The sun had barely kissed the horizon, but the streets of Ukwu Province were already bustling with villagers. The day of the Iri Ji Festival (New Yam Festival) always held the promise of great enterprise, funfair and lucrative trade. Merchants could be seen attending to their stalls, and arranging their goods for sale for the day. Some of the market women were already at the market square buying and selling items needed for the Iri Ji Festival. Female dancers occupied street corners rehearsing their dance steps, and other entertainers did last minute clean ups to their acts.

Mama Ikemba made her way to the market square.

She wondered if anyone had slept through the night because of the anticipation and atmospheric excitement thick in the air. The mood of the people was infectious, and she was happy because she felt assured the traders selling soup ingredients she needed would already be out. She wanted to make Ikemba his favourite soup, so he would feel happy and strong before going for the Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest later that evening. She navigated her way through the streets and the market square with such ease that one would believe her to be a resident of Ukwu Province when she was, in fact, a guest from Uru Province. She located a market woman selling what she needed and approached her stall.

"Please give me one bunch of Udala leaves, five snails and two smoked fish," Mama Ikemba requested.

She then brought out some cowries and handed them over to the market woman in a generous manner as if to tell her she could keep the extra cowries.

"What is this?" the market woman retorted angrily as Mama Ikemba turned to leave. "Is today not the Iri Ji Festival? The price has gone up oh! You still owe me four more cowries."

Mama Ikemba argued vehemently with the trader, thinking her generous gesture gave off an air of affluence. She thought to herself that the market woman was trying to cheat her. Both women stood there bargaining when Mama Ikemba heard the loud gong, gong, gong sound of the town crier's ogene. The entire market square quieted down as he approached to deliver his message.

"Folk of Ukwu Province and our distinguished guests I greet you. The oracle has spoken in favour of Prince Zimuzo's participation in the Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest this year and so King Anozie has declared he will be representing Ukwu Province as our astral combatant," the town crier announced authouritatively as he repeated the message two more times.

The town crier did this mechanically, in the exact same tone and manner as if he had rehearsed it for a full day non-stop. Satisfied with his delivery, he proceeded to other areas of Ukwu Province.

Mama Ikemba's countenance fell as she heaved a disappointed sigh. She had been placing all her hopes on the Okaku Prince being not yet old enough to participate in this year's Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest. Without further argument, she paid the market woman the extra four cowries and hurried back to the visitors' camp.

On her way back she thought of how she could convince Ikemba not to compete anymore but deep down, she knew he would not listen to her. The Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest is all he has been preparing for and dreaming about his entire life.

Is it time I told Ikemba the truth? she thought to herself, but quickly dismissed that option out of her mind.

No, he's not yet ready to know that. I have to find another way to make sure he does not compete.

Determination enveloped her and suddenly, a brilliant idea about how to go about it came to mind.

***

THE ROYAL PALACE OF UKWU PROVINCE

The palace guards sent to summon Prince Zimuzo were confused about what to do next. They had been calling out his name for over a minute but he did not answer. The guards tried to wake him up but still, he would not budge. One of them called his mother, Queen Dumebi, to help out.

Prince Zimuzo was sitting beside a small hill close to riverbank, imagining what it would be like to sail beyond the Nine Provinces, beyond all of Igboland. He fantasised about the new lands he would see, the new peoples he would encounter, and he wondered if those new lands would be free of war and fighting. Prince Zimuzo disliked fighting and he groaned at how much his father, King Anozie, had been pushing him to excel at his astral combat skills ever since he turned thirteen.

Winning the Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest was all that mattered to his father at the moment. He was always quick to remind Prince Zimuzo how his grandfather, King Eze, was the first to win the 'Okaku' title for Ukwu Province after emerging as champion in the 'Okaku Astral Combat Contest' during his time. King Eze, the father of King Anozie, trained him in astral combat and King Anozie succeeded his father in becoming the next 'Okaku' of the Nine Provinces. The title of 'Okaku' had not left their family for two generations now, and King Anozie wanted that title to remain in the family even beyond Prince Zimuzo's generation.

