Along the mountainside and nearing the very top, Bagheera scurried over the narrow ledges. Clinching the spear within his fangs, the panther leaped into the air and landed atop the ledge above. He then turned and jumped to the very next over. Bagheera stopped as he was perched over a narrow ledge and gazed above to the top of the mountain. He had come a great way up the large stone hill and was more the halfway to what lied above.
The panther turned and leaped upon the stone wall. Digging his claws through the dirt and stone, the panther continued to leap higher atop the wall before he came over the edge above him. The panther climbed over atop the mountain top and then he stopped upon the spot he now stood. Staring ahead, Bagheera was then faced by the mountain pass of Milima iliyokatazwa.
To be in such a place was one that all people of the jungle never dared to be. Even that of Mufassa, a brave and noble king he was, wouldn't stand before the pass nor venture into it's unknown.
However the pass and the legend behind it was not feared the leopard of the jungle night. For Bagheera eyes were absent of any sense of intimidation. Even the said fate which may befall him and Elsa could not deter him away. For it was her fate alone which the panther had any such concern of and what the Tumbili wanted from her.
The panther narrowed his head as he began sniffing the ground. He quickly picked up the stench of the white primates. Yet among them, he then caught the whiff of Elsa's very scent. It lead off straight ahead, the same way as the Tumbili. He then proceed dashed ahead as he pursued it, before disappearing into the pass.
"I've been told by my subjects, that you want to live in the jungle." Kabwa explained.
"Is that not true?"
Elsa was nodded her head to Tumbili King.
"Yes." She said.
"Then perhaps we may be of some help to you." The king stated.
"And in exchange, you have something which we desire."
The kings words were indeed questionable to the girl-cub. She could not see how she could be of any such use to them or what she had to offer. She could hardly hunt like a lion, let alone posses any different skills which a primate would already. In what such way would she be considered unique compared to all the people of the jungle?
"But I don't have anything to offer you." Elsa insisted.
Kabwa hardly had any such belief of the her words. For he knew for certain there was much which she could indeed provide them.
"On the contrary, man's cub," He said.
"I believe there is much you can offer us."
"Like what?" Elsa asked, curiously.
"Look there, man's cub." He said as he pointed the the wall at his left.
Elsa turned and looked upon the stone wall. Over it's hard smooth surface, she saw markings like the ones she had seen in the hallway. One of which looked to be a giant white Gorilla, several of them upon a stone hill. And upon the mountain side, there were a group of hunters climbing as one held his spear as if he would throw at the giant white ape.
"This city was once home to man years ago." Kabwa told.
"My kind were titans upon the hill and they would hunt us with their sharp sticks and tooth's. But now their layers lie empty and their treasure and tools are left for the taking. But yet my subjects are too simple minded for such things. But you, you may yet teach us your ways."
Elsa was demented by the king's declaration. While she knew some of what Bagheera had taught her on how to use such tools, she wasn't all too well with the weapons of the lost people. For her to teach someone else of these ways, she would't be able to inform them the way Bagheera had her.
"I can't do that." Elsa stated.
"Your a man's cub are you not?" Kabwa insisted.
"These are but the creations of your kind. You can make these tools and you can hunt with them too. It's these which we wish to learn, man's cub. It is what we desire."
Elsa was then staring intimidatingly to the king.
Bagheera made his way through the mountain pass, the mist concealing his sight from what lied ahead and where he came. Though ahead he heard the hollering of the tumbili. It was faint. Yet the panther knew he was now close to what hides away within the forbidden mountains.
As Bagheera looked to his right, it was the next step which he took that there was no ground to meet it. He was quick to catch himself before falling into the unknown, as he set his paw upon the edge. The panther gazed down to the shrouding fog below. The scent for which lead his this far, he very well could still sense as of the moment.
"Elsa must be down there." He thought to himself.
Bagheera then leaped from the ledge and descended into the mist. Not long to follow, the panther landed upon a surface as hard as that of the stone cliff. The panther then gazed about all which surrounded him.
"A village?" Bagheera asked as he gazed to the crumbled huts.
