Chapter 13: DOOM'S GATE
"The water is getting closer. …" Crowe blurted a tinge of panic written on his face.
"Do something right now or she will be the first person to taste that water…" Saviour Bellowed at Akpan loosing his confident smile for the first time ever
"Could you both shut up here..im trying to use my brain" Akpan threw back in response "....when we were on our way did you see anything out of place … like something queer that shouldn't belong there"
Everyone turn to look at him like he was mad because to them everything about this place was bizzare and queer.
Ebele blurted out "well for me everything about this village look bizzare especially this goddamn disgusting stone face on the gate…."
Then it hit him pretty hard "...yes the Stone… I've been lee in a.goose chase all this while. Look at the design at the gates ..Its the same one with that queer object we saw when coming in. The triangle the eyes in the middle and the seven strokes right… Saviour what did that queer object say…?" Akpan asked.
"...'when all hope is lost and faith dwindling there is the key…".
" Definitely that is the key...come on fan out and find Strokes on the wall quickly…" the whole group scampere to find strokes on the wall.
" Over here i have found one."
" Ive found one here "
"Same here"
"....."
Gradually screams of discovery fill the entire gateway. Once a person found one he would shout out in ecstasy. Happy because he had the opportunity to contribute to the overall welfare of the group. After all who really loved tje concept of dying well except those moronistic fanatics who do not have ambition or future.
After a total of 28 strokes where found gradually the heated excited voices of discovery died down..
"Now what ? " Saviour Asked a tinged of excitement laced in his otherwise panic steicken faced which would uave probably turn red by now if nature had be so belligerent enough to have given him a fairer complexion.
" Now we turn the strokes to our right …"
" Why right ? Why not left? " A mercenary cut in doubt written all over his face.
" Because the Annang peopleof Nigeria have a superstitious belief that left bring ill luck you retard"... Akpan replied curtly. Displeasure written all over his face. Luke who the heck brings a moron to archaeological site he thought within himself.The group kept mute and went ahead to listen to Akpan
" On my count we turn" Akpan hoarsed voice was heard ..
" ….1, 2 .go" The group tried to turn the strokes but it wouldn't budge..
" What the f**k" A mercenary said his voiced filled with confusion and lack of confidence.
" Shit it is not working"
"... Curse you. "
"Quickly ooen this gates right now"
"Who said this was going to turn….. for heaven's sake these are mere sculptures"
A mutiny was about to occur. Everyone had lost it . Chaos would soon develop.
Confusion wws written all over Akpan face. What was he supposed to do. Everyone was looking at him like an hungry luon who having starved for a week just had the luck of seeing a wandering sheep.
{ What is wrong} he thought. Confusion evident on his face. He turn and paced wrong the gateway thinking of the Queer object and the city. Then he looked at the city .
The idea came like a flood. The city yes . . The city is built in a fractal setting. Its circular for the circular eyes in the querr object. The triangle was the hill on which the city was situated. Then the strokes should be those he turn around and saw it .. the pillars. The stroke was the pillars.. for heaven's sake it was twenty eight pillars where had his brain gone to. Had fear and panic fried his brain.
"....quick it is the pillars… go to the pillars.." Akpan said in haste. Everyone looked at him like he was mad. For heaven's sake this was no time to be making jokes. Last time you tried being the here nothing worked. Everyone thought silently. Akpan saw as no one budged, no one was willing to go first. Come on no one was willing to go out trying out some wildd guess and bring disaster upon themselves. If such happened they would be seen as group enemy.
"....why aren't you budging…" Akpan bellowed "...do you think by standing there you will escape death. For shit sake even if it doesn't work out atleast we will dye trying"
Akpan angry voice brought a tinge of sanity to the fear stricken group. Everyone scampered to find a pilar. On each pillar was the same queer design a triangle with a circle in the middle.
"Push in the circle … that is the lever to control it" Akapn passed out information to them quickly.
The group quickly did as they where told.. for shit sake time was not on their side who would waste any precious second dawdling.. Every second was important. As soon as the group pushed the lever , it was like an ancient demon had woken up. The pillars dislodgee themselves and fell in to the ground which had opening around the pillars. Immediately the dislodged in, a whining sound was heard rhen the gates began to slowly open up itself. On seeing the gates open gradually, the group took in huge breaths and ran in immediately.
" Huh" once they group ran into the city, they all bresth out their exhaustion
" Huh that was a close call" Akpan said still shuddering at the encounter. The whole group noded too mentally exhausted to say anything contrary to that.After all who wouldn't be shaken a bit on seeing their death so near.
The group got a hood of themselves afyer resting for a minute or two and quickly began moving. When they moved out of the gateway the group was stunned by what they saw. This was a perfect city. The ancient construction was superb.
"Who says we Africans are not great" OY blurrted out , clearly wowed by the majestic ancient construction he was seeing. The buildings was made with stone all through. They were circular. Mud was stylishly used to beautiful the stone building. The city had a circular symmetric construction pattern. It was so majestic in its own right.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone