In this chapter we have the first instance of something 'otherworldly' happening.
Chapter 8
3 DAYS TO GO
Vitani and Kion had come to a massive canyon that seemed to have no way around it. It was incredibly deep from where they were stood and there were piles of rocks and boulders dangerously placed at the edges on either side.
"We have to cross that?" Kion asked.
"Looks like it." Vitani answered.
They both looked out across the canyon, trying to see the other end but not being able to because of a bend in the structure that curved to the left. Vitani spotted a not-too-steep way down to their right.
"Looks like a way down just there." She said as she pointed at the way down.
So they both ventured down to the bottom of the canyon together, slowly. The way the rocks were positioned at the top of the canyon made them look as though the slightest wrong move could make a sound that would trigger them to fall.
"This place doesn't look safe at all. Are you sure there isn't another way around?" Kion enquired.
"Not without going back the way we came for god knows how long and finding another route round. But we don't have time for that."
They continued to wander through the canyon, kicking up dust and grit occasionally.
"Hey, Kion." Vitani asked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think there's a chance of us ever... you know."
Kion was a bit shocked to hear this, but at the same time kind of saw it coming. He didn't want to admit it but he always secretly had a bit of a, 'liking' for Vitani. He answered with:
"Why? Do you like me?"
"Well I... Guess I do."
"OK. We'll see when all this is over."
As they carried on Kion could have sworn he felt Vitani brush against him, just for a moment. But there were more important things to be getting on with now.
Soon they reached the other end which didn't ascend upwards onto the other side of the land, but instead ended in a large cave opening.
"Dammit." Went Vitani. "All this way for a cave?"
"I think we may have come as far as we need to. Perhaps this is Jenvl's lair."
"Well it's very ominous. Guess this guy likes to be creepy."
Vitani began to walk towards the entrance of the cave.
"What exactly do we need to do again?" Kion asked, remaining where he was for now.
"We're here to get information about the master plan and then kill him if necessary." Vitani recapped for Kion.
"OK."
Kion then joined Vitani and the two approached the cave opening. Kion tried to get a look inside but couldn't see anything through the darkness. Vitani thought it reminded her of her old home in the Outlands. Only now she realised how sinister it looked. Once inside they saw that the cave was actually quite small, smaller than it looked from the outside. There was a raised up rock platform that grabbed Kion's interest first. It seemed so out of place in a low down cave like this. He went over to it and scrapped the top surface with his paw. It was plastered with some kind of orange powder. He recognised it as the same stuff that Rafiki worked with back in his tree, but Kion couldn't remember exactly what it did, if anything.
"Not much in here." Vitani called out from across the room.
Just then some loud, padded footsteps could be heard outside the cave. Jenvl was coming back to his lair.
"Quick, hide." Kion instructed.
Vitani and Kion both dashed behind a large rock at the back of the cave and hid as a large lion entered the cave and stood in front of the raised up platform. Jenvl sprinkled some orange powder onto the stone and began mumbling in some incomprehensible jibberish. It was at that moment that Kion remembered what the powder was. And what it did.
And there's more strange things to come, that's for sure. You kind of have to pay attention from this point on wards to understand what's going on. Next chapter up soon.
