《The Rhema Chronicles》


 Prologue – The Beginning Of The End

    Prologue ¨C The Beginning Of The End


    Endless sands stretched out into the horizon. A man, as if paying obeisance, falls on a knee, with his hands pressed together, he raises them with great heaviness and then follows with his head, slowly looking up at the sky. Anyone would have thought him to be making a prayer to the gods, perhaps he was, if not for the state of utter massacre around him.


    For a thousand miles, nothing living could be seen. Dead bodies littered the ground father than the eye could see. Like black dye bountifully applied, many of the bodies seemed scorched from the inside out. Every one of these corpse were at least some hundred meters afar of, as though they tried to advance on him but were punished by the wrath of the Sun. Looking at the lone, living man more carefully, he knelt on a mixture of sand and ash, ash, the remnants of some who got too close to him.


    Close up, his face could be seen with a deep gash from the right eyebrow, over his eye running down to the corner of his lips and ending at his thick white beard on chin, making all other cuts and bruises insignificant in retrospect.


    The man had long fine silver hair that seemed full of wisdom, he donned robe that were as white as as purity. It seemed to repel all the blood and ash. He was missing the sleeves of his left arm, all up to his shoulder, instead what replaced it were different battle scars of various length and gashes that seemed to have run out of blood. A third of his white robe had torn, and his cassock underneath were not spared either and his muscular torso were visible.


    Just in front of him, a broken staff lay, two-third of it standing straight, the other piece, on the ground, a few paces away. Behind him, where another relic should have been a few paces off, nothing¡­nothing guarded his back.


    On his left, three pieces of his battered gauntlet lay. A few meters to his right, two unequal parts of a White staff lay. The longer half was buried in the ground and the other broken part, a few paces of.


    To his right, a few paces behind him, speck of light unsteadily rose and moved to gather in his palms, a brilliantly shining small ball of light emerged. Brilliant as the light was, it did not illuminate anything, flickering in and out of existence as though it could not sustain its existence. He muttered inaudible words and It unsteadily rose up and finally blinked out of existence.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Slowly, life''s essence seeped out of him. Numerous weapons were embedded in him. Breathing his last, no one could survive this, after all, a multitude of weapons were stabbed into him. Spears, swords, daggers, arrows were buried deep into his back, all vying to cover every inch. They pierced his lung, severed his spinal cord, a long black sword was buried deeply between the fold of his back and shattered spine, it was lodged in his heart, almost supernaturally, his wounds tried stitching back but all to no avail, It gave up under the weight of the expectations.


    He knelt there awaiting the cold embrace of nothingness. For all the time lived and knowledge gained, what awaited him, was unknown, what would be the judgement of a judge¡­


    As the morning sun rose and the first warm ray of the sun hit his face, he thought ¡®no matter where light travels , it always meets darkness awaiting it, darkness is everywhere light has never reached and it is always there after the light has gone¡­order emerged from chaos and now it returns into it¡¯.


    Today, fate had come calling. It had come at a time and fashion he had not foreseen. All his life, where he tread the world itself had trembled. Now it was over.


    His mind wandered back to the beginning of it all. He remembered the last of them. That boy, full of hope and an indomitable spirit. Defying the gods and fates. He remembered his last words to the boy ¡°the sky takes on shades of orange during sunrise and sunset, you know why? Its because that''s the colour that gives you hope, hope that the sun will only set to rise again¡±


    Then he felt it. A twinkle , a spark and then the fire. The flames of hope melted the cold embrace of despair. He made a decision. Sharp Pain racked his neck and he struggled with consciousness as he turned his head to look at the longer part of the staff. He summoned the last remnant of power from within and the staff took flight towards the heavens.


    ¡°He will know what to do.¡± he thought, with rising hope.


    His single eye gleamed with power, and everywhere around him glowed with a golden radiance. The heavens must have heard him, for the the entire world lit up with a majestic light.


    And just as the world lit abruptly, it also started to fade away. As the radiance waned and so also the man too. Slowly ceasing to exist. A single tear ran down his face and he smiled.


    He was no more.

 Chapter 1 - The boy

    Chapter one - The boy


    The setting sun was golden, as it shone down upon the celestial realm. Hundreds of warriors, on various plateau extending from the edge of the cliffs of Orundu.


    The warriors train with weapons, clashing and testing one another to their limits. dozens of armoured men and women engaged in a dazzling array of training exercises. Everyone sparred with Bo staves, knives, swords. Practised archery and spear throwing. It¡¯s breathtaking.


    Overlooking the large field, warriors were locked in combat, no holds barred. A man looked down, searching for specific prey among the valiant and violent battles for supremacy. Amidst the sea of chaos, a figure stood, at eight feet, dark brown skin like cocoa, a bald head, and a goatee, he looked like a wrestler.


    He was a giant, no armour was worn except for simple red trousers, he was bare chested, arms as large as barrels, and with his eyes closed, he seemed a statue, unaware of the carnage going around him that he almost blended into the background.


    ¡°Found you¡±


    The hunter donned a helm that covered his entire head, leaving two slits for sight. It matched his Silvery armour that covered every inch of his body, the suit must have weighed half a ton, but yet he moved like a panther stalking his prey, with grace, precision and majesty. The weight meant nothing to him as he moved stealthily towards the giant.


    Traversing the battle field and avoiding multiple enemies, his presence wasn''t noticed on the battlefield until he felt it, danger, suddenly he was attacked from his right flank, he reacted by using his short sword to deflect the spear with just enough force that it embedded itself into the ground, leaving his attacker wide open, he followed up with a swift thrust towards his attackers neck. Time seemed to slow down for the spear-man, but the hunters sword was parried by another much larger sword. Giving the spear-man enough time to pull his spear from the ground and pressure the hunter.


    They all stood in a triangle formation, only momentarily, trying to gauge the enemy¡¯s next move. The sound of battle around, seemed to die out. He was waiting for the first opportunity...Then he moved.


    It wasn''t the armoured one, nor the spear-man, or even the new swordsman. It was a different spear-man lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. He moved and in an instant his spear was already at the armoured man''s back. As soon as he moved the other two closed the distance as well. A three pronged attack.


    ¡®Predictable¡¯ the hunter thought to himself. He assessed his options and took a quick breath but moved even quicker. He took a little step to his left and spun to face his ambusher, switching the blade to his right hand, and grabbing the spear with his left, he slices the man''s throat and using the momentum of the attack, he runs the spear through the already close swordsman.


    The first spear-man reacts and tries to adjust his attack but he¡¯s too slow for the armoured hunter. He flips over the spear-man, and drives his sword through the neck piece of the enemy. All within a few breaths, all his ambushers were on the ground, but his cover was blown, there was no need for stealth any more. The titan would have already noticed him.


    He slowly walked towards the giant man as if wary of another sneak attack but the giant remained as impassive as ever.


    No one on the battlefield dared come near him, for it was hopeless, a fools errand, the numbers didn¡¯t matter. It could have been one or ten, even a hundred or a thousand, it still wouldn''t change the outcome. Death.


    The battle field was free for all. Anyone could have attacked him but no one would waste time on an assured death for themselves.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    No one except him. He wasn''t meant to be here but he always found ways to come and here he was again. The titan must have been waiting for him.


    He should attack first he thought and as the thought came to mind  so did the titan''s eyes opened,  his eyes were unusual, fire danced were pupils should be.


    The hunter didn''t dare take his eyes off the titan but somehow the titan was no longer in his front but already standing at his back with his right arm raised, falling towards the armoured man''s shoulder as though to chop him. He hadn''t seen him move! The armoured one quickly responded by raising his sword to meet it. Sparks erupted from the clash.


    A look of surprises crept on to the face of the titan. He wouldn''t have imagined his hand hurt by the the upstart. In an instant, a blood red sword appeared in his left hand and followed up with a graceful slash at the armoured ones waist.


    The armoured twisted his body to bring his weapon to deflect the blade. Momentarily they were evenly matched. Then the blades separated only to clash again. Blades blurred¡ªfeint, strike and parry¡ªand the ground shook from the force. This exchange took one second but the speed of their sword fighting was breathtaking.


    For the first time through out the battle, the titan, in a voice, deep that could be heard all over the battle field spoke ¡°You''re turning out to not be such a disappointment after all¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t say the same about you¡± said the armoured one, without missing a beat.


    ¡°I see... You''re trying to rile me up, in order to unbalance me" said the titan unimpressed.


    ¡°Is it working¡± said the boy hopefully.


    ¡°No¡­You shouldn''t disrespect your opponent, even when facing an ant, you must always fight to the be-¡±


    ¡°to the best of your ability¡± the armoured one finished it for him.


    The titan said nothing more instead he took a step forward and he immediately appeared in front of the armoured one. The armoured tried to react this time but he was a beat too slow. The titan placed his palm on the helm of the armour and the whole amour dismantled by some strange force, revealing the surprised face of a young man still in his late teens, wearing a black one piece suit.


    He stumbled backwards and fell but quickly tumbled and stood on his feet again. Leaving as much distance as possible between them.


    The titan observed the boy. Standing at a little over six feet and athletic, light brown skin, piercing brown eyes and full black hair, scattered as though it was a birds nest, he looked like an evil scientist, perhaps from all the time spent under Imila.


    ¡°Whoa! whoa! easy big guy, shouldn''t you take it easy on me, I''m defenceless¡­¡± the boy said with such meekness, you wouldn''t have thought he just killed three men.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I know, i know, never show mercy to the enemy, bla bla bla¡± the boy shrugged.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You know¡­you gotta say something, its getting awkward -tesiwaju¡±


    A spell!


    The boy''s spell made the spear he had grabbed earlier when combating the three ambushers lift up from the ground and speed towards the back of the titan like it had a will of its own.


    The titan ignored and it shattered against the metallic sheen of his body.


    Without loosing a breath the boy followed up with another spell, ¡°Ina imole¡± and with a pointed finger he drew a glowing magical symbol, a small circle, with six short lines from the edge of the circle.


    The whole battlefield was engulfed with a very bright light. Nothing could been seen except searing white light.


    He knew he had no chance from the beginning but that wouldn''t deter him. He fell to a knee and slapped both palms on the ground, moving his palms in a swirling motion, ¡°rii sinu apete¡± he spoke. As he commanded, the ground around the titan liquefied and sank ten feet, a quagmire.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The titans voice rang from the bottom of the pit to the whole battle field. He was done with all this petty tricks. A red light radiated from the titan in the quagmire and slammed against everything that was within ranged. The ground cracked and the boy was blasted a hundred meters back like an artillery shell.


    With the boy blasted back, his concentration on the spells lapsed and the light and quagmire seized to continue their effects. He felt a pang of pain and he almost threw up. The titan slowly rose out of the pit and glanced at the boy, but the boy was no longer in sight.


