Hello everyone, Gulefritz here with another chapter of Life of Kiali.
I noticed how a lot of you reviewed on the last chapter and I can only say I am happy to see all those replies. Thank you, it means a lot to me.
Some of you asked me to bring back Kion. I was going to reply, but it would spoil the future chapters, so I decided not to reply to it. But I think you will get satisfied with this chapter.
As for Kopa. I mentioned that he died in Life in the Pride lands and I intend to keep it that way. I know nothing of the lion, so I decided to acknowledge him and put him into the story somehow.
With that aside, let's begin with chapter 6 of Life of Kiali.
Kiali and Mpenda was walking in the jungle. They had walked for hours and barely any words had been exchanged between the two. Mpenda was too focused on not losing track of Kiali, and Kiali was too confused about what happened earlier. She tried to forget what happened, but she could not forget the feeling she felt when Mpenda's and her lips touches, she shook her head and sighed. I doubt he even remember it.
Suddenly motion from a nearby bush made Kiali and Mpenda stop in their tracks. Both lowered to the ground, attempting to hide amongst the tall vegetation. They watched in the direction of the commotion and watched as a being walked out of the shadow. It was a cat as black as night. Kiali or Mpenda had never seen such a thing before and neither of them could not stop staring at the panther.
He smelled the air and immediately both Mpenda and Kiali froze, well knowing their scent was easy to detect by any skilled hunter. Both of them gulped as the panther looked straight at them. He was bigger than them and could most likely pin them both. He growled and jumped straight at the two of them. Both Kiali and Mpenda started running away from the panther who followed them. The hunt had begun.
Kiali and Mpenda split up and bolted away from the panther. They ran through the bushes and over small streams and got separated in time. Mpenda looked around and could not see Kiali or the panther. He stopped for a second and looked around. Scared he lowered himself to the ground and tried to hide behind a bush. Mpenda heard to his right. He looks to the side looks straight into a pair of green eyes. He jumps back, ready to flee but is never able to do so, as the being leaps at him. The being lands on his chest smiling at him. She lowers her head to his ear and whispers with a very silent voice.
"Follow me if you want to live"
With that the figure ran into the jungle. Mpenda, despite better judgement, decided to run after the strange figure, following it into the jungle to where he did not know. He just needed to get away from the panther.
Meanwhile far away from the now unconscious Mpenda, Kiali is running from the panther, but he is gaining in on her. Kiali realized she would be caught eventually turned on the spot and jumped into the air. The panther, surprised by her action, does not see the swipe she sends at him. Her paw punches his face, sending the panther to the side with a long scar on the chin.
"Grr Amani wanted you alive, but he never said untouched!"
The panther raises his right paw and his claws unsheathe from the paw. He charges forward and attempts to hit the cub with his paw. Kiali uses the natural speed and jumps to the side, dodging the attack from the panther. She leaps to attack the panther but was never able to do it. She was hit by the leopards left paw, sending her flying to the side.
The panther pounced at Kiali and pinned her down. He unsheathed his claws and dug them into Kiali's shoulders. She growled at the panther and he grinned. He raised his right paw to strike down at her. She closed her eyes, readying herself for the blow, but the blow never came.
The panther had been kicked off her body. Kiali, shocked, opened her eyes and watched the scene in front of her. A male lion, on the size of King Simba, with a giant red mane had appeared out of nowhere and was now battling the panther. She watched as the red maned lion fought with the ferocity only a lion could bring.
She watched as the red maned lion swiped at the panther. His paw hit the side of the panther's jaw and send him flying into the jungle. The lion let out a mighty roar and something odd happened. A strong wind suddenly came and blew the panther away from the area, as well as any unattached leaves or branches. It was as if the lion summoned the wind with his roar.
"Impossible"
The lion turned to look at Kiali. He smiled at her. He walked over to her, keeping his smile as he walks over to her.
