Legacy Of The Gods Chapter 11

Legacy Of The Gods: Blood Ties

Chapter 11


After barely stifling a yawn, young Kwame Jones did his best to keep his eyes open, struggling to listen to the World History teacher. This had to be the longest day in school he’d ever had. The fact that he barely got any sleep last night didn’t help either. He had never really had any problems getting a good night’s rest, but last night it was just so strange. A feeling of anxiety and urgency rushed through him like never before while he lay in bed. It was as if something was about to happen, something was about to be revealed. What it was, he didn’t have a clue, but it would sure be nice if it didn’t happen again. Even when he got up this morning, his adoptive parents were concerned with how tired and drawn he looked.

He did his best to explain the feeling he felt, but they just nodded and said it was probably because of mid-term finals coming up. Kwame strongly doubted that, as tests never worried him THIS much, but he quickly put it behind him and went on with his day. But that feeling didn’t truly go away. It was still in the back of his mind hours later, a tiny voice that warned him that things might change soon.

Just then, the last bell of the day ran, jolting the dark-skinned boy with the neatly trimmed short afro out of his reverie. Students immediately started gathering their things and rushing out the door. Lagging behind, Kwame finally made it over to his locker and opened it with a sigh. He was usually the funny one of the class, the guy who made everyone smile and forget their worries for just a little while. Now he barely cracked a joke today and a few of the students even gave him slightly worried looks during the day. He knew they were thinking he wasn’t his usual self today, but he just couldn’t help it. When he was very small, Kwame had always sensed and felt when something was about to change, as well as sensing the presence from certain people. Usually the feelings were pretty much spot on, sensing when his birth parents decided it was time to move, or changes in their jobs. He even felt it before someone told him is parents tragically passed away.

But the sensing of other things or people around him, that was what freaked him out the most. It was if something or someone was watching him, keeping a careful eye on him. As a four-year-old, he had tried to ask his new parents who else was around them, because he always felt eyes on him. But his parents simply laughed it off, saying it was only his imagination and being in a new environment. He had never asked again. Then, the creepy feeling suddenly stopped, as though finally leaving him in peace. For years after that, Kwame mentally agreed with his adoptive parents that it was just his imagination. Then suddenly, the feelings came back stronger than ever last night, causing his unrest. What did all this mean? He hoped it would all be explained soon.

A hand suddenly fell on his shoulder, and gasping in surprise, he turned to see his best friend Antonio looking at him in concern. “Yo man, you okay?” he asked, giving a slight smile. “I don’t think standing in front of your locker staring into space is a good look for you.” The caramel-colored, half Black and half Puerto Rican youth laughed softly, shaking his head.

Kwame flushed just slightly with embarrassment before he quickly put away his books, grabbed his jacket and book bag, and slammed his locker shut. “Sorry, just something on my mind. At least, I think so, I don’t know,” Kwame sighed again and turned away.

“Yeah, I noticed. You barely said anything when I came over your house to walk with you to school this morning. It was like you were in space. What’s up?” Antonio looked at his friend in worry as they walked outside from the large school building.

“Nothing, really, I swear! I just didn’t have that much sleep last night, that’s all.” Kwame decided it would be better to just change the subject. “Maybe it was watching all those Jim Carey and Will Ferrell movies. Hey, I gotta make sure I got some good material, right?” He forced a laugh and nudged his friend on the side.

“Yeah right! Dude, you can’t even begin to be as funny as them!” Antonio laughed, playfully pushing him away. He then turned serious, looking his friend in the eyes.

“Look, if something’s wrong, just let me know, okay? We’ve been friends long enough for me to know when you’re not on your game. “

The two walked in silence for a bit before Kwame finally let out a breath.

“Alright, fine. I had some trouble sleeping last night because I keep feeling something is going to happen, something big. But I don’t know what it is." He continued to try and explain that feeling and what it usually meant. When he was done, Antonio whistled and ran a hand through his short wavy hair.

“Man, that’s heavy,” the half Hispanic boy said, shaking his head. He gave a gulp before he confessed. “But you know, I kind of felt like that the other night too. I tried to tell my dad. He was quiet for a long while and then said I shouldn’t worry about it. But he looked worried. What do you think this all means?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t. " For some reason, he felt compelled to look up into the sky, as if searching for answers up there. “But I hope it’s not as bad as I think it might be.”

