Lêgba was fully on board when he left Deads’ Town, so much so that he did not insist that Owuo allow any of the Vodun including himself to access it at will.
“I fear that unfettered access will harm the integrity of his place,” he said as he stood with Owuo on the grassy hill staring out at Deads’ Town in the distance. “Keep it just as it is and I will not ask to be brought here as often as I would like. I understand why you leave them alone, the deads are so respectful and welcoming that they stopped to demonstrate their skills in my presence. You would rather they be allowed to exist and create without that obligation. It is a side of you I have never seen.”
“I do not show mercy to the living,” Owuo said as he summoned a black portal. “I can be kind to the deads because we are kindred. I will admit that I started this place to be as strong as the Vodun, to understand a mystery that none of you ever bothered with, including Agê who shuns the beauty of the decay of her Disc for the vibrancy of growth. But now I am just honored to be associated with them, with Deads’ Town. And to be the master of Death Magic. It exists independent of the Divine Essence, but they mingle so well, don’t they?”
“Indeed, friend, it is an intoxicating mix,” Legba said as they left Deads’ Town and emerged on the Disc of Xêvisoso, in his arbitration room where the Vodun met to discuss important matters. “Should I chop your head clean off? Holding it in my hands will be very dramatic.”
Owuo had slid his cutlass across his neck and his head rested sideways on his shoulder. His head was mostly severed but there was enough intact skin along the side of his neck that his head didn’t fall off completely.
“It’s such a hassle to reattach it when it’s completely severed,” Owuo said with annoyance as he thought about waiting cautiously for his dark tissue to mend.
“That’s the point,” Lêgba said, “we want them to really believe that I had to wrestle Deads’ Town away from you, and they know the hassle of reattaching the head.”
“Fine,” Owuo said with a sigh and he severed his head completely, then tossed it to Lêgba.
“Great,” Lêgba said to the head in his hands. “Now I’m gonna mess you up some really quickly before they get here.” Before Owuo could protest Legba was bashing the face into the mist covered floor and he shot sharp weapons from his hands that left Owuo’s body in tatters.
When the Vodun arrived, they were taken aback by the grisly scene and Legba at the center of it breathing heavily with Owuo’s mangled face in his hands.
“Why are you holding him like that?” Gu asked with a look of disgust on his face. “Isn’t his blood poisonous?”
“I’m not stupid,” Legba said, his voice deeper than normal. “I severed his head and sealed it off. I summoned you all here so that we can decide on terms for Owuo to receive his head back. I will take control of Deads’ Town…”
“It should be destroyed,” Agê interrupted. “He amassed untold power from that place, and it is warped magic, unlike the Divine Essence, the magic that the mother-father created. I could care less if Owuo gets his head back or not, but Deads’ Town should not be allowed to exist. It is an affront to the mother-father.”
“And yet it has existed for long enough that you dummies finally realized it existed,” Owuo said, mostly mumbled into Lêgba’s hand because he had tried to keep him from talking.
“He has a very good point,” Xêvisoso said. “If this Deads’ Town had no use to the mother-father, then it would not exist. As long as it is under your control, I am happy to end this. And I second Agê’s apathy toward Owuo’s head.”
“Give him his head back,” Jo said with annoyance. “It’s so strange to see the two of you like this.”
“As long as it is not a threat to my Disc,” Sakpata said, “do what you have to do.”
“If I hear anything bad about Deads’ Town,” Agê said and eyed Lêgba, “I will be there to dismantle it myself.”
After the Vodun left, Lêgba and Owuo returned to Lêgba’s opaque palace. Owuo reattached his head, but it would take a while to be truly secure.
“When are you going back?” Lêgba asked before Owuo disappeared to return to dark and deadly things.
“I will come get you,” Owuo said as he disappeared through his dark portal.
PRL Serials 