"The Okaku is the Supreme King of all the Nine Provinces," King Anozie would always say to Prince Zimuzo. "He is the noblest of all the noble bloods because even the gods pay tribute during the coronation of the Okaku."

As Prince Zimuzo reminisced on his father's words, he heard a sweet calm voice calling out to him from the clouds.

"Zimuzo please come back to the Physical Realm. Your father has been asking for you."

It was the voice of his beloved mother, Queen Dumebi. A minute ago, she had entered his chambers, knowing that her son had most likely projected into the Astral Realm. She placed the three middle fingers of her right hand on his forehead and the three middle fingers of her left hand on her forehead; then, she closed her eyes and channeled the power of her Chi to make the astral connection needed to call out to him. A connection that can be made only by a close blood relative.

Prince Zimuzo projected back to the Physical Realm and woke up within a fraction of a second. He loved his mother very much and always paid her obeisance. She embraced him and gave him a light kiss on his forehead.

"My son, get dressed and go join your father at the royal court. The royal guests would all be gathered there any minute now," she reminded him softly.

"Yes mother," he sighed, moving to get up reluctantly.

"Please try and make your father proud today. It is a very special day especially for the family legacy. I know you dislike astral combat but that is what our culture is about. Perhaps when you become Igwe, hopefully even Okaku as well, then you can change that," she replied with a smile, handing him a chewing stick.

"Yes mother," he smiled back as he arose from his bamboo bed. He took the chewing stick from her and began scrubbing away at his teeth.

About an hour later, Prince Zimuzo was fully dressed in his royal regalia, which he never paid any special attention to. He was bare-feet (like every other native was) and bare-chested, wearing a beautifully patterned wrapper tied around his waist, numerous beads inscribed with the royal seal around his neck, and cowry bracelets on his wrists. Prince Zimuzo was of average height, light-skinned and very handsome. He had prominent facial features, thick eyebrows and excessively pink lips.

When he appeared at the royal courts, all the Kings of the other eight provinces were already seated in an orderly systematic manner. The royal court was a section of the palace compound bordered with low red earthen mud walls and arranged with wooden stools covered with goatskins. Each Igwe had their eldest male child with them, together with their special advisors seated by their side. Prince Zimuzo bowed his head as he walked humbly up the center isle to meet his father, the Okaku, who was sitting in front at its head.

The Okaku was distinguished from the other Igwes by his unique crown, which had two white eagle feathers extending out like the antlers of a deer. He was covered in a beautifully patterned cloth which stylishly passed under his left armpit and was knotted over the shoulder of the other arm. He wore bronze bands on his ankles, and carried the Ududu (royal scepter) in his right hand.

As Prince Zimuzo walked passed King Chibuzor of Uru Province, he accidentally missed his footing and nearly slipped but quickly regained his balance.

"Is this the Okaku Prince who is rumoured to fight at this year's Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest?" Princess Kaira whispered in her father's ear. "He walks like a clumsy servant who can't even get his balance right. I can take him down with one hand tied behind my back."

King Chibuzor smiled at his daughter's words. "Shh! Kaira, you're going to make me laugh aloud in an unmannerly fashion," he whispered back.

It was uncommon to bring a woman to such gatherings but King Chibuzor and Princess Kaira were inseparable. He also knew that women were not allowed to be warriors, let alone astral combatants but he had secretly initiated her into the Astral Realm to train her. Princess Kaira had been in love with the way of the warrior right from an early age and she had shown great talent for it. Even he was amazed at the level of skill she had attained at such a young age, especially for a female. If only she was a boy, King Chibuzor would have had the perfect child.

Notwithstanding her gender, she was still his pride and joy. Besides the Iri Ji festivities and the Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest, Princess Kaira was the subject on everyone's lips. Her beauty was rumoured to be unrivalled in all the Nine Provinces. They say her skin was as golden as the rays of the sun and her body swayed like a snake goddess whenever she moved. All the princes had their eyes on her and each was vying to win this year's Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest with hoping to impress her. All except for Prince Zimuzo.

