Ophidia

CHAPTER ONE ( Leaving home and forest hassles )

Mupo slashed his sparring sword at his father,but his father blocked the attack with his sword. He

struck at Mupo's chest but he missed. Then Mupo swung his sword at his father's neck, he dodged it

and jabbed Mupo in the gut.

"Show no mercy",he said.

"Yes father",Mupo replied. He then swung his sword again aiming for the neck. But his father blocked

the attack. Except this time whilst Mupo swung his sword with his left arm, struck his father in the

ribs with his right arm. His father was unable to block because he was using both his to block his

attack. His father dropped to his knees.

"Ahh",he cried.

"Are you okay father?" He swiped his leg on the ground to try and make Mupo fall. Mupo caught on

to his plan of attack but he was too late. He then fell to the ground back first. His father quickly got

up and pointed the sword at Mupo lying flat on his back.

"You had the opportunity to win", he said. "But you didn't take it."

"I know, but-"

"You shouldn't be too charitable especially in fights one day that big heart of yours might get you

killed. People will not always fight as clean as you, so you need to always be prepared."

"Yes father."

"I'm going to have a bath now make sure you feed Mpamvu."

"Yes father." He went over to the stables to retrieve the Zebra. He directed her out of the stable

and took her for grazing. Then out of nowhere a lynx appeared from the bushes and tried to attack

Mpamvu. It scratched her leg. But the zebra put up a fight. It kicked the fox and it ran away. "You're

not going down without a fight are you?" He said to the striped animal. "Come on let's get you home

before more of those show up."

After feeding The Zebra, he went off to his room. He was an only child so he didn't have to share.

When he was trying to read his book, he failed to concentrate. All he could think about was the

choosing of the Njoka.

He was excited about the choosing of the Njoka, his family lived in isolation on a farm so he did not

get out much, he was either outside working or inside reading.

He lived in a small town called Jomba Valley and belonged to the Cobra .So he might have been able

to attend the ceremony if his parents would let him use the transport available . Alas they only had

one Zebra and his parents were planning on selling it to make ends meet.

"Ohh please let me take Mpamvu for the ceremony " Mupo begged his parents "It is only a three day

trip and I will make sure that I bring her back immediately the Njoka has been chosen".

His parents glanced at each other and his father began to speak

"Now you are a competent young man, you are nineteen years old and I believe that you should be able

to reach the ceremony and bring back the Zebra in one pi-"

"Yes ,I promise ", Mupo interrupted

"As your father was saying "his mother said." We expect you to be careful especially on your way to

the temple, there are bandits out there who will stop at nothing to get what they want. We want you

to have fun there but we also want you to be cautious is that clear?"

"Yes Mama and Papa loud and clear ",Mupo replied.

"Good" said his father." Now go and pack up you have a long journey ahead of you, you leave at dawn

so that you may stop for camp in good time"

"Okay guys good night!",he shouted as he went to his room.

When he began packing,he made sure to pack a lot of food because he got hungry easily,he packed

extra clothing,a blanket,some water and a leash for Mpamvu. He went to the tool shed to look for a

weapon just incase he encountered a bandit. He looked around and saw nothing that he thought would

be useful. Until he saw his father's prized bronze sword hanging on the wall,that his great great

great.....great grandfather used in the great venom war.(Mupo's father served as a knight in the

Cobra tribe army, so he taught Mupo how to wield a sword and fight with one)

"Bronze?I think you will do just fine",he said under his breath ."Just hope that papa will not notice

that you're missing". He picked the sword and put it in the sheath,peeped outside if anyone was

looking and he bolted to his room(which was separated from the rest of the house).

He got up really early in the morning to start off ,he hugged his parents goodbye,hopped on to

Mpamvu and started off for his journey. His parents were waving each time he looked back until they

were too far to be seen.

"It's just you and me for the next six days",he said to the Zebra.

They moved until night fell and decided to stop in the cyto forest for camp.

"Are you thirsty?",he asked the Zebra.

"I must be really exhausted,because I just asked you if you're thirsty and you cannot respond.

Anyway let's fill you up with some water".

He took her to the stream for a drink,then after she was done when they started to walk back ,from

a distance he saw about three people by the campsite. They each had a mask covering the lower

halves of their faces( nose and mouth) and one of them had a sack hunched over their back.

"Thieves!",Mupo realised." C'mon girl".

He collected some dirt in a pouch, jumped on to her back and they dashed to the campsite.

"That should be enough",said one thief.

"Just wait I'll need some more food",said the second one.

"Can both of you buffoons move your asses,I hear someone coming",said the third.

"Hey!"Mupo yelled from a distance,"put that stuff back where you found it!"

"Yeah right ! " replied the first thief.

