CHAPTER 3
Chief Ebikaler embarked on a diplomatic eighteen-day journey to Agumba, traveling through dense rainforest and rugged mountains, accompanied by an entourage of eighteen noble men and 400 soldiers. 750 horses and 150 wagons loaded with oil, food, and spices. Ikenna, the king of Agumba, extended a warm welcome to Chief Ebikaler and his entourage, leading them into his palace. The palace was built round with two towers at the back. Gigantic statue of Ikenga seemed to sit on the roof with its legs serving as a doorway into the hallway. The Binis presented gifts to the king, consisting of 500 barrels of palm oil, 1,000 tubers of large yams, 300 male goats, 100 female goats, and tons of grain. King Ikenna was a tall, muscular man in his late forties. He was wearing an intricately designed robe with lion head motifs signifying bravery and strength. He was holding an elephant tusk as a symbol of his authority. King Ikenna was seated on his throne, smiling heartily as the Binis showered him with gifts. Though the message from the Oba had mentioned trade, he hadn't expected such lavish gifts. He knew that traders typically didn't shower each other with gifts, at least not as lavishly as he had received; there must be more to this visit than the letter had said, he reasoned. Cola was served to the Binis, and Ichie Ndudi, who had been present in the king's palace when the Binis arrived, stood up and gave thanks to Ikenga for his protection and guidance. He then broke the first kola nut, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw it had only two lobes. He glanced at King Ikenna and discreetly gestured with two fingers. The king smiled and nodded subtly. Ichie Ndudi broke the second kola nut, and his eyes froze in shock as it too had only two lobes. He gestured again to the king, who glanced at the visitors, suspecting something was amiss. In their tradition, a kola nut with two pieces is known as oji ifilifi. It is considered to signify negative energies or a bad omen, and it's not used in traditional rituals or ceremonies. The Agumbans prefer kola nuts with three or more lobes as they are associated with good fortune, prosperity, and unity. The six kola nuts brought all had two lobes except for one that had four lobes. A heavy silence fell over the gathering, lasting several minutes. Finally, the king cleared his throat and spoke as calmly as he could, "The evil I don't know will never know me." He took seven seeds from the alligator pepper and chewed; Ichie Ndudi repeated the ritual and then went out and discarded the kola nuts. The best palm wine was served together with some roasted venison, but the Binis rejected the offer of the meat because they considered bush meat from Agumba unclean due to cultural and religious reasons. They enjoyed the sweet taste and good aroma of the freshly tapped palm wine. "This is one of the best," Chief Ebikaler, the leader of the Oba's envoy, said after taking a sip from his clay cup.
"Fresh from the sap," Chief Ndudi nodded. They talked about the successful years of inter-cultural trades. The Agumbans were great hunters, brave fighters, and skillful blacksmiths; the Binis shined mostly in sculpting and agriculture. An average Bini was a skilled animal trainer; they could tame dangerous beasts and make them their pets. There was a time when different wild animals roamed freely on the streets of Bini; that was because they loved and respected nature to a point that nature became friendly and at peace with them. Some said they were spiritually modified to be at peace with nature. Children played together with lions, leopards, and hyenas. Young men rode on the backs of elephants and buffalos. Snakes do not bite a Bini born, but when they were mistakenly bitten; their blood was immune to any snake venom. Killing or eating any kind of animal in the kingdom was a sacrilege, an offense punishable by banishment owing to their love for animals and their vegetarian nature. If any animal was killed, a ritual must be done to appease Mother Earth. That was a long time ago. But with the emergence of the new generation, there has been a decline in the vegetarian lifestyle, largely due to increased intercultural marriages with other kingdoms like Agumba, where hunting and meat consumption is culturally prevalent. At one time, the Binis abolished the laws preventing them from eating meat. Though they weren't allowed to hunt, they raised their chosen animals in ranches and shelters.
