TRAILING SHADOWS

GALLOP!

GALLOP!! GALLOP!!!

The sound of hooves ramming heavily into the ground disturbed the serenity of the sundown. Fire blazed along the hooves, up to the knees of the sturdy horse revealing the intensity of the emotions. The horse, an Esin Onina, was a horse of war that had an ability of sensing the fervor of it's rider. And then, converting that fervor or anger into boost for it's powerful limbs.

The higher the intensity of emotions, the hotter the fires burned. The hotter the fire burned at it's hooves up to most of it's legs, the faster it raced like none other.

However, this time, the furiously burning orange flame began to quiet down. It crackled on, the flame color reducing from the fiery cloud that it was, into a smaller whiff of yellow flames.

Still, the brightness of the flames lit through the sundown. In Orun, there was no night. All was day all through. The only place which was in perpetual darkness or night was the Orun Apaadi, the dwelling place of demons and unclean spirits. The second heaven, which was after Orun Apaadi, experienced a little more of the creeping darkness of the first heaven.

And because of that, there was the visible effect of dusk where the atmosphere would darken considerably. But not as much as to be called night. In the third heaven, less of the creeping darkness of Orun Apaadi was notiveable there. Rather, the atmosphere dimmed as result of the fluctuation of Eledumare's brightness or glory as others called it. The very act of it bringing a perceived sunset and the period that followed as sundown.

The riders, Niniola with the reins while Tayo who held to her zoomed past buildings, trees and whatnot in their journeying. Niniola's white knee length gown and her black long braids fluttered about in the air. Tayo's hood was pulled back by the air, regaling his crewcut and his fierce eyes.

"So... are you going to hate me now?" Niniola started, looking back through the corner of her eyes. 

"Hm!" Tayo sighed, his eyes burning with unleashed rage.

Right then, Niniola had pulled him away from the battle with those Irunmoles. Warriors from Ilu Ogun were never meant to run from battle. To run from battle was cowardice and cowardice was to turn ones back on their life. Thus, making them unfit to ever live. 

He had turned his back on a battle with Obedi not because he was outmatched. But because he was still recovering from the energy he had used to activate the soul sensor.

Also, it was a mission, he reasoned, battling there with no lead was just tantamount to one dancing with a serpent. In the end, he'd get bitten. 

What use was that if he still did not know where Sunday was being kept? Sure, he could have beaten that out but again, the likes of Obedi were hardened beings who would rather die than divulge information about their shady dealings.

They deserved to taste his blade.

"People usually run from me when they know my past. Why are you not running?" Niniola asked, breaking his thoughts away.

"Hm!" He sighed again, his hands holding her waist.

'Dont think about her waist, damn you!' Tayo chided himself.

"Why should I?" Tayo asked.

"I was cursed for sneaking in. I am an abomination, remember?" She mentioned.

"People have their reasons for doing what they do. You had yours. And it's not my business. If you got cursed for it, it is still not any of my business." Tayo replied flatly.

"Hey..." Niniola yelled out. "Why do you have to be so blunt? I was expecting, you are going to leave as soon as we get far away, not that."

She jerked the reins, bringing the horse to trot. 

"But come to think of it, that's the first time you've spoken that much."

Tayo huffed, looking sideways. 

"Do you like me already?" Niniola giggled. "Come on, you're handsome but this maiden's heart here has gone out to Sunday. So, I'm going to ask you to keep..."

"How is that my business?" Tayo yelled, his body vibrating in sync with his edged out fists so much that Niniola flinched.

"What concerns me now is you made me escape a fight!"

"Okay, okay!" Niniola felt like her ghost that had sped out from her body at his yell was slowly returning back in.

'Dont be scared, little ghost!' She patted her translucent glowing self, mentally.

"Fine. You want a fight, I get it. But let's save that strength for when we have to rescue Sunday. I don't suppose that he will be that easy to get."

"I'm sorry." Tayo heaved, bringing out the soul sensor into view in his left hand. "What do we do?"

"Well, lucky for us, I still have the food supply in the spatial ring I managed to slip off one of those Irunmole's finger. Aw... I've always wanted a spatial ring. So, I thought, take this one right now." Niniola flexed the fingers on her right, showing off the crimson star engraved ring there.

"What? You mean while we were battling, you still had time to steal their ring? Why would you steal, Irunmoles..."

"It's not stealing. Spoils of war." Niniola shrugged happily.

"Why did they attack us? No, not us. They were after you. It only seemed as if I was in the way. Why?"

"Oh me?" Niniola glanced over her shoulder. "Who would have thought? I didn't notice. So, am I that pretty now?"

"Can you be serious for once?" Tayo growled.

"Ha! Why so serious, mister? Anyways, I did notice but that perplexes me." She put a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Why would they do such? Anyways, that's beside. Once we get to Sunday, all of this would be over. For now, let's get a place, we stay down and eat up and then, we scout that Obedi's place and then move in when the time is right. You still have the sensor, right?"

"Oh, yes!" Tayo replied. "Why are you helping me?"

"Helping you? No, no. You said you want Sunday. I want Sunday. The deal is we work together until we get him. Then we fight for ownership right, okay?" 

The horse neighed now. The fire at its hooves died off completely as it trotted to a stop. Niniola looked up at the sky, noticing the brightening. 

"It's almost Sunrise. We should probably get ready to scout. Now, can you you stop hugging my waist or...?"

"W-what?" Tayo yelled, jumping off from the horse as Niniola giggled.