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NEW UPDATES COMING FROM FRIDAY.... THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

emarkson:
thumbs up dude

Thanks mehn!

haydot95:
I just don't understand this guy...whether people comment or not,he updates...u re the best,keep it up

Thank you brother.

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"The compass says the road leads this way." I assured,looking around just in time to see Aninye pout.


"We've been following this stupid engraving on your palms... Its useless!" She hissed.

I sighed. I had been trying for the past four market days to convince everyone,especially Aninye,that this was our compass,our way to the Orb. Oboli was the only one who believed me. The others waved me away.

Egwu munched away at his corn cob,while Aninye took the reins of the horse. He mischieviously smiled at me.

"Don't worry,his compass on his palms might lead us to somewhere... A tavern maybe?" He suggested,rubbing his tummy to imply he was still hungry.

Suddenly I felt sharp pain on my palms,as the engraved compass throbbed against it. I winced.


"What is it? Your madness?" Egwu teased,oblivious of the pain I was in.


The pain grew in intensity,as my whimpering and wincing grew into a loud "Argggghhhhhh!!!!" as I fell from my horse. The laughter and the banter stopped abruptly.



"Are you all right?" Egwu asked,running to me nd helping me to my feet.


"Its nothi-Arrrrrrgggggghhhhh!!!!" I yelled out of pure pain and horror,as I went to ground again.


The pain became unbearable. I screamed,clenching my fist and rolling on the floor.


Finally it stopped. I staggered to my feet,feeling weak and dizzy.

I looked at my palms again.


The compass was pointing in one direction-forward.



I climbed the little hill in front of me,and I looked into the distance.



I laughed maniacally. So maniacally that anybody would think I was mad.



"We're here! We're finally here!" I screamed with delight.



Sprawling before me in the distance,was Nri,the Town Of Creation.

fhunkhy:
Fhinkhy is waiting o.
Good plot there Athanatos

Thank you ma. God bless!

Mutaino7:
We dhey background.

Tuale Sir!

More updates tomorrow. Thank you,and Goodnight!

Addendum 10


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Razak sighed,while Ekwensu whistled merrily aloud. Their horses trudged on,obviously tired.


"Do you think we should continue?" Razak asked,looking set to draw rein at anytime.

"Only for a little longer." Ekwensu soothingly replied,pointing his fingers to a distant cluster of cottages which grew bigger as they drew close.


"Is this...Not it can't be!" Razak exclaimed in apparent disbelief.


"Yes it is. Nri looms large before us!" Ekwensu announced.


That instant,they rode toward the town with renewed vigour that came with the hope of finding the Celestial Orb there. The horses,as if told of their riders' resolve,galloped as fast as any fresh horse.


On getting into town,their joy suddenly vanished. Who would they ask? How would they find Efuru's abode?


"I suggest we look around the town,we might find some clues,something of note,or maybe the house itself."


They got down from their horses to buy food from the market square when they heard two women discussing under a tree near them.

"Hm,my dear,it is really sad. Efuru was a mother to everyone around her." One said,shaking her head.

"It is indeed surprising that the stone the guards saw on her porch can't be lifted. It must possess great power." The other said,obviously enjoying the chit-chat.

"Too sad. The King gave her a house at the very centre of the town in appreciation of her good deeds. I wonder who takes the house." The first one chirped,her face creasing with worry.


The duo stopped in their tracks. They had never been this lucky. They froze. For a while the world stood still.

"Mount your horse! We ride,now!" Ekwensu snarled,turning to Razak,who made a beeline for his horse. There was no time to waste. The Orb awaited him. What else could go wrong?

Update 15% Loading.......

New Updates by 12 midnight... Sorry for the long delay! Bless!

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"You again!" I exclaimed with indignant horror,trying in vain to run away from her.

"Look at you,a pitiable,pathetic boy still." She mocked,chuckling.


"Don't call me that!" I warned,red with anger.


"Biagodu!" She beckoned,drawing me into a large hole that I saw a bit late.

We fell through the hole for a long while,and I thought for a second I was going to be trapped forever,in this bottomless pit with this provocative damsel.

Just when I lost hope,I saw my self in a familiar place.


"This is the Guard Tower!We're home!" I exclaimed,referring to the Tower from which guards in Idumuje see travellers coming to the town in the distance. I looked out,then I froze.

"By God! That is the Tuareg Army,isn't it?" I asked.


"Yes,it certainly is." She asked,directing my attention to something she wanted me to see.


I turned,and beheld the sight I dreaded the most.


A group of men were marching away from the town,taking with them two prisoners heavily bound with iron chains. On looking closely,I found out the two prisoners were Mother and Oma.


"Hey!" I shouted,trying to get down from the Guard Tower.


