“Damn that black bird!” cursed Ambonisye, kicking a rather sturdy crate filled with an eclectic mix of plants. “Its presence has ruined my plans.” Instead of returning to his wife, Ambonisye had retreated to his own private hut. She could live another night without his presence, there were more important things at stake than her comfort. The foreign woman's mystical guardian was surprisingly resilient, naturally repelling their guardian's aura. Usually, visitors are humbled by Akake nla's mere presence, but not in this instance. What should have been reverence and respect, was instead an unusually heightened sense of caution.
Grabbing a lashing of grass, Ambonisye began violently shred it onto the dying fire. “What is with these merchants?” He demanded of the damp night air, “All have some form of blessing from various spirits.” The muscular one, Armour was it? His boon was enough to dissipate much of his patron's immediate influence. The same influence that was able to humble the other guardians of their village, was trivially dispelled in a matter of seconds. If Akake nla was present, then such tricks would be ineffective. However, they were annoying absent.
His initial plan had been to re-establish trade with the surrounding merchants, using his enhanced garden as leverage. Surely his personally grown crop would interest the woman, someone who was clearly knowledgeable on the subject. Such plants had sustained their village for the past few months, thanks to the intervention of their savior. However, it could not provide for them in the long term. Had the negotiations bore any fruit, it would not take long before he could show them the power of Akake nla. Converting them into followers of the powerful death god, for mortality is but a stepping stone for such a being.
Once he had successfully re-established regular trade, marrying one of the pale-skinned merchants into his village would have certainly followed. From there, offerings could be regularly induced or supplied by the newfound influx of merchants. When their new members would inevitably get sick, they would see the true power of Akake nla. Each sickness or injury would further prove the strength of their guardian. Offerings could be sourced from their native lands, hopefully slaves or animals from the far reaches of the earth.
Such notions were now a dream. Her herbivorous knowledge, that was once a glimmering hope, was instead an irritating thorn in his side. However, it was still possible to gain something out of this situation, even if they had unwisely rejected his generous offer. People disappear all the time in the wilds, perhaps such a situation could be orchestrated... for the good of the village, of course. He should keep a close eye on them, maybe prepare some additional beetles to monitor them.
“What if an unfortunate accident occurred?” mused Ambonisye, “If one was injured or immobile... surely that strange bird wouldn't be able to do anything.” One of the minor benefits to their ostracization was that few regularly patrolled the roads, so silencing witnesses was entirely possible. He could not brazenly agitate the merchants any further, they were already cautious and would surely try to leave at the next opportunity. Provoking them would only risk the lives of the remaining villagers, something which also could not be afforded. “Well...” he pondered, toying with some drying herbs. “The gods have not failed me before. I shall wait for Akake nla's wisdom, for he would surely save his village.”
-
In the dead of night Kosoko wandered the poorly maintained pathways, his parents long since abandoning any attempts to keep him in line. Often, many of Ambonisye's inner circle would call on him to attend to their various nocturnal needs, even if he did not fully understand them*. They would give him treats or similar favors in return for his regular visits, much to the disapproval of their numerous newfound wives. On this night, with the light rain still falling, no one held such inclinations, and he was free to wander the village.
His usual nighttime ventures involved looking into dwellings and raiding the storehouses for anything that piqued his interest. With the pooling water and general cold air, it put a damper on his usual activities. Scorpions, bats and other such denizens of the night were equally inactive, hiding wherever they could from the poor weather. The only thing which occupied his time was “managing” the protective wards around the village, either caring for them or performing minor desecration depending on his own preferences.
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As he was considering returning to his family's dry home, his mind recalled the presence of the visiting merchants. Usually, the abandoned home seldom crossed his mind, but tonight there was something interesting there. Kosoko had overheard Ambonisye's anger over his failed attempts to resume trading with the regular caravan of merchants which passed through their region. Given the lack of good will between them, Kosoko doubted he would get in trouble for rummaging through the wagons. They probably wouldn't notice anything missing until it was far too late.
Surprisingly, a glow from a campfire illuminated the dilapidated house and the adjacent animal shelter. Outlines and shadows of the mercenaries could be seen surveying the surrounding landscape. The merchant group was clearly on high alert, cautiously watching for any movement with-in the rain. Kosoko remained in the shadows, carefully observing the group from a distance. It appeared to be a rotation of three guards, each reacting to any slight movement beyond their encampment.
Most of the group were sleeping in the former residence, with a few resting with-in the animal shelter with their remaining stock and horses. Only one of the merchants was awake, the young girl, working on something at the late hour. He watched as she methodically broke down the pile vines, stripping them of leaves and any lingering insects. Between processing each vine the girl scanned the forest, creating a fourth point of vision for their party. Even though she had less experience, her eyesight seemed to surpass those of the older guards. Any slight movement in front of her was quickly identified, leaving little room for approach.
Kosoko stood watching the young white girl, staring with growing infatuation. The other remaining children failed to captivate him like this foreign girl. The feelings he was experiencing must be the same as what the adults felt, at least, from what he could tell. Something about the girl stirred feelings more intense than those spawned from those around him. In describable emotions filled his mind as he become more and more fixated on the young girl. Is that how the adults felt, these urges towards others? Kosoko had tried copying what they did during his nighttime wanderings, but never felt anything when he touched the other children. Maybe... this time it would be different.
Kosoko knew the lay of the land, so he had little difficulty slowly approaching his target. Between his small frame and the sparse cover, Kosoko was able to go unnoticed by the veteran watchers who lacked the local experience to spot some of the lesser-known blind spots. Mere feet away was his target, sitting slightly unnerved with vines in hand. Other mercenaries often stopped by, conversing with broken single word sentences, all failing to catch a glimpse of him behind the long grass. As he waited, the strange feelings of desire only grew in intensity. It took far longer than he would've liked for an opening to form, one which he did not hesitate to use, darting forward to embrace the young girl.
As he grasped her developing chest, she let out an instantaneous scream before dissipating into a black mist. Kosoko just stood there confused, trying to grasp the girl's small frame that had been there only seconds ago. The sensation of her cold flesh disappeared as soon as it had come. Her smell lingered in the air, one both foreign and coated in an herbal aroma. Did the girl run away? No, he had grabbed her firmly from behind. Yet, there had been no resistance or struggle, just nothingness.
“What are you doing” demanded one of the mercenaries, grabbing his arm and breaking him from his confused trance. “Boy, what are you doing here?” repeated the warrior, summoning the others from their stations. He could not answer, still trying to process the situation he found himself in. “I... er...where...” was all that Kosoko could respond, stammering as he tried to form any excuse. But none came. He could not try and lie his way out of the situation, as he did not know what lies he could tell.
By some act of nature or supernatural intervention a rotting support beam fell from the roof, briefly separating Kosoko from his captors. It was his one opportunity to escape, and he took it without hesitation, sprinting back towards Ambonisye. As he ran through the ever-increasing rain, he called out his benefactor's name. Hoping that the sorcerer could save him from the predicament he had found himself in, running from the consequences of his own greedy actions.
-
“What happened, Naeem?” Asked Victoria, rousing her colleagues from their sleep. “Rose is not in a state where she can explain.” It took Kahina a few long seconds to translate the question, confusion and panic clouding her thoughts. “I don't know.” He replied, quickly checking the building's structural integrity. “She had already disappeared by the time I arrived. I found that creepy child just standing there, trying to grab at something in the air.” Victoria pausing, thinking. “We need to leave at sun rise. Gather everyone to the wagons and inhale some of this incense. Whatever has altered this village now has a reason to take notice of us.”