As fate would have it, I met the smith god at his smithy where he sat tinkering with his boring tools, the boy Dada sat tied down by the corner all forlorn and looking like a half drowned rat caught in a trap and dragged yards across the forest floor.

“Greetings lord of Ire, custodian of crafts, god of commerce, the silent one who says a thousand words with just a stare.”

“Please spare me the sugary praises and state your business stone hurler, one does not simply see the firefly by day, something must be amiss, and to whom do I owe this surprise visit.”

Ogun wasn’t an Orisha for much banter.

“Ah, a man of few words, I admire that about you Iron one, very well, I come for the boy, surely you do not want some youth sulking all about your forge disturbing your inventions for a hundred full years, allow me to return him to his mother and she will forever be indebted to you, the boy too must have learnt his lesson by now.

“The lizard wants to give out his daughter’s hand in marriage, the wall gecko is the bridegroom, the moth boosted to dance at the wedding feast till his robe tears, tell me Jakuta hurler of stones, how does it concern the moth, for he is neither related with the lizard nor the wall gecko, the boy’s case is none of your business. My verdict stays the same, the boy shall serve here for a hundred years, go back to your parties and funfair Shango, this does not concern you.”

“You seem to misinterpret me Lakaaye Oshinmole.” I said, my temper was beginning to get the best of me as I threw attempts at diplomacy out the window. “I did not come begging for the boy, I come to take him for I promised his mother he shall eat at her side this night, and what Shango says he will do, he does.”

“Control the next words that drops from your tongue Shango,” Ogun said, “do not let the intoxicating power of the axe given to you by my old master steer you like an alcoholic drink into your doom, I advise you to trend softly; for a figurine made of clay courts disgrace when it asked to be taken to the river to bath.

I am not Elegbara, slain by you as a mortal for i am made of sterner stuff. I was born with a sword in both my hands, I witnessed creation itself, my twin swords cleared the way of the monsters of the deep as I scouted the path for Obatala’s descent to Ile-Ife the cradle of birth, only the law of hospitality holds me from casting you out of my forge and my patience wears thin.”

With a sneer of insolence, I drew Oshe and struck at the flaming chains holding Dada, they parted like wax. Thus free, Dada morphed into a deer, leapt across the forge and fled out the smithy to freedom.

I barely had time to gloat before I was hit with the whirlwind that was Ogun, I was ashamed to say that I was bested that fateful day, the war god’s brass and iron swords flashed like the wings of a dragonfly as I was driven back from the smithy’s out to the skies of Ire as I clumsily wielded Oshe trying hard from getting beheaded.

Having gotten space to breath I summoned lightening and hurled enough tons to level the hill of Ire on its master holding the lightening for as long as I could. When the smokes cleared, I beheld Ogun still standing, black with soot his eyes glowed red, ripping muscles struggled to escape the confines of divine armor, he laughed and tore at his armor, his muscles morphing like ocean waves, Ogun was just getting warmed up as he has gone totally berserk, then I knew I was in trouble.

I knew I had overdone it this time around and the first time since my ascension, I was scared stiff, I have taken the meat from a lion’s mouth and gave it hay instead, I destroyed a wasp’s hovel and I am about to get stung in retribution. With a roar of defiance I hurled myself at my adversary, meaning to end it quickly and allow Oshe decide the outcome, but Ogun weaved under my swing, clasped his arms under my armpit and trapped my arms in place, he then leapt high up into the clouds taking me with him only to dive down to the earth below using my face to clear ten acres of land.

Not done with my stunned body, he sat astride my hip and began to pummel me into the earth; my body dug a crater per mile with each blow. Barely holding on to consciousness, I summoned a whirlwind and flung Ogun a mile away to grant me a few moment respites but he was back before I could blink the stars from my eyes, howling and deranged.

I back handed him a feet back and followed up with another swing from Oshe, it cut him across the face, his hot blood sprayed all over me. Alas, the bastard only hissed and butted me on the nose with his bloody head. He then showed me why he was a chieftain deity, for he stamped on the earth with his foot, the ground parted and a hoard of dead warriors rose up to fight me, I swung, parried and counter stroke but still they swarmed me.

