L’?r? glanced at her hands. Why couldn’t she do it? Because the gods he was so eager to die for had cursed her, that’s why. ‘My agbára is weak,’ she lied, then held his hands and looked him in the eye. ‘We can’t get caught. That’ll hurt much more, I promise you.’
Máywá nodded and stretched out his hands. He groaned quietly as light glowed through his palms. He held on tight to L’?r?’s hand, squeezing so hard she felt her bones rubbing against each other. She bit her tongue to keep from yelling out in pain. Using his agbára so soon after his stripping was clearly agony, and L’?r? feared he wouldn’t be able to do it. Finally, with a wave of his hand, he extinguished all the fire lanterns. Only the trail of smoke showed evidence of the fire that once lit the stairs.
‘Now run – I’ll keep watch. Go!’ L’?r? hissed, pushing Máywá to get through to the other side of the courtyard. She watched him speed across, impressed with how fast he moved. Two, four, six. She counted, waiting breathlessly for him to be out of sight. Once he was safe, she’d make the run, too. And that was it. The rest was easy.
Máywá had just gone past the main doors when they flew open, and two temple maidens burst out – dressed in red, weapons drawn, ready to kill.
?ní bá ?e ?kan t’nìkan ò ?e rí, yóó rìí ?kan t’nìkan ò rí rí
He who does what no one has done before will see what no one has seen before
15
The Sun Temple, Royal Island, Kingdom of Oru
L’?R?
L’?r?’s heart stopped and blood rushed into her head. The world around her grew darker in the light of the maidens’ agbára. One maiden blasted a wave of agbára at Máywá. A flare of energy like the sun sent his body a few feet into the air and crashed it to the ground with a loud thump. The other maiden waved a glowing hand over the lanterns, and all the fire Máywá had taken out relit out of thin air.
L’?r? crouched low, hiding from view. She couldn’t fight two red maidens alone – and protect Máywá. The maidens attacked and that meant they either didn’t know or didn’t care that he was an Àlùfáà. She took deep breaths to calm her trembling chest. At that moment, fear was a greater enemy than the maidens. She drew her blades and briefly closed her eyes. A voice echoed in her mind. Command had only one word for her.Fight.
L’?r? ran to Máywá, pulling a dagger from her side and throwing it at the maiden farther away, allowing her to focus on the one nearer to her. It caught her in the thigh, and she tripped to the ground. L’?r? ran towards the other maiden, who reached her first and struck hard. The clash ofher blades on the maiden’s golden spear created sparks that tossed her back a few steps.
L’?r? moved fast, her blades reaching for the head and stomach, taking away the maiden’s room to dodge both. The maiden’s spear moved in a blur, blocking every strike, and then she slid out of L’?r?’s reach and smiled, moving her spear from one hand to the other, spinning it, taunting her.
A glance sideways, and L’?r? saw that the other maiden had pulled the knife out of her thigh and was fighting Máywá, who she could hear trying and failing to negotiate. ‘Stop! I’m Àlùfáà!’
‘An Àlùfáà who runs is a coward,’ the maiden growled. ‘Any right you had to be chosen by the gods, you threw away the moment you walked out of those doors.’
‘Please!’ Máywá held out his hands in supplication. L’?r? could tell he was trying not to use his agbára.
Focus!Command’s voice shouted in her mind.
L’?r? turned back to face her maiden only to find the sharp end of a spear hurtling towards her face. She leaned back so low that her back nearly touched the ground. She plunged her second blade into the ground behind her to hold up her weight and propel her body back upright. She moved lightly on her feet, placing herself between the maiden and her spear.
Think! Your next strike must take her out. Watch her steps, watch how she swings, find an opening.Command’s voice was so loud in her mind, L’?r? could feel her presence.Move back. Let her get her spear. If she feels trapped, she’ll use her agbára and burn you to dust.
L’?r? offered the maiden time and space to run for her weapon. She could have struck then. But if she missed, and caused the maiden to panic, the red maiden would no doubt unleash her agbára. Agbára that L’?r? did not have. L’?r? wasalways forced to keep every fight on even ground where fists and kicks determined the winner, remembering to make her opponent feel like they were winning. Because while she had the firepower of ?àngó a mere whisper away, she’d rather lose the fight than lose her head for calling upon the old gods on holy ground.
L’?r? lunged towards the maiden. A quick strike, but her timing was off. Distracted by Máywá’s shouts and pleas, L’?r? allowed the maiden to catch her blade with both palms.
Under her breath, L’?r? summoned the old gods as she often did in soft whispers – her crescent blades did not glow. Her eyes widened in panic.Not now, not now, please.She called out louder, not caring that the maiden would hear her cry to the old gods, and her blades glowed with the light and heat of a furnace. With a shout, L’?r? slid a blade through the maiden’s palms. But the maiden didn’t make even the slightest noise. No grunts, no whispers – just cold, dead eyes locked into L’?r?’s, ignoring the blood trailing down her hands. The maiden fired up her own agbára into the blade, extending the heat towards the hilt, forcing L’?r? to drop it with a yelp. Then, she let go herself. Blood poured out of the maiden’s hands, seeping into the cobbled stones on the ground. The maiden quickly recovered and struck L’?r? square in the jaw. The sting of what felt like hot coals on her face hurt more than the blow itself. That would leave a scar.
L’?r? staggered back, but the maiden didn’t let her recover. She heated the air around them, forcing raging particles in the air into a single point. It was invisible, but L’?r? could tell from the way the maiden’s hands curled and the sudden heat that she was in trouble. This maiden’s agbára was strong.
She’s creating an air cannon. Get out of the way!Command’s voice shouted in her mind.
The blast went off, and although she’d jumped out of the way, it still exploded near her and sent her flying head-first onto the ground.
L’?r? blinked to clear the spots in her vision. Her head throbbed, and Máywá’s voice seemed too far away to make out his words. She noticed the scorch marks on her armour. That blast should have caused a lot more damage. Perhaps the uniforms were enchanted, after all. She hadn’t seen how he did it, but Máywá’s maiden was flat on the ground, still as stone, smoke rising from her burnt clothes. It made L’?r? wonder how powerful Máywá would have been before the stripping and why he would ever give that up to be a priest. Next to her, Máywá was throwing up his guts. His body wasn’t ready to use his waning powers after all.
At that moment, she heard Command’s voice again:If the farm boy can take out a maiden, then what in the gods’ names are you doing? Move!
The voice didn’t need to finish its taunt. L’?r? was already wiping the blood trickling down her face. She spat on the ground, cracked her neck, and allowed the maiden to come to her.
Watch her. See how she leans to the left? She drags her left foot. Just a heartbeat slower. Go!Command’s voice ordered.
The maiden’s hands glowed with agbára, but no matter how powerful she was, it was unlikely she’d be able to form another air cannon that quickly. Also, L’?r? was used to getting burnt. She remained still, eyeing the smug look of confidence on the maiden’s face as she approached her. When the maiden was just a few feet away, L’?r? jumped high, stepping first on the maiden’s left knee, then on her torso, and finally, she slammed down with her elbow. L’?r? fell as the maiden swung for a finishing blow. Before reaching the ground, L’?r? stretched and pulled the maiden’s long braids.She went down, grunting for the first time since their fight began. The maiden had been so silent, L’?r? had thought the girl had no voice. L’?r? jumped on her, punching away at her face, not stopping even when she heard a bone crack. Even when the maiden let out a guttural scream that shocked L’?r? to her core. The maiden blocked what she could with her elbows and forearms and finally stretched her hands to the sand beneath her, using her agbára to heat and transform the grains into shards of glass to throw at L’?r?.
