Two Brothers Under the Sun
Chapter – I
Law of the Jungle
It's was a warm morning in the Bukuvu Jungle. The sun had yet to rise, but the stars were sparkling brightly over the canopy of the sleeping wilderness. The creatures of the night made for their nests and dens as the coming of the sunrise stirred up those in slumber. Despite the early hour, the jungle was in its perpetual state of cacophony: screams of owls, croaks of frogs, chirping of insects and birds (both nocturnal and diurnal) could be heard throughout Bukuvu, and the noise would only get louder as daytime approached.
Many animals use the sounds and darkness of nighttime to their advantage, especially predators. Tigers rely on the camouflage provided by their stripes to stalk prey, making them far deadlier when the night falls.
That also meant they would be heavily fatigued by the time of the morning light... like right now.
In the shadow of the tallest trees, a black silhouette moved swiftly and silently over the branches. As the figure found a vantage point affording a good view of the open plains below, it came to a stop. The first rays of sunlight shone from the horizon, illuminating the wilds, and revealing the slender body of a black panther standing in the treetop, watching carefully the movement happening in the next corner of the jungle across the grassland.
With his mission completed, the panther turned back and headed to the designated meeting place. Descending from the canopy, he moved through the undergrowth till he reached a clearing where a huge troop of gorillas was assembled. He didn't bother hiding his presence the moment he came into view, his only focus was reaching the group's Silverback.
Standing in front of his troopmates, was a large, adult male gorilla with a patch of silvery fur on his back that identified him as a leader, and, as such, responsible for the safety and well-being of the members of his troop.
"What did you see?" The Silverback asked as soon as the panther came to him.
"The way is clear." the panther answered before frowning "But they have lookouts positioned on the trees... leopards." he finished with his voice full of contempt.
The Silverback bared his teeth, which meant she would be there. Saving his fury for what was to come, the gorilla looked firmly at the panther before ordaining: "Bagheera, take the most agile Black Backs and drive them off. Lure them away, beat them back, I don't care." he growled. "I will take care of Khan." The tone in his voice made clear that wasn't up for discussion.
The panther hesitated before nodding "Yes, Kerchak."
Once Bagheera left, Kerchak turned his attention to the pack on the other side of the field: it was time to hunt.
He signaled the others that the attack was about to start and soon enough they were making their way by the treeline on the plains' edge, closing in on their target. Juvenile males, the Black Backs, took up their positions in the surrounding trees, ready to pounce at the command of the Silverbacks. Hiding in the shade of the tree trunks, they waited Bagheera's signal.
Which soon came in the form of a long sawing roar.
Kerchak was the first to leap out of his hiding spot, beating his chest with his hands and giving out a might roar: "ATTACK!" He was quickly joined by his lower-rank companions on a mad charge against the tigers.
Said big cats, despite being caught by surprise, were not staying idle. The Leader of the Pack put aside his last meal, a large carcass of bongo antelope, and gave out a roar of his own: "Come Kerchak! WE'RE READY TO FIGHT!" before leading his own subordinates in a counter-charge. The Battle of the Dirisha River was engaged.
The gorillas smashed against the felines, breaking their counterattack with a flurry of fists and clubs, those that were too slow or missed their targets were tackled to the ground and forced to fight for their lives as the attackers attempted to maul their jugulars.
Kerchak went straight for the leader, failing to deliver a swing with his club, he punched his opponent away with a left fist only to be pounced from behind. Not wasting any time, he rolled up on the ground, squishing the fool that dared to interrupt his match. Before he had the chance to grab back his weapon, he had to raise his arms to defend himself from the leader's claws. Shrugging off the scratching pain, Kerchak took hold of his adversary in an attempt to slam him into the forest floor, but the tiger wouldn't budge. The two beasts found themselves in a deadlock, neither able to push the other down. As they wrestled, Kerchak was doing his best to avoid the snap of his jaw now dropping with the Silverback's blood while threatening his opponent with a bite of his own.
"WHERE IS YOUR BROTHER, BERDAN?!" he yelled.
"BEG THAT HE DOESN'T ARRIVE, KERCHAK! WE'RE GONNA DESTROY YOU ALL!" was the response he got from the Brother of Khan.
