35 A glimpse of a dark future

"Finally, I have found someone with at similar affinity as me. The time element is a tricky one to manage. I have joined the visionscape and never found anyone move deep enough into the time stream to cause an encounter. However, our time is limited as you look to be fuel your ability internally which means you are not a member of my clan...tragic. Anyway, you must journey immediately, to find my clan, time is of the essence. To convince I will use my ability to show you the distant future."

A stream of visions, clearer than ever, bombarded Jide with such force that they were burned into his brain and there was no fear of him forgetting. However, Jide could not maintain the visionscape as he had depleted his energy reserves.

Nevertheless before he passed out, what he saw was an apocalypse.

...

Musa had been imprisoned.

This was because he had refused to reveal Jide's secret despite all the argument put forth by the clan. However, because he had voluntarily submitted to the clan's punishment and no one actual suspected he would do anything detrimental to the clan, he was not in the dungeons but restricted to one of the guarded rooms close to the throne hall.

The room was used to restrain clan members of dignity so it was lavishly decorated with porcelain sculptures, silk fabrics, the rare wooden furniture and gold figurines.

Elder Usman came to visit him.

"I am glad you have overcome your fear now but I could have wished you were still that little boy who would not dare to hide anything from his elders. You know this will not end well if Jide does something to Hafis." elder Usman said.

Musa sighed and rubbed his hair in exasperation but only responded, "What is done is done. Between Hafis and Jide, I trust Jide more regardless of clan. Besides I don't expect Jide to go to extremes."

"Let's hope."

...

Nnenna and her group were back on the road.

They had left the city of Igbo Efon about a week ago and were currently at the outskirts of the Sabi Sect investigating the ruins for any other clues and also to give Obi the chance to visit the first home he ever knew.

It was amazing how much Obi could say with his silence.

There was sadness, longing and rage all mixed in with other less discernible emotions. It was so intense that for once Amaka did not have anything to say. Nnenna had been paying attention to the space around them to search the ruins faster so she was immediately aware of a group of people that were coming closer to their general direction. She signalled to Kayto to come closer and then said to her friends,

"We have company coming. They are still 500 meters out but I think we should hide and see what they want. Kayto please say in portal alternate space, as you are too recognisable."

It didn't take long for this group of people to reach the ruins and they proceeded deeper. They did not deviate from their path as they clearly knew where they were heading but remained vigilant for any followers or observers.

The group was made of a beast tamer with two frost wolves, a scout who carried a recurve bow, and three warriors with one of them covered from head to toe in a hajib with only her eyes showing. Apart from the scout, they were all carrying additional sacks with their weapons.

Nnenna was curious so gave the hand signal to follow her lead as they would tail the group. Soon they followed the group to a tunnel expertly hidden in the ruins of the Sabi Sect but as the group was about to descend into the tunnel, the wind direction changed bringing their scent to the frost wolves who immediately became alert.

It happened all of a sudden. The frost wolf charged at Nnenna and her group revealing their general direction and the scout who was further ahead, immediately spun around, releasing multiple arrows in that direction. One of the warriors with a shield rushed in front of the group to guard while the girl in the hajib slinked into the ruins and soon became hard to track.

They were definitely a very experienced group and Nnenna suspected some of them were Knights. Since the group had not yet actually seen them, Nnenna quickly moved her party to another location further back and then revealed herself.

"We mean you no harm. We are just looking for survivors of the Sabi Sect and I suspect you can help us."

...

Hafis was more relaxed as he was closer to the territory controlled by the Abacha clan and would soon meet up with the other assassins that had been sent out on missions.

When he had heard about the meeting of Knights, he had instructed the rest of his team to go complete their own missions or head back and wait for him.

Now he was on his way to meet up with them.

But there was someone else waiting for him on his path.

...

Jide woke up with his whole body shivering.

He had depleted his entire reserves of time energy and had been unconscious for hours. However, he noticed that his energy capacity seemed larger and his acuity with the flow of time seemed a lot more exact.

Jide sat down deliberating what he should do now.

He had a lot of a new information.

The visionscape, even before the old man appeared, had made a lot of things clear. He knew what Nnenna, Hafis, the old man and so many other people who were and would be an integral part of his life, were doing and where they would be in the possible future. But he also knew what was coming.

So there was a lot he wanted to do.

But he also knew what he had to do.