1 We hear stories of it....

To every man, is known, the myths and the night stories that have been told for generations before us and to us from childhood, but to a few is given the knowledge of what lies in the hearts of the ancient forests. And on the far ends of it, where sunlight weaves it's way through the canopies of the great trees and it's leaves.

A realm where magic dances on the edge of reality, and the extraordinary mingle with the ordinary. My journey into this great discovery began long ago.

Let me take you back to that time....that time, when I was just a little child.

It all began that night....

In the dark night where all seems peaceful and calm except for the cracking of fire touches in the palace yard, I can see the ugly faces of the guards staring right at me, but the hushing in the palace trees few feets above my head, and the giggling, and laughing of other children wouldn't let me pay much attention..... it's a sweet cold and happy night as usual.

Every night we would sit around her feet as she showers us with wonderful, amazing stories. My grandmother, Iya Ọba as it is what everyone calls her. She isn't so young, in fact she could barely come outside of her quarters these days. But as she loves little children and besides we're not just any children, most of us are her grand and great grandchildren. So she loves to make us go to sleep late and happy every night.

Even with the buzzing mosquitoes and other bloodsucking insects around our ears, hunting for skin to feed on, and the chirping of crickets in the dark, we always love our time with her. Tonight she tells us a story about the mythical creature as she does once or twice every month, a legendary creature.

Although no one has ever seen or heard of anyone who has heard of anyone who has ever met someone who must have came across someone who has seen it before, and if there was any, they must have died long before we were born. Some people believe it's out there in the deepest and darkest part of our forests.

No one has ever been crazy enough to go that far in centuries but, all I could think of is the day I'll be able to go with my yet to be born brothers maybe, I would love to hunt it down. I have always thought of going to that depth to see for my self if all this stories are true, because somewhere in my heart I believe this stories.

Even as a 11 years old child I feel braver than a full grown man. Quickly, I return from my imaginary journey as Iya Ọba is about to reach my favourite part of the story. She continues "he doesn't stop, he isn't afraid as he picks up his spare again and chases after the creature. It's getting away and he is about to loose sight of it as he knows he won't be able to go further anymore he decided it's either a piece of it or nothing". She say, she gets up and tries to mimic his movements.

"He lifts his spare so high above his head as he continues, he takes his position and launches it at the creature. In a second he hears the growling, but it doesn't stop, and from that, he knows that must be the oldest and mightiest creature in this Kingdom" she say, and quickly take her sit and continue "he goes closer and soon he finds this" she say, pulling it out from under her clothe.

It isn't the biggest tooth that I've ever seen, in fact it's the least but something about it feels strange and maybe unnatural, I'm not so good at hunting but I can tell from the feeling at the sight of it, it seems to cast fear or impose some kind of weird feeling on everyone except us, though I feel a little bit weird but it's not as much as the other children, even those who are older, they find this part scary and most of them run to their mothers before she gets there while I find it the most intriguing.

As I believe it has been passed from my great great grandfather down to her and she kept it all her life because it was the last gift her father gave her. I always find my self wondering how she could have kept such item around her neck all her life, I mean this same piece of thing is the reason why those kids ran into their mother's arms.

Ever since my birth, my father's mages say I have the same blood as Iya Ọba, and that she and I are linked to him not because they believe that as his descendants we have his blood running through our veins, but because actually do have his full blood and somehow we possess the same energy that he had and possibly his bravery, but they don't really see this as a big deal, and moreover they wouldn't want a woman in any high position let alone becoming a powerful person.

I know my father loves me dearly and wants the best for me but he has never seen me anymore than a female child, all he had aways planned is to raise me well and once I'm old enough to marry, he'd find a wealthy Prince or king from one of our Neighbouring Kingdoms to marry me off to.

And the younger sons would take all the positions there is. I don't want that, I've always dreamt of being a warrior Princess even in this peaceful days, I believe war will always come knocking on our doors one day one day, "The Warrior Princess FADERERA, THE QUEEN OF MEN!" I say in hushed voice almost whispering, while I'm lost in my imagination "DERERA !" my mother calls holding a calabash filled with water.

I stare at her magnificent structure, even with her belly that's the size of a large water pot she looks so young and beautiful, my father must have married her for this qualities, not that she doesn't have other nice qualities.

She's a good cook and could be the most caring woman in the world, sometimes I almost hate her for that, "come quickly, take this water to the younger queen's quarters, hand it to IYA ABIYẸ let her know it's from me, and don't leave her side until younger queen's has delivered her baby", she says, I reluctantly walk to younger queen's quarters. Like is said earlier she's too caring, she would have gone there her self if she wasn't pregnant too, why would she want me to take the water there, we have about fifty maids and savants in this quarters alone, why not one of them. Despite her awareness of the younger queen's longstanding animosity towards her within the palace, she would consistently go out of her way to lend assistance and support.

"She probably would appear at a later time, I don't doubt that" I ramble.

A scary thought slides through my mind as I set eyes on IYA ABIYẸ, and a few maids running here and there. she has a connection with the divine and is so skilled in traditional practices, herbal remedies, and spiritual rituals associated with childbirth. Her work here is to ensure safe childbirth and the well-being of both the mother and the newborn, and this is the reason for my fear, imagining how my father would react if the baby turns out to be a boy, and how he would treat my mother after that feels too much to not fret about.

His Mages must have informed him that my mother wouldn't bear him a son any longer or perhaps not as quickly as he would have preferred, so he wed someone else who can. The notion of her giving birth to the first son sends a chill down my spine, my heart thumping as I draw nearer to the delivery room. I can hear her cry now as if I have just returned from another world, everything, and every sound-making insects in the quarters had gone ghost-quiet as if they were listening to, and feeling her pain and suffering.

I quickly rush in and grab her hand expecting that to ease her pain, but it doesn't, I quickly search through my mind, what would mother say at this point, "push harder Olori, push! you're almost there" I say, she glare at me and I begin to wonder what that was for, could she be surprised that I'm helping her, we don't really get along so well, but that doesn't mean I wish harm on her or her baby. Or could she have been expecting my mother and not me by her side, how could she possibly want my mother to be doing this in her own condition, "I see a head, push harder now please" Iya Abiyẹ calls out.

Now I'm confused, not really sure if I should stop her now or not, what is she doing, she's trying to pull it's head off.

Lost in my mind I feel a sudden crushing pain in my palm and in-between my fingers, someone's trying to crush my fingers, she must have held on to it as hard as she could as she tries to push. I can hear the cracking in my bones and for a moment everything seems to slow down, my heart's thudding as fast as it could go, all I can hear is the thumping and thudding in my chest.