Berdan's declaration was quickly followed by a bite that almost tore off the Silverback's face. Allowing his foe to come closer, Kerchak took the opportunity to deliver a powerful double kick to the tiger's ribs, finally forcing him to let go. But Berdan recovered quickly and was able to avoid a slamming from the gorilla's might fists. Putting distance between themselves, the pack leader tried to overwhelm the great primate with his speed, only to be met by one of his warriors' corpses that the gorilla trowed against him. With his opponent distracted, Kerchak stomped on Berdan's tail, causing great pain to the cat as well as keeping him in place long enough to receive a finishing blow. Again showing his resilience and tolerance for pain, the Brother of Khan advanced on the Silverback before he brought down his fists, managing to scratch the latter's chest before reigniting their grab match. Both leaders were so absorbed into their fight they didn't even notice what else was going on in the battle around them.
Berdan was the first to snap out of his trance. One by one he saw his packmates retreating, realizing that a withdraw was in order, he struggled to keep Kerchak in place in an effort to delay the enemy as much as possible and give time to his comrades to regroup. Soon he joined them, falling back to the trees as the gorillas pushed forward in pursuit.
Realizing that the tigers were planning to use the treetops to outmaneuver his forces, Kerchak ordered his troop back and had them take a defensive position on a great tree behind them. By the time they did so, the Tigers went on the offensive. The battle would restart on the canopy.
The fight was incredible... in its ferocity. Fists, clubs, and claws swung, bodies leaping and falling, and screams of anguish mixed with short-lived victory roars. The gorillas held firm, Berdan's tigers fought hard but even though they managed to outflank the enemy, they lacked the numbers to completely envelop and overwhelm them. Kerchak himself was leading the front, preventing any tigers from breaking the formation through a frontal assault. Eventually, both sides' scouting groups joined the fray. The leopards attempted to press the attack on the apes' position but, in the chaos, Bagheera was able to leap his way to their leader, pouncing her down to a lower branch.
The leopard fought her way out of the panther's grip, kicking him away and almost taking his eye out with a claw strike. Regaining his feet, Bagheera came face to face with a pair of cruel black on green eyes and a mouth full of teeth.
"Sabor" he snarled, meeting her wicked grin with a furious scowl.
"Bagheera" Sabor sneered with a raspy voice.
"It's over. You were banished from this side of the river. Take your pack and leave," demanded the panther.
Sabor chuckled sinisterly. "If I remember the law, it's the right of all animals to live off the jungle."
Bagheera snarled. "You of all animals have no right to enjoy the benefits of the law, much less lecture me about it."
"Oh? Are you still torn up about the Silverback's cub?" the female gave an uncompassionate stare before nonchalantly shrugging off his accusation. "Its War. His father dared to challenge Khan's strength, so we drew first blood." she said raising the intensity of her voice. "Now, his mate had to go in and take the Man-Cub. As if Shere Khan would allow for such an insult to go unpunished." she replied dryly.
"Let him come, if he dares!" he challenged before pouncing at her, the leopard responded by doing the same and both felines clashed against each other, teeth and claws bared.
They separated, trowed strikes at the other's face, before standing on their hind legs snd trying to tear up one another with their fangs. Getting the upper hand, Sabor lashed out, slamming into Bagheera and immobilizing him under her. The panther delivered a scratch to her face when she went for a finishing bite and freed himself in the process.
The two cats snarled and positioned themselves to attack. Before they could, a powerful roar was heard from above, when Sabor turned her head she was hit full force on the flank by Kerchak's legs as he swung from the branch above them. The Silverback fell down to the lower branch and bellowed at the leopard whose falling body disappeared on the foliage of the forest floor.
Bagheera focused his vision as he kept the ears perked up for any sign of the lawbreaker, but the dense vegetation, plus the noises of the battle raging on around him didn't help the search. He exchanged a glance with Kerchak, the latter scowled to the ground below them before nodding to the panther.
For now, it was done.
Soon they rejoined the battle. The added weight of Bagheera's group was enough to turn the tide in the gorilla's favor. Berdan was being pressed on all sides and his warriors were being closed in. Unwilling to contribute to the rising pile of tiger corpses on the forest floor and aware he couldn't salvage the situation, he gave his army the order to disengage. Most of the cats managed to escape back to their side of the river, but the battlefield, as well as the land on this side of the Dirisha, belonged to the gorillas. The apes celebrated their victory, dragging branches, throwing branches, the Blacks Backs cheered with hoots and hollers and screeches while the Silverbacks triumphantly beat their chests and roared. Bagheera allowed himself to give out a victory roar of his own... before noticing something:
Kerchak wasn't there...
When he saw the massive figure of the Silverback following the trail of the tigers, he quickly leaped to the trees after him with the rest of the troop following close behind. Could their leader have fallen to a vengeful frenzy?
If so, to Bagheera's relief, he came back to his senses before jumping off the riverbank in a futile/suicidal attempt to pursue the enemy. The Dirisha's levels were dropping, but its rapids were strong enough to wash away a beast of Kerchak's size and Bagheera knew that apes aren't the best swimmers.
