Legacy Of The Gods Chapter 20

Legacy Of The Gods: Blood Ties

Chapter 20


After taking a deep breath, Billie watched the gods step closer to them, their faces showing hope and determination. Looking at them, she knew what they were thinking; something had to be done to stop Baron Samedi, because if not, the attacks will just keep coming, and people in this world-famous city will be hurt or worse. The evil Loa god was determined in his mission, and what’s worse, he had help. There was a betrayal that nearly rocked the gods to their core, and they hoped to find him before it was too late.

But for now, the most important thing was to make sure they were prepared for Samedi the next time he attacks. Billie knew that all their powers and strengths were so new to them. What if they messed up? What if they weren’t strong enough? What if Samedi came up with a new plan to turn their powers against them? Anything could go wrong, and Billie certainly didn’t want Samedi to have a chance to destroy them. She had such dreams, such hopes for her future life in this wonderful city of New Orleans. She wouldn’t let anything come in the way of that!

She turned to look at Dante, standing confidently beside her. She looked up into his eyes, and with a skip of her heart, she knew he was thinking the same thing. This was his home too, and he also had hopes and dreams. But before she could help it, she wondered to herself if there was slight, possible chance she could be part of those hopes and dreams of his future. She gave a tiny gasp and shook her head, chiding herself for beginning to think such things. Now was not the time for that!

Mercifully Aja stepped forward, lifting her head high and giving Billie the distraction she needed. “A short while ago, well, a very long time ago by your mortals' measurement of time, we battled and sealed Samedi in a part of this city that was very attuned and susceptible to magic and high energy forces. It was there we were able to gather the strength and force we needed to stop Samedi. Even though we were successful, there was a heavy toll that proved disastrous for that section. Many lives were lost, many structures and historical buildings destroyed. Today, many have tried to forget about that terrible catastrophe, even after so many years.”

Dante narrowed his eyes, as if trying to remember something, then he gave a shocked gasp. “The Great New Orleans Fire of 1788! I heard my grandfather talk about it one time to someone visiting from abroad.” The young man’s eyes lowered sadly. “He said we lost some family members in that fire too. Up to today, no one really knows how it started and it caught many by surprise.”

He looked up at the gods, blinking his eyes in disbelief. “Samedi. He caused it? He was that powerful?”

Hazelynn, Kwame and the others turned to give the gods nervous and shocked looks.

Aja looked to the other gods, and Ogun nodded at her, urging her to continue. “At that time, yes, he was very powerful. That is why we must try and defeat him while he is not yet at his full strength. He was cunning, quick, and ruthless back then, just as he is now. And now that he has help from a traitor, we cannot delay any longer. I believe the place where we sealed Samedi is called…." She paused, searching her memory. "The French Quarter by you mortals.” She looked to the other gods again to make sure she got the name right, and they nodded.

“Whoa, the French Quarter? Are you serious?” Keisha’s eyes lit up and she clasped her hands in front of her. “I’ve heard so much about it, but I’ve never got a chance to actually go there since coming back to America.”

“Oh yes, it would be awesome to check it out!” Maybelle said excitedly. She too had heard of the world-famous neighborhood even before coming to America.

Hazelynn smiled and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. There’s lots to do there; shopping, eating, especially shopping!”

Billie rolled her eyes and turned to the gods. “So we go there and find Samedi and confront him? Why there? What’s so important about the French Quarter?”

Eshu stepped up, giving a patient smile. “As Aja said before, that place holds a lot of magical and other-worldly activity. That section isn’t just a place where you mortals party and have a good time. All over this world, there are places where spiritual and magical activities are very high. So high in fact, that doorways to other dimensions and the Spirit World can be opened there. It's where even mortals could learn to cast dangerous and powerful spells because of the high magical and spiritual concentration. Today you mortals call them Ley Lines. I have been to quite a few of them myself, guided souls through these doorways. Many of the Native Americans of this land knew the whereabouts of these powerful pockets of energy. It’s where they held many of their traditional vision quests. One of the most famous Ley Lines is a place you call Stonehenge.”