"By the looks of it, man hasn't been here in many years."
He then peered ahead down wide pathway between several ravaged structures, he saw but a few of the white monkeys though the mist.
"I needn't be seen by any of those scatterbrains." Bagheera insisted to himself.
"If even a single of them holler in fear, the rest will not be far behind."
The panther looked over to the ally way to his right. The panther lowered down before he turned and crept into the ally. He came next to the fallen wall of the hut beside him and climbed atop the steep, pile of rumble. He them leaped upon the forward wall that still stood, where he stood perched before leaping to the roof of the next hut.
The panther pounced over and scurried atop the remains of roof tops and walls. As he came over the roof of a hut, the panther stood as he peered ahead to the next tumbled structure. A lone tumbili perched over the wall, dumbfounded to the presence of the panther.
The panther placed his four paws together atop the middle of the merely caved roof. Without making the slightest sound to grasp his attention, the panther pounced upon the white furred monkeys, knocking the down into the hut. Landing over the rubble within the long abandoned structure, the panther's paws pressed hard against their chests as his claws were revealed to their frightened expressions. Tossing the spear to the side, he gazed down to the small white monkey.
"I dare not for you to holler," Bagheera said to the tumbili below his paw.
"Or thee shall meet thy fangs."
The lone primate stood still and silent by the panthers threat, daring not to speak nor to call to the others nearby.
"I seek for the child of man you have brought to these cold lairs. Where has she been taken?"
The tumbili spoke to the desperation of his very life.
"Thy King!" He said.
"Man's cub been taken to Thy King. Thy King who asks for the man's cub."
The panther growled.
"Where is thy king?"
"In lair below high stone hill." Tumbili spoke.
It was with that that Bagheera raised his paw and swiped the monkey aside, knocking him against the nearby wall. The tumbili then fell and laid motionless upon the ground. As he grabbed the spear, the panther turned and leaped up though the opening above.
He became perched upon the wall before he leaped to the next. From atop the crumbled abandoned structures, the panther moved swiftly over the abandoned village and through the ally ways for a time.
The panther then peered from the shadows of a pathway between the huts, glancing to the gateway before the clearing. He heard the faint chattering of the tumbili coming from within the walls. Stealthy, the panther crept from his hiding spot and came beside the gateway to what lied beyond the walls. The panther peered around the corner and gazed into the courtyard.
There he say upon the far side of the yard, a great stone temple where several tumbili were gathered and peering into the entrance. It was the great stone hill which the small white monkey had said, he knew that to be sure. And there must be where their king resided. As well as Elsa.
He gazed left across the courtyard to the structures which lead to the temple. The fallen debris and the shadows stood more the enough to conceal his presence from the Tumbili. The panther glanced back to the white monkeys who crowded before the temple. They all continued to face the entrance, allured by whatever events transpired with the stone structure of man.
Bagheera then crept into the courtyard and made his way to the ruins which stood left of the temple. The panther climbed the steps before he came behind the pillar. He peered down the line of pillars, where an opening straight ahead. Through the cover of the shadows, the panther prowled through the narrow hallway before he came underneath the opening. Bagheera gazed upward through the opening to the temple, where he saw an opening embedded in it's side.
"Please, I just want to go home." Elsa begged of Kabwa.
The girl-cubs pleads for her freedom did not phase that of the king, who instead stared down upon her with eyes of defiance. Offering her all which she desired and yet still she refused to show him and his subjects the ways of her kind. The mighty giant gave a low growling groan as he slammed his his clinched fist down before Elsa. The girl cub screamed as she back away from Kabwa. Even so his subjects who receded from their King's sudden outburst.
"There is no home for you!" He insisted to her.
"Your only place is here with us. Only we can protect you and we will, if you show your ways."
"Yes, show us your ways, man's cub." The Tumbili behind her insisted.
"Show us your ways."
While it was what most of the Tumbili thought, not all among the crowd were with the very idea. For there were few who though that Elsa should be taught to be one of them. Being that she had more in common with them then most animals in the jungle.