Their conversations were mostly casual. Chief Ebikaler first praised Ogodo for blessing the Binis with a bountiful harvest that year, more than in any other year since the creation of the kingdom, even though the kingdom was experiencing unprecedented agricultural challenges since the death of witch Amieta. He then praised the women of Agumba married to Bini men for taking proper care of their husbands. "It seems that your women know the route to our hearts more than our own women do. It makes me want to take a fourth wife, and she must be a daughter of Agumba," Chief Ebikaler said with a broad smile on his face.
"When you're ready, I have a beautiful daughter who is ripe for marriage, but I'm afraid she wouldn't agree to marry an old man," Ichie Ndudi said. The men laughed.
"Old men these days are, in fact, the ones who take proper care of their wives. Young men wake very early in the morning to go to their various farms and then return at dusk very tired. But old men like me, who have dozens of servants, stay home and attend to our wives' conjugal needs," Chief Ebikaler said and took a sip from his cup. Ichie Ndudi, who was a middle-aged man, disagreed with Chief Ebikaler in his heart. He remembered his youthful age when he led several hunting campaigns into the forest. They would stay days or even months hunting. When he came back, he still attended to his wife more than any man could. He remembered vividly during the ceremony of return how he had chosen his beautiful wife among numerous young girls who had come out that day to display their beauty by applying intricate designs of uli on their bodies, a new and attractive hairstyle, new colorful patterned fabrics, and beads of different colors on their waists to attract the attention of a brave hunter. His wife had rejoiced heartily and embraced him when he pointed her out. Ndudi had just won the title of cheetah slayer when he brought home his first cheetah head and pelt, and no woman would have said no to him with such an honorable title. "What about Adaku, the daughter of Nwafor, married to your brother some years back? I heard she isn't treating him too well?" the king asked Chief Ebikaler.
"It is my brother who doesn't know how to treat a woman well, and I apologize for that. I've tried talking sense into him, but a fool remains a fool, even if you put thousands of wise counsels directly into his brain." Chief Ebikaler was a smooth talker and a skilled diplomat. He intended to use his skills of flattery to gain diplomatic influence. First, he showered praises on their women, hailed the kingdom's military strength, and their craftsmanship in making weapons of war and, of course, agricultural tools, which Chief Ebikaler said were the best tools behind the Binis' agricultural successes. "And if not for those potent tools, what use is Ogodo's blessing? A skillful hand is a thing that fertilizes the gods' blessings to yield even greater and better results. The gods do not bless lazy hands," Chief Ebikaler said. The king nodded, admiring his eloquence, but he detected a patronizing tone beneath their praise.
They talked about several random things, made more jokes, and laughed. When Chief Ebikaler decided to empty his sack, he gulped the palm wine in his cup, stood up, and cleared his throat. "Our people say that he who has something to do should do it quickly before the sun sets," he said, changing from a jocular tone to a more serious tone. Others nodded in agreement. "It is better to chase the black goat in the daytime before the night comes."
"That is the truth," King Ikenna agreed.
"Your people said that a brother does not abandon his brother in a time of trouble," Chief Ebikaler continued, but the king knew where he was likely to go with those proverbs. He smiled and took a sip from his cup. Their visit might not be totally for trade after all. The Binis had never asked for his help before, and with the tone of Chief Ebikaler, the king knew something was amiss, and he wished the rumor flying around was true. "My lord," Chief Ebikaler saluted. "The kingdom of Agumba and the Binis have been close allies in trade and peace for years. We do things as though we are brothers; we are, in fact, brothers. We have enjoyed years of peace and wealth because of the respect we have for each other. The sun is about to set on us, and we're not prepared for the darkness… The kingdom of Bini is in peril, and only your help could assuage the fear of impending doom. Ogodo, the god of Bini, is in distress; he was greatly offended by those who do not wish us well, and the only thing to appease him is a sword made by the gods," Chief Ebikaler said and bowed, expecting a positive or rather a remorseful response. King Ikenna allowed a grin and took a sip from his cup again.
