KING ZIORA
EPISODE 1
☞Nnenne uju izuanagbara.
UMA is the land. OHUMA is the king. NKAI is the warrior. Uma is the seventh kingdom of the provience called MOUNTAINS of SARAFI. UMA is a land with great fertility. It is also a land of WICKEDNESS and CONSPIRACY. Nevertheless, they are ruled by a wise, good disciplinarian. KING OHUMA Is a man of intergrity. His kingdom is the youngest but he is the wisest and strongest of all the kings in his provience.
UYIRI, Nkai’s wife is FINALLY heavy and due for delivery. No chief warrior in UMA has ever given birth to a female child FIRST. Everyone was expectant that UYIRI will be giving UMA another great warrior.
UYIRI gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL, CHARMING, GORGEOUS baby girl. Emi, the mid-wife called NKAI.
-NKAI, I alone took the delivery of your wife. i am SUPPOSE to sound the war drum in the delivery room to attra-ct people that a new warrior has been born. Nkai, your wife just dropped a BOUNCING BABY GIRL.
NKAI WAS SO OVERJOYED.
-heaven has smiled on me this day. Today i am a father. I thank the heavens.
EMI WAS SURPRISED AND SHOCKED.
-you thank the heavens? NKAI? No warrior in UMA has ever had a female first. Do you know what that means? Your linage has been ruled out of the warriorhood and given to another.
NKAI SMILED.
-The victory over an enemy in a war cannot be compared to the victory over CHILDLESSNESS. The WARRIOR TITLE cannot also be compared with THE FATHER TITLE. i thank the heavens that today, i am a father.
-hmmm, NKAI, i called you because i wish to make you an offer.. i shall cover up and tell UMA that it is a boy so that you won’t loose to another linage.
NKAI GOT ANGRY.
-what? EMI? SPIT. I SAID SPIT.
EMI SPAT ON THE FLOOR.
-the heavens forbid. The creator has a reason. how can i change what he has done? and for how long will i pretend she is a boy? until when brea-sts develop, h!ps begin to curve? then the whole UMA and the t provience of the MOUNTAINS OF SARAFI will see how deceitful the mighty NKAI HAS BEEN? what am i even saying? will the creAtor Even spare me? Emi, get behind me. Go now and announce the delivery of my wife.
EMI WAS COLD.
-NKAI, i am sorry. plea-se do not mention this to anyone. i, i, was only trying to help.
-EMI NO MORTAL CAN HELP THE CREATOR. Besides, i do not nee-d the help of man. The help of man is VAIN.
EMI ANNOUNCED UYIRI’S DELIVERY AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE BABY. WHEN THEY HEARD IT’S A GIRL, EVERYONE WORE LONG FACES. IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED. UYIRI HEARD IT AND FAINTED. SHE WASN’T REVIVED. SHE DIED.UMA WAS THROWN INTO MOURNING. NKAI COULD NOT BE COMFORTED.
AT THAT TIME, THE KINGDOM OF TETUJE SET BATTLE AGAINST UMA. THEY KNEW NKAI WAS MOURNING AND THEY FELT IT WAS THE BEST TIME TO STRIKE. NKAI HAD HIS as-sISTANT, OBORO. OBORO HAD EVIL PLANS. HE HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO TAKE OVER FROM NKAI. THE KING CALLED OBORO TO STAND FOR NKAI BECAUSE NKAI CANNOT GO TO WAR. OBORO SAID…
-your Majesty, i am nothing but NKAI’s as-sISTANT. This is a major battle. i can’t lead UMA’S army. we will be defeated.
HE HAD HIS PLANS. HE WANTS NKAI TO GO TO BATTLE SO HE CAN BE KILLED BECAUSE HE WON’T BE ABLE TO FOCUS, THEN HE WILL TAKE OVER.
NKAI HEARD THE NEWS ABOUT TETUJE AND HOW UMA SEEMED TO HAVE NO WORRIOR TO LEAD, HE GOT UP.
-THE LION IS EVEN MORE FIRECE WHEN WOUNDED.
HE SET OFF TO THE FIELD.
EPISODE 2
At the battle field, NKAI SHOWED GREAT STRENGHT. HE FOUGHT TETUJE SOLDIERS WITHOUT LOOSING ANY FOCUS. OBORO WASN’T LIKING WHAT HE WAS SEEING. UDICHA, THE GREATEST AND STRONGEST WARRIOR IN TETUJE WAS NOW STANDING FACE TO FACE WITH NKAI. IT WAS NOW BATTLE BETWEEN TWO ELEPHANTS.
OBORO SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY, TO DO THE UNTHINKABLE. HE CALLED ONE OF THE SOLDIERS SIDING HIM. HE TOLD HIM TO FIND HIS WAY AND GET BEHIND THE HILL OF OSHARA AND SHOUT “UYIRI”. IT WILL ECHO TO THE BATTLE FIELD. HIS THOUGHTS WERE IF NKAI HEARS THE NAME OF HIS WIFE, HE WILL LOOSE CONs£nTRATION AND THEN HE WILL BE KILLED BY UDICHA.
