The Evening had come over the jungle. The Sun had already gone down enough for anyone that needed light within the darkened jungle lit up torches to cast away the darkness around them. Within the Wolf Kingdom the two brothers, Gunnolf and Axis were continuing to abide by their punishment watching over the farthest granary as before.

The Two of them sat by a small fire in front of the granary letting the soft flames warm them as light cackles came from the burning wood. The fire pit provided them warmth and light as the granary was far off from the village. It was well suited as they did not wish to be around anyone at the time. This part of their punishment was a reprieve by now.

This Granary was almost like a sacred place for them now as this very spot was where they found opportunity and now their kingdom was cleansed of what tainted it.

"Well, brother its been some time since, Father left. Do you think there's a reason to worry?" Axis asked as he ate an apple biting down on the fruit with disgust as he barely has had any meat. Their diet consisted of mostly garden variety. They were lucky if they got something cooked on a stick.

Gunnolf shook his head. "No. If that flea ridden filth, Louie has hidden well for so long I doubt our, Father will discover him."

Axis smiled slightly as a ruckus was heard coming from the granary behind them. They both looked behind them with, Gunnolf taking a look around the side. He found a familiar sight just outside the granary at the side. It was a hooded primate taking a large sack full of what it could carry within it which were whatever foods were inside it.

The Primate noticed, Gunnolf at the edge of the granary and looked rather nervous at the sight of the fearsome wolf. Gunnolf just waved him off telling him to leave their sight. He returned to the fire sitting down on the opposite of his brother.

Axis grew concerned seems that new appointed thief of, King Louie was not as subtle as the last one. It was a wonder that he did not make any loud noise the last few days when they were not guard duty at the granary.

"If that primate is anymore noisy the rest of the kingdom will soon figure out their scheme with their hidden pathway." Axis warned.

"No matter. If or when it happens our plan has already been fulfilled." Gunnolf assured as he relaxed by the fire putting another stick onto it to keep the fire sustained.

"But we must think ahead about it, Gunnolf. Eventually the secret will be discovered. If that happens then they will become suspicious for we have guarded this granary overnight and that could lead back onto us." Axis said becoming more concerned.

Gunnolf scoffed at his brothers worry. "Calm, brother. I know how we can avoid being accused after our father returns."

"You do?" Axis marveled.

Gunnolf nodded. "Indeed. After our father gets back and when that primate comes back, we inform him that we wish to have another word with his, King. Something he would need to hear as we will renegotiate our bargain as I will offer something better in return for my necklace. The second he gives it back we take him and drag him to the palace where our father will learn about, he and his peoples return and the thieving of our kingdom. With such a discovery we shall win back our family's praise and the jungle will be rid of another annoyance. Nothing can go wrong with that."

Axis smiled widely at his brother's plan. "Gunnolf that is brilliant!"

"I know." Gunnolf laughed as he grabbed an apple on a plate near him and dug his nails through it before crushing the apple in his grip. "Soon enough we shall retake our rightful place back in the family. And this little debacle will be a simple footnote in our sacred history."

"I agree, Brother. We suffered enough to that wretched mancub and that tribal witch. I find it all too coincidental that the shaman took her. To think if with her influence she would be an actual witch!"

Gunnolf laughed. "I agree there, Axis. I never understood it either on why the shaman would think that. I guess our parent's soft hearts are rubbing the wrong way. We must regain our sacred self's and show that only the strong willed deserve to have a place her and nothing, but purebloods shall reign."

"To a new dawn of a better age of the Wolf Kingdom" Axis raised his arm in triumphed praise.

"To all anew, Axis!" Gunnolf raised his arm as well both wolves looking in the cloudiness night seeing the moon. They smiled as they took the full moon as an omen to their success and to see their kingdom finally be cleansed of those that should never have been there.

Everything had gone exactly as they had wanted. All was well now and with their placing of the seed of fear within the kingdom by spreading horrid rumors to the many young pups from the populace most would stay well concerned for the wellbeing of their own and not share a single thought about the disappearances of the two that were nothing more than mistakes that had been brought into the kingdom.

However little did the brothers know that only partially what they expect happened and still had yet to realize that the one that they struck a bargain with did not truly fulfil his own due to his own purposes he had in mind. The brothers could never suspect what had happened as their faith was far too high for the once banished primates. Their trust was anything but sacred. And that could one day could hurt them more than they would realize if the truth were ever discovered.

As soon as the moon was high in the sky over the ancient ruins was, Mowgli finally let out from the room he had spent the rest of the day in cleaning everything within it. His hands were wrinkled and sore from working so much but his pain was nothing compared to the pain in his heart that was filled with worry for, Karina.

