Chapter Thirty One: Wanderings
"There has been a change in plans, Jahili," Kuchinja told his son as he limped back into the den they'd chosen to camp in. "It seems like Mfalme had planned this pretty well... He'd already crowned his son King... so finishing him off didn't help." "Huh?" Jahili asked, a little distracted. Kuchinja roared in frustration. "All our plans... foiled! Gone! All because that stupid Mfalme had anticipated this!" Kuchinja thundered. "How could his happen, father? They couldn't possibly have known that we were coming!" Jahili asked, more alert now. "I don't know... I have no idea as to how they knew... But that's not the point! The point is that there is more work to be done. We have to go over our plan again!" Kuchinja said seriously. A loud snore rent the air at that moment. Kuchinja looked around to find Njaa sleeping peacefully. Kuchinja's rage knew no bounds as he charged at his brother. He roared as he landed right in front of Njaa and roared. "Get up, you lazy excuse of a lion!" Kuchinja roared. Njaa was startled at first, but then he growled at Kuchinja and started to walk away. This only infuriated Kuchinja more.
"You're a lousy lion, you know that? We've been slogging all day planning our attack, and here you are sleeping right through it!" Kuchinja said angrily. "This is your fight, Kuchinja... Not mine. You and your son are the ones who decided to come here for the takeover. You only let me tag along because you wanted to keep an eye on me. That's all Jahili's been doing while you were gone," Njaa said calmly. Kuchinja pounced and landed right in front of Njaa; as if blocking his way. "I knew I could never trust you," Kuchinja said as all the taunts that Njaa had thrown at him about Kala and Asumini finally got the better of him. He growled menacingly as he prepared to pounce. "No!" Jahili screamed as he shielded Njaa. "Father, please! Don't waste your time and energy on him! It's no use! You knew he wouldn't budge!" Jahili finished. Kuchinja looked at his son and then looked back at Njaa. "I'm sparing you for now, Njaa... But let me make this clear to you. Once I'm King, you will be a prisoner in the den!" Kuchinja said and walked away. Njaa looked back into his brother's eyes boldly, but didn't say a word. After Kuchinja walked away, Njaa looked at his nephew and said, "You're a very special lion, Jahili." Jahili scowled and said, "I didn't do this for you... I meant every word I said. Fighting you is a waste of time. I'm not going to let my father get as complacent as you are!" Njaa sighed and watched as Jahili walked away. He now knew that even after everything that had happened, there was some good in Jahili. And that was enough to give him hope that one day, his nephew would find it in himself to act on it and do what was right.
Jahili lay down on the stone floor and closed his eyes for a nap. The instant he did so, he saw a pair of beautiful, scarlet eyes. He smiled as he watched the beautiful lioness walk through the meadow. Then she turned his way and called out his name. "Jahili," a voice called out. Jahili frowned immediately. The voice was deep... It couldn't be a lioness' voice. "Jahili!" he heard his father say as he groggily said, "Huh?" "Keep a closer watch on Njaa from tomorrow. He might've gone and told Mfalme about our plans," Kuchinja said. "That's impossible. I was here the whole time... He didn't go anywhere!" Jahili said firmly. Kuchinja grunted and went back to his corner and lay down again. Jahili yawned and went back to sleep again, a little more worried at the moment, because he hadn't told his father the whole truth... He had gone away for a while, and the memory of it was still fresh in his mind. He smiled as he thought of the lioness with the beautiful, scarlet eyes.
It was midday... Njaa was lying down peacefully. Jahili yawned richly as he thought of how bored he was at the moment. His father had given him strict orders not to let his uncle out of his sight. He looked at his uncle who was sleeping peacefully. He sighed and got up to stretch. He decided that his uncle didn't need to be watched and walked out of the cave for a stroll. As he strolled into a meadow, he saw a young lioness trying to hunt a gazelle down. Her scarlet eyes glinted in the sunlight. He watched as she caught her prey with finesse and take the meal home to her pride. He was staving himself, but he knew very well the consequences of crossing paths with a lioness who had just hunt down her prey. He sighed and continued following her as she walked back home with some other lionesses. He froze as he looked at the monumental den. This was Mfalme's den... He lived here with his pride. The den looked foreboding to say the least... It stood there like a mammoth structure, forewarning all that trespassed into its realms. Jahili gulped and walked back, but the lioness was still on his mind. He ran back home as soon as he could and found Njaa smiling up at him. "Where've you been, Jahili?" his uncle asked him. "That's none of your business! Now you'd better not tell my father I'd gone, or I'll make sure you'll never be able to speak ever again!" Njaa smirked and lay down. Jahili was thinking of the lioness he'd seen when his father came in.
Now, as Jahili thought of the scarlet eyed lioness again, he smiled to himself, hoping to run into her again tomorrow. He had to get to know her. Something about her intrigued him. But his father would kill him if Njaa snuck away while no one was watching him and warned Mfalme of all their plans. His smile faded and his eyebrows curved into a slight frown. Then he finally fell asleep as he resolved to meet her again. Who was she? Was she somehow related to Mfalme? Would she even talk to him if he told her who he was? Jahili sighed in his sleep as he thought of all these things... He was hoping that all these questions would be answered tomorrow once he'd meet her. That's when he heard his father snore loudly and his heart sank... He didn't want his father to know about this at all. He would never understand...
Morning came soon, and with it, Jahili's spirits soared. He waited patiently for his father to go meet the hyenas to forge an alliance with them. Kuchinja looked at his brother in disgust, then looked at his son and said, "Watch over that filthy lion. I don't want him to go anywhere." Jahili nodded and sat down patiently and watched as his father left. Njaa looked at his nephew and said, "Look, Jahili... I know you're confused. You're torn between your loyalty to the father who raised you and your disgust for the lion who drove your mother away... You don't know which side you want to act on." "I've already chosen my path, Uncle Njaa... as you have against my father's wishes. I'm not confused about anything. I know where my loyalties lie. You, on the other hand, have turned into a traitor!" Jahili said stubbornly. "I've never told you how my mother died, have I?" Njaa asked his nephew. "No, and I don't want to find out. Not from you, anyway. You'll make it sound like that's my father's fault, too," Jahili spat. Njaa smiled and said, "At that time, your father was a loving, caring lion. He loved his cousin Mfalme, too. Our mother's death wasn't his fault. But if you don't want to find out, then I won't say anything," Njaa said and lay down again to bask in the sun. Jahili grunted and walked away to find the lioness he'd wanted to meet.
He looked everywhere for her. The waterhole... the gorge... the riverbank... the meadow... But he found her on a hill overlooking the river. Her head was bowed and tears were streaming down her cheeks. Never before had e felt the need to go console anyone this strongly. But she didn't even know him. Would she explain what was going on? He walked up to her slowly and asked, "Hey... are you alright?" She looked at him and asked, "Can't you tell by the look on my face?" Jahili was completely taken aback. "I'm sorry... I just saw you crying, and I thought you needed someone to talk to," he said. "I'm sorry," the lioness said. "I just lost my father... He died in a vicious attack last night." Jahili winced as he thought of what this could mean... The only dominant lion old enough to be her father was Mfalme. She was his daughter! He wanted to walk away and steer clear of this messy situation, but something about this lioness made him want to stay. "I'm really sorry," he said, hoping against hope that she wasn't the King's daughter. "Losing a loved one can be hard... I lost my mother when I was young," he told her, unable to understand why he was telling her all this. She inhaled the crisp, morning air and looked at him with those scarlet eyes and said, "I'm Taraji... I'm the Princess of these lands." Jahili winced as all his hopes were crushed completely by what she'd just said. "I'm Jahili," he said slowly, hoping that she hadn't been told everything about him already. She smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Jahili... You made me feel better." "Let's go for a stroll... It'll calm you down," Jahili said as he smiled at his luck.