"What are the causes of his anger and the consequences of failing to appease him?" the king asked and took another sip. Chief Ebikaler read the king's grin with great suspicion, so he allowed the question to dangle in the air for a few moments. Being a wise man, he drew back and whispered to the three men that had followed him into the palace. He told them that the king's smiles were a sign of scorn, so he suggested not disclosing the consequences of failing to appease Ogodo or make it look like a common national problem, but his men disagreed. They suggested he tell the truth if they would receive favor from the king. "Remember that lying to the king is considered treason, so tread carefully," one of his men warned. Chief Ebikaler nodded and exhaled deeply, adjusting the beads on his neck which are one of the traditional symbols of a Bini chief. He turned to the king who was sipping from his cup excitedly. "My lord," Ebikaler bowed, "the witches are responsible for Ogodo's distress, and the consequence is a scourge of death called upon us by the gods. We seek the sword of Ikenga, the god of war, for any price; we will pay in full." He bowed again.
"Ikenga forged twelve swords during his time as a warlord, one of which is in the center of his temple meant only for kings chosen by Ikenga himself; the others are scattered across the villages of Agumba. And watch your mouth, old chief; the swords of Ikenga are not for sale. Not even the entire wealth of Bini can afford any of them." king Ikenna said.
"Pardon me, great king," Ebikaler bowed with the deepest sense of respect. "We are not here to bargain; we are only here to plead. Our land is in great danger; we need this sword to avert the anger of the gods against us," Chief Ebikaler said. King Ikenna took another sip and frowned. He was not happy that the Binis were asking him to do the impossible, and for them to dare mention price was enough offense for him to send them out of his presence. And hearing that the almighty and very active Ogodo was now against the Binis and willing to destroy them gladdened his heart. Well, Ogodo will deal with them in the best way possible, and if not severely enough, I'll finish them off myself, he thought, and stood to leave. "I am sorry; the sword of Ikenga is meant only for her people," he said and walked out of the room. And he was right because the sword, in its glory, cannot be removed from its place for any random reasons, except on a special occasion such as a coronation or a time of war or plague. It can honor crucial calls for help in a time of war by inflicting plagues of different kinds or even cause confusion in the enemy camp, giving the Agumbans an upper hand in battle. From the time of Ikenga and the existence of the sword, Agumbans had known no defeat in battle. And If removed without proper traditional consultations, intense rituals, and purifications from those intending to wield it, they can cause serious spiritual turmoil, such as inner discord in the lives of the king's diviners, and the priests of Ikenga would be disconnected from the divinity of Ikenga. In some cases, famine would strike the entire kingdom until Ikenga is rightly appeased. Some old men who lived in the days when the sword fell into the hands of Udani, a strong warrior who wanted to overthrow Ikenga's dynasty, said that they witnessed thunderstorms so severe and catastrophic that they almost destroyed their forest and everything that lived in it. Many years ago, Ikenga was once a great hunter and a mighty warrior feared greatly in Agumba. He is well known for his mystical and powerful sword that conquered all the neighboring villages and annexed kingdoms to himself. When he was younger, he was sent very far into the forest to make his first animal kill so that he would be drafted into the league of men, as per the traditions of Agumba. But when it was time for him to return, he couldn't find his way back home. In fact, he found another world and civilization beyond his imagination. After many years, when he returned home to his people, he was not entirely who he was when he left; he in fact returned as a god. With his newfound power, he built cities and forged swords that magically drained the lives of those