Upon arriving in Nigeria, Plutus set his course for the southwest, heading toward the Osun-Oshogbo Sacred Grove, a sanctuary dedicated to Osun, the goddess of fresh waters, fertility, and prosperity. It was here, in the territory of an old friend, that the Ancient Gods held their council every two centuries—a rule established by the deities of all nations. Plutus, seeking to reassure Johnny, urged him to fear nothing as long as he had faith in him.
"Um, Mr. Plutus, please tell me... We won't... I mean, I won't die anymore, right? Just to be sure," DJ asked.
"Call me Plutus!" the god replied. "And to answer your question, you were freed from all your debts to Mammon the day I took you with me."
"Phew! You schooled the padre good!" DJ exclaimed with relief. Piqued by curiosity, he added: "By the way, what exactly are you? A Djinn, a demon... I'm not sure."
Plutus did not answer immediately. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and thunder roared with violence. "BRAOUM!"
"You see, little one," Plutus began, his voice growing colossal, echoing multiple times in the heavy air. "I am the one who gives you everything you desire in abundance. As long as you keep asking for it, over and over... You know the power of abundance! This power belongs to me. I am the endless honey, the milk... I am Plutus, the God of Abundance."
"Ah, that's... duh," DJ stammered, a little scared but impressed, "c-cool."
Meanwhile, Johnny's grandmother, who was accompanying them, engaged in a quiet conversation with her grandson.
"Tell me, Titi, are you well? Are you hurting anywhere?"
"No, no," Johnny replied. "I just have a lot of questions about what my life will be like now that I'm the avatar of a god."
The old woman smiled. "You know, I'll tell you a secret. I, too, pledged myself to an ancient goddess during the First World War. And, to tell you the truth, my life hasn't really changed. I remained the same."
Johnny was both surprised and enlightened. He now understood better why she used to go to the village river and sometimes performed mysterious rites.
The arrival in the heart of the forest was heralded by a sound of blown horns. Voices echoed, and the ground beneath their feet transformed into a path carpeted with thorns. Countless snakes of all kinds appeared. In front of them, a leopard stared intently.
"By what permission do you defile my territory?" the beast roared. "You are condemned! The only way to escape the curse is to answer a question. If you fail, you will be devoured and taken to a hell even more terrible than that of Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld."
Plutus addressed the animals and the leopard calmly.
"Who allowed you to be so numerous, and who gave you these snakes in abundance?"
"Welcome, my lord," the leopard replied.
In a whirlwind, the feline shape-shifted. He became a tall, magnificent man with the muscles of a gladiator. His attire was unique: a red skirt, a panel of turquoise blue cloth studded with precious stones crossed his shoulder down to his belt. He wore a heavy gold chain around his neck and gold bracelets inlaid with sky-blue diamonds. His eyes were strikingly beautiful, and he brandished a scepter shaped like an axe, filled with dazzling crystals.
"Don't call me lord, Shango," Plutus retorted with a dry smile. "You yourself are still one of the best fallen lords. Don't try to flatter me." He turned to his companions. "Friends, I introduce you to an Orisha, which is how the Yoruba gods, the proud warriors of Africa, are named!"
Following this introduction, Shango, the first Orisha they met, escorted them to the assembly ground.
As soon as they arrived, Plutus called out to Osun, asking her to gather the gods and requesting the loan of a divine messenger. His goal was to contact other deities who would join him in fighting Mammon, thus securing their perpetuity in the memory of men.
"Oh Osun, the most beautiful Orisha of the Heaven's creation, you before whom the creatures of the fresh waters daily bow... I do not wish to offend my beloved Era, but..."
He was abruptly cut off. A thick purple mist, a haze with a celestial perfume, formed, as a whirlwind filled with cawing ravens rose.
"I do not permit it, Plutus," Era retorted, her face marked by icy seriousness.
"Ah, my old friend, I was only jesting!" added Plutus, amused. "You still have that mortal temper, and I adore it, my beautiful."
He whispered: "And secondly, another woman at this meeting would be welcome."
A crash of thunder tore through the sky. It was Zeus.
"Do not count on me or the gods of Olympus, Plutus! You have not honored your debt from our last contract!"
The Orishas continued to arrive one by one.
"Oh, Great Zeus! Thank you for your endless kindness. Era is more than enough for me," Plutus threw back.
As he spoke, Osun appeared. A wave of water emerged from Johnny's grandmother's mouth, and the goddess stepped out of the water, possessing an unparalleled beauty.
"Yeah, ahhh! Bastard!" DJ exclaimed.
Johnny, jaw dropped, added: "What the hell is this?"
Another Orisha, lurking in the shadow of a tree, spoke up.
"You, the young one with the braids and those chains around your neck, you're quite handsome!"
He flew toward DJ. He was a being with bulging muscles and flames dancing on his arms. He gazed at DJ with undisguised attraction, observing him closely.
"Do you wish to be my avatar, young man?"
"Who are you, huh? Me, I'm not a woubi, you need to move on, champion!" DJ retorted, using local slang.
"The fact that you know my exploits flatters me. A champion," the Orisha said. "And I want you to be my representative on the land of humans."
"No way! Get lost!" DJ replied.
"Are you sure? I will give you everything you want. You will walk on gold for the rest of your life!" the god insisted.
"Yeah, you're determined, huh, champion? Yafoy! I don't want to walk on it. I want to take it in my hand and spend it all without it ever running out," DJ countered, with Ivorian swagger.
"Let it be written and fulfilled. The contract is sealed," the Orisha declared. "There is one small detail left! Be careful!"
He struck the ground, the earth trembled, and an invisible thorn wounded Johnny.
"Oh! That's enough! No waste! Your blood is precious to me," Plutus said, stepping between them. "You still have this bizarre practice of having avatars. You truly don't change, Esu."
"This is Esu, the Messenger of the Gods," he announced to his friends. "His main function is to be the divine messenger, ensuring communication between the spirit world (Òrun) and the human world (Aìyé). He is the guardian of the crossroads and the master of destiny and uncertainty. Known for his mischievous nature, he is also called Eshu, Exu, or Legba. Behold... Eeeesuuuuu!"
"Do you still have your unfriendly temper, Plutus?" Esu replied.
"Yesss, my friend!" Plutus added with a wink.
"Oh, how beautiful the moon is tonight," Plutus murmured.
Johnny looked up and saw a strange, large-beaked bird. But it was only the outline of a skull on the moon's face. A powerful wind blew, full of dust. The bird materialized into a sort of skeleton wrapped in bandages, a mummy with a falcon's head, crowned by the crescent and lunar disk. He held a scepter.
"Khonsu, god of the nocturnal sun, time has not been kind to you, my old friend," Plutus said, beaming. "How is Egypt?"
Khonsu, the Egyptian god of the Moon, whose name means "traveler," is associated with time and healing.
"We can begin the meeting, friends," Plutus announced. "We will catch the others up as they arrive."
Some Ancient Gods had answered the call. Hostilities were about to begin. Our companions felt overwhelmed by the events they were experiencing. Now that DJ was Esu's avatar, what fate awaited our friends?
See you in the next chapter.