"Thy King, should we not be showing her to be one of us?" One tumbili said from the crowd.
Upon hearing the very suggestion, Kabwa's infuriated sights looked about the crowd.
"Speak true, speak true," Another insisted.
"She should be one of us."
Kabwa simply showed an expression of his displeasure to the fools that were his subjects. He hadn't told them to bring the cub here so she could be taught to be of complete ignorance and single minded like they all were.
"You fools!" He roared.
"Have you all forgotten why I asked you to bring her to the ruins?"
"Yes, you fools, yes you fools." A Tumbili monkey said.
"She to teach us man's ways."
"You fool, she must learn to be one of us." The other insisted.
There then erupted constant hollers and screeched among the crowd. The Tumbili fought among one another, scattering and tackling one another as they argued. Elsa back away as she watched the senseless battling of the white primates. Though as she anxiously observed, she turned right to the pile of gold where she saw two light green eyes stick out from the shadows. Slowly they drew closer till they came into the damp light before it, revealing it to be Bagheera.
Elsa first glanced up to Kabwa, who was facing the crowd. Sneakingly, Elsa crept passed the Tumbili King and came up to the panther at the side of the gold pile.
"Bagheera." she whispered.
Bagheera placed his spear down before the girl-cub.
"Come, we must leave this place." He advised.
Bagheera turned and walked back the way he had come. Picking up the spear, Elsa followed soon after the panther. As the four friends made their way into the shadows, one of the Tumbil among the crowd turned and spotted them through the darkness. He turned to the king and gave a loud screech, alerting him. Kabwa turned and spotted Elsa and Bagheera.
"Climb on, quickly!" The panther said as he narrowed down.
Elsa leaped atop the panthers back be fore he raced off.
"Stop them!" Kabwa ordered.
Bagheera leaped atop several ledges and statues. Elsa wrapped her arms around the panthers body as she gripped hold of his black fur. They them came atop the crumbled head of a statue which stood before the crater embedded in the temple wall. Looking back, he saw the Tumbili scurrying toward them.
"Hold on!" Bagheera advised the girl-cub.
Turning back toward the entrance, Bagheera leaped from the statue and through to the outside.
Bagheera hastened down the stone steps before coming to the very edge, where stood the structure which stood at the temple side. The panther the pounced down in through the opening below, landing within the shadows below. As he raced down the hallway, Elsa turned and gaze to the courtyard through the openings through the pillars. The tumbili scurried outside through from the entrance of the temple.
"Bagheera, they're coming!" Elsa cried as she looked down to the panther.
The panther glanced left to the pillars, where he saw the tumbili flooded into the structure. As two appeared in the way of the panther, Bagheera simply swiped his paw at the white primates. The two were knocked to the side as Bagheera then passed them by.
It was as they neared the hallway's end that Bagheera leaped to the side and out into the courtyard. Without that of a glance to the white primates who were scurrying toward them, Bagheera broke away to the gateway. They had passed through the gate in the very nick of time before the tumbili had caught up, only to then be met by another group of white primates. Bagheera stood dead within his tracks, causing him to slide upon the stone ground for a mere short time.
It was by then that those from the temple had caught up, rushing up from behind. The two friends found themselves surrounded from all sides by the white primates. The Tumbili hollered and grunted to Elsa and Bagheera, some of which scampered forward to them. Bagheera growled as he swiped his paw, forcing them back among the crowd.
Another made an attempt of grabbing Elsa while Begheera faced away to the other. Reaching out, he then seized Elsa by her foot.
"Bagheera!" Elsa cried.
the panther was quick to react. He turned to the white primate and once more swiped his paw, knocking him away. Bagheera looked among the crowd quickly, searching for a way of escape. Yet he saw no way.
There was suddenly a loud crumbing from afar. The two turned and looked back to the temple, where through the hole at it's side Kubwa them emerged from the structure. The great ape then climbed to the top, where he let out a loud, siring roar which could rival that of Mufassa's. The city fell silent as the tumbili turned and gazed up to their king.
