*****
Ocheogo was now relieved that he had succeeded in sending all the guards away, hence he would be left alone with Uju at home. There he could have his way to do to her what pleases him.
He joyously proceed towards the door of the living room, pushing it open but what he saw made him disappointed. Uju was no longer lying there. To him, that happened so fast, or is it that he had spent much time arguing with the stubborn gatekeeper.
All hope were not lost, he was sure that Uju was in her room. He went further through the hollow dark of the pathway to the king's room, where Kalu, Konaso and Aneke, all made their principal bedroom. It was said to have been built by Kalu during the early years of his kingship, during the years of boom in Umudioga. The site for the erectíon of the palace building was earlier proposed and earmarked by Kalu's late father, on a disputed piece of land.
Ozalla had laid claim to the said piece of land, but Kalu's father who was a warrior, was nearly impossible to defeat, he would rather have the opposing kingdom razed to the dust than relinquish any piece of land under dispute. That, exactly was what he'd almost done to Ozalla-Abo before driving them further westward, where they rebuilt their kingdom on rocky ground. Since then, they had always continued relentlessly, troubling a kingdom that was larger than theirs, even if they were defeated severally. Kalu's weakness had been a blessing to them, as they had succeeded in gaining full control of Umudioga's wealth. All these would now be at Ocheogo's disposal, though he was then yet to know about some of this hidden secrets.

Ocheogo proceeded into the principal room, and noticed some shadow from the lantern light cast on the wall besides him. He smiled at himself and instinct as he moved further to push the door wide open.
Just as he was stretching his hands to push the door open, there was a loud bang of the same door in front of him. He, however didn't relinquish hope, as he made all effort to push the door immediately, staging a muscle for muscle showdown with Uju, with him pushing from outside and his female contender, pushing from within. It was certain that he was going to overpower her, having the greater advantage, being the man.

Uju, however, didn't give up. From within, she pushed the door with all her might to get the old man out of her way. She wondered if it was really her whom a full grown man hadn't been able to overpower or was there another invisible force pushing the door with her? That thought might have caused her to be distracted as she was begining to lose the contention.
Ocheogo, seeing that it was almost favouring him, resorted into using his whole bulge body to get in through the small opening of the door. While his supposed trick seemed to be working for him, Uju summoned all her strenght, pushing the door so that its sharp edge pierced his side against the door frame. Ocheogo screamed in pains but Uju was adamant, not concerned if he was dying there or not. She made sure that she saw tears cascading his cheeks before she released him, and pushed him out of the doorway with her left hand.

Ocheogo stumbled thrice before crashing on his back. He couldn't believe what had just happened, how Uju had overpowered him was more than a mystery to him. He was certain that he could overpower his opponent in this kind of tussle even if it were to be a fellow man, but how come he couldn't do just that to a young woman?
He was very angry with himself, but would rather vent his bitterness on the young woman,

"You witch, you dare challenge me? I'll never let you go free for this," he threatened. He thought that would be enough to coax her into opening the door, maybe so that her action wouldn't implicate her further. But far from anticipated, he got a rude reply,

"And you wizard, what are you looking for in the room of a witch?"

"I must surely get you, unless you keep on locking yourself there all the rest of your life," he said biliously, but later fused some words he'd forgot adding, "I mean till tomorrow when you will die a shameful death, WITCH!"
Uju laughed out sardonically at what she considered his bitterness of heart,

"It is far honourable to die that shameful death than to have anything to do with a living corpse like you," she retorted.
That last word must have hit his nerve that he groaned ephemerally, and his voice wasn't heard anymore.
She was still troubled within her despite the fact that she had successfully put Ocheogo off her way. Now she had to think of the implication of what she had done, but would she rather choose to be sexually abused by a ruthless curmudgeon? She'd never spoken to or treated an elder the way she did to Ocheogo that night. That was so rude of her, but she just had to do it, hence no need for regrets.
She still had more to bother about. Her death sentence seemed to be inevitable, so much for a young lady who dreaded death, a death by lynching for that matter. Deep down her, she prayed that the gods would rescue her from impending danger. If she were dead, Akwanwa would have a good laugh at her in her grave. What about..........ULUMMA? That girl she'd grown up with as a sister. She wondered where she might be, or could anything have happened to her.
A stinging thought pierced her mind, 'SHE IS YOUR GREATEST ENEMY NOW'. That were the words of Nee Ajuka. How could that be true? It was true that they had misunderstanding while they lived in Ozalla, but that wasn't a cogent reason for her to be branded, "ENEMY", or much more "GREATEST ENEMY." Afterall, Ifenna, who was the main reason for their misunderstanding was no longer with her, so why should they still be at loggerheads rather than be reconciled. Nee Ajuka had so many questions to answer here, she needed to invoke Ajuka to get answer to what have been bothering her.

