THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Zakaru entered Gbeleshie and returned with a souvenir – the Uhurusa katui (ultimate reaper of the gods). The Uhurusa katui is the sikan nifanum (the five-edged sword). The Uhurusa katui is Zakaru’s slayer and the Uhrusa katui is the kafunde (demon mummifier). And now Kiwakaazi has it. He is wielding probably the most powerful weapon in human history.

Inside Nomposuro, Kiwakaazi passed out after almost being suffocated by Kaki’s breasts. As usual, Kaki was watching over him like a hawk inside a cave. Her transformation to a complete human wore off immediately after she helped Kiwakaazi. She wondered why it did not last. At least the greater part of her upper body was human. She was still making progress.

 Kiwakaazi woke up with the greater portion of his memory intact. How could he not? This kind of rare beauty is hard to forget. Only three shinkos stood between them and the land of the nhutus. The strongest of the three was their leader – Aran Shinko. First, they have to take down the third and thirteenth shinkos. The two shinkos to first team up in Nomposuro and partly the reason why Shinkos hunt in pairs.

 “Roar!” went two shinkos. Kiwakaazi and Kaki finally faced them; the third and thirteen shinkos. The shinkos stood side by side. Kiwakaazi felt different. He had never used a sword his entire life and yet he felt a strange familiarization for the kafunde. He stepped forward and said, “Relax Kaki; I will take care of these two.” Kaki warned, “Never underestimate a shinko, Kay; especially these two.”

Now let’s go back some five hundred years ago. There is something I need to show you.

“No… We have to leave this forest at once. We are all going to die,” cried a priest while holding his head in his hands. He was shivering with fear. He ran presumably in a direction that will lead out of the forest. Others with him just stood there and watched him acting all crazy when they all heard it – the roar. The same roar that forced Kiwakaazi to continue running. This priest who shuddered with fear stopped running and stood still. One man asked, “What was that?” The priest who was running looked back and answered, “That was the call of death.”

 About five hundred years ago, after Nomposuro was created, a hundred men where sent into the forest. They comprised seven scientists from the west; four herbalists from the south; four wise men from the north; five priests from the east and eighty warriors from the four empires. Their mission was to find out what had happened to the Central Empire. Their mission was to find out how much the empire had changed. Was it being inhabited? If yes, what kind of beings inhabited the forest? Are they friendly and can they help mankind in anyway?  

But the very instant “the hundred” entered the forest; one priest frightened them after talking about how they were all going to die. “Calm down and tell us what you see, Ohu?” asked an herbalist.

Ohu was short for Ohuade (seer of all things); the name of a renowned priest for his pure gift to foresee and foretell the future among other gifts. Ohu said, “It is too late. They are already here.” The warriors drew their swords, bow and arrows, spears, guns and whatever weapon they carried. The priests commenced recitations ready to help. The wise men and herbalists also braced themselves for whatever was coming. But Ohu simply knelt right where he stood and closed his eyes.

They heard movement and growling. It was as if wild dogs were approaching; growling and running towards them at top speed. The bushes around them continued to move. The sound came from all directions. Eyes moved from left to right; bodies turned from side to side; backwards and forwards not sure where the attack will come from. Then, it all stopped. No movement; the forest became dead silent.

Almost five hundred years later; Kiwakaazi completely ignored Kaki’s warning. He was itching to fight. Like a child he wanted to test his new toy; the kafunde (demon mummifier). He charged forward to attack. The third shinko leapt to meet Kiwakaazi halfway. He ran directly in front of the thirteenth shinko blocking Kiwakaazi’s view of the thirteenth. Kaki shouted, “Kay wait!” but Kiwakaazi ran even faster than before until he had closed the gap between himself and the third shinko.

Suddenly, the thirteenth shinko emerged from behind the third and was already on Kiwakaazi’s right side. Kiwakaazi was distracted. He looked right and turned quickly to focus on the third shinko who was directly in front of him and saw the third shinko’s right arm already flying towards his neck from his left. He was not quick enough to react. But Kaki appeared on his left and positioned her body in between Kiwakaazi and the attack from the third. She was hit. So powerful was the attack that, she collided and moved with Kiwakaazi towards his right. They both fell on the ground and rolled a couple of times until they finally came to rest with Kaki lying on top of Kiwakaazi.