    He then closed his eye and sensed his surrounding. The boy had ran.  He was already far away from the battlefield. Running through the city.


    The titan knew he was heading for the temple. The boy was trying to run to his teacher before he could get caught.


    The corner of the titans lips tugged. He never indulged in playground chase but he would indulge the boy this time. He needed the thrashing of his life.


    He took a step and vanished.

 Chapter 2 - Running through exposition

    Chapter two - Running through exposition


    The boy ran through the streets of the O¡¯oni. He never expected the war god to give chase. He had always snuck to the battle field to train with the warriors. Moving from battling the weakest to challenging the war god in the span of three years, and he also survived their just concluded battle.


    It was incredible, he never wanted to win but just survive, and he didn¡¯t think he could pull it off, no one had. He must admit that he had some close calls, but that¡¯s why the war god chased him, he wont live down the embarrassment of a kid surviving an encounter with him.


    He passed some buildings and checked them off his mental list. The buildings came in many styles. The ones with slopped roofs were homes, but without were strewn ovals and rectangle houses as well and he knew this in case he ever needed to avoid running on the streets.


    He was tempted to run on the roofs because there will be nobody to impede his escape but he needed the people to also slow and divert the war god¡¯s attention.


    The boy would have been able to exhaust every word he knew and he wouldn''t still be able to define one-thousandth of the holy splendour showering him.


    All throughout the city were idols, altars , fountains, markets and doves to populate them. Each corner he raced past had a distinctive style, and there was a distinctive flavour in every construction, paving stone, mural and statues.


    They were tall dignified and full of majesty- images of the gods as though they were there. The boy took notice of the war god¡¯s statue as he raced through the streets.


    There was a sense of harmony in every building, tranquillity in every street. From the colour, to the style and the materials, everything was in balance. A single, unified work of art that needed nothing added nor taken from it. Simply exquisite, the city was also unique.


    He knew he had little time left but he was already close the temple. Going straight up will lead to the temple, but the guards might slow him down.


    He turned to look at the road to his right, the road leads to the grand library, but he would have no place to hide there. He then turned to the road on his left, this will lead him- his thoughts were cut short by the presence he felt. It was faint but he could feel it nonetheless. He quickly made up his mind and went straight up.


    He increased his speed and people blurred. He was getting close to his destination. He knew that immediately from the people he passed.


    At the battle field you could see blood and madness and at the market a hint of impatient and mild annoyance, but in these people he passed, he saw tranquillity and peace.


    They were eyes he¡¯d only know from people that had frequent dealings with the temple of Agbonirregun.


    The boys eyes suddenly went wide, before him, was revealed the center of O¡¯oni City.


    Therein sat a mountain, that was so large it took up a tenth of the total area of the city. The mountain didn¡¯t have a peak at the top, instead, on it sat majestically a temple, It was pure white and whatever it was made with had the texture of polished jade ¨C a colossal white-jade temple.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The space around it was empty, a large public square lined with smaller churches and magnificent buildings of all sorts.


    And the temple itself?


    This grand and magnificent structure, silently, cast a light over the whole city. It served to deepen the feeling that all were in the presence of the divine.


    No wonder the citizens revered the gods, they were gifted this magnificent city to display their glory. Even the least pious would shake and fall to their knees in awe.


    As he raced towards the base of the temple, the boy felt them even from far away. The guards.


    He could feel the resonance from the bodies, ashe, the life force that runs through all things, living and inanimate. Divine energy from the One above all.


    ¡°Halt¡± a voice boomed


    He was surprised, he never expected them this soon. A troop of soldiers marched in the midst of the sound of clattering armour and he was quickly surrounded.


    ¡°The square of the temple is a sacrosanct ground. You sully its dignity, dressed as you are!¡±


    He looked down on his apparel and although it was ruined from the previous battle, at least he was still covered.


    Actually, he could count on one hand the frequency with which he would have had a clean couple of clothing since he began participating in training sessions.


    The War god¡¯s attack were too powerful, his clothes wont be regenerating any time soon. But he knew about the rules of dressing and purity in other to enter the temple and from the looks of it, these soldiers were itching to teach him a lesson.


    Under the circumstance the boy didn¡¯t have many choices. Stopping here will only ensure the War god catches up, but trying to bull-rush his way through wont be a mean feat and will only put him in more trouble. He had to rely on the token of his master.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I guess we¡¯re all tensed but I have a token of the high order. i just have to fetch it from my pocket¡± He stretched his hand out and grab at the air. He reached into his Apo and pulled out his token and called out in the most authoritative voice he could muster.


    ¡°This is a token of the high order, I need to see the holy father, I have important business to report. Who dares obstruct my mission?"


    ¡°Even Cardinals would show respect here. Flaunting your token here is an affront to the glory of the gods. Take it off!¡± The guards were not impressed, rather, they felt challenged.


    The boy was struck dumb. The token wasn¡¯t going to help him here? He always had it just in case of emergencies like this and the day he really needed it¡­


    As the soldiers were preparing to pounce on him a frigid growl arose. ¡°Have you forgotten where you are? What is the meaning of this?"


    There wasn¡¯t a soul in the entire city that did not recognise that voice. The soldiers turned and fell to one knee. The boys face paled. It was over now. He¡¯s been caught!


    A man in a white pallium walked over to them. There were two people in his wake, different from the kind the boy just encountered. They were were differently dressed, in priestly Mozzetta¡¯s. They were Cardinals of the temple.


    The man looked like he was in his forties, maybe a hundred and eighty centimetre. He had big eyes with thick white eyebrows and scholarly, a dignified bearing, and looked regal in his pallium. His calm visage carried with it an arrogance that seemed to cut everyone he looked upon down at the knees.


    ¡°My lord Agbonirregun, this man is making a scene. I was about to arrest him for interrogation.¡±


    ¡°A scene?¡± Lord Agbonirregun scowled. He looked at the boy calmly. ¡°Its been years since since anyone''s dared caused trouble in this holy place. Your insolence is extraordinary. The temple shouldn''t be tainted by stench from the battlefield. What are you looking for Ogun Lakaaye?¡± He then calmly looked above the kneeling guards towards a man no one had noticed prior. The War god.


    ¡°...¡± the War god seemed to be unbothered by being exposed, instead he silently stared at the boy. All eyes followed his gaze and fell on the boy as well.


    The boy winced in anticipation of the judgement that will come, he was caught now, he is going to be punished for going against clear instructions.


    Lord Agbonirregun looked at the boy, still standing in the midst of kneeling guards, and scowled ¡°Rhema¡±


    ¡°Hey teacher¡± the boy sheepishly smiled.

 Chapter 3 - Imila Agbonirregun

    Chapter Three - Imila Agbonirregun


    ¡°Teacher I..¡±


    ¡°how many times?¡± he asked with a tired sigh. ¡° how many times have i warned you, Rhema?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t actually counted. Quite a few?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t dig yourself a deeper hole than you already are in, boy¡± his teacher said sternly. He then looked towards the towering figure at the back and then at the temple guards. ¡°leave us¡± he said to the guards.


    Then he turned to the two people that followed him out of the temple and motioned for them to leave too.


    The instructed all bowed and dispersed as fast as they had converged on the boy. Leaving Rhema, lord Agbonirregun and Ogun who still stood afar off saying nothing.


    With almost everyone gone, Rhema felt the atmosphere tense ¡°teacher, i only-¡±


    ¡°We will deal with you later¡± lord Agbonirregun said cutting him off. ¡°I thought we had an agreement, Ogun? He said curtly


    ¡°We did not come to an agreement, did we? You made demands and I didn¡¯t agree to it. How does that count as an agreement, Imila?¡± Ogun said dismissively


    ¡°Do the men of the earth still proclaim that you are as straight as a dog in your ways or has time finally had an effect on your perspective?¡± said lord Agbonirregun.


    ¡°.¡­.¡± The war god just stood silently


    Rhema was confused to how they were acquainted. Yes, they both were High gods, the High god of war and the High god of wisdom and foresight, but high gods only stayed in their respective domains.


    They hardly interacted in the public, unless there¡¯s a conflict or when they are called by the god king, and as far as he knows, they weren¡¯t close nor had he seen them speak to one another.


    The only gods his teacher spoke to more often than not was that trickster, Eshuro and the godkings consort, Yemo.


    He had thought he brought the high god of war to this place at first but now it realised that there was more to this meeting than it seemed.


    The silence irritated Imila. He knew Ogun wasn¡¯t one for words, but what he lacked in poetry he more than made up for it in persistence. He already deduced what Ogun was here for and Ogun knew that he had realised it too. It was about the boy.


    ¡°If you would not say anything then there¡¯s no point to this quibbling. Unless you have the permission of the king then I see no reason why you would intrude my domain without my permission.¡± Imila said without the softness he used to speak to Rhema earlier.


    The war god observed the boy this time before replying Imila


    ¡° You have not honoured any of my invitations, neither have you accepted any official meetings with me¡­besides I was pursuing an enemy from my battlefield. I pursued him to this place not knowing I would meet you here, but now that I have met you here, I believe now is a good time as any.¡±


    ¡°I do not accept¡± Imila said as though he was bargaining with a disgruntled trader. ¡°You would have to go through official channels then maybe, just maybe I might accept¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Now it dawned on Rhema why the war god never seemed to be fast enough to catch up to him. He thought he was fortunate but now he realised that he was used as a means to another cause. War is the battle but strategy is used to execute it.


    The war god used him as a pawn to unofficially intrude another domain, but what could they possibly be arguing over? They were saying a lot but were not revealing anything.


    ¡°The boy has great potential, he wont survive if you keep protecting him and forcing him in to be in the library.¡± the war god said a bit forcefully, as though it was a command and not an observation.


    Imila turned to the boy with a wry smile ¡°is that so? You wont survive if you keep studying?¡± he said amusedly.


    Rhema was surprised at suddenly being put on the spot. They have had this discussion once before and he was prohibited from going to the battlefield to train. He thought for some time before deflecting with questions of his


    ¡°but teacher, don¡¯t you think its time I start my training? I have studied enough books haven¡¯t I? I know enough spells to use in many fields including combat. Why would you let me learn all of that if I¡¯m not going to use any of that knowledge?¡±


    Lord Agbonirregun softened at the boys rapid fire questions. The boy was a wonder, he soaked knowledge like a sponge but he was also stubborn and impulsive. He was young and still had a long way to go before he would reach where he wanted him to be.


    An invisible ethereal field emanated from Imila, surrounding Rhema and Ogun. It was a god field. Everything within this sphere was under his control. No sound would escape this field and no eavesdropper would hear anything.


