The First Mission, Ch 3.1

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CHAPTER 3.5

The stranger in his home

Saga/Series 

The Warriors of Oduduwa

BOOK

The First Mission 

GENRE 

Historical fiction, African fantasy/mythology, Epic fantasy, Action and adventure

READING TIME 

8 to 12 minutes.

STORY ARC 

The Boy Oluṣeyi.

📖 First Mission CHAPTER LIST ▼

Strangers in his home

The day had finally ended. Oluṣeyi wondered, why had he not reported to the Balogun’s house as he was supposed to? He had many opportunities; he could have barged in on one of her private meetings as he usually did and stirred up trouble, but now, he just avoided her altogether. Why?! Could it be that he was afraid? On the other hand, was it because he had not been acknowledged as an Ẹṣọ yet? He couldn’t tell. The only emotion he felt within his chaotic mind was weakness and uncertainty. He once felt that rush of adrenaline overpowering him with excitement, ordering him to jump at the opportunity to perform an Iṣẹ, and yet, now he only felt the terror of failure and the consequences all quests offer—which ultimately is a journey to the land of the dead. This filled him with so much fear that it rooted him before he even ventured close to the Balogun’s home.

It had come too soon, and he knew deep down in his heart that he was not ready. The sun had already hidden its big yellow face behind the evening clouds, the unconscious signal for everyone to be indoors if they wished to avoid the evening phantoms.

“Ṣeyi,” Akin said, “I must go. Amina asked me to catch some snails for her.”

“Go, Akin,” Ṣeyi replied, “we will meet tomorrow.”

Akin ran off into the nearby bush to catch some snails. If he was lucky, he could grab one or two bush meat as well. Ṣeyi could still remember the first time he and Akin went hunting; they stole five trapped bush meat, cooked, and consumed them all in one day. The hunters who owned the traps were furious about the theft and demanded recompense. They got into a lot of trouble, but it was worthwhile in the end. To prevent Ṣeyi and Akin from further theft, the hunters taught them the secrets of hunting, even though the lectures were brief. Both Ṣeyi and Akin enjoyed it; being instructed by adults was a moment they treasured.

Then Ṣeyi would say, “Hunting is much more fun than stealing.” They were taught how to use the catapult and stones to hunt. According to their instructions, when they got older, they were going to be taught how to use the arrows and bows.

He chuckled. Amina was another case entirely. Ṣeyi still couldn't understand what she saw in Akin. Amina was by far the most beautiful girl in the village, and for some reason, she was also ten times smarter than all the other young girls of the village. To sum things up, she hardly joined the other ambitious adolescent girls of the village to compete for the benefits of marriage to a well-known family. She simply watched them furiously compete for Ṣodipọ's attention, not because of his charm but because of his position. The children of Ilu-ina were mainly taught by their parents to pursue the goals of their parents—meaning status elevation in the form of being wedded to the highest-ranking member of society in the person of Ṣodipọ. Amina, on the other hand, was different; she treated everyone (including Akin) evenly, she always said what was on her mind, and she would never speak a word against anybody. Though her father was one of the worthless men in society, she remained immune to the societal status quo.

Ṣeyi had finally reached his home after a long, lonely evening of brooding. To his surprise, his oil lamp was carelessly left on, or someone had lit it without his permission. Then it hit him: someone had snuck into his house when he wasn't watching. Out of curiosity, Ṣeyi ran towards his home, opened the front door, and to his amazement, he found people within, waiting for him.

The first person was a full-grown man, and Ṣeyi could see that he was covered from head to toe like a traditional masquerade, therefore concealing his identity. No matter how hard Ṣeyi tried, the stranger remained indiscernible. Ṣeyi also suspected a mystic aura about him, as though he was divine or terrible beyond measure; the aura drew him into its core, silently persuading him to surrender himself to its master's will. Next to him sat a boy about two years younger than Ṣeyi himself; he had a face that told Ṣeyi he was humble and properly trained, but of course, Ṣeyi already knew that looks could be deceiving.

Finally, two men sat flanking the boy, both bare-chested. The first had a shaven head, with beads around his neck and both wrists. The tribal marks of an Ede man were incised on his face, and he also had a warrior’s incision on his head, which suggested that he was also an Ẹṣọ. There was also a small sword by his side as well. Yes! Ṣeyi thought to himself, he is an Ẹṣọ.

The second had long, uncombed hair from birth reaching to the base of his neck, small snail shells tied to each lock of hair, and no tribal marks could be found on his face. This suggested that he was from the Ijẹbu tribe; Ṣeyi guessed his hair was a kind of symbol, a religious covenant, or a ritual performed a long time ago. He also had brown beads around his neck and his ankles, two knives almost as long as a sword, and his baggy Ṣokoto was decorated with bird feathers.

