THE RED VULTURE
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Episode 25
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Afoite : (wailing) Nooo…. Ndubuisi can not just die like that
Agu : But! what could have happened to him, does it mean he died in his sleep just like that? (asking no one in p@rticular)
Nnana : Am still confused of his death, not that he was sick, he just sle-pt and didn’t wake up, this is strange, and is only the gods that know what happened to him (After everything, they buried Ndubuisi there and mourned for him, but still they didn’t know what lead to his death, After they buried Ndubuisi, they left that place sadly and continue their journey)
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Meanwhile, the priestess was in her cave seeing all that is happening in the forest, in her sacred mirror.
Priestess : (talking in her cave) look at how they are dying like chickens, all because they don’t heed to instructions, hmmm…… what a stubborn people (she said and shake her head)
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****BACK IN EJIME VILLAGE****
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As all this was going on, the people of Ejime village continue to die and also terrible things continue to happen, and the men they s£nd to the forest are not yet back with THE RED VULTURE, and this began to trouble the people so much.
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The king was in the palace looking worried because of the things happening in the village, so he s£nd his guards to go and summon the elders for a meeting, and the guards went and summon the elders, when the elders c@m£ to the palace they saw the king looking sad, although they alre-ady know the reason for that.
King : you are all welcome my cabinets
Elders : Thank you igweee, may you live long (They said)
King : Ah ah…. but why is MBA not with you people? (he asked because elder mba was not in the meeting with them)
Elder okeke : I don’t know, maybe he will come later
king : Anyway let’s start the meeting, we can’t wait for him, the reason why I called for this meeting is that, is been six days now that our br@ve men went to the deadly Forest, and yet they are not back, My question now is that, are you sure they are okay in the forest? that was why I summoned for this meeting
Elder Akumo : I think they are okay, but all the same I will suggest we summon the priestess to tell us if the men are still alive in the forest
Elder okeke : you are saying we should summon the priestess, were you not here, when she said that she will not come until when the men bring THE RED VULTURE, that she will come again.
Elder Anene: But how are we going to know if the men are okay, that is why we nee-d to summon her to know if our men are okay
Elder okeke : my question now is, what if the men didn’t make it alive in the forest, what are we going to do?
king : we will s£nd another men to the forest, that is why we nee-d to summon the priestess to know if they are still alive, because the calamity happening in this land is getting out of hand
Elder okeke : but the problem now is, the journey to her cave will take up to five days, and if we still get there, she will tell us that she will come in seven days time, remember she is the priestess of the seven seas and she repres£nt seven
Elder Anene: yes is true ooo….. and if we add that five days we will journey to her cave, and the seven days she will come, which means is twelve days that we will get to see her
Elder Akumo : And before that twelve days, maybe the whole villagers will all perish before that time
king : Hmmm…… you know what, you my cabinets will go to her cave and ask her if our br@ve men are okay in the forest, no nee-d to tell her to come, just ask her everything you nee-d to ask her, then you come back and tell me what she said
Elder okeke: ok your highness, so when are we going there?
king : I think tomorrow will be oka…….. (the king have not finish his statement, when Ntu the drun!kard staggered inside the palace)
Ntu : (staggering) igweee…… i greet you
king : Ntu! welcome, this one you c@m£ to the palace, I hope all is well
Ntu: All is not well igwee…. The men that went to the evil bush to bring THE BLUE VULTURE have not return, you see what am telling you about but you didn’t hear, I told you that I want to go to the evil bush myself and bring the blue vulture but you refused (he said and the king smiled)
Elder Akumo : Ntu! is RED VULTURE and not blue
Ntu : Okay RED VULTURE, so igwe, should I go and bring it, so that all this calamity in our land will end
Elder Akumo : (laughing) you want to go and bring THE RED VULTURE?
Ntu : Yes I want to go and bring it (he said staggering)
Elder okeke : From where?
