23:4:2024
12:07am
Under the cloak of a full moon, Ehogsa and Christopher slipped out of the house, their movements stealthy, their hearts pounding in their chests. The air was thick with the scent of night-blooming jasmine, but their senses were too heightened to appreciate the beauty of the night.
They crept through the shadows, avoiding the well-lit areas, their every step measured, their ears straining for any sign of detection. Reaching the back of the property, they approached a hidden stable, a place where Onome kept her more…unconventional pets.
Inside, nestled in a bed of straw, was a creature that Christopher knew and respected. It was large reptilian, with thick, scaled hide the color of midnight, powerful legs that ended in razor-sharp claws, and a long, sinuous tail that twitched restlessly. It had a head that seemed to be a cross between a wolf and a monitor lizard. Instead of wings, large, bony plates extended from its back, like the spines of a stegosaurus.
It was one of Onome's "children," a beast of nightmare and wonder.
Ehogsa approached the creature with confidence, whispering soothing words in Edo as she stroked its snout. The creature, sensing her presence, nuzzled against her hand, its eyes glowing with a soft, otherworldly light.
"Let's go," Ehogsa said, turning to Christopher. "We don't have much time."
Christopher nodded, his hand rising to pet the creature, his gaze firm. "Let's do this."
With a boost from Ehogsa, Christopher climbed onto the creature's back, gripping its bony plates tightly. Elsa mounted behind him, her arms wrapping around his waist.
"Wa!"(Go!) Ehogsa commanded.
With a powerful surge of its muscles, the creature shot forward, its claws digging into the earth as it propelled them through the forest with surprising speed. The wind whipped through their hair, the moon casting long, dancing shadows as they raced towards their destination.
They arrived at a secluded clearing beside a still, dark lake. Ehogsa quickly set to work, preparing the ritual site according to the ancient ways.
First, she cast a protective circle of salt around the ritual area, placing white and gold candles at each cardinal direction, creating a barrier against unwanted energies, a beacon of purity and divine light.
She then meticulously prepared the cleansing herbs – a blend of sage, lavender, rosemary. -the holy water from a sacred spring, and crystals of amethyst, obsidian, and selenite, charging them with her own energy and intent for purification.
Christopher watched her, his heart filled with a mixture of hope and fear. He knew that this was his last chance, his only hope of escaping the fate that threatened to consume him.
When everything was ready, Ehogsa turned to him, her eyes filled with determination. "Are you ready?" she asked, her voice barely audible above the rustling of the leaves.
Christopher nodded, his jaw clenched. "Let's do it," he said.
Ehogsa began to chant, her voice rising in power as she invoked the ancient forces of purification. The air crackled with energy, the scent of incense filling their nostrils.
"Agbọn ẹbọsi emwin arọha, ogba ẹtin, agbọn oguedia emwi ekpeni!" ( We call upon the good spirits, the garden of earth, the strength of heaven's truth!).
"Banish the demonic influence, cleanse this soul, restore balance to this vessel!"
"Ọmọsi emwin ọghe ẹtin, gbẹkẹ́ emwin emwan, suọ́tọ egbe emwin emwan!" (Remove the bad spirits, clean the darkness, return to the soul the good spirits*)
As she began to speak, a dark smoke was coming from Christopher's body. The body was writhing as it was removing his demon essence.
She sprinkled Christopher with the holy water, cleansing his body and spirit, washing away the residue of hell. As the water touched his skin, the demonic presence within him recoiled, manifesting as a swirling vortex of dark energy that writhed and pulsed around him. Faces, twisted in agony and despair, flickered within the vortex, screaming silent pleas for release. It was as if the damned souls Christopher had encountered in hell were clinging to him, refusing to let go.
Then, she burned the cleansing herbs and used the smoke to smudge him, further dispelling negative energy. The smoke swirled around him, battling against the darkness, pushing it back, forcing it to retreat.
Finally, she placed the crystals around him, forming a protective grid that would absorb any remaining demonic residue. The crystals glowed with an intense light, drawing the dark energy towards them, pulling it from Christopher's body like a magnet.
The dark vortex, weakened and depleted, was sucked into the crystals, the gems pulsing with black energy before turning clear once more, the demonic residue safely contained. A wave of relief washed over Christopher, the oppressive weight of the demonic influence finally lifted.
The cleansing completed, Ehogsa began to construct the pyre, carefully arranging the wood from a tree struck by lightning and ebony wood, creating a structure that would allow for a controlled, intense burn.
She stepped back, her eyes meeting Christopher's. "It's time," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Christopher took a deep breath and stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest. He climbed onto the pyre, his gaze fixed on Ehogsa face, his expression resolute.
Ehogsa raised her hands, her eyes blazing with power.
"Agbon emwin ehẹn, me suon egbe emwi ekhabo, ema ehẹn, urhuese emwin ekhabo!" ( Through the power of fire, I call the body of strength, the strength of a great person!")
"Consume the darkness, reveal the truth, restore the balance!" she finished in English.
With a flick of her wrist, she ignited the pyre. The flames erupted, engulfing Christopher in a searing inferno. He screamed, the sound echoing through the forest, his borrowed body writhing in agony.
As the fire burned, Christopher's borrowed body was consumed. Black veins started to emerge, his scales hardened like a dragon, his tail grew out, he was becoming a dragon-demon.
Ehogsa quickly stopped the process of his transformation, which the fire helped with. She started speaking the incantation to bring Christopher back.
