ASAKE, JUST A LITTLE WHILE!

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The war had gone on for too long and Akin ached to go home. He ached to return to a familiar environment. To the house he lived in with his Baba. To the tree, under which he met with his beloved. Three months had passed since they came to this place to fight for the safety of their people. In all of Akin's life, this was the longest war between two communities he had ever witnessed or heard of. A lot of Ilu-Ore people have been killed. In return, they have killed three times more. They were winning the war and there was only little time left, for the war to be won completely. Everyday, his body itched for home. He hungered for Asake's loving embrace. To make matters worse, the nagging feeling that he had to be with her, be by her side had only gotten worse over time.

Many times, he had contemplated going back to her, just to see her face, certify that she was fine but he knew he couldn't. He was needed here. More than that, if he was caught, he would be labellled a coward, a traitor- the list was endless. That was not an option. Especially not now.
Presently, he was in the enemies' camp. He and a couple others, including his friend, Alao had allowed their selves to get captured, so that they would be able to fight from within. With the support of ogun and the strong medicine with Balogun had concocted for them, they were certain to have easy victory. They had been here ten days and soon, the signal to act will come. Sure, they have been beaten and battered. Over the course of the war, he had lost so much weight and he knew that he would barely be recognizable when he returned but his Asake would recognize him. Even with her eyes closed, she would. For she did not merely see the man he was on the outside, she knew his heart, knew his soul and loved every inch of it. His Asake... Oh! His sweet Asake.

"O tun ti bẹrẹ" (you have begun again.) Akin chuckled at his friends words and nudged him in return, with his shoulders. Since their hands and feet were tied, they had to make do with what they had.

"Ki lo wi ki n ṣe? There is nothing else to do around here, other than daydream." (What would you suggest I do?)

"Keep your eyes open and your head in this. The signal will come anytime from now. I am too eager to have this war over and return home, to let you ruin things because you were dreaming about someone's smile while awake."

Akin busted into gale laughter, not minding the warriors that were guarding them. Even when they turned to look at him with warning in their eyes, he did not suffer himself to stop. Instead, he took his sweet time.
"I was dreaming about her kisses, sugbon bẹẹni. Her smile was also involved."

Alao shook his head at him, clearly finding him unbelievable. "The first thing I shall do is seek for Romoke's hands in marriage when we arrive home. Perhaps, when she gives me her heart, I too shall see stars in my eyes, like you so often do."

"Ahh. That would be a sight, dear friend. Then, I shall have a good time, teasing you in return. For me, the moment I return, I will make known my relationship with Asake. I have fought my first war, I am no longer required to be without wife. At once, I will ask her father for his blessings. Then I shall marry her away."

"I know you will not waste time, planting babies in her."

Akin smirked at his friend, the prospect of Asakẹ being pregnant with his friend, filling him with joy.
"Orẹ mi! O mọ nkan ju, jare!" This time around, they both laughed. Quite unusual for men in the enemies' captives, their lives in those unfriendly hands. However, this were men who had plans, who had hope but most importantly, men who had love to look forward to.

After that incident in the afternoon, Akin kept his eyes open and fought to keep his thoughts off Asakẹ. Anytime now, and they would have to act. Slowly, the sun set and evening dawned. As the sky began to go dark with its absence, the stars came out to shine. Out here in the open, they had a clear view of it all. Balogun had said they were to strike in ten days, the day when the moon turned red. Until now, there was no sign of a moon, talk more of being red, but it was Balogun who had said those words. For a man who communed with the gods, more often than he communed with humans, Akin had no doubt that the war lord had made no mistake. So, he kept his eyes on the skies, just as the others did.

A while later, the sign they had been waiting for happened. At first, he saw a ray of sunlight peek behind the clouds. Then, he saw the sun, behind the clouds. However, when the clouds cleared, he realized that unlike the burning gaze of the Sun, there was no heat when he stared at this one and it was so much smaller, exactly the size of a full moon. It was in that moment that it clicked.

