The culmination of an all-out war had been brewing for months. Kaleikaumaka knew that thousands of able-bodied men of all ages would be needed.
Then, there would be the number of men whose lives would be sacrificed to the gods to ensure victory for his side. Resources were also required, which meant hewing down trees for war canoes, food, and water for the long journey to the enemy encampment, not to mention those who would have to carry the small and large items for every purpose. Kaleikaumaka also needed to consider those in his close circle, his paramount wife, his head Kahuna, and his most trusted war generals, seers, and prophets. The intimate companions, male and female, the food tasters, and the awa servers fell under another category. His sworn enemy, Miko, named so because of the constant snarl he wore as a child, was once a close companion of Kaleikaumaka. Like brothers, they were never apart and always engaged in some adventure or campaign together. Both were of the wohi ali'i status, exempting them from the prostrating kapu. Both also fought under the banner of a mutual uncle of theirs, a kapu chief named Kūonāmakakāka'a. A misunderstanding arose between the two when their uncle called them to his side on the eve before his passing. The extremities of old age had taken their toll, and with his last few words, he spoke. "To you, Miko, I give my kingdom and everything contained therein. My gods are here for you to continue my legacy and rule justly as I have ruled." Kūonāmakakāka'a whispered."To you, Kaleikaumaka, I give my daughter's hand in marriage and the inheritance of all my wives after that," the old uncle said while the last flames of life burned in his eyes. "Take with you my seers, diviners, and prophets."
Miko and Kaleikaumaka understood the underlying meaning of their inheritance. Miko would have the kingdom and the gods, but the political sway came from their uncle's daughter, her mother, and the rest of the kapu wives. The eyes of those who could precisely discern events before they happened went with the women because the diviners, prophets, and seers were also women.
Kaleikaumaka saw Miko's dissatisfaction and begged him to ignore his uncle's words and freely take his part of the inheritance. Even if it meant conflict between them, Kaleikaumaka would have no part of it. It was not worth a lifetime of friendship. Kaleikaumaka left and moved to Hawī in Kohala, leaving Miko to have everything and to rule as the absolute ali'i. However, the close circle of the war council left to Miko, along with the Kahuna nui, sewed the seeds of descension into Miko's ears and into his subconscious, convincing him of Kaleikaumaka's jealous treachery.
"No man is given such a legacy to inherit and then walks away from it," the Kahuna nui said. "My messengers tell me that Kaleikaumaka is raising his own army to take everything from you by force."
Of course, this was not the case at all with Kaleikaumaka. He was living in peace and prosperity and had no plans for war, but one day, a messenger from Miko's court appeared at the foot of Kaleikaumaka's door. "My ali'i nui says that he brings the 'a'ama kua lenalena to cover the land of Hawī until all is his without question."
Kaleikaumaka was silent for a minute and then replied to Miko's messenger. "If you will stay and have water to drink and poi to fill your belly before you leave, you will have my answer."
The messenger was treated kindly, as the word he brought was the word of a high-ranking ali'i. Therefore, no harm could come to him. Soon, his belly was warm with all it could take, and he returned to Kaleikaumaka for his reply to Miko. "I say to your ali'i that we should save our men and that he and I will fight in place of our armies. The honor will go to the victor, and no blood on either side will be shed. Peace will rule the land. In one anahulu (ten days), I will await his arrival at Ka'awaloa."
The messenger understood the meaning behind Kaleikaumaka's words and immediately left to return to Miko's court. In ten days, under the full sun, at the height of noon, casting no shadow, Miko arrived with his entire army, covering the land as far as the eye could comprehend. Kaleikaumaka was nowhere to be seen, but in a short while, a messenger arrived before Miko and his army. Miko recognized the messenger as Pi'olani, a chief of equal if not higher rank than Miko himself. Because of his high bloodline, Pi'olani could not be killed.
"Retire your army, and I will come before you, but not until then. So says Kaleikaumaka," Pi'olani bowed before Miko in an acknowledgment of respect.
"We make camp here," Miko replied. "Where I await his arrival."
Many days passed, and Kaleikaumaka had not yet arrived. Runners were secretly sent to spy on Hawī, but no trace of Kaleikaumaka was found. Out of paranoia, Miko had his men scour the entirety of Ka'awaloa to see if his childhood friend had hidden himself somewhere nearby, but he could not be found. Impatient and personally insulted, Miko marched his forces to Hawī and was shocked to discover that the entire populace was gone, save for a few feeble old people. Of the elders, Miko inquired, "What has become of the people of Hawī and its makua lani?"
