Urenma episode 37 – 38
URENMA
(Journey to the River world)
Episode 37
Happy to hear that he could be healed, he pressed Ijele. “Please get on with it, I want to go after my wife and children”. “No, you can’t do that! Even I Ijele would be mad to go after Urenma in a land such as Ala Upah. The land fountains with the worst form of evil known in creation and is habitat for beings like the damned spirits. Beside, your wife is no longer the person who left you for the river world, a lot has happened to her since then”. “What happened to Urenma?! Tell me Ijele? Before she attacked me and left with Obiakor and Olachi, I saw evil in her face!” “I have to heal you first!” Ijele stepped outside to fetch some herbs; in about a minutes time he was back. After he had blended the herbs into a perfect mix of liquid, he helped Obinze to gulp it down; and then placed his hands on his chest and shut his eyes. In a flash Obinze’s open flesh closed up. Obinze hurried to get up, but fell back to his mat, “Obinze, you have to rest, Urenma took much more than her hair from you”. “But you haven’t told me what is wrong with Urenma”. “Urenma has been given her memory back”. “What memory Ijele?” “The memory of her ancient life as a ruthless, wicked queen amongst the gods”. “Urenma was a queen?”
“Yes she was; and a ruthless one at that. She was wife to Nshaa then, and both committed so much evil that the council of gods sat and decided to strip them of their positions. Over time Urenma changed for good and showed she had a pure heart. Nshaa was also thought to have changed, but with what he has done, he never really did. He gave Urenma her memory back in the hope that she would join him in his evil quest. For a moment it seemed like it worked, but the several mentioning of your name broke her free”. “My name broke her free? How?” “Obinze, there is much to you than anyone knows and the council of gods are counting on that in this time”. “So if Urenma successfully resisted Nshaa’s evil schemes, why then is she under an evil spell?” “She was on her way back to you when those abominations of the spirit world, the damned spirits attacked her with one of their magical abominations which took over her mind. Right now the magic controls her. It can be removed from her back and I think that is the reason it drove to Ala Upah where no one follow her to. I fear the gods are concerned too that if the evil on her back decides to drive back to Ukeh to join the battle, there will be unimaginable horrors in this land. Urenma must not team up with Nshaa. Since she got her memory back, she has grown in power. It was for this reason that the gods took the memory of her old life away and swore an oath never to give it back to her. Nshaa has spoilt all that. He has destroyed the balance of the river world by unleashing the damned spirits; he caused the princesses of the gods to turn on their fellow spirits and brought Ojadili back from his time and generation. And the worst still, he made Atari, a spirit under the curse of the gods to possess him”.
“Ijele, my concern is Urenma. Why don’t you let me try and help her, if she has as much power as you have just mentioned. Wouldn’t it be wise to have her fighting on our side?” “It would be good to have her on our side, but you can’t go to Ala Upah. Ala Upah is not the river world! Even if you could go there, tell me who would let you in?”
Obinze felt frustrated by his being not able to rescue his wife and children. Ijele continued. “You must focus on the task at hand. Tomorrow you will face Ojadili in a mortal combat and you know what he is and who is in him. You must not die! You must hold him off until Obiakor your son and his sister find their way out of Ala Upah”. “So you know they will make it out of the evil land after all?” “We only hope that they will make it. It has being written long ago that he shall fight in this battle alongside his sister. We hope the prophecy shall come to pass”. “So how is Obiakor going to make it out of Ala Upha”. “I don’t have the answer now Obinze. Like I said, you must focus on the task ahead, which is your fight with Ojadili. You must not let him kill you. You must stay alive!”
“How am I meant to do that without Urenma’s hair or any spiritual power backing me up?” “There is a way you can do that, a knowledge which you must have………” “And what knowledge is that?” “Obinze, you and Ojadili are half-brothers…….” Ijele paused. Obinze jumped to his feet. His eyes w¡dened in shock and he thought perhaps he was in a dream. “Ijele how could I and Ojadili be half-brothers? He lived many generations before I was born. Look at me, was I not born but yesterday? How can we be brothers? Was not Ojadili dead before even my father was born?” “Yes you are right, but the woman who gave birth to him is also your mother. She comes into life at certain times in the past to give birth to men of importance chosen by the gods to achieve great feats. Ojadili was supposed to be her last born child”.
