Chapter 10: Revalations
After an hour of sitting on a sand dune, lamenting over everything that was going wrong in his life, Mohatu began to walk back to the pride rock. It was late. If tomorrow followed the pattern of its predecessors, he would certainly need his sleep.
Suddenly, a lanky figure popped up out of the long grass in front of him. Mohatu let out a frightened gasp and jumped back, his fight-or-flight response ready to boot. After a moment, he noticed the familiar creature--dark silver fur, large hands, a red snout, and blue cheeks. It was Rafiki. Clutching his chest, Mohatu let out an enormous sigh. "Rafiki, what's gotten into you?" demanded Mohatu. "You scared the life out of me!"
"Forgive me, Mohatu!" exclaimed Rafiki. "But I come with urgent news!"
Beginning to regain his composure, Mohatu raised an eyebrow, inquisitively. "Oh, really? What news would that be?"
Rafiki slowly shook his head, expression nearly blank. "I cannot convince the gods to bring the rain."
All the faith that Mohatu had invested in Rafiki shattered. Mohatu had suspected at first that the task would be too great for the young mandrill. But Hekima and Bashasha both laid a guilt trip on him about how he should be more supportive of Rafiki. Rafiki had insisted that he could accomplish this. All those trials had been for naught. Mohatu looked to the ground. "I suspected as much," he muttered.
Rafiki suddenly shot his fore-finger out and pressed it to Mohatu's nose, catching the lion off-guard. Mohatu looked into Rafiki's eyes and saw both wisdom and desparation glowing in his yellow eyes. "Only you can convince the gods to bring rain."
Mohatu blinked and pulled back in surprise. "Me?" he exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"
"The answers came to me in a dream," Rafiki said, "the king has angered the gods with his ways. He has thrown off the balance of the Great Circle of Life here in the Wastelands."
"Circle of Life?" asked Mohatu, wrinkling his nose.
Rafiki nodded. "All is connected in the Circle of Life. You are only supposed to take what you give. This is why predators always attack the young, old, and sick in the herds. This keeps the herds healthy, and keeps the predators alive. But the king has been ordering the hunting party to take more than they need. The herds began to die off, and decided to roam and search for somewhere better. Now there is no prey in the Wastelands because of the king's greed. He must be stopped." Rafiki's eyes narrowed as he looked at Mohatu. "And you are the one who must stop him."
"How am I supposed to do that?" asked Mohatu, defensively. "I'm only one lion. And what about Nyamavu? I can't take them both on."
"You are not alone in this battle," Rafiki replied mystically, "others know the great wrongs the king has committed. They will join you." Mohatu stared, still trying to let it all sink in. Now the burden on his back became three times heavier. Rafiki placed his hand on Mohatu's shoulder empathetically. "I know this must be hard for you. But the gods are angry with the king and will make him suffer until he changes his ways. He's arrogant, so he won't. If you want the gods to sympathize, you must get rid of the king." His expression turned grave. "There is no other way."
With that, Rafiki walked past Mohatu, leaving Mohatu to think about the task that lay ahead of him. Mohatu had no idea how he could possibly rally all the lionesses against their king, whoever it was. He looked over his shoulder. "But how do I--" He trailed off in mid-sentence when he realized that Rafiki wasn't there. He was answered by the wind blowing across the plains, rustling through the grass. Mohatu blinked in astonishment. The baboon had disappeared as quickly as he appeared. "How does he do that?" he asked himself.
Just then, he turned to see a lioness approaching him. It was Nyamavu. He shuddered. He knew that he and Nyamavu were the only two out here, and that he had become incredibly vulnerable since Utisho, Bashasha and Rafiki had left him there. Normally, such a lioness wouldn't worry Mohatu. But after Nyamavu had nearly killed Mohatu upon his arrival without much difficulty, his outlook changed.
Nyamavu grinned at him savagely. "Hello, Mohatu," she greeted in a sinister voice as she stalked towards him.
Mohatu swallowed hard and felt his claws come out underneath him. His mane bristled a bit. There may have to be a fight, and he would have to stand his ground. But what if he should lose? Bashasha had saved him last time, but after their confrontation, he doubted she would rescue him. "Nyamavu," he greeted in a low voice, not taking his eyes off her.
Nyamavu was closing in on him. "What are you doing out here?" she asked. "And alone?"
By now, the possibility of a brawl looked inevitable. Mohatu growled inwardly. Just what I need right now,' he thought, will my luck never run out?' "I just wanted to be alone for awhile," he replied.
