Emmanuel: The Boy Who Killed

An excerpt from my West African fantasy novel about a boy sent from heaven to kill the last God on earth. For children ages 12-100.

credit: master 1305

“This is no place for little boys,” Osu hummed. A single candle illuminated Emmanuel’s face amid a blanket of black. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness but only silhouettes stood where fully formed beings should have been. He squirmed as tears rippled down his golden armor. His eyes swelled as he met Osu’s cowled face.

“I don’t want to go,” He responded with a whimper.

“This place is not for you Emmanuel. You must be with your own kind.” A man’s voice rose from the darkness.

“You are my kind! You’ve always been there for me, no humans have.”

“Be brave child, your time has come. The living belong with the living, the dead with the dead.” Osu responded.

“Then I don’t want to be alive,” Emmanuel cried. He struggled to say more but the tears stifled his speech.

“Don’t say such foolish things,” Osu said.

“But I thought you said you needed me!” The flame shook.

“I do need you, we all need you. You’ve brought joy to all of us, you are hope, you are love, you are a blessing.” Osu’s voice grew faint. “But others need you. You can do great things for mankind, your power can save them all.”

“But I don’t want to do great things, I want to stay here.” He said, clenching his armored fist.

A gruff voice erupted from a corner of the darkness. “You’ll always be part of the family, no matter what.”

“Others need you now, there are children out there just like you who have no one to protect them, there are people in chains, and families that will never eat again.” Osu said.

“But why me? Why do I have to go?”

“You’ve always known!” A voice cracked somewhere to the left of Emmanuel.

“Things have changed, the Victory is growing larger by the day, and it brings death wherever its soldiers march. ” Osu leaned closer to the flame. Her skull gleamed with embers as smoke poured from her eyes.

“Won’t someone else do it, there must be more heroes in the human world?” The boy said as he used his bright red cape to swipe away a stray tear.

“The heroes stand before you, we once were but are no more. You are the last of us, and you are blessed beyond bounds. We have sheltered you long enough.” The flame grew gently brighter as Osu’s words trailed.

“The world of man awaits you, each moment is precious child,” A new soft voice spoke, closer than the last. “Go to earth, cross the sea, find Ezekia, he will tell you what do. Emmanuel, you must go.”

“Will you still love me?” He whispered.

“Always,” Osu said. Her words lingered in the air as the candle faded into smoke. Darkness swallowed the room whole, and light hastily spit it back out.

Emmanuel stood alone in the center of a gold and white cathedral, eyes still stained with tears. He rubbed his hands vigorously through his mountain of curly black hair and hung his head down, quaking with bitter breath.

With a sniffle and a huff, he puffed up his chest and shuffled forward with a large golden sword dangling on his back. He pushed gently against the large door behind him. With a slow creek, a new darkness consumed him. The room shook into a swirl of stars and space as Emmanuel was shot forth. A tiny blue orb shimmered in the distance.

Chapter 2

Emmanuel stumbled through crowds of humans, they wore clothes less impressive than he was used to–if he was being polite–and the air had a smell that shouldn’t have belonged to anything alive. While his armor shined beneath the rising sun, those around him were covered in tattered rags and clothing in need of a good wash. He felt as if he had stepped into another world, and he supposed, that was quite literally what he’d done. Ahead of him was a vacant blue sea, but an ocean of noisy chattering people stood in his way.

Beyond the waves of his kind he could see the sails of a ship, he had learned of them from the books Osu had read to him as a child. He dived and ducked between awe-struck couples and hopped over beggars and small children who did not yet understand the impoliteness of staring. Wading through his fellow humans would have been more difficult back at home, but moving was much easier here, even in his armor.

The boy maneuvered his way to the plank as men and women as hairy as any beast he’d ever seen heaved closed crates into their arms and carried them aboard the ship. One man in a large blue overcoat towered over the rest and barked orders as the others went about ignoring him and committing to whatever acts they were previously doing.

“You’re gonna give me a heart attack Flanders! For the love of all that is good and righteous, lift with your legs, not with your back!” The man said as he shined an apple on his overcoat. Emmanuel approached carefully and tapped the man on the back of the knees.

“Excuse me sir, but is this your ship?” Our hero said as the man turned around.

