Book 1: Chapter 14
"It's been an hour. "Where is Imba?" Reirei asked tersely.
The jackal matriarch returned from her 'minute' after much longer than a minute. Dalia didn't know where Reirei went, but she did know that her eyes had been red-rimmed when she returned. After her quick break, Reirei spent the remaining time staying close to the caved-in ground and assuring her daughter to stay calm and that everything would be okay. Imba, however, hadn't shown face since she left to go look for more entrances, and her absence was starting to make everyone nervous.
Dalia shook her head, pursing her lips together tightly. "She'll be here soon, I'm sure."
And, indeed (as if on cue), the eagle silhouette became visible against the searing afternoon sun. She flew closer towards them, her blue eyes narrowed in concern. She swooped down to perch on a rock that jutted out from the ground, her talons gleaming with the sunlight bouncing off them. Light glinting off pure black. Imba unfurled her wings, stretching them out for a moment before reporting her findings.
"Good news or bad news first?" she asked, cocking a brow.
"Bad," Dalia answered quickly.
"I found a tunnel opening, but I'm not sure if it'll lead to Kijana and Tamka," Imba said, "It's narrow and very short. It'll probably fit you, Dalia but I don't think it'll fit Reirei. And even if this new tunnel does lead to Kijana and Tamka, I'm also nervous about Tamka fitting under it. I'm sure he's short enough, but I think he's a little too wide to fit through. Kijana shouldn't be a problem."
"And what's the good news?" Reirei questioned.
Imba grinned awkwardly. "Uh, I found a tunnel?" she said, though it sounded more like a question. After seeing the unimpressed look Reirei was giving her, Imba quickly backpedaled. "Here, let me take you to it."
Reirei and Dalia exchanged glances before deciding to follow the eagle, speeding their pace up to a swift run to keep up with the feathered companion. After what felt like forever of running on hot, sun-baked earth with the burning sun beating down on them, they finally arrived. Dalia skidded to a stop, Reirei close behind her, as Imba swooped down and started tapping the ground with her claws.
"Why'd we stop?" Reirei practically growled, sweating glistening above her brow.
"We've arrived," replied Imba.
Upon closer inspection, Dalia noticed that the portion of sun-baked earth that Imba was tapping was actually a small divot in the ground. The lioness approached it, and after pawing at it a little, some dirt began crumbling and a very small, cramped tunnel made its appearance. Dalia stared down the tunnel and quickly understood the reason for Imba's earlier concern.
Reirei definitely couldn't fit, and while the tunnel was wider than it was tall, Dalia was suddenly very worried that even if this tunnel led to Kijana and Tamka, Tamka wouldn't be able to fit.
"So what's the plan, Dal?" Imba asked quietly after a few moments of silence.
Dalia made a 'tsking' noise, thrashing her tail in slight agitation. It was hard to think straight with the sun beating down on literally everything. The ground between her paws felt like hot coals, and when she caught sight of it a few minutes ago, her paw pads were bright red with agitation. Her whiskers twitched as a slick bead of sweat rolled down her cheek and slipped between the wiry hair.
As another bead of sweat made its journey to the parched ground beneath them, Dalia felt her heart drop to her stomach in dread.
"I got good news and bad news," said Dalia.
At the lioness' tone, Reirei knitted her brows together in worry. "Why? What happened?"
Dalia grimaced before Reirei even finished her question. "The ground... it's too thin to protect them from the sun. If anything, it probably makes it even hotter. So if my guess is right, then that means that whatever heat we're feeling now—"
"Is amplified for Kijana and Tamka," Imba finished, catching on to what Dalia's trying to get at. Imba looks up at the sun steadily rising overhead. "So if we don't get to them soon, dehydration isn't what's going to kill them. Heatstroke is."
Reirei let out a whimper at the realization. "So are you telling me that we have, what—" she looked up at the sun, "—a few hours at best to save my daughter?" Neither Dalia nor Imba answered, which was an answer in and of itself.
"Well, what's the good news?" Imba asked urgently, "You said you had good news and bad news."
At this, the lioness gave a small, determined grin. "I think I've got a plan."
"You up for this, Dal?" Imba asked.
Imba's surprisingly clear voice cut through the torrid air. Dalia, who had a very long vine wrapped around her paw, nodded though it did look slightly uncertain. As it turned out, the tunnel that Imba discovered did in fact lead to Tamka and Kijana. It took a little bit of very careful above-ground tracking from Imba and Dalia's part.
But they finally determined that, somehow the newly-discovered tunnel would be the key to Tamka and Kijana's rescue.
While Dalia and Imba were determining this, Reirei doubled back to the cave-in to instruct her trapped daughter and the crocodile she was trapped with to stay calm and stay exactly where they were.
The main thing that worried Dalia was the threat of being lost in the tunnels. After all, how would she retrace her steps? It was hard enough for a lioness to retrace her steps normally, much less in a torrid heat tunnel. That's why it was so imperative that Kijana and Tamka stay put exactly where they were. Time was of the essence here considering the very real possibility of heatstroke.
