The night was dark and foggy. It was already midnight. The waxing moon seemed to be flowing through the birds that sang to its shine. The giant's hall was huge and beautiful. As the tallest building, it served as the heart of Ife, in Oyo-Ile, because the giants built it themselves. It was said to have been the fountain of creation where Oduduwa created the earth.

With twelve rooms in the building, Asa along with the seven dwarfs climbed to the upper part of the building.

They stood by the line building and what they saw in from of them was mind-blowing. All the ships were destroyed by the crashing ocean. Taking a closer look, they realized that ships wouldn't be able to float on the troubled water.

Atata's thick, bushy eyebrows pulled together in unison as his large eyes surveyed the place. Any ship sailing might wreck due to the force with which the waves crashed against the walls of the island.

"Ohh! How on earth are we going to sail?!" Banjoko asked fearfully in ancient Yoruba, while he looked at others' faces.

"The gods must be angry with us." Asa's lips mumbled the words incoherently.

Just then, the eight of them went back into the hall.

Prince Yotifa was seated on the thick wooden table when his eyes caught his sister's leg which was still bleeding. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." A short intake of breath followed her lips while Ajoke looked down in resentment.

He walked up to her as they stood opposite each other. Although Ajoke was only 15, she was almost as tall as her brother.

"Are you sure?" He asked again, concerned.

Unable to speak, Ajoke just nodded. Tears flowed down her eyes while she held onto the pain.

Yotifa tried to smile to cheer her up but he wasn't successful in it.

"You fought well today. Mum and dad would be proud of you." His hand held unto hers that still had dry blood stains. Staring into her jet-black eyes, Yotifa sighted the tears that hung out her lashes, making her eyes glitter.

Her lips began to tremble silently. Of course, it was her first fight. As a child, she had so wanted revenge but Yotifa told her that the patient dog eats the fattest bone and that the day for revenge would come.

"You deserve better." The corner of his eyes dampened while a single tear rolled down her swollen eyes.

Taking a closer look, he discovered that the cut was a deep one. He hated to put her through so much but the wheels of destiny couldn't be changed.

The door behind them suddenly flung open. Asa and the seven dwarfs walked into the main hall.

"There's no way out for us. The waves are crashing forcefully. It's as if the so-called curse isn't broken yet." Asa reported in a loud tone.

"Don't worry, Ireti would join us shortly. The spells cast on the giants won't fade till sunrise. We just need a way, somehow. Probably, her spells would be able to save us all."

'Grrr! Grrrrr!! Grrrrrr!!!'

A troubling noise grunted from outside interrupted their conversation.

"And what on the heck is that?" Yotifa looked upward, alarmed.

"They're here already! Ninki Nanka?" Gbotifa, one of the dwarfs with a long plaited beard pulled the table towards the wall. With the king's chair on it, he was able to reach for the window.

He peeped outside to get a view of what was happening.

They had green-scaled bodies like that of a crocodile and their necks were long and stretchy like that of a giraffe. It was truly Nanka Ninki, a half-giraffe and crocodile creature with three pointy horns on its forehead. It's poisonous, thorny skin and claws have no cure.

Five of them rushed towards the building like a dragon, breaking out the fire in fury.

"They're coming closer! God, there's no way of getting out of this! I'm only able to see five of them!" Gbotifa informed others. But only the dwarfs understood themselves because no one could translate their language.

"Block the door!" Atata instructed. The seven dwarfs rushed to the door immediately and blocked it.

"Can someone tell me what's happening?" Yotifa asked confusedly at the men. Instead, they focused on pushing the door. There was no time for explanation.

Struggling and grunts escaped the dwarf's lips while they gritted their teeth in unison and pushed the wooden door with every fiber of strength.

"Are we in any form of danger? What is outside?" Asa asked, frightened while she listened to the background noise.

'Grrrr Grrrrr!'

There were animals grunting in the background. The Nanka Ninki had giant chains on their feet so they moved together.

"Uhhh!" The men grunted and pushed back as well.

The force was strong, the door was stronger. Asa's gaze fell on a piece of cloth. It was from the same material worn by Atata. He had been hiding something in it since they entered, and she was curious to know.

While the dwarfs focused on the door, Asa grabbed the cloth that was folded in the form of a bag. She could feel the weight of it in the cloth. What was inside was the round shape? Somehow, she felt the strange animals needed it. Maybe they followed the dwarfs here and now we are under attack. She wondered what it was that he was hiding. Deepening her hand into the bag, Atata walked to her. He glared at her with frankness in his eyes, as if she was holding his undies.