Nyamavu chuckled, as she came to a stop before him. She looked him over, and noted his eyes, expression, and his stance. "You look so tense, Mohatu," she analyzed. "Care to share why?"
Mohatu glowered at her. "After our previous encounters, it's kind of understandable, don't you think?" he asked.
The surrepticious grin on Nyamavu's face disappeared and was replaced by an apologetic look. "You're absolutely right, Mohatu," she started, "forgive my past trespasses. I'm slow to trust...one of my many faults." She looked to the ground and sighed sadly. Meanwhile, Mohatu tried to determine whether her actions were true or false. Finally, she looked up at him. "How about this. As a token of my apologies, I'll introduce you to His Majesty. He has been wanting to meet you anyhow."
Mohatu raised both his eyebrows, but tried not to look too interested. "Is that so?"
Nyamavu nodded. "What do you say?"
Nyamavu and Mohatu both stood at the mouth of the royal cavern that lay near the bottom of the fortress of stone that was the pridal rock. Mohatu was having his doubts. He wasn't sure whether he should trust Nyamavu's sudden attitude shift. Nervously, he peered into the darkness of the cavern. He couldn't see anything. Mohatu looked to Nyamavu, suspiciously and questioningly. Nyamavu nodded. "Go ahead," she replied with a smile.
Giving her one last wary gaze, Mohatu slowly stepped into the cavern. Blindly, he walked through the darkness of the cave. His eyes traveled across the sea of black, trying to stay on his guard.
"Hello, Mohatu," a voice boomed.
Mohatu jumped, and stopped in his tracks. Frantically, he whirled around, trying to see where the voice had come from. He saw nothing. Fear filled his gut. "How did you know m-my name?" he stammered.
"Oh, everyone knows your name, Mohatu," the voice replied, "you're the new guy. The rogue." Mohatu slowly stepped forward, following the sound of the familiar voice. "The lionesses are positively fascinated with you." Squinting, Mohatu spotted a pair of dark green eyes glowing ahead of him. He continued to walk toward the lion. "Besides, gossip travels fast among pride lionesses. But then, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you,"--a flash of white teeth glowed in the darkness as the lion grinned "--King Mohatu."
Mohatu froze in midstep. At that moment, he realized who the lion was.
There before him lay his father. Onevu, King of the Wastelands.
After an hour of sitting on a sand dune, lamenting over everything that was going wrong in his life, Mohatu began to walk back to the pride rock. It was late. If tomorrow followed the pattern of its predecessors, he would certainly need his sleep.
Suddenly, a lanky figure popped up out of the long grass in front of him. Mohatu let out a frightened gasp and jumped back, his fight-or-flight response ready to boot. After a moment, he noticed the familiar creature--dark silver fur, large hands, a red snout, and blue cheeks. It was Rafiki. Clutching his chest, Mohatu let out an enormous sigh. "Rafiki, what's gotten into you?" demanded Mohatu. "You scared the life out of me!"
"Forgive me, Mohatu!" exclaimed Rafiki. "But I come with urgent news!"
Beginning to regain his composure, Mohatu raised an eyebrow, inquisitively. "Oh, really? What news would that be?"
Rafiki slowly shook his head, expression nearly blank. "I cannot convince the gods to bring the rain."
All the faith that Mohatu had invested in Rafiki shattered. Mohatu had suspected at first that the task would be too great for the young mandrill. But Hekima and Bashasha both laid a guilt trip on him about how he should be more supportive of Rafiki. Rafiki had insisted that he could accomplish this. All those trials had been for naught. Mohatu looked to the ground. "I suspected as much," he muttered.
Rafiki suddenly shot his fore-finger out and pressed it to Mohatu's nose, catching the lion off-guard. Mohatu looked into Rafiki's eyes and saw both wisdom and desparation glowing in his yellow eyes. "Only you can convince the gods to bring rain."
Mohatu blinked and pulled back in surprise. "Me?" he exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"
"The answers came to me in a dream," Rafiki said, "the king has angered the gods with his ways. He has thrown off the balance of the Great Circle of Life here in the Wastelands."
"Circle of Life?" asked Mohatu, wrinkling his nose.
Rafiki nodded. "All is connected in the Circle of Life. You are only supposed to take what you give. This is why predators always attack the young, old, and sick in the herds. This keeps the herds healthy, and keeps the predators alive. But the king has been ordering the hunting party to take more than they need. The herds began to die off, and decided to roam and search for somewhere better. Now there is no prey in the Wastelands because of the king's greed. He must be stopped." Rafiki's eyes narrowed as he looked at Mohatu. "And you are the one who must stop him."
