"Oh my god! They're coming closer! I can hear their footsteps, they're here!" the naked man with a trace of blood from his nose shivered as they walked to the main hall. Pee flowed between his legs while he squeezed his robust body to the corner to save himself from embarrassment and extreme fear. Fear that they would kill him. Especially Asa who almost strangled him to death minutes ago. Breathing heavily and hiding, Yotifa, Asa, and Ajoke walked towards them.

"The northerners... Who are they?"

"Some of them are settlers from Niger but they are very different from us. The common name from them is, Hausa and they also worship a different god." The chief answered.

"There's no night like tonight!" Lanre smiled and dragged some of the bodies. He was excited to gain freedom after so long and if possible, he would meet these mysterious men from other lands.

"You just want to waste our time time we get captured again, right? What if they don't come?" Yotifa muttered and pointed his sword at the chief's neck again.

"No, no, no, no... It's true! I heard my uncle talk about the Northerners. They'd be here before dawn." The naked man quivered. Hugged his knees to his chest like that of a convulsing child.

Looking towards the wall, Shade noticed a shadow behind the king's chair. Her eyes squinted in the direction.

"Is everything alright?" Ajoke enquired in curiosity.

"There's someone behind that chair." She signaled with her eyes.

Shade who was beside them took a step closer. She held her wooden bow forward and fired an arrow at the royal chair.

'Whizz!'

The king jumped out of his hiding place with a loud cry for help. Everyone turned to him, alerted. With their weapons at him, ready to strike.

"Please don't kill me! I don't have the strength, please."

"But you gave orders."

"I only followed instructions from the gods. I'm innocent, I swear!" His voice heightened to the words.

"You're their king, you're one of them! You need to die!" Yotifa walked up and down, eager to kill the king already.

"No, no... Please! I only did what I thought was best. Forgive me. I'd help with the trade to the northerners. I would convince my people and the Giants that it was all my fault. I'll do whatever you ask of me so please, don't kill me-"

A loud thud struck right in front of the huge wooden door and everyone shivered at one.

"I know you are lying Mr. King. Expecting more guests?" Yotifa inquired.

"Not that we expected." the king replied, putting on his crown while the naked man buried his face into his palms. He could hear his ears ring as he swallowed hard in his damp throat.

"Is that our death by the door?" Sweat trickled on the naked man's face.

Next, the door flew open and men not taller than the tables bounced in. They looked around as if something was amiss.

"Wobe! Won wambe." the shortest of them pointed out to the king.

With pride in their eyes, the two moved forward. They looked so bent out of shape as if they also wanted vengeance. There were seven of them.

Delaja threw a fast kick at the first dwarf she encountered. He held her leg and twisted it into two. Like chicken bones, it made a disturbing crack.

"Ahhh!" She cried out in terror. Delaja was so scared, she couldn't wait till it was over.

Everyone stood in position while Shade fixed three arrows into her bow. With anger boiling in her eyes, she chewed on her lips before firing the arrows. Each held his neck but, instead of reacting to the pain, the dwarf choked into laughter and broke the edge of the arrow. Taking it off from the other side with blood dripping from his hands. He knew no pain.

The girls were frightened. Any man would have died on the spot. While they faced him, he threw an elbow kick at one of the girls. Her sword landed on Delaja's head. Immediately, she dropped dead. The girl he punched wasn't breathing. With one slap, he pushed the girls aside, Yotifa couldn't face him either. The dwarf found his way to King Otun and grabbed him from the shirt. The golden crown fell off from his grip and rolled away but... Who cares?

"Where are the giants?!" He yelled aggressively in the ancient Yoruba language. Something no one in the room understood.

The king, like a child, caught stealing started crying. He couldn't understand a word.
"Are you freaking deaf you, stupid king! The giants! Where are they!!"

"Help me..." He cried out with his red eyes almost dropping off his eye socket. Yet, no one could move forward.

"They aren't from here," Asa whispered to Yotifa's hearing, biting inside her cheek. "I think they want something."

"I agree with you but what could it be?" Yotifa raised an eyebrow as he pondered over the thought.

"The giants! They took it away from us! We need the twin Golden eggs right this instant! We've come from the spirit world to get it! Where are your freaking gods?!" The dwarf yelled again, almost blocking the king's eardrums.

"I don't know... Please h... Help me." he choked on his tears and sobbed harder.
"I don't know anything..."

They well couldn't understand his language.

"Tell me right this instant, else!" Pissed, the dwarf slapped his shoe-shaped arm against the wooden table and faced his partner.

"Atata! Take over before I behead him!" He spat at another dwarf with a burnt-orange, lion fur garment on.

Atata, who seemed to be cool just rolled his eyes in disappointment. Asa, trying to get their point moved forward.

"Asa!" Yotifa called back but she turned deaf ears.

Atata, the dwarf with lion fur garment sat closer to the quivering king. He held out his index and middle finger to the king and pointed to his eyes. As if he was signaling, watch me.

"What we want is simple.." He said. "Theirs no point being a scared cat."

King Otun closed his eyes still crying while Atata sketched out, on the huge wooden table–an egg and a giant holding it with the tip of his copper-made, dagger.

Asa stepped closer and stretched her sight towards the drawing. Beside it, he sketched out a ship as well, still trying to explain it to the king but couldn't understand.

"Royal Highness, you don't understand their language, right? Then you should understand the drawing." She butted in.

"I don't know anything." He cried harder while holding his unsteady breaths.

Looking forward, his eyes met Atata trying to explain things to him. He widened his hands against each other. The twin egg, the giant... The ship.

Then he tapped his finger on the table again. King Otun stared as if too many tears had suddenly made him blind. He widened his eyes but still couldn't get what it meant.

"I think they're looking for an egg, someone, and a boat! " Asa explained to Yotifa.

"W... What, egg... Someone?" the king stuttered. "W.. We don't have any, it's only the sh... Ships we have."

"Shut up!" Banjoko, the leader of the dwarfs raised his hand and everyone kept quiet. He walked towards Asa with pride and took a closer look into her eyes.

Others frowned at what would happen next. Asa wondered why he came so close.

"You know what we want." He muttered. Even though Asa didn't understand his language, she had a feeling that she knew what they wanted.