It was working and not working. As the final stage of death was upon the body, its demon side started to be removed. Then skin started to appear. The Christopher who looked to be the only one. The real Christopher. And when the skin was finally removed, Christopher emerged, naked.
Ehogsa rushed to his side, throwing a blanket over his shoulders. He was alive, his true form restored. But something was wrong.
He felt…empty.
"What's happening?" he asked, his voice filled with confusion. "I… I don't feel anything. My magic… it's gone."
Ehogsa face paled. "It can't be," she whispered. "The ritual was supposed to cleanse you, not strip you of your power."
Christopher shook his head, his expression filled with despair. "It's gone," he said, his voice barely audible. "I'm just… human now."
Tears welled up in Ehogsa eyes, and with a cry, she grabbed his arm and pleaded with him, "Christopher, please, you have to risk it. You have to become a demon again! With it, we can figure out how to protect you Esse."
Christopher tried to rip his arm away from Ehogsa and said, "Don't you see Ehogsa ,there's no demon power here anymore! It's not just the demonic side you ripped out of me!"
Ehogsa cried. "If your immortality is broken, so is your life link to Esse! She will come for you!"
With tears streaming down her face, Ehogsa clutched Christopher's hand, her voice choked with emotion. "You have to go," she pleaded. "Before it's too late. I don't know what will happen to you if Esse finds you."
Christopher nodded, his expression grim. He knew what she meant. Without his demonic strength, without his magic and immortality , he was nothing but a vulnerable mortal, prey to Esse's wrath.
"Find the Obsidian Codex," he said, his voice barely audible. "And run, Ehogsa. Take it far away from here. If Esse gets her hands on it…"
He paused, unable to finish the sentence, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. He looked at Ehogsa , his eyes filled with love and regret.
"I love you, big sis," he said, his voice breaking. He knew this might be the last time they ever saw each other. If Esse caught up with him, it would all be over.
Ehogsa squeezed his hand tightly, tears streaming down her own cheeks. She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, a gesture of love and protection.
"Be safe," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, be safe."
Christopher nodded, his heart breaking. With a final, lingering look at Ehogsa , he turned and climbed onto his own reptilian companion.Its dark eyes reflected the urgency of the situation, its powerful muscles tense and ready to spring into action.
Ehogsa whispered a command in Edo, "gbọmọlẹ́ngbẹ́n!" (invisible). As she said the word, both Christopher and his reptilian creature shimmered out of view, becoming one with the shadows, their forms rendered invisible to the naked eye. With a powerful surge of its legs, the creature leaped into the forest, Christopher clinging tightly to its back as they raced through the darkness, desperately trying to outrun the impending storm.
Back at the compound, Esse felt it – the breaking of the life link, the severing of the connection that bound her to Christopher. A wave of happiness washed over her.
She didn't know how it was possible, but she didn't care.All she felt was Christopher had to die .
With an evil laugh that echoed through the compound, she stood up, her eyes burning with malice. "Onome ," she said, her voice dripping with venom, "you will borrow me one of your children."
Onome , sensing the shift in her sister's mood, remained silent, her expression unreadable. She simply nodded, her hand rising to whisper something into the ears of her loyal reptilian creature, Riptor.
The reptilian creature bowed its head, acknowledging her command. Esse, clutching her two-sided spear made of gold and steel, a weapon of immense power and ancient origin, climbed onto Riptor's back.
"Go," she commanded, her voice laced with a cold determination. "Find Christopher, and bring him back to me. Alive or dead, it matters not."
With a powerful beat of its reptilian wings, Riptor launched into the air, soaring into the night sky, a vengeful predator on the hunt.
Esse soared above the forest, scanning the dense foliage for any sign of Christopher, her frustration mounted. The invisibility spell was effective, but she was not to be deterred.
A cruel smile spread across her face, her eyes glowing with an eerie green light. Then, with a surge of power, she released a wave of green energy that swept through the forest, a pulse of pure magical force that washed over every tree, every bush, every hidden corner.
The effect was immediate. The invisibility spell that cloaked Christopher and his reptilian mount flickered and died, their forms materializing in the heart of the forest, exposed to Esse's vengeful gaze. The green energy continued to spread, enveloping the forest in a shimmering dome, sealing Christopher's escape.
With a triumphant cry, Esse raised her two-sided spear, its gold and steel gleaming in the moonlight. With deadly accuracy, she hurled the weapon towards Christopher, its trajectory swift and lethal.
The spear whizzed past Christopher's head, missing him by a mere inch, the force of its passage ruffling his hair. He stumbled, narrowly avoiding certain death, his heart pounding in his chest.
Esse simply smiled, stretching out her hand. The spear, as if drawn by an invisible cord, returned to her grasp, the metal humming with restrained power. She threw the spear into the air, her voice rising in a dark incantation.
"Ká gbá!" (divide!). She shouted .As she did, the single spear divided into five, each one a perfect replica of the original, each one imbued with the same deadly force.
She sent the spears hurtling towards Christopher, their trajectories intertwined, making them almost impossible to dodge. Christopher, however, was not without his own skills. Years of experience made him quick enough. Christopher didn't have time to react, he just needed to focus on getting around all the spears.
Esse's laughter echoed through the forest, a haunting sound that sent shivers down Christopher's spine. She rubbed the head of Riptor, her gaze sharpening and she whispered to it Ogbe ( Poison).