THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Immediately Kiwakaazi dived into the water the serpent rushed to attack him. It swam with great speed towards him. Kiwakaazi was not afraid of the serpent. He suspended gently in the water and watched the budu while it swam towards him. Bubbles rose from his mouth from time to time. Some new power was rising within him. He started to undergo further transformation. The ultimate defense first thickened around him and became spiky, then, it extended to cover his neck. The ring around his pupils changed from orange to a lighter shade of red. Two red marks, lines, extended from underneath his eyes and grew a few centimeters downwards.
Every time Kiwakaazi touched the kafunde he felt its infinite power — power he feared he might not be able to control. What if he goes berserk and harms Kaki? “Berserk!” I love that Eminem song! Anyway, he could never forgive himself for that. So he tamed the kafunde; releasing enough of the power he could control. Unfortunately for the budu he chose the time he fought it to unleash more power. So great was this power that the water around him was being pushed back. Realizing this, the budu disappeared. Even during his transformation, his eyes were moving trying to figure out from where an attack may come. Then it was complete — the first of many developments that will change Kiwakaazi into the ultimate guardian of hell; Uhurusa Rahasi.

Somewhere inside Kaki’s dream world, she heard a voice mention a certain baby Deila. She turned sharply to face her new acquaintance. She was frightened for a moment there. When she entered there was no one inside and the door had been locked. “Where did she come from?” she wondered. She examined her host. She was beautiful and scary as hell at the same time. She was Kaki’s doppelganger whom had very pale skin and blond hair. Her double was very tall and had beautiful green eyes. She opened her mouth and stuck out a long, thick and snake-like tongue. He canines were longer and pointed. Her lips were pink and thin.

Kaki wanted to ask her for her name but was interrupted when the images of the moving pictures on the wall begun to talk. She turned to face the wooden screen once again. An elderly woman had asked the young couple what name they had in mind for their young daughter. In unison they answered, “Deila,” meaning ‘the messenger of the gods’. “Deila…? Why does it feel like I have heard this name before?” asked Kaki. Suddenly the images changed and little Deila was a young girl about twelve years old.

Kiwakaazi stood on solid ground under the Gajun (Blue River). A large bubble surrounded his entire head and five golden swords about 12 inches long circled his body. He said, “’Now I am ready for you, sibudu (single headed water serpent).”
 
Young Deila was beautiful at age twelve. Her beauty was more of a reflection of the love she perceived to exist between her parents. She was playing with her two and beautiful friends, Simiba and Bimbi. They played a game of mothers. They pretended to be mothers taking care of wooden dolls. They fed the dolls and dressed them in colorful clothing. Each one of them named their babies. They rocked them, placed them on beds they made themselves and they laughed heartily at their work. They played this game in a beautiful garden surrounded by many beautiful flowers and fruit bearing trees. The butterflies danced in the air and the bees buzzed around. No girl at her age must have been as happy as young, innocent Deila. But one day, everything changed when a couple visited them.

Kiwakaazi has released more power from the kafunde but perhaps it was not wise to take the battle to the budu. The Gajun was not just the home of the sibudu (single headed water serpent). It was an extension of its body just as the kafunde is an extension of Kiwakaazi’s body when he becomes a Rahasi.

Quick and simultaneous attacks came from almost every side of Kiwakaazi’s body. To an observer, about a thousand tails attacked Kiwakaazi at the same time. But all thousand tails were cut down and changed back to water by the golden swords that danced around Kiwakaazi. Then, the head appeared above Kiwakaazi. It came down with great speed. Its mouth was opened wide; so wide it could swallow an elephant. Kiwakaazi lifted the kafunde. The head of the serpent appeared swallowing the kafunde and disappeared. Things calmed down for a while. It seems the budu has disappeared once again. What was the tricky serpent planning anyway? Did it even matter? Kiwakaazi was absolutely fearless and beyond confident. Bring it on serpent! 

