A Heart In Flames

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Bold and determined, Oma and Mansa entered the forest, but one after the other, obstacles confronted them. There was no path to where the huge tree stood; thorns, thistles, and stinging flies were also everywhere. And, not long after they entered the forest, a powerful storm and an earthquake shook the island. The earthquake and the storm were so strong that Oma and Mansa could not stand on their feet. They put their sacs in which they had their supplies on the ground, and sat down as they waited for the earthquake to pass and the storm to abate.

Mansa brought out her flute to play but she stopped, it was unwise; the storm wouldn’t allow the sound of the flute to be heard. All the trees, except the biggest one shook uncontrollably. Many tree boughs snapped and fell to the ground. It was such a terrible sight to behold.

While the storm was still raging and the earth still shaking, the shiny, beautiful fish appeared from a heap of leaves and waddled with its turtle legs to Oma and Mansa.

Mansa became surprised and curious. She had not seen a fish of that nature before. “What a strange fish!” she screamed, and tied her flute with her hairs. “A fish that has legs of a turtle?”

“It is strange. I saw it last night when you were sleeping,” Oma added his voice.

“Not only do I have legs of a turtle; I speak also, and I can sing you a song. But, that is not the reason why I came. I’m here to tell you that the giants are coming. Their heavy steps shakes the land and their breath shakes the trees. They are coming for you little ones,” said the fish with its sharp voice. There was a look of pity in its little eyes.

Mansa couldn’t believe her ears. She was amazed to hear the fish speak.

“Who are the giants? Where are they coming from? And why are they coming for us?” Oma asked.

“You will know them when they come. The giants are the messengers of the Lord of the land. They are coming from the center of the forest. They are coming for you little ones. Run, if you can,” the fish replied Oma.

“Why are they coming for us?” Mansa asked. The storm and the earthquake were getting more severe, so her voice did not come out loud, but the fish heard her quite clearly.

The shiny, beautiful fish did not answer. Instead, it flapped its fins, shook its tail, and waddled away.

Oma and his wife didn’t know what to do. If really what the fish told them was true, then, they were probably going to be in trouble. Oma could not find reasons to trust the fish. He had no idea about what the fish was up to. Mansa however believed the words of the fish, but she couldn’t tell whether they were going to be in some kind of danger.

The couple wanted to plan anew but before they could decide what next to do, the giants appeared. They looked strange and fearful. They were as tall as trees, as big as whales, and they seemed very strong. They wore no dresses, but on their skin were many fine hairs. Though the giants looked like men, they had no genitals. Oma and Mansa looked like kids in their eyes. The earthquake ceased when they stopped walking.

Quickly, Oma stood up from the ground, took his sword and his axe. He was ready to fight but before he could chant the three mysterious words, the fish appeared, waddling and flapping its fins.

“Do not fight them,” it said, “little humans you are, you can’t fight giants that live for untold thousands of years.”

Mansa agreed with the fish and prevented Oma from chanting the three mysterious words.

Wasting no time, the first giant stooped and held his breath. And stared at Oma and his wife. He held his breath so that the couple wouldn’t be blown away by it. He stood up after awhile and spoke with the second giant. Their deep and loud voice echoed in the trees. Oma and Mansa had no idea what they were talking about. The first giant stooped the second time, and stretching his two fingers this time round, he picked Oma and Mansa with his two fingers and placed them on his right shoulders.

“Muhuu!" the second giant shouted, and without the other saying anything, he led the way back to where they had come from.

“To where are you taking us?” Oma asked, his voice sounding loud. He wasn't afraid, but he just wanted to engage the giants to know more about the island.

But neither the first giant nor the second one answered him. They continued to walk as if they were deaf and dumb. But they were not. They either did not understand the language Oma spoke or the sound of one’s voice had to be as loud as the sound of a trumpet in order for the giants to hear.

“They are going to kill us,” Mansa cried.

“You are the one that killed the monster. You are strong and courageous. Do not give up. We are going to win this battle no matter what. Trust in the sword, the axe, and the one who gave them to us,” Oma said to his wife.

“One cannot be courageous always, my king. It is good to run when the enemy is the strongest.”

“That is true, my queen. But don’t fear. Fear is a monster that kills the mighty. Remember what the lion does to the mighty buffalo. Do not be afraid of the giants.” Once more, Oma encouraged his beautiful wife to remain strong, determined and courageous.

Every step the giants took got them deeper and deeper into the forest. Their breath bent the trees and cleared their way for them to pass. Oma and Mansa stood on the giant's shoulder like weightless objects. Mansa was right; it seemed impossible to defeat such giants to have the mission accomplished.

Finally, the giants got to the center of the island, in the forest, where the biggest and the tallest tree on earth stood. A truly huge and tall tree it was. Its canopy reached the clouds, closer to the moon; its trunk was very huge, and its big fruits could be seen from the ground, hanging deep in the sky; its leafs were large; and on the ground, its roots occupied a large area. Seven hillocks surrounded the tree. And on the hills were doors that were made of bones.

The second giant, swaggering proudly and beaming happily, reached out for a horn that rested on the huge tree and blew it. The loud sound of the horn travelled many miles. The first giant then brought Oma and Mansa from his shouder to the ground with his big fingers.