    ¡°Your mind is your most powerful weapon. All battles begin here¡± he says as he gently taps Rhema¡¯s head, ¡±before they end here¡± he says motioning to the world around them. Rhema frowns. ¡°Am I wrong, Ogun?¡± He asks whilst still looking at the Rhema


    ¡°No, you are correct. The mind is the first battlefield, before the physical. You must conquer the mind before you temper your body. Victorious warriors win before they even step on the battle field, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.¡± he says with his eyes still on the boy.


    Rhema knew his chance would sooner go if he doesn¡¯t think of something quick. It came to him ¡°But teacher, Lord Lakaaye thinks I¡¯m ready¡± he said looking hopefully to Ogun for support.


    ¡°Does he?¡± he said taking his eyes of the boy and now looking at Ogun. ¡°Does he truly believe a young boy, just weaned of milk would be ready to participate in combat training? Do we give swords to children now?¡± he asked.


    Ogun took some steps forward to close the distance but still respectfully keeping a distance. ¡°We might not have agreed on where the boys place lies in Orundu but he holds great power and must be able to defend himself when the time comes.¡± he said now sounding like a general going to war.


    ¡°Defend himself from who?¡± asked Imila


    ¡°In the event of an invasion. Chaos would always try to distort order, it has come before and it will come again. The boy would have to be ready or there would be another needless casualty¡± Ogun warned sternly


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you have an army at your command general? Or are you so weak you need the strength of a child?¡± Imila said mockingly


    Rhema was surprised, he had always had his suspicions about why the kingdom had its standing army train so furiously, when there was no one powerful enough to challenge the gods.


    ¡°I pray a day will never come where he has to fight, but you, the wisest of us all, know that one cannot deny their inner nature. A scorpion must sting, a phoenix must rise out of its ashes¡± the war god pleaded


    Imila seemed to consider his words for some time before he coming to a decision.


    ¡°He is a child, and he is under my care. I wont be sending a child to war. Let children be children, they are only going to be little for a while. They should not be worrying about warfare at their age lest they start growing grey hair three thousand years before they should.¡± said Imila. He places his hands on the boy and looks straight at the boy ¡°This is my final declaration, there would be no more training. ¡±


    Rhema felt his heart drop. His teacher was a lenient god but when he gave a declaration, all other gods adhered, even the godking considers his words. He looked towards the war god hopefully but he was no longer there. He must have left immediately he knew he wasn¡¯t going to have his wish.


    ¡°Rhema, come with me to the sanctum, there are some things you need to know¡± Imila prodded the boy. He began to walk back towards the chiselled stairs on the mountain leading to the temple at the top.

 Chapter 4 - The staff of Judgement

    Chapter 4 - The Staff of Judgement


    Rhema walked a few paces behind his teacher. He had known teacher for as long as he has been alive, a sort of father figure but he never allowed Rhema to call him that. He had always preferred to be called teacher, because he felt that''s exactly what he was to Rhema.


    Teacher was a highgod, second ranked to the godking in authority but he never carried himself that way. He always tried his best to seem like an unassuming gentleman, who was content to keep quiet and only speaking when he feels it is right and would offer the best advise or information.


    Right now though, the air felt heavier. Teacher was definitely angry at him. In all his years, he has learned to wait until he is spoken to. He had never seen teacher use magic past the rudimentary, but holding such lofty position in the council of high gods was quite telling.


    He could already see the gears turning in teacher''s head, calculating, creating and destroying plans, every step leading up to the next, analysing all potential outcomes and examining the improbable ones. Before he speaks, he already knows what he is going to be reponded with.


    They entered the temple and headed for Lord Imila''s chambers. Imila''s chamber was a sort of library. It had a maze of shelves and books. Teacher finally settled into a chair but Rhema remained standing. Even if he had the privilege of being the student of the most powerful god in the city, he still had to be deferencial and respectful.


    "Rhema" Teacher finally said, breaking the silence.


    "Yes, Teacher" Rhema answered seriously, knowing this wasn''t a time for quips.


    "Why do you keep training, what pushes you to do it?" Teacher asked gently, looking at the boy.


    Rhema tried to avoid his gaze, then he resolved to face his fears, this might be a chance at changing teacher''s mind afterall.


    "At first, it was because I wanted to see if I could do it, combat magic. I felt bored studying books and spells for years, I wanted to try something different..." Rhema said.


    "..."


    Rhema continued "And when I did try it, I felt more at home in combat than I ever felt in a library, it felt natural to me"


    Teacher raised a brow.


    "That''s not what I really mean, what im trying to say is they seem to be training for two purposes. I feel like they had a sort of vision, some purpose to strive for while i didn''t" Rhema corrected himself.


    "I see" Teacher said. "Does one of the reasons involve the hundred year quest to become a god?" He asked


    "Yes" Rhema answered.


    And the other is? Teacher asked


    "They are training to fight against chaos, the natural enemy of order. Order which binds the gods and all of creation". Rhema said.


    "And you found all this while training?" Teacher asked patiently.


    "I did but I couldn''t get information on it in the city" Rhema said.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "And yet here you are vomiting information passed to you without verifying its authenticity. You couldn''t find information because I withheld it from you. I knew the moment you started training but I ignored because I felt you would quickly get frustrated. I allowed you for so long but you are quite the tenacious child...What do you know about chaos and the hundred year quest exactly?" Teacher asked.


    Rhema knew not to answer. He was going to be wrong regardless of what he said.


    Teacher waved his hands and illusions came to life around them. He started "At the beginning there was only the Sea of Chaos, then the first land, Orundun Nla, the symbol of Ashe, order, life, came from Chaos, creation from destruction, and from it, Ochalla rose. Ochalla was powerful and took many forms, but he was alone and chaos surrounded him". He said as the illusions illustrated what he spoke about.


    He continued "In response, he summoned the other gods: Imila, who wielded wisdom from the deep, and Oodua, who knew the mysteries of creation, Janaina, the sky, and Oshun, the earth. Then came children of Orundun Nla: the god of war, Ogun and the goddess of Fate, Eshuro. Following the creation of the other gods, Ochalla triumphed, Order over chaos".


    "However, as Order took manifestation in the form of Ochala, Chaos also manifested into a giant called Irukerudo, the god of Chaos who hated all of creation. As Chaos tried to overthrow and disrupt the delicate balance between Chaos and Order, Irukerudo tried to consume the celestial god, if he had won, the new world would be destroyed and all will fall into Chaos. However, the triumph of Chaos did not happen since the gods were there to protect Ochala, the Lord of Order". Imila finished.


    Rhema didn''t really know what to think. He already knew the origins of the gods were mysterious but he wasn''t expecting this story. He didn''t actually know what to expect.


    "Lord Ochala fufilled his mission and defeated Irukerudo. So we wont have to face chaos anymore, thus, making your training pointless". Imila said.


    Rhema felt his face turn red from embarrassment. "But why would lord Ogun train them if there''s no battle to be fought?" He asked.


    "I never said there is no battle to be fought, I only said chaos is not our problem anymore. Ogun trains them because that is his nature. War must be prepared for. It would be unnatural if he didn''t train them." Imila said.


    "And what about the Hundred year quest? Rhema asked quickly, grasping at straws. "Shouldn''t I train for that?" He asked.


    "Haven''t I been training you for that? All the spells and books you have been studying as been for nought?" Imila asked. "or is combat the only form of magic to be used?"


    "No it isn''t. There are six types based on the six primordial gods" Rhema said, "but why would souls have to be reborn into the earth before they can become gods? From your story, every god came to be already as a god but now we have to go on a quest to earth, only after succeeding in the quest do we become gods"


    "That is part of the quest, don''t you think? The pursuit of a knowledge, power and position beyond you, just like the primordials. You will find out in about fourty years when you come of age and you''re allowed to go on the hundred year quest" Imila concluded.


    "Lodd Ogun mentioned that chaos could rise again" Rhema said


    "Yes, Chaos refused to give up his hold on creation, aslong as order exist chaos will always be on the horizon. He rose so many times to defeat the gods and in the last great war, he defeated the gods one by one until only Ochala himself remained, just as it was at the beginning of time" Imila illustrated


    "Ochala sacrificed himself to preserve all of creation, taking Irukerudo out in mutual destruction. A balance of the scales. With Ochala''s ¡¯ dying breath, he separated the heavens from the earth to shield us from the outside world already tainted by chaos. In the event he, chaos, arose once more, Ochala left us a weapon, one powerful enough to destroy a primordial god... to destroy chaos before he could destroy creation..." Imila said


    "And the chaos killer?" Rhema asked


    "Chaos killer?" Imila asked, confused


    "The weapon" Rhema asked holding the illusion of the staff in his hands.


    "The staff of Judgement" Imila corrected


    "Yes, Who would wield it?" Rhema asked looking hopeful.


    "I hope there will never come a time when it is called to arms. But only the greatest among us even could... and that is not you, Rhema" Imila said crushing his fleeting hope.


    He takes Rhema¡¯s hand away from the staff and the illusion fades away.


    "So you see, my pupil, you are safe. And it is nothing for you to concern yourself with" Imila said softly.


    ''Only the greatest huh'' he thought to himself. Rhema tried to reign in a smile from breaking out. He had always been stubborn and willful. ''Lets see how that goes'' he mused.

 Chapter 5 - Janaina

    Chapter Five - Janaina


    "You¡¯re doubting yourself" a voice reverberated across the gargantuan field. The valley was dotted with scars from its recent bombardment. Wisps of smoke rose from jagged craters, marks of piwerful weapons. The compound itself had been completely destroyed, and its docks had crashed onto the ground below.


    Gods spent a lot of their effort on strengthen their mind and spirit so that they could make the most of their abilities. They were not lousy fighters by any means, but they typically were not up to the same level as a specialized warrior god like this one in front of him. He was the pinnacle of combat magic. The progenitor. Just as the other principal gods were pregenitors of the other five types of magic.


    In this world the difference between a wise man and a fool was simple; a wise man played to his strengths and avoided shortfalls. He held on to his advantage until the best possible moment, because while an advantage could give you the upper hand it could also just as easily slip away. Opportunity was about timing and motivation, and if you hesitated that opportunity fell into the opponent¡¯s hands.


    "No, I¡¯m not." Rhema said loses his footing and falling to the ground.


    "Yes, you are... but you¡¯re stronger than you believe" the wargod said moving in from a distance to deal the finishing blow.


    No sooner had Lord Laakaye made his move then Rhema flung himself at the warrior, no one could see where he¡¯d vanished to. Lord Laakaye reacted, stopped and stood with his feet planted and his arms folded across his chest, squinting into the mist like a tower stuck in the marsh. Wind or rain, he wasn¡¯t budging.


    Ogun¡¯s robes were ripped open at the chest.


    Rhema swept by like a specter, groping at lord Laakaye with summoned swords. But it didn¡¯t feel like he was tearing at a body at all. Rhema might as well have been trying to dig his nails through stone. Swords that could rip through a nether realm''s beast hide only left shallow gashes on lord Laakaye¡¯s chest.