The Silverback stood silently even when the panther joined him. Watching the other side of the river, he found Berdan's forces emerging from the water downstream. They swam along with the river flow and crossed to their side. Much to his anger, Sabor was among the survivors. Snarling fiercely, he tried to focus his mind on the decision at hand. There were two choices: stand ground and inspire his troop to fight off any of the tigers' attempts to make an incursion or retreat back to the Wakalu and rest his warriors after a complete but bittersweet victory.
Those thoughts were cut short when he saw the regrouped carnivores making their way towards the edge of the riverbank, opposing him and his companions.
Both sides faced each other. The silence was broken by taunting roars from the Black Backs, the tigers and leopards roared back defiantly and soon all were engaged in a blood-curdling shouting match. No one was backing down, and everyone was raising their voices aiming to destroy the other's fighting spirit. Bagheera joined in mostly to shield himself from Kerchak who was screaming at the top of his lungs, and the others in the back that were slamming their clubs in the trunks and shaking the branches above. It was the loudest moment of the morning.
Then one last roar was heard... and all stopped.
Kerchak stiffened, just like the rest of the troop, before his eyes blazed. The cats merely ceased their roaring, and, in stark contrast to their behavior so far, stood orderly still. All eyes were directed to those making their way to the center of the tigers' formation. Berdan was there, and only now Kerchak and Bagheera realized they hadn't seen him since he sounded the retreat, and alongside him were fresh reinforcements late to join the battle. Yet one stood out among the forest of orange and black. A massive beast, bigger than Bardan beside him, who himself was bigger than any other tiger present, and carrying an intimidating presence as he marched to the front of the pack. It was him, the leader of all of Bukuvu's tigers, the one who stopped the riot with a single roar, the most ferocious predator in all of the jungle...
"Khan..." Kerchak snarled "You're too late, this side is ours." He proclaimed and in doing so most of his followers snapped out of the trance and joined his side, glaring at the great tiger. "Get out!"
'Shere Khan' didn't answer, he merely looked at his army and back at Kerchak's. Then he grinned. "Or you will force me away? With those numbers?" he pointed to the noticeable difference in the number of gorillas to tigers.
A somber look passed on the Silverback's face as he contemplated his losses before going back to scowling at the might predator. "My patrols are nearby. Just one word and they will be here." he snarled. "Don't even think of crossing the river."
"Oh. Indeed. But tell me: do you think that, unlike my warriors, they will arrive in time before I kill you?" Shere Khan questioned in his usual suave voice.
"Then both sides will destroy each other." Bagheera interjected, making his way between the two leaders. "This war has already spilled enough blood in the jungle. There is nowhere to go except total annihilation. Your tigers have enough food on your side of the river, Khan. No more lives need to be lost to this grudge match."
Bagheera's speech earned mixed reactions from both gorillas and cats alike. Kerchak himself had a conflicted look on his face as he glanced at his Troop —his Family—, whom he swore to protect, and the ene- the tigers, that took away his only son.
Khan was less moved. "Do not underestimate me, Bagheera. I simply hate to waste lives when they can be of use to me." he said narrowing his amber eyes.
"Then stop sending them to slaughter" the panther pressed on.
The tiger hummed before taking another look at his brother and his hunters. The battle did not last long but it was hard-fought. Their bodies sustained various wounds and, despite the earlier boast, he didn't need to check across the river to know many had perished in the battle. Even if they went in for the kill, there was no guarantee they would be finished by the time the enemy patrols got here...
...still, there were certain matters to deal with.
"I have no interest in exterminating your kin, Kerchak." he said before continuing. "I even take full responsibility for the actions of my more unruly underlings." he finished giving a scowl towards Sabor, though nowhere as intense as the one she was receiving from the Silverback. "That being said, two wrongs don't make a right, don't you agree?" now he was back to sneering at the troop leader, and his voice carried disdain. "I still can't believe that you actually gave it a name. Despite all of my warnings..."
"There are no others. He doesn't have guns nor the Red Flower!" Bagheera interrupted again, one too many times to Khan's taste.
"Silence." he spoke in a commanding voice that carried weight all across the area before shifting his attention exclusively to Kerchak. "I expand my hunting grounds for a few miles and everyone forgets how the law works, then let me remind you." he walked to a position that gave him full view of all the animals around him. "A man-cub becomes man and man is FORBIDDEN!"
"That is your law, Khan." the great ape replied. "We respect the Jungle Law, which you already broke. No one here takes orders from you."
