Xêvioso and Gu continued their game of Smiting on Xêvioso’s Disc, on his island that floats over the billowing Essence clouds of his disc.
“You have been avoiding this roll for too long, brother,” Xêvioso said, “you have no other moves. Anyanwu is aiming for the Ninki Nanka, you have no distractions to prevent it, it is time to roll for battle.”
As he said this, a glowing, yellow six-sided dice materialized in his open hand.
Gu seemed to be chewing his thumb and he looked very agitated. He lifted his free hand, palm up, and a glowing red dice materialized there. The energy figures of Anyanwu accented in yellow, and the Ninki Nanka accentuated in red, rose up from the table top that became an empty floor for the battle to commence.
“Shall we start?” Xêvioso asked, closing the dice in his hand, and smirking so hard that it may as well have been a smile.
“I…” Gu started, but then Lêgba appeared next to the Smiting table and both of his brothers stood suddenly to look at him with surprise.
“Are y’all only playing with your first sets?” Lêgba asked, staring at Anyanwu and the Ninka Nanka squaring off, waiting for the Vodun to roll combat. “I haven’t seen this matchup in a long time.” He shook his head at Gu, “You forgot about the Sokpe didn’t you? Your Ninki Nanka is toast. Anyanwu is a power house.”
Gu looked to Xêvioso, who shrugged, and then he looked back at Lêgba who grinned and looked like the youngest of them, before Gu punched him in the face. Lêgba fell back on the dirt and laughed. He sat in the dirt looking up at his brothers.
“You show up so casually after so long like nothing is wrong?” Gu asked him, crossing his arms over his chest and they rested on his belly.
“The mother-father is not happy with you brother,” Xêvioso said. “You should go to the Lofted Disc right away to make amends.”
“I will,” Lêgba said, holding up a hand to brace himself against the anger of his brothers. “But I needed to speak with you first. And I want in the game. It has been so long since we played Smiting together.”
“That is your fault, Lêgba,” Gu said aggressively.
“I know, and as we play, I will tell you why I have been gone for so long. Is Jo around? Can we make this a foursome?”
“Yes,” Gu said, “let’s call Jo. She’s probably much angrier than I am since you drove a wedge between our sisters.” Gu moved his hands and flicked his fingers, and then a portal opened. Soon a strong wind rushed through, and then Jo stepped through after it. When she saw Lêgba, her face twisted with rage as the portal closed behind her.
“You selfish…” Jo started, but Lêgba ran to her side and put an arm over her shoulder. Before he could say anything, she elbowed him in the stomach and he fell to the dirt again. “Get up and take your place at the table. I will take my rage out on your deck.”
“We were in the middle of a game,” Xêvioso said.
“This is more important that our game,” Gu said and he waved a hand that cleared the table of the game they had been playing. He sat and motioned for Xêvioso to do the same. “Lêgba has a story to tell us, and it better be a good one.”
“Winner gets a Vodun pick of Lêgba’s deck. A full thirteen Vodun pick,” Jo said, leaning over the table as Lêgba sat across from her.
“Fine,” Lêgba says, “if it means you all will listen. And yes Gu, it is a good one, but only in the worth your time sense. It is not good for the future of existence everywhere.”
“Don’t be dramatic to make up for the chaos you have caused us,” Jo said.
“If anything, I am underselling it,” Lêgba said gravely. “This is something you all must see to truly comprehend.” Lêgba raised a hand and a deck of cards materialized. “I can play with this deck to demonstrate, or I can flip the cards and show you.”
“Play it,” Jo said. “When it loses, the Vodun pick is from your entire deck, the entirety of your collection.”
“Understood. Shall we begin?”
Jo materialized her deck and sat it face down in front of her. Xêvioso and Gu took the opportunity to build new decks with their more recent additions. Lêgba stared at his deck with dread. He was sure he would beat his siblings in this game because the things he had encountered had blighted entire universes.
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