    The instant lord Laakaye felt the strike he lashed out with a fist, fast as lightning. He wasn¡¯t one iota slower than Rhema at peak condition, and he was orders of magnitude stronger. There was a stuffy hmph, and Rhema was flung away with all the grace of a discarded sandbag. He hit the ground, bumped up, hit the ground again, and stopped only after he smashed through a tree.


    The black haired youth¡¯s body elicited a series of nauseating pops and snaps. In one punch the wargod had done as much damage as Cloudhawk had in a flurry of attacks.


    Lord Laakaye dropped his head and looked at the scratches on his chest. A few droplets of golden  ichor oozed from them but quickly stopped, and a few moments later they healed completely. A few faint scars were all that remained. ¡°That tickled,¡± he muttered.


    Inwardly Rhema felt his heart skip a beat.


    The guy¡¯s skin was hard as steel. He could stand there and let someone hack at him with a sword and they would barely leave a mark. Beyond that, his recovery speed was even faster than perhaps almost all gods bar the godking¡¯s, and judging by that one punch he was terrifying ly strong as hell too. He had always taken it easy on Rhema, and judging from all the openings to finish the battle, he was still taking it easy on him.


    Against someone like the wargod, he might have stood a chance if he had a divine sobriquet. A divine power a soul gets after going through the 100 year trial and returning as a god with control over a specific divine concept or element. But even if he had one, he doubted it would make any difference. How was he supposed to fight back? It was like a rabbit trying to fight a pangolin. The fuzzy moron wasn¡¯t getting through that carapace.


    A few more seconds passed and even the scars were gone from lord Laakaye¡¯s chest.


    As though he knew Rhema''s thoughts ¡°Others like you command the powers of ice, fire, wind and earth. They could be twice as strong and still wouldn¡¯t be able to stand against you. But out here, without a sobriquet, what can you do against true warriors like me?  you¡¯ve become too reliant on the gifts of the gods. You¡¯ve lost sight of your own strength.¡±


    ¡°Every inch of our bodies has been tempered by pain and struggle you couldn¡¯t even imagine. Any warrior god can defeat a god of equal rank in a straight fight, they just need to realize their potential."


    Rhema had gotten back onto his feet, albeit shakily. He glared at the wargod from across the misty clearing. He was out of his wits. He had gotten lucky once and thought he could replicate it again. But now he was nothing more than a sandbag.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    A voice called out ¡°Hold on!¡±


    A  woman, seemed to be in her forties,a goddess, clad in a purple robe, walked towards them. Her figure was tall and well proportioned, with hair like spun gold and eyes of the same color. A rare sight, certainly, like captured fire. Her skin was uniquely pale, like she was carved from alabaster and yet smooth as silk.


    She was a beautiful contradiction, equal parts stunning and confusing. Graceful, powerful, noble, wild, aggressive. She obviously saw Rhema and every step made the whole field seem to tremble. She wasn¡¯t a woman, she was a beast!


    She was trailed by four gods. Her gaurds. Why would a goddess need guards? Rhema thought.


    The terrifying woman seemed to hardly move when suddenly she was standing right in front of Cloudhawk. Her golden hair flit on the breeze as though agitated by its owner¡¯s dour mood.


    Bean-sized beads of sweat rolled down Rhema¡¯s face. His mind was blank. There had only ever been a few people who froze him solid just with their presence; his teacher  had been one, while lord Laakaye was the other. This woman was more imposing than either one of them!


    Rhema had a nagging premonition that things were only going to get more complicated but there was nothing for it. What was he going to do?


    "Janaina, What do you think you''re doing straddling here and interrupting a battle?" Ogun Laakaye said with a rage-filled roar of a lion that made far away trees rattle in protest.


    Janaina didn''t spare the wargod a glance but just touched Rhema on his head. His wounds started to heal. She wasn''t adept at healing magic but she was competent enough.


    "Are you okay?" She asked Rhema, ignoring the wargod.


    Janaina? Rhema knew he had read of the name somewhere. He racked his head and shortly remembered. She was the only primordial goddess to stepdown from her position as a primordial and was replaced by another. She was the consort to the former godking, Ochalla.


    " I¡¯m fine... I was just --"


    "Training. I can see that. Your teacher won''t be pleased though" Janaina said gently.


    "I wont be disrespected on my own land, you will answer me. I wont ask a second time" Ogun Laakaye said with barely holding back


    "It seems I am not the revered high priest I should be. Disobeyed, betrayed, by my own kin" lord Imila Agbonniregun said as he stalked towards them. He seemed to appear from thin air.


    He could tell just by the way his teacher  walked in, that an apology wasn¡¯t going to pacify his ferocious heart. He couldn¡¯t stay here, what did it matter if he pissed off one more person before he left?


    "Teacher! It was me. I asked lord Laakaye to --" Rhema quickly said fearfully but was cut off by a hand sign from lord Imila.


    "Take him away, Janaina" lord Imila said


    Janaina motioned for him to follow her "Come with me young Rhema" She seemed happy to have him to herself.


    Crestfallen, Rhema is  led away by Janaina¡¯s guards. He locks eyes with his Teacher as he leaves.


    "Humph, Unless you have the permission of the king then I see no reason why you would intrude my domain without my permission.¡± Ogun said with subdued anger. He knew he was in the wrong but that had never stopped him from going on the attack.


    The god of wisdom just observed the boy leave until he was faraway before replying the wargod.


    ¡°I have now honoured your  invitations and yet you complain¡­besides I was searching for my ward and knowing how stubborn he his. I knew ill find him here."


    The wargods face scrunched up as thoughhe swallowed something bitter. The god of wisdom was mockingly replying him the way he did when their roles were reversed, months ago.


    "If you honoured my invitation, then I would meet you in my temple and yet here you  are, intruding on my personal training ground. I would have broken you with my bare arms if you were a lesser god. Trespassing my domain is one thing but intruding my personal space is another. I won''t warn you another time"


    "Janaina is not bound by any domain and can move as she likes, I didn''t  know where Rhema was exactly but having her come here and confirm for me is not a unlawful, no? My ward is under my protection and you can''t stop me from extracting my ward from wherever he his, even if it''s your personal chambers" Imila said matter of factly.


    "..." the wargod said nothing.


    Suddenly the temperature dropped and Imila asked "Why was he training even after i expressly forbade it?"  glowing hieroglyphs appeared  to surround him. Multicolored symbols popped up all around him and floated away.


    Ogun scowled "You left me no choice, Imila. You neglect your duty if he cannot fight."


    Imila raised his voice and the hieroglyphs seemed to burn brighter "You speak of a time that may never come. He may never return! It could have been mutual destruction. Chaos and  Order, gone with the ancient laws they were borne from."


    "You think I don¡¯t wish that were true?!" Ogun roared. "You feel it in your bones, just as I do. Chaos is already here...  is out there... and it¡¯s only a matter of time before it returns. You''re the oracle, you foresaw--"


    "I know what i saw...The stronger he gets...will only bring him closer to enabling that vision. The weaker he is the better for him." Imila said sternly.


    "Nobody wants this less than I. But this is the only way to truly protect him. He is involved in a way we do not fully understand. If the worst could happen, then we must prepare for it" Ogun said, pleading.


    The hieroglyphs starts to fade. Imila¡¯s pained eyes look away, pause for a beat, and then return to meet Ogun''s  with a steely stare.


    "He is to never know the truth about what he is and how he came to be. You will train him harder than every Nirvanan god before him. Five times harder -- ten times harder. You will train him until he  indomitable"


    The wargod nods.


    Lord Imila Agbonniregun began to take his leave, walking slowly but deliberately. With each step, he seemed to fade away from reality. Intuitively, he seemed to remember something.


    Then he spoke with a steely edge to his voice "Ogun Laakaye, the next time my decree isn''t followed, you might not have a domain to rule over"


    He was no longer there.

 Chapter 6 - Decision

    Chapter 6 - Decision


    She had taken him to her place. Her place, besides crawling with guards, also had several patrols wandering from room to room. He could even feel the resonance of power coming from them. Gods! And more than one! gods as patrols? Who the hell had that kind of clout! It was big enough to give someone pause.


    The room they were in was fifteen meters of sturdy white stone, this place didn¡¯t have any fancy carvings or artsy construction. Compared to the rest of the house it was simplistic, in an austere military style. The front door was a slab of iron flanked by gold-plated statues of wild beasts in action. Each one had to weigh thousands of kilos, intimidating enough to refuse visitors from hundreds of kilometers away.


    When Rhema had entered the first thing to greet him was a faint fragrance, a jade fireplace and light of several elegant lamps illuminating the room.


    In the center was a veil that blocked his view of the rest of the chamber.


    The veil was ingeniously placed to separate the room down the middle. Its panels were painted with vaulted mountains, precipitous seas and a ferocious beast. The scene had a deep romantic charm, but looking at it filled Rhema with an inexplicable sense of oppression.


    Rhema looked around the several hundred-meter large room and saw that it was stuffed full of all manner of things. There were complete suits of armor, a model of a delicate and beautiful rare sword, beast heads mounted on the walls, and beautiful tapestries. Power and beauty, carnage and grace, blood and art ¨C both came together expertly here.


    This was getting akward. While he was looking around, she had been staring at him dearly, like an old friend. He sat in an ornamental chair just in front of her. She was humming a particular tune. It seemed familiar but he couldn''t even think clearly.


    He looked back at her, he could see gentleness but there was a ferociousness to her demeanor, a beast lurking inside. He was on edge, as though electricity coursed through his body.


    He realised she wasn¡¯t just looking at him. She was scanning him¡ªreading his entire being.


    He couldn''t move then his stomach clenched and his whole body tensed as if he were bracing for a hit, and the electrical feeling subsided.


    The woman raised an eyebrow as if he''d surprised her. She glanced behind him and said something in the ancient tongue, he recognize but didnt understand, hieroglyphs glowed bright and the the room seemed to fade away. A spell! He recognized the ancient tongue but didnt know what she said. He knew many words from study but not enough apparently.


    "Be at ease" she said with smile. We''re still in the room, its just an illusion to prevent the gaurds from listening in on our conversation.


    Rhema frowned in confusion. "Why dont you just send them away. If they''re your guards, you can ask them to leave can''t you?" He asked.


    It had been bothering him why she had people follow her everywhere and why her house was filled to the brim with gods.


    Her smile turned bitter "I wish it were that easy. Im under house arrest."


    Rhema''s was shoked, a primordial, under house arrest?


    She saw his suprised expression and smiled again "what exactly do you know about me?"