"E ka lani, to the sea they walked," one elder said, pointing his bent, wrinkled finger toward the ocean. "From where I stand here is what I saw, as you can see e ke ali'i if you gaze ma kai. Every man, woman, and child went to the sea from the highest to the lowest."
In disbelief, Miko and his forces marched to the shores and found no trace of bodies dashed on the rocks or floating on the skin of the ocean. Miko had thought that Kaleikaumaka had drowned himself along with his family and everyone else in the sea, but now, no evidence of his concern was found. It was only then that he realized the one thing he'd overlooked. There were no large, small, double-hulled canoes, not one. Immediately, he commanded his forces to return to Ka'ū. It was a brutal march with minimal rest. Food and water were taken, but only sparingly. Miko was possessed by a maniacal madness, praying that what he felt was not true, but he needed to see it with his own eyes.
But it was true. When Miko and his forces reached the borders of Ka'awaloa, there was Kaleikaumaka with an army that comprised every able-bodied person of Hawī. Miko's forces were vastly outnumbered. They were also exhausted from the arduous march. "E Miko, ku'u hoahānau mai ka wā hupe kole," Kaleikaumaka called out. "I had thought we could spare our armies and fight man to man with honor, yet you came with thousands to fight only one man. Where is there honor in that?"
"E Kaleikaumaka, ua hala ē ka wā hupe kole," Miko replied. "You are a brilliant strategist; I commend you and the loyalty of your people. I have earned the death this day brings; I ask that you bear my bones to where we once played as boys and that proper places be found to bury the remnants of my men."
"No one will die today, e Miko," Kaleikaumaka replied. "Return home and live in peace,"
"I cannot," Miko sighed. "My men now see me as a coward if I do not keep my honor. To leave here in peace means to die at the hands of my men somewhere along the way. We must fight, Kaleikaumaka; if not for my honor, then for my life."
"The moment you began listening to the poisoned words that fell from the tongues of your Kahuna nui and your war council is when you lost all trace of any honor that was yours," Kaleikaumaka replied while gazing intently at the men who comprised the forces of his boyhood friend.
"Return home and live in peace," he said to them specifically. With those words spoken to Miko's army, Kaleikaumaka had sealed the fate of his once-trusted boyhood friend.
"HULI!" Kaleikaumaka commanded. Kaliekaumka's massive force turned to the right all at once. "HOLO!" In perfect synchronization, they marched off.
Miko untied his ahu'ula and placed it on top of a boulder shoulder-high. He kept his mahi'ole on so all could see his sacred chiefly status. On the one hand, he held a ko'i, an adze used to carve wooden images and also to hew the interior of canoes. A similar one, he had in his other hand.
"Man to man!" He called out to his army. "Beginning with my Kahuna Nui!"
With no time to react, the Kahuna Nui was struck down with one mighty blow from the ko'i, which sheared his head from his body. Next came the generals of his war council, one by one. The youngest came first, Hāwana. He went down with a blow to his knee, shattering the bone and making him crippled. Miko spun around and struck Hāwana through the sternum, leaving him to die of his wounds. Next was the general nicknamed 'A'a kolo, because he was like a creeping vine already there unnoticed before he killed you. He threw several spears at Miko, which he dodged until 'A'a kolo finally unsheathed his lei-o-manō, a shark-toothed weapon used to finish off mortally wounded victims.
"What arrogance, considering Miko is not wounded," Miko called out in disgust.
"But he will be," 'A'a kolo replied as he came forward.
In the blink of an eye, Miko swiftly sent one of his ko'i forward, throwing it with such wicked precision that it hit 'A'a kolo between the eyes, bounced off his skull, and flew back into Miko's hands. 'A'a kolo went down like a giant Koa tree in the upland forest. The oldest and most experienced third general, Alapi'i, stepped aside and motioned the men to line up and be ready.
"If the gods deem it that you should live today, you will have your honor but no army," Alapi'i said.
***
With his army marching over the rise as they returned home to Hawī, Kaleikaumaka paused momentarily and looked back. The plains were blackened by Miko's army, which was now forming a massive circle around his boyhood friend. Men came forward one by one, each falling at the feet of their Ali'i nui. Kaleikaumaka knew that Miko wouldn't be able to keep it up for too long after such a long forced march. They were wild with hunger and thirst, but more so insane with anger at their Ali'i, who exhausted their fidelity to him because of his ego. The dust rose from within that human circle, and soon, his once-trusted friend would fall, and his army would set upon him like mad dogs, tearing flesh from bone. Today, as you might expect, the area is haunted, but the spirit of Miko is not among the remains of those who died honorably in other battles.
photo credit @twocookscoffeeco
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