She was still laughing at me.


"You can't move an inch,do not bother yourself." She said,looking away.


"Do something!" I yelled,pointing to the receding entourage in the distance.

"Do something? Do something? You're the one who's not doing anything!" She yelled back,and for the first time since I knew who she was,she lost her temper.


"Look at you! Do you think time is on your side? The Tuaregs camp on the outskirts of your town,ready to slay at will,and you still think you have time? Think again!"


So saying,she took my hands,opened my palm and placed hers on mine.


The kind of intense,excruciating pain I felt at that moment was one I would rather forget.


I yelled like a depraved mongrel,begging her to stop and calling for my mother.


She stopped,and I looked at my palms. There was an engraving on it.


It was a compass.


"Go to Nri,ask of Efuru's compound. When you get there,this compass would tell you what to do. I must go now." She said,turning to leave."


"But,Omambala..." I asked,stopping when I realised she was gone.


Then I found myself rising up out of the hole toward a bright light.



"Pow!" A slap fell on my cheeks.



"Wake up slob,its morning already!" Aninye screamed,standing over me hands akimbo,as if daring me to retaliate.


I sighed with relief. It was a dream. I rose to fold my raffia mat when my right palm hurt.


I looked at it in horror.



The compass was still there.

New updates by midnight. Thank You!

Addendum 9


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Oma peered out the window and squinted at the rays of sunlight that hit his face. It was another day,and it was a good thing to still be alive. He rubbed his palms on his face to get his eyes accustomed to the sunrays that impudently invaded the room.


He got off his bamboo bed and reached out for his chewing stick and his goblet which lay on the table in the centre of the spacious room. He was the man of the house,he thought,and as such should get the inherent benefits.

He offered a short prayer to The High God, and went behind the house to clean his mouth.


"Good morning Mother,hope you slept well?" He lovingly asked his mother,bending over firewood,trying to make a fire and prepare breakfast.

"Omasili nwa m,hope you slept well?" Mother asked,a wan smile on her face.

Oma walked to the backyard,sighing. She had been this way since Amadi left for Ozuzu. No doubt she longed and pined for her little boy, but she worried as well. She was worried that Amadi may never come back. Who would blame her,Oma thought,shrugging.

He longed for his little brother. The boy that normally followed him everywhere he went,disturbing him like he was his father. Well, he was his father,Oma mused,taking into cognizance the fact that Father had died not long before Amadi was born. He had to fill in the gap.


"What are you thinking about?" Mother asked,looking at him from the door with motherly concern.

"I just hope my brother's safe wherever he is.How come we never knew he was born with magic?" Oma said,lifting the large chewing stick to his mouth.


Mother came to him and patted him on the back.



"Relax,everything will be fine, I had a dream last night about him. There will be a deadly storm,but the calm after it will take away the destruction the storm brought." She comforted Oma,smiling.

Oma turned to say something,but out of the corner of his eye,he saw something sail with speed from the sky toward him.



"Fireball!" He yelled,dragging his confused mother to the ground with him.

He was right. The monstrous fireball arched in parabolic motion and fell square on their home. Nothing was left untouched. Their once modest cottage became a pile of ruins and rubbish.



Without second thoughts,Oma dragged up his mother and they ran as fast as they could to the Village Square. On getting there they saw people on trees pointing into the distance nd shaking their heads. He wondered if anybody was at The Pit.

"Wait here Mother,let me know what the problem is." He said,motioning Mother to move a little distance away.

He climbed with his might to the top of the tree and looked into his distance.

It was real,but he couldn't believe his eyes. The War Banners,Horses,Canons and the veiled men on horses brought him back to reality.



The Tuareg Army was finally marching against Idumuje.

Oma sighed. He wished none of this would happen.

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I sparred with Egwu as Mmagwu and Aninye went to gather mushrooms for breakfast. The Veiled lady sat down,as she had done since we started journeying,silently observing us with keen interest.

We sparred for a while before I told Egwu I was tired.



"Have your travels made you senile?" He teased,laughing.

To our surprise,the Veiled Lady broke into laughter so loud that I and Egwu froze.

In one fell swoop,she swept the veil off her face and and stood up.


"I bet you my breakfast that I will best you." She defiantly said,perfectly setting the trap for a glutton.


Egwu stood transfixed to a spot.

"So this is what you look like,no wonder Ideyi hid you away." He slowly muttered,like someone under a spell.


"What did you just say?" I asked,incredulous.

"And The High God decides to smile on me!" Egwu said coming back to reality and beckoning on her to pick up my sword.


The thought of food quickly took over Egwu's brain.

The Veiled Lady came to stand opposite him,taking her fighting stance.