    "I don''t realy know much, I read about how you stepped down from your position after your husband''s..." he trailed off


    She frowned "Humph..It''s to be expected. Oodua, as thorough as ever"


    Rhema was surprised Lord Oodua? The godking? What does he have to do with this? He thought.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I wasn''t myself for a while after my husband''s... and i caused a lot of problems, so its its understandable why they would want to keep an eye on me."


    Rhema tensed visibly. Wait she caused problems for the council of the gods?!


    "It doesn''t matter if you dont remember anything, as long as I do then thats enough." She suddenly pulled him in for a crushing hug.


    He was taken aback. Why was she doing this. One shocking action after another. He didnt know how to react.


    I asked your teacher to speak with you and he reluctantly granted me permission but we couldn''t find you in his domain. He already knew where you could be and thats why we both came looking for you at Ogun''s domain.


    I just needed to know if you remembered me. You never asked to see me and I began to worry if you have forgotten me. That''s why I begged your teacher to permit me just this once. I might never see you gain after this but this moment....its enough. I understand why now, and I believe it''s better this way"


    Then she pulled away, leaving him gobsmacked. "Ignore everything I said. Im just a woman going senile in her old age" she said chuckling depreciatingly.


    He looked at her and she didn''t seem a day over 400 years old. But he understood that the gods could appear as they wished.


    She seemed to sense his thoughts. "Don''t think too much" was all she said. "Im sure you know about the earth realm" she said suddenly changing the topic.


    Yes he did know about it. Who didn''t. Every soul has a chance to go to the earth realm for their 100 year trial in order to acquire godhood status and a divine sobriquet. He wasn''t old enough to go on the trial but he knew everything to be know about it.


    Earth realm was a place that lord Ochala created. Every soul originates from there. It was lush, green, had oceans of water on its surface and, of course, life. It was also where Lord Ochala defeated Chaos.


    To become a god you had to be born anew into the earth realm and rise above mortality and gain divinity in a hundred years. You would be born without your memories but will have a special mark on you. You will understand you''re special and on a mission.


    If by hundred years, you aren''t able to gain divinity, you return to Nirvana as a powerless soul. The lowest on the rungs. Unable to take another trial until another 200 years.


    The primordials never went through this trials as they were born as gods. Well except Zango and Yao, who replaced Ochala and Janaina.


    You aren''t old enough to go there now, are you? She enquired


    He didnt know where she was getting at but he took his time before he answered. "No, not anytime soon too. Im just 160 years old. That''s still a long way to 200 years."


    I see, such little time left. She muttered under her breath then.


    Little time left? Did he mishear?


    "Nevermind little Rhema... You remind me of him soo much. I needed to know what it feels like for him to be around. He was such an inspiration. Ingenious. The best of us."


    "He was stubborn too" she smiled. Im stubborn too. Too willful infact but he was like a minotaur, once he made up his mind to do something, he never stopped until he achieved it. From bringing forth order, to the establishment of the gods, creation of the realms and even...you" she spoke in a passionate way.


    Rhema just listened amidst his confusion. From what he could deduce, she was a lonely person and just needed someone to air to. She couldn''t talk this freely with the other primordials because of their existing rift. He sensed it the way Lord Laakaye reacted to her.


    "I have had a lot on my mind and I wasn''t just brave enough to face it. Thats why i requested to see you. If after seeing you, if my mind wasn''t changed then, i will know im on the right path"


    She went silent, seemingly lost in thought.


    "Did you change your mind?" He asked, breaking her from her silent thoughts


    "No I didn''t. Im only more convinced it is something I have to do" she said


    Rhema didn''t know what she was conflicted about but he was glad to help. He seemed to start to enjoy her presence. She didn''t look so terrifying anymore. So he smiled.


    She lit up at his smile.


    Wait, won''t your gaurds be suspicious of your current activity?


    Huh them? She pointed at a space. He couldn''t see them but he knew they were there.


    "They aren''t aware of any illusion. They are seeing a completely different conversation. About your favourite tea and biscuit." She said


    "Wow, you can do that?" Rhema asked. He knew she was the former primordial goddess of the elements, but using illusions was a speciality of his teacher through hieroglyphs.


    Of course I can, she puffed her chest with pride. "Im impressive." Her face then changed, our times up. The light dissolved back and the room and the gaurds appeared once more, unaware of the conversation that just took place.


    "Your teacher will be expecting you" she said gloomily. His ears perked at the mention of his teacher. He had almost forgotten he had a punishment to go back to. Teacher wasn''t going to spare him this time.


    "Thank you for your time" he said as he stood up. She didn''t reply instead her icy demeanor returned. He felt pity for her. He would come visit her again he decided. He began to leave through the path she led him through when they came. Ignoring all the guards on the way.


    After he left. The room was enveloped by the illusion she used with Rhema but it covered the only four guards in the room. Cold wind brushed the four of them and the temperature in the room plummeted. The warm and humid room became bone dry and cold as the grave.


    She spoke "I have decided"

 Chapter 7 - The grey one

    Chapter 7 - The grey one


    A grey-robed man sat cross-legged in the darkness, deep within a distant mountain cave. His features were lean and gentle, with dark grey hair, which grew out to the base of his neck, unkempt and parted down the middle. A staff was resting nearby, and all around him flickered orbs of cyan light that danced like fireflies. The elder¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, but his chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm. For a moment he scowled, and then with a racking cough he spat forth a mouthful of blood.


    The man in grey wiped his mouth, paying little mind to the streak of crimson across the back of his hand. His eyes opened. ¡°Approach.¡±


    A young man in a heavy black cloak entered the cave. He had a severe countenance, yet despite this his face softened like that of a child looking at a beloved parent when he gazed upon the man in grey. His voice was gentle when he spoke. ¡°Your injuries¡­¡±


    ¡°Those children are no threat to me. These are mostly the old wounds stirring anew.¡± A contemplative light flashed through the Grey One¡¯s eyes. ¡°Battling against the heavens was no easy feat. It came at a price.¡±


    This illness was an old devil his father struggled with, and it was not something  could fix. Lord Geras would need to struggle with that battle on his own.


    The Grey One greeted him with a question. ¡°Why have you come?¡±


    The corner of  Ayanmo¡¯s eyes twitched. It¡¯d been several years since the two men last met, but his father didn¡¯t offer the sweet warmth of rekindled family. Instead, the Grey One gave him the impression of an old friend who had fallen out of touch after a lengthy separation.


    He didn¡¯t used to be this way.


    ¡°Thunderflame has established contact¡± Ayanmo''s face hardened. ¡°Lady Janaina commands it herself. There¡¯s no skirting around it now, she wants  us to come for her.¡±


    The grey one finally opened his eyes "Then we shall start our preparations...we finally have another chance to right our wrongs"


    Ayanmo hesitated for a moment, but eventually replied. ¡°What happens if we fail?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already accomplished the impossible, and the course we¡¯ve set for the world cannot be undone. Even the likes of Oodua will have to bend to reality. When we are gone, there will a successor to carry our torch; stronger in ability, talent and spirit. It is history that makes heroes, and we have made history.¡±


    Was there really such a person? Where were they now?


    Ayanmo thought for a time and then nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    The Grey One looked at his son with a note of melancholy on his face. That boy was simultaneously his greatest achievement and deepest regret. Ayanmo had the potential to be an high god. If things had been different, he would have been a god admired and adored by millions.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He was just born in the wrong generation. Born in the wrong place. In the end, he was sent down a dark road there was no coming back from.


    What did Ayanmo think about his fate? Did he consider himself blessed by destiny or cursed by it?


    They shared some small talk for a few minutes before Ayanmo felt it was time for him to go. He still had a very important mission to undertake, one that would influence not just the entire course but the fate of his father as well.


    ¡°Father.¡± Ayanmo walked to the mouth of the cave before stopping. When he said the word he felt his heart flutter, and for a reason he didn¡¯t understand there was a sudden pang of sadness that washed over him. ¡°No matter what comes, I believe in you. This world needs your strength and wisdom. Please take care of yourself.¡±


    This was the ingrained sentiment between a father and son.


    After Ayanmo departed, another man in orange bearing a furled standard entered. Lieutenant to the grey one. He had a name but it had been abandoned the day the heavens abandoned him. These days he went by the name J. He stood awaiting commands from his master.


    "It is time, prepare the gateway"


    --------------


    Several months have passed and Rhema had been shuffling between training with the war god, learning with his teacher and visiting lady Janaina. His training had become even more difficult than he could imagine, his teacher rarely smiled anymore but lady Janaina was different, she seemed to engage him like a little boy and spoiled him however she could.


    It was different from what he heard about her, her appellation was the thunderflame yet she seemed gentle like a mother advancing in age. Even with all her honesty, she spoke a lot but never revealed much about herself. He had also gotten used to the ever present gaurds around her. They never spoke or seemed to be alive. They just stood like statues or silently followed when She took him for a walk.


    The night was still young when she sent Rhema back to his teacher. She was sat in her chambers. No one ever spoke in her house and she preferred it that way. What could they possibly say that the prideful primordial would listen to?


    Lady Janaina was not herself. She hadn''t been for many years, if she were telling the complete truth of things, but she could feel it now more than ever.


    The instability in her thoughts. The erratic emotions that gripped her. Anxiety. Sorrow. But perhaps most of all, fear.


    Fear of what? She could hardly tell anymore. Of everything, perhaps. Of all outcomes. All possibilities.


    Ochala, her consort for many years, was gone. Consumed by chaos he swore to destroy. Rhema, his creation and one she took as her darling son, had no memory of her. Taken by the philosopher, Imila.


    Her two greatest ties to this world. Severed.


    She knew she was broken now. She had known it for some time. Tonights even will only make it much more clear to her. She took a few breaths and her cold demeanor was regained. The Thunderflame was a name gotten through her penchant for destruction. Tonight, Orundun nla will be reminded of a force not even the fates can change.


    Suddenly, without warning¡­


    A blinding light shattered the encroaching night, far in the distance. The starry sky was bright as day again for an instant, as though the sun had clawed its way back from sleep. It was several minutes later that the sound of a blast reached her.


    Even at such a great distance Janaina still felt the earth tremble beneath her feet.


    As the light faded from blinding white to angry red, it illuminated the mushroom-shaped cloud rising from the earth. When the sound finally reached them it was like a hundred thousand stampeding horses. The intensity of it was almost deafening. She couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like closer to...


    Janaina watched as that thin golden light vanished within the red glare. The explosion¡¯s epicenter was the heart of Orundun nla, where the former godkings palace stood.  Every patrol god and seraph who were station withing a hundred kilometers  from there felt nothing, because their bodies were incinerated by atomic fire instantly.


    For over a hundred years it had stood as the reminder of the former godkings glory and power. Now it was gone. This moment¡­ this glorious moment heralded the birth of a new era.


