For the first time in weeks, Omotola’s sleep was dreamless as Shango must have felt she earned a nightmare free night as a reward for jail breaking him but she soon stirred before dawn, waking up to see Shango and Obiora sitting side by side in mutual companionship.

Surprised, she listened in to their subdued conversation without moving.

“It is eerily silent,’’ Shango mused.

“Is the night not supposed to be?’’ Obiora asked.

“The magic, the mysteries are all fading away," he lamented, " A night like this is supposed to be filled with the supernatural, the witching hour is the time when the veil is drawn, the veil which shields the world of men from the spirit's as they gather to trade works and share news. Alas, we slept too long and the sons of men has forgotten us.

For a while they both sat silent in their thoughts.

"The cords linking my worshippers to me are faded and few, I’m baffled, now other cords links to me from across the sea to the west, what does that mean?’’

“Well you slept through the slave trades and dark times of the 18th century, Obiora shrugged, ‘’my siblings thinks I’m big and stupid but I read enough, west African slaves were taken to the new world, some must have brought your religion with them and passed it to their children, they’re mostly in America; brazil, Cuba and Haiti.

“Fascinating, Shango exclaimed, you most tell me more about this new world.’’

“You’re a deity, you mean to tell me you have never gone beyond the continent?’’ Obiora said, bemused’’

"it is easier said than done child for rules compels gods more than it held mortals, we can cross dimensions and places under our dominion, but the sky king Obatala decreed that the Orisha must not to cross beyond Olokun’s realm, even the Sea king never shared much about what happens beyond his kingdom."

Shango drew himself up, his face glinted with mischief.

"But once in a while I would remember that I was once a king myself who had been second to none but the god's themselves, my adventurous spirit which was not cured in my youth pushed me into breaking the pact and I ventured out to seek adventure once or twice, beyond the lands of the desert men with their veiled women, the women they protected like precious stones at all cost, little help it did them from the likes of me."

He chuckled darkly and continued, ‘’but one day I ventured far beyond that, northward across a narrow sea to lands of cold ice, of long haired men paler than albinos for some of them were as red as the color of crayfish and their women as white as corn meal.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It was when Lanroye the great trickster sent Dada the impish deity of mischief to steal into the garden of Àrùn and steal a prized livestock from the goddess of diseases and affliction.

But he was instead tricked into stealing her infant son, the dreaded god shoponna, Orisha of smallpox and plague.

When he found out that he has been bamboozled, he dropped the terrible infant and fled for fear of Arùn’s wrath, the child deity landed painfully onto the world of man and took his revenge on them.”

The death tolls and cries of men stirred Obatala, and the king in white cloth sent emissary gods to retrieve the dreaded baby god, they were instead defeated as shoponna sent them packing, Obatala sent others, but they were in turn beaten black and blue, he then sent Ogun and I, the battle raged for days for shoponna as with all Arun’s offspring’s is a savage and formidable creature but even he must bow before the combined might of Shango and Ogun lord of Ire.

At last, he abandoned the flight and fled north with us in pursuit.

The chase led us beyond the realm border, and Ogun always the faithful dog drew back, but nothing would sway me from my quarry, until at last I seized the wailing ugly creature in my grip, by then I had crossed into another thunder god’s dominion.’’

Obiora sat up at this; breathless, Omotola now keen on the story adjusted to listen better.

“You met another thunder god?” he was excited.

“Yes, in the land of cold and ice, of men with pale skins, long beards and helms with bull horns, never have I seen a fearsome race of men. I knew I was in another thunder god’s dominion because the elements there were unruly. Lightening became slippery in my grasps and the air refused to hold me up as it buckled like a horse as if to drop me.

Mad with rage, for Shango Olu Koso never takes no for answer, I wrestled the rebellious elements with fire until I controlled them,’’ Shango chuckled, “the other god was not pleased.

“And he flew over to challenge you” Obiora exclaimed quite excited.

“Yes he did, Shango replied. ‘’I could hear his roar from a league away, for when a man enters another’s hut and defecates on his floor, he should be ready to expect trouble, I am no mean man, I was hungry to test myself against such a god of savage hairy men, their deity would be a worthy adversary, my blood boiled with excitement, Oshe hummed in my right hand, the child deity shoponna wailed in my left, I roared back in challenge, the sky darkened and boiled with confused storms for two elephants has crossed path, the grass will suffer the consequence of the battle.

“What happened?’’ Obiora said.

“Then king Obatala happened,’’ Shango growled. For he called my true name with the authority of the beaded crown giving to him by the Eledumare the creator, for which all must bow to his will, he compelled me to come back, having no choice but to retreat, shaming me before my adversary and wounding my pride in the process, with one last howl of rage I was drawn back through the portal he summoned back into Orun Alakeji the realm of gods.

“Oh,’’ Obiora sounded disappointed, it was not your fault though, the sky king had to be such a chicken, the other thunder god would understand, with the stupid pact and all, about time someone set gods from different pantheons against each other for some sell out WrestleMania, I know you would have kicked some ass.’’

Sango was mildly consoled. “yes the battle would have been glorious, even Ogun would have been sick with jealousy, I promised that one day I will meet with this unknown thunder god, we shall share wine and blows, and we would kickass.’’

Obiora laughed, Shango joined in, Omotola smiled too as she drifted back to sleep.