THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Three days were up. First the scientist came and operated on them. Incisions were made and tiny microchips were implanted under their breasts on the left side of their chests. Next was the ritual that will transport them to Nomposuro. A priest was contracted and he came with two virgins. Jima was a water-style Ahontifo and Jabari was an earth-style ahontifo. This made it pretty easy to determine which element they had highest affinity for but to take no chances, the qualitative test was performed with their bloods. Jima’s blood mixed with the colorless liquid and after a while the liquid maintained its colorless nature. Jabari’s blood turned it yellowish instantly an indication of how strong his affinity for the earth is.

Jima stood in a large earthen pot filled with water. The water climbed up his body. He watched his body while it turned to water. His entire body was finally reduced to water in the earthen bowl. The water in the bowl reduced until it was all gone. Some seconds later, water filled the bowl again.

It suddenly started raining inside Nomposuro. Some of the drops stuck together and grew. More drops gathered around this nucleus and it grew bigger and bigger; slowly forming the shape of a man until it was a man — Jima. He was kneeling on one knee. He looked left and then right. He thought, ‘So this is Nomposuro (dark and evil forest). It is not as frightening as I anticipated.’

Suddenly a shinko leapt from the bushes in front of him. Jima held out his left arm and shouted, “Nsu din ban (ice shield)!” The shinko crushed into the ice shield. Jima shouted, “Nsu din ejai (ice spear)!” An ice spear appeared in his right. He threw it and it pierced the shinko in its chest. The shinko fell on its back. Only a few exchanges and Jima was already out of breath. He wondered, ‘Did I get it?’ Suddenly, the shinko rose to its feet and pulled out the ice spear. Jima touched the earth. Water climbed up the body of the shinko, hardened into ice and shattered into a million pieces. Jima relaxed. ‘I have done it,’ thought ignorant Jima.

Circling Jabari was a whirlwind of sand. It moved around him for a long time and settled instantaneously. Jabari was gone — disappeared to appear inside Nomposuro. He appeared crouching on the ground like a beast. No sooner had he arrived than he heard the roar of an actual beast beast. He rose to his feet and took to his heels. He used his arms to move bushes out of his way. He jumped over the thick roots of the trees that protruded out of the soil. He ducked, swung and jumped over the branches. He looked back and front constantly while he run. Then suddenly he stopped to catch his breath. He wondered, ‘Where is Jima?’

Jima watched while the ice particles attracted one another like a magnet attracting iron fillings. It grew big and then bigger and into the shinko again. Jima was shocked and petrified. Then to add salt to injury, this shinko roared.

Jabari had offered his left arm to a shinko to chew on. Luckily, that left arm was wearing hard rock armor. The beast bit it as hard as it could. Jabari made a right fist and rock climbed his arm from his fist. He used his hard right rock fist to punch the shinko as hard as he could. The Shinko was thrown away and it collided into a tree. Jabari waited to see what will happen. The shinko rose again. It bled from its mouth. It made an angry face, growled and roared as loud as it could before pouncing on Jabari.

Jima probably wet his pants after that roar. But he was not ready to die. He quickly shouted, “Nsu din agai (ice bow and arrow)!” He shot an arrow at the shinko and while the arrow flew towards the beast he shouted, “Piti (scatter)!” The arrows multiplied and many of them hit the shinko. Once again the beast fell. Jima was smart. He anticipated the shinko was not dead. He was not going to hang around for the beast to rise and attack. Maybe this time he will not be so lucky. No, life was too precious. Jima took to his heels and run for his life. While running, he too questioned, ‘Where is Jabari?’

Jabari touched the earth and shouted, “Shikpon ma-le (earth bat)!” He held something like a baseball bat with many spikes around the swollen end in his arm. He swung and struck the shinko sweetly; worthy of a home run. He quickly touched the earth again and shouted, “Shikpon tun (earth gun)!” He picked up a huge gun, placed it on his shoulders and fired six times. This time, the bullets which were rock bullets looked like pins with pointed ends and large and swollen tails. The bullets pinned the shinko to a tree. But the beast simply pulled out the bullets one after the other. Jabari watched completely astounded by what he saw. He dropped his gun and run for his life. While running he thought, ‘I have been a fool. What have I done? I should never have joined that crazy program. I don’t… I don’t want to die!’

Jabari suddenly started screaming like a girl. Jima too started screaming like a girl. The two Ahontifos run into each other. After a long time of screaming like girls, they stopped. Jabari shouted, “Jima…!” Jima also shouted, “Jabari…!” Jabari said, “Those creatures…!” Jima continued, “They cannot be killed…!” Jabari questioned, “What do we do now…?” Jima answered, “We find the sikan nifanum (five-edged sword)!” “Let’s do it together, then!” shouted Jabari.

