Chapter 3: Olympus No Get Peace

Mount Olympus, Hall of the Gods.

The palace shine, but the ground full with true spirit corpses like palm fruit after festival. Even wind refuse blow; air thick with blood, power, and sorrow. The gods for Olympus dey boast, but darkness dey their shadow.

True spirit corpses full everywhere like Olumo Rock. The biggest na one old spirit wey get crown for head and long blue beard.

That old spirit body na Eze Ndu, pride of the Niger Delta. Even for dead body, im eyes still dey shine. Local gods wey follow Zeus dey step on the body, dey drag the beard, but spirit children for Delta dey cry for river.

On top that big spirit body, plenty gods stand together, their power dey shake everywhere.

Apollo, Athena, Hades, all of dem stand, power dey burst like new yam festival. For their eyes, na only trophy dem see. The other gods dey form strong, dey check who next to kill.

"Hahaha, correct! This hunt sweet die! That Niger Delta lizard even get mind challenge Father God—na death e find!"

Apollo voice loud like bell. Im laughter dey spread, shake gold goblet. For background, one small god dey clap, dey hype am, "Na Apollo dey reign!"

For this fight, na Apollo tear more than one true spirit with im hand, drink their blood join.

Im hand red, mouth no clean. Even other gods dey hail am, "Apollo no dey disappoint!" E carry small calabash, pour blood for ground, as if e dey make offering to their own.

"Na so. We dey hunt only once every thousand years. That old beast no come greet us—no wahala. But after we kill some spirits for im place, e come dey talk anyhow, dey threaten us? Abeg, who e be?"

Ares, wey no dey smile, dey rub axe with black oil. "If na our own, we for don burn heaven for am!" The rest dey nod, dem dey shine teeth, no remorse for their face.

"E think say na their time still dey?"

One small goddess giggle, "Na old things full their land. Today, we clear the bush!" The other gods dey laugh, mouth full with roasted bushmeat, dey share gist.

Ares, god of war, just dey sip divine palm wine, eyes dey look down on everybody.

Ares eye sharp, but na wicked smile e get. E sip, e lick lip, e dey imagine next fight. The other gods dey hail, "Ares, chop life!"

Even now, e still remember how that old spirit no gree bow down before e die. The more the spirit resist, the more e sweet am.

E dey boast: "No spirit dey my front wey go fit stand!" The memory of Eze Ndu eyes dey haunt am small, but e hide am.

As Zeus tell am to cut the spirit king head, Ares body dey shake with joy.

For im mind, e dey replay the moment—blood splash, thunder roar. E dey flex arm, dey shine axe. To am, na today e truly earn god title.

See as e be—Spirit King of the Four Rivers of the East, now na trophy for hand.

Dem hang the spirit king crown for pillar. Olympus children dey use am play, elders dey snap picture, e be like festival for dem. To them, Niger gods no reach.

"Next time, make we go Oke-Agbara go hunt. Dem talk say phoenix na sign of good thing for Niger gods—e go sweet if I carry am enter my underworld."

Hades dey form big man, im eye dey red. "Next hunt, na Yoruba land!" E dey tap ring for finger, dey plan next move.

Hades, King of the Underworld, eye just dey shine as e look the spirit body, greed show for face.

E lick lip, dey count how many head e go add for trophy room. The other gods dey look am, dey joke, "No carry all the spirit women o!"

"Hahaha, why not. When the time reach, I go lead the front."

Dem hail am, dey tap back, dey promise to support, but for their mind, all of dem dey plan their own.

"Front ke? Na the female immortals for Oke-Agbara dey your mind."

Everybody begin laugh, "Hades! No be only hunt, you dey find wife join!" Even the palace maidens dey giggle for back.

"Dem say Queen Mother of the West get human head, leopard body, and tail like bush pig. When the time reach, I go catch her, give Father God as gift..."

Dem dey plan as if na cow market dem dey go. One young god whisper, "Make e try am, that Queen Mother go chop am raw!"

As Hades dey talk, all the gods begin laugh, dey plan their next move like say na evening waka dem dey go.

Dem no get fear, just dey plan, dey boast. For corner, small gods dey jot down new places to raid. Na real arrogance full hall.

"Enough. No be like say na me want all this wahala. If no be this old spirit wey no gree rest, as God-King, I for leave am. But e no gree, na im e die."

Zeus clear throat, arrange agbada like senator, chest high, form wise man. For corner, dem dey hail am: "Father God, you too much!"

