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He got up on his feet again gnashed his blood soaked teeth in anger and charged towards zaki. Zaki fixed his eyes intently on the advancing opponent calculated his next move which he dodged effortlessly and sent a punch to his left and right cheek in quick succession with both fist.

His opponent staggered backward and Zaki followed it with another blow to his neck. Zaki followed it through with another and yet another until the last one sent him sprawling to the ground and he tried standing but fell back and went still.

There were uproar from the crowd. Buzen was pleased with the two kids.

"Take him to the healer" he commanded.

Two warriors step out and carried Filip to the healer.

Some children came to congratulate Zaki. Some shook hand with him while others embraced him.

"Waoh! Congrat! You just taught him a lesson which he won't forget for a long time." Temalin said.

"Thanks"
The kid warriors soon they all dispersed leaving Zaki alone in the arena.

Zaki deep his hands in his pocket and brought out a small book. He look at it, it was the book given to him the gods.

He flipped the book and he heard someone speaking but when he turned he saw no one close by. He thought his mind was playing tricks on him.

"Congrat! You almost impressed me." He heard the voice again and scanned his eyes around but still he found nothing.

He look at the book but it was blank. He flipped through the book to the last page but it was all blank. He was furious with the gods for giving him a blank book. Still angry he heard someone laughing and turned sharply but there was no one around.

"Why don't you show yourself?" He shouted in anger.

"Looking for me?" The magic book which he was holding in his palm ask.

"Yes....show yourself now if you are brave as you sound." Zaki replied scanning his eyes around once again.

"Here am l Zaki."

"Where?"

"Am in your hand and please could hold me more gently?"

Zaki deeply in thought, "Did he just said he was in my hands?" Then it dawn on him that the book was just not a blank book but a god or something not ordinary.

Zaki held the magic book lightly with trembling hands,"you...did you just spoke to me? Or am l going nut?"

"I just did Zaki" Immediately Zaki held the magic book speaking again he screamed and dropped the book and ran back to join others in the hostel.

TBC

Silver1996 all l have to say to your literary prowess is woah!

Chapter Twelve

"Choose your opponent." Commanded Buzen, popularly known as "The Scar" because of the big scar he had below his nose. He was a hard and feared warrior who had fought so many battles. He had a rough jaw and bloodshot eyes, broad shoulders and is a hunk of a man.

A young boy struck Zaki on the face but he didn't flinch.

"Fight me you coward," he snarled and hit Zaki in the nose, followed by a kick in the stomach that sent him sprawling on the ground. He sprang to his feet. He spat out blood in disgust and vibrated in anger.

The crowd of kids screamed, clapping and shouting, urging Filip on "finish him."

"Come on lazy bone. Show me what you got!" Filip charged like a bull towards Zaki and threw a trickish left punch at him but he ducked. He immediately swung the right fist with added intensity but Zaki dodged it again. This got Filip infuriated and he launched an uppercut to Zaki's chin and missed. This move exposed him enough for Zaki to bury a powerful punch into his side cracking a rib in the process and he followed it immediately with an uppercut to his jaw. And blood flew out of his mouth as he scrambled to the ground.

He got up on his feet again and gnashed his blood soaked teeth in anger and charged towards Zaki.

Zaki fixed his eyes intently on the advancing opponent, calculating his next move and went for the kill....

TBC

Continuation
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Other children arrived with tattered clothes, some were naked and half naked the heat of the coal has done justice to them but Temalin was not among them. Zaki went back to search for her and meet her with others not too far from the camp with only pants on struggling to lift her legs like an eight month old baby practicing her first steps. He walk to her and carried her on his back and return to the camp.

All the children made it to the camp. The camp gates were open, the children walk in silently to their separate rooms. The female building were separated from that of the male. They rested for five hours and then changed into new clothes before heading to the training ground.

Zaki stood at the passage door admiring the beauty of the female abushi cadet who were busy with the morning exercise led by a young man probably eighteen years old. He heard a footsteps behind him before he could turned, he saw himself flying in the air before landing with a bang few yards from where some recruits were training.

"Are you okay?" A feminine voice ask while also assisting Zaki up on his feet.

Zaki stood up and saw some recruits laughing. Filip walk up to him with frown in his face and whispers into Zaki's ear.
"Watch your back lazy bone." And he walked away.

"Are you okay?" The feminine voice ask again.

"Yes. Thank you."

"What was that all about?"

"What?"

"The kid that pushed you? I mean Filip." She ask

"Oh! So his name is Filip!"

"Yes. He is so arrogant. Be careful, he is dangerous."

"Thanks."

Zaki walk to the training ground and heard some kids laughing behind him and when he turn he saw the devil watching.

TBC

Magi and her two daughters knelt down and hugged Zaki for few minutes and wept.

"I 'll be back. I love you all." Zaki said and walk out. Zaki was putting on army green singlet and short which was the uniform of an abushi cadet. It was a gift from his sisters. They stood by his side helping him with his bag and together they walk to the play ground.

The Scar told the recruits the rules for qualification.

"Any question?" Scar ask

Temalin raise her hand and ask, "can l help my mate that is down?"

"Yes. As a recruit you're to look out for one another."