In the meanwhile, Njaa went looking for the only lioness he'd ever cared for. He took his chances after Jahili left and went close to the den he'd once called home. He sighed as he stood there, unable to approach it. He didn't know who to ask about where he could find Asumini. Just then, he found a familiar lioness walk out of the den. His jaw dropped in shock as he saw who it was. "Kala!" he yelled as she approached him warily. "Njaa?" she cried out. "What're the chances!" Njaa yelled as he smiled at her. ""Listen. Kala... I want you to go back inside and find Asumini," he finished. Kala raised her eyebrows and smiled as she went back in and came out with another lioness. Njaa's heart soared as she saw him and ran up to him. "You're back!" she said happily as she nuzzled him. "Yes, I am... But I wish the circumstances were different," Njaa said sadly. "Why? What happened?" Asumini asked him. Njaa sighed and said, "Why else do you think my brother would return, Asumini?" Asumini winced and said, "He had Mfalme killed, didn't he?" Njaa nodded as they walked towards a stream. "What're you going to do?" Asumini asked him. "I don't know... My brother has kept me under full surveillance... But my nephew has his own weaknesses," Njaa said with a smile. Asumini laughed with him.
At a meadow not very far away, Jahili and Taraji were enjoying each other's company. They talked about many things, but Jahili was careful not to mention his father's name during their conversation. He didn't want her to hate him for something his father had done. He was moved when she told him that she'd lost her brother when she was young. He remembered how he'd felt about not having his mother around as a cub and told her how hard it had been for him growing up with his father chastising him for every single thing he ever did. "My father was very loving," Taraji said. "But he was a little harsh sometimes only for our own good." "I would've traded my father for yours any day," Jahili said slowly. "But let's not talk about that now... Where have you come from?" Taraji asked him. Jahili froze. He didn't want her to know about that at all. "I... ran away from home... I didn't want to stay with my father anymore, so I left... and now I'm here," he said. "Then come to the den with me! My brother will be more than happy to let you stay for a while," Taraji said brightly. "Oh, I... I couldn't, Taraji... I've got to move on... I was just resting here for the night," Jahili lied. Taraji looked at him curiously as he made his way back to his cave. "Jahili, wait!" she cried out. "Don't go! You've been such a great source of comfort... I don't want that to go away just yet... Not when I'm still grieving... Please... stay with me for a while," she finished. Jahili looked at her and smiled. "If you insist," he said slowly and sat down beside her. He didn't even flinch as she nuzzled him lightly and said, "Thank you."
Chapter Thirty Two: Dhahabu's Conscience
Dhahabu stared at his father's corpse. "No! No! This can't be happening again! I killed my own father!" he yelled to himself. In reality, he was looking at his father's mauled body, but his mind was back in the dismal cave where he'd been cornered by hyenas and Sulubu had pounced in to save him. "No!" he roared out loud. "No! Please wake up! Please! Please let me not have killed you! Come on, dad, get up!" he finished. When his father didn't budge, Dhahabu roared thunderously in frustration. He looked quite deranged as he paced around his father's body, tears rolling down his cheeks. "No! No! What will I tell mother? What will my mate and cubs think of me? I'm a murderer!" he yelled, looking at his father's body and willing him to get up. "Dhahabu, what happened?" he heard a voice ask him. He turned around to see Mahiri. Then he looked away, unable to face her. Mahiri understood and walked up to him and looked at his tear stained face. "What happened?" she asked him calmly. Dhahabu looked at her and said, "I had to kill him... He was badly wounded when I got to him... So he asked me to end it... and I listened to him! I killed my own father!" Mahiri looked at him and realized how troubled he was. "Let's go home," she said slowly and urged him to walk back to the den with her. Dhahabu reluctantly followed her as they slowly made their way to the den.
Malkia was still wounded, so a few lionesses were present to look after her and the cubs in Mahiri's absence. The cubs were shaken to say the least. Kuchinja's attack had frightened them. And the fact that they'd seen their father battle a lion so ferociously didn't help, either. They'd never seen him like that. They'd always thought of him as a loving and caring lion. Mohatu, Makani, and Busara were discussing the matter quietly. I’ve never seen dad that mad!" Mohatu said. "I know! It was like he was a completely different lion when he battled that mean old Kuchinja!" Makani said. Busara looked thoughtful to say the least. "I just think he was upset," she said slowly. "Upset? About what?" Mohatu asked her seriously. "Well, he did hurt grandma... So I guess that would make him pretty mad, right?" she said. Makani nodded as their parents walked up to them. "Dad!" Busara said and ran up to her father. Dhahabu nuzzled her lightly and nudged her in the direction of the other lionesses. Busara took the hint. She walked back to where her brothers were. The three cubs watched as their father bent down to nuzzle their grandmother sadly. Then they watched as their father said something to her and they both started weeping. Mahiri walked up to her cubs and said, "Your grandfather was killed in a vicious attack." "Your father just needs some time to recover from this tragedy. Go out for a while... and don't go too far. I don't want you wandering off," she told them. They obeyed silently as Mahiri motioned one of the lionesses to go after them.
Dhahabu was nuzzling his mother lightly as he said, "I'm so, so sorry, mother... I wish I could save him, but... He didn't want me to!" Malkia held back tears as she asked, "Kuchinja killed him, didn't he?" "No, mother... I did," Dhahabu said sadly. "He wanted me to relieve him of his pain... So... he asked me to kill him!" "Malkia... may I talk to him for a minute, please?" Mahiri asked the old lioness. Then she led Dhahabu away to the edge of the den. "Dhahabu... don't blame yourself for this!" she said as he looked away. "Dhahabu, you were helping him! He was in a lot of pain! You have to understand that this was not your fault!" she finished. "Look at my mother, Mahiri! She's in terrible pain right now! And it's all because of me! If I hadn't listened to him;" Dhahabu began, but Mahiri cut him short. "He would’ve died anyway!" she told him. "But it wouldn't have been because of me!" Dhahabu said. "Dhahabu, I want you to listen to me carefully! You are not at fault here! He asked you to do it! You didn't have a choice!" Mahiri told him firmly. "I did have a choice, Mahiri! His life was in my hands, and I chose to end it!" Dhahabu spat. "Only because he was in pain!" Mahiri fired back. "Don't blame yourself for this! Please!" "I've destroyed my family! How can I not blame myself for this?" Dhahabu asked her. "Your family is fine, Dhahabu... Your cubs are safe and sound! And so long as they're safe, your family can't be destroyed," she said calmly. Dhahabu looked at her with inquisitive eyes and she knew he needed reassurance. "I promise you, Dhahabu... We will never leave your side. We will fight these enemies with you to the end!" she told him. He sighed and nuzzled her and said, "I really don't know what I would've done without you!" Then they went back home to rest.
Dhahabu was resting when Taraji came home with the rest of the hunting party. She had a feast for all of them. "Where's dad?" she asked her brother as soon as she dropped the antelope on the stone floor. Dhahabu gulped and said, "He's dead, Taraji... Kuchinja killed him." Mahiri breathed a sigh of relief. Dhahabu would get back to his old self soon. He would just need some time to get over this. Taraji flopped herself onto the stone floor in shock. Their father was dead... Then she turned to look at her mother. When she saw her mauled and bloody face, she was completely taken aback. "What happened to you, mother?" she asked Malkia. "Kuchinja did that... Your brother got here just in time... Who knows what would've happened if he hadn't returned when he did!" Mahiri said sadly. "And the cubs... they were with her. Thank the Great Spirit they weren't harmed!" Taraji said, alarmed. "I know," Dhahabu said finally. Taraji looked at her brother and just ran out of the cave. She wanted to hide the tears that were streaming down her cheeks at the moment. She wanted to be by herself. "Taraji, wait!" Dhahabu called after her, but Mahiri stopped him. "We all need time to recover from this. Let her deal with this her own way. You need rest. The cubs are waiting," she told him. He sighed and went back to his cubs who smiled at him as he nuzzled each of them. "Dad, is grandpa really dead?" Mohatu asked him. "I know you were close to him, Mo... But yes, he's gone... and we have a long fight ahead of us without him," Dhahabu said as he looked into his son's scarlet eyes. He'd gotten used to calling him Mo ever since he was a little hairball. Makani and Busara looked sad, too. They would miss their grandfather greatly. He lay down as Mahiri nuzzled her cubs goodnight...