She got up and asked, “Are you alright.” Kiwakaazi was covered in bruises and cuts. He answered, “I think I will live for now. Thank you and how are you?” “Don’t worry about me. I will be fine,” answered Kaki. But she was not fine. She was bleeding from her side that took the hit and from her mouth. Kiwakaazi said, “I am sorry. I should have listened to you.” “Don’t be sorry. You just need some time to get used to the kafunde,” encouraged Kaki. “Who are those two?” asked Kiwakaazi. “They are the reason why shinkos hunt in pairs. They are the strongest team in Dun-da (caves of darkness); the two shinkos that stopped the ‘evil twins’ many years ago.”

Back to the invasion: Everything was silent. The hundred kept moving their eyes and shifting their bodies. It seems it was all in their heads. They had imagined it because of Ohu’s ranting. One warrior said, “You see, nothing is coming,” when it came.

A shinko leapt from behind the bushes. They all saw him. He jumped high above the ground and with just one strike, decapitated the warrior who thought nothing was coming. His eyes and mouth were opened and he wore a very surprised look for someone who just died. He really did not expect anything to come. There was a brief pause. The hundred reduced to ninety-nine feasted their eyes upon the frightening beast. The shinko looked round and roared. After his roar, more shinkos jumped from behind the bushes and attacked.

Guns were being fired; arrows were being shot; swords and spears were being used to attack the shinkos of Nomposuro. But nothing could stop them. Their bodies healed quickly. They severed limbs and heads with their sharp claws and drained the blood of their victims with their sharp teeth. Seeing that the shinkos could not be killed, some attempted to flee. But the shinkos were ruthless. They pursued and killed these men. One shinko spotted Ohu. He walked slowly towards him and when he was close enough, lifted his left arm to attack. Ohu kept his eyes closed. He did not want to see how he was going to die.

Kiwakaazi asked, “So, how do we defeat them.” “We can only defeat them if we work together. Kay, do you trust me?” asked Kaki. Kiwakaazi was hesitant but he said, “Yes!” eventually. Kaki said, “No, you don’t and I don’t expect you to trust me. I just want you to help me defeat those two. Can you do that?” Kiwakaazi looked at the kafunde. He lifted his head. He looked into Kaki’s eyes and responded, “Yes, I will help you.” The thread slowly moved and wrapped itself around Kiwakaazi’s left arm completely. However, he did not change into a Rahasi (guardian of hell). “I am ready,” said Kiwakaazi. Kaki nodded and the rest of her body that was human changed back into a shinko.

Back to the past: Instead of dying, Ohu felt being lifted and carried. Something was not only carrying him but running really fast with him. He opened his eyes and saw the back of the person. The shape and size of the butt suggested to him that it was a girl. She carried him on her shoulders and run fast as if he was the lightest material in the world. Running very close to the one who carried him or her right was another girl also judging from the size and shape of her buttocks. Hey, I am not saying some men are not well endowed when it comes to the backside. I am just saying the size and shape gave the impression it was a girl.

After a while, they stopped and put him down in front of them. He noticed it at once – the resemblance. They were twins. He asked, “Who are you two?” The one who carried him answered, “I am Ayele and this (gesturing to the one on her right) is my twin sister, Ajele. We are the famous evil twins.”

Ayele and Ajele were identical twins. They basically had the same face but different hair styles. Ayele had hair long hair tied in small bundles around her head. An orange colored cloth held firmly at her back protected Ayele’s breast and a long brown trouser covered her waist to feet. She wore slippers with many threads that had been tied strangely around her legs. She carried two guns around her waist and a bag pack at her back.