Just as expected, Ajuka was already seated besides her, so quiet. Uju was startled seeing her there so sudden than expected. But the fairly aged woman gave her the reassuring smile that all was well.

"Don't be shocked my daughter, I'm always with you whenever you need me, you don't even need to call me before I know what bothers you" she said jovially.

Uju breathed a sigh of relief seeing her around. She wondered how she could read her mind to know when she had pressing issue, bothering her tender mind.
But that wasn't the main issue, she needed to know about Ulumma's whereabout, and why she should be seen as an enemy rather than a sister. She asked not sure if she hadn't provoked her with her queries.

"You have only one sister in this world, and she is Akwanwa," Uju was just sick and tired of this constant reminder of her link with Akwanwa. Even if it were true, she saw it as an unfortunate mistake. She saw all the irony in Ajuka's statement. Couldn't she place her description of each of them to their matches--- Akwanwa as the enemy and Ulumma as the sister, and not the other way round.

"How can she be my sister when she is planning to kill me?" she rebuffed "She took Ifenna from me, and killed Aneke on the day of our marriage. How else do you define an enemy, nne?" she was almost shouting at her, but Ajuka waited patiently for her to speak until she was done speaking before she retorted back at her,

"That person that her mother wanted to kill your mother is your enemy, that person who carries a royal blood in her womb that poses a threat to our possession of the throne of the whole kingdom of Umudioga, Ozalla and beyond, and even our life, is an enemy to us all."

"Ulumma is pregnant?" she exclaimed with great shock, "Who? How? When?"

"She has Mba's son in her womb," after a pause, she continued, "asking how and when it happened is too much risk already, lets get into action." she just had to skip the vital part of Ulumma's ordeal with Mba, so as to get Uju still incited.

"So Ulumma was not as decent as I'd thought," she smiled to herself as she mumbled, "she thinks she would lure a prince to bed, and answer a princess or queen tomorrow? Now it is over for her," she grimaced.

"Uju, the battle is not over! It has just begun!" the old woman screamed angrily.

"I know," she retorted, "but you can kill the baby, that will do, or would Ulumma be of any use to royalty without the child?"

"Their spirits are linked, so that if you kill one of them, the other would die afterwards but they are strongly protected that it would be a very strong task lying ahead," Uju became confused with her statement that she had to call back her attention to demystify this intricate statement. When did people like start linking their lives with that of their children? If anyone would do, not Ulumma whom she'd known very well to be very ordinary. When did she start seeing native doctors whom she was known to detest so much?

"Nne, which spiritualist is she visiting?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Agumba!" she could see fury in all over her face as she mentioned the name, which all translates to anger with the person that bore the said name.

"I thought Agumba was your ally in all this, why would he undo what he did himself. You made Agumba what he is today, didn't you? Why can't you nullify his handiwork?"

Nee Ajuka became moody, it seemed like hearing the name 'Agumba' gave her allergy. Agumba had betrayed her by giving out vital information about her to Ulumma, more like what a traitor would do. She would have to eliminate both of them because as far as he was on the land of the living as Agumba, he was at her disposal. Uju's continual reminder of Agumba, though inadvertent, made her enraged her. She didn't understand Agumba whom she thought she had done something on Ulumma that she couldn't nullify. What other supplementary powers could Agumba be using that she couldn't phantom? She still pondered on what to reply her inquisitive daughter, but what else would she do than give the gullible fellow all the assurance that she was at the helm of power.

"I'm going to put an end to Agumba's existence before he causes more havoc for us." Uju had remembered how she had boasted to her of having the whole kingdom of Umudioga and Ozalla in her palms and how she would hand over all these kingdoms to her and Akwanwa, and how she was capable of bringing the entire Aro kingdom to the dust. That all sounded sweet to the hearing, albeit its possibility was in doubt.

"What then are your plans on revenging your humiliation on Aro? Or have you relinquished all hopes?" she kindly asked.

"Never!" she retorted maniacally, "Don't undermine my powers by your pointless inquisition, it is insulting to me. We can make a great kingdom out of Umudioga, Ozalla and some other neighbouring villages to invade Aro." Uju was scared of what her anger could possibly lead to. Her countenance of outburst was like that of thunder even though she'd always shown her good side to Uju.

"I'm very sorry, please don't be angry with me," she felt it was the right thing to do at that moment though it seemed there wasn't need for that afterall.

"You owe me no apology, but action!"

