Elsa came to the top of the stairs. She looked back and saw Kabwa standing over Bagheera who was laying motionless over the floor.
"Bagheera!" she said.
Kabwa turned to her, scowling furiously at the wild girl. Elsa gasped. She turned and ran behind the corner as she climbed up a second set of stairs. She felt the stone floor beneath her feet start to rumble. And suddenly as she came to the top of the stairway, the Tumbili king came crashing through the wall. He tried reaching up at the girl. But he was far too large. He could hardly fit inside the stairway
Elsa came to the top of the steps and ran into the wide camber. She stopped and looked back at the stairway and saw Kabwa sink back from the stairway. There was a moment of silence in the temple. Elsa glanced about the temple as she panted nervously. Slowly she started backing away into the chamber, holding out her spear.
"Bagheera?" She said.
Suddenly Kabwa came crashing through the stone floor behind her. Elsa turned and saw the Tumbili King. She gasped and quickly ran left to the pillars.
"Come here!" Kabwa roared.
Kabwa reached out and tried grabbing her. But was too late to lay any such grip upon the wild girl before she had disappeared behind the pillar. Elsa ran to a pillar which was laying flat over the ground. Elsa climbed over the pillar and slid along it's other side. She then kneeled down behind the cover of the fallen debris.
Bagheera squinted his eyes as he felt the floor begin to shake. He opened his eyes and glanced to the ceiling above. He saw Kabwa climbing through the stone, ceiling, causing much of it the crumble and fall from his great strength. As more debris fell over the panther, the panther sprang upon his four paws and leaped out of the way as it crashed the floor.
Bagheera slid over the stone floor as he then peered over the opening above. He saw the king climb through the hole.
"I will find you, Man-cub!"
Bagheera gasped. He had to get up there and stop him from finding Elsa. He turned and saw the nearby stairway he had told Elsa to go. Quickly the panther raced toward the stairway. Only to be stopped as a Tumbili leaped upon his back. Bagheera slid to a stop as he threw his head up and throw the white primate off his back. The panther turned and saw several of the Tumbili scurrying toward him.
Bagheera growled and hissed at the primates. He raised his paw and swatted the white monkeys away.
Elsa peered over the pillar. She saw Kabwa slinking along through the pillars as he searched for her. He then turned and glanced toward her. Elsa gasped and ducked back behind the Pillar. She heard the thuds of apes knuckles over the stone floor and his heavy breaths becoming louder. Elsa crawled to the end of the pillar. She peered around the corner and saw the Tumbili King was now close.
Elsa sank back behind the pillar. She glanced about the chamber, looking for a way to escape. She saw a another pillar just ahead. It looked like a place she could hide but if she ran he would see her. How was she going to make it?
Elsa pondered anxiously.
What am going to do? What am I going to do?
Elsa continued to think when she suddenly recalled something. One of Bagheera's lessons. Whenever one was to hunt for one's prey, you must always step as silent and as swift as the strike of the cobra. The slightest sound can be heard by the keenest ears.
Elsa once more peered around the corner. Kabwa was crawling toward the fallen debris where he was hiding. He glanced to his right. As did Elsa looked ahead and then back at him, seizing her chance. Elsa took a deep breath. She quickly crept from the behind the pillar. She scurried silently toward the standing pillar and came behind it just as Kabwa turned and looked her way.
Kabwa came up to the fallen pillar, standing over the fallen debris as he glanced about the chamber. Elsa slowly backed away as she came behind the corner.
"I can smell you, man-cub." Kabwa said.
He sniffed the air. Elsa turned and laid back against the pillar, holding her spear close.
The Tembili leaped over Bagheera's back, scratching and biting. The panther snarled. He turned his head and grabbed one of the Tembili in his fangs, throwing the primate away. Another primate pounced upon the panther. But Bagheera raised his paw and swiped away the white primate.
Suddenly he heard a tremble coming from above, fallowed by the growl of the Tumbili King. Bagheera looked up to the opening above.
"Elsa!"
The panther turned and ran toward the stairway.
Kabwa crawled through the chamber as he sniffed the air. The fowl stench of the man-cub carried along through the air. It was nearby. He turned his head to the nearby pillar.
"There you are." He said.
kabwa crawled and peered around the corner. But she wasn't there. The white gorilla growl. He glanced about the chamber.
"Listen to reason, Man-cub." He said.
"We can rule this jungle together."
The Tumbili king then crawled forward. Unannounced to him that Elsa hid behind the Pillar that he had just passed. Elsa glanced to the pillar across the way. She came around the corner and crept across the way, coming back behind the pillar without making a sound. She hid behind the column as she glanced to the corner.
She could hear the thuds of of his great arms over the stone flow growing fainter. Suddenly they stopped and whole chamber fell silent. Elsa panted silently. Slowly she peered around the corner and was then face to face with the Tumbili King.
Elsa gasped. She turned and leaped out of the way as the King reached for her, bashing through the column.
