KING ZIORA
EPISODE 7
☞Nnenne uju izuanagbara.
KING OHUMA WAS TROUBLED.
-how do we know the woman? WUNA, he called the seer, THE CREATOR did not REVEAL the woman?
-No my king.
-WUNA, the king called sounding angry. how can you come to me with incomplete solution? are you not SUPPOSEd to ask the CREATOR who the woman is? is she from our land? has she been born? what she looks like? how do we prepare against this catastrophe looming? WUNA, even if it’s not in my REIGN, my son will reign after me. Even if my son doesn’t, UMA my motherland is too precious to be persecuted. WUNA, go back to the CREATOR and ask questions. We have to act fast.
-Alright my king. i shall take my leave.
-WUNA (the king called him back) I FORBID YOU TO SEE MY FACE TILL YOU HAVE ANSWERS.
KING OHUMA s£nT FOR NKAI.
-your majesty my king, (NKAI greeted with his head bowed) GREATEST king of the seven proviences of the MOUNTAIN. may your reign be long.
-NKAI, my GREATEST WARRIOR, you are welcome. plea-sE sit down.
-(NKAI sat down)my king, your message was very urgent and you look worried, is all well?
-NKAI, my WARRIOR, i am AFRAID. My soul is FRIGHTENed. My spirit is disturbe-d. I fear for the future of my kingdom UMA.
-(NKAI was worried) your majesty, who troubles you? (he stood up) who troubles the GREATEST king of the kingdoms of the MOUNTAIN?
-NKAI, plea-se sit. The seer’s dream troubles me.
-The seers dream?
-(the king nodded)He said he saw us, i mean, you and i, walking into a bright light and then on his left, he saw UMA,covered in thick darkness. He saw blood, dead bodies, hunger, STARVATION. Traitors INcrea-sed in UMA. He turned again to call on us, we had gone into the ray of light..Then he cried, but as he cried, someone walked up to him, the person wore your robe and had your sword. He shouted NKAI but when the person c@m£ close and took off the covering, it was a BEAUTIFUL woman. He said,”Thus says the CREATOR, NKAI AND KING OHUMA shall join their ANCESTORs. Traitors shall have full domain in UMA. There shall be KILLINGs, blood shed, hunger in the land but then, a woman shall save us and shall rule over us.”
-your majesty, i am shivering down my spin. what do we do? did the CREATOR tell us where to find this woman? but uma do not have female WARRIORs.
-NKAI, to save his own, THE CREATOR has to break unnecessary protocols. it doesn’t matter who is used to st©p deliver UMA from the impending danger. WUNA did not do his job well. He is SUPPOSEd to ask more questions. WUNA does not know who the woman is, where she will come from, if she is from UMA, if she has been born, we do not know. (the king got really upset). how can we now prevent this future disaster. WHAT A SEER!!!
-your majesty, plea-se calm down. I believe the seer would have been in shock too. The CREATOR will reveal to him if he so wills.
-hmmm. plea-se GREATEST CREATOR, open to us this secret is.who is this woman? where is she? what family? has she been born? (he shock his head) OH UMA MY LAND!!!!
AS NKAI RODE ON HIS HORSE HOME……..
-Hmmmm, ZIORA my child. The heavens have started telling about you. The CREATOR has started showing you to the seer. It has been confirmed, you have been confirmed. I just protect you. it shall start by me keeping a sealedl-ip. it is in the power of the CREATOR to REVEAL ALL THINGS. I won’t help him. ZIORA, YOur training starts now. Any moment, as it has been REVEALED, i will join my ANCESTORs. i do not have much time (he shouted at his horse) hiiiiihaaaaa, move it. ZIORA has alot to learn, INCLUDING YOU.
THE KING CALLED HIS SON UKOMI AND TOLD HIM THE PROPHECY.
-A woman shall save us? and then rule over us? UKOMI asked. father, a woman? rule over UMA? did the PROPHECY say, i died too?
-no son.
-so why should a woman rule over UMA when i’m still alive? and what could be so SEVERE that i, PRINCE UKOMI, heir to the throne of UMA can’t handle for UMA to be nee-ding a WOMAN to deliver and then rule? Nob©dy, father i repeat, Nob©dy tampers with my throne. It is my inheritance, my right, NO one takes it from me.
-UKOMI, do not bring upon yourself the wrath of the CREATOR. He has spoken it and it will come to pas-s. No one is taking the throne from you. The CREATOR has DECIDED and that is final. It might be after your reign. Prophecies of 2000years ago, are coming to pas-s now. you nee-d to know this so you can pas-s it to your son.
-OK father. so was this woman REVEALED? where will she be coming from? which family is she coming from? is she from UMA.
