Chapter 6: The Curse of the Bell and the Journey to Riverland

My head just dey spin, until I remember Baba Ojo talk: "If you see me again, light the Seven Star Lamp."

I close eye, search memory. My grandmother dey talk of lamp for spirit, but Seven Star Lamp? That one pass ordinary. Pulse quicken, mind dey race for answer.

But where I go see that kind lamp?

I bite lip, frustration grow. For this world, where line between living and dead don blur, how you go find lamp of stars?

War drum beat, enemy general rush out. Strange, na only am waka come, but our soldiers dey fear like spirit.

Even bravest hunters, men wey face lion, bend for drum sound. Ground itself dey shake.

"Na... na Blood Ghost Musa!"

Name hang for air, sharp and bitter. Men cross self, hold charm.

I hear soldiers dey pray:

"God abeg, I no wan die, I no wan die."

Some dey whisper to Ogun, others to ancestors, voice dey shake.

I surprise—one man, everybody dey fear? Wetin I see next freeze my blood.

Blood Ghost Musa walk, eyes red like coal, skin tight for bone. Each step grass dey die. My leg shake.

Musa enter line; everywhere scatter, blood and body dey fly. Spearman stab am, another cut hand, Musa laugh like madman. He grab spearman, bite neck. Before you blink, man don dry like old leaf, Musa wound heal, hand grow back.

It worse pass any juju festival or ogbanje story. Musa dey suck life, dey grin. Battlefield stink of blood and fear.

Musa dey near our line, Mallam Sani shout. Plenty big, red-eye men rush out. Dem charge, body swell, muscle dey bulge, eyes red, some still get old wound, but dem move like pain no mean anything.

"Red-Eyed Army, hear my order—kill Musa!"

Ground shake, war cry full air. Thunder and fire enter field.

As I dey look these big, red-eye monsters, I ask Mallam Sani, ‘Who send these giants?’

He puff chest, eyes dey shine. "Na the meatballs be my secret weapon against Han death warriors. Chop one, hunger and tiredness no go reach you. Chop ten, your strength go multiply. Chop hundred, your body go big, eyes go red, even the evil spirits of Han no fit touch you."

As he dey talk, Red-Eyed Army and Musa don dey fight. Musa kill three, but this time wound bad. He try suck blood from one, pain catch am, eyes big, veins burst. Next thing, Musa explode, turn blood mist.

Explosion like thunderclap. Blood spray everywhere, air full of scream. For a moment, I think world go end.

From mist, plenty white bone snakes rush out, fly go meet Baba Ojo. Mallam Sani face change, pride turn fear. He shout:

"Shoot arrows!"

Archers loose storm, arrow darken sky, whistling, thud for ground. Mallam Sani slice palm, blood shadow dance with arrows join bone snakes. Most die, but one escape, crawl back Han army, twist for ground, then still.

I see am well: no be snake, na Musa backbone, skull still dey, dey crawl like snake.

Even as e dey die, Musa dey laugh:

"Your Majesty, I don understand—corpse flesh, living blood, monsters wey no die, no live. No wonder dem no dey fear Yellow Heaven, even blood no fit save dem. Sani, you wicked well. But as His Majesty know your secret, you no get hope to win."

With that, Musa spirit vanish, enemy blow retreat horn. We win, but Mallam Sani face pale like ghost. He stagger, grip tent pole, sweat dey pour. For the first time, Mallam Sani look mortal.