Chapter 4: Monkey No Dey Fear

Madness! Madness! Sun Wukong, you dey find trouble—how you go enter Mount Olympus like this!

Ares voice crack, e raise axe, but e no rush forward. Other gods dey hide for back. Sun Wukong just dey look everybody, im face strong.

"So, you Niger gods wan start fight with Olympus?"

One small god whisper, "Abeg, e don reach." The rest dey look Sun Wukong, fear and vex mix for their face.

"Heh."

Sun Wukong just laugh small, no answer.

Im laugh na small breeze, but e loud for palace. The other gods dey fear the kind confidence wey dey im eye.

These Western gods, even now, no know wetin dey wait them.

Monkey dey think, "Na now una go see!" Even small spirits wey dey watch dey whisper, "Who go try monkey?"

From the time dem enter Niger Delta go hunt spirits, this fight don sure.

Monkey remember the day everything scatter. Im blood dey boil, im anger dey spread. For Niger Delta, dem dey call im name already, dey beg am for revenge.

The fall of Niger totem... only god blood fit wash am.

Monkey swear by ancestors: "Today, Olympus go know say Niger gods never die!"

Apollo, one of the main twelve gods, killing spirit for im eye, talk: "For wetin happen today, monkey, if you no fit talk better thing, you go join this old spirit king for ground."

Apollo eye red, im hand dey for sword. The rest dey form big, dey shout, "Monkey! Make you talk now or die!"

"Yes, these few spirit bodies no reach share... If we add monkey wey scatter heaven before, this hunt go complete."

Ares dey rub axe, dey look Sun Wukong like meat. Some small gods dey clap, dey cheer am, say, "Ares, show monkey say you be real ogbonge!"

"Better, better—this monkey come give us gift."

Dem dey toast calabash, dey shout. Monkey just dey shake head, eyes cold.

"Make e stay here... My treasure room still dey wait for Lingming Stone Monkey skull..."

One goddess dey look monkey head, dey imagine as trophy. Others dey plan how dem go use monkey bone do staff.

...

The mocking dey loud, but monkey no dey fear. E stand for ground, eyes dey turn red.

As dem dey look Sun Wukong, dem eyes just cold, dem dey whisper, dem don judge am already.

Dem dey plot, but for monkey mind, dem no reach. For corner, small gods dey whisper, "Na today Olympus go see pepper."

"You wan collect Old Sun head? Abeg, your power no reach."

Monkey voice na thunder, e no shout but everybody hear. The other gods dey vex, but e stand gidi.

Sun Wukong waka inside Mount Olympus, Opa Imo for hand, reach where the old blue-beard spirit body dey. For im stubborn eyes, small pain show.

E bend down, carry old spirit king hand. Small tear show for im eye. For that moment, even spirits for Delta dey weep, river dey turn dark.

Eze Ndu spirit body don spoil finish, the strong form don scatter, spirit claws burn... but the spirit eyes still open, anger full am, e die but e no run.

"You fight well," monkey whisper. For air, old war song dey play, the kind wey Niger warriors dey use for night.

"Old Spirit King... Me, Old Sun, go fight for you."

Monkey raise staff, swear by sun and river. The hall shake, even Zeus dey shift for throne.

As memory dey rush im mind, Sun Wukong chest dey pain am more. E look down, then raise head, the anger for im body wan explode.

E remember all the old gist—when Niger gods dey rule, when water full with fish, when children dey laugh for creek. E vow say, "Today, I must bring justice."

These Western gods... who dem be?

E dey vex, voice cold. "No be gods, na thieves!" Monkey dey shake with anger, im staff dey vibrate.

Just because dem feel like, dem dey decide who go live or die?

Monkey eye red, e dey see all the spirits wey die. For air, ancestors dey call am, say, "Fight till the end!"

People like this... fit call themselves gods?

Monkey spit for ground. E turn, look all of dem: "Una no be gods. Real god no dey kill for fun."

Boom!

Monkey tap staff for ground. Palace shake, one pillar crack. All the gods dey watch, nobody fit move.

Sun Wukong just carry Eze Ndu big spirit body like say e no weigh anything.

The palace dey quiet, only monkey footstep dey sound. Even the guards dey shift back, dem fear the kain power.

That big body, for Sun Wukong hand, just small.

Some gods dey murmur, "This monkey na real wahala!" Even Hades dey hide face.

For sky, the gods dey look, nobody move stop am.

Zeus dey squeeze fist, but e no fit move. Other gods dey plan, but nobody wan be first to die.

Dem eyes full with anger, pity, mockery... This monkey, wey even fit die any moment, still wan waka comot from Mount Olympus?

Some dey mock, others dey pity, but everybody dey fear. Monkey no look back, im mind set.

E think say after e kill Heracles and break enter here, e go just waka go?

One small god whisper, "E no go easy." But nobody get mind to block road.

Na joke.

Even monkey dey smile small. For im mind, e know say e dey carry all Niger hope for shoulder.

Step.

Im leg heavy, but e no shake. Every step, im shadow dey long for wall, all the spirits for Niger dey follow am.

Step. Step.

E dey mark ground with staff. Every tap, thunder roar, rain dey fall for Delta.

Sun Wukong dey waka, im footstep dey mark Mount Olympus forever.

For every step, ancestors dey hail am: "Old Sun, carry our pain!"

Suddenly, one big shadow cover everywhere. Sun Wukong look up, see Ares dey smile, im big axe full with war power. E shout, "Sun Wukong, na this my axe cut that old spirit head! Today, I go use am send you go join am for underworld!"

Ares chest dey beat, im eye red. For ground, small gods dey cheer, dey ready for fight. Monkey just dey watch, im anger cold.