"Who are you, young one, and why did Amani send one of his prime fighters after you"
Kiali was unable to form any words, still shocked at the roar the lion let out earlier. She tried to form a sentence but was never able to do it. The lion let out a loud sigh and walked past her, before looking back.
"Come"
With that he ran into the jungle. Kiali sat back and watched as the lion ran into the jungle before shaking her head and ran into the jungle, trying to follow the lion. It was easier said than done. For a lion this big, in a forest this dense, the lion was rather fast. She did her best to keep up with him and eventually she stopped. Her jaw fell at the sight in front of her.
Right in front of her was the biggest temple she had ever seen. She was amazed at the size, which is not too hard as it is her first temple, and wondered just who or what could make rocks into such things like this. She looked to the side as the lion from before came and sat next to her. She looked up at him, jaws still dropped.
"What is this place?"
"This, my friend, is The Great Temple of Abassi, made by the lord in the sky himself"
She looked down at the temple and watched as several animals ran around the temple. The inhabitants consisted primarily of monkeys, elephants, rhinos, few birds and a small number of felines. She looked back at the lion.
"What is this place! Who are you?"
The lion looked back at her and smiled before looking back to the temple.
"The temple is a refuge point for animals all over Tekani jungle. All who lives here has been driven away from their homes and come to live here"
The lion looks to the left which made Kiali turn her head aswell, wondering why the big feline looks in that specific distance.
"The jungle has become a contested battlefield between several jaguar prides. Of these prides, Amani, the one who sent the panther after you, has an advantage. Many here are on the run from him specifically"
Kiali turned her head back to the lion. She looks closer at him, for some reason finding him familiar. She looks at his shoulder and raises her eyebrow. On his shoulder sits a mark of a lion. Who was this guy and where had she seen that mark before?
"My name I do not know, but I am Askari. I am the defender of these people and anyone who Amani dares to threaten. You can find refuge inside the place. Come, you must be hungry"
With that the lion walked forward and Kiali followed him. She was quick to catch up to him, her mind still wondering about the mark and forgetting all about Mpenda.
Speaking of Mpenda. Meanwhile in another part of the forest, Mpenda had been trying to follow the figure into the jungle. They walked further and deeper into the jungle and the leopard just exactly managed to keep up with the figure. They reached a clearing and the figure stopped in the shadows. Mpenda looked around before looking at the feline he had been following.
"Wh-who are you?"
The figure turned around and smiled at the leopard, who of course cannot see this. The figure walks out of the shadow and reveals a female black panther cub. She sits on the ground and smiles at him.
"My name is Delilah. I saw you and your friend wash ashore at Tekani lake"
Mpenda gulped. This was his second time ever speaking to another feline female beside Kiali. He was unable to form any kind of words for some reason but shook his face, making the panther slightly giggle, making the panther even more confused.
"I like the way you shake your head. I told you my name, what is yours?"
"I-I… I am Mpenda, Mpenda from the pride lands"
The panther rose to her feet and walked all the way up the leopard, then past him letting her tail drag along his muzzle. Before returning on his other side, giving him a little nuzzling on the chin before speaking again.
"Well, Mpenda of the Pride lands. Up for a game of tag?"
The leopard despite not knowing where he was decided to nod. She smiled and yelled "tag" at him and ran into the forest. They ran into the deep jungle, Mpenda just behind Delilah. She was fast, faster than anyone he had seen before. He had to trick her to catch her. He looked at a tree and devised a plan.
Delilah jumped over a rock and up unto a branch. She thought the leopard would not think of looking up, ohh how naïve she was. She scouted the area, trying to spot the leopard but was never able to do so. She heard a branch snapping from above. She looked up and tried to jump away but was all too late.
Mpenda had lept from above and landed straight at her. He hit the branch she was on and leapt at her. The two of them fell to the ground and wrestled, rolling down a little hill, ending with the leopard pinning down the panther cub. Mpenda had his head lying on her chest. They both looked at each other and laughed as loud as they could.
