TRAILING SHADOWS

Niniola turned to them now, hands on her h.i.p.s.

"So, if you guys don't want me to keep mistrusting you all, then it is imperative we get to bond. 

How do we bond? By sharing our backstories. Who knows, we might even find something that we all need.

So, to make this very clear, I am going to start with myself." 

Tayo huffed at her words, moving over to stroke the horse. At this, Ninoola frowned, one eye down as she tilted her head to look at him. 

She shrugged, watching as Tayo patted the mane of his Esin Onina and with a gentle tap on his back, he sent it dashing away into the wild. 

"You are not going to need the horse, right?" Ibiyemi asked, seating down on her knees, before the fire. 

"Not really. Besides, i think it's better if we all go on foot from now on." Tayo grumbled a reply.

"Yes, yes." Niniola waved her hands impatiently in the air, signalling for a time out. She pouted, crossing her arms with a long suffering, orally annoyed sigh.

"I am still talking." She pouted even more. "Until i leave the stage, you guys should not interfere like that. I hate distractions."

"Okay. So, we are listening." Ibiyemi said, genuinely interested in this as her weight rested on the back of her kneeling legs. 

"Bwargh…" Sunday scoffed from behind her and in front of them, chewing the grass blade while staring into the distance. "Speak for yourself."

Niniola inhaled deeply at this, forcing back the irritation building inside of her. There was no point in getting angry at him, after all? Besides, if she did get angry, she would be tempted to use her fists and right now, even with the Soulbond that he had, she was certain he would not be able to tank it.

"Okie…" Niniola exhaled. " Myself and Sunday are headed towards Earth. We have a mission to complete. Actually, Sunday is the one who was assigned a mission but…" She smiled evilly at them. "But he can't go without me because he cannot survive without me." 

"Lies!" Sunday sharply cut in, turning towards them while coming close. "Lies. I can totally do without her."

Niniola smirked this time, cracking her knuckles. Without a second's hesitation, she blurred, her voice chanting out. "Smoldering Fist…" 

Immediately, her body twisted backward, the right arm taking with it the weight of her body as she punched heavily into Sunday's face.

POOOOW! His face sank in and his legs buckled under the tremendous impact of the red lined and heated fist of Niniola.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM! 

Sunday's body blasted outward, a trail of dust and chopped up vegetation scattering into a spray along the path of his hurled body.

"What?" Ibiyemi gasped, shocked at everything that just happened. 

 "I must confess. That was really satisfying. My champion thinks he can go all c.o.c.ky on me." Niniola smirked again and blurred, vanishing from spot just as Ibiyemi stood up, startled. The next second, NIniola's form shimmered into view, dragging something behind and dashing back to them swiftly. 

The person she was dragging was Sunday, her hands latched to his right ankle while the rest of his body cleaned the ground. Seeing this, Ibiyemi giggled, covering her mouth at the scene while Ninola let go of him and dusted her hands.

"Aghh… What the heck, Niniola? Ki ni mo shey fun eh?(1)" Sunday grumbled, not bothering to stand as he caught his breath, his physique dirtied by dust.

Niniola looked over her shoulders at him, smiling evilly while she still dusted her hands. "You said, you could totally do without me. If you really could do without me totally, then, even if you were unable to dodge me, you would at least have been able to anticipate my attack."

Niniola turned all serious as she faced Sunday who rose to a sitting position. She put her left hand on her knee while she stretched the other hand to him.

"Seriously, Sunday, if you are really going to survive, then you need to really up your game. You are going to pass through Orun Apaadi and yet your reflexes are not even sharp. I'm telling you, if you are not able to…"

"I knew the attack was coming." Sunday spat out, slapping her hand away. He looked inwards, in his soul space just as he felt a nudge from Bane. 

'Lets be honest, Sunday. You never caught a whiff of what she was going to do to you.' Bane tauntingly said from behind the iron bars, enjoying the anger on his host's face withing the Soul Space. 

'Fine!' He shrugged, looking at Bane exasperatedly. 'But you did. You should have somehow sensed it right? After all, you are Ascendancy Classed.'

'So, why didn't you tell me? Eh? You are going back to wanting me dead, right?' Sunday fired out, shaking the bars of Bane's confinement furiously. 

He was totally livid. What did this wolf of his think it was doing? It was meant to serve him and him alone. And if it suddenly decided to not help out, such as one, Sunday swore, he would deal with Bane just as soon as all this was however.

After all, Bane was but a visitor in his Soul Space. 

And, he visitor he could be hostile to.

'Calm yourself, Sunday.' Bane laughed throatily. 'When i knew it was your girlfriend, i realised that there was absolutely no need for me to alert you. After all, if this is how she shows love to you, who am i to interfere?' Bane taunted, looking at Sunday mischievously. 'And, my my, it seems she is a very good lover, isn't she?'

"Sunday, listen to me." Niniola's voice broke into his thoughts. He blinked his eyes, returning to focus on the present.

"I know you think because you have the Wolf soulbond that things would get sorted out. But, believe you me… Sunday, you cannot always rely on the Soul bond. To put total trust in people other than yourself is you deliberately and happily courting death, Sunday." Niniola said, shrugging at him as he now rose from the ground.