Legacy Of The Gods Chapter 14

Legacy Of The Gods

Chapter 14


Back in the burning and punishing section of the Ile-Ife, where those who lived evil lives were condemned to spend the rest of eternity, Baron Samedi, still recovering from his injuries that would have killed a mortal man, sulked heavily while stomping his way past the flames and smoke that had raged on since before humans could comprehend time itself. The Loa god ignored the bursting flames, the cries of the condemned souls, and the choking, billowing black smoke that once gave him such pleasure. The rage that gave the fires fuel to burn eternally was the same in his blackened heart.

How could this take so long? Why was he so unsuccessful every time he had those brats in his grasp? How were they so lucky all the time? Stomping on, he angrily kicked the wispy, emaciated body of a soul out of his way. Long ago, that would have made him throw back his head and laugh in triumph. But now he was irritated to no end. He had to come up with something different, something that would ensure him that next time, those young vessels of the damnable gods would finally perish at his hands.

His paused and narrowed his eyes, his hand clenching into a fist. But first, they had to pay dearly for his humiliation and interfering in his plans. He would humiliate them as they did him, and when he was done, they would beg for death. But he would be slow in giving it to them. He would make sure the gods watch as they suffered long and hard for every failure of his. But in order to do that, he had to come up with something new. Something that the mortals would be unprepared for.

The fires continued to burst out and shoot high into the darkened sky, but it still wasn’t enough to appease the god’s foul mood. What could he do? He had tried everything that was available, but it was to no avail. He had eliminated many of the royal descendants over the years before he was sealed away, and never had he encountered such trouble and resistance. But something surely will come to him. It was just a matter of patience and time. He was getting stronger now the longer he was free, and he was even able to block his presence while in the Ile-Ife better. Time should not be much of an issue.

He continued to walk, his black trench coat billowing behind him. Suddenly he felt a powerful presence come to existence near him. He stopped and bared his teeth, holding up his scythe before him. “Who’s there?” he growled out, his orange eyes glowing brightly as he looked around.

Like a splash of black ink that was dropped into a glass of clear water, a dark, watery substance materialized out of the darkness before the baron. It swiveled and swirl for a short while, then began to form a tall, imposing figure. When it was done, a black, inky form of a man stood before him, but its face was completely overshadowed except for the bright, yellowish eyes, blinking before it turned to the god.

“Another failure, dear Baron?” the ink-like substance rasped out. Its voice sounded like it was muffled by water. “And bested by children, no less. How very humiliating that must be.” The thing made a sound that could only be described as close to a chuckle, but bubbly like air forcing itself through water.

“Who are you?” The Baron narrowed his eyes and peered closer. The black substance swelled momentarily and seemed to swivel unsteadily on its feet before forcing itself to return to its humanoid shape and stand upright. Samedi’s glowing eyes widened when he realized who it was.

“You! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be back in the city, licking the feet of those cursed gods?” he growled out, holding his scythe forward threateningly. “How did you find me?”

“Calm yourself, Samedi. I come in peace, as well as to offer you a hand in disposing those mortal vessels. I too, tire of watching the mortals and how we the gods have to cater to them.” The substance’s eyes narrowed as it remember times long ago. “Once, they respected us, feared us, and worshiped us in ways we deserved. They did as we commanded and gave us tribute when it was due. But now, we live in the shadows. We live in nothing but myths and stories, fables that not even many of their dreadful children believe anymore. They no longer believe nor worship us as they should. They must be taught a lesson, not protected and cuddled like we have been doing for thousands of years now.”

The black ink form turned its head out to the distance. “I want back those days when the mortals begged for our help and intervention. I want them to fear and desire as they did in the old days.” It held up a blackened, watery hand, staring at it. “Even I, being who I am, do not have the hold over them I once had. With just one touch, they succumbed to me. But now, with their ridiculous science and medicines, they have forgotten us.”

Baron Samedi grinned widely for a moment before he lowered his scythe and stepped closer. “I knew one day I would get through to at least one of you.” His smile faded. “But those blasted brats! Every time I track one of the vessels down, the gods are a step ahead of me. If we can find the next one before they can discover what we’re up to -”

“That is only a matter of distraction,” the mysterious figure interrupted. A squiggly blackened line under the eyes indicated where its mouth should be. It curved up into a dark smile. “And I think I have the perfect distraction for you. But use it wisely. And remember, you are on your own after this. I cannot risk being discovered helping you. The other gods still think I am on their side. So foolish of them.”