“You must be Oluṣeyi,” the mystic greeted. “I am called THE WATCHER, and we desperately need your help.”

Ṣeyi, on the other hand, was shocked, dumbfounded, amazed, speechless, surprised, knocked out, and lost, all at the same time. The Iṣẹ had hunted him down to his doorstep; this was the moment of absolute disappointment. He fought the urge to cry.

“Please, come in,” the Watcher said, inviting Ṣeyi into his own house.

“What are you doing in my house?” Ṣeyi boomed.

“The Balogun guided us here,” the Watcher replied calmly. “Were you not told about the errand?”

“I was told,” Ṣeyi replied, gathering his wits together and summoning the little courage he could muster. He walked over to a vacant stool and sat down facing the man who called himself the Watcher.

The moment Ṣeyi had settled down, he realised for the first time that his house was properly tidied up, everything arranged neatly, and the waste properly disposed of. He couldn’t tell if the rats had performed their duties in finishing the yams he left behind on the plate that morning or not. “What did you do to my house?” he protested. “I liked it the way it was.”

“This is Adekunle,” the Watcher continued, pointing at the boy, purposely ignoring Ṣeyi’s last question. “The son of the late Timi of Ede.” The boy gave a brief, imposing glance at Ṣeyi. “And these two are Iba-ile, the man with short hair, and Iba-ayọ, the man with long hair—strong Ẹṣọs from Ede village.”

Ṣeyi greeted them equally, with as much self-respect as he could muster; he was not ready to let his fear put him to shame.

“I thought you said he is a very powerful Ẹṣọ?” Adekunle snapped rudely, none too pleased with Ṣeyi’s appearance.

“I was expecting someone old enough to challenge me to a fight, but not a child,” Iba-ayọ added.

“And you asked me for the most efficient and the quickest Ẹṣọ that I know, one who is sure to give you victory,” the Watcher replied. “He is the only one who qualifies.”

“And what if I don’t want to go on this errand!” Ṣeyi snapped.

“Then you have broken your oath as an Ẹṣọ,” Iba-ile replied.

“I am not an Ẹṣọ, yet,” Ṣeyi retorted.

“At least let me give you information about the errand before you disagree,” the Watcher added persuasively, without moving or showing any signs of disappointment.

“I’m listening,” Ṣeyi said, even though he had already made up his mind.

The Watcher nodded in acknowledgement. “Adekunle is the son of the late Timi of Ẹdẹ, and he is to become the next Timi, but his father’s brother, who is presently ruling Ẹdẹ, has refused to step down,” the Watcher began.

“Isn’t he too young to rule?” Ṣeyi asked.

“Youth has nothing to do with it. The present Timi is nothing but a tyrant; in his greed and his ignorance, he increased the rate of human sacrifices, killing innocent people and pregnant women. He also has a plan to wage war on Oyo herself. The only solution is to kill the present Timi of Ẹdẹ,” Iba-ile said. The moment Iba-ile mentioned the human sacrifice, Ṣeyi felt a slight jolt of anger towards the reigning king of Ẹdẹ village.

“The Timi has the village under bondage, and he has exiled the prominent village chiefs bold enough to challenge him,” the Watcher included.

“So what should I do?” Ṣeyi asked.

“There is a special incantation on the throne of Ẹdẹ, an ancient ritual designed to unseat an unjust king. We intend to invoke that ancient chant: he who sits on that throne and is unworthy to wear the shoes of the king, will die the day he sees the true king with his own eyes.”

“So... you want me to take him to Ẹdẹ to face his uncle?” Ṣeyi observed.

“Indeed!” Iba-ayọ replied.

“I’m not going,” Ṣeyi answered offhandedly.

“See! I told you it’s no good. We need an Iba, not a chicken,” Adekunle snapped.

“Who are you calling a chicken?” Ṣeyi retorted.

“Ṣeyi, you will be rewarded,” Iba-ile said desperately.

“The answer is still no,” Ṣeyi replied.

“Wo! Ile! Ayo! Stop wasting your time begging this foolish little boy, let’s go!” Adekunle snapped.

“Adekunle, be silent!” the Watcher whispered calmly. “Ṣeyi, come, let’s talk.” And saying no more, the Watcher walked out of the house, gesturing for Ṣeyi to follow him out into the cool night air.