That was when disaster struck for Mpenda. Out of the shadows a grown-up panther appeared. Fast as lightning, the panther took hold of Mpenda by the neck and lifted him up before dropping him, keeping him down on the ground with one paw. He looked up in fear at the growling panther, not moving on the ground.
"Your friend got away, but thanks to Delilah, Amani will get one of you outlanders!"
The panther cub shook her head. Mpenda looked at her with great sadness and disbelief. He had been open to her, and she had backstabbed him, she had led him to a trap.
"Well, someone has to be successful around here Tambo, I just hope Amani is not too harsh on them, he is very funny to play with"
The panther grunted and picked up the leopard by the neck. He walked into the jungle, quickly followed by the panther cub. They walk into the shadows, going out of sight of any other animal, except for other panthers.
Meanwhile back at the temple of Abassi. Kiali looks around the place while following Askari. She looks around and notices how all around her stares at her. Guess no one has seen a mixture of two felines before. She follows the lion until he reaches an altar. At the top of the altar stands an mandrill. He seems too busy as he is brewing something in a large turtle shell.
"Abdu, I bring a guest"
The mandrill looks over and smiles at Askari. He walks over and hugs the lion before turning to look at Kiali. He raises an eyebrow as he looks her over, inspecting her from top to toe.
"Half lion, half cheetah. Tell me what is a creature like you doing out here?"
Kiali is about to answer but Askari beats her to it.
"She and her friend were being hunted by Tambo. Amani known of their presence and wanted to capture both, why I do not know"
Kiali gasped as she remembered Mpenda. She looked around in panic, looking everywhere for her leopard friend. The mandrill and lion looked at her confused before breaking the silence.
"Did you not notice he was not here?"
Kiali immediately yelled at the two of them.
"No! I thought he was right behind me! Mpenda! Mpenda where are you!"
Adbu walked over to Kiali and touched her right ear with his right hand. He ran his hand around it and caressed it for a moment. The action made Kiali relax before making her fall asleep. She fell to the ground and landed right in front of the lion, her head landing on top of his paws.
"Seems this also works on mixtures of species. I remember you resisted it more though. She will wake up in the morning, I set you in charge of her. Show her the place, give her a place to be, and watch over her. She is quite interesting, and she holds on to a few secrets we might want to know"
The lion nodded and looked down at the young female who lied on his paws. He looked at her in wonder, thinking he was supposed to know who this young feline was. The mandrill looked at the lion and noticed his thoughts.
"I have to admit, you to do look alike. Perhaps she know of your origin Askari"
The lion looked at the mandrill with a smile before nodding.
"That is very possible. We will find out once she wakes up. I will take her down into the temple. She will sleep in the feline quarter together with the lions and leopards. Tomorrow will I show her the ground and share history with her"
The mandrill smiled and nodded. The lion picked up the young female by the neck and walked down the stairs before turning to a small tunnel to the right. He walked down the corridor before reaching the room by the end of it. This room was filled with sleeping felines. Askari walked over to the lion part, nodded at a lioness, before putting her down. He sat down next to her, looking her over.
Some of the nearby lions and leopards looked on in wonder at the newcomer. Askari looked at them all and signaled for them to let her be for now. He did not want her to wake up with all the felines looking at her. They will have to wait until she wakes up properly. He registrered movement below him and looked at her.
She was moving in her sleep and letting out a soft purr. He smiled immediately. His smile was quick to vanish as he heard her speak.
"Kion… papa we miss you… I miss you Kion"
That name, Kion. He knew he had heard it before, but from where. The lion let out a grunt of pain, making some of the lionesses look in his direction. He smiled at them and shook his head. Whenever he tried to think back about his past, did his head hurt, a lot. He shook his head one more time. He would figure this out eventually. But for now, he needed some good night sleep.
With that I end chapter 6 of Life of Kiali. What will happen to Mpenda? How is the situation in the pride lands, and who is this Askari really? Find out in the next chapter!
Until then, review and tell me what you liked or hated, also what do you guys think of my own characters like Mpenda and Kiali? Review and tell me what you think.
Until next time, cya.