The Adventures of Nihu

ome. It will be the new start to the life I have always wished to live. It will be a heaven every night.

was straddled next to him. He

o much to me. I ought to give gratitude to the one that prot

s a tough mogul. We need to be wor

you think I'm tal

od of our f

e was praying. Then he stopped and turned to Nihu. "Any result in that? Nothing. I wi

Are you

owever, I have prayed throughout my life. Good moral conduct must be trapped somewhere in my heart ever since I

l. But I think it is too late to start

sses brought me a hard knock life. Macques would tell you my odds of survival if he were here with us. He tells my story more accurately and with a lot more feeling than I d

ihu thought of something else Phil had said.

like a green mallard. It told me all would be well with me. I am sure it had come to give me hope of returning to glory after the truckload of th

othing now. The King

ght away. He will be very happy to see me alive.

or a living?" Nihu

ell is deep enough to swal

heaven is the street inn or corner. After every blessed day, he seeks comfort in a

that revealed rivers of sweat that were carefully gliding down his hollow cheeks. With

ll. There are people who believed in me because I have had a positive effe

now. Your travails are over." Ni

y has returned from here alive. Do you realize that? I am the first. If you survive too, you can ex

you." Nihu revealed a trail of discouragement on his face. "I will be well into my years by the tim

there is always hope. God has made sure of that. I believe you can survive

ime. The animal we bring in will be my parting gift for you." He smiled a

old Dane gun that has always hit its mark." He entered the hut as Nihu l

it is a beginning that brings us closer to the end." Nihu got slowly to his feet, as if he was being forced to go against his principles. He went into the

n to the cabin, we shall have a lo

"O

ou can play very well. You must play for me. I will dance like

s well as I can. May

ight honor another's good fortune. So, Nihu, I want the best from you." He coughed and his hat fell off his head. He w

for a while. Presently, Old Phil inq

in my rucksac

dreamy song of the countryside." Old Phil sig

lmost skipping in happy anticipation as if heading to a glorious alter. After some time, the forest swallowed them up, as if wanti

e coming of the evening powers. Both were tired and had little strength left. Old Phil's shoulder has sagged and Nihu could barely lift his feet. Without speaking, they stopped to rest under a tree. Old Phil broke the long sile

hat shall

nd sent bullets from his old Dane gun into the air. As excitement within him grew, he let more bullets into the air, chanting old spirited songs of vic

my prowess and wits?" He caught Nihu's eye. "I can see you are glum. Lively up, Nihu. No need to bury your head in discouragement. We can get one of the monkeys near the hut to fill our bellies. I will show you the stores of provisions I have made

not written into my banishment order. It was luck that I met you here and now circumstance is now setting us apart. Your

ith in providence, but today his remains rest under the shade of an old oak tree. Let us g

ut tree; the ripe fruits among its leaves spoke to his stomach. Up the tree he went. With a hand on one of the tree's fruits,

Just be careful." His voice carri

d in a whisper. "I will pluck some walnut

une for companionship, a lion leapt onto his path. Seeing the old man, it charged without hesitation. Old Phil had less than two seconds to face the animal with his Dane gun, ready with his fi

ed from the tree, took hold of his spear that he had left leaning against it, and hurried to the scene where Old Phil was battling to stay alive underneath a wild lion. The li

p in the neck of the lion, but the handle came apart in his hand and Nihu could only hope that a second strike would not be necessary. He stood back, as the lion, knocked off his feet, struggled with fat

n from dying at the brink of his release. He knelt by the old man's bloody head, took it onto his lap and tried to encourage the old soldier back to life. "Ph

remembered that, I would be worthy to see my home again. Former deeds cannot insure survival in hell. My life is tragedy and I hope you might learn something from it. I advise you to take your own life, my boy

"No, no, Phil. No! You cannot leave like this. This is not how it's supposed to be!" He fell on the dead

built a small fire and went in for his flute. Returning to the graveside, he began to pay Old Phil his last respects. The melody was a dirge, played f

ing and watched the creature, fear gripping his heart. In the absence of music, the dwarf continued to dance. The flute slipped from Nihu's grasp as his grip relaxed and the dwarf, cloaked in animal skins, laughed. The ey

the boy's eyes. "I have watched you bury your dead countryman and when you pulled out yo

e plucked up his spiri

e dwarf were fixed on Nihu. He did not look pleasant or friendly. A dwarf's countenance can send on

low death that swallowed Macquesemis. Yet something the dwarf had said prompted an inquiry to the quick-thinking boy. As if probing a weak spot in the dwarf's reply, Nihu crossed his arms

h from the eyes of the boy. The laugh bowed his body to the ground. Then he stopped abruptly, and threw a wicked look at Nihu. "Why didn't I save your

hu could not take his eyes fro

piercing not only ravaged the tree, it destroyed other trees in a wide swath behind it. When Nihu turned to see the ruin, his eyes widened

his knees knocked ferociously

to the gloom beyond Nihu's fire. "It is at the far end of the forest and is a home of evil powers; a place of frequent volcano eruptions that has cost this forest and other area

re is the p

in the mountain. Your intu

't you tell

you fail, I will kill you as I did to a thousand-man army that came to war with m

oth. A battle was being fought between the wood demons led by Magonda, and country army sent by his own king, who had belie

*

wrecking ball. They carried shields meant to protect against the onslaught of the wood demons. As they advanced, the plain in front of the forest began to vomit

soldiers handling the bows and arrows to step forward and then commanded them to shoot. A thousand arrows were let loose, which descended like night rain on the wood demons. They received the shots as if there was nothing significant about them at all. If an arrow pierced anywhere in their bodies, they drew it out and bit off the point

like a pack of cards. Suddenly, the zombies began to vanish, disappearing into the forest as if they had los

y had chased were nowhere in sight. They seemed to have mixed with the air. As the armies were still looking confusedly to every si

to early graves. The soldiers did not give up in the face of the massacre. They fought gallantly and were able to overcome the wolves that

ensued. These zombies were even more horrible than the first contingent was. They were cannibals whose fingernails skewered their prey as they feasted on all they could lay their hands on. This completely demoralized the remaining troops. They took to their heels. As they ran, trees began to vomit arrows after them. At every turn, m

*

e scene fade wi

eth," said Magonda. "A wolf w

d me to a place where I will die like a poor dog. And no

d, "So you prefe

is better. I

ing the back of his head like an antelope broken loose from the snare of a desperate hunter. The beast had the speed of ten men and chased Nihu around the camp. They went past trees and bushes with amazing speed. Nihu was no match f

e like your compatriots. You did not upset my animals, you did not hurt my trees, and you did no

ill you

Are you ready t

ll, if you

you. However, if you try to outsmart me, you will never come back alive. The trail to the mountain is as difficult as walking on the wheels of fire. However, the quest must be co

, why can't you cast

l find out when

He took them gingerly. "The axe will work for you immediatel

Nihu shuffled through the dark to the hut and sank onto the wooden bed, covering himself with a cover of animal skin he found on the bed. The darkness grew as a

corner, Nihu threw the cover off his body. He got hold of the battle-axe and the stone and began to run his hands over them in the huge darkness. After some time, he sank into sleep. An old soldier like Phil or Macquesemis might have been