But the shinkos were not going to let the intruders escape them. They surrounded Jima and Jabari after a while. This time, there were four of them. Humans are sometimes crazy and ready to sacrifice themselves. It is not always the best strategy. Jima wanted to be brave. Unlike Jabari he accepted that perhaps one of them would have to sacrifice his life. He told his friend, “Go! Find the sikan nifanum. I will stall them.” Jabari asked, “Are you sure?” Jima answered, “Yes! I am prepared to die.” So, Jabari being terrified and clearly not prepared to die left Jima to fight four beasts that cannot be killed alone.

They attacked at once. Jima immediately put up an ice shield. This time, it surrounded him completely. The shinkos crushed into the ice shield one after the other. One shinko jumped and spikes appeared on the surface of the shield. It was injured but it healed so quickly it was amazing to watch.

Jabari continued to run. Little did he know that there were more out there. One shinko attacked from behind. He turned his right arm into a rock, turned and smacked the beast so hard that the beast collapsed for a few seconds. But he had barely recovered after the smacking when another shinko attacked from behind him again. He was caught, bitten in the neck and scratched in the back. The two shinkos later fed on him and belched. Sweet meal!

Meanwhile, back in the world, Elder Demba and Ogboo were watching the movement of two red dots on a large screen. All the Ahontifos were watching. Suddenly, one red dot went off. Ogboo questioned the scientist, “What has happened?” The scientist answered, “I am sorry. One of them has just been killed.” Ogboo shouted, “Are you sure?! Could it not just be because the chip you inserted got removed during a fight?” The scientist replied, “I am sure and the chip cannot be easily removed. I know with 90% certainty that he is probably dead.” Elder Demba was already not happy. The Ahonti program was his idea. It was this idea that won him the position as the president of the Nomposuro Council. If the results are not encouraging, his opposers on the council will capitalize on it and unseat him.

Jima’s ice shield was strong but it could not keep out four shinkos. They punched, they body slammed, they roared and did everything shinkoly possible to break the ice wall and they succeeded. Even after succeeding, Jima sent out many ice arrows. The shinkos were injured but kept on coming. Jima stood a real fighting chance but he was exhausted. The four shinkos pounced on him all at once and all he did was close his eyes and say, “I have won!” I never thought dying was victory but his body served as delicious meal for the shinkos. His red dot too disappeared.

Elder Demba was furious. He got up and shouted, “Find me competent men, Ogboo!” before he stormed out. The next pair to enter Nomposuro was a man who could multiply in number and a man who could become invisible for about fifteen minutes. They were also no good and were not even able to break Jima and Jabari’s record time inside Nomposuro.

The next person was a man who could fly. By flying in the sky, he avoided the shinkos. But while flying over the blue river where the sibudu resided, the serpent leapt out of the water and swallowed him.

Elder Demba was becoming less popular with the council. Elder Kayute suddenly started plotting to have Elder Demba unseated. All Demba needed was one person who will help convince the elders of the Nomposuro council that his idea about using the supernatural to fight the supernatural was the best but the next person to follow superman, a man who could turn himself into a beast, held the worst record time. After him, many of the Ahontifos were terrified and some even fled. They were not prepared to give up their lives so easily.

But before the greatest Ahontifo ever, Anantie, joined the program, one shy girl held the longest record time. She was young, had rabbit teeth and regarded as ugly in her hometown. No man wanted her. She approached the gates of the Ahontifos. There was just one guard at the entrance. After all, no one wanted to harm the Ahontifos. Who will even dare?

The guard asked her, “What is your name young girl?” She answered, “My name is Yaakyere.” The guard asked, “Do you have family in this program?” Yaakyere answered, “No, I came to join the program.” The guard suddenly became quiet. He looked left and then right and noticed the girl was still standing there. He exclaimed, “Oh, so you were serious!” The girl in a shy voice answered, “Yes!” He became quiet for a while and then burst into laughter. “You… you… you want to be an ahontifo! Even the men are failing. Even the men are fleeing. What can a poor, shy girl like you do?” he questioned.

Poor girl, maybe he has never heard the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Yaakyere suddenly disappeared and appeared behind him strangling him to death. “I can do this,” answered Yaakyere. The guard started sweating. She was very strong. He tapped on the girl’s arm; his way of saying, “I get it. I get your message.” Yaakyere let go. She asked, “Will you now take me to your leader?” The guard reluctantly took her to see the great teacher of the Ahontifos — Ogboo.