Berdan and the other tigers were getting agitated by now, and only Khan's command kept them in check. "You will if you want this war to end. I have a lot of respect for the laws that keep us safe." the carnivore clenched his right claw. "Which is why I intend to dispose of him permanently." he focused his eyes on the Troop. "Ask yourselves this: how many lives is a man-cub worth?" silence was the response he got as the gorillas exchanged dubious looks, Bagheera and Kerchak looked equally hesitant. "My quarry, the Man-Cub. Give it to me." he growled. Like Kerchak earlier, his tone made clear that wasn't up for discussion.
Kerchak noticed all eyes were now upon him. He glanced at Bagheera who had worry in his face, they both wanted this to be over by now... but he couldn't do this to Kala.
"No."
The uproar restarted with a vengeance. In midst of the reborn chaos, the Khan roared "We already silenced his parents! GIVE IT TO ME!" the smoothness in his voice changed to fury.
"He walked into our area, I decide his fate!" exclaimed the Silverback.
"YOU DARE TAKE MY PREY?" the tiger snarled menacingly.
"YOU DARE GIVE ME ORDERS AFTER YOU KILLED MY SON?!"
Both leaders gave out the loudest roars heard in the jungle that morning. Kerchak slammed the ground after beating his chest and engaged the Khan in a snarling contest. Fury burned in their eyes while they breathed ferociously. Their forces were waiting anxiously for them to rush against each other for a fight in the water. Yet... it never came...
Once they stopped trying to kill the other with their stares, Kerchak took one last long breath before speaking with a calmer but equally firm tone. "I am the Silverback of all the troops of Bukuvu. I do not take orders from you, striped infant-killer."
The tiger kept growling. Catching movement in the corner of his eyes, he saw that the commotion attracted the attention of the remaining male gorillas under Kerchak, their numbers were equivalent now. After a while, he gave in. "I am warning you, Kerchak. I will have the Man-Cub. We shall see what the Colonel will say to this fostering." he deepened his frown. "Enjoy him while you can, tailless thieves."
Neither of them dared to give the back to the other, so they both moved along their respective banks with their armies in toll till they finally turned away, to their territories, to their homes. It was over... for now.
"Shere Khan speaks at least this much truth." Kerchak said as Bagheera walked alongside him in front of the troop. "The Man-Cub must be shown to the Jungle."
"We will show him at Zulu Falls when the Water Truce is called." The panther replied.
"And what will the elephant say?" asked the great ape, his voice not betraying any emotion.
"Colonel Hathi is an honorable leader. He will not call for a cub's blood." Insisted Bagheera.
The Silverback kept his blank face as dawn finally settled in the jungle and he saw their home on the horizon. "We shall see."
From that day the Dirisha River marked the border between the gorillas' and the tigers' territories. Many call it "The River of Patience" because one needed to take his time to find a point safe for crossing it, or wait for its levels to drop in order to do so. But since that night, they say the name refers to the two leaders who fought there and are waiting to this day for the time when they will fight each other on one last battle.
The Dirisha's rapids and waterfalls limited any from attempting a large crossing. But it wouldn't last. Soon, the rain ceased to fall and the dry season arrived. Heat crept through the jungle... Turning it yellow... Then brown... Then black. Bukuvu was due to the yearly Water Truce.
From the jagged edges of the tallest peaks of Bukuvu flows the water that gives life to the jungle. The water then makes its way downstream through various rivers and waterfalls before flowing into The Great Waters. No matter how severe the drought, the great falls of the highlands never stop, and no waterfall in the jungle is as great as Zulu Falls.
Located at the base of the rocky peaks, the Zulu Falls are a massive series of waterfalls with some absurdly tall drops that converge on a great lagoon surrounded by dense patches of jungle. Any animal that seeks to quench his thirst on the lagoon must abide by the Truce. Hunting at the riverbank is forbidden. Because, by law of the jungle, drinking comes before eating. So, one could come to the waterhole, on a day like this... And find all people side-by-side.
Overseeing this occasion is the duty of the mightiest animal: the elephants. By the tales and legends, they created the jungle. Where they made furrows with their tusks, the rivers ran. Where they blew with their trunks, the leaves fell. When the first settlers of Bukuvu asked for their guidance, they founded the Jungle Law. They are a proud and noble race that stands, literally and figuratively, over all the denizens of the wilderness.
The Law of the Jungle lays down very clearly that as soon as a youngling is old enough to stand on his feet his parents must bring him to the lagoon, so that the elephants and other inhabitants of the jungle may identify him.
