The Conqueror Series

THE STORY OF REGA (EP 7)

Zirima was seen singing a son and seated on a fallen branch outside the home of the witches of Akpara land. The Akpara land was built centuries ago by a man called Lafome. Lafome was said to be a man the gods told to go to a distant land of Akpara and sacrifice himself to the gods. At first Lafome was scared but even his father was understandable of what had happened and he too being a man of the deity had also heard the gods speak about his son. The father invited his son to tell him at first but the son. Lafome told him that the gods had paid him a visit in a dream and had already told him of what he must do. When the father heard this he was troubled for Lafome was his only son. Lafome was the son his wife bore him on the day she died. His coming was also prophesied to be the end of his mother's journey in life and it was for his coming became his mother's departure. At that time his father had to raise him up alone and when the gods decided to take him away from him he did not know what to do and tried to hinder this from happening by offering many sacrifices to the gods. They refused his sacrifices and insisted that his son embarks on that journey to Akpara land.

"What will he be doing there gods of our land?" Lafome's father had asked the gods and the gods made him to understand that his son will be killing himself in the land of Akpara and by so doing the gods will now bring forth a people that will live for the benefit of those oppressed in the world. The father did not know what else to say.

When Lafome's found out that there was nothing he could do to avert this he called Lafome and Lafome confirmed that the gods had spoken to him as well Lafome's father could not understand how his son could be so confident and wanted to die just like the gods had instructed and he had no atom of fear in him.

On the day that he left to Akpara his father saw him off and even though he was a man who had seen a lot he was not able to control the tears that fell from his eyes. He knew he was never going to set his eyes on his son again and he prayed that his sacrifice would not be in vain. He went back to his hut, feeling down and dejected.

When Lafome reached the land the gods called Akpara he knew he had reached and he knew too and remember too what the gods had told him to do before killing himself. Firstly the gods made him to understand that upon his death he would be giving birth to beings called the witches of Akpara and those witches would stand for what was good and not what was bad and if he died the witches would exist and his name would forever be in history as the one who actually birthed the witches of Akpara. He drawn the dagger he had his beneath his boot and kept thinking about his father and what he said to him before he left. He was sure too that if the people from where he came from were to learn about his sacrifice they would always remember him and his father. He used the dagger on himself and died immediately.

Immediately he died the grass on the ground began to grow rapidly and then there were little baby dragons that began to come out of the earth. This followed with the wind and then the sky began to turn red.

This happened and that was how the land of Akpara came out. The baby dragons turned to witches and began to live in Akpara land.

Zirima was the daughter of the head witch who first came into existence after Lafome had died and carried him to the place they called Sabo. Sabo became the place of the dwelling of the spirit of Lafome and many a times the witches would go to the place to pray for the world. Their prayers always had effects but Zirima would not have it so. She would not have the fact that they remained in the land of Akpara while the world they were called to rescue were in the hands of tyrant leaders. She was on that branch singing when her mother stepped from the back and touched her on the shoulder. "You have been so moody since yesterday my daughter and I have been wondering why. You have not also had anything to eat yet I have begged you to feed on something. If you do not feed you might become lean and believe me that is not what I want for you my child. You are going to take over from me when I am no more but how can you do this if you do not keep up strength?" The mother on realising that her daughter was not going to say a word came to her front and sat, facing her. "Maybe it is high time you went hunting but remember not to cross the land of Akpara. Why not go hunting and do better for yourself?" asked the mother. Zirima sighed and held her mother on both cheeks and smiled at her. " mother you are so beautiful" She kissed her on the lips and the mother was so pleased with her daughter. The daughter then turned to a dragon and flew away. The mother stood and watched her fly away and she was proud of the daughter she brought into the land of Akpara. She wished she had a son or another daughter who would keep her daughter company and both would grow up together. She then went and reoccupied her seat and her eyes caught one of the witches as she walking to the Sabo and she stood and followed her to Sabo. When they got there they both bowed before the grave and began to pray for.

Zirima had flown to a certain place, still in the land of Akpara and then descended on a hill and returned to her normal look. She sat down and watched the animals in the forest and her mind was filled with so many things. Most of the times she felt she did not belong in Akpara and that there was something or somewhere she should have existed. She felt that all she did every day was fly and fly and fly, eat and sleep and then fly again. They had always prayed for the world from the land of Akpara and she had felt that prayer was not enough. They needed to take an action to secure the oppressed from their oppressors. But many a times her mother had made her to understand that there was no way she could erase evil entirely from the world and no matter what anyone did evil would always exist. This thought kept in her mind until her eyes caught the village of Ugodu and she stood up. How beautiful it would be to be seen being a part of the people of Ugodu. She felt that going there would not cause any harm and that her mother would not know that she had gone there. She began to walk towards the town of Ugodu and before long she was near the market. She was seen moving with people and she felt very accepted and happy. She had never really walked with humans before and she felt so accepted and so welcomed. Rega was also moving in the market on top of his horse and so Zirima who had seen him as the only one riding on a horse decided to go and touch his horse. As she followed the horse she could see that the rider was drunk and that he held a jug of wine in his left hand and was drinking it with reckless abandon. She followed him from the back until she saw Rega stop the horse before an open stall and walked into it. She too walked into it and saw him seated and drinking. She went and sat opposite him and staring at him.

"What are you looking at girl?" asked Rega as he drank again from the jug.

"You are drinking so much and you are drunk. Your health is no good. You need to stop drinking okay?" advised Zirima and to her surprise Rega mimicked her and laughed at her amidst his drink. He coughed vehemently and nearly poured away the drink from his hand. He regained himself and then began to talk again. "What do you know about drinking you little w***e? You should be with your mates and playing with them"

His statement irritated Zirima and she stood up abruptly. "Do not talk like that to me again?! She warned and sat back and Rega mimicked her again. " You see, he continued, i would have loved it if you did not show up. Your presence has made my drink finish so quickly " said Rega before he began laughing again. Zirima stood up and went closer to him. "I had wanted to help you but you are rude and impolite. I can not help you" Said Zirima before she started walking away from him. Rega began to cry and Zirima turned to look at him. What could have made him cry? She wondered. She stopped to hear what he had to say but Rega was not saying a word, instead he kept on crying where he was sitting and Zirima was forced to go back to him and to reoccupy her seat in front of him. Rega had stopped crying and had wiped his tears before drinking again from the jug. Zirima went to him, snatched the jug from him and flung it outside the stall room and Rega screamed, "No my drink!!?"

"Tell me what has placed you in this condition and yes! stop drinking you moron!!!" Zirima shouted at him and Rega looked at her face, "A beautiful girl like you should not be cursing you know" he said.

"then stop messing around for you are irritating in your state right now. Tell me what I need to know about you and be quick about it"