“Indeed it is, what is it you want?” The man replied.

“I need passage to the Capital so I can free the people from evil. I don’t have any gold yet but I’m sure my friend will pay you once we meet him,” Emmanuel said confidently.

A sailor passing by dropped a crate he was carrying and broke out in heaving laughter. The tall man snorted and spat. “I don’t care if you’re the King of First Son, if you don’t have any gold you’re not getting on my ship.” The balding man said between noisy chomps of his apple. .

“I need to get to the Capital, ooo and I have a friend to meet first.” Emmanuel said.

“I don’t care for your friends, friendship doesn’t pay for ships,” The balding man chucked the apple core and looked down at the dark skinned boy before him. “Look lad, I don’t mean to be rude to you, but we’re the last ship in harbor, we’re packed to the brim with goods and any extra weight can throw everything off.”

“How will paying you make the boat any lighter?”

“It won’t, but it’ll make the risk a little more worth my while.” He grinned with rotten teeth.

“I don’t have anything but what I have on me.”

“And what you have on you isn’t too shabby, is it, ” the man said as he stared at the golden armor encapsulating the boy before him. “That sword looks a bit too big for you, and with all that armor on you don’t need much protection now do you?”

“I suppose not sir,” Emmanuel said as he glanced around nervously. All the people working at the harbor had stopped to watch the exchange between this strange boy and the clearly questionable captain.

“Well tell you what, I’ll let you on board, give you good food and free passage, in exchange for that sword,” the man said with an outstretched hand.

“Do you promise to get me to the Capital, and my friend’s island?” Emmanuel responded as his mailed hand grasped that of the balding man.

“Sure, sure,” the man said as he led the boy towards the ship. “Not many want to go near the war when they have to, let alone travel there of their own free will.”

“Why's that?” Emmanuel asked.

“I swear everyone’s a king now, there’s too many sides to count,” the man said flabbergasted. “What have you been living under a rock?”

“Something like that,” Emmanuel responded.

“The only people that dare travel to the Capital are fools, pirates, and smugglers.” The man said grimly.

“Well which one are you?” Emmanuel said laughing. The man smiled with his large decaying teeth.

“A little bit of each.”

Chapter 3

“How did he die?” Emmanuel said as he leaned over the dead body of the captain, his teeth still smiling, still defiled by years of neglect. The entirety of the ship was on deck and huddled around the deceased body of their former captain. The night air was littered with the soft rumble of crew members pushing and shoving to see the body. Closest to the corpse was the captain’s daughter named Ife, she was only a few years older than Emmanuel, but her height reflected that of her father’s lineage. A young smuggler from the docks, Flanders, turned to Emmanuel and whispered.

“He was just yelling at one of the crew and all of a sudden he was grippin his heart and twistin all about, he soiled himself and collapsed. No one’s had the heart to move him, and his mute daughter ain’t moved since, just keeps staring at the stars.”

“Why is everyone-,” Emmanuel was mid-sentence when the crew’s rumbles turned into spiked outbursts.

“We need to head west round the blockade; the fool has been leading us the wrong way!” Yelled one man.

“Who are you calling a fool? The man’s body is barely cold!” Responded another.

“I don’t care if he’s dead, we need to get these goods to the Capital, and I’m not trying to die at sea with you lot!” The man stepped forward into the circle, his long dreaded hair reached his knees, and a black patch sat where his left eye should have been. “Let’s get moving west,” he said as he gestured to the distance.

“That’s not west you fool.” The ship fell into silence. The captain’s daughter spoke. “That is west,” she said as her finger shot toward the opposite direction of the dreaded man’s suggestion.

“How do you know?” the dreaded man snarled.

“The sun just set, the sun sets in the west, the sun was over there. So that’s west. How long have you been a pirate?”

“Well I don’t really like the term pirate, it gets a bad rap it does.” The dreaded man responded.

“Oh shush. We’ve wasted enough time already, everyone get back to work. This is my ship now. Anyone that has a problem with that can call for a vote or leave at the next port.” The daughter said as she placed her father’s sword on her hip.

“Her father never led us wrong! She shan’t either!” bellowed a young woman holding a trumpet.

