A Tale Of Five Bandits

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 20

Mounted on the dais in front of the crowd, was the notorious masked man that had sent his arrow flying straight at Sewa and the same one who had sent a group of mercenary after her, the next person Sewa planned to the grave.

Strugglingto find her voice, Sewa jerked her finger violently in the direction of the square. Duro traced her finger and narrowed his eyes harder

. He saw a man treading confidently across the podium. Coming to a halt, he stood tall and proud in front of the crowd with his hands behind his back. The mere presence of the man rendered the noisy crowd speechless and still.

Even from where he hid, Duro felt it. He could almost taste it; the aura of fear and intimidation that seem to emanate from the masked man.

Sewa finally replied in a croaked voice, “That’s him. That is the assassin that is coming for us”.

---

The masked man inhaled deeply, held his breath and exhaled. As he spoke, his voice boomed like thunder across the village square, “People of Aleshinloye, I offer my greetings to you. On behalf of the King, I would like to thank each and every-one of you

. The fact that you came out like this in such multitude shows that the King is deeply loved. Once again, I thank you for your cooperation”. The villagers watched and listened attentively with their gaze fixed on the masked man. Some of them didn’t even realize that they were holding their breath. Total unwavering attention remained on the masked man except those of the children whose eyes wandered the rostrum looking for any sign of the King.

The masked man continued, “I’m sure many of you are here to see the King and I assure you that you will definitely see the King although that will be in the afterlife”. Murmuring broke out among the people as they whispered and exchanged confused looks. “The truth is that the King cares dearly for you and he would love to see your faces if he had the chance but he is the king after all and has other businesses and matters to attend to. That is why I am here. I, the sword of the King, am here in his place to express how much he appreciates you for your obedience and collaboration. You are truly exemplary and imitable. Today, you will be remembered as legends. The sacrifice of this village will be told in tales for generations to come”.

The villagers gawked at him completely confused and muddled. In-spite of the obvious lack of understanding on their faces, the masked man continued nonetheless “All I’m saying is you and your children, spouse, parents, friends and families are going to die here and now”. The villagers began to fret, glancing around worried and fearful as the soldiers unsheathed their swords prepared to strike down any incompliant rebel. “I’m sure many of you have heard of the pestilence that has unfortunately plagued our kingdom. I am aware that this village is free of disease and malady but nevertheless, you have a small role to play in ensuring the future existence of the Kingdom. Give praises to the gods who heard our plea and granted us a way out of this affliction. They have spoken to the ears of the King and his council. A necessary sacrifice must be made. Your lives in exchange for the continued longevity of the kingdom”. The crowd burst into an uproar but the masked man’s voice thundered above all else. “To save the whole, you must sacrifice the small! See yourself as a diseased part of a body, to save that body, you have to cut it off. Although, your case is slightly different here, you are doing it for the future of the kingdom and its people. And when you die, you will sleep in the bosom of Olodumare himself! You will wine and dine beside the gods!”. The masked man spread his arms to his side like an eagle “Don’t you feel blessed?”.

. His voice suddenly turned grim, “You have no say in the matter. Say your goodbyes to your loved ones” he said and nodded to the guards. One by one, each guard passed the message to the next. The warriors began to set the village ablaze and advanced slowly towards the clustering villagers shrinking back into themselves from the pointy tip of the deathly spears and swords.

“This madness cannot go on”, Sewa muffled. She stood up abruptly and pulled an arrow against her bowstring, aiming straight at the masked man.

“Sewa, wait. We have to inform the others”, Duro tried to stop but he was a second too slow as Sewa released the arrow. Some of the guards sighted the flying arrow but shock and surprise stunned their voices and feet.

The masked man spotted the arrow a second too late. Sewa smiled to herself “and the shot hits the mark”, she thought proudly. The masked man made no attempt to dodge the arrow. He couldn’t have weaved it if he wanted to, for the arrow was barely an inch away from his chest.

Sewa’s triumphantly smile was instantly displaced by an expression of disbelief and shocked. Duro’s jaws dropped, his eyes staring incredulously as he watched the arrow bounce off from the assassin’s chest.

The masked man dusted his chest unfazed and behind his mask, a smile crept up his face as he looked straight ahead at Sewa.