“What exactly do you have in mind? “ Samedi asked the ink-like being, determination glowing in his orange eyes. The thing leaned in and spoke softly, and after hearing its plan, Baron Samedi grinned wide and wickedly, the fires in the background blasting long and hot and threatening to burn all who dared to come near.

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After tossing and turning for most of the night, Billie finally sat up, sweat nearly pouring down her face. Even with her fan being turned on at full swing, she was still burning up. Autumn was in full swing now, starting right after the start of the school year, but it still had days where people wondered when Summer would finally take its leave. But for Billie, it wasn’t just the heat that made her restless.

With a sigh, she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and thought back to the other night when Baron Samedi attacked and they discovered two new Yoruba royalty descendants. Luckily they were able to hold off the powerful God of Resurrection, but Billie wondered how long their luck will last. What if one of them made a mistake? What if she made a mistake? Would that spell their doom? The dark-skinned girl was clueless, but she certainly prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

She then thought back to the meeting they had with Dante’s grandmother, Miss Hattie. After the group of teens told her what happened and meeting the gods, they gathered around her when they entered the living room. The older woman’s eyes were a bit sad when she looked them over and was forced to bring back up memories thought long forgotten and recall stories believed to be just that; stories.

But the old woman knew that they needed to know what was going on, she could see it in their eyes. With a sigh, she began with telling them about the beginnings of Yoruba mythology. She remembered them so well, as her own mother had drilled them in her head back in her days of training to be a voodoo priestess. The teens listened in rapt attention as she explained about how powerful the Yoruba culture was in ancient times in Nigeria, how they originated and how much of a force the gods were in the lives of the people back then, especially the royal families. All was in peace, everyone lived in contentment. That is, until the Slave Trade and colonialism nearly wiped them out. Those who still remembered the old ways, still practice the traditions and rituals even while under that threat of death, changed the name from Yoruba to Voodoo to disguise it, and so in secret, it lived on.

Soon, stories spread about the gods still protecting and guiding those of the royal lines, even throughout that terrible period of time. They were famous stories of slaves somehow being led to freedom in the North with the help of mysterious beings they soon realized were the gods of their ancestors. Unsurprisingly, it was the very same gods Billie and the others have come to know that diligently led desperate runaway slaves to the hidden spots and trails that would come to be known as the Underground Railroad.

Billie’s eyes misted, imagining what a sacrifice that must have been to the gods, for they can only spend a short time on Earth and had no time to find out if any slaves were of the royal line to bond with. How it must have nearly drained all their energy to ensure that the slaves were led to freedom and a future, to ensure that their legacy lived on whether they were of the Yoruba royal line or not. How it must have nearly cost them their immortal lives!

After pausing to gather her thoughts, Hattie went on. She then told of how stories of the evil Baron Samedi came about. At first worshiped as a benevolent god that guided the souls of the dead to the peaceful Spiritual World, he turned greedy, arrogant, and hateful towards the mortals. It was only through the final battle back in the early or mid-1700’s that he was finally sealed away, never to be seen again since then.  Billie nodded in agreement, already knowing this from Aja.

Then once again, Hattie recalled that fateful night when Samedi nearly escaped, the same story she told Billie, Dante, and Hattie about the night she went dancing. Antonio and Kwame gasped at how close the old woman came to dying that night, just as they almost did.

Once more the elderly woman was quiet for a bit, the memories washing over her. Then she began again. “But that’s not the only time,” she whispered out. “I realize now that it was only just the beginning of the seal getting weaker. There was just one other time that I felt an evil presence, a force that could only be Samedi back then. It was just after you were born, Dante,” She looked over at her grandson and smiled sadly.

“From the moment I held you after your parents brought you home from the hospital, I knew there was something you were destined for. I felt a great strength, a force in you that hadn’t been seen in our family for a very, very long time.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I made sure I told your mother how important it was to keep you safe, to understand how special you were. But she…resisted. She said I was just using you to make her become like me. She didn’t believe or understand the way I did. I mean, I think she did, but she tried to push it down, deny it. Your mother, she wanted nothing to do with what I could have taught her, just as you do today.”

