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Battle of the Kingless – Ch. 13 | KT OLLA

JEPHTHAH woke up today with a desperate craving. It was about a month since he found himself on that rainy day.

Since that day when the former warrior found peace in God and friends, Jephthah had stopped wasting himself on drinks.

 But this early morning one month after, the young fighter woke up in his cave all too thirsty for liquor. Yet everything before him was water and milk.

For the former waster had thrown alcohol out of his life.

Then he combed through the cave, with Baddok and co fast asleep around him.

Those friends of his had started living with him. It was since that rainy morning they swore to live for his cause.

So, in that desperate moment of search, Jephthah found himself again.

He remembered then that he’d found a new life; that he was no longer going to squander his days away. That he’d live responsibly from then on.

So he dashed out immediately for a fresh air to soothe his tensed nerves. And as he got out of the caves he saw the little brook that ran across the plain overlooking that rock.

Right there the former drinker decided to quench his craving with a fill of spring water. So he staggered down the slope, got to the river and crouched down to drink.

There Jephthah stayed down for a long as eternity, gulping and gurgling water to his fill.

But right about then, a small pack of fighters, about twelve stout men, stormed out of the darkness beyond the brook.

They dashed through the waters and charged towards the weary man. In a moment the men had pounced on Jephthah. And soon they wrestled him to the ground.

Yes, that attack was so sudden that the former soldier was caught off-guard. He’d got no stamina to resist. Neither had he got a weapon to fight back with.

And a time to think was the utmost thing he lacked.

Then, all of a sudden, a wave of God’s Spirit poured over Jephthah. It was like a powerful gust of wind surging him forward.

In that moment, the ex-champion leaped to his feet from where he laid weak and lifeless. And back to his feet he stood his ground and fought back in defense.

He picked up a deer’s horn lying useless on the ground. And with that pronged twig, he tackled every swing of the sword from his assailant; yanking off blades from hard grips and cutting down the swordsmen, too.

As swords and twig clashed and clattered over and again, Jephthah barked some words once in every while.

‘Who are you?! Who sent you folks?! Just what d’ you want? Answer, will you!’

But then, there was no answer from any of those men and so Jephthah stopped being lenient and he fought them hard.

He fought them in a wild attack now, bashed and smashed them in and out. The former warlord trashed those folks to a pulp, till they all laid almost lifeless on the ground.

Then done with beating the hoods, Jephthah sat in front of the lifeless pack panting breathlessly.

He bowed his head in-between his open knees, and waited for the men to wake up and attend his questions.

But in that moment of waiting, Jephthah’s new friends woke up and came out. The sound of the fighting had jolted them awake; so they came out to check what happened.

And there they saw Jephthah… with the men he’d beaten to a pulp.

It was Baddok who spoke first. ‘Did you just ditch your precious sleep to fight these men? Did you just beat the men of Macot?’

It was Jephthah who was stunned now. ‘The men of Macot?’

‘Yes, don’t you know them by their appearance?’ Baddok was looking round to observe them.

He blurted out the next moment. ‘Oh no, we’re not staying home today!’

Jephthah stood up. ‘What d’ you mean we’re not staying home? And who are these men, by the way? Tell me, just who are they?’

Baddok shook his head in disappointment. Then he replied:

‘The men of Macot are a wild pack roaming home and away. They were a mercenary squad from here in Tob who suddenly turned roaming militants…

‘But these are just a small fraction of a hundred militants,’ he explained.

Then the young man paused a moment and resumed in a bit.

‘My lord, these men they don’t break or wear out at all. But seeing what just happened now…’ He went dumb and just shrugged.

At this rate Jephthah wanted to hear more. He looked to Baddok with a look begging for more details.

But it was Simone who took on from there, the one with the candid speak.

He replied. ‘Macot’s men lost their livelihood as mercenaries of war. It was when our king made a pact of peace with all neighboring kingdoms.

‘You see, enemy nations suddenly became allies and there was no need for wars anymore.

‘So now, the former mercenaries now roamed cities and countryside looking for trouble.

‘And today you’re their trouble, I’m afraid!’ 

Jephthah heaved a quiet breath and turned to Baddok again, putting up a straight face.

‘So friend, is that simply why you say we’re not staying home today?’

But just as Baddok was hastening to a defense, a different voice answered for him from the darkness behind them.

It was with a thick, broad low pitch. 

‘Yes, because you’ll have to fight my hundred and I! You’ll have to fight a century all day!’

Everyone looked around, searching for the one who spoke.

The next instant the man stepped out of the dark.

And with him poured an endless century.

Copyright © April 2022 by Kayode & Tola Olla

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