Anyaugo 1

The slavers' camp burned through the better part of the night. When the fire died down, in the wee hours of the morning, all that remained of the once bustling camp were smoking ruins and charred bodies. 

Two Men trudged through the broken pieces of mud bricks and half-burnt thatch and bamboo remains that was once sturdy huts and massive holding pens. 

"It's a miracle we're still alive." Ikeoha said. 

"Yes," Dimkpa replied bitterly. "If you call this, being alive." 

He waved at the charred landscape around them. A holding pen collapsed  with a loud crash behind them, sending plumes of smoke into the already-smoke-filled-air. 

Dimkpa coughed, then he wiped some of the soot away from his face.

 "Yes. Alive indeed." He said. 

He picked up a still sturdy but blackened bamboo and began to pick his way out of the wreckage.

 Ikeoha followed him. 

"Oh please," Ikeoha chided him, "don't complain."  "I remember you cowering and praying to Ani to keep you alive. Now you complain that you're alive?"

"it's not it. I mean don't you feel like you cheated. 

I feel so. Look at our friends." He motioned to the numerous bodies scattered among the ruins. "Chidube, Ikenna. All gone."

"And yet, we're here." Ikeoha said, a little angrily. 

"See, do you want to get out of here or not.?" 

He began to pick his way towards a broken part of the tall wooden fence separating the camp from the forest. 

They were nearly at the fence when Dimkpa suddenly held his hand tightly and pulled him to an abrupt halt. 

"What is it?" Ikeoha asked. 

"I thought I saw something move." Dimkpa answered. Fear written all over his face. "It came from over there." He pointed towards the smoking ruins of the Camp Lord's hut. 

Ikeoha looked very closely at the ruined hut. "I don't see anything," he said. "Maybe it's one of those vultures."

Dimkpa nodded. 

They continued walking.

Almost immediately they both paused,Staring wide eyed at the tall grass beyond the fence. 

It was rustling vigourosly. Something was definitely headed their way with increasing speed.

"It's back!" Dimkpa shouted, His eyes widening. 

"It's come back for us!"

"We're dead! We're dead!"

"It's... It's... Probably... bly... nothing" Ikeoha faltered. 

The wolf burst from the trees. It leapt over the palisade and landed beside Ikeoha. A huge monstrosity, nearly as big as Ikeoha. 

He fell back in fright and onto a smouldering log. He scrambled up immediately. 

"Dimkpa" he whispered. 

Then he saw. Behind him, Dimkpa lay dead. A second wolf he hadn't seen approach was tearing out chunks of flesh from Dimkpa's neck. Another wolf leaped over the wooden wall and joined the macabre feast. 

The wolf beside him rushed to join them and soon they were bickering over Dimkpa's corpse. 

Ikeoha stood four paces away staring wide eyed as the three wolves feasted on Dimkpa. A low growl sounded behind him and he turned resignedly. 

A lean she-wolf stood eyeing him with glinting eyes. 

The bickering behind him quieted down. He turned. The three wolves were staring at him with murderous intent. 

He had only a little time to offer a short prayer to Amadioha before they rushed him.