"O ti n sẹlẹ. Asiko ti to," he said, announcing the obvious to the eleven that were with him. They too saw what he did and immediately, they began to chant incantations that Balogun had taught them.

"Ina n mu òkunkun kuro, nitori ibiti imọlẹ ba de, òkunkun ko le duro. Okere ni awọn ehin to ni lati fa eso, ṣugbọn kii yoo wa nibiti awọn eniyan wa. erin le jẹ tobi, ṣugbọn o ko ni ibamu fun awọn kiniun kekere. Ẹnikẹni ti awọn ọrisa ti busi i fun, wọn yoo j'ogun bi igba ti awọn itumọ ti imọlẹ ninu òkunkun"

As they started to chant, they caught the guards attention, but they did not stop.
"Ẹ dakẹ! A ni ki ẹ dakẹ! A ma pa yin bi ẹran nisin. A ni ki ẹ dakẹ!" (Keep quiet. We will kill you like rams now. We insist, keep quiet!)

On their fifth chant, the ropes that held their legs and hands bounds loosened and their machetes immediately landed in their hands. Akin knew that by now, their people would have surrounded the enemies camp, harmed with guns and machetes, ready for the last battle.
As he and the eleven jumped on their feet, they felt a surge of power run through them, charging their bodies with the inhumane strength needed for this battle. The Iremọ people served Oya. She was a very powerful goddess and had managed to hold them off for this long but tonight, they would stood no chance.

As they sounded the cry of battle, the last thing Akin registered was the look of fear on their enemies' face at their charge. They lifted up their machetes to ward them off, but it was a very weak attempt against the twelve who moved like gods embodied. They were fast like lightning, they struck like thunder and dealt blows of death, like they possessed the iron fists. They wove through their attackers like they were nothing but feathers. By the time their people entered the camp, the twelve had eliminated more than a quarter of their enemies. As Akin had surmised, it was an easy victory.

However, they could not celebrate or return home just yet. They waited as they bounded those who they had chosen to allow to live, and retrieve their injured and very few dead. Balogun had gone after their Oba and their Oloyes, himself for they too had to be brought to submission before their Oba, if they were to be certain of no more war strikes against Ilu-Ore.

In no time, they were done with their work and returned back to the camp with their captives. It was there they met Oba Aransi, Kabiyesi Ilu-Ore, Oloye Akanni and Oloye Ilu-Ore. They were welcomed with opened arms and the Kabiyesi promised the twelve, special recognition. After all, the gods had worked through them. It all felt surreal. Even after the war had just been won, Akin still felt the power of Ogun in him. The others said it would last for as long as the red moon lasted. Not wanting to feel useless, he went about, helping to attend to the injured. On the morn, they would return with their dead, and hand them over to their families to be buried in familiar soil.

A while later, the Balogun returned with his captives and the victory dance commenced.
"Have you ever felt anything like that?"

Akin looked at Alao, as they rested against a tree trunk, with their cup of palm wine in hands. The celebration still continued but he was content to watching it play out.

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"Rara. Now I see why these men would never leave the war troupe. To feel such power, to be one with the god, to see through his eyes. There is nothing like it, ọrẹ mi."

"Ahh. I agree. I am still so charged, it feels as though I could take down hundred of men more, and not feel tired. I wonder why we had not done this since the beginning of the war."

Akin had thought about it too, but he now had his answer. "Remember the incantation- Nigba kigba ti awọn itumọ ti imọlẹ ninu òkunkun- Whenever light reigns, where there is ought to be darkness, the gods give victory to whom they have blessed."

"Hmmm! Ootọ ni. (That's the truth) So we needed the red moon?"

"O da bẹ."

Nothing more was said between the two friends. They both remained by the tree all night as the celebration continued, each lost in their world of thoughts. Soon, everyone crashed from excess alcohol, and they went inside their tents, to catch a wink of sleep.

To catch up on the story, please read Asake, A yoruba love story 1, Asake, a yoruba love story 2,, Asake, a while to tarr....,, Asake, a while to tarr 2..., Asake, Someone knows, Asake, Someone knows 2. AsakeThings fall apart