who stood in his way. The mission took longer than expected; Chief Ebikaler knew King Ikenna to be a very greedy man who does not refuse the offer of lands, livestock, slaves, and gold. It surprised him to see King Ikenna refuse the offer of two thousand healthy slaves and the large Agbo forest belonging to the Binis, which he had offered as a price to take home one of the swords of Ikenga. At first, he thought that the presence of Ichie Ndudi was why the king refused them, but after talking with him privately, he realized that the word 'price' had infuriated the king. After six days of pleading with King Ikenna of Agumba without a positive answer, Chief Ebikaler and his entourage left the kingdom disappointed. He wore a sad face as he rode slowly out of Agumba on his brown horse. The Oba and the people of Bini believed so much in him and his wisdom to successfully deliver such a diplomatic mission, and now the thought that he failed them began to weigh heavily on him. The king's stubbornness made him believe that Agumba would want to see Bini destroyed for reasons he could not fathom. Jealousy, he reasoned, might be the cause, or perhaps his speech lacked diplomatic finesse. 'I shouldn't have revealed everything to King Ikenna,' he was thinking, 'at least not the consequences of not appeasing Ogodo.' When he recalled that lying to the king was considered treason in Agumba, he shrugged, shook his head, and continued on his journey back home. They traveled through the forest of Agbo, between the mountains of Atta. At dusk, they stopped on the bank of a stream to take a drink. As Chief Ebikaler cupped his hands and sipped the water, he squinted, feeling that someone, somewhere, might be watching them. When he peered up at the mountain, he saw a faint figure of a creature on the mountain top watching them; he strained to understand what it was, but a clanging noise from his camp diverted his attention. When he looked back, the figure was gone. He glared at the man who had caused the clanging noise; he was taking out some utensils from the cart. He had planned to camp beside the stream for the night, but the strange image on the mountain top had left him scanning the mountain top, and his growing paranoia made him hesitant to camp beside the stream. "We'll move on," he said and filled his jars with water. "This isn't a safe place to camp," he added and went down a different path. At night, they pitched their tent in the forest, far from the mountain. A campfire was burning in the center of Chief Ebikaler and his entourage. Chief Ebikaler sat beside the fire, roasting and eating some meat, staring blankly into the bush, lost in thought, his mind consumed by the bitter taste of his failure. He took up a clay jar and poured some palm wine into his clay cup and took a sip. Though the wine had lost its original taste and now had a sour taste, but he loved it regardless, because of its high alcoholic content capable of making him drunk and taking his mind off his failure. As he ate and drank, he heard some noise from the bush. He took his sword and walked slowly towards the direction from where the noise came; he turned and counted his men, and they were all fast asleep. He unsheathed his sword and sneaked through the bushes. A strange creature known as the forest Nimf covered his mouth from behind, "shhhhhh," he hissed, signaling Chief Ebikaler to calm down. Ebikaler immediately dropped his sword and surrendered. At that, the Nimf let go of his mouth. He turned and saw the creature. Its body was like the cracks of a tree trunk, its eyes were large and dark, it had a horn like that of a deer, and the right side of its neck seemed as if it was infected with some sort of disease; worms were crawling in and out of the wound. Its name was Roiy. Chief Ebikaler tried to scream, but the Nimf's magic seized his mouth. The Nimf tried to get him to calm down, but Chief Ebikaler was struggling to speak. After much effort by the Nimf, Chief Ebikaler finally settled and gave it a listening ear. "I have something that might interest you," Roiy said.
"What?" Chief Ebikaler asked eager to hear him clearly.
"I have something that you so desperately need," Roiy repeated.
"Who are you?" Chief Ebikaler asked.
