Chapter 8 – The Rival Shaman

Kovu and Vitani, running with comparable haste, met each other around Scar's old den, entering the area from opposite directions. Before they were even able to speak, first they had to catch their breath. The first one to ask was Kovu.

-"Vitani… what's… going on?" – he said, still panting. – "The lionesses told me that you asked for a day off from hunting today so that you could meet me. What's up?"

His sister looked kind of strange. Usually, there weren't many things that could disturb her, and even then she would usually fall into an ugly state of fury, but she was not angry this time. She looked more as if she was badly concerned with something- something she wanted to reveal to Kovu in private.

-"Listen to me! I didn't want to talk about this near the others. They'd think that I'm crazy!"

Her brother looked at her and wondered. Seldom did Vitani act like this… With her eyes open wide, she continued.

-"I'm expecting at least you to believe me. It wasn't something rotten I ate or anything, and I know that I've never believed in such things… but… Uh, this feels so stupid. Kovu, remember when you mentioned your dreams? And when you asked me if we can actually… get in touch with the ones we dream about? Even if they're… dead?"

Now Kovu was the one who was starting to feel concerned.

-"Uhm, yeah, I remember that. You said that dreams aren't true- that's what we've always been taught to believe…"

-"I saw Nuka!" – she nearly spat the words in his face, interrupting him and then pausing for a while, observing the shock that appeared upon his face. – "I realy saw him, and it wasn't a dream. He was there, in the gorge, just as we both saw him just before he died. But he wasn't dead. He even… spoke to me."

Never before had Kovu seen his sister so… scared? No. Vitani was never scared. She was just… thrilled.

-"What did he say?" – he asked her in a tone that indicated that he believed her.

-"He said… He warned us to beware. You and me. That… things are going to happen it the Pridelands."

-"Oh yeah, they sure will…" – Kovu said quietly, thinking about what he'd heard from Simba the other day. But for now he wanted to keep that a secret.

-"Tani, remember when you told me that you've had dreams about mother lately?"

-"Uhm, yeah, that's right."

-"Well, can you tell me what were those dreams about?"

The lioness bit her lip. Her brother could see that what she was about to tell him were not just regular dreams…

-"They were flashbacks from the past, mostly. From training and from just before the war. But… there was also something new in them. Mother used the same words, she was giving me the same orders like before, only that… somehow I felt that what she was talking about concerned not the past, but the present."

Kovu looked deep into her blue eyes, his face being dead serious.

-"What did Zira order you to do?" – he asked.

-"She told me to kill Simba. I don't know why. Yeah, the king is a real pain in the rump sometimes, but still… I know that she wanted it, I know that the obsession finally lead her to madness. But now we live in peace with the Pridelanders. It's a shame mother isn't around to see how we're doing… Right, but then again, I'm starting to believe that maybe she is around here somewhere! Remember how she used to address the spirit of Scar? And now that thing with Nuka… To be honest with you, I feel totally lost in all of this. What do you think?"

Her brother listened to her confession carefully. It was a tough situation, true. How come did Vitani and him suddenly started to have such similar visions? He still didn't have a clue, but fortunately he felt that maybe he was starting to see what could help them in solving this mystery. But for now, he needed time.

-"Sorry, Vitani. Can we talk about this later sometime? I have a few places I need to go…" – he said, already turning around.

-"Uh, sure, I guess. I can see you're feeling lost as well. Okay, see ya later. I suppose that now I have to find something to do. Hm, maybe I should go and scare the life out of Timon and Pumbaa again? Yeah, I think that's what I'll do…"

She said the last sentences to herself, as Kovu was already on his way to… wherever he went.


Kovu took the whole day to investigate the gorge and the small valley where he'd met Elkanah for the first time. He was desperate to ask the reptile shaman a few important questions, but unfortunately, the snake was nowhere to be found. Kovu had walked throughout the whole area with his nose near the ground and asked nearly every living being for him, but it was no use- no-one had seen him, no-one had even known of his existence. When dust was beginning to fall, hungry and angry, Kovu decided that there was only one more place he could go. Though he hated to admit it, right now he needed the help of a person who he'd particularly disliked- namely, the shaman Rafiki.

The mandrill lived atop a big baobab tree, quite some time of walking distance away from the borders of the Pridelands. Simba had banned anyone from his pride to exit the kingdom without his permission, but truth be told, Kovu wasn't very concerned with it right now. And besides, he'd told Kiara that he had important matters to take care of that day.

So some time later he was already at the bottom of the tree. He knew that the shaman usually preferred to stay in his safe asylum among the branches than threatening his old and frail self with being eaten by the first possible carnivore that walked the ground. When Kovu raised his head, he couldn't see any signs of life, but since he could feel the mandrill's scent, he decided to call for him to come. And therefore, he roared.

-"Aye, aye! Whot eh horrible beast disturbs my peace!" – a familiar voice answered him with a note of staged irritation.

-"Cut the monkey business, Rafiki! It's me! Come down, I gotta talk to you!"

-"Heh-heh! Kovoo! What might bring yoo here, Upendi-boy? So far away from Kiara so late in de evening? Tsk-tsk… not good for as young a mate as yoo!"

As usual, the trusted advisor of the lion kings couldn't stay serious for a single minute. That was exactly why Kovu did not exactly enjoy coming in contact with him. But this time it was important, so he just had to bite his tongue.

-"Uhh…" – sighed the lion, imagining how long was this going to take. – "As much as she hates it, Kiara's fine under her father's protection. It's you who I need right now! C'mon, this is important! I don't want to spend the night under this baobab."

