Hello everyone, Gulefritz here.
I am hereby bringing you the 10th chapter of Life of Kiali.
I hope you are going to like it.
I have been busy lately which explains why I have not updated for 3 weeks.
I am sorry this chapter is not as long as the others, but I simply do not have time to actually make longer chapters, but I will try to do so in the future.
I have gotten some very good suggestions for future themes/scenarios in this story and I intend to use most of what you guys give me of ideas. This way it is partly my story and partly your story.
With that, thank you for the suggestions, please send me more.
With that out of the way, GET ON WITH THE SHOW!
Fuli looked around at the place where she had stranded. It had been fifteen minutes since she reaches the shore of Tekani lake, but already had the situation turned dire.
When Beshte jumped down into the river, he jumped a little to short. He landed in the water, but the lake was a little too shallow at where he landed. His back feet made impact with the stone below and he broke his right leg.
They are in unknown territory and Beshte is now incapable of walking anywhere. To top it all off, Bunga has been acting weird to the brink of insane since they landed. He smelled a weird flower and has ever since been hugging them all, claiming he just now noticed how good they looked.
Fuli sighed. She looked at the jungle. She knew Kiali was in there, she knew that this was the place she went. Something just told her that this was the place where she would find her. The group had decided to split up into two. Beshte, Mpilo and Bunga would stay back, looking after their wounds and making a nest from where they would search the jungle.
Fuli and Ono would go into the jungle to find a proper place to sleep, like a cave or hollow tree, a better place to stay so to say. It would be from there that they would investigate this giant jungle, it would be from there they would find Kiali and Mpenda.
Or so she hoped.
She and Ono started walking and flying into the jungle. They looked all around to try to find shelter, but they did not find anything for quite a while.
They searched high and low, checked every tree but found absolutely nothing. Fuli looked around before facing Ono, not at all looking happy.
"I do not like this Ono. It feels as if we are being watched"
As if on que a leopard jumps out of the bush and lands on top of Fuli. Cheetah and leopard rolled to the side, rolling for a whole half minute before finally stopping, the leopard on top of Fuli, growling down at her. Fuli returns the growl but the leopard strengthens his grip, bringing out the claws, digging them into shoulders.
The leopard growl for some time, before noticing what he just pinned. His growl stopped but his grip remained strong. He speaks, revealing a very deep and male like voice.
"Amani does not use cheetahs or girls to do his bidding! Who are you and what are you doing here"
Fuli is about to answer, when Ono flies in and strikes the leopard on the side of the head. The leopard is distracted for a moment, but that moment is all Fuli needs. She wiggles free from the leopard and kicks him in the stomach. The kicks stun him for a moment and she jump at him, pinning him down below her.
"Ouch!"
"Who are you and why did you attack us!"
The leopard simply stared up at Fuli, not expecting her to be able to pin him to the ground. He tried to break free but was unable to do so. He sighed and answered her question.
"It is a misunderstanding. I thought you were some of Amani's minions looking for our safe haven, but I realized he would not send females. A good looking female even"
With that Fuli growled and the leopard winced as he felt her paws enter his skin. He let out a growled laugh as he figured he had crossed the line with this compliment.
Fuli jumps off the leopard and looks over to Ono.
"Come on Ono, we still need to find a shelter"
The two of them were about to leave when the leopard yelled out to them.
"Wait! I know where you can find shelter!"
Fuli and Ono turned around looking at him with a glare.
"Why would we believe you?"
The leopard laughed.
"Because I am sorry I attacked you and want to make up for my attack. But I am one of the defenders of the Temple of Abassi. All who is not Amani, or his minions are allowed at the temple"
Ono and Fuli looked at each other, not sure how to react to the leopards offer. They turned away from him, discussing the scenario away from the leopard. The leopard looks at them and looks rather relaxed as he looks at their backs.
"He attacked me, so we should not trust him"
Ono nodded but looked to the sky.
"I know, but it is soon going to rain Fuli, and we need to get Beshte to somewhere safe. I honestly do not think we have a choice"
Fuli turned around to see the leopard staring at her. She noticed his relaxed look and smile and growled at him before nodding to Ono.
"You are right. I do not like it, but we do not have much of a choice here"
Fuli and Ono turns over to the leopard who sits up. He sits with his butt on the ground and his paws in front of his stomach.
"Fine, follow us to the shore so we can get out wounded friends over to your safe haven"
The leopard smiled and nodded. He walked over to them, which made both Ono and Fuli take a step backwards.
"Wonderful, now can I know your names?"
"My name is Ono, and this is Fuli"
The leopards would keep looking at Fuli while Ono mentions their names. He smiles as he hears it and speaks up again.
"Well, Fuli and Ono, my name is Thandoluhle, call me Thando for short. Show me the way and I will provide shelter for your friends"
With that the three individuals walked back the way they came from. While walking back would it start to rain. Being typical to a jungle, the rain is harsh and all three of them are soon soaked to the skin below the fur or feather. Fuli kept looking back at the leopard and sighed. He would not stop staring at her. No male had ever done that since Kion. She growled and looked forward again, for once happy that it was raining, as it very efficiently cowered the tears that fell down her chins.