Ajele on the other hand had a unique hairstyle. The left side of her hair was braided and the right was long and bushy but well kept. Her breasts were hidden under a blue colored cloth. She too wore a pair of brown trousers and similar footwear. Two long rods made a cross at her back. They both wore earrings that were attached to their ears. 

The third shinko run quickly on four limbs to attack while the thirteenth stayed back. Kaki said, “Kay, watch closely and don’t make any unnecessary moves.” She too ran to meet him. The third swung its right arm and Kaki blocked with her left and followed quickly with a right punch. The third caught it with his left palm. The third shinko used his right arm to grab Kaki’s left digging his sharp claws into her skin. He also grabbed her right fist firmly with his left hand and lifted Kaki above the ground. He took a step to assume the right posture and threw her towards the thirteenth. The thirteenth took his stance. Kiwakaazi started running as quickly as he can towards flying Kaki.

“You saved my life. But why?” whispered Ohu. “You spoke of the attack before it happened,” answered Ayele. “Which means you are special,” added Ajele. “These creatures were shot at, cut and blasted away and still they survived,” continued Ayele. “We realized that we can only survive with your help,” spoke Ajele. “Now tell us, how we can defeat them,” demanded Ayele.

Remember Gambua and the story about Nanazi and Siyata. Gambua was actually a kingdom in Jumapafie (Southern Empire). Of course the story Empress Ashanti told Tinle Dedeli was the exaggerated version of a fascinating event that took place in Gambua centuries ago. But the part of Gambua being ruled by women was true. Since women ruled in Gambua, women were also trained as warriors in that kingdom.

Ayele and Ajele were two sisters whom excelled in the arts of combat. At age nineteen, the twins became the bodyguards of Tinle (Princess) Dromo. But sadly, the princess was gunned down one afternoon while she took a walk in Gau, capital city of Gambua on their watch. A single shot to her head fired at quite some distance by an ace marksman. They failed to protect the princess. The punishment was certain death. They fled Gambua and found refuge in Nibooman (Western Empire) where their deaths were faked. A comprehensive report explaining how Ayele and Ajele died after being trapped and burnt alive in an abandoned house was submitted to Jumapafie (Southern Empire) and Gambua. This report included DNA analysis suggesting that two females with identical DNA died in that fire. The DNAs matched that of Ayele and Ajele. Their bodies were charred beyond recognition and recovery.

Ayele and Ajele worked as assassins for the Emperor of Nibooman dealing specifically with internal and external threats that demanded plausible deniability from the west. They killed many people and earned the notorious name ‘the evil twins.’ They formed part of the first team of hundred that were sent on an expedition to Nomposuro. The twins and Ohuade were now the only survivors.

Let’s return to Kiwakaazi. He was running really fast but was nowhere near Kaki. The thirteenth shinko was ready to crush her with a single blow. Kiwakaazi shouted to himself, “Run!” While running, he felt the power of the sword spread through his body like a sudden electric shock. His eyes suddenly turned red. His speed increased. He jumped, caught and pushed Kaki towards the path he run just before she was punched by the thirteenth shinko. Once again, they were rolling on the ground. Even while moving, Kiwakaazi and Kaki knew that their opponents were coming for them.

When they finally stopped, Kiwakaazi gathered himself and held his sword above his head to stop the powerful claws of the third shinko from crushing him. Kaki once again stopped a right swing at her from the thirteenth shinko with her left arm. They were both kneeling on the ground facing opposite directions. She suddenly roared in the face of the thirteenth shinko. He neither expected that nor the punch that followed and sent him flying. Kaki quickly turned to help Kiwakaazi. She swung her right claw forcing the third backwards. Kiwakaazi followed quickly with a swing of his sword aiming for the beast’s gut. The third leapt backwards again before his gut was spilled.

The thirteenth collided with a tree and was now rising to its feet. The third after avoiding the kafunde felt something was wrong.  He looked down at his abdomen and noticed a cut that was slowly healing. The two shinkos, third and thirteen, roared, crouched on four limbs, and ran to attack.

Kaki cautioned, “Here they come, Kay.” Kiwakaazi replied, “Let them.”