Meanwhile, not too far from them, a pair of malevolent, glowing orange eyes watched them walk on, wanting nothing more than to destroy them right then and there. But the figure watching them held back, telling himself now was not the time. When it was right, he would attack and make sure these two with the strong scent of what he was searching for would never survive. He was close, oh so close to exacting his revenge, and he would be damned if he let these brats interfere. But first, he had to make sure these were the ones he was looking for. The figure closed his orange eyes and disappeared in a black flash, but not before leaving behind his deep, menacing ;augh, which would have been enough to send a freezing chill down someone’s spine if they had heard it.

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On top of a large hill overlooking the banks of a great river in the Ile-Ife,  Eshu, the Yoruba god of travelers, crossroads, as well as the escort of souls to the Underworld, looked out over the immense area and sighed. Right before him, the great river flowed by, and further out, the landscape was as lush and full of life as ever. Usually humorous, his dark, handsome face was now full of worry. His bare, muscular chest and arms gleamed brightly in the sun and his colorful kilt hugged his thighs. He solemnly watched the animals go about their business, caring for their young or hunting for food. He barely noticed the graceful antelopes bounding across in the grass. His mind was on what was happening on the troublesome world of Earth and Baron Samedi. He was sure he and the other gods created the seal to keep the baron in the bowels of the Earth much longer than this. It was supposed to last practically forever!

But then he realized that over the years, the power of the seal would diminish because of how few people believed in the Yoruba gods and mythology. He had heard of other gods in difference cultures simply disappearing because no mortal believed in them anymore. That was what gave gods their true power. It was the conviction, the deep belief of the people they were expected to protect and guide.

Without belief from mortals, a fate worse than death awaited gods and Eshu shuddered thinking about it. It was oblivion; complete and total oblivion. But convincing mortals today of their existence and gaining their allegiance was so much more harder than the gods expected. And Samedi going around causing mayhem certainly didn't make things any easier. Eshu looked out once more at the beautiful vision of the land once more. He didn’t want this all to end. That was why it was so vital to find the other descendants. Without them, there would be no way they would have the strength to fight Baron Samedi.

Eshu sighed one last time, and just as he turned to walk away, he was met by another dark-skinned god. His hair was cut down to where he was nearly bald, but the dark shade of his black hair could still be seen. On his ears he wore small, golden hoop earrings that only served to enhance his chiseled, handsome face. His kilt was exquisitely designed and colored, going to just above his knees, and his bare chest was slightly more muscular than Eshu’s own. His dark eyes found Eshu when he looked up just then, and he nodded his head when Eshu sighed in relief.

“Shango! I was just getting worried.” Eshu walked up to the Yoruba god of storms, thunder, and lightning. “Time is getting short, much faster than we anticipated. Have you any news?”

The god of few words nodded, his hand clenching into a fist. “I’ve found them, at least I think I did,” he said in a deep voice. He looked up at Eshu again, worried. “But Samedi has found them too. It was my fault. I think he followed me -”

“What?” Eshu interrupted, his eyes going wide. “Quickly, there’s no time. Go and warn Aja and the others, I will meet you on Earth!”

With that, Eshu turned away. In a quick flash, the god rushed down from the hill and was running across the plains faster than any mortal can see.

Shango raised a hand in the air and mentally called down a flash of lightning. It came down in a blinding white heat and nearly deafening thunder, and when it dissipated, Shango was gone, leaving no indication he was ever there at  all.

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With a tired sigh, Billie threw down her book bag on the floor and plopped down on her bed. It had been another long day of school work and soccer practice. While it was nice to get her mind off of Samedi and him destroying her city, she was also getting a bit worried. It had been a few days since she had seen Aja or the other gods, and she was just wondering if maybe there wasn’t anything more she and the others could do. She had to admit too, it was fun seeing that big and powerful Ogun, the beautiful and exquisite Oshun, and the calm and caring Ayao. She wondered if she would see any other gods. Who knew?

Billie sighed again and sat up, and just as she was about to see if she could mentally call the resourceful Aja, there was a soft glowing right in front of her, making her gasp in surprise. When then light faded, Aja stood before her, a worried look on her face.