Aran from birth had a great destiny awaiting him — a destiny to become Jaazi (Emperor). And he became Emperor. Empress Ashanti stepped down after her daughter married Kiwakaazi II and named Arangosango as her successor. Since Dedeli was destined to marry Kiwakaazi II, he married a beautiful woman named Safiri. Even more beautiful was the fact that their mothers shared a common name, Deila. Safiri and her husband, Emperor Arangosango decided that they would name at least one of their daughters after their mothers. To the eyes of the outside world, the couple was really happy and had no problems and it may really have been so. But a visit from another couple exposed how weak the foundation of their marriage was.

Five slimy balls were shot in quick succession at Kiwakaazi. His golden swords attacked the slimy balls but got stuck in it. This was the sibudu’s chance to kill Kiwakaazi. Multiple tails appeared in close proximity to Kiwakaazi and all turned into water. How? Impressive is this new power. Perhaps that is why Kiwakaazi was prepared to take the fight to the sibudu. The golden blades that were supposed to be stuck in the slimy balls disappeared, appeared around Kiwakaazi and cut through the attacking tails of the sibudu. But Kiwakaazi was not just standing and defending himself. One thing we all know is that Kiwakaazi may not be physically strong but he was very smart. He figured something out.

Deila was called inside to greet a couple whom have journeyed all the way from Nananompofie (Central Empire) to meet her. They were both very kind and came bearing many gifts. All the gifts were wrapped beautifully. She thanked them very much for their kindness. She did not know them. She had never met them before and yet she felt very relaxed to be around them. Later, her own parents introduced this couple to her as Kiwakaazi and Dedeli rulers of the Central Empire and long life friends of their family. They were also her godparents. She finally understood why they were so kind to her. They reminded her of her own parents. Being inquisitive, she asked if they had any children of their own.

Beautiful Deila’s question offended her parents but excited her godparents whom laughed. Dedeli even grabbed her face and kissed her on the forehead and Kiwakaazi II commented on how smart she will be someday. They together answered yes to her question — a son and two daughters. They added that their son was born exactly two years and twenty-seven days before she was born. They would love for the two of them to meet. They wanted to bring him along but the boy was too busy playing with friends somewhere. She nodded happily at their answer. Maybe someday she will meet their son. He will become the big brother she never had. She must have been blessed by the gods abundantly for having good parents and even better godparents. The few days they stayed with her family were some of the best days in her young life. They took her around the empire to visit some really beautiful places. And Dedeli fed her like a baby anytime they ate. She was pampered and spoilt by her godparents. Then they left and everything changed.

The Gajun did its work of concealing the serpent excellently. The serpent was definitely in the Gajun but the background made it slightly difficult for Kiwakaazi to see it. If sight will not work, then he must use his other senses to the fullest. Kiwakaazi had one other power. He is able to sense danger. Every time something dangerous approaches, his impregnable armor will crawl up his skin. He also tuned his hearing to sense the slightest movement in the Gajun other than his own and his five golden swords. Combing these two, he sensed the sibudu. It was circling Kiwakaazi; moving with great speed in a circular path about three meters from Kiwakaazi assuming he was the center of the circle. Kiwakaazi followed its movement waiting for the perfect time to strike.

I am sure you remember how Aran harbored ill-feelings towards Kiwakaazi (Dedeli). Kiwakaazi II fought and defeated him and that upset Aran. This same Kiwakaazi was married to the woman he had loved for the greater part of his life. You see, Aran was told from his childhood that he was someday going to be the Emperor of the Southern Empire and the woman who will rule by his side was going to be Dedeli. So for a long time he wondered who this Dedeli was exactly. Praise the gods, one day he caught sight of her; a sick but beautiful girl. She was very weak and everything about her was the mirror image of pain. But when he looked at her, he saw strength. “How could anyone endure such great pain?” he questioned. It was love at first sight. Then from nowhere came Mr. Nobody, Kiwakaazi, whom just stole her from him. He saw her first; he loved her first. Didn’t that count for anything? “Curse that name! Curse the day he met her! Curse him! Kiwakaazi! You altered my destiny,” thought Aran.

“Gotcha!” shouted Kiwakaazi. He pointed his right hand and two fingers three o’clock from his body and off went two of his golden swords.