The Legend Of Dayo…
AARON ANSAH-AGYEMAN
THE LEGEND OF DAYO
SEASON 3: THE RIVALRY
CHAPTER 23
A Spot Of Bother
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The Author
“Hello, brother, we meet again,” Daniel Godwin said expansively and chuckled.
Temi stopped to look at Rose with pained eyes.
“You set me up?” he asked hoarsely. “You were pretending all along just to lead me to death?”
Tears coursed down Rose’s face, but she still couldn’t speak. Instead, her lips trembled rather badly, and then she turned her face away from his.
Yet, he saw that she was hard in her resolve, and her determination was at its peak. Indeed, he had come to know that about her, yes. Once her mind was made up about a conviction, she stuck to it like a terrier. Oh, how stupid he had been to fall for the charms of one so wicked and deceitful.
Temi knew then that death was knocking on his door.
And this time, he just might not come back!
He cast a frantic look at the horses tethered about a hundred meters away at the edge of the trees and considered making a dash for it. This might be his only chance, but he was still weak from having recovered recently from the brutal beating he had received from Daniel, and he wondered how he could get there ahead of them.
But it was worth a try because that seemed like the only way out.
“It is time to settle this rather unpleasant hullaballoo going on between us once and for all, little brother,” Godwin said as he flexed his sword. “Personally, I am tired of the whole silly game. Temi is the One, Daniel is the One…ah, a whole bunch of bullcrap if you ask me!”
Temi looked at him levelly without fear and felt his anger stirring hotly in his young breast.
“So you resort to plain and cowardly murder?” he asked quietly.
Daniel’s eyes became hard flits of fury.
“As they say, many ways to kill a cat, little brother,” he hissed angrily. “You came along and scuppered everything I have worked for, lived for, all my life’s ambitions! You and your uncanny resemblance to the bastard that fathered me and left me and my mother! Yes, you and your vexatious arrogance and insulting attitude, not to mention your despicable resilience!”
“Once a bastard, always a bastard, Daniel,” Temidayo spat out with disdain. “I’m not surprised you sneak up on a helpless man just to have your way!”
His dark eyes moved from Ziloux and came to rest on Rosie.
“You’re all gonna pay for this, I promise you!”
Rose’s face burned at that.
Her hands became fierce balls at her sides, and for a moment it seemed she wanted to say something, but she clamped her teeth shut and quickly dropped her eyes from Temi’s.
She turned to Godwin Daniel.
“Just get it over with, will you?” she hissed anxiously, and Temi heard the tears now bubbling in her throat.
Ziloux Escobar Adeyeye was moving in an arc, trying to box in Temi, and he smiled darkly.
“Well, look at it this way, my dear prince,” he said with a chuckle. “If the Grand Oracle indeed is right, and you’re the Chosen One, then we can’t succeed in killing you. So, have faith in the Grand Oracle.”
“You won’t get away with this!” Temi said tightly. “Commander Freeman will know! And he will stop you!”
Daniel Godwin shook his head and smiled again.
“Our story will be quite simple, really, little brother,” he said softly. “You came here, made love to Rose, and fell asleep. When you woke up the White Kombas were all around you. You attacked them to protect Rose, and as they fell on you, poor Rose managed to get on a horse and rode away. Such a valiant way for a charming prince to die, don’t you think? Nothing beats the chivalrous death of a handsome prince saving a damsel in distress, does it?”
Temidayo shuddered involuntarily.
Indeed, the darkness was stealing across the sky, and very soon the dreadful White Kombas would be out. They would make mincemeat of him, and no one would be any wiser!
These horrible people had sewn up the plot rather nicely!
Temi made a sudden dash for it!
He sprinted toward Ziloux suddenly, catching the man by surprise.
Ziloux uttered a cry of shock and tried to bring up his sword but Temi swung a fist into his jaw.
Ziloux groaned and crashed to the ground heavily. Temi jumped over him and began to run.
Daniel Godwin cursed and began to chase Temi.
But he hadn’t factored in Rose!
He had not seen her as a source of danger, perhaps still foolishly thinking she might be a victim of circumstance. She saw that Temi was clear of Ziloux, and there was a distance between him and Daniel.
Temi might not be a skilled fighter, but they all knew he was as swift as a cheetah, and once he gained the open field none of them would catch him. As he made to dash away Rose came out of her stupor and hurled herself at Temi’s feet, wrapping her arms tightly around his legs.
Temi crashed to the ground sickeningly.
He sat up, his eyes wild, but Rose still held his legs as Daniel bore down on him. As Temi tried to get up Daniel kicked him viciously in the head, opening a horrible gash in his scalp.
Temi moaned as he crashed to the ground again.
Rose let go of his legs and scrambled to her feet.
Ziloux also had his sword and had struggled to his feet.
Fighting off the unconsciousness, Temi lurched groggily to his feet, straight into a terrible left hook to his jaw unleashed by Daniel Godwin!
Temi’s vision exploded in stars as the blow spun his body round, straight toward Ziloux!
“You filthy bastard!” Ziloux screamed as he jumped into the air and brought his heavy boot crashing violently into Temi’s knee, breaking the leg of the prince instantly.
Temidayo screamed then!
The pain shot through his leg as he crashed to the ground, and he saw shards of bones sticking out of his skin from his shattered leg.
“Stop it!” Rose screamed with sudden passion as she pushed Ziloux back, brushing tears from her cheek. “You bastard! No need to torment him! We’re not beasts! Just get it over with!”
In a haze of pain, Temi saw that Daniel Godwin had dropped his sword and drawn a wicked knife from the folds of his shirt.
He dropped to one knee beside Temi and looked at him with great hatred on his face. He placed his left hand on Temi’s throat and began to squeeze.