Dhahabu couldn't sleep at all that night. His nightmares involved Mfalme dying over and over again... Sometimes Kuchinja flitted in and out of them, laughing maniacally at having destroyed his family. He woke up perspiring badly. Then he walked to the edge of the den and watched the stars as they shone brightly in the sky. He sighed as he thought of his father. "Are you gone where I can't reach you?" he asked softly. He didn't get any answer immediately, but when Dhahabu closed his eyes to contain his tears, a star shone brighter, hoping to comfort a very disturbed lion trying to reach out to his father. But the star was gone as soon as it had come, blending into a cloud of mist when Dhahabu raised his head again. So the young King went back into the den, disappointed and hurt. And as he lay down again, he didn't know if he would ever be able to forgive himself for letting his father slip through his paws so easily.
Chapter Thirty Three: A Dangerous Council
Kuchinja had gone to seek an audience with an old friend of his father's. The cave looked eerie and dismal, but Kuchinja decided not to focus on those things at the moment. As he walked deeper into the cave, he felt many pairs of eyes watching his every move as he walked towards an old, frail hyena. "Hello, Ukware," Kuchinja said politely. "Who are you to enter my lair?" the old hyena wheezed. Then he looked at Kuchinja and gasped. "Giza? But... You're dead!" the old hyena said. "Well, Giza is dead, Ukware... But his son has returned," Kuchinja told him. Ukware squinted at Kuchinja and smiled at him. "You look very much like your father," Ukware told Kuchinja. "I'm as rigid as he was, too, Ukware," Kuchinja said seriously. Ukware cowered as Kuchinja glared at him with his cold, grey eyes. "Nobody regrets the situation between us hyenas and lions more than I do. Under your father's rule, we were friends," Ukware said. "Until the day my mother died," Kuchinja said flatly. "I'm sorry for our indiscretion... Forgive us and join us now! We will be invincible!" Ukware said. "Good! That's what I want to hear, Ukware... Take me to your pack!" Kuchinja said.
They walked towards the far marshes at the western border. There, at another desolate, but bigger cave, they found Ukware's army. Kuchinja was impressed. "This is wonderful, Ukware, but aren't you a little too old to fight?" Kuchinja asked the old hyena. "Jazua!" Ukware called out. A young, female hyena walked in. She looked at her father and asked, "What is it, father?" "This is Kuchinja... He was to be King after Giza, but... things change," Ukware said sadly. "Kuchinja, this is my daughter Jazua. She's been raised to fight anyone who gets in her way!" he finished. Kuchinja smiled at Jazua and bowed his head slightly. Jazua smiled a cruel smile which was intended to welcome him as a trusted member of the pack. But instead, her bloodshot eyes and crooked smile left everyone scared. "Listen everyone!" Kuchinja began. "You've been treated unfairly! The King has kept you away from good food and water for their own benefit for far too long! It is time we changed that! Under my father's rule hyenas had a very high status! And I promise you, that if you help me defeat Dhahabu, I will restore your position in my Kingdom! Join me now, and you won't be disappointed!" he finished. They hyenas cheered their new friend and their maniacal laughs were heard everywhere. All the animals stared at the cave they were in, scared to death. Anything that made the hyenas this happy wasn't good news for them.
"Good! That's settled, then! Now we have to come up with a plan! we have to defeat Mfalme's son and take this Kingdom back! From this day forward, at least for a moon, you will patrol stealthily around their den and find out what you can about their plans. We need to stay informed if we want to stay ahead. We have to destroy him, but not the pride. The pride is essential to this land's well being, and more importantly, mine! But if they decide to remain loyal to their old King and cause disruptions, we will deal with them as we see fit!" Kuchinja said maliciously. The hyenas cheered him again. Ukware was smiling at him, too. "You are like your father, Kuchinja... You will make a fine ruler for us all!" he said. Kuchinja smiled and said. "And you, my friend, are very good at making amends by obeying my every command. You won't be fighting this time, but you will help me use your pack as my army. Some of them will have to go, but most of them are useful. What we need to do now is pick the best of your pack and ready them for assault. The rest will go into patrol duty. I'm leaving to find my son now... I want a full report of what has happened when I see you tomorrow. Is that clear, Ukware?" he finished. Ukware nodded and looked on as Kuchinja left.
As the hyenas' patrol duty went on, Ukware got more uncomfortable. He didn't want Kuchinja to know this just yet, but he was starting to feel uncomfortable already. His leadership had been completely sidelined by Kuchinja, and he didn't like that. "Soon, the other hyenas might not even listen to me. I've got to do something!" he thought to himself. But what could he do? If he didn't follow Kuchinja's orders, he would be killed! He knew he was old and he'd be dying soon, but he didn't want it to be a punishment! So he decided not to say anything just yet. But he knew that he'd have to do something about this sooner than later if he wanted to save his position amongst the members of his pack. This was clearly more evident when he'd asked one of the hyenas to get him some food because he was too weak to go himself. "I'm sorry sir, but all the hyenas are on patrol duty as Kuchinja ordered," the hyena said. "You dare deny me my food? Go find someone to get it for me! Take them off patrol duty!" Ukware yelled. "I'm sorry, sir, but we have strict orders from Kuchinja not to pull any pack out of patrol duty." "Who do you think you are, fool? You take orders from me! Not Kuchinja! Now go get me some food!" Ukware yelled as the hyena looked at him, perplexed. "You heard my father! Get him some food! Now!" Jazua said as she entered the cave. The hyena scampered off to find some meat. "This is just temporary, father. Once we defeat Dhahabu, we will own this Kingdom more than Kuchinja does! Then I promise you, you won't have to worry about food at all!" Jazua said soothingly. "I hope so, too, dear... I'm getting old and tired... I need my rest," Ukware said slowly and lay down for an uneasy nap.
Chapter Thirty Four: Truth Be Told...
Taraji woke up the next morning and found a handsome lion watching her. "Good morning!" he said with a smile on his face as she got up. She smiled at him and remembered why she hadn't gone back home... She remembered how she felt as she nuzzled him under the stars last night, hoping to get a sliver of comfort from him... Then the nuzzle turned into something more... a loving, intimate embrace that both of them refused to let go of. But Jahili suddenly stopped and said, "We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves here, Princess... You're obviously still grieving... I wouldn't want you to do something that you'll regret later." She remembered looking at his beautiful, emerald eyes and then letting out a sigh that had come out of sadness as well as relief. "I guess you're right," she'd said slowly. He smiled at her and motioned her to lay down under the shade of a mangrove tree. She nodded at him as she walked there and lay down. "I'll leave now, Princess," he'd told her. "Jahili, please wait! I... I need a friend right now... Please stay with me," she'd told him. He'd bent down to nuzzle her and had started to walk away before he lay down to rest beside her.
