Urenma episode 20 – 22
Urenma episode 20
When the battle was over, the five sabre- toothed monsters were all lying impotent on the ground and Obinze was badly lacerated.
He was deeply torn open by the bits and
claws of the five sabre-toothed monsters
and yet he lived. As he looked himself over he knew he was no longer the Obinze who set out from Ukeh to bring back his wife; something had happened to him. It began the night some beasts came to tear him to shreds while he was himself a beast. He had not time to figure out what had happened to him because there was more battle to fight.
Wondering what next to do, Obinze ran back to the plant he spoke to earlier, “I have put down the six spirit warriors. How do I find the elder gods? I want to demand they give me back my wife……….” “Human! You have succeeded in proving to the river world that you are dangerous. Now our world will throw
its worst at you mortal man. Follow the sun; it will lead you to the elder gods”. “There are too many sunlights here, which of them do I follow?” “Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
aha! It has begun! If you find the true
sunlight you find your way out of the river world”. “I don’t want my way out of the river world; I want to meet with the elder gods”.
The plant didn’t answer him; it simply
disappeared into the ground. Obinze lifted his eyes to the sky and decided to follow the most beautiful sun in the river world sky.
The sun was blue in colour and made the
river world look more beautiful than it
actually was. With much strength he ran as his flesh gradually began to close up.
Everything Obinze saw in the river world was opposite to what he grew up to know or hear in the world of men. While he journeyed through the river world following the bluesun in the sky, he did not know he was heading toward the dungeon of rogue spirits……….
FLASH-BACK: THE MOMENT OBINZE OVER
CAME THE SIX SPIRIT WARRIORS
“Obinze has shown himself a mighty man.
But I don’t like this entertainment. I want emisseries sent to Akputa. Tell him to behead Obinze’s body and send it to us now!” demanded Nshaa. Immediately
emissaries were sent to Akputa. When they arrived, Akputa was happy; he wanted to know how Obinze was faring in the river world. “Tell me, the mortal has not been captured, has he?” “He has subdued the six spirit warriors and for this reason, Nshaa has demanded you give us his head now”. “No! No!! No!!! This one is special, we just can’t kill him.
The six spirit warriors will revive
and live forever, but Obinze won’t if we kill him. I believe Ojidili has been reborn and no one knows it…..” “Shut up and give up his head!” Akputa drew his jagged machete known as Ndana and attacked the spirits.
From his mouth he dispelled disarming
powder at them and forced them into his
green water pool. The emissaries
disappeared. Akputa went down to the
ground in a heap and began to wail. He knew he was a dead man for what he had done.
His head shall be pulled off his body by the spirits when they return. Because of his desire to understand Obinze whom he
considered the reincarnation of Ojadili, he risked his life. Having little time to sorrow he ran and applied more protective charms on Obinze’s body, took the Ndana and made a stand beside Obinze’s body to fight whoever would come to behead his body…………..
FLASH-FORWARD: OBINZE ON HIS WAY TO
THE DUNGEON OF ROGUE SPIRITS
Obinze was running past a tree when the tree bent down and took him up with one of its branches. Up in the tree every branch, twig and leaf was turned into a weapon against Obinze. Obinze could only swing his machete at every direction in the tree. The branches were too many and attacked him at the same time. On the ground a swarm of giant scorpions were rushing to climb up the tree, obinze didn’t want to still be on that tree
when the scorpions come up. So he began
to hack at the branches madly to cut himself loose. When the tree realized the man it had suspended amongst its branches won’t give up fighting, it tossed him at the giant scorpions on the ground. Obinze landed on one of them and plunged his machete into it.