At first, Ṣeyi had every intention to refuse, but then something boosted his understanding in a moment—a kind of sensation that washed over his entire being, that he couldn't resist. It was an innate understanding about the Watcher which he couldn’t grasp as a whole, a driving force so strong that the only thing he craved was to figure out what it was that gave the Watcher such a stronghold on him. He followed the Watcher outside, calmly counting his steps while enjoying the cool evening breeze. The Watcher hadn’t gone far; Ṣeyi found him a few feet away, gazing into the evening sky.

“Once upon a time,” the Watcher began the moment he noticed Ṣeyi stood within earshot, without taking his eyes away from the stars, “Eṣu, the king of all Emi-okun-kun (demons), came to the presence of Olu-ọrun (king of the heavens). It was about a child in the womb of an innocent woman. Eṣu wanted that child for himself, but the child had already been dedicated to the king in the sky, which to Eṣu was unacceptable. Using his cunning lies and a false covenant, Eṣu proved that the child rightfully belonged to him. Olu-ọrun told Eṣu that He had no intention of relinquishing His claim on the child. He also had an equal claim over the child and he wasn’t willing to hand the child over to Eṣu. To prevent any unnecessary conflict, the two gods reached an agreement—an agreement that would settle the dispute once and for all.

“They agreed that if by chance the child was named on the same day it was born, then the child would belong to the heavens. But if he were named on any other day, he would belong to the earth, and therefore Eṣu could lay his claim on the child. Eṣu laughed because he considered it impossible for the child to be named on the same day he would be born.

“On the day of the child’s birth, his mother was on a journey to the land of her father, and then it happened in an instant: the pain of labour washed through her body, preventing her from continuing her journey. The child was born along the footpath to its grandfather’s home, and on that very day, the child was named. The child was called ABILỌNỌ.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Ṣeyi asked.

“It all happened last year, and I was there. I saw it happen. Neither the mother nor the child would ever know what transpired in the realm of the spirits, nor would they discover the destiny of that child. I know things, Ṣeyi. I’ve seen things, and I can tell you the deepest secrets of the Alaafin of Oyo himself. Because I am the Watcher—the eyes that see it all, the one that knows it all, and the one that can tell it all.”

Even though Ṣeyi could not see the Watcher’s face, he could tell that the man was smiling. If this was a man at all, Ṣeyi did not dare to ask. “Still not convinced?” the Watcher murmured.

“I see,” the Watcher continued. “Very well, I will persuade you with the information I have about you.”

“What kind of information?” Ṣeyi asked, still defensive.

“I am the only one who can tell you who you are—IBIOLU.”

“Oh... how did you know that name?” Ṣeyi asked, shocked that the Watcher knew the name that he had long forgotten. His name... Ibiolu.

“Ibiolu” was Oluṣeyi’s Oriki, and only a trusted few were allowed to know an Ẹṣọ’s Oriki. In Ṣeyi’s case, his Oriki was known only to the Ifa priest who had called him by that name a long time ago; not even Akin, his best friend, knew the name.

“I am one of the only two people existing who can tell you the truth about your past, because I've seen it. If you help me, I will help you.” That convinced Ṣeyi, even though he did not like it. The Osi had once taught during morning practice that knowledge was an essential part of a warrior’s combat power. Then, he didn’t understand what the Osi-Balogun was talking about, but now he did. The Watcher’s knowledge of Ṣeyi’s past had made him a captive to the Watcher's every whim; he had no choice. The only thing he ever wanted was to know who his father was; for some reason, it would fill the void within his heart. To seek out the rest of his family, to find the love that he had never received in childhood—and the Watcher owned the only key.

“What should I do?” Ṣeyi asked.

“The Timi of Ede knows of the existence of Adekunle, and he knows that Adekunle is coming. The footpaths are closely guarded, so you must pass through the enchanted forest. Adekunle must not die,” the Watcher said.

“It will be done,” Ṣeyi replied, but began to sense the small ration of fear in his heart. This was his first Iṣẹ; hopefully, it would not be his last.

CHAPTER RECAP 

Ṣeyi's fear of becoming an Ẹṣọ reaches its peak when the mysterious Watcher appears inside his home with unexpected visitors. Offered his first dangerous Iṣẹ and the chance to uncover the truth about his forgotten past, Ṣeyi must choose between fear and destiny.

AUTHOR'S NOTES  

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I was thinking about a mysterious masquerade figure when I created the character called The watcher. In African mythology there is always a mysterious old man filled with divine wisdom.

Subfura Community Discussion.

The engaging questions,

• Do you trust the Watcher, or do you think he has a hidden agenda?
• 
  
• Would you have accepted the mission if you were in Ṣeyi's position?
• 
  
• Which new character introduced in this chapter interested you the most?

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