THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Kiwakaazi II and his friends found the tree. They drew closer and noticed something protruding on the tree. It looked like an eye; a shut eye. “What do we do now?” asked Kuasi.

The agni zubaba was a horrific ritual. Kiwakaazi could not watch. Three men had been tied to a pole in a dark underground chamber. The priest moved from one to the other. They looked frightened. He walked past one and he asked, “What are you going to do with us?” The priest turned and answered, “You are the ones who are going to win the four empires the war.”

Long after the ritual and the four guardians had been defeated: Kaazi Oko’s men were busy fighting Subrukutu (the four-armed guardian of hell). Jankpanduri (fire bird) spread its wings and flew. Hanging in the sky, it shot numerous fire balls in several directions. Kaazi Oko was on his knees. His body was weak and he should have died a long time ago. But somehow he lived and he was determined to save the people of Nananompofie (Central Empire). They say the Kaazi (Emperor) is the protector of his people and the Gyaati (Messenger) is the protector of the Shosuma (Soul or Spirit Being). He clasped his palms and shouted, “Oogu… Bra (Descend Oogu)!” Water balls rose from the ground, collided with and quenched the fire balls of Jakpanduri. The fire kept on raining from the sky and water balls rose from the ground to meet them; a collision that covered the atmosphere with steam.

The armies of the west, east, north and south were run down. The army of white men swept over them but did not kill even one of them. They were all strategically injured. The four saviors; Siya, Siri, Kofie and Kuasi disappeared and returned to the army of the central empire around where they each appeared. They each told the army that it was not time to celebrate. Dark times await them all.

Kiwakaazi (second) and his four friends were going round the tree bearing the eye. His friends had given up. Fiifi threw his arms in the air and said, “I don’t know what we are doing here but this seems like a waste of time.” Kunta drew his sword and struck the tree with it. Instead of cutting the tree, he was thrown away by a force and he collided with a big tree. His four other friends rushed to his side and asked, “Are you alright?” He sat so that his back was supported by the tree. He said, “I am fine.” Suddenly, he looked frightened while he pointed at something. Kiwakaazi and his four friends turned their heads slowly to see what was scaring the daylights out of Kunta.

So this is how the agni zubaba (hell creature summoning ritual) was performed: the priest started with the man on his far left. He stood directly in front of him wearing a smile and holding a golden calabash cup in his left hand. He lifted his right arm and pointed his index finger at the man’s neck. Then, by simply moving his finger from left to right, he slit the man’s throat. Blood poured from the slit throat into his calabash like a tap had been opened in the man’s neck. Amazingly, the man did not die. He repeated it two more times with the other two and they also remained alive. He drank their bloods right before them. He started with the man on the left again. The man looked terrified and in tears. The priest said, “Shosuma saba ki la vaa ho!” The man screamed loudly. A bright light forced its way out of the man’s mouth into the priest’s mouth. He repeated it two more times with the other two. He drew a short knife he kept on his waist and planted it through his own heart. He collapsed to the ground and died. One of the four who came with Sangosi asked, “Is he dead?”

Siya, Siri, Kuasi and Kofie gathered the survivors of the Central Empire. Siya gathered all those close to the north around her. Siri gathered all those around the south close to her and likewise Kuasi and Kofie. They explained to the people that the war had brought out the worst in their neighbors. In their attempts to win, they had summoned a dark creature from hell. This creature cannot be killed now. To ensure their survival, Kaazi Oko is going to trap the creature inside their home — Nananompofie using Oogu. They will have to abandon their home. But they should not despair. One day, the destiny of a young boy will bring him back to Nananompofie. He will find the weapon that can defeat Subrukutu (four-armed guardian of hell) and Jankpanduri (fire bird). He will defeat them and revive Nananompofie. The people of Nananompofie were sad. A few women and children were crying. They will have no home for the gods know how long.

