The Legend Of Dayo…
AARON ANSAH-AGYEMAN
THE LEGEND OF DAYO
SEASON 3: THE RIVALRY
CHAPTER 19
A Bloody Showdown
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The Author
Two days later, just at the end of the fourth month, all ten Keepers came to the military training grounds to pay them a visit.
The army compound was huge and had a barracks of sorts comprising of huge rectangular buildings in the form of an ‘H’.
These buildings served as administration, tactical, armoury, sleeping bunks, and gymnasium rooms.
The green range outside were used for intensive swordsmanship, archery, and hand-to-hand training.
The warriors, dressed in the required green trousers, laced boots, and light-green sweatshirts, were engaged in various forms of physical disciplines.
Temidayo was sparring with Walexman Olawale, who had been giving him one-to-one coaching on using the sword.
Temi was perspiring, and the sword felt very heavy in his hand as he thrust and parried, moving with the measured steps of the warrior, just as he had been taught.
Even then, he looked absolutely ungainly and anything but a warrior as he moved, his clumsiness so pronounced that Prosper Freeman, standing a little off and watching, shook his head with absolute horror and sadness.
“He looks just like a clumsy fish out of the water, doesn’t he?” Emma Tobi said with a chuckle as the Keepers came to a stop and watched the exhausted Temi trying to score a hit on Walexman. “I can wager you that even I can defeat that boy under a minute.”
“Would you shut up already, Emma!” Sage Agu Samuel said, exasperated by the man’s constant nagging. “Until the fifth month is up, we will still consider him as being trained!”
“Fifth month indeed!” Tobi said and spat on the ground. “Look at him, after four months of intensive training! He still can’t even keep that wooden sword balanced, let alone a real sword! That boy is wasting our time, I tell you!”
[stextbox id=”alert” caption=”WARNING”]Exclusive Content to http://www.aaron-ansah-agyeman.com Do not copy or share on any other site. Do not share on any WhatsApp, Facebook or Social Media page. ONLY SHARE THE LINKS TO THE STORY[/stextbox]There were murmurs of approval from some of the other Keepers, causing Shemen Persis to look at Ayaka Nsugbe worriedly.
Daniel Godwin, who was running with his best friend, Ziloux Escobar Adeyeye and Rose Amaefule, saw the Keepers looking at Temi, and suddenly he changed course and raced toward Temidayo and Walexman.
He pulled out a flat-bladed wooden sword from the sword rail and approached them with a smile on his face.
“A little demonstration, Temi?” he asked with a contemptuous little smile.
Walexman Olawale’s eyes glinted as he squinted at Daniel with unfriendly eyes.
“We know he’s no match for you, Daniel,” Walexman said coldly. “You don’t have to prove anything to anybody!”
“Well, I beg to differ,” Daniel Godwin said with an equally cold look as he whirled the wooden sword over and over in his hand. “I think that boy could be the one to lead us against the army of Temitayo Anubi, so you should stop brushing him with a feather and start giving him some real grit!”
“Lay off, Daniel!” Walexman said coldly, and there was a warning in his voice.
“Or what, old timer?” Daniel Godwin asked with a cruel twist to his lips. “This boy shouldn’t be treated with kid gloves anymore! Allow me to show him how to be a man!”
Temi looked at the huge bulk of Daniel advancing on him, but he felt no fear. He knew he was absolutely no match for the giant, and he knew that in a hand-to-hand fight, or sword fight, or any other fight he didn’t stand a chance, but he felt his fury surging as Daniel Godwin spoke so arrogantly to Walexman.
“You don’t have a shred of humility in you, do you?” Temi asked acidly. “It may surprise you that the base requirement for being a leader is humility!”
“Perhaps, you will show me how to be humble, my dear brother,” Daniel said and smiled humourlessly.
Prosper Freeman, looking concerned at what was happening, took a step forward but Emma Tobi reached out suddenly and held the hand of the commander.