He continued to fight until he made a way for himself and bolted off deeper into the dreaded dungeon…………..
urenma episode 21&22
Chapter 21
FLASHBACK: WHEN THE EMISSARIES RETURNED
“Akputa has rebelled aganist us my lords. He refused to give us Obinze’s head. We want to leave now to bring both their heads” “Hold on emissaries, Obinze might have some use after all. See, he heads into the dwelling of rogue spirits who help mortals violate our laws amongst men. They will attack him; let’s see how many he will destory before you bring me his head. Huh! Who did you say this man is? Is there any ancient prophecy concerning him?” asked Nshaa “There is none my lord, but there is a blood covenant over his life”, replied an elder montitoing spirit “Who made the covenant and with whom?” asked Nshaa “His parents made the covenant with the gods”, replied the monitoring spirit “I remember now, I have no intention to honour that covenant in full. Obinze must die here!” barked Nshaa
FLASHFORWARD: OBINZE ENGAGES ROGUE SPIRITS
Obinze could tell there was something different about the spirits he was locked in a battle with. Some of them were not just trying to fight him; rather they were trying to take possession of his spirit body. Instead of fighting Obinze saw himself resisting those spirits which were forcing their way into his spirit body. After some hours of battling them, they overpowered Obinze and took possession of his spirit body in their thousands. The energy they generated in,side of him made him to collapse. When he woke up he did everything the rogue spirits which were in,side him desired. If they desire to eat filth, Obinze ate filth. When they spoke to him at the same time, Obinze would run mad and smash his head against the rocks. He would often attack himself with his machete to force out the spirits. For weeks Obinze remained in this condition and the elder gods watched him patiently.
FLASHBACK: URENMA’S PRISON
In a mammoth cage Urenma lay wondering what she had done for the gods to subdue her powers and lock her up in a cage. An ugly friendly fish swam past her cage and she called at it. “Obojoro!” Obojoro swam back to Urenma. “Oh my princess! Why calledst thou me?” asked Obojoro. “Tell me my friend, what is my sin that the lords have my powers subdued and locked me in this cage?” “The man whom thou lovest has brought war to our world. He fightest bravely and many spirits he subdueth. The six spirits warriors have the strength of his blade felt”. “I understand not your meaning oh fish. Of whom calledst though the man whom I love?” “Obinze the man thou lovest in Ukeh land has come into our world and fightest bravely. But now the rogue spirits have possessed him and maketh him mad!!!” “Obinze in the river world. No! This canst not happen Obojoro!”
“My lady it happenest even as I speaketh. The world around is that he comest to take thee back to his world”. Urenma let out a cry. It rattled the cage and Obojoro took cover. The sound of her cry shook much in the river world.
The elder gods and the rogue spirits both heard her. A mighty army of princesses were under her and many people. Princes who have lived in Ukeh loved her. If she would call for help there were many who would come to her aid. Nshaa knew this and immediately he heard her cry sent warriors spirits to guard her cage. On the floor of the cage Urenma lay and began to search for Obinze with her mind. Her power have been subdued, this was the much she could do.
FLASHFORWARD: THE DUNGEON OF ROGUE SPIRITS
Obinze was on the floor eating rubbish as the spirits in him commanded. Suddenly he felt a warmth familar presence and so stopped feeding into his mouth the rubbish on the ground. In his mind he saw Urenma and her voice commanded him “Arise!” Obinze sprang from his feet and t—-t himself like an arrow against the wall of the dungeon. The voice yelled again “Arise!” inspite of himself, Obinze threw his body once again against the wall of the dungeon. By this time the voice yelled “Arise!” the third time, the command made meaning to the insane Obinze. Urenma’s hair in him began to come alive again and the rogue spirits in him took flight. The elder gods stood in awe from where they watched. For fractions of seconds the river world stood still to watch what Obinze might do. Picking his machete with which he had been cutting himself for weeks, he threw himself at the horde of rogue spirits which had assembled to fight against him.
Legends had been told of men and women who were inspired by love to do the impossible, that day the river world beheld a legendary tale of its own displayed before them all-a mortal inspired by the love of his wife, a goddess of the river world, raised his machete against an army of rogue spirits and hacked them down. When they jumped on him to rip him apart. Urenma’s hair shot out of him like arrows and pierced them. After days of battling, the dungeon of rogue spirits was filled with torn and mangled spirits who could not stand Obinze. Obinze wanted to run deeper into the dungeon thinking he would see the elder gods in there.