Now as she looked at him, she smiled as he nuzzled her. "Good morning," she said softly. "Well, Princess, I think it's best we head home... Otherwise, your family will be worried about you," Jahili said jovially. She laughed as she thought about it. Then she got up and stretched as she said, "I need a drink of water... Will you join me?" Jahili smiled and said, "Let's go." They walked slowly towards the riverbank and drank from it to their hearts' content. "Are we done?" Jahili asked her. She smiled mischievously as she walked over to him. Then she nuzzled him lightly as she said, "I don't think so." Then she pushed him into the river and laughed. Jahili was sputtering for breath, but laughed out loud when Taraji tripped over a stone and fell headfirst into the river. They went for a refreshing swim and came back only when it was midday. They decided it was time for them to leave. She nuzzled him one last time as she left. He smiled at her weakly and watched her go.
"This can't be happening!" he told himself. "I can't fall in love with her! She's Mfalme's daughter! She's not worth risking the plan over!" But then he thought about how wonderful he felt when he was with her... He was free of any hate or anger. When he was with her, he had no worries at all. He smiled as he thought of the feel of her fur against his mane... He wanted to feel that content forever! He wanted to feel that happy and that excited all the time, and she as the only one who could make him feel that way. But what if his father found out? All his panic returned in full force as he ran back home. What would his father say if he found out that he hadn't stood guard to keep a watch on his uncle? What if he had gone searching for him and found him with Taraji? He couldn't let that happen. He ran back home as fast as he could, but came to a screeching halt as he saw his father's angry face. "Father... I can explain!" Jahili began to say. "I thought I was hatching a good plan to take over these lands... But you... You've hatched a great plan!" Kuchinja said with a smile. Jahili was perplexed at first, but decided to go along to find out what his father was thinking. "Really?" he asked his father. "Why, yes! You've trapped Mfalme's daughter! Get closer to her and we're bound to have some leverage upon her brother!" Kuchinja said maliciously. Jahili smiled weakly at his father, but the look on his uncle's face was that of sympathy and concern. "Good work, my son! You have proven to me without a doubt, that you are Giza's grandson! You are worthy of the throne we're here to usurp! I'm proud of you!" he heard his father say. Then he watched as his father walked to the hyenas' lair. "Join me at the cave by the marshes by midday, Jahili. I have some things I need to discuss with you," Kuchinja said and walked away. Jahili nodded and flopped to the ground as he thought of what horrible plans his father might have to make Taraji suffer.
"What is it?" he heard his uncle ask him. Jahili looked at his uncle with remorseful eyes and said, "I really don't want him to hurt Taraji! I can't imagine what he might want to do to her, but... whatever it is... it can't be good!" "You love her, don't you?" Njaa asked his nephew. "I do... more than anything! I love her more than I've missed my mother!" Jahili said. "Then your way forward is clear! Jahili... for the first time, you have felt this strongly about protecting someone else! Act on it! Do something about this when you still have the chance. Help her!" Njaa said as he sensed the turmoil in his nephew's mind. "Stay right here! I'm going to see my father. And when I return, I don't want you to make an attempt to escape," Jahili said and ran towards the marshes. He didn't know what to do about this at all... All he knew was that he couldn't let his father harm Taraji or her family... He didn't want to make her walk into a trap his father had expected him to set.
"Ah, my son!" Kuchinja said as Jahili entered the cave that was filled with hyenas. "We were just discussing you brilliant plan! And we also came up with another plan to make it even better!" Jahili gulped as he asked, "What is it, father?" "We will hold Taraji hostage! We will trap her here and make sure she stays. Her stupid brother is bound to follow!" Kuchinja said. Jahili's eyes widened. What was wrong with this lion? He was thinking of holding an innocent lioness hostage to trap her brother into defeat! He masked his shock in an instant and said, "What do I have to do father?" "All you have to do is meet her this evening and get her here. We'll take care of the rest." Kuchinja said. Jahili nodded slightly and then walked out of the cave. He couldn't believe this was happening! He had to do something! But was this worth risking his father's love and acceptance? He couldn't forget the pride in his father's voice as he welcomed him into the cave. Nor could he forget the malice in his voice as he talked about his plans. He didn't know what to do... He was so confused as he walked back home. In the distance he could see the silhouette of a lion and lioness. He ran towards them and found his uncle talking to a completely strange lioness. "What are you doing?" he roared at his uncle and pinned him down. "Jahili, wait! Please! Let go of your uncle!" he heard the lioness say. "How do you know my name?" Jahili asked, unable to mask the surprise in his voice. "What kind of mother wouldn't recognize her only son?" the lioness asked as her eyes welled up with tears. It was Kala. She had finally come to see her son.
Jahili was stunned. "You're my mother?" he asked her incredulously. "I know how you must feel about seeing me," Kala said slowly. "No you don't" Jahili spat. "You have no idea how I feel about seeing you! I hoped that this day would never come! I hoped I wouldn't have to tainted by the crime of killing my own mother!" Jahili finished harshly. "My son, please try to understand... I left to secure a better life for you! I left to find better shelter for you! Your father wouldn't have done that for you! By the time I recovered from my painful illness and regained my strength, I had lost any hope of you having survived that terrible ordeal! That was my only mistake, and I admit it! I should've come back for you! But I didn't know where to start! I had no idea if you had moved to another land... So much time had passed... I'm so sorry I didn't come back for you," Kala said with great sorrow in her voice. Jahili looked at her angrily and said, "Well, you underestimated me! I survived, thanks to Uncle Njaa! So why come back now? Leave now when you can! I do not want to taint my claws with your blood!" "Because I love you, Jahili, and I fully deserve any punishment you have to give me. There is no excuse for abandoning a cub!" Kala said tearfully. She heard a roar and as she readied herself to be attacked, but she only felt a soft graze of a mane against her neck. She opened her eyes in shock as she found her son nuzzling her affectionately as he wept. And, not surprisingly, she wept too.
"I missed you when I was growing up, mother," he said in a choked voice. "You have no idea how much I have missed having you around, Jahili! Every day I would imagine how much you would've grown!" Kala said. Well, I hope I've lived up to your image of me!" Jahili said as he stood before her. Kala smiled at her son and said, "Yes, you have!" Jahili smiled at her and then looked at his uncle. "I really don't know how to thank you, Uncle Njaa," he said. "Yes, you do, Jahili... But before we get to that, there is something you must know! You have to know the true reason behind us leaving the Kingdom," Njaa said seriously. Then he narrated the story to his nephew. He told him about how Giza had promised to make Mfalme King if he could conquer the neighbouring Kingdom. He also told him how Giza had gone back o his word and stirred up a fight after Mfalme returned successful. When he came to the part where Kuchinja refused to stay when Mfalme was King and questioned his brother's loyalty, Jahili was shocked. He’d always been told that Mfalme had banished them! "No! This can't be true!" he told Njaa. "Father wouldn't lie about something like this!" "Would I, Jahili?" Njaa asked him. "I don't know!" Jahili roared! "All I know is that my father expects me to trap Taraji in the hyenas' lair! I just... I'm so confused right now!" he finished angrily. Njaa and Kala looked at him sympathetically. "We understand, Jahili, but we just want you to do the right thing," Kala said. Jahili nodded and went for a stroll.
