TOWARDS THE PROMISED LAND

The inhabitants of Guara kingdom walked in the deserted street towards their destination some kilometers away. If not for the presence of the scepter, the twins would have cast an invisible spell, but here they are all visible and endangered.
They sauntered past the train station where lots of debris of burnt cars laid blocking their way. Shortly after, some light from a tire flare glow brightly far off and some groups of men and women with weapons walked towards them.
"Stop and put your hands on the floor." A black, fat man, naked except for a small towel tied around his waist and a gold necklace in his neck, shouted at them.
The whole group paused and fears could be seen on the face of all of them, except Kira and Akira. They had quickly marched towards the speaker.
"What are we going to do?" The queen asked, running after them.
"Be at ease," Akira replied her mother as she walked towards the approaching gangs. Her eyes gleamed brightly as she muttered some incantation.
"We are harmless and just need to pass through." She shouted at the gang leader who stood a few feet away.
"I said on the floor or you are dead." The man shouted back.
"Are you the leader here?" Kira asked.
"I will kill you if I answered that question of yours," He replied and his whole members burst into laughter at his humor.
Akira walked towards her sister and held her hand, together they uttered silently.
" We bind you with our words and make you forever our slaves, may you see whatever we put in your vision"
"We have a land filled with milk and honey and we want you to come with all your members along with us." They commanded aloud.
"Tell me why I should?" The man exploded back.
"Because I can kill you now if I wish," Kira replied. Her eyes fixed on the gold on the man's neck.
"If you wish?" The man asked back, as he burst into laughter.
"Yes," Akira said. As she muttered some unheard incantation.
Suddenly the man cry out, as the gold on his neck had turned into a big black snake, curled around his neck with its fang out, prepared to nip him at any moment.
Ouch...please...I hate snakes... The man muffled.
His members, seeing the unexpected turn of the event had quickly scattered, while the bravest among them stood far off watching the phenomenon.
"This is your punishment for disobedience," Kira announced. It will remain forever in your neck and will kill you any day you dare disobey us.
"Call all your people and follow us," Akira ordered.
"Hey, you all should come out and follow these beautiful ladies to that land that flows with milk and honey." He shouted at his members who had deserted him at his moment of trials.
They all came nearer and joined the people of Guara.
"Now we are on the same side, henceforth, you must do exactly as we commanded or you will be dead with just a blink from me." Akira declared.
Silence fell on the whole people as Akira and Kira lead their followers towards the promised land.
Soon, they passed the bridge where Brenda and her teams had crashed and walked closer to their destination.
"What is your name?" Akira asked the big man with a snake on his neck.
"Durell," he replied.
"How many warriors did you have under your command?"
"Hundreds of able men." He answered back.
"We need more men, we are building an army of warriors to fight the aliens," Akira said.
"The aliens," Durell spat at the thought of those ugly locust-shaped aliens who he had heard off but never seen. The news of them had quickly spread like fire during harmattan.
"We are searching for them already, heard they are only fifty in numbers."
"Fifty-one with their leaders around here, but millions of them are invading other places as well." Akira corrected.
"The faction we will be meeting is controlled by my kinsman, I believe you can convince him to come along." Durell looked at the big snake curled around his neck and grunted. "Can you please take this off?" He pleaded with fear.
"Not until you prove your loyalty." She replied.
Durell shook his head and pointed at the scepter in Akira's hand. "That looks like something special."
"Yes," she replied. "It's the scepter of a demigod."
"Scepter of what?" Durell stared at Akira for some seconds and wiggle his head.
"Never heard of it?" She asked.
"No. Never, I didn't grow up here, I only came here in search of my brother when the change occurred." He replied.
It happened a long time ago, Akira said, narrating the story the way it had happened during their first reincarnation.
In Yoruba mythology, Shango also known as Jakarta is the most venerated among popular deities. Known as the god of thunder and lightning as well as one of the most worshipped gods all over the world. Been a royal ancestor of the Yoruba race and also the third king of the Oyo kingdom, who succeeded Ajaka, son of Oranmiyan.
During the reign of Alaafin Ajaka, the second royal king of the Oyo kingdom. The land was under regular threat of war from Olowu, Ajaka's cousin; who rules Owu's kingdom. Olowu later captures Alaafin Ajaka and brings him to Owu. In their bid to rescue Alaafin Ajaka, the Oyomesi; a group of king-makers in the land sent for Shango. After regaining Ajaka, Shango was crown the third King of the Oyo kingdom, while Ajaka was sent into exile.
