THE BRAVE HUNTER — EPISODE 1 - EPISODE 5
In the quiet heart of Uduama village, nestled between whispering hills and a thick forest that stretched like a green sea, there lived a young man named Obinna. He was not like the other men in the village—loud, boastful, or greedy. No. Obinna was calm, brave, and deeply respected for one thing—his hunting skills.
From the age of 10, Obinna followed his father into the forest, learning the sounds of birds, the prints of animals, and the whispers of danger. But when his father passed, Obinna took over the legacy, becoming the village’s best hunter at just 19.
His closest companion was his dog, Dogo—a black and brown hound with eyes that seemed to understand human pain. Dogo was not just a dog. He was Obinna’s shadow, his friend, his forest brother. Wherever Obinna went, Dogo followed, tail wagging and eyes alert.
One golden morning, as the cock crowed and the dew glistened on the leaves, Obinna strapped his hunting bag over his shoulder. He looked at Dogo and smiled.
“Today, we go deep. I feel the spirits of the forest calling,” he said.
Dogo barked once, then stood up, tail wagging with excitement. They both disappeared into the thickness of the forest, with birds flying above and dry leaves crunching beneath their feet.
Hours passed. They saw nothing. No antelope, no bush pig, not even a squirrel.
“Ahh... Is today cursed?” Obinna asked himself as he wiped sweat from his face. Dogo whimpered, sensing his master’s frustration.
By sunset, their basket was still empty. Obinna sighed and sat under a tall tree. He brought out his calabash and gave Dogo some water. He took a small sip and closed his eyes.
“Tomorrow might be better,” he whispered.
Just as he stood up to leave, Dogo's ears perked up. His nose twitched. His tail stood still like a stick. Suddenly, he darted into the bush, barking like thunder.
“Dogo! Dogo wait!” Obinna called, heart racing.
He dropped his bag and ran after his dog. They ran through thorny paths and strange parts of the forest Obinna had never explored before. The trees here looked ancient, their bark like wrinkled skin. The air was thick and strange.
“Where are we, Dogo?” he whispered.
Then, without warning, Dogo stopped and barked at a huge tree. Obinna looked closer and his heart nearly stopped.
A young woman was tied to the tree.
She was beautiful but weak. Her lips were dry, and her clothes torn. Her eyes, though tired, widened when she saw Obinna.
Suddenly, movement came from the side. Four men in black—faces covered, guns in hand—stood behind the tree.
“Kidnappers,” Obinna muttered.
Dogo growled. The men hadn’t seen them yet. Obinna quickly pulled out a small leather pouch from his waist—a charm his grandfather had given him. Inside was a special sleeping powder made from forest herbs.
He whispered a prayer and blew the powder gently. A quiet wind carried it toward the kidnappers. One by one, they started yawning… and then collapsed like falling trees.
But then the girl also slumped.
“No! Not her too,” Obinna said as he rushed to untie her. He lifted her in his arms just as he heard footsteps—loud and fast.
Suddenly, he was surrounded.
“Hold it right there!” a deep voice shouted.
Obinna turned and saw men with spears and swords. Their leader pointed at him.
“That’s him! The one who kidnapped our princess!”
Obinna froze.
“No! I didn’t kidnap her. I just—”
Wham!
A heavy stick hit the back of his head. Obinna fell to the ground with the girl still in his arms. Dogo barked wildly, but the men pushed him away.
And just like that… Obinna, the brave hunter, was arrested for a crime he did not commit.
But the forest knows the truth. And so does Dogo.
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THE BRAVE HUNTER — EPISODE 2
The journey from the forest to Ijime Kingdom was long and painful. Obinna’s hands were tied behind his back with thick ropes. His legs were weak. His head throbbed from the blow he received, and dust filled his mouth with every step. Behind him, Dogo followed silently—his tail low, his eyes full of fear.
As they marched into the kingdom, people gathered by the roadside, throwing stones and curses.
“Shameless beast!”
“Imagine kidnapping the princess!”
“He should be burnt alive!”
Obinna wanted to cry, but he held it in. He looked at the princess being carried ahead on a mat by two men. Her eyes were still closed. She hadn’t spoken a word. The only person who could save him was silent.
By evening, they arrived at the palace—a massive structure made of red clay, palm leaves, and thick wooden gates. The guards shoved Obinna inside like a goat taken for slaughter.
“Bring him to the king!” one of the warriors shouted.
Obinna was thrown to the ground inside the grand palace hall. There, on a high chair made of carved wood and lion skins, sat the King of Ijime—a huge man with a wide chest, a bald head, and deep eyes that could pierce your soul.
Behind him stood his queen and a few elders.
“Are you the demon that stole my daughter?” the king growled.
Obinna swallowed hard.
“My King, I swear on my late father’s grave, I did not—”
“Silence!” the king roared, standing up with fury. “I sent my warriors for seven days into the forest, looking for my daughter. And now, she returns carried in the arms of a stranger? You want me to believe that you were saving her?”
