THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Kaki looking down was impressed. She could not believe he is the same man who entered Nomposuro some days ago. If she were asked to describe the boy she met in Nompoti (Circle of truth) using just one word she would say “petrified.” Now look at him go; look at him attack giant insects and kill them with not even a single hint of fear. He has grown so much. She could even see a few hairs on his bald face. His mustache is growing and a few long hairs appeared on his chin.

With his ability to disappear and appear between places, he fought hard. He disappeared just before one bee stung him. The bee’s sting landed in an ant and killed it. Kiwakaazi also appeared and sliced through another ant. He was moving randomly killing one or two insects at a time. His movements might not be clear to an observer, but to Kuntu it was very clear. He was heading straight for him and he was ready for when Kiwakaazi will attack.

The herbal doctor was called to examine Zakaru the next day. Many of Zakaru’s generals wanted to question his wife but Zeiba shielded her insisting the situation was too traumatizing for the poor woman. The herbal doctor claimed he felt a pulse but it was faint. He therefore gave them the same advice, “Let the man rest.” Seven days passed and he did not wake up. His body was being preserved with special herbs, but how long would it last? He should wake up immediately because his subjects were giving up hope. Zakaru woke up in Gbeleshie (afterlife). He appeared at the same place where he fought and defeated Kakai. He was reminiscing when he heard someone say, “Hello Zakaru.”

Kiwakaazi thought that Kuntu will be expecting him to attack from the rear so he attacked him head on. Kuntu stood on the large central square with a spider painted on it. Kiwakaazi had landed on a square close to this square with his left arm stretched. The kafunde was supposed to pierce and injure or kill the dwarf but the dwarf had taken a step backwards and he was not standing on the central square anymore. Kiwakaazi suddenly saw his body wrapped firmly by a spider web. His arms have been forced to his sides. He did not have the strength to free himself and all his golden swords were busy killing insects. Kuntu smiled, disappeared and appeared in front of Kiwakaazi. He punched Kiwakaazi hard in the gut with two tiny fists. It hurt and Kiwakaazi felt his body moving backwards with great speed; his feet about ten centimeters above ground. ‘Why use such an attack?’ Kiwakaazi wondered. A baby fist was not going to be enough to kill him. He finally figured it out… “Smart dwarf!” he exclaimed in his own head.

Zakaru did not even turn to look at the source of the voice. He knew that voice way too well. It was Zimfatu, his uncle. “Why have you come here?” Zakaru asked. “You know I can return to my body. I do not really need your help,” he added. Zimfatu said, “There is someone here I want you to meet.” He turned and saw a man he had never met before; a man with white hair and blue eyes. The man said, “Hello Zakaru. It has been a long time since we last met.” ‘Last met…? When was that?’ thought the immortal.

There was enough force behind Kuntu’s punch to drive Kiwakaazi through the barrier. If he should go through the barrier, he will die. He has to break free from these binds before it’s too late. Deila saw it and flew as quickly as she could for a while towards him. But she knew there was no way she could make it in time. Besides the bees came around and attacked her. So instead of going to his rescue, she cried. The sound she made killed the bees and broke the web that bound Kiwakaazi. Immediately his left hand was freed, he planted his sword into the brick floor as hard as he could in attempt to stop his moving body and screamed Sa-huu-hu! Uhurusa.

This strange man told Zakaru that it was okay that he could not remember him. He expected it. He looked at Zimfatu and then looked back at Zakaru. He folded his arms and said, “Before you return to your body, we want to show you just how you ended up here.” Zakaru did not really know their intentions behind showing him anything but hey, that was not going to harm him in anyway. He followed them and was heartbroken after what he saw.

