Saadakrom: Chapter 1

In the heat of the afternoon sun, Saada, a farmer was tending to her crops when three shadows fell across them. She lifted her head to see her parents and the local priestess. The priestess swung her ritual staff across her face, felling her. Before she fell unconscious, she heard the priestess instruct her parents to prepare her for sacrifice.

She awoke to the low humming of the priestess and the rattle of chains binding her to a rock slab. She addressed the village. 'Behold the sacrifice that will ensure the continued wellbeing of the village and victory in the king's war of expansion against the other villages.

As the priestess raised a golden sekan (knife) across her head, she snapped the chains binding her and punched her face, knocking out two front teeth. She snatched the golden sekan from the priestess and slashed the blades of two asafo who attacked her. She struck them with the hilt of her sekan and kicked a third asafo into the rock slab.

She fled when the rest of the village's asafo rushed at her. She sped though the bushes, turning in time to slash five arrows shot at her before contnuing her run. She reached a clearing and leapt over the edge of a cliff into the fast flowing river below. Fighting the current, she swum to shore, noticing that overhead, the asafo had left her for dead.

She walked for days and nights through a deserted plain until she could barely move. She noticed a short woman preparing a meal of fish over an open fire. The woman turned and beckoned to Saada to join her. In between gulps of water and bites of cooked fish, Saada told the woman her story.

'Beyond the two hills behind me, is a haven that may grant you the peace you are looking for' the old woman revealed.

Saada thanked her and continued her journey,stopping briefly in the centre of a village where two asafo were burying a woman alive. She punched the first asafo in the throat and kicked the second asafo in the face, felling her.

She dragged the young woman out of the pit and led her out of the village.

'What's your name,?' Saada asked.

'Abena. I protested against the king's war of expansion and that is tantamount to insulting the king. The punishment for that is death'.

'Then its a good thing I got to you in time'.

Over the second hill, they came across a witch camp guarded by several asafo. Apparently any female who showed above average intelligence, acted strangely in her old age or was generally disliked could be forcibly kept there for life. Saada attacked the asafo, kicking and punching them with Hausa boxing techniques.

After Abena made sure it was empty, Saada set the camp on fire as a symbol of their liberation and left it with the women in tow. Saada's exploits reached the king's ears. 'She's amassing an army to oppose my ambitions' he reasoned. He ordered 20 of his best asafo to attack her and bring her head to him for identification.

As Saada's group rested for the night, they heard the clang of akodze (weapons) and the warcries of bloodthirsty asafo. She ordered Abena to lead the others ahead and headed towards the asafo. She evaded the spears and arrows shot at her and lunged at their asafoakyere, knocking her out with one punch.

She punched their blades, bending them and struck 10 asafo to the ground using Hausa boxing. She attacked the others, ignoring their slashes across her chest and belly and struck them down as well, empty handed. She allowed them to leave and news of her power and bravery spread across the kingdom.

She became a symbol of justice and reason to more reasonable members of the kingdom who rose against the king, forcing him to step down and end any plans for wars of expansion. His niece, a more reasonable woman, began to reform the village for the better, abolishing fetish practices and other negative cultural practices.

Saada reached the haven and founded Saadakrom, a village where they could be safe at a location hidden from the other 6 villages