Eyebrows and eye patches were raised as mumbled conversations passed between crew members. A few minutes passed while Emmanuel stood in silence, toeing the deck. He thought of plantain sandwiches and how he would never have them again. He doubted such an odd planet would have plantains.

The dreaded man’s hand shot up.

“The whole sun thing really won me over, and I’ve always been saying we really need to connect better with the kids.”

“I’m not a kid, and unless anyone opposes, I’m your Captain, so I wouldn’t make that mistake again if I was you.” The daughter responded with a slight snarl reminiscent of her father’s.

The ship erupted in applause and hooting at the quick response. The crew chanted her name, “Ife! Ife! Ife! Ife! Ife!”

“Well, then let’s get this boy to where he’s going,” Ife said as she waved one finger in the air. The crew turned back toward their duties as Ife descended into the lower deck of the ship. A cowled figure approached her in the darkness of the ship’s belly.

“What are you planning with the boy, have our plans changed?” The figure crackled.

“We’re going to take him to his friend, and then keep on course. The rest will be revealed in due time, Wu, in due time,” Ife responded with a smile, as she forced back tears in the darkness.

---

They’d sailed for two sunny days before reaching their island destination. Ife and Emmanuel stood at the front of the ship as the sun rose behind them. The shoreline was black sand dotted with swarming tiny pink crabs crawling busily back and forth, unaware of the ongoing struggle between good and evil. Beyond the shores of black was a looming hill with a stone fortress atop. Beyond that was thick jungle that may have stretched for days.

“How long have you lived on this ship?” Emmanuel asked as he shuffled around in his armor.

“My whole life. I was born here you know? I’ve barely left since. ”

“Why? It doesn’t seem that great to be honest. Does it always smell like this?” Emmanuel asked softly as his face puffed into a scrunch.

“It’s home, it’s where I’m loved. It’s where I feel safe.” Ife said as the ship slowed to a creaking creep. “And you get used to the smell.”

A man vomited grey chunks a few feet behind them.

“Well, kind of.” Ife smiled with rounded buck teeth, her dark skin glistening as the sun broke between the sails.

“Why are you helping me?” Emmanuel asked plainly. Ife startled for a second and laughed.

“I want your armor, and I want your weapon as payment. And maybe you can help us rowdy rascals find a treasure or two,” Ife said smiling and nudging.

Archer, the dreaded man, who ironically was not very good with a bow, stepped forward with a small bow towards Ife.

“Captain, the boat’s ready. Do you need anyone else to come with you?”

“No,” Ife responded quickly. “I think we’ll be fine,” she said as she walked towards the captain’s quarters. She returned with Emmanuel’s golden sword. “You might need this.”

Chapter 4

Emmanuel chopped at the vines with his great golden sword. Green and brown flew into the air as the vines exploded on impact. In an instant the vines flew back together from the cut end-pieces. Emmanuel hacked and hacked again, his blade flashing like lightning through the air. Again and again the vines danced back together in a swift mamba. Sweat poured faster from his afro with each swing, drenching the interior lining of his armor. He huffed and puffed as he planted his sword into the ground and leaned on it for support.

“I don’t think- this- is- working,” Emmanuel said between breaths.

“Thank you Captain Obvious,” Ife responded dryly.

“I thought you were Captain?”

Ife sighed.

“Would you vines please just get out of the way?” Emmanuel asked in exasperation.

The vines sprung to life, they shook and shuffled before the adventurers. Slowly they unraveled and revealed the path.

Ife spat on the ground with her arms on her hips. “Pull my leg and call me Betty.” She slapped Emmanuel’s hand as he reached for her leg.

“Sorry Betty” he frowned, confused.

“You should ask before you touch people. It’s rude”, she said, sticking her tongue out as she ruffled his hair.

---

The massive stone door creaked open as Ife pushed gently forward. The darkness of the hall swallowed Ife and Emmanuel as they entered. Emmanuel was used to the darkness and it brought him a certain calm. He scratched his head and called out.

“Ezekiaa? Is Ezekiia here?”

“NO!” called out a high raspy voice deep within the darkness.

“Who are you?” Ife said, drawing her sword.

“Ezekia!” responded the voice.

