*Chapter: The Journey of iyan
Iyango and amoni were stronger and tougher than ever. The spirits of iyango and Amoni still hovered around her, guiding her through dreams filled with visions of their love in the forest. These dreams made iyan even stronger as she ventured deeper into the woods. Though tired and hungry, iyan continued her journey.
One day, in the forest, she encountered an old woman carrying a basket of food. The woman, noticing iyan fatigue, offered her some food. "I know you're hungry," the old woman said, "Would you like some porridge? It's prepared with fish, a special dish I made for the people. If you don't want it, I can take it to my children."
Iyan, remembering the warning from the spirit world, refused. She recalled the advice that anything offered in the forest was food of the dead, meant to lead the living astray. "No, I do not need it," iyan said firmly.
The woman, insistent, tried again. "But the food is well prepared, with large fish, and I must share it with others," she urged. Iyan, still cautious, questioned how the woman and her children survived in such a deadly forest. The woman revealed she had been cast out and forced to live there.
Before iyan could leave, the woman pushed further, asking if iyan was thirsty. Iyan, however, refused again. "No, I'm fine," she replied with fiery resolve in her eyes. The old woman, angered by her refusal, transformed into a beast. "You are stubborn," the creature hissed. "You are like the image of Amoni, a spirit who refuses to return to the moon."
Iyan stood her ground. "I am fulfilling the mission of Amoni on Earth," she declared. "I will not be swayed."
The beast-like woman threatened iyan, but she stood tall and spread sand from the forest ground, countering the woman's spell. The woman's form dissolved into nothingness, leaving iyan to continue her journey.
Hungry and weak,iyan remembered what the wind had told her: that the food she needed would be found in a tree. When she reached the sacred tree of iyan, she found an egg, a symbol of nourishment. The water from the stream would give her strength — water that Amoni had bathed in when she was in the earth, a gift from the goddess herself.
As she approached the stream, preparing to drink, a large mermaid emerged from the water, blocking her path. "Do not touch the water," the mermaid warned. "Who are you?" Iyan asked. The mermaid answered, "I am a descendant of the water, protectress of this sacred stream."
Iyan countered, "No, you are a liar. This water was prepared by Amoni, a great woman from the Earth. She was loved was a serpents. Who are you to claim ownership of this water?"
The mermaid laughed, scoffing at iyan words. "Amoni is a great woman, but who are you? Are you her guide, or her assistant?"
"I am here on a mission,"iyan replied firmly. "I was sent from the Earth to bring back the love of Amoni and iyango
The mermaid laughed again. "You cannot bring them back. The love has vanished from the Earth, never to return."
iyan refused to accept this, her determination unwavering. As she reached for the water, the mermaid attacked, trying to strangle her. Just as the mermaid's grip tightened, a gust of wind swept through the area, pulling the mermaid into the depths of the water, vanishing without a trace.
Iyan, now free, continued on her journey, her resolve stronger than ever. She knew that bringing the love of Amoni and iyango back to the Earth would not be easy, but she was determined to succeed.