“I only followed my dog. I found her tied to a tree. I used sleeping powder to rescue her—”
“Lies!” one of the chiefs shouted. “Who else but the kidnapper would know the exact location?”
The king raised his hand. Everyone became silent.
“Take him away. Let him be tied in the prison yard until the girl wakes up. If by sunset tomorrow she does not defend you, you shall die by hanging.”
Obinna’s legs gave way. He collapsed to the floor.
“Please, my king—”
But they didn’t listen. They dragged him out like a sack of rice, and threw him into a wooden cell behind the palace.
The prison was open to the sky. The floor was hard. No mat. No food. No water.
Obinna lay there, broken. His mind was heavy. His heart, heavier.
“I only wanted to help,” he muttered.
Outside the prison, Dogo sat again. Same spot. Same sorrow. The dog had not eaten all day. He lay close to the wooden fence, whimpering softly.
That night, the stars looked like cold stones in the sky. The wind blew like a flute of sorrow. And Obinna, a brave hunter, lay weak and forgotten.
At midnight, the princess stirred.
Her fingers twitched.
Her eyes slowly opened.
“Where… where am I?” she whispered.
She saw the familiar faces of her parents standing above her.
“My daughter!” the queen shouted. “You’re alive!”
The king rushed to her side.
“My princess, who did this to you? Who kidnapped you?”
The princess sat up slowly. Her eyes were confused.
“I… I remember I was fetching flowers near the river. Then… men in masks… they grabbed me. They tied me to a tree…”
“Who brought you back?” the queen asked gently.
The princess frowned.
“I remember… I heard a dog barking. Then I saw a young man. He wore hunter’s clothes. He saved me. He used powder… the bad men fell asleep. Then everything went dark.”
The king froze.
“Are you saying… the man we arrested… he rescued you?”
The princess nodded weakly. “Yes… he saved my life.”
There was silence in the room. Even the breeze stopped moving.
The king turned to the guards.
“Go! Bring the hunter to me—Now!”
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THE BRAVE HUNTER — EPISODE 3
The palace guards ran like the wind.
Torches in hand, they stormed into the prison yard behind the king's palace. Obinna, weak and barely conscious, lay curled like a child beneath the open sky. His lips were cracked. His body trembled from hunger and cold. Beside the wooden fence, Dogo’s ears rose as he heard the footsteps.
The guard leader kicked the prison gate open.
“Get up, hunter! The king wants to see you.”
Obinna didn’t move. He had no strength left.
“He’s not responding, sir,” one of the guards said.
Then, without waiting, the guard poured a bucket of cold water on him.
“Ahhh!” Obinna gasped as the water shocked his body awake.
“Move! Before we drag you like a dead goat!”
Slowly, Obinna pushed himself up, holding the wooden wall for support. Dogo barked once and wagged his tail. The hunter looked at the dog and managed a weak smile.
“I’m still alive, Dogo… maybe the gods have not forgotten me.”
As they led him out, he stumbled. One of the guards supported him briefly but quickly pulled his hand away as if ashamed.
They brought him before the king again.
The great palace hall was quiet. The king sat with a strange look on his face—his eyes no longer filled with anger but something softer... like regret. Beside him sat the princess, now awake and dressed in royal robes. Her face was still pale, but her voice was steady.
“That’s him,” she said, pointing to Obinna. “That’s the man who saved me.”
A murmur ran through the hall.
Obinna looked up in confusion.
“I… I saved you?” he asked, still not believing what he heard.
The king stood up slowly and came down from his throne. He walked toward Obinna and stood in front of him for a few seconds. Then he did something no one expected—he bent his head.
“Forgive me,” the king said. “I judged you wrongly.”
Obinna’s eyes widened. He looked around. Was he dreaming?
“You were taken for a criminal when you were the only true hero,” the king continued. “My daughter would be dead if not for you. I owe you my deepest thanks.”
The guards untied him quickly. Obinna rubbed his wrists and dropped to his knees.
“My King, I hold no anger. I only wanted to do what was right.”
The princess stood and walked to him. “You are a brave man,” she said. “Your kindness saved me when no one else could find me.”
The queen, too, wiped tears from her eyes. “And your dog… he never left the prison gate. He stayed there as if he knew his master was innocent.”
Dogo wagged his tail proudly.
The king raised his hand.
“I decree today that Obinna the Hunter shall not return to his village in shame. He will return in honor. Prepare a feast in his name! Let his name be remembered across the land!”
The palace drums began to beat.
Dum dum dum dum!
The warriors dropped their weapons and began to clap. The maidens danced. The villagers who once cursed him now shouted his name with praise.
But Obinna just stood there, overwhelmed.
He turned to Dogo, who ran toward him and jumped into his arms.
“You never left me,” Obinna said, smiling with tears in his eyes. “Even when the world turned against me.”
Dogo barked as if to say, “I told you I had your back.”
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THE BRAVE HUNTER — EPISODE 4
That night, the palace of Ijime Kingdom turned into a ground of celebration. Palm wine flowed like rivers. The air smelled of roasted goat meat, spicy jollof, and fried plantain. Drums echoed across the land. Lanterns lit up the sky like stars dancing to the rhythm of joy.
