THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Ohu told the twins, “I was supposed to die back there. I saw it happen and whatever I see come to pass. By saving me, you have altered the destiny of this forest and the world. You have created another future. The kranjus (immortal guardians) cannot be killed by human weapons. I know of only one weapon that can – the sikan nifanum (five-edged sword) and it is hidden somewhere inside this forest.”

“Where do we find it?” asked Ajele. “I do not know,” replied Ohu. “But to help you find it, I will spell your weapons to perform a function similar to what the sikan nifanum performs. But this spell will weaken me. As long as I remain alive, your weapons will perform a function similar to the sikan nifanum. But if I should die, you will have at most a day before the spell wears off. Now present all your weapons and let me spell it,” added Ohu.

Ayele and Ajele presented all their weapons; guns, the two rods and a back pack. The priest repeated some incantations and suddenly begun to glow white. His whole body became a ball of light. So bright was this light that, Ayele and Ajele had to close their eyes. When they opened them, he was lying unconscious on the ground. The twins rushed to his side. Ajele placed her head on his chest. Ayele asked, “How is he?” Ajele rose to her feet and answered, “He is alive.” Ayele suddenly shouted, “Get down!” Ajele got down and Ayele drew her left pistol with her left arm and fired two shots at an attacker.

When the hundred entered Nomposuro, Afranto paid Aran a visit. Aran had already dispatched his twelve brave shinkos to destroy the intruders; take no prisoners. He was preparing himself to join the hunt when Afranto appeared behind him in his special cave. Without turning Aran asked angrily, “What do you want?”

Afranto said, “Shinko, always angry; always impatient. I came to deliver a message. Among the hundred who just arrived in the forest is a very powerful man. He must be killed while still in Nomposuro.” Shinko said, “I find it insulting that you will come to deliver such a message.” “Don’t be offended, my son. Nompotse insisted I deliver this message. The future of this forest depends on this.” Aran asked, “What is so special about this man?” Afranto answered, “I don’t know. He did not say.” Aran said, “Fine, then I will go and make sure of it myself.” Aran disappeared. Afranto said, “Good, that is reassuring.” She too disintegrated into about a thousand light butterflies and scattered.

The shots hit the shinko and penetrated his body. He suddenly stopped and started changing into a mummy. Two more jumped from behind Ayele. Ajele run past her sister. One attacked with his right and the other attacked with his left. Ajele pulled the two rods from her back and blocked both attacks. She pushed a button on her rod and pulled them downwards. Something sharp and pointy emerged from the end of the rod which faced the shinkos and cut their arms. She quickly pushed both rods into the chests of the shinkos. She twisted and turned the rods and pulled them out. They both turned into stone mummies. Ayele said, “Let’s go. More will be coming soon.” Ajele this time carried Ohu on her shoulders and they started running again.

They found a cave and hid inside of it. Ajele slept first for only about an hour after which Ayele too slept for about an hour. Ayele this time carried Ohu while they ran. Suddenly, they stopped. They sensed the shinkos were close. Ayele dropped Ohu and they both climbed separate tall trees like they were monkeys. Two shinkos arrived and found Ohu lying on the ground unconscious. “Is he dead?” asked one of the shinkos. “He smells alive to me,” answered the other. Suddenly they both looked up only to be shot in the head. They too turned into stones.

Ayele and Ajele descended the tree. Ayele bent over to lift Ohu. Ajele suddenly pulled out her two rods, pushed the buttons and threw her left rod in a certain direction. They heard the rod being pulled out and something collapsing behind the bushes. The two sisters pressed their backs against each other. Ayele asked softly, “How many?” Ajele answered, “Three.” Ajele spread her arms as if she had been nailed on a cross. Ayele did the same with her pistols in hand. Ajele moved her left arm and when she stopped, Ayele fired. It hit one of the three shinkos. Ajele moved her right, stopped and Ayele fired again. Another shinko was hit. Ajele stopped. Ayele asked, “What about the third?” Ajele answered, “It’s coming.