The last thing Dalia needed was to waste more time trying to find them if they were wandering around.
However, that still didn't explain how they were going to exit the torrid tunnel. How would she retrace her steps? And that was when she had the bright idea to leave behind a vine trail for her to follow. So, she sent Imba to fetch the longest rope of vine she could find and bring it back to them.
After having Imba tie it around her paw, she explained to the other two her plan. If everything went according to plan, as the lioness walked through the tunnel to guide Kijana and he back to the opening, she should leave behind a very clear path to follow back out. And if she was quick enough, hopefully, everyone would still be alright by the time they get out.
"It's not like I have much of a choice," Dalia replied plainly, trying her best to keep fear out of her voice, "Reirei can't fit and you can't see as well as I can in the dark. Besides, I volunteered myself for this, didn't I?"
Reirei tried to smile, but it came across as a grimace. "Thank you, kid," she murmured, "And about earlier — I shouldn't 'ave snapped at you earlier. Just... stressed I guess."
Belatedly, Dalia realized that this was the closest thing to an apology where Reirei was concerned. She gave a small smile back appreciatively. "It's fine. I was kinda snappy too." With a sharp inhale, Dalia stepped closer to the tunnel opening. No going back now.
"If it gets too dangerous in there, just turn around and come back out," Imba said firmly, "We'll figure out another plan."
Another small smile spread across the lioness' face. "I'll keep that in mind."
With another glance back at Reirei and Imba, she began entering the opening of the tunnel.
The shade provided brief relief from the heat outside, but it was only momentary. As she went deeper into the tunnel, the heat became increasingly unbearable. Sweat was now freely falling from her brow, and she began panting before long. Her paw pads were scorching under the dirt-baked floor beneath her, and she was sure that they were going to be black if she ever got out of there.
"Holy..." she muttered, as her tongue involuntarily lolled in and out in a desperate attempt to cool herself.
Dalia had once heard from somewhere that the body produces sweat in an attempt to cool you down. But as she walked and felt the stickiness of her fur surrounding her joints, she decided that the sweat was only making matters worse. The tunnel felt hot and sticky and reminded her far too much of the rainforests she hated walking in.
"Kijana?" she called tentatively into the tunnel, "Tamka?"
There was no response.
Her mind was swamped, her ears pinned to the back of her head. Her limbs felt like they were a hundred pounds, and moving them tired her easily. The vine tied about her paw seemed to be holding up so far, as it hadn't snapped yet. After a few minutes of walking through the scorching heat, Dalia stopped for a break. She leaned against the tunnel wall, only to jump away from it when she heard the crumbling.
Her eyes snapped open and she froze in place, hoping and praying that the earth did not swallow her alive. But, thankfully, the crumbling stopped just as soon as Dalia's body moved away from the wall. She looked at the wall in disbelief, making a quick mental note as her heart struggled to regain a normal tempo. Her breath came in raggedy, due in part to the fear coursing through her veins but also to the unthinkable heat.
Don't touch anything, she internally reprimanded herself.
Now that she was inside the maze of tunnels she realized that whatever aardvark or creature built this, clearly abandoned their home decades ago, for the compacted earth was dry and crumbly and very delicate. If her fur so much as brushed past a wall, she could risk having the entire structure collapse on her.
After a moment of rest, she forced her eyes open and pushed herself forward. Time was of the essence, she couldn't afford to waste a single second of it. Grudgingly, she trekked along the sun-dried earth.
"Tamka? Kijana!" she called once more.
Again, there's no answer.
Dalia wanted to scream out of frustration but didn't want to risk another cave-in. Continuing to walk, her eyelids were getting heavier. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she vaguely registered that she was impressed that Tamka and Kijana survived so long in this place.
As she walked, she called out their names.
And finally, a very soft "Dalia" answered her.
But the voice was far too feminine to belong to Tamka and far too mature to belong to young Kijana. The voice was familiar and brought a lump in her throat and spiked tears to her eyes. Dalia began to spin around on her heel, her eyes watering.
"Mom?" she croaked, turning fully around.
There, in front of her, Nyla stood in all her former glory. A small smile tugged at Nyla's muzzle. Her eyes, the ones that matched Dalia's, were warm and full of life. Just like how Dalia remembers them to be.
"How..." Dalia continued, her throat growing tight, "I thought you were... I thought you were gone."
Nyla's smile slipped, and she began shaking her head slightly. Confused, Dalia ran forward to nuzzle her mother but found that she ran right through her. Baffled, she turned back around and looked at her now frowning mother. Dalia narrowed her eyes. The outline of her mother's figure was flickering. Oh no.
Realization struck Dalia like a brick, and she began shaking. It was all just a mirage. She had heard of them before but hadn't experienced one until now. "You're... you're not real, are you? You're just my imagination," she gritted the words out. She vaguely felt a tear running down the curve of her cheek. "Why are you here?"
