90 Mwiga

Inside the room that Ochieng' had just left, on the chair he was sitting on earlier, sat a man who seemed to be in his late forties. The man had a rather handsome face with a pitch black hair that was nicely kempt to behove his facial appearance. The lion skin which he wore fitted his medium built body perfectly. His appearance could deceive one that he was a certain nice middle-aged man were it not for the ancient and unfathomable aura around him.

The old man was extremely quiet before the middle-aged man. Fear was apparent on his old face.

"You did well Mwiga. You did very well to let him go for the greater good of majority of people. You really really did well." The middle-aged man nodded in a carefree manner.

"I only did what I thought was right Okeyo." The old man said lowering his head humbly contrasting the demeanor of a god he was known to be.

"The world of the dead is full of unaccomplished dreams, unsatisfied longings and uncountable feelings of regret. We think those who die are in peace after joining the ancestors but most of them are not. More often than not, their spirits tend to come back to the world of the living to finish whatever they left unfinished."

The so called Okeyo started recounting with his head slightly tilted upwards with a look full of ruth while Mwiga, the old man, looked at him attentively ready to listen to what this mighty wizard had to say.

"In the process of doing so, they cause a great turmoil in the underworld and many spirits, some good and some evil find their way into our world. That is why when my brother died, his longing for the things he was yet to see was greater than his love for you. He couldn't join our ancestors in peace. The plague forty seasons ago, was a result of the evil spirits that found their way into this land as Amoth's spirit tried to come back to this world."

" Because he cared for you, he couldn't afford to see you suffer like your people and that was the reason you were never affected. Nonetheless, I could not afford to see your people die. To help them, I had to offer a few people as a sacrifice to let the spirits go back to the netherworld. It was hard on my side as spells involving the spirits are the most difficult." At this point he lowered his head in shame for he was feeling remorseful for the innocent people he had killed.

"What about the beasts that came a month later?" Mwiga asked, having conflicted looks.

"Those were the spirits of those who found their way in the land of the living. They feared Amoth so they retreated."

"And what about me aging suddenly and who exactly is the Ice serpent?"

The curious Mwiga asked but was destined to not know whatever he wanted to know for the other fellow was literally crying, to the point where he could not answer Mwiga. This stupefied Mwiga who had always placed him in another realm of existence. However, he tried hard to calm him down. When Okeyo finally cooled down, these are the things he said,

"Just be thankful the person you captured today was an Ordainer. This is the greatest fortuitous encounter in your life Mwiga."

" What do you mean?" Mwiga's eyes were shining brightly with agitation for he knew something was yet to happen.

"You will know soon enough..."

Immediately he said those words, Okeyo leaped to the air and vanished.

"Wait!"

Mwiga who was waiting for an answer pleasing to the ear was surprised to see Okeyo leave. He could not help but shout while jumping up several times in an attempt to follow the wizard. He was about to sit down with disappointment when he felt his muscles loosening and his tall figure shortening. Lifting his hands, he was more than happy to see that his skin was transmogrifying back to what it used to be.

He ran to the mirror only to see a reflection of a twenty year old youth from before. He gasped for air before jumping in jubilation. He was too happy to realize that he had been changed to a gifted person. That was maybe meant for the right time, when he needed to know.

...

Ratong' was flying at terrific speed as it moved in a certain direction. A certain lion sat on its head lifting its nose upwards giving it direction.

"We are almost there." The small lion said agitated .

Ochieng' on hearing that, he felt his heart beat fast. He was really anxious to see his woman. He did not believe that he would soon meet her.

Ratong' on the other hand almost lost control of itself. It for a few seconds failed to control the air and fly. This led to him tilting a little making all its companions fall. It is when it realized that it had been carried away.

"What on earth is wrong with you Ratong'?" The Jade Eagle asked indignantly.

It was a bird for heaven's sake. It was not that it sat on Mudho's back because it couldn't fly, it was just for the sake of comradeship.

"I just cannot imagine that I am going to meet that pixie." Ratong' answered before giggling with bright eyes.

It did not allow the others to fall anyway for it saved all of them in time.

"Child, it seems there are people interested in your woman more than yourself." The lion tribe head laughed after they settled on Mudho's back.

"Who would not want to see a beautiful flower over and over? I had even been so fond of her that I always cry when I think about her."

Even before Ochieng' opened his mouth, Ratong' had already said smiling proudly. The others could only shake their heads bitterly for there was nothing they could say.

"There!"

Upon hearing Mang'weya, the small lion's voice, everyone lifted their heads and ahead of them they saw a large lonely hut in the middle of a rocky pine forest.

Ratong' lowered its speed and the atmosphere became tense. Ochieng' did not even realize that he was currently trembling like a nervous child somewhere waiting for his punishment. Mudho could not help but smile upon seeing this human fellow. The other man had an anticipatory look on his face, he wanted to see the woman they had been going after for all this while.