"I am the forest Nimf, the keeper of the forest. If you desire to know what I have for you, you're welcome!" the forest Nimf said. Chief Ebikaler stood frozen as the forest Nimf slowly turned into a gigantic tree with a wooden shabby door at the trunk. He had heard about forest Nimfs, but only in moonlight tales. He remembered one of the famous tales about Nimfs his mother told him many years ago when he was still a little boy. The Nimfs were regarded as spirits of the forest or spirits who protect the forest. Nobody knew who the Nimfs were protecting the forest from. Maybe the Nimfs were good spirits protecting the forest from evil spirits, Ebikaler would conclude whenever he was in doubt about such things. The story was always told of a time when humans had not learned how to live in houses or huts. In those days, there were no trees or plants of any kind; the earth lay bare with the unruly scorching sun beating down on the earth's crust. Men scurried in caves, afraid of the fierce rays of the sun. They only came out at night to hunt for food and to stare at the moon's mild, beautiful glow. They believed that the good gods lived in the moon, and the sun was the abode of cruel and wicked gods. Their magic men put their powers together and traveled to the moon, intending to find solutions to deal with the sun's burning flames. The moon agreed to help them and sent the Nimfs down to earth, who planted trees that made up the forest. Only then were they able to come out in daylight in the shade and under the canopy of the trees provided by the moon. "Silly tale," Ebikaler scoffed when he came of age of logical reasoning. But the introduction of the Nimf was an eye-opener to what he thought was a silly tale. "You're welcome," Chief Ebikaler read the inscription on the door. The door cracked open, and he walked slowly through the door and found himself in a room full of masquerade sculptures. Some were carved with large scary eyes; some had horns with demon teeth. Some had their tongues sticking out between huge teeth. There were different human skulls hanging on the walls. The room's eerie aura sent shivers down his spine. His feet became heavy, and his head seemed larger than normal. The hairs on his body stood as though they were responding to a magnetic force. Goosebumps stood out from his skin. Roiy appeared and touched him on the shoulder, taking away his fears. He led him into another room where he saw a giant wooden sculpture of Ikenga; in its right hand was a sword sheathed in lion's skin. "The sword of Ikenga?" Chief Ebikaler whispered with a shaky voice.
"Yes, the sword of Ikenga," the forest Nimf agreed. Chief Ebikaler walked up to the statue where the sword hung and took it. "Should I have it?" he asked as he unsheathed the knife.
"It is all yours," the Nimf answered. Chief Ebikaler was still staring and smiling at the sword when the room began to shake violently. The tree was being uprooted by an external force. Chief Ebikaler immediately ran out of the room before the tree fell heavily to the ground, startling his entourage. They all stood up, staring at a figure of a man standing in the darkness with a drawn sword. The loud noise from the fallen tree had struck terror into their hearts, and their hands shook violently as they drew their own swords, ready for battle. "Who are you!?" a man asked with a shaky voice. The chief saw fear in their faces and then stepped into the moon's glow. "Chief!" they all exclaimed, giving out a sigh of relief.
"Chief, that knife looks glorious," one of the men said.
"Yes, the great sword of Ikenga is glorious," Chief Ebikaler said, smiling at the sword once more.
"The sword of Ikenga, where did you find it?" another man asked.
"I didn't find it; it was given to me by the gods," Chief Ebikaler replied. Some of his men came closer, their jaws dropped as they gazed at the sword. Chief Ebikaler evaded the hand of a man who tried to touch the sword. "Now let's see if the legends are true. Rumor has it that the sword obeys every command of war and a call for help," Chief Ebikaler said and then moved a few steps backward. "Four horses and a chariot!" he said and threw the sword up. The sword blistered in blue flames; a chariot with four white horses appeared before them. The sword was rotating in midair; Chief Ebikaler stretched out his arm and caught it. "In flames, and yet my hand is not consumed. It is truly the sword of Ikenga," he pointed the sword towards the chariot, "take us home," he said, but the chariot and four horses remained calm. "Take us home," he repeated, and yet the chariot wouldn't move. He climbed onto the chariot, and suddenly there was neighing and jolting as the horses came alive. Chief Ebikaler laughed excitedly. "Come on, even the small space can fit a thousand soldiers," he called to his entourage. They hurried into the chariot, and surprisingly, all of them fit into the tiny space. "To Bini!" Chief Ebikaler yelled. The horses neighed and galloped away, leaving behind their own horses and tents.