Back at her den, Taraji was playing with her nephews and niece, but her thoughts were on Jahili. She smiled at the thought of meeting him again. He had managed to tell her that he wanted her to meet at the river at sunset. She looked at the sun slowly setting on the horizon and waited as patiently as she could for Mahiri to return. Dhahabu was pretty shaken after the recent turn of events, so he didn't talk to anyone much. She knew it was wrong of her to even think of anything like this under the circumstances, but she couldn't help herself. As soon as Mahiri came in and thanked her, she nodded slightly and walked out of the cave. Mahiri looked at her for a minute and then smiled at Dhahabu. "She's excited about something," she told him. "I'm glad someone is," Dhahabu said with a smile as he nuzzled his cubs and played with them. Mahiri looked at him and said, "Do you know what would get me excited?" "Yes, and I'm sorry, I can't so that in front of the cubs!" he said with an edge to his voice. Mahiri laughed out loud as she licked him on his cheek. Dhahabu nuzzled her lightly and said, "I thank the Great Spirit for you and our cubs every day! I wouldn't have been able to survive this without you." Mahiri smiled at him as Mohatu tried to squeeze himself into her waiting paws. "They're still so young," Dhahabu said sadly. "I can't believe they were so close to getting hurt... I hope mother feels better soon." "She will, Dhahabu... Her wounds have already started to heal... She will be fine soon," Mahiri said.
Back by the river, Taraji greeted Jahili enthusiastically. "I'm glad you're here, Princess! I just had to see you," Jahili said as he nuzzled her. "Jahili, I... I'm a lioness who's just lost her father... I shouldn't feel this happy about anything! But when I met you yesterday, you gave me hope! I saw a better future for myself... a happy one! I didn't feel so sad after talking to you... and I just wanted to let you know that you've made it possible for me to feel this way," she told him. Jahili smiled weakly at her. How could he possibly betray her when he knew that she'd made it possible to forget, for even a minute, that they were the cubs of two enemy prides and charmed him so well that he was ready to admit that he was in love with her? How could he let her get imprisoned and hurt by his father when he felt this way about her? But at that moment, the image of his disappointed father came to him. He told himself that he had to steel his heart and do it; that this was the task he was destined to do. But then the image of his mother came to him. She was asking him to do what was right. A silent war raged in his mind. He wished he could scream to the skies for an answer. And then, out of the corner of his mouth, he heard himself say, "Taraji, there's something I have to tell you."
Chapter Thirty Five: The Fight Begins
Taraji woke up bruised in a desolate cave. Her first thought was of the cave she'd gone to with Asumini so many moons ago, when Sulubu was still alive. But this cave looked different somehow. It was less eerie, but there was something else about it that chilled her to the bone. She tried to get up, but her legs wouldn't budge. She was too weak to get up. Then she heard a creature coming towards her. It was Jazua, Ukware's daughter. "Your brother got really upset when we told ”˜Ãm we've got ya here!" she said maliciously. "And we wuz just tellin' him that if he don't give Kuchinja his kingdom back by sunset tomorrow, you gonna be our breakfast!" Taraji winced as these words. "I'm Jazua, by the way," the hyena said slowly. Taraji looked away angrily. She didn't want to talk to her captors. "Suit yourself, Princess... You're at my mercy now! The only way your brother can save you, is by giving up everything he has right now!" Jazua said maliciously and left. Then Taraji lay down, thinking about the shocking turn of events that led to her being captured.
She was with Jahili. They had planned to meet by the river that day. For a while their meeting was happy and sweet, but when Jahili looked at her seriously and said, "Taraji, there's something I have to tell you;" she knew something was wrong. "What is it?" she asked apprehensively. "Taraji, I... I'm in a difficult situation... And I... I need you to know that I do care for you deeply! And I hope you don't judge me because of what I'm going to tell you. I didn't tell you the whole truth about who I am. The truth is... I'm Kuchinja's son. And we came here to take over you lands... and he killed your father... And now he wants me to hurt you, too... He found out about us meeting each other and wants me to use it to his advantage! Please, Taraji, I..;" "You used me!" she yelled in shock. "You used me to gain leverage!" "No, Taraji, I..;" "And to think I felt anything for you!" she said, disgusted. "Taraji, please try to understand... I just want us to be together!" Jahili said sadly. "We will never be together! After what you've done, there's nothing you can say to change my mind about you!" she said as she ran away from him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She heard Jahili call out to her as she ran into the marshes. She didn't want to listen to him at all. She was terribly hurt. He had used her to get to Dhahabu. As soon as she was done running past the marshes, she was ambushed by hyenas. She tried to break free, but there were too many of them. They wounded her badly until one of them said, "That's enough! We need her alive! Take her inside!" They carried her into the cave as she heard the hyena say, "Good work, Jahili! Your father will be very pleased!" Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of his betrayal. How could she have been so naive to believe that he could actually love her? All he'd ever wanted was to use her as bait to defeat Dhahabu. She whispered a silent apology to her brother, hoping he would hear it and forgive her somehow. Then she felt herself succumb to her wounds, and everything went dark.
Now, as she lay down thinking about what had happened, she felt a deeper sadness than that she'd ever known. The only lion she'd loved betrayed her. But something inside her told her that he was a kind and caring lion despite all that anger and hate. She didn't want to see it just yet, but outside the cave, a very sad lion was waiting to catch a glimpse of her just to make sure she was alright. So she closed her eyes again, hoping that her brother would come up with some brilliant plan to get them out of this mess. Just as she thought it, she heard Jazua come in to see her. "Here's your food," the hyena said as she dropped a scrap of meat in front of her. Taraji suddenly felt ravenous, so she gulped it down as soon as she could. "You best keep up your strength... Your dear brother needs to see you well if he wants to agree to our terms. If you do anything to jeopardize our plan, believe me, both of you will go down!" she said angrily. Taraji didn't deign to respond, but knew Jazua was right.
"What?" Njaa asked his nephew as he paced around after finding out about what had happened to Taraji. "This can't be good! How did this happen, Jahili?" "I wanted to tell her the truth about the whole thing... and I did... but she didn't want to hear anymore so she ran away... When I tried to tell her that she was running right into the trap, it was too late! The hyenas had already ambushed her and taken her in!" Jahili said frantically. Njaa sighed sadly as he heard all this. "This is not good, Jahili... If Taraji has been trapped by hyenas, they do have a good leverage on her pride. And that can't be good... Jahili, I want you to tell me once and for all if you've decided what you want to do," Njaa asked him. Jahili sighed and said, "I have, but I don't know how to help! I need to get Taraji out of there before anything happens!" "Agreed, but how do we do this?" Kala asked them. "I need some time to think," Jahili said as he walked away from them sadly. He needed to think of something fast! Otherwise, Taraji could die!
Back at the den, a thunderous roar rent the air and a hyena was flung out of the mouth of the cave as Dhahabu heard the news of his sister being held captive. All he could think of now was to rescue her from there as discretely as he could. But if they were caught, things could go awry. He was once again in a situation where he was responsible for another life, and he didn't like it one bit. "What am I going to do, Mahiri?" he asked his mate as he watched his mother panic over Taraji's state. "If I make the wrong decision, Taraji could die!" "I know this is a difficult situation, Dhahabu, but we'll have to think about this carefully. We have some time... I'm sure we'll come up with a plan by then," Mahiri told him. Dhahabu sighed and said, "I need Tembo's help. He's the only one the hyenas fear. They won't attack him... He will be able to lead his herd to the cave and ambush them into giving Taraji back to us alive!" "But Dhahabu, it could backfire! What if the hyenas finish her off before we get to her? Tembo is a large elephant! They can spot him from miles away!" Mahiri said. Dhahabu looked at her and knew she was right. He had to think of a plan fast! Otherwise Taraji could die!
Chapter Thirty Six: Friends In Need
Jahili was thinking hard about what he had to do to save Taraji from the situation she was in. He didn't have a clue as to what needed to be done. He couldn't reveal himself to Dhahabu for fear of being slaughtered by his pride before being given a chance to explain himself. "Why did I have to be so stupid? Why didn't I just tell her that I found out that she was in danger? She would've believed that! She wouldn't have been in this situation if it weren't for me! I asked her to meet me there... and I let myself be seen with her! Argh!" he roared in frustration. He was trying to think of ideas; each as unlikely to work as the next. "I just hope they don't hurt her... I just hope she's alright... I don't want this to happen to her! I don't want to do this anymore!" he told himself slowly as he sat down. Then he closed his eyes and tried not to have nightmares about Taraji being tortured. But how could he stop himself from seeing things when he was asleep? It was impossible!