Prince Zimuzo knelt before his father to pay homage, and then he greeted the royal guests respectfully before taking his seat beside his father. King Anozie, the Okaku, now rose to address them.

"My fellow Kings and noblemen, I greet you all in the name of the gods. You are highly welcome to Ukwu Province. I trust that you have all been treated with the best hospitality and all your requests and needs have been met."

There was a wave of nods across the court with sounds of agreement so King Anozie continued confidently.

"As you all know, we are to make a royal procession at midday for all our loyal subjects to see. Each province is supposed to unveil their Iri Ji astral combatant and I want to use this opportunity to officially announce to you that my first and only son, Prince Zimuzo, will be participating in this year's Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest."

Some murmurings and side talk were heard among the royal guests but King Chibuzor was the first to speak out.

"My advisor tells me that your son is still nineteen years of age and will not be twenty years old until the next new moon. So how is it that he will participate?"

"The oracle was consulted and the oracle gave an unambiguous interpretation of the rule which states that: a person becomes eligible to contest in the year of his twentieth birthday. The oracle explained that one becomes eligible in the year he turns twenty and not in the year that one has already turned twenty years of age," the Okaku answered.

King Chibuzor chuckled mirthlessly. "Have the gods now granted the Okaku family special favouritism that they now allow you to bend the rules just like you did twenty-two years ago in order to win the Okaku Astral Combat Contest?"

"I played by the rules laid out then and I won you fair and square," King Anozie responded with a steady voice but he could not hide the rage in his eyes. "Or are you trying to accuse the gods of wrong doing, King Chibuzor?"

"No, of course not. I will never do such a thing. The gods are just; that is why I don't think they would mind if we spar a little after the Iri Ji Astral Combat Contest is over. It'll clear up the air about whether you won me by cheating or not, and besides, I'm sure everyone would relish a chance to see their honourable Okaku shine in combat once again," King Chibuzor leered with an ominous grin on his face.

"The one who offends the crocodile on land should not think that he is safe in the water," King Anozie threatened subliminally.

Suspense hung in the air as both men stared each other down as if they were about to go into combat right there and then.

"Oh, the kola nuts and palm wine gourds are here," Ozo Amobi, exclaimed loudly to relieve the foreboding tension building up.

His distraction was welcomed by everyone in the royal court especially the Okaku. King Anozie waved the royal maidservants in and they served everyone. The instrumentalists played some music and the mood changed to one of merriment. Ozo Amobi was not just the special advisor to King Anozie but he was also King Anozie's second cousin. He understood King Anozie well enough to tell when he was about to lose his temper.

"Uncle, why are father and King Chibuzor at each other's throats?" Prince Zimuzo leaned in to ask Ozo Amobi. "And what is all this talk about father cheating during the Okaku Astral Combat Contest in his day?"

"There has been a long-standing rivalry between our family and theirs ever since your grandfather, King Eze, won the title of Okaku by defeating King Chibuzor's father. This culminated at the Okaku Astral Combat Contest during your father and King Chibuzor's time. I will tell you about it later but for now let us eat and drink," Ozo Amobi answered.

King Anozie said a short prayer to the gods, broke the kola nut, and the jollity began. While everyone was eating, drinking, conversing and laughing, Prince Zimuzo was seated horn in hand, lost in thought about what this rivalry between his father and King Chibuzor was all about. At this point, Ozo Amobi noticed something striking about one of the maidservants. Her face seemed very familiar to him, but before his quick mind could place the connection, it was already too late. He tried to tap into his astral energy but felt an overwhelming weakness. He turned and touched Prince Zimuzo lightly on the arm to draw his attention.

"Quick, project into the Astral Realm and search around the palace for anyone with a reddish glow," Ozo Amobi whispered with fright. "I am afraid we have a traitor or spy in our midst as we speak."

***