Written
by Omoruyi Uwuigiaren
Chapter
One
Strange
Night
Poor weather wreaked havoc on
the waters of Guzah. A ship which had struggled all day, bubbling with Makundah
pirates, anchored at the shores. They were happy that they survived the madness
of the raging storm. They chanted victory songs and shot several bullets into
the quiet hands of the night. They had a ladder. One after another, the men
clambered down and waded waist-deep through the water to land.
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They had weapons, victuals and
treasures stolen from past expeditions. They conquered the madness of the day
and now they faced the way home to feed from their valor. The night was cold
and glowing insects paraded the forest. An ambitious rider who is not
conversant with the forest might take them for a wild cat waiting to walk a
body to hell.
After they had gathered at the
shore, they took body count. No soul was missing. They set off in a file into
the forest behind their leader, Mukande, a wicked dwarf, whom they feared like
a god. They looked in every direction to make sure that they were not followed.
In a treacherous world, you cannot trust the dark night. Out of its belly are
issues of death. There were few stars on the bare chest of the sky. They gave
light near the moon. When darkness began to tread the sun’s old path, going
further would be a dangerous choice. A man is for himself but God is for us
all.
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The forest was old and the
stench of treachery hung in the air. Fruit bats made the forest and her fruits
their restaurant. The human presence did not hinder them from moving from one
tree to another to find a meal. The trees were in their rows, separated by
inches and yards. Many fruits were not eaten.
Hunters trailed the pirates.
The old forest has always been a battlefield. The strong thrive on the shadow
of the weak. The intruders were Oza hunters from the hinterland who venture
south of the waters.
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After covering a good distance, they chanted and brandished their weapons. Someone attacked one of the pirates. Before he could snatch a breath, the hunter who plucked him from the group, drove a dagger into his neck. As he lay struggling for life, the attacker grabbed his battle-ax and exerted a mighty heave to zap off his neck. The body of the pirate rested on the bare chest of the earth as his head rolled onto the bush path. , he collected all that was on the severed pirate. Rings, beads and all his belongings were in his pockets. The hunter flashed a menacing smile at the severed body of the pirate. He looked to every side to make sure that no eye was watching. Then he disappears into the waiting hands of the forest.
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As the gang journeyed against
all odds, the attackers fell on them. One of the hunters who hid behind an old
baobab tree fell upon one of the pirates. They had a fair struggle. The pirate
fought back with his battle-ax. His blow came a bit late as the hunter had
already driven his sword into the pirate’s chest. He elicited an agonized cry
that drew the attention of his cohorts. Before they could blink, the hunter had
disappeared into the forest. The man surrendered to the incoming blackness. He
was a heap on the floor under the watchful eyes of the quiet evening. Death has
no joy.
They rushed to the scene,
flashing their torchlight and wielding their weapons. They checked the man. He
was cold like a headless chicken. One pirate flashed his light about. He saw
strange mask on a tree. He walked to the tree to have a closer look to learn
what type of mask it was. He plucked the mask from where it hung; he flipped it
back and forth. He was trying to figure out its source. A large man who was as
dark as midnight emerged from behind the tree and drove a spear into his belly!
The pirate yelled up to the high heaven and fought back with his ax. He missed
his aim. He staggered. The large man who is an Oza hunter stabbed him by the
side with the spear.
Before the attacker could take
cover in the nearby bush, his pair of legs betrayed him. He stumbled on a log
of wood and landed on the ground. He tried to regain his footing and run.
Arrows from the pirates sank into his body. The hunter fell to his knees. But
as they rushed to vent their anger for killing one of them, the creature drew
his knife and took his own life. He fell on his face to the ground.
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They rushed to his corner. They
stood over him and looked down on his lifeless body. “He’s a hunter from Oza!”
one of the pirates said and spat on him.
“What is an Oza hunter doing
here? They hardly go beyond the hinterland,” said Salis. He frowned and looked
about.
“Where does that leave us?”
Moadab inquired and looked at Salis.
Mukande chuckled. “We have a
big problem in our hands, Moadab. This is not good. The hunters are tracking
us,” Mukande disclosed. He blinked his eyes almost a million times. The fierce
balls that sat on the socket of his skull traveled round the trees and back to
his men. “Salis and Moadab will protect the treasure, while the rest of you
will make sure they are safe. You must fight as if your life is in your mouth.
If you do not resist this storm, we may never make it out here alive! The Oza
hunters are no mere men. Legends say they are sons of a dark spirit that once
roamed the old earth. Yet they bleed like us and draw breath from the wings of the
morning breeze. Spare no one. Spare no hunter. Make them pay for the departed!”
He clenched his fist.
They nodded in agreement. They
grabbed their weapons with iron grip and continued their journey. Not long
after, five or more arrows flew out of the woods. Two pirates caught. They fell
and others injured. Rattled, Mukande and his men decided to run through the
dark forest to their hideout in the cave.
The pirates tasted misfortune
as their meal for that day. The hunters fell on them and they fought all night.
The horror of death stared them
in the face. Those who escaped the frenzied attack of spears and arrows fell by
the sword and ax of the hunters. Many lay struggling for life like primitives
that fell stone dead at the blast of muskets. The battered bodies of the
pirates littered the floor. Hidden behind the odd night and tall trees, the
hunters had the advantage. They grabbed the opportunity with both hands and
wreaked havoc.
Yet, the hunters also suffered
loss. Makunde, Captain Salis, Moadab and the few others that were still alive
decided to flee. The hunters chanted victory songs and brandished their weapons
before they gave chase. As they chased them down the path to finish them off,
the hunters made life unbearable for the pirates. At intervals, an arrow would
pierce the ugly darkness and rob a dear soul of his life.
Mukande and his men ran into a
swamp, where some territorial crocodiles had taken refuge. But the night
hindered them from seeing beyond their nose. Three or more pirates wade through
the swamp to the other side fell into the mouth of the crocodiles.
Mukande and the others took
another route. As the hunters approached the swamp, they faded from the chase.
The creatures disappeared into the forest.
It was relief as they no longer
hear the noise of their pursuer. Trying to keep their pace and looking back at
the same time, they dashed into their cave and secured it.
Men sat on the floor groaning
in pains. Those who escaped hurt made fire and offered treatment to those that
were casualties. Mukande, the dwarf, suffered a deep cut on his shoulder and
was languishing in a corner near the fire. Treatment offered to those they felt
would survive. They killed others whom they felt had little or no chance of
survival. And they threw them out of the cave. Salis and Moadab only suffered
bruises and were in good company. It was a long night. Uncertainties spread in
the camp. Their safety was no longer guaranteed. The group had never come under
attack in the forest. After surviving the raging storm, it was hard to say what
will happen next.
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 |
| Anthony Wray |
One minute, Colonel John Locklear was in an ambush in Iraq, and the next he was home and his entire team was MIA. In his dreams, he’s drawn into another world where past, present, and future are all happening at once. There are high-seas pirates negotiating with sentient robots and people who feed off of nature’s light energy. Natasha is a leader in this other world and she keeps calling John by the name “Zac.” Then, it isn’t a dream anymore and John becomes Zac, accepting that he—and his team—have a role to play in Lunia, the world on the other side of a black hole, the world Zac needs to save.
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