Watching all from atop Council Rock —a hilltop covered with stones and boulders in the middle of the lakeshore— was Colonel Hathi, the great bull elephant, leader of all the herd since the passing of his father Goliath, and Warden of Zulu every time he returns to the jungle. Below him were four more male elephants, two veterans who could wrestle multiple rhinos alone, and two juveniles who thought they could. There was lots of talking around the Rock until he announced loudly: "Roll Call! All denizens in position now! Let's move, move, move!"
It took a little while for all to find their seats, the leaders took up the best positions right in front of their groups. The younglings tumbled over each other in the center of a circle their parents and groupmates made in the shallow water. Sometimes a mother would push her offspring far out into the circle to be sure that he had not been overlooked.
Col. Hathi left the rock, and clockwise he would call out for a group of attendants to present themselves as he walked towards them: "Rhinos!"
Herr Rhino, Leader of the Crash, grunted at his calf to join his side. "Raquel!" he proclaimed with a heavily accented voice.
Hathi nodded. "Remember she's always welcome to wallow in the lagoon. A good bath always does you good. Also keeps the insects at bay."
"Yes, sir." the rhino answered sternly.
After confirming there were no more younglings in the Crash, the colonel continued: "Baboons!"
The monkeys rarely came to the Falls since they acquired water by collecting dewdrops in the leaves or simply drunk fruit juices. As such, the present group of "Bandar-log" merely consisted of a few baboons (likely the newborns' direct family).
The father, Jelani, took his three infant sons from Mahra, his mate, and showed them to the Colonel. "Ned, Jed, and Fred."
"Um... interesting name choices?" the elephant leader raised his eyebrow.
Jelani shrugged "It was her idea." Mahra then slammed her elbow on his ribs.
"Don't you start that again, you oaf." she threatened her mate with a glare, which he responded with one of his own.
"May the jungle have mercy on them." Hathi muttered under his breath. "Oh... Where was I? Oh, yes. Gorillas!"
Sokwe, Silverback of the Donlumangani, was holding his two sons apart from each other and trying his hardest to keep them jumping one another. "Flynt and Mungo." he said in a jovial tone despite the predicament.
"The fruit really doesn't fall far from the tree, uh?" The colonel chuckled and Silverback joined in. "But let's try to keep those heels together, shall we?"
"Yes, sir." Sokwe nodded with a salute.
"And now- uh...?" the pachyderm paused when he saw who was approaching him.
Kala of the Mangani was slowly making her way through her troop, carrying an infant in her arms. As she walked, her troopmates shifted their gaze towards her, or more specifically, the youngling she had. A pinkish little creature with only one tuft of fur on his head and an extra layer of white skin on his underparts.
"Eh? I say... what happened to his fur?" the colonel asked when she stopped in front of him, a befuddled look on his face.
"That's all the fur that he has." she answered while caressing the young one's head. "He's a man-cub." she explained, smiling at the baby in her hands.
"A man-cub? Man is in the jungle?!" Hathi backed away, his fellow elephants behind him let out a startled trumpet that only served to alarm the other animals in the lagoon, some looking more frightened than others.
Bagheera moved quickly from his spot on a tree overlooking the riverbank and called for the elephants' attention. "Hold it! Hold it, let her explain, Hathi!
The colonel regained his composure, blew a trumpet of his own to get the crowd back in order, then he addressed the panther. "Colonel Hathi, if you please, sir." he pointedly corrected.
"Oh, yes, yes." Bagheera cleared his throat. "Colonel Hathi. There is nothing to fear, there were three, but his parents have perished." he paused and let out a sad sigh. "He's the only one left."
"Are you sure?" the elephant questioned.
"Yes." Kala reminded the colonel of her presence. "Sabor killed his family. He's all alone" she said looking sadly at the infant. Surprisingly the commotion didn't make him wail, in fact, he actually looked pretty happy.
A remorseful expression appeared on Hathi's face when he heard that name. Well aware of the episode involving the female leopard, for it was the reason why her Leap wasn't welcome in the lagoon anymore. Same as her "Khan."
"I don't believe I had the opportunity to do this yet." the colonel leaned over so that both he and Kala were at eye level and spoke in a somber tone. "In this most difficult time please accept my deepest condolences to you and your troop. If you are in need of anything, madam, ask and my herd will provide it."
A sorrowful look also passed by Kala's face before she nodded. "Thank you, Colonel." the sadness melted away from her face when she saw the infant playing with one of her fingers. "There is only one thing I ask of you." she said gesturing to the baby in her arms.
Hathi understood what she wanted, yet he had trouble keeping himself from showing skepticism about it. "You mean you want to raise this man-cub, as one of your own?" he asked in a lightly incredulous voice.