-hmmmm, my son. exact QUESTION i asked WUNA. He DIDN’T ask. how do we prepare? i have told him HE IS FORBIDDEN TO SEE MY FACE TILL HE HAS ANSWERS.
-LONG LIVE THE KING.
UKOMI AND OBORO ARE BEST OF FRIENDS. UKOMI SHARED THE PROPHECY WITH OBORO.
-what? my prince, don’t accept it. you want to be robbe-d of your inheritance. that seer is to be questioned. why is the king like that? taking every NONs-en-sE from that suc¢v-mb. the king is too soft for my liking. IF he is ha-rd , rigid, fierce, even birds would be scared to perch on his roof.
-so what do i do?
-good QUESTION. Get the right information and get back to me. once i hear what i want to hear, That PROPHECY, is as good as forgotten. Don’t worry UKOMI, with me, you have no cause to worry.
-thank you.
NKAI GOT HOME. HE CALLED ZIORA AND TOLD HER THE PROPHECY.
-papa, the PROPHECY, talks about me.
-hmmm,i know.
-so why DIDN’T you tell them you know?
-ZIORA, outside here? you do not know anything. It is wisdom to HIDE AND GROW. The CREATOR is wise. He hid you by giving you the b©dy of a female. If you were a male, they would have been since plotted to kill you. ZIORA, no one, i repeat, no one must know about your dreams, no one must know you are the woman in the PROPHECY of the seer. No one, when i say no one, NOT EVEN GRAND PA UTANA AND GRAND MA MAJE. I forbid you to speak to anyone about it. WHAT YOU KEEP TO YOURSELF CAN NEVER BE STOLEN, EVEN IF YOU ARE TORN IN PIECE. HIDDING TO GROW IS NOT WEAKNESS, IT IS WISDOM. IT IS NOT FEAR, IT IS FITNESS. Get your things re-ady we leave Tomorrow.
THE NEXT DAY, VERY EARLY.
-Papa, ZIORA CALLED. aren’t we going on the horse?
-(NKAI SMILED) Daughter, on a journey you are trying to hid? leave your personality behind. Disguise YOURSELF if you can.
-hmmm, de-ep father. very de-ep.
THEY SET OFF ON FOOT. NKAI WASN’T NOTICED AT ALL. HE LOOKED LIKE AN ORDINARY MAN. THEY GOT TO MUZARA BEFORE SUNSET.
IZINGA SAW NKAI BUT COULDN’T RECOGNIZE HIM.
-My warlord, IZINGA the great. NKAI your son greets you.
IZINGA LEAPED FOR JOY .
-NKAI, my WARRIOR. THE GREATEST IN THE LAND OF OHUMA. you are welcome (he looked at ZIORA) and who is she?
-My Daughter ZIORA.
IZINGA PAUSED. HE LOOKED AT NKAI.
-SO it is you my son?
-i don’t un-derstand MASTER.
-“THE DAUGHTER OF A WARRIOR SHALL BECOME A WARRIOR. AND YOU IZINGA SHALL BE HER WARLORD”.
NKAI LAUGHED.
-obviously not me WARLORD. I just want my daughter to be strong and independent. and by the way, who said that?
-THE SEER FROM THE MOUNT HIEVER.
-hmmm. MY WARLORD, i have brou-ght my daughter to you. Teach her how to war for self defence.
EPISODE 8
ZIORA WAS TAKEN TO HER ROOM BY THE SERVANTS OF IZINGA. NKAI DREW OUT IZINGA’S SWORD AND POINTED AT HIM.
-promise by the sword my WARLORD, no one must know she is my daughter.
-(he t©uçhed the edge of the sword) I PROMISE. She is in safe hands. you should know this.
-yes my WARLORD. (he called ZIORA) see me off. (to izinga) i should take my leave now so i can get to UMA on time.
-Go well. may the CREATOR keep you safe.
ZIORA WAS SEEING HER FATHER OFF.
-don’t worry papa, i know the rules.
-(NKAI smiled at her) you are becoming smarter by the day.
-i have the smartest man as my papa. (she smiled)
-(NKAI smiled) i will miss you my sunshine.
-i will miss you too papa.
NKAI LOOKED AT HER AND LAUGHED.
-aren’t you going to cry?
-i shed unseen tears papa. you taught me that. (she smiled) and besides, (she WHISPERED) i am getting re-ady.
NKAI GAVE HER ONE LAST VERY ti-ght hvg.
-now go.
-(she ran off ) good bye papa, see you soon.
NKAI CRIED AS HE WENT BACK HOME.
