CHAPTER 4- THE UNKNOWN

While Akpobor was busy reliving the moment something else was secretly focusing on him, meanwhile the surrounding area became dead silent.

While I was reliving the moment of the battle, I felt something looking at me. I quickly turned around and searched around me but I saw nothing around i shrugged it off then went to the boar I had just killed and cut out the ears and and a patch of fur.

"Grawllll Grawlll"

I heard my stomach making hungry sounds, the battle had taken a toll on me tho the boar hasn't gotten near the threshold it was still very strong.

I tied the boar on a rope and dragged it with me, the weight of it straining my muscles but the adrenaline pumping in my blood allowed me to continue the task. I noticed the surroundings were quiet but I shrugged it off thinking they ran off when we were fighting.

Searching for a river, I dragged the corpse round the forest no other animals dared to come near me or the boar. I found a river after almost an hour of searching, tying the boar to a tree nearby as the forest watched me as I worked, the rustling sound of leaves being the only thing accompanying me in the grim process of draining the blood.

I cut off all the internal organs, hair and went ahead to skin it and wash it. After that I set up a fire and a place to put the ham to roast, as the ham began to roast over the fire it's savory aroma filling the air, I found myself enveloped in a rare moment of peace.

The flickering flame causing a red glow to shine round the forest the sound of the forest seemed to fade into the background.

Thinking, Despite the challenges I face I had a tinge of satisfaction knowing I was victorious, the ham dancing in the flame was a testament to my strength.

When the ham finnaly turned golden brown I removed it from the flames, "Hot, I exclaimed loudly" the ham was hot, very hot but the taste of it was mouth watering when I bit into the moist fat oil in the ham the rich aroma it all made the fight worth it.

"Won't you let me have a taste" a voice resonated through the forest, my heart quickly went cold, a voice that I didn't recognize in an unfamiliar place.

"you're scared" the voice spoke again, "you were not that scared when you literally dragged a corpse through the forest to the river, a very dumb decision."

Now you sit here roasting that meat for the whole forest to view, childish you're still so inexperienced if I wasn't passing by you would have been dead already.

I quickly scanned through my surroundings but i still couldn't see anyone.

" Ha ha ha"

You wouldn't be able to find me unless I want you to find me, you haven't still crossed your first threshold yet you try that's funny little kid.

"First threshold??" the thing out there has probably crossed the first threshold by the way it's talking it has probably crossed 2 threshold, that's the power of an elder in the tribe and it's walking out freely here.

It's either an enemy from a foreign tribe because the elders told us they will break the alliance rules if they live the tribe or maybe I have encountered one of those special legendary animals that can talk, it was told as folktales to us as nightstories in our tribe to all the children.

I always thought it was fake but now it may seem to be true.

Think whatever you want young lad, your imagination is up to you. Now throw me a leg of the boar, "Where are you? And how am I supposed to give you if I can't see you I asked"

Just throw it up to any tree, how I get it is my own problem you don't need to worry about it. So throw it already.

I quickly threw it at the palm tree to my left, and as it was about to touch the tree, the ham suddenly disappeared.

Shock!!?? That was all I felt even in the folktales I was told as a child didn't mention the legendary animals having powers like this all we were told was that they were able to talk and had strength of surpassing 3 or more thresholds, not to literally move and I won't even be able to notice, even the ham disappeared too.

"Young lad this roasted meat is so good," the voice said again, who taught you how to cook? Do you want to be this masters chef? I'll pay you well (*+*).

I shivered at the thought of this, till this moment I did not know who or what is out there. It could be a foreign enemy who was simply toying with me, a hidden master or a legendary creature.

"Who are you" I asked again lowering my tone. I received no answer, I picked my hunting knife and dived into the river swimming to the river bed. My thought where, even if he could move that fast when he enters the water I'll notice and swim away quickly.

I waited for 2 minutes and got tired of holding my breath, while swimming to the surface I felt something swimming towards me. Thinking it's was the mysterious person(animal) I swam up quickly to take a breath of air, I looked downwards and what I saw was a school of piranhas they were up to a thousand from what I could see.

I tried my best to quickly swim to the land surface, because although there is something up there that could possibly kill me it hasn't but if I was caught by those fishes I'll be turned to bones in a matter of seconds, but alas I was too slow the piranhas were just to fast.

I thought it was the end for me, my mother's hope for me will end, my goals will not be accomplished I closed my eye's already expecting my end.

"DISAPPEAR" was what I heard last.