THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Elder Demba questioned, “What do you have for me this time?” Ogboo answered, “The reason why we have not yet succeeded is because our Ahontifos are struggling to find the sikan nifanum. But I believe this girl can.” Elder Demba exclaimed, “A girl…?!” Ogboo interrupted, “I know what you are thinking. But this girl has a fascinating ability. Elder Demba asked, “And what is this fascinating ability?” “Come and see for yourself,” answered Ogboo.

Ogboo and Elder Demba were standing high up watching over the yard where the Ahontifos train. Ogboo shouted, “Yaakyere… Where is Yaakyere?” She stepped forward and answered, “I am here, great Ogboo.” Her small body and shy personality immediately threw Elder Demba off. He wanted her thrown out at once. Ogboo shouted, “Show Elder Demba what you can do.” Ogboo gave some headphones to Elder Demba. He said, “It will be better if you do not hear this. Her eyes glow pink and then an almost silent whistling sound was heard.

After about ten to fifteen seconds, the sound stopped. While the sound was playing, the Ahontifos held their heads in pain. It was like they were having headaches and when they stopped; they all had pink eyes and started attacking one another. Elder Demba was bemused. “She did this…?” he whispered. Ogboo said, “Now to my theory. We can’t find the sikan nifanum, but maybe these creatures can kill one another and she is the key to making that happen.” Elder Demba agreed and she was sent at once to Nomposuro through the La-Nompogbeto (Fire pathway to Nomposuro).

Two shinkos welcomed her. She cast her spell on them and they attacked each other instead. One shinko also attacked but struggled to keep up with her speed. She kept on disappearing and appearing at random locations. Another shinko attacked. Once there were two, she cast her spell again and they attacked each other instead. After a while, twelve shinkos fought each other. The only shinko that escaped was Aran. Yaakyere moved very quickly through Dun-da (caves of darkness) searching for the sikan nifanum. She finally found something. She was standing at the entrance to the cave of tears when Aran approached from behind. Aran disappeared but before his sikan dompesan (three-edged bone sword) could harm her, she vanished and entered the cave. Aran waited for her to return with the kafunde (demon mummifier) but she never showed up. After a day and a half of waiting, Aran gave up on her coming out. She was trapped in the cave of tears. It took longer for her red dot to disappear making her the longest survivor in Nomposuro before him.

Ogboo said, “I am sorry Elder Demba. I have failed you. I have failed myself. I humbly…” “Ogboo! You should come and see this!” shouted a man who suddenly barged in to Ogboo’s office. Ogboo was furious. He was about to resign honorably from the Ahonti program. Ogboo and Elder Demba rushed out to see what it was and it was… legendary!

They saw one man who could command all four elements. He shouted, “Ohum ni eham, twa me ho shia (surround me great winds)!” A large whirlwind moved around him with speed. It moved and grew big. The wind changed to fire and the fire was quenched by water filling the atmosphere with mist or fog. Elder Demba whispered “impressive!”

But that was not all. This mysterious man shouted, “Esuro ja… Me fre wo! (I call upon you, lightning!)” The sky darkened slightly and lightning came down upon him. Suddenly, it stopped. Elder Demba asked, “Who is that?” Slowly the fog or mist cleared and he was revealed.

He was a young handsome man with gentle features. He was a man with dreadlocks and a short beard. He had a baby face and thin lips. What was most fascinating was that this man had stopped the lightning with just his index finger. He lowered his finger and the lightning struck the earth very close to his right foot. Ogboo answered, “That is Anantie!”

Anantie, son of Nana Bomofo V of Bomofokro (village of hunters) in the east was born a prince. He was the fourth son of the chief and complications during his birth killed his mother — one of Nana Bomofo’s three wives and apparently the one he loved the most. His father named him Anan. At age three, Anan could still not walk and people feared the son of great Bomofo would be a cripple. For some unexplained reason, Bomofo loved his fourth son very much — the child his beloved wife left him. He personally took care of Anan releasing him to his servants only when he had no other option. He personally fed Anan, changed his diapers, played with him and rocked his son to sleep every night.

When the boy was three, Nana Bomofo went hunting and spent three long days and nights in the forest. He returned the morning of the fourth day carrying a buffalo on his shoulders. Anan was already up and playing in the sand. When the boy saw his father, he giggled and suddenly rose to his feet. His father stopped walking, dropped the buffalo and clapped. He repeated the words, “Nanti (walk)… nanti… nanti.” Anan took a step, a second and a third step. All he wanted to do was to run into his father’s arms and he did. His fourth step and he was falling. Nana Bomofo caught his son and carried him. He had tears in his eyes. He kissed his son and threw him up in the air. He said, “From this day forth I name you Anan-tie (Anan who listened).”