After three quarters of an hour did they reach the shore of the lake. Beshte and Mpilo had finally managed to get control over Bunga. They had managed to bind him, using vines and leaves. They looked on with smiles as Fuli and Ono broke through the jungle, but their smiles fell when they saw the leopard who followed them.
"Everyone, this is Thandoluhle, he knows a shelter where we can stay. Beshte, can you walk?"
The hippo tried to stand and managed to get up without setting the right front leg on the ground. Mpilo stood beside the hippo, aiding the hippo as much as possible. Fuli walked over to Bunga and looked him over to see how he would react. He tried to hug her, but the vines stopped him.
The leopard laughed as he watched the honey badger.
"He is affected by the Upendi flower. It makes you love sick, like a leopard in the spring. It has a very strong effect. Has caused some problems in the past"
The leopard smiled as he looks at Fuli. She sighed and decides to pick up Bunga by the neck. Ono looks to the leopard and catches his attention.
"Let's go then. We need to get out of this rain"
With that the group left the beach. They walked slow due to Beshte's leg and Bunga trying to break free from the vines. During the whole trip Fuli was happy to be behind the leopard, giving her the choice to not look at him.
Two hours passed, and the sun was going down. It was dark, and it had rained for hours. The group started doubting the leopard, but he kept assuring them.
"Do not worry, we will be at the temple soon enough"
Beshte would ask a question he had wondered ever since he was introduced to the leopard.
"Tell us, Thando. Are there many defenders of this, Temple of Abassi?"
The leopard looked back as the rhino.
"No. Today was my first day as a defender actually. We used to be protected by a giant lion whose roar commanded the wind. We call him Askari, the mighty one. He protects us all from Amani and his pride"
With this Fuli, Beshte and Mpilo stopped which surprised the leopard who looked back at them. Fuli would be the next to speak up.
"Was this… lion native to these lands?"
The leopard nodded which surprised all of the pride landers.
"Where… where is he now?"
The leopard laughed.
"If I knew, would it not have been me who ran into you earlier. Days ago an outlander arrived at our temple. She had been saved by Askari himself. Yesterday the two of them left the temple, seemingly playing together"
Fuli stared at the leopard who smiled back at her.
"This outlander… what did she look like?"
The leopard stopped for a moment, looking at Fuli one more time before speaking again with a smile on his lips.
"She was slim but strong paws. She was small but had the strength to jump high. She looked like she was the union of a mighty cat and a fast but stealthy one"
With that Fuli let out a gasp. Every pride landers knew why and the leopard raised his eyebrow.
"Do you know her?"
Fuli literally yelled at the leopard, unable to keep back her thoughs and feelings.
"DO I KNOW HER! SHE IS MY DAUGHTER!"
The leopard nodded at her.
"Well are you in luck then. She likes the temple and she fits in. She and Askari will propably be back soon, if not when we return"
With that Fuli started walking again, almost sprinting forward.
"Let's go then!"
With that the group hurried forward as fast as Beshte could allow them. Fifteen minutes of this rush and they reached the temple of Abassi. At the gates stood a mandrill flanked by two lionesses.
"Abdu! Look! I bring more foreigners!"
"Ahh, Thando! I knew you would bring us new people today. These people are special, as they know the story of Askari. But that is not for now, bring them inside. Food and warmth wait inside"
The mandrill turns around and leads the group into the temple. They walked into the middle of the temple, up the stairs and into the middle of the main pyramid. True to the mandril's word, a fire with fresh fruit and nuts waited the group. The group walked over and say down by the fire, slowly drying off the water from their fur or feather. Thando looks at Abdu.
"Is Askari or the foreigner here? This one wants to meet them"
Thando would refer to Fuli. The mandrill shook his head as he looked over at Fuli.
"I am afraid they have not returned since they left this morning. I fear trouble might have hit them. We can be certain of it, if they do not return before midnight"
A smile returned to the old mandrill as he looked at the worried look on Fuli's face.
"Do not worry. Askari is a well known lion and a strong hero. Many will give them shelter, and many will make sure he is fine. He will return to us soon enough"
Fuli nodded. The mandrill looks out to the group smiling at them all. Abdu looked around him and saw that several of the inhabitants of the temple had seen the newcomers and had followed them into the main temple. Abdu could not help but smile and turns back to the newcomers.
"Now, while we wait. I am sure most of us here would love to know, who you are and where do you come from"
The lion guard remained silent before Ono let out a nervous cough.
"We come from the pride lands"
Well, that was chapter 10 of Life of Kiali. Fuli and the group has reached the Temple of Abassi. In the next chapter we will hear from our favorite lost leopard cub and most likely what happened to Askari/Kion and Kiali.
Read and review, tell me what you liked or disliked.