"But nne, I'm still worried and confused about what my role in fighting Ulumma is," she had to pause at this point to know what would be the woman's reaction, whether she would get angry but there was no reaction that sprang forth, but did it really matter what she felt at that moment? She was to prepare her mind for the task ahead, owing to the fact that she had indirectly confessed Ulumma's invincibility. How then was it possible for her to thrive where she (Ajuka) had been striving to make success.

"If this task is too hard for you, then I will use Akwanwa for it, it looks like she is more spirited than you," she blasted on top of her voice that made Uju feel like crying but she restrained herself.
She couldn't speak articulately, other than making unconventional stammer,

"N...nn...e, I have a request to make," the old woman listened with rapt attention to catch every glimpse of what she had said.
"You can cede all authority to Akwanwa but allow me to have Ifenna, I love him." Ajuka bore a mixed feeling of both surprise and rage. Was Uju getting more stupid than she used to be?

There was a mission to carry out and here she was busy basking in romantic fantasy with a mere mortal. Maybe she didn't know how it felt like for humans who were in love since she was an immortal. If she truly was oblivious about such feeling that springs up in mortals, how then did she take in to give birth to the twin daughters? This was questions Uju asked herself when she had, by Ajuka's facial expression, gotten what was likely to be the answer to her request from her.

"I believe you were able to see your stupidity for what it is from the look on my face," Ajuka said curtly, in a way that surely must have made Uju embarrassed. She felt like crying when her words struck her heart. Was it a crime for someone to ask for a favour? Even if she wasn't willing to do it for her, she (Ajuka) would have just plainly told her that she wasn't going to do such.

"What then do you want from me?" she spoke flippantly, albeit not void of tears.

"There is no need for weeping," she said emphatically, "I do not hate you, just that I'm keen to have back that akupe onoja, the symbol of authority and influence from the hands of my enemies," Uju quickly wiped her face with her clammy fists, as she paid rapt attention to the old woman. There could possibly be a spring-up of an amazing revelation that may shock her.

"Please nne, tell me more about this symbol of authority, and who are the enemies holding it," she queried eagerly.

"It is a very long story, that happened over 200 years ago, when I was at Aro," she begun reminiscising her past experience, but was cut short by the ever inquisitive Uju.

"Wait! Do you mean you were already in existence 200 years ago?" she asked in utmost bewilderment.

"I have been in existence even when Umudioga was a village under Aro," she pointed out, but it seem like it was the right time to take up the rest of the story from there, Uju was however calm and expecting further explanation from her,
"Then I was the wife of Igwe Okala the great of Aro kingdom. Before Igwe Okala married me, Aro was greatly influenced by Nri kingdom northwards, such that they also influenced our way of living, dressing, trading and celebrating festivals. To cut the tale short, we were indirectly ruled by Nri kingdom. But one day, Eze Nri came to Aro, he saw me by a stream, and told me how beautiful I was and asked me to marry him. I didn't tell him that I was married, rather I subtly asked him to give me what he had in hand, because I knew that the object which looked like an elephant tusk, was very powerful and there was an ineffable mystery behind that same object. I noticed that when he had that in hand, he got whatever he wanted, influence any kingdom he stepped his foot on and punished whomever he lost favour with. When I asked him for it, he didn't say anything but to my greatest doubt, he handed the object to me but something strange happened right there before me."

Uju dilated her eyes in rapt fascination as she had all her attention focused on Ajuka's tale. She thought right within her that the old woman had no reason to have halted this interesting story especially now she had gone quite far.

"Right there before me," she continued, "the tusk fell off my hand and I never saw the object anywhere around me and I didn't see the man again. So I went back home dejected only to find out that Igwe Okala was with that same akupe onoja I'd seen with Eze Nri. I was shocked and angry and asked him to give it back to me but he was adamant, instead he banished me and my four daughters to Ezumezu forest. But for him, he became more popular all over the kingdoms and he annexed the little kingdoms. His fame continued until one fateful day when he lost the symbol. That was when his days of fame ceased to be and then I was able to make all its rulers from then till today, subject to me." Uju was still perplexed about everything she'd heard from the old lady, that she sought further dymystification to her last words.

"You see, daughter," she continued, "I have had affairs with virtually all the kings of Aro after the reign of Igwe Okala and the kingdoms beyond, and our offsprings are what make up the daughters of the scared river of Adaola."

"Then why did you make Umudioga your base when your adversaries are in Aro?" That was a sensitive and acerbic question that Uju sent to her, but she would have to tackle it cleverly but would she be keeping her promise of sincerity to her cherished daughters?

"Promise me you will keep this as a secret"
Uju acquiesced to it.