Dante had looked down shamefully, but his grandmother shook her head and continued. “Then, one day, I was walking with your mother home after we were visiting some friends. You were so handsome and well-behaved as a baby Dante,” The boy blushed just a little when Billie gave him a slight smile.

“It was getting dark and we tried to hurry before it got any darker. Just as we were passing by a small park near a cemetery, I felt a dark presence right beneath us. I looked at your mother, and I knew she felt it too. Try as much as she did to deny it, your mother was very attuned to spiritual presence as I and my own mother were, as all those in our family were. We hurried more, but you started crying. We had nearly left the area of the cemetery when like before, something tried to push up out of the earth right where we were walking. The stroller you were in was knocked over, but your mother grabbed you in time. We were shocked at what was happening. Suddenly, the ground the evil presence tried to break out of cracked, and a hand pushed out. Immediately I knew I had to protect my daughter and grandson. I took out my charms and did a spell to banish evil. But the presence was strong, so very strong. Yet I would not give up. I poured all my heart, my soul into my incantations as your mother did her best to calm you. Finally, your mother joined me in reciting the spell, and after throwing a ward on the crack and repeating the spell one last time, the seal strengthened a little and it pushed back that force."

Hattie became silent, catching her breath, then she continued. “But now, looking back, I know it was Samedi. He also felt your strength and ties to the past, and he wanted to eliminate it. If I hadn’t had acted in time….” The old woman looked at her grandson pleadingly. “I’m sorry I never told you. I thought that would have been the end of it, that we could go on with our lives. But now I know it was not the end.” She looked away, her eyes pained at the memory.

Dante looked at his grandmother with wide eyes, shocked. “You mean, Baron Samedi, he almost…he almost..” The boy couldn’t even finish his sentence, barely processing how close he came to meeting his end and how his mother and grandmother protected him. His mother, who wanted nothing to do with voodoo spells or spirits or anything like that, finally overcoming her pride and doing what she resisted for so long to ensure his safety.

Looking at them both, Billie could actually see in her mind the determination on the Hattie’s face as she fiercely did her spell, standing protectively before her grandson and his mother, all while the evil Samedi tried his best to break free. It was a very brave sight to behold. After taking a deep breath, she reach over and took Dante’s hand in her own, trying to calm him and give him some of her own strength.

No one spoke for a long while. Then, as if the thought just came to him, Kwame lifted his head. “So, if the gods only bond with the Yoruba royal family, and Eshu bonded with me, does that make me a…a prince?” He looked around at the others in wonder. Was that what his birth parents were so secretive about?

Hazelynn sighed and rolled her eyes in impatience. “Technically yes, but no one is ever going to believe us anyway. We can’t exactly go out and tell people we’re royalty and deserve discounts at the mall you know,” She majestically flipped her long hair behind her.  “Well, at least you can’t.” she muttered.

Billie gave her an annoyed look at that, but just then, the dark-skinned boy got up from where he and the others were sitting around Hattie. “I’m a prince,” he said in wonder, a smile forming on his face. He raised his arms in the air. “I’m a PRINCE!” he shouted into the air.

“Me too, this is awesome!” Antonio shouted joyfully, standing up with him.

Maybelle giggled shyly behind her hand at the funny sight. Dante seemed to come out of his trance right then and smiled warmly up at them. Hazelynn rolled her eyes and groaned in annoyance when she saw Kwame grin and wink at her.

But looking at Dante, Billie knew he was still thinking and worrying about that fateful night of when he was a baby. Were the rest of them that close to death as well? Billie knew that it was sheer luck she was even alive today because of what nearly happened to her ancestor queen, but what if their luck ran out? She just wished she knew, sitting and holding Dante’s hand to give him strength. The boy softly squeezed back, as though saying without words he didn’t mind her holding his hand one bit.  

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Back in the present, Billie sighed and plopped back down on her bed, willing herself to calm down and her heartbeat to go back to normal. She was nervous, and yes, admittedly scared. But despite that, she knew that the gods would be there to help, just as they did with her and her friends’ ancestors long ago. Although with Samedi getting stronger, would it be enough? Billie prayed and hoped it would be. She definitely wanted to ensure that this world would be protected so that her own children and their children would enjoy it, just as she knew her ancestors did.