The shinko emerged from the bushes and was attacking Ayele head-on. Ayele shot a couple of times but the shinko avoided each one and kept running quickly towards her. Ayele aimed her left pistol. She fired aiming for the head and the shinko still avoided this one. Ajele remained put watching her sister’s back. Ayele went on her knees. She aimed both guns. She asked, “Are you ready?” Ajele did not even answer. Ayele fired two shots and hit the shinko’s thighs forcing it to its knees. He was right in Ayele’s face glaring at her. Ajele grabbed her sister’s shoulder with her left, climbed over her and slit the throat of the shinko with her sharp rod. The shinko bled, fell face down and turned to stone. While Ajele was was slitting the throat of the shinko, Ayele had turned to watch her sister’s back. Two badass sisters!

Ajele first recovered one of her weapons from behind the bushes. She carried the priest and the sisters ran again. While running, the priest regained consciousness. He was weak but he could move. He told the twins that while he was unconscious, his spirit was able to pinpoint the exact location of the sikan nifanum. He will lead them to it but first they need to rest. They entered a cave and were able to rest for more than an hour after Ohu had used his remaining strength to cast a spell that would make it impossible for the shinkos to spot them.

They were soon back in the forest. Ohu had not fully recovered but he was now moving on his own. They walked for a while. He stopped looked round and pointed towards his left. He said, “Hurry, we are almost there.”

Aran and the remaining three shinkos found their brothers trapped in stone. He asked, “How did this happen?” The three shinkos were silent. And in an angry voice Aran shouted, “Find them!” The three shinkos disappeared in various directions. Aran bent over one of the shinkos trapped in stone and said, “I will find and punish those who did this to you my brother. I promise.” He too disappeared.

Ohu stopped. Ayele rushed to his side and asked, “Are you alright?” “I am fine, just a little bit tired,” answered Ohu. “Let’s stop and rest,” suggested Ajele. Ohu exclaimed, “No! We must find the weapon, now!” Ayele and Ajele suddenly surrounded Ohu. He asked, “What is happening?” Ajele answered, “We have company.” One shinko leapt from behind the bushes. Ayele pointed her gun and fired four times. The shinko was hit and fell flat on its face. He was bleeding from its mouth while it turned into stone.

They crossed some bushes and were finally there – the cave of tears. Ohu pointed at the cave with the strange blanket of sparkly water covering its entrance. He shouted excitedly, “There! The sikan nifanum can be found there!” Ayele said, “You should go inside sister. I will stay and watch over the priest.”

The third and thirteenth shinkos were already there. The thirteenth wanted to attack but the third held it back. He said, “Stop. He is here.” The wind blew past Ayele and Ajele and the next thing they knew, Ohu was bleeding from his chest. His blood was splattered everywhere and he fell on his back. Ayele and Ajele got close to him. They have failed again to protect someone again. The sisters cried while they apologized to Ohu. He said, “Don’t cry. You two are heroes. I am sorry I can’t help you anymore. I must return and warn the others.” He disappeared right before their eyes.

A lady was preparing to wash. A large basin, a stool, the dirty laundry and soap were sitting on the ground outside her room. She was filling the basin with water from a pot when someone appeared from nowhere in front of her. She recognized the person as her twin brother, Ohuade. She dropped the pot crushing it completely. She quickly moved to his side and placed his head in her laps. She cried, “Brother, what happened?” Her brother was bleeding profusely from his chest, ears, mouth and nostrils. She turned to her left and screamed for help. With his last breath he whispered the word “kranjus” meaning immortal guardians. She reported her brother’s untimely death to the chief of her village. She feared someone had killed her brother whom was supposed to be on a spiritual retreat meditating in the woods. This message was passed on from the chief to the king and finally to the emperor. Nomposuro now posed a real danger to the world and the thousand was assembled – the best warriors only. They were going to crush Nomposuro once and for all.

Back in the forest, the evil twins also now vowed to destroy the one who killed Ohu. They rose to face the greatest of all shinkos; Arangosango Shinko himself.

