Far away in the forest of Jos city wild park, a dumbfounded Kiya sat on a large rock under the hot noon sun. She sat quietly and keenly focused on the nature around her completely ignoring the heat of the sun, as if the sun was not even there. Minutes after minutes she would sigh heavily. Something is happening inside her that she could not comprehend, something she knew would happen but not in this way. The bonding was a success but her body was finding it difficult to adjust to the bonding, the feeling rather strange and the inside of her seem to be a whole new world.
TWO HOURS AGO:
Kiya woke up from her long slumber, all rejuvenated and strong but also weak inside. She slept for too long because her body needed immense strength after going through bonding with the sentient weapon which had a great toll on her. She got out of bed, walked toward the mirror hanging on her wall but halted on her way when she saw a paper wrapped like a note resting on her computer table. She opened the paper and on it she saw a simple one line note; Meet us as soon as you wake up.. from Alisha. "Hmmm.. Alisha?" Kiya whispered, "She was here while I was sleeping" she thought. Without thinking any further she dropped the paper and walked away to the mirror, she reached the mirror, she stood right in front of the mirror but didn't know she was in front of the mirror. "Ahh, what is happening?" she asked surprisingly, she seem to notice something strange. She tilted her head up and down, turned left and right but could not see anything in the mirror. "What the hell is going on here? Why am I not in the mirror?" she asked again surprisingly. The mirror seem void, no image of Kiya was showing and that scared Kiya. Her heart began racing in a flash speed, a fear so terrible began to rise from the very core of her being, at that moment, Kiya's mind out of fear could form only one thought.. "I am dead." "No you are not dead." A voice sounded in her head. Kiya quickly turned around to see who spoke to her but there was no one. She signed slowly, calmed herself, believing her head was only messing with her but how about her image not showing in the mirror, "How is this happening?" Kiya asked herself. She closed her eyes tightly like someone in despair, a prayer rose from the deepmost of her being.. I need help. Few seconds after her subtle prayer, she suddenly felt like the wind was caressing her skin and when she opened her eyes, she found herself standing on a large rock in the Jos wildlife park. An excitement overtook her.. "Ahhh!" she exclaimed, "I can teleport like Arkhaviya now?"
Meanwhile, miles and miles away on the other side of the country, Alisha and Arkhaviya stares at a screen like mirror showing Kiya sitting cluelessly on a large rock in the Jos wildlife park forest. Alisha asked Arkhaviya, "Are we going to keep watching her sit there all day without any help? It been more than two hours." Arkhaviya remained calm and silent, she did not want to say anything because she already knew what she was doing. She turned to Alisha and in a chronic African ascent she said; "Don't be in a hurry, look closely and you will see that she already got help."
The two women remained calm as they hit a glance at a cat-like creature walking majestically toward Kiya who was still sitting cluelessly on the large rock in the forest, the creature then gradually magically shapeshifted into a grown beautiful lady. The young lady has the same features as Kiya, except she has cat-like features too. She dressed like an African warrior, powerful in her being and essence, with her body covered in tiny hair and stripes like that of a tiger.. "What is she and how does she look so much like Kiya?" Alisha asked. Arkhaviya smiled, she turned to look at her daughter and answered, "She is her Totem" she added; "they are normally animals spirits but can transform to human likeness, when in human likeness, they carry uncanny resemblance to their human masters." "Wow!" Alisha exclaimed, "I knew about totems but never heard anything like this." "Don't think much my dear, your schools and books and your internet can never tell you all that you really need to know. In fact, they thrive in telling only half truth." Arkhaviya replied. Alisha smirked, "I see" she said. "So we all have this totems?" Alisha asked. "Yes we all do" Arkhaviya answered.
"Have you ever seen yours" asked Alisha.
"Yes, but that was before I became Arkhaviya."
"Why not now that you are Arkhaviya?"
"Because I am no longer truly human. I am a sort of cross machine but with a human soul." Arkhaviya replied.
"Ok.. But what was your totem like?" Alisha asked.
"She was a pretty little deer, mysterious in nature, and when she transformed into human likeness, she looked just like me except with deer futures, like pointy ears, beautiful deer eyes, and the tiny spots on her skin just like a deer."
"Wow!" Alisha exclaimed, she gave out a little chuckle and continued; "She sound beautiful just like the weird deer lady standing right there."
"What?" Arkhaviya quickly turned her head and was dumbstruck at what she saw. "Oh my God!"
Not so deep into the forest of Jos Wildlife park was Kiya, sitting completely cluelessly absent minded on a large rock for the past two hours. She was so lost in her thoughts to the point of becoming oblivion of whatever was going on around her. Few steps away from Kiya, a Bengal cat appeared from tin air. She walked majestically, slowly and like a high class model she walked beautifully toward Kiya. When she saw that she had gotten closer to Kiya, she let out a vibrating super roar-like meow. The vibrating cry was so powerful that it instantly snapped Kiya off her deep thoughts. It was a wake up call for Kiya, a powerful awakening, that was the sound of victory.
