THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Baba was a microbiologist and a geneticist. He was not particularly tall. He was not strikingly handsome. What he had was brains and he nurtured it to be his greatest asset. However, at age forty he had not had the recognition he thought he deserved. He sat back and watched while his classmates and others with inferior intellect achieve the heights he dreamed about. Then one day, he had a brilliant idea — an idea that was thought to be impossible at the time — cloning. If he succeeded, he was definitely going to be the best scientist of all time and he would have been the first to be honored with “Order of Sinduye (Black genius) while still alive.

Kiwakaazi and Deila stood and watched while the earth turned into a living breathing animal. It shook its body until it assumed the form of another animal. This time it was the tiger; the largest mammal in the cat family. It also roared. The two mighty predators started by walking; then running and leapt into attack.

Before the two cats could do Kiwakaazi and his girlfriend any harm, he had transformed and cut them both into two. He quickly attacked their leader and under a second, the lion, tiger and their creator Kuntunkunu had been killed by Kiwakaazi. Was it really that easy?

Think about it! The western empire was the wealthiest, the most powerful and also the most paranoid of all the five empires. Security was their highest priority. A clone army… yes, a clone army would do wonders for their security. One of the wealthy men of the west funded Bawa’s research. He had the best technology at the time and his lab was filled with those white mice geneticists love so much. For ten years he isolated, synthesized and injected these poor white mice with drugs to modify their genes so that they could reproduce asexually and failed. He had used over a thousand mice. He was now fifty and was not getting any younger. His silent partner who provided the bank roll threatened to cut his funding. Bawa was desperate but like all great scientist the word impossible did not exist in his dictionary. And when you are patient enough, when you believe it is possible, you get lucky.

Kiwakaazi after killing the dwarf felt something was off. He did not know much about the third dwarf but the first two were pretty strong. He was convinced they were numbered according to strength. So how can the dwarf wearing the number four be so easily defeated? Besides, the dwarf neither flinched nor moved when he attacked him. He was certain he saw him smile just before his kafunde sliced his puny body into two equal halves.

He disappeared and appeared next to Deila whose attention was fixed on the dwarf. He was standing directly in front of her while she faced the dwarf and his pets. He did not see what was going on behind him. She pointed her right index finger at something behind Kiwakaazi and he turned. “How can this be?!” he questioned out loud.

When Feitu and Duba were about ten years old, they found a puppy while playing. It looked lost and frightened. Duba loved dogs and wanted to keep it. They named him Kila. His parents allowed him to keep the puppy and after a couple of weeks, the sick, thin, rumpled puppy was good to play with. One day, while playing with their new best friend, it barked at something they could both not see and chased it into the woods. Duba and Feitu tried to stop it. They shouted its name and commanded it to stop but Kila was one disobedient puppy. It disappeared into the woods and shortly after stopped barking. Feitu and Duba feared something bad might have happened but the forest was not a place for ten year olds. They exchanged glances. Duba asked, “Shouldn’t we do something?” Feitu answered, “Yes! We must enter the woods and save our friend.” Duba shuddered and said, “I was thinking we will go back and ask for help but your idea sounds… um….” Feitu was the braver of the two and said, “Don’t worry. Nothing will harm the son of the Kaazi (Emperor) and his friend.” Feitu took the lead and Duba followed, shivering.

It was day time; two or three hours past mid-day. It was a bright and sunny day. But inside the forest, it was darker than Duba and Feitu imagined. Duba asked, “Do you think this is a good idea? It is really dark here.” Feitu remained focused. He told Duba to look left while he checked the right. Duba did not want them to separate. He looked left and found their friend. Kila (the puppy) was cowering on a pile of dead leaves and appeared paralyzed by fear. Duba was excited his puppy was alright and went to fetch him. The look on his puppy’s face frightened him. He looked around and saw a big python hissing at him. The python was going to have Kila for lunch. Smallish, thin looking Duba did not scare it at all. He too was overcome with fear. He had never seen a snake before and this particular one was so big, he froze completely.

The snake hissed some more and lifted its head high above the ground. It was going to attack Duba. Duba wanted to scream for help but even his voice had disappeared. From nowhere came Feitu. Feitu was shorter than Duba but for some reason, he was not scared at all. He placed his body in between the snake and his friend and started talking to the snake as if it were a human being. He, small Feitu, shouted, “I am Feitu, son of Gyaati Kiwakaazi. If you harm me or my friend you will bear the curse of my father for many lifetimes.” Duba was thinking, ‘What is he talking about? A snake does not care about whom you are or who your father is — certainly not one as big as this!’ Feitu and the python exchanged glances. Feitu looked very determined and fearless.

The python eventually gave up. It lowered its head and crawled away. Feitu saved both Kila (the puppy) and Duba. Duba was traumatized by the event and became sick for many days. Feitu and Kila kept him company during that time. Duba thanked Feitu but Feitu told Duba he considered him brother and would sacrifice his very life to save him. Duba was touched and promised to someday sacrifice not his life but perhaps something of worth to save Feitu. So here we are. Duba sacrificed the woman he loved. He said his goodbyes. Duba has repaid his debt.

Bawa was cleaning his cages one night; more dead mice. In one cage, he noticed one mouse was not dead. It was weak and half dead but not fully dead. He said, “I am sorry little fellow. I will leave you to die in peace.” He came back the next day and smiled. He had done it!

The easterners were the most superstitious people in the world. Some of the people in that part of the world preserved the teachings of Anambre. Others also believed in astrology, numerology, gods and goddesses. There were many religious movements in that part of the world with each movement claiming their beliefs were the best or the true path leading to salvation.