He opened his eyes and found himself looking at a tiny, mole like creature smiling up at him. "Hey, there!" the meerkat said. Jahili was taken aback by it's complete lack of fear. "Who are you?" Jahili asked the meerkat. "Name's Cheko! An' I'm the head of the meerkat colony around 'ere! We've got a great life here in that pit over there!" Cheko said proudly pointing to the holes just a mile away. Jahili smiled awkwardly at him. "Hi, Cheko... I'm Jahili." "So that's your name! You see, me an' me mates have been wonderin' why you were all blabberin' to yourself about savin' some girl. Can you tell us?" the meerkat asked cheerfully. "It's a long story, Cheko... And I don't have much time! I have to think of a plan to save her." "An' why were you regrettin' meetin' her an' all? Look, kid, if you like this girl, you gotta go after her!" Cheko said. "It's not that easy, Cheko... You see, she thinks I'm after her for her Kingdom... and I was... until I got to know her," Jahili said sadly. "Ah! So you like this girl?" Cheko asked her with a cheeky smile. Jahili laughed and said, "I love her, Cheko... and I've got to save her!" Cheko chuckled as he said, "Then we'll be glad to help!" Then, looking back at the plain of holes he said, "Come on out, fellas! We've got a job to do!"
Jahili couldn't believe his eyes. Hundreds of meerkats popped out of their holes and assembled in front of their leader. "Whoa!" Jahili said in surprise. "This is your colony?" "Yep! That's them! The finest meerkats in this land! They can dig for miles without goin' down. So, where d'ya want us to go dig?" Cheko asked. Jahili raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. What exactly was Cheko suggesting? "Uh... Cheko, what do you mean?" "Sheesh, kid! You're slower than a slug! Ok... You tell us where your girlfriend is, and we dig a cavity right below where she is, see? And then, if she makes the slightest movement, she's gone! Those mean ol' hyenas holdin' her hostage won't even stand a chance!" Cheko said. Jahili frowned at first, but then he smiled. "That's brilliant, Cheko! Thanks! The cave they're holding her hostage is by the marshes. Go over there. The cave is made of stone, but it has earth for it's floor. So it shouldn't be a problem for you guys. Just be careful and make a quick exit. Then everything will be just fine! I've got to go somewhere and make more arrangements. Just go on with your plan!" Jahili said as he scampered off to find his mother and uncle.
He found Njaa talking to Kala in a worried tone as he approached them. "I've found a solution, Uncle Njaa!" Jahili yelled as he got close enough. "What's going on, Jahili?" Kala asked him. "Meerkats! Lots of them! I was by this... tree and I was thinking of what I should do... then there they were! They're on their way to the marshes right now! They can dig a tunnel and get Taraji out!" he said happily. "Meerkats?" Njaa asked doubtfully. "Well... they are pretty crafty... and they're small! So it's easy for them to escape!" Njaa said. "The more you think about it, the more it makes sense!" Kala said. "Well, yes... Except for one thing. How will we stop Kuchinja from crushing Dhahabu?" Njaa asked. "Dhahabu will have to fight him," Jahili said. "It's the only way to stop him. I'll go talk to Dhahabu. I knew I'd have to so it sometime soon, anyway... I'll go talk to him and see what can be done about this." "I'll come with you," Kala said. "I can vouch for you. He trusts me. And I'm sure that if you tell him of your plan, he will reward you for helping him save his sister." Jahili nodded. "I need someone to take Taraji home. Uncle Njaa, can you please make sure that Taraji gets home?" Jahili asked his uncle. Njaa nodded and set off for the marshes to do his best.
Dhahabu was talking to Tembo at the foot of the den when he saw Kala walk towards him with a completely strange lion. He nodded at Tembo and started walking towards Kala. "Who's this, Kala?" he asked her as she smiled at him. "This is my son, Sire... He wishes to help you free your sister," she said. "I'm Jahili... I've been confused for a long time about whether or not I wanted to do this... But now I see clearly that I need to help you! Please let me help you free her! I already have a plan! And it's going to work if you help us, too!" Jahili said. "Why should I believe you when your father has destroyed my family?" Dhahabu asked him seriously. "Because I'm nothing like my father and I love Taraji. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her!" Jahili said sincerely. Dhahabu looked at him for a minute, as if trying to size him up. Then he sighed and said, "Fine... I'll help. What do you want me to do?" And so Jahili explained his plan to Dhahabu. Soon it would be set in motion. Everything had to go according to plan. Otherwise, many lives would be at stake.
Chapter Thirty Seven: The Plan
Cheko and his fellow meerkats were waiting by the large cave for Jahili to appear. The hyenas hadn't spotted them yet, but they didn't want to know what would happen if they did. Soon, giraffes and gazelles came there to graze at a short distance. The elephant herd appeared slowly for a refreshing swim in the river. The hyenas were a bit irritated, but didn't find anything wrong with them coming here at this time. So Jazua grunted and went inside. But as soon as she looked at Taraji, her lips curved into a leer as she said, "Your brother had better make his decision soon, or we'll make sure he sees us eat you!" Taraji didn't even look at Jazua. She just lay her head on the damp soil under her and closed her eyes. What she didn't want to admit was that Jazua was right. How would she get out of this alive? She had no idea what her brother had planned for her. She just hoped that he wouldn't have to do something they'd all regret.
Outside the cave, Jahili nodded slightly at Cheko. The minute this happened, every single one of the meerkats began digging towards the cave's floor. They needed a big tunnel to fit Taraji through. Dhahabu wasn't going to be seen here until much later, but he'd already positioned himself and his lionesses just in case. Jahili had made sure that his father got here right on time. As the sun set on the horizon, Kuchinja appeared by the cave, smiling at his son. "I was looking for you all day, Jahili! Where've you been?" Kuchinja asked him. "I was making sure that no one found out about our plan, father... You know how your brother can be sometimes," Jahili said slyly as he looked at Njaa. Kuchinja nodded and said, "We won't have to worry about him for long. Soon, this Kingdom will be ours! Then we will have our own pride watching him all the time!" Jahili smiled weakly at his father and asked, "When do you expect an answer from Dhahabu, father?" "Well... it's almost sunset now... he should be here soon," Kuchinja said.
Deep inside the cave, Taraji was awakened by a slight rumble beneath her. Something was moving! She got up instantly and felt the earth shift under her paws. She stood there surprised as something was popping out of the ground. "Hey, there!" a small creature said looking up at her. "I'm Cheko! An' I'm here to getcha outta here!" "Get me out of here? How?" Taraji asked slowly. "Well, my buddies down there have already dug up a fine tunnel for you to escape! Looks like your boyfriend really stepped up, eh?" Cheko asked her with a chuckle. "Jahili asked you to come here and rescue me?" Taraji asked incredulously. "Well, yeah... He felt really bad 'bout you bein' captured an' all... So we offered to help!" Cheko told her. Taraji couldn't believe it when a hundred other meerkats popped out and one of them whispered, "Hey, Cheko! Everything's ready! We gotta get the girl outta here fast!" Cheko nodded and looked at Taraji. "That's your cue, Princess!" he told Taraji. "Outta the way, fellas! Here she comes!" he told his friends. As Taraji stood on a hollow spot, the earth gave in and slid her into their marvelously crafted tunnel.