Ntu : From the evil bush (he said and the elders laughed because they know him as a drun!kard and he’s always talking out of point)
king : ok…ok…. you will bring the vulture, but which one are you going to bring for us, is it the blue or the RED VULTURE
Ntu : (still staggering) the both igwe, even if you want, I can also bring the purple vulture (As they were still talking, Elder MBA c@m£ inside with boils all over his b©dy, when the king and the other elders saw him, they were surprised to see him in that state)
.THE RED VULTURE
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Episode 26
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King : (surprised) Mba! what happened to you? and why is all this on your b©dy?
Elder Mba : (bowing) igweee…… I woke up this morning and saw it on my b©dy
Elder okeke : (shake head) this is serious
Ntu : Ah ah…. mba, are you sure you did not eat baby bush meat that cause all this on your b©dy (he said staggering and elder mba eyed him)
Elder MBA : I don’t have your time you this drun!kard, but if you stagger and near me, the way I will push you, Ah.. you will see yourself on the ground
Ntu : Taaaah…… mba, you can not do anything, which strength do you want to use and push me on the ground, is it with the boils all over your b©dy you will use and push me on the ground
king : plea-se is okay, and you Ntu you nee-d to go home and rest
Elder okeke : He really nee-d rest
Elder MBA: Go home and rest Ekwureku (talkative)
Ntu : Mba, no nee-d to exchange talk with you because calamity is dealing with you, anyway am going, let me leave you and your boils alone (he said and left the palace)
King : mba, don’t mind whatever Ntu had said
Elder MBA: Ah….. igwe, you don’t have to bother about that, am used to him (After that they concluded their meeting and the elders later left the palace)
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The next day, the elders went to see the priestess, and the journey to her cave took them for five days, although elder mba didn’t go with them because of his condition caused by the calamity happening in the land, when the elders got to the cave, the priestess was invisible at that moment, but she only speak to them.
priestess : (in a loud voice) you are welcome to my cave and what do I own this visit
Elder okeke : great priestess, our king s£nt us to you (he said but although they are not seeing her)
Priestess : why did your king s£nd you to me, I thought I told you people that I will come anytime the men bring THE RED VULTURE, so why did he s£nd you to me?
Elder Anene : He s£nd us to find out from you, if the men we s£nd to the forest are okay, this one they have not yet return (The others nodded in agreement to what he said)
priestess : Hmmm….. yes they are okay, but not all, the problem with them is that they don’t follow instructions
Elder Akumo : But great priestess, this one you said that some of them are not okay, are you sure they will make it out alive in that Forest?
Priestess : I don’t know for that, they can make it if they follow my instructions
Elder okeke : But what if they didn’t make it alive, how are we going to get THE RED VULTURE?
Priestess : you will s£nd another group of men to go to the forest and get THE RED VULTURE because without that RED VULTURE, your land will be doom
Elder Anene : But gr………….
Priestess : No but, am done here, you can all go, I will come to your kingdom anytime they bring THE RED VULTURE, but if the men didn’t make it alive in the forest, I will let you know (After the priestess finish saying this, the elders left her cave and return back to their village, when they got to their village, they told the king everything the priestess said.
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****BACK TO THE FOREST****
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The six remaining men could been seen together in the de-ep forest, they were all resting Because they were very tired.
Okwe : (tiredly) when are we going to get to the middle of the forest, so that the priestess can tell us where to get THE RED VULTURE because as it is now, am very very tired
Afoite : Even me am tired, the food and water we brou-ght to the forest have finished, is been twelve days we started this journey but yet we haven’t gotten to the middle of the forest, not alone talk of to locate the hut where THE RED VULTURE is, and the worst p@rt is, even if we get to the middle of the forest, we don’t know how to find the hut of the scary old dwarf
Nnana : That was why the priestess said that she will appear to us when we get to the middle of the forest
Afoite : I just hope she appe………. ( he paused because he saw something)
Agu : Afoite! what are you looking at? (he asked but Afoite didn’t say anything as he continue looking at a direction smiling, when the others turn to the direction he was looking at to know what it is, to their surprise it was two beautiful maidens almost half n-ked he was looking at)
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THE RED VULTURE
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Episode 28
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Nnana : (sad tone) upon my warning, he still sneaked and went to those maidens, and now they have taken him with them
Obinna : Afoite is very stubborn, and doesn’t listen to what anyb©dy tell him, now look at where his stubbornness have lead him and we tried our best to st©p him but he refused to listen
Nnana : Anyway he’s gone and there is nothing we can do to bring him back, let’s go (And they continue moving, as they were going they were hearing strange sounds, but they ignored the sound and consectrate on their journey because a lot have happened to them and they have learnt their lesson not to get distracted again, they kept on going ignoring every strange sounds they are hearing, they have not gone too far when an old dwarf appeared in front of them, at first they wanted to ignore him and pas-s their way, but on a second thought they st©pped.