He was escorted out of the room and taken to the rotunda where the dungeon laid beneath. The Monkey who escorted him kept a dark smile on his face as, Mowgli got more worried by each step he knew that the primate knew about something and it had to do with, Karina. Something terrible did happen to her. He was not sure if he was ready to find out.

As they went down the cold steps, Mowgli begged to the spirits that nothing had happened to the one and only true friend he had. He did not know what to expect all he remembered from, Queen Abra was he was going to be taken back to the cell where, Karina would be hanging in.

Recalling what she had said made him even more worried. When he reached the bottom of the steps seeing nothing but the cells and lit torches on the walls there was nothing but silence. If Karina were there how come he could not see her, or she could let out a sign she is there. Something was indefinitely wrong.

"To your cell, mancub!" The Primate guard ordered as he shoved, Mowgli up to the cell door. Mowgli rubbed his hands nervously as the door was opened up and what he saw withing horrified him.

"Karina!" He screamed as he saw her hanging by her arms. Her head was hanging low with her eyes shut. He saw that she was alive with her body shaking but he noticed a lot of her fur was pressed in showing she was hit in numerous places. He immediately ran inside not being bothered by the door slamming behind him and the guard leaving the prisoners be.

Mowgli ran in front of the hanging wolf girl as she had yet to notice she was no longer alone in the cell her body aching so badly that her hearing was not at its best.

Karina groaned in pain as the discipline she suffered left her very weak and the position she was left in did nothing but add to her agony. Mowgli saw more on what had happened to his friend. Her body was very wet from sweat and her face had soft stream of what had to be tears come down from her eyes. The Ground beneath her was soiled possibly due to both sweat tears coming from her.

Mowgli's heart broke. His friend was hanging there almost lifeless. How could the primates do what they did to her? She didn't deserve to be punished like that. She didn't deserve whatever the punishment was for the apparent crime. The Primates were monsters!

When Mowgli heard from, Beretta of all that the Primates had suffered due to their exile from not only the jungle but many other lands he had grown some pity for them especially for, Beretta for all that happened to her but now seeing what they had done to, Karina any shred of pity was cast out. No one should ever do what they did to someone like, Karina. They had kidnapped and enslaved both him and his friend. They had no right to take them or put them through such humiliation and with their cruel beating of, Karina. They were nothing more than monsters. Nothing less than that.

Mowgli carefully reached up to, Karina's face trying not to do anything to antagonize her already severe bruised body. "Karina? Karina! Wake up, please!" He yelled.

The Wolf Girl shook her head as she was starting to hear a familiar voice. Though she was in great pain she managed to open her eyes to see it was, Mowgli standing in front of her feeling his soft skinned hand against her face.

"Mowgli…" She coughed as it was hard to speak due to her painful position. Mowgli smiled slightly glad to hear her voice though his eyes were starting to make tears as his heart sank to see, Karina like this.

"Please, Mowgli. Can you help me?" Karina asked wheezing as she tried to stand upright but her sore body only made her collapse in the attempt.

"Anything! What can I do?" Mowgli asked not sure how he was going to help his friend.

Karina looked up at the ropes that held her by her wrists. "Cut me down from these. Please, Mowgli." She begged as she barely could stand the pain anymore.

Mowgli nodded but was unsure how he could. There was nothing in cell that would be sharp enough to cut her bonds. The Knots above her hands looked very well done and he would not be able to unknot it himself. He looked around to find out that there was a plateful of fruit and jug of water in the cell just like what, Queen Abra said there would be when he would be brought back.

The Plate was made from hardened clay. Getting an idea, he dropped the fruit into the jug of water causing some of the water to overflow from it and to prevent the fruit from getting dirty. He slammed the plate against the wall causing it to shatter in many pieces.

Mowgli picked around the shattered remains of the plate and found one that had sharp edges on it. He went back to, Karina but when he tried to reach for the ropes it was just out of his reach. Mowgli was nervous as the one way he would reach her would be by the one means he could.

"Karina…I can't reach the ropes. If I want to ill have to…" Mowgli bit his lip knowing what he would have to say would be too much. Karina was already in a lot of pain and he would only add to it if he did it.

Karina leaned forward looking down at him. "Mowgli. Do what you must. I cannot be like this any longer. I beg you to release me!" She pleaded.

"Alright." Mowgli agreed as he walked behind, Karina gripping the sharp piece of the plate he made in his hand. Though this was embarrassing already with his cheeks blushing he grabbed upon, Karina's waist one hand then hopped up grabbing onto her shoulder next planting his knee's on, Karina's back.

