Chapter 5: The Law is an ass

There were a few animal sounds on the way, inviting and begging to be killed, but my recent experience with the frog which almost cost me my life kept me at bay from deciding to go after them. It was noon and still chilly, the fog was much abundant in the air, but our line of sight was intact and granted us safe passage. I looked at the hairpin in my hand, and saw the heat signature still unmoved. My heart constricted as fear grew in me that the tracking device had been discovered on her and tossed away. With a heavy heart, I asked the wizard if teleportation were possible, he kept looking straight ahead and answered

"It is possible, but would have to be someone like me in my prime, and I doubt any of such exists, I would have sensed their energy"

"So you can teleport?"

"At a time, yes! I see another village ahead, we could ask if anyone sighted the igwoba"

And indeed, the frail old sorcerer was right, not more than a few miles ahead of us, there was a village occupied with a swarm of people headed in different directions for different reasons. It was not hard to blend into the crowd, all thanks to the diversity in dressing patterns. We walked into a tavern, and found ourselves a table beside the wooden door that served as the only entrance to the inn.

"Agbo please" i called a waiter. He approached me, and I told him to bring five bottles. He hurried away and went to bring the order.

"This town is against sorcery, they consider it evil", the old man whispered

Tonio spoke for the first time in a while

"This is Kosidan, it is said that a war between guilds of sorcerers destroyed everything in the town, ever since then, anyone caught practising magic was put to death by burning"

I looked at the wizard, and he was not the least surprised by the information,he must have had prior knowledge of the state of matters in the town.

"So... We all have a low chance of being killed, except him. Fair enough", Dele the dwarf commented spitefully.

The sorcerer smiled at him "I'll turn you to poop"

"Who's dying and who's turning who to poop?", a tall bulky man dressed in a uniform ripped at his biceps area interfered

"My siblings and teasing my father! They just can't help it" I retorted at him

"So... You're all a family?" he asked

"One big happy family", i smiled

He pointed at the dwarf "The imp too?"

I looked at Dele the dwarf, and replied "He's adopted"

Dele the dwarf seemed hurt by my words, and the sorcerer let out a snigger that sent a little bit of agbo flying out of his mouth

"Well... Where are you guys from then?" The stranger kept interrogating

"Who are you? If I may ask" I asked politely

He scoffed, and looked me in the eye

"I'm the law around here. Where are you from?"

"Down south"

"That's a long way out, what are you doing in these parts?"

His persistence was frustrating me.

"Our cousin just birthed, we're going to celebrate"

"Have a nice stay here then. Oh, make sure your old man doesn't break his neck"

I looked at the sorcerer and saw he was dozing with his head violently jerking back each time he felt he was about to fall.

"We will", I kept the smile on.

The moment he left, everyone heaved a sigh of relief, except the dwarf. He punched my belly and cursed me. I couldn't restrain myself from laughing. We decided we were going to rest for three hours before resuming our journey. I took the sorcerer by the arm, and led him to a secluded spot

"It's cooked, right?" I asked hungrily

"Yes", he answered dreamily

"Good, open it up. I'm starving". With a wave of his hand, a piece of the frog meat I had killed fell from an electric ringed portal. I lunged for it and devoured it, ridding it of every shred of meat that was there, while guzzling down a bottle of Agbo. We went back to the tavern, and by then, I was feeling great. The food had worked its miracle.

I ordered everyone to pack up because it was time to leave. They had packed their own steak from home, but I had been too excited and forgot to pack any. I calmed my conscience's guilt by deciding to inform them of the existence of the frog meat when they ran out of steak.

We slung our backpacks on, and made to leave the town, but were halted by the man who called himself the law.

"People of Kosidan, we have a sorcerer in our midst" he bellowed

My heart sunk, and I wondered how he got to know that piece of information

"What are you saying? That's ridiculous"

He looked at me and brought out a book

"Then, explain this." He raised it up and continued "I found this book in this gaffer's bag, and my suspicions were right, it is indeed a book of spells".

Without hesitation, his fellow officers bound the sorcerer's hands in fetters and sealed his mouth with a tape, perhaps to prevent him from casting a spell. I was confused as to what to do, to attack the officers in the midst of the town did not sound reasonable, and there was the high probability that the citizens joined in the fight, killing innocent people wasn't in my resumé.

"It's obvious you didn't know your father was into sorcery, so we'd let you go." The Law flashed a devilish smile.

"I am truly shocked at my father's madness. We will let you deal with him as you see fit. All we seek is forgiveness for being born of such a man" Tonia spoke up

I was aghast at her words, was she really suggesting we left him alone to die at the hands of these bastards? But I reassured myself that she had a plan.

"I'm sorry. But we must do what we must", the law held my shoulder and lamented.

"It's fine", i said and followed the rest out of the town. There was an uproar arising by the time we were leaving the town, yet I knew I could not let the old man die, it was a surety that Tonia had a master plan.

"So, how do we get him out?" I asked

She looked at me bewildered, "get who out? He's going to be burnt, and that's none of our business. We don't even know him, one minute he was attacking us and the second, you're friends. Yes, I don't buy the crap story you gave".

Tonio looked at me and nodded his head in agreement to what his sister said

"True, man, true" the dwarf added unnecessarily

"You see! they all agree! And besides, our mission is the igwoba. There's no time to waste on old sorcerers who are about to taste death anyways" she continued

"I'm sorry guys, but I can't let him die"

"We won't wait for you", Tonia threatened

"Then keep going"

She looked at me teary eyed "he has you under a spell, doesn't he? You're choosing him over the igwoba"

I moved closer to her and put my hand on her shoulder " I'll be back, I promise"

With that I turned to go back into the town, and the last words I heard her scream were "you're going to leave us just like our father did?"