Scratched and bleeding, with a roar of outrage I unleashed an inferno and the whole canyon we created was awashed with flame, once more alone I faced my foe, his twin swords crossed at his feet.

“Is that all you have up your sleeve god of war?

“Brace yourself god of thunder, for we are just getting started.”

We took to the sky and began hacking at each other, to my shock, his swords carved wounds on my body as did Oshe on his, our blood soon redden the clouds and my story nearly ended as Ogun’s enchanted sword cleaved my left shoulder down towards my chest an inch from my heart.

Mortally wounded, I shamefully fled Ire, Ogun hot on my heels meaning to make me the shortest lived deity in history. I rushed towards the earth calling on Orisha Oko the earth god to grant me asylum, the elder god answered my plea and embraced, me protecting me from Ogun’s wrath with the latter threatening and raving but was unable to reach me, I spent a full hundred years in Oko’s musky realm ashamed to face the world, an irony in itself, for I served Dada’s exact sentence.

After a hundred years had pass, I returned to my abode but the shame of my defeat was not forgotten, for the deities have long memories.

Ogun and I made sure we avoided one another after that but another incident brought about our second clash, this time it was none other than Oya my third wife.

Oya with her duty as the Orisha of tempest and stormy weathers was also the goddess of the cemetery and the battle slain, thus having half her time working with Ogun in the battlefield and the other half with me, I was not best pleased with the arrangement.

A rouge storm spirit raged towards a mortal town in the form of a cyclone, I had quickly flown over to divert its path from the town, awaiting assistance from my wife but Oya was nowhere to be found, with great effort, I managed to change the elements course but not without wreaking havoc on the inhabitants farm lands and barns.

On getting home, my other wives Oshun and Oba saw my cloudy face knew better than to disturb me until I asked about Oya’s whereabouts, their answer did nothing but kindled my anger the more.

Where there is carnage and bloodshed the Orisha of war is certain to be there, so I went after him and found him at his element, looking over a tribal skirmish, my wife Oya at his side.

“What is the meaning of this lord of Ire, because we both share the same roof over our heads does not mean you should share in wearing my under cloths too, calling my wife away at will under the pretense of duty is unacceptable.” I challenged.

“Peace Jakuta, for if you are dedicated to duty as you claim, you should also be here beside me, after all are you not Orisha of chaos and patron god of vigor and strength? Keep your jealousy in check, your beloved only need gather the slain after this war is done then she will be with you, not before for it is her duty.”

“Please husband, Oya wades in trying to placate us both. “I felt the storm spirit but I knew I was not needed for it was a small fry for a deity as great as yours but the slayed souls here would be lost without me to guide them to the beyond, the war will be over soon, and I shall return with you dearest.”

All would have ended well had Ogun not chuckled and cheekily joked that he and I were both married to Oya, the sooner I realized that the better for all of us. In a flash i drew Oshe and cleaved both his sword hands off rendering him useless to fight before he could react. Yes I had the element of surprise behind me, call it an act of cowardly but Ogun knew he and I were at war and at war everything is fair. I then proceeded in pommeling him with bands of lightening and would have killed him if he hadn’t had the common sense to flee with me fast at his heels.

Like I did the last time we fought, he also sought refuge with an elder god, but this time it was with Olokun the deep, sovereign of the ocean. Healing at his murky under sea palace while I raved in vain as the sea king refused me entry.

And that was the first of our numerous fights over the centuries. Despite our mutual hatred for each other, Ogun was honorable and would not go as low as to betray me to my human foes; it was something Lanroye would do. for when a man does not know where he’s going, surely he knew where he was coming from, my quest for answers must begin at the ancient land of ile-Ife, birth place of the elder gods and gate way to Orun Alakeji the realm eternal, surely I will find the gate keeper there, and he shall give me the answers I seek or I shall force it out of him, right after I get my battle axe Oshe the shameless biter, it was about time we were reunited.