"This will be over real quick." Egwu drawled,wooden sword at the ready.


Arrogantly Egwu ran toward her to strike her down,but got a rude shock when she stooped and effortlessly threw him over with the speed at which he came. He landed with a thud a short distance away.



She got up and smiled. Egwu was visibly infuriated. He ran at her again,and she deftly stepped aside,hitting his shoulder in the process.

I could not stomach my laughter.


"Your travels have made you senile!" I chuckled.

As if on cue, Mmagwu and Aninye came in,bearing two wooden bowls filled with mushrooms.


"What in the name of The High God?" Mmagwu asked,dropping her bowl,her eyes gleaming with delight.


It was a full house. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see what Egwu would do.


They circled each other, a bit of respect being beaten into Egwu. Then I noticed she was smiling provocatively at Egwu,the kind of smile a father has on his face while fighting mock battles with his toddler son. I saw Egwu's face tighten with anger. Then it hit me.



She baited him.


And he swallowed it.


He lashed out with his sword,which the Veiled Lady saw coming and cleverly dodged. She lashed out with her fist and hit his jaw squarely,which sent him reeling backward,getting down on one knee.

She ran at him almost immediately,while he was still down on one knee ,stepped on the free knee and used it as a jump pad. She jumped high into the air and came down with the final blow on Egwu's face. She had won!







We were cheering and celebrating the unexpected victory when the Veiled Lady stopped us.


"Wait,there's someone singing." She noted,turning to look at us.

We strained our ears to hear the song and the singer's voice,but all was silent.


"We can't hear a thing." Mmagwu said.


"I swear there's someone singing!" She shrieked.


I came close to her to calm her down and I held her shoulder.


Then a melodious song hit my ears. A female voice sang sonorously, serenading my ears.



"The treasure that you seek,

Lies in a house met with death,

In the heart of the town,

Whence lived the great Eri."


The singer continued to repeat the song.



"I heard the song too." I said taking my hands off her shoulders and the song faded away.


"What does it say?" Egwu asked,looking perplexed.


I relayed it to them.


"I assume this voice is talking to us." Aninye opined,"and to you especially." She said,turning to me.



Silence fell on us as we tried to understand the song. Then Mmagwu broke it.



"I think I understand now!" She screamed.


"What do you understand?" I asked.





"Eri was the first being The High God created,right?" She asked.

"Yes,go on." I urged her.



"I don't know if you're all ready to hear this,but the Orb lies in Nri where Eri once lived." She triumphantly announced,pausing to observe the astonished look on our faces. Nri it is. The Town Of Creation.







As we left our camp that afternoon,I asked the Veiled Lady how she got to learn swordsmanship.




"Ideyi taught me the intricate ways of the sword,not the basics like you and Egwu." She said,smiling.


"I should have asked you a long while ago,what is your name?"


She smiled again.


"Oboli. My name is Oboli."

Kylecares:
oh no this story getting cold maybe cos of its slow updates

So so sorry about that.


I beg everyone reading this to excercise patience with me. I'm a Law student and exams are coming up in 2 weeks... So I've been mighty busy.


Thanks for reading.

Addendum 8

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Few metres away from Ekwensu,near the fire,lay Razak thinking hard with his eyes closed.


They were getting close now. A few more days and they would be within reach of the Orb. He would return to the King's Catacomb a hero. The wine,the glory and the women! The thought of the luscious Tuareg damsels that would shower their affection on him brought him sharp pain between his legs. He sighed. The snake down there had already begun to dance in anticipation. He chuckled to himself.


Then his eyes moved to his companion looking into the dark. What exactly was his motive? Surely someone as magically powerful as he is wouldn't come all this way just to pay a debt. He definitely has something to gain,doesn't he? Whatever evil or sinister plans Ekwensu may hatch,he was definitely ready.

Well,it was time to sleep,Razak thought. Let tomorrow think for itself. But whatever happens,a Slayer will always survive. Until then...

Addendum 7


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"We should sleep here for the night." Razak suggested.

"No. We journey until we get to the nearest town." Ekwensu countered.

Razak had taken enough. Ever since he joined forces with this wizard,he seemed not to have a will of his own. They would travel for a whole day only to stop and rest for a very short while. He would hunt game to roast,and Ekwensu would fling it into the bush,telling him they were out of time. Well,the goblet was overflowing with ire.

"I have had enough!" Razak barked,bringing his horse to a halt.


If Ekwensu was surprised,he certainly did not show it.


"What bites you,friend?" He asked in a soothing voice.


"I'm tired." Razak drawled,getting off his horse to find sleeping space.


Ekwensu smiled to himself. He had lost the trail of the Orb after Efuru ran away from him a hundred and fourty rains ago. Now this vagabond was going to help him find it-and at cheap cost too. He chuckled.


