TRAILING SHADOWS

Not when his father's personal aides were here, themselves. In fact, running away now was pretty much life preservational.

And so, grumbling inaudibly, he sheathed his daggers, walking off to the door in the far end of the pit.

After the door slammed shut, Elias narrowed his eyes, his sight locked on the door Elisa hummed, briefly before putting her hands across her b.r.e.a.s.ts.

"General..." She heaved, eyeing the General careful as she took mental notes of his bleeding neck. "What happened? You are hurt!" She sighed.

"Oh!" General Folarin reached to his neck, feeling the trickle of life essence at the back and the front of his neck. He scrunched his nose into wrinkle, briefly, shrugging his shoulders as well.

"It is nothing. Its healing."

"No, you cant's say it is nothing. No one has actually cut you ever since I remember. Yes, we've had our own fair share of dealing damage to you in spars but not to the point of actually cutting you." Elisa countered, her eyes widened as she looked to her partner for support.

"Yes." Elias nodded, concurring. "The aura burst from you. It was contained. Almost as if..."

"That's because I didn't want to actually hurt him." Folarin said, walking off to the distance.

"No, General. You know what we mean. The aura burst from you was not suppressed because of fear of hurting him. It was suppressed because it had been forced from being exerting for such a long time." Elisa looked towards him, her wide eyes trailing his movements.

"You did not use Agbara Imbued techniques in the spar." Elias grunted as the General walked back towards them and past, pacing.

"Well. " Folarin shrugged. "Wasn't it obvious? I didn't want to go full power on him. So, I let him do all that while I fenced with barely physical skills."

"You are tainted, are you not?" Elisa dropped the bombshell, freezing the General in his pace. " That's why you didn't want to use Agbara because of the demonification effect? That's why you have a soul..." Elisa was taken aback by the chilly airs around the General.

Slowly, Folarin turned around, his face stormy and cold, squeezed up to look several years old, fuelled by rage.

"Is this why you are here?" He barked out, walking back to the Mercenaries with a fierce threatening gaze. "Is this why you are here? To tell me what I am not or what I am?"

"General..." Elisa chinned up, unflinching in his gaze. "I just asked a question. Besides, even if you are. Myself and Elias have been your closest aides for the decades so far. Who better to know about it and keep it sealed than us? So, if you are hiding anything..." Elisa stepped up defiantly into the path of the General. "...We would not be ale to stand by you when you need us most because we would have been in the dark all along."

"Pooooh!" General Folarin exhaled for a long five seconds as his hands found the sides of his hip, relaxing there while his shoulders and tensed muscles relaxed.

The famale aide of his was right. They had indeed being through thick and thin of the politicking of the Alliance House. But still, this was different, a more s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e and complex matter...

How could he trust them?

"How did the mission go? Success?" He asked, deflecting the attention to the mercenaries before him.

"Something came up?"

Elisa did not reply and he did not take offence. After some silent seconds had elasped, he repeated the same question to Elias who replied with a grunt, rubbing the tip of his nose.

"Well, Yes. It did not go exactly as smoothly as we had imagined." Elias grunted.

Folairn's eyes frowned.

A mission that did not meet expectancy rate of his own personal aides?

Never has that been heard of.

"We did find them. The rogue mercenaries and sent them over here."

Folarin shook his head at Elias. "No sign of them."

"Yes, yes, of course. Those two had a trump card that allowed them escape and go for the bounty again, Sunday, this time. But the Sunday was not an easy piece for them. He went Full Sage despite his low soul class of Elite."

"Yes, yes..." Folarin nodded impatiently. He was waiting to hear what went wrong and most importantly, how Ibiyemi had fared in all of these. "What else happened."

"Ibiyemi fared well. In fact, she awakened an eye." Elias continued only to be interrupted b y the dropping of the General to his knees, his face filled with exulatation.

"Oh, Orisha Esu, E shey o. (1)" He cried out, excitedly.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#&apos;s-faith-in-ibiyemi_50603400882091085">#&apos;s-faith-in-ibiyemi_50603400882091085</a> for visiting.

"But, she betrayed the mission and left with the bounties." 

The General's praise filled face suddenly paled considerably as he shot up to his feet.

"Elisa tried to execute the martial order on her for..." 

"How dare you, Elisa?" Folarin frowned, his face resuming the stony threatening gaze directed at the back of Elisa. 

"It is in the disciplinary code. Ibiyemi could not be exempted. " Elisa fired back without turning around.

"She is my daughter."

"The more reason why she cannot be exempted." Elisa turned back now, her face flashing furiously in rage. 

"General..." Elias said. "You know this is the true way, the way she acted, Elisa, that is. And even if you want to stop it, you cannot stop Elisa from exacting justice on her for the shame she suffered at her hands."

"I see..." Folarin exhaled. "Very well, if that is it. My hands are tied. If you think my daughter should be destroyed because she somehow insulted you, then, by hall means go after her. 

But, i know my daughter, Ibiyemi. She is stronger than you can ever think. And in the end, it is you would return, head down in defeat." 

"How can you be sure i won't return with her head on a staff?" Elisa mouthed to him, her eyes narrowing. 

"To be honest, I don't know. But i trust my daughter. I have blind faith in her. She is so much more than what you could ever be should you choose to chase her because of the disrespect." Folairn heaved, turning around.

"Now, if you both are done, come with me. Let's sketch yet another plan to catch those bounties." He said, walking away from his aides.

________________________________________

(T/N)

(1) Oh God Esu, Thank you oh!"