    Janaina stood up and she vanished in a flash of lightning

 Chapter 8 - The living city

    Chapter 8 - The living city


    It would have been suspicious enough that Janaina had not said anything throughout their last walk or even with the fact that she sent him to his teacher early instead of normally overusing her allocated time and having to get a signal from him to release his pupil, but what had been bothering him the most were the vibrations he could feel just moments before she sent him back.


    Rhema could clearly hear a strange strumming sensation, no, not strange, it seemed familiar but he could not place his finger on it. It was almost like a guitar string being plucked and now they seem to be growing stronger and stronger. Some sort of energy was building up.


    Now he looked around his chambers, trying to sense where the sensation appeared to be coming from. He stared into the dark until he heard the direction clearly. A single thought kept bothering him. An urge he just couldn¡¯t shake. Finally he obeyed his curiosity and crept out of bed.


    Rhema felt his way to the door and tugged at the handle. Locked, as he already knew it would be. It was a measure teacher had put there to ensure his curiosity didn¡¯t make him wander in the middle of the night, just like he was trying to do now. It will be till the early hours of the day before it is unlocked, but he had long since known how to unlock it.


    The boy was also sure his teacher knew he must have known and would have set an extra measure, but at this point Rhema didn¡¯t even want to strain his mind trying to out think his teacher.


    Rhema pressed his palm to the door and whispered in the ancient tongue, sii.


    Locks clicked and the door swung open. Handy trick. Simple, but highly effective.


    Outside, the corridors were dark and empty, barely lit by torches strategically placed to guide the passage. He sneaked through the temple in the all familiar route he had been passing for years.


    A route with the least guards and obstructions and better odds of not been spotted, he threw an invisibility spell on himself, a variation of the light spell he used against the war god, bending the light around himself this time. This spell needed high technical control.


    He was soon out of the temple and into the city, the night was as calm as it normally was, just has it had been hours ago when he took a walk with Janaina. Now that he thought of her, he could tell she was apprehensive when they took the walk, as if she were preparing for something and moments after he started to feel the sensation.


    She was definitely linked to it, he thought. How though? He wasn¡¯t sure. He thought to find her first but then realized there was no way he would be able to sneak past all the guards surrounding her. So he focused on the strumming sensation.


    The vibrations seemed to ring out from a faraway location, but he traced it and begin to move. Time passed and the boy reached the borders of the city of Ooni. He took a deep breath and ventured forward into the new realm. One he hardly entered and perhaps the most deserted location in Orundu nla. Oyo, the city of the first godking.


    He felt the air on his skin rise, somehow he could sense that he was been watched, even whilst still under the cover of invisibility, perhaps seraphs were searching for him already. It was hard to shake off, but he was out now, the only way now was forward.


    This city was the most magnificent in all of Orundun Nla, it ground was made of precious stones and its design was beyond imagination. He had only been here once in all his life and that was so many years ago.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The city was dead though, without its ruler and temple, activities in the city faded into obscurity. It never had a residential area, thus people weren''t found much in the city and after so many years, no one really ventured into this parts again.


    He moved quickly, with each step he took the vibration seemed to fasten, he was getting nearer to the source.


    Not long after he reached the city center, a dead end was before him. He stood infront of a very large wall of bluish golden energy. It seemed a blue film was layered over the golden one. A sort of double protection. This wall of energy covered the entire mountain, barring access to the temple of Ochala.


    The vibrations were quite loud in his head now, but there was no way to enter, the wall stetched up to the the endless sky and went wide enough to cover the temple in a box like shape.


    He was at loss on what to do, he had already come so far, he couldn''t just head back especially now that his head was filled with a sound he couldn''t ignore. He racked his thoughts for a way in. Even if he could find a way in, does that guarantee a way out? He thought, because if he is eventually stuck inside and the high gods find him here, then not even Teacher will be able to save him from severe punishment. He was trespassing!


    Rhema thought for a while, weighing the pros and cons, on one hand he had already come so far and his desire had to be fufilled, but on the other hand, he couldn''t really afford to be caught in one of the most restricted zones in Orundun Nla.


    While he was battling with his thoughts, he felt an energy so overwhelming and dense, that he suddenly couldn''t breathe, it was as if he were carrying 20 tonnes of weight on his shoulders. A golden wave of energy burst out from the temple, breaking the double layer protection around the temple anld then spilled over into he city, turning every living thing into ash and the very groung into molten lava.


    The city was on fire for hundred of kilometers. It burned brightly, that one would have mistaken the night for daytime.


    The boy passed out from the pressure and was visible once more but the wave didnt harm him, it instead seem to be absorbed into his body. His entire body had a golden illumination. The ripples continued, wave after wave, weakining until the last wave dispersed.


    Moments later, a purple robed woman wreath in lighting appeared at the foot of the mountain. Janaina, the Thunderflame looked upon the unconscious boy.


    How had this boy managed to still be the center of this situation she mused. Janaina had taken extra measures to prevent him from getting involved in this. She knew he would feel the link between Ochalla and himself and thats why she had sent him home early and just before the energy wave had dispersed, had set up a lightning seal around his room that would have prevented him from going out while the whole ordeal lasted. By the time the seal would be removed, she would have been gone, and his innocence preserved.


    But looking at him, unconscious, sleeping like a baby, without a concern for the world around him, unaware of the trouble he has stuck his head into. She lifted him and put him on her left shoulder. Lighting consumed her being and she took a step, launching herself and the boy she carried in a lightning streak breaking the sound barrier multiple times over. She reached the top of the mountain in a flash and gazed upon the temple.


    It was the same way she remembered it to be, nothing has changed she thought. The temple had multiple pillars and stairways of gold.


    She lay Rhema on the ground just before the temple and she faced the 100 feet double barrelled doors. She touched the doors and they gently swung open, inviting her in.


    Janaina hard the strong urge to look back at the boy but steeled her resolve. The boy was a distraction she shouldn''t have allowed into her heart. After a few breathes, she walk in and the doors closed behind her.


    As the door closed, another wave passed from the temple and washed over the city, the city on fire begun to reconstruct itself.


    The fires went out and the molten ground started to reverse to its original beauty. That was what made this city unique, even after so many years, Ochala''s residual power still repaired the city after devastation.


    At its peak, no one could attack the city because the city was sentient, it was the safest place to be in all of Orundun Nla, the living city, Oyo. Now though, the city could only react after the attack but reversed all damages made to it with blinding speed, even the golden barrier around the temple returned.


    Just as the first and second wave passed, sirens blared all over. The air shimmered, the god of war stood at the base of the mountain where the golden barrier was mounted.


    "Hmm'' he mused.

 Chapter 9 - The Age of the gods

    Chapter 9 - The Age of the gods


    The boy started to regain consciousness. He was drowsy, his brain felt like it had melted into mush. He tried standing up but after many tries he settled for just sitting and resting his back on a pillar.


    Rhema''s mind was still in shock but he already started to get his bearings. He looked around trying to figure out what happened to make him pass out and feel so heavy but he just couldn''t remember.


    His head was still ringing with the vibrations he had been hearing. It was very loud now and it was causing quick a headache for him. His body felt heavy like lead and hot like lava, he looked at his skin and found it red like heated iron.


    There was only one thing he could do now...something he should have done since he felt the strumming vibrations back in his room. Pray.


    Painstakingly, he brought his legs into a crossed position and then settled his hands on his legs as though in meditation. His breathing started to slow until his chest began to rise and fall rhythmically. He thought of his teacher, Imila Agbonniregun, the god of divine wisdom and magic, he knew praying to him will only alert him to the danger he was in but he had no other choice.


    He asked for grace and after a short time he felt his teachers presence. Like a cold bath on a very hot afternoon, his body began to relax from its tense state. His temperature also reduced but not entirely back to its normal levels.


    He then stood up, he still felt heavy but he could move and that was enough. Rhema looked around and found that he was already inside the barrier. How it happened was mind boggling, but he also noticed the blue barrier was no longer there. He then turned to face the giant doors.


    He held his breath and marveled at the beauty and sheer power the doors flaunted. There was an giant image of a golden red bird on the doors.


    Rhema pushed open the golden doors. Inside, the hall seemed very gigantic and deserted. No balls of fire floated around the ceiling, no glowing hieroglyphs, just unnerving quiet. But images still shimmered between the columns, washing the hall with strange, multicolored light.


    The young man took a few nervous steps. Something about those images had shaken him. He thought he''d gone into a dangerous trance, he felt a connection to those images, like there was an answer within¡ªa vital piece of information he needed.


    He stepped off the carpet and approached the curtain of golden light. He saw sand dunes shifting in the wind, storm clouds brewing, a gigantic sea creature sliding down an ocean. He saw a vast hall full of revelers. He touched the image. And suddenly he was in a vast wasteland, he saw seven gods standing in the aftermath of a devastating battle.


    Huge beings swirled around him, changing shape from human to animal to pure energy.


    A throne was conjured in the center of the room and a muscular man in rich white robes and silver hair sat on it. He had a handsome face and warm golden eyes. His hands looked strong enough to crush rocks.


    The other gods celebrated round him. Music played¡ªa sound so powerful that the air burned. At the man¡¯s side stood a beautiful woman in purple. Her form flickered; at times she seemed to have multicolored wings. Then she turned in his direction, Rhema gasped. She had Janaina''s face but she didn¡¯t seem to notice him. In fact, none of the gods did, until a voice behind him said, ¡°Are you a visitor?¡±


    Rhema turned and saw something he knew he couldn''t have imagined, he saw someone who looked like an adult, yet also a child; like a man, yet also a woman; like a saint, yet also a criminal, dressed in black and white checkered robes. His? Her? face was also painted half white, half black, the eyes are a golden color and they had their teeth constantly bared, giving the appearance of them constantly smiling. It also wore a white hat with four ends that point to four sided and a large black scarf around their neck.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    It tilted its head, and it finally occurred to him that he¡¯d asked a question. Rhema tried to think of something to say but nothing came to mind. Anything would¡¯ve done. But all he could manage was a shake of the head.


    ¡°Not a visitor, eh?¡± it mused. ¡°A god then?¡± It gestured towards the throne. ¡°Watch, but do not interfere.¡± The person in black and white dissolved into a shadow and disappeared, leaving him no further distraction.


    ¡°Janaina,¡± said the man on the throne.


    The woman turned towards him and beamed. ¡°My lord Ochala¡±.


    The gods were moving around busily, the very air swirling in a dance of creation.


    Lord Ochala raised his hands and drew hieroglyphs after hieroglyphs and the wasteland began to terraform, the ground rose, a temple was created, a city followed then the surrounding area. He knew he was looking at the creation of Orundun Nla. He then separated the heavens from the earth and nether realm.


    The golden light became a blur of images and events, a cycle of chaos and destruction followed by order and creation, two forces always in battle, death vs life but the gods of order always appeared to win.