Nyla's brows furrowed. "Little flower, you need to go home. You've roamed around for far too long now, Dalia. Our Pride is in ruins, and someone needed to go pick up the pieces." She was persistent. "Think of Torora and Asra, and everyone who's still suffering under Kali's rule. Think of me — avenge me. You need to bring an end to Kali's reign once and for all."
Dalia remained silent for a long while. Then, her eyes sharpened. "No," was her firm reply. "I'm never ever going back there again. Ever."
Her mother's face drooped, but she didn't look too surprised. "I had suspected so," she murmured sadly.
Then, just as quickly as she appeared, Nyla began vanishing. The outline of her form looked less and less clear, and her eyes began losing their color. It looked as if she was dissolving into thin air.
"Mom!" Dalia cried out, lunging forward. "No, no, no! No, please don't leave me again. Please!"
And as her image was all but gone, the last remnant of her melodic voice sounded through the tunnel. "I will always be with you, my flower."
Dalia, despite the sweat pouring down her fur, felt suddenly very, very cold. She began shaking and bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. She subconsciously thought back to her conversation with Kion all those weeks ago. The one where they were debating over what extent the dead should mingle with the living. Dalia had argued that the dead should have no place with the living.
She wondered if, after seeing the mirage of her mother, if her answer would change.
She used to think that she'd give anything for just one more chance to see her mom again. Once more chance to hear her speak. Well, in a way, she now received her wish.
But now that she was alone again, the empty space in her heart so much more glaring, Dalia's belief has only more solidified itself in her mind.
The dead really do have no place with the living.
. . .
"Kijana! Tamka! Kijana! Tamka!"
Dalia's voice echoed through the tunnels, and again she was met with no response. After taking a moment to collect herself after the whole mirage, she decided to start searching for the missing crocodile and jackal once more. The tension of the vine around her paw was starting to get tighter, and she knew that she was nearing the end of the vine. She skidded to a halt when she reached a fork in the tunnel.
One last attempt, and then she'd head back and find another way.
"KIJANA! TAMKA!" she hollered at the top of her lungs.
She waited for a few seconds, panting as she tried to recollect her breath. And then, she heard it.
A faint yet strangely loud, "WE'RE HERE!" answered her back.
She recognized the sound as the medley of Kijana and Tamka's voices, and she almost cried out of relief.
She began moving towards the sound, but the vine about her paw restricted further movement. She stayed put, not wanting to risk it snapping. If the vine snapped, then Dalia'd be as good lost. It was the only thing that'd ensure her getting out of this tunnel alive, and she was not letting her lifeline snap on her watch. Dalia stayed put for a moment, considering her options.
If I can't get to them, they are going to have to come to me.
"IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, FOLLOW THE SOUND OF MY VOICE," she called, her voice bouncing off the walls back at her.
They shouted back something that sounded like 'okay' and Dalia heard approaching footsteps. She kept calling their names in hopes that they'd be able to accurately find the source of the sound. The second ticked by painfully slowly and Dalia suddenly regretted wasting so much time on the mirage of her mother. Not only had it been painful to see her, but it had also been time-wasting. And every second counted here.
Finally, their voices seemed to get closer and closer.
And then, Dalia spotted Kijana walking with her ear pressed to the ground, Tamka trailing just behind her. The lioness was impressed that they thought to have Kijana in the lead, since jackals generally have better hearing and tracking skills than crocodiles.
"You're safe now," Dalia called, a rare smile on her face. Even if she didn't like to admit it, she had gotten somewhat attached to the members of Scar's Army (especially after learning why Janja and Reirei joined). She was glad that they were okay.
"Sweet sentiment," Tamka grunted, his breath labored. It was a tight squeeze for the buff crocodile, but he was managing. "But we're not safe yet. We're lost and still need to get out of these tunnels."
"I can help you with that, I think," Dalia panted out, sweat now drenching her fur. "Come, let's get out of here."
Kijana's dark eyes darted around and settled on the green vine around Dalia's paw. Kijana, who had always been the cleverest out of her siblings, put two and two together and let out a shaky sigh of relief.
"We really are gonna make it, aren't we?" she whispered, almost as if she just believed for the first time that she could actually make it out of here.
As they began retracing the path Dalia left behind with the vine, Kijana's head tilted up to peer up at the lioness.
"Thank-you,-thank-you-so-much," the jackal pup babbled all in one breath.
Dalia felt slightly uncomfortable at the appreciation. She didn't exactly know how to react to it. So, she simply nodded.
"Yeah. Don't worry about it. Nobody gets left behind."
The words coming out of her mouth were pure lies and made her feel like a hypocrite. Here she was, practically vowing that she'd never leave anyone behind, and that was exactly what she had done to her mother. When she saw Kali lunging after her mother, she didn't even attempt to help Nyla. Dalia had been frozen in place when her mother was killed, not even able to call for help. And worse, she ran away.
But lying wasn't something uncommon for Dalia. Her entire life was practically built on lies and secrets, and it was not something that surprised her anymore.
After all, the D in Dalia stood for deceiver.