About Lions

Rikki and Avíá spent that day and the next together with Shujaa and Bahaxur. They asked them all about lions, for, of course, being mongooses, they were eaten up from nose to tail with curiosity about them. "I already know that lions can run fast. Faster than mongooses. That's why I knew to always keep a good deal ahead of Kíkatili when I was having him chase me. There were far too many near misses." said Rikki. "We lions have low stamina. That's why we go for surprise attacks." said Bahaxur. "That explains why I wore out Kíkatili and was able to keep ahead of him." said Rikki-tikki. "What do lions eat?" asked Avíá. "Anything we can catch I suppose." said Shujaa. "We could in theory eat mongooses if that's what you're wondering." said Bahaxur. Rikki and Avíá looked at each other uneasily. "Not you, of course. You're our friends! However, the mongooses of that wicked Cobra Queen, well…pity for them if they come across us." said Shujaa. "We eat antelope mostly." said Bahaxur. "Antelope?" said Rikki. "What are they? Do they have poisonous fangs or many legs or fly or any of that fancy stuff?"

"They can run fast and have horn things but they're not that dangerous. Maybe in herds a little too hard for one lion to fight alone. But no poisonous fangs or anything." said Bahaxur. "They taste wonderful though." said Shujaa. "Why do mongooses like to eat things that can kill them?" "Makes life more fun." said Rikki, smiling. "We can also eat mice and birds." said Avíá. "We can too." said Bahaxur. "How do you keep up with those snakes? They might not move very fast, but they have rather quick reflexes." said Shujaa. "Quickness. It's in-born. We're after the Magical Herb of Kalindo only because it'll take more than typical mongoose quickness alone to get the better of Nagasta and Karistan." said Rikki. "Well, hopefully you can kill them and help us find a way to kill Kíkatili and Apakarmi too!"

Medalíana

Rikki and the others turned around and noticed a lioness coming toward them through the water. "I'm not going to hurt you. I've come to help. I've…" she said, suddenly turning around and walking back out upon hearing the sound of voices. "There's nothing here guys." she said. After a while, she said "They're gone." "Who are you?" said Rikki. "Oh. Me. Should have introduced myself. I'm Medalíana." she said. "Why are you helping us?" said Shujaa. "Because Apakarmi had Nagasta kill my husband. Also, I kind of believe what you say about Kíkatili killing your father." said Medalíana. "Your father?!" said Rikki and Avíá together. "Yes." said Bahaxur sadly, "Kíkatili is my older brother." "Well this changes things!" said Rikki. "If we can expose Kíkatili for the murderer he is, then maybe the pride will make you King and you can chase Nagasta and her crew out of here!" "Me? A King?" said Bahaxur. "I'm not fit for the job of my Father!" "Yes you can!" said Shujaa. "I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. I think we should remove Kíkatili and Apakarmi from power! There are others who would help us!" "Like who?" said Bahaxur. "I'll go get them." said Medalíana. "It might take a while to get them all here. We don't want the enemy finding us." She left, leaving them alone. "Think she went to turn us in?" said Rikki nervously. "No. I could tell it in her eyes. She hates Kíkatili and Nagasta." said Avíá.

