The Legend Of Dayo…

AARON ANSAH-AGYEMAN

THE LEGEND OF DAYO

SEASON 3: THE RIVALRY

CHAPTER 20

A Deadly Decision

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Temi remained on the ground, broken and dying.

In singles and in little groups, the warriors disbanded.

As she walked away with Daniel and Ziloux Escobar Adeyeye, Rose looked back at the stunned faces of the Keepers, and she noticed a most shocking spectacle: they were not watching Daniel with appreciative admiring eyes. Instead, they were looking at the broken, shattered and bloodied figure of Temidayo on the ground…and even Emma Tobi had a stunned awed look on his face!

She reached out and touched Daniel’s arm.

“The Keepers are impressed with him!” she said, shocked and furious. “You shouldn’t have toyed with him, Dan! You should have fallen him with just a single blow!”

Daniel Godwin’s teeth clenched tightly and his eyes narrowed bleakly as he took a look back and saw the near-reverential looks on the faces of almost all the Keepers as they looked at Temidayo.

“I wanted them to see how weak Temi was, and that was why I toyed with him,” he said angrily.

“You didn’t toy with him, Dan,” Ziloux said softly. “And you know it.”

Daniel stopped and gripped his friend’s arm with cruel fingers.

“And what the hell do you mean by that?” he asked pretense.

Ziloux looked at his friend calmly, although he was in great pain from the squeezing fingers of Daniel.

“You cannot fool me, Dan,” he said softly. “I’ve been your friend for a long time, and I know you. I saw you swinging. You wanted to kill that boy with your first blow. You wanted to make it devastating, but no matter how hard you hit him, he stayed up. In the end, you triumphed only by hitting him with all you’ve got! Those final blows should have killed him, Dan, yes, and I knew you wanted to kill him. Those blows would kill any man, but Temi was only knocked unconscious!”

Slowly the enraged fury left Daniel Godwin’s face and his hand dropped slowly. He looked at his friend with sudden indecision and a tint of fear.

“What are you getting at, Zil?” he asked in an anxious voice.

“That boy is no coward, and you know it,” Ziloux said softly. “I was watching his eyes, man. They held contempt even when you were tearing him up. Now the Keepers are impressed with his resilience more than your brutality. In his weakness, he exuded a strength none of us thought he possessed. I’ll tell you for a fact that if Temi comes out of this, he would definitely prove a danger to your ambitions!”

They looked at each other in silence.

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“Everybody knew Temi was outmatched,” Ziloux continued calmly. “They knew that physically, he was no match for you, and so subconsciously, they all backed him, because he represented the oppressed. It is a normal nature of man to side with the underdog. And his spirit, his resilience, his defiance, in coming after you time and again, represents the kind of bravery these people see in a king. Don’t forget, it is already all over that he possesses the sweet rod of the kings of Dayo, something you definitely do not have. I’ll tell you this, my friend, although you’ve beaten Temidayo to a pulp, he came out stronger and powerful, and in the real contents of the subconscious thought, he indeed won this fight.”

Daniel Godwin put his hands on his friend’s shoulders.

“You better spell whatever is in your head out, you infantile son-of-a-bitch, and stop spewing this double-tongued garbage at me!” he grated out viciously.

Ziloux’s eyes were very cold as he stared at his friend.

“This rivalry between you and Temi is over, Daniel,” he said quietly. “From what just happened, the minds of most of the Keepers are made up, except perhaps Emma Tobi. He will continue to give you allegiance, yes, but only because of his greed and hope that you will honour him one day. So, if you want to beat Temi for real, and become the Chosen One and the future king, there is only one thing to do now.”

Rose gasped, and Daniel looked into the savage eyes of his friend bleakly.

“You’re suggesting murder,” Daniel Godwin finally said softly.

“You’ve already considered it, friend,” Ziloux said gently. “It is the only way.”

Daniel Godwin took a deep shuddering breath.

“So be it then,” he said, turned and walked away.

Ziloux followed him with a sly smile on his lips.

It was only Rose who stood still and turned dazedly to look in the direction of the Keepers.

***

Temi spent the following week in the house of Sage Agu Samuel.

The terrible beating he had received from Daniel had really broken up a lot of bones in his body, and that week was the most physically painful time of his life.

The Sage had to call on all his psychic abilities and herbal knowledge to attempt a cure on Temi. He was a very worried man indeed during the first two days when Temi didn’t respond to any of the treatments and remained in a dangerously delirious coma-like state.

On the second night, the Sage leaned close to Temi and whispered fearfully into the ears of the prince.

“Listen, son of Demi, you’re putting both of us in a rather dangerous position! I have told the other Keepers that you’re doing very well mastering your psychic powers of healing! You should be showing signs of improvement by now if indeed what I told them had a figment of truth! If they come here, and you’re still unhealed, they’ll know I’ve been lying, and that will be dangerous for us! The Keepers are above lies, my dear prince, and if they catch me in this lie, it might mean disgrace, and maybe even death, to me! Reach inside, Temi, visit your valley if you have to…but help me to help you, please!”