The handsome, muscular god of travel and guide of the souls to the Underworld smiled in remembrance of seeing those amazing places while Billie and the others’ eyes grew large. “The French Quarter sits on one of the most powerful of them. Why do you think so many Voodoo spells and traditions are done here? Great things happen on Ley Lines. And of course, it’s also where tragedies happen the most, even one that happened not so long ago here. That great storm…” His dark eyes saddened, pausing at that painful memory.

“Great storm?” Keisha turned to look at the others, blinking her eyes. It was Hazelynn who sighed and leaned over to whisper something in her ear. When she was done, Keisha’s light eyes widened in disbelief. “Oh my goodness.” she said softly, now recalling.

For a little while, everyone was quiet, thinking on that terrible and devastating day on August 29th.  They were barely starting school for the first time. Billie’s eyes misted just slightly when she remembered hearing how her parents lost good friends who lived in that area that day. At that age, she didn’t understand, didn’t appreciate just how horrible it was.

Suddenly, she felt a hand take hers, and she looked up to see Dante smile gently at her, but with a bit of sadness too. He also must have been affected by that terrible storm. He squeezed her hand gently, and suddenly, she felt someone take her other hand. It was Maybelle, quietly giving her some strength and comfort. Right besides Maybelle, Antonio took her hand, as if showing that even though the Jamaican girl and her family weren’t here that day, he gladly accepted her show of compassion and empathy. On his left side, Kwame took his hand to show that he would be there for him and everyone else too.

He turned to look at Hazelynn, indicating with a jerk of his head that she should join them. After looking uncomfortable for just a second, she reached out and took his right hand. Yes, she had heard about the hurricane growing up. But even though it didn't affect her or her family, as they were away in Italy, that didn’t mean she didn’t care about what it did to her favorite part of her city, even if she was too young to understand back then.

At the feel of Hazelynn’s hand in his, Kwame gave a big, triumphant grin, but before the half Italian girl could chew him out for it, Keisha stepped up and took Hazelynn's other hand, completing the hand-holding chain and giving them a wink. Yes, it will always be remembered as a day when so many lives were lost and disrupted. But they would do their best to defend this amazing city with everything they had, despite the tragedies it had endured over the centuries.

Oshun smiled with pride at the group, her heart swelling. “It is easy to see how the blood of royalty flows strongly in you. You have as much compassion, as much love for the people of your home as your ancestors did. I can feel it, and it truly honors me.” The gorgeous Goddess of Love and Beauty bowed her head regally.

Standing with her, Yemaja smiled in agreement. “We were right to not give up hope in finding you.” she said softly, tucking a curly lock of hair behind her ear.

Wiping her eyes, Billie gave a small smile back. “Thanks,” She then gave the goddess a serious look. “Does that means if we don’t stop Samedi soon, he’ll be strong enough again to create destruction like that fire? And…and more?”

The big and massive Ogun nodded his head. “His strength is increasing each day. We cannot stand by and watch him try and destroy all that we have protected over the years. We have to find him now.” His deep voice nearly reverberated throughout the mid-sized house.

“Okay, but how do we get to the French Quarter fast? It’s not exactly a hop, skip, and a jump from here,” Billie said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Hazelynn opened her mouth to say something, but the dark-skinned girl shot her a look as she put her hands on her hips. "And we are not taking your limo!” she said with some attitude.

Hazelynn gave a haughty huff. “Fine!”  she said, her hands on her own hips.  

Aja chuckled as she stepped up next to Billie. “There’s no need to worry about that. Just come closer.”

When Billie and the others stood near, the Nature Goddess raised her staff high and closed her eyes in concentration. Oshun and the others did likewise, drawing on their strength and determination in helping these young and brave warriors.

Within seconds, a soft, white light surrounded them all, and Billie felt a calm fall over her. Brighter and brighter the light became, but instead of turning away from the brightness, Billie welcomed it, and she knew the others were welcoming the peaceful light as well. Within a moment, the light flashed, and when it dimmed, the living room was empty, as though no one was there in the first place.