First Zakaru saw how Zeiba had consulted many oracles wanting to know how to kill him. Then he saw how Zeiba himself rescued Princess Ayofemi for himself and how he passed her on to him with the sole aim of manipulating her to assassinate him. He constantly reminded the poor princess who lost her entire family to the war between Hanfusu and Zakaru’s army that every man following the immortal was afraid of him. No one loved or even respected him. Everything they did was born out of fear for him. They all want him dead but no one knows just how. But he, Zeiba, was convinced that if he should be killed by a woman he loved, he will not come back to the land of the living. “After all,” the oracle said, “the one who entered this world looking for love shall only leave it after he had been betrayed by it.”

So on that fateful night, he provided the poison and told her to find ways to make Zakaru eat or drink something containing the poison. Princess Ayofemi was very observant and knew that whenever she dressed sexy for her husband, he becomes so excited that he feels thirsty and drinks a lot of water before jumping into action. She did just that. Zakaru drank the water and died.

Zakaru was so heartbroken. He loved her with every cell in his body. He did not know what to do. How could she betray him like this? He can’t trust her anymore. He finally realized that his uncle’s prophecy had come to pass. He turned to the two great sages who came to meet him. He did not know what to do anymore. Should he go back or should he stay with them?

Sahuuhu Uhurusa was the third dance. It produced about five hundred golden blades. He tried to use the blades to form a wall behind him to halt his movement towards the barrier. With his mind, he commanded the swords to line up at his back and stop his backward movement. Meanwhile, he continued to use the kafunde as a breaks to slow his movement. It made a loud screeching sound that confused many of the insects. He still moved backwards. Many of his golden swords went across the barrier and disappeared. Kaki looked worried. Finally, after he had come agonizingly close to the barrier, he stopped.

Kaki fought off and killed some bees around her and landed next to him. She asked, “Are you alright?” and he answered, “I’m fine but that dwarf is really strong.” “What are you going to do now?” she asked, and he answered, “I am going to try again. She turned her head towards Kiwakaazi and noticed the red marks under his eyes had disappeared. His nose was also bleeding. He immediately collapsed and knelt on the floor. Deila caught him and angrily questioned, “I thought you said you were fine!?” He started to explain something about the mark of Uhurusa to her.

The sages told Zakaru that they will take him beyond Gbeleshie to a higher plane of existence where he will learn and cleanse himself before he enters Alaami (the Home of Eternal Peace). Zakaru nodded in agreement. After all there was nothing to return to back in the physical world. He turned to bid the world farewell. The immortal is leaving you all forever. He tried, the gods know he tried, but his efforts were not enough. It took him too long to bid the world farewell — so long that he noticed something interesting.

Kiwakaazi told Deila that those golden swords she sees around him represent his concentration. The kafunde had five edges and when he squeezes more power from the sword, five golden swords appear to protect him. However, he can also control the swords with his mind and that is when it becomes difficult. He must keep his concentration on each sword. This puts tremendous pressure on his brain. The pressure is even greater if there are more golden blades. Sometimes, so great is the pressure that he suffers headaches. The Sahuuhu! Uhurusa which allowed him to command five hundred golden blades just now placed so much pressure on his brain that, his nose bled and he was forced to withdraw the red marks involuntarily.

“So that is how your technique works. I had no idea,” said Deila. The number of bees was countable and the number of ants had also reduced to a manageable value. I can fight with just the Kafunde. The giant spider came out and wove a thick web around Kuntu and stood right in front of the dwarf. Behind him were the ants. Kuntu pointed to the next square and out came another large army of termites. Deila looked really worried. Kiwakaazi looked at her and said, “Do not worry. I promise you that we will win. I have the perfect plan for this.” “So, what is this plan?” asked Deila, still not looking convinced.

Kiwakaazi told her not to use her sound for some time. She should reserve her energy for the right time. He will let her know when the time is right. For now, she should only fight with her claws and tail. She nodded in agreement, though Deila was still not convinced. She had a really bad feeling. She felt something terrible was about to happen. What if the headaches cause him to lose focus and die? If only she knew the bad thing that would happen, she would prevent it. “Are you ready?” asked Kiwakaazi, who was beaming with life as usual. She looked at him and nodded unconvincingly in response.