“Perhaps, this is the sign we’re seeking, Commander,” Tobi said with crafty little eyes shining. “Perhaps you should allow this to unfold.”
Prosper looked at him with venom.
“For what to unfold?” he asked tightly. “We all know Temi is no match for Daniel!”
“Perhaps, we should see this,” Ayaka Nsugbe said quietly, and Shemen Persis gasped and looked at the chairman of the Keepers.
“No, Ayaka!” Shemen said with sudden concern. “Daniel might kill Temi!”
“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic, Persis!” Emma Tobi retorted as his eyes drilled into Persis with hatred. “Your toy boy won’t die from a healthy little fracas, I daresay.”
Shemen Persis looked at the man sharply with her heart beating with sudden fear, horrified by the look of disdain in Tobi’s eyes!
Goodness, was this man aware of what happened between her and Temi? But no one had been around…unless Shola had stayed, somehow, and known what had gone on!
Persis made a mental note to find out from Shola if she had wagged her tongue to anybody; she knew how much she would be disgraced if it ever came out that she took advantage of Temi, a potential heir to the Dayo throne.
All activities had ceased now as the spectacle unfolding between Temi and Daniel caught the interest of all of the people present. The other warriors, engaged in several other activities, began to gather around to watch what was going to happen.
“Come, little brother, a little flexing of the muscles will do you a ton of good, don’t you think?” Daniel Godwin taunted as he moved ever closer to Temi.
Walexman raised his wooden sword, but Temidayo waved his sword at his friend.
“He wants me, Walex,” Temi said tightly, his furious eyes not leaving the face of Daniel. “And me he shall have!”
“That’s the spirit, brother, that’s the spirit!” Daniel said as he smiled and closed in on Temi.
He swung his wooden sword toward Temi’s head, and Temi raised his sword to parry the blow, but with the eerie speed of a ghost, Daniel spun to his right, bringing his sword low and smashing it with horrible cruelty into Temi’s ribs!
Temi grunted with agony as shafts of pain drove through his brain.
He screamed and rushed at Daniel, swinging his sword in wild arcs and deadly sideswipes. Daniel was grinning all the time, treating Temi like a little boy as he easily blocked his thrusts and parried his deadly slashes.
“Don’t worry, little brother, I’ll lose the sword,” Daniel said and flung his sword away, and then spread his hands toward Temi. “See, no sword, empty hands. Let’s see what you can do.”
“I won’t fight you without a weapon!” Temidayo said hotly as he breathed hard, the sweat stinging his eyes.
“Because you’re such a wet-bed little yellow coward!” Daniel said with a voice dripping with disgust. “You are nothing but a little twerp not fit to bear the name of King Demi because you’re a bloody coward!”
The words stung Temi!
He screamed, overcome by the passion of his fury, and even though he could hear Walexman screaming, he paid no heed. He swung his sword wildly, seeking to knock in Daniel’s face.
Daniel was a composed artist as he moved fluidly, ducking and blocking Temi’s thrusts, and then he moved in close and swung a mighty fist into Temi’s face.
The blow broke Temi’s nose, and flung him hard on the ground!
Temidayo screamed and got to his feet.
Blood was pouring out of his nose in torrents as he rushed at his tormentor.
“That is it, that’s the spirit!” Daniel Godwin said with a chuckle.
He twisted from Temi’s blow and then slammed a horrible combination of blows into Temi’s body, and then delivered a horrible uppercut that lifted Temi up and slammed him down hard on the floor.
Dazed and in unbearable agony, Temidayo struggled to his feet, screamed, and rushed at Daniel again.
Daniel’s foot came off the ground straight into Temi’s unprotected groin.
The pain was like hot volcanic rocks ripping through Temi, making him clench his teeth with agony as he dropped to his knees.
But his eyes never left Daniel’s face as he glared at him with furious eyes devoid of any trace of fear.
Daniel chuckled and nodded.
