The Ancient Beast (Adere's Mission)

Chapter 12

It was as if things were not as they thought when they went down the valley. Adere, Edu, Renu and the rest could not tell what was happening, it would seem they were still in the same spot even after they must have moved from that particular point. This put fear in them and it was Adere who said to them,

"Listen, this is a trick. We are somewhere we are not meant to be but we are not supposed to give up faith for we must return to the rest" Adere was not sure if how he sounded as enough to convince the rest but what he was aware of was that he was not going to allow things that had happened to his father to happen to him also because he would not bear to see his mother alone in this wicked world. He did not want to say anything further. He remained there and looking around from one corner to the next. At that moment Edu began to talk, he was not talking because he needed to talk but because he already knew that there was something that he needed to do. He was ready to do what needed to be done just to get his hands on what needed to be gotten. He began to pace. He stopped for a moment and said to Adere,

"Your mother, she said something back there. I overheard her say something strange to you and I could not stop thinking about it. You know she spoke about a voice in the air and I can tell that she is well aware of the fact that what she heard was not ordinary. I could have decided to ask you what she was saying but now I do not need to ask you anything any longer. I have come to realise that despite the fact that you did not want me to hear what it was that she wanted you know I overheard it and I am privileged to tell you now of what it was that she saw or what It was that she heard. There is a way these things happen and most times it is not always about whether someone is privileged to do what needs to be done but it is all about if there are those hiding from it. Have you heard of a land called the land of Abah? That is the same land that gave birth to the land of Akuzu where I come from. The land of Agori where the mighty Aboro comes from fears the land of Abah because it is in the land of Abah that the evil that has existed for centuries dwells in. What else are we going to do if not to allow things go on happening the way that it has been happening. I know for sure without being told that it was the ancient animal in the land of Abah that your mother heard it's growling. If we are not able to return to the place where your mother and the rest are we are sure going to have to go to the land of Abah where only there we can be saved from this coming doom"

Adere was not ready for that discussion and somehow he felt that Edu was exaggerating the whole thing. He turned to Edu and said;

"Your stories do not add up. I can not stand here and listen to this new story of yours. you brought us here so that we can be save and now you are speaking of what I can not understand and it is somehow surprising even to me. We can not abandon my mother and those men that are old and sick over there and then head to a strange land that I have been hearing of but have never entered into. I can not do that".

"Adere listen to me!" shouted Edu before he continued, "You still do not comprehend do you? Are you sure that your mother and the rest over there are safe by now. Now tell me; how do you propose to go back to them and save them? And to save them from what exactly? Do you think that you can leave here just simply because you want to leave? We can only do one thing and we can only head towards one path and that path is the path leading to the land of Abah"

Adere pushed Edu and shouted at him, "Shut your mouth you fool! How dare you talk about going to Abah now. You were not like this before or have you been possessed!!!" He looked around to know if the rest had been possessed as well by whatever it was that had gone wrong with the thinking of Edu. He could see that Renu was not ready to leave his side and so he said to her and the rest of the Zinu people, "It seems Edu brought us to his land to sacrifice us to one of the deities of his land in order to become what his village people thought he could not become. We are not going to allow him use the means that he is diversifying now to make us loose our heads. If you are with me let us ensure that he vomits the real truth right here and now without any further delay"

At that moment they all got hold of him and began to force him to the ground. As they pushed him there was a wind that started blowing and it was heavy. Renu held Adere by the cloth and said, "We have to do something. Edu must be using black magic to try to..." she was still trying to say further when the wind became too intense and they all took off through one path that began to lead them to nowhere. Where Edu was seated he did not want to get up because he already knew what was happening.

Suddenly everywhere became quite.

At the place where Adere's mother was standing with the rest and watching down the valley they already knew that what was happening down there was not ordinary.

"That wind can only be possible with magic. That is no ordinary wind. There is only one people capable of instigating such wind and those are the people of Abah land. It is a pity that they are the ones coming after us now but we must not let that be. We have not yet discovered what happened to one of us and why she is still unconsciously lying down there. We have to take her with us and make our way out of this place. We are not supposed to remain here and like this and keep watching until this death comes to us" One of the old men spoke and just as he was about to move Adere's mother held him by the hand and said,

"You have spoken your mind have you not? You do not care about what happens to my son. You are not ready to follow what is following you and it is a pity that these things are happening. I am only wondering why on Earth things would seem like this with the people I expected so much from. But it is my mistake to expect anything from anyone especially in times like this. I am not going to leave my son over there to keep facing that wind. You yourself have said that the wind is not ordinary and now you expect me to leave my son in it to die there. You have not had a child and I know you very well back in the land of Zinu..I still am not going to allow you keep doing this to me. Just leave me and go with the rest"

"And how is that going to be possible? You don't mean it do you? We are not going to leave you out here on your own with no one to look out for you, moreover you were the one that that lady spoke to before she fell down. You yourself said that she said something strange to you but you have also refused to tell us what it was that she told you and now you expect us to leave the only person that was able to hear what she had to say before she fell ill to stay out here and die out. We are in this strange times and places and we need every information that we need to be able to stay alive and prove to the neighboring Kingdoms that the land of Zinu even though have faced so much will still survive again through us" The old men stopped for a while and then held her by the shoulders and kindly and calmly said to her;

"I know how you feel but if that wind is coming from Abah people then we are no expected to remain here and wait for it to get to us. We have to instead move from this place as fast as our legs can carry us. You have to also make it possible for us to know what this lady with us has said to you so that we will be able to know where to start from. Do you understand please?"

Adere's mother looked at the man for a while and there was one thing that actually revived her spirit and that was the words that came out of the mouth of the lady who was unconscious.