“I never believed that the fire of Ninki Nanka could burn up towns and cities. Instead, it did. The fire spread and consumed the entire village. Warriors and soldiers tried to kill the creature but, after it’s death, it.... Disappeared.” Sanmi sniffled while narrating his part. “And people lost. Hatred and infertility filled the land. The gods had laid a curse. The beast consumed all it approached.”

“Lies! This is nonsense! Rumour and stupid superstitions! How do animals have power over the sky, weather, and the human trafficking and trade that has been taking place on our lands for centuries?” King Otun hissed at the interpreter.

“These superstitions claimed my own wife and child!” Sammi fired at the king.

He swallowed his word immediately while his eyes fell to the gaze of others, giving him a stern look.

“And I know that, we would need to leave this island in order to escape the basilisk’s attack.”

“Definitely.” Atata replied in ancient Yoruba. Then he turned to Banjoko.

“Yes, definitely.” He replied back. “Yet, all would die.”

“All would die.” Sanmi translated. A single tear rolled from his eyes as he muttered the words with great difficulty.

A loud thunder rumbled in the sky like a lion’s roar. They all looked around, startled by what might be happening.

“Help!” someone screamed at the top of his voice. It was a man. Abruptly, the voice grew into voices, then thickened, as it grew louder. “Somebody help me!”

With this, they knew who it was. It was the men who has passed the secret passage out and had wanted to sail away with the last boat. Banjoko and the other four dwarfs trailed him to the throne of the king near the window. He claimed and checked to see for himself.

“Help! No... Help me!” His terrible scream made the mythical beasts encircle him. They were another five set and Banjoko wondered where the five came out from. ‘Did they drop from the sky or what?’

He pondered over the thought and watched. Their sharp, poisonous fist scratched the four men down till they lost their stand and voices. The Ninki Nanka’s stepped on the men and burnt them till they finally gave in and died. Indeed, it was a terrible sight to witness.

The four prisoners died with no means of escape. Banjoko gazed at the egg in hand. He held it like a big gourd and stepped down on the chair at once.

Abruptly, Asa climbed to see. “I thought the five of them passed the backyard. How did they get to the front door?”

“I think the king might know. It’s about time you tell us about this secret passage of yours.” The man with brown broken teeth, who was the only one left among the prisoner from Benin republic, spoke up. King Otun gave him a weird look, while the chief, who was somewhat bolder, to an extent rolled his eyes at the man.

“Where is it?!” Asa threatened the naked man. He shivered with more fear as mucus drip from his nose split in two. Then, he replied... “It’s in the basement, in the walls, in the stairwell.”

Trembling sobs escaped his swollen lips."There’s somewhere else..."

“You should have just told us about this earlier on, but you wanted us to die going through the front door, right?” Asa blustered at the naked man, which made him quiver more than he closed his red, swollen eyes and screamed.

“It seems you some powerful poeple had cursed you guys, after all. Even worse, to the extent that your entire city got destroyed by a dragon spirit.” Asa told them with all sincerity.

“No one cursed us! You are the cursed ones! And, because there’s another way out of here doesn’t mean you won’t die as well!” King Otun spat at them. He turned around and his gaze fell back to Asa, petrified.

Tiny fear entered Asa’s thoughts while she looked around. Seeing Banjoko, she walked to him.

“What is that?” Her eyes pierced against his gaze once more. She couldn’t help but to notice how much he’s been protecting whatever he kept in his bag. Banjoko turned the bag backwards with a grumpier look.

“She said what’s--” Sanmi wanted to interprete in Ancient Yoruba but she raised a hand to cut his words.

“He knows what I’m talking about!”

Then he walked away, and Atata took his position.

A turn at the huge, short man from below. Asa pointed the bow at him. It was for Delaja, but since he killed her, she took up her weapon.

Asa pointed an arrow at him and he bursted out into the grumpiest laughter ever. Knowing fully well that he can’t die from human attacks except for supernatural beings.

“You think that’s funny?!” A crushed glare plastered her face. Determined, Asa pointed the arrow towards the lower part of his belly.

“Huh?” His thick, bushy eyebrows lifted in unison. He shouldn’t be moved, but he was. His smiled dropped to her reaction.

“I guess you’d enjoy pulling an arrow out of your cock, then out of your face!”

“She said that she guess you’d--“ Sanmi tried translating her words, she cut him off, again.

“He can hear me.”

With this, Banjoko pushed him aside and interfered.

“It’s not you that they’re after, right? They’re after that.” She pointed out.

Sammi gazed at them vacantly, unsure if he should translate or not.

Asa turned back at him with a stern glare.

“Oh, I thought my words were useless. You want me to interprete your words now.” He hissed. “The creatures are not after you, right? They’re after that. Just give her the bag!” Sanmi muttered the ancient words.

Without wasting time, Banjoko pulled out the leather bag from his neck and handed it over to Asa. But it was clear. He didn’t do this out of love. He did this because they all wanted to leave Ife in one piece.

Meanwhile, the echoes of the army of Ninki Nanka filled the sky. Their roar was like that of evil spirits. One could sense fear and death in every dark corner.

Banjoko brought out the golden egg, and Asa’s lips fell apart. It looked exactly like the one with Iretiola.

They placed the two golden eggs together, to check if there was any difference, but there were none. It was the same golden, shiny eggs in size and weight.

“Wow, this is amazing. Do they hold the same power or something?” The words rumbled out of the man with broken brown teeth as he tried to touch them. Atata pushed him back with his built body.

“I think this is what they want. We’ve lost all our families because of those weird-looking creatures out there. We should just give them the twin golden eggs, get out!” Prince Awade insinuated. Trying to convince others as well.

“That’s exactly what we should do. It solves all of our problems! All at once, why aren’t we doing that?! He isn’t sure to make it alive out if here anyway, so please, hand the whatever treasures to them and let’s leave in one piece!”

“Yes, I agree with him.” Ajoke muttered to the others. “This could be our key to freedom. Our only chance!”

Others made their opinions with small murmurs in the background until Banjoko interfered. “That’s freaking impossible!”

Everyone kept quiet at once and turned to him.

“That’s impossible.” Sanmi interpreted.

“We cannot return this to them!”

“All would be lost.”

“All would die.”

“That’s a lie!” King Otun hissed at them.

Looking at the doubt in their pressing eyes, Banjoko placed the eggs together with both hands. Unexpectedly, fire erupted out of it. A green symbolic flame grew from within it and everyone yelled for help for a saviour of any kind. Their veins tightened while blood boiled in their bodies to the single act. As if being electrocuted, its potent force took the strength of everyone and some slaves at the back, dropped dead. Unable to stand or endure its force any longer.

A loud thunder struck within the hall from the dark sky. Asa dropped the bow she was holding due to the thunderous effect. Fear growled in their voices as they screamed at the glittering green burning fire and spark from the golden twin eggs. But it was no longer golden. It was all neon green and the giant’s hall shook like the complete building would collapse. Prince Awade fell to the ground to the effect. His whole body froze in place as the terrified roar filled the room.

Banjoko then separated the treasures from each other, and everything stopped all at once.