Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 9 of Life of Kiali. I'm having some free time again before the next semester, and I decided to use that to write some more about the adventure of Kiali.
I noticed I by mistake wrote the last chapter with Danish grammatical structure. I apologize for that.
I apologize for any grammatical errors in the earlier chapters, but trust me when I am saying, that I am trying to write it all in with as few errors as possible. I am happy that you guys tell me when ever I do something wrong, as I will think about it when I begin to write the next chapter.
I've had some interesting suggestions about this story which might just be added, please, keep up sending suggestions for me to introduce in the future.
With that out of the way, get on with the show!
Kiali was storming through the bushes and jumping over the plants of Tekani jungle. She was laughing as she jumped over the vegetation of the dense jungle. Following right behind her, was her father, Kion. Despite him being older and faster, does the dense jungle work against him. Time and time is his paws stuck in vines or he must jump over thorns that Kiali can duck under. Kion laughed as he ran after her.
Kion could not remember the last time he had this much fun. Askari was always so serious and proud, never able to take a break as he had to fend of Tambo or other panthers send by Amani. It was a tiresome job to be the guardian of Abassi's temple, but he needed to do it. He owned that much to Abdu for saving him years ago. But it still felt good to not think about the protection of the temple for just a minute or two.
Kion was gaining ground on Kiali. What he did not know was, that Kiali was deliberately slowing down. She suddenly stopped before a bush. This sudden stop forced Kion to jump above her, so they would not collide. He flew above her and landed in a hole filled with water. Kion got back up above the water, only to find Kiali, sitting in front of him, laughing.
"I- Haha! - Can't believe you! -Haha!- fell for that!"
Kiali fell to the ground on her back, laughing as loud as she possibly could. Kion smiled and jumped out of the water, shaking his head.
"I should have known. This was why you lead us down towards the watering holes"
Kiali was still lying on the ground laughing and was therefore to distracted to listen to what her father was saying or doing. He smirked and put his paw on her back and without hesitation pushed as hard as he could, sending her flying into the water. He looked in the direction of his work and laughed.
Kiali resurfaced from the water and glared at her father. Kion looked uncertain, thinking he might have crossed the line, but felt relieved when Kiali smiled and laughed instead.
Kiali smiled and was about to jump out of the water, when she heard a branch snap behind her. She turned around in the water and immediately, went further into the water, as if she was trying to hide.
"Ehmm, father?"
Kion looked in the direction Kiali was looking and immediately started growling. From the bush arrived three black panthers and two leopards. They were lead by Tambo who looked at Kiali, grinning as he looked down at her.
"Ah perfect! I can get two birds with one rock. I can capture the pride lander that escaped me days ago, and I can eliminate the mighty Askari!"
Kion lowered himself into a pouncing position, ready to strike at the group of hostile felines.
"You have tried in the past Tambo! And you will fail!"
Tambo growled, and the four other cats charged. Kion jumped over Kiali, still in the water, and landed on a panther, knocking him out and removing him from the battle. He looked to his right and started to swipe with both of his paws, both left and right, keeping his attackers at bay.
One panther is bolder than the others and jump forward. The jump forced Kion to move back, but he swiped his paw at the panther, sending him flying into the bushes of the jungle. The panther jumps out of the bush, releasing a roar as he leaps towards Kion. Kion jumps to the side and dodges the panther, who flies by him and crashes into the two others standing behind him. They soon recover and resumes the fight, walking in circles around Kion.
While this is going on, has one of the leopards walked away from the fighting lion and jumped into a tree. He crawled higher and higher before walking out on a branch hanging right above the lion. The leopard jumped and aimed straight for the lions back. Kiali sees it and tries to warn her father, but she is too late.
The leopard hits the mark and land on Kion's back and manages to bite right shoulder. Kion lets out an ear deafening roar, so loud you could hear it more than fifteen kilometers away. Kion has had enough and goes into a frenzy. He shakes his body harsh and throws of the leopard who attacked him. He swiped fast and ferociously, not giving the leopard any chance to fend of the bigger lion.
Kion whacks the leopard with his left paw and hits him so hard that he flies to the side and hits a nearby tree, the very same the leopard jumped from, and gets knocked out from the blow.
Kion looks back to the two remaining attackers. One panther and one leopard remain, and Tambo has not moved either, simply sitting back and watches the fight. Kion looks back to see if he can find Kiali, only to find her climbing a tree, trying to get to safety. Kion lets out a relieved sigh and turns his gaze to his attackers, only to find a black paw flying towards his face.
The panther had harnessed the fact that Kion had turned around to get closer to the lion. He went in melee range and struck at the lion. His paw hit the lion's face, sinking his claws into Kion's chin. Kion felt the blow and gasped from the pain. He could feel the wound, how it hurt when he moved his face, how blood ran down the four lines left by the paw of the panther. But kion recovered and struck at the black feline, his paws impacting the panthers chin with such force he is thrown backwards. The panther turns around and flees the battle.
The remaining leopard looked at his fallen comrades and growled before Kion. Kion responded with a mighty roar. He used the roar of the elders, unknowingly even, which send gusts of winds into the poor leopard. He and his fallen comrades flew backwards, landing deep in the jungle.
Tambo had jumped to the side, well knowing the line of fire of the roar. He looked at where his companions were and sighed.
"Weaklings all of you! When I get back will I make you regret the day you were born!"