The people of Bomofokro were renowned for their hunting skills. Nana Bomofo V, taught hunting to his son, Anantie, but the boy was too gentle. He hated hunting and did it only to please his father. At age nineteen, he released the deer that had been captured alive by Nana Bomofo V himself to be used as sacrifice to their gods. This was a crime punishable by death but instead, his father banished him and died about a year later from the pain and shame his son brought upon him.

Elder Kuyate visited the Ahontifos. He had come to deliver some bad news. The Nomposuro council was not pleased with the program. He had been sent to shut down the program. He arrived in a chopper that landed on the ground. Fortunately or unfortunately, he arrived on the same day Anantie was displaying his vast talent. He saw it all happen and he was wowed.

Elder Kuyate told Elder Demba and Ogboo, “I have been sent to deliver some bad news. The Ahonti program must be shut down.” Elder Demba said, “I understand.” Ogboo asked, “What is the council going to do about Nomposuro?” Elder Demba answered, “We don’t know yet but the council thinks this senseless sacrifice must end now.” Ogboo asked, “Before the program is permanently shut down, will you allow us send just one last person into the forest?” Elder Kuyate knew who they were talking about. He agreed, and Anantie was sent to Nomposuro through the La-Nompogbeto (fire pathway). But strangely, he arrived as lightning and not fire — the first and only person to land in Nomposuro as lightning.

Arangosango said, “I sense an intruder but I cannot pinpoint his exact location inside the forest.” Kaki inquired, “What do we do?” Arangosango shouted, “Scatter and find him at once!” The shinkos were all over the place. Aran shouted, “This way!” Five shinkos followed Aran. They approached the bridge that linked Dun-da (caves of darkness) to Nhutudan (elemental forest). Kaki said, “We are too late.”

Anantie was already waiting for the Sibudu (single headed serpent) to emerge from the water. The shinkos could not approach the bridge. The waited and watched the sibudu emerge and get frozen immediately by Anantei. Anantei swung his arm and the head of the serpent was cut off. The Gajun (Blue River) turned colorless and Anantei crossed, much to the dislike of the shinkos. After his crossing, Aran revised his strategy again. He dispatches his shinkos and waited at the foot of the bridge. This way, what happened with Anantei will never happen again. Meanwhile, Anantei was busy inside Nhutudan.

“You are not welcome here stranger,” said the red-haired nhutu while she pointed her left index finger at Anantie. She had appeared suspending on a flame about just a meter above ground level. A small red ball developed and fireball was shot at Anantei. Anantei replied, “If this is how you welcome all strangers, then I am no stranger at all.” He opened his right palm and a water wall broke from the earth and shielded him. While this was happening, the black-haired nhutu also appeared above Anantie, suspending on a flat hexagonally shaped rock. Anantei looked at his feet and realized they have been trapped — stuck firmly in quicksand.

The blond-haired nhutu was next to attack. She stood on a hexagonally shaped ice block. She looked up to the sky. The sky darkened over their heads. Suddenly, sharp pointed ice rained on Anantei. Anantei moved his right hand and a fire whirlwind moved around that melted the ice attack. The three nhutus stopped their attacks waiting for the fire whirlwind around Anantei to stop.

The fire whirlwind did not stop. Anantei simply jumped out of the fire whirlwind. He stretched his legs as wide as he possibly could. He took one step and it was as if he used the very air under his feet as cushion. He took a second step and by the time he took his third step, he was close to the blond-haired nhutu. He stretched his arm and drove it through the heart of the nhutu.

It was not his arm but the ice that extended from his wrist and tapered at the end to form a much sharpened ice block that pierced the chest of the nhutu. However, she anticipated the attack and changed into water — water with head, neck, arms, a body and legs. Anantie quickly removed his arm from the chest of the blond-haired nhutu. A circular rock shield developed around the same arm. The water human dropped to the ground to reassemble once again.

The white-haired nhutu had appeared. She opened both palms and commanded and shaped the wind into arrows that attacked Anantie. He hid behind his circular shield and they received quite some beating from the wind arrows. One wind arrow cut his thigh. He lost concentration and was falling off his wind steps. He was not very high above the ground but he showed the earth his palm and sand rose to cushion his fall. He got up ready for the next attack from the nhutus. The wind suddenly felt colder and the sky darkened.

Anantie raised his head to see what was happening and what was coming. He noticed light running through the dark clouds. He even heard the sounds it made. He knew it — lightning is coming. Then it came. Lightning came down with speed to crush and burn Anantie.