-"Den why donchoo climb up here to me!" – Rafiki answered in a way that made Kovu even angrier. He knew very well that it was much easier for him to come down, but if the shaman insisted on wanting to have a sample of his climbing abilities, then so be it.

Trying to ignore his rumbling stomach, the lion crouched to prepare to ascend the baobab. And Kovu was no weakling in terms of physical strength or agility- Zira had trained him well, maybe even better than Rafiki had thought. The tree was tall, but when the mandrill looked down from the top curiously, he was able to experience that it took only one, two, three strong and fast leaps for the young feline to already be inside of his seemingly impenetrable dominion. Shocked, the ape made a step backwards in order not to get knocked down by this sudden invader, releasing his precious staff. That got him entangled in the long vines that hung down from the branches, and Kovu used that moment to knock him down to the ground. Trapping the shaman under the weight of his body, yet careful not to hurt him too much, he grinned right in his wrinkled face.

-"Ha, you didn't think I would actually make it up here, did ya?"

Rafiki didn't really look frightened, but his jolliness also left him without a trace.

-"Ey! Easy wit dese claws of yours, okay? I'm listening! No need to get all hostile, yoo know!"

That was exactly the effect that Kovu intended to achieve. Now he spoke with the sure feeling that he was going to be heard, not having to fear about getting knocked over the head with a piece of wood.

-"Fine, Rafiki. I promise not to hurt you and to let you go as soon as you answer my question. You see, there is a certain… animal that I'm looking for. I know that you're simply a bag of useful info. And let me tell you more- the guy is, so to speak, of your profession, so I expect that you'll be happy to tell me all you know about him and then lead me so that I can talk to him myself. I've been looking for him all day long, so right now I am very eager to know that, if you get my point."

Thrown at the lion's mercy, the mandrill only nodded passionlessly.

-"What do yoo wont to know?" – he asked.

-"Elkanah. I want the snake called Elkanah. Does this name sound familiar to you?"

The sound of the name did make Rafiki frown, what ensured Kovu that he indeed knew something and that this visit would not be for nothing.

-"De dark shaman? What do yoo have to do wit dat slimy crawler?" – the mandrill addressed him with a loud rebuke, but after getting pressed against the ground a little bit, he silenced.

-"I'm the one who's asking questions here!" – Kovu put him back into his place. – "Who is he and where can I find him? Tell that to me and then you're free."

Rafiki wasn't very pleased with this situation. In fact, he was clearly angry with Kovu's behavior and the lion knew that sooner or later he would run to tell Simba all about it. But for now Kovu didn't trouble himself with it.

-"Elkanah is an ancient serpent, a being of dark heart and mysterious ways. He is a shaman, sort of like I am, wit much knowledge about de world, only dat he prefers to keep in touch not wit de good old kings, bot wit de dark spirits! He's been around de royal family even longer than me, bot hardly ever did any of de lions actually use hees services. Except, of course, for Scar…"

-"He was your rival, wasn't he?" – Kovu asked smartly. After being interrupted with such a question, Rafiki looked truly offended.

-"Not a rival! Dere wos no competition. Scar never liked me, so after he brutally took de life of Mufasa and stole hees brotha's trone, he jost shooed me away. Den all it took was for Elkanah to crawl over to heem at Pride Rock and exercise hees dark profession wit de approval of de usurper… He ees evel, Kovoo! Listen to me, yoo do not wont to have anything to do wit dat snake!"

-"Tell me where he is!" – again Kovu interrupted and pressed Rafiki to the ground.

-"I don't know and I don't wont to know! Now let me go, you're hurting me!"

-"You are a scholar, aren't you? I have no idea where these kinds of snakes usually reside, but you should! And furthermore, aren't you also a shaman? Contact the old kings, maybe they'll answer!"

Rafiki looked at him with a gaze of displeasure in his old eyes.

-"Dese tings do not work like dis…" – he sighed, turning his head. – "Bot if yoo wish to find a dark shaman… I recommend yoo to go where de dark spirits are!"

-"And where are the dark spirits?" – Kovu asked, confused with the mandrill's mysterious babble.

-"Oh I know where you could find at least one!"

-"Meaning?"

-"Go to de river. Try to find de spot where your mother died."

Actually, Rafiki said that partially as a joke. But the roar he heard afterwards, so loud that he had to cover up his ears, made him sure that Kovu wasn't amused with it in the least. For a long moment of uncertainty, the mandrill gazed at the lion's sharp fangs that were displayed right in front of his nose. He felt shivers go down his spine… It was a great relief to hear Kovu cease to growl finally, and when the weight that had been crushing him was finally lifted when the lion rose and let him go was a real relief, not only for his old body.

Without another word, Kovu turned around and jumped down from the top of the baobab, disappearing into the darkness of the night. Left alone, Rafiki picked up his staff from the ground and then lifted his sad eyes towards the stars.

-"Oh, Mufasa… Wos it really soch a good idea wit dat Kovoo guy? I know, I know he had stopped de war… Bot now he seeks answers about hees past, looking in all de wrong places! Wot will he find? Oh my friend, I am scared again… Wot oder spirits wotch ova dees land? I jost hope dat your son will find de wisdom to protect us all, especially hees family…"

A rush of wind came and dispelled the mandrill's white beard. It was a cold and unpleasant breeze that made him shiver- a sign of an upcoming storm.


AN: Oops. Kovu wants to play a dangerous game to get the answers he wants. What will it be? What will be the consequences? Stay tuned, review to make me happy and quicker in publishing XD