Their journey to wherever this banquet laid was quiet. No words were spoken, and yet Abeni’s mind was filled with them. The chief, the merchant, her uncle, they all wanted what was rightfully hers and were prepared to go to lengths such as physically threatening her and more just to get it.

Seeing her uncle once again had affirmed that all she was clinging onto, her hut, the eniyans she met before and after her parents’ passed should’ve died with them. All she had now was her life, her mind, her abilities, and Oware. Well, Oware and her soon to be born as three different children. So, she wanted to…no, she was leaving this place.

In order to leave, Abeni had to know who may want to fire at this target on her back. Who was she up against? Who were the hunters? Where should they go first to avoid these hunters? And when?

She had to find all that out as soon as possible. Tonight, if she could.

Abeni figured trying on the way there couldn’t hurt. “My parents never told me that they were hunters…but they did tell me that you were one,” she lied. They were hardly that clear about what adults did. That was partially why she knew so little.

“They did?” He huffed and she eyed his reaction carefully. “What weird double standards,” and that was all the confirmation she needed.

Abeni nodded, letting out a practiced mimic of a discontent sigh. “They wanted to hide so many things from me.”

“That’s because they never cared about you. But I do, so don’t forget to let me know if you remember anything else. Or if you hear anything with that messed up ear of yours.”

“About hunters?” She pressed, not rising to his latter comment, hoping he’d slip up and something that the other villagers wouldn’t.

“No. Listen, Abeni. Hunters like me and your parents serve the chief. We don’t have anything to hide from each other or the chief. So, as the child of two hunters, you have an obligation to respect his wishes.”

“Oh…”

“He’s very busy right now. Very busy. So, he’s told me to tell you to help him by doing whatever he asked. Including coming to this banquet and being honest with me,” Uncle Ibrahim reached over to touch her arm and she made the mistake of flinching which only made him laugh.

“Don’t be scared, I won’t push you again. I promised. Unless, the curse told me otherwise, of course,” he joked. “I just need to know everything you know.”

But dread was only one of the things that ran in her mind at that instant.

Don’t attack! She reminded herself. As long as he wasn’t a current threat…don’t attack. No matter how much he deserved it. Don’t command him. Don’t hit him. If he figured out her abilities now, who knew what he would tell the chief? Unless she…but, even if he suddenly went missing the chief would—

Abeni took in a sharp breath. “…Y-yes, uncle. I understand.”

“I know you do,” he huffed. “You can’t help it if you don’t remember.”

That was the last thing he said to her until they reached their destination.

From the moment they arrived in the village plaza, Abeni could tell that countless nickels were spent on this evening. If not silvers – each worth ten nickels.

The village plaza was filled with pretty white and gold decorations, wooden tables with flowers in vases and the smell of grilled meat wafting in the air. There must have been over a hundred eniyans there. Most eniyans dressed in white clothing like she had. The signature colour of her village. While some came in black, purple and even green, looking starkly out of place. Like visitors.

Then there were those who were singing or manning the two rows of stalls and those who she noticed spot her too; Martin’s three-person family; Yousef; the old man who told her about the manipulators, abilities and the mafia; attendants like Caterina; the village chief; and an absurd lack of children. Everyone was here. Everyone was watching. Abeni had had so many fun memories in this square plaza with her parents by her side, but now being here didn’t feel comfortable anymore.

No, now...she felt like she was in enemy territory.

Abeni didn’t get the chance to stew on that though, because soon Uncle Ibrahim left her side and the village chief stood on an elevated piece of stone with Caterina by his side. He donned his usual gold fabric crown while his faced attendant wore her short sword with a gold-white handle attached to her side and an unusual smirk on her normally aloof features.

“And now…the village chief, Mohamed Darwish!” Someone announced from the crowd, quieting down the crowd too quickly. As if...as if those untrusting villagers who wouldn’t give her a helping hand when she needed it the most...were frightened.

How long had Abeni been blind to this?

“Welcome to the 24^th Annual Aajiz Village Banquet!” Relentless clapping filled the space as he grinned from ear to ear,oblivious to the tension now in the space at his arrival. “Much appreciated,” but the claps continued. “Now quiet down before I have one of you slain for disobedience,” before it stopped immediately. That wasn’t a joke.