"You can't escape me!" Kabwa stated
Elsa stumbled over the floor as several debris flew about the chamber. She got back quickly and started to. She could hear Kabwa close behind her, crashing through the columns. Elsa came to one of the openings to the outside and found herself standing at the edge. She looked down below the temple. It was too far of a jump.
Elsa heard a deep grunting from behind. She looked back and saw Kabwa was now right behind her. Kabwa chuckled.
"You have no where to go, Man-Cub." Kabwa said.
"I'm warning you." Elsa said, holding out her spear.
Kabwa laughed. He reached out to grab Elsa when he suddenly heard a loud snarl off to his right. Suddenly, Bagheera pounced from the shadows and leaped upon the white ape's back, digging his claws and fangs through his furs and into his flesh. The great ape bellowed at the siring pain.
He turned as he attempted to reach back at the panther, crashing through several of the columns. He reached back, grabbing Bagheera as he threw him off. The panther was thrown to the stone floor as he slid over his side. He tried standing back up over his paws, only to be knocked away by Kabwa. The panther flew back and hit against a pillar, falling to the ground.
"Bagheera!" Elsa gasped.
Kabwa's shadow came over Bagheera as the Tumbili King stood over the panther.
"It's time we put an end to this." He said.
Elsa couldn't stand by anymore. She had to do something. But what?
Suddenly she once again remember the lessons which Bagheera had taught her. She peered down at her spear. You must trike swiftly if you are to catch your prey.
Elsa peered up toward the Tumbili King. Gripping the spear in her hands, Elsa raced toward the great ape. And as he raised his mighty arms over Bagheera, she raised her spear and threw it at Kabwa. The spear flew straight through the air as it then plunged into the neck of the great ape. Kabwa roared in agony.
"Elsa!" Bagheera said as he stood up and rushed to the girl.
Kabwa pulled the spear out of his neck and with a tight grip, snapped it in two. He turned to Elsa and Bagheera. The panther came beside the Girl-cub, who quickly climbed over his back. Bagheera the prowled toward the other end of the chamber. Kabwa roared as he chased after them. Plowing through several of the columns. Suddenly the temple started to rumble as the ceiling began to break apart. Debris stared to fall, crashing to the floor. Elsa gasped, ducking her head.
Bagheera swayed side to side as the Debris fell from above. Racing to the bright light ahead. Kabwa stormed after them, crashing through most of the debris. Suddenly, he felt the stone floor beneath him give in as he fell through. The Tembili King roared as hung over the edge, only for it then to given in. Kabwa fell below as the ceiling caved in and fell from above.
The great white ape was berried beneath stone.
Bagheera and Elsa came to the opening as the temple crumble around. As he came over the edge, Bagheera leaped. The two then fell to the stone ground below and landed over his four paws. They then looked back and saw the temple crumble to the ground. Bagheera leaped back as the debris fell before them.
Bagheera and Elsa looked over the mountain of rubble. There was no sign of Kabwa. He must have been caught within the debris much to their relief. Bagheera suddenly collapsed to the ground. Elsa gasped.
"Bagheera!" she said.
Elsa climbed off Bagheera's back. She turned to the panther.
"It's alright," he said as he mustered all his strength to stand up.
"I'm fine, Elsa
They then heard the sound of chattering from behind. Bagheera turned and growled as they saw several Tembili emerged from the fog.
The white primates hollered at them. Bagheera roared back at them, causing many of them to back away from the panther. Growling, Bagheera looked back at Elsa.
"Come, Elsa." He said.
"We should leave this place."
Bagheera turned and limped toward the crowd. The Tumbili scurried back from the panther, clearing them a way.
Rain started padding the stone roads. Bagheera stopped as he looked up. He saw drops of rain begin to fall from above. He turned to Elsa.
"We should find shelter." He said.
Elsa turned and looked to some of the old structures off to her right. Most of them had either collapsed and barely standing. Yet as she scan along the structures, she the spotted one which appeared to be intact. It wasn't much but it looked to have a roof over it.
"Over there!" Elsa said, pointing to the structure.
The two turned and made their way to the hut. The pattering grew louder as drops of rain fall rapidly. Even the Tembili had already took shelter within the ruins of the city.
Elsa and Bagheera came inside the hut. The roof had several opening above where the drops of rain seep inside. Yet the space near the entrance was covered over and dry. Bagheera turned and laid down, facing the entrance. Elsa sat next to him, her legs pressed up against her chest.
She glanced up at Bagheera, who peered ahead through the rain.
"Bagheera?" she said.
Bagheera cocked his head and glanced to her.
"I'm sorry, Elsa." he said.
"I was wrong. I knew all along of the Tumbili and their desire of man."
Elsa turned to Bagheera.
"I thought that I could help you. I thought that I could teach you man's ways. But I was wrong."
"But you did help me." Elsa said.
"No," he said.
"I've put you in danger. And after I promised your mother that I would teach you how to belong."
Elsa slid next to Bagheera as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned her head against his soft black fur as she slid her hand under his throat. She felt a small bald spot under his silky chin. Elsa glanced up and gasped. Over his neck, she saw a small scar-like mark.
"Bagheera, your hurt." she said.
Bagheera glanced down to Elsa.