But unknown to them, an inky blob that barely held a humanoid shape was watching from the outside. It blinked its glowing, yellowish eyes, and the black line that was supposed to represent a mouth slowly curved into its own version of a devilish smile. There was a black flash, and it too disappeared.

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With a wide, sadistic grin, Samedi flick a hand, and the soul he had been torturing burst into flame, giving off a painful, wailing scream. Within seconds it disintegrated into black dust and blew away in the wind. He threw back his head and laughed long and loudly before he finally calmed himself.

Back in the punishment realm of the Ile-Ife, the baron immersed himself in venting out his rage and frustration on the hapless souls that were unfortunate enough to be in his line of sight. He spent hours just blasting, burning, and just causing plain destruction in the torturous region. Even some of the abiku scrambled out of his way. Now, with his energy nearly spent, he panted heavily and willed himself to remain in control.

How? How do those brats do it all the time? How do they manage to thwart his plans every time he thought he had an advantage? It was so frustrating, and so humiliating! These new royal descendants weren’t so different from the others. What made them so special?

The baron growled deeply and shook his head. Well, it wouldn’t matter. The gods will soon pay for ousting him, when all he wanted was some recognition for his hard work in dealing with the souls of the mortals when no one else wanted to bother. All he wanted was for the mortals and even the gods to bow to him, to give him the respect he deserved for all his hard work. How was that so bad?

But they would pay. Oh yes they would pay. His hand clenched into a shaking fist, and just before he decided to go and find some more souls to torture, he felt a familiar presence shimmer into existence not too far from where he stood.

He narrowed his eyes, watching the inky, black blot take form and turn towards him. As before, it resembled little more than a drop of ink in a glass of water, trying to take human form. Samedi clutched his staff tightly.

“Your stupid plan nearly failed! You’re lucky you got that old woman. What took you so long to attack?” the Loa god grumbled, a sneer on his lips.

“Ahh, patience, dear Samedi. We must have patience if we are to gain the upper hand, is that not so?” The inky creature moved near him, but the god only grimaced more.

“That’s easy for you to say. No one suspects you yet, so you have the luxury of being patient. But I don’t. So if you have anything useful to say, say it, or else be gone!” Samedi twirled his staff around him and then slammed the butt end of it into the ground, waiting expectantly.

The black figure gave its own version of a chuckle before fixing its glowing eyes on him. “While you were here having your little temper tantrum, I did some useful spying and learned what the gods and those young mortals were planning. It was most interesting.”

Samedi leaned in. “What do you mean?”

The figure gave off a low hiss as it moved closer to the baron and began whispering. When it was done, Samedi balled a fist. “What? They’re going back there? Fools! What do they think they’ll accomplish?”

“They know you grow stronger each day you are free. You know very well what they are attempting to do. If you want to stop them, our best chance is to join forces. You know it’s the only way.” The black creature’s eyes glowed brighter.

At first, Baron Samedi was hesitant. Dare he trust this imposing figure? After all, it once worked very closely with the other gods. He remembered when it too was feared by all the mortals, some not even daring to mention its name. The god narrowed his eyes, and looking deeper, he could feel its anger, the rage against humanity that was so much like his own. Oh yes, if they worked together, they would be feared and respected again like before, so long ago. But those wretched brats! They always interfered!

Even the Resurrection God knew that if he wanted to dispose of them for good, he needed some help. Samedi gave a wicked smirk and tipped his hat to the wavering, black creature. “Very well then. What do you have in mind?” he asked in his deep, baritone voice.

The black line under the figure’s eyes curved up once more in a mockery of a smile before moving even closer to the baron, whispering its plans.

Out in the distance, fiery plumes sprang up from volcanoes and cracks in the ground, spreading ash and darkness everywhere. But to the two figures, it was a welcome sight while they prepared for the upcoming battle.

