GAZA (war with MUGHAI)

THE DEFEAT OF MUGHAI

Then, Kumbaweh, the strongest warrior in Ngalabe, stepped forward and promised the king he would kill Mughai. But he didn’t just want the princess; he also wanted to be king. The king, desperate to save his people, agreed to Kumbaweh’s terms.

Awaseh also went to the king and promised to defeat Mughai, but he humbly asked that Adani be allowed to choose if she wanted to marry him, knowing he was a stranger in the land. The king agreed to both of their requests and blessed them.

Kumbaweh left to fight Mughai with one hundred of the king’s strongest guards. But Mughai killed all the guards, and Kumbaweh barely escaped with his life. Then Awaseh went to fight Mughai. As he battled her, the spirits who had promised to help appeared and joined the fight. With the strength of the lion, the wisdom of the tortoise, the speed of the cheetah, and the stealth of the leopard, Awaseh fought fiercely. The trees guided him through the forest, feeding him and restoring his energy, while the soil lifted him to Mughai’s height, allowing him to meet her face to face. With the combined power of the spirits, Awaseh defeated Mughai and cut off her head.

On his way back to the king with Mughai's head, Kumbaweh, jealous of Awaseh, shot him with an arrow from behind and took Mughai's head to the king, claiming he had won. The princess, heartbroken and in love with Awaseh, wept bitterly.

Meanwhile, Kumbaweh, thinking he would soon be king, became arrogant. He disrespected the king and started courting many women, including the princess’s half-sister.

The spirits saw what had happened and informed Ekpata of his brother’s danger. With their help, Ekpata arrived in time, riding on an eagle. The tortoise and rabbit spirits helped him find herbs, and Ekpata healed Awaseh in the forest.

On the day of Kumbaweh’s coronation, Awaseh returned and exposed Kumbaweh’s lies. Furious, Kumbaweh challenged Awaseh to a fight. They fought, and Awaseh defeated him. Kumbaweh was banished from the land, and Awaseh married Adani. The king blessed them and sent them away with great wealth.

Meanwhile, the people of Gaza began seeing the sign of Luka in the lands where they had taken refuge. They returned to their homeland, waiting for the new king. When Awaseh and Ekpata finally returned to Gaza, the village celebrated with music and dancing, joyfully welcoming their heroes.

The former king had died, so the priest crowned Awaseh as king, renaming him "Mughaiye," meaning "the one who overcame Mughai." Ekpata became the king’s right hand, and the people of Gaza lived happily ever after.