Agu : (whispered to Okwe) Are you sure this is not the old scary dwarf we are looking for?
Okwe : I think so
Old dwarf : Hahaha…….. I know you people will st©p Immediately you saw me, because you are looking for me to take MY RED VULTURE
Okwe : yes…. yes….. you are right, we are looking for you, and you are the reason we c@m£ to this forest to take your RED VULTURE, do you have it here with you because am tired of this journey
Nnana: Okwe! don’t listen to him, I don’t think he’s the scary old dwarf we are looking for
Agu : (talking to Nnana) what do you mean that he’s not the scary old dwarf we are looking for, I can see that you are not tired of this journey, but if you are not, me am tired
Okwe : Don’t mind him, is like he’s still enjoying the journey and don’t want to go home
Old dwarf: (in a loud voice) I know you people are tired of this journey, that was why I c@m£ to make it easier for you, now follow me and let me take you to my hut, where you will see my RED VULTURE (And they all wanted to follow him, ap@rt from Nnana who st©pped them)
Nnana: (shouted) All of you should st©p, do you know where he want to take you to? or do you know if he’s the real old dwarf we are looking fo………. (cut in by the old dwarf)
old dwarf: IAM the scary old dwarf you are looking for, and if you really want my RED VULTURE, you will follow me and take it, don’t miss this opportunity because if you do, it will be very ha-rd to locate my hut, do you know the danger you will encounter before you get to my hut, I don’t even think you will survive it before you get there, and now am here to make it easier for you and you don’t want to follow me, for the last time, do you want to go with me? if yes come and hold my hands let’s go (he said and they were confuse if they should go with him)
Agu : I think I will go with you
Okwe : me too I will go with you (they said but obinna and obiora didn’t agree to follow him)
Old dwarf: (talking to Okwe and Agu) Then let’s go
Nnana: (shouted again) Two of you should st©p! don’t go with him, I don’t think he’s the real dwarf we are looking for, remember how the others died, so don’t make the same mistake
Agu : How do you know that he’s not the real dwarf we are looking for, prove it because am tired of this journey, I can’t cope anymore
Nnana: I think I know what to do to prove it that he’s not the real dwarf, remember what the priestess told us, she said that we will go to the hut and find the scary old dwarf and not him coming to us, just watch and see let me try this and prove to you that he’s not the real dwarf we are looking for (so he brou-ght out the seven seas water from his kaaki bag, when the old dwarf saw that Nnana have brou-ght out the seven seas water, he tried to convince him not to use it)
Old dwarf : (loud voice) Nnana the son of elebuo the great fisherman, don’t use that water because is not advisable, put it back inside that bag or better still you thro……… (before he could finish his statement, Nnana sprinkle the water on the ground, and the old dwarf screamed and disappeared, when the others saw this they were very surprised )
Nnana : you see, I told you is not the real dwarf, I hope this will open your eyes, so that you will not fall into the wrong hands, all this people you are seeing in this forest are not human, even the priestess told us this before we c@m£ to this forest, but still we are still ma-king the same mistake, anyway let’s get out from here ( And they left and continue their journey)
They kept going and going de-ep inside the forest, they encountered many danger but they overcome it, and they even saw many evil spirit on their way but with the use of the powder the priestess gave them and the seven seas water, they also overcome the spirits trying to tempt them, they walked and walked as they continue their journey, finally they got to the stream which they will cross and get to the middle of the forest
Nnana :(excitedly) finally we are almost close to the middle of the forest, all we have to do is to cross this stream, once we cross it, I think we have reach the middle of the forest (he said and the others was happy too, but one thing they did not know is that the stream was very deadly)
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TBC