"I am here because of one person." Uju was surprised at the emphatic word, ONE. Umudioga didn't have rich and powerful personalities like Aro that would match her status, but yet she chose to sojourn in Umudioga and be humiliated by the likes of Omemgbe, and notwithstanding, she still persevered. Who could be that person? He or she must be so powerful. At the moment she couldn't surmise any name from Umudioga that fit that status. If there was any, they were long dead.

"Who is this powerful man that gives you this much stress," she asked carefully. Ajuka mood changed suddenly, in a way that made Uju felt sorry for her questions, but the old woman would still tell her anyway.

"He is a boy from Umudioga."
That answer was contrary to what Uju had in mind, hence she couldn't conceal her shock.

"A boy?" she didn't wait for a response to her rhetorical question before asking a second, "Who is he?"

"He was the son of Ararume, your supposed father but," Uju waved any other words she wanted to say further aside, she'd just heard enough already. If she actually heard her well, she was talking of Agunna, her long lost brother. What else did she want to hear after the old woman had indirectly confessed that she was responsible for the lad's disappearance. But Uju was just over-blowing her emotional pent-up, Ajuka haven't said yet if she was responsible for his disappearance.

Waiting

She just remembered that she had to be sure first on where to pitch her fury and that would be after Ajuka might have dymystified her half-baked story.

"So what did you do to my brother?"

"Uju!" the old woman quickly rebuked her immediately,
"I took him in order to save your lives, as long as he stayed there, he was a threat to your life and that of your sister."

"But it never seemed like that at the first stance."

"Your problem is that you never see things beyond mortality. When Ochibiaram was dying, Agunna had all the power at his disposal to revive the old woman but I wanted her dead because of what she and her cohort, Nwabiala, did to me on the day of your delivery. I was the one who spoke through you to Agunna to go and call Eche, her brother, which he did, but it struck him back and he was running back home after he realised this but I was faster. The boy was going to revenge his mother's death on my daughters, so I had to do something fast about it. Uju, my daughter, were you blind? Didn't you see his strange behaviour towards you? Didn't you see how dearly I loved you? Would you have loved to be dead?" Uju was struck by her melancholic tone that she almost wept along with her. The old woman had really fought tooth and nail to keep them from harm. She began wondering what they would be without Ajuka. Now she knew better, that she would no longer take any member of Ararume family as hers, just as she'd always done. Going by Ajuka's word, Agunna would be of great harm to her but what more could she do. Thanks to Ajuka for keeping her in the know, lest she would have ignorantly walk up to her doom and embrace it wholeheartedly.

Soon a strange thought struck her memory and it was somewhat a suspicion, but her mind was already divided against herself before she would let out her question. She had a strange feeling about Agumba. She didn't know why or how a convincing thought of a possible or rather a striking similiarity but she would rather drive her question subtly and indirectly until she landed on the answer to her question.

"Nne why did you kill Ochibiaram, and left her accomplice, Nwabiala to go unscathed?" she asked while watching her intently.

"That monster called Agumba gave them amulets," she said bitterly as she winced apoplectically. Uju had just gotten a confirmation to her controversial mind questions. She smiled suspiciously to herself, wondering if Ajuka had really been able to surmise her suspicion,

"Nne are you not thinking what I'm thinking, that Agumba could be that same common enemy of yours, appearing in another form to humiliate you?"

"No, I made Agumba, but," she kept mute like she was in a deep thought, then she came back to complete her phrase, "you might somehow be saying the truth. It could be possible that Agunna is manipulating Agumba against me"

"So what will you do?"

"I'll show that little lad a lesson by shutting Agumba down, because he is also at my disposal." she cringed in fury.
Uju was however startled by Ajuka's reply, which sounded somehow harsh to her. If she actually meant that she was going to kill Agumba, then what guarantee was there for her own life. What if she would be the next to be influenced by Agunna, would that be the way she was going to die too? She would let her heart out of her mouth.

"There is no way he will be able to manipulate any of my daughters, he has his limit," Ajuka reassured the troubled girl. Uju didn't feel completely reassured but she had to feign a reassuring smile.

"We have been talking for a long time, I'll let you have your sleep and get ready for tomorrow's showdown." Ajuka said jovially before she varnished into thin air at the twinkle of an eye.