    Events changed once more, the atmosphere felt different, he was on earth, the battle field of the gods, the gods were battling chaos and its legion of demons. Hieroglyphs were illuminated in many colours, spells from the ancient tongue and weapons were conjured.


    The gods, several hundred in number this time, held back the legion while Ochala battled chaos.


    It appeared more or less humanoid from the waist up, but his legs were like the bodies of boa constrictors. He was far bigger than all the gods, standing at 50 feets. On each hand, he had a hundred fingers tipped with red-eyed serpent heads. He had massive leathery wings and long matted hair that smelled like volcanic smoke.


    Rhema felt like he could risk going insane from trying to comprehend what he was looking at.


    Chaos moved and not even Ochala''s staff, the most powerful weapon ever created, was able to stop him, Ochala struck and the whole battle field lit up, an attack so devastating a country wide mushroom cloud resulted from the fall out and hordes of chaos demon were vanquished from the aftermath of his attacks.


    It was terrible, he made a nuclear bomb look like a fire cracker but Chaos merely stumbled backwards before continuing.


    Chaos waved its hand, incapacitating Eshuro and Oshun along the way, smashing Eshuro deep into a mountain, and smashing Oshun out of the sky with enough force to create a new lake.


    Every time chaos attacked, It was like watching a god tearing away the wings of insignificant insects with little to no effort.


    Ochala barely matched chaos blow for blow, he seemed powerful enough to hold it down till the gods cleared the demon army but not powerful enough to beat chaos on his own.


    Ochala was occupied, drawing multiple hieroglyphs with his free hand, speaking divine words from his mouth and physically battling Chaos with his staff.


    The battle lasted all the way throughout the night into the morning of the next day. While chaos was cutting down the gods, whether through sheer luck, strategic planning, or exhaustion of the other party, the remaining gods were able to slowly whittle down the demon army, as their fatigue grew over the ceaseless fighting.


    Eventually as the demon horde were defeated so was Ochala gainning the advantage over Chaos, the gods in their dwindled numbers were powerless to join in the fight, chaos could only be faced by the lord of order, numbers meant nothing to it. It was simply a battle between destruction and creation, darkness versus light. Nothing could stand inbetween.


    The other gods had done their part, now they await.


    Inevitably, as was in the past, Order reigned supreme, finally destroying chaos and banishing its essense to the nether realm.


    Exhausted, wounded and his life hanging by a thread, he stumbled and fell to a knee before slowly regaining his foothold. The gods begin to surround him. Janaina moved to help him but he held a hand out to stop her. His eyes glowed and he drew hieroglyphs in the air to summon Eshuro and Oshun back. They reappeared and Eshuro did what it has always done after the battle of armageddon, it drew hieroglyphs summoning a portal back to Orundun Nla.


    Ochala went first, taking a steady step into the portal. In war the slightest distraction could be fatal, but the war was over so Ochala paid no mind to the shadow closing in from behind.


    Only when the sword burst forth from his chest did he notice them.


    H-how..? Eyes wide, Ochala felt the pain bloom through him, stealing his breath. In jerky movements he turned his head to see Eshuro''s black and white face grinning at him. Only there was something horrible about it - twisted and unnatural.


    "A gift from fate." It said.

 Chapter 10 - The gathering

    Chapter 10 - The gathering


    Rhema felt a very sharp pain in his chest, almost as if he were the one that was stabbed. His vision started  to waver, slowly though, enough to see an enraged Janaina try smother Eshuro with the biggest pillar of flame he had ever seen, it consumed Eshuro and another ten miles to the west.


    The other primordial gods sprung into action, fiercely  engaging Janaina. In her prime, she could have faced two of them without being overwhelmed. But she was spent from a war and was also facing four at the same time. The gods eventually subdued her. Where was lord Ochala  in all this? he thought.


    Surely he wouldn''t just let her be beaten. He tried to find godking but his vision was already dim. He could not see anymore. "You must escape", the voice of Janaina said in my mind. "Corruption...". "Chaos..."


    Just when he thought his heart would burst, he felt a hand on his shoulder. The images evaporated. The old master, lord Imila Agbonniregun, stood next to him, his face pinched with concern. Glowing hieroglyphs danced round him.


    ¡°Forgive the interruption,¡± he said. ¡°But you were almost dead.¡± That¡¯s when Rhema''s knees turned to water, and he lost consciousness.


    When he awoke, he was curled at teacher¡¯s feet on the steps below the empty throne. They were alone in the hall, which was mostly dark except for the light from the hieroglyphs that  glowed around him. He briefly wondered how his teacher must have entered.


    Rhema stood up and looked around the throne room. His teacher said nothing while Rhema did so. He took a shaky breath.  Then asked "Are the gods truly immortal?"


    ¡°Hardly immortal, my dear. In fact...¡± Teacher''s voice trailed off. ¡°But nevermind that. What did you see in your vision?¡±


    Rhema thought he probably should¡¯ve kept quiet. He didn¡¯t want to be judged for breaking any rules, but the vision had terrified him¡ªespecially the moment when he¡¯d saw the gods had betrayed their former king.


    But Teacher''s kindly expression made it hard to hold back. He ended up telling him everything. Even the part about seeing a Eshuro, the black and white god, the god of fate, balance and roads in the throne room.


    Teacher sat for a moment  before standing ¡°You saw a very old event, Rhema"


    "The gods betrayed their king, didn''t they?" Rhema asked in a whisper.


    His teacher sighed. "Things aren''t that simple, the images you saw are the recordings of time from the beginning but the only ones you remember are the memories you could comprehend. You understand a bit about betrayal, war, power and duty, and that''s why you remember them, but every other thing you couldn''t comprehend were quickly forgotten"


    "I do...I do not understand what would make the gods turn against their king" Rhema said with rising anger. He remebered the feeling of being stabbed, the pain, the hopelessness whdn his eyes couldn''t see.


    "Why would the gods go against the very thing they were created to uphold?!" He continued.


    The air shimmered and five gods joined in the throne room. Rhema took a unconscious step back. He saw them again, they who had just betrayed him...no Lord Ochala, he felt like it was him. What he saw might have happened centuries ago but he only witnessed it moments ago. The sword bursting out from his chest was still fresh in his mind.


    "Rhema" lord Ogun spoke. "How were you able to bypass the barriers?"  He then turned to face lord Imila, "or did you grant him forbidden knowledge to trespass?".


    Lord Imila had a mask of irritation "If I had such knowledge, we wouldn''t have to project our consciousness here, now would we?"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "To be blunt, I wouldn''t put it past you to do so" another god spoke with a voice almost as heavy as lord Ogun''s. He was muscular, tall and bearded, with fiercely glowing skin, the color of polished pennies, golden eyes like miniature suns with a harsh light. He was wearing a golden red robe and wielded a long golden double edge axe. I recognized him, he was Olukoso. The god who replaced Janaina as the elemental god.


    "Petty quibbling as always, you lot never change, what will you do if lord Imila planned it? Because I doubt any of us would be able to see through his ways" a goddess said.


    Rhema recognized her as one of the gods Chaos had smashed out of the battlefield. Then he remembered. He quickly scanned the room and he swiftly found who he was looking for. A primordial in black and white. The one who instigated the rebellion.


    "You!" Was all Rhema could say taking a few steps forward.


    "Yes...me" was all Eshuro said with its ever present smile.


    "You caused all this?" Rhema demanded. In another scenario, he wouldn''t have dared speak up in the presence of unfamiliar primordials.


    They might just smite him or turn him into a bug. But he felt empowered, he felt rage welling up from the inside. He looked around. "No, all of you are in this" he said with a sudden realisation dawning on him.


    "Be silent" Olukoso spat out. "Imila, reign in your ward before I turn him to ash" The atmosphere became heavy. The air felt hot.


    Rhema''s heartbeat accelerated. For the first time in a hundred and sixty years of his life, he felt he might actually die. This wasn''t training with Lord Ogun or his teacher, where they would be holding back on him. He felt he could literally be turned to ash if he spoke out of line again.


    "You will do no such thing" lord Imila said. ".....He saw the age of the gods, his mind is in disorder, he''s too young for his mind to fully comprehend it-"


    "He''s not living here alive, now that he knows what has happened...forbidden knowledge, lord Oodua would  not trust him to keep that knowledge to himself, the godking wouldn''t allow him leave here with that knowledge." Eshuro cut in softly.


    "...His memory can always be wiped. We don''t have to worry about his knowledge....unless you saw something occur in time that we don''t know about? Eshuro" the last of the five finally spoke. She was a very tall goddess and possessed a well-built body. She had shoulder-length raven-black hair and striking silver-grey eyes and a silvery robe.


    Rhema was shocked, memory wipe? That was long forbidden, they wouldn''t do that to him would they? He looked to his teacher but was met with a stony face. He knew all he needed to know. It was forbidden but it had been done before and to him no doubt, considering how the option readily came up.


    Eshuro chuckled "Indeed I have, the boy will have to make a decision moments from now... that decision will determine the future of Orundun Nla...no...of the entire universe." He said, almost as if it didn''t matter whatever happens. He..she.. it..looked unconcerned.


    The gods were silent. All eyes went to the boy standing at his teachers side. Rhema was truly confused, he couldn''t follow their conversation and all of a sudden he was the center of attention. He felt fear, insignificant in their eyes, an ant in the midst of giants.


    He almost cowered, then he recalled his military training from Lord Ogun. He couldn''t cower in the face of overwhelming power, he should face it head on, without fear.


    He took a quick breath and stepped out of his teachers shadow. He didn''t know what to say but he knew he had some leverage now. A decision to make. He wasn''t sure what exactly, but he will milk it for what its worth.


    He walked a few paces, stopping in the middle of the gathering. "What decision do I have to make?" He asked Eshuro.


    Eshuro simply laughed eerily, it filled the entire hall.


    The gods looked on at the spectacle. They knew they couldn''t force answers from the oracle, it spoke when it had to and the rest would be revealed in time.


    "Be patient, young one" Eshuro said.


    Rhema felt disgusted. From another person it would have felt normal...but from Eshuro it felt mocking.


    "Eshuro, Where''s Lady Janaina?" Lord Imila asked suddenly. She definitely entered the temple.


    Rhema was surprised to hear that name. What did she have to do with all of this?


    "The Thunderflame will soon be upon us" Eshuro said and the hall descended into silence once more. "She wanted to come this way, but I led her down another path. She is coming."


    "How can she find her way if you already change her path?" Lord Ogun asked.


    "Eshuro must be leading her here then" Olukoso pointed to the accused.


    The accused just kept on smiling.


    "Eshuro is that true?" Lady Oya asked.


