Oge adighi eche mmadu

Time and tide wait for nobody.

"What's the catch?" Odion replied, defiance creeping in his voice. He didn't know why but maybe all the years living on the streets of Lagos had taught him one vital lesson: in this life, nothing came free.

"Something is coming," Eshu replied, "and judging by the looks of it, you have something to do with it." He looked at Odion with those cold green eyes of his and walked closer to him. "I also suspect that I am not the first god you have come in contact with, I can feel their aura around you, it's strong but faint."

"But why do you want me out of the way so badly?" Odion retorted, swiftly changing the subject.

"I'm the god of evil, mischief and all the things that are...let's just say, 'less than holy'." Eshu responded with a smirk. "In this coming conflict, I know where all the gods will lie, but you, I have no idea of who or what you are. You're new, and I despise new things."

Eshu walked over to Odion's frozen mother and stroked her cheek with his right hand which was adorned with emerald rings. "So pick, young one. Leave this war, it has nothing to do with you, stay with your family. Don't you ever wish you had more time with your parents?"

Odion looked at his parents one more time. He saw his mother, so vibrant and young, so full of life. He saw his father, strong and hearty. They were dead, but their memories lived on inside of him and when he needed strength, he used those memories to remind himself that it wasn't over. He was a born catholic but nowadays, he didn't pray to God or invoke the name of saints. When Odion prayed, he spoke the names of his loved ones, the ones that gave him love. The ones who showed him strength. The ones who reminded him of hope.

He understood then what he had to do.

"My name," Odion said surprisingly calmly, "is Odion."

Eshu cocked his head in apparent confusion. "What?"

"My name is Odion," he said again, his fists clenched. "Not, 'young one,' and I am the son of Wale and Lotanna Enitan and I will avenge their deaths." Odion unsheathed Sango's dagger from his waistband. "No matter what it takes."

Eshu's eyes narrowed, and right then Odion was sure he was a god. He felt waves of anger and fear wash over him, threatening to pull him down. He felt like he was a child again and he was being taken back to the day his whole world turned upside down. He dropped to one knee and clenched his head in pain, he felt so scared, so tired, so alone.

You are not alone.

The pain momentarily stopped, did that voice just come from his head? Suddenly he felt a huge surge of strength and Sango's dagger in his right palm felt warmer, emanating a glowing aura. He stood up and faced Eshu squarely. Eshu looked at Odion and cocked his head to the right, as if he was studying a new discovered specimen.

"Where did you get that dagger?" Eshu said, pointing at the blade in Odion's hand.

"Sango gave it to me." Odion replied, readying himself for a battle.

"And pray tell, was 'Sango' wearing a blue necklace, pale blue?" Eshu asked while smiling.

"Yeah, he was."

At this, Eshu smiled again and began to laugh, it was a disgusting sickening sound and it made Odion's skin crawl. Eshu carried on like this for close to a minute and then stopped, still laughing a little. "Oh, this is good. She plays a long game but a good one nonetheless. I don't want you anymore, though. I want to see how this pans out so I'll let you go. I'll be keeping my eyes on you, you seem interesting." He said while staring intensely at Odion. "So goodbye and let's hope you do better on your quest than you idiot father."

Odion was done, that was the last straw. He was tired of being looked at and talked to as a child, and how dare Eshu insult his father? Odion lunged at Eshu with a shout and the dagger drawn. Just when the dagger was about to make contact with Eshu's chest, he evaporated into green mist and when Odion came out of the other side, he realised where he was.

He cursed Eshu under his breath. He had sent Odion back to The Palms shopping mall.

Odion looked around to assess where he was. It had been a long time since he was here, but the entrance still looked the same. He sheathed the dagger conspicuously and moved out of the gate, hailing a Keke—as they were called—on the way to meet the weeping woman and continue his quest.