URENMA
(Journey to the River world)
Episode 38
“Ojadili was supposed to be the last child, but when the gods saw the revolt of the present time, they brought her back to give birth to you. In your case, a lot was done differently which shall be revealed to you in due time. Because of the enormity of your task, she was not allowed to live a full life. She sacrificed her life for you and so did your father. When I told you that someone heard your cry and sent me, it was she who sent me. Now do you see why you must focus on Ojadili and not on Ala Upah?” Obinze lay on the mat and pressed his head against the mat. His head was spinning very fast. He had heard so much than he could process in one time. “Obinze tonight, when you have fully recovered, you will wrestle me. I shall teach you how to hold Ojadili off until the battle begins”.
MORE ANCIENT SECRETS
In the kingdom above, there were several meetings by the council of the gods over the things that were happening in the river world and in Ukeh. After so many meetings the council of the gods decided an army would be sent down to fight. But that would be only when Obiakor had engaged Ojadili so the gods by that decision hung the fate of Ukeh on the shoulders of a boy, whose mother had captured and taken to Ala Upah. The decision did not sit well with Adaure, Obinze’s mother and Ugorji, her husband. They were feisty in their argument with the gods to do much more than they had done. “This very council snatched my life before I had the chance to nurse my baby, Obinze, to a boy. You asked for my life that he might be great and I willingly gave it. You demanded my husband’s and he gave it without questions. All these we did because of our faith in you. Now look at what is happening. Is this how you intend to keep your word?!”
“The gods have made the best decision in this situation; you have to accept that our decision is the best?” the council of gods answered her. “My lords, the choice of wife for my son many years ago was Ntani why then did the gods change it and chose Urenma? We feared it would come to this when the callous, ruthless, wicked god queen was made my son’s wife. We somehow knew she would get her memory back and it would lead to this. Ntani was a better choice! We feel the gods should have considered the sacrifices we made before making such decisions”, said, Ugorji. “Urenma has a good heart and was shown it since she repented from the wickedness Nshaa led her to commit. None of what is happening now is her fault. Did she not resist Nahaa when he brought her memories back and sort to have her join him in his new atrucities? Ntani on the other hand is a good spirit, yes. But she is better at being a warrior than a wife. Her heart is too vilotile and for that the gods chose Urenma. Trust us all these shall end well”.
“But my lords, is Urenma not the goddess of war? Has she not attacked and taken her hair from Obinze? Has she not kidnapped my grandchildren and taken them to Ala Upah where no one, spirit or mortal can follow her to? But look how Ntani fights selflessly and leads bravely. She has not abandoned anyone at such a time. She would have made a better wife of Obinze”. Adaure said bitterly. “Adaure! The gods understand your feelings fully. But you must trust us. Urenma is under a powerful spell which you know of. Her mind has been taken over by the abominable charm of the damned spirits. She would never leave Obinze in her clear mind. I know you judge her harshly because of her past, but before this battle is over she shall make you smile”. “My lords I humbly request that I and my husband be granted leave to go help our son. Ojadili must go back to his rest. His time has passed. As I speak Nshaa leads an innumerable company of damned spirits and the army of the river world to Ukeh. Obinze has no help, how much can Ijele really do for him? Please send us to go provide him some cover or send us to Ala Upah to rescue our grandchildren. Perhaps, we might save the wicked queen you gave him as wife from the abomination struck to her back”. “Urenma is no longer a wicked queen Adaure! And mind you, Ijele can do a lot! None of your request shall be granted. Trust the gods and all this shall come to pass as we have planned”.
Immediately Adaure and her husband were led away from the presence of the council of gods.
To Be Continued