During Shango's reign, he had two generals. Timi; who shoot arrows of fire and Gbonka who was equally powerful. Then those generals had become very powerful and Shango out of envy sought advice from his second wife, Oya. She advises him to send those generals to govern border towns where wars are still raging. Timi left for Ede and conquered the invading neighboring settlers while Gbonka refused to go but stayed back in Oyo to pose a further threat to Shango's authority.
To destroy them both, Shango commanded Gbonka to forcefully bring Timi from Ede and asked for a rematch when Gbonka finally capture him, Gbonka later killed Timi.
Shango out of shame and anger ordered his warrior to capture Gbonka who escaped but mysteriously appeared after three days, giving Shango an ultimatum to vacate the throne.
In anger, Shango asked for his Edun-Ara; the object he used in summoning a thunderbolt, and left the palace in anger to perform the spell. The thunder he created that day was said to have backfired, struck his palace, and burnt it down to ashes. After several consultations, Shango discovered Oya had willingly stained the Edun-ara with her menstrual blood because she is furious with Shango who she believed loved his first wife, Yemonja more than her.
Heartbroken, Shango left the town, followed by the chiefs and members of his royal court, who begged and urge him not to leave, but Shango varnished into thin air, only to later appear in the sky with wrath and flaming fire to destroy Gbonka and his backers who saboteur his kingdom. He didn't stop till he was appeased.
This is the scepter he left when he vanished.
Olumo rock, apart from serving as a fortress for the people of Guara, Kira and Akira knew in it lies the ancient statue-snake needed for their ritual of perfection.
The history of the rock dated back to the early 19th century Oyo empire when Abeokuta was inhabited by the Egba people who found refuge at the Olumo rock during the inter-tribal war.
It perfectly hide the people from the enemy warriors from Dahomey( now the present-day republic of Benin), as the people were able to farm, feed and shelter themselves through the invading time while inside the rock. There was even the discovery of water that dripped within the rock which was believed to be highly medicinal.
The rock served as a stronghold as well as a vintage position to monitor the enemy's advance and also symbolize unity and freedom.
From the top of the rock, you can view almost the entire environment.
Yet the most mysterious object in the rock is a serpent that turned into stone. Had this been just a dead snake, it should have deteriorated totally, but this was not the case. Also hard to speculate that it was carved because its position would make it hard or even impossible to carve. Stiff with the grey color of the rock, the serpent has its history. It happened a long time ago, during the Dahomey invasion.
The Dahomey warriors had surrounded the Olumo rock, penetrating the inner side and capturing the unaware inhabitant.
"Please help us," the defenseless inhabitants of the rock shouted at the priestess guarding the rock.
"Be still and you shall see the power of magic." She answered back.
The priestess named Loreal was born inside this rock by an unknown woman who later died, so Loreal spend her whole 99 years inside the rock and never stepped outside it for once. Now old, but still strong and agile. The priestess is believed not to be human but to be the physical daughter of the rock, as she has turned the rock into her sanctuary where only her law prevailed.
The invading warriors had by now gone closer to the trapped dwellers, and the leader, a man known for his bravery and experience in war climbed one of the smaller rocks inside the Olumo rock and yelled. "Finally we caught up with you,"
"I advise you to return now and never come back." Loreal screamed back, with audacity and tempo of young athletes as she jumped on top of another smaller mountain, facing the invader's leader. "Else you shall see the wrath of the goddess who rule this holy domain.
"Your goddess is incapable of delivering you from my enslavement as I will sell you all to the white slave traders who have already paid for you and your unborn generations." He roared back amidst laughter from his fellow warriors.
"It's only the unenlightenment that can be enslaved." She roared back. "Today, I shall make you a sign for the next generation, and because of you, no undesirable guest shall ever set foot on this hallowed place.
The warrior's leader brought out his Dane gun, point it at the priestess, and said." I don't need you, old witch. Others will be having a delightful jolly-ride to Brazil to work as slaves in sugar plantations." He paused and resumed. " I will use your blood as an atonement for my so name sacrilege."
Saying this, he pull the trigger and something magical happened immediately. The gun produce no sound but instantly transformed into a small snake, the size of the Dane gun. The snake opened its mouth, became wider, and swallowed the man's arm, head, the other arm, and the whole body in a fraction of seconds. The snake fell to the floor and turned into a statute unto this day.
Other invaders, seeing what has become of their master quickly flee away at the amazement and jubilation of the dwellers.