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The next thing Billie knew, she was standing in the corner of a bustling neighborhood. Although it was just about evening, with the last rays of the sun spread out in the area, many people were still hustling about, eager to get the night activities soon rolling.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped at the old-fashioned buildings, stores, and restaurants all about. Balconies resembling those form the 17th and 18th century hung high on the buildings, and sniffing, Billie began to smell the beginnings of fresh, authentic New Orleans cooking just coming out from some of the restaurants. Hanging from the intricately designed balconies were beautifully arranged cascading plants and flowers. Elaborately designed lampposts dotted the sidewalks and streets that were hundreds of years old.

Keisha gave a surprised gasp when a horse and carriage went by them in the cobbled street. She looked around with wide eyes. “Where are we? How did we get here?” she gasped out, huddling next to Billie.  

The dark-skinned girl looked around and gave a delighted laugh. “Oh my gosh, we’re here! We’re in the French Quarter!” she said, turning in a spin. “It’s been so long!” Next to her, Dante gave her a small smile before he too began to look around.

“Woooow,” Maybelle breathed out, drinking all the sight and sounds. She too turned in a circle, trying to see everything at once. No one noticed that they suddenly appeared out of nowhere, hurrying off to their work or homes. It was almost like they were transported to a whole different time, so distinguished and authentic did everything look. But there were still some hints of modern things, like some blinking signs and people on cellphones and smartphones.

Off in the distance, some smooth jazz music began to play. Antonio closed his eyes in pleasure and gently swayed to the soft sound. Way off in the distance, Billie saw the glittering of some water, and with a smile she realized that it was none other than the Mississippi River, a steam roller boathouse traveling farther down.  

“So cool,” Kwame said, he too looking around with wide eyes. Beside him, Hazelynn gave a proud look, her hands on her hips. After being here so many times, it was as though she was saying without words that this was indeed her stomping grounds and enjoyed every moment being here.

More than anything else, Billie would have loved to stay here and enjoy everything in this neighborhood. The food, the music, the shopping and just forget her troubles for the time being. But just at that moment, she felt Aja’s urgency flow through her.

Billie, I understand how you feel, but there isn’t much time to lose. We need to find the place where Samedi was sealed before he knows what we’re up to. But it might not be so easy, since everything’s changed so much from when we last fought him.

With a sigh, Billie hung her head to gather her thoughts, then turned to the others. “You guys, come on, we need to get moving.”

“Awww, and here I thought I could finally get some authentic beignets and share it with someone.” The dark-skinned Kwame smiled at Hazelynn, clearly meaning he wanted to share them with her. The others chuckled, and to her surprise, Hazelynn couldn’t help laughing a little too.

But the laughter turned into a serious mood when they then remembered why they were here. Billie closed her eyes in concentration before opening them again. “Okay, we just have to keep our eyes open for exactly where Samedi was healed. Aja says things have changed so much since then, she can’t be sure.”

Dante looked around once more, thinking. “Then perhaps we should split up. We can cover more ground, and if anything happens, we can always contact one another through the gods. It’ll be fine.” He gave Billie a small encouraging smile.

“Sounds good to me. Plus, we can explore a little.” Although used to being so shy, Maybelle couldn’t help the adventurous feeling she was getting. The others nodded in agreement.

“Alright,” Billie smiled gratefully at the others. “Umm…me, Dante, Maybelle and Keisha can go this way, and Hazelynn, Kwame, and Antonio, you can go that way.” She pointed west down the block, out towards the center of the Quarter.

Hazelynn’s eyes widen and she leaned in closer to Billie. “Seriously, you’re sticking me with him?” she whispered, jerking her thumb towards Kwame.

“Hazelynn,” Billie warned through gritted teeth.

“Fine, fine!” The taller girl sighed and turned away. The group started to split, and as she walked away, Billie turned and gave Kwame a quick wink before anyone could see. The Nigerian boy caught it and gave a quick thumbs up sign and grin to her, showing his appreciation.

But soon after, walking with Dante and the others in her group down towards the river, Billie couldn’t help but swallow nervously. Could they really do this? Would they even survive this? Billie could only pray they would, or everything they loved and fought for would be lost.

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To Be Continued….