“I thought you said Ezekia wasn’t here?” Ife replied as her hand gripped the sword tighter.

“Yes, Ezekia isn’t here. I’m over here.” Ezekia responded. In the same instant an ember burst forth at the tip of a nearby torch. A massive flame flew out towards Ife and Emmanuel, lighting up a series of torches along the wall. The duo braced themselves for a fiery end, but it didn’t come. The flames disappeared and withered into smoke.

“Welcome Emmanuel!” Ezekia said, the bearded human limped slowly towards them. They moved like a ghost through the smooth stone hallways. “Welcome, welcome!” they said, spit and loose teeth bouncing in their mouth. “WELCOME, welcome,” they said as the smell of garlic and tea tree oil lept towards Emmanuel’s nostrils. Ezekia grasped Emmanuel’s mailed hand and then spun to Ife.

“And who is this love interest?”

“My name is Ife and I’m no one’s love interest.” Ife snapped back.

“Well, who knows where this story is going,” Ezekia responded. They straightened their back and let out a loud “Hmpph”. “So let’s get to it then!” Ezekia led them down the lit hallway. At the end of a hallway was another dark room. With a flick of their wrist, a flame erupted on a large torch, and just like before the flames bounced from torch to torch, revealing a large circular room with three couches and a dresser. Ezekia waved them towards their seats muttering “Sit sit sit..sit..sit..”

They sat in silence. They continued to sit in silence. Then they sat in silence for a little while longer.

Ezsekia spoke.

“So! Now that we’re done sitting in silence.”

They were, clearly done sitting in silence.

“So,” Ezekia said, stroking their beard. “The hero has come to the great guide! The great mystic! The magnificent wizard.”

“A little full of yourself aren’t you?” Ife said, leaning back in her seat.

“So, the plucky comic relief sidekick then?” Ezekia retorted. “But back to business, or should I say, the Story,” they leaned forward and rubbed their hands together. “So this is the part where the great hero, meets the spiritual, almost god like-
Ife groans.

“Character who helps them learn some sort of truth that saves the day,” they said, stroking their beard madly, appearing to have more than two hands. But definitely not more than eight. That would have been absurd.

“How would that have been absurd?” Ife asked aloud.

“What!?” Ezekia asked.

“You said something about how having eight arms would be absurd?” Ife responded, turning to Emmanuel. “You heard that right?”

Emmanuel shrugged. Ezekia shrugged. The dresser shrugged.

“So Emmanuel!” Ezekia continued. “Are you and your plucky sidekick ready for your great adventure?”

Emmanuel paused, looked at Ife, who seemed flustered at the whole situation.

“Yup, I was pretty much born for this actually,” Emmanuel said cheerfully, adjusting himself in his armor. “What advice do you have for me?”

“Oh, oh I already told you boy, this is the part that the Wizard tells you about the important thing you need to know.”

Emmanuel paused. “Well see, that’s the thing. You haven’t told me anything”.

“Yes I did!” Ezekia’s finger flew into the air in indignation.

“No you didn’t!” Emmanuel responded.

“Yes I did!”

“No, you did not!” Emmanuel said loudly. The room shook in response.

Ezekia lowered their voice to a whisper.
“Well I suppose I didn’t, but I told you I would tell you something. So that counts.”

Emmanuel groaned. Ife sprung up from her seat and grabbed Emmanuel by the armored glove. “Let’s go.” Emmanuel leaned forward and plopped to his feet. The duo’s footsteps echoed as they walked down the hall. Emmanuel’s armored boots thudded and clinked, while Ife’s leather boots clicked rapidly.

“Waaaaait!!!” Ezekia screamed, dragging their long cloak along as they ran to catch the two. Emmanuel and Ife waited at the entryway of the stone building. Emmanuel moved to meet Ezekia halfway but Ife’s grip held him back. Ezekia gave up mid-walk, breathlessly heaving out words. “There’s a village down the road from here. They have a nasty dragon problem going on and.” The Wizard coughed for a second, bringing up a thick phlegm. They wiped their mouth quickly. “You just might be the two to help them solve it. Classic hero stuff Emmanuel!”

Emmanuel looked at Ife, they shrugged and let the stone door close behind them.