Zeus sit for throne, pride dey show for im face, but e still form dignity.

Im face dey shine, but inside, e dey plan next move. E dey press hand for throne like king wey no get equal. The rest dey look up to am, dey nod.

Truth be say, Zeus no plan kill the Niger Delta Spirit King at first—e just wan kill small spirits warn the Niger gods, make dem hear about im power.

But, e no fit show weakness. To prove say e be true king, e go the extra mile. For im mind, na respect e dey find, but the bloodshed don pass level.

But the old spirit king fight am like madman, so e kill am no regret.

E see the stubborn spirit, remember when dem dey trade blow. Zeus shake head, smile, say, "Na correct man die today, but na me dey reign."

True spirits na totem for Niger gods. Now wey e don clear quarter of them, everything go soft from here.

Zeus dey reason say, once dem scatter the biggest, others go fear. E dey feel invincible. The other gods dey nod, dey plot for their own mind.

As for payback from Niger gods? Abeg!

E wave hand, "Dem no fit do anything." Even the palace guards dey laugh. Dem dey look down on Niger, like say na small pikin.

Those ones just dey their own, dem no dey work together, dem never show for mortal world since. The world don change.

Dem dey gossip, "Those Niger gods don old. Dem dey hide for bush, no fit show for city." E be like say dem don forget say bush get eyes.

If not, e for no fit go hunt for Niger Delta.

E dey proud, say, "If dem get mind, make dem show face." For now, e sure say nobody fit stop am.

"Hahaha! Father God get good heart—make we toast to Father God!"

Apollo raise cup, everybody shout, "To Father God!" Even the palace walls dey echo am.

"To Father God!"

All the gods dey stamp ground, dey dance small. Palm wine dey flow, music dey play, dem dey forget say wahala fit come any time.

"To Father God!"

Echo everywhere, the smallest gods dey pour libation, dey chant, dey make noise. Na party mood, dem no know say storm dey near.

As Zeus talk finish, all the gods stand, raise their divine palm wine, dey laugh.

Laughter full air, gods dey tap each other, dey share gist. Some dey sing, "Father God, you dey reign!" The whole palace dey vibrate.

Na that time, one big thunder scatter everywhere.

Boom!

Na thunder wey never sound before, like Ogun dey strike anvil for sky. The whole Olympus shake, even ground dey tremble.

E be like say world wan break, all the gods shock.

Some drop calabash, others hide behind pillar. Even Apollo stop laugh, mouth open. "Wetin dey happen?" Panic everywhere.

From sky, one big staff push aside all the colourful clouds, break the gods' hall barrier, throw down one battered body.

The staff dey shine, the cloud open like door. Everybody eyes wide, nobody fit talk. For the ground, na strong body land, blood dey flow like palmwine for new yam festival.

"Heracles! Who do this kind thing?"

Zeus eye almost fall out, other gods rush come. Some dey kneel, others dey check pulse. "Who dey beat Heracles? Na who dey mad?"

As dem see the body, Ares, god of war, stand up, shock catch am.

Im axe fall for ground, leg dey shake. "Heracles? For ground?"

Heracles na strong god!

Everybody know say, unless na end of world, Heracles no dey fall. For market, dem dey sell lion skin, but Heracles na original lion. Now e dey for ground? All the young gods dey shiver.

Na im dey guard Mount Olympus every time, e power na only main gods fit pass am, but now e no fit last for one blow?

The palace dey freeze. Some small gods begin dey pray, "Abeg, make e no reach our turn."

Na joke?

Nobody dey laugh again. Even the boldest dey look door, dey find exit.

Step.

You for hear am—one slow, heavy step. Like blacksmith dey march for sky.

Step. Step.

The whole palace dey shake, guards dey run, even birds for window dey disappear. The staff dey knock ground, thunder dey answer.

For sky, dust settle, one person wey dey carry Opa Imo upside down just dey waka come, like say the whole world dey shake with am. Im eyes dey burn, anger just dey fly high.

Monkey tail dey wave, im cloth dey float, Opa Imo for hand, e be like small god dey carry mountain. Im face squeeze, eye dey red, voice cold.

"Old Spirit King, na me, Old Sun, come carry you go house."

Im words heavy, no joy. The hall begin dey cold, even Zeus swallow spit.

"Anybody wey block me—na death go meet am."

For that moment, even the flies stop to buzz. Nobody talk. Small gods dey shake, even Zeus no sure again. The power for that place fit break mountain.