Siya clasped her palms and said, “Father…!” Siri clasped hers and said, “We…” Kuasi clasped his palms and said, “are…” and Kofie shouted, “ready…!” Put it all together and they were shouting “Father! We are ready!” Kaazi Oko was still on his knees. He coughed out blood and said, “Give me some more time, please.” His body was very weak. He thought, ‘I cannot defeat him but I will seal him here until he comes.’ He closed his eyes and said, “Good, my children. You have done well.” He shouted, “Oogu Jaka Tumi… Sore!”

Many years later after the Akodindin (Great War), the trees behind the guanvibushi were melting revealing a particularly strange creature. Kiwakaazi II and all his friends were terrified. Kiwakaazi looked at the tree and noticed the eye on it was finally opened. He looked at Aran, who shouted, “Go! We will keep it busy.” Kiwakaazi II was reluctant. Fiifi drew his sword and shouted, “Go...!”

The priest died and awakened in Gbeleshie with the three he sacrificed in the presence of Gbelemantse Kakai (Lord of the death gods). Kakai asked, “What brings you here, human?” in a foul and terrifying voice. The priest answered, “I need your help my lord. I need your help to defeat a Gyaati (messenger of Akaani).” Gbelemantse smiled; a very ugly and wicked smile, I tell you. He drew his sword and struck the ground behind the four men who appeared before him severing their golden chords. He shouted, “Subrukutu (four armed guardian of hell)!” and it appeared. Gbelemantse said, “Go to the world. Take over the body of this man (pointing at the priest) and kill the Gyaati and all those who follow him.” Subrukutu bowed before Gbelemantse and asked, “Can I take my pet, Jankpandur (the fire bird) with me?” Gbelemantse said, “Yes, you can.” Subrukutu disappeared.

The priest suddenly woke up. His eyes were red but his body remained intact. He commanded Sangosi and the three that were present to drive their swords through him. They did and their swords developed veins through which blood from the priest travelled. After some time, they withdrew their swords. The priest said, “Now, your swords can kill anyone.” He disappeared and by the time he arrived in front of the palace of Nananompofie he had changed into Subrukutu (the four-armed guardian of hell).

He was fighting Kaazi Oko’s men when bright light started like a small circle around the kaazi and extended until it touched and disintegrated everything inside Nananompofie. Buildings, clothing, animals and trees all disappeared. While the light was approaching the four saviors, Siya, Siri, Kofie and Kuasi, formed their own light that prevented the light circle from destroying the people. Huge trees grew instantly to replace the ones that disappeared and a thick fog covered the land.

When all was said and done, Subrukutu (death god with four arms) and Jankpanduri (fire bird) were both trapped in trees. To put it accurately, they turned into trees and stood behind the guanvibushi. Then, Kaazi Oko himself disappeared.

Now, with the Kaazi returning to Alaami (Home of Eternal Peace), the trees melted and released Subrukutu and his pet Jankpanduri. They both roared right before Subrukutu himself attacked the four friends of Kiwakaazi II. Kiwakaazi was standing close to the tree. The eye was opened. A very tiny and almost invisible black pupil was on a white background, very similar to the human eye. Kiwakaazi turned and noticed his friends were in a bit of a pinch.

Subrukutu attacked Fiifi. It was very quick and Fiifi did not even react. But Aran, yes Aran, was fantastic. He quickly moved and stopped Subrukutu’s attack with his sword. Subrukutu disappeared and it was Jankpanduri’s turn to attack. First, it flapped its wings and suspended above the forest and the flap of its wings over and over again, fire balls were shot at Kiwakaazi’s (second) friends.

The fire balls came but before they came, Aran advised, “Listen carefully. We cannot see Subrukutu. We cannot hear him and we definitely cannot smell him, but forget about using these senses. Relax and focus on feeling. You will feel him.” The others nodded and took cover behind trees. However, Jankpanduri’s fire was so hot that it burnt down trees in the forest in the shortest possible time and the four friends had to keep on running and taking cover behind other trees.  

Subrukutu first appeared in front of Kunta. Kunta took Aran’s advice. He felt a slight change in the air around his left side. He lifted his sword in time to stop one of Subrukutu’s swords from cutting off his head. Subrukutu quickly attacked with his other swords but Kunta stopped them all. Kiwakaazi II was looking at the eye not knowing exactly what to do.