In one of its many kingdoms, Ketala, an old prophecy had been well preserved. Ketala was once ruled by Aniwanan (the seer with four eyes) believed to see the four corners of the world. People praised this great ruler and some even called him a Gyaati (messenger). Before Aniwanan died, he painted a man and a woman in a secret chamber inside his palace. He gathered a few of the men he trusted and told them that when this man and woman come to Ketala, peace and love will spread all across the east.

Apparently this man and woman were Feitu and Ailla. They arrived at Ketala and the story about how they fell in love spread all over the eastern corridors. The people were so inspired by their love story. With time, the spiritual powers and great love story won the people of the east over. Feitu and his wife became the founders of the last empire, the Eastern Empire and they called it Odopafie (Home of love) and the Emperor bear the title Maharaazi meaning the man who understands love the most.

They got married and lived happily ever after for ten years. Hey! Ten years is long enough to be considered a ‘happily ever after.’ But I guess you may have a point. Ten years was not enough for Feitu and Ailla. Feitu was first to leave the world and it was the most difficult thing for him to do. His wife was pregnant with their third child and first son. He wanted to hold his son. He wanted to watch him grow and to teach him everything he had learned from his father. He prayed for his death to be postponed but that was not going to happen. He told his beautiful wife not to worry. This is not the end. They will meet again. They will fall in love again. “This is not goodbye but so long, my love.”

So it was Prince Zeeta, Kaazi Kiwakaazi (the first) and Kaaziba Ouzie’s youngest son who succeeded Kinwa. Before he died, he took a decision that would change the fate of the empire and the entire world for a long time to come.

The mouse that should have died was still alive. It had two heads; four legs and its body appeared bigger. So, Bawa had not exactly done it yet. But he was closer now than he had ever been. He ran tests. The mouse had two of everything; internal organs included. All Bawa had to do was to separate them. He performed his first surgery and failed. Both mice died. He repeated his experiment and noticed that his second subject showed similar symptoms. It was weak and dying when it suddenly grew a second body. Bawa’s second surgery was also an utter and complete failure. So now, he changed his mind. He needed something that would make them split without performing surgery. That would have been the last piece of the puzzle. He was aging and asked help from a colleague.

All they need was a compound that can only be isolated from the seeds of a plant that grows only in the central empire. Bawa was in the central empire looking for this plant in a reserved forest when everything changed. First he was attacked by a lion and was bitten in his left shoulder during the struggle. He bled and lost a lot of blood. But he knew he could save himself with his drug that can create an identical double if he completes the formula. It had not been tested on humans yet but it was perhaps his only cure. He was dizzy and found himself surrounded by more lions. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a needle and injected himself with his drug before he surrendered to the lions. However, right before the lions tore him into shreds, he heard the voice of the fourth dwarf. He was promised he would be saved and his work would be completed. To save himself and to achieve his goal, Bawa accepted to become the fourth dwarf.

Kiwakaazi opened his eyes wide. The lion, tiger and the dwarf he had just killed… there was two of each one of them! In fact, each dwarf stood between a pair patting them on their backs. How is that possible? He took a good, hard and long look at the kafunde. ‘Is it not working properly because he almost died?’ he wondered. Kuntunkunu (fourth dwarf) seeing the look on the afro intruder’s face said, “Allow me to explain.”

“My powers are unique. I am the truly immortal being amongst all the beings inside Nomposuro. No weapon can kill me. Not even that cursed weapon Zakaru stole from Gbelemantse Kakai (king of the death gods) can. Killing me or any of my pets will only increase our numbers. That is why I did not summon many of them. All I need is one and you will increase them for me. If you really want to kill me, I suggest you put on your thinking cap. This is going to be a long battle.” And it was really long indeed.

Kiwakaazi changed back to human form, shedding the rahasi (guardian of hell) vest. Deila did not understand why. “Why are you taking such unnecessary risks? Have you forgotten so soon what happened the last time?” she asked angrily. Kiwakaazi tried to relax before explaining to her that the kafunde alone was powerful enough. Becoming a rahasi does not just protect him from harm but also sharpens his blade at least five folds. The dwarf said that killing them is the condition needed to make them increase in number. To avoid killing them, he must fight without his vest and his ultra-sharp kafunde. For the first time inside Nomposuro (dark and evil forest), he must fight as a normal human being. At least until they figure out his weakness.

Deila did not care. All she knew was that it was too risky. Becoming a rahasi makes him faster. He can avoid all their attacks by disappearing. It was his best chance of survival. Kiwakaazi insisted he will survive. But survival also depended on defeating the dwarf. He was not sure but he felt strongly fighting as human was their best chance of finding out Kuntunkunu’s weakness — call it a hunch.

“Don’t worry, I will be fine without it and if I am not, I have you here to help me. Together we will find a way, like we always do,” insisted Kiwakaazi.

Deila had no choice. “Fine, if you insist. You are always difficult to convince. I want you to know that I used a technique that has sealed away Kaki’s powers temporarily.” She changed into a beast. The form most recognized as shinko (furry beast). But she also maintained her beautiful face.

Kiwakaazi also asked her if she intended fighting without her beastly face. And she explained that once her face changes, she loses all sense of reasoning. The only thought she processes in that form is to kill. It is difficult for her to control her urge to kill. She will only kill the big cats without mercy if her face too should change.

Then she added, “Don’t worry, I will be fine without it and if I am not, I have you here to help me. Together we will find a way, like we always do.”

Being funny at a time like this, surely these too have some nerve. They both smiled. Deila said, “Let’s do this!”

So, I am not exactly sure what the power of the fourth dwarf is. But I am convinced Bawa’s cloning drug changed him somehow. I am just not sure what exactly it did.