Oke oshimmiri anọkataghị rie onye ọbụna nke ọ na-ahụghị ahụ ụkwụ ya anya.

The ocean never drowns a person with whose leg it does not come in contact.

Odion swallowed hard as he tried to process the information. "Wow, okay. But who are you, anyways? The earth and the jewels in your hair, I'd say you were an earth goddess?"

She nodded, "I am Ala, goddess of the earth, fertility and mortality and I see all." She looked at Odion with her deep brown eyes and Odion could've sworn they turned golden for a second. "My husband is the Lord of the skies, Amadioha—wherever he is now."

"He fell too?" Odion asked.

"Yes, all of them did. I do not involve myself in such conflicts so I was not affected as such but the others are suffering greatly. In the olden days, any taboo in the community would've been seen as an insult to me and punishable by death and I even held the souls of the dead in my sacred womb."

"Uhm," Odion said wondering why there couldn't at least be a non-weird god out there. The python slithered around her feet restlessly and Ala sighed in exasperation. She waved her hand and the earth shifted a little and a rat came out of the shifting earth looking confused. Éke swooped in and ate the whole thing whole. Odion cringed and swore to himself that he would never get close to that thing. The python again rested on the ground next to Ala and gave seemed to give Odion a cold stare as if to say, you're next, buddy.

"Anyways, I was never suited for direct combat. Though, that ambush in our palace was unprecedented, but I know the truth and I know that it was unintended by Sango." Ala said.

"Wait, you know what really happened?" Odion said, standing up from his seat suddenly angry. "Why didn't you tell the other gods?"

Despite Odion's sudden outburst, Ala maintained her cool. "I tried to tell both sides that they were both being manipulated but no one would listen, they were all too bloodthirsty. Now sit down, you're making Éke nervous." As if to prove her point, he or she started moving restlessly around her feet.

Odion was far from done, though. He still had too many questions.

"Okay, you're all native gods, how come you all look so modern and wear modern clothes and speak English."

Ala chuckled, "we the gods evolve and change as you humans do. Look around your country, most of our traditions have been overridden by European culture and as such we gods have reflected that change in our appearance and speech. But it's not all that bad, they brought books here for instance and without them, how would I have read Chinua Achebe's—bless his soul—work?" She said as she looked over in the distance. "Oh, Things Fall Apart was amazing. Even Ikenga loved the book, though it was mostly because there was a character with his name in it. Speaking of Ikenga, I should probably contact him, it's been way too long."

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Odion interrupted quickly before she spun into yet another story. "When I was a kid, my parents used to tell me stories of the gods but upon meeting some of them, they're a lot different than what I was told and even some of their roles have changed. Why is Nigerian mythology so twisted?"

Ala looked at him squarely, "Boy, there is no such thing as 'Nigerian mythology,' you have to understand. Firstly, for a long time, stories were carried simply by mouth and they were bound to change and 'Nigeria' is a fairly new concept, before now, all the tribes were separate entities. The gods meant different things to different people and tribes. Sango for instance was largely worshipped as the god of lightning and thunder but in some other places, he was worshipped as the god of truth and reverence. Even the spelling of his name has changed before. So it's normal to see a little disparity, the stories told by the tribes here are diverse and convoluted and not at all the same nor should they be.

They represent the people and their beliefs. If I could tell you the number of times I've changed over the years, you'd be quite shocked. So, that's why all the gods have different aspects. Any other questions?"

"Okay, so I know I'm supposed to get the tools of creation or whatever. But nobody has told me what I'm going to do with them when I have them and I don't know how to say this but when I touched Sango, I felt him, I saw his whole life flash before my eyes." Odion said.

Ala stood up for the first time during the conversation and seemed to be pacing. "Hmm, each tool by itself is capable of great things but together, they could give the user the ability to alter reality itself. You could fix all these with just a thought but it only works for one try and then they'll be scattered again, more apparat than last time, possibly impossible to find again. As to your awakened abilities," She seemed nervous now for some reason, "it is a rare power found only in the high priests of old that allows gods and a human to be in synchronicity but it can be very dangerous on both parties. That is why the gods were able to speak through the high priests, it was like they were one and the same. It is strange though, that you have the skill, no human has had it in hundreds of years. But you will have to discover it more on your own. There is no more I can tell you."

Odion stood up too, he had work to do.

"One more thing, can you tell me about my parents and why...I killed them?" Odion asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Ala's face turned sad and she walked slowly towards Odion. "I'm so sorry, my child but I can't tell you anything of what I know. It's not in the place of the gods to interfere with the affairs of mortals."

Odion nodded wiping the already forming tears from his eyes. "Yeah, I understand, so please could you do that thing you did with the rat but in reverse and take me straight to the weeping woman?"

Ala's face carried a sadness that only a mother could understand or feel. "Yes, I can," she said as she opened her palm and some Naira notes appeared. "and here is some mortal money so you don't enter another ... scuffle."

Odion took the money and patted down his pockets to make sure everything was still there before he left. Ala stepped forward and attempted to touch his cheek but midway she thought better of it.

"One more thing Odion," Ala said, as she walked closer to him. He could even smell her now, she smelt like freshly ploughed soil but he could smell over a dozen sweet smelling flowers too. A strange mix of sadness and kindness tinged her voice, "your parents no matter what, are happy and they are proud of you and what you have the capacity to become. But be careful on your arduous journey, all is not as it seems.

"Good luck and be safe. In your darkest moments, remember that the brightest light is within you and has always been there, you just have you dig deep to find it."

And just like that, the earth literally swallowed him whole and he could feel himself being transported, the earth shifting in crumbs around his body. He hated the darkness but now, he quite liked it. After the day he just had, a little time to think in solitude was welcome.