They spent the next several days gathering the lions in and finding hiding spots away from Kíkatili and Apakarmi. Eventually they camped inside the outer edge of the Dark Forest. "I don't like this place." said a lion. "It's the best we can come up with." said Bahaxur. "So what do you plan to do? Why should we oppose Kíkatili and Apakarmi?" said a lioness. "Because Kíkatili killed the previous King of pride." said Rikki. "His own father?!" said a lion. "Yes, I've seen the whole thing." said Bahaxur. "I knew it wasn't safe to mention it in front of Kíkatili. Also, he's got friends who'd back him. Also, the anti-human sentiment is high after some lions were killed. However, they were probably too close to the people. I think the people were afraid. Anyway, the lions did attack when the people started to throw things at them. I had thought going into the village to try and eat them chickens was a bad idea from the start." said Bahaxur. "Also, Shujaa told me that Apakarmi had once told her that her mother was killed while trying to kill human children." "Yes, and she said that she did it only because she hated humans and believed they would hunt us and wanted to get them before they got us." said Shujaa. "So Apakarmi and Kíkatili have been lying to us?!" said a lion in shock. "And there's more." said Rikki. "More?" said a lioness. "Humans didn't kill Nagasta's family." said Rikki. "Good lord! You mean she's lying too?!" said Medalíana. "No. Not lying." said Avíá. "Then what?" said Medalíana. "The dusty brown snakeling tried to kill the boy. I fought him and paralyzed Krait. I pretty much killed Krait for the big man. And as for Nagasta's father, Nag, he and his wife Nagaina were going to attack the big man when he went to bathe. Then Nagaina would later kill the big man's wife and the boy. However, I attacked Nag by the hood when he slept and in the confusion, when the big man came in and before he even fired his gun, I managed to graze Nag in a vital artery with my teeth, killing him before the gun fire even hit him. And Nagaina tried to avenge his death, blaming the big man. She was going to kill the boy. I meanwhile, had been oblivious to her murderous intention, and had sent Biwi, the wife of Darzee the tailorbird, to distract her by feigning a broken wing while I smashed the eggs. I had destroyed all but three when Biwi came and said Nagaina had corned the humans. I destroyed two of the eggs and brought the last to make Nagaina back down. In my rashness, I didn't keep the egg guarded enough and Nagaina took it and fled to her hole with it. I followed and we fought. She nearly got me but I managed to break her neck with my legs. However, her last egg rolled away in the fight and I assumed it was destroyed in a cave in that Nagaina had caused. It hatched within minutes afterward into Nagasta, who spent the whole day listening to the animals in the garden cheering the demise of her parents. She left at night, hell-bent on destroying the humans and with a very strong hatred for humans. When I found out who she was and why she was after the family, I realized that I needed to defeat her. I've been protecting the family from her and her minions. I killed Kinsta. I'm certain he would have come for the family that day had I not killed him. He already ate a tailorbird, several toads, and three frogs. Nagasta was furious at his death and sent her minions after me. I've been letting them chase me to lead them away from the humans. I've spent the past month trying to make her so mad at me that she'll forget about the humans for quite some time. I'd have told her the truth but that might get Darzee and his wife and the muskrats Chuchundra and Chua in trouble too. Also, Nagasta is stronger than most cobras. Even fully grown mongooses have been killed when they've fought her. So Avíá and I are heading to Kalindo to find a herb that will make you immune to one snakebite. Just one." said Rikki. "What a tale!" said a lion. "Yes, and we need to drive her from the Land of the Lions. I don't want any more villages to end up like that last one!" said Rikki. "Sorry about that." said a lion. "We honestly believed Nagasta, Kíkatili, and Apakarmi. Now we know the truth." said a lion. "Well I'm glad you know the truth now." said Rikki.

Crashing the Party

The snakes were in the middle of one of their education sessions of the young, which of course, was nothing more than a brainwashing session praising Nagasta and condemning humans and Rikki-tikki, when Darzee flew overheard, followed by Dindac and Biwi and two ravens. "Is there something you want?" hissed one of the snake instructors irritably. "Yes." said Darzee. "You to stop your oppression and give us our lives back!" "What?!" said the snake. "We're not taking it anymore. We can't let Rikki-tikki and Avíá-tía have all the fun." said a crow.

"What are you doing with them?" hissed another snake angrily. "It's all lies!" said the crow to the children. "Rikki-tikki-tavi isn't evil. He and his friend spared me when I was knocked down by them. I had pretend to have flown into a tree to avoid being eaten by Nagasta! She's the real terror here. She ordered the deaths of the mongooses just to try and get back at Rikki-tikki. Only the ones that joined right away were spared. Ms. Avíá's attack on Snake Empire was because her family was slaughtered simply for refusing to help them find and kill Rikki-tikki. It's as simple as that." said the crow.

"The King and Queen lied to us!" said a young squirrel. "Don't listen to him!" said a snake. "He's joined the enemy!" "Who is the enemy?" said a young rabbit. "We've been tricked!" said an upset young squirrel. "Nonsense." said an evil crow. "The Cobra King and Queen have been giving away the possessions of the evil humans and traitors to everyone. They're heroes." "They have been rather helpful." said a young badger. "Giving away free stuff to buy loyalty doesn't seem to be very noble to me." said a young skunk.

[To Be Continued]