“Billie! Thank goodness you’re here! Quick, there’s no time to waste, we believe we’ve found more of the descendants. But Samedi has found them too. We must stop him before he attacks!”

Although she was transparent, Billie could see the fear and urgency in the goddess’s eyes. She could see them get misty with sadness at the thought of losing any more of those like Hazel, Dante, and herself.

Billie hopped off her bed, ready to fight and protect others from Samedi. “We have to stop him! Just tell me where they are, and I’ll call the others!”

Without hesitation, Billie grabbed her cellphone from her book bag and dashed down the stairs. Just as she passed the kitchen, her mother stepped out the doorway, wiping flour on her apron. “Billie?” she called out, watching her with concern.

“Sorry Mom, I gotta go! I’ll be back before dinner, I promise!”  At that, she hurried out the front door, dialing Dante’s number. She never saw the very worried look on her mother’s face, watching her leave.

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The late afternoon Louisiana sun was on its way to setting when Kwame sat down on one of the street benches, waiting for Antonio. Right after school, they had decided to go get some pizza and just hang out to clear their minds. They then picked where and what time to meet, then parted ways to their own homes. As usual, Kwame’s parents were not home, so he quickly changed, hurriedly finished his homework, and rushed out, hoping to be back before they came home from their long day at work.

He truly hoped this would help take things off his mind. Maybe his parents were right, maybe he was worried about the upcoming tests. But he had always done decently in school. He wasn’t a super genius, but his grades were certainly better than most other students.

He sighed and looked up to see the sun slowly making its decent into the horizon. He watched cars driving by, knowing that many of the drivers were on their way home to their families. He looked at his watch and groaned in annoyance. “Come on Tony, where are you?” He looked around for any sign of his friend, but only saw a few people walking by in the quiet neighborhood.

Soon the number of people began to trickle down, and Kwame was suddenly alone just as the stars started to come out. Groaning again, Kwame was about to get up and head out to look for Antonio when a sudden feeling of dread overcame him. It was like an icy blanket of darkness, unlike anything he had ever felt before. His dark eyes wide, he looked wildly around, trying to find its source. His body now shaking, the dark-skinned, Nigerian-born boy looked down between the wooden planks of the bench he was sitting on. Suddenly, a pair of glowing, orange eyes snapped opened at him from underneath. Kwame gasped in disbelief, but before he could do or say anything, he felt an icy grip around his ankle. The bony, cold hand squeezed hard, making Kwame give out a short scream of fright and pain. He jumped off the bench, snatching his foot away.

Panting hard, the tall boy scrambled away backwards, watching a shadowy figure grow larger and larger under the bench. As it continued growing, it flipped over the bench it was underneath of, then slowly started materializing into a very tall man with a top hat, black suit and cape, and his face painted like a human skull. When stepped forward towards him, Kwame watched a cane flashed into existence in his gloved hand with wide eyes.

Baron Samedi stalked towards the young boy. He gave an evil grin, stretching out a hand towards him. “Come here, boy!” he said, his orange eyes glowing madly.

“No!” Kwame clumsily got up and ran down the sidewalk, not understanding what was truly happening. All he knew was that he had to get away, no matter what!

Samedi chuckled deep in his throat, amused that his boy thought he was actually going to escape. With a twirl, the cane clutched in his hand turned into his trusty scythe, and he stalked forward, intent on his target. Still grinning, Samedi slammed down the butt end of the scythe into the ground while he was still walking, causing a small but effective rumbling and shaking.

Kwame cried out in fright before he fell hard from the shaking and rolled over. Bruised, he lifted his head and watched the strange man came closer and closer. Suddenly, he saw Antonio running up from the side, waving his arm and his face worried. Kwame was just about to tell him to run away, to save himself before he got any closer, but it was too late, as his friend was nearly upon them. “Kwame!” Antonio yelled, seeing the terrifying scene.

Baron Samedi turned and grinned even wider. “Ahhh, what good fortune. I can dispose of the both of you here and now!” With lightning quick moves, Samedi twirled his scythe high into the air, creating a wave of wind. The light-skinned boy was quickly blown back and slammed into a sidewalk tree, having no time to even utter a sound. He crumpled to the ground with a painful moan.

