Wale and the Little Moonlight

CHAPTER TWENTY

The land was dry and the sky was severely hot; streams or lakes seemed a rare treasure.  Trees were barely seen for one to take shelter or hide; only the sand dunes created a hiding, yet it was a perfect world for the Ita inhabitants. It was conducive for their skin and heart as they never felt the heat that the Ogunta warriors did feel. But what marveled all of Ogunta warriors was the height of perfection in iron civilisation that characterised this hot strange kingdom. Giant and tall structures were found between distances, and the Ita people were always busy with one thing or the other, and almost didn’t pay attention to intruding elements. It was obvious there was no standing warriors who guided and watched their frontiers.

“We still need not be seen by anyone now”, Wale instructed, “we need to find a safe place to stand before we can launch an attack”.

“How sure that these are the particular set of the beasts that attacked us?” A warrior asked.

“The gods would never misguide us”. Another warrior answered.

They continued ducking in their movement. It was obvious that their little size in the land of these giant beasts was of an advantage to them as they were barely noticed. But they still had to execute their plan as soon as possible so as to leave the land at the exact time as was allotted to them by Oya. How to disguise their look to fit into this alien society for a swift and sudden attack became a huge problem. Even if their skin colours were not different, the differences in their hair and stature would still have thwarted their scheme. The long iron shooting weapons looted from the conquered giant invaders would remain the only mark of Ita society with them.

“We move to the back of the giant iron house over there!” Wale commanded as they dispersed and crossed and crisscrossed dunes to the other end.

“Haiya!” An Ita lad exclaimed as he saw the Ogunta warriors at the back of the building, through one of the windows.

“Strike down anything that comes out of the building. We have been spotted”. Wale commanded.

The result of this command was the lighting up of the only son of the king of Ita who came out to have a clearer view of the strange looking people he had just seen. The sound of the gun became a trumpet call for war. Like a swarm of giant bees, the royal family, servants, and all that were in the giant building rushed out, and stood agape at the sight of their only prince lying lifelessly in the pool of his own blood by the door.

“Strike!” Wale yelled.

And the Ogunta warriors did strike lightning and thunder at every giant beast that emerged from the giant iron building. The rain of blood soon turned into stream, and the giant palace became like a wrecked ship in a red sea. Wale and the Ogunta warriors were not any way surprised at the heavy tons of blood that could gush out from these giant beasts, the encounter at the Great Omini river had pre-informed them. But they were, however, stunned by the power of the aliens’ weapon—how a strike of it could bring to the ground so swiftly a giant beast twice the size of a giant man. It was obvious the Ita kingdom never expected any war; they were not prepared for it. No force had ever attacked the Ita people in Ita kingdom. Who were these little men that could strike so swiftly like lightning? Who were they with such great braveries to invade and attack Ita? And where would one say the king was when they came? The fury of the king of Ita came in many questions.

“Hey look, they are coming, look behind far behind you”. Akinyele alerted the Ogunta warriors.

The Ita force raged on towards their enemies such that the ground quaked at the power of their matching feet. They had no need for horses or moving machines to waste on these little men with foolish guts who spilled their royal bloods. They would love so much to capture each and every one of them alive and crush them in their own palms.

“Let’s leave!” Wale commanded, “they are coming like storm on us”.

Wale and Ogunta fled, but they had no idea where they headed. The Ita force kept moving towards them at the same pace, with the same straight and mean faces. Not even a word was heard coming from them, only the sound of their matching feet spoke to the Ogunta warriors. As the Ogunta warriors fled some distance, another band of emerged in front, then another emerged, and then another, and another.

 “Halt! Form a backward ring, and watch your brothers' back!” Wale commanded.

The Ogunta warriors swiftly reshuffled themselves, formed a large circle, facing the Ita forces in their different directions. The Ita knew this ring was a trap, but they were just not ready to be deterred by any trap or tactics. They kept approaching.

 “Strike!”  Wale commanded.

Ogunta warriors for the second time stormed the kingdom of Ita with the thunderous sound of their looted guns; huge men were felled, and streams of blood rushed again, but the many that dropped dead only paved the way for many more to match forward. Ogunta warrior were somehow confused that these giant beasts came after them with no weapons—not even with a stick, yet they feared no weapons of theirs, and they feared not death.

“Hang your shooting weapons. Bring out your swords! And get ready to attack” Wale commanded.

Then the Ita force came close, entangled with the Ogunta warriors. And hands met with with swords, and the battle scenario became bloodier. The Ita furious force executed their intent on all of Ogunta warriors but Wale who fought more fearlessly beyond Ita’s expectation. Many fell at the swing of his sword, but he would never have defeated all of the kingdom with just a sword that originally belonged to the kingdom. And he was later captured by giant hands. But he cried out, and the storm came, and commotion struck leaving the Ita force, dispersed, wounded, and maimed.

“Run!” A voice whispered to Wale. “Run to straight, to the Lake of Alaba”.

Wale fled and never looked back. He ran through the entire kingdom amidst the fierce storm, passing Ita people on his way, weak and maimed struggling with their fate. They could only watch him run even as they wished they could regain their strength and capture him with their bare hands. The distance was far for Wale’s bleeding body, yet he had to cover it. In between his many wabblings and fallings, somewhere close to the Lake of Alaba, a giant hand grabbed his leg, seized his sword, and lifted it up to butcher Wale, but the scorpion that Wale kept in a sack came out of the sack that was hung over his shoulder and across his chest,  sting the giant man and injected some good dose of venom into his arm. Wale was saved again. And he managed to wabble and crawl on as the scorpion chose its own path.

At the Lake of Alaba, Wale fell  down as his soul rejoiced at the sight of the water. “Do not take a drop of it”, the voice whispered again. And Wale’s battle sorrow increased. “Call on Oya”, the voice said. And Wale did as he was commanded. The whirling wind came as expected, and this time with only one white winged horse for sorrowful and defeated Wale. And back to Akpatara mountain in Osongu kingdom, they set sail on the mighty wind.