Chapter Three: Beginning
1085 Words
Adebisi stepped out of the shrine with trembling legs and blood-soaked hands. The weight of her daughter's sacrifice bore down on her like an unyielding mountain.
Her breaths were shallow, her eyes a macabre blend of shiny black and searing red-the mark of the Oju Iku, the Eyes of Death. She had traded her humanity for
vengeance, and the price would echo in her soul forever.
The forest surrounding Azarailus's shrine seemed darker now, as if the world recoiled from her transformation.
The trees whispered secrets she couldn't decipher, their gnarled branches reaching out like claws. Every sound was amplified in her ears: the rustling leaves, the scurrying of unseen creatures, the haunting call of an owl.
It was overwhelming, but her body moved instinctively, faster than it ever had before, as if the shadows themselves carried her forward.
Azarailus's voice still echoed in her mind.
"Your journey has only begun. With every soul you deliver, your power will grow."
A cold fury burned within her. She had given everything, and she would take everything in return. The kingdom of Lagos, the palace that once shunned her, and the throne that had been stolen-she would claim them all.
But first, she needed strength. The power granted by the first stage of the Eyes of Death was potent but insufficient for her grand ambitions. She would need to feed Azarailus more souls.
The faint outline of a settlement came into view as dawn broke. Her heightened vision allowed her to see its details even from miles away: a small cluster of mud huts, a marketplace bustling with merchants, and the peace-loving people of the Osun Kingdom beginning their day. Adebisi's lips curled into a bitter smile. The kingdom of Osun would be her proving ground.
As she approached the outskirts, a sinister force seemed to radiate from her, alerting a group of eleven men standing guard at the village entrance.
They were armed with crude spears and clubs, but their predatory smirks betrayed their true intentions. They didn't see her as a threat-only a woman to conquer.
The leader of the group, a burly man with scars crisscrossing his face, stepped forward, blocking her path.
"Where are you going, stranger?" His voice was thick with menace. The others circled her, their eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
Adebisi remained silent, her gaze fixed on the leader. She could feel her eyes stirring, a primal hunger awakening within them.
"Speak, woman," he barked, stepping closer. "Or maybe you'd rather not.
We'll have some fun either way."
The moment his hand reached for her, the Eyes of Death flared to life. The world slowed, and Adebisi could feel every movement, every breath of the men around her. In a single fluid motion, she grabbed the man's wrist and twisted. A sickening c***k echoed, followed by his scream.
The others froze in shock, but it was too late. Her instincts took over, and in less than a minute, the group lay lifeless at her feet.
Blood pooled around her as her chest heaved with exertion. The Eyes of Death pulsed, and she felt it-a surge of raw power coursing through her veins.
This was the first time she truly understood the nature of her gift. The Eyes of Death were not just weapons; they were extensions of her rage and despair, tools to obliterate anything that stood in her way.
Wiping her hands on the cloak of one of the fallen men, she turned her gaze toward the gates of Osun. She had made her first offering to Azarailus, but it was only the beginning.
At the gates, her arrival caused an uproar. Guards lined the walls, and archers raised their bows. The air buzzed with tension as the captain of the guard shouted, "Halt! State your business, or you will not take another step forward!"
Adebisi said nothing. She could feel the power of her eyes responding to her anger. Her vision sharpened, every detail of the wooden gates before her etched into her mind. She extended her hand, and fire erupted from her palm, engulfing the gates in a blazing inferno.
The guards panicked, their formation breaking as they scrambled to douse the flames. But Adebisi wasn't finished.
With a flick of her wrist, she summoned the winds to fan the fire, turning the gates into ash.
The archers, regaining their composure, loosed a volley of arrows. Time slowed once again. Adebisi saw the projectiles hurtling toward her and leaped high into the air, landing gracefully behind the guards. Her hands moved with inhuman precision, summoning water to freeze the soldiers in their tracks. Their screams were muffled as ice encased their bodies, leaving only shards of frozen flesh and bone in her wake.
The remaining guards rallied, charging at her with swords and spears. Adebisi raised her hands and clapped twice.
The ground beneath them split open, swallowing the men whole. With another clap, the chasm closed as if it had never existed.
As the dust settled, a lone figure emerged from the palace-a tall man with a regal bearing and a crown atop his head. The king of Osun. He walked toward her with measured steps, his expression unreadable.
When he finally spoke, his voice was calm but firm. "You have proven your strength, stranger. But if you wish to claim my kingdom, you will have to make a choice: marry me and rule by my side, or s*******r my people and rule over corpses. The choice is yours."
Adebisi's mind raced. She was powerful, but her current abilities were not enough to conquer Lagos and Ogun. She needed a foothold, and the king's offer presented an opportunity.
"I accept," she said, her voice cold and resolute.
The king's face betrayed a flicker of surprise, but he quickly masked it with a smile. "Then welcome, my queen."
The wedding was a hasty affair, more a declaration of alliance than a celebration. The people of Osun, though wary, dared not question their king's decision. Within days, Adebisi was crowned queen, and news of her rise spread far and wide, reaching even the combined kingdoms of Lagos and Ogun.
In the years that followed, Adebisi bore six children, each one inheriting a fragment of her power. But her ambitions burned brighter than ever.
She had secured a kingdom, mastered the second stage of the Eyes of Death, and learned to wield the elements. Now, she was ready to reclaim what was rightfully hers.
Her vengeance was only BEGINNING…………
- Writer