At the blast of the gun one hundred and twenty children step on the hot coals and started walking to the camp. Zaki look ahead and saw Ataziks and someone else walking on the coals also but something caught his attention. Whenever the other fellow step on the coals it changes into ice. Zaki quicken his pace stepping on the ice and kept on moving till he was behind this strange friend of Ataziks. Before he could ask who he was, both of them vanish and Zaki saw that he was already at the camp gate; with nine others including Filip, the son of Vaco who was soaked in sweat.

TBC

Temalin is of the same height with Zaki and a blossom friend to his twin sisters. In the air were mixed noise as parents accompanied their ward to the play ground to begin their match to adulthood.

The play ground was filled with warriors wearing army singlet and khaki. Both male and female armed with riffles led by 'the Scar' who held a whip loosely in his hand. The place was colourful and lively. Parents were hugging their children who they won't be seeing for eight years.

Warriors could be seen pouring hot coals on the street down to the camp. Every recruit are to walk on hot coals on bare foot till they reach the camp. Anyone who jump from the coals to the ground will be disqualified.

TBC

Chapter Eleven

Magi has put to bed. She gave birth in the night to a bouncing baby boy. It is a tradition in katango to place the baby in the hands of the husband for blessings or to the first male child if the woman is a widow. The baby was carried to Zaki to be named and for blessing. He blessed the baby and named him Boluk after his late father.

Once again joy returned to Zaki's home but it was short live. Immediately, he gave the baby back to his mother a horn sounded. The horn is call that every eight years male child of each family must honour. It is a call to serve and protect the land. Where men will be separated from boys. It is the dream of every male child to be enlisted into the cadet camp of Abushi warriors. Where they undergo series of rigorous training for a period of eight years. Those that survive after eight years graduate and become Abushi cadet warriors.

In homes where there are no male child, a female will be chosen. Gaus have four daughters, two are warriors already. Therefore, Temalin the third child was chosen to represent his family.

The temple door open, Zaki walk out and met his sister staring at him. She walk to him and he embrace her warmly.

"Am sorry" He apologize to her. He held her tightly and wept.

"Brother is okay." She held his hand firmly and they walked home.

TBC

Sorry for the short update.

Expect more.

Next chapter comes shortly once my phone is charge.

Congrat Silver1996

Base on who u be, warri no dey carry last.

Continuation
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"Slax fex" and both of them descended to the ground.

"As a god every part of your body must be alert to both seen and unseen forces. You must be watchful and prepared at all time for battle so that you don't become a prey to the enemies."

"Stretch your hands!" Ataziks commanded and snapped his fingers and a book drop on the hands of Zaki.

"what's this?" Zaki ask

"It's a magic book that can only be seen with the eyes of the gods. It has two golden rules and anyone you break 'll be your doom."

"Thank you master."

"The next training, you're to catch unseen weapons and to do this your mind and spiritual eyes must be open."

As soon as Ataziks finish speaking invincible arrows flew from the opposite direction and pierced into his thigh. Two more arrows pierced him on the back, another in the arm and he screamed in pain.

"Open your eyes Zaki, look beyond the physical." Ataziks called out to him.

Zaki close his eyes and focus. When he open his eyes he saw arrows flying from all sides towards him. He stretch his right palm trying to stop the arrows that are already few inches to hit him. He closed his eyes tightly waiting for his end and manage to speak, "staux ta still."

Zaki open one eye first to spy if he was still alive and open both in surprised. The arrows were suspended in the air and with his eyes he was able to control it to the floor.

"That was closed." Zaki held the arrow in his thigh and drag it out. He remove the one from his arms and back.

Ataziks walk toward him smiling.

"That will be all for today."

"Thank you." Zaki said looking at the book on his hand with curiosity.

"You're permitted to open the book once you're outside the temple. You can go." And he disappeared.

TBC

Sorry pals for the late update. I went on fieldwork and the place has no network. I' ll be updating weekly because of poor network.

Sorry once again.

Zaki seeing this recognized that he is a god and he bow his head in fear.

"Don't be afraid. Your training start today."
"Your father serve my brother Zakumi faithfully till his demise. The gods were with him till the end but couldn't prevent what happen. It is fate. Don't blame yourself for his death."

"Zakumi failed my father and tried to cage my spirit when l didn't accept his offer. How cruel can the gods be? The gods of the wind and lightening has been the shield and eyes of my ancestors. Please, tell me in what way have we wrong the gods?" Zaki ask and wept aloud for the first time since he became conscious venting his anger on the gods as he struck both fist on the ground continuously till blood started coming out from his hands.

Heni heard him from outside and stood up terrified that something terrible might have happen to his brother.

"Zaki!" She screams his name.

Ataziks watch him and comforted him. He place his two hands on his arms and raised him to his feet.

"Your father casted spells but under me, you'll be trained to speak the language of the gods." Ataziks said.
"Are you ready?"

"Yes master." Zaki answered.

"In the course of this training, you're to repeat every word l say and believe that you're a god. Every mortal is born a god and as a god there is no impossibility in what you can do. You're a god." At the sound of his voice there were blast of lightening around them.

These words became a healing pill to Zaki transforming him into a warrior god because he believed the god and repeated to himself, "Every mortal is born a god. Therefore, l am a god."

"Whatever you imagine and believe in your heart becomes a reality." Ataziks said.

"The greatest battle of a man is the battle of his heart. The greatest weakness of all men is fear!"

"Reflex flax flo," Ataziks flew up and hangs in the air and Zaki look up into his eyes and repeated same words and flew to him and both of them were suspended in the air.

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TBC

Comment needed and correction please.

Silver1996