Outside, Kuchinja watched as Dhahabu came in, apparently alone. He smiled as he watched the young King's sullen face as he walked up to him. "So, Dhahabu... have you decided what you want to do?" Kuchinja asked him. "Yes, I have," Dhahabu said through gritted teeth. "So what will it be, Dhahabu? Your Kingdom or you sister?" Kuchinja asked with a leer, knowing his answer. "I choose to have my sister back. But on one condition," Dhahabu said. "Oh? And what would that be?" Jahili asked him. "Bring Taraji out. I want see her before I surrender my Kingdom to you," Dhahabu said firmly. "Very well," Kuchinja said. Then looking at Jazua he said, "Bring her out." Jazua nodded and went inside to get Taraji out. She was tired of listening to Kuchinja's orders too. She wanted to get this over with. But when she went inside, she saw two panic stricken hyenas looking everywhere for Taraji. "Where is she?" Jazua asked them angrily. "We don't know, Jazua! She was here just a minute ago! But now she's gone!" one of them said.
Back at the marshes, behind the cave, Taraji was being taken back to safety. "Where are you taking me?" she asked Cheko. "To the elephant your brother trusts so much," she heard a deep voice say. She looked around to find Tembo. "You have to stay hidden for a while. We'll let you know when you can get back in there. For now, stay calm. You're safe now," Tembo said slowly. Taraji nodded as she watched her brother from a distance. She wanted to call out to him and tell him she was alright, but they already seemed to have a plan. For now, she decided to listen to Tembo. It wasn't worth it to jeopardize the whole thing now. Maybe this could work... But she had to find out what was going on! She looked at Tembo and asked, "What's going on out there, Tembo?" "Your brother's agreed to trade his Kingdom for you, but on one condition. He wants to see you first," Tembo said with a smile. "But he won't see me! I'm not there!" Taraji said. "Exactly!" Tembo said as he chuckled slightly. Taraji smiled too. this was brilliant!
Dhahabu waited patiently until two hyenas came out with Jazua. They looked terrified to say the least. "What's wrong?" Kuchinja asked them. "There's been a terrible mistake, Kuchinja... Taraji is nowhere to be found!" Jazua told him. Kuchinja let out a roar of frustration. "How could this happen?" he asked the other two hyenas. "Didn't we ask you to guard her carefully?" They cowered in Kuchinja's presence. "What?" Dhahabu asked angrily. "Taraji's not here?" Kuchinja looked at him, a little worried now. "Well," he began but Dhahabu cut him short. "I was ready to hold my end of the bargain! And you couldn't take care of my sister? She could be anywhere now! And I don't think you've left her in any state to defend herself if she meets a mortal enemy! There's no way I'm giving this Kingdom away to you now!" Dhahabu said angrily. Kuchinja and Jahili looked at each other with worried expressions. This couldn't be happening now! They were so close! "Leave this Kingdom now, or be prepared to fight for it! I'm not going to let you stay here any longer than sunset tomorrow. If you're not gone by that time, I'll come here with the rest of my pride to get you out!" Dhahabu said firmly and walked away. He was smiling slightly at how well this had gone. But his relief was only short lived. Kuchinja's roar rent the air as he had spotted Taraji.
Chapter Thirty Eight: The Battle
It all happened very quickly. Njaa had been walking shielding Taraji and had almost reached Dhahabu before Kuchinja spotted an extra tuft swishing alongside Njaa's. Kuchinja's anger knew no bounds as he pounced and attacked Njaa. Taraji ran as fast as she could to her brother who motioned her to join the pride hiding by the trees. Jahili intervened and fought Kuchinja off, but it was too late. Njaa was dead. "What have you done?" Jahili asked his father. "You've killed your own brother!" Kuchinja looked at his son and said, "No brother of mine would betray me like that! And for you to feel bad for him is even more despicable!" "No, you're despicable! Look at what you've done!" Jahili said angrily and motioned his father to look at Njaa's mauled body. Kuchinja scoffed at this and looked at Dhahabu. "Your father is responsible for all of this! If he hadn't taken this Kingdom away from me, none of this would've happened!" Kuchinja said. Dhahabu looked at Kuchinja calmly and said, "My father gave you a chance to live a peaceful life with all of us, but you refused. the fault is all yours, Kuchinja."
Kuchinja roared and charges at him. Dhahabu slid away just in time to let Kuchinja fall. "I don't want to hurt you, Kuchinja. I'm asking you politely to leave. Do that and we can avoid this fight," Dhahabu said as Kuchinja got up. "What's the matter, Dhahabu? Don't you remember your mother's scarred face? Or do you want me to ravage her again and refresh your memory?" Kuchinja asked maliciously. Dhahabu dug his claws into the ground as he said, "I try not to. And if you ever hurt anyone from my pride again, you'll have to face me!" Dhahabu said. Kuchinja laughed as he charged at Dhahabu again. Dhahabu saw that Kuchinja was determined not to let this go. "Then so be it," he thought as he struck Kuchinja in the shoulder. Kuchinja roared and bit into Dhahabu's back. Dhahabu spun around angrily and struck Kuchinja across the face. Kuchinja was still reeling from the shock of it and fell to the ground. Dhahabu looked at him and said, "Now you know I can defeat you! Leave this Kingdom while you still can." Then he started walking back. But Kuchinja silently got up and pounced. Before Dhahabu could react, Kuchinja was thrown off by a lioness. It was Asumini.
"You murderer!" she yelled as she attacked Kuchinja. "You killed Njaa!" Kuchinja was completely taken aback by Asumini's anger. He didn't know how to fight her off as she mauled him. "That's enough Asumini," she heard Kala say. "He has suffered enough..." "He killed Njaa!" Asumini said tearfully. "How different from him will you be if you kill him?" Kala asked her calmly. Asumini nodded at her and walked back slowly with Kala to the rest of the pride, who had emerged to protect Asumini if necessary. Jahili watched as his father writhed in agony. He stepped forward to end it, but before he did so, he was stopped by Dhahabu. "Think of what you're doing, Jahili... I've had to do this, and it's not pleasant. You will have to live with this for the rest of your life," he told Jahli. Jahili looked at him and said, "Your father was a kind and loving lion, Dhahabu. But my father brought pain and misery to my mother and uncle... and me. So I don't think it will affect me as much." Then he took one swipe at his father's face and watched sadly as Kuchinja stopped breathing. Then he walked over to Taraji and said, "Taraji, I... " But he was cut short as she nuzzled him and said, "I have nothing to forgive. Not anymore, at least!" Jahili sighed and smiled at her. "I'm glad you're safe," he told her.
Dhahabu watched as Taraji fondly nuzzled Jahili. Then he looked at his mate and said, "It's over... The war is finally over!" She nodded at him and said, "And everyone is safe and sound! The plan worked perfectly!" "Well, almost perfectly," Jahili said sadly as he walked over to them. "Uncle Njaa died." "Yes, and I'm sure he was a very loving uncle to you when he was alive," Dahabu said sympathetically. "The worst part is that I never got to thank him for it!" Jahili said sadly. "I understand how you feel... I wish I could tell Sulubu how much I cared for him," Dhahabu said as he looked at his sister. Taraji understood and said, "We'll begin a new era of peace from today... Then all this will be just a memory." Dhahabu nodded at her and looked at all the herds and said, "Please assemble at the den right away. I have a few announcements to make!" Then he left with his pride and went back to the den. It had been a long day, and he wanted to see his cubs desperately.