-can’t believe i’m crying. (he laughed) tears of joy though. who am i that the CREATOR chooses to favour me by changing the TRADITION in the land of UMA and appointing my girl child, MY SUCCESSOR and RULER. Too much, just too much. UYIRI, my UYIRI. Wish you were here to see you DIDN’T disappoint me, wish you could see you did not bring me shame. you brou-ght me great HONOUR. ”THE SHAME YOU DIED FOR IS THE HONOUR YOU WOULD HAVE LIVED FOR”. Irony!!!!!. Oh CREATOR, keep my daughter safe. Give her more WISDOM for WISDOM is stronger than STRENGHT.
OBORO WAS PACING AROUND OUTSIDE HIS COMPOUND.
-hmmm, a woman. Never. i think the seer talked about the future. hmmm, i will have to put my son in order. I have to start training him. MDIRA, my son will unleash mehem in UMA. I love power. i love to be incharge. i love to rule. I must find out who that woman is, where she would be coming from, her linage. I WILL WIPE THEM OUT. I OR MY SON, SHALL RULE OVER UMA. UMA SHALL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A KING. My reign won’t be with kid gloves. I SHALL BE FEARED, I SHALL BE HONOURED, I SHALL BE THEIR CREATOR. THEY SHALL SERVE AND WORSh!pME. I AM OBORO, MY WORD IS MY BOND. (he took a de-ep breath) first, that bastard, NKAI and that WEAKLING, KING OHUMA, nee-ds to k!ssthe earth alre-ady. NKAI is useless, he has no son, no SUCCESSOR. That thing he calls a child is also useless. I don’t have much to worry about NKAI. KING OHUMA SON, that piece of trash. i will use him to work against his father and then finish him off. UMA, wait, YOUR WORST NIGHT MARE is getting re-ady!!!!! and no one, nob©dy, will save you.
THE LAND OF MUZARA.
IZINGA WOKE ZIORA UP.
-ZIORA, the WARRIOR and the KING. Has your father told you?
-MY lord, my father told me, only male child SUCCEEDEs his father. i can never be a WARRIOR. i am not a royal blood, i can never be a king.
-hmmmm, ZIORA. never say never. you are the choos£n one. The seer from the mount of HIEVER said to me, for in that day, “YOUR TIME JAR SHALL NO LONGER POUR SAND”.(he went and got the time. the sand in it was hanging) This happened yesterday. my child. UMA will face terror. UMA will face agony. There shall be invasion of great evil, WICKEDNESS. it shall start up by one man and his followers then his son. you, my child, you alone, will deliver UMA, from his hands. you will clean up UMA, you are the light to vanish the thick coat of darkness that shall cover UMA. Ziora, tell no man this, not even your father. YOUR TRAINING SHALL BE AT NIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN. FIRST, YOU MUST LEARN HOW TO RUN UP TO THE MOUNTAIN. Get up. NOW!!!
-(Ziora yawned) My lord, night is for slee-ping. that’s what my father said. i am tired. i want to sleep. my father never TRAINED at night, besides, i am not a WARRIOR. i want to sleep.(she yawned again)
-your DESTINY and that of your father’s are not thesame. YOU ARE NOT JUST A WARRIOR BUT A KING. KING ZIORA!!!!
-i am not. i am a girl. i am just 5. i am here just to learn how to defend myself.
IZINGA BEc@m£ VERY UPSET.
-now i see you can’t be handled with kid gloves though you are a kid. (IZINGA drew out his wh!p) now up. (ZIORA SIGHTED the wh!pand JUMPED down from the be-d) good. (IZINGA brou-ght out a male clothe) wear this. Henceforth, you are the slave from the orphan home in LAKE PUMA. I shall call you LULU. i will shave your hair by the side and leave the rest in BETWEEN.
ZIORA STARTED CRYING.
-i am loosing everything. why? i am only a child. i want to pl@yin the streets. i want to be pampered. i don’t want to be a WARRIOR. i am not a WARRIOR.
-ZIORA, i forbid you to shed unnecessary tears. you if you loose your IDENTITY to acquire great AUTHORITY,you just gained more.(ZIORA was shocked. those where same exact words of her father.) Now sit (ziora sat on the floor. IZINGA shaved her hair, leaving the center only he wore her the male clothe.) Henceforth, you are LULU, THE SLAVE. My child, i shall guard you and guide you with the last drop of my blood. i shall help you fulfil DESTINY. WHILE THE evil MEN ARE STILL PLANNING, (he laughed), THE CREATOR IS ALre-adY WORKING.(he turned to ziora) what is your name?
-i am LULU the slave from the orphan home in LAKE PUMA.
To be CONTINUED