Folktails✔️

27•

F O L K T A I L S
•The End•
His fingers tightened even harder around the wooden handle of the blade as he glared at the group that had gathered, slowly advancing on them. He did his best to obstruct their view, putting himself in place of her as the target of their hideous anger and hatred.

He could nearly see it seeping off of them; the miserable cauldrons of unimaginable... that had sunk its tendrils into them and was manipulating their actions.

Or maybe it was just them being humans–the cold and unforgiving creatures that they were. Humans had been the same way for ages, selfishly and heartlessly destroying everything else that was not of a benefit to them or worse, was different from them.

Ikenna spat beside him in repugnance, trying hard to force down the bile that was beginning to rise up his throat. Soon he was dry heaving uncontrollably.

"My Lord. Are you alright?" Her hands soothed his back while their audience watched on, unimpressed.

"You should leave now Idem." He gripped her hands tightly and shoved them away from himself.

"My Lord. I cannot leave you." she clung unto him again.

"You have to!" The frustration he had been unconsciously trying to bottle up was greatly evident in his voice. "You must leave now my love. The wise one is not yet here but when she is, she will surely use her powers against you. It will be better to leave now. You cannot stay any longer. Please return to your home. I love you Idem. Please."

"I am sorry my Lord, but we will have to face this together. I cannot leave you here alone to fight a battle that is not even yours. I will stay by your side till the end. It does not matter whether I die or not. What matters is I will be by your side." She said tearfully. Ikenna grunted then sighed heavily, knowing she had not fully been on board with the idea of leaving since he introduced the idea.

"Maduka." The guards parted a way for the man Ikenna knew only too well. "Hand her over now."

"Traitor!" Ikenna hurled furiously.

"Traitor?" Amobi barked out a laugh at the situation which was everything but funny to Ikenna. "How am I being a traitor Maduka? By being faithful to my motherland? By not protecting a marine spirit? By not dishonouring my father's name? Tell me, how am I being a traitor?"

"How did you know, and who sent you?" Ikenna's teeth grated on themselves loudly.

"Now, do you even deserve to know such that you ask Maduka?"

"Tell me!" His patience was wearing thin as he knew time was ticking most quickly, hastening its footsteps.

"Send her over Ikenna, and the council may consider letting you live."

"Tell me Amobi!"

"Give her to me Maduka!" He yelled but Ikenna ignored his words, staring coolly at him instead of making any moves to obey his order.

"Over my dead body." His voice was loud and clear as were his words.

"It is obvious now that you have refused to pay heed to reason and are therefore ready to lose everything you have. I will tell you what you wish to know, but only as a parting gift to a man who will soon be dead." He grinned mockingly while Ikenna stood, unfazed. It was almost like he was prepared to lose his life. And maybe he was for he knew he would protect her with all that he had even if it meant to his end.

"A man dies once in his lifetime Amobi. Never twice. So then, is it not best for me to leave this world when I choose to?" Ikenna's smile was bitter and equally tinted with a tinge of sadness, yet also making sure to show his stubbornness and determination.