Sage Agu barely slept that night.

He spent all the night with Temi, reaching into the psychic spheres and touching the broken parts of the prince with dedication and concentration he had never used before.

And then, on the afternoon of the third day, three Keepers came to Sage Agu’s home to see how the prince was doing.

Agu Samuel, who had brewed a special blend of healing herbs, quickly hid the hot pot in a basket of clothes and quickly went to the door to let them in.

He was terrified inwardly, but he forced out a bright smile as he looked desperately at Emma Tobi, Ayaka Nsugbe and a worried Shemen Persis.

“Ah, great Sage, we come peacefully to visit the prince,” Emma Tobi said with a broad smile. “And to see how the prince is doing, and also access his candidature as the Chosen One. You told us how good he’s doing with his psychic abilities, so he should at least have recovered halfway by now, don’t you think?”

“It is true, Emma,” Agu said tightly. “But alas, he was beaten so horribly that he’s been delirious ever since, and in those cases, it takes a lot for the mind to concentrate on healing.”

“Sure, I understand, Sage,” Emma Tobi said, his wicked eyes glinting. “But that is why I said at least he should have recovered halfway. After all, it is the physical body that breaks, not the psychic mind, as you’re fond of saying.”

“He’s asleep,” Sage Agu said, no longer able to hide his concern. “Perhaps, if you can come back this evening…”

“Sage, Sage, don’t be like that now!” Emma said with knowing chuckle and brushed past the ruffled Sage Agu Samuel and headed for the inner rooms where Temidayo was lying.

As he watched them go, sick to his stomach, Sage Agu Samuel steeled himself from the damnation he knew would befall him and Temi soon. He followed at a more leisurely pace and saw them entering the room where Temi was lying, still in a delirious state of semi-madness.

And then when he got to the doorway he stopped with a massive shock.

Temi was up!

He was still in the bed, but he was sitting up with his back propped up against the headboard, looking at the Keepers with eyes so filled with rage that he reminded Sage Agu strongly of his father, the incomparable King Demi.

Sage Agu almost collapsed against the wall just inside the room with sheer relief, but his eyes were fixed nevertheless on Prince Temidayo with something approaching fear and incredible respect.

Surely, Temi could not have healed this fast, no!

The boy was still broken inside, physically incapacitated! Every movement might have been filled with unbearable excruciating pain, but he had defied that pain and dragged himself into a sitting position.

Emma Tobi was looking at Temi with great dread now, his expression robbed of its disdain for once.

“Ah, Prince Temidayo!” the man said with a sickly smile. “I see you’re doing well, indeed. We came to check up on your health!”

“On my health, or to ascertain that I’m still bedridden and not fit to be considered as the leader?” Temi asked, his voice dangerously clipped as he stared at Emma Tobi without holding back his acute disgust. “You sicken me, Keeper Tobi, and your stench rustles up the bile in my throat.”

“Now, hold on a minute there, Temi!” Emma Tobi began angrily.

“You hold on there, Keeper Tobi! The fact that you’re a Keeper doesn’t give you the audacity to address me as your playmate!” Temi cut in furiously, and all present looked at him with sudden shock because his voice had suddenly assumed the cutting edge of his father the late king. “You will address me properly, or I swear I’ll tear out the very jugular you speak disrespectfully out of. Do you understand?”

Shemen Persis turned and looked at Sage Agu, and she smiled secretly to herself, unable to hide her awe and great pleasure.

Ayaka Nsugbe was filled with wonder at the power from the boy’s voice, and a smile spread across his face as he looked at a horribly-flustered Emma Tobi, who had suddenly dropped on one knee with his head bowed.

“I crave your pardon, Your Majesty!” Emma Tobi said in a strained voice filled with a mixture of fear and hatred. “Do forgive your servant!”

“I don’t forgive when I know the heart seeking forgiveness is not genuinely contrite!” Temi said bitingly. “I appreciate your visit, my Honourable Keepers. But I would appreciate it if I’m left alone to rest for a while, a rest that was rudely interrupted by your unannounced visit. Next time, give me a modicum of respect by letting me know you’re coming over.”

“Spoken like a king!” Sage Agu whispered silently to himself, his startled eyes never leaving the furious face of Temi.

Ayaka Nsugbe bowed low.

“Forgive us, Your Majesty,” he said quickly. “It will be so indeed. Now, we’ll let you catch up on your rest.”

He turned, still smiling, and quickly left the room.

Emma Tobi scrambled to his feet, his face burning with humiliation, and quickly scrambled out of the room too.

The moment he left the room, Temi relaxed, unable to hold on to his pretense a second longer. He had used all his strength to defy the unbearable agony of his broken bones, and a look of sheer and excruciating pain crossed his handsome features. Sweat broke out on his face, and suddenly he fell off the bed and crashed rather sickeningly on the floor.

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