XXXIII

Gatu's Quest

"It is time."

-Rafiki, Shaman of Pride Rock (Golden Er – beyond this time)

Gatu gasped. What lie before him was a graveyard. It was almost a half a square mile of dead bodies, resting in their own slathered guts and branching bones. Their carcasses had been cleaned up, though, by the scavengers that now seemed to darken the sky above as they screeched horrifically, soaring through the air. The lion wrinkled his nose as he took a step forward, studying these sorrowful lands. Lions and lionesses decorated the beastly, torn up ground where raw dirt was left uncovered, and splatters of blood would stain the very earth itself. As insects cut into what was once life, and flies swarmed the freshest of bodies, Gatu forced himself to pad through this heart wrenching scene. The aroma was even of death as it lingered over each dead creature, each broken tree or ravaged bush.

Suddenly, there was a roar, and he jerked his head around to see five or six skinny lionesses swarm around him. Their ribs would show through balding fur, and tattered ears kept perked while eyes of rage narrowed upon him, like he was some small bug in their way. Gatu's fur bristled at not only the sight, but the sentiments that came off them like the scent of the dead bodies.

"Untrue, murdering piece of zebra flank!" snarled one as she stepped forward, shoulder blades moving under her skin. "Come back for more? Is it not enough that your pride has killed all of our kin?!"

"I-I had nothing to do with this," Gatu quickly replied in a voice of submission.

Now he was trapped in the circle of fierce lionesses, and could see no escape. How foolish was he to let his curiosity carry him away and lead him straight to the middle of a bone yard. Death was everywhere, and if he had been smart enough, he would've realized it could easily be his own in just a few moments.

"LIAR!" the lion roared, and her companions did the same.

When it was over, and silence filled the air except the dying cries of vultures, she began to explain. "You thought it was over. You thought you had defeated us. Yet out of the ashes of death itself we rose. Yes, there are few of us still alive. We thought it wouldn't be worth it, we thought we should just roll over and die with our kin. But now, now that a murdering piece of filth such as yourself has come, we stay risen, to get our revenge."

At the emphasis of "revenge" the lioness breathed it into Gatu's face as she unsheathed her claws and threateningly and traced them over the bridge of his muzzle.

"Now that our mother and leader has died, now that our young ones have died, now that our true males have died and now that our savior is gone..." she continued.

"You savior?" he cut in.

"Silence!" she roared.

"But she's gone?" he asked despite her command. He assumed it was female, considering they all were.

Raising an unseen, yet impressed brow, she sat down and began to lick her exposed claws. "You ask of our savior...our Izegbe. Yes she is gone. We do not know where she has gone or if she is even still alive. But she was to be the one to carry on our way into the future. Now that she's gone, all hope is lost...and that means for you, too."

Gatu surpressed a glare, before the words slipped, "I could find her."

Blinking in surprise, the lioness rose up. The others snarled and started to close in.

"Don't play jokes with us, cub." one of the others growled.

"No! I'm serious! I will make it my own task to personally find her! I will make sure she is alive and well enough to carry on your ways to the future." They continued to close in as he attempted his best not lash out in fright or try to take off - not that he could. "I will not rest until I have searched every inch of all lands to find Izegbe!"

"Stop!" the first lioness then yelled.

To Gatu's utter relief, the small kin took a few steps back each and allowed him to breathe.

"You say you will find her? You say you will make sure she brings on our ways?" the leader questioned forcefully.

Gatu solemnly nodded.

"I still cannot believe that you did not have anything to do with this war. You even have a wound to prove it," she suddenly challenged, just when he thought he was out of deep water.

He instantly knew what she was talking about, though. "I have not had that eye since cubhood." he exclaimed. "Came from my father himself."

"Ah, so you know what it is like to be the victim of an untrue lion. Well, perhaps there is something you can do for us." she purred.

Her sisters turned and growled as their voices shouted out in argument.

"How do we know he could find her?" snarled one. "He couldn't! He's an untrue male! Why send an untrue male to find our savior?" a second one growled. And a third yelled, "No! He's lying! He could never find her! He won't find her! He just wants the life he doesn't deserve!" "He's a liar!"

"You were not put in charge were you, sisters?!" the leader finally roared. "It was Mother herself who picked the rankings and status! Now, we all know one thing - he is an untrue male." They all nodded and muttered under their breaths. "But," she went on. "he's our only hope. Our pride's future lies in the paws of an untrue male."

With that, the small pride roared out once more. Gatu could not tell if they were roars of anger or what, but the leader let them go.

"You must promise to find her! You must swear! Swear on your life! On your cubs' lives! Your family's life! You must swear to the Great Kings and Queens of the past! To the gods and goddesses! Go on, swear!" she offered.

"I swear! I swear to my loved ones, to myself, to the souls of the past and the future and to the gods and goddesses and heavens that I will not rest until I have found Izegbe!" the lion shouted.

Again, the lionesses began to roar. As this happened, the lead lioness took a step forward and whispered so coldly that it sent a chill down his spine and he began to quiver at her words, "If you do not live up to your vow, then may you die slowly and painfully, and may you burn forever in the underground."

Gatu turned so suddenly, that he almost tripped over his own paws. He scrambled passed the circle of lionesses, taking the lead one's warning as the pass to go. While the lion sprinted to the northeast, he heard the same lioness call out, "Follow the river!"

As he disappeared into the distance, he couldn't help a silent thank you for this great opportunity. He was let free! Overjoyed by the thought that he was to live, Gatu could not push away the promise that he made. He had to look for the one called Izegbe. Now that he had purpose in his life, he had a sense of fulfillness in his heart. Those lionesses...were about to murder him. But they gave him a chance on this one condition. He would not stop looking for Izegbe. He had to at least try. It was his mission now in life. It was his quest.