He disappeared once again and appeared in front of Ayele. His left arm was already on its way to cut off her head but Ajele quickly gave her sister a kick in the leg that forced to her knees saving her from Aran. Ayele fired her pistol aiming for Aran’s leg but he quickly disappeared. Ayele did not understand how her sister did it but she knew that if they stick together, Aran will be the one down and turned to stone. So they remained stuck; back pressed against one another and watching each other’s back.

Aran reappeared. Ajele shouted, “In front of me!” Ayele placed her left hand over her sister’s shoulder and fired. Ajele said, “On your right.” Ayele pointed to her right and fired again. “In front of you,” said Ajele. Ayele pointed directly in front and fired. Ajele suddenly became silent.

“I don’t believe it. These two have defeated Aran,” said the third shinko. Aran appeared and was already stone. It seems all that disappearing and appearing did not help. He took a gunshot or two to delicate organs and turned to stone. The third looked at the thirteenth sternly and said, “Listen, I know how we can stop them.”

Ajele was getting ready to enter the cave when the third and thirteenth shinkos appeared behind them and roared. She turned and returned to her sister’s side. They assumed their battle formation. Ayele pointed her gun at the shinkos and fired. The shinkos did not attack. They just run around. Ayele continued to fire. Ajele shouted, “Stop!” Ayele asked, “Why?” Ajele answered, “How many rounds do you have?” Ayele shook her guns close to her ears and answered, “I am almost out.” Ayele dropped to her knees, unzipped her bag and started loading more bullets. 

The thirteenth shinko was already running to attack. Ajele said, “I will keep them busy while you reload.” She ran to meet the thirteenth shinko. The shinko swung its right claw, Ajele ducked and attacked with her rod. The shinko leapt back and quickly leapt forward to attack. Ajele flipped and summersaulted backwards again and again towards her sister. When she was close, she performed a full split; sitting on the ground with her legs widely opened. Ayele placed her arms on her sister’s shoulders and aimed at the thirteenth shinko directly in front of them.

Return to the present: The shinkos were almost close to Kiwakaazi and Kaki. Kaki shouted, “Now!” Kiwakaazi turned and ran towards the thirteenth while Kaki ran towards the third. The shinkos were not expecting their opponents to suddenly change. Kaki and Kiwakaazi run past their opponents and spilled the blood of both. Kaki had decapitated the third and Kiwakaazi had cut the thirteenth into halves.

Ayele fired. The thirteenth leapt towards its right. Standing behind the thirteenth was the third. The third roared very loudly and for a very long time. This loud and long roar blew away Ayele’s bullets. It threw dust into the eyes of the twins and made it difficult for them to see. Ayele wanted to shoot but she could not even aim her guns. She noticed the thirteenth approaching from her left. She pointed her left gun in that direction. She could still not aim because of the third’s roar yet she fired many times in that direction. The thirteenth shinko leapt once, leapt twice, leapt thrice and by the fourth leap was close to the twins. It swung its claws.

Ajele ducked and the roaring stopped. She got up, turned and noticed her sister’s chest had been cut open. Blood was gushing out and she was already dead. The thirteenth shinko was on her right and the third stood some distance directly in front of her. She rose to her feet; tears running down her angry, beautiful face. She screamed and run as fast as she could towards the third. The thirteenth noticed a few bullets in his body. It felt weak but chased after Ajele.

The third shinko swung its right claw. Ajele drove the sharp end of her rod through it and removed it. The third shinko swung the left and that too received a quick injection from Ajele’s rod. Ajele drove both rods through the chest of the third shinko. She heard a growl behind her. She withdrew her right rod with her right hand, went on her knees and pointed it in the direction of the thirteenth. The thirteenth’s chest found the rod perfectly.

The two shinkos started turning into mummies from their feet upwards. Ajele could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She had done it. But no, the third with its last breath drove its right claw through Ajele’s chest. It was not the most powerful attack of a shinko but it still did some damage. Ajele bled instantly from her mouth, nostrils and chest.

She knelt with her two rods in the chest of stone shinkos. She was slowing losing consciousness and saw her sister. She smiled and took her last breath.

Arangosango Shinko was the first to awaken. What he saw impressed him and taught him the valuable lesson about teamwork. Since the incident with the evil twins, shinkos started hunting in pairs.