When i first wrote this it was a homework assignment for Mythology. I kept going and going....and going as we all do. and I couldn't stop. so I thoguht you'd all like to read this. The first chapter is where our hero has to get ready to go on a quest, hence, "The great quest". She is no going to meet her escort. and future...well u get the picture. again i must remind my readers of previous stories that this is entirely seperate version where some of the characters are the same. Different name, defiantly different story but some how same bad guy but different name. (did anyone follow that cause I just lost myself)
oh and btw. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!
Chapter 2
It seemed as if she walked forever. Trees started looking the same but she followed what looked like a path the best she could. The jungle wasn't too dense but it was still challenging to bend around low hanging branches and vines.
She heard a rustle from her left when she had stopped to rest. Scanning the windows between vines and bushes, she searched for the predator. She had known that black leopards lived in the jungle and had been warned to not to stray beyond the forest line.
The rustle continued by and faded away from her. Waiting several seconds till letting her breath out seemed almost too difficult to keep up. Letting her breath out she continued walking cautiously through the forest.
Suddenly a short roar tore the air making Kijanjwie jump to her feet, her hand gripping her bow. She'd heard only one such roar in her life. One time many years ago, her baba would go out looking for a meddlesome lion who would scatter the tribe's small herd of cows. She had followed out of curiosity and found the group had the great simba trapped. He had tried to get away but was repeatedly stabbed. His anguished roars of pain echoed in her heart as the simba fought for life.
This same kind of roar and growls brought her to a very small clearing where the trap laid. The poor simba had a mettle jaw clamped tight on his paw. The simba was a brown gold almost bronze color with a not yet matured reddish brown mane. Kijanjwie was surprised to see that this cat's eyes were green. Holding her bow to her side and staying in the shadows she called to the simba.
"Be still. Stay calm so that I can help you," she said softly.
The simba stopped struggling and shot his green orbs at the voice. His voice surprisingly held fear that, to his credit, he tried to mask. "Who's there? Show yourself." he commanded shakily.
"If you promise not to be frightened," she replied.
Eyebrows bent he paused keeping his heart steady. Then he nodded, "Come out."
Putting the bow and quiver aside, she stepped out into the light. The simba's eyes widened but he did not gasp or try to step back. "You can speak?" he asked in amazement.
Kijanjwie smiled warmly, "Yes I can," she nodded, "May I help you out of that?"
The simba looked confused and cautious, "Did you put this here?" he asked of the mettle jaws.
She shook her head and slowly came forward. The simba laid his ears back in fright but he didn't attack.
Kijanjwie knelt down and tried to pry open the jaws. "Hold still," she advised. Wrapping her hands in a shawl to protect from cutting herself. "Now, when I get it open pull your paw out."
The simba nodded and waited. She grabbed the two sides and pulled. It was very hard to open but when the simba could move it, he quickly pulled his paw out, and jumped back and if to run away. Kijanjwie let it snap shut and scooted back form the great cat. She cursed her stupidity at having left her weapons in the jungle. The simba was going to attack her! Covering her head with her arms, she curled into a ball against a tree and waited for the raking claws against her back.
To her shock and delight, the claws did not come. The simba had turned around and sat at the other end of the small clearing to lick his bleeding paw. Suddenly an odd thought came into her mind. Her bibi had told her a story of a time when her husband was injured almost to the point of death. She had whispered to her necklace, the very same which was now around Kiji's neck, a simple word. Funga, heal. The idea was a brilliant way to establish peace with the mighty cat.
"Simba," she addressed him.
The simba looked confusedly toward her, "Simba?" he laughed, "Simba is my grandfather. My name is Nuku."
"Nuku, then," she smiled, "Do you want some help with you paw?"
He looked down at the cuts to his left front paw doubtfully, "Sure. I guess so." he nodded.
Kiji smiled and slowly approached the simba. Untying her necklace she held it in her palm, closed her eyes, and whispered, "Funga." She opened her eyes to see the that the stone had turned white and was floating toward Nuku's paw. Soon it was softly glowing white.
When the glow faded the stone was black again. Kiji giggled softly, "Wow."
"Yeah I'll say," Nuku was amazed, "Are you like a....shamaness?"
"Not really. Just...different." she said sadly.
"Yeah," he laughed, "Defiantly."
She ignored this due to more pressing matters. Great Mathee's words had popped into her ears. "I was wondering if you would like to help me." she said.
Nuku scrutinized her, "With what?" he asked warily.
"The shamaness of my tribe said there is a strange man that is going to attack these lands," Kiji explained, "She said that he was going to be the cause of much destruction to our worlds."
The simba's eyes lit up, "Rafiki said that too!He told my brathee to do it but then he left for training and I got picked to go. He said to go into the jungle and look for..." he looked her over again, "...you don't look like a warrior."
Kiji's eyebrow's shot up in surprise, "I'm not a warrior. I'm just...Kijanjwie," she smiled and sighed, "My name is Kijanjwie. All I know is that I'm supposed to stop him from finding these lands."
The simba stood, "Oh no. I'm supposed to go." he stood and headed off into the jungle.
"Wait!" she scrambled to grab her things and hurry after him. "You're supposed to help me," Kiji said catching up to him.
"No, I'm not," he growled as he continued walking.
"What did you shaman say about a warrior?" she asked picking around a bush that he seemed to walk right through, "What were you supposed to do when you found the warrior?"
He continued his pace but his words fumbled, "He...he said...he didn't mean....I mean...I lied." he lied.
"About?" she pocked trying to keep up with him.
"About finding a warrior," he said leading her 270 degrees around a tree.
"Now you lying," she said, "Maybe you're not the escort I'm looking for."she pressed.
This time he stopped turning toward her, "Next to my father and grandfather, I'd be the best escort you could hope for," he said as if explaining to a cub why the water hole had water in it.
"No you wouldn't," Kiji said getting him right where she wanted him, "You said so yourself, you couldn't be a good escort."
"I didn't say that," he said annoyed continuing his dizzying pace.
"Prove it then," she said, "Prove it by helping me get out of this jungle. Cause if we split up we'll never get out of here."
"What are you talking about?" he stopped and faced her, ears cocked.
"It is said that this jungle has an ancient enchantment," she said looking up and around her, "If you go in alone you'll never get out. But if you go through it with someone you're sure to get out." she said spinning a web with thick strands of sticky lies.
At first Nuku had a look saying, Oh really? But then he looked nervous. Shaking the fright from his face he said, "Nice try."
"Fine," Kiji said throwing up her hands and sitting down arms folded, "You don't believe me, just you try. You be back in this clearing before you know it," she smiled.
Nuku rolled his eyes, shook his head, and walked deeper into the jungle. Kiji chuckled before taking a sip from her water pouch and pulling out a little bread to eat.
The simba tried to keep his path as straight as possible bit it just wouldn't work out. Normally he could get into the deepest part of the jungle closer to the Homelands and get out just fine. Memorizing trees and smells and be back before the lionesses came home with supper. Three times that girl's words were right. And three times she had been sitting there eating her food or drinking some water. By the time he left and found her a fourth time he was exhausted. Panting and lying down, he looked up at Kiji irritatedly. She shook her water pouch so that the precious liquid sloshed about. She took up a banana leaf and some grass and quickly fashioned a bowl to pour water into. The simba gratefully lapped it up.
Finally he nodded, "Alright. Let's get out of here and find that monster."
Kiji smiled and stood well rested and fed. Nuku pulled himself up and walked along with her. The simba and woman walked side by side deeper into the jungle.
bad ending I know I suck at endings please review!!!!!