(Chapter 2: The dangers of human kind)
The night came and went, and by morning, the entire crocodile that had been hunted down was devoured, having been made a gift by Tarzan to the friendly tribe that had been aiding him in his hunts and missions against the Belgians.
Now Tarzan was looking for his own food after going a day without eating anything due to constant movement to hide himself from the human forces that had infiltrated his home. He near the top of a tall tree, having his eyes set on a juicy piece of purple fruit hanging from a limb. His mouth began to salivate at the thought of the fantastic juices oozing into his mouth as he took a bite from it.
The ape man reached over and grabbed hold of a thick tree limb complete with leaves coating it, and removed it from the log with his brute force. It was a heavy limb, but with his insane strength due to living amongst animals his whole life, he made it look easy. His power and strength, as well as his other capabilities would easily make him a P.T. Barnum circus freak, these days he would more than likely be considered a strongman, but he cared not for competition, except when a gorilla friend of his would stop to playfully spar and wrestle with him every once in a while, but these days it was all about protecting himself and those he cared for. He took life, very, very seriously.
When he removed the thick limb from the tree itself, he would place it down on the bigger limb in which he was standing on before stripping it of the leaves in a solid motion with his muscular leg. What was left was a sharp end to it, perfect for being used as a spear when he didn't have any crafted or at his disposal.
With a grunt, the feral man heaved the limb to his hip before hoisiting it over his head, baring his teeth viciously before launching it towards the purple fruit like a spear, it made impact with the limb and sent the batch of purple fruits falling towards the jungle floor. Tarzan closely followed his food by swinging on a hanging vine, flinging himself to a tree branch where he landed on his feet before jumping to a third tree, performing a gymnastics styled swing where he would go falling to the ground, landing on his feet after using a backflip to gain control of the fall.
Tarzan crouched down and picked up the fruit, looking around to make sure there was nothing watching him from the shadows as he was standing out in an open clearing. Seeing no eyes within the shrubbery, he would take a chomp out of the fruit, grunting with satisfaction as he enjoyed the tasty juices of it running down his throat.
When he went to take another bite, however, a loud huff was heard before he felt something huge slam into his back from out of nowhere! Tarzan grunted in slight pain as he was forcefully brought to the ground, being tackled by whatever it was from behind him. The wild man went into a roll and managed to dislodge whatever was on his back before getting up to receive a blow to his chiseled abdomen that knocked him on his anus.
He still didn't have time to see what this threat was as a black flash would rise over him, and cause him to roll away, a loud thud struck the ground and smashed the fruit to purple mush, causing Tarzan to growl in frustration as he got to his feet. This time he was able to see that his attacker was a female gorilla!
The gorilla took a swing at his head with a fist, but Tarzan ducked under it and moved forward, he attempted to kick his attacker in the face, but his leg was caught, prompting him to jump up and swing his free leg into the side of her face as hard as possible, a grunt was heard as she released him, causing him to crash into the ground and roll towards his makeshift spear.
Holding the sharpened limb in one arm, Tarzan pounded his chest with his other one, baring his teeth and growling while the female gorilla pounded the ground and her chest while roaring with malicious intent.
"You've picked the wrong jungle, fool!" She screamed with warning in her loud voice, but once she noticed that this human had a familiar face, she felt a wave of guilt wash over her like a tidal wave, her enraged face shifted into a shocked expression. Her fangs were no longer bared and her eyes were no longer narrowed with anger.
"Tarzan?" She asked, the wild man looked confused for a moment but realized that this female gorilla wasn't just any gorilla, she was once one of his best friends!
"Terk?" Tarzan asked, sounding just as shocked and confused as she was in this moment.
"Ohhh, no! How have you been, T!?" She asked before moving forward, happily embracing her friend in a tight hug.
"I've been okay, yourself?" He asked.
"Well, everything has gone...bad. Sorry for snappin' at ya like that, I've been kinda forced to get more territorial these days."
Tarzan looked even more confused than he already was, what could possibly be causing Terk of all gorillas, to be acting territorial? She was usually playful and fun-loving!
"Why...?" He asked, sounding concerned.
"Tublat's back, and he's up to no good. Always trying to start somethin' with the family, you know the stories mama used to tell."
Tarzan sighed once Terk revealed why she was behaving the way she was, the rival of Kerchak, Tublat, had returned after being exhiled for what was considered dishonorable behavior.
Tublat had a history of causing mayhem among the gorilla families, having lost his daughter due to a leopard and his son due to a python, he never wanted another child in his sights. The tragic incidents turned a once peaceful gorilla into a monster who thought everyone should share his pain. He crossed the line when it was discovered that he was the one behind the deaths of Tarzan's biological mother and father, and when he tried to kill Tarzan when he was young and powerless.