"Yes." she didn't hesitate to answer him
"Um... madam, I have to say this is a highly irregular request." he pointed out, still in doubt.
"I know." she recognized, before bringing the 'man cub' close to her face. "But he needs me." she smiled caringly at him.
The colonel looked at the scene before him and it softened his heart. Trough he was still doubtful about accepting a man in his jungle. He glanced at her leader and mate, Kerchak who was standing in the corner; ever the most collected animal in these meetings, even after he expanded his domains, the great Silverback always kept to himself unless it involved the well-being of his troop; what would he say?
"Will you accept this man-cub as a member of your troop?"
Kerchak hesitated, the Khan's words haunted his nightmares for many nights. How many lives? Shere Khan hates men with a passion for he fears the Red Flower and their guns, so he vanquished them of the jungle many years ago. When the cub's Family came from across the Great Waters, their lives were doomed. At least his parents were, so would he if Kala wasn't there. Shere Khan won't allow the cub to grow to be a man, and he won't wait till he learns their ways (whatever they are), so he will kill it before it has a chance to survive on its own. To allow the cub on the Troop would destroy any chance of peace between them and the Pack. As much as Kerchak wanted to avenge his son, it was his duty as Silverback to protect his own. He did so by banishing the Tigers from his side of the river, and he was fine with just that, but the Khan swore he would take the cub even if it meant total war. Kerchak had boasted that they would keep the cub but would hand it to Khan finally bring this bloody conflict to a close? Even if temporarily?
He glanced at Kala who in turn was looking at him anxiously. Before anyone said anything else, there was a scream.
From behind the crowd, the antelopes along with the smaller creatures of the jungle grew agitated, some of them hiding behind the plants, rocks, and the bigger animals. Col. Hathi moved quickly to where he heard the sound, followed by his fellow elephants, Kerchak, Bagheera, and those that were brave or curious enough to go check the source of the noise.
Once they were outside the circle, all concluded that the sound was merely a result of startling panic from one of the bongos. Not that he could be blamed given who was making his way through the hippos' trail.
"Shere Khan." said the colonel, infuriated that the tiger dared to show his stripes in his lagoon. "Should I have been more clear when I said that you and your pack weren't welcome in Zulu anymore?"
The tiger didn't say anything, he just kept walking towards them (much to their displeasure). Facing the Warden of Zulu right in the eyes he finally stopped. Those around them were just staring, waiting for him to do any sudden moves, but nothing happened...
He simply bowed...
"I don't ask to satiate my thirst in your lagoon, mighty Colonel." he said in a solemn voice that surprised most of the spectators. "I merely ask that you and the other denizens of this jungle listen to my expertise before you commit a great mistake." the last part, spoken with more intensity, was directed to Kala, who shielded the baby behind her while her troopmates took a defensive position in front of them. Kerchak was now glaring at the tiger.
"And why, pray do tell, shouldn't I simply throw you out?" inquired the colonel, his anger barely subsided.
"I come to you without hiding myself or bringing any of my hunters with me." he proclaimed decreasing his tone before continuing. "All I bring is a warning. To you, to the gorillas, and to all present here today!" he swore loudly the last part. "What you do with it is entirely up to you." he finished and lowered his head again, leaving Hathi to decide his fate.
Now, throughout the Wilds, a carnivore moving into an open area in full view of any potential prey is usually regarded as a sign of reassurance. Even the largest predators make use of camouflage to get as close as possible to strike a target. By allowing himself to be seen, the predator is saying indirectly that he isn't a threat; reasons to do that are numerous, maybe he is not hungry, the prey doesn't interest him, an alpha prohibited him... or perhaps he just wants to talk.
Few could claim to be more honorable than Col. Hathi, especially concerning the uphold of rules; and the rule of "plain sight" is very favored in Bukuvu, for it's easy for a predator to set an ambush in the jungle. Also, it wasn't like the tiger had technically entered the lakeshore.
After a few moments of internal debate, the Warden of Zulu focused his glare on the striped cat. "You may speak. But I will judge for how long." That wasn't a threat, 'that' was a warning.
"Understood."
By that time, the attention of everyone was on Khan. Kerchak was still glaring at him, Bagheera looked wary, and Kala kept holding the baby close to her.
"Denizens of Bukuvu." he said addressing the crowd. "Since when do we adopt men into the jungle?" he questioned, rhetorically.
"He is only a cub." Bagheera spoke from beside the Troop.