THE SOLDIER DID AS OBORO INSTRUCTED AND FOUND HIS WAY BEHIND THE OSHARA HILL AND SHOUTED “UYIRIIIIIII”. IT ECHOED SO FIERCELY. UDICHA LOST CONs£nTRATION AND TURNED TO KNOW WHAT ECHOED, NKAI GOT HIM AND HELD HIM DOWN. NOT FOR ANY REASON WAS NKAI ABs£nT-MINDED.
NOTWITHSTANDING THE PAIN NKAI WAS GOING THrou-gh, HE Brou-ghT VICTORY TO THE PEOPLE OF UMA AND TOOK THE PEOPLE OF TETUJE CAPTIVE. AS THE TRADITION DEMANDS, TETUJE IS NOW un-der UMA. THERE WAS JUBILATION AS NKAI c@m£ HOME LIFITING THE ROYAL ARMLET OF TETUJE.
AT THE PALACE.
NKAI WAS DECORATED AND MADE re-adY TO STAND BEFORE THE GREAT KING OF UMA, KING OHUMA.
-welcome, my great WARRIOR.
NKAI BOWED AND THE KING TOOK OFF ONE OF HIS ROYAL BEADS FROM HIS n£¢k AND WORE IT ON NKAI’S n£¢k.
-WARRIOR with a difference. Even in your mourning period, you still brou-ght glory to your land. All the years of UMA’s existance, we have never seen a WARRIOR so dedicated like you. (the king took a de-ep breath) NKAI, for your heroic act, you are SUPPOSED to be given one third of the land of TETUJE but as it stands, you have no son yet. UYIRI gave birth to a girl. For this reason, the land won’t be given to you but will be kept for you till you are able to give us a male child, the next WARRIOR of UMA.
NKAI SMILED. THAT SMILE WAS SURPRISING TO PEOPLE. LOOSE ONE THIRD OF TETUJE IS NOT FUNNY AT ALL. PEOPLE FELT VERY BAD FOR HIM ESPECIALLY HIS UNCLE, UTANA . WHO LOVES HIM SO MUCH. HIS WIFE NURSED NKAI’S BABY.
NKAI RETURNED TO AN EMPTY COMPOUND. NO ONE WELCOMED HIM. HE FELL TO THE GROUND AND BROKE INTO TEARS.
-she will always stand there with a cu-p of warm milk. Uyiriiiiiii, you have no replacement and shall have no replacement. i have loved only once. it will remain that way. i lost a Goldmine, i lost a priceless jewel. my sunshine, my best friend. UYIRI, you will forever remain my one and only. Everything about you is SPECIAL. Giving me a girl child as first child has never HAPPENED in UMA. You should have just held on. i know you thought you failed me but no, you made me proud. YOU GAVE ME A TITLE THAT MY STRENGHT AND SKILLS AS STRONGEST WARRIOR COULD NOT GIVE TO ME. I AM NOW A FATHER. (he stood up and wiped his tears) that is enough consolation. Tomorow our baby shall be named and a day after, You shall be la-id to rest. I WILL MISS YOU MY UYIRI.
NKAI’S CHILD’s naming was a blast. PEOPLE were SURPRISED he hosted such a lavish naming for a GIRL CHILD. Only male child deserves such naming in UMA ESPECIALLY when it is from the lead WARRIOR of UMA.
OBORO WASN’T HAPPY THAT NKAI WAS HAPPY. HE COULDN’T PHANTOM WHY THIS MAN IS SO HAPPY. HE LOST HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE AND LOST THE LANDS,HIS LINAGE MIGHT BE LOOSING THE TITLE OF THE GREATEST WARRIOR IN UMA BECAUSE HE HAS NO SON AND HE IS HAPPY. OBORO WONDERED.
IT WAS TIME TO REVEAL THE NAME OF THE BABY. NKAI STEPPED FORWARD.
-she shall be called ZIORA!!!!
PEOPLE Cl@pPED. GIFTS WERE PREs£nTED. THERE WAS ENOUGH TO EAT AND DRINK. A FORTNIGHT LATER, UYIRI WAS BURIED. IN THE LAND OF UMA, BURIALS OF VERY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT CELEbr@TED.
AFTER UYIRI’S BURIAL, NKAI RETURNED TO FULL TRAINING WITH HIS SQUAD. ON THEIR FIRST MEETING IN HIS COMPOUND….
-war men of UMA, it is good to have you all around me again. Thanks for the role you pla-yed during my wife’s burial and my daughter, ZIORA’S NAMING. (he gave a de-ep breath) but my heart bleeds. THERE IS OR THERE ARE TRAITORS AMONG US. war men of UMA, no matter how many Enemies we CONQUER, we are still loosers BECAUSE we are Enemies to ourselves.
EVERYONE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER. THEY WERE LOOKING SURPRISED. HE CONTINUED.
-while at battle, i heard my wife’s name echo. it was coming from behind the hill of oshara. IT WAS DONE BY ONE OF US. SOMEONE AMONG US IS WISHING ME DEATH. (he laughed) you don’t nee-d to waste your STRENGHT trying to wish me death bec@m£ WHEN IT IS NOT MY TIME, I CANNOT DIE. I am giving whoever it is a chance to speak out now. WHO WAS IT? (he shouted) WHO WAS IT THAT WISHED NKAI DEATH? speak up now!!!!