At the thought of children, an image of Dante suddenly entered her mind, and the girl blushed before covering herself with her sheet. Well, at least she won’t be alone in this battle. She had Dante. And of course the others, even Hazelynn, she told herself.

But when sleep began to settle over her seconds later, the thought of Dante and children still lingered in her mind, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t mind one bit.

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In the Ile-Ife, it wasn’t just the land, cities, and savanna plains that the powerful dimension was known for. In the far distance that stretched farther than the eye could see, there was a vast and immense ocean. It was a brilliant and bright blue, a reflection of the endless sapphire sky above it. Small patches of white were created in the waters when the waves crashed on the surface, and mist sprayed into the air right after.

The ocean water was pure, more pure than any on the mortal world of Earth. The sound the churning and crashing ocean was almost deafening. But despite the noise, it was almost calming in its cycle and form. A bit of green was mixed in with the blue from the sea plants and other vegetation moving under the waves. Here and there were little spots of land and rock formations that also spread out as far as the eye could see.

The ocean was so large, so vast, not even some of the gods knew where it began and where it ended. This was where the oceans of Earth began, as the  story goes. This was the starting point of how Earth itself was created. In fact, many other worlds were created from the pure waters of this immense ocean. Over time, many gods had sailed far away on boats and stood on the many pockets of lands they found to contemplate its existence and meaning. To many others, just watching the vast ocean from the shores of the Ile-Ife  was a way to calm down and rejuvenate themselves after another long day of performing their godly duties.

Above, large seagulls squawked and screeched, flapping their long wings and diving down once in a while for fresh fish to feed on. Every so often, colorful fish with transparent fins and tails jumped up and down from the waters, some even doing flips before landing back down in the churning ocean. Out in the distance, dolphins jumped high up, did double flips, and landed back into the waters with a loud splash. High-pitched sounds erupted from the beautiful pale blue animals and carried out far and wide.  Not far from them, large humpback whales lazily swam on. Water blasted out high from their blowholes when they surfaced, making them look like fountains.

One whale slowly dove back down into the depths, giving his tail one last flip before completely submerging. Deeper and deeper he went, until it was soon getting dark with the sunlight reaching its limits in the deepness. Minutes later, he passed a figure floating casually in the deep waters, fish and other animals swimming all around it. The large sea animal paid no attention to the figure and went deeper, leaving it in peace as he sang long and loud in the watery depths.

But if anyone else would have seen it and looked closer, they would have seen it was no animal, but instead the figure of a woman…a goddess in fact. Her dark skin still gleamed in the pure but darkened waters, and she wore a long and loose robe what was mostly blue and green. In the water, the robe swirled and floated around her, and every once in a while, a peek of her legs and arms showed when she slowly moved them up and down in time with the movements of the water.

Her afro hair was long and thick, with curls and kinks floating all around her head. Braided and clipped into her thick, textured hair were seashells of various shapes and sizes, and the colors shined brilliantly as if they were making light on their own. Upon closer inspection, the goddess’s beautiful face was serene, as though the very waters itself were soothing her, calming her after a long and rough day. Her full, thick lips were upturned in a contented and relaxed smile.  

For what seemed like eternity, the goddess relaxed in the crystal clean and pure waters. The gentle movements of the ocean around her gave her comfort and even joy as she swayed her legs back and forth. Drowning was not an issue for her. While mortals would have suffocated and been crushed by the weight of the water within moments, the goddess gathered strength and peace from the ancient ocean because it was her element, her territory. Not even some of the other gods understood how much the ocean meant to her.

And so she continued floating, allowing her limbs to follow the movements of the water around her. Then suddenly, the woman’s sea green eyes snapped opened, a sense of urgency nearly overwhelming her. Without a doubt, she knew that it was another of the mortal royal descendants, someone who had reached an age where bonding was possible and their hearts opened. Her mouth opened and small bubbles floated out. I can feel her! The goddess thought desperately to herself. I have to tell the others!

Wasting no time, the goddess flipped gracefully in the water and willed herself to rise up higher and higher, her arms stretched towards the surface. There was no more time to lose, not if what she heard of the rumors about Samedi were true!  Higher she rose and the waters began to get brighter and brighter. Behind her, a long trail of bubbles shot out, signifying how fast she was going. She zipped up fast towards the surface, hope in her heart and praying she wasn’t too late.

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To Be Continued….