[size=14pt]26[/size]

The night had become stormy, with ferocious wind that blew all round the four corners of the building. Wind like this was known not to be an ordinary one, its magnitude transcended normality, and the most exciting was that it blew from all direction of the cardinal point. The cold it brought on villagers didn't permit them a peaceful sleep, with Uju not being an exception.
She would have gone for an alternative, maybe the chimney in the kitchen would serve her well when it comes to keeping her warm from the cold weather. But how would she do that when obviously she had an enemy, a ruthless one for that matter lurking in the dark, waiting to use her up to his own pleasure and her own detriment. She wouldn't have bothered much if all she wanted was to shield herself from the cold, she could handle that, but she was also pressed tensely that it made her uncomfortable. It bothered her so much that Ocheogo had even stated it plainly that he must surely have his way unless she was going to be locked behind closed doors all the days of her life, such that she wouldn't eat, bath or get rid of body waste. The latter was what she was in need of. She was going to take her own fate into her hands, maybe she could search around the room for any container where she would urinate in and then keep it at one corner of the room till it was safe to get rid of them outside.
She squatted to look for one but where would she find something like that in the king's room. She stood up dejectedly with sweat from nowhere that clad her face, only to be taken aback by the abrupt presence of a big black boa constrictor that was shown her on her face. Uju shook for fear of what she saw, as the animal kept loosing itself from its constriction, but when she thought of how possible it was for the animal to get in there, she was convinced that it wasn't an ordinary one, maybe she would stand and see what it would do to her.
She stood fearlessly with fixed gaze on the animal as it crawled towards her,

"Whoever you are, if you come closer to me, I will bruise your head," she threatened.
Suprisingly, the animal began retreating and stopping at a point, before it suddenly transformed into someone Uju knew very well.

"I know it was you, Akwanwa, and I was never afraid of you," she clapped her hands in wonder as she gave her a demeaning look. Her adversary wouldn't do any better than returning same glare.

"I know for sure that you are so desperate and pathetic, but I didn't know that you were this awful." Her eyes seemed to be focused somewhere on her body, Uju wondered what she'd done to attract so much stare from her.
OH NO, that wasn't a good sight at all, she saw her own urine cascading from her nether parts down her laps, very weird. This might have happened when she'd had few moment of fright after what she saw. She would be very ashamed of herself, having disgraced herself before Akwanwa.
Akwanwa would have a lot of story to tell and brag with.

That she could make a matured lady drain her panties with her awe appearance would be her pride and joy.
Akwanwa laughed hysterically as she saw this again, she didn't have to waste much time, for this to dry up before she could invoke some spectators from Adaola river to come and feed their eyes.

"Imeririme, Nchalla," that just happened like magic to Uju's eyes. Before she could blink her eyes, she saw two other ladies standing before her, as if they had been lying in wait all day long for her.
Akwanwa was just a troublemaker, wanting to dent Uju's image before other daughters of Adaola, at all cost. It was all just for one reason, which was to garner more support from the river daughters, who were in support of her in their majority anyway. She was more popular in the marine kingdom than Uju, and had more friends there while Uju would always still have slight phobia towards them.
Akwanwa had always used this to her advantage, getting all the support she needed in order to defeat Uju in her aspiration of the throne of Abodioga, as surmised by her (Akwanwa).
But could she have expected a shocking surprise, the one that had just been put up by Uju. She couldn't believe her eyes, how Uju was rapt into an eye catching queenly regalia. She looked more scintillating than ever, even more than herself. The damp skin glistened from the light of the lamp, making her appearance alight the ambience. Akwanwa was ataxic with rage, as she cringed in embarrassment, seeing that her deviced humiliation of Uju went awry. The eye-witnesses she'd called would be wondering what was going on, and what surprise it was that she wanted to show to them, of which, if she couldn't deliver she would appear stupid before them. Things even got worse as the supposed ladies who were to jeer Uju, started giving her commendation for her beauty, which was now a bigger blow to Akwanwa. She didn't know when she stoned the nearest object besides her to the ground, and then, maliciously staring back at Uju,

"You are so irritating, you think you can manipulate your way into that throne with this your childish diabolics, then you are a big joker," she spat biliously, while Uju seemed to be having a good day.

"Why then do you cry as the loser already," Uju replied sardonically, "now that it is obvious to you that you are a just a bubble of mucus before me, can't you then, accord me that respect?"

"Uju, you are a shameless dreamer! You have been hunting for this throne ever since your childhood, jumping from the bed of one prince to another. Now that your irritating presence killed Aneke, you are looking for all means possible to seduce that old man because you think he will be the next in line to inherit the throne." Akwanwa laughed out hysterically, sauntering across the open space of the room. She preferred that to sitting on the same 'cursed' couch as Uju. Now she had sent a thought provoking word down her mind, thus she expected reaction that would make her do anything, even her worst.

It was certain that as long as Uju's diabolical potential remained untapped, she would still outwit her in a diabolic showdown. It was a common belief that spiritual powers, no matter how superfluous it is at the disposal of its custodian, could be redundant when it is not put in constant use.
Seeing it from that angle, she had the advantage over her counterpart, but she had to be leery of any other surprise that would be put up by Uju again. But what would be her reply to the first blow?