"Do I have to remind you what a grown man can do?" he glared at panther before speaking back to the audience:
"A tiger hunts his prey so he can eat. An elephant clears his way through the jungle so he may pass. A man clears everything on his path to make his dens and preys even the creatures he doesn't eat!" he exclaimed so all could hear, then he snarled. "And if there is anything left... he burns it. With fire!"
That last one got a stronger reaction. The 'Red Flower' only appeared in the jungle during thunderstorms or during the driest days of the season. When it rains, the waters smothered the flames. But during droughts, it eats everything, wood... foliage... animals...
"He doesn't have it!" Bagheera responded again.
"Do you speak for the Man-Cub, Bagheera?" asked Colonel Hathi.
"I do, sir." he moved to join the elephant's side, taking a glance at the still quiet Kerchak, then shifting his gaze to the tiger who was now glaring at him.
"No matter how many times you defied me, Bagheera, I never thought you would disappoint me like that." sneered the Khan.
"Watch your words, Shere Khan." advised the colonel. "Bagheera is a good friend, he obeys the Law and knows more about men than anyone of the jungle, even you." he declared.
Bagheera smiled, knowing the pachyderm would back him up. "Thank you very much, Colonel." he ignored the scowl sent his way by the striped predator and addressed the others in the lagoon:
"Rest easy, everyone. A man-cub will not harm us, I assure you." he turned his head to make sure all were listening. "All he wants to do is play, like any cub." he gazed in Kala's direction with the others following suit. The cub's new mother was helping him get on his feet so he could walk. He tumbled a bit but his face was plastered with a smile. The was no way for him to look more harmless. "There is no reason to be afraid."
"Babies grow up." the tiger remarked. "Keep that thing, one day we'll turn our backs, and it will raze our home to the ground!"
"So, what do you suggest?" the colonel asked, not that he couldn't guess.
"Get rid of it!" no one was surprised by that suggestion. "I already tasted his parents' blood, and I was the one who exterminated his kind from this jungle years ago. It's my right to kill it."
"His den was made on our side of the river." Kala decided to speak her part on this impromptu trial. "We decide what is to be done." she held the baby close to her chest. "I want him." she declared, not even flinching at Khan's glare.
"What have the Apes to do with a hairless runt?" the question didn't came from the tiger. To Kala's distress, it came from one of her own Troop.
Making his way by impolitely shoving his groupmates aside was the only one among the Mangani Silverbacks who could equal Kerchak in strength and size. His fur is almost completely black, unlike the rest of the Troop who are various shades of grey or brown. He has a tuft of hair on his chin, mismatching eyes – black on his left and red on his right–, and the largest fangs out of all gorillas of Bukuvu.
Once he stopped, he directed himself to Kala. "You disacred our race!" he accused. "Not only you keep us from wiping out the mingy cats. But now you expect us to let this furless monkey climb our trees?!"
"Who challenges his king?!" Kerchak finally joined the conversation by letting out one of his famous roars. "YOU, TUBLAT?!" he dared the dissident to defend his insults against his mate and his judgment.
Tublat in return viciously smiled at him. "By all means, Kerchak. I haven't had a good fight in a while thanks to you."
'STOMP'
Col. Hathi raised his front legs and brought them down on a powerful crushing stomp that made all recoil. Everyone was back at looking at the giant elephant, and the latter was visibly angry.
"You all know the rules." he spoke in a calm, yet authoritative voice. "There will be no brawling on this lagoon. Any further offenders will be banned for the remainder of the season." he proclaimed as he marched sideways in front of the crowd, stopping in front of Tublat and meeting his eye-level. "Am I clear, Mr. Tublat?"
The gorilla went back at glaring at his troop's 'royal' family, only to get annoyed when a light got on to his eyes; he looked back at the giant in front of him and saw his massive tusks reflecting the sunlight while his eyes kept narrowing, waiting for his answer.
"Transparently." he gave in and moved back into the troop, the only one who wasn't glaring at him, despite the rude comment, was the tiger, who actually looked intrigued at his retreating form.
"He does raise a point." Shere Khan noted and directed his next question to Kala. "What do you know about Men? What makes you think you can even raise him as one of your own?" he looked at the cub then turned to Kerchak. "The jungle is no place for his kind, that's why they destroy it. He will be a liability to your Troop. If not me, something else will take his life." he focused back on Kala. "Why try to replace your cub with another if he is just going to die too?"
The Silverback glared furiously at the tiger, completely expelling any thoughts of Peace with him. They didn't have the right to speak of his son!
"He won't die, I will make sure of it."
Bagheera's declaration got everyone's attention.
"As the Colonel said, I know more about Men than anyone in the jungle and I'm confident I can teach this youngling to climb the Wakalu."