Tublat had his moments following his exhile when he would come back and try to attack the gorilla family that Tarzan lived with and helped protect alongside Kerchak, but it never got as bad as it currently was. As it turned out, Tublat had started up his own gorilla family and it had been full blown gorilla warfare since then.
Tarzan knew the history of Tublat all too well, but he was too caught up in what was going on beyond the jungle, while the Tublat vs Kerchak clan war was raging on, the human war had just come to an end, for a while, they were going on at the same time, the Congo River Basin being an absolute madhouse.
"I wish I could help, Terk, but I've got business of my own right now to take care of." Tarzan revealed, Terk seemed taken aback by this answer.
"What type of business do you got goin' own that makes you put it over tensions in your family?" She asked with a raised brow.
"The humans are trying to hunt us down now, during my absence, I've been helping a tribe not too far from here against them, and it seems that they are starting to encroach on our territory." Tarzan explained, Terk growled in frustration.
"Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, here we are. Now we got humans comin' after us. You know big 'K' isn't gonna be too happy." She huffed, Tarzan nodded his head as he deeply understood how Kerchak would react to this news.
"Well, it looks like I don't have much of a choice to keep it a secret. We'll all find out eventually when we start seeing them with roaring sticks approach us. I may as well speak with him."
"Hope you're ready for him to rip you a new one..." Terk teased, Tarzan smirked at this as she would lead him back to the den where all of the gorilla's lived.
When the two arrived, Tarzan was quick to notice that most of the males had vanished, presumably still fighting off Tublat's brethren. The gorillas acted kindly to the arrival of their old foster son, the females and children all approaching him with great curiosity, reaching out their arms to gently touch him.
"Tarzan?" A familiar female voice asked, a brown female gorilla emerged from the bunch. It was Kala, his foster mother!
"Mother, your presence was greatly missed." The wild man replied with a heartwarming smile, Kala bounded towards him and threw her arms around her grown son into a tight embrace, tears of joy forming in her simian eyes.
"How I've missed you as well, my Tarzan."
The sweet, emotional moment was interrupted as a thunderous voice shook the entire den from somewhere above them.
"TARZAN!" It screamed, the voice belonged to Kerchak, who was sitting perched on a platform made entirely out of smashed up sticks and leaves.
"Where have you been!? We've been going through war and we are in need of some help!" He continued to growl loudly, getting the message across that things haven't been the best since his absence.
"Things haven't been too good outside of the jungle, humans are approaching our territory. Hostile humans at that." Tarzan replied calmly, Kerchak's confused but angry expression then changed to an enraged one, his fangs bared, his face shifted up in fury.
"HUMANS NOW!?" Kerchak roared, his massive arms pounding the ground in a fit of rage.
"Kerchak, listen. Not all of them are bad, one of them seems to be peaceful." Tarzan continued, desperately trying to keep the peace, but his explanations were only making the patriarch of the gorilla family more angry than before.
"You don't know that, Tarzan! We already have our hands full with Tublat and his family, now conflicts you're getting yourself into is bringing more unwanted attention. This entire jungle is going to become a warzone!"
"For the past few years conflict has been right outside of the jungle! Why else do you think you see all of the other animals becoming wary or distraught!?" Tarzan growled, starting to become agitated with Kerchak's inability to think during this episode of mania.
"When those humans find us, it will make our terrible situation get even worse. Humans are more capable than you think, they have weapons and power that rival even our own, possibly even greater than our own. You do not understand the dangers of humanity!" Kerchak continued to boom, scolding Tarzan for slowly but surely bringing the humans into the jungle indirectly.
"All I ask of you, Kerchak, is that you give some of them a chance."
"I'm not giving them a chance, Tarzan, the benefit of the doubt is over..."
"You gave me a chance, I'm different, but you still allowed me to live with you all..."
Nobody ever told Tarzan the truth, he had gone his whole life believing he was a gorilla. Mowgli eventually learned that he was a human, but Tarzan was well within his mid twenties now, and he still believed that he was a gorilla.
Kala shook her head in disbelief at what she was hearing, she knew she had to tell Tarzan the truth at some point, but she dreaded how it would turn out, how he would react.
"Tarzan, I don't want to hear another word come from your mouth again. I've already got my hands full with Tublat, I want to keep the human scum in the back of my mind..." The silverback partriarch growled coldly before turning away.
Unexpectedly, a grin came to Tarzan's face.
"Then why are you here mouthing off on me, when you should be with the others defending against Tublat and his forces?"