"You are the biggest dreamer. If I wanted any man to myself, I would have taken Ifenna back from you, the way you did to me, but I allowed it to be a choice for him to make and not mine, even though it was painful for me to relinquish our union to you," her voice was eccentric in tone but wouldn't be noticed by her loquacious counterpart.

"Oh, now I see where your bitterness is rooted. Ifenna, of course. You are strongly wishing that you have him to yourself but that is impossible. Have you forgotten that you are going to die a shameful death tomorrow?" She laughed unconventionally until she was getting carried away by her laughter. It was Uju's reciprocal laughter that made her reneged, and wondering what made her join the string of laughter when she was at the receiving end, or was she laughing at herself?

"See, Akwanwa, you can wish what ever you want for me, I don't care but let me tell you one thing," she appeared more stern while wanting to say her remaining words, Akwanwa however, would pay rapt attention,
"I would rather kill you right here myself than go out to fulfil your wish."
After saying this, she stood and walked out of the room shading her out of her way.

*****
Uju walked out of the room, leaving Akwanwa behind in her mirage. That what the only thing she could do at the moment in order to stop hearing some annoying words from her. But where she was going to, she didn't know. She had to take her sit in the living room until her mind had calmed down because at the moment, the rage in her was burning like an inferno. Akwanwa just knew how best to get on her nerves, even if she tries hard to suppress it by pretending not to be moved a bit. She just hoped that Akwanwa wouldn't follow her up to where she was because the way it was in her mind, she could give Akwanwa a resounding slap not minding if she was her sister or not.
Her thought was suddenly interrupted by cold hands that gripped her breasts curtly. That was the most rude and disgusting act that she had seen all her life. She could surmise who it was. Who else but Ocheogo, with his usual sexually alighted approach. He had been on her neck all through the day, looking for all means to lie with her. She would just have to end this madness once and for all, and face whatever that may befall her.
Ocheogo held grip her bosoms from behind her with her body compressed on to his in a way that she couldn't move one bit because of the grip.

She was waiting patiently to be let loose, but the hòrny old man wasn't looking like he was ready to let her go. He whispered something to her ears, she didn't even shook it off.

"You look so beautiful this time around but you have no choice than to open your door for me before you will be made to die that shameful death you chose to die rather than have me lie with you," he gave an ugly grimace with a wild chuckle.
She felt slight dampness on her breast cup, it was really liquid cascading from her nìpples that had made it so. This was the most annoying part. Her mind was totally burnt up in fury that she now made an effort to jostle him belligerently, off her side. He let go her bosoms but was going to proceed to his main aim, starting with falling with her on the upholster made of animal skin and palm branches. But Uju acted fast by releasing her left palm to sound the much conceived thunderous slap on his right cheek. That was what she had been waiting for long to execute.
She watched as he gradually let go off her holding his cheeks with his two hands. She thought that he was going to retaliate but far from that, he subconsciously collapsed on the ground, wriggling in pains. Uju wondered if it was only a slap that made him writ like he was hit by a collapsing building. She had no iota of remorse for her action. He could die and rot for all she care. She spat on him, and surprisingly it dropped straight on his manhood. He screamed like he was feeling a burn down there, a burning sensation.
The helpless man left his face to rub the part where he was getting fresh pains, the gap he made uncovered on his face had gone rot, and had became a threading haven for caterpillars and tapeworms. Ocheogo screamed aloud as he saw the appalling size of one that had stuck to his palm when he pulled out his hand from his face. He, however, felt another massive bulge down his wrappers, it was exactly the spot were Uju spat on, and it had already grown as big as half of the length of his legs. The stench of his ailment was oozing to the extent that Uju could no longer bear it.
She ordered him to crawl on his back outside the house. The man was pleading in tears, promising heaven and earth if he was made free but Uju had turned off her listening ears, invoking a diabolic force to sweep him along outside the gate of the palace.
It was then that Akwanwa rushed into the scene, and was appalled by what she saw. Could it had been Uju who had done that? If it was true then she might be wrong for underestimating Uju's potential, but she still believed that she would have done something better than Uju. She would try that by obstructing her diabolics.
She stretched forth her hands to reverse the force that Uju had invoked, but it was repellent on her hand, hence Uju prevailed.
Immediately Ocheogo was swept outside, the door shut itself, and all the light went off.
Uju gave an eccentric laughter the second time, and to Akwanwa's surprise,

"A lesson for you!" she said finally, patting her shoulder with a sardonic smile.