Chapter Thirty Nine: The Birth of The Pridelands
They walked to Pride Rock slowly. Every creature was wondering why Dhahabu had summoned them at this hour. As they all watched, Dhahabu walked to the edge of the den. Then, he looked down upon them and said, "What we witnessed today was an act of a vicious lion who only wanted this Kingdom for greed! He didn't feel any remorse at having killed his brother. This was the lion you were prepared to have as King instead of my father and me!" All the animals lowered their heads in shame. "That is why, I have decided that we need to make a fresh start! We need to give this wonderful land a name! A name that will stand for peace and prosperity! A place in which all of us pride in! From this day forward, we will call our Kingdom The Pridelands! And we will strive to make this Kingdom something to be proud of! I can’t do it alone, though... I will need your help! For so long now we've lived together with complete disregard to this land that provides us nourishment! We need to work together to make this Kingdom live up to it's name! If we work together, I'm sure we'll be able to work miracles! Any suggestions to make this happen are welcome!" Dhahabu finished.
An old mandrill walked to the foot of the den and asked, "Might I come up there, Sire?" Dhahabu nodded at her. She came to him and bowed. "What is it that you want?" Dhahabu asked her as she approached him. "You said you were open to suggestions, Sire," she said with a smile. Dhahabu nodded. "My name is Sahara, Sire... and I've been watching this Kingdom for many moons now... And from what I see, you need a shaman," the mandrill said. "A shaman?" Dhahabu asked. "Yes, sire... We mandrills study the ways of nature and the herbs and trees. We will be able to advise you as and when necessary about the climate, and we'll be able to heal certain wounds faster with our remedies," she said. Dhahabu nodded and asked, "Then would you grace the position of Royal Shaman?" Sahara laughed heartily and said, "I'm too old, Sire... And I’ll have to step down soon." "Even so, I'd like you to be our first Royal Shaman, for you suggested the idea to us!" Dhahabu said. Sahara bowed low and said, "I would be honored." "That's settled then! Anything else?"
A little hornbill flew into view and said, "I'm Nyuni! I can be your eyes and ears all around the Kingdom! We hornbills are known to cover a wide area, and I can give you information on what's going on at all four borders at whatever time you wish!" Dhahabu smiled at the bird and said, "That would be wonderful!" "Yes, Sire... She will make a fine majordomo! With her help, you will be able to tackle small problems before they turn into big ones!" Sahara said. Dhahabu nodded at her and asked, "Anything else, you two?" "Well, Sire, there is one thing," Sahara said. "What is it?" Dhahabu asked her. "I am sure you believe in the Great Spirit, who once ruled over these lands wisely and rules over us still?" Sahara asked him. Dhahabu closed his eyes and remembered his father's story about the Great Aiheu, the spirit of these lands. He nodded slowly. "Then you must present each of your cubs to him! He watches over us still, bestowing upon us peace and prosperity... Reminding us that these trials are but temporary. He will bless each of them with courage and wisdom... which they will need as future Kings and Queens," Sahara said. "Then it shall be done tomorrow at sunrise!" Dhahabu declared. Sahara nodded and smiled at him. "And one more thing, Sire," Sahara said. "This den is your seat of power! You need to mark it so! Give it a name!" Dhahabu thought about it. Then he looked at his pride and then at the den. He sighed and said, "From this day forth, this den will be called Pride Rock!" Sahara and the lionesses of his pride nodded in agreement. Dhahabu looked at the herds and said, "We are now Pridelanders! All of us here have to work together to live up to that name! All I ask is that you cooperate with me and my Queen while we rule over these lands!"
It was Tembo who raised his trunk and let out a loud trumpet. All the other elephants followed. The Gazelles stomped on the ground and bowed, marking their allegiance to their King. The Zebras and the giraffes followed suit. The rhinos bowed low and smiled at their ruler, who nodded at them in a gesture of thanks. The cheetahs and tigers let out low growls and bent their heads low. It was a wondrous sight to see as the sun set over the Pridelands that day. All the herds had united as one and accepted their ruler with joy. And tomorrow, they would acknowledge the existence of their Crown Prince at a very special ceremony. Dhahabu roared to his subjects as a symbol of his authority. Then he looked at his mate and asked her to join him. Together they roared to their subjects as King and Queen. Then they walked inside and the herds dispersed. Their cubs were waiting for them.
Chapter Forty: The First Presentation
Dhahabu and Mahiri walked back inside and were welcomed by their cubs. Dhahabu nuzzled all of them and walked towards his mother. "It's over, mother... Kuchinja's dead... And by the way, your daughter's chosen a mate," he said, stifling a laugh as he looked at Taraji and Jahili. Despite all the hostility Kuchinja had unleashed upon them, Malkia smiled upon Jahili kindly and said, "I hope you two have a very happy life together." Jahili nodded at her and thanked her for her kindness. Sahara came in with a bowl of medicine and started dabbing it on Malkia's wounds. "These will heal faster now," she told the old lioness. "Dad," Dhahabu heard his son ask him. "What is it, Mohatu?" he asked. "What's this thing they're talking about showing us to the entire Kingdom tomorrow?" Mohatu asked him. "It's called a presentation, Mo... and it'll be a wonderful ceremony! You and your siblings will be presented as Princes and Princess tomorrow," Dhahabu said as he nuzzled him." "That's cool!" Mohatu said excitedly. Then he frowned a bit and said, "Dad..." "Hmmm?" "I wish grandpa was here to see all this," Mohatu finished sadly. Dhahabu was completely caught off guard by his son's innocent thought. "I know, Mo... I do, too," he said in a choked voice. Mohatu smiled at his father and joined Makani and Busara for a nap.
Dhahabu sighed and walked to the edge of Pride Rock. Then he looked at the inky blue sky that was strewn with stars. A voice inside him asked the stars again, "Are you gone where I can't reach you?" Then a miracle happened. A star shone brightly in the sky as Dhahabu watched. He stood transfixed as a mist of clouds parted to reveal a familiar figure. "I haven't, my son," a familiar voice said. Dhahabu's eyes welled up as he whispered, "Father..." "You have done well, my son... I am proud of you!" Mfalme said in a hollow sort of voice; for it was his spirit. "And I know I'm not the only one you wish to see," Mfalme finished. Then, a smaller cloud appeared alongside Mfalme's. But the figure that popped out of it shocked Dhahabu more. "Sulubu!" he called out in surprise. "That's right, little brother! I'm here with dad!" Sulubu said. "I'm so terribly sorry you had to go," Dhahabu said again. "Have I really gone, bro?" Sulubu asked with a chuckle. Dhahabu sighed and said, "No... Your love has always been here with me!" "As it will always be," Mfalme said. "Remember that, and you will never be alone. Remember that all of us will always be with you in your heart!" With that, the clouds dissolved into the sky to show the stars shining brightly. Dhahabu sighed and walked back inside, reassured that he had done right by his father and brother. Then he closed his eyes and slept. Tomorrow was a big day.
As the sun rose the next morning, the herds assembled at Pride Rock to witness a ceremony that was the first of it's kind. As their King and Queen stood at the edge of Pride Rock, Sahara walked up to them and bowed. After having acknowledged the mandrill's greeting, Mahiri went inside and picked Mohatu up by his scruff and handed him to Sahara. Then she anointed the cub and held him aloft for all the herds to see. Cheers were heard everywhere as their Crown Prince was presented to them. Then he raised Busara for everyone to see. The herds bowed to their Princess and watched as their Prince Makani was presented to them. The sun shone brightly on all of them as the ceremony concluded. The three cubs stood at the edge alongside their parents, who proudly looked on. Dhahabu and Mahiri roared to their subjects as a token of their thanks as the cubs yowled with joy. They were Pridelanders, and they were one of a kind!
Jahili, Taraji, Asumini, and a few lionesses from the Pridelands set out to seek new lands and start a new pride. They later came to be known as the Nje, a name chosen in honor of Njaa.
The cub Mohatu mentioned in this story grew up to be a fine King and is indeed the King mentioned in The Brightest Star.
End of Book Three