"No, Elsa." he reassured her.
"That is an old wound."
Elsa looked up to Bagheera.
"I was not born of the jungle, Elsa. I was born in a dark place, among man."
"I was born in a cage in a den of hunters. They separated me from my mother when I was just a cub."
Bagheera peered through the bars of his cage. He whimpered to his mother in the cage ahead. Several of the hunters gathered around her, hitting the bars as she growled at them. Bagheera continued to call to her. One of the hunters turned to him and banged on the front of the cage.
"Quiet!" he said.
Bagheera hunkered down as he backed away. The hunters then raised the cage up and began walking away. Bagheera came up and looked down the way. He called out to his mother as she was carried out of sight.
"I watched them carry away my mother. It was the last time that I saw her."
"I lived among the hunters for many days." Bagheera said.
"They placed a collar around my neck. I bear the mark under my chin."
Elsa looked down at the collar marking over his neck.
"They fed through the bars of my cage from a small iron pan. I only heard stories about the jungle. A place where those run free."
Bagheera stared to the falling rain.
"I bit and I scratched. I spent my days fighting. Until one day... I saw her."
Elsa looked curiously to Bagheera.
"Who?" She asked curiously.
"I heard voices one days. And several shots of man's staffs."
Their were several voices echoing through the warehouse followed by the shots of fire. Bagheera stood up in his cage, looking back as the gun fire continued. And then silence. There then came voices. They were getting louder. Bagheera walked closely to the bars of his cage as he turned and looked down the walkway.
He saw several men walking up. They looked different than that of the hunters. They were dressed in a light brown uniform and shorts, had red caps over their heads and carried AKs in their hands. One of them turned and looked to Bagheera.
He came up to the cage and looked down the hall.
"Mrs Harris!" he called out.
"And then I saw her..."
Just then, a middle age woman walked into view of the cage. She had light blond hair tied into a bun and was wearing a pair of glasses. She looked into the cage at the small panther cub.
"She looked at me in a way no one had before."
The woman looked to Bagheera in awe. Such a helpless cub only but a year young, chained up in a cage.
"You poor thing." She said.
"What have they done to you?"
"They must have been feeding him at an early age." the man beside her said.
"Probably planned on selling his hide on the black market."
The woman shook her head. How people could be so thoughtless and cruel, especially to a cub as young as he.
"Well, we won't have to worry about that." She said.
"She treated me different then when I was with the hunters. Though then I knew nothing but pain and the cruelty of the hunters. Yet she treated me with kindness."
The woman cradled Bagheera in her arms. She held the bottle of milk as the panther cub suckled on it. Only a few times had he ever tasted his mother milk before they took her away. But he had always remember it.
"There you go, Bagheera." she said.
"It was her that had given me the name Bagheera."
"I grew up running in open spaces. She taught me to hunt and how to live free."
The pen door opened and Bagheera came racing outside. He came to a nearby tree and leaped over the trunk. He climbed to the nearest branch, where he crept along. Peering ahead to a chunk of meat which hung from a tree. He hunkered down over the branch. And then he paused there, remembering all that he was taught.
Suddenly, he pounced upon the chunk of meat, digging his claws into the flesh. He dangled there for a short time and then the flesh came undone from the chain, causing him to fall. Bagheera turned in mid air and landed on his four paws. He turned and saw the hunk of meat that fell behind him.
"In time, I had learned to survive like all the jungle people. And when I was old enough to fend for myself, the day came that I saw the jungle for the very first time."
The truck pulled into a small clearing just outside the jungle. Bagheera peered to the jungle through the bars of his cage. All the stories he had heard over the years, they all spoke true. The jungle was indeed a great forest of flora.
"Here we are, Bagheera." The woman said.
Bagheera turned to the woman, standing at the right side of his cage.
"Welcome to your new home."
The cage door was then unlocked and rose up. Bagheera stood for a moment, peering toward the opening. Slowly the panther crept toward the cage door and leaped out. He walked toward the jungle.
And then he stopped.
Bagheera stared toward the jungle for a time. He then turned and looked back at the woman who had cared for him all these years.
"She had given me what I thought I would never be have. She had returned me to the home I though I would never see. She had taught me all that I needed to know to survive."
The woman looked back at him, placing her hand on the side of the cage. She smiled.
"And I thank her for all she had done for me."
Bagheera stared back at her a moment longer. He then turned and scurried into the underbrush, disappearing into the jungle.
"And that is why I spoke for you at the council meeting," Bagheera said as he glanced to Elsa.
"I too was born among man. And I thought that I could teach you so that you may live among us. Like how she taught me."
Elsa frowned and narrowed her head. She felt bad about what she had said to Bagheera earlier. But she was also sad to hear all that Bagheera told her. Now she finally understood what he was teaching her to hunt in the primitive ways of man.
She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.
"Thank you, Bagheera." she said.
Bagheera closed his eyes and pressed his head against her.
(I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm happy to say but we have only one chapter left for this story. If there is any criticisms about the chapter and if you have any suggestions, feel free to share. And as always, please comment and review!)