Thumbs up,eze,,great job done...bt pls is infenna being controlled by akwanwa powers Nd if xo y cant uju sense it nd use hers to free her lover??[i][/i][color=#000099][/color]

Ijehk7: Thumbs up,eze,,great job done...bt pls is infenna being controlled by akwanwa powers Nd if xo y cant uju sense it nd use hers to free her lover??

You remember that Uju has just started
As for Ifenna, hmmm. Him na just nazabi (follow follow like mumu)

Please don't keep us waiting like this again.

Hmmmmm.. A great u doin on here bruh, but the interval between ur posts are just not encouraging.. Seriously, u need to improve on the times(interval) of ur posts so as to keep the earlier episodes just so fresh on our minds. Luv ur works, simply going to fit in anywhere in the universe. Keep it up man.. GOD BLESS

[size=14pt]27[/size]

It was a day of mystery, with the strange outlook of the day. The sun seemed weak and couldn't scorch the surface of the earth any longer with its intense heat. The full face of the moon was visible, and its light seemed to have overpowered the light of the supposed greatest light of the world. The cloud had begun ensanguining the earth surface making an unimaginable scene.
Ulumma found herself trying all she could to run out from where she was but no matter how hard and fast she ran she still couldn't get past that region she was standing. She was very confused as to where she was running, she didn't even know what or who she was running from.
Momentarily, she saw the shadow of weird apparitions moving after her, and she ran so as not to be submerged by the shadow. Her arms and legs were getting feeble, as she bore the burden of her child which she held to her bosoms in her right hand and a basket of unknown items which she in the other hand.
She had gotten to the extent where she could no longer move her legs, and with fear she was stuck at a position and the shadow had already begun coming upon her. She suddenly felt an overwhelming force that dragged her out far away from the horrific shadow of the strange apparition. She looked behind her to see who had such cold hand that brought her out from her terror, she was still holding her baby close to her. The hands were that of Agumba. She wanted to kneel and thank him but he stopped her without uttering a word. He pointed out to a figure standing afar, it was that of a man dressed in his royal outfit. The strange man gestured them to come closer, then Agumba nodded. Ulumma was worried that none of them was saying anything but just passing signal, she was quite doubtful of Agumba's genuineness that she started threading cautiously with him. They went closer to the man and immediately Ulumma was shocked to her feet at what she saw. The similiarity between the man and Agumba was striking, they were like identical twins. Could Agumba have had a twin brother and not tell her? She wondered if she had ever seen twins that are so similar in this manner.
She wanted to ask about their identity but none of them were mentioning a word to each other or even her. She couldn't decipher what was going on between the two, but she had to personally assure herself of her safety since Agumba was there with her.
Agumba showed her way into the court of the strange man dressed in royal robe but she went in reluctantly and sat beside the strange man. She didn't have the power in her hand to object to any command that was given to her, so she had to follow orders accordingly. Immediately, she sat and felt comfortable where she was, Agumba varnished into thin air and she screamed aloud.

She stood from her bed with face covered with sweat. She looked beside her, her baby was sleeping peacefully, but where was Agumba, whom she hadn't dreamt well of?

She stood speedily up from her recumbent position to check on Agumba. She had her heart in her mouth when she walked through to Agumba's shrine. On reaching there, she saw smoke emanating from the surface of the shrine. She was double-minded on whether to open the veil of the sacred place or not. She screamed Agumba's name severally but there was no response. Normally, even if she whispered his name three times, wherever he was he would hear and appear to her. She was even more worried than before, hoping that nothing bad would happen to him. If anything bad happens to him, then she and her child were as good as dead.
She soon noticed something again. Anytime she called the name of Agumba, thicker and darker smoke puffed out of the roof of the shrine, overlapping the regular white smoke that ascended at constant speed.
This can't be true! Agumba could be inside the burning hut that wasn't getting burnt. She wouldn't be able to rescue him from the burning hut alone without getting the help of able bodied men. As a young woman, she knew her limit and wouldn't go past it.
She rushed to the neighbourhood calling from help, screaming Agumba's name. People would surely come out of their comfort zone, as long as the name mentioned was that of Agumba. He was loved by the people of Aro because of the selfless service he always rendered to those who needed him.
Before anything else could happen, Agumba's place was already crowded with hordes of spectators, who were watching how the men who came to help, doing all they can to save Agumba.
Amongst the men were several spiritualists who were entouraged by several other able bodied men. They ordered every woman and child to leave the scene immediately including Ulumma, but she had to get her baby first. They gave her a disapproving gesture, they wanted someone who was a man to go and get the baby, but she wouldn't let any man touch her baby. She was resilient and insistent that she must carry her baby herself, no matter how hard they pushed her out, until an old man amongst them, ordered the men to leave her to do what pleases her.
She rushed into the hut, but quickly rushed out of it because great quantity of smoke oozed out from the place, making her cough profusely.
They carried her out of the place to where other women were standing, viewing from a distance, while she was screamed, "My baby, my baby!"
The men now had double task to carry out. While trying to bring Agumba out, they also searching for the baby. They had tried pouring water in order to put away the inferno but it got even worse at every single drop of water.
They now had to break down the entire building, to retrieve the remains of the two lost in the smoke. That was all they could come up with out of no option.
They began hurriedly bringing out their axes, digger and other heavy duty instruments which they could lay their hands on. Everyone watched as the old men were pulling down the building, including those afar off.

