Chapter 2: (12 years later)
"Come on Moyo, it's just up this hill." Kito called down to his brother, who was still climbing up the cliff.
"Hang on Kito, i'm not as good as climbing as you." he panted finally making it to the top. "What's up here anyway?"
"That!"
"Wow."
On the other side off the cliff was a city, and a big one if that. It was old and seemed abandoned but its stone buildings, towers, and bridges were still standing tall.
"What do you think lives in that place?" Moyo asked.
"I don't know...maybe...Ah!" Kito was knoked on to the ground by his sister Bahiya who was standing on top of her younger brother. "Bahiya! You have got to stop doing that!"
"Sorry Kito, but it's just so much fun! Anyway mom sent me to get you two, she's got something for us."
"Aw, okay..." Kito said already heading back home slowly. "...Race ya there!" and he sprinted as fast as he could through the jungle.
"Not fair Kito!" Moyo called back chasing after him with his sister close behind him. Kito looked over his shoulder his siblings were already catching up. He speed up and thought he was going to make it, but he tripped over a root and tumbled right into his least favorite leopard Sabor. When both of them got back on their feet Sabor gave Kito a look of pure loathing. He had never liked the human and if he had his way the human would be gone forever.
"S-sorry, sir. I-I didn't see you..." Sabor just growled in response.
"Kito!" His siblings came to his rescue just in time.
"Well, I have to go....bye." Kito zipped back to Moyo and Bahiya. "Why does Sabor hate me so much?"
"It's because you're not, ow!" Bahiya didn't get a chance to finish her sentence do to the fact that Moyo had stepped on her tail on purpose. He was shaking his head "no".
"Don't, he's already on edge with Sabor."
Thankfully they weren't that far away from their home were there mother was waiting for them.
"Hi mom." Moyo and Bahiya said going up to their mom to greet her. Akella noticed Kito who had a down, and depressed look on his face.
"Moyo, Bahiya, why don't you see what your father is up to?"
They both left to find there dad, leaving Kito and Akella alone.
"Kito what's wrong?" Akella asked in a motherly voice.
"Nothing..."
"I know some thing's bother you, I'm your mom I'm supposed to know these type of things."
"Well, why does Sabor hate me so much? Is it because I'm not like the others?"
Akella sighed, she knew this time was going to come sooner or later.
"Come, let me show you something." She led Kito into the cave were she grabbed a small goldenĀ locket in her mouth and gave it to Kito.
"You had this with you when I found you."
"Found me?" Kito looked at the necklace and realized that the bottom of it could open. He undid the latch and found a picture of three creatures that looked like him. One was tall and had a beard, the other was shorter and female, in her arms was a small child wrapped in a blanket. He looked at this in disbelief he knew the child was him so the other two people were...
"My parents?"
She nodded. "You were only a baby when we found you. Your parents were dead so we decided to keep you."
"I always knew I was different. I don't have fangs, or claws, or fur. Why did you keep me though? You could've just dumped me into the jungle when I was older."
"No, I couldn't. It doesn't matter if you're not a leopard, you're still my son. Besides, your brother and sister wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I let you go."
Kito smiled, even with all this the leopards were still his family. Bahiya rushed into the cave out of breath and panting.
"H-hurry....it's dad....a-and...Moyo....they're fighting....stray leopards!"
Kito, and Akella followed Behiya deeper into the woods were it seemed thatĀ the entire leopard family was watching. Perched in trees and cliffs to get a view of the fight. Kito, Akeela, and Behiya watched from a high cliff above the scene. In a clearing Kita could see four leopards fighting two he could recognize as his brother and father, the other two were complete strangers. They fought viciously, anyone could see it was a fight, not for pride or glory, but for survival. The two strange leopards were no strangers to fighting, they dodged and attacked skillfully. However Moyo and Faraji weren't that bad either. They landed some nice swipes and bites on their opponents, who countered with equally fierce blows. One of the strange opponents swiped Moyo across the face sending him to the ground. Kito jupmed down from the cliff to join his dad in Moyo's stead. He judged up his brothers' attacker and leaped at him, a stone knife in his hand. The leopard dodged just in time and countered with a blow to Kitos' eye, making a crescent shape gash down his left eye. The leopard was going to attack again but Faraji tackled the leopard before he got a chance. Moyo got back up his face wet, with red from his wounds. He went to his brothers side to help him fight off the attackers. Kito was able to slash one of the leopards paw with his knife, and Moyo was able to take down the other leopard. The remaining leopard looked at his fallen comrade and decided the battle wasn't worth it. He gave one last slash at Moyo which caught him in the chest and disappeared into the jungle.
