Forebearer's Staff (1)

A few years before the tragedy of the black night, an isolated event occured that threatened the fate of the world. A thunderous voice echoed through the walls of the sacred temple of Ifa at Osogbo. The vegetation around the temple felt Orunmila's anger as the atmosphere made their stems wiggle. The still waters of the Osun river were churned. "Who did this?" Orunmila yelled. The frown on his face deepened his wrinkles. The babalawos lined up before him kept their gaze fixed on the ground. The wooden torches stuck to the walls illuminated the room. Their white itagbes shone brightly with their opele neck chains fastened around their necks. 

"This is not the work of an outsider," Ifakemi said as she walked through the stone door of the room that housed the divine relics. Some were made by the Forebearers of Life, beings blessed with the eyes of Olodumare, and some were gifts from Olodumare himself. An artifact was missing: the staff of the Forebearer of the Yoruba lands, Oduduwa. 

"This is true. No one can open the doors without knowledge of the Ifa binary codes used to unlock each door," Ayede, one of the Babalawos, said. "This room is deep under the temple. To open so many doors without hindrance is a feat only a favored Babalawo can achieve," Ifakemi said. She was the only Iyanifa among them. Ifayemi stood behind Orunmila, pondering. 

The staff was of great importance to the Yoruba people. It was one of the relics left behind by Oduduwa and used by him in the ancient battle against the cosmic entity, Okunkun. Its power could be devastating in the wrong hands.

Ifayemi had his suspect. He hoped it would not be him, but only he could pull off a daring act such as this with a motive considering the recent woes that had befallen him. "Let me handle this, father," Ifayemi said as he knelt before Orunmila. "I will return the staff," he said. "You know who took it," Orunmila said. Ifayemi was silent for a moment. "I beg of you, father, leave this task to me alone, and I shall not disappoint you," Ifayemi pleaded with insistence. Orunmila sighed. "Very well. I need not remind you of its importance and the destruction it can cause in the wrong hands," Orunmila said. 

"I will assist you, brother," Ifakemi said quickly. "No! I will do this alone," Ifayemi insisted. "Go, bring back a piece of our heritage and restore our pride," Orunmila said. Ifayemi set off. 

The eye of Olodumare shone brightly in the sky. The forest of Asejire was partly lit by rays of light that squeezed through the holes in the forest canopy. The forest floor was solid and sparsely vegetated. Dead leaves littered the ground. Many tall trees stood firm, forming various paths within the forest. Akogun walked through the forest path with a white staff in his grip. Its appearance was divine—a beautifully carved specimen of art. The lifeless body of Abike floated through the air beside him. He walked purposefully through the forest until he reached the marshy shores of the Osun River. He was at the tail end of it, a place where the air was thin. He sank his feet into the shallow water and held Oduduwa's staff tightly with both hands. Abike's body still floated beside him.

"I really hoped it wasn't you," Ifayemi said a few yards behind him. Akogun recognized the voice too well. "Then look away as if you have seen nothing," Akogun said while looking far across the stretch of the river. "How can I do such a thing? You forget so easily that we are bound by duty. A duty you have desecrated," Ifayemi said. 

"Do not speak to me about duty!" Akogun said with a strong tone. He turned around to look at Ifayemi. "For many years, I have served and protected the will of Olodumare. I fought battles upon battles," Akogun said as he spread his arms wide to gesticulate his assertions. "I gave my all for the cause. You should know that. You were by my side all the way. But what do I get? With all the power and glory, I return to an empty home. My child is without a mother. I have saved many lives on our journey, even yours. All I ask is to save one more, one that is dearest to me. Surely I deserve that," Akogun appealed to Ifayemi.

They were like brothers. Their bond was known across the divine kingdoms under the watchful eyes of Olodumare. They were two of the strongest Babalawos in the Yoruba lands. Ifayemi was a descendant of the Fore-bearer and the son of the Orisa of Wisdom. His prowess was expected, but Akogun was merely an ordinary son of a man with no trace of divinity. His grandfather was a Babalawo who loved him dearly. He fell terribly ill as a child. To save him, his grandfather infused ase into his body and inscribed Ifa binary codes all over him. It was a forbidden act because it cost the host a lot, even life at times. His grandfather performed the ritual at the cost of his own life to ensure Akogun survived the process. From then on, Akogun's body bonded well with the atmosphere, and he grew to achieve feats expected of a Babalawo with the blood of an Orisha. 

His strength drew the friendship of Ifayemi. They fought countless battles against Egbe Okunkun, darklings once commanded by Okunkun. Fresh from the dark war that ensued in the Nri Kingdom, his return was met with the demise of his beloved wife. Ifayemi knew he had served well. Grief was a terrible thing that could turn the hearts of great men to darkness. "She is gone, brother," Ifayemi said. "Don't you say that. Don't you dare," Akogun yelled. "She was like a sister to me! I cared for her too. Her passing left a big scar in my heart. It pains me that I can do nothing," Ifayemi said in an even louder voice. He held up both fists to gesticulate his pain.