Ulumma cried aloud, raving on the sand, while she watched this going on. She made a jostle to go and stop them but the hands that were holding her were too many for her to break loose off.
She kept on screaming,

"My baby! My baby! My baby is there!"

"Nothing will happen to your baby, all the men there are wise spiritualists and they know what they are doing. Surely they will get your baby out safe and sound," this was the assurance she was getting from the women there. She looked up and found Inene and Olieze standing amongst them. She had lost control of her actions, saying all sort of words that would make people think that she had gone mad.
She quickly moved to Olieze and fell on her body, hugging her tight in a way that she felt uncomfortable with,

"My son is in that smoke, your nephew, your brother's son," she said to Olieze, losing control of her total action, even Inene was shocked at how carelessly she had revealed this secret to Olieze and the hundreds of people who knew nothing about the baby or the mother. Inene was more worried that she was doing this at the climax of emotional outburst and could regret her every word said when she recover from the shock, then she would know how she will tell Olieze that she killed her brother. The reason why Olieze and Uju had been at loggerheads, was because one thought the other was responsible for her brother's death. If she comes to know this time that it was Ulumma, she could even kill her herself.

The most appalling discovery had just occured. The men finally found Agumba's body lying lifeless but had no trace of burn on it. But the most amazing there was that it was the body that was generating the whole smoke that had engulfed the entire building. They had searched every nook and cranny for the baby but they couldn't find him. Ulumma would surely go wild if she heard this.
Strong diviners did several incantations before they could stop the smoke that was coming out from the body. Surprisingly, when the smoke had stopped oozing from the corpse, smoke varnished from the entire building, as if nothing of that sort ever happened there. But the building was still in its dilapidated state.
They wrapped Agumba's body immediately as they proceeded for its interment.
Meanwhile, they broke the sad news of the missing baby to Ulumma, and just as they anticipated, she went wild but they had to curb her wildness by all means.

"Don't worry, since he has not been declared dead, he will soon be found," this was the assurance she was getting from her sympathizers. But how possible would that happen when the building where the baby was lying had been broken to pieces. They had her taken out of the compound.

Meanwhile, Agumba's body had been prepared and wrapped for burial. It was called for that seven human heads be provided for the burial of the great spiritualist. Who would do that? Taking life away from seven innocent souls was absurd and nobody would like to be there, or even his or her relatives.
The whole area was struck with grave silence, some of the sympathizers skedaddled from Agumba's compound so as for none to be amongst the sacrificial lamb.
Soon, the whole compound was empty, leaving only Ulumma behind. She rushed to where Agumba's body was laid,

"Please use my head, I'm tired of living," immediately Agumba's body gave out a large black smoke signal. The diviner present there was popular and known to be able to communicate with dead people. He usually worked for people whom their dead ones didn't leave a message for before their death, and he was paid handsomely.
He told everyone present about Agumba's message,

"He says he doesn't need any blood to be shed that he will surely come back," he announced.

Many felt relieved on hearing this message but what of Ulumma? Could the same be said of her? She was still persistent in her ferocious search for her baby. She didn't want to know if her demand to see her baby immediately would be feasible or not, all she wanted was to see him and have him back. People were still trying to calm her while she moved from one man to the other, asking about her baby. In tears, she threw herself up and down, but the diviner of the dead was going to give her an answer.
She had to calm her pent-up a bit by getting to here what the spiritualist had to say.

"I am the messenger of the dead, I dine with the dead, speak with the dead and give their message to their kins in the land of the living," he paused and made an incantation, for a short time, mixing several concoction to help boost his spiritual sight.
"The land of the dead have received different people from all over the earth, but no baby from Aro have been received so far, today." there was a deafening silence that struck the ambience. This word could mean one thing, that the baby was still alive.

Superb as always.
Try to be consistent in your updates. The time lapses could be one of the reasons why this thread is silent. We all have lives outside NL, but it is up to you to update.

What's more, give a specific time for updates, that way, your readers won't have to refresh endlessly and see nothing.

Compliments of the season.

Eze Promoe:

Come on, dude, continue the good work. We are by your side.