Kubwa the leaped down from the temple's top and landed with a thud upon the ground. The very earth beneath him shattered beneath him. As the white giant scurried through his subjects, panther looked to Elsa.
"Hold on!" He warned the girl-cub.
The panther turned and leaped over most of the crowd. Elsa hunkered down over his back as she gripped tightly to the panther's black fur as they flew through the air.. Bagheera landed upon several of the tumbili in his way, knocking the white primates down below his paws. Not long to follow, the panther was resentful to stop as he continued to pounce and leap over the crowd that surrounded him.
In a time which had passed very shorty after, the panther landed upon the outskirts of the Tumbili who had surrounded them. Looking back, he saw Kubwa plowing through the crowd toward them. Most of the Tumbili were also chasing after them. The panther then turned to pathway through the village long disowned by man, where the mist concealed the horizon.
With but little chance they had, Bagheera knew certain it was the wisest choice to be made. To disappear into the fog served to be but the best chance to escape the Tumbili.
"Stay on my back, Elsa." He advised as he looked back to the girl-cub.
"We will lose them in fog."
The panther then turned and raced ahead into the village.
"Stop them!" Kabwa roared.
With fang baring hollers, the crowd of tumbili scurried after the two friends. Yet the panthers's speed out way that of the white primates as the panther had but vanished into the mist. Bagheera however did not stop then. For the panther only continued on through the concealing cloud over the ancient civilization. Their surroundings became concealed. Only the structures nearby could be seen by Bagheera and Elsa.
From behind, they could hear the whaling of the white primates. becoming fainter and fainting the further they went. Yet to follow was a roar as loud as that of the that of lighting which strikes the very earth. Elsa looked back. Through the concealing mist, she saw Kabwa as he was to appear from the fog.
"Bagheera!" She cried.
Not for a moment to look back did Bagheera look away from the path. Knowing well of the Tumbili king behind him, the panther looked for a way to lose the king. As they drew closer to the horizon, the fog began to clear and it revealed yet another tall, temple like structure. There was a bound to be a way to escape the king from there.
The panther made for the entrance ahead, appearing into the structure in but a short while later. There came another roar by the Tumbili King from outside the temple. Bagheera and Elsa stopped and turned back toward the entrance behind them. The roar was much louder then before. The thuds of his mighty hands upon the stone streets were getting louder and louder.
Bagheera looked back at Elsa.
"Elsa, go!" He advised her.
"I will draw him away."
"But Bagheera..."
"There's no time to argue." Bagheera stated.
"Go!"
Elsa then quickly leaped off Bagheera's back to his side. Though as that moment, Kabwa crashed through the entrance and into the Temple. Bagheera leaped back as the debris landed over the temple floor. The giant white ape once more let out a great roar, pounding his fists over his chest.
"Run, Elsa!" Bagheera told Elsa.
Elsa ran to a nearby stairway off to the right, leaving Bagheera to face the Tumbili king. As Kabwa attempted to follow after her, Bagheera then pounced upon the white ape. The panther came upon his shoulder, slashing the side Kabwa's face. He bellowed in pain as he felt the panther's claws and fangs sink into his flesh. The ape shrugged off Bagheera, throwing him back. The panther rolled along the floor before stopping. He then stood upon upon his paws. as he turned to face Kabwa. Now standing like the panther, the king of the Tumbili covered the side of his face with his hand. Glancing up at Bagheera, he gave but a snarl to the panther.
He then charged toward Bagheera, raising his fist into the air. Bagheera swiftly leaped to the side just as he slammed down upon the spot from where he stood.m Once more, he pounced at the king who had by then turned to face him. The panther came atop his chest, knocking the giant white ape onto his back.
Climbing up the steps of the nearby stairway, Elsa stopped and looked back at Bagheera. The panther slashed at the White ape, just as he rolled over and came upon the black panther. As Bagheera came upon his stomach and attempted to escape from his grasp, he was then struck the mighty arm of Kubwa. The panther was then knocked against the nearby pillar and fell to the ground. It was there that the panther laid motionless over the cold stone floor.
(I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please comment and review and let me know what you think.)