STORY: AZORIDA, OUR BELOVED CITY OF NO WALLS
AUTHOR: OLUSANYA OLALEYE.
GMAIL: honestpens@gmail.com
CONTACT: +2348164485110

The tallest man in the land was a dwarf, the richest worth a billion kobo, and the bravest of their men given a chase by a snail. Azorida was distant, but not hidden from other cities around her. And though nature have them at disadvantage, they never put themselves at any disadvantage: a fact painfully however sharply learned by King Zu, the first and the last king to attack Azorida, our beloved city of no walls.

The sun was gentle on the land when the messenger came bearing the message of doom. Unchallenged as lightening, he found his way into the palace. And like a cock in the wakening of the morning delivered his message without fear.

"Surrender the city in two days, or you and your children will all go into slavery. King Zu."

King Papritus gave a sigh of understanding and of implication. For moment past he could only give an answer of silence. He waited, interpreting the expressions of his chiefs. When he was done, his words were soft, as they were stern.

"Tell King Zu the city is his, if only he can take it."

King Zu by every standard was not surprised when the messenger came bearing King Papritus. He only laughed. Azorida by measure was only one fifth of Zola, the city of Kings he took a year ago. And if anything, Zola was more a guarded city compared to Azorida, a city which can't even boast of a trench to protect her, let alone a wall.

So King Zo came upon Azorida with the best of his men. With all his strength, might and power. Like an eagle on a chicken, overpowering. But things took turn: King Zo never had the chance to use his army.

King Papritus after the visit of the messenger had called a meeting, not with his chiefs but with his people. There was no constraint, only a choice to make.

"For hundreds and thousands of years our city has enjoyed a stream of uninterrupted peace. The cost of which is not named. Because, never in history, not for once, has our city being threatened by any force. Be it human or angelic. We may not have anything as a city. We may not have the wealth. We may not be able to build ourselves a wall toiling to the heavens as the Zolites that's coming upon us. We may be weak, frail, we may have nothing. But we do have ourselves. We have one another. And this we shall lose in two days if we give our city to the Zolites. Because I know, and we all know, by the secret wisdom of our ancestors, no man can give freedom at free cost. Not even as promised by King Zo. So, we have only just two choice: maintain our freedom or be a free slave to King Zo. We can die in our city or we can either live a living dead without a will in the promise of King Zo."

But our people were not ready to die. Death should not be considered when an option still exist to live said our ancient text. Our people came together, sorcerers, witches, wizards and wise men to combine their power and wisdom. Together they cast a spell that hid the city from the sight of Zolites. And they did something more. They summoned the host of heavens to aid our city by giving strength to our people, when still we were cloaked. So that we all went out at the Zolites and killed them all with none with their life to escape with.

We were weak before, the strongest among us was a twig. But this changed that day when we gave everyone a chance to contribute their qouta. No one is useless, and no challenge can overpower the power of unity in freedom. This, we have been taught by Azorida. Our beloved city of no walls.

©2017, Olusanya Olaleye.