“Game over, little brother,” he said. “Stay on the ground. You belong there!”
“Just a spoilt, weak sapling!” Emma Tobi said with disdain.
And then, although Temi might have been in excruciating agony, he got to his feet, and this time he didn’t scream.
“I will never yield to the likes of you!” Temidayo said through his broken lips as blood dripped down his face. “As long as the blood of my father runs through me, you will have to kill me before seeing my back. I am David Temidayo Dayo, Prince of Dayo, and I have nothing but contempt for you!”
And his voice, though broken, was filled with authority and power, laced with the contempt of a true royal, and fused with the rich baritone that used to be the bane of his father’s voice.
And, hearing it, Prosper Freeman stood straighter, and he spoke softly.
“That is the return of my Lord!”
Temidayo dropped the wooden sword, bunched up his fingers into fists, and then he rushed at his half-brother.
He swung his fists wildly.
Daniel danced back and slammed a ferocious left hook into Temi’s jaw that nearly tore off his head!
The onlookers groaned at the sheer brutality of Daniel as his blow threw Temi down sickeningly.
Daniel pointed a finger at him.
“Stay down!” he hissed angrily. “It is over! Don’t let me kill you!”
And Temi didn’t moan, even though he was in excruciating pain. His eyes remained on Daniel’s face…and then came off the ground.
“As I said, I’ll never yield to a weasel like you!” he said disdainfully and spat with contempt on the ground.
His legs wobbled and could barely support him, but his eyes glared defiantly at his brother, and he rushed at him, tottering like a drunk.
Daniel Godwin screamed now as he smashed a foot into Temi’s chest, and as Temi was falling down Daniel grabbed him and raised him above his head!
He was holding Temi up like a rag doll, and then he screamed and smashed Temi down on the ground!
The ground shook with the impact of the smash!
Temi coughed out blood, feeling as if every bone in his body was broken. He was dirty, he was bleeding, and his face was swollen to twice its side. His eyes were almost swollen shut…
But he dragged himself up to his feet slowly and stood unsteadily on his feet.
He took drunken steps toward Daniel Godwin.
With a bellow of rage, Daniel Godwin let his little brother have it!
He delivered crushing blows to the body and head of Temi, punishing blows that finally tossed Temidayo down on the ground like a broken toy, where he remained…unconscious.
Daniel Godwin stood over the limp body of his brother, huffing and puffing, his fists bloodied by the sheer punishment he had meted out to Temi.
The other warriors were applauding and looking at Daniel Godwin with awe.
He looked over at the Keepers.
“There is your heir!” he screamed loudly. “Does he look like a king to you? No, he’s no warrior! Just a softie, a sissy, a bloody coward!”
Walexman grinned evilly at Daniel Godwin.
“He kept coming back, did you see that?” Walexman shouted, looking around angrily. “He was overmatched, he knew he was no match for his opponent…but he never gave up, he never fled, he never backed down, he never begged for mercy! He kept going and going until his body and his spirit gave up! That is the spirit of a king!”
Those who were applauding stopped abruptly.
There was a stunned silence, and when Daniel screamed with hatred and turned on Walexman with his fists raised.
“That’s enough!” Prosper Freeman shouted as he came forward, his face dark and furious. “That’s enough, Daniel. Warriors, take a break, disband! Disperse!”
Shemen Persis, Sage Agu Samuel, and Ayaka Nsugbe moved forward slowly, their faces filled with awe, and looked down at the broken body of Temi.
“Those blows should have killed him!” Ayaka Nsugbe whispered, his voice unsteady. “Surely, no man could survive that!”
“Is he dead?” Shemen asked as tears streamed silently down her face.
All the Keepers looked at Sage Agu then.
The Sage smiled gently as he looked down at the bloodied form of Temidayo.
“He lives,” he said, his voice awed. “Kings of Dayo don’t die like dogs. This boy has the spirit of a king.”
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