Hathi glanced at the gorillas for confirmation, Kala nodded right away while Kerchak took more time to, slowly, repeat the gesture. Shere Khan just snarled.
"Alright. Any objections?" no one said anything, not even the tiger.
"Then it is settled! The Man-Cub- uh...wait, what is his name?" the elephant asked.
"Tarzan." Kala said, smiling as she kept the baby from putting his foot on the mouth. "His name is Tarzan"
"The Man-Cub —Tarzan— will climb the Wakalu!" proclaimed the colonel for all to hear.
Kala hugged her new 'son', Bagheera smiled at them, Kerchak sighed heavily, and their troopmates reacted with a mix of happiness and indifference.
As for the Khan... he looked livid.
"One last warning." he spoke as if he was about to pounce the baby right then and there.
When all eyes were back at him he continued: "Nothing lasts forever. The elephants will leave. The rains will return and the river will rise. And when it does, our truce will end. You want to protect him? Fine." he growled aggressively to Kerchak. "I shall give you and your Troop the same courtesy I gave to his kin."
Now it was the Silverback who looked like he was about to maul someone in front of him.
"The tiger knows who rules this part of the jungle." again Col. Hathi stepped in to stop any tumult. "I'm sure he doesn't mean to come here and make threats. Especially during The Water Truce." he finished giving a pointed look towards said tiger.
"Like I said: a warning." he sent one last glare to the cub. "War it is." he moved away and then jumped from one of the nearby waterfalls while giving out an angry roar. Those who checked the water below didn't saw a trace of him.
The Roll Call proceeded uneventfully, if compared to the presentation of Tarzan. Kala didn't let go of the infant for one moment, clearly afraid of the tiger's proclamation, Kerchak and Bagheera never left her side during the entire meeting.
It was late noon when they decided to head home. As the Troop marched, Kala approached her mate. "Kerchak... thank you. I know he will be a good son-"
"He is under my protection." he stopped dead on his tracks before turning to her. "You decided to keep him. Bagheera will help, but he's your responsibility." he stared at Tarzan, a displeased look on his face. "I said he can stay. That doesn't make him my son." after that, he sounded the order to make camp. They would sleep here for the night.
Bagheera, who was watching nearby, looked frustrated at the Silverback until the latter called him for the night patrol. Leaving Kala with Tarzan.
She sighed sadly as Kerchak left. She put the baby on her back and was only able to take a few steps before he lost his grip on her shoulder. Snapping out of her stupor with a gasp, she grabbed him before he fell off.
For the first time that day, he wailed.
"Oh, no, no, no." she caressed him with both hands to calm him down. "Shh, shh, shh. Don't cry. I'm here." hugging him close to her shoulder, she gently patted him in the back. "Come on, come on." then she started singing a lullaby:
"Come, stop your crying, it'll be all right." she held him in front of her as she sang softly.
"Just take my hand, hold it tight." she gave him one of her fingers, which he grasped with his tiny hands. The wailing stopped.
"I will protect you from all around you." Bagheera smiled in their direction, while Kerchak only gave a glance before going back to rallying the patrols.
"I will be here, don't you cry." she leaned him against her shoulder, supporting him with her right hand before moving to make their nest.
"For one so small,you seem so strong." the night fell, Kala climbed a tree growing with a slanted trunk to make their bed.
"My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm." she cleared some of the foliage to make room for them.
"This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here don't you cry." she rubbed her forehead against his. 'Tarzan' was smiling again.
"Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart." leaning with her back to the branch, she held him with her hind legs, taking a good look at her new son's smiling face.
"From this day on, Now and forever more." she put him close to her side.
"You'll be in my heart. No matter what they say, you'll be here in my heart." beneath the shelter of the trees, with the patrols standing guard, the Great Troop of Bukuvu settled for the night.
"Always." Including Kala and Tarzan.
"Always." she murmured in her sleep.
A/N Yes, this is heavily inspired by Finmonster's Kings and Khans. But it's gonna play out more like a 'reboot' than an actual rip-off: the setting is mostly the same (Tigers vs Gorillas, Bagheera is an ally of the Troop and is gonna help raise Tarzan), Tarzan and Simba will become the protagonists, as well as surrogate Brothers, as the title implies, and the three 'main' stories of the crossover are Tarzan, The Jungle Book, and The Lion King. This is as far as the similarities go, not just because I'm starting with Tarzan already being taken in by Kala and added a few differences from Finmonster's story, but I intend to bring more movies into the mix as the fanfic goes.
Also, just so you know, I was heavily inspired by the MONDO Universe... it's gonna be a doozy! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!
Including Interspecies Romance... you've been warned.