chapter 21 her new journey 3

The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don't turn against him, they crush those beneath them. ~ Emily Bront

After a while, more people joined them in the settlement, and they were led by the man and his wife they called him Oluode, which means "great hunter." His son had grown up and had become brave as he is, and he had a good companion in the woods who helps him in hunting this Hunter's son trust his friend without no limit and decided to visit his house

"you really want to visit my house?" his friend inquired. "Yeah, I truth my friend, I ògúngbádé want to know where you lives, we have been friends for decades, you help me in hunting some times, you have a great experience with wildlife...my father and his people cherish me all because of you...it's seem you did trust me enough." ògúngbádé replied,

"he who asked questions need answers I lived in ìrókò tree,"

"Hahaha, you live in a tree, are you the son of the craftsman? I've heard that craftsmen are secretly friends with all shrubs and trees, and that these friendships have never been betrayed. If there is chaos or conflict,they will go to the safety of the trees, and trees will save them.if they are starving the tree provide for them" his friend explain

" am not Craftsman's son" he declare

"who are you?!" ògúngbádé felt irritated and prepared to begin a battle when all of a sudden his friend stood up from the chair and smilles, his ears grew to resemble fox ears, his nose became pointed, and he became larger with enormous tails and fur all over his body. ògúngbádé was afraid but alert, asking, "You are a demon?" Upon returning to human form after a protracted period of silence, " yeah and a goblin" he answered as he returns to human form,

ògúngbádé who had fought the spirit of the woods alongside a companion, asked, "So why did you betray the woods?"

"Because I'm a half human demon and goblin, we killed evil wood spirits, not good ones, and the wood's animals are secret; you don't need to know, "

his companion responded when ògúngbádé asked why they have hunt spirits like him and murder numerous creatures owned by trees.

"You are partially human and partially a goblin and demon" ògúngbádé exclaimed. "Yeah," replied his pal

Arẹwa was aware that this was an unheard tale; she knew that this man was a true beast, not a goblin or others but she was perplexed because the beast lived in the spirit realm not in the woods.

"My mother is a human, however she fell in love with my father who is a half goblin and demon"

ògúngbádé asks how did that happen

"My mother is a Craftsman's daughter and gave birth to me. our people try to kill me and reject me, but an elderly man saves us both by accepting my mother and me. Despite the fact that her father attempts to persuade her to live in the woods, grandfather has cursed all the trees because they betrayed him, it was not in their agreement to make his daughter fall in love with one of them. When the invaders entered the village and killed the mother and many other villagers, my father came to save me and avenge his wife from them. I have been living in this tree for centuries until father died," he said sadly.

" you're no more alone... come to my village my father's people will accept you, your secret is safe " ògúngbádé said.

His friend concurred, and the two left the forest for the city. However, when they got there, they encountered numerous dead bodies on the walk home, including both young and old people.

Running to his father's hut, gngbádé finds his father there, struggling to stand up while covered in blood-soaked swords and bodies. His father asks him, "Son, where have you been? The invaders...your mother," before collapsing and dying in front of him.

His mother is deceased, and he rushes to the village's storeroom because the resources have been looted.

He runs to one of the dead invader's soldiers and checks his robe and sees a copper indicating the Ojumọ kingdom. "Hahaha... hahaha," he cries out loud from the bottom of his heart,

"after swearing our loyalty to the Ojumọ Kingdom...they still invades us... hahaha." He cries until he runs out of tears.