Kiya jumped up her feet in a blink, her heart tripped in fear, her mind almost shattered, for that sound was not only ear-breaking but heart-wrecking and mind boggling. It was supersonic, a kind of sound Kiya had never heard before, and how the heck did that mighty sound came out of a little cat? Kiya was about to start looking for a way to get rid of the strange cat that wanted to turn her into debris with just a 'meow' but her eyes balls almost fell off their socket at the sight of something even stranger. The little Bengal cat all of a sudden began to behave weird, she started letting out another cry but this time not supersonic. Kiya paused and opened wide her eyes in amazement as she witness the strange cat morph into something bigger, every limb, every part of the cat's body began to grow rapidly. Before Kiya could think of anything, the cat got up on two, she stood straight like a human would, in a blink the cat is the same height as Kiya, in another blink a beautiful human face replaced the cat's face and there she stood right in front of Kiya like a complete replica of her. "Hello!" she greeted Kiya.
Confused at what she just witness, Kiya remained speechless, dumbstruck but needed to break the ice, there was no way she would look weak in front of a cat-turned-human, she needed to say something. She gently whispered; "Even more confusing is that you can even talk."
"Sure I can talk and I just said 'Hello' isn't this the point where you reply with a 'Hi' ?"
"Who are you?" Kiya blurted.
In a chronic African accent, the catlike human replied; "My name is Tohtema and I am a 'What' not a 'Who' "
Kiya's heart began to beat even faster, she wouldn't let her guards down, she posed like a fierce fighter ready for a fierce fight, for what stood in front of her has a terrifying appearance. The strange being carry an uncanny semblance with her but with cat features like a tail, pointy ears, spotted and striped body, but more menacing is the powerful long dreadlocks and the strong and powerful frame the being possesses. Kiya sighed and asked; "Ok then.. What are you?"
"I am your Totem and as you can see, I am all free, carry no weapon, not in a fighting position, hence, totally harmless to you. Do not be afraid Kiya."
"My goodness.. You really mean you are my totem?" Kiya curiously asked.
"Yes.. I am you but your animal essence. I have been with you since the day you were born on earth."
"You look just like me but weirder, stronger and fiercer."
"Yes I look like you, well weirder but not stronger or even fiercer.. I mean, you are the New Mighty Melimandu. You literally possesses cosmic power, in fact, I can safely say that you are currently the most powerful being on earth and beyond."
"You know all that?" Kiya asked.
"Yes" Tohtema replied, "and that is why I had to show myself to you. Arkhaviya saw how lost you were after waking up from your long slumber due to the heavy toll your physical body went through during the bonding process, she needed me to talk to you and show you what to do."
"Wow.. So you know Arkhaviya and she could speak to you?" Kiya enquired.
"Yes I know her.. she is a pretty powerful telepath so she could reach me through her thoughts.. and right now, we need to go see her."
Kiya paused for a second, she stared at Tohtema In the eyes and boasted into a heavy laughter, like someone who just woke up from a daydream. "Damn.. have I gone so crazy that my own mind play tricks with me now?" "What do you mean?" Tohtema asked surprised. "I mean you are not real right? Kiya asked.
"I am very real and right now you need to get us out of here, we have no much time."
"What?"
"Yes"
"This is not happening to me"
"Kiya this is real, It is happening to you."
"I know of totems but I didn't know they could become human and could speak.. So you are not real, leave me alone."
Kiya began to walk very fast, she needed to stay away from that strange being trying to play tricks on her, a fragment of her confused mind.
"Kiya!" Tohtema called, "What are you doing?"
"I need to get away from here.. and don't call my name again, you are not real.
The moment Kiya said that, she felt the wind blowing her with a strong impact, and in a blink she saw herself in a large room filled with bookshelves and weird apparatuses.. "Hello Kiya, you are finally here." A husky voice echoed.
Kiya calmed herself, wiped her eyes to have a better understanding of the strange place she found herself. She saw where the voice that welcomed her came from, a tall husky man dressed like a European. Her eyes narrowed and she asked, "Who are you and what is this place?"
Meanwhile in her Computer lab, Alisha watches Kiya from the mirror like screen Arkhaviya casted for them, while Arkhaviya stands with her totem few steps away. All of a sudden, the mirror went blank, without any trace of Kiya again. Alisha's jaws dropped in amazement, her brain wanted to make sense of what just happened but that was too strange even for her brain. "What the heck just happened?" she cried. Her cry alerted both Arkhaviya and her totem who where having a reunion chat. "What happened?" Arkhaviya asked, "The screen went blank." Alisha replied.
"Just like that?" Arkhaviya enquired.
"Yes.. she was talking with her totem and all of a sudden, no trace of her, I mean.. the mirror went blank."
Arkhaviya let out a heavy sigh and said, "Kiya is in trouble, I can sense it."