“We’ll meet in another lifetime, little brother!” Daniel Godwin said, and then he drove the knife with brute force into the left side of Temi’s chest, where his heart was, and twisted the knife tightly, destroying bone and tissue.
Pain seared through Temidayo, but he could not scream because Daniel Godwin’s hand was squeezing the breath out of him. He stared dimly into the darkening skies as blood poured out of his chest and from his leg.
Daniel pulled out his knife and wiped it on the grass, and then he got to his feet and looked down at Temi.
“We’ll leave your horse to make our story complete, little brother,” he said calmly. “Listen carefully…can you hear the growls from the distance? The White Kombas are coming, little brother. For your sake, I pray you’ll be dead before they get to you. Adios!”
He turned away from Temi and began to walk rapidly away.
“Shit, the damn monsters are coming!” Ziloux said, and Temi seemed to hear him from a very long way off. “Let’s get out of here!”
Rose was suddenly standing over Temidayo.
He could only see her face dimly, but she stood for a while looking down at him, and then he heard her voice from afar.
“I’m sorry!” she whispered quaveringly. “Oh, Temi! You forced my hand! I did it only for the survival of Dayo! I’m so sorry! Please, forgive me!”
And then she turned away from the dying young prince.
Temi lay in the grass and felt the blood pouring out of his chest and his shattered leg.
He wondered why he was still alive!
Surely, if Daniel had stuck a knife into his chest and twisted it, his heart should be burst open now, and he should be dead!
But no, he could still feel the raging pain attacking his body, and feel himself growing weaker and weaker!
Maybe, by some strange kind fate, he was still alive…
Move!
Temi forced himself to turn painfully over on his stomach, and when he raised his head, he saw his horse still waiting patiently at the edge of the trees.
Prince Temidayo David Dayo of the Dayo Empire pushed one hand in front of him, and with a herculean effort dragged himself forward a little….
He continued to move…a drag, a movement, drag, movement…
The spirit of a King, never able to give up until both body and soul gave up!
He left a trail of thick blood on the grass as he focused on simply moving. It seemed like a million miles away! Several times he almost passed out, but he gritted his teeth and moved on.
And then, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he got to the horse. Luckily, the murderers had untied the tethering rope, and Temi took hold of it as tightly as he could.
But then…he heard them!
The horrible demons, the White Kombas!
With great difficulty, Temi turned his head, and saw them in the gathering darkness…
They were coming for him, those fiendishly devilish creatures, hopping through the air like frogs! He saw that they were nearer than he had thought, and he could see their long narrow faces with the single eyes in the centre of their foreheads!
These horrible creatures with three arms, three legs, and teeth that looked like sharpened knives!
They were coming, making excited scream-like sounds!
They had sensed blood!
Temi was overwhelmed, but at that moment, his young brave heart knew no fear for the impending doom.
“Go, horse!” he moaned, tugging weakly at the reins. “Please, horse, go!”
The horse was snorting at the scent of the blood, pawing the ground in an agitated way, but then it lifted its head, and might have seen the White Kombas because it took off like a bullet!
Temi twisted the reins around his arms as the fleeing horse dragged him across the ground.
He heard the excited metallic clashing behind and managed to turn his head!
And then he saw that White Komba again!
It was that fatter White Komba that seemed to have a silver head, the one that was always in front, the one that had chewed a chunk of the horse Prosper Freeman had killed so many months ago to aid their escape!
This silver-headed White Komba was hopping ahead of the rest in great leaps, and he was just a couple of leaps behind Temi!
Temidayo knew that he wouldn’t be able to make it!
He was near the edge of the waterfall now. He could hear the water cascading down the valley with a great crashing sound!
And he could smell the foul stench of the White Kombas as he gauged distances to the waterfall!
Weak and dying, Temi now understood why Prosper Freeman had sacrificed the horse the last time the White Kombas had attacked them.
He chanced a look behind and saw that some of the White Kombas were licking his blood on the grass, but the silver-headed one was now just a leap away!
There was just one thing left to do!
The White Komba leaped into the sky, its sharp-edged claws aimed at Temi’s back.
Temidayo pulled on the reins harder, bringing the head of the horse downward sharply. The animal stumbled and fell hard, and Temi used the momentum to hurl himself toward the edge of the fast-flowing river.
The claws of the silver-headed White Komba sank into the side of the horse, and the poor animal neighed horribly, bringing instant tears to Temi’s eyes!
As blood flew from the horse, the White Komba let out a blood-curdling yell and sank its knife-like jaws into the throat of the horse, and then rippled out a chunk of flesh!
It chewed feverishly, and then its evil eye rested on Temi!
It gave another ferocious wail and jumped for Temi.
Temidayo screamed and lunged his body forward and he landed in the fast flowing river!
The claws of the White Komba struck the wet ground where Temi’s body had been just seconds previously.
They stared at each other balefully!
Other White Kombas had landed on the horse and were tearing him to pieces.
Temi continued to cry as he looked on, and then his eyes fell on the ferocious face of the silver-headed White Komba.
“Second time this,” Temi whispered helplessly and with much pain. “You will pay for this!”
The White Komba leaped high, and this time one of its claws sank into Temi’s right thigh, tearing the flesh to ribbons and almost breaking his thigh bone!
The pain was the grandfather of all pains, but Temi didn’t scream. He glared balefully at the silver-headed White Komba as he waited for death!
The White Komba raised its claw again to bury it into Temi’s throat, but the strong current of the river caught Temi’s body, spun him around, and hurled him over the edge of the waterfall, dropping him down and smashing him into the waters in the bed of the valley.
Temi didn’t feel anything, though.
He was already dead to the world and all its waterfalls and White Kombas.
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A Mother" />
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