Chapter 1: The Night of Madness

Welcome to the world of the Three Kingdoms, Naija style. Abeg, make you follow these rules well:

[Rule One: Baba Kongming don craze finish. The thing wey dey fuel the Seven-Star Lamp na sense wey never spoil.]

[Rule Two: If person don craze, abeg, no reject anything wey dem ask you.]

[Rule Three: If you dey for side of the one wey God don choose, na there sure pass. Na only him be hope.]

[Rule Four: No trust those masquerades. Dem be spirits wey sabi chop pass.]

[Rule Five: Na woman hand truth dey. Abeg, no touch am.]

[If you fit save this world, you fit go back your real life.]

As I open my eyes, na inside the body of Musa the Brave I land, just after I save little Chijioke.

My oga, Chief Obiora, begin cry like say him chest dey on fire: “Because of this pikin wey no get respect, I almost lose my best warrior. E for better make we share am chop.”

He throw Chijioke from him hand for ground, pull cutlass, begin cut am until e turn bloody meat.

My body dey shake, my mouth wan vomit. This no be the Chief I sabi.

Uncle Gambo, Big Cousin Seyi... their eyes red, mouth full of blood as dem dey chew.

Chief Obiora come give me half hand wey still dey drip blood, dey look me steady.

“Musa, why you never chop?”

The whole scene heavy for my mind like load. My heart dey beat gbagam-gbagam, sweat dey run my body like say I just finish race for Lagos traffic under sun. For the middle of all the wahala, the moon wey dey shine for the camp no even send, as if e no see the blood wey dey paint ground. Moon just dey look, like old woman for compound wey no wan talk for family meeting. You go fear say the ancestors go vex for this kain thing.