A fire ball that was shot at Aran almost burnt him down, if not for Aran’s agility. Kiwakaazi II became worried. He closed his eyes and said, “All I want is to help my friends.” The tiny pupil on the eye spread and background became dark. Kiwakaazi II took a step back after the eye turned black. He expected something to happen after that. He envisioned the hilt of the sword they sought appearing in the eye. He would just have to pull it out. But that did not happen. He stepped forward to have a closer look when the eye commenced sucking him inside. He was sucked in and the pupil returned to its original size; minuscule.

Kiwakaazi II appeared in a whole new world. Luckily, he did not have to go on a new adventure to find the weapon he was looking for. It was planted in the soil right where he landed. He grabbed and tried pulling it out of the soil. He tried and tried and tried but could not pull the sword out. What a troublesome sword! Reminds me of Excalibur.  

Meanwhile, his friends were not having it easy. Fiifi was almost cut in half and he had a cut on his stomach for his troubles; Kuasi had a cut running diagonally through his shoulder to abdomen; Aran had sustained some burns on his back; Kunta had burns on his legs. They all suddenly appeared around the tree bearing the eye of the needle. Subrukutu faced them and he roared to intimidate them. His pet, Jankpanduri, also came landed and stood beside its master. Aran thought, ‘why is it taking Kiwakaazi this long?’

 Suddenly, Kiwakaazi appeared and he knelt down with the Sikan nifanum (the five-edged sword) right in front of his friends. The four, Aran, Kunta, Kuasi, and Fiifi, can rest. They all sat down. Kiwakaazi said, “Thank you brothers. You should relax. I will take care of these two.” Subrukutu disappeared and Kiwakaazi II attacked Jankpanduri. He swung the sword and the fire bird took to the skies. Subrukutu appeared behind Kiwakaazi II. He swung his sword but Kiwkaazi II quickly turned and blocked Subrukutu’s attack with his new-found weapon. Subrukutu had four arms and four swords. But he never swings two arms at the same time. He swung his sword many times and each time Kiwakaazi II blocked or avoided Subrukutu’s sword.

Kiwakaazi’s back faced his friends. I don’t know, but he might have felt something. He turned and wanted to get closer but Subrukutu appeared in front of him and attacked him incessantly forcing and moving Kiwakaazi (second) away from his friends. Suddenly, Subrukutu disappeared.

So when Kiwakaazi (the second) entered the world where the Sikan nifanum (five-edged sword) had been planted in the soil, he had to fight his way out. Initially, he could not pull out the weapon. But he was not going to give up. He was trying when some men dressed in black appeared. One of them said, “We are the guardians of that weapon, tasked by Shamaz to prevent anyone from taking it. Let go of it or die where you stand.” Kiwakaazi II explained, “I am sorry but I need it to protect those I love.” The men drew their swords and Kwiakaazi II drew his. They attacked him and he had to fight back.

Outside the tree in the forest of Nananompofie, Kiwakaazi took a hit. A very big fire ball had been shot by Jankpanduri. It was aimed at Kiwakaazi II’s friends. Kiwakaazi II was worried about them and his worrying opened the gate that changed him into a rahasi (guardian of hell). He disappeared and appeared in front of his friends and shielded them with his own body. The impregnable armor of a rahasi was burnt completely. Kiwakaazi II’s body had sustained burns. However, the vest commenced healing itself and healed Kiwakaazi II’s body in the process. Kiwakaazi II got up slowly. He moved his neck to his left and then to the right. He turned to the Jankpanduri and roared at the fire bird.

Elsewhere, Dedeli rose to her feet and asked, “Did you hear that?” Safiri rose too and answered, “Yes, we have all heard that roar a couple of times now.” Dedeli said, “No! It was not a roar. It was Kiwakaazi. He is in trouble and calling out for help.” Safiri said, “But how is that possible? You are probably so worried about him that you are hearing voices.” “No, why can’t you hear him? He is shouting for help!” She moved towards the forest and was stopped by Safiri and a few of the Asoglis (wanderers) again. She continued to struggle with them shouting, “Let me go! Let me go! He needs my help!”