"When the land is wounded, it bleeds through its chosen. And when it speaks, it does not whisper — it roars."
— Carved on the stones of Nri Shrine, 400 BCE
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Location: Spirit Grove Outskirts — Nightfall
The stars burned lower that night.
Not because they were dying — but because something older was rising.
Obinna sat cross-legged in the center of a sacred ring made from nine eagle feathers and powdered kola bark. His third glyph still pulsed faintly — the serpent wrapped around a star.
Across from him, Mbanugo meditated in silence, her head bowed, fingers glowing with green mist. Ọkụnna, her serpent spirit beast, coiled beside her in a protective half-circle, its tongue flickering toward the sky.
Azụmiri hovered above the ring, flapping only once every few moments. His eagle form shimmered faintly with divine heat.
> "This place is not safe for long," he murmured.
> "Then why stop?" Obinna asked, voice distant.
> "Because knowledge is power. And binding alone is not enough. You must understand what you are becoming."
Mbanugo stirred.
> "They're going to summon you."
> "Who?"
> "The Council," she said without opening her eyes. "The High Seers of Biafra's spirit realm. They felt your glyphs flare. They know you didn't die in the bombing."
> "So what? They'll crown me?"
She finally looked up.
> "No. They'll judge you."
---
Elsewhere — Biafran Spirit Capital: Ogbunike Caverns (Hidden Council Seat)
Beneath the earth, in chambers carved from moonstone and fossilized palmwood, a circle of twelve sat in silence.
They wore no crowns. Their power needed no gold. They were robed in spirit cloth, woven from ancestral energy. Floating symbols hovered behind each — a staff, a sword, a crescent moon, a crying mask.
> "The boy has reached the third glyph," said one, her voice as dry as desert wind.
> "And he carries a beast," added another. "Azụmiri. Eagle flame. First in 50 years."
> "Is it enough?" asked a younger voice.
> "No," said the oldest among them. His body was failing, but his spirit burned brighter than anyone's.
"We lost too many champions last time. If we awaken the Grove Trials again, we must be sure."
> "Bring the boy," he said.
The room shuddered. A portal of green flame opened.
---
Back in the Forest
Obinna's eyes snapped open.
The forest around him dimmed.
> "They're calling," he said.
Azụmiri nodded grimly.
> "Hold onto your name," the eagle warned. "They'll try to take it from you."
Mbanugo reached forward and pressed a glowing bead into Obinna's hand.
> "For your mind," she said softly. "It will keep you from forgetting why you fight."
> "Thanks," Obinna said, voice raw.
He stepped forward — and vanished.
---
Location: Ogbunike Council Hall
Obinna landed in a place that felt like thunder.
The air was thick with power. The floor was made of obsidian and bones. The twelve council members surrounded him in a wide ring, each seated on a throne carved from history itself.
One of them — a middle-aged woman with tribal scars glowing faintly — leaned forward.
> "Name," she said.
> "Obinna Uduka."
> "Bloodline?"
> "Grandson of Chika Uduka of Ngwo. Great-grandson of Nnamdi of Nri."
> "Purpose?"
Obinna hesitated.
Then raised his head.
> "To awaken what was sealed. To protect what remains. And to finish what the gods began."
The room shifted.
> "He remembers," muttered the old man.
Another councilor stood — younger, taller, draped in a robe of stormclouds.
> "What do you know of the Nine Realms?" he asked.
> "Enough," Obinna answered. "Enough to know I'm only in the beginning."
> "Wrong," said the man. "You are in our beginning."
He extended a palm. From it, a scroll unraveled mid-air, blazing with blue fire.
> "The first Realms were Igbo. The first bindings were forged here. Then came the treaties, the bloodlines, the silence. Nigeria was not built. It was stitched."
Obinna gritted his teeth.
> "Then what do you want from me?"
The twelve all stood.
> "Your oath."
> "Your loyalty."
> "Your power."
> "And your silence."
> "Silence?" Obinna spat. "I buried my family yesterday. My sky cracked open with fire. I will not be silent."
A pause.
Then the old man laughed softly.
> "Good. Then you are ready."
---
Suddenly — a Test
The ground shattered beneath him.
Obinna fell — or was pulled — into a pit of stars.
He landed on a flat disc of light surrounded by void.
Across from him stood a man in a British uniform, face burnt, holding an energy spear laced with Igbo runes and Western tech.
> "Do you understand now?" the voice of one Councilor echoed.
> "Your real test is not the gods. It is what they left behind in others."
> "Face him. Or fall."
The man attacked.
---
Short Combat – Echo of Betrayal
Their spears clashed — thunder on lightning.
Obinna fought like someone who had just buried innocence. His every swing roared with mourning, each dodge born of survival. But his opponent was fast — military fast.
Then came the words:
> "Your people begged us for aid."
> "We gave them weapons. And then we took their gods in return."
Obinna snapped.
He spun, dropped low, and drove his spear through the echo's chest.
The illusion shattered.
---
Back in Council
He dropped to one knee, panting.
The Council stared.
The eldest nodded once.
> "The boy will do."
---
⚔️ End of Chapter 5 – Council of Ash and Storm
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📘 Mini-Dictionary (New Terms Introduced)
Ogbunike Caverns – A sacred underground site in Southeastern Nigeria. In this story, it serves as the hidden spiritual seat of Biafran power.
Grove Trials – Legendary spiritual tests reserved for those chosen by the gods. Deadly, prophetic, binding.
Council of Twelve – The governing mystic elders of Biafra's ancient spiritual tradition. They guide the chosen through the Realm Path.
Stitched Nigeria – A hidden truth: Nigeria was magically "stitched" from multiple spiritual domains during colonization, sealing away ancient powers.