With Efuru dead,his only problem was finding her dwelling place before she died. What City? What Town?


He remembered with nostalgia the waves of hot,unbridled lust that swept through him like a flood when he first set his eyes on Efuru. Her behind was the roundest he had seen,not to talk of her full breasts added to a pretty face with supple skin. She fell for his charms too and their lovemaking was something that ultimately loosened his grip on the Orb without his knowledge. After having carnal knowledge of her in the forest,he could not find the Orb.


He knew the High God was still angry with him,but he wanted more than what he had. The Orb would make him invincible,would make him rule over empires from Carthage to the bushy hinterlands.



The Orb was still not his,he rued sadly,but he swore to get the precious object and with the dark arts,put it to deserving use.

He would dethrone Shaitan and rule the Kingdom Of The Dark as well.

As for the Scimitar,he would make his death a public spectacle,so everyone could know that resistance to him was futile.


"That Orb is mine." He muttered,smiling into the darkness.

Updates by Midnight... Thank You!

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I trotted through the dark paths in front of me,determined to arrive at the next town before it was dawn and plot my next move. I chewed some of the utazi leaves I gathered from the Temple Farm to keep me awake throughout the uncertain journey.


I had only gone half of a mile when the ground shook from under me. My horse staggered as I held tightly to the reins to avoid falling off.


A rumbling sound seemed to come from the earth toward me,increasing in volume. I held tighter to the reins of my horse,but a fall was inevitable.


My grip on the reins loosened and I fell sideways with my horse.


I pulled myself up and tried to get the horse up on its feet when out of the corner of my eyes,I saw something beautiful.


A shaft of light shot toward the sky from somewhere in the distance. It got to a point where it exploded into thin sparks of bright light and disappeared into darkness.


I stood wondering what that was,racking my brain to see if I could find any clues.


"That's the Celestial Light,it only shoots toward the sky when the bearer of the Orb dies." a voice said from behind me.

I froze. I turned slowly to see Mmagwu,Aninye,Egwu and the Lady in the Veil.


"We couldn't bear the thought of leaving you to face your destiny alone." Aninyed cooed,walking toward me with a benign smile.


"Wh-Wh-Why are all of you here?" I asked,dazed as she came to stand before me.

"I don't know about them,but I'm here to help you find the...what are we searching for?" She turned,making a funny face at me. I broke into laughter and it went round like a ripple. Soon we were all laughing.

"So... The Orb is somewhere ahead?" I asked.


"Yes." Egwu said, pulling out two horses from a bush clearing.


Jokes,banter and laughter took over us as we climbed the horses and rode toward the place from which the Celestial Light emerged.

Addendum 6

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Razak made the fire while Ekwensu prepared the kill for roasting. They made a good team today,Razak thought. The speed with which they journeyed and the ease with which they got their kill showed him that his companion proved an asset.



"Why do you want to help me?" He asked.


His companion smiled.


"Well let's say I'm paying your King a debt owed."


"What do you know concerning this,this Orb?"



"A lot. It has remarkable power. Sadly its location has become obscure,but I know the areas where the Orb could be in. We just have to wait and bide our time." He advised,putting the carcass of a goat on the fire to roast.



Suddenly the ground heaved and sighed. Tremors from the bowels of the earth shook the world around them as they jostled for balance.


Then they saw it. The Sign.


A celestial light shot up toward the dark night sky from somewhere in the distance and illuminated the sky. Ekwensu turned to his companion.


"It would seem we've found our Orb." He announced triumphantly.

More updates in a bit!

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For the rest of the week,I seemed to teeter on the brink of insanity. The thought of losing my beloved village to war and the fact that I was powerless to do anything about it made me want to stop existing.


I tried to fast forward my learning process,but there were always snags. Combat was a dead idea for me,for I was still hopelessly bad at it. It was at that point that Aninye's suggestion permeated my brain.

If the Celestial Orb could help me acquire those powers,then why not find it?


I took the idea to Ideyi,who promptly threw the idea out,telling me that I wasn't prepared and that no one knew where the Orb was.

I tried time and time again to make him see reason,but his refusal was constant. Sadly I wasn't in the mood to listen to anyone. My town was at risk,and I had to save it.

And so it happened that one silent night,I found myself slipping out of the Temple Gates toward a horse I made sure no one saw in the daytime,which I mounted and rode off into the dark. I did what I had to do,but I felt a void. Aninye was not there with me. I didn't want to endanger her life or lose the joy the temple had given her,so off I went galloping with full speed away from the Temple and its peace. It had to be done.

emarkson:
happy birthday

Thanks and God bless!