The Legend Of The Beautiful Warriors

the begining...

Once upon a time...
Some years back, an African linguist, professor James told his students an ancient African tale as they all listened with pleasure wishing the story never ended.

"In every story told, there is an element of truth and reality, if only you listen deeper and hear within."
He gave a more serious look and a puzzled smile, then, resting his vision only at their forehead, he continued. "Now," he paused for a while...
"How can you hear within?"
Sighs... raising the right hand up and pointing the index finger like he's trying to count the students listening, he said in a calm tone.
"Listen to your own voice. That way, you don't only hear the story, you see the story alive and can partake actively in it.
Every ancient African myth may have been forgotten, but there are some African legends that keeps the world in balance so they must never be forgotten."
The professor paused again for some seconds and then gave a more serious and viscous gaze like a scarecrow made to scare some kids and his voice sounded more native and superstitious.
"People reincarnate, spirits roam freely around the globe and there are powers possessed by some men that they are not even aware of. They are some born with even greater powers and after living an eternity of five thousand years, they are reborn by mortal men. They carry the same destiny, same powers and must fight and win same battles else the world seize to exist if these battles are lost. The circle of reincarnation continues and some of them are in our midst but we just do not know them. They are some that have no idea of who they really are yet." He sighed...
"A great battle awaits and I am only a messenger to the mighty one, the big god and his beautiful queen, the chaste goddess." The professor paused and smiled as a way to ease the tension imposed on the students but his dark eyes got even darker portraying the opposite of his countenance.
"Every minute, battles are being fought, ordinary men born with extraordinary powers engaged in ancient wars for days, weeks, some times months, but to the mortal man with closed eyes, these battles never exists, and a fight of months seems like a blink of an eye." He took a deep breath.
"These battles are necessary to be won else the balance of the universe will be altered and evil will take over our world if these battles should be lost. Africa holds the oldest source of life, the most ancient life forces. There are artifacts of the unknown world, creatures kept trapped by greater powers that must never be released else the end of mankind."
The professor gave a terrifying stare, intensely looking at the two students seated close to his right, 'Seth and Ife.'

Seth was adopted by the Perkins when he was just a year old, he had been living with them until his college education started and since then, the young man rarely visits home. Even though he is the only son of Mr and Mrs Perkins, he wished he had known his true parents but still, he love his foster parents with his life. He had no idea who his biological parents were or the origin of his name.

"On that wonderful day, we saw you outside, placed in a very nice baby carrier and with the beautiful name 'Seth' written boldly on the Carrier, and we knew God has blessed us with a son." His mum always said to him with lots of love from the day he clocked sixteen, the day that changed everything in the young Seth's life. Imagine you getting up one morning and realizing your parents are just a foster parent. How heartbroken he was but still he knew he have to be thankful for his family is the best gift he ever had in his whole life. Ife have been the only true friend of Seth, they've been friends since they were kids, they grew up together, same neighborhood. She is a very strong and beautiful young woman with the heart of an angel. When they were kids, their mates kept laughing at her, asking the meaning of her name and Seth would be the only one who stood up for her. He even started some fights, got beaten sometimes but still he won't let the lonely Ife to herself. He was with her through those times and even till now. Unlike Seth, Ife was adopted by Mrs Smith after the death of her husband. She found the little baby wrapped in linen cloths and placed in a basket close to the river banks where she and her late husband spent most of their time when he was alive. She could not leave such an innocent child, she loved her from the first sight and took her to the nearest orphanage. She later adopted her some weeks on and raised her like her own. That was three years after Seth was adopted by Mr and Mrs Perkins. Mrs Smith took care of Ife and kept the wish of her mother. She never changed the name her biological mother or whoever wrote the note that was kept in the basket wished for her.
Seth and Ife had no idea their lives is about to change forever. They have no idea how much the balance of the universe depend on them. Destiny have a way of playing with everyone and these two will never believe some ancient African myth will resurfaced and drag them into a great ancient battle.

Slowly bending his head in an oblong manner, then gradually, he straightened his head and smiled as he continued his story, leaving the two lads wondering within themselves as to why he looked at them in such a way.
The rest of the class found the professor's actions funny and they laughed but the whole class became quiet as the graveyard when they noticed the professor wasn't trying to be funny. The students remained quiet for a while until the professor's voice broke the silence.

"In a far away kingdom, somewhere in ancient Africa. A beautiful princess lived as a servant with no idea of her Royal bloodline. She worked day and night, sometimes goes through the day's rough work with an empty stomach. Smiling and facing every challenge with courage and fortitude, she strive on, plunging her ways through formidably and arduously, she grew up to be the most hard working, the strongest and still the fairest off all the maidens in the land. In the old days, some people call her Onome, others knew her as the goddess of the chaste and some even called her the bride of the big god"

"Give me some water please" the blind, dirty and thirsty beggar cried out as he crept closer to the beautiful maiden, his clothes all thorn and was looking so dirty and unkept.
"I cannot fetch from the stream since I am unclean, please help me quench my taste." The beggar implored.
She answered with a gentle look that got everyone present at the stream wondering why she'll pity an unclean outcast.
"Why don't you ask the others? Why ask me?" The maiden inquired but trying not to hurt him with her words, she chose them carefully. It was like she saw something different from what the others were seeing. Her spirit felt something powerful, something magical, strange, like nothing she has felt before. It was as though she had known him for an eternity, like she had shared a lot with him that she couldn't remember. Maybe they have lived a different life in another world, maybe they have same destiny, or maybe their part will surely cross again in the future. With lots of unanswered questions on her mind, she felt there is something more to this beggar, but showed no sign of her feelings, if there's anything Onome is really good at, it is faking her emotions. She can bottle up a thousand feelings in a wonderful smile. With lots of unanswered questions deep down her mind, Onome tried to toughen up, dropped her pot carefully on the stream like she wants to continue what she was doing and paid no attention to the beggar. "Please, fair one I need to quench my thirst" he cried, persisting, as though he knew her heart is only of good. Onome stood up, folded her arms in a way they rest just under her breast as she stared at him and after a short while, her heart melted, she saw how thirsty the beggar is and how dirty and unkept he's looking and she knew she just have to help him because, beneath that dirty and blind beggar she saw something no one else can see and she pitied him. Onome bend down, dipped her pot into the stream and fetched some water. She raised the pot and walked closer to him, never minding his appearance, she lifted the pot higher, closer to her chest, wrapped her right arm around the clay pot and pressed it close to her breast, in a way to support the pot from falling. She bent down and got even more closer to the dirty outcast, touched his shoulder with her left hand and tried to help him pull his head closer. He raised his head up as she helped him drink from her pot and so was the beginning of a friendship of eternity.