Tambo looked back to Kion and Kiali and smiled at the sight before him.
Kion had been weakened considerably by fending of his companions. So weak that Tambo believed he could easily take him out and then bring back the other pride lander.
But the chance never came. Tambo moved one step forward, only to be leapt on by several black panthers from behind. They roared and swiped, but Tambo retaliated, striking back as fast and hard as he possibly could. He was bigger than the other panthers, but their numbers overpowered him. He knocked one out and fled the battle. None of the new panthers, six in total, chased after him, letting Amani's henchman return with his tail between the legs.
Kion and Kiali looked at the group of panthers standing before him. He stood before the water, shielding Kiali from the panthers. They looked at him, spreading out so they covered a half circle before the weakened lion. One of the panthers walked forward, speaking up. The voice was high and feminine.
"Don't worry Askari, we have no conflict with you nor the inhabitants of Abassi's Tempel"
Kion looked at the lead panther raising his eyebrow as she walked forward. He relaxed more and sat on the ground. The other panthers did the same, all five of them sitting in a half circle before him. Kiali used this time to get out of the water and sits down beside his father. The lead panther looks down at Kiali and gives her a big smile.
"and who is this small one?"
Kiali was about to answer, but Kion walked forward, putting his right paw infront of Kiali.
"Who are you, why did you aid me against Tambo?"
The lead panther sighed as she turned her gaze back to Kion. Her smile faded as she looked at his face before turning to look in the direction Tambo fleed.
"We are the servants of Salehe, a leopard who is leading a pack to the south of the termite mounds. We have been trying to protect our territory from Amani but so far has been unsuccessful"
Kion nodded at the panther and before he could say anything, did Kiali walk out in front of Kion, looking up at the lead panther.
"So you are fighting Tambo! That is great! That mean you can help us save Mpenda!"
Kion immediately interjected.
"Kiali! Wait!"
"But dad"
"Who is this Mpenda?"
Both Kiali and Kion looked over at the panther. Kion looked down at Kiali, motioning for her to speak up.
"Mpenda is a friend of mine. He is a leopard. Tambo attacked us and walked away with him some days ago"
The panther nodded, but before she could say anything, did one of the panthers behind her react.
"So you were the two who washed up from Tekani lake days ago. The two outlanders who washed up from the lake"
Kiali remembered the day she and Mpenda washed up from the lake. She smiled thinking back to it, even blushing remembering all that happened, but shook her head. She need to keep her head clear right now. She looked to face the panther who spoke up.
"Yes, we fell into the lake, falling from a land called the pride lands"
At this all the panthers gasped which surprised Kiali and Kion. They looked to the lead panther who was now staring at the cub.
"You mean to say you come from the legendary pride lands? We only heard rumors of the place, but we always thought it was a myth. Please! Tell us all about the pride lands!"
Kiali was about to say something, but Kion finally succumbs to his wounds and falls down to the ground. Kiali and the lead panther rushes to the lion. The panther looks down at Kiali.
"Later then, Come comrades, we must aid the Defender of Abassi"
With that all the other panthers came and they all moved their heads and paws under Kion's body and slowly lifted him up. Back stood Kiali and the lead panther who looked as the lion was carries by the panthers. Kiali looked up at her.
"Where are you taking him?"
"We are taking him to meet our leader, Salehe. Now come"
With that Kiali followed the panthers deeper into the forest. She sighed and wished her father was doing okay.
Meanwhile back at Amani's cave, Tambo is rushing outside of the big cave. He had just reported about the incidence with Askari and Amani was not pleased. Tambo was lucky to get away from the bigger panther before he could get his claws into him.
Tambo swiped the air.
"If it wasn't for that stupid roar would we easily have overpowered Askari!"
Tambo walked back and forth, yelling at himself, making some of the nearby panthers and leopards laugh or run away in fear.
"If my companions were just more… competent in fighting as one unit! Ahh! Askari I will be your end, even if it is the last thing I will ever do!"
Tambo looked up in the direction of the cave where the pride lander, Mpenda, were being held. He smirked as he looked up in the direction, remembering the small cub and their second meeting. He walked up the road, entering the cave. Tambo searched the cave.
He immediately found what he was looking for.
In the corner sat the small Mpenda, trying to hit as well as possible from the mean black cat. But panthers are masters of the dark. Clever boy Tambo thought, before he rushed over to where the leopard was lying. But not clever enough.
Mpenda ran away from the corner, trying his best to avoid the panther. Tambo leapt and swiped at the cub. This made Mpenda trip and fall to the ground. Tambo walked over and looked down at the cub, shaking his head.
"This was all too easy"
Tambo raised his paw ready to strike the cub but was shocked to see the reaction of the leopard cub. He was not shaking like he used to, but was instead simply staring at the paw, sitting up. He was defying the panther.
"Are you not afraid?"
Mpenda nodded at the panther.
"Yes, I am, but what good will it do me? You will strike me no matter what I do"
Tambo raised his eyebrow for a moment, thinking a sinister thought, before smirking.
"I see you have grown a spine while I was gone… Good, you and I will have fun in the times to come"
With that Tambo struck Mpenda, and a whole new chase started. Unfortunately for Mpenda, this was the start of a long and painful journey with the bigger panther, one he wished never happened.
With that I end chapter 9 of Life of Kiali. Read and review, tell me what you liked or hated and what you would like to see in the future.