Abeni almost laughed at the absurdity, feeling anger brew inside of her. Not for them, she didn’t care about eniyans who ignored her when she had just lost the two most precious people to her and her source of income, but just at his behaviour in general.

Jeez, no wonder they were terrified.

“Now, this village has had quite the grim year. Of course, I resolved those plethora of issues, but matters have not been settled yet. Due to the surge in women menstruating at inopportune times, our food supply has been running low this month. Moreover, the creatures to the east have been tiring out our valuable hunters. A few of our own even died, but they were still able to protect this village better than a novice guard ever could,” somehow his eyes found hers in the crowd as he said this, making her feel on edge as she forced herself to return his smile. “Now, I will not call upon our precious hunters as per usual, but they know who they are. Grace them with a round of applause.”

They complied until he told them to stop once more. Abeni’s eyes darted around. To look at those who looked calm, who didn’t react, who clapped like they knew what was going on. But apart from Uncle Ibrahim, Martin’s mother and maybe some of the attendants now that she thought about it, she still couldn’t tell who the rest of the hunters were. And what they could do. Not while still feeling eyes on herself.

“That is not all we have to celebrate. I will be carrying out another one of our periodic hunts in a week, this time to completely destroy those disgusting creatures’ labyrinth once and for all! That is reason enough to celebrate. For my— pardon me, our future! Now, let the banquet commence!” He chuckled to himself, wrapping his arm around Caterina.

And with a last cheer, the banquet officially started.

While it would be nice to sit here and take a break for once, Abeni now felt like a timer had been put on her head.

A week. The hunters would be having a hunt this week. That meant there would be a day that most, if not all of the juniors would be out of the village. It was short notice…very short notice…but what else could she do? That was the time they had to leave. And now that she had the when. All she needed was to finalise where they should go first and who they might end up fighting on their way out.

“Really? The chief of this village lives like that?”

Abeni overheard a villager say in Yoruba from nearby, among the loud chatter and music made from a goblet drum, woodwind and the melodic voice. So, she sneaked further into the crowd and focused her attention on the gossip.

“Yeah…” The villager looked around cautiously, talking in her native tongue to a woman dressed in green, a foreigner probably from the same country where Abeni was supposedly from. Not that that meant she could trust this woman anymore than the people in Aajiz. “The late village chief was very controlling and the current chief had no control over his life up until he was a teenager. His mum never paid him much mind either. So, now he controls anything and everything in this village. From who enters it to who leaves it to who works what job and who lives and dies...I heard that the wife his dad promised him is...gone because of this too.”

“Woah...what happened?”

“No one knows. All I know is that one day he had a wife and the next his only female attendant was practically hanging off of his arm.”

Well, that explained a lot about his character.

“And I heard,” another foreign woman joined in, also speaking Abeni’s language, “That Aajiz Village is safer than other places. But if he’s like that—”

The villager sounded annoyed, “I don’t know what kind of life of daises you’ve been living but the past and present chiefs are strict for a reason. Before this village existed, the eniyans in the centre of the country were prime targets for the creatures and for each other because of that blasted curse. With the village, we have order and juniors who protect us novices. The only drawback is that if you get out of hand, you die, no questions asked. ‘Don’t care about anyone else but yourself and the village.’ I live by that now.”

“But you’re not free here!”

Abeni silently agreed. They were not. Not really.

“Shut it,” the villager’s eyes started fluttering around, fearful, scared, “You’re gonna get me in trouble. What if someone understands you?”

“Please. We’re under Libya Under. Arabic and Derin are the common languages here. Plus, there’s not even that many Nigerians here—” But then they flinched as some guards approached them with raised eyebrows and abruptly tugged them apart. Ending their conversation and making them beg for mercy as they were yanked around the corner of a restaurant. Out of sight from the banquet goers.

Abeni wanted to help, she wanted to do something, but she just couldn’t justify sacrifice herself and Oware’s escape for some strangers she didn’t know. So, after a moment lost in thought, the white-haired girl bit her lip and went elsewhere, trying to pretend the eyes on her didn’t follow.

[Current Total Beings In ‘Abeni’s Army’ – 1]