MAIGARMAR

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Halting them at their tracks, the owner of the voice came to be a female Olossi rising from the lake. Beautiful she was, as the green-blue scales outlined her skin from her shoulders all the way to her ankles, leaving her chest and stomach region with her bare skin that bore the colour of a dry cocoa bean.

With her bust covered by her long thick dreadlocks, drenched by the lake water, she came out of the water body with brown waist beads as well as a short ash coloured wrapper tied around her waist. Her face held drawn white marks that somehow managed to withstand the cleansing ability of the water as her bright blue eyes wavered from Okukun to Afiku YanGan.

Moving past the motionless Olossis behind Okukun and Afiku YanGan's fight space, her aura as she walked the wet earth of the marshy land near the lake, caused a harsh cold wind to blow through the area insidiously. Facing Afiku YanGan with a stern look on her face, she spoke to him saying

"Afiku...........I believe i told you that this visit of ours is of a diplomatic interest, fighting our host is not exactly aiding that"

He turned back at her with a growl as he replied,

"He attacked first, lots have done less to me and faces worse consequences"

She got inches closer to him as she replied with mockery in her tone,

"Ehn hen...........LabaLaba ti o digbo Lu egon, aso re a faya~ The butterfly which that flies against the thorns, will tear it's clothes"

She then caresses his shoulder in response to his growing anger caused by her statement and says

"Your prowess indeed comes with few that can match it, but fighting an Unaged speak less of killing one.... especially the ruler of Apa Òsì is not a feat you can achieved at this current state my champion"

He brushes off her hand from his shoulder as he laughs mockingly,

"You say all this about him and yet of all his attacks against me, none even touched my skin"

She then moved past Afiku YanGan towards his opponent of minutes ago, eyeing him as she spoke

"If you were actually fighting him, there would be room for argument..........but that doesn't seem to be the case Afiku"

She then pointed above the Okukun that was fighting Afiku YanGan as the shadow beasts of his dissolved, and far on top him at the direction she pointed was the original Okukun as he floated, watching all that had manifested. Afiku YanGan growled in annoyance as he realized he was battling a clone , then the female Olossi stretches her hands wide and speaks loudly to Hùùd,

"Lord Of Apa Òsì, please we seek your audience"

Okukun teleports before Afiku YanGan and the female Olossi with the former growling and leaving the two to converse. The female Olossi then breaks the short silence between them used in observing Afiku YanGan walk away as she says,

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"I apologize for the violent approach by Afiku....i should have stayed ahead of the vanguard since i knew you would take on an uninvited horde of Olossi at first sight, once they entered your territory"

The statement was met with utter silence from Okukun as he stared at her from underneath his faceless dark hood. She ignores his vacant response as she goes on to introduce herself to him,

"I'M ASAKE, QUEEN OF THE OLOSSI, RULER OF ÈKÓ AND THE OLU AWO OF THE SEA GOD...OLOKUN"

Okukun's familiar then comes out from his hood in the form of a black mamba and wraps itself around Okukun's neck. It faced Asake with big intelligent yellow eyes and spoke,

"Lord Okukun is quite aware of who you are, every sentient being in the Yorubaland knows of the witch that killed the past Aláàfin"

She smiled as she responded,

"Well, since this is my very first meeting with the ruler of Apa Òsì, i felt an introduction was necessary and according to legend, it is said that Okukun can't go beyond his territory and i felt his knowledge of matters might be of the same limit"

The familiar responds,

"Since you know of Lord Okukun and his dwelling, you should be strongly aware that the demons of the sea aren't welcome here.......Lord Okukun insists you leave his territory at once, the aura of your kind is unsettling the meek of the forest"

"We will leave but we must first fulfill the task at which our god has given us............he wishes you give him someone"

The snake steals a glance at Okukun, then looks at Asake and replies,

"And whom do you speak of?"

Asake turns her back towards the serpent and Okukun as she moves inches away from them saying ,

"Diẹ Diẹ~ Easy easy................Whom we speak of isn't here yet but once he is within your hands, we want you capture and give him to us......and also to be careful about it, my visions entail it would be difficult keeping him"

"And of what benefit would this transaction be of to my Lord?" questioned the familiar

Asake then turns back at Okukun with a stern look as she entails,

"The sea god vows to give you all of Irúnmölé and to cut you of your curse to only walk the lands of Apa Òsì"

"That's impossible, my master's predicament is of the Orishas' doing, it can't be....."

Asake interrupts the familiar's rant saying,

"It can.........the person you would be capturing bears seven Ashe marks"

And for the first time since they were together, Okukun lets out a vocal sound as he loudly gasps with the snake suddenly hissing as the hoots and cries constantly made in the dark forest before suddenly went silent at the sound of Asake's last words, as if the beings of the forest had been listening all along to their conversations.

"Seven?!" Asked the familiar

Asake replies,

"Yes!.....my army have claimed most of the coastal lands of OYO with our current battle against their soldiers at Abeokuta currently moving to our favour, with many more of mine still at bay in Èkó"

"With the one who bears the seven marks at our side, we will claim all lands of OYO and push our god's domain over all it's earth, seizing control from the Orishas and with it comes the power to break every curse of theirs............Your case would be an easy task, all you have to do is capture the boy for us"

The snake then suddenly looks at Okukun in the face, nods it's head and slithers back into Okukun’s garment. With it out of sight, a deep voice then speaks it's range so loud, it covered all of the dark forest saying

"SPEAK HIS NAME"

Startling the other Olossis as well as Afiku for the voice seemed like it came from the forest, but Asake remained unfazed as she responded to it, looking directly at Okukun with an evil smirk on her face saying,

"HIS NAME IS ADEDAYO OBALOKUN ODEDE,SON OF AJAKA ABIOYE ODEDE........HEIR TO THE THRONE OF OYO"

The voice then laughs as Okukun who apparently seemed to be the source, floated to the sky with his arms spread.

He then speaks,

"**EYIN TI IJINLẸ YIN WA NIBI MIMO MI**

~ O All That Take Root In My Sanctuary

**OLOSSI TI SỌ ORUKỌ KALẸ**

~ The Name Has Been Spoken

**AWỌN ORISHAS TI FI AGBATERU AMI MESE FIHAN**

~And The Bearer Of The Seven Marks Has Been Revealed

**KI GBOGBO EMI TI Ọ WÁ IBI DURUDE**

~ Let All That Draw Life Here, Lie In Wait For Him

**KI GBOGBO ENI PE RARẸ NI ODẸ LA JU SILẸ NI TORI OHUN ODE NBỌ**

Let All That Claim To Be Hunters, Stay Vigilant For A Prey Is Coming

** KI GBOGBO ENINBỌ ORUKO MI,GBARADI LATI TẸLE OFIN MI**

~Let All That Worship My Name, Prepare To Heed My Commandment

**NITORI, FUN AGBAARA AWA YOO GBE AROLE ALÁÀFIN.......ADEDAYO ODEDE!**

~ Because For The Gift Of Dominion, We Will Claim The Heir To The Aláàfin.......Adedayo Odede!

And with response to that came the loud sounds of roars and cries from the hidden malicious creatures of the dark forest as they all laid in wait for the coming prey.