Kiwakaazi and Deila attacked the insects. She flew and killed the remaining bees. Kiwakaazi attacked more of the ants. Deila landed and attacked more ants than termites. They fought hard. Kiwakaazi attacked and in one strike killed the giant spider. It disappeared but Kiwakaazi did not attack Kuntu. The dwarf did not really care. The outcome of this battle was decided the very instant they set foot in his circle. Nothing they do will change that. Slowly the couple got rid of all the ants as well. Kuntu pointed the next square and the wasps flew out in their numbers.

Kiwakaazi landed on two squares. The one from which the bees emerged and realized the drawing of a bee on it had disappeared. Later, he landed on the square from which the ants crawled and realized the artwork on it had also disappeared. He now made his move for Kuntu. But once again another spider came crawling out. Kiwakaazi was not someone to be beaten twice by the same technique. He escaped before the thick webs could get to him. They bound some termites making it easy for Kiwakaazi to attack and kill them.

He attacked the termites and the wasps until he got close enough to kill the next spider. He did this twelve times and after the twelfth spider was killed he saw that the painting of a spider on the centrally placed square had also disappeared. However the number of termites and wasps were so many and they were so close to Kuntu, that it was almost impossible to attack the dwarf. He fought on helping Kaki to reduce the numbers of these insects until he turned and winked at her. Kaki saw it. It was time for her to use the Kaki-lala (the cry of death).

Kuntu stood arms folded protected by a thick web unmoved and unconcerned. There was no way Kiwakaazi could reach him. Kaki’s cry of death killed many of the insects along the way. Kiwakaazi felt the wind brush past his body gently. He knew instantly that it was Deila’s sound that just went past him. He dived through and avoided two termites from crushing him simultaneously. They attacked and killed one another. He stepped on the head of another termite and disappeared just in time to avoid a wasp from stinging him. The termite was stung and it also died. He swung his kafunde and killed another termite in his way. He was slowly getting close to the dwarf.

Zakaru saw his beloved Ayofemi praying for forgiveness. She had regretted everything and wanted him to come back. She had realized a little too late that she was in love with the immortal. Zakaru wanted to go back but realized there was no way he could forget her betrayal. So he turned to the sages and said, “I want a second chance. Not as Zakaru but as another person.” Everything that has happened was his fault. He did not know that the price for his dream will be so hefty. He did not blame her. But he feared their love would not be as sweet as he wants it to be if he should return as Zakaru. So he asked his uncle and his sage friend to send him back and let him meet Ayofemi again — in another life. The two sages looked at one another and nodded in agreement to Zakaru’s request.

Elsewhere in Nomposuro, Kiwakaazi got close to Kuntu. He arrived just in time because Deila’s cry of death destroyed the web that protected the dwarf. He lifted his kafunde and was going to make a vertical cross section of the dwarf.

The kafunde came slowly and just before it struck Kuntu’s head, he caught it with both his palms. Kiwakaazi was seeing for the first time a thick material that surrounded Kuntu’s arms including his palms. This explained why he did not get cut by the kafunde. A wasp with its sting ready was closing in on Kiwakaazi. Kuntu held onto the kafunde and will not let go. He looked into Kiwakaazi’s eyes, smiled and said, “You underestimated me. I am the strongest dwarf.” Kiwakaazi smiled and replied, “Yes! You are a haughtily strong dwarf.”

‘Why did he smile?’ thought Kuntu. Looking closely at Kiwakaazi’s face, he too saw two red marks appear suddenly underneath his eyes. These short marks were extending in a straight line. He became suspicious. He felt and heard something cut through one of the termites that guarded his rear. He turned to see what exactly was happening.

Kaki saw the wasp. Its sting was aiming for Kiwakaazi’s back. The sting was huge and could break through his impregnable armor with ease. She started to run towards him and shouted, “Kay look out!” Kiwakaazi also turned looking at Deila. He smiled as if he did not care. “Kay…!” she shouted once more. Blood was spilling everywhere. She stopped running and screamed, “Kay….!”