"But there is something we can do. If you cared for her like you say, then help me. With this staff, we can bridge the three worlds and connect them: the world of the living, the astral lane, and the underworld. Here, where the air is thin, the barriers between the worlds are weak. We can do it and pull her soul from the underworld," Akogun said. "It's too risky. We can't control the staff; no one can. Not even Orunmila," Ifayemi said. "If we combine our strength, we have a chance. Help me," Akogun said. "It's too risky. If you rip a hole between the worlds, they will collide, and the death toll will be countless. Even if we make it to the underworld, you know not what you will find. You know not what you will bring back. Too much is at risk," Ifayemi explained to him.

"You deny me happiness. I took you for a brother. Only once have I ever asked anything of you, and you spit in my face. You liar! You never cared for her!" Akogun screamed. "Your mind is clouded. Return the staff, and let us attend to your wounded heart," Ifayemi said. "If it were Warewa, what would you do?" Akogun asked. "One life is not worth millions," Ifayemi said. "You didn't answer my question. What would you do?!" Akogun screamed. "No life is worth the life of another!" Ifayemi matched his scream. The tension between them was intense. They both took deep breaths and paused for a moment. 

"You lie!" Akogun yelled. He turned to the river and grabbed the staff with both hands. "You will not stop me!" he said. "Nti enu bawi lafefe ngbo (It is what the mouth sayeth that the wind hears)," Ifayemi incanted in the favored language of Olodumare, Yoruba. He invoked ase, and the atmosphere reacted to his call. The atmosphere was an embodiment of Olodumare. It had everything you needed to create anything in minute quantities invisible to the eyes. Those who had awakened their presence in the atmosphere could use ase to perform many feats by uttering incantations in Yoruba into the atmosphere. When their breath mixed with the atmosphere, their words manifested within it and moved it to do their bidding. The atmosphere answered Ifayemi's call. It erupted, and the wind blew in all directions.

The strength of the wind blew Akogun into the river, and the staff flew yards away from him. The staff stopped farther across the surface of the river. It stood vertically on the river as if it were being held by the wind. Its tip rested on the water's surface. The staff's body had never touched the ground or any surface but the hands of those powerful enough to wield it. Abike's body floated across the water's surface as well but didn't sink. 

Akogun lifted himself out of the river. He wiped the water off his face with his palm. Water dripped from his bald head. "Very well, if it has come to this, then so shall it be," Akogun said. "I do not want to fight you," Ifayemi replied. "You should have said that a few moments ago," Akogun said. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Ifayemi. There were at least ten yards between them, and he closed it in milliseconds. Akogun's body was fortified by the ifa binary codes of his grandfather; such a feat was child's play to him. It was a frightening move that Ifayemi had seen countless times. Akogun clenched his fist and drove it into Ifayemi's belly. 

Ifayemi took a deep breath before the punch landed to attain Araifa, a technique that strengthened the body by sucking in the atmosphere of Olodumare. The punch threw him far across the forest, his back driving through countless massive trees. Trees fell like raindrops, and his flight was finally broken by a large boulder. He took minimal damage from Akogun's attack because of his form, Araifa. Consumed by anger and disappointment, he dashed towards Akogun's position with the force of the wind propelling him at neck-breaking speed. Akogun walked beyond the shores with each step plunging his body deeper into the water in a bid to reach Oduduwa's staff. He felt the strength of the atmosphere weigh him down and anticipated the impending danger he was in. He clenched his fist and swung it across his chest on the turn. It collided with the explosive fist of the onrushing Ifayemi. The impact created a massive shock wave that raised the water behind Akogun. The impact threw Ifayemi toward the position he came from, but only a few yards. Akogun's body was thrown into the wall of water that rose behind him. The force of the throw made the wall of water feel like a solid wall made of Olumo rock. He gasped for air as the wall of water swallowed him after it broke his flight.

Akogun rose from the water, mad with rage. He shook the water off his body as he flexed his muscles to depict an intimidating figure lusting for blood. His roar littered the sky with scampering birds. Ifayemi broke his flight by flipping in the air and planting his feet firmly into the ground, leaving a drag mark on the floor as he slowly stopped on his feet. He removed the part of his itagbe tied to one shoulder as a strap to put himself in the mood for the dangerous battle about to unfold. Akogun stomped out of the river. Water dripped from his hairless scalp down through the battle scar on his face to his thick goatee. The ifa binary codes around his body glowed above his loose red itagbe tied around his waist. There was no need for further talks. There was conviction in the eyes of both men. Akogun jogged slowly toward Ifayemi, who walked with a swagger toward his friend turned opponent. Akogun's jogs gradually turned into a full sprint, and Ifayemi matched him stride for stride until they smashed their palms together and locked them in. The impact moved the river and the tall trees. It was Ifayemi's Araifa versus Akogun's fortified body. To be continued....