They hopped on to their Zebras and dashed off into the dim lighted part of the forest.

"C'mon girl! C'mon girl! We need to catch them."said Mupo as he got closer.

He was close to catching up to them "Little more!", he then unsheathed his sword when he was side

by side with one,the thief aimed the a crossbow at Mpamvu and fired,but Mupo deflected the arrow

with his sword. Mupo now got angrier, he guided the Zebra towards the thief till he was close enough

to s***h the crossbow. When he was close he sliced the crossbow in half and knocked out the thief with

the flat part of the sword. The thief tumbled off his Zebra and fell into the mud. "C'mon girl two

more to go", she dashed even faster than before until they were right behind the second thief. He

aimed a crossbow at Mupo and fired,he dodged the arrow he tried again this time it grazed his leg

"ahh you'll pay for that!",Mupo exclaimed.

"C'mon try and shake this guy",said the one far ahead

"Don't you think I'm trying" said the one in front of Mupo

He fired another arrow,but this time when Mupo deflected it, it penetrated the thief's arm. Mupo

dashed ahead of him and threw the dirt into his eye which blinded him and he crashed into a tree,but

neither of the two had any of his things it was the one ahead of them who had them.

"Last one ",Mupo whispered to Mpamvu.

He chased after the last one,but struggled to catch the thief. He didn't give up though, he didn't stop

chasing,but they were just too darn fast. Mupo was ready to give up but he kept going,until the thief's

Zebra suddenly started to slow down, Mupo also wondered the same thing and started to follow suit.

Then the thief stopped and turned around, Mupo also stopped. They stopped at a cliff,they stayed

there facing each other in absolute silence for about a minute.

"You've been cornered like the rat that you are ",Mupo spoke."surrender now or I will show you no

mercy!".

" Rat? did you get that line from a play?",the thief replied. The thief's voice sounded soft and

feminine.

"You're a girl" Mupo said.

"And you're an imbecile ."

"Give me my stuff back and will not hurt you". She rolled her eyes and got off her Zebra. She

looked about two years younger than Mupo, was about 163cm tall,slim,had brown skin and had long

dreadlocks,she was wearing a black scarf,rusted steel breast plate, black trousers and dark grey

boots . As she started walking, Mupo drew his sword and said

"stop right there! I'll get them myself." She raised her eye brows and then her hands and said

"be my guest ",as he was pointing his sword at her,she stood behind him and as he was checking for

his things that were set near the horse,she swiped his money pouch and jumped into the tree above

them(which hovered over the edge of the cliff). When he heard the tree make noise, looked up and

saw her holding his money pouch in the tree.

"hey! Now you're really starting to get on my nerves" he said. He then rushed to the tree and

started to climb it.

"Wait!",she said gesturing her hands as if to say stop."this tree cannot support both of us!"

"Will you give me back my money if I don't continue climbing?"

"No!"

Mupo didn't even hesitate to continue climbing.

"Wait! I'll give you back half of your money"

Mupo didn't even stop to listen to her this time,he just continued climbing up. When he got close to

where she was the tree branch she was on started to snap.

"Did you hear that?",she asked.

"Stop trying to trick me and give me back my money."

"No I'm being seriou- " the branch snapped and just before she could plummet to her death, Mupo

promptly grabbed her by her ankle and held onto another branch.

" You...you saved me ",she said.

"You have my money ",he quipped

Mupo was sure that he was able to pull them up without a doubt,he had lived on a farm so he's quite

strong and muscular and has had his fair share of lifting and carrying stuff way heavier than a

45kg girl. He also had incredible endurance so he used this to his advantage.

"Aren't you going to let us up?"

"Not until you give me back my money."

"Are seriou-"

"Yes I am, I can hang here all night",he interrupted.

"I'll give it you when you let me up."

"I'll let you up when you give me the money."

"You're being difficult ."

"Ohh no my wrist is getting weaker and weaker",he said ,as he jokingly started to remove one finger

from her ankle.

"Okay fine...you win."

"Where is it?"

"It's strapped to the back of my belt"

Mupo slowly hoisted her up he stopped when her waist was at eye level, he checked the back of her belt

and he saw it.

"Both your hands are occupied",she said with her arms folded and a smirk on her face."how are you

going to attain your precious money?"

"Shut it!" ,Mupo responded,he turned her so that he can get his pouch, he opened his mouth and

started to retrieve it from her waist with his mouth. But his nose accidentally rubbed against her

bum.

"I'll slap you when we get out of this!"

"It was a mistake. "

"Then why are you still doing it."

"Because I'm trying to get my money and I have long nose." He finally got it in his mouth, but just as

he was ready to lift both of them the tree trunk snapped and fell down the cliff.