"Give it to me!" There was command in his voice. He stiffened and glared at her with his eyes, glimmering in shock.

She looked at him with untrustworthiness. She suspected everything about the dwarfs and their visit. 'Why today? Why now?'

"Just... Give it to me." He stretched his hand towards her.

"Give it to me." he signaled but she stood still, her eyes piercing into his soul.

A cruel smirk formed on his chapped lips and he stifled an evil laughter. Asa just watching him, her breath thickened. She could sense danger.

"Give it to me, young woman!"

Asa stretched it to him and he jerked it off from her hand. Atata watched the others still pushing the door.

"Come and give a hand!" Banjoko pleaded while he pushed.

"You should join pushing the door." He told her and joined the other dwarfs in pushing.

"We need a translator," Yotifa suggested, also looking at the dwarf leader with distrust.

"Maybe I can get a translator from downstairs." She frowns in concentration.

"Take him with you."

"Atata, Oko!" Asa called him, signaling him to come this time.

"Agh!" One of the prisoners cried out to the agonizing pain. "Hmmm.." then he hummed under his breath.

Prince Awade looked at his partner's feet and noticed he was bleeding.

"How long have you been here?"

"Six months...Ugh! This is killing." The man gritted his teeth in pain, to adjust his sitting position.

He had the cut trying to save his family but unfortunately for him, he was taken away. The injury was a very deep cut and he was chained by both wrist and feet to the wall.

"Isn't it infected? You need treatment?" The prince muttered in concern.

"Stop acting like a good person, okay? I know you, your brother, and your father. All of you are birds of the same feathers! Don't think for one minute that because you're locked in chains, we can become friends because, among other prisoners in this cell, only you deserve death!" the man fired angrily.

"Where are they?" Banjoko asked as he pushed the iron door of the dungeon.

"What do they want, now?" the prisoner with a full mustache queried, making others raise their gaze at them.

"Let's just ask them! Someone. Might understand us here!" Gbotifa told Banjoko.

"Who are they?"

"These are dwarfs from the spirit world, I presume. They aren't humans." Prince Awade muttered under his breath.

"Yes, prince. They're immortals." The man with dreadlocks intervened. " What do you want?"

Immediately, Gbotifa grabbed the keys from Asa's hands and rushed to unlock his handcuffs.

"Do you speak their language?" Asa asked.

"Not fluently but my dad taught me ancient Yoruba when I was little. I haven't seen it or heard anyone speaking it till this day," he replied to her. Pissed, the prisoner with long her who had a knife hidden in his pocket took it out.

"No!" the prisoner with brown teeth screamed while pulling him back but he pushed himself towards Gbotifa. Everyone looked, wondering what he would do. Next, he took the knife and slashed the dwarf's cheek.

His dark, thick skin opened and blood clothed in his flesh. Immediately, in barely seconds, the skin covered back and healed as if it hadn't slashed just now. The prisoners watched in awe. The man with long hair couldn't fathom what just happened. This made the tiny little knife dropped from his hand. Gbotifa rolled his eyes as if he would hit the man but he decided not to. Instead, he unlocked the new translator while Asa walked towards them to collect the key.

Just then, the man with a brown, broken tooth pulled himself to her. Asa raised her eyes and her gaze met his ugly face. His hot tobacco breath fanned her face. As if he was about to kiss her or something.

Instantly, she placed her knife to his neck. He stretched his delicate neck with held breaths like a ram about to be slaughtered.

"It was a mistake... " he begged.

"Don't think for a second that I'd spare your life if you keep acting like this. Keep your distance, understand?" She warned.

Her black eyes rolled at him with disgust as she walked out of the dungeon. It was the second time he's messing up with her. A small smirk formed on his slim lips, while he watched her lock the door before leaving.

"The girls are just beautiful, they're not as smart as they look."

"What do you mean by that, Shaggi? Are you interested in" The short man raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Knowing he had no chance of luring a lady. Especially someone like Asa.

"No, not that. The thing is, I'm a fast picker so..."

"What have you picked?"

Shaggi, the man with brown broken teeth raised the huge keys and giggled towards them.

"Smart man!" Other prisoners jerked at him and limped for joy. "Finally, we are free!"

"Finally, we can leave!" The short man with long hair cheered.

"Aghh!" The man in pain growled while Prince Awade watched them with disappointment in his eyes. Somehow, he felt all of these were wrong.

'What if they got caught? Or killed. What if something goes wrong?'

***

Note: The Dragons don't speak. They only roar, growl, and hiss.
The Dwarfs speak a different language. I might change the words later so, the translator here is a very useful person.
The giants understand all languages