Chapter 22
But then the voice spoke to him again “Turn back and go left!” Obinze turned and began to run to the direction. Having left the dungeon and met army of spirits. There was no need to ask them what they wanted; the plant had told him what he needed to do-battle the spirits until the gods ask you what you want
Without delay Obinze engaged them in battle. After a long drawn battle where the spirits could not subdue Obinze, then the unthinkable happen-an army of rogue spirits matched out of their dungeon and took sides with Obinze. No one knew who summoned them or if Urenma made them a promise
When Nshaa saw what was about to happen-a war with the rogue spirits was about to begin. He knew the war would destroy the balance in the river world. So Nshaa summoned the twenty elder gods and they decended on the battle ground and forced the rogue spirits back into their dungeon. But while they did that they heard UTEBE’S voice,a giant monster spirit. The battle had stirred him and when he stirs you must give him a fight. Nshaa and the twenty elder gods had not planned for things to go the way they turned out, so they finally asked Obinze what he wanted “I brought no war to your world; I only came to plead with you to release my wife,whom you took away from me even though you knew she died loving my people. I will pay any price you wish for me to pay for her to be returned to me or accomplish any task you set before me” “You have spoken well Obinze. And we the elder gods respect your wish.
However it is not a bride price that you will pay, we spirits do not take that. We will give you a task. Which if you accomplish we will let you leave with Urenma” said Nshaa “What is the task? Tell me” Obinze asked bravely “You shall enter again into the dungeon of rogue spirits and subdue Utebe; he has stirred. When you accomplish this task we shall let you leave with Urenma”. Immediately he heard the task, Obinze bolted off into the dungeon of rogue spirits
THE CONSPIRACY
When the gods assembled in their chamber they summoned the emissiaries sent earlier to Akputa to go this time and bring Akputa and Obinze’s heads. Though Obinze did not know it,the elder gods were not willing by any stretch to give him Urenma even if he subdued Utebe. The elder gods didn’t want to hear any more of men who entered the spirit world and prevailed against the spirits. By all means they would make sure Obinze failed. The portal to the land of living would only be opened the moment Obinze died in the river world. When Obojoro learnt of the conspiracy of the elder gods,it took its greatest risk to go reveal it to Urenma. The guard did not expect a small fish like Obojoro to know much or cause any harm, so they did not stop it when it entered Urenma’s cage. “My princess the elder gods plot to behead the man thou lovest. Emissaries of death they have sent to the land of men to bring his head from his body lieth. Haste you must make to save him whom thou lovest” “Obojoro thy princess they have bound, and she knowest not how from here she shall be able to save him whom she lovest. Help me little one. If I escape from here, my power I shall gain back and a great battle I shall wage to save my love”
“To help thee I am minded to do. But the consequences fearest I much my princess”
“I am a princess of the gods, I have authority in this world. When my love I have saved and shown all what absured treachery against a mere mortal the elder gods commitheh, I shall speak for thy freedom and those spirits thou shall impore to help thee in my escape” “If though are sure that this shall beautifully end, then my help is hall give thee” “How desirest thou to set me free from here?” “Small I maybe, but I have friends in high places. The ground shall open under thee, when thou seeth it, thou shall fall into it and free thou shall be” “Thank you little one” “Thank me my princess when thou hast thy love saved”
From Urenma’s cage Obojoro swam away hastitly. In short moment of time, an innumerable shoal of fish throunged Urenma’s cage. The spirit guards were overwhelmed by the army of fish which descended upon Urenma’s cage. Their company made a mighty dark cloud which covered and rattled Urenma’s cage. By the time they swam past Urenma’s cage, she was gone. All the guards saw in,side her cage was a deep dark hole. Alarmed the spirit guards fled to report the happening to Nshaa.
“What! No! This is not the time to let Urenma run loose. Summon the war men of the river world! From a wall of soldiers around the dungeon of rogue spirits. If Urenma so much as comes close to the dungeon seize her and if Obinze by a stroke of luck comes out of the dungeon kill him!”
When Urenma was broken out of the cage,with great flight she made for Akputa’s shrine. When she arrived all she saw was Akputa’s body lying on the ground headless. There was no sign of Obinze’s body. When she heard voices which sounded to her like the voice of emissaries, she charged in that direction…
TBC