The Wolf Girl yelped as the sudden press upon her sore back made her take a step forward trying to brace herself. Mowgli held onto her shoulder and reached the sharp handmade tool in his hand and proceeded to cut the rope just above, Karina's hands. He did not want to risk cutting her hands free out of risk of accidently cutting her which is why he choose to cut the upper rope instead.

Karina grinded her teeth as the added weight on her back really made her feel like a bug underneath a foot but tried to remain still for, Mowgli as she could hear the rope being cut. Right when she believed she was about to throw her back out with, Mowgli on her she found herself free as she fell forward and, Mowgli fell off her back both of them collapsing next to each other.

Both of them groaned from the impact, Karina taking the worst of it due to her already sore body but after a minute they both managed to sit upright. Karina's hands were still bound together but she was free being hung from the ceiling.

"Thank you, Mowgli! You released me!" She thanked with a wide smile. "Care to help one more time?" She showed her still bound hands.

Mowgli nodded finding the piece of the plate he used as he dropped it from the sudden fall and with a few seconds of careful cutting now that he was in a better place to cut her bonds without risking more harm upon her he had cut her hands free.

"Thank you, Mowgli." Karina said rubbing her sore wrists and began to rub her body down trying to finally sooth her pain sitting on her knee's. Mowgli was happy he was able to help his friend, but his eyes began to tear up again. His friend had suffered greatly and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it.

"I'm so sorry, Karina…I…" Mowgli whimpered but then was suddenly grabbed by, Karina as she pulled him into her and hugged him tightly gently hushing him. She was still very sorry, but she wanted hold him close.

"Shh…Mowgli you have nothing to be sorry for. This wasn't your fault." She gently hushed as, Mowgli hugged her back with a couple of tears falling from his eyes.

"If there's anyone at fault here it is I." Karina admitted as she let, Mowgli go and wiped the tears from his face. "I was ready to get us out. I longed to be home again that I took us both out during the time of day when most would be around. I was far too hasty to make our escape and I paid the price for it. I am sorry, Mowgli. I wanted to get you home back to your loving family."

Mowgli was happy to hear that she wanted nothing more to get them both free. He wanted to be back home with his father and mother and his siblings. But in all truths, there was someone he considered family more than them. "I believe your just as much as family to me, Karina. Without you…I don't know what I am supposed to do. Your everything to me. The Best friend I could want. And when I was told what was happening to you. I feared that you were…" Mowgli sniffed as his fears clearly showed what he believed.

"Aww…Mowgli come here." Karina hugged him again and gently rocked him. "You will never lose me, Mowgli. I will always be here for you."

Mowgli looked up at, Karina with a happy smile on his face despite more tears showing. "Your everything to me, Karina. All that I could want. With you by my side I feel like we can get out of this."

Karina nodded. "And I too believe that Mowgli. You too mean more to me than you can know. We both have had hard upbringings and are going through terrible ordeals. I have suffered as you have. But that doesn't matter for we will find ourselves free again."

"I know. And I want to be right by your side, Karina. I mean it too. I want you to stand right by me for my life. For I want to be by yours." Mowgli told her as, Karina's heart began to melt by his truthful words.

"Oh, Mowgli. By the spirits above I will. Ill be right by you till the end of days. That is my promise to you, my adorable loving little prince." Karina cooed as she took the side of, Mowgli's cheeks and slowly brought him over to her. Mowgli was unsure what was going to happen but then he felt a wave of warmth as, Karina's lips pressed onto his.

Mowgli was taken completely by surprise by this as, Karina was kissing him upon his tiny lips. He did not know what to make of it at first but went along as, Karina after the second that felt like a minute released her affectionate hold upon, Mowgli.

The Mancub was lost for words as he stroked his lips not having a real understanding of what had happened as, Karina looked at him with adoration. Eventually, Mowgli smiled through his shocked state as, Karina petted his head.

"You will be okay, Mowgli. We will be okay." She claimed. "Tomorrow is a new day and as I have stayed trapped by those ropes for so long, I have thought of a new plan that may allow us to escape this time."

"You do?" Mowgli asked.

"Yes. It will be tricky but if this goes right then it will be our best and only chance." Karina explained standing up and walked over to the bars on the wall to see there was only one primate guard sitting near the stairway barely awake.

Karina walked to the wall of the cell and sat down near the jug still filled with the fruits from the destroyed plate. "Come here, Mowgli let us have something to eat while I tell you what we must do." She told him without sounding too loudly for the guard to overhear them.

Mowgli nodded walking over sitting down next to her as she put an arm over him holding him close as she grabbed a mango from the jug handing it to, Mowgli as she grabbed an orange and began to eat as she was in need of something to munch on to regain her strength for the plan she had in mind would require all the strength she could muster for the next day that will decide whether they remain slaves forever or regain the freedom that was stolen from them.