URENMA (Journey To The River World) - Season 1 - Episode 17

Episode 6 years ago

URENMA (Journey To The River World) - Season 1 - Episode 17

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For two years Obinze searched from land to land to find medince men who were powerful enough to help him cross into the river world. At this time fables were told of men like Ojadili who crossed the divide between the living and the dead, humans and spirits. Obinze’s journey led him to a medince man called Akputa, who made the wish which had eluded him seem a light thing. “I will help you get into the river world if that is what you seek. I have been there on many occasions in search of powers and to warn ogbanje children to stop coming back to their parents. I know the river world; it is full of power, full of pretty girls like the one whom you so seek to be given back to you. I must warn you it is also full of deception. Are you sure you want to go there young man?” “Yes I am!” “Then it will cost you ishi ezego iri” (Ten counts of Ezego-ancient currency). Obinze counted out the money and la!d it on the floor. “Now strip yourself of all you have on you and bathe in that pool”.

Hastily Obinze denuded himself of all he had on his body and entered a pool of green water. With zest Obinze began to bathe in the pool. Akputa made an observation as Obinze bathed himself. “The pool never gleams except a spirit appears in it. Who did you say you are?” Before Obinze could draw enough breath because of the greenish water which chocked his breath to answer to the question, Akputa drew a machete with a sharp jagged edge and sent a blow on Obinze’s back. A thick splash of blood exploded on the surface of the pool and Obinze sunk in. Akputa began to dance around the pool making some incantations and waiting for Obinze to resurface from under the pool, to Akputa Obinze was a rogue spirit sent to steal his powers.

When the wait for Obinze to surface from under the pool seemed unending. Akputa threw some black powder into the pool and a little storm started in the pool and threw Obinze to the surface of the pool.
He was lifeless and was bleeding a lot. “Alas! He bleeds like mortals and yet appears like a spirit in the pool. Who is this man?” wondered Akputa. With a wooden hook Akputa drew Obinze closer to himself and lifted him out of the pool. He ran to one of the earthen pots in his shrine and removed some black mixture, forced Obinze’s mouth open and sq££zed some of it in. He moved back and waited still holding his machete.
Obinze jolted back to consciousness with a shout and his eyes flaming. “Oh! I see you are mortal, but a part of you is joined to a goddess. She is the one whom you seek, lie in your face! I have to attend to your wound now! The machete I attacked you with is not meant for humans. Lie on your face! I have to attend to your wound lest in some minute’s time you change to a monster and begin to hunt my land for the flesh of both beasts and men!” Akputa’s words shocked Obinze, quickly he turned and lay on his face. Already he was beginning to feel some strange movement in his body and unusual strength surging from within him. Akputa look some herbs and put them into the deep wound on Obinze’s back. The pain was so much that Obinze wailed. “AAAAH! AAAAH!! AAAAH!!!” and passed out. In his voice Akputa could decipher the sound of the voice of the beast; Obinze was already turning. Hours passed and Obinze woke up only to see himself in chains and ropes and thick furs all over his body like a beast of the field.
There was no sigh of Akputa in his shrine,with amazing force and strength Obinze trashed himself to snap the chains and ropes, but he couldn’t. He tried many times but failed to free himself. Hours passed and he began to feel weak and feel into sleep yet again. By night, he wasn’t sure if it was a dream or not, some beasts came, they stood on two feet like humans and had thick furs all over their bodies and had extremely long and sharp claws and also teeth like wolves and surrounded him in Akputa’s shrine. He could tell what they had come for. Though they spoke no word, he could tell their thoughts. Shockingly his mind had become one with theirs. With amazing speed the beasts began to rip Obinze’s flesh apart. He wailed in pain and cried out to Akputa for help, but there was no sign of him.


In the river world Akputa sat with a few elder gods communing in secret tongues, “A man has come to me, asking to be crossed over into the river world. He intends to come and demand that Urenma be returned to him as wife”, said Akputa.