"How am I supposed to do that?" asked Mohatu, defensively. "I'm only one lion. And what about Nyamavu? I can't take them both on."
"You are not alone in this battle," Rafiki replied mystically, "others know the great wrongs the king has committed. They will join you." Mohatu stared, still trying to let it all sink in. Now the burden on his back became three times heavier. Rafiki placed his hand on Mohatu's shoulder empathetically. "I know this must be hard for you. But the gods are angry with the king and will make him suffer until he changes his ways. He's arrogant, so he won't. If you want the gods to sympathize, you must get rid of the king." His expression turned grave. "There is no other way."
With that, Rafiki walked past Mohatu, leaving Mohatu to think about the task that lay ahead of him. Mohatu had no idea how he could possibly rally all the lionesses against their king, whoever it was. He looked over his shoulder. "But how do I--" He trailed off in mid-sentence when he realized that Rafiki wasn't there. He was answered by the wind blowing across the plains, rustling through the grass. Mohatu blinked in astonishment. The baboon had disappeared as quickly as he appeared. "How does he do that?" he asked himself.
Just then, he turned to see a lioness approaching him. It was Nyamavu. He shuddered. He knew that he and Nyamavu were the only two out here, and that he had become incredibly vulnerable since Utisho, Bashasha and Rafiki had left him there. Normally, such a lioness wouldn't worry Mohatu. But after Nyamavu had nearly killed Mohatu upon his arrival without much difficulty, his outlook changed.
Nyamavu grinned at him savagely. "Hello, Mohatu," she greeted in a sinister voice as she stalked towards him.
Mohatu swallowed hard and felt his claws come out underneath him. His mane bristled a bit. There may have to be a fight, and he would have to stand his ground. But what if he should lose? Bashasha had saved him last time, but after their confrontation, he doubted she would rescue him. "Nyamavu," he greeted in a low voice, not taking his eyes off her.
Nyamavu was closing in on him. "What are you doing out here?" she asked. "And alone?"
By now, the possibility of a brawl looked inevitable. Mohatu growled inwardly. Just what I need right now,' he thought, will my luck never run out?' "I just wanted to be alone for awhile," he replied.
Nyamavu chuckled, as she came to a stop before him. She looked him over, and noted his eyes, expression, and his stance. "You look so tense, Mohatu," she analyzed. "Care to share why?"
Mohatu glowered at her. "After our previous encounters, it's kind of understandable, don't you think?" he asked.
The surrepticious grin on Nyamavu's face disappeared and was replaced by an apologetic look. "You're absolutely right, Mohatu," she started, "forgive my past trespasses. I'm slow to trust...one of my many faults." She looked to the ground and sighed sadly. Meanwhile, Mohatu tried to determine whether her actions were true or false. Finally, she looked up at him. "How about this. As a token of my apologies, I'll introduce you to His Majesty. He has been wanting to meet you anyhow."
Mohatu raised both his eyebrows, but tried not to look too interested. "Is that so?"
Nyamavu nodded. "What do you say?"
Nyamavu and Mohatu both stood at the mouth of the royal cavern that lay near the bottom of the fortress of stone that was the pridal rock. Mohatu was having his doubts. He wasn't sure whether he should trust Nyamavu's sudden attitude shift. Nervously, he peered into the darkness of the cavern. He couldn't see anything. Mohatu looked to Nyamavu, suspiciously and questioningly. Nyamavu nodded. "Go ahead," she replied with a smile.
Giving her one last wary gaze, Mohatu slowly stepped into the cavern. Blindly, he walked through the darkness of the cave. His eyes traveled across the sea of black, trying to stay on his guard.
"Hello, Mohatu," a voice boomed.
Mohatu jumped, and stopped in his tracks. Frantically, he whirled around, trying to see where the voice had come from. He saw nothing. Fear filled his gut. "How did you know m-my name?" he stammered.
"Oh, everyone knows your name, Mohatu," the voice replied, "you're the new guy. The rogue." Mohatu slowly stepped forward, following the sound of the familiar voice. "The lionesses are positively fascinated with you." Squinting, Mohatu spotted a pair of dark green eyes glowing ahead of him. He continued to walk toward the lion. "Besides, gossip travels fast among pride lionesses. But then, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you,"--a flash of white teeth glowed in the darkness as the lion grinned "--King Mohatu."
Mohatu froze in midstep. At that moment, he realized who the lion was.
There before him lay his father. Onevu, King of the Wastelands.
