyi continued, oblivious to the effects of his words.
“Ṣeyi!” Akin exclaimed in terror, bringing Ṣeyi back from the realm of vengeful rage.
The moment Ṣeyi came back to his senses, he realised what he was doing, the winds had begun to move in reaction to his anger, and in his body, he felt a strange kind of inner aura burning as though answering its master’s call.
“Your eyes” Akin continued. Everyone else had noticed it as well, if they were laughing before, they are not laughing now. This time, they were surprisingly silent, and their fear of him, which had evolved into hatred, had now been renewed sevenfold. While Ṣeyi swore his oath, his voice changed, and his eyes grew deeper and darker. The illusion also made him stand taller and prouder than he usually does; even Ṣodipọ in all his pride did not dare to speak.
That moment marked a turning point in Ṣeyi’s life because now ambition governs his every action. “I swear!” He said again to the shock of everyone.
The Osi-Balogun decided to walk in at that moment, “Forgive me for being late, but the Balogun had me detained in a very important council meeting.” All the flabbergasted Ẹṣọs gave no reply; they were all still recovering from the shock of Ṣeyi’s oath and his partial transformation “Why is everyone so tense?” he inquired after a long pause. “It seems like there’s a ghost in the village square?”
Still no reply!
“Well, we cannot practice in this condition, go home, we will practice tomorrow, Ṣeyi, Akin, wait behind the Balogun has a message for you”
Ṣeyi and Akin waited while others rushed home only interested in putting as much distance between themselves and the accursed as possible, the Osi walked over to a tree and sat down, gesturing for Ṣeyi and Akin to join him
“The oath of an Ẹṣọ”, he observed after a moment’s pause “, once sworn, can never be taken back. Always continues, either achieved, struggles to achieve or dies trying to achieve. You did a very brave thing, Ṣeyi, and now you are oath-bound; every word you have sworn has now become the chain that holds you true to your friends, your family and your village.”
“Were you there?” Akin asked
“The Ẹṣọs have many special abilities, I was there from the very beginning and heard every word spoken, it takes a lot of courage to stand up and challenge your friends, but this, you did and at a young age, you have surprised us all Ṣeyi, including the Balogun”
“She knows?” Ṣeyi asked, surprised
“She will find out, soon, do you know about the errand the Balogun wishes for you to perform?”
“I only know it begins tomorrow” Ṣeyi replied
“Ṣeyi, this errand is going to prove if you truly are an Ẹṣọ or not, you are to take two others on this errand with you as support. Where you are going will be revealed to you in due time. Now you are a boy, but if you return in one piece, you will become a man” From the look on his face, Ṣeyi could see that the Osi was serious.
“I might die on this errand?” Ṣeyi asked
“It isn’t truly an errand, it’s an “Iṣẹ” your first Iṣẹ (Quest)”
An Iṣẹ (Work/Job) is popularly known as a quest of great risk, usually performed by the village elite warriors, sometimes, the warriors never return from such missions.
“Oluṣeyi” Osi continued, “Remember all I have taught, it may save your life and the lives of your teammates”.
In silence Osi walked away, satisfied that he had delivered his message, leaving Ṣeyi to think about the day, and oh! What a day, first his oath and now, he is going to perform an impossible mission. A mission that could even get him killed, “bad morning, good afternoon, rotten evenings”.
To make things worse the day was not over.
Chapter 4⏩
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