Kerchak would love to rip Tarzan in half following that smart alek question, but he would save it for another day, instead of attacking him, he spun around violently and pounded the ground with both his arms, rumbling the entire den before pounding his chest, roaring viciously towards the man that stood before him, Tarzan stood, not intimidated at all...
Everyone was silent for the next few minutes as Tarzan watched Kerchak disappear, presumably heading off to fight against Tublat and his family of enemy gorillas.
"I'm starting to see more of the enemy inside of him with each day..." Kala sighed, Tarzan nodded his head, acknowledging her words without facing her.
"I am too, it's like my mere existence angers him at this rate." Tarzan replied.
"Now how could you say that about yourself, T!?" Terk was heard asking from somwhere within the treetops, having watched the action unfold.
"Kerchak has never been this aggressive towards me, ever. Tublat was the one who tried to take my life when I was young, but now Kerchak is resembling the very one who he is fighting. However, he makes a good point. I'm bringing the humans into this jungle, and I need to keep them out..." Tarzan said, regretting his choice to temporarily leave his gorilla family and give aid to a tribe who was trying to push the Belgians away from their home.
So much was going on at one time, and Tarzan had absolutely no idea on where to move from where he was. A war had just come to an end, another one was raging on, and one seemed to be just starting. Three wars all happening in a brief window of time, all these thoughts destroyed his mind and the only thing he could do is shake his head in disbelief.
He needed some time to think, and what a better way to do that than go on a nature walk. The ape-man let out a sigh and turned towards his gorilla family.
"I'll return, I need some time for myself. I need to plan things ahead if we want peace as soon as possible."
"I understand, come back soon though. I have to show you and tell you something." Kala suggested, Tarzan smiled and nodded his head towards his foster mother.
"Of course, I will."
When Tarzan went on his nature walk, he had a goal set firmly in his mind, catch up on what the Belgians were doing now. He knew how their camp looked, he knew that the woman he rescued, Jane, more than likely came from the camp.
As he passed through the jungle, he came out to a massive clearing where a gigantic waterfall rushed down into a massive lake. A herd of elephants were seen bathing in it, some were drinking from it, hippos were swimming about, tropical birds dipped down from time to time.
Typically, herbivores only stuck around this large watering hole, but now, due to the conflicts going on within the jungle, even the predators were being drawn to the location. A small pride of lions were seen gazing down at all of the potential game that was lurking within the massive watering hole, every animal seemed timid when they were supposed to be at peace.
One of the African Elephants raised its head from the water and turned to see Tarzan standing there, looking upon them all. The large elephant stood there, watching the ape-man carefully, not moving or making a sound.
"Tarzan?" The elephant asked.
"Yes, Tantor, it's me..." Tarzan replied, this would prompt the elephant to trumpet happily and move towards him to greet him after not seeing him for such a while.
"Where have you been!? This whole jungle has been in disarray!" The elephant asked loudly, sounding aggressive, but still having a soft spot in his heart for Tarzan.
"I met a local tribe that has been requesting backup, a group of humans have invaded this land and are causing chaos with other humans, but now we have caught their full attention, and I'm going on a mission to figure out how to end these conflicts as soon as possible." Tarzan explained, Tantor grumbled at this.
"There's already conflict going on, if we have humans thrown into the mix, what are we going to do when they tear down our only home!?" Tantor complained.
"I understand your frustrations, my friend, and such is precisely what bothers me too, I'm going on a walk to try and think about what I will do moving forward." Tarzan replied gently, placing his hand on Tantor's trunk.
"Well, you've gotta do something quick, everyone is on edge here. If something doesn't happen, and fast, all chaos is going to unfold, and a great dying will start." Tantor said with worry in his deep voice. Tarzan chuckled; he was being paranoid again.
"What are you, some kind of prophet?"
"No, I can just feel it within my bones!" Tantor said loudly, unsure of why Tarzan found what was going on right now, funny.
"Have hope, Tantor. It's all we can rely on right now, and it's never failed us, right?"
Tantor sighed. "Ergh, I guess so..."
"Would you be down to come with me for a walk, perhaps?" Tarzan asked, Tantor shook his head.
"Predators are getting closer and closer to us, you can't overpower them all at one time, Tarzan."
"Oh, so you're doubting me now?" Tarzan teased the elephant, causing Tantor to grumble deeply.
"You're not invincible, we all can get wounded and suffer injuries..."
"Very well then, I'll be seeing you around, but please know that I may need your help in the coming days." Tarzan warned, Tantor nodded his large head before heading back towards the watering hole.
The ape-man would eventually reach the tree line, and he scaled one of them, using a vine to swing himself onto a branch. He would peek through some leaves to see the Belgian encampment five hundred yards North of where he currently was, something within Tarzan told him that they were getting closer and closer…