    Eshuro laughed again and in a sing song manner started said. "The boy brings her here. He can''t hide himself from her. He has the scent of the one above all"


    The hall descended into silence once more as all eyes fell on the boy.  Rhema began to see a pattern. He wasn''t in this place by coincidence. He had always known he was never like the other souls in Orundun Nla. How much different was he? he wasn''t sure, but he knew it. He felt it in his gut, his being. And now he felt something he had never felt before...


    Sooner had those thoughts come up, the hall lit up in a blue hue at the far end. A figure wreath in lighting walked foward slowly.

 Chapter 11 - The departure

    Chapter 11 - The depature


    While Eshuro''s proclamation didn¡¯t sound like a big deal, in fact it heralded a great change to the atmosphere in the hall. This was naturally of concern to everyone in the hall. However, Rhema was more interested in how Lady Janaina was linked to everything that has happened thus far.


    The former primordial did not leave them in suspense for long.


    A pressing aura  filled the chamber, as a figure clad all royal purple came into view. Stunning, majestic. Members of the council felt their breath catch in their throat as they stared entranced. Destructive lightning coalesced around the figure that was full of unbridled elegance and power.


    Long, golden hair tumbled down past her shoulders. When she walked there was a keen presence to her step, like a sword dancing through the air. Every inch of her glowed with a sort of natural quintessence, forming a woman nearly perfect both in form and substance.


    Rhema¡¯s eyes went wide in shock. The whole council stared in absolutely shock.


    She was a woman widely known, though had gone unseen for the most part of a hundred and fifty years. In fact, they¡¯d almost forgotten that Orundun Nla had ever produced someone like her.


    Her achievements and power were obvious in the war against chaos. When it came to raw destructive power, she was surpassed only by the former godking Ochala and equal to the wargod, Ogun.


    Janaina Yemoa


    She walked through the hall to the front of the platorm, not even sparing a glance for Rhema as though she had never met him. Dropping to one knee in a solemn and dignified salute, she spoke out in a clear voice which rose like a crystal bell among the clouds, cold and crisp. ¡°I, Janaina Yemoa, come to pay homage to my king, Ochala Alabalashe, Baba Arugbo, Orishanla"


    She spoke to the empty throne as though the king was still sitted on it.


    "You have guts, I must say" Lord Olukoso said. "Walking in here and breaking a dozen laws alongside and above all, saluting a dead king."


    Janaina ignored him  stood up from her kneeling position and walked back through the hologram of Lord Olukoso to stand in front of Rhema


    ¡°You are worthy of your spectacular bloodline, and are a shining beacon for the future of our race. I can sense it from you, the determination to break through all barriers. I can feel your indomitable spirit. I can also feel your strength, and noble heart.¡±


    Rhema couldn''t fanthom what she was on about.


    Her  saintly voice reverberated through the hall.


    ¡°Rhema, with his virtuous spirit and faithful heart, is a peerless representative of his generation. He has been taught wisdom and strength that has tempered him into the man that stands before us today, capable and self-sufficient, even without having a divine sobriquet"


    Rhema couldn¡¯t see his Teacher''s ¡¯ expression, hard as he tried to peek.


    Lady Janaina then turned to address Imila ¡°Our great and noble high priest, Rhema is a rare gem of the Ochala''s lineage. I believe."


    Lord Imila  gently nodded his head.


    The Janaina smiled, appeased. ¡°Then with that settled¡­ brave and steadfast Rhema, do you accept the role of a king? To become god in service of our order at the expense of your feelings, freedoms, maybe even your life? To defend the majesty of the gods and the safety of the faithful?¡±


    The council of the gods were shocked and they raised their voices to protest but Janaina drew an hieroglyph to silence them.


    They spoke but were voiceless, afterall they less powerful because they projected their consciousness from the outside, limiting their powers to a tenth of its full might, while Janaina was at her peak.


    Rhema said nothing. He knew this was where he was to make a decision that will affect Orundun Nla. He knew how far fetched becoming godking was. His odds were zero and to be honest he never really cared for positions or power like that. They never interested him.


    But he knew lady Janaina couldn''t be bluffing. She always meant whatever she said. She was straight forward. If she said she could give him a divine sobriquet right now he would believed.


    "Tempting? No? I understand you, little one. I just waltz in here and asked you to be king infront of the current kings royal council.


    That will be a bit intimidating for anyone including me. Its treason afterall. Especially if I turned out to be bluffing. Then you would have thrown away your life for nothing" she said.


    She looked around. The gods were angry. No doubt, they were outside trying to break down the seal the former godking put over this temple. It was futile. Only he could undo such powerful seal. Unless they managed to convince the living city to remove the barrier. Which was also impossible. It answered only to its master.


    "I didn''t plan to make you king right now you see, I had to tear down this reality before I can do so. But right now you seem to be able to insert yourself in controversial situations. Who would have thought you would be here today. A hundred and fifty yeas from the last time you were here" she saidThe author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Rhema''s was shocked. He had been here before?


    She saw his surprise and just laughed bitterly. "Ofcourse you would not remember, it was their wish to see what purpose he made you for. They know you are different from them but you are yet to manifest. I know what you are though. You''re Orundun Nla''s safeguard. Its hope against chaos should Lord Ochala cease to be"


    Rhema looked at his teacher, lord Imila didn''t look surprised compared to the other gods. He then turned his attention to lady Janaina.


    "Why would you want me to be king. We have the godking, the council and a thousand gods with divine sobriquets, all far more capable than I am. I know my strength and I know I''m not ready to divide a kingdom"


    "You do not know your strength, if you know who you come from you wouldn''t speak like this. Chaos is already upon us. Orundun Nla has no time again, the council of fools and their king are only doomed to fail. We cannot win without Ochala himself. Only he has the power to oppose chaos...well unless you sit on that throne and command the forces of Orundun Nla" she said pointing to the throne.


    "And if I refuse?" Rhema asked.


    "Then I would do what I intended to do at first, erase this reality from existence, chaos, order, the gods, everything" she said.


    "Vengeance has consumed you" lord Imila spoke.


    All heads turned towards him in surprise. How could he speak? The surprise quickly faded. He was lord Imila afterall. A god of many means.


    "You saw what they did and stood by and watched. In your infinite wisdom you thought it wise to allow order fall to chaos, you are no different from them, an agent of chaos" lady Janaina claimed.


    "Every god must decide whether they  will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. The lord Ochala was corrupted by Chaos in their last battle, he couldn''t be allowed to step into Orundun Nla unless of course he wanted to plunge the entire heavens in chaos. Eshuro foresaw the world on fire, if he didn''t  do what he did then we wouldn''t be having this conversation" lord Imila said.


    Rhema was confused.  Was he mistakened? The gods didn''t go against their king? But he remebered what he saw.


    Lady Janaina hissed "That''s pathetic coming from you. I had low expectations from you lot but this is worse than I expected. Only the victors can write history but do not forget I was present when the betrayal happened, nothing of such happened as you claim. You are really slacking. Rhema here knows what he saw"


    And so did he. Rhema remembered feeling what lord Ochala felt in his last moments, he didn''t corrupted but how was he to know what it felt like. Although another thought came up. He wanted to believe his teacher naturally. The god raised him afterall, what if teacher was depending on this trust to decieve him...what if teacher was wrong, what if they plotted to dispose of their ruler for whatever reasons. Arghh so many what if''s. He needed more information.


    She then looked at Rhema "little one, it''s a pity you can not make a decision. I wish you were half as decisive as your father but I can''t let you stand in my way anymore. You are a distraction I indulged for too long. You would suffer me no more"


    Rhema felt the atmosphere become even more oppressive than when Lord Olukoso threatened him. He instinctively fell into a defensive stance.


    "I came here for the staff of judgement. The weapon of our godking or rather what is left of it" she said walking past the boy towards the steps on the throne.


    Rhema was frozen still by her oppressive aura. He was outclassed here. He couldn''t move at all as she made her move.


    With each step she climb towards the throne, the throne began to illuminate a golden radiance, every step made it brighter. Rhema once more began to feel the vibrations he sense that led him here. She soon got to the throne herself and stood. As if she were in a trance, she simply held out her right hand.


    Rhema looked at her, standing alone in the chamber was that solitary figure. He was very curious what she was thinking right now, why she had decided to make this choice.


    After a while she dropped her hands and looked back to the boy and smiled. "The missing piece" was all she said before vanishing in a flash appearing before him. She grabbed him and in another step appeared in front of the throne once more.


    She sat him on the throne and an unbelievable scene unfolded.


    The entire temple lit up, the city lit up and the whole of Orundun Nla lit up. Rhema was coated in a golden energy, which emanates from them reminiscent of flickering flames.


    He donned a set of armor that was a layered, collared, a golden vest with black plates and golden accents worn over a chain-mail shirt. The vest continued into a loincloth which hung over chain-mail and leather pants. The sleeves ended at arm-bracers similar-looking to the vest with a red underside. He wore knee-high boots with gold piping. The third set also featured a bright golden red cape that was attached to the vest by two black disks.


    And in his right arm appeared a staff, incomplete, it was broken but still measured four feets long.


    As soon as it appeared Janaina lifted Rhema of the throne, removed the staff from his hand and flung him down the steps. As soon as he was flung, he maneuvered himself, tumbled and landed on his feet at the base of the steps.


    As he landed, he was no longer radiating the golden aura. The throne, the room and city that were lit up were dimmed once more. He was still donning the armour but without the glow. It looked a bluish grey and black colours at various parts.


    He looked at her holding the staff. When he held the staff he could sense negative emotions from around him and everyone but his teacher had it in them, but the negative emotions he felt from Lady Janaina was the most powerful, it was destructive. She seeked the destruction of Orundun Nla.


    He moved into action, he drew a hieroglyphs in the air, summoning a sword and shield, jumping to engage her but as soon as he met her she was covered in a grey barrier. He shield met the barrier and immediately eroded to dust.


    He leapt back to put some distance between them.


    The gods looked on. They had no way to interfere or stop her.


    "It is a time space barrier" Lord Imila said shocked. "There''s are only a few people with the divine sobriquet to alter the space-time continuum. And only one dares go against the heavens, it has to be the Heretic god, Geras"


    Lord Imila frowned. "You plan to go to the earth realm to recover the remaining piece of lord Ochala''s staff...you want to wield your former godkings power? You know that is impossible."


    "Imila, don''t act a fool. We are gods, we make the impossible possible. You''re powerless to stop me. Once I leave, the gods will be unable to follow for another three months. That will be more than enough time to find the remaining piece" Lady Janaina said


    She then turned to Rhema "my time with you was short, and I really cherish it. I''d love for my memories of you to stay that way but if you follow me, make no mistake, I will smite you"


    Rhema simply looked on powerless.


    She looked at the council of gods "Farewell, tell your godking, that the next time I meet him,  I would stab him through his heart just like he did to me"


    The barrier closed and she was gone. Leaving a promise with the council and Rhema with a decision.