“No, Antonio!” Kwame cried out, tears misting in his eyes. He turned to the tall, terrifying man and narrowed his eyes. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded, clenching his fists.

“That is something that would be of no concern to you very soon,” Samedi said, getting even closer. “I’ll take care of you first, then your little friend over there so you won’t be lonely. Adieu.” The god raised his scythe and prepared to bring it down. Kwame looked up helplessly, fear all over his face. Just as the god was about to bring the sharp edge of the scythe down, a large burst of flame shot out from seemingly nowhere and slammed into Samedi.

The Loa god screamed loudly in pain while he was thrown back a good couple of feet, landing on the roof of a car. Hardly believing his fortune, Kwame blinked and watched four young people rush towards him, their faces set in determination.

He didn't know who they were, but for some reason, he knew they would be able to help him and his friend. He could feel that they were filled with a power and confidence to fight off this evil threat.

Without wasting any time, Billie rushed over to where Kwame lay to check on him as Maybelle did the same with Antonio. Dante and Hazelynn stood protectively before them all. They watched Samedi scramble off the car roof, cursing while patting out the small flames on his suit.

“Back off Samedi,” Dante said, clenching his fists and making flames burst up from them. “You’re not taking care of anyone here tonight.”

“Leave...now,” warned Hazelynn, light sparkling from her hands.

Unable to help himself, Kwame blushed just slightly when he saw Hazelynn stand defiantly and protectively in front of him. But he had no time to try and hide it before Billie quickly helped him to his feet. “Are you okay?” she said, looking him over for any injuries.

Not trusting himself to speak yet, he nodded, then looked over to where he saw a groggy Antonio stand shakily on his feet with the help of the girl with him. She quickly helped him over with everyone else.

When Samedi stalked over and stood before them, he bared his gleaming teeth. “I’m getting tired of you all interfering with everything! This ends tonight, I will not leave here until you all are crushed under my foot!"

He gave a rageful yell, and before anyone could do anything, he slammed the bottom end of his scythe into the ground once more.

A great rumbling shook the very Earth itself, causing the six teens to yell in surprise and fall clumsily to the ground. Then to their horror, the sidewalk before them began to crack and split, a reddish glow coming up from beneath.

Just as the sun had set, the group saw with terrified eyes wave upon wave of abiku rise up from the growing cracks. Kwame’s eyes widened in complete disbelief, watching the creatures surrounded them. Their small, beady eyes were filled with nothing but utter rage and malice. Soon they were all encircled by what looked like hundreds of the foul animals.

Their waved their paws filled with razor sharp claws, looking ready to rip through flesh as if it was nothing. Next to him, he heard Antonio cry out in distress when one of the creatures swiped at him, but was knocked back right as Maybelle gave a powerful kick to its midsection.

They were all about to pounce on them then, making Kwame’s heart feel like it was about to drop through the floor, but Samedi held up a hand to stop them, grinning wildly once more.

“You know, perhaps I was a bit hasty, saying I wanted to crush you all. But I’m actually in a bit of a good mood tonight. I think I’ll give at least some of you a chance to escape. Perhaps I’ll hunt you down later, perhaps not. But at least you ALL probably won’t die tonight."

The baron turned to look Billie straight in the eyes, his own glowing as brightly as ever. He pointed at the stunned Kwame and Antonio. “Here’s my offer; give me those two, and you and your other friends will have a chance to live through the night, hmmm? Isn’t that better than you all perishing?”

He lowered his arm and looked over to the waiting spiritual creatures, a smirk on his face. “So, what do you say? You’d better make your decision now, because honestly, I don’t know how long I can keep this many of them back. And you do have the city to think of, right? What if I let them all loose on so many innocent people?” He turned back to her. “And all you have to do is give me just two boys that don’t mean anything to you. What do you say, hmm?”

Billie stepped back slightly, a shocked look on her face. How could she possibly answer that? What should she say and do? Was he really doing to let loose those creatures on everyone in New Orleans? She looked back at Hazelynn, Dante, and Maybelle, but they too looked shocked.

Billie swallowed hard and wished more than ever that she knew what to do. Because if she made the wrong decision, close to millions of people would die tonight, and she knew deep down that Baron Samedi would have no problem with that. No problem at all.

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To Be Continued…..