THERE WAS QUIETNESS, NO ONE SAID ANYTHING. OBORO WAS LOOKING AT SERE, SERE WAS THE ONE HE s£nT TO THE HILL OF OSHARA. SERE WAS SWEATING .
-nob©dy ? that’s alright. we shall swear before the creator at sunrise in the fields. prepare yourselves tomorrow.
THEY ALL LEFT BUT TOMANI, NKAI’S WARRIOR.SON STAYED.
-my WARRIOR, he called.
-TOMANI, (he EMbr@CED him) i missed you my son. how are your parents? and how is your sister riene?
-ALL WELL my WARRIOR. i feel bad.
-why? what’s wrong?
-the death of your wife, and the land that wasn’t given to you bec@m£ you have no son. it is unfair. what amazes me is,you were not even sad.
-(NKAI laughed) TOMANI my son, that award is useless to me. i am now a father. that’s more honourable and besides. KING OHUMA, my king, your king, our king, is a very wise man. (he laughed) you saw the bead he wore on me?
-yes my WARRIOR.
-that small little thing can buy me the whole of TETUJE and more.
-what???? really? wooooo, hmmmm, wisdom. indeed. now i see.
-IT IS A THING OF GREAT REWARD, WHEN THE THRONE IS OCcu-pIED BY A WISE MAN.
-hmmm. true. but my WARRIOR, at the fields when i heard your wife’s name echo, i ran to stand behind you so you won’t turn around but i St©pPED when i saw you were still FOCUSED. You were not moved. you subdued your emotions. you did not let it steal your CONs£nTRATION. How did you do that?
-TOMANI, A WARRIOR who has trained his hands to war and hasn’t trained his heart, IS STILL A WEAKLING. As the hands are trained to war against swords, protect against arrows, so should the heart be trained to war against emotions. Enemies must not use your weakness against you. infact, hearing uyiri’s name reminded me i owe her VICTORY.
-hmmm, NKAI my WARRIOR father, the GREATEST of all in UMA. I RESPECT YOUR WISDOM AND I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU.
-(he SMILED) show me your f!ngers. (TOMANI opened his hands) do you see? the are not equal. work more on being yourself. work more on finding your own uniqueness. Yours might be greater than mine. If you end up trying to be like me, you might loose who you really are which might be higher than who i am. son, it is ok to follow my footsteps as your WARRIOR father but make sure it leads you into finding who you really are my son.
-Thanks my GREAT WARRIOR. one more thing. you made me really scared today.
-(NKAI LOOKED SURPRISED)how?
-you said that the war man of UMA have traitors within and they wish you dead. MY WARRIOR, how can that be? we all respect and love you.
-(NKAI SMILED) my son,you can only speak for yourself. (de-ep breath) TOMANI, i want to reveal a secret to you. The seer told me some time ago that……..THE SWORD OF HE WHOM I TRAINED WILL s£nD ME TO MY ANCESTORS. HE SAID I MUST USE WHAT I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN WHEN I AM DEAD, I AM STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE. (he smiled as he saw the fear and confusion in TOMANI’s eyes) relax son. i tell you these things so you will be careful. KEEP EVERYTHING WE DISCUSS SECRET.
-i always do that my WARRIOR.
-good.
-have you had anything to eat?
-yes my warrior.
-good.
ON THE WAY SERE WENT TO OBORO.
-OBORO, I’m in trouble. what do i do?
-are you stupid, why come to me here? do you want the other warriors to be suspect?
-i’m sorry. but i’m really scared. if i am fished out, my family will be barnished.
-and you think i will not go down too? listen, you won’t come to the as-sEMBLY tomorrow.
-how is that possible?
-don’t worry. i got you covered. i will make sure you don’t.
-Alright . thank you. OBORO plea-sE, i’m counting on you.
VERY EARLY THE NEXT DAY, MORODI, the brother to SERE, RAN DOWN TO NKAI, CRYING.
-my warrior, my warrior,
NKAI c@m£ OUT WITH HIS SWORD OUT OF ITS SHEET.
-who is after you?
-no one my warrior, no one.
-so what makes you cry?
-SERE. my brother SERE , in the pool of his own blood..SERE MY BROTHER IS DEAD.
NKAI CROSSED HIS SWORD ON HIS che-st AS TRADITION DEMANDS.
-My warrior, has UMA been invaded?
-let’s go.
NKAI GOT TO SERE’S HOUSE AND SAW HIM STONE COLD .HE quic-kLY OPENED TO SEE THE SWORD MARK ON SERE’S b©dy. IT WASN’T OF UMA. HE WONDERED WHO COULD OWN THIS KIND OF MARK. HE REMEMBERED HE HAD SEEN SUCH WHEN HE WENT WITH HIS MASTER TO FIGHT. “UBALO”
but we are at peace with the PEOPLE of UBALO he muttered. who is connected to ubalo in UMA?
“OBORO” his mother is from UBALO. Hmmmm. could OBORO be behind this? i doubt.
TO BE CONTINUED.