But Obinna... the brave hunter who had once been a prisoner... sat quietly.
He didn’t wear chains anymore. Now, he was dressed in fine clothes made of velvet and gold thread. His feet wore royal sandals. A red cap had been placed on his head, and beside him sat Dogo—cleaned, brushed, and fed like a king's pet.
But Obinna didn’t smile like the others. His heart still carried pain. Pain from how quickly people turned against him. Pain from the lonely nights in prison. Pain from knowing that if the princess hadn’t spoken, he would be dead by now.
The king noticed this.
“You’re not eating,” the king said as he approached Obinna.
Obinna stood quickly. “Forgive me, my King. I just... I’ve not yet healed inside.”
The king nodded. “And you don’t need to. Not now. Pain doesn’t leave easily. But I hope that what I say next will help you begin.”
Obinna looked at him, confused.
The king raised his voice, and the music stopped. All eyes turned to him.
“People of Ijime!” the king said, raising a royal staff. “We wrongly accused an innocent man. A man who saved our blood, yet almost lost his own. For this, I say: Obinna is not just a hunter… he is a hero.”
Cheers filled the air.
The king continued, “And because of his bravery, I offer him a place in this kingdom. From today forward, he shall be known as Obinna the Forest Guardian. He will live among us, protect us, and train our warriors. His dog Dogo will be treated with honor and shall roam the palace grounds freely.”
People cheered louder.
The king turned to Obinna. “Will you accept this?”
Obinna looked at Dogo, then at the princess who smiled kindly at him. Then he looked up at the stars.
He thought of his village, his small mud house, his late father’s bow hanging on the wall, and the voice of his mother telling him: “Never stop doing good, no matter what the world says.”
He faced the king and bent his head slightly.
“I accept, my king. Not because of the palace, not because of the honor… but because I believe good must still live in this world.”
The crowd roared with excitement.
And then, something strange happened.
The princess walked forward with a flower in her hand. She knelt before Obinna and handed it to him.
“This flower nearly cost me my life… but it also led me to the man who saved it.”
People gasped.
The queen smiled. The king grinned.
And Obinna, for the first time since the incident, smiled—a full, warm, honest smile.
Dogo barked twice, wagging his tail with pride.
---
THE BRAVE HUNTER — EPISODE 5
Days turned into weeks, and Obinna’s name spread across the land like the scent of new rain. Children in Ijime Kingdom began pretending to be him in their games.
“Obinna the Brave!” they shouted while holding sticks like spears.
The king’s warriors, once proud and stubborn, now came to him for advice.
“Teach us how to walk without making a sound.”
“How do you spot danger with your eyes closed?”
Obinna trained them. He shared everything he learned from the forest. He was no longer just a hunter from a small village. He had become a symbol of courage.
But something inside him still felt incomplete.
Late at night, when the palace had gone quiet and Dogo lay asleep by the window, Obinna would sit alone outside, staring at the moon.
He missed his village.
He missed the sound of the stream where he bathed as a child.
He missed his mother’s soft voice calling, “Obinna, come and eat.”
He missed the simple life.
“I am honored here,” he said one night as he stroked Dogo’s head, “but my heart still belongs to Uduama.”
Dogo blinked as if he understood.
Just as he spoke, there was a soft knock on his door.
He stood and opened it. It was the princess.
She was dressed simply, no royal robes, just a plain wrapper and a shawl around her shoulders.
“May I sit with you?” she asked.
Obinna nodded.
They sat under the stars in silence for a while.
“I saw the way you looked at the stars the day we celebrated you,” she said gently. “You didn’t seem happy.”
Obinna gave a small smile. “I was. But not completely. My spirit still walks the forest paths of Uduama.”
“I understand,” she replied. “You gave us so much, yet it feels like we took something from you too.”
He looked at her.
“You didn’t take anything. You reminded me that doing good still matters—even when it comes with pain.”
The princess looked at him deeply. “Obinna… if the king asks you to stay forever, would you say yes?”
He paused. Then shook his head slowly. “No. I would thank him. I would honor him. But I would return home. My people need me too.”
She smiled, though her eyes looked sad.
“Then before you go,” she said softly, reaching into her pocket, “take this.”
She handed him a small wooden pendant. It was carved in the shape of a bird—wings wide open.
“My mother gave it to me when I was ten. It means freedom and protection. I want you to have it.”
Obinna was speechless. He held it gently, like it was made of glass.
“I don’t know what to say,” he whispered.
“Then don’t say anything,” she replied, standing. “Just promise me that if you ever return… you’ll come see me first.”
Obinna nodded.
“I promise.”
She smiled and walked away, her shawl floating behind her like a quiet wave.
Dogo barked softly, wagging his tail.
Obinna looked at the pendant again and whispered to himself:
“It’s time to return… but not as the same boy who left.”
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🌟 Obinna is ready to return to Uduama—